The Strategic Data Project's Strategic Performance Indicators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Lindsay C.; Fullerton, Jon; Bacher-Hicks, Andrew; Owens, Antoniya; Cohodes, Sarah R.; West, Martin R.; Glover, Sarah

2013-01-01

Strategic Performance Indicators (SPIs) are summary measures derived from parallel, descriptive analyses conducted across educational agencies. The SPIs are designed to inform agency management and efforts to improve student outcomes. We developed the SPIs to reveal patterns common across partner agencies, to highlight exceptions to those…

Availability of Vending Machines and School Stores in California Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cisse-Egbuonye, Nafissatou; Liles, Sandy; Schmitz, Katharine E.; Kassem, Nada; Irvin, Veronica L.; Hovell, Melbourne F.

2016-01-01

Background: This study examined the availability of foods sold in vending machines and school stores in United States public and private schools, and associations of availability with students' food purchases and consumption. Methods: Descriptive analyses, chi-square tests, and Spearman product-moment correlations were conducted on data collected…

National Assessment of Vocational Education: Interim Report to Congress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silverberg, Marsha; Warner, Elizabeth; Goodwin, David; Fong, Michael

Analyses completed prior to November 2001 provided a context for examining vocational education (VE) and a description of participation at secondary and postsecondary levels, a logical first step in evaluating VE's status and effectiveness. They were a small, but significant part of a comprehensive research agenda being conducted under the…

The Predictive Validity of Dynamic Assessment: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caffrey, Erin; Fuchs, Douglas; Fuchs, Lynn S.

2008-01-01

The authors report on a mixed-methods review of 24 studies that explores the predictive validity of dynamic assessment (DA). For 15 of the studies, they conducted quantitative analyses using Pearson's correlation coefficients. They descriptively examined the remaining studies to determine if their results were consistent with findings from the…

Asian-American Parents: Are They Really Different?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Fang; Qi, Sen

2004-01-01

Using the base year data of parent interviews (n=15,376) conducted by the U. S. Department of Education for the national Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K), this study examined patterns of parenting style of Asian-American parents (n=536) in six domains. Descriptive and ANOVA analyses revealed significant differences between…

A Methodology for Conducting Integrative Mixed Methods Research and Data Analyses

PubMed Central

Castro, Felipe González; Kellison, Joshua G.; Boyd, Stephen J.; Kopak, Albert

2011-01-01

Mixed methods research has gained visibility within the last few years, although limitations persist regarding the scientific caliber of certain mixed methods research designs and methods. The need exists for rigorous mixed methods designs that integrate various data analytic procedures for a seamless transfer of evidence across qualitative and quantitative modalities. Such designs can offer the strength of confirmatory results drawn from quantitative multivariate analyses, along with “deep structure” explanatory descriptions as drawn from qualitative analyses. This article presents evidence generated from over a decade of pilot research in developing an integrative mixed methods methodology. It presents a conceptual framework and methodological and data analytic procedures for conducting mixed methods research studies, and it also presents illustrative examples from the authors' ongoing integrative mixed methods research studies. PMID:22167325

Conducting qualitative research in mental health: Thematic and content analyses.

PubMed

Crowe, Marie; Inder, Maree; Porter, Richard

2015-07-01

The objective of this paper is to describe two methods of qualitative analysis - thematic analysis and content analysis - and to examine their use in a mental health context. A description of the processes of thematic analysis and content analysis is provided. These processes are then illustrated by conducting two analyses of the same qualitative data. Transcripts of qualitative interviews are analysed using each method to illustrate these processes. The illustration of the processes highlights the different outcomes from the same set of data. Thematic and content analyses are qualitative methods that serve different research purposes. Thematic analysis provides an interpretation of participants' meanings, while content analysis is a direct representation of participants' responses. These methods provide two ways of understanding meanings and experiences and provide important knowledge in a mental health context. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

Differences in reporting of analyses in internal company documents versus published trial reports: comparisons in industry-sponsored trials in off-label uses of gabapentin.

PubMed

Vedula, S Swaroop; Li, Tianjing; Dickersin, Kay

2013-01-01

Details about the type of analysis (e.g., intent to treat [ITT]) and definitions (i.e., criteria for including participants in the analysis) are necessary for interpreting a clinical trial's findings. Our objective was to compare the description of types of analyses and criteria for including participants in the publication (i.e., what was reported) with descriptions in the corresponding internal company documents (i.e., what was planned and what was done). Trials were for off-label uses of gabapentin sponsored by Pfizer and Parke-Davis, and documents were obtained through litigation. For each trial, we compared internal company documents (protocols, statistical analysis plans, and research reports, all unpublished), with publications. One author extracted data and another verified, with a third person verifying discordant items and a sample of the rest. Extracted data included the number of participants randomized and analyzed for efficacy, and types of analyses for efficacy and safety and their definitions (i.e., criteria for including participants in each type of analysis). We identified 21 trials, 11 of which were published randomized controlled trials, and that provided the documents needed for planned comparisons. For three trials, there was disagreement on the number of randomized participants between the research report and publication. Seven types of efficacy analyses were described in the protocols, statistical analysis plans, and publications, including ITT and six others. The protocol or publication described ITT using six different definitions, resulting in frequent disagreements between the two documents (i.e., different numbers of participants were included in the analyses). Descriptions of analyses conducted did not agree between internal company documents and what was publicly reported. Internal company documents provide extensive documentation of methods planned and used, and trial findings, and should be publicly accessible. Reporting standards for randomized controlled trials should recommend transparent descriptions and definitions of analyses performed and which study participants are excluded.

Descriptions of verbal communication errors between staff. An analysis of 84 root cause analysis-reports from Danish hospitals.

PubMed

Rabøl, Louise Isager; Andersen, Mette Lehmann; Østergaard, Doris; Bjørn, Brian; Lilja, Beth; Mogensen, Torben

2011-03-01

Poor teamwork and communication between healthcare staff are correlated to patient safety incidents. However, the organisational factors responsible for these issues are unexplored. Root cause analyses (RCA) use human factors thinking to analyse the systems behind severe patient safety incidents. The objective of this study is to review RCA reports (RCAR) for characteristics of verbal communication errors between hospital staff in an organisational perspective. Two independent raters analysed 84 RCARs, conducted in six Danish hospitals between 2004 and 2006, for descriptions and characteristics of verbal communication errors such as handover errors and error during teamwork. Raters found description of verbal communication errors in 44 reports (52%). These included handover errors (35 (86%)), communication errors between different staff groups (19 (43%)), misunderstandings (13 (30%)), communication errors between junior and senior staff members (11 (25%)), hesitance in speaking up (10 (23%)) and communication errors during teamwork (8 (18%)). The kappa values were 0.44-0.78. Unproceduralized communication and information exchange via telephone, related to transfer between units and consults from other specialties, were particularly vulnerable processes. With the risk of bias in mind, it is concluded that more than half of the RCARs described erroneous verbal communication between staff members as root causes of or contributing factors of severe patient safety incidents. The RCARs rich descriptions of the incidents revealed the organisational factors and needs related to these errors.

Using Telemedicine to Conduct Behavioral Assessments

PubMed Central

Barretto, Anjali; Wacker, David P; Harding, Jay; Lee, John; Berg, Wendy K

2006-01-01

We describe the use of telemedicine by the Biobehavioral Service at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics to conduct brief functional analyses for children with developmental and behavioral disorders who live in rural areas of Iowa. Instead of being served at our outpatient facility, participants received initial behavioral assessments in their local schools or social service agencies via videoconference. Case descriptions for 2 participants whose evaluations were conducted via telemedicine, and a brief summary of all outpatient assessments conducted over a 4-year period by the Biobehavioral Service, are provided. This report extends previous applications of functional analysis procedures by examining brief behavioral assessments conducted via telemedicine. PMID:17020213

A Descriptive Analysis of Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying Student Behaviors: 2014-2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whisman, Andy

2015-01-01

This report describes the occurrence of discipline referrals and corresponding interventions and consequences used by schools for harassment, intimidation, or bullying behaviors during the 2014-2015 school year. Using data entered into the West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS), we conducted two sets of analyses--one focusing on…

Inorganic Analysis in Water Quality Control Programs. Instructor's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kroner, Audrey

This two-part instructor's guide was designed for a five-day course for chemists and technicians with little or no experience in inorganic analyses. Part I provides information on course planning and management including course description, staff responsibilities, suggested course plan and agenda, timeline for planning and conducting the course,…

Analysis of spacecraft on-orbit anomalies and lifetimes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloomquist, C.; Graham, W.

1983-01-01

Analyses of the on-orbit performance of forty-four unmanned NASA spacecraft are presented. Included are detailed descriptions and classifications of over 600 anomalies; each anomalous incident represents one reported deviation from expected spacecraft performance. Charts depicting satellite lifetimes and the performance of their major subsystems are included. Engineering analyses to further investigate the kinds and frequencies of various classes of anomalies have been conducted. An improved method for charting spacecraft capability as a function of time on orbit is explored.

Social Studies Skills or Something Else? An Analysis of How the "Essential Social Studies Skills and Strategies" Reflects Social Studies Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brugar, Kristy A.; Whitlock, Annie McMahon

2018-01-01

This article describes the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) collection of "Essential Social Studies Skills and Strategies" in terms of common approaches to social studies teaching and learning (e.g., informed social criticism, reflective inquiry, transmission). We conducted descriptive and inferential analyses and found…

The Role of Cultural Context in Continuing Vocational Training: A Study on Auto Repairmen in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akbas, Oktay

2011-01-01

This study analysed how auto repairmen working in micro-enterprises undertake continuing vocational training in relation to cultural context. The study was conducted in Kirikkale, a city in central Anatolia in Turkey. To this end, the descriptive research technique of structured interview was used. Interviews with 33 auto repairmen were recorded…

SAGE 1 data user's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcmaster, Leonard R.; Chu, William P.; Rowland, Michael W.

1992-01-01

A guide for using the data products from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment 1 (SAGE 1) for scientific investigations of stratospheric chemistry related to aerosol, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, dynamics, and climate change is presented. A detailed description of the aerosol profile tape, the ozone profile tape, and the nitrogen dioxide profile tape is included. These tapes are the SAGE 1 data products containing aerosol extinction data and ozone and nitrogen dioxide concentration data for use in the different scientific investigations. Brief descriptions of the instrument operation, data collection, processing, and validation, and some of the scientific analyses that were conducted are also included.

Propellant Chemistry for CFD Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farmer, R. C.; Anderson, P. G.; Cheng, Gary C.

1996-01-01

Current concepts for reusable launch vehicle design have created renewed interest in the use of RP-1 fuels for high pressure and tri-propellant propulsion systems. Such designs require the use of an analytical technology that accurately accounts for the effects of real fluid properties, combustion of large hydrocarbon fuel modules, and the possibility of soot formation. These effects are inadequately treated in current computational fluid dynamic (CFD) codes used for propulsion system analyses. The objective of this investigation is to provide an accurate analytical description of hydrocarbon combustion thermodynamics and kinetics that is sufficiently computationally efficient to be a practical design tool when used with CFD codes such as the FDNS code. A rigorous description of real fluid properties for RP-1 and its combustion products will be derived from the literature and from experiments conducted in this investigation. Upon the establishment of such a description, the fluid description will be simplified by using the minimum of empiricism necessary to maintain accurate combustion analyses and including such empirical models into an appropriate CFD code. An additional benefit of this approach is that the real fluid properties analysis simplifies the introduction of the effects of droplet sprays into the combustion model. Typical species compositions of RP-1 have been identified, surrogate fuels have been established for analyses, and combustion and sooting reaction kinetics models have been developed. Methods for predicting the necessary real fluid properties have been developed and essential experiments have been designed. Verification studies are in progress, and preliminary results from these studies will be presented. The approach has been determined to be feasible, and upon its completion the required methodology for accurate performance and heat transfer CFD analyses for high pressure, tri-propellant propulsion systems will be available.

Review of nutritional screening and assessment tools and clinical outcomes in heart failure.

PubMed

Lin, Hong; Zhang, Haifeng; Lin, Zheng; Li, Xinli; Kong, Xiangqin; Sun, Gouzhen

2016-09-01

Recent studies have suggested that undernutrition as defined using multidimensional nutritional evaluation tools may affect clinical outcomes in heart failure (HF). The evidence supporting this correlation is unclear. Therefore, we conducted this systematic review to critically appraise the use of multidimensional evaluation tools in the prediction of clinical outcomes in HF. We performed descriptive analyses of all identified articles involving qualitative analyses. We used STATA to conduct meta-analyses when at least three studies that tested the same type of nutritional assessment or screening tools and used the same outcome were identified. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate our positive results. We identified 17 articles with qualitative analyses and 11 with quantitative analysis after comprehensive literature searching and screening. We determined that the prevalence of malnutrition is high in HF (range 16-90 %), particularly in advanced and acute decompensated HF (approximate range 75-90 %). Undernutrition as identified by multidimensional evaluation tools may be significantly associated with hospitalization, length of stay and complications and is particularly strongly associated with high mortality. The meta-analysis revealed that compared with other tools, Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scores were the strongest predictors of mortality in HF [HR (4.32, 95 % CI 2.30-8.11)]. Our results remained reliable after conducting sensitivity analyses. The prevalence of malnutrition is high in HF, particularly in advanced and acute decompensated HF. Moreover, undernutrition as identified by multidimensional evaluation tools is significantly associated with unfavourable prognoses and high mortality in HF.

Differences in Reporting of Analyses in Internal Company Documents Versus Published Trial Reports: Comparisons in Industry-Sponsored Trials in Off-Label Uses of Gabapentin

PubMed Central

Vedula, S. Swaroop; Li, Tianjing; Dickersin, Kay

2013-01-01

Background Details about the type of analysis (e.g., intent to treat [ITT]) and definitions (i.e., criteria for including participants in the analysis) are necessary for interpreting a clinical trial's findings. Our objective was to compare the description of types of analyses and criteria for including participants in the publication (i.e., what was reported) with descriptions in the corresponding internal company documents (i.e., what was planned and what was done). Trials were for off-label uses of gabapentin sponsored by Pfizer and Parke-Davis, and documents were obtained through litigation. Methods and Findings For each trial, we compared internal company documents (protocols, statistical analysis plans, and research reports, all unpublished), with publications. One author extracted data and another verified, with a third person verifying discordant items and a sample of the rest. Extracted data included the number of participants randomized and analyzed for efficacy, and types of analyses for efficacy and safety and their definitions (i.e., criteria for including participants in each type of analysis). We identified 21 trials, 11 of which were published randomized controlled trials, and that provided the documents needed for planned comparisons. For three trials, there was disagreement on the number of randomized participants between the research report and publication. Seven types of efficacy analyses were described in the protocols, statistical analysis plans, and publications, including ITT and six others. The protocol or publication described ITT using six different definitions, resulting in frequent disagreements between the two documents (i.e., different numbers of participants were included in the analyses). Conclusions Descriptions of analyses conducted did not agree between internal company documents and what was publicly reported. Internal company documents provide extensive documentation of methods planned and used, and trial findings, and should be publicly accessible. Reporting standards for randomized controlled trials should recommend transparent descriptions and definitions of analyses performed and which study participants are excluded. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:23382656

77 FR 75101 - Fisheries Off West Coast States; West Coast Salmon Fisheries; Amendment 17 to the Salmon Fishery...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-19

... impacts to two coho stocks. Amendment 17 Issue 7. The description of impacts to pink salmon from the ocean fishery is updated to reflect recent analyses of exploitation rate for pink salmon, conducted since the... income in local and state economies through expenditures on harvesting, processing, and marketing of the...

Analysis of Principals' Managerial Competencies for Effective Management of School Resources in Secondary Schools in Anambra State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Victor, Akinfolarin Akinwale

2017-01-01

This study analyses principals' managerial competencies for effective management of school resources in secondary schools in Anambra State. The study was conducted in Anambra State. The study population comprised 257 principals in public secondary schools in the State. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. A 24 items researcher developed…

Epidemiology and reporting characteristics of overviews of reviews of healthcare interventions published 2012-2016: protocol for a systematic review.

PubMed

Pieper, Dawid; Pollock, Michelle; Fernandes, Ricardo M; Büchter, Roland Brian; Hartling, Lisa

2017-04-07

Overviews of systematic reviews (overviews) attempt to systematically retrieve and summarize the results of multiple systematic reviews (SRs) for a given condition or public health problem. Two prior descriptive analyses of overviews found substantial variation in the methodological approaches used in overviews, and deficiencies in reporting of key methodological steps. Since then, new methods have been developed so it is timely to update the prior descriptive analyses. The objectives are to: (1) investigate the epidemiological, descriptive, and reporting characteristics of a random sample of 100 overviews published from 2012 to 2016 and (2) compare these recently published overviews (2012-2016) to those published prior to 2012 (based on the prior descriptive analyses). Medline, EMBASE, and CDSR will be searched for overviews published 2012-2016, using a validated search filter for overviews. Only overviews written in English will be included. All titles and abstracts will be screened by one review author; those deemed not relevant will be verified by a second person for exclusion. Full-texts will be assessed for inclusion by two reviewers independently. Of those deemed relevant, a random sample of 100 overviews will be selected for inclusion. Data extraction will be either performed by one reviewer with verification by a second reviewer or by one reviewer only depending on the complexity of the item. Discrepancies at any stage will be resolved by consensus or consulting a third person. Data will be extracted on the epidemiological, descriptive, and reporting characteristics of each overview. Data will be analyzed descriptively. When data are available for both time points (up to 2011 vs. 2012-2016), we will compare characteristics by calculating risk ratios or applying the Mann-Whitney test. Overviews are becoming increasingly valuable evidence syntheses, and the number of published overviews is increasing. However, former analyses found limitations in the conduct and reporting of overviews. This update of a recent sample of overviews will inform whether this has changed, while also identifying areas for further improvement. The review will not be registered in PROSPERO as it does not meet the eligibility criterion of dealing with health-related outcomes.

How standard is standard care? Exploring control group outcomes in behaviour change interventions for young people with type 1 diabetes.

PubMed

Ayling, K; Brierley, S; Johnson, B; Heller, S; Eiser, C

2015-01-01

Poor descriptions of standard care may compromise interpretation of results in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of health interventions. We investigated quality of standard care in RCTs of behaviour change interventions for young people with type 1 diabetes and consider implications for evaluating trial outcomes. We conducted systematic searches for articles published between 1999 and 2012. We extracted standard care descriptions and contacted trial authors to complete a checklist of standard care activities. The relationship between standard care quality and outcomes was examined via subgroup meta-analyses and meta-regression. Standard care descriptions, standard care quality, and relationships between standard care quality with medical and psychological outcomes. We identified 20 RCTs described across 26 articles. Published descriptions of standard care were limited to service-level features. Author responses indicated standard care provision extended beyond published accounts. Subgroup analyses suggested control groups receiving higher standard care quality showed larger improvements in both medical and psychological outcomes, although standard care quality did not predict outcomes significantly. The quality of care delivered to control group participants can influence outcomes of RCTs. Inadequate reporting exacerbates this issue by masking variations between trials. We argue for increased clarity in reporting standard care in future trials.

Exploring post-fall audit report data in an acute care setting.

PubMed

Tzeng, Huey-Ming; Yin, Chang-Yi

2015-06-01

This retrospective, descriptive, chart review study was done to demonstrate one strategy for communicating aggregated and actionable fall data to bedside nurses. It was conducted at a nonprofit acute care hospital in the northwestern United States to analyze the quantitative data captured in post-fall audit reports of patient falls (March 1-December 31, 2012, N = 107 falls). Descriptive and binary statistical analyses were used. The quarterly National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators 2011 and 2012 reports showed that implementation of post-fall audit reports can lead to a lower overall fall rate and a lower fall-injury rate. Increased nursing hours could be a confounding factor of the positive impact of conducting post-fall audits in this study. It is concluded that timely and systematic reporting, analysis, and interpretation of fall data in an electronic format can facilitate prevention of falls and fall injuries. © The Author(s) 2014.

Chronic health needs immediately after natural disasters in middle-income countries: the case of the 2008 Sichuan, China earthquake.

PubMed

Chan, Emily Y Y; Kim, Jackie

2011-04-01

Few studies have focused on chronic health needs immediately after natural disasters in middle-income countries. This study examines chronic medical needs during the acute phase after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in an emergency triage clinic in Sichuan, China. Information on physical, social, and public health preparedness was collected in predesigned templates. Descriptive and Pearson's χ association analyses were conducted. One hundred and eighty-two evacuees were received at the triage site. Of these, 54% required trauma treatment and 77% of evacuated patients who required care had underlying chronic medical conditions. Tetanus immunizations and the possession of chronic health medication were low, particularly among older patients. Chronic health needs constituted a significant proportion of emergency care during the acute phase in the study population. Effective post-disaster assistance requires attention to demographic and epidemiological population profiles.

Getting Started for Preparing Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers in Terms of Sustainable Food Consumption: The Current Situation at a Public University in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alacam, Nur; Sahin, Elvan

2017-01-01

This study investigated the food consumption and nutrition perceptions of pre-service early childhood teachers using a mixed method research design. Data was gathered from 37 pre-service early childhood teachers through survey consisting of items in rating scale and open-ended questions. Descriptive analyses were conducted to report pre-service…

"How Families Live …"-- The Views and Experiences of Parent-Carers Who Provide Family Placements to Intellectual Disability Nursing Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClimens, Alex; Finlayson, Janet; Darbyshire, Chris

2017-01-01

Aim: We aimed to learn about the value of family placements from the perspective of parent-carers who provide them to nurse students via a Scottish university Family Placement Scheme. Method: Qualitative interviews were conducted with seven parent-carers who provided a family placement over two academic years. Descriptive data was analysed,…

A Primer for Analyzing Nested Data: Multilevel Modeling in SPSS Using an Example from a REL Study. REL 2015-046

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Dwyer, Laura M.; Parker, Caroline E.

2014-01-01

Analyzing data that possess some form of nesting is often challenging for applied researchers or district staff who are involved in or in charge of conducting data analyses. This report provides a description of the challenges for analyzing nested data and provides a primer of how multilevel regression modeling may be used to resolve these…

A Comparison of Outcomes from Descriptive and Functional Analyses of Problem Behavior

PubMed Central

Thompson, Rachel H; Iwata, Brian A

2007-01-01

We compared results of descriptive and functional analyses of problem behavior for 12 participants whose descriptive data have been reported previously (Thompson & Iwata, 2001). Results indicated that in only 3 of the 12 cases was problem behavior maintained by the consequence observed most frequently during the descriptive analysis. Attention was the most common consequence for problem behavior during descriptive analyses for 8 of the 12 participants; however, maintenance of problem behavior by attention was evident for only 2 of these 8 participants. PMID:17624074

Cross-cultural comparisons among the sensory characteristics of fermented soybean using Korean and Japanese descriptive analysis panels.

PubMed

Chung, L; Chung, S-J

2007-11-01

One of the most important initial steps in exporting a food product to another country from the R&D perspective is to describe and translate the sensory characteristics of a food product appropriately into the language of the target country. The objectives of this study were to describe and compare the sensory characteristics of Korean and Japanese style fermented soybean products, and to cross-culturally compare the lexicons of the identical product generated by the Korean and Japanese panelists. Four types of Korean and 4 types of Japanese style fermented soybean consisting of whole bean type and paste type were analyzed. Ten Korean and 9 Japanese panelists were recruited in Korea. Two separate descriptive analyses were conducted, with the panelists differing in their country of origin. Each group was trained, developed lexicon, and conducted descriptive analysis independently. Analysis of variance and various multivariate analyses were applied to delineate the sensory characteristics of the samples and to compare the cross-cultural differences in the usage of lexicon. The Korean and Japanese panelists generated 48 and 36 sensory attributes, respectively. Cross-cultural consensus was shown for evaluating the whole bean type fermented soybean and white miso, which were relatively distinctive samples. However, for the less distinctive samples, the panelists tend to rate higher in negative attributes for the fermented soybeans that originated from the other country. The Japanese panelists grouped the samples by their country of origin and soy sauce flavor was the main attribute for cross-cultural differentiation. However, the Korean panelists did not make a cross-cultural distinction among the samples.

Quality of reporting of descriptive studies in implant dentistry. Critical aspects in design, outcome assessment and clinical relevance.

PubMed

Meijer, Henny J A; Raghoebar, Gerry M

2012-02-01

The aim of this study was to conduct a review on quality of reporting on descriptive studies in implant dentistry using the STROBE Statement and to analyse possible changes in quality of reporting on descriptive studies in implant dentistry over time. A hand search to select descriptive studies was carried out in seven dental journals, which were thought to have interest in the field of dental implants. Issues of the years 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010 were screened. The STROBE Statement with 22 criteria to match was used to determine the quality of an article. Totally 4657 titles and abstracts were screened; 260 of them were found to be reporting on a descriptive study. Percentages of properly addressed items were 46% in 1990, 56% in 1995, 54% in 2000, 59% in 2005 and 70% in 2010. From this review can be concluded that quality of reporting on descriptive studies in implant dentistry is low; there is some improvement from 1990 to 2010, but it does not exceed 70% coverage of the possible to address items. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Instructional influences on analogue functional analysis outcomes.

PubMed Central

Northup, John; Kodak, Tiffany; Grow, Laura; Lee, Jennifer; Coyne, Amanda

2004-01-01

Analogue assessments were conducted with a common contingency (escape from tasks) that varied only by three different instructions describing the contingency. In one condition, the contingency was described as "taking a break," in another condition it was described as "time-out," and no description of the contingency was provided in a third condition. The participant was a typically developing 5-year-old child with a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Rates of inappropriate behavior varied substantially across the three conditions as an apparent effect of the prior instructions. Some implications for conducting functional analyses with verbal children are discussed. PMID:15669409

Stratification of habitats for identifying habitat selection by Merriam's turkeys

Treesearch

Mark A. Rumble; Stanley H. Anderson

1992-01-01

Habitat selection patterns of Merriam’s Turkeys were compared in hierarchical analyses of three levels of habitat stratification. Habitat descriptions in first-level analyses were based on dominant species of vegetation. Habitat descriptions in second-level analyses were based on dominant species of vegetation and overstory canopy cover. Habitat descriptions in third-...

Does human resource management improve family planning service quality? Analysis from the Kenya Service Provision Assessment 2010.

PubMed

Thatte, Nandita; Choi, Yoonjoung

2015-04-01

Human resource (HR) management is a priority for health systems strengthening in developing countries, yet few studies have empirically examined associations with service quality. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between HR management and family planning (FP) service quality. Data came from the 2010 Kenya Service Provision Assessment, a nationally representative health facility assessment. In total, 912 FP consultations from 301 facilities were analysed. Four indices were created to measure quality on reproductive history taking, physical examination, sexually transmitted infections prevention and pill/injectable specific counselling. HR management variables included training in the past year, any and supportive (i.e. with feedback, technical updates and discussion) in-person supervision in the past 6 months and having a written job description. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to estimate coefficients of HR management variables on each of the four quality indices, adjusting for background characteristics of clients, provider and facilities. The level of service quality ranged from 16 to 53 out of a maximum score of 100 across the indices. Fifty-two per cent of consultations were done by providers who received supportive in-person supervision in the previous 6 months. In 23% and 38% of consultations, the provider was trained in the past year and had a written job description, respectively. Multivariate analyses indicated that having a written job description was associated with higher service quality in history taking, physical examination and the pill/injectable specific counselling. Other HR management variables were not significantly associated with service quality. Having a written job description was significantly associated with higher service quality and may be a useful tool for strengthening management practices. The details of such job descriptions and the quality of other management indicators should be explored to better understand the relationship between HR management and FP service quality. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2014; all rights reserved.

Nuclear thermal rocket nozzle testing and evaluation program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidian, Kenneth O.; Kacynski, Kenneth J.

1993-01-01

Performance characteristics of the Nuclear Thermal Rocket can be enhanced through the use of unconventional nozzles as part of the propulsion system. The Nuclear Thermal Rocket nozzle testing and evaluation program being conducted at the NASA Lewis is outlined and the advantages of a plug nozzle are described. A facility description, experimental designs and schematics are given. Results of pretest performance analyses show that high nozzle performance can be attained despite substantial nozzle length reduction through the use of plug nozzles as compared to a convergent-divergent nozzle. Pretest measurement uncertainty analyses indicate that specific impulse values are expected to be within + or - 1.17 pct.

Space transfer concepts and analysis for exploration missions. Implementation plan and element description document. Volume 1: Major trades. Book 1: Draft final

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

This document presents trade studies and reference concept designs accomplished during a study of Space Transfer Concepts and Analyses for Exploration Missions (STCAEM). This volume contains the major top level trades, level 2 trades conducted in support of NASA's Lunar/Mars Exploration Program Office, and a synopsis of the vehicles for different propulsion systems under trade consideration. The vehicles are presented in more detail in other volumes of this report. Book 1 of Volume 1 covers the following analyses: lunar/Mars commonality trades, lunar/Mars mission operations, and Mars transfer systems.

Missouri River Recovery Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-11

Proficient in hydrologic and hydraulic engineering computer models, particularly ResSim and HEC - RAS ; working experience with large river systems including...to help study teams determine ecosystem responses to changes in the flow regime of a river or connected wetland. HEC -EFM analyses involve: 1...Description of the Model and How It Will Be Applied in the Study Approval Status HEC - RAS The function of this model is to conduct one-dimensional hydraulic

The Self-Description Inventory+, Part 1: Factor Structure and Convergent Validity Analyses

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-01

measures 12 scales of personality. The current report examines the possibility of replacing the EQ with a Five Factor Model ( FFM ) measure of...Checklist. Our results show that the SDI + has scales that are intercorrelated in a manner consistent with the FFM (Experiment 1), a factor structure...met the criteria showing it to be an FFM instrument, we will conduct concurrent validity research to determine if the SDI+ has greater predictive

Mental health and debt collection: a story of progress? Exploring changes in debt collectors' attitudes and practices when working with customers with mental health problems, 2010-2016.

PubMed

Evans, Jamie; Fitch, Christopher; Collard, Sharon; Henderson, Claire

2018-04-27

In recent years, the UK debt collection industry has taken steps to improve its policies and practices in relation to customers with mental health problems. Little data, however, have been collected to evidence change. This paper examines whether the reported attitudes and practices of debt collection staff when working with customers with mental health problems have changed between 2010 and 2016. This paper draws on descriptive and regression analyses of two cross-sectional surveys of debt collection staff: one conducted in 2010 and one conducted in 2016. All variables analysed show statistically significant changes between 2010 and 2016 indicative of improved reported attitudes and practices. While results suggest an improvement in attitudes and practice may have occurred between 2010 and 2016, research is required to understand this potential shift, its likely causes, and concrete impact on customers.

Geotechnical, geological, and selected radionuclide retention characteristics of the radioactive waste disposal site near the Farallon Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Booth, J.S.; Winters, W.J.; Poppe, L.J.; Neiheisel, J.; Dyer, R.S.

1989-01-01

A geotechnical and geological investigation of the Farallon Islands low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal area was conducted to qualitatively assess the host sediments' relative effectiveness as a barrier to radionuclide migration, to estimate the portion of the barrier that is in contact with the waste packages at the three primary disposal sites, and to provide a basic physical description of the sediments. Box cores recovered from within the general disposal area at depths of 500, 1000, and 1500 m were subcored to provide samples (~30 cm in length) for detailed descriptions, textural and mineralogical analyses, and a suite of geotechnical tests (index property, CRS consolidation, and CIU triaxial compression). -from Authors

Aging and creating families: Never-married heterosexual women over forty.

PubMed

McDill, Tandace; Hall, Sharon K; Turell, Susan C

2006-01-01

An examination of women over age forty who had never married was conducted. The women completed a structured questionnaire about their aging and their self-esteem was assessed with a standard measure. The participants were women from across the United States. Descriptive analyses of the data were ordered with ecological systems theory and findings revealed that the women are self-satisfied, socially productive and well adjusted with their single status and that singleness runs in their families. These women have defined what family means for them as they age-family of origin and close friendships. This description may be helpful in understanding this group as a social force and as role models for young women as they age.

Predictors of anemia among pregnant women in Westmoreland, Jamaica

PubMed Central

Charles, Alyson M.; Campbell-Stennett, Dianne; Yatich, Nelly; Jolly, Pauline E.

2010-01-01

Anemia in pregnancy is a worldwide problem, but it is most prevalent in the developing world. This research project was conducted to determine the predictors of anemia in pregnant women in Westmoreland, Jamaica. A cross-sectional study design was conducted and descriptive, bivariate, and multiple logistic regression analyses were used. Body mass index, Mid-upper arm circumference, and the number of antenatal care visits showed a statistically significant association with anemia. Based on the results, we believe that maintaining a healthy body weight, and frequently visiting an antenatal clinic, will help to lower the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women in Westmoreland. PMID:20526925

Long-term health experience of jet engine manufacturing workers: V. Issues with the analysis of non-malignant central nervous system neoplasms.

PubMed

Buchanich, Jeanine M; Youk, Ada O; Marsh, Gary M; Kennedy, Kathleen J; Lacey, Steven E; Hancock, Roger P; Esmen, Nurtan A; Cunningham, Michael A; Leiberman, Frank S; Fleissner, Mary Lou

2011-01-01

We attempted to examine non-malignant central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms incidence rates for workers at 8 jet engine manufacturing facilities in Connecticut. The objective of this manuscript is to describe difficulties encountered regarding these analyses to aid future studies. We traced the cohort for incident cases of CNS neoplasms in states where 95% of deaths in the total cohort occurred. We used external and internal analyses in an attempt to obtain the true risk of non-malignant CNS in the cohort. Because these analyses were limited by data constraints, we conducted sensitivity analyses, including using state driver's license data to adjust person-year stop dates to help minimize underascertainment and more accurately determine cohort risk estimates. We identified 3 unanticipated challenges: case identification, determination of population-based cancer incidence rates, and handling of case underascertainment. These factors precluded an accurate assessment of non-malignant CNS neoplasm incidence risks in this occupational epidemiology study. The relatively recent (2004) mandate of capturing non-malignant CNS tumor data at the state level means that, in time, it may be possible to conduct external analyses of these data. Meanwhile, similar occupational epidemiology studies may be limited to descriptive analysis of the non-malignant CNS case characteristics.

Systematic reviews need systematic searchers

PubMed Central

McGowan, Jessie; Sampson, Margaret

2005-01-01

Purpose: This paper will provide a description of the methods, skills, and knowledge of expert searchers working on systematic review teams. Brief Description: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are very important to health care practitioners, who need to keep abreast of the medical literature and make informed decisions. Searching is a critical part of conducting these systematic reviews, as errors made in the search process potentially result in a biased or otherwise incomplete evidence base for the review. Searches for systematic reviews need to be constructed to maximize recall and deal effectively with a number of potentially biasing factors. Librarians who conduct the searches for systematic reviews must be experts. Discussion/Conclusion: Expert searchers need to understand the specifics about data structure and functions of bibliographic and specialized databases, as well as the technical and methodological issues of searching. Search methodology must be based on research about retrieval practices, and it is vital that expert searchers keep informed about, advocate for, and, moreover, conduct research in information retrieval. Expert searchers are an important part of the systematic review team, crucial throughout the review process—from the development of the proposal and research question to publication. PMID:15685278

Evidence of the economic benefit of clinical pharmacy services: 1996-2000.

PubMed

Schumock, Glen T; Butler, Melissa G; Meek, Patrick D; Vermeulen, Lee C; Arondekar, Bhakti V; Bauman, Jerry L

2003-01-01

We sought to summarize and assess original evaluations of the economic impact of clinical pharmacy services published from 1996-2000, and to provide recommendations and methodologic considerations for future research. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify articles that were then blinded and randomly assigned to reviewers who confirmed inclusion and abstracted key information. Results were compared with those of a similar review of literature published from 1988-1995. In the 59 included articles, the studies were conducted across a variety of practice sites that consisted of hospitals (52%), community pharmacies and clinics (41%), health maintenance organizations (3%), and long-term or intermediate care facilities (3%). They focused on a broad range of clinical pharmacy services such as general pharmacotherapeutic monitoring (47%), target drug programs (20%), disease management programs (10%), and patient education or cognitive services (10%). Compared with the studies of the previous review, a greater proportion of evaluations were conducted in community pharmacies or clinics, and the types of services evaluated tended to be more comprehensive rather than specialized. Articles were categorized by type of evaluation: 36% were considered outcome analyses, 24% full economic analyses, 17% outcome descriptions, 15% cost and outcome descriptions, and 8% cost analyses. Compared with the studies of the previous review, a greater proportion of studies in the current review used more rigorous study designs. Most studies reported positive financial benefits of the clinical pharmacy service evaluated. In 16 studies, a benefit:cost ratio was reported by the authors or was able to be calculated by the reviewers (these ranged from 1.7:1-17.0:1, median 4.68:1). The body of literature from this 5-year period provides continued evidence of the economic benefit of clinical pharmacy services. Although the quality of study design has improved, whenever possible, future evaluations of this type should incorporate methodologies that will further enhance the strength of evidence of this literature and the conclusions that may be drawn from it.

Examining the development of scientific reasoning in ninth-grade physical science students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westbrook, Susan L.; Rogers, Laura N.

This study-was designed to test the hypothesis that descriptive learning cycles are neither sufficient to stimulate students to reason at a formal operational level nor to encourage facility with the processes of scientific investigation. A 6-week long, three-investigation unit on simple machines drawn from a ninth-grade physical science curriculum was selected for the study. Students in the course were assigned to one of three instructional groups: descriptive group (DE), question design group (QD), and hypothesis testing group (HT). Each group completed identical exploration and invention activities. Each group participated in qualitatively distinct activities during the expansion phase. The DE students completed the activities outlined in the curriculum (a descriptive learning cycle). The QD group designed and conducted experiments to answer a question posed by the teacher. The HT group generated hypotheses concerning a problem, then designed and conducted experiments to test those hypotheses (a hypothetico-deductive expansion). The effects of the treatments were assessed in a pretest-posttest format using Lawson's Seven Logic-Tasks, the Test of Integrated Process Skills, and Lawson's Revised Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning. Analyses of the data indicated that the HT group exhibited a significant increase on the Test of Integrated Process Skills and on Task 1 of the Seven Logic Tasks during the 6-week period.

Methodological quality and descriptive characteristics of prosthodontic-related systematic reviews.

PubMed

Aziz, T; Compton, S; Nassar, U; Matthews, D; Ansari, K; Flores-Mir, C

2013-04-01

Ideally, healthcare systematic reviews (SRs) should be beneficial to practicing professionals in making evidence-based clinical decisions. However, the conclusions drawn from SRs are directly related to the quality of the SR and of the included studies. The aim was to investigate the methodological quality and key descriptive characteristics of SRs published in prosthodontics. Methodological quality was analysed using the Assessment of Multiple Reviews (AMSTAR) tool. Several electronic resources (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and American Dental Association's Evidence-based Dentistry website) were searched. In total 106 SRs were located. Key descriptive characteristics and methodological quality features were gathered and assessed, and descriptive and inferential statistical testing performed. Most SRs in this sample originated from the European continent followed by North America. Two to five authors conducted most SRs; the majority was affiliated with academic institutions and had prior experience publishing SRs. The majority of SRs were published in specialty dentistry journals, with implant or implant-related topics, the primary topics of interest for most. According to AMSTAR, most quality aspects were adequately fulfilled by less than half of the reviews. Publication bias and grey literature searches were the most poorly adhered components. Overall, the methodological quality of the prosthodontic-related systematic was deemed limited. Future recommendations would include authors to have prior training in conducting SRs and for journals to include a universal checklist that should be adhered to address all key characteristics of an unbiased SR process. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Nuclear thermal rocket nozzle testing and evaluation program

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

Davidian, K.O.; Kacynski, K.J.

Performance characteristics of the Nuclear Thermal Rocket can be enhanced through the use of unconventional nozzles as part of the propulsion system. In this report, the Nuclear Thermal Rocket nozzle testing and evaluation program being conducted at the NASA Lewis Research Center is outlined and the advantages of a plug nozzle are described. A facility description, experimental designs and schematics are given. Results of pretest performance analyses show that high nozzle performance can be attained despite substantial nozzle length reduction through the use of plug nozzles as compared to a convergent-divergent nozzle. Pretest measurement uncertainty analyses indicate that specific impulsemore » values are expected to be within plus or minus 1.17%.« less

SEAPAK user's guide, version 2.0. Volume 1: System description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcclain, Charles R.; Darzi, Michael; Firestone, James K.; Fu, Gary; Yeh, Eueng-Nan; Endres, Daniel L.

1991-01-01

The SEAPAK is a user interactive satellite data analysis package that was developed for the processing and interpretation of Nimbus-7/Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) and the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data. Significant revisions were made to version 1.0 of the guide, and the ancillary environmental data analysis module was expanded. The package continues to emphasize user friendliness and user interactive data analyses. Additionally, because the scientific goals of the ocean color research being conducted have shifted to large space and time scales, batch processing capabilities for both satellite and ancillary environmental data analyses were enhanced, thus allowing large quantities of data to be ingested and analyzed in background.

Perception of mental health in Pakistani nomads: An interpretative phenomenological analyses

PubMed Central

Choudhry, Fahad Riaz; Bokharey, Iram Zehra

2013-01-01

The study was conducted to explore the mental health issues of Pakistani nomads and to uncover their concept, ideation, and perception about mental health and illnesses. It was an exploratory study situated in the qualitative paradigm. The research strategy used was Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), as the study was planned to explore the lived experiences of nomads regarding mental health and coping strategies and how they interpret those experiences. For data collection, focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted. Seven participants were included in the FGDs, and two FGDs were conducted composed of both genders. The responses were recorded, and data were transcribed and analysed using IPA. Data verification procedures of peer review, which help to clarify researcher bias and rich thick description, were used. The major themes were lack of resources and myriad unfulfilled needs, specifically the basic needs (food, shelter, and drinking and bathing water). Moreover, a strong desire to fulfil the secondary needs of enjoyment and having luxuries was also reflected. A list of recommendations was forwarded for policy making of this marginalized community and to create awareness regarding mental health. PMID:24369779

Perception of mental health in Pakistani nomads: an interpretative phenomenological analyses.

PubMed

Choudhry, Fahad Riaz; Bokharey, Iram Zehra

2013-12-19

The study was conducted to explore the mental health issues of Pakistani nomads and to uncover their concept, ideation, and perception about mental health and illnesses. It was an exploratory study situated in the qualitative paradigm. The research strategy used was Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), as the study was planned to explore the lived experiences of nomads regarding mental health and coping strategies and how they interpret those experiences. For data collection, focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted. Seven participants were included in the FGDs, and two FGDs were conducted composed of both genders. The responses were recorded, and data were transcribed and analysed using IPA. Data verification procedures of peer review, which help to clarify researcher bias and rich thick description, were used. The major themes were lack of resources and myriad unfulfilled needs, specifically the basic needs (food, shelter, and drinking and bathing water). Moreover, a strong desire to fulfil the secondary needs of enjoyment and having luxuries was also reflected. A list of recommendations was forwarded for policy making of this marginalized community and to create awareness regarding mental health.

Description and evaluation of an initiative to develop advanced practice nurses in mainland China.

PubMed

Wong, Frances Kam Yuet; Peng, Gangyi; Kan, Eva C; Li, Yajie; Lau, Ada T; Zhang, Liying; Leung, Annie F; Liu, Xueqin; Leung, Vilna O; Chen, Weiju; Li, Ming

2010-05-01

This paper describes an initiative to develop Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) in mainland China and evaluation of the outcomes of the described programme. The pioneer project was an APN postgraduate programme involving 38 students conducted in Guangzhou, China during 2004-2005. Data related to curriculum content and process, student performance, self-reported competence and programme effects were collected. Quantitative data such as demographic data, student performance were analysed using descriptive statistics and the pre and post self-reported practice of competence was compared using chi-square test. Qualitative data such as case reports and interviews were examined using thematic analyses. Reflective journals and case studies revealed the attributes of APNs in managing clinical cases at advanced level, applying theory into practice and exercising evidence-based practice. The relatively modest self-reported practice of competence suggested that the graduates were novice APNs and needed continued development after the completion of the programme. This study reports the experience of an initiative in China and suggests a useful curriculum framework for educating APNs. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Congenital jaundice in bovine aborted foetuses: an emerging syndrome in southern Belgium.

PubMed

Delooz, L; Mori, M; Petitjean, T; Evrard, J; Czaplicki, G; Saegerman, C

2015-04-01

Southern Belgium faces an unusual recent increase of icteric bovine aborted foetuses. In the necropsy room, the majority of foetuses presented jaundice and splenomegaly. Despite a wide range of analyses, no definitive cause of abortion has yet been established but some analysis results support the leptospirosis hypothesis. This first description of cases will help veterinary practitioners to recognize more cases and to conduct those to the laboratory for future investigations. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Emotional and cognitive effects of peer tutoring among secondary school mathematics students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alegre Ansuategui, Francisco José; Moliner Miravet, Lidón

2017-11-01

This paper describes an experience of same-age peer tutoring conducted with 19 eighth-grade mathematics students in a secondary school in Castellon de la Plana (Spain). Three constructs were analysed before and after launching the program: academic performance, mathematics self-concept and attitude of solidarity. Students' perceptions of the method were also analysed. The quantitative data was gathered by means of a mathematics self-concept questionnaire, an attitude of solidarity questionnaire and the students' numerical ratings. A statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test. The qualitative information was gathered by means of discussion groups and a field diary. This information was analysed using descriptive analysis and by categorizing the information. Results show statistically significant improvements in all the variables and the positive assessment of the experience and the interactions that took place between the students.

Experiences of Siblings of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

PubMed Central

Angell, Maureen E.; Meadan, Hedda; Stoner, Julia B.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and identify their self-reported support needs. We conducted in-person semi-structured interviews with 12 siblings aged 7 to 15 of children aged 6 to 15 with ASDs. Employing a qualitative collective case study research method, we conducted cross-case analyses to address our research questions. Three major themes emerged: (a) descriptions of the sibling subsystem (b) cohesion between and among the siblings, and (c) adaptability of the participant siblings to having family members with ASDs. Discussion of these findings and recommendations for future research contributes to the existing literature on siblings of children with disabilities. PMID:22928104

Archive of sediment data from vibracores collected in 2010 offshore of the Mississippi barrier islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelso, Kyle W.; Flocks, James G.

2015-01-01

Selection of the core site locations was based on geophysical surveys conducted around the islands from 2008 to 2010. The surveys, using acoustic systems to image and interpret the nearsurface stratigraphy, were conducted to investigate the geologic controls on island evolution. This data series serves as an archive of sediment data collected from August to September 2010, offshore of the Mississippi barrier islands. Data products, including descriptive core logs, core photographs, results of sediment grain-size analyses, sample location maps, and geographic information system (GIS) data files with accompanying formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FDGC) metadata can be downloaded from the data products and downloads page.

Applications of Micro-CT scanning in medicine and dentistry: Microstructural analyses of a Wistar Rat mandible and a urinary tract stone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latief, F. D. E.; Sari, D. S.; Fitri, L. A.

2017-08-01

High-resolution tomographic imaging by means of x-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) has been widely utilized for morphological evaluations in dentistry and medicine. The use of μCT follows a standard procedure: image acquisition, reconstruction, processing, evaluation using image analysis, and reporting of results. This paper discusses methods of μCT using a specific scanning device, the Bruker SkyScan 1173 High Energy Micro-CT. We present a description of the general workflow, information on terminology for the measured parameters and corresponding units, and further analyses that can potentially be conducted with this technology. Brief qualitative and quantitative analyses, including basic image processing (VOI selection and thresholding) and measurement of several morphometrical variables (total VOI volume, object volume, percentage of total volume, total VOI surface, object surface, object surface/volume ratio, object surface density, structure thickness, structure separation, total porosity) were conducted on two samples, the mandible of a wistar rat and a urinary tract stone, to illustrate the abilities of this device and its accompanying software package. The results of these analyses for both samples are reported, along with a discussion of the types of analyses that are possible using digital images obtained with a μCT scanning device, paying particular attention to non-diagnostic ex vivo research applications.

A descriptive analysis of oral health systematic reviews published 1991-2012: cross sectional study.

PubMed

Saltaji, Humam; Cummings, Greta G; Armijo-Olivo, Susan; Major, Michael P; Amin, Maryam; Major, Paul W; Hartling, Lisa; Flores-Mir, Carlos

2013-01-01

To identify all systematic reviews (SRs) published in the domain of oral health research and describe them in terms of their epidemiological and descriptive characteristics. Cross sectional, descriptive study. An electronic search of seven databases was performed from inception through May 2012; bibliographies of relevant publications were also reviewed. Studies were considered for inclusion if they were oral health SRs defined as therapeutic or non-therapeutic investigations that studied a topic or an intervention related to dental, oral or craniofacial diseases/disorders. Data were extracted from all the SRs based on a number of epidemiological and descriptive characteristics. Data were analysed descriptively for all the SRs, within each of the nine dental specialities, and for Cochrane and non-Cochrane SRs separately. 1,188 oral health (126 Cochrane and 1062 non-Cochrane) SRs published from 1991 through May 2012 were identified, encompassing the nine dental specialties. Over half (n = 676; 56.9%) of the SRs were published in specialty oral health journals, with almost all (n = 1,178; 99.2%) of the SRs published in English and almost none of the non-Cochrane SRs (n = 11; 0.9%) consisting of updates of previously published SRs. 75.3% of the SRs were categorized as therapeutic, with 64.5% examining non-drug interventions, while approximately half (n = 150/294; 51%) of the non-therapeutic SRs were classified as epidemiological SRs. The SRs included a median of 15 studies, with a meta-analysis conducted in 43.6%, in which a median of 9 studies/1 randomized trial were included in the largest meta-analysis conducted. Funding was received for 25.1% of the SRs, including nearly three-quarters (n = 96; 76.2%) of the Cochrane SRs. Epidemiological and descriptive characteristics of the 1,188 oral health SRs varied across the nine dental specialties and by SR category (Cochrane vs. non-Cochrane). There is a clear need for more updates of SRs in all the dental specialties.

Characterization and effectiveness of pay-for-performance in ophthalmology: a systematic review.

PubMed

Herbst, Tim; Emmert, Martin

2017-06-05

To identify, characterize and compare existing pay-for-performance approaches and their impact on the quality of care and efficiency in ophthalmology. A systematic evidence-based review was conducted. English, French and German written literature published between 2000 and 2015 were searched in the following databases: Medline (via PubMed), NCBI web site, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, Econlit and the Cochrane Library. Empirical as well as descriptive articles were included. Controlled clinical trials, meta-analyses, randomized controlled studies as well as observational studies were included as empirical articles. Systematic characterization of identified pay-for-performance approaches (P4P approaches) was conducted according to the "Model for Implementing and Monitoring Incentives for Quality" (MIMIQ). Methodological quality of empirical articles was assessed according to the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklists. Overall, 13 relevant articles were included. Eleven articles were descriptive and two articles included empirical analyses. Based on these articles, four different pay-for-performance approaches implemented in the United States were identified. With regard to quality and incentive elements, systematic comparison showed numerous differences between P4P approaches. Empirical studies showed isolated cost or quality effects, while a simultaneous examination of these effects was missing. Research results show that experiences with pay-for-performance approaches in ophthalmology are limited. Identified approaches differ with regard to quality and incentive elements restricting comparability. Two empirical studies are insufficient to draw strong conclusions about the effectiveness and efficiency of these approaches.

Analyses and descriptions of geochemical samples from the Rich Mountain Roadless Area, Fannin and Gilmer counties, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sears, C.M.; Foose, M.P.; Day, G.W.; Ericksen, M.S.

1983-01-01

Semi-quantitative spectrographic analyses for 31 elements on rock, soil, fine-grained stream sediment, bulk stream sediment, and panned stream sediment samples collected in the Rich Mountain Roadless Area, Fannin and Gilmer Counties, Georgia, are reported here. Atomic absorption analyses for gold and fluorometric analyses for uranium are also reported. Brief descriptions of all rock samples analyzed are included.

Clinical research ethics review process in Lebanon: efficiency and functions of research ethics committees - results from a descriptive questionnaire-based study.

PubMed

Atallah, David; Moubarak, Malak; El Kassis, Nadine; Abboud, Sara

2018-01-11

Clinical trials conducted in Lebanon are increasing. However, little is known about the performance of research ethics committees (RECs) in charge of reviewing the research protocols. This study aimed to assess the level of adherence to the ethics surrounding the conduct of clinical trials and perceptions of team members regarding roles of the RECs during the conduct of clinical trials in Lebanon. The research question was: Are RECs adherent to the ethics surrounding the conduct of clinical trials (chapters II and IV in 'Standards and Operational Guidance for Ethics Review of Health-related Research with Human Participants' in Lebanon?' This was a quantitative and descriptive questionnaire-based study conducted among RECs of university hospitals in Lebanon. The questionnaire had to be completed online and included general questions in addition to items reflecting the different aspects of a REC performance and effectiveness. All the questionnaire was assigned a total score of 175 points. General information and questions assigned point values/scores were analysed using descriptive statistics: frequency and percentage, mean score ± standard deviation. Ten RECs participated in the study (52 persons: four chairs, one vice-president, 47 ordinary members). Forty-seven (90.4%) had previous experience with clinical research and 30 (57.7%) had a diploma or had done a training in research ethics. Forty-one percent confirmed that they were required to have a training in research ethics. All RECs had a policy for disclosing and managing potential conflicts of interest for its members, but 71.8% of participants reported the existence of such a policy for researchers. Thirty-three point three percent reported that the RECs had an anti-bribery policy. The questionnaire mean score was 129.6 ± 22.3/175 points reflecting thus an excellent adherence to international standards. Inadequate training of REC members and the lack of anti-bribery policies should be resolved to improve their performance.

Integration of the primary health care approach into a community nursing science curriculum.

PubMed

Vilakazi, S S; Chabeli, M M; Roos, S D

2000-12-01

The purpose of this article is to explore and describe guidelines for integration of the primary health care approach into a Community Nursing Science Curriculum in a Nursing College in Gauteng. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was utilized. The focus group interviews were conducted with community nurses and nurse educators as respondents. Data were analysed by a qualitative descriptive method of analysis as described in Creswell (1994: 155). Respondents in both groups held similar perceptions regarding integration of primary health care approach into a Community Nursing Science Curriculum. Five categories, which are in line with the curriculum cycle, were identified as follows: situation analysis, selection and organisation of objectives/goals, content, teaching methods and evaluation. Guidelines and recommendations for the integration of the primary health care approach into a Community Nursing Science Curriculum were described.

Students' attitudes towards learning statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghulami, Hassan Rahnaward; Hamid, Mohd Rashid Ab; Zakaria, Roslinazairimah

2015-05-01

Positive attitude towards learning is vital in order to master the core content of the subject matters under study. This is unexceptional in learning statistics course especially at the university level. Therefore, this study investigates the students' attitude towards learning statistics. Six variables or constructs have been identified such as affect, cognitive competence, value, difficulty, interest, and effort. The instrument used for the study is questionnaire that was adopted and adapted from the reliable instrument of Survey of Attitudes towards Statistics(SATS©). This study is conducted to engineering undergraduate students in one of the university in the East Coast of Malaysia. The respondents consist of students who were taking the applied statistics course from different faculties. The results are analysed in terms of descriptive analysis and it contributes to the descriptive understanding of students' attitude towards the teaching and learning process of statistics.

Professional Culture and Personality Traits of Hospital Pharmacists across Canada: A Fundamental First Step in Developing Effective Knowledge Translation Strategies.

PubMed

Rosenthal, Meagen; Hall, Kevin W; Bussières, Jean-François; Tsuyuki, Ross T

2015-01-01

Evidence for the value of pharmacists' interventions in the care of patients is strong and continues to grow, but the rate at which these new practice opportunities are being integrated into daily practice has not kept pace. The knowledge translation literature suggests that before effective change strategies can be implemented, a better understanding of the current environment must be obtained. Two important factors within the practice environment are the professional culture and personality traits of group members. To gain insight, at a national level, into the culture of hospital pharmacy, using the Organizational Culture Profile, and into hospital pharmacists' personality traits, using the Big Five Inventory. A cross-sectional survey of hospital pharmacists from across Canada was conducted intermittently over the period August 2012 to September 2013. The online survey contained questions about demographic characteristics and practice setting, as well as questions from the Organizational Culture Profile and Big Five Inventory. The survey link was distributed directly to hospital pharmacists or made available through provincial monthly newsletters. All data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially. In total, 401 surveys were returned. Descriptive analyses from the Organizational Culture Profile revealed that most respondents perceived value in the factors of supportiveness, competitiveness, and stability. Descriptive analyses from the Big Five Inventory revealed that respondents may have been more likely to exhibit behaviours in line with the trait of conscientiousness. Several significant subgroup differences were noted in relation to levels of education, regions of practice within Canada, years in practice, and proportion of time spent conducting clinical duties. The results from this survey provide preliminary insight into the professional culture and personality traits of Canadian hospital pharmacists. It will be important to explore these findings in more depth to maximize the success of any future practice change initiatives.

Professional Culture and Personality Traits of Hospital Pharmacists across Canada: A Fundamental First Step in Developing Effective Knowledge Translation Strategies

PubMed Central

Rosenthal, Meagen; Hall, Kevin W; Bussières, Jean-François; Tsuyuki, Ross T

2015-01-01

Background: Evidence for the value of pharmacists’ interventions in the care of patients is strong and continues to grow, but the rate at which these new practice opportunities are being integrated into daily practice has not kept pace. The knowledge translation literature suggests that before effective change strategies can be implemented, a better understanding of the current environment must be obtained. Two important factors within the practice environment are the professional culture and personality traits of group members. Objective: To gain insight, at a national level, into the culture of hospital pharmacy, using the Organizational Culture Profile, and into hospital pharmacists’ personality traits, using the Big Five Inventory. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of hospital pharmacists from across Canada was conducted intermittently over the period August 2012 to September 2013. The online survey contained questions about demographic characteristics and practice setting, as well as questions from the Organizational Culture Profile and Big Five Inventory. The survey link was distributed directly to hospital pharmacists or made available through provincial monthly newsletters. All data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially. Results: In total, 401 surveys were returned. Descriptive analyses from the Organizational Culture Profile revealed that most respondents perceived value in the factors of supportiveness, competitiveness, and stability. Descriptive analyses from the Big Five Inventory revealed that respondents may have been more likely to exhibit behaviours in line with the trait of conscientiousness. Several significant subgroup differences were noted in relation to levels of education, regions of practice within Canada, years in practice, and proportion of time spent conducting clinical duties. Conclusions: The results from this survey provide preliminary insight into the professional culture and personality traits of Canadian hospital pharmacists. It will be important to explore these findings in more depth to maximize the success of any future practice change initiatives. PMID:25964684

Energy-efficient electric motors study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1981-03-01

A survey conducted of purchasers of integral horsepower polyphase motors measured current knowledge of and awareness of energy efficient motors, decision making criteria, information sources, purchase and usage patterns, and related factors. The data obtained were used for the electric motor market penetration analysis. Additionally, a telephone survey was made. The study also provides analyses of distribution channels, commercialization constraints, and the impacts of government programs and rising energy prices. Study findings, conclusions, and recommendations are presented. Sample questionnaires and copies of letters to respondents are presented in appendices as well as descriptions of the methods used.

Magnetism and the interior of the moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyal, P.; Parkin, C. W.; Daily, W. D.

1974-01-01

The application of lunar magnetic field measurements to the study of properties of the lunar crust and deep interior is reviewed. Following a brief description of lunar magnetometers and the lunar magnetic environment, measurements of lunar remanent fields and their interaction with the solar plasma are discussed. The magnetization induction mode is considered with reference to lunar magnetic permeability and iron abundance calculations. Finally, electrical conductivity and temperature calculations from analyses of poloidal induction, for data taken in both the solar wind and in the geomagnetic tail, are reviewed.

Multistage, multiseasonal and multiband imagery to identify and qualify non-forest vegetation resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Driscoll, R. S.; Francis, R. E.

1970-01-01

A description of space and supporting aircraft photography for the interpretation and analyses of non-forest (shrubby and herbaceous) native vegetation is presented. The research includes the development of a multiple sampling technique to assign quantitative area values of specific plant community types included within an assigned space photograph map unit. Also, investigations of aerial film type, scale, and season of photography for identification and quantity measures of shrubby and herbaceous vegetation were conducted. Some work was done to develop automated interpretation techniques with film image density measurement devices.

