Critical Thinking: The Development of an Essential Skill for Nursing Students

PubMed Central

Papathanasiou, Ioanna V.; Kleisiaris, Christos F.; Fradelos, Evangelos C.; Kakou, Katerina; Kourkouta, Lambrini

2014-01-01

Critical thinking is defined as the mental process of actively and skillfully perception, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of collected information through observation, experience and communication that leads to a decision for action. In nursing education there is frequent reference to critical thinking and to the significance that it has in daily clinical nursing practice. Nursing clinical instructors know that students face difficulties in making decisions related to clinical practice. The main critical thinking skills in which nursing students should be exercised during their studies are critical analysis, introductory and concluding justification, valid conclusion, distinguish of facts and opinions, evaluation the credibility of information sources, clarification of concepts and recognition of conditions. Specific behaviors are essentials for enhancing critical thinking. Nursing students in order to learn and apply critical thinking should develop independence of thought, fairness, perspicacity in personal and social level, humility, spiritual courage, integrity, perseverance, self-confidence, interest for research and curiosity. Critical thinking is an essential process for the safe, efficient and skillful nursing practice. The nursing education programs should adopt attitudes that promote critical thinking and mobilize the skills of critical reasoning. PMID:25395733

The WWWDOT Approach to Improving Students' Critical Evaluation of Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Shenglan; Duke, Nell K.; Jimenez, Laura M.

2011-01-01

This article introduces a framework designed to improve students' awareness of the need to critically evaluate websites as sources of information and to improve their skill at doing so. The framework, called the WWWDOT framework, encourages students to think about at least six dimensions when evaluating a website: (1) Who wrote this and what…

Harnessing Information Technology to Improve the Process of Students' Evaluations of Teaching: An Exploration of Students' Critical Success Factors of Online Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevo, Dorit; McClean, Ron; Nevo, Saggi

2010-01-01

This paper discusses the relative advantage offered by online Students' Evaluations of Teaching (SET) and describes a study conducted at a Canadian university to identify critical success factors of online evaluations from students' point of view. Factors identified as important by the students include anonymity, ease of use (of both SET survey…

EVALUATING HYDROLOGICAL RESPONSE TO FORECASTED LAND-USE CHANGE: SCENARIO TESTING IN TWO WESTERN U.S. WATERSHEDS

EPA Science Inventory

Envisioning and evaluating future scenarios has emerged as a critical component of both science and social decision-making. The ability to assess, report, map, and forecast the life support functions of ecosystems is absolutely critical to our capacity to make informed decisions ...

Critical evaluation and thermodynamic assessment of the ZrPb system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arias, D.; Abriata, J.; Gribaudo, L.

1996-04-01

In the present work we have critically evaluated the existing experimental information regarding phase stabilities in the ZrPb system. From this, the ZrPb phase diagram has been assessed up to 50 at.% Pb. The proposed diagram has been further supported by a thermodynamic model calculation.

Cultivating Critical Mindsets in the Digital Information Age: Teaching Meaningful Web Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Angela Kwasnik

2017-01-01

This dissertation examines the use of dialogic discussion to improve young adolescents' ability to critically evaluate web sites. An intervention unit comprised three iterations of an instructional cycle in which students independently annotated web sites about controversial issues and discussed the reliability of those sites in dialogic…

Teaching Critical Evaluation Skills for World Wide Web Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tate, Marsha; Alexander, Jan

1996-01-01

Outlines a lesson plan used by an academic library to evaluate the quality of World Wide Web information. Discusses the traditional evaluation criteria of accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage as it applies to the unique characteristics of Web pages: their marketing orientation, variety of information, and instability. The…

Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Abilities in Critically Identifying and Evaluating the Quality of Online Health Information.

PubMed

Theron, Maggie; Redmond, Anne; Borycki, Elizabeth M

2017-01-01

Both the Internet and social media have become important tools that patients and health professionals, including health professional students, use to obtain information and support their decision-making surrounding health care. Students in the health sciences require increased competence to select, appraise, and use online sources to adequately educate and support patients and advocate for patient needs and best practices. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if second year nursing students have the ability to critically identify and evaluate the quality of online health information through comparisons between student and expert assessments of selected online health information postings using an adapted Trust in Online Health Information scale. Interviews with experts provided understanding of how experts applied the selected criteria and what experts recommend for implementing nursing informatics literacy in curriculums. The difference between student and expert assessments of the quality of the online information is on average close to 40%. Themes from the interviews highlighted several possible factors that may influence informatics competency levels in students, specifically regarding the critical appraisal of the quality of online health information.

Participatory Design, User Involvement and Health IT Evaluation.

PubMed

Kushniruk, Andre; Nøhr, Christian

2016-01-01

End user involvement and input into the design and evaluation of information systems has been recognized as being a critical success factor in the adoption of information systems. Nowhere is this need more critical than in the design of health information systems. Consistent with evidence from the general software engineering literature, the degree of user input into design of complex systems has been identified as one of the most important factors in the success or failure of complex information systems. The participatory approach goes beyond user-centered design and co-operative design approaches to include end users as more active participants in design ideas and decision making. Proponents of participatory approaches argue for greater end user participation in both design and evaluative processes. Evidence regarding the effectiveness of increased user involvement in design is explored in this contribution in the context of health IT. The contribution will discuss several approaches to including users in design and evaluation. Challenges in IT evaluation during participatory design will be described and explored along with several case studies.

Tracing the evolution of critical evaluation skills in students' use of the Internet.

PubMed

Blumberg, P; Sparks, J

1999-04-01

This paper documents the evolving uses of the Internet made by public health graduate students and traces the development of their search methods and critical evaluative criteria. Early in the first semester and again six months later, twenty-four graduate students in a problem-based learning curriculum, which emphasizes evidence-based critical thinking skills, were required to describe their most helpful resources and to evaluate these resources critically. The answers were coded for the types of resources the students used, how frequently they were used, and why they were used. Student perception of the usefulness of resources, especially the Internet, and ability to evaluate these resources critically changed greatly. Initially, 96% of the students stated that the Internet was their most helpful resource. Six months later, these students continued to use the Internet; however, it was not their most useful source. At the later point, students had very specific uses for the Internet. Their most frequently used evaluation criterion was the reliability and objectivity of the source of the information. By the end of the first year of study, the majority of the students demonstrated an understanding of the principles of evidence-based practice and applied them to their research and analysis of information resources.

A Critical Analysis of the Design and Implementation of Formative Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Rhiannon

2017-01-01

The objectives of this article are to critically analyse the impact of formative and summative assessment in an informal secondary school environment. The informality reflects the work of The Anne Frank Trust UK and their practices in evaluating student progress through a two-week workshop programme. The preference for formative assessment is…

Ideology and Critical Self-Reflection in Information Literacy Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Critten, Jessica

2015-01-01

Information literacy instruction traditionally focuses on evaluating a source for bias, relevance, and timeliness, and rightfully so; this critical perspective is vital to a well-formed research process. However, this process is incomplete without a similar focus on the potential biases that the student brings to his or her interactions with…

How to Measure Critical Health Competences: Development and Validation of the Critical Health Competence Test (CHC Test)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steckelberg, Anke; Hulfenhaus, Christian; Kasper, Jurgen; Rost, Jurgen; Muhlhauser, Ingrid

2009-01-01

Consumers' autonomy regarding health increasingly requires competences to critically appraise health information. Critical health literacy refers to the concept of evidence-based medicine. Instruments to measure these competences in curriculum evaluation and surveys are lacking. We aimed to develop and validate an instrument to measure critical…

Real-World Problems: Engaging Young Learners in Critical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Bronwyn; McGuire, Margit

2012-01-01

Critical thinking is a process that can be taught. It involves "evaluating the accuracy, credibility, and worth of information and lines of reasoning. Critical thinking is reflective, logical, evidence-based, and has a purposeful quality to it--that is, the learner thinks critically in order to achieve a particular goal." The authors have found…

Critical Literacy: Examining the Juxtaposition of Issue, Author, and Self

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lapp, Diane; Fisher, Douglas

2010-01-01

Critical literacy is the practice of evaluating information, insights, and perspectives through an analysis of power, culture, class, and gender. A critical perspective suggests that the meaning within a text cannot be separated from the historical, political, personal, and social contexts in which it was written. Being critically literate,…

QoS enabled dissemination of managed information objects in a publish-subscribe-query information broker

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loyall, Joseph P.; Carvalho, Marco; Martignoni, Andrew, III; Schmidt, Douglas; Sinclair, Asher; Gillen, Matthew; Edmondson, James; Bunch, Larry; Corman, David

2009-05-01

Net-centric information spaces have become a necessary concept to support information exchange for tactical warfighting missions using a publish-subscribe-query paradigm. To support dynamic, mission-critical and time-critical operations, information spaces require quality of service (QoS)-enabled dissemination (QED) of information. This paper describes the results of research we are conducting to provide QED information exchange in tactical environments. We have developed a prototype QoS-enabled publish-subscribe-query information broker that provides timely delivery of information needed by tactical warfighters in mobile scenarios with time-critical emergent targets. This broker enables tailoring and prioritizing of information based on mission needs and responds rapidly to priority shifts and unfolding situations. This paper describes the QED architecture, prototype implementation, testing infrastructure, and empirical evaluations we have conducted based on our prototype.

EVALUATING HYDROLOGICAL RESPONSE TO FORECASTED LAND-USE CHANGE: SCENARIO TESTING WITH THE AUTOMATED GEOSPATIAL WATERSHED ASSESSMENT (AGWA) TOOL

EPA Science Inventory

Envisioning and evaluating future scenarios has emerged as a critical component of both science and social decision-making. The ability to assess, report, map, and forecast the life support functions of ecosystems is absolutely critical to our capacity to make informed decisions...

Scenario Analysis: Evaluating Biodiversity Response to Forecasted Land-Use Change in the San Pedro River Basin (U.S.-Mexico)

EPA Science Inventory

Envisioning and evaluating future scenarios has emerged as a critical component of both science and social decision-making. The ability to assess, report, map, and forecast the life support functions of ecosystems is absolutely critical to our capacity to make informed decisions...

You All Made Dank Memes: Using Internet Memes to Promote Critical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Dominic D.

2018-01-01

In the time following the 2016 presidential election, much has been written about the spread of false information on social media websites. Given the potential influence false information has had on American politics, it is more important than ever for people to critically evaluate the content they view and share on social media. This article…

Critical Thinking Ability of Higher Secondary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devika, R.; Soumya, P. R.

2016-01-01

Critical thinking ability is one among the life skills enlisted by the World Health Organisation. Citizens who can think critically are the need of the nation. The new era warrants persons who can think and evaluate the information correctly. It is the duty of education to inculcate the skill of critical thinking in the students, the future…

Critical Information Literacy as Core Skill for Lifelong STEM Learning in the 21st Century: Reflections on the Desirability and Feasibility for Widespread Science Media Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storksdieck, Martin

2016-01-01

Grace Reid and the late Stephen Norris argue in this issue the urgent need for widespread Science Media Education (SME) as an integral part of formal and informal science education. SME is to achieve two goals: First, allow learners to critically evaluate any media as a source for scientific information by understanding the socio-economic and…

Toward More Critical Reviewing and Analysis of CD-ROM User Software Interfaces.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zink, Steven D.

1991-01-01

Criticizes reviews of library CD-ROM products as being uncritical of the user interface and advocates a more rigorous evaluation, not only to aid potential buyers, but as a way to influence manufacturers. Congressional Information Services' Masterfile 2 is evaluated in the context of Heckel's "Principles of Friendly Software Design." (24…

Development of Critical Spatial Thinking through GIS Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Minsung; Bednarz, Robert

2013-01-01

This study developed an interview-based critical spatial thinking oral test and used the test to investigate the effects of Geographic Information System (GIS) learning on three components of critical spatial thinking: evaluating data reliability, exercising spatial reasoning, and assessing problem-solving validity. Thirty-two students at a large…

The Future Role of GIS Education in Creating Critical Spatial Thinkers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bearman, Nick; Jones, Nick; André, Isabel; Cachinho, Herculano Alberto; DeMers, Michael

2016-01-01

Teaching of critical spatial thinking in higher education empowers graduates to effectively engage with spatial data. Geographic information systems (GIS) and science are taught to undergraduates across many disciplines; we evaluate how this contributes to critical spatial thinking. The discipline of GIS covers the whole process of spatial…

Teaching Critical & Analytical Thinking in High School Biology?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Gaby

2012-01-01

How can critical and analytical thinking be improved so that they mimic real-life research and prepare students for university courses? The data sets obtained in students' experiments were used to encourage students to evaluate results, experiments, and published information critically. Examples show that students can learn to compare and defend…

Investigating Criteria That Seventh Graders Use to Evaluate the Quality of Online Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coiro, Julie; Coscarelli, Carla; Maykel, Cheryl; Forzani, Elena

2015-01-01

This article presents qualitative findings from a study that examined the types of criteria that middle school students use to evaluate the quality of online information and sources for a Web-based research assignment. Open-constructed responses from four critical evaluation items were compiled from diverse seventh graders in a representative,…

Information Fusion for Feature Extraction and the Development of Geospatial Information

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-07-01

of automated processing . 2. Requirements for Geospatial Information Accurate, timely geospatial information is critical for many military...this evaluation illustrates some of the difficulties in comparing manual and automated processing results (figure 5). The automated delineation of

Overcoming structural constraints to patient utilization of electronic medical records: a critical review and proposal for an evaluation framework.

PubMed

Winkelman, Warren J; Leonard, Kevin J

2004-01-01

There are constraints embedded in medical record structure that limit use by patients in self-directed disease management. Through systematic review of the literature from a critical perspective, four characteristics that either enhance or mitigate the influence of medical record structure on patient utilization of an electronic patient record (EPR) system have been identified: environmental pressures, physician centeredness, collaborative organizational culture, and patient centeredness. An evaluation framework is proposed for use when considering adaptation of existing EPR systems for online patient access. Exemplars of patient-accessible EPR systems from the literature are evaluated utilizing the framework. From this study, it appears that traditional information system research and development methods may not wholly capture many pertinent social issues that arise when expanding access of EPR systems to patients. Critically rooted methods such as action research can directly inform development strategies so that these systems may positively influence health outcomes.

Information as a Human Right

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farmer, Lesley S. J.

2015-01-01

Information lies at the core of freedom of expression since it empowers citizens to understand the functions of media and other information providers, to access and critically evaluate their content, and to make informed decisions as users and producer of information and media content. Information and related technologies have become increasingly…

An Evaluation of Health Information and Wellness Priorities among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris-Paxton, Angela A.; Van Lingen, Johanna M.; Elkonin, Diane

2017-01-01

Objective: A critical evaluation of a salutogenic, wellness education programme was conducted with a group of first-year socioeconomically disadvantaged higher education students, in order to assess the value they placed on health information and wellness priorities. Methods: This study took a mixed-methods approach utilising a…

Assessing Civic Competence against the Normative Benchmark of Considered Opinions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Jin Woo

2017-01-01

There is widespread skepticism about civic competence. Some question if citizens are informed enough to make considered decisions. Others doubt citizens' ability to rationally evaluate relevant evidence and update their opinions even when they have necessary information. The purpose of my dissertation is to critically evaluate this literature and…

77 FR 70724 - Eligibility of the Republic of Korea To Export Poultry Products to the United States

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-27

...) official controls over condemned product; (8) a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system...) Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems, (5) Chemical Residue Testing Programs, and (6) Microbiological Testing Programs. FSIS evaluates the information submitted to verify that the critical points in...

Case study of evaluations that go beyond clinical outcomes to assess quality improvement diabetes programmes using the Diabetes Evaluation Framework for Innovative National Evaluations (DEFINE).

PubMed

Paquette-Warren, Jann; Harris, Stewart B; Naqshbandi Hayward, Mariam; Tompkins, Jordan W

2016-10-01

Investments in efforts to reduce the burden of diabetes on patients and health care are critical; however, more evaluation is needed to provide evidence that informs and supports future policies and programmes. The newly developed Diabetes Evaluation Framework for Innovative National Evaluations (DEFINE) incorporates the theoretical concepts needed to facilitate the capture of critical information to guide investments, policy and programmatic decision making. The aim of the study is to assess the applicability and value of DEFINE in comprehensive real-world evaluation. Using a critical and positivist approach, this intrinsic and collective case study retrospectively examines two naturalistic evaluations to demonstrate how DEFINE could be used when conducting real-world comprehensive evaluations in health care settings. The variability between the cases and the evaluation designs are described and aligned to the DEFINE goals, steps and sub-steps. The majority of the theoretical steps of DEFINE were exemplified in both cases, although limited for knowledge translation efforts. Application of DEFINE to evaluate diverse programmes that target various chronic diseases is needed to further test the inclusivity and built-in flexibility of DEFINE and its role in encouraging more comprehensive knowledge translation. This case study shows how DEFINE could be used to structure or guide comprehensive evaluations of programmes and initiatives implemented in health care settings and support scale-up of successful innovations. Future use of the framework will continue to strengthen its value in guiding programme evaluation and informing health policy to reduce the burden of diabetes and other chronic diseases. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Retrieval of radiology reports citing critical findings with disease-specific customization.

PubMed

Lacson, Ronilda; Sugarbaker, Nathanael; Prevedello, Luciano M; Ivan, Ip; Mar, Wendy; Andriole, Katherine P; Khorasani, Ramin

2012-01-01

Communication of critical results from diagnostic procedures between caregivers is a Joint Commission national patient safety goal. Evaluating critical result communication often requires manual analysis of voluminous data, especially when reviewing unstructured textual results of radiologic findings. Information retrieval (IR) tools can facilitate this process by enabling automated retrieval of radiology reports that cite critical imaging findings. However, IR tools that have been developed for one disease or imaging modality often need substantial reconfiguration before they can be utilized for another disease entity. THIS PAPER: 1) describes the process of customizing two Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Information Retrieval/Extraction applications - an open-source toolkit, A Nearly New Information Extraction system (ANNIE); and an application developed in-house, Information for Searching Content with an Ontology-Utilizing Toolkit (iSCOUT) - to illustrate the varying levels of customization required for different disease entities and; 2) evaluates each application's performance in identifying and retrieving radiology reports citing critical imaging findings for three distinct diseases, pulmonary nodule, pneumothorax, and pulmonary embolus. Both applications can be utilized for retrieval. iSCOUT and ANNIE had precision values between 0.90-0.98 and recall values between 0.79 and 0.94. ANNIE had consistently higher precision but required more customization. Understanding the customizations involved in utilizing NLP applications for various diseases will enable users to select the most suitable tool for specific tasks.

Retrieval of Radiology Reports Citing Critical Findings with Disease-Specific Customization

PubMed Central

Lacson, Ronilda; Sugarbaker, Nathanael; Prevedello, Luciano M; Ivan, IP; Mar, Wendy; Andriole, Katherine P; Khorasani, Ramin

2012-01-01

Background: Communication of critical results from diagnostic procedures between caregivers is a Joint Commission national patient safety goal. Evaluating critical result communication often requires manual analysis of voluminous data, especially when reviewing unstructured textual results of radiologic findings. Information retrieval (IR) tools can facilitate this process by enabling automated retrieval of radiology reports that cite critical imaging findings. However, IR tools that have been developed for one disease or imaging modality often need substantial reconfiguration before they can be utilized for another disease entity. Purpose: This paper: 1) describes the process of customizing two Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Information Retrieval/Extraction applications – an open-source toolkit, A Nearly New Information Extraction system (ANNIE); and an application developed in-house, Information for Searching Content with an Ontology-Utilizing Toolkit (iSCOUT) – to illustrate the varying levels of customization required for different disease entities and; 2) evaluates each application’s performance in identifying and retrieving radiology reports citing critical imaging findings for three distinct diseases, pulmonary nodule, pneumothorax, and pulmonary embolus. Results: Both applications can be utilized for retrieval. iSCOUT and ANNIE had precision values between 0.90-0.98 and recall values between 0.79 and 0.94. ANNIE had consistently higher precision but required more customization. Conclusion: Understanding the customizations involved in utilizing NLP applications for various diseases will enable users to select the most suitable tool for specific tasks. PMID:22934127

Case study of evaluations that go beyond clinical outcomes to assess quality improvement diabetes programmes using the Diabetes Evaluation Framework for Innovative National Evaluations (DEFINE)

PubMed Central

Harris, Stewart B.; Naqshbandi Hayward, Mariam; Tompkins, Jordan W.

2016-01-01

Abstract Rationale, aims and objectives Investments in efforts to reduce the burden of diabetes on patients and health care are critical; however, more evaluation is needed to provide evidence that informs and supports future policies and programmes. The newly developed Diabetes Evaluation Framework for Innovative National Evaluations (DEFINE) incorporates the theoretical concepts needed to facilitate the capture of critical information to guide investments, policy and programmatic decision making. The aim of the study is to assess the applicability and value of DEFINE in comprehensive real‐world evaluation. Method Using a critical and positivist approach, this intrinsic and collective case study retrospectively examines two naturalistic evaluations to demonstrate how DEFINE could be used when conducting real‐world comprehensive evaluations in health care settings. Results The variability between the cases and the evaluation designs are described and aligned to the DEFINE goals, steps and sub‐steps. The majority of the theoretical steps of DEFINE were exemplified in both cases, although limited for knowledge translation efforts. Application of DEFINE to evaluate diverse programmes that target various chronic diseases is needed to further test the inclusivity and built‐in flexibility of DEFINE and its role in encouraging more comprehensive knowledge translation. Conclusions This case study shows how DEFINE could be used to structure or guide comprehensive evaluations of programmes and initiatives implemented in health care settings and support scale‐up of successful innovations. Future use of the framework will continue to strengthen its value in guiding programme evaluation and informing health policy to reduce the burden of diabetes and other chronic diseases. PMID:26804339

The Impact of Instruction in the WWWDOT Framework on Students' Disposition and Ability to Evaluate Web Sites as Sources of Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Shenglan; Duke, Nell K.

2011-01-01

Much research has demonstrated that students are largely uncritical users of Web sites as sources of information. Research-tested frameworks are needed to increase elementary-age students' awareness of the need and ability to critically evaluate Web sites as sources of information. This study is a randomized field trial of such a framework called…

Media-Savvy Scientific Literacy: Developing Critical Evaluation Skills by Investigating Scientific Claims

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brickman, Peggy; Gormally, Cara; Francom, Greg; Jardeleza, Sarah E.; Schutte, Virginia G. W.; Jordan, Carly; Kanizay, Lisa

2012-01-01

Students must learn content knowledge and develop scientific literacy skills to evaluate and use scientific information in real-world situations. Recognizing the accessibility of scientific information to the average citizen, we developed an instructional approach to help students learn how to judge the quality of claims. We describe a…

The Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science: A Review of Reviews, a Summary Evaluation and a Suggested Salvage Operation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meredith, Joseph C.

1980-01-01

Provides a critical evaluation of the not yet completed "Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science" with quotations from numerous reviews and presents a plan for the selection of articles and revision of this work in order to salvage the project. (CHC)

Evaluating clinical librarian services: a systematic review.

PubMed

Brettle, Alison; Maden-Jenkins, Michelle; Anderson, Lucy; McNally, Rosalind; Pratchett, Tracey; Tancock, Jenny; Thornton, Debra; Webb, Anne

2011-03-01

  Previous systematic reviews have indicated limited evidence and poor quality evaluations of clinical librarian (CL) services. Rigorous evaluations should demonstrate the value of CL services, but guidance is needed before this can be achieved.   To undertake a systematic review which examines models of CL services, quality, methods and perspectives of clinical librarian service evaluations.   Systematic review methodology and synthesis of evidence, undertaken collaboratively by a group of 8 librarians to develop research and critical appraisal skills.   There are four clear models of clinical library service provision. Clinical librarians are effective in saving health professionals time, providing relevant, useful information and high quality services. Clinical librarians have a positive effect on clinical decision making by contributing to better informed decisions, diagnosis and choice of drug or therapy. The quality of CL studies is improving, but more work is needed on reducing bias and providing evidence of specific impacts on patient care. The Critical Incident Technique as part of a mixed method approach appears to offer a useful approach to demonstrating impact.   This systematic review provides practical guidance regarding the evaluation of CL services. It also provides updated evidence regarding the effectiveness and impact of CL services. The approach used was successful in developing research and critical appraisal skills in a group of librarians. © 2010 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2010 Health Libraries Group.

Concept mapping in a critical care orientation program: a pilot study to develop critical thinking and decision-making skills in novice nurses.

PubMed

Wahl, Stacy E; Thompson, Anita M

2013-10-01

Newly graduated registered nurses who were hired into a critical care intensive care unit showed a lack of critical thinking skills to inform their clinical decision-making abilities. This study evaluated the effectiveness of concept mapping as a teaching tool to improve critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills in novice nurses. A self-evaluation tool was administered before and after the learning intervention. The 25-item tool measured five key indicators of the development of critical thinking skills: problem recognition, clinical decision-making, prioritization, clinical implementation, and reflection. Statistically significant improvements were seen in 10 items encompassing all five indicators. Concept maps are an effective tool for educators to use in assisting novice nurses to develop their critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Evaluating true BCI communication rate through mutual information and language models.

PubMed

Speier, William; Arnold, Corey; Pouratian, Nader

2013-01-01

Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems are a promising means for restoring communication to patients suffering from "locked-in" syndrome. Research to improve system performance primarily focuses on means to overcome the low signal to noise ratio of electroencephalogric (EEG) recordings. However, the literature and methods are difficult to compare due to the array of evaluation metrics and assumptions underlying them, including that: 1) all characters are equally probable, 2) character selection is memoryless, and 3) errors occur completely at random. The standardization of evaluation metrics that more accurately reflect the amount of information contained in BCI language output is critical to make progress. We present a mutual information-based metric that incorporates prior information and a model of systematic errors. The parameters of a system used in one study were re-optimized, showing that the metric used in optimization significantly affects the parameter values chosen and the resulting system performance. The results of 11 BCI communication studies were then evaluated using different metrics, including those previously used in BCI literature and the newly advocated metric. Six studies' results varied based on the metric used for evaluation and the proposed metric produced results that differed from those originally published in two of the studies. Standardizing metrics to accurately reflect the rate of information transmission is critical to properly evaluate and compare BCI communication systems and advance the field in an unbiased manner.

Little Boy replication: justification and construction

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

Malenfant, R.E.

A reconstruction of the Little Boy weapon allowed experiments to evaluate yield, leakage measurements for comparison with calculations, and phenomenological measurements to evaluate various in-situ dosimeters. The reconstructed weapon was operated at sustained delayed critical at the Los Alamos Critical Assembly Facility. The present experiments provide a wealth of information to benchmark calculations and demonstrate that the 1965 measurements on the Ichiban assembly (a spherical mockup of Little Boy) were in error.

Overcoming Structural Constraints to Patient Utilization of Electronic Medical Records: A Critical Review and Proposal for an Evaluation Framework

PubMed Central

Winkelman, Warren J.; Leonard, Kevin J.

2004-01-01

There are constraints embedded in medical record structure that limit use by patients in self-directed disease management. Through systematic review of the literature from a critical perspective, four characteristics that either enhance or mitigate the influence of medical record structure on patient utilization of an electronic patient record (EPR) system have been identified: environmental pressures, physician centeredness, collaborative organizational culture, and patient centeredness. An evaluation framework is proposed for use when considering adaptation of existing EPR systems for online patient access. Exemplars of patient-accessible EPR systems from the literature are evaluated utilizing the framework. From this study, it appears that traditional information system research and development methods may not wholly capture many pertinent social issues that arise when expanding access of EPR systems to patients. Critically rooted methods such as action research can directly inform development strategies so that these systems may positively influence health outcomes. PMID:14633932

Teaching Information Evaluation and Critical Thinking Skills in Physics Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Popescu, Adriana; Morgan, James

2007-01-01

The physics curriculum at all educational levels can be enriched to include tools for strengthening students' information evaluation skills. The "Report of the Joint APS-AAPT Task Force on Graduate Education in Physics" calls for such training to be part of graduate programs, but training to acquire these lifetime skills can be incorporated in the…

Evaluating Indicator-Based Methods of "Measuring Long-Term Impacts of a Science Center on Its Community"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Eric Allen

2016-01-01

This article addresses some of the challenges faced when attempting to evaluate the long-term impact of informal science learning interventions. To contribute to the methodological development of informal science learning research, we critically examine (Falk and Needham (2011) "Journal of Research in Science Teaching," 48: 1-12.) study…

Science or Snake Oil? Teaching Critical Evaluation of "Research" Reports on the Internet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connor-Greene, Patricia A.; Greene, Dan J.

2002-01-01

The proliferation of information on the Internet introduces new challenges for educators. Although the Internet can provide quick and easy access to a wealth of information, it has virtually no quality control. Consequently, the Internet has rendered faculty more essential than ever as teachers of the analytic and evaluative skills students need…

Active-learning implementation in an advanced elective course on infectious diseases.

PubMed

Hidayat, Levita; Patel, Shreya; Veltri, Keith

2012-06-18

To describe the development, implementation, and assessment of an advanced elective course on infectious diseases using active-learning strategies. Pedagogy for active learning was incorporated by means of mini-lecture, journal club, and debate with follow-up discussion. Forty-eight students were enrolled in this 4-week elective course, in which 30% of course time was allocated for active-learning exercises. All activities were fundamentally designed as a stepwise approach in complementing each active-learning exercise. Achievement of the course learning objectives was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale survey instrument. Students' awareness of the significance of antimicrobial resistance was improved (p ≤ 0.05). Students' ability to critically evaluate the infectious-disease literature and its application in informed clinical judgments was also enhanced through these active-learning exercises (p ≤ 0.05). Students agreed that active learning should be part of the pharmacy curriculum and that active-learning exercises improved their critical-thinking, literature-evaluation, and self-learning skills. An elective course using active-learning strategies allowed students to combine information gained from the evaluation of infectious-disease literature, critical thinking, and informed clinical judgment. This blended approach ultimately resulted in an increased knowledge and awareness of infectious diseases.

Using Evaluability Assessment to Improve Program Evaluation for the Blue-Throated Macaw Environmental Education Project in Bolivia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salvatierra da Silva, Daniela; Jacobson, Susan K.; Monroe, Martha C.; Israel, Glenn D.

2016-01-01

An evaluability assessment of a program to save a critically endangered bird helped prepare the Blue-throated Macaw Environmental Education Project for evaluation and program improvement. The evaluability assessment facilitated agreement among key stakeholders on evaluation criteria and intended uses of evaluation information in order to maximize…

Exploiting the information revolution: call for independent evaluation of the latest English national experiment.

PubMed

Scott, Philip

2015-02-19

The English National Health Service (NHS) has a long history of national experiments with information technology; some successful, others less so. The NHS England Five Year Forward View aspires to 'Exploit the information revolution' through the transformational work of the National Information Board (NIB). NIB has published a 'Framework for Action' that promotes citizen empowerment, information availability, transparency, public trust, innovation, informatics skills and societal value. The framework sets out many laudable and common sense ambitions, but is light on evidence to support its aspirations, or plans for its evaluation. Considerable resource was invested in evaluation studies in the later stages of the National Programme for IT in England, but the analyses do not seem to have been included. Most of the cited evidence is from an unpublished report by management consultants rather than independent peer-reviewed work. National experiments of this importance should be evidence based and properly evaluated so that each iteration of 'information revolution' produces an evidence base to inform subsequent generations of care provision models and technology innovation. Evaluation should be planned from the very start rather than added in as an afterthought. Like any good business plan there should be defined critical success factors for health and social care, and a declaration of how they might be measured. Unintended consequences should be qualitatively explored. Evaluation should also consider critical-interpretive social perspectives to understand the human factors in technology deployment and should seek a theoretically informed insight into the mechanisms of change. The NHS Five Year Forward View and the NIB framework set out challenging ambitions based on transformative use of information technology and collaborative partnerships with commissioners and providers. The framework stands up very well against the Hayes principles, but the learning opportunities associated with this programme should not be missed.

Bridging the Gap: Integrating Information Literacy into Communication Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjoberg, Lisa M.; Ahlfeldt, Stephanie L.

2010-01-01

Information literacy programs focus on teaching students how to conduct effective research. Perhaps even more important is that they teach students how to critically evaluate the information they find. Engaging students in a significant information literacy unit helps them realize the value of the research process and the limitations of relying…

Critical Evaluation of a Human In Vitro Biotransformation Rate Database

EPA Science Inventory

Chemical biotransformation is critical information in the understanding of how a chemical may elicit health effects in humans or in the environment. Despite the fundamental value of these data, very relatively few measured in vivo data are available for humans compared to the tho...

Using Customer Reviews to Build Critical Reading Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Mary

2007-01-01

Junior high school teacher Mary Rice designs a consumer research unit that cultivates students' critical reading and thinking skills. As students learn how to develop and revise criteria for evaluating the reliability of online information, they read customer reviews, research products, and present their findings orally.

Critical Issues in Teacher and Student Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purohit, Anal A.; And Others

1977-01-01

Background information is provided to clarify some of the issues surrounding teacher and student evaluation in pharmacy education. Major questions explored dealt with what should be evaluated, how the data should be collected and used, and the adaptability of the experiential domain for students. (Author/LBH)

Little Boy replication: justification and construction

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

Malenfant, R.E.

A reconstruction of the Little Boy weapon allowed experiments to evaluate yield, leakage measurements for comparison with calculations, and phenomenological measurements to evaluate various in-situ dosimeters. The reconstructed weapon was operated at sustained delayed critical at the Los Alamos Critical Assembly Facility. The present experiments provide a wealth of information to benchmark calculations and demonstrate that the 1965 measurements on the Ichiban assembly (a spherical mockup of Little Boy) were in error. 5 references, 2 figures.

Making Students Eat Their Greens: Information Skills for Chemistry Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George, Sarah; Munshi, Tasnim

2016-01-01

Employers are increasingly requiring a range of "soft" skills from chemistry graduates, including the ability to search for and critically evaluate information. This paper discusses the issues around encouraging chemistry students to engage with information skills and suggests curricular changes which may help to "drip-feed"…

Assuring Integrity of Information Utility in Cyber-Learning Formats.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, James L.; Stein, Linda L.

1999-01-01

Describes a cyber-learning project for the World Wide Web developed by faculty and librarians at the University of Delaware that combined discovery learning with problem-based learning to develop critical thinking and quality management for information. Undergraduates were to find, evaluate, and use information to generate an Internet marketing…

Air Traffic Control: Improved Cost Information Needed to Make Billion Dollar Modernization Investment Decisions

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

This Government Accounting Office report addresses the reliability of the cost information critical to capital investment decision-making on air traffic control projects. Specifically, the GAO evaluated the Federal Aviation Administration's processes...

Evaluation of critical temperatures for heat damage in northern highbush blueberry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Overhead sprinklers are often used to cool blueberry fields in the Pacific Northwest, but more information is needed to determine exactly when cooling is needed. The objective of this study was to identify the critical temperatures for heat damage in northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum...

Applications of Diagnostic Classification Models: A Literature Review and Critical Commentary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sessoms, John; Henson, Robert A.

2018-01-01

Diagnostic classification models (DCMs) classify examinees based on the skills they have mastered given their test performance. This classification enables targeted feedback that can inform remedial instruction. Unfortunately, applications of DCMs have been criticized (e.g., no validity support). Generally, these evaluations have been brief and…

Microcomputers: Software Evaluation. Evaluation Guides. Guide Number 17.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Peter J.

This guide discusses three critical steps in selecting microcomputer software and hardware: setting the context, software evaluation, and managing microcomputer use. Specific topics addressed include: (1) conducting an informal task analysis to determine how the potential user's time is spent; (2) identifying tasks amenable to computerization and…

The State of Retrieval System Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salton, Gerald

1992-01-01

The current state of information retrieval (IR) evaluation is reviewed with criticisms directed at the available test collections and the research and evaluation methodologies used, including precision and recall rates for online searches and laboratory tests not including real users. Automatic text retrieval systems are also discussed. (32…

Information retrieval, critical appraisal and knowledge of evidence-based dentistry among Finnish dental students.

PubMed

Nieminen, P; Virtanen, J I

2017-11-01

One of the core skills of competent dentist is the ability to search and analyse high-quality evidence. Problems in understanding the basic aspects of knowledge-based information may impede its implementation into clinical practice. We examined how Finnish dental students acquire scientific information and how familiar they are with methods for evaluating scientific evidence related to clinical questions. All fifth-year dental students (n = 120) at the three universities in Finland received a self-administered questionnaire. The three most commonly used sources of information were colleagues, the commercial Health Gate Portal for dental practitioners and personal lecture notes. Although students rarely read scientific journals, they did find that they possess at least passable or even good skills in literature retrieval. Three questions related to the appraisal of evidence in dentistry revealed that students' knowledge of evidence-based dentistry was inadequate to critically evaluate clinical research findings. Most students seem to lack knowledge of key methodological evidence-based terms. The present curricula in dental schools fail to encourage the students to search and acquire knowledge wider than their patients themselves do. Universities have the responsibility to teach dentists various methods of critical appraisal to cope with scientific information. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Intensive care nurses' knowledge of enteral nutrition: A descriptive questionnaire.

PubMed

Morphet, Julia; Clarke, Angelique B; Bloomer, Melissa J

2016-12-01

Nurses have an important role in the delivery and management of enteral nutrition in critically ill patients, to prevent iatrogenic malnutrition. It is not clear how nurses source enteral nutrition information. This study aimed to explore Australian nurses' enteral nutrition knowledge and sources of information. Data were collected from members of the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses in May 2014 using an online questionnaire. A combination of descriptive statistics and non-parametric analyses were undertaken to evaluate quantitative data. Content analysis was used to evaluate qualitative data. 359 responses were included in data analysis. All respondents were Registered Nurses with experience working in an Australian intensive care unit or high dependency unit. Most respondents reported their enteral nutrition knowledge was good (n=205, 60.1%) or excellent (n=35, 10.3%), but many lacked knowledge regarding the effect of malnutrition on patient outcomes. Dietitians and hospital protocols were the most valuable sources of enteral nutrition information, but were not consistently utilised. Significant knowledge deficits in relation to enteral nutrition were identified. Dietitians were the preferred source of nurses' enteral nutrition information, however their limited availability impacted their efficacy as an information resource. Educational opportunities for nurses need to be improved to enable appropriate nutritional care in critically ill patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formative Evaluation of a Family Life Education Web Site

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steimle, Brynn M.; Duncan, Stephen F.

2004-01-01

Hundreds of family life education Web sites are available on the Internet, allowing individuals and families unprecedented access to family life education information. Evaluation is critical to ensuring the quality of and improving these Web sites; yet, few Web site evaluations have been conducted. We formatively evaluated a new family life…

Exploring the Relationship between Authentic Leadership and Project Outcomes and Job Satisfaction with Information Technology Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, Mark A.

2014-01-01

One of the most important issues for organizations and information technology (IT) professionals is measuring the success or failure of information technology projects. How we understand the value and usefulness of IT projects is critical to how information technology executives evaluate and decide on technology investments. In a 2009 CHAOS…

Gullible's Travels.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Block, Marylaine

2002-01-01

Discusses how to teach students to evaluate information they find on the Internet. Highlights include motivation of Web site owners; link-checking; having student create Web pages to help with their evaluation skills of other Web sites; critical thinking skills; and helpful Web sites. (LRW)

Physician satisfaction with a critical care clinical information system using a multimethod evaluation of usability.

PubMed

Hudson, Darren; Kushniruk, Andre; Borycki, Elizabeth; Zuege, Danny J

2018-04-01

Physician satisfaction with electronic medical records has often been poor. Usability has frequently been identified as a source for decreased satisfaction. While surveys can identify many issues, and are logistically easier to administer, they may miss issues identified using other methods This study sought to understand the level of physician satisfaction and usability issues associated with a critical care clinical information system (eCritical Alberta) implemented throughout the province of Alberta, Canada. All critical care attending physicians using the system were invited to participate in an online survey. Questions included components of the User Acceptance of Information Technology and Usability Questionnaire as well as free text feedback on system components. Physicians were also invited to participate in a think aloud test using simulated scenarios. The transcribed think aloud text and questionnaire were subjected to textual analysis. 82% of all eligible physicians completed the on-line survey (n = 61). Eight physicians were invited and seven completed the think aloud test. Overall satisfaction with the system was moderate. Usability was identified as a significant factor contributing to satisfaction. The major usability factors identified were system response time and layout. The think aloud component identified additional factors beyond those identified in the on-line survey. This study found a modestly high level of physician satisfaction with a province-wide clinical critical care information system. Usability continues to be a significant factor in physician satisfaction. Using multiple methods of evaluation can capture the benefits of a large sample size and deeper understanding of the issues. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying critical thinking indicators and critical thinker attributes in nursing practice.

PubMed

Chao, Shu-Yuan; Liu, Hsing-Yuan; Wu, Ming-Chang; Clark, Mary Jo; Tan, Jung-Ying

2013-09-01

Critical thinking is an essential skill in the nursing process. Although several studies have evaluated the critical thinking skills of nurses, there is limited information related to the indicators of critical thinking or evaluation of critical thinking in the context of the nursing process. This study investigated the potential indicators of critical thinking and the attributes of critical thinkers in clinical nursing practice. Knowledge of these indicators can aid the development of tools to assess nursing students' critical thinking skills. The study was conducted between September 2009 and August 2010. In phase 1, a literature review and four focus groups were conducted to identify the indicators of critical thinking in the context of nursing and the attributes of critical thinkers. In phase 2, 30 nursing professionals participated in a modified Delphi research survey to establish consensus and the appropriateness of each indicator and attribute identified in phase 1. We identified 37 indicators of critical thinking and 10 attributes of critical thinkers. The indicators were categorized into five subscales within the context of the nursing process toreflect nursing clinical practice: assessment, 16 indicators of ability to apply professional knowledge and skills to analyze and interpret patient problems; diagnosis, five indicators of ability to propose preliminary suppositions; planning, five indicators of ability to develop problem-solving strategies; implementation, five indicators of ability to implement planning; and evaluation, six indicators of ability to self-assess and reflect. The study operationalized critical thinking into a practical indicator suitable for nursing contexts in which critical thinking is required for clinical problem solving. Identified indicators and attributes can assist clinical instructors to evaluate student critical thought skills and development-related teaching strategies.

What value may geographic information systems add to the art of identifying crash countermeasures?

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-04-01

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be employed to relate, organize, and analyze roadway and crash data, thereby facilitating crash countermeasure identification and evaluation. GIS cannot, however, replace the critical role of the local analyst...

Critical thinking as an educational outcome: an evaluation of current tools of measurement.

PubMed

Adams, M H; Whitlow, J F; Stover, L M; Johnson, K W

1996-01-01

Critical thinking, an outcome criterion of the National League for Nursing and the Council of Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Programs, is an abstract skill difficult to measure. The authors provide a comprehensive review of four instruments designed to measure critical thinking and summarize research in which the tools were used. Analysis of this information will empower nursing faculty members to select a critical-thinking instrument that is individualized to the needs of their respective nursing programs.

A Contextual Factors Framework to Inform Implementation and Evaluation of Public Health Initiatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanderkruik, Rachel; McPherson, Marianne E.

2017-01-01

Evaluating initiatives implemented across multiple settings can elucidate how various contextual factors may influence both implementation and outcomes. Understanding context is especially critical when the same program has varying levels of success across settings. We present a framework for evaluating contextual factors affecting an initiative…

Range and Primary Habitats of Hawaiian Insular False Killer Whales: Informing Determination of Critical Habitat

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-20

whales Eubalaena glacialis (in 1994), ‘ southern resident ’ killer whales (in 2006), North Pacific right whales E...reviewed evaluation of specific and essential habitat features. For example, for southern resident killer whales , a population that uses both US and...critical habitat for southern resident killer whale . Federal Register 71: 69054−69070 Federal Register (2008) Designation of critical habitat for

Criteria used by nurses to evaluate practice-related information on the World Wide Web.

PubMed

Cader, Raffik; Campbell, Steve; Watson, Don

2003-01-01

Existing criteria used to evaluate information on the World Wide Web often are not related to nursing, especially in relation to clinical and evidence-based practice. Published criteria have been found orientated to the health-consumer, medicine, or general information. In this study, the process by which nurses evaluate practice-related information and the associated evaluative nursing criteria were investigated using a grounded theory approach. In the first stage of this ongoing investigation, semistructured interviews were used to collect data from UK postregistration nursing students. The findings from this initial study provided indications of the process and the criteria for evaluating information on the World Wide Web. Participating students identified intuition as part of the evaluative process. They identified some criteria similar to existing standards, but critically, with additional criteria that are nursing practice related. Because these new criteria are significant for evaluating nursing information, further refinement of these findings is being undertaken through the next stage of the research program.

Assessment of Students’ Critical-Thinking and Problem-Solving Abilities Across a 6-Year Doctor of Pharmacy Program

PubMed Central

Gaebelein, Claude J.; Grice, Gloria R.; Crannage, Andrew J.; Weck, Margaret A.; Hurd, Peter; Walter, Brenda; Duncan, Wendy

2013-01-01

Objective. To determine the feasibility of using a validated set of assessment rubrics to assess students’ critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities across a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. Methods. Trained faculty assessors used validated rubrics to assess student work samples for critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities. Assessment scores were collected and analyzed to determine student achievement of these 2 ability outcomes across the curriculum. Feasibility of the process was evaluated in terms of time and resources used. Results. One hundred sixty-one samples were assessed for critical thinking, and 159 samples were assessed for problem-solving. Rubric scoring allowed assessors to evaluate four 5- to 7-page work samples per hour. The analysis indicated that overall critical-thinking scores improved over the curriculum. Although low yield for problem-solving samples precluded meaningful data analysis, it was informative for identifying potentially needed curricular improvements. Conclusions. Use of assessment rubrics for program ability outcomes was deemed authentic and feasible. Problem-solving was identified as a curricular area that may need improving. This assessment method has great potential to inform continuous quality improvement of a PharmD program. PMID:24159207

Assessment of students' critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities across a 6-year doctor of pharmacy program.

PubMed

Gleason, Brenda L; Gaebelein, Claude J; Grice, Gloria R; Crannage, Andrew J; Weck, Margaret A; Hurd, Peter; Walter, Brenda; Duncan, Wendy

2013-10-14

To determine the feasibility of using a validated set of assessment rubrics to assess students' critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities across a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. Trained faculty assessors used validated rubrics to assess student work samples for critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities. Assessment scores were collected and analyzed to determine student achievement of these 2 ability outcomes across the curriculum. Feasibility of the process was evaluated in terms of time and resources used. One hundred sixty-one samples were assessed for critical thinking, and 159 samples were assessed for problem-solving. Rubric scoring allowed assessors to evaluate four 5- to 7-page work samples per hour. The analysis indicated that overall critical-thinking scores improved over the curriculum. Although low yield for problem-solving samples precluded meaningful data analysis, it was informative for identifying potentially needed curricular improvements. Use of assessment rubrics for program ability outcomes was deemed authentic and feasible. Problem-solving was identified as a curricular area that may need improving. This assessment method has great potential to inform continuous quality improvement of a PharmD program.

Non-Science Majors' Critical Evaluation of Websites in a Biotechnology Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halverson, Kristy L.; Siegel, Marcelle A.; Freyermuth, Sharyn K.

2010-12-01

Helping students develop criteria for judgment and apply examination skills is essential for promoting scientific literacy. With the increasing availability of the Internet, it is even more essential that students learn how to evaluate the science they gather from online resources. This is particularly true because publishing information on the web is not restricted to experts, and content quality can vary greatly across websites. The responsibility of evaluating websites falls upon the user. Little research has examined undergraduates' evaluation of web sites in science classes. The purpose of this study was to investigate on which websites college students selected and how they evaluated the websites used when developing individual positions about stem-cell research. We used a qualitative approach in search of patterns in undergraduates' website selection and evaluation criteria. We found that students used a variety of web resources from eleven types of websites to complete their independent research report. Students also used eleven evaluation criteria to evaluate these sources, some useful (e.g., credibility) and some not useful (e.g., readability). We found that university students struggled with critically evaluating online resources. Undergraduates need prompts to learn how to critically evaluate the science content provided within websites. This type of scaffold can facilitate useful evaluation and promote critical thinking required for becoming scientifically literate.

