The Search for Quality by Management in Service-Related Industry Today

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-09-05

service delivery. Rossy, Gerard L. ’The Executive’s Role in Ethics: The View from Business and Industry.* Healthcare Executive 2 (September/October...to study and compare: h-spitality, pharmaceutical, and healthcare . The hospitality industry was identified due to the dependence upon the consumer. If...only regulatory requirements, but a social obligation. The healthcare industry was chosen due to the need for quality, the increased competition, and

Influence of Autism Traits and Executive Functioning on Quality of Life in Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Vries, Marieke; Geurts, Hilde

2015-01-01

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) often experience a low Quality of Life (QoL). We studied if IQ, early language development, current autism traits, and daily Executive Functions (EFs) are related to QoL in children (aged 8-12 years) with ASD (N = 120) and typically developing (TD) children (N = 76). Children with ASD showed a lower…

Executive dysfunction, depression, and mental health-related quality of life in survivors of critical illness: results from the BRAIN-ICU Investigation

PubMed Central

Duggan, Maria C.; Wang, Li; Wilson, Jo Ellen; Dittus, Robert S.; Ely, E. Wesley; Jackson, James C.

2016-01-01

STRUCTURED ABSTRACT PURPOSE Although executive dysfunction and depression are common among ICU survivors, their relationship has not been evaluated in this population. We sought to determine 1) if executive dysfunction is independently associated with severity of depressive symptoms or worse mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in ICU survivors, and 2) if age modifies these associations. METHODS In a prospective cohort (n=136), we measured executive dysfunction by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult, depression by the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and mental HRQOL by the Short-Form 36 (SF-36). We used multiple linear regression models, adjusting for potential confounders. We included age as an interaction term to test for effect modification. RESULTS Executive dysfunction 3 months post-ICU was independently associated with more depressive symptoms and worse mental HRQOL 12 months post-ICU [25th vs 75th percentile of executive functioning scored 4.3 points worse on the depression scale (95% CI =1.3–7.4, p=0.015) and 5 points worse on the SF-36 (95% CI=1.7–8.3, p=0.006)]. Age did not modify these associations (depression p=0.12; mental HRQOL p=0.80). CONCLUSION Regardless of age, executive dysfunction was independently associated with subsequent worse severity of depressive symptoms and worse mental HRQOL. Executive dysfunction may have a key role in the development of depression. PMID:27652496

The role of executive functioning in quality of life in pediatric intractable epilepsy.

PubMed

Love, Christina Eguizabal; Webbe, Frank; Kim, Gunha; Lee, Ki Hyeong; Westerveld, Michael; Salinas, Christine M

2016-11-01

Children with epilepsy are vulnerable to executive dysfunction, but the relationship between executive functioning (EF) and quality of life (QOL) in children with epilepsy is not fully delineated. This exploratory study elucidated the relationship between ecological EF and QOL in pediatric intractable epilepsy. Fifty-four consecutively referred pediatric epilepsy surgery candidates and their parents were administered IQ measures, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), and the Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy (QOLCE) as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. A significant difference was found in QOL between those with and without clinical impairments on the BRIEF [t(52)=3.93; p<.001]. That is, children with executive dysfunction had lower overall QOL. All seizure variables and BRIEF scales were associated with overall QOL [F(12, 40)=6.508; p=.001; R 2 =.661]. Working memory from the BRIEF was the most frequently elevated scale in our sample (57%). Those with executive dysfunction had 9.7 times the risk of having poor QOL. Poor EF control according to behavior ratings is significantly related to QOL in intractable pediatric epilepsy. Identification of executive dysfunction in home environments is an essential component of presurgical evaluations and target for intervention, which may improve QOL. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

10 CFR 72.142 - Quality assurance organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., or consultants, the work of establishing and executing the quality assurance program, but the... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Quality assurance organization. 72.142 Section 72.142... SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE Quality...

10 CFR 72.142 - Quality assurance organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., or consultants, the work of establishing and executing the quality assurance program, but the... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Quality assurance organization. 72.142 Section 72.142... SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE Quality...

10 CFR 72.142 - Quality assurance organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., or consultants, the work of establishing and executing the quality assurance program, but the... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Quality assurance organization. 72.142 Section 72.142... SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE Quality...

A pilot investigation of the potential for incorporating lifelog technology into executive function rehabilitation for enhanced transfer of self-regulation skills to everyday life.

PubMed

Cuberos-Urbano, Gustavo; Caracuel, Alfonso; Valls-Serrano, Carlos; García-Mochón, Leticia; Gracey, Fergus; Verdejo-García, Antonio

2018-06-01

The objective of the study was to identify the potential target and effect size of goal management training (GMT) enhanced with life-logging technology compared with standard GMT on a range of possible primary outcomes reflecting cognitive and ecological aspects of executive functioning and quality of life. Sixteen patients with acquired brain injury involving executive dysfunction were randomly allocated to one of the two interventions: seven weeks of GMT (n = 8), or seven weeks of GMT+Lifelog (n = 8). Outcome measures included a battery of executive function tests, the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) and the Quality of Life after Brain Injury scale (QOLIBRI), measured pre- and post-interventions. Within-group changes were assessed with related-samples t-tests and estimation of effect sizes. GMT+Lifelog was associated with significant changes, of medium to large effect size, in response inhibition (Stroop), multitasking (Strategy Application and Multiple Errand tests), DEX Intentionality and Positive Affect subscales and QOLIBRI Daily Life and Autonomy, subscales. GMT alone was associated with significant changes of overall quality of life. It was concluded that GMT+Lifelog holds promise to optimise the impact of GMT on executive dysfunction and quality of life.

Index Relativity and Patron Search Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allison, DeeAnn; Childers Scott

2002-01-01

Describes a study at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that compared searches in two different keyword indexes with similar content where search results were dependent on search strategy quality, search engine execution, and content. Results showed search engine execution had an impact on the number of matches and that users ignored search help…

Neuropsychological outcome in patients with childhood craniopharyngioma and hypothalamic involvement.

PubMed

Özyurt, Jale; Thiel, Christiane M; Lorenzen, Anna; Gebhardt, Ursel; Calaminus, Gabriele; Warmuth-Metz, Monika; Müller, Hermann L

2014-04-01

To test memory performance and executive functions in patients with childhood craniopharyngioma and hypothalamic involvement. Using standardized neuropsychological tests, we compared cognitive performance in a group of 15 patients with childhood craniopharyngioma and known hypothalamic involvement and a group of 24 age- and intelligence-matched control subjects. In addition, we compared individual patients' results with normative data to detect abnormal performance in the clinically relevant range. Within the patient group, we further tested whether the grade of hypothalamic involvement had an impact on cognitive performance and quality of life. Relative to healthy controls, the patients demonstrated significantly lower performance scores in tests of memory and executive functioning. On the individual performance level, delayed recall performance was severely impaired in one-third of the patients. Compared with patients with low-grade hypothalamic involvement, those with high-grade hypothalamic involvement showed worse performance in executive functions and reduced functional capabilities for daily life actions, indicating lower quality of life. Our findings demonstrate that hypothalamic involvement is related to impairments in memory and executive functioning in patients with childhood craniopharyngioma and indicate that a high grade of hypothalamic involvement is related to worse outcomes. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of voice quality and competing speakers in a passage comprehension task: performance in relation to cognitive functioning in children with normal hearing.

PubMed

von Lochow, Heike; Lyberg-Åhlander, Viveka; Sahlén, Birgitta; Kastberg, Tobias; Brännström, K Jonas

2018-04-01

This study explores the effect of voice quality and competing speaker/-s on children's performance in a passage comprehension task. Furthermore, it explores the interaction between passage comprehension and cognitive functioning. Forty-nine children (27 girls and 22 boys) with normal hearing (aged 7-12 years) participated. Passage comprehension was tested in six different listening conditions; a typical voice (non-dysphonic voice) in quiet, a typical voice with one competing speaker, a typical voice with four competing speakers, a dysphonic voice in quiet, a dysphonic voice with one competing speaker, and a dysphonic voice with four competing speakers. The children's working memory capacity and executive functioning were also assessed. The findings indicate no direct effect of voice quality on the children's performance, but a significant effect of background listening condition. Interaction effects were seen between voice quality, background listening condition, and executive functioning. The children's susceptibility to the effect of the dysphonic voice and the background listening conditions are related to the individual's executive functions. The findings have several implications for design of interventions in language learning environments such as classrooms.

Questionnaire-based assessment of executive functioning: Case studies.

PubMed

Kronenberger, William G; Castellanos, Irina; Pisoni, David B

2018-01-01

Delays in the development of executive functioning skills are frequently observed in pediatric neuropsychology populations and can have a broad and significant impact on quality of life. As a result, assessment of executive functioning is often relevant for the development of formulations and recommendations in pediatric neuropsychology clinical work. Questionnaire-based measures of executive functioning behaviors in everyday life have unique advantages and complement traditional neuropsychological measures of executive functioning. Two case studies of children with spina bifida are presented to illustrate the clinical use of a new questionnaire measure of executive and learning-related functioning, the Learning, Executive, and Attention Functioning Scale (LEAF). The LEAF emphasizes clinical utility in assessment by incorporating four characteristics: brevity in administration, breadth of additional relevant content, efficiency of scoring and interpretation, and ease of availability for use. LEAF results were consistent with another executive functioning checklist in documenting everyday behavior problems related to working memory, planning, and organization while offering additional breadth of assessment of domains such as attention, processing speed, and novel problem-solving. These case study results demonstrate the clinical utility of questionnaire-based measurement of executive functioning in pediatric neuropsychology and provide a new measure for accomplishing this goal.

Spatial Coverage Planning for a Planetary Rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaines, Daniel M.; Estlin, Tara; Chouinard, Caroline

2008-01-01

We are developing onboard planning and execution technologies to support the exploration and characterization of geological features by autonomous rovers. In order to generate high quality mission plans, an autonomous rover must reason about the relative importance of the observations it can perform. In this paper we look at the scientific criteria of selecting observations that improve the quality of the area covered by samples. Our approach makes use of a priori information, if available, and allows scientists to mark sub-regions of the area with relative priorities for exploration. We use an efficient algorithm for prioritizing observations based on spatial coverage that allows the system to update observation rankings as new information is gained during execution.

Barcode medication administration work-arounds: a systematic review and implications for nurse executives.

PubMed

Voshall, Barbara; Piscotty, Ronald; Lawrence, Jeanette; Targosz, Mary

2013-10-01

Safe medication administration is necessary to ensure quality healthcare. Barcode medication administration systems were developed to reduce drug administration errors and the related costs and improve patient safety. Work-arounds created by nurses in the execution of the required processes can lead to unintended consequences, including errors. This article provides a systematic review of the literature associated with barcoded medication administration and work-arounds and suggests interventions that should be adopted by nurse executives to ensure medication safety.

A Secure Base from Which to Regulate: Attachment Security in Toddlerhood as a Predictor of Executive Functioning at School Entry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernier, Annie; Beauchamp, Miriam H.; Carlson, Stephanie M.; Lalonde, Gabrielle

2015-01-01

In light of emerging evidence suggesting that the affective quality of parent-child relationships may relate to individual differences in young children's executive functioning (EF) skills, the aim of this study was to investigate the prospective associations between attachment security in toddlerhood and children's EF skills in kindergarten.…

Associations between daily physical activity and executive functioning in primary school-aged children.

PubMed

van der Niet, Anneke G; Smith, Joanne; Scherder, Erik J A; Oosterlaan, Jaap; Hartman, Esther; Visscher, Chris

2015-11-01

While there is some evidence that aerobic fitness is positively associated with executive functioning in children, evidence for a relation between children's daily physical activity and their executive functioning is limited. The objective was to examine associations between objectively measured daily physical activity (total volume, sedentary behavior, moderate to vigorous physical activity) and executive functioning in children. Cross-sectional. Eighty primary school children (36 boys, 44 girls) aged 8-12 years old participated in the study. Physical activity was measured using accelerometers. Executive functions measured included inhibition (Stroop test), working memory (Visual Memory Span test), cognitive flexibility (Trailmaking test), and planning (Tower of London). Total volume of physical activity, time spent in sedentary behavior and moderate to vigorous physical activity were calculated and related to performance on executive functioning. More time spent in sedentary behavior was related to worse inhibition (r = -0.24). A higher total volume of physical activity was associated with better planning ability, as reflected by both a higher score on the Tower of London (r = 0.24) and a shorter total execution time (r = -0.29). Also, a significant moderate correlation was found between time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity and the total execution time of the Tower of London (r = -0.29). Children should limit time spent in sedentary behavior, and increasing their total physical activity. Total volume of physical activity, which consisted mostly of light intensity physical activity, is related to executive functioning. This opens up new possibilities to explore both the quantity and quality of physical activity in relation to cognition in children. Copyright © 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disentangling the relationship between children’s motor ability, executive function and academic achievement

PubMed Central

Egger, Fabienne; Benzing, Valentin; Jäger, Katja; Conzelmann, Achim; Roebers, Claudia M.; Pesce, Caterina

2017-01-01

Even though positive relations between children’s motor ability and their academic achievement are frequently reported, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Executive function has indeed been proposed, but hardly tested as a potential mediator. The aim of the present study was therefore to examine the mediating role of executive function in the relationship between motor ability and academic achievement, also investigating the individual contribution of specific motor abilities to the hypothesized mediated linkage to academic achievement. At intervals of ten weeks, 236 children aged between 10 and 12 years were tested in terms of their motor ability (t1: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, motor coordination), core executive functions (t2: updating, inhibition, shifting), and academic achievement (t3: mathematics, reading, spelling). Structural equation modelling revealed executive function to be a mediator in the relation between motor ability and academic achievement, represented by a significant indirect effect. In separate analyses, each of the three motor abilities were positively related to children’s academic achievement. However, only in the case of children’s motor coordination, the mediation by executive function accounted for a significance percentage of variance of academic achievement data. The results provide evidence in support of models that conceive executive function as a mechanism explaining the relationship that links children’s physical activity-related outcomes to academic achievement and strengthen the advocacy for quality physical activity not merely focused on health-related physical fitness outcomes, but also on motor skill development and learning. PMID:28817625

The roles of associative and executive processes in creative cognition.

PubMed

Beaty, Roger E; Silvia, Paul J; Nusbaum, Emily C; Jauk, Emanuel; Benedek, Mathias

2014-10-01

How does the mind produce creative ideas? Past research has pointed to important roles of both executive and associative processes in creative cognition. But such work has largely focused on the influence of one ability or the other-executive or associative-so the extent to which both abilities may jointly affect creative thought remains unclear. Using multivariate structural equation modeling, we conducted two studies to determine the relative influences of executive and associative processes in domain-general creative cognition (i.e., divergent thinking). Participants completed a series of verbal fluency tasks, and their responses were analyzed by means of latent semantic analysis (LSA) and scored for semantic distance as a measure of associative ability. Participants also completed several measures of executive function-including broad retrieval ability (Gr) and fluid intelligence (Gf). Across both studies, we found substantial effects of both associative and executive abilities: As the average semantic distance between verbal fluency responses and cues increased, so did the creative quality of divergent-thinking responses (Study 1 and Study 2). Moreover, the creative quality of divergent-thinking responses was predicted by the executive variables-Gr (Study 1) and Gf (Study 2). Importantly, the effects of semantic distance and the executive function variables remained robust in the same structural equation model predicting divergent thinking, suggesting unique contributions of both constructs. The present research extends recent applications of LSA in creativity research and provides support for the notion that both associative and executive processes underlie the production of novel ideas.

Report on Wisconsin Quality of Workforce Initiatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Technical Education: Pathway to the Future, 1991

1991-01-01

This newsletter updates the reader on the latest Wisconsin initiatives to build tomorrow's work force through education, training, and cooperative ventures with business and industry. "Executive Cabinet for a Quality Workforce Defines Pathways to the Future" (Dwight York) discusses major reports related to the work of the executive…

Maximizing Total QoS-Provisioning of Image Streams with Limited Energy Budget

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Wan Yeon; Kim, Kyong Hoon; Ko, Young Woong

To fully utilize the limited battery energy of mobile electronic devices, we propose an adaptive adjustment method of processing quality for multiple image stream tasks running with widely varying execution times. This adjustment method completes the worst-case executions of the tasks with a given budget of energy, and maximizes the total reward value of processing quality obtained during their executions by exploiting the probability distribution of task execution times. The proposed method derives the maximum reward value for the tasks being executable with arbitrary processing quality, and near maximum value for the tasks being executable with a finite number of processing qualities. Our evaluation on a prototype system shows that the proposed method achieves larger reward values, by up to 57%, than the previous method.

Unique contributions of emotion regulation and executive functions in predicting the quality of parent-child interaction behaviors.

PubMed

Shaffer, Anne; Obradović, Jelena

2017-03-01

Parenting is a cognitive, emotional, and behavioral endeavor, yet limited research investigates parents' executive functions and emotion regulation as predictors of how parents interact with their children. The current study is a multimethod investigation of parental self-regulation in relation to the quality of parenting behavior and parent-child interactions in a diverse sample of parents and kindergarten-age children. Using path analyses, we tested how parent executive functions (inhibitory control) and lack of emotion regulation strategies uniquely relate to both sensitive/responsive behaviors and positive/collaborative behaviors during observed interaction tasks. In our analyses, we accounted for parent education, financial stress, and social support as socioeconomic factors that likely relate to parent executive function and emotion regulation skills. In a diverse sample of primary caregivers (N = 102), we found that direct assessment of parent inhibitory control was positively associated with sensitive/responsive behaviors, whereas parent self-reported difficulties in using emotion regulation strategies were associated with lower levels of positive and collaborative dyadic behaviors. Parent education and financial stress predicted inhibitory control, and social support predicted emotion regulation difficulties; parent education was also a significant predictor of sensitive/responsive behaviors. Greater inhibitory control skills and fewer difficulties identifying effective emotion regulation strategies were not significantly related in our final path model. We discuss our findings in the context of current and emerging parenting interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Lexical quality and executive control predict children's first and second language reading comprehension.

PubMed

Raudszus, Henriette; Segers, Eliane; Verhoeven, Ludo

2018-01-01

This study compared how lexical quality (vocabulary and decoding) and executive control (working memory and inhibition) predict reading comprehension directly as well as indirectly, via syntactic integration, in monolingual and bilingual fourth grade children. The participants were 76 monolingual and 102 bilingual children (mean age 10 years, SD  = 5 months) learning to read Dutch in the Netherlands. Bilingual children showed lower Dutch vocabulary, syntactic integration and reading comprehension skills, but better decoding skills than their monolingual peers. There were no differences in working memory or inhibition. Multigroup path analysis showed relatively invariant connections between predictors and reading comprehension for monolingual and bilingual readers. For both groups, there was a direct effect of lexical quality on reading comprehension. In addition, lexical quality and executive control indirectly influenced reading comprehension via syntactic integration. The groups differed in that inhibition more strongly predicted syntactic integration for bilingual than for monolingual children. For a subgroup of bilingual children, for whom home language vocabulary data were available ( n  = 56), there was an additional positive effect of home language vocabulary on second language reading comprehension. Together, the results suggest that similar processes underlie reading comprehension in first and second language readers, but that syntactic integration requires more executive control in second language reading. Moreover, bilingual readers additionally benefit from first language vocabulary to arrive at second language reading comprehension.

The effect of healthy dietary consumption on executive cognitive functioning in children and adolescents: a systematic review.

PubMed

Cohen, J F W; Gorski, M T; Gruber, S A; Kurdziel, L B F; Rimm, E B

2016-09-01

A systematic review was conducted to evaluate whether healthier dietary consumption among children and adolescents impacts executive functioning. PubMed, Education Resources Information Center, PsychINFO and Thomson Reuters' Web of Science databases were searched, and studies of executive functioning among children or adolescents aged 6-18 years, which examined food quality, macronutrients and/or foods, were included. Study quality was also assessed. In all, twenty-one studies met inclusion criteria. Among the twelve studies examining food quality (n 9) or macronutrient intakes (n 4), studies examining longer-term diet (n 6) showed positive associations between healthier overall diet quality and executive functioning, whereas the studies examining the acute impact of diet (n 6) were inconsistent but suggestive of improvements in executive functioning with better food quality. Among the ten studies examining foods, overall, there was a positive association between healthier foods (e.g. whole grains, fish, fruits and/or vegetables) and executive function, whereas less-healthy snack foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and red/processed meats were inversely associated with executive functioning. Taken together, evidence suggests a positive association between healthy dietary consumption and executive functioning. Additional studies examining the effects of healthier food consumption, as well as macronutrients, on executive functioning are warranted. These studies should ideally be conducted in controlled environments and use validated cognitive tests.

Highlights of Total Quality Management in the Department of Defense: Lessons Learned, Quality Measurements and Innovative Practices

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-26

Quality Management (TQM) through both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Interviews were conducted with top executives from ten exemplar organizations within the Department of Defense (DOD). Survey questionnaires on perceptions of quality practices were administered to a sample of 102 representing members of the executive steering committees at the same organizations. Research identifies lessons learned by top executives during TQM implementation, discusses measures of organization-wide quality management , specifies evaluation mechanisms to

Is having quality as an item on the executive board agenda associated with the implementation of quality management systems in European hospitals: a quantitative analysis

PubMed Central

Botje, Daan; Klazinga, N.S.; Suñol, R.; Groene, O.; Pfaff, H.; Mannion, R.; Depaigne-Loth, A.; Arah, O.A.; Dersarkissian, M.; Wagner, C.; Klazinga, N.; Kringos, D.S.; Lombarts, M.J.M.H.; Plochg, T.; Lopez, M.A.; Vallejo, P.; Saillour-Glenisson, F.; Car, M.; Jones, S.; Klaus, E.; Bottaro, S.; Garel, P.; Saluvan, M.; Bruneau, C.; Depaigne-Loth, A.; Hammer, A.; Ommen, O.; Pfaff, H.; Botje, D.; Escoval, A.; Lívio, A.; Eiras, M.; Franca, M.; Leite, I.; Almeman, F.; Kus, H.; Ozturk, K.; Mannion, R.; Wang, A.; Thompson, A.

2014-01-01

Objective To assess whether there is a relationship between having quality as an item on the board's agenda, perceived external pressure (PEP) and the implementation of quality management in European hospitals. Design A quantitative, mixed method, cross-sectional study in seven European countries in 2011 surveying CEOs and quality managers and data from onsite audits. Participants One hundred and fifty-five CEOs and 155 quality managers. Setting One hundred and fifty-five randomly selected acute care hospitals in seven European countries (Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Turkey). Main outcome measure(s) Three constructs reflecting quality management based on questionnaire and audit data: (i) Quality Management System Index, (ii) Quality Management Compliance Index and (iii) Clinical Quality Implementation Index. The main predictor was whether quality performance was on the executive board's agenda. Results Discussing quality performance at executive board meetings more often was associated with a higher quality management system score (regression coefficient b = 2.53; SE = 1.16; P = 0.030). We found a trend in the associations of discussing quality performance with quality compliance and clinical quality implementation. PEP did not modify these relationships. Conclusions Having quality as an item on the executive board's agenda allows them to review and discuss quality performance more often in order to improve their hospital's quality management. Generally, and as this study found, having quality on the executive board's agenda matters. PMID:24550260

Is having quality as an item on the executive board agenda associated with the implementation of quality management systems in European hospitals: a quantitative analysis.

PubMed

Botje, Daan; Klazinga, N S; Suñol, R; Groene, O; Pfaff, H; Mannion, R; Depaigne-Loth, A; Arah, O A; Dersarkissian, M; Wagner, C

2014-04-01

To assess whether there is a relationship between having quality as an item on the board's agenda, perceived external pressure (PEP) and the implementation of quality management in European hospitals. A quantitative, mixed method, cross-sectional study in seven European countries in 2011 surveying CEOs and quality managers and data from onsite audits. One hundred and fifty-five CEOs and 155 quality managers. One hundred and fifty-five randomly selected acute care hospitals in seven European countries (Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Turkey). Main outcome measure(s) Three constructs reflecting quality management based on questionnaire and audit data: (i) Quality Management System Index, (ii) Quality Management Compliance Index and (iii) Clinical Quality Implementation Index. The main predictor was whether quality performance was on the executive board's agenda. Discussing quality performance at executive board meetings more often was associated with a higher quality management system score (regression coefficient b = 2.53; SE = 1.16; P = 0.030). We found a trend in the associations of discussing quality performance with quality compliance and clinical quality implementation. PEP did not modify these relationships. Having quality as an item on the executive board's agenda allows them to review and discuss quality performance more often in order to improve their hospital's quality management. Generally, and as this study found, having quality on the executive board's agenda matters.

Restructuring within an academic health center to support quality and safety: the development of the Center for Quality and Safety at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

PubMed

Bohmer, Richard M J; Bloom, Jonathan D; Mort, Elizabeth A; Demehin, Akinluwa A; Meyer, Gregg S

2009-12-01

Recent focus on the need to improve the quality and safety of health care has created new challenges for academic health centers (AHCs). Whereas previously quality was largely assumed, today it is increasingly quantifiable and requires organized systems for improvement. Traditional structures and cultures within AHCs, although well suited to the tripartite missions of teaching, research, and clinical care, are not easily adaptable to the tasks of measuring, reporting, and improving quality. Here, the authors use a case study of Massachusetts General Hospital's efforts to restructure quality and safety to illustrate the value of beginning with a focus on organizational culture, using a systematic process of engaging clinical leadership, developing an organizational framework dependent on proven business principles, leveraging focus events, and maintaining executive dedication to execution of the initiative. The case provides a generalizable example for AHCs of how applying explicit management design can foster robust organizational change with relatively modest incremental financial resources.

Quality improvement program reduces perioperative dental injuries - A review of 64,718 anesthetic patients.

PubMed

Kuo, Yi-Wei; Lu, I-Cheng; Yang, Hui-Ying; Chiu, Shun-Li; Hsu, Hung-Te; Cheng, Kuang-I

2016-12-01

Perioperative dental injury (PDI) is a common adverse event associated with anesthesia that can easily lead to medicolegal litigation. A quality improvement program was conducted with the electronic, standardized dental chart to document dentition before anesthesia and dentist consultation when necessary. This study aimed to reduce PDIs through execution of a quality improvement program. We reviewed the 42-month interval anesthetic records of 64,718 patients who underwent anesthesia. A standardized electronic dental chart was designed to identify any dental prosthetics, fixed and removable dentures, and degree of loose teeth. The incidence of dental injuries associated with anesthesia was separated into three time periods: baseline, initiative (Phase I), and execution (Phase II). Primary outcome measurement was the incidence of PDIs related to anesthesia. The overall incidence of dental injury related to anesthesia was 0.059% (38/64,718 patients). During the baseline period, the dental injury rate was 0.108% (26/24,137 patients), and it decreased from 0.051% in the initiative period (10/19,711 patients) to 0.009% in the execution period (2/20,870 patients) during implementation of the quality improvement program. Most dental injuries were associated with laryngeal mask airway (42.1%) and laryngoscopy (28.9%). The most commonly involved teeth were the upper incisors. Dental injury incidence was significantly reduced and remained at low levels after implementation of the quality improvement program. We suggest the implementation of a standardized dental examination into the preoperative evaluation system adding pathologic teeth fixed or protected devices to minimize dental injury associated with anesthesia. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.

The impact of bilingualism on working memory in pediatric epilepsy

PubMed Central

Veenstra, Amy L.; Riley, Jeffrey D.; Barrett, Lauren E.; Muhonen, Michael G.; Zupanc, Mary; Romain, Jonathan E.; Lin, Jack J.; Mucci, Grace

2016-01-01

Impairments in executive skills broadly span across multiple childhood epilepsy syndromes and can adversely affect quality of life. Bilingualism has been previously shown to correlate with enhanced executive functioning in healthy individuals. This study seeks to determine whether the bilingual advantage in executive functioning exists in the context of pediatric epilepsy. We retrospectively analyzed neuropsychological data in 52 children with epilepsy and compared executive function scores in monolingual versus bilingual children with epilepsy, while controlling for socioeconomic status and ethnicity. Bilingual children performed significantly better on the Working Memory scale than did monolingual children. There were no significant differences on the remaining executive function variables. The bilingual advantage appears to persist for working memory in children with epilepsy. These findings suggest that bilingualism is potentially a protective variable in the face of epilepsy-related working memory dysfunction. PMID:26720703

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

Kennedy, Colin, E-mail: crk1@soton.ac.uk; Bull, Kim; Chevignard, Mathilde

Purpose: To compare quality of survival in “standard-risk” medulloblastoma after hyperfractionated radiation therapy of the central nervous system with that after standard radiation therapy, combined with a chemotherapy regimen common to both treatment arms, in the PNET4 randomised controlled trial. Methods and Materials: Participants in the PNET4 trial and their parents/caregivers in 7 participating anonymized countries completed standardized questionnaires in their own language on executive function, health status, behavior, health-related quality of life, and medical, educational, employment, and social information. Pre- and postoperative neurologic status and serial heights and weights were also recorded. Results: Data were provided by 151 ofmore » 244 eligible survivors (62%) at a median age at assessment of 15.2 years and median interval from diagnosis of 5.8 years. Compared with standard radiation therapy, hyperfractionated radiation therapy was associated with lower (ie, better) z-scores for executive function in all participants (mean intergroup difference 0.48 SDs, 95% confidence interval 0.16-0.81, P=.004), but health status, behavioral difficulties, and health-related quality of life z-scores were similar in the 2 treatment arms. Data on hearing impairment were equivocal. Hyperfractionated radiation therapy was also associated with greater decrement in height z-scores (mean intergroup difference 0.43 SDs, 95% confidence interval 0.10-0.76, P=.011). Conclusions: Hyperfractionated radiation therapy was associated with better executive function and worse growth but without accompanying change in health status, behavior, or quality of life.« less

Mission-Related Execution and Planning Through Quality of Service Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

which maximizes a mission effectiveness functions is the ideal driver of QoS mechanisms. Service Quality Quality of Service may also exist in other...However, service quality is the originating concept of QoS and is the level of performance which one entity expects from another, including non-IT SoSs... Service quality may also be reflected in the context of a system’s purpose or an organization’s mission. Putting level of service values and

21 CFR 820.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... intended to have uniform characteristics and quality within specified limits. (n) Management with executive... management with executive responsibility. (v) Quality system means the organizational structure, responsibilities, procedures, processes, and resources for implementing quality management. (w) Remanufacturer...

Fatigue, emotional functioning, and executive dysfunction in pediatric multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Holland, Alice Ann; Graves, Donna; Greenberg, Benjamin M; Harder, Lana L

2014-01-01

Fatigue, depression, anxiety, and executive dysfunction are associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults. Existing research suggests similar problems in pediatric MS, but relationships between these variables have not been investigated. This study investigates the associations between executive functioning and fatigue, emotional functioning, age of onset, and disease duration in pediatric MS. Twenty-six MS or Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS) patients, ages 7 to 18, were evaluated through a multidisciplinary demyelinating diseases clinic. Participants completed neuropsychological screening including Verbal Fluency, Digit Span, and Trail-Making Test. Parents completed rating forms of behavioral, emotional, and executive functioning. Patients and parents completed questionnaires related to the patient's quality of life and fatigue. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to investigate relationships between fatigue, emotional functioning, and executive functioning, as well as to examine correlations between parent and child reports of fatigue. Rates of parent-reported anxiety, depression, fatigue, and executive dysfunction varied widely. Means were below average on the Trail-Making Test and average on Verbal Fluency and Digit Span, though scores varied widely. Various fatigue and emotional functioning indices-but not age of onset or disease duration-significantly correlated with various performance-based measures of executive functioning. Results indicate pediatric MS is associated with some degree of fatigue, emotional difficulties, and executive dysfunction, the latter of which is associated with the two former. Notably, age of onset and disease duration did not significantly correlate with executive functioning. Results advance understanding of psychological and clinical variables related to neurocognitive outcomes in pediatric MS.

The Quality and Results of Vocational Education by Correctional Institutions. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabinowitz, William; And Others

This study was undertaken to determine if variations in the quality of vocational education offered in prisons, and the skill level developed by participants in these programs, are related to the inmates' post-release adjustment. It proved difficult to execute the study as designed, and the collected data were neither as numerous nor as complete…

Quality circles: the nurse executive as mentor.