Exploring Science Teachers' Affective States: Pedagogical Discontentment, Self-efficacy, Intentions to Reform, and Their Relationships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahveci, Ajda; Kahveci, Murat; Mansour, Nasser; Alarfaj, Maher Mohammed

2017-06-01

Teachers play a key role in moving reform-based science education practices into the classroom. Based on research that emphasizes the importance of teachers' affective states, this study aimed to explore the constructs pedagogical discontentment, science teaching self-efficacy, intentions to reform, and their correlations. Also, it aimed to provide empirical evidence in light of a previously proposed theoretical model while focusing on an entirely new context in Middle East. Data were collected in Saudi Arabia with a total of randomly selected 994 science teachers, 656 of whom were females and 338 were males. To collect the data, the Arabic versions of the Science Teachers' Pedagogical Discontentment scale, the Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument and the Intentions to Reform Science Teaching scale were developed. For assuring the validity of the instruments in a non-Western context, rigorous cross-cultural validations procedures were followed. Factor analyses were conducted for construct validation and descriptive statistical analyses were performed including frequency distributions and normality checks. Univariate analyses of variance were run to explore statistically significant differences between groups of teachers. Cross-tabulation and correlation analyses were conducted to explore relationships. The findings suggest effect of teacher characteristics such as age and professional development program attendance on the affective states. The results demonstrate that teachers who attended a relatively higher number of programs had lower level of intentions to reform raising issues regarding the conduct and outcomes of professional development. Some of the findings concerning interrelationships among the three constructs challenge and serve to expand the previously proposed theoretical model.

A review of published analyses of case-cohort studies and recommendations for future reporting.

PubMed

Sharp, Stephen J; Poulaliou, Manon; Thompson, Simon G; White, Ian R; Wood, Angela M

2014-01-01

The case-cohort study design combines the advantages of a cohort study with the efficiency of a nested case-control study. However, unlike more standard observational study designs, there are currently no guidelines for reporting results from case-cohort studies. Our aim was to review recent practice in reporting these studies, and develop recommendations for the future. By searching papers published in 24 major medical and epidemiological journals between January 2010 and March 2013 using PubMed, Scopus and Web of Knowledge, we identified 32 papers reporting case-cohort studies. The median subcohort sampling fraction was 4.1% (interquartile range 3.7% to 9.1%). The papers varied in their approaches to describing the numbers of individuals in the original cohort and the subcohort, presenting descriptive data, and in the level of detail provided about the statistical methods used, so it was not always possible to be sure that appropriate analyses had been conducted. Based on the findings of our review, we make recommendations about reporting of the study design, subcohort definition, numbers of participants, descriptive information and statistical methods, which could be used alongside existing STROBE guidelines for reporting observational studies.

A phenomenological study of living with a partner affected with dementia.

PubMed

Meyer, Jennie; Mc Cullough, Joanne; Berggren, Ingela

2016-01-01

Caring for people affected by dementia is a collective effort that involves public health, primary care, and informal care. The third mainly comprises the efforts of spouses. This study aimed to describe spouses' experiences of living with a partner affected with dementia. The study has a descriptive phenomenological approach based on a reflective life-world perspective. Seven in-depth interviews were conducted with spouses of persons affected with dementia. The interviews were audiotaped and analysed using the procedures described by Giorgi (2009) . The essence of living with a partner affected by dementia formed a comprehensive theme: from togetherness to loneliness, which along with three descriptive categories-changes in their partner's behaviour, changes in everyday life, and a changed future-describes the phenomenon. The theme 'From togetherness to loneliness' reflects the spouses' descriptions of their life-world. Daily life changed gradually in line with their partners' personality, and their role became that of a care provider rather than a spouse. Information and knowledge about dementia should be provided at an early stage. Health care has a major responsibility to meet their needs, thus ensuring that all parties are satisfied.

Accuracy of Physical Self-Description Among Chronic Exercisers and Non-Exercisers.

PubMed

Berning, Joseph M; DeBeliso, Mark; Sevene, Trish G; Adams, Kent J; Salmon, Paul; Stamford, Bryant A

2014-11-06

This study addressed the role of chronic exercise to enhance physical self-description as measured by self-estimated percent body fat. Accuracy of physical self-description was determined in normal-weight, regularly exercising and non-exercising males with similar body mass index (BMI)'s and females with similar BMI's (n=42 males and 45 females of which 23 males and 23 females met criteria to be considered chronic exercisers). Statistical analyses were conducted to determine the degree of agreement between self-estimated percent body fat and actual laboratory measurements (hydrostatic weighing). Three statistical techniques were employed: Pearson correlation coefficients, Bland and Altman plots, and regression analysis. Agreement between measured and self-estimated percent body fat was superior for males and females who exercised chronically, compared to non-exercisers. The clinical implications are as follows. Satisfaction with one's body can be influenced by several factors, including self-perceived body composition. Dissatisfaction can contribute to maladaptive and destructive weight management behaviors. The present study suggests that regular exercise provides a basis for more positive weight management behaviors by enhancing the accuracy of self-assessed body composition.

Modular space station phase B extension, preliminary system design. Volume 4: Subsystems analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antell, R. W.

1972-01-01

The subsystems tradeoffs, analyses, and preliminary design results are summarized. Analyses were made of the structural and mechanical, environmental control and life support, electrical power, guidance and control, reaction control, information, and crew habitability subsystems. For each subsystem a summary description is presented including subsystem requirements, subsystem description, and subsystem characteristics definition (physical, performance, and interface). The major preliminary design data and tradeoffs or analyses are described in detail at each of the assembly levels.

Understanding Nomophobia: Structural Equation Modeling and Semantic Network Analysis of Smartphone Separation Anxiety.

PubMed

Han, Seunghee; Kim, Ki Joon; Kim, Jang Hyun

2017-07-01

This study explicates nomophobia by developing a research model that identifies several determinants of smartphone separation anxiety and by conducting semantic network analyses on smartphone users' verbal descriptions of the meaning of their smartphones. Structural equation modeling of the proposed model indicates that personal memories evoked by smartphones encourage users to extend their identity onto their devices. When users perceive smartphones as their extended selves, they are more likely to get attached to the devices, which, in turn, leads to nomophobia by heightening the phone proximity-seeking tendency. This finding is also supplemented by the results of the semantic network analyses revealing that the words related to memory, self, and proximity-seeking are indeed more frequently used in the high, compared with low, nomophobia group.

Prospective Associations of Actual and Perceived Descriptive Norms with Drinking Among Emerging Adults.

PubMed

Simons-Morton, Bruce; Haynie, Denise; Bible, Joe; Liu, Danping

2018-02-05

Descriptive norms are commonly associated with participant drinking. However, study participants may incorrectly perceive that their peers drink about the same amount as they do, which would bias estimates of drinking homogeneity. This research examined the magnitude of associations between emerging adults' reports of their own drinking and peer drinking measured the previous year by measures of (1) participants' perceptions of friends' drinking; and (2) actual drinking reported by nominated peers. The data are from annual surveys conducted in 2014 and 2015, Waves 4 and 5 (the first 2 years after high school) of 7 annual assessments as part of the NEXT Generation Health Study (n = 323). Associations of participant alcohol use with perceived friend use (five closest, closest male, and closest female friends), and with actual peer use. Logistic regression analyses estimated the magnitudes of prospective associations between each measure of peer drinking at W4 and participant drinking at W5.

Selected quality assurance data for water samples collected by the US Geological Survey, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho, 1980 to 1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wegner, S.J.

1989-01-01

Multiple water samples from 115 wells and 3 surface water sites were collected between 1980 and 1988 for the ongoing quality assurance program at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The reported results from the six laboratories involved were analyzed for agreement using descriptive statistics. The constituents and properties included: tritium, plutonium-238, plutonium-239, -240 (undivided), strontium-90, americium-241, cesium-137, total dissolved chromium, selected dissolved trace metals, sodium, chloride, nitrate, selected purgeable organic compounds, and specific conductance. Agreement could not be calculated for purgeable organic compounds, trace metals, some nitrates and blank sample analyses because analytical uncertainties were not consistently reported. However, differences between results for most of these data were calculated. The blank samples were not analyzed for differences. The laboratory results analyzed using descriptive statistics showed a median agreement between all useable data pairs of 95%. (USGS)

Space Station CMIF extended duration metabolic control test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schunk, Richard G.; Bagdigian, Robert M.; Carrasquillo, Robyn L.; Ogle, Kathryn Y.; Wieland, Paul O.

1989-01-01

The Space Station Extended Duration Metabolic Control Test (EMCT) was conducted at the MSFC Core Module Integration Facility. The primary objective of the EMCT was to gather performance data from a partially-closed regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) system functioning under steady-state conditions. Included is a description of the EMCT configuration, a summary of events, a discussion of anomalies that occurred during the test, and detailed results and analysis from individual measurements of water and gas samples taken during the test. A comparison of the physical, chemical, and microbiological methods used in the post test laboratory analyses of the water samples is included. The preprototype ECLS hardware used in the test, providing an overall process description and theory of operation for each hardware item. Analytical results pertaining to a system level mass balance and selected system power estimates are also included.

Quantitative evaluation of pregnant women delivery status' records in Akure, Nigeria.

PubMed

Adejumo, Adebowale O; Suleiman, Esivue A; Okagbue, Hilary I; Oguntunde, Pelumi E; Odetunmibi, Oluwole A

2018-02-01

In this data article, monthly records (datasets) of total delivery, normal delivery, delivery through Caesarean section and number of still births from pregnant women in Akure, the capital city of Ondo state Nigeria, for a period of ten years, between January 2007 and December 2016 were considered. Correlational and time series analyses were conducted on the monthly records of total delivery, normal delivery (delivery through woman virginal), delivery through Caesarean section, and number of still births, in order to observe the patterns each of these indicators follows and to recommend appropriate model for forecasting their future values. The data were obtained in raw form from State Specialist Hospital (SSH), Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. A clear description and variation in each of these indicators (total delivery, normal delivery, caesarean section, and still births) were considered separately using descriptive statistics and box plots. Different models were also proposed for each of these indicators using time series models.

Social problem-solving in Chinese baccalaureate nursing students.

PubMed

Fang, Jinbo; Luo, Ying; Li, Yanhua; Huang, Wenxia

2016-11-01

To describe social problem solving in Chinese baccalaureate nursing students. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with a cluster sample of 681 Chinese baccalaureate nursing students. The Chinese version of the Social Problem-Solving scale was used. Descriptive analyses, independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance were applied to analyze the data. The final year nursing students presented the highest scores of positive social problem-solving skills. Students with experiences of self-directed and problem-based learning presented significantly higher scores in Positive Problem Orientation subscale. The group with Critical thinking training experience, however, displayed higher negative problem solving scores compared with nonexperience group. Social problem solving abilities varied based upon teaching-learning strategies. Self-directed and problem-based learning may be recommended as effective way to improve social problem-solving ability. © 2016 Chinese Cochrane Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

A comparison of two- and three-dimensional stochastic models of regional solute movement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shapiro, A.M.; Cvetkovic, V.D.

1990-01-01

Recent models of solute movement in porous media that are based on a stochastic description of the porous medium properties have been dedicated primarily to a three-dimensional interpretation of solute movement. In many practical problems, however, it is more convenient and consistent with measuring techniques to consider flow and solute transport as an areal, two-dimensional phenomenon. The physics of solute movement, however, is dependent on the three-dimensional heterogeneity in the formation. A comparison of two- and three-dimensional stochastic interpretations of solute movement in a porous medium having a statistically isotropic hydraulic conductivity field is investigated. To provide an equitable comparison between the two- and three-dimensional analyses, the stochastic properties of the transmissivity are defined in terms of the stochastic properties of the hydraulic conductivity. The variance of the transmissivity is shown to be significantly reduced in comparison to that of the hydraulic conductivity, and the transmissivity is spatially correlated over larger distances. These factors influence the two-dimensional interpretations of solute movement by underestimating the longitudinal and transverse growth of the solute plume in comparison to its description as a three-dimensional phenomenon. Although this analysis is based on small perturbation approximations and the special case of a statistically isotropic hydraulic conductivity field, it casts doubt on the use of a stochastic interpretation of the transmissivity in describing regional scale movement. However, by assuming the transmissivity to be the vertical integration of the hydraulic conductivity field at a given position, the stochastic properties of the hydraulic conductivity can be estimated from the stochastic properties of the transmissivity and applied to obtain a more accurate interpretation of solute movement. ?? 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Role and working conditions of nurses in public health in Mexico and Peru: a binational qualitative study.

PubMed

De Córdova, Maria Isabel Peñarrietade; Mier, Nelda; Quirarte, Nora Hilda Gonzales; Gómez, Tranquilina Gutiérrez; Piñones, Socorro; Borda, Alejandro

2013-11-01

This exploratory study conducted in Mexico and Peru investigated nurses' perceptions about their role in public health and working conditions. Health reform efforts in many countries are redefining the role of health professionals in public health. Little is known about the role of nurses working in public health contexts in Latin America. Fourteen focus groups were conducted in Mexico and Peru with 82 nurses working in government-sponsored community health centres. Data were analysed using a content analysis technique. Themes identified were: nurses' job descriptions in public health settings; organisational factors influencing the nurses' work, and influence of academic and social image factors. Management barriers and limited training influences the role and working conditions of public health nurses in Mexico and Peru. The professional role of nurses working in public health in Latin America is not well defined because of the health-care system infrastructure and the lack of a clear public health nurse job description. Further research is needed to better understand the role of public health nurses and strengthen their training, particularly in relation to nursing management encompassing abilities for decision-making processes and public health program planning and evaluation. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Relative contributions of three descriptive methods: implications for behavioral assessment.

PubMed

Pence, Sacha T; Roscoe, Eileen M; Bourret, Jason C; Ahearn, William H

2009-01-01

This study compared the outcomes of three descriptive analysis methods-the ABC method, the conditional probability method, and the conditional and background probability method-to each other and to the results obtained from functional analyses. Six individuals who had been diagnosed with developmental delays and exhibited problem behavior participated. Functional analyses indicated that participants' problem behavior was maintained by social positive reinforcement (n = 2), social negative reinforcement (n = 2), or automatic reinforcement (n = 2). Results showed that for all but 1 participant, descriptive analysis outcomes were similar across methods. In addition, for all but 1 participant, the descriptive analysis outcome differed substantially from the functional analysis outcome. This supports the general finding that descriptive analysis is a poor means of determining functional relations.

[Are new forms of primary health care organization (PHLU) associated with a better health care experience for patients with chronic diseases in Quebec?].

PubMed

Pineault, Raynald; Da Silva, Roxane Borgés; Provost, Sylvie; Fournier, Michel; Prud'homme, Alexandre

2015-01-01

To assess the extent to which new forms of PHC organization - Family medicine groups (FMG) and Network clinics (NC) - established in Quebec since 2003, are associated with a better experience of care than other forms of PHC organization, for patients with chronic diseases. Two surveys were conducted in 2010 in two regions of Quebec: the first among 9,180 residents and the second among 606 PHC organizations. Indices of experience of care were constructed concerning accessibility, continuity, comprehensiveness and perceived outcomes. Five categories of chronic diseases were selected. Descriptive analyses and multilevel regression analyses were conducted to compare the different forms of PHC organization. Individuals with chronic diseases tend to report a better experience of care than those without chronic diseases for all dimensions except for accessibility. FMGs compare to group practices on all dimensions and NCs are associated with a poorer experience of care on most dimensions. Experience of care associated with FMGs and NCs is not superior to that associated with group practices.

“Let’s Talk about OA Pain”: A Qualitative Analysis of the Perceptions of People Suffering from OA. Towards the Development of a Specific Pain OA-Related Questionnaire, the Osteoarthritis Symptom Inventory Scale (OASIS)

PubMed Central

Cedraschi, Christine; Delézay, Sylvie; Marty, Marc; Berenbaum, Francis; Bouhassira, Didier; Henrotin, Yves; Laroche, Françoise; Perrot, Serge

2013-01-01

Introduction Pain is the primary outcome measurement in osteoarthritis, and its assessment is mostly based on its intensity. The management of this difficult chronic condition could be improved by using pain descriptors to improve analyses of painful sensations. This should help to define subgroups of patients based on pain phenotype, for more adapted treatment. This study draws upon patients’ descriptions of their pain, to identify and understand their perception of osteoarthritis pain and to categorize pain dimensions. Methods This qualitative study was conducted with representative types of patients suffering from osteoarthritis. Two focus groups were conducted with a sample of 14 participants, with either recent or chronic OA, at one or multiple sites. Focus groups were semi-structured and used open-ended questions addressing personal experiences to explore the experiences of patients with OA pain and the meanings they attributed to these pains. Results Two main points emerged from content analyses: -A major difficulty in getting patients to describe their osteoarthritis pain: perception that nobody wants to hear about it; necessity to preserve one’s self and social image; notion of self-imposed stoicism; and perception of osteoarthritis as a complex, changing, illogical disease associated with aging. -Osteoarthritis pains were numerous and differed in intensity, duration, depth, type of occurrence, impact and rhythm, but also in painful sensations and associated symptoms. Based on analyses of the verbatim interviews, seven dimensions of OA pain emerged: pain sensory description, OA-related symptoms, pain variability profile, pain-triggering factors, pain and physical activity, mood and image, general physical symptoms. Summary In osteoarthritis, pain analysis should not be restricted to intensity. Our qualitative study identified pain descriptors and defined seven dimensions of osteoarthritis pain. Based on these dimensions, we aim to develop a specific questionnaire on osteoarthritis pain quality for osteoarthritis pain phenotyping: the OsteoArthritis Symptom Inventory Scale (OASIS). PMID:24244589

The performance assessment of undergraduate students in physics laboratory by using guided inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mubarok, H.; Lutfiyah, A.; Kholiq, A.; Suprapto, N.; Putri, N. P.

2018-03-01

The performance assessment of basic physics experiment among undergraduate physics students which includes three stages: pre-laboratory, conducting experiment and final report was explored in this study. The research used a descriptive quantitative approach by utilizing guidebook of basic physics experiment. The findings showed that (1) the performance of pre-laboratory rate among undergraduate physics students in good category (average score = 77.55), which includes the ability of undergraduate physics students’ theory before they were doing the experiment. (2) The performance of conducting experiment was in good category (average score = 78.33). (3) While the performance of final report was in moderate category (average score = 73.73), with the biggest weakness at how to analyse and to discuss the data and writing the abstract.

A Descriptive Analysis of Oral Health Systematic Reviews Published 1991–2012: Cross Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Saltaji, Humam; Cummings, Greta G.; Armijo-Olivo, Susan; Major, Michael P.; Amin, Maryam; Major, Paul W.; Hartling, Lisa; Flores-Mir, Carlos

2013-01-01

Objectives To identify all systematic reviews (SRs) published in the domain of oral health research and describe them in terms of their epidemiological and descriptive characteristics. Design Cross sectional, descriptive study. Methods An electronic search of seven databases was performed from inception through May 2012; bibliographies of relevant publications were also reviewed. Studies were considered for inclusion if they were oral health SRs defined as therapeutic or non-therapeutic investigations that studied a topic or an intervention related to dental, oral or craniofacial diseases/disorders. Data were extracted from all the SRs based on a number of epidemiological and descriptive characteristics. Data were analysed descriptively for all the SRs, within each of the nine dental specialities, and for Cochrane and non-Cochrane SRs separately. Results 1,188 oral health (126 Cochrane and 1062 non-Cochrane) SRs published from 1991 through May 2012 were identified, encompassing the nine dental specialties. Over half (n = 676; 56.9%) of the SRs were published in specialty oral health journals, with almost all (n = 1,178; 99.2%) of the SRs published in English and almost none of the non-Cochrane SRs (n = 11; 0.9%) consisting of updates of previously published SRs. 75.3% of the SRs were categorized as therapeutic, with 64.5% examining non-drug interventions, while approximately half (n = 150/294; 51%) of the non-therapeutic SRs were classified as epidemiological SRs. The SRs included a median of 15 studies, with a meta-analysis conducted in 43.6%, in which a median of 9 studies/1 randomized trial were included in the largest meta-analysis conducted. Funding was received for 25.1% of the SRs, including nearly three-quarters (n = 96; 76.2%) of the Cochrane SRs. Conclusion Epidemiological and descriptive characteristics of the 1,188 oral health SRs varied across the nine dental specialties and by SR category (Cochrane vs. non-Cochrane). There is a clear need for more updates of SRs in all the dental specialties. PMID:24098657

Examining gender salary disparities: an analysis of the 2003 multistate salary survey.

PubMed

Brown, Lawrence M; Schommer, Jon C; Mott, Dave; Gaither, Caroline A; Doucette, William R; Zgarrick, Dave P; Droege, Marcus

2006-09-01

Pharmacist salary and wage surveys have been conducted at the state and national level for more than 20 years; however, it is not known to what extent, if any, wage disparities due to gender still exist. The overall objective of this study was to determine if wage disparities exist among male and female pharmacists at the multistate and individual state level for each of 6 states studied. A secondary objective was to explore the effect of various demographic variables on the hourly wages of pharmacists. Data were collected from 1,688 pharmacists in 6 states during 2003 using a cross-sectional descriptive survey design. A multiple regression analysis on hourly wage testing the effects of state of practice, practice setting, position, terminal degree, and years in practice was conducted. Subsequent multiple regression analyses were conducted individually for each of the 6 states to test the effects of the above variables on hourly wage for both male and female pharmacists, followed by state-level analyses for male and female pharmacists, respectively. For the pooled data, all variables were found to be significant predictors of hourly wage, except for earning a PharmD degree without a residency or graduate degree. Gender was not a significant predictor of wage disparities in the state-level analyses. Position was the only significant predictor of wage disparities in all states (except Tennessee) such that pharmacists in management positions make significantly higher salaries than those in staff positions. The results of these analyses suggest that wage disparities due to gender do not exist at the state level for the 6 states surveyed, when controlling for practice setting, position, terminal degree, and years in practice. The larger number of men in management positions may explain lower wages for female pharmacists.

Use of Health Care Claims Data to Study Patients with Ophthalmologic Conditions

PubMed Central

Stein, Joshua D.; Lum, Flora; Lee, Paul P.; Rich, William L.; Coleman, Anne L.

2014-01-01

Objective To describe what information is or is not included in health care claims data, provide an overview of the main advantages and limitations of performing analyses using health care claims data, and offer general guidance on how to report and interpret findings of ophthalmology-related claims data analyses. Design Systematic review. Participants Not applicable. Methods A literature review and synthesis of methods for claims-based data analyses. Main Outcome Measures Not applicable. Results Some advantages of using claims data for analyses include large, diverse sample sizes, longitudinal follow-up, lack of selection bias, and potential for complex, multivariable modeling. The disadvantages include (a) the inherent limitations of claims data, such as incomplete, inaccurate, or missing data, or the lack of specific billing codes for some conditions; and (b) the inability, in some circumstances, to adequately evaluate the appropriateness of care. In general, reports of claims data analyses should include clear descriptions of the following methodological elements: the data source, the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the specific billing codes used, and the potential confounding factors incorporated in the multivariable models. Conclusions The use of claims data for research is expected to increase with the enhanced availability of data from Medicare and other sources. The use of claims data to evaluate resource use and efficiency and to determine the basis for supplementary payment methods for physicians is anticipated. Thus, it will be increasingly important for eye care providers to use accurate and descriptive codes for billing. Adherence to general guidance on the reporting of claims data analyses, as outlined in this article, is important to enhance the credibility and applicability of findings. Guidance on optimal ways to conduct and report ophthalmology-related investigations using claims data will likely continue to evolve as health services researchers refine the metrics to analyze large administrative data sets. PMID:24433971

The Normative Environment for Drug Use: Comparisons among American Indian and White Adolescents

PubMed Central

Dieterich, Sara E.; Swaim, Randall C.; Beauvais, Fred

2013-01-01

The present study examined the influence of descriptive norms, injunctive norms, perceived outcome expectancies, and ethnicity on marijuana and inhalant use among 2334 American Indian and white high school students who lived on or near reservations in the United States. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted with survey data collected during the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years. Results suggest differences between ethnicities in the influence of the normative environment and outcome expectancies on both marijuana and inhalant use. Study limitations are noted, and future research is suggested. PMID:23768429

Evaluation of Alcohol-Related Personalized Normative Feedback With and Without an Injunctive Message

PubMed Central

Steers, Mai-Ly N.; Coffman, Amelia D.; Wickham, Robert E.; Bryan, Jennifer L.; Caraway, Lisa; Neighbors, Clayton

2016-01-01

Objective: Personalized normative feedback (PNF) has been used extensively to reduce alcohol consumption, particularly among heavy drinkers. However, the majority of PNF studies have used only descriptive norms (real or perceived pervasiveness of a given behavior). The purpose of the current study was to explore the efficacy of PNF both with and without an injunctive message indicating approval or disapproval based on the participants’ standing relative to other students’ drinking levels. This randomized trial evaluated two brief web-based alcohol intervention conditions (descriptive-norms-feedback–only condition versus a descriptive-plus-injunctive-message condition relative to an assessment-only control condition). Method: Participants included 176 students who had reported at least one heavy drinking episode in the past month. Participants completed baseline and follow-up assessments of perceived norms and drinking. Follow-up assessments were completed at 2 weeks post-intervention by 165 (94%) participants. Results: Analyses were conducted using zero-inflated negative binomial regression models. As expected, the descriptive-norms–only condition was effective in reducing drinking among heavier baseline drinkers at follow-up relative to the control condition. However, contrary to expectations, the descriptive-plus-injunctive-message condition did not predict less drinking at follow-up. Conclusions: This study was unique in using an injunctive message as an adjunct to descriptive-norms feedback within the context of drinking. Findings highlight the need for additional research into the role of defensiveness, which may serve as an impediment to using injunctive norms/messages in interventions for problematic substance use and other potentially stigmatizing behaviors. PMID:26997192

Solar power satellite system definition study. Volume 3: Operations and systems synthesis, phase 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The results of the operations analyses are reported. Some of these analyses examined operations aspects of space vehicle in-space maintenance. Many of the analyses explored in great depth operations concerned the LEO Base cargo handling operations. Personnel transportation operations and cargo packaging were also analyzed. These operations analyses were performed to define the operational requirements for all of the SPS system elements so that equipment and facilities could be synthesized, and to make estimates of the manpower requirements. An overall, integrated, end-to-end description of the SPS operations is presented. The detailed operations analyses, upon which this integrated description was based, are included.

Basing assessment and treatment of problem behavior on behavioral momentum theory: Analyses of behavioral persistence.

PubMed

Schieltz, Kelly M; Wacker, David P; Ringdahl, Joel E; Berg, Wendy K

2017-08-01

The connection, or bridge, between applied and basic behavior analysis has been long-established (Hake, 1982; Mace & Critchfield, 2010). In this article, we describe how clinical decisions can be based more directly on behavioral processes and how basing clinical procedures on behavioral processes can lead to improved clinical outcomes. As a case in point, we describe how applied behavior analyses of maintenance, and specifically the long-term maintenance of treatment effects related to problem behavior, can be adjusted and potentially enhanced by basing treatment on Behavioral Momentum Theory. We provide a brief review of the literature including descriptions of two translational studies that proposed changes in how differential reinforcement of alternative behavior treatments are conducted based on Behavioral Momentum Theory. We then describe current clinical examples of how these translations are continuing to impact the definitions, designs, analyses, and treatment procedures used in our clinical practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

No category specificity in Alzheimer's disease: a normal aging effect.

PubMed

Moreno-Martínez, F Javier; Laws, Keith R

2008-07-01

The authors examined category effects on tasks of picture naming, naming to definition, and word-picture matching in 38 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 30 elderly controls. Each task was matched across category on all "nuisance" variables known to differ across domains. Standard analyses revealed significant category disadvantages for classifying living things in AD patients but also for elderly controls on each task. To overcome the ceiling effect in controls, the authors conducted 1,000 bootstrap analyses of covariance, with control performance as a difficulty index covariate. These covariate analyses eliminated the category effect in AD patients on all 3 tasks. Indeed, the authors report that control performance accounted for 64% (picture naming), 49% (naming to description), and 42% (word-picture matching) of variance in AD performance. This suggests that, although category effects in AD patients do not reflect intrinsic variables, the size and direction of the category effect are not different from those in elderly controls. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

RELATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THREE DESCRIPTIVE METHODS: IMPLICATIONS FOR BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT

PubMed Central

Pence, Sacha T; Roscoe, Eileen M; Bourret, Jason C; Ahearn, William H

2009-01-01

This study compared the outcomes of three descriptive analysis methods—the ABC method, the conditional probability method, and the conditional and background probability method—to each other and to the results obtained from functional analyses. Six individuals who had been diagnosed with developmental delays and exhibited problem behavior participated. Functional analyses indicated that participants' problem behavior was maintained by social positive reinforcement (n  =  2), social negative reinforcement (n  =  2), or automatic reinforcement (n  =  2). Results showed that for all but 1 participant, descriptive analysis outcomes were similar across methods. In addition, for all but 1 participant, the descriptive analysis outcome differed substantially from the functional analysis outcome. This supports the general finding that descriptive analysis is a poor means of determining functional relations. PMID:19949536

Oral Chinese proprietary medicine for angina pectoris: an overview of systematic reviews/meta-analyses.

PubMed

Luo, Jing; Xu, Hao; Yang, Guoyan; Qiu, Yu; Liu, Jianping; Chen, Keji

2014-08-01

Oral Chinese proprietary medicine (CPM) is commonly used to treat angina pectoris, and many relevant systematic reviews/meta-analyses are available. However, these reviews have not been systematically summarized and evaluated. We conducted an overview of these reviews, and explored their methodological and reporting quality to inform both practice and further research. We included systematic reviews/meta-analyses on oral CPM in treating angina until March 2013 by searching PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and four Chinese databases. We extracted data according to a pre-designed form, and assessed the methodological and reporting characteristics of the reviews in terms of AMSTAR and PRISMA respectively. Most of the data analyses were descriptive. 36 systematic reviews/meta-analyses involving over 82,105 participants with angina reviewing 13 kinds of oral CPM were included. The main outcomes assessed in the reviews were surrogate outcomes (34/36, 94.4%), adverse events (31/36, 86.1%), and symptoms (30/36, 83.3%). Six reviews (6/36, 16.7%) drew definitely positive conclusions, while the others suggested potential benefits in the symptoms, electrocardiogram, and adverse events. The overall methodological and reporting quality of the reviews was limited, with many serious flaws such as the lack of review protocol and incomprehensive literature searches. Though many systematic reviews/meta-analyses on oral CPM for angina suggested potential benefits or definitely positive effects, stakeholders should interpret the findings of these reviews with caution, considering the overall limited methodological and reporting quality. We recommend further studies should be appropriately conducted and systematic reviews reported according to PRISMA standard. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emergency nurses' perceptions of emergency department preparedness for an ebola outbreak: A qualitative descriptive study.

PubMed

Pincha Baduge, Mihirika Sds; Moss, Cheryle; Morphet, Julia

2017-05-01

Ebola Virus Disease is highly contagious and has high mortality. In 2014, when the outbreak in West Africa was declared a public health emergency, emergency departments in Australia commenced preparation and vigilance for people presenting with ebola like symptoms, to limit spread of the disease. To examine Australian emergency nurses' perceptions regarding their own and their emergency departments' preparedness to manage an ebola outbreak. A qualitative descriptive design was used to collect and analyse data in one metropolitan emergency department in Victoria, Australia. Four focus groups were conducted with 13 emergency nurses. Data were thematically analysed. Major themes emerged from the data: organisational, personal and future preparedness. Participants' believed that both the organisation and themselves had achieved desirable and appropriate preparedness for ebola in their emergency setting. Participants trusted their organisation to prepare and protect them for ebola. Appropriate policies, procedures, and equipment infrastructure were reportedly in place. Nurses' decisions to care for a patient with ebola were informed by professional commitment, and personal responsibilities. Participants were concerned about transmitting ebola to their families, and suggested that more regular training in personal protective equipment would increase confidence and skill in self-protection. Copyright © 2017 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

The Audio Description as a Physics Teaching Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cozendey, Sabrina; Costa, Maria da Piedade

2016-01-01

This study analyses the use of audio description in teaching physics concepts, aiming to determine the variables that influence the understanding of the concept. One education resource was audio described. For make the audio description the screen was freezing. The video with and without audio description should be presented to students, so that…

A Descriptive Analysis of Overviews of Reviews Published between 2000 and 2011

PubMed Central

Hartling, Lisa; Chisholm, Annabritt; Thomson, Denise; Dryden, Donna M.

2012-01-01

Background Overviews of systematic reviews compile data from multiple systematic reviews (SRs) and are a new method of evidence synthesis. Objectives To describe the methodological approaches in overviews of interventions. Design Descriptive study. Methods We searched 4 databases from 2000 to July 2011; we handsearched Evidence-based Child Health: A Cochrane Review Journal. We defined an overview as a study that: stated a clear objective; examined an intervention; used explicit methods to identify SRs; collected and synthesized outcome data from the SRs; and intended to include only SRs. We did not restrict inclusion by population characteristics (e.g., adult or children only). Two researchers independently screened studies and applied eligibility criteria. One researcher extracted data with verification by a second. We conducted a descriptive analysis. Results From 2,245 citations, 75 overviews were included. The number of overviews increased from 1 in 2000 to 14 in 2010. The interventions were pharmacological (n = 20, 26.7%), non-pharmacological (n = 26, 34.7%), or both (n = 29, 38.7%). Inclusion criteria were clearly stated in 65 overviews. Thirty-three (44%) overviews searched at least 2 databases. The majority reported the years and databases searched (n = 46, 61%), and provided key words (n = 58, 77%). Thirty-nine (52%) overviews included Cochrane SRs only. Two reviewers independently screened and completed full text review in 29 overviews (39%). Methods of data extraction were reported in 45 (60%). Information on quality of individual studies was extracted from the original SRs in 27 (36%) overviews. Quality assessment of the SRs was performed in 28 (37%) overviews; at least 9 different tools were used. Quality of the body of evidence was assessed in 13 (17%) overviews. Most overviews provided a narrative or descriptive analysis of the included SRs. One overview conducted indirect analyses and the other conducted mixed treatment comparisons. Publication bias was discussed in 18 (24%) overviews. Conclusions This study shows considerable variation in the methods used for overviews. There is a need for methodological rigor and consistency in overviews, as well as empirical evidence to support the methods employed. PMID:23166744

A descriptive analysis of overviews of reviews published between 2000 and 2011.

PubMed

Hartling, Lisa; Chisholm, Annabritt; Thomson, Denise; Dryden, Donna M

2012-01-01

Overviews of systematic reviews compile data from multiple systematic reviews (SRs) and are a new method of evidence synthesis. To describe the methodological approaches in overviews of interventions. Descriptive study. We searched 4 databases from 2000 to July 2011; we handsearched Evidence-based Child Health: A Cochrane Review Journal. We defined an overview as a study that: stated a clear objective; examined an intervention; used explicit methods to identify SRs; collected and synthesized outcome data from the SRs; and intended to include only SRs. We did not restrict inclusion by population characteristics (e.g., adult or children only). Two researchers independently screened studies and applied eligibility criteria. One researcher extracted data with verification by a second. We conducted a descriptive analysis. From 2,245 citations, 75 overviews were included. The number of overviews increased from 1 in 2000 to 14 in 2010. The interventions were pharmacological (n = 20, 26.7%), non-pharmacological (n = 26, 34.7%), or both (n = 29, 38.7%). Inclusion criteria were clearly stated in 65 overviews. Thirty-three (44%) overviews searched at least 2 databases. The majority reported the years and databases searched (n = 46, 61%), and provided key words (n = 58, 77%). Thirty-nine (52%) overviews included Cochrane SRs only. Two reviewers independently screened and completed full text review in 29 overviews (39%). Methods of data extraction were reported in 45 (60%). Information on quality of individual studies was extracted from the original SRs in 27 (36%) overviews. Quality assessment of the SRs was performed in 28 (37%) overviews; at least 9 different tools were used. Quality of the body of evidence was assessed in 13 (17%) overviews. Most overviews provided a narrative or descriptive analysis of the included SRs. One overview conducted indirect analyses and the other conducted mixed treatment comparisons. Publication bias was discussed in 18 (24%) overviews. This study shows considerable variation in the methods used for overviews. There is a need for methodological rigor and consistency in overviews, as well as empirical evidence to support the methods employed.

Impact of intraoperative distractions on patient safety: a prospective descriptive study using validated instruments.

PubMed

Sevdalis, Nick; Undre, Shabnam; McDermott, James; Giddie, Jasdeep; Diner, Lila; Smith, Gillian

2014-04-01

There is emerging evidence indicating that distractions in the operating room (OR) are prevalent. Studies have shown a negative impact of distractions, but they have been conducted mostly with residents in simulated environments. We tested the hypothesis that intraoperative distractions are associated with deterioration in patient safety checks in the OR. We assessed 24 elective urologic procedures. Blinded trained assessors (two surgeons, one psychologist) used validated instruments to prospectively assess in vivo frequency and severity of distractions (related to communication, phones/pagers, equipment/provisions, OR environment, other hospital departments, or a member of the OR team) and completion of safety-related tasks (related to the patient, equipment, and communication). Descriptive and correlational analyses were conducted. Mean case duration was 70 min (mean intraoperative time 31 min). A mean of 4.0 communication distractions (range 0-9) and 2.48 other distractions (range 0-5) were recorded per case (distraction rate of one per 10 min). Distractions from external visitors (addressed to the entire team or the surgeon) and distractions due to lack of coordination between hospital departments were most disruptive. Regarding safety checks, patient tasks were completed most often (85-100 %) followed by equipment tasks (75-100 %) and communication tasks (55-90 %). Correlational analyses showed that more frequent/severe communication distractions were linked to lower completion of patient checks intraoperatively (median rho -0.56, p < 0.05). Distractions are prevalent in ORs and in this study were linked to deterioration in intraoperative patient safety checks. Surgeons should be mindful of their tolerance to distractions. Surgical leadership can help control distractions and reduce their potential impact on patient safety and performance.

Salford Lung Study in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (SLS COPD): follow-up interviews on patient-centred outcomes.

PubMed

Doward, Lynda; Svedsater, Henrik; Whalley, Diane; Crawford, Rebecca; Leather, David; Lay-Flurrie, James; Bosanquet, Nick

2017-12-15

This study investigated patient perceptions, experiences and management of COPD throughout the SLS COPD study. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 400 patients who completed SLS COPD; a mixed-methods approach was used to collect quantitative and qualitative information. Structured interviews using closed-ended questions were conducted with 360 patients, detailing aspects of background/lifestyle information and COPD. Extended interviews containing open-ended questions on perceptions of COPD and quality of life (QoL) in addition to the closed-ended questions were completed by 40 further patients. Participants also completed the Adherence Starts with Knowledge-12 (ASK-12) and the COPD and Asthma Sleep Impact Scale (CASIS) questionnaire. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively; qualitative data were analysed using qualitative description. The participants (n = 400) were reasonably representative of the SLS COPD population; mean age was 66.2 years. Breathlessness was the most commonly recalled symptom of/associated with COPD (88.5% of patients) and was the symptom that changed the most (improved, 26.8%/worsened, 20.9%) throughout the study. Participants' daily functioning and activities were most affected by symptoms of/associated with COPD, followed by relationships and psychological issues. 66.5% of participants experienced exacerbations, 60.5% of whom reported self-management as their first treatment strategy (taking antibiotics, resting and/or corticosteroids). Qualitative analysis revealed COPD symptoms, breathlessness in particular, to have a significant impact on mobility and in turn QoL. In conclusion, breathlessness was cited in these interviews as the COPD symptom with the greatest impact on participants' daily functioning, activities and self-care. The findings provided significant additional knowledge to the SLS COPD study findings.

What are we missing? Risk behaviors among Arab-American adolescents and emerging adults.

PubMed

Munro-Kramer, Michelle L; Fava, Nicole M; Saftner, Melissa A; Darling-Fisher, Cynthia S; Tate, Nutrena H; Stoddard, Sarah A; Martyn, Kristy K

2016-09-01

Research on Arab-Americans as a distinct ethnic group is limited, especially when considering the health of Arab-American youth. This study describes health risk (substance use, violence); health promotive behaviors (hope, spirituality); and sexual activity (oral, vaginal, anal sex) of Arab-American adolescents and emerging adults (aged 15-23) within their life context, as well as the association between these behaviors. A secondary analysis of data on a subset of Arab-American participants obtained from a randomized-control trial was utilized to conduct mixed methods analyses. Qualitative analyses completed on the open-ended questions used the constant comparative method for a subsample (n = 24) of participants. Descriptive quantitative analyses of survey data utilized bivariate analyses and stepwise logistic regression to explore the relation between risk behaviors and sexual activity among the full sample (n = 57). Qualitative analyses revealed two groups of participants: (a) multiple risk behaviors and negative life-events, and (b) minimal risk behaviors and positive life-events. Quantitative analyses indicated older youth, smokers, and those with higher hope pathways were more likely to report vaginal sex. The unique cultural and social contexts of Arab-American youth provide a framework for recommendations for the prevention of risk behaviors. ©2016 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

What are we missing? Risk behaviors among Arab-American adolescents and emerging adults

PubMed Central

Munro-Kramer, Michelle L.; Fava, Nicole M.; Saftner, Melissa A.; Darling-Fisher, Cynthia S.; Tate, Nutrena H.; Stoddard, Sarah A.; Martyn, Kristy K.

2016-01-01

Background and Purpose Research on Arab-Americans as a distinct ethnic group is limited, especially when considering the health of Arab-American youth. This study describes health risk (substance use, violence); health promotive behaviors (hope, spirituality); and sexual activity (oral, vaginal, anal sex) of Arab-American adolescents and emerging adults (15-23 years old) within their life context, as well as the association between these behaviors. Methods A secondary analysis of data on a subset of Arab-American participants obtained from a randomized control trial were utilized to conduct mixed methods analyses. Qualitative analyses completed on the open-ended questions used the constant comparative method for a subsample (n=24) of participants. Descriptive quantitative analyses of survey data utilized bivariate analyses and stepwise logistic regression to explore the relation between risk behaviors and sexual activity among the full sample (n=57). Conclusions Qualitative analyses revealed two groups of participants: (a) multiple risk behaviors and negative life events, and (b) minimal risk behaviors and positive life events. Quantitative analyses indicated older youth, smokers, and those with higher hope pathways were more likely to report vaginal sex. Implications for Practice The unique cultural and social contexts of Arab-American youth provide a framework for recommendations for the prevention of risk behaviors. PMID:26990394

Religion and body weight: a review of quantitative studies.

PubMed

Yeary, Karen Hye-Cheon Kim; Sobal, Jeffery; Wethington, Elaine

2017-10-01

Increasing interest in relationships between religion and health has encouraged research about religion and body weight, which has produced mixed findings. We systematically searched 11 bibliographic databases for quantitative studies of religion and weight, locating and coding 85 studies. We conducted a systematic review, analysing descriptive characteristics of the studies as well as relevant religion-body weight associations related to study characteristics. We summarized findings for two categories of religion variables: religious affiliation and religiosity. For religious affiliation, we found evidence for significant associations with body weight in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. In particular, Seventh-Day Adventists had lower body weight than other denominations in cross-sectional analyses. For religiosity, significant associations occurred between greater religiosity and higher body weight in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. In particular, greater religiosity was significantly associated with higher body weight in bivariate analyses but less so in multivariate analyses. A greater proportion of studies that used a representative sample, longitudinal analyses, and samples with only men reported significant associations between religiosity and weight. Evidence in seven studies suggested that health behaviours and psychosocial factors mediate religion-weight relationships. More longitudinal studies and analyses of mediators are needed to provide stronger evidence and further elucidate religion-weight relationships. © 2017 World Obesity Federation.

Descriptive approaches to landscape analysis

Treesearch

R. Burton Litton Jr.

1979-01-01

Descriptive landscape analyses include various procedures used to document visual/scenic resources. Historic and regional examples of landscape description represent desirable insight for contemporary professional inventory work. Routed and areal landscape inventories are discussed as basic tools. From them, qualitative and quantitative evaluations can be developed...

Methodological reporting of randomized trials in five leading Chinese nursing journals.

PubMed

Shi, Chunhu; Tian, Jinhui; Ren, Dan; Wei, Hongli; Zhang, Lihuan; Wang, Quan; Yang, Kehu

2014-01-01

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are not always well reported, especially in terms of their methodological descriptions. This study aimed to investigate the adherence of methodological reporting complying with CONSORT and explore associated trial level variables in the Chinese nursing care field. In June 2012, we identified RCTs published in five leading Chinese nursing journals and included trials with details of randomized methods. The quality of methodological reporting was measured through the methods section of the CONSORT checklist and the overall CONSORT methodological items score was calculated and expressed as a percentage. Meanwhile, we hypothesized that some general and methodological characteristics were associated with reporting quality and conducted a regression with these data to explore the correlation. The descriptive and regression statistics were calculated via SPSS 13.0. In total, 680 RCTs were included. The overall CONSORT methodological items score was 6.34 ± 0.97 (Mean ± SD). No RCT reported descriptions and changes in "trial design," changes in "outcomes" and "implementation," or descriptions of the similarity of interventions for "blinding." Poor reporting was found in detailing the "settings of participants" (13.1%), "type of randomization sequence generation" (1.8%), calculation methods of "sample size" (0.4%), explanation of any interim analyses and stopping guidelines for "sample size" (0.3%), "allocation concealment mechanism" (0.3%), additional analyses in "statistical methods" (2.1%), and targeted subjects and methods of "blinding" (5.9%). More than 50% of trials described randomization sequence generation, the eligibility criteria of "participants," "interventions," and definitions of the "outcomes" and "statistical methods." The regression analysis found that publication year and ITT analysis were weakly associated with CONSORT score. The completeness of methodological reporting of RCTs in the Chinese nursing care field is poor, especially with regard to the reporting of trial design, changes in outcomes, sample size calculation, allocation concealment, blinding, and statistical methods.

Evidence-informed health policy 4 – Case descriptions of organizations that support the use of research evidence

PubMed Central

Lavis, John N; Moynihan, Ray; Oxman, Andrew D; Paulsen, Elizabeth J

2008-01-01

Background Previous efforts to produce case descriptions have typically not focused on the organizations that produce research evidence and support its use. External evaluations of such organizations have typically not been analyzed as a group to identify the lessons that have emerged across multiple evaluations. Case descriptions offer the potential for capturing the views and experiences of many individuals who are familiar with an organization, including staff, advocates, and critics. Methods We purposively sampled a subgroup of organizations from among those that participated in the second (interview) phase of the study and (once) from among other organizations with which we were familiar. We developed and pilot-tested a case description data collection protocol, and conducted site visits that included both interviews and documentary analyses. Themes were identified from among responses to semi-structured questions using a constant comparative method of analysis. We produced both a brief (one to two pages) written description and a video documentary for each case. Results We conducted 51 interviews as part of the eight site visits. Two organizational strengths were repeatedly cited by individuals participating in the site visits: use of an evidence-based approach (which was identified as being very time-consuming) and existence of a strong relationship between researchers and policymakers (which can be challenged by conflicts of interest). Two organizational weaknesses – a lack of resources and the presence of conflicts of interest – were repeatedly cited by individuals participating in the site visits. Participants offered two main suggestions for the World Health Organization (and other international organizations and networks): 1) mobilize one or more of government support, financial resources, and the participation of both policymakers and researchers; and 2) create knowledge-related global public goods. Conclusion The findings from our case descriptions, the first of their kind, intersect in interesting ways with the messages arising from two systematic reviews of the factors that increase the prospects for research use in policymaking. Strong relationships between researchers and policymakers bodes well given such interactions appear to increase the prospects for research use. The time-consuming nature of an evidence-based approach, on the other hand, suggests the need for more efficient production processes that are 'quick and clean enough.' Our case descriptions and accompanying video documentaries provide a rich description of organizations supporting the use of research evidence, which can be drawn upon by those establishing or leading similar organizations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. PMID:19091110

Nursing students' understanding of critical thinking and appraisal and academic writing: a descriptive, qualitative study.

PubMed

Borglin, Gunilla; Fagerström, Cecilia

2012-11-01

In Sweden, regulations from the National Agency for Higher Education advocate an education that equips students with independence as well as critical, problem-based thinking, i.e. academic literacy skills. However, some research findings indicate that students may leave higher education without mastering these skills effectively. As part of quality-assuring a nursing programme at a university college in south-east Sweden we explored the nursing student's view of crucial academic literacy skills, such as critical thinking and appraisal and academic writing, by conducting a descriptive, qualitative study. Informants were recruited through an advertisement posted on the university's e-learning tool. Eight focused interviews were conducted during autumn 2010. The transcribed interviews were analysed - inspired by content analysis - and two categories became apparent: constantly questioning and formality before substance. The latter revealed a gap between the student's perception of academic writing and that of the educators, thus implying that nursing students might not be equipped with the tools they need to develop within academia. We suggest that students could benefit in their academic endeavours from theoretical educational models that integrate several academic skills simultaneously and which could be incorporated into the development of syllabuses and curriculums. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrogeologic and water-quality data for the main site, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Laboratory, Dahlgren, Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bell, Clifton F.; Bolles, Thomas P.; Harlow, George E.

1994-01-01

Hydrogeologic and water-quality data were collected at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Laboratory at Dahlgren, Virginia, as part of a hydrogeologic assessment of the shallow aquifer system begun in 1992. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted this study to provide the Navy with hydrogeologic data to meet the requirements of a Spill Contingency Plan. This report describes the ground-water observation-well network, hydro- geologic, and water-quality data collected between August 1992 and September 1993. The report includes a description of the locations and con- struction of 35 observation wells on the Main Site. Hydrologic data include lithologic core samples, geophysical logs, and vertical hydraulic conductivity measurements of selected core intervals. Hydrologic data include synoptic and hourly measurements of ground-water levels, observation-well slug tests to determine horizontal hydraulic conductivity, and tide data. Water-quality data include analyses of major dissolved constituents in ground water and surface water.

The Mental Health Status of Single-Parent Community College Students in California.

PubMed

Shenoy, Divya P; Lee, Christine; Trieu, Sang Leng

2016-01-01

Single-parenting students face unique challenges that may adversely affect their mental health, which have not been explored in community college settings. The authors conducted secondary analysis of Spring 2013 data from the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment to examine difficulties facing single-parent community college students and the association between single parenting and negative mental health (depression, self-injury, suicide attempt). Participants were 6,832 California community college students, of whom 309 were single parents. Demographic and mental health data were characterized using univariate descriptive analyses. Bivariate analyses determined whether single parents differed from other students regarding negative mental health or traumatic/difficult events. Finances, family, and relationship difficulties disproportionally affected single parents, who reported nearly twice as many suicide attempts as their counterparts (5.3% vs. 2.7%; p < .0001). Single-parenting students face a higher prevalence of mental health stressors than other community college students.

Dyadic confirmatory factor analysis of the inflammatory bowel disease family responsibility questionnaire.

PubMed

Greenley, Rachel Neff; Reed-Knight, Bonney; Blount, Ronald L; Wilson, Helen W

2013-09-01

Evaluate the factor structure of youth and maternal involvement ratings on the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Family Responsibility Questionnaire, a measure of family allocation of condition management responsibilities in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Participants included 251 youth aged 11-18 years with inflammatory bowel disease and their mothers. Item-level descriptive analyses, subscale internal consistency estimates, and confirmatory factor analyses of youth and maternal involvement were conducted using a dyadic data-analytic approach. Results supported the validity of 4 conceptually derived subscales including general health maintenance, social aspects, condition management tasks, and nutrition domains. Additionally, results indicated adequate support for the factor structure of a 21-item youth involvement measure and strong support for a 16-item maternal involvement measure. Additional empirical support for the validity of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Family Responsibility Questionnaire was provided. Future research to replicate current findings and to examine the measure's clinical utility is warranted.

Problems faced and coping strategies used by adolescents with mentally ill parents in Delhi.

PubMed

George, Shoba; Shaiju, Bindu; Sharma, Veena

2012-01-01

The present study was conducted to assess the problems faced by adolescents whose parents suffer from major mental illness at selected mental health institutes of Delhi. The objectives also included assessment of the coping strategies of the adolescents in dealing with these problems. The Stuart Stress Adaptation Model of Psychiatric Nursing Care was used as the conceptual framework. A descriptive survey approach with cross-sectional design was used in the study. A structured interview schedule was prepared. Purposive non-probability sampling technique was employed to interview 50 adolescents whose parents suffer from major mental illness. Data gathered was analysed and interpreted using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study showed that majority of the adolescents had moderate problems as a result of their parent's mental illness. Area-wise analysis of the problems revealed that the highest problems faced were in family relationship and support and majority of the adolescents used maladaptive coping strategies. A set of guidelines on effective coping strategies was disseminated to these adolescents.

[Active ageing and success: A brief history of conceptual models].

PubMed

Petretto, Donatella Rita; Pili, Roberto; Gaviano, Luca; Matos López, Cristina; Zuddas, Carlo

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper is to analyse and describe different conceptual models of successful ageing, active and healthy ageing developed in Europe and in America in the 20° century, starting from Rowe and Kahn's original model (1987, 1997). A narrative review was conducted on the literature on successful ageing. Our review included definition of successful ageing from European and American scholars. Models were found that aimed to describe indexes of active and healthy ageing, models devoted to describe processes involved in successful ageing, and additional views that emphasise subjective and objective perception of successful ageing. A description is also given of critiques on previous models and remedies according to Martin et al. (2014) and strategies for successful ageing according to Jeste and Depp (2014). The need is discussed for the enhancement of Rowe and Kahn's model and other models with a more inclusive, universal description of ageing, incorporating scientific evidence regarding active ageing. Copyright © 2015 SEGG. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Death and caring for dying patients: exploring first-year nursing students' descriptive experiences.

PubMed

Ek, Kristina; Westin, Lars; Prahl, Charlotte; Osterlind, Jane; Strang, Susann; Bergh, Ingrid; Hammarlund, Kina

2014-10-01

To describe first-year nursing students' experiences of witnessing death and providing end-of-life care. This study is part of a larger longitudinal project. Interviews (n=17) were conducted with nursing students at the end of their first year of education. To analyse the interviews (lived-experience descriptions), a thematic analysis, 'a search for meaning' ( Van Manen, 1997 ) was applied. The results are presented within the framework of four separate themes: (1) The thought of death is more frightening than the actual experience, (2) Daring to approach the dying patient and offering something of oneself, (3) The experience of not sufficing in the face of death and (4) Being confronted with one's own feelings. Nursing students require continuous support and opportunity to reflect and discuss their experiences about caring for dying patients and confronting death throughout the entirety of their education. In addition, teachers and clinical supervisors need to give support using reflective practice to help students to develop confidence in their capacity for caring for dying patients.

Nursing assessment of older people who are in hospital: exploring registered nurses' understanding of their assessment skills.

PubMed

Penney, Wendy; Poulter, Nola; Cole, Clare; Wellard, Sally

2016-01-01

Nurses worldwide are expected to take a leading role in caring for older people. Considerable literature dedicated to the range and application of assessment skills used by nurses vary. There is limited knowledge of registered nurses' (RNs) views of their assessment of older adults. The aim of this project was to explore RNs current perceptions of nursing assessment, and the core skills they identified as necessary. A qualitative descriptive design study was conducted in three inpatient units in one regional hospital in Victoria. Date were collected through participant observation of RNs (n = 13) followed by 1:1 semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed thematically. This research has illuminated that an ill-defined repertoire of skills was used by RNs when assessing older persons. Skills identified appeared to be based on years of personal-professional experience. Differences were noted between the descriptions nurses gave and what was observed during interactions with older persons.

Unintentional Exposure to Online Sexual Content and Sexual Behavior Intentions Among College Students in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Jingwen; Jemmott, John B

2015-07-01

This study examined the relations of unintentional exposure to Internet sexual content to intentions for sex and condom use and potential mediators of these relations, including attitudes, norms, and self-efficacy, among college students in China. A sample of 524 Chinese college students completed an online questionnaire. Mediation path analyses were conducted to test the theory of planned behavior as a model of the relations between unintentional exposure and intentions to have sex and use condoms. On average, students reported being unintentionally exposed to Internet sexual content about 3 to 4 times during the past month. Unintentional exposure was indirectly associated with intention to have sex, mediated through descriptive and injunctive norms. Descriptive norm was a stronger mediator for females than males. In contrast, unintentional exposure was unrelated to condom-use intention and mediators. The theory of planned behavior provides a model for the development of Internet-based interventions with these students. © 2014 APJPH.

A study of concept options for the evolution of Space Station Freedom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kowitz, Herbert R.; Brender, Karen D.; Cirillo, William M.; Collier, Lisa; Ganoe, George G.; Gould, Marston J.; Kaszubowski, Martin; Lawrence, George F.; Llewellyn, Charles P.; Reaux, Ray

1990-01-01

Two conceptual evolution configurations for Space Station Freedom, a research and development configuration, and a transportation node configuration are described and analyzed. Results of pertinent analyses of mass properties, attitude control, microgravity, orbit lifetime, and reboost requirements are provided along with a description of these analyses. Also provided are brief descriptions of the elements and systems that comprise these conceptual configurations.

Influence of deep level intrinsic defects on the carrier transport in p-type Hg1- xCdxTe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoerstel, W.; Klimakow, A.; Kramer, R.

1990-04-01

The magnetic field dependence of the Hall effect in p-type Hg1- xCdxTe is analysed for determining the carrier densities and their mobilities in the mixed conduction range T = 70-250 K. A consistent description of the temperature dependence of the concentrations and mobilities of electrons and holes succeeds by taking into account energy-dependent momentum scattering times in the transport coefficients. Using this formalism, an energy level near 0.7 Eg above the valence band edge caused by intrinsic defects which were influenced by thermal treament is determined and discussed.

Coastal and Marine Bird Data Base

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, S.H.; Geissler, P.H.; Dawson, D.K.

1980-01-01

Summary: This report discusses the development of a coastal and marine bird data base at the Migratory Bird and Habitat Research Laboratory. The system is compared with other data bases, and suggestions for future development, such as possible adaptations for other taxonomic groups, are included. The data base is based on the Statistical Analysis System but includes extensions programmed in PL/I. The Appendix shows how the system evolved. Output examples are given for heron data and pelagic bird data which indicate the types of analyses that can be conducted and output figures. The Appendixes include a retrieval language user's guide and description of the retrieval process and listing of translator program.

21 CFR 314.50 - Content and format of an application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... the protocol and a description of the statistical analyses used to evaluate the study. If the study... application: (i) Three copies of the analytical procedures and related descriptive information contained in... the samples and to validate the applicant's analytical procedures. The related descriptive information...

21 CFR 314.50 - Content and format of an application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... the protocol and a description of the statistical analyses used to evaluate the study. If the study... application: (i) Three copies of the analytical procedures and related descriptive information contained in... the samples and to validate the applicant's analytical procedures. The related descriptive information...

21 CFR 314.50 - Content and format of an application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... the protocol and a description of the statistical analyses used to evaluate the study. If the study... application: (i) Three copies of the analytical procedures and related descriptive information contained in... the samples and to validate the applicant's analytical procedures. The related descriptive information...

21 CFR 314.50 - Content and format of an application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... the protocol and a description of the statistical analyses used to evaluate the study. If the study... application: (i) Three copies of the analytical procedures and related descriptive information contained in... the samples and to validate the applicant's analytical procedures. The related descriptive information...

21 CFR 314.50 - Content and format of an application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... the protocol and a description of the statistical analyses used to evaluate the study. If the study... application: (i) Three copies of the analytical procedures and related descriptive information contained in... the samples and to validate the applicant's analytical procedures. The related descriptive information...

Brief Motivational Interventions Are Associated With Reductions in Alcohol-Impaired Driving Among College Drinkers.

PubMed

Teeters, Jenni B; Borsari, Brian; Martens, Matthew P; Murphy, James G

2015-09-01

Alcohol-impaired (AI) driving among college students remains a significant public health concern and may be the single most risky drinking outcome among young adults. Brief motivational interventions (BMIs) have been shown to reduce alcohol use and problems, but their specific efficacy for decreasing AI driving among college students is unknown. The present study analyzed data from three randomized controlled trials of BMI (Murphy et al., 2010: n = 74; Borsari et al., 2012: n = 530; and Martens et al., 2013: n = 365) to evaluate whether BMIs are associated with reductions in AI driving among college student drinkers. Participants in all three studies were randomized to BMI or control conditions. Participants reported whether they had driven under the influence (yes/no) following the BMI over the follow-up period. Separate binary logistic regression analyses were conducted for each study. For Studies 1 and 2, these analyses revealed that a BMI was significantly associated with reductions in AI driving at the final (6-month and 9-month, respectively) follow-up compared with the control condition. For Study 3, analyses revealed that a single-component BMI focused on the correction of misperceptions of descriptive norms was significantly associated with reductions in AI driving compared with the control group at the final (6-month) followup, whereas a single-component BMI focused on the use of protective behavioral strategies was not. Change in drinking level did not mediate the relationship between the condition and the change in AI driving. Counselor-administered BMIs that include descriptive normative feedback are associated with significant reductions in AI driving compared with control.