Active-Learning Implementation in an Advanced Elective Course on Infectious Diseases

PubMed Central

Patel, Shreya; Veltri, Keith

2012-01-01

Objectives. To describe the development, implementation, and assessment of an advanced elective course on infectious diseases using active-learning strategies. Design. Pedagogy for active learning was incorporated by means of mini-lecture, journal club, and debate with follow-up discussion. Forty-eight students were enrolled in this 4-week elective course, in which 30% of course time was allocated for active-learning exercises. All activities were fundamentally designed as a stepwise approach in complementing each active-learning exercise. Assessment. Achievement of the course learning objectives was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale survey instrument. Students’ awareness of the significance of antimicrobial resistance was improved (p ≤ 0.05). Students’ ability to critically evaluate the infectious-disease literature and its application in informed clinical judgments was also enhanced through these active-learning exercises (p ≤ 0.05). Students agreed that active learning should be part of the pharmacy curriculum and that active-learning exercises improved their critical-thinking, literature-evaluation, and self-learning skills. Conclusion. An elective course using active-learning strategies allowed students to combine information gained from the evaluation of infectious-disease literature, critical thinking, and informed clinical judgment. This blended approach ultimately resulted in an increased knowledge and awareness of infectious diseases. PMID:22761528

Criticism and Interpretation: Teaching the Persuasive Aspects of Research Articles

PubMed Central

Gillen, Christopher M.

2006-01-01

Research articles are an excellent tool for promoting active learning about the scientific process. One difficulty in teaching research articles is that they address a professional audience and often seek to be persuasive as well as informative. This essay discusses pedagogical strategies that are intended to help students differentiate the purely informative aspects of research articles, such as descriptions of the methods and results, from the persuasive aspects, such as interpretation of results and critical evaluation of the work of other scientists. PMID:17012188

Criticism and interpretation: teaching the persuasive aspects of research articles.

PubMed

Gillen, Christopher M

2006-01-01

Research articles are an excellent tool for promoting active learning about the scientific process. One difficulty in teaching research articles is that they address a professional audience and often seek to be persuasive as well as informative. This essay discusses pedagogical strategies that are intended to help students differentiate the purely informative aspects of research articles, such as descriptions of the methods and results, from the persuasive aspects, such as interpretation of results and critical evaluation of the work of other scientists.

An integrated approach to evaluating alternative risk prediction strategies: a case study comparing alternative approaches for preventing invasive fungal disease.

PubMed

Sadique, Z; Grieve, R; Harrison, D A; Jit, M; Allen, E; Rowan, K M

2013-12-01

This article proposes an integrated approach to the development, validation, and evaluation of new risk prediction models illustrated with the Fungal Infection Risk Evaluation study, which developed risk models to identify non-neutropenic, critically ill adult patients at high risk of invasive fungal disease (IFD). Our decision-analytical model compared alternative strategies for preventing IFD at up to three clinical decision time points (critical care admission, after 24 hours, and end of day 3), followed with antifungal prophylaxis for those judged "high" risk versus "no formal risk assessment." We developed prognostic models to predict the risk of IFD before critical care unit discharge, with data from 35,455 admissions to 70 UK adult, critical care units, and validated the models externally. The decision model was populated with positive predictive values and negative predictive values from the best-fitting risk models. We projected lifetime cost-effectiveness and expected value of partial perfect information for groups of parameters. The risk prediction models performed well in internal and external validation. Risk assessment and prophylaxis at the end of day 3 was the most cost-effective strategy at the 2% and 1% risk threshold. Risk assessment at each time point was the most cost-effective strategy at a 0.5% risk threshold. Expected values of partial perfect information were high for positive predictive values or negative predictive values (£11 million-£13 million) and quality-adjusted life-years (£11 million). It is cost-effective to formally assess the risk of IFD for non-neutropenic, critically ill adult patients. This integrated approach to developing and evaluating risk models is useful for informing clinical practice and future research investment. © 2013 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Published by International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) All rights reserved.

High School Research and Critical Literacy: Social Studies with and Despite Wikipedia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harouni, Houman

2009-01-01

Drawing on experiences in his social studies classroom, Houman Harouni evaluates both the challenges and possibilities of helping high school students develop critical research skills. The author describes how he used Wikipedia to design classroom activities that address issues of authorship, neutrality, and reliability in information gathering.…

Meeting Student Writers Where They Are: Using Wikipedia to Teach Responsible Scholarship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patch, Paula

2010-01-01

As students increasingly rely on digital media to locate information, composition instructors must incorporate into writing instruction critical evaluation of and reflection on students' use of Web content. A growing problem in the composition class is underdeveloped critical digital literacy skills. To become fully literate, students need more…

Using Critical Appraisal to Inform Program Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Esterlund, Theresa; Krantz, Amanda; Sigmond, Catherine

2017-01-01

In 2016, the education department at the National Building Museum offered a series of Late Night programs in conjunction with the Summer Block Party installation, ICEBERGS. The museum wanted to evaluate the programs but had limited resources to do so. In the following article, we describe the use of critical appraisal, an economic method applied…

Getting a Tenure-Track Faculty Position at a Teaching-Centered Research University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkens, Robert; Comfort, Kristen

2016-01-01

The goal of this article is to provide critical information to chemical engineers seeking a tenure-track faculty position within academia. We outline the application and submission process from start to finish, including a discussion on critical evaluation metrics sought by search committees. In addition, we highlight frequent mistakes made by…

Who Done It? Connecting Murder Mysteries to the Communication Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macchi, Stacey; Ridle, Cynthia

2012-01-01

It is important for students to understand various communication principles and be able to apply them in a variety of settings using critical thinking skills. Students must learn how to think critically, which includes the ability to apply, connect, analyze, and evaluate information. Teachers, instructors, and professors who are able to integrate…

Seeing beyond monitors-Critical care nurses' multiple skills in patient observation: Descriptive qualitative study.

PubMed

Alastalo, Mika; Salminen, Leena; Lakanmaa, Riitta-Liisa; Leino-Kilpi, Helena

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive description of multiple skills in patient observation in critical care nursing. Data from semi-structured interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Experienced critical care nurses (n=20) from three intensive care units in two university hospitals in Finland. Patient observation skills consist of: information gaining skills, information processing skills, decision-making skills and co-operation skills. The first three skills are integrated in the patient observation process, in which gaining information is a prerequisite for processing information that precedes making decisions. Co-operation has a special role as it occurs throughout the process. This study provided a comprehensive description of patient observation skills related to the three-phased patient observation process. The findings contribute to clarifying this part of the competence. The description of patient observation skills may be applied in both clinical practice and education as it may serve as a framework for orientation, ensuring clinical skills and designing learning environments. Based on this study, patient observation skills can be recommended to be included in critical care nursing education, orientation and as a part of critical care nurses' competence evaluation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

78 FR 31942 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-28

... No.: 0970-0403. Description: The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration... critical to informing decisions related to future investments in programming as well as the design and... program applicants)--APPROVED October 31, 2012. (3) Baseline Survey (for RF study participants)--APPROVED...

Direct evaluation of free energy for large system through structure integration approach.

PubMed

Takeuchi, Kazuhito; Tanaka, Ryohei; Yuge, Koretaka

2015-09-30

We propose a new approach, 'structure integration', enabling direct evaluation of configurational free energy for large systems. The present approach is based on the statistical information of lattice. Through first-principles-based simulation, we find that the present method evaluates configurational free energy accurately in disorder states above critical temperature.

How to Critically Evaluate Case Studies in Social Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Eunjung; Mishna, Faye; Brennenstuhl, Sarah

2010-01-01

The purpose of this article is to develop guidelines to assist practitioners and researchers in evaluating and developing rigorous case studies. The main concern in evaluating a case study is to accurately assess its quality and ultimately to offer clients social work interventions informed by the best available evidence. To assess the quality of…

Knowing When to Doubt: Developing a Critical Stance When Learning From Others

PubMed Central

Mills, Candice M.

2013-01-01

Children may be biased towards accepting information as true, but the fact remains that children are exposed to misinformation from many sources, and mastering the intricacies of doubt is necessary. The current article examines this issue, focusing on understanding developmental changes and consistencies in children’s ability to take a critical stance towards information. Research is reviewed on children’s ability to detect ignorance, inaccuracy, incompetence, deception, and distortion. Particular emphasis is placed on what this research indicates about how children are reasoning about when to trust and when to doubt. The remainder of the article proposes a framework to evaluate preexisting research and encourage further research, closing with a discussion of several other overarching questions that need to be considered in order to develop a model to explain developmental, individual, and situational differences in children’s ability to evaluate information. PMID:22889395

[Technical specification for clinical application of critical ultrasonography].

PubMed

Yin, M G; Wang, X T; Liu, D W; Chao, Y G; Guan, X D; Kang, Y; Yan, J; Ma, X C; Tang, Y Q; Hu, Z J; Yu, K J; Chen, D C; Ai, Y H; Zhang, L N; Zhang, H M; Wu, J; Liu, L X; Zhu, R; He, W; Zhang, Q; Ding, X; Li, L; Li, Y; Liu, H T; Zeng, Q B; Si, X; Chen, H; Zhang, J W; Xu, Q H; Chen, W J; Chen, X K; Huang, D Z; Cai, S H; Shang, X L; Guan, J; Du, J; Zhao, L; Wang, M J; Cui, S; Wang, X M; Zhou, R; Zeng, X Y; Wang, Y P; Lyu, L W; Zhu, W H; Zhu, Y; Duan, J; Yang, J; Yang, H

2018-06-01

Critical ultrasonography(CUS) is different from the traditional diagnostic ultrasound, the examiner and interpreter of the image are critical care medicine physicians. The core content of CUS is to evaluate the pathophysiological changes of organs and systems and etiology changes. With the idea of critical care medicine as the soul, it can integrate the above information and clinical information, bedside real-time diagnosis and titration treatment, and evaluate the therapeutic effect so as to improve the outcome. CUS is a traditional technique which is applied as a new application method. The consensus of experts on critical ultrasonography in China released in 2016 put forward consensus suggestions on the concept, implementation and application of CUS. It should be further emphasized that the accurate and objective assessment and implementation of CUS requires the standardization of ultrasound image acquisition and the need to establish a CUS procedure. At the same time, the standardized training for CUS accepted by critical care medicine physicians requires the application of technical specifications, and the establishment of technical specifications is the basis for the quality control and continuous improvement of CUS. Chinese Critical Ultrasound Study Group and Critical Hemodynamic Therapy Collabration Group, based on the rich experience of clinical practice in critical care and research, combined with the essence of CUS, to learn the traditional ultrasonic essence, established the clinical application technical specifications of CUS, including in five parts: basic view and relevant indicators to obtain in CUS; basic norms for viscera organ assessment and special assessment; standardized processes and systematic inspection programs; examples of CUS applications; CUS training and the application of qualification certification. The establishment of applied technology standard is helpful for standardized training and clinical correct implementation. It is helpful for clinical evaluation and correct guidance treatment, and is also helpful for quality control and continuous improvement of CUS application.

Assessing Website Quality in Context: Retrieving Information about Genetically Modified Food on the Web

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McInerney, Claire R.; Bird, Nora J.

2005-01-01

Introduction: Knowing the credibility of information about genetically modified food on the Internet is critical to the everyday life information seeking of consumers as they form opinions about this nascent agricultural technology. The Website Quality Evaluation Tool (WQET) is a valuable instrument that can be used to determine the credibility of…

Motivation for a High Explosive Testing Program in South Africa

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-04

following): Contractor Performance Evaluation Foreign Government Information Administrative or Operational Use Specific Authority ~ Proprietary lnformati...Software Document~tion Administrative or Operational Use B Foreign Governmen Information 0 D. Distribution authorized to the Department of Defense...and U.S. DoD Contractors only (check the following): 0 § Foreign Government Information Critical Technology Administrative or Operational Use B

Information Literacy in Biology Education: An Example from an Advanced Cell Biology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, John R.

2005-01-01

Information literacy skills are critically important for the undergraduate biology student. The ability to find, understand, evaluate, and use information, whether from the scientific literature or from Web resources, is essential for a good understanding of a topic and for the conduct of research. A project in which students receive information…

[Real-time detection of quality of Chinese materia medica: strategy of NIR model evaluation].

PubMed

Wu, Zhi-sheng; Shi, Xin-yuan; Xu, Bing; Dai, Xing-xing; Qiao, Yan-jiang

2015-07-01

The definition of critical quality attributes of Chinese materia medica ( CMM) was put forward based on the top-level design concept. Nowadays, coupled with the development of rapid analytical science, rapid assessment of critical quality attributes of CMM was firstly carried out, which was the secondary discipline branch of CMM. Taking near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy as an example, which is a rapid analytical technology in pharmaceutical process over the past decade, systematic review is the chemometric parameters in NIR model evaluation. According to the characteristics of complexity of CMM and trace components analysis, a multi-source information fusion strategy of NIR model was developed for assessment of critical quality attributes of CMM. The strategy has provided guideline for NIR reliable analysis in critical quality attributes of CMM.

Who Is the Real Owner? Or How a Simple Pepsi-Cola Story Can Help Students Build Critical Thinking Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galetcaia, Tatiana; Thiessen, Loreena

2010-01-01

Besides language competence, international students must develop a systematic approach to processing information and follow up with co-construction of the knowledge acquired. Critical thinking is a crucial principle commonly required in North American universities for evaluating academic texts. This practice may present certain difficulties for…

Critical Thinking about Research: Psychology and Related Fields. Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meltzoff, Julian; Cooper, Harris

2017-01-01

Could the research you read be fundamentally flawed? Could critical defects in methodology slip by you undetected? To become informed consumers of research, students need to thoughtfully evaluate the research they read rather than accept it without question. This second edition of a classic text gives students the tools they need to apply critical…

An Anesthesia Preinduction Checklist to Improve Information Exchange, Knowledge of Critical Information, Perception of Safety, and Possibly Perception of Teamwork in Anesthesia Teams.

PubMed

Tscholl, David W; Weiss, Mona; Kolbe, Michaela; Staender, Sven; Seifert, Burkhardt; Landert, Daniel; Grande, Bastian; Spahn, Donat R; Noethiger, Christoph B

2015-10-01

An anesthesia preinduction checklist (APIC) to be performed before anesthesia induction was introduced and evaluated with respect to 5 team-level outcomes, each being a surrogate end point for patient safety: information exchange (the percentage of checklist items exchanged by a team, out of 12 total items); knowledge of critical information (the percentage of critical information items out of 5 total items such as allergies, reported as known by the members of a team); team members' perceptions of safety (the median scores given by the members of a team on a continuous rating scale); their perception of teamwork (the median scores given by the members of a team on a continuous rating scale); and clinical performance (the percentage of completed items out of 14 required tasks, e.g., suction device checked). A prospective interventional study comparing anesthesia teams using the APIC with a control group not using the APIC was performed using a multimethod design. Trained observers rated information exchange and clinical performance during on-site observations of anesthesia inductions. After the observations, each team member indicated the critical information items they knew and their perceptions of safety and teamwork. One hundred five teams using the APIC were compared with 100 teams not doing so. The medians of the team-level outcome scores in the APIC group versus the control group were as follows: information exchange: 100% vs 33% (P < 0.001), knowledge of critical information: 100% vs 90% (P < 0.001), perception of safety: 91% vs 84% (P < 0.001), perception of teamwork: 90% vs 86% (P = 0.028), and clinical performance: 93% vs 93% (P = 0.60). This study provides empirical evidence that the use of a preinduction checklist significantly improves information exchange, knowledge of critical information, and perception of safety in anesthesia teams-all parameters contributing to patient safety. There was a trend indicating improved perception of teamwork.

An evaluation of general practice websites in the UK.

PubMed

Howitt, Alistair; Clement, Sarah; de Lusignan, Simon; Thiru, Krish; Goodwin, Daryl; Wells, Sally

2002-10-01

General practice websites are an emerging phenomenon, but there have been few critical evaluations of their content. Previously developed rating instruments to assess medical websites have been criticized for failing to report their reliability and validity. The purpose of this study was to develop a rating instrument for assessing UK general practice websites, and then to evaluate them critically. The STaRNet Website Assessment Tool (SWAT) was developed listing criteria that general practice websites may meet, which was then used to evaluate a random sample of websites drawn from an electronic database. A second assessor rated a subsample of the sites to assess the tool's inter-rater reliability. The setting was an information technology group of a general practice research network using a random sample of 108 websites identified from the database. The main outcome measures were identification of rating criteria and frequency counts from the website rating instrument. Ninety (93.3%) sites were accessible, of which 84 were UK general practice websites. Criteria most frequently met were those describing the scope of the website and their functionality. Apart from e-mail to practices, criteria related to electronic communication were rarely met. Criteria relating to the quality of information were least often met. Inter-rater reliability kappa values for the items in the tool ranged from -0.06 to 1.0 (mean 0.59). Values were >0.6 for 15 out of 25 criteria assessed in 40 sites which were rated by two assessors. General practice websites offer a wide range of information. They are technically satisfactory, but do not exploit fully the potential for electronic doctor-patient communication. The quality of information they provide is poor. The instrument may be developed as a template for general practices producing or revising their own websites.

Semantic integration of differently asynchronous audio-visual information in videos of real-world events in cognitive processing: an ERP study.

PubMed

Liu, Baolin; Wu, Guangning; Wang, Zhongning; Ji, Xiang

2011-07-01

In the real world, some of the auditory and visual information received by the human brain are temporally asynchronous. How is such information integrated in cognitive processing in the brain? In this paper, we aimed to study the semantic integration of differently asynchronous audio-visual information in cognitive processing using ERP (event-related potential) method. Subjects were presented with videos of real world events, in which the auditory and visual information are temporally asynchronous. When the critical action was prior to the sound, sounds incongruous with the preceding critical actions elicited a N400 effect when compared to congruous condition. This result demonstrates that semantic contextual integration indexed by N400 also applies to cognitive processing of multisensory information. In addition, the N400 effect is early in latency when contrasted with other visually induced N400 studies. It is shown that cross modal information is facilitated in time when contrasted with visual information in isolation. When the sound was prior to the critical action, a larger late positive wave was observed under the incongruous condition compared to congruous condition. P600 might represent a reanalysis process, in which the mismatch between the critical action and the preceding sound was evaluated. It is shown that environmental sound may affect the cognitive processing of a visual event. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Body Composition: Why and How?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Evaluation of human body composition in vivo remains a critical component in the assessment of nutritional status of an individual.Whereas traditional measurements of standing height and body weight provide information on body mass index and, hence, the risk of some chronic diseases, advanced techno...

Developing Statistical Literacy in the Final School Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Budgett, Stephanie; Rose, Drusilla

2017-01-01

Statistical information pervades everyday life in the twenty-first century. Research shows, however, that the skills needed to be able to understand and critically evaluate statistical information must be specifically taught. In 2013, an externally assessed National Certificate in Educational Achievement standard in statistical literacy was…

Semiotic Criteria for Evaluating Instructional HyperMedia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, Susan A.; Dempsey, John V.

This report describes hypermedia as a non-linear interlinked representation of textual, graphic, visual and audio material, that enables students to connect large bodies of information while developing analytical skills necessary to think critically about this information. It is noted that the use of microcomputers for hypermedia instruction…

Making Decisions with Data: Are We Environmentally Friendly?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, Lyn; Watson, Jane

2016-01-01

Statistical literacy is a vital component of numeracy. Students need to learn to critically evaluate and interpret statistical information if they are to become informed citizens. This article examines a Year 5 unit of work that uses the data collection and analysis cycle within a sustainability context.

Using critical evaluation to reappraise plausibility judgments: A critical cognitive component of conceptual change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lombardi, D.

2011-12-01

Plausibility judgments-although well represented in conceptual change theories (see, for example, Chi, 2005; diSessa, 1993; Dole & Sinatra, 1998; Posner et al., 1982)-have received little empirical attention until our recent work investigating teachers' and students' understanding of and perceptions about human-induced climate change (Lombardi & Sinatra, 2010, 2011). In our first study with undergraduate students, we found that greater plausibility perceptions of human-induced climate accounted for significantly greater understanding of weather and climate distinctions after instruction, even after accounting for students' prior knowledge (Lombardi & Sinatra, 2010). In a follow-up study with inservice science and preservice elementary teachers, we showed that anger about the topic of climate change and teaching about climate change was significantly related to implausible perceptions about human-induced climate change (Lombardi & Sinatra, 2011). Results from our recent studies helped to inform our development of a model of the role of plausibility judgments in conceptual change situations. The model applies to situations involving cognitive dissonance, where background knowledge conflicts with an incoming message. In such situations, we define plausibility as a judgment on the relative potential truthfulness of incoming information compared to one's existing mental representations (Rescher, 1976). Students may not consciously think when making plausibility judgments, expending only minimal mental effort in what is referred to as an automatic cognitive process (Stanovich, 2009). However, well-designed instruction could facilitate students' reappraisal of plausibility judgments in more effortful and conscious cognitive processing. Critical evaluation specifically may be one effective method to promote plausibility reappraisal in a classroom setting (Lombardi & Sinatra, in progress). In science education, critical evaluation involves the analysis of how evidentiary data support a hypothesis and its alternatives. The presentation will focus on how instruction promoting critical evaluation can encourage individuals to reappraise their plausibility judgments and initiate knowledge reconstruction. In a recent pilot study, teachers experienced an instructional scaffold promoting critical evaluation of two competing climate change theories (i.e., human-induced and increasing solar irradiance) and significantly changed both their plausibility judgments and perceptions of correctness toward the scientifically-accepted model of human-induced climate change. A comparison group of teachers who did not experience the critical evaluation activity showed no significant change. The implications of these studies for future research and instruction will be discussed in the presentation, including effective ways to increase students' and teachers' ability to be critically evaluative and reappraise their plausibility judgments. With controversial science issues, such as climate change, such abilities may be necessary to facilitate conceptual change.

Countermeasures (iRED, ARED CEVIS, MEC, TVIS, T2, Periodic Fitness Evaluation, BP-ECG, HRM). Critical Readiness Review Increment 23 and 24

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toder, Carly; Gipson, Iona; Conly, Danielle; Nieschwitz, Linda; Perk, Austin

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews attempts to counteract the effects of being in space. It includes information on the Resistive Exercise Device (RED), the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED), Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (CEVIS), Treadmill with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (TVIS) and periodic fitness evaluation with specific information on BP/ECG, heart rate monitor 2 and data distribution.

Nutritional status of endurance athletes: what is the available information?

PubMed

Nogueira, Júlia A D; Da Costa, Teresa H M

2005-03-01

Nutritional status is a critical determinant of athletic performance. We question whether currently available studies can give adequate information on nutritional status of endurance athletes. This paper is a critical review of articles published from 1989 to 2003 that investigate nutritional status of endurance athletes. The terms, "nutrition", "diet", or "nutrient", were combined with "endurance athletes" to perform Medline and Pubmed electronic database searches. Two inclusion criteria were considered: (a) study subjects should be adults and (b) articles should report gender-specific values for total energy expenditure and intake of energy, macro and micronutrient from food. Only seven studies fulfilled inclusion criteria. In general, the conclusions of these studies are that endurance athletes have negative energy balance, low intake of carbohydrate, adequate to high intake of protein, and high intake of fat. A critical discussion of the articles' data on vitamins, minerals and trace elements adequacy is conducted using insights and methodology proposed by the newly published assessment and interpretation of Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). The studies evaluated give an inappropriate evaluation of the prevalence of adequacy/inadequacy of micronutrient intake among endurance athletes. In this work we indicate potential limitations of existing nutritional data, which reflects the misconceptions found in published literature on nutritional group evaluation. This review stresses the need for a comprehensive and well-conducted nutrition assessment planning to fulfill the existing gap in reliable information about micronutrient adequacy of endurance athletes.

A multidimensional evaluation of a nursing information-literacy program.

PubMed Central

Fox, L M; Richter, J M; White, N E

1996-01-01

The goal of an information-literacy program is to develop student skills in locating, evaluating, and applying information for use in critical thinking and problem solving. This paper describes a multidimensional evaluation process for determining nursing students' growth in cognitive and affective domains. Results indicate improvement in student skills as a result of a nursing information-literacy program. Multidimensional evaluation produces a well-rounded picture of student progress based on formal measurement as well as informal feedback. Developing new educational programs can be a time-consuming challenge. It is important, when expending so much effort, to ensure that the goals of the new program are achieved and benefits to students demonstrated. A multidimensional approach to evaluation can help to accomplish those ends. In 1988, The University of Northern Colorado School of Nursing began working with a librarian to integrate an information-literacy component, entitled Pathways to Information Literacy, into the curriculum. This article describes the program and discusses how a multidimensional evaluation process was used to assess program effectiveness. The evaluation process not only helped to measure the effectiveness of the program but also allowed the instructors to use several different approaches to evaluation. PMID:8826621

Affordances of students' using the World Wide Web as a publishing medium in project-based learning environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bos, Nathan Daniel

This dissertation investigates the emerging affordance of the World Wide Web as a place for high school students to become authors and publishers of information. Two empirical studies lay groundwork for student publishing by examining learning issues related to audience adaptation in writing, motivation and engagement with hypermedia, design, problem-solving, and critical evaluation. Two models of student publishing on the World Wide Web were investigated over the course of two 11spth grade project-based science curriculums. In the first curricular model, students worked in pairs to design informative hypermedia projects about infectious diseases that were published on the Web. Four case studies were written, drawing on both product- and process-related data sources. Four theoretically important findings are illustrated through these cases: (1) multimedia, especially graphics, seemed to catalyze some students' design processes by affecting the sequence of their design process and by providing a connection between the science content and their personal interest areas, (2) hypermedia design can demand high levels of analysis and synthesis of science content, (3) students can learn to think about science content representation through engagement with challenging design tasks, and (4) students' consideration of an outside audience can be facilitated by teacher-given design principles. The second Web-publishing model examines how students critically evaluate scientific resources on the Web, and how students can contribute to the Web's organization and usability by publishing critical reviews. Students critically evaluated Web resources using a four-part scheme: summarization of content, content, evaluation of credibility, evaluation of organizational structure, and evaluation of appearance. Content analyses comparing students' reviews and reviewed Web documents showed that students were proficient at summarizing content of Web documents, identifying their publishing source, and evaluating their organizational features; however, students struggled to identify scientific evidence, bias, or sophisticated use of media in Web pages. Shortcomings were shown to be partly due to deficiencies in the Web pages themselves and partly due to students' inexperience with the medium or lack of critical evaluation skills. Future directions of this idea are discussed, including discussion of how students' reviews have been integrated into a current digital library development project.

Relevance Judging, Evaluation, and Decision Making in Virtual Libraries: A Descriptive Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Mary Ann; Galloway, Chad

2001-01-01

Describes a study that investigated the cognitive processes undergraduates used to select information while using a virtual library, GALILEO (Georgia Library Learning Online). Discusses higher order thinking processes, relevance judging, evaluation (critical thinking), decision making, reasoning involving documents, relevance-related reasoning,…

Recreational Water Contact and Fish Consumption Assessment to Inform Risk Estimates and Evaluate Ecosystem Services

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Surface waters provide invaluable ecosystem services, including drinking water, food, waste water disposal, and recreation. The nature and frequency of recreational contact with surface waters is a critical consideration in evaluating benefits to human well-being (e.g...

Gauge Impact with 5 Levels of Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guskey, Thomas R.

2016-01-01

Effective professional learning evaluation requires consideration of five critical stages or levels of information. These five levels, which are presented in this article, represent an adaptation of an evaluation model developed by Kirkpatrick (1959, 1998) for judging the value of supervisory training programs in business and industry.…

Using Debates to Teach Information Ethics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peace, A. Graham

2011-01-01

This experience report details the use of debates in a course on Information Ethics. Formal debates have been used in academia for centuries and create an environment in which students must think critically, communicate well and, above all, synthesize and evaluate the relevant classroom material. They also provide a break from the standard…

Information Literacy for First-Year Students: An Embedded Curriculum Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, T.; Patil, R.

2007-01-01

The ability to access, evaluate and synthesise high-quality research material is the backbone of critical thinking in academic and professional contexts for Engineers and Industrial Designers. This is the premise upon which teaching and library staff developed Information Literacy (IL) components in Engineering & Industrial Design Practice--a…

Habituation Is Not Enough: Novelty Preferences, Search, and Memory in Infancy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sophian, Catherine

1980-01-01

Critically evaluates habituation and related models for studying infant memory, focusing on methodological and substantive limitations which restrict the derivation of information from them. The essay considers existing research on the development of object permanence as an alternative source of information about infant memory. (Author/DB)

State-by-State Analysis of High School Feedback Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Data Quality Campaign, 2013

2013-01-01

The best information to help stakeholders evaluate and strengthen their efforts to improve students' college and career readiness is actual information about students' success beyond high school, such as enrollment, remediation, degree and certification completion, and employment outcomes. States have a critical role to plan in providing…

Psychosocial outcomes in informal caregivers of the critically ill: a systematic review.

PubMed

Haines, Kimberley J; Denehy, Linda; Skinner, Elizabeth H; Warrillow, Stephen; Berney, Sue

2015-05-01

The objective of the review was to evaluate and synthesize the prevalence, risk factors, and trajectory of psychosocial morbidity in informal caregivers of critical care survivors. A systematic search of MEDLINE, PsychInfo, PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Scopus, PILOTS, EMBASE, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database was undertaken between January and February 2014. Citations were screened independently by two reviewers for studies that investigated psychosocial outcomes (depression, anxiety, stress, posttraumatic stress disorder, burden, activity restriction, and health-related quality of life) for informal caregivers of critical care survivors (mechanically ventilated for 48 hr or more). Data on study outcomes were extracted into a standardized form and quality assessed by two independent reviewers using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, the Physiotherapy Evidence Database, and the National Health and Medical Research Council Hierarchy of Evidence guide. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews guidelines were followed. Fourteen studies of 1,491 caregivers were included. Depressive symptoms were the most commonly reported outcome with a prevalence of 75.5% during critical care and 22.8-29% at 1-year follow-up. Risk factors for depressive symptoms in caregivers included female gender and younger age. The greatest period of risk for all outcomes was during the patient's critical care admission although psychological symptoms improved over time. The overall quality of the studies was low. Depressive symptoms were the most prevalent in informal caregivers of survivors of intensive care who were ventilated for more than 48 hours and persist at 1 year with a prevalence of 22.8-29.0%, which is comparable with caregivers of patients with dementia. Screening for caregiver risks could be performed during the ICU admission where intervention can be implemented and then evaluated. Further high-quality studies are needed to quantify anxiety, stress, caregiver burden, and posttraumatic stress disorder outcomes in informal caregivers of long-stay patients surviving ICU.

Improving patient information leaflets: developing and applying an evaluative model of patient-centredness for text.

PubMed

Fage-Butler, Antoinette

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present an evaluative model of patient-centredness for text and to illustrate how this can be applied to patient information leaflets (PILs) that accompany medication in the European Union. Patients have criticized PILs for sidelining their experiences, knowledge and affective needs, and denying their individuality. The health communication paradigm of patient-centredness provides valuable purchase on these issues, taking its starting point in the dignity and integrity of the patient as a person. Employing this evaluative model involves two stages. First, a Foucauldian Discourse Analysis is performed of sender and receiver and of the main discourses in PILs. These aspects are then evaluated using the perspectives of patient-centredness theory relating to the medical practitioner, patient and content. The evaluative model is illustrated via a PIL for medication for depression and panic attacks. Evaluation reveals a preponderance of biomedical statements, with a cluster of patient-centred statements primarily relating to the construction of the patient. The paper contributes a new method and evaluative approach to PIL and qualitative health research, as well as outlining a method that facilitates the investigation of interdiscursivity, a recent focus of critical genre analysis.

Teaching Critical Thinking in Undergraduate Science Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hager, Paul; Sleet, Ray; Logan, Peter; Hooper, Mal

This paper reports on the design and evaluation of a project aimed at fostering the critical thinking abilities and dispositions of first year students at an Australian university. Novel paper and pencil problems were designed to foster the range of critical thinking abilities identified by Ennis (1991). Most of these critical thinking tasks relate to applications of chemistry and physics in everyday life. Some of the tasks were developed from information and/or ideas obtained from critical incident interviews with scientists in private and government organisations. The first year university students were required to attempt the tasks in co-operative groups and to interact in these groups in ways aimed at fostering the dispositions of Ennis' ideal critical thinker (Ennis 1996).The project was evaluated from discussions with groups of students, from comments of tutors who observed the students working in groups and from a questionnaire. Evidence obtained from these data indicated that many students considered their thinking skills were enhanced by their experience of attempting the tasks in small co-operative groups.

Examining patterns of change in the critical thinking skills of graduate nursing students.

PubMed

McMullen, Maureen A; McMullen, William F

2009-06-01

Although critical thinking in undergraduate nursing education has been explored in depth, little is known about the critical thinking skills of graduate nursing students. Prior research on change in critical thinking scores is based primarily on pretest and posttest assessments that provide minimal information about change. This study used individual growth modeling to investigate how critical thinking skills change during a 2-year graduate nurse program. Scores from the evaluation, inference, and analysis subscales of the California Critical Thinking Skills Test comprised the empirical growth record. Change in the three critical thinking skills was more dynamic than that reported in previous studies. Patterns of change differed by critical thinking skill and in relation to students' initial critical thinking skill levels at program entry.

A Conceptual Framework for Best Practices in Information Literacy Instruction Based on Stakeholders' Perceptions: A Case Study of Four Vietnamese Academic Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diep, Kim Chi

2011-01-01

Information Literacy (IL) competencies are defined as "the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively" and are considered essential for students in their academic lives and future careers (ALA, 1989). IL plays an important role in developing critical thinking and problem solving skills, and improving academic…

Improving Information Literacy Skills through Learning to Use and Edit Wikipedia: A Chemistry Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Martin A.; Li, Ye

2016-01-01

Our students rely on Wikipedia on their mobile devices or laptops, since it is an extremely rich and broad resource. This article overviews the Chemistry content on Wikipedia and how students can learn to use it effectively as an information resource, critically evaluating content, and learning key information literacy skills. We also discuss how…

Incorporation of Cross-Disciplinary Teaching and a Wiki Research Project to Engage Undergraduate Students' to Develop Information Literacy, Critical Thinking, and Communication Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crist, Courtney A.; Duncan, Susan E.; Bianchi, Laurie M.

2017-01-01

A Wiki research project was created in the Functional Foods for Health (FST/HNFE 2544) as an instructional tool and assignment for improving undergraduate students' proficiency in evaluating appropriate information sources for rapidly evolving science and research. The project design targeted improving students' information literacy skills…

Data communication network at the ASRM facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moorhead, Robert J., II; Smith, Wayne D.; Nirgudkar, Ravi; Zhu, Zhifan; Robinson, Walter

1993-01-01

The main objective of the report is to present the overall communication network structure for the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) facility being built at Yellow Creek near Iuka, Mississippi. This report is compiled using information received from NASA/MSFC, LMSC, AAD, and RUST Inc. As per the information gathered, the overall network structure will have one logical FDDI ring acting as a backbone for the whole complex. The buildings will be grouped into two categories viz. manufacturing critical and manufacturing non-critical. The manufacturing critical buildings will be connected via FDDI to the Operational Information System (OIS) in the main computing center in B 1000. The manufacturing non-critical buildings will be connected by 10BASE-FL to the Business Information System (BIS) in the main computing center. The workcells will be connected to the Area Supervisory Computers (ASCs) through the nearest manufacturing critical hub and one of the OIS hubs. The network structure described in this report will be the basis for simulations to be carried out next year. The Comdisco's Block Oriented Network Simulator (BONeS) will be used for the network simulation. The main aim of the simulations will be to evaluate the loading of the OIS, the BIS, the ASCs, and the network links by the traffic generated by the workstations and workcells throughout the site.

Data communication network at the ASRM facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moorhead, Robert J., II; Smith, Wayne D.; Nirgudkar, Ravi; Zhu, Zhifan; Robinson, Walter

1993-02-01

The main objective of the report is to present the overall communication network structure for the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) facility being built at Yellow Creek near Iuka, Mississippi. This report is compiled using information received from NASA/MSFC, LMSC, AAD, and RUST Inc. As per the information gathered, the overall network structure will have one logical FDDI ring acting as a backbone for the whole complex. The buildings will be grouped into two categories viz. manufacturing critical and manufacturing non-critical. The manufacturing critical buildings will be connected via FDDI to the Operational Information System (OIS) in the main computing center in B 1000. The manufacturing non-critical buildings will be connected by 10BASE-FL to the Business Information System (BIS) in the main computing center. The workcells will be connected to the Area Supervisory Computers (ASCs) through the nearest manufacturing critical hub and one of the OIS hubs. The network structure described in this report will be the basis for simulations to be carried out next year. The Comdisco's Block Oriented Network Simulator (BONeS) will be used for the network simulation. The main aim of the simulations will be to evaluate the loading of the OIS, the BIS, the ASCs, and the network links by the traffic generated by the workstations and workcells throughout the site.

Science students' critical examination of scientific information related to socioscientific issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dankert Kolstø, Stein; Bungum, Berit; Arnesen, Erik; Isnes, Anders; Kristensen, Terje; Mathiassen, Ketil; Mestad, Idar; Quale, Andreas; Sissel Vedvik Tonning, Anne; Ulvik, Marit

2006-07-01

It is widely accepted that to be scientifically literate one needs to have the ability to make thoughtful decisions about socioscientific issues (SSI). This includes critical assessment of scientific claims and arguments involved. In this study we asked 89 science education students with substantial academic qualifications in science, working in groups of two and three, to assess the reliability of scientific claims in an article of their own choice, but related to a socioscientific issue, and to present their evaluation in a short text. In analyzing the students' texts, we focused on the criteria they had explicitly and implicitly used in their evaluations. Through a qualitative analysis, we identified 13 different criteria focusing on empirical and theoretical adequacy, completeness of presented information, social aspects, and manipulative strategies. An inspection of the students' evaluations revealed that they drew upon knowledge of possible institutional interests, different signs of competence and an appreciation of concurrent expert views, but also methodological norms in science, specialized content knowledge, and an appreciation of evidence and disclosure of sources. The number of criteria used and the quality of their application varied, indicating that critical examination of texts with a science dimension needs to be emphasized in science teacher education.

Teaching critical thinking in a developmental biology course at an American liberal arts college.

PubMed

Adams, Dany S

2003-01-01

We all expect our students to learn facts and concepts, but more importantly, we want them to learn how to evaluate new information from an educated and skeptical perspective; that is, we want them to become critical thinkers. For many of us who are scientists and teachers, critical thought is either intuitive or we learned it so long ago that it is not at all obvious how to pass on the skills to our students. Explicitly discussing the logic that underlies the experimental basis of developmental biology is an easy and very successful way to teach critical thinking skills. Here, I describe some simple changes to a lecture course that turn the practice of critical thinking into the centerpiece of the learning process. My starting point is the "Evidence and Antibodies" sidelight in Gilbert's Developmental Biology (2000), which I use as an introduction to the ideas of correlation, necessity and sufficiency, and to the kinds of experiments required to gather each type of evidence: observation ("show it"), loss of function ("block it") and gain of function ("move it"). Thereafter, every experiment can be understood quickly by the class and discussed intelligently with a common vocabulary. Both verbal and written reinforcement of these ideas dramatically improve the students' ability to evaluate new information. In particular, they are able to evaluate claims about cause and effect; they become experts at distinguishing between correlation and causation. Because the intellectual techniques are so powerful and the logic so satisfying, the students come to view the critical assessment of knowledge as a fun puzzle and the rigorous thinking behind formulating a question as an exciting challenge.

Critical Evaluation of Animal Alternative Tests for the Identification of Endocrine Active Substances

EPA Science Inventory

A significant amount of research is currently targeted to evaluate alternative test methods that may reduce, refine, or replace the use of animals, while ensuring human and environmental health and safety. It is important that the information gained from the alternative tests pr...

A Systematic Evaluation of Analogs for the Read-across Prediction of Estrogenicity (Future Tox III)

EPA Science Inventory

Read-across is a data gap filling technique which is commonly used within category and analog approaches to predict a biological property for a target data-poor chemical using known information from similar (analog) chemical(s). Analog identification and evaluation are critical ...

Teaching and Un-Teaching Source Evaluation: Questioning Authority in Information Literacy Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angell, Katelyn; Tewell, Eamon

2017-01-01

This study details the design of library instruction sessions for undergraduate students that intended to encourage critical source evaluation and the questioning of established authorities, and appraises these instructional aims through a thematic analysis of 148 artifacts containing student responses to group and individual activities. The…

Primary health-care nurses and Internet health information-seeking: Access, barriers and quality checks.

PubMed

Gilmour, Jean; Strong, Alison; Chan, Helen; Hanna, Sue; Huntington, Annette

2016-02-01

Online information is a critical resource for evidence-based practice and patient education. This study aimed to establish New Zealand nurses' access and evaluation of online health information in the primary care context using a postal questionnaire survey; there were 630 respondents from a random sample of 931 nurses. The majority of respondents were satisfied with work access to online information (84.5%, n = 501) and searched for online information at least several times a week (57.5%, n = 343). The major barrier to online information seeking was insufficient time, but 68 respondents had no work online information access. The level of nursing qualification was significantly correlated with computer confidence and information quality checking. A range of information evaluation approaches was used. Most nurses in study accessed and evaluated Internet information in contrast to the findings of earlier studies, but there were barriers preventing universal integration into practice. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Participant-Directed Evaluation: Using Teachers' Own Inquiries to Evaluate Professional Development in Technology Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ham, Vince

2010-01-01

Considering the high levels of time and money invested in teacher professional development programmes in information technologies over recent decades, questions arise as to how effective these programmes have been and by whose lights we are to judge. Based on a critical review of the evaluations of several of our own action-research-based…

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

PubMed

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

2001-04-01

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

Engelond: A Model for Faculty-Librarian Collaboration in the Information Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walter, Scott

2000-01-01

Reports on the success of a pilot program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City library in course-integrated information literacy instruction in the field of medieval studies that stresses critical thinking skills to properly evaluate Web sites. Discusses faculty-librarian collaboration and future collaboration possibilities. (Contains 13…

Informal Numeracy Skills: The Structure and Relations among Numbering, Relations, and Arithmetic Operations in Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purpura, David J.; Lonigan, Christopher J.

2013-01-01

Validating the structure of informal numeracy skills is critical to understanding the developmental trajectories of mathematics skills at early ages; however, little research has been devoted to construct evaluation of the Numbering, Relations, and Arithmetic Operations domains. This study was designed to address this knowledge gap by examining…

I Read it on the Computer, It Must Be True--Evaluating Information from the Web.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcovitz, David M.

1997-01-01

Presents a lesson plan that exposes students to a variety of information sources on the World Wide Web to teach them to begin to be critical consumers of information. Students are divided into groups and given Web addresses for an organization with a strong view on Nazism. Discusses alternate and follow-up lessons and student reactions. Lists Web…

Discovering Columbus: Rereading the Past.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bigelow, Bill

1989-01-01

Presents a series of lessons for a U.S. history class on Christopher Columbus's "discovery" of America. Notes that this approach teaches students to evaluate critically the historical information presented in their textbooks. (MM)

Moral judgment as information processing: an integrative review.

PubMed

Guglielmo, Steve

2015-01-01

How do humans make moral judgments about others' behavior? This article reviews dominant models of moral judgment, organizing them within an overarching framework of information processing. This framework poses two distinct questions: (1) What input information guides moral judgments? and (2) What psychological processes generate these judgments? Information Models address the first question, identifying critical information elements (including causality, intentionality, and mental states) that shape moral judgments. A subclass of Biased Information Models holds that perceptions of these information elements are themselves driven by prior moral judgments. Processing Models address the second question, and existing models have focused on the relative contribution of intuitive versus deliberative processes. This review organizes existing moral judgment models within this framework and critically evaluates them on empirical and theoretical grounds; it then outlines a general integrative model grounded in information processing, and concludes with conceptual and methodological suggestions for future research. The information-processing framework provides a useful theoretical lens through which to organize extant and future work in the rapidly growing field of moral judgment.

Moral judgment as information processing: an integrative review

PubMed Central

Guglielmo, Steve

2015-01-01

How do humans make moral judgments about others’ behavior? This article reviews dominant models of moral judgment, organizing them within an overarching framework of information processing. This framework poses two distinct questions: (1) What input information guides moral judgments? and (2) What psychological processes generate these judgments? Information Models address the first question, identifying critical information elements (including causality, intentionality, and mental states) that shape moral judgments. A subclass of Biased Information Models holds that perceptions of these information elements are themselves driven by prior moral judgments. Processing Models address the second question, and existing models have focused on the relative contribution of intuitive versus deliberative processes. This review organizes existing moral judgment models within this framework and critically evaluates them on empirical and theoretical grounds; it then outlines a general integrative model grounded in information processing, and concludes with conceptual and methodological suggestions for future research. The information-processing framework provides a useful theoretical lens through which to organize extant and future work in the rapidly growing field of moral judgment. PMID:26579022

Automatically identifying health outcome information in MEDLINE records.

PubMed

Demner-Fushman, Dina; Few, Barbara; Hauser, Susan E; Thoma, George

2006-01-01

Understanding the effect of a given intervention on the patient's health outcome is one of the key elements in providing optimal patient care. This study presents a methodology for automatic identification of outcomes-related information in medical text and evaluates its potential in satisfying clinical information needs related to health care outcomes. An annotation scheme based on an evidence-based medicine model for critical appraisal of evidence was developed and used to annotate 633 MEDLINE citations. Textual, structural, and meta-information features essential to outcome identification were learned from the created collection and used to develop an automatic system. Accuracy of automatic outcome identification was assessed in an intrinsic evaluation and in an extrinsic evaluation, in which ranking of MEDLINE search results obtained using PubMed Clinical Queries relied on identified outcome statements. The accuracy and positive predictive value of outcome identification were calculated. Effectiveness of the outcome-based ranking was measured using mean average precision and precision at rank 10. Automatic outcome identification achieved 88% to 93% accuracy. The positive predictive value of individual sentences identified as outcomes ranged from 30% to 37%. Outcome-based ranking improved retrieval accuracy, tripling mean average precision and achieving 389% improvement in precision at rank 10. Preliminary results in outcome-based document ranking show potential validity of the evidence-based medicine-model approach in timely delivery of information critical to clinical decision support at the point of service.

Defining the Outcomes of Teacher Education: What's Social Justice Got to Do with It?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochran-Smith, Marilyn

2004-01-01

In the context of escalating criticism of university-based teacher education across the world, a clear need exists for informed defence of the field and the profession as well as critical evaluation of both teacher education and schooling. This paper takes up the issue of the 'outcomes question' in this regard, arguing the case for a strong focus…

Translational Cognition for Decision Support in Critical Care Environments: A Review

PubMed Central

Patel, Vimla L.; Zhang, Jiajie; Yoskowitz, Nicole A.; Green, Robert; Sayan, Osman R.

2008-01-01

The dynamic and distributed work environment in critical care requires a high level of collaboration among clinical team members and a sophisticated task coordination system to deliver safe, timely and effective care. A complex cognitive system underlies the decision-making process in such cooperative workplaces. This methodological review paper addresses the issues of translating cognitive research to clinical practice with a specific focus on decision-making in critical care, and the role of information and communication technology to aid in such decisions. Examples are drawn from studies of critical care in our own research laboratories. Critical care, in this paper, includes both intensive (inpatient) and emergency (outpatient) care. We define translational cognition as the research on basic and applied cognitive issues that contribute to our understanding of how information is stored, retrieved and used for problem-solving and decision-making. The methods and findings are discussed in the context of constraints on decision-making in real world complex environments and implications for supporting the design and evaluation of decision support tools for critical care health providers. PMID:18343731

Translational cognition for decision support in critical care environments: a review.

PubMed

Patel, Vimla L; Zhang, Jiajie; Yoskowitz, Nicole A; Green, Robert; Sayan, Osman R

2008-06-01

The dynamic and distributed work environment in critical care requires a high level of collaboration among clinical team members and a sophisticated task coordination system to deliver safe, timely and effective care. A complex cognitive system underlies the decision-making process in such cooperative workplaces. This methodological review paper addresses the issues of translating cognitive research to clinical practice with a specific focus on decision-making in critical care, and the role of information and communication technology to aid in such decisions. Examples are drawn from studies of critical care in our own research laboratories. Critical care, in this paper, includes both intensive (inpatient) and emergency (outpatient) care. We define translational cognition as the research on basic and applied cognitive issues that contribute to our understanding of how information is stored, retrieved and used for problem-solving and decision-making. The methods and findings are discussed in the context of constraints on decision-making in real-world complex environments and implications for supporting the design and evaluation of decision support tools for critical care health providers.

Increasing the Career Choice Readiness of Young Adolescents: An Evaluation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirschi, Andreas; Lage, Damian

2008-01-01

A career workshop that applies models of the Cognitive Information Processing Approach (Sampson, Reardon, Peterson, & Lenz, 2004) and incorporates critical ingredients (Brown and Ryan Krane, 2000) to promote the career choice readiness of young adolescents was developed and evaluated with 334 Swiss students in seventh grade applying a Solomon…

WebCHECK: The Website Evaluation Instrument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Small, Ruth V.; Arnone, Marilyn P.