PubMed

Flarey, D L

1991-12-01

Changes within and around the health care environment are forcing health care executives to reexamine their managerial and leadership styles to confront the resulting turbulence. The nurse executive is charged with the profound responsibility of directing the delivery of nursing care throughout the organization. Care delivered today must be of high quality. Declining financial resources as well as personnel shortages cause the executive to be an effective innovator in meeting the increasing demands. Quality circles offer the nurse executive an avenue of recourse. Circles have been effectively implemented in the health care setting, as has been consistently documented over time. By way of a participative management approach, quality circles may lead to increased employee morale and productivity, cost savings, and decreased employee turnover rates, as well as realization of socialization and self-actualization needs. A most effective approach to their introduction would be implementation at the first-line manager level. This promotes an acceptance of the concept at the management level as well as a training course for managers to implement the process at the unit level. The nurse executive facilitates the process at the first-line manager level. This facilitation will cause a positive outcome to diffuse throughout the entire organization. Quality circles offer the nurse executive the opportunity to challenge the existing environmental turmoil and effect a positive and lasting change.

78 FR 68450 - Notice of Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-14

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Notice of Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) announces the appointment of members to the AHRQ Senior Executive Service (SES) Performance...

Quality management of manufacturing process based on manufacturing execution system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jian; Jiang, Yang; Jiang, Weizhuo

2017-04-01

Quality control elements in manufacturing process are elaborated. And the approach of quality management of manufacturing process based on manufacturing execution system (MES) is discussed. The functions of MES for a microcircuit production line are introduced conclusively.

Effectiveness of nurse executives: measurement of role factors and attitudes.

PubMed

Fosbinder, D; Parsons, R J; Dwore, R B; Murray, B; Gustafson, G; Dalley, K; Vorderer, L H

1999-01-01

This article describes the outcome of a survey of 40 nurse executives and 56 influential colleagues. Both groups agreed that leadership was the most important quality for the executive role. The nurses' primary focus was resolution of patient care problems. Influential colleagues stated resource allocation and initiation of change were two qualities needing improvement. The nurses rated themselves high in confidence about their job responsibilities, scored relationships as the most satisfying attribute, and cited provision of quality health care as the greatest advantage of their position. The greatest disadvantage was lack of administrative support. The results suggest the educational preparation needed for nurse executives.

Natural Sciences Teachers' Skills of Managing the Constructivist Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Can, Sendil; Kaymakçi, Güliz

2015-01-01

The quality of education and instruction is related to effective execution of educational and instructional activities and efficiency of these activities is related to how the class is managed. Considered to be the manager of the classroom processes and program, teachers are expected to effectively direct and manage various material and human…

Executing Quality: A Grounded Theory of Child Care Quality Improvement Engagement Process in Pennsylvania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Critchosin, Heather

2014-01-01

Executing Quality describes the perceived process experienced by participants while engaging in Keystone Standards, Training, Assistance, Resources, and Support (Keystone STARS) quality rating improvement system (QRIS). The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to understand the process of Keystone STARS engagement in order to generate a…

Associations between executive functioning, coping, and psychosocial functioning after acquired brain injury.

PubMed

Wolters Gregório, Gisela; Ponds, Rudolf W H M; Smeets, Sanne M J; Jonker, Frank; Pouwels, Climmy G J G; Verhey, Frans R; van Heugten, Caroline M

2015-09-01

To examine the relationships between executive functioning, coping, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in individuals with neuropsychiatric symptoms after acquired brain injury (ABI). Cross-sectional study. Individuals (n = 93) in the post-acute and chronic phase (>3 months) after ABI and their significant others (N = 58) were recruited from outpatient clinics of four mental health centres in the Netherlands. Outcome measures were the Trail Making Test, Stroop Colour Word Test, Frontal Systems Behavioural Scale, Utrecht Coping List, Patient Health Questionnaire, and Life Satisfaction Questionnaire. Data were analysed with multiple regression analyses. Self-reported executive dysfunction was associated with greater use of passive coping styles (β = .37, p < .01), and passive coping, in turn, was associated with lower quality of life (β = -.57, p < .001) and more depressive symptoms (β = .65, p < .001). Problem-focused coping was associated with higher quality of life among individuals who reported better executive functioning (β = -.94, p < .05). Performances on executive functioning tests were not associated with coping, depressive symptoms, or quality of life. For clinicians, these data indicate that individuals who report greater difficulties with executive functioning after ABI are inclined to use maladaptive passive coping styles, which should be targeted in treatment. In comparison, individuals who report greater difficulties with executive functioning should not be prompted to use problem-focused coping styles. These individuals may benefit from other coping styles, such as the use of seeking social support or acceptance of problems. Coping influences the association between executive functioning and quality of life. Individuals who report difficulties with executive functioning after ABI may be inclined to use passive coping styles, which are maladaptive. Problem-focused coping strategies may be more useful for individuals who have strong executive abilities. This study was a cross-sectional study; thus, a cause-and-effect relationship could not be established between executive functioning, coping, and psychosocial functioning. As this research was part of standard clinical care, non-traditional tests for executive functioning were not administered. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

White House

MedlinePlus

... Karen Pence The Cabinet Executive Offices Council of Economic Advisers Council on Environmental Quality Office of Management ... Karen Pence The Cabinet Executive Offices Council of Economic Advisers Council on Environmental Quality Office of Management ...

A Delphi Study Executive Skills 2010: A Toolbox of Competencies for Air Force Medical Service Corps Officers of the 21st Century

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-06-03

staff, health care delivery concepts, accessibility, ethics, quality / risk management , technology, and marketing (Table 5 - Hudak et al. 1993). The domain...cost/finance, healthcare delivery, access to care, quality / risk management , technology, professional staff relations, leadership, marketing, and ethics...finance was the second highest rated domain for physicians, this group included quality / risk management and technology among their top four (Hudak et al

Scalable and High-Throughput Execution of Clinical Quality Measures from Electronic Health Records using MapReduce and the JBoss® Drools Engine

PubMed Central

Peterson, Kevin J.; Pathak, Jyotishman

2014-01-01

Automated execution of electronic Clinical Quality Measures (eCQMs) from electronic health records (EHRs) on large patient populations remains a significant challenge, and the testability, interoperability, and scalability of measure execution are critical. The High Throughput Phenotyping (HTP; http://phenotypeportal.org) project aligns with these goals by using the standards-based HL7 Health Quality Measures Format (HQMF) and Quality Data Model (QDM) for measure specification, as well as Common Terminology Services 2 (CTS2) for semantic interpretation. The HQMF/QDM representation is automatically transformed into a JBoss® Drools workflow, enabling horizontal scalability via clustering and MapReduce algorithms. Using Project Cypress, automated verification metrics can then be produced. Our results show linear scalability for nine executed 2014 Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) eCQMs for eligible professionals and hospitals for >1,000,000 patients, and verified execution correctness of 96.4% based on Project Cypress test data of 58 eCQMs. PMID:25954459

The Aircraft Electric Taxi System: A Qualitative Multi Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Thomas Frank

The problem this research addresses is the airline industry, and the seemingly unwillingness attitude towards adopting ways to taxi aircraft without utilizing thrust from the main engines. The purpose of the study was to get a better understanding of the decision-making process of airline executives, in respect to investing in cost saving technology. A qualitative research method is used from personal interviews with 24 airline executives from two major U.S. airlines, related industry journal articles, and aircraft performance data. The following three research questions are addressed. RQ1. Does the cost of jet fuel influence airline executives' decision of adopting the aircraft electric taxi system technology? RQ2 Does the measurable payback period for a return on investment influence airline executives' decision of adopting ETS technology? RQ3. Does the amount of government assistance influence airline executives' decision of adopting ETS technology? A multi case research study design is used with a triangulation technique. The participant perceptions indicate the need to reduce operating costs, they have concerns about investment risk, and they are in favor of future government sponsored performance improvement projects. Based on the framework, findings and implications of this study, a future research paper could focus on the positive environmental effects of the ETS application. A study could be conducted on current airport area air quality and the effects that aircraft main engine thrust taxiing has on the surrounding air quality.

Executive functioning deficits in young adult survivors of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

PubMed

Gough, Aisling; Linden, Mark A; Spence, Dale; Halliday, Henry L; Patterson, Christopher C; McGarvey, Lorcan

2015-01-01

To assess long-term impairments of executive functioning in adult survivors of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Participants were assessed on measures of executive functioning, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and social functioning. Survivors of BPD (n = 63; 34 males; mean age 24.2 years) were compared with groups comprising preterm (without BPD) (<1500 g; n = 45) and full-term controls (n = 63). Analysis of variance was used to explore differences among groups for outcome measures. Multiple regression analyzes were performed to identify factors predictive of long-term outcomes. Significantly more BPD adults, compared with preterm and term controls, showed deficits in executive functioning relating to problem solving (OR: 5.1, CI: 1.4-19.3), awareness of behavior (OR: 12.7, CI: 1.5-106.4) and organization of their environment (OR: 13.0, CI: 1.6-107.1). Birth weight, HRQoL and social functioning were predictive of deficits in executive functioning. This study represents the largest sample of survivors into adulthood of BPD and is the first to show that deficits in executive functioning persist. Children with BPD should be assessed to identify cognitive impairments and allow early intervention aimed at ameliorating their effects. Implications for Rehabilitation Adults born preterm with very-low birth weight, and particularly those who develop BPD, are at increased risk of exhibiting defects in executive functioning. Clinicians and educators should be made aware of the impact that BPD can have on the long-term development of executive functions. Children and young adults identified as having BPD should be periodically monitored to identify the need for possible intervention.

Performance of GEOID09 for height conversion in Ohio : executive summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-08-31

This study evaluates Height Modernization : issues related to NGS hybrid geoid performance : (specifically GEIOD09 and GEOID03) for height : conversions between NAVD88 and NAD83 for : the state of Ohio and quality of gravity and : height data needed ...

The Relationship between Perceived Quality of Mentoring and Anticipated Turnover among Executives in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtis, Lynne K.

2011-01-01

The purpose of the study was to identify if there was a relationship between the perceived quality of mentoring and the intention to quit among executive leaders in the field of higher education. The quality in mentoring (QIM) questionnaire was used to measure the quality of four separate aspects of a mentoring program: management and support…

Obesity and unhealthy lifestyle associated with poor executive function among Malaysian adolescents.

PubMed

Tee, Joyce Ying Hui; Gan, Wan Ying; Tan, Kit-Aun; Chin, Yit Siew

2018-01-01

The understanding on the roles of obesity and lifestyle behaviors in predicting executive function of adolescents has been limited. Low executive function proficiency may have adverse effects on adolescents' school academic performance. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationship between BMI-for-age and multiple lifestyle behaviors (operationalized as meal consumption, physical activity, and sleep quality) with executive function (operationalized as inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) on a sample of Malaysian adolescents aged between 12 and 16 years (N = 513). Participants were recruited from two randomly selected schools in the state of Selangor in Malaysia. Using a self-administered questionnaire, parent participants provided information concerning their sociodemographic data, whereas adolescent participants provided information regarding their meal consumptions, physical activity, and sleep quality. The modified Harvard step test was used to assess adolescents' aerobic fitness, while Stroop color-word, digit span, and trail-making tests were used to assess adolescents' inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, respectively. Three separate hierarchical regression analyses were conducted for each outcome namely, inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. After adjusted for sociodemographic factors and BMI-for-age, differential predictors of inhibition and working memory were found. Habitual sleep efficiency significantly and positively predicted inhibition. Regular dinner intakes, physical activity levels, and sleep quality significantly and positively predicted working memory. Household income emerged as a consistent predictor for all executive function domains. In conclusion, an increased trend of obesity and unhealthy lifestyles among adolescents were found to be associated with poorer executive function. Regular dinner intakes, higher physical activity levels and better sleep quality predicted better executive function despite the inverse relationship between obesity and executive function. Future studies may explore how lifestyle modifications can optimize the development of executive function in adolescents as well as relieve the burden of obesity.

Cognitive-behavioral screening in elderly patients with new-onset epilepsy before treatment.

PubMed

Witt, J-A; Werhahn, K J; Krämer, G; Ruckes, C; Trinka, E; Helmstaedter, C

2014-09-01

Cognitive comorbidity at epilepsy onset reflects disease severity and provides a baseline estimate of reserve capacities with regard to the effects of epilepsy and its treatment. Given the high incidence of epilepsy at an older age, this study analyzed objective and subjective cognition as well as quality of life in elderly patients with new-onset focal epilepsy before initiation of anti-epileptic treatment. A total of 257 untreated patients (60-95 years of age) with new-onset epilepsy underwent objective assessment of executive function (EpiTrack) and performed subjective ratings of cognition (Portland Neurotoxicity Scale) and quality of life (QoL; QOLIE-31). According to age-corrected norms, 58% of patients (N=257) demonstrated deficits in executive function; major determinants were cerebrovascular etiology, neurological comorbidity, and higher body mass index. Subjective ratings indicated deficits in up to 27% of patients. Self-perceived deficits were associated with neurological, cardiovascular, and/or psychiatric comorbidity, whereas poorer QoL was related to neurological comorbidity and female gender. Objectively assessed executive functions correlated with subjective social functioning, energy, motor function, and vigilance. We found a relatively high QoL, a low rate of subjective impairment, but a high incidence of objective executive deficits in untreated elderly patients with new-onset epilepsy. Neurological status and body mass index, rather than seizure frequency or severity, were risk factors for cognitive impairment. Given the relevance of cognition in the course of epilepsy and its treatment, routine screening before treatment initiation is highly recommended. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

24 CFR 50.4 - Related Federal laws and authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... of Wetlands), (3 CFR, 1977 Comp., p. 121). (c) Coastal areas protection and management. (1) The... and Urban Development PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY General: Federal Laws and... U.S.C. 470 et seq.), as amended. (2) Executive Order 11593, Protection and Enhancement of the...

24 CFR 50.4 - Related Federal laws and authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... of Wetlands), (3 CFR, 1977 Comp., p. 121). (c) Coastal areas protection and management. (1) The... and Urban Development PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY General: Federal Laws and... U.S.C. 470 et seq.), as amended. (2) Executive Order 11593, Protection and Enhancement of the...

24 CFR 50.4 - Related Federal laws and authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... of Wetlands), (3 CFR, 1977 Comp., p. 121). (c) Coastal areas protection and management. (1) The... and Urban Development PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY General: Federal Laws and... U.S.C. 470 et seq.), as amended. (2) Executive Order 11593, Protection and Enhancement of the...

24 CFR 50.4 - Related Federal laws and authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... of Wetlands), (3 CFR, 1977 Comp., p. 121). (c) Coastal areas protection and management. (1) The... and Urban Development PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY General: Federal Laws and... U.S.C. 470 et seq.), as amended. (2) Executive Order 11593, Protection and Enhancement of the...

The Effects of Mitral Valve Repair on Memory Performance, Executive Function, and Psychological Measures in Patients With Heart Failure.

PubMed

Nikendei, Christoph; Schäfer, Hannah; Weisbrod, Matthias; Huber, Julia; Geis, Nicolas; Katus, Hugo A; Bekeredjian, Raffi; Herzog, Wolfgang; Pleger, Sven T; Schultz, Jobst-Hendrik

2016-05-01

Heart failure (HF) is a prevalent disease that remains costly and associated with a high mortality rate. HF is also associated with poor neurocognitive functioning. For the treatment for HF patients with severe mitral regurgitation, the MitraClip device has emerged as a promising interventional tool that reduces the mitral valve leakage and thus increases cardiac output. Currently, there is only limited knowledge on changes in cognitive and psychosocial functioning before and after the MitraClip intervention. Cognitive function (memory and executive function) and psychosocial measures (depression, anxiety, and quality of life) were assessed before and after the MitraClip intervention in 24 HF patients and 23 healthy participants (comparison group). MitraClip intervention in HF patients was followed by improvements in figural long-term memory (p = .003) and executive function (planning ability, p < .001) relative to the comparison group. In addition, the intervention resulted in a significant improvement in depression (p = .002), anxiety (p = .003) and quality of life scores (physical p = .017, mental p = .013) as well as improved 6-minute walk test results over time (p = .002). The presented data provide evidence of a significant improvement in memory and executive function as well as in depression, anxiety, and quality of life scores in patients with chronic HF after MitraClip intervention. Further research is needed to shed light on the long-term development of cognitive function, psychosocial well-being, and clinical parameters after MitraClip intervention and how these factors depend on one another.

Study Protocol: The influence of Running Therapy on executive functions and sleep of prisoners

PubMed Central

Meijers, Jesse; Harte, Joke; Meynen, Gerben; Cuijpers, Pim

2015-01-01

Background: Executive dysfunction appears to be related to increased recidivism. Of note is that sleep disturbances, which are highly prevalent in prisons, may attenuate executive functions. Thus, improving executive functions, either directly or indirectly through the improvement of sleep, may reduce recidivism. It is hypothesised that physical exercise, in the form of Running Therapy, has a direct positive effect on executive functions as well as an indirect effect through the improvement of sleep. Methods/Design: Seventy two (N = 72) detainees in various penitentiary institutions in the Netherlands will be recruited in this study. A baseline measurement, including six neuropsychological tests of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), an assessment of sleep quality and duration using the Actiwatch (Actiwatch 2, Philips Respironics, Murrysville, PA, USA) and various other measurements will be administered before the start of the treatment. After 3 months of Running Therapy, participants will be assessed again with the same tests for neuropsychological and physical functioning. Primary outcomes are executive functioning and various sleep variables. Discussion: This study will be the first to investigate the possible influence of Running Therapy on the cognitive functioning, sleep and aggression in prisoners. PMID:26664703

Study Protocol: The influence of Running Therapy on executive functions and sleep of prisoners.

PubMed

Meijers, Jesse; Harte, Joke; Meynen, Gerben; Cuijpers, Pim

2015-01-01

Executive dysfunction appears to be related to increased recidivism. Of note is that sleep disturbances, which are highly prevalent in prisons, may attenuate executive functions. Thus, improving executive functions, either directly or indirectly through the improvement of sleep, may reduce recidivism. It is hypothesised that physical exercise, in the form of Running Therapy, has a direct positive effect on executive functions as well as an indirect effect through the improvement of sleep. Seventy two (N = 72) detainees in various penitentiary institutions in the Netherlands will be recruited in this study. A baseline measurement, including six neuropsychological tests of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), an assessment of sleep quality and duration using the Actiwatch (Actiwatch 2, Philips Respironics, Murrysville, PA, USA) and various other measurements will be administered before the start of the treatment. After 3 months of Running Therapy, participants will be assessed again with the same tests for neuropsychological and physical functioning. Primary outcomes are executive functioning and various sleep variables. This study will be the first to investigate the possible influence of Running Therapy on the cognitive functioning, sleep and aggression in prisoners.

The global security perspective on the effects of executive cognitive function on complex behavioral screening intervention and HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Kim, Suk-Hee

2010-11-01

The purpose of this quantitative study is to understand the global security perspective on the effects of executive cognitive function (ECF) on Complex Behavioral Screening Intervention and HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is as much a social, political, economic, and cultural problem as a biomedical one. HIV/AIDS is associated centrally with the collapse not just of communities and families but potentially of states, with some of the largest public health interventions ever and enormous questions about governance, a huge population of orphans, and deep questions about intergenerational relations and cultural transmission. This study also is to develop a screening instrument that improves quality of life for individuals with executive cognitive impairments and behavior problems in our communities and the global society.

Executive functioning and general cognitive ability in pregnant women and matched controls.

PubMed

Onyper, Serge V; Searleman, Alan; Thacher, Pamela V; Maine, Emily E; Johnson, Alicia G

2010-11-01

The current study compared the performances of pregnant women with education- and age-matched controls on a variety of measures that assessed perceptual speed, short-term and working memory capacity, subjective memory complaints, sleep quality, level of fatigue, executive functioning, episodic and prospective memory, and crystallized and fluid intelligence. A primary purpose was to test the hypothesis of Henry and Rendell (2007) that pregnancy-related declines in cognitive functioning would be especially evident in tasks that place a high demand on executive processes. We also investigated a parallel hypothesis: that the pregnant women would experience a broad-based reduction in cognitive capability. Very limited support was found for the executive functioning hypothesis. Pregnant women scored lower only on the measure of verbal fluency (Controlled Oral Word Association Test, COWAT) but not on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task or on any working memory measures. Furthermore, group differences in COWAT performance disappeared after controlling for verbal IQ (Shipley vocabulary). In addition, there was no support for the general decline hypothesis. We conclude that pregnancy-associated differences in performance observed in the current study were relatively mild and rarely reached either clinical or practical significance.

Virtual reality exercise on a home-based phase III cardiac rehabilitation program, effect on executive function, quality of life and depression, anxiety and stress: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Vieira, Ágata; Melo, Cristina; Machado, Jorge; Gabriel, Joaquim

2018-02-01

To analyse the effect of a six-month home-based phase III cardiac rehabilitation (CR) specific exercise program, performed in a virtual reality (Kinect) or conventional (booklet) environment, on executive function, quality of life and depression, anxiety and stress of subjects with coronary artery disease. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with subjects, who had completed phase II, randomly assigned to intervention group 1 (IG1), whose program encompassed the use of Kinect (n = 11); or intervention group 2 (IG2), a paper booklet (n = 11); or a control group (CG), only subjected to the usual care (n = 11). The three groups received education on cardiovascular risk factors. The assessed parameters, at baseline (M0), 3 (M1) and 6 months (M2), were executive function, control and integration in the implementation of an adequate behaviour in relation to a certain objective, specifically the ability to switch information (Trail Making Test), working memory (Verbal Digit Span test), and selective attention and conflict resolution ability (Stroop test), quality of life (MacNew questionnaire) and depression, anxiety and stress (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21). Descriptive and inferential statistical measures were used, significance level was set at .05. The IG1 revealed significant improvements, in the selective attention and conflict resolution ability, in comparison with the CG in the variable difference M0 - M2 (p = .021) and in comparison with the IG2 in the variable difference M1 - M2 and M0 - M2 (p = .001 and p = .002, respectively). No significant differences were found in the quality of life, and depression, anxiety and stress. The virtual reality format had improved selective attention and conflict resolution ability, revealing the potential of CR, specifically with virtual reality exercise, on executive function. Implications for Rehabilitation In cardiac rehabilitation, especially in phase III, it is important to develop and to present alternative strategies, as virtual reality using the Kinect in a home context. Taking into account the relationship between the improvement of the executive function with physical exercise, it is relevant to access the impact of a cardiac rehabilitation program on the executive function. Enhancing the value of the phase III of cardiac rehabilitation.

The effects of lifelong cognitive lifestyle on executive function in older people with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Hindle, John V; Martin-Forbes, Pamela A; Martyr, Anthony; Bastable, Alexandra J M; Pye, Kirstie L; Mueller Gathercole, Virginia C; Thomas, Enlli M; Clare, Linda

2017-12-01

Active lifelong cognitive lifestyles increase cognitive reserve and have beneficial effects on global cognition, cognitive decline and dementia risk in Parkinson's disease (PD). Executive function is particularly impaired even in early PD, and this impacts on quality of life. The effects of lifelong cognitive lifestyle on executive function in PD have not been studied previously. This study examined the association between lifelong cognitive lifestyle, as a proxy measure of cognitive reserve, and executive function in people with PD. Sixty-nine people diagnosed with early PD without dementia were recruited as part of the Bilingualism as a protective factor in Age-related Neurodegenerative Conditions study. Participants completed a battery of tests of executive function. The Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire was completed as a comprehensive assessment of lifelong cognitive lifestyle. Non-parametric correlations compared clinical measures with executive function scores. Cross-sectional analyses of covariance were performed comparing the performance of low and high cognitive reserve groups on executive function tests. Correlational analyses showed that better executive function scores were associated with younger age, higher levodopa dose and higher Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire scores. Higher cognitive reserve was associated with better motor function, but high and low cognitive reserve groups did not differ in executive function. Cognitive reserve, although associated with global cognition, does not appear to be associated with executive function. This differential effect may reflect the specific cognitive profile of PD. The long-term effects of cognitive reserve on executive function in PD require further exploration. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Quality Manager 2.0 in hospitals: A practical guidance for executive managers, medical directors, senior consultants, nurse managers and practicing quality managers].

PubMed

Pilz, Stefan; Hülsmann, Sylvia; Michallik, Stefan; Rimbach-Schurig, Monika; Schollmeier, Margarita; Sommerhoff, Benedikt; Weßling, Adelheid

2013-01-01

Aiming at the development of perspectives and recommendations for modern quality management in health services the GQMG conducted a study on the role and self-conception of quality managers in hospitals. It seems obvious that the effectiveness of quality management clearly depends on the executive board's skilful installation of quality management, their support of quality managers and, particularly in larger-sized institutions on the coordination of staff units and cross-sectional functions.(As supplied by author). Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Board oversight of patient care quality in community health systems.

PubMed

Prybil, Lawrence D; Peterson, Richard; Brezinski, Paul; Zamba, Gideon; Roach, William; Fillmore, Ammon

2010-01-01

In hospitals and health systems, ensuring that standards for the quality of patient care are established and continuous improvement processes are in place are among the board's most fundamental responsibilities. A recent survey has examined governance oversight of patient care quality at 123 nonprofit community health systems and compared their practices with current benchmarks of good governance. The findings show that 88% of the boards have established standing committees on patient quality and safety, nearly all chief executive officers' performance expectations now include targets related to patient quality and safety, and 96% of the boards regularly receive formal written reports regarding their organizations' performance in relation to quality measures and standards. However, there continue to be gaps between present reality and current benchmarks of good governance in several areas. These gaps are somewhat greater for independent systems than for those affiliated with a larger parent organization.

Executive functioning impairment in women treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer: a systematic review.

PubMed

Yao, Christie; Bernstein, Lori J; Rich, Jill B

2017-11-01

Women with breast cancer have reported adverse cognitive effects following chemotherapy. Evidence is mixed on whether executive functioning is particularly impaired in women treated with chemotherapy, in part due to the wide range of tasks used to measure executive processes. We performed a systematic review of the published literature to evaluate whether some subcomponents of executive functioning are more vulnerable to impairment than others among breast cancer survivors who had been treated with chemotherapy. Studies published as of April 2017 were identified using three electronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) and a manual search of relevant reference lists. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using a checklist of predefined criteria. Of 1280 identified articles, a total of 41 were included for review. Study findings were categorized into three primary subdomains of executive functioning: inhibition, shifting, and updating. Although there was heterogeneity in the neuropsychological measures used to assess executive functioning, tests could be grouped into the subcomponents they assessed. Inhibition appears relatively spared from the effects of chemotherapy, whereas impairments in shifting and updating are more commonly found following chemotherapy. Examination of subcomponents of executive functioning is recommended to better characterize the nature of executive dysfunction in women treated with chemotherapy. Future studies should include executive functioning tasks of varying complexity, use of multiple tasks to increase reliability, and alternative indices to capture performance, such as within-person variability.

Quality of Classroom Interactions in Kindergarten and Executive Functions among Five Year-Old Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duval, Stéphanie; Bouchard, Caroline; Pagé, Pierre; Hamel, Christine

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between the quality of classroom interactions in kindergarten and executive functions (EFs) among 5-year-old children. The sample consisted of 118 children, with a mean age of 73.34 months (SD = 4.22), from 12 kindergarten classes. The quality of classroom interactions was measured using the…

The relationship between sleep problems and working memory in children born very preterm.

PubMed

McCann, Marie; Bayliss, Donna M; Anderson, Mike; Campbell, Catherine; French, Noel; McMichael, Judy; Reid, Corinne; Bucks, Romola S

2018-01-01

In two studies, the relationship between sleep and working memory performance was investigated in children born very preterm (i.e., gestation less than 32 weeks) and the possible mechanisms underlying this relationship. In Study 1, parent-reported measures of snoring, night-time sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness were collected on 89 children born very preterm aged 6 to 7 years. The children completed a verbal working memory task, as well as measures of processing speed and verbal storage capacity. Night-time sleep quality was found to be associated with verbal working memory performance over and above the variance associated with individual differences in processing speed and storage capacity, suggesting that poor sleep may have an impact on the executive component of working memory. Snoring and daytime sleepiness were not found to be associated with working memory performance. Study 2 introduced a direct measure of executive functioning and examined whether sleep problems would differentially impact the executive functioning of children born very preterm relative to children born to term. Parent-reported sleep problems were collected on 43 children born very preterm and 48 children born to term (aged 6 to 9 years). Problematic sleep was found to adversely impact executive functioning in the very preterm group, while no effect of sleep was found in the control group. These findings implicate executive dysfunction as a possible mechanism by which problematic sleep adversely impacts upon cognition in children born very preterm, and suggest that sleep problems can increase the cognitive vulnerability already experienced by many of these children.

Profiling Online Poker Players: Are Executive Functions Correlated with Poker Ability and Problem Gambling?

PubMed

Schiavella, Mauro; Pelagatti, Matteo; Westin, Jerker; Lepore, Gabriele; Cherubini, Paolo

2018-01-12

Poker playing and responsible gambling both entail the use of the executive functions (EF), which are higher-level cognitive abilities. This study investigated if online poker players of different ability showed different performances in their EF and if so, which functions were the most discriminating for their playing ability. Furthermore, it assessed if the EF performance was correlated to the quality of gambling, according to self-reported questionnaires (PGSI, SOGS, GRCS). Three poker experts evaluated anonymized poker hand history files and, then, a trained professional administered an extensive neuropsychological test battery. Data analysis determined which variables of the tests correlated with poker ability and gambling quality scores. The highest correlations between EF test results and poker ability and between EF test results and gambling quality assessment showed that mostly different clusters of executive functions characterize the profile of the strong(er) poker player and those ones of the problem gamblers (PGSI and SOGS) and the one of the cognitions related to gambling (GRCS). Taking into consideration only the variables overlapping between PGSI and SOGS, we found some key predictive factors for a more risky and harmful online poker playing: a lower performance in the emotional intelligence competences (Emotional Quotient inventory Short) and, in particular, those grouped in the Intrapersonal scale (emotional self-awareness, assertiveness, self-regard, independence and self-actualization).

Managing work-related stress in the district nursing workplace.

PubMed

Burke, Michelle

2013-11-01

This article aims to highlight the issue of work-related stress within the district nursing workplace. It will acknowledge how the management of work-related stress has previously been discussed within nursing literature and will consider the emerging relationship between staff working conditions, staff wellbeing and quality of patient care. It will reintroduce the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) Management Standards approach to tackling work-related stress, which provides management support to reduce environmental work stressors and encourage enabling work environments and a positive workplace culture.

Leadership profiles of senior nurse executives.

PubMed

Hemman, E A

2000-01-01

As hospitals reorganize to meet the demand for accessible, cost-effective quality healthcare, nursing's active participation as part of the top management team is vital. The purpose of this study was to describe the leadership profiles of four senior nurse executives and determine their congruence with the theoretical perspectives of the stratified systems theory. A multiple case study methodology was employed to develop individual and group leadership profiles through related experiences obtained during an interview, the organization's expectations based on their job descriptions, and a survey of their self-perceptions of how they spent most of their time. The findings indicated that the executives' leadership behavior was consistent with the theory in that they reported more frequent leadership behaviors at the strategic domain, less activity at the organizational domain, and infrequent activity at the production domain. Individual profiles were uniformly consistent with the group profile.

Children's Health, Access to Services and Quality of Care. Revised Executive Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dutton, Diana B.

This research investigated factors affecting children's health, based on empirical analyses of data from Washington, D.C. and national data. By most measures, poor children experience disproportionate morbidity and mortality. Yet certain ear and vision problems exhibit a U-shaped relation to family income in both national statistics and the…

Suggestions for Evaluating the Quality of the Army’s Science and Technology Program: The Portfolio and Its Execution

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

definition of 6.1 research apply. Namely, the work is curiosity work with no specific application in mind. The two extramural categories include...direct interest in relativity and gravitation, cosmology , elementary particles, nuclear physics, astronomy, or astrophysics, since they generally have

Measuring Air Quality in a Construction Site Biotope Using the AQM-65 Analyser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ioana-Alina, Creţan; Nicoleta, Nemeș

2017-10-01

Activities related to the execution of construction works often exert pressure on the quality of environmental factors in adjacent habitat. In various stages of realization of the works if is the opening of the building site and access roads, borrow pits and the storage, or the construction itself, all the related activities will cause harm in various degrees of vegetation on the construction site and its surroundings. Large areas are rendered non-productive and, although they should be restored for use in the same place or elsewhere, sometimes they can lose their natural habitat baseline. The paper is presenting a case study of air quality monitoring using the AQM 65 analyser for a construction site located near Timisoara locality, Timis County, Romania.