Case definition terminology for paratuberculosis (Johne's disease).

PubMed

Whittington, R J; Begg, D J; de Silva, K; Purdie, A C; Dhand, N K; Plain, K M

2017-11-09

Paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) is an economically significant condition caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. However, difficulties in diagnosis and classification of individual animals with the condition have hampered research and impeded efforts to halt its progressive spread in the global livestock industry. Descriptive terms applied to individual animals and herds such as exposed, infected, diseased, clinical, sub-clinical, infectious and resistant need to be defined so that they can be incorporated consistently into well-understood and reproducible case definitions. These allow for consistent classification of individuals in a population for the purposes of analysis based on accurate counts. The outputs might include the incidence of cases, frequency distributions of the number of cases by age class or more sophisticated analyses involving statistical comparisons of immune responses in vaccine development studies, or gene frequencies or expression data from cases and controls in genomic investigations. It is necessary to have agreed definitions in order to be able to make valid comparisons and meta-analyses of experiments conducted over time by a given researcher, in different laboratories, by different researchers, and in different countries. In this paper, terms are applied systematically in an hierarchical flow chart to enable classification of individual animals. We propose descriptive terms for different stages in the pathogenesis of paratuberculosis to enable their use in different types of studies and to enable an independent assessment of the extent to which accepted definitions for stages of disease have been applied consistently in any given study. This will assist in the general interpretation of data between studies, and will facilitate future meta-analyses.

Neurodevelopmental functioning in children with FAS, pFAS, and ARND.

PubMed

Chasnoff, Ira J; Wells, Anne M; Telford, Erin; Schmidt, Christine; Messer, Gwendolyn

2010-04-01

The purpose of this article is to compare the neurodevelopmental profiles of 78 foster and adopted children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial FAS (pFAS), or alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND). Seventy-eight foster and adopted children underwent a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation. By using criteria more stringent than those required by current guidelines, the children were placed in 1 of 3 diagnostic categories: FAS, pFAS, or ARND. Each child was evaluated across the domains of neuropsychological functioning most frequently affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol. Multivariate analyses of variance were conducted to examine differences in neuropsychological functioning between the 3 diagnostic groups. Descriptive discriminant analyses were performed in follow-up to the multivariate analyses of variance. The children in the 3 diagnostic categories were similar for descriptive and child welfare variables. Children with FAS had significantly decreased mean weight, height, and head circumference. Children with FAS exhibited the most impaired level of general intelligence, significantly worse language-based memory compared with children with ARND, and significantly poorer functional communication skills than children with pFAS. On executive functioning, the FAS group of children performed significantly worse on sequencing and shift than either the pFAS or ARND groups. Children with pFAS and ARND were similar in all neurodevelopmental domains that were tested. The children who met tightly defined physical criteria for a diagnosis of FAS demonstrated significantly poorer neurodevelopmental functioning than children with pFAS and ARND. Children in these latter 2 groups were similar in all neurodevelopmental domains that were tested.

Childhood trauma and health outcomes in adults with comorbid substance abuse and mental health disorders.

PubMed

Wu, Nancy S; Schairer, Laura C; Dellor, Elinam; Grella, Christine

2010-01-01

This study describes the prevalence of childhood traumatic events (CTEs) among adults with comorbid substance use disorders (SUDs) and mental health problems (MHPs) and assesses the relation between cumulative CTEs and adult health outcomes. Adults with SUDs/MHPs (N=402) were recruited from residential treatment programs and interviewed at treatment admission. Exposures to 9 types of adverse childhood experiences were summed and categorized into 6 ordinal levels of exposure. Descriptive analyses were conducted to assess the prevalence and range of exposure to CTEs in comparison with a sample from primary health care. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between the cumulative exposure to CTEs and adverse health outcomes. Most of the sample reported exposure to CTEs, with higher exposure rates among the study sample compared with the primary health care sample. Greater exposure to CTEs significantly increased the odds of several adverse adult outcomes, including PTSD, alcohol dependence, injection drug use, tobacco use, sex work, medical problems, and poor quality of life. Study findings support the importance of early prevention and intervention and provision of trauma treatment for individuals with SUDs/MHPs.

Chronic Stress and Suicidal Thinking Among Medical Students

PubMed Central

Rosiek, Anna; Rosiek-Kryszewska, Aleksandra; Leksowski, Łukasz; Leksowski, Krzysztof

2016-01-01

Introduction: The subject of chronic stress and ways of dealing with it are very broad. The aim of this study was to analyze stress and anxiety and their influence on suicidal thinking among medical students. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the years 2014 to 2015 in Poland, at the Medical University—Nicolaus Copernicus University, Collegium Medicum. The objective of this study was to assess chronic stress and suicidal thinking among students and how students cope with this huge problem. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were conducted to detect differences. Results: Analyses showed that students’ life is full of stressors. Students toward the end of their education cope better with stress than students starting their university studies. Chronic stress has a strong impact on mental health and suicidal thinking among students. Conclusions: The results of the study confirmed that chronic stress and anxiety have a negative influence on mental health and also confirm a relation to suicidal thinking in medical students. Students cope with stress by listening to music, talking to relatives or people close to them, resting or engaging in sports, with cycling, running and swimming being the most common methods used to affect suicidal thinking. PMID:26891311

Community Design Impacts on Health Habits in Low-income Southern Nevadans.

PubMed

Coughenour, Courtney; Burns, Mackenzie S

2016-07-01

The purposes of this exploratory study were to: (1) characterize selected community design features; and (2) determine the relationship between select features and physical activity (PA) levels and nutrition habits for a small sample of low-income southern Nevadans. Secondary analysis was conducted on data from selected participants of the Nevada Healthy Homes Partnership program; self-report data on PA and diet habits were compared to national guidelines. Community design features were identified via GIS within a one-mile radius of participants' homes. Descriptive statistics characterized these features and chi-square analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between select features and habits. Data from 71 participants were analyzed; the majority failed to reach either PA or fruit and vegetable guidelines (81.7% and 93.0%, respectively). Many neighborhoods were absent of parks (71.8%), trailheads (36.6%), or pay-for-use PA facilities (47.9%). The mean number of grocery stores was 3.4 ± 2.3 per neighborhood. Chi-square analyses were not statistically significant. Findings were insufficient to make meaningful conclusions, but support the need for health promotion to meet guidelines. More research is needed to assess the impact of health-promoting community design and healthy behaviors, particularly in vulnerable populations.

29 CFR 1607.15 - Documentation of impact and validity evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (essential). (6) Sample description. A description of how the research sample was identified and selected... the size of each subgroup (essential). A description of how the research sample compares with the...). Any quantitative data which identify or define the job constructs, such as factor analyses, should be...

29 CFR 1607.15 - Documentation of impact and validity evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (essential). (6) Sample description. A description of how the research sample was identified and selected... the size of each subgroup (essential). A description of how the research sample compares with the...). Any quantitative data which identify or define the job constructs, such as factor analyses, should be...

29 CFR 1607.15 - Documentation of impact and validity evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (essential). (6) Sample description. A description of how the research sample was identified and selected... the size of each subgroup (essential). A description of how the research sample compares with the...). Any quantitative data which identify or define the job constructs, such as factor analyses, should be...

29 CFR 1607.15 - Documentation of impact and validity evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (essential). (6) Sample description. A description of how the research sample was identified and selected... the size of each subgroup (essential). A description of how the research sample compares with the...). Any quantitative data which identify or define the job constructs, such as factor analyses, should be...

Validating e-learning in continuing pharmacy education: user acceptance and knowledge change

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Continuing pharmacy education is becoming mandatory in most countries in order to keep the professional license valid. Increasing number of pharmacists are now using e-learning as part of their continuing education. Consequently, the increasing popularity of this method of education calls for standardization and validation practices. The conducted research explored validation aspects of e-learning in terms of knowledge increase and user acceptance. Methods Two e-courses were conducted as e-based continuing pharmacy education for graduated pharmacists. Knowledge increase and user acceptance were the two outcome measured. The change of knowledge in the first e-course was measured by a pre- and post-test and results analysed by the Wilcoxon signed–rank test. The acceptance of e-learning in the second e-course was investigated by a questionnaire and the results analysed using descriptive statistics. Results Results showed that knowledge increased significantly (p < 0.001) by 16 pp after participation in the first e-course. Among the participants who responded to the survey in the second course, 92% stated that e-courses were effective and 91% stated that they enjoyed the course. Conclusions The study shows that e-learning is a viable medium of conducting continuing pharmacy education; e-learning is effective in increasing knowledge and highly accepted by pharmacists from various working environments such as community and hospital pharmacies, faculties of pharmacy or wholesales. PMID:24528547

Report of the LSPI/NASA Workshop on Lunar Base Methodology Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nozette, Stewart; Roberts, Barney

1985-01-01

Groundwork was laid for computer models which will assist in the design of a manned lunar base. The models, herein described, will provide the following functions for the successful conclusion of that task: strategic planning; sensitivity analyses; impact analyses; and documentation. Topics addressed include: upper level model description; interrelationship matrix; user community; model features; model descriptions; system implementation; model management; and plans for future action.

IN SITU FIELD TESTING OF PROCESSES

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

J.S.Y. YANG

2004-11-08

The purpose of this scientific analysis report is to update and document the data and subsequent analyses from ambient field-testing activities performed in underground drifts and surface-based boreholes through unsaturated zone (UZ) tuff rock units. In situ testing, monitoring, and associated laboratory studies are conducted to directly assess and evaluate the waste emplacement environment and the natural barriers to radionuclide transport at Yucca Mountain. This scientific analysis report supports and provides data to UZ flow and transport model reports, which in turn contribute to the Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) of Yucca Mountain, an important document for the license applicationmore » (LA). The objectives of ambient field-testing activities are described in Section 1.1. This report is the third revision (REV 03), which supercedes REV 02. The scientific analysis of data for inputs to model calibration and validation as documented in REV 02 were developed in accordance with the Technical Work Plan (TWP) ''Technical Work Plan for: Performance Assessment Unsaturated Zone'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 167969]). This revision was developed in accordance with the ''Technical Work Plan for: Unsaturated Zone Flow Analysis and Model Report Integration'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 169654], Section 1.2.4) for better integrated, consistent, transparent, traceable, and more complete documentation in this scientific analysis report and associated UZ flow and transport model reports. No additional testing or analyses were performed as part of this revision. The list of relevant acceptance criteria is provided by ''Technical Work Plan for: Unsaturated Zone Flow Analysis and Model Report Integration'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 169654]), Table 3-1. Additional deviations from the TWP regarding the features, events, and processes (FEPs) list are discussed in Section 1.3. Documentation in this report includes descriptions of how, and under what conditions, the tests were conducted. The descriptions and analyses provide data useful for refining and confirming the understanding of flow, drift seepage, and transport processes in the UZ. The UZ testing activities included measurement of permeability distribution, quantification of the seepage of water into the drifts, evaluation of fracture-matrix interaction, study of flow along faults, testing of flow and transport between drifts, characterization of hydrologic heterogeneity along drifts, estimation of drying effects on the rock surrounding the drifts due to ventilation, monitoring of moisture conditions in open and sealed drifts, and determination of the degree of minimum construction water migration below drift. These field tests were conducted in two underground drifts at Yucca Mountain, the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) drift, and the cross-drift for Enhanced Characterization of the Repository Block (ECRB), as described in Section 1.2. Samples collected in boreholes and underground drifts have been used for additional hydrochemical and isotopic analyses for additional understanding of the UZ setting. The UZ transport tests conducted at the nearby Busted Butte site (see Figure 1-4) are also described in this scientific analysis report.« less

230Th/U ages Supporting Hanford Site-Wide Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis

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

Paces, James B.

This product represents a USGS Administrative Report that discusses samples and methods used to conduct uranium-series isotope analyses and resulting ages and initial 234U/238U activity ratios of pedogenic cements developed in several different surfaces in the Hanford area middle to late Pleistocene. Samples were collected and dated to provide calibration of soil development in surface deposits that are being used in the Hanford Site-Wide probabilistic seismic hazard analysis conducted by AMEC. The report includes description of sample locations and physical characteristics, sample preparation, chemical processing and mass spectrometry, analytical results, and calculated ages for individual sites. Ages of innermost rindsmore » on a number of samples from five sites in eastern Washington are consistent with a range of minimum depositional ages from 17 ka for cataclysmic flood deposits to greater than 500 ka for alluvium at several sites.« less

230Th/U ages Supporting Hanford Site‐Wide Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paces, James B.

2014-01-01

This product represents a USGS Administrative Report that discusses samples and methods used to conduct uranium-series isotope analyses and resulting ages and initial 234U/238U activity ratios of pedogenic cements developed in several different surfaces in the Hanford area middle to late Pleistocene. Samples were collected and dated to provide calibration of soil development in surface deposits that are being used in the Hanford Site-Wide probabilistic seismic hazard analysis conducted by AMEC. The report includes description of sample locations and physical characteristics, sample preparation, chemical processing and mass spectrometry, analytical results, and calculated ages for individual sites. Ages of innermost rinds on a number of samples from five sites in eastern Washington are consistent with a range of minimum depositional ages from 17 ka for cataclysmic flood deposits to greater than 500 ka for alluvium at several sites.

Leadership style and patient safety: implications for nurse managers.

PubMed

Merrill, Katreena Collette

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between nurse manager (NM) leadership style and safety climate. Nursing leaders are needed who will change the environment and increase patient safety. Hospital NMs are positioned to impact day-to-day operations. Therefore, it is essential to inform nurse executives regarding the impact of leadership style on patient safety. A descriptive correlational study was conducted in 41 nursing departments across 9 hospitals. The hospital unit safety climate survey and multifactorial leadership questionnaire were completed by 466 staff nurses. Bivariate and regression analyses were conducted to determine how well leadership style predicted safety climate. Transformational leadership style was demonstrated as a positive contributor to safety climate, whereas laissez-faire leadership style was shown to negatively contribute to unit socialization and a culture of blame. Nursing leaders must concentrate on developing transformational leadership skills while also diminishing negative leadership styles.

Profile of Students Uninterested in Practicum Class at Faculty of Engineering Universitas Negeri Surabaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munoto; Sondang, Meini; Satriana, FMS

2018-04-01

This study aims to determine the characteristics of students who were uninterested in attending practicum classes. This study applied naturalistic qualitative research methods using participatory observation and interviews. The data validity was ensured by triangulation, detailed description, length of observation time, as well as details and thorough observation. The data were analyzed using domain analysis and followed by conducting taxonomic, component, and thematic analyses. The results of the study indicate that faineant students show a negative behavior while attending laboratory practicums. They have a lack of motivation, effective interaction, and attention. The cognitive abilities vary from low to high. Other causes on how the aspects of the study were low were found as well, therefore improving those aspects allows students to raise their interest in practicum classes. The impact is to create well-skilled vocational teachers in conducting practicum classes in vocational schools and to make graduates better-prepared for the workforce.

A qualitative examination of perceptions of physical activity guidelines and preferences for format.

PubMed

Berry, Tanya R; Witcher, Chad; Holt, Nicholas L; Plotnikoff, Ronald C

2010-11-01

A descriptive exploratory study was conducted to gain an understanding of public perceptions of physical activity guidelines and to discover what formats appeal to participants. Canada's Physical Activity Guide (CPAG) was used as an example of such guidelines. Data were collected from 22 participants in five focus groups (composed of female undergraduate students, female office workers, male office workers, participants in a Type II diabetes rehabilitation program, and participants in a cardiovascular rehabilitation program). Cross-case qualitative analyses were conducted. Six themes emerged under the general categories of familiarity and preferences for PA promotional materials. In terms of familiarity, participants lacked awareness of CPAG and criticized its format. In terms of preferences, participants encouraged the use of stylistically similar messaging to those used by commercial advertisers, wanted personal stories, Internet-based media, and the use of celebrities' success stories. There was little awareness of CPAG and the current format was unappealing.

Feasible metabolisms in high pH springs of the Philippines

PubMed Central

Cardace, Dawn; Meyer-Dombard, D'Arcy R.; Woycheese, Kristin M.; Arcilla, Carlo A.

2015-01-01

A field campaign targeting high pH, H2-, and CH4-emitting serpentinite-associated springs in the Zambales and Palawan Ophiolites of the Philippines was conducted in 2012-2013, and enabled description of several springs sourced in altered pillow basalts, gabbros, and peridotites. We combine field observations of pH, temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and oxidation-reduction potential with analyses of major ions, dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, and dissolved gas phases in order to model the activities of selected phases important to microbial metabolism, and to rank feasible metabolic reactions based on energy yield. We document changing geochemical inventories in these springs between sampling years, and examine how the environment supports or prevents the function of certain microbial metabolisms. In all, this geochemistry-based assessment of feasible metabolisms indicates methane cycling, hydrogen oxidation, some iron and sulfur metabolisms, and ammonia oxidation are feasible reactions in this continental site of serpentinization. PMID:25713561

Feasible metabolisms in high pH springs of the Philippines.

PubMed

Cardace, Dawn; Meyer-Dombard, D'Arcy R; Woycheese, Kristin M; Arcilla, Carlo A

2015-01-01

A field campaign targeting high pH, H2-, and CH4-emitting serpentinite-associated springs in the Zambales and Palawan Ophiolites of the Philippines was conducted in 2012-2013, and enabled description of several springs sourced in altered pillow basalts, gabbros, and peridotites. We combine field observations of pH, temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and oxidation-reduction potential with analyses of major ions, dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, and dissolved gas phases in order to model the activities of selected phases important to microbial metabolism, and to rank feasible metabolic reactions based on energy yield. We document changing geochemical inventories in these springs between sampling years, and examine how the environment supports or prevents the function of certain microbial metabolisms. In all, this geochemistry-based assessment of feasible metabolisms indicates methane cycling, hydrogen oxidation, some iron and sulfur metabolisms, and ammonia oxidation are feasible reactions in this continental site of serpentinization.

HIV Prevalence and Risk Behaviors in Male to Female (MTF) Transgender Persons in Tijuana, Mexico.

PubMed

Salas-Espinoza, Kristian Jesús; Menchaca-Diaz, Rufino; Patterson, Thomas L; Urada, Lianne A; Smith, Davey; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Pitpitan, Eileen V

2017-12-01

Compared to HIV research on men who have sex with men, less is known about the risks and vulnerabilities for HIV among Male to Female (MTF) transgender persons, particularly in different geographic regions like Mexico. In Tijuana, Mexico, a border city experiencing a dynamic HIV epidemic, no precedent data exists on the MTF transgender population. Our aims were to estimate HIV prevalence and examine the behaviors and characteristics of the population. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 100 MTF transgender persons recruited through time location sampling in 2012. Participants underwent interviewer-administered (paper and pen) surveys and rapid tests for HIV. Descriptive univariate analyses were conducted on various factors, including sociodemographics, substance use, accessing social services (requested vs. received), stigma, and sex behaviors. A total of 22% tested positive for HIV, a prevalence higher than other key populations at risk for HIV in Tijuana.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Roles in Conducting Research: Changes Over 3 Years.

PubMed

Albert, Nancy M; Rice, Karen L; Waldo, Mary J; Bena, James F; Mayo, Ann M; Morrison, Shannon L; Westlake, Cheryl; Ellstrom, Kathleen; Powers, Jan; Foster, Jan

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to describe clinical nurse specialists' characteristics, interest, confidence, motivators, and barriers in conducting research. This study was a descriptive, multicohort design. Clinical nurse specialists were recruited electronically through national and local organizations to complete anonymous surveys 3 times, over 3 years. Comparative analyses included χ and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Of 2052 responders (initial, n = 629; 18 months, n = 465; and 3 years, n = 958), mean (SD) participant age was 50.3 (9.3) years. Overall, 41.7% of participants were involved as principal or coinvestigators in research. Interest in conducting nursing research (on a 0-100 scale) was 61.1 (38.4) and was lowest among the 18-month time point participant group (score, 39.1 [32.2]) and highest at the 3-year time point (68.3, [30.7]; P < .001). Confidence in conducting research, discussion of statistics, and perceptions of motivators and barriers to conducting research did not differ across time period groups. Access to literature and mentors and research knowledge were the most prevalent barriers to conducting research. Less than 42% of clinical nurse specialists conducted research and the rate did not change between different time groups. Access and knowledge barriers to conducting research were prominent. Workplace leaders need to consider resources and support of academic educational opportunities to increase research conduct by clinical nurse specialists.

Effects of alopecia on body image and quality of life of Turkish cancer women with or without headscarf.

PubMed

Erol, Ozgul; Can, Gulbeyaz; Aydıner, Adnan

2012-10-01

The aim of this study was to find out the effects of chemotherapy-related alopecia on body image and quality of life of Turkish women who have cancer with or without headscarves and factors affecting them. This descriptive study was conducted with 204 women who received chemotherapy at the Istanbul University Institute of Oncology, Turkey. The Patient Description Form, Body Image Scale and Nightingale Symptom Assessment Scale were used in data collection. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests. Logistic regression analysis was done to predict the factors affecting body image and quality of life of the patients. No difference was found between women wearing headscarves and those who did not in respect of their body image. However, women who wore headscarves who had no alopecia felt less dissatisfied with their scars, and women not wearing headscarves who had no alopecia have been feeling less self-conscious, less dissatisfied with their appearance. There was difference in terms of quality of life: women wearing headscarves had worse physical, psychological and general well-being than others. Although there were many important factors, multivariate analysis showed that for body image, having alopecia and wearing headscarves; and for quality of life, having alopecia were the variables that had considerable effects.

Core descriptions, core photographs, physical property logs and surface textural data of sediment cores recovered from the continental shelf of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary during the research cruises M-1-95-MB, P-2-95-MB, and P-1-97-MB

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orzech, Kevin M.; Dahl, Wendy E.; Edwards, Brian D.

2001-01-01

In response to the 1992 creation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) initiated a multiyear investigation of the Sanctuary continental margin. As part of the investigative effort, this report summarizes the shipboard procedures, subsequent laboratory analyses, and data results from three seafloor sampling cruises conducted on the continental shelf between Monterey peninsula, CA and San Francisco, CA. The cruises were conducted in 1995 aboard the NOAA Ship McArthur (M-1-95-MB) and in 1995 and 1997 aboard the R/V Point Sur (P-2-95-MB and P-1-97-MB). Scientists and representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), and the San Jose State University Moss Landing Marine Laboratory (SJSU-MLML) supported the research effort. In this report we present sediment descriptions, sediment textural data, physical property logs, station metadata, and photographs of subcores from a total of three hundred and eighty four sample stations. At these sites either a box corer, MultiCore™r, grab sampler or a combination of these sampling devices were used to collect the sea floor sediments. The report is presented in an interactive web-based format with each mapped core station linked to the corresponding description and photo, and to a spreadsheet of surface texture and other sampling data.

Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Nighttime Symptoms of COPD Instrument.

PubMed

Mocarski, Michelle; Zaiser, Erica; Trundell, Dylan; Make, Barry J; Hareendran, Asha

2015-01-01

Nighttime symptoms can negatively impact the quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The Nighttime Symptoms of COPD Instrument (NiSCI) was designed to measure the occurrence and severity of nighttime symptoms in patients with COPD, the impact of symptoms on nighttime awakenings, and rescue medication use. The objective of this study was to explore item reduction, inform scoring recommendations, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the NiSCI. COPD patients participating in a Phase III clinical trial completed the NiSCI daily. Item analyses were conducted using weekly mean and single day scores. Descriptive statistics (including percentage of respondents at floor/ceiling and inter-item correlations), factor analyses, and Rasch model analyses were conducted to examine item performance and scoring. Test-retest reliability was assessed for the final instrument using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Correlations with assessments conducted during study visits were used to evaluate convergent and known-groups validity. Data from 1,663 COPD patients aged 40-93 years were analyzed. Item analyses supported the generation of four scores. A one-factor structure was confirmed with factor analysis and Rasch analysis for the symptom severity score. Test-retest reliability was confirmed for the six-item symptom severity (ICC, 0.85), number of nighttime awakenings (ICC, 0.82), and rescue medication (ICC, 0.68) scores. Convergent validity was supported by significant correlations between the NiSCI, St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, and Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Tool-Respiratory Symptoms scores. The results suggest that the NiSCI can be used to determine the severity of nighttime COPD symptoms, the number of nighttime awakenings due to COPD symptoms, and the nighttime use of rescue medication. The NiSCI is a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate these concepts in COPD patients in clinical trials and clinical practice. Scoring recommendations and steps for further research are discussed.

Access to and utilisation of GP services among Burmese migrants in London: a cross-sectional descriptive study.

PubMed

Aung, Nyein Chan; Rechel, Bernd; Odermatt, Peter

2010-10-12

An estimated 10,000 Burmese migrants are currently living in London. No studies have been conducted on their access to health services. Furthermore, most studies on migrants in the United Kingdom (UK) have been conducted at the point of service provision, carrying the risk of selection bias. Our cross-sectional study explored access to and utilisation of General Practice (GP) services by Burmese migrants residing in London. We used a mixed-method approach: a quantitative survey using self-administered questionnaires was complemented by qualitative in-depth interviews for developing the questionnaire and triangulating the findings of the survey. Overall, 137 questionnaires were received (a response rate of 57%) and 11 in-depth interviews conducted. The main outcome variables of the study included GP registration, barriers towards registration, GP consultations, barriers towards consultations, and knowledge on entitlements to health care. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, association tests, and a multivariate analysis using logistic regression. The qualitative information was analysed using content analysis. The respondents were young, of roughly equal gender (51.5% female), well educated, and had a fair level of knowledge on health services in the UK. Although the GP registration rate was relatively high (80%, 109 out of 136), GP service utilisation during the last episode of illness, at 56.8% (54 out of 95), was low. The statistical analysis showed that age being younger than 35 years, lacking prior overseas experience, having an unstable immigration status, having a shorter duration of stay, and resorting to self-medication were the main barriers hindering Burmese migrants from accessing primary health care services. These findings were corroborated by the in-depth interviews. Our study found that having formal access to primary health care was not sufficient to ensure GP registration and health care utilisation. Some respondents faced difficulties in registering with GP practices. Many of those who have registered prefer to forego GP services in favour of self-medication, partly due to long waiting times and language barriers. To ensure that migrants enjoy the health services they need and to which they are entitled, more proactive steps are required, including those that make health services culturally responsive.

A qualitative description of successful aging through different decades of older adulthood.

PubMed

Carr, Kelly; Weir, Patricia L

2017-12-01

To qualitatively examine factors that contribute to successful aging during different decades of older adulthood. Fundamental qualitative description was adopted as the methodological framework. Through purposeful sampling, 42 community dwelling older adults (mean age = 79.6 years, age range = 65-97 years; 19 males) were recruited. Focus groups (6) segmented by decade of life were conducted with participants 65-74 (n = 17) and 75-84 (n = 17) years of age. Semi-structured interviews (16) were conducted with four participants from each decade, as well as participants 85 years of age and older (n = 8). Data analyses were conducted independently for each decade of life and included inductive analysis of textual data through continuous comparisons of meaning units. Three primary themes related to successful aging were identified across all decades of older adulthood: (1) staying healthy (secondary themes: genetics and lifestyle choices), (2) maintaining an active engagement in life (secondary themes: social engagement and cognitive engagement), and (3) keeping a positive outlook on life. Participants in specific decades of older adulthood identified three additional secondary themes related to maintaining an active engagement in life: finances (65-74 and 85+ years), social support (75+ years), and successful marriage (75+ years). Similarly, only adults 65-84 years of age identified a secondary theme for keeping a positive outlook on life: acceptance and adaptation. Primary themes related to successful aging were agreed upon by participants in all decades of older adulthood, while age-based differences existed among secondary themes. Thus, what it means to age successfully may be age-dependent.

Comparison of Analytical Predictions and Experimental Results for a Dual Brayton Power System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Paul

2007-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) contracted Barber- Nichols, Arvada, CO to construct a dual Brayton power conversion system for use as a hardware proof of concept and to validate results from a computational code known as the Closed Cycle System Simulation (CCSS). Initial checkout tests were performed at Barber- Nichols to ready the system for delivery to GRC. This presentation describes the system hardware components and lists the types of checkout tests performed along with a couple issues encountered while conducting the tests. A description of the CCSS model is also presented. The checkout tests did not focus on generating data, therefore, no test data or model analyses are presented.

Large Deployable Reflector (LDR) system concept and technology definition study. Volume 1: Executive summary, analyses and trades, and system concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agnew, Donald L.; Jones, Peter A.

1989-01-01

A study was conducted to define reasonable and representative large deployable reflector (LDR) system concepts for the purpose of defining a technology development program aimed at providing the requisite technological capability necessary to start LDR development by the end of 1991. This volume includes the executive summary for the total study, a report of thirteen system analysis and trades tasks (optical configuration, aperture size, reflector material, segmented mirror, optical subsystem, thermal, pointing and control, transportation to orbit, structures, contamination control, orbital parameters, orbital environment, and spacecraft functions), and descriptions of three selected LDR system concepts. Supporting information is contained in appendices.

Situational and affective risk situations of relapse and the quality of implementation intentions in an e-health smoking relapse prevention programme.

PubMed

Elfeddali, Iman; Bolman, Catherine; de Vries, Hein

2013-06-01

The quality of coping plans made to deal with personal smoking related risk situations and the relation between plan quality (PQ) and continued smoking abstinence (CA) were assessed. The respondents (N = 563) were smokers who had made a coping planning assignment in the experimental conditions of a larger randomized controlled trial. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted. The specificity of the plans made was related to short and long-term CA and was significantly lower for plans made to deal with situational situations. More research on how to foster specificity and target the difficulties that quitters have with specifying plans for affective situations is required.

SEAPAK user's guide, version 2.0. Volume 2: Descriptions of programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcclain, Charles R.; Darzi, Michael; Firestone, James K.; Fu, Gary; Yeh, Eueng-Nan; Endres, Daniel L.

1991-01-01

The SEAPAK is a user-interactive satellite data analysis package that was developed for the processing and interpretation of Nimbus-7/Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) and the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data. Significant revisions were made since version 1.0, and the ancillary environmental data analysis module was greatly expanded. The package continues to be user friendly and user interactive. Also, because the scientific goals of the ocean color research being conducted have shifted to large space and time scales, batch processing capabilities for both satellite and ancillary environmental data analyses were enhanced, thus allowing for large quantities of data to be ingested and analyzed.

Corporal punishment and physical maltreatment against children: a community study on Chinese parents in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Tang, Catherine So-kum

2006-08-01

This study aimed to examine rates and associated factors of parent-to-child corporal punishment and physical maltreatment in Hong Kong Chinese families. Cross-sectional and randomized household interviews were conducted with 1,662 Chinese parents to collect information on demographic characteristics of parents and children, marital satisfaction, perceived social support, evaluation of child problem behaviors, and reactions to conflicts with children. Descriptive statistics, analyses of variances, and logistic regression analyses were conducted. The rates of parent-to-child physical aggression were 57.5% for corporal punishment and 4.5% for physical maltreatment. Mothers as compared to fathers reported higher rates and more frequent use of corporal punishment on their children, but this parental gender effect was insignificant among older parents and those with adolescent children. Boys as compared to girls were more likely to experience higher rates and more frequent parental corporal punishment, especially in middle childhood at aged 5-12. Furthermore, parents perpetrated more frequent physical maltreatment on younger as compared to older children. Results from logistic regression analyses indicated that significant correlates of parental corporal punishment were: children's young age, male gender, and externalizing behaviors as well as parents' young age, non-employment, and marital dissatisfaction. For parent-to-child physical maltreatment, significant correlates were externalizing behaviors of children and parental marital dissatisfaction. Hong Kong Chinese parents commonly used corporal punishment on their children, which was associated with characteristics of children, parents, and family.

Brief Motivational Interventions Are Associated With Reductions in Alcohol-Impaired Driving Among College Drinkers

PubMed Central

Teeters, Jenni B.; Borsari, Brian; Martens, Matthew P.; Murphy, James G.

2015-01-01

Objective: Alcohol-impaired (AI) driving among college students remains a significant public health concern and may be the single most risky drinking outcome among young adults. Brief motivational interventions (BMIs) have been shown to reduce alcohol use and problems, but their specific efficacy for decreasing AI driving among college students is unknown. The present study analyzed data from three randomized controlled trials of BMI (Murphy et al., 2010: n = 74; Borsari et al., 2012: n = 530; and Martens et al., 2013: n = 365) to evaluate whether BMIs are associated with reductions in AI driving among college student drinkers. Method: Participants in all three studies were randomized to BMI or control conditions. Participants reported whether they had driven under the influence (yes/no) following the BMI over the follow-up period. Results: Separate binary logistic regression analyses were conducted for each study. For Studies 1 and 2, these analyses revealed that a BMI was significantly associated with reductions in AI driving at the final (6-month and 9-month, respectively) follow-up compared with the control condition. For Study 3, analyses revealed that a single-component BMI focused on the correction of misperceptions of descriptive norms was significantly associated with reductions in AI driving compared with the control group at the final (6-month) follow-up, whereas a single-component BMI focused on the use of protective behavioral strategies was not. Change in drinking level did not mediate the relationship between the condition and the change in AI driving. Conclusions: Counselor-administered BMIs that include descriptive normative feedback are associated with significant reductions in AI driving compared with control. PMID:26402350

Thermal effects in two-phase flow through face seals. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basu, Prithwish

1988-01-01

When liquid is sealed at high temperature, it flashes inside the seal due to pressure drop and/or viscous heat dissipation. Two-phase seals generally exhibit more erratic behavior than their single phase counterparts. Thermal effects, which are often neglected in single phase seal analyses, play an important role in determining seal behavior under two-phase operation. It is necessary to consider the heat generation due to viscous shear, conduction into the seal rings and convection with the leakage flow. Analytical models developed work reasonably well at the two extremes - for low leakage rates when convection is neglected and for higher leakage rates when conduction is neglected. A preliminary model, known as the Film Coefficient Model, is presented which considers conduction and convection both, and allows continuous boiling over an extended region unlike the previous low-leakage rate model which neglects convection and always forces a discrete boiling interface. Another simplified, semi-analytical model, based on the assumption of isothermal conditions along the seal interafce, has been developed for low leakage rates. The Film Coefficient Model may be used for more accurate and realistic description.

The discursive production of professionals about humanizing health: singularity, rights and ethics1

PubMed Central

Silva, Rose Mary Costa Rosa Andrade; de Oliveira, Denize Cristina; Pereira, Eliane Ramos

2015-01-01

Objective: to describe the discursive production of professionals about the humanization of health. Method: qualitative study of descriptive approach, inspired by the social representation theory, with 24 professionals in the healthcare field, working in a university hospital with the established humanization policy. The selection of participants was conducted according to criteria of adequacy and diversity for an intentional sample. Data collection was conducted by semi-structured interviews. Results: through content analysis, three categories emerged, around which the analyses were conducted: "humanizing health as an act of accepting the other as unique", "humanizing health as a matter of right" and "humanizing health as an ethical issue". The discursive production of professionals is based on a perspective which is based on the humanist prospect with socio-historical bias. Conclusion: healthcare professionals must know the National Humanization Policy in order to provide quality care, promoting the meeting, welcoming and recognition of oneself, others and their profession in the political and socio-historical scenario of their country as a citizen, not only of rights, but also of obligations. PMID:26487145

Validation of rapid descriptive sensory methods against conventional descriptive analyses: A systematic review.

PubMed

Aguiar, Lorena Andrade de; Melo, Lauro; de Lacerda de Oliveira, Lívia

2018-04-03

A major drawback of conventional descriptive profile (CDP) in sensory evaluation is the long time spent in panel training. Rapid descriptive methods (RDM) have increased significantly. Some of them have been compared with CDP for validation. In Health Sciences, systematic reviews (SR) are performed to evaluate validation of diagnostic tests in relation to a gold standard method. SR present a well-defined protocol to summarize research evidence and to evaluate the quality of the studies with determined criteria. We adapted SR protocol to evaluate the validation of RDM against CDP as satisfactory procedures to obtain food characterization. We used "Population Intervention Comparison Outcome Study - PICOS" framework to design the research in which "Population" was food/ beverages; "intervention" were RDM, "Comparison" was CDP as gold standard, "Outcome" was the ability of RDM to generate similar descriptive profiles in comparison with CDP and "Studies" was sensory descriptive analyses. The proportion of studies concluding for similarity of the RDM with CDP ranged from 0% to 100%. Low and moderate risk of bias were reached by 87% and 13% of the studies, respectively, supporting the conclusions of SR. RDM with semi-trained assessors and evaluation of individual attributes presented higher percentages of concordance with CDP.

Developing Environmentally Responsible Behaviours Through the Implementation of Argumentation- and Problem-Based Learning Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fettahlıoğlu, Pınar; Aydoğdu, Mustafa

2018-04-01

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of using argumentation and problem-based learning approaches on the development of environmentally responsible behaviours among pre-service science teachers. Experimental activities were implemented for 14 weeks for 52 class hours in an environmental education class within a science teaching department. A mixed method was used as a research design; particularly, a special type of Concurrent Nested Strategy was applied. The quantitative portion was based on the one-group pre-test and post-test models, and the qualitative portion was based on the holistic multiple-case study method. The quantitative portion of the research was conducted with 34 third-year pre-service science teachers studying at a state university. The qualitative portion of the study was conducted with six pre-service science teachers selected among the 34 pre-service science teachers based on the pre-test results obtained from an environmentally responsible behaviour scale. t tests for dependent groups were used to analyse quantitative data. Both descriptive and content analyses of the qualitative data were performed. The results of the study showed that the use of the argumentation and problem-based learning approaches significantly contributed to the development of environmentally responsible behaviours among pre-service science teachers.

Network meta-analyses could be improved by searching more sources and by involving a librarian.

PubMed

Li, Lun; Tian, Jinhui; Tian, Hongliang; Moher, David; Liang, Fuxiang; Jiang, Tongxiao; Yao, Liang; Yang, Kehu

2014-09-01

Network meta-analyses (NMAs) aim to rank the benefits (or harms) of interventions, based on all available randomized controlled trials. Thus, the identification of relevant data is critical. We assessed the conduct of the literature searches in NMAs. Published NMAs were retrieved by searching electronic bibliographic databases and other sources. Two independent reviewers selected studies and five trained reviewers abstracted data regarding literature searches, in duplicate. Search method details were examined using descriptive statistics. Two hundred forty-nine NMAs were included. Eight used previous systematic reviews to identify primary studies without further searching, and five did not report any literature searches. In the 236 studies that used electronic databases to identify primary studies, the median number of databases was 3 (interquartile range: 3-5). MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were the most commonly used databases. The most common supplemental search methods included reference lists of included studies (48%), reference lists of previous systematic reviews (40%), and clinical trial registries (32%). None of these supplemental methods was conducted in more than 50% of the NMAs. Literature searches in NMAs could be improved by searching more sources, and by involving a librarian or information specialist. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analyses of Great Smoky Mountain Red Spruce Tree Ring Data

Treesearch

Paul C. van Deusen; [Editor

1988-01-01

Four different analyses of red spruce tree ring data from the Great Smoky Mountains are presented along with a description of the spruce/fir ecosystem.The analyses use several techniques including spatial analysis, fractals, spline detrending, and the Kalman filter.

Validating Future Force Performance Measures (Army Class): Concluding Analyses

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

32 Table 3.10. Descriptive Statistics and Intercorrelations for LV Final Predictor Factor Scores...55 Table 4.7. Descriptive Statistics for Analysis Criteria...Soldier attrition and performance: Dependability (Non- Delinquency ), Adjustment, Physical Conditioning, Leadership, Work Orientation, and Agreeableness

Methodological Reporting of Randomized Trials in Five Leading Chinese Nursing Journals

PubMed Central

Shi, Chunhu; Tian, Jinhui; Ren, Dan; Wei, Hongli; Zhang, Lihuan; Wang, Quan; Yang, Kehu

2014-01-01

Background Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are not always well reported, especially in terms of their methodological descriptions. This study aimed to investigate the adherence of methodological reporting complying with CONSORT and explore associated trial level variables in the Chinese nursing care field. Methods In June 2012, we identified RCTs published in five leading Chinese nursing journals and included trials with details of randomized methods. The quality of methodological reporting was measured through the methods section of the CONSORT checklist and the overall CONSORT methodological items score was calculated and expressed as a percentage. Meanwhile, we hypothesized that some general and methodological characteristics were associated with reporting quality and conducted a regression with these data to explore the correlation. The descriptive and regression statistics were calculated via SPSS 13.0. Results In total, 680 RCTs were included. The overall CONSORT methodological items score was 6.34±0.97 (Mean ± SD). No RCT reported descriptions and changes in “trial design,” changes in “outcomes” and “implementation,” or descriptions of the similarity of interventions for “blinding.” Poor reporting was found in detailing the “settings of participants” (13.1%), “type of randomization sequence generation” (1.8%), calculation methods of “sample size” (0.4%), explanation of any interim analyses and stopping guidelines for “sample size” (0.3%), “allocation concealment mechanism” (0.3%), additional analyses in “statistical methods” (2.1%), and targeted subjects and methods of “blinding” (5.9%). More than 50% of trials described randomization sequence generation, the eligibility criteria of “participants,” “interventions,” and definitions of the “outcomes” and “statistical methods.” The regression analysis found that publication year and ITT analysis were weakly associated with CONSORT score. Conclusions The completeness of methodological reporting of RCTs in the Chinese nursing care field is poor, especially with regard to the reporting of trial design, changes in outcomes, sample size calculation, allocation concealment, blinding, and statistical methods. PMID:25415382

Prediction of Chinese Drivers' Intentions to Park Illegally in Emergency Lanes: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior.

PubMed

Zheng, Yubing; Ma, Yang; Guo, Lixin; Cheng, Jianchuan; Zhang, Yunlong

2018-06-21

Illegal parking in emergency lanes (paved highway shoulders) is becoming a serious road safety issue in China. The aim of this study was: 1) to examine the utility of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) extended with descriptive norm, past behavior, facilitating and deterring circumstances, sensation seeking and invulnerability in predicting Chinese drivers' intentions in illegal emergency lane parking; 2) to investigate whether respondents' demographic characteristics would impact their views towards the behavior and predictive patterns of intentions; 3) to identify significant predictors of intentions. In this cross-sectional study, eligible respondents were all qualified Chinese drivers. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to collect data including demographic information, descriptive norm, past behavior, facilitating and deterring circumstances, sensation seeking and scenario-based invulnerability combined with TPB constructs. Descriptive statistics, MANOVAs and a series of hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were conducted in SPSS. A total of 435 qualified drivers (234 males and 201 females) with a mean age of 35.2 years (S.D.=10.3) were included in analysis. The descriptive analysis showed that most participants reported weak intentions (M = 2.35) to park illegally in emergency lanes with negative attitude (M = 3.19), low perceived support (M = 2.91) and high control (M = 5.08) over the behavior. The model succeeded in explaining 64% of the variance in intentions for the whole sample, and principal TPB components accounted for 21% of variance in intentions after demographic variables were controlled. MANOVAs revealed that significant differences of respondents' opinions towards illegal emergency lane parking were only found between better-educated drivers (with college education background) and less-educated ones. Separate regression analyses revealed that predictive pattern of better-educated participants also differed significantly from that of less-educated ones. The study revealed that perceived behavioral control, past behavior, facilitating circumstance and invulnerability emerged as consistently significant predictors of Chinese drivers' intentions to park illegally in emergency lanes. Findings of this study may have some practical implications in developing multi-faced interventions or education process for illegal emergency lane parking in China.

Costing of physical activity programmes in primary prevention: a review of the literature

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

This literature review aims to analyse the costing methodology in economic analyses of primary preventive physical activity programmes. It demonstrates the usability of a recently published theoretical framework in practice, and may serve as a guide for future economic evaluation studies and for decision making. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify all relevant studies published before December 2009. All studies were analysed regarding their key economic findings and their costing methodology. In summary, 18 international economic analyses of primary preventive physical activity programmes were identified. Many of these studies conclude that the investigated intervention provides good value for money compared with alternatives (no intervention, usual care or different programme) or is even cost-saving. Although most studies did provide a description of the cost of the intervention programme, methodological details were often not displayed, and savings resulting from the health effects of the intervention were not always included sufficiently. This review shows the different costing methodologies used in the current health economic literature and compares them with a theoretical framework. The high variability regarding the costs assessment and the lack of transparency concerning the methods limits the comparability of the results, which points out the need for a handy minimal dataset of cost assessment. PMID:22827967

Staff perception of patient discharge from ICU to ward-based care.

PubMed

James, Stephen; Quirke, Sara; McBride-Henry, Karen

2013-11-01

The quality of information exchange between intensive care unit (ICU) and ward nurses, when patients are transferred out of intensive care, is important to the continuity of safe care. This research aimed to explore nurses' experiences of the discharge process from ICU to the ward environment. The study was conducted in a New Zealand Metropolitan hospital, using an exploratory descriptive design we adapted a questionnaire based on Whittaker and Ball's research on ICU patient handover. The questionnaires were then analysed using a descriptive thematic approach. The response rate of 48% included 45 ICU and 47 ward nurses. Key findings were that the written and verbal communication needs differ dependent upon setting and the timing of a discharge. Timing of handover also requires negotiation. Being able to negotiate the timing and nature of handover is important for nurses. In addition, standardized approaches to communication are believed to enhance patient safety. Standardized handover, with content and processes that are mutually negotiated, is crucial to providing the safest environment for patients. © 2013 The Authors. Nursing in Critical Care © 2013 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Gender differences in college leisure time physical activity: application of the theory of planned behavior and integrated behavioral model.

PubMed

Beville, Jill M; Meyer, M Renée Umstattd; Usdan, Stuart L; Turner, Lori W; Jackson, John C; Lian, Brad E

2014-01-01

National data consistently report that males participate in leisure time physical activity (LTPA) at higher rates than females. This study expanded previous research to examine gender differences in LTPA of college students using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by including 2 additional constructs, descriptive norm and self-efficacy, from the integrated behavioral model. Participants were college students (N = 621) from a large public university in the southeastern United States. A self-report, classroom-based assessment with validated and reliable measures of LTPA, TPB constructs, descriptive norm, self-efficacy, and demographics was conducted in fall 2009. Regression analyses revealed attitude (β = .119), intention (β = .438), self-efficacy (β = .166), body mass index (BMI) (β = -.084), and sports participation (β = .081) as significantly associated with LTPA for females (R (2) = .425, p < .001), whereas intention (β = .371) was significant for males (R (2) = .202, p < .001). Practitioners should consider tailoring promotional materials to address these gender differences in efforts to increase LTPA participation among college students.

Description of 'Synergistetes' phyl. nov. and emended description of the phylum 'Deferribacteres' and of the family Syntrophomonadaceae, phylum 'Firmicutes'.

PubMed

Jumas-Bilak, Estelle; Roudière, Laurent; Marchandin, Hélène

2009-05-01

The number of bacterial phyla has greatly increased in the past decade. Among them, a candidate division named 'Synergistes' was proposed in a phylogenetic study on the global diversity of bacteria. We previously described the genus Jonquetella and suggested that it belonged to this not yet well-delineated candidate phylum. 16S rRNA gene based-phylogeny studies were conducted using four reconstruction methods and 599 sequences forming five datasets were used in an alternative treeing approach. These analyses indicated that the genera Aminiphilus, Aminobacterium, Aminomonas, Anaerobaculum, Dethiosulfovibrio, Jonquetella, Synergistes, Thermanaerovibrio and Thermovirga should be grouped in the same high-level taxon. This taxon was shown to be a phylum-rank lineage in the domain Bacteria and, because of the prior use of the name Synergistes for a genus, the name 'Synergistetes' is proposed for this candidate phylum. We also propose an emended delineation of the phylum 'Deferribacteres', which is now only represented by the family Deferribacteriaceae. The emended family Syntrophomonadaceae is limited to the genera Pelospora, Syntrophomonas, Syntrophothermus and Thermosyntropha.

Thyroid malignancy among goitrous thyroid lesions: a review of hospital-based studies in Malaysia and Myanmar.

PubMed

Htwe, T T

2012-03-01

Endemic goitre is a major concern in many parts of the world, including Southeast Asia. Goitrous thyroid lesion is postulated as a precursor lesion to thyroid cancer (TC). This paper reviews the prevalence rates and characteristics of TC among cases of goitrous thyroid-swelling in different parts of Malaysia and Myanmar. Recorded data from hospital-based retrospective studies of thyroid cases, whose study periods ranged from three to 11 years, were analysed. These included research findings from the author's publications as well as other published review articles of retrospective analyses. The incidence of TC varies among gender, age, race/ethnicity and histological type. There appears to be a higher rate of occurrence among females aged 21-60 years. Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the more common histological type compared to follicular cancer. This review also presents a descriptive analysis and discussion on studies conducted in other countries. Further exploration is warranted in order to uncover the possible risk factors for the rising incidence of TC.

Markov Chain Monte Carlo: an introduction for epidemiologists

PubMed Central

Hamra, Ghassan; MacLehose, Richard; Richardson, David

2013-01-01

Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods are increasingly popular among epidemiologists. The reason for this may in part be that MCMC offers an appealing approach to handling some difficult types of analyses. Additionally, MCMC methods are those most commonly used for Bayesian analysis. However, epidemiologists are still largely unfamiliar with MCMC. They may lack familiarity either with he implementation of MCMC or with interpretation of the resultant output. As with tutorials outlining the calculus behind maximum likelihood in previous decades, a simple description of the machinery of MCMC is needed. We provide an introduction to conducting analyses with MCMC, and show that, given the same data and under certain model specifications, the results of an MCMC simulation match those of methods based on standard maximum-likelihood estimation (MLE). In addition, we highlight examples of instances in which MCMC approaches to data analysis provide a clear advantage over MLE. We hope that this brief tutorial will encourage epidemiologists to consider MCMC approaches as part of their analytic tool-kit. PMID:23569196

Performance improvements of a highly integrated digital electronic control system for an F-15 airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Putnam, T. W.; Burcham, F. W., Jr.; Andries, M. G.; Kelly, J. B.

1985-01-01

The NASA highly integrated digital electronic control (HIDEC) program is structured to conduct flight research into the benefits of integrating an aircraft flight control system with the engine control system. A brief description of the HIDEC system installed on an F-15 aircraft is provided. The adaptive engine control system (ADECS) mode is described in detail, together with simulation results and analyses that show the significant excess thrust improvements achievable with the ADECS mode. It was found that this increased thrust capability is accompanied by reduced fan stall margin and can be realized during flight conditions where engine face distortion is low. The results of analyses and simulations also show that engine thrust response is improved and that fuel consumption can be reduced. Although the performance benefits that accrue because of airframe and engine control integration are being demonstrated on an F-15 aircraft, the principles are applicable to advanced aircraft such as the advanced tactical fighter and advanced tactical aircraft.

Nursing staff and their team: Impact on intention to leave.

PubMed

Trybou, J; Malfait, S; Gemmel, P; Clays, E

2015-12-01

The aim was to examine the relationship between the quality of team-member exchange experienced by nursing staff and their intention to leave. Job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment are considered as mediators. While the shortage of nurses is a management and policy priority, few studies have studied the relationships between nursing staff and their team, key organizational attitudes, and intentions to leave the organization. A questionnaire was administered to 217 registered nurses and nurse assistants in Belgium. Data were collected in 2012. To analyse the data, descriptive statistics, correlation, regression and path analyses were conducted. Team-member exchange has a positive impact on nursing staff satisfaction and affective commitment. Job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment fully mediated the impact of team-member exchange on nursing staff's intention to leave. This study illustrates the potential benefits of the positive influence of team-member exchange on key organizational attitudes of nursing staff, and the negative influence on intention to leave through affective commitment and job satisfaction. © 2015 International Council of Nurses.

Entropy of hydrological systems under small samples: Uncertainty and variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Dengfeng; Wang, Dong; Wang, Yuankun; Wu, Jichun; Singh, Vijay P.; Zeng, Xiankui; Wang, Lachun; Chen, Yuanfang; Chen, Xi; Zhang, Liyuan; Gu, Shenghua

2016-01-01

Entropy theory has been increasingly applied in hydrology in both descriptive and inferential ways. However, little attention has been given to the small-sample condition widespread in hydrological practice, where either hydrological measurements are limited or are even nonexistent. Accordingly, entropy estimated under this condition may incur considerable bias. In this study, small-sample condition is considered and two innovative entropy estimators, the Chao-Shen (CS) estimator and the James-Stein-type shrinkage (JSS) estimator, are introduced. Simulation tests are conducted with common distributions in hydrology, that lead to the best-performing JSS estimator. Then, multi-scale moving entropy-based hydrological analyses (MM-EHA) are applied to indicate the changing patterns of uncertainty of streamflow data collected from the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, China. For further investigation into the intrinsic property of entropy applied in hydrological uncertainty analyses, correlations of entropy and other statistics at different time-scales are also calculated, which show connections between the concept of uncertainty and variability.

Experimental methods for studying microbial survival in extraterrestrial environments.

PubMed

Olsson-Francis, Karen; Cockell, Charles S

2010-01-01

Microorganisms can be used as model systems for studying biological responses to extraterrestrial conditions; however, the methods for studying their response are extremely challenging. Since the first high altitude microbiological experiment in 1935 a large number of facilities have been developed for short- and long-term microbial exposure experiments. Examples are the BIOPAN facility, used for short-term exposure, and the EXPOSE facility aboard the International Space Station, used for long-term exposure. Furthermore, simulation facilities have been developed to conduct microbiological experiments in the laboratory environment. A large number of microorganisms have been used for exposure experiments; these include pure cultures and microbial communities. Analyses of these experiments have involved both culture-dependent and independent methods. This review highlights and discusses the facilities available for microbiology experiments, both in space and in simulation environments. A description of the microorganisms and the techniques used to analyse survival is included. Finally we discuss the implications of microbiological studies for future missions and for space applications. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

What are the characteristics of perinatal events perceived to be traumatic by midwives?

PubMed

Sheen, Kayleigh; Spiby, Helen; Slade, Pauline

2016-09-01

there is potential for midwives to indirectly experience events whilst providing clinical care that fulfil criteria for trauma. This research aimed to investigate the characteristics of events perceived as traumatic by UK midwives. as part of a postal questionnaire survey conducted between December 2011 and April 2012, midwives (n=421) who had witnessed and/or listened to an account of an event and perceived this as traumatic for themselves provided a written description of their experience. A traumatic perinatal event was defined as occurring during labour or shortly after birth where the midwife perceived the mother or her infant to be at risk, and they (the midwife) had experienced fear, helplessness or horror in response. Descriptions of events were analysed using thematic analysis. Witnessed (W; n=299) and listened to (H; n=383) events were analysed separately and collated to identify common and distinct themes across both types of exposure. six themes were identified, each with subthemes. Five themes were identified in both witnessed and listened to accounts and one was salient to witnessed accounts only. Themes indicated that events were characterised as severe, unexpected and complex. They involved aspects relating to the organisational context; typically limited or delayed access to resources or personnel. There were aspects relating to parents, such as having an existing relationship with the parents, and negative perceptions of the conduct of colleagues. Traumatic events had a common theme of generating feelings of responsibility and blame Finally for witnessed events those that were perceived as traumatic sometimes held personal salience, so resonated in some way with the midwife's own life experience midwives are exposed to events as part of their work that they may find traumatic. Understanding the characteristics of the events that may trigger this perception may facilitate prevention of any associated distress and inform the development of supportive interventions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anaphoric Descriptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beller, Charley

2013-01-01

The study of definite descriptions has been a central part of research in linguistics and philosophy of language since Russell's seminal work "On Denoting" (Russell 1905). In that work Russell quickly dispatches analyses of denoting expressions with forms like "no man," "some man," "a man," and "every…

Characteristics of Spanish articles of "scientific quality" cited in clinical practice guidelines on mental health.

PubMed

Permanyer-Miralda, Gaietà; Adam, Paula; Guillamón, Imma; Solans-Domènech, Maite; Pons, Joan M V

2013-01-01

The study aims to illustrate the impact of Spanish research in clinical decision making. To this end, we analysed the characteristics of the most significant Spanish publications cited in clinical practice guidelines (CPG) on mental health. We conducted a descriptive qualitative study on the characteristics of ten articles cited in Spanish CPG on mental health, and selected for their "scientific quality". We analysed the content of the articles on the basis of the following characteristics: topics, study design, research centres, scientific and practical relevance, type of funding, and area or influence of the reference to the content of the guidelines. Among the noteworthy studies, some basic science studies, which have examined the establishment of genetic associations in the pathogenesis of mental illness are included, and others on the effectiveness of educational interventions. The content of those latter had more influence on the GPC, because they were cited in the summary of the scientific evidence or in the recommendations. Some of the outstanding features in the selected articles are the sophisticated designs (experimental or analytical), and the number of study centres, especially in international collaborations. Debate or refutation of previous findings on controversial issues may have also contributed to the extensive citation of work. The inclusion of studies in the CPG is not a sufficient condition of "quality", but their description can be instructive for the design of future research or publications. Copyright © 2012 SEP y SEPB. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

The needs of families accompanying injured patients into the emergency department in a tertiary hospital in Gauteng.

PubMed

Botes, Meghan L; Langley, Gayle

2016-06-24

Families are not prepared for traumatic injuries of loved ones. Emergency nurses have the important role of caring for patients and families in this time of crisis. Family needs in the critical care setting have been explored using the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI), however little is known about family needs in the emergency department. This study sought to determine the needs of family members accompanying injured patients into the emergency department, and if these needs were met. A quantitative, descriptive, study was conducted in a level 1 trauma facility in Johannesburg, South Africa. The population included families of patients admitted to the emergency department, sampling 100 participants. The instrument, based on the CCFNI, was validated in a pilot study in Melbourne, Australia and re-evaluated using the Cronbach Alpha validity test to ensure internal consistency.Five themes were explored: 'meaning', 'proximity', 'communication', 'comfort' and 'support' and data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Responses to open-ended questions were analysed using content analysis. Permission from the Human Research Ethics Committee was granted and participants were ensured confidentiality and the option for counselling if required. Themes ranked highly important were 'meaning' and 'communication'. Satisfaction was highest for 'meaning'. Low satisfaction levels for 'communication' were found. Issues regarding prolonged time spent in the emergency department and discrimination were raised. These findings have a negative impact on the family's satisfaction with care and it is recommended that the nurse's role in family care be further explored and emphasised.

Students' views on the block evaluation process: A descriptive analysis.

PubMed

Pakkies, Ntefeleng E; Mtshali, Ntombifikile G

2016-03-30

Higher education institutions have executed policies and practices intended to determine and promote good teaching. Students' evaluation of the teaching and learning process is seen as one measure of evaluating quality and effectiveness of instruction and courses. Policies and procedures guiding this process are discernible in universities, but it isoften not the case for nursing colleges. To analyse and describe the views of nursing students on block evaluation, and how feedback obtained from this process was managed. A quantitative descriptive study was conducted amongst nursing students (n = 177) in their second to fourth year of training from one nursing college in KwaZulu-Natal. A questionnaire was administered by the researcher and data were analysed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences Version 19.0. The response rate was 145 (81.9%). The participants perceived the aim of block evaluation as improving the quality of teaching and enhancing their experiences as students.They questioned the significance of their input as stakeholders given that they had never been consulted about the development or review of the evaluation tool, or the administration process; and they often did not receive feedback from the evaluation they participated in. The college management should develop a clear organisational structure with supporting policies and operational guidelines for administering the evaluation process. The administration, implementation procedures, reporting of results and follow-up mechanisms should be made transparent and communicated to all concerned. Reports and actions related to these evaluations should provide feedback into relevant courses or programmes.

Assessing the Continuum of Care Pathway for Maternal Health in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Singh, Kavita; Story, William T; Moran, Allisyn C

2016-02-01

We assess how countries in regions of the world where maternal mortality is highest-South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa-are performing with regards to providing women with vital elements of the continuum of care. Using recent Demographic and Health Survey data from nine countries including 18,036 women, descriptive and multilevel regression analyses were conducted on four key elements of the continuum of care-at least one antenatal care visit, four or more antenatal care visits, delivery with a skilled birth attendant and postnatal checks for the mother within the first 24 h since birth. Family planning counseling within a year of birth was also included in the descriptive analyses. Results indicated that a major drop-out (>50 %) occurs early on in the continuum of care between the first antenatal care visit and four or more antenatal care visits. Few women (<5 %) who do not receive any antenatal care go on to have a skilled delivery or receive postnatal care. Women who receive some or all the elements of the continuum of care have greater autonomy and are richer and more educated than women who receive none of the elements. Understanding where drop-out occurs and who drops out can enable countries to better target interventions. Four or more ANC visits plays a pivotal role within the continuum of care and warrants more programmatic attention. Strategies to ensure that vital services are available to all women are essential in efforts to improve maternal health.