2014-01-01

Just as with print resources, as the number of Web-based resources continues to soar, the need to evaluate them has become a critical information skill for both children and adults. This is particularly true for schools where librarians often are called on to recommend Web resources to classroom teachers, parents, and students, and to support…

Non-Science Majors' Critical Evaluation of Websites in a Biotechnology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halverson, Kristy L.; Siegel, Marcelle A.; Freyermuth, Sharyn K.

2010-01-01

Helping students develop criteria for judgment and apply examination skills is essential for promoting scientific literacy. With the increasing availability of the Internet, it is even more essential that students learn how to evaluate the science they gather from online resources. This is particularly true because publishing information on the…

76 FR 63308 - Data and Data Needs To Advance Risk Assessment for Emerging Infectious Diseases Relevant to Blood...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-12

... Biologics Evaluation and Research (HFM-210), Food and Drug Administration, 1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 200N... Person) at least 7 days in advance. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Quantitative risk assessments (QRAs) are... and maintaining critical relationships both within the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research...

How do we improve peer review for manuscripts from culturally divergent origins?

PubMed Central

Dart, Anthony

2015-01-01

Objective and informed peer review is critically important to the progress of science. These standards can sometimes be at risk in the evaluation of manuscripts from less culturally familiar places and such evaluations therefore require particular vigilance. Alternative publication strategies may be particularly helpful in these circumstances. PMID:26097688

How do we improve peer review for manuscripts from culturally divergent origins?

PubMed

Dart, Anthony

2015-01-01

Objective and informed peer review is critically important to the progress of science. These standards can sometimes be at risk in the evaluation of manuscripts from less culturally familiar places and such evaluations therefore require particular vigilance. Alternative publication strategies may be particularly helpful in these circumstances.

Habitat Features Affecting Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu Nesting Success in Four Northern Wisconsin Lakes

Treesearch

Rory Saunders; Michael A. Bozek; Clayton J. Edwards; Martin J. Jennings; Steven P. Newman

2002-01-01

Evaluating spawning success in relation to habitat characteristics of nests sites provides critical information necessary to assess the effects riparian and littoral zone habitat alterations have on smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu survival and recruitment. The objective of this study was to quantitatively evaluate smallmouth bass nest site...

Evaluating Cultures: The Instrumentalism, Pluralist Perfectionism, and Particularism of John Gray

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Matthew Thomas

2012-01-01

In this article, Matthew Johnson examines the possibility of using elements of John Gray's work to advance a means of evaluating cultures, in order to inform the development of pluralist perfectionist forms of public policy and, in particular, educational programs. Johnson engages critically with elements of Gray's value pluralism, such as his…

Examining Adolescents' Strategic Processing during Online Reading with a Question-Generating Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Byeong-Young; Woodward, Lindsay; Li, Dan; Barlow, Wendy

2017-01-01

Forty-three high school students participated in an online reading task to generate a critical question on a controversial topic. Participants' concurrent verbal reports of strategy use (i.e., information location, meaning making, source evaluation, self-monitoring) and their reading outcome (i.e., the generated question) were evaluated with…

Benchmark Evaluation of Start-Up and Zero-Power Measurements at the High-Temperature Engineering Test Reactor

DOE PAGES

Bess, John D.; Fujimoto, Nozomu

2014-10-09

Benchmark models were developed to evaluate six cold-critical and two warm-critical, zero-power measurements of the HTTR. Additional measurements of a fully-loaded subcritical configuration, core excess reactivity, shutdown margins, six isothermal temperature coefficients, and axial reaction-rate distributions were also evaluated as acceptable benchmark experiments. Insufficient information is publicly available to develop finely-detailed models of the HTTR as much of the design information is still proprietary. However, the uncertainties in the benchmark models are judged to be of sufficient magnitude to encompass any biases and bias uncertainties incurred through the simplification process used to develop the benchmark models. Dominant uncertainties in themore » experimental keff for all core configurations come from uncertainties in the impurity content of the various graphite blocks that comprise the HTTR. Monte Carlo calculations of keff are between approximately 0.9 % and 2.7 % greater than the benchmark values. Reevaluation of the HTTR models as additional information becomes available could improve the quality of this benchmark and possibly reduce the computational biases. High-quality characterization of graphite impurities would significantly improve the quality of the HTTR benchmark assessment. Simulation of the other reactor physics measurements are in good agreement with the benchmark experiment values. The complete benchmark evaluation details are available in the 2014 edition of the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments.« less

Designing Courses that Encourage Post-College Scientific Literacy in General Education Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horodyskyj, L.

2010-12-01

In a time when domestic and foreign policy is becoming increasingly dependent on a robust understanding of scientific concepts (especially in regards to climate science), it is of vital importance that non-specialist students taking geoscience courses gain an understanding not only of Earth system processes, but also of how to discern scientific information from "spin". An experimental introductory level environmental geology course was developed at the Glendale Community College in Glendale, Arizona, in the fall of 2010 that sought to integrate collaborative learning, online resources, and science in the media. The goal of this course was for students to end the semester with not just an understanding of basic Earth systems concepts, but also with a set of tools for evaluating information presented by the media. This was accomplished by integrating several online sites that interface scientific data with popular web tools (ie, Google Maps) and collaborative exercises that required students to generate ideas based on their observations followed by evaluation and refinement of these ideas through interactions with peers and the instructor. The capstone activity included a series of homework assignments that required students to make note of science-related news stories in the media early in the semester, and then gradually begin critically evaluating these news sources, which will become their primary source of post-college geoscience information. This combination of activities will benefit students long after the semester has ended by giving them access to primary sources of scientific information, encouraging them to discuss and evaluate their ideas with their peers, and, most importantly, to critically evaluate the information they receive from the media and their peers so that they can become more scientifically literate citizens.

Black hole complementarity in gravity's rainbow

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

Gim, Yongwan; Kim, Wontae, E-mail: yongwan89@sogang.ac.kr, E-mail: wtkim@sogang.ac.kr

2015-05-01

To see how the gravity's rainbow works for black hole complementary, we evaluate the required energy for duplication of information in the context of black hole complementarity by calculating the critical value of the rainbow parameter in the certain class of the rainbow Schwarzschild black hole. The resultant energy can be written as the well-defined limit for the vanishing rainbow parameter which characterizes the deformation of the relativistic dispersion relation in the freely falling frame. It shows that the duplication of information in quantum mechanics could not be allowed below a certain critical value of the rainbow parameter; however, itmore » might be possible above the critical value of the rainbow parameter, so that the consistent formulation in our model requires additional constraints or any other resolutions for the latter case.« less

International comparisons in critical care: a necessity and challenge.

PubMed

Wunsch, Hannah; Rowan, Kathryn M; Angus, Derek C

2007-12-01

Understanding variation in critical care resources, and delivery of care between countries will allow for improved disaster planning, evaluation of research findings, and assessment of the utility of critical care itself. This review describes the available data for international comparisons and the many factors that need to be addressed for an appropriate interpretation of results. Recent studies on subgroups of critical care patients include data from many different countries. These new studies provide important information on the overall incidence of these disease states, but most of these international studies do not take into account the critical care resources of the countries being discussed. For an appropriate interpretation of findings the relevant baseline critical care resources, prevalence of diseases, and cultural practices, need to be quantified. The existence of these other factors prevents the use of a severity of illness scoring system alone to account for differences between countries. Many recent critical care studies include data from multiple countries. With continued movement towards international studies, and improvements in data collection systems, comparisons between countries are becoming easier. These findings need to be interpreted in the context of all the relevant country information.

Assessing Digital Information Literacy in Higher Education: A Review of Existing Frameworks and Assessments with Recommendations for Next-Generation Assessment. Research Report. ETS RR-16-32

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sparks, Jesse R.; Katz, Irvin R.; Beile, Penny M.

2016-01-01

Digital information literacy (DIL)--generally defined as the ability to obtain, understand, evaluate, and use information in a variety of digital technology contexts--is a critically important skill deemed necessary for success in higher education as well as in the global networked economy. To determine whether college graduates possess the…

Information System Design Methodology Based on PERT/CPM Networking and Optimization Techniques.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bose, Anindya

The dissertation attempts to demonstrate that the program evaluation and review technique (PERT)/Critical Path Method (CPM) or some modified version thereof can be developed into an information system design methodology. The methodology utilizes PERT/CPM which isolates the basic functional units of a system and sets them in a dynamic time/cost…

Teaching Geographical Information Systems in Geography Degrees: A Critical Reassessment of Vocationalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whyatt, Duncan; Clark, Gordon; Davies, Gemma

2011-01-01

Geographical information systems (GIS) are in tune with the current ethos of higher education because of their perceived vocational value. However, it is particularly difficult to teach GIS vocationally. This paper critiques the claim of vocationalism. The authors use an innovative method of evaluating a module that enlists its alumni to reflect…

Incorporating remotely sensed tree canopy cover data into broad scale assessments of wildlife habitat distribution and conservation

Treesearch

Sebastian Martinuzzi; Lee A. Vierling; William A. Gould; Kerri T. Vierling; Andrew T. Hudak

2009-01-01

Remote sensing provides critical information for broad scale assessments of wildlife habitat distribution and conservation. However, such efforts have been typically unable to incorporate information about vegetation structure, a variable important for explaining the distribution of many wildlife species. We evaluated the consequences of incorporating remotely sensed...

Extent, accuracy, and credibility of breastfeeding information on the Internet.

PubMed

Shaikh, Ulfat; Scott, Barbara J

2005-05-01

Our objective was to test and describe a model for evaluating Websites related to breastfeeding. Forty Websites most likely to be accessed by the public were evaluated for extent, accuracy, credibility, presentation, ease of use, and adherence to ethical and medical Internet publishing standards. Extent and accuracy of Website content were determined by a checklist of critical information. The majority of Websites reviewed provided accurate information and complied with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. Approximately half the Websites complied with standards of medical Internet publishing. While much information on breastfeeding on the Internet is accurate, there is wide variability in the extent of information, usability of Websites, and compliance with standards of medical Internet publishing. Results of this study may be helpful to health care professionals as a model for evaluating breastfeeding-related Websites and to highlight considerations when recommending or designing Websites.

A multi-method approach to evaluate health information systems.

PubMed

Yu, Ping

2010-01-01

Systematic evaluation of the introduction and impact of health information systems (HIS) is a challenging task. As the implementation is a dynamic process, with diverse issues emerge at various stages of system introduction, it is challenge to weigh the contribution of various factors and differentiate the critical ones. A conceptual framework will be helpful in guiding the evaluation effort; otherwise data collection may not be comprehensive and accurate. This may again lead to inadequate interpretation of the phenomena under study. Based on comprehensive literature research and own practice of evaluating health information systems, the author proposes a multimethod approach that incorporates both quantitative and qualitative measurement and centered around DeLone and McLean Information System Success Model. This approach aims to quantify the performance of HIS and its impact, and provide comprehensive and accurate explanations about the casual relationships of the different factors. This approach will provide decision makers with accurate and actionable information for improving the performance of the introduced HIS.

Incorporation of perception-based information in robot learning using fuzzy reinforcement learning agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Changjiu; Meng, Qingchun; Guo, Zhongwen; Qu, Wiefen; Yin, Bo

2002-04-01

Robot learning in unstructured environments has been proved to be an extremely challenging problem, mainly because of many uncertainties always present in the real world. Human beings, on the other hand, seem to cope very well with uncertain and unpredictable environments, often relying on perception-based information. Furthermore, humans beings can also utilize perceptions to guide their learning on those parts of the perception-action space that are actually relevant to the task. Therefore, we conduct a research aimed at improving robot learning through the incorporation of both perception-based and measurement-based information. For this reason, a fuzzy reinforcement learning (FRL) agent is proposed in this paper. Based on a neural-fuzzy architecture, different kinds of information can be incorporated into the FRL agent to initialise its action network, critic network and evaluation feedback module so as to accelerate its learning. By making use of the global optimisation capability of GAs (genetic algorithms), a GA-based FRL (GAFRL) agent is presented to solve the local minima problem in traditional actor-critic reinforcement learning. On the other hand, with the prediction capability of the critic network, GAs can perform a more effective global search. Different GAFRL agents are constructed and verified by using the simulation model of a physical biped robot. The simulation analysis shows that the biped learning rate for dynamic balance can be improved by incorporating perception-based information on biped balancing and walking evaluation. The biped robot can find its application in ocean exploration, detection or sea rescue activity, as well as military maritime activity.

Evaluating the effects of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans on consumer behavior and health: methodological challenges.

PubMed

Guthrie, Joanne F; Smallwood, David M

2003-12-01

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans is the official nutrition policy statement for the United States. Government involvement in providing information on private behavior, such as food choice, is justified by the high cost of poor diets, as measured in medical expenses and lost productivity. The Guidelines are intended to provide an up-to-date, consistent information base for federal nutrition education and information efforts and food assistance program regulations. Through these policy mechanisms, the Guidelines are assumed to improve dietary behavior, and, ultimately, health. By law, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans must be updated every five years; however, there is no mandate for evaluation. Evaluation could provide useful information to assess the extent to which the Guidelines positively influence health and provide insights into reasons for their successes and limitations. However, evaluation would also present considerable challenges. This paper discusses the critical data and methodological needs for improving evaluation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Online health information search and evaluation: observations and semi-structured interviews with college students and maternal health experts.

PubMed

Kim, Hyojin; Park, Sun-Young; Bozeman, Ingrid

2011-09-01

While the Internet is a popular source of health information, health seekers' inadequate skills to locate and discern quality information pose a potential threat to their healthcare decision-making. We aimed to examine health information search and appraisal behaviours among young, heavy users of the Internet. In study 1, we observed and interviewed 11 college students about their search strategies and evaluation of websites. In study 2, three health experts evaluated two websites selected as the best information sources in study 1. Familiarity with health websites and confidence in search strategies were major factors affecting search and evaluation behaviours. Website quality was mostly judged by aesthetics and peripheral cues of source credibility and message credibility. In contrast to users' favourable website evaluation, the experts judged the websites to be inappropriate and untrustworthy. Our results highlight a critical need to provide young health seekers with resources and training that are specifically geared toward health information search and appraisal. The role of health seekers' knowledge and involvement with the health issue in search effort and success warrants future research. © 2011 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2011 Health Libraries Group.

Evaluation of Fission Product Critical Experiments and Associated Biases for Burnup Credit Validation

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

Mueller, Don; Rearden, Bradley T; Reed, Davis Allan

2010-01-01

One of the challenges associated with implementation of burnup credit is the validation of criticality calculations used in the safety evaluation; in particular the availability and use of applicable critical experiment data. The purpose of the validation is to quantify the relationship between reality and calculated results. Validation and determination of bias and bias uncertainty require the identification of sets of critical experiments that are similar to the criticality safety models. A principal challenge for crediting fission products (FP) in a burnup credit safety evaluation is the limited availability of relevant FP critical experiments for bias and bias uncertainty determination.more » This paper provides an evaluation of the available critical experiments that include FPs, along with bounding, burnup-dependent estimates of FP biases generated by combining energy dependent sensitivity data for a typical burnup credit application with the nuclear data uncertainty information distributed with SCALE 6. A method for determining separate bias and bias uncertainty values for individual FPs and illustrative results is presented. Finally, a FP bias calculation method based on data adjustment techniques and reactivity sensitivity coefficients calculated with the SCALE sensitivity/uncertainty tools and some typical results is presented. Using the methods described in this paper, the cross-section bias for a representative high-capacity spent fuel cask associated with the ENDF/B-VII nuclear data for 16 most important stable or near stable FPs is predicted to be no greater than 2% of the total worth of the 16 FPs, or less than 0.13 % k/k.« less

Attracting Mature Students into Higher Education: The Impact of Approaches to Learning and Social Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Chris; Davies, Peter

2013-01-01

This paper reports on data collected during an evaluation of two higher education courses designed to attract mature entrants aged between 21 and 60 to undergraduate degree programmes. Employing an evaluation design informed by a critical realist approach, the study utilised a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the outcomes…

Use of a wiki as a radiology departmental knowledge management system.

PubMed

Meenan, Christopher; King, Antoinette; Toland, Christopher; Daly, Mark; Nagy, Paul

2010-04-01

Information technology teams in health care are tasked with maintaining a variety of information systems with complex support requirements. In radiology, this includes picture archive and communication systems, radiology information systems, speech recognition systems, and other ancillary systems. Hospital information technology (IT) departments are required to provide 24 x 7 support for these mission-critical systems that directly support patient care in emergency and other critical care departments. The practical know-how to keep these systems operational and diagnose problems promptly is difficult to maintain around the clock. Specific details on infrequent failure modes or advanced troubleshooting strategies may reside with only a few senior staff members. Our goal was to reduce diagnosis and recovery times for issues with our mission-critical systems. We created a knowledge base for building and quickly disseminating technical expertise to our entire support staff. We used an open source, wiki-based, collaborative authoring system internally within our IT department to improve our ability to deliver a high level of service to our customers. In this paper, we describe our evaluation of the wiki and the ways in which we used it to organize our support knowledge. We found the wiki to be an effective tool for knowledge management and for improving our ability to provide mission-critical support for health care IT systems.

He Did What?: The role of diagnosticity in revising implicit evaluations

PubMed Central

Cone, Jeremy; Ferguson, Melissa J.

2015-01-01

Research suggests that implicit evaluations are relatively insensitive to single instances of new, countervailing information that contradicts prior learning. In six experiments, however, we identify the critical role of the perceived diagnosticity of that new information: counter-attitudinal information that is deemed highly diagnostic of the target's true nature leads to a complete reversal of the previous implicit evaluation. Experiments 1a and 1b establish this effect by showing that newly-formed implicit evaluations are reversed minutes later with exposure to a single piece of highly diagnostic information. Experiment 2 demonstrates a valence asymmetry in participants’ likelihood of exhibiting rapid reversals of newly formed positive versus negative implicit evaluations. Experiment 3 provides evidence that a target must be personally responsible for the counter-attitudinal behavior and not merely incidentally associated with a negative act. Experiment 4 shows that participants exhibit revision only when they judge the target's counter-attitudinal behavior as offensive and thus diagnostic of his character. Experiment 5 demonstrates the behavioral implications of newly-revised implicit evaluations. These studies show that newly-formed implicit evaluations can be completely overturned through deliberative considerations about a single piece of counter-attitudinal information. PMID:25365037

ERIC: Sphinx or Golden Griffin?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez, Manuel D.

1989-01-01

Evaluates the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database. Summarizes ERIC's history and organization, and discusses criticisms concerning access, currency, and database content. Reviews role of component clearinghouses, indexing practices, thesaurus structure, international coverage, and comparative studies. Finds ERIC a valuable…

QUANTITATIVE PROCEDURES FOR NEUROTOXICOLOGY RISK ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

In this project, previously published information on biologically based dose-response model for brain development was used to quantitatively evaluate critical neurodevelopmental processes, and to assess potential chemical impacts on early brain development. This model has been ex...

Criteria for the evaluation of a cloud-based hospital information system outsourcing provider.

PubMed

Low, Chinyao; Hsueh Chen, Ya

2012-12-01

As cloud computing technology has proliferated rapidly worldwide, there has been a trend toward adopting cloud-based hospital information systems (CHISs). This study examines the critical criteria for selecting the CHISs outsourcing provider. The fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) is used to evaluate the primary indicator collected from 188 useable responses at a working hospital in Taiwan. Moreover, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) is employed to calculate the weights of these criteria and establish a fuzzy multi-criteria model of CHISs outsourcing provider selection from 42 experts. The results indicate that the five most critical criteria related to CHISs outsourcing provider selection are (1) system function, (2) service quality, (3) integration, (4) professionalism, and (5) economics. This study may contribute to understanding how cloud-based hospital systems can reinforce content design and offer a way to compete in the field by developing more appropriate systems.

Development and Validation of a Printed Information Brochure for Families of Chronically Critically Ill Patients

PubMed Central

Carson, Shannon S.; Vu, Maihan; Danis, Marion; Camhi, Sharon L.; Scheunemann, Leslie P.; Cox, Christopher E.; Hanson, Laura C.; Nelson, Judith E.

2012-01-01

Objective Families and other surrogate decision-makers for chronically critically ill patients often lack information about patient prognosis or options for care. This study describes an approach to develop and validate a printed information brochure about chronic critical illness aimed at improving comprehension of the disease process and outcomes for patients’ families and other surrogate decision-makers. Design Investigators reviewed existing literature to identify key domains of informational needs. Content of these domains was incorporated in a draft brochure that included graphics and a glossary of terms. Clinical sensibility, balance, and emotional sensitivity of the draft brochure were tested in a series of evaluations by cohorts of experienced clinicians (n=49) and clinical content experts (n=8), with revisions after each review. Cognitive testing of the brochure was performed through interviews of 10 representative family members of chronically critically ill patients with quantitative and qualitative analysis of responses. Measurements and Main Results Clinical sensibility and balance were rated in the two most favorable categories on a 5-point scale by more than two thirds of clinicians and content experts. After review, family members described the brochure as clear and readable and recommended that the brochure be delivered to family members by clinicians, followed by a discussion of its contents. They indicated that the glossary was useful and recommended supplementation by additional lists of local resources. After reading the brochure, their prognostic estimates became more consistent with actual outcomes. Conclusions We have developed and validated a printed information brochure that may improve family comprehension of chronic critical illness and its outcomes. The structured process that is described can serve as a template for the development of other information aids for use with seriously ill populations. PMID:21926610

Intelligence and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA’s): A Critical Evaluation of the HIDTA Investigative Support Center (ISC)

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-09-01

imposed sanctions on those not sharing information. The Ruidoso initiative was recognized as not sharing information. It was warned but failed to...partial loss of funding. In the case of the Ruidoso initiative they lost all funding for the remainder of the fiscal year. They must petition the

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Self-Tutoring Approach Applied to Pilot Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatch, Richard S.

One of the critical aspects of the pilot's job is the requirement for accurate and ready recall of a large body of flight information. The effectiveness of a voluntary self-tutoring device to facilitate information acquisition and retention was examined. The device was a card machine which presented and scored responses to multiple choice…

Functional and Behavioral Product Information Representation and Consistency Validation for Collaboration in Product Lifecycle Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baysal, Mehmet Murat

2012-01-01

Information models that represent the function, assembly and behavior of artifacts are critical in the conceptual development of a product and its evaluation. Much research has been conducted in this area; however, existing models do not relate function, behavior and structure in a comprehensive and consistent way. In this work, NIST's Core…

Evaluation of the Food and Agriculture Sector Criticality Assessment Tool (FASCAT) and the Collected Data.

PubMed

Huff, Andrew G; Hodges, James S; Kennedy, Shaun P; Kircher, Amy

2015-08-01

To protect and secure food resources for the United States, it is crucial to have a method to compare food systems' criticality. In 2007, the U.S. government funded development of the Food and Agriculture Sector Criticality Assessment Tool (FASCAT) to determine which food and agriculture systems were most critical to the nation. FASCAT was developed in a collaborative process involving government officials and food industry subject matter experts (SMEs). After development, data were collected using FASCAT to quantify threats, vulnerabilities, consequences, and the impacts on the United States from failure of evaluated food and agriculture systems. To examine FASCAT's utility, linear regression models were used to determine: (1) which groups of questions posed in FASCAT were better predictors of cumulative criticality scores; (2) whether the items included in FASCAT's criticality method or the smaller subset of FASCAT items included in DHS's risk analysis method predicted similar criticality scores. Akaike's information criterion was used to determine which regression models best described criticality, and a mixed linear model was used to shrink estimates of criticality for individual food and agriculture systems. The results indicated that: (1) some of the questions used in FASCAT strongly predicted food or agriculture system criticality; (2) the FASCAT criticality formula was a stronger predictor of criticality compared to the DHS risk formula; (3) the cumulative criticality formula predicted criticality more strongly than weighted criticality formula; and (4) the mixed linear regression model did not change the rank-order of food and agriculture system criticality to a large degree. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Critical Views of LCSH--the Library of Congress Subject Headings; A Bibliographic and Bibliometric Essay and An Analysis of Vocabulary Control in the Library of Congress List of Subject Headings (LCSH).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochrane, Pauline A.; Kirtland, Monika

A comprehensive guide to the literature published between World War II and 1979 which critically evaluates the Library of Congress list of Subject Headings (LCSH), this bibliography has been prepared for information personnel involved with subject authority files, thesauri, or vocabulary control. A brief bibliometric analysis of the literature…

Guided Self-Education in the Undergraduate Teaching of Gastroenterology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dworken, Harvey J.

1974-01-01

The objective of the study reported was to develop and to evaluate a multifaceted teaching program in gastroenterology for second-year students of medicine. Critical information is defined in a narrative, problem-oriented, pathophysiological core syllabus. (Editor)

Popular Encyclopedias as a Source of Information about Copyright: A Critical Comparison.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Jerome K.

1983-01-01

Rating of five multi-volume encyclopedias ("Collier's Encyclopedia,""Encyclopedia Americana,""Encyclopedia Britannica (EB3),""World Book Encyclopedia,""Academic American Encyclopedia") used 20 evaluation criteria to determine usefulness in answering reference questions concerning copyright. Results…

Toxicologic Pathology: The Basic Building Block of Risk Assessment

EPA Science Inventory

Human health risk assessment is a critical factor in many risk management decisions. Evaluation of human health risk requires research the provides information that appropriately characterizes potential hazards from exposure. Pathology endpoints are the central response around ...

Show me the road to hydrogen : non-destructive evaluation (NDE)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-02-01

Information is lacking about failure mechanisms associated with various hydrogen transportation systems, the types of typical failures, and critical locations where they may occur. Although one may consider these systems to be related to carbon-reinf...

EFFECTIVENESS ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

EPA Science Inventory

Providing access to information is critical for allowing the public to meaningfully participate in Agency decisions. However, just as important as how much we communicate, is how well we communicate. Through the use of customer satisfaction surveys and public meeting evaluation...

A Health Information System for Scalable and Comprehensive Assessment of Well-Being: A Multidisciplinary Team Solution.

PubMed

Zhou, Leming; Watzlaf, Valerie; Abernathy, Paul; Abdelhak, Mervat

2017-01-01

To improve the health and well-being of the medically underserved in a free clinic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a multidisciplinary team representing several health information management and information technology (IT) professionals, including faculty, students, researchers, and clinicians, created a novel IT system called imHealthy. The imHealthy system includes four critical components: a multidomain well-being questionnaire, a mobile app for data collection and tracking, a customization of an open-source electronic health record (EHR), and a data integration and well-being evaluation program leading to recommendations for personalized interventions to caregivers serving the medically underserved. This multidisciplinary team has worked closely on this project and finished critical components of the imHealthy system. Evaluations of these components will be conducted, and factors facilitating the design and adoption of the imHealthy system will be presented. The results from this research can serve as a model for free clinics with similar needs that identified by the research team in Cleveland, Indianapolis, Minnesota, Motor City, Orange County, San Diego, and St. Louis.

Representation of occupational information across resources and validation of the occupational data for health model.

PubMed

Rajamani, Sripriya; Chen, Elizabeth S; Lindemann, Elizabeth; Aldekhyyel, Ranyah; Wang, Yan; Melton, Genevieve B

2018-02-01

Reports by the National Academy of Medicine and leading public health organizations advocate including occupational information as part of an individual's social context. Given recent National Academy of Medicine recommendations on occupation-related data in the electronic health record, there is a critical need for improved representation. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has developed an Occupational Data for Health (ODH) model, currently in draft format. This study aimed to validate the ODH model by mapping occupation-related elements from resources representing recommendations, standards, public health reports and surveys, and research measures, along with preliminary evaluation of associated value sets. All 247 occupation-related items across 20 resources mapped to the ODH model. Recommended value sets had high variability across the evaluated resources. This study demonstrates the ODH model's value, the multifaceted nature of occupation information, and the critical need for occupation value sets to support clinical care, population health, and research. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Applying Multiple Methods to Comprehensively Evaluate a Patient Portal’s Effectiveness to Convey Information to Patients

PubMed Central

Krist, Alex H; Aycock, Rebecca A; Kreps, Gary L

2016-01-01

Background Patient portals have yet to achieve their full potential for enhancing health communication and improving health outcomes. Although the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in the United States mandates the utilization of patient portals, and usage continues to rise, their impact has not been as profound as anticipated. Objective The objective of our case study was to evaluate how well portals convey information to patients. To demonstrate how multiple methodologies could be used to evaluate and improve the design of patient-centered portals, we conducted an in-depth evaluation of an exemplar patient-centered portal designed to promote preventive care to consumers. Methods We used 31 critical incident patient interviews, 2 clinician focus groups, and a thematic content analysis to understand patients’ and clinicians’ perspectives, as well as theoretical understandings of the portal’s use. Results We gathered over 140 critical incidents, 71.8% (102/142) negative and 28.2% (40/142) positive. Positive incident categories were (1) instant medical information access, (2) clear health information, and (3) patient vigilance. Negative incident categories were (1) standardized content, (2) desire for direct communication, (3) website functionality, and (4) difficulty interpreting laboratory data. Thematic analysis of the portal’s immediacy resulted in high scores in the attributes enhances understanding (18/23, 78%), personalization (18/24, 75%), and motivates behavior (17/24, 71%), but low levels of interactivity (7/24, 29%) and engagement (2/24, 8%). Two overarching themes emerged to guide portal refinements: (1) communication can be improved with directness and interactivity and (2) perceived personalization must be greater to engage patients. Conclusions Results suggest that simple modifications, such as increased interactivity and personalized messages, can make portals customized, robust, easily accessible, and trusted information sources. PMID:27188953

Evaluation of the clinical process in a critical care information system using the Lean method: a case study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background There are numerous applications for Health Information Systems (HIS) that support specific tasks in the clinical workflow. The Lean method has been used increasingly to optimize clinical workflows, by removing waste and shortening the delivery cycle time. There are a limited number of studies on Lean applications related to HIS. Therefore, we applied the Lean method to evaluate the clinical processes related to HIS, in order to evaluate its efficiency in removing waste and optimizing the process flow. This paper presents the evaluation findings of these clinical processes, with regards to a critical care information system (CCIS), known as IntelliVue Clinical Information Portfolio (ICIP), and recommends solutions to the problems that were identified during the study. Methods We conducted a case study under actual clinical settings, to investigate how the Lean method can be used to improve the clinical process. We used observations, interviews, and document analysis, to achieve our stated goal. We also applied two tools from the Lean methodology, namely the Value Stream Mapping and the A3 problem-solving tools. We used eVSM software to plot the Value Stream Map and A3 reports. Results We identified a number of problems related to inefficiency and waste in the clinical process, and proposed an improved process model. Conclusions The case study findings show that the Value Stream Mapping and the A3 reports can be used as tools to identify waste and integrate the process steps more efficiently. We also proposed a standardized and improved clinical process model and suggested an integrated information system that combines database and software applications to reduce waste and data redundancy. PMID:23259846

Evaluation of the clinical process in a critical care information system using the Lean method: a case study.

PubMed

Yusof, Maryati Mohd; Khodambashi, Soudabeh; Mokhtar, Ariffin Marzuki

2012-12-21

There are numerous applications for Health Information Systems (HIS) that support specific tasks in the clinical workflow. The Lean method has been used increasingly to optimize clinical workflows, by removing waste and shortening the delivery cycle time. There are a limited number of studies on Lean applications related to HIS. Therefore, we applied the Lean method to evaluate the clinical processes related to HIS, in order to evaluate its efficiency in removing waste and optimizing the process flow. This paper presents the evaluation findings of these clinical processes, with regards to a critical care information system (CCIS), known as IntelliVue Clinical Information Portfolio (ICIP), and recommends solutions to the problems that were identified during the study. We conducted a case study under actual clinical settings, to investigate how the Lean method can be used to improve the clinical process. We used observations, interviews, and document analysis, to achieve our stated goal. We also applied two tools from the Lean methodology, namely the Value Stream Mapping and the A3 problem-solving tools. We used eVSM software to plot the Value Stream Map and A3 reports. We identified a number of problems related to inefficiency and waste in the clinical process, and proposed an improved process model. The case study findings show that the Value Stream Mapping and the A3 reports can be used as tools to identify waste and integrate the process steps more efficiently. We also proposed a standardized and improved clinical process model and suggested an integrated information system that combines database and software applications to reduce waste and data redundancy.

Scientific Literacy: The Role of Goal-Directed Reading and Evaluation in Understanding Scientific Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Britt, M. Anne; Richter, Tobias; Rouet, Jean-François

2014-01-01

In this article, we examine the mental processes and representations that are required of laypersons when learning about science issues from texts. We begin by defining scientific literacy as the ability to understand and critically evaluate scientific content in order to achieve one's goals. We then present 3 challenges of learning from…

Assessment Methodology for Process Validation Lifecycle Stage 3A.

PubMed

Sayeed-Desta, Naheed; Pazhayattil, Ajay Babu; Collins, Jordan; Chen, Shu; Ingram, Marzena; Spes, Jana

2017-07-01

The paper introduces evaluation methodologies and associated statistical approaches for process validation lifecycle Stage 3A. The assessment tools proposed can be applied to newly developed and launched small molecule as well as bio-pharma products, where substantial process and product knowledge has been gathered. The following elements may be included in Stage 3A: number of 3A batch determination; evaluation of critical material attributes, critical process parameters, critical quality attributes; in vivo in vitro correlation; estimation of inherent process variability (IPV) and PaCS index; process capability and quality dashboard (PCQd); and enhanced control strategy. US FDA guidance on Process Validation: General Principles and Practices, January 2011 encourages applying previous credible experience with suitably similar products and processes. A complete Stage 3A evaluation is a valuable resource for product development and future risk mitigation of similar products and processes. Elements of 3A assessment were developed to address industry and regulatory guidance requirements. The conclusions made provide sufficient information to make a scientific and risk-based decision on product robustness.

Concept-Based Retrieval from Critical Incident Reports.

PubMed

Denecke, Kerstin

2017-01-01

Critical incident reporting systems (CIRS) are used as a means to collect anonymously entered information of incidents that occurred for example in a hospital. Analyzing this information helps to identify among others problems in the workflow, in the infrastructure or in processes. The entire potential of these sources of experiential knowledge remains often unconsidered since retrieval of relevant reports and their analysis is difficult and time-consuming, and the reporting systems often do not provide support for these tasks. The objective of this work is to develop a method for retrieving reports from the CIRS related to a specific user query. atural language processing (NLP) and information retrieval (IR) methods are exploited for realizing the retrieval. We compare standard retrieval methods that rely upon frequency of words with an approach that includes a semantic mapping of natural language to concepts of a medical ontology. By an evaluation, we demonstrate the feasibility of semantic document enrichment to improve recall in incident reporting retrieval. It is shown that a combination of standard keyword-based retrieval with semantic search results in highly satisfactory recall values. In future work, the evaluation should be repeated on a larger data set and real-time user evaluation need to be performed to assess user satisfactory with the system and results.

Finding Helpful Software Reviews.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruse, Ted, Comp.

1987-01-01

Provides a list of evaluation services currently producing critical reviews of educational software. Includes information about The Apple K-12 Curriculum Software Reference, The Educational Software Preview, The Educational Software Selector, MicroSIFT, and Only The Best: The Discriminating Guide for Preschool-Grade 12. (TW)

San Francisco urban partnership agreement, national evaluation : telecommuting/TDM data test plan.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-04-01

The Standards Requirements Document (SRD) collects information from the other National ITS Architecture program documents and reorganizes it in a manner intended to support the development of critical ITS standards. The key results in the SRD a...

Teaching Indigenous Geography in a Neo-Colonial World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Jennifer; Hollinsworth, David

2017-01-01

Australian universities are increasingly embedding Indigenous content and perspectives within curriculum to promote Indigenous cultural competency. We present teaching challenges in an Indigenous geography course designed to present an engaged, intercultural learning experience. We critically reflect on student evaluations, informal discussions…

ANIMAL MANURES AS FEEDSTUFFS: NUTRIENT CHARACTERISTICS

EPA Science Inventory

This study critically evaluates the potential value of animal manure as feedstuffs for livestock and poultry using information in the published literature. The paper provides an assessment of the nutrient and economic value of manures as a function of their composition when compa...

A Conceptual Model for Evaluating Hydrologic Connectivity in Geographically Isolated Wetlands

EPA Science Inventory

Knowledge about hydrologic connectivity between aquatic resources is critical to understanding and managing watershed hydrology and to the legal status of those resources. In particular, information is needed on the hydrologic connectivity and effects of geographically isolated ...

Community Wise: paving the way for empowerment in community reentry.

PubMed

Windsor, Liliane Cambraia; Jemal, Alexis; Benoit, Ellen

2014-01-01

Theoretical approaches traditionally applied in mental health and criminal justice interventions fail to address the historical and structural context that partially explains health disparities. Community Wise was developed to address this gap. It is a 12week group intervention informed by Critical Consciousness Theory and designed to prevent substance abuse, related health risk behaviors, psychological distress, and reoffending among individuals with a history of incarceration and substance abuse. This paper reports findings from the first implementation and pilot evaluation of Community Wise in two community-based organizations. This pre-posttest evaluation pilot-tested Community Wise and used findings to improve the intervention. Twenty-six participants completed a phone and clinical screening, baseline, 6- and 12-week follow-ups, and a focus group at the end of the intervention. Measures assessed participants' demographic information, psychological distress, substance use, criminal offending, HIV risk behaviors, community cohesion, community support, civic engagement, critical consciousness, ethnic identification, group cohesion, client satisfaction, and acquired treatment skills. Research methods were found to be feasible and useful in assessing the intervention. Results indicated that while Community Wise is a promising intervention, several changes need to be made in order to enhance the intervention. Community Wise is a new approach where oppressed individuals join in critical dialogue, tap into existing community resources, and devise, implement and evaluate their own community solutions to structural barriers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Critical success factors for implementing healthcare e-Learning.

PubMed

Lee, Te-Shu; Kuo, Mu-Hsing; Borycki, Elizabeth M; Yunyong, David

2011-01-01

The use of e-Learning in educational institutes has rapidly increased along with the development of information and communication technology (ICT). In healthcare, more medical educators are using e-Learning to support their curriculum design, delivery and evaluation. However, no systematic work exists on characterizing a collective set of Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for implementing e-Learning in the healthcare education institutions. The aim of this paper is to study the CSFs of implementing healthcare e-Learning.

The State of the State University: Critical Facts about the University of North Carolina System. Pope Center Series on Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Jenna Ashley

2013-01-01

To understand and evaluate a university's effectiveness requires a lot of information. But rarely is that information brought together in one place. This report compiles publicly available data about the University of North Carolina system. It illustrates key characteristics of the 16 campuses and how they have changed over the past decade. This…

Design of a smart hemodynamic monitoring simulator.

PubMed

Kilty, Brennan G; Wright, Cameron H G; Barrett, Steven F; Calkins, Jerry M; Drzewiecki, Tadeusz M

2007-01-01

We describe the design of a medical patient status simulator developed as a proof of concept for the United States Air Force. The simulator is the precursor to a system that analyzes hemodynamic information in order to act as an intelligent assistant to a Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT) monitoring a critically injured casualty. The simulator displays hemodynamic information, alerts to abnormal values, offers likely diagnoses, and allows the team to review recommended therapies. The focus has been to develop a user interface and modular system architecture that allows individual modules to easily be evaluated and altered as needed. While initiated by the military, this work could also be used to aid civilian first responders.

Conducting systematic reviews of economic evaluations.

PubMed

Gomersall, Judith Streak; Jadotte, Yuri Tertilus; Xue, Yifan; Lockwood, Suzi; Riddle, Dru; Preda, Alin

2015-09-01

In 2012, a working group was established to review and enhance the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidance for conducting systematic review of evidence from economic evaluations addressing a question(s) about health intervention cost-effectiveness. The objective is to present the outcomes of the working group. The group conducted three activities to inform the new guidance: review of literature on the utility/futility of systematic reviews of economic evaluations and consideration of its implications for updating the existing methodology; assessment of the critical appraisal tool in the existing guidance against criteria that promotes validity in economic evaluation research and two other commonly used tools; and a workshop. The debate in the literature on the limitations/value of systematic review of economic evidence cautions that systematic reviews of economic evaluation evidence are unlikely to generate one size fits all answers to questions about the cost-effectiveness of interventions and their comparators. Informed by this finding, the working group adjusted the framing of the objectives definition in the existing JBI methodology. The shift is away from defining the objective as to determine one cost-effectiveness measure toward summarizing study estimates of cost-effectiveness and informed by consideration of the included study characteristics (patient, setting, intervention component, etc.), identifying conditions conducive to lowering costs and maximizing health benefits. The existing critical appraisal tool was included in the new guidance. The new guidance includes the recommendation that a tool designed specifically for the purpose of appraising model-based studies be used together with the generic appraisal tool for economic evaluations assessment to evaluate model-based evaluations. The guidance produced by the group offers reviewers guidance for each step of the systematic review process, which are the same steps followed in JBI reviews of other types of evidence. The updated JBI guidance will be useful for researchers wanting to synthesize evidence about economic questions, either as stand-alone reviews or part of comprehensive or mixed method evidence reviews. Although the updated methodology produced by the work of the working group has improved the JBI guidance for systematic reviews of economic evaluations, there are areas where further work is required. These include adjusting the critical appraisal tool to separate out questions addressing intervention cost and effectiveness measurement; providing more explicit guidance for assessing generalizability of findings; and offering a more robust method for evidence synthesis that facilitates achieving the more ambitious review objectives.

Information needs for the rapid response team electronic clinical tool.

PubMed

Barwise, Amelia; Caples, Sean; Jensen, Jeffrey; Pickering, Brian; Herasevich, Vitaly

2017-10-02

Information overload in healthcare is dangerous. It can lead to critical errors and delays. During Rapid Response Team (RRT) activations providers must make decisions quickly to rescue patients from physiological deterioration. In order to understand the clinical data required and how best to present that information in electronic systems we aimed to better assess the data needs of providers on the RRT when they respond to an event. A web based survey to evaluate clinical data requirements was created and distributed to all RRT providers at our institution. Participants were asked to rate the importance of each data item in guiding clinical decisions during a RRT event response. There were 96 surveys completed (24.5% response rate) with fairly even distribution throughout all clinical roles on the RRT. Physiological data including heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure were ranked by more than 80% of responders as being critical information. Resuscitation status was also considered critically useful by more than 85% of providers. There is a limited dataset that is considered important during an RRT. The data is widely available in EMR. The findings from this study could be used to improve user-centered EMR interfaces.

Information needs assessment of medical equipment offices based on Critical Success Factors (CSF) and Business System Planning (BSP) methods.

PubMed

Khorrami, F; Ahmadi, M; Alizadeh, A; Roozbeh, N; Mohseni, S

2015-01-01

Introduction: Given the ever-increasing importance and value of information, providing the management with a reliable information system, which can facilitate decision-making regarding planning, organization and control, is vitally important. This study aimed to analyze and evaluate the information needs of medical equipment offices. Methods: This descriptive applied cross-sectional study was carried out in 2010. The population of the study included the managers of statistic and medical records at the offices of vice-chancellor for treatment in 39 medical universities in Iran. Data were collected by using structured questioners. With regard to different kinds of designing information systems, sampling was done by two methods, BSP (based on processes of job description) and CSF method (based on critical success factors). The data were analyzed by SPSS-16. Results: Our study showed that 41% of information needs were found to be critical success factors of managers of office. The first priority of managers was "the number of bed and bed occupancy in hospitals". Of 29 identified information needs, 62% were initial information needs of managers (from the viewpoints of managers). Of all, 4% of the information needs were obtained through the form, 14% through both the form and database, 11% through the web site, and 71% had no sources (forms, databases, web site). Conclusion: Since 71% of the information needs of medical equipment offices managers had no information sources, the development of information system in these offices seems to be necessary. Despite the important role of users in designing the information systems (identifying 62% of information needs), other scientific methods is also needed to be utilized in designing the information systems.

Information needs assessment of medical equipment offices based on Critical Success Factors (CSF) and Business System Planning (BSP) methods

PubMed Central

Khorrami, F; Ahmadi, M; Alizadeh, A; Roozbeh, N; Mohseni, S

2015-01-01

Introduction: Given the ever-increasing importance and value of information, providing the management with a reliable information system, which can facilitate decision-making regarding planning, organization and control, is vitally important. This study aimed to analyze and evaluate the information needs of medical equipment offices. Methods: This descriptive applied cross-sectional study was carried out in 2010. The population of the study included the managers of statistic and medical records at the offices of vice-chancellor for treatment in 39 medical universities in Iran. Data were collected by using structured questioners. With regard to different kinds of designing information systems, sampling was done by two methods, BSP (based on processes of job description) and CSF method (based on critical success factors). The data were analyzed by SPSS-16. Results: Our study showed that 41% of information needs were found to be critical success factors of managers of office. The first priority of managers was “the number of bed and bed occupancy in hospitals”. Of 29 identified information needs, 62% were initial information needs of managers (from the viewpoints of managers). Of all, 4% of the information needs were obtained through the form, 14% through both the form and database, 11% through the web site, and 71% had no sources (forms, databases, web site). Conclusion: Since 71% of the information needs of medical equipment offices managers had no information sources, the development of information system in these offices seems to be necessary. Despite the important role of users in designing the information systems (identifying 62% of information needs), other scientific methods is also needed to be utilized in designing the information systems. PMID:28255389

ITS Institutional and Legal Issues Program : Review of the Houston Smart Commuter Operational Test

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate critical issues relating to user acceptance of CVO services by interstate truck and bus drivers and to identify the CVO information needs of other interested parties.

Using architectures for semantic interoperability to create journal clubs for emergency response

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

Powell, James E; Collins, Linn M; Martinez, Mark L B

2009-01-01

In certain types of 'slow burn' emergencies, careful accumulation and evaluation of information can offer a crucial advantage. The SARS outbreak in the first decade of the 21st century was such an event, and ad hoc journal clubs played a critical role in assisting scientific and technical responders in identifying and developing various strategies for halting what could have become a dangerous pandemic. This research-in-progress paper describes a process for leveraging emerging semantic web and digital library architectures and standards to (1) create a focused collection of bibliographic metadata, (2) extract semantic information, (3) convert it to the Resource Descriptionmore » Framework /Extensible Markup Language (RDF/XML), and (4) integrate it so that scientific and technical responders can share and explore critical information in the collections.« less

Sharing for Health: A Study of Chinese Adolescents' Experiences and Perspectives on Using Social Network Sites to Share Health Information.

PubMed

Zhang, Ni; Teti, Michele; Stanfield, Kellie; Campo, Shelly

2017-07-01

This exploratory qualitative study examines Chinese adolescents' health information sharing habits on social network sites. Ten focus group meetings with 76 adolescents, ages 12 to 17 years, were conducted at community-based organizations in Chicago's Chinatown. The research team transcribed the recording and analyzed the transcripts using ATLAS.ti. Chinese adolescents are using different social network sites for various topics of health information including food, physical activity, and so on. Adolescents would share useful and/or interesting health information. Many adolescents raised credibility concerns regarding health information and suggested evaluating the information based on self-experience or intuition, word-of-mouth, or information online. The findings shed lights on future intervention using social network sites to promote health among Chinese adolescents in the United States. Future interventions should provide adolescents with interesting and culturally sensitive health information and educate them to critically evaluate health information on social network sites.

Susceptibility of the Ising Model on a Kagomé Lattice by Using Wang-Landau Sampling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seung-Yeon; Kwak, Wooseop

2018-03-01

The susceptibility of the Ising model on a kagomé lattice has never been obtained. We investigate the properties of the kagomé-lattice Ising model by using the Wang-Landau sampling method. We estimate both the magnetic scaling exponent yh = 1.90(1) and the thermal scaling exponent yt = 1.04(2) only from the susceptibility. From the estimated values of yh and yt, we obtain all the critical exponents, the specific-heat critical exponent α = 0.08(4), the spontaneous-magnetization critical exponent β = 0.10(1), the susceptibility critical exponent γ = 1.73(5), the isothermalmagnetization critical exponent δ = 16(4), the correlation-length critical exponent ν = 0.96(2), and the correlation-function critical exponent η = 0.20(4), without using any other thermodynamic function, such as the specific heat, magnetization, correlation length, and correlation function. One should note that the evaluation of all the critical exponents only from information on the susceptibility is an innovative approach.

Lymphoma Therapy and Adverse Events: Nursing Strategies for Thinking Critically and Acting Decisively.

PubMed

Goodrich, Amy; Wagner-Johnston, Nina; Delibovi, Dana

2017-02-01

Multiple treatment options, combined with disease heterogeneity, have created nursing challenges in the management of adverse events (AEs) during antilymphoma therapy. Testing has revealed that less than half of participating nurses correctly graded peripheral neuropathy and neutropenia related to antilymphoma regimens. This article identifies nursing challenges in the management of AEs associated with therapy for lymphomas and describes how strategies in critical thinking can help meet those challenges. A comprehensive literature search in oncology nursing, nursing education, and critical thinking was conducted; participant responses to pre- and post-tests at nursing education programs were evaluated; and a roundtable meeting of authors was convened. Oncology nurses can cultivate critical thinking skills, practice thinking critically in relation to team members and patients, leverage information from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, and manage workflow to allow more opportunity for critical thinking.

