Assessment of active methods for removal of LEO debris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakima, Houman; Emami, M. Reza

2018-03-01

This paper investigates the applicability of five active methods for removal of large low Earth orbit debris. The removal methods, namely net, laser, electrodynamic tether, ion beam shepherd, and robotic arm, are selected based on a set of high-level space mission constraints. Mission level criteria are then utilized to assess the performance of each redirection method in light of the results obtained from a Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation provides an insight into the removal time, performance robustness, and propellant mass criteria for the targeted debris range. The remaining attributes are quantified based on the models provided in the literature, which take into account several important parameters pertaining to each removal method. The means of assigning attributes to each assessment criterion is discussed in detail. A systematic comparison is performed using two different assessment schemes: Analytical Hierarchy Process and utility-based approach. A third assessment technique, namely the potential-loss analysis, is utilized to highlight the effect of risks in each removal methods.

Impact Assessment and Environmental Evaluation of Various Ammonia Production Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bicer, Yusuf; Dincer, Ibrahim; Vezina, Greg; Raso, Frank

2017-05-01

In the current study, conventional resources-based ammonia generation routes are comparatively studied through a comprehensive life cycle assessment. The selected ammonia generation options range from mostly used steam methane reforming to partial oxidation of heavy oil. The chosen ammonia synthesis process is the most common commercially available Haber-Bosch process. The essential energy input for the methods are used from various conventional resources such as coal, nuclear, natural gas and heavy oil. Using the life cycle assessment methodology, the environmental impacts of selected methods are identified and quantified from cradle to gate. The life cycle assessment outcomes of the conventional resources based ammonia production routes show that nuclear electrolysis-based ammonia generation method yields the lowest global warming and climate change impacts while the coal-based electrolysis options bring higher environmental problems. The calculated greenhouse gas emission from nuclear-based electrolysis is 0.48 kg CO2 equivalent while it is 13.6 kg CO2 per kg of ammonia for coal-based electrolysis method.

Impact Assessment and Environmental Evaluation of Various Ammonia Production Processes.

PubMed

Bicer, Yusuf; Dincer, Ibrahim; Vezina, Greg; Raso, Frank

2017-05-01

In the current study, conventional resources-based ammonia generation routes are comparatively studied through a comprehensive life cycle assessment. The selected ammonia generation options range from mostly used steam methane reforming to partial oxidation of heavy oil. The chosen ammonia synthesis process is the most common commercially available Haber-Bosch process. The essential energy input for the methods are used from various conventional resources such as coal, nuclear, natural gas and heavy oil. Using the life cycle assessment methodology, the environmental impacts of selected methods are identified and quantified from cradle to gate. The life cycle assessment outcomes of the conventional resources based ammonia production routes show that nuclear electrolysis-based ammonia generation method yields the lowest global warming and climate change impacts while the coal-based electrolysis options bring higher environmental problems. The calculated greenhouse gas emission from nuclear-based electrolysis is 0.48 kg CO 2 equivalent while it is 13.6 kg CO 2 per kg of ammonia for coal-based electrolysis method.

Workplace-Based Assessments in Psychiatry: Evaluation of a Whole Assessment System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brittlebank, Andrew; Archer, Julian; Longson, Damien; Malik, Amit; Bhugra, Dinesh K.

2013-01-01

Objective: Work Place-Based Assessments (WPBAs) were introduced into psychiatry along with the new curriculum in 2005. The Royal College of Psychiatrists decided to pilot several WPBAs to ascertain their suitability. Method: Eight types of assessments (Case-Based Discussion, Assessment of Clinical Expertise, Mini-Assessed Clinical Encounter,…

Evidence-Based Toxicology.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Sebastian; Hartung, Thomas; Stephens, Martin

Evidence-based toxicology (EBT) was introduced independently by two groups in 2005, in the context of toxicological risk assessment and causation as well as based on parallels between the evaluation of test methods in toxicology and evidence-based assessment of diagnostics tests in medicine. The role model of evidence-based medicine (EBM) motivated both proposals and guided the evolution of EBT, whereas especially systematic reviews and evidence quality assessment attract considerable attention in toxicology.Regarding test assessment, in the search of solutions for various problems related to validation, such as the imperfectness of the reference standard or the challenge to comprehensively evaluate tests, the field of Diagnostic Test Assessment (DTA) was identified as a potential resource. DTA being an EBM discipline, test method assessment/validation therefore became one of the main drivers spurring the development of EBT.In the context of pathway-based toxicology, EBT approaches, given their objectivity, transparency and consistency, have been proposed to be used for carrying out a (retrospective) mechanistic validation.In summary, implementation of more evidence-based approaches may provide the tools necessary to adapt the assessment/validation of toxicological test methods and testing strategies to face the challenges of toxicology in the twenty first century.

Can Online Course-Based Assessment Methods Be Fair and Equitable? Relationships between Students' Preferences and Performance within Online and Offline Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hewson, C.

2012-01-01

To address concerns raised regarding the use of online course-based summative assessment methods, a quasi-experimental design was implemented in which students who completed a summative assessment either online or offline were compared on performance scores when using their self-reported "preferred" or "non-preferred" modes.…

Comparison of hydromorphological assessment methods: Application to the Boise River, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benjankar, Rohan; Koenig, Frauke; Tonina, Daniele

2013-06-01

Recent national and international legislation (e.g., the European Water Framework Directive) identified the need to quantify the ecological condition of river systems as a critical component for an integrated river management approach. An important defining driver of ecological condition is stream hydromorphology. Several methodologies have been proposed from simple table-based approaches to complex hydraulics-based models. In this paper, three different methods for river hydromorphological assessment are applied to the Boise River, United States of America (USA): (1) the German LAWA overview method (Bund/Laender Arbeitsgemeinschaft Wasser/German Working Group on water issues of the Federal States and the Federal Government represented by the Federal Environment Ministry), (2) a special approach for a hydromorphological assessment of urban rivers and (3) a hydraulic-based method. The hydraulic-based method assessed stream conditions from a statistical analysis of flow properties predicted with hydrodynamic modeling. The investigation focuses on comparing the three methods and defining the transferability of the methods among different contexts, Europe and West United States. It also provides comparison of the hydromorphological conditions of an urban and a rural reaches of the Boise River.

Toward a Method for Exposing and Elucidating Ethical Issues with Human Cognitive Enhancement Technologies.

PubMed

Hofmann, Bjørn

2017-04-01

To develop a method for exposing and elucidating ethical issues with human cognitive enhancement (HCE). The intended use of the method is to support and facilitate open and transparent deliberation and decision making with respect to this emerging technology with great potential formative implications for individuals and society. Literature search to identify relevant approaches. Conventional content analysis of the identified papers and methods in order to assess their suitability for assessing HCE according to four selection criteria. Method development. Amendment after pilot testing on smart-glasses. Based on three existing approaches in health technology assessment a method for exposing and elucidating ethical issues in the assessment of HCE technologies was developed. Based on a pilot test for smart-glasses, the method was amended. The method consists of six steps and a guiding list of 43 questions. A method for exposing and elucidating ethical issues in the assessment of HCE was developed. The method provides the ground work for context specific ethical assessment and analysis. Widespread use, amendments, and further developments of the method are encouraged.

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

Integrating rangeland and pastureland assessment methods into a national grazingland assessment approach

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Grazingland resource allocation and decision making at the national scale need to be based on comparable metrics. However, in the USA, rangelands and pasturelands have traditionally been assessed using different methods and indicators. These differences in assessment methods limit the ability to con...

Assessment of statistical education in Indonesia: Preliminary results and initiation to simulation-based inference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saputra, K. V. I.; Cahyadi, L.; Sembiring, U. A.

2018-01-01

Start in this paper, we assess our traditional elementary statistics education and also we introduce elementary statistics with simulation-based inference. To assess our statistical class, we adapt the well-known CAOS (Comprehensive Assessment of Outcomes in Statistics) test that serves as an external measure to assess the student’s basic statistical literacy. This test generally represents as an accepted measure of statistical literacy. We also introduce a new teaching method on elementary statistics class. Different from the traditional elementary statistics course, we will introduce a simulation-based inference method to conduct hypothesis testing. From the literature, it has shown that this new teaching method works very well in increasing student’s understanding of statistics.

Military Medical Leadership in Uniformed Medical Students: Creating a New Assessment Instrument Using the Delphi Method

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-17

healthcare management and have not focused on assessing leadership among student physicians. A systematic review of 80 Delphi method studies by...medical students ( Research Question 1), to create a leadership assessment instrument based on those important components ( Research Question 2), and... research question 2 (RQ2) saw the creation of a three page assessment instrument to assess medical leadership in student physicians. Based on critical

Remote-sensing-based rapid assessment of flood crop loss to support USDA flooding decision-making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di, L.; Yu, G.; Yang, Z.; Hipple, J.; Shrestha, R.

2016-12-01

Floods often cause significant crop loss in the United States. Timely and objective assessment of flood-related crop loss is very important for crop monitoring and risk management in agricultural and disaster-related decision-making in USDA. Among all flood-related information, crop yield loss is particularly important. Decision on proper mitigation, relief, and monetary compensation relies on it. Currently USDA mostly relies on field surveys to obtain crop loss information and compensate farmers' loss claim. Such methods are expensive, labor intensive, and time consumptive, especially for a large flood that affects a large geographic area. Recent studies have demonstrated that Earth observation (EO) data are useful in post-flood crop loss assessment for a large geographic area objectively, timely, accurately, and cost effectively. There are three stages of flood damage assessment, including rapid assessment, early recovery assessment, and in-depth assessment. EO-based flood assessment methods currently rely on the time-series of vegetation index to assess the yield loss. Such methods are suitable for in-depth assessment but are less suitable for rapid assessment since the after-flood vegetation index time series is not available. This presentation presents a new EO-based method for the rapid assessment of crop yield loss immediately after a flood event to support the USDA flood decision making. The method is based on the historic records of flood severity, flood duration, flood date, crop type, EO-based both before- and immediate-after-flood crop conditions, and corresponding crop yield loss. It hypotheses that a flood of same severity occurring at the same pheonological stage of a crop will cause the similar damage to the crop yield regardless the flood years. With this hypothesis, a regression-based rapid assessment algorithm can be developed by learning from historic records of flood events and corresponding crop yield loss. In this study, historic records of MODIS-based flood and vegetation products and USDA/NASS crop type and crop yield data are used to train the regression-based rapid assessment algorithm. Validation of the rapid assessment algorithm indicates it can predict the yield loss at 90% accuracy, which is accurate enough to support USDA on flood-related quick response and mitigation.

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.

Assessing family medicine trainees--what can we learn from the European neighbours?

PubMed

Flum, Elisabeth; Maagaard, Roar; Godycki-Cwirko, Maciek; Scarborough, Nigel; Scherpbier, Nynke; Ledig, Thomas; Roos, Marco; Steinhäuser, Jost

2015-01-01

Although demands on family physicians (FP) are to a large extent similar in the European Union, uniform assessment standards for family medicine (FM) specialty training and assessment do not exist. Aim of this pilot study was to elicit and compare the different modalities and assessment methods of FM specialty training in five European countries. A semi structured survey was undertaken based on a convenient sample in five European countries (Denmark, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom). The respondents were asked to respond to ten items about aspects of FM specialty training and assessment methods in their respective countries. If available, this data was completed with information from official websites of the countries involved. FM specialty training is performed heterogeneously in the surveyed countries. Training time periods range from three to five years, in some countries requiring a foundation program of up to two years. Most countries perform longitudinal assessment during FM specialty training using a combination of competence-based approach with additional formative and summative assessment. There is some evidence on the assessments methods used, however the assessment method used and costs of assessment differs remarkably between the participating countries. Longitudinal and competence-based assessment is the presently preferred approach for FM specialty training. Countries which use less multifaceted methods for assessment could learn from best practice. Potential changes have significant cost implications.

Cervical motion assessment using virtual reality.

PubMed

Sarig-Bahat, Hilla; Weiss, Patrice L; Laufer, Yocheved

2009-05-01

Repeated measures of cervical motion in asymptomatic subjects. To introduce a virtual reality (VR)-based assessment of cervical range of motion (ROM); to establish inter and intratester reliability of the VR-based assessment in comparison with conventional assessment in asymptomatic individuals; and to evaluate the effect of a single VR session on cervical ROM. Cervical ROM and clinical issues related to neck pain is frequently studied. A wide variety of methods is available for evaluation of cervical motion. To date, most methods rely on voluntary responses to an assessor's instructions. However, in day-to-day life, head movement is generally an involuntary response to multiple stimuli. Therefore, there is a need for a more functional assessment method, using sensory stimuli to elicit spontaneous neck motion. VR attributes may provide a methodology for achieving this goal. A novel method was developed for cervical motion assessment utilizing an electromagnetic tracking system and a VR game scenario displayed via a head mounted device. Thirty asymptomatic participants were assessed by both conventional and VR-based methods. Inter and intratester repeatability analyses were performed. The effect of a single VR session on ROM was evaluated. Both assessments showed non-biased results between tests and between testers (P > 0.1). Full-cycle repeatability coefficients ranged between 15.0 degrees and 29.2 degrees with smaller values for rotation and for the VR assessment. A single VR session significantly increased ROM, with largest effect found in the rotation direction. Inter and intratester reliability was supported for both the VR-based and the conventional methods. Results suggest better repeatability for the VR method, with rotation being more precise than flexion/extension. A single VR session was found to be effective in increasing cervical motion, possibly due to its motivating effect.

Flood hazard assessment in areas prone to flash flooding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kvočka, Davor; Falconer, Roger A.; Bray, Michaela

2016-04-01

Contemporary climate projections suggest that there will be an increase in the occurrence of high-intensity rainfall events in the future. These precipitation extremes are usually the main cause for the emergence of extreme flooding, such as flash flooding. Flash floods are among the most unpredictable, violent and fatal natural hazards in the world. Furthermore, it is expected that flash flooding will occur even more frequently in the future due to more frequent development of extreme weather events, which will greatly increase the danger to people caused by flash flooding. This being the case, there will be a need for high resolution flood hazard maps in areas susceptible to flash flooding. This study investigates what type of flood hazard assessment methods should be used for assessing the flood hazard to people caused by flash flooding. Two different types of flood hazard assessment methods were tested: (i) a widely used method based on an empirical analysis, and (ii) a new, physically based and experimentally calibrated method. Two flash flood events were considered herein, namely: the 2004 Boscastle flash flood and the 2007 Železniki flash flood. The results obtained in this study suggest that in the areas susceptible to extreme flooding, the flood hazard assessment should be conducted using methods based on a mechanics-based analysis. In comparison to standard flood hazard assessment methods, these physically based methods: (i) take into account all of the physical forces, which act on a human body in floodwater, (ii) successfully adapt to abrupt changes in the flow regime, which often occur for flash flood events, and (iii) rapidly assess a flood hazard index in a relatively short period of time.

Assessing Paraprofessionals' Perceived Educational Needs and Skill Level with Function-Based Behavioral Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Virginia L.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this survey study was to assess the perceived skill level and educational needs of special education paraprofessionals in the area of function-based intervention and to identify paraprofessionals' preferred training delivery method(s) and any variables that affect paraprofessionals' preference for these methods. Special education…

Alternative Assessment Methods Based on Categorizations, Supporting Technologies, and a Model for Betterment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben-Jacob, Marion G.; Ben-Jacob, Tyler E.

2014-01-01

This paper explores alternative assessment methods from the perspective of categorizations. It addresses the technologies that support assessment. It discusses initial, formative, and summative assessment, as well as objective and subjective assessment, and formal and informal assessment. It approaches each category of assessment from the…

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 Classroom-Based Assessment Method to Test Speaking Skills in English for Specific Purposes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberola Colomar, María Pilar

2014-01-01

This article presents and analyses a classroom-based assessment method to test students' speaking skills in a variety of professional settings in tourism. The assessment system has been implemented in the Communication in English for Tourism course, as part of the Tourism Management degree programme, at Florida Universitaria (affiliated to the…

Developing and Assessing Teachers' Knowledge of Game-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Mamta; Foster, Aroutis

2015-01-01

Research focusing on the development and assessment of teacher knowledge in game-based learning is in its infancy. A mixed-methods study was undertaken to educate pre-service teachers in game-based learning using the Game Network Analysis (GaNA) framework. Fourteen pre-service teachers completed a methods course, which prepared them in game…

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.

MR Imaging-based Semi-quantitative Methods for Knee Osteoarthritis

PubMed Central

JARRAYA, Mohamed; HAYASHI, Daichi; ROEMER, Frank Wolfgang; GUERMAZI, Ali

2016-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based semi-quantitative (SQ) methods applied to knee osteoarthritis (OA) have been introduced during the last decade and have fundamentally changed our understanding of knee OA pathology since then. Several epidemiological studies and clinical trials have used MRI-based SQ methods to evaluate different outcome measures. Interest in MRI-based SQ scoring system has led to continuous update and refinement. This article reviews the different SQ approaches for MRI-based whole organ assessment of knee OA and also discuss practical aspects of whole joint assessment. PMID:26632537

A Principled Way of Assessing Visualization Literacy.

PubMed

Boy, Jeremy; Rensink, Ronald A; Bertini, Enrico; Fekete, Jean-Daniel

2014-12-01

We describe a method for assessing the visualization literacy (VL) of a user. Assessing how well people understand visualizations has great value for research (e. g., to avoid confounds), for design (e. g., to best determine the capabilities of an audience), for teaching (e. g., to assess the level of new students), and for recruiting (e. g., to assess the level of interviewees). This paper proposes a method for assessing VL based on Item Response Theory. It describes the design and evaluation of two VL tests for line graphs, and presents the extension of the method to bar charts and scatterplots. Finally, it discusses the reimplementation of these tests for fast, effective, and scalable web-based use.

Computer-Based Methods for Collecting Peer Nomination Data: Utility, Practice, and Empirical Support.

PubMed

van den Berg, Yvonne H M; Gommans, Rob

2017-09-01

New technologies have led to several major advances in psychological research over the past few decades. Peer nomination research is no exception. Thanks to these technological innovations, computerized data collection is becoming more common in peer nomination research. However, computer-based assessment is more than simply programming the questionnaire and asking respondents to fill it in on computers. In this chapter the advantages and challenges of computer-based assessments are discussed. In addition, a list of practical recommendations and considerations is provided to inform researchers on how computer-based methods can be applied to their own research. Although the focus is on the collection of peer nomination data in particular, many of the requirements, considerations, and implications are also relevant for those who consider the use of other sociometric assessment methods (e.g., paired comparisons, peer ratings, peer rankings) or computer-based assessments in general. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Assessing Commercial and Alternative Poultry Processing Methods using Microbiome Analyses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Assessing poultry processing methods/strategies has historically used culture-based methods to assess bacterial changes or reductions, both in terms of general microbial communities (e.g. total aerobic bacteria) or zoonotic pathogens of interest (e.g. Salmonella, Campylobacter). The advent of next ...

Chemical Mixtures Health Risk Assessment of Environmental Contaminants: Concepts, Methods, Applications

EPA Science Inventory

This problems-based, introductory workshop focuses on methods to assess health risks posed by exposures to chemical mixtures in the environment. Chemical mixtures health risk assessment methods continue to be developed and evolve to address concerns over health risks from multic...

Chemical Mixtures Health Risk Assessment of Environmental Contaminants: Concepts, Methods, And Applications

EPA Science Inventory

This problems-based, introductory workshop focuses on methods to assess health risks posed by exposures to chemical mixtures in the environment. Chemical mixtures health risk assessment methods continue to be developed and evolve to address concerns over health risks from multic...

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.

Implementing Assessment in an Outcome-Based Marketing Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borin, Norm; Metcalf, Lynn E.; Tietje, Brian C.

2008-01-01

This article describes the development and implementation of assessment in a new outcome-based marketing curriculum that was developed using a zero-based approach. Outcomes for the marketing curriculum were specified at the program, department, course, and lesson levels. Direct embedded assessments as well as indirect assessment methods were used…

Teaching and assessing procedural skills using simulation: metrics and methodology.

PubMed

Lammers, Richard L; Davenport, Moira; Korley, Frederick; Griswold-Theodorson, Sharon; Fitch, Michael T; Narang, Aneesh T; Evans, Leigh V; Gross, Amy; Rodriguez, Elliot; Dodge, Kelly L; Hamann, Cara J; Robey, Walter C

2008-11-01

Simulation allows educators to develop learner-focused training and outcomes-based assessments. However, the effectiveness and validity of simulation-based training in emergency medicine (EM) requires further investigation. Teaching and testing technical skills require methods and assessment instruments that are somewhat different than those used for cognitive or team skills. Drawing from work published by other medical disciplines as well as educational, behavioral, and human factors research, the authors developed six research themes: measurement of procedural skills; development of performance standards; assessment and validation of training methods, simulator models, and assessment tools; optimization of training methods; transfer of skills learned on simulator models to patients; and prevention of skill decay over time. The article reviews relevant and established educational research methodologies and identifies gaps in our knowledge of how physicians learn procedures. The authors present questions requiring further research that, once answered, will advance understanding of simulation-based procedural training and assessment in EM.

Probabilistic assessment methodology for continuous-type petroleum accumulations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crovelli, R.A.

2003-01-01

The analytic resource assessment method, called ACCESS (Analytic Cell-based Continuous Energy Spreadsheet System), was developed to calculate estimates of petroleum resources for the geologic assessment model, called FORSPAN, in continuous-type petroleum accumulations. The ACCESS method is based upon mathematical equations derived from probability theory in the form of a computer spreadsheet system. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acceptability of Ecological Momentary Assessment among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Dustin T.; Kapadia, Farzana; Kirchner, Thomas R.; Goedel, William C.; Brady, William J.; Halkitis, Perry N.

2017-01-01

The study evaluated the acceptability of text message- and voice-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods among a sample (N = 74) of young men who have sex with men (MSM). We assessed the acceptability of text message- and voice-based EMA methods. Almost all participants (96%) reported that they would be willing to accept texts on their…

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.

Applying Item Response Theory Methods to Design a Learning Progression-Based Science Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Jing

2012-01-01

Learning progressions are used to describe how students' understanding of a topic progresses over time and to classify the progress of students into steps or levels. This study applies Item Response Theory (IRT) based methods to investigate how to design learning progression-based science assessments. The research questions of this study are: (1)…

Spiral and Project-Based Learning with Peer Assessment in a Computer Science Project Management Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaime, Arturo; Blanco, José Miguel; Domínguez, César; Sánchez, Ana; Heras, Jónathan; Usandizaga, Imanol

2016-01-01

Different learning methods such as project-based learning, spiral learning and peer assessment have been implemented in science disciplines with different outcomes. This paper presents a proposal for a project management course in the context of a computer science degree. Our proposal combines three well-known methods: project-based learning,…

School-Based Mental Health Professionals' Bullying Assessment Practices: A Call for Evidence-Based Bullying Assessment Guidelines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blake, Jamilia; Banks, Courtney S.; Patience, Brenda A.; Lund, Emily M.

2014-01-01

A sample of 483 school-based mental health professionals completed a survey about the training they have received related to conducting bullying assessments in schools, competence in conducting an assessment of bullying, and the bullying assessment methods they used. Results indicate that school counselors were usually informed about incidents of…

Investigating Surface and Near-Surface Bushfire Fuel Attributes: A Comparison between Visual Assessments and Image-Based Point Clouds.

PubMed

Spits, Christine; Wallace, Luke; Reinke, Karin

2017-04-20

Visual assessment, following guides such as the Overall Fuel Hazard Assessment Guide (OFHAG), is a common approach for assessing the structure and hazard of varying bushfire fuel layers. Visual assessments can be vulnerable to imprecision due to subjectivity between assessors, while emerging techniques such as image-based point clouds can offer land managers potentially more repeatable descriptions of fuel structure. This study compared the variability of estimates of surface and near-surface fuel attributes generated by eight assessment teams using the OFHAG and Fuels3D, a smartphone method utilising image-based point clouds, within three assessment plots in an Australian lowland forest. Surface fuel hazard scores derived from underpinning attributes were also assessed. Overall, this study found considerable variability between teams on most visually assessed variables, resulting in inconsistent hazard scores. Variability was observed within point cloud estimates but was, however, on average two to eight times less than that seen in visual estimates, indicating greater consistency and repeatability of this method. It is proposed that while variability within the Fuels3D method may be overcome through improved methods and equipment, inconsistencies in the OFHAG are likely due to the inherent subjectivity between assessors, which may be more difficult to overcome. This study demonstrates the capability of the Fuels3D method to efficiently and consistently collect data on fuel hazard and structure, and, as such, this method shows potential for use in fire management practices where accurate and reliable data is essential.

Models and Methods of Aggregating Linguistic Information in Multi-criteria Hierarchical Quality Assessment Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azarnova, T. V.; Titova, I. A.; Barkalov, S. A.

2018-03-01

The article presents an algorithm for obtaining an integral assessment of the quality of an organization from the perspective of customers, based on the method of aggregating linguistic information on a multilevel hierarchical system of quality assessment. The algorithm is of a constructive nature, it provides not only the possibility of obtaining an integral evaluation, but also the development of a quality improvement strategy based on the method of linguistic decomposition, which forms the minimum set of areas of work with clients whose quality change will allow obtaining the required level of integrated quality assessment.

Comparability of fish-based ecological quality assessments for geographically distinct Iberian regions.

PubMed

Segurado, P; Caiola, N; Pont, D; Oliveira, J M; Delaigue, O; Ferreira, M T

2014-04-01

In this work we compare two Iberian and a pan-European fish-based methods to assess ecological quality in rivers: the Fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity for Portuguese Wadeable Streams (F-IBIP), the Mediterranean Index of Biotic Integrity (IBIMED) and the pan-European Fish Index (EFI+). The results presented herein were developed in the context of the 2nd phase of the Intercalibration Exercise (IC), as required by the Water Frame Directive (WFD). The IC is aimed at ensuring comparability of the quality boundaries among the different WFD assessment methods developed by the Member States for each biological quality element. Although the two national assessment methods were developed for very distinct regions of Iberia (Western and Eastern Iberian Peninsula) they share the same methodological background: both are type-specific and guild-based multimetric indices. EFI+ is a multimetric guild-based model, but it is site-specific and uses a predictive modelling approach. The three indices were computed for all sites included in the Iberian Intercalibration database to allow the direct comparison, by means of linear regressions, of the resulting three quality values per site. The quality boundary harmonization between the two Iberian methods was only possible through an indirect comparison between the two indices, using EFI+ as a common metric. The three indices were also shown to be responsive to a common set of human induced pressures. This study highlights the need to develop general assessment methods adapted to wide geographical ranges with high species turnover to help intercalibrating assessment methods tailored for geographically more restricted regions. © 2013.

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...

Chemical Mixtures Health Risk Assessment of Environmental Contaminants: Concepts, Methods, Applications: Handbook

EPA Science Inventory

This problems-based, half-day, introductory workshop focuses on methods to assess health risks posed by exposures to chemical mixtures in the environment. Chemical mixtures health risk assessment methods continue to be developed and evolve to address concerns over health risks f...

A comparison of the simplified olecranon and digital methods of assessment of skeletal maturity during the pubertal growth spurt.

PubMed

Canavese, F; Charles, Y P; Dimeglio, A; Schuller, S; Rousset, M; Samba, A; Pereira, B; Steib, J-P

2014-11-01

Assessment of skeletal age is important in children's orthopaedics. We compared two simplified methods used in the assessment of skeletal age. Both methods have been described previously with one based on the appearance of the epiphysis at the olecranon and the other on the digital epiphyses. We also investigated the influence of assessor experience on applying these two methods. Our investigation was based on the anteroposterior left hand and lateral elbow radiographs of 44 boys (mean: 14.4; 12.4 to 16.1 ) and 78 girls (mean: 13.0; 11.1 to14.9) obtained during the pubertal growth spurt. A total of nine observers examined the radiographs with the observers assigned to three groups based on their experience (experienced, intermediate and novice). These raters were required to determined skeletal ages twice at six-week intervals. The correlation between the two methods was determined per assessment and per observer groups. Interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) evaluated the reproducibility of the two methods. The overall correlation between the two methods was r = 0.83 for boys and r = 0.84 for girls. The correlation was equal between first and second assessment, and between the observer groups (r ≥ 0.82). There was an equally strong ICC for the assessment effect (ICC ≤ 0.4%) and observer effect (ICC ≤ 3%) for each method. There was no significant (p < 0.05) difference between the levels of experience. The two methods are equally reliable in assessing skeletal maturity. The olecranon method offers detailed information during the pubertal growth spurt, while the digital method is as accurate but less detailed, making it more useful after the pubertal growth spurt once the olecranon has ossified. ©2014 The British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery.

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

Chemical Mixtures Health Risk Assessment: Overview of Exposure Assessment, Whole Mixtures Assessments; Basic Concepts

EPA Science Inventory

This problems-based, half-day, introductory workshop focuses on methods to assess health risks posed by exposures to chemical mixtures in the environment. Chemical mixtures health risk assessment methods continue to be developed and evolve to address concerns over health risks f...

Perceptions of Elementary Teachers from an Urban School District in Southern California Regarding Their Inquiry-Based Science Instructional Practices, Assessment Methods, and Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ugwu, Romanus Iroabuchi

2012-01-01

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to describe the perceptions of elementary teachers from an urban school district in Southern California regarding their inquiry-based science instructional practices, assessment methods and professional development. The district's inquiry professional development called the California Mathematics and…

A low-cost rapid upper limb assessment method in manual assembly line based on somatosensory interaction technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Shengqian; Liu, Peng; Fu, Danni; Xue, Yiming; Luo, Wentao; Wang, Mingjie

2017-04-01

As an effective survey method of upper limb disorder, rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) has a wide application in industry period. However, it is very difficult to rapidly evaluate operator's postures in real complex work place. In this paper, a real-time RULA method is proposed to accurately assess the potential risk of operator's postures based on the somatosensory data collected from Kinect sensor, which is a line of motion sensing input devices by Microsoft. First, the static position information of each bone point is collected to obtain the effective angles of body parts based on the calculating methods based on joints angles. Second, a whole RULA score of body is obtained to assess the risk level of current posture in real time. Third, those RULA scores are compared with the results provided by a group of ergonomic practitionerswho were asked to observe the same static postures. All the experiments were carried out in an ergonomic lab. The results show that the proposed method can detect operator's postures more accurately. What's more, this method is applied in a real-time condition which can improve the evaluating efficiency.

Ecological Equivalence Assessment Methods: What Trade-Offs between Operationality, Scientific Basis and Comprehensiveness?

PubMed

Bezombes, Lucie; Gaucherand, Stéphanie; Kerbiriou, Christian; Reinert, Marie-Eve; Spiegelberger, Thomas

2017-08-01

In many countries, biodiversity compensation is required to counterbalance negative impacts of development projects on biodiversity by carrying out ecological measures, called offset when the goal is to reach "no net loss" of biodiversity. One main issue is to ensure that offset gains are equivalent to impact-related losses. Ecological equivalence is assessed with ecological equivalence assessment methods taking into account a range of key considerations that we summarized as ecological, spatial, temporal, and uncertainty. When equivalence assessment methods take into account all considerations, we call them "comprehensive". Equivalence assessment methods should also aim to be science-based and operational, which is challenging. Many equivalence assessment methods have been developed worldwide but none is fully satisfying. In the present study, we examine 13 equivalence assessment methods in order to identify (i) their general structure and (ii) the synergies and trade-offs between equivalence assessment methods characteristics related to operationality, scientific-basis and comprehensiveness (called "challenges" in his paper). We evaluate each equivalence assessment methods on the basis of 12 criteria describing the level of achievement of each challenge. We observe that all equivalence assessment methods share a general structure, with possible improvements in the choice of target biodiversity, the indicators used, the integration of landscape context and the multipliers reflecting time lags and uncertainties. We show that no equivalence assessment methods combines all challenges perfectly. There are trade-offs between and within the challenges: operationality tends to be favored while scientific basis are integrated heterogeneously in equivalence assessment methods development. One way of improving the challenges combination would be the use of offset dedicated data-bases providing scientific feedbacks on previous offset measures.

High-speed engine/component performance assessment using exergy and thrust-based methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riggins, D. W.

1996-01-01

This investigation summarizes a comparative study of two high-speed engine performance assessment techniques based on energy (available work) and thrust-potential (thrust availability). Simple flow-fields utilizing Rayleigh heat addition and one-dimensional flow with friction are used to demonstrate the fundamental inability of conventional energy techniques to predict engine component performance, aid in component design, or accurately assess flow losses. The use of the thrust-based method on these same examples demonstrates its ability to yield useful information in all these categories. Energy and thrust are related and discussed from the stand-point of their fundamental thermodynamic and fluid dynamic definitions in order to explain the differences in information obtained using the two methods. The conventional definition of energy is shown to include work which is inherently unavailable to an aerospace Brayton engine. An engine-based energy is then developed which accurately accounts for this inherently unavailable work; performance parameters based on this quantity are then shown to yield design and loss information equivalent to the thrust-based method.

An Experimental Comparison of Similarity Assessment Measures for 3D Models on Constrained Surface Deformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quan, Lulin; Yang, Zhixin

2010-05-01

To address the issues in the area of design customization, this paper expressed the specification and application of the constrained surface deformation, and reported the experimental performance comparison of three prevail effective similarity assessment algorithms on constrained surface deformation domain. Constrained surface deformation becomes a promising method that supports for various downstream applications of customized design. Similarity assessment is regarded as the key technology for inspecting the success of new design via measuring the difference level between the deformed new design and the initial sample model, and indicating whether the difference level is within the limitation. According to our theoretical analysis and pre-experiments, three similarity assessment algorithms are suitable for this domain, including shape histogram based method, skeleton based method, and U system moment based method. We analyze their basic functions and implementation methodologies in detail, and do a series of experiments on various situations to test their accuracy and efficiency using precision-recall diagram. Shoe model is chosen as an industrial example for the experiments. It shows that shape histogram based method gained an optimal performance in comparison. Based on the result, we proposed a novel approach that integrating surface constrains and shape histogram description with adaptive weighting method, which emphasize the role of constrains during the assessment. The limited initial experimental result demonstrated that our algorithm outperforms other three algorithms. A clear direction for future development is also drawn at the end of the paper.

Image and Imaging an Emergency Department: Expense and Benefit of Different Quality Assessment Methods

PubMed Central

Pfortmueller, Carmen Andrea; Keller, Michael; Mueller, Urs; Zimmermann, Heinz; Exadaktylos, Aristomenis Konstantinos

2013-01-01

Introduction. In this era of high-tech medicine, it is becoming increasingly important to assess patient satisfaction. There are several methods to do so, but these differ greatly in terms of cost, time, and labour and external validity. The aim of this study is to describe and compare the structure and implementation of different methods to assess the satisfaction of patients in an emergency department. Methods. The structure and implementation of the different methods to assess patient satisfaction were evaluated on the basis of a 90-minute standardised interview. Results. We identified a total of six different methods in six different hospitals. The average number of patients assessed was 5012, with a range from 230 (M5) to 20 000 patients (M2). In four methods (M1, M3, M5, and M6), the questionnaire was composed by a specialised external institute. In two methods, the questionnaire was created by the hospital itself (M2, M4).The median response rate was 58.4% (range 9–97.8%). With a reminder, the response rate increased by 60% (M3). Conclusion. The ideal method to assess patient satisfaction in the emergency department setting is to use a patient-based, in-emergency department-based assessment of patient satisfaction, planned and guided by expert personnel. PMID:23984073

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.

High-Accuracy Decoupling Estimation of the Systematic Coordinate Errors of an INS and Intensified High Dynamic Star Tracker Based on the Constrained Least Squares Method

PubMed Central

Jiang, Jie; Yu, Wenbo; Zhang, Guangjun

2017-01-01

Navigation accuracy is one of the key performance indicators of an inertial navigation system (INS). Requirements for an accuracy assessment of an INS in a real work environment are exceedingly urgent because of enormous differences between real work and laboratory test environments. An attitude accuracy assessment of an INS based on the intensified high dynamic star tracker (IHDST) is particularly suitable for a real complex dynamic environment. However, the coupled systematic coordinate errors of an INS and the IHDST severely decrease the attitude assessment accuracy of an INS. Given that, a high-accuracy decoupling estimation method of the above systematic coordinate errors based on the constrained least squares (CLS) method is proposed in this paper. The reference frame of the IHDST is firstly converted to be consistent with that of the INS because their reference frames are completely different. Thereafter, the decoupling estimation model of the systematic coordinate errors is established and the CLS-based optimization method is utilized to estimate errors accurately. After compensating for error, the attitude accuracy of an INS can be assessed based on IHDST accurately. Both simulated experiments and real flight experiments of aircraft are conducted, and the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective and shows excellent performance for the attitude accuracy assessment of an INS in a real work environment. PMID:28991179

A phenomenological study of assessment methods in the inquiry-based science classroom: How do educators decide?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tash, Gina G.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of science educators as they select and develop assessment methods for inquiry learning. Balancing preparations for standardized tests and authentic inquiry assessment experiences can be challenging for science educators. The review of literature revealed that current research focused on instructional methods and assessment, students' assessment experiences, and teachers' instructional methods experiences. There remains a gap in current literature regarding the experiences of science educators as they select and develop assessment methods for inquiry learning. This study filled the gap by providing a description of the experiences of science educators as they select and develop assessments for inquiry learning. The participants in this study were 16 fifth through eighth grade science teachers who participate in the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) in northwest Alabama. A phenomenological research method was chosen in order to describe the experiences of AMSTI science teachers as they select and develop assessments for inquiry learning. Data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions. The data analysis used a modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen framework. The results showed AMSTI science teachers use a variety of assessment resources and methods, feel pressures to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), and implement varying degrees of change in their assessment process due to No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Contributing a positive social change, this study's findings supplied science teachers with descriptions of successful inquiry classrooms and creative assessments that correspond to inquiry-based learning methods.

Waste-to-energy: A review of life cycle assessment and its extension methods.

PubMed

Zhou, Zhaozhi; Tang, Yuanjun; Chi, Yong; Ni, Mingjiang; Buekens, Alfons

2018-01-01

This article proposes a comprehensive review of evaluation tools based on life cycle thinking, as applied to waste-to-energy. Habitually, life cycle assessment is adopted to assess environmental burdens associated with waste-to-energy initiatives. Based on this framework, several extension methods have been developed to focus on specific aspects: Exergetic life cycle assessment for reducing resource depletion, life cycle costing for evaluating its economic burden, and social life cycle assessment for recording its social impacts. Additionally, the environment-energy-economy model integrates both life cycle assessment and life cycle costing methods and judges simultaneously these three features for sustainable waste-to-energy conversion. Life cycle assessment is sufficiently developed on waste-to-energy with concrete data inventory and sensitivity analysis, although the data and model uncertainty are unavoidable. Compared with life cycle assessment, only a few evaluations are conducted to waste-to-energy techniques by using extension methods and its methodology and application need to be further developed. Finally, this article succinctly summarises some recommendations for further research.

Sensors vs. experts - A performance comparison of sensor-based fall risk assessment vs. conventional assessment in a sample of geriatric patients

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Fall events contribute significantly to mortality, morbidity and costs in our ageing population. In order to identify persons at risk and to target preventive measures, many scores and assessment tools have been developed. These often require expertise and are costly to implement. Recent research investigates the use of wearable inertial sensors to provide objective data on motion features which can be used to assess individual fall risk automatically. So far it is unknown how well this new method performs in comparison with conventional fall risk assessment tools. The aim of our research is to compare the predictive performance of our new sensor-based method with conventional and established methods, based on prospective data. Methods In a first study phase, 119 inpatients of a geriatric clinic took part in motion measurements using a wireless triaxial accelerometer during a Timed Up&Go (TUG) test and a 20 m walk. Furthermore, the St. Thomas Risk Assessment Tool in Falling Elderly Inpatients (STRATIFY) was performed, and the multidisciplinary geriatric care team estimated the patients' fall risk. In a second follow-up phase of the study, 46 of the participants were interviewed after one year, including a fall and activity assessment. The predictive performances of the TUG, the STRATIFY and team scores are compared. Furthermore, two automatically induced logistic regression models based on conventional clinical and assessment data (CONV) as well as sensor data (SENSOR) are matched. Results Among the risk assessment scores, the geriatric team score (sensitivity 56%, specificity 80%) outperforms STRATIFY and TUG. The induced logistic regression models CONV and SENSOR achieve similar performance values (sensitivity 68%/58%, specificity 74%/78%, AUC 0.74/0.72, +LR 2.64/2.61). Both models are able to identify more persons at risk than the simple scores. Conclusions Sensor-based objective measurements of motion parameters in geriatric patients can be used to assess individual fall risk, and our prediction model's performance matches that of a model based on conventional clinical and assessment data. Sensor-based measurements using a small wearable device may contribute significant information to conventional methods and are feasible in an unsupervised setting. More prospective research is needed to assess the cost-benefit relation of our approach. PMID:21711504

Do Examinees Understand Score Reports for Alternate Methods of Scoring Computer Based Tests?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittaker, Tiffany A.; Williams, Natasha J.; Dodd, Barbara G.

2011-01-01

This study assessed the interpretability of scaled scores based on either number correct (NC) scoring for a paper-and-pencil test or one of two methods of scoring computer-based tests: an item pattern (IP) scoring method and a method based on equated NC scoring. The equated NC scoring method for computer-based tests was proposed as an alternative…

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.

Teachers' Reactions towards Performance-Based Language Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chinda, Bordin

2014-01-01

This research aims at examining the reactions of tertiary EFL teachers towards the use of performance-based language assessment. The study employed a mixed-method research methodology. For the quantitative method, 36 teachers responded to a questionnaire survey. In addition, four teachers participated in the in-depth interviews which were…

A method to assess the situation of air combat based on the missile attack zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Zhenqing; Liang, Xiao Long; Zhang, Jiaqiang; Liu, Liu

2018-04-01

Aiming at the question that we rarely consider the impact of target's attack zone in traditional situation assessment so that the assessment result is not comprehensive enough, a method that takes target's attack zone into account is presented. This paper has obtained the attack zone and the non-escape zone as the basis for quantitative analysis using the rapid simulation method and the air-to-air missile mathematical model. The situation of air combat is assessed by the ratio of the advantage function values of both sides, and the advantage function is constructed based on some influential factors such as height, speed, distance and angle. The simulation results have shown the effectiveness of this method.

A Study of Wind Turbine Comprehensive Operational Assessment Model Based on EM-PCA Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Minqiang; Xu, Bin; Zhan, Yangyan; Ren, Danyuan; Liu, Dexing

2018-01-01

To assess wind turbine performance accurately and provide theoretical basis for wind farm management, a hybrid assessment model based on Entropy Method and Principle Component Analysis (EM-PCA) was established, which took most factors of operational performance into consideration and reach to a comprehensive result. To verify the model, six wind turbines were chosen as the research objects, the ranking obtained by the method proposed in the paper were 4#>6#>1#>5#>2#>3#, which are completely in conformity with the theoretical ranking, which indicates that the reliability and effectiveness of the EM-PCA method are high. The method could give guidance for processing unit state comparison among different units and launching wind farm operational assessment.

Investigating Surface and Near-Surface Bushfire Fuel Attributes: A Comparison between Visual Assessments and Image-Based Point Clouds

PubMed Central

Spits, Christine; Wallace, Luke; Reinke, Karin

2017-01-01

Visual assessment, following guides such as the Overall Fuel Hazard Assessment Guide (OFHAG), is a common approach for assessing the structure and hazard of varying bushfire fuel layers. Visual assessments can be vulnerable to imprecision due to subjectivity between assessors, while emerging techniques such as image-based point clouds can offer land managers potentially more repeatable descriptions of fuel structure. This study compared the variability of estimates of surface and near-surface fuel attributes generated by eight assessment teams using the OFHAG and Fuels3D, a smartphone method utilising image-based point clouds, within three assessment plots in an Australian lowland forest. Surface fuel hazard scores derived from underpinning attributes were also assessed. Overall, this study found considerable variability between teams on most visually assessed variables, resulting in inconsistent hazard scores. Variability was observed within point cloud estimates but was, however, on average two to eight times less than that seen in visual estimates, indicating greater consistency and repeatability of this method. It is proposed that while variability within the Fuels3D method may be overcome through improved methods and equipment, inconsistencies in the OFHAG are likely due to the inherent subjectivity between assessors, which may be more difficult to overcome. This study demonstrates the capability of the Fuels3D method to efficiently and consistently collect data on fuel hazard and structure, and, as such, this method shows potential for use in fire management practices where accurate and reliable data is essential. PMID:28425957

Water quality assessment with hierarchical cluster analysis based on Mahalanobis distance.

PubMed

Du, Xiangjun; Shao, Fengjing; Wu, Shunyao; Zhang, Hanlin; Xu, Si

2017-07-01

Water quality assessment is crucial for assessment of marine eutrophication, prediction of harmful algal blooms, and environment protection. Previous studies have developed many numeric modeling methods and data driven approaches for water quality assessment. The cluster analysis, an approach widely used for grouping data, has also been employed. However, there are complex correlations between water quality variables, which play important roles in water quality assessment but have always been overlooked. In this paper, we analyze correlations between water quality variables and propose an alternative method for water quality assessment with hierarchical cluster analysis based on Mahalanobis distance. Further, we cluster water quality data collected form coastal water of Bohai Sea and North Yellow Sea of China, and apply clustering results to evaluate its water quality. To evaluate the validity, we also cluster the water quality data with cluster analysis based on Euclidean distance, which are widely adopted by previous studies. The results show that our method is more suitable for water quality assessment with many correlated water quality variables. To our knowledge, it is the first attempt to apply Mahalanobis distance for coastal water quality assessment.

Stakeholder Perspectives on Workplace-Based Performance Assessment: Towards a Better Understanding of Assessor Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Jonge, Laury P. J. W. M.; Timmerman, Angelique A.; Govaerts, Marjan J. B.; Muris, Jean W. M.; Muijtjens, Arno M. M.; Kramer, Anneke W. M.; van der Vleuten, Cees P. M.

2017-01-01

Workplace-Based Assessment (WBA) plays a pivotal role in present-day competency-based medical curricula. Validity in WBA mainly depends on how stakeholders (e.g. clinical supervisors and learners) use the assessments--rather than on the intrinsic qualities of instruments and methods. Current research on assessment in clinical contexts seems to…

Comparing team-based and mixed active-learning methods in an ambulatory care elective course.

PubMed

Zingone, Michelle M; Franks, Andrea S; Guirguis, Alexander B; George, Christa M; Howard-Thompson, Amanda; Heidel, Robert E

2010-11-10

To assess students' performance and perceptions of team-based and mixed active-learning methods in 2 ambulatory care elective courses, and to describe faculty members' perceptions of team-based learning. Using the 2 teaching methods, students' grades were compared. Students' perceptions were assessed through 2 anonymous course evaluation instruments. Faculty members who taught courses using the team-based learning method were surveyed regarding their impressions of team-based learning. The ambulatory care course was offered to 64 students using team-based learning (n = 37) and mixed active learning (n = 27) formats. The mean quality points earned were 3.7 (team-based learning) and 3.3 (mixed active learning), p < 0.001. Course evaluations for both courses were favorable. All faculty members who used the team-based learning method reported that they would consider using team-based learning in another course. Students were satisfied with both teaching methods; however, student grades were significantly higher in the team-based learning course. Faculty members recognized team-based learning as an effective teaching strategy for small-group active learning.

The t-CWT: a new ERP detection and quantification method based on the continuous wavelet transform and Student's t-statistics.

PubMed

Bostanov, Vladimir; Kotchoubey, Boris

2006-12-01

This study was aimed at developing a method for extraction and assessment of event-related brain potentials (ERP) from single-trials. This method should be applicable in the assessment of single persons' ERPs and should be able to handle both single ERP components and whole waveforms. We adopted a recently developed ERP feature extraction method, the t-CWT, for the purposes of hypothesis testing in the statistical assessment of ERPs. The t-CWT is based on the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and Student's t-statistics. The method was tested in two ERP paradigms, oddball and semantic priming, by assessing individual-participant data on a single-trial basis, and testing the significance of selected ERP components, P300 and N400, as well as of whole ERP waveforms. The t-CWT was also compared to other univariate and multivariate ERP assessment methods: peak picking, area computation, discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and principal component analysis (PCA). The t-CWT produced better results than all of the other assessment methods it was compared with. The t-CWT can be used as a reliable and powerful method for ERP-component detection and testing of statistical hypotheses concerning both single ERP components and whole waveforms extracted from either single persons' or group data. The t-CWT is the first such method based explicitly on the criteria of maximal statistical difference between two average ERPs in the time-frequency domain and is particularly suitable for ERP assessment of individual data (e.g. in clinical settings), but also for the investigation of small and/or novel ERP effects from group data.

Identifying city PV roof resource based on Gabor filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruhang, Xu; Zhilin, Liu; Yong, Huang; Xiaoyu, Zhang

2017-06-01

To identify a city’s PV roof resources, the area and ownership distribution of residential buildings in an urban district should be assessed. To achieve this assessment, remote sensing data analysing is a promising approach. Urban building roof area estimation is a major topic for remote sensing image information extraction. There are normally three ways to solve this problem. The first way is pixel-based analysis, which is based on mathematical morphology or statistical methods; the second way is object-based analysis, which is able to combine semantic information and expert knowledge; the third way is signal-processing view method. This paper presented a Gabor filter based method. This result shows that the method is fast and with proper accuracy.

Video conference quality assessment based on cooperative sensing of video and audio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Junxi; Chen, Jialin; Tian, Xin; Zhou, Cheng; Zhou, Zheng; Ye, Lu

2015-12-01

This paper presents a method to video conference quality assessment, which is based on cooperative sensing of video and audio. In this method, a proposed video quality evaluation method is used to assess the video frame quality. The video frame is divided into noise image and filtered image by the bilateral filters. It is similar to the characteristic of human visual, which could also be seen as a low-pass filtering. The audio frames are evaluated by the PEAQ algorithm. The two results are integrated to evaluate the video conference quality. A video conference database is built to test the performance of the proposed method. It could be found that the objective results correlate well with MOS. Then we can conclude that the proposed method is efficiency in assessing video conference quality.

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

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

Comparison between two statistically based methods, and two physically based models developed to compute daily mean streamflow at ungaged locations in the Cedar River Basin, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Linhart, S. Mike; Nania, Jon F.; Christiansen, Daniel E.; Hutchinson, Kasey J.; Sanders, Curtis L.; Archfield, Stacey A.