[Effectiveness of the maintenance operations on the air conditioning systems of a university building in relation to the microbiological quality of the air indoor].

PubMed

De Filippis, Patrizia; Spinaci, Anna; Coia, Maura; Maggi, Oriana; Panà, Augusto

2003-01-01

The microbiological quality of the air indoor is influenced from various factors and one of the most important is represented from the maintenance of the conditioning systems. In this study it has been estimated the effectiveness of an intervention of cleaning and maintenance on the systems of conditioning of an university building executing sampling before and after such intervention. The two results were confronted and it is observed as the maintenance of the air conditioners has influenced on the quality of the air indoor.

An overview of clinical governance policies, practices and initiatives.

PubMed

Braithwaite, Jeffrey; Travaglia, Joanne F

2008-02-01

To map the emergence of, and define, clinical governance; to discuss current best practices, and to explore the implications of these for boards of directors and executives wishing to promote a clinical governance approach in their health services. Review and analysis of the published and grey literature on clinical governance from 1966 to 2006. Medline and CINAHL databases, key journals and websites were systematically searched. Central issues were identified in the literature as key to effective clinical governance. These include: ensuring that links are made between health services' clinical and corporate governance; the use of clinical governance to promote quality and safety through a focus on quality assurance and continuous improvement; the creation of clinical governance structures to improve safety and quality and manage risk and performance; the development of strategies to ensure the effective exchange of data, knowledge and expertise; and the sponsoring of a patient-centred approach to service delivery. A comprehensive approach to clinical governance necessarily includes the active participation of boards and executives in sponsoring and promoting clinical governance as a quality and safety strategy. Although this is still a relatively recent development, the signs are promising.

Ten Years of Change in Executive Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolt, James F.

1993-01-01

As recently as the 1980s, most companies did not pay much attention to executive education. In the 1990s, many see executive education as a must for revamping competitive strategies, increasing productivity, improving quality, reducing cycle time, and revitalizing corporate culture. (Author/JOW)

Cognitive rehabilitation for executive dysfunction in adults with stroke or other adult non-progressive acquired brain damage.

PubMed

Chung, Charlie S Y; Pollock, Alex; Campbell, Tanya; Durward, Brian R; Hagen, Suzanne

2013-04-30

Executive functions are the controlling mechanisms of the brain and include the processes of planning, initiation, organisation, inhibition, problem solving, self monitoring and error correction. They are essential for goal-oriented behaviour and responding to new and novel situations. A high number of people with acquired brain injury, including around 75% of stroke survivors, will experience executive dysfunction. Executive dysfunction reduces capacity to regain independence in activities of daily living (ADL), particularly when alternative movement strategies are necessary to compensate for limb weakness. Improving executive function may lead to increased independence with ADL. There are various cognitive rehabilitation strategies for training executive function used within clinical practice and it is necessary to determine the effectiveness of these interventions. To determine the effects of cognitive rehabilitation on executive dysfunction for adults with stroke or other non-progressive acquired brain injuries. We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register (August 2012), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library, August 2012), MEDLINE (1950 to August 2012), EMBASE (1980 to August 2012), CINAHL (1982 to August 2012), PsycINFO (1806 to August 2012), AMED (1985 to August 2012) and 11 additional databases. We also searched reference lists and trials registers, handsearched journals and conference proceedings, and contacted experts. We included randomised trials in adults after non-progressive acquired brain injury, where the intervention was specifically targeted at improving cognition including separable executive function data (restorative interventions), where the intervention was aimed at training participants in methods to compensate for lost executive function (compensative interventions) or where the intervention involved the training in the use of an adaptive technique for improving independence with ADL (adaptive interventions). The primary outcome was global executive function and the secondary outcomes were specific components of executive function, working memory, ADL, extended ADL, quality of life and participation in vocational activities. We included studies in which the comparison intervention was no treatment, a placebo intervention (i.e. a rehabilitation intervention that should not impact on executive function), standard care or another cognitive rehabilitation intervention. Two review authors independently screened abstracts, extracted data and appraised trials. We undertook an assessment of methodological quality for allocation concealment, blinding of outcome assessors, method of dealing with missing data and other potential sources of bias. Nineteen studies (907 participants) met the inclusion criteria for this review. We included 13 studies (770 participants) in meta-analyses (417 traumatic brain injury, 304 stroke, 49 other acquired brain injury) reducing to 660 participants once non-included intervention groups were removed from three and four group studies. We were unable to obtain data from the remaining six studies. Three studies (134 participants) compared cognitive rehabilitation with sensorimotor therapy. None reported our primary outcome; data from one study was available relating to secondary outcomes including concept formation and ADL. Six studies (333 participants) compared cognitive rehabilitation with no treatment or placebo. None reported our primary outcome; data from four studies demonstrated no statistically significant effect of cognitive rehabilitation on secondary outcomes. Ten studies (448 participants) compared two different cognitive rehabilitation approaches. Two studies (82 participants) reported the primary outcome; no statistically significant effect was found. Data from eight studies demonstrated no statistically significant effect on the secondary outcomes. We explored the effect of restorative interventions (10 studies, 468 participants) and compensative interventions (four studies, 128 participants) and found no statistically significant effect compared with other interventions. We identified insufficient high-quality evidence to reach any generalised conclusions about the effect of cognitive rehabilitation on executive function, or other secondary outcome measures. Further high-quality research comparing cognitive rehabilitation with no intervention, placebo or sensorimotor interventions is recommended.

Utah Educational Quality Indicators. The Sixth in the Report Series: "How Good Are Utah Public Schools." Executive Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, David E.

For nearly 20 years, Utah's Office of Education has been systematically monitoring the academic performance and other characteristics of Utah's students. This executive summary, an overview of the sixth major report since 1967, examines several measures describing educational quality in Utah schools. The first section covers students' achievement…

Lexical Quality and Executive Control Predict Children's First and Second Language Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raudszus, Henriette; Segers, Eliane; Verhoeven, Ludo

2018-01-01

This study compared how lexical quality (vocabulary and decoding) and executive control (working memory and inhibition) predict reading comprehension directly as well as indirectly, via syntactic integration, in monolingual and bilingual fourth grade children. The participants were 76 monolingual and 102 bilingual children (mean age 10 years,…

Neurocognitive Function and Health-Related Quality of Life in Pediatric Korean Survivors of Medulloblastoma.

PubMed

Yoo, Hee Jung; Kim, Hyery; Park, Hyeon Jin; Kim, Dong Seok; Ra, Young Shin; Shin, Hee Young

2016-11-01

The neurocognitive function and quality of life of 58 Korean survivors of childhood medulloblastoma were assessed after surgery, cranial radiation and chemotherapy. All patients were evaluated with a battery of neurocognitive function tests and the Pediatric Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain Tumor Survivors, which consists of self-report questionnaires on quality of life. The mean full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ), verbal IQ, and performance IQ scores were 90.2, 97.1, and 84.16, respectively. The mean memory quotient (MQ) score was 86.78, which was within 1 standard deviation of the average score of 100. Processing speed, attention, and executive function showed mild to moderate deficits. Intelligence, memory, executive function, visuospatial function, and simple motor function were significantly lower in the patients diagnosed before 8 years of age compared with those diagnosed after 8. The cognitive deficits in the patients diagnosed at younger ages might be related to earlier exposure to craniospinal irradiation and chemotherapy. The patient and parent proxy evaluations of attention, fine motor function, and quality of life did not differ. We found significant neurocognitive changes in a wide range of neurocognitive functional domains in Korean survivors of childhood medulloblastoma. Long-term follow-up studies of survivors of childhood medulloblastoma beginning at the time of their first diagnosis are required to better understand the deficits exhibited by survivors of childhood medulloblastoma, so that intervention strategies and treatment refinements that reduce the long-term neurocognitive decline can be developed.

Riding the dragon: enhancing resilient leadership and sensible self-care in the healthcare executive.

PubMed

Wicks, Robert J; Buck, Tina C

2013-01-01

With challenges in the healthcare system growing, strengthened leader and organizational resilience is often overlooked as a factor that can support staff morale and sustain performance improvement and quality. Here we examine resilience-building practices related to self-awareness, alone time, mindfulness, and a healthy perspective. A key aspect of management resilience is weighing the costs and benefits to the executive personally and to the organization if the warning signals of impairment are left untended. To that end, we propose a leader self-care protocol, which even the busy healthcare executive can find time to undertake. Ifimplemented, the protocol will allow leaders to lessen their vulnerability to burnout and help teammates whose resilience may be stretched thin. Finally, we present healthy coping skills for daily stressors and for the sudden and overwhelming situations that can negatively affect resilience.

Optimization of Collision Detection in Surgical Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Custură-Crăciun, Dan; Cochior, Daniel; Neagu, Corneliu

2014-11-01

Just like flight and spaceship simulators already represent a standard, we expect that soon enough, surgical simulators should become a standard in medical applications. A simulations quality is strongly related to the image quality as well as the degree of realism of the simulation. Increased quality requires increased resolution, increased representation speed but more important, a larger amount of mathematical equations. To make it possible, not only that we need more efficient computers, but especially more calculation process optimizations. A simulator executes one of the most complex sets of calculations each time it detects a contact between the virtual objects, therefore optimization of collision detection is fatal for the work-speed of a simulator and hence in its quality

Monitoring outcomes with relational databases: does it improve quality of care?

PubMed

Clemmer, Terry P

2004-12-01

There are 3 key ingredients in improving quality of medial care: 1) using a scientific process of improvement, 2) executing the process at the lowest possible level in the organization, and 3) measuring the results of any change reliably. Relational databases when used within these guidelines are of great value in these efforts if they contain reliable information that is pertinent to the project and used in a scientific process of quality improvement by a front line team. Unfortunately, the data are frequently unreliable and/or not pertinent to the local process and is used by persons at very high levels in the organization without a scientific process and without reliable measurement of the outcome. Under these circumstances the effectiveness of relational databases in improving care is marginal at best, frequently wasteful and has the potential to be harmful. This article explores examples of these concepts.

Longitudinal Associations Between Parental Bonding, Parenting Stress, and Executive Functioning in Toddlerhood.

PubMed

de Cock, Evi S A; Henrichs, Jens; Klimstra, Theo A; Janneke B M Maas, A; Vreeswijk, Charlotte M J M; Meeus, Wim H J; van Bakel, Hedwig J A

2017-01-01

Early executive functioning is an important predictor for future development of children's cognitive skills and behavioral outcomes. Parenting behavior has proven to be a key environmental determinant of child executive functioning. However, the association of parental affect and cognitions directed to the child with child executive functioning has been understudied. Therefore, in the present study we examine the associations between parental bonding (i.e., the affective tie from parent to child), parenting stress, and child executive functioning. At 26 weeks of pregnancy, and at 6 months and 24 months postpartum the quality of the maternal (N = 335) and paternal (N = 261) bond with the infant was assessed. At 24 months, postnatal parenting stress and child executive functioning were measured by means of parent-report questionnaires. Results indicated that for both mothers and fathers feelings of bonding negatively predicted experienced parenting stress over time. In addition, for both parents a negative indirect effect of bonding on child executive functioning problems was found via experienced parenting stress. These findings indicate the importance of monitoring parents who experience a low level and quality of early parent-child bonding, as this makes them vulnerable to parenting stress, consequently putting their children at risk for developing executive functioning problems.

Combining Task Execution and Background Knowledge for the Verification of Medical Guidelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hommersom, Arjen; Groot, Perry; Lucas, Peter; Balser, Michael; Schmitt, Jonathan

The use of a medical guideline can be seen as the execution of computational tasks, sequentially or in parallel, in the face of patient data. It has been shown that many of such guidelines can be represented as a 'network of tasks', i.e., as a number of steps that have a specific function or goal. To investigate the quality of such guidelines we propose a formalization of criteria for good practice medicine a guideline should comply to. We use this theory in conjunction with medical background knowledge to verify the quality of a guideline dealing with diabetes mellitus type 2 using the interactive theorem prover KIV. Verification using task execution and background knowledge is a novel approach to quality checking of medical guidelines.

Perception and Use of Information Sources by Chief Executives in Environmental Scanning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choo, Chun Wei

1994-01-01

Reports on a study of the information sources used in environmental scanning by chief executives of the Canadian telecommunications industry that investigated the relationship between perceived source quality and source use and the chief executives' perception and use of the company library and electronic information sources. (Contains 23…

Degradation and Characterization of Antimisting Kerosene (AMK).

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................... I. INTRODUCTION ............................................... 2 II. DEGRADER...P - density Pll-P22 - normal stress difference P12 - shear stress x EXECUTIVE SI-9ARY CSingle pass degradation of Antinmisting Kerosene (ANIK) has...While the jet thrust experiment is more difficult to execute and interpret than flow experiments, a quality control test based on normal stresses would

Joint Exercise Program: DOD Needs to Take Steps to Improve the Quality of Funding Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-01

technology systems—the Joint Training Information Management System (JTIMS) and the Execution Management System—to manage the execution of the Joint...Exercise Program, but does not have assurance that funding execution data in the Execution Management System are reliable. JTIMS is the system of record...for the Joint Exercise Program that combatant commanders use to plan and manage their joint training exercises. GAO observed significant variation

Executive summary of the KDIGO Controversies Conference on Supportive Care in Chronic Kidney Disease: developing a roadmap to improving quality care.

PubMed

Davison, Sara N; Levin, Adeera; Moss, Alvin H; Jha, Vivekanand; Brown, Edwina A; Brennan, Frank; Murtagh, Fliss E M; Naicker, Saraladevi; Germain, Michael J; O'Donoghue, Donal J; Morton, Rachael L; Obrador, Gregorio T

2015-09-01

Patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a high burden of physical and psychosocial symptoms, poor outcomes, and high costs of care. Current paradigms of care for this highly vulnerable population are variable, prognostic and assessment tools are limited, and quality of care, particularly regarding conservative and palliative care, is suboptimal. The KDIGO Controversies Conference on Supportive Care in CKD reviewed the current state of knowledge in order to define a roadmap to guide clinical and research activities focused on improving the outcomes of people living with advanced CKD, including those on dialysis. An international group of multidisciplinary experts in CKD, palliative care, methodology, economics, and education identified the key issues related to palliative care in this population. The conference led to a working plan to address outstanding issues in this arena, and this executive summary serves as an output to guide future work, including the development of globally applicable guidelines.

The Role of Executive Control and Readiness to Change in Problematic Drinkers with Mild to Borderline Intellectual Disability.

PubMed

van Duijvenbode, Neomi; Didden, Robert; Korzilius, Hubert P L M; Engels, Rutger C M E

2017-09-01

Problematic alcohol use is associated with neuropsychological consequences, including cognitive biases. The goal of the study was to explore the moderating role of executive control and readiness to change on the relationship between alcohol use and cognitive biases in light and problematic drinkers with and without mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID). Participants (N = 112) performed the visual dot probe task to measure the strength of the cognitive biases. Executive control was measured using two computerised tasks for working memory capacity (Corsi block-tapping task) and inhibitory control (Go/No-go task). Readiness to change was measured using the Readiness to Change Questionnaire. No cognitive biases or executive dysfunctions were found in problematic drinkers. Working memory capacity and inhibitory control were impaired among individuals with MBID, irrespective of severity of alcohol use-related problems. Executive control and readiness to change did not moderate the relationship between alcohol use and cognitive biases. The results fail to support the dual-process models of addiction, but results need to be treated with caution given the problematic psychometric qualities of the visual dot probe task. Implementing a neurocognitive assessment and protocols in the treatment of substance use disorders seems premature. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fathers’ Sensitive Parenting and the Development of Early Executive Functioning

PubMed Central

Towe-Goodman, Nissa R.; Willoughby, Michael; Blair, Clancy; Gustafsson, Hanna C.; Mills-Koonce, W. Roger; Cox, Martha J.

2014-01-01

Using data from a diverse sample of 620 families residing in rural, predominately low-income communities, this study examined longitudinal links between fathers’ sensitive parenting in infancy and toddlerhood and children’s early executive functioning, as well as the contribution of maternal sensitive parenting. After accounting for the quality of concurrent and prior parental care, children’s early cognitive ability, and other child and family factors, fathers’ and mothers’ sensitive and supportive parenting during play at 24-months predicted children’s executive functioning at 3-years of age. In contrast, paternal parenting quality during play at 7-months did not make an independent contribution above that of maternal care, but the links between maternal sensitive and supportive parenting and executive functioning seemed to operate in similar ways during infancy and toddlerhood. These findings add to prior work on early experience and children’s executive functioning, suggesting that both fathers and mothers play a distinct and complementary role in the development of these self-regulatory skills. PMID:25347539

Fathers' sensitive parenting and the development of early executive functioning.

PubMed

Towe-Goodman, Nissa R; Willoughby, Michael; Blair, Clancy; Gustafsson, Hanna C; Mills-Koonce, W Roger; Cox, Martha J

2014-12-01

Using data from a diverse sample of 620 families residing in rural, predominately low-income communities, this study examined longitudinal links between fathers' sensitive parenting in infancy and toddlerhood and children's early executive functioning, as well as the contribution of maternal sensitive parenting. After accounting for the quality of concurrent and prior parental care, children's early cognitive ability, and other child and family factors, fathers' and mothers' sensitive and supportive parenting during play at 24 months predicted children's executive functioning at 3 years of age. In contrast, paternal parenting quality during play at 7 months did not make an independent contribution above that of maternal care, but the links between maternal sensitive and supportive parenting and executive functioning seemed to operate in similar ways during infancy and toddlerhood. These findings add to prior work on early experience and children's executive functioning, suggesting that both fathers and mothers play a distinct and complementary role in the development of these self-regulatory skills.

Technology assessment in the Executive Office of the President

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kidd, C. V.

1972-01-01

The involvement of the President with technology, directly and indirectly, and the best way in which his responsibilities can be discharged are discussed. Technology assessment is considered essential at all levels of the Executive agencies, but the capacity of the agencies for assessment is limited and needs to be supplemented within the Executive Branch. Complete centralization of technological assessment is felt to be ineffective. The role of the Executive Office in initiating proposals for Presidential action and sustaining links with Congress are outlined, and the apparatus for technology assessment is described, emphasizing the Office of Science and Technology. A significant area of technology assessment for the Executive Office is the field of environmental quality, and the duties of the Environmental Quality Council are summarized. It is suggested that it may be more effective to set up a separate organization for the restoration and protection of the environment and to define the task in terms of what is to be protected rather than in terms of technology.

Objective Versus Subjective Measures of Executive Functions: Predictors of Participation and Quality of Life in Parkinson Disease?

PubMed

Vlagsma, Thialda T; Koerts, Janneke; Tucha, Oliver; Dijkstra, Hilde T; Duits, Annelien A; van Laar, Teus; Spikman, Jacoba M

2017-11-01

To determine whether objective (neuropsychological tests) and subjective measures (questionnaires) of executive functions (EFs) are associated in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), and to determine to what extent level of participation and quality of life (QoL) of patients with PD can be predicted by these measures of EFs. Correlational research design (case-control and prediction design). Departments of neuropsychology of 3 medical centers. A sample (N=136) of patients with PD (n=42) and their relatives, and controls without PD (n=94). Not applicable. A test battery measuring EFs. In addition, patients, their relatives, and controls completed the Dysexecutive Questionnaire, Brock Adaptive Functioning Questionnaire, and Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale - time management questionnaires measuring complaints about EFs. Participation and QoL were measured with the Impact on Participation and Autonomy scale and the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39, respectively. Patients with PD showed impairments in EFs on objective tests and reported significantly more complaints about EFs than did controls without PD. No associations were found between patients' performances on objective and subjective measures of EFs. However, both objective and subjective measures predicted patients' level of participation. In addition, subjective measures of EFs predicted QoL in patients with PD. These findings show that objective and subjective measures of EFs are not interchangeable and that both approaches predict level of participation and QoL in patients with PD. However, within this context, sex needs to be taken into account. Copyright © 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Charles River Residual Designation: Executive Summary

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Read an executive summary of the Record of Decision's preliminary decision by the Regional Administrator of EPA Region 1 that storm water permits are needed to address serious water quality problems in the Charles River.

Modeling and executing electronic health records driven phenotyping algorithms using the NQF Quality Data Model and JBoss® Drools Engine.

PubMed

Li, Dingcheng; Endle, Cory M; Murthy, Sahana; Stancl, Craig; Suesse, Dale; Sottara, Davide; Huff, Stanley M; Chute, Christopher G; Pathak, Jyotishman

2012-01-01

With increasing adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), the need for formal representations for EHR-driven phenotyping algorithms has been recognized for some time. The recently proposed Quality Data Model from the National Quality Forum (NQF) provides an information model and a grammar that is intended to represent data collected during routine clinical care in EHRs as well as the basic logic required to represent the algorithmic criteria for phenotype definitions. The QDM is further aligned with Meaningful Use standards to ensure that the clinical data and algorithmic criteria are represented in a consistent, unambiguous and reproducible manner. However, phenotype definitions represented in QDM, while structured, cannot be executed readily on existing EHRs. Rather, human interpretation, and subsequent implementation is a required step for this process. To address this need, the current study investigates open-source JBoss® Drools rules engine for automatic translation of QDM criteria into rules for execution over EHR data. In particular, using Apache Foundation's Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA) platform, we developed a translator tool for converting QDM defined phenotyping algorithm criteria into executable Drools rules scripts, and demonstrated their execution on real patient data from Mayo Clinic to identify cases for Coronary Artery Disease and Diabetes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study illustrating a framework and an approach for executing phenotyping criteria modeled in QDM using the Drools business rules management system.

Modeling and Executing Electronic Health Records Driven Phenotyping Algorithms using the NQF Quality Data Model and JBoss® Drools Engine

PubMed Central

Li, Dingcheng; Endle, Cory M; Murthy, Sahana; Stancl, Craig; Suesse, Dale; Sottara, Davide; Huff, Stanley M.; Chute, Christopher G.; Pathak, Jyotishman

2012-01-01

With increasing adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), the need for formal representations for EHR-driven phenotyping algorithms has been recognized for some time. The recently proposed Quality Data Model from the National Quality Forum (NQF) provides an information model and a grammar that is intended to represent data collected during routine clinical care in EHRs as well as the basic logic required to represent the algorithmic criteria for phenotype definitions. The QDM is further aligned with Meaningful Use standards to ensure that the clinical data and algorithmic criteria are represented in a consistent, unambiguous and reproducible manner. However, phenotype definitions represented in QDM, while structured, cannot be executed readily on existing EHRs. Rather, human interpretation, and subsequent implementation is a required step for this process. To address this need, the current study investigates open-source JBoss® Drools rules engine for automatic translation of QDM criteria into rules for execution over EHR data. In particular, using Apache Foundation’s Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA) platform, we developed a translator tool for converting QDM defined phenotyping algorithm criteria into executable Drools rules scripts, and demonstrated their execution on real patient data from Mayo Clinic to identify cases for Coronary Artery Disease and Diabetes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study illustrating a framework and an approach for executing phenotyping criteria modeled in QDM using the Drools business rules management system. PMID:23304325

Relations between Short-term Memory Deficits, Semantic Processing, and Executive Function

PubMed Central

Allen, Corinne M.; Martin, Randi C.; Martin, Nadine

2012-01-01

Background Previous research has suggested separable short-term memory (STM) buffers for the maintenance of phonological and lexical-semantic information, as some patients with aphasia show better ability to retain semantic than phonological information and others show the reverse. Recently, researchers have proposed that deficits to the maintenance of semantic information in STM are related to executive control abilities. Aims The present study investigated the relationship of executive function abilities with semantic and phonological short-term memory (STM) and semantic processing in such patients, as some previous research has suggested that semantic STM deficits and semantic processing abilities are critically related to specific or general executive function deficits. Method and Procedures 20 patients with aphasia and STM deficits were tested on measures of short-term retention, semantic processing, and both complex and simple executive function tasks. Outcome and Results In correlational analyses, we found no relation between semantic STM and performance on simple or complex executive function tasks. In contrast, phonological STM was related to executive function performance in tasks that had a verbal component, suggesting that performance in some executive function tasks depends on maintaining or rehearsing phonological codes. Although semantic STM was not related to executive function ability, performance on semantic processing tasks was related to executive function, perhaps due to similar executive task requirements in both semantic processing and executive function tasks. Conclusions Implications for treatment and interpretations of executive deficits are discussed. PMID:22736889

The Cost and Quality of Full Day, Year-Round Early Care and Education in Massachusetts: Preschool Classrooms [with] Executive Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Nancy L.; Creps, Cindy L.; Burstein, Nancy R.; Glantz, Frederic B.; Robeson, Wendy Wagner; Barnett, Steve

There are an estimated 167,000 children in early care and education programs in Massachusetts. In 2000, the state department of education commissioned a study of the cost and quality of early care and education in the state. This report and executive summary are the first from the study, addressing early care and education for preschool-aged…

Transfer effects of errorless Goal Management Training on cognitive function and quality of life in brain-injured persons.

PubMed

Bertens, Dirk; Kessels, Roy P C; Boelen, Danielle H E; Fasotti, Luciano

2016-01-01

Previous findings had shown that the addition of errorless learning to traditional Goal Management Training (GMT) resulted in superior results when training everyday tasks in persons with executive deficits after brain injury. To investigate the additional effects of an errorless GMT on cognitive function and quality of life after acquired brain injury. This is a supplementary analysis of findings from an RCT in which 67 patients with executive impairments after acquired brain injury were randomly allocated to an experimental errorless GMT (n = 33) or conventional GMT (n = 34) to train two individually chosen everyday tasks. Objective cognitive function using neuropsychological tests, subjective cognitive complaints and quality of life using questionnaires were assessed before and after training. No significant interaction effects between these three types of outcome measures and the two forms of GMT were found. Irrespective of treatment, performance on two executive tests (Modified Six Elements Test; p = 0.006, Zoo Map test; p = 0.001) improved and daily executive function problems as reported by the participants (EFI; p = 0.001) and proxies (DEX; p = 0.01) diminished. Besides the previously found superiority of errorless GMT when training everyday tasks, additional improvements in cognition and quality of life did not differ between the two treatments.

Physician-executives past, present, and future.

PubMed

Smallwood, K G; Wilson, C N

1992-08-01

The dramatic changes in the United States' health care system during the last decade have sparked increasing interest in physician-executives. These executives, skilled in both clinical medicine and health care management, can be found in hospitals, managed care organizations, group practices, and government institutions. This paper outlines the physician-executive's roles and the development process. The remarkable growth in the number of physician-executives is expected to continue as they demonstrate their abilities to help health care providers expand ambulatory services, facilitate provider-physician relationships and physician recruitment, and lend expertise in quality improvement and risk management issues.

[Quality management in pathology--an executive function and political implications].

PubMed

Turzynski, A

2013-09-01

Quality management (QM) is primarily an in-house executive function. It conduces to ensure a high quality service and has the external object to satisfy customer expectations. In Germany the implementation of quality management systems (QMS) is made compulsory for all medical facilities by law. However, details are not regulated and there is no need to certify the in-house QMS. Within the last 10 years many pathology institutions have become certified or accredited and have implemented voluntary measures of external quality assurance, such as quality circles and round robin trials. For non-certified institutions it might be helpful to be guided by established QM standards like the ISO 9001:2008. The fundamental concepts of QM, some pathology-specific aspects and some implications for the professional associations are discussed in this article.

Naturalistic Assessment of Executive Function and Everyday Multitasking in Healthy Older Adults

PubMed Central

McAlister, Courtney; Schmitter-Edgecombe, Maureen

2013-01-01

Everyday multitasking and its cognitive correlates were investigated in an older adult population using a naturalistic task, the Day Out Task. Fifty older adults and 50 younger adults prioritized, organized, initiated and completed a number of subtasks in a campus apartment to prepare for a day out (e.g., gather ingredients for a recipe, collect change for a bus ride). Participants also completed tests assessing cognitive constructs important in multitasking. Compared to younger adults, the older adults took longer to complete the everyday tasks and more poorly sequenced the subtasks. Although they initiated, completed, and interweaved a similar number of subtasks, the older adults demonstrated poorer task quality and accuracy, completing more subtasks inefficiently. For the older adults, reduced prospective memory abilities were predictive of poorer task sequencing, while executive processes and prospective memory were predictive of inefficiently completed subtasks. The findings suggest that executive dysfunction and prospective memory difficulties may contribute to the age-related decline of everyday multitasking abilities in healthy older adults. PMID:23557096

Bridging existing governance gaps: five evidence-based actions that boards can take to pursue high quality care.

PubMed

Leggat, Sandra G; Balding, Cathy

2017-11-13

Objective To explore the impact of the organisational quality systems on quality of care in Victorian health services. Methods During 2015 a total of 55 focus groups were conducted with more than 350 managers, clinical staff and board members in eight Victorian health services to explore the effectiveness of health service quality systems. A review of the quality and safety goals and strategies outlined in the strategic and operating plans of the participating health services was also undertaken. Results This paper focuses on the data related to the leadership role of health service boards in ensuring safe, high-quality care. The findings suggest that health service boards are not fully meeting their governance accountability to ensure consistently high-quality care. The data uncovered major clinical governance gaps between stated board and executive aspirations for quality and safety and the implementation of these expectations at point of care. These gaps were further compounded by quality system confusion, over-reliance on compliance, and inadequate staff engagement. Conclusion Based on the existing evidence we propose five specific actions boards can take to close the gaps, thereby supporting improved care for all consumers. What is known about this topic? Effective governance is essential for high-quality healthcare delivery. Boards are required to play an active role in their organisation's pursuit of high quality care. What does this paper add? Recent government reports suggest that Australian health service boards are not fully meeting their governance requirements for high quality, safe care delivery, and our research pinpoints key governance gaps. What are the implications for practitioners? Based on our research findings we outline five evidence-based actions for boards to improve their governance of quality care delivery. These actions focus on an organisational strategy for high-quality care, with the chief executive officer held accountable for successful implementation, which is actively guided and monitored by the board.

ERP evidence suggests executive dysfunction in ecstasy polydrug users.

PubMed

Roberts, C A; Fairclough, S H; Fisk, J E; Tames, F; Montgomery, C

2013-08-01

Deficits in executive functions such as access to semantic/long-term memory have been shown in ecstasy users in previous research. Equally, there have been many reports of equivocal findings in this area. The current study sought to further investigate behavioural and electro-physiological measures of this executive function in ecstasy users. Twenty ecstasy-polydrug users, 20 non-ecstasy-polydrug users and 20 drug-naïve controls were recruited. Participants completed background questionnaires about their drug use, sleep quality, fluid intelligence and mood state. Each individual also completed a semantic retrieval task whilst 64 channel Electroencephalography (EEG) measures were recorded. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed no between-group differences in behavioural performance on the task. Mixed ANOVA on event-related potential (ERP) components P2, N2 and P3 revealed significant between-group differences in the N2 component. Subsequent exploratory univariate ANOVAs on the N2 component revealed marginally significant between-group differences, generally showing greater negativity at occipito-parietal electrodes in ecstasy users compared to drug-naïve controls. Despite absence of behavioural differences, differences in N2 magnitude are evidence of abnormal executive functioning in ecstasy-polydrug users.

Relating Worry and Executive Functioning During Childhood: The Moderating Role of Age.

PubMed

Geronimi, Elena M C; Patterson, Heather L; Woodruff-Borden, Janet

2016-06-01

The associations between worry and executive functioning across development have not been previously explored. Examining the interrelationships between these variables in childhood may further elucidate the cognitive nature of worry as well as its developmental course. Hypotheses predicted that difficulties with executive functioning would correlate with child worry; based on extant literature, age-related hypotheses were proposed for particular aspects of executive functioning. Children (N = 130) participated in the present study. Difficulties with executive functioning and child worry were assessed. Results demonstrated that each executive functioning subscale correlated with worry. The relations between worry and several facets of executive functioning were no longer significant at older ages, while the relations between worry and the facets of inhibition, shifting, and emotional control did not demonstrate age-related interaction effects. Overall, the findings suggest that worry is associated with executive functioning at young ages and that this association takes distinct forms during different childhood stages.