Enabling information management systems in tactical network environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvalho, Marco; Uszok, Andrzej; Suri, Niranjan; Bradshaw, Jeffrey M.; Ceccio, Philip J.; Hanna, James P.; Sinclair, Asher

2009-05-01

Net-Centric Information Management (IM) and sharing in tactical environments promises to revolutionize forward command and control capabilities by providing ubiquitous shared situational awareness to the warfighter. This vision can be realized by leveraging the tactical and Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANET) which provide the underlying communications infrastructure, but, significant technical challenges remain. Enabling information management in these highly dynamic environments will require multiple support services and protocols which are affected by, and highly dependent on, the underlying capabilities and dynamics of the tactical network infrastructure. In this paper we investigate, discuss, and evaluate the effects of realistic tactical and mobile communications network environments on mission-critical information management systems. We motivate our discussion by introducing the Advanced Information Management System (AIMS) which is targeted for deployment in tactical sensor systems. We present some operational requirements for AIMS and highlight how critical IM support services such as discovery, transport, federation, and Quality of Service (QoS) management are necessary to meet these requirements. Our goal is to provide a qualitative analysis of the impact of underlying assumptions of availability and performance of some of the critical services supporting tactical information management. We will also propose and describe a number of technologies and capabilities that have been developed to address these challenges, providing alternative approaches for transport, service discovery, and federation services for tactical networks.

Contested Domains of Science and Science Learning in Contemporary Native American Communities: Three Case Studies from a National Science Foundation grant titled, "Archaeology Pathways for Native Learners"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parent, Nancy Brossard

This dissertation provides a critical analysis of three informal science education partnerships that resulted from a 2003-2006 National Science Foundation grant titled, "Archaeology Pathways for Native Learners" (ESI-0307858), hosted by the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center. This dissertation is designed to contribute to understandings of learning processes that occur within and at the intersection of diverse worldviews and knowledge systems, by drawing upon experiences derived from three disparate contexts: 1) The Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, Arizona; 2) The A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center on the Zuni Reservation in Zuni, New Mexico; and 3) Science learning camps at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center for Native youth of southern New England. While informal science education is increasingly moving toward decolonizing and cross-cutting institutional boundaries of learning through critical thinking and real-world applications, the construction of "science" (even within diverse contexts) continues to be framed within a homogenous, predominantly Euro-American perspective. This study analyzes the language of Western science employed in these partnerships, with particular attention to the use of Western/Native binaries that shape perceptions of Native peoples and communities, real or imagined. Connections are drawn to broader nation-state interests in education, science, and the global economy. The role of educational evaluation in these case studies is also critically analyzed, by questioning the ways in which it is constructed, conducted, and evaluated for the purposes of informing future projects and subsequent funding. This study unpacks problems of the dominant language of "expert" knowledge embedded in Western science discourse, and highlights the possibilities of indigenous knowledge systems that can inform Western science frameworks of education and evaluation. Ultimately, this study suggests that research methodologies and epistemologies that acknowledge and integrate indigenous ways of knowing can advance and broaden Western constructions of science, the academy, and educational research and praxis on a national and global scale.

Bone quality and the immediate loading of implants-critical aspects based on literature, research, and clinical experience.

PubMed

Romanos, Georgios E

2009-06-01

Immediate loading of oral implants has been extensively described in the international literature and the requirements for long-term success are evaluated. The author presents here the critical aspects of the criteria for success as well as describes the characteristics of an implant macro- and microdesign for immediate loading to control the periimplant crestal bone loss and secure the long-term stability. Information from the literature and the clinical experience will be presented.

Surface plasmon resonance as a tool for ligand-binding assay reagent characterization in bioanalysis of biotherapeutics.

PubMed

Duo, Jia; Bruno, JoAnne; Kozhich, Alexander; David-Brown, Donata; Luo, Linlin; Kwok, Suk; Santockyte, Rasa; Haulenbeek, Jonathan; Liu, Rong; Hamuro, Lora; Peterson, Jon E; Piccoli, Steven; DeSilva, Binodh; Pillutla, Renuka; Zhang, Yan J

2018-04-01

Ligand-binding assay (LBA) performance depends on quality reagents. Strategic reagent screening and characterization is critical to LBA development, optimization and validation. Application of advanced technologies expedites the reagent screening and assay development process. By evaluating surface plasmon resonance technology that offers high-throughput kinetic information, this article aims to provide perspectives on applying the surface plasmon resonance technology to strategic LBA critical reagent screening and characterization supported by a number of case studies from multiple biotherapeutic programs.

Using internet search engines and library catalogs to locate toxicology information.

PubMed

Wukovitz, L D

2001-01-12

The increasing importance of the Internet demands that toxicologists become aquainted with its resources. To find information, researchers must be able to effectively use Internet search engines, directories, subject-oriented websites, and library catalogs. The article will explain these resources, explore their benefits and weaknesses, and identify skills that help the researcher to improve search results and critically evaluate sources for their relevancy, validity, accuracy, and timeliness.

Evaluation of Gene Expression Endpoints in the Context of a Xenopus laevis Metamorphosis-based Bioassay to Detect Thyroid Hormone Disruptors

EPA Science Inventory

This study accentuates the need to examine multiple tissues and provides critical information required for optimization of exposure regimens and endpoint assessments that focus on the detection of disruption in TH-regulatory systems.

Phenomenology study of HERMES ground-penetrating radar technology for detection and identification of common bridge deck features

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-06-01

Accurately evaluating the condition of a bridge deck over time and using this information to choose appropriate maintenance techniques has become critical for the efficient allocation of resources to bridge deck maintenance. Tomographic imaging of su...

A Unified Cropland Layer at 250-m for global agriculture monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waldner, François; Fritz, Steffen; Di Gregorio, Antonio; Plotnikov, Dmitry; Bartalev, Sergey; Kussul, Nataliia; Gong, Peng; Thenkabail, Prasad S.; Hazeu, Gerard; Klein, Igor; Löw, Fabian; Miettinen, Jukka; Dadhwal, Vinay Kumar; Lamarche, Céline; Bontemps, Sophie; Defourny, Pierre

2016-01-01

Accurate and timely information on the global cropland extent is critical for food security monitoring, water management and earth system modeling. Principally, it allows for analyzing satellite image time-series to assess the crop conditions and permits isolation of the agricultural component to focus on food security and impacts of various climatic scenarios. However, despite its critical importance, accurate information on the spatial extent, cropland mapping with remote sensing imagery remains a major challenge. Following an exhaustive identification and collection of existing land cover maps, a multi-criteria analysis was designed at the country level to evaluate the fitness of a cropland map with regards to four dimensions: its timeliness, its legend, its resolution adequacy and its confidence level. As a result, a Unified Cropland Layer that combines the fittest products into a 250 m global cropland map was assembled. With an evaluated accuracy ranging from 82% to 95%, the Unified Cropland Layer successfully improved the accuracy compared to single global products.

Being Sherlock Holmes: the Internet as a tool for assessing live organ donors.

PubMed

Bramstedt, Katrina A; Katznelson, Steven

2009-01-01

Donor advocacy is a critical feature of live donor transplantation. Donor Advocates and Donor Advocate Teams (DAT) are now routine to the practice of live donor evaluation in the USA. Multidisciplinary in nature, DATs gather both medical and psychosocial information about potential live organ donors and then render a decision as to whether or not these individuals are suitable to participate. Because of the critical ethical and psychosocial concerns about live donation, thorough donor evaluations are essential. Additionally, the information gathered must be accurate, and this requires honest disclosure by the donor candidate. In this paper, we describe how DATs can use various forms of free, public content available on the Internet to aid live donor assessments. In this way, the DAT assumes somewhat of an investigative role; however, this is ethically justified in light of the DAT duty to protect the donor. The protective effect can also spread to the transplant program, in general, when inappropriate donors are excluded from the donation process.

Do economic evaluation studies inform effective healthcare resource allocation in Iran? A critical review of the literature.

PubMed

Haghparast-Bidgoli, Hassan; Kiadaliri, Aliasghar Ahmad; Skordis-Worrall, Jolene

2014-01-01

To aid informed health sector decision-making, data from sufficient high quality economic evaluations must be available to policy makers. To date, no known study has analysed the quantity and quality of available Iranian economic evaluation studies. This study aimed to assess the quantity, quality and targeting of economic evaluation studies conducted in the Iranian context. The study systematically reviewed full economic evaluation studies (n = 30) published between 1999 and 2012 in international and local journals. The findings of the review indicate that although the literature on economic evaluation in Iran is growing, these evaluations were of poor quality and suffer from several major methodological flaws. Furthermore, the review reveals that economic evaluation studies have not addressed the major health problems in Iran. While the availability of evidence is no guarantee that it will be used to aid decision-making, the absence of evidence will certainly preclude its use. Considering the deficiencies in the data identified by this review, current economic evaluations cannot be a useful source of information for decision makers in Iran. To improve the quality and overall usefulness of economic evaluations we would recommend; 1) developing clear national guidelines for the conduct of economic evaluations, 2) highlighting priority areas where information from such studies would be most useful and 3) training researchers and policy makers in the calculation and use of economic evaluation data.

Do economic evaluation studies inform effective healthcare resource allocation in Iran? A critical review of the literature

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

To aid informed health sector decision-making, data from sufficient high quality economic evaluations must be available to policy makers. To date, no known study has analysed the quantity and quality of available Iranian economic evaluation studies. This study aimed to assess the quantity, quality and targeting of economic evaluation studies conducted in the Iranian context. The study systematically reviewed full economic evaluation studies (n = 30) published between 1999 and 2012 in international and local journals. The findings of the review indicate that although the literature on economic evaluation in Iran is growing, these evaluations were of poor quality and suffer from several major methodological flaws. Furthermore, the review reveals that economic evaluation studies have not addressed the major health problems in Iran. While the availability of evidence is no guarantee that it will be used to aid decision-making, the absence of evidence will certainly preclude its use. Considering the deficiencies in the data identified by this review, current economic evaluations cannot be a useful source of information for decision makers in Iran. To improve the quality and overall usefulness of economic evaluations we would recommend; 1) developing clear national guidelines for the conduct of economic evaluations, 2) highlighting priority areas where information from such studies would be most useful and 3) training researchers and policy makers in the calculation and use of economic evaluation data. PMID:25050084

Physician Evaluation of Internet Health Information on Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer

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

Shah, Anand, E-mail: as4351@columbia.edu; Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; Paly, Jonathan J.

Purpose: Many patients considering prostate cancer (PCa) treatment options report seeking proton beam therapy (PBT) based in part on information readily available on the Internet. There is, however, potential for considerable variation in Internet health information (IHI). We thus evaluated the characteristics, quality, and accuracy of IHI on PBT for PCa. Methods and Materials: We undertook a qualitative research study using snowball-purposive sampling in which we evaluated the top 50 Google search results for “proton prostate cancer.” Quality was evaluated on a 5-point scale using the validated 15-question DISCERN instrument. Accuracy was evaluated by comparing IHI with the best availablemore » evidence. Results: Thirty-seven IHI websites were included in the final sample. These websites most frequently were patient information/support resources (46%), were focused exclusively on PBT (51%), and had a commercial affiliation (38%). There was a significant difference in quality according to the type of IHI. Substantial inaccuracies were noted in the study sample compared with best available or contextual evidence. Conclusions: There are shortcomings in quality and accuracy in consumer-oriented IHI on PBT for PCa. Providers must be prepared to educate patients how to critically evaluate IHI related to PBT for PCa to best inform their treatment decisions.« less

Trial-Based Economic Evaluations in Occupational Health

PubMed Central

van Wier, Marieke F.; Tompa, Emile; Bongers, Paulien M.; van der Beek, Allard J.; van Tulder, Maurits W.; Bosmans, Judith E.

2014-01-01

To allocate available resources as efficiently as possible, decision makers need information on the relative economic merits of occupational health and safety (OHS) interventions. Economic evaluations can provide this information by comparing the costs and consequences of alternatives. Nevertheless, only a few of the studies that consider the effectiveness of OHS interventions take the extra step of considering their resource implications. Moreover, the methodological quality of those that do is generally poor. Therefore, this study aims to help occupational health researchers conduct high-quality trial-based economic evaluations by discussing the theory and methodology that underlie them, and by providing recommendations for good practice regarding their design, analysis, and reporting. This study also helps consumers of this literature with understanding and critically appraising trial-based economic evaluations of OHS interventions. PMID:24854249

Trial-based economic evaluations in occupational health: principles, methods, and recommendations.

PubMed

van Dongen, Johanna M; van Wier, Marieke F; Tompa, Emile; Bongers, Paulien M; van der Beek, Allard J; van Tulder, Maurits W; Bosmans, Judith E

2014-06-01

To allocate available resources as efficiently as possible, decision makers need information on the relative economic merits of occupational health and safety (OHS) interventions. Economic evaluations can provide this information by comparing the costs and consequences of alternatives. Nevertheless, only a few of the studies that consider the effectiveness of OHS interventions take the extra step of considering their resource implications. Moreover, the methodological quality of those that do is generally poor. Therefore, this study aims to help occupational health researchers conduct high-quality trial-based economic evaluations by discussing the theory and methodology that underlie them, and by providing recommendations for good practice regarding their design, analysis, and reporting. This study also helps consumers of this literature with understanding and critically appraising trial-based economic evaluations of OHS interventions.

A health literacy and usability heuristic evaluation of a mobile consumer health application.

PubMed

Monkman, Helen; Kushniruk, Andre

2013-01-01

Usability and health literacy are two critical factors in the design and evaluation of consumer health information systems. However, methods for evaluating these two factors in conjunction remain limited. This study adapted a set of existing guidelines for the design of consumer health Web sites into evidence-based evaluation heuristics tailored specifically for mobile consumer health applications. In order to test the approach, a mobile consumer health application (app) was then evaluated using these heuristics. In addition to revealing ways to improve the usability of the system, this analysis identified opportunities to augment the content to make it more understandable by users with limited health literacy. This study successfully demonstrated the utility of converting existing design guidelines into heuristics for the evaluation of usability and health literacy. The heuristics generated could be applied for assessing and revising other existing consumer health information systems.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2014-01-01

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

Hybrid Approach for Automatic Evaluation of Emotion Elicitation Oriented to People with Intellectual Disabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez, R.; de Ipiña, K. López; Irigoyen, E.; Asla, N.

People with intellectual disabilities and elderly need physical and intellectual support to ensuring independent living. This is one of the main issues in applying Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into Assistive Technology field. In this sense the development of appropriated Intelligent Systems (ISs) offers new perspectives to this community. In our project a new IS system (LAGUNTXO) which adds user affective information oriented to people with intellectual disabilities has been developed. The system integrates a Human Emotion Analysis System (HEAS) which attempts to solve critical situations for this community as block stages. In the development of the HEAS one of the critical issues was to create appropriated databases to train the system due to the difficulty to simulate pre-block stages in laboratory. Finally a films and real sequences based emotion elicitation database was created. The elicitation material was categorized with more actual features based on discrete emotions and dimensional terms (pleasant, unpleasant). Classically the evaluation is carried out by a specialist (psychologist). In this work we present a hybrid approach for Automatic Evaluation of Emotion Elicitation databases based on Machine Learning classifiers and K-means clustering. The new categorization and the automatic evaluation show a high level of accuracy with respect to others methodologies presented in the literature.

Interactive visualization for scar transmurality in cardiac resynchronization therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiml, Sabrina; Toth, Daniel; Panayiotou, Maria; Fahn, Bernhard; Karim, Rashed; Behar, Jonathan M.; Rinaldi, Christopher A.; Razavi, Reza; Rhode, Kawal S.; Brost, Alexander; Mountney, Peter

2016-03-01

Heart failure is a serious disease affecting about 23 million people worldwide. Cardiac resynchronization therapy is used to treat patients suffering from symptomatic heart failure. However, 30% to 50% of patients have limited clinical benefit. One of the main causes is suboptimal placement of the left ventricular lead. Pacing in areas of myocardial scar correlates with poor clinical outcomes. Therefore precise knowledge of the individual patient's scar characteristics is critical for delivering tailored treatments capable of improving response rates. Current research methods for scar assessment either map information to an alternative non-anatomical coordinate system or they use the image coordinate system but lose critical information about scar extent and scar distribution. This paper proposes two interactive methods for visualizing relevant scar information. A 2-D slice based approach with a scar mask overlaid on a 16 segment heart model and a 3-D layered mesh visualization which allows physicians to scroll through layers of scar from endocardium to epicardium. These complementary methods enable physicians to evaluate scar location and transmurality during planning and guidance. Six physicians evaluated the proposed system by identifying target regions for lead placement. With the proposed method more target regions could be identified.

Conflict management styles among Iranian critical care nursing staff: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Ahanchian, Mohammad Reza; Emami Zeydi, Amir; Armat, Mohammad Reza

2015-01-01

Conflict among nurses has been recognized as an extremely important issue within health care settings throughout the world. Identifying the conflict management style would be a key strategy for conflict management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of conflict management styles and its related factors among Iranian critical care nursing staff. In a descriptive cross-sectional study, a total of 149 critical care nurses who worked in the critical care units of 4 teaching hospitals in Sari (Iran) were evaluated. A 2-part self-reported questionnaire including personal information and Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory II was used for data collection. Although Iranian critical care nurses used all 5 conflict management styles to manage conflict with their peers, the collaborating style was the most prevalent conflict management style used by them, followed by compromising, accommodating, avoiding, and competing. Male gender was a predictor for both compromising and competing styles, whereas position and shift time were significant predictors for compromising and competing styles, respectively. Based on the results of this study, nurse managers need to take these factors into account in designing programs to help nurses constructively manage unavoidable conflicts in health care setting.

A Futures Approach to Policy Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, James L.

An approach to policy analysis for college officials is described that is based on evaluating and using information about the external environment to consider policy options for the future. The futures approach involves the following tasks: establishing an environmental scanning system to identify critical trends and emerging issues, identifying…

Mind Map: a new way to teach patients and staff.

PubMed

Michelini, C A

2000-05-01

As home care agencies look for new ways to achieve patient outcomes and staff competencies in a cost-effective manner, Mind Map is a method that can be used to quickly organize patient and staff education while evaluating the learner's comprehension of critical information.

Quality of Online Resources for Pancreatic Cancer Patients.

PubMed

De Groot, Lauren; Harris, Ilene; Regehr, Glenn; Tekian, Ara; Ingledew, Paris-Ann

2017-10-18

The Internet is increasingly a source of information for pancreatic cancer patients. This disease is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage; therefore, timely access to high-quality information is critical. Our purpose is to systematically evaluate the information available to pancreatic cancer patients on the internet. An internet search using the term "pancreatic cancer" was performed, with the meta-search engines "Dogpile", "Yippy" and "Google". The top 100 websites returned by the search engines were evaluated using a validated structured rating tool. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated using kappa statistics and results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Amongst the 100 websites evaluated, etiology/risk factors and symptoms were the most accurately covered (70 and 67% of websites). Prevention, treatment and prognosis were the least accurate sections (55, 55 and 43% of websites). Prevention and prognosis were also the least likely to be covered with 63 and 51 websites covering these, respectively. Only 40% of websites identified an author. Twenty-two percent of websites were at a university reading level. The majority of online information is accurate but incomplete. Websites may lack information on prognosis. Many websites are outdated and lacked author information, and readability levels are inappropriate. This knowledge can inform the dialogue between healthcare providers and patients.

Critical information literacy as core skill for lifelong STEM learning in the 21st century: reflections on the desirability and feasibility for widespread science media education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storksdieck, Martin

2016-03-01

Grace Reid and the late Stephen Norris argue in this issue the urgent need for widespread Science Media Education (SME) as an integral part of formal and informal science education. SME is to achieve two goals: First, allow learners to critically evaluate any media as a source for scientific information by understanding the socio-economic and socio-cultural context of how and why news and entertainment media are created, and secondly, utilize media as a legitimate and productive source for science education and science learning. While laudable, I will argue that SME as an integral part of STEM education is unrealistic, and offer instead that the broader concept of Information Literacy might be more easily achieved within the current strong movement to conceptualize STEM education via science and engineering practices and within the broad goals of strengthening learners' 21st century skills.

Thermophysical Properties of Selected Aerospace Materials. Part 1. Thermal Radiative Properties

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-01-01

discusses the available data and information, the theoretical guidelines and other factors on which the critical evaluation, analysis, and synthesis of...text and a specification table. The former reviews and discusses the available data and information, the theoretical guidelines and other factors on...conditions 6’ Zenith angle for viewing conditions A6 Half angle of acceptance of optical system K Loss value factor X Wavelength p Reflectance p

Financial accounting for radiology executives.

PubMed

Seidmann, Abraham; Mehta, Tushar

2005-03-01

The authors review the role of financial accounting information from the perspective of a radiology executive. They begin by introducing the role of pro forma statements. They discuss the fundamental concepts of accounting, including the matching principle and accrual accounting. The authors then explore the use of financial accounting information in making investment decisions in diagnostic medical imaging. The paper focuses on critically evaluating the benefits and limitations of financial accounting for decision making in a radiology practice.

Drug Information Services Today: Current Role and Future Perspectives in Rational Drug Therapy.

PubMed

Amundstuen Reppe, Linda; Spigset, Olav; Schjøtt, Jan

2016-02-01

Polypharmacy and complex drug treatment regimens are becoming increasingly common, which may lead to adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, medication nonadherence, and increasing costs and thus challenge the rational use of drugs. At the same time, the accessibility of drug information increases, and health care professionals may have limited opportunities and capabilities to search and critically evaluate drug information. Clinicians have reported difficulties in searching the best evidence and translating study findings into clinically meaningful information applicable to specific patients. Consequently, it remains a challenge to ensure the rational use of drugs in the years to come. Drug information centers (DICs) have been established to promote the rational use of drugs. One of the most important tasks of DICs is the question and answer services for health care professionals posing drug-related questions. DICs staffed by pharmacists and clinical pharmacologists hold expertise in searching for drug information and critical evaluation of the literature. The uniqueness in this service lies not only in the identification and interpretation of the scientific literature but also in the adaptation of the findings into specific clinical situations and the discussion of possible solutions with the enquirer. Thus, DICs could provide valuable decision support to the clinic. Taking into account the increasing number of possible drug-related questions that will arise today and in the future, the DICs will remain highly relevant in the years to come. However, the DICs must follow the developments in health information technology to disseminate relevant, unbiased drug information to old and new users of the service. Moreover, the DICs are important tools to counterbalance the drug information published by the pharmaceutical industry. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

Judging nursing information on the world wide web.

PubMed

Cader, Raffik

2013-02-01

The World Wide Web is increasingly becoming an important source of information for healthcare professionals. However, finding reliable information from unauthoritative Web sites to inform healthcare can pose a challenge to nurses. A study, using grounded theory, was undertaken in two phases to understand how qualified nurses judge the quality of Web nursing information. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and focus groups. An explanatory framework that emerged from the data showed that the judgment process involved the application of forms of knowing and modes of cognition to a range of evaluative tasks and depended on the nurses' critical skills, the time available, and the level of Web information cues. This article mainly focuses on the six evaluative tasks relating to assessing user-friendliness, outlook and authority of Web pages, and relationship to nursing practice; appraising the nature of evidence; and applying cross-checking strategies. The implications of these findings to nurse practitioners and publishers of nursing information are significant.

A prospective study of short- and long-term cosmetic outcome after reduction mammaplasty from three different perspectives: the patient, a department surgeon, and an independent private practitioner in plastic surgery.

PubMed

Breiting, Line Bro; Henriksen, Trine Foged; Kalialis, Louise Vennegaard; Gramkow, Christina; Høyer, Anette Pernille

2012-08-01

Numerous studies have examined the outcome of reduction mammaplasty. This study evaluates the cosmetic outcome after reduction mammaplasty from the perspective of the patient, a ward surgeon, and a private practitioner in plastic surgery, and analyzes which factors influence it. The material stems from a Danish quality assurance program in the public health care system. Nonparametric statistics and logistic regression were used to compare cosmetic outcomes and possible confounding. Over 80 percent of the patients evaluated the short- and long-term cosmetic outcome as good or very good. The surgeons and especially the private practitioner were more critical. The evaluation of breast features also differs between patients and surgeons. The main issue for patients is symmetry. With time, patients and the private practitioner become more critical about the scars. Surgeons are most concerned about nipple bottoming out. Predictive factors for surgeons were the patient's age, body mass index, and postoperative complications. Evaluation by patients was, in addition to complications, influenced by the preoperative information given, confidence in the treatment, and the overall course on the ward. Patients evaluate cosmetic outcome significantly more favorably than surgeons and especially the private practitioner. They are also concerned about different breast features. Decreased nipple sensation does not influence the patient's evaluation. Evaluation by the surgeons depends on more objective measures than does evaluation by the patients. One must not underestimate the importance of factors such as preoperative information about the surgery and complications, together with proper and qualified care. Therapeutic, II.

Role of the independent donor advocacy team in ethical decision making.

PubMed

Rudow, Dianne LaPointe; Brown, Robert S

2005-09-01

Adult living donor liver transplantation has developed as a direct result of the critical shortage of deceased donors. Recent regulations passed by New York State require transplant programs to appoint an Independent Donor Advocacy Team to evaluate, educate, and consent to all potential living liver donors. Ethical issues surround the composition of the team, who appoints them, and the role the team plays in the process. Critics of living liver donation have questioned issues surrounding motivation and the ability of donors to provide true informed consent during a time of family crisis. This article will address issues surrounding the controversies and discuss how using the team can effectively evaluate and educate potential living liver donors and improve practice to ensure safety of living donors.

Stückelberg formulation of holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dvali, Gia; Gomez, Cesar; Wintergerst, Nico

2016-10-01

We suggest that holography can be formulated in terms of the information capacity of the Stückelberg degrees of freedom that maintain gauge invariance of the theory in the presence of an information boundary. These Stückelbergs act as qubits that account for a certain fraction of quantum information. Their information capacity is measured by the ratio of the inverse Stückelberg energy gap to the size of the system. Systems with the smallest gap are maximally holographic. For massless gauge systems this information measure is universally equal to the inverse coupling evaluated at the systems' length scale. In this language it becomes very transparent why the Stückelberg information capacity of black holes saturates the Bekenstein bound and accounts for the entire information of the system. The physical reason is that the strength of quantum interaction is bounded from below by the gravitational coupling, which scales as area. Observing the striking similarity between the scalings of the energy gap of the boundary Stückelberg modes and the Bogoliubov modes of critical many-body systems, we establish a connection between holography and quantum criticality through the correspondence between these modes.

Interventions to improve patient understanding of cancer clinical trial participation: a systematic review.

PubMed

Kao, C Y; Aranda, S; Krishnasamy, M; Hamilton, B

2017-03-01

Patient misunderstanding of cancer clinical trial participation is identified as a critical issue and researchers have developed and tested a variety of interventions to improve patient understanding. This systematic review identified nine papers published between 2000 and 2013, to evaluate the effects of interventions to improve patient understanding of cancer clinical trial participation. Types of interventions included audio-visual information, revised written information and a communication training workshop. Interventions were conducted alone or in combination with other forms of information provision. The nine papers, all with methodological limitations, reported mixed effects on a small range of outcomes regarding improved patient understanding of cancer clinical trial participation. The methodological limitations included: (1) the intervention development process was poorly described; (2) only a small element of the communication process was addressed; (3) studies lacked evidence regarding what information is essential and critical to enable informed consent; (4) studies lacked reliable and valid outcome measures to show that patients are sufficiently informed to provide consent; and (5) the intervention development process lacked a theoretical framework. Future research needs to consider these factors when developing interventions to improve communication and patient understanding during the informed consent process. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Learning from Errors: Critical Incident Reporting in Nursing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gartmeier, Martin; Ottl, Eva; Bauer, Johannes; Berberat, Pascal Oliver

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize error reporting as a strategy for informal workplace learning and investigate nurses' error reporting cost/benefit evaluations and associated behaviors. Design/methodology/approach: A longitudinal survey study was carried out in a hospital setting with two measurements (time 1 [t1]:…

Defining the Role of Public Health in Disaster Recovery: An Evaluation of State Public Health Planning Efforts

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

Recovery Handbook 2 (Mt. Macedon, Victoria (Australia): Australian Emergency Management Institute, 2011). 68 Melissa Taylor Bell and Irakli Khodeli...Melissa Taylor and Irakli Khodeli. “Public Health Worker Shortages.” Trends Alert: Critical Information for State Decision-Makers (2004, November

Assessment of Learning Outcomes in Finnish Vocational Education and Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Räisänen, Anu; Räkköläinen, Mari

2014-01-01

This article provides an outline and critical review of assessment, an evaluation of learning outcomes, in vocational education and training (VET) in Finland. Assessment of VET is formative, development-orientated and criteria-based. There are no national tests and information from vocational skills demonstrations is used instead. Assessment…

Building Participation through Market Research. The Guide Series in Continuing Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, M. Donald

Market research, important for professional renewal, is a critical part of continuing education program planning. It includes attention to learning needs and learner motivation to participate in continuing education. Informal market research makes use of internal sources, such as enrollment data, program evaluations, policy statements, and staff…

Managing Innovation in English Language Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waters, Alan

2009-01-01

Innovation in English language education (ELE) has become a major "growth area" in recent years. At the same time, an ELE innovation management literature has also developed, based on insights from innovation theory and their application, both from outside and within ELE, and concerned with attempting to critically evaluate and inform ELE…

Using Social Network Analysis to Evaluate Research Productivity and Collaborations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Royal, Kenneth D.; Akers, Kathryn S.; Lybarger, Melanie A.; Zakrajsek, Todd D.

2014-01-01

Research productivity and collaborations are essential aspects of advancing academia. Publishing is a critical mechanism in higher education to allow faculty members to share new information in all disciplinary fields. Due to its importance, scholarly work is often heavily considered for promotion, tenure, compensation, and other merit decisions.…

Relevance: The Search for a Definition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schamber, Linda; Eisenberg, Michael

Arguing that relevance judgments are fundamental to the design and evaluation of all information retrieval systems, and that a consensus on the definition of the central concept of relevance has not been reached, this paper begins by critically reviewing four approaches to the problem of defining relevance: (1) the system-oriented approach…

Improving Undergraduate Climate Change Literacy through Writing: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Small Griswold, Jennifer D.

2017-01-01

A climate-literate population, capable of making informed decisions related to climate change, is of critical importance as society faces ever-increasing global temperatures and changes in the climate system. This project evaluates the effectiveness of a novel instructional approach that incorporates climate change science into a first-year…

Multimedia Production: A Critical Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutton, Ronald E.

This paper synthesizes speculation in the professional literature about the future impact of multimedia. Many experts believe that multimedia will soon become the major focus of entertainment dollars and time because its versatility gives it the potential to be a very powerful way to communicate ideas and search for information. In its current…

Web Thermo Tables (WTT) - Professional Edition

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 203 NIST/TRC Web Thermo Tables (WTT) - Professional Edition (Online Subscription)   WTT - Professional Edition, a Web version of the TRC Thermodynamic Tables, represents a complete collection of critically evaluated thermodynamic property data primarily for pure organic compounds. As of Nov. 2011, WTT contains information on 23999 compounds.

Milestones of critical thinking: a developmental model for medicine and nursing.

PubMed

Papp, Klara K; Huang, Grace C; Lauzon Clabo, Laurie M; Delva, Dianne; Fischer, Melissa; Konopasek, Lyuba; Schwartzstein, Richard M; Gusic, Maryellen

2014-05-01

Critical thinking is essential to a health professional's competence to assess, diagnose, and care for patients. Defined as the ability to apply higher-order cognitive skills (conceptualization, analysis, evaluation) and the disposition to be deliberate about thinking (being open-minded or intellectually honest) that lead to action that is logical and appropriate, critical thinking represents a "meta-competency" that transcends other knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors required in health care professions. Despite its importance, the developmental stages of critical thinking have not been delineated for nurses and physicians. As part of a task force of educators who considered different developmental stage theories, the authors have iteratively refined and proposed milestones in critical thinking. The attributes associated with unreflective, beginning, practicing, advanced, accomplished, and challenged critical thinkers are conceived as independent of an individual's level of training. Depending on circumstances and environmental factors, even the most experienced clinician may demonstrate attributes associated with a challenged thinker. The authors use the illustrative case of a patient with abdominal pain to demonstrate how critical thinking may manifest in learners at different stages of development, analyzing how the learner at each stage applies information obtained in the patient interaction to arrive at a differential diagnosis and plan for evaluation. The authors share important considerations and provide this work as a foundation for the development of effective approaches to teaching and promoting critical thinking and to establishing expectations for learners in this essential meta-competency.

Critical care procedure logging using handheld computers

PubMed Central

Carlos Martinez-Motta, J; Walker, Robin; Stewart, Thomas E; Granton, John; Abrahamson, Simon; Lapinsky, Stephen E

2004-01-01

Introduction We conducted this study to evaluate the feasibility of implementing an internet-linked handheld computer procedure logging system in a critical care training program. Methods Subspecialty trainees in the Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care at the University of Toronto received and were trained in the use of Palm handheld computers loaded with a customized program for logging critical care procedures. The procedures were entered into the handheld device using checkboxes and drop-down lists, and data were uploaded to a central database via the internet. To evaluate the feasibility of this system, we tracked the utilization of this data collection system. Benefits and disadvantages were assessed through surveys. Results All 11 trainees successfully uploaded data to the central database, but only six (55%) continued to upload data on a regular basis. The most common reason cited for not using the system pertained to initial technical problems with data uploading. From 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003, a total of 914 procedures were logged. Significant variability was noted in the number of procedures logged by individual trainees (range 13–242). The database generated by regular users provided potentially useful information to the training program director regarding the scope and location of procedural training among the different rotations and hospitals. Conclusion A handheld computer procedure logging system can be effectively used in a critical care training program. However, user acceptance was not uniform, and continued training and support are required to increase user acceptance. Such a procedure database may provide valuable information that may be used to optimize trainees' educational experience and to document clinical training experience for licensing and accreditation. PMID:15469577

Addressing critical issues in the development of an Oncology Information System.

PubMed

Urda, D; Ribelles, N; Subirats, J L; Franco, L; Alba, E; Jerez, J M

2013-05-01

This paper presents the experience on the design and implementation of a user-centered Oncology Information System developed for the Medical Oncology Department at the "Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria", in Málaga, Spain. The project focused on the aspects considered in the literature as critical factors for a successful deployment and usage of a health information system. System usability, adequate technology, integration of clinical routines, real-time statistical analysis of data, information confidentiality and standard protocol-based external interconnection were the key aspects considered. The developed system is based on a web application with a modular and layered architecture accounting for usability, ease of maintenance and further system development. Evaluation of system usability was carried at three and fifteen months after system deployment to analyze the advantages/disadvantages experienced by the end-users. A thorough prior analysis of clinical activities and workflows, the use of the adequate technology, and the availability of data analysis tools will almost guarantee success in the deployment of an Oncology Information System. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

6 CFR 29.4 - Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Program administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...) Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Management System (PCIIMS). The PCII Program Manager shall... be known as the “Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Management System” (PCIIMS), to record... 6 Domestic Security 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Protected Critical Infrastructure Information...

6 CFR 29.4 - Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Program administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...) Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Management System (PCIIMS). The PCII Program Manager shall... be known as the “Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Management System” (PCIIMS), to record... 6 Domestic Security 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Protected Critical Infrastructure Information...

6 CFR 29.4 - Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Program administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Management System (PCIIMS). The PCII Program Manager shall... be known as the “Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Management System” (PCIIMS), to record... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Protected Critical Infrastructure Information...

6 CFR 29.4 - Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Program administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...) Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Management System (PCIIMS). The PCII Program Manager shall... be known as the “Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Management System” (PCIIMS), to record... 6 Domestic Security 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Protected Critical Infrastructure Information...

6 CFR 29.4 - Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Program administration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...) Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Management System (PCIIMS). The PCII Program Manager shall... be known as the “Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Management System” (PCIIMS), to record... 6 Domestic Security 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Protected Critical Infrastructure Information...

76 FR 515 - Endangered and Threatened Species, Designation of Critical Habitat for Southern Distinct...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-05

...We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), propose to designate critical habitat for the southern Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of Pacific eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus), which was recently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We have proposed 12 specific areas for designation as critical habitat within the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. The proposed areas are a combination of freshwater creeks and rivers and their associated estuaries which comprise approximately 470 km (292 mi) of habitat. Three particular areas are proposed for exclusion after evaluating the impacts and benefits associated with tribal land ownership and management by Indian tribes, but no areas are proposed for exclusion based on economic impacts. We are soliciting comments from the public on all aspects of the proposal, including information on the economic, national security, and other relevant impacts of the proposed designation, as well as the benefits to the southern DPS of eulachon from designation. We will consider additional information received prior to making a final designation.

18 CFR 388.112 - Requests for privileged treatment and Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII) treatment...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... treatment and Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII) treatment for documents submitted to the... treatment and Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII) treatment for documents submitted to the... of exemption from disclosure under FOIA, including critical energy infrastructure information (CEII...

18 CFR 388.112 - Requests for privileged treatment and Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII) treatment...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... treatment and Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII) treatment for documents submitted to the... treatment and Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII) treatment for documents submitted to the... of exemption from disclosure under FOIA, including critical energy infrastructure information (CEII...

Implementation of a pediatric critical care focused bedside ultrasound training program in a large academic PICU.

PubMed

Conlon, Thomas W; Himebauch, Adam S; Fitzgerald, Julie C; Chen, Aaron E; Dean, Anthony J; Panebianco, Nova; Darge, Kassa; Cohen, Meryl S; Greeley, William J; Berg, Robert A; Nishisaki, Akira

2015-03-01

To determine the feasibility and describe the process of implementing a pediatric critical care bedside ultrasound program in a large academic PICU and to evaluate the impact of bedside ultrasound on clinical management. Retrospective case series, description of program implementation. Single-center quaternary noncardiac PICU in a children's hospital. Consecutive patients from January 22, 2012, to July 22, 2012, with bedside ultrasounds performed and interpreted by pediatric critical care practitioners. A pediatric critical care bedside ultrasound program consisting of a 2-day immersive course followed by clinical performance with internal quality assurance review was implemented. Studies performed in the PICU following training were documented and reviewed against reference standards including subspecialist-performed ultrasound or clinical response. Seventeen critical care faculties and eight fellows recorded 201 bedside ultrasound studies over 6 months in defined core applications: 57 procedural (28%), 76 hemodynamic (38%), 35 thoracic (17%), and 33 abdominal (16%). A quality assurance review identified 23 studies (16% of all nonprocedural studies) as critical (affected clinical management or gave valuable information). Forty-eight percent of those studies (11/23) were within the hemodynamic core. The proportion of critical studies were not significantly different across the applications (hemodynamic, 11/76 [15%] vs thoracic and abdominal, 12/68 [18%]; p = 0.65). Examples of critical studies include evidence of tamponade secondary to pleural effusions, identification of pulmonary hypertension, hemodynamic assessment before tracheal intubation, recognition of hypovolemia and systemic vascular resistance abnormalities, determination of pneumothorax, location of chest tube and urinary catheter, and differentiation of pleural fluid from pulmonary consolidation. Implementation of a critical care bedside ultrasound program for critical care providers in a large academic PICU is feasible. Bedside ultrasound evaluation and interpretation by intensivists affected the management of critically ill children.

Finding Outbreaks Faster

PubMed Central

Smolinski, Mark S.; Olsen, Jennifer M.

2017-01-01

Rapid detection, reporting, and response to an infectious disease outbreak are critical to prevent localized health events from emerging as pandemic threats. Metrics to evaluate the timeliness of these critical activities, however, are lacking. Easily understood and comparable measures for tracking progress and encouraging investment in rapid detection, reporting, and response are sorely needed. We propose that the timeliness of outbreak detection, reporting, laboratory confirmation, response, and public communication should be considered as measures for improving global health security at the national level, allowing countries to track progress over time and inform investments in disease surveillance. PMID:28384035

Can paying for results help to achieve the Millennium Development Goals? A critical review of selected evaluations of results-based financing.

PubMed

Oxman, Andrew D; Fretheim, Atle

2009-08-01

Results-based financing (RBF) refers to the transfer of money or material goods conditional on taking a measurable action or achieving a predetermined performance target. RBF is being promoted for helping to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We undertook a critical appraisal of selected evaluations of RBF schemes in the health sector in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). In addition, key informants were interviewed to identify literature relevant to the use of RBF in the health sector in LMIC, key examples, evaluations, and other key informants. The use of RBF in LMIC has commonly been a part of a package that may include increased funding, technical support, training, changes in management, and new information systems. It is not possible to disentangle the effects of financial incentives as one element of RBF schemes, and there is very limited evidence of RBF per se having an effect. RBF schemes can have unintended effects. When RBF schemes are used, they should be designed carefully, including the level at which they are targeted, the choice of targets and indicators, the type and magnitude of incentives, the proportion of financing that is paid based on results, and the ancillary components of the scheme. For RBF to be effective, it must be part of an appropriate package of interventions, and technical capacity or support must be available. RBF schemes should be monitored for possible unintended effects and evaluated using rigorous study designs. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd and Chinese Cochrane Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University.

A critical evaluation of reports associating ayahuasca with life-threatening adverse reactions.

PubMed

dos Santos, Rafael Guimarāes

2013-01-01

Ayahuasca is a botanical hallucinogenic preparation traditionally consumed by Northwestern Amazonian indigenous groups. Scientific evidence suggests good tolerability after acute administration of ayahuasca and also after years or even decades of its ritual consumption. Nevertheless, some scientific and media reports associate ayahuasca or some of its alkaloids with severe intoxications. The purpose of the present text is to do a critical evaluation of these reports. The evaluation of the cases highlights the fact that some lack accurate forensic/toxicological information, while others are not directly relevant to traditional ayahuasca preparations. These limitations reduce the possibility of an accurate risk assessment, which could indicate potential contraindications and susceptibilities for ayahuasca consumption. Nevertheless, even with these limitations, the cases suggest that previous cardiac and hepatic pathologies and current use of serotonergic drugs/medications are contraindications to ayahuasca use, and that caution should be taken when using different botanical species and extracted/synthetic alkaloids to prepare ayahuasca analogues.

18 CFR 375.313 - Delegations to the Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator. 375.313 Section 375.313 Conservation of Power and... COMMISSION Delegations § 375.313 Delegations to the Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator... requests for critical energy infrastructure information as defined in § 388.113(c)(1). (b) Make...

18 CFR 375.313 - Delegations to the Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator. 375.313 Section 375.313 Conservation of Power and... COMMISSION Delegations § 375.313 Delegations to the Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator... requests for critical energy infrastructure information as defined in § 388.113(c)(1). (b) Make...

18 CFR 375.313 - Delegations to the Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator. 375.313 Section 375.313 Conservation of Power and... COMMISSION Delegations § 375.313 Delegations to the Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator... requests for critical energy infrastructure information as defined in § 388.113(c)(1). (b) Make...

18 CFR 375.313 - Delegations to the Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator. 375.313 Section 375.313 Conservation of Power and... COMMISSION Delegations § 375.313 Delegations to the Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator... requests for critical energy infrastructure information as defined in § 388.113(c)(1). (b) Make...

18 CFR 375.313 - Delegations to the Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator. 375.313 Section 375.313 Conservation of Power and... COMMISSION Delegations § 375.313 Delegations to the Critical Energy Infrastructure Information Coordinator... requests for critical energy infrastructure information as defined in § 388.113(c)(1). (b) Make...

Expert decision-making strategies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mosier, Kathleen L.

1991-01-01

A recognition-primed decisions (RPD) model is employed as a framework to investigate crew decision-making processes. The quality of information transfer, a critical component of the team RPD model and an indicator of the team's 'collective consciouness', is measured and analyzed with repect to crew performance. As indicated by the RPD model, timing and patterns of information search transfer were expected to reflect extensive and continual situation assessment, and serial evaluation of alternative states of the world or decision response options.

Usability of American Nurses Association State Web Sites: A Follow-up Evaluation.

PubMed

Koch, Gina; Wakefield, Bonnie J; Alexander, Gregory L; Wilson, Melissa A; Becker, Colleen

2016-05-01

The American Nurses Association supports professional nurses through Web sites administered by state nursing associations, providing important information for current and potential members. Optimal usability of these Web sites is critical for nurses to obtain the information they seek. Heuristic evaluations are general criteria used to evaluate the usability of technology such as Web sites. A study published in 2014, using heuristic criteria from Nielsen's 10 principles and Health on The Web, evaluated 27 state nursing Web sites to identify usability concerns that could prevent nurses from obtaining accurate information regarding state nursing practice. The purpose of this study is to conduct a second heuristic evaluation to assess for changes in a subset of 12 Web sites. The analysis comparing the evaluation from 2012 to 2014 found that mean scores increased and variance decreased; however, no statistically significant difference was found between the two studies. Scores increased in 2014 for "help users to diagnose, and recover from errors," "match between the system and real world," and "consistency and standards." Scores decreased due to absence of mission statements and identification of intended audience. Ideally, Web site designers will use the feedback from this study and make changes that improve their usability to provide information to nurses.

How to write a critically appraised topic (CAT).

PubMed

Sadigh, Gelareh; Parker, Robert; Kelly, Aine Marie; Cronin, Paul

2012-07-01

Medical knowledge and the volume of scientific articles published have expanded rapidly over the past 50 years. Evidence-based practice (EBP) has developed to help health practitioners get more benefit from the increasing volume of information to solve complex health problems. A format for sharing information in EBP is the critically appraised topic (CAT). A CAT is a standardized summary of research evidence organized around a clinical question, aimed at providing both a critique of the research and a statement of the clinical relevance of results. In this review, we explain the five steps involved in writing a CAT for a clinical purpose ("Ask," "Search," "Appraise," "Apply," and "Evaluate") and introduce some of the useful electronic resources available to help in creating CATs. Copyright © 2012 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Use of Digital Health Records and "WebMovil" corporate service in the communication management of critical results of Microbiology, in the context of a primary health care area].

PubMed

Guzmán-González, A F; Navajas-Luque, F; de la Torre-Fernández, J

2014-03-01

The objective was to describe and evaluate a new communication protocol of reporting critical results applied to Microbiology in a health area of Andalusia. The size and type of the critical values of Microbiology are analyzed for primary care patients. A new computerized reporting system was analyzed, in real time, through Diraya Digital Health Records, which integrates the analytical test module (MPA). The protocol is complemented, in collaboration with the Information Technology (IT), with the Junta de Andalucía short message service (SMS) "WebMovil". The total number of notices of critical results by the new protocol in 2012 was 817. The number of critical values for primary care was 570, of which 90 were for Microbiology. The most frequent notice was by isolation in the stool culture (n = 51; 56.67%). The prevalence of the critical values of Microbiology in primary care was 0.45/100. The average time of notifications was 13 minutes. The success rate of notifications was 97.7% and 0% obtained in the number of withdrawals. In 99.93% of cases the contact with the patient was stated and in 98.55% the medical intervention was also confirmed. Communication by a computerized system linked to the SMS technology showed a reduction in the time of notification, and produced additional benefits, such as eliminating the risk of error when there is no repetition of information from the recipient received by the laboratory. Furthermore, the use of SMS messages ensures that doctors on duty always receive information immediately.

Nurse educators' perceptions of critical thinking in developing countries: Ghana as a case study.

PubMed

Boso, Christian Makafui; Gross, Janet J

2015-01-01

The ability to critically evaluate information for the purpose of rendering health care is a prerequisite for modern nurses in a complex and ever-changing health care environment. The nurse educators' perceptions influence the utilization of critical thinking strategies in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to assess nursing faculty's perceptions of critical thinking. Using a questionnaire 106 nurse educators from two types of nursing educational program self-reported their perceptions. Data were collected from November 2013 to March 2014. Results were presented using frequencies, percentages, and t-test. The findings revealed that majority (95.3%) of nurse educators could not provide definitions that captured both affective and cognitive aspects of critical thinking. However, the majority of nurse educators had positive perceptions of critical thinking. Nurse educators in universities had more positive perceptions of critical thinking than those in the nurses' training colleges (P=0.007). The results suggested that the current nursing programs are not preparing nurses with the necessary critical thinking skills for the complex health care environment. Professional development programs in critical thinking should be instituted for nurse educators to assist them in developing appropriate teaching strategies to foster students' acquisition of critical thinking skills.

Developing Visualization Techniques for Semantics-based Information Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, Richard M.; Hall, David R.