2013-01-01

A variety of individuals from water resource managers to recreational users need streamflow information for planning and decisionmaking at locations where there are no streamgages. To address this problem, two statistically based methods, the Flow Duration Curve Transfer method and the Flow Anywhere method, were developed for statewide application and the two physically based models, the Precipitation Runoff Modeling-System and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, were only developed for application for the Cedar River Basin. Observed and estimated streamflows for the two methods and models were compared for goodness of fit at 13 streamgages modeled in the Cedar River Basin by using the Nash-Sutcliffe and the percent-bias efficiency values. Based on median and mean Nash-Sutcliffe values for the 13 streamgages the Precipitation Runoff Modeling-System and Soil and Water Assessment Tool models appear to have performed similarly and better than Flow Duration Curve Transfer and Flow Anywhere methods. Based on median and mean percent bias values, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model appears to have generally overestimated daily mean streamflows, whereas the Precipitation Runoff Modeling-System model and statistical methods appear to have underestimated daily mean streamflows. The Flow Duration Curve Transfer method produced the lowest median and mean percent bias values and appears to perform better than the other models.

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.

Assessment methods for the evaluation of vitiligo.

PubMed

Alghamdi, K M; Kumar, A; Taïeb, A; Ezzedine, K

2012-12-01

There is no standardized method for assessing vitiligo. In this article, we review the literature from 1981 to 2011 on different vitiligo assessment methods. We aim to classify the techniques available for vitiligo assessment as subjective, semi-objective or objective; microscopic or macroscopic; and as based on morphometry or colorimetry. Macroscopic morphological measurements include visual assessment, photography in natural or ultraviolet light, photography with computerized image analysis and tristimulus colorimetry or spectrophotometry. Non-invasive micromorphological methods include confocal laser microscopy (CLM). Subjective methods include clinical evaluation by a dermatologist and a vitiligo disease activity score. Semi-objective methods include the Vitiligo Area Scoring Index (VASI) and point-counting methods. Objective methods include software-based image analysis, tristimulus colorimetry, spectrophotometry and CLM. Morphometry is the measurement of the vitiliginous surface area, whereas colorimetry quantitatively analyses skin colour changes caused by erythema or pigment. Most methods involve morphometry, except for the chromameter method, which assesses colorimetry. Some image analysis software programs can assess both morphometry and colorimetry. The details of these programs (Corel Draw, Image Pro Plus, AutoCad and Photoshop) are discussed in the review. Reflectance confocal microscopy provides real-time images and has great potential for the non-invasive assessment of pigmentary lesions. In conclusion, there is no single best method for assessing vitiligo. This review revealed that VASI, the rule of nine and Wood's lamp are likely to be the best techniques available for assessing the degree of pigmentary lesions and measuring the extent and progression of vitiligo in the clinic and in clinical trials. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology © 2012 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Performance-Based Assessment: An Alternative Assessment Process for Young Gifted Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hafenstein, Norma Lu; Tucker, Brooke

Performance-based assessment provides an alternative identification method for young gifted children. A performance-based identification process was developed and implemented to select three-, four-, and five-year-old children for inclusion in a school for gifted children. Literature regarding child development, characteristics of young gifted…

Indicators of Functional Equivalency for Assessing Restoration Success

EPA Science Inventory

New restoration projects are being proposed around the Gulf of Mexico as a result of RESTORE Act funding. These projects would benefit from innovative methods for assessing their success. Many restoration projects elsewhere use structure-based condition assessment methods which...

An overview on the emerging area of identification, characterization, and assessment of health apps.

PubMed

Paglialonga, Alessia; Lugo, Alessandra; Santoro, Eugenio

2018-05-28

The need to characterize and assess health apps has inspired a significant amount of research in the past years, in search for methods able to provide potential app users with relevant, meaningful knowledge. This article presents an overview of the recent literature in this field and categorizes - by discussing some specific examples - the various methodologies introduced so far for the identification, characterization, and assessment of health apps. Specifically, this article outlines the most significant web-based resources for app identification, relevant frameworks for descriptive characterization of apps' features, and a number of methods for the assessment of quality along its various components (e.g., evidence base, trustworthiness, privacy, or user engagement). The development of methods to characterize the apps' features and to assess their quality is important to define benchmarks and minimum requirements. Similarly, such methods are important to categorize potential risks and challenges in the field so that risks can be minimized, whenever possible, by design. Understanding methods to assess apps is key to raise the standards of quality of health apps on the market, towards the final goal of delivering apps that are built on the pillars of evidence-base, reliability, long-term effectiveness, and user-oriented quality. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Engagement Assessment Using EEG Signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Feng; Li, Jiang; McKenzie, Frederic; Zhang, Guangfan; Wang, Wei; Pepe, Aaron; Xu, Roger; Schnell, Thomas; Anderson, Nick; Heitkamp, Dean

2012-01-01

In this paper, we present methods to analyze and improve an EEG-based engagement assessment approach, consisting of data preprocessing, feature extraction and engagement state classification. During data preprocessing, spikes, baseline drift and saturation caused by recording devices in EEG signals are identified and eliminated, and a wavelet based method is utilized to remove ocular and muscular artifacts in the EEG recordings. In feature extraction, power spectrum densities with 1 Hz bin are calculated as features, and these features are analyzed using the Fisher score and the one way ANOVA method. In the classification step, a committee classifier is trained based on the extracted features to assess engagement status. Finally, experiment results showed that there exist significant differences in the extracted features among different subjects, and we have implemented a feature normalization procedure to mitigate the differences and significantly improved the engagement assessment performance.

[A reliability growth assessment method and its application in the development of equipment in space cabin].

PubMed

Chen, J D; Sun, H L

1999-04-01

Objective. To assess and predict reliability of an equipment dynamically by making full use of various test informations in the development of products. Method. A new reliability growth assessment method based on army material system analysis activity (AMSAA) model was developed. The method is composed of the AMSAA model and test data conversion technology. Result. The assessment and prediction results of a space-borne equipment conform to its expectations. Conclusion. It is suggested that this method should be further researched and popularized.

Rapid assessment of urban wetlands: Do hydrogeomorpic classification and reference criteria work?

EPA Science Inventory

The Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) functional assessment method is predicated on the ability of a wetland classification method based on hydrology (HGM classification) and a visual assessment of disturbance and alteration to provide reference standards against which functions in individua...

Water availability and vulnerability of 225 large cities in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padowski, Julie C.; Jawitz, James W.

2012-12-01

This study presents a quantitative national assessment of urban water availability and vulnerability for 225 U.S. cities with population greater than 100,000. Here, the urban assessments account for not only renewable water flows, but also the extracted, imported, and stored water that urban systems access through constructed infrastructure. These sources represent important hydraulic components of the urban water supply, yet are typically excluded from water scarcity assessments. Results from this hydraulic-based assessment were compared to those obtained using a more conventional method that estimates scarcity solely based on local renewable flows. The inclusion of hydraulic components increased the mean availability to cities, leading to a significantly lower portion of the total U.S. population considered "at risk" for water scarcity (17%) than that obtained from the runoff method (47%). Water vulnerability was determined based on low-flow conditions, and smaller differences were found for this metric between at-risk populations using the runoff (66%) and hydraulic-based (54%) methods. The large increase in the susceptible population between the scarcity measures evaluated using the hydraulic method may better reconcile the seeming contradiction in the United States between perceptions of natural water abundance and widespread water scarcity. Additionally, urban vulnerability measures developed here were validated using a media text analysis. Vulnerability assessments that included hydraulic components were found to correlate with the frequency of urban water scarcity reports in the popular press while runoff-based measures showed no significant correlation, suggesting that hydraulic-based assessments provide better context for understanding the nature and severity of urban water scarcity issues.

WILDLIFE RISK ASSESSMENT: DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF MERCURY AND HABITAT ALTERATION ON POPULATIONS OF AQUATIC-DEPENDENT WILDLIFE

EPA Science Inventory

NHEERL is conducting a demonstration project to develop tools and approaches for assessing the risks of multiple stressors to populations of piscivorous wildlife, leading to the development of risk-based criteria. Specifically, we are developing methods and approaches to assess...

Analytical resource assessment method for continuous (unconventional) oil and gas accumulations - The "ACCESS" Method

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crovelli, Robert A.; revised by Charpentier, Ronald R.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) periodically assesses petroleum resources of areas within the United States and the world. The purpose of this report is to explain the development of an analytic probabilistic method and spreadsheet software system called Analytic Cell-Based Continuous Energy Spreadsheet System (ACCESS). The ACCESS method is based upon mathematical equations derived from probability theory. The ACCESS spreadsheet can be used to calculate estimates of the undeveloped oil, gas, and NGL (natural gas liquids) resources in a continuous-type assessment unit. An assessment unit is a mappable volume of rock in a total petroleum system. In this report, the geologic assessment model is defined first, the analytic probabilistic method is described second, and the spreadsheet ACCESS is described third. In this revised version of Open-File Report 00-044 , the text has been updated to reflect modifications that were made to the ACCESS program. Two versions of the program are added as appendixes.

Atlas-based liver segmentation and hepatic fat-fraction assessment for clinical trials.

PubMed

Yan, Zhennan; Zhang, Shaoting; Tan, Chaowei; Qin, Hongxing; Belaroussi, Boubakeur; Yu, Hui Jing; Miller, Colin; Metaxas, Dimitris N

2015-04-01

Automated assessment of hepatic fat-fraction is clinically important. A robust and precise segmentation would enable accurate, objective and consistent measurement of hepatic fat-fraction for disease quantification, therapy monitoring and drug development. However, segmenting the liver in clinical trials is a challenging task due to the variability of liver anatomy as well as the diverse sources the images were acquired from. In this paper, we propose an automated and robust framework for liver segmentation and assessment. It uses single statistical atlas registration to initialize a robust deformable model to obtain fine segmentation. Fat-fraction map is computed by using chemical shift based method in the delineated region of liver. This proposed method is validated on 14 abdominal magnetic resonance (MR) volumetric scans. The qualitative and quantitative comparisons show that our proposed method can achieve better segmentation accuracy with less variance comparing with two other atlas-based methods. Experimental results demonstrate the promises of our assessment framework. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing covariate balance when using the generalized propensity score with quantitative or continuous exposures.

PubMed

Austin, Peter C

2018-01-01

Propensity score methods are increasingly being used to estimate the effects of treatments and exposures when using observational data. The propensity score was initially developed for use with binary exposures (e.g., active treatment vs. control). The generalized propensity score is an extension of the propensity score for use with quantitative exposures (e.g., dose or quantity of medication, income, years of education). A crucial component of any propensity score analysis is that of balance assessment. This entails assessing the degree to which conditioning on the propensity score (via matching, weighting, or stratification) has balanced measured baseline covariates between exposure groups. Methods for balance assessment have been well described and are frequently implemented when using the propensity score with binary exposures. However, there is a paucity of information on how to assess baseline covariate balance when using the generalized propensity score. We describe how methods based on the standardized difference can be adapted for use with quantitative exposures when using the generalized propensity score. We also describe a method based on assessing the correlation between the quantitative exposure and each covariate in the sample when weighted using generalized propensity score -based weights. We conducted a series of Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the performance of these methods. We also compared two different methods of estimating the generalized propensity score: ordinary least squared regression and the covariate balancing propensity score method. We illustrate the application of these methods using data on patients hospitalized with a heart attack with the quantitative exposure being creatinine level.

A Dynamic Health Assessment Approach for Shearer Based on Artificial Immune Algorithm

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhongbin; Xu, Xihua; Si, Lei; Ji, Rui; Liu, Xinhua; Tan, Chao

2016-01-01

In order to accurately identify the dynamic health of shearer, reducing operating trouble and production accident of shearer and improving coal production efficiency further, a dynamic health assessment approach for shearer based on artificial immune algorithm was proposed. The key technologies such as system framework, selecting the indicators for shearer dynamic health assessment, and health assessment model were provided, and the flowchart of the proposed approach was designed. A simulation example, with an accuracy of 96%, based on the collected data from industrial production scene was provided. Furthermore, the comparison demonstrated that the proposed method exhibited higher classification accuracy than the classifiers based on back propagation-neural network (BP-NN) and support vector machine (SVM) methods. Finally, the proposed approach was applied in an engineering problem of shearer dynamic health assessment. The industrial application results showed that the paper research achievements could be used combining with shearer automation control system in fully mechanized coal face. The simulation and the application results indicated that the proposed method was feasible and outperforming others. PMID:27123002

Water stress assessment of cork oak leaves and maritime pine needles based on LIF spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavrov, A.; Utkin, A. B.; Marques da Silva, J.; Vilar, Rui; Santos, N. M.; Alves, B.

2012-02-01

The aim of the present work was to develop a method for the remote assessment of the impact of fire and drought stress on Mediterranean forest species such as the cork oak ( Quercus suber) and maritime pine ( Pinus pinaster). The proposed method is based on laser induced fluorescence (LIF): chlorophyll fluorescence is remotely excited by frequency-doubled YAG:Nd laser radiation pulses and collected and analyzed using a telescope and a gated high sensitivity spectrometer. The plant health criterion used is based on the I 685/ I 740 ratio value, calculated from the fluorescence spectra. The method was benchmarked by comparing the results achieved with those obtained by conventional, continuous excitation fluorometric method and water loss gravimetric measurements. The results obtained with both methods show a strong correlation between them and with the weight-loss measurements, showing that the proposed method is suitable for fire and drought impact assessment on these two species.

Alignment Content Analysis of NAEP 2009 Reading Assessment Analysis Based on Method of Surveys of Enacted Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blank, Rolf K.; Smithson, John

2010-01-01

Beginning in summer 2009, the complete set of NAEP student assessment items for grades 4 and 8 Science and Reading 2009 assessments were analyzed for comparison to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Item Specifications which are based on the NAEP Assessment Frameworks for these subjects (National Assessment Governing Board,…

Using evaluation to adapt health information outreach to the complex environments of community-based organizations.

PubMed

Olney, Cynthia A

2005-10-01

After arguing that most community-based organizations (CBOs) function as complex adaptive systems, this white paper describes the evaluation goals, questions, indicators, and methods most important at different stages of community-based health information outreach. This paper presents the basic characteristics of complex adaptive systems and argues that the typical CBO can be considered this type of system. It then presents evaluation as a tool for helping outreach teams adapt their outreach efforts to the CBO environment and thus maximize success. Finally, it describes the goals, questions, indicators, and methods most important or helpful at each stage of evaluation (community assessment, needs assessment and planning, process evaluation, and outcomes assessment). Literature from complex adaptive systems as applied to health care, business, and evaluation settings is presented. Evaluation models and applications, particularly those based on participatory approaches, are presented as methods for maximizing the effectiveness of evaluation in dynamic CBO environments. If one accepts that CBOs function as complex adaptive systems-characterized by dynamic relationships among many agents, influences, and forces-then effective evaluation at the stages of community assessment, needs assessment and planning, process evaluation, and outcomes assessment is critical to outreach success.

Assessing Graduate Attributes: Building a Criteria-Based Competency Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ipperciel, Donald; ElAtia, Samira

2014-01-01

Graduate attributes (GAs) have become a necessary framework of reference for the 21st century competency-based model of higher education. However, the issue of evaluating and assessing GAs still remains unchartered territory. In this article, we present a criteria-based method of assessment that allows for an institution-wide comparison of the…

Assessment of Matrix Multiplication Learning with a Rule-Based Analytical Model--"A Bayesian Network Representation"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Zhidong

2016-01-01

This study explored an alternative assessment procedure to examine learning trajectories of matrix multiplication. It took rule-based analytical and cognitive task analysis methods specifically to break down operation rules for a given matrix multiplication. Based on the analysis results, a hierarchical Bayesian network, an assessment model,…

III: Use of biomarkers as Risk Indicators in Environmental Risk Assessment of oil based discharges offshore.

PubMed

Sanni, Steinar; Lyng, Emily; Pampanin, Daniela M

2017-06-01

Offshore oil and gas activities are required not to cause adverse environmental effects, and risk based management has been established to meet environmental standards. In some risk assessment schemes, Risk Indicators (RIs) are parameters to monitor the development of risk affecting factors. RIs have not yet been established in the Environmental Risk Assessment procedures for management of oil based discharges offshore. This paper evaluates the usefulness of biomarkers as RIs, based on their properties, existing laboratory biomarker data and assessment methods. Data shows several correlations between oil concentrations and biomarker responses, and assessment principles exist that qualify biomarkers for integration into risk procedures. Different ways that these existing biomarkers and methods can be applied as RIs in a probabilistic risk assessment system when linked with whole organism responses are discussed. This can be a useful approach to integrate biomarkers into probabilistic risk assessment related to oil based discharges, representing a potential supplement to information that biomarkers already provide about environmental impact and risk related to these kind of discharges. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spiral and Project-Based Learning with Peer Assessment in a Computer Science Project Management Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaime, Arturo; Blanco, José Miguel; Domínguez, César; Sánchez, Ana; Heras, Jónathan; Usandizaga, Imanol

2016-06-01

Different learning methods such as project-based learning, spiral learning and peer assessment have been implemented in science disciplines with different outcomes. This paper presents a proposal for a project management course in the context of a computer science degree. Our proposal combines three well-known methods: project-based learning, spiral learning and peer assessment. Namely, the course is articulated during a semester through the structured (progressive and incremental) development of a sequence of four projects, whose duration, scope and difficulty of management increase as the student gains theoretical and instrumental knowledge related to planning, monitoring and controlling projects. Moreover, the proposal is complemented using peer assessment. The proposal has already been implemented and validated for the last 3 years in two different universities. In the first year, project-based learning and spiral learning methods were combined. Such a combination was also employed in the other 2 years; but additionally, students had the opportunity to assess projects developed by university partners and by students of the other university. A total of 154 students have participated in the study. We obtain a gain in the quality of the subsequently projects derived from the spiral project-based learning. Moreover, this gain is significantly bigger when peer assessment is introduced. In addition, high-performance students take advantage of peer assessment from the first moment, whereas the improvement in poor-performance students is delayed.

Lateral sesamoid position in hallux valgus: correlation with the conventional radiological assessment.

PubMed

Agrawal, Yuvraj; Desai, Aravind; Mehta, Jaysheel

2011-12-01

We aimed to quantify the severity of the hallux valgus based on the lateral sesamoid position and to establish a correlation of our simple assessment method with the conventional radiological assessments. We reviewed one hundred and twenty two dorso-plantar weight bearing radiographs of feet. The intermetatarsal and hallux valgus angles were measured by the conventional methods; and the position of lateral sesamoid in relation to first metatarsal neck was assessed by our new and simple method. Significant correlation was noted between intermetatarsal angle and lateral sesamoid position (Rho 0.74, p < 0.0001); lateral sesamoid position and hallux valgus angle (Rho 0.56, p < 0.0001). Similar trends were noted in different grades of severity of hallux valgus in all the three methods of assessment. Our method of assessing hallux valgus deformity based on the lateral sesamoid position is simple, less time consuming and has statistically significant correlation with that of the established conventional radiological measurements. Copyright © 2011 European Foot and Ankle Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional Assessment-Based Interventions for Students with or At-Risk for High-Incidence Disabilities: Field Testing Single-Case Synthesis Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Common, Eric Alan; Lane, Kathleen Lynne; Pustejovsky, James E.; Johnson, Austin H.; Johl, Liane Elizabeth

2017-01-01

This systematic review investigated one systematic approach to designing, implementing, and evaluating functional assessment-based interventions (FABI) for use in supporting school-age students with or at-risk for high-incidence disabilities. We field tested several recently developed methods for single-case design syntheses. First, we appraised…

AN APPROACH TO METHODS DEVELOPMENT FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

Human exposure assessment studies require methods that are rapid, cost-effective and have a high sample through-put. The development of analytical methods for exposure studies should be based on specific information for individual studies. Human exposure studies suggest that di...

Appraising the reliability of visual impact assessment methods

Treesearch

Nickolaus R. Feimer; Kenneth H. Craik; Richard C. Smardon; Stephen R.J. Sheppard

1979-01-01

This paper presents the research approach and selected results of an empirical investigation aimed at the evaluation of selected observer-based visual impact assessment (VIA) methods. The VIA methods under examination were chosen to cover a range of VIA methods currently in use in both applied and research settings. Variation in three facets of VIA methods were...

Risk assessment for construction projects of transport infrastructure objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titarenko, Boris

2017-10-01

The paper analyzes and compares different methods of risk assessment for construction projects of transport objects. The management of such type of projects demands application of special probabilistic methods due to large level of uncertainty of their implementation. Risk management in the projects requires the use of probabilistic and statistical methods. The aim of the work is to develop a methodology for using traditional methods in combination with robust methods that allow obtaining reliable risk assessments in projects. The robust approach is based on the principle of maximum likelihood and in assessing the risk allows the researcher to obtain reliable results in situations of great uncertainty. The application of robust procedures allows to carry out a quantitative assessment of the main risk indicators of projects when solving the tasks of managing innovation-investment projects. Calculation of damage from the onset of a risky event is possible by any competent specialist. And an assessment of the probability of occurrence of a risky event requires the involvement of special probabilistic methods based on the proposed robust approaches. Practice shows the effectiveness and reliability of results. The methodology developed in the article can be used to create information technologies and their application in automated control systems for complex projects.

Initial assessment of facial nerve paralysis based on motion analysis using an optical flow method.

PubMed

Samsudin, Wan Syahirah W; Sundaraj, Kenneth; Ahmad, Amirozi; Salleh, Hasriah

2016-01-01

An initial assessment method that can classify as well as categorize the severity of paralysis into one of six levels according to the House-Brackmann (HB) system based on facial landmarks motion using an Optical Flow (OF) algorithm is proposed. The desired landmarks were obtained from the video recordings of 5 normal and 3 Bell's Palsy subjects and tracked using the Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi (KLT) method. A new scoring system based on the motion analysis using area measurement is proposed. This scoring system uses the individual scores from the facial exercises and grades the paralysis based on the HB system. The proposed method has obtained promising results and may play a pivotal role towards improved rehabilitation programs for patients.

Work organization in hospital wards and nurses' emotional exhaustion: A multi-method study of observation-based assessment and nurses' self-reports.

PubMed

Stab, Nicole; Hacker, Winfried; Weigl, Matthias

2016-09-01

Ward organization is a major determinant for nurses' well-being on the job. The majority of previous research on this relationship is based on single source methods, which have been criticized as skewed estimations mainly due to subjectivity of the ratings and due to common source bias. To investigate the association of ward organization characteristics and nurses' exhaustion by combining observation-based assessments with nurses' self-reports. Cross-sectional study on 25 wards of four hospitals and 245 nurses. Our multi-method approach to evaluate hospital ward organization consisted of on-site observations with a standardized assessment tool and of questionnaires to evaluate nurses' self-reports and exhaustion. After establishing the reliability of our measures, we applied multi-level regression analyses to determine associations between determinant and outcome variables. We found substantial convergence in ward organization between the observation-based assessments and nurses' self-reports, which supports the validity of our external assessments. Furthermore, two observation-based characteristics, namely participation and patient-focused care, were significantly associated with lower emotional exhaustion among the nurses. Our results suggest that observation-based assessments are a valid and feasible way to assess ward organization in hospitals. Nurses' self-reported as well as observation-based ratings on ward organization were associated with nurses' emotional exhaustion. This is of interest mainly for identifying alternative measures in evaluating nurses' work environments, to inform health promotion activities and to evaluate job redesign intervention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative Assessment of Parkinsonian Tremor Based on an Inertial Measurement Unit

PubMed Central

Dai, Houde; Zhang, Pengyue; Lueth, Tim C.

2015-01-01

Quantitative assessment of parkinsonian tremor based on inertial sensors can provide reliable feedback on the effect of medication. In this regard, the features of parkinsonian tremor and its unique properties such as motor fluctuations and dyskinesia are taken into account. Least-square-estimation models are used to assess the severities of rest, postural, and action tremors. In addition, a time-frequency signal analysis algorithm for tremor state detection was also included in the tremor assessment method. This inertial sensor-based method was verified through comparison with an electromagnetic motion tracking system. Seven Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients were tested using this tremor assessment system. The measured tremor amplitudes correlated well with the judgments of a neurologist (r = 0.98). The systematic analysis of sensor-based tremor quantification and the corresponding experiments could be of great help in monitoring the severity of parkinsonian tremor. PMID:26426020

On-orbit servicing system assessment and optimization methods based on lifecycle simulation under mixed aleatory and epistemic uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Wen; Chen, Xiaoqian; Huang, Yiyong; van Tooren, Michel

2013-06-01

To assess the on-orbit servicing (OOS) paradigm and optimize its utilities by taking advantage of its inherent flexibility and responsiveness, the OOS system assessment and optimization methods based on lifecycle simulation under uncertainties are studied. The uncertainty sources considered in this paper include both the aleatory (random launch/OOS operation failure and on-orbit component failure) and the epistemic (the unknown trend of the end-used market price) types. Firstly, the lifecycle simulation under uncertainties is discussed. The chronological flowchart is presented. The cost and benefit models are established, and the uncertainties thereof are modeled. The dynamic programming method to make optimal decision in face of the uncertain events is introduced. Secondly, the method to analyze the propagation effects of the uncertainties on the OOS utilities is studied. With combined probability and evidence theory, a Monte Carlo lifecycle Simulation based Unified Uncertainty Analysis (MCS-UUA) approach is proposed, based on which the OOS utility assessment tool under mixed uncertainties is developed. Thirdly, to further optimize the OOS system under mixed uncertainties, the reliability-based optimization (RBO) method is studied. To alleviate the computational burden of the traditional RBO method which involves nested optimum search and uncertainty analysis, the framework of Sequential Optimization and Mixed Uncertainty Analysis (SOMUA) is employed to integrate MCS-UUA, and the RBO algorithm SOMUA-MCS is developed. Fourthly, a case study on the OOS system for a hypothetical GEO commercial communication satellite is investigated with the proposed assessment tool. Furthermore, the OOS system is optimized with SOMUA-MCS. Lastly, some conclusions are given and future research prospects are highlighted.

EFFECTS-BASED CUMULATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT IN A LOW-INCOME URBAN COMMUNITY NEAR A SUPERFUND SITE

EPA Science Inventory

We will introduce into the cumulative risk assessment framework novel methods for non-cancer risk assessment, techniques for dose-response modeling that extend insights from chemical mixtures frameworks to non-chemical stressors, multilevel statistical methods used to address ...

Rule Extraction Based on Extreme Learning Machine and an Improved Ant-Miner Algorithm for Transient Stability Assessment.

PubMed

Li, Yang; Li, Guoqing; Wang, Zhenhao

2015-01-01

In order to overcome the problems of poor understandability of the pattern recognition-based transient stability assessment (PRTSA) methods, a new rule extraction method based on extreme learning machine (ELM) and an improved Ant-miner (IAM) algorithm is presented in this paper. First, the basic principles of ELM and Ant-miner algorithm are respectively introduced. Then, based on the selected optimal feature subset, an example sample set is generated by the trained ELM-based PRTSA model. And finally, a set of classification rules are obtained by IAM algorithm to replace the original ELM network. The novelty of this proposal is that transient stability rules are extracted from an example sample set generated by the trained ELM-based transient stability assessment model by using IAM algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed method is shown by the application results on the New England 39-bus power system and a practical power system--the southern power system of Hebei province.

Sensors vs. experts - a performance comparison of sensor-based fall risk assessment vs. conventional assessment in a sample of geriatric patients.

PubMed

Marschollek, Michael; Rehwald, Anja; Wolf, Klaus-Hendrik; Gietzelt, Matthias; Nemitz, Gerhard; zu Schwabedissen, Hubertus Meyer; Schulze, Mareike

2011-06-28

Fall events contribute significantly to mortality, morbidity and costs in our ageing population. In order to identify persons at risk and to target preventive measures, many scores and assessment tools have been developed. These often require expertise and are costly to implement. Recent research investigates the use of wearable inertial sensors to provide objective data on motion features which can be used to assess individual fall risk automatically. So far it is unknown how well this new method performs in comparison with conventional fall risk assessment tools. The aim of our research is to compare the predictive performance of our new sensor-based method with conventional and established methods, based on prospective data. In a first study phase, 119 inpatients of a geriatric clinic took part in motion measurements using a wireless triaxial accelerometer during a Timed Up&Go (TUG) test and a 20 m walk. Furthermore, the St. Thomas Risk Assessment Tool in Falling Elderly Inpatients (STRATIFY) was performed, and the multidisciplinary geriatric care team estimated the patients' fall risk. In a second follow-up phase of the study, 46 of the participants were interviewed after one year, including a fall and activity assessment. The predictive performances of the TUG, the STRATIFY and team scores are compared. Furthermore, two automatically induced logistic regression models based on conventional clinical and assessment data (CONV) as well as sensor data (SENSOR) are matched. Among the risk assessment scores, the geriatric team score (sensitivity 56%, specificity 80%) outperforms STRATIFY and TUG. The induced logistic regression models CONV and SENSOR achieve similar performance values (sensitivity 68%/58%, specificity 74%/78%, AUC 0.74/0.72, +LR 2.64/2.61). Both models are able to identify more persons at risk than the simple scores. Sensor-based objective measurements of motion parameters in geriatric patients can be used to assess individual fall risk, and our prediction model's performance matches that of a model based on conventional clinical and assessment data. Sensor-based measurements using a small wearable device may contribute significant information to conventional methods and are feasible in an unsupervised setting. More prospective research is needed to assess the cost-benefit relation of our approach.

On some methods for assessing earthquake predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molchan, G.; Romashkova, L.; Peresan, A.

2017-09-01

A regional approach to the problem of assessing earthquake predictions inevitably faces a deficit of data. We point out some basic limits of assessment methods reported in the literature, considering the practical case of the performance of the CN pattern recognition method in the prediction of large Italian earthquakes. Along with the classical hypothesis testing, a new game approach, the so-called parimutuel gambling (PG) method, is examined. The PG, originally proposed for the evaluation of the probabilistic earthquake forecast, has been recently adapted for the case of 'alarm-based' CN prediction. The PG approach is a non-standard method; therefore it deserves careful examination and theoretical analysis. We show that the PG alarm-based version leads to an almost complete loss of information about predicted earthquakes (even for a large sample). As a result, any conclusions based on the alarm-based PG approach are not to be trusted. We also show that the original probabilistic PG approach does not necessarily identifies the genuine forecast correctly among competing seismicity rate models, even when applied to extensive data.

Dynamic Assessment of Water Quality Based on a Variable Fuzzy Pattern Recognition Model

PubMed Central

Xu, Shiguo; Wang, Tianxiang; Hu, Suduan

2015-01-01

Water quality assessment is an important foundation of water resource protection and is affected by many indicators. The dynamic and fuzzy changes of water quality lead to problems for proper assessment. This paper explores a method which is in accordance with the water quality changes. The proposed method is based on the variable fuzzy pattern recognition (VFPR) model and combines the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model with the entropy weight (EW) method. The proposed method was applied to dynamically assess the water quality of Biliuhe Reservoir (Dailan, China). The results show that the water quality level is between levels 2 and 3 and worse in August or September, caused by the increasing water temperature and rainfall. Weights and methods are compared and random errors of the values of indicators are analyzed. It is concluded that the proposed method has advantages of dynamism, fuzzification and stability by considering the interval influence of multiple indicators and using the average level characteristic values of four models as results. PMID:25689998

Dynamic assessment of water quality based on a variable fuzzy pattern recognition model.

PubMed

Xu, Shiguo; Wang, Tianxiang; Hu, Suduan

2015-02-16

Water quality assessment is an important foundation of water resource protection and is affected by many indicators. The dynamic and fuzzy changes of water quality lead to problems for proper assessment. This paper explores a method which is in accordance with the water quality changes. The proposed method is based on the variable fuzzy pattern recognition (VFPR) model and combines the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model with the entropy weight (EW) method. The proposed method was applied to dynamically assess the water quality of Biliuhe Reservoir (Dailan, China). The results show that the water quality level is between levels 2 and 3 and worse in August or September, caused by the increasing water temperature and rainfall. Weights and methods are compared and random errors of the values of indicators are analyzed. It is concluded that the proposed method has advantages of dynamism, fuzzification and stability by considering the interval influence of multiple indicators and using the average level characteristic values of four models as results.

Community assessment techniques and the implications for rarefaction and extrapolation with Hill numbers.

PubMed

Cox, Kieran D; Black, Morgan J; Filip, Natalia; Miller, Matthew R; Mohns, Kayla; Mortimor, James; Freitas, Thaise R; Greiter Loerzer, Raquel; Gerwing, Travis G; Juanes, Francis; Dudas, Sarah E

2017-12-01

Diversity estimates play a key role in ecological assessments. Species richness and abundance are commonly used to generate complex diversity indices that are dependent on the quality of these estimates. As such, there is a long-standing interest in the development of monitoring techniques, their ability to adequately assess species diversity, and the implications for generated indices. To determine the ability of substratum community assessment methods to capture species diversity, we evaluated four methods: photo quadrat, point intercept, random subsampling, and full quadrat assessments. Species density, abundance, richness, Shannon diversity, and Simpson diversity were then calculated for each method. We then conducted a method validation at a subset of locations to serve as an indication for how well each method captured the totality of the diversity present. Density, richness, Shannon diversity, and Simpson diversity estimates varied between methods, despite assessments occurring at the same locations, with photo quadrats detecting the lowest estimates and full quadrat assessments the highest. Abundance estimates were consistent among methods. Sample-based rarefaction and extrapolation curves indicated that differences between Hill numbers (richness, Shannon diversity, and Simpson diversity) were significant in the majority of cases, and coverage-based rarefaction and extrapolation curves confirmed that these dissimilarities were due to differences between the methods, not the sample completeness. Method validation highlighted the inability of the tested methods to capture the totality of the diversity present, while further supporting the notion of extrapolating abundances. Our results highlight the need for consistency across research methods, the advantages of utilizing multiple diversity indices, and potential concerns and considerations when comparing data from multiple sources.

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.

The Impact of Web-Based Assessment and Practice on Students' Mathematics Learning Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Diem M.; Hsieh, Yi-Chuan; Allen, G. Donald

2006-01-01

This study investigates the effects of web-based assessment and practice on improving middle school students' mathematics learning attitudes. With the use of an experimental design and a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, the study compared and contrasted the attitude achievement of students, who used the web-based assessment and…

[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.

Computer Based Assessment (CBA): Perception of residents at Dow University of Health Sciences.

PubMed

Jawaid, Masood; Moosa, Foad Ali; Jaleel, Farhat; Ashraf, Junaid

2014-07-01

Background and objective : During the past few years, Computer-based assessment (CBA) has gained popularkity as a testing modality. This assessment offers several advantages over paper based assessment (PBA) testing. The objective of this study was to find out residents' perception of this method of assessment. Methods : The post graduate residents of Dow University of Health Sciences in the field of Surgery, Medicine, Gynecology and Obstetrics experienced their first formative Computer-based assessment (CBA) in year 2013.Immediately after formative CBA, an anonymous paper based questionnaire was distributed amongst the residents and response was sought for their self-perceived computer usage competence before starting residency, perceptions regarding CBA method and to determine their preference for PBA or CBA in future assessment preferences. Total 173 residents completed the questionnaire. More than half of residents, 56.1% had no prior experience of CBA. Three fourth, 76.4% of the residents were less than confident before sitting in CBA, while after completing CBA, 64.8% were either confident or extremely confident for CBA. Most common problem encountered by students was logging in 28.9%. More students (53.2%) believed that paper assessment took longer to complete than CBA. Majority of the students (61.8%) rated CBA as better than PBA despite experiencing it for the first time. Resident's perception for CBA is good and they recommend its use in future assessment as well. However, to take maximal advantage of this technology, faculty should be trained to develop questions not only with text and pictures but with audio and video support.

Chemical Mixture Risk Assessment Additivity-Based Approaches

EPA Science Inventory

Powerpoint presentation includes additivity-based chemical mixture risk assessment methods. Basic concepts, theory and example calculations are included. Several slides discuss the use of "common adverse outcomes" in analyzing phthalate mixtures.

New approaches in assessing food intake in epidemiology.

PubMed

Conrad, Johanna; Koch, Stefanie A J; Nöthlings, Ute

2018-06-22

A promising direction for improving dietary intake measurement in epidemiologic studies is the combination of short-term and long-term dietary assessment methods using statistical methods. Thereby, web-based instruments are particularly interesting as their application offers several potential advantages such as self-administration and a shorter completion time. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of new web-based short-term instruments and to describe their features. A number of web-based short-term dietary assessment tools for application in different countries and age-groups have been developed so far. Particular attention should be paid to the underlying database and the search function of the tool. Moreover, web-based instruments can improve the estimation of portion sizes by offering several options to the user. Web-based dietary assessment methods are associated with lower costs and reduced burden for participants and researchers, and show a comparable validity with traditional instruments. When there is a need for a web-based tool researcher should consider the adaptation of existing tools rather than developing new instruments. The combination of short-term and long-term instruments seems more feasible with the use of new technology.

Research on the method of information system risk state estimation based on clustering particle filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Jia; Hong, Bei; Jiang, Xuepeng; Chen, Qinghua

2017-05-01

With the purpose of reinforcing correlation analysis of risk assessment threat factors, a dynamic assessment method of safety risks based on particle filtering is proposed, which takes threat analysis as the core. Based on the risk assessment standards, the method selects threat indicates, applies a particle filtering algorithm to calculate influencing weight of threat indications, and confirms information system risk levels by combining with state estimation theory. In order to improve the calculating efficiency of the particle filtering algorithm, the k-means cluster algorithm is introduced to the particle filtering algorithm. By clustering all particles, the author regards centroid as the representative to operate, so as to reduce calculated amount. The empirical experience indicates that the method can embody the relation of mutual dependence and influence in risk elements reasonably. Under the circumstance of limited information, it provides the scientific basis on fabricating a risk management control strategy.

Assessment of forward head posture in females: observational and photogrammetry methods.

PubMed

Salahzadeh, Zahra; Maroufi, Nader; Ahmadi, Amir; Behtash, Hamid; Razmjoo, Arash; Gohari, Mahmoud; Parnianpour, Mohamad

2014-01-01

There are different methods to assess forward head posture (FHP) but the accuracy and discrimination ability of these methods are not clear. Here, we want to compare three postural angles for FHP assessment and also study the discrimination accuracy of three photogrammetric methods to differentiate groups categorized based on observational method. All Seventy-eight healthy female participants (23 ± 2.63 years), were classified into three groups: moderate-severe FHP, slight FHP and non FHP based on observational postural assessment rules. Applying three photogrammetric methods - craniovertebral angle, head title angle and head position angle - to measure FHP objectively. One - way ANOVA test showed a significant difference in three categorized group's craniovertebral angle (P< 0.05, F=83.07). There was no dramatic difference in head tilt angle and head position angle methods in three groups. According to Linear Discriminate Analysis (LDA) results, the canonical discriminant function (Wilks'Lambda) was 0.311 for craniovertebral angle with 79.5% of cross-validated grouped cases correctly classified. Our results showed that, craniovertebral angle method may discriminate the females with moderate-severe and non FHP more accurate than head position angle and head tilt angle. The photogrammetric method had excellent inter and intra rater reliability to assess the head and cervical posture.

Assessing macroinvertebrate biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems: Advances and challenges in dna-based approaches

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pfrender, M.E.; Ferrington, L.C.; Hawkins, C.P.; Hartzell, P.L.; Bagley, M.; Jackson, S.; Courtney, G.W.; Larsen, D.P.; Creutzburg, B.R.; Levesque, C.A.; Epler, J.H.; Morse, J.C.; Fend, S.; Petersen, M.J.; Ruiter, D.; Schindel, D.; Whiting, M.

2010-01-01

Assessing the biodiversity of macroinvertebrate fauna in freshwater ecosystems is an essential component of both basic ecological inquiry and applied ecological assessments. Aspects of taxonomic diversity and composition in freshwater communities are widely used to quantify water quality and measure the efficacy of remediation and restoration efforts. The accuracy and precision of biodiversity assessments based on standard morphological identifications are often limited by taxonomic resolution and sample size. Morphologically based identifications are laborious and costly, significantly constraining the sample sizes that can be processed. We suggest that the development of an assay platform based on DNA signatures will increase the precision and ease of quantifying biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems. Advances in this area will be particularly relevant for benthic and planktonic invertebrates, which are often monitored by regulatory agencies. Adopting a genetic assessment platform will alleviate some of the current limitations to biodiversity assessment strategies. We discuss the benefits and challenges associated with DNA-based assessments and the methods that are currently available. As recent advances in microarray and next-generation sequencing technologies will facilitate a transition to DNA-based assessment approaches, future research efforts should focus on methods for data collection, assay platform development, establishing linkages between DNA signatures and well-resolved taxonomies, and bioinformatics. ?? 2010 by The University of Chicago Press.

Development and preliminary evaluation of a new anatomically based prosthetic alignment method for below-knee prosthesis.

PubMed

Tafti, Nahid; Karimlou, Masoud; Mardani, Mohammad Ali; Jafarpisheh, Amir Salar; Aminian, Gholam Reza; Safari, Reza

2018-04-20

The objectives of current study were to a) assess similarities and relationships between anatomical landmark-based angles and distances of lower limbs in unilateral transtibial amputees and b) develop and evaluate a new anatomically based static prosthetic alignment method. First sub-study assessed the anthropometrical differences and relationships between the lower limbs in the photographs taken from amputees. Data were analysed via paired t-test and regression analysis. Results show no significant differences in frontal and transverse planes. In the sagittal plane, the anthropometric parameters of the amputated limb were significantly correlated to the corresponding variables of the sound limb. The results served as bases for the development of a new prosthetic alignment method. The method was evaluated on a single subject study. Prosthetic alignment carried out by an experienced prosthetist was compared with such alignment adjusted by an inexperienced prosthetist but with the use of the developed method. In sagittal and frontal planes, the socket angle was tuned with respect to the shin angle, and the position of the prosthetic foot was tuned in relation to the pelvic landmarks. Further study is needed to assess the proposed method on a larger sample of amputees and prosthetists.

Construction of Expert Knowledge Monitoring and Assessment System Based on Integral Method of Knowledge Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Golovachyova, Viktoriya N.; Menlibekova, Gulbakhyt Zh.; Abayeva, Nella F.; Ten, Tatyana L.; Kogaya, Galina D.

2016-01-01

Using computer-based monitoring systems that rely on tests could be the most effective way of knowledge evaluation. The problem of objective knowledge assessment by means of testing takes on a new dimension in the context of new paradigms in education. The analysis of the existing test methods enabled us to conclude that tests with selected…

Assessing Creative Thinking in Design-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doppelt, Yaron

2009-01-01

Infusing creative thinking competence through the design process of authentic projects requires not only changing the teaching methods and learning environment, but also adopting new assessment methods, such as portfolio assessment. The participants in this study were 128 high school pupils who have studied MECHATRONICS from 10th to 12th grades…

Using Mixed Methods to Assess Initiatives with Broad-Based Goals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inkelas, Karen Kurotsuchi

2017-01-01

This chapter describes a process for assessing programmatic initiatives with broad-ranging goals with the use of a mixed-methods design. Using an example of a day-long teaching development conference, this chapter provides practitioners step-by-step guidance on how to implement this assessment process.

Domestic Violence Assessments in the Child Advocacy Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thackeray, Jonathan D.; Scribano, Philip V.; Rhoda, Dale

2010-01-01

Objective: This study was designed to identify the frequency, methods, and practices of universal assessments for domestic violence (DV) within child advocacy centers (CACs) and determine which factors are associated with CACs that conduct universal DV assessments. Methods: The study design was a cross-sectional, web-based survey distributed to…

Laboratory-based versus non-laboratory-based method for assessment of cardiovascular disease risk: the NHANES I Follow-up Study cohort

PubMed Central

Gaziano, Thomas A; Young, Cynthia R; Fitzmaurice, Garrett; Atwood, Sidney; Gaziano, J Michael

2008-01-01

Summary Background Around 80% of all cardiovascular deaths occur in developing countries. Assessment of those patients at high risk is an important strategy for prevention. Since developing countries have limited resources for prevention strategies that require laboratory testing, we assessed if a risk prediction method that did not require any laboratory tests could be as accurate as one requiring laboratory information. Methods The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was a prospective cohort study of 14 407 US participants aged between 25–74 years at the time they were first examined (between 1971 and 1975). Our follow-up study population included participants with complete information on these surveys who did not report a history of cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, angina) or cancer, yielding an analysis dataset N=6186. We compared how well either method could predict first-time fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease events in this cohort. For the laboratory-based model, which required blood testing, we used standard risk factors to assess risk of cardiovascular disease: age, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, total cholesterol, reported diabetes status, and current treatment for hypertension. For the non-laboratory-based model, we substituted body-mass index for cholesterol. Findings In the cohort of 6186, there were 1529 first-time cardiovascular events and 578 (38%) deaths due to cardiovascular disease over 21 years. In women, the laboratory-based model was useful for predicting events, with a c statistic of 0·829. The c statistic of the non-laboratory-based model was 0·831. In men, the results were similar (0·784 for the laboratory-based model and 0·783 for the non-laboratory-based model). Results were similar between the laboratory-based and non-laboratory-based models in both men and women when restricted to fatal events only. Interpretation A method that uses non-laboratory-based risk factors predicted cardiovascular events as accurately as one that relied on laboratory-based values. This approach could simplify risk assessment in situations where laboratory testing is inconvenient or unavailable. PMID:18342687

Assessment of current AASHTO LRFD methods for static pile capacity analysis in Rhode Island soils.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-07-01

This report presents an assessment of current AASHTO LRFD methods for static pile capacity analysis in Rhode : Island soils. Current static capacity methods and associated resistance factors are based on pile load test data in sands : and clays. Some...

Evaluation and selection of decision-making methods to assess landfill mining projects.

PubMed

Hermann, Robert; Baumgartner, Rupert J; Vorbach, Stefan; Ragossnig, Arne; Pomberger, Roland

2015-09-01

For the first time in Austria, fundamental technological and economic studies on recovering secondary raw materials from large landfills have been carried out, based on the 'LAMIS - Landfill Mining Austria' pilot project. A main focus of the research - and the subject of this article - was to develop an assessment or decision-making procedure that allows landfill owners to thoroughly examine the feasibility of a landfill mining project in advance. Currently there are no standard procedures that would sufficiently cover all the multiple-criteria requirements. The basic structure of the multiple attribute decision making process was used to narrow down on selection, conceptual design and assessment of suitable procedures. Along with a breakdown into preliminary and main assessment, the entire foundation required was created, such as definitions of requirements to an assessment method, selection and accurate description of the various assessment criteria and classification of the target system for the present 'landfill mining' vs. 'retaining the landfill in after-care' decision-making problem. Based on these studies, cost-utility analysis and the analytical-hierarchy process were selected from the range of multiple attribute decision-making procedures and examined in detail. Overall, both methods have their pros and cons with regard to their use for assessing landfill mining projects. Merging these methods or connecting them with single-criteria decision-making methods (like the net present value method) may turn out to be reasonable and constitute an appropriate assessment method. © The Author(s) 2015.

Assessment method of digital Chinese dance movements based on virtual reality technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Wei; Shao, Shuyuan; Wang, Shumin

2008-03-01

Virtual reality has played an increasing role in such areas as medicine, architecture, aviation, engineering science and advertising. However, in the art fields, virtual reality is still in its infancy in the representation of human movements. Based on the techniques of motion capture and reuse of motion capture data in virtual reality environment, this paper presents an assessment method in order to evaluate the quantification of dancers' basic Arm Position movements in Chinese traditional dance. In this paper, the data for quantifying traits of dance motions are defined and measured on dancing which performed by an expert and two beginners, with results indicating that they are beneficial for evaluating dance skills and distinctiveness, and the assessment method of digital Chinese dance movements based on virtual reality technology is validity and feasibility.

Assessment of a novel multi-array normalization method based on spike-in control probes suitable for microRNA datasets with global decreases in expression.

PubMed

Sewer, Alain; Gubian, Sylvain; Kogel, Ulrike; Veljkovic, Emilija; Han, Wanjiang; Hengstermann, Arnd; Peitsch, Manuel C; Hoeng, Julia

2014-05-17

High-quality expression data are required to investigate the biological effects of microRNAs (miRNAs). The goal of this study was, first, to assess the quality of miRNA expression data based on microarray technologies and, second, to consolidate it by applying a novel normalization method. Indeed, because of significant differences in platform designs, miRNA raw data cannot be normalized blindly with standard methods developed for gene expression. This fundamental observation motivated the development of a novel multi-array normalization method based on controllable assumptions, which uses the spike-in control probes to adjust the measured intensities across arrays. Raw expression data were obtained with the Exiqon dual-channel miRCURY LNA™ platform in the "common reference design" and processed as "pseudo-single-channel". They were used to apply several quality metrics based on the coefficient of variation and to test the novel spike-in controls based normalization method. Most of the considerations presented here could be applied to raw data obtained with other platforms. To assess the normalization method, it was compared with 13 other available approaches from both data quality and biological outcome perspectives. The results showed that the novel multi-array normalization method reduced the data variability in the most consistent way. Further, the reliability of the obtained differential expression values was confirmed based on a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction experiment performed for a subset of miRNAs. The results reported here support the applicability of the novel normalization method, in particular to datasets that display global decreases in miRNA expression similarly to the cigarette smoke-exposed mouse lung dataset considered in this study. Quality metrics to assess between-array variability were used to confirm that the novel spike-in controls based normalization method provided high-quality miRNA expression data suitable for reliable downstream analysis. The multi-array miRNA raw data normalization method was implemented in an R software package called ExiMiR and deposited in the Bioconductor repository.

Assessment of a novel multi-array normalization method based on spike-in control probes suitable for microRNA datasets with global decreases in expression

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background High-quality expression data are required to investigate the biological effects of microRNAs (miRNAs). The goal of this study was, first, to assess the quality of miRNA expression data based on microarray technologies and, second, to consolidate it by applying a novel normalization method. Indeed, because of significant differences in platform designs, miRNA raw data cannot be normalized blindly with standard methods developed for gene expression. This fundamental observation motivated the development of a novel multi-array normalization method based on controllable assumptions, which uses the spike-in control probes to adjust the measured intensities across arrays. Results Raw expression data were obtained with the Exiqon dual-channel miRCURY LNA™ platform in the “common reference design” and processed as “pseudo-single-channel”. They were used to apply several quality metrics based on the coefficient of variation and to test the novel spike-in controls based normalization method. Most of the considerations presented here could be applied to raw data obtained with other platforms. To assess the normalization method, it was compared with 13 other available approaches from both data quality and biological outcome perspectives. The results showed that the novel multi-array normalization method reduced the data variability in the most consistent way. Further, the reliability of the obtained differential expression values was confirmed based on a quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction experiment performed for a subset of miRNAs. The results reported here support the applicability of the novel normalization method, in particular to datasets that display global decreases in miRNA expression similarly to the cigarette smoke-exposed mouse lung dataset considered in this study. Conclusions Quality metrics to assess between-array variability were used to confirm that the novel spike-in controls based normalization method provided high-quality miRNA expression data suitable for reliable downstream analysis. The multi-array miRNA raw data normalization method was implemented in an R software package called ExiMiR and deposited in the Bioconductor repository. PMID:24886675

Students' satisfaction to hybrid problem-based learning format for basic life support/advanced cardiac life support teaching.