ISO9000 and the quality management system in the digital hospital.

PubMed

Liu, Yalan; Yao, Bin; Zhang, Zigang

2002-01-01

ISO9000 quality management system (ISO9000QMS) emphasize on the customer-oriented, managers' leadership and all staff's joining, adopt the process method and system management, spread the taking facts as a basis to make decision and improve consistently, and establish win-win relation with the suppliers. So, the digital hospital can adopt the ISO9000QMS. In order to establish the ISO9000QMS, the digital hospital should: (1) Design integrally, including analyzing the operation procedure, clarifying the job duties, setting up the spreading team and setting the quality policy and objectives: (2) Learning the ISO9000 quality standards; (3) Drawing up the documents, including the quality manual, program files and operation guiding files; (4) Training according the documents; (5) Executing the quality standard, including the service quality auditing, quality record auditing and quality system auditing; (6) Improving continually. With the establishment of ISO900QMS, the digital hospital can appraise more accurately, analyze quality matters statistically and avoid the interference of artificial factors.

41 CFR 102-79.10 - What basic assignment and utilization of space policy governs an Executive agency?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... must provide a quality workplace environment that supports program operations, preserves the value of... fitness facilities in the workplace when adequately justified. An Executive agency must promote maximum...

Executive Summary, Hydraulic Fracturing Study - Draft Assessment 2015

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

In this Executive Summary of the HF Draft report, EPA highlights the reviews of scientific literature to assess the potential for hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas to change the quality or quantity of drinking water resources.

The mediating role of metacognition in the relationship between executive function and self-regulated learning.

PubMed

Follmer, D Jake; Sperling, Rayne A

2016-12-01

Researchers have demonstrated significant relations among executive function, metacognition, and self-regulated learning. However, prior research emphasized the use of indirect measures of executive function and did not evaluate how specific executive functions are related to participants' self-regulated learning. The primary goals of the current study were to examine and test the relations among executive function, metacognition, and self-regulated learning as well as to examine how self-regulated learning is informed by executive function. The sample comprised 117 undergraduate students attending a large, Mid-Atlantic research university in the United States. Participants were individually administered direct and indirect measures of executive function, metacognition, and self-regulated learning. A mediation model specifying the relations among the regulatory constructs was proposed. In multiple linear regression analyses, executive function predicted metacognition and self-regulated learning. Direct measures of inhibition and shifting accounted for a significant amount of the variance in metacognition and self-regulated learning beyond an indirect measure of executive functioning. Separate mediation analyses indicated that metacognition mediated the relationship between executive functioning and self-regulated learning as well as between specific executive functions and self-regulated learning. The findings of this study are supported by previous research documenting the relations between executive function and self-regulated learning, and extend prior research by examining the manner in which executive function and self-regulated learning are linked. The findings provide initial support for executive functions as key processes, mediated by metacognition, that predict self-regulated learning. Implications for the contribution of executive functions to self-regulated learning are discussed. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Analysis of Tactical, Decisional and Executional Behaviour according to the Level of Expertise in Squash

PubMed Central

Catalán-Eslava, María; González-Víllora, Sixto; Pastor-Vicedo, Juan C.; Contreras-Jordán, Onofre R.

2018-01-01

Abstract The objective of this study was to analyse the differences in tactical principles, decision-making and execution of the return shot and drop shot of squash players at different levels of proficiency. The sample was composed of 80 players, divided into four levels of expertise (first national category, second national category, autonomous regional level and provincial level). The Squash Performance Evaluation Tool was used for recording the level of decision-making and execution. The results revealed that reading of the context of the game improved as the level of the player’s expertise of both the return shot and the drop shot increased. The correlation between correct decision-making and better quality execution for both the return shot and the drop shot in squash also improved with the player’s level of expertise. According to these results, improvements in situational tactical principles and the application of tactical principles, correct decision-making and high-quality execution are essential to develop the athletic performance level among squash players. PMID:29599875

22 CFR 901.13 - Executive secretary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2013-04-01 2009-04-01 true Executive secretary. 901.13 Section 901.13 Foreign Relations FOREIGN SERVICE GRIEVANCE BOARD GENERAL Meanings of Terms As Used in This Chapter § 901.13 Executive secretary. Executive secretary means the executive secretary of the Board or his or her...

22 CFR 901.13 - Executive secretary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2012-04-01 2009-04-01 true Executive secretary. 901.13 Section 901.13 Foreign Relations FOREIGN SERVICE GRIEVANCE BOARD GENERAL Meanings of Terms As Used in This Chapter § 901.13 Executive secretary. Executive secretary means the executive secretary of the Board or his or her...

22 CFR 901.13 - Executive secretary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Executive secretary. 901.13 Section 901.13 Foreign Relations FOREIGN SERVICE GRIEVANCE BOARD GENERAL Meanings of Terms As Used in This Chapter § 901.13 Executive secretary. Executive secretary means the executive secretary of the Board or his or her...

22 CFR 901.13 - Executive secretary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2011-04-01 2009-04-01 true Executive secretary. 901.13 Section 901.13 Foreign Relations FOREIGN SERVICE GRIEVANCE BOARD GENERAL Meanings of Terms As Used in This Chapter § 901.13 Executive secretary. Executive secretary means the executive secretary of the Board or his or her...

22 CFR 901.13 - Executive secretary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Executive secretary. 901.13 Section 901.13 Foreign Relations FOREIGN SERVICE GRIEVANCE BOARD GENERAL Meanings of Terms As Used in This Chapter § 901.13 Executive secretary. Executive secretary means the executive secretary of the Board or his or her...

Impact of sleep on executive functioning in school-age children with Down syndrome.

PubMed

Esbensen, A J; Hoffman, E K

2018-06-01

Sleep problems have an impact on executive functioning in the general population. While children with Down syndrome (DS) are at high risk for sleep problems, the impact of these sleep problems on executive functioning in school-age children with DS is less well documented. Our study examined the relationship between parent-reported and actigraphy-measured sleep duration and sleep quality with parent and teacher reports and neuropsychology assessments of executive functioning among school-age children with DS. Thirty school-age children with DS wore an actigraph watch for a week at home at night. Their parent completed ratings of the child's sleep during that same week. Children completed a neuropsychology assessment of their inhibitory control, ability to shift and working memory. Their parents and teachers completed rating scales to assess these same constructs of executive functioning. Parent reports of restless sleep behaviours on the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), but not actigraph-measured sleep period or efficiency, were predictive of parent reports of concerns with inhibitory control, shifting and working memory, and of teacher reports of inhibitory control. No measure of sleep was predictive of executive functioning as measured by the neuropsychology assessment. The study findings corroborate the preliminary literature that parent-reported sleep problems are related to executive functioning in school-age children with DS, particularly in the area of inhibitory control across home and school. These findings have implications for understanding contributing factors to academic performance and school behaviour in school-age children with DS. © 2018 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

10 CFR 71.103 - Quality assurance organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... contractors, agents, or consultants, the work of establishing and executing the quality assurance program, or... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Quality assurance organization. 71.103 Section 71.103... Quality Assurance § 71.103 Quality assurance organization. (a) The licensee, 2 certificate holder, and...

10 CFR 71.103 - Quality assurance organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... contractors, agents, or consultants, the work of establishing and executing the quality assurance program, or... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Quality assurance organization. 71.103 Section 71.103... Quality Assurance § 71.103 Quality assurance organization. (a) The licensee, 2 certificate holder, and...

10 CFR 71.103 - Quality assurance organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... contractors, agents, or consultants, the work of establishing and executing the quality assurance program, or... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Quality assurance organization. 71.103 Section 71.103... Quality Assurance § 71.103 Quality assurance organization. (a) The licensee, 2 certificate holder, and...

The Role of Early-Life Educational Quality and Literacy in Explaining Racial Disparities in Cognition in Late Life

PubMed Central

Gross, Alden L.; Shih, Regina A.; Sachs, Bonnie C.; Glymour, M. Maria; Bangen, Katherine J.; Benitez, Andreana; Skinner, Jeannine; Schneider, Brooke C.; Manly, Jennifer J.

2015-01-01

Objectives. Racial disparities in late-life cognition persist even after accounting for educational attainment. We examined whether early-life educational quality and literacy in later life help explain these disparities. Method. We used longitudinal data from the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP). Educational quality (percent white students; urban/rural school; combined grades in classroom) was operationalized using canonical correlation analysis. Late-life literacy (reading comprehension and ability, writing) was operationalized using confirmatory factor analysis. We examined whether these factors attenuated race-related differences in late-life cognition. Results. The sample consisted of 1,679U.S.-born, non-Hispanic, community-living adults aged 65–102 (71% black, 29% white; 70% women). Accounting for educational quality and literacy reduced disparities by 29% for general cognitive functioning, 26% for memory, and 32% for executive functioning but did not predict differences in rate of cognitive change. Discussion. Early-life educational quality and literacy in late life explain a substantial portion of race-related disparities in late-life cognitive function. PMID:24584038

Income, neural executive processes, and preschool children's executive control.

PubMed

Ruberry, Erika J; Lengua, Liliana J; Crocker, Leanna Harris; Bruce, Jacqueline; Upshaw, Michaela B; Sommerville, Jessica A

2017-02-01

This study aimed to specify the neural mechanisms underlying the link between low household income and diminished executive control in the preschool period. Specifically, we examined whether individual differences in the neural processes associated with executive attention and inhibitory control accounted for income differences observed in performance on a neuropsychological battery of executive control tasks. The study utilized a sample of preschool-aged children (N = 118) whose families represented the full range of income, with 32% of families at/near poverty, 32% lower income, and 36% middle to upper income. Children completed a neuropsychological battery of executive control tasks and then completed two computerized executive control tasks while EEG data were collected. We predicted that differences in the event-related potential (ERP) correlates of executive attention and inhibitory control would account for income differences observed on the executive control battery. Income and ERP measures were related to performance on the executive control battery. However, income was unrelated to ERP measures. The findings suggest that income differences observed in executive control during the preschool period might relate to processes other than executive attention and inhibitory control.

A hospital's teamwork and CQI advance shared vision, interdependence among top managers. Interview by Paula Eubanks.

PubMed

Biltz, J; Mild, L

1992-09-20

As quality improvement programs are initiated in growing numbers of hospitals, senior executives in those hospitals find themselves addressing a range of issues: team building, leadership and interpersonal interaction. CEO Jim Biltz and nurse executive Linda Mild of 760-bed HCA Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, KS, tell Hospitals Staff Editor Paula Eubanks how their participative management style and the hospital's continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiative have fostered new levels of teamwork and shared vision among the institution's top managers.

Anesthesiology: About the Anesthesiology Profession

MedlinePlus

... Quality Meeting Executive Physician Leadership Program Certificate in Business Administration International Forum on Perioperative Safety and Quality PRACTICE MANAGEMENT LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE Professional Development - The Practice of Anesthesiology ...

Within and between Individual Variability of Exposure to Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk Factors.

PubMed

Zare, Mohsen; Sagot, Jean-Claude; Roquelaure, Yves

2018-05-17

Industrial companies indicate a tendency to eliminate variations in operator strategies, particularly following implementation of the lean principle. Companies believe when the operators perform the same prescribed tasks, they have to execute them in the same manner (completing the same gestures and being exposed to the same risk factors). They attempt to achieve better product quality by standardizing and reducing operational leeway. However, operators adjust and modify ways of performing tasks to balance between their abilities and the requirements of the job. This study aims to investigate the variability of exposure to physical risk factors within and between operators when executing the same prescribed tasks. The Ergonomic Standard method was used to evaluate two workstations. Seven operators were observed thirty times between repeated cycle times at those workstations. The results revealed the variability of exposure to risk factors between and within operators in the repeated execution of the same tasks. Individual characteristics and operators' strategies might generate the variability of exposure to risk factors that may be an opportunity to reduce the risks of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WR-MSDs). However, sometimes operators' strategies may cause overexposure to risk factors; operators most often adopt such strategies to undertake their tasks while reducing the workload.

Qualities of a good Singaporean psychiatrist: Qualitative differences between psychiatrists and patients.

PubMed

Tor, Phern-Chern; Tan, Jacinta O A

2015-06-01

Pilot studies in Singapore established four themes (personal values, professional, relationship, academic-executive) relating to the qualities of a good psychiatrist, and suggested potential differences of opinion between patients and psychiatrists. We sought to explore differences between patients and psychiatrists regarding the qualities of a good psychiatrist. Qualitative analysis of interviews using a modified grounded theory approach with 21 voluntary psychiatric inpatients and 18 psychiatrists. One hundred thirty-one separate qualities emerged from the data. The qualities of a good psychiatrist were viewed in the context of motivations, functions, methods, and results obtained, mirroring the themes established in the pilot studies. Patients and psychiatrists mostly concurred on the qualities of a good psychiatrist, with 62.6% of the qualities emerging from both groups. However significant differences existed. Patient-specific qualities included proof of altruistic motives, diligence, clinical competence, and positive results. What the psychiatrist represented to patients in relation to gender, culture, and clinical prestige also mattered to patients. Psychiatrist-specific qualities related to societal (e.g. public protection) and professional concerns (e.g. boundary issues). The results of this study demonstrate that patients and psychiatrists have different views about the qualities of a good psychiatrist. Patients may expect proof of care, diligence, and competence from the psychiatrist, along with positive results. In addition, psychiatrists should be mindful of what they represent to patients and how that can impact the doctor-patient relationship. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

[Health related quality of life evolution in kidney transplanted patients].

PubMed

Pérez San Gregorio, M A; Martín Rodríguez, A; Díaz Domínguez, R; Pérez Bernal, J

2007-01-01

We analyzed the evolution in the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) during the first year following renal transplant. Prospective and longitudinal study carried out with 28 patients who received a primary cadaveric renal transplant. The tests applied were a structured interview and SF-36, Euroqol- 5D (EQ-5D) Health Questionnaires and End-Stage Renal Disease Symptom Checklist- Transplantation Module (ESRD-SCL). With the course of time, the renal patients improve in four areas: physical ( and ), psychological ( and ), execution of daily tasks ( and ) and subjective perception of own state of health (). The HRQOL in renal transplant patients improves with the course of time.

New Beginnings: Ensuring Quality Bilingual/ESL Instruction in New York City Public Schools. Executive Summary [and] Report of the Chancellor's Bilingual/ESL Education Practitioners' Workgroup and Policy/Research Panels.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Office of Bilingual Education.

The report presents a conceptual framework and related strategies designed to help policymakers and practitioners re-examine, and when necessary, rework the basic assumptions and practices defining the educational experiences of bilingual/English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners in New York City (New York) public schools. The report consists of…

10 CFR 76.93 - Quality assurance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Quality assurance. 76.93 Section 76.93 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) CERTIFICATION OF GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS Safety § 76.93 Quality assurance. The Corporation shall establish, maintain, and execute a quality assurance program satisfying each of...

10 CFR 76.93 - Quality assurance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Quality assurance. 76.93 Section 76.93 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) CERTIFICATION OF GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS Safety § 76.93 Quality assurance. The Corporation shall establish, maintain, and execute a quality assurance program satisfying each of...

10 CFR 76.93 - Quality assurance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Quality assurance. 76.93 Section 76.93 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) CERTIFICATION OF GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS Safety § 76.93 Quality assurance. The Corporation shall establish, maintain, and execute a quality assurance program satisfying each of...

10 CFR 76.93 - Quality assurance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Quality assurance. 76.93 Section 76.93 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) CERTIFICATION OF GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS Safety § 76.93 Quality assurance. The Corporation shall establish, maintain, and execute a quality assurance program satisfying each of...

10 CFR 76.93 - Quality assurance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Quality assurance. 76.93 Section 76.93 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) CERTIFICATION OF GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS Safety § 76.93 Quality assurance. The Corporation shall establish, maintain, and execute a quality assurance program satisfying each of...

The Broad Superintendents Academy, 2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broad Foundation, 2007

2007-01-01

The Broad Superintendents Academy is an executive training program that identifies and prepares prominent leaders--executives with experience successfully leading large organizations and a passion for public service--then places them in urban school districts to dramatically improve the quality of education for America's students. This brochure…

Quality Management and Calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merkus, Henk G.

Good specification of a product’s performance requires adequate characterization of relevant properties. Particulate products are usually characterized by some PSD, shape or porosity parameter(s). For proper characterization, adequate sampling, dispersion, and measurement procedures should be available or developed and skilful personnel should use appropriate, well-calibrated/qualified equipment. The characterization should be executed, in agreement with customers, in a wellorganized laboratory. All related aspects should be laid down in a quality handbook. The laboratory should provide proof for its capability to perform the characterization of stated products and/or reference materials within stated confidence limits. This can be done either by internal validation and audits or by external GLP accreditation.

Feedback-Driven Dynamic Invariant Discovery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Lingming; Yang, Guowei; Rungta, Neha S.; Person, Suzette; Khurshid, Sarfraz

2014-01-01

Program invariants can help software developers identify program properties that must be preserved as the software evolves, however, formulating correct invariants can be challenging. In this work, we introduce iDiscovery, a technique which leverages symbolic execution to improve the quality of dynamically discovered invariants computed by Daikon. Candidate invariants generated by Daikon are synthesized into assertions and instrumented onto the program. The instrumented code is executed symbolically to generate new test cases that are fed back to Daikon to help further re ne the set of candidate invariants. This feedback loop is executed until a x-point is reached. To mitigate the cost of symbolic execution, we present optimizations to prune the symbolic state space and to reduce the complexity of the generated path conditions. We also leverage recent advances in constraint solution reuse techniques to avoid computing results for the same constraints across iterations. Experimental results show that iDiscovery converges to a set of higher quality invariants compared to the initial set of candidate invariants in a small number of iterations.

The Factor Structure and Age-Related Factorial Invariance of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latzman, Robert D.; Markon, Kristian E.

2010-01-01

There has been an increased interest in the structure of and relations among executive functions.The present study examined the factor structure as well as age-related factorial invariance of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), a widely used inventory aimed at assessing executive functions. Analyses were first conducted using data…

The role of metrics and measurements in a software intensive total quality management environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daniels, Charles B.

1992-01-01

Paramax Space Systems began its mission as a member of the Rockwell Space Operations Company (RSOC) team which was the successful bidder on a massive operations consolidation contract for the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) at JSC. The contract awarded to the team was the Space Transportation System Operations Contract (STSOC). Our initial challenge was to accept responsibility for a very large, highly complex and fragmented collection of software from eleven different contractors and transform it into a coherent, operational baseline. Concurrently, we had to integrate a diverse group of people from eleven different companies into a single, cohesive team. Paramax executives recognized the absolute necessity to develop a business culture based on the concept of employee involvement to execute and improve the complex process of our new environment. Our executives clearly understood that management needed to set the example and lead the way to quality improvement. The total quality management policy and the metrics used in this endeavor are presented.

17 CFR 37.8 - Information relating to transactions on derivatives transaction execution facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... transactions on derivatives transaction execution facilities. 37.8 Section 37.8 Commodity and Securities Exchanges COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION DERIVATIVES TRANSACTION EXECUTION FACILITIES § 37.8 Information relating to transactions on derivatives transaction execution facilities. (a) Special calls for...

Mining dynamic noteworthy functions in software execution sequences.

PubMed

Zhang, Bing; Huang, Guoyan; Wang, Yuqian; He, Haitao; Ren, Jiadong

2017-01-01

As the quality of crucial entities can directly affect that of software, their identification and protection become an important premise for effective software development, management, maintenance and testing, which thus contribute to improving the software quality and its attack-defending ability. Most analysis and evaluation on important entities like codes-based static structure analysis are on the destruction of the actual software running. In this paper, from the perspective of software execution process, we proposed an approach to mine dynamic noteworthy functions (DNFM)in software execution sequences. First, according to software decompiling and tracking stack changes, the execution traces composed of a series of function addresses were acquired. Then these traces were modeled as execution sequences and then simplified so as to get simplified sequences (SFS), followed by the extraction of patterns through pattern extraction (PE) algorithm from SFS. After that, evaluating indicators inner-importance and inter-importance were designed to measure the noteworthiness of functions in DNFM algorithm. Finally, these functions were sorted by their noteworthiness. Comparison and contrast were conducted on the experiment results from two traditional complex network-based node mining methods, namely PageRank and DegreeRank. The results show that the DNFM method can mine noteworthy functions in software effectively and precisely.

Employers' use of value-based purchasing strategies.

PubMed

Rosenthal, Meredith B; Landon, Bruce E; Normand, Sharon-Lise T; Frank, Richard G; Ahmad, Thaniyyah S; Epstein, Arnold M

2007-11-21

Value-based purchasing by employers has often been portrayed as the lynchpin to quality improvement in a market-based health care system. Although a small group of the largest national employers has been actively engaged in promoting quality measurement, reporting, and pay for performance, it is unknown whether these ideas have significantly permeated employer-sponsored health benefit purchasing. To provide systematic descriptions and analyses of value-based purchasing and related efforts to improve quality of care by health care purchasers. We conducted telephone interviews with executives at 609 of the largest employers across 41 US markets between July 2005 and March 2006. The 41 randomly selected markets have at least 100,000 persons enrolled in health maintenance organizations, include approximately 91% of individuals enrolled in health maintenance organizations nationally, and represent roughly 78% of the US metropolitan population. Using the Dun & Bradstreet database of US employers, we identified the 26 largest firms in each market. Firms ranged in size from 60 to 250,000 employees. The degree to which value-based purchasing and related strategies are reported being used by employers. Percentages were weighted by number of employees. Of 1041 companies contacted, 609 employer representatives completed the survey (response rate, 64%). A large percentage of surveyed executives reported that they examine health plan quality data (269 respondents; 65% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 57%-74%]; P<.001), but few reported using it for performance rewards (49 respondents; 17% [95% CI, 7%-27%]; P=.008) or to influence employees (71 respondents; 23% [95% CI, 13%-33%]). Physician quality information is even less commonly examined (71 respondents; 16% [95% CI, 9%-23%]) or used by employers to reward performance (8 respondents; 2% [95% CI, 0%-3%]) or influence employee choice of providers (34 respondents; 8% [95% CI, 3%-12%]). Surveyed employers as a whole do not appear to be individually implementing incentives and programs in line with value-based purchasing ideals.

Executive functioning and processing speed in age-related differences in memory: contribution of a coding task.

PubMed

Baudouin, Alexia; Clarys, David; Vanneste, Sandrine; Isingrini, Michel

2009-12-01

The aim of the present study was to examine executive dysfunctioning and decreased processing speed as potential mediators of age-related differences in episodic memory. We compared the performances of young and elderly adults in a free-recall task. Participants were also given tests to measure executive functions and perceptual processing speed and a coding task (the Digit Symbol Substitution Test, DSST). More precisely, we tested the hypothesis that executive functions would mediate the age-related differences observed in the free-recall task better than perceptual speed. We also tested the assumption that a coding task, assumed to involve both executive processes and perceptual speed, would be the best mediator of age-related differences in memory. Findings first confirmed that the DSST combines executive processes and perceptual speed. Secondly, they showed that executive functions are a significant mediator of age-related differences in memory, and that DSST performance is the best predictor.

7 CFR 634.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... portion of the 208 water-quality management plan. (s) OMB Circular A-34. “Instructions on Budget Execution... needed to attain water quality standards or water quality goals. Fifty (50) percent of the adequate level... agency. A soil conservation district, State soil and water conservation agency, or State water quality...

7 CFR 634.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... portion of the 208 water-quality management plan. (s) OMB Circular A-34. “Instructions on Budget Execution... needed to attain water quality standards or water quality goals. Fifty (50) percent of the adequate level... agency. A soil conservation district, State soil and water conservation agency, or State water quality...

American Society of Anesthesiologists

MedlinePlus

... Events ANESTHESIOLOGY 2018 Anesthesia Quality Meeting Executive Physician Leadership Program Certificate in Business Administration International Forum on Perioperative Safety and Quality PRACTICE MANAGEMENT LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE Professional Development - The Practice of Anesthesiology ...

CEO performance appraisal: review and recommendations.

PubMed

Newman, J F; Tyler, L; Dunbar, D M

2001-01-01

CEO performance appraisal (PA) is very valuable to an organization, but the chances of obtaining a PA of high quality decrease as executive responsibility increases. The realities of CEO PA are that it: (1) is inevitable; (2) is creative and complex; (3) involves politics; and (4) has a significant effect on the organization and the executive. PA is conducted for legal and social requirements, to enhance communication, to provide opportunities for improvement, and to relate performance to compensation. This article discusses several problems with chief executive officer (CEO) PA and the contemporary approaches that seek to improve it. Three fundamental areas for evaluation are identified: (1) organizational success; (2) areawide health status; and (3) professional role fulfillment. These provide an outline for successful healthcare PA. In addition to a discussion of the strategic considerations behind a successful CEO PA system, several recommendations are offered for the implementation of the annual evaluation process. The final goal of CEO PA is to link its results to CEO incentive compensation. It is strongly recommended that some portion of the CEO's salary directly hinge on his performance in two critical areas: organizational effectiveness and community health status.

Emotional health and coping in spina bifida after goal management training: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Stubberud, Jan; Langenbahn, Donna; Levine, Brian; Stanghelle, Johan; Schanke, Anne-Kristine

2015-02-01

Executive function impairments are common after spina bifida (SB) and potentially have a detrimental effect on the individual's emotional health and coping. Goal management training (GMT) is a cognitive rehabilitation method for improving executive function. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of GMT on aspects of perceived emotional health and coping in individuals with SB. Thirty-eight adult subjects with SB were included in this randomized controlled trial. Inclusion was based upon the presence of executive functioning complaints. Experimental subjects (n = 24) received 21 hr of GMT, with efficacy of GMT being compared with results of subjects in a wait-list condition (n = 14). Four self-report questionnaires assessing emotional health and coping were utilized as outcome measures. All subjects were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and at 6-month follow-up. Findings indicated positive effects of GMT relative to the control group on measures of emotional health. Of note, the GMT group showed significant improvement, compared with control subjects, on a self-report inventory of depressive and anxiety symptoms after training, lasting at least 6 months posttreatment. Furthermore, both groups showed improvements after training on mental health components of health-related quality of life. Finally, the GMT group showed a significant increase in task-focused coping and a decrease in avoidant coping after training compared with pretreatment baseline assessment scores. Overall, findings indicate that by us a compensatory intervention to manage executive dysfunction, effective and lasting benefits can be achieved with regard to aspects of perceived emotional health and coping. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

International consensus statement on allergy and rhinology: allergic rhinitis-executive summary.

PubMed

Wise, Sarah K; Lin, Sandra Y; Toskala, Elina

2018-02-01

The available allergic rhinitis (AR) literature continues to grow. Critical evaluation and understanding of this literature is important to appropriately utilize this knowledge in the care of AR patients. The International Consensus statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Allergic Rhinitis (ICAR:AR) has been produced as a multidisciplinary international effort. This Executive Summary highlights and summarizes the findings of the comprehensive ICAR:AR document. The ICAR:AR document was produced using previously described methodology. Specific topics were developed relating to AR. Each topic was assigned a literature review, evidence-based review (EBR), or evidence-based review with recommendations (EBRR) format as dictated by available evidence and purpose within the ICAR:AR document. Following iterative reviews of each topic, the ICAR:AR document was synthesized and reviewed by all authors for consensus. Over 100 individual topics related to AR diagnosis, pathophysiology, epidemiology, disease burden, risk factors, allergy testing modalities, treatment, and other conditions/comorbidities associated with AR were addressed in the comprehensive ICAR:AR document. Herein, the Executive Summary provides a synopsis of these findings. In the ICAR:AR critical review of the literature, several strengths were identified. In addition, significant knowledge gaps exist in the AR literature where current practice is not based on the best quality evidence; these should be seen as opportunities for additional research. The ICAR:AR document evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the AR literature. This Executive Summary condenses these findings into a short summary. The reader is also encouraged to consult the comprehensive ICAR:AR document for a thorough description of this work. © 2018 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Executive Functioning and School Performance Among Pediatric Survivors of Complex Congenital Heart Disease

PubMed Central

Gerstle, Melissa; Beebe, Dean W.; Drotar, Dennis; Cassedy, Amy; Marino, Bradley S.

2016-01-01

Objective To investigate the presence and severity of real-world impairments in executive functioning– responsible for children’s regulatory skills (metacognition, behavioral regulation) – and its potential impact on school performance among pediatric survivors of complex congenital heart disease (CHD). Study design Survivors of complex CHD aged 8–16 years (n=143)and their parents/guardians from a regional CHD survivor registry participated (81% participation rate). Parents completed proxy measures of executive functioning, school competency, and school-related quality of life (QOL). Patients also completed a measure of school QOL and underwent IQ testing. Patients were categorized into two groups based on heart lesion complexity: two-ventricle or single-ventricle. Results Survivors of complex CHD performed significantly worse than norms for executive functioning, IQ, school competency, and school QOL. Metacognition was more severely affected than behavioral regulation, and metacognitive deficits were more often present in older children. Even after taking into account demographic factors, disease severity, and IQ, metacognition uniquely and strongly predicted poorer school performance. In exploratory analyses, patients with single-ventricle lesions were rated as having lower school competency and school QOL, and patients with two-ventricle lesions were rated as having poorer behavioral regulation. Conclusions Survivors of complex CHD experience greater executive functioning difficulties than healthy peers, with metacognition particularly impacted and particularly relevant for day-to-day school performance. Especially in older children, clinicians should watch for metacognitive deficits, such as problems with organization, planning, self-monitoring, and follow-through on tasks. PMID:26875011

Computer-Based Cognitive Training for Executive Functions after Stroke: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

van de Ven, Renate M.; Murre, Jaap M. J.; Veltman, Dick J.; Schmand, Ben A.

2016-01-01

Background: Stroke commonly results in cognitive impairments in working memory, attention, and executive function, which may be restored with appropriate training programs. Our aim was to systematically review the evidence for computer-based cognitive training of executive dysfunctions. Methods: Studies were included if they concerned adults who had suffered stroke or other types of acquired brain injury, if the intervention was computer training of executive functions, and if the outcome was related to executive functioning. We searched in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library. Study quality was evaluated based on the CONSORT Statement. Treatment effect was evaluated based on differences compared to pre-treatment and/or to a control group. Results: Twenty studies were included. Two were randomized controlled trials that used an active control group. The other studies included multiple baselines, a passive control group, or were uncontrolled. Improvements were observed in tasks similar to the training (near transfer) and in tasks dissimilar to the training (far transfer). However, these effects were not larger in trained than in active control groups. Two studies evaluated neural effects and found changes in both functional and structural connectivity. Most studies suffered from methodological limitations (e.g., lack of an active control group and no adjustment for multiple testing) hampering differentiation of training effects from spontaneous recovery, retest effects, and placebo effects. Conclusions: The positive findings of most studies, including neural changes, warrant continuation of research in this field, but only if its methodological limitations are addressed. PMID:27148007

The Senior Executive Service

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

A major innovation of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 was the creation of a Senior Executive Service (SES). The purpose of the SES is both simple and bold: to attract executives of the highest quality into Federal service and to retain them by providing outstanding opportunities for career growth and reward. The SES is intended to: provide greater authority in managing executive resources; attract and retain highly competent executives, and assign them where they will effectively accomplish their missions and best use their talents; provide for systematic development of executives; hold executives accountable for individual and organizational performance; reward outstanding performers and remove poor performers; and provide for an executive merit system free of inappropriate personnel practices and arbitrary actions. This Handbook summarizes the key features of the SES at NASA. It is intended as a special welcome to new appointees and also as a general reference document. It contains an overview of SES management at NASA, including the Executive Resources Board and the Performance Review Board, which are mandated by law to carry out key SES functions. In addition, assistance is provided by a Senior Executive Committee in certain reviews and decisions and by Executive Position Managers in day-to-day administration and oversight.

22 CFR 51.55 - Execution fee not refundable.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Execution fee not refundable. 51.55 Section 51.55 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Fees § 51.55 Execution fee not refundable. The fee for the execution of a passport application is not refundable. ...

22 CFR 51.55 - Execution fee not refundable.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Execution fee not refundable. 51.55 Section 51.55 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Fees § 51.55 Execution fee not refundable. The fee for the execution of a passport application is not refundable. ...

22 CFR 51.55 - Execution fee not refundable.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Execution fee not refundable. 51.55 Section 51.55 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Fees § 51.55 Execution fee not refundable. The fee for the execution of a passport application is not refundable. ...