Modeling stomatal conductance in the Earth system: linking leaf water-use efficiency and water transport along the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonan, G. B.; Williams, M.; Fisher, R. A.; Oleson, K. W.

2014-05-01

The empirical Ball-Berry stomatal conductance model is commonly used in Earth system models to simulate biotic regulation of evapotranspiration. However, the dependence of stomatal conductance (gs) on vapor pressure deficit (Ds) and soil moisture must both be empirically parameterized. We evaluated the Ball-Berry model used in the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5) and an alternative stomatal conductance model that links leaf gas exchange, plant hydraulic constraints, and the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPA) to numerically optimize photosynthetic carbon gain per unit water loss while preventing leaf water potential dropping below a critical minimum level. We evaluated two alternative optimization algorithms: intrinsic water-use efficiency (Δ An/Δ gs, the marginal carbon gain of stomatal opening) and water-use efficiency (Δ An/Δ El, the marginal carbon gain of water loss). We implemented the stomatal models in a multi-layer plant canopy model, to resolve profiles of gas exchange, leaf water potential, and plant hydraulics within the canopy, and evaluated the simulations using: (1) leaf analyses; (2) canopy net radiation, sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, and gross primary production at six AmeriFlux sites spanning 51 site-years; and (3) parameter sensitivity analyses. Without soil moisture stress, the performance of the SPA stomatal conductance model was generally comparable to or somewhat better than the Ball-Berry model in flux tower simulations, but was significantly better than the Ball-Berry model when there was soil moisture stress. Functional dependence of gs on soil moisture emerged from the physiological theory linking leaf water-use efficiency and water flow to and from the leaf along the soil-to-leaf pathway rather than being imposed a priori, as in the Ball-Berry model. Similar functional dependence of gs on Ds emerged from the water-use efficiency optimization. Sensitivity analyses showed that two parameters (stomatal efficiency and root hydraulic conductivity) minimized errors with the SPA stomatal conductance model. The critical stomatal efficiency for optimization (ι) was estimated from leaf trait datasets and is related to the slope parameter (g1) of the Ball-Berry model. The optimized parameter value was consistent with this estimate. Optimized root hydraulic conductivity was consistent with estimates from literature surveys. The two central concepts embodied in the stomatal model, that plants account for both water-use efficiency and for hydraulic safety in regulating stomatal conductance, imply a notion of optimal plant strategies and provide testable model hypotheses, rather than empirical descriptions of plant behavior.

Knowledge Worker Perceptions of Telework Policy in the New York Metropolitan Area: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slaughter, Sandra Lorraine Hawks

2013-01-01

This qualitative descriptive case study, "Knowledge Worker Perceptions of Telework in the New York Metropolitan Area," was conducted to explore the perceptions of knowledge workers who commute to a physical workplace in the New York Metropolitan area (NYMA). In-depth interviews were conducted with fourteen NYMA commuters who are…

Injunctive Norms and Alcohol Consumption: A Revised Conceptualization

PubMed Central

Krieger, Heather; Neighbors, Clayton; Lewis, Melissa A.; LaBrie, Joseph W.; Foster, Dawn W.; Larimer, Mary E.

2016-01-01

Background Injunctive norms have been found to be important predictors of behaviors in many disciplines with the exception of alcohol research. This exception is likely due to a misconceptualization of injunctive norms for alcohol consumption. To address this, we outline and test a new conceptualization of injunctive norms and personal approval for alcohol consumption. Traditionally, injunctive norms have been assessed using Likert scale ratings of approval perceptions, whereas descriptive norms and individual behaviors are typically measured with behavioral estimates (i.e., number of drinks consumed per week, frequency of drinking, etc.). This makes comparisons between these constructs difficult because they are not similar conceptualizations of drinking behaviors. The present research evaluated a new representation of injunctive norms with anchors comparable to descriptive norms measures. Methods A study and a replication were conducted including 2,559 and 1,189 undergraduate students from three different universities. Participants reported on their alcohol-related consumption behaviors, personal approval of drinking, and descriptive and injunctive norms. Personal approval and injunctive norms were measured using both traditional measures and a new drink-based measure. Results Results from both studies indicated that drink-based injunctive norms were uniquely and positively associated with drinking whereas traditionally assessed injunctive norms were negatively associated with drinking. Analyses also revealed significant unique associations between drink-based injunctive norms and personal approval when controlling for descriptive norms. Conclusions These findings provide support for a modified conceptualization of personal approval and injunctive norms related to alcohol consumption and, importantly, offers an explanation and practical solution for the small and inconsistent findings related to injunctive norms and drinking in past studies. PMID:27030295

Prediction of the thermal environment and thermal response of simple panels exposed to radiant heat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Travis L.; Ash, Robert L.

1989-01-01

A method of predicting the radiant heat flux distribution produced by a bank of tubular quartz heaters was applied to a radiant system consisting of a single unreflected lamp irradiating a flat metallic incident surface. In this manner, the method was experimentally verified for various radiant system parameter settings and used as a source of input for a finite element thermal analysis. Two finite element thermal analyses were applied to a thermal system consisting of a thin metallic panel exposed to radiant surface heating. A two-dimensional steady-state finite element thermal analysis algorithm, based on Galerkin's Method of Weighted Residuals (GFE), was formulated specifically for this problem and was used in comparison to the thermal analyzers of the Engineering Analysis Language (EAL). Both analyses allow conduction, convection, and radiation boundary conditions. Differences in the respective finite element formulation are discussed in terms of their accuracy and resulting comparison discrepancies. The thermal analyses are shown to perform well for the comparisons presented here with some important precautions about the various boundary condition models. A description of the experiment, corresponding analytical modeling, and resulting comparisons are presented.

Learning globally to enhance local practice: an international programme in primary care & family health.

PubMed

Godoy-Ruiz, Paula; Rodas, Jamie; Talbot, Yves; Rouleau, Katherine

2016-09-01

In a global context of growing health inequities, international learning experiences have become a popular strategy for equipping health professionals with skills, knowledge, and competencies required to work with the populations they serve. This study sought to analyse the Chilean Interprofessional Programme in Primary Health Care (CIPPHC), a 5 week international learning experience funded by the Ministry of Health in Chile targeted at Chilean primary care providers and delivered in Toronto by the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. The study focused on three cohorts of students (2010-2012). Anonymous programme evaluations were analysed and semi-structured interviews conducted with programme alumni. Simple descriptive statistics were gathered from the evaluations and the interviews were analysed via thematic content analysis. The majority of participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the training programme, knowledge gain, particularly in the areas of the Canadian model of primary care, and found the materials delivered to be applicable to their local context. The CIPPHC has proven to be a successful educational initiative and provides valuable lessons for other academic centres in developing international interprofessional training programmes for primary care health care providers.

Description of Drinking Water Bacterial Communities Using 16S rRNA Gene Sequence Analyses

EPA Science Inventory

Descriptions of bacterial communities inhabiting water distribution systems (WDS) have mainly been accomplished using culture-based approaches. Due to the inherent selective nature of culture-based approaches, the majority of bacteria inhabiting WDS remain uncharacterized. The go...

Crop identification technology assessment for remote sensing. (CITARS) Volume 9: Statistical analysis of results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, B. J.; Feiveson, A. H.

1975-01-01

Results are presented of CITARS data processing in raw form. Tables of descriptive statistics are given along with descriptions and results of inferential analyses. The inferential results are organized by questions which CITARS was designed to answer.

Life assessment of structural components using inelastic finite element analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arya, Vinod K.; Halford, Gary R.

1993-01-01

The need for enhanced and improved performance of structural components subject to severe cyclic thermal/mechanical loadings, such as in the aerospace industry, requires development of appropriate solution technologies involving time-dependent inelastic analyses. Such analyses are mandatory to predict local stress-strain response and to assess more accurately the cyclic life time of structural components. The NASA-Lewis Research Center is cognizant of this need. As a result of concerted efforts at Lewis during the last few years, several such finite element solution technologies (in conjunction with the finite element program MARC) were developed and successfully applied to numerous uniaxial and multiaxial problems. These solution technologies, although developed for use with MARC program, are general in nature and can easily be extended for adaptation with other finite element programs such as ABAQUS, ANSYS, etc. The description and results obtained from two such inelastic finite element solution technologies are presented. The first employs a classical (non-unified) creep-plasticity model. An application of this technology is presented for a hypersonic inlet cowl-lip problem. The second of these technologies uses a unified creep-plasticity model put forth by Freed. The structural component for which this finite element solution technology is illustrated, is a cylindrical rocket engine thrust chamber. The advantages of employing a viscoplastic model for nonlinear time-dependent structural analyses are demonstrated. The life analyses for cowl-lip and cylindrical thrust chambers are presented. These analyses are conducted by using the stress-strain response of these components obtained from the corresponding finite element analyses.

The reality of task shifting in medicines management- a case study from Tanzania.

PubMed

Wiedenmayer, Karin A; Kapologwe, Ntuli; Charles, James; Chilunda, Fiona; Mapunjo, Siana

2015-01-01

Tanzania suffers a severe shortage of pharmaceutical staff. This negatively affects the provision of pharmaceutical services and access to medicines, particularly in rural areas. Task shifting has been proposed as a way to mitigate the impact of health worker shortfalls.The aim of this study was to understand the context and extent of task shifting in pharmaceutical management in Dodoma Region, Tanzania. We explored 1) the number of trained pharmaceutical staff as compared to clinical cadres managing medicines, 2) the national establishment for staffing levels, 3) job descriptions, 4) supply management training conducted and 5) availability of medicines and adherence to Good Storage Practice. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 270 public health facilities in 2011. A pre-tested questionnaire was administered to the person in charge of the facility to collect data on staff employed and their respective pharmaceutical tasks. Availability of 26 tracer medicines and adherence to Good Storage Practice guidelines was surveyed by direct observation. The national establishments for pharmaceutical staffing levels and job descriptions of facility cadres were analysed. While required staffing levels in 1999 were 50, the region employed a total of only 14 pharmaceutical staff in 2011. Job descriptions revealed that, next to pharmaceutical staff, only nurses were required to provide dispensing services and adherence counselling. In 95.5% of studied health facilities medicines management was done by non-pharmaceutically trained cadres, predominantly medical attendants. The first training on supply management was provided in 2005 with no refresher training thereafter. Mean availability of tracer medicines was 53%, while 56% of health facilities fully met criteria of Good Storage Practice. Task shifting is a reality in the pharmaceutical sector in Tanzania and it occurs mainly as a coping mechanism rather than a formal response to the workforce crisis. In Dodoma Region, pharmacy-related tasks and supply management have informally been shifted to clinical staff without policy guidance, explicit job descriptions, and without the necessary support through training. Implicit task shifting should be recognized and formalized. Job orientation, training and operational procedures may be useful to support non-pharmaceutical health workers to effectively manage medicine supply.

Comparison of Analytical Predictions and Experimental Results for a Dual Brayton Power System (Discussion on Test Hardware and Computer Model for a Dual Brayton System)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Paul K.

2007-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) contracted Barber-Nichols, Arvada, CO to construct a dual Brayton power conversion system for use as a hardware proof of concept and to validate results from a computational code known as the Closed Cycle System Simulation (CCSS). Initial checkout tests were performed at Barber- Nichols to ready the system for delivery to GRC. This presentation describes the system hardware components and lists the types of checkout tests performed along with a couple issues encountered while conducting the tests. A description of the CCSS model is also presented. The checkout tests did not focus on generating data, therefore, no test data or model analyses are presented.

Description of a new species Fuhrmannetta jurubatensis n. sp. (Cestoda, Davaineidae) from Cerradomys goytaca Tavares, Pessôa & Gonçalves, 2011 (Rodentia, Cricetidae).

PubMed

Oliveira, L C; Oliveira, F C R; Ederli, N B

2017-10-04

A new species of cestode of the genus Fuhrmannetta found in the small intestine of Cerradomys goytaca is described herein, named Fuhrmannetta jurubatensis n. sp. Rodents were collected from the sand-plains areas of the northern coast of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Morphological analyses were conducted by light and scanning electron microscopy. From the morphological analysis and a comparison with the known species of the genus, F. jurubatensis n. sp. can be identified by a combination of morphological and morphometrical characteristics, including strobila length, number and length of rostellar hooks, position of the genital pore and the number of eggs per uterine capsule.

A Theoretically-Grounded Investigation of Perceptions About Healthy Eating and mHealth Support Among African American Men and Women in New Orleans, Louisiana.

PubMed

Sheats, Jylana L; Petrin, Christine; Darensbourg, Revonda M; Wheeler, Courtney S

There has been a surge in diet-related mobile health (mHealth) interventions. However, diet-related mHealth research targeted toward racial/ethnic populations has been relatively limited. Focus groups with African American men and women from New Orleans, Louisiana, were conducted to (1) describe perceptions about healthy eating, (2) determine the acceptability of mHealth interventions, and (3) identify preferred mHealth intervention features. Descriptive statistics and thematic content analyses were performed. Qualitative data were organized within the context of the Theory of Planned Behavior and Social Cognitive Theory's theoretical components. Results may inform the development of mHealth research to improve eating behaviors among the target population.

Desertification and its effect on the erosion of vegetation in the south-western region of Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Abd El-Salam, Magda Magdy; Elhakem, Abeer Hamdy

2016-03-01

This study was conducted in Jazan region of south-western Saudi Arabia. Vegetation cover, frequency, abundance and soil characteristics were analysed at three locations with different quantitative and descriptive vegetation characteristics. Plant species were classified into three primary communities dominated by Salvadora persic, Acacia tortilis and Ziziphus spini-Christi. The results indicated that the distribution of plant species is controlled by soil characteristics. Very limited water resources are also limiting factor in vegetation growth. Among the three studied sites, desert and coastal environments are affected by desertification. Rehabilitation of the degraded lands requires collaborative efforts and support from the different related governmental sectors. Ecological conservation and sustainable development must be adopted as tools of rehabilitation.

Experiences of work among people with disabilities who are HIV-positive in Zambia.

PubMed

Njelesani, Janet; Nixon, Stephanie; Cameron, Deb; Parsons, Janet; Menon, Anitha

2015-01-01

This paper focuses on accounts of how having a disability and being HIV-positive influences experiences of work among 21 people (12 women, 9 men) in Lusaka, Zambia. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted in English, Bemba, Nyanja, or Zambian sign language. Descriptive and thematic analyses were conducted. Three major themes were generated. The first, a triple burden, describes the burden of having a disability, being HIV-positive, and being unemployed. The second theme, disability and HIV is not inability, describes participants' desire for work and their resistance to being regarded as objects of charity. Finally, how work influences HIV management, describes the practicalities of working and living with HIV. Together these themes highlight the limited options available to persons with disabilities with HIV in Lusaka, not only secondary to the effects of HIV influencing their physical capacity to work, but also because of the attendant social stigma of being a person with a disability and HIV-positive.

Sorting out the competing effects of acculturation, immigrant stress, and social support on depression: a report on Korean women in California.

PubMed

Ayers, John W; Hofstetter, C Richard; Usita, Paula; Irvin, Veronica L; Kang, Sunny; Hovell, Melbourne F

2009-10-01

This research identifies stressors that correlate with depression, focusing on acculturation, among female Korean immigrants in California. Telephone interviews were conducted with female adults of Korean descent (N = 592) from a probability sample from 2006 to 2007. Sixty-five percent of attempted interviews were completed, of which over 90% were conducted in Korean. Analyses include descriptive reports, bivariate correlations, and structural equation modeling. Findings suggest that acculturation did not have a direct impact on depression and was not associated with social support. However, acculturation was associated with reduced immigrant stress which, in turn, was related to decreased levels of depression. Immigrant stress and social support were the principal direct influences on depression, mediating the effect for most other predictors. Stressful experiences associated with immigration may induce depressive feelings. Interventions should facilitate acculturation thereby reducing immigrant stress and expand peer networks to increase social support to assuage depression.

Benefits of online health education: perception from consumers and health professionals.

PubMed

Win, Khin Than; Hassan, Naffisah Mohd; Bonney, Andrew; Iverson, Don

2015-03-01

With the advancement in technology and availability of the Internet, online health education could become one of the media for health education. As health education is to persuade patients on health behavioural change, understanding perceived benefits of online health education is an important aspect to explore. The aim of this study is to explore consumers and health professionals opinion on online health education. Literature review was conducted and identified the benefits of online health education (OHE). Survey was conducted to health consumers and health professionals. Descriptive analyses were performed using SPSS Version 19.0. The analysis of the literature has identified a set of 12 potential benefits of OHE which had been used to understand the perceptions of the effectiveness of OPE sites and these have been validated in the study. This study has the practical implication as the study identified OHE effectiveness, which definitely can assist health practitioners on health education, which can lead to better health outcome.

Health behaviors of head and neck cancer patients the first year after diagnosis.

PubMed

Duffy, Sonia A; Khan, Mumtaz J; Ronis, David L; Fowler, Karen E; Gruber, Stephen B; Wolf, Gregory T; Terrell, Jeffrey E

2008-01-01

This prospective, cohort study is the first to describe 5 health behaviors of head and neck cancer patients the first year after diagnosis. Patients (N = 283) were recruited in otolaryngology clinic waiting rooms and asked to complete written surveys. A medical record audit was also conducted. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine which variables were associated with the 5 health behaviors. Half of the patients smoked and 25% were problem drinkers. Over half of the smokers and drinkers quit 1 year post-diagnosis. Smoking and problem drinking were highly associated and both were associated with lower body mass index (BMI) (p < .01). Moreover, physical activity and sleep were associated with each other (p < .01). Low SLEEP (Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale) scores were common and highly associated with depression (p < .01). The health behaviors of head and neck cancer patients are interrelated, and assessing and treating these behaviors together may be beneficial. Copyright (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The mediating effect of calling on the relationship between medical school students' academic burnout and empathy.

PubMed

Chae, Su Jin; Jeong, So Mi; Chung, Yoon-Sok

2017-09-01

This study is aimed at identifying the relationships between medical school students' academic burnout, empathy, and calling, and determining whether their calling has a mediating effect on the relationship between academic burnout and empathy. A mixed method study was conducted. One hundred twenty-seven medical students completed a survey. Scales measuring academic burnout, medical students' empathy, and calling were utilized. For statistical analysis, correlation analysis, descriptive statistics analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. For qualitative approach, eight medical students participated in a focus group interview. The study found that empathy has a statistically significant, negative correlation with academic burnout, while having a significant, positive correlation with calling. Sense of calling proved to be an effective mediator of the relationship between academic burnout and empathy. This result demonstrates that calling is a key variable that mediates the relationship between medical students' academic burnout and empathy. As such, this study provides baseline data for an education that could improve medical students' empathy skills.

Crack propagation in functionally graded strip under thermal shock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, I. V.; Sadowski, T.; Pietras, D.

2013-09-01

The thermal shock problem in a strip made of functionally graded composite with an interpenetrating network micro-structure of Al2O3 and Al is analysed numerically. The material considered here could be used in brake disks or cylinder liners. In both applications it is subjected to thermal shock. The description of the position-dependent properties of the considered functionally graded material are based on experimental data. Continuous functions were constructed for the Young's modulus, thermal expansion coefficient, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity and implemented as user-defined material properties in user-defined subroutines of the commercial finite element software ABAQUS™. The thermal stress and the residual stress of the manufacturing process distributions inside the strip are considered. The solution of the transient heat conduction problem for thermal shock is used for crack propagation simulation using the XFEM method. The crack length developed during the thermal shock is the criterion for crack resistance of the different graduation profiles as a step towards optimization of the composition gradient with respect to thermal shock sensitivity.

Digital 3D Microstructure Analysis of Concrete using X-Ray Micro Computed Tomography SkyScan 1173: A Preliminary Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latief, F. D. E.; Mohammad, I. H.; Rarasati, A. D.

2017-11-01

Digital imaging of a concrete sample using high resolution tomographic imaging by means of X-Ray Micro Computed Tomography (μ-CT) has been conducted to assess the characteristic of the sample’s structure. A standard procedure of image acquisition, reconstruction, image processing of the method using a particular scanning device i.e., the Bruker SkyScan 1173 High Energy Micro-CT are elaborated. A qualitative and a quantitative analysis were briefly performed on the sample to deliver some basic ideas of the capability of the system and the bundled software package. Calculation of total VOI volume, object volume, percent of object volume, total VOI surface, object surface, object surface/volume ratio, object surface density, structure thickness, structure separation, total porosity were conducted and analysed. This paper should serve as a brief description of how the device can produce the preferred image quality as well as the ability of the bundled software packages to help in performing qualitative and quantitative analysis.

SORTING OUT THE COMPETING EFFECTS OF ACCULTURATION, IMMIGRANT STRESS & SOCIAL SUPPORT ON DEPRESSION: A REPORT ON KOREAN WOMEN IN CALIFORNIA

PubMed Central

Ayers, John W.; Hofstetter, C. Richard; Usita, Paula; Irvin, Veronica L.; Kang, Sunny; Hovell, Melbourne F.

2015-01-01

Background This research identifies stressors that correlate with depression, focusing on acculturation, among female Korean immigrants in California. Methods Telephone interviews were conducted with female adults of Korean descent (N=592) from a probability sample from 2006 to 2007. 65% of attempted interviews were completed, of which over 90% were conducted in Korean. Analyses include descriptive reports, bivariate correlations, and structural equation modeling. Results Findings suggest that acculturation did not have a direct impact on depression and was not associated with social support. However, acculturation was associated with reduced immigrant stress which, in turn, was related to decreased levels of depression. Immigrant stress and social support were the principal direct influences on depression, mediating the effect for most other predictors. Conclusions Stressful experiences associated with immigration may induce depressive feelings. Interventions should facilitate acculturation thereby reducing immigrant stress and expand peer networks to increase social support to assuage depression. PMID:19829202

The essential role of social theory in qualitative public health research.

PubMed

Willis, Karen; Daly, Jeanne; Kealy, Michelle; Small, Rhonda; Koutroulis, Glenda; Green, Julie; Gibbs, Lisa; Thomas, Samantha

2007-10-01

To define the role of social theory and examine how research studies using qualitative methods can use social theory to generalize their results beyond the setting of the study or to other social groups. The assumptions underlying public health research using qualitative methods derive from a range of social theories that include conflict theory, structural functionalism, symbolic interactionism, the sociology of knowledge and feminism. Depending on the research problem, these and other social theories provide conceptual tools and models for constructing a suitable research framework, and for collecting and analysing data. In combination with the substantive health literature, the theoretical literature provides the conceptual bridge that links the conclusions of the study to other social groups and settings. While descriptive studies using qualitative research methods can generate important insights into social experience, the use of social theory in the construction and conduct of research enables researchers to extrapolate their findings to settings and groups broader than the ones in which the research was conducted.

77 FR 37025 - Final Priority: Disability Rehabilitation Research Project-Burn Model Systems Centers

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-20

... other types of research, including but not limited to, descriptive research, exploratory research, and... interventions research and descriptive research, exploratory research, measures development, or other types of... injury or to conduct other types of research, including but not limited to, descriptive research...

A hydrochemical data base for the Hanford Site, Washington

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

Early, T.O.; Mitchell, M.D.; Spice, G.D.

1986-05-01

This data package contains a revision of the Site Hydrochemical Data Base for water samples associated with the Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP). In addition to the detailed chemical analyses, a summary description of the data base format, detailed descriptions of verification procedures used to check data entries, and detailed descriptions of validation procedures used to evaluate data quality are included. 32 refs., 21 figs., 3 tabs.

The verbal facilitation effect: re-reading person descriptions as a system variable to improve identification performance.

PubMed

Sporer, Siegfried L; Kaminski, Kristina S; Davids, Maike C; McQuiston, Dawn

2016-11-01

When witnesses report a crime, police usually ask for a description of the perpetrator. Several studies suggested that verbalising faces leads to a detriment in identification performance (verbal overshadowing effect [VOE]) but the effect has been difficult to replicate. Here, we sought to reverse the VOE by inducing context reinstatement as a system variable through re-reading one's own description before an identification task. Participants (N = 208) watched a video film and were then dismissed (control group), only described the perpetrator, or described and later re-read their own descriptions before identification in either target-present or target-absent lineups after a 2-day or a 5-week delay. Identification accuracy was significantly higher after re-reading (85.0%) than in the no description control group (62.5%) irrespective of target presence. Data were internally replicated using a second target and corroborated by several small meta-analyses. Identification accuracy was related to description quality. Moreover, there was a tendency towards a verbal facilitation effect (VFE) rather than a VOE. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses confirm that our findings are not due to a shift in response bias but truly reflect improvement of recognition performance. Differences in the ecological validity of study paradigms are discussed.

Collisionless solar wind protons: A comparison of kinetic and hydrodynamic descriptions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leer, E.; Holzer, T. E.

1971-01-01

Kinetic and hydrodynamic descriptions of a collisionless solar wind proton gas are compared. Heat conduction and viscosity are neglected in the hydrodynamic formulation but automatically included in the kinetic formulation. The results of the two models are very nearly the same, indicating that heat conduction and viscosity are not important in the solar wind proton gas beyond about 0.1 AU. It is concluded that the hydrodynamic equations provide a valid description of the collisionless solar wind protons, and hence that future models of the quiet solar wind should be based on a hydrodynamic formulation.

Psychiatrists' and Psychiatry Residents' Attitudes Toward Transgender People.

PubMed

Ali, Nareesa; Fleisher, William; Erickson, Julie

2016-04-01

Gender minority groups, such as transgender individuals, frequently encounter stigma, discrimination, and negative mental health outcomes, which can result in contact with mental health professionals. Recent studies suggest that negative attitudes toward transgender individuals are prevalent and measurable within the general population. The Genderism and Transphobia scale (GTS) measures anti-transgender feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. The purpose of this study was to use the GTS to conduct an investigation of psychiatrists' attitudes toward transgender individuals. A cross-sectional survey of n = 142 faculty members and residents from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba was conducted. Respondents completed an online survey consisting of demographic questions and the GTS. Responses were analyzed descriptively and compared to previously published data on the GTS. There was a trend for psychiatrists and psychiatry residents within this sample to endorse less negative attitudes toward transgender people compared to other published data using a sample of undergraduate students. Descriptive analyses suggest that psychiatrists' and psychiatry residents' GTS scores may be related to gender identity, political ideology, religiosity, and levels of both professional and personal contact. These data evoke optimism regarding psychiatrists' and psychiatry residents' attitudes toward transgender individuals. Additional larger-scale studies comparing this medical specialty group with other specialty groups will further elucidate factors that modify physician attitudes toward this patient population. These findings may contribute to the development of educational strategies to ensure that the transgender population receives medical treatment without stigma or attitudinal compromise.

A descriptive qualitative study of perceptions of parents on their child's vaccination.

PubMed

Kurup, Liana; He, Hong-Gu; Wang, Xuefei; Wang, Wenru; Shorey, Shefaly

2017-12-01

To explore the perceptions of parents on their child's vaccination in Singapore. Vaccination is a key part of health care, and the management of vaccination for children has gained increasing interest globally. Previous studies found that parents had multiple concerns and low confidence in making vaccination decisions for their children. As no study in this area has been conducted in Singapore, the views and needs of parents regarding their child's vaccination remain unknown. Descriptive qualitative study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 19 parents of children undergoing routine vaccination in a clinic in Singapore. Semistructured face-to-face or telephone interviews were conducted using an interview guide and were audiorecorded. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The thematic analysis generated four themes from 15 subthemes. Theme 1 summarised the factors promoting vaccination uptake, theme 2 was factors impeding vaccination compliance, theme 3 described parents' supportive roles before, during and after the vaccination, and theme 4 was about parents' need for improvement in vaccination services, information and communication with healthcare professionals. This study provided insight into parental views, experiences and needs regarding their child's vaccination. The results suggest a need for developing intervention programmes addressing information needs and pain management strategies to improve parents' experiences regarding their children's vaccination. Healthcare professionals and policymakers should take actions to improve parents' experiences regarding their child's vaccination by minimising the impeding factors and improving services, information provided and communications with parents. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Characteristics and fall experiences of older adults with and without fear of falling outdoors.

PubMed

Chippendale, Tracy; Lee, Chang Dae

2018-06-01

Using a theoretical model that combines an ecological perspective and Bandura's theory of self-efficacy as a guide, we sought to compare experiences and characteristics of community dwelling older adults with and without concern about falling outdoors. A survey of randomly selected community dwelling older adults across NYC (N = 120) was conducted using the outdoor falls questionnaire. Descriptive quantitative analyses of participant characteristics were conducted for all participants and for those with and without concern about falling outside. Conventional content analysis using two coders was employed to examine outdoor fall experiences for each group. A mixed methods matrix was used to integrate qualitative and quantitative findings. Some participant characteristics were more common among those with a concern about falling outside such as decreased functional status, female gender, and number of prior outdoor falls. As per descriptions of outdoor fall experiences, participants with concern were more likely to report a fall while climbing stairs or stepping up a curb, describe an intrinsic factor as a cause of their fall, use an injury prevention strategy during the fall, sustain a moderate to severe injury, seek medical attention, have had an ambulance called, require help to get up, and describe implementation of a behavioral change after the fall. Differences exist in participant characteristics and outdoor fall experiences of those with and without concern about falling outside. The proposed model can be used to understand fear of falling outdoors and can help to inform the target population and content of intervention programs.

Adolescents' strengths and difficulties: approach to attachment styles.

PubMed

Keskin, G; Cam, O

2010-06-01

This research is a descriptive field study conducted in order to investigate the relationship between adolescent difficulties and the attachment style. The study aims to investigate the relationship between adolescent attachment style and strength and difficulties in Turkey. Children attachment style and difficulties pattern in the group of adolescents aged 11-16 years old were compared with each other. Several different questionnaires, including The Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire, The Relationship Scale Questionnaire were applied to 384 (mean age 12.10 +/- 1.4 years) adolescents. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, anova, t-test, Kruskall Wallis and effect sizes. The adolescent secure attachment style was associated with increased levels of prosocial behaviour, decreased levels of emotional symptoms, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems, conduct problems, total difficulties scores. The adolescent fearful attachment style was associated with increased levels of emotional symptoms, and total difficulties scores. The adolescent dismissing attachment style was significantly associated with higher levels of emotional symptoms, hyperactivity/inattention, total difficulties scores and lower levels of prosocial behaviour. Adolescent strengths and difficulties are associated with their attachment style. Insecure attachment styles of dismissing and fearful were associated with increased mental symptom reporting. It is suggested that further studies may illuminate the clinical value of the attachment disorder and quantify parental contribution to psychopathology. Giving the therapeutic, structured mental support programme to adolescents that have attachment problems could be beneficial in improving mental status of these individuals.

Energy Savings Potential and Research, Development, & Demonstration Opportunities for Commercial Building Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Systems

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

none,

2011-09-01

This report covers an assessment of 182 different heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) technologies for U.S. commercial buildings to identify and provide analysis on 17 priority technology options in various stages of development. The analyses include an estimation of technical energy-savings potential, description of technical maturity, description of non-energy benefits, description of current barriers for market adoption, and description of the technology’s applicability to different building or HVAC equipment types. From these technology descriptions, are suggestions for potential research, development and demonstration (RD&D) initiatives that would support further development of the priority technology options.

Relating sensory and chemical properties of sour cream to consumer acceptance.

PubMed

Shepard, L; Miracle, R E; Leksrisompong, P; Drake, M A

2013-09-01

Sour cream is a widely popular acidified dairy product. Volatile compounds and organic acids and their specific contributions to flavor or acceptance have not been established, nor has a comprehensive study been conducted to characterize drivers of liking for sour cream. The objective of this study was to characterize chemical and sensory properties of sour cream and to determine the drivers of liking for sour cream. Descriptive sensory and instrumental analyses followed by consumer testing were conducted. Flavor and texture attributes of 32 (22 full-fat, 6 reduced-fat, and 4 fat-free) commercial sour creams were evaluated by a trained descriptive sensory panel. Percent solids, percent fat, pH, titratable acidity, and colorimetric measurements were conducted to characterize physical properties of sour creams. Organic acids were evaluated by HPLC and volatile aroma active compounds were evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with gas chromatography-olfactometry. Consumer acceptance testing (n=201) was conducted on selected sour creams, followed by external preference mapping. Full-fat sour creams were characterized by the lack of surface gloss and chalky textural attributes, whereas reduced-fat and fat-free samples displayed high intensities of these attributes. Full-fat sour creams were higher in cooked/milky and milk fat flavors than the reduced-fat and fat-free samples. Reduced-fat and fat-free sour creams were characterized by cardboard, acetaldehyde/green, and potato flavors, bitter taste, and astringency. Lactic acid was the prominent organic acid in all sour creams, followed by acetic and citric acids. High aroma-impact volatile compounds in sour creams were 2,3-butanedione, acetic acid, butyric acid, octanal, 2-methyl-3-furanthiol, 1-octene-3-one, and acetaldehyde. Positive drivers of liking for sour cream were milk fat, cooked/milky and sweet aromatic flavors, opacity, color intensity, and adhesiveness. This comprehensive study established sensory and instrumental properties of sour creams and their relationship to consumer acceptance. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A systematic review comparing antiretroviral adherence descriptive and intervention studies conducted in the USA.

PubMed

Sandelowski, Margarete; Voils, Corrine I; Chang, Yunkyung; Lee, Eun-Jeong

2009-08-01

We examined the extent to which studies aimed at testing interventions to improve antiretroviral adherence have targeted the facilitators of and barriers known to affect adherence. Of the 88 reports reviewed, 41 were reports of descriptive studies conducted with US HIV-positive women and 47 were reports of intervention studies conducted with US HIV-positive persons. We extracted from the descriptive studies all findings addressing any factor linked to antiretroviral adherence and from the intervention studies, information on the nature of the intervention, the adherence problem targeted, the persons targeted for the intervention, and the intervention outcomes desired. We discerned congruence between the prominence of substance abuse as a factor identified in the descriptive studies as a barrier to adherence and its prominence as the problem most addressed in those reports of intervention studies that specified the problems targeted for intervention. We also discerned congruence between the prominence of family and provider support as factors identified in the descriptive studies as facilitators of adherence and the presence of social support as an intervention component and outcome variable. Less discernible in the reports of intervention studies was specific attention to other factors prominent in the descriptive studies, which may be due to the complex nature of the problem, individualistic and rationalist slant of interventions, or simply the ways interventions were presented. Our review raises issues about niche standardization and intervention tailoring, targeting, and fidelity.

Fokker-Planck description of conductance-based integrate-and-fire neuronal networks

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

Kovacic, Gregor; Tao, Louis; Rangan, Aaditya V.

2009-08-15

Steady dynamics of coupled conductance-based integrate-and-fire neuronal networks in the limit of small fluctuations is studied via the equilibrium states of a Fokker-Planck equation. An asymptotic approximation for the membrane-potential probability density function is derived and the corresponding gain curves are found. Validity conditions are discussed for the Fokker-Planck description and verified via direct numerical simulations.

Feasibility model of a high reliability five-year tape transport. Volume 3: Appendices. [detailed drawing and analytical tools used in analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyers, A. P.; Davidson, W. A.; Gortowski, R. C.

1973-01-01

Detailed drawings of the five year tape transport are presented. Analytical tools used in the various analyses are described. These analyses include: tape guidance, tape stress over crowned rollers, tape pack stress program, response (computer) program, and control system electronics description.

Specialty and Systems Engineering Supplement to IEEE 15288.1

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-28

requirements with a space-specific recommended practice. (8) Added Section 3.2.21, Systems Engineering Data Item Descriptions (DIDs...Systems Engineering Data Item Descriptions ........................................................ 17 4. Applicable Documents...and life cycle cost analyses. d. Alternative designs and capabilities of manufacturing are evaluated . e. Long-lead-time items, material source

Plot Description (PD)

Treesearch

Robert E. Keane

2006-01-01

The Plot Description (PD) form is used to describe general characteristics of the FIREMON macroplot to provide ecological context for data analyses. The PD data characterize the topographical setting, geographic reference point, general plant composition and cover, ground cover, fuels, and soils information. This method provides the general ecological data that can be...

Relative Contributions of Three Descriptive Methods: Implications for Behavioral Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pence, Sacha T.; Roscoe, Eileen M.; Bourret, Jason C.; Ahearn, William H.

2009-01-01

This study compared the outcomes of three descriptive analysis methods--the ABC method, the conditional probability method, and the conditional and background probability method--to each other and to the results obtained from functional analyses. Six individuals who had been diagnosed with developmental delays and exhibited problem behavior…

41 CFR 60-3.15 - Documentation of impact and validity evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... group should be described (essential). (6) Sample description. A description of how the research sample... research sample compares with the relevant labor market or work force, the method by which the relevant... quantitative data which identify or define the job constructs, such as factor analyses, should be provided...

41 CFR 60-3.15 - Documentation of impact and validity evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... group should be described (essential). (6) Sample description. A description of how the research sample... research sample compares with the relevant labor market or work force, the method by which the relevant... quantitative data which identify or define the job constructs, such as factor analyses, should be provided...

41 CFR 60-3.15 - Documentation of impact and validity evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... group should be described (essential). (6) Sample description. A description of how the research sample... research sample compares with the relevant labor market or work force, the method by which the relevant... quantitative data which identify or define the job constructs, such as factor analyses, should be provided...

41 CFR 60-3.15 - Documentation of impact and validity evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... group should be described (essential). (6) Sample description. A description of how the research sample... research sample compares with the relevant labor market or work force, the method by which the relevant... quantitative data which identify or define the job constructs, such as factor analyses, should be provided...

41 CFR 60-3.15 - Documentation of impact and validity evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... group should be described (essential). (6) Sample description. A description of how the research sample... research sample compares with the relevant labor market or work force, the method by which the relevant... quantitative data which identify or define the job constructs, such as factor analyses, should be provided...

Forest Service research natural areas in California

Treesearch

Sheauchi Cheng

2004-01-01

Ecological descriptions of 98 research natural areas (of various statuses) in the Pacific Southwest Region of the USDA Forest Service are summarized in this report. These descriptions, basically based on ecological surveys conducted from 1975 through 2000, provide important but largely unknown information on the ecology of California. For each area, descriptions of...

Barriers to healthcare coordination in market-based and decentralized public health systems: a qualitative study in healthcare networks of Colombia and Brazil.

PubMed

Vargas, Ingrid; Mogollón-Pérez, Amparo Susana; De Paepe, Pierre; Ferreira da Silva, Maria Rejane; Unger, Jean-Pierre; Vázquez, María-Luisa

2016-07-01

Although integrated healthcare networks (IHNs) are promoted in Latin America in response to health system fragmentation, few analyses on the coordination of care across levels in these networks have been conducted in the region. The aim is to analyse the existence of healthcare coordination across levels of care and the factors influencing it from the health personnel' perspective in healthcare networks of two countries with different health systems: Colombia, with a social security system based on managed competition and Brazil, with a decentralized national health system. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive-interpretative study was conducted, based on a case study of healthcare networks in four municipalities. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with a three stage theoretical sample of (a) health (112) and administrative (66) professionals of different care levels, and (b) managers of providers (42) and insurers (14). A thematic content analysis was conducted, segmented by cases, informant groups and themes. The results reveal poor clinical information transfer between healthcare levels in all networks analysed, with added deficiencies in Brazil in the coordination of access and clinical management. The obstacles to care coordination are related to the organization of both the health system and the healthcare networks. In the health system, there is the existence of economic incentives to compete (exacerbated in Brazil by partisan political interests), the fragmentation and instability of networks in Colombia and weak planning and evaluation in Brazil. In the healthcare networks, there are inadequate working conditions (temporary and/or part-time contracts) which hinder the use of coordination mechanisms, and inadequate professional training for implementing a healthcare model in which primary care should act as coordinator in patient care. Reforms are needed in these health systems and networks in order to modify incentives, strengthen the state planning and supervision functions and improve professional working conditions and skills. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Baseline tests for arc melter vitrification of INEL buried wastes. Volume 1: Facility description and summary data report

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

Oden, L.L.; O`Connor, W.K.; Turner, P.C.

1993-11-19

This report presents field results and raw data from the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) Arc Melter Vitrification Project Phase 1 baseline test series conducted by the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM). The baseline test series was conducted using the electric arc melter facility at the USBM Albany Research Center in Albany, Oregon. Five different surrogate waste feed mixtures were tested that simulated thermally-oxidized, buried, TRU-contaminated, mixed wastes and soils present at the INEL. The USBM Arc Furnace Integrated Waste Processing Test Facility includes a continuous feed system, the arc meltingmore » furnace, an offgas control system, and utilities. The melter is a sealed, 3-phase alternating current (ac) furnace approximately 2 m high and 1.3 m wide. The furnace has a capacity of 1 metric ton of steel and can process as much as 1,500 lb/h of soil-type waste materials. The surrogate feed materials included five mixtures designed to simulate incinerated TRU-contaminated buried waste materials mixed with INEL soil. Process samples, melter system operations data and offgas composition data were obtained during the baseline tests to evaluate the melter performance and meet test objectives. Samples and data gathered during this program included (a) automatically and manually logged melter systems operations data, (b) process samples of slag, metal and fume solids, and (c) offgas composition, temperature, velocity, flowrate, moisture content, particulate loading and metals content. This report consists of 2 volumes: Volume I summarizes the baseline test operations. It includes an executive summary, system and facility description, review of the surrogate waste mixtures, and a description of the baseline test activities, measurements, and sample collection. Volume II contains the raw test data and sample analyses from samples collected during the baseline tests.« less

Mineralogy and composition of lunar fines and selected rocks.

PubMed

Frondel, C; Klein, C; Ito, J; Drake, J C

1970-01-30

Mineralogical descriptions and both wet chemical analyses and microprobe analyses are given of the glasses and crystalline components of the lunar fines and of the minerals in microgabbros (samples 10050 and 10047). The principal minerals described are various clinopyroxenes, plagioclase, olivine, low cristobalite, low tridymite, ilmenite, iron-nickel, iron, schreibersite, cohenite, troilite, and a new CaFe pyroxenoid. Descriptions are given of small craters produced by hypervelocity particle impact on glass and iron-nickel fragments in the fines. The rounding of grains in the fines and of surface rocks is attributed to mechanical ahrasion and not to cratering.

Assessing the Continuum of Care Pathway for Maternal Health in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa

PubMed Central

Singh, Kavita; Story, William T.; Moran, Allisyn C.

2016-01-01

Objective We assess how countries in regions of the world where maternal mortality is highest - South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa - are performing with regards to providing women with vital elements of the continuum of care. Methods Using recent Demographic and Health Survey data from nine countries including 18,036 women, descriptive and multilevel regression analyses were conducted on four key elements of the continuum of care - at least one antenatal care visit, four or more antenatal care visits, delivery with a skilled birth attendant and postnatal checks for the mother within the first 24 hours since birth. Family planning counseling within a year of birth was also included in the descriptive analyses. Results Results indicated that a major drop-out (more than 50%) occurs early on in the continuum of care between the first antenatal care visit and four or more antenatal care visits. Few women (less than 5%) who do not receive any antenatal care go on to have a skilled delivery or receive postnatal care. Women who receive some or all the elements of the continuum of care have greater autonomy and are richer and more educated than women who receive none of the elements. Conclusion Understanding where drop-out occurs and who drops out can enable countries to better target interventions. Four or more ANC visits plays a pivotal role within the continuum of care and warrants more programmatic attention. Strategies to ensure that vital services are available to all women are essential in efforts to improve maternal health. PMID:26511130

Intensive care nurses' perceptions of simulation-based team training for building patient safety in intensive care: a descriptive qualitative study.

PubMed

Ballangrud, Randi; Hall-Lord, Marie Louise; Persenius, Mona; Hedelin, Birgitta

2014-08-01

To describe intensive care nurses' perceptions of simulation-based team training for building patient safety in intensive care. Failures in team processes are found to be contributory factors to incidents in an intensive care environment. Simulation-based training is recommended as a method to make health-care personnel aware of the importance of team working and to improve their competencies. The study uses a qualitative descriptive design. Individual qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 intensive care nurses from May to December 2009, all of which had attended a simulation-based team training programme. The interviews were analysed by qualitative content analysis. One main category emerged to illuminate the intensive care nurse perception: "training increases awareness of clinical practice and acknowledges the importance of structured work in teams". Three generic categories were found: "realistic training contributes to safe care", "reflection and openness motivates learning" and "finding a common understanding of team performance". Simulation-based team training makes intensive care nurses more prepared to care for severely ill patients. Team training creates a common understanding of how to work in teams with regard to patient safety. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Air travel by individuals with active tuberculosis: reporting patterns and epidemiologic characteristics, Canada 2006-2008.

PubMed

Scholten, Derek; Saunders, Andrea; Dawson, Kathryn; Wong, Thomas; Ellis, Edward

2010-03-01

Investigations related to tuberculosis (TB) cases on airline flights have received increased attention in recent years. In Canada, reports of air travel by individuals with active TB are sent to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) for public health risk assessment and contact follow-up. A descriptive analysis was conducted to examine reporting patterns over time. Reports of air travel by individuals with active TB received by PHAC between January 2006 and December 2008 were reviewed. Descriptive analyses were performed on variables related to reporting patterns, characteristics and actions taken. The number of reports increased each year with 18, 35 and 51 reports received in 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively. Of the 104 total cases, most were male (63%) and born outside of Canada (87%). Ninety-eight cases (97%) met the criteria for infectiousness and a contact investigation was initiated for 136 flights. Reports of air travel by individuals with active TB have been increasing annually in Canada in recent years. Outcomes of the subsequent contact investigations, including passenger follow-up results and evidence of TB transmission, is necessary to further evaluate the effectiveness of the Canadian guidelines.

Self-caring of women with osteoarthritis living at different levels of independence.

PubMed

Baird, Carol L; Schmeiser, Donna; Yehle, Karen T

2003-08-01

Successful management of chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis (OA) may improve health and quality of life and foster independence. Health professionals need to understand what women do to manage their OA by self-caring in order to support the improvement of health in older adults. A descriptive study of difficulties of living with and self-caring of OA was conducted. Sixty women over 65 years old who lived in homes in the community, in assisted living (AL) apartments, and in long-term care (LTC) facilities participated in interviews. Data were the reports of symptoms and self-caring behaviors. Descriptive, Kendall tau-b and tau-c, and chi-square analyses revealed that there were similarities and differences among the women. All of the women used a variety of self-caring techniques. Differences included that community-residing women reported more often that they had pain, moved too slowly, and had sleep disturbances. Community-residing women reported more negative emotions, while reporting significantly more often that they used a wide range of positive coping methods. By anticipating severe physical and functional problems of living with OA and difficulties in self-caring, health care providers may help women maintain an independent lifestyle.

Factors relating to professional self-concept among nurse managers.

PubMed

Kantek, Filiz; Şimşek, Belkıs

2017-12-01

To investigate the self-concept in nurse managers in Turkey and the effects of certain variables on professional self-concept. Professional self-concept plays a significant role in improving certain professional behaviours. Nursing managers have the potential to influence other members of the profession with their attitudes and behaviours. The study was designed as a cross-sectional descriptive study. This study was conducted with 159 nurse managers in nine different hospitals. The study data were collected with a Personal Information Form and Professional Self-concept Nursing Inventory, and the data analysis was accomplished with descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha coefficients and Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector analyses. The professional self-concept score of nurse managers was 3·33 (SD = 0·308). Professional competence subdimension had the highest scores, while professional satisfaction subdimension had the lowest. The types of hospital were found to be influential on professional self-concept. The types of hospital were reported to influence the professional self-concept of nurses. Nursing managers are visionaries who can potentially influence nursing practices and decisions. Nursing leaders must monitor and administer strategies to improve their professional self-concept. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

External Contamination Control of Attached Payloads on the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soares, Carlos E.; Mikatarian, Ronald R.; Olsen, Randy L.; Huang, Alvin Y.; Steagall, Courtney A.; Schmidl, William D.; Wright, Bruce D.; Koontz, Steven

2012-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) is an on-orbit platform for science utilization in low Earth orbit with multiple sites for external payloads with exposure to the natural and induced environments. Contamination is one of the induced environments that can impact performance, mission success and science utilization on the vehicle. This paper describes the external contamination control requirements and integration process for externally mounted payloads on the ISS. The external contamination control requirements are summarized and a description of the integration and verification process is detailed to guide payload developers in the certification process of attached payloads on the vehicle. A description of the required data certification deliverables covers the characterization of contamination sources. Such characterization includes identification, usage and operational data for each class of contamination source. Classes of external contamination sources covered are vacuum exposed materials, sources of leakage, vacuum venting and thrusters. ISS system level analyses are conducted by the ISS Space Environments Team to certify compliance with external contamination control requirements. This paper also addresses the ISS induced contamination environment at attached payload sites, both at the requirements level as well as measurements made on ISS.

Fathers' feelings related to their partners' childbirth and views on their presence during labour and childbirth: A descriptive quantitative study.

PubMed

He, Hong-Gu; Vehviläinen-Julkunen, Katri; Qian, Xiao-Fang; Sapountzi-Krepia, Despina; Gong, Yuhua; Wang, Wenru

2015-05-01

This study examined Chinese fathers' feelings about their partners' delivery and views on their presence during labour and birth. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 403 fathers whose partners gave birth in one provincial hospital in China. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics, χ(2)-test and content analysis. The results indicated that more than 80% of fathers experienced feelings of pride related to fatherhood and of love towards their partners and newborns. Significant differences in fathers' feelings were found between subgroups with regard to age, education, employment, presence in the delivery room, method of birth and whether preparatory visits had been made to the hospital. The majority who answered an open-ended question on the meaning of fathers' presence in the delivery room held a positive attitude towards fathers' presence at labour and birth, as their presence could empower their partners and provide psychological support. This study indicates fathers' presence at delivery and birth is important and that younger fathers need more support. It also provides evidence for clinical practice and future interventions to improve fathers' psychological health and experiences. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Delirium in adult patients receiving palliative care: a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Sánchez-Román, Sofía; Beltrán Zavala, Cristina; Lara Solares, Argelia; Chiquete, Erwin

2014-01-01

Delirium in palliative care patients is common and its diagnosis and treatment is a major challenge. Our objective was to perform a literature analysis in two phases on the recent scientific evidence (2007-2012) on the diagnosis and treatment of delirium in adults receiving palliative care. In phase 1 (descriptive studies and narrative reviews) 133 relevant articles were identified: 73 addressed the issue of delirium secondarily, and 60 articles as the main topic. However, only 4 prospective observational studies in which delirium was central were identified. Of 135 articles analysed in phase 2 (clinical trials or descriptive studies on treatment of delirium in palliative care patients), only 3 were about prevention or treatment: 2 retrospective studies and one clinical trial on multicomponent prevention in cancer patients. Much of the recent literature is related to reviews on studies conducted more than a decade ago and on patients different to those receiving palliative care. In conclusion, recent scientific evidence on delirium in palliative care is limited and suboptimal. Prospective studies are urgently needed that focus specifically on this highly vulnerable population. Copyright © 2013 SEP y SEPB. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Description of Respiratory Microbiology of Children With Long-Term Tracheostomies.

PubMed

McCaleb, Rachael; Warren, Robert H; Willis, Denise; Maples, Holly D; Bai, Shasha; O'Brien, Catherine E

2016-04-01

There is little evidence in the medical literature to guide empiric treatment of pediatric patients with long-term tracheostomies who present with signs and symptoms of a bacterial respiratory infection. The overall goal of this study was to describe the respiratory microbiology in this study population at our institution. This study was a retrospective chart review of all subjects with tracheostomies currently receiving care at the Arkansas Center for Respiratory Technology Dependent Children. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the respiratory microbiology of the full study group. Several subgroup analyses were conducted, including description of microbiology according to time with tracheostomy, mean time to isolation of specific organisms after the tracheostomy tube was placed, association between Pseudomonas aeruginosa or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolation and prescribed antibiotic courses, and description of microbiology according to level of chronic respiratory support. Available respiratory culture results up to July 2011 were collected for all eligible subjects. Descriptive statistics were used to describe subject characteristics, and chi-square analysis was used to analyze associations between categorical data. P < .05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 93 subjects met inclusion criteria for the study. The median (interquartile range) age at time of tracheotomy was 0.84 (0.36-3.25) y, and the median (interquartile range) time with tracheostomy was 4.29 (2.77-9.49) y. The most common organism isolated was P. aeruginosa (90.3%), with Gram-negative organisms predominating. However, 55.9% of the study population had a respiratory culture positive for methicillin-resistant S. aureus. The first organism isolated after tracheostomy placement was Methiciliin-sensitive S. aureus was isolated the soonest after tracheostomy placement. Specific organisms were not related to level of chronic respiratory support or likelihood of receiving antibiotics. This study provides an updated overview of the variety of potential pathogens isolated from respiratory cultures of pediatric subjects with long-term tracheostomies. Copyright © 2016 by Daedalus Enterprises.

Development of a proto-typology of opiate overdose onset.

PubMed

Neale, Joanne; Bradford, Julia; Strang, John

2017-01-01

The time available to act is a crucial factor affecting the probable success of interventions to manage opiate overdose. We analyse opiate users' accounts of non-fatal overdose incidents to (i) construct a proto-typology of non-fatal opiate overdose onset and (ii) assess the implications for overdose management and prevention of fatalities. Re-analysis of a subset of data from a large qualitative study of non-fatal opiate overdose conducted from 1997 to 1999. Data were generated from semi-structured interviews undertaken with opiate users who had experienced a non-fatal overdose in the previous 24 hours. Forty-four participants (30 men; 14 women; aged 16-47 years) provided sufficient information for in-depth analysis. Data relating to 'memory of the moment of overdose', 'time to loss of consciousness' and 'subjective description of the overdose experience' were scrutinised using iterative categorization. Four types of overdose onset were identified: type A 'amnesic' (n = 8), characterized by no memory, rapid loss of consciousness and no description of the overdose experience; type B 'conscious' (n = 17), characterized by some memory, sustained consciousness and a description of the overdose in terms of feeling unwell and symptomatic; type C 'instant' (n = 14), characterized by some memory, immediate loss of consciousness and no description of the overdose experience; and type D 'enjoyable' (n = 5), characterized by some memory, rapid loss of consciousness and a description of the overdose experience as pleasant or positive. The identification of different types of overdose onset highlights the complexity of overdose events, the need for a range of interventions and the challenges faced in managing incidents and preventing fatalities. Opiate overdose victims who retain consciousness for a sustained period and recognize the negative signs and symptoms of overdosing could summon help or self-administer naloxone, thus indicating that opiate overdose training should incorporate self-management strategies. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

A computer graphics program for general finite element analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thornton, E. A.; Sawyer, L. M.

1978-01-01

Documentation for a computer graphics program for displays from general finite element analyses is presented. A general description of display options and detailed user instructions are given. Several plots made in structural, thermal and fluid finite element analyses are included to illustrate program options. Sample data files are given to illustrate use of the program.

Preliminary organic analyses of the DSDP /JOIDES/ cores - Legs V-IX.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simoneit, B. R.; Burlingame, A. L.

1972-01-01

Descriptions of the methods used and results obtained in analyses of deep sea drilling cores. The analyses were performed in two phases (differing in degree of particularization) depending on the amount of core sample available. The results are presented in relation to the ages and to the fossil fauna and flora of the sediments.

Towards equitable access to medicines for the rural poor: analyses of insurance claims reveal rural pharmacy initiative triggers price competition in Kyrgyzstan.

PubMed

Waning, Brenda; Maddix, Jason; Tripodis, Yorghos; Laing, Richard; Leufkens, Hubert Gm; Gokhale, Manjusha

2009-12-14

A rural pharmacy initiative (RPI) designed to increase access to medicines in rural Kyrgyzstan created a network of 12 pharmacies using a revolving drug fund mechanism in 12 villages where no pharmacies previously existed. The objective of this study was to determine if the establishment of the RPI resulted in the unforeseen benefit of triggering medicine price competition in pre-existing (non-RPI) private pharmacies located in the region. We conducted descriptive and multivariate analyses on medicine insurance claims data from Kyrgyzstan's Mandatory Health Insurance Fund for the Jumgal District of Naryn Province from October 2003 to December 2007. We compared average quarterly medicine prices in competitor pharmacies before and after the introduction of the rural pharmacy initiative in October 2004 to determine the RPI impact on price competition. Descriptive analyses suggest competitors reacted to RPI prices for 21 of 30 (70%) medicines. Competitor medicine prices from the quarter before RPI introduction to the end of the study period decreased for 17 of 30 (57%) medicines, increased for 4 of 30 (13%) medicines, and remained unchanged for 9 of 30 (30%) medicines. Among the 9 competitor medicines with unchanged prices, five initially decreased in price but later reverted back to baseline prices. Multivariate analyses on 19 medicines that met sample size criteria confirm these findings. Fourteen of these 19 (74%) competitor medicines changed significantly in price from the quarter before RPI introduction to the quarter after RPI introduction, with 9 of 19 (47%) decreasing in price and 5 of 19 (26%) increasing in price. The RPI served as a market driver, spurring competition in medicine prices in competitor pharmacies, even when they were located in different villages. Initiatives designed to increase equitable access to medicines in rural regions of developing and transitional countries should consider the potential to leverage medicine price competition as a means of achieving their goal. Evaluations of interventions to increase rural access to medicines should include impact assessment on both formal and informal pharmaceutical markets.

First molecular characterization of a Hepatozoon species (Apicomplexa: Hepatozoidae) infecting birds and description of a new species infecting storm petrels (Aves: Hydrobatidae).

PubMed

Merino, Santiago; Martínez, Javier; Masello, Juan F; Bedolla, Yuliana; Quillfeldt, Petra

2014-06-01

During a survey of blood parasites in a population of Leach's and black storm petrels ( Oceanodroma leucorhoa and Oceanodroma melania) in Mexico, infection by a Hepatozoon species in erythrocytes of several birds was noted. Here we describe the species as Hepatozoon peircei sp. nov. Some species of Hepatozoon described from birds have been identified as lankesterellids when DNA molecular analyses were conducted. However, a sequence of 1,774 bp of the parasite found infecting storm petrels in this study clearly show the parasite is a species of the genus Hepatozoon. This is the first Hepatozoon species infecting birds to be characterized at the molecular level and the first found infecting erythrocytes and not leucocytes.

Evaluation of computer-generated guidelines for companions of paediatric patients undergoing chemotherapy.

PubMed

Lopes, Vagner José; Shmeil, Marcos Augusto Hochuli

2017-04-27

To compare computer-generated guidelines with and without the use of a Clinical Decision Support System - Oncology Care and Healthcare for Chemotherapy Patients, for the caregivers of children undergoing chemotherapy. This is a descriptive, evaluative, and quantitative study conducted at a paediatrics hospital in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, from December 2015 to January 2016. The sample consisted of 58 participants divided into two groups: Group 1, without the aid of software, and Group 2, with the aid of the software. The data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test. The guidelines revealed a statistical significance (p<0.05), with a prevalence of a higher concordance average in Group 2 in comparison with Group 1. Computer-generated guidelines are a valuable qualitative support tool for nurses.

A framework for streamlining research workflow in neuroscience and psychology

PubMed Central

Kubilius, Jonas

2014-01-01

Successful accumulation of knowledge is critically dependent on the ability to verify and replicate every part of scientific conduct. However, such principles are difficult to enact when researchers continue to resort on ad-hoc workflows and with poorly maintained code base. In this paper I examine the needs of neuroscience and psychology community, and introduce psychopy_ext, a unifying framework that seamlessly integrates popular experiment building, analysis and manuscript preparation tools by choosing reasonable defaults and implementing relatively rigid patterns of workflow. This structure allows for automation of multiple tasks, such as generated user interfaces, unit testing, control analyses of stimuli, single-command access to descriptive statistics, and publication quality plotting. Taken together, psychopy_ext opens an exciting possibility for a faster, more robust code development and collaboration for researchers. PMID:24478691

Courses offered by the Minas Health Channel: perception of primary care workers.

PubMed

Pereira, Lizziane D' Ávila; Sena, Roseni Rosângela de

2016-06-01

To analyse how primary healthcare workers perceive the impact of the Health Channel Mines courses in their work process. This is a descriptive exploratory qualitative study conducted with 38 professionals working in primary health care units of three municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data were collected in 2014 by means of semi-structured interviews and subjected to thematic content analysis. Data analysis revealed the following three categories: interest in training and its contribution to professional practice; factors that alter professional practices; and proposals for improvement. The study data demonstrated that the Mines Health Channel courses cannot single-handedly change professional practices. Continued and refresher education resources that enable the exchange and articulation of knowledge between the various specialities are needed to transform professional practices.