PubMed

Chilkoti, Geetanjali; Mohta, Medha; Wadhwa, Rachna; Saxena, Ashok Kumar; Sharma, Chhavi Sarabpreet; Shankar, Neelima

2016-11-01

Students are exposed to basic life support (BLS) and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) training in the first semester in some medical colleges. The aim of this study was to compare students' satisfaction between lecture-based traditional method and hybrid problem-based learning (PBL) in BLS/ACLS teaching to undergraduate medical students. We conducted a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional survey among 118 1 st -year medical students from a university medical college in the city of New Delhi, India. We aimed to assess the students' satisfaction between lecture-based and hybrid-PBL method in BLS/ACLS teaching. Likert 5-point scale was used to assess students' satisfaction levels between the two teaching methods. Data were collected and scores regarding the students' satisfaction levels between these two teaching methods were analysed using a two-sided paired t -test. Most students preferred hybrid-PBL format over traditional lecture-based method in the following four aspects; learning and understanding, interest and motivation, training of personal abilities and being confident and satisfied with the teaching method ( P < 0.05). Implementation of hybrid-PBL format along with the lecture-based method in BLS/ACLS teaching provided high satisfaction among undergraduate medical students.

Evidence-Based Indicators of Neuropsychological Change in the Individual Patient: Relevant Concepts and Methods

PubMed Central

Duff, Kevin

2012-01-01

Repeated assessments are a relatively common occurrence in clinical neuropsychology. The current paper will review some of the relevant concepts (e.g., reliability, practice effects, alternate forms) and methods (e.g., reliable change index, standardized based regression) that are used in repeated neuropsychological evaluations. The focus will be on the understanding and application of these concepts and methods in the evaluation of the individual patient through examples. Finally, some future directions for assessing change will be described. PMID:22382384

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.

INTEGRATION OF SPATIAL DATA: EVALUATION OF METHODS BASED ON DATA ISSUES AND ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

EPA Science Inventory

EPA's Regional Vulnerability Assessment (ReVA) Program has focused initially on the synthesis of existing data. We have used the same set of spatial data and synthesized these data using a total of 11 existing and newly developed integration methods. These methods were evaluated ...

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…

The Future Value of Serious Games for Assessment: Where Do We Go Now?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Klerk, Sebastiaan; Kato, Pamela M.

2017-01-01

Game-based assessments will most likely be an increasing part of testing programs in future generations because they provide promising possibilities for more valid and reliable measurement of students' skills as compared to the traditional methods of assessment like paper-and-pencil tests or performance-based assessments. The current status of…

Summarization as the base for text assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karanikolas, Nikitas N.

2015-02-01

We present a model that apply shallow text summarization as a cheap (in resources needed) process for Automatic (machine based) free text answer Assessment (AA). The evaluation of the proposed method induces the inference that the Conventional Assessment (CA, man made assessment of free text answers) does not have an obvious mechanical replacement. However, this is a research challenge.

Constructing Ecological Networks Based on Habitat Quality Assessment: A Case Study of Changzhou, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yu; Ma, Lei; Liu, Jiaxun; Zhuang, Zhuzhou; Huang, Qiuhao; Li, Manchun

2017-04-01

Fragmentation and reduced continuity of habitat patches threaten the environment and biodiversity. Recently, ecological networks are increasingly attracting the attention of researchers as they provide fundamental frameworks for environmental protection. This study suggests a set of procedures to construct an ecological network. First, we proposed a method to construct a landscape resistance surface based on the assessment of habitat quality. Second, to analyze the effect of the resistance surface on corridor simulations, we used three methods to construct resistance surfaces: (1) the method proposed in this paper, (2) the entropy coefficient method, and (3) the expert scoring method. Then, we integrated habitat patches and resistance surfaces to identify potential corridors using graph theory. These procedures were tested in Changzhou, China. Comparing the outputs of using different resistance surfaces demonstrated that: (1) different landscape resistance surfaces contribute to how corridors are identified, but only slightly affect the assessment of the importance of habitat patches and potential corridors; (2) the resistance surface, which is constructed based on habitat quality, is more applicable to corridor simulations; and (3) the assessment of the importance of habitat patches is fundamental for ecological network optimization in the conservation of critical habitat patches and corridors.

Constructing Ecological Networks Based on Habitat Quality Assessment: A Case Study of Changzhou, China

PubMed Central

Gao, Yu; Ma, Lei; Liu, Jiaxun; Zhuang, Zhuzhou; Huang, Qiuhao; Li, Manchun

2017-01-01

Fragmentation and reduced continuity of habitat patches threaten the environment and biodiversity. Recently, ecological networks are increasingly attracting the attention of researchers as they provide fundamental frameworks for environmental protection. This study suggests a set of procedures to construct an ecological network. First, we proposed a method to construct a landscape resistance surface based on the assessment of habitat quality. Second, to analyze the effect of the resistance surface on corridor simulations, we used three methods to construct resistance surfaces: (1) the method proposed in this paper, (2) the entropy coefficient method, and (3) the expert scoring method. Then, we integrated habitat patches and resistance surfaces to identify potential corridors using graph theory. These procedures were tested in Changzhou, China. Comparing the outputs of using different resistance surfaces demonstrated that: (1) different landscape resistance surfaces contribute to how corridors are identified, but only slightly affect the assessment of the importance of habitat patches and potential corridors; (2) the resistance surface, which is constructed based on habitat quality, is more applicable to corridor simulations; and (3) the assessment of the importance of habitat patches is fundamental for ecological network optimization in the conservation of critical habitat patches and corridors. PMID:28393879

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.

Global antioxidant response of meat.

PubMed

Carrillo, Celia; Barrio, Ángela; Del Mar Cavia, María; Alonso-Torre, Sara

2017-06-01

The global antioxidant response (GAR) method uses an enzymatic digestion to release antioxidants from foods. Owing to the importance of digestion for protein breakdown and subsequent release of bioactive compounds, the aim of the present study was to compare the GAR method for meat with the existing methodologies: the extraction-based method and QUENCHER. Seven fresh meats were analyzed using ABTS and FRAP assays. Our results indicated that the GAR of meat was higher than the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assessed with the traditional extraction-based method. When evaluated with GAR, the thermal treatment led to an increase in the TAC of the soluble fraction, contrasting with a decreased TAC after cooking measured using the extraction-based method. The effect of thermal treatment on the TAC assessed by the QUENCHER method seemed to be dependent on the assay applied, since results from ABTS differed from FRAP. Our results allow us to hypothesize that the activation of latent bioactive peptides along the gastrointestinal tract should be taken into consideration when evaluating the TAC of meat. Therefore, we conclude that the GAR method may be more appropriate for assessing the TAC of meat than the existing, most commonly used methods. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

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.

Fatigue Life Assessment of 65Si7 Leaf Springs: A Comparative Study

PubMed Central

Arora, Vinkel Kumar; Bhushan, Gian; Aggarwal, M. L.

2014-01-01

The experimental fatigue life prediction of leaf springs is a time consuming process. The engineers working in the field of leaf springs always face a challenge to formulate alternate methods of fatigue life assessment. The work presented in this paper provides alternate methods for fatigue life assessment of leaf springs. A 65Si7 light commercial vehicle leaf spring is chosen for this study. The experimental fatigue life and load rate are determined on a full scale leaf spring testing machine. Four alternate methods of fatigue life assessment have been depicted. Firstly by SAE spring design manual approach the fatigue test stroke is established and by the intersection of maximum and initial stress the fatigue life is predicted. The second method constitutes a graphical method based on modified Goodman's criteria. In the third method codes are written in FORTRAN for fatigue life assessment based on analytical technique. The fourth method consists of computer aided engineering tools. The CAD model of the leaf spring has been prepared in solid works and analyzed using ANSYS. Using CAE tools, ideal type of contact and meshing elements have been proposed. The method which provides fatigue life closer to experimental value and consumes less time is suggested. PMID:27379327

A meta-analytic review of self-reported, clinician-rated, and performance-based motivation measures in schizophrenia: Are we measuring the same "stuff"?

PubMed

Luther, Lauren; Firmin, Ruth L; Lysaker, Paul H; Minor, Kyle S; Salyers, Michelle P

2018-04-07

An array of self-reported, clinician-rated, and performance-based measures has been used to assess motivation in schizophrenia; however, the convergent validity evidence for these motivation assessment methods is mixed. The current study is a series of meta-analyses that summarize the relationships between methods of motivation measurement in 45 studies of people with schizophrenia. The overall mean effect size between self-reported and clinician-rated motivation measures (r = 0.27, k = 33) was significant, positive, and approaching medium in magnitude, and the overall effect size between performance-based and clinician-rated motivation measures (r = 0.21, k = 11) was positive, significant, and small in magnitude. The overall mean effect size between self-reported and performance-based motivation measures was negligible and non-significant (r = -0.001, k = 2), but this meta-analysis was underpowered. Findings suggest modest convergent validity between clinician-rated and both self-reported and performance-based motivation measures, but additional work is needed to clarify the convergent validity between self-reported and performance-based measures. Further, there is likely more variability than similarity in the underlying construct that is being assessed across the three methods, particularly between the performance-based and other motivation measurement types. These motivation assessment methods should not be used interchangeably, and measures should be more precisely described as the specific motivational construct or domain they are capturing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rule-based exposure assessment versus case-by-case expert assessment using the same information in a community-based study.

PubMed

Peters, Susan; Glass, Deborah C; Milne, Elizabeth; Fritschi, Lin

2014-03-01

Retrospective exposure assessment in community-based studies is largely reliant on questionnaire information. Expert assessment is often used to assess lifetime occupational exposures, but these assessments generally lack transparency and are very time-consuming. We explored the agreement between a rule-based assessment approach and case-by-case expert assessment of occupational exposures in a community-based study. We used data from a case-control study of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in which parental occupational exposures were originally assigned by expert assessment. Key questions were identified from the completed parent questionnaires and, on the basis of these, rules were written to assign exposure levels to diesel exhaust, pesticides and solvents. We estimated exposure prevalence separately for fathers and mothers, and used κ statistics to assess the agreement between the two exposure assessment methods. Exposures were assigned to 5829 jobs among 1079 men and 6189 jobs among 1234 women. For both sexes, agreement was good for the two assessment methods of exposure to diesel exhaust at a job level (κ=0.70 for men and κ=0.71 for women) and at a person level (κ=0.74 and κ=0.75). The agreement was good to excellent for pesticide exposure among men (κ=0.74 for jobs and κ=0.84 at a person level) and women (κ=0.68 and κ=0.71 at a job and person level, respectively). Moderate to good agreement was observed for assessment of solvent exposure, which was better for women than men. The rule-based assessment approach appeared to be an efficient alternative for assigning occupational exposures in a community-based study for a selection of occupational exposures.

Kinespell: Kinesthetic Learning Activity and Assessment in a Digital Game-Based Learning Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cariaga, Ada Angeli; Salvador, Jay Andrae; Solamo, Ma. Rowena; Feria, Rommel

Various approaches in learning are commonly classified into visual, auditory and kinesthetic (VAK) learning styles. One way of addressing the VAK learning styles is through game-based learning which motivates learners pursue knowledge holistically. The paper presents Kinespell, an unconventional method of learning through digital game-based learning. Kinespell is geared towards enhancing not only the learner’s spelling abilities but also the motor skills through utilizing wireless controllers. It monitors player’s performance through integrated assessment scheme. Results show that Kinespell may accommodate the VAK learning styles and is a promising alternative to established methods in learning and assessing students’ performance in Spelling.

Towards fully automated structure-based function prediction in structural genomics: a case study.

PubMed

Watson, James D; Sanderson, Steve; Ezersky, Alexandra; Savchenko, Alexei; Edwards, Aled; Orengo, Christine; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Laskowski, Roman A; Thornton, Janet M

2007-04-13

As the global Structural Genomics projects have picked up pace, the number of structures annotated in the Protein Data Bank as hypothetical protein or unknown function has grown significantly. A major challenge now involves the development of computational methods to assign functions to these proteins accurately and automatically. As part of the Midwest Center for Structural Genomics (MCSG) we have developed a fully automated functional analysis server, ProFunc, which performs a battery of analyses on a submitted structure. The analyses combine a number of sequence-based and structure-based methods to identify functional clues. After the first stage of the Protein Structure Initiative (PSI), we review the success of the pipeline and the importance of structure-based function prediction. As a dataset, we have chosen all structures solved by the MCSG during the 5 years of the first PSI. Our analysis suggests that two of the structure-based methods are particularly successful and provide examples of local similarity that is difficult to identify using current sequence-based methods. No one method is successful in all cases, so, through the use of a number of complementary sequence and structural approaches, the ProFunc server increases the chances that at least one method will find a significant hit that can help elucidate function. Manual assessment of the results is a time-consuming process and subject to individual interpretation and human error. We present a method based on the Gene Ontology (GO) schema using GO-slims that can allow the automated assessment of hits with a success rate approaching that of expert manual assessment.

Uncertainty estimates of purity measurements based on current information: toward a "live validation" of purity methods.

PubMed

Apostol, Izydor; Kelner, Drew; Jiang, Xinzhao Grace; Huang, Gang; Wypych, Jette; Zhang, Xin; Gastwirt, Jessica; Chen, Kenneth; Fodor, Szilan; Hapuarachchi, Suminda; Meriage, Dave; Ye, Frank; Poppe, Leszek; Szpankowski, Wojciech

2012-12-01

To predict precision and other performance characteristics of chromatographic purity methods, which represent the most widely used form of analysis in the biopharmaceutical industry. We have conducted a comprehensive survey of purity methods, and show that all performance characteristics fall within narrow measurement ranges. This observation was used to develop a model called Uncertainty Based on Current Information (UBCI), which expresses these performance characteristics as a function of the signal and noise levels, hardware specifications, and software settings. We applied the UCBI model to assess the uncertainty of purity measurements, and compared the results to those from conventional qualification. We demonstrated that the UBCI model is suitable to dynamically assess method performance characteristics, based on information extracted from individual chromatograms. The model provides an opportunity for streamlining qualification and validation studies by implementing a "live validation" of test results utilizing UBCI as a concurrent assessment of measurement uncertainty. Therefore, UBCI can potentially mitigate the challenges associated with laborious conventional method validation and facilitates the introduction of more advanced analytical technologies during the method lifecycle.

'Televaluation' of clinical information systems: an integrative approach to assessing Web-based systems.

PubMed

Kushniruk, A W; Patel, C; Patel, V L; Cimino, J J

2001-04-01

The World Wide Web provides an unprecedented opportunity for widespread access to health-care applications by both patients and providers. The development of new methods for assessing the effectiveness and usability of these systems is becoming a critical issue. This paper describes the distance evaluation (i.e. 'televaluation') of emerging Web-based information technologies. In health informatics evaluation, there is a need for application of new ideas and methods from the fields of cognitive science and usability engineering. A framework is presented for conducting evaluations of health-care information technologies that integrates a number of methods, ranging from deployment of on-line questionnaires (and Web-based forms) to remote video-based usability testing of user interactions with clinical information systems. Examples illustrating application of these techniques are presented for the assessment of a patient clinical information system (PatCIS), as well as an evaluation of use of Web-based clinical guidelines. Issues in designing, prototyping and iteratively refining evaluation components are discussed, along with description of a 'virtual' usability laboratory.

[Development of HIV infection risk assessment tool for men who have sex with men based on Delphi method].

PubMed

Li, L L; Jiang, Z; Song, W L; Ding, Y Y; Xu, J; He, N

2017-10-10

Objective: To develop a HIV infection risk assessment tool for men who have sex with men (MSM) based on Delphi method. Methods: After an exhaustive literature review, we used Delphi method to determine the specific items and relative risk scores of the assessment tool through two rounds of specialist consultation and overall consideration of the opinions and suggestions of 17 specialists. Results: The positivity coefficient through first and second round specialist consultation was 100.0 % and 94.1 % , respectively. The mean of authority coefficients ( Cr ) was 0.86. Kendall's W coefficient of the specialist consultation was 0.55 for the first round consultation (χ(2)=84.426, P <0.001) and 0.46 for the second round consultation (χ(2)=65.734, P <0.001), respectively, suggesting that the specialists had similar opinions. The final HIV infection risk assessment tool for MSM has 8 items. Conclusions: The HIV infection risk assessment tool for MSM, developed under the Delphi method, can be used in the evaluation of HIV infection risk in MSM and individualized prevention and intervention. However, the reliability and validity of this risk assessment tool need to be further evaluated.

An Automated System for Skeletal Maturity Assessment by Extreme Learning Machines

PubMed Central

Mansourvar, Marjan; Shamshirband, Shahaboddin; Raj, Ram Gopal; Gunalan, Roshan; Mazinani, Iman

2015-01-01

Assessing skeletal age is a subjective and tedious examination process. Hence, automated assessment methods have been developed to replace manual evaluation in medical applications. In this study, a new fully automated method based on content-based image retrieval and using extreme learning machines (ELM) is designed and adapted to assess skeletal maturity. The main novelty of this approach is it overcomes the segmentation problem as suffered by existing systems. The estimation results of ELM models are compared with those of genetic programming (GP) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) models. The experimental results signify improvement in assessment accuracy over GP and ANN, while generalization capability is possible with the ELM approach. Moreover, the results are indicated that the ELM model developed can be used confidently in further work on formulating novel models of skeletal age assessment strategies. According to the experimental results, the new presented method has the capacity to learn many hundreds of times faster than traditional learning methods and it has sufficient overall performance in many aspects. It has conclusively been found that applying ELM is particularly promising as an alternative method for evaluating skeletal age. PMID:26402795

Utility of Combining a Simulation-Based Method With a Lecture-Based Method for Fundoscopy Training in Neurology Residency.

PubMed

Gupta, Deepak K; Khandker, Namir; Stacy, Kristin; Tatsuoka, Curtis M; Preston, David C

2017-10-01

Fundoscopic examination is an essential component of the neurologic examination. Competence in its performance is mandated as a required clinical skill for neurology residents by the American Council of Graduate Medical Education. Government and private insurance agencies require its performance and documentation for moderate- and high-level neurologic evaluations. Traditionally, assessment and teaching of this key clinical examination technique have been difficult in neurology residency training. To evaluate the utility of a simulation-based method and the traditional lecture-based method for assessment and teaching of fundoscopy to neurology residents. This study was a prospective, single-blinded, education research study of 48 neurology residents recruited from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016, at a large neurology residency training program. Participants were equally divided into control and intervention groups after stratification by training year. Baseline and postintervention assessments were performed using questionnaire, survey, and fundoscopy simulators. After baseline assessment, both groups initially received lecture-based training, which covered fundamental knowledge on the components of fundoscopy and key neurologic findings observed on fundoscopic examination. The intervention group additionally received simulation-based training, which consisted of an instructor-led, hands-on workshop that covered practical skills of performing fundoscopic examination and identifying neurologically relevant findings on another fundoscopy simulator. The primary outcome measures were the postintervention changes in fundoscopy knowledge, skills, and total scores. A total of 30 men and 18 women were equally distributed between the 2 groups. The intervention group had significantly higher mean (SD) increases in skills (2.5 [2.3] vs 0.8 [1.8], P = .01) and total (9.3 [4.3] vs 5.3 [5.8], P = .02) scores compared with the control group. Knowledge scores (6.8 [3.3] vs 4.5 [4.9], P = .11) increased nonsignificantly in both groups. This study supports the use of a simulation-based method as a supplementary tool to the lecture-based method in the assessment and teaching of fundoscopic examination in neurology residency.

Environmental life cycle assessment of methanol and electricity co-production system based on coal gasification technology.

PubMed

Śliwińska, Anna; Burchart-Korol, Dorota; Smoliński, Adam

2017-01-01

This paper presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of greenhouse gas emissions generated through methanol and electricity co-production system based on coal gasification technology. The analysis focuses on polygeneration technologies from which two products are produced, and thus, issues related to an allocation procedure for LCA are addressed in this paper. In the LCA, two methods were used: a 'system expansion' method based on two approaches, the 'avoided burdens approach' and 'direct system enlargement' methods and an 'allocation' method involving proportional partitioning based on physical relationships in a technological process. Cause-effect relationships in the analysed production process were identified, allowing for the identification of allocation factors. The 'system expansion' method involved expanding the analysis to include five additional variants of electricity production technologies in Poland (alternative technologies). This method revealed environmental consequences of implementation for the analysed technologies. It was found that the LCA of polygeneration technologies based on the 'system expansion' method generated a more complete source of information on environmental consequences than the 'allocation' method. The analysis shows that alternative technologies chosen for generating LCA results are crucial. Life cycle assessment was performed for the analysed, reference and variant alternative technologies. Comparative analysis was performed between the analysed technologies of methanol and electricity co-production from coal gasification as well as a reference technology of methanol production from the natural gas reforming process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Evaluation of Contextual Variability in Prediction of Reinforcer Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pino, Olimpia; Dazzi, Carla

2005-01-01

Previous research has shown that stimulus preference assessments based on caregiver-opinion did not coincide with results of a more systematic method of assessing reinforcing value unless stimuli that were assessed to represent preferences were also preferred on paired stimulus presentation format, and that the relative preference based on the…

An Internet-Based Telerehabilitation System for the Assessment of Motor Speech Disorders: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Anne J.; Theodoros, Deborah G.; Russell, Trevor G.; Cahill, Louise M.; Ward, Elizabeth C.; Clark, Kathy M.

2006-01-01

Purpose: This pilot study explored the feasibility and effectiveness of an Internet-based telerehabilitation application for the assessment of motor speech disorders in adults with acquired neurological impairment. Method: Using a counterbalanced, repeated measures research design, 2 speech-language pathologists assessed 19 speakers with…

A Comparison of Two Methods of Needs Assessment: Implications for Continuing Professional Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Igarashi, Michiko; Suveges, Linda; Moss, Gwenna

2002-01-01

A study of 113 Canadian pharmacists attending continuing education on asthma compared two methods of needs assessment: perceived needs and knowledge-based needs. Scores indicated no relationship between the two kinds of needs. Needs assessment in continuing professional education thus should recognize and address the limitations of self-perceived…

To Infinity and Beyond: Using a Narrative Approach to Identify Training Needs for Unknown and Dynamic Situations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dachner, Alison M.; Saxton, Brian M.; Noe, Raymond A.; Keeton, Kathryn E.

2013-01-01

Training effectiveness depends on conducting a thorough needs assessment. Traditional needs assessment methods are insufficient for today's business environment characterized by rapid pace, risk, and uncertainty. To overcome the deficiencies of traditional needs assessment methods, a narrative-based unstructured interview approach with subject…

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.

Integrated Assessment by the People: Insights from AgMIP Regional Teams in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antle, J. M.

2017-12-01

AgMIP has developed innovative protocol-based methods for regional integrated assessment (RIA) that can be implemented by national researchers working with local and national stakeholders (http://www.agmip.org/regional-integrated-assessments-handbook/). The approach has been implemented by regional teams in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This presentation first summarizes novel elements of the AgMIP RIA methods, and their strengths and limitations, based on their application by AgMIP researchers. Key insights from the application of these methods for climate impact and adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are presented. A major finding is that detailed, site-specific, systems-based analysis show much more local and regional variation in impacts than studies based on analysis of individual crops, and provide the basis for analysis of multi-faceted technology and policy options to facilitate the transition to sustainable and resilient development pathways. The presentation concludes with observations about advancing integrated assessments carried out by and for national and local researchers and stakeholders.

Evaluation of FCS self and peer-assessment approach based on Cooperative and Engineering Design learning.

PubMed

Cvetkovic, Dean

2013-01-01

The Cooperative Learning in Engineering Design curriculum can be enhanced with structured and timely self and peer assessment teaching methodologies which can easily be applied to any Biomedical Engineering curriculum. A study was designed and implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of this structured and timely self and peer assessment on student team-based projects. In comparing the 'peer-blind' and 'face-to-face' Fair Contribution Scoring (FCS) methods, both had advantages and disadvantages. The 'peer-blind' self and peer assessment method would cause high discrepancy between self and team ratings. But the 'face-to-face' method on the other hand did not have the discrepancy issue and had actually proved to be a more accurate and effective, indicating team cohesiveness and good cooperative learning.

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.

Cellular Metabolomics for Exposure and Toxicity Assessment

EPA Science Inventory

We have developed NMR automation and cell quench methods for cell culture-based metabolomics to study chemical exposure and toxicity. Our flow automation method is robust and free of cross contamination. The direct cell quench method is rapid and effective. Cell culture-based met...

Development of a Mobile Tracer Correlation Method for Assessment of Air Emissions from Landfills and Other Area Sources

EPA Science Inventory

Information form the previously approved extended abstract A standardized area source measurement method based on mobile tracer correlation was used for methane emissions assessment in 52 field deployments...

Methods for land use impact assessment: A review

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

Perminova, Tataina, E-mail: tatiana.perminova@utt.fr; Department of Geoecology and Geochemistry, Institute of Natural Resources, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 30 Lenin Avenue, 634050 Tomsk; Sirina, Natalia, E-mail: natalia.sirina@utt.fr

Many types of methods to assess land use impact have been developed. Nevertheless a systematic synthesis of all these approaches is necessary to highlight the most commonly used and most effective methods. Given the growing interest in this area of research, a review of the different methods of assessing land use impact (LUI) was performed using bibliometric analysis. One hundred eighty seven articles of agricultural and biological science, and environmental sciences were examined. According to our results, the most frequently used land use assessment methods are Life-Cycle Assessment, Material Flow Analysis/Input–Output Analysis, Environmental Impact Assessment and Ecological Footprint. Comparison ofmore » the methods allowed their specific features to be identified and to arrive at the conclusion that a combination of several methods is the best basis for a comprehensive analysis of land use impact assessment. - Highlights: • We identified the most frequently used methods in land use impact assessment. • A comparison of the methods based on several criteria was carried out. • Agricultural land use is by far the most common area of study within the methods. • Incentive driven methods, like LCA, arouse the most interest in this field.« less

The assessment of eco-design with a comprehensive index incorporating environmental impact and economic profit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Shuo; Fu, Yun; Wang, Xiuteng; Xu, Bingsheng; Li, Zheng

2017-11-01

Eco-design is an advanced design approach which plays an important part in the national innovation project and serves as a key point for the successful transformation of the supply structure. However, the practical implementation of the pro-environmental designs and technologies always faces a dilemma situation, where some processes can effectively control their emissions to protect the environment at relatively high costs, while others pursue the individual interest in making profit by ignoring the possible adverse environmental impacts. Thus, the assessment on the eco-design process must be carried out based on the comprehensive consideration of the economic and environmental aspects. Presently, the assessment systems in China are unable to fully reflect the new environmental technologies regarding their innovative features or performance. Most of the assessment systems adopt scoring method based on the judgments of the experts, which are easy to use but somewhat subjective. The assessment method presented in this paper includes the environmental impact (EI) assessment based on LCA principal and willingness-to-pay theory, and economic profit (EP) assessment mainly based on market price. The results from the assessment are in the form of EI/EP, which evaluate the targeted process from a combined perspective of environmental and economic performance. A case study was carried out upon the utilization process of coal fly ash, which indicates the proposed method can compare different technical processes in an effective and objective manner, and provide explicit and insightful suggestions for decision making.

Assessing practice-based learning and improvement.

PubMed

Lynch, Deirdre C; Swing, Susan R; Horowitz, Sheldon D; Holt, Kathleen; Messer, Joseph V

2004-01-01

Practice-based learning and improvement (PBLI) is 1 of 6 general competencies expected of physicians who graduate from an accredited residency education program in the United States and is an anticipated requirement for those who wish to maintain certification by the member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties. This article describes methods used to assess PBLI. Six electronic databases were searched using several search terms pertaining to PBLI. The review indicated that 4 assessment methods have been used to assess some or all steps of PBLI: portfolios, projects, patient record and chart review, and performance ratings. Each method is described, examples of application are provided, and validity, reliability, and feasibility characteristics are discussed. Portfolios may be the most useful approach to assess residents' PBLI abilities. Active participation in peer-driven performance improvement initiatives may be a valuable approach to confirm practicing physician involvement in PBLI.

A study of pressure-based methodology for resonant flows in non-linear combustion instabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, H. Q.; Pindera, M. Z.; Przekwas, A. J.; Tucker, K.

1992-01-01

This paper presents a systematic assessment of a large variety of spatial and temporal differencing schemes on nonstaggered grids by the pressure-based methods for the problems of fast transient flows. The observation from the present study is that for steady state flow problems, pressure-based methods can be very competitive with the density-based methods. For transient flow problems, pressure-based methods utilizing the same differencing scheme are less accurate, even though the wave speeds are correctly predicted.

MQAPRank: improved global protein model quality assessment by learning-to-rank.

PubMed

Jing, Xiaoyang; Dong, Qiwen

2017-05-25

Protein structure prediction has achieved a lot of progress during the last few decades and a greater number of models for a certain sequence can be predicted. Consequently, assessing the qualities of predicted protein models in perspective is one of the key components of successful protein structure prediction. Over the past years, a number of methods have been developed to address this issue, which could be roughly divided into three categories: single methods, quasi-single methods and clustering (or consensus) methods. Although these methods achieve much success at different levels, accurate protein model quality assessment is still an open problem. Here, we present the MQAPRank, a global protein model quality assessment program based on learning-to-rank. The MQAPRank first sorts the decoy models by using single method based on learning-to-rank algorithm to indicate their relative qualities for the target protein. And then it takes the first five models as references to predict the qualities of other models by using average GDT_TS scores between reference models and other models. Benchmarked on CASP11 and 3DRobot datasets, the MQAPRank achieved better performances than other leading protein model quality assessment methods. Recently, the MQAPRank participated in the CASP12 under the group name FDUBio and achieved the state-of-the-art performances. The MQAPRank provides a convenient and powerful tool for protein model quality assessment with the state-of-the-art performances, it is useful for protein structure prediction and model quality assessment usages.

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

Habte, A.; Sengupta, M.; Wilcox, S.

This report was part of a multiyear collaboration with the University of Wisconsin and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to produce high-quality, satellite-based, solar resource datasets for the United States. High-quality, solar resource assessment accelerates technology deployment by making a positive impact on decision making and reducing uncertainty in investment decisions. Satellite-based solar resource datasets are used as a primary source in solar resource assessment. This is mainly because satellites provide larger areal coverage and longer periods of record than ground-based measurements. With the advent of newer satellites with increased information content and faster computers that can processmore » increasingly higher data volumes, methods that were considered too computationally intensive are now feasible. One class of sophisticated methods for retrieving solar resource information from satellites is a two-step, physics-based method that computes cloud properties and uses the information in a radiative transfer model to compute solar radiation. This method has the advantage of adding additional information as satellites with newer channels come on board. This report evaluates the two-step method developed at NOAA and adapted for solar resource assessment for renewable energy with the goal of identifying areas that can be improved in the future.« less

COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF COMPLEX TECHNOLOGIES: INTEGRATING VARIOUS ASPECTS IN HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT.

PubMed

Lysdahl, Kristin Bakke; Mozygemba, Kati; Burns, Jacob; Brönneke, Jan Benedikt; Chilcott, James B; Ward, Sue; Hofmann, Bjørn

2017-01-01

Despite recent development of health technology assessment (HTA) methods, there are still methodological gaps for the assessment of complex health technologies. The INTEGRATE-HTA guidance for effectiveness, economic, ethical, socio-cultural, and legal aspects, deals with challenges when assessing complex technologies, such as heterogeneous study designs, multiple stakeholder perspectives, and unpredictable outcomes. The objective of this article is to outline this guidance and describe the added value of integrating these assessment aspects. Different methods were used to develop the various parts of the guidance, but all draw on existing, published knowledge and were supported by stakeholder involvement. The guidance was modified after application in a case study and in response to feedback from internal and external reviewers. The guidance consists of five parts, addressing five core aspects of HTA, all presenting stepwise approaches based on the assessment of complexity, context, and stakeholder involvement. The guidance on effectiveness, health economics and ethics aspects focus on helping users choose appropriate, or further develop, existing methods. The recommendations are based on existing methods' applicability for dealing with problems arising with complex interventions. The guidance offers new frameworks to identify socio-cultural and legal issues, along with overviews of relevant methods and sources. The INTEGRATE-HTA guidance outlines a wide range of methods and facilitates appropriate choices among them. The guidance enables understanding of how complexity matters for HTA and brings together assessments from disciplines, such as epidemiology, economics, ethics, law, and social theory. This indicates relevance for a broad range of technologies.

A Survey of Functional Behavior Assessment Methods Used by Behavior Analysts in Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Anthony C.; Pratt, Leigh A.; Normand, Matthew P.

2015-01-01

To gather information about the functional behavior assessment (FBA) methods behavior analysts use in practice, we sent a web-based survey to 12,431 behavior analysts certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Ultimately, 724 surveys were returned, with the results suggesting that most respondents regularly use FBA methods, especially…

An Analytical Method for Measuring Competence in Project Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

González-Marcos, Ana; Alba-Elías, Fernando; Ordieres-Meré, Joaquín

2016-01-01

The goal of this paper is to present a competence assessment method in project management that is based on participants' performance and value creation. It seeks to close an existing gap in competence assessment in higher education. The proposed method relies on information and communication technology (ICT) tools and combines Project Management…

Nondestructive testing methods to predict effect of degradation on wood : a critical assessment

Treesearch

J. Kaiserlik

1978-01-01

Results are reported for an assessment of methods for predicting strength of wood, wood-based, or related material. Research directly applicable to nondestructive strength prediction was very limited. In wood, strength prediction research is limited to vibration decay, wave attenuation, and multiparameter "degradation models." Nonwood methods with potential...

Assessment of intake and internal dose from iodine-131 for exposed workers handling radiopharmaceutical products.

PubMed

Bitar, A; Maghrabi, M; Doubal, A W

2013-12-01

Two methods for determination of internal dose due to (131)I intake during the preparation and handling of iodine radiopharmaceutical products have been compared. The first method was based on the measurement of (131)I in 24-hour urine samples while the second method was based on the measurement in vivo of (131)I in thyroid. The results have shown that urine analysis method can be used as a screening test but not for internal dose assessment of exposed workers. Thyroid monitoring method was found to be more reliable and accurate method for assessing internal dose from (131)I intake. In addition, the assessed internal dose showed that the annual internal effective dose for some workers was below 1 mSv with no risk classification, whereas the results of other group of workers were between 1 and 6 mSv with low risk classification. Only one worker reached 7.66 mSv with high risk classification; and this worker must be monitored individually. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis and Assessment of Operation Risk for Hybrid AC/DC Power System based on the Monte Carlo Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Xiaojing; Li, Qiang; Zhang, Hao; Guo, Ziming; Zhao, Kun; Li, Xinpeng

2018-06-01

Based on the Monte Carlo method, an improved risk assessment method for hybrid AC/DC power system with VSC station considering the operation status of generators, converter stations, AC lines and DC lines is proposed. According to the sequential AC/DC power flow algorithm, node voltage and line active power are solved, and then the operation risk indices of node voltage over-limit and line active power over-limit are calculated. Finally, an improved two-area IEEE RTS-96 system is taken as a case to analyze and assessment its operation risk. The results show that the proposed model and method can intuitively and directly reflect the weak nodes and weak lines of the system, which can provide some reference for the dispatching department.

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

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

Liu, Hu-Chen; Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8552; Wu, Jing

Highlights: • Propose a VIKOR-based fuzzy MCDM technique for evaluating HCW disposal methods. • Linguistic variables are used to assess the ratings and weights for the criteria. • The OWA operator is utilized to aggregate individual opinions of decision makers. • A case study is given to illustrate the procedure of the proposed framework. - Abstract: 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 considerationmore » 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.« less

Predicting implementation from organizational readiness for change: a study protocol

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background There is widespread interest in measuring organizational readiness to implement evidence-based practices in clinical care. However, there are a number of challenges to validating organizational measures, including inferential bias arising from the halo effect and method bias - two threats to validity that, while well-documented by organizational scholars, are often ignored in health services research. We describe a protocol to comprehensively assess the psychometric properties of a previously developed survey, the Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment. Objectives Our objective is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the psychometric properties of the Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment incorporating methods specifically to address threats from halo effect and method bias. Methods and Design We will conduct three sets of analyses using longitudinal, secondary data from four partner projects, each testing interventions to improve the implementation of an evidence-based clinical practice. Partner projects field the Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment at baseline (n = 208 respondents; 53 facilities), and prospectively assesses the degree to which the evidence-based practice is implemented. We will conduct predictive and concurrent validities using hierarchical linear modeling and multivariate regression, respectively. For predictive validity, the outcome is the change from baseline to follow-up in the use of the evidence-based practice. We will use intra-class correlations derived from hierarchical linear models to assess inter-rater reliability. Two partner projects will also field measures of job satisfaction for convergent and discriminant validity analyses, and will field Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment measures at follow-up for concurrent validity (n = 158 respondents; 33 facilities). Convergent and discriminant validities will test associations between organizational readiness and different aspects of job satisfaction: satisfaction with leadership, which should be highly correlated with readiness, versus satisfaction with salary, which should be less correlated with readiness. Content validity will be assessed using an expert panel and modified Delphi technique. Discussion We propose a comprehensive protocol for validating a survey instrument for assessing organizational readiness to change that specifically addresses key threats of bias related to halo effect, method bias and questions of construct validity that often go unexplored in research using measures of organizational constructs. PMID:21777479

Concrete Condition Assessment Using Impact-Echo Method and Extreme Learning Machines

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jing-Kui; Yan, Weizhong; Cui, De-Mi

2016-01-01

The impact-echo (IE) method is a popular non-destructive testing (NDT) technique widely used for measuring the thickness of plate-like structures and for detecting certain defects inside concrete elements or structures. However, the IE method is not effective for full condition assessment (i.e., defect detection, defect diagnosis, defect sizing and location), because the simple frequency spectrum analysis involved in the existing IE method is not sufficient to capture the IE signal patterns associated with different conditions. In this paper, we attempt to enhance the IE technique and enable it for full condition assessment of concrete elements by introducing advanced machine learning techniques for performing comprehensive analysis and pattern recognition of IE signals. Specifically, we use wavelet decomposition for extracting signatures or features out of the raw IE signals and apply extreme learning machine, one of the recently developed machine learning techniques, as classification models for full condition assessment. To validate the capabilities of the proposed method, we build a number of specimens with various types, sizes, and locations of defects and perform IE testing on these specimens in a lab environment. Based on analysis of the collected IE signals using the proposed machine learning based IE method, we demonstrate that the proposed method is effective in performing full condition assessment of concrete elements or structures. PMID:27023563

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.

Power System Transient Stability Based on Data Mining Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Zhen; Shi, Jia; Wu, Runsheng; Lu, Dan; Cui, Mingde

2018-01-01

In order to study the stability of power system, a power system transient stability based on data mining theory is designed. By introducing association rules analysis in data mining theory, an association classification method for transient stability assessment is presented. A mathematical model of transient stability assessment based on data mining technology is established. Meanwhile, combining rule reasoning with classification prediction, the method of association classification is proposed to perform transient stability assessment. The transient stability index is used to identify the samples that cannot be correctly classified in association classification. Then, according to the critical stability of each sample, the time domain simulation method is used to determine the state, so as to ensure the accuracy of the final results. The results show that this stability assessment system can improve the speed of operation under the premise that the analysis result is completely correct, and the improved algorithm can find out the inherent relation between the change of power system operation mode and the change of transient stability degree.

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

Image sharpness assessment based on wavelet energy of edge area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jin; Zhang, Hong; Zhang, Lei; Yang, Yifan; He, Lei; Sun, Mingui

2018-04-01

Image quality assessment is needed in multiple image processing areas and blur is one of the key reasons of image deterioration. Although great full-reference image quality assessment metrics have been proposed in the past few years, no-reference method is still an area of current research. Facing this problem, this paper proposes a no-reference sharpness assessment method based on wavelet transformation which focuses on the edge area of image. Based on two simple characteristics of human vision system, weights are introduced to calculate weighted log-energy of each wavelet sub band. The final score is given by the ratio of high-frequency energy to the total energy. The algorithm is tested on multiple databases. Comparing with several state-of-the-art metrics, proposed algorithm has better performance and less runtime consumption.

Taming Log Files from Game/Simulation-Based Assessments: Data Models and Data Analysis Tools. Research Report. ETS RR-16-10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hao, Jiangang; Smith, Lawrence; Mislevy, Robert; von Davier, Alina; Bauer, Malcolm

2016-01-01

Extracting information efficiently from game/simulation-based assessment (G/SBA) logs requires two things: a well-structured log file and a set of analysis methods. In this report, we propose a generic data model specified as an extensible markup language (XML) schema for the log files of G/SBAs. We also propose a set of analysis methods for…

Assessment of Physical Activity, Exercise Self-Efficacy, and Stages of Change in College Students Using a Street-Based Survey Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leenders, Nicole Y. J. M.; Silver, Lorraine Wallace; White, Susan L.; Buckworth, Janet; Sherman, W. Michael

2002-01-01

This study assessed the level of physical activity, exercise self-efficacy, and stages of change for exercise behavior among college students at a large midwestern university using a street-based survey method. The 50% response rate produced 925 student responses comprising 95% as young ([less than or equal to]24 years of age), 53% female, and 79%…

Alignment of Standards and Assessment: A Theoretical and Empirical Study of Methods for Alignment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nasstrom, Gunilla; Henriksson, Widar

2008-01-01

Introduction: In a standards-based school-system alignment of policy documents with standards and assessment is important. To be able to evaluate whether schools and students have reached the standards, the assessment should focus on the standards. Different models and methods can be used for measuring alignment, i.e. the correspondence between…

Empirical and Clinical Methods in the Assessment of Personality and Psychopathology: An Integrative Approach for Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flanagan, Rosemary; Esquivel, Giselle B.

2006-01-01

School psychologists have a critical role in identifying social-emotional problems and psychopathology in youth based on a set of personality-assessment competencies. The development of competencies in assessing personality and psychopathology is complex, requiring a variety of integrated methods and approaches. Given the limited extent and scope…

Using Data-Based Individualization to Intensify Mathematics Intervention for Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Sarah R.; Stecker, Pamela M.

2014-01-01

This article describes data-based individualization (DBI) as a continuous process connecting assessment and intervention in mathematics for students with disabilities. DBI provides teachers with an evidence-based method for individualizing interventions for students who do not demonstrate adequate response. Assessment data gathered through the use…

Effects of the Case-Based Instruction Method on the Experience of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amiri Farahani, Leila; Heidari, Tooba

2014-01-01

This semi-experimental study was conducted with twenty-seven midwifery students who were randomly allocated to either case-based instruction or lecture-based instruction groups. The selected subjects -- foetal intrapartum assessment, foetal antepartum assessment, ABO and Rh blood group system mismatch -- were presented in four ninety-minute…

School-Based Assessment of ADHD: Purpose, Alignment with Best Practice Guidelines, and Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogg, Julia; Fefer, Sarah; Sundman-Wheat, Ashley; McMahan, Melanie; Stewart, Tiffany; Chappel, Ashley; Bateman, Lisa

2013-01-01

Youth exhibiting symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are frequently referred to school psychologists because of academic, social, and behavioral difficulties that they face. To address these difficulties, evidence-based assessment methods have been outlined for multiple purposes of assessment. The goals of this study were to…

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…

Clinical Trials Methods for Evaluation of Potential Reduced Exposure Products

PubMed Central

Hatsukami, Dorothy K.; Hanson, Karen; Briggs, Anna; Parascandola, Mark; Genkinger, Jeanine M.; O'Connor, Richard; Shields, Peter

2009-01-01

Potential reduced exposure tobacco products (PREPs) may have promise in reducing tobacco-related morbidity or mortality or may promote greater harm to individuals or the population. Critical to determining the risks or benefits from these products are valid human clinical trial PREP assessment methods. Assessment involves determining the effects of these products on biomarkers of exposure and of effect, which serve as proxies for harm, and assessing the potential for consumer uptake and abuse of the product. This article raises the critical methodological issues associated with PREP assessment, reviews the methods that have been used to assess PREPs, and describes the strengths and limitations of these methods. Additionally, recommendations for clinical trials PREP assessment methods and future research directions in this area based on this review and on the deliberations from a National Cancer Institute sponsored Clinical Trials PREP Methods Workshop are provided. PMID:19959672

Programmatic assessment of competency-based workplace learning: when theory meets practice

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In competency-based medical education emphasis has shifted towards outcomes, capabilities, and learner-centeredness. Together with a focus on sustained evidence of professional competence this calls for new methods of teaching and assessment. Recently, medical educators advocated the use of a holistic, programmatic approach towards assessment. Besides maximum facilitation of learning it should improve the validity and reliability of measurements and documentation of competence development. We explored how, in a competency-based curriculum, current theories on programmatic assessment interacted with educational practice. Methods In a development study including evaluation, we investigated the implementation of a theory-based programme of assessment. Between April 2011 and May 2012 quantitative evaluation data were collected and used to guide group interviews that explored the experiences of students and clinical supervisors with the assessment programme. We coded the transcripts and emerging topics were organised into a list of lessons learned. Results The programme mainly focuses on the integration of learning and assessment by motivating and supporting students to seek and accumulate feedback. The assessment instruments were aligned to cover predefined competencies to enable aggregation of information in a structured and meaningful way. Assessments that were designed as formative learning experiences were increasingly perceived as summative by students. Peer feedback was experienced as a valuable method for formative feedback. Social interaction and external guidance seemed to be of crucial importance to scaffold self-directed learning. Aggregating data from individual assessments into a holistic portfolio judgement required expertise and extensive training and supervision of judges. Conclusions A programme of assessment with low-stakes assessments providing simultaneously formative feedback and input for summative decisions proved not easy to implement. Careful preparation and guidance of the implementation process was crucial. Assessment for learning requires meaningful feedback with each assessment. Special attention should be paid to the quality of feedback at individual assessment moments. Comprehensive attention for faculty development and training for students is essential for the successful implementation of an assessment programme. PMID:24020944

Work-based Assessment and Co-production in Postgraduate Medical Training

PubMed Central

Holmboe, Eric S.

2017-01-01

Assessment has always been an essential component of postgraduate medical education and for many years focused predominantly on various types of examinations. While examinations of medical knowledge and more recently of clinical skills with standardized patients can assess learner capability in controlled settings and provide a level of assurance for the public, persistent and growing concerns regarding quality of care and patient safety worldwide has raised the importance and need for better work-based assessments. Work-based assessments, when done effectively, can more authentically capture the abilities of learners to actually provide safe, effective, patient-centered care. Furthermore, we have entered the era of interprofessional care where effective teamwork among multiple health care professionals is now paramount. Work-based assessment methods are now essential in an interprofessional healthcare world. To better prepare learners for these newer competencies and the ever-growing complexity of healthcare, many post-graduate medical education systems across the globe have turned to outcomes-based models of education, codified through competency frameworks. This commentary provides a brief overview on key methods of work-based assessment such as direct observation, multisource feedback, patient experience surveys and performance measures that are needed in a competency-based world that places a premium on educational and clinical outcomes. However, the full potential of work-based assessments will only be realized if post-graduate learners play an active role in their own assessment program. This will require a substantial culture change, and culture change only occurs through actions and changed behaviors. Co-production offers a practical and philosophical approach to engaging postgraduate learners to be active, intrinsically motivated agents for their own professional development, help to change learning culture and contribute to improving programmatic assessment in post-graduate training. PMID:29226226

Work-based Assessment and Co-production in Postgraduate Medical Training.

PubMed

Holmboe, Eric S

2017-01-01

Assessment has always been an essential component of postgraduate medical education and for many years focused predominantly on various types of examinations. While examinations of medical knowledge and more recently of clinical skills with standardized patients can assess learner capability in controlled settings and provide a level of assurance for the public, persistent and growing concerns regarding quality of care and patient safety worldwide has raised the importance and need for better work-based assessments. Work-based assessments, when done effectively, can more authentically capture the abilities of learners to actually provide safe, effective, patient-centered care. Furthermore, we have entered the era of interprofessional care where effective teamwork among multiple health care professionals is now paramount. Work-based assessment methods are now essential in an interprofessional healthcare world. To better prepare learners for these newer competencies and the ever-growing complexity of healthcare, many post-graduate medical education systems across the globe have turned to outcomes-based models of education, codified through competency frameworks. This commentary provides a brief overview on key methods of work-based assessment such as direct observation, multisource feedback, patient experience surveys and performance measures that are needed in a competency-based world that places a premium on educational and clinical outcomes. However, the full potential of work-based assessments will only be realized if post-graduate learners play an active role in their own assessment program. This will require a substantial culture change, and culture change only occurs through actions and changed behaviors. Co-production offers a practical and philosophical approach to engaging postgraduate learners to be active, intrinsically motivated agents for their own professional development, help to change learning culture and contribute to improving programmatic assessment in post-graduate training.

How credible are the study results? Evaluating and applying internal validity tools to literature-based assessments of environmental health hazards

PubMed Central

Rooney, Andrew A.; Cooper, Glinda S.; Jahnke, Gloria D.; Lam, Juleen; Morgan, Rebecca L.; Boyles, Abee L.; Ratcliffe, Jennifer M.; Kraft, Andrew D.; Schünemann, Holger J.; Schwingl, Pamela; Walker, Teneille D.; Thayer, Kristina A.; Lunn, Ruth M.