22 CFR 51.55 - Execution fee not refundable.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Execution fee not refundable. 51.55 Section 51.55 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Fees § 51.55 Execution fee not refundable. The fee for the execution of a passport application is not refundable. ...

22 CFR 51.55 - Execution fee not refundable.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Execution fee not refundable. 51.55 Section 51.55 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Fees § 51.55 Execution fee not refundable. The fee for the execution of a passport application is not refundable. ...

The Mediating Role of Metacognition in the Relationship between Executive Function and Self-Regulated Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Follmer, D. Jake; Sperling, Rayne A.

2016-01-01

Background: Researchers have demonstrated significant relations among executive function, metacognition, and self-regulated learning. However, prior research emphasized the use of indirect measures of executive function and did not evaluate how specific executive functions are related to participants' self-regulated learning. Aims: The primary…

78 FR 76064 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Michigan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-16

...] Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Michigan AGENCY: Environmental Protection... nonattainment air quality permitting regulations found in 40 CFR 51.165(a) and (b). EPA has found that the rules... progress toward achieving the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. II. Statutory and Executive Order...

The contribution of executive functions to emergent mathematic skills in preschool children.

PubMed

Espy, Kimberly Andrews; McDiarmid, Melanie M; Cwik, Mary F; Stalets, Melissa Meade; Hamby, Arlena; Senn, Theresa E

2004-01-01

Mathematical ability is related to both activation of the prefrontal cortex in neuroimaging studies of adults and to executive functions in school-age children. The purpose of this study was to determine whether executive functions were related to emergent mathematical proficiency in preschool children. Preschool children (N = 96) were administered an executive function battery that was reduced empirically to working memory (WM), inhibitory control (IC), and shifting abilities by calculating composite scores derived from principal component analysis. Both WM and IC predicted early arithmetic competency, with the observed relations robust after controlling statistically for child age, maternal education, and child vocabulary. Only IC accounted for unique variance in mathematical skills, after the contribution of other executive functions were controlled statistically as well. Specific executive functions are related to emergent mathematical proficiency in this age range. Longitudinal studies using structural equation modeling are necessary to better characterize these ontogenetic relations.

Universities Becoming the Outsourcing Solution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohley, Katharine A.

2010-01-01

This paper provides a road map for universities to follow in responding to corporations that are in need of a solution to the dilemma of building an executive development program and simultaneously providing their executives with a high quality MBA degree. Difficulties experienced by many corporations are complicated by the fact that MBA programs…

Overcoming Bias: Cognitive Control Reduces Susceptibility to Framing Effects in Evaluating Musical Performance.

PubMed

Aydogan, Gökhan; Flaig, Nicole; Ravi, Srekar N; Large, Edward W; McClure, Samuel M; Margulis, Elizabeth Hellmuth

2018-04-18

Prior expectations can bias evaluative judgments of sensory information. We show that information about a performer's status can bias the evaluation of musical stimuli, reflected by differential activity of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Moreover, we demonstrate that decreased susceptibility to this confirmation bias is (a) accompanied by the recruitment of and (b) correlated with the white-matter structure of the executive control network, particularly related to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). By using long-duration musical stimuli, we were able to track the initial biasing, subsequent perception, and ultimate evaluation of the stimuli, examining the full evolution of these biases over time. Our findings confirm the persistence of confirmation bias effects even when ample opportunity exists to gather information about true stimulus quality, and underline the importance of executive control in reducing bias.

Age and executive ability impact the neural correlates of race perception

PubMed Central

Lee, Eunice J.; Krendl, Anne C.

2016-01-01

Decreased executive ability elicits racial bias. We clarified the neural correlates of how executive ability contributes to race perception by comparing young adults (YA) to a population with highly variable executive ability: older adults (OA). After replicating work showing higher race bias in OA vs YA and a negative association between bias and executive ability, a subsample of White YA and OA perceived Black and White faces and cars during functional magnetic resonance imaging. YA had higher executive ability than OA, and OA had higher variability in executive ability. When perceiving Black vs White faces, YA exhibited more dorsolateral prefrontal cortex recruitment—a region previously implicated in regulating prejudiced responses—than OA. Moreover, OA with relatively impaired executive ability had more amygdala activity toward Black faces vs OA with relatively intact executive ability, whereas responses to White faces did not differ. Both YA and OA with relatively intact executive ability had stronger amygdala-ventrolateral prefrontal cortex connectivity when perceiving Black vs White faces. These findings are the first to disentangle age from executive ability differences in neural recruitment when perceiving race, potentially informing past behavioral work on aging and race perception. PMID:27330185

Nurse executive transformational leadership found in participative organizations.

PubMed

Dunham-Taylor, J

2000-05-01

The study examined a national sample of 396 randomly selected hospital nurse executives to explore transformational leadership, stage of power, and organizational climate. Results from a few nurse executive studies have found nurse executives were transformational leaders. As executives were more transformational, they achieved better staff satisfaction and higher work group effectiveness. This study integrates Bass' transformational leadership model with Hagberg's power stage theory and Likert's organizational climate theory. Nurse executives (396) and staff reporting to them (1,115) rated the nurse executives' leadership style, staff extra effort, staff satisfaction, and work group effectiveness using Bass and Avolio's Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Executives' bosses (360) rated executive work group effectiveness. Executives completed Hagberg's Personal Power Profile and ranked their organizational climate using Likert's Profile of Organizational Characteristics. Nurse executives used transformational leadership fairly often; achieved fairly satisfied staff levels; were very effective according to bosses; were most likely at stage 3 (power by achievement) or stage 4 (power by reflection); and rated their hospital as a Likert System 3 Consultative Organization. Staff satisfaction and work group effectiveness decreased as nurse executives were more transactional. Higher transformational scores tended to occur with higher educational degrees and within more participative organizations. Transformational qualities can be enhanced by further education, by achieving higher power stages, and by being within more participative organizations.

Leadership, safety climate, and continuous quality improvement: impact on process quality and patient safety.

PubMed

McFadden, Kathleen L; Stock, Gregory N; Gowen, Charles R

2014-10-01

Successful amelioration of medical errors represents a significant problem in the health care industry. There is a need for greater understanding of the factors that lead to improved process quality and patient safety outcomes in hospitals. We present a research model that shows how transformational leadership, safety climate, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiatives are related to objective quality and patient safety outcome measures. The proposed framework is tested using structural equation modeling, based on data collected for 204 hospitals, and supplemented with objective outcome data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The results provide empirical evidence that a safety climate, which is connected to the chief executive officer's transformational leadership style, is related to CQI initiatives, which are linked to improved process quality. A unique finding of this study is that, although CQI initiatives are positively associated with improved process quality, they are also associated with higher hospital-acquired condition rates, a measure of patient safety. Likewise, safety climate is directly related to improved patient safety outcomes. The notion that patient safety climate and CQI initiatives are not interchangeable or universally beneficial is an important contribution to the literature. The results confirm the importance of using CQI to effectively enhance process quality in hospitals, and patient safety climate to improve patient safety outcomes. The overall pattern of findings suggests that simultaneous implementation of CQI initiatives and patient safety climate produces greater combined benefits.

Leadership, safety climate, and continuous quality improvement: impact on process quality and patient safety.

PubMed

McFadden, Kathleen L; Stock, Gregory N; Gowen, Charles R

2015-01-01

Successful amelioration of medical errors represents a significant problem in the health care industry. There is a need for greater understanding of the factors that lead to improved process quality and patient safety outcomes in hospitals. We present a research model that shows how transformational leadership, safety climate, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiatives are related to objective quality and patient safety outcome measures. The proposed framework is tested using structural equation modeling, based on data collected for 204 hospitals, and supplemented with objective outcome data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The results provide empirical evidence that a safety climate, which is connected to the chief executive officer's transformational leadership style, is related to CQI initiatives, which are linked to improved process quality. A unique finding of this study is that, although CQI initiatives are positively associated with improved process quality, they are also associated with higher hospital-acquired condition rates, a measure of patient safety. Likewise, safety climate is directly related to improved patient safety outcomes. The notion that patient safety climate and CQI initiatives are not interchangeable or universally beneficial is an important contribution to the literature. The results confirm the importance of using CQI to effectively enhance process quality in hospitals, and patient safety climate to improve patient safety outcomes. The overall pattern of findings suggests that simultaneous implementation of CQI initiatives and patient safety climate produces greater combined benefits.

21 CFR 820.20 - Management responsibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Management responsibility. 820.20 Section 820.20...) MEDICAL DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Quality System Requirements § 820.20 Management responsibility. (a) Quality policy. Management with executive responsibility shall establish its policy and...

21 CFR 820.20 - Management responsibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Management responsibility. 820.20 Section 820.20...) MEDICAL DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Quality System Requirements § 820.20 Management responsibility. (a) Quality policy. Management with executive responsibility shall establish its policy and...

21 CFR 820.20 - Management responsibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Management responsibility. 820.20 Section 820.20...) MEDICAL DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Quality System Requirements § 820.20 Management responsibility. (a) Quality policy. Management with executive responsibility shall establish its policy and...

21 CFR 820.20 - Management responsibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Management responsibility. 820.20 Section 820.20...) MEDICAL DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Quality System Requirements § 820.20 Management responsibility. (a) Quality policy. Management with executive responsibility shall establish its policy and...

21 CFR 820.20 - Management responsibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Management responsibility. 820.20 Section 820.20...) MEDICAL DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Quality System Requirements § 820.20 Management responsibility. (a) Quality policy. Management with executive responsibility shall establish its policy and...

10 CFR 71.121 - Internal inspection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... performed for each work operation where necessary to assure quality. If direct inspection of processed... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) PACKAGING AND TRANSPORTATION OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL Quality Assurance § 71... execute a program for inspection of activities affecting quality by or for the organization performing the...

10 CFR 71.121 - Internal inspection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... performed for each work operation where necessary to assure quality. If direct inspection of processed... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) PACKAGING AND TRANSPORTATION OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL Quality Assurance § 71... execute a program for inspection of activities affecting quality by or for the organization performing the...

10 CFR 71.121 - Internal inspection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... performed for each work operation where necessary to assure quality. If direct inspection of processed... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) PACKAGING AND TRANSPORTATION OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL Quality Assurance § 71... execute a program for inspection of activities affecting quality by or for the organization performing the...

10 CFR 71.121 - Internal inspection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... performed for each work operation where necessary to assure quality. If direct inspection of processed... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) PACKAGING AND TRANSPORTATION OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL Quality Assurance § 71... execute a program for inspection of activities affecting quality by or for the organization performing the...

10 CFR 71.121 - Internal inspection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... performed for each work operation where necessary to assure quality. If direct inspection of processed... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) PACKAGING AND TRANSPORTATION OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL Quality Assurance § 71... execute a program for inspection of activities affecting quality by or for the organization performing the...

The Development of Metaphor Comprehension and Its Relationship with Relational Verbal Reasoning and Executive Function.

PubMed

Carriedo, Nuria; Corral, Antonio; Montoro, Pedro R; Herrero, Laura; Ballestrino, Patricia; Sebastián, Iraia

2016-01-01

Our main objective was to analyse the different contributions of relational verbal reasoning (analogical and class inclusion) and executive functioning to metaphor comprehension across development. We postulated that both relational reasoning and executive functioning should predict individual and developmental differences. However, executive functioning would become increasingly involved when metaphor comprehension is highly demanding, either because of the metaphors' high difficulty (relatively novel metaphors in the absence of a context) or because of the individual's special processing difficulties, such as low levels of reading experience or low semantic knowledge. Three groups of participants, 11-year-olds, 15-year-olds and young adults, were assessed in different relational verbal reasoning tasks-analogical and class-inclusion-and in executive functioning tasks-updating information in working memory, inhibition, and shifting. The results revealed clear progress in metaphor comprehension between ages 11 and 15 and between ages 15 and 21. However, the importance of executive function in metaphor comprehension was evident by age 15 and was restricted to updating information in working memory and cognitive inhibition. Participants seemed to use two different strategies to interpret metaphors: relational verbal reasoning and executive functioning. This was clearly shown when comparing the performance of the "more efficient" participants in metaphor interpretation with that of the "less efficient" ones. Whereas in the first case none of the executive variables or those associated with relational verbal reasoning were significantly related to metaphor comprehension, in the latter case, both groups of variables had a clear predictor effect.

The importance of knowledge-based technology.

PubMed

Cipriano, Pamela F

2012-01-01

Nurse executives are responsible for a workforce that can provide safer and more efficient care in a complex sociotechnical environment. National quality priorities rely on technologies to provide data collection, share information, and leverage analytic capabilities to interpret findings and inform approaches to care that will achieve better outcomes. As a key steward for quality, the nurse executive exercises leadership to provide the infrastructure to build and manage nursing knowledge and instill accountability for following evidence-based practices. These actions contribute to a learning health system where new knowledge is captured as a by-product of care delivery enabled by knowledge-based electronic systems. The learning health system also relies on rigorous scientific evidence embedded into practice at the point of care. The nurse executive optimizes use of knowledge-based technologies, integrated throughout the organization, that have the capacity to help transform health care.

Deconstructing the Associations Between Executive Functioning, Problematic Alcohol Use, and Intimate Partner Aggression: A Dyadic Analysis

PubMed Central

Parrott, Dominic J.; Swartout, Kevin M.; Eckhardt, Christopher I.; Subramani, Olivia S.

2016-01-01

Introduction and Aims Problematic drinking and executive functioning deficits are two known risk factors for intimate partner aggression (IPA). However, executive functioning is a multifaceted construct, and it is not clear whether deficits in specific components of executive functioning are differentially associated with IPA perpetration generally and within the context of problematic alcohol use. To address this question, the present study investigated the effects of problematic drinking and components of executive functioning on physical IPA perpetration within a dyadic framework. Design and Methods Participants were 582 heavy drinking couples (total N = 1,164) with a recent history of psychological and/or physical IPA recruited from two metropolitan cities in the United States. Multilevel models were used to examine effects within an Actor-Partner Interdependence framework. Results The highest levels of physical IPA were observed among Actors who reported everyday consequences of executive functioning deficits related to emotional dysregulation whose partners were problematic drinkers. However, the association between executive functioning deficits related to emotional dysregulation and IPA was stronger toward partners who were non-problematic drinkers relative to partners who were problematic drinkers drinkers. No such effect was found for executive functioning deficits related to behavioral regulation. Discussion and Conclusions Results provide insight into how problematic drinking and specific executive functioning deficits interact dyadically in relation to physical IPA perpetration. PMID:28116760

Age-related changes in strategic variations during arithmetic problem solving: The role of executive control.

PubMed

Hinault, T; Lemaire, P

2016-01-01

In this review, we provide an overview of how age-related changes in executive control influence aging effects in arithmetic processing. More specifically, we consider the role of executive control in strategic variations with age during arithmetic problem solving. Previous studies found that age-related differences in arithmetic performance are associated with strategic variations. That is, when they accomplish arithmetic problem-solving tasks, older adults use fewer strategies than young adults, use strategies in different proportions, and select and execute strategies less efficiently. Here, we review recent evidence, suggesting that age-related changes in inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory processes underlie age-related changes in strategic variations during arithmetic problem solving. We discuss both behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying age-related changes in these executive control processes. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Verbal Processing Speed and Executive Functioning in Long-Term Cochlear Implant Users

PubMed Central

Pisoni, David B.; Kronenberger, William G.

2015-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to report how verbal rehearsal speed (VRS), a form of covert speech used to maintain verbal information in working memory, and another verbal processing speed measure, perceptual encoding speed, are related to 3 domains of executive function (EF) at risk in cochlear implant (CI) users: verbal working memory, fluency-speed, and inhibition-concentration. Method EF, speech perception, and language outcome measures were obtained from 55 prelingually deaf, long-term CI users and matched controls with normal hearing (NH controls). Correlational analyses were used to assess relations between VRS (articulation rate), perceptual encoding speed (digit and color naming), and the outcomes in each sample. Results CI users displayed slower verbal processing speeds than NH controls. Verbal rehearsal speed was related to 2 EF domains in the NH sample but was unrelated to EF outcomes in CI users. Perceptual encoding speed was related to all EF domains in both groups. Conclusions Verbal rehearsal speed may be less influential for EF quality in CI users than for NH controls, whereas rapid automatized labeling skills and EF are closely related in both groups. CI users may develop processing strategies in EF tasks that differ from the covert speech strategies routinely employed by NH individuals. PMID:25320961

Quality improvement prototype: Johnson Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The Johnson Space Flight Center was recognized by the Office of Management and Budget as a model for its high standards of quality. Included are an executive summary of the center's activities, an organizational overview, techniques for improving quality, the status of the quality effort and a listing of key personnel.

The role of early-life educational quality and literacy in explaining racial disparities in cognition in late life.

PubMed

Sisco, Shannon; Gross, Alden L; Shih, Regina A; Sachs, Bonnie C; Glymour, M Maria; Bangen, Katherine J; Benitez, Andreana; Skinner, Jeannine; Schneider, Brooke C; Manly, Jennifer J

2015-07-01

Racial disparities in late-life cognition persist even after accounting for educational attainment. We examined whether early-life educational quality and literacy in later life help explain these disparities. We used longitudinal data from the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP). Educational quality (percent white students; urban/rural school; combined grades in classroom) was operationalized using canonical correlation analysis. Late-life literacy (reading comprehension and ability, writing) was operationalized using confirmatory factor analysis. We examined whether these factors attenuated race-related differences in late-life cognition. The sample consisted of 1,679 U.S.-born, non-Hispanic, community-living adults aged 65-102 (71% black, 29% white; 70% women). Accounting for educational quality and literacy reduced disparities by 29% for general cognitive functioning, 26% for memory, and 32% for executive functioning but did not predict differences in rate of cognitive change. Early-life educational quality and literacy in late life explain a substantial portion of race-related disparities in late-life cognitive function. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Continuous Improvement and Quality: Implications for Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Satterlee, Brian

This paper reviews the literature pertaining to Total Quality Management (TQM) and its application in educational settings, especially at institutions of higher education. The review is organized into the following topical areas: the concept of "quality" (usually involving customer satisfaction, executive-level leadership, and employee…

24 CFR 50.1 - Purpose, authority, and applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Purpose, authority, and..., restoring and enhancing environmental quality. NEPA is implemented by Executive Order 11514 of March 5, 1970, (3 CFR, 1966-1970 Comp., p. 902) as amended by Executive Order 11991 of May 24, 1977, (3 CFR, 1977...

41 CFR 102-79.20 - What standard must Executive agencies promote when assigning space?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... quality workspace that is delivered and occupied in a timely manner, and assign space based on mission... Executive agencies promote when assigning space? 102-79.20 Section 102-79.20 Public Contracts and Property... PROPERTY 79-ASSIGNMENT AND UTILIZATION OF SPACE Assignment and Utilization of Space Assignment of Space...

41 CFR 102-79.20 - What standard must Executive agencies promote when assigning space?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... quality workspace that is delivered and occupied in a timely manner, and assign space based on mission... Executive agencies promote when assigning space? 102-79.20 Section 102-79.20 Public Contracts and Property... PROPERTY 79-ASSIGNMENT AND UTILIZATION OF SPACE Assignment and Utilization of Space Assignment of Space...

41 CFR 102-79.20 - What standard must Executive agencies promote when assigning space?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... quality workspace that is delivered and occupied in a timely manner, and assign space based on mission... Executive agencies promote when assigning space? 102-79.20 Section 102-79.20 Public Contracts and Property... PROPERTY 79-ASSIGNMENT AND UTILIZATION OF SPACE Assignment and Utilization of Space Assignment of Space...

41 CFR 102-79.20 - What standard must Executive agencies promote when assigning space?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... quality workspace that is delivered and occupied in a timely manner, and assign space based on mission... Executive agencies promote when assigning space? 102-79.20 Section 102-79.20 Public Contracts and Property... PROPERTY 79-ASSIGNMENT AND UTILIZATION OF SPACE Assignment and Utilization of Space Assignment of Space...

41 CFR 102-79.20 - What standard must Executive agencies promote when assigning space?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... quality workspace that is delivered and occupied in a timely manner, and assign space based on mission... Executive agencies promote when assigning space? 102-79.20 Section 102-79.20 Public Contracts and Property... PROPERTY 79-ASSIGNMENT AND UTILIZATION OF SPACE Assignment and Utilization of Space Assignment of Space...

17 CFR 200.30-15 - Delegation of authority to Executive Director.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... of the National Performance Review and the strategic and quality management approaches described by... General Organization § 200.30-15 Delegation of authority to Executive Director. Under Pub. L. 100-181, 101... or under his or her direction by persons designated by the Chairman of the Commission: To identify...

From External Regulation to Self-Regulation: Early Parenting Precursors of Young Children's Executive Functioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernier, Annie; Carlson, Stephanie M.; Whipple, Natasha

2010-01-01

In keeping with proposals emphasizing the role of early experience in infant brain development, this study investigated the prospective links between quality of parent-infant interactions and subsequent child executive functioning (EF), including working memory, impulse control, and set shifting. Maternal sensitivity, mind-mindedness and autonomy…

Executive Headteachers: What's in a Name? A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fellows, Tom; Odell, Evan

2016-01-01

This literature review aims to encapsulate existing research on the executive headteacher (EHT) position in England, building on the work of Fellows (2016). It covers three main areas: the history of EHTs in England; the skills, qualities and motivations identified in EHTs by existing literature; and the governance and school structures associated…

Mining dynamic noteworthy functions in software execution sequences

PubMed Central

Huang, Guoyan; Wang, Yuqian; He, Haitao; Ren, Jiadong

2017-01-01

As the quality of crucial entities can directly affect that of software, their identification and protection become an important premise for effective software development, management, maintenance and testing, which thus contribute to improving the software quality and its attack-defending ability. Most analysis and evaluation on important entities like codes-based static structure analysis are on the destruction of the actual software running. In this paper, from the perspective of software execution process, we proposed an approach to mine dynamic noteworthy functions (DNFM)in software execution sequences. First, according to software decompiling and tracking stack changes, the execution traces composed of a series of function addresses were acquired. Then these traces were modeled as execution sequences and then simplified so as to get simplified sequences (SFS), followed by the extraction of patterns through pattern extraction (PE) algorithm from SFS. After that, evaluating indicators inner-importance and inter-importance were designed to measure the noteworthiness of functions in DNFM algorithm. Finally, these functions were sorted by their noteworthiness. Comparison and contrast were conducted on the experiment results from two traditional complex network-based node mining methods, namely PageRank and DegreeRank. The results show that the DNFM method can mine noteworthy functions in software effectively and precisely. PMID:28278276

[Features of interpersonal behavior among executives of healthcare institutions with different styles of resolving management decisions].

PubMed

Vezhnovets', T A

2014-01-01

The aim of this work is to study the influence of the type of interpersonal relationships between executives and subordinates in healthcare institutions on their style of resolving management decision. It was established that indulgent and autonomous style are formed against background of liberal interpersonal relationship by the following criteria, as the absence of dominant traits, expressed benevolence among executives with autonomous style, uncertainty and inexperience among executives with indulgent style. Authoritarian and marginal styles are formed against empowerment and dominance in relationship with subordinates by expressed dominance criteria, as leadership qualities among executives with authoritarian style or as a manifestation of social maladjustment among executives with marginal style. Type of interpersonal relationships determines the style of resolving management decisions, that should be considered at conducting professional selection of candidates for senior positions in healthcare institutions.

The five traps of performance measurement.

PubMed

Likierman, Andrew

2009-10-01

Evaluating a company's performance often entails wading through a thicket of numbers produced by a few simple metrics, writes the author, and senior executives leave measurement to those whose specialty is spreadsheets. To take ownership of performance assessment, those executives should find qualitative, forward-looking measures that will help them avoid five common traps: Measuring against yourself. Find data from outside the company, and reward relative, rather than absolute, performance. Enterprise Rent-A-Car uses a service quality index to measure customers' repeat purchase intentions. Looking backward. Use measures that lead rather than lag the profits in your business. Humana, a health insurer, found that the sickest 10% of its patients account for 80% of its costs; now it offers customers incentives for early screening. Putting your faith in numbers. The soft drinks company Britvic evaluates its executive coaching program not by trying to assign it an ROI number but by tracking participants' careers for a year. Gaming your metrics. The law firm Clifford Chance replaced its single, easy-to-game metric of billable hours with seven criteria on which to base bonuses. Sticking to your numbers too long. Be precise about what you want to assess and explicit about what metrics are assessing it. Such clarity would have helped investors interpret the AAA ratings involved in the financial meltdown. Really good assessment will combine finance managers' relative independence with line managers' expertise.

Motor and Executive Function Profiles in Adult Residents ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Objective: Exposure to elevated levels of manganese (Mn) may be associated with tremor, motor and executive dysfunction (EF), clinically resembling Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD research has identified tremor-dominant (TD) and non-tremor dominant (NTD) profiles. NTD PD presents with bradykinesia, rigidity, and postural sway, and is associated with EF impairment with lower quality of life (QoL). Presence and impact of tremor, motor, and executive dysfunction profiles on health-related QoL and life satisfaction were examined in air-Mn exposed residents of two Ohio, USA towns. Participants and Methods: From two Ohio towns exposed to air-Mn, 186 residents (76 males) aged 30-75 years were administered measures of EF (Animal Naming, ACT, Rey-O Copy, Stroop Color-Word, and Trails B), motor and tremor symptoms (UPDRS), QoL (BRFSS), life satisfaction (SWLS), and positive symptom distress (SCL-90-R). Air-Mn exposure in the two towns was modeled with 10 years of air-monitoring data. Cluster analyses detected the presence of symptom profiles by grouping together residents with similar scores on these measures. Results: Overall, mean air-Mn concentration for the two towns was 0.53 µg/m3 (SD=.92). Two-step cluster analyses identified TD and NTD symptom profiles. Residents in the NTD group lacked EF impairment; EF impairment represented a separate profile. An unimpaired group also emerged. The NTD and EF impairment groups were qualitatively similar, with relatively lo

Emotion suppression moderates the quadratic association between RSA and executive function

PubMed Central

Spangler, Derek P.; Bell, Martha Ann; Deater-Deckard, Kirby

2016-01-01

There is uncertainty about whether respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a cardiac marker of adaptive emotion regulation, is involved in relatively low or high executive function performance. In the present study, we investigated: (1) whether RSA during rest and tasks predict both relatively low and high executive function within a larger quadratic association among the two variables, and (2) the extent to which this quadratic trend was moderated by individual differences in emotion regulation. To achieve these aims, a sample of ethnically and socioeconomically diverse women self-reported reappraisal and emotion suppression. They next experienced a two-minute resting period during which ECG was continually assessed. In the next phase, the women completed an array of executive function and non-executive cognitive tasks while ECG was measured throughout. As anticipated, resting RSA showed a quadratic association with executive function that was strongest for high suppression. These results suggest that relatively high resting RSA may predict poor executive function ability when emotion regulation consumes executive control resources needed for ongoing cognitive performance. PMID:26018941

Age and executive ability impact the neural correlates of race perception.

PubMed

Cassidy, Brittany S; Lee, Eunice J; Krendl, Anne C

2016-11-01

Decreased executive ability elicits racial bias. We clarified the neural correlates of how executive ability contributes to race perception by comparing young adults (YA) to a population with highly variable executive ability: older adults (OA). After replicating work showing higher race bias in OA vs YA and a negative association between bias and executive ability, a subsample of White YA and OA perceived Black and White faces and cars during functional magnetic resonance imaging. YA had higher executive ability than OA, and OA had higher variability in executive ability. When perceiving Black vs White faces, YA exhibited more dorsolateral prefrontal cortex recruitment-a region previously implicated in regulating prejudiced responses-than OA. Moreover, OA with relatively impaired executive ability had more amygdala activity toward Black faces vs OA with relatively intact executive ability, whereas responses to White faces did not differ. Both YA and OA with relatively intact executive ability had stronger amygdala-ventrolateral prefrontal cortex connectivity when perceiving Black vs White faces. These findings are the first to disentangle age from executive ability differences in neural recruitment when perceiving race, potentially informing past behavioral work on aging and race perception. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Shyness and Vocabulary: The Roles of Executive Functioning and Home Environmental Stimulation

PubMed Central

Nayena Blankson, A.; O’Brien, Marion; Leerkes, Esther M.; Marcovitch, Stuart; Calkins, Susan D.

2010-01-01

Although shyness has often been found to be negatively related to vocabulary, few studies have examined the processes that produce or modify this relation. The present study examined executive functioning skills and home environmental stimulation as potential mediating and moderating mechanisms. A sample of 3.5-year-old children (N=254) were administered executive functioning tasks and a vocabulary test during a laboratory visit. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing child shyness and home environmental stimulation. Our primary hypothesis was that executive functioning mediates the association between shyness and vocabulary, and home environmental stimulation moderates the relation between executive functioning and vocabulary. Alternative hypotheses were also tested. Results indicated that children with better executive functioning skills developed stronger vocabularies when reared in more, versus less, stimulating environments. Implications of these results are discussed in terms of the role of shyness, executive functioning, and home environmental stimulation in early vocabulary development. PMID:22096267

Deconstructing the associations between executive functioning, problematic alcohol use and intimate partner aggression: A dyadic analysis.

PubMed

Parrott, Dominic J; Swartout, Kevin M; Eckhardt, Christopher I; Subramani, Olivia S

2017-01-01

Problematic drinking and executive functioning deficits are two known risk factors for intimate partner aggression (IPA). However, executive functioning is a multifaceted construct, and it is not clear whether deficits in specific components of executive functioning are differentially associated with IPA perpetration generally and within the context of problematic alcohol use. To address this question, the present study investigated the effects of problematic drinking and components of executive functioning on physical IPA perpetration within a dyadic framework. Participants were 582 heavy drinking couples (total n = 1164) with a recent history of psychological and/or physical IPA recruited from two metropolitan cities in the USA. Multilevel models were used to examine effects within an actor-partner interdependence framework. The highest levels of physical IPA were observed among actors who reported everyday consequences of executive functioning deficits related to emotional dysregulation whose partners were problematic drinkers. However, the association between executive functioning deficits related to emotional dysregulation and IPA was stronger towards partners who were non-problematic drinkers relative to partners who were problematic drinkers. No such effect was found for executive functioning deficits related to behavioural regulation. Results provide insight into how problematic drinking and specific executive functioning deficits interact dyadically in relation to physical IPA perpetration. [Parrott DJ, Swartout KM, Eckhardt CI, Subramani OS. Deconstructing the associations between executive functioning, problematic alcohol use and intimate partner aggression: A dyadic analysis. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:88-96]. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Interventions to improve executive functioning and working memory in school-aged children with AD(H)D: a randomised controlled trial and stepped-care approach.

PubMed

van der Donk, Marthe L A; Hiemstra-Beernink, Anne-Claire; Tjeenk-Kalff, Ariane C; van der Leij, Aryan V; Lindauer, Ramón J L

2013-01-11

Deficits in executive functioning are of great significance in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One of these executive functions, working memory, plays an important role in academic performance and is often seen as the core deficit of this disorder. There are indications that working memory problems and academic performance can be improved by school-oriented interventions but this has not yet been studied systematically. In this study we will determine the short- and long-term effects of a working memory--and an executive function training applied in a school situation for children with AD(H)D, taking individual characteristics, the level of impairment and costs (stepped-care approach) into account. The study consists of two parts: the first part is a randomised controlled trial with school-aged children (8-12 yrs) with AD(H)D. Two groups (each n = 50) will be randomly assigned to a well studied computerized working memory training 'Cogmed', or to the 'Paying attention in class' intervention which is an experimental school-based executive function training. Children will be selected from regular -and special education primary schools in the region of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The second part of the study will determine which specific characteristics are related to non-response of the 'Paying attention in class' intervention. School-aged children (8-12 yrs) with AD(H)D will follow the experimental school-based executive function training 'Paying attention in class' (n = 175). Academic performance and neurocognitive functioning (primary outcomes) are assessed before, directly after and 6 months after training. Secondary outcome measures are: behaviour in class, behaviour problems and quality of life. So far, there is limited but promising evidence that working memory - and other executive function interventions can improve academic performance. Little is know about the applicability and generalization effects of these interventions in a classroom situation. This study will contribute to this lack of information, especially information related to real classroom and academic situations. By taking into account the costs of both interventions, level of impairment and individual characteristics of the child (stepped-care approach) we will be able to address treatment more adequately for each individual in the future. Nederlands Trial Register NTR3415.