Measuring the Jungian personality types of Hispanic high school students.

PubMed

Mittag, K C

1999-09-01

Measures of normal variations in personality, called psychological type, are frequently used in education (e.g., to identify learning styles) and counseling (e.g., in career counseling). However, the most frequently-used measure of types, developed by Myers and Briggs, has been criticized on various psychometric grounds. The present study investigated the psychometric properties of an alternative measure, the Personal Preferences Self-Description Questionnaire (PPSDQ), which employs normative rather than ipsative (forced-choice) items. Because previous studies of the measure have primarily used older and highly literate participants, the present study was conducted with 328 Hispanic high school students to determine whether the sound psychometric quality of PPSDQ scores was compromised by vocabulary or language issues. The results of reliability and factor analyses were generally favorable as regards PPSDQ score integrity.

Experience of mixed-sex bays in a general hospital.

PubMed

Bryant, Debbie; Adams, John

To explore patients' and nurses' views on their experience of nursing care in mixed-sex bays. Using a descriptive exploratory method, tape-recorded semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of patients and nurses drawn from wards where mixed-sex bays were located. The resulting transcripts were analysed to identify shared themes. The key themes identified were: communication from nursing staff, first reactions, relationships in the bay, reactions of others, awareness of organisational issues and nursing in a mixed-sex ward. While some individuals felt that the attitudes and behaviours displayed by their fellow patients were of greater significance than their gender, there was a general view that mixed-sex bays were less than ideal. Nurses also struggled to maintain patient dignity in mixed-sex bays.

Evidence Regarding the Impact of Conflicts of Interest on Environmental and Occupational Health Research.

PubMed

Wells, Ellen M

2017-06-01

This review describes published literature providing evidence for financial conflicts of interest in environmental and occupational health research. Secondary goals were to describe evidence that (a) utilized quantitative methods to evaluate the association of conflicts with study outcomes, and (b) assessed undisclosed as well as disclosed conflicts of interest. Forty-three studies were identified which contained descriptions of the impact of financial conflicts of interest on research results; 11 of these conducted quantitative analyses to demonstrate these relationships. All 11 articles which quantified associations identified significant associations of the presence of financial conflicts of interest with study findings. In studies which measured undisclosed conflicts, these comprised a substantial proportion of all conflicts. Suggestions for improving understanding and interpretation of research results are presented.

Depressive Symptoms, Substance Abuse, and Intimate Partner Violence among Pregnant Women of Diverse Ethnicities

PubMed Central

Holden, Kisha B.; McKenzie, Robetta; Pruitt, Vikki; Aaron, Katrina; Hall, Stephanie

2012-01-01

This study examines the relationship between self-reported depressive symptoms, substance abuse and intimate partner violence among 602 African American, Hispanic, White, Asian American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander pregnant women who are clients of the Augusta Partnership for Children, Inc., a nonprofit collaborative that works with agencies, organizations, and individuals to improve the lives of children and families in Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia. Descriptive statistics and significant relationships among selected variables using correlation and regression analyses were conducted. Findings are intended to inform strategies for community-based programs better to assist women of diverse ethnicities with addressing depression, substance abuse, and intimate partner violence during their pregnancies, with the ultimate aim of improving health and mental health outcomes for women and children. PMID:22643473

Working conditions, work style, and job satisfaction among Albanian teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kloep, Marion; Tarifa, Fatos

1994-03-01

For the first time in Albania, a large-scale study investigating teachers' working conditions was conducted. 349 teachers from many parts of the country and from all school levels answered an extensive questionnaire, providing a comprehensive description of their working situation. As data for parts of the study exist from the USA, Germany, Singapore, England, and Poland, results could be discussed in comparison to the conditions in these countries, showing that self-reported job satisfaction and engagement in effective classroom practices is relatively high among Albanian teachers, while the economic and physical conditions are bad. Stepwise regression analyses reveal that the items measuring professional autonomy account for a considerable part of the variance of the job satisfaction measure; while work efficiency is mainly predicted by items measuring social support and, again, professional autonomy.

Controlled and Uncontrolled Subject Descriptions in the CF Database: A Comparison of Optimal Cluster-Based Retrieval Results.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, W. M., Jr.

1993-01-01

Describes a study conducted on the cystic fibrosis (CF) database, a subset of MEDLINE, that investigated clustering structure and the effectiveness of cluster-based retrieval as a function of the exhaustivity of the uncontrolled subject descriptions. Results are compared to calculations for controlled descriptions based on Medical Subject Headings…

Stimulus Characteristics of Single-Word Tests of Children's Speech Sound Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macrae, Toby

2017-01-01

Purpose: This clinical focus article provides readers with a description of the stimulus characteristics of 12 popular tests of speech sound production. Method: Using significance testing and descriptive analyses, stimulus items were compared in terms of the number of opportunities for production of all consonant singletons, clusters, and rhotic…

Solar Electric Propulsion System Integration Technology (SEPSIT). Volume 2: Encke rendezvous mission and space vehicle functional description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, J. A.

1972-01-01

A solar electric propulsion system integration technology study is discussed. Detailed analyses in support of the solar electric propulsion module were performed. The thrust subsystem functional description is presented. The space vehicle and the space mission to which the propulsion system is applied are analyzed.

A Descriptive Analysis of the Principal Workforce in Wisconsin. Issues & Answers. REL 2012-No. 135

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clifford, Matthew; Condon, Chris; Greenberg, Ariela; Williams, Ryan; Gerdeman, R. Dean; Fetters, Jenni; Baker, Bruce

2012-01-01

This study responds to a request from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for information on Wisconsin's school principal workforce population. Descriptive analyses addressed two research questions: (1) How do the demographic characteristics of Wisconsin school principals compare how did these characteristics change over 1999-2009?; and…

Assessing Adult Learner's Numeracy as Related to Gender and Performance in Arithmetic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Awofala, Adeneye O. A.; Anyikwa, Blessing E.

2014-01-01

The study investigated adult learner numeracy as related to gender and performance in arithmetic among 32 Nigerian adult learners from one government accredited adult literacy centre in Lagos State using the quantitative research method within the blueprint of descriptive survey design. Data collected were analysed using the descriptive statistics…

Basic School Teachers' Perceptions about Curriculum Design in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abudu, Amadu Musah; Mensah, Mary Afi

2016-01-01

This study focused on teachers' perceptions about curriculum design and barriers to their participation. The sample size was 130 teachers who responded to a questionnaire. The analyses made use of descriptive statistics and descriptions. The study found that the level of teachers' participation in curriculum design is low. The results further…

Family presence during resuscitation: A descriptive study with Iranian nurses and patients' family members.

PubMed

Zali, Mahnaz; Hassankhani, Hadi; Powers, Kelly A; Dadashzadeh, Abbas; Rajaei Ghafouri, Rouzbeh

2017-09-01

Family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) has advantages for the patients' family member to be present at the bedside. However, FPDR is not regularly practiced by nurses, especially in low to middle income countries. The purpose of this study was to determine Iranian nurses' and family members' attitudes towards FPDR. In a descriptive study, data was collected from the random sample of 178 nurses and 136 family members in four hospitals located in Iran. A 27-item questionnaire was used to collect data on attitudes towards FPDR, and descriptive and correlational analyses were conducted. Of family members, particularly the women, 57.2% (n=78) felt it is their right to experience FPDR and that it has many advantages for the family; including the ability to see that everything was done and worry less. However, 62.5% (n=111) of the nurses disagreed with an adult implementation of FPDR. Nurses perceived FPDR to have many disadvantages. Family members becoming distressed and interfering with the patient which may prolong the resuscitation effort. Nurses with prior education on FPDR were more willing to implement it. FPDR was desired by the majority of family members. To meet their needs, it is important to improve Iranian nurses' views about the advantages of the implementation of FPDR. Education on FPDR is recommended to improve Iranian nurses' views about the advantages of the implementation of FPDR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Whey protein stories - An experiment in writing a multidisciplinary biography.

PubMed

Jensen, Tenna; Bechshoeft, Rasmus L; Giacalone, Davide; Otto, Marie Haulund; Castro-Mejía, Josue; Bin Ahmad, Hajar Fauzan; Reitelseder, Søren; Jespersen, Astrid Pernille

2016-12-01

This is an experimental, dual-purpose article about whey protein and how to conduct interdisciplinary analyses and writings. On the one hand, this article is a multidisciplinary commodity biography, which consists of five descriptions of whey protein written by the five different research groups involved in the interdisciplinary research project CALM(Counteracting Age-related loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass). On the other hand, it is a meta-analysis, which aims to uncover and highlight examples of how the five descriptions contribute to each other with insights into the contextualisation of knowledge, contrasts between the descriptions and the new dimensions they bring to established fields of interest. The meta-analysis also contains a discussion of interdisciplinary study objects and the usefulness of the multidisciplinary commodity biography as a format for interdisciplinary publications. The article contributes to the field of food studies with a multidisciplinary biography of whey protein - including its sensory qualities and challenges, insights into its cultural history, its nutritional value and effects on the human body and an analysis of how it is perceived by people who consume it. The biography thereby expands upon existing understandings of whey protein while discussing the usefulness of employing the commodity biography format in interdisciplinary writing. Moreover, the article contributes to the field of interdisciplinary research by providing a practical example of a joint publication and reflections upon the existence, interaction and possibilities of monodisciplinary knowledge structures within interdisciplinary studies and publications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of traditional six-year and new four-year dental curricula in South Korea.

PubMed

Komabayashi, Takashi; Ahn, Chul; Kim, Kang-Ju; Oh, Hyo-Won

2012-01-01

This study aimed to compare the dental curriculum of the traditional six-year system with that of the new four-year (graduate-entry) system in South Korea. There are 11 dental schools in South Korea: six are public and five are private. Eight offer the new four-year program and the other three offer the traditional six-year program. Descriptive analyses were conducted using bibliographic data and local information along with statistical analyses such as chi-square tests. In the six-year programs, clinical dentistry subjects were taught almost equally in practical and didactic courses, while the basic science courses were taught more often as practical courses (P < 0.0001). In the four-year programs, both the basic science and clinical dentistry subjects were taught didactically more often; while more dentistry subjects were taught than basic sciences (P = 0.004). The four-year program model in South Korea is more focused on dentistry than on basic science, while both basic and clinical dentistry subjects were equally taught in the six-year program.

Influences of roughness on the inertial mechanism of turbulent boundary-layer scale separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebner, Rachel

Measurements and scaling analyses are conducted to clarify the combined effects of roughness and Reynolds number on momentum transport in the rough-wall zero pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer. A series of multi-sensor hot-wire experiments are presented that cover nearly a decade in Reynolds number and nearly three decades in the inner-normalized sand grain roughness. This dissertation utilizes the difference between two velocity-vorticity correlations to represent the turbulent inertia term in the statement of the mean dynamics for turbulent boundary layer flow. Analyses focus on the first term on the right hand side of the equation, because it is physically affiliated with change-of-scale effects (Tennekes and Lumley, 1972). Similarity analysis, streamwise correlations, and spectral methods are performed to elucidate the scaling behaviors of the turbulent inertia term relative to the mean dynamics. The present results reveal complex behaviors in the long-time statistics of the velocity-vorticity correlation that exhibit both Reynolds number and roughness dependencies. The results broadly support the combined roughness-Reynolds number description provided by Mehdi et al, (2013).

Exploring HIV-testing intentions in young Asian/Pacific Islander (API) women as it relates to acculturation, theory of gender and power (TGP), and the AIDS risk reduction model (ARRM).

PubMed

Salud, Margaret C; Marshak, Helen Hopp; Natto, Zuhair S; Montgomery, Susanne

2014-01-01

While HIV rates are low for Asian/Pacific Islanders (APIs), they have been increasing, especially for API women in the USA. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 299 young API women (18-24 years old) in the Inland Empire region of Southern California to better understand their intention for HIV testing and their perceptions about HIV/AIDS. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate exploration for model building and multivariate analyses to determine variables associated with HIV-testing intentions. Results suggest that more lifetime sexual partners, greater perceived gender susceptibility, higher HIV/AIDS knowledge, sexually active, more positive attitudes about HIV testing and higher self-perceptions/experiences related to risk contribute to stronger intentions for HIV testing in young API women. Findings from this study will contribute to the limited literature on HIV/AIDS in API women and provide information that can be used for developing and implementing culturally appropriate programs that encourage HIV prevention and testing in this population.

Exploring HIV-testing intentions in young Asian/Pacific Islander (API) women as it relates to acculturation, theory of gender and power (TGP), and the AIDS risk reduction model (ARRM)

PubMed Central

Salud, Margaret C.; Marshak, Helen Hopp; Natto, Zuhair S.; Montgomery, Susanne

2015-01-01

While HIV rates are low for Asian/Pacific Islanders (APIs), they have been increasing, especially for API women in the USA. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 299 young API women (18–24 years old) in the Inland Empire region of Southern California to better understand their intention for HIV testing and their perceptions about HIV/AIDS. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate exploration for model building and multivariate analyses to determine variables associated with HIV-testing intentions. Results suggest that more lifetime sexual partners, greater perceived gender susceptibility, higher HIV/AIDS knowledge, sexually active, more positive attitudes about HIV testing and higher self-perceptions/experiences related to risk contribute to stronger intentions for HIV testing in young API women. Findings from this study will contribute to the limited literature on HIV/AIDS in API women and provide information that can be used for developing and implementing culturally appropriate programs that encourage HIV prevention and testing in this population. PMID:24111859

The life-world of mothers who care for mentally retarded children: the Katutura township experience.

PubMed

Ntswane, A M; van Rhyn, L

2007-03-01

This article reports on a research study done in Katutura Township, near Windhoek. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was followed to answer the research question investigating experiences of mothers caring for mentally retarded children at home. Phenomenological interviews were conducted with a purposefully selected sample of twelve mothers. The meaning of their experiences was analysed by using Teschxs method (1990 in Creswell, 1994:155) of analysing qualitative data. The results indicated various emotions and challenges experienced by these mothers during the care of their children. Feelings of shock, despondency and sadness dominated the early stages when the retarded children were still young. During later years, as the children were growing up, the mothers felt shame, fear, frustration, anger, disappointment and worry. However, acceptance followed, as the children grew older. Stigma seemed to affect all the respondents. Support in any form or lack thereof seemed to be the decisive factor-positioning mothers along a continuum of two extremes, namely despairing isolation and integrated happiness. Recommendations were made regarding the improvement of heath care services and education of the mothers and their families.

Understanding Classrooms through Social Network Analysis: A Primer for Social Network Analysis in Education Research

PubMed Central

Wiggins, Benjamin L.; Goodreau, Steven M.

2014-01-01

Social interactions between students are a major and underexplored part of undergraduate education. Understanding how learning relationships form in undergraduate classrooms, as well as the impacts these relationships have on learning outcomes, can inform educators in unique ways and improve educational reform. Social network analysis (SNA) provides the necessary tool kit for investigating questions involving relational data. We introduce basic concepts in SNA, along with methods for data collection, data processing, and data analysis, using a previously collected example study on an undergraduate biology classroom as a tutorial. We conduct descriptive analyses of the structure of the network of costudying relationships. We explore generative processes that create observed study networks between students and also test for an association between network position and success on exams. We also cover practical issues, such as the unique aspects of human subjects review for network studies. Our aims are to convince readers that using SNA in classroom environments allows rich and informative analyses to take place and to provide some initial tools for doing so, in the process inspiring future educational studies incorporating relational data. PMID:26086650

Five new species of entomopathogenic fungi from the Amazon and evolution of neotropical Ophiocordyceps.

PubMed

Sanjuan, Tatiana I; Franco-Molano, Ana E; Kepler, Ryan M; Spatafora, Joseph W; Tabima, Javier; Vasco-Palacios, Aída M; Restrepo, Silvia

2015-10-01

The neotropical biogeographic zone is a 'hot spot' of global biodiversity, especially for insects. Fungal pathogens of insects appear to track this diversity. However, the integration of this unique component of fungal diversity into molecular phylogenetic analyses remains sparse. The entomopathogenic fungal genus Ophiocordyceps is species rich in this region with the first descriptions dating to the early nineteenth century. In this study, material from various ecosystems throughout Colombia and Ecuador was examined. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of five nuclear loci including SSU, LSU, TEF, RPB1, and RPB2 were conducted alongside a morphological evaluation. Thirty-five specimens were examined representing fifteen different species of Ophiocordyceps, and five new species, Ophiocordyceps blattarioides, Ophiocordyceps tiputini, Ophiocordyceps araracuarensis, Ophiocordyceps fulgoromorphila, and Ophiocordyceps evansii, were described. An accurate identification of the host allowed us to conclude that host identity and host habitat are positively correlated with phylogenetic species of Ophiocordyceps and are probably strong drivers for speciation of neotropical entomopathogenic fungi. Copyright © 2015 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Are the kids alright? Review books and the internet as the most common study resources for the general surgery clerkship.

PubMed

Taylor, Janice A; Shaw, Christiana M; Tan, Sanda A; Falcone, John L

2018-01-01

To define resources deemed most important to medical students on their general surgery clerkship, we evaluated their material utilization. A prospective study was conducted amongst third-year medical students using a 20-item survey. Descriptive statistics were performed on the demographics. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney analyses were performed on the Likert responses (α = 0.05). Survey response was 69.2%. Use of review books and Internet was significantly higher compared to all other resources (p < 0.05). Wikipedia was the most used Internet source (39.1%). 56% never used textbooks. Analyses of surgery subject exam (NBME) results or intended specialty with resources used showed no statistical relationship (all p > 0.05). Resources used by students reflect access to high-yield material and increased Internet use. The Internet and review books were used more than the recommended textbook; NBME results were not affected. Understanding study habits and resource use will help guide curricular development and students' self-regulated learning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Associations among Depressive Symptoms, Dating Violence, and Relationship Power in Urban, Adolescent Girls

PubMed Central

Volpe, Ellen M.; Hardie, Thomas L.; Cerulli, Catherine

2013-01-01

Objective To explore the associations among dating violence (DV), aggression, relationship power, and depressive symptoms. Design A cross-sectional survey secondary analysis. Setting An urban, school based health center, October, 2009 through May, 2009. Participants Low income, adolescent girls (n= 155), ages 14–18. Methods Descriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted to illustrate patterns and associations among variables. Key variables included depressive symptoms, DV victimization and aggression, and relationship power. We used mediation analyses to determine the direct and indirect effects among variables. Results Both DV victimization and aggression were reported frequently. Furthermore, DV victimization had a significant direct effect on depression and an indirect effect through relationship power. Depressive symptoms and relationship power were associated with DV aggression. Although relationship power did have a significant inverse effect on depressive symptoms, it was not through DV aggression. Conclusions Complex associations remain between mental health and DV; however, relationship power partially accounts for DV victimization's effect on depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms are associated with DV victimization and aggression; therefore, nurses should address relationship power in clinical and community interventions. PMID:22697267

Complementary knowledge sharing: Experiences of nursing students participating in an educational exchange program between Madagascar and Norway.

PubMed

Tjoflåt, Ingrid; Razaonandrianina, Julie; Karlsen, Bjørg; Hansen, Britt Sætre

2017-02-01

To describe how Malagasy and Norwegian nursing students experience an educational exchange program in Madagascar. Previous studies show that nursing students participating in an educational exchange program enhanced their cultural knowledge and experienced personal growth. However, few studies have described two-way exchange programs, including experiences from both the hosts' and the guest students' perspectives. This study applies a descriptive qualitative design. Data were collected in 2015 by means of five semi-structured interviews with Malagasy students and two focus group interview sessions with Norwegian students. They were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The study was conducted in Madagascar. The data analyses revealed one main theme and two sub-themes related to the Malagasy and Norwegian nursing students' experiences. Main theme: complementary knowledge sharing; sub-themes: (1) learning from each other and (2) challenges of working together. The findings indicate that both the Malagasy and Norwegian nursing students experienced the exchange program as valuable and essential in exchanging knowledge. They also highlighted challenges, linked mainly to language barriers and the lack of available resources. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics and differences in the availability of healthy food stores and restaurants in Sao Paulo, Brazil

PubMed Central

Duran, Ana Clara; Diez Roux, Ana V; do Rosario DO Latorre, Maria; Jaime, Patricia C

2013-01-01

Differential access to healthy foods has been hypothesized to contribute to health disparities, but evidence from low and middle-income countries is still scarce. This study examines whether the access of healthy foods varies across store types and neighborhoods of different socioeconomic statuses (SES) in a large Brazilian city. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2010–2011 across 52 census tracts. Healthy food access was measured by a comprehensive in-store data collection, summarized into two indexes developed for retail food stores (HFSI) and restaurants (HMRI). Descriptive analyses and multilevel models were used to examine associations of store type and neighborhood SES with healthy food access. Fast food restaurants were more likely to be located in low SES neighborhoods whereas supermarkets and full service restaurants were more likely to be found in higher SES neighborhoods. Multilevel analyses showed that both store type and neighborhood SES were independently associated with in-store food measures. We found differences in the availability of healthy food stores and restaurants in Sao Paulo city favoring middle and high SES neighborhoods. PMID:23747923

[Families of the economic crisis in paediatric Primary Care clinics: descriptive observational study].

PubMed

Martín Martín, R; Sánchez Bayle, M; Gancedo García, C; Teruel de Francisco, M C; Coullaut López, A

2016-04-01

To study the impact of the economic crisis on the families of the children who attend Primary Health Care and its relationship with their socioeconomic status. Observational descriptive study was conducted by analysing the results of 453 questionnaires, given to the parents of children between 1 and 7 years old who attended 4 paediatric clinics in Madrid. The raw data was analysed, and comparisons between groups and multivariate analysis were performed. In the multivariate analysis, the variables related to the non-acquisition of prescribed medication are: lower income level OR=0.118, p<.0001 and lower educational level OR=0.464, p<.001; the variables related to the reduction of food expenditure are: lower income level OR=0.100, p<.0001 and a higher number of family members OR=1.308, p=.045; the variables related to anti-pneumococcal vaccination without public funding are: higher income level OR=2.170, p=.0001, higher educational level OR=1.835, p=.013, and not being an immigrant OR=0.532, p=.037. The presence of health problems from the beginning of the economic crisis is related to unemployment OR=4.079, p=.032, lower educational level R=0.678, p=.042, and income level OR=0.342, p<.0001. In all cases, the models achieved a statistical significance of p<.0001. The economic crisis has greater impact on the group with the lowest income level in all analysed variables. The lower educational level and higher number of family members has an impact on the reduction in food expenditure. The fact of being an immigrant has an impact on not receiving the anti-pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccination. Unemployment leads to an increase in health problems in the family. To sum up, the economic crisis has increased inequalities according to socioeconomic status. Copyright © 2015 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Intracultural variation of knowledge about wild plant uses in the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal (Austria)

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Leading scholars in ethnobiology and ethnomedicine continuously stress the need for moving beyond the bare description of local knowledge and to additionally analyse and theorise about the characteristics and dynamics of human interactions with plants and related local knowledge. Analyses of the variation of local knowledge are thereby perceived as minimal standard. In this study we investigate the distribution and variation of wild plant knowledge in five domains: food, drinks, human medicine, veterinary medicine and customs. We assess relations between the wild plant knowledge of informants and their socio-demographic as well as geographic background. Method Research was conducted in the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal, Austria. Structured questionnaires were used to inquire wild plant knowledge from 433 informants with varying socio-demographic and geographic background. Children assisted in the data collection. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and generalized linear models. Results and discussion A majority of respondents is familiar with wild plant uses, however to varying degrees. Knowledge variations depend on the socio-demographic and geographic background of the informants as well as on the domains of knowledge under investigation: women, older informants and homegardeners report more human medicinal applications and applications in drinks than men, younger informants and non-homegardeners; farmers know a greater variety of veterinary medicinal applications than non-farmers; the place of residence relates significantly to food and veterinary uses. Customs are difficult to investigate in standardized matrices. The household-related distribution of work and the general socio-cultural context are especially helpful in order to explain intracultural variation of knowledge in the Grosses Walsertal. Conclusions Research on the intracultural variation of local knowledge exposes cultural characteristics and highlights the cultural embeddedness of local knowledge. The impact of socio-cultural developments on local knowledge may be anticipated from understanding the intracultural variation of knowledge. PMID:22770375

Brief description of research papers accepted for publication during 1979. Annual report

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

Nash, D.B

1980-06-16

Brief descriptions of research papers in radiobiology, biochemistry, metabolism, and biophysics published during 1979 are presented. The research was conducted by investigators in the Dept. of Radiation Biology and Biophysics. (ACR)

Determinants of debit cards acceptance: An empirical investigation

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

Ismail, Shafinar; Adnan, Azimah; Azizi, Amsyar

These days, most of the Malaysians realize that the consumption of debit card will help them to reduce the household debt. Thus, it is important to analyse the acceptance of debit cards for further enhancement and expanding its market share in Malaysia. In addition, there is lacked of research being conducted on the determinants affecting the acceptance of debit cards among Malaysians. Thus, the study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the acceptance of debit cards. This study focuses on payment methods, consumer attitude, and safety of debit card in acceptance of debit cards. Questionnaires were distributed to the 300more » respondents. The sampling procedure adopted was stratified random sampling. The data obtained were analysed using SPSS 20.0 which involves scale reliability, descriptive and regression analysis. The result indicates that payment methods, consumer attitude and safety are the determinants of debit cards acceptance. Safety is the best predictor as most of the customers are confidents to use debit cards because of the security being developed around these debit card transactions. The analyses presented in this study can be used by policymakers and managers as a guide to promote banking products and services. The findings achieved in this study will be of interest for practitioners and academics concerned with developments of the Malaysian banking industry.« less

Qualitative Data Analysis for Health Services Research: Developing Taxonomy, Themes, and Theory

PubMed Central

Bradley, Elizabeth H; Curry, Leslie A; Devers, Kelly J

2007-01-01

Objective To provide practical strategies for conducting and evaluating analyses of qualitative data applicable for health services researchers. Data Sources and Design We draw on extant qualitative methodological literature to describe practical approaches to qualitative data analysis. Approaches to data analysis vary by discipline and analytic tradition; however, we focus on qualitative data analysis that has as a goal the generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory germane to health services research. Principle Findings We describe an approach to qualitative data analysis that applies the principles of inductive reasoning while also employing predetermined code types to guide data analysis and interpretation. These code types (conceptual, relationship, perspective, participant characteristics, and setting codes) define a structure that is appropriate for generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory. Conceptual codes and subcodes facilitate the development of taxonomies. Relationship and perspective codes facilitate the development of themes and theory. Intersectional analyses with data coded for participant characteristics and setting codes can facilitate comparative analyses. Conclusions Qualitative inquiry can improve the description and explanation of complex, real-world phenomena pertinent to health services research. Greater understanding of the processes of qualitative data analysis can be helpful for health services researchers as they use these methods themselves or collaborate with qualitative researchers from a wide range of disciplines. PMID:17286625

Qualitative data analysis for health services research: developing taxonomy, themes, and theory.

PubMed

Bradley, Elizabeth H; Curry, Leslie A; Devers, Kelly J

2007-08-01

To provide practical strategies for conducting and evaluating analyses of qualitative data applicable for health services researchers. DATA SOURCES AND DESIGN: We draw on extant qualitative methodological literature to describe practical approaches to qualitative data analysis. Approaches to data analysis vary by discipline and analytic tradition; however, we focus on qualitative data analysis that has as a goal the generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory germane to health services research. We describe an approach to qualitative data analysis that applies the principles of inductive reasoning while also employing predetermined code types to guide data analysis and interpretation. These code types (conceptual, relationship, perspective, participant characteristics, and setting codes) define a structure that is appropriate for generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory. Conceptual codes and subcodes facilitate the development of taxonomies. Relationship and perspective codes facilitate the development of themes and theory. Intersectional analyses with data coded for participant characteristics and setting codes can facilitate comparative analyses. Qualitative inquiry can improve the description and explanation of complex, real-world phenomena pertinent to health services research. Greater understanding of the processes of qualitative data analysis can be helpful for health services researchers as they use these methods themselves or collaborate with qualitative researchers from a wide range of disciplines.

Determinants of debit cards acceptance: An empirical investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismail, Shafinar; Bakri, Mohamed Hariri; Zulkepli, Jafri; Adnan, Azimah; Azizi, Amsyar

2014-12-01

These days, most of the Malaysians realize that the consumption of debit card will help them to reduce the household debt. Thus, it is important to analyse the acceptance of debit cards for further enhancement and expanding its market share in Malaysia. In addition, there is lacked of research being conducted on the determinants affecting the acceptance of debit cards among Malaysians. Thus, the study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the acceptance of debit cards. This study focuses on payment methods, consumer attitude, and safety of debit card in acceptance of debit cards. Questionnaires were distributed to the 300 respondents. The sampling procedure adopted was stratified random sampling. The data obtained were analysed using SPSS 20.0 which involves scale reliability, descriptive and regression analysis. The result indicates that payment methods, consumer attitude and safety are the determinants of debit cards acceptance. Safety is the best predictor as most of the customers are confidents to use debit cards because of the security being developed around these debit card transactions. The analyses presented in this study can be used by policymakers and managers as a guide to promote banking products and services. The findings achieved in this study will be of interest for practitioners and academics concerned with developments of the Malaysian banking industry.

The 30/20 GHz flight experiment system, phase 2. Volume 2: Experiment system description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bronstein, L.; Kawamoto, Y.; Ribarich, J. J.; Scope, J. R.; Forman, B. J.; Bergman, S. G.; Reisenfeld, S.

1981-01-01

A detailed technical description of the 30/20 GHz flight experiment system is presented. The overall communication system is described with performance analyses, communication operations, and experiment plans. Hardware descriptions of the payload are given with the tradeoff studies that led to the final design. The spacecraft bus which carries the payload is discussed and its interface with the launch vehicle system is described. Finally, the hardwares and the operations of the terrestrial segment are presented.

Discrepancies between descriptions and illustrations of colours in Congo red-stained amyloid, and explanation of discrepant colours.

PubMed

Howie, Alexander J; Owen-Casey, Mared P

2010-09-01

Congo red-stained sections of amyloid may show various colours between crossed polariser and analyser. The aims were to see how papers described the colours, to compare descriptions with illustrations, and to explain the colours. In 160 papers on Congo red-stained amyloid, the commonest descriptions were 'green birefringence' and 'apple-green birefringence'. In 191 figures in 82 papers, 59 (31%) showed a pure green colour, 62 (32%) showed green and yellow or blue and yellow, 38 (20%) showed green and a colour other than yellow, mostly red, and 32 (17%) showed other colours. Discrepancies between colours reported and illustrated were noted in 127 figures (66%). Most (77) were between green alone in descriptions and green and another colour in figures, and 30 were between green in descriptions and no green at all in figures. Pure green can be seen in ideal conditions, but more often there are green and yellow, explained by strain birefringence, and green and red or other combinations, explained by uncrossing of polariser and analyser. These other anomalous colours are just as characteristic of amyloid as the pure green colour. Many papers on Congo red-stained amyloid appear to describe what is expected theoretically rather than what is actually seen.

The Australasian Resuscitation in Sepsis Evaluation (ARISE) trial statistical analysis plan.

PubMed

Delaney, Anthony P; Peake, Sandra L; Bellomo, Rinaldo; Cameron, Peter; Holdgate, Anna; Howe, Belinda; Higgins, Alisa; Presneill, Jeffrey; Webb, Steve

2013-09-01

The Australasian Resuscitation in Sepsis Evaluation (ARISE) study is an international, multicentre, randomised, controlled trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of early goal-directed therapy compared with standard care for patients presenting to the emergency department with severe sepsis. In keeping with current practice, and considering aspects of trial design and reporting specific to non-pharmacological interventions, our plan outlines the principles and methods for analysing and reporting the trial results. The document is prepared before completion of recruitment into the ARISE study, without knowledge of the results of the interim analysis conducted by the data safety and monitoring committee and before completion of the two related international studies. Our statistical analysis plan was designed by the ARISE chief investigators, and reviewed and approved by the ARISE steering committee. We reviewed the data collected by the research team as specified in the study protocol and detailed in the study case report form. We describe information related to baseline characteristics, characteristics of delivery of the trial interventions, details of resuscitation, other related therapies and other relevant data with appropriate comparisons between groups. We define the primary, secondary and tertiary outcomes for the study, with description of the planned statistical analyses. We have developed a statistical analysis plan with a trial profile, mock-up tables and figures. We describe a plan for presenting baseline characteristics, microbiological and antibiotic therapy, details of the interventions, processes of care and concomitant therapies and adverse events. We describe the primary, secondary and tertiary outcomes with identification of subgroups to be analysed. We have developed a statistical analysis plan for the ARISE study, available in the public domain, before the completion of recruitment into the study. This will minimise analytical bias and conforms to current best practice in conducting clinical trials.

Factors associated with patient satisfaction with primary care in Europe: results from the EUprimecare project.

PubMed

Sánchez-Piedra, Carlos Alberto; Prado-Galbarro, Francisco Javier; García-Pérez, Sonia; Santamera, Antonio Sarría

2014-01-01

EUprimecare is a study funded by the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union, aimed at analysing the quality of the different models of primary care in Europe. The objective of this study was to describe and analyse the determinants associated with patient satisfaction in primary care in Europe. We conducted telephone population surveys among primary care users in each EUprimecare consortium country (Germany, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Italy and Lithuania). The survey was conducted with 3020 patients and the questionnaire included sociodemographic variables, health status, and use and satisfaction with primary care services. We undertook descriptive analyses, bivariate correlations and an ordinal regression model to study the direct relationship between levels of satisfaction and the explanatory variables for demographics, health status and health services for patients. We present the regression coefficients (β) with 95% confidence intervals and associated tests of statistical significance. The mean age of the respondents was 51 years (SD 14.1). We found significant associations between the level of satisfaction and age (β = 0.008), specialist visits (β = -0.030), not having a general practitioner (β = 0.70), not measuring weight, cholesterol and blood pressure (β = 0.52), country (β1 Germany = -1.08 and β2 Lithuania = -0.60; β3 Hungary = 0.50 and β4 Italy = 0.53) and a better perception of health status (β = 0.33). Specialist visits had a negative association with satisfaction. Overall, the results indicate factors that may be related to greater satisfaction with primary care services: age, visits to a specialist, having a doctor assigned to primary care and measurement of control parameters are associated with a better perception of the care received.

Charging-induced asymmetry in molecular conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zahid, F.; Ghosh, A. W.; Paulsson, M.; Polizzi, E.; Datta, S.

2004-12-01

We investigate the origin of asymmetry in various measured current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of molecules with no inherent spatial asymmetry, with particular focus on a recent break junction measurement. We argue that such asymmetry arises due to unequal coupling with the contacts and a consequent difference in charging effects, which can only be captured in a self-consistent model for molecular conduction. The direction of the asymmetry depends on the sign of the majority carriers in the molecule. For conduction through highest occupied molecular orbitals (i.e., HOMO or p -type conduction), the current is smaller for positive voltage on the stronger contact, while for conduction through lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (i.e., LUMO or n -type conduction), the sense of the asymmetry is reversed. Within an extended Hückel description of the molecular chemistry and the contact microstructure (with two adjustable parameters, the position of the Fermi energy and the sulphur-gold bond length), an appropriate description of Poisson’s equation, and a self-consistently coupled nonequilibrium Green’s function description of transport, we achieve good agreement between theoretical and experimental I-V characteristics, both in shape as well as overall magnitude.

The Evolution of Reproduction within Testudinata as Evidenced by the Fossil Record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawver, Daniel Ryan

Although known from every continent except Antarctica and having a fossil record ranging from the Middle Jurassic to the Pleistocene, fossil turtle eggs are relatively understudied. In this dissertation I describe four fossil specimens, interpret paleoecology and conduct cladistic analyses in order to investigate the evolution of turtle reproduction. Fossil eggshell descriptions primarily involve analysis by scanning electron and polarized light microscopy, as well as cathodoluminescence to determine the degree of diagenetic alteration. Carapace lengths and gas conductance are estimated in order to investigate the ecology of the adults that produced fossil turtle eggs and clutches, as well as their incubation environments, respectively. Cladistic analyses of turtle egg and reproductive characters permit assessment of the usefulness of these characters for determining phylogenetic relationships of fossil specimens and the evolution of reproduction in turtles. Specimens described here include 1) Testudoolithus oosp. from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar, 2) a clutch of eggs (some containing late stage embryos and at least one exhibiting multilayer eggshell) from the Late Cretaceous Judith River Formation of Montana and named Testudoolithus zelenitskyae oosp. nov., 3) an egg contained within an adult Basilemys nobilis from the Late Cretaceous Kaiparowits Formation of Utah, and 4) a clutch of Meiolania platyceps eggs from the Pleistocene of Lord Howe Island, Australia. Meiolania platyceps eggs are named Testudoolithus lordhowensis oosp. nov. and provide valuable information on the origin of aragonite eggshell composition and nesting behaviors. Cladistic analyses utilizing egg and reproductive characters are rarely performed on taxa outside of Dinosauria. My analyses demonstrate that morphological data produces poorly resolved trees in which only the clades Adocia and Trionychia are resolved and all other turtles form a large polytomy. However, when combined with molecular data, egg and reproductive characters have more resolving potential towards the top of trees. This poor resolution is likely due to homoplasy in the form of character reversals, convergent evolution, and/or from the limited number of informative characters.

Description and Demonstration of CBT for ADHD in Adults

PubMed Central

Sprich, Susan E.; Knouse, Laura E.; Cooper-Vince, Christine; Burbridge, Jennifer; Safren, Steven A.

2013-01-01

ADHD in adulthood is a valid, prevalent, distressing, and interfering condition. Although medications help treat this disorder, there are often residual symptoms after medication treatment, and, for some patients, they are contraindicated. Compared to other disorders, such as mood and anxiety disorders, there are few resources available for clinicians wishing to conduct cognitive-behavioral treatment for this problem. The present manuscript provides a description of our cognitive-behavioral approach to treat ADHD in adulthood, which we have developed and tested in our clinic (Safren, Otto, et al., 2005), and for which detailed therapist and client guides exist (Safren, Perlman, Sprich, & Otto, 2005; Safren, Sprich, Perlman, & Otto, 2005). To augment the description of treatment, the present article provides video component demonstrations of several core modules that highlight important aspects of this treatment. This description and the accompanying demonstrations are intended as a practical guide to assist therapists wishing to conduct such a treatment in the outpatient setting. PMID:24379644

75 FR 59195 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Time-and-Materials (T&M) and Labor-Hour (LH) Contracts for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-27

... suitable. At a minimum, the D&F shall-- (i) Include a description of the market research conducted (see 8... determination and findings is required to contain several elements, including a description of the market research performed for the acquisition and a description of the actions planned to maximize the use of...

Audible Image Description as an Accommodation in Statewide Assessments for Students with Visual and Print Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrell, Kay Alicyn; Correa-Torres, Silvia M.; Howell, Jennifer Johnson; Pearson, Robert; Carver, Wendy Morrow; Groll, Amy Spencer; Anthony, Tanni L.; Matthews, Deborah; Gould, Bryan; O'Connell, Trisha; Botsford, Kathryn D,; Dewald, Hong Phangia; Smyth, Catherine A.; Dewald, Aaron John

2017-01-01

Introduction:Although image description has been identified as an accommodation for presentations conducted in the classroom, only a few U.S. states have approved it for use in high-stakes assessments. This study examined the use of audible image description as an assessment accommodation for students with visual and print disabilities by…

Using Administrative Data for Research: A Companion Guide to "A Descriptive Analysis of the Principal Workforce in Florida Schools." REL 2015-049

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Folsom, Jessica Sidler; Osborne-Lampkin, La'Tara; Herrington, Carolyn D.

2014-01-01

This document is a companion guide to "A Descriptive Analysis of the Principal Workforce in Florida Schools" (Folsom, Osborne-Lampkin, & Herrington, in press). It describes the methods used to extract information from the Florida Department of Education database in order to conduct a descriptive analysis of the demographic…

[Quality appraisal of systematic reviews or meta-analysis on traditional Chinese medicine published in Chinese journals].

PubMed

Liu, Jian-ping; Xia, Yun

2007-04-01

To critically assess the quality of literature about systematic review or meta-analysis on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) published in Chinese journals. Electronic searches in CNKI, VIP and Wanfang data-base were conducted to retrieve the systematic reviews or meta-analysis reports on TCM, including herbal medicine, needling, acupuncture and moxibustion, as well as integrative medicine, they were identified and extracted according to the 18 items of QUOROM (quality of reporting of meta-analyses) Statement and relative information. The appraisal was made taking the indexes mainly including objectives, source of data, methods of data extraction, quality assessment of the included studies, measurement data synthesis, etc. Eighty-two systematic reviews were identified, except 6 reviews were excluded for repeatedly published or didn't comply with the enrolled criterion, 76 reviews concerning 51 kinds of diseases were enrolled for appraisal. Among them, 70 reviews evaluated the efficacy of TCM, mainly on Chinese herbs and 9 on acupuncture and moxibustion. In majority of the reviews, randomised controlled trials were included and the data resources were described, but in 26 reviews only the Chinese databases were searched and the description about data extraction and analysis method were too simple; and 70% of reviews assessed the quality of the included studies; none used flow chart to express the process of selection, inclusion and exclusion of studies. Few reviews or Meta-analysis reports reached the international standard and there is insufficient description of methodology for conducting systematic reviews, so it is hardly to be repeated. The authors suggested that advanced methodological training is necessary for reviewers.

Perspectives on enhancing international practical training of students in health and social care study programs - A qualitative descriptive case study.

PubMed

Hvalič-Touzery, Simona; Hopia, Hanna; Sihvonen, Sanna; Diwan, Sadhna; Sen, Soma; Skela-Savič, Brigita

2017-01-01

Internationalization of practical training in health and social care study programs is an important aspect of higher education. However, field mentors' and classroom teachers' competence in guiding culturally diverse students varies widely in European countries, and the majority does not have enough training in guiding foreign students. This study aimed to examine which factors enhance the efficacy of international practical placement experiences in health and social care study programs. A qualitative descriptive case study design was used. The study was conducted at six higher education institutions-two in Finland and one in Croatia, Estonia, the Netherlands and Slovenia. A convenience sample of 14 mentors, 15 teachers and 14 students with international experiences from six higher education institutions which are part of the Bologna Process was recruited. The data were collected from six focus groups using a semi-structured questionnaire based on a literature review. Each higher education institution conducted one group interview that was tape-recorded, transcribed and analysed for themes. Participants made several recommendations for enhancing the practical placement experience of students, teachers, and mentors. Most recommendations dealt with practical supervision of students. Three major themes noted were: 'Attitudes towards internationalization of practical placements', 'Factors impacting the international placement experience', and 'Pedagogical methods used and structural support available for internationalization.' The study highlights the need for strengthening the multicultural knowledge and skills of mentors and teachers. The findings provide practical guidelines for improving the international placement experience across health and social care fields. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The spiritual and religious identities, beliefs, and practices of academic pediatricians in the United States.

PubMed

Catlin, Elizabeth Ann; Cadge, Wendy; Ecklund, Elaine Howard; Gage, Elizabeth A; Zollfrank, Angelika Annette

2008-12-01

Physicians' spiritual and religious identities, beliefs, and practices are beginning to be explored. The objective of this study was to gather descriptive information about personal religion and spirituality from a random sample of academic American pediatricians and to compare this information with similar data from the public. In 2005, a Web-based survey of a random sample of 208 pediatrician faculty from 13 academic centers ranked by the US News & World Report as "honor roll" hospitals was conducted. Surveys elicited information about personal beliefs and practices as well as their influence on decisions about patient care and clinical practice. Multiple questions were replicated from the General Social Survey to enable comparisons with the public. Descriptive statistics were generated, and logistic regression analyses were conducted on relevant variables. Nearly 88% of respondents were raised in a religious tradition, but just 67.2% claimed current religious identification. More than half (52.6%) reported praying privately; additional spiritual practices reported included relaxation techniques (38.8%), meditation (29.3%), sacred readings (26.7%), and yoga (19%). The majority of academic pediatricians (58.6%) believed that personal spiritual or religious beliefs influenced their interactions with patients/colleagues. These odds increased 5.1-fold when academic pediatricians attended religious services monthly or more (P < .05). Compared with the American public, a notably smaller proportion of academic pediatricians reported a personal religious identity. The majority believed spiritual and religious beliefs influenced their practice of pediatrics. Whether secular or faith-based belief systems measurably modify academic pediatric practice is unknown.

Analyses and description of geochemical samples, Mill Creek Wilderness Study Area, Giles County, Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mei, Leung; Lesure, Frank Gardner

1978-01-01

Semiquantitative emission spectrographic analyses for 64 elements on 62 stream sediment and 71 rock samples from Mill Creek Wilderness Study area, Giles County, Virginia, are reported here in detail. Locations for all samples are given in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates. Brief descriptions of rock samples are also included. Rocks analysed are mostly sandstone. Samples of hematitic sandstone of the Rose Hill Formation and limonite-cemented sandstone of the Rocky Gap Sandstone contain high values of iron; these rocks are submarginal iron resources. Some of the same iron-rich samples have a little more barium, copper, cobalt, lead, silver, and/or zinc then is in average sandstone, but they do not suggest the presence of economic deposits of these metals. No other obviously anomalous values related to mineralized rock are present in the data.

Analyses and description of geochemical samples, Peters Mountain Wilderness Study Area, Giles County, Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rait, Norma; Lesure, Frank Gardner

1978-01-01

Semiquantitative emission spectrographic analyses for 64 elements on 43 stream sediment and 73 rock samples from Peters Mountain Wilderness Study area, Giles County, Virginia, are reported here in detail. Locations for all samples are in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates. Brie[ descriptions of rock samples are also included. Rocks analysed are mostly sandstone. Samples of hematitic sandstone of the Rose Hill Formation and limonite-cemented sandstone of the Rocky Gap Sandstone contain high values of iron; these rocks are submarginal iron resources. Some of the same iron-rich samples have a little more barium, copper, cobalt, lead, silver, and/or zinc then average sandstone, but they do not suggest the presence of economic deposits of these metals. No other obviously anomalous values related to mineralized rock are present in the data.

Setting Us Free? Building Meaningful Models of Progression for a "Post-Levels" World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Alex

2014-01-01

Alex Ford was thrilled by the prospect of freedom offered to history departments in England by the abolition of level descriptions within the National Curriculum. After analysing the range of competing purposes that the level descriptions were previously forced to serve, Ford argues that the three distinct tasks of measuring current attainment,…

Statistical analysis and interpretation of prenatal diagnostic imaging studies, Part 2: descriptive and inferential statistical methods.

PubMed

Tuuli, Methodius G; Odibo, Anthony O

2011-08-01

The objective of this article is to discuss the rationale for common statistical tests used for the analysis and interpretation of prenatal diagnostic imaging studies. Examples from the literature are used to illustrate descriptive and inferential statistics. The uses and limitations of linear and logistic regression analyses are discussed in detail.

Seeing the Word, Hearing the Image: The Artistic Possibilities of Audio Description in Theatrical Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavalloa, Amelia

2015-01-01

This paper will explore the effect that creative, non-traditional uses of audio description (AD) have on the audience during a performance, and how they trouble normative understandings of aesthetics and representation. This will be done by analysing two pieces created by Extant Theatre, the UK's only professional theatre company of visually…

Preservice Teachers' Problem Solving: A Study of Problem Identification and Engagement Style Using the LIBRE Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro-Villarreal, Felicia; Guerra, Norma S.

2012-01-01

In this study, we examine 122 preservice teachers' reported problems and assessed engagement styles using the LIBRE model stick figure. Qualitative and descriptive data were gathered using (1) a qualitative problem-solving activity to identify preservice teachers' problems and engagement preferences and (2) descriptive analyses to depict and…

A Descriptive Analysis of the Principal Workforce in Wisconsin. Summary. Issues & Answers. REL 2012-No. 135

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clifford, Matthew; Condon, Chris; Greenberg, Ariela; Williams, Ryan; Gerdeman, R. Dean; Fetters, Jenni; Baker, Bruce

2012-01-01

This summary describes a study that responds to a request from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for information on Wisconsin's school principal workforce population. In the study, descriptive analyses addressed two research questions: (1) How do the demographic characteristics of Wisconsin school principals compare how did these…

Supporting work practices through telehealth: impact on nurses in peripheral regions.

PubMed

Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Paré, Guy; Pollender, Hugo; Duplantie, Julie; Côté, José; Fortin, Jean-Paul; Labadie, Rita; Duplàa, Emmanuel; Thifault, Marie-Claude; Courcy, François; McGinn, Carrie Anna; Ly, Birama Apho; Trépanier, Amélie; Malo, François-Bernard

2011-02-04

In Canada, workforce shortages in the health care sector constrain the ability of the health care system to meet the needs of its population and of its health care professionals. This issue is of particular importance in peripheral regions of Quebec, where significant inequalities in workforce distribution between regions has lead to acute nursing shortages and increased workloads. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are innovative solutions that can be used to develop strategies to optimise the use of available resources and to design new nursing work practices. However, current knowledge is still limited about the real impact of ICTs on nursing recruitment and retention. Our aim is to better understand how work practice reorganization, supported by ICTs, and particularly by telehealth, may influence professional, educational, and organizational factors relating to Quebec nurses, notably those working in peripheral regions. First, we will conduct a descriptive study on the issue of nursing recruitment. Stratified sampling will be used to select approximately twenty innovative projects relating to the reorganization of work practices based upon ICTs. Semi-structured interviews with key informants will determine professional, educational, and organizational recruitment factors. The results will be used to create a questionnaire which, using a convenience sampling method, will be mailed to 600 third year students and recent graduates of two Quebec university nursing faculties. Descriptive, correlation, and hierarchical regression analyses will be performed to identify factors influencing nursing graduates' intentions to practice in peripheral regions. Secondly, we will conduct five case studies pertaining to the issue of nursing retention. Five ICT projects in semi-urban, rural, and isolated regions have been identified. Qualitative data will be collected through field observation and approximately fifty semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. Data from both parts of this research project will be jointly analysed using triangulation of researchers, theoretical approaches, methods, and results. Continuous exchanges with decision makers and periodic knowledge transfer activities are planned to facilitate the dissemination and utilization of research results in policies regarding the nursing recruitment and retention.

Training and Technology. Report of Program Activities January 1--June 30, 1973. Conducted at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commissions Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. Summary Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oak Ridge Associated Universities, TN. Manpower Development Div.

The report is a description of the program activities carried on by Training and Technology (TAT) during the first six months of 1973. In the general category of manpower research and development, brief but detailed descriptions are given of each of the projects conducted in the development and extension of the TAT training model in Albuquerque,…

Directional borehole radar tests of an oil injection experiment at the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abraham, Jared D.; Moulton, Craig; Brown, Philip J.

2002-01-01

In October 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted borehole radar surveys of an oil injection experiment at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), in Golden Colorado using the prototype U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)-developed directional borehole radar system (DBOR). A explanation of the system can be found in Wright and others (2001). The USGS was invited to the CSM to deploy the prototype directional borehole radar system during an oil injection experiment conducted to investigate the applicability of radar to monitoring formation invasion from a horizontal borehole. This work was conducted by a student at the CSM and is summarized in Moita (2001). The purpose of this report is to release the data and to summarize the experiments conducted with the DBOR system. This report contains, (1) a description of the system as deployed in the experiments, (2) a description of the data collected and data parameters used, (3) a simple display of some of the data collected, and (4) a description of the DBOR data files.

Women's experiences with healthcare professionals after suffering from gender-based violence: An interview study.

PubMed

Wallin Lundell, Inger; Eulau, Louise; Bjarneby, Frida; Westerbotn, Margareta

2018-03-01

This study sought to describe how women in Mexico who have suffered from gender-based violence experience their encounters with healthcare professionals. Gender-based violence is a worldwide problem. Previous studies have described that women feel they are not being cared for appropriately during their encounters with healthcare professionals. This study was conducted in Mexico, which has a high rate of gender inequality. A descriptive, qualitative study was conducted. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with seven women. An inductive content analysis was used to analyse the interviews. The analyses resulted in four categories: Feelings of guilt about being abused, Feelings of being unimportant, Feelings of taking time and Feelings of being insecure/secure. The women emphasised the importance of healthcare professionals taking time out of their busy schedules for them. When they treated the women with respect and genuine interest, the women felt secure. When the healthcare professionals did not meet these expectations, feelings of frustration and mistrust were elicited. Feelings of being listened to and safety were considered important aspects in a positive encounter, whereas feeling a lack of time or interest often led to negative experiences such as frustration with and distrust of the healthcare system. These results imply that healthcare professionals may have deficiencies with regard to how these women are treated because these women do not feel that they receive the proper support. Education regarding how to approach women who have suffered from gender-based violence is essential for healthcare professionals to establish respectful encounters. The findings of this study stress that relatively simple efforts such as listening to these women's stories and providing them with genuine attention might substantially improve care. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Characterizing health plan price estimator tools: findings from a national survey.

PubMed

Higgins, Aparna; Brainard, Nicole; Veselovskiy, German

2016-02-01

Policy makers have growing interest in price transparency and in the kinds of tools available to consumers. Health plans have implemented price estimator tools that make provider pricing information available to members; however, systematic data on prevalence and characteristics of such tools are limited. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of price estimator tools offered by health plans to their members and to identify potential trends, challenges, and opportunities for advancing the utility of these tools. National Web-based survey. Between 2014 and 2015, we conducted a national Web-based survey of health plans with commercial enrollment (100 plans, 43% response rate). Descriptive analyses were conducted using survey data. Health plan members have access to a variety of price estimator tool capabilities for commonly used procedures. These tools take into account member characteristics, including member zip code and benefit design. Despite outreach to members, however, challenges remain with respect to member uptake of such tools. Our study found that health plans share price and provider performance data with their members.

The mediating effect of calling on the relationship between medical school students’ academic burnout and empathy

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Purpose This study is aimed at identifying the relationships between medical school students’ academic burnout, empathy, and calling, and determining whether their calling has a mediating effect on the relationship between academic burnout and empathy. Methods A mixed method study was conducted. One hundred twenty-seven medical students completed a survey. Scales measuring academic burnout, medical students’ empathy, and calling were utilized. For statistical analysis, correlation analysis, descriptive statistics analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. For qualitative approach, eight medical students participated in a focus group interview. Results The study found that empathy has a statistically significant, negative correlation with academic burnout, while having a significant, positive correlation with calling. Sense of calling proved to be an effective mediator of the relationship between academic burnout and empathy. Conclusion This result demonstrates that calling is a key variable that mediates the relationship between medical students’ academic burnout and empathy. As such, this study provides baseline data for an education that could improve medical students’ empathy skills. PMID:28870019

Using Technology to Deliver Mental Health Services to Children and Youth: A Scoping Review

PubMed Central

Boydell, Katherine M.; Hodgins, Michael; Pignatiello, Antonio; Teshima, John; Edwards, Helen; Willis, David

2014-01-01

Objective: To conduct a scoping review on the use of technology to deliver mental health services to children and youth in order to identify the breadth of peer-reviewed literature, summarize findings and identify gaps. Method: A literature database search identified 126 original studies meeting criteria for review. Descriptive numerical summary and thematic analyses were conducted. Two reviewers independently extracted data. Results: Studies were characterized by diverse technologies including videoconferencing, telephone and mobile phone applications and Internet-based applications such as email, web sites and CD-ROMs. Conclusion: The use of technologies plays a major role in the delivery of mental health services and supports to children and youth in providing prevention, assessment, diagnosis, counseling and treatment programs. Strategies are growing exponentially on a global basis, thus it is critical to study the impact of these technologies on child and youth mental health service delivery. An in-depth review and synthesis of the quality of findings of studies on effectiveness of the use of technologies in service delivery are also warranted. A full systematic review would provide that opportunity. PMID:24872824

Using technology to deliver mental health services to children and youth: a scoping review.

PubMed

Boydell, Katherine M; Hodgins, Michael; Pignatiello, Antonio; Teshima, John; Edwards, Helen; Willis, David

2014-05-01

To conduct a scoping review on the use of technology to deliver mental health services to children and youth in order to identify the breadth of peer-reviewed literature, summarize findings and identify gaps. A literature database search identified 126 original studies meeting criteria for review. Descriptive numerical summary and thematic analyses were conducted. Two reviewers independently extracted data. Studies were characterized by diverse technologies including videoconferencing, telephone and mobile phone applications and Internet-based applications such as email, web sites and CD-ROMs. The use of technologies plays a major role in the delivery of mental health services and supports to children and youth in providing prevention, assessment, diagnosis, counseling and treatment programs. Strategies are growing exponentially on a global basis, thus it is critical to study the impact of these technologies on child and youth mental health service delivery. An in-depth review and synthesis of the quality of findings of studies on effectiveness of the use of technologies in service delivery are also warranted. A full systematic review would provide that opportunity.

LANL Environmental ALARA Program Status Report for CY 2016

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

Whicker, Jeffrey Jay; Mcnaughton, Michael; Ruedig, Elizabeth

2017-02-24

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) ensures that radiation exposures to members of the public and the environment from LANL operations, past and present, are below regulatory thresholds and are as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) through compliance with DOE Order 458.1 Radiation Protection for the Public and the Environment, and LANL Policy 412 Environmental Radiation Protection (LANL2016a). In 2007, a finding (RL.2-F-1) and observation (RL.2-0-1) in the NNSA/ LASO report, September 2007, Release of Property (Land) Containing Residual Radioactive Material Self-Assessment Report, indicated that LANL had no policy or documented process in place for the release of property containing residualmore » radioactive material. In response, LANL developed PD410, Los Alamos National Laboratory Environmental ALARA Program. The most recent version of this document became effective in 2014 (LANL 2014a). The document provides program authorities, responsibilities, descriptions, processes, and thresholds for conducting qualitative and quantitative ALARA analyses for prospective and actual radiation exposures to the public and t o the environment resulting from DOE activities conducted on the LANL site.« less

LANL Environmental ALARA Program Status Report for CY 2015

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

Whicker, Jeffrey Jay; Mcnaughton, Michael; Gillis, Jessica Mcdonnel

2016-03-29

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) ensures that radiation exposures to members of the public and the environment from LANL operations, past and present, are below regulatory thresholds and are as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) through compliance with DOE Order 458.1 Radiation Protection for the Public and the Environment, and LANL Policy 412 Environmental Radiation Protection. In 2007, a finding (RL.2-F-1) and observation (RL.2-0-1) in the NNSA/ LASO report, September 2007, Release of Property (Land) Containing Residual Radioactive Material Self-Assessment Report, indicated that LANL had no policy or documented process in place for the release of property containing residual radioactivemore » material. In response, LANL developed PD410, Los Alamos National Laboratory Environmental ALARA Program. The most recent version of this document became effective on September 28, 2011. The document provides program authorities, responsibilities, descriptions, processes, and thresholds for conducting qualitative and quantitative ALARA analyses for prospective and actual radiation exposures to the public and t o the environment resulting from DOE activities conducted on the LANL site.« less

A Community Needs Assessment of the Physical Activity and Food Environment in a Predominantly Hispanic U.S. City.

PubMed

Lebron, Cynthia; Stoutenberg, Mark; Portacio, Francia; Zollinger, Terrell W

2016-09-01

Hispanics suffer disproportionately compared with non-Hispanic Whites from health conditions that are affected by physical inactivity and poor dietary habits. A needs assessment was conducted in Hialeah, Florida, the largest enclave of Cubans in the United States, to assess the perspectives of community stakeholders and members regarding the roles of physical activity and nutrition environments. Interviews were performed with community stakeholders (n = 21), and responses were grouped into major themes. Surveys were conducted with community members (n = 85). Descriptive analyses were used to categorize responses and potential differences across responses were explored. Both community members and stakeholders reported that the local park system was a major asset to healthy living in Hialeah and agreed that traffic issues and a lack of walkability were major barriers to being physically active; however, there was variability in the response to the quality of the food environment. The perspectives of the community members and stakeholders will be valuable in highlighting pathways to enhancing the health and wellness of the residents of Hialeah. © The Author(s) 2016.

Conducting high-value secondary dataset analysis: an introductory guide and resources.