2016-01-01

Environmental health hazard assessments are routinely relied upon for public health decision-making. The evidence base used in these assessments is typically developed from a collection of diverse sources of information of varying quality. It is critical that literature-based evaluations consider the credibility of individual studies used to reach conclusions through consistent, transparent and accepted methods. Systematic review procedures address study credibility by assessing internal validity or “risk of bias” — the assessment of whether the design and conduct of a study compromised the credibility of the link between exposure/intervention and outcome. This paper describes the commonalities and differences in risk-of-bias methods developed or used by five groups that conduct or provide methodological input for performing environmental health hazard assessments: the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group, the Navigation Guide, the National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) and Office of the Report on Carcinogens (ORoC), and the Integrated Risk Information System of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA-IRIS). Each of these groups have been developing and applying rigorous assessment methods for integrating across a heterogeneous collection of human and animal studies to inform conclusions on potential environmental health hazards. There is substantial consistency across the groups in the consideration of risk-of-bias issues or “domains” for assessing observational human studies. There is a similar overlap in terms of domains addressed for animal studies; however, the groups differ in the relative emphasis placed on different aspects of risk of bias. Future directions for the continued harmonization and improvement of these methods are also discussed. PMID:26857180

How credible are the study results? Evaluating and applying internal validity tools to literature-based assessments of environmental health hazards.

PubMed

Rooney, Andrew A; Cooper, Glinda S; Jahnke, Gloria D; Lam, Juleen; Morgan, Rebecca L; Boyles, Abee L; Ratcliffe, Jennifer M; Kraft, Andrew D; Schünemann, Holger J; Schwingl, Pamela; Walker, Teneille D; Thayer, Kristina A; Lunn, Ruth M

2016-01-01

Environmental health hazard assessments are routinely relied upon for public health decision-making. The evidence base used in these assessments is typically developed from a collection of diverse sources of information of varying quality. It is critical that literature-based evaluations consider the credibility of individual studies used to reach conclusions through consistent, transparent and accepted methods. Systematic review procedures address study credibility by assessing internal validity or "risk of bias" - the assessment of whether the design and conduct of a study compromised the credibility of the link between exposure/intervention and outcome. This paper describes the commonalities and differences in risk-of-bias methods developed or used by five groups that conduct or provide methodological input for performing environmental health hazard assessments: the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group, the Navigation Guide, the National Toxicology Program's (NTP) Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) and Office of the Report on Carcinogens (ORoC), and the Integrated Risk Information System of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA-IRIS). Each of these groups have been developing and applying rigorous assessment methods for integrating across a heterogeneous collection of human and animal studies to inform conclusions on potential environmental health hazards. There is substantial consistency across the groups in the consideration of risk-of-bias issues or "domains" for assessing observational human studies. There is a similar overlap in terms of domains addressed for animal studies; however, the groups differ in the relative emphasis placed on different aspects of risk of bias. Future directions for the continued harmonization and improvement of these methods are also discussed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The determination of total burn surface area: How much difference?

PubMed

Giretzlehner, M; Dirnberger, J; Owen, R; Haller, H L; Lumenta, D B; Kamolz, L-P

2013-09-01

Burn depth and burn size are crucial determinants for assessing patients suffering from burns. Therefore, a correct evaluation of these factors is optimal for adapting the appropriate treatment in modern burn care. Burn surface assessment is subject to considerable differences among clinicians. This work investigated the accuracy among experts based on conventional surface estimation methods (e.g. "Rule of Palm", "Rule of Nines" or "Lund-Browder Chart"). The estimation results were compared to a computer-based evaluation method. Survey data was collected during one national and one international burn conference. The poll confirmed deviations of burn depth/size estimates of up to 62% in relation to the mean value of all participants. In comparison to the computer-based method, overestimation of up to 161% was found. We suggest introducing improved methods for burn depth/size assessment in clinical routine in order to efficiently allocate and distribute the available resources for practicing burn care. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

A new physical method to assess handle properties of fabrics made from wood-based fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abu-Rous, M.; Liftinger, E.; Innerlohinger, J.; Malengier, B.; Vasile, S.

2017-10-01

In this work, the handfeel of fabrics made of wood-based fibers such as viscose, modal and Lyocell was investigated in relation to cotton fabrics applying the Tissue Softness Analyzer (TSA) method in comparison to other classical methods. Two different construction groups of textile were investigated. The validity of TSA in assessing textile softness of these constructions was tested. TSA results were compared to human hand evaluation as well as to classical physical measurements like drape coefficient, ring pull-through and Handle-o-meter, as well as a newer device, the Fabric Touch Tester (FTT). Physical methods as well as human hand assessments mostly agreed on the softest and smoothest range, but showed different rankings in the harder/rougher side fabrics. TSA ranking of softness and smoothness corresponded to the rankings by other physical methods as well as with human hand feel for the basic textile constructions.

Advancing methods for reliably assessing motivational interviewing fidelity using the Motivational Interviewing Skills Code

PubMed Central

Lord, Sarah Peregrine; Can, Doğan; Yi, Michael; Marin, Rebeca; Dunn, Christopher W.; Imel, Zac E.; Georgiou, Panayiotis; Narayanan, Shrikanth; Steyvers, Mark; Atkins, David C.

2014-01-01

The current paper presents novel methods for collecting MISC data and accurately assessing reliability of behavior codes at the level of the utterance. The MISC 2.1 was used to rate MI interviews from five randomized trials targeting alcohol and drug use. Sessions were coded at the utterance-level. Utterance-based coding reliability was estimated using three methods and compared to traditional reliability estimates of session tallies. Session-level reliability was generally higher compared to reliability using utterance-based codes, suggesting that typical methods for MISC reliability may be biased. These novel methods in MI fidelity data collection and reliability assessment provided rich data for therapist feedback and further analyses. Beyond implications for fidelity coding, utterance-level coding schemes may elucidate important elements in the counselor-client interaction that could inform theories of change and the practice of MI. PMID:25242192

Advancing methods for reliably assessing motivational interviewing fidelity using the motivational interviewing skills code.

PubMed

Lord, Sarah Peregrine; Can, Doğan; Yi, Michael; Marin, Rebeca; Dunn, Christopher W; Imel, Zac E; Georgiou, Panayiotis; Narayanan, Shrikanth; Steyvers, Mark; Atkins, David C

2015-02-01

The current paper presents novel methods for collecting MISC data and accurately assessing reliability of behavior codes at the level of the utterance. The MISC 2.1 was used to rate MI interviews from five randomized trials targeting alcohol and drug use. Sessions were coded at the utterance-level. Utterance-based coding reliability was estimated using three methods and compared to traditional reliability estimates of session tallies. Session-level reliability was generally higher compared to reliability using utterance-based codes, suggesting that typical methods for MISC reliability may be biased. These novel methods in MI fidelity data collection and reliability assessment provided rich data for therapist feedback and further analyses. Beyond implications for fidelity coding, utterance-level coding schemes may elucidate important elements in the counselor-client interaction that could inform theories of change and the practice of MI. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma: is MRI surveillance improved by region of interest volumetry?

PubMed

Riley, Garan T; Armitage, Paul A; Batty, Ruth; Griffiths, Paul D; Lee, Vicki; McMullan, John; Connolly, Daniel J A

2015-02-01

Paediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is noteworthy for its fibrillary infiltration through neuroparenchyma and its resultant irregular shape. Conventional volumetry methods aim to approximate such irregular tumours to a regular ellipse, which could be less accurate when assessing treatment response on surveillance MRI. Region-of-interest (ROI) volumetry methods, using manually traced tumour profiles on contiguous imaging slices and subsequent computer-aided calculations, may prove more reliable. To evaluate whether the reliability of MRI surveillance of DIPGs can be improved by the use of ROI-based volumetry. We investigated the use of ROI- and ellipsoid-based methods of volumetry for paediatric DIPGs in a retrospective review of 22 MRI examinations. We assessed the inter- and intraobserver variability of the two methods when performed by four observers. ROI- and ellipsoid-based methods strongly correlated for all four observers. The ROI-based volumes showed slightly better agreement both between and within observers than the ellipsoid-based volumes (inter-[intra-]observer agreement 89.8% [92.3%] and 83.1% [88.2%], respectively). Bland-Altman plots show tighter limits of agreement for the ROI-based method. Both methods are reproducible and transferrable among observers. ROI-based volumetry appears to perform better with greater intra- and interobserver agreement for complex-shaped DIPG.

Assessment of Teaching Methods and Critical Thinking in a Course for Science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speck, Angela; Ruzhitskaya, L.; Whittington, A. G.

2014-01-01

Ability to think critically is a key ingredient to the scientific mindset. Students who take science courses may or may not be predisposed to critical thinking - the ability to evaluate information analytically. Regardless of their initial stages, students can significantly improve their critical thinking through learning and practicing their reasoning skills, critical assessments, conducting and reflecting on observations and experiments, building their questioning and communication skills, and through the use of other techniques. While, there are several of teaching methods that may help to improve critical thinking, there are only a few assessment instruments that can help in evaluating the efficacy of these methods. Critical thinking skills and improvement in those skills are notoriously difficult to measure. Assessments that are based on multiple-choice questions demonstrate students’ final decisions but not their thinking processes. In addition, during the course of studies students may develop subject-based critical thinking while not being able to extend the skills to the general critical thinking. As such, we wanted to design and conduct a study on efficacy of several teaching methods in which we would learn how students’ improve their thinking processes within a science discipline as well as in everyday life situations. We conducted a study among 20 astronomy, physics and geology majors-- both graduate and undergraduate students-- enrolled in our Solar System Science course (mostly seniors and early graduate students) at the University of Missouri. We used the Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay test to assess students’ general critical thinking and, in addition, we implemented our own subject-based critical thinking assessment. Here, we present the results of this study and share our experience on designing a subject-based critical thinking assessment instrument.

Assessing Changes in High School Students' Conceptual Understanding through Concept Maps before and after the Computer-Based Predict-Observe-Explain (CB-POE) Tasks on Acid-Base Chemistry at the Secondary Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yaman, Fatma; Ayas, Alipasa

2015-01-01

Although concept maps have been used as alternative assessment methods in education, there has been an ongoing debate on how to evaluate students' concept maps. This study discusses how to evaluate students' concept maps as an assessment tool before and after 15 computer-based Predict-Observe-Explain (CB-POE) tasks related to acid-base chemistry.…

Large-Scale Multiobjective Static Test Generation for Web-Based Testing with Integer Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, M. L.; Hui, Siu Cheung; Fong, A. C. M.

2013-01-01

Web-based testing has become a ubiquitous self-assessment method for online learning. One useful feature that is missing from today's web-based testing systems is the reliable capability to fulfill different assessment requirements of students based on a large-scale question data set. A promising approach for supporting large-scale web-based…

Adopting a blended learning approach to teaching evidence based medicine: a mixed methods study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) is a core unit delivered across many medical schools. Few studies have investigated the most effective method of teaching a course in EBM to medical students. The objective of this study was to identify whether a blended-learning approach to teaching EBM is more effective a didactic-based approach at increasing medical student competency in EBM. Methods A mixed-methods study was conducted consisting of a controlled trial and focus groups with second year graduate medical students. Students received the EBM course delivered using either a didactic approach (DID) to learning EBM or a blended-learning approach (BL). Student competency in EBM was assessed using the Berlin tool and a criterion-based assessment task, with student perceptions on the interventions assessed qualitatively. Results A total of 61 students (85.9%) participated in the study. Competency in EBM did not differ between the groups when assessed using the Berlin tool (p = 0.29). Students using the BL approach performed significantly better in one of the criterion-based assessment tasks (p = 0.01) and reported significantly higher self-perceived competence in critical appraisal skills. Qualitative analysis identified that students had a preference for the EBM course to be delivered using the BL approach. Conclusions Implementing a blended-learning approach to EBM teaching promotes greater student appreciation of EBM principles within the clinical setting. Integrating a variety of teaching modalities and approaches can increase student self-confidence and assist in bridging the gap between the theory and practice of EBM. PMID:24341502

A probability-based approach for assessment of roadway safety hardware.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-14

This report presents a general probability-based approach for assessment of roadway safety hardware (RSH). It was achieved using a reliability : analysis method and computational techniques. With the development of high-fidelity finite element (FE) m...

SVM-based multi-sensor fusion for free-living physical activity assessment.

PubMed

Liu, Shaopeng; Gao, Robert X; John, Dinesh; Staudenmayer, John; Freedson, Patty S

2011-01-01

This paper presents a sensor fusion method for assessing physical activity (PA) of human subjects, based on the support vector machines (SVMs). Specifically, acceleration and ventilation measured by a wearable multi-sensor device on 50 test subjects performing 13 types of activities of varying intensities are analyzed, from which the activity types and related energy expenditures are derived. The result shows that the method correctly recognized the 13 activity types 84.7% of the time, which is 26% higher than using a hip accelerometer alone. Also, the method predicted the associated energy expenditure with a root mean square error of 0.43 METs, 43% lower than using a hip accelerometer alone. Furthermore, the fusion method was effective in reducing the subject-to-subject variability (standard deviation of recognition accuracies across subjects) in activity recognition, especially when data from the ventilation sensor was added to the fusion model. These results demonstrate that the multi-sensor fusion technique presented is more effective in assessing activities of varying intensities than the traditional accelerometer-alone based methods.

Cryptosporidium Propidium Monoazide-PCR, a Molecular Biology-Based Technique for Genotyping Viable Cryptosporidium Oocysts

EPA Science Inventory

Cryptosporidium is an important waterborne protozoan parasite that can cause severe diarrhea and death in the immunocompromised. Current methods to monitor for Cryptosporidium oocysts in water are microscopy-based USEPA Methods 1622 and 1623. These methods assess total levels o...

Climate change vulnerability for species-Assessing the assessments.

PubMed

Wheatley, Christopher J; Beale, Colin M; Bradbury, Richard B; Pearce-Higgins, James W; Critchlow, Rob; Thomas, Chris D

2017-09-01

Climate change vulnerability assessments are commonly used to identify species at risk from global climate change, but the wide range of methodologies available makes it difficult for end users, such as conservation practitioners or policymakers, to decide which method to use as a basis for decision-making. In this study, we evaluate whether different assessments consistently assign species to the same risk categories and whether any of the existing methodologies perform well at identifying climate-threatened species. We compare the outputs of 12 climate change vulnerability assessment methodologies, using both real and simulated species, and validate the methods using historic data for British birds and butterflies (i.e. using historical data to assign risks and more recent data for validation). Our results show that the different vulnerability assessment methods are not consistent with one another; different risk categories are assigned for both the real and simulated sets of species. Validation of the different vulnerability assessments suggests that methods incorporating historic trend data into the assessment perform best at predicting distribution trends in subsequent time periods. This study demonstrates that climate change vulnerability assessments should not be used interchangeably due to the poor overall agreement between methods when considering the same species. The results of our validation provide more support for the use of trend-based rather than purely trait-based approaches, although further validation will be required as data become available. © 2017 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Managing for resilience: an information theory-based approach to assessing ecosystems

EPA Science Inventory

Ecosystems are complex and multivariate; hence, methods to assess the dynamics of ecosystems should have the capacity to evaluate multiple indicators simultaneously. Most research on identifying leading indicators of regime shifts has focused on univariate methods and simple mod...

Comparing Methods for Assessing Reliability Uncertainty Based on Pass/Fail Data Collected Over Time

DOE PAGES

Abes, Jeff I.; Hamada, Michael S.; Hills, Charles R.

2017-12-20

In this paper, we compare statistical methods for analyzing pass/fail data collected over time; some methods are traditional and one (the RADAR or Rationale for Assessing Degradation Arriving at Random) was recently developed. These methods are used to provide uncertainty bounds on reliability. We make observations about the methods' assumptions and properties. Finally, we illustrate the differences between two traditional methods, logistic regression and Weibull failure time analysis, and the RADAR method using a numerical example.

Comparing Methods for Assessing Reliability Uncertainty Based on Pass/Fail Data Collected Over Time

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

Abes, Jeff I.; Hamada, Michael S.; Hills, Charles R.

In this paper, we compare statistical methods for analyzing pass/fail data collected over time; some methods are traditional and one (the RADAR or Rationale for Assessing Degradation Arriving at Random) was recently developed. These methods are used to provide uncertainty bounds on reliability. We make observations about the methods' assumptions and properties. Finally, we illustrate the differences between two traditional methods, logistic regression and Weibull failure time analysis, and the RADAR method using a numerical example.

Comparing Real-time Versus Delayed Video Assessments for Evaluating ACGME Sub-competency Milestones in Simulated Patient Care Environments

PubMed Central

Stiegler, Marjorie; Hobbs, Gene; Martinelli, Susan M; Zvara, David; Arora, Harendra; Chen, Fei

2018-01-01

Background Simulation is an effective method for creating objective summative assessments of resident trainees. Real-time assessment (RTA) in simulated patient care environments is logistically challenging, especially when evaluating a large group of residents in multiple simulation scenarios. To date, there is very little data comparing RTA with delayed (hours, days, or weeks later) video-based assessment (DA) for simulation-based assessments of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) sub-competency milestones. We hypothesized that sub-competency milestone evaluation scores obtained from DA, via audio-video recordings, are equivalent to the scores obtained from RTA. Methods Forty-one anesthesiology residents were evaluated in three separate simulated scenarios, representing different ACGME sub-competency milestones. All scenarios had one faculty member perform RTA and two additional faculty members perform DA. Subsequently, the scores generated by RTA were compared with the average scores generated by DA. Variance component analysis was conducted to assess the amount of variation in scores attributable to residents and raters. Results Paired t-tests showed no significant difference in scores between RTA and averaged DA for all cases. Cases 1, 2, and 3 showed an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.67, 0.85, and 0.50 for agreement between RTA scores and averaged DA scores, respectively. Analysis of variance of the scores assigned by the three raters showed a small proportion of variance attributable to raters (4% to 15%). Conclusions The results demonstrate that video-based delayed assessment is as reliable as real-time assessment, as both assessment methods yielded comparable scores. Based on a department’s needs or logistical constraints, our findings support the use of either real-time or delayed video evaluation for assessing milestones in a simulated patient care environment. PMID:29736352

Quantifying Soiling Loss Directly From PV Yield

DOE PAGES

Deceglie, Michael G.; Micheli, Leonardo; Muller, Matthew

2018-01-23

Soiling of photovoltaic (PV) panels is typically quantified through the use of specialized sensors. Here, we describe and validate a method for estimating soiling loss experienced by PV systems directly from system yield without the need for precipitation data. The method, termed the stochastic rate and recovery (SRR) method, automatically detects soiling intervals in a dataset, then stochastically generates a sample of possible soiling profiles based on the observed characteristics of each interval. In this paper, we describe the method, validate it against soiling station measurements, and compare it with other PV-yield-based soiling estimation methods. The broader application of themore » SRR method will enable the fleet scale assessment of soiling loss to facilitate mitigation planning and risk assessment.« less

Quantifying Soiling Loss Directly From PV Yield

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

Deceglie, Michael G.; Micheli, Leonardo; Muller, Matthew

Soiling of photovoltaic (PV) panels is typically quantified through the use of specialized sensors. Here, we describe and validate a method for estimating soiling loss experienced by PV systems directly from system yield without the need for precipitation data. The method, termed the stochastic rate and recovery (SRR) method, automatically detects soiling intervals in a dataset, then stochastically generates a sample of possible soiling profiles based on the observed characteristics of each interval. In this paper, we describe the method, validate it against soiling station measurements, and compare it with other PV-yield-based soiling estimation methods. The broader application of themore » SRR method will enable the fleet scale assessment of soiling loss to facilitate mitigation planning and risk assessment.« less

DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPARATIVE POTENCY METHOD FOR CANCER RISK ASSESSMENT OF COMPLEX MIXTURES USING SHORT-TERM 'IN VIVO' AND 'IN VITRO' BIOASSAYS

EPA Science Inventory

A comparative potency method for cancer risk assessment has been developed based upon a constant relative potency hypothesis. This method was developed and tested using data from a battery of short-term mutagenesis bioassays, animal tumorigenicity data and human lung cancer risk ...

Energy-Based Metrics for Arthroscopic Skills Assessment.

PubMed

Poursartip, Behnaz; LeBel, Marie-Eve; McCracken, Laura C; Escoto, Abelardo; Patel, Rajni V; Naish, Michael D; Trejos, Ana Luisa

2017-08-05

Minimally invasive skills assessment methods are essential in developing efficient surgical simulators and implementing consistent skills evaluation. Although numerous methods have been investigated in the literature, there is still a need to further improve the accuracy of surgical skills assessment. Energy expenditure can be an indication of motor skills proficiency. The goals of this study are to develop objective metrics based on energy expenditure, normalize these metrics, and investigate classifying trainees using these metrics. To this end, different forms of energy consisting of mechanical energy and work were considered and their values were divided by the related value of an ideal performance to develop normalized metrics. These metrics were used as inputs for various machine learning algorithms including support vector machines (SVM) and neural networks (NNs) for classification. The accuracy of the combination of the normalized energy-based metrics with these classifiers was evaluated through a leave-one-subject-out cross-validation. The proposed method was validated using 26 subjects at two experience levels (novices and experts) in three arthroscopic tasks. The results showed that there are statistically significant differences between novices and experts for almost all of the normalized energy-based metrics. The accuracy of classification using SVM and NN methods was between 70% and 95% for the various tasks. The results show that the normalized energy-based metrics and their combination with SVM and NN classifiers are capable of providing accurate classification of trainees. The assessment method proposed in this study can enhance surgical training by providing appropriate feedback to trainees about their level of expertise and can be used in the evaluation of proficiency.

Workplace-based assessment of communication skills: A pilot project addressing feasibility, acceptance and reliability

PubMed Central

Weyers, Simone; Jemi, Iman; Karger, André; Raski, Bianca; Rotthoff, Thomas; Pentzek, Michael; Mortsiefer, Achim

2016-01-01

Background: Imparting communication skills has been given great importance in medical curricula. In addition to standardized assessments, students should communicate with real patients in actual clinical situations during workplace-based assessments and receive structured feedback on their performance. The aim of this project was to pilot a formative testing method for workplace-based assessment. Our investigation centered in particular on whether or not physicians view the method as feasible and how high acceptance is among students. In addition, we assessed the reliability of the method. Method: As part of the project, 16 students held two consultations each with chronically ill patients at the medical practice where they were completing GP training. These consultations were video-recorded. The trained mentoring physician rated the student’s performance and provided feedback immediately following the consultations using the Berlin Global Rating scale (BGR). Two impartial, trained raters also evaluated the videos using BGR. For qualitative and quantitative analysis, information on how physicians and students viewed feasibility and their levels of acceptance was collected in written form in a partially standardized manner. To test for reliability, the test-retest reliability was calculated for both of the overall evaluations given by each rater. The inter-rater reliability was determined for the three evaluations of each individual consultation. Results: The formative assessment method was rated positively by both physicians and students. It is relatively easy to integrate into daily routines. Its significant value lies in the personal, structured and recurring feedback. The two overall scores for each patient consultation given by the two impartial raters correlate moderately. The degree of uniformity among the three raters in respect to the individual consultations is low. Discussion: Within the scope of this pilot project, only a small sample of physicians and students could be surveyed to a limited extent. There are indications that the assessment can be improved by integrating more information on medical context and student self-assessments. Despite the current limitations regarding test criteria, it is clear that workplace-based assessment of communication skills in the clinical setting is a valuable addition to the communication curricula of medical schools. PMID:27990466

Workplace-based assessment of communication skills: A pilot project addressing feasibility, acceptance and reliability.

PubMed

Weyers, Simone; Jemi, Iman; Karger, André; Raski, Bianca; Rotthoff, Thomas; Pentzek, Michael; Mortsiefer, Achim

2016-01-01

Background: Imparting communication skills has been given great importance in medical curricula. In addition to standardized assessments, students should communicate with real patients in actual clinical situations during workplace-based assessments and receive structured feedback on their performance. The aim of this project was to pilot a formative testing method for workplace-based assessment. Our investigation centered in particular on whether or not physicians view the method as feasible and how high acceptance is among students. In addition, we assessed the reliability of the method. Method: As part of the project, 16 students held two consultations each with chronically ill patients at the medical practice where they were completing GP training. These consultations were video-recorded. The trained mentoring physician rated the student's performance and provided feedback immediately following the consultations using the Berlin Global Rating scale (BGR). Two impartial, trained raters also evaluated the videos using BGR. For qualitative and quantitative analysis, information on how physicians and students viewed feasibility and their levels of acceptance was collected in written form in a partially standardized manner. To test for reliability, the test-retest reliability was calculated for both of the overall evaluations given by each rater. The inter-rater reliability was determined for the three evaluations of each individual consultation. Results: The formative assessment method was rated positively by both physicians and students. It is relatively easy to integrate into daily routines. Its significant value lies in the personal, structured and recurring feedback. The two overall scores for each patient consultation given by the two impartial raters correlate moderately. The degree of uniformity among the three raters in respect to the individual consultations is low. Discussion: Within the scope of this pilot project, only a small sample of physicians and students could be surveyed to a limited extent. There are indications that the assessment can be improved by integrating more information on medical context and student self-assessments. Despite the current limitations regarding test criteria, it is clear that workplace-based assessment of communication skills in the clinical setting is a valuable addition to the communication curricula of medical schools.

Dynamic drought risk assessment using crop model and remote sensing techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, H.; Su, Z.; Lv, J.; Li, L.; Wang, Y.

2017-02-01

Drought risk assessment is of great significance to reduce the loss of agricultural drought and ensure food security. The normally drought risk assessment method is to evaluate its exposure to the hazard and the vulnerability to extended periods of water shortage for a specific region, which is a static evaluation method. The Dynamic Drought Risk Assessment (DDRA) is to estimate the drought risk according to the crop growth and water stress conditions in real time. In this study, a DDRA method using crop model and remote sensing techniques was proposed. The crop model we employed is DeNitrification and DeComposition (DNDC) model. The drought risk was quantified by the yield losses predicted by the crop model in a scenario-based method. The crop model was re-calibrated to improve the performance by the Leaf Area Index (LAI) retrieved from MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. And the in-situ station-based crop model was extended to assess the regional drought risk by integrating crop planted mapping. The crop planted area was extracted with extended CPPI method from MODIS data. This study was implemented and validated on maize crop in Liaoning province, China.

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.

Protein model quality assessment prediction by combining fragment comparisons and a consensus Cα contact potential

PubMed Central

Zhou, Hongyi; Skolnick, Jeffrey

2009-01-01

In this work, we develop a fully automated method for the quality assessment prediction of protein structural models generated by structure prediction approaches such as fold recognition servers, or ab initio methods. The approach is based on fragment comparisons and a consensus Cα contact potential derived from the set of models to be assessed and was tested on CASP7 server models. The average Pearson linear correlation coefficient between predicted quality and model GDT-score per target is 0.83 for the 98 targets which is better than those of other quality assessment methods that participated in CASP7. Our method also outperforms the other methods by about 3% as assessed by the total GDT-score of the selected top models. PMID:18004783

Evaluation of aortic contractility based on analysis of CT images of the heart

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DzierŻak, RóŻa; Maciejewski, Ryszard; Uhlig, Sebastian

2017-08-01

The paper presents a method to assess the aortic contractility based on the analysis of CT images of the heart. This is an alternative method that can be used for patients who cannot be examined by using echocardiography. Usage of medical imaging application for DICOM file processing allows to evaluate the aortic cross section during systole and diastole. It makes possible to assess the level of aortic contractility.

A test-based method for the assessment of pre-crash warning and braking systems.

PubMed

Bálint, András; Fagerlind, Helen; Kullgren, Anders

2013-10-01

In this paper, a test-based assessment method for pre-crash warning and braking systems is presented where the effectiveness of a system is measured by its ability to reduce the number of injuries of a given type or severity in car-to-car rear-end collisions. Injuries with whiplash symptoms lasting longer than 1 month and MAIS2+ injuries in both vehicles involved in the crash are considered in the assessment. The injury reduction resulting from the impact speed reduction due to a pre-crash system is estimated using a method which has its roots in the dose-response model. Human-machine interaction is also taken into account in the assessment. The results reflect the self-protection as well as the partner-protection performance of a pre-crash system in the striking vehicle in rear-end collisions and enable a comparison between two or more systems. It is also shown how the method may be used to assess the importance of warning as part of a pre-crash system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving the Method of Roof Fall Susceptibility Assessment based on Fuzzy Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghasemi, Ebrahim; Ataei, Mohammad; Shahriar, Kourosh

2017-03-01

Retreat mining is always accompanied by a great amount of accidents and most of them are due to roof fall. Therefore, development of methodologies to evaluate the roof fall susceptibility (RFS) seems essential. Ghasemi et al. (2012) proposed a systematic methodology to assess the roof fall risk during retreat mining based on risk assessment classic approach. The main defect of this method is ignorance of subjective uncertainties due to linguistic input value of some factors, low resolution, fixed weighting, sharp class boundaries, etc. To remove this defection and improve the mentioned method, in this paper, a novel methodology is presented to assess the RFS using fuzzy approach. The application of fuzzy approach provides an effective tool to handle the subjective uncertainties. Furthermore, fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is used to structure and prioritize various risk factors and sub-factors during development of this method. This methodology is applied to identify the susceptibility of roof fall occurrence in main panel of Tabas Central Mine (TCM), Iran. The results indicate that this methodology is effective and efficient in assessing RFS.

Measuring Gait Quality in Parkinson’s Disease through Real-Time Gait Phase Recognition

PubMed Central

Mileti, Ilaria; Germanotta, Marco; Di Sipio, Enrica; Imbimbo, Isabella; Pacilli, Alessandra; Erra, Carmen; Petracca, Martina; Del Prete, Zaccaria; Bentivoglio, Anna Rita; Padua, Luca

2018-01-01

Monitoring gait quality in daily activities through wearable sensors has the potential to improve medical assessment in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). In this study, four gait partitioning methods, two based on thresholds and two based on a machine learning approach, considering the four-phase model, were compared. The methods were tested on 26 PD patients, both in OFF and ON levodopa conditions, and 11 healthy subjects, during walking tasks. All subjects were equipped with inertial sensors placed on feet. Force resistive sensors were used to assess reference time sequence of gait phases. Goodness Index (G) was evaluated to assess accuracy in gait phases estimation. A novel synthetic index called Gait Phase Quality Index (GPQI) was proposed for gait quality assessment. Results revealed optimum performance (G < 0.25) for three tested methods and good performance (0.25 < G < 0.70) for one threshold method. The GPQI resulted significantly higher in PD patients than in healthy subjects, showing a moderate correlation with clinical scales score. Furthermore, in patients with severe gait impairment, GPQI was found higher in OFF than in ON state. Our results unveil the possibility of monitoring gait quality in PD through real-time gait partitioning based on wearable sensors. PMID:29558410

Metric Similarity in Vegetation-Based Wetland Assessment Methods

EPA Science Inventory

Wetland vegetation is a recognized indicator group for wetland assessments, but until recently few published protocols used plant-based indicators. To examine the proliferation of such protocols since 1999, this report reviewed 20 published index of biotic integrity (IBI) type p...

Reliability-based trajectory optimization using nonintrusive polynomial chaos for Mars entry mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yuechen; Li, Haiyang

2018-06-01

This paper presents the reliability-based sequential optimization (RBSO) method to settle the trajectory optimization problem with parametric uncertainties in entry dynamics for Mars entry mission. First, the deterministic entry trajectory optimization model is reviewed, and then the reliability-based optimization model is formulated. In addition, the modified sequential optimization method, in which the nonintrusive polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) method and the most probable point (MPP) searching method are employed, is proposed to solve the reliability-based optimization problem efficiently. The nonintrusive PCE method contributes to the transformation between the stochastic optimization (SO) and the deterministic optimization (DO) and to the approximation of trajectory solution efficiently. The MPP method, which is used for assessing the reliability of constraints satisfaction only up to the necessary level, is employed to further improve the computational efficiency. The cycle including SO, reliability assessment and constraints update is repeated in the RBSO until the reliability requirements of constraints satisfaction are satisfied. Finally, the RBSO is compared with the traditional DO and the traditional sequential optimization based on Monte Carlo (MC) simulation in a specific Mars entry mission to demonstrate the effectiveness and the efficiency of the proposed method.

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.

Facilitating organisational development using a group-based formative assessment and benchmarking method: design and implementation of the International Family Practice Maturity Matrix.

PubMed

Elwyn, Glyn; Bekkers, Marie-Jet; Tapp, Laura; Edwards, Adrian; Newcombe, Robert; Eriksson, Tina; Braspenning, Jozé; Kuch, Christine; Adzic, Zlata Ozvacic; Ayankogbe, Olayinka; Cvetko, Tatjana; In 't Veld, Kees; Karotsis, Antonis; Kersnik, Janko; Lefebvre, Luc; Mecini, Ilir; Petricek, Goranka; Pisco, Luis; Thesen, Janecke; Turón, José María; van Rossen, Edward; Grol, Richard

2010-12-01

Well-organised practices deliver higher-quality care. Yet there has been very little effort so far to help primary care organisations achieve higher levels of team performance and to help them identify and prioritise areas where quality improvement efforts should be concentrated. No attempt at all has been made to achieve a method which would be capable of providing comparisons--and the stimulus for further improvement--at an international level. The development of the International Family Practice Maturity Matrix took place in three phases: (1) selection and refinement of organisational dimensions; (2) development of incremental scales based on a recognised theoretical framework; and (3) testing the feasibility of the approach on an international basis, including generation of an automated web-based benchmarking system. This work has demonstrated the feasibility of developing an organisational assessment tool for primary care organisations that is sufficiently generic to cross international borders and is applicable across a diverse range of health settings, from state-organised systems to insurer-based health economies. It proved possible to introduce this assessment method in 11 countries in Europe and one in Africa, and to generate comparison benchmarks based on the data collected. The evaluation of the assessment process was uniformly positive with the view that the approach efficiently enables the identification of priorities for organisational development and quality improvement at the same time as motivating change by virtue of the group dynamics. We are not aware of any other organisational assessment method for primary care which has been 'born international,' and that has involved attention to theory, dimension selection and item refinement. The principal aims were to achieve an organisational assessment which gains added value by using interaction, engagement comparative benchmarks: aims which have been achieved. The next step is to achieve wider implementation and to ensure that those who undertake the assessment method ensure linkages are made to planned investment in organisational development and quality improvement. Knowing the problems is only half the story.

Pilot Test of a Novel Method for Assessing Community Response to Low-Amplitude Sonic Booms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fidell, Sanford; Horonjeff, Richard D.; Harris, Michael

2012-01-01

A pilot test of a novel method for assessing residents annoyance to sonic booms was performed. During a two-week period, residents of the base housing area at Edwards Air Force Base provided data on their reactions to sonic booms using Smartphone-based interviews. Noise measurements were conducted at the same time. The report presents information about data collection methods and about test participants reactions to low-amplitude sonic booms. The latter information should not be viewed as definitive for several reasons. It may not be reliably generalized to the wider U.S. residential population (because it was not derived from a representative random sample) and the sample itself was not large.

The Impact of Adaptive Complex Assessment on the HOT Skill Development of Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raiyn, Jamal; Tilchin, Oleg

2016-01-01

In this paper we propose a method for the adaptive complex assessment (ACA) of the higher-order thinking (HOT) skills needed by students for problem solving, and we examine the impact of the method on the development of HOT skills in a problem-based learning (PBL) environment. Complexity in the assessment is provided by initial, formative, and…

Updating Assessment Styles: Website Development Rather than Report Writing for Project Based Learning Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Nicola

2017-01-01

While teaching methods tend to be updated frequently, the implementation of new innovative assessment tools is much slower. For example project based learning has become popular as a teaching technique, however, the assessment tends to be via traditional reports. This paper reports on the implementation and evaluation of using website development…

Assessment of Prior Learning in Adult Vocational Education and Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aarkrog, Vibe; Wahlgren, Bjarne

2015-01-01

The article deals about the results of a study of school-based Assessment of Prior Learning of adults who have enrolled as students in a VET college in order to qualify for occupations as skilled workers. Based on examples of VET teachers' methods for assessing the students' prior learning in the programs for gastronomes, respectively child care…

Non-Invasive Methods for Iron Concentration Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carneiro, Antonio A. O.; Baffa, Oswaldo; Angulo, Ivan L.; Covas, Dimas T.

2002-08-01

Iron excess is commonly observed in patients with transfusional iron overload. The iron chelation therapy in these patients require accurate determination of the magnitude of iron excess. The most promising method for noninvasive assessment of iron stores is based on measurements of hepatic magnetic susceptibility.

Assessment of technological level of stem cell research using principal component analysis.

PubMed

Do Cho, Sung; Hwan Hyun, Byung; Kim, Jae Kyeom

2016-01-01

In general, technological levels have been assessed based on specialist's opinion through the methods such as Delphi. But in such cases, results could be significantly biased per study design and individual expert. In this study, therefore scientific literatures and patents were selected by means of analytic indexes for statistic approach and technical assessment of stem cell fields. The analytic indexes, numbers and impact indexes of scientific literatures and patents, were weighted based on principal component analysis, and then, were summated into the single value. Technological obsolescence was calculated through the cited half-life of patents issued by the United States Patents and Trademark Office and was reflected in technological level assessment. As results, ranks of each nation's in reference to the technology level were rated by the proposed method. Furthermore we were able to evaluate strengthens and weaknesses thereof. Although our empirical research presents faithful results, in the further study, there is a need to compare the existing methods and the suggested method.

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...

77 FR 57072 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; National Security and Critical Technology...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-17

... Request; National Security and Critical Technology Assessments of the U.S. Industrial Base AGENCY: Bureau... Federal agencies, conducts assessments of U.S. industrial base sectors deemed critical to U.S. national... needs of these critical market segments in order to maintain a strong U.S. industrial base. II. Method...

A Feasibility Study of Virtual Reality-Based Coping Skills Training for Nicotine Dependence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bordnick, Patrick S.; Traylor, Amy C.; Carter, Brian L.; Graap, Ken M.

2012-01-01

Objective: Virtual reality (VR)-based cue reactivity has been successfully used for the assessment of drug craving. Going beyond assessment of cue reactivity, a novel VR-based treatment approach for smoking cessation was developed and tested for feasibility. Method: In a randomized experiment, 10-week treatment feasibility trial, 46…

Fractal Clustering and Knowledge-driven Validation Assessment for Gene Expression Profiling.

PubMed

Wang, Lu-Yong; Balasubramanian, Ammaiappan; Chakraborty, Amit; Comaniciu, Dorin

2005-01-01

DNA microarray experiments generate a substantial amount of information about the global gene expression. Gene expression profiles can be represented as points in multi-dimensional space. It is essential to identify relevant groups of genes in biomedical research. Clustering is helpful in pattern recognition in gene expression profiles. A number of clustering techniques have been introduced. However, these traditional methods mainly utilize shape-based assumption or some distance metric to cluster the points in multi-dimension linear Euclidean space. Their results shows poor consistence with the functional annotation of genes in previous validation study. From a novel different perspective, we propose fractal clustering method to cluster genes using intrinsic (fractal) dimension from modern geometry. This method clusters points in such a way that points in the same clusters are more self-affine among themselves than to the points in other clusters. We assess this method using annotation-based validation assessment for gene clusters. It shows that this method is superior in identifying functional related gene groups than other traditional methods.

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

Comparison of a video-based assessment and a multiple stimulus assessment to identify preferred jobs for individuals with significant intellectual disabilities.

PubMed

Horrocks, Erin L; Morgan, Robert L

2009-01-01

The authors compare two methods of identifying job preferences for individuals with significant intellectual disabilities. Three individuals with intellectual disabilities between the ages of 19 and 21 participated in a video-based preference assessment and a multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) assessment. Stimulus preference assessment procedures typically involve giving participants access to the selected stimuli to increase the probability that participants will associate the selected choice with the actual stimuli. Although individuals did not have access to the selected stimuli in the video-based assessment, results indicated that both assessments identified the same highest preference job for all participants. Results are discussed in terms of using a video-based assessment to accurately identify job preferences for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Clustering Scientific Publications Based on Citation Relations: A Systematic Comparison of Different Methods.

PubMed

Šubelj, Lovro; van Eck, Nees Jan; Waltman, Ludo

2016-01-01

Clustering methods are applied regularly in the bibliometric literature to identify research areas or scientific fields. These methods are for instance used to group publications into clusters based on their relations in a citation network. In the network science literature, many clustering methods, often referred to as graph partitioning or community detection techniques, have been developed. Focusing on the problem of clustering the publications in a citation network, we present a systematic comparison of the performance of a large number of these clustering methods. Using a number of different citation networks, some of them relatively small and others very large, we extensively study the statistical properties of the results provided by different methods. In addition, we also carry out an expert-based assessment of the results produced by different methods. The expert-based assessment focuses on publications in the field of scientometrics. Our findings seem to indicate that there is a trade-off between different properties that may be considered desirable for a good clustering of publications. Overall, map equation methods appear to perform best in our analysis, suggesting that these methods deserve more attention from the bibliometric community.

Clustering Scientific Publications Based on Citation Relations: A Systematic Comparison of Different Methods

PubMed Central

Šubelj, Lovro; van Eck, Nees Jan; Waltman, Ludo

2016-01-01

Clustering methods are applied regularly in the bibliometric literature to identify research areas or scientific fields. These methods are for instance used to group publications into clusters based on their relations in a citation network. In the network science literature, many clustering methods, often referred to as graph partitioning or community detection techniques, have been developed. Focusing on the problem of clustering the publications in a citation network, we present a systematic comparison of the performance of a large number of these clustering methods. Using a number of different citation networks, some of them relatively small and others very large, we extensively study the statistical properties of the results provided by different methods. In addition, we also carry out an expert-based assessment of the results produced by different methods. The expert-based assessment focuses on publications in the field of scientometrics. Our findings seem to indicate that there is a trade-off between different properties that may be considered desirable for a good clustering of publications. Overall, map equation methods appear to perform best in our analysis, suggesting that these methods deserve more attention from the bibliometric community. PMID:27124610

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.

Quantitative assessment of tumour extraction from dermoscopy images and evaluation of computer-based extraction methods for an automatic melanoma diagnostic system.

PubMed

Iyatomi, Hitoshi; Oka, Hiroshi; Saito, Masataka; Miyake, Ayako; Kimoto, Masayuki; Yamagami, Jun; Kobayashi, Seiichiro; Tanikawa, Akiko; Hagiwara, Masafumi; Ogawa, Koichi; Argenziano, Giuseppe; Soyer, H Peter; Tanaka, Masaru

2006-04-01

The aims of this study were to provide a quantitative assessment of the tumour area extracted by dermatologists and to evaluate computer-based methods from dermoscopy images for refining a computer-based melanoma diagnostic system. Dermoscopic images of 188 Clark naevi, 56 Reed naevi and 75 melanomas were examined. Five dermatologists manually drew the border of each lesion with a tablet computer. The inter-observer variability was evaluated and the standard tumour area (STA) for each dermoscopy image was defined. Manual extractions by 10 non-medical individuals and by two computer-based methods were evaluated with STA-based assessment criteria: precision and recall. Our new computer-based method introduced the region-growing approach in order to yield results close to those obtained by dermatologists. The effectiveness of our extraction method with regard to diagnostic accuracy was evaluated. Two linear classifiers were built using the results of conventional and new computer-based tumour area extraction methods. The final diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by drawing the receiver operating curve (ROC) of each classifier, and the area under each ROC was evaluated. The standard deviations of the tumour area extracted by five dermatologists and 10 non-medical individuals were 8.9% and 10.7%, respectively. After assessment of the extraction results by dermatologists, the STA was defined as the area that was selected by more than two dermatologists. Dermatologists selected the melanoma area with statistically smaller divergence than that of Clark naevus or Reed naevus (P = 0.05). By contrast, non-medical individuals did not show this difference. Our new computer-based extraction algorithm showed superior performance (precision, 94.1%; recall, 95.3%) to the conventional thresholding method (precision, 99.5%; recall, 87.6%). These results indicate that our new algorithm extracted a tumour area close to that obtained by dermatologists and, in particular, the border part of the tumour was adequately extracted. With this refinement, the area under the ROC increased from 0.795 to 0.875 and the diagnostic accuracy showed an increase of approximately 20% in specificity when the sensitivity was 80%. It can be concluded that our computer-based tumour extraction algorithm extracted almost the same area as that obtained by dermatologists and provided improved computer-based diagnostic accuracy.

Method selection for sustainability assessments: The case of recovery of resources from waste water.

PubMed

Zijp, M C; Waaijers-van der Loop, S L; Heijungs, R; Broeren, M L M; Peeters, R; Van Nieuwenhuijzen, A; Shen, L; Heugens, E H W; Posthuma, L

2017-07-15

Sustainability assessments provide scientific support in decision procedures towards sustainable solutions. However, in order to contribute in identifying and choosing sustainable solutions, the sustainability assessment has to fit the decision context. Two complicating factors exist. First, different stakeholders tend to have different views on what a sustainability assessment should encompass. Second, a plethora of sustainability assessment methods exist, due to the multi-dimensional characteristic of the concept. Different methods provide other representations of sustainability. Based on a literature review, we present a protocol to facilitate method selection together with stakeholders. The protocol guides the exploration of i) the decision context, ii) the different views of stakeholders and iii) the selection of pertinent assessment methods. In addition, we present an online tool for method selection. This tool identifies assessment methods that meet the specifications obtained with the protocol, and currently contains characteristics of 30 sustainability assessment methods. The utility of the protocol and the tool are tested in a case study on the recovery of resources from domestic waste water. In several iterations, a combination of methods was selected, followed by execution of the selected sustainability assessment methods. The assessment results can be used in the first phase of the decision procedure that leads to a strategic choice for sustainable resource recovery from waste water in the Netherlands. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validity and practicability of smartphone-based photographic food records for estimating energy and nutrient intake.

PubMed

Kong, Kaimeng; Zhang, Lulu; Huang, Lisu; Tao, Yexuan

2017-05-01

Image-assisted dietary assessment methods are frequently used to record individual eating habits. This study tested the validity of a smartphone-based photographic food recording approach by comparing the results obtained with those of a weighed food record. We also assessed the practicality of the method by using it to measure the energy and nutrient intake of college students. The experiment was implemented in two phases, each lasting 2 weeks. In the first phase, a labelled menu and a photograph database were constructed. The energy and nutrient content of 31 randomly selected dishes in three different portion sizes were then estimated by the photograph-based method and compared with a weighed food record. In the second phase, we combined the smartphone-based photographic method with the WeChat smartphone application and applied this to 120 randomly selected participants to record their energy and nutrient intake. The Pearson correlation coefficients for energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrate content between the weighed and the photographic food record were 0.997, 0.936, 0.996, and 0.999, respectively. Bland-Altman plots showed good agreement between the two methods. The estimated protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake by participants was in accordance with values in the Chinese Residents' Nutrition and Chronic Disease report (2015). Participants expressed satisfaction with the new approach and the compliance rate was 97.5%. The smartphone-based photographic dietary assessment method combined with the WeChat instant messaging application was effective and practical for use by young people.

The principles and best practice of question writing for postgraduate examinations.

PubMed

Hayes, Kevin; McCrorie, Peter

2010-12-01

Postgraduate medical education has changed enormously in the last 10 years presenting huge logistical challenges for local, regional and national organisations. Assessment is under change in line with major revisions of postgraduate curricula. Old methods of assessment are changing to newer evidence-based methods supported by ongoing research into good practice. This review examines the purpose and practical considerations of written assessment, the pros and cons of different assessment methods and how good practice can be evaluated and quality assured. Good quality assessment comes at a cost in terms of time and money, and organisations need to invest in their assessment strategies to ensure the highest possible standards. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of 3 in vivo methods for assessment of alcohol-based hand rubs.

PubMed

Edmonds-Wilson, Sarah; Campbell, Esther; Fox, Kyle; Macinga, David

2015-05-01

Alcohol-based hand rubs (ABHRs) are the primary method of hand hygiene in health-care settings. ICPs increasingly are assessing ABHR product efficacy data as improved products and test methods are developed. As a result, ICPs need better tools and recommendations for how to assess and compare ABHRs. Two ABHRs (70% ethanol) were tested according to 3 in vivo methods approved by ASTM International: E1174, E2755, and E2784. Log10 reductions were measured after a single test product use and after 10 consecutive uses at an application volume of 2 mL. The test method used had a significant influence on ABHR efficacy; however, in this study the test product (gel or foam) did not significantly influence efficacy. In addition, for all test methods, log10 reductions obtained after a single application were not predictive of results after 10 applications. Choice of test method can significantly influence efficacy results. Therefore, when assessing antimicrobial efficacy data of hand hygiene products, ICPs should pay close attention to the test method used, and ensure that product comparisons are made head to head in the same study using the same test methodology. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

75 FR 2523 - Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Arts in Education Model Development...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-15

... that is based on rigorous scientifically based research methods to assess the effectiveness of a...) Relies on measurements or observational methods that provide reliable and valid data across evaluators... of innovative, cohesive models that are based on research and have demonstrated that they effectively...

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

Methods of Comprehensive Assessment for China’s Energy Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhijin; Song, Yankui

2018-02-01

In order to assess the sustainable development of China’s energy objectively and accurately, we need to establish a reasonable indicator system for energy sustainability and make a targeted comprehensive assessment with the scientific methods. This paper constructs a comprehensive indicator system for energy sustainability from five aspects of economy, society, environment, energy resources and energy technology based on the theory of sustainable development and the theory of symbiosis. On this basis, it establishes and discusses the assessment models and the general assessment methods for energy sustainability with the help of fuzzy mathematics. It is of some reference for promoting the sustainable development of China’s energy, economy and society.

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.