The Development of Metaphor Comprehension and Its Relationship with Relational Verbal Reasoning and Executive Function

PubMed Central

Montoro, Pedro R.; Herrero, Laura; Ballestrino, Patricia; Sebastián, Iraia

2016-01-01

Our main objective was to analyse the different contributions of relational verbal reasoning (analogical and class inclusion) and executive functioning to metaphor comprehension across development. We postulated that both relational reasoning and executive functioning should predict individual and developmental differences. However, executive functioning would become increasingly involved when metaphor comprehension is highly demanding, either because of the metaphors’ high difficulty (relatively novel metaphors in the absence of a context) or because of the individual’s special processing difficulties, such as low levels of reading experience or low semantic knowledge. Three groups of participants, 11-year-olds, 15-year-olds and young adults, were assessed in different relational verbal reasoning tasks—analogical and class-inclusion—and in executive functioning tasks—updating information in working memory, inhibition, and shifting. The results revealed clear progress in metaphor comprehension between ages 11 and 15 and between ages 15 and 21. However, the importance of executive function in metaphor comprehension was evident by age 15 and was restricted to updating information in working memory and cognitive inhibition. Participants seemed to use two different strategies to interpret metaphors: relational verbal reasoning and executive functioning. This was clearly shown when comparing the performance of the "more efficient" participants in metaphor interpretation with that of the "less efficient” ones. Whereas in the first case none of the executive variables or those associated with relational verbal reasoning were significantly related to metaphor comprehension, in the latter case, both groups of variables had a clear predictor effect. PMID:26954501

The VCU Pressure Ulcer Summit: Collaboration to Operationalize Hospital-Acquired Pressure Ulcer Prevention Best Practice Recommendations.

PubMed

Brindle, C Tod; Creehan, Sue; Black, Joyce; Zimmermann, Deb

2015-01-01

This executive summary reports outcomes of an interprofessional collaboration between experts in pressure ulcer prevention, bedside clinicians, regulatory agencies, quality improvement, informatics experts, and professional nursing organizations. The goal of the collaboration was to develop a framework to assist facilities to operationalize best practice recommendations to sustain organizational culture change in hospital-acquired pressure ulcer prevention, to develop a hospital-acquired pressure ulcer severity score, and to address topics related to the unavoidable pressure ulcer.

77 FR 47535 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-09

... the California State Implementation Plan, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District... final action to approve revisions to the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District portion... ``significant regulatory action'' subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order...

3 CFR 101.5 - Council on Environmental Quality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Council on Environmental Quality. 101.5 Section 101.5 Presidential Documents EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT PUBLIC INFORMATION PROVISIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES ACT § 101.5 Council on Environmental Quality. Freedom of Information regulations for...

3 CFR 101.5 - Council on Environmental Quality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Council on Environmental Quality. 101.5 Section 101.5 Presidential Documents EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT PUBLIC INFORMATION PROVISIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES ACT § 101.5 Council on Environmental Quality. Freedom of Information regulations for...

3 CFR 101.5 - Council on Environmental Quality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Council on Environmental Quality. 101.5 Section 101.5 Presidential Documents EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT PUBLIC INFORMATION PROVISIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES ACT § 101.5 Council on Environmental Quality. Freedom of Information regulations for...

3 CFR 101.5 - Council on Environmental Quality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Council on Environmental Quality. 101.5 Section 101.5 Presidential Documents EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT PUBLIC INFORMATION PROVISIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES ACT § 101.5 Council on Environmental Quality. Freedom of Information regulations for...

3 CFR 101.5 - Council on Environmental Quality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Council on Environmental Quality. 101.5 Section 101.5 Presidential Documents EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT PUBLIC INFORMATION PROVISIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES ACT § 101.5 Council on Environmental Quality. Freedom of Information regulations for...

Strategy difficulty effects in young and older adults' episodic memory are modulated by inter-stimulus intervals and executive control processes.

PubMed

Burger, Lucile; Uittenhove, Kim; Lemaire, Patrick; Taconnat, Laurence

2017-04-01

Efficient execution of strategies is crucial to memory performance and to age-related differences in this performance. Relative strategy complexity influences memory performance and aging effects on memory. Here, we aimed to further our understanding of the effects of relative strategy complexity by looking at the role of cognitive control functions and the time-course of the effects of relative strategy complexity. Thus, we manipulated inter-stimulus intervals (ISI) and assessed executive functions. Results showed that (a) performance as a function of the relative strategy difficulty of the current and previous trial was modulated by ISI, (b) these effects were modulated by inhibition capacities, and (c) significant age differences were found in the way ISI modulates relative strategy difficulty. These findings have important implications for understanding the relationships between aging, executive control, and strategy execution in episodic memory. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How the health belief model helps the tobacco industry: individuals, choice, and "information".

PubMed

Balbach, Edith D; Smith, Elizabeth A; Malone, Ruth E

2006-12-01

To analyse trial and deposition testimony of tobacco industry executives to determine how they use the concepts of "information" and "choice" and consider how these concepts are related to theoretical models of health behaviour change. We coded and analysed transcripts of trial and deposition testimony of 14 high-level executives representing six companies plus the Tobacco Institute. We conducted an interpretive analysis of industry executives' characterisation of the industry's role as information provider and the agency of tobacco consumers in making "choices". Tobacco industry executives deployed the concept of "information" as a mechanism that shifted to consumers full moral responsibility for the harms caused by tobacco products. The industry's role was characterised as that of impartial supplier of value-free "information", without regard to its quality, accuracy and truthfulness. Tobacco industry legal defences rely on assumptions congruent with and supported by individual rational choice theories, particularly those that emphasise individual, autonomous decision-makers. Tobacco control advocates and health educators must challenge the industry's preferred framing, pointing out that "information" is not value-free. Multi-level, multi-sectoral interventions are critical to tobacco use prevention. Over-reliance on individual and interpersonal rational choice models may have the effect of validating the industry's model of smoking and cessation behaviour, absolving it of responsibility and rendering invisible the "choices" the industry has made and continues to make in promoting the most deadly consumer product ever made.

Data management in clinical research: Synthesizing stakeholder perspectives.

PubMed

Johnson, Stephen B; Farach, Frank J; Pelphrey, Kevin; Rozenblit, Leon

2016-04-01

This study assesses data management needs in clinical research from the perspectives of researchers, software analysts and developers. This is a mixed-methods study that employs sublanguage analysis in an innovative manner to link the assessments. We performed content analysis using sublanguage theory on transcribed interviews conducted with researchers at four universities. A business analyst independently extracted potential software features from the transcriptions, which were translated into the sublanguage. This common sublanguage was then used to create survey questions for researchers, analysts and developers about the desirability and difficulty of features. Results were synthesized using the common sublanguage to compare stakeholder perceptions with the original content analysis. Individual researchers exhibited significant diversity of perspectives that did not correlate by role or site. Researchers had mixed feelings about their technologies, and sought improvements in integration, interoperability and interaction as well as engaging with study participants. Researchers and analysts agreed that data integration has higher desirability and mobile technology has lower desirability but disagreed on the desirability of data validation rules. Developers agreed that data integration and validation are the most difficult to implement. Researchers perceive tasks related to study execution, analysis and quality control as highly strategic, in contrast with tactical tasks related to data manipulation. Researchers have only partial technologic support for analysis and quality control, and poor support for study execution. Software for data integration and validation appears critical to support clinical research, but may be expensive to implement. Features to support study workflow, collaboration and engagement have been underappreciated, but may prove to be easy successes. Software developers should consider the strategic goals of researchers with regard to the overall coordination of research projects and teams, workflow connecting data collection with analysis and processes for improving data quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

77 FR 43822 - Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Valuing Improved Water Quality in the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-26

... Request; Comment Request; Valuing Improved Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay Using Stated Preference... efforts to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. In 2009, Executive Order (E.O.) 13508 re... undertaking a benefits analysis of improvements in Bay water quality under the TMDLs, as well as of ancillary...

Examining the relationship between specific cognitive processes and falls risk in older adults: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Hsu, Chun Liang; Nagamatsu, Lindsay S.; Davis, Jennifer C.; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa

2015-01-01

Purpose Recent evidence suggests that impaired cognition increases seniors’ risk of falling. The purpose of this review was to identify the cognitive domains that are significantly associated with falls or falls risk in older adults. Methods We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed journal articles published from 1948 to present, focusing on studies investigating different domains of cognitive function and their association with falls or falls risk in adults aged 60 years or older. In accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we completed a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, Pubmed, and EMBASE databases to identify studies examining the association between cognitive function and falls or falls risk. With an expert in the field, we developed a quality assessment questionnaire to rate the quality of the studies included in this systematic review. Results Twenty-five studies were included in the review. We categorized studies based on two related but distinct cognitive domains: 1) executive functions, or 2) dual-task ability. Twelve studies reported a significant association between executive functions and falls risk. Thirteen studies reported that dual-task performance is a predictor of falls or falls risk in older adults. Three studies did not report an association between cognition and falls risk. Conclusion Consistent evidence demonstrated that executive functions and dual-task performance were highly associated with falls or falls risk. The results from this review will aid healthcare professionals and researchers in developing innovative screening and treatment strategies for mitigating falls risk by targeting specific cognitive domains. PMID:22638707

Binary classification of items of interest in a repeatable process

DOEpatents

Abell, Jeffrey A.; Spicer, John Patrick; Wincek, Michael Anthony; Wang, Hui; Chakraborty, Debejyo

2014-06-24

A system includes host and learning machines in electrical communication with sensors positioned with respect to an item of interest, e.g., a weld, and memory. The host executes instructions from memory to predict a binary quality status of the item. The learning machine receives signals from the sensor(s), identifies candidate features, and extracts features from the candidates that are more predictive of the binary quality status relative to other candidate features. The learning machine maps the extracted features to a dimensional space that includes most of the items from a passing binary class and excludes all or most of the items from a failing binary class. The host also compares the received signals for a subsequent item of interest to the dimensional space to thereby predict, in real time, the binary quality status of the subsequent item of interest.

Psychological and physical correlates of musculoskeletal symptoms in male professional divers and offshore workers

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Underwater divers are more likely to complain of musculoskeletal symptoms than a control population. Accordingly, we conducted a study to determine whether musculoskeletal symptoms reflected observable physical disorder, to ascertain the relationship between symptoms and measures of mood, memory and executive function and to assess any need for future screening. Methods A 10% random sample of responders to a prior postal health questionnaire was examined (151 divers, 120 non-diving offshore workers). Participants underwent physical examination and a neuropsychological test battery for memory and executive function. Participants also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for anxiety (HADSa) and depression (HADSd), and questionnaires for physical health-related quality of life (SF36 PCS), mental health-related quality of life (SF36 MCS), memory (Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ)), executive function (dysexecutive syndrome questionnaire (DEX)), musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) and general unrelated symptom reporting. Results Of participants with moderate/severe musculoskeletal symptoms, 52% had physical signs, and of participants with no symptoms, 73% had no physical signs. There was no difference in the prevalence of signs or symptoms between groups. Musculoskeletal symptoms were associated with lower SF36 PCS for both groups. In divers, musculoskeletal symptoms were associated with higher general unrelated symptom reporting and poorer scoring for HADSa, PRMQ, CFQ and DEX with scores remaining within the normative range. A positive physical examination was associated with general unrelated symptom reporting in divers. There were no differences in neuropsychological test scores attributable to either group or musculoskeletal symptoms. Conclusions Musculoskeletal symptoms were associated with physical signs, but this was not a strong effect. Reporting of musculoskeletal symptoms by the divers studied was also associated with a tendency to report symptoms generally or somatisation, and caution should be exercised regarding their interpretation as an indication of physical disease or their use for health screening. PMID:23849557

76 FR 50891 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-17

... the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) AGENCY... sources, to achieve emissions reductions milestones, to attain and maintain ambient air quality standards... ``significant regulatory action'' subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order...

78 FR 18244 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-26

... the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District AGENCY... the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) portion of the California State...'' subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October...

76 FR 72142 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-22

... the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District AGENCY... the South Coast Air Quality Management District portion of the California State Implementation Plan... Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993); Does not...

78 FR 30768 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-23

... the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District AGENCY... the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) portion of the California State... ``significant regulatory action'' subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order...

77 FR 13495 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-07

... the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District AGENCY... the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) portion of the California State... Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993); Does not...

Executive Perceptions of the Top 10 Soft Skills Needed in Today's Workplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robles, Marcel M.

2012-01-01

Hard skills are the technical expertise and knowledge needed for a job. Soft skills are interpersonal qualities, also known as people skills, and personal attributes that one possesses. Business executives consider soft skills a very important attribute in job applicants. Employers want new employees to have strong soft skills, as well as hard…

"AfterZone:" Outcomes for Youth Participating in Providence's Citywide After-School System. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kauh, Tina J.

2011-01-01

This executive summary highlights the main findings from our participation and outcomes analysis of the "AfterZone" initiative--a citywide system-building effort in Providence, Rhode Island, that aims to provide high-quality, accessible out-of-school-time services to middle school youth. The summary briefly defines the AfterZone's unique…

Brain Structure and Executive Functions in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weierink, Lonneke; Vermeulen, R. Jeroen; Boyd, Roslyn N.

2013-01-01

This systematic review aimed to establish the current knowledge about brain structure and executive function (EF) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Five databases were searched (up till July 2012). Six articles met the inclusion criteria, all included structural brain imaging though no functional brain imaging. Study quality was assessed using…

Social Factors in the Development of Early Executive Functioning: A Closer Look at the Caregiving Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernier, Annie; Carlson, Stephanie M.; Deschenes, Marie; Matte-Gagne, Celia

2012-01-01

This study investigated prospective links between quality of the early caregiving environment and children's subsequent executive functioning (EF). Sixty-two families were met on five occasions, allowing for assessment of maternal interactive behavior, paternal interactive behavior, and child attachment security between 1 and 2 years of age, and…

78 FR 18280 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Nevada; Regional Haze Federal...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-26

... emission limits applicable to Units 1, 2, and 3 at RGGS by 18 months from January 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016.... Paperwork Reduction Act C. Regulatory Flexibility Act D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act E. Executive Order..., or Use I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions...

Parenting, Family Socioeconomic Status, and Child Executive Functioning: A Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rochette, Émilie; Bernier, Annie

2014-01-01

Family socioeconomic status (SES) and the quality of maternal behavior are among the few identified predictors of child executive functioning (EF), and they have often been found to have interactive rather than additive effects on other domains of child functioning. The purpose of this study was to explore their interactive effects in the…

An online network tool for quality information to answer questions about occupational safety and health: usability and applicability.

PubMed

Rhebergen, Martijn D F; Hulshof, Carel T J; Lenderink, Annet F; van Dijk, Frank J H

2010-10-22

Common information facilities do not always provide the quality information needed to answer questions on health or health-related issues, such as Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) matters. Barriers may be the accessibility, quantity and readability of information. Online Question & Answer (Q&A) network tools, which link questioners directly to experts can overcome some of these barriers. When designing and testing online tools, assessing the usability and applicability is essential. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the usability and applicability of a new online Q&A network tool for answers on OSH questions. We applied a cross-sectional usability test design. Eight occupational health experts and twelve potential questioners from the working population (workers) were purposively selected to include a variety of computer- and internet-experiences. During the test, participants were first observed while executing eight tasks that entailed important features of the tool. In addition, they were interviewed. Through task observations and interviews we assessed applicability, usability (effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction) and facilitators and barriers in use. Most features were usable, though several could be improved. Most tasks were executed effectively. Some tasks, for example searching stored questions in categories, were not executed efficiently and participants were less satisfied with the corresponding features. Participants' recommendations led to improvements. The tool was found mostly applicable for additional information, to observe new OSH trends and to improve contact between OSH experts and workers. Hosting and support by a trustworthy professional organization, effective implementation campaigns, timely answering and anonymity were seen as important use requirements. This network tool is a promising new strategy for offering company workers high quality information to answer OSH questions. Q&A network tools can be an addition to existing information facilities in the field of OSH, but also to other healthcare fields struggling with how to answer questions from people in practice with high quality information. In the near future, we will focus on the use of the tool and its effects on information and knowledge dissemination.

Revitalizing executive information systems.

PubMed

Crockett, F

1992-01-01

As the saying goes, "garbage in, garbage out"--and this is as true for executive information systems as for any other computer system. Crockett presents a methodology he has used with clients to help them develop more useful systems that produce higher quality information. The key is to develop performance measures based on critical success factors and stakeholder expectations and then to link them cross functionally to show how progress is being made on strategic goals. Feedback from the executive information system then informs strategy formulation, business plan development, and operational activities.

Is capacity for pleasure associated with executive career success?

PubMed

Clark, D C; Morrison, D E; Fawcett, J

1984-01-01

Executives with a low capacity for pleasure were examined to determine if they evidence less occupational and social success than those with normal or high capacity. Data on pleasure capacity and depressive symptoms were collected from 88 senior executive officers, and scores were compared with independent ratings of career success. The 11% of executives with serious work-related or personal problems showed significantly higher pleasure scores than the rest. It is hypothesized that the relatively high pleasure scores of the least successful executives reflect a defensive process of denial or reaction formation rather than an excessively joyful personality trait. A longitudinal study of executives is proposed to clarify whether the high pleasure capacity scores of the least successful executives change situationally over time.

Temperament, Executive Control, and ADHD across Early Development

PubMed Central

Rabinovitz, Beth B.; O’Neill, Sarah; Rajendran, Khushmand; Halperin, Jeffrey M.

2015-01-01

Research examining factors linking early temperament and later ADHD is limited by cross-sectional approaches and having the same informant rate both temperament and psychopathology. We used multi-informant/multi-method longitudinal data to test the hypothesis that negative emotionality during preschool is positively associated with ADHD symptom severity in middle childhood, but developing executive control mediates this relation. Children (N=161) with and without ADHD were evaluated three times: Parent and teacher temperament ratings and NEPSY Visual Attention at ages 3–4 years; WISC-IV Working Memory Index and NEPSY Response Set at age 6 years; and ADHD symptoms using the Kiddie-SADS at age 7 years. Parent and teacher ratings of preschoolers’ temperament were combined to form an Anger/Frustration composite. Similarly, an Executive Functioning composite was derived from age 6 measures. Bootstrapping was used to determine whether age 6 Executive Functioning mediated the relation between early Anger/Frustration and later ADHD symptom severity, while controlling for early executive functioning. Preschoolers’ Anger/Frustration was significantly associated with later ADHD symptoms, with this relation partially mediated by age 6 Executive Functioning. Developing executive control mediates the relation between early Anger/Frustration and later ADHD symptom severity, suggesting that Anger/Frustration influences ADHD symptom severity through its impact on developing executive control. Early interventions targeting the harmful influences of negative emotionality or enhancing executive functioning may diminish later ADHD severity. PMID:26854505

22 CFR 41.54 - Intracompany transferees (executives, managers, and specialists).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Intracompany transferees (executives, managers, and specialists). 41.54 Section 41.54 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION....54 Intracompany transferees (executives, managers, and specialists). (a) Requirements for L...

CEO- CNE relationships: building an evidence-base of chief nursing executive replacement costs.

PubMed

Sredl, Darlene; Peng, Niang-Huei

2010-06-03

Explore professional relationships between Chief Nurse Executives (CNEs) and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs); CNE ethnic diversity; and CNE replacement costs. Theoretical frameworks - Marilyn Ray's Theory of Bureaucratic Caring, and Turkel's Theory of Relational Complexity espousing economic as well as caring variables. Exploratory mixed-method descriptive design using CNE mailed survey. CNE- cited opportunities for maintaining a positive relationship with the CEO: respect for CEO; goal- sharing (r=.782, p<0.01); having a strong relationship (r= .718, p<0.01); co-problem-solving (r=.437, p<0.01); having an interesting job (r=.406, p<0.01); having similar interests with CEO (r= .346, p<0.01); CEO and CNE maintaining specific roles (r= .261, p<0.05); satisfaction with CNE income (r=.251, p<0.05); willingness to improve relationship with CEO (r=.254, p<0.05). CNE positions demonstrated an ethnic diversity factor of 0.03%. CNE replacement costs to healthcare facilities were over 1.5 million dollars. CNE/CEO relationships have identified cohesive factors that may contribute to CNE longevity in position; an ethically diverse CNE deficit exists; and, CNE turnover and vacancy rates impact an organization's financial health and quality of care.

The role of chief executive officers in a quality improvement initiative: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Parand, Anam; Dopson, Sue; Vincent, Charles

2013-01-01

Objectives To identify the critical dimensions of hospital Chief Executive Officers’ (CEOs) involvement in a quality and safety initiative and to offer practical guidance to assist CEOs to fulfil their leadership role in quality improvement (QI). Design Qualitative interview study. Setting 20 organisations participating in the main phase of the Safer Patients Initiative (SPI) programme across the UK. Participants 17 CEOs overseeing 19 organisations participating in the main phase of the SPI programme and 36 staff (20 workstream leads, 10 coordinators and 6 managers) involved in SPI across all 20 participating organisations. Main outcome measure Self-reported perceptions of CEOs on their contribution and involvement within the SPI programme, supplemented by staff peer-reports. Results The CEOs recognised the importance of their part in the SPI programme and gave detailed accounts of the perceived value that their involvement had brought at all stages of the process. In exploring the parts played by the CEOs, five dimensions were identified: (1) resource provision; (2) staff motivation and engagement; (3) commitment and support; (4) monitoring progress and (5) embedding programme elements. Staff reports confirmed these dimensions; however, the weighting of the dimensions differed. The findings stress the importance of particular actions of support and monitoring such as constant communication through leadership walk rounds and reviewing programme progress and its related clinical outcomes at Board meetings. Conclusions This study addressed the call for more research-informed practical guidance on the role of senior management in QI initiatives. The findings show that the CEOs provided key participation considered to significantly contribute towards the SPI programme. CEOs and staff identified a number of clear and consistent themes essential to organisation safety improvement. Queries raised include the tangible benefits of executive involvement in changing structures and embedding for sustainability and the practical steps to creating the ‘right’ environment for QI. PMID:23293245

Quality Assessment of Published Articles in Iranian Journals Related to Economic Evaluation in Health Care Programs Based on Drummond's Checklist: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Rezapour, Aziz; Jafari, Abdosaleh; Mirmasoudi, Kosha; Talebianpour, Hamid

2017-09-01

Health economic evaluation research plays an important role in selecting cost-effective interventions. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of published articles in Iranian journals related to economic evaluation in health care programs based on Drummond's checklist in terms of numbers, features, and quality. In the present review study, published articles (Persian and English) in Iranian journals related to economic evaluation in health care programs were searched using electronic databases. In addition, the methodological quality of articles' structure was analyzed by Drummond's standard checklist. Based on the inclusion criteria, the search of databases resulted in 27 articles that fully covered economic evaluation in health care programs. A review of articles in accordance with Drummond's criteria showed that the majority of studies had flaws. The most common methodological weakness in the articles was in terms of cost calculation and valuation. Considering such methodological faults in these studies, it is anticipated that these studies would not provide an appropriate feedback to policy makers to allocate health care resources correctly and select suitable cost-effective interventions. Therefore, researchers are required to comply with the standard guidelines in order to better execute and report on economic evaluation studies.

Quality Assessment of Published Articles in Iranian Journals Related to Economic Evaluation in Health Care Programs Based on Drummond’s Checklist: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Rezapour, Aziz; Jafari, Abdosaleh; Mirmasoudi, Kosha; Talebianpour, Hamid

2017-01-01

Health economic evaluation research plays an important role in selecting cost-effective interventions. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of published articles in Iranian journals related to economic evaluation in health care programs based on Drummond’s checklist in terms of numbers, features, and quality. In the present review study, published articles (Persian and English) in Iranian journals related to economic evaluation in health care programs were searched using electronic databases. In addition, the methodological quality of articles’ structure was analyzed by Drummond’s standard checklist. Based on the inclusion criteria, the search of databases resulted in 27 articles that fully covered economic evaluation in health care programs. A review of articles in accordance with Drummond’s criteria showed that the majority of studies had flaws. The most common methodological weakness in the articles was in terms of cost calculation and valuation. Considering such methodological faults in these studies, it is anticipated that these studies would not provide an appropriate feedback to policy makers to allocate health care resources correctly and select suitable cost-effective interventions. Therefore, researchers are required to comply with the standard guidelines in order to better execute and report on economic evaluation studies. PMID:29234174

Impact of restless legs syndrome in patients with inflammatory bowel disease on sleep, fatigue, and quality of life.

PubMed

Schindlbeck, Katharina A; Becker, Janek; Berger, Felix; Mehl, Arne; Rewitzer, Charlotte; Geffe, Sarah; Koch, Peter M; Preiß, Jan C; Siegmund, Britta; Maul, Jochen; Marzinzik, Frank

2017-01-01

Inflammatory bowel disease has been associated with neurological symptoms including restless legs syndrome. Here, we investigated the impact of restless legs syndrome in patients with inflammatory bowel disease on sleep, fatigue, mood, cognition, and quality of life. Two groups of inflammatory bowel disease patients, with and without restless legs syndrome, were prospectively evaluated for sleep disorders, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life. Furthermore, global cognitive function, executive function, attention, and concentration were assessed in both groups. Disease activity and duration of inflammatory bowel disease as well as current medication were assessed by interview. Inflammatory bowel disease patients with and without restless legs syndrome were matched for age, education, severity, and duration of their inflammatory bowel disease. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease and clinically relevant restless leg syndrome suffered significantly more frequent from sleep disturbances including sleep latency and duration, more fatigue, and worse health-related quality of life as compared to inflammatory bowel disease patients without restless legs syndrome. Affect and cognitive function including cognitive flexibility, attention, and concentration showed no significant differences among groups, indicating to be not related to restless legs syndrome. Sleep disorders including longer sleep latency, shorter sleep duration, and fatigue are characteristic symptoms of restless legs syndrome in inflammatory bowel disease patients, resulting in worse health-related quality of life. Therefore, clinicians treating patients with inflammatory bowel disease should be alert for restless legs syndrome.

Attention processes in chronic fatigue syndrome: attentional bias for health-related threat and the role of attentional control.

PubMed

Hou, Ruihua; Moss-Morris, Rona; Risdale, Anna; Lynch, Jeannette; Jeevaratnam, Preshan; Bradley, Brendan P; Mogg, Karin

2014-01-01

Cognitive behavioural models of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) propose that attention processes, specifically, enhanced selective attention to health-threat related cues, may play an important role in symptom maintenance. The current study investigated attentional bias towards health-threat stimuli in CFS. It also examined whether individuals with CFS have impaired executive attention, and whether this was related to attentional bias. 27 participants with CFS and 35 healthy controls completed a Visual Probe Task measuring attentional bias, and an Attention Network Test measuring executive attention, alerting and orienting. Participants also completed self-report measures of CFS and mood symptoms. Compared to the control group, the CFS group showed greater attentional bias for health-threat words than pictures; and the CFS group was significantly impaired in executive attention. Furthermore, CFS individuals with poor executive attention showed greater attentional bias to health-threat related words, compared not only to controls but also to CFS individuals with good executive attention. Thus, this study revealed a significant relationship between attentional bias and executive attention in CFS: attentional bias to threat was primarily evident in those with impaired executive attention control. Taking account of individual differences in executive attention control in current intervention models may be beneficial for CFS. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relations of Growth in Effortful Control to Family Income, Cumulative Risk, and Adjustment in Preschool-age Children

PubMed Central

Lengua, Liliana J.; Moran, Lyndsey; Zalewski, Maureen; Ruberry, Erika; Kiff, Cara; Thompson, Stephanie

2014-01-01

The study examined growth in effortful control (executive control, delay ability) in relation to income, cumulative risk (aggregate of demographic and psychosocial risk factors), and adjustment in 306 preschool-age children (50% girls, 50% boys) from families representing a range of income (29% at- or near-poverty; 28% lower-income; 25% middle-income; 18% upper-income), with 4 assessments starting at 36–40 mos. Income was directly related to levels of executive control and delay ability. Cumulative risk accounted for the effects of income on delay ability but not executive control. Higher initial executive control and slope of executive control and delay ability predicted academic readiness, whereas levels, but not growth, of executive control and delay ability predicted social competence and adjustment problems. Low income is a marker for lower effortful control, which demonstrates additive or mediating effects in the relation of income to children’s preschool adjustment. PMID:25253079

Age-Related Differences in the Reliance on Executive Control in Working Memory: Role of Task Demand

PubMed Central

Isingrini, Michel; Angel, Lucie; Fay, Séverine; Taconnat, Laurence; Lemaire, Patrick; Bouazzaoui, Badiâa

2015-01-01

We examined the hypothesis that age-related differences in the reliance on executive control may be better explained by variations of task demand than by a mechanism specifically linked to aging. To this end, we compared the relationship between the performance of young and older adults on two executive functioning tests and an updating working-memory task with different load levels. The results revealed a significant interaction between age, task demand, and individual executive capacities, indicating that executive resources were only involved at lower loads in older adults, and only at higher loads in young adults. Overall, the results are not consistent with the proposition that cognition places greater demand on executive control in older adults. However, they support the view that how much young and older adults rely on executive control to accomplish cognitive tasks depends on task demand. Finally, interestingly these results are consistent with the CRUNCH model accounting for age-related differences in brain activations. PMID:26700019

Age-Related Differences in the Reliance on Executive Control in Working Memory: Role of Task Demand.

PubMed

Isingrini, Michel; Angel, Lucie; Fay, Séverine; Taconnat, Laurence; Lemaire, Patrick; Bouazzaoui, Badiâa

2015-01-01

We examined the hypothesis that age-related differences in the reliance on executive control may be better explained by variations of task demand than by a mechanism specifically linked to aging. To this end, we compared the relationship between the performance of young and older adults on two executive functioning tests and an updating working-memory task with different load levels. The results revealed a significant interaction between age, task demand, and individual executive capacities, indicating that executive resources were only involved at lower loads in older adults, and only at higher loads in young adults. Overall, the results are not consistent with the proposition that cognition places greater demand on executive control in older adults. However, they support the view that how much young and older adults rely on executive control to accomplish cognitive tasks depends on task demand. Finally, interestingly these results are consistent with the CRUNCH model accounting for age-related differences in brain activations.

A longitudinal study of the moderating role of extraversion: leader-member exchange, performance, and turnover during new executive development.

PubMed

Bauer, Talya N; Erdogan, Berrin; Liden, Robert C; Wayne, Sandy J

2006-03-01

Identifying factors that help or hinder new executives in "getting up to speed" quickly and remaining with an organization is vital to maximizing the effectiveness of executive development. The current study extends past research by examining extraversion as a moderator of relationships between leader-member exchange (LMX) and performance, turnover intentions, and actual turnover for an executive sample. The sample consisted of 116 new executives who were surveyed prior to starting their employment and at 3 months postentry. A total of 67 senior executives rated these new executives in terms of overall performance at 6 months postentry. Turnover data were gathered from company records 3 1/2 years later. Hierarchical regression results showed that LMX was not related to performance or turnover intentions for those high in extraversion; but for individuals low in extraversion, there was a relation between LMX, performance, and turnover intentions. Furthermore, survival analyses showed that LMX was only related to turnover-hazard rate for individuals low in extraversion.

Executive dysfunction, brain aging, and political leadership.

PubMed

Fisher, Mark; Franklin, David L; Post, Jerrold M

2014-01-01

Decision-making is an essential component of executive function, and a critical skill of political leadership. Neuroanatomic localization studies have established the prefrontal cortex as the critical brain site for executive function. In addition to the prefrontal cortex, white matter tracts as well as subcortical brain structures are crucial for optimal executive function. Executive function shows a significant decline beginning at age 60, and this is associated with age-related atrophy of prefrontal cortex, cerebral white matter disease, and cerebral microbleeds. Notably, age-related decline in executive function appears to be a relatively selective cognitive deterioration, generally sparing language and memory function. While an individual may appear to be functioning normally with regard to relatively obvious cognitive functions such as language and memory, that same individual may lack the capacity to integrate these cognitive functions to achieve normal decision-making. From a historical perspective, global decline in cognitive function of political leaders has been alternatively described as a catastrophic event, a slowly progressive deterioration, or a relatively episodic phenomenon. Selective loss of executive function in political leaders is less appreciated, but increased utilization of highly sensitive brain imaging techniques will likely bring greater appreciation to this phenomenon. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was an example of a political leader with a well-described neurodegenerative condition (cerebral amyloid angiopathy) that creates a neuropathological substrate for executive dysfunction. Based on the known neuroanatomical and neuropathological changes that occur with aging, we should probably assume that a significant proportion of political leaders over the age of 65 have impairment of executive function.