PubMed

Smith, Alexander K; Ayanian, John Z; Covinsky, Kenneth E; Landon, Bruce E; McCarthy, Ellen P; Wee, Christina C; Steinman, Michael A

2011-08-01

Secondary analyses of large datasets provide a mechanism for researchers to address high impact questions that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming to study. This paper presents a guide to assist investigators interested in conducting secondary data analysis, including advice on the process of successful secondary data analysis as well as a brief summary of high-value datasets and online resources for researchers, including the SGIM dataset compendium ( www.sgim.org/go/datasets ). The same basic research principles that apply to primary data analysis apply to secondary data analysis, including the development of a clear and clinically relevant research question, study sample, appropriate measures, and a thoughtful analytic approach. A real-world case description illustrates key steps: (1) define your research topic and question; (2) select a dataset; (3) get to know your dataset; and (4) structure your analysis and presentation of findings in a way that is clinically meaningful. Secondary dataset analysis is a well-established methodology. Secondary analysis is particularly valuable for junior investigators, who have limited time and resources to demonstrate expertise and productivity.

Issues affecting health professionals during and after catastrophic earthquakes in Van-Turkey.

PubMed

Sevimli, Sukran; Karadas, Sevdegul; Dulger, Ahmet Cumhur

2016-02-01

To assess physical and psycho-social problems faced by health professionals, and to analyse the ethical, legal and triage dimensions of disaster medical services. The descriptive study was conducted from November 2011 to March 2012 and comprised health professionals from two hospitals of Van, Turkey A specific questionnaire was designed and interviews were conducted face to face. SPSS 13 was used for statistical analysis. Of the 430 health professionals who had experienced one or more earthquakes and were part of the study, 225(52.3%) were nurses and 205(47.7%) were doctors. There were 224(52%) women and 206(48%) men. Besides, 206(48) were below 31 years of age. Overall, 193(44.9%) participants experienced chaos, 83(19.3%) panic and fear, and 129(30%) despair. Only 20(4.7%) of them lived at home, while others lived in tents, containers, hospitals or cars during the emergency and continued to provide services despite social, economic and psychological problems. Triage was preferred by 339(78.8%) of the respondents. Problems of health professionals were multi-dimensional and addressing them would make service delivery more effective.

Geographic Variation in Condom Availability and Accessibility.

PubMed

Shacham, Enbal; J Nelson, Erik; Schulte, Lauren; Bloomfield, Mark; Murphy, Ryan

2016-12-01

Identifying predictors that contribute to geographic disparities in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is necessary in order to reduce disparities. This study assesses the spatial relationship condom availability and accessibility in order to better identify determinants of geographic disparities in STIs. We conducted a telephone-based audit among potential-condom selling establishments. Descriptive analyses were conducted to detect differences in condom-selling characteristics by stores and by store type. Geocoding, mapping, and spatial analysis were conducted to measure the availability of condoms. A total of 850 potential condom-selling establishments participated in the condom availability and accessibility audit in St. Louis city; 29 % sold condoms. There were several significant geographic clusters of stores identified across the study area. The first consisted of fewer convenience stores and gas stations that sold condoms in the northern section of the city, whereas condoms were less likely to be sold in non-convenience store settings in the southwestern and central parts of the city. Additionally, locations that distributed free condoms clustered significantly in city center. However, there was a dearth of businesses that were neither convenience stores nor gas stations in the northern region of the city, which also had the highest concentration of condoms sold. This initial study was conducted to provide evidence that condom availability and accessibility differ by geographic region, and likely are a determinant of social norms surrounding condom use and ultimately impact STI rates.

Child abuse and suicidal ideation among adolescents in China.

PubMed

Kwok, Sylvia Y C L; Chai, Wenyu; He, Xuesong

2013-11-01

The present study examined the relationship among physical abuse, psychological abuse, perceived family functioning and adolescent suicidal ideation in Shanghai, China. Perceived family functioning was investigated as a possible moderator between physical abuse, psychological abuse and suicidal ideation. A cross sectional survey using convenience sampling was conducted. A total of 560 valid self-administered questionnaires were completed by the students aged from 12 to 17 in Shanghai. Descriptive statistical analyses, Pearson correlations analyses, and hierarchical regression analyses were adopted as methods of data analyses. Results indicated that physical abuse was significantly associated with greater adolescent suicidal ideation, while a higher level of perceived family functioning was significantly associated with lower suicidal ideation. However, psychological abuse was not associated with suicidal ideation. Perceived family functioning was shown to be a moderator between physical abuse and suicidal ideation. Specifically, mutuality and family communication moderated the relationship between physical abuse and suicidal ideation. To decrease adolescent suicidal ideation, measures are suggested to prevent physical abuse and enhance family functioning. First, it is important to increase the parents' awareness of the meaning and boundaries of physical abuse, as well as the role it plays in contributing to adolescent suicidal ideation. Second, parents should be taught appropriate parenting skills and knowledge and be guided to treat the children as individuals with their unique personality, rights and privileges. Third, it is important to promote family harmony, effective communication as well as mutual trust, concern and understanding among family members. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large Block Test Final Report

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

Lin, W

2001-12-01

This report documents the Large-Block Test (LBT) conducted at Fran Ridge near Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The LBT was a thermal test conducted on an exposed block of middle non-lithophysal Topopah Spring tuff (Tptpmn) and was designed to assist in understanding the thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes associated with heating and then cooling a partially saturated fractured rock mass. The LBT was unique in that it was a large (3 x 3 x 4.5 m) block with top and sides exposed. Because the block was exposed at the surface, boundary conditions on five of the six sides of the block were relatively wellmore » known and controlled, making this test both easier to model and easier to monitor. This report presents a detailed description of the test as well as analyses of the data and conclusions drawn from the test. The rock block that was tested during the LBT was exposed by excavation and removal of the surrounding rock. The block was characterized and instrumented, and the sides were sealed and insulated to inhibit moisture and heat loss. Temperature on the top of the block was also controlled. The block was heated for 13 months, during which time temperature, moisture distribution, and deformation were monitored. After the test was completed and the block cooled down, a series of boreholes were drilled, and one of the heater holes was over-cored to collect samples for post-test characterization of mineralogy and mechanical properties. Section 2 provides background on the test. Section 3 lists the test objectives and describes the block site, the site configuration, and measurements made during the test. Section 3 also presents a chronology of events associated with the LBT, characterization of the block, and the pre-heat analyses of the test. Section 4 describes the fracture network contained in the block. Section 5 describes the heating/cooling system used to control the temperature in the block and presents the thermal history of the block during the test. Sections 5 through 9 report the measurements made on the block during the preheating, heating, and cooling phases. These measurements include temperature, thermal conductivity and diffusivity, hydrological measurements (electrical resistivity, neutron logging, gas pressure, and relative humidity), geomechanics, selected chemical analyses, and microbial activity. These sections also include analyses and simulations of the block behavior. Finally, conclusions are presented in Section 10. Complete data sets were submitted during the time the test was conducted. The data tracking numbers (DTNs) of all of the data are presented in Table 1-1.« less

A virtual reconstruction and comparative analysis of the KNM-ER 42700 cranium.

PubMed

Bauer, Catherine C; Harvati, Katerina

2015-01-01

The taxonomic attribution of the 1.55 million year old young adult fossil calvaria KNM-ER 42700   from Ileret, Kenya, is subject to ongoing controversy. It has been attributed to H. erectus based on comparative description and linear measurements. However, 3-D geometric morphometric analysis found that this specimen fell outside the range of variation of H. erectus in its cranial shape, which was intermediate between H. erectus and modern humans. One problem is that analyses so far were conducted on the original specimen, which shows slight post-mortem distortion. Here we use a surface scan of a high resolution cast of KNM-ER 42700 to virtually reconstruct the calvaria and conduct a new 3D geometric morphometric analysis of both its original and its reconstructed shape. Our comparative sample included several specimens of H. erectus (s.l., including the subadult KNM-WT 15000), H. habilis, H. heidelbergenis (s.l.) and H. neanderthalensis, as well as early and Upper Paleolithic H. sapiens. Our principal component analysis results showed that, like the original specimen, our virtual reconstruction of KNM-ER 42700 is also intermediate in shape between fossil Homo and modern humans. Taphonomic distortion, therefore, appears to not have been a major factor affecting previous 3-D geometric morphometric analyses. The intermediate shape of KNM-ER 42700 might instead be related to the young developmental age of the specimen. Further work on reconstructing the original specimen or based on computed tomorgraphic scans is needed to confirm these results.

The Latent Structure and Test-Retest Stability of Connected Language Measures in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP).

PubMed

Mueller, Kimberly D; Koscik, Rebecca L; Clark, Lindsay R; Hermann, Bruce P; Johnson, Sterling C; Turkstra, Lyn S

2017-11-24

While it is well known that discourse-related language functions are impaired in the dementia phase of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), the presymptomatic temporal course of discourse dysfunction are not known earlier in the course of AD. To conduct discourse-related studies in this phase of AD, validated psychometric instruments are needed. This study investigates the latent structure, validity, and test-retest stability of discourse measures in a late-middle-aged normative group who are relatively free from sporadic AD risk factors. Using a normative sample of 399 participants (mean age = 61), exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted on 18 measures of connected language derived from picture descriptions. Factor invariance across sex and family history and longitudinal test-retest stability measures were calculated. The EFA revealed a four-factor solution, consisting of semantic, syntax, fluency, and lexical constructs. The CFA model substantiated the structure, and factors were invariant across sex and parental history of AD status. Test-retest stability measures were within acceptable ranges. Results confirm a factor structure that is invariant across sex and parental AD history. The factor structure could be useful in similar cohorts designed to detect early language decline in investigations of preclinical or clinical AD or as outcome measures in clinical prevention trials. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Decomposing the gap in missed opportunities for vaccination between poor and non-poor in sub-Saharan Africa: A Multicountry Analyses.

PubMed

Ndwandwe, Duduzile; Uthman, Olalekan A; Adamu, Abdu A; Sambala, Evanson Z; Wiyeh, Alison B; Olukade, Tawa; Bishwajit, Ghose; Yaya, Sanni; Okwo-Bele, Jean-Marie; Wiysonge, Charles S

2018-04-24

Understanding the gaps in missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) in sub-Saharan Africa would inform interventions for improving immunisation coverage to achieving universal childhood immunisation. We aimed to conduct a multicountry analyses to decompose the gap in MOV between poor and non-poor in SSA. We used cross-sectional data from 35 Demographic and Health Surveys in SSA conducted between 2007 and 2016. Descriptive statistics used to understand the gap in MOV between the urban poor and non-poor, and across the selected covariates. Out of the 35 countries included in this analysis, 19 countries showed pro-poor inequality, 5 showed pro-non-poor inequality and remaining 11 countries showed no statistically significant inequality. Among the countries with statistically significant pro-illiterate inequality, the risk difference ranged from 4.2% in DR Congo to 20.1% in Kenya. Important factors responsible for the inequality varied across countries. In Madagascar, the largest contributors to inequality in MOV were media access, number of under-five children, and maternal education. However, in Liberia media access narrowed inequality in MOV between poor and non-poor households. The findings indicate that in most SSA countries, children belonging to poor households are most likely to have MOV and that socio-economic inequality in is determined not only by health system functions, but also by factors beyond the scope of health authorities and care delivery system. The findings suggest the need for addressing social determinants of health.

Hemodynamic Parameters during Laryngoscopic Procedures in the Office and in the Operating Room.

PubMed

Tierney, William S; Chota, Rebecca L; Benninger, Michael S; Nowacki, Amy S; Bryson, Paul C

2016-09-01

Previous research has shown that office-based laryngoscopic procedures can induce hemodynamic changes, including tachycardia and severe hypertension, calling into question the safety of these procedures. However, comparison between office and operating room (OR) procedures has not been carried out. Therefore, we prospectively measured hemodynamic variables in both settings to compare hemodynamic changes between office and OR procedures. Prospective cohort study. Single academic center. Subjects undergoing office and OR laryngoscopic procedures were prospectively identified, and 92 OR and 70 office subjects were included. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured at established time points before, during, and after the procedures. Descriptive and comparative statistical analyses were conducted. Severe hemodynamic events, either tachycardia or severe hypertension (blood pressure >180 mm Hg systolic or >110 mm Hg diastolic), occurred significantly more frequently in OR than office procedures (41% vs 20%; P = .006). OR severe hemodynamic events occurred more commonly than previously reported rates in the office (41% vs 28%; P = .012). Regression analyses showed that the odds of having a severe hemodynamic event were 3.66 times higher in OR versus office procedures. Severe hemodynamic events are more likely to occur in the OR than in the office during laryngologic procedures. While larger studies will be required to establish rates of dangerous cardiovascular events in laryngoscopic procedures, hemodynamic parameters indicate that office-based procedures have a safety benefit for procedures that can be conducted in either setting. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

Results of medical countermeasure drills among 72 cities readiness initiative metropolitan statistical areas, 2008-2009.

PubMed

Jones, Jaime R; Neff, Linda J; Ely, Elizabeth K; Parker, Andrew M

2012-12-01

The Cities Readiness Initiative is a federally funded program designed to assist 72 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in preparing to dispense life-saving medical countermeasures within 48 hours of a public health emergency. Beginning in 2008, the 72 MSAs were required to conduct 3 drills related to the distribution and dispensing of emergency medical countermeasures. The report describes the results of the first year of pilot data for medical countermeasure drills conducted by the MSAs. The MSAs were provided templates with key metrics for 5 functional elements critical for a successful dispensing campaign: personnel call down, site activation, facility setup, pick-list generation, and dispensing throughput. Drill submissions were compiled into single data sets for each of the 5 drills. Analyses were conducted to determine whether the measures were comparable across business and non-business hours. Descriptive statistics were computed for each of the key metrics identified in the 5 drills. Most drills were conducted on Mondays and Wednesdays during business hours (8:00 am-5:00 pm). The median completion time for the personnel call-down drill was 1 hour during business hours (n = 287) and 55 minutes during non-business hours (n = 136). Site-activation drills were completed in a median of 30 minutes during business hours and 5 minutes during non-business hours. Facility setup drills were completed more rapidly during business hours (75 minutes) compared with non-business hours (96 minutes). During business hours, pick lists were generated in a median of 3 minutes compared with 5 minutes during non-business hours. Aggregate results from the dispensing throughput drills demonstrated that the median observed throughput during business hours (60 people/h) was higher than that during non-business hours (43 people/h). The results of the analyses from this pilot sample of drill submissions provide a baseline for the determination of a national standard in operational capabilities for local jurisdictions to achieve in their planning efforts for a mass dispensing campaign during an emergency.

Temporal Progression of Visual Injury from Blast Exposure

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

seen throughout the duration of the study. To correlate experimental blast exposures in rodents to human blast exposures, a computational parametric...software (JMP 10.0, Cary,NC). Descriptive and univariate analyses will first be performed to identify the occurrence of delayed visual system...later). The biostatistician evaluating the retrospective data has completed the descriptive analysis and is working on the multiple regression. Table

Oceanographic scanner system design study, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

The design is reported of a dual mode multispectral scanner, capable of satisfying both overland and oceanographic requirements. A complete system description and performance summary of the scanner are given. In addition, subsystem and component descriptions and performance analyses are treated in individual sections. The design of the scanner, with minimum modifications, interfaces to the ERTS spacecraft and the ground data handling system.

A Proposed Pattern of Enterprise Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-01

consistent architecture descriptions. UPDM comprises extensions to both OMG’s Unified Modelling Language (UML) and Systems Modelling Language ( SysML ...those who use UML and SysML . These represent significant advancements that enable architecture trade-off analyses, architecture model execution...Language ( SysML ), and thus provides for architectural descriptions that contain a rich set of (formally) connected DoDAF/MoDAF viewpoints expressed

77 FR 41132 - Air Quality Implementation Plans; Alabama; Attainment Plan for the Alabama Portion of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-12

... modeling demonstration should include supporting technical analyses and descriptions of all relevant....5 and NO X . The attainment demonstration includes: Technical analyses that locate, identify, and... modeling analysis is a complex technical evaluation that began with selection of the modeling system. The...

Evaluating comprehensiveness in children's healthcare.

PubMed

Diniz, Suênia Gonçalves de Medeiros; Damasceno, Simone Soares; Coutinho, Simone Elizabeth Duarte; Toso, Beatriz Rosana Gonçalves de Oliveira; Collet, Neusa

2016-12-15

To evaluate the presence and extent of comprehensiveness in children's healthcare in the context of the Family Health Strategy. Evaluative, quantitative, cross-sectional study conducted with 344 family members of children at the Family Health Units of João Pessoa, PB, Brazil. Data were collected using the PCATool Brazil - child version and analysed according to descriptive and exploratory statistics. The attribute of comprehensiveness did not obtain satisfactory scores in the two evaluated dimensions, namely "available services" and "provided services". The low scores reveal that the attribute comprehensiveness is not employed as expected in a primary care unit and points to the issues that must be altered. It was concluded that the services should be restructured to ensure cross-sector performance in the provision of child care. It is also important to improve the relations between professionals and users to promote comprehensive and effective care.

The American print news media 'construction' of five natural disasters.

PubMed

Ploughman, P

1995-12-01

In 1985, five international 'natural' disasters received prominent print news media coverage in the United States. Content analyses of selected print news media accounts of these five disasters were conducted. The purported evidence of alleged cause-effect relationships describing and explaining these disasters as 'objective' realities was evaluated in the light of the subjective selection of explanatory factors, themes, frameworks, and value assumptions which underlie the media's analysis and 'construction' of these events as 'natural' disasters. Analysis of the American print news media coverage of these disasters indicated an emphasis upon the dramatic, descriptive, climatological or geological qualities of these events rather than upon causal explanations emphasizing the role of human acts or omissions in the development of these disasters. The print news media 'constructed' these events as 'natural' disasters despite clear evidence of their hybrid, natural-human origins.

[Pattern changes in food and beverages expenditure in Mexican households (1984-2014)].

PubMed

Garza-Montoya, Beatriz Gabriela; Ramos-Tovar, María Elena

2017-01-01

To analyze the proportion of expenditure and its frequency in food and beverages consumed inside and outside of households, at national and regional level, in Mexico between 1984 and 2014. It analyzes data of household expenditure of food and beverages taken from the National Survey of Mexican Household Income and Expenditures 1984, 1994, 2005 and 2014. It conducted descriptive statistics analyses such as percentages, growth rates and crosstabs. There were changes in food expenditure patterns at national and regional level. The proportion of expenditure and its frequency increased in non-alcoholic beverages, prepared food, meals made outside home and cereals. The proportion of expenditure and its frequency decreased in oils and fats, fruits, vegetables, sugar and honeys. These changes can be related to political, economic, social and cultural transformations experienced in the last decades.

The matching law: a tutorial for practitioners.

PubMed

Reed, Derek D; Kaplan, Brent A

2011-01-01

The application of the matching law has historically been limited to use as a quantitative measurement tool in the experimental analysis of behavior to describe temporally extended patterns of behavior-environment relations. In recent years, however, applications of the matching law have been translated to clinical settings and populations to gain a better understanding of how naturally-occurring events affect socially important behaviors. This tutorial provides a brief background of the conceptual foundations of matching, an overview of the various matching equations that have been used in research, and a description of how to interpret the data derived from these equations in the context of numerous examples of matching analyses conducted with socially important behavior. An appendix of resources is provided to direct readers to primary sources, as well as useful articles and books on the topic.

Southwest principal aquifers regional ground-water quality assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anning, D.W.; Thiros, Susan A.; Bexfield, L.M.; McKinney, T.S.; Green, J.M.

2009-01-01

The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a regional analysis of water quality in the principal aquifers in the southwestern United States. The Southwest Principal Aquifers (SWPA) study is building a better understanding of the susceptibility and vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers in the region to ground-water contamination by synthesizing the baseline knowledge of ground-water quality conditions in 15 basins previously studied by the NAWQA Program. The improved understanding of aquifer susceptibility and vulnerability to contamination is assisting in the development of tools that water managers can use to assess and protect the quality of ground-water resources. This fact sheet provides an overview of the basin-fill aquifers in the southwestern United States and description of the completed and planned regional analyses of ground-water quality being performed by the SWPA study.

Difficulties in learning and teaching statistics: teacher views

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koparan, Timur

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to define teacher views about the difficulties in learning and teaching middle school statistics subjects. To serve this aim, a number of interviews were conducted with 10 middle school maths teachers in 2011-2012 school year in the province of Trabzon. Of the qualitative descriptive research methods, the semi-structured interview technique was applied in the research. In accordance with the aim, teacher opinions about the statistics subjects were examined and analysed. Similar responses from the teachers were grouped and evaluated. The teachers stated that it was positive that middle school statistics subjects were taught gradually in every grade but some difficulties were experienced in the teaching of this subject. The findings are presented in eight themes which are context, sample, data representation, central tendency and dispersion measure, probability, variance, and other difficulties.

Marine benthic invertebrates from the Upper Jurassic of northern Ethiopia and their biogeographic affinities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiessling, Wolfgang; Kumar Pandey, Dhirendra; Schemm-Gregory, Mena; Mewis, Heike; Aberhan, Martin

2011-02-01

We present the first modern description of corals, brachiopods and bivalves from the Antalo Limestone in the Mekele Outlier of northern Ethiopia. This fauna is largely of Oxfordian age and lived in shallow subtidal environments and in small patch reefs. In combining our new data with fossil occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database, we conducted multidimensional scaling analyses to assess biogeographic patterns and the delineation of the Ethiopian Province for the Callovian to Kimmeridgian stages. Results suggest that an Ethiopian Province is indeed evident for our focal groups, but this is more confined than traditionally assumed. The so defined Ethiopian Province includes Tunisia, the Levant, Arabia and much of East Africa, but excludes Tanzania and India. The special status of India and Tanzania is perhaps due to latitudinal gradients in faunal composition.

Racial Differences in the Usage of Information Technology: Evidence from a National Physician Survey

PubMed Central

Lee, Doohee; Rutsohn, Phil

2012-01-01

Information technology (IT) is a key mechanism for improving the quality of healthcare and containing costs, but racial differences in the utilization of IT among practicing physicians are unknown. The current study, using a national physician survey (n = 6,628), investigated racial differences in the utilization of IT. White physicians and minority physicians were directly compared. We first conducted both descriptive and inferential analyses to detect the difference in IT utilization by race and then performed multiple logistic regressions to test whether race remains significant in relation to IT utilization. Results reveal racial differences in the usage of IT. Compared to their minority counterparts, white physicians underutilized a preventive service reminder system. On the other hand, white physicians favored utilizing electronic communications with patients and exchanging clinical data and images with other providers. PMID:22783155

Proximate factors associated with speech intelligibility in children with cochlear implants: A preliminary study.

PubMed

Chin, Steven B; Kuhns, Matthew J

2014-01-01

The purpose of this descriptive pilot study was to examine possible relationships among speech intelligibility and structural characteristics of speech in children who use cochlear implants. The Beginners Intelligibility Test (BIT) was administered to 10 children with cochlear implants, and the intelligibility of the words in the sentences was judged by panels of naïve adult listeners. Additionally, several qualitative and quantitative measures of word omission, segment correctness, duration, and intonation variability were applied to the sentences used to assess intelligibility. Correlational analyses were conducted to determine if BIT scores and the other speech parameters were related. There was a significant correlation between BIT score and percent words omitted, but no other variables correlated significantly with BIT score. The correlation between intelligibility and word omission may be task-specific as well as reflective of memory limitations.

The Matching Law: A Tutorial for Practitioners

PubMed Central

Kaplan, Brent A

2011-01-01

The application of the matching law has historically been limited to use as a quantitative measurement tool in the experimental analysis of behavior to describe temporally extended patterns of behavior-environment relations. In recent years, however, applications of the matching law have been translated to clinical settings and populations to gain a better understanding of how naturally-occurring events affect socially important behaviors. This tutorial provides a brief background of the conceptual foundations of matching, an overview of the various matching equations that have been used in research, and a description of how to interpret the data derived from these equations in the context of numerous examples of matching analyses conducted with socially important behavior. An appendix of resources is provided to direct readers to primary sources, as well as useful articles and books on the topic. PMID:22649575

Effect of information education and communication (IEC) programme on knowledge of pregnant mothers regarding prevention and management of warning signs during pregnancy.

PubMed

Takoo, Sarla; Chhugani, Manju; Sharma, Veena

2013-01-01

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an Information, Education and Communication (IEC) programme on knowledge of pregnant mothers regarding prevention and management of warning signs during pregnancy in a selected health care setting at New Delhi. An evaluative research approach with one group pre-test and post-test design was adopted for the present study. A structured interview schedule was prepared. Purposive non-probability sampling technique was employed to interview 30 pregnant mothers who attended antenatal clinic. Data gathered was analysed and interpreted using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that there was maximum knowledge deficit regarding warning signs of pregnancy. IEC programme was effective in enhancing the knowledge of pregnant mothers on prevention and management of warning signs during pregnancy.

A simple approach to improve recording of concerns about childmaltreatment in primary care records: developing a quality improvement intervention

PubMed Central

Woodman, Jenny; Allister, Janice; Rafi, Imran; de Lusignan, Simon; Belsey, Jonathan; Petersen, Irene; Gilbert, Ruth

2012-01-01

Background Information is lacking on how concerns about child maltreatment are recorded in primary care records. Aim To determine how the recording of child maltreatment concerns can be improved. Design and setting Development of a quality improvement intervention involving: clinical audit, a descriptive survey, telephone interviews, a workshop, database analyses, and consensus development in UK general practice. Method Descriptive analyses and incidence estimates were carried out based on 11 study practices and 442 practices in The Health Improvement Network (THIN). Telephone interviews, a workshop, and a consensus development meeting were conducted with lead GPs from 11 study practices. Results The rate of children with at least one maltreatment-related code was 8.4/1000 child years (11 study practices, 2009–2010), and 8.0/1000 child years (THIN, 2009–2010). Of 25 patients with known maltreatment, six had no maltreatment-related codes recorded, but all had relevant free text, scanned documents, or codes. When stating their reasons for undercoding maltreatment concerns, GPs cited damage to the patient relationship, uncertainty about which codes to use, and having concerns about recording information on other family members in the child’s records. Consensus recommendations are to record the code ‘child is cause for concern’ as a red flag whenever maltreatment is considered, and to use a list of codes arranged around four clinical concepts, with an option for a templated short data entry form. Conclusion GPs under-record maltreatment-related concerns in children’s electronic medical records. As failure to use codes makes it impossible to search or audit these cases, an approach designed to be simple and feasible to implement in UK general practice was recommended. PMID:22781996

What has methylmercury in umbilical cords told us? - Minamata disease.

PubMed

Yorifuji, Takashi; Kashima, Saori; Tsuda, Toshihide; Harada, Masazumi

2009-12-20

Severe methylmercury poisoning occurred in Minamata and neighboring communities in the 1950s and 1960s. The exposed patients manifested neurological signs, and some patients exposed in utero were born with so-called congenital Minamata disease. In a previous report, Nishigaki and Harada evaluated the methylmercury concentrations in the umbilical cords of inhabitants and demonstrated that methylmercury actually passed through the placenta (Nishigaki and Harada, 1975). However, the report involved a limited number of cases (only 35) and did not quantitatively evaluate the regional differences in the transition of methylmercury exposure. Therefore, in the present study, we evaluated the temporal and spatial distributions of methylmercury concentrations in umbilical cords, with an increased number of participants and additional descriptive analyses. Then, we examined whether the methylmercury concentrations corresponded with the history of the Minamata disease incident. A total of 278 umbilical cord specimens collected after birth were obtained from babies born between 1925 and 1980 in four study areas exposed to methylmercury. Then, we conducted descriptive analyses, and drew scatterplots of the methylmercury concentrations of all the participants and separated by the areas. In the Minamata area, where the first patient was identified in 1956, the methylmercury concentration reached a peak around 1955. Subsequently, about 5 years later, the concentrations peaked in other exposed areas with the expected exposure distribution corresponding with acetaldehyde production (the origin of methylmercury). This historical incident several decades ago in Minamata and neighboring communities clearly shows that regional pollution affected the environment in utero. Furthermore, the temporal and spatial distributions of the methylmercury concentrations in the umbilical cords tell us the history of the Minamata disease incident.

Reframing Serial Murder Within Empirical Research.

PubMed

Gurian, Elizabeth A

2017-04-01

Empirical research on serial murder is limited due to the lack of consensus on a definition, the continued use of primarily descriptive statistics, and linkage to popular culture depictions. These limitations also inhibit our understanding of these offenders and affect credibility in the field of research. Therefore, this comprehensive overview of a sample of 508 cases (738 total offenders, including partnered groups of two or more offenders) provides analyses of solo male, solo female, and partnered serial killers to elucidate statistical differences and similarities in offending and adjudication patterns among the three groups. This analysis of serial homicide offenders not only supports previous research on offending patterns present in the serial homicide literature but also reveals that empirically based analyses can enhance our understanding beyond traditional case studies and descriptive statistics. Further research based on these empirical analyses can aid in the development of more accurate classifications and definitions of serial murderers.

The role and functions of Clinical Nurse Consultants, an Australian advanced practice role: a descriptive exploratory cohort study.

PubMed

Baldwin, Richard; Duffield, Christine Margaret; Fry, Margaret; Roche, Michael; Stasa, Helen; Solman, Annette

2013-03-01

The NSW Health Policy Directive (NSW Department of Health, 2000) lists clinical service and consultancy; clinical leadership; research; education; clinical services planning and management as the five domains of practice for nurses appointed as Clinical Nurse Consultants (CNCs), an Australian advanced practice nurse (APN) role. However, there is no clear definition of what is meant by advanced practice in the Australian nursing context. Nowhere is this more evident than in differentiating between the roles of Clinical Nurse Consultants (CNCs) and Nurse Practitioners (NP) in NSW. To date, limited empirical research has been done to characterise or delineate CNC role activity and responsibility. To investigate (i) the nature of CNC roles, activities and responsibilities, (ii) differentiate between CNCs by their work patterns and activities, and (iii) empirically conceptualize and differentiate ways CNCs practice in terms of an APN typology. The study sample was 56 CNCs at one tertiary level public hospital in Australia. A descriptive exploratory cohort study was conducted to explore CNC role characteristics and patterns of activity. Data were triangulated using an online survey, a follow-up survey, and semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics to examine differences between CNC work patterns and role activities. The survey data and the individual reports were thematically analysed to investigate for difference across the population of CNCs. Interpretation of survey and interview data led to an analyst-developed CNC typology of four CNC categories based on the work patterns and activities of Sole Practitioner, Clinic Coordinator, Clinical Team Coordinator and Clinical Leader. The typology was based on the themes interprofessional, role focus, clinical focus and setting as these themes distinguished and differentiated CNC roles. The study provides evidence of great diversity and prioritization within CNC roles. The CNC typology identified in this study is similar to the categorisation of the roles of APNs reported by other researchers. With further testing, the CNC typology could be useful to service managers and policy makers in making decision on the category of CNC required for a position and may also be able to be applied to other APN roles. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Effects of hypnosis in dental care].

PubMed

Jugé, Charlène; Tubert-Jeannin, Stéphanie

2013-04-01

Hypnosis is widely used in medicine and dentistry, but many practitioners still consider it as a mysterious technique. Thus, a systematic review was conducted to assess the effects of hypnosis during dental treatment. A literature search was conducted on PubMed (1981-2012) to retrieve references, written in French or English, reporting controlled clinical studies that have evaluated any type of hypnosis. The quality of included studies was assessed by evaluating randomisation, blindness and drop-outs. The effects of hypnosis on anxiety, physiological parameters, patients' behaviour or pain were analysed descriptively. The electronic search retrieved 556 references. Nine studies, generally characterized by low methodological quality, were selected. Results indicated that hypnosis has significant positive effects on anxiety, pain, behaviour and physiological parameters when it is compared with no treatment. When hypnosis is compared with other psychological treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the effects on anxiety and behaviour are almost identical with an advantage for CBT. Individualized hypnosis brings more benefits than standardized hypnosis with audio recordings. This review demonstrated the effectiveness of hypnosis but the poor quality of the clinical studies and the multiplicity of evaluation outcomes limit the level of evidence. It is therefore necessary to conduct further clinical studies to confirm the effects of hypnosis during dental treatments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

14 CFR 11.77 - Is there any additional information I must include in my petition for designating airspace?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., including a detailed description of the type, volume, duration, time, and place of the operations to be conducted in the area; (c) A description of the air navigation, air traffic control, surveillance, and...

14 CFR 11.77 - Is there any additional information I must include in my petition for designating airspace?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., including a detailed description of the type, volume, duration, time, and place of the operations to be conducted in the area; (c) A description of the air navigation, air traffic control, surveillance, and...

Bodies obliged and unbound: differentiated response tendencies for injunctive and descriptive social norms.

PubMed

Jacobson, Ryan P; Mortensen, Chad R; Cialdini, Robert B

2011-03-01

The authors suggest that injunctive and descriptive social norms engage different psychological response tendencies when made selectively salient. On the basis of suggestions derived from the focus theory of normative conduct and from consideration of the norms' functions in social life, the authors hypothesized that the 2 norms would be cognitively associated with different goals, would lead individuals to focus on different aspects of self, and would stimulate different levels of conflict over conformity decisions. Additionally, a unique role for effortful self-regulation was hypothesized for each type of norm-used as a means to resist conformity to descriptive norms but as a means to facilitate conformity for injunctive norms. Four experiments supported these hypotheses. Experiment 1 demonstrated differences in the norms' associations to the goals of making accurate/efficient decisions and gaining/maintaining social approval. Experiment 2 provided evidence that injunctive norms lead to a more interpersonally oriented form of self-awareness and to a greater feeling of conflict about conformity decisions than descriptive norms. In the final 2 experiments, conducted in the lab (Experiment 3) and in a naturalistic environment (Experiment 4), self-regulatory depletion decreased conformity to an injunctive norm (Experiments 3 and 4) and increased conformity to a descriptive norm (Experiment 4)-even though the norms advocated identical behaviors. By illustrating differentiated response tendencies for each type of social norm, this research provides new and converging support for the focus theory of normative conduct. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved

Psychometric properties of the Danish student well-being questionnaire assessed in >250,000 student responders.

PubMed

Niclasen, Janni; Keilow, Maria; Obel, Carsten

2018-05-01

Well-being is considered a prerequisite for learning. The Danish Ministry of Education initiated the development of a new 40-item student well-being questionnaire in 2014 to monitor well-being among all Danish public school students on a yearly basis. The aim of this study was to investigate the basic psychometric properties of this questionnaire. We used the data from the 2015 Danish student well-being survey for 268,357 students in grades 4-9 (about 85% of the study population). Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analyses, confirmatory factor analyses and Cronbach's α reliability measures were used in the analyses. The factor analyses did not unambiguously support one particular factor structure. However, based on the basic descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analyses, confirmatory factor analyses, the semantics of the individual items and Cronbach's α, we propose a four-factor structure including 27 of the 40 items originally proposed. The four scales measure school connectedness, learning self-efficacy, learning environment and classroom management. Two bullying items and two psychosomatic items should be considered separately, leaving 31 items in the questionnaire. The proposed four-factor structure addresses central aspects of well-being, which, if used constructively, may support public schools' work to increase levels of student well-being.

Maternal perception of fetal movements in the third trimester: A qualitative description.

PubMed

Bradford, Billie; Maude, Robyn

2017-12-26

Decreased fetal movements is a common reason for unscheduled antenatal assessment and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcome. Fetal movement counting has not been proven to reduce stillbirths in high-quality studies. The aim was to explore a qualitative account of fetal movements in the third trimester as perceived by pregnant women themselves. Using qualitative descriptive methodology, interviews were conducted with 19 women experiencing an uncomplicated first pregnancy, at two timepoints in their third trimester. Interview transcripts were later analysed using qualitative content analysis. Pregnant women described a sustained increase in strength, frequency and variation in types of fetal movements from quickening until 28-32 weeks. Patterns of fetal movement were consistently described as involving increased movement later in the day and as having an inverse relationship to the women's own activity and rest. At term, the most notable feature was increased strength. Kicking and jolting movements decreased whilst pushing and rolling movements increased. Maternal descriptions of fetal activity in this study were consistent with other qualitative studies and with ultrasound studies of fetal development. Pregnant women observe a complex range of fetal movement patterns, actions and responses that are likely to be consistent with normal development. Maternal perception of a qualitative change in fetal movements may be clinically important and should take precedence over any numeric definition of decreased fetal movement. Midwives may inform women that it is normal to perceive more fetal movement in the evening and increasingly strong movements as pregnancy advances. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[The practice of special observation in adults in the German-speaking part of Switzerland - a descriptive cross-sectional study].

PubMed

Lienhardt, Andrea; Rabenschlag, Franziska; Panfil, Eva-Maria

2018-06-08

The practice of special observation in adults in the German-speaking part of Switzerland - a descriptive cross-sectional study Abstract. Psychiatric Special Observation (PSO) is an intervention often used by nurses to prevent service users of harming themselves or to protect others. The intervention ranges between control and therapy and is resource intensive. Despite the widespread use of PSO, there is still no data on the practice of the intervention in Switzerland. What is the current practice of PSO in adults in psychiatric hospitals in the German-speaking part of Switzerland? Descriptive cross-sectional study. Nurses from inpatient psychiatric services in the German-speaking part of Switzerland completed a questionnaire based on a concept analysis of PSO. 538 questionnaires were analysed. PSO was more often conducted intermittent than as constant observation. In more than one out of four cases, suicidality reasoned as a cause for prescription. Nurses generally used standardized instruments to assess the risk of harming oneself or others. The duration of PSO lasted eight hours or more in three out of four cases. In every fifth case, there was no validation of the need of the intervention taking place during one shift. Nurses have a neutral attitude towards the intervention and are experiencing no or weak negative feelings during performance of PSO. The results suggest that there is an inconsistent performance of PSO in Switzerland as well as in other countries. The validation of the need of the intervention is insufficient. To facilitate PSO as a justified performance, the preparation of an interprofessional guideline is recommended.

Analytic and heuristic processing influences on adolescent reasoning and decision-making.

PubMed

Klaczynski, P A

2001-01-01

The normative/descriptive gap is the discrepancy between actual reasoning and traditional standards for reasoning. The relationship between age and the normative/descriptive gap was examined by presenting adolescents with a battery of reasoning and decision-making tasks. Middle adolescents (N = 76) performed closer to normative ideals than early adolescents (N = 66), although the normative/descriptive gap was large for both groups. Correlational analyses revealed that (1) normative responses correlated positively with each other, (2) nonnormative responses were positively interrelated, and (3) normative and nonnormative responses were largely independent. Factor analyses suggested that performance was based on two processing systems. The "analytic" system operates on "decontextualized" task representations and underlies conscious, computational reasoning. The "heuristic" system operates on "contextualized," content-laden representations and produces "cognitively cheap" responses that sometimes conflict with traditional norms. Analytic processing was more clearly linked to age and to intelligence than heuristic processing. Implications for cognitive development, the competence/performance issue, and rationality are discussed.

Terminal Area Productivity Airport Wind Analysis and Chicago O'Hare Model Description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hemm, Robert; Shapiro, Gerald

1998-01-01

This paper describes two results from a continuing effort to provide accurate cost-benefit analyses of the NASA Terminal Area Productivity (TAP) program technologies. Previous tasks have developed airport capacity and delay models and completed preliminary cost benefit estimates for TAP technologies at 10 U.S. airports. This task covers two improvements to the capacity and delay models. The first improvement is the completion of a detailed model set for the Chicago O'Hare (ORD) airport. Previous analyses used a more general model to estimate the benefits for ORD. This paper contains a description of the model details with results corresponding to current conditions. The second improvement is the development of specific wind speed and direction criteria for use in the delay models to predict when the Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS) will allow use of reduced landing separations. This paper includes a description of the criteria and an estimate of AVOSS utility for 10 airports based on analysis of 35 years of weather data.

Short description of mathematical support programs for space experiments in the Interkosmos program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elyasberg, P. Y.

1979-01-01

A synopsis of programs of mathematical support designed at the Institute for Cosmic Research of the USSR Academy of Sciences for cosmic experiments being conducted in the Interkosmos Program is presented. A short description of the appropriate algorithm is given.

78 FR 34313 - Funding Opportunity Title: Risk Management Education Partnerships Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-07

... Involvement H. Description of Agreement Award--Awardee Tasks I. Other Tasks Section III--Eligibility..., ornamental nursery, Christmas trees, turf grass sod, aquaculture (including ornamental fish), and industrial.... H. Description of Agreement Award--Awardee Tasks In conducting activities to achieve the purpose and...

Prototype Willingness Model Drinking Cognitions Mediate Personalized Normative Feedback Efficacy.

PubMed

Lewis, Melissa A; Litt, Dana M; Tomkins, Mary; Neighbors, Clayton

2017-05-01

Personalized normative feedback (PNF) interventions have been shown to be efficacious at reducing college student drinking. Because descriptive norms have been shown to mediate PNF efficacy, the current study focused on examining additional prototype willingness model social reaction cognitions, namely, prototypes and willingness, as mediators of intervention efficacy. We expected the PNF interventions to be associated with increased prototype favorability of students who do not drink, which would in turn be associated with decreased willingness to drink and subsequently, less drinking. The current study included 622 college students (53.2% women; 62% Caucasian) who reported one or more heavy drinking episodes in the past month and completed baseline and three-month follow-up assessments. As posited by the framework of the prototype willingness model, sequential mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate increases in abstainer prototype favorability on willingness on drinking, and subsequently willingness to drink on drinking behavior. Mediation results revealed significant indirect effects of PNF on three-month drinking through three-month prototypes and willingness, indicating that the social reaction pathway of the prototype willingness model was supported. Findings have important implications for PNF interventions aiming to reduce high-risk drinking among college students. Study findings suggest that we should consider looking at additional socially-based mediators of PNF efficacy in addition to perceived descriptive norms.

Prototype Willingness Model Drinking Cognitions Mediate Personalized Normative Feedback Efficacy

PubMed Central

Litt, Dana M.; Tomkins, Mary; Neighbors, Clayton

2017-01-01

Personalized normative feedback (PNF) interventions have been shown to be efficacious at reducing college student drinking. Because descriptive norms have been shown to mediate PNF efficacy, the current study focused on examining additional prototype willingness model social reaction cognitions, namely, prototypes and willingness, as mediators of intervention efficacy. We expected the PNF interventions to be associated with increased prototype favorability of students who do not drink, which would in turn be associated with decreased willingness to drink and subsequently, less drinking. The current study included 622 college students (53.2% women; 62% Caucasian) who reported one or more heavy drinking episodes in the past month and completed baseline and three-month follow-up assessments. As posited by the framework of the prototype willingness model, sequential mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate increases in abstainer prototype favorability on willingness on drinking, and subsequently willingness to drink on drinking behavior. Mediation results revealed significant indirect effects of PNF on three-month drinking through three-month prototypes and willingness, indicating that the social reaction pathway of the prototype willingness model was supported. Findings have important implications for PNF interventions aiming to reduce high-risk drinking among college students. Study findings suggest that we should consider looking at additional socially-based mediators of PNF efficacy in addition to perceived descriptive norms. PMID:27995431

Issues of medication administration and control in Iowa schools.

PubMed

Farris, Karen B; McCarthy, Ann Marie; Kelly, Michael W; Clay, Daniel; Gross, Jami N

2003-11-01

Who is responsible for medication administration at school? To answer this question, a descriptive, self-administered survey was mailed to a random sample of 850 school principals in Iowa. The eight-page, 57-item, anonymous survey was mailed first class, and a follow-up reminder post card was mailed two weeks later. Descriptive analyses were conducted, with type of respondent (principal versus school nurse), grade level, and size of school examined to explore differences. A 46.6% response rate was obtained; 97% of respondents indicated their schools had written guidelines for medication administration. Principals (41%) and school nurses (34%) reported that they have the ultimate legal responsibility for medication administration. Policies for medication administration on field trips were available in schools of 73.6% of respondents. High schools were more likely to allow self-medication than other grade levels. "Missed dose" was the most common medication error. The main reasons contributing to medication administration errors included poor communication among school, family, and healthcare providers, and the increased number of students on medication. It remains unclear who holds ultimate responsibility for medication administration in schools. Written policies typically exist for medication administration at school, but not field trips. Communicating medication changes to schools, and ensuring medications are available at school, likely can reduce medication administration errors.

"Not being able to talk was horrid": A descriptive, correlational study of communication during mechanical ventilation.

PubMed

Guttormson, Jill L; Bremer, Karin Lindstrom; Jones, Rachel M

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the patient experience of communication during mechanical ventilation. This descriptive study is a secondary analysis of data collected to study the relationship between sedation and the MV patients' recall of the ICU. Interviews, conducted after extubation, included the Intensive Care Experience Questionnaire. Data were analysed with Spearman correlation coefficients (rs) and content analysis. Participants were recruited from a medical-surgical intensive care unit in the Midwest United States. Participants (n = 31) with a mean age of 65 ± 11.9 were on the ventilator a median of 5 days. Inability to communicate needs was associated with helplessness (rs = .43). While perceived lack of information received was associated with not feeling in control (rs = 41) and helplessness (rs = 41). Ineffective communication impacted negatively on satisfaction with care. Participants expressed frustration with failed communication and a lack of information received. They believed receipt of information helped them cope and desired a better system of communication during mechanical ventilation. Communication effectiveness impacts patients' sense of safety and well-being during mechanical ventilation. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on the development and integration of communication strategies into critical care nursing practice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Description of sex difference as prescription for sex change: on the origins of facial feminization surgery.

PubMed

Plemons, Eric D

2014-10-01

This article explores the research project that led to the development of facial feminization surgery, a set of bone and soft tissue reconstructive surgical procedures intended to feminize the faces of male-to-female trans- women. Conducted by a pioneering surgeon in the mid-1980s, this research consisted of three steps: (1) assessments of sexual differences of the skull taken from early 20th-century physical anthropology, (2) the application of statistical analyses taken from late 20th-century orthodontic research, and (3) the vetting of this new morphological and metric knowledge in a dry skull collection. When the 'feminine type' of early 20th-century physical anthropology was made to articulate with the 'female mean' of 1970s' statistical analysis, these two very different epistemological artifacts worked together to produce something new: a singular model of a distinctively female skull. In this article, I show how the development of facial feminization surgery worked across epistemic styles, transforming historically racialized and gendered descriptions of sex difference into contemporary surgical prescriptions for sex change. Fundamental to this transformation was an explicit invocation of the scientific origins of facial sexual dimorphism, a claim that frames surgical sex change of the face as not only possible, but objectively certain.

Nurses’ commitment to respecting patient dignity

PubMed Central

Raee, Zahra; Abedi, Heidarali; Shahriari, Mohsen

2017-01-01

Background: Although respecting human dignity is a cornerstone of all nursing practices, industrialization has gradually decreased the attention paid to this subject in nursing care. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate nurses’ commitment to respecting patient dignity in hospitals of Isfahan, Iran. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in hospitals of Isfahan. Overall, 401 inpatients were selected by cluster sampling and then selected simple random sampling from different wards. Data were collected through a questionnaire containing the components of patient dignity, that is, patient-nurse relationships, privacy, and independence. All items were scored based on a five-point Likert scale. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests. P < 0.05 were considered significant in all analyses. Findings: Most patients (91%) scored their relationships with nurses as good. Moreover, 91.8% of the participants described privacy protection as moderate/good. Only 6.5% of the subjects rated it as excellent. The majority of the patients (84.4%) believed their independence was maintained. These subjects also approved of taking part in decision-making. Conclusion: According to our findings, nurses respected patient dignity to an acceptable level. However, the conditions were less favorable in public hospitals and emergency departments. Nursing authorities and policy makers are thus required to introduce appropriate measures to improve the existing conditions. PMID:28546981

Nurses' commitment to respecting patient dignity.

PubMed

Raee, Zahra; Abedi, Heidarali; Shahriari, Mohsen

2017-01-01

Although respecting human dignity is a cornerstone of all nursing practices, industrialization has gradually decreased the attention paid to this subject in nursing care. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate nurses' commitment to respecting patient dignity in hospitals of Isfahan, Iran. This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in hospitals of Isfahan. Overall, 401 inpatients were selected by cluster sampling and then selected simple random sampling from different wards. Data were collected through a questionnaire containing the components of patient dignity, that is, patient-nurse relationships, privacy, and independence. All items were scored based on a five-point Likert scale. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests. P < 0.05 were considered significant in all analyses. Most patients (91%) scored their relationships with nurses as good. Moreover, 91.8% of the participants described privacy protection as moderate/good. Only 6.5% of the subjects rated it as excellent. The majority of the patients (84.4%) believed their independence was maintained. These subjects also approved of taking part in decision-making. According to our findings, nurses respected patient dignity to an acceptable level. However, the conditions were less favorable in public hospitals and emergency departments. Nursing authorities and policy makers are thus required to introduce appropriate measures to improve the existing conditions.

Nurses' knowledge and skills in providing mental health care to people living with HIV/AIDS in Malawi.

PubMed

Chorwe-Sungani, G

2013-09-01

Nurses are the majority of health-care professionals who frequently come in contact with people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). However, most health workers such as nurses lack competence and confidence in dealing with the mental health problems (MHPs) of their clients in Malawi. The study aimed at exploring nurses' levels of knowledge and skills in providing mental health care to PLWHA. The study used a descriptive quantitative survey design. Ethical approval and permission were granted by relevant authorities to conduct the study. A convenient sample of 109 nurses was used. They gave written consent and completed self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics namely: means, frequencies and percentages were used to analyse data. The findings suggest that nurses who care for PLWHA lack knowledge and skills to deal with MHPs of these people. Many participants (53.2%, n = 58) lacked knowledge and skills to care for PLWHA who have MHPs. Nurses are potentially essential human resource for dealing with MHPs of PLWHA in Malawi. Unfortunately, some nurses lack the necessary knowledge and skills to deal with MHPs. Nurses must be equipped with adequate knowledge and skills so that they are able to deal with MHPs of PLWHA. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Use of quality indicators by obstetric caregivers in the Netherlands: A descriptive study.

PubMed

Cellissen, Evelien; Franx, Arie; Roes, Kit C B

2017-04-01

To evaluate the use of quality indicators by obstetric caregivers in hospitals in the Netherlands. An anonymous, self-administered survey was conducted in a convenience sample of obstetricians and clinical midwives in Dutch hospitals. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data, both for all caregivers and stratified by hospital setting and profession (obstetricians and midwives). Differences between strata were tested at a 5% significance level. The response rate to the online questionnaire was 61% (n=171/279). Of all respondents 83% were aware of the quality indicators and 63% contributed to their registration. Caregivers received information about the indicators by mail or in meetings according to 64% (internal indicators) and 48% (external indicators) of the respondents. Of the respondents 56% (internal indicators) and 41% (external indicators) stated to use the results of indicators when designing plans to improve the quality of care. We conclude that obstetric quality indicators are not widely used by obstetricians and midwives in Dutch hospitals to improve quality of care. To improve quality of care and the effective use of quality indicators we suggest to focus first on registering outcome indicators. These indicators should be implemented in quality structures that ensure that action is taken. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Development and opportunities from de scientific committee of 25 SECA congress held in Barcelona, 2007].

PubMed

Astier Peña, M P; Lorenzo Martínez, S; Santiñá, M; Martín, A

2009-01-01

To perform a self-assessment of the Scientific Committee of the 25th Conference of the Spanish Society for Quality in Healthcare held in Barcelona on October 2007 in order to identify improvement areas for future Conferences. Applying PDCA methodology to the tasks undertaken by the Scientific Committee (SC) of the Conference. Plan: A description of the preparation of the conference based on the abstract management of the Scientific Committee. Do: description of the implementation. Check: evaluation of activities. A: improvement proposals for the coming conferences. The SC (22 people) worked in the abstracts management, book publishing and development of the scientific aspects of the Conference. Abstracts evaluation was conducted by 11 pairs of blind evaluators who analysed 348 oral communications and 457 posters, and 10.09% were rejected. Oral communications were performed in a total of 36 oral presentations sessions and 24 poster sessions. The book was published with the abstracts, addresses and the Conference opening and closing sessions. Awards: communications graded over 7.5 applied for an award and were reassessed by the SC. The on-line conference was also well received. The satisfaction with the Conference regarding the scientific activities was good; however, several areas of improvement were identified.

Error analysis of mathematics students who are taught by using the book of mathematics learning strategy in solving pedagogical problems based on Polya’s four-step approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halomoan Siregar, Budi; Dewi, Izwita; Andriani, Ade

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study is to analyse the types of students errors and causes of them in solving of pedagogic problems. The type of this research is qualitative descriptive, conducted on 34 students of mathematics education in academic year 2017 to 2018. The data in this study is obtained through interviews and tests. Furthermore, the data is then analyzed through three stages: 1) data reduction, 2) data description, and 3) conclusions. The data is reduced by organizing and classifying them in order to obtain meaningful information. After reducing, then the data presented in a simple form of narrative, graphics, and tables to illustrate clearly the errors of students. Based on the information then drawn a conclusion. The results of this study indicate that the students made various errors: 1) they made a mistake in answer what being asked at the problem, because they misunderstood the problem, 2) they fail to plan the learning process based on constructivism, due to lack of understanding of how to design the learning, 3) they determine an inappropriate learning tool, because they did not understand what kind of learning tool is relevant to use.

Mothers' experiences of a Touch and Talk nursing intervention to optimise pain management in the PICU: a qualitative descriptive study.

PubMed

Rennick, Janet E; Lambert, Sylvie; Childerhose, Janet; Campbell-Yeo, Marsha; Filion, Françoise; Johnston, C Celeste

2011-06-01

Parents consistently express a desire to support their child and retain a care-giving role in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Qualitative data gathered as part of a PICU intervention study were analysed to explore mothers' experiences using a Touch and Talk intervention to comfort their children during invasive procedures. To describe how mothers experienced involvement in their children's care through a Touch and Talk intervention and whether they would participate in a similar intervention again. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND SETTING: A qualitative descriptive design was used and semi-structured interviews conducted with 65 mothers in three Canadian PICUs. Data were subjected to thematic analysis. The overarching theme centred on the importance of comforting the critically ill child. This included being there for the child (the importance of parental presence); making a difference in the child's pain experience; and feeling comfortable and confident about participating in care. All but two mothers would participate in the intervention again and all would recommend it to others. Giving parents the choice of being involved in their child's care using touch and distraction techniques during painful procedures can provide an invaluable opportunity to foster parenting and support the child during a difficult PICU experience. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A descriptive model of preventability in maternal morbidity and mortality.

PubMed

Geller, S E; Cox, S M; Kilpatrick, S J

2006-02-01

To develop a descriptive model of preventability for maternal morbidity and mortality that can be used in quality assurance and morbidity and mortality review processes. This descriptive study was part of a larger case-control study conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago in which maternal deaths were cases and women with severe maternal morbidity served as controls. Morbidities and mortalities were classified by a team of clinicians as preventable or not preventable. Qualitative analysis of data was conducted to identify and categorize different types of preventable events. Of 237 women, there were 79 women with preventable events attributable to provider or system factors. The most common types of preventable events were inadequate diagnosis/recognition of high-risk (54.4%), treatment (38.0%), and documentation (30.7%). A descriptive model was illustrated that can be used to categorize preventable events in maternal morbidity and mortality and can be incorporated into quality assurance and clinical case review to enhance the monitoring of hospital-based obstetric care and to decrease medical error.

Employing a Qualitative Description Approach in Health Care Research.

PubMed

Bradshaw, Carmel; Atkinson, Sandra; Doody, Owen

2017-01-01

A qualitative description design is particularly relevant where information is required directly from those experiencing the phenomenon under investigation and where time and resources are limited. Nurses and midwives often have clinical questions suitable to a qualitative approach but little time to develop an exhaustive comprehension of qualitative methodological approaches. Qualitative description research is sometimes considered a less sophisticated approach for epistemological reasons. Another challenge when considering qualitative description design is differentiating qualitative description from other qualitative approaches. This article provides a systematic and robust journey through the philosophical, ontological, and epistemological perspectives, which evidences the purpose of qualitative description research. Methods and rigor issues underpinning qualitative description research are also appraised to provide the researcher with a systematic approach to conduct research utilizing this approach. The key attributes and value of qualitative description research in the health care professions will be highlighted with the aim of extending its usage.

Employing a Qualitative Description Approach in Health Care Research

PubMed Central

Bradshaw, Carmel; Atkinson, Sandra; Doody, Owen

2017-01-01

A qualitative description design is particularly relevant where information is required directly from those experiencing the phenomenon under investigation and where time and resources are limited. Nurses and midwives often have clinical questions suitable to a qualitative approach but little time to develop an exhaustive comprehension of qualitative methodological approaches. Qualitative description research is sometimes considered a less sophisticated approach for epistemological reasons. Another challenge when considering qualitative description design is differentiating qualitative description from other qualitative approaches. This article provides a systematic and robust journey through the philosophical, ontological, and epistemological perspectives, which evidences the purpose of qualitative description research. Methods and rigor issues underpinning qualitative description research are also appraised to provide the researcher with a systematic approach to conduct research utilizing this approach. The key attributes and value of qualitative description research in the health care professions will be highlighted with the aim of extending its usage. PMID:29204457

Ground-water flow directions and estimation of aquifer hydraulic properties in the lower Great Miami River Buried Valley aquifer system, Hamilton Area, Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sheets, Rodney A.; Bossenbroek, Karen E.

2005-01-01

The Great Miami River Buried Valley Aquifer System is one of the most productive sources of potable water in the Midwest, yielding as much as 3,000 gallons per minute to wells. Many water-supply wells tapping this aquifer system are purposely placed near rivers to take advantage of induced infiltration from the rivers. The City of Hamilton's North Well Field consists of 10 wells near the Great Miami River, all completed in the lower Great Miami River Buried Valley Aquifer System. A well-drilling program and a multiple-well aquifer test were done to investigate ground-water flow directions and to estimate aquifer hydraulic properties in the lower part of the Great Miami River Buried Valley Aquifer System. Descriptions of lithology from 10 well borings indicate varying amounts and thickness of clay or till, and therefore, varying levels of potential aquifer confinement. Borings also indicate that the aquifer properties can change dramatically over relatively short distances. Grain-size analyses indicate an average bulk hydraulic conductivity value of aquifer materials of 240 feet per day; the geometric mean of hydraulic conductivity values of aquifer material was 89 feet per day. Median grain sizes of aquifer material and clay units were 1.3 millimeters and 0.1 millimeters, respectively. Water levels in the Hamilton North Well Field are affected by stream stage in the Great Miami River and barometric pressure. Bank storage in response to stream stage is evident. Results from a multiple-well aquifer test at the well field indicate, as do the lithologic descriptions, that the aquifer is semiconfined in some areas and unconfined in others. Transmissivity and storage coefficient of the semiconfined part of the aquifer were 50,000 feet squared per day and 5x10-4, respectively. The average hydraulic conductivity (450 feet per day) based on the aquifer test is reasonable for glacial outwash but is higher than calculated from grain-size analyses, implying a scale effect. Although the part of the lower Great Miami River Buried Valley Aquifer System where the Hamilton North Well Field is located is semiconfined, unconfined, or locally confined and not directly connected to the Great Miami River, the discontinuity of the clay/till layers beneath the river indicates that other, deeper parts of the aquifer system may be directly connected to the Great Miami River.

Prison Radicalization: The New Extremist Training Grounds?

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

distributing and collecting survey data , and the data analysis. The analytical methodology includes descriptive and inferential statistical methods, in... statistical analysis of the responses to identify significant correlations and relationships. B. SURVEY DATA COLLECTION To effectively access a...Q18, Q19, Q20, and Q21. Due to the exploratory nature of this small survey, data analyses were confined mostly to descriptive statistics and

Management Innovations in Higher Education: A Descriptive Study of Information Technology Managers' Perceptions Regarding the Use and Value of Project Management in Institutions of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durbin, Michael P.

2013-01-01

This study examined the perspectives of IT managers working in colleges and universities regarding their use of and value for project management. Descriptive and inferential analyses were used to understand individual innovativeness, innovation characteristics of project management, and the perceived use of and value for project management best…

A subsequent closed-form description of propagated signaling phenomena in the membrane of an axon

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

Melendy, Robert F., E-mail: rfmelendy@liberty.edu

2016-05-15

I recently introduced a closed-form description of propagated signaling phenomena in the membrane of an axon [R.F. Melendy, Journal of Applied Physics 118, 244701 (2015)]. Those results demonstrate how intracellular conductance, the thermodynamics of magnetization, and current modulation, function together in generating an action potential in a unified, closed-form description. At present, I report on a subsequent closed-form model that unifies intracellular conductance and the thermodynamics of magnetization, with the membrane electric field, E{sub m}. It’s anticipated this work will compel researchers in biophysics, physical biology, and the computational neurosciences, to probe deeper into the classical and quantum features ofmore » membrane magnetization and signaling, informed by the computational features of this subsequent model.« less

Extraction of phenotypic traits from taxonomic descriptions for the tree of life using natural language processing.