The Development, Validation, and User Evaluation of Foodbook24: A Web-Based Dietary Assessment Tool Developed for the Irish Adult Population

PubMed Central

McNulty, Breige; Kehoe, Laura; Evans, Katie; Walton, Janette; Flynn, Albert

2017-01-01

Background The application of technology in the area of dietary assessment has resulted in the development of an array of tools, which are often specifically designed for a particular country or region. Objective The aim of this study was to describe the development, validation, and user evaluation of a Web-based dietary assessment tool “Foodbook24.” Methods Foodbook24 is a Web-based, dietary assessment tool consisting of a 24-hour dietary recall (24HDR) and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) alongside supplementary questionnaires. Validity of the 24HDR component was assessed by 40 participants, who completed 3 nonconsecutive, self-administered 24HDR using Foodbook24 and a 4-day semi-weighed food diary at separate time points. Participants also provided fasted blood samples and 24-hour urine collections for the identification of biomarkers of nutrient and food group intake during each recording period. Statistical analyses on the nutrient and food group intake data derived from each method were performed in SPSS version 20.0 (SPSS Inc). Mean nutrient intakes (and standard deviations) recorded using each method of dietary assessment were calculated. Spearman and Pearson correlations, Wilcoxon Signed Rank and Paired t test were used to investigate the agreement and differences between the nutritional output from Foodbook24 (test method) and the 4-day semi-weighed food diary (reference method). Urinary and plasma biomarkers of nutrient intake were used as an objective validation of Foodbook24. To investigate the user acceptability of Foodbook24, participants from different studies involved with Foodbook24 were asked to complete an evaluation questionnaire. Results For nutrient intake, correlations between the dietary assessment methods were acceptable to very good in strength and statistically significant (range r=.32 to .75). There were some significant differences between reported mean intakes of micronutrients recorded by both methods; however, with the exception of protein (P=.03), there were no significant differences in the reporting of energy or macronutrient intake. Of the 19 food groups investigated in this analysis, there were significant differences between 6 food groups reported by both methods. Spearman correlations for biomarkers of nutrient and food group intake and reported intake were similar for both methods. A total of 118 participants evaluated the acceptability of Foodbook24. The tool was well-received and the majority, 67.8% (80/118), opted for Foodbook24 as the preferred method for future dietary intake assessment when compared against a traditional interviewer led recall and semi-weighed food diary. Conclusions The results of this study demonstrate the validity and user acceptability of Foodbook24. The results also highlight the potential of Foodbook24, a Web-based dietary assessment method, and present a viable alternative to nutritional surveillance in Ireland. PMID:28495662

A novel hazard assessment method for biomass gasification stations based on extended set pair analysis

PubMed Central

Yan, Fang; Xu, Kaili; Li, Deshun; Cui, Zhikai

2017-01-01

Biomass gasification stations are facing many hazard factors, therefore, it is necessary to make hazard assessment for them. In this study, a novel hazard assessment method called extended set pair analysis (ESPA) is proposed based on set pair analysis (SPA). However, the calculation of the connection degree (CD) requires the classification of hazard grades and their corresponding thresholds using SPA for the hazard assessment. In regard to the hazard assessment using ESPA, a novel calculation algorithm of the CD is worked out when hazard grades and their corresponding thresholds are unknown. Then the CD can be converted into Euclidean distance (ED) by a simple and concise calculation, and the hazard of each sample will be ranked based on the value of ED. In this paper, six biomass gasification stations are introduced to make hazard assessment using ESPA and general set pair analysis (GSPA), respectively. By the comparison of hazard assessment results obtained from ESPA and GSPA, the availability and validity of ESPA can be proved in the hazard assessment for biomass gasification stations. Meanwhile, the reasonability of ESPA is also justified by the sensitivity analysis of hazard assessment results obtained by ESPA and GSPA. PMID:28938011

Evaluation of the environmental impact of Brownfield remediation options: comparison of two life cycle assessment-based evaluation tools.

PubMed

Cappuyns, Valérie; Kessen, Bram

2012-01-01

The choice between different options for the remediation of a contaminated site traditionally relies on economical, technical and regulatory criteria without consideration of the environmental impact of the soil remediation process itself. In the present study, the environmental impact assessment of two potential soil remediation techniques (excavation and off-site cleaning and in situ steam extraction) was performed using two life cycle assessment (LCA)-based evaluation tools, namely the REC (risk reduction, environmental merit and cost) method and the ReCiPe method. The comparison and evaluation of the different tools used to estimate the environmental impact of Brownfield remediation was based on a case study which consisted of the remediation of a former oil and fat processing plant. For the environmental impact assessment, both the REC and ReCiPe methods result in a single score for the environmental impact of the soil remediation process and allow the same conclusion to be drawn: excavation and off-site cleaning has a more pronounced environmental impact than in situ soil remediation by means of steam extraction. The ReCiPe method takes into account more impact categories, but is also more complex to work with and needs more input data. Within the routine evaluation of soil remediation alternatives, a detailed LCA evaluation will often be too time consuming and costly and the estimation of the environmental impact with the REC method will in most cases be sufficient. The case study worked out in this paper wants to provide a basis for a more sounded selection of soil remediation technologies based on a more detailed assessment of the secondary impact of soil remediation.

An unsupervised method for estimating the global horizontal irradiance from photovoltaic power measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nespoli, Lorenzo; Medici, Vasco

2017-12-01

In this paper, we present a method to determine the global horizontal irradiance (GHI) from the power measurements of one or more PV systems, located in the same neighborhood. The method is completely unsupervised and is based on a physical model of a PV plant. The precise assessment of solar irradiance is pivotal for the forecast of the electric power generated by photovoltaic (PV) plants. However, on-ground measurements are expensive and are generally not performed for small and medium-sized PV plants. Satellite-based services represent a valid alternative to on site measurements, but their space-time resolution is limited. Results from two case studies located in Switzerland are presented. The performance of the proposed method at assessing GHI is compared with that of free and commercial satellite services. Our results show that the presented method is generally better than satellite-based services, especially at high temporal resolutions.

INFLUENCE OF EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT METHOD IN AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY OF TRIHALOMETHANE EXPOSURE AND SPONTANEOUS ABORTION

EPA Science Inventory

Trihalomethanes are common contaminants of chlorinated drinking water. Studies of their health effects have been hampered by exposure misclassification, due in part to limitations inherent in using utility sampling records. We used two exposure assessment methods, one based on ut...

Assessment of Student Professional Outcomes for Continuous Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keshavarz, Mohsen; Baghdarnia, Mostafa

2013-01-01

This article describes a method for the assessment of professional student outcomes (performance-type outcomes or soft skills). The method is based upon group activities, research on modern electrical engineering topics by individual students, classroom presentations on chosen research topics, final presentations, and technical report writing.…

Sociometric Indicators of Leadership: An Exploratory Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-01

streamline existing observational protocols and assessment methods . This research provides an initial test of sociometric badges in the context of the U.S...understand, the requirements of the mission. Traditional research and assessment methods focusing on leader and follower interactions require direct...based methods of social network analysis. Novel Measures of Leadership Building on these findings and earlier research , it is apparent that

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…

Geology-based method of assessing sensitivity of streams to acidic deposition in Charles and Anne Arundel Counties, Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rice, Karen C.; Bricker, Owen P.

1991-01-01

The report describes the results of a study to assess the sensitivity of streams to acidic deposition in Charles and Anne Arundel Counties, Maryland using a geology-based method. Water samples were collected from streams in July and August 1988 when streams were at base-flow conditions. Eighteen water samples collected from streams in Charles County, and 17 water samples from streams in Anne Arundel County were analyzed in the field for pH, specific conductance, and acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC); 8 water samples from streams in Charles County were analyzed in the laboratory for chloride and sulfate concentrations. The assessment revealed that streams in these counties are sensitive to acidification by acidic deposition.

A survey of functional behavior assessment methods used by behavior analysts in practice.

PubMed

Oliver, Anthony C; Pratt, Leigh A; Normand, Matthew P

2015-12-01

To gather information about the functional behavior assessment (FBA) methods behavior analysts use in practice, we sent a web-based survey to 12,431 behavior analysts certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Ultimately, 724 surveys were returned, with the results suggesting that most respondents regularly use FBA methods, especially descriptive assessments. Moreover, the data suggest that the majority of students are being formally taught about the various FBA methods and that educators are emphasizing the range of FBA methods in their teaching. However, less than half of the respondents reported using functional analyses in practice, although many considered descriptive assessments and functional analyses to be the most useful FBA methods. Most respondents reported using informant and descriptive assessments more frequently than functional analyses, and a majority of respondents indicated that they "never" or "almost never" used functional analyses to identify the function of behavior. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

A review of consensus test methods for established medical imaging modalities and their implications for optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfefer, Joshua; Agrawal, Anant

2012-03-01

In recent years there has been increasing interest in development of consensus, tissue-phantom-based approaches for assessment of biophotonic imaging systems, with the primary goal of facilitating clinical translation of novel optical technologies. Well-characterized test methods based on tissue phantoms can provide useful tools for performance assessment, thus enabling standardization and device inter-comparison during preclinical development as well as quality assurance and re-calibration in the clinical setting. In this review, we study the role of phantom-based test methods as described in consensus documents such as international standards for established imaging modalities including X-ray CT, MRI and ultrasound. Specifically, we focus on three image quality characteristics - spatial resolution, spatial measurement accuracy and image uniformity - and summarize the terminology, metrics, phantom design/construction approaches and measurement/analysis procedures used to assess these characteristics. Phantom approaches described are those in routine clinical use and tend to have simplified morphology and biologically-relevant physical parameters. Finally, we discuss the potential for applying knowledge gained from existing consensus documents in the development of standardized, phantom-based test methods for optical coherence tomography.

Mapping Robinia pseudoacacia forest health in the Yellow River delta by using high-resolution IKONOS imagery and object-based image analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hong; Lu, Kaiyu; Pu, Ruiliang

2016-10-01

The Robinia pseudoacacia forest in the Yellow River delta of China has been planted since the 1970s, and a large area of dieback of the forest has occurred since the 1990s. To assess the condition of the R. pseudoacacia forest in three forest areas (i.e., Gudao, Machang, and Abandoned Yellow River) in the delta, we combined an estimation of scale parameters tool and geometry/topology assessment criteria to determine the optimal scale parameters, selected optimal predictive variables determined by stepwise discriminant analysis, and compared object-based image analysis (OBIA) and pixel-based approaches using IKONOS data. The experimental results showed that the optimal segmentation scale is 5 for both the Gudao and Machang forest areas, and 12 for the Abandoned Yellow River forest area. The results produced by the OBIA method were much better than those created by the pixel-based method. The overall accuracy of the OBIA method was 93.7% (versus 85.4% by the pixel-based) for Gudao, 89.0% (versus 72.7%) for Abandoned Yellow River, and 91.7% (versus 84.4%) for Machang. Our analysis results demonstrated that the OBIA method was an effective tool for rapidly mapping and assessing the health levels of forest.

Quantitative Assessment of Knee Progression Angle During Gait in Children With Cerebral Palsy.

PubMed

Davids, Jon R; Cung, Nina Q; Pomeroy, Robin; Schultz, Brooke; Torburn, Leslie; Kulkarni, Vedant A; Brown, Sean; Bagley, Anita M

2018-04-01

Abnormal hip rotation is a common deviation in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Clinicians typically assess hip rotation during gait by observing the direction that the patella points relative to the path of walking, which is referred to as the knee progression angle (KPA). Two kinematic methods for calculating the KPA are compared with each other. Video-based qualitative assessment of KPA is compared with the quantitative methods to determine reliability and validity. The KPA was calculated by both direct and indirect methods for 32 typically developing (TD) children and a convenience cohort of 43 children with hemiplegic type CP. An additional convenience cohort of 26 children with hemiplegic type CP was selected for qualitative assessment of KPA, performed by 3 experienced clinicians, using 3 categories (internal, >10 degrees; neutral, -10 to 10 degrees; and external, >-10 degrees). Root mean square (RMS) analysis comparing the direct and indirect KPAs was 1.14+0.43 degrees for TD children, and 1.75+1.54 degrees for the affected side of children with CP. The difference in RMS among the 2 groups was statistically, but not clinically, significant (P=0.019). Intraclass correlation coefficient revealed excellent agreement between the direct and indirect methods of KPA for TD and CP children (0.996 and 0.992, respectively; P<0.001).For the qualitative assessment of KPA there was complete agreement among all examiners for 17 of 26 cases (65%). Direct KPA matched for 49 of 78 observations (63%) and indirect KPA matched for 52 of 78 observations (67%). The RMS analysis of direct and indirect methods for KPA was statistically but not clinically significant, which supports the use of either method based upon availability. Video-based qualitative assessment of KPA showed moderate reliability and validity. The differences between observed and calculated KPA indicate the need for caution when relying on visual assessments for clinical interpretation, and demonstrate the value of adding KPA calculation to standard kinematic analysis. Level II-diagnostic test.

Investigating the validity and usability of an interactive computer programme for assessing competence in telephone-based mental health triage.

PubMed

Sands, Natisha; Elsom, Stephen; Keppich-Arnold, Sandra; Henderson, Kathryn; King, Peter; Bourke-Finn, Karen; Brunning, Debra

2016-02-01

Telephone-based mental health triage services are frontline health-care providers that operate 24/7 to facilitate access to psychiatric assessment and intervention for people requiring assistance with a mental health problem. The mental health triage clinical role is complex, and the populations triage serves are typically high risk; yet to date, no evidence-based methods have been available to assess clinician competence to practice telephone-based mental health triage. The present study reports the findings of a study that investigated the validity and usability of the Mental Health Triage Competency Assessment Tool, an evidence-based, interactive computer programme designed to assist clinicians in developing and assessing competence to practice telephone-based mental health triage. © 2015 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Risk Assessment and Hierarchical Risk Management of Enterprises in Chemical Industrial Parks Based on Catastrophe Theory

PubMed Central

Chen, Yu; Song, Guobao; Yang, Fenglin; Zhang, Shushen; Zhang, Yun; Liu, Zhenyu

2012-01-01

According to risk systems theory and the characteristics of the chemical industry, an index system was established for risk assessment of enterprises in chemical industrial parks (CIPs) based on the inherent risk of the source, effectiveness of the prevention and control mechanism, and vulnerability of the receptor. A comprehensive risk assessment method based on catastrophe theory was then proposed and used to analyze the risk levels of ten major chemical enterprises in the Songmu Island CIP, China. According to the principle of equal distribution function, the chemical enterprise risk level was divided into the following five levels: 1.0 (very safe), 0.8 (safe), 0.6 (generally recognized as safe, GRAS), 0.4 (unsafe), 0.2 (very unsafe). The results revealed five enterprises (50%) with an unsafe risk level, and another five enterprises (50%) at the generally recognized as safe risk level. This method solves the multi-objective evaluation and decision-making problem. Additionally, this method involves simple calculations and provides an effective technique for risk assessment and hierarchical risk management of enterprises in CIPs. PMID:23208298

Computer game-based and traditional learning method: a comparison regarding students’ knowledge retention

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Educational computer games are examples of computer-assisted learning objects, representing an educational strategy of growing interest. Given the changes in the digital world over the last decades, students of the current generation expect technology to be used in advancing their learning requiring a need to change traditional passive learning methodologies to an active multisensory experimental learning methodology. The objective of this study was to compare a computer game-based learning method with a traditional learning method, regarding learning gains and knowledge retention, as means of teaching head and neck Anatomy and Physiology to Speech-Language and Hearing pathology undergraduate students. Methods Students were randomized to participate to one of the learning methods and the data analyst was blinded to which method of learning the students had received. Students’ prior knowledge (i.e. before undergoing the learning method), short-term knowledge retention and long-term knowledge retention (i.e. six months after undergoing the learning method) were assessed with a multiple choice questionnaire. Students’ performance was compared considering the three moments of assessment for both for the mean total score and for separated mean scores for Anatomy questions and for Physiology questions. Results Students that received the game-based method performed better in the pos-test assessment only when considering the Anatomy questions section. Students that received the traditional lecture performed better in both post-test and long-term post-test when considering the Anatomy and Physiology questions. Conclusions The game-based learning method is comparable to the traditional learning method in general and in short-term gains, while the traditional lecture still seems to be more effective to improve students’ short and long-term knowledge retention. PMID:23442203

Computer-Based Radiographic Quantification of Joint Space Narrowing Progression Using Sequential Hand Radiographs: Validation Study in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients from Multiple Institutions.

PubMed

Ichikawa, Shota; Kamishima, Tamotsu; Sutherland, Kenneth; Fukae, Jun; Katayama, Kou; Aoki, Yuko; Okubo, Takanobu; Okino, Taichi; Kaneda, Takahiko; Takagi, Satoshi; Tanimura, Kazuhide

2017-10-01

We have developed a refined computer-based method to detect joint space narrowing (JSN) progression with the joint space narrowing progression index (JSNPI) by superimposing sequential hand radiographs. The purpose of this study is to assess the validity of a computer-based method using images obtained from multiple institutions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Sequential hand radiographs of 42 patients (37 females and 5 males) with RA from two institutions were analyzed by a computer-based method and visual scoring systems as a standard of reference. The JSNPI above the smallest detectable difference (SDD) defined JSN progression on the joint level. The sensitivity and specificity of the computer-based method for JSN progression was calculated using the SDD and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Out of 314 metacarpophalangeal joints, 34 joints progressed based on the SDD, while 11 joints widened. Twenty-one joints progressed in the computer-based method, 11 joints in the scoring systems, and 13 joints in both methods. Based on the SDD, we found lower sensitivity and higher specificity with 54.2 and 92.8%, respectively. At the most discriminant cutoff point according to the ROC curve, the sensitivity and specificity was 70.8 and 81.7%, respectively. The proposed computer-based method provides quantitative measurement of JSN progression using sequential hand radiographs and may be a useful tool in follow-up assessment of joint damage in RA patients.

Assessing QuADEM: Preliminary Notes on a New Method for Evaluating Online Language Learning Courseware

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strobl, Carola; Jacobs, Geert

2011-01-01

In this article, we set out to assess QuADEM (Quality Assessment of Digital Educational Material), one of the latest methods for evaluating online language learning courseware. What is special about QuADEM is that the evaluation is based on observing the actual usage of the online courseware and that, from a checklist of 12 different components,…

Influence of inner circular sealing area impression method on the retention of complete dentures.

PubMed

Wang, Cun-Wei; Shao, Qi; Sun, Hui-Qiang; Mao, Meng-Yun; Zhang, Xin-Wei; Gong, Qi; Xiao, Guo-Ning

2015-01-01

The aims of the present study were to describe an impression method of "inner circular sealing area" and to evaluate the effect of the method on retention, aesthetics and comfort of complete dentures, which lack labial base for patients with maxillary protrusions. Three patients were subjected to the experiment, and two sets of complete maxillary dentures were made for each patient; the first set was made without labial base via an inner circular sealing area method (experimental group) and the second had an intact base that was made with conventional methods (control group). Retention force tests were implemented with a tensile strength assessment device to assess the retention and a visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the comfort between the two groups. Results showed larger retention force, better aesthetics and more comfort in the experimental group. The improved two-step impression method formed an inner circular sealing area that prevented damage to the peripheral border seal effect of the denture caused by incomplete bases and obtained better denture retention.

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.

Impact of workplace based assessment on doctors' education and performance: a systematic review.

PubMed

Miller, Alice; Archer, Julian

2010-09-24

To investigate the literature for evidence that workplace based assessment affects doctors' education and performance. Systematic review. The primary data sources were the databases Journals@Ovid, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ERIC. Evidence based reviews (Bandolier, Cochrane Library, DARE, HTA Database, and NHS EED) were accessed and searched via the Health Information Resources website. Reference lists of relevant studies and bibliographies of review articles were also searched. Review methods Studies of any design that attempted to evaluate either the educational impact of workplace based assessment, or the effect of workplace based assessment on doctors' performance, were included. Studies were excluded if the sampled population was non-medical or the study was performed with medical students. Review articles, commentaries, and letters were also excluded. The final exclusion criterion was the use of simulated patients or models rather than real life clinical encounters. Sixteen studies were included. Fifteen of these were non-comparative descriptive or observational studies; the other was a randomised controlled trial. Study quality was mixed. Eight studies examined multisource feedback with mixed results; most doctors felt that multisource feedback had educational value, although the evidence for practice change was conflicting. Some junior doctors and surgeons displayed little willingness to change in response to multisource feedback, whereas family physicians might be more prepared to initiate change. Performance changes were more likely to occur when feedback was credible and accurate or when coaching was provided to help subjects identify their strengths and weaknesses. Four studies examined the mini-clinical evaluation exercise, one looked at direct observation of procedural skills, and three were concerned with multiple assessment methods: all these studies reported positive results for the educational impact of workplace based assessment tools. However, there was no objective evidence of improved performance with these tools. Considering the emphasis placed on workplace based assessment as a method of formative performance assessment, there are few published articles exploring its impact on doctors' education and performance. This review shows that multisource feedback can lead to performance improvement, although individual factors, the context of the feedback, and the presence of facilitation have a profound effect on the response. There is no evidence that alternative workplace based assessment tools (mini-clinical evaluation exercise, direct observation of procedural skills, and case based discussion) lead to improvement in performance, although subjective reports on their educational impact are positive.

An Integrated Web-Based Assessment Tool for Assessing Pesticide Exposure and Risks

EPA Science Inventory

Background/Question/Methods We have created an integrated web-based tool designed to estimate exposure doses and ecological risks under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Endangered Species Act. This involved combining a number of disparat...

Game-Based Assessment: Investigating the Impact on Test Anxiety and Exam Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mavridis, A.; Tsiatsos, T.

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of a 3D educational computer game on students' test anxiety and exam performance when used in evaluative situations as compared to the traditional method of examination. The participants of the study were students in tertiary education who were examined using game-based assessment and traditional…

Statistical Methods for Assessments in Simulations and Serious Games. Research Report. ETS RR-14-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fu, Jianbin; Zapata, Diego; Mavronikolas, Elia

2014-01-01

Simulation or game-based assessments produce outcome data and process data. In this article, some statistical models that can potentially be used to analyze data from simulation or game-based assessments are introduced. Specifically, cognitive diagnostic models that can be used to estimate latent skills from outcome data so as to scale these…

Using an Evidential Reasoning Approach for Portfolio Assessments in a Project-Based Learning Engineering Design Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaeger, Martin; Adair, Desmond

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to analyse the feasibility of an evidential reasoning (ER) method for portfolio assessments and comparison of the results found with those based on a traditional holistic judgement. An ER approach has been incorporated into portfolio assessment of an undergraduate engineering design course delivered as a project-based…

Ecological risk assessment based on IHA-RVA in the lower Xiaolangdi reservoir under changed hydrological situation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Tao; Ma, Pan-pan; Kan, Yan-bin; Huang, Qiang

2017-12-01

Ecological risk assessment of river is an important content for protection and improvement of ecological environment. In this paper, taking Xiaolangdi reservoir for example, ecological risk assessments are studied based on the 1956-1997 and 2002-2008 dairy runoff data as the pre and post of construction of Xiaolangdi reservoir. Considering pre and post hydrological regime of construction of Xiaolangdi, ecological risk assessment index systems of downstream are established based on Index of Hydrologic Alteration-Range of Variability Approach method (IHA-RVA), which considering characters of flow, time, frequency, delay and change rate. Then ecological risk fuzzy comprehensive evaluation assessment model downstream is established based on risk index and RVA method. The results show that after the construction of Xiaolangdi reservoir, ecological risk occurred in the downstream of Yellow River for changed hydrological indexes, such as monthly average flow, frequency and duration of extreme annual flow and so on, which probably destroy the whole ecosystems of the river. For example, ecological risk downstream of Xiaolangdi reservoir upgrade to level two in 2008. Research results make reference values and scientific basis both in ecological risk assessment and management of reservoir after construction.

An Ecological Approach to the On-Line Assessment of Problem-Solving Paths: Principles and Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Robert E.; And Others

1997-01-01

Proposes a theoretical framework for designing online-situated assessment tools for multimedia instructional systems. Uses a graphic method based on ecological psychology to monitor student performance through a learning activity. Explores the method's feasibility in case studies describing instructional systems teaching critical-thinking and…

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)

A COMPARISON OF VECTOR AND RASTER GIS METHODS FOR CALCULATING LANDSCAPE METRICS USED IN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

GIS-based measurements that combine native raster and native vector data are commonly used to assess environmental quality. Most of these measurements can be calculated using either raster or vector data formats and processing methods. Raster processes are more commonly used beca...

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…

METHOD FOR MEASURING BASE/NEUTRAL AND CARBAMATE PESTICIDES IN PERSONAL DIETARY SAMPLES

EPA Science Inventory

Dietary uptake may be a significant pathway of exposure to contaminants. As such,dietary exposure assessments should be considered an important part of the total exposure assessment process. The objective of this work was to develop reliable methods that are applicable to a wide ...

METHOD FOR MEASURING BASE/NEUTRAL AND CARBAMATE PESTICIDES IN PERSONAL DIETARY SAMPLES

EPA Science Inventory

Dietary uptake may be a significant pathway of exposure to contaminants. As such, dietary exposure assessments should be considered an important part of the total exposure assessment process. The objective of this work was to develop reliable methods that are applicable to a wide...

Advanced quantitative measurement methodology in physics education research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jing

The ultimate goal of physics education research (PER) is to develop a theoretical framework to understand and improve the learning process. In this journey of discovery, assessment serves as our headlamp and alpenstock. It sometimes detects signals in student mental structures, and sometimes presents the difference between expert understanding and novice understanding. Quantitative assessment is an important area in PER. Developing research-based effective assessment instruments and making meaningful inferences based on these instruments have always been important goals of the PER community. Quantitative studies are often conducted to provide bases for test development and result interpretation. Statistics are frequently used in quantitative studies. The selection of statistical methods and interpretation of the results obtained by these methods shall be connected to the education background. In this connecting process, the issues of educational models are often raised. Many widely used statistical methods do not make assumptions on the mental structure of subjects, nor do they provide explanations tailored to the educational audience. There are also other methods that consider the mental structure and are tailored to provide strong connections between statistics and education. These methods often involve model assumption and parameter estimation, and are complicated mathematically. The dissertation provides a practical view of some advanced quantitative assessment methods. The common feature of these methods is that they all make educational/psychological model assumptions beyond the minimum mathematical model. The purpose of the study is to provide a comparison between these advanced methods and the pure mathematical methods. The comparison is based on the performance of the two types of methods under physics education settings. In particular, the comparison uses both physics content assessments and scientific ability assessments. The dissertation includes three parts. The first part involves the comparison between item response theory (IRT) and classical test theory (CTT). The two theories both provide test item statistics for educational inferences and decisions. The two theories are both applied to Force Concept Inventory data obtained from students enrolled in The Ohio State University. Effort was made to examine the similarity and difference between the two theories, and the possible explanation to the difference. The study suggests that item response theory is more sensitive to the context and conceptual features of the test items than classical test theory. The IRT parameters provide a better measure than CTT parameters for the educational audience to investigate item features. The second part of the dissertation is on the measure of association for binary data. In quantitative assessment, binary data is often encountered because of its simplicity. The current popular measures of association fail under some extremely unbalanced conditions. However, the occurrence of these conditions is not rare in educational data. Two popular association measures, the Pearson's correlation and the tetrachoric correlation are examined. A new method, model based association is introduced, and an educational testing constraint is discussed. The existing popular methods are compared with the model based association measure with and without the constraint. Connections between the value of association and the context and conceptual features of questions are discussed in detail. Results show that all the methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Special attention to the test and data conditions is necessary. The last part of the dissertation is focused on exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The theoretical advantages of EFA are discussed. Typical misunderstanding and misusage of EFA are explored. The EFA is performed on Lawson's Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (LCTSR), a widely used assessment on scientific reasoning skills. The reasoning ability structures for U.S. and Chinese students at different educational levels are given by the analysis. A final discussion on the advanced quantitative assessment methodology and the pure mathematical methodology is presented at the end.

Assessment of the Validity of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders: Overview and Methodology

PubMed Central

Schiffman, Eric L.; Truelove, Edmond L.; Ohrbach, Richard; Anderson, Gary C.; John, Mike T.; List, Thomas; Look, John O.

2011-01-01

AIMS The purpose of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) Validation Project was to assess the diagnostic validity of this examination protocol. An overview is presented, including Axis I and II methodology and descriptive statistics for the study participant sample. This paper details the development of reliable methods to establish the reference standards for assessing criterion validity of the Axis I RDC/TMD diagnoses. Validity testing for the Axis II biobehavioral instruments was based on previously validated reference standards. METHODS The Axis I reference standards were based on the consensus of 2 criterion examiners independently performing a comprehensive history, clinical examination, and evaluation of imaging. Intersite reliability was assessed annually for criterion examiners and radiologists. Criterion exam reliability was also assessed within study sites. RESULTS Study participant demographics were comparable to those of participants in previous studies using the RDC/TMD. Diagnostic agreement of the criterion examiners with each other and with the consensus-based reference standards was excellent with all kappas ≥ 0.81, except for osteoarthrosis (moderate agreement, k = 0.53). Intrasite criterion exam agreement with reference standards was excellent (k ≥ 0.95). Intersite reliability of the radiologists for detecting computed tomography-disclosed osteoarthrosis and magnetic resonance imaging-disclosed disc displacement was good to excellent (k = 0.71 and 0.84, respectively). CONCLUSION The Validation Project study population was appropriate for assessing the reliability and validity of the RDC/TMD Axis I and II. The reference standards used to assess the validity of Axis I TMD were based on reliable and clinically credible methods. PMID:20213028

Risk Evaluation of Bogie System Based on Extension Theory and Entropy Weight Method

PubMed Central

Du, Yanping; Zhang, Yuan; Zhao, Xiaogang; Wang, Xiaohui

2014-01-01

A bogie system is the key equipment of railway vehicles. Rigorous practical evaluation of bogies is still a challenge. Presently, there is overreliance on part-specific experiments in practice. In the present work, a risk evaluation index system of a bogie system has been established based on the inspection data and experts' evaluation. Then, considering quantitative and qualitative aspects, the risk state of a bogie system has been evaluated using an extension theory and an entropy weight method. Finally, the method has been used to assess the bogie system of four different samples. Results show that this method can assess the risk state of a bogie system exactly. PMID:25574159

Risk evaluation of bogie system based on extension theory and entropy weight method.

PubMed

Du, Yanping; Zhang, Yuan; Zhao, Xiaogang; Wang, Xiaohui

2014-01-01

A bogie system is the key equipment of railway vehicles. Rigorous practical evaluation of bogies is still a challenge. Presently, there is overreliance on part-specific experiments in practice. In the present work, a risk evaluation index system of a bogie system has been established based on the inspection data and experts' evaluation. Then, considering quantitative and qualitative aspects, the risk state of a bogie system has been evaluated using an extension theory and an entropy weight method. Finally, the method has been used to assess the bogie system of four different samples. Results show that this method can assess the risk state of a bogie system exactly.

Systems and technologies for objective evaluation of technical skills in laparoscopic surgery.

PubMed

Sánchez-Margallo, Juan A; Sánchez-Margallo, Francisco M; Oropesa, Ignacio; Gómez, Enrique J

2014-01-01

Minimally invasive surgery is a highly demanding surgical approach regarding technical requirements for the surgeon, who must be trained in order to perform a safe surgical intervention. Traditional surgical education in minimally invasive surgery is commonly based on subjective criteria to quantify and evaluate surgical abilities, which could be potentially unsafe for the patient. Authors, surgeons and associations are increasingly demanding the development of more objective assessment tools that can accredit surgeons as technically competent. This paper describes the state of the art in objective assessment methods of surgical skills. It gives an overview on assessment systems based on structured checklists and rating scales, surgical simulators, and instrument motion analysis. As a future work, an objective and automatic assessment method of surgical skills should be standardized as a means towards proficiency-based curricula for training in laparoscopic surgery and its certification.

Assessing distractors and teamwork during surgery: developing an event-based method for direct observation.

PubMed

Seelandt, Julia C; Tschan, Franziska; Keller, Sandra; Beldi, Guido; Jenni, Nadja; Kurmann, Anita; Candinas, Daniel; Semmer, Norbert K

2014-11-01

To develop a behavioural observation method to simultaneously assess distractors and communication/teamwork during surgical procedures through direct, on-site observations; to establish the reliability of the method for long (>3 h) procedures. Observational categories for an event-based coding system were developed based on expert interviews, observations and a literature review. Using Cohen's κ and the intraclass correlation coefficient, interobserver agreement was assessed for 29 procedures. Agreement was calculated for the entire surgery, and for the 1st hour. In addition, interobserver agreement was assessed between two tired observers and between a tired and a non-tired observer after 3 h of surgery. The observational system has five codes for distractors (door openings, noise distractors, technical distractors, side conversations and interruptions), eight codes for communication/teamwork (case-relevant communication, teaching, leadership, problem solving, case-irrelevant communication, laughter, tension and communication with external visitors) and five contextual codes (incision, last stitch, personnel changes in the sterile team, location changes around the table and incidents). Based on 5-min intervals, Cohen's κ was good to excellent for distractors (0.74-0.98) and for communication/teamwork (0.70-1). Based on frequency counts, intraclass correlation coefficient was excellent for distractors (0.86-0.99) and good to excellent for communication/teamwork (0.45-0.99). After 3 h of surgery, Cohen's κ was 0.78-0.93 for distractors, and 0.79-1 for communication/teamwork. The observational method developed allows a single observer to simultaneously assess distractors and communication/teamwork. Even for long procedures, high interobserver agreement can be achieved. Data collected with this method allow for investigating separate or combined effects of distractions and communication/teamwork on surgical performance and patient outcomes. 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.

Smartphone-based assessment of blood alteration severity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xianglin; Xue, Jiaxin; Li, Wei; Li, Ting

2018-02-01

Blood quality and safety management is a critical issue for cold chain transportation of blood or blood-based biological reagent. The conventional methods of blood alteration severity assessment mainly rely on kit test or blood-gas analysis required opening the blood package to get samples, which cause possible blood pollution and are complicate, timeconsuming, and expensive. Here we proposed to develop a portable, real-time, safety, easy-operated and low cost method aimed at assessing blood alteration severity. Color images of the blood in transparent blood bags were collected with a smartphone and the alteration severity of the blood was assessed by the smartphone app offered analysis of RGB color values of the blood. The algorithm is based on a large number sample of RGB values of blood at different alteration degree. The blood quality results evaluated by the smartphone are in accordance with the actual data. This study indicates the potential of smart phone in real time, convenient, and reliable blood quality assessment.

Bladder Cancer Treatment Response Assessment in CT using Radiomics with Deep-Learning.

PubMed

Cha, Kenny H; Hadjiiski, Lubomir; Chan, Heang-Ping; Weizer, Alon Z; Alva, Ajjai; Cohan, Richard H; Caoili, Elaine M; Paramagul, Chintana; Samala, Ravi K

2017-08-18

Cross-sectional X-ray imaging has become the standard for staging most solid organ malignancies. However, for some malignancies such as urinary bladder cancer, the ability to accurately assess local extent of the disease and understand response to systemic chemotherapy is limited with current imaging approaches. In this study, we explored the feasibility that radiomics-based predictive models using pre- and post-treatment computed tomography (CT) images might be able to distinguish between bladder cancers with and without complete chemotherapy responses. We assessed three unique radiomics-based predictive models, each of which employed different fundamental design principles ranging from a pattern recognition method via deep-learning convolution neural network (DL-CNN), to a more deterministic radiomics feature-based approach and then a bridging method between the two, utilizing a system which extracts radiomics features from the image patterns. Our study indicates that the computerized assessment using radiomics information from the pre- and post-treatment CT of bladder cancer patients has the potential to assist in assessment of treatment response.

Acoustics based assessment of respiratory diseases using GMM classification.

PubMed

Mayorga, P; Druzgalski, C; Morelos, R L; Gonzalez, O H; Vidales, J

2010-01-01

The focus of this paper is to present a method utilizing lung sounds for a quantitative assessment of patient health as it relates to respiratory disorders. In order to accomplish this, applicable traditional techniques within the speech processing domain were utilized to evaluate lung sounds obtained with a digital stethoscope. Traditional methods utilized in the evaluation of asthma involve auscultation and spirometry, but utilization of more sensitive electronic stethoscopes, which are currently available, and application of quantitative signal analysis methods offer opportunities of improved diagnosis. In particular we propose an acoustic evaluation methodology based on the Gaussian Mixed Models (GMM) which should assist in broader analysis, identification, and diagnosis of asthma based on the frequency domain analysis of wheezing and crackles.

United3D: a protein model quality assessment program that uses two consensus based methods.

PubMed

Terashi, Genki; Oosawa, Makoto; Nakamura, Yuuki; Kanou, Kazuhiko; Takeda-Shitaka, Mayuko

2012-01-01

In protein structure prediction, such as template-based modeling and free modeling (ab initio modeling), the step that assesses the quality of protein models is very important. We have developed a model quality assessment (QA) program United3D that uses an optimized clustering method and a simple Cα atom contact-based potential. United3D automatically estimates the quality scores (Qscore) of predicted protein models that are highly correlated with the actual quality (GDT_TS). The performance of United3D was tested in the ninth Critical Assessment of protein Structure Prediction (CASP9) experiment. In CASP9, United3D showed the lowest average loss of GDT_TS (5.3) among the QA methods participated in CASP9. This result indicates that the performance of United3D to identify the high quality models from the models predicted by CASP9 servers on 116 targets was best among the QA methods that were tested in CASP9. United3D also produced high average Pearson correlation coefficients (0.93) and acceptable Kendall rank correlation coefficients (0.68) between the Qscore and GDT_TS. This performance was competitive with the other top ranked QA methods that were tested in CASP9. These results indicate that United3D is a useful tool for selecting high quality models from many candidate model structures provided by various modeling methods. United3D will improve the accuracy of protein structure prediction.

Multivariate assessment of event-related potentials with the t-CWT method.

PubMed

Bostanov, Vladimir

2015-11-05

Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) are usually assessed with univariate statistical tests although they are essentially multivariate objects. Brain-computer interface applications are a notable exception to this practice, because they are based on multivariate classification of single-trial ERPs. Multivariate ERP assessment can be facilitated by feature extraction methods. One such method is t-CWT, a mathematical-statistical algorithm based on the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and Student's t-test. This article begins with a geometric primer on some basic concepts of multivariate statistics as applied to ERP assessment in general and to the t-CWT method in particular. Further, it presents for the first time a detailed, step-by-step, formal mathematical description of the t-CWT algorithm. A new multivariate outlier rejection procedure based on principal component analysis in the frequency domain is presented as an important pre-processing step. The MATLAB and GNU Octave implementation of t-CWT is also made publicly available for the first time as free and open source code. The method is demonstrated on some example ERP data obtained in a passive oddball paradigm. Finally, some conceptually novel applications of the multivariate approach in general and of the t-CWT method in particular are suggested and discussed. Hopefully, the publication of both the t-CWT source code and its underlying mathematical algorithm along with a didactic geometric introduction to some basic concepts of multivariate statistics would make t-CWT more accessible to both users and developers in the field of neuroscience research.

Improving Low-dose Cardiac CT Images based on 3D Sparse Representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Luyao; Hu, Yining; Chen, Yang; Yin, Xindao; Shu, Huazhong; Luo, Limin; Coatrieux, Jean-Louis

2016-03-01

Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) is a reliable and accurate tool for diagnosis of coronary artery diseases and is also frequently used in surgery guidance. Low-dose scans should be considered in order to alleviate the harm to patients caused by X-ray radiation. However, low dose CT (LDCT) images tend to be degraded by quantum noise and streak artifacts. In order to improve the cardiac LDCT image quality, a 3D sparse representation-based processing (3D SR) is proposed by exploiting the sparsity and regularity of 3D anatomical features in CCT. The proposed method was evaluated by a clinical study of 14 patients. The performance of the proposed method was compared to the 2D spares representation-based processing (2D SR) and the state-of-the-art noise reduction algorithm BM4D. The visual assessment, quantitative assessment and qualitative assessment results show that the proposed approach can lead to effective noise/artifact suppression and detail preservation. Compared to the other two tested methods, 3D SR method can obtain results with image quality most close to the reference standard dose CT (SDCT) images.

Mine safety assessment using gray relational analysis and bow tie model

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Mine safety assessment is a precondition for ensuring orderly and safety in production. The main purpose of this study was to prevent mine accidents more effectively by proposing a composite risk analysis model. First, the weights of the assessment indicators were determined by the revised integrated weight method, in which the objective weights were determined by a variation coefficient method and the subjective weights determined by the Delphi method. A new formula was then adopted to calculate the integrated weights based on the subjective and objective weights. Second, after the assessment indicator weights were determined, gray relational analysis was used to evaluate the safety of mine enterprises. Mine enterprise safety was ranked according to the gray relational degree, and weak links of mine safety practices identified based on gray relational analysis. Third, to validate the revised integrated weight method adopted in the process of gray relational analysis, the fuzzy evaluation method was used to the safety assessment of mine enterprises. Fourth, for first time, bow tie model was adopted to identify the causes and consequences of weak links and allow corresponding safety measures to be taken to guarantee the mine’s safe production. A case study of mine safety assessment was presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and rationality of the proposed composite risk analysis model, which can be applied to other related industries for safety evaluation. PMID:29561875

Digital hand atlas for web-based bone age assessment: system design and implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Fei; Huang, H. K.; Pietka, Ewa; Gilsanz, Vicente

2000-04-01

A frequently used assessment method of skeletal age is atlas matching by a radiological examination of a hand image against a small set of Greulich-Pyle patterns of normal standards. The method however can lead to significant deviation in age assessment, due to a variety of observers with different levels of training. The Greulich-Pyle atlas based on middle upper class white populations in the 1950s, is also not fully applicable for children of today, especially regarding the standard development in other racial groups. In this paper, we present our system design and initial implementation of a digital hand atlas and computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) system for Web-based bone age assessment. The digital atlas will remove the disadvantages of the currently out-of-date one and allow the bone age assessment to be computerized and done conveniently via Web. The system consists of a hand atlas database, a CAD module and a Java-based Web user interface. The atlas database is based on a large set of clinically normal hand images of diverse ethnic groups. The Java-based Web user interface allows users to interact with the hand image database form browsers. Users can use a Web browser to push a clinical hand image to the CAD server for a bone age assessment. Quantitative features on the examined image, which reflect the skeletal maturity, is then extracted and compared with patterns from the atlas database to assess the bone age.

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

Resource Letter ALIP-1: Active-Learning Instruction in Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meltzer, David E.; Thornton, Ronald K.

2012-06-01

This Resource Letter provides a guide to the literature on research-based active-learning instruction in physics. These are instructional methods that are based on, assessed by, and validated through research on the teaching and learning of physics. They involve students in their own learning more deeply and more intensely than does traditional instruction, particularly during class time. The instructional methods and supporting body of research reviewed here offer potential for significantly improved learning in comparison to traditional lecture-based methods of college and university physics instruction. We begin with an introduction to the history of active learning in physics in the United States, and then discuss some methods for and outcomes of assessing pedagogical effectiveness. We enumerate and describe common characteristics of successful active-learning instructional strategies in physics. We then discuss a range of methods for introducing active-learning instruction in physics and provide references to those methods for which there is published documentation of student learning gains.

Comparison of sequencing-based methods to profile DNA methylation and identification of monoallelic epigenetic modifications

PubMed Central

Harris, R. Alan; Wang, Ting; Coarfa, Cristian; Nagarajan, Raman P.; Hong, Chibo; Downey, Sara L.; Johnson, Brett E.; Fouse, Shaun D.; Delaney, Allen; Zhao, Yongjun; Olshen, Adam; Ballinger, Tracy; Zhou, Xin; Forsberg, Kevin J.; Gu, Junchen; Echipare, Lorigail; O’Geen, Henriette; Lister, Ryan; Pelizzola, Mattia; Xi, Yuanxin; Epstein, Charles B.; Bernstein, Bradley E.; Hawkins, R. David; Ren, Bing; Chung, Wen-Yu; Gu, Hongcang; Bock, Christoph; Gnirke, Andreas; Zhang, Michael Q.; Haussler, David; Ecker, Joseph; Li, Wei; Farnham, Peggy J.; Waterland, Robert A.; Meissner, Alexander; Marra, Marco A.; Hirst, Martin; Milosavljevic, Aleksandar; Costello, Joseph F.

2010-01-01

Sequencing-based DNA methylation profiling methods are comprehensive and, as accuracy and affordability improve, will increasingly supplant microarrays for genome-scale analyses. Here, four sequencing-based methodologies were applied to biological replicates of human embryonic stem cells to compare their CpG coverage genome-wide and in transposons, resolution, cost, concordance and its relationship with CpG density and genomic context. The two bisulfite methods reached concordance of 82% for CpG methylation levels and 99% for non-CpG cytosine methylation levels. Using binary methylation calls, two enrichment methods were 99% concordant, while regions assessed by all four methods were 97% concordant. To achieve comprehensive methylome coverage while reducing cost, an approach integrating two complementary methods was examined. The integrative methylome profile along with histone methylation, RNA, and SNP profiles derived from the sequence reads allowed genome-wide assessment of allele-specific epigenetic states, identifying most known imprinted regions and new loci with monoallelic epigenetic marks and monoallelic expression. PMID:20852635

Bioaerosol exposure assessment in the workplace: the past, present and recent advances.

PubMed

Eduard, Wijnand; Heederik, Dick; Duchaine, Caroline; Green, Brett James

2012-02-01

Louis Pasteur described the first measurements of airborne microorganisms in 1861. A century later, the inhalation of spores from thermophilic microorganisms was shown to induce attacks of farmers' lung in patients with this disease, while endotoxins originating from Gram-negative bacteria were identified as causal agents for byssinosis in cotton workers. Further epidemiological and toxicological studies have demonstrated inflammatory, respiratory, and pathogenic effects following exposure to bioaerosols. Exposure assessment is often confounded by the diversity of bioaerosol agents in the environment. Microorganisms represent a highly diverse group that may vary in toxicity. Fungi and bacteria are mainly quantified as broad groups using a variety of viable and nonviable assessment methods. Endotoxins and β(1 → 3)-glucans are mainly measured by their activity in the Limulus amebocyte lysate assay, enzymes by immuno-chemical methods and mycotoxins by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Few health-based occupational exposure limits (OELs) are available for risk assessment. For endotoxins, a health-based OEL of 90 endotoxin units m(-3) has been proposed in the Netherlands. A criteria document for fungal spores recently proposed a lowest observed effect level of 100,000 spores m(-3) for non-pathogenic and non-mycotoxin producing species based on inflammatory respiratory effects. Recent developments in bioaerosol assessment were presented at the Organic Dust Tromsø Symposium including molecular biological methods for infectious agents and organisms that are difficult to cultivate; studies of submicronic and hyphal fragments from fungi; the effect of biodiversity of microorganisms in asthma studies; and new/improved measurement methods for fungal antigens, enzymes and allergens. Although exposure assessment of bioaerosol agents is complex and limited by the availability of methods and criteria, the field is rapidly evolving.

Wind power error estimation in resource assessments.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Osvaldo; Del Río, Jesús A; Jaramillo, Oscar A; Martínez, Manuel

2015-01-01

Estimating the power output is one of the elements that determine the techno-economic feasibility of a renewable project. At present, there is a need to develop reliable methods that achieve this goal, thereby contributing to wind power penetration. In this study, we propose a method for wind power error estimation based on the wind speed measurement error, probability density function, and wind turbine power curves. This method uses the actual wind speed data without prior statistical treatment based on 28 wind turbine power curves, which were fitted by Lagrange's method, to calculate the estimate wind power output and the corresponding error propagation. We found that wind speed percentage errors of 10% were propagated into the power output estimates, thereby yielding an error of 5%. The proposed error propagation complements the traditional power resource assessments. The wind power estimation error also allows us to estimate intervals for the power production leveled cost or the investment time return. The implementation of this method increases the reliability of techno-economic resource assessment studies.

Wind Power Error Estimation in Resource Assessments

PubMed Central

Rodríguez, Osvaldo; del Río, Jesús A.; Jaramillo, Oscar A.; Martínez, Manuel

2015-01-01

Estimating the power output is one of the elements that determine the techno-economic feasibility of a renewable project. At present, there is a need to develop reliable methods that achieve this goal, thereby contributing to wind power penetration. In this study, we propose a method for wind power error estimation based on the wind speed measurement error, probability density function, and wind turbine power curves. This method uses the actual wind speed data without prior statistical treatment based on 28 wind turbine power curves, which were fitted by Lagrange's method, to calculate the estimate wind power output and the corresponding error propagation. We found that wind speed percentage errors of 10% were propagated into the power output estimates, thereby yielding an error of 5%. The proposed error propagation complements the traditional power resource assessments. The wind power estimation error also allows us to estimate intervals for the power production leveled cost or the investment time return. The implementation of this method increases the reliability of techno-economic resource assessment studies. PMID:26000444

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.

Computer game-based and traditional learning method: a comparison regarding students' knowledge retention.

PubMed

Rondon, Silmara; Sassi, Fernanda Chiarion; Furquim de Andrade, Claudia Regina

2013-02-25

Educational computer games are examples of computer-assisted learning objects, representing an educational strategy of growing interest. Given the changes in the digital world over the last decades, students of the current generation expect technology to be used in advancing their learning requiring a need to change traditional passive learning methodologies to an active multisensory experimental learning methodology. The objective of this study was to compare a computer game-based learning method with a traditional learning method, regarding learning gains and knowledge retention, as means of teaching head and neck Anatomy and Physiology to Speech-Language and Hearing pathology undergraduate students. Students were randomized to participate to one of the learning methods and the data analyst was blinded to which method of learning the students had received. Students' prior knowledge (i.e. before undergoing the learning method), short-term knowledge retention and long-term knowledge retention (i.e. six months after undergoing the learning method) were assessed with a multiple choice questionnaire. Students' performance was compared considering the three moments of assessment for both for the mean total score and for separated mean scores for Anatomy questions and for Physiology questions. Students that received the game-based method performed better in the pos-test assessment only when considering the Anatomy questions section. Students that received the traditional lecture performed better in both post-test and long-term post-test when considering the Anatomy and Physiology questions. The game-based learning method is comparable to the traditional learning method in general and in short-term gains, while the traditional lecture still seems to be more effective to improve students' short and long-term knowledge retention.

Psychiatric Diagnostic Interviews for Children and Adolescents: A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angold, Adrian; Erkanli, Alaattin; Copeland, William; Goodman, Robert; Fisher, Prudence W.; Costello, E. Jane

2012-01-01

Objective: To compare examples of three styles of psychiatric interviews for youth: the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) ("respondent-based"), the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment (CAPA) ("interviewer-based"), and the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) ("expert judgment"). Method: Roughly equal numbers of…

Enhancing Student Learning in Knowledge-Based Courses: Integrating Team-Based Learning in Mass Communication Theory Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Gang; Newell, Jay

2014-01-01

This study explores the adoption of the team-based learning (TBL) method in knowledge-based and theory-oriented journalism and mass communication (J&MC) courses. It first reviews the origin and concept of TBL, the relevant theories, and then introduces the TBL method and implementation, including procedures and assessments, employed in an…

Exposure Assessment of Livestock Carcass Management ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Technical Brief This research brief summarizes an evaluation of livestock carcass management options following a natural disaster through a comparative exposure assessment. This assessment helps to inform a scientifically-based selection of environmentally protective methods in times of emergency.

A qualitative and quantitative assessment for a bone marrow harvest simulator.

PubMed

Machado, Liliane S; Moraes, Ronei M

2009-01-01

Several approaches to perform assessment in training simulators based on virtual reality have been proposed. There are two kinds of assessment methods: offline and online. The main requirements related to online training assessment methodologies applied to virtual reality systems are the low computational complexity and the high accuracy. In the literature it can be found several approaches for general cases which can satisfy such requirements. An inconvenient about those approaches is related to an unsatisfactory solution for specific cases, as in some medical procedures, where there are quantitative and qualitative information available to perform the assessment. In this paper, we present an approach to online training assessment based on a Modified Naive Bayes which can manipulate qualitative and quantitative variables simultaneously. A special medical case was simulated in a bone marrow harvest simulator. The results obtained were satisfactory and evidenced the applicability of the method.