Validation of the PedsQL Epilepsy Module: A pediatric epilepsy-specific health-related quality of life measure.

PubMed

Modi, Avani C; Junger, Katherine F; Mara, Constance A; Kellermann, Tanja; Barrett, Lauren; Wagner, Janelle; Mucci, Grace A; Bailey, Laurie; Almane, Dace; Guilfoyle, Shanna M; Urso, Lauryn; Hater, Brooke; Hustzi, Heather; Smith, Gigi; Herrmann, Bruce; Perry, M Scott; Zupanc, Mary; Varni, James W

2017-11-01

To validate a brief and reliable epilepsy-specific, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measure in children with various seizure types, treatments, and demographic characteristics. This national validation study was conducted across five epilepsy centers in the United States. Youth 5-18 years and caregivers of youth 2-18 years diagnosed with epilepsy completed the PedsQL Epilepsy Module and additional questionnaires to establish reliability and validity of the epilepsy-specific HRQOL instrument. Demographic and medical data were collected through chart reviews. Factor analysis was conducted, and internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas), test-retest reliability, and construct validity were assessed. Questionnaires were analyzed from 430 children with epilepsy (M age = 9.9 years; range 2-18 years; 46% female; 62% white: non-Hispanic; 76% monotherapy, 54% active seizures) and their caregivers. The final PedsQL Epilepsy Module is a 29-item measure with five subscales (i.e., Impact, Cognitive, Sleep, Executive Functioning, and Mood/Behavior) with parallel child and caregiver reports. Internal consistency coefficients ranged from 0.70-0.94. Construct validity and convergence was demonstrated in several ways, including strong relationships with seizure outcomes, antiepileptic drug (AED) side effects, and well-established measures of executive, cognitive, and emotional/behavioral functioning. The PedsQL Epilepsy Module is a reliable measure of HRQOL with strong evidence of its validity across the epilepsy spectrum in both clinical and research settings. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International League Against Epilepsy.

40 CFR 1515.2 - What is the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Environmental Quality, March 5, 1970, as amended by Executive Order 11991, May 24, 1977. (b) The Council's... Information Act. This index is updated and published in the Federal Register quarterly, starting in 1976. The...

Motor skills in kindergarten: Internal structure, cognitive correlates and relationships to background variables.

PubMed

Oberer, Nicole; Gashaj, Venera; Roebers, Claudia M

2017-04-01

The present study aimed to contribute to the discussion about the relation between motor coordination and executive functions in preschool children. Specifically, the relation between gross and fine motor skills and executive functions as well as the relation to possible background variables (SES, physical activity) were investigated. Based on the data of N=156 kindergarten children the internal structure of motor skills was investigated and confirmed the theoretically assumed subdivision of gross and fine motor skills. Both, gross and fine motor skills correlated significantly with executive functions, whereas the background variables seemed to have no significant impact on the executive functions and motor skills. Higher order control processes are discussed as an explanation of the relation between executive functions and motor skills. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

22 CFR 51.21 - Execution of passport application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Execution of passport application. 51.21 Section 51.21 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Application § 51.21 Execution of passport application. (a) Application by personal appearance. Except as provided in...

22 CFR 51.21 - Execution of passport application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Execution of passport application. 51.21 Section 51.21 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Application § 51.21 Execution of passport application. (a) Application by personal appearance. Except as provided in...

22 CFR 51.21 - Execution of passport application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Execution of passport application. 51.21 Section 51.21 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Application § 51.21 Execution of passport application. (a) Application by personal appearance. Except as provided in...

22 CFR 51.21 - Execution of passport application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Execution of passport application. 51.21 Section 51.21 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Application § 51.21 Execution of passport application. (a) Application by personal appearance. Except as provided in...

22 CFR 51.21 - Execution of passport application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Execution of passport application. 51.21 Section 51.21 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Application § 51.21 Execution of passport application. (a) Application by personal appearance. Except as provided in...

17 CFR 37.8 - Information relating to transactions on derivatives transaction execution facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Information relating to transactions on derivatives transaction execution facilities. 37.8 Section 37.8 Commodity and Securities Exchanges COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION DERIVATIVES TRANSACTION EXECUTION FACILITIES § 37.8...

78 FR 56639 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-13

...] Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District AGENCY... the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) portion of the California State... the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993); does...

"What my Guidance Councillor Should Have Told Me": The Importance of Universal Access and Exposure to Executive-Level Advice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliott, Catherine; Leck, Joanne; Rockwell, Brittany; Luthy, Michael

2013-01-01

Often, knowledge and quality education is reserved for the elite, where there are systemic obstacles to gaining access to today's leaders. Gender and racial inequities in executive-level positions across North America have been a longstanding debate amongst scholars and policy makers. Research has consistently documented that women are…

The language of business: a key nurse executive competency.

PubMed

Thomas, Joan; Collins, Allison; Collins, Denton; Herrin, Donna; Dafferner, Deborah; Gabriel, Julie

2008-01-01

The ability to interpret fiscal data pertaining to patient outcomes, human resources, customer satisfaction, and financial positions is a vital evidenced-based nurse executive competency. The ability of nurse leaders to influence and contribute in health system executive decision making requires fluency in accounting, "the language of business." After examining challenges faced by nurse executives, faculty at the Loewenberg School of Nursing at the University of Memphis integrated intensive accounting education into a new executive MSN program. Woven throughout the management accounting course is the concept that accounting data must be relevant and accurate for use by organization decision makers. Evidence-based decision making is emphasized when teaching planning and control activities. In addition, fluency in accounting is enhanced which leads to greater skill in patient and nursing advocacy. As competency in management accounting increases through the semester, executive MSN students are encouraged to apply cost accounting course content to their practice settings and to analyze how planning or control activities improve quality outcomes.

Episodic feeling-of-knowing accuracy and cued recall in the elderly: evidence for double dissociation involving executive functioning and processing speed.

PubMed

Perrotin, Audrey; Isingrini, Michel; Souchay, Céline; Clarys, David; Taconnat, Laurence

2006-05-01

This research investigated adult age differences in a metamemory monitoring task-episodic feeling-of-knowing (FOK) and in an episodic memory task-cued recall. Executive functioning and processing speed were examined as mediators of these age differences. Young and elderly adults were administered an episodic FOK task, a cued recall task, executive tests and speed tests. Age-related decline was observed on all the measures. Correlation analyses revealed a pattern of double dissociation which indicates a specific relationship between executive score and FOK accuracy, and between speed score and cued recall. When executive functioning and processing speed were evaluated concurrently on FOK and cued recall variables, hierarchical regression analyses showed that executive score was a better mediator of age-related variance in FOK, and that speed score was the better mediator of age-related variance in cued recall.

Executive functions: a discussion of the issues facing children with autism spectrum disorders and related disorders.

PubMed

Calhoun, James A

2006-02-01

The interest and attention devoted to executive functions has grown steadily in the last several decades. The concept and definitions of executive functions and their association with certain disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and overall cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning are important knowledge areas for those working in education, health, and mental health-related fields. It is particularly important for providers to have an understanding of the basic issues related to assessment and remediation of executive dysfunction. This article briefly addresses the background, current definitions, research, and some intervention options associated with executive functions. The intent is to present a foundation for encouraging additional research on the issues relevant to this important topic.

Asymmetric pedunculopontine network connectivity in parkinsonian patients with freezing of gait

PubMed Central

Fling, Brett W.; Cohen, Rajal G.; Mancini, Martina; Nutt, John G.; Fair, Damian A.

2013-01-01

Freezing of gait is one of the most debilitating symptoms in Parkinson’s disease as it causes falls and reduces mobility and quality of life. The pedunculopontine nucleus is one of the major nuclei of the mesencephalic locomotor region and has neurons related to anticipatory postural adjustments preceding step initiation as well as to the step itself, thus it may be critical for coupling posture and gait to avoid freezing. Because freezing of gait and postural impairments have been related to frontal lesions and frontal dysfunction such as executive function, we hypothesized that freezing is associated with disrupted connectivity between midbrain locomotor regions and medial frontal cortex. We used diffusion tensor imaging to quantify structural connectivity of the pedunculopontine nucleus in patients with Parkinson’s disease with freezing of gait, without freezing, and healthy age-matched controls. We also included behavioural tasks to gauge severity of freezing of gait, quantify gait metrics, and assess executive cognitive functions to determine whether between-group differences in executive dysfunction were related to pedunculopontine nucleus structural network connectivity. Using seed regions from the pedunculopontine nucleus, we were able to delineate white matter connections between the spinal cord, cerebellum, pedunculopontine nucleus, subcortical and frontal/prefrontal cortical regions. The current study is the first to demonstrate differences in structural connectivity of the identified locomotor pathway in patients with freezing of gait. We report reduced connectivity of the pedunculopontine nucleus with the cerebellum, thalamus and multiple regions of the frontal cortex. Moreover, these structural differences were observed solely in the right hemisphere of patients with freezing of gait. Finally, we show that the more left hemisphere-lateralized the pedunculopontine nucleus tract volume, the poorer the performance on cognitive tasks requiring the initiation of appropriate actions and/or the inhibition of inappropriate actions, specifically within patients with freezing. These results support the notion that freezing of gait is strongly related to structural deficits in the right hemisphere’s locomotor network involving prefrontal cortical areas involved in executive inhibition function. PMID:23824487

40 CFR 1515.8 - Appeals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PROCEDURES Procedures...: FOIA Appeals Officer, Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President, 722 Jackson... Appeals Officer to review the determination made by the Freedom of Information Officer. The letter should...

40 CFR 1515.8 - Appeals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PROCEDURES Procedures...: FOIA Appeals Officer, Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President, 722 Jackson... Appeals Officer to review the determination made by the Freedom of Information Officer. The letter should...

40 CFR 1515.8 - Appeals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PROCEDURES Procedures...: FOIA Appeals Officer, Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President, 722 Jackson... Appeals Officer to review the determination made by the Freedom of Information Officer. The letter should...

40 CFR 1515.8 - Appeals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PROCEDURES Procedures...: FOIA Appeals Officer, Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President, 722 Jackson... Appeals Officer to review the determination made by the Freedom of Information Officer. The letter should...

The Blue Ribbon Panel on Oxygenates in Gasoline : executive summary and recommendations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-07-27

In November, 1998, U.S. EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner appointed a Blue Ribbon : Panel to investigate the air quality benefits and water quality concerns associated with : oxygenates in gasoline, and to provide independent advice and recommendati...

Fertility preservation: a challenge for IVF-clinics.

PubMed

Dahhan, Taghride; Mol, Femke; Kenter, Gemma G; Balkenende, Eva M E; de Melker, Annemieke A; van der Veen, Fulco; Dancet, Eline A F; Goddijn, Mariëtte

2015-11-01

Acute fertility preservation for women is an interdisciplinary treatment that requires adequate information provision and early referral. This quality management project aimed to improve fertility preservation care by using a practical tool: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis. Quality management project was executed between May 2011 and July 2013. This project has been executed in a university affiliated IVF-clinic in cooperation with two oncological sites and used a four-step strategy: (1) monitoring baseline referral process, (2) exploring baseline fertility preservation program by Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats' (SWOT)-analysis, (3) setting up a new fertility preservation program and (4) evaluating the new fertility preservation program by means of SWOT-analysis. During the three-months monitoring period, fertility preservation was requested for a total of 126 women. The mean age of the women was 33.8 years old (range 1-42 years old). Most requests came from women who wanted to cryopreserve oocytes because of age-related decline of fertility (n=90; 71%). Most requests for acute fertility preservation concerned women with breast cancer (n=16; 57%). Information leaflets and pre-consultation questionnaires for women improved the quality of first fertility preservation consultation as evaluated by final SWOT-analysis. Collaboration with oncological centres and information about fertility preservation improved the referral process. SWOT-analysis proved useful for setting up a new fertility preservation-program and can be recommended as a tool to improve the management and organisation of new types of reproductive care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

It's All About the Data: Workflow Systems and Weather

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plale, B.

2009-05-01

Digital data is fueling new advances in the computational sciences, particularly geospatial research as environmental sensing grows more practical through reduced technology costs, broader network coverage, and better instruments. e-Science research (i.e., cyberinfrastructure research) has responded to data intensive computing with tools, systems, and frameworks that support computationally oriented activities such as modeling, analysis, and data mining. Workflow systems support execution of sequences of tasks on behalf of a scientist. These systems, such as Taverna, Apache ODE, and Kepler, when built as part of a larger cyberinfrastructure framework, give the scientist tools to construct task graphs of execution sequences, often through a visual interface for connecting task boxes together with arcs representing control flow or data flow. Unlike business processing workflows, scientific workflows expose a high degree of detail and control during configuration and execution. Data-driven science imposes unique needs on workflow frameworks. Our research is focused on two issues. The first is the support for workflow-driven analysis over all kinds of data sets, including real time streaming data and locally owned and hosted data. The second is the essential role metadata/provenance collection plays in data driven science, for discovery, determining quality, for science reproducibility, and for long-term preservation. The research has been conducted over the last 6 years in the context of cyberinfrastructure for mesoscale weather research carried out as part of the Linked Environments for Atmospheric Discovery (LEAD) project. LEAD has pioneered new approaches for integrating complex weather data, assimilation, modeling, mining, and cyberinfrastructure systems. Workflow systems have the potential to generate huge volumes of data. Without some form of automated metadata capture, either metadata description becomes largely a manual task that is difficult if not impossible under high-volume conditions, or the searchability and manageability of the resulting data products is disappointingly low. The provenance of a data product is a record of its lineage, or trace of the execution history that resulted in the product. The provenance of a forecast model result, e.g., captures information about the executable version of the model, configuration parameters, input data products, execution environment, and owner. Provenance enables data to be properly attributed and captures critical parameters about the model run so the quality of the result can be ascertained. Proper provenance is essential to providing reproducible scientific computing results. Workflow languages used in science discovery are complete programming languages, and in theory can support any logic expressible by a programming language. The execution environments supporting the workflow engines, on the other hand, are subject to constraints on physical resources, and hence in practice the workflow task graphs used in science utilize relatively few of the cataloged workflow patterns. It is important to note that these workflows are executed on demand, and are executed once. Into this context is introduced the need for science discovery that is responsive to real time information. If we can use simple programming models and abstractions to make scientific discovery involving real-time data accessible to specialists who share and utilize data across scientific domains, we bring science one step closer to solving the largest of human problems.

Data on sediment quality and concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls from the Lower Neponset River, Massachusetts, 2002-03

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breault, Robert F.; Cooke, Matthew G.; Merrill, Michael

2004-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Department of Fish and Game Riverways Program, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, studied sediment and water quality in the lower Neponset River, which is a tributary to Boston Harbor. Grab and core samples of sediment were tested for elements and organic compounds including polyaromatic hydrocarbons, organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls. Physical properties of sediment samples, including grain size, were also measured. Selected sediment-core samples were tested for reactive sulfides and metals by means of the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure, which are sediment-disposal-related tests. Water quality, with respect to polychlorinated biphenyl contamination, was determined by testing samples collected by PISCES passive-water-column samplers for polychlorinated biphenyl congeners. Total concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls were calculated by congener and by Aroclor.

Age-Related Differences in Multiple Task Monitoring

PubMed Central

Todorov, Ivo; Del Missier, Fabio; Mäntylä, Timo

2014-01-01

Coordinating multiple tasks with narrow deadlines is particularly challenging for older adults because of age related decline in cognitive control functions. We tested the hypothesis that multiple task performance reflects age- and gender-related differences in executive functioning and spatial ability. Young and older adults completed a multitasking session with four monitoring tasks as well as separate tasks measuring executive functioning and spatial ability. For both age groups, men exceeded women in multitasking, measured as monitoring accuracy. Individual differences in executive functioning and spatial ability were independent predictors of young adults' monitoring accuracy, but only spatial ability was related to sex differences. For older adults, age and executive functioning, but not spatial ability, predicted multitasking performance. These results suggest that executive functions contribute to multiple task performance across the adult life span and that reliance on spatial skills for coordinating deadlines is modulated by age. PMID:25215609

Age-related differences in multiple task monitoring.

PubMed

Todorov, Ivo; Del Missier, Fabio; Mäntylä, Timo

2014-01-01

Coordinating multiple tasks with narrow deadlines is particularly challenging for older adults because of age related decline in cognitive control functions. We tested the hypothesis that multiple task performance reflects age- and gender-related differences in executive functioning and spatial ability. Young and older adults completed a multitasking session with four monitoring tasks as well as separate tasks measuring executive functioning and spatial ability. For both age groups, men exceeded women in multitasking, measured as monitoring accuracy. Individual differences in executive functioning and spatial ability were independent predictors of young adults' monitoring accuracy, but only spatial ability was related to sex differences. For older adults, age and executive functioning, but not spatial ability, predicted multitasking performance. These results suggest that executive functions contribute to multiple task performance across the adult life span and that reliance on spatial skills for coordinating deadlines is modulated by age.

Improving Quality for Child Care Centers in Greater Philadelphia: An Evaluation of Success by 6®. Executive Summary. Publication #2016-07A

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner-Richter, Mallory; Lowe, Claire; Tout, Kathryn; Epstein, Dale; Li, Weilin

2016-01-01

The Success By 6® (SB6) initiative is designed to support early care and education centers in improving and sustaining quality in Pennsylvania's Keystone STARS Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). The SB6 evaluation report examines implementation and outcomes. The findings have implications for SB6 continous quality improvement process…

Execution and pauses in writing narratives: processing time, cognitive effort and typing skill.

PubMed

Alves, Rui Alexandre; Castro, São Luís; Olive, Thierry

2008-12-01

At the behavioural level, the activity of a writer can be described as periods of typing separated by pauses. Although some studies have been concerned with the functions of pauses, few have investigated motor execution periods. Precise estimates of the distribution of writing processes, and their cognitive demands, across periods of typing and pauses are lacking. Furthermore, it is uncertain how typing skill affects these aspects of writing. We addressed these issues, selecting writers of low and high typing skill who performed dictation and composition tasks. The occurrences of writing processes were assessed through directed verbalization, and their cognitive demands were measured through interference in reaction times (IRT). Before writing a narrative, 34 undergraduates learned to categorize examples of introspective thoughts as different types of activities related to writing (planning, translating, or revising). Then, while writing, they responded to random auditory probes, and reported their ongoing activity according to the learned categories. Convergent with previous findings, translating was most often reported, and revising and planning had fewer occurrences. Translating was mostly activated during motor execution, whereas revising and planning were mainly activated during pauses. However, none of the writing processes can be characterized as being typical of pauses, since translating was activated to a similar extent as the other two processes. Regarding cognitive demands, revising is likely to be the most demanding process in narrative writing. Typing skill had an impact on IRTs of motor execution. The demands of execution were greater in the low than in the high typing skill group, but these greater demands did not affect the strategy of writing processes activation. Nevertheless, low typing skill had a detrimental impact on text quality.

Effect of clinical information and previous exam execution on observer agreement and reliability in the analysis of hysteroscopic video-recordings.

PubMed

Martinho, Margarida Suzel Lopes; da Costa Santos, Cristina Maria Nogueira; Silva Carvalho, João Luís Mendonça; Bernardes, João Francisco Montenegro Andrade Lima

2018-02-01

Inter-observer agreement and reliability in hysteroscopic image assessment remain uncertain and the type of factors that may influence it has only been studied in relation to the experience of hysteroscopists. We aim to assess the effect of clinical information and previous exam execution on observer agreement and reliability in the analysis of hysteroscopic video-recordings. Ninety hysteroscopies were video-recorded and randomized into a group without (Group 1) and with clinical information (Group 2). The videos were independently analyzed by three hysteroscopists, regarding lesion location, dimension, and type, as well as decision to perform a biopsy. One of the hysteroscopists had executed all the exams before. Proportions of agreement (PA) and kappa statistics (κ) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were used. In Group 2, there was a higher proportion of a normal diagnosis (p < 0.001) and a lower proportion of biopsies recommended (p = 0.027). Observer agreement and reliability were better in Group 2, with the PA and κ ranging, respectively, from 0.73 (95% CI 0.62, 0.83) and 0.44 (95% CI 0.26, 0.63), for image quality, to 0.94 (95% CI 0.88, 0.99) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.65, 0.95), for the decision to perform a biopsy. Execution of the exams before the analysis of the video-recordings did not significantly affect the results. With clinical information, agreement and reliability in the overall analysis of hysteroscopic video-recordings may reach almost perfect results and this was not significantly affected by the execution of the exams before the analysis. However, there is still uncertainty in the analysis of specific endometrial cavity abnormalities.

Easily configured real-time CPOE Pick Off Tool supporting focused clinical research and quality improvement.

PubMed

Rosenbaum, Benjamin P; Silkin, Nikolay; Miller, Randolph A

2014-01-01

Real-time alerting systems typically warn providers about abnormal laboratory results or medication interactions. For more complex tasks, institutions create site-wide 'data warehouses' to support quality audits and longitudinal research. Sophisticated systems like i2b2 or Stanford's STRIDE utilize data warehouses to identify cohorts for research and quality monitoring. However, substantial resources are required to install and maintain such systems. For more modest goals, an organization desiring merely to identify patients with 'isolation' orders, or to determine patients' eligibility for clinical trials, may adopt a simpler, limited approach based on processing the output of one clinical system, and not a data warehouse. We describe a limited, order-entry-based, real-time 'pick off' tool, utilizing public domain software (PHP, MySQL). Through a web interface the tool assists users in constructing complex order-related queries and auto-generates corresponding database queries that can be executed at recurring intervals. We describe successful application of the tool for research and quality monitoring.

Executive functioning and processing speed in age-related differences in time estimation: a comparison of young, old, and very old adults.

PubMed

Baudouin, Alexia; Isingrini, Michel; Vanneste, Sandrine

2018-01-25

Age-related differences in time estimation were examined by comparing the temporal performance of young, young-old, and old-old adults, in relation to two major theories of cognitive aging: executive decline and cognitive slowing. We tested the hypothesis that processing speed and executive function are differentially involved in timing depending on the temporal task used. We also tested the assumption of greater age-related effects in time estimation in old-old participants. Participants performed two standard temporal tasks: duration production and duration reproduction. They also completed tests measuring executive function and processing speed. Findings supported the view that executive function is the best mediator of reproduction performance and inversely that processing speed is the best mediator of production performance. They also showed that young-old participants provide relatively accurate temporal judgments compared to old-old participants. These findings are discussed in terms of compensation mechanisms in aging.

Emotion suppression moderates the quadratic association between RSA and executive function.

PubMed

Spangler, Derek P; Bell, Martha Ann; Deater-Deckard, Kirby

2015-09-01

There is uncertainty about whether respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a cardiac marker of adaptive emotion regulation, is involved in relatively low or high executive function performance. In the present study, we investigated (a) whether RSA during rest and tasks predict both relatively low and high executive function within a larger quadratic association among the two variables, and (b) the extent to which this quadratic trend was moderated by individual differences in emotion regulation. To achieve these aims, a sample of ethnically and socioeconomically diverse women self-reported reappraisal and emotion suppression. They next experienced a 2-min resting period during which electrocardiogram (ECG) was continually assessed. In the next phase, the women completed an array of executive function and nonexecutive cognitive tasks while ECG was measured throughout. As anticipated, resting RSA showed a quadratic association with executive function that was strongest for high suppression. These results suggest that relatively high resting RSA may predict poor executive function ability when emotion regulation consumes executive control resources needed for ongoing cognitive performance. © 2015 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

How to design a horizontal patient-focused hospital.

PubMed

Murphy, E C; Ruflin, P

1993-05-01

Work Imaging is an executive information system for analyzing the cost effectiveness and efficiency of work processes and structures in health care. Advanced Work Imaging relational database technology allows managers and employees to take a sample work activities profile organization-wide. This is married to financial and organizational data to produce images of work within and across all functions, departments, and levels. The images are benchmarked against best practice data to provide insight on the quality and cost efficiency of work practice patterns, from individual roles to departmental skill mix to organization-wide service processes.

Reward and punishment sensitivity and alcohol use: the moderating role of executive control.

PubMed

Jonker, Nienke C; Ostafin, Brian D; Glashouwer, Klaske A; van Hemel-Ruiter, Madelon E; de Jong, Peter J

2014-05-01

Reward sensitivity and to a lesser extent punishment sensitivity have been found to explain individual differences in alcohol use. Furthermore, many studies showed that addictive behaviors are characterized by impaired self-regulatory processes, and that individual differences related to alcohol use are moderated by executive control. This is the first study that explores the potential moderating role of executive control in the relation between reward and punishment sensitivity and alcohol use. Participants were 76 university students, selected on earlier given information about their alcohol use. Half of the participants indicated to drink little alcohol and half indicated to drink substantial amounts of alcohol. As expected, correlational analyses showed a positive relationship between reward sensitivity and alcohol use and a negative relation between punishment sensitivity and alcohol use. Regression analysis confirmed that reward sensitivity was a significant independent predictor of alcohol use. Executive control moderated the relation between punishment sensitivity and alcohol use, but not the relation between reward sensitivity and alcohol use. Only in individuals with weak executive control punishment sensitivity and alcohol use were negatively related. The results suggest that for individuals with weak executive control, punishment sensitivity might be a protective factor working against substantial alcohol use. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 65503 - Performance Review Board Membership

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-21

... executive and by any higher-level executive or executives. The PRB makes recommendations to the appointing authority relative to the performance of the senior executive, including recommendations on performance awards. The Department of Education's PRB also makes recommendations on SES pay adjustments for career...

3 CFR 13575 - Executive Order 13575 of June 9, 2011. Establishment of the White House Rural Council

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... prosperity and quality of life in our rural communities. Sec. 2. Establishment. There is established a White... development of policy recommendations to promote economic prosperity and quality of life in rural America, and... quality of life in rural America; (b) coordinate and increase the effectiveness of Federal engagement with...

Clinically led performance management in secondary healthcare: evaluating the attitudes of medical and non-clinical managers.

PubMed

Trebble, Timothy M; Paul, Maureen; Hockey, Peter M; Heyworth, Nicola; Humphrey, Rachael; Powell, Timothy; Clarke, Nicholas

2015-03-01

Improving the quality and activity of clinicians' practice improves patient care. Performance-related human resource management (HRM) is an established approach to improving individual practice but with limited use among clinicians. A framework for performance-related HRM was developed from successful practice in non-healthcare organisations centred on distributive leadership and locally provided, validated and interpreted performance measurement. This study evaluated the response of medical and non-clinical managers to its implementation into a large secondary healthcare organisation. A semistructured qualitative questionnaire was developed from themes identified during framework implementation and included attitudes to previous approaches to measuring doctors' performance, and the structure and response to implementation of the performance-related HRM framework. Responses were analysed through a process of data summarising and categorising. A total of 29, from an invited cohort of 31, medical and non-clinical managers from departmental to executive level were interviewed. Three themes were identified: (1) previous systems of managing clinical performance were considered to be ineffective due to insufficient empowerment of medical managers and poor quality of available performance data; (2) the implemented framework was considered to address these needs and was positively received by medical and non-clinical managers; (3) introduction of performance-related HRM required the involvement of the whole organisation to executive level and inclusion within organisational strategy, structure and training. This study suggests that a performance-related HRM framework may facilitate the management of clinical performance in secondary healthcare, but is dependent on the design and methods of application used. Such approaches contrast with those currently proposed for clinicians in secondary healthcare in the UK and suggest that alternative strategies should be considered. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Compensation of chief executive officers at nonprofit US hospitals.

PubMed

Joynt, Karen E; Le, Sidney T; Orav, E John; Jha, Ashish K

2014-01-01

Hospital chief executive officers (CEOs) can shape the priorities and performance of their organizations. The degree to which their compensation is based on their hospitals' quality performance is not well known. To characterize CEO compensation and examine its relation with quality metrics. Retrospective observational study. Participants included 1877 CEOs at 2681 private, nonprofit US hospitals. We used linear regression to identify hospital structural characteristics associated with CEO pay. We then determined the degree to which a hospital's performance on financial metrics, technologic metrics, quality metrics, and community benefit in 2008 was associated with CEO pay in 2009. The CEOs in our sample had a mean compensation of $595,781 (median, $404,938) in 2009. In multivariate analyses, CEO pay was associated with the number of hospital beds overseen ($550 for each additional bed; 95% CI, 429-671; P < .001), teaching status ($425,078 more at major teaching vs nonteaching hospitals; 95% CI, 315,238-534,918; P < .001), and urban location. Hospitals with high levels of advanced technologic capabilities compensated their CEOs $135,862 more (95% CI, 80,744-190,990; P < .001) than did hospitals with low levels of technology. Hospitals with high performance on patient satisfaction compensated their CEOs $51,706 more than did those with low performance on patient satisfaction (95% CI, 15,166-88,247; P = .006). We found no association between CEO pay and hospitals' margins, liquidity, capitalization, occupancy rates, process quality performance, mortality rates, readmission rates, or measures of community benefit. Compensation of CEOs at nonprofit hospitals was highly variable across the country. Compensation was associated with technology and patient satisfaction but not with processes of care, patient outcomes, or community benefit.

45 CFR 1700.5 - Executive Director.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Executive Director. 1700.5 Section 1700.5 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS § 1700.5 Executive Director. (a) The Executive Director serves...

45 CFR 1700.5 - Executive Director.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Executive Director. 1700.5 Section 1700.5 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS § 1700.5 Executive Director. (a) The Executive Director serves...

45 CFR 1700.5 - Executive Director.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Executive Director. 1700.5 Section 1700.5 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS § 1700.5 Executive Director. (a) The Executive Director serves...

45 CFR 1700.5 - Executive Director.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Executive Director. 1700.5 Section 1700.5 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS § 1700.5 Executive Director. (a) The Executive Director serves...

45 CFR 1700.5 - Executive Director.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Executive Director. 1700.5 Section 1700.5 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS § 1700.5 Executive Director. (a) The Executive Director serves...

On the Evolutionary Origins of Executive Functions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ardila, Alfredo

2008-01-01

In this paper it is proposed that the prefrontal lobe participates in two closely related but different executive function abilities: (1) "metacognitive executive functions": problem solving, planning, concept formation, strategy development and implementation, controlling attention, working memory, and the like; that is, executive functions as…

Blast-related mild traumatic brain injury: a Bayesian random-effects meta-analysis on the cognitive outcomes of concussion among military personnel.

PubMed

Karr, Justin E; Areshenkoff, Corson N; Duggan, Emily C; Garcia-Barrera, Mauricio A

2014-12-01

Throughout their careers, many soldiers experience repeated blasts exposures from improvised explosive devices, which often involve head injury. Consequentially, blast-related mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) has become prevalent in modern conflicts, often occuring co-morbidly with psychiatric illness (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]). In turn, a growing body of research has begun to explore the cognitive and psychiatric sequelae of blast-related mTBI. The current meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the chronic effects of blast-related mTBI on cognitive performance. A systematic review identified 9 studies reporting 12 samples meeting eligibility criteria. A Bayesian random-effects meta-analysis was conducted with cognitive construct and PTSD symptoms explored as moderators. The overall posterior mean effect size and Highest Density Interval (HDI) came to d = -0.12 [-0.21, -0.04], with executive function (-0.16 [-0.31, 0.00]), verbal delayed memory (-0.19 [-0.44, 0.06]) and processing speed (-0.11 [-0.26, 0.01]) presenting as the most sensitive cognitive domains to blast-related mTBI. When dividing executive function into diverse sub-constructs (i.e., working memory, inhibition, set-shifting), set-shifting presented the largest effect size (-0.33 [-0.55, -0.05]). PTSD symptoms did not predict cognitive effects sizes, β PTSD  = -0.02 [-0.23, 0.20]. The results indicate a subtle, but chronic cognitive impairment following mTBI, especially in set-shifting, a relevant aspect of executive attention. These findings are consistent with past meta-analyses on multiple mTBI and correspond with past neuroimaging research on the cognitive correlates of white matter damage common in mTBI. However, all studies had cross-sectional designs, which resulted in universally low quality ratings and limited the conclusions inferable from this meta-analysis.