PubMed

Endara, Lorena; Cui, Hong; Burleigh, J Gordon

2018-03-01

Phenotypic data sets are necessary to elucidate the genealogy of life, but assembling phenotypic data for taxa across the tree of life can be technically challenging and prohibitively time consuming. We describe a semi-automated protocol to facilitate and expedite the assembly of phenotypic character matrices of plants from formal taxonomic descriptions. This pipeline uses new natural language processing (NLP) techniques and a glossary of over 9000 botanical terms. Our protocol includes the Explorer of Taxon Concepts (ETC), an online application that assembles taxon-by-character matrices from taxonomic descriptions, and MatrixConverter, a Java application that enables users to evaluate and discretize the characters extracted by ETC. We demonstrate this protocol using descriptions from Araucariaceae. The NLP pipeline unlocks the phenotypic data found in taxonomic descriptions and makes them usable for evolutionary analyses.

A Framework for Analysing ICT Adoption in Australian Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Way, Jenni; Webb, Colin

2007-01-01

Over 400 e-learning grant applications from Australian primary schools were analysed to determine the nature of the proposed ICT based projects in literacy and numeracy. Three key dimensions emerged from the teacher descriptions: ICT infrastructure, motivation and ICT use, and pedagogy and innovation. The three dimensions, and the interactions…

Component Analyses Using Single-Subject Experimental Designs: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward-Horner, John; Sturmey, Peter

2010-01-01

A component analysis is a systematic assessment of 2 or more independent variables or components that comprise a treatment package. Component analyses are important for the analysis of behavior; however, previous research provides only cursory descriptions of the topic. Therefore, in this review the definition of "component analysis" is discussed,…

Chemical and sensory profiles of makgeolli, Korean commercial rice wine, from descriptive, chemical, and volatile compound analyses.

PubMed

Jung, Heeyong; Lee, Seung-Joo; Lim, Jeong Ho; Kim, Bum Keun; Park, Kee Jai

2014-01-01

The chemical and sensory profiles of 12 commercial samples of makgeolli, a Korean rice wine, were determined using descriptive sensory, chemical, and volatile components analyses. The sample wines were analysed for their titratable acidity, ethanol content, pH, Hunter colour value and total reducing sugars. The chemical compositions of the makgeolli samples were found to be significantly different. The volatile compounds were extracted with solid-phase microextraction and analysed by gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In all, 45 major volatile compounds, consisting of 33 esters, 8 alcohols, 1 aldehyde, 1 acid, 1 phenol and 1 terpene, were identified; each makgeolli sample included 28-35 volatile compounds. Based on principal component analysis of the sensory data, samples RW1, RW2, RW5, RW8 and RW12 were associated with roasted cereal, mouldy, bubbles, sweet and sour attributes; the other samples were associated with sensory attributes of yellowness, yeast, full body, turbidity, continuation, swallow, alcohol, fruit aroma and whiteness. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Financial hardship and drug use among men who have sex with men.

PubMed

Park, Su Hyun; Al-Ajlouni, Yazan; Palamar, Joseph J; Goedel, William C; Estreet, Anthony; Elbel, Brian; Sherman, Scott E; Duncan, Dustin T

2018-05-24

Little is known about the role of financial hardship as it relates to drug use, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). As such, this study aimed to investigate potential associations between financial hardship status and drug use among MSM. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 580 MSM in Paris recruited using a popular geosocial-networking smartphone application (GSN apps). Descriptive analyses and multivariate analyses were performed. A modified Poisson model was used to assess associations between financial hardship status and use of drugs (any drugs, tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, inhalant nitrites, and club drugs). In our sample, 45.5% reported that it was somewhat, very, or extremely difficult to meet monthly payments of bills (high financial hardship). In multivariate analyses, a high level of financial hardship was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of reporting use of any substance use (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] = 1.15; 95% CI = 1.05-1.27), as well as use of tobacco (aRR = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.19-1.78), marijuana (aRR = 1.48; 95% CI =1.03-2.13), and inhalant nitrites (aRR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.03-1.50). Financial hardship was associated with drug use among MSM, suggesting the need for interventions to reduce the burden of financial hardship in this population.

40 CFR 63.7515 - When must I conduct subsequent performance tests or fuel analyses?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... performance tests or fuel analyses? 63.7515 Section 63.7515 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Requirements § 63.7515 When must I conduct subsequent performance tests or fuel analyses? (a) You must conduct... previous performance test. (f) You must conduct a fuel analysis according to § 63.7521 for each type of...

40 CFR 63.7515 - When must I conduct subsequent performance tests or fuel analyses?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... performance tests or fuel analyses? 63.7515 Section 63.7515 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Requirements § 63.7515 When must I conduct subsequent performance tests or fuel analyses? (a) You must conduct... previous performance test. (f) You must conduct a fuel analysis according to § 63.7521 for each type of...

40 CFR 63.7515 - When must I conduct subsequent performance tests or fuel analyses?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... performance tests or fuel analyses? 63.7515 Section 63.7515 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Requirements § 63.7515 When must I conduct subsequent performance tests or fuel analyses? (a) You must conduct... previous performance test. (f) You must conduct a fuel analysis according to § 63.7521 for each type of...

45 CFR 2540.207 - When may I follow an alternative search procedure or be excepted from a requirement in conducting...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... description. (ii) You are not required to conduct the fingerprint-based FBI criminal history check on... prior approval of the Corporation. You are not required to conduct the fingerprint-based FBI criminal...

45 CFR 2540.207 - When may I follow an alternative search procedure or be excepted from a requirement in conducting...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... description. (ii) You are not required to conduct the fingerprint-based FBI criminal history check on... prior approval of the Corporation. You are not required to conduct the fingerprint-based FBI criminal...

41 CFR 102-84.15 - Why must I provide information for the Annual Real Property Inventory?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...; and (2) Establish information systems, implement inventory controls and conduct surveys, in accordance... Real Property Council, establish and maintain a single, comprehensive and descriptive database of all... each Executive agency such descriptive information, except for classified information, as the...

41 CFR 102-84.15 - Why must I provide information for the Annual Real Property Inventory?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...; and (2) Establish information systems, implement inventory controls and conduct surveys, in accordance... Real Property Council, establish and maintain a single, comprehensive and descriptive database of all... each Executive agency such descriptive information, except for classified information, as the...

41 CFR 102-84.15 - Why must I provide information for the Annual Real Property Inventory?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...; and (2) Establish information systems, implement inventory controls and conduct surveys, in accordance... Real Property Council, establish and maintain a single, comprehensive and descriptive database of all... each Executive agency such descriptive information, except for classified information, as the...

41 CFR 102-84.15 - Why must I provide information for the Annual Real Property Inventory?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...; and (2) Establish information systems, implement inventory controls and conduct surveys, in accordance... Real Property Council, establish and maintain a single, comprehensive and descriptive database of all... each Executive agency such descriptive information, except for classified information, as the...

41 CFR 102-84.15 - Why must I provide information for the Annual Real Property Inventory?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...; and (2) Establish information systems, implement inventory controls and conduct surveys, in accordance... Real Property Council, establish and maintain a single, comprehensive and descriptive database of all... each Executive agency such descriptive information, except for classified information, as the...

Terpenoid Variations within and among Half-Sibling Avocado Trees, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae)

PubMed Central

Niogret, Jerome; Epsky, Nancy D.; Schnell, Raymond J.; Boza, Edward J.; Kendra, Paul E.; Heath, Robert R.

2013-01-01

Chemical analyses were conducted to determine the qualitative and quantitative differences in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in plant material from avocado trees, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae). The initial study analyzed plant material sampled from the trunk to the leaves through different branch diameters to quantify proximo-distal spatial differences within a tree. All trees were seedlings initiated from a single maternal tree. Two-way analysis of variance was conducted on 34 chemicals that comprised at least 3% of the total chemical content of at least one tree and/or location within a tree. There were significant interactions between genotype and location sampled for most chemicals. Parentage analysis using microsatellite molecular markers (SSR's) determined that the four trees had three fathers and that they represented two full-siblings and two half-sibling trees. Descriptive discriminant analysis found that both genotype and location within a tree could be separated based on chemical content, and that the chemical content from full-siblings tended to be more similar than chemical content from half-siblings. To further explore the relationship between genetic background and chemical content, samples were analyzed from leaf material from 20 trees that included two sets of full-sibling seedling trees, the maternal tree and the surviving paternal tree. Descriptive discriminant analysis found good separation between the two full-sibling groups, and that the separation was associated with chemistry of the parental trees. Six groups of chemicals were identified that explained the variation among the trees. We discuss the results in relation to the discrimination process used by wood-boring insects for site-selection on host trees, for tree selection among potential host trees, and the potential use of terpenoid chemical content in chemotaxonomy of avocado trees. PMID:24039994

Terpenoid variations within and among half-sibling avocado trees, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae).

PubMed

Niogret, Jerome; Epsky, Nancy D; Schnell, Raymond J; Boza, Edward J; Kendra, Paul E; Heath, Robert R

2013-01-01

Chemical analyses were conducted to determine the qualitative and quantitative differences in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in plant material from avocado trees, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae). The initial study analyzed plant material sampled from the trunk to the leaves through different branch diameters to quantify proximo-distal spatial differences within a tree. All trees were seedlings initiated from a single maternal tree. Two-way analysis of variance was conducted on 34 chemicals that comprised at least 3% of the total chemical content of at least one tree and/or location within a tree. There were significant interactions between genotype and location sampled for most chemicals. Parentage analysis using microsatellite molecular markers (SSR's) determined that the four trees had three fathers and that they represented two full-siblings and two half-sibling trees. Descriptive discriminant analysis found that both genotype and location within a tree could be separated based on chemical content, and that the chemical content from full-siblings tended to be more similar than chemical content from half-siblings. To further explore the relationship between genetic background and chemical content, samples were analyzed from leaf material from 20 trees that included two sets of full-sibling seedling trees, the maternal tree and the surviving paternal tree. Descriptive discriminant analysis found good separation between the two full-sibling groups, and that the separation was associated with chemistry of the parental trees. Six groups of chemicals were identified that explained the variation among the trees. We discuss the results in relation to the discrimination process used by wood-boring insects for site-selection on host trees, for tree selection among potential host trees, and the potential use of terpenoid chemical content in chemotaxonomy of avocado trees.

A description of nurses' decision-making in managing electrocardiographic monitor alarms.

PubMed

Gazarian, Priscilla K; Carrier, Natalie; Cohen, Rachel; Schram, Haley; Shiromani, Samara

2015-01-01

To describe the cues and factors that nurses use in their decision-making when responding to clinical alarms. Alarms are designed to be very sensitive, and as a result, they are not very specific. Lack of adherence to the practice standards for electrocardiographic monitoring in hospital settings has been observed, resulting in overuse of the electrocardiographic monitoring. Monitoring without consideration of clinical indicators uses scarce healthcare resources and may even produce untoward circumstances because of alarm fatigue. With so many false alarms, alarm fatigue represents a symptom of a larger problem. It cannot be fixed until all of the factors that contribute to its existence have been examined. This was a qualitative descriptive study. This study was conducted at an academic medical centre located in the Northeast United States. Eight participants were enrolled using purposive sampling. Nurses were observed for two three-hour periods. Following each observation, the nurse was interviewed using the critical decision method to describe the cognitive processes related to the alarm activities. Qualitative data from the conducted interviews were analysed via an a priori framework founded in the critical decision method. This study reveals information, experience, guidance and decision-making as the four prominent categories contributing to nurses' decision-making in relation to alarm management. Managing technology was a category not identified a priori that emerged in the data analysis. Nurses revealed a breadth of information needed to adequately identify and interpret monitor alarms, and how they used that information to put the alarms into the particular context of an individual patient's situations. Understanding the cues and factors nurses use when responding to cardiac alarms will guide the development of learning experiences and inform policies to guide practice. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

TRL Assessment of Solar Sail Technology Development Following the 20-Meter System Ground Demonstrator Hardware Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Roy M.; Montgomery, Edward E.; Montgomery, Sandy; Adams, Charles L.

2007-01-01

The NASA In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) Projects Office has been sponsoring 2 separate, independent system design and development hardware demonstration activities during 2002-2005. ATK Space Systems of Goleta, CA was the prime contractor for one development team and L'Garde, Inc. of Tustin, CA was the prime contractor for the other development team. The goal of these activities was to advance the technology readiness level (TRL) of solar sail propulsion from 3 towards 6 by the year 2006. Component and subsystem fabrication and testing were completed successfully, including the ground deployment of 10-meter and 20-meter ground demonstration hardware systems under vacuum conditions. The deployment and structural testing of the 20-meter solar sail systems was conducted in the 30 meter diameter Space Power Facility thermal-vacuum chamber at NASA Glenn Plum Brook in April though August, 2005. This paper will present the results of the TRL assessment following the solar sail technology development activities associated with the design, development, analysis and testing of the 20-meter system ground demonstrators. Descriptions of the system designs for both the ATK and L'Garde systems will be presented. Changes, additions and evolution of the system designs will be highlighted. A description of the modeling and analyses activities performed by both teams, as well as testing conducted to raise the TRL of solar sail technology will be presented. A summary of the results of model correlation activities will be presented. Finally, technology gaps identified during the assessment and gap closure plans will be presented, along with "lessons learned", subsequent planning activities and validation flight opportunities for solar sail propulsion technology.

Do personality traits of nurses have an effect on conflict management strategies?

PubMed

Erdenk, Nigar; Altuntaş, Serap

2017-07-01

This research was conducted in a descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional design to determine whether personality traits of nurses have an effect on conflict management strategies. It is known that integration, avoidance and compromise conflict management strategies are the most frequent strategies used among nurses and obligation and domination are the least frequent. However, the reasons behind their strategy choice are not known. It is predicted that one of the reasons is the personality characteristics of the nurses. The study was conducted with the participation of 237 nurses working in three different hospitals. Research data were collected by using the 'Personal Information Form', 'Rahim Organisational Conflict Inventory-II' and 'Five Factor Personality Inventory' between December 2013 and February 2014. Ethical approval and the organisations' approvals were obtained before data collection. The collected data were analysed using frequency and percentage distributions, descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation analysis, t-test, Cronbach's alpha coefficient and simple linear regression analysis tests. The majority of nurses had conflict especially with patients' relatives several times a month. It was found that the personality traits of nurses were mostly 'conscientiousness' and 'openness' and when they had a conflict, they tended to use 'integration' strategy. It was also found that the personality traits of nurses had an effect on some of the conflict management strategies adopted by them. It was found that the personality traits of nurses had an effect on some conflict management strategies adopted by them. Nurse managers should support nurses who adopt appropriate conflict management strategies and there should be conflict management programmes that can teach appropriate skills to other nurses. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Towards the development of a comprehensive framework: Qualitative systematic survey of definitions of clinical research quality

PubMed Central

von Niederhäusern, Belinda; Schandelmaier, Stefan; Mi Bonde, Marie; Brunner, Nicole; Hemkens, Lars G.; Rutquist, Marielle; Bhatnagar, Neera; Guyatt, Gordon H.; Pauli-Magnus, Christiane; Briel, Matthias

2017-01-01

Objective To systematically survey existing definitions, concepts, and criteria of clinical research quality, both developed by stakeholder groups as well as in the medical literature. This study serves as a first step in the development of a comprehensive framework for the quality of clinical research. Study design and setting We systematically and in duplicate searched definitions, concepts and criteria of clinical research quality on websites of stakeholders in clinical research until no further insights emerged and in MEDLINE up to February 2015. Stakeholders included governmental bodies, regulatory agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, academic and commercial contract research organizations, initiatives, research ethics committees, patient organizations and funding agencies from 13 countries. Data synthesis involved descriptive and qualitative analyses following the Framework Method on definitions, concepts, and criteria of clinical research quality. Descriptive codes were applied and grouped into clusters to identify common and stakeholder-specific quality themes. Results Stakeholder concepts on how to assure quality throughout study conduct or articles on quality assessment tools were common, generally with no a priori definition of the term quality itself. We identified a total of 20 explicit definitions of clinical research quality including varying quality dimensions and focusing on different stages in the clinical research process. Encountered quality dimensions include ethical conduct, patient safety/rights/priorities, internal validity, precision of results, generalizability or external validity, scientific and societal relevance, transparency and accessibility of information, research infrastructure and sustainability. None of the definitions appeared to be comprehensive either in terms of quality dimensions, research stages, or stakeholder perspectives. Conclusion Clinical research quality is often discussed but rarely defined. A framework defining clinical research quality across stakeholders’ individual perspectives is desirable to facilitate discussion, assessment, and improvement of quality at all stages of clinical research. PMID:28715491

Transitions in the communication experiences of tracheostomised patients in intensive care: a qualitative descriptive study.

PubMed

Flinterud, Stine Irene; Andershed, Birgitta

2015-08-01

To describe how tracheostomised patients in intensive care experience acts of communication and to better understand their experiences in the context of the transitions theory. Waking up in an intensive care unit unable to speak because of mechanical ventilation can be challenging. Communication aids are available, but patients still report difficulties communicating. Investigating how mechanically ventilated patients experience communication in the context of the transitions theory might elucidate new ways of supporting them during their transitions while being ventilated. A qualitative, descriptive design. Eleven patients who had previously been tracheostomised in an intensive care unit were included in this quality improvement project conducted in a university hospital in Norway. Participants were tracheostomised from 3-27 days. Semistructured interviews were conducted from June 2013-August 2013, 3-18 months after hospital discharge. Transcripts were analysed using inductive content analysis. Participants reported a great diversity of emotions and experiences attempting to communicate while being tracheostomised. One overarching theme emerging from the analysis was the 'Experience of caring and understanding despite having uncomfortable feelings due to troublesome communication.' The theme consists of three categories. The category 'Emotionally challenging' shows that patients struggled initially. With time, their coping improved, as revealed in the category 'The experience changes with time.' Despite difficulties, participants described positive experiences, as shown in the category 'Successful communication.' The importance of patients experiencing caring and understanding despite their difficult situation constitutes the core finding. The findings suggest that participants went through different transitions. Some reached the end of their transition, experiencing increased stability. Despite challenges with communication, participants reported that caring and safety provided by health care professionals were significant experiences. They viewed nonverbal communication as being very important. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Real-world outcomes in patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer treated with crizotinib.

PubMed

Davis, K L; Kaye, J A; Masters, E T; Iyer, S

2018-02-01

Crizotinib has shown greater efficacy in clinical trials than chemotherapy in patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (alk+) non-small cell lung cancer (nsclc), but little information is available on its use and outcomes in real-world settings. We therefore assessed treatment patterns and outcomes in alk+ nsclc patients treated with crizotinib in regular clinical practice. A retrospective medical record review was conducted in North America for adults with alk+ nsclc treated with crizotinib as first- or later-line therapy for metastatic disease between 1 August 2011 and 31 March 2013 (for the United States) or 1 May 2012 and 31 March 2013 (for Canada). Crizotinib-related trial enrollees were excluded. Descriptive analyses were conducted to assess treatment patterns and objective response rate (orr). Progression-free survival (pfs) and overall survival (os) were descriptively analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methods. Data were extracted for 212 patients in the United States ( n = 147) and Canada ( n = 65). Mean (standard deviation [sd]) age was 58.9 (9.5) years, and 69% were male. Seventy-nine patients (37%) were deceased at record abstraction. Sixty-five percent ( n = 137) initiated crizotinib as first-line therapy. Mean (sd) duration of crizotinib treatment was 8.7 (4.9) months. Objective response rate was 66% (69% for first-line recipients, 60% for second-/later-line). Median (95% ci) pfs and os from crizotinib initiation were 9.5 (8.7, 10.1) and 23.4 (19.5, -) months, respectively. One- and two-year survival probabilities were 82% and 49%, respectively. Outcomes for crizotinib recipients in this study align with previous trials, with orr appearing more favourable in first-line recipients. Our findings indicate that crizotinib outcomes in clinical studies may translate to regular clinical practice.

[Estimators of internal consistency in health research: the use of the alpha coefficient].

PubMed

da Silva, Franciele Cascaes; Gonçalves, Elizandra; Arancibia, Beatriz Angélica Valdivia; Bento, Gisele Graziele; Castro, Thiago Luis da Silva; Hernandez, Salma Stephany Soleman; da Silva, Rudney

2015-01-01

Academic production has increased in the area of health, increasingly demanding high quality in publications of great impact. One of the ways to consider quality is through methods that increase the consistency of data analysis, such as reliability which, depending on the type of data, can be evaluated by different coefficients, especially the alpha coefficient. Based on this, the present review systematically gathers scientific articles produced in the last five years, which in a methodological manner gave the α coefficient psychometric use as an estimator of internal consistency and reliability in the processes of construction, adaptation and validation of instruments. The identification of the studies was conducted systematically in the databases BioMed Central Journals, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, Medline, SciELO, Scopus, Journals@Ovid, BMJ and Springer, using inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data analyses were performed by means of triangulation, content analysis and descriptive analysis. It was found that most studies were conducted in Iran (f=3), Spain (f=2) and Brazil (f=2). These studies aimed to test the psychometric properties of instruments, with eight studies using the α coefficient to assess reliability and nine for assessing internal consistency. All studies were classified as methodological research when their objectives were analyzed. In addition, four studies were also classified as correlational and one as descriptive-correlational. It can be concluded that though the α coefficient is widely used as one of the main parameters for assessing internal consistency of questionnaires in health sciences, its use as an estimator of trust of the methodology used and internal consistency has some critiques that should be considered.

Three randomized trials of maternal influenza immunization in Mali, Nepal, and South Africa: Methods and expectations.

PubMed

Omer, Saad B; Richards, Jennifer L; Madhi, Shabir A; Tapia, Milagritos D; Steinhoff, Mark C; Aqil, Anushka R; Wairagkar, Niteen

2015-07-31

Influenza infection in pregnancy can have adverse impacts on maternal, fetal, and infant outcomes. Influenza vaccination in pregnancy is an appealing strategy to protect pregnant women and their infants. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is supporting three large, randomized trials in Nepal, Mali, and South Africa evaluating the efficacy and safety of maternal immunization to prevent influenza disease in pregnant women and their infants <6 months of age. Results from these individual studies are expected in 2014 and 2015. While the results from the three maternal immunization trials are likely to strengthen the evidence base regarding the impact of influenza immunization in pregnancy, expectations for these results should be realistic. For example, evidence from previous influenza vaccine studies - conducted in general, non-pregnant populations - suggests substantial geographic and year-to-year variability in influenza incidence and vaccine efficacy/effectiveness. Since the evidence generated from the three maternal influenza immunization trials will be complementary, in this paper we present a side-by-side description of the three studies as well as the similarities and differences between these trials in terms of study location, design, outcome evaluation, and laboratory and epidemiological methods. We also describe the likely remaining knowledge gap after the results from these trials become available along with a description of the analyses that will be conducted when the results from these individual data are pooled. Moreover, we highlight that additional research on logistics of seasonal influenza vaccine supply, surveillance and strain matching, and optimal delivery strategies for pregnant women will be important for informing global policy related to maternal influenza immunization. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Towards the development of a comprehensive framework: Qualitative systematic survey of definitions of clinical research quality.

PubMed

von Niederhäusern, Belinda; Schandelmaier, Stefan; Mi Bonde, Marie; Brunner, Nicole; Hemkens, Lars G; Rutquist, Marielle; Bhatnagar, Neera; Guyatt, Gordon H; Pauli-Magnus, Christiane; Briel, Matthias

2017-01-01

To systematically survey existing definitions, concepts, and criteria of clinical research quality, both developed by stakeholder groups as well as in the medical literature. This study serves as a first step in the development of a comprehensive framework for the quality of clinical research. We systematically and in duplicate searched definitions, concepts and criteria of clinical research quality on websites of stakeholders in clinical research until no further insights emerged and in MEDLINE up to February 2015. Stakeholders included governmental bodies, regulatory agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, academic and commercial contract research organizations, initiatives, research ethics committees, patient organizations and funding agencies from 13 countries. Data synthesis involved descriptive and qualitative analyses following the Framework Method on definitions, concepts, and criteria of clinical research quality. Descriptive codes were applied and grouped into clusters to identify common and stakeholder-specific quality themes. Stakeholder concepts on how to assure quality throughout study conduct or articles on quality assessment tools were common, generally with no a priori definition of the term quality itself. We identified a total of 20 explicit definitions of clinical research quality including varying quality dimensions and focusing on different stages in the clinical research process. Encountered quality dimensions include ethical conduct, patient safety/rights/priorities, internal validity, precision of results, generalizability or external validity, scientific and societal relevance, transparency and accessibility of information, research infrastructure and sustainability. None of the definitions appeared to be comprehensive either in terms of quality dimensions, research stages, or stakeholder perspectives. Clinical research quality is often discussed but rarely defined. A framework defining clinical research quality across stakeholders' individual perspectives is desirable to facilitate discussion, assessment, and improvement of quality at all stages of clinical research.

Resilience and Associated Factors among Mainland Chinese Women Newly Diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

PubMed

Wu, Zijing; Liu, Ye; Li, Xuelian; Li, Xiaohan

2016-01-01

Resilience is the individual's ability to bounce back from trauma. It has been studied for some time in the U.S., but few studies in China have addressed this important construct. In mainland China, relatively little is known about the resilience of patients in clinical settings, especially among patients with breast cancer. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the level of resilience and identify predictors of resilience among mainland Chinese women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 213 mainland Chinese women newly diagnosed with breast cancer between November 2014 and June 2015. Participants were assessed with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ, including 3 subscales: confrontation, avoidance, and acceptance-resignation), Herth Hope Index (HHI), and demographic and disease-related information. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses and multiple stepwise regression were conducted to explore predictors for resilience. The average score for CD-RISC was 60.97, ranging from 37 to 69. Resilience was positively associated with educational level, family income, time span after diagnosis, social support, confrontation, avoidance, and hope. However, resilience was negatively associated with age, body mass index (BMI), and acceptance-resignation. Multiple stepwise regression analysis indicated that hope (β = 0.343, P<0.001), educational level of junior college or above (β = 0.272, P<0.001), educational level of high school (β = 0.235, P<0.001), avoidance (β = 0.220, P<0.001), confrontation (β = 0.187, P = 0.001), and age (β = -0.108, P = 0.037) significantly affected resilience and explained 50.1% of the total variance in resilience. Women with newly diagnosed breast cancer from mainland China demonstrated particularly low resilience level, which was predicted by hope educational level, avoidance, confrontation, and age.

Ground-water resources data for Warren County, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, M.E.; Buckwalter, T.F.

1996-01-01

This report presents lithologic, hydrologic, and chemical data collected during a study of the ground-water resources of Warren County, Pa. The study was conducted during 1983-90 by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey, and the Warren County Commissioners. The data include information on aquifers, water levels, and yields for about 600 wells, and records for 57 springs. Descriptions of aquifer lithology and chemical analyses of water samples collected at well and spring sites are provided. Chemical analyses include major cations, anions, nutrients, and selected trace elements. Also included are data on concentrations of volatile organic compounds, dissolved methane, ethane, propane, and total organic carbon. The report presents a summary of the source and significance of selected chemical constituents in ground water, a listing of Federal drinking water standards, and information on selected methods of removing or reducing concentrations of undesirable chemical constituents from water. Daily ground- water levels for five observation wells are tabulated. Maps of Warren County show the location of townships, boroughs, and 7-1/2-minute quadrangles. Data-collection sites are shown on 18 figures. A glossary is provided for readers unfamiliar with ground-water terminology.

[Teaching nursing research at bachelor and second level degree: opinions of nursing associate professors and nursing researchers].

PubMed

D'Aliesio, Lorella; Vellone, Ercole; Rega, Maria Luisa; Galletti, Caterina

2006-01-01

Nursing research is a systematic and very important enquiry for improving clients' quality of life and effective and efficient nursing care. National and international literature state that all nurses should have knowledge and responsibilities in research which are different in relation to their educational level. The aim of the present study was to collect opinions of the new professors in nursing about objectives, contents and methods for teaching nursing research at Bachelor and Master Degree. The sample was made of nine participants who were interviewed by twenty questions sent by e-mail. The interviews were analysed using quantitative-descriptive and qualitative-phenomenological methods (triangulation). Interviews revealed that Bachelor students should be educated to retrieve and criticise scientific literature, to apply research finding in practice and to collaborate in research studies; Master students should improve knowledge of Bachelor degree and be able to design and conduct research studies. Participants emphasised the importance of using active methodologies for teaching and to involve students in research. By analysing the literature and the results of the present study educational objectives for teaching nursing research at Bachelor and Master degree are defined.

Neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics and differences in the availability of healthy food stores and restaurants in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

PubMed

Duran, Ana Clara; Diez Roux, Ana V; Latorre, Maria do Rosario D O; Jaime, Patricia Constante

2013-09-01

Differential access to healthy foods has been hypothesized to contribute to health disparities, but evidence from low and middle-income countries is still scarce. This study examines whether the access of healthy foods varies across store types and neighborhoods of different socioeconomic statuses (SES) in a large Brazilian city. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2010-2011 across 52 census tracts. Healthy food access was measured by a comprehensive in-store data collection, summarized into two indexes developed for retail food stores (HFSI) and restaurants (HMRI). Descriptive analyses and multilevel models were used to examine associations of store type and neighborhood SES with healthy food access. Fast food restaurants were more likely to be located in low SES neighborhoods whereas supermarkets and full service restaurants were more likely to be found in higher SES neighborhoods. Multilevel analyses showed that both store type and neighborhood SES were independently associated with in-store food measures. We found differences in the availability of healthy food stores and restaurants in Sao Paulo city favoring middle and high SES neighborhoods. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of hygiene practices and microbiological status of ready-to-eat vegetable salads in Spanish school canteens.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Caturla, Magdevis Y; Valero, Antonio; Carrasco, Elena; Posada, Guiomar D; García-Gimeno, Rosa M; Zurera, Gonzalo

2012-08-30

This study was conducted in eight Spanish school canteens during the period 2008-2009. Food handlers' practices, kitchen equipment, hygiene/sanitation conditions and handling practices were evaluated using checklists. In parallel, the microbiological quality and safety of ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetable salads were assessed. In addition, food contact surfaces and environmental air quality of different areas were analysed. The study determined the relationship between the microbiological quality of RTE foods and food handling practices, together with the degree of contamination of working surfaces and environmental contamination of processing and distribution areas. Some deficiencies were found regarding the use and change of gloves, hand-washing and cleanliness of working surfaces. The microbial levels detected in the foods examined indicated the absence of pathogens in the samples analysed. Surface counts were higher on cutting boards and faucets, showing insufficient cleanliness procedures. This study constitutes a descriptive analysis of the hygiene/sanitation conditions implemented in food service systems in eight Spanish school canteens. The results should help risk managers to better define control measures to be adopted in order to prevent foodborne infections. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Analysis and spatial description to correlative factors on food hygiene appeal and food poison in restaurants of city zone in Qingdao].

PubMed

Liu, Ying; Guo, Xin-biao; Li, Hai-rong; Yang, Lin-sheng

2006-07-01

To study some factors that affected food poison and appeals in restaurants which were hidden danger on the cards. Data on food hygiene events from 2002 to 2004 in restaurants of 14 blocks which were located in the important city zone of Qingdao were collected and studied. The spatial distribution was conducted by means of Geographic Information System (GIS). Possible factors related to food hygiene events were investigated and analysed by NCSS Data statistics software. information of every block were marked on digitalized map by ARCVIEW3.2a software in order to show the spatial distribution of food hygiene events palpably in different areas in the course of three years. It was showed that air temperature, humidity, sunlight length were the important factors of food poison. Average amount of guests and floating population related to administration level of sanitation, the level of sanitation administration, geography location, business status of restaurants related to their status of food sanitation. This study showed the method that analysed and studied status of food sanitation from different areas by GIS were effective, simple and palpable.

Towards sustainable solid waste management: Investigating household participation in solid waste management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akil, A. M.; Ho, C. S.

2014-02-01

The aim of this paper is to assess the readiness of Iskandar Malaysia community to accept solid waste recycling. The research is based on quantitative research design and descriptive survey of the households at Iskandar Malaysia using the stratified sampling method for a sample of 670. The survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire that covered two basic principles; a) recycling knowledge; b) willingness to recycle. Data was analysed using the SPSS to carry out statistical analysis. The finding shows households' knowledge towards the solid waste recycling is good and positive. However, finding also shows that respondents have incomprehensive knowledge on the method of disposal as more than 50% of householders only recycle papers and textiles. Most of the households agreed to participate in the activities of the separation of waste if the facility will be made available at their kerbside. Therefore, it is recommended that government should provide more in-depth knowledge by intensifying the awareness of the households in the recycling programs. In term of urban planning and management, the location of recycling facility can be analysing by using GIS. This is important to understand the catchment area of each neighbourhood or precinct to ensure effective household participation.

Network collaboration of organisations for homeless individuals in the Montreal region

PubMed Central

Fleury, Marie-Josée; Grenier, Guy; Lesage, Alain; Ma, Nan; Ngui, André Ngamini

2014-01-01

Introduction We know little about the intensity and determinants of interorganisational collaboration within the homeless network. This study describes the characteristics and relationships (along with the variables predicting their degree of interorganisational collaboration) of 68 organisations of such a network in Montreal (Quebec, Canada). Theory and methods Data were collected primarily through a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive analyses were conducted followed by social network and multivariate analyses. Results The Montreal homeless network has a high density (50.5%) and a decentralised structure and maintains a mostly informal collaboration with the public and cross-sectorial sectors. The network density showed more frequent contacts among four types of organisations which could point to the existence of cliques. Four variables predicted interorganisational collaboration: organisation type, number of services offered, volume of referrals and satisfaction with the relationships with public organisations. Conclusions and discussion The Montreal homeless network seems adequate to address non-complex homelessness problems. Considering, however, that most homeless individuals present chronic and complex profiles, it appears necessary to have a more formal and better integrated network of homeless organisations, particularly in the health and social service sectors, in order to improve services. PMID:24520216

Local durian (Durio zibethinus murr.) exploration for potentially superior tree as parents in Ngrambe District, Ngawi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuniastuti, E.; Anggita, A.; Nandariyah; Sukaya

2018-03-01

The characteristics durian based on specific area gives a wide diversity of phenotype. This research objective was to build an inventory of the local durian of Ngrambe as well as to obtain potentially superior local durian as prospective parent trees. The research was conducted in Ngrambe sub-district, on October 2015 until April 2016 using the explorative descriptive method. The determination of sample point used the non-probability method of snowball sampling type. Primary data include the morphology of plant characters, trunks, leaves, flower, fruits and seeds and their superiority. The data of the research were analyzed using SIMQUAL (Similarity for Qualitative) function based on the DICE coefficient on NTSYS v.2.02. The data cluster and dendrogram analyses were determined by Unweighted Pair-Group Arithmetic Average (UPGMA) method. The result of DICE coefficient analyses of 58 local durian accession based on the phenotypic character of vegetative organs ranged from 0.84-1.0. The phenotypic character of the vegetative and generative organ from 3 local durian accession superior potential ranged from 0.7 to 0.8. In conclusion, the accession of local durian which were Miyem and Rusmiyati have advantage and potential as prospective parent trees.

A description of sexual offending committed by Canadian teachers.

PubMed

Moulden, Heather M; Firestone, Philip; Kingston, Drew A; Wexler, Audrey F

2010-07-01

The aim of this investigation was to describe teachers who sexually offend against youth and the circumstances related to these offenses. Archival Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System reports were obtained from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and demographic and criminal characteristics for the offender, as well as information about the victim and offense, were selected for analyses. A descriptive approach was used to analyze the qualitative reports for a group of 113 Canadian sexual offenders between 1995 and 2002. The results provide a description of adult male teachers who offended within their position of trust as well as offense and victim characteristics.

The Use of Web 2.0 Tools by Students in Learning and Leisure Contexts: A Study in a Portuguese Institution of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costa, Carolina; Alvelos, Helena; Teixeira, Leonor

2016-01-01

This study analyses and compares the use of Web 2.0 tools by students in both learning and leisure contexts. Data were collected based on a questionnaire applied to 234 students from the University of Aveiro (Portugal) and the results were analysed by using descriptive analysis, paired samples t-tests, cluster analyses and Kruskal-Wallis tests.…

Fetal response to maternal hunger and satiation - novel finding from a qualitative descriptive study of maternal perception of fetal movements.

PubMed

Bradford, Billie; Maude, Robyn

2014-08-26

Maternal perception of decreased fetal movements is a specific indicator of fetal compromise, notably in the context of poor fetal growth. There is currently no agreed numerical definition of decreased fetal movements, with the subjective perception of a decrease on the part of the mother being the most significant definition clinically. Both qualitative and quantitative aspects of fetal activity may be important in identifying the compromised fetus.Yet, how pregnant women perceive and describe fetal activity is under-investigated by qualitative means. The aim of this study was to explore normal fetal activity, through first-hand descriptive accounts by pregnant women. Using qualitative descriptive methodology, interviews were conducted with 19 low-risk women experiencing their first pregnancy, at two timepoints in their third trimester. Interview transcripts were later analysed using qualitative content analysis and patterns of fetal activity identified were then considered along-side the characteristics of the women and their birth outcomes. This paper focuses on a novel finding; the description by pregnant women of fetal behaviour indicative of hunger and satiation. Full findings will be presented in later papers. Most participants (74% 14 of 19) indicated mealtimes were a time of increased fetal activity. Eight participants provided detailed descriptions of increased activity around meals, with seven (37% 7 of 19) of these specifying increased fetal activity prior to meals or in the context of their own hunger. These movements were interpreted as a fetal demand for food often prompting the mother to eat. Interestingly, the women who described increased fetal activity in the context of hunger subsequently gave birth to smaller infants (mean difference 364 gm) than those who did not describe a fetal response to hunger. Food seeking behaviour may have a pre-birth origin. Maternal-fetal interaction around mealtimes could constitute an endocrine mediated communication, in the interests of maintaining optimal intrauterine conditions. Further research is warranted to explore this phenomenon and the potential influence of feeding on the temporal organisation of fetal activity in relation to growth.

Interventions for compassionate nursing care: A systematic review.

PubMed

Blomberg, Karin; Griffiths, Peter; Wengström, Yvonne; May, Carl; Bridges, Jackie

2016-10-01

Compassion has been identified as an essential element of nursing and is increasingly under public scrutiny in the context of demands for high quality health care. While primary research on effectiveness of interventions to support compassionate nursing care has been reported, no rigorous critical overview exists. To systematically identify, describe and analyse research studies that evaluate interventions for compassionate nursing care; assess the descriptions of the interventions for compassionate care, including design and delivery of the intervention and theoretical framework; and to evaluate evidence for the effectiveness of interventions. Published international literature written in English up to June 2015 was identified from CINAHL, Medline and Cochrane Library databases. Primary research studies comparing outcomes of interventions to promote compassionate nursing care with a control condition were included. Studies were graded according to relative strength of methods and quality of description of intervention. Narrative description and analysis was undertaken supported by tabulation of key study data including study design, outcomes, intervention type and results. 25 interventions reported in 24 studies were included in the review. Intervention types included staff training (n=10), care model (n=9) and staff support (n=6). Intervention description was generally weak, especially in relation to describing participants and facilitators, and the proposed mechanisms for change were often unclear. Most interventions were associated with improvements in patient-based, nurse-based and/or quality of care outcomes. However, overall methodological quality was low with most studies (n=16) conducted as uncontrolled before and after studies. The few higher quality studies were less likely to report positive results. No interventions were tested more than once. None of the studies reviewed reported intervention description in sufficient detail or presented sufficiently strong evidence of effectiveness to merit routine implementation of any of these interventions into practice. The positive outcomes reported suggest that further investigation of some interventions may be merited, but high caution must be exercised. Preference should be shown for further investigating interventions reported as effective in studies with a stronger design such as randomised controlled trials. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Influence of yield surface curvature on the macroscopic yielding and ductile failure of isotropic porous plastic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dæhli, Lars Edvard Bryhni; Morin, David; Børvik, Tore; Hopperstad, Odd Sture

2017-10-01

Numerical unit cell models of an approximative representative volume element for a porous ductile solid are utilized to investigate differences in the mechanical response between a quadratic and a non-quadratic matrix yield surface. A Hershey equivalent stress measure with two distinct values of the yield surface exponent is employed as the matrix description. Results from the unit cell calculations are further used to calibrate a heuristic extension of the Gurson model which incorporates effects of the third deviatoric stress invariant. An assessment of the porous plasticity model reveals its ability to describe the unit cell response to some extent, however underestimating the effect of the Lode parameter for the lower triaxiality ratios imposed in this study when compared to unit cell simulations. Ductile failure predictions by means of finite element simulations using a unit cell model that resembles an imperfection band are then conducted to examine how the non-quadratic matrix yield surface influences the failure strain as compared to the quadratic matrix yield surface. Further, strain localization predictions based on bifurcation analyses and imperfection band analyses are undertaken using the calibrated porous plasticity model. These simulations are then compared to the unit cell calculations in order to elucidate the differences between the various modelling strategies. The current study reveals that strain localization analyses using an imperfection band model and a spatially discretized unit cell are in reasonable agreement, while the bifurcation analyses predict higher strain levels at localization. Imperfection band analyses are finally used to calculate failure loci for the quadratic and the non-quadratic matrix yield surface under a wide range of loading conditions. The underlying matrix yield surface is demonstrated to have a pronounced influence on the onset of strain localization.

Preliminary performance assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, December 1992. Volume 5, Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of gas and brine migration for undisturbed performance

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

Not Available

1993-08-01

Before disposing of transuranic radioactive waste in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the United States Department of Energy (DOE) must evaluate compliance with applicable long-term regulations of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Sandia National Laboratories is conducting iterative performance assessments (PAs) of the WIPP for the DOE to provide interim guidance while preparing for a final compliance evaluation. This volume of the 1992 PA contains results of uncertainty and sensitivity analyses with respect to migration of gas and brine from the undisturbed repository. Additional information about the 1992 PA is provided in other volumes. Volume 1 containsmore » an overview of WIPP PA and results of a preliminary comparison with 40 CFR 191, Subpart B. Volume 2 describes the technical basis for the performance assessment, including descriptions of the linked computational models used in the Monte Carlo analyses. Volume 3 contains the reference data base and values for input parameters used in consequence and probability modeling. Volume 4 contains uncertainty and sensitivity analyses with respect to the EPA`s Environmental Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes (40 CFR 191, Subpart B). Finally, guidance derived from the entire 1992 PA is presented in Volume 6. Results of the 1992 uncertainty and sensitivity analyses indicate that, conditional on the modeling assumptions and the assigned parameter-value distributions, the most important parameters for which uncertainty has the potential to affect gas and brine migration from the undisturbed repository are: initial liquid saturation in the waste, anhydrite permeability, biodegradation-reaction stoichiometry, gas-generation rates for both corrosion and biodegradation under inundated conditions, and the permeability of the long-term shaft seal.« less

Ontology-Based Approach to Social Data Sentiment Analysis: Detection of Adolescent Depression Signals.

PubMed

Jung, Hyesil; Park, Hyeoun-Ae; Song, Tae-Min

2017-07-24

Social networking services (SNSs) contain abundant information about the feelings, thoughts, interests, and patterns of behavior of adolescents that can be obtained by analyzing SNS postings. An ontology that expresses the shared concepts and their relationships in a specific field could be used as a semantic framework for social media data analytics. The aim of this study was to refine an adolescent depression ontology and terminology as a framework for analyzing social media data and to evaluate description logics between classes and the applicability of this ontology to sentiment analysis. The domain and scope of the ontology were defined using competency questions. The concepts constituting the ontology and terminology were collected from clinical practice guidelines, the literature, and social media postings on adolescent depression. Class concepts, their hierarchy, and the relationships among class concepts were defined. An internal structure of the ontology was designed using the entity-attribute-value (EAV) triplet data model, and superclasses of the ontology were aligned with the upper ontology. Description logics between classes were evaluated by mapping concepts extracted from the answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) onto the ontology concepts derived from description logic queries. The applicability of the ontology was validated by examining the representability of 1358 sentiment phrases using the ontology EAV model and conducting sentiment analyses of social media data using ontology class concepts. We developed an adolescent depression ontology that comprised 443 classes and 60 relationships among the classes; the terminology comprised 1682 synonyms of the 443 classes. In the description logics test, no error in relationships between classes was found, and about 89% (55/62) of the concepts cited in the answers to FAQs mapped onto the ontology class. Regarding applicability, the EAV triplet models of the ontology class represented about 91.4% of the sentiment phrases included in the sentiment dictionary. In the sentiment analyses, "academic stresses" and "suicide" contributed negatively to the sentiment of adolescent depression. The ontology and terminology developed in this study provide a semantic foundation for analyzing social media data on adolescent depression. To be useful in social media data analysis, the ontology, especially the terminology, needs to be updated constantly to reflect rapidly changing terms used by adolescents in social media postings. In addition, more attributes and value sets reflecting depression-related sentiments should be added to the ontology. ©Hyesil Jung, Hyeoun-Ae Park, Tae-Min Song. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 24.07.2017.

Ontology-Based Approach to Social Data Sentiment Analysis: Detection of Adolescent Depression Signals

PubMed Central

Jung, Hyesil; Song, Tae-Min

2017-01-01

Background Social networking services (SNSs) contain abundant information about the feelings, thoughts, interests, and patterns of behavior of adolescents that can be obtained by analyzing SNS postings. An ontology that expresses the shared concepts and their relationships in a specific field could be used as a semantic framework for social media data analytics. Objective The aim of this study was to refine an adolescent depression ontology and terminology as a framework for analyzing social media data and to evaluate description logics between classes and the applicability of this ontology to sentiment analysis. Methods The domain and scope of the ontology were defined using competency questions. The concepts constituting the ontology and terminology were collected from clinical practice guidelines, the literature, and social media postings on adolescent depression. Class concepts, their hierarchy, and the relationships among class concepts were defined. An internal structure of the ontology was designed using the entity-attribute-value (EAV) triplet data model, and superclasses of the ontology were aligned with the upper ontology. Description logics between classes were evaluated by mapping concepts extracted from the answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) onto the ontology concepts derived from description logic queries. The applicability of the ontology was validated by examining the representability of 1358 sentiment phrases using the ontology EAV model and conducting sentiment analyses of social media data using ontology class concepts. Results We developed an adolescent depression ontology that comprised 443 classes and 60 relationships among the classes; the terminology comprised 1682 synonyms of the 443 classes. In the description logics test, no error in relationships between classes was found, and about 89% (55/62) of the concepts cited in the answers to FAQs mapped onto the ontology class. Regarding applicability, the EAV triplet models of the ontology class represented about 91.4% of the sentiment phrases included in the sentiment dictionary. In the sentiment analyses, “academic stresses” and “suicide” contributed negatively to the sentiment of adolescent depression. Conclusions The ontology and terminology developed in this study provide a semantic foundation for analyzing social media data on adolescent depression. To be useful in social media data analysis, the ontology, especially the terminology, needs to be updated constantly to reflect rapidly changing terms used by adolescents in social media postings. In addition, more attributes and value sets reflecting depression-related sentiments should be added to the ontology. PMID:28739560

Negotiating policy in practice: child and family health nurses' approach to the process of postnatal psychosocial assessment.

PubMed

Rollans, Mellanie; Schmied, Virginia; Kemp, Lynn; Meade, Tanya

2013-04-08

There is growing recognition internationally of the need to identify women with risk factors for poor perinatal mental health in pregnancy and following birth. In the state of New South Wales, Australia the Supporting Families Early policy provides a framework of assessment and support for women and families and includes routine psychosocial assessment and depression screening. This study investigated the approach taken by Child and Family Health Nurses (CFHNs) following birth to assessment and screening as recommended by state policy. This was a qualitative ethnographic study that included 83 CFHN and 20 women. Observations occurred with thirteen nurses; with 20 women, in the home or the clinic environment. An additional 70 nurses participated in discussion groups. An observational tool (4D&4R) and field notes were used to record observations and analysed descriptively using frequencies. Field notes, interview data and discussion group transcripts were analysed thematically. This was a qualitative ethnographic study that included 83 CFHN and 20 women. Observations occurred with thirteen nurses; with 20 women, in the home or the clinic environment. An additional 70 nurses participated in discussion groups. An observational tool (4D&4R) and field notes were used to record observations and analysed descriptively using frequencies. Field notes, interview data and discussion group transcripts were analysed thematically. CFHNs demonstrated a range of approaches to assessment and screening. Psychosocial assessment was conducted in 50% (10 out of the 20) of the interactions observed; however, all the women were screened using the Edinburgh Depression Scale. Four major themes that represent the approach taken to the assessment process were identified: 'Engagement: getting that first bit right', 'Doing some paperwork', 'Creating comfort' and 'Psychosocial assessment: doing it another way'. Nurses utilised other skills such as observing the women interacting with their baby, taking note of non verbal communication and using intuition to develop a clinical decision. Overall, nurses' took a sensitive and caring approach to assessment and screening, however, there were differences in interpretations of the policy recommendations across the two sites. Nurses adopt a flexible, relationship-based approach to the assessment process; however, they experience tension when required to incorporate structured psychosocial assessment processes. To undertake assessment and screening effectively, CFHNs require ongoing support, training and supervision to maintain this sensitive and emotionally challenging work.

12 CFR 652.61 - Capital planning.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... progressively severe stress scenarios developed by Farmer Mac appropriate to its business model and portfolios... stress testing, Farmer Mac must provide to OSMO a description of the expected and stressed scenarios that Farmer Mac intends to use to conduct its annual stress test under this section. (B) A description of all...

Recurrent patterning in the daily foraging routes of hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas): spatial memory in large-scale versus small-scale space.

PubMed

Schreier, Amy L; Grove, Matt

2014-05-01

The benefits of spatial memory for foraging animals can be assessed on two distinct spatial scales: small-scale space (travel within patches) and large-scale space (travel between patches). While the patches themselves may be distributed at low density, within patches resources are likely densely distributed. We propose, therefore, that spatial memory for recalling the particular locations of previously visited feeding sites will be more advantageous during between-patch movement, where it may reduce the distances traveled by animals that possess this ability compared to those that must rely on random search. We address this hypothesis by employing descriptive statistics and spectral analyses to characterize the daily foraging routes of a band of wild hamadryas baboons in Filoha, Ethiopia. The baboons slept on two main cliffs--the Filoha cliff and the Wasaro cliff--and daily travel began and ended on a cliff; thus four daily travel routes exist: Filoha-Filoha, Filoha-Wasaro, Wasaro-Wasaro, Wasaro-Filoha. We use newly developed partial sum methods and distribution-fitting analyses to distinguish periods of area-restricted search from more extensive movements. The results indicate a single peak in travel activity in the Filoha-Filoha and Wasaro-Filoha routes, three peaks of travel activity in the Filoha-Wasaro routes, and two peaks in the Wasaro-Wasaro routes; and are consistent with on-the-ground observations of foraging and ranging behavior of the baboons. In each of the four daily travel routes the "tipping points" identified by the partial sum analyses indicate transitions between travel in small- versus large-scale space. The correspondence between the quantitative analyses and the field observations suggest great utility for using these types of analyses to examine primate travel patterns and especially in distinguishing between movement in small versus large-scale space. Only the distribution-fitting analyses are inconsistent with the field observations, which may be due to the scale at which these analyses were conducted. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

How individual participant data meta-analyses have influenced trial design, conduct, and analysis.

PubMed

Tierney, Jayne F; Pignon, Jean-Pierre; Gueffyier, Francois; Clarke, Mike; Askie, Lisa; Vale, Claire L; Burdett, Sarah

2015-11-01

To demonstrate how individual participant data (IPD) meta-analyses have impacted directly on the design and conduct of trials and highlight other advantages IPD might offer. Potential examples of the impact of IPD meta-analyses on trials were identified at an international workshop, attended by individuals with experience in the conduct of IPD meta-analyses and knowledge of trials in their respective clinical areas. Experts in the field who did not attend were asked to provide any further examples. We then examined relevant trial protocols, publications, and Web sites to verify the impacts of the IPD meta-analyses. A subgroup of workshop attendees sought further examples and identified other aspects of trial design and conduct that may inform IPD meta-analyses. We identified 52 examples of IPD meta-analyses thought to have had a direct impact on the design or conduct of trials. After screening relevant trial protocols and publications, we identified 28 instances where IPD meta-analyses had clearly impacted on trials. They have influenced the selection of comparators and participants, sample size calculations, analysis and interpretation of subsequent trials, and the conduct and analysis of ongoing trials, sometimes in ways that would not possible with systematic reviews of aggregate data. We identified additional potential ways that IPD meta-analyses could be used to influence trials. IPD meta-analysis could be better used to inform the design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of trials. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How individual participant data meta-analyses have influenced trial design, conduct, and analysis

PubMed Central

Tierney, Jayne F.; Pignon, Jean-Pierre; Gueffyier, Francois; Clarke, Mike; Askie, Lisa; Vale, Claire L.; Burdett, Sarah; Alderson, P.; Askie, L.; Bennett, D.; Burdett, S.; Clarke, M.; Dias, S.; Emberson, J.; Gueyffier, F.; Iorio, A.; Macleod, M.; Mol, B.W.; Moons, C.; Parmar, M.; Perera, R.; Phillips, R.; Pignon, J.P.; Rees, J.; Reitsma, H.; Riley, R.; Rovers, M.; Rydzewska, L.; Schmid, C.; Shepperd, S.; Stenning, S.; Stewart, L.; Tierney, J.; Tudur Smith, C.; Vale, C.; Welge, J.; White, I.; Whiteley, W.

2015-01-01

Objectives To demonstrate how individual participant data (IPD) meta-analyses have impacted directly on the design and conduct of trials and highlight other advantages IPD might offer. Study Design and Setting Potential examples of the impact of IPD meta-analyses on trials were identified at an international workshop, attended by individuals with experience in the conduct of IPD meta-analyses and knowledge of trials in their respective clinical areas. Experts in the field who did not attend were asked to provide any further examples. We then examined relevant trial protocols, publications, and Web sites to verify the impacts of the IPD meta-analyses. A subgroup of workshop attendees sought further examples and identified other aspects of trial design and conduct that may inform IPD meta-analyses. Results We identified 52 examples of IPD meta-analyses thought to have had a direct impact on the design or conduct of trials. After screening relevant trial protocols and publications, we identified 28 instances where IPD meta-analyses had clearly impacted on trials. They have influenced the selection of comparators and participants, sample size calculations, analysis and interpretation of subsequent trials, and the conduct and analysis of ongoing trials, sometimes in ways that would not possible with systematic reviews of aggregate data. We identified additional potential ways that IPD meta-analyses could be used to influence trials. Conclusions IPD meta-analysis could be better used to inform the design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of trials. PMID:26186982

Longitudinal Assessment of Self-Reported Recent Back Pain and Combat Deployment in the Millennium Cohort Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-15

participants who were followed for the development of back pain for an average of 3.9 years. Methods. Descriptive statistics and longitudinal...health, military personnel, occupational health, outcome assessment, statistics, survey methodology . Level of Evidence: 3 Spine 2016;41:1754–1763ack...based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.21 Statistical Analysis Descriptive and univariate analyses compared character- istics

Disadvantaged Children and Their First School Experiences: ETS-Head Start Longitudinal Study: Structure and Development of Cognitive Competencies and Styles Prior to School Entry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shipman, Virginia C.; And Others

In a continuing description of a Head Start longitudinal study, analyses are presented of the interrelationships among individual measures of the child's performances prior to school entry, accompanied by brief descriptions of the tasks and the scores used. Despite the size and extensiveness of the data base, the findings are considered tentative…

[Acceptance of patients with mental illness: a family perspective].

PubMed

Vicente, Jéssica Batistela; Mariano, Pamela Patrícia; Buriola, Aline Aparecida; Paiano, Marcelle; Waidman, Maria Angélica Pagliarini; Marcon, Sonia Silva

2013-06-01

The aim of this descriptive and qualitative study is to analyse how acceptance of mental illness is perceived by family members of the patient and the surrounding community. This study was conducted with the help of 10 families of patients with mental disorders admitted to the psychiatric emergency unit of the Municipal Hospital of Maringá, state of Parana, Brazil. Data were collected from October to December 2010, in open interviews and submitted to thematic content analysis, resulting in three categories: "Care, a constant requirement", "Living with a patient with mental illness: a whirlwind of emotions", "A wall constructed with stigma and prejudgement: the need for deconstruction". The conclusion is that an understanding of the disease is vital for acceptance of the illness itself and of the patient, and that healthcare professionals must remain close to the family to provide support, answer queries related to the disease, and help the family to face the difficulties of everyday life.

Intermolecular orbital interaction in π systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Rundong; Zhang, Rui-Qin

2018-04-01

Intermolecular interactions, in regard to which people tend to emphasise the noncovalent van der Waals (vdW) forces when conducting investigations throughout chemistry, can influence the structure, stability and function of molecules and materials. Despite the ubiquitous nature of vdW interactions, a simplified electrostatic model has been popularly adopted to explain common intermolecular interactions, especially those existing in π-involved systems. However, this classical model has come under fire in revealing specific issues such as substituent effects, due to its roughness; and it has been followed in past decades by sundry explanations which sometimes bring in nebulous descriptions. In this account, we try to summarise and present a unified model for describing and analysing the binding mechanism of such systems from the viewpoint of energy decomposition. We also emphasise a commonly ignored factor - orbital interaction, pointing out that the noncovalent intermolecular orbital interactions actually exhibit similar bonding and antibonding phenomena as those in covalent bonds.

Meso and micro level workforce challenges in psychiatric rehabilitation.

PubMed

Reifels, Lennart; Pirkis, Jane

2012-01-01

Results of an exploratory study are presented which examined workforce challenges in Australia's most established psychiatric rehabilitation sector. The study had the two-fold aim of investigating workforce challenges at an organizational ("meso") level and at the level of direct-service workers' daily practice ("micro"). Data from 23 key informant interviews conducted with service managers and long-serving staff were analyzed through basic descriptive and thematic analyses. Organizations faced significant annual staff turnover (25.6%), specific staff supply shortages, and challenges in recruiting staff with adequate experience and longevity to match the complexity of client issues. Workers equally encountered challenges in this increasingly complex and rapidly changing field of work. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Workforce strategies designed to attract/retain experienced staff can improve workforce cohesiveness and sustainability, as can training and support activities aimed at equipping staff to reflect on and operate in dynamic and changing work environments.

Managing EEE part standardisation and procurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serieys, C.; Bensoussan, A.; Petitmangin, A.; Rigaud, M.; Barbaresco, P.; Lyan, C.

2002-12-01

This paper presents the development activities in space components selection and procurement dealing with a new data base tool implemented at Alcatel Space using TransForm softwaa re configurator developed by Techform S.A. Based on TransForm, Access Ingenierie has devv eloped a software product named OLG@DOS which facilitate the part nomenclatures analyses for new equipment design and manufacturing in term of ACCESS data base implementation. Hi-Rel EEE part type technical, production and quality information are collected and compiled usingproduction data base issued from production tools implemented for equipment definition, description and production based on Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II Control Open) and Parametric Design Manager (PDM Work Manager). The analysis of any new equipment nomenclature may be conducted through this means for standardisation purpose, cost containment program and management procurement activities as well as preparation of Component reviews as Part Approval Document and Declared Part List validation.

Fractional diffusion models of cardiac electrical propagation: role of structural heterogeneity in dispersion of repolarization

PubMed Central

Bueno-Orovio, Alfonso; Kay, David; Grau, Vicente; Rodriguez, Blanca; Burrage, Kevin

2014-01-01

Impulse propagation in biological tissues is known to be modulated by structural heterogeneity. In cardiac muscle, improved understanding on how this heterogeneity influences electrical spread is key to advancing our interpretation of dispersion of repolarization. We propose fractional diffusion models as a novel mathematical description of structurally heterogeneous excitable media, as a means of representing the modulation of the total electric field by the secondary electrical sources associated with tissue inhomogeneities. Our results, analysed against in vivo human recordings and experimental data of different animal species, indicate that structural heterogeneity underlies relevant characteristics of cardiac electrical propagation at tissue level. These include conduction effects on action potential (AP) morphology, the shortening of AP duration along the activation pathway and the progressive modulation by premature beats of spatial patterns of dispersion of repolarization. The proposed approach may also have important implications in other research fields involving excitable complex media. PMID:24920109

Green Collar Workers: An Emerging Workforce in the Environmental Sector

PubMed Central

McClure, Laura A.; LeBlanc, William G.; Fernandez, Cristina A.; Fleming, Lora E.; Lee, David J.; Moore, Kevin J.; Caban-Martinez, Alberto J.