2003-01-01

Information systems incorporating complex network structured information spaces with a semantic underpinning - such as hypermedia networks, semantic networks, topic maps, and concept maps - are being deployed to solve some of NASA s critical information management problems. This paper describes some of the human interaction and navigation problems associated with complex semantic information spaces and describes a set of new visual interface approaches to address these problems. A key strategy is to leverage semantic knowledge represented within these information spaces to construct abstractions and views that will be meaningful to the human user. Human-computer interaction methodologies will guide the development and evaluation of these approaches, which will benefit deployed NASA systems and also apply to information systems based on the emerging Semantic Web.

Evaluating Varied Label Designs for Use with Medical Devices: Optimized Labels Outperform Existing Labels in the Correct Selection of Devices and Time to Select.

PubMed

Bix, Laura; Seo, Do Chan; Ladoni, Moslem; Brunk, Eric; Becker, Mark W

2016-01-01

Effective standardization of medical device labels requires objective study of varied designs. Insufficient empirical evidence exists regarding how practitioners utilize and view labeling. Measure the effect of graphic elements (boxing information, grouping information, symbol use and color-coding) to optimize a label for comparison with those typical of commercial medical devices. Participants viewed 54 trials on a computer screen. Trials were comprised of two labels that were identical with regard to graphics, but differed in one aspect of information (e.g., one had latex, the other did not). Participants were instructed to select the label along a given criteria (e.g., latex containing) as quickly as possible. Dependent variables were binary (correct selection) and continuous (time to correct selection). Eighty-nine healthcare professionals were recruited at Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) conferences, and using a targeted e-mail of AST members. Symbol presence, color coding and grouping critical pieces of information all significantly improved selection rates and sped time to correct selection (α = 0.05). Conversely, when critical information was graphically boxed, probability of correct selection and time to selection were impaired (α = 0.05). Subsequently, responses from trials containing optimal treatments (color coded, critical information grouped with symbols) were compared to two labels created based on a review of those commercially available. Optimal labels yielded a significant positive benefit regarding the probability of correct choice ((P<0.0001) LSM; UCL, LCL: 97.3%; 98.4%, 95.5%)), as compared to the two labels we created based on commercial designs (92.0%; 94.7%, 87.9% and 89.8%; 93.0%, 85.3%) and time to selection. Our study provides data regarding design factors, namely: color coding, symbol use and grouping of critical information that can be used to significantly enhance the performance of medical device labels.

The Asthma Kiosk: A Patient-centered Technology for Collaborative Decision Support in the Emergency Department

PubMed Central

Porter, Stephen C.; Cai, Zhaohui; Gribbons, William; Goldmann, Donald A.; Kohane, Isaac S.

2004-01-01

The authors report on the development and evaluation of a novel patient-centered technology that promotes capture of critical information necessary to drive guideline-based care for pediatric asthma. The design of this application, the asthma kiosk, addresses five critical issues for patient-centered technology that promotes guideline-based care: (1) a front-end mechanism for patient-driven data capture, (2) neutrality regarding patients' medical expertise and technical backgrounds, (3) granular capture of medication data directly from the patient, (4) formal algorithms linking patient-level semantics and asthma guidelines, and (5) output to both patients and clinical providers regarding best practice. The formative evaluation of the asthma kiosk demonstrates its ability to capture patient-specific data during real-time care in the emergency department (ED) with a mean completion time of 11 minutes. The asthma kiosk successfully links parents' data to guideline recommendations and identifies data critical to health improvements for asthmatic children that otherwise remains undocumented during ED-based care. PMID:15298999

The ENEA criticality accident dosimetry system: a contribution to the 2002 international intercomparison at the SILENE reactor.

PubMed

Gualdrini, G; Bedogni, R; Fantuzzi, E; Mariotti, F

2004-01-01

The present paper summarises the activity carried out at the ENEA Radiation Protection Institute for updating the methodologies employed for the evaluation of the neutron and photon dose to the exposed workers in case of a criticality accident, in the framework of the 'International Intercomparison of Criticality Accident Dosimetry Systems' (Silène reactor, IRSN-CEA-Valduc June 2002). The evaluation of the neutron spectra and the neutron dosimetric quantities relies on activation detectors and on unfolding algorithms. Thermoluminescent detectors are employed for the gamma dose measurement. The work is aimed at accurately characterising the measurement system and, at the same time, testing the algorithms. Useful spectral information were included, based on Monte Carlo simulations, to take into account the potential accident scenarios of practical interest. All along this exercise intercomparison a particular attention was devoted to the 'traceability' of all the experimental and computational parameters and therefore, aimed at an easy treatment by the user.

Communicating immunization science: the genesis and evolution of the National Network for Immunization Information.

PubMed

Ledford, Christy J W; Willett, Kristen L; Kreps, Gary L

2012-01-01

For 10 years, the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii) has pursued its goal to "provide the public, health professionals, policy makers, and the media with up-to-date, scientifically valid information related to immunizations to help them understand the issues and to make informed decisions." This investigation provides a critical evaluation of the strategic communication planning and implementation of NNii from conception to present day. The study uses a case study methodology, developing a systematic analysis of organizational documents, the media environment, and in-depth interviews by applying Weick's model of organizing as an interpretive framework. Iterative data analysis included open coding, axial coding, and thematic saturation. Themes were compared with phases of strategic communication and present study propositions. Major themes identified included the organization's informative nature, funding credibility, nonbranding, reflective evaluation, collaborative partnerships, and media strategy. NNii meets the requirements of requisite variety, nonsummativity, and organizational flexibility proposed by Weick's model of organizing. However, a lack of systematic evaluation of organization goals prevents it from adapting communication tactics and strategies. In addition, the authors recommend that NNii, while maintaining its informative nature, adopt persuasive strategies to attract and retain the attention of its target audiences.

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

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

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

The neural dynamics of updating person impressions

PubMed Central

Cai, Yang; Todorov, Alexander

2013-01-01

Person perception is a dynamic, evolving process. Because other people are an endless source of social information, people need to update their impressions of others based upon new information. We devised an fMRI study to identify brain regions involved in updating impressions. Participants saw faces paired with valenced behavioral information and were asked to form impressions of these individuals. Each face was seen five times in a row, each time with a different behavioral description. Critically, for half of the faces the behaviors were evaluatively consistent, while for the other half they were inconsistent. In line with prior work, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) was associated with forming impressions of individuals based on behavioral information. More importantly, a whole-brain analysis revealed a network of other regions associated with updating impressions of individuals who exhibited evaluatively inconsistent behaviors, including rostrolateral PFC, superior temporal sulcus, right inferior parietal lobule and posterior cingulate cortex. PMID:22490923

A Critical Evaluation of Mathematics Courses in Architectural Education and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cikis, Seniz

2010-01-01

Mathematics courses are integral part of architectural education. The content and objectives of these courses were determined in the Age of Enlightenment. Although conditions have changed since then, they still exist without being subjected to a radical revision. This study aims to introduce the necessary information for upgrading the content of…

Evaluation Utilization by Leaders in Student Affairs Units

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calvert, Jennifer Joy

2011-01-01

While strong evidence exists that the use of data in decision-making is critical for quality improvement and effective student outcomes at the university, institutions of higher education are not using the data from assessments to inform their decision-making processes. The disconnect between what current research describes as the effective use of…

"To Err Is Human, but to Persist Is Diabolical": Loss of Organizational Memory and E-Learning Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozdemir, Selcuk

2010-01-01

Many countries around the world install millions of computers, printers, projectors, smartboards, and similar technologies in primary and secondary schools to equip new generations with the ability to effectively access and critically evaluate information and communication technologies. However, experiences from different countries show that…

Improving the Quality of and Access to Federally Funded, Digital Out of School Time Tutoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burch, Patricia; Heinrich, Carolyn; Good, Annalee

2013-01-01

Because digital tutoring is rapidly expanding, more rigorous, independent evaluations of their effectiveness is critical to inform federal, state, and local policy decisions that influence their role and application of technology in educating underserved students. The in-depth observations and vignettes in this paper illustrate the challenges in…

Sharpening the Digital Nose: Evaluating eStorybooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roslund, Samantha

2012-01-01

School librarians are experts at so many things: navigating the seas of digital information to find an elusive article, creating interactive forums in which kids learn to collaborate and create, and, of course, critically selecting materials. Some have been reading and reviewing books for so long they can smell a stinker from a mile away or…

Family Health History Communication Networks of Older Adults: Importance of Social Relationships and Disease Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashida, Sato; Kaphingst, Kimberly A.; Goodman, Melody; Schafer, Ellen J.

2013-01-01

Older individuals play a critical role in disseminating family health history (FHH) information that can facilitate disease prevention among younger family members. This study evaluated the characteristics of older adults and their familial networks associated with two types of communication ("have shared" and "intend to share…

Critical Evaluation of Internet Resources for Teaching Trend and Variability in Bivariate Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forster, Pat

2007-01-01

A search on the Internet for resources for teaching statistics yields multiple sites with data sets, projects, worksheets, applets, and software. Often these are made available without information on how they might benefit learning. This paper addresses potential benefits from resources that target trend and variability relationships in bivariate…

Computer Aided Instruction: A Study of Student Evaluations and Academic Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, David; Deck, Alan; McCrickard, Myra

2008-01-01

Computer aided instruction (CAI) encompasses a broad range of computer technologies that supplement the classroom learning environment and can dramatically increase a student's access to information. Criticism of CAI generally focuses on two issues: it lacks an adequate foundation in educational theory and the software is difficult to implement…

In Pursuit of Alternatives in ELT Methodology: WebQuests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sen, Ayfer; Neufeld, Steve

2006-01-01

Although the Internet has opened up a vast new source of information for university students to use and explore, many students lack the skills to find, critically evaluate and intelligently exploit web-based resources. This problem is accentuated in English-medium universities where students learn and use English as a foreign language. In these…

Special Educational Needs of Children with Chronic Disease.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodabaugh, Barbara; McNabb, Wylie

A 4 year study is being conducted with 150 children (9 to 14 years old) to develop and evaluate a self management system for children with asthma. Ss receive a variety of educational "treatments" for their asthma, including information giving sessions, peer and family support groups, and relaxation training. Critical Incident Interviews, as well…

Selection of Technical Communication Concepts for Integration into an Accounting Information Systems Course: A WAC Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelinas, Ulric J., Jr.; Rama, D. V.; Skelton, Terrance M.

1997-01-01

Profiles a writing-across-the-curriculum project in an accountancy program. Notes that the team's collaborative process produced three critical planning decisions: (1) establishing "fitness-for-use" for evaluating student communications; (2) selecting only those forms of communication used in accountancy; and (3) teaching only those…

Management and techniques for riparian restorations: roads field guide, vol. I

Treesearch

Roads/Riparian Restoration Team

2002-01-01

Improperly constructed or maintained roads near riparian and wetland areas may degrade these valuable sites. Degradation affects many aspects of the riparian and wetland ecosystems. This field guide presents information in a practical, user friendly format to help resource managers and professionals. Well-documented evaluation and monitoring strategies are critical in...

Management and techniques for riparian restorations: roads field guide, vol. II

Treesearch

Roads/Riparian Restoration Team

2002-01-01

Improperly constructed or maintained roads near riparian and wetland areas may degrade these valuable sites. Degradation affects many aspects of the riparian and wetland ecosystems. This field guide presents information in a practical, user friendly format to help resource managers and professionals. Well-documented evaluation and monitoring strategies are critical in...

77 FR 72858 - Toxicological Review of Inorganic Arsenic (Cancer and Noncancer Effects): In Support of Summary...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-06

... public stakeholder workshop to inform the development of a state of the science toxicological review of... database. Workshop participants will be asked to highlight significant new and emerging research, discuss methods for evaluating literature, identify critical research issues (including mode of action) that may...

Evaluating Information Quality: Hidden Biases on the Children's Web Pages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurubacak, Gulsun

2006-01-01

As global digital communication continues to flourish, the Children's Web pages become more critical for children to realize not only the surface but also breadth and deeper meanings in presenting these milieus. These pages not only are very diverse and complex but also enable intense communication across social, cultural and political…

Searching and Researching on the Internet and the World Wide Web.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ackerman, Ernest; Hartman, Karen

This book focuses on formulating Internet search strategies, understanding how to form search expressions, critically evaluating information, and citing resources. It is written for users who are acquainted with the fundamental operations of a personal computer, as well as those with more online experience. The book is arranged so that the…

Grading the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations in clinical dentistry: a critical review of 2 prominent approaches.

PubMed

Faggion, Clovis Mariano

2010-06-01

The objective of this article was to critically review 2 prominent approaches used to grade the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations. Every year much information becomes available as a result of publication of scientific papers, and clinicians should be able to assess current evidence so they, along with their patients, can make the most appropriate clinical decisions. This is particularly important when there is little or no high-quality evidence available about the subject of interest. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) and the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT) were evaluated. Strengths and weaknesses of these 2 systems are discussed, mainly on the basis of their relevance to clinical dentistry. The conclusion was that use of a system for grading the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations is urgently required because of the great heterogeneity of the quality and type of evidence relating to many dental procedures. Use of such a system will enable clinicians and their patients to make more informed decisions.

Risk maps for navigation in liver surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, C.; Zidowitz, S.; Schenk, A.; Oldhafer, K.-J.; Lang, H.; Peitgen, H.-O.

2010-02-01

The optimal transfer of preoperative planning data and risk evaluations to the operative site is challenging. A common practice is to use preoperative 3D planning models as a printout or as a presentation on a display. One important aspect is that these models were not developed to provide information in complex workspaces like the operating room. Our aim is to reduce the visual complexity of 3D planning models by mapping surgically relevant information onto a risk map. Therefore, we present methods for the identification and classification of critical anatomical structures in the proximity of a preoperatively planned resection surface. Shadow-like distance indicators are introduced to encode the distance from the resection surface to these critical structures on the risk map. In addition, contour lines are used to accentuate shape and spatial depth. The resulting visualization is clear and intuitive, allowing for a fast mental mapping of the current resection surface to the risk map. Preliminary evaluations by liver surgeons indicate that damage to risk structures may be prevented and patient safety may be enhanced using the proposed methods.

Evaluating hydrological response to forecasted land-use change—scenario testing with the automated geospatial watershed assessment (AGWA) tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kepner, William G.; Semmens, Darius J.; Hernandez, Mariano; Goodrich, David C.

2009-01-01

Envisioning and evaluating future scenarios has emerged as a critical component of both science and social decision-making. The ability to assess, report, map, and forecast the life support functions of ecosystems is absolutely critical to our capacity to make informed decisions to maintain the sustainable nature of our ecosystem services now and into the future. During the past two decades, important advances in the integration of remote imagery, computer processing, and spatial-analysis technologies have been used to develop landscape information that can be integrated with hydrologic models to determine long-term change and make predictive inferences about the future. Two diverse case studies in northwest Oregon (Willamette River basin) and southeastern Arizona (San Pedro River) were examined in regard to future land use scenarios relative to their impact on surface water conditions (e.g., sediment yield and surface runoff) using hydrologic models associated with the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool. The base reference grid for land cover was modified in both study locations to reflect stakeholder preferences 20 to 60 yrs into the future, and the consequences of landscape change were evaluated relative to the selected future scenarios. The two studies provide examples of integrating hydrologic modeling with a scenario analysis framework to evaluate plausible future forecasts and to understand the potential impact of landscape change on ecosystem services.

A Critical Examination of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Management Information Distributed to Parents.

PubMed

Boddé, Tamar Roos Annemarie; Scheinberg, Adam; McKinlay, Audrey

2015-01-01

Considerable confusion surrounds pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and its management. This study provides a comparison between mTBI management pamphlets distributed by Australasian hospitals and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gold standard. Twenty-seven different pamphlets were collected from 96 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand and were assessed for readability, compliance with nine CDC criteria, and inclusion of confusing or incorrect information. None of the pamphlets completely complied with the CDC criteria and all included incorrect information. Findings demonstrate that mTBI management information in Australasia needs urgent revision, and evaluation in other countries is strongly advised.

Knowledge attainment, perceptions, and professionalism in participants completing the didactic phase of an Army reserve critical care nursing residency program.

PubMed

Wynd, C A; Gotschall, W

2000-04-01

Combat hospitals in today's Army demand nurses with critical care nursing "8A" additional skills identifiers. The intensity of future wars and operations other than war, together with highly technological weapons, forecast a large number of casualties evacuated rapidly from combat with wounds that require skillful and intensive nursing care. Many of the critical care nurses providing future care are positioned in the reserve components and require creative approaches to education and training concentrated into one weekend per month. An Army Reserve critical care nursing residency program was designed in one midwestern combat support hospital. The didactic course, phase I, was evaluated for effectiveness in achieving outcomes of increased knowledge attainment, enhanced perceptions of critical care nursing, and higher degrees of professionalism. Twenty-seven registered nurses completed the course, and 30 nurses from the same hospital served as controls. A repeated-measures analysis examined outcomes before intervention (time 1), at course completion (time 2), and at a 6-month follow-up (time 3). The course was effective at increasing scores on knowledge attainment and perceptions of critical care nursing; however; professionalism scores were initially high and remained so throughout the study. This research extends information about critical care nursing education and evaluates a training mechanism for meeting the unique requirements and time constraints of nurses in the reserve components who need to provide a high level of skill to soldiers in combat.

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

Hummel, Andrew John

A multitude of critical experiments with highly enriched uranium metal were conducted in the 1960s and 1970s at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF) in support of criticality safety operations at the Y-12 Plant. These experiments served to evaluate the storage, casting, and handling limits for the Y-12 Plant while also providing data for verification of different calculation methods and associated cross-sections for nuclear criticality safety applications. These included both solid cylinders and annuli of various diameters, interacting cylinders of various diameters, parallelepipeds, and reflected cylinders and annuli. The experiments described here involve a series of delayed critical stacksmore » of bare oralloy HEU annuli and disks. Three of these experiments consist of stacking bare HEU annuli of varying diameters to obtain critical configurations. These annuli have nominal inner and outer diameters (ID/OD) including: 7 inches (") ID – 9" OD, 9" ID – 11" OD, 11" ID – 13" OD, and 13? ID – 15" OD. The nominal heights range from 0.125" to 1.5". The three experiments themselves range from 7" – 13", 7" – 15", and 9" – 15" in diameter, respectively. The fourth experiment ranges from 7" – 11", and along with different annuli, it also includes an 11" disk and several 7" diameter disks. All four delayed critical experiments were configured and evaluated by J. T. Mihalczo, J. J. Lynn, and D. E. McCarty from December of 1962 to February 1963 with additional information in their corresponding logbook.« less

The breakdown of coordinated decision making in distributed systems.

PubMed

Bearman, Christopher; Paletz, Susannah B F; Orasanu, Judith; Thomas, Matthew J W

2010-04-01

This article aims to explore the nature and resolution of breakdowns in coordinated decision making in distributed safety-critical systems. In safety-critical domains, people with different roles and responsibilities often must work together to make coordinated decisions while geographically distributed. Although there is likely to be a large degree of overlap in the shared mental models of these people on the basis of procedures and experience, subtle differences may exist. Study 1 involves using Aviation Safety Reporting System reports to explore the ways in which coordinated decision making breaks down between pilots and air traffic controllers and the way in which the breakdowns are resolved. Study 2 replicates and extends those findings with the use of transcripts from the Apollo 13 National Aeronautics and Space Administration space mission. Across both studies, breakdowns were caused in part by different types of lower-level breakdowns (or disconnects), which are labeled as operational, informational, or evaluative. Evaluative disconnects were found to be significantly harder to resolve than other types of disconnects. Considering breakdowns according to the type of disconnect involved appears to capture useful information that should assist accident and incident investigators. The current trend in aviation of shifting responsibilities and providing increasingly more information to pilots may have a hidden cost of increasing evaluative disconnects. The proposed taxonomy facilitates the investigation of breakdowns in coordinated decision making and draws attention to the importance of considering subtle differences between participants' mental models when considering complex distributed systems.

Testing, Requirements, and Metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenberg, Linda; Hyatt, Larry; Hammer, Theodore F.; Huffman, Lenore; Wilson, William

1998-01-01

The criticality of correct, complete, testable requirements is a fundamental tenet of software engineering. Also critical is complete requirements based testing of the final product. Modern tools for managing requirements allow new metrics to be used in support of both of these critical processes. Using these tools, potential problems with the quality of the requirements and the test plan can be identified early in the life cycle. Some of these quality factors include: ambiguous or incomplete requirements, poorly designed requirements databases, excessive or insufficient test cases, and incomplete linkage of tests to requirements. This paper discusses how metrics can be used to evaluate the quality of the requirements and test to avoid problems later. Requirements management and requirements based testing have always been critical in the implementation of high quality software systems. Recently, automated tools have become available to support requirements management. At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), automated requirements management tools are being used on several large projects. The use of these tools opens the door to innovative uses of metrics in characterizing test plan quality and assessing overall testing risks. In support of these projects, the Software Assurance Technology Center (SATC) is working to develop and apply a metrics program that utilizes the information now available through the application of requirements management tools. Metrics based on this information provides real-time insight into the testing of requirements and these metrics assist the Project Quality Office in its testing oversight role. This paper discusses three facets of the SATC's efforts to evaluate the quality of the requirements and test plan early in the life cycle, thus preventing costly errors and time delays later.

Drug interactions among commonly used medications. Chart simplifies data from critical literature review.

PubMed Central

Crowther, N. R.; Holbrook, A. M.; Kenwright, R.; Kenwright, M.

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To simplify risk assessment, we have developed a way to present critically appraised drug interaction information through a chart. DATA SOURCES: Fifty drugs most frequently prescribed by Canadian family physicians and 16 drugs and substances that frequently interact with these drugs were the basis for a literature review. Drug interaction textbooks and MEDLINE (from 1966 to 1994) were searched for documented interactions. Reports of additive effects and animal or in vitro studies were excluded. STUDY SELECTION: All reports of interactions were evaluated for clinical effect, clinical significance, and quality of evidence. SYNTHESIS: Of the 464 drug-drug or drug-substance pairs evaluated, 387 (83.4%) demonstrated an interaction, 59 (12.7%) documented no effect, and 18 (3.9%) pairs had conflicting evidence. Five percent of interactions were of major clinical significance; only 1.3% were of major clinical significance and supported by good-quality evidence. By using symbols, colours, and legends in a "grid-map" format, a large amount of drug interaction information was reduced to a single-page chart suitable for a desk reference or wall mounting. CONCLUSIONS: Our chart organizes a large amount of drug interaction information in a format that allows for rapid appreciation of outcome, clinical significance, and quality of evidence. PMID:9386884

Mathematical modeling of damage function when attacking file server

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozlov, V. G.; Skrypnikov, A. V.; Chernyshova, E. V.; Mogutnov, R. V.; Levushkin, D. M.

2018-05-01

The development of information technologies in Russia and the prospects for their further improvement allow us to identify a stable trend of expansion of both functions of the corresponding automated information systems (AIS) and the spheres of their application. At the same time, many threats to information processes in the AIS are expanding, which in turn stimulates the development of adequate means and systems for ensuring the information security of the AS and methods for assessing their protection. It is necessary to assess the ability of the system to continue its normal functioning under the conditions of permanent destructive influences and to resist them, to adapt the functioning algorithms to new conditions and to organize functional restoration or to ensure functioning with a gradual process of degradation, possibly without losing the most significant “critical” information functions. The analysis and evaluation of reliability are needed to be transformed into the analysis and evaluation of survivability. Survivability can be considered as the ability of the information system to store and restore the performance of basic functions in a given volume and for a given time in the case of a change in the system structure and / or algorithms and the conditions of its functioning due to adverse effects. One of the system survivability indicators is the reserve of survivability (S-survivability) that is the critical number of defects reduced by a unit. The authors will consider defect as a unit of measurement of damage to the information system by adverse impact. U is denoted as the critical number of defects, then S = 1-U is the index of S-survivability. The article gives the definition of an analytical formula for the function of damage and risk.

Study protocol: The Improving Care of Acute Lung Injury Patients (ICAP) study

PubMed Central

Needham, Dale M; Dennison, Cheryl R; Dowdy, David W; Mendez-Tellez, Pedro A; Ciesla, Nancy; Desai, Sanjay V; Sevransky, Jonathan; Shanholtz, Carl; Scharfstein, Daniel; Herridge, Margaret S; Pronovost, Peter J

2006-01-01

Introduction The short-term mortality benefit of lower tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) for patients with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) has been demonstrated in a large, multi-center randomized trial. However, the impact of LTVV and other critical care therapies on the longer-term outcomes of ALI/ARDS survivors remains uncertain. The Improving Care of ALI Patients (ICAP) study is a multi-site, prospective cohort study that aims to evaluate the longer-term outcomes of ALI/ARDS survivors with a particular focus on the effect of LTVV and other critical care therapies. Methods Consecutive mechanically ventilated ALI/ARDS patients from 11 intensive care units (ICUs) at four hospitals in the city of Baltimore, MD, USA, will be enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Exposures (patient-based, clinical management, and ICU organizational) will be comprehensively collected both at baseline and throughout patients' ICU stay. Outcomes, including mortality, organ impairment, functional status, and quality of life, will be assessed with the use of standardized surveys and testing at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after ALI/ARDS diagnosis. A multi-faceted retention strategy will be used to minimize participant loss to follow-up. Results On the basis of the historical incidence of ALI/ARDS at the study sites, we expect to enroll 520 patients over two years. This projected sample size is more than double that of any published study of long-term outcomes in ALI/ARDS survivors, providing 86% power to detect a relative mortality hazard of 0.70 in patients receiving higher versus lower exposure to LTVV. The projected sample size also provides sufficient power to evaluate the association between a variety of other exposure and outcome variables, including quality of life. Conclusion The ICAP study is a novel, prospective cohort study that will build on previous critical care research to improve our understanding of the longer-term impact of ALI/ARDS, LTVV and other aspects of critical care management. Given the paucity of information about the impact of interventions on long-term outcomes for survivors of critical illness, this study can provide important information to inform clinical practice. PMID:16420652

Health information exchange implementation: lessons learned and critical success factors from a case study.

PubMed

Feldman, Sue S; Schooley, Benjamin L; Bhavsar, Grishma P

2014-08-15

Much attention has been given to the proposition that the exchange of health information as an act, and health information exchange (HIE), as an entity, are critical components of a framework for health care change, yet little has been studied to understand the value proposition of implementing HIE with a statewide HIE. Such an organization facilitates the exchange of health information across disparate systems, thus following patients as they move across different care settings and encounters, whether or not they share an organizational affiliation. A sociotechnical systems approach and an interorganizational systems framework were used to examine implementation of a health system electronic medical record (EMR) system onto a statewide HIE, under a cooperative agreement with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and its collaborating organizations. The objective of the study was to focus on the implementation of a health system onto a statewide HIE; provide insight into the technical, organizational, and governance aspects of a large private health system and the Virginia statewide HIE (organizations with the shared goal of exchanging health information); and to understand the organizational motivations and value propositions apparent during HIE implementation. We used a formative evaluation methodology to investigate the first implementation of a health system onto the statewide HIE. Qualitative methods (direct observation, 36 hours), informal information gathering, semistructured interviews (N=12), and document analysis were used to gather data between August 12, 2012 and June 24, 2013. Derived from sociotechnical concepts, a Blended Value Collaboration Enactment Framework guided the data gathering and analysis to understand organizational stakeholders' perspectives across technical, organizational, and governance dimensions. Several challenges, successes, and lessons learned during the implementation of a health system to the statewide HIE were found. The most significant perceived success was accomplishing the implementation, although many interviewees also underscored the value of a project champion with decision-making power. In terms of lessons learned, social reasons were found to be very significant motivators for early implementation, frequently outweighing economic motivations. It was clear that understanding the guides early in the project would have mitigated some of the challenges that emerged, and early communication with the electronic health record vendor so that they have a solid understanding of the undertaking was critical. An HIE implementations evaluation framework was found to be useful for assessing challenges, motivations, value propositions for participating, and success factors to consider for future implementations. This case study illuminates five critical success factors for implementation of a health system onto a statewide HIE. This study also reveals that organizations have varied motivations and value proposition perceptions for engaging in the exchange of health information, few of which, at the early stages, are economically driven.

Health Information Exchange Implementation: Lessons Learned and Critical Success Factors From a Case Study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Much attention has been given to the proposition that the exchange of health information as an act, and health information exchange (HIE), as an entity, are critical components of a framework for health care change, yet little has been studied to understand the value proposition of implementing HIE with a statewide HIE. Such an organization facilitates the exchange of health information across disparate systems, thus following patients as they move across different care settings and encounters, whether or not they share an organizational affiliation. A sociotechnical systems approach and an interorganizational systems framework were used to examine implementation of a health system electronic medical record (EMR) system onto a statewide HIE, under a cooperative agreement with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and its collaborating organizations. Objective The objective of the study was to focus on the implementation of a health system onto a statewide HIE; provide insight into the technical, organizational, and governance aspects of a large private health system and the Virginia statewide HIE (organizations with the shared goal of exchanging health information); and to understand the organizational motivations and value propositions apparent during HIE implementation. Methods We used a formative evaluation methodology to investigate the first implementation of a health system onto the statewide HIE. Qualitative methods (direct observation, 36 hours), informal information gathering, semistructured interviews (N=12), and document analysis were used to gather data between August 12, 2012 and June 24, 2013. Derived from sociotechnical concepts, a Blended Value Collaboration Enactment Framework guided the data gathering and analysis to understand organizational stakeholders’ perspectives across technical, organizational, and governance dimensions. Results Several challenges, successes, and lessons learned during the implementation of a health system to the statewide HIE were found. The most significant perceived success was accomplishing the implementation, although many interviewees also underscored the value of a project champion with decision-making power. In terms of lessons learned, social reasons were found to be very significant motivators for early implementation, frequently outweighing economic motivations. It was clear that understanding the guides early in the project would have mitigated some of the challenges that emerged, and early communication with the electronic health record vendor so that they have a solid understanding of the undertaking was critical. An HIE implementations evaluation framework was found to be useful for assessing challenges, motivations, value propositions for participating, and success factors to consider for future implementations. Conclusions This case study illuminates five critical success factors for implementation of a health system onto a statewide HIE. This study also reveals that organizations have varied motivations and value proposition perceptions for engaging in the exchange of health information, few of which, at the early stages, are economically driven. PMID:25599991

Searching and synthesising 'grey literature' and 'grey information' in public health: critical reflections on three case studies.

PubMed

Adams, Jean; Hillier-Brown, Frances C; Moore, Helen J; Lake, Amelia A; Araujo-Soares, Vera; White, Martin; Summerbell, Carolyn

2016-09-29

Grey literature includes a range of documents not controlled by commercial publishing organisations. This means that grey literature can be difficult to search and retrieve for evidence synthesis. Much knowledge and evidence in public health, and other fields, accumulates from innovation in practice. This knowledge may not even be of sufficient formality to meet the definition of grey literature. We term this knowledge 'grey information'. Grey information may be even harder to search for and retrieve than grey literature. On three previous occasions, we have attempted to systematically search for and synthesise public health grey literature and information-both to summarise the extent and nature of particular classes of interventions and to synthesise results of evaluations. Here, we briefly describe these three 'case studies' but focus on our post hoc critical reflections on searching for and synthesising grey literature and information garnered from our experiences of these case studies. We believe these reflections will be useful to future researchers working in this area. Issues discussed include search methods, searching efficiency, replicability of searches, data management, data extraction, assessing study 'quality', data synthesis, time and resources, and differentiating evidence synthesis from primary research. Information on applied public health research questions relating to the nature and range of public health interventions, as well as many evaluations of these interventions, may be predominantly, or only, held in grey literature and grey information. Evidence syntheses on these topics need, therefore, to embrace grey literature and information. Many typical systematic review methods for searching, appraising, managing, and synthesising the evidence base can be adapted for use with grey literature and information. Evidence synthesisers should carefully consider the opportunities and problems offered by including grey literature and information. Enhanced incentives for accurate recording and further methodological developments in retrieval will facilitate future syntheses of grey literature and information.

The Practice and Promise of Critical Information Literacy: Academic Librarians' Involvement in Critical Library Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tewell, Eamon C.

2018-01-01

Critical information literacy is a way of thinking and teaching that examines the social construction and political dimensions of libraries and information, problematizing information's production and use so that library users may think critically about such forces. Being an educational approach that acknowledges and emboldens learners' agency,…

Pheromone routing protocol on a scale-free network.

PubMed

Ling, Xiang; Hu, Mao-Bin; Jiang, Rui; Wang, Ruili; Cao, Xian-Bin; Wu, Qing-Song

2009-12-01

This paper proposes a routing strategy for network systems based on the local information of "pheromone." The overall traffic capacity of a network system can be evaluated by the critical packet generating rate R(c). Under this critical generating rate, the total packet number in the system first increases and then decreases to reach a balance state. The system behaves differently from that with a local routing strategy based on the node degree or shortest path routing strategy. Moreover, the pheromone routing strategy performs much better than the local routing strategy, which is demonstrated by a larger value of the critical generating rate. This protocol can be an alternation for superlarge networks, in which the global topology may not be available.

Pheromone routing protocol on a scale-free network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Xiang; Hu, Mao-Bin; Jiang, Rui; Wang, Ruili; Cao, Xian-Bin; Wu, Qing-Song

2009-12-01

This paper proposes a routing strategy for network systems based on the local information of “pheromone.” The overall traffic capacity of a network system can be evaluated by the critical packet generating rate Rc . Under this critical generating rate, the total packet number in the system first increases and then decreases to reach a balance state. The system behaves differently from that with a local routing strategy based on the node degree or shortest path routing strategy. Moreover, the pheromone routing strategy performs much better than the local routing strategy, which is demonstrated by a larger value of the critical generating rate. This protocol can be an alternation for superlarge networks, in which the global topology may not be available.

The Effects of Safety Information on Aeronautical Decision Making

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jang R.; Fanjoy, Richard O.; Dillman, Brian G.

2005-01-01

The importance of aeronautical decision making (ADM) has been considered one of the most critical issues of flight education for future professional pilots. Researchers have suggested that a safety information system based on information from incidents and near misses is an important tool to improve the intelligence and readiness of pilots. This paper describes a study that examines the effect of safety information on aeronautical decision making for students in a collegiate flight program. Data was collected from study participants who were exposed to periodic information about local aircraft malfunctions. Participants were then evaluated using a flight simulator profile and a pen and pencil test of situational judgment. Findings suggest that regular access to the described safety information program significantly improves decision making of student pilots.

An evaluation of methods used to teach quality improvement to undergraduate healthcare students to inform curriculum development within preregistration nurse education: a protocol for systematic review and narrative synthesis.

PubMed

Armstrong, Lorraine; Lauder, William; Shepherd, Ashley

2015-01-14

Despite criticism, quality improvement (QI) continues to drive political and educational priorities within health care. Until recently, QI educational interventions have varied, targeting mainly postgraduates, middle management and the medical profession. However, there is now consensus within the UK, USA and beyond to integrate QI explicitly into nurse education, and faculties may require redesign of their QI curriculum to achieve this. Whilst growth in QI preregistration nurse education is emerging, little empirical evidence exists to determine such effects. Furthermore, previous healthcare studies evaluating QI educational interventions lend little in the way of support and have instead been subject to criticism. They reveal methodological weakness such as no reporting of theoretical underpinnings, insufficient intervention description, poor evaluation methods, little clinical or patient impact and lack of sustainability. This study aims therefore to identify, evaluate and synthesise teaching methods used within the undergraduate population to aid development of QI curriculum within preregistration nurse education. A systematic review of the literature will be conducted. Electronic databases, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Psychological Information (PsychINFO), Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE) and Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA), will be searched alongside reference list scanning and a grey literature search. Peer-reviewed studies from 2000-2014 will be identified using key terms quality improvement, education, curriculum, training, undergraduate, teaching methods, students and evaluation. Studies describing a QI themed educational intervention aimed at undergraduate healthcare students will be included and data extracted using a modified version of the Reporting of Primary Studies in Education (REPOSE) Guidelines. Studies will be judged for quality and relevance using the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre's (EPPI) Weight of Evidence framework and a narrative synthesis of the findings provided. This study aims to identify, evaluate and synthesise the teaching methods used in quality improvement education for undergraduate healthcare students where currently this is lacking. This will enable nursing faculty to adopt the most effective methods when developing QI education within their curriculum. Prospero CRD42014013847.

Evaluation of counterfactuality in counterfactual communication protocols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arvidsson-Shukur, D. R. M.; Barnes, C. H. W.; Gottfries, A. N. O.

2017-12-01

We provide an in-depth investigation of parameter estimation in nested Mach-Zehnder interferometers (NMZIs) using two information measures: the Fisher information and the Shannon mutual information. Protocols for counterfactual communication have, so far, been based on two different definitions of counterfactuality. In particular, some schemes have been based on NMZI devices, and have recently been subject to criticism. We provide a methodology for evaluating the counterfactuality of these protocols, based on an information-theoretical framework. More specifically, we make the assumption that any realistic quantum channel in MZI structures will have some weak uncontrolled interaction. We then use the Fisher information of this interaction to measure counterfactual violations. The measure is used to evaluate the suggested counterfactual communication protocol of H. Salih et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 170502 (2013), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.170502]. The protocol of D. R. M. Arvidsson-Shukur and C. H. W. Barnes [Phys. Rev. A 94, 062303 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevA.94.062303], based on a different definition, is evaluated with a probability measure. Our results show that the definition of Arvidsson-Shukur and Barnes is satisfied by their scheme, while that of Salih et al. is only satisfied by perfect quantum channels. For realistic devices the latter protocol does not achieve its objective.

An Analysis of Rocket Propulsion Testing Costs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramirez, Carmen; Rahman, Shamim

2010-01-01

The primary mission at NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC) is rocket propulsion testing. Such testing is commonly characterized as one of two types: production testing for certification and acceptance of engine hardware, and developmental testing for prototype evaluation or research and development (R&D) purposes. For programmatic reasons there is a continuing need to assess and evaluate the test costs for the various types of test campaigns that involve liquid rocket propellant test articles. Presently, in fact, there is a critical need to provide guidance on what represents a best value for testing and provide some key economic insights for decision-makers within NASA and the test customers outside the Agency. Hence, selected rocket propulsion test databases and references have been evaluated and analyzed with the intent to discover correlations of technical information and test costs that could help produce more reliable and accurate cost projections in the future. The process of searching, collecting, and validating propulsion test cost information presented some unique obstacles which then led to a set of recommendations for improvement in order to facilitate future cost information gathering and analysis. In summary, this historical account and evaluation of rocket propulsion test cost information will enhance understanding of the various kinds of project cost information; identify certain trends of interest to the aerospace testing community.

Reliability of Current Biokinetic and Dosimetric Models for Radionuclides: A Pilot Study

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

Leggett, Richard Wayne; Eckerman, Keith F; Meck, Robert A.

2008-10-01

This report describes the results of a pilot study of the reliability of the biokinetic and dosimetric models currently used by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as predictors of dose per unit internal or external exposure to radionuclides. The study examines the feasibility of critically evaluating the accuracy of these models for a comprehensive set of radionuclides of concern to the NRC. Each critical evaluation would include: identification of discrepancies between the models and current databases; characterization of uncertainties in model predictions of dose per unit intake or unit external exposure; characterization of variability in dose per unit intakemore » or unit external exposure; and evaluation of prospects for development of more accurate models. Uncertainty refers here to the level of knowledge of a central value for a population, and variability refers to quantitative differences between different members of a population. This pilot study provides a critical assessment of models for selected radionuclides representing different levels of knowledge of dose per unit exposure. The main conclusions of this study are as follows: (1) To optimize the use of available NRC resources, the full study should focus on radionuclides most frequently encountered in the workplace or environment. A list of 50 radionuclides is proposed. (2) The reliability of a dose coefficient for inhalation or ingestion of a radionuclide (i.e., an estimate of dose per unit intake) may depend strongly on the specific application. Multiple characterizations of the uncertainty in a dose coefficient for inhalation or ingestion of a radionuclide may be needed for different forms of the radionuclide and different levels of information of that form available to the dose analyst. (3) A meaningful characterization of variability in dose per unit intake of a radionuclide requires detailed information on the biokinetics of the radionuclide and hence is not feasible for many infrequently studied radionuclides. (4) The biokinetics of a radionuclide in the human body typically represents the greatest source of uncertainty or variability in dose per unit intake. (5) Characterization of uncertainty in dose per unit exposure is generally a more straightforward problem for external exposure than for intake of a radionuclide. (6) For many radionuclides the most important outcome of a large-scale critical evaluation of databases and biokinetic models for radionuclides is expected to be the improvement of current models. Many of the current models do not fully or accurately reflect available radiobiological or physiological information, either because the models are outdated or because they were based on selective or uncritical use of data or inadequate model structures. In such cases the models should be replaced with physiologically realistic models that incorporate a wider spectrum of information.« less

Developing Critical Loads of acidity for streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, using PnET-BGC model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fakhraei, H.

2015-12-01

Acid deposition has impaired acid-sensitive streams and reduced aquatic biotic integrity in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) by decreasing pH and acid neutralizing capacity (ANC). Twelve streams in GRSM are listed by the state of Tennessee as impaired due to low stream pH (pH<6.0) under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. A dynamic biogeochemical model, PnET-BGC, was used to evaluate past, current and potential future changes in soil and water chemistry of watersheds of GRSM in response to changes in acid deposition. Calibrating 30 stream-watersheds in GRSM (including 12 listed impaired streams) to the long-term stream chemistry observations, the model was parameterized for the Park. The calibrated model was used to evaluate the level of atmospheric deposition above which harmful effects occur, known as "critical loads", for individual study watersheds. Estimated critical loads and exceedances (levels of deposition above the critical load) of atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen deposition were depicted through geographic information system maps. Accuracy of model simulations in the presence of uncertainties in the estimated model parameters and inputs was assessed using three uncertainty and sensitivity techniques.

Comparison of two heuristic evaluation methods for evaluating the usability of health information systems.

PubMed

Khajouei, Reza; Hajesmaeel Gohari, Sadrieh; Mirzaee, Moghaddameh

2018-04-01

In addition to following the usual Heuristic Evaluation (HE) method, the usability of health information systems can also be evaluated using a checklist. The objective of this study is to compare the performance of these two methods in identifying usability problems of health information systems. Eight evaluators independently evaluated different parts of a Medical Records Information System using two methods of HE (usual and with a checklist). The two methods were compared in terms of the number of problems identified, problem type, and the severity of identified problems. In all, 192 usability problems were identified by two methods in the Medical Records Information System. This was significantly higher than the number of usability problems identified by the checklist and usual method (148 and 92, respectively) (p < 0.0001). After removing the duplicates, the difference between the number of unique usability problems identified by the checklist method (n = 100) and usual method (n = 44) was significant (p < 0.0001). Differences between the mean severity of the real usability problems (1.83) and those identified by only one of the methods (usual = 2.05, checklist = 1.74) were significant (p = 0.001). This study revealed the potential of the two HE methods for identifying usability problems of health information systems. The results demonstrated that the checklist method had significantly better performance in terms of the number of identified usability problems; however, the performance of the usual method for identifying problems of higher severity was significantly better. Although the checklist method can be more efficient for less experienced evaluators, wherever usability is critical, the checklist should be used with caution in usability evaluations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strategic relevance and accountability expectations: new perspectives for health care information technology design.

PubMed

Tan, J K; Modrow, R E

1999-05-01

In this article, we discuss the traditional systems analysis perspective on end-user information requirements analysis and extend it to merge with the new accountability expectations perspective to guide the future planning and design of health organization information systems. Underlying the strategic relevance of health care information technology (HCIT) are three critical questions: (1) What is the ideal HCIT model for the health organization in terms of achieving strategic expertise and competitive advantage? Specifically, how does this model link industry performance standards with organizational performance and accountability expectations? (2) How should the limitations of past HCIT models be reconciled to the benefits presented by the superior arrangement of the ideal model in the context of changing accountability expectations? (3) How should alternative HCIT solutions be evaluated in light of evidence-based accountability and organizational performance benchmarking? Insights into these questions will ensure that health care managers, HCIT practitioners and researchers can continue to focus on the most critical issues in harnessing today's fast-paced changing technologies for evolving strategically relevant, performance-based health organization systems.

Critical thinking evaluation in reflective writing: Development and testing of Carter Assessment of Critical Thinking in Midwifery (Reflection).

PubMed

Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

2017-11-01

develop and test a tool designed for use by academics to evaluate pre-registration midwifery students' critical thinking skills in reflective writing. a descriptive cohort design was used. a random sample (n = 100) of archived student reflective writings based on a clinical event or experience during 2014 and 2015. a staged model for tool development was used to develop a fifteen item scale involving item generation; mapping of draft items to critical thinking concepts and expert review to test content validity; inter-rater reliability testing; pilot testing of the tool on 100 reflective writings; and psychometric testing. Item scores were analysed for mean, range and standard deviation. Internal reliability, content and construct validity were assessed. expert review of the tool revealed a high content validity index score of 0.98. Using two independent raters to establish inter-rater reliability, good absolute agreement of 72% was achieved with a Kappa coefficient K = 0.43 (p<0.0001). Construct validity via exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors: analyses context, reasoned inquiry, and self-evaluation. The mean total score for the tool was 50.48 (SD = 12.86). Total and subscale scores correlated significantly. The scale achieved good internal reliability with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .93. this study establishedthe reliability and validity of the CACTiM (reflection) for use by academics to evaluate midwifery students' critical thinking in reflective writing. Validation with large diverse samples is warranted. reflective practice is a key learning and teaching strategy in undergraduate Bachelor of Midwifery programmes and essential for safe, competent practice. There is the potential to enhance critical thinking development by assessingreflective writing with the CACTiM (reflection) tool to provide formative and summative feedback to students and inform teaching strategies. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Critical care providers refer to information tools less during communication tasks after a critical care clinical information system introduction.

PubMed

Ballermann, Mark; Shaw, Nicola T; Mayes, Damon C; Gibney, R T Noel

2011-01-01

Electronic documentation methods may assist critical care providers with information management tasks in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). We conducted a quasi-experimental observational study to investigate patterns of information tool use by ICU physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists during verbal communication tasks. Critical care providers used tools less at 3 months after the CCIS introduction. At 12 months, care providers referred to paper and permanent records, especially during shift changes. The results suggest potential areas of improvement for clinical information systems in assisting critical care providers in ensuring informational continuity around their patients.

Safety of Rural Nursing Home-to-Emergency Department Transfers: Improving Communication and Patient Information Sharing Across Settings.

PubMed

Tupper, Judith B; Gray, Carolyn E; Pearson, Karen B; Coburn, Andrew F

2015-01-01

The "siloed" approach to healthcare delivery contributes to communication challenges and to potential patient harm when patients transfer between settings. This article reports on the evaluation of a demonstration in 10 rural communities to improve the safety of nursing facility (NF) transfers to hospital emergency departments by forming interprofessional teams of hospital, emergency medical service, and NF staff to develop and implement tools and protocols for standardizing critical interfacility communication pathways and information sharing. We worked with each of the 10 teams to document current communication processes and information sharing tools and to design, implement, and evaluate strategies/tools to increase effective communication and sharing of patient information across settings. A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate changes from baseline in documentation of patient information shared across settings during the transfer process. Study findings showed significant improvement in key areas across the three settings, including infection status and baseline mental functioning. Improvement strategies and performance varied across settings; however, accurate and consistent information sharing of advance directives and medication lists remains a challenge. Study results demonstrate that with neutral facilitation and technical support, collaborative interfacility teams can assess and effectively address communication and information sharing problems that threaten patient safety.

Reproducibility of clinical research in critical care: a scoping review.

PubMed

Niven, Daniel J; McCormick, T Jared; Straus, Sharon E; Hemmelgarn, Brenda R; Jeffs, Lianne; Barnes, Tavish R M; Stelfox, Henry T

2018-02-21

The ability to reproduce experiments is a defining principle of science. Reproducibility of clinical research has received relatively little scientific attention. However, it is important as it may inform clinical practice, research agendas, and the design of future studies. We used scoping review methods to examine reproducibility within a cohort of randomized trials examining clinical critical care research and published in the top general medical and critical care journals. To identify relevant clinical practices, we searched the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, and JAMA for randomized trials published up to April 2016. To identify a comprehensive set of studies for these practices, included articles informed secondary searches within other high-impact medical and specialty journals. We included late-phase randomized controlled trials examining therapeutic clinical practices in adults admitted to general medical-surgical or specialty intensive care units (ICUs). Included articles were classified using a reproducibility framework. An original study was the first to evaluate a clinical practice. A reproduction attempt re-evaluated that practice in a new set of participants. Overall, 158 practices were examined in 275 included articles. A reproduction attempt was identified for 66 practices (42%, 95% CI 33-50%). Original studies reported larger effects than reproduction attempts (primary endpoint, risk difference 16.0%, 95% CI 11.6-20.5% vs. 8.4%, 95% CI 6.0-10.8%, P = 0.003). More than half of clinical practices with a reproduction attempt demonstrated effects that were inconsistent with the original study (56%, 95% CI 42-68%), among which a large number were reported to be efficacious in the original study and to lack efficacy in the reproduction attempt (34%, 95% CI 19-52%). Two practices reported to be efficacious in the original study were found to be harmful in the reproduction attempt. A minority of critical care practices with research published in high-profile journals were evaluated for reproducibility; less than half had reproducible effects.