Instability risk assessment of construction waste pile slope based on fuzzy entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yong; Xing, Huige; Yang, Mao; Nie, Tingting

2018-05-01

Considering the nature and characteristics of construction waste piles, this paper analyzed the factors affecting the stability of the slope of construction waste piles, and established the system of the assessment indexes for the slope failure risks of construction waste piles. Based on the basic principles and methods of fuzzy mathematics, the factor set and the remark set were established. The membership grade of continuous factor indexes is determined using the "ridge row distribution" function, while that for the discrete factor indexes was determined by the Delphi Method. For the weight of factors, the subjective weight was determined by the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and objective weight by the entropy weight method. And the distance function was introduced to determine the combination coefficient. This paper established a fuzzy comprehensive assessment model of slope failure risks of construction waste piles, and assessed pile slopes in the two dimensions of hazard and vulnerability. The root mean square of the hazard assessment result and vulnerability assessment result was the final assessment result. The paper then used a certain construction waste pile slope as the example for analysis, assessed the risks of the four stages of a landfill, verified the assessment model and analyzed the slope's failure risks and preventive measures against a slide.

Precision Learning Assessment: An Alternative to Traditional Assessment Techniques.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caltagirone, Paul J.; Glover, Christopher E.

1985-01-01

A continuous and curriculum-based assessment method, Precision Learning Assessment (PLA), which integrates precision teaching and norm-referenced techniques, was applied to a math computation curriculum for 214 third graders. The resulting districtwide learning curves defining average annual progress through the computation curriculum provided…

On the accuracy and reproducibility of a novel probabilistic atlas-based generation for calculation of head attenuation maps on integrated PET/MR scanners.

PubMed

Chen, Kevin T; Izquierdo-Garcia, David; Poynton, Clare B; Chonde, Daniel B; Catana, Ciprian

2017-03-01

To propose an MR-based method for generating continuous-valued head attenuation maps and to assess its accuracy and reproducibility. Demonstrating that novel MR-based photon attenuation correction methods are both accurate and reproducible is essential prior to using them routinely in research and clinical studies on integrated PET/MR scanners. Continuous-valued linear attenuation coefficient maps ("μ-maps") were generated by combining atlases that provided the prior probability of voxel positions belonging to a certain tissue class (air, soft tissue, or bone) and an MR intensity-based likelihood classifier to produce posterior probability maps of tissue classes. These probabilities were used as weights to generate the μ-maps. The accuracy of this probabilistic atlas-based continuous-valued μ-map ("PAC-map") generation method was assessed by calculating the voxel-wise absolute relative change (RC) between the MR-based and scaled CT-based attenuation-corrected PET images. To assess reproducibility, we performed pair-wise comparisons of the RC values obtained from the PET images reconstructed using the μ-maps generated from the data acquired at three time points. The proposed method produced continuous-valued μ-maps that qualitatively reflected the variable anatomy in patients with brain tumor and agreed well with the scaled CT-based μ-maps. The absolute RC comparing the resulting PET volumes was 1.76 ± 2.33 %, quantitatively demonstrating that the method is accurate. Additionally, we also showed that the method is highly reproducible, the mean RC value for the PET images reconstructed using the μ-maps obtained at the three visits being 0.65 ± 0.95 %. Accurate and highly reproducible continuous-valued head μ-maps can be generated from MR data using a probabilistic atlas-based approach.

Evaluation of the performance of existing non-laboratory based cardiovascular risk assessment algorithms

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The high burden and rising incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in resource constrained countries necessitates implementation of robust and pragmatic primary and secondary prevention strategies. Many current CVD management guidelines recommend absolute cardiovascular (CV) risk assessment as a clinically sound guide to preventive and treatment strategies. Development of non-laboratory based cardiovascular risk assessment algorithms enable absolute risk assessment in resource constrained countries. The objective of this review is to evaluate the performance of existing non-laboratory based CV risk assessment algorithms using the benchmarks for clinically useful CV risk assessment algorithms outlined by Cooney and colleagues. Methods A literature search to identify non-laboratory based risk prediction algorithms was performed in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Ovid Premier Nursing Journals Plus, and PubMed databases. The identified algorithms were evaluated using the benchmarks for clinically useful cardiovascular risk assessment algorithms outlined by Cooney and colleagues. Results Five non-laboratory based CV risk assessment algorithms were identified. The Gaziano and Framingham algorithms met the criteria for appropriateness of statistical methods used to derive the algorithms and endpoints. The Swedish Consultation, Framingham and Gaziano algorithms demonstrated good discrimination in derivation datasets. Only the Gaziano algorithm was externally validated where it had optimal discrimination. The Gaziano and WHO algorithms had chart formats which made them simple and user friendly for clinical application. Conclusion Both the Gaziano and Framingham non-laboratory based algorithms met most of the criteria outlined by Cooney and colleagues. External validation of the algorithms in diverse samples is needed to ascertain their performance and applicability to different populations and to enhance clinicians’ confidence in them. PMID:24373202

Saliency-aware food image segmentation for personal dietary assessment using a wearable computer

PubMed Central

Chen, Hsin-Chen; Jia, Wenyan; Sun, Xin; Li, Zhaoxin; Li, Yuecheng; Fernstrom, John D.; Burke, Lora E.; Baranowski, Thomas; Sun, Mingui

2015-01-01

Image-based dietary assessment has recently received much attention in the community of obesity research. In this assessment, foods in digital pictures are specified, and their portion sizes (volumes) are estimated. Although manual processing is currently the most utilized method, image processing holds much promise since it may eventually lead to automatic dietary assessment. In this paper we study the problem of segmenting food objects from images. This segmentation is difficult because of various food types, shapes and colors, different decorating patterns on food containers, and occlusions of food and non-food objects. We propose a novel method based on a saliency-aware active contour model (ACM) for automatic food segmentation from images acquired by a wearable camera. An integrated saliency estimation approach based on food location priors and visual attention features is designed to produce a salient map of possible food regions in the input image. Next, a geometric contour primitive is generated and fitted to the salient map by means of multi-resolution optimization with respect to a set of affine and elastic transformation parameters. The food regions are then extracted after contour fitting. Our experiments using 60 food images showed that the proposed method achieved significantly higher accuracy in food segmentation when compared to conventional segmentation methods. PMID:26257473

Saliency-aware food image segmentation for personal dietary assessment using a wearable computer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hsin-Chen; Jia, Wenyan; Sun, Xin; Li, Zhaoxin; Li, Yuecheng; Fernstrom, John D.; Burke, Lora E.; Baranowski, Thomas; Sun, Mingui

2015-02-01

Image-based dietary assessment has recently received much attention in the community of obesity research. In this assessment, foods in digital pictures are specified, and their portion sizes (volumes) are estimated. Although manual processing is currently the most utilized method, image processing holds much promise since it may eventually lead to automatic dietary assessment. In this paper we study the problem of segmenting food objects from images. This segmentation is difficult because of various food types, shapes and colors, different decorating patterns on food containers, and occlusions of food and non-food objects. We propose a novel method based on a saliency-aware active contour model (ACM) for automatic food segmentation from images acquired by a wearable camera. An integrated saliency estimation approach based on food location priors and visual attention features is designed to produce a salient map of possible food regions in the input image. Next, a geometric contour primitive is generated and fitted to the salient map by means of multi-resolution optimization with respect to a set of affine and elastic transformation parameters. The food regions are then extracted after contour fitting. Our experiments using 60 food images showed that the proposed method achieved significantly higher accuracy in food segmentation when compared to conventional segmentation methods.

Neck pain assessment in a virtual environment.

PubMed

Sarig-Bahat, Hilla; Weiss, Patrice L Tamar; Laufer, Yocheved

2010-02-15

Neck-pain and control group comparative analysis of conventional and virtual reality (VR)-based assessment of cervical range of motion (CROM). To use a tracker-based VR system to compare CROM of individuals suffering from chronic neck pain with CROM of asymptomatic individuals; to compare VR system results with those obtained during conventional assessment; to present the diagnostic value of CROM measures obtained by both assessments; and to demonstrate the effect of a single VR session on CROM. Neck pain is a common musculoskeletal complaint with a reported annual prevalence of 30% to 50%. In the absence of a gold standard for CROM assessment, a variety of assessment devices and methodologies exist. Common to these methodologies, assessment of CROM is carried out by instructing subjects to move their head as far as possible. However, these elicited movements do not necessarily replicate functional movements which occur spontaneously in response to multiple stimuli. To achieve a more functional approach to cervical motion assessment, we have recently developed a VR environment in which electromagnetic tracking is used to monitor cervical motion while participants are involved in a simple yet engaging gaming scenario. CROM measures were collected from 25 symptomatic and 42 asymptomatic individuals using VR and conventional assessments. Analysis of variance was used to determine differences between groups and assessment methods. Logistic regression analysis, using a single predictor, compared the diagnostic ability of both methods. Results obtained by both methods demonstrated significant CROM limitations in the symptomatic group. The VR measures showed greater CROM and sensitivity while conventional measures showed greater specificity. A single session exposure to VR resulted in a significant increase in CROM. Neck pain is significantly associated with reduced CROM as demonstrated by both VR and conventional assessment methods. The VR method provides assessment of functional CROM and can be used for CROM enhancement. Assessment by VR has greater sensitivity than conventional assessment and can be used for the detection of true symptomatic individuals.

Protein single-model quality assessment by feature-based probability density functions.

PubMed

Cao, Renzhi; Cheng, Jianlin

2016-04-04

Protein quality assessment (QA) has played an important role in protein structure prediction. We developed a novel single-model quality assessment method-Qprob. Qprob calculates the absolute error for each protein feature value against the true quality scores (i.e. GDT-TS scores) of protein structural models, and uses them to estimate its probability density distribution for quality assessment. Qprob has been blindly tested on the 11th Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction (CASP11) as MULTICOM-NOVEL server. The official CASP result shows that Qprob ranks as one of the top single-model QA methods. In addition, Qprob makes contributions to our protein tertiary structure predictor MULTICOM, which is officially ranked 3rd out of 143 predictors. The good performance shows that Qprob is good at assessing the quality of models of hard targets. These results demonstrate that this new probability density distribution based method is effective for protein single-model quality assessment and is useful for protein structure prediction. The webserver of Qprob is available at: http://calla.rnet.missouri.edu/qprob/. The software is now freely available in the web server of Qprob.

Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation of multiple environmental factors for swine building assessment and control.

PubMed

Xie, Qiuju; Ni, Ji-Qin; Su, Zhongbin

2017-10-15

In confined swine buildings, temperature, humidity, and air quality are all important for animal health and productivity. However, the current swine building environmental control is only based on temperature; and evaluation and control methods based on multiple environmental factors are needed. In this paper, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) theory was adopted for multi-factor assessment of environmental quality in two commercial swine buildings using real measurement data. An assessment index system and membership functions were established; and predetermined weights were given using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) combined with knowledge of experts. The results show that multi-factors such as temperature, humidity, and concentrations of ammonia (NH 3 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) can be successfully integrated in FCE for swine building environment assessment. The FCE method has a high correlation coefficient of 0.737 compared with the method of single-factor evaluation (SFE). The FCE method can significantly increase the sensitivity and perform an effective and integrative assessment. It can be used as part of environmental controlling and warning systems for swine building environment management to improve swine production and welfare. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of short messaging services to assess depressive symptoms among refugees in South Africa: Implications for social services providing mental health care in resource-poor settings

PubMed Central

Tomita, Andrew; Kandolo, Ka Muzombo; Susser, Ezra; Burns, Jonathan K

2016-01-01

Few studies in developing nations have assessed the use of short messaging services (SMS) to identify psychological challenges in refugee populations. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of SMS-based methods to screen for depression risk among refugees in South Africa attending mental health services, and to compare its reliability and acceptability with face-to-face consultation. Of the 153 refugees enrolled at baseline, 135 were available for follow-up assessments in our cohort study. Depression symptomatology was assessed using the 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS) instrument. Nearly everyone possessed a mobile phone and utilized SMS. Furthermore, low incomplete item response in QIDS and high perceived ease of interacting via SMS with service providers supported the feasibility of this method. There was a fair level of reliability between face-to-face and SMS-based screening methods, but no significant difference in preference rating between the two methods. Despite potential implementation barriers (network delay/phone theft), depression screening using SMS may be viable for refugee mental health services in low-resource settings. PMID:26407989

Application of Competency-Based Education in Laparoscopic Training

PubMed Central

Xue, Dongbo; Bo, Hong; Zhao, Song; Meng, Xianzhi

2015-01-01

Background and Objectives: To induce competency-based education/developing a curriculum in the training of postgraduate students in laparoscopic surgery. Methods: This study selected postgraduate students before the implementation of competency-based education (n = 16) or after the implementation of competency-based education (n = 17). On the basis of the 5 competencies of patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, and professionalism, the research team created a developing a curriculum chart and specific improvement measures that were implemented in the competency-based education group. Results: On the basis of the developing a curriculum chart, the assessment of the 5 comprehensive competencies using the 360° assessment method indicated that the competency-based education group's competencies were significantly improved compared with those of the traditional group (P < .05). The improvement in the comprehensive assessment was also significant compared with the traditional group (P < .05). Conclusion: The implementation of competency-based education/developing a curriculum teaching helps to improve the comprehensive competencies of postgraduate students and enables them to become qualified clinicians equipped to meet society's needs. PMID:25901105

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

Strapdown Airborne Gravimetry Quality Assessment Method Based on Single Survey Line Data: A Study by SGA-WZ02 Gravimeter

PubMed Central

Wu, Meiping; Cao, Juliang; Zhang, Kaidong; Cai, Shaokun; Yu, Ruihang

2018-01-01

Quality assessment is an important part in the strapdown airborne gravimetry. Root mean square error (RMSE) evaluation method is a classical way to evaluate the gravimetry quality, but classical evaluation methods are preconditioned by extra flight or reference data. Thus, a method, which is able to largely conquer the premises of classical quality assessment methods and can be used in single survey line, has been developed in this paper. According to theoretical analysis, the method chooses the stability of two horizontal attitude angles, horizontal specific force and vertical specific force as the determinants of quality assessment method. The actual data, collected by SGA-WZ02 from 13 flights 21 lines in certain survey, was used to build the model and elaborate the method. To substantiate the performance of the quality assessment model, the model is applied in extra repeat line flights from two surveys. Compared with internal RMSE, standard deviation of assessment residuals are 0.23 mGal and 0.16 mGal in two surveys, which shows that the quality assessment method is reliable and stricter. The extra flights are not necessary by specially arranging the route of flights. The method, summarized from SGA-WZ02, is a feasible approach to assess gravimetry quality using single line data and is also suitable for other strapdown gravimeters. PMID:29373535

Significant variation between SNP-based HLA imputations in diverse populations: the last mile is the hardest.

PubMed

Pappas, D J; Lizee, A; Paunic, V; Beutner, K R; Motyer, A; Vukcevic, D; Leslie, S; Biesiada, J; Meller, J; Taylor, K D; Zheng, X; Zhao, L P; Gourraud, P-A; Hollenbach, J A; Mack, S J; Maiers, M

2018-05-22

Four single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based human leukocyte antigen (HLA) imputation methods (e-HLA, HIBAG, HLA*IMP:02 and MAGPrediction) were trained using 1000 Genomes SNP and HLA genotypes and assessed for their ability to accurately impute molecular HLA-A, -B, -C and -DRB1 genotypes in the Human Genome Diversity Project cell panel. Imputation concordance was high (>89%) across all methods for both HLA-A and HLA-C, but HLA-B and HLA-DRB1 proved generally difficult to impute. Overall, <27.8% of subjects were correctly imputed for all HLA loci by any method. Concordance across all loci was not enhanced via the application of confidence thresholds; reliance on confidence scores across methods only led to noticeable improvement (+3.2%) for HLA-DRB1. As the HLA complex is highly relevant to the study of human health and disease, a standardized assessment of SNP-based HLA imputation methods is crucial for advancing genomic research. Considerable room remains for the improvement of HLA-B and especially HLA-DRB1 imputation methods, and no imputation method is as accurate as molecular genotyping. The application of large, ancestrally diverse HLA and SNP reference data sets and multiple imputation methods has the potential to make SNP-based HLA imputation methods a tractable option for determining HLA genotypes.

Diagnosing Cartman: Psychology Students' Use of Symptoms and Traits to Assess Child Antisocial Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yalch, Matthew M.; Vitale, Erika M.; Ford, J. Kevin

2016-01-01

Recent changes to the diagnosis of child antisocial behavior provide different methods of conceptualizing it (e.g., traditional symptom-based diagnoses and alternative trait-based methods). However, there is little research on how psychology students might use these different methods and what kind of instructional formats might be amenable to…

Combination of statistical and physically based methods to assess shallow slide susceptibility at the basin scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, Sérgio C.; Zêzere, José L.; Lajas, Sara; Melo, Raquel

2017-07-01

Approaches used to assess shallow slide susceptibility at the basin scale are conceptually different depending on the use of statistical or physically based methods. The former are based on the assumption that the same causes are more likely to produce the same effects, whereas the latter are based on the comparison between forces which tend to promote movement along the slope and the counteracting forces that are resistant to motion. Within this general framework, this work tests two hypotheses: (i) although conceptually and methodologically distinct, the statistical and deterministic methods generate similar shallow slide susceptibility results regarding the model's predictive capacity and spatial agreement; and (ii) the combination of shallow slide susceptibility maps obtained with statistical and physically based methods, for the same study area, generate a more reliable susceptibility model for shallow slide occurrence. These hypotheses were tested at a small test site (13.9 km2) located north of Lisbon (Portugal), using a statistical method (the information value method, IV) and a physically based method (the infinite slope method, IS). The landslide susceptibility maps produced with the statistical and deterministic methods were combined into a new landslide susceptibility map. The latter was based on a set of integration rules defined by the cross tabulation of the susceptibility classes of both maps and analysis of the corresponding contingency tables. The results demonstrate a higher predictive capacity of the new shallow slide susceptibility map, which combines the independent results obtained with statistical and physically based models. Moreover, the combination of the two models allowed the identification of areas where the results of the information value and the infinite slope methods are contradictory. Thus, these areas were classified as uncertain and deserve additional investigation at a more detailed scale.

Estimating the Minimum Number of Judges Required for Test-Centred Standard Setting on Written Assessments. Do Discussion and Iteration Have an Influence?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fowell, S. L.; Fewtrell, R.; McLaughlin, P. J.

2008-01-01

Absolute standard setting procedures are recommended for assessment in medical education. Absolute, test-centred standard setting procedures were introduced for written assessments in the Liverpool MBChB in 2001. The modified Angoff and Ebel methods have been used for short answer question-based and extended matching question-based papers,…

PM2.5 exposure and birth outcomes: Use of satellite- and monitor-based data

PubMed Central

Hyder, Ayaz; Lee, Hyung Joo; Ebisu, Keita; Koutrakis, Petros; Belanger, Kathleen; Bell, Michelle Lee

2014-01-01

Background Air pollution may be related to adverse birth outcomes. Exposure information from land-based monitoring stations often suffers from limited spatial coverage. Satellite data offer an alternative data source for exposure assessment. Methods We used birth certificate data for births in Connecticut and Massachusetts, U.S. (2000-2006). Gestational exposure to PM2.5 was estimated from US Environmental Protection Agency monitoring data and from satellite data. Satellite data were processed and modeled using 2 methods – denoted satellite (1) and satellite (2) – before exposure assessment. Regression models related PM2.5 exposure to birth outcomes while controlling for several confounders. Birth outcomes were mean birth weight at term birth, low birth weight at term (LBW <2500g), small for gestational age (SGA, <10th percentile for gestational age and sex), and preterm birth (<37 weeks). Results Overall, the exposure assessment method modified the magnitude of the effect estimates of PM2.5 on birth outcomes. Change in birth weight per inter-quartile range (2.41 μg/m3)-increase in PM2.5 was -6g (95% confidence interval = -8 to -5), -16g (-21 to -11) and -19g (-23 to -15), using the monitor, satellite (1) and satellite (2) methods, respectively. Adjusted odds ratios, based on the same 3 exposure methods, for term LBW were 1.01 (0.98 to 1.04), 1.06 (0.97 to 1.16), and 1.08 (1.01 to 1.16); for SGA, 1.03 (1.01 to 1.04), 1.06 (1.03 to 1.10) and 1.08 (1.04 to 1.11); and for preterm birth, 1.00 (0.99 to 1.02), 0.98 (0.94 to 1.03) and 0.99 (0.95 to 1.03). Conclusions Under exposure assessment methods, we found associations between PM2.5 exposure and adverse birth outcomes particularly for birth weight among term births and for SGA. These results add to the growing concerns that air pollution adversely affects infant health and suggest that analysis of health consequences based on satellite-based exposure assessment can provide additional useful information. PMID:24240652

Hopes and Cautions for Instrument-Based Evaluation of Consent Capacity: Results of a Construct Validity Study of Three Instruments

PubMed Central

Moye, Jennifer; Azar, Annin R.; Karel, Michele J.; Gurrera, Ronald J.

2016-01-01

Does instrument based evaluation of consent capacity increase the precision and validity of competency assessment or does ostensible precision provide a false sense of confidence without in fact improving validity? In this paper we critically examine the evidence for construct validity of three instruments for measuring four functional abilities important in consent capacity: understanding, appreciation, reasoning, and expressing a choice. Instrument based assessment of these abilities is compared through investigation of a multi-trait multi-method matrix in 88 older adults with mild to moderate dementia. Results find variable support for validity. There appears to be strong evidence for good hetero-method validity for the measurement of understanding, mixed evidence for validity in the measurement of reasoning, and strong evidence for poor hetero-method validity for the concepts of appreciation and expressing a choice, although the latter is likely due to extreme range restrictions. The development of empirically based tools for use in capacity evaluation should ultimately enhance the reliability and validity of assessment, yet clearly more research is needed to define and measure the constructs of decisional capacity. We would also emphasize that instrument based assessment of capacity is only one part of a comprehensive evaluation of competency which includes consideration of diagnosis, psychiatric and/or cognitive symptomatology, risk involved in the situation, and individual and cultural differences. PMID:27330455

Improving the clinical assessment of consciousness with advances in electrophysiological and neuroimaging techniques

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

In clinical neurology, a comprehensive understanding of consciousness has been regarded as an abstract concept - best left to philosophers. However, times are changing and the need to clinically assess consciousness is increasingly becoming a real-world, practical challenge. Current methods for evaluating altered levels of consciousness are highly reliant on either behavioural measures or anatomical imaging. While these methods have some utility, estimates of misdiagnosis are worrisome (as high as 43%) - clearly this is a major clinical problem. The solution must involve objective, physiologically based measures that do not rely on behaviour. This paper reviews recent advances in physiologically based measures that enable better evaluation of consciousness states (coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious state, and locked in syndrome). Based on the evidence to-date, electroencephalographic and neuroimaging based assessments of consciousness provide valuable information for evaluation of residual function, formation of differential diagnoses, and estimation of prognosis. PMID:20113490

Bearing performance degradation assessment based on a combination of empirical mode decomposition and k-medoids clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rai, Akhand; Upadhyay, S. H.

2017-09-01

Bearing is the most critical component in rotating machinery since it is more susceptible to failure. The monitoring of degradation in bearings becomes of great concern for averting the sudden machinery breakdown. In this study, a novel method for bearing performance degradation assessment (PDA) based on an amalgamation of empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and k-medoids clustering is encouraged. The fault features are extracted from the bearing signals using the EMD process. The extracted features are then subjected to k-medoids based clustering for obtaining the normal state and failure state cluster centres. A confidence value (CV) curve based on dissimilarity of the test data object to the normal state is obtained and employed as the degradation indicator for assessing the health of bearings. The proposed outlook is applied on the vibration signals collected in run-to-failure tests of bearings to assess its effectiveness in bearing PDA. To validate the superiority of the suggested approach, it is compared with commonly used time-domain features RMS and kurtosis, well-known fault diagnosis method envelope analysis (EA) and existing PDA classifiers i.e. self-organizing maps (SOM) and Fuzzy c-means (FCM). The results demonstrate that the recommended method outperforms the time-domain features, SOM and FCM based PDA in detecting the early stage degradation more precisely. Moreover, EA can be used as an accompanying method to confirm the early stage defect detected by the proposed bearing PDA approach. The study shows the potential application of k-medoids clustering as an effective tool for PDA of bearings.

Development of a lumbar EMG-based coactivation index for the assessment of complex dynamic tasks.

PubMed

Le, Peter; Aurand, Alexander; Walter, Benjamin A; Best, Thomas M; Khan, Safdar N; Mendel, Ehud; Marras, William S

2018-03-01

The objective of this study was to develop and test an EMG-based coactivation index and compare it to a coactivation index defined by a biologically assisted lumbar spine model to differentiate between tasks. The purpose was to provide a universal approach to assess coactivation of a multi-muscle system when a computational model is not accessible. The EMG-based index developed utilised anthropometric-defined muscle characteristics driven by torso kinematics and EMG. Muscles were classified as agonists/antagonists based upon 'simulated' moments of the muscles relative to the total 'simulated' moment. Different tasks were used to test the range of the index including lifting, pushing and Valsalva. Results showed that the EMG-based index was comparable to the index defined by a biologically assisted model (r 2  = 0.78). Overall, the EMG-based index provides a universal, usable method to assess the neuromuscular effort associated with coactivation for complex dynamic tasks when the benefit of a biomechanical model is not available. Practitioner Summary: A universal coactivation index for the lumbar spine was developed to assess complex dynamic tasks. This method was validated relative to a model-based index for use when a high-end computational model is not available. Its simplicity allows for fewer inputs and usability for assessment of task ergonomics and rehabilitation.

Using technology to assess and intervene with illicit drug-using persons at risk for HIV.

PubMed

Horvath, Keith J; Lammert, Sara; LeGrand, Sara; Muessig, Kathryn E; Bauermeister, José A

2017-09-01

This review describes recent literature on novel ways technology is used for assessment of illicit drug use and HIV risk behaviours, suggestions for optimizing intervention acceptability, and recently completed and ongoing technology-based interventions for drug-using persons at risk for HIV and others with high rates of drug use and HIV risk behaviour. Among studies (n = 5) comparing technology-based to traditional assessment methods, those using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) had high rates of reported drug use and high concordance with traditional assessment methods. The two recent studies assessing the acceptability of mHealth approaches overall demonstrate high interest in these approaches. Current or in-progress technology-based interventions (n = 8) are delivered using mobile apps (n = 5), text messaging (n = 2) and computers (n = 1). Most intervention studies are in progress or do not report intervention outcomes; the results from one efficacy trial showed significantly higher HIV testing rates among persons in need of drug treatment. Studies are needed to continually assess technology adoption and intervention preferences among drug-using populations to ensure that interventions are appropriately matched to users. Large-scale technology-based intervention trials to assess the efficacy of these approaches, as well as the impact of individual intervention components, on drug use and other high-risk behaviours are recommended.

Establishing a Cell-based Assay for Assessment of Cellular Metabolism on Chemical Toxicity

EPA Science Inventory

A major drawback of current in vitro chemical testing is that many commonly used cell lines lack chemical metabolism. To help address this challenge, we are established a method for assessing the impact of cellular metabolism on chemical-based cellular toxicity. A commonly used h...

Evidence-Based Clinical Voice Assessment: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, Nelson; Barkmeier-Kraemer, Julie; Eadie, Tanya; Sivasankar, M. Preeti; Mehta, Daryush; Paul, Diane; Hillman, Robert

2013-01-01

Purpose: To determine what research evidence exists to support the use of voice measures in the clinical assessment of patients with voice disorders. Method: The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) National Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders staff searched 29 databases for peer-reviewed English-language…

Perceptions of Mentoring from Fourth Year Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charles, Stephen C.

2014-01-01

This mixed-methods research study investigated medical students' perspectives of professional mentoring through a web-based survey/needs assessment. The participants are fourth year medical students from three large urban research institutions and two regional branch campuses. The web-based survey/needs assessment was created, peer reviewed, and…

Validation of the Evidence-Based Practice Process Assessment Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubin, Allen; Parrish, Danielle E.

2011-01-01

Objective: This report describes the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of a scale that assesses practitioners' perceived familiarity with, attitudes of, and implementation of the evidence-based practice (EBP) process. Method: Social work practitioners and second-year master of social works (MSW) students (N = 511) were surveyed in four sites…

Gas Phase Probe Molecules for Assessing In vitro Metabolism to Infer an In vivo Response

EPA Science Inventory

Efficient and accurate in vitro high-throughput screening (HTS) methods use cellular and molecular based adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) as central elements for exposure assessment and chemical prioritization. However, not all AOPs are based on human or animal systems biology, bu...

Core Professionalism Education in Surgery: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Sarıoğlu Büke, Akile; Karabilgin Öztürkçü, Özlem Sürel; Yılmaz, Yusuf; Sayek, İskender

2018-03-15

Professionalism education is one of the major elements of surgical residency education. To evaluate the studies on core professionalism education programs in surgical professionalism education. Systematic review. This systematic literature review was performed to analyze core professionalism programs for surgical residency education published in English with at least three of the following features: program developmental model/instructional design method, aims and competencies, methods of teaching, methods of assessment, and program evaluation model or method. A total of 27083 articles were retrieved using EBSCOHOST, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and manual search. Eight articles met the selection criteria. The instructional design method was presented in only one article, which described the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation model. Six articles were based on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education criterion, although there was significant variability in content. The most common teaching method was role modeling with scenario- and case-based learning. A wide range of assessment methods for evaluating professionalism education were reported. The Kirkpatrick model was reported in one article as a method for program evaluation. It is suggested that for a core surgical professionalism education program, developmental/instructional design model, aims and competencies, content, teaching methods, assessment methods, and program evaluation methods/models should be well defined, and the content should be comparable.

Physiotherapy in the intensive care unit: an evidence-based, expert driven, practical statement and rehabilitation recommendations

PubMed Central

Sommers, Juultje; Engelbert, Raoul HH; Dettling-Ihnenfeldt, Daniela; Gosselink, Rik; Spronk, Peter E; Nollet, Frans; van der Schaaf, Marike

2015-01-01

Objective: To develop evidence-based recommendations for effective and safe diagnostic assessment and intervention strategies for the physiotherapy treatment of patients in intensive care units. Methods: We used the EBRO method, as recommended by the ‘Dutch Evidence Based Guideline Development Platform’ to develop an ‘evidence statement for physiotherapy in the intensive care unit’. This method consists of the identification of clinically relevant questions, followed by a systematic literature search, and summary of the evidence with final recommendations being moderated by feedback from experts. Results: Three relevant clinical domains were identified by experts: criteria to initiate treatment; measures to assess patients; evidence for effectiveness of treatments. In a systematic literature search, 129 relevant studies were identified and assessed for methodological quality and classified according to the level of evidence. The final evidence statement consisted of recommendations on eight absolute and four relative contra-indications to mobilization; a core set of nine specific instruments to assess impairments and activity restrictions; and six passive and four active effective interventions, with advice on (a) physiological measures to observe during treatment (with stopping criteria) and (b) what to record after the treatment. Conclusions: These recommendations form a protocol for treating people in an intensive care unit, based on best available evidence in mid-2014. PMID:25681407

Volume estimation using food specific shape templates in mobile image-based dietary assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chae, Junghoon; Woo, Insoo; Kim, SungYe; Maciejewski, Ross; Zhu, Fengqing; Delp, Edward J.; Boushey, Carol J.; Ebert, David S.

2011-03-01

As obesity concerns mount, dietary assessment methods for prevention and intervention are being developed. These methods include recording, cataloging and analyzing daily dietary records to monitor energy and nutrient intakes. Given the ubiquity of mobile devices with built-in cameras, one possible means of improving dietary assessment is through photographing foods and inputting these images into a system that can determine the nutrient content of foods in the images. One of the critical issues in such the image-based dietary assessment tool is the accurate and consistent estimation of food portion sizes. The objective of our study is to automatically estimate food volumes through the use of food specific shape templates. In our system, users capture food images using a mobile phone camera. Based on information (i.e., food name and code) determined through food segmentation and classification of the food images, our system choose a particular food template shape corresponding to each segmented food. Finally, our system reconstructs the three-dimensional properties of the food shape from a single image by extracting feature points in order to size the food shape template. By employing this template-based approach, our system automatically estimates food portion size, providing a consistent method for estimation food volume.

Health assessment of cooling fan bearings using wavelet-based filtering.

PubMed

Miao, Qiang; Tang, Chao; Liang, Wei; Pecht, Michael

2012-12-24

As commonly used forced convection air cooling devices in electronics, cooling fans are crucial for guaranteeing the reliability of electronic systems. In a cooling fan assembly, fan bearing failure is a major failure mode that causes excessive vibration, noise, reduction in rotation speed, locked rotor, failure to start, and other problems; therefore, it is necessary to conduct research on the health assessment of cooling fan bearings. This paper presents a vibration-based fan bearing health evaluation method using comblet filtering and exponentially weighted moving average. A new health condition indicator (HCI) for fan bearing degradation assessment is proposed. In order to collect the vibration data for validation of the proposed method, a cooling fan accelerated life test was conducted to simulate the lubricant starvation of fan bearings. A comparison between the proposed method and methods in previous studies (i.e., root mean square, kurtosis, and fault growth parameter) was carried out to assess the performance of the HCI. The analysis results suggest that the HCI can identify incipient fan bearing failures and describe the bearing degradation process. Overall, the work presented in this paper provides a promising method for fan bearing health evaluation and prognosis.

Health Assessment of Cooling Fan Bearings Using Wavelet-Based Filtering

PubMed Central

Miao, Qiang; Tang, Chao; Liang, Wei; Pecht, Michael

2013-01-01

As commonly used forced convection air cooling devices in electronics, cooling fans are crucial for guaranteeing the reliability of electronic systems. In a cooling fan assembly, fan bearing failure is a major failure mode that causes excessive vibration, noise, reduction in rotation speed, locked rotor, failure to start, and other problems; therefore, it is necessary to conduct research on the health assessment of cooling fan bearings. This paper presents a vibration-based fan bearing health evaluation method using comblet filtering and exponentially weighted moving average. A new health condition indicator (HCI) for fan bearing degradation assessment is proposed. In order to collect the vibration data for validation of the proposed method, a cooling fan accelerated life test was conducted to simulate the lubricant starvation of fan bearings. A comparison between the proposed method and methods in previous studies (i.e., root mean square, kurtosis, and fault growth parameter) was carried out to assess the performance of the HCI. The analysis results suggest that the HCI can identify incipient fan bearing failures and describe the bearing degradation process. Overall, the work presented in this paper provides a promising method for fan bearing health evaluation and prognosis. PMID:23262486

Construction risk assessment of deep foundation pit in metro station based on G-COWA method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, Weibao; Wang, Jianbo; Zhang, Wei; Liu, Fangmeng; Yang, Diying

2018-05-01

In order to get an accurate understanding of the construction safety of deep foundation pit in metro station and reduce the probability and loss of risk occurrence, a risk assessment method based on G-COWA is proposed. Firstly, relying on the specific engineering examples and the construction characteristics of deep foundation pit, an evaluation index system based on the five factors of “human, management, technology, material and environment” is established. Secondly, the C-OWA operator is introduced to realize the evaluation index empowerment and weaken the negative influence of expert subjective preference. The gray cluster analysis and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method are combined to construct the construction risk assessment model of deep foundation pit, which can effectively solve the uncertainties. Finally, the model is applied to the actual project of deep foundation pit of Qingdao Metro North Station, determine its construction risk rating is “medium”, evaluate the model is feasible and reasonable. And then corresponding control measures are put forward and useful reference are provided.

[Ecological risk assessment of sediment pollution based on triangular fuzzy number].

PubMed

Zhou, Xiao-Wei; Wang, Li-Ping; Zheng, Bing-Hui

2008-11-01

Based on the characteristics of random and fuzziness, and the shortage and imprecision of datum information of water environmental system, environment background value of sediments and concentration of pollution is calculated by means of triangle fuzzy number and fuzzy risk assessment model of the potential ecological risk index is established. Using this method heavy metal pollution and ecological risk in the Yangtze Estuary and its adjacent waters were analyzed. The result shows that the environment of the foundation of the study area is subject to varying degrees of pollution. The pollution extents are correspondingly Cu, Hg, Zn, Pb, As, Cd. RI by that method and the Hakanson ecological risk method is in similar trend. RI of the estuary, turbidity maximum zone and Hangzhou bay is greater than that at outside of the estuary and sea area nearby Zhousan, and the potential ecological risk rate increases one. The assessment result is good in the validation based on the corresponding period macrobenthic community parameters.

Optimization of DNA Barcode Method to Assess Altered Chemical Toxicity due to CYP-mediated Metabolism.

EPA Science Inventory

A drawback of current in vitro chemical testing is that many commonly used cell lines lack chemical metabolism. To address this challenge, we present a method for assessing the impact of cellular metabolism on chemical-based cellular toxicity. A cell line with low endogenous meta...

Alternative evaluation of innovations’ effectiveness in mechanical engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puryaev, A. S.

2017-09-01

The aim of present work is approbation of the developed technique for assessing innovations’ effectiveness. We demonstrate an alternative assessment of innovations’ effectiveness (innovation projects) in mechanical engineering on illustrative example. It is proposed as an alternative to the traditional method technique based on the value concept and the method of “Cash flow”.

Comparison of soil sampling and analytical methods for asbestos at the Sumas Mountain Asbestos Site—Working towards a toolbox for better assessment

EPA Science Inventory

Established soil sampling methods for asbestos are inadequate to support risk assessment and risk-based decision making at Superfund sites due to difficulties in detecting asbestos at low concentrations and difficulty in extrapolating soil concentrations to air concentrations. En...

Student Teachers' Views about Assessment and Evaluation Methods in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogan, Mustafa

2011-01-01

This study aimed to find out assessment and evaluation approaches in a Mathematics Teacher Training Department based on the views and experiences of student teachers. The study used a descriptive survey method, with the research sample consisting of 150 third- and fourth-year Primary Mathematics student teachers. Data were collected using a…

Assessing Argumentative Representation with Bayesian Network Models in Debatable Social Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Zhidong; Lu, Jingyan

2014-01-01

This study seeks to obtain argumentation models, which represent argumentative processes and an assessment structure in secondary school debatable issues in the social sciences. The argumentation model was developed based on mixed methods, a combination of both theory-driven and data-driven methods. The coding system provided a combing point by…

Rapid condition assessment of structural condition after a blast using state-space identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eskew, Edward; Jang, Shinae

2015-04-01

After a blast event, it is important to quickly quantify the structural damage for emergency operations. In order improve the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of condition assessments after a blast, the authors have previously performed work to develop a methodology for rapid assessment of the structural condition of a building after a blast. The method involved determining a post-event equivalent stiffness matrix using vibration measurements and a finite element (FE) model. A structural model was built for the damaged structure based on the equivalent stiffness, and inter-story drifts from the blast are determined using numerical simulations, with forces determined from the blast parameters. The inter-story drifts are then compared to blast design conditions to assess the structures damage. This method still involved engineering judgment in terms of determining significant frequencies, which can lead to error, especially with noisy measurements. In an effort to improve accuracy and automate the process, this paper will look into a similar method of rapid condition assessment using subspace state-space identification. The accuracy of the method will be tested using a benchmark structural model, as well as experimental testing. The blast damage assessments will be validated using pressure-impulse (P-I) diagrams, which present the condition limits across blast parameters. Comparisons between P-I diagrams generated using the true system parameters and equivalent parameters will show the accuracy of the rapid condition based blast assessments.

The novel measuring method for screening and assessing chromium content in clothes and shoes materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salerno-Kochan, R.

2017-10-01

The aim of this paper is to propose the bioindicative measuring method for screening and assessing the safety of textile and leather materials in relation to chemical threats. This method is based on toxicological assay in which Tetrahymena pyriformis, unicellular organism belonging to protozoans, is used as a test organism. For the realization of the research goal the sensitivity threshold of test organisms to chromium(VI) solutions was identified. The changes in cell development of test organisms in chromium solutions were registered by colorimetric measurements in the presence of alamarBlue® cell viability reagent. Empirical data enabled to fit logistic curves on the base of which the level of chromium toxicity was estimated. In the second step, harmfulness of aqueous extracts obtained from textile and leather samples containing chromium in relation to test organisms was evaluated. The performed research confirmed the high efficiency of the proposed method in screening and assessing chromium content in clothes and shoes materials and showed possibilities of using it in safety assessment of products with regard to chemical risks.

On assessing bioequivalence and interchangeability between generics based on indirect comparisons.

PubMed

Zheng, Jiayin; Chow, Shein-Chung; Yuan, Mengdie

2017-08-30

As more and more generics become available in the market place, the safety/efficacy concerns may arise as the result of interchangeably use of approved generics. However, bioequivalence assessment for regulatory approval among generics of the innovative drug product is not required. In practice, approved generics are often used interchangeably without any mechanism of safety monitoring. In this article, based on indirect comparisons, we proposed several methods to assessing bioequivalence and interchangeability between generics. The applicability of the methods and the similarity assumptions were discussed, as well as the inappropriateness of directly adopting adjusted indirect comparison to the field of generics' comparison. Besides, some extensions were given to take into consideration the important topics in clinical trials for bioequivalence assessments, for example, multiple comparisons and simultaneously testing bioequivalence among three generics. Extensive simulation studies were conducted to investigate the performances of the proposed methods. The studies of malaria generics and HIV/AIDS generics prequalified by the WHO were used as real examples to demonstrate the use of the methods. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Personality Assessment in the Schools: Issues and Procedures for School Psychologists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knoff, Howard M.

1983-01-01

A conceptual model for school-based personality assessment, methods to integrate behavioral and projective assessment procedures, and issues surrounding the use of projective tests are presented. Ways to maximize the personality assessment process for use in placement and programing decisions are suggested. (Author/DWH)

Environmental impact assessment for alternative-energy power plants in México.

PubMed

González-Avila, María E; Beltrán-Morales, Luis Felipe; Braker, Elizabeth; Ortega-Rubio, Alfredo

2006-07-01

Ten Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (EIAR) were reviewed for projects involving alternative power plants in Mexico developed during the last twelve years. Our analysis focused on the methods used to assess the impacts produced by hydroelectric and geothermal power projects. These methods used to assess impacts in EIARs ranged from the most simple, descriptive criteria, to quantitative models. These methods are not concordant with the level of the EIAR required by the environmental authority or even, with the kind of project developed. It is concluded that there is no correlation between the tools used to assess impacts and the assigned type of the EIAR. Because the methods to assess impacts produced by these power projects have not changed during 2000 years, we propose a quantitative method, based on ecological criteria and tools, to assess the impacts produced by hydroelectric and geothermal plants, according to the specific characteristics of the project. The proposed method is supported by environmental norms, and can assist environmental authorities in assigning the correct level and tools to be applied to hydroelectric and geothermal projects. The proposed method can be adapted to other production activities in Mexico and to other countries.

Detection and Composition of Bacterial Communities in Waters using RNA-based Methods

EPA Science Inventory

In recent years, microbial water quality assessments have shifted from solely relying on pure culture-based methods to monitoring bacterial groups of interest using molecular assays such as PCR and qPCR. Furthermore, coupling next generation sequencing technologies with ribosomal...

Evaluation of design flood frequency methods for Iowa streams : final report, June 2009.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-06-01

The objective of this project was to assess the predictive accuracy of flood frequency estimation for small Iowa streams based : on the Rational Method, the NRCS curve number approach, and the Iowa Runoff Chart. The evaluation was based on : comparis...

Cumulative exergy extraction from the natural environment (CEENE): a comprehensive life cycle impact assessment method for resource accounting.

PubMed

Dewulf, J; Bösch, M E; De Meester, B; Van der Vorst, G; Van Langenhove, H; Hellweg, S; Huijbregts, M A J

2007-12-15

The objective of the paper is to establish a comprehensive resource-based life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method which is scientifically sound and that enables to assess all kinds of resources that are deprived from the natural ecosystem, all quantified on one single scale, free of weighting factors. The method is based on the exergy concept. Consistent exergy data on fossils, nuclear and metal ores, minerals, air, water, land occupation, and renewable energy sources were elaborated, with well defined system boundaries. Based on these data, the method quantifies the exergy "taken away" from natural ecosystems, and is thus called the cumulative exergy extraction from the natural environment (CEENE). The acquired data set was coupled with a state-of-the art life cycle inventory database, ecoinvent. In this way, the method is able to quantitatively distinguish eight categories of resources withdrawn from the natural environment: renewable resources, fossil fuels, nuclear energy, metal ores, minerals, water resources, land resources, and atmospheric resources. Third, the CEENE method is illustrated for a number of products that are available in ecoinvent, and results are compared with common resource oriented LCIA methods. The application to the materials in the ecoinvent database showed that fossil resources and land use are of particular importance with regard to the total CEENE score, although the other resource categories may also be significant.

Economic Assessment: A Model for Assessing Ability to Pay.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andre, Patricia; And Others

1978-01-01

Accurate assessment of the client's ability to pay is the cornerstone to fee collections in any service organization. York County Counseling Services implemented a new method of fee assessment and collection based on the principles of providing a service worth paying for, accurate assessment of ability to pay, and a budget-payment system. (Author)

Methodology for a GIS-based damage assessment for researchers following large scale disasters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crawford, Patrick Shane

The 1990s were designated the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction by the United Nations General Assembly. This push for decrease of loss of life, property destruction, and social and economic disruption brought advancements in disaster management, including damage assessment. Damage assessment in the wake of natural and manmade disasters is a useful tool for government agencies, insurance companies, and researchers. As technologies evolve damage assessment processes constantly evolve as well. Alongside the advances in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, as well as the growing awareness of the needs of a standard operating procedure for GIS-based damage assessment and a need to make the damage assessment process as quick and accurate as possible, damage assessment procedures are becoming easier to execute and the results are becoming more accurate and robust. With these technological breakthroughs, multi-disciplinary damage assessment reconnaissance teams have become more efficient in their assessment methods through better organization and more robust through addition of new datasets. Damage assessment personnel are aided by software tools that offer high-level analysis and increasingly rapid damage assessment methods. GIS software has advanced the damage assessment methods of these teams by combining remotely sensed aerial imagery, GPS, and other technologies to expand the uses of the data. GIS allows researchers to use aerial imagery to show field collected data in the geographic location that it was collected so that information can be revisited, measurements can be taken, and data can be disseminated to other researchers and the public. The GIS-based data available to the reconnaissance team includes photographs of damage, worksheets, calculations, voice messages collected while studying the affected area, and many other datasets which are based on the type of disaster and the research field. Along with visually mapping the data, geometric calculations can be conducted on the data to give the viewer more information about the damage. In Chapter 4, a tornado damage contour for Moore, Oklahoma following the May 20, 2013 tornado is shown. This damage contour was created in GIS based on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) damage scale, and gives the viewer an easily understood picture of the extent and distribution of the tornado. This thesis aims to describe a foundational groundwork for activities that are performed in the GIS-based damage assessment procedure and provide uses for the damage assessment as well as research being conducted on how to use the data collected from these assessments. This will allow researchers to conduct a highly adaptable, rapid GIS-based damage assessment of their own.

Clinical feasibility of exercise-based A-V interval optimization for cardiac resynchronization: a pilot study.

PubMed

Choudhuri, Indrajit; MacCarter, Dean; Shaw, Rachael; Anderson, Steve; St Cyr, John; Niazi, Imran

2014-11-01

One-third of eligible patients fail to respond to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Current methods to "optimize" the atrio-ventricular (A-V) interval are performed at rest, which may limit its efficacy during daily activities. We hypothesized that low-intensity cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) could identify the most favorable physiologic combination of specific gas exchange parameters reflecting pulmonary blood flow or cardiac output, stroke volume, and left atrial pressure to guide determination of the optimal A-V interval. We assessed relative feasibility of determining the optimal A-V interval by three methods in 17 patients who underwent optimization of CRT: (1) resting echocardiographic optimization (the Ritter method), (2) resting electrical optimization (intrinsic A-V interval and QRS duration), and (3) during low-intensity, steady-state CPX. Five sequential, incremental A-V intervals were programmed in each method. Assessment of cardiopulmonary stability and potential influence on the CPX-based method were assessed. CPX and determination of a physiological optimal A-V interval was successfully completed in 94.1% of patients, slightly higher than the resting echo-based approach (88.2%). There was a wide variation in the optimal A-V delay determined by each method. There was no observed cardiopulmonary instability or impact of the implant procedure that affected determination of the CPX-based optimized A-V interval. Determining optimized A-V intervals by CPX is feasible. Proposed mechanisms explaining this finding and long-term impact require further study. ©2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Resource-assessment perspectives for unconventional gas systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmoker, J.W.

2002-01-01

Concepts are described for assessing those unconventional gas systems that can also be defined as continous accumulations. Continuous gas accumulations exist more or less independently of the water column and do not owe their existence directly to the bouyancy of gas in water. They cannot be represented in terms of individual, countable fields or pools delineated by downdip water contacts. For these reasons, traditional resource-assessment methods based on estimating the sizes and numbers of undiscovered discrete fields cannot not be applied to continuous accumulations. Specialized assessment methods are required. Unconventional gas systems that are also continous accumulations include coalbed methane, basin-centered gas, so-called tight gas, fractured shale (and chalk) gas, and gas hydrates. Deep-basin and bacterial gas systems may or may not be continuous accumulations, depending on their geologic setting. Two basic resource-assessment approaches have been employed for continous accumulations. The first approach is based on estimates of gas in place. A volumetric estimate of total gas in place is commonly coupled with an overall recovery factor to narrow the assessment scope from a treatment of gas volumes residing in sedimentary strata to a prediction of potential additions to reserves. The second approach is based on the production performance of continous gas reservoirs, as shown empirically by wells and reservoir-simulation models. In these methods, production characteristics (as opposed to gas in place) are the foundation for forecasts of potential additions to reserves.