2017-01-01

Objective We describe the socio-demographic, occupational, and health characteristics of “green collar” workers, a vital and emerging workforce in energy-efficiency and sustainability. Methods We linked data from the 2004–2012 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) and US Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted using green collar worker status as the outcome (n=143,346). Results Green collar workers are more likely than non-green workers to be male, age 25–64y, obese, and with ≤ high school education. They are less likely to be racial/ethnic minorities and employed in small companies or government jobs. Conclusions Green collar workers have a distinct socio-demographic and occupational profile, and this workforce deserves active surveillance to protect its workers’ safety. The NHIS-O*NET linkage represents a valuable resource to further identify the unique exposures and characteristics of this occupational sector. PMID:28403016

The trend of road traffic crashes at urban signalised intersection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farhana Nasarrudin, Nurul; Razelan, Intan Suhana Mohd

2018-04-01

Road traffic crash is one of the main contributing factors for deaths in the world. Intersection is listed as the second road type which road crashes occurred frequently. Hence, the traffic light was installed to minimise the road crashes at intersection. However, the crashes are still occurring and arising. The objective of this study was to exhibit the trend of road crashes at the signalised intersections. The data of road crashes for the past 6 years were analysed using descriptive analysis. The results showed that the road traffic crashes at three- and four-legged signalised intersection recorded the increasing trend. In conclusion, this finding shows that the road traffic crashes for these types of signalised intersection in Malaysia is rising. It is also one the contributors to the increasing number of crashes in Malaysia. This finding will encourage the local authority to conduct awareness programs on the safety at the signalised intersection.

Determinant factors for Brebes shallot farmers in selecting shallot varieties (Case study in Brebes, Central Java Indonesia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sembiring, A.

2017-03-01

The using of a high quality seed is very important for a successfully cultivation and an increasing of vegetable production. The vegetable productions, including for shallot are much more affected by seed varieties. Previous studies showed that production rate, shape, colour, resistant to pest and disease, number of bulbs and demanding by market were factors that influence farmers to choose shallot variety. The aim of the study is to observe determinant factors that influence shallot farmers to change their shallot varieties and persist to use certain varieties. The study was conducted in June to December 2014 in Wanasari, Tanjung, Kemukten and Limbangan villages, Brebes District. Brebes was selected as it is the biggest shallot production in Indonesia. Data were collected from 35 shallot farmers through survey by using the structural questionnaire. The data then analysed with the descriptive statistic.

Green Collar Workers: An Emerging Workforce in the Environmental Sector.

PubMed

McClure, Laura A; LeBlanc, William G; Fernandez, Cristina A; Fleming, Lora E; Lee, David J; Moore, Kevin J; Caban-Martinez, Alberto J

2017-05-01

We describe the socio-demographic, occupational, and health characteristics of "green collar" workers, a vital and emerging workforce in energy-efficiency and sustainability. We linked data from the 2004 to 2012 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) and US Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted using green collar worker status as the outcome (n = 143,346). Green collar workers are more likely than non-green workers to be men, age 25 to 64 years, obese, and with less than or equal to high school (HS) education. They are less likely to be racial/ethnic minorities and employed in small companies or government jobs. Green collar workers have a distinct socio-demographic and occupational profile, and this workforce deserves active surveillance to protect its workers' safety. The NHIS-O*NET linkage represents a valuable resource to further identify the unique exposures and characteristics of this occupational sector.

Association of the Nurse Work Environment, Collective Efficacy, and Missed Care.

PubMed

Smith, Jessica G; Morin, Karen H; Wallace, Leigh E; Lake, Eileen T

2018-06-01

Missed nursing care is a significant threat to quality patient care. Promoting collective efficacy within nurse work environments could decrease missed care. The purpose was to understand how missed care is associated with nurse work environments and collective efficacy of hospital staff nurses. A cross-sectional, convenience sample was obtained through online surveys from registered nurses working at five southwestern U.S. hospitals. Descriptive, correlational, regression, and path analyses were conducted ( N = 233). The percentage of nurses who reported that at least one care activity was missed frequently or always was 94%. Mouth care (36.0% of nurses) and ambulation (35.3%) were missed frequently or always. Nurse work environments and collective efficacy were moderately, positively correlated. Nurse work environments and collective efficacy were associated with less missed care (χ 2 = 10.714, p = .0054). Fostering collective efficacy in the nurse work environment could reduce missed care and improve patient outcomes.

Structural equation modeling: building and evaluating causal models: Chapter 8

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grace, James B.; Scheiner, Samuel M.; Schoolmaster, Donald R.

2015-01-01

Scientists frequently wish to study hypotheses about causal relationships, rather than just statistical associations. This chapter addresses the question of how scientists might approach this ambitious task. Here we describe structural equation modeling (SEM), a general modeling framework for the study of causal hypotheses. Our goals are to (a) concisely describe the methodology, (b) illustrate its utility for investigating ecological systems, and (c) provide guidance for its application. Throughout our presentation, we rely on a study of the effects of human activities on wetland ecosystems to make our description of methodology more tangible. We begin by presenting the fundamental principles of SEM, including both its distinguishing characteristics and the requirements for modeling hypotheses about causal networks. We then illustrate SEM procedures and offer guidelines for conducting SEM analyses. Our focus in this presentation is on basic modeling objectives and core techniques. Pointers to additional modeling options are also given.

Introducing the Brassica Information Portal: Towards integrating genotypic and phenotypic Brassica crop data

PubMed Central

Eckes, Annemarie H.; Gubała, Tomasz; Nowakowski, Piotr; Szymczyszyn, Tomasz; Wells, Rachel; Irwin, Judith A.; Horro, Carlos; Hancock, John M.; King, Graham; Dyer, Sarah C.; Jurkowski, Wiktor

2017-01-01

The Brassica Information Portal (BIP) is a centralised repository for brassica phenotypic data. The site hosts trait data associated with brassica research and breeding experiments conducted on brassica crops, that are used as oilseeds, vegetables, livestock forage and fodder and for biofuels. A key feature is the explicit management of meta-data describing the provenance and relationships between experimental plant materials, as well as trial design and trait descriptors. BIP is an open access and open source project, built on the schema of CropStoreDB, and as such can provide trait data management strategies for any crop data. A new user interface and programmatic submission/retrieval system helps to simplify data access for researchers, breeders and other end-users. BIP opens up the opportunity to apply integrative, cross-project analyses to data generated by the Brassica Research Community. Here, we present a short description of the current status of the repository. PMID:28529710

Nondestructive Analysis of Apollo Samples by Micro-CT and Micro-XRF Analysis: A PET Style Examination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeigler, Ryan A.

2014-01-01

An integral part of any sample return mission is the initial description and classification of returned samples by the preliminary examination team (PET). The goal of a PET is to characterize and classify the returned samples, making this information available to the general research community who can then conduct more in-depth studies on the samples. A PET strives to minimize the impact their work has on the sample suite, which often limits the PET work to largely visual measurements and observations like optical microscopy. More modern techniques can also be utilized by future PET to nondestructively characterize astromaterials in a more rigorous way. Here we present our recent analyses of Apollo samples 14321 and 14305 by micro-CT and micro-XRF (respectively), assess the potential for discovery of "new" Apollo samples for scientific study, and evaluate the usefulness of these techniques in future PET efforts.

General practitioners learning qualitative research: A case study of postgraduate education.

PubMed

Hepworth, Julie; Kay, Margaret

2015-10-01

Qualitative research is increasingly being recognised as a vital aspect of primary healthcare research. Teaching and learning how to conduct qualitative research is especially important for general practitioners and other clinicians in the professional educational setting. This article examines a case study of postgraduate professional education in qualitative research for clinicians, for the purpose of enabling a robust discussion around teaching and learning in medicine and the health sciences. A series of three workshops was delivered for primary healthcare academics. The workshops were evaluated using a quantitative survey and qualitative free-text responses to enable descriptive analyses. Participants found qualitative philosophy and theory the most difficult areas to engage with, and learning qualitative coding and analysis was considered the easiest to learn. Key elements for successful teaching were identified, including the use of adult learning principles, the value of an experienced facilitator and an awareness of the impact of clinical subcultures on learning.

From challenges to advanced practice registered nursing role development: Qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Jokiniemi, Krista; Haatainen, Kaisa; Pietilä, Anna-Maija

2015-12-01

The aim of this study is to describe the factors hindering and facilitating the implementation of the advanced practice registered nurses role at Finnish university hospitals, and to examine the implications for its future development. A descriptive qualitative approach, using thematic individual interviews, was conducted in 2011 with a sample of 11 advanced practice registered nurses. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The advanced practice registered nurses role barriers had an impact on the role development needs. In turn, the facilitating factors helped encounter the challenges of the role, therefore having an impact on both the current role achievement, as well as contributing to the future role development. The factors hindering and facilitating the advanced practice registered nurses role need to be acknowledged to support the role implementation and planning of the future of the role. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Involvement as inclusion? Shared decision-making in social work practice in Israel: a qualitative account.

PubMed

Levin, Lia

2015-03-01

Shared decision-making (SDM), a representation of shared knowledge and power between social workers and their clients, is gaining popularity and prevalence in social services around the world. In many senses, SDM reflects values traditionally associated with social work and service provision, such as equality and anti-discrimination. In the complex context of social problem-solving, however, the relationship between SDM, social workers and their clients is multi-faceted and deserves particular attention. The current study examined SDM and the dilemmas it entails through interviews conducted in 2012 with 77 Israeli social workers and policy makers whose responses were analysed according to the guiding principles of descriptive phenomenological content analysis and dialogical commonality. Participants' responses represent notions of hope, change, identity and choice. Findings are discussed in correspondence with current and recent trends in Israeli social services, and the social work profession in Israel. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

What Goes Into a Decision? How Nursing Faculty Decide Which Best Practices to Use for Classroom Testing.

PubMed

Killingsworth, Erin; Kimble, Laura P; Sudia, Tanya

2015-01-01

To explore the decision-making process of BSN faculty when determining which best practices to use for classroom testing. A descriptive, correlational study was conducted with a national sample (N = 127) of full-time BSN faculty. Participants completed a web-based survey incorporating instruments that measured beliefs about evaluation, decision-making, and best practices for item analysis and constructing and revising classroom tests. Study participants represented 31 states and were primarily middle-aged white women. In multiple linear regression analyses, faculty beliefs, contextual factors for decision-making, and decision-making processes accounted for statistically significant amounts of the variance in item analysis and test construction and revision. Strong faculty beliefs that rules were important when evaluating students was a significant predictor of increased use of best practices. Results support that understanding faculty beliefs around classroom testing is important in promoting the use of best practices.

VA Disability Compensation and Money Spent on Substance Use Among Homeless Veterans: A Controversial Association.

PubMed

Tsai, Jack; Rosenheck, Robert A

2015-06-01

There has long been concern that public support payments are used to support addictive behaviors. This study examined the amount of money homeless veterans spend on alcohol and drugs and the association between public support income, including VA disability compensation, and expenditures on alcohol and drugs. Data were from 1,160 veterans from 19 sites on entry into the Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric analyses were conducted. About 33% of veterans reported spending money on alcohol and 22% reported spending money on drugs in the past month. No significant association was found between public support income, VA disability compensation, and money spent on alcohol and drugs. A substantial proportion of homeless veterans spend some income on alcohol and drugs, but disability income, including VA compensation, does not seem to be related to substance use or money spent on addictive substances.

High temperature crystal field spectra of transition metal-bearing minerals - Relevance to remote-sensed spectra of planetary surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parkin, K. M.; Burns, R. G.

1980-01-01

It is pointed out that transition metal ions in silicate minerals, glasses, and crystalline and amorphous oxyhydroxides and salts contribute to the visible-near infrared spectral profiles of planetary surfaces. Investigations are conducted to obtain spectral information which might be helpful in the interpretation of the remote-sensed spectra of planetary surfaces. A description is presented of the results of high temperature crystal field spectral measurements of a variety of heated minerals containing Cr(3+), Fe(3+), Fe(++), and Mn(++) ions in different coordination symmetries, taking into account a correlation of the temperature-induced variations with those previously observed for octahedrally coordinated Fe(++)-bearing silicates. The employed experimental methods are also discussed, giving attention to the preparation of the samples, the determination of the absorption spectra, electron microprobe analyses, and the curve fitting procedure.

The effects of organisational culture on nurses' perceptions of their work.

PubMed

Garcia, Alessandra Bassalobre; Rocha, Fernanda Ludmilla Rossi; Pissinati, Paloma de Souza Cavalcante; Marziale, Maria Helena Palucci; Camelo, Silvia Helena Henriques; Haddad, Maria do Carmo Fernandez Lourenço

2017-07-27

This study aimed to analyse the relationship between the organisational culture and feelings of pleasure and suffering among working nursing professionals. This was a cross-sectional correlational study conducted in a tertiary hospital with 214 nursing staff over 3 months using three instruments: professional characterisation, the Brazilian Instrument for Assessment of Organisational Culture, and the Scale of Pleasure and Suffering at Work. The analysis included descriptive statistics and the Spearman correlation test. The external integration practice was the domain most frequently found in the organisational culture and the feeling of pleasure-gratification predominated among the workers. Values of cooperative professionalism and wellbeing, and practices of external integration and relationship promotion, were related to increased pleasure and decreased suffering at work. These aspects depend on the organisational culture of the institution. Investigating organisational culture facilitates the understanding of potential collective coping strategies and the organisational changes that favour good mental health in nurses.

Data management of a multilaboratory field program using distributed processing. [PRECP

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

Tichler, J.L.

The PRECP program is a multilaboratory research effort conducted by the US Department of Energy as a part of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP). The primary objective of PRECP is to provide essential information for the quantitative description of chemical wet deposition as a function of air pollution loadings, geograpic location, and atmospheric processing. The program is broken into four closely interrelated sectors: Diagnostic Modeling; Field Measurements; Laboratory Measurements; and Climatological Evaluation. Data management tasks are: compile databases of the data collected in field studies; verify the contents of data sets; make data available to program participants eithermore » on-line or by means of computer tapes; perform requested analyses, graphical displays, and data aggregations; provide an index of what data is available; and provide documentation for field programs both as part of the computer database and as data reports.« less

Evidence-based neurosurgery

PubMed Central

Esene, Ignatius N.; Baeesa, Saleh S.; Ammar, Ahmed

2016-01-01

Medical evidence is obtainable from approaches, which might be descriptive, analytic and integrative and ranked into levels of evidence, graded according to quality and summarized into strengths of recommendation. Sources of evidence range from expert opinions through well-randomized control trials to meta-analyses. The conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions related to the care of individual patients defines the concept of evidence-based neurosurgery (EBN). We reviewed reference books of clinical epidemiology, evidence-based practice and other previously related articles addressing principles of evidence-based practice in neurosurgery. Based on existing theories and models and our cumulative years of experience and expertise conducting research and promoting EBN, we have synthesized and presented a holistic overview of the concept of EBN. We have also underscored the importance of clinical research and its relationship to EBN. Useful electronic resources are provided. The concept of critical appraisal is introduced. PMID:27356649

Disease and injury trends among evacuees in a shelter located at the epicenter of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, Japan.

PubMed

Yorifuji, Takashi; Sato, Takushi; Yoneda, Toru; Kishida, Yoshiomi; Yamamoto, Sumie; Sakai, Taro; Sashiyama, Hiroshi; Takahashi, Shuko; Orui, Hayato; Kato, Daisuke; Hasegawa, Taro; Suzuki, Yoshihiro; Okamoto, Maki; Hayashi, Hideki; Suganami, Shigeru

2017-06-16

Two huge earthquakes struck Kumamoto, Japan, in April 2016, forcing residents to evacuate. Few studies have reported early-phase disease and injury trends among evacuees following major inland earthquakes. We evaluated the trends among evacuees who visited a medical clinic in a shelter located at the epicenter of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes. The clinic opened on April 15, the day after the foreshock, and closed 3 weeks later. We reviewed medical charts related to 929 outpatient visits and conducted descriptive analyses. The evacuees experienced mild injuries and common diseases. The types of diseases changed weekly. Elderly people needed medical support for longer than other age groups. Future earthquakes may be inevitable, but establishing arrangements for medical needs or making precautions for infectious diseases in shelters could reduce the effects of earthquake-related health problems.

Seniors Online: Attitudes Toward the Internet and Coping With Everyday Life.

PubMed

Seifert, Alexander; Schelling, Hans Rudolf

2018-01-01

Many older people do not use the Internet. We investigated the attitudes of older people who do (onliners) or do not (offliners) use the Internet, to assess their views of the Internet and whether they see the Internet as a resource for coping with everyday life situations. Participants aged ≥65 years ( N = 1,037), living in Switzerland, were interviewed in a telephone survey. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted. The data show (a) many of the respondents viewed the Internet as useful, in general, and for coping with everyday life situations; (b) onliners saw more positive aspects of the Internet than did offliners; and (c) among onliners, 53% agreed with the statement, "The Internet allows me to stay independent longer into old age." However, it appears that especially older onliners with a high affinity for technology will presumably use the Internet to cope with everyday life.

Self-efficacy and physical activity in adolescent and parent dyads.

PubMed

Rutkowski, Elaine M; Connelly, Cynthia D

2012-01-01

The study examined the relationships between self-efficacy and physical activity in adolescent and parent dyads. A cross-sectional, correlational design was used to explore the relationships among levels of parent physical activity, parent-adolescent self-efficacy, and adolescent physical activity. Descriptive and multivariate regression analyses were conducted in a purposive sample of 94 adolescent/parent dyads. Regression results indicated the overall model significantly predicted adolescent physical activity (R(2) = .20, R(2)(adj) = .14, F[5, 70]= 3.28, p= .01). Only one of the five predictor variables significantly contributed to the model. Higher levels of adolescent self-efficacy was positively related to greater levels of adolescent physical activity (β= .29, p= .01). Practitioners are encouraged to examine the level of self-efficacy and physical activity in families in an effort to develop strategies that impact these areas and ultimately to mediate obesity-related challenges in families seeking care. © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Canadian Punjabi Sikh men's experiences of lifestyle changes following myocardial infarction: cultural connections.

PubMed

Galdas, Paul M; Oliffe, John L; Wong, Sabrina T; Ratner, Pamela A; Johnson, Joy L; Kelly, Mary T

2012-01-01

To describe how culture underlies Canadian Punjabi Sikh men's experiences of adopting lifestyle changes following myocardial infarction (MI). Qualitative, interpretive design. In-depth, individual interviews were conducted with 27 Canadian Punjabi Sikh men post-MI. Data were analysed using constant comparative methods. Cultural influences were identified in Punjabi Sikh men's descriptions of their experience of adopting lifestyle changes. Actions related to self-care, rehabilitation and lifestyle change post-MI were embedded in collectivist family and community contexts. Three themes, derived from the data, were found to intertwine with these contexts; they related to food consumption, physical exercise and faith and religion. These findings highlight how collectivist ideals influence Canadian Punjabi Sikh men's adoption of lifestyle changes post-MI. The content and processes by which healthcare providers deliver heart health and rehabilitation to Canadian Punjabi Sikh men might be guided, at least in part, by the collectivist cultural practices underpinning our findings.

Compassion fatigue and burnout: prevalence among oncology nurses.

PubMed

Potter, Patricia; Deshields, Teresa; Divanbeigi, Joyce; Berger, Julie; Cipriano, Doreen; Norris, Lori; Olsen, Sarah

2010-10-01

This descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted in inpatient nursing units and outpatient clinics in a cancer center in the midwestern United States. The sample of 153 healthcare providers included RNs, medical assistants, and radiology technicians. The fourth revision of the 30-item Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL R-IV) scale was used for measuring compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and burnout. A series of cross tab analyses examined the relationship between participant demographics and three ProQOL R-IV subscales. The study sample scored similarly on compassion satisfaction and burnout when compared with participants who used the ProQOL R-IV in previous studies. Value exists in analyzing the prevalence of burnout and compassion fatigue among oncology healthcare providers. Understanding the needs of distinct demographic groups offers valuable direction for intervention program development. Applying internal evidence in the design of a relevant stress-reduction program will better equip healthcare providers to recognize and manage compassion fatigue and burnout.

Domestic Violence in Pregnant Women: A Study Conducted in the Postpartum Period of Adolescents and Adults.

PubMed

Lima, Lucia Helena Mello de; Mattar, Rosiane; Abrahão, Anelise Riedel

2016-06-15

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of domestic violence in adolescent and adult mothers who were admitted to obstetrics services centers in Brazil and to identify risk factors of domestic violence and any adverse obstetric and perinatal outcomes. Researchers used standardized interviews, the questionnaire Abuse Assessment Screen, and a review of patients' medical records. Descriptive statistical analyses were also used. The prevalence of domestic violence among all participants totaled 40.1% (38.5% of adolescents, 41.7% of adults). Factors associated with domestic violence during pregnancy were as follows: a history of family violence, a greater number of sexual partners, and being a smoker. No statistically significant association was found for adverse obstetric and perinatal outcomes. Results showed that, in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil, pregnancy did not protect a woman from suffering domestic violence. © The Author(s) 2016.

Characteristics of calls to the Israeli hotline during the Intifada.

PubMed

Gilat, Itzhak; Latzer, Yael

2007-08-01

The present study examined the help-seeking characteristics of callers to the ten Israeli hotline centers during the Intifada - the Palestinian uprising in the Israeli administered territories. The research method combined quantitative and qualitative analyses of the volunteers' written reports. The quantitative analysis was conducted on a sample of 21,315 structured forms, and the qualitative content analysis was carried out on a sample of 498 verbal descriptions of calls. The quantitative analysis revealed a U-shaped curve illustrating the frequency of Intifada-related calls in relation to the time of the study. The qualitative analysis showed that the main complaints of the callers were focused on direct and masked manifestations of anxiety and feelings of helplessness. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of understanding the unique psychological response to a new kind of stress, as seen from the perspective of calls to a hotline.

The 10-Item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale: Factorial Structure, Reliability, Validity, and Correlates Among Student Nurses in Southwestern Nigeria.

PubMed

Aloba, Olutayo; Olabisi, Oluseyi; Aloba, Tolulope

2016-01-01

The 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) has demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties as a measure of resilience in all the previous studies conducted in developed countries. The objective of this study was to explore the psychometric characteristics of the 10-item CD-RISC among students nurses in southwestern Nigeria. This descriptive cross-sectional study involved a total of 449 student nurses who completed the 10-item CD-RISC in addition to measures of self-esteem, depression, religiosity, and psychological distress. The scale demonstrated adequate reliability (Cronbach's α = .81) and satisfactory validity with significant correlations with the measures of self-esteem, depression, religiosity, and psychological distress. Factor analyses revealed that resilience was best explained by a two-factor construct. The scale is a valid measure of resilience among Nigerian student nurses. © The Author(s) 2016.

Petrophysical properties, mineralogy, fractures, and flow tests in 25 deep boreholes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Philip H.; Kibler, Joyce E.

2014-01-01

As part of a site investigation for the disposal of radioactive waste, numerous boreholes were drilled into a sequence of Miocene pyroclastic flows and related deposits at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This report contains displays of data from 25 boreholes drilled during 1979–1984, relatively early in the site investigation program. Geophysical logs and hydrological tests were conducted in the boreholes; core and cuttings analyses yielded data on mineralogy, fractures, and physical properties; and geologic descriptions provided lithology boundaries and the degree of welding of the rock units. Porosity and water content were computed from the geophysical logs, and porosity results were combined with mineralogy from x-ray diffraction to provide whole-rock volume fractions. These data were composited on plates and used by project personnel during the 1990s. Improvements in scanning and computer technology now make it possible to publish these displays.

Multiwell fracturing experiments. [Nitrogen foam fracture treatment

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

Warpinski, N.

The objective of the Multiwell fracturing experiments is to test and develop the technology for the efficient stimulation of tight, lenticular gas sands. This requires basic understanding of: (1) fracture behavior and geometry in this complex lithologic environment, and (2) subsequent production into the created fracture. The intricate interplay of the hydraulic fracture with the lens geometry, the internal reservoir characteristics (fractures, reservoir breaks, etc.), the in situ stresses, and the mechanical defects (fracture, bedding, etc.) need to be defined in order to develop a successful stimulation program. The stimulation phase of the Multiwell Experiment is concerned with: (1) determiningmore » important rock/reservoir properties that influence or control fracture geometry and behavior, (2) designing fracture treatments to achieve a desired size and objectives, and (3) conducting post-treatment analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. Background statement, project description, results and evaluation of future plans are presented. 5 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Moving from trust to trustworthiness: Experiences of public engagement in the Scottish Health Informatics Programme

PubMed Central

Aitken, Mhairi; Cunningham-Burley, Sarah; Pagliari, Claudia

2016-01-01

The Scottish Health Informatics Programme (SHIP) was a Scotland-wide research programme exploring ways of collecting, managing and analysing electronic patient records for health research. As part of the SHIP public engagement work stream, a series of eight focus groups and a stakeholder workshop were conducted to explore perceptions of the role, relevance and functions of trust (or trustworthiness) in relation to research practices. The findings demonstrate that the public’s relationships of trust and/or mistrust in science and research are not straightforward. This paper aims to move beyond simple descriptions of whether publics trust researchers, or in whom members of the public place their trust, and to explore more fully the bases of public trust/mistrust in science, what trust implies and equally what it means for research/researchers to be trustworthy. This has important implications for public engagement in interdisciplinary projects. PMID:28066123

Sex differences in work-related traumatic brain injury due to assault.

PubMed

Mollayeva, Tatyana; Mollayeva, Shirin; Lewko, John; Colantonio, Angela

2016-06-16

To examine the etiology, prevalence and severity of assault-precipitated work-related traumatic brain injury (wrTBI) in Ontario, Canada through a sex lens. Cross-sectional study using data abstracted from the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) claims files in 2004. Descriptive analyses were conducted to determine the distribution of worker/employment/incident characteristics. Workplace physical violence that resulted in a TBI accounted for 6.6% percent of all TBI injury claims. Female workers, primarily in the health care/social services sector, accounted for over half of all TBIs. Most workers were assaulted by consumers/clients. Forty five percent of injuries occurred among workers with less than 3 years of employment. This paper identifies profiles of workers and workplaces for targeted preventive efforts. Future studies are needed to further address risk factors by sex and outcomes, such as length of disability and health care cost.

Psychiatrists' follow-up of identified metabolic risk: a mixed-method analysis of outcomes and influences on practice.

PubMed

Patterson, Sue; Freshwater, Kathleen; Goulter, Nicole; Ewing, Julie; Leamon, Boyd; Choudhary, Anand; Moudgil, Vikas; Emmerson, Brett

2016-10-01

Aims and method To describe and explain psychiatrists' responses to metabolic abnormalities identified during screening. We carried out an audit of clinical records to assess rates of monitoring and follow-up practice. Semi-structured interviews with 36 psychiatrists followed by descriptive and thematic analyses were conducted. Results Metabolic abnormalities were identified in 76% of eligible patients screened. Follow-up, recorded for 59%, was variable but more likely with four or more abnormalities. Psychiatrists endorse guidelines but ambivalence about responsibility, professional norms, resource constraints and skills deficits as well as patient factors influences practice. Therapeutic optimism and desire to be a 'good doctor' supported comprehensive follow-up. Clinical implications Psychiatrists are willing to attend to physical healthcare, and obstacles to recommended practice are surmountable. Psychiatrists seek consensus among stakeholders about responsibilities and a systemic approach addressing the social determinants of health inequities. Understanding patients' expectations is critical to promoting best practice.

Space Tug avionics definition study. Volume 4: Supporting trade studies and analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Analyses and trade studies were performed for the evaluation of the most desirable solutions to space tug subsystem requirements. These were accomplished at system, subsystem, and at component levels. The criteria, the candidate options evaluated, the selection process, and the recommended solutions that have been integrated together in the configuration descriptions are reported.

Trends in Educational Research: A Content Analysis of the Studies Published in "International Journal of Instruction"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egmir, Eray; Erdem, Cahit; Koçyigit, Mehmet

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to analyse the studies published in "International Journal of Instruction" ["IJI"] in the last ten years. This study is a qualitative, descriptive literature review study. The data was collected through document analysis, coded using constant comparison and analysed using content analysis. Frequencies…

The Components of Communication Systems in Universities: Their Influence on Academic Work Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uslu, Baris

2018-01-01

This research aimed to identify the components of communication systems in universities and to explore their influence on academic life. To collect data, interviews were carried out with academics from Australian universities. Thematic descriptive and content analyses were performed on the data-set. Analyses showed that the human relations unit,…

Using bio.tools to generate and annotate workbench tool descriptions

PubMed Central

Hillion, Kenzo-Hugo; Kuzmin, Ivan; Khodak, Anton; Rasche, Eric; Crusoe, Michael; Peterson, Hedi; Ison, Jon; Ménager, Hervé

2017-01-01

Workbench and workflow systems such as Galaxy, Taverna, Chipster, or Common Workflow Language (CWL)-based frameworks, facilitate the access to bioinformatics tools in a user-friendly, scalable and reproducible way. Still, the integration of tools in such environments remains a cumbersome, time consuming and error-prone process. A major consequence is the incomplete or outdated description of tools that are often missing important information, including parameters and metadata such as publication or links to documentation. ToolDog (Tool DescriptiOn Generator) facilitates the integration of tools - which have been registered in the ELIXIR tools registry (https://bio.tools) - into workbench environments by generating tool description templates. ToolDog includes two modules. The first module analyses the source code of the bioinformatics software with language-specific plugins, and generates a skeleton for a Galaxy XML or CWL tool description. The second module is dedicated to the enrichment of the generated tool description, using metadata provided by bio.tools. This last module can also be used on its own to complete or correct existing tool descriptions with missing metadata. PMID:29333231

Reporting guidelines for primary research: Saying what you did.

PubMed

O'Connor, Annette

2010-12-01

Reporting guidelines aim to facilitate publication of a full and accurate description of research conducted. The motivations for a full and accurate description of research is to enable reproduction of the study, assessment of bias, extraction of data from the study, and to fulfill an ethical obligation to maximize the utility of research findings. Many reporting guidelines exist and most are based on a specific study design such as randomized controlled trials (CONSORT statement) and observational studies (STROBE statement). The REFLECT statement focuses on randomized control trials in livestock and food safety studies. The REFLECT statement has increased emphasis on conveying information about animal housing, group level allocation and challenge studies. Guidelines can be used by authors, reviewers and editors to provide readers with a full and accurate description of the work conducted. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Analysis of patient complaints in Primary Care: An opportunity to improve clinical safety].

PubMed

Añel-Rodríguez, R M; Cambero-Serrano, M I; Irurzun-Zuazabal, E

2015-01-01

To determine the prevalence and type of the clinical safety problems contained in the complaints made by patients and users in Primary Care. An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted by analysing both the complaint forms and the responses given to them in the period of one year. At least 4.6% of all claims analysed in this study contained clinical safety problems. The family physician is the professional who received the majority of the complaints (53.6%), and the main reason was the problems related to diagnosis (43%), mainly the delay in diagnosis. Other variables analysed were the severity of adverse events experienced by patients (in 68% of cases the patient suffered some harm), the subsequent impact on patient care, which was affected in 39% of cases (7% of cases even requiring hospital admission), and the level of preventability of adverse events (96% avoidable) described in the claims. Finally the type of response issued to each complaint was analysed, being purely bureaucratic in 64% of all cases. Complaints are a valuable source of information about the deficiencies identified by patients and healthcare users. There is considerable scope for improvement in the analysis and management of claims in general, and those containing clinical safety issues in particular. To date, in our area, there is a lack of appropriate procedures for processing these claims. Likewise, we believe that other pathways or channels should be opened to enable communication by patients and healthcare users. Copyright © 2015 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

The effectiveness of the Screening Inventory of Psychosocial Problems (SIPP) in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy: design of a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Braeken, Anna P B M; Lechner, Lilian; van Gils, Francis C J M; Houben, Ruud M A; Eekers, Daniëlle; Ambergen, Ton; Kempen, Gertrudis I J M

2009-06-09

The Screening Inventory of Psychosocial Problems (SIPP) is a short, validated self-reported questionnaire to identify psychosocial problems in Dutch cancer patients. The one-page 24-item questionnaire assesses physical complaints, psychological complaints and social and sexual problems. Very little is known about the effects of using the SIPP in consultation settings. Our study aims are to test the hypotheses that using the SIPP (a) may contribute to adequate referral to relevant psychosocial caregivers, (b) should facilitate communication between radiotherapists and cancer patients about psychosocial distress and (c) may prevent underdiagnosis of early symptoms reflecting psychosocial problems. This paper presents the design of a cluster randomised controlled trial (CRCT) evaluating the effectiveness of using the SIPP in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy. A CRCT is developed using a Solomon four-group design (two intervention and two control groups) to evaluate the effects of using the SIPP. Radiotherapists, instead of cancer patients, are randomly allocated to the experimental or control groups. Within these groups, all included cancer patients are randomised into two subgroups: with and without pre-measurement. Self-reported assessments are conducted at four times: a pre-test at baseline before the first consultation and a post-test directly following the first consultation, and three and 12 months after baseline measurement. The primary outcome measures are the number and types of referrals of cancer patients with psychosocial problems to relevant (psychosocial) caregivers. The secondary outcome measures are patients' satisfaction with the radiotherapist-patient communication, psychosocial distress and quality of life. Furthermore, a process evaluation will be carried out. Data of the effect-evaluation will be analysed according to the intention-to-treat principle and data regarding the types of referrals to health care providers and patient satisfaction about the with radiotherapists will be analysed by means of descriptive techniques. The process evaluation data will also be analysed by means of descriptive techniques. Using the SIPP may prevent underdiagnosis of early symptoms reflecting psychosocial problems, should facilitate communication between physicians and patients about psychosocial distress and may contribute to adequate referral to relevant (psychosocial) caregivers. NCT00859768.

The health status and well-being of low-resource, housing-unstable, single-parent families living in violent neighbourhoods in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

PubMed

Jacoby, Sara F; Tach, Laura; Guerra, Terry; Wiebe, Douglas J; Richmond, Therese S

2017-03-01

The health and well-being of single-parent families living in violent neighbourhoods in US cities who participate in housing programmes is not well described. This two-phase, mixed-methods study explores the health status of families who were participants in a housing-plus programme in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 2011 and 2013 and the relationship between the characteristics of the neighbourhoods in which they lived and their perceptions of well-being and safety. In phase 1, data collected with standardised health status instruments were analysed using descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests to describe the health of single parents and one randomly selected child from each parent's household in comparison to population norms. In a subset of survey respondents, focus groups were conducted to generate an in-depth understanding of the daily lives and stressors of these families. Focus group data were analysed using content analysis to identify key descriptive themes. In phase 2, daily activity path mapping, surveys and interviews of parent-child dyads were collected to assess how these families perceive their health, neighbourhood and the influence of neighbourhood characteristics on the families' day-to-day experience. Narratives and activity maps were combined with crime data from the Philadelphia Police Department to analyse the relationship between crime and perceptions of fear and safety. Phase 1 data demonstrated that parent participants met or exceeded the national average for self-reported physical health but fell below the national average across all mental health domains. Over 40% reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression. Parents described high levels of stress resulting from competing priorities, financial instability, and concern for their children's well-being and safety. Analysis of phase 2 data demonstrated that neighbourhood characteristics exert influence over parents' perceptions of their environment and how they permit their children to move within it. This research suggests the need for robust research, programmatic and policy interventions to support housing-unstable families who live in neighbourhoods with high levels of violence. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dealing with missing standard deviation and mean values in meta-analysis of continuous outcomes: a systematic review.

PubMed

Weir, Christopher J; Butcher, Isabella; Assi, Valentina; Lewis, Stephanie C; Murray, Gordon D; Langhorne, Peter; Brady, Marian C

2018-03-07

Rigorous, informative meta-analyses rely on availability of appropriate summary statistics or individual participant data. For continuous outcomes, especially those with naturally skewed distributions, summary information on the mean or variability often goes unreported. While full reporting of original trial data is the ideal, we sought to identify methods for handling unreported mean or variability summary statistics in meta-analysis. We undertook two systematic literature reviews to identify methodological approaches used to deal with missing mean or variability summary statistics. Five electronic databases were searched, in addition to the Cochrane Colloquium abstract books and the Cochrane Statistics Methods Group mailing list archive. We also conducted cited reference searching and emailed topic experts to identify recent methodological developments. Details recorded included the description of the method, the information required to implement the method, any underlying assumptions and whether the method could be readily applied in standard statistical software. We provided a summary description of the methods identified, illustrating selected methods in example meta-analysis scenarios. For missing standard deviations (SDs), following screening of 503 articles, fifteen methods were identified in addition to those reported in a previous review. These included Bayesian hierarchical modelling at the meta-analysis level; summary statistic level imputation based on observed SD values from other trials in the meta-analysis; a practical approximation based on the range; and algebraic estimation of the SD based on other summary statistics. Following screening of 1124 articles for methods estimating the mean, one approximate Bayesian computation approach and three papers based on alternative summary statistics were identified. Illustrative meta-analyses showed that when replacing a missing SD the approximation using the range minimised loss of precision and generally performed better than omitting trials. When estimating missing means, a formula using the median, lower quartile and upper quartile performed best in preserving the precision of the meta-analysis findings, although in some scenarios, omitting trials gave superior results. Methods based on summary statistics (minimum, maximum, lower quartile, upper quartile, median) reported in the literature facilitate more comprehensive inclusion of randomised controlled trials with missing mean or variability summary statistics within meta-analyses.

Analyses and descriptions of geochemical samples, Mountain Lake Wilderness Study Area, Virginia and West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mei, Leung; Fletcher, J.D.; Rait, Norma; Lesure, F.G.

1978-01-01

Semiquantitative emission spectrographic analyses for 64 elements on 95 stream sediment and 122 rock samples from Mountain Lake Wilderness Study Area, Giles and Craig Counties, Virginia and Monroe County, West Virginia, are reported here in detail. Locations for all samples are in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates. Brief descriptions of rock samples are also included. Rocks analysed are mostly sandstone. Samples of hematitic sandstone of the Rose Hill Formation and limonite-cemented sandstone of the Rocky Gap Sandstone contain high values of iron; these rocks are submarginal iron resources. Some of these iron-rich samples have a little more barium, copper, cobalt, lead, silver, and/or zinc than in average sandstone, but they do not suggest the presence of economic deposits of these metals. A few samples of Tuscarora Quartzite contain moderate amounts of manganese. These are from a submarginal manganese resource. No other obviously anomalous-values related to mineralized rock are present in the data.

Receipt of HIV/STD prevention counseling by HIV-infected adults receiving medical care in the United States.

PubMed

Mizuno, Yuko; Zhu, Julia; Crepaz, Nicole; Beer, Linda; Purcell, David W; Johnson, Christopher H; Valverde, Eduardo E; Skarbinski, Jacek

2014-01-28

Guidelines recommend risk-reduction counseling by HIV providers to all HIV-infected persons. Among HIV-infected adults receiving medical care in the United States, we estimated prevalence of exposure to three types of HIV/sexually transmitted disease (STD) risk-reduction interventions and described the characteristics of persons who received these interventions. Data were from the Medical Monitoring Project (MMP), a supplemental HIV surveillance system designed to produce nationally representative estimates of behavioral and clinical characteristics of HIV-infected adults receiving medical care in the United States. Descriptive analyses were conducted to estimate the exposure to each type of HIV/STD risk-reduction intervention. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to assess associations between the selected correlates with each exposure variable. About 44% of participants reported a one-on-one conversation with a healthcare provider about HIV/STD prevention, 30% with a prevention program worker, 16% reported participation in a small group risk-reduction intervention, and 52% reported receiving at least one of the three interventions in the past 12 months. Minority race/ethnicity, low income, and risky sexual behavior consistently predicted greater intervention exposure. However, 39% of persons who reported risky sex did not receive any HIV/STD risk-reduction interventions. HIV-infected persons in care with fewer resources or those who engaged in risk behaviors were more likely to receive HIV/STD risk-reduction interventions. However, less than half of HIV-infected persons in care received HIV/STD prevention counseling from their provider, an intervention that has been shown to be effective and is supported by guidelines.

Investigating the experiences in a school-based occupational therapy program to inform community-based paediatric occupational therapy practice.

PubMed

Rens, Lezahn; Joosten, Annette

2014-06-01

A collaborative approach with teachers is required when providing community-based occupational therapy to educationally at risk children. Collaborators share common goals and interact and support each other but challenges arise in providing collaborative occupational therapy in settings outside the school environment. The aim of this study was to capture experiences of teachers and occupational therapists working within a school-based occupational therapy program to determine if their experiences could inform collaborative practice. In this pilot study, participant responses to questionnaires (n = 32) about their experiences formed the basis for focus groups and individual interviews. Two focus group were conducted, one with teachers (n = 11) and one with occupational therapy participants (n = 6). Individual interviews were conducted with the supervising occupational therapist, school principal and two leading teachers. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data from closed questions, and thematic analysis using a constant comparison approach was used to analyse open ended questions, focus groups and interviews. Three main themes emerged: (i) the need for occupational therapists to spend time in the school, to explain their role, build relationships, understand classroom routines and the teacher role; (ii) occupational therapists need to not see themselves as the expert but develop equal partnerships to set collaborative goals and (iii) occupational therapists advocating for all parties to be informed throughout the occupational therapy process. The pilot study findings identified teacher and therapist experiences within the school setting that could inform improved collaborative practice with teachers and community-based occupational therapists and these findings warrant further investigation. © 2013 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Mexican Adolescents' Self-Reports of Parental Monitoring and Sexual Communication for Prevention of Sexual Risk Behavior.

PubMed

Dávila, Sandra Paloma Esparza; Champion, Jane Dimmitt; Monsiváis, Maria Guadalupe Moreno; Tovar, Marlene; Arias, Maria Luisa Flores

Assess perceptions of parental monitoring and sexual communication for sexual health promotion among adolescents who are Mexican. Adolescents (N=153, n=85 females, n=68 males) between 14years (n=80) and 15 years (n=73) were recruited at a public high school in Monterrey in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. All participants were living with a parent(s). Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted to assess sociodemographic characteristics of the group. Chi-square analyses were conducted to identify potential group differences among the adolescents by age, gender and sexual activity regarding responses to each item of the Spanish Version Parental Monitoring and Sexual Communication Scale (a=0.88). Eleven percent of adolescents self-reported sexual activity. Significant group differences by age, gender and sexual activity were identified concerning parental monitoring and sexual communication including: less parental monitoring with older age (14 versus 15 year olds); more parental monitoring for females than males; less monitoring for sexually active adolescents; greater sexual communication for males than females, and among adolescents who were sexually active. An assessment of adolescents' perceptions of parental monitoring and sexual communication is useful for development of strategies concerning sexual health promotion in Mexico. The Spanish Version Parental Monitoring and Sexual Communication Scale can be used for assessment and modification of interventions for adolescent populations in Mexico. Information obtained from this assessment can be used to assist parents to enhance positive outcomes for parental monitoring and sexual communication with their children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterizing user engagement with health app data: a data mining approach.

PubMed

Serrano, Katrina J; Coa, Kisha I; Yu, Mandi; Wolff-Hughes, Dana L; Atienza, Audie A

2017-06-01

The use of mobile health applications (apps) especially in the area of lifestyle behaviors has increased, thus providing unprecedented opportunities to develop health programs that can engage people in real-time and in the real-world. Yet, relatively little is known about which factors relate to the engagement of commercially available apps for health behaviors. This exploratory study examined behavioral engagement with a weight loss app, Lose It! and characterized higher versus lower engaged groups. Cross-sectional, anonymized data from Lose It! were analyzed (n = 12,427,196). This dataset was randomly split into 24 subsamples and three were used for this study (total n = 1,011,008). Classification and regression tree methods were used to identify subgroups of user engagement with one subsample, and descriptive analyses were conducted to examine other group characteristics associated with engagement. Data mining validation methods were conducted with two separate subsamples. On average, users engaged with the app for 29 days. Six unique subgroups were identified, and engagement for each subgroup varied, ranging from 3.5 to 172 days. Highly engaged subgroups were primarily distinguished by the customization of diet and exercise. Those less engaged were distinguished by weigh-ins and the customization of diet. Results were replicated in further analyses. Commercially-developed apps can reach large segments of the population, and data from these apps can provide insights into important app features that may aid in user engagement. Getting users to engage with a mobile health app is critical to the success of apps and interventions that are focused on health behavior change.

Sildenafil citrate use in Addis Ababa: characteristics of users and pharmacists' dispensing practices.

PubMed

Gebregeorgise, Dawit Teshome; Belay, Yajeb Melesse; Kälvemark Sporrong, Sofia

2018-02-01

Background Studies have reported misuse of sildenafil citrate for recreational purpose, not least by healthy young men. This is becoming a major concern, for medical and other reasons. Objective The aim of this study was to document the characteristics of sildenafil citrate users and to explore the dispensing practices of the medicine in selected community pharmacies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Setting Data was collected in community pharmacies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Method A survey, using a self-administrated questionnaire, was conducted among customers who purchased sildenafil citrate from community pharmacies. Simple descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. Also, semi-structured interviews were conducted with community pharmacists. These were analysed thematically. Main outcome measures Socio-demographic characteristics (survey), themes (interviews). Results All survey respondents (n = 197) were men, 57.9% were below 40 years old, 53.8% had never been married and 58.4% had used sildenafil citrate before. A minority (16.2%) were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction. The main reason for buying sildenafil citrate was experimentation (45.7%). Pharmacists reported that sildenafil citrate was often dispensed without a prescription. The reason for this was, according to the interviewees, competition in the market. Also, the medicine was often dispensed without adequate information or counselling. Conclusions Selling and buying sildenafil citrate without a prescription seems to be common practice in pharmacies in Addis Ababa. It is crucial to strengthen the regulatory activity to protect customers from health risks. In addition pharmacy professionals should be supported to work in accordance with professional and legal standards.

Factors affecting integration of midwifery nursing science theory with clinical practice in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province as perceived by professional midwives.

PubMed

Malwela, Thivhulawi; Maputle, Sonto M; Lebese, Rachel T

2016-05-24

Professional midwives have an important role to play in midwifery training to produce a competent midwife. According to the social learning theory, professional midwives act as role models for students. When allocated for clinical learning experiences in the training hospitals, students will have the opportunity to observe the well-trained, skilled, and experienced professional midwives. The whole process will enable students to integrate theory with practice and they will become competent. The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting integration of midwifery nursing science theory with clinical practice as perceived by midwives. The study was conducted at the training hospitals in Vhembe district of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. These hospitals were: Donald Fraser, Siloam, and Tshidzini. A qualitative explorative, descriptive and contextual design was used. A Nonprobability, convenient sampling method was used to select 11 midwives from the following hospitals: Donald Fraser, Siloam, and Tshidzini, in Vhembe district. In-depth individual interviews were conducted. Data were analysed through open coding method. One theme and five sub-themes emerged from the analysed data, namely: shortage of midwives, attitudes towards student midwives, reluctance to perform teaching functions, language barriers, and declining midwifery practice standards. Shortage of midwives in the clinical areas led to fewer numbers of mentors whom the students could observe and imitate to acquire clinical skills. Some of the midwives were reluctant to teach students. Recommendations were made for both training institutions and hospitals to employ preceptors for students in the clinical practical.

The perceived impact of public involvement in palliative care in a provincial palliative care network in the Netherlands: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Haarsma, Frederike; Moser, Albine; Beckers, Manon; van Rijswijk, Henk; Stoffers, Esther; Beurskens, Anna

2015-12-01

Public involvement in palliative care is challenging and difficult, because people in need of palliative care are often not capable of speaking up for themselves. Patient representatives advocate for their common interests. The aim of our study was to examine in depth the current practice of public involvement in palliative care. The study was conducted in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands, with six palliative care networks. Study participants were 16 patient representatives and 12 professionals. This study had a descriptive design using qualitative methods: 18 in-depth interviews and three focus groups were conducted. The critical incident technique was used. The data were analysed using an analytical framework based on Arnstein's involvement classification and the process of decision making. Impact categories as well as facilitators and barriers were analysed using content analysis. The perceived impact of public involvement in palliative care in terms of citizen control and partnership is greatest with regard to quality of care, information development and dissemination, and in terms of policymaking with regard to the preparation and implementation phases of decision making. The main difference in perceived impact between patient representatives and professionals relates to the tension between operational and strategic involvement. Patient representatives experienced more impact regarding short-term solutions to practical problems, while professionals perceived great benefits in long-term, strategic processes. Improving public involvement in palliative care requires positive attitudes, open communication, sufficient resources and long-term support, to build a solid basis for pursuing meaningful involvement in the entire decision-making process. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Burden of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease on Patients' Daily Lives: A Cross-Sectional Study Conducted in a Primary Care Setting in Serbia.

PubMed

Bjelović, Miloš; Babić, Tamara; Dragicević, Igor; Corac, Aleksandar; Goran Trajković

2015-01-01

Recent data from the studies conducted in the Western countries have proved that patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease have significantly impaired health-related quality of life compared to general population. The study is aimed at evaluating the burden of reflux symptoms on patients'health-related quality of life. The study involved 1,593 patients with diagnosed gastroesophageal reflux disease.The Serbian version of a generic self-administered Centers for Disease Control and Prevention questionnaire was used. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson chi-square test and a multiple regression model. Among all participants, 43.9% reported fair or poor health. Mean value of unhealthy days during the past 30 days was 10.4 days, physically unhealthy days 6.4 days, mentally unhealthy days 5.3 days and activity limitation days 4.3 days. Furthermore, 24.8% participants reported having ≥ 14 unhealthy days, 14.9% had 14 physically unhealthy days, 11.8% reported 14 mentally unhealthy days, and 9.4% had ≥ 14 activity limitation days. This study addressed complex relationships between reflux symptoms and patients'impaired everyday lives.

Differences in weight status and energy-balance related behaviors among schoolchildren across Europe: the ENERGY-project.

PubMed

Brug, Johannes; van Stralen, Maartje M; Te Velde, Saskia J; Chinapaw, Mai J M; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Lien, Nanna; Bere, Elling; Maskini, Victoria; Singh, Amika S; Maes, Lea; Moreno, Luis; Jan, Nataša; Kovacs, Eva; Lobstein, Tim; Manios, Yannis

2012-01-01

Current data on the prevalence of overweight and energy-balance behaviors among European children is necessary to inform overweight prevention interventions. A school-based survey among 10-12 year old children was conducted in seven European countries using a standardized protocol. Weight, height, and waist circumference were measured; Engagement in physical activity, sedentary and dietary behaviors, and sleep duration were self-reported. Descriptive analyses were conducted, looking at differences according to country, gender, and parental education. 7234 children (52%girls; 11.6 ± 0.7 years) participated. 25.8% and 5.4% of boys, and 21.8% and 4.1% of girls were overweight (including obese) and obese (according to International Obesity Task Force criteria), respectively. Higher prevalence of overweight/obesity was observed in Greece, Hungary, Slovenia and Spain than in Belgium, Netherlands and Norway. Large differences between countries were found in intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages, breakfast, active transport, TV and computer time. More favorable overweight status and behavior patterns were found in girls than boys and in children of higher educated parents than in children of lower educated parents. High levels and striking differences in overweight status and potential risk behaviors were found among schoolchildren across Europe.

'Half a woman, half a man; that is how they make me feel': a qualitative study of rural Jordanian women's experience of infertility.

PubMed

Daibes, Mayada A; Safadi, Reema R; Athamneh, Tarek; Anees, Iman F; Constantino, Rose E

2018-05-01

Infertility is a health problem encompassing physical, psychological and social consequences that may threaten women's quality of life. Few studies have been conducted in Jordan examining rural women's experiences of infertility. This study aimed to explore responses to infertility and its consequences in the Jordanian rural sociocultural context. Using a descriptive qualitative design, data were collected between April and September 2016 from a fertility clinic in a military hospital in Northern Jordan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 purposively selected Jordanian women. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings revealing women's responses to infertility included: submission and docility, self-isolation, internalisation and persistence in getting pregnant by seeking modern and traditional methods of treatment. The impact of infertility complicated women's everyday living through their experiences of violence, kinship and patriarchal interference, stigma, negative perceptions of the infertile woman, and other's surveillance of their sexuality. Women living in rural areas of Jordan have negative experiences of infertility that are ingrained in sociocultural beliefs about fertility and reproduction. Healthcare professionals are encouraged to raise public awareness about infertility's adverse consequences and to help families by enhancing positive responses to infertility.

Behavioral health emergencies managed by school nurses working with adolescents.

PubMed

Ramos, Mary M; Greenberg, Cynthia; Sapien, Robert; Bauer-Creegan, Judith; Hine, Beverly; Geary, Cathy

2013-10-01

As members of interdisciplinary teams, school nurses provide behavioral health services. Studies indicate that school nurses may lack sufficient continuing education in adolescent behavioral health and in the management of behavioral health emergencies, specifically. We conducted this study to describe the adolescent behavioral health emergencies managed by school nurses. We used data from a New Mexico public school nurse workforce survey to describe the involvement of school nurses in managing adolescent behavioral health emergencies. We included all respondents who self-identified as working in a secondary school (N = 186). We conducted descriptive analyses. Two thirds of survey respondents had provided emergency management in the prior school year for child abuse or neglect, depression, and violence at school. Over 40% had provided emergency management for a suicidal student in the prior school year. Although almost 80% of respondents identified "violence at school" as a very important continuing education topic, 40% reported having received continuing education on this topic in the prior 5 years. In New Mexico, public school nurses provide substantial amounts of emergency management for adolescent behavioral health problems. Continuing education received by school nurses on behavioral health emergencies may not be commensurate with their clinical responsibilities. © 2013, American School Health Association.

Precalculus teachers' perspectives on using graphing calculators: an example from one curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karadeniz, Ilyas; Thompson, Denisse R.

2018-01-01

Graphing calculators are hand-held technological tools currently used in mathematics classrooms. Teachers' perspectives on using graphing calculators are important in terms of exploring what teachers think about using such technology in advanced mathematics courses, particularly precalculus courses. A descriptive intrinsic case study was conducted to analyse the perspectives of 11 teachers using graphing calculators with potential Computer Algebra System (CAS) capability while teaching Functions, Statistics, and Trigonometry, a precalculus course for 11th-grade students developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project. Data were collected from multiple sources as part of a curriculum evaluation study conducted during the 2007-2008 school year. Although all teachers were using the same curriculum that integrated CAS into the instructional materials, teachers had mixed views about the technology. Graphing calculator features were used much more than CAS features, with many teachers concerned about the use of CAS because of pressures from external assessments. In addition, several teachers found it overwhelming to learn a new technology at the same time they were learning a new curriculum. The results have implications for curriculum developers and others working with teachers to update curriculum and the use of advanced technologies simultaneously.

Nurses' exhaustion: the role of flow at work between job demands and job resources.

PubMed

Zito, Margherita; Cortese, Claudio G; Colombo, Lara

2016-01-01

In the light of the job demands-resources model, this study aimed to detect the mediating role of flow at work between job demands and job resources on one side, and exhaustion on the other. In a historical period where it is necessary to reduce the abandonment of nursing profession, flow is a useful tool to investigate the factors that can promote work motivation and prevent psychological distress. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a hospital, and 279 nurses completed a questionnaire. Analyses conducted are descriptive statistics, alphas, correlations and a structural equations model that considers the mediating role of flow at work. Findings show both the central role of job resources in determining flow at work, and the mediating role of flow at work in decreasing exhaustion, starting from job resources, and in decreasing the effect of job demands on exhaustion. Moreover, flow at work directly decreases exhaustion. Results show the relevance of containing job demands and provide job resources to promote positive experiences at work. To promote flow at work, organizations should offer specific resources, such as supervisors' support, job autonomy, and psychological support to manage the emotional charge. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Preventing risky behaviours among young adolescents in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Kohli, Anjalee; Remy, Mitima Mpanano; Binkurhorhwa, Arsene Kajabika; Mitima, Clovis Murhula; Mirindi, Alfred Bacikenge; Mwinja, Nadine Bufole; Banyewesize, Jean Heri; Ntakwinja, Gisele Mushengezi; Perrin, Nancy A; Glass, Nancy

2017-04-26

This qualitative study explores and describes adolescent risk behaviours, specifically consumption of alcohol and use of violence; the perceived consequences of these behaviours on future well-being and relationships; and collaboratively identifies the essential components of a prevention intervention for risk behaviours (alcohol use, violence) among young adolescents while strengthening the protective individual and relationship factors in post-conflict Democratic Republic of Congo. One-on-one in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 male and female youth, 20 parents/guardians and 20 stakeholders in three rural villages of South Kivu Province. Trained interviewers conducted interviews and participated in daily debriefing. Descriptive qualitative analysis was used to analyse the data. Youth use of violence and alcohol was associated with a range of factors including peer influence, parent behaviours, school enrolment and poverty. The consequences of risk behaviour include damaged family and social bonds, reduced economic and educational productivity and promise. Community-based, multilevel prevention interventions that promote protective factors and reduce youth exposure and vulnerability to risk factors may have immediate and long-term impact on youth health and behaviour. Such a programme could engage youth, adults and local stakeholders in a range of social, educational and economic activities.

Safety in ready mixed concrete industry: descriptive analysis of injuries and development of preventive measures.

PubMed

Akboğa, Özge; Baradan, Selim

2017-02-07

Ready mixed concrete (RMC) industry, one of the barebones of construction sector, has its distinctive occupational safety and health (OSH) risks. Employees experience risks that emerge during the fabrication of concrete, as well as its delivery to the construction site. Statistics show that usage and demand of RMC have been increasing along with the number of producers and workers. Unfortunately, adequate OSH measures to meet this rapid growth are not in place even in top RMC producing countries, such as Turkey. Moreover, lack of statistical data and academic research in this sector exacerbates this problem. This study aims to fill this gap by conducting data mining in Turkish Social Security Institution archives and performing univariate frequency and cross tabulation analysis on 71 incidents that RMC truck drivers were involved. Also, investigations and interviews were conducted in seven RMC plants in Turkey and Netherlands with OSH point of view. Based on the results of this research, problem areas were determined such as; cleaning truck mixer/pump is a hazardous activity where operators get injured frequently, and struck by falling objects is a major hazard at RMC industry. Finally, Job Safety Analyses were performed on these areas to suggest mitigation methods.

Using Social Network Analysis to Better Understand Compulsive Exercise Behavior Among a Sample of Sorority Members.

PubMed

Patterson, Megan S; Goodson, Patricia

2017-05-01

Compulsive exercise, a form of unhealthy exercise often associated with prioritizing exercise and feeling guilty when exercise is missed, is a common precursor to and symptom of eating disorders. College-aged women are at high risk of exercising compulsively compared with other groups. Social network analysis (SNA) is a theoretical perspective and methodology allowing researchers to observe the effects of relational dynamics on the behaviors of people. SNA was used to assess the relationship between compulsive exercise and body dissatisfaction, physical activity, and network variables. Descriptive statistics were conducted using SPSS, and quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) analyses were conducted using UCINET. QAP regression analysis revealed a statistically significant model (R 2 = .375, P < .0001) predicting compulsive exercise behavior. Physical activity, body dissatisfaction, and network variables were statistically significant predictor variables in the QAP regression model. In our sample, women who are connected to "important" or "powerful" people in their network are likely to have higher compulsive exercise scores. This result provides healthcare practitioners key target points for intervention within similar groups of women. For scholars researching eating disorders and associated behaviors, this study supports looking into group dynamics and network structure in conjunction with body dissatisfaction and exercise frequency.

Analysis of different types of poisoning in a tertiary care hospital in rural South India.

PubMed

Jaiprakash, Heethal; Sarala, N; Venkatarathnamma, P N; Kumar, T N

2011-01-01

The global problem of acute poisoning has steadily increased over the past few years. It is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Better preventive and management strategies can be developed if the incidence and pattern of acute poisoning is known. The study aims at analyzing the pattern, cause and mortality rate of poisoning. The study was conducted in a rural area in South India. This retrospective study was conducted from January 2003-December 2003. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Out of the 225 cases 139 were males and 86 females. Poisoning was common in the age group of 21-30 years which was 84 cases and 11-20 years was 73 cases. The poisons consumed were as follows: Organophosphorous 135 cases, aluminum and zinc phosphide 50 cases, phenobarbitone 18 cases, benzodiazepines 7 cases, paracetamol 2 cases, miscellaneous 13 cases. 94% were suicides and 6% accidental. Mortality rate was 12.8%. Establishment of strict policies against the sale and availability of pesticides and over the counter drugs is an effective way to control organophosphorous and drug poisoning. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.