Forensic nursing. Applications in the occupational health setting.

PubMed

Pozzi, C L

1996-11-01

1. Nurses are inherent investigators through the use of observation, data gathering, and documentation techniques. 2. Occupational health nurses may be involved in assisting with or evaluating workplace accidents, injuries, and deaths. These investigations may be the only critical information gathered. 3. Accurate and through investigations are critical for clients, physicians, insurance companies, medical investigators, law enforcement, legal proceedings, and the company. Utilizing improper techniques during accident investigations could potentially dismiss a litigation case or lead to hazardous situations. 4. The occupational health nurse can improve practices related to investigations by understanding and learning more about forensic nursing.

Technology Thresholds for Microgravity: Status and Prospects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noever, D. A.

1996-01-01

The technological and economic thresholds for microgravity space research are estimated in materials science and biotechnology. In the 1990s, the improvement of materials processing has been identified as a national scientific priority, particularly for stimulating entrepreneurship. The substantial US investment at stake in these critical technologies includes six broad categories: aerospace, transportation, health care, information, energy, and the environment. Microgravity space research addresses key technologies in each area. The viability of selected space-related industries is critically evaluated and a market share philosophy is developed, namely that incremental improvements in a large markets efficiency is a tangible reward from space-based research.

Usability Evaluation of Electronic Health Record System around Clinical Notes Usage-An Ethnographic Study.

PubMed

Rizvi, Rubina F; Marquard, Jenna L; Hultman, Gretchen M; Adam, Terrence J; Harder, Kathleen A; Melton, Genevieve B

2017-10-01

Background A substantial gap exists between current Electronic Health Record (EHR) usability and potential optimal usability. One of the fundamental reasons for this discrepancy is poor incorporation of a User-Centered Design (UCD) approach during the Graphical User Interface (GUI) development process. Objective To evaluate usability strengths and weaknesses of two widely implemented EHR GUIs for critical clinical notes usage tasks. Methods Twelve Internal Medicine resident physicians interacting with one of the two EHR systems (System-1 at Location-A and System-2 at Location-B) were observed by two usability evaluators employing an ethnographic approach. User comments and observer findings were analyzed for two critical tasks: (1) clinical notes entry and (2) related information-seeking tasks. Data were analyzed from two standpoints: (1) usability references categorized by usability evaluators as positive, negative, or equivocal and (2) usability impact of each feature measured through a 7-point severity rating scale. Findings were also validated by user responses to a post observation questionnaire. Results For clinical notes entry, System-1 surpassed System-2 with more positive (26% vs. 12%) than negative (12% vs. 34%) usability references. Greatest impact features on EHR usability (severity score pertaining to each feature) for clinical notes entry were: autopopulation (6), screen options (5.5), communication (5), copy pasting (4.5), error prevention (4.5), edit ability (4), and dictation and transcription (3.5). Both systems performed equally well on information-seeking tasks and features with greatest impacts on EHR usability were navigation for notes (7) and others (e.g., looking for ancillary data; 5.5). Ethnographic observations were supported by follow-up questionnaire responses. Conclusion This study provides usability-specific insights to inform future, improved, EHR interface that is better aligned with UCD approach.

Vaccine-criticism on the internet: new insights based on French-speaking websites.

PubMed

Ward, Jeremy K; Peretti-Watel, Patrick; Larson, Heidi J; Raude, Jocelyn; Verger, Pierre

2015-02-18

The internet is playing an increasingly important part in fueling vaccine related controversies and in generating vaccine hesitant behaviors. English language Antivaccination websites have been thoroughly analyzed, however, little is known of the arguments presented in other languages on the internet. This study presents three types of results: (1) Authors apply a time tested content analysis methodology to describe the information diffused by French language vaccine critical websites in comparison with English speaking websites. The contents of French language vaccine critical websites are very similar to those of English language websites except for the relative absence of moral and religious arguments. (2) Authors evaluate the likelihood that internet users will find those websites through vaccine-related queries on a variety of French-language versions of google. Queries on controversial vaccines generated many more vaccine critical websites than queries on vaccination in general. (3) Authors propose a typology of vaccine critical websites. Authors distinguish between (a) websites that criticize all vaccines ("antivaccine" websites) and websites that criticize only some vaccines ("vaccine-selective" websites), and between (b) websites that focus on vaccines ("vaccine-focused" websites) and those for which vaccines were only a secondary topic of interest ("generalist" websites). The differences in stances by groups and websites affect the likelihood that they will be believed and by whom. This study therefore helps understand the different information landscapes that may contribute to the variety of forms of vaccine hesitancy. Public authorities should have better awareness and understanding of these stances to bring appropriate answers to the different controversies about vaccination. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of the University of the West Indies Mona libraries in HIV/AIDS information access and dissemination.

PubMed

Harris, S

2013-01-01

The recommendations for controlling HIV/AIDS, whether prescriptive or descriptive, underscore the value of information: its translation into knowledge, and knowledge into behaviour. Thus, accessing, evaluating, disseminating and applying authoritative, credible and scholarly information on HIV/AIDS are critical elements in the control of this pandemic in the Web 2.0 era. The University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona libraries have embraced this information role. This article provides insights into three of the information initiatives implemented by the UWI Mona libraries in this important capacity. In this regard, it also provides ideas for other West Indian information units and enhances communication on access to information products and services, albeit incrementally, in an important area of health services for the West Indies.

Spreading the word: A process evaluation of a voluntary AOD prevention program.

PubMed

Edelen, Maria Orlando; Tucker, Joan; D'Amico, Elizabeth

2015-06-01

Research on voluntary after-school alcohol and other drug (AOD) prevention programs is limited. It is important to increase understanding of students' motivation to attend these types of programs and their tendency to transfer program information to peers. This paper summarizes efforts to evaluate process information for CHOICE, a voluntary after-school AOD prevention program for middle-school youth. A survey administered to 1899 students aged 10-16 in seven schools assessed: (1) why students choose to attend CHOICE (2) barriers to attendance; and (3) how program information is disseminated to non-participants. Frequencies of responses from participants and non-participants were compared. Participants were motivated by several features, most notably, the demeanor of the group leaders and enjoyable curriculum content. Barriers to attendance were primarily logistic, but results also suggest that the promotion message should more effectively emphasize that CHOICE is appropriate for everyone. The majority of students knew about CHOICE, both through advertising and conversations with friends. Non-participants' detailed reports of what they heard from friends corresponded closely with what participants reported sharing. The use of dynamic group leaders is critical to engaging students in voluntary programs. Offering the program on different days of the week or at different times (e.g., before school) may improve attendance rates. Peer networks represent a critical pathway for prevention information that can help increase program impact. These results can be used to inform modifications to existing voluntary after-school AOD prevention programs to obtain higher attendance rates and more widespread dissemination of the intervention message. © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Self-referential and anxiety-relevant information processing in subclinical social anxiety: an fMRI study.

PubMed

Abraham, Anna; Kaufmann, Carolin; Redlich, Ronny; Hermann, Andrea; Stark, Rudolf; Stevens, Stephan; Hermann, Christiane

2013-03-01

The fear of negative evaluation is one of the hallmark features of social anxiety. Behavioral evidence thus far largely supports cognitive models which postulate that information processing biases in the face of socially relevant information are a key factor underlying this widespread phobia. So far only one neuroimaging study has explicitly focused on the fear of negative evaluation in social anxiety where the brain responses of social phobics were compared to healthy participants during the processing of self-referential relative to other-referential criticism, praise or neutral information. Only self-referential criticism led to stronger activations in emotion-relevant regions of the brain, such as the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortices (mPFC), in the social phobics. The objective of the current study was to determine whether these findings could be extended to subclinical social anxiety. In doing so, the specificity of this self-referential bias was also examined by including both social and non-social (physical illness-related) threat information as well as a highly health anxious control group in the experimental paradigm. The fMRI findings indicated that the processing of emotional stimuli was accompanied by activations in the amygdala and the ventral mPFC, while self-referential processing was associated with activity in regions such as the mPFC, posterior cingulate and temporal poles. Despite the validation of the paradigm, the results revealed that the previously reported behavioral and brain biases associated with social phobia could not be unequivocally extended to subclinical social anxiety. The divergence between the findings is explored in detail with reference to paradigm differences and conceptual issues.

The Effects of an Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Human Biology Program on Socioscientific Reasoning, Content Learning, and Understanding of Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eastwood, Jennifer L.

2010-01-01

Preparing students to take informed positions on complex problems through critical evaluation is a primary goal of university education. Socioscientific issues (SSI) have been established as effective contexts for students to develop this competency, as well as reasoning skills and content knowledge. This mixed-methods study investigates the…

Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences (COSIA): Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inverness Research, 2010

2010-01-01

The three case studies presented in this paper are descriptive and evaluative in nature, and are designed to describe, explain, and portray in some detail three examples of COSIA partnerships. These cases are context bound; the place-based aspect of these cases is critical to the phenomenon being explored. Consistent with the goal for employing a…

The Contributions of Digital Communications Technology to Human Rights Education: A Case Study of Amnesty International

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norlander, Rebecca Joy

2013-01-01

This dissertation addresses the need for critical assessment and evaluation of human rights education (HRE) programs and activities, especially newer initiatives that incorporate the use of digital information and communications technology (ICT). It provides an in-depth case study of the use of digital ICT in Amnesty International's HRE efforts,…

Improving K-12 Online Learning: Information Literacy Skills for Teacher Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ntuli, Esther; Kyei-Blankson, Lydia

2016-01-01

Research indicates the need for teachers to be able to locate, evaluate, and use Internet resources in their teaching and learning processes. In addition, the Common Core State Standards require that students are able to think critically and know how to search and use alternative views and perspectives in their assignments. These skills are…

Critical Care Coding for Neurologists.

PubMed

Nuwer, Marc R; Vespa, Paul M

2015-10-01

Accurate coding is an important function of neurologic practice. This contribution to Continuum is part of an ongoing series that presents helpful coding information along with examples related to the issue topic. Tips for diagnosis coding, Evaluation and Management coding, procedure coding, or a combination are presented, depending on which is most applicable to the subject area of the issue.

Comparison and assessment of coarse resolution land cover maps for Northern Eurasia

Treesearch

Dirk Pflugmacher; Olga N. Krankina; Warren B. Cohen; Mark A. Friedl; Damien Sulla-Menashe; Robert E. Kennedy; Peder Nelson; Tatiana V. Loboda; Tobias Kuemmerle; Egor Dyukarev; Vladimir Elsadov; Viacheslav I. Kharuk

2011-01-01

Information on land cover at global and continental scales is critical for addressing a range of ecological, socioeconomic and policy questions. Global land cover maps have evolved rapidly in the last decade, but efforts to evaluate map uncertainties have been limited, especially in remote areas like Northern Eurasia. Northern Eurasia comprises a particularly diverse...

Evaluating User Participation and User Influence in an Enterprise System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbs, Martin D.

2010-01-01

Does user influence have an impact on the data quality of an information systems development project? What decision making should users have? How can users effectively be engaged in the process? What is success? User participation is considered to be a critical success factor for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) projects, yet there is little…

Potential Energy Surface Database of Group II Dimer

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 143 NIST Potential Energy Surface Database of Group II Dimer (Web, free access)   This database provides critical atomic and molecular data needed in order to evaluate the feasibility of using laser cooled and trapped Group II atomic species (Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba) for ultra-precise optical clocks or quantum information processing devices.

Caregiver-Teacher Concordance of Challenging Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Served in Community Mental Health Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stadnick, Nicole; Chlebowski, Colby; Brookman-Frazee, Lauren

2017-01-01

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit high rates of challenging behaviors that impair functioning and represent the primary presenting problem in mental health (MH) services. Obtaining symptom reports from multiple informants is critical for treatment planning. This study evaluated caregiver-teacher concordance of ratings of the…

Housing Characteristics and Quality of Multigenerational Households.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoover, Sally L.

Using data from the 1976 Annual Housing Survey, this paper presents information on housing for 1,865,000 households headed by persons under 65 that include one or more dependents aged 65 or over. It also provides data that will aid in the critical evaluation of the merits of federal programs designed to provide financial incentives for families…

Anchorage School District Profile of Performance 1996-97. Assessment and Evaluation Report #97-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenton, Ray

This report focuses on student achievement across the Anchorage (Alaska) school district and within its individual programs. It does not include information on the social and physical wellness of the district's students. The first section of the report provides an overview of district performance on critical achievement indicators, and the second…

Critical Issues in Response-To-Intervention, Comprehensive Evaluation, and Specific Learning Disabilities Identification and Intervention: An Expert White Paper Consensus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 2014

2014-01-01

The purpose of the White Paper is to provide additional information for and guidance to the federal government, professional organizations, practitioners, and the public. The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is hopeful that this document will facilitate legal, regulatory, policy, and training decisions, and ultimately, service…

Water Films, 2nd Edition, 1965-1974.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian National Committee, Ottawa (Ontario).

This is an annotated listing of 455 films on hydrology, as well as on many allied fields. This second edition, much more comprehensive than the first, is not intended to serve as a critical evaluation, but should be used solely as a source of information as to what films are available. All films are listed alphabetically according to their titles…

Reaction to Reexamination: More on Type III Error in Program Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Thomas J.; Dobson, L. Douglas

1982-01-01

The authors respond to criticism and analyses by Eva Rezmovic (TM 507 851) of their experimental design, particularly the suggested use of information on the amount of program service received by the control group comparable to the treatment group in their study of the relationship between program implementation levels and program outcomes. (CM)

Profiles of Adolescent Stress: The Development of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrne, D. G.; Davenport, S. C.; Mazanov, J.

2007-01-01

The importance of stress in the understanding of adolescent health and well-being is widely documented. The measurement of adolescent stress has however been subjected to sufficient methodological and conceptual criticism in recent times to warrant a concerted re-evaluation of the exercise. This study sought information on the nature of adolescent…

Evaluating Your Program. Supported Education: A Promising Practice. Evidence-Based Practices KIT (Knowledge Informing Transformation)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unger, Karen V.

2011-01-01

Key stakeholders who implement Supported Education may find themselves asking two questions: (1) Has Supported Education been implemented as planned?; and (2) Has Supported Education resulted in the expected outcomes? Asking these two questions and using the answers to help improve Supported Education are critical for ensuring the success of one's…

Evaluation of atmospheric nitrogen deposition model performance in the context of U.S. critical load assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Jason J.; Chung, Serena H.; Johansen, Anne M.; Lamb, Brian K.; Vaughan, Joseph K.; Beutel, Marc

2017-02-01

Air quality models are widely used to estimate pollutant deposition rates and thereby calculate critical loads and critical load exceedances (model deposition > critical load). However, model operational performance is not always quantified specifically to inform these applications. We developed a performance assessment approach designed to inform critical load and exceedance calculations, and applied it to the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. We quantified wet inorganic N deposition performance of several widely-used air quality models, including five different Community Multiscale Air Quality Model (CMAQ) simulations, the Tdep model, and 'PRISM x NTN' model. Modeled wet inorganic N deposition estimates were compared to wet inorganic N deposition measurements at 16 National Trends Network (NTN) monitoring sites, and to annual bulk inorganic N deposition measurements at Mount Rainier National Park. Model bias (model - observed) and error (|model - observed|) were expressed as a percentage of regional critical load values for diatoms and lichens. This novel approach demonstrated that wet inorganic N deposition bias in the Pacific Northwest approached or exceeded 100% of regional diatom and lichen critical load values at several individual monitoring sites, and approached or exceeded 50% of critical loads when averaged regionally. Even models that adjusted deposition estimates based on deposition measurements to reduce bias or that spatially-interpolated measurement data, had bias that approached or exceeded critical loads at some locations. While wet inorganic N deposition model bias is only one source of uncertainty that can affect critical load and exceedance calculations, results demonstrate expressing bias as a percentage of critical loads at a spatial scale consistent with calculations may be a useful exercise for those performing calculations. It may help decide if model performance is adequate for a particular calculation, help assess confidence in calculation results, and highlight cases where a non-deterministic approach may be needed.

6 CFR 29.7 - Safeguarding of Protected Critical Infrastructure Information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... prevents unauthorized retrieval, such as shredding or incineration. (f) Transmission of information. PCII... Infrastructure Information. 29.7 Section 29.7 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY PROTECTED CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE INFORMATION § 29.7 Safeguarding of Protected Critical...

6 CFR 29.7 - Safeguarding of Protected Critical Infrastructure Information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... prevents unauthorized retrieval, such as shredding or incineration. (f) Transmission of information. PCII... Infrastructure Information. 29.7 Section 29.7 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY PROTECTED CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE INFORMATION § 29.7 Safeguarding of Protected Critical...

6 CFR 29.7 - Safeguarding of Protected Critical Infrastructure Information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... prevents unauthorized retrieval, such as shredding or incineration. (f) Transmission of information. PCII... Infrastructure Information. 29.7 Section 29.7 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY PROTECTED CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE INFORMATION § 29.7 Safeguarding of Protected Critical...

6 CFR 29.7 - Safeguarding of Protected Critical Infrastructure Information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... prevents unauthorized retrieval, such as shredding or incineration. (f) Transmission of information. PCII... Infrastructure Information. 29.7 Section 29.7 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY PROTECTED CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE INFORMATION § 29.7 Safeguarding of Protected Critical...

6 CFR 29.7 - Safeguarding of Protected Critical Infrastructure Information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... prevents unauthorized retrieval, such as shredding or incineration. (f) Transmission of information. PCII... Infrastructure Information. 29.7 Section 29.7 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY PROTECTED CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE INFORMATION § 29.7 Safeguarding of Protected Critical...

Critical Information Literacy in Practice: An Interpretive Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonough, Beth Allsopp

2014-01-01

More than two decades of debate since the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) adopted the term information literacy have been marked by ongoing criticism of its associated definitions and standards. Some scholars and practitioners have argued for a critical information literacy, which applies the precepts of critical pedagogy to…

Nurses' perceptions of involvement in Thunder Project. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Thunder Project task force.

PubMed

1995-03-01

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurse's (AACN) Thunder Project was conceptualized and developed to provide critical-care nurses with a research protocol ready for institutional review and implementation. Project goals included providing a research package (protocol, educational, and data collection materials) and a topic of clinical significance to critical-care nurses. Site coordinators and research associates were identified at participating institutions to coordinate and implement all study activities. In this article, an evaluation study undertaken to recount perceptions of site coordinators and research associates in relation to project goals and research experience is described. Data demonstrated that study goals were achieved, and research experience was considered professionally enhancing. Written comments described barriers to project implementation at participating sites. Obtaining informed consent and physician approval and/or cooperation were identified as significant barriers to implementation at some sites.

User evaluations of design complexity: the impact of visual perceptions for effective online health communication.

PubMed

Lazard, Allison; Mackert, Michael

2014-10-01

This paper highlights the influential role of design complexity for users' first impressions of health websites. An experimental design was utilized to investigate whether a website's level of design complexity impacts user evaluations. An online questionnaire measured the hypothesized impact of design complexity on predictors of message effectiveness. Findings reveal that increased design complexity was positively associated with higher levels of perceived design esthetics, attitude toward the website, perceived message comprehensibility, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived message quality, perceived informativeness, and perceived visual informativeness. This research gives further evidence that design complexity should be considered an influential variable for health communicators to effectively reach their audiences, as it embodies the critical first step for message evaluation via electronic platforms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Youth participatory research and evaluation to inform a Chagas disease prevention program in Ecuador.

PubMed

Marco-Crespo, Belén; Casapulla, Sharon; Nieto-Sanchez, Claudia; Urrego, J Guillermo Gómez; Grijalva, Mario J

2018-04-30

This qualitative study engaged a group of young people in participatory research and evaluation activities in order to study to what extent engaging youth in health interventions can inform research and evaluation processes. We applied a youth participatory research and evaluation approach (PRE) to inform research and evaluation on the impact of a Chagas disease control program in southern Ecuador. Our main interest was to examine the methodological contributions of PRE to knowledge sharing for health intervention planning in the context of global health and neglected tropical diseases. The results of this study suggest that by demystifying research and evaluation practices and rendering them accessible and relevant, marginalized youth can develop critical and reflexive thinking skills that could be useful for decision-making on health promotion. Our findings also reveal the potential of youth as active participants in project development in ways that enhance, validate, and improve health interventions. Young people are interested in learning about and sharing local knowledge that can benefit research and evaluation processes. Despite the numerous strengths demonstrated by PRE, the inherent complexities of international development, such as cultural differences, asymmetrical power relations, and the ongoing challenges of sustainability, remain. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nurse educators’ perceptions of critical thinking in developing countries: Ghana as a case study

PubMed Central

Boso, Christian Makafui; Gross, Janet J

2015-01-01

The ability to critically evaluate information for the purpose of rendering health care is a prerequisite for modern nurses in a complex and ever-changing health care environment. The nurse educators’ perceptions influence the utilization of critical thinking strategies in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to assess nursing faculty’s perceptions of critical thinking. Using a questionnaire 106 nurse educators from two types of nursing educational program self-reported their perceptions. Data were collected from November 2013 to March 2014. Results were presented using frequencies, percentages, and t-test. The findings revealed that majority (95.3%) of nurse educators could not provide definitions that captured both affective and cognitive aspects of critical thinking. However, the majority of nurse educators had positive perceptions of critical thinking. Nurse educators in universities had more positive perceptions of critical thinking than those in the nurses’ training colleges (P=0.007). The results suggested that the current nursing programs are not preparing nurses with the necessary critical thinking skills for the complex health care environment. Professional development programs in critical thinking should be instituted for nurse educators to assist them in developing appropriate teaching strategies to foster students’ acquisition of critical thinking skills. PMID:26379453

Structure for Storing Properties of Particles (PoP)

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

Patel, N. R.; Mattoon, C. M.; Beck, B. R.

2014-06-01

Some evaluated nuclear databases are critical for applications such as nuclear energy, nuclear medicine, homeland security, and stockpile stewardship. Particle masses, nuclear excitation levels, and other “Properties of Particles” are essential for making evaluated nuclear databases. Currently, these properties are obtained from various databases that are stored in outdated formats. Moreover, the “Properties of Particles” (PoP) structure is being designed that will allow storing all information for one or more particles in a single place, so that each evaluation, simulation, model calculation, etc. can link to the same data. Information provided in PoP will include properties of nuclei, gammas andmore » electrons (along with other particles such as pions, as evaluations extend to higher energies). Presently, PoP includes masses from the Atomic Mass Evaluation version 2003 (AME2003), and level schemes and gamma decays from the Reference Input Parameter Library (RIPL-3). The data are stored in a hierarchical structure. An example of how PoP stores nuclear masses and energy levels will be presented here.« less

Structure for Storing Properties of Particles (PoP)

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

Patel, N.R., E-mail: infinidhi@llnl.gov; Mattoon, C.M.; Beck, B.R.

2014-06-15

Evaluated nuclear databases are critical for applications such as nuclear energy, nuclear medicine, homeland security, and stockpile stewardship. Particle masses, nuclear excitation levels, and other “Properties of Particles” are essential for making evaluated nuclear databases. Currently, these properties are obtained from various databases that are stored in outdated formats. A “Properties of Particles” (PoP) structure is being designed that will allow storing all information for one or more particles in a single place, so that each evaluation, simulation, model calculation, etc. can link to the same data. Information provided in PoP will include properties of nuclei, gammas and electrons (alongmore » with other particles such as pions, as evaluations extend to higher energies). Presently, PoP includes masses from the Atomic Mass Evaluation version 2003 (AME2003), and level schemes and gamma decays from the Reference Input Parameter Library (RIPL-3). The data are stored in a hierarchical structure. An example of how PoP stores nuclear masses and energy levels will be presented here.« less

Evidence Report: Risk of Inadequate Human-Computer Interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holden, Kritina; Ezer, Neta; Vos, Gordon

2013-01-01

Human-computer interaction (HCI) encompasses all the methods by which humans and computer-based systems communicate, share information, and accomplish tasks. When HCI is poorly designed, crews have difficulty entering, navigating, accessing, and understanding information. HCI has rarely been studied in an operational spaceflight context, and detailed performance data that would support evaluation of HCI have not been collected; thus, we draw much of our evidence from post-spaceflight crew comments, and from other safety-critical domains like ground-based power plants, and aviation. Additionally, there is a concern that any potential or real issues to date may have been masked by the fact that crews have near constant access to ground controllers, who monitor for errors, correct mistakes, and provide additional information needed to complete tasks. We do not know what types of HCI issues might arise without this "safety net". Exploration missions will test this concern, as crews may be operating autonomously due to communication delays and blackouts. Crew survival will be heavily dependent on available electronic information for just-in-time training, procedure execution, and vehicle or system maintenance; hence, the criticality of the Risk of Inadequate HCI. Future work must focus on identifying the most important contributing risk factors, evaluating their contribution to the overall risk, and developing appropriate mitigations. The Risk of Inadequate HCI includes eight core contributing factors based on the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS): (1) Requirements, policies, and design processes, (2) Information resources and support, (3) Allocation of attention, (4) Cognitive overload, (5) Environmentally induced perceptual changes, (6) Misperception and misinterpretation of displayed information, (7) Spatial disorientation, and (8) Displays and controls.

76 FR 18743 - Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-603); Comment Request; Extension

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-05

... FERC-603 ``Critical Energy Infrastructure Information'' (OMB No. 1902-0197) is used by the Commission to implement procedures for gaining access to critical energy infrastructure information (CEII) that... information about ``existing or proposed critical infrastructure that (i) relates to the production...

Constructing Pairing-Friendly Elliptic Curves under Embedding Degree 1 for Securing Critical Infrastructures.

PubMed

Wang, Maocai; Dai, Guangming; Choo, Kim-Kwang Raymond; Jayaraman, Prem Prakash; Ranjan, Rajiv

2016-01-01

Information confidentiality is an essential requirement for cyber security in critical infrastructure. Identity-based cryptography, an increasingly popular branch of cryptography, is widely used to protect the information confidentiality in the critical infrastructure sector due to the ability to directly compute the user's public key based on the user's identity. However, computational requirements complicate the practical application of Identity-based cryptography. In order to improve the efficiency of identity-based cryptography, this paper presents an effective method to construct pairing-friendly elliptic curves with low hamming weight 4 under embedding degree 1. Based on the analysis of the Complex Multiplication(CM) method, the soundness of our method to calculate the characteristic of the finite field is proved. And then, three relative algorithms to construct pairing-friendly elliptic curve are put forward. 10 elliptic curves with low hamming weight 4 under 160 bits are presented to demonstrate the utility of our approach. Finally, the evaluation also indicates that it is more efficient to compute Tate pairing with our curves, than that of Bertoni et al.

Beta- and gamma-dose measurements of the Godiva IV critical assembly.

PubMed

Hankins, D E

1984-03-01

To aid in the re-evaluation of an exposure that occurred in 1963, information was required on the response of film badges to the beta- and gamma-ray doses from a critical assembly. Of particular interest was the beta spectra from the assembly. The techniques used and the results obtained in this study are of interest to health physicists at facilities where exposures to betas occur. The dose rates from the Los Alamos National Laboratory Godiva IV Critical Assembly were measured at numerous distances from the assembly four and 12 days following a burst. Information was obtained on the beta-particle spectra using absorption curve studies. The beta/gamma dose-rate ratio as a function of distance from the assembly was determined. Shielding provided by various metals, gloves and clothing was measured. The beta- and gamma-ray doses measured were compared with a film packet used in the past at the Nevada Test Site with two types of current TLD personnel badges. Measurements made with a commercial thin-window ion chamber instrument are compared with the dose rates obtained using other dosimeters.

Constructing Pairing-Friendly Elliptic Curves under Embedding Degree 1 for Securing Critical Infrastructures

PubMed Central

Dai, Guangming

2016-01-01

Information confidentiality is an essential requirement for cyber security in critical infrastructure. Identity-based cryptography, an increasingly popular branch of cryptography, is widely used to protect the information confidentiality in the critical infrastructure sector due to the ability to directly compute the user’s public key based on the user’s identity. However, computational requirements complicate the practical application of Identity-based cryptography. In order to improve the efficiency of identity-based cryptography, this paper presents an effective method to construct pairing-friendly elliptic curves with low hamming weight 4 under embedding degree 1. Based on the analysis of the Complex Multiplication(CM) method, the soundness of our method to calculate the characteristic of the finite field is proved. And then, three relative algorithms to construct pairing-friendly elliptic curve are put forward. 10 elliptic curves with low hamming weight 4 under 160 bits are presented to demonstrate the utility of our approach. Finally, the evaluation also indicates that it is more efficient to compute Tate pairing with our curves, than that of Bertoni et al. PMID:27564373

Patient-reported outcomes in randomised controlled trials of prostate cancer: methodological quality and impact on clinical decision making.

PubMed

Efficace, Fabio; Feuerstein, Michael; Fayers, Peter; Cafaro, Valentina; Eastham, James; Pusic, Andrea; Blazeby, Jane

2014-09-01

Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are increasingly used to inform patient-centred care as well as clinical and health policy decisions. The main objective of this study was to investigate the methodological quality of PRO assessment in RCTs of prostate cancer (PCa) and to estimate the likely impact of these studies on clinical decision making. A systematic literature search of studies was undertaken on main electronic databases to retrieve articles published between January 2004 and March 2012. RCTs were evaluated on a predetermined extraction form, including (1) basic trial demographics and clinical and PRO characteristics; (2) level of PRO reporting based on the recently published recommendations by the International Society for Quality of Life Research; and (3) bias, assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Studies were systematically analysed to evaluate their relevance for supporting clinical decision making. Sixty-five RCTs enrolling a total of 22 071 patients were evaluated, with 31 (48%) in patients with nonmetastatic disease. When a PRO difference between treatments was found, it related in most cases to symptoms only (n=29, 58%). Although the extent of missing data was generally documented (72% of RCTs), few reported details on statistical handling of this data (18%) and reasons for dropout (35%). Improvements in key methodological aspects over time were found. Thirteen (20%) RCTs were judged as likely to be robust in informing clinical decision making. Higher-quality PRO studies were generally associated with those RCTs that had higher internal validity. Including PRO in RCTs of PCa patients is critical for better evaluating the treatment effectiveness of new therapeutic approaches. Marked improvements in PRO quality reporting over time were found, and it is estimated that at least one-fifth of PRO RCTs have provided sufficient details to allow health policy makers and physicians to make critical appraisals of results. In this report, we have investigated the methodological quality of PCa trials that have included a PRO assessment. We conclude that including PRO is critical to better evaluating the treatment effectiveness of new therapeutic approaches from the patient's perspective. Also, at least one-fifth of PRO RCTs in PCa have provided sufficient details to allow health policy makers and physicians to make a critical appraisal of results. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Clinical Laboratory Evaluation of Electronic Cigarettes/Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: Methodological Challenges

PubMed Central

Blank, Melissa D.; Breland, Alison B.; Cobb, Caroline O.; Spindle, Tory; Ramôa, Carolina; Eissenberg, Thomas

2017-01-01

Objective Evaluating electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) in the clinical laboratory is critical to understanding their effects. However, laboratory evaluation of ECIGs can be challenging, as they are a novel, varied, and evolving class of products. The objective of this paper is to describe some methodological challenges to the clinical laboratory evaluation of ECIGs. Methods The authors gathered information about challenges involved in the laboratory evaluation of ECIGs. Challenges were categorized and solutions provided when possible. Results Methods used to study combustible cigarettes may need to be adapted to account for ECIG novelty and differences within the class. Challenges to ECIG evaluation can include issues related to 1) identification of ECIG devices and liquids, 2) determination of short -term ECIG abstinence, 3) measurement of use behavior, and 4) assessment of dependence. These challenges are discussed, and some suggestions to inform ECIG evaluation using clinical laboratory methods are provided. Conclusions Awareness of challenges and developing, validating, and reporting methods used to address them aids interpretation of results and replication efforts, thus enhancing the rigor of science used to protect public health through appropriate, empirically-based, ECIG regulation. PMID:28819633

Clinical Laboratory Evaluation of Electronic Cigarettes/Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: Methodological Challenges.

PubMed

Blank, Melissa D; Breland, Alison B; Cobb, Caroline O; Spindle, Tory; Ramôa, Carolina; Eissenberg, Thomas

2016-10-01

Evaluating electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) in the clinical laboratory is critical to understanding their effects. However, laboratory evaluation of ECIGs can be challenging, as they are a novel, varied, and evolving class of products. The objective of this paper is to describe some methodological challenges to the clinical laboratory evaluation of ECIGs. The authors gathered information about challenges involved in the laboratory evaluation of ECIGs. Challenges were categorized and solutions provided when possible. Methods used to study combustible cigarettes may need to be adapted to account for ECIG novelty and differences within the class. Challenges to ECIG evaluation can include issues related to 1) identification of ECIG devices and liquids, 2) determination of short -term ECIG abstinence, 3) measurement of use behavior, and 4) assessment of dependence. These challenges are discussed, and some suggestions to inform ECIG evaluation using clinical laboratory methods are provided. Awareness of challenges and developing, validating, and reporting methods used to address them aids interpretation of results and replication efforts, thus enhancing the rigor of science used to protect public health through appropriate, empirically-based, ECIG regulation.

Consumer health information seeking on the Internet: the state of the art.

PubMed

Cline, R J; Haynes, K M

2001-12-01

Increasingly, consumers engage in health information seeking via the Internet. Taking a communication perspective, this review argues why public health professionals should be concerned about the topic, considers potential benefits, synthesizes quality concerns, identifies criteria for evaluating online health information and critiques the literature. More than 70 000 websites disseminate health information; in excess of 50 million people seek health information online, with likely consequences for the health care system. The Internet offers widespread access to health information, and the advantages of interactivity, information tailoring and anonymity. However, access is inequitable and use is hindered further by navigational challenges due to numerous design features (e.g. disorganization, technical language and lack of permanence). Increasingly, critics question the quality of online health information; limited research indicates that much is inaccurate. Meager information-evaluation skills add to consumers' vulnerability, and reinforce the need for quality standards and widespread criteria for evaluating health information. Extant literature can be characterized as speculative, comprised of basic 'how to' presentations, with little empirical research. Future research needs to address the Internet as part of the larger health communication system and take advantage of incorporating extant communication concepts. Not only should research focus on the 'net-gap' and information quality, it also should address the inherently communicative and transactional quality of Internet use. Both interpersonal and mass communication concepts open avenues for investigation and understanding the influence of the Internet on health beliefs and behaviors, health care, medical outcomes, and the health care system.

An evaluation framework for Health Information Systems: human, organization and technology-fit factors (HOT-fit).

PubMed

Yusof, Maryati Mohd; Kuljis, Jasna; Papazafeiropoulou, Anastasia; Stergioulas, Lampros K

2008-06-01

The realization of Health Information Systems (HIS) requires rigorous evaluation that addresses technology, human and organization issues. Our review indicates that current evaluation methods evaluate different aspects of HIS and they can be improved upon. A new evaluation framework, human, organization and technology-fit (HOT-fit) was developed after having conducted a critical appraisal of the findings of existing HIS evaluation studies. HOT-fit builds on previous models of IS evaluation--in particular, the IS Success Model and the IT-Organization Fit Model. This paper introduces the new framework for HIS evaluation that incorporates comprehensive dimensions and measures of HIS and provides a technological, human and organizational fit. Literature review on HIS and IS evaluation studies and pilot testing of developed framework. The framework was used to evaluate a Fundus Imaging System (FIS) of a primary care organization in the UK. The case study was conducted through observation, interview and document analysis. The main findings show that having the right user attitude and skills base together with good leadership, IT-friendly environment and good communication can have positive influence on the system adoption. Comprehensive, specific evaluation factors, dimensions and measures in the new framework (HOT-fit) are applicable in HIS evaluation. The use of such a framework is argued to be useful not only for comprehensive evaluation of the particular FIS system under investigation, but potentially also for any Health Information System in general.

Monitoring of levees, bridges, pipelines, and other critical infrastructure during the 2011 flooding in the Mississippi River Basin: Chapter J in 2011 floods of the central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Densmore, Brenda K.; Burton, Bethany L.; Dietsch, Benjamin J.; Cannia, James C.; Huizinga, Richard J.

2014-01-01

During the 2011 Mississippi River Basin flood, the U.S. Geological Survey evaluated aspects of critical river infrastructure at the request of and in support of local, State, and Federal Agencies. Geotechnical and hydrographic data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey at numerous locations were able to provide needed information about 2011 flood effects to those managing the critical infrastructure. These data were collected and processed in a short time frame to provide managers the ability to make a timely evaluation of the safety of the infrastructure and, when needed, to take action to secure and protect critical infrastructure. Critical infrastructure surveyed by the U.S. Geological Survey included levees, bridges, pipeline crossings, power plant intakes and outlets, and an electrical transmission tower. Capacitively coupled resistivity data collected along the flood-protection levees surrounding the Omaha Public Power District Nebraska City power plant (Missouri River Levee Unit R573), mapped the near-subsurface electrical properties of the levee and the materials immediately below it. The near-subsurface maps provided a better understanding of the levee construction and the nature of the lithology beneath the levee. Comparison of the capacitively coupled resistivity surveys and soil borings indicated that low-resistivity value material composing the levee generally is associated with lean clay and silt to about 2 to 4 meters below the surface, overlying a more resistive layer associated with sand deposits. In general, the resistivity structure becomes more resistive to the south and the southern survey sections correlate well with the borehole data that indicate thinner clay and silt at the surface and thicker sand sequences at depth in these sections. With the resistivity data Omaha Public Power District could focus monitoring efforts on areas with higher resistivity values (coarser-grained deposits or more loosely compacted section), which typically are more prone to erosion or scour. Data collected from multibeam echosounder hydrographic surveys at selected bridges aided State agencies in evaluating the structural integrity of the bridges during the flood, by assessing the amount of scour present around piers and abutments. Hydrographic surveys of the riverbed detected scour depths ranging from zero (no scour) to approximately 5.8 meters in some areas adjacent to North Dakota bridge piers, zero to approximately 6 meters near bridge piers in Nebraska, and zero to approximately 10.4 meters near bridge piers in Missouri. Substructural support elements of some bridge piers in North Dakota, Nebraska, and Missouri that usually are buried were exposed to moving water and sediment. At five Missouri bridge piers the depth of scour left less than 1.8 meters of bed material between the bottom of the scour hole and bedrock. State agencies used this information along with bridge design and construction information to determine if reported scour depths would have a substantial effect on the stability of the structure. Multibeam echosounder hydrographic surveys of the riverbed near pipeline crossings did not detect exposed pipelines. However, analysis of the USGS survey data by pipeline companies aided in their evaluation of pipeline safety and led one company to further investigate the safety of their line and assisted another company in getting one offline pipeline back into operation. Multibeam echosounder hydrographic surveys of the banks, riverbed, and underwater infrastructure at Omaha Public Power District power plants documented the bed and scour conditions. These datasets were used by Omaha Public Power District to evaluate the effects that the flood had on operation, specifically to evaluate if scour during the peak of the flood or sediment deposition during the flood recession would affect the water intake structures. Hydrographic surveys at an Omaha Public Power District electrical transmission tower documented scour so that they could evaluate the structural integrity of the tower as well as have the information needed to make proper repairs after flood waters receded.

Predicting invasive fungal disease due to Candida species in non-neutropenic, critically ill, adult patients in United Kingdom critical care units.

PubMed

Shahin, Jason; Allen, Elizabeth J; Patel, Krishna; Muskett, Hannah; Harvey, Sheila E; Edgeworth, Jonathan; Kibbler, Christopher C; Barnes, Rosemary A; Biswas, Sharmistha; Soni, Neil; Rowan, Kathryn M; Harrison, David A

2016-09-09

Given the predominance of invasive fungal disease (IFD) amongst the non-immunocompromised adult critically ill population, the potential benefit of antifungal prophylaxis and the lack of generalisable tools to identify high risk patients, the aim of the current study was to describe the epidemiology of IFD in UK critical care units, and to develop and validate a clinical risk prediction tool to identify non-neutropenic, critically ill adult patients at high risk of IFD who would benefit from antifungal prophylaxis. Data on risk factors for, and outcomes from, IFD were collected for consecutive admissions to adult, general critical care units in the UK participating in the Fungal Infection Risk Evaluation (FIRE) Study. Three risk prediction models were developed to model the risk of subsequent Candida IFD based on information available at three time points: admission to the critical care unit, at the end of 24 h and at the end of calendar day 3 of the critical care unit stay. The final model at each time point was evaluated in the three external validation samples. Between July 2009 and April 2011, 60,778 admissions from 96 critical care units were recruited. In total, 359 admissions (0.6 %) were admitted with, or developed, Candida IFD (66 % Candida albicans). At the rate of candidaemia of 3.3 per 1000 admissions, blood was the most common Candida IFD infection site. Of the initial 46 potential variables, the final admission model and the 24-h model both contained seven variables while the end of calendar day 3 model contained five variables. The end of calendar day 3 model performed the best with a c index of 0.709 in the full validation sample. Incidence of Candida IFD in UK critical care units in this study was consistent with reports from other European epidemiological studies, but lower than that suggested by previous hospital-wide surveillance in the UK during the 1990s. Risk modeling using classical statistical methods produced relatively simple risk models, and associated clinical decision rules, that provided acceptable discrimination for identifying patients at 'high risk' of Candida IFD. The FIRE Study was reviewed and approved by the Bolton NHS Research Ethics Committee (reference: 08/H1009/85), the Scotland A Research Ethics Committee (reference: 09/MRE00/76) and the National Information Governance Board (approval number: PIAG 2-10(f)/2005).

[Multi-mathematical modelings for compatibility optimization of Jiangzhi granules].

PubMed

Yang, Ming; Zhang, Li; Ge, Yingli; Lu, Yanliu; Ji, Guang

2011-12-01

To investigate into the method of "multi activity index evaluation and combination optimized of mult-component" for Chinese herbal formulas. According to the scheme of uniform experimental design, efficacy experiment, multi index evaluation, least absolute shrinkage, selection operator (LASSO) modeling, evolutionary optimization algorithm, validation experiment, we optimized the combination of Jiangzhi granules based on the activity indexes of blood serum ALT, ALT, AST, TG, TC, HDL, LDL and TG level of liver tissues, ratio of liver tissue to body. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) combining with criteria importance through intercriteria correlation (CRITIC) for multi activity index evaluation was more reasonable and objective, it reflected the information of activity index's order and objective sample data. LASSO algorithm modeling could accurately reflect the relationship between different combination of Jiangzhi granule and the activity comprehensive indexes. The optimized combination of Jiangzhi granule showed better values of the activity comprehensive indexed than the original formula after the validation experiment. AHP combining with CRITIC can be used for multi activity index evaluation and LASSO algorithm, it is suitable for combination optimized of Chinese herbal formulas.

Critical habitat for threatened and endangered species: how should the economic costs be evaluated?

PubMed

Plantinga, Andrew J; Helvoigt, Ted L; Walker, Kirsten

2014-02-15

The designation of critical habitat is a feature of endangered species protection laws in many countries. Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, economics cannot enter into decisions to list species as threatened or endangered, but can be considered when critical habitat is designated. Areas can be excluded from proposed critical habitat if the economic cost of including them is determined to exceed the benefits of inclusion, and exclusion would not result in extinction of the species. The economic analysis done to support critical habitat exclusions has been controversial, and the focus of much litigation. We evaluate a sample of these analyses, and discuss the exclusions that were made in each case. We discuss how the methodology used to measure economic costs of critical habitat has changed over time and provide a critique of these alternative methods. We find that the approach currently in use is sound from an economic perspective. Nevertheless, quantification of the costs of critical habitat faces numerous challenges, including great uncertainty about future events, questions about the appropriate scale for the analysis, and the need to account for complex market feedbacks and values of non-market goods. For the studies we reviewed, there was no evidence that the results of the economic analyses provided information that was useful for making decisions about exemptions from critical habitat designations. If economics is to play a meaningful role in determining endangered species protections, an alternative would be to allow listing decisions to be based on economic as well as biological factors, as is typical for species conservation laws in other countries. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cultural Shifts: Putting Critical Information Literacy into Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hicks, Alison

2013-01-01

This paper uses the example of foreign languages to explore the integration of critical information literacy into the curriculum of various disciplines. By closely examining the practices and values inherent in the foreign language information environment, the paper suggests that a critical vision of information literacy provides the most…

Recent advances and remaining challenges for the spectroscopic detection of explosive threats.

PubMed

Fountain, Augustus W; Christesen, Steven D; Moon, Raphael P; Guicheteau, Jason A; Emmons, Erik D

2014-01-01

In 2010, the U.S. Army initiated a program through the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center to identify viable spectroscopic signatures of explosives and initiate environmental persistence, fate, and transport studies for trace residues. These studies were ultimately designed to integrate these signatures into algorithms and experimentally evaluate sensor performance for explosives and precursor materials in existing chemical point and standoff detection systems. Accurate and validated optical cross sections and signatures are critical in benchmarking spectroscopic-based sensors. This program has provided important information for the scientists and engineers currently developing trace-detection solutions to the homemade explosive problem. With this information, the sensitivity of spectroscopic methods for explosives detection can now be quantitatively evaluated before the sensor is deployed and tested.

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

PubMed

Olney, Cynthia A

2005-10-01

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

Hanson Russian River Ponds floodplain restoration: Feasibility study and conceptual design; Appendix G: Physical evaluation of the restoration alternatives

USGS Publications Warehouse

McDonald, Richard R.; Nelson, Jonathan M.

2016-01-01

Appendix G: Hanson Russian River Ponds Floodplain Restoration: Feasibility Study and Conceptual Design |G-1Appendix GPhysical Evaluation of the Restoration AlternativesRichard McDonald and Jonathan Nelson, PhDU.S. Geological Survey Geomorphology and Sediment Transport Laboratory, Golden, ColoradoIntroductionTo assess the relative and overall impacts of the scenarios proposed in Chapters 7 and 9,(Stage I-A–I-D and Stage II-A –II-E), each of the topographic configurations were evaluated over a range of flows. Thisevaluation was carried out using computational flow modeling tools available in the iRIC public-domain river modeling interface (www.i-ric.org, Nelsonet al.in press). Using the iRIC modeling tools described in more detail below, basic hydraulic computations of water-surface elevation, velocity, shear stress, and other hydraulic variables were carried out for the alternatives in the reach surrounding the project area, from the confluence of Dry Creek upstream to the Wohler road bridge downstream, for the full range of observed flows. This methodology allows comparison of the current channel configuration with the proposed alternatives in terms of inundation period and frequency, depth, water velocity, and other hydraulic information. By integrating this kind of information over the reach of interest and the flow record, critical metrics assessing the impacts of various topographic modifications can be compared to those same metrics for the existing condition or other modification scenarios. In addition, because the iRIC tools include predictions of sediment mobility, suspension of fines, and the potential evolution of the land surface in response to flow, these methods provide evaluation of sediment transport, stability of current and proposed surfaces, and evaluation of how these surfaces might evolve into the future. This hydraulic and sediment transport information is critically important for understanding theimpacts of various proposed alternatives on the physical system; perhaps even more importantly given the objectives of the proposed restoration, this information can be related to biological impacts, as is discussed in subsequent chapters of this document.

Bringing the DERP to consumers: 'Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs'.

PubMed

Findlay, Steven D

2006-01-01

Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, has used the drug class reviews of the Drug Effectiveness Review Project (DERP) as one critical component of a free public information project on the comparative effectiveness, safety, and cost of prescription drugs. The project translates the DERP findings for consumers. Drawing on other sources and adding information on drug costs, the project chooses Best Buy drugs in each category it evaluates. This guidance can help consumers save up to thousands of dollars per year, and it has the potential to reduce overall drug spending.

[Test Reviews in Child Psychology: Test Users Wish to Obtain Practical Information Relevant to their Respective Field of Work].

PubMed

Renner, Gerolf; Irblich, Dieter

2016-11-01

Test Reviews in Child Psychology: Test Users Wish to Obtain Practical Information Relevant to their Respective Field of Work This study investigated to what extent diagnosticians use reviews of psychometric tests for children and adolescents, how they evaluate their quality, and what they expect concerning content. Test users (n = 323) from different areas of work (notably social pediatrics, early intervention, special education, speech and language therapy) rated test reviews as one of the most important sources of information. Readers of test reviews value practically oriented descriptions and evaluations of tests that are relevant to their respective field of work. They expect independent reviews that critically discuss opportunities and limits of the tests under scrutiny. The results show that authors of test reviews should not only have a background in test theory but should also be familiar with the practical application of tests in various settings.