Wearable accelerometry-based technology capable of assessing functional activities in neurological populations in community settings: a systematic review

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Integrating rehabilitation services through wearable systems has the potential to accurately assess the type, intensity, duration, and quality of movement necessary for procuring key outcome measures. Objectives This review aims to explore wearable accelerometry-based technology (ABT) capable of assessing mobility-related functional activities intended for rehabilitation purposes in community settings for neurological populations. In this review, we focus on the accuracy of ABT-based methods, types of outcome measures, and the implementation of ABT in non-clinical settings for rehabilitation purposes. Data sources Cochrane, PubMed, Web of Knowledge, EMBASE, and IEEE Xplore. The search strategy covered three main areas, namely wearable technology, rehabilitation, and setting. Study selection Potentially relevant studies were categorized as systems either evaluating methods or outcome parameters. Methods Methodological qualities of studies were assessed by two customized checklists, depending on their categorization and rated independently by three blinded reviewers. Results Twelve studies involving ABT met the eligibility criteria, of which three studies were identified as having implemented ABT for rehabilitation purposes in non-clinical settings. From the twelve studies, seven studies achieved high methodological quality scores. These studies were not only capable of assessing the type, quantity, and quality measures of functional activities, but could also distinguish healthy from non-healthy subjects and/or address disease severity levels. Conclusion While many studies support ABT’s potential for telerehabilitation, few actually utilized it to assess mobility-related functional activities outside laboratory settings. To generate more appropriate outcome measures, there is a clear need to translate research findings and novel methods into practice. PMID:24625308

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.

How was the intern year?: self and clinical assessment of four cohorts, from two medical curricula

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Problem-based curricula have provoked controversy amongst educators and students regarding outcome in medical graduates, supporting the need for longitudinal evaluation of curriculum change. As part of a longitudinal evaluation program at the University of Adelaide, a mixed method approach was used to compare the graduate outcomes of two curriculum cohorts: traditional lecture-based ‘old’ and problem-based ‘new’ learning. Methods Graduates were asked to self-assess preparedness for hospital practice and consent to a comparative analysis of their work-place based assessments from their intern year. Comparative data were extracted from 692 work-place based assessments for 124 doctors who graduated from the University of Adelaide Medical School between 2003 and 2006. Results Self-assessment: Overall, graduates of the lecture-based curriculum rated the medical program significantly higher than graduates of the problem-based curriculum. However, there was no significant difference between the two curriculum cohorts with respect to their preparedness in 13 clinical skills. There were however, two areas where the cohorts rated their preparedness in the 13 broad practitioner competencies as significantly different: problem-based graduates rated themselves as better prepared in their ‘awareness of legal and ethical issues’ and the lecture-based graduates rated themselves better prepared in their ‘understanding of disease processes’. Work-place based assessment: There were no significant differences between the two curriculum cohorts for ‘Appropriate Level of Competence’ and ‘Overall Appraisal’. Of the 14 work-place based assessment skills assessed for competence, no significant difference was found between the cohorts. Conclusions The differences in the perceived preparedness for hospital practice of two curriculum cohorts do not reflect the work-place based assessments of their competence as interns. No significant difference was found between the two cohorts in relation to their knowledge and clinical skills. However results suggest a trend in ‘communication with peers and colleagues in other disciplines’ (χ2 (3, N = 596) =13.10, p = 0.056) that requires further exploration. In addition we have learned that student confidence in a new curriculum may impact on their self-perception of preparedness, while not affecting their actual competence. PMID:24961171

Merging Dietary Assessment with the Adolescent Lifestyle

PubMed Central

Schap, TusaRebecca E; Zhu, Fengqing M; Delp, Edward J; Boushey, Carol J

2013-01-01

The use of image-based dietary assessment methods shows promise for improving dietary self-report among children. The Technology Assisted Dietary Assessment (TADA) food record application is a self-administered food record specifically designed to address the burden and human error associated with conventional methods of dietary assessment. Users would take images of foods and beverages at all eating occasions using a mobile telephone or mobile device with an integrated camera, (e.g., Apple iPhone, Google Nexus One, Apple iPod Touch). Once the images are taken, the images are transferred to a back-end server for automated analysis. The first step in this process is image analysis, i.e., segmentation, feature extraction, and classification, allows for automated food identification. Portion size estimation is also automated via segmentation and geometric shape template modeling. The results of the automated food identification and volume estimation can be indexed with the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) to provide a detailed diet analysis for use in epidemiologic or intervention studies. Data collected during controlled feeding studies in a camp-like setting have allowed for formative evaluation and validation of the TADA food record application. This review summarizes the system design and the evidence-based development of image-based methods for dietary assessment among children. PMID:23489518

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.

Managing for resilience: an information theory-based ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecosystems are complex and multivariate; hence, methods to assess the dynamics of ecosystems should have the capacity to evaluate multiple indicators simultaneously. Most research on identifying leading indicators of regime shifts has focused on univariate methods and simple models which have limited utility when evaluating real ecosystems, particularly because drivers are often unknown. We discuss some common univariate and multivariate approaches for detecting critical transitions in ecosystems and demonstrate their capabilities via case studies. Synthesis and applications. We illustrate the utility of an information theory-based index for assessing ecosystem dynamics. Trends in this index also provide a sentinel of both abrupt and gradual transitions in ecosystems. In response to the need to identify leading indicators of regime shifts in ecosystems, our research compares traditional indicators and Fisher information, an information theory based method, by examining four case study systems. Results demonstrate the utility of methods and offers great promise for quantifying and managing for resilience.

Assessing and evaluating multidisciplinary translational teams: a mixed methods approach.

PubMed

Wooten, Kevin C; Rose, Robert M; Ostir, Glenn V; Calhoun, William J; Ameredes, Bill T; Brasier, Allan R

2014-03-01

A case report illustrates how multidisciplinary translational teams can be assessed using outcome, process, and developmental types of evaluation using a mixed-methods approach. Types of evaluation appropriate for teams are considered in relation to relevant research questions and assessment methods. Logic models are applied to scientific projects and team development to inform choices between methods within a mixed-methods design. Use of an expert panel is reviewed, culminating in consensus ratings of 11 multidisciplinary teams and a final evaluation within a team-type taxonomy. Based on team maturation and scientific progress, teams were designated as (a) early in development, (b) traditional, (c) process focused, or (d) exemplary. Lessons learned from data reduction, use of mixed methods, and use of expert panels are explored.

Computational assessment of model-based wave separation using a database of virtual subjects.

PubMed

Hametner, Bernhard; Schneider, Magdalena; Parragh, Stephanie; Wassertheurer, Siegfried

2017-11-07

The quantification of arterial wave reflection is an important area of interest in arterial pulse wave analysis. It can be achieved by wave separation analysis (WSA) if both the aortic pressure waveform and the aortic flow waveform are known. For better applicability, several mathematical models have been established to estimate aortic flow solely based on pressure waveforms. The aim of this study is to investigate and verify the model-based wave separation of the ARCSolver method on virtual pulse wave measurements. The study is based on an open access virtual database generated via simulations. Seven cardiac and arterial parameters were varied within physiological healthy ranges, leading to a total of 3325 virtual healthy subjects. For assessing the model-based ARCSolver method computationally, this method was used to perform WSA based on the aortic root pressure waveforms of the virtual patients. Asa reference, the values of WSA using both the pressure and flow waveforms provided by the virtual database were taken. The investigated parameters showed a good overall agreement between the model-based method and the reference. Mean differences and standard deviations were -0.05±0.02AU for characteristic impedance, -3.93±1.79mmHg for forward pressure amplitude, 1.37±1.56mmHg for backward pressure amplitude and 12.42±4.88% for reflection magnitude. The results indicate that the mathematical blood flow model of the ARCSolver method is a feasible surrogate for a measured flow waveform and provides a reasonable way to assess arterial wave reflection non-invasively in healthy subjects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of a Cloud Model-Set Pair Analysis in Hazard Assessment for Biomass Gasification Stations.

PubMed

Yan, Fang; Xu, Kaili

2017-01-01

Because a biomass gasification station includes various hazard factors, hazard assessment is needed and significant. In this article, the cloud model (CM) is employed to improve set pair analysis (SPA), and a novel hazard assessment method for a biomass gasification station is proposed based on the cloud model-set pair analysis (CM-SPA). In this method, cloud weight is proposed to be the weight of index. In contrast to the index weight of other methods, cloud weight is shown by cloud descriptors; hence, the randomness and fuzziness of cloud weight will make it effective to reflect the linguistic variables of experts. Then, the cloud connection degree (CCD) is proposed to replace the connection degree (CD); the calculation algorithm of CCD is also worked out. By utilizing the CCD, the hazard assessment results are shown by some normal clouds, and the normal clouds are reflected by cloud descriptors; meanwhile, the hazard grade is confirmed by analyzing the cloud descriptors. After that, two biomass gasification stations undergo hazard assessment via CM-SPA and AHP based SPA, respectively. The comparison of assessment results illustrates that the CM-SPA is suitable and effective for the hazard assessment of a biomass gasification station and that CM-SPA will make the assessment results more reasonable and scientific.

Application of a Cloud Model-Set Pair Analysis in Hazard Assessment for Biomass Gasification Stations

PubMed Central

Yan, Fang; Xu, Kaili

2017-01-01

Because a biomass gasification station includes various hazard factors, hazard assessment is needed and significant. In this article, the cloud model (CM) is employed to improve set pair analysis (SPA), and a novel hazard assessment method for a biomass gasification station is proposed based on the cloud model-set pair analysis (CM-SPA). In this method, cloud weight is proposed to be the weight of index. In contrast to the index weight of other methods, cloud weight is shown by cloud descriptors; hence, the randomness and fuzziness of cloud weight will make it effective to reflect the linguistic variables of experts. Then, the cloud connection degree (CCD) is proposed to replace the connection degree (CD); the calculation algorithm of CCD is also worked out. By utilizing the CCD, the hazard assessment results are shown by some normal clouds, and the normal clouds are reflected by cloud descriptors; meanwhile, the hazard grade is confirmed by analyzing the cloud descriptors. After that, two biomass gasification stations undergo hazard assessment via CM-SPA and AHP based SPA, respectively. The comparison of assessment results illustrates that the CM-SPA is suitable and effective for the hazard assessment of a biomass gasification station and that CM-SPA will make the assessment results more reasonable and scientific. PMID:28076440

Image analysis for skeletal evaluation of carpal bones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ko, Chien-Chuan; Mao, Chi-Wu; Lin, Chi-Jen; Sun, Yung-Nien

1995-04-01

The assessment of bone age is an important field to the pediatric radiology. It provides very important information for treatment and prediction of skeletal growth in a developing child. So far, various computerized algorithms for automatically assessing the skeletal growth have been reported. Most of these methods made attempt to analyze the phalangeal growth. The most fundamental step in these automatic measurement methods is the image segmentation that extracts bones from soft-tissue and background. These automatic segmentation methods of hand radiographs can roughly be categorized into two main approaches that are edge and region based methods. This paper presents a region-based carpal-bone segmentation approach. It is organized into four stages: contrast enhancement, moment-preserving thresholding, morphological processing, and region-growing labeling.

Comparison of two occurrence risk assessment methods for collapse gully erosion ——A case study in Guangdong province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, K.; Cheng, D. B.; He, J. J.; Zhao, Y. L.

2018-02-01

Collapse gully erosion is a specific type of soil erosion in the red soil region of southern China, and early warning and prevention of the occurrence of collapse gully erosion is very important. Based on the idea of risk assessment, this research, taking Guangdong province as an example, adopt the information acquisition analysis and the logistic regression analysis, to discuss the feasibility for collapse gully erosion risk assessment in regional scale, and compare the applicability of the different risk assessment methods. The results show that in the Guangdong province, the risk degree of collapse gully erosion occurrence is high in northeastern and western area, and relatively low in southwestern and central part. The comparing analysis of the different risk assessment methods on collapse gully also indicated that the risk distribution patterns from the different methods were basically consistent. However, the accuracy of risk map from the information acquisition analysis method was slightly better than that from the logistic regression analysis method.

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.

Effective data validation of high-frequency data: time-point-, time-interval-, and trend-based methods.

PubMed

Horn, W; Miksch, S; Egghart, G; Popow, C; Paky, F

1997-09-01

Real-time systems for monitoring and therapy planning, which receive their data from on-line monitoring equipment and computer-based patient records, require reliable data. Data validation has to utilize and combine a set of fast methods to detect, eliminate, and repair faulty data, which may lead to life-threatening conclusions. The strength of data validation results from the combination of numerical and knowledge-based methods applied to both continuously-assessed high-frequency data and discontinuously-assessed data. Dealing with high-frequency data, examining single measurements is not sufficient. It is essential to take into account the behavior of parameters over time. We present time-point-, time-interval-, and trend-based methods for validation and repair. These are complemented by time-independent methods for determining an overall reliability of measurements. The data validation benefits from the temporal data-abstraction process, which provides automatically derived qualitative values and patterns. The temporal abstraction is oriented on a context-sensitive and expectation-guided principle. Additional knowledge derived from domain experts forms an essential part for all of these methods. The methods are applied in the field of artificial ventilation of newborn infants. Examples from the real-time monitoring and therapy-planning system VIE-VENT illustrate the usefulness and effectiveness of the methods.

Modeling water exchange and contaminant transport through a Baltic coastal region.

PubMed

Engqvist, Anders; Döös, Kristofer; Andrejev, Oleg

2006-12-01

The water exchange of the Baltic coastal zone is characterized by its seasonally varying regimes. In the safety assessment of a potential repository for spent nuclear fuel, it is important to assess the consequences of a hypothetical leak of radionuclides through the seabed into a waterborne transport phase. In particular, estimates of the associated residence times in the near-shore coastal zone are of interest. There are several methods to quantify such measures, of which three are presented here. Using the coastal location of Forsmark (Sweden) as an example, methods based on passive tracers, particle trajectories, and the average age distribution of exogeneous water parcels are compared for a representative one-year cycle. Tracer-based methods can simulate diffusivity more realistically than the other methods. Trajectory-based methods can handle Lagrangian dispersion processes due to advection but neglect diffusion on the sub-grid scale. The method based on the concept of average age (AvA) of exogeneous water can include all such sources simultaneously not only boundary water bodies but also various (fresh)-water discharges. Due to the inclusion of sub-grid diffusion this method gives a smoother measure of the water renewal. It is shown that backward in time trajectories and AvA-times are basically equipollent methods, yielding correlated results within the limits set by the diffusivity.

What Makes a Change Unsuccessful through the Eyes of Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cimer, Sabiha Odabasi

2018-01-01

Over the past two decades, Turkey has initiated a reform movement to change her classroom assessment system to accommodate performance-based alternative assessment methods in schools. However, research investigating the impact of assessment reform on learning and teaching in schools report that performance assessment approaches have not been…

Competence Assessment Integrating Reflective Practice in a Professional Psychology Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Deborah; Virden, Tom; Hutchings, Philinda Smith; Bhargava, Ruchi

2011-01-01

The Midwestern University Clinical Psychology Program--Glendale Campus (MWU) created a Comprehensive Assessment Method in Psychology (CAMP) comprised of 35 different "tasks" of authentic work products representing a variety of assessment techniques based on pedagogical theory. Each task assesses one or more components of one of the…

Examining Portfolio-Based Assessment in an Upper-Level Biology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ziegler, Brittany Ann

2012-01-01

Historically, students have been viewed as empty vessels and passive participants in the learning process but students actually are active forming their own conceptions. One way student learning is impacted is through assessment. Alternative assessment, which contrasts traditional assessment methods, takes into account how students learn by…

Item Response Theory for Peer Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uto, Masaki; Ueno, Maomi

2016-01-01

As an assessment method based on a constructivist approach, peer assessment has become popular in recent years. However, in peer assessment, a problem remains that reliability depends on the rater characteristics. For this reason, some item response models that incorporate rater parameters have been proposed. Those models are expected to improve…

Technology to assess and support self-management in serious mental illness

PubMed Central

Depp, Colin A.; Moore, Raeanne C.; Perivoliotis, Dimitri; Granholm, Eric

2016-01-01

The functional impairment associated with serious mental illness (SMI) places an immense burden on individuals and society, and disability often persists even after efficacious treatment of psychopathologic symptoms. Traditional methods of measuring functioning have limitations, and numerous obstacles reduce the reach and impact of evidence-based interventions developed to improve functioning in SMI. This review describes the potential of technological innovations for overcoming the challenges involved in both functional assessment and intervention in people with SMI. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA), which involves the repeated sampling of naturalistic behaviors and experiences while individuals carry out their daily lives, has provided a new window through which the determinants of day-to-day function in SMI can be observed. EMA has several advantages over traditional assessment methods and has in recent years evolved to use mobile-based platforms, such as text messaging and smartphone applications, for both assessment and promotion of self-management in people with SMI. We will review promising data regarding the acceptability, adherence, and efficacy of EMA-based mobile technologies; explore ways in which these technologies can extend the reach and impact of evidence-based psychosocial rehabilitative interventions in SMI; and outline future directions for research in this important area. PMID:27489457

Teaching genetics using hands-on models, problem solving, and inquiry-based methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoppe, Stephanie Ann

Teaching genetics can be challenging because of the difficulty of the content and misconceptions students might hold. This thesis focused on using hands-on model activities, problem solving, and inquiry-based teaching/learning methods in order to increase student understanding in an introductory biology class in the area of genetics. Various activities using these three methods were implemented into the classes to address any misconceptions and increase student learning of the difficult concepts. The activities that were implemented were shown to be successful based on pre-post assessment score comparison. The students were assessed on the subjects of inheritance patterns, meiosis, and protein synthesis and demonstrated growth in all of the areas. It was found that hands-on models, problem solving, and inquiry-based activities were more successful in learning concepts in genetics and the students were more engaged than tradition styles of lecture.

Similar negative impacts of temperature on global wheat yield estimated by three independent methods

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The potential impact of global temperature change on global wheat production has recently been assessed with different methods, scaling and aggregation approaches. Here we show that grid-based simulations, point-based simulations, and statistical regressions produce similar estimates of temperature ...

Neuropsychology 3.0: Evidence-Based Science and Practice

PubMed Central

Bilder, Robert M.

2011-01-01

Neuropsychology is poised for transformations of its concepts and methods, leveraging advances in neuroimaging, the human genome project, psychometric theory, and information technologies. It is argued that a paradigm shift towards evidence-based science and practice can be enabled by innovations, including: (1) formal definition of neuropsychological concepts and tasks in cognitive ontologies; (2) creation of collaborative neuropsychological knowledgebases; and (3) design of web-based assessment methods that permit free development, large-sample implementation, and dynamic refinement of neuropsychological tests and the constructs these aim to assess. This article considers these opportunities, highlights selected obstacles, and offers suggestions for stepwise progress towards these goals. PMID:21092355

Advanced Cardiac Life Support Training by Problem-Based Method: Effect on the Trainee's Skills, Knowledge and Evaluation of Trainers.

PubMed

Hosseini, Seyed Kianoosh; Ghalamkari, Marziyeh; Yousefshahi, Fardin; Mireskandari, Seyed Mohammad; Rezaei Hamami, Mohsen

2013-10-28

Cardiopulmonary-cerebral resuscitation (CPCR) training is essential for all hospital workers, especially junior residents who might become the manager of the resuscitation team. In our center, the traditional CPCR knowledge training curriculum for junior residents up to 5 years ago was lecture-based and had some faults. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a problem-based method on residents' CPCR knowledge and skills as well as their evaluation of their CPCR trainers. This study, conducted at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, included 290 first-year residents in 2009-2010 - who were trained via a problem-based method (the problem-based group) - and 160 first-year residents in 2003-2004 - who were trained via a lecture-based method (the lecture-based group). Other educational techniques and facilities were similar. The participants self-evaluated their own CPCR knowledge and skills pre and post workshop and also assessed their trainers' efficacy post workshop by completing special questionnaires. The problem-based group, trained via the problem-based method, had higher self-assessment scores of CPCR knowledge and skills post workshop: the difference as regards the mean scores between the problem-based and lecture-based groups was 32.36 ± 19.23 vs. 22.33 ± 20.35 for knowledge (p value = 0.003) and 10.13 ± 7.17 vs. 8.19 ± 8.45 for skills (p value = 0.043). The residents' evaluation of their trainers was similar between the two study groups (p value = 0.193), with the mean scores being 15.90 ± 2.59 and 15.46 ± 2.90 in the problem-based and lecture-based groups - respectively. The problem-based method increased our residents' self-evaluation score of their own CPCR knowledge and skills.

An Assessment of the 2009 Zimbabwe Government's Decision to Enrol Pupils into Form One Using School-Based Assessment as an Alternative to Public Examinations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mhishi, Misheck; Mandoga, Edward; Tunjera, Nyarai; Bhukuvhani, Crispen Erinos

2012-01-01

School-Based Assessment (SBA) can help achieve a holistic, child-centred and qualitative account of a pupil's performance. The same method has been criticised for being subjective, informal and open to teacher bias hence the reluctance by the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) to embrace it for certification and selection into further…

The role of feedback in improving the effectiveness of workplace based assessments: a systematic review.

PubMed

Saedon, Habiba; Salleh, Shizalia; Balakrishnan, Arun; Imray, Christopher H E; Saedon, Mahmud

2012-05-02

With recent emphasis placed on workplace based assessment (WBA) as a method of formative performance assessment, there is limited evidence in the current literature regarding the role of feedback in improving the effectiveness of WBA. The aim of this systematic review was to elucidate the impact of feedback on the effectiveness of WBA in postgraduate medical training. Searches were conducted using the following bibliographic databases to identify original published studies related to WBA and the role of feedback: Medline (1950-December 2010), Embase (1980-December 2010) and Journals@Ovid (English language only, 1996-December 2010). Studies which attempted to evaluate the role of feedback in WBA involving postgraduate doctors were included. 15 identified studies met the inclusion criteria and minimum quality threshold. They were heterogeneous in methodological design. 7 studies focused on multi source feedback, 3 studies were based on mini-clinical evaluation exercise, 2 looked at procedural based assessment, one study looked at workplace based assessments in general and 2 studies looked at a combination of 3 to 6 workplace based assessments. 7 studies originated from the United Kingdom. Others were from Canada, the United States and New Zealand. Study populations were doctors in various grades of training from a wide range of specialties including general practice, general medicine, general surgery, dermatology, paediatrics and anaesthetics. All studies were prospective in design, and non-comparative descriptive or observational studies using a variety of methods including questionnaires, one to one interviews and focus groups. The evidence base contains few high quality conclusive studies and more studies are required to provide further evidence for the effect of feedback from workplace based assessment on subsequent performance. There is, however, good evidence that if well implemented, feedback from workplace based assessments, particularly multisource feedback, leads to a perceived positive effect on practice.

Generalizability of Evidence-Based Assessment Recommendations for Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

PubMed Central

Jenkins, Melissa M.; Youngstrom, Eric A.; Youngstrom, Jennifer Kogos; Feeny, Norah C.; Findling, Robert L.

2013-01-01

Bipolar disorder is frequently clinically diagnosed in youths who do not actually satisfy DSM-IV criteria, yet cases that would satisfy full DSM-IV criteria are often undetected clinically. Evidence-based assessment methods that incorporate Bayesian reasoning have demonstrated improved diagnostic accuracy, and consistency; however, their clinical utility is largely unexplored. The present study examines the effectiveness of promising evidence-based decision-making compared to the clinical gold standard. Participants were 562 youth, ages 5-17 and predominantly African American, drawn from a community mental health clinic. Research diagnoses combined semi-structured interview with youths’ psychiatric, developmental, and family mental health histories. Independent Bayesian estimates relied on published risk estimates from other samples discriminated bipolar diagnoses, Area Under Curve=.75, p<.00005. The Bayes and confidence ratings correlated rs =.30. Agreement about an evidence-based assessment intervention “threshold model” (wait/assess/treat) had K=.24, p<.05. No potential moderators of agreement between the Bayesian estimates and confidence ratings, including type of bipolar illness, were significant. Bayesian risk estimates were highly correlated with logistic regression estimates using optimal sample weights, r=.81, p<.0005. Clinical and Bayesian approaches agree in terms of overall concordance and deciding next clinical action, even when Bayesian predictions are based on published estimates from clinically and demographically different samples. Evidence-based assessment methods may be useful in settings that cannot routinely employ gold standard assessments, and they may help decrease rates of overdiagnosis while promoting earlier identification of true cases. PMID:22004538

Age assessment based on third molar mineralisation : An epidemiological-radiological study on a Central-European population.

PubMed

Hofmann, Elisabeth; Robold, Matthias; Proff, Peter; Kirschneck, Christian

2017-03-01

The method published in 1973 by Demirjian et al. to assess age based on the mineralisation stage of permanent teeth is standard practice in forensic and orthodontic diagnostics. From age 14 onwards, however, this method is only applicable to third molars. No current epidemiological data on third molar mineralisation are available for Caucasian Central-Europeans. Thus, a method for assessing age in this population based on third molar mineralisation is presented, taking into account possible topographic and gender-specific differences. The study included 486 Caucasian Central-European orthodontic patients (9-24 years) with unaffected dental development. In an anonymized, randomized, and blinded manner, one orthopantomogram of each patient at either start, mid or end of treatment was visually analysed regarding the mineralisation stage of the third molars according to the method by Demirjian et al. Corresponding topographic and gender-specific point scores were determined and added to form a dental maturity score. Prediction equations for age assessment were derived by linear regression analysis with chronological age and checked for reliability within the study population. Mineralisation of the lower third molars was slower than mineralisation of the upper third molars, whereas no jaw-side-specific differences were detected. Gender-specific differences were relatively small, but girls reached mineralisation stage C earlier than boys, whereas boys showed an accelerated mineralisation between the ages of 15 and 16. The global equation generated by regression analysis (age = -1.103 + 0.268 × dental maturity score 18 + 28 + 38 + 48) is sufficiently accurate and reliable for clinical use. Age assessment only based on either maxilla or mandible also shows good prognostic reliability.

Diet Assessment Methods in the Nurses' Health Studies and Contribution to Evidence-Based Nutritional Policies and Guidelines

PubMed Central

Satija, Ambika; Rimm, Eric B.; Spiegelman, Donna; Sampson, Laura; Rosner, Bernard; Camargo, Carlos A.; Stampfer, Meir; Willett, Walter C.

2016-01-01

Objectives. To review the contribution of the Nurses’ Health Studies (NHSs) to diet assessment methods and evidence-based nutritional policies and guidelines. Methods. We performed a narrative review of the publications of the NHS and NHS II between 1976 and 2016. Results. Through periodic assessment of diet by validated dietary questionnaires over 40 years, the NHSs have identified dietary determinants of diseases such as breast and other cancers; obesity; type 2 diabetes; cardiovascular, respiratory, and eye diseases; and neurodegenerative and mental health disorders. Nutritional biomarkers were assessed using blood, urine, and toenail samples. Robust findings, from the NHSs, together with evidence from other large cohorts and randomized dietary intervention trials, have contributed to the evidence base for developing dietary guidelines and nutritional policies to reduce intakes of trans fat, saturated fat, sugar-sweetened beverages, red and processed meats, and refined carbohydrates while promoting higher intake of healthy fats and carbohydrates and overall healthful dietary patterns. Conclusions. The long-term, periodically collected dietary data in the NHSs, with documented reliability and validity, have contributed extensively to our understanding of the dietary determinants of various diseases, informing dietary guidelines and shaping nutritional policy. PMID:27459459

Identification of a practical and reliable method for the evaluation of litter moisture in turkey production.

PubMed

Vinco, L J; Giacomelli, S; Campana, L; Chiari, M; Vitale, N; Lombardi, G; Veldkamp, T; Hocking, P M

2018-02-01

1. An experiment was conducted to compare 5 different methods for the evaluation of litter moisture. 2. For litter collection and assessment, 55 farms were selected, one shed from each farm was inspected and 9 points were identified within each shed. 3. For each device, used for the evaluation of litter moisture, mean and standard deviation of wetness measures per collection point were assessed. 4. The reliability and overall consistency between the 5 instruments used to measure wetness were high (α = 0.72). 5. Measurement of three out of the 9 collection points were sufficient to provide a reliable assessment of litter moisture throughout the shed. 6. Based on the direct correlation between litter moisture and footpad lesions, litter moisture measurement can be used as a resource based on-farm animal welfare indicator. 7. Among the 5 methods analysed, visual scoring is the most simple and practical, and therefore the best candidate to be used on-farm for animal welfare assessment.

Hydrological change: Towards a consistent approach to assess changes on both floods and droughts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quesada-Montano, Beatriz; Di Baldassarre, Giuliano; Rangecroft, Sally; Van Loon, Anne F.

2018-01-01

Several studies have found that the frequency, magnitude and spatio-temporal distribution of droughts and floods have significantly increased in many regions of the world. Yet, most of the methods used in detecting trends in hydrological extremes 1) focus on either floods or droughts, and/or 2) base their assessment on characteristics that, even though useful for trend identification, cannot be directly used in decision making, e.g. integrated water resources management and disaster risk reduction. In this paper, we first discuss the need for a consistent approach to assess changes on both floods and droughts, and then propose a method based on the theory of runs and threshold levels. Flood and drought changes were assessed in terms of frequency, length and surplus/deficit volumes. This paper also presents an example application using streamflow data from two hydrometric stations along the Po River basin (Italy), Piacenza and Pontelagoscuro, and then discuss opportunities and challenges of the proposed method.

Comparison of risk assessment procedures used in OCRA and ULRA methods

PubMed Central

Roman-Liu, Danuta; Groborz, Anna; Tokarski, Tomasz

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyse the convergence of two methods by comparing exposure and the assessed risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders at 18 repetitive task workstations. The already established occupational repetitive actions (OCRA) and the recently developed upper limb risk assessment (ULRA) produce correlated results (R = 0.84, p = 0.0001). A discussion of the factors that influence the values of the OCRA index and ULRA's repetitive task indicator shows that both similarities and differences in the results produced by the two methods can arise from the concepts that underlie them. The assessment procedure and mathematical calculations that the basic parameters are subjected to are crucial to the results of risk assessment. The way the basic parameters are defined influences the assessment of exposure and risk assessment to a lesser degree. The analysis also proved that not always do great differences in load indicator values result in differences in risk zones. Practitioner Summary: We focused on comparing methods that, even though based on different concepts, serve the same purpose. The results proved that different methods with different assumptions can produce similar assessment of upper limb load; sharp criteria in risk assessment are not the best solution. PMID:24041375

Effects of Selected Task Performance Criteria at Initiating Adaptive Task Real locations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montgomery, Demaris A.

2001-01-01

In the current report various performance assessment methods used to initiate mode transfers between manual control and automation for adaptive task reallocation were tested. Participants monitored two secondary tasks for critical events while actively controlling a process in a fictional system. One of the secondary monitoring tasks could be automated whenever operators' performance was below acceptable levels. Automation of the secondary task and transfer of the secondary task back to manual control were either human- or machine-initiated. Human-initiated transfers were based on the operator's assessment of the current task demands while machine-initiated transfers were based on the operators' performance. Different performance assessment methods were tested in two separate experiments.

Uncertainty in Agricultural Impact Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallach, Daniel; Mearns, Linda O.; Rivington, Michael; Antle, John M.; Ruane, Alexander C.

2014-01-01

This chapter considers issues concerning uncertainty associated with modeling and its use within agricultural impact assessments. Information about uncertainty is important for those who develop assessment methods, since that information indicates the need for, and the possibility of, improvement of the methods and databases. Such information also allows one to compare alternative methods. Information about the sources of uncertainties is an aid in prioritizing further work on the impact assessment method. Uncertainty information is also necessary for those who apply assessment methods, e.g., for projecting climate change impacts on agricultural production and for stakeholders who want to use the results as part of a decision-making process (e.g., for adaptation planning). For them, uncertainty information indicates the degree of confidence they can place in the simulated results. Quantification of uncertainty also provides stakeholders with an important guideline for making decisions that are robust across the known uncertainties. Thus, uncertainty information is important for any decision based on impact assessment. Ultimately, we are interested in knowledge about uncertainty so that information can be used to achieve positive outcomes from agricultural modeling and impact assessment.

Research on assessment methods for urban public transport development in China.

PubMed

Zou, Linghong; Dai, Hongna; Yao, Enjian; Jiang, Tian; Guo, Hongwei

2014-01-01

In recent years, with the rapid increase in urban population, the urban travel demands in Chinese cities have been increasing dramatically. As a result, developing comprehensive urban transport systems becomes an inevitable choice to meet the growing urban travel demands. In urban transport systems, public transport plays the leading role to promote sustainable urban development. This paper aims to establish an assessment index system for the development level of urban public transport consisting of a target layer, a criterion layer, and an index layer. Review on existing literature shows that methods used in evaluating urban public transport structure are dominantly qualitative. To overcome this shortcoming, fuzzy mathematics method is used for describing qualitative issues quantitatively, and AHP (analytic hierarchy process) is used to quantify expert's subjective judgment. The assessment model is established based on the fuzzy AHP. The weight of each index is determined through the AHP and the degree of membership of each index through the fuzzy assessment method to obtain the fuzzy synthetic assessment matrix. Finally, a case study is conducted to verify the rationality and practicability of the assessment system and the proposed assessment method.

Development of seismic fragility curves for low-rise masonry infilled reinforced concrete buildings by a coefficient-based method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Ray Kai Leung; Lee, Chien-Liang

2013-06-01

This study presents a seismic fragility analysis and ultimate spectral displacement assessment of regular low-rise masonry infilled (MI) reinforced concrete (RC) buildings using a coefficient-based method. The coefficient-based method does not require a complicated finite element analysis; instead, it is a simplified procedure for assessing the spectral acceleration and displacement of buildings subjected to earthquakes. A regression analysis was first performed to obtain the best-fitting equations for the inter-story drift ratio (IDR) and period shift factor of low-rise MI RC buildings in response to the peak ground acceleration of earthquakes using published results obtained from shaking table tests. Both spectral acceleration- and spectral displacement-based fragility curves under various damage states (in terms of IDR) were then constructed using the coefficient-based method. Finally, the spectral displacements of low-rise MI RC buildings at the ultimate (or nearcollapse) state obtained from this paper and the literature were compared. The simulation results indicate that the fragility curves obtained from this study and other previous work correspond well. Furthermore, most of the spectral displacements of low-rise MI RC buildings at the ultimate state from the literature fall within the bounded spectral displacements predicted by the coefficient-based method.

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.

Assessing network scale-up estimates for groups most at risk of HIV/AIDS: evidence from a multiple-method study of heavy drug users in Curitiba, Brazil.

PubMed

Salganik, Matthew J; Fazito, Dimitri; Bertoni, Neilane; Abdo, Alexandre H; Mello, Maeve B; Bastos, Francisco I

2011-11-15

One of the many challenges hindering the global response to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic is the difficulty of collecting reliable information about the populations most at risk for the disease. Thus, the authors empirically assessed a promising new method for estimating the sizes of most at-risk populations: the network scale-up method. Using 4 different data sources, 2 of which were from other researchers, the authors produced 5 estimates of the number of heavy drug users in Curitiba, Brazil. The authors found that the network scale-up and generalized network scale-up estimators produced estimates 5-10 times higher than estimates made using standard methods (the multiplier method and the direct estimation method using data from 2004 and 2010). Given that equally plausible methods produced such a wide range of results, the authors recommend that additional studies be undertaken to compare estimates based on the scale-up method with those made using other methods. If scale-up-based methods routinely produce higher estimates, this would suggest that scale-up-based methods are inappropriate for populations most at risk of HIV/AIDS or that standard methods may tend to underestimate the sizes of these populations.

Dynamic building risk assessment theoretic model for rainstorm-flood utilization ABM and ABS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Wenze; Li, Wenbo; Wang, Hailei; Huang, Yingliang; Wu, Xuelian; Sun, Bingyun

2015-12-01

Flood is one of natural disasters with the worst loss in the world. It needs to assess flood disaster risk so that we can reduce the loss of flood disaster. Disaster management practical work needs the dynamic risk results of building. Rainstorm flood disaster system is a typical complex system. From the view of complex system theory, flood disaster risk is the interaction result of hazard effect objects, rainstorm flood hazard factors, and hazard environments. Agent-based modeling (ABM) is an important tool for complex system modeling. Rainstorm-flood building risk dynamic assessment method (RFBRDAM) was proposed using ABM in this paper. The interior structures and procedures of different agents in proposed meth had been designed. On the Netlogo platform, the proposed method was implemented to assess the building risk changes of the rainstorm flood disaster in the Huaihe River Basin using Agent-based simulation (ABS). The results indicated that the proposed method can dynamically assess building risk of the whole process for the rainstorm flood disaster. The results of this paper can provide one new approach for flood disaster building risk dynamic assessment and flood disaster management.

Assessing Implementation Fidelity and Adaptation in a Community-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Zoe; Kostadinov, Iordan; Jones, Michelle; Richard, Lucie; Cargo, Margaret

2014-01-01

Little research has assessed the fidelity, adaptation or integrity of activities implemented within community-based obesity prevention initiatives. To address this gap, a mixed-method process evaluation was undertaken in the context of the South Australian Obesity Prevention and Lifestyle (OPAL) initiative. An ecological coding procedure assessed…

A Bootstrap Generalization of Modified Parallel Analysis for IRT Dimensionality Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finch, Holmes; Monahan, Patrick

2008-01-01

This article introduces a bootstrap generalization to the Modified Parallel Analysis (MPA) method of test dimensionality assessment using factor analysis. This methodology, based on the use of Marginal Maximum Likelihood nonlinear factor analysis, provides for the calculation of a test statistic based on a parametric bootstrap using the MPA…

The Psychometric Properties of the Swedish Version of the EB Process Assessment Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyström, Siv; Åhsberg, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

Objective: This study examines whether the psychometric properties of the short version of the Evidence-Based Practice Process Assessment Scale (EBPPAS) remain satisfactory when translated and transferred to the context of Swedish welfare services. Method: The Swedish version of EBPPAS was tested on a sample of community-based professionals in…

76 FR 21985 - Notice of Final Priorities, Requirements, Definitions, and Selection Criteria

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-19

... only after a research base has been established to support the use of the assessments for such purposes..., research-based assessment practices. Discussion: We agree that the selection criteria should address the... selection criterion, which addresses methods of scoring, to allow for self-scoring of student performance on...

24 CFR 35.1320 - Lead-based paint inspections, paint testing, risk assessments, lead-hazard screens, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Methods and Standards for Lead-Paint Hazard... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Lead-based paint inspections, paint testing, risk assessments, lead-hazard screens, and reevaluations. 35.1320 Section 35.1320 Housing and...

24 CFR 35.1320 - Lead-based paint inspections, paint testing, risk assessments, lead-hazard screens, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Methods and Standards for Lead-Paint Hazard... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Lead-based paint inspections, paint testing, risk assessments, lead-hazard screens, and reevaluations. 35.1320 Section 35.1320 Housing and...

24 CFR 35.1320 - Lead-based paint inspections, paint testing, risk assessments, lead-hazard screens, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Methods and Standards for Lead-Paint Hazard... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Lead-based paint inspections, paint testing, risk assessments, lead-hazard screens, and reevaluations. 35.1320 Section 35.1320 Housing and...

24 CFR 35.1320 - Lead-based paint inspections, paint testing, risk assessments, lead-hazard screens, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Methods and Standards for Lead-Paint Hazard... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Lead-based paint inspections, paint testing, risk assessments, lead-hazard screens, and reevaluations. 35.1320 Section 35.1320 Housing and...

24 CFR 35.1320 - Lead-based paint inspections, paint testing, risk assessments, lead-hazard screens, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Methods and Standards for Lead-Paint Hazard... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Lead-based paint inspections, paint testing, risk assessments, lead-hazard screens, and reevaluations. 35.1320 Section 35.1320 Housing and...

Engineering Student Self-Assessment through Confidence-Based Scoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuen-Reed, Gigi; Reed, Kyle B.

2015-01-01

A vital aspect of an answer is the confidence that goes along with it. Misstating the level of confidence one has in the answer can have devastating outcomes. However, confidence assessment is rarely emphasized during typical engineering education. The confidence-based scoring method described in this study encourages students to both think about…

Development and Validation of the Evidence-Based Practice Process Assessment Scale: Preliminary Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubin, Allen; Parrish, Danielle E.

2010-01-01

Objective: This report describes the development and preliminary findings regarding the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of a scale that has been developed to assess practitioners' perceived familiarity with, attitudes about, and implementation of the phases of the evidence-based practice (EBP) process. Method: After a panel of national…

Students' Attitudes towards School-Based Sex and Relationships Education in Tanzania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mkumbo, Kitila A. K.

2014-01-01

Objective: The objective of this paper was to assess students' attitudes towards school-based sex and relationships education (SRE). Design: This study featured a cross-sectional survey design. Method: A sample of 715 students from two districts in Tanzania completed a survey questionnaire assessing various aspects related to their attitudes…

Teachers' Knowledge and Understanding of the Malaysian School-Based Oral English Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sidhu, Gurnam Kaur; Fook, Chan Yuen; Mohamad, Azleena

2011-01-01

Purpose: The paper sought to investigate TESL teachers' knowledge and understanding of the Malaysian School Based Oral English Assessment (SBOEA) after five years into its implementation in upper secondary ESL classrooms in Malaysian public schools Method: The descriptive study involved a total of 80 TESL trained teachers from the 19 schools…

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…

Curriculum-based Measurement in Assessing Bilingual Students: A Promising New Direction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentz, Johnell; Pavri, Shireen

2000-01-01

This article discusses the problems with traditional methods of assessing bilingual students and describes curriculum-based measurement (CBM) for use with bilingual Hispanic students. Additional information about the features of CBM is presented along with issues related to the use of CBM with bilingual Hispanic students. (Contains references.)…

Desertification Assessment and Monitoring Based on Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Z.; del Barrio, G.; Li, X.

2016-08-01

The objective of Dragon 3 Project 10367 is the development of techniques research for desertification assessment and monitoring in China using remote sensing data in combination with climate and environmental-related data. The main achievements acquired during the last two years could be summarized as follows:(1) Photosynthetic vegetation (PV) and non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) were estimated in Otindag sandy land by comparison of the pixel-invariant (Spectral Mixture Analysis, SMA) and pixel-variable (Multi-Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis, MESMA, Automated Monte Carlo Unmixing Analysis, AutoMCU) methods, based on GF-1 data and field measured spectral library.(2) Based on GF-1 data, SMA was applied to solve vegetation cover and transitional sandy land detection in Zhenglan Banner, Inner Mongolia, China.(3) By defined a new indictor, Moisture-responded NPP(MNPP), a new method for identification of degraded lands was put forward, and the land degradation in Xinlin Gol league, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China was assessed preliminarily. (4) The 2dRUE proved to be a good indicator for land degradation, based on which, land degradation status in the general potential extent of desertification in China (PEDC) was assessed.

Assessing Risk for Sexual Offenders in New Zealand: Development and Validation of a Computer-Scored Risk Measure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skelton, Alexander; Riley, David; Wales, David; Vess, James

2006-01-01

A growing research base supports the predictive validity of actuarial methods of risk assessment with sexual offenders. These methods use clearly defined variables with demonstrated empirical association with re-offending. The advantages of actuarial measures for screening large numbers of offenders quickly and economically are further enhanced…

A Comparison of Vector and Raster GIS Methods for Calculating Landscape Metrics Used in Environmental Assessments

Treesearch

Timothy G. Wade; James D. Wickham; Maliha S. Nash; Anne C. Neale; Kurt H. Riitters; K. Bruce Jones

2003-01-01

AbstractGIS-based measurements that combine native raster and native vector data are commonly used in environmental assessments. Most of these measurements can be calculated using either raster or vector data formats and processing methods. Raster processes are more commonly used because they can be significantly faster computationally...

Objective assessment based on motion-related metrics and technical performance in laparoscopic suturing.

PubMed

Sánchez-Margallo, Juan A; Sánchez-Margallo, Francisco M; Oropesa, Ignacio; Enciso, Silvia; Gómez, Enrique J

2017-02-01

The aim of this study is to present the construct and concurrent validity of a motion-tracking method of laparoscopic instruments based on an optical pose tracker and determine its feasibility as an objective assessment tool of psychomotor skills during laparoscopic suturing. A group of novice ([Formula: see text] laparoscopic procedures), intermediate (11-100 laparoscopic procedures) and experienced ([Formula: see text] laparoscopic procedures) surgeons performed three intracorporeal sutures on an ex vivo porcine stomach. Motion analysis metrics were recorded using the proposed tracking method, which employs an optical pose tracker to determine the laparoscopic instruments' position. Construct validation was measured for all 10 metrics across the three groups and between pairs of groups. Concurrent validation was measured against a previously validated suturing checklist. Checklists were completed by two independent surgeons over blinded video recordings of the task. Eighteen novices, 15 intermediates and 11 experienced surgeons took part in this study. Execution time and path length travelled by the laparoscopic dissector presented construct validity. Experienced surgeons required significantly less time ([Formula: see text]), travelled less distance using both laparoscopic instruments ([Formula: see text]) and made more efficient use of the work space ([Formula: see text]) compared with novice and intermediate surgeons. Concurrent validation showed strong correlation between both the execution time and path length and the checklist score ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]). The suturing performance was successfully assessed by the motion analysis method. Construct and concurrent validity of the motion-based assessment method has been demonstrated for the execution time and path length metrics. This study demonstrates the efficacy of the presented method for objective evaluation of psychomotor skills in laparoscopic suturing. However, this method does not take into account the quality of the suture. Thus, future works will focus on developing new methods combining motion analysis and qualitative outcome evaluation to provide a complete performance assessment to trainees.

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.

Introduction: Hazard mapping

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baum, Rex L.; Miyagi, Toyohiko; Lee, Saro; Trofymchuk, Oleksandr M

2014-01-01

Twenty papers were accepted into the session on landslide hazard mapping for oral presentation. The papers presented susceptibility and hazard analysis based on approaches ranging from field-based assessments to statistically based models to assessments that combined hydromechanical and probabilistic components. Many of the studies have taken advantage of increasing availability of remotely sensed data and nearly all relied on Geographic Information Systems to organize and analyze spatial data. The studies used a range of methods for assessing performance and validating hazard and susceptibility models. A few of the studies presented in this session also included some element of landslide risk assessment. This collection of papers clearly demonstrates that a wide range of approaches can lead to useful assessments of landslide susceptibility and hazard.

The Role of Simulation in Microsurgical Training.

PubMed

Evgeniou, Evgenios; Walker, Harriet; Gujral, Sameer

Simulation has been established as an integral part of microsurgical training. The aim of this study was to assess and categorize the various simulation models in relation to the complexity of the microsurgical skill being taught and analyze the assessment methods commonly employed in microsurgical simulation training. Numerous courses have been established using simulation models. These models can be categorized, according to the level of complexity of the skill being taught, into basic, intermediate, and advanced. Microsurgical simulation training should be assessed using validated assessment methods. Assessment methods vary significantly from subjective expert opinions to self-assessment questionnaires and validated global rating scales. The appropriate assessment method should carefully be chosen based on the simulation modality. Simulation models should be validated, and a model with appropriate fidelity should be chosen according to the microsurgical skill being taught. Assessment should move from traditional simple subjective evaluations of trainee performance to validated tools. Future studies should assess the transferability of skills gained during simulation training to the real-life setting. Copyright © 2018 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

National survey of clinical communication assessment in medical education in the United Kingdom (UK)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background All medical schools in the UK are required to be able to provide evidence of competence in clinical communication in their graduates. This is usually provided by summative assessment of clinical communication, but there is considerable variation in how this is carried out. This study aimed to gain insight into the current assessment of clinical communication in UK medical schools. Methods The survey was sent via e-mail to communication leads who then were asked to consult with all staff within their medical school involved in the assessment of communication. Results Results were obtained from 27 out of 33 schools (response rate 82%) and a total of 34 courses. The average number of assessments per year was 2.4 (minimum 0, maximum 10). The Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) was the most commonly used method of assessment (53%). Other assessments included MCQ and workplace based assessments. Only nine courses used a single method of assessment. Issues raised included, logistics and costs of assessing mainly by OSCE, the robustness and reliability of such exams and integration with other clinical skills. Conclusions It is encouraging that a variety of assessment methods are being used within UK medical schools and that these methods target different components of clinical communication skills acquisition. PMID:24417939

Smartphone-Based Self-Assessment of Stress in Healthy Adult Individuals: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Þórarinsdóttir, Helga; Kessing, Lars Vedel

2017-01-01

Background Stress is a common experience in today’s society. Smartphone ownership is widespread, and smartphones can be used to monitor health and well-being. Smartphone-based self-assessment of stress can be done in naturalistic settings and may potentially reflect real-time stress level. Objective The objectives of this systematic review were to evaluate (1) the use of smartphones to measure self-assessed stress in healthy adult individuals, (2) the validity of smartphone-based self-assessed stress compared with validated stress scales, and (3) the association between smartphone-based self-assessed stress and smartphone generated objective data. Methods A systematic review of the scientific literature was reported and conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. The scientific databases PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, IEEE, and ACM were searched and supplemented by a hand search of reference lists. The databases were searched for original studies involving healthy individuals older than 18 years, measuring self-assessed stress using smartphones. Results A total of 35 published articles comprising 1464 individuals were included for review. According to the objectives, (1) study designs were heterogeneous, and smartphone-based self-assessed stress was measured using various methods (e.g., dichotomized questions on stress, yes or no; Likert scales on stress; and questionnaires); (2) the validity of smartphone-based self-assessed stress compared with validated stress scales was investigated in 3 studies, and of these, only 1 study found a moderate statistically significant positive correlation (r=.4; P<.05); and (3) in exploratory analyses, smartphone-based self-assessed stress was found to correlate with some of the reported smartphone generated objective data, including voice features and data on activity and phone usage. Conclusions Smartphones are being used to measure self-assessed stress in different contexts. The evidence of the validity of smartphone-based self-assessed stress is limited and should be investigated further. Smartphone generated objective data can potentially be used to monitor, predict, and reduce stress levels. PMID:28193600

A Network Method of Measuring Affiliation-Based Peer Influence: Assessing the Influences of Teammates' Smoking on Adolescent Smoking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fujimoto, Kayo; Unger, Jennifer B.; Valente, Thomas W.

2012-01-01

Using a network analytic framework, this study introduces a new method to measure peer influence based on adolescents' affiliations or 2-mode social network data. Exposure based on affiliations is referred to as the "affiliation exposure model." This study demonstrates the methodology using data on young adolescent smoking being influenced by…

Clinical Teachers' Attitudes toward the Efficacy of Evidence-Based Medicine Workshop and Self-Reported Ability in Evidence-Based Practice in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kouhpayehzadeh, Jalil; Baradaran, Hamid; Arabshahi, Kamran Soltani; Knill-Jones, Robin

2006-01-01

Introduction: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been introduced in medical schools worldwide, but there is little known about effective methods for teaching EBM skills, particularly in developing countries. This study assesses the impact of an EBM workshop on clinical teachers' attitudes and use of EBM skills. Methods: Seventy-two clinical…

Complex method to calculate objective assessments of information systems protection to improve expert assessments reliability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdenov, A. Zh; Trushin, V. A.; Abdenova, G. A.