Guidelines for evaluating air pollution impacts on class I wilderness areas in the Pacific Northwest.

Treesearch

J. Peterson; D. Schmoldt; D. Peterson; J. Eilers; R. Fisher; R. Bachman

1992-01-01

Forest Service air resource managers in the Pacific Northwest are responsible for protecting class 1 wilderness areas from air pollution. To do this, they need scientifically defensible information to determine critical concentrations of air pollution having the potential to impact class 1 wilderness values. This report documents the results of a workshop where current...

The Role of Human Error in Design, Construction, and Reliability of Marine Structures.

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-10-01

The 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear plant accident was largely a result of a failure to properly sort out and recognize critically important information...determinating the goals and objectives of the program and by evaluating and interpreting the results in terms of structural design, construction, and...67 Checking Models in Structural Design ....................................... 69 Nuclear Power Plants

The Earth System Prediction Suite: Toward a Coordinated U.S. Modeling Capability

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

517 regional information products ( Goodall et al. 2013). 518 A critical aspect of future work is the evaluation and evolution of NUOPC and ESMF...Atmosphere (NUMA). SIAM J. Sci. Comp. 35(5), B1162-700 B1194. 701 Goodall , J. L., K. D. Saint, M. B. Ercan, L. J. Baily, S. Murphy, C. DeLuca, R. B

Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program, Evaluation Findings: Annual Report to Congress 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2010

2010-01-01

This report to Congress provides critical information about the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and their Families Program (CMHI), including the characteristics of children, youth, and families as they enter the CMHI; the outcomes attained for children and youth, and their caregivers and families after entry into the…

Re-Evaluating Split-Fovea Processing in Word Recognition: A Critical Assessment of Recent Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, Timothy R.; Paterson, Kevin B.

2009-01-01

In recent years, some researchers have proposed that a fundamental component of the word recognition process is that each fovea is divided precisely at its vertical midline and that information either side of this midline projects to different, contralateral hemispheres. Thus, when a word is fixated, all letters to the left of the point of…

Guidelines for evaluating air pollution impacts on class I wilderness areas in the Pacific Northwest.

Treesearch

Janice Peterson; Daniel L. Schmoldt; David Peterson; Joseph Eilers; Richard Fisher; Robert Bachman

1992-01-01

Forest Service air resource managers in the Pacific Northwest are responsible for protecting class I wilderness areas from air pollution. To do this, they need scientifically defensible information to determine critical concentrations of air pollution having the potential to impact class I wilderness values. This report documents the results of a workshop where current...

Teaching and Learning Science in the 21st Century: Challenging Critical Assumptions in Post-Secondary Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glaze, Amanda L.

2018-01-01

It is widely agreed upon that the goal of science education is building a scientifically literate society. Although there are a range of definitions for science literacy, most involve an ability to problem solve, make evidence-based decisions, and evaluate information in a manner that is logical. Unfortunately, science literacy appears to be an…

Approaches to evaluating climate change impacts on species: A guide to initiating the adaptation planning process

Treesearch

Erika L. Rowland; Jennifer E. Davison; Lisa J. Graumlich

2011-01-01

Assessing the impact of climate change on species and associated management objectives is a critical initial step for engaging in the adaptation planning process. Multiple approaches are available. While all possess limitations to their application associated with the uncertainties inherent in the data and models that inform their results, conducting and incorporating...

Emergy Evaluation of the United States, U.S. Education, Educational Attainment and the National Financial System from 1950 through 2016

EPA Science Inventory

Past work quantifying the emergy basis for the U.S. economy, the U.S. education system and the educational attainment of the population through 2011 is brought up to date with the most recent data available from the U.S. Statistical Abstracts as well as other critical information...

Designing for Wide-Area Situation Awareness in Future Power Grid Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Fiona F.

Power grid operation uncertainty and complexity continue to increase with the rise of electricity market deregulation, renewable generation, and interconnectedness between multiple jurisdictions. Human operators need appropriate wide-area visualizations to help them monitor system status to ensure reliable operation of the interconnected power grid. We observed transmission operations at a control centre, conducted critical incident interviews, and led focus group sessions with operators. The results informed a Work Domain Analysis of power grid operations, which in turn informed an Ecological Interface Design concept for wide-area monitoring. I validated design concepts through tabletop discussions and a usability evaluation with operators, earning a mean System Usability Scale score of 77 out of 90. The design concepts aim to support an operator's complete and accurate understanding of the power grid state, which operators increasingly require due to the critical nature of power grid infrastructure and growing sources of system uncertainty.

Is Phosphoproteomics Ready for Clinical Research?

PubMed Central

Iliuk, Anton B.; Tao, W. Andy

2012-01-01

Background For many diseases such as cancer where phosphorylation-dependent signaling is the foundation of disease onset and progression, single-gene testing and genomic profiling alone are not sufficient in providing most critical information. The reason for this is that in these activated pathways the signaling changes and drug resistance are often not directly correlated with changes in protein expression levels. In order to obtain the essential information needed to evaluate pathway activation or the effects of certain drugs and therapies on the molecular level, the analysis of changes in protein phosphorylation is critical. Methods Existing approaches do not differentiate clinical disease subtypes on the protein and signaling pathway level, and therefore hamper the predictive management of the disease and the selection of therapeutic targets. Conclusions The mini-review examines the impact of emerging systems biology tools and the possibility of applying phosphoproteomics to clinical research. PMID:23159844

MODIS Validation, Data Merger and Other Activities Accomplished by the SIMBIOS Project: 2002-2003

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fargion, Giulietta S.; McClain, Charles R.

2003-01-01

The purpose of this technical report is to provide current documentation of the Sensor Intercomparison and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) Project activities, satellite data processing, and data product validation. This documentation is necessary to ensure that critical information is related to the scientific community and NASA management. This critical information includes the technical difficulties and challenges of validating and combining ocean color data from an array of independent satellite systems to form consistent and accurate global bio-optical time series products. This technical report focuses on the SIMBIOS Project s efforts in support of the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Earth Observing System (EOS) Terra platform (similar evaluations of MODIS/Aqua are underway). This technical report is not meant as a substitute for scientific literature. Instead, it will provide a ready and responsive vehicle for the multitude of technical reports issued by an operational project.

Online processing of moral transgressions: ERP evidence for spontaneous evaluation

PubMed Central

Kunkel, Angelika; Mackenzie, Ian G.; Filik, Ruth

2015-01-01

Experimental studies using fictional moral dilemmas indicate that both automatic emotional processes and controlled cognitive processes contribute to moral judgments. However, not much is known about how people process socio-normative violations that are more common to their everyday life nor the time-course of these processes. Thus, we recorded participants’ electrical brain activity while they were reading vignettes that either contained morally acceptable vs unacceptable information or text materials that contained information which was either consistent or inconsistent with their general world knowledge. A first event-related brain potential (ERP) positivity peaking at ∼200 ms after critical word onset (P200) was larger when this word involved a socio-normative or knowledge-based violation. Subsequently, knowledge-inconsistent words triggered a larger centroparietal ERP negativity at ∼320 ms (N400), indicating an influence on meaning construction. In contrast, a larger ERP positivity (larger late positivity), which also started at ∼320 ms after critical word onset, was elicited by morally unacceptable compared with acceptable words. We take this ERP positivity to reflect an implicit evaluative (good–bad) categorization process that is engaged during the online processing of moral transgressions. PMID:25556210

Critical Theory and Information Studies: A Marcusean Infusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pyati, Ajit K.

2006-01-01

In the field of library and information science, also known as information studies, critical theory is often not included in debates about the discipline's theoretical foundations. This paper argues that the critical theory of Herbert Marcuse, in particular, has a significant contribution to make to the field of information studies. Marcuse's…

Critical evaluation of the claims made by pharmaceutical companies in drug promotional material in Pakistan.

PubMed

Rohra, Dileep Kumar; Gilani, Anwarul Hassan; Memon, Ismail Kamal; Perven, Ghazala; Khan, Muhammad Talha; Zafar, Hina; Kumar, Rakesh

2006-01-01

In Pakistan, there is no mechanism to monitor the drug promotional campaign by pharmaceutical industry despite the fact that there is enough evidence that irrational pharmacotherapy is increasingly encountered even in the developed countries due to unethical practices of pharmaceutical promotion. Objectives. To audit the drug promotional claims made by the pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan. Drug promotional pamphlets and brochures containing claims for the drugs, which were circulated by the pharmaceutical representatives were collected from 122 general practitioners (GPs) from Karachi and Larkana cities of the Sindh Province. The claims were critically analyzed and audited with the help of currently available evidence in the medical literature. 345 distinct advertisements covering 182 drugs from different manufacturers were critically analyzed for information content. Sixty two out of 345 (18%) of the reviewed advertisements were adjudged to be misleading / unjustifiable, which were again classified as, exaggerated (32%), ambiguous (21%), false (26%), and controversial (21%). The primary source of information (approximately 78%) about the newly launched drugs for the GPs was found to be the pharmaceutical representatives followed by hospital doctors (5%) and colleagues (5%). Furthermore, 110 (90%) GPs were of the view that the drug promotion has definitely an influence on their prescribing pattern. Since GPs in Pakistan rate pharmaceutical companies as their primary source of information regarding drugs, it can be anticipated that inappropriate advertisement claims would lead to irrational prescribing if physicians had no any other information to follow.

An evaluability assessment of a West Africa based Non-Governmental Organization's (NGO) progressive evaluation strategy.

PubMed

D'Ostie-Racine, Léna; Dagenais, Christian; Ridde, Valéry

2013-02-01

While program evaluations are increasingly valued by international organizations to inform practices and public policies, actual evaluation use (EU) in such contexts is inconsistent. Moreover, empirical literature on EU in the context of humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) is very limited. The current article focuses on the evaluability assessment (EA) of a West-Africa based humanitarian NGO's progressive evaluation strategy. Since 2007, the NGO has established an evaluation strategy to inform its maternal and child health care user-fee exemption intervention. Using Wholey's (2004) framework, the current EA enabled us to clarify with the NGO's evaluation partners the intent of their evaluation strategy and to design its program logic model. The EA ascertained the plausibility of the evaluation strategy's objectives, the accessibility of relevant data, and the utility for intended users of evaluating both the evaluation strategy and the conditions that foster EU. Hence, key evaluability conditions for an EU study were assured. This article provides an example of EA procedures when such guidance is scant in the literature. It also offers an opportunity to analyze critically the use of EAs in the context of a humanitarian NGO's collaboration with evaluators and political actors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

One-day quantitative cross-sectional study of family information time in 90 intensive care units in France.

PubMed

Fassier, Thomas; Darmon, Michel; Laplace, Christian; Chevret, Sylvie; Schlemmer, Benoit; Pochard, Frédéric; Azoulay, Elie

2007-01-01

Providing family members with clear, honest, and timely information is a major task for intensive care unit physicians. Time spent informing families has been associated with effectiveness of information but has not been measured in specifically designed studies. To measure time spent informing families of intensive care unit patients. One-day cross-sectional study in 90 intensive care units in France. Clocked time spent by physicians informing the families of each of 951 patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit during a 24-hr period. Median family information time was 16 (interquartile range, 8-30) mins per patient, with 20% of the time spent explaining the diagnosis, 20% on explaining treatments, and 60% on explaining the prognosis. One third of the time was spent listening to family members. Multivariable analysis identified one factor associated with less information time (room with more than one bed) and seven factors associated with more information time, including five patient-related factors (surgery on the study day, higher Logistic Organ Dysfunction score, coma, mechanical ventilation, and worsening clinical status) and two family-related factors (first contact with family and interview with the spouse). Median information time was 20 (interquartile range, 10-39) mins when three factors were present and 106.5 (interquartile range, 103-110) mins when five were present. This study identifies factors associated with information time provided by critical care physicians to family members of critically ill patients. Whether information time correlates with communication difficulties or communication skills needs to be evaluated. Information time provided by residents and nurses should be studied.

[Students in Training to Become Biology Teachers - a controlled phase II trial (NCT01567267)].

PubMed

Matic-Strametz, Mirjana; Strametz, Reinhard; Bohrt, Kevin; Ochsendorf, Falk; Weberschock, Tobias

2013-01-01

Consumers increasingly demand to take part in healthcare decisions as described by the concept of shared decision making. In order to ensure this happens the patient must be able to critically appraise the healthcare information provided, which is called critical health literacy. Critical health literacy can be taught to patients at the onset of their disease to enable them to obtain information about interventions and alternatives. For the primary prevention of common diseases like hypertension or diabetes mellitus, though, it is necessary to empower consumers to critically appraise medical information since this information is routinely presented in the mass media. This might be achieved through educational intervention programmes at school. The study was designed as a prospective controlled trial with students in training to become biology teachers at Siegen University (Germany). The intervention group received a short-term educational intervention (24 units) in human biology based on the principles of Evidence-based Medicine (EbM) and Good Scientific Practice (GSP) combined with elements of problem-based learning. The control group received a short-term intervention in human biology of equal duration, but without the elements of EbM and GSP. Knowledge and skills were evaluated by validated questionnaires and case studies in a pre-, interim, and post-interventional test in both groups. In addition, biology trainee teachers in the intervention group also planned and conducted a one-hour problem-based learning session with high school students, which was evaluated by video. The increase in knowledge (7.9±3.8 points vs. 2.7±2.5 points, p≤0.001) and appraisal skills (24.1±6.7 points vs. 14.6±6.3, p≤0.001) after the intervention was relevant and significant compared to baseline results and also compared to the control group that did not show any significant progress in knowledge (3.9±2.4 points vs. 2.7±1.7) and appraisal skills (16.2±5.9 points vs. 14.4±5.6). All the participants in the intervention group passed both the preparation and the conduction of their problem-based learning session with high school students with at least 50 % of the maximum number of points. Satisfaction among students in training to become biology teachers (median grade of 2 [good] in the German grading system) and students (89 % of students agreed this to be an interesting method) were high in the intervention group. This preliminary study showed a relevant increase in knowledge about EbM and skills in critically appraising interventional studies. Participating students were able to conduct problem-based learning sessions for high school students about the principles of EbM and GSP. The results justify a larger randomised controlled trial to evaluate both effects and applicability to different school settings. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Conversations in end-of-life care: communication tools for critical care practitioners.

PubMed

Shannon, Sarah E; Long-Sutehall, Tracy; Coombs, Maureen

2011-01-01

Communication skills are the key for quality end-of-life care including in the critical care setting. While learning general, transferable communication skills, such as therapeutic listening, has been common in nursing education, learning specific communication tools, such as breaking bad news, has been the norm for medical education. Critical care nurses may also benefit from learning communication tools that are more specific to end-of-life care. We conducted a 90-min interactive workshop at a national conference for a group of 78 experienced critical care nurses where we presented three communication tools using short didactics. We utilized theatre style and paired role play simulation. The Ask-Tell-Ask, Tell Me More and Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) tools were demonstrated or practiced using a case of a family member who feels that treatment is being withdrawn prematurely for the patient. The audience actively participated in debriefing the role play to maximize learning. The final communication tool, SBAR, was practiced using an approach of pairing with another member of the audience. At the end of the session, a brief evaluation was completed by 59 nurses (80%) of the audience. These communication tools offer nurses new strategies for approaching potentially difficult and emotionally charged conversations. A case example illustrated strategies for applying these skills to clinical situations. The three tools assist critical care nurses to move beyond compassionate listening to knowing what to say. Ask-Tell-Ask reminds nurses to carefully assess concerns before imparting information. Tell Me More provides a tool for encouraging dialogue in challenging situations. Finally, SBAR can assist nurses to distill complex and often long conversations into concise and informative reports for colleagues. © 2011 The Authors. Nursing in Critical Care © 2011 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Food safety and nutritional quality for the prevention of non communicable diseases: the Nutrient, hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point process (NACCP).

PubMed

Di Renzo, Laura; Colica, Carmen; Carraro, Alberto; Cenci Goga, Beniamino; Marsella, Luigi Tonino; Botta, Roberto; Colombo, Maria Laura; Gratteri, Santo; Chang, Ting Fa Margherita; Droli, Maurizio; Sarlo, Francesca; De Lorenzo, Antonino

2015-04-23

The important role of food and nutrition in public health is being increasingly recognized as crucial for its potential impact on health-related quality of life and the economy, both at the societal and individual levels. The prevalence of non-communicable diseases calls for a reformulation of our view of food. The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, first implemented in the EU with the Directive 43/93/CEE, later replaced by Regulation CE 178/2002 and Regulation CE 852/2004, is the internationally agreed approach for food safety control. Our aim is to develop a new procedure for the assessment of the Nutrient, hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (NACCP) process, for total quality management (TMQ), and optimize nutritional levels. NACCP was based on four general principles: i) guarantee of health maintenance; ii) evaluate and assure the nutritional quality of food and TMQ; iii) give correct information to the consumers; iv) ensure an ethical profit. There are three stages for the application of the NACCP process: 1) application of NACCP for quality principles; 2) application of NACCP for health principals; 3) implementation of the NACCP process. The actions are: 1) identification of nutritional markers, which must remain intact throughout the food supply chain; 2) identification of critical control points which must monitored in order to minimize the likelihood of a reduction in quality; 3) establishment of critical limits to maintain adequate levels of nutrient; 4) establishment, and implementation of effective monitoring procedures of critical control points; 5) establishment of corrective actions; 6) identification of metabolic biomarkers; 7) evaluation of the effects of food intake, through the application of specific clinical trials; 8) establishment of procedures for consumer information; 9) implementation of the Health claim Regulation EU 1924/2006; 10) starting a training program. We calculate the risk assessment as follows: Risk (R) = probability (P) × damage (D). The NACCP process considers the entire food supply chain "from farm to consumer"; in each point of the chain it is necessary implement a tight monitoring in order to guarantee optimal nutritional quality.

Criticality assessment of TRU burial ground culverts

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

Winn, W.G.

1990-09-26

An effort to assess the criticality risks of {sup 239}Pu in TRU Burial Ground Culverts has been underway for several years. The concern arose from discrepancies in two types of monitors that have been used to assay the {sup 239}Pu waste prior to storage in 55-gallon drums that are placed in the culverts. One type is the solid waste monitor (SWM), which is based on gamma-ray measurements; the other is the neutron coincidence monitor, which is based on neutron measurements. The NCC was put into routine service after 1985 and has generally yielded higher 239 Pu assays than the SWM.more » Culverts with pre-1986 waste only had SWM assays of {sup 239}Pu; thus, it was questioned whether their actual {sup 239}Pu loadings could be high enough to pose criticality concerns. Studies to characterize the culvert criticality potential have included appraisal of NCC vs SWM, neutron measurements atop the culverts, gamma-ray measurements atop the culverts, and probabilistic risk analyses. Overall, these studies have implied that the culverts are critically safe; however, their results have not been examined collectively. The present report uses the collective information of the preceding studies to arrive at a more complete assessment of the culvert criticality aspects. A conservative k{sub eff} is estimated for an individual suspicious culvert and a PRA is evaluated for its {open_quotes}worst{close_quotes} drum. These two pieces of information form the basis of the appraisal, but other evidence is also included as support.« less

The role of multisensor data fusion in neuromuscular control of a sagittal arm with a pair of muscles using actor-critic reinforcement learning method.

PubMed

Golkhou, V; Parnianpour, M; Lucas, C

2004-01-01

In this study, we consider the role of multisensor data fusion in neuromuscular control using an actor-critic reinforcement learning method. The model we use is a single link system actuated by a pair of muscles that are excited with alpha and gamma signals. Various physiological sensor information such as proprioception, spindle sensors, and Golgi tendon organs have been integrated to achieve an oscillatory movement with variable amplitude and frequency, while achieving a stable movement with minimum metabolic cost and coactivation. The system is highly nonlinear in all its physical and physiological attributes. Transmission delays are included in the afferent and efferent neural paths to account for a more accurate representation of the reflex loops. This paper proposes a reinforcement learning method with an Actor-Critic architecture instead of middle and low level of central nervous system (CNS). The Actor in this structure is a two layer feedforward neural network and the Critic is a model of the cerebellum. The Critic is trained by the State-Action-Reward-State-Action (SARSA) method. The Critic will train the Actor by supervisory learning based on previous experiences. The reinforcement signal in SARSA is evaluated based on available alternatives concerning the concept of multisensor data fusion. The effectiveness and the biological plausibility of the present model are demonstrated by several simulations. The system showed excellent tracking capability when we integrated the available sensor information. Addition of a penalty for activation of muscles resulted in much lower muscle coactivation while keeping the movement stable.

Nontraditional teaching techniques and critical thinking in an introductory postsecondary environmental science course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buerdsell, Sherri Lynn

2009-12-01

As an institution of higher education and as a Hispanic-serving institution, New Mexico State University has a responsibility to its students to provide the skills and experiences necessary for each and every student to become a responsible, reflective citizen, capable of making informed decisions. Postsecondary science has traditionally been taught through lectures. Traditional lecture classes simply do not meet the needs of diverse groups of students in the modern multicultural student body like New Mexico State University's. However, the implementation of nontraditional pedagogy without evaluation of the results is useless as a step to reform; it is necessary to evaluate the results of in situ nontraditional pedagogy to determine its worth. The purpose of this research is to analyze the development and change in students' critical thinking skills, and critical thinking dispositions in single semester in an introductory Environmental Science course. This study utilized a mixed methods approach. The California Critical Thinking Skills Test and the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory were administered in the beginning and at the end of the semester. The pretest was used to provide a baseline for each participant against which the posttest score was compared. In addition, student interviews, field notes, and a survey provided qualitative data, which generated themes regarding the development of student critical thinking in this course. The results indicated there were no significant differences in the critical thinking test scores. However, qualitative analysis indicated that students experienced significant changes in critical thinking. Three themes emerged from the qualitative analysis pertaining to the amount of influence on student learning. These themes are active thinking and learning, dialogue, and professor's influence. Due to the conflict between the quantitative and the qualitative results, it is suggested that the critical thinking tests are not sensitive enough to identify minute but important changes in student critical thinking.

Connecting mathematics learning through spatial reasoning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulligan, Joanne; Woolcott, Geoffrey; Mitchelmore, Michael; Davis, Brent

2018-03-01

Spatial reasoning, an emerging transdisciplinary area of interest to mathematics education research, is proving integral to all human learning. It is particularly critical to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. This project will create an innovative knowledge framework based on spatial reasoning that identifies new pathways for mathematics learning, pedagogy and curriculum. Novel analytical tools will map the unknown complex systems linking spatial and mathematical concepts. It will involve the design, implementation and evaluation of a Spatial Reasoning Mathematics Program (SRMP) in Grades 3 to 5. Benefits will be seen through development of critical spatial skills for students, increased teacher capability and informed policy and curriculum across STEM education.

Evaluation of beryllium for space shuttle components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trapp, A. E.

1972-01-01

Application of beryllium to specific full-scale space shuttle structural components and assemblies was studied. Material evaluations were conducted to check the mechanical properties of as-received material to gain design information on characteristics needed for the material in the space shuttle environment, and to obtain data needed for evaluating component and panel tests. Four beryllium structural assemblies were analyzed and designed. Selected components of these assemblies, representing areas of critical loading or design/process uncertainty, were designed and tested, and two panel assemblies were fabricated. Trends in cost and weight factors were determined by progressive estimation at key points of preliminary design, final design, and fabrication to aid in a cost/weight evaluation of the use of beryllium.

Assessing burden in families of critical care patients.

PubMed

Kentish-Barnes, Nancy; Lemiale, Virginie; Chaize, Marine; Pochard, Frédéric; Azoulay, Elie

2009-10-01

To provide critical care clinicians with information on validated instruments for assessing burden in families of critical care patients. PubMed (1979-2009). We included all quantitative studies that used a validated instrument to evaluate the prevalence of, and risk factors for, burden on families. We extracted the descriptions of the instruments used and the main results. Family burden after critical illness can be detected reliably and requires preventive strategies and specific treatments. Using simple face-to-face interviews, intensivists can learn to detect poor comprehension and its determinants. Instruments for detecting symptoms of anxiety, depression, or stress can be used reliably even by physicians with no psychiatric training. For some symptoms, the evaluation should take place at a distance from intensive care unit discharge or death. Experience with families of patients who died in the intensive care unit and data from the literature have prompted studies of bereaved family members and the development of interventions aimed at decreasing guilt and preventing complicated grief. We believe that burden on families should be assessed routinely. In clinical studies, using markers for burden measured by validated tools may provide further evidence that effective communication and efforts to detect and to prevent symptoms of stress, anxiety, or depression provide valuable benefits to families.

Validation of the Family Meeting Behavioral Skills Checklist. An Instrument to Assess Fellows' Communication Skills.

PubMed

Gustin, Jillian L; Way, David P; Wells-Di Gregorio, Sharla; McCallister, Jennifer W

2016-08-01

Fellows in pulmonary and critical care medicine are required to show competency in facilitating family meetings for critically ill patients. There are many assessment measures available for evaluating physician-patient communication (e.g., the SEGUE Framework [Set the stage, Elicit information, Give information, Understand the patient's perspective, End the encounter]) and some designed for family meetings. However, no validated measure exists that is specifically designed to assess communication skills during family meetings with surrogate decision makers in intensive care settings. We developed the Family Meeting Behavioral Skills Checklist (FMBSC) to measure advanced communication skills of fellows in family meetings of critically ill patients based on a literature review and consensus of an interdisciplinary group of communications experts. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the FMBSC. We digitally recorded 16 pulmonary/critical care fellows performing a simulated family meeting for a critically ill patient at the end of 1 year of fellowship training. Two clinical health psychologists evaluated each recording independently using the FMBSC Rating Scale and the SEGUE Framework. Judges recorded the number of skills performed using the checklist and employed a summary rating scale to judge the level of performance for each of nine subsets of skills. Each instrument was scored and converted to percentage scores. The FMBSC and SEGUE Framework items were summed and converted to percentage scores for each category and as a total for each instrument. The rating scale items on the FMBSC were also summed and converted to a percentage score. Four primary analyses were conducted to evaluate interjudge reliability, internal consistency, and concurrent validity. Interrater reliability was higher for the FMBSC (intraclass correlation [ICC2,2] = 0.57) than for the SEGUE instrument (ICC2,2 = 0.32) or the FMBSC Rating Scale (ICC2,2 = 0.23). The FMBSC demonstrated evidence of concurrent validity through high positive correlations with both the FMBSC Rating Scale and the SEGUE instrument (r = +0.83, P ≤ 0.01; r = +0.65, P ≤ 0.01 respectively). All but one of the nine subscales on the FMBSC showed adequate internal consistency (reliabilities ranged from 0.18 to 0.68). Interjudge reliability was higher for the FMBSC (ICC2,2 = 0.57) than for the SEGUE instrument (ICC2,2 = 0.32) or the FMBSC Rating Scale (ICC2,2 = 0.23). The FMBSC demonstrated internal consistency and structural validity in assessing advanced communication skills of fellows in facilitating family meetings of critically ill patients in the ICU. Interjudge reliability was better for the FMBS Checklist than it was for the other measures.

Information Technology and Community Restoration Studies/Task 1: Information Technology

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

Upton, Jaki F.; Lesperance, Ann M.; Stein, Steven L.

2009-11-19

Executive Summary The Interagency Biological Restoration Demonstration—a program jointly funded by the Department of Defense's Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) Science and Technology Directorate—is developing policies, methods, plans, and applied technologies to restore large urban areas, critical infrastructures, and Department of Defense installations following the intentional release of a biological agent (anthrax) by terrorists. There is a perception that there should be a common system that can share information both vertically and horizontally amongst participating organizations as well as support analyses. A key question is: "How far away from this are we?" As partmore » of this program, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducted research to identify the current information technology tools that would be used by organizations in the greater Seattle urban area in such a scenario, to define criteria for use in evaluating information technology tools, and to identify current gaps. Researchers interviewed 28 individuals representing 25 agencies in civilian and military organizations to identify the tools they currently use to capture data needed to support operations and decision making. The organizations can be grouped into five broad categories: defense (Department of Defense), environmental/ecological (Environmental Protection Agency/Ecology), public health and medical services, emergency management, and critical infrastructure. The types of information that would be communicated in a biological terrorism incident include critical infrastructure and resource status, safety and protection information, laboratory test results, and general emergency information. The most commonly used tools are WebEOC (web-enabled crisis information management systems with real-time information sharing), mass notification software, resource tracking software, and NW WARN (web-based information to protect critical infrastructure systems). It appears that the current information management tools are used primarily for information gathering and sharing—not decision making. Respondents identified the following criteria for a future software system. It is easy to learn, updates information in real time, works with all agencies, is secure, uses a visualization or geographic information system feature, enables varying permission levels, flows information from one stage to another, works with other databases, feeds decision support tools, is compliant with appropriate standards, and is reasonably priced. Current tools have security issues, lack visual/mapping functions and critical infrastructure status, and do not integrate with other tools. It is clear that there is a need for an integrated, common operating system. The system would need to be accessible by all the organizations that would have a role in managing an anthrax incident to enable regional decision making. The most useful tool would feature a GIS visualization that would allow for a common operating picture that is updated in real time. To capitalize on information gained from the interviews, the following activities are recommended: • Rate emergency management decision tools against the criteria specified by the interviewees. • Identify and analyze other current activities focused on information sharing in the greater Seattle urban area. • Identify and analyze information sharing systems/tools used in other regions.« less

Evaluating critical thinking in clinical practice.

PubMed

Oermann, M H

1997-01-01

Although much has been written about measurement instruments for evaluating critical thinking in nursing, this article describes clinical evaluation strategies for critical thinking. Five methods are discussed: 1) observation of students in practice; 2) questions for critical thinking, including Socratic questioning; 3) conferences; 4) problem-solving strategies; and 5) written assignments. These methods provide a means of evaluating students' critical thinking within the context of clinical practice.

Clinical handover of patients arriving by ambulance to the emergency department - a literature review.

PubMed

Bost, Nerolie; Crilly, Julia; Wallis, Marianne; Patterson, Elizabeth; Chaboyer, Wendy

2010-10-01

To provide a critical review of research on clinical handover between the ambulance service and emergency department (ED) in hospitals. Data base and hand searches were conducted using the keywords ambulance, handover, handoff, emergency department, emergency room, ER, communication, and clinical handover. Data were extracted, summarised and critically assessed to provide evidence of current clinical handover processes. From 252 documents, eight studies fitted the inclusion criteria of clinical handover and the ambulance to ED patient transfer. Three themes were identified in the review: (1) important information may be missed during clinical handover; (2) structured handovers that include both written and verbal components may improve information exchange; (3) multidisciplinary education about the clinical handover process may encourage teamwork, a shared common language and a framework for minimum patient information to be transferred from the ambulance service to the hospital ED. Knowledge gaps exist concerning handover information, consequences of poor handover, transfer of responsibility, staff perception of handovers, staff training and evaluation of recommended strategies to improve clinical handover. Evidence of strategies being implemented and further research is required to examine the ongoing effects of implementing the strategies. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expanding the basic science debate: the role of physics knowledge in interpreting clinical findings.

PubMed

Goldszmidt, Mark; Minda, John Paul; Devantier, Sarah L; Skye, Aimee L; Woods, Nicole N

2012-10-01

Current research suggests a role for biomedical knowledge in learning and retaining concepts related to medical diagnosis. However, learning may be influenced by other, non-biomedical knowledge. We explored this idea using an experimental design and examined the effects of causal knowledge on the learning, retention, and interpretation of medical information. Participants studied a handout about several respiratory disorders and how to interpret respiratory exam findings. The control group received the information in standard "textbook" format and the experimental group was presented with the same information as well as a causal explanation about how sound travels through lungs in both the normal and disease states. Comprehension and memory of the information was evaluated with a multiple-choice exam. Several questions that were not related to the causal knowledge served as control items. Questions related to the interpretation of physical exam findings served as the critical test items. The experimental group outperformed the control group on the critical test items, and our study shows that a causal explanation can improve a student's memory for interpreting clinical details. We suggest an expansion of which basic sciences are considered fundamental to medical education.

Consumer sleep tracking devices: a critical review.

PubMed

Lee, Jeon; Finkelstein, Joseph

2015-01-01

Consumer sleep tracking devices are widely advertised as effective means to monitor and manage sleep quality and to provide positive effects on overall heath. However objective evidence supporting these claims is not always readily available. The goal of this study was to perform a comprehensive review of available information on six representative sleep tracking devices: BodyMedia FIT, Fitbit Flex, Jawbone UP, Basis Band, Innovative Sleep Solutions SleepTracker, and Zeo Sleep Manager Pro. The review was conducted along the following dimensions: output metrics, theoretical frameworks, systematic evaluation, and FDA clearance. The review identified a critical lack of basic information about the devices: five out of six devices provided no supporting information on their sensor accuracy and four out of six devices provided no information on their output metrics accuracy. Only three devices were found to have related peer-reviewed articles. However in these articles wake detection accuracy was revealed to be quite low and to vary widely (BodyMedia, 49.9±3.6%; Fitbit, 19.8%; Zeo, 78.9% to 83.5%). No supporting evidence on how well tracking devices can help mitigate sleep loss and manage sleep disturbances in practical life was provided.

Evidence-based information needs of public health workers: a systematized review.

PubMed

Barr-Walker, Jill

2017-01-01

This study assessed public health workers' evidence-based information needs, based on a review of the literature using a systematic search strategy. This study is based on a thesis project conducted as part of the author's master's in public health coursework and is considered a systematized review. Four databases were searched for English-language articles published between 2005 and 2015: PubMed, Web of Science, Library Literature & Information Science Index, and Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA). Studies were excluded if there was no primary data collection, the population in the study was not identified as public health workers, "information" was not defined according to specific criteria, or evidence-based information and public health workers were not the major focus. Studies included in the final analysis underwent data extraction, critical appraisal using CASP and STROBE checklists, and thematic analysis. Thirty-three research studies were identified in the search, including twenty-one using quantitative methods and twelve using qualitative methods. Critical appraisal revealed many potential biases, particularly in the validity of research. Thematic analysis revealed five common themes: (1) definition of information needs, (2) current information-seeking behavior and use, (3) definition of evidence-based information, (4) barriers to information needs, and (5) public health-specific issues. Recommendations are given for how librarians can increase the use of evidence-based information in public health research, practice, and policy making. Further research using rigorous methodologies and transparent reporting practices in a wider variety of settings is needed to further evaluate public health workers' information needs.

Interface, information, interaction: a narrative review of design and functional requirements for clinical decision support.

PubMed

Miller, Kristen; Mosby, Danielle; Capan, Muge; Kowalski, Rebecca; Ratwani, Raj; Noaiseh, Yaman; Kraft, Rachel; Schwartz, Sanford; Weintraub, William S; Arnold, Ryan

2018-05-01

Provider acceptance and associated patient outcomes are widely discussed in the evaluation of clinical decision support systems (CDSSs), but critical design criteria for tools have generally been overlooked. The objective of this work is to inform electronic health record alert optimization and clinical practice workflow by identifying, compiling, and reporting design recommendations for CDSS to support the efficient, effective, and timely delivery of high-quality care. A narrative review was conducted from 2000 to 2016 in PubMed and The Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society to identify papers that discussed/recommended design features of CDSSs that are associated with the success of these systems. Fourteen papers were included as meeting the criteria and were found to have a total of 42 unique recommendations; 11 were classified as interface features, 10 as information features, and 21 as interaction features. Features are defined and described, providing actionable guidance that can be applied to CDSS development and policy. To our knowledge, no reviews have been completed that discuss/recommend design features of CDSS at this scale, and thus we found that this was important for the body of literature. The recommendations identified in this narrative review will help to optimize design, organization, management, presentation, and utilization of information through presentation, content, and function. The designation of 3 categories (interface, information, and interaction) should be further evaluated to determine the critical importance of the categories. Future work will determine how to prioritize them with limited resources for designers and developers in order to maximize the clinical utility of CDSS. This review will expand the field of knowledge and provide a novel organization structure to identify key recommendations for CDSS.

Critical Social Theory: Core Tenets, Inherent Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, Melissa; Vasconcelos, Erika Franca S.

2010-01-01

This chapter outlines the core tenets of critical social theory and describes inherent issues facing evaluators conducting critical theory evaluation. Using critical pedagogy as an example, the authors describe the issues facing evaluators by developing four of the subtheories that comprise a critical social theory: (a) a theory of false…

Physiology informed virtual surgical planning: a case study with a virtual airway surgical planner and BioGears

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potter, Lucas; Arikatla, Sreekanth; Bray, Aaron; Webb, Jeff; Enquobahrie, Andinet

2017-03-01

Stenosis of the upper airway affects approximately 1 in 200,000 adults per year1 , and occurs in neonates as well2 . Its treatment is often dictated by institutional factors and clinicians' experience or preferences 3 . Objective and quantitative methods of evaluating treatment options hold the potential to improve care in stenosis patients. Virtual surgical planning software tools are critically important for this. The Virtual Pediatric Airway Workbench (VPAW) is a software platform designed and evaluated for upper airway stenosis treatment planning. It incorporates CFD simulation and geometric authoring with objective metrics from both that help in informed evaluation and planning. However, this planner currently lacks physiological information which could impact the surgical planning outcomes. In this work, we integrated a lumped parameter, model based human physiological engine called BioGears with VPAW. We demonstrated the use of physiology informed virtual surgical planning platform for patient-specific stenosis treatment planning. The preliminary results show that incorporating patient-specific physiology in the pretreatment plan would play important role in patient-specific surgical trainers and planners in airway surgery and other types of surgery that are significantly impacted by physiological conditions during surgery.

Information-seeking practices of dental hygienists.

PubMed Central

Gravois, S L; Fisher, W; Bowen, D M

1995-01-01

This paper reports on a survey of the information-seeking, critical-analysis, and computer-application practices of dental hygienists. Questionnaires were mailed to a convenience sample of seventy-one dental hygiene practitioners. A 62% response rate was achieved. Results indicated that discussions with colleagues, continuing education courses, journals, and newsletters were the sources used most frequently for professional development and information retrieval. To evaluate professional information, these hygienists tended to rely on personal experience, credibility of the journal, and discussions with colleagues. Word processing was the most frequently used computer application; online database searching was rare in this group. Computer used within the employment setting was primarily for business rather than clinical applications. Many hygienists were interested in attending continuing education courses on use of computers to acquire professional information. PMID:8547904

Advanced information processing system: Authentication protocols for network communication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harper, Richard E.; Adams, Stuart J.; Babikyan, Carol A.; Butler, Bryan P.; Clark, Anne L.; Lala, Jaynarayan H.

1994-01-01

In safety critical I/O and intercomputer communication networks, reliable message transmission is an important concern. Difficulties of communication and fault identification in networks arise primarily because the sender of a transmission cannot be identified with certainty, an intermediate node can corrupt a message without certainty of detection, and a babbling node cannot be identified and silenced without lengthy diagnosis and reconfiguration . Authentication protocols use digital signature techniques to verify the authenticity of messages with high probability. Such protocols appear to provide an efficient solution to many of these problems. The objective of this program is to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate intercomputer communication architectures which employ authentication. As a context for the evaluation, the authentication protocol-based communication concept was demonstrated under this program by hosting a real-time flight critical guidance, navigation and control algorithm on a distributed, heterogeneous, mixed redundancy system of workstations and embedded fault-tolerant computers.

Usability of a CKD educational website targeted to patients and their family members.

PubMed

Diamantidis, Clarissa J; Zuckerman, Marni; Fink, Wanda; Hu, Peter; Yang, Shiming; Fink, Jeffrey C

2012-10-01

Web-based technology is critical to the future of healthcare. As part of the Safe Kidney Care cohort study evaluating patient safety in CKD, this study determined how effectively a representative sample of patients with CKD or family members could interpret and use the Safe Kidney Care website (www.safekidneycare.org), an informational website on safety in CKD. Between November of 2011 and January of 2012, persons with CKD or their family members underwent formal usability testing administered by a single interviewer with a second recording observer. Each participant was independently provided a list of 21 tasks to complete, with each task rated as either easily completed/noncritical error or critical error (user cannot complete the task without significant interviewer intervention). Twelve participants completed formal usability testing. Median completion time for all tasks was 17.5 minutes (range=10-44 minutes). In total, 10 participants had greater than or equal to one critical error. There were 55 critical errors in 252 tasks (22%), with the highest proportion of critical errors occurring when participants were asked to find information on treatments that may damage kidneys, find the website on the internet, increase font size, and scroll to the bottom of the webpage. Participants were generally satisfied with the content and usability of the website. Web-based educational materials for patients with CKD should target a wide range of computer literacy levels and anticipate variability in competency in use of the computer and internet.

Searching for evidence or approval? A commentary on database search in systematic reviews and alternative information retrieval methodologies.

PubMed

Delaney, Aogán; Tamás, Peter A

2018-03-01

Despite recognition that database search alone is inadequate even within the health sciences, it appears that reviewers in fields that have adopted systematic review are choosing to rely primarily, or only, on database search for information retrieval. This commentary reminds readers of factors that call into question the appropriateness of default reliance on database searches particularly as systematic review is adapted for use in new and lower consensus fields. It then discusses alternative methods for information retrieval that require development, formalisation, and evaluation. Our goals are to encourage reviewers to reflect critically and transparently on their choice of information retrieval methods and to encourage investment in research on alternatives. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Marshall Islands Data Management Program

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

Stoker, A.C.; Conrado, C.L.

1995-09-01

This report is a resource document of the methods and procedures used currently in the Data Management Program of the Marshall Islands Dose Assessment and Radioecology Project. Since 1973, over 60,000 environmental samples have been collected. Our program includes relational database design, programming and maintenance; sample and information management; sample tracking; quality control; and data entry, evaluation and reduction. The usefulness of scientific databases involves careful planning in order to fulfill the requirements of any large research program. Compilation of scientific results requires consolidation of information from several databases, and incorporation of new information as it is generated. The successmore » in combining and organizing all radionuclide analysis, sample information and statistical results into a readily accessible form, is critical to our project.« less

Evaluation of the quality and health literacy demand of online renal diet information.

PubMed

Lambert, K; Mullan, J; Mansfield, K; Koukomous, A; Mesiti, L

2017-10-01

Dietary modification is critical in the self-management of chronic kidney disease. The present study describes the accuracy, quality and health literacy demand of renal diet information for adults with kidney disease obtained from the Internet and YouTube (www.youtube.com). A comprehensive content analysis was undertaken in April and July 2015 of 254 eligible websites and 161 YouTube videos. The accuracy of the renal diet information was evaluated by comparing the key messages with relevant evidence-based guidelines for the dietary management of people with kidney disease. The DISCERN tool (www.discern.org.uk) was used to evaluate the quality of the material. Health literacy demand was evaluated using the Patient Education Material Assessment Tool (www.ahrq.gov/professionals/prevention-chronic-care/improve/self-mgmt/pemat/index.html) and seven validated readability calculators. The most frequent renal diet topic found online was generic dietary information for people with chronic kidney disease. The proportion of renal diet information obtained from websites that was accurate was 73%. However, this information was mostly of poor quality with extensive shortcomings, difficult to action and written with a high health literacy demand. By contrast, renal diet information available from YouTube was highly understandable and actionable, although only 18% of the videos were accurate, and a large proportion were of poor quality with extensive shortcomings. The most frequent authors of accurate, good quality, understandable, material were government bodies, dietitians, academic institutions and medical organisations. Renal diet information found online that is written by government bodies, dietitians, academic institutions and medical organisations is recommended. Further work is required to improve the quality and, most importantly, the actionability of renal diet information found online. © 2017 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Fisher information in a quantum-critical environment

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

Sun Zhe; Ma Jian; Lu Xiaoming

2010-08-15

We consider a process of parameter estimation in a spin-j system surrounded by a quantum-critical spin chain. Quantum Fisher information lies at the heart of the estimation task. We employ Ising spin chain in a transverse field as the environment which exhibits a quantum phase transition. Fisher information decays with time almost monotonously when the environment reaches the critical point. By choosing a fixed time or taking the time average, one can see the quantum Fisher information presents a sudden drop at the critical point. Different initial states of the environment are considered. The phenomenon that the quantum Fisher information,more » namely, the precision of estimation, changes dramatically can be used to detect the quantum criticality of the environment. We also introduce a general method to obtain the maximal Fisher information for a given state.« less

The potential risk of communication media in conveying critical information in the aircraft maintenance organisation: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukri, S. Ahmad; Millar, R. M.; Gratton, G.; Garner, M.

2016-10-01

In the world of aircraft maintenance organisation, verbal and written communication plays a pivotal role in transferring critical information in relation to aircraft safety and efficiency. The communication media used to convey the critical information between departments at an aircraft maintenance organisation have potential risk in misunderstanding of the information. In this study, technical and non-technical personnel from five different departments at an aircraft maintenance organisation were interviewed on the communication media they normally utilised to communicate six different work procedures that are closely related to aircraft safety and efficiency. This is to discover which communication media pose higher risk in misunderstanding critical information. The findings reveal that written communication pose higher risk of misinterpretation compared with verbal communication when conveying critical information between departments.

Integrated field and laboratory tests to evaluate effects of metals-impacted wetlands on amphibians: A case study from Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Linder, G.; ,

2003-01-01

Mining activities frequently impact wildlife habitats, and a wide range of habitats may require evaluations of the linkages between wildlife and environmental stressors common to mining activities (e.g., physical alteration of habitat, releases of chemicals such as metals and other inorganic constituents as part of the mining operation). Wetlands, for example, are frequently impacted by mining activities. Within an ecological assessment for a wetland, toxicity evaluations for representative species may be advantageous to the site evaluation, since these species could be exposed to complex chemical mixtures potentially released from the site. Amphibian species common to these transition zones between terrestrial and aquatic habitats are one key biological indicator of exposure, and integrated approaches which involve both field and laboratory methods focused on amphibians are critical to the assessment process. The laboratory and field evaluations of a wetland in western Montana illustrates the integrated approach to risk assessment and causal analysis. Here, amphibians were used to evaluate the potential toxicity associated with heavy metal-laden sediments deposited in a reservoir. Field and laboratory methods were applied to a toxicity assessment for metals characteristic of mine tailings to reduce potential "lab to field" extrapolation errors and provide adaptive management programs with critical site-specific information targeted on remediation.

Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography (3–D CT) for Evaluation and Management of Children with Complex Chest Wall Anomalies: Useful Information or Just Pretty Pictures?

PubMed Central

Calloway, E. Hollin; Chhotani, Ali N.; Lee, Yueh Z.; Phillips, J. Duncan

2013-01-01

Purpose Shaded Surface Display (SSD) technology, with 3-D CT reconstruction, has been reported in a few small series of patients with congenital or acquired chest wall deformities. SSD images are visually attractive and educational, but many institutions are hesitant to utilize these secondary to cost and image data storage concerns. This study was designed to assess the true value of SSD to the patient, family, and operating surgeon, in the evaluation and management of these children. Methods Following IRB approval, we performed a retrospective review of records of 82 patients with chest wall deformities, evaluated with SSD, from 2002 to 2009. SSD usefulness, when compared with routine 2-D CT, was graded on a strict numerical scale from 0 (added no value besides education for the patient/family) to 3 (critical for surgical planning and patient management). Results There were 56 males and 26 females. Median age was 15.3 years (range: 0.6–41.1). Deformities included 56 pectus excavatum, 19 pectus carinatum, and 8 other/mixed deformities. 6 patients also had acquired asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy (AATD). Eleven (13%) had previous chest wall reconstructive surgery. In 25 (30%) patients, SSD was useful or critical. Findings underappreciated on 2-D images included: sternal abnormalities (29), rib abnormalities (28), and heterotopic calcifications (7). SSD changed or influenced operation choice (4), clarified bone versus soft tissue (3), helped clarify AATD (3), and aided in rib graft evaluation (2). Point biserial correlation coefficient analysis (Rpb) displayed significance for SSD usefulness in patients with previous chest repair surgery (Rpb=0.48, p≤0.001), AATD (Rpb=0.34, p=0.001), pectus carinatum (Rpb=0.27, p=0.008), and females (Rpb=0.19, p=0.044). Conclusions Shaded Surface Display, when used to evaluate children and young adults with congenital or acquired chest wall deformities, provides useful or critical information for surgical planning and patient management in almost 1/3 of patients, especially those requiring a second operation, with acquired asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy, pectus carinatum, and females. PMID:21496531

Conformal perturbation of off-critical correlators in the 3D Ising universality class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caselle, M.; Costagliola, G.; Magnoli, N.

2016-07-01

Thanks to the impressive progress of conformal bootstrap methods we have now very precise estimates of both scaling dimensions and operator product expansion coefficients for several 3D universality classes. We show how to use this information to obtain similarly precise estimates for off-critical correlators using conformal perturbation. We discuss in particular the ⟨σ (r )σ (0 )⟩ , ⟨ɛ (r )ɛ (0 )⟩ and ⟨σ (r )ɛ (0 )⟩ two-point functions in the high and low temperature regimes of the 3D Ising model and evaluate the leading and next to leading terms in the s =trΔt expansion, where t is the reduced temperature. Our results for ⟨σ (r )σ (0 )⟩ agree both with Monte Carlo simulations and with a set of experimental estimates of the critical scattering function.

49 CFR 15.15 - SSI disclosed by DOT.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Information Act. (h) Disclosure of Critical Infrastructure Information. Disclosure of information that is both SSI and has been designated as critical infrastructure information under section 214 of the Homeland...

49 CFR 15.15 - SSI disclosed by DOT.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Information Act. (h) Disclosure of Critical Infrastructure Information. Disclosure of information that is both SSI and has been designated as critical infrastructure information under section 214 of the Homeland...

49 CFR 15.15 - SSI disclosed by DOT.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Information Act. (h) Disclosure of Critical Infrastructure Information. Disclosure of information that is both SSI and has been designated as critical infrastructure information under section 214 of the Homeland...

Health information exchange policy and evaluation.

PubMed

Marchibroda, Janet M

2007-12-01

Concerns about the quality, safety, and cost of healthcare have driven the nation to increase its focus on this issue. A number of states are moving forward-in parallel with federal efforts-to develop and adopt policies for improving health and healthcare through health information technology and electronic health information exchange. Based on the eHealth Initiative's experience providing technical assistance to more than 20 states, and its work related to its coalition of more than 250 state, regional and community-based health information exchange initiatives and organizations, the most difficult challenges facing these initiatives and organizations today is that related to assessing the value of services that emerge from the health information exchange to various stakeholders groups such as providers, payers, and employers, and converting those value assessments to business plans that promote and assure sustainability for these initiatives. The combination of increased federal and state focus and funding and the pace at which regional and community-based health information networks are developing, along with the identification of value and sustainability as some of the most difficult challenges experienced by these efforts, all point to the significant need for evaluation. The most critical evaluation questions focus on the impact of health information technology and health information exchange on quality, safety, efficiency, the value of such efforts for various stakeholders, and assessment of how grant programs can be designed to support positive impact, value, and a sustainable business model, so that efforts continue when the grant funds are fully expended.

Developing graduate student competency in providing culturally sensitive end of life care in critical care environments - a pilot study of a teaching innovation.

PubMed

Northam, Holly L; Hercelinskyj, Gylo; Grealish, Laurie; Mak, Anita S

2015-11-01

Australia's immigration policy has generated a rich diverse cultural community of staff and patients in critical care environments. Many different cultural perspectives inform individual actions in the context of critical care, including the highly sensitive area of end of life care, with nurses feeling poorly prepared to provide culturally sensitive end of life care. This article describes and evaluates the effectiveness of an educational innovation designed to develop graduate-level critical care nurses' capacity for effective interpersonal communication, as members of a multi-disciplinary team in providing culturally sensitive end-of-life care. A mixed method pilot study was conducted using a curriculum innovation intervention informed by The Excellence in Cultural Experiential Learning and Leadership Program (EXCELL),(1) which is a higher education intervention which was applied to develop the nurses' intercultural communication skills. 12 graduate nursing students studying critical care nursing participated in the study. 42% (n=5) of the participants were from an international background. Information about students' cultural learning was recorded before and after the intervention, using a cultural learning development scale. Student discussions of end of life care were recorded at Week 2 and 14 of the curriculum. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistical analysis and qualitative data was thematically analysed. Students demonstrated an increase in cultural learning in a range of areas in the pre-post surveys including understandings of cultural diversity, interpersonal skills, cross cultural interactions and participating in multicultural groups. Thematic analysis of the end of life discussions revealed an increase in the levels of nurse confidence in approaching end of life care in critical care environments. The EXCELL program provides an effective and supportive educational framework to increase graduate nurses' cultural learning development and competence to manage culturally complex clinical issues such as end of life care, and is recommended as a framework for health care students to learn the skills required to provide culturally competent care in a range of culturally complex health care settings. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Critical Care Nurses Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Re-examination of sea lamprey control policies for the St. Marys River: Completion of an adaptive management cycle

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Michael L.; Brenden, Travis O.; Irwin, Brian J.

2015-01-01

The St. Marys River (SMR) historically has been a major producer of sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) in the Laurentian Great Lakes. In the early 2000s, a decision analysis (DA) project was conducted to evaluate sea lamprey control policies for the SMR; this project suggested that an integrated policy of trapping, sterile male releases, and Bayluscide treatment was the most cost-effective policy. Further, it concluded that formal assessment of larval sea lamprey abundance and distribution in the SMR would be valuable for future evaluation of control strategies. We updated this earlier analysis, adding information from annual larval assessments conducted since 1999 and evaluating additional control policies. Bayluscide treatments continued to be critical for sea lamprey control, but high recruitment compensation minimized the effectiveness of trapping and sterile male release under current feasible ranges. Because Bayluscide control is costly, development of strategies to enhance trapping success remains a priority. This study illustrates benefits of an adaptive management cycle, wherein models inform decisions, are updated based on learning achieved from those decisions, and ultimately inform future decisions.

Curated Collections for Educators: Five Key Papers about Program Evaluation.

PubMed

Thoma, Brent; Gottlieb, Michael; Boysen-Osborn, Megan; King, Andrew; Quinn, Antonia; Krzyzaniak, Sara; Pineda, Nicolas; Yarris, Lalena M; Chan, Teresa

2017-05-04

The evaluation of educational programs has become an expected part of medical education. At some point, all medical educators will need to critically evaluate the programs that they deliver. However, the evaluation of educational programs requires a very different skillset than teaching. In this article, we aim to identify and summarize key papers that would be helpful for faculty members interested in exploring program evaluation. In November of 2016, the 2015-2016 Academic life in emergency medicine (ALiEM) Faculty Incubator program highlighted key papers in a discussion of program evaluation. This list of papers was augmented with suggestions by guest experts and by an open call on Twitter. This resulted in a list of 30 papers on program evaluation. Our authorship group then engaged in a process akin to a Delphi study to build consensus on the most important papers about program evaluation for medical education faculty. We present our group's top five most highly rated papers on program evaluation. We also summarize these papers with respect to their relevance to junior medical education faculty members and faculty developers. Program evaluation is challenging. The described papers will be informative for junior faculty members as they aim to design literature-informed evaluations for their educational programs.

Curated Collections for Educators: Five Key Papers about Program Evaluation

PubMed Central

Gottlieb, Michael; Boysen-Osborn, Megan; King, Andrew; Quinn, Antonia; Krzyzaniak, Sara; Pineda, Nicolas; Yarris, Lalena M; Chan, Teresa

2017-01-01

The evaluation of educational programs has become an expected part of medical education. At some point, all medical educators will need to critically evaluate the programs that they deliver. However, the evaluation of educational programs requires a very different skillset than teaching. In this article, we aim to identify and summarize key papers that would be helpful for faculty members interested in exploring program evaluation. In November of 2016, the 2015-2016 Academic life in emergency medicine (ALiEM) Faculty Incubator program highlighted key papers in a discussion of program evaluation. This list of papers was augmented with suggestions by guest experts and by an open call on Twitter. This resulted in a list of 30 papers on program evaluation. Our authorship group then engaged in a process akin to a Delphi study to build consensus on the most important papers about program evaluation for medical education faculty. We present our group’s top five most highly rated papers on program evaluation. We also summarize these papers with respect to their relevance to junior medical education faculty members and faculty developers. Program evaluation is challenging. The described papers will be informative for junior faculty members as they aim to design literature-informed evaluations for their educational programs. PMID:28589073

The ElderSmile TimeMap: Benefits of Connecting Statistics With Time and Place.

PubMed

Kum, Susan S; Wang, Hua; Wang, Peng; Jin, Zhu; De La Cruz, Leydis; Northridge, Mary E; Kunzel, Carol; Marshall, Stephen E; Metcalf, Sara S

2015-09-01

Community-based programs are critical for locally targeted public health education and accessible service delivery. Deriving useful information from such programs is important for their own evaluation and improvement and may facilitate research collaboration with partners and experts. Here we present an interactive Web-based application designed for a community-based oral health outreach program called ElderSmile to demonstrate how data can be summarized, filtered, compared, and visualized by time and place to inform program planning, evaluation, and research. The ElderSmile TimeMap ( http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/∼smetcalf/resources/timemap.html ) is an emergent product of a US National Institutes of Health-funded collaboration of knowledge sharing among multidisciplinary team members at the University at Buffalo, Columbia University, and New York University.

Evaluation of Fostering Students' Creativity in Preparing Aided Recalls for Revision Courses Using Electronic Revision and Recapitulation Tools 2.0

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christ, Oliver; Weber, Christoph; Sato, Toshihiko

2012-01-01

In this study, the electronic revision and recapitulation tools 2.0 (EREP 2.0) were used to foster creative moments while creating aided recalls (ARs) (pictures electronic notes etc.). Creative and critical thinking is associated with vital skills which enable students to deal with often complex knowledge domains through an informal way of…

Naval Research Laboratory Major Facilities 2008

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-01

Development Laboratory • Secure Supercomputing Facility • CBD/Tilghman Island IR Field Evaluation Facility • Ultra-Short-Pulse Laser Effects Research...EMI Test Facility • Proximity Operations Testbed GENERAL INFORMATION • Maps EX EC U TI V E D IR EC TO RA TE Code 1100 – Institute for Nanoscience...facility: atomic force microscope (AFM); benchtop transmission electron microscope (TEM); cascade probe station; critical point dryer ; dual beam focused

Cognitively Based Assessment of Research and Inquiry Skills: Defining a Key Practice in the English Language Arts. Research Report. ETS RR-15-35

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sparks, Jesse R.; Deane, Paul

2015-01-01

Current educational standards call for students to engage in the skills of research and inquiry, with a focus on gathering evidence from multiple information sources, evaluating the credibility of those sources, and writing an integrated synthesis that cites evidence from those sources. Opportunities to build strong research skills are critical,…

Effects of Mischievous Responding on Universal Mental Health Screening: I Love Rum Raisin Ice Cream, Really I Do!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furlong, Michael J.; Fullchange, Aileen; Dowdy, Erin

2017-01-01

Student surveys are often used for school-based mental health screening; hence, it is critical to evaluate the authenticity of information obtained via the self-report format. The objective of this study was to examine the possible effects of mischievous response patterns on school-based screening results. The present study included 1,857 high…

Pulsed Eddy Current Sensing for Critical Pipe Condition Assessment.

PubMed

Ulapane, Nalika; Alempijevic, Alen; Vidal Calleja, Teresa; Valls Miro, Jaime

2017-09-26

Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC) sensing is used for Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of the structural integrity of metallic structures in the aircraft, railway, oil and gas sectors. Urban water utilities also have extensive large ferromagnetic structures in the form of critical pressure pipe systems made of grey cast iron, ductile cast iron and mild steel. The associated material properties render NDE of these pipes by means of electromagnetic sensing a necessity. In recent years PEC sensing has established itself as a state-of-the-art NDE technique in the critical water pipe sector. This paper presents advancements to PEC inspection in view of the specific information demanded from water utilities along with the challenges encountered in this sector. Operating principles of the sensor architecture suitable for application on critical pipes are presented with the associated sensor design and calibration strategy. A Gaussian process-based approach is applied to model a functional relationship between a PEC signal feature and critical pipe wall thickness. A case study demonstrates the sensor's behaviour on a grey cast iron pipe and discusses the implications of the observed results and challenges relating to this application.

Advances in Biomarkers in Critical Ill Polytrauma Patients.

PubMed

Papurica, Marius; Rogobete, Alexandru F; Sandesc, Dorel; Dumache, Raluca; Cradigati, Carmen A; Sarandan, Mirela; Nartita, Radu; Popovici, Sonia E; Bedreag, Ovidiu H

2016-01-01

The complexity of the cases of critically ill polytrauma patients is given by both the primary, as well as the secondary, post-traumatic injuries. The severe injuries of organ systems, the major biochemical and physiological disequilibrium, and the molecular chaos lead to a high rate of morbidity and mortality in this type of patient. The 'gold goal' in the intensive therapy of such patients resides in the continuous evaluation and monitoring of their clinical status. Moreover, optimizing the therapy based on the expression of certain biomarkers with high specificity and sensitivity is extremely important because of the clinical course of the critically ill polytrauma patient. In this paper we wish to summarize the recent studies of biomarkers useful for the intensive care unit (ICU) physician. For this study the available literature on specific databases such as PubMed and Scopus was thoroughly analyzed. Each article was carefully reviewed and useful information for this study extracted. The keywords used to select the relevant articles were "sepsis biomarker", "traumatic brain injury biomarker" "spinal cord injury biomarker", "inflammation biomarker", "microRNAs biomarker", "trauma biomarker", and "critically ill patients". For this study to be carried out 556 original type articles were analyzed, as well as case reports and reviews. For this review, 89 articles with relevant topics for the present paper were selected. The critically ill polytrauma patient, because of the clinical complexity the case presents with, needs a series of evaluations and specific monitoring. Recent studies show a series of either tissue-specific or circulating biomarkers that are useful in the clinical status evaluation of these patients. The biomarkers existing today, with regard to the critically ill polytrauma patient, can bring a significant contribution to increasing the survival rate, by adapting the therapy according to their expressions. Nevertheless, the necessity remains to research new non-invasive diagnostic methods that present with higher specificity and selectivity.

Attachment affects social information processing: Specific electrophysiological effects of maternal stimuli.

PubMed

Wu, Lili; Gu, Ruolei; Zhang, Jianxin

2016-01-01

Attachment is critical to each individual. It affects the cognitive-affective processing of social information. The present study examines how attachment affects the processing of social information, specifically maternal information. We assessed the behavioral and electrophysiological responses to maternal information (compared to non-specific others) in a Go/No-go Association Task (GNAT) with 22 participants. The results illustrated that attachment affected maternal information processing during three sequential stages of information processing. First, attachment affected visual perception, reflected by enhanced P100 and N170 elicited by maternal information as compared to others information. Second, compared to others, mother obtained more attentional resources, reflected by faster behavioral response to maternal information and larger P200 and P300. Finally, mother was evaluated positively, reflected by shorter P300 latency in a mother + good condition as compared to a mother + bad condition. These findings indicated that the processing of attachment-relevant information is neurologically differentiated from other types of social information from an early stage of perceptual processing to late high-level processing.

The Effect of Information Literacy on Teachers' Critical Thinking Disposition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saglam, Aycan Çiçek; Çankaya, Ibrahim; Üçer, Hakan; Çetin, Muhammet

2017-01-01

The concepts of information literacy and critical thinking are two important concepts of today's information and technology age closely related to each other and sometimes used interchangeably. The purpose of the current study is to explore the relationship between the secondary school teachers' critical thinking disposition and information…

Engaging the learner: Embedding information literacy skills into a biotechnology degree.

PubMed

Ward, Helena; Hockey, Julie

2007-09-01

One of the challenges of the Biotechnology industry is keeping up to date with the rapid pace of change and that much of the information, which students learn in their undergraduate studies, will be out of date in a few years. It is therefore crucial that Biotechnology students have the skills to access the relevant information for their studies and critically evaluate the vast volume of information and its sources. By developing information literacy skills, which are part of lifelong learning, Biotechnology graduates are better prepared for their careers. Students also need to understand the issues related to the use of information such as social, political, ethical, and legal implications. This paper will outline the embedding of information literacy skills within the Biotechnology degree at the University of South Australia. Examples of specific activities and their link to assessment will be discussed. Copyright © 2007 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

A new generation of tools for search, recovery and quality evaluation of World Wide Web medical resources.

PubMed

Aguillo, I

2000-01-01

Although the Internet is already a valuable information resource in medicine, there are important challenges to be faced before physicians and general users will have extensive access to this information. As a result of a research effort to compile a health-related Internet directory, new tools and strategies have been developed to solve key problems derived from the explosive growth of medical information on the Net and the great concern over the quality of such critical information. The current Internet search engines lack some important capabilities. We suggest using second generation tools (client-side based) able to deal with large quantities of data and to increase the usability of the records recovered. We tested the capabilities of these programs to solve health-related information problems, recognising six groups according to the kind of topics addressed: Z39.50 clients, downloaders, multisearchers, tracing agents, indexers and mappers. The evaluation of the quality of health information available on the Internet could require a large amount of human effort. A possible solution may be to use quantitative indicators based on the hypertext visibility of the Web sites. The cybermetric measures are valid for quality evaluation if they are derived from indirect peer review by experts with Web pages citing the site. The hypertext links acting as citations need to be extracted from a controlled sample of quality super-sites.

A Web-based Alternative Non-animal Method Database for Safety Cosmetic Evaluations

PubMed Central

Kim, Seung Won; Kim, Bae-Hwan

2016-01-01

Animal testing was used traditionally in the cosmetics industry to confirm product safety, but has begun to be banned; alternative methods to replace animal experiments are either in development, or are being validated, worldwide. Research data related to test substances are critical for developing novel alternative tests. Moreover, safety information on cosmetic materials has neither been collected in a database nor shared among researchers. Therefore, it is imperative to build and share a database of safety information on toxicological mechanisms and pathways collected through in vivo, in vitro, and in silico methods. We developed the CAMSEC database (named after the research team; the Consortium of Alternative Methods for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics) to fulfill this purpose. On the same website, our aim is to provide updates on current alternative research methods in Korea. The database will not be used directly to conduct safety evaluations, but researchers or regulatory individuals can use it to facilitate their work in formulating safety evaluations for cosmetic materials. We hope this database will help establish new alternative research methods to conduct efficient safety evaluations of cosmetic materials. PMID:27437094

A Web-based Alternative Non-animal Method Database for Safety Cosmetic Evaluations.

PubMed

Kim, Seung Won; Kim, Bae-Hwan

2016-07-01

Animal testing was used traditionally in the cosmetics industry to confirm product safety, but has begun to be banned; alternative methods to replace animal experiments are either in development, or are being validated, worldwide. Research data related to test substances are critical for developing novel alternative tests. Moreover, safety information on cosmetic materials has neither been collected in a database nor shared among researchers. Therefore, it is imperative to build and share a database of safety information on toxicological mechanisms and pathways collected through in vivo, in vitro, and in silico methods. We developed the CAMSEC database (named after the research team; the Consortium of Alternative Methods for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics) to fulfill this purpose. On the same website, our aim is to provide updates on current alternative research methods in Korea. The database will not be used directly to conduct safety evaluations, but researchers or regulatory individuals can use it to facilitate their work in formulating safety evaluations for cosmetic materials. We hope this database will help establish new alternative research methods to conduct efficient safety evaluations of cosmetic materials.

Evaluating the use of prior information under different pacing conditions on aircraft inspection performance: The use of virtual reality technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowling, Shannon Raye

The aircraft maintenance industry is a complex system consisting of human and machine components, because of this; much emphasis has been placed on improving aircraft-inspection performance. One proven technique for improving inspection performance is the use of training. There are several strategies that have been implemented for training, one of which is feedforward information. The use of prior information (feedforward) is known to positively affect inspection performance. This information can consist of knowledge about defect characteristics (types, severity/criticality, and location) and the probability of occurrence. Although several studies have been conducted that demonstrate the usefulness of feedforward as a training strategy, there are certain research issues that need to be addressed. This study evaluates the effect of feedforward information in a simulated 3-dimensional environment by the use of virtual reality. A controlled study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of feedforward information in a simulated aircraft inspection environment. The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase evaluated the difference between general and detailed inspection at different pacing levels. The second phase evaluated the effect of feedforward information pertaining to severity, probability and location. Analyses of the results showed that subjects performing detailed inspection performed significantly better than while performing general inspection. Pacing also had the effect of reducing performance for both general and detailed inspection. The study also found that as the level of feedforward information increases, performance also increases. In addition to evaluating performance measures, the study also evaluated process and subjective measures. It was found that process measures such as number of fixation points, fixation groups, mean fixation duration, and percent area covered were all affected by the treatment levels. Analyses of the subjective measures also found a correlation between the perceived usefulness of feedforward information and the actual effect on performance. The study also examined the potential of virtual reality as a training tool and analyzed the effect different calculational algorithms have on determining various process measures.

An entropy decision approach in flash flood warning: rainfall thresholds definition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montesarchio, V.; Napolitano, F.; Ridolfi, E.

2009-09-01

Flash floods events are floods characterised by very rapid response of the basins to the storms, and often they involve loss of life and damage to common and private properties. Due to the specific space-time scale of this kind of flood, generally only a short lead time is available for triggering civil protection measures. Thresholds values specify the precipitation amount for a given duration that generates a critical discharge in a given cross section. The overcoming of these values could produce a critical situation in river sites exposed to alluvial risk, so it is possible to compare directly the observed or forecasted precipitation with critical reference values, without running on line real time forecasting systems. This study is focused on the Mignone River basin, located in Central Italy. The critical rainfall threshold values are evaluated minimising an utility function based on the informative entropy concept. The study concludes with a system performance analysis, in terms of correctly issued warning, false alarms and missed alarms.

Using Quantitative Literacy to Enhance Critical Thinking Skills in Undergraduate Nursing Students.

PubMed

Asknes, Edna

2017-04-01

Critical thinking and quantitative literacy (QL) are similarly grounded: both focus on analyzing and evaluating evidence, identifying implications and consequences, drawing inferences, and communicating information. This teaching strategy was based on those commonalities and was designed so that undergraduate nursing students would enhance their critical thinking skills as they used their QL skills. QL skills are most effective when taught, learned, and used to solve significant, pertinent problems. Using the principles of learner-centered, team-based learning, QL was integrated into the curriculum of the Maternal-Newborn Nursing course at an urban community college with a diverse student population. Students were engaged and demonstrated enhanced and ongoing development of their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. They also reported a better understanding of data interpretation and use. The positive outcome of this project revealed further opportunities for incorporating QL into nursing curricula and highlighted the need for research on the use of QL in nursing education. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(4):240-242.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

[Introduction to critical reading of articles: study design and biases].

PubMed

García Villar, C

2015-01-01

The critical evaluation of an article enables professionals to make good use of the new information and therefore has direct repercussions for the benefit of our patients. Before undertaking a detailed critical reading of the chosen article, we need to consider whether the study used the most appropriate design for the question it aimed to answer (i.e., whether the level of evidence is adequate). To do this, we need to know how to classify studies in function of their design (descriptive or analytical; prospective or retrospective; cross-sectional or longitudinal) as well as their correlation with the levels of evidence. In critical reading it is also important to know the main systematic errors or biases that can affect a study. Biases can appear in any phase of a study; they can affect the sample, the development of the study, or the measurement of the results. Copyright © 2014 SERAM. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Chroma Shift and Gamut Shape: Going Beyond Average Color Fidelity and Gamut Area

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

Royer, Michael P.; Houser, Kevin W.; David, Aurélien

Though sometimes referred to as a two-measure system for evaluating color rendition, IES TM-30-15 includes other key components that go beyond the high-level average values IES Rf and IES Rg. This article focuses on the Color Vector Graphic and Local Chroma Shift (IES Rcs,hj), discussing the calculation methods for these evaluation tools and providing context for the interpretation of the values. It also presents alternatives for quantifying the same characteristics, which can inform the development of future measures. The Color Vector Graphic (CVG) is a visual representation of hue and chroma shifts across different hues. It quickly communicates complex informationmore » about how object colors will be rendered by a light source, although it is difficult or impossible to use for writing a specification. CVGs demonstrate that increases in chroma for certain hues sometimes means a decrease in chroma for other hues, and illustrates hue shifts for intermediate colors. The combination of shifts over different hues can be referred to as gamut shape. Complementing this information are the IES Rcs,hj values, which quantify the average relative chroma shift for samples in each of the 16 hue-angle bins (j) specified in IES TM-30-15. Unlike measures of average color fidelity and gamut area, gamut shape and hue-specific chroma shift are new concepts with no directly-comparable historical references. It will be critical to incorporate the Color Vector Graphic and Local Chroma Shift values into practice because they capture information about color rendition that is impossible to describe with average measures (such as CIE Ra, IES Rf, or IES Rg), but that is critical to understanding human evaluations of color quality in architectural environments.« less

The evaluation of a healthcare passport to improve quality of care and communication for people living with dementia (EQuIP): a protocol paper for a qualitative, longitudinal study.

PubMed

Leavey, Gerard; Abbott, Aine; Watson, Max; Todd, Stephen; Coates, Vivien; McIlfactrick, Sonja; McCormack, Brendan; Waterhouse-Bradley, Bethany; Curran, Emma

2016-08-09

There is an urgent need for the development of simple communication tools that convey the strengths, assets, and healthcare needs of people living with dementia. A Healthcare Passport may improve communication with range of health and social support services, enhancing quality and continuity of care, and to permit a consideration of the challenges and how these might be managed effectively and compassionately. This study aims to evaluate the acceptability and use of this type of intervention for people living with dementia and their carers. This is a qualitative longitudinal study informed by a critical realist review. The participants will be individuals identified as having mild-moderate dementia and informal carers. The in-depth interviews will occur at three points over the course of 18 months as they use the passport. This will be supplemented by analysis of the content of the passports and information from health and social care providers on the daily practicalities of using the passport in a range of healthcare settings. By using a critical realist review and a qualitative, longitudinal approach, the study allows for the assessment of a complex intervention in a manner which goes beyond evaluating the basic efficacy of the passport, but looking more deeply at how it worked, for whom, and in what context. It has the potential to develop new data on how interventions improve communication across a range of service providers, while encouraging health and social care professionals to respect and encourage the development of self-management and retention of personhood throughout the progression of life-limiting illnesses.

Longitudinal construct validity: establishment of clinical meaning in patient evaluative instruments.

PubMed

Liang, M H

2000-09-01

Although widely used and reported in research for the evaluation of groups, measures of health status and health-related quality of life have had little application in clinical practice for the assessment of individual patients. One of the principal barriers is the demonstration that these measures add clinically significant information to measures of function or symptoms alone. Here, we review the methods for evaluation of construct validity in longitudinal studies and make recommendations for nomenclature, reporting of study results, and future research agenda. Analytical review. The terms "sensitivity" and "responsiveness" have been used interchangeably, and there are few studies that evaluate the extent to which health status or health-related quality-of life measures capture clinically important changes ("responsiveness"). Current methods of evaluating responsiveness are not standardized or evaluated. Approaches for the assessment of a clinically significant or meaningful change are described; rather than normative information, however, standardized transition questions are proposed. They would be reported routinely and as separate axes of description to capture individual perceptions. Research in methods to assess the subject's evaluation of the importance and magnitude of a measured change are critical if health status and health-related quality-of-life measures are to have an impact on patient care.

A comparison of problem-based and traditional education on nursing students' critical thinking dispositions.

PubMed

Ozturk, Candan; Muslu, Gonca Karayagiz; Dicle, Aklime

2008-07-01

Determining the critical thinking (CT) levels of students in undergraduate nursing schools is important in terms of establishing the methods of education that should be used. Although there is some evidence that active learning approaches like problem-based learning are effective in developing CT, the findings are inconclusive. This descriptive analytic study compared levels of critical thinking among senior nursing students (N=147) in two educational programs, one of which used a problem-based learning (PBL) model while the other used a traditional model. The California critical thinking disposition inventory (CCTDI) was used as a data collection tool. Comparisons between the groups were made using t-test analysis. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the critical thinking disposition scores of the seniors in the PBL school and those in the school implementing the traditional model. Analysis of sub-scale scores showed significant differences in truth-seeking and open-mindedness. These findings add to the evidence that the active and self-directed nature of PBL encourages students' ability to think critically, be tolerant of the ideas of others and evaluate conflicting information before reaching a conclusion.

Nutritional requirements of the critically ill patient.

PubMed

Chan, Daniel L

2004-02-01

The presence or development of malnutrition during critical illness has been unequivocally associated with increased morbidity and mortality in people. Recognition that malnutrition may similarly affect veterinary patients emphasizes the need to properly address the nutritional requirements of hospitalized dogs and cats. Because of a lack in veterinary studies evaluating the nutritional requirements of critically ill small animals, current recommendations for nutritional support of veterinary patients are based largely on sound clinical judgment and the best information available, including data from experimental animal models and human studies. This, however, should not discourage the veterinary practitioner from implementing nutritional support in critically ill patients. Similar to many supportive measures of critically ill patients, nutritional interventions can have a significant impact on patient morbidity and may even improve survival. The first step of nutritional support is to identify patients most likely to benefit from nutritional intervention. Careful assessment of the patient and appraisal of its nutritional needs provide the basis for a nutritional plan, which includes choosing the optimal route of nutritional support, determining the number of calories to provide, and determining the composition of the diet. Ultimately, the success of the nutritional management of critically ill dogs and cats will depend on close monitoring and frequent reassessment.

Operational resilience: concepts, design and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganin, Alexander A.; Massaro, Emanuele; Gutfraind, Alexander; Steen, Nicolas; Keisler, Jeffrey M.; Kott, Alexander; Mangoubi, Rami; Linkov, Igor

2016-01-01

Building resilience into today’s complex infrastructures is critical to the daily functioning of society and its ability to withstand and recover from natural disasters, epidemics, and cyber-threats. This study proposes quantitative measures that capture and implement the definition of engineering resilience advanced by the National Academy of Sciences. The approach is applicable across physical, information, and social domains. It evaluates the critical functionality, defined as a performance function of time set by the stakeholders. Critical functionality is a source of valuable information, such as the integrated system resilience over a time interval, and its robustness. The paper demonstrates the formulation on two classes of models: 1) multi-level directed acyclic graphs, and 2) interdependent coupled networks. For both models synthetic case studies are used to explore trends. For the first class, the approach is also applied to the Linux operating system. Results indicate that desired resilience and robustness levels are achievable by trading off different design parameters, such as redundancy, node recovery time, and backup supply available. The nonlinear relationship between network parameters and resilience levels confirms the utility of the proposed approach, which is of benefit to analysts and designers of complex systems and networks.

Preliminary design report: Babcock and Wilcox BR-100 100-ton rail/barge spent fuel shipping cask

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

None

1990-02-01

The purpose of this document is to provide information on burnup credit as applied to the preliminary design of the BR-100 shipping cask. There is a brief description of the preliminary basket design and the features used to maintain a critically safe system. Following the basket description is a discussion of various criticality analyses used to evaluate burnup credit. The results from these analyses are then reviewed in the perspective of fuel burnups expected to be shipped to either the final repository or a Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility. The hurdles to employing burnup credit in the certification of anymore » cask are then outlines and reviewed. the last section gives conclusions reached as to burnup credit for the BR-100 cask, based on our analyses and experience. All information in this study refers to the cask configured to transport PWR fuel. Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) fuel satisfies the criticality requirements so that burnup credit is not needed. All calculations generated in the preparation of this report were based upon the preliminary design which will be optimized during the final design. 8 refs., 19 figs., 16 tabs.« less

Operational resilience: concepts, design and analysis

PubMed Central

Ganin, Alexander A.; Massaro, Emanuele; Gutfraind, Alexander; Steen, Nicolas; Keisler, Jeffrey M.; Kott, Alexander; Mangoubi, Rami; Linkov, Igor

2016-01-01

Building resilience into today’s complex infrastructures is critical to the daily functioning of society and its ability to withstand and recover from natural disasters, epidemics, and cyber-threats. This study proposes quantitative measures that capture and implement the definition of engineering resilience advanced by the National Academy of Sciences. The approach is applicable across physical, information, and social domains. It evaluates the critical functionality, defined as a performance function of time set by the stakeholders. Critical functionality is a source of valuable information, such as the integrated system resilience over a time interval, and its robustness. The paper demonstrates the formulation on two classes of models: 1) multi-level directed acyclic graphs, and 2) interdependent coupled networks. For both models synthetic case studies are used to explore trends. For the first class, the approach is also applied to the Linux operating system. Results indicate that desired resilience and robustness levels are achievable by trading off different design parameters, such as redundancy, node recovery time, and backup supply available. The nonlinear relationship between network parameters and resilience levels confirms the utility of the proposed approach, which is of benefit to analysts and designers of complex systems and networks. PMID:26782180

Operational resilience: concepts, design and analysis.

PubMed

Ganin, Alexander A; Massaro, Emanuele; Gutfraind, Alexander; Steen, Nicolas; Keisler, Jeffrey M; Kott, Alexander; Mangoubi, Rami; Linkov, Igor

2016-01-19

Building resilience into today's complex infrastructures is critical to the daily functioning of society and its ability to withstand and recover from natural disasters, epidemics, and cyber-threats. This study proposes quantitative measures that capture and implement the definition of engineering resilience advanced by the National Academy of Sciences. The approach is applicable across physical, information, and social domains. It evaluates the critical functionality, defined as a performance function of time set by the stakeholders. Critical functionality is a source of valuable information, such as the integrated system resilience over a time interval, and its robustness. The paper demonstrates the formulation on two classes of models: 1) multi-level directed acyclic graphs, and 2) interdependent coupled networks. For both models synthetic case studies are used to explore trends. For the first class, the approach is also applied to the Linux operating system. Results indicate that desired resilience and robustness levels are achievable by trading off different design parameters, such as redundancy, node recovery time, and backup supply available. The nonlinear relationship between network parameters and resilience levels confirms the utility of the proposed approach, which is of benefit to analysts and designers of complex systems and networks.

49 CFR 1520.15 - SSI disclosed by TSA or the Coast Guard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... under the Freedom of Information Act. (h) Disclosure of Critical Infrastructure Information. Disclosure of information that is both SSI and has been designated as critical infrastructure information under...

49 CFR 1520.15 - SSI disclosed by TSA or the Coast Guard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... under the Freedom of Information Act. (h) Disclosure of Critical Infrastructure Information. Disclosure of information that is both SSI and has been designated as critical infrastructure information under...

49 CFR 1520.15 - SSI disclosed by TSA or the Coast Guard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... under the Freedom of Information Act. (h) Disclosure of Critical Infrastructure Information. Disclosure of information that is both SSI and has been designated as critical infrastructure information under...

49 CFR 1520.15 - SSI disclosed by TSA or the Coast Guard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... under the Freedom of Information Act. (h) Disclosure of Critical Infrastructure Information. Disclosure of information that is both SSI and has been designated as critical infrastructure information under...

Computer-aided detection system for chest radiography: reducing report turnaround times of examinations with abnormalities.

PubMed

Kao, E-Fong; Liu, Gin-Chung; Lee, Lo-Yeh; Tsai, Huei-Yi; Jaw, Twei-Shiun

2015-06-01

The ability to give high priority to examinations with pathological findings could be very useful to radiologists with large work lists who wish to first evaluate the most critical studies. A computer-aided detection (CAD) system for identifying chest examinations with abnormalities has therefore been developed. To evaluate the effectiveness of a CAD system on report turnaround times of chest examinations with abnormalities. The CAD system was designed to automatically mark chest examinations with possible abnormalities in the work list of radiologists interpreting chest examinations. The system evaluation was performed in two phases: two radiologists interpreted the chest examinations without CAD in phase 1 and with CAD in phase 2. The time information recorded by the radiology information system was then used to calculate the turnaround times. All chest examinations were reviewed by two other radiologists and were divided into normal and abnormal groups. The turnaround times for the examinations with pathological findings with and without the CAD system assistance were compared. The sensitivity and specificity of the CAD for chest abnormalities were 0.790 and 0.697, respectively, and use of the CAD system decreased the turnaround time for chest examinations with abnormalities by 44%. The turnaround times required for radiologists to identify chest examinations with abnormalities could be reduced by using the CAD system. This system could be useful for radiologists with large work lists who wish to first evaluate the most critical studies. © The Foundation Acta Radiologica 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Facilitated sensemaking: a feasibility study for the provision of a family support program in the intensive care unit.

PubMed

Davidson, Judy E; Daly, Barbara J; Agan, Donna; Brady, Noreen R; Higgins, Patricia A

2010-01-01

Family members of intensive care unit patients may develop anxiety, depression, and/or posttraumatic stress syndrome. Approaches to prevention are not well defined. Before testing preventive measures, it is important to evaluate which interventions the family will accept, use, and value. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of an intervention for support for families of mechanically ventilated adults, grounded in a new midrange nursing theory titled "Facilitated Sensemaking." Families were provided a kit of supplies and the primary investigator coached families on how to obtain information, interpret surroundings, and participate in care. Participants were asked to complete an adapted Critical Care Family Needs Inventory and Family Support Program evaluation. Family members of 30 patients consented to participate; 22 participants completed the surveys. Internal consistency reliability of the adapted Critical Care Family Needs Inventory was high (alpha = .96). Results validated the importance of informational needs and provided a score indicating the family member's perception of how well each need was met, weighted by importance, which identified performance improvement opportunities for use by clinical managers. The program evaluation confirmed that families will use this format of support and find it helpful. Personal care supplies (eg, lotion, lip balm) were universally well received. Forty-two referrals to ancillary service were made. Operational issues to improve services were identified. As proposed in the Facilitated Sensemaking model, family members welcomed interventions targeted to help make sense of the new situation and make sense of their new role as caregiver. Planned supportive interventions were perceived as helpful.

Evaluating a federated medical search engine: tailoring the methodology and reporting the evaluation outcomes.

PubMed

Saparova, D; Belden, J; Williams, J; Richardson, B; Schuster, K

2014-01-01

Federated medical search engines are health information systems that provide a single access point to different types of information. Their efficiency as clinical decision support tools has been demonstrated through numerous evaluations. Despite their rigor, very few of these studies report holistic evaluations of medical search engines and even fewer base their evaluations on existing evaluation frameworks. To evaluate a federated medical search engine, MedSocket, for its potential net benefits in an established clinical setting. This study applied the Human, Organization, and Technology (HOT-fit) evaluation framework in order to evaluate MedSocket. The hierarchical structure of the HOT-factors allowed for identification of a combination of efficiency metrics. Human fit was evaluated through user satisfaction and patterns of system use; technology fit was evaluated through the measurements of time-on-task and the accuracy of the found answers; and organization fit was evaluated from the perspective of system fit to the existing organizational structure. Evaluations produced mixed results and suggested several opportunities for system improvement. On average, participants were satisfied with MedSocket searches and confident in the accuracy of retrieved answers. However, MedSocket did not meet participants' expectations in terms of download speed, access to information, and relevance of the search results. These mixed results made it necessary to conclude that in the case of MedSocket, technology fit had a significant influence on the human and organization fit. Hence, improving technological capabilities of the system is critical before its net benefits can become noticeable. The HOT-fit evaluation framework was instrumental in tailoring the methodology for conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the search engine. Such multidimensional evaluation of the search engine resulted in recommendations for system improvement.

Let's Talk Critical. Development and Evaluation of a Communication Skills Training Program for Critical Care Fellows.

PubMed

Hope, Aluko A; Hsieh, S Jean; Howes, Jennifer M; Keene, Adam B; Fausto, James A; Pinto, Priya A; Gong, Michelle Ng

2015-04-01

Although expert communication between intensive care unit clinicians with patients or surrogates improves patient- and family-centered outcomes, fellows in critical care medicine do not feel adequately trained to conduct family meetings. We aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a communication skills program that could be easily integrated into a U.S. critical care fellowship. We developed four simulation cases that provided communication challenges that critical care fellows commonly face. For each case, we developed a list of directly observable tasks that could be used by faculty to evaluate fellows during each simulation. We developed a didactic curriculum of lectures/case discussions on topics related to palliative care, end-of-life care, communication skills, and bioethics; this month-long curriculum began and ended with the fellows leading family meetings in up to two simulated cases with direct observation by faculty who were not blinded to the timing of the simulation. Our primary measures of effectiveness were the fellows' self-reported change in comfort with leading family meetings after the program was completed and the quality of the communication as measured by the faculty evaluators during the family meeting simulations at the end of the month. Over 3 years, 31 critical care fellows participated in the program, 28 of whom participated in 101 family meeting simulations with direct feedback by faculty facilitators. Our trainees showed high rates of information disclosure during the simulated family meetings. During the simulations done at the end of the month compared with those done at the beginning, our fellows showed significantly improved rates in: (1) verbalizing an agenda for the meeting (64 vs. 41%; Chi-square, 5.27; P = 0.02), (2) summarizing what will be done for the patient (64 vs. 39%; Chi-square, 6.21; P = 0.01), and (3) providing a follow-up plan (60 vs. 37%; Chi-square, 5.2; P = 0.02). More than 95% of our participants (n = 27) reported feeling "slightly" or "much" more comfortable with discussing foregoing life-sustaining treatment and leading family discussions after the month-long curriculum. A communication skills program can be feasibly integrated into a critical care training program and is associated with improvements in fellows' skills and comfort with leading family meetings.

Let’s Talk Critical. Development and Evaluation of a Communication Skills Training Program for Critical Care Fellows

PubMed Central

Hsieh, S. Jean; Howes, Jennifer M.; Keene, Adam B.; Fausto, James A.; Pinto, Priya A.; Gong, Michelle Ng

2015-01-01

Rationale: Although expert communication between intensive care unit clinicians with patients or surrogates improves patient- and family-centered outcomes, fellows in critical care medicine do not feel adequately trained to conduct family meetings. Objectives: We aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a communication skills program that could be easily integrated into a U.S. critical care fellowship. Methods: We developed four simulation cases that provided communication challenges that critical care fellows commonly face. For each case, we developed a list of directly observable tasks that could be used by faculty to evaluate fellows during each simulation. We developed a didactic curriculum of lectures/case discussions on topics related to palliative care, end-of-life care, communication skills, and bioethics; this month-long curriculum began and ended with the fellows leading family meetings in up to two simulated cases with direct observation by faculty who were not blinded to the timing of the simulation. Our primary measures of effectiveness were the fellows’ self-reported change in comfort with leading family meetings after the program was completed and the quality of the communication as measured by the faculty evaluators during the family meeting simulations at the end of the month. Measurements and Main Results: Over 3 years, 31 critical care fellows participated in the program, 28 of whom participated in 101 family meeting simulations with direct feedback by faculty facilitators. Our trainees showed high rates of information disclosure during the simulated family meetings. During the simulations done at the end of the month compared with those done at the beginning, our fellows showed significantly improved rates in: (1) verbalizing an agenda for the meeting (64 vs. 41%; Chi-square, 5.27; P = 0.02), (2) summarizing what will be done for the patient (64 vs. 39%; Chi-square, 6.21; P = 0.01), and (3) providing a follow-up plan (60 vs. 37%; Chi-square, 5.2; P = 0.02). More than 95% of our participants (n = 27) reported feeling “slightly” or “much” more comfortable with discussing foregoing life-sustaining treatment and leading family discussions after the month-long curriculum. Conclusions: A communication skills program can be feasibly integrated into a critical care training program and is associated with improvements in fellows’ skills and comfort with leading family meetings. PMID:25741996

Judging nursing information on the WWW: a theoretical understanding.

PubMed

Cader, Raffik; Campbell, Steve; Watson, Don

2009-09-01

This paper is a report of a study of the judgement processes nurses use when evaluating World Wide Web information related to nursing practice. The World Wide Web has increased the global accessibility of online health information. However, the variable nature of the quality of World Wide Web information and its perceived level of reliability may lead to misinformation. This makes demands on healthcare professionals, and on nurses in particular, to ensure that health information of reliable quality is selected for use in practice. A grounded theory approach was adopted. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were used to collect data, between 2004 and 2005, from 20 nurses undertaking a postqualification graduate course at a university and 13 nurses from a local hospital in the United Kingdom. A theoretical framework emerged that gave insight into the judgement process nurses use when evaluating World Wide Web information. Participants broke the judgement process down into specific tasks. In addition, they used tacit, process and propositional knowledge and intuition, quasi-rational cognition and analysis to undertake these tasks. World Wide Web information cues, time available and nurses' critical skills were influencing factors in their judgement process. Addressing the issue of quality and reliability associated with World Wide Web information is a global challenge. This theoretical framework could contribute towards meeting this challenge.

A Method for Evaluating Information Security Governance (ISG) Components in Banking Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ula, M.; Ula, M.; Fuadi, W.

2017-02-01

As modern banking increasingly relies on the internet and computer technologies to operate their businesses and market interactions, the threats and security breaches have highly increased in recent years. Insider and outsider attacks have caused global businesses lost trillions of Dollars a year. Therefore, that is a need for a proper framework to govern the information security in the banking system. The aim of this research is to propose and design an enhanced method to evaluate information security governance (ISG) implementation in banking environment. This research examines and compares the elements from the commonly used information security governance frameworks, standards and best practices. Their strength and weakness are considered in its approaches. The initial framework for governing the information security in banking system was constructed from document review. The framework was categorized into three levels which are Governance level, Managerial level, and technical level. The study further conducts an online survey for banking security professionals to get their professional judgment about the ISG most critical components and the importance for each ISG component that should be implemented in banking environment. Data from the survey was used to construct a mathematical model for ISG evaluation, component importance data used as weighting coefficient for the related component in the mathematical model. The research further develops a method for evaluating ISG implementation in banking based on the mathematical model. The proposed method was tested through real bank case study in an Indonesian local bank. The study evidently proves that the proposed method has sufficient coverage of ISG in banking environment and effectively evaluates the ISG implementation in banking environment.

Oversimplification in the study of emotional memory

PubMed Central

Bennion, Kelly A.; Ford, Jaclyn H.; Murray, Brendan D.; Kensinger, Elizabeth A.

2014-01-01

This Short Review critically evaluates three hypotheses about the effects of emotion on memory: First, emotion usually enhances memory. Second, when emotion does not enhance memory, this can be understood by the magnitude of physiological arousal elicited, with arousal benefiting memory to a point but then having a detrimental influence. Third, when emotion facilitates the processing of information, this also facilitates the retention of that same information. For each of these hypotheses, we summarize the evidence consistent with it, present counter-evidence suggesting boundary conditions for the effect, and discuss the implications for future research. PMID:24007950

Empirically Estimable Classification Bounds Based on a Nonparametric Divergence Measure

PubMed Central

Berisha, Visar; Wisler, Alan; Hero, Alfred O.; Spanias, Andreas

2015-01-01

Information divergence functions play a critical role in statistics and information theory. In this paper we show that a non-parametric f-divergence measure can be used to provide improved bounds on the minimum binary classification probability of error for the case when the training and test data are drawn from the same distribution and for the case where there exists some mismatch between training and test distributions. We confirm the theoretical results by designing feature selection algorithms using the criteria from these bounds and by evaluating the algorithms on a series of pathological speech classification tasks. PMID:26807014

Competency to stand trial evaluations: a study of actual practice in two states.

PubMed

Robbins, E; Waters, J; Herbert, P

1997-01-01

A criminal defendant must be competent to stand trial (CST) to safeguard the fundamental right to a fair trial. If there is a question as to a defendant's ability to assist in his or her own defense, a mental health professional is asked to perform a CST evaluation. Forensic assessment is a growing field, and CST is the most frequent evaluation requested. Over the years, forensic examiners' reports to the courts have been criticized for lack of relevance, insufficiency, and invading the province of the judge. If mental health professionals wish to advance the field of forensic assessment and respond to these criticisms, research on current practice with suggestions for advancement are necessary. A total of 66 CST reports conducted within the last five years in two states were compared to a proposed model for CST assessment. Results indicated that although forensic examiners are maintaining legal relevance, some CST reports may lack thoroughness and/or provide information that exceeds their role responsibilities. The findings support the need for the development of a standardized method of conducting and writing CST evaluations that should improve the quality of such reports.

Evaluation of measurement properties of self-administered PROMs aimed at patients with non-specific shoulder pain and "activity limitations": a systematic review.

PubMed

Thoomes-de Graaf, M; Scholten-Peeters, G G M; Schellingerhout, J M; Bourne, A M; Buchbinder, R; Koehorst, M; Terwee, C B; Verhagen, A P

2016-09-01

To critically appraise and compare the measurement properties of self-administered patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) focussing on the shoulder, assessing "activity limitations." Systematic review. The study population had to consist of patients with shoulder pain. We excluded postoperative patients or patients with generic diseases. The methodological quality of the selected studies and the results of the measurement properties were critically appraised and rated using the COSMIN checklist. Out of a total of 3427 unique hits, 31 articles, evaluating 7 different questionnaires, were included. The SPADI is the most frequently evaluated PROM and its measurement properties seem adequate apart from a lack of information regarding its measurement error and content validity. For English, Norwegian and Turkish users, we recommend to use the SPADI. Dutch users could use either the SDQ or the SST. In German, we recommend the DASH. In Tamil, Slovene, Spanish and the Danish languages, the evaluated PROMs were not yet of acceptable validity. None of these PROMs showed strong positive evidence for all measurement properties. We propose to develop a new shoulder PROM focused on activity limitations, taking new knowledge and techniques into account.