2018-01-01

The paper considers the questions of filling the relevant SIEM nodes based on calculations of objective assessments in order to improve the reliability of subjective expert assessments. The proposed methodology is necessary for the most accurate security risk assessment of information systems. This technique is also intended for the purpose of establishing real-time operational information protection in the enterprise information systems. Risk calculations are based on objective estimates of the adverse events implementation probabilities, predictions of the damage magnitude from information security violations. Calculations of objective assessments are necessary to increase the reliability of the proposed expert assessments.

Core Professionalism Education in Surgery: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Sarıoğlu Büke, Akile; Karabilgin Öztürkçü, Özlem Sürel; Yılmaz, Yusuf; Sayek, İskender

2018-01-01

Background: Professionalism education is one of the major elements of surgical residency education. Aims: To evaluate the studies on core professionalism education programs in surgical professionalism education. Study Design: Systematic review. Methods: This systematic literature review was performed to analyze core professionalism programs for surgical residency education published in English with at least three of the following features: program developmental model/instructional design method, aims and competencies, methods of teaching, methods of assessment, and program evaluation model or method. A total of 27083 articles were retrieved using EBSCOHOST, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and manual search. Results: Eight articles met the selection criteria. The instructional design method was presented in only one article, which described the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation model. Six articles were based on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education criterion, although there was significant variability in content. The most common teaching method was role modeling with scenario- and case-based learning. A wide range of assessment methods for evaluating professionalism education were reported. The Kirkpatrick model was reported in one article as a method for program evaluation. Conclusion: It is suggested that for a core surgical professionalism education program, developmental/instructional design model, aims and competencies, content, teaching methods, assessment methods, and program evaluation methods/models should be well defined, and the content should be comparable. PMID:29553464

Adult Bronchoscopy Training

PubMed Central

Wahidi, Momen M.; Read, Charles A.; Buckley, John D.; Addrizzo-Harris, Doreen J.; Shah, Pallav L.; Herth, Felix J. F.; de Hoyos Parra, Alberto; Ornelas, Joseph; Yarmus, Lonny; Silvestri, Gerard A.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: The determination of competency of trainees in programs performing bronchoscopy is quite variable. Some programs provide didactic lectures with hands-on supervision, other programs incorporate advanced simulation centers, whereas others have a checklist approach. Although no single method has been proven best, the variability alone suggests that outcomes are variable. Program directors and certifying bodies need guidance to create standards for training programs. Little well-developed literature on the topic exists. METHODS: To provide credible and trustworthy guidance, rigorous methodology has been applied to create this bronchoscopy consensus training statement. All panelists were vetted and approved by the CHEST Guidelines Oversight Committee. Each topic group drafted questions in a PICO (population, intervention, comparator, outcome) format. MEDLINE data through PubMed and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched. Manual searches also supplemented the searches. All gathered references were screened for consideration based on inclusion criteria, and all statements were designated as an Ungraded Consensus-Based Statement. RESULTS: We suggest that professional societies move from a volume-based certification system to skill acquisition and knowledge-based competency assessment for trainees. Bronchoscopy training programs should incorporate multiple tools, including simulation. We suggest that ongoing quality and process improvement systems be introduced and that certifying agencies move from a volume-based certification system to skill acquisition and knowledge-based competency assessment for trainees. We also suggest that assessment of skill maintenance and improvement in practice be evaluated regularly with ongoing quality and process improvement systems after initial skill acquisition. CONCLUSIONS: The current methods used for bronchoscopy competency in training programs are variable. We suggest that professional societies and certifying agencies move from a volume- based certification system to a standardized skill acquisition and knowledge-based competency assessment for pulmonary and thoracic surgery trainees. PMID:25674901

Parts-based stereoscopic image assessment by learning binocular manifold color visual properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Haiyong; Yu, Mei; Luo, Ting; Zhang, Yun; Jiang, Gangyi

2016-11-01

Existing stereoscopic image quality assessment (SIQA) methods are mostly based on the luminance information, in which color information is not sufficiently considered. Actually, color is part of the important factors that affect human visual perception, and nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) and manifold learning are in line with human visual perception. We propose an SIQA method based on learning binocular manifold color visual properties. To be more specific, in the training phase, a feature detector is created based on NMF with manifold regularization by considering color information, which not only allows parts-based manifold representation of an image, but also manifests localized color visual properties. In the quality estimation phase, visually important regions are selected by considering different human visual attention, and feature vectors are extracted by using the feature detector. Then the feature similarity index is calculated and the parts-based manifold color feature energy (PMCFE) for each view is defined based on the color feature vectors. The final quality score is obtained by considering a binocular combination based on PMCFE. The experimental results on LIVE I and LIVE Π 3-D IQA databases demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve much higher consistency with subjective evaluations than the state-of-the-art SIQA methods.

A novel multisensor traffic state assessment system based on incomplete data.

PubMed

Zeng, Yiliang; Lan, Jinhui; Ran, Bin; Jiang, Yaoliang

2014-01-01

A novel multisensor system with incomplete data is presented for traffic state assessment. The system comprises probe vehicle detection sensors, fixed detection sensors, and traffic state assessment algorithm. First of all, the validity checking of the traffic flow data is taken as preprocessing of this method. And then a new method based on the history data information is proposed to fuse and recover the incomplete data. According to the characteristics of space complementary of data based on the probe vehicle detector and fixed detector, a fusion model of space matching is presented to estimate the mean travel speed of the road. Finally, the traffic flow data include flow, speed and, occupancy rate, which are detected between Beijing Deshengmen bridge and Drum Tower bridge, are fused to assess the traffic state of the road by using the fusion decision model of rough sets and cloud. The accuracy of experiment result can reach more than 98%, and the result is in accordance with the actual road traffic state. This system is effective to assess traffic state, and it is suitable for the urban intelligent transportation system.

A Novel Multisensor Traffic State Assessment System Based on Incomplete Data

PubMed Central

Zeng, Yiliang; Lan, Jinhui; Ran, Bin; Jiang, Yaoliang

2014-01-01

A novel multisensor system with incomplete data is presented for traffic state assessment. The system comprises probe vehicle detection sensors, fixed detection sensors, and traffic state assessment algorithm. First of all, the validity checking of the traffic flow data is taken as preprocessing of this method. And then a new method based on the history data information is proposed to fuse and recover the incomplete data. According to the characteristics of space complementary of data based on the probe vehicle detector and fixed detector, a fusion model of space matching is presented to estimate the mean travel speed of the road. Finally, the traffic flow data include flow, speed and, occupancy rate, which are detected between Beijing Deshengmen bridge and Drum Tower bridge, are fused to assess the traffic state of the road by using the fusion decision model of rough sets and cloud. The accuracy of experiment result can reach more than 98%, and the result is in accordance with the actual road traffic state. This system is effective to assess traffic state, and it is suitable for the urban intelligent transportation system. PMID:25162055

Vehicle response-based track geometry assessment using multi-body simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraft, Sönke; Causse, Julien; Coudert, Frédéric

2018-02-01

The assessment of the geometry of railway tracks is an indispensable requirement for safe rail traffic. Defects which represent a risk for the safety of the train have to be identified and the necessary measures taken. According to current standards, amplitude thresholds are applied to the track geometry parameters measured by recording cars. This geometry-based assessment has proved its value but suffers from the low correlation between the geometry parameters and the vehicle reactions. Experience shows that some defects leading to critical vehicle reactions are underestimated by this approach. The use of vehicle responses in the track geometry assessment process allows identifying critical defects and improving the maintenance operations. This work presents a vehicle response-based assessment method using multi-body simulation. The choice of the relevant operation conditions and the estimation of the simulation uncertainty are outlined. The defects are identified from exceedances of track geometry and vehicle response parameters. They are then classified using clustering methods and the correlation with vehicle response is analysed. The use of vehicle responses allows the detection of critical defects which are not identified from geometry parameters.

Improving Low-dose Cardiac CT Images based on 3D Sparse Representation

PubMed Central

Shi, Luyao; Hu, Yining; Chen, Yang; Yin, Xindao; Shu, Huazhong; Luo, Limin; Coatrieux, Jean-Louis

2016-01-01

Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) is a reliable and accurate tool for diagnosis of coronary artery diseases and is also frequently used in surgery guidance. Low-dose scans should be considered in order to alleviate the harm to patients caused by X-ray radiation. However, low dose CT (LDCT) images tend to be degraded by quantum noise and streak artifacts. In order to improve the cardiac LDCT image quality, a 3D sparse representation-based processing (3D SR) is proposed by exploiting the sparsity and regularity of 3D anatomical features in CCT. The proposed method was evaluated by a clinical study of 14 patients. The performance of the proposed method was compared to the 2D spares representation-based processing (2D SR) and the state-of-the-art noise reduction algorithm BM4D. The visual assessment, quantitative assessment and qualitative assessment results show that the proposed approach can lead to effective noise/artifact suppression and detail preservation. Compared to the other two tested methods, 3D SR method can obtain results with image quality most close to the reference standard dose CT (SDCT) images. PMID:26980176

Follow-up of solar lentigo depigmentation with a retinaldehyde-based cream by clinical evaluation and calibrated colour imaging.

PubMed

Questel, E; Durbise, E; Bardy, A-L; Schmitt, A-M; Josse, G

2015-05-01

To assess an objective method evaluating the effects of a retinaldehyde-based cream (RA-cream) on solar lentigines; 29 women randomly applied RA-cream on lentigines of one hand and a control cream on the other, once daily for 3 months. A specific method enabling a reliable visualisation of the lesions was proposed, using high-magnification colour-calibrated camera imaging. Assessment was performed using clinical evaluation by Physician Global Assessment score and image analysis. Luminance determination on the numeric images was performed either on the basis of 5 independent expert's consensus borders or probability map analysis via an algorithm automatically detecting the pigmented area. Both image analysis methods showed a similar lightening of ΔL* = 2 after a 3-month treatment by RA-cream, in agreement with single-blind clinical evaluation. High-magnification colour-calibrated camera imaging combined with probability map analysis is a fast and precise method to follow lentigo depigmentation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Mobile Phone App for Dietary Intake Assessment in Adolescents: An Evaluation Study

PubMed Central

Svensson, Åsa

2015-01-01

Background There is a great need for dietary assessment methods that suit the adolescent lifestyle and give valid intake data. Objective To develop a mobile phone app and evaluate its ability to assess energy intake (EI) and total energy expenditure (TEE) compared with objectively measured TEE. Furthermore, to investigate the impact of factors on reporting accuracy of EI, and to compare dietary intake with a Web-based method. Methods Participants 14 to 16 years of age were recruited from year nine in schools in Gothenburg, Sweden. In total, 81 adolescents used the mobile phone app over 1 to 6 days. TEE was measured with the SenseWear Armband (SWA) during the same or proximate days. Individual factors were assessed with a questionnaire. A total of 15 participants also recorded dietary intake using a Web-based method. Results The mobile phone app underestimated EI by 29% on a group level (P<.001) compared to TEE measured with the SWA, and there was no significant correlation between EI and TEE. Accuracy of EI relative to TEE increased with a weekend day in the record (P=.007) and lower BMI z-score (P=.001). TEE assessed with the mobile phone app was 1.19 times the value of TEE measured by the SWA on a group level (P<.001), and the correlation between the methods was .75 (P<.001). Analysis of physical activity levels (PAL) from the mobile phone app stratified by gender showed that accuracy of the mobile phone app was higher among boys. EI, nutrients, and food groups assessed with the mobile phone app and Web-based method among 15 participants were not significantly different and several were significantly correlated, but strong conclusions cannot be drawn due to the low number of participants. Conclusions By using a mobile phone dietary assessment app, on average 71% of adolescents’ EI was captured. The accuracy of reported dietary intake was higher with lower BMI z-score and if a weekend day was included in the record. The daily question in the mobile phone app about physical activity could accurately rank the participants’ TEE. PMID:26534783

Development and Evaluation of the Brief Sexual Openness Scale—A Construal Level Theory Based Approach

PubMed Central

Chen, Xinguang; Wang, Yan; Li, Fang; Gong, Jie; Yan, Yaqiong

2015-01-01

Obtaining reliable and valid data on sensitive questions represents a longstanding challenge for public health, particularly HIV research. To overcome the challenge, we assessed a construal level theory (CLT)-based novel method. The method was previously established and pilot-tested using the Brief Sexual Openness Scale (BSOS). This scale consists of five items assessing attitudes toward premarital sex, multiple sexual partners, homosexuality, extramarital sex, and commercial sex, all rated on a standard 5-point Likert scale. In addition to self-assessment, the participants were asked to assess rural residents, urban residents, and foreigners. The self-assessment plus the assessment of the three other groups were all used as subconstructs of one latent construct: sexual openness. The method was validated with data from 1,132 rural-to-urban migrants (mean age = 32.5, SD = 7.9; 49.6% female) recruited in China. Consistent with CLT, the Cronbach alpha of the BSOS as a conventional tool increased with social distance, from .81 for self-assessment to .97 for assessing foreigners. In addition to a satisfactory fit of the data to a one-factor model (CFI = .94, TLI = .93, RMSEA = .08), a common factor was separated from the four perspective factors (i.e., migrants’ self-perspective and their perspectives of rural residents, urban residents and foreigners) through a trifactor modeling analysis (CFI = .95, TLI = .94, RMSEA = .08). Relative to its conventional form, CTL-based BSOS was more reliable (alpha: .96 vs .81) and valid in predicting sexual desire, frequency of dating, age of first sex, multiple sexual partners and STD history. This novel technique can be used to assess sexual openness, and possibly other sensitive questions among Chinese domestic migrants. PMID:26308336

Evaluation of an alternate method for sampling benthic macroinvertebrates in low-gradient streams sampled as part of the National Rivers and Streams Assessment.

PubMed

Flotemersch, Joseph E; North, Sheila; Blocksom, Karen A

2014-02-01

Benthic macroinvertebrates are sampled in streams and rivers as one of the assessment elements of the US Environmental Protection Agency's National Rivers and Streams Assessment. In a 2006 report, the recommendation was made that different yet comparable methods be evaluated for different types of streams (e.g., low gradient vs. high gradient). Consequently, a research element was added to the 2008-2009 National Rivers and Streams Assessment to conduct a side-by-side comparison of the standard macroinvertebrate sampling method with an alternate method specifically designed for low-gradient wadeable streams and rivers that focused more on stream edge habitat. Samples were collected using each method at 525 sites in five of nine aggregate ecoregions located in the conterminous USA. Methods were compared using the benthic macroinvertebrate multimetric index developed for the 2006 Wadeable Streams Assessment. Statistical analysis did not reveal any trends that would suggest the overall assessment of low-gradient streams on a regional or national scale would change if the alternate method was used rather than the standard sampling method, regardless of the gradient cutoff used to define low-gradient streams. Based on these results, the National Rivers and Streams Survey should continue to use the standard field method for sampling all streams.

An update on risk factors for cartilage loss in knee osteoarthritis assessed using MRI-based semiquantitative grading methods.

PubMed

Alizai, Hamza; Roemer, Frank W; Hayashi, Daichi; Crema, Michel D; Felson, David T; Guermazi, Ali

2015-03-01

Arthroscopy-based semiquantitative scoring systems such as Outerbridge and Noyes' scores were the first to be developed for the purpose of grading cartilage defects. As magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) became available for evaluation of the osteoarthritic knee joint, these systems were adapted for use with MRI. Later on, grading methods such as the Whole Organ Magnetic Resonance Score, the Boston-Leeds Osteoarthritis Knee Score and the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score were designed specifically for performing whole-organ assessment of the knee joint structures, including cartilage. Cartilage grades on MRI obtained with these scoring systems represent optimal outcome measures for longitudinal studies, and are designed to enhance understanding of the knee osteoarthritis disease process. The purpose of this narrative review is to describe cartilage assessment in knee osteoarthritis using currently available MRI-based semiquantitative whole-organ scoring systems, and to provide an update on the risk factors for cartilage loss in knee osteoarthritis as assessed with these scoring systems.

Attachment to Mother and Father at Transition to Middle Childhood.

PubMed

Di Folco, Simona; Messina, Serena; Zavattini, Giulio Cesare; Psouni, Elia

2017-01-01

The present study investigated concordance between representations of attachment to mother and attachment to father, and convergence between two narrative-based methods addressing these representations in middle childhood: the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task (MCAST) and the Secure Base Script Test (SBST). One hundred and twenty 6-year-old children were assessed by separate administrations of the MCAST for mother and father, respectively, and results showed concordance of representations of attachment to mother and attachment to father at age 6.5 years. 75 children were additionally tested about 12 months later, with the SBST, which assesses scripted knowledge of secure base (and safe haven), not differentiating between mother and father attachment relationships. Concerning attachment to father, dichotomous classifications (MCAST) and a continuous dimension capturing scripted secure base knowledge (MCAST) converged with secure base scriptedness (SBST), yet we could not show the same pattern of convergence concerning attachment to mother. Results suggest some convergence between the two narrative methods of assessment of secure base script but also highlight complications when using the MCAST for measuring attachment to father in middle childhood.

Validation of the tablet-administered Brief Assessment of Cognition (BAC App).

PubMed

Atkins, Alexandra S; Tseng, Tina; Vaughan, Adam; Twamley, Elizabeth W; Harvey, Philip; Patterson, Thomas; Narasimhan, Meera; Keefe, Richard S E

2017-03-01

Computerized tests benefit from automated scoring procedures and standardized administration instructions. These methods can reduce the potential for rater error. However, especially in patients with severe mental illnesses, the equivalency of traditional and tablet-based tests cannot be assumed. The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) is a pen-and-paper cognitive assessment tool that has been used in hundreds of research studies and clinical trials, and has normative data available for generating age- and gender-corrected standardized scores. A tablet-based version of the BACS called the BAC App has been developed. This study compared performance on the BACS and the BAC App in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Test equivalency was assessed, and the applicability of paper-based normative data was evaluated. Results demonstrated the distributions of standardized composite scores for the tablet-based BAC App and the pen-and-paper BACS were indistinguishable, and the between-methods mean differences were not statistically significant. The discrimination between patients and controls was similarly robust. The between-methods correlations for individual measures in patients were r>0.70 for most subtests. When data from the Token Motor Test was omitted, the between-methods correlation of composite scores was r=0.88 (df=48; p<0.001) in healthy controls and r=0.89 (df=46; p<0.001) in patients, consistent with the test-retest reliability of each measure. Taken together, results indicate that the tablet-based BAC App generates results consistent with the traditional pen-and-paper BACS, and support the notion that the BAC App is appropriate for use in clinical trials and clinical practice. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Benchmarking wastewater treatment plants under an eco-efficiency perspective.

PubMed

Lorenzo-Toja, Yago; Vázquez-Rowe, Ian; Amores, María José; Termes-Rifé, Montserrat; Marín-Navarro, Desirée; Moreira, María Teresa; Feijoo, Gumersindo

2016-10-01

The new ISO 14045 framework is expected to slowly start shifting the definition of eco-efficiency toward a life-cycle perspective, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as the environmental impact assessment method together with a system value assessment method for the economic analysis. In the present study, a set of 22 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Spain were analyzed on the basis of eco-efficiency criteria, using LCA and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) as a system value assessment method. The study is intended to be useful to decision-makers in the wastewater treatment sector, since the combined method provides an alternative scheme for analyzing the relationship between environmental impacts and costs. Two midpoint impact categories, global warming and eutrophication potential, as well as an endpoint single score indicator were used for the environmental assessment, while LCC was used for value assessment. Results demonstrated that substantial differences can be observed between different WWTPs depending on a wide range of factors such as plant configuration, plant size or even legal discharge limits. Based on these results the benchmarking of wastewater treatment facilities was performed by creating a specific classification and certification scheme. The proposed eco-label for the WWTPs rating is based on the integration of the three environmental indicators and an economic indicator calculated within the study under the eco-efficiency new framework. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cerebral blood flow and autoregulation: current measurement techniques and prospects for noninvasive optical methods

PubMed Central

Fantini, Sergio; Sassaroli, Angelo; Tgavalekos, Kristen T.; Kornbluth, Joshua

2016-01-01

Abstract. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral autoregulation (CA) are critically important to maintain proper brain perfusion and supply the brain with the necessary oxygen and energy substrates. Adequate brain perfusion is required to support normal brain function, to achieve successful aging, and to navigate acute and chronic medical conditions. We review the general principles of CBF measurements and the current techniques to measure CBF based on direct intravascular measurements, nuclear medicine, X-ray imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound techniques, thermal diffusion, and optical methods. We also review techniques for arterial blood pressure measurements as well as theoretical and experimental methods for the assessment of CA, including recent approaches based on optical techniques. The assessment of cerebral perfusion in the clinical practice is also presented. The comprehensive description of principles, methods, and clinical requirements of CBF and CA measurements highlights the potentially important role that noninvasive optical methods can play in the assessment of neurovascular health. In fact, optical techniques have the ability to provide a noninvasive, quantitative, and continuous monitor of CBF and autoregulation. PMID:27403447

A semi-automated method for bone age assessment using cervical vertebral maturation.

PubMed

Baptista, Roberto S; Quaglio, Camila L; Mourad, Laila M E H; Hummel, Anderson D; Caetano, Cesar Augusto C; Ortolani, Cristina Lúcia F; Pisa, Ivan T

2012-07-01

To propose a semi-automated method for pattern classification to predict individuals' stage of growth based on morphologic characteristics that are described in the modified cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) method of Baccetti et al. A total of 188 lateral cephalograms were collected, digitized, evaluated manually, and grouped into cervical stages by two expert examiners. Landmarks were located on each image and measured. Three pattern classifiers based on the Naïve Bayes algorithm were built and assessed using a software program. The classifier with the greatest accuracy according to the weighted kappa test was considered best. The classifier showed a weighted kappa coefficient of 0.861 ± 0.020. If an adjacent estimated pre-stage or poststage value was taken to be acceptable, the classifier would show a weighted kappa coefficient of 0.992 ± 0.019. Results from this study show that the proposed semi-automated pattern classification method can help orthodontists identify the stage of CVM. However, additional studies are needed before this semi-automated classification method for CVM assessment can be implemented in clinical practice.

An Assessment of Phylogenetic Tools for Analyzing the Interplay Between Interspecific Interactions and Phenotypic Evolution.

PubMed

Drury, J P; Grether, G F; Garland, T; Morlon, H

2018-05-01

Much ecological and evolutionary theory predicts that interspecific interactions often drive phenotypic diversification and that species phenotypes in turn influence species interactions. Several phylogenetic comparative methods have been developed to assess the importance of such processes in nature; however, the statistical properties of these methods have gone largely untested. Focusing mainly on scenarios of competition between closely-related species, we assess the performance of available comparative approaches for analyzing the interplay between interspecific interactions and species phenotypes. We find that many currently used statistical methods often fail to detect the impact of interspecific interactions on trait evolution, that sister-taxa analyses are particularly unreliable in general, and that recently developed process-based models have more satisfactory statistical properties. Methods for detecting predictors of species interactions are generally more reliable than methods for detecting character displacement. In weighing the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, we hope to provide a clear guide for empiricists testing hypotheses about the reciprocal effect of interspecific interactions and species phenotypes and to inspire further development of process-based models.

A Mapmark method of standard setting as implemented for the National Assessment Governing Board.

PubMed

Schulz, E Matthew; Mitzel, Howard C

2011-01-01

This article describes a Mapmark standard setting procedure, developed under contract with the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB). The procedure enhances the bookmark method with spatially representative item maps, holistic feedback, and an emphasis on independent judgment. A rationale for these enhancements, and the bookmark method, is presented, followed by a detailed description of the materials and procedures used in a meeting to set standards for the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Grade 12 mathematics. The use of difficulty-ordered content domains to provide holistic feedback is a particularly novel feature of the method. Process evaluation results comparing Mapmark to Anghoff-based methods previously used for NAEP standard setting are also presented.

Assessing and Evaluating Multidisciplinary Translational Teams: A Mixed Methods Approach

PubMed Central

Wooten, Kevin C.; Rose, Robert M.; Ostir, Glenn V.; Calhoun, William J.; Ameredes, Bill T.; Brasier, Allan R.

2014-01-01

A case report illustrates how multidisciplinary translational teams can be assessed using outcome, process, and developmental types of evaluation using a mixed methods approach. Types of evaluation appropriate for teams are considered in relation to relevant research questions and assessment methods. Logic models are applied to scientific projects and team development to inform choices between methods within a mixed methods design. Use of an expert panel is reviewed, culminating in consensus ratings of 11 multidisciplinary teams and a final evaluation within a team type taxonomy. Based on team maturation and scientific progress, teams were designated as: a) early in development, b) traditional, c) process focused, or d) exemplary. Lessons learned from data reduction, use of mixed methods, and use of expert panels are explored. PMID:24064432

HeLM: a macrophyte-based method for monitoring and assessment of Greek lakes.

PubMed

Zervas, Dimitrios; Tsiaoussi, Vasiliki; Tsiripidis, Ioannis

2018-05-05

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires Member States to develop appropriate assessment methods for the classification of the ecological status of their surface waters. Mediterranean region has lagged behind in this task, so we propose here the first developed method for Greek lakes, Hellenic Lake Macrophyte (HeLM) assessment method. This method is based on two metrics, a modified trophic index and maximum colonization depth C max that quantify the degree of changes in lake macrophytic vegetation, as a response to eutrophication and general degradation pressures. The method was developed on the basis of a data set sampled from 272 monitoring transects in 16 Greek lakes. Sites from three lakes were selected as potential reference sites by using a screening process. Ecological quality ratios were calculated for each metric and for each lake, and ecological status class boundaries were defined. For the evaluation of effectiveness of the method, the correlations between individual metrics and final HeLM values and common pressure indicators, such as total phosphorus, chlorophyll a and Secchi depth, were tested and found highly significant and relatively strong. In addition, the ability of HeLM values and its individual metrics to distinguish between different macrophytic communities' structure was checked using aquatic plant life-forms and found satisfactory. The HeLM method gave a reliable assessment of the macrophytic vegetation's condition in Greek lakes and may constitute a useful tool for the classification of ecological status of other Mediterranean lakes.

Superitem Test: An Alternative Assessment Tool to Assess Students' Algebraic Solving Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lian, Lim Hooi; Yew, Wun Thiam; Idris, Noraini

2010-01-01

Superitem test based on the SOLO model (Structure of the Observing Learning Outcome) has become a powerful alternative assessment tool for monitoring the growth of students' cognitive ability in solving mathematics problems. This article focused on developing a superitem test to assess students' algebraic solving ability through interview method.…

A new scenario-based approach to damage detection using operational modal parameter estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, J. B.; Brincker, R.; López-Aenlle, M.; Overgaard, C. F.; Kloborg, K.

2017-09-01

In this paper a vibration-based damage localization and quantification method, based on natural frequencies and mode shapes, is presented. The proposed technique is inspired by a damage assessment methodology based solely on the sensitivity of mass-normalized experimental determined mode shapes. The present method differs by being based on modal data extracted by means of Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) combined with a reasonable Finite Element (FE) representation of the test structure and implemented in a scenario-based framework. Besides a review of the basic methodology this paper addresses fundamental theoretical as well as practical considerations which are crucial to the applicability of a given vibration-based damage assessment configuration. Lastly, the technique is demonstrated on an experimental test case using automated OMA. Both the numerical study as well as the experimental test case presented in this paper are restricted to perturbations concerning mass change.

Assessing the impact of natural policy experiments on socioeconomic inequalities in health: how to apply commonly used quantitative analytical methods?

PubMed

Hu, Yannan; van Lenthe, Frank J; Hoffmann, Rasmus; van Hedel, Karen; Mackenbach, Johan P

2017-04-20

The scientific evidence-base for policies to tackle health inequalities is limited. Natural policy experiments (NPE) have drawn increasing attention as a means to evaluating the effects of policies on health. Several analytical methods can be used to evaluate the outcomes of NPEs in terms of average population health, but it is unclear whether they can also be used to assess the outcomes of NPEs in terms of health inequalities. The aim of this study therefore was to assess whether, and to demonstrate how, a number of commonly used analytical methods for the evaluation of NPEs can be applied to quantify the effect of policies on health inequalities. We identified seven quantitative analytical methods for the evaluation of NPEs: regression adjustment, propensity score matching, difference-in-differences analysis, fixed effects analysis, instrumental variable analysis, regression discontinuity and interrupted time-series. We assessed whether these methods can be used to quantify the effect of policies on the magnitude of health inequalities either by conducting a stratified analysis or by including an interaction term, and illustrated both approaches in a fictitious numerical example. All seven methods can be used to quantify the equity impact of policies on absolute and relative inequalities in health by conducting an analysis stratified by socioeconomic position, and all but one (propensity score matching) can be used to quantify equity impacts by inclusion of an interaction term between socioeconomic position and policy exposure. Methods commonly used in economics and econometrics for the evaluation of NPEs can also be applied to assess the equity impact of policies, and our illustrations provide guidance on how to do this appropriately. The low external validity of results from instrumental variable analysis and regression discontinuity makes these methods less desirable for assessing policy effects on population-level health inequalities. Increased use of the methods in social epidemiology will help to build an evidence base to support policy making in the area of health inequalities.

Intra-rater reliability and agreement of various methods of measurement to assess dorsiflexion in the Weight Bearing Dorsiflexion Lunge Test (WBLT) among female athletes.

PubMed

Langarika-Rocafort, Argia; Emparanza, José Ignacio; Aramendi, José F; Castellano, Julen; Calleja-González, Julio

2017-01-01

To examine the intra-observer reliability and agreement between five methods of measurement for dorsiflexion during Weight Bearing Dorsiflexion Lunge Test and to assess the degree of agreement between three methods in female athletes. Repeated measurements study design. Volleyball club. Twenty-five volleyball players. Dorsiflexion was evaluated using five methods: heel-wall distance, first toe-wall distance, inclinometer at tibia, inclinometer at Achilles tendon and the dorsiflexion angle obtained by a simple trigonometric function. For the statistical analysis, agreement was studied using the Bland-Altman method, the Standard Error of Measurement and the Minimum Detectable Change. Reliability analysis was performed using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient. Measurement methods using the inclinometer had more than 6° of measurement error. The angle calculated by trigonometric function had 3.28° error. The reliability of inclinometer based methods had ICC values < 0.90. Distance based methods and trigonometric angle measurement had an ICC values > 0.90. Concerning the agreement between methods, there was from 1.93° to 14.42° bias, and from 4.24° to 7.96° random error. To assess DF angle in WBLT, the angle calculated by a trigonometric function is the most repeatable method. The methods of measurement cannot be used interchangeably. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fast Reliability Assessing Method for Distribution Network with Distributed Renewable Energy Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Fan; Huang, Shaoxiong; Ding, Jinjin; Ding, Jinjin; Gao, Bo; Xie, Yuguang; Wang, Xiaoming

2018-01-01

This paper proposes a fast reliability assessing method for distribution grid with distributed renewable energy generation. First, the Weibull distribution and the Beta distribution are used to describe the probability distribution characteristics of wind speed and solar irradiance respectively, and the models of wind farm, solar park and local load are built for reliability assessment. Then based on power system production cost simulation probability discretization and linearization power flow, a optimal power flow objected with minimum cost of conventional power generation is to be resolved. Thus a reliability assessment for distribution grid is implemented fast and accurately. The Loss Of Load Probability (LOLP) and Expected Energy Not Supplied (EENS) are selected as the reliability index, a simulation for IEEE RBTS BUS6 system in MATLAB indicates that the fast reliability assessing method calculates the reliability index much faster with the accuracy ensured when compared with Monte Carlo method.

A novel no-reference objective stereoscopic video quality assessment method based on visual saliency analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xinyan; Zhao, Wei; Ye, Long; Zhang, Qin

2017-07-01

This paper proposes a no-reference objective stereoscopic video quality assessment method with the motivation that making the effect of objective experiments close to that of subjective way. We believe that the image regions with different visual salient degree should not have the same weights when designing an assessment metric. Therefore, we firstly use GBVS algorithm to each frame pairs and separate both the left and right viewing images into the regions with strong, general and week saliency. Besides, local feature information like blockiness, zero-crossing and depth are extracted and combined with a mathematical model to calculate a quality assessment score. Regions with different salient degree are assigned with different weights in the mathematical model. Experiment results demonstrate the superiority of our method compared with the existed state-of-the-art no-reference objective Stereoscopic video quality assessment methods.

Assessing Arsenic Bioavailability In Soil When In Vitro Gastrointestinal Methods Are The Only Option

EPA Science Inventory

Human health risk assessment science continues to mature with bioavailability-based risk assessment frameworks being developed and/or considered for implementation in the U.S., Canada, the European Union, Australia and other countries. Incidental ingestion is an important exposu...

Automated Assessment of Child Vocalization Development Using LENA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Jeffrey A.; Xu, Dongxin; Gilkerson, Jill; Yapanel, Umit; Gray, Sharmistha; Paul, Terrance

2017-01-01

Purpose: To produce a novel, efficient measure of children's expressive vocal development on the basis of automatic vocalization assessment (AVA), child vocalizations were automatically identified and extracted from audio recordings using Language Environment Analysis (LENA) System technology. Method: Assessment was based on full-day audio…

Investigating Measurement Invariance in Computer-Based Personality Testing: The Impact of Using Anchor Items on Effect Size Indices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egberink, Iris J. L.; Meijer, Rob R.; Tendeiro, Jorge N.

2015-01-01

A popular method to assess measurement invariance of a particular item is based on likelihood ratio tests with all other items as anchor items. The results of this method are often only reported in terms of statistical significance, and researchers proposed different methods to empirically select anchor items. It is unclear, however, how many…

A STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT METHOD (SAM) FOR RIVERINE MACROINVERTEBRATES

EPA Science Inventory

A macroinvertebrate sampling method for large rivers based on desirable characteristics of existing nonwadeable methods was developed and tested. Six sites each were sampled on the Great Miami and Kentucky Rivers, reflecting a human disturbance gradient. Samples were collected ...

Evaluating the environmental impact of various dietary patterns combined with different food production systems.

PubMed

Baroni, L; Cenci, L; Tettamanti, M; Berati, M

2007-02-01

Recent studies support the hypothesis that plant-based diets are environmentally better than meat-based diets. This study aims to further explore this topic and to compare different environmental impacts resulting from different dietary patterns (omnivorous, vegetarian, vegan) and methods of production (conventional farming and organic agriculture). Three weekly balanced diets, equivalent to one another for energetic and nutrient content, have been planned: an omnivorous one, a vegetarian one and a vegan one. For each one, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method has been applied in order to calculate the environmental impact, expressed in 'points'. The software we selected to carry out the Inventory Analysis and the Impact Assessment is SimaPro5. The Assessment phase has been conducted using Ecoindicator 99, a damage-oriented method, which analyses the impact according to three large damage categories, each of them subsuming various impact categories.

The Prevalence and Assessment of ErbB2-Positive Breast Cancer in Asia

PubMed Central

Tan, Yew Oo; Han, Sehwan; Lu, Yen-Shen; Yip, Cheng-Har; Sunpaweravong, Patrapim; Jeong, Joon; Caguioa, Priscilla B; Aggarwal, Shyam; Yeoh, Ee Min; Moon, Hanlim

2010-01-01

Overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor-related gene ErbB2 occurs in 18% to 25% of patients with breast cancer in Western countries and is associated with a poor prognosis. The prevalence of ErbB2-positive tumors in Asia is unclear, partly because data are limited. The objective of this review was to summarize the reported prevalence of ErbB2-positive tumors from a large sample of Asian patients and to examine ErbB2 assessment methods in Asia. From searches of MEDLINE, local language journals, and local and international conference proceedings as well as locoregional breast cancer experts' recommendations, the authors selected up to 5 studies each from India, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand that reported ErbB2 results based on assessment with immunohistochemistry (IHC) and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The reported prevalence of ErbB2-positive tumors in 22 studies on 24,671 patients, of whom 14,398 patients were assessed for ErbB2 status, varied widely (range, 6%-65%) as did the assessment methods used. Most studies (n = 21) used IHC to assess ErbB2 status, but definitions for positivity varied. When robust assessment methods were used, the median prevalence was 19% based on strong IHC staining (IHC3+; n = 9812 patients) and 25% based on FISH (n = 681 patients). Data on the prevalence of ErbB2-positive breast cancer in Asia are limited. The current survey indicated that the prevalence in Asia may be similar to that in Western countries; thus, up to 1 in 4 Asian patients with breast cancer potentially could benefit from ErbB2-targeted treatment. A standard, reliable ErbB2 assessment method available to patients across Asia is urgently required. Cancer 2010;116:5348–57. © 2010 American Cancer Society. PMID:20715159

How robust are burn severity indices when applied in a new region? Evaluation of alternate field-based and remote-sensing methods

Treesearch

C. Alina Cansler; Donald McKenzie

2012-01-01

Remotely sensed indices of burn severity are now commonly used by researchers and land managers to assess fire effects, but their relationship to field-based assessments of burn severity has been evaluated only in a few ecosystems. This analysis illustrates two cases in which methodological refinements to field-based and remotely sensed indices of burn severity...

PM2.5 exposure and birth outcomes: use of satellite- and monitor-based data.

PubMed

Hyder, Ayaz; Lee, Hyung Joo; Ebisu, Keita; Koutrakis, Petros; Belanger, Kathleen; Bell, Michelle Lee

2014-01-01

Air pollution may be related to adverse birth outcomes. Exposure information from land-based monitoring stations often suffers from limited spatial coverage. Satellite data offer an alternative data source for exposure assessment. We used birth certificate data for births in Connecticut and Massachusetts, United States (2000-2006). Gestational exposure to PM2.5 was estimated from US Environmental Protection Agency monitoring data and from satellite data. Satellite data were processed and modeled by using two methods-denoted satellite (1) and satellite (2)-before exposure assessment. Regression models related PM2.5 exposure to birth outcomes while controlling for several confounders. Birth outcomes were mean birth weight at term birth, low birth weight at term (<2500 g), small for gestational age (SGA, <10th percentile for gestational age and sex), and preterm birth (<37 weeks). Overall, the exposure assessment method modified the magnitude of the effect estimates of PM2.5 on birth outcomes. Change in birth weight per interquartile range (2.41 μg/m) increase in PM2.5 was -6 g (95% confidence interval = -8 to -5), -16 g (-21 to -11), and -19 g (-23 to -15), using the monitor, satellite (1), and satellite (2) methods, respectively. Adjusted odds ratios, based on the same three exposure methods, for term low birth weight were 1.01 (0.98-1.04), 1.06 (0.97-1.16), and 1.08 (1.01-1.16); for SGA, 1.03 (1.01-1.04), 1.06 (1.03-1.10), and 1.08 (1.04-1.11); and for preterm birth, 1.00 (0.99-1.02), 0.98 (0.94-1.03), and 0.99 (0.95-1.03). Under exposure assessment methods, we found associations between PM2.5 exposure and adverse birth outcomes particularly for birth weight among term births and for SGA. These results add to the growing concerns that air pollution adversely affects infant health and suggest that analysis of health consequences based on satellite-based exposure assessment can provide additional useful information.

Predicting "Hot" and "Warm" Spots for Fragment Binding.

PubMed

Rathi, Prakash Chandra; Ludlow, R Frederick; Hall, Richard J; Murray, Christopher W; Mortenson, Paul N; Verdonk, Marcel L

2017-05-11

Computational fragment mapping methods aim to predict hotspots on protein surfaces where small fragments will bind. Such methods are popular for druggability assessment as well as structure-based design. However, to date researchers developing or using such tools have had no clear way of assessing the performance of these methods. Here, we introduce the first diverse, high quality validation set for computational fragment mapping. The set contains 52 diverse examples of fragment binding "hot" and "warm" spots from the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Additionally, we describe PLImap, a novel protocol for fragment mapping based on the Protein-Ligand Informatics force field (PLIff). We evaluate PLImap against the new fragment mapping test set, and compare its performance to that of simple shape-based algorithms and fragment docking using GOLD. PLImap is made publicly available from https://bitbucket.org/AstexUK/pli .

Field calibration of blowfly-derived DNA against traditional methods for assessing mammal diversity in tropical forests.

PubMed

Lee, Ping-Shin; Gan, Han Ming; Clements, Gopalasamy Reuben; Wilson, John-James

2016-11-01

Mammal diversity assessments based on DNA derived from invertebrates have been suggested as alternatives to assessments based on traditional methods; however, no study has field-tested both approaches simultaneously. In Peninsular Malaysia, we calibrated the performance of mammal DNA derived from blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) against traditional methods used to detect species. We first compared five methods (cage trapping, mist netting, hair trapping, scat collection, and blowfly-derived DNA) in a forest reserve with no recent reports of megafauna. Blowfly-derived DNA and mist netting detected the joint highest number of species (n = 6). Only one species was detected by multiple methods. Compared to the other methods, blowfly-derived DNA detected both volant and non-volant species. In another forest reserve, rich in megafauna, we calibrated blowfly-derived DNA against camera traps. Blowfly-derived DNA detected more species (n = 11) than camera traps (n = 9), with only one species detected by both methods. The rarefaction curve indicated that blowfly-derived DNA would continue to detect more species with greater sampling effort. With further calibration, blowfly-derived DNA may join the list of traditional field methods. Areas for further investigation include blowfly feeding and dispersal biology, primer biases, and the assembly of a comprehensive and taxonomically-consistent DNA barcode reference library.

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

Automated biphasic morphological assessment of hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis using second harmonic generation microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tong-Hong; Chen, Tse-Ching; Teng, Xiao; Liang, Kung-Hao; Yeh, Chau-Ting

2015-08-01

Liver fibrosis assessment by biopsy and conventional staining scores is based on histopathological criteria. Variations in sample preparation and the use of semi-quantitative histopathological methods commonly result in discrepancies between medical centers. Thus, minor changes in liver fibrosis might be overlooked in multi-center clinical trials, leading to statistically non-significant data. Here, we developed a computer-assisted, fully automated, staining-free method for hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis assessment. In total, 175 liver biopsies were divided into training (n = 105) and verification (n = 70) cohorts. Collagen was observed using second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy without prior staining, and hepatocyte morphology was recorded using two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) microscopy. The training cohort was utilized to establish a quantification algorithm. Eleven of 19 computer-recognizable SHG/TPEF microscopic morphological features were significantly correlated with the ISHAK fibrosis stages (P < 0.001). A biphasic scoring method was applied, combining support vector machine and multivariate generalized linear models to assess the early and late stages of fibrosis, respectively, based on these parameters. The verification cohort was used to verify the scoring method, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was >0.82 for liver cirrhosis detection. Since no subjective gradings are needed, interobserver discrepancies could be avoided using this fully automated method.

Automated biphasic morphological assessment of hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis using second harmonic generation microscopy.

PubMed

Wang, Tong-Hong; Chen, Tse-Ching; Teng, Xiao; Liang, Kung-Hao; Yeh, Chau-Ting

2015-08-11

Liver fibrosis assessment by biopsy and conventional staining scores is based on histopathological criteria. Variations in sample preparation and the use of semi-quantitative histopathological methods commonly result in discrepancies between medical centers. Thus, minor changes in liver fibrosis might be overlooked in multi-center clinical trials, leading to statistically non-significant data. Here, we developed a computer-assisted, fully automated, staining-free method for hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis assessment. In total, 175 liver biopsies were divided into training (n = 105) and verification (n = 70) cohorts. Collagen was observed using second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy without prior staining, and hepatocyte morphology was recorded using two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) microscopy. The training cohort was utilized to establish a quantification algorithm. Eleven of 19 computer-recognizable SHG/TPEF microscopic morphological features were significantly correlated with the ISHAK fibrosis stages (P < 0.001). A biphasic scoring method was applied, combining support vector machine and multivariate generalized linear models to assess the early and late stages of fibrosis, respectively, based on these parameters. The verification cohort was used to verify the scoring method, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was >0.82 for liver cirrhosis detection. Since no subjective gradings are needed, interobserver discrepancies could be avoided using this fully automated method.

Determination of a risk management primer at petroleum-contaminated sites: developing new human health risk assessment strategy.

PubMed

Park, In-Sun; Park, Jae-Woo

2011-01-30

Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) is an important environmental contaminant that is toxic to human and environmental receptors. However, human health risk assessment for petroleum, oil, and lubricant (POL)-contaminated sites is especially challenging because TPH is not a single compound, but rather a mixture of numerous substances. To address this concern, this study recommends a new human health risk assessment strategy for POL-contaminated sites. The strategy is based on a newly modified TPH fractionation method and includes an improved analytical protocol. The proposed TPH fractionation method is composed of ten fractions (e.g., aliphatic and aromatic EC8-10, EC10-12, EC12-16, EC16-22 and EC22-40). Physicochemical properties and toxicity values of each fraction were newly defined in this study. The stepwise ultrasonication-based analytical process was established to measure TPH fractions. Analytical results were compared with those from the TPH Criteria Working Group (TPHCWG) Direct Method. Better analytical efficiencies in TPH, aliphatic, and aromatic fractions were achieved when contaminated soil samples were analyzed with the new analytical protocol. Finally, a human health risk assessment was performed based on the developed tiered risk assessment framework. Results showed that a detailed quantitative risk assessment should be conducted to determine scientifically and economically appropriate cleanup target levels, although the phase II process is useful for determining the potency of human health risks posed by POL-contamination. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Is Greulich and Pyle atlas still a good reference for bone age assessment?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Aifeng; Tsao, Sinchai; Sayre, James W.; Gertych, Arkadiusz; Liu, Brent J.; Huang, H. K.

2007-03-01

The most commonly used method for bone age assessment in clinical practice is the book atlas matching method developed by Greulich and Pyle in the 1950s. Due to changes in both population diversity and nutrition in the United States, this atlas may no longer be a good reference. An updated data set becomes crucial to improve the bone age assessment process. Therefore, a digital hand atlas was built with 1,100 children hand images, along with patient information and radiologists' readings, of normal Caucasian (CAU), African American (BLK), Hispanic (HIS), and Asian (ASI) males (M) and females (F) with ages ranging from 0 - 18 years. This data was collected from Childrens' Hospital Los Angeles. A computer-aided-diagnosis (CAD) method has been developed based on features extracted from phalangeal regions of interest (ROIs) and carpal bone ROIs from this digital hand atlas. Using the data collected along with the Greulich and Pyle Atlas-based readings and CAD results, this paper addresses this question: "Do different ethnicities and gender have different bone growth patterns?" To help with data analysis, a novel web-based visualization tool was developed to demonstrate bone growth diversity amongst differing gender and ethnic groups using data collected from the Digital Atlas. The application effectively demonstrates a discrepancy of bone growth pattern amongst different populations based on race and gender. It also has the capability of helping a radiologist determine the normality of skeletal development of a particular patient by visualizing his or her chronological age, radiologist reading, and CAD assessed bone age relative to the accuracy of the P&G method.

Standards and Assessment: Coherence from the Teacher's Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonner, Sarah M.; Torres Rivera, Camila; Chen, Peggy P.

2018-01-01

We sought to understand how teachers' perspectives on standards-based instructional practices, classroom assessment, and external testing do or do not show coherence and alignment. Based on survey methods (n = 155) and interviews with a sample of secondary school teachers (n = 9) in a large urban district in the USA, we explored general trends and…

Practitioner Review: Do Performance-Based Measures and Ratings of Executive Function Assess the Same Construct?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toplak, Maggie E.; West, Richard F.; Stanovich, Keith E.

2013-01-01

Background: Both performance-based and rating measures are commonly used to index executive function in clinical and neuropsychological assessments. They are intended to index the same broad underlying mental construct of executive function. The association between these two types of measures was investigated in the current article. Method and…

Assessment of Person Fit Using Resampling-Based Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinharay, Sandip

2016-01-01

De la Torre and Deng suggested a resampling-based approach for person-fit assessment (PFA). The approach involves the use of the [math equation unavailable] statistic, a corrected expected a posteriori estimate of the examinee ability, and the Monte Carlo (MC) resampling method. The Type I error rate of the approach was closer to the nominal level…

A Standards-Based Approach for Reporting Assessment Results in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanjee, Anil; Moloi, Qetelo

2016-01-01

This article proposes the use of a standards-based approach to reporting results from large-scale assessment surveys in South Africa. The use of this approach is intended to address the key shortcomings observed in the current reporting framework prescribed in the national curriculum documents. Using the Angoff method and data from the Annual…

Computer-Based Assessment of Collaborative Problem Solving: Exploring the Feasibility of Human-to-Agent Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosen, Yigal

2015-01-01

How can activities in which collaborative skills of an individual are measured be standardized? In order to understand how students perform on collaborative problem solving (CPS) computer-based assessment, it is necessary to examine empirically the multi-faceted performance that may be distributed across collaboration methods. The aim of this…

Effectiveness of team-based learning methodology in teaching transfusion medicine to medical undergraduates in third semester: A comparative study.

PubMed

Doshi, Neena Piyush

2017-01-01

Team-based learning (TBL) combines small and large group learning by incorporating multiple small groups in a large group setting. It is a teacher-directed method that encourages student-student interaction. This study compares student learning and teaching satisfaction between conventional lecture and TBL in the subject of pathology. The present study is aimed to assess the effectiveness of TBL method of teaching over the conventional lecture. The present study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, GMERS Medical College and General Hospital, Gotri, Vadodara, Gujarat. The study population comprised 126 students of second-year MBBS, in their third semester of the academic year 2015-2016. "Hemodynamic disorders" were taught by conventional method and "transfusion medicine" by TBL method. Effectiveness of both the methods was assessed. A posttest multiple choice question was conducted at the end of "hemodynamic disorders." Assessment of TBL was based on individual score, team score, and each member's contribution to the success of the team. The individual score and overall score were compared with the posttest score on "hemodynamic disorders." A feedback was taken from the students regarding their experience with TBL. Tukey's multiple comparisons test and ANOVA summary were used to find the significance of scores between didactic and TBL methods. Student feedback was taken using "Student Satisfaction Scale" based on Likert scoring method. The mean of student scores by didactic, Individual Readiness Assurance Test (score "A"), and overall (score "D") was 49.8% (standard deviation [SD]-14.8), 65.6% (SD-10.9), and 65.6% (SD-13.8), respectively. The study showed positive educational outcome in terms of knowledge acquisition, participation and engagement, and team performance with TBL.