Components of executive functioning in metamemory.

PubMed

Mäntylä, Timo; Rönnlund, Michael; Kliegel, Matthias

2010-10-01

This study examined metamemory in relation to three basic executive functions (set shifting, working memory updating, and response inhibition) measured as latent variables. Young adults (Experiment 1) and middle-aged adults (Experiment 2) completed a set of executive functioning tasks and the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ). In Experiment 1, source recall and face recognition tasks were included as indicators of objective memory performance. In both experiments, analyses of the executive functioning data yielded a two-factor solution, with the updating and inhibition tasks constituting a common factor and the shifting tasks a separate factor. Self-reported memory problems showed low predictive validity, but subjective and objective memory performance were related to different components of executive functioning. In both experiments, set shifting, but not updating and inhibition, was related to PRMQ, whereas source recall showed the opposite pattern of correlations in Experiment 1. These findings suggest that metamemorial judgments reflect selective effects of executive functioning and that individual differences in mental flexibility contribute to self-beliefs of efficacy.

77 FR 15052 - National Ocean Council-National Ocean Policy Draft Implementation Plan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-14

... COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY National Ocean Council--National Ocean Policy Draft Implementation Plan AGENCY: Council on Environmental Quality. ACTION: Extension of comment period. SUMMARY: On July 19, 2010, President Obama signed Executive Order 13547 establishing a National Policy for the...

A task force model for statewide change in nursing education: building quality and safety.

PubMed

Mundt, Mary H; Clark, Margherita Procaccini; Klemczak, Jeanette Wrona

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article was to describe a statewide planning process to transform nursing education in Michigan to improve quality and safety of patient care. A task force model was used to engage diverse partners in issue identification, consensus building, and recommendations. An example of a statewide intervention in nursing education and practice that was executed was the Michigan Quality and Safety in Nursing Education Institute, which was held using an integrated approach to academic-practice partners from all state regions. This paper describes the unique advantage of leadership by the Michigan Chief Nurse Executive, the existence of a nursing strategic plan, and a funding model. An overview of the Task Force on Nursing Education is presented with a focus on the model's 10 process steps and resulting seven recommendations. The Michigan Nurse Education Council was established to implement the recommendations that included quality and safety. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-reported quality of life measure is reliable and valid in adult patients suffering from schizophrenia with executive impairment.

PubMed

Baumstarck, Karine; Boyer, Laurent; Boucekine, Mohamed; Aghababian, Valérie; Parola, Nathalie; Lançon, Christophe; Auquier, Pascal

2013-06-01

Impaired executive functions are among the most widely observed in patients suffering from schizophrenia. The use of self-reported outcomes for evaluating treatment and managing care of these patients has been questioned. The aim of this study was to provide new evidence about the suitability of self-reported outcome for use in this specific population by exploring the internal structure, reliability and external validity of a specific quality of life (QoL) instrument, the Schizophrenia Quality of Life questionnaire (SQoL18). cross-sectional study. age over 18 years, diagnosis of schizophrenia according to the DSM-IV criteria. sociodemographic (age, gender, and education level) and clinical data (duration of illness, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia); QoL (SQoL18); and executive performance (Stroop test, lexical and verbal fluency, and trail-making test). Non-impaired and impaired populations were defined for each of the three tests. For the six groups, psychometric properties were compared to those reported from the reference population assessed in the validation study. One hundred and thirteen consecutive patients were enrolled. The factor analysis performed in the impaired groups showed that the questionnaire structure adequately matched the initial structure of the SQoL18. The unidimensionality of the dimensions was preserved, and the internal/external validity indices were close to those of the non-impaired groups and the reference population. Our study suggests that executive dysfunction did not compromise the reliability or validity of self-reported disease-specific QoL questionnaire. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Formula: see text]Executive functioning and its relation to ASD and ADHD symptomatology in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

PubMed

de Sonneville, Leo M J; Hidding, Elske; van Engeland, Herman; Vorstman, Jacob A S; Sijmens-Morcus, Monique E J; Swaab, Hanna

2018-01-01

Children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS; velo-cardio-facial-syndrome) are at risk for the developmental disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, the relation between executive functioning (EF) and the severity of ADHD and ASD symptoms is examined, since EF is known to be important in relation to emotional and behavioral problems. The participants consist of 58 children (38 females) with a mean age of 13.5 years (SD 2.6). Standardized assessment was used to evaluate the severity of ASD and ADHD symptomatology. The major aspects of EF, i.e., cognitive flexibility, inhibition, sustained attention, distractibility, working memory and reaction speed, were evaluated. The profile of EF in 22q11DS was found to be characterized by weaker performance compared to the norms on all subdomains of EF. Poor cognitive flexibility and inhibition, as well as high distractibility, were found to be related to more severe ASD symptoms, while poor quality of sustained attention and high distractibility were found to be related to more severe ADHD symptoms. It is concluded that children with 22q11DS experience impairments in EF, and that the degree of impairment on specific EF subdomains is related to the severity of ASD and/or ADHD symptomatology. These results may help in defining the mediating role of neurocognitive dysfunctions in the development of social and behavioral problems in 22q11DS.

Exploring the relations among physical fitness, executive functioning, and low academic achievement.

PubMed

de Bruijn, A G M; Hartman, E; Kostons, D; Visscher, C; Bosker, R J

2018-03-01

Physical fitness seems to be related to academic performance, at least when taking the role of executive functioning into account. This assumption is highly relevant for the vulnerable population of low academic achievers because their academic performance might benefit from enhanced physical fitness. The current study examined whether physical fitness and executive functioning are independent predictors of low mathematics and spelling achievement or whether the relation between physical fitness and low achievement is mediated by specific executive functions. In total, 477 students from second- and third-grade classes of 12 primary schools were classified as either low or average-to-high achievers in mathematics and spelling based on their scores on standardized achievement tests. Multilevel structural equation models were built with direct paths between physical fitness and academic achievement and added indirect paths via components of executive functioning: inhibition, verbal working memory, visuospatial working memory, and shifting. Physical fitness was only indirectly related to low achievement via specific executive functions, depending on the academic domain involved. Verbal working memory was a mediator between physical fitness and low achievement in both domains, whereas visuospatial working memory had a mediating role only in mathematics. Physical fitness interventions aiming to improve low academic achievement, thus, could potentially be successful. The mediating effect of executive functioning suggests that these improvements in academic achievement will be preceded by enhanced executive functions, either verbal working memory (in spelling) or both verbal and visuospatial working memory (in mathematics). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NASA Symposium on Productivity and Quality: Strategies for Improving Operations in Government and Industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The purpose of the Symposium is to increase the awareness of productivity and quality issues in the United States, and to foster national initiatives through government and industry executive leadership. The Symposium will provide a forum for discussion of white-collar productivity issues by experienced executives from successful organizations and an opportunity to share information learned through Productivity initiatives in govemment, industry and academic organizations. It will focus on white-collar organizational issues that are common to large companies and technology oriented organizations. The Symposium program will include strategies for improving operations in government and industry and will be responsive to the management issues viewed necessary to increase our nation's productivity growth rate.

Using EPIC to Find Conflicts, Inconsistencies, and Gaps in Department of Defense Policies

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

documentation; or deliver preliminary findings. All RAND reports un- dergo rigorous peer review to ensure that they meet high standards for research quality...responsibilities and the products that result from their execution. Once the high -level frame- work was defined, successive lower layers were developed to further...Lead or Chief Engineer Component Acquisition Executive ( CAE ) Managers Configuration Steering Board Materiel developer Contractor Milestone Decision

Executive Function and Reading Comprehension: A Meta-Analytic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Follmer, D. Jake

2018-01-01

This article presents a meta-analytic review of the relation between executive function and reading comprehension. Results (N = 6,673) supported a moderate positive association between executive function and reading comprehension (r = 0.36). Moderator analyses suggested that correlations between executive function and reading comprehension did not…

Specific Language Impairment and Executive Functioning: Parent and Teacher Ratings of Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wittke, Kacie; Spaulding, Tammie J.; Schechtman, Calli J.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The current study used the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function--Preschool Version (BRIEF-P; Gioia, Espy, & Isquith, 2003), a rating scale designed to investigate executive behaviors in everyday activities, to examine the executive functioning of preschool children with specific language impairment (SLI) relative to their…

78 FR 44563 - Senior Executive Service (SES) Performance Review Board

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-24

... FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY Senior Executive Service (SES) Performance Review Board AGENCY... Management, one or more PRBs. The PRB shall review and evaluate the initial appraisal of a senior executive's performance by the supervisor, along with any response by the senior executive, and make recommendations to...

Executive Development: Meeting the Needs of Top Teams and Boards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Sheila; Farndale, Elaine; Kakabadse, Andrew

2003-01-01

A literature review and six case studies examined the roles and responsibilities of the chief executive officers and board chairs, the capabilities required for success, and related executive development activity. Findings include the importance of focusing executive development on capability enhancement to ensure that it supports organizational…

Staying on Task: Age-Related Changes in the Relationship Between Executive Functioning and Response Time Consistency.

PubMed

Vasquez, Brandon P; Binns, Malcolm A; Anderson, Nicole D

2016-03-01

Little is known about the relationship of executive functioning with age-related increases in response time (RT) distribution indices (intraindividual standard deviation [ISD], and ex-Gaussian parameters mu, sigma, tau). The goals of this study were to (a) replicate findings of age-related changes in response time distribution indices during an engaging touch-screen RT task and (b) investigate age-related changes in the relationship between executive functioning and RT distribution indices. Healthy adults (24 young [aged 18-30], 24 young-old [aged 65-74], and 24 old-old [aged 75-85]) completed a touch-screen attention task and a battery of neuropsychological tests. The relationships between RT performance and executive functions were examined with structural equation modeling (SEM). ISD, mu, and tau, but not sigma, increased with age. SEM revealed tau as the most salient RT index associated with neuropsychological measures of executive functioning. Further analysis demonstrated that correlations between tau and a weighted executive function composite were significant only in the old-old group. Our results replicate findings of greater RT inconsistency in older adults and reveal that executive functioning is related to tau in adults aged 75-85. These results support literature identifying tau as a marker of cognitive control, which deteriorates in old age. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Reduced autobiographical memory specificity relates to weak resistance to proactive interference.

PubMed

Smets, Jorien; Wessel, Ineke; Raes, Filip

2014-06-01

Reduced autobiographical memory specificity (rAMS), experiencing intrusive memories, and rumination appear to be risk factors for depression and depressive relapse. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether a weak resistance to proactive interference (PI) might underlie this trio of cognitive risk factors. Resistance to PI refers to being able to ignore cognitive distracters that were previously relevant but became irrelevant for current task goals. Students (N = 65) and depressed patients (N = 37) completed tasks measuring resistance to PI and AMS, and completed questionnaires on intrusive memories and rumination. In both samples, weaker resistance to PI was associated with rAMS. There was no evidence for a relationship between resistance to PI and intrusive memories or rumination. As we did not assess other measures of executive functioning, we cannot conclude whether the observed relationship between rumination and PI is due to unique qualities of PI. Difficulties to deliberately recall specific, rather than general or categoric autobiographical memories appear to be related to more general problems with the inhibition of interference of mental distracters. The results are in line with the executive control account of rAMS. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Curriculum Transformation through Total Quality Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Barbara; Algozzine, Bob

1995-01-01

Describes a massive cultural transformation project at two Charlotte, North Carolina, elementary schools that used Deming's total quality management principles to restructure curricula according to Boyer's eight commonalities of learning. Shows how the FADE (focus, analyze, develop, and execute) model was used to develop a well-coordinated,…

Government Quality Conference Proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The Government Quality Conference was an attempt to bring together executive organizations and senior individuals in the Federal Government that have a desire to improve productivity. It was designed to provide an exchange of ideas based on experience, and to encourage individual management initiatives to tap the capabilities of Federal employees.

17 CFR 200.30-15 - Delegation of authority to Executive Director.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... of the National Performance Review and the strategic and quality management approaches described by the Federal Quality Institute's “Presidential Award for Quality” or its successor awards. [60 FR 14630... COMMISSION ORGANIZATION; CONDUCT AND ETHICS; AND INFORMATION AND REQUESTS Organization and Program Management...

Individual differences in executive control relate to metaphor processing: an eye movement study of sentence reading

PubMed Central

Columbus, Georgie; Sheikh, Naveed A.; Côté-Lecaldare, Marilena; Häuser, Katja; Baum, Shari R.; Titone, Debra

2015-01-01

Metaphors are common elements of language that allow us to creatively stretch the limits of word meaning. However, metaphors vary in their degree of novelty, which determines whether people must create new meanings on-line or retrieve previously known metaphorical meanings from memory. Such variations affect the degree to which general cognitive capacities such as executive control are required for successful comprehension. We investigated whether individual differences in executive control relate to metaphor processing using eye movement measures of reading. Thirty-nine participants read sentences including metaphors or idioms, another form of figurative language that is more likely to rely on meaning retrieval. They also completed the AX-CPT, a domain-general executive control task. In Experiment 1, we examined sentences containing metaphorical or literal uses of verbs, presented with or without prior context. In Experiment 2, we examined sentences containing idioms or literal phrases for the same participants to determine whether the link to executive control was qualitatively similar or different to Experiment 1. When metaphors were low familiar, all people read verbs used as metaphors more slowly than verbs used literally (this difference was smaller for high familiar metaphors). Executive control capacity modulated this pattern in that high executive control readers spent more time reading verbs when a prior context forced a particular interpretation (metaphorical or literal), and they had faster total metaphor reading times when there was a prior context. Interestingly, executive control did not relate to idiom processing for the same readers. Here, all readers had faster total reading times for high familiar idioms than literal phrases. Thus, executive control relates to metaphor but not idiom processing for these readers, and for the particular metaphor and idiom reading manipulations presented. PMID:25628557

Individual differences in executive control relate to metaphor processing: an eye movement study of sentence reading.

PubMed

Columbus, Georgie; Sheikh, Naveed A; Côté-Lecaldare, Marilena; Häuser, Katja; Baum, Shari R; Titone, Debra

2014-01-01

Metaphors are common elements of language that allow us to creatively stretch the limits of word meaning. However, metaphors vary in their degree of novelty, which determines whether people must create new meanings on-line or retrieve previously known metaphorical meanings from memory. Such variations affect the degree to which general cognitive capacities such as executive control are required for successful comprehension. We investigated whether individual differences in executive control relate to metaphor processing using eye movement measures of reading. Thirty-nine participants read sentences including metaphors or idioms, another form of figurative language that is more likely to rely on meaning retrieval. They also completed the AX-CPT, a domain-general executive control task. In Experiment 1, we examined sentences containing metaphorical or literal uses of verbs, presented with or without prior context. In Experiment 2, we examined sentences containing idioms or literal phrases for the same participants to determine whether the link to executive control was qualitatively similar or different to Experiment 1. When metaphors were low familiar, all people read verbs used as metaphors more slowly than verbs used literally (this difference was smaller for high familiar metaphors). Executive control capacity modulated this pattern in that high executive control readers spent more time reading verbs when a prior context forced a particular interpretation (metaphorical or literal), and they had faster total metaphor reading times when there was a prior context. Interestingly, executive control did not relate to idiom processing for the same readers. Here, all readers had faster total reading times for high familiar idioms than literal phrases. Thus, executive control relates to metaphor but not idiom processing for these readers, and for the particular metaphor and idiom reading manipulations presented.

36 CFR 902.51 - Records relating to matters that are required by Executive order to be kept secret.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... that are required by Executive order to be kept secret. 902.51 Section 902.51 Parks, Forests, and... order to be kept secret. Records relating to matters that are specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy...

36 CFR 902.51 - Records relating to matters that are required by Executive order to be kept secret.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... that are required by Executive order to be kept secret. 902.51 Section 902.51 Parks, Forests, and... order to be kept secret. Records relating to matters that are specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy...

36 CFR 902.51 - Records relating to matters that are required by Executive order to be kept secret.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... that are required by Executive order to be kept secret. 902.51 Section 902.51 Parks, Forests, and... order to be kept secret. Records relating to matters that are specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy...

36 CFR 902.51 - Records relating to matters that are required by Executive order to be kept secret.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... that are required by Executive order to be kept secret. 902.51 Section 902.51 Parks, Forests, and... order to be kept secret. Records relating to matters that are specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy...

Executive Functioning and Processing Speed in Age-Related Differences in Memory: Contribution of a Coding Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baudouin, Alexia; Clarys, David; Vanneste, Sandrine; Isingrini, Michel

2009-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine executive dysfunctioning and decreased processing speed as potential mediators of age-related differences in episodic memory. We compared the performances of young and elderly adults in a free-recall task. Participants were also given tests to measure executive functions and perceptual processing speed…

Lapses in Sustained Attention and Their Relation to Executive Control and Fluid Abilities: An Individual Differences Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unsworth, Nash; Redick, Thomas S.; Lakey, Chad E.; Young, Diana L.

2010-01-01

A latent variable analysis was conducted to examine the nature of individual differences in lapses of attention and their relation to executive and fluid abilities. Participants performed a sustained attention task along with multiple measures of executive control and fluid abilities. Lapses of attention were indexed based on the slowest reaction…

Aerobic Fitness and Cognitive Development: Event-Related Brain Potential and Task Performance Indices of Executive Control in Preadolescent Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillman, Charles H.; Buck, Sarah M.; Themanson, Jason R.; Pontifex, Matthew B.; Castelli, Darla M.

2009-01-01

The relationship between aerobic fitness and executive control was assessed in 38 higher- and lower-fit children (M[subscript age] = 9.4 years), grouped according to their performance on a field test of aerobic capacity. Participants performed a flanker task requiring variable amounts of executive control while event-related brain potential…

The role of sleep quality and quantity in moderating the effectiveness of medication in the treatment of children with ADHD.

PubMed

Morash-Conway, Jessica; Gendron, Melissa; Corkum, Penny

2017-03-01

The current study examined: (1) whether long-acting stimulant medication is effective in improving performance on measures of memory, attention, and academic productivity; and (2) whether sleep impacts the relationship between medication and performance. Participants were 21 newly diagnosed, medication-naïve children (mean age = 9.1 years) with ADHD, who participated in a 4-week blinded placebo-controlled randomized trial of long-acting MPH. Participants underwent assessments of sleep (i.e., polysomnography) and of cognitive performance. Long-acting stimulant medication was found to be an effective treatment for enhancing alerting attention, executive attention, working memory, and academic productivity, but resulted in poorer sleep. Moreover, sleep duration was found to impact the treatment response to medication, in that longer sleep duration at baseline was related to improved executive attention. These results underscore the importance of evaluating and monitoring sleep when prescribing stimulant medication as a treatment for ADHD in children.

Effect of visual field presentation on action planning (estimating reach) in children.

PubMed

Gabbard, Carl; Cordova, Alberto

2012-01-01

In this article, the authors examined the effects of target information presented in different visual fields (lower, upper, central) on estimates of reach via use of motor imagery in children (5-11 years old) and young adults. Results indicated an advantage for estimating reach movements for targets placed in lower visual field (LoVF), with all groups having greater difficulty in the upper visual field (UpVF) condition, especially 5- and 7-year-olds. Complementing these results was an overall age-related increase in accuracy. Based in part on the equivalence hypothesis suggesting that motor imagery and motor planning and execution are similar, the findings support previous work of executed behaviors showing that there is a LoVF bias for motor skill actions of the hand. Given that previous research hints that the UpVF may be bias for visuospatial (perceptual) qualities, research in that area and its association with visuomotor processing (LoVF) should be considered.

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN): Customer satisfaction survey

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

Anderson, A.V.; Henderson, D.P.

1996-04-22

The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN) Customer Satisfaction Survey was developed and executed in support of EREN`s continuous quality improvement (CQI) plan. The study was designed to provide information about the demographic make up of EREN users, the value or benefits they derive from EREN, the kinds and quality of services they want, their levels of satisfaction with existing services, their preferences in both the sources of service and the means of delivery, and to provide benchmark data for the establishment of continuous quality improvement measures. The survey was performed by soliciting voluntary participation from members of themore » EREN Users Group. It was executed in two phases; the first being conducted by phone using a randomly selected group; and the second being conducted electronically and which was open to all of the remaining members of the Users Group. The survey results are described.« less

Capturing the imagination of nurse executives in tracking the quality of nursing care.

PubMed

Kurtzman, Ellen T; Jennings, Bonnie M

2008-01-01

Nurses represent the single largest healthcare profession in the United States. A growing evidence base demonstrates nursing's direct influence on inpatient safety and healthcare outcomes. Support for nursing's essential role in quality and patient safety and mounting interest in publicly reporting performance results have led to efforts to standardized nursing-sensitive performance measures. To this end, in 2004, the National Quality Forum endorsed a set of 15 nursing-sensitive consensus standards intended for use by the public in assessing inpatient nursing care. However, until recently, only anecdotal knowledge existed regarding the implementation of these consensus standards. As a step toward better understanding the interest in and adoption of nursing performance measures, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded a study that concluded in March 2007. In this article, findings from the study are summarized as they apply to nursing leadership and implications for the future role of the nurse executive.

Proverb comprehension impairments in schizophrenia are related to executive dysfunction.

PubMed

Thoma, Patrizia; Hennecke, Marie; Mandok, Tobias; Wähner, Alfred; Brüne, Martin; Juckel, Georg; Daum, Irene

2009-12-30

The study aimed to investigate the pattern of proverb comprehension impairment and its relationship to proverb familiarity and executive dysfunction in schizophrenia. To assess the specificity of the impairment pattern to schizophrenia, alcohol-dependent patients were included as a psychiatric comparison group, as deficits of executive function and theory of mind as well as dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex, which have been related to proverb comprehension difficulties, are common in both disorders. Twenty-four schizophrenia patients, 20 alcohol-dependent patients and 34 healthy controls were administered a multiple-choice proverb interpretation task incorporating ratings of subjective familiarity and measures of executive function. Schizophrenia patients chose the correct abstract and meaningful interpretations less frequently and instead chose the incorrect concrete (both meaningless and meaningful) proverb interpretations more often than alcohol-dependent patients and healthy controls. Relative to healthy controls, schizophrenia patients also chose more abstract-meaningless response alternatives and were impaired in all executive domains. Impaired divided attention was most consistently associated with proverb interpretation deficits in both patient groups. Taken together, schizophrenia patients showed a specific pattern of proverb comprehension impairments related to executive dysfunction and symptoms. The comparison with the alcohol-dependent subgroup suggests that a more comprehensive and severe impairment of complex higher-order cognitive functions including executive behavioural control and non-literal language comprehension might be associated with frontal dysfunction in schizophrenia as compared to alcohol use disorder.

Parenting style is related to executive dysfunction after brain injury in children.

PubMed

Potter, Jennifer L; Wade, Shari L; Walz, Nicolay C; Cassedy, Amy; Stevens, M Hank; Yeates, Keith O; Taylor, H Gerry

2011-11-01

The goal of this study was to examine how parenting style (authoritarian, authoritative, permissive) and family functioning are related to behavioral aspects of executive function following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in young children. Participants included 75 children with TBI and 97 children with orthopedic injuries (OI), ages 3-7 years at injury. Pre-injury parenting behavior and family functioning were assessed shortly after injury, and postinjury executive functions were assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF; Gioia & Isquith, 2004) at 6, 12, and 18 months postinjury. Mixed model analyses, using pre-injury executive functioning (assessed by the BRIEF at baseline) as a covariate, examined the relationship of parenting style and family characteristics to executive functioning in children with moderate and severe TBI compared to OI. Among children with moderate TBI, higher levels of authoritarian parenting were associated with greater executive difficulties at 12 and 18 months following injury. Permissive and authoritative parenting styles were not significantly associated with postinjury executive skills. Finally, fewer family resources predicted more executive deficits across all of the groups, regardless of injury type. These findings provide additional evidence regarding the role of the social and familial environment in emerging behavior problems following childhood TBI.

The Role of White Matter Hyperintensities and Medial Temporal Lobe Atrophy in Age-Related Executive Dysfunctioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oosterman, Joukje M.; Vogels, Raymond L. C.; van Harten, Barbera; Gouw, Alida A.; Scheltens, Philip; Poggesi, Anna; Weinstein, Henry C.; Scherder, Erik J. A.

2008-01-01

Various studies support an association between white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and deficits in executive function in nondemented ageing. Studies examining executive functions and WMH have generally adopted executive function as a phrase including various functions such as flexibility, inhibition, and working memory. However, these functions…

Does the greater involvement of executive control in memory with age act as a compensatory mechanism?

PubMed

Bouazzaoui, Badiâa; Angel, Lucie; Fay, Séverine; Taconnat, Laurence; Charlotte, Froger; Isingrini, Michel

2014-03-01

Recent behavioural and imaging data have shown that memory functioning seems to rely more on executive functions and on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in older than in young adults. Using a behavioural approach, our objective was to confirm the hypothesis that young and older adults present different patterns of correlation between episodic memory performance and executive functioning. We report three studies comparing the correlations of young and older adults in a broad range of episodic memory and executive function tasks. The results indicated that memory and executive performance were consistently and significantly correlated in older but not in younger adults. Regression analyses confirmed that age-related differences in episodic memory performance could be explained by individual differences in executive functioning. The results are consistent with the view that memory functioning in aging is accompanied by a shift from automatic to controlled forms of processing. They also generalise the executive hypothesis of episodic memory aging and are in line with the idea that executive functions act as a compensatory mechanism against age-related memory decline.

Motor resonance facilitates movement execution: an ERP and kinematic study

PubMed Central

Ménoret, Mathilde; Curie, Aurore; des Portes, Vincent; Nazir, Tatjana A.; Paulignan, Yves

2013-01-01

Action observation, simulation and execution share neural mechanisms that allow for a common motor representation. It is known that when these overlapping mechanisms are simultaneously activated by action observation and execution, motor performance is influenced by observation and vice versa. To understand the neural dynamics underlying this influence and to measure how variations in brain activity impact the precise kinematics of motor behavior, we coupled kinematics and electrophysiological recordings of participants while they performed and observed congruent or non-congruent actions or during action execution alone. We found that movement velocities and the trajectory deviations of the executed actions increased during the observation of congruent actions compared to the observation of non-congruent actions or action execution alone. This facilitation was also discernible in the motor-related potentials of the participants; the motor-related potentials were transiently more negative in the congruent condition around the onset of the executed movement, which occurred 300 ms after the onset of the observed movement. This facilitation seemed to depend not only on spatial congruency but also on the optimal temporal relationship of the observation and execution events. PMID:24133437

Medicare and Medicaid programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; electronic reporting pilot; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities Quality Reporting Program; revision to Quality Improvement Organization regulations. Final rule with comment period.

PubMed

2012-11-15

This final rule with comment period revises the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and the Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system for CY 2013 to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems. In this final rule with comment period, we describe the changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare services paid under the OPPS and those paid under the ASC payment system. In addition, this final rule with comment period updates and refines the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, the ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program, and the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Quality Reporting Program. We are continuing the electronic reporting pilot for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, and revising the various regulations governing Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs), including the secure transmittal of electronic medical information, beneficiary complaint resolution and notification processes, and technical changes. The technical changes to the QIO regulations reflect CMS' commitment to the general principles of the President's Executive Order on Regulatory Reform, Executive Order 13563 (January 18, 2011).

Quality Assurance Program Description

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

Halford, Vaughn Edward; Ryder, Ann Marie

Effective May 1, 2017, led by a new executive leadership team, Sandia began operating within a new organizational structure. National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia (Sandia’s) Quality Assurance Program (QAP) was established to assign responsibilities and authorities, define workflow policies and requirements, and provide for the performance and assessment of work.

[Analysis of the implementation of Nursing Assistance Systematization in a rehabilitation unit].

PubMed

Neves, Rinaldo de Souza; Shimizu, Helena Eri

2010-01-01

This study seeks to analyze the execution of the Infirmary Attendance Systematization Nursing stages through an exploratory, qualitative and retrospective approach. The retrospective analysis took place using 25 medic reports containing 25 historical reports, 12 diagnosis reports, 100 prescriptions and 100 nursing evolution reports. The results demonstrated the many difficulties the nurses faced to make Nursing Assistance Systematization operational. Although all Nursing Assistance Systematization stages were accomplished - historical, diagnosis, prescription, evolution and nursing - it was verified a larger frequency in filling prescription and historical related forms and a lesser one related with evolution and diagnosis related forms. In short, Nursing Assistance Systematization procedures still are fragmentized, showing the need to reorganize this attendance methodology attendance, and, above all, to invest in continuous nursing training to improve the customer care services quality.

[Challenges and barriers in the promotion of quality in health care services].

PubMed

Brezis, Mayer; Cohen, Matan J; Frankel, Meir; Chinitz, David

2012-03-01

The promotion of quality and safety in health care faces many challenges and barriers including lack of cooperation by physicians. Complexity and uncertainty in measuring quality raise methodological difficulties. Lack of sufficient awareness about these limitations, also among those who measure quality, contributes to physicians lack of interest, suspicion and mistrust. Strategic issues associated with quality assessment in the Israeli health care system derive from lack of regulation and evasiveness about the accountability of executives and governing bodies regarding the quality of the services provided to patients in hospitals and clinics. Some of these challenges relate to the intrusion of market forces into the world of medicine without needed adaptations, so that reimbursement is often conveniently linked to the quantity of services and not to their quality. Efficiency, which characterizes competitive markets, is not easily translated in the clinical world where empathy, listening skills, and capability of explaining are critical physician attributes. This clinical world values giving beyond monetary compensation, and cooperation between institutions--rather than competition--all crucial for the continuity of patient's care. The interface between economics and health care calls for creative thinking, with a novel definition for the social value of medical and nursing care according to their quality and not their quantity.

Understanding one's body and movements from the perspective of young adults with autism: A mixed-methods study.

PubMed

Bertilsson, Ingrid; Gyllensten, Amanda Lundvik; Opheim, Arve; Gard, Gunvor; Sjödahl Hammarlund, Catharina

2018-07-01

There are but a few studies of how persons with autism perceive their bodies and movements. Difficulties in perceiving the surrounding world along with disturbed motor coordination and executive functions may affect physical and psychological development. To explore the experiences of body and movements in young adults with autism and how two physiotherapeutic instruments may capture these experiences. Eleven young adults (16-22 years) with autism were interviewed and assessed using Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT2) and Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality and Experience (BAS MQ-E). Following a mixed- methods design, the interviews were deductively analyzed and conceptually integrated to the results of the two assessments. Experiencing conflicting feelings about their bodies/movements, led to low understanding of themselves. The assessments captured these experiences relatively well, presenting both movement quality and quantity. Positive experiences and better movement quality related to having access to more functional daily strategies. Combining motor proficiency and body awareness assessments was optimal to understand the participants' experiences. To capture body and movement functions in persons with autism in this standardized manner will lead to improved and reliable diagnoses, tailored interventions, increased body awareness and activity, and enhanced quality of life. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Closing the Guantanamo Detention Center: Legal Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-15

executive and/or legislative action to close the Guantanamo detention facility. It discusses legal issues related to the transfer or release of...challenges regarding their detention or other wartime actions taken by the Executive. The Bush Administration initially believed that Guantanamo was...executive and/or legislative action to close the Guantanamo detention facility. It discusses legal issues related to the transfer or release of Guantanamo

36 CFR § 902.51 - Records relating to matters that are required by Executive order to be kept secret.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... that are required by Executive order to be kept secret. § 902.51 Section § 902.51 Parks, Forests, and... order to be kept secret. Records relating to matters that are specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy...

Relations between the Woodcock-Johnson III Clinical Clusters and Measures of Executive Functions from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Floyd, Randy G.; McCormack, Allison C.; Ingram, Elizabeth L.; Davis, Amy E.; Bergeron, Renee; Hamilton, Gloria

2006-01-01

This study examined the convergent relations between scores from four clinical clusters from the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ III) and measures of executive functions using a sample of school-aged children and a sample of adults. The WJ III clinical clusters included the Working Memory, Cognitive Fluency, Broad Attention,…

Executive functioning as a predictor of children's mathematics ability: inhibition, switching, and working memory.

PubMed

Bull, R; Scerif, G

2001-01-01

Children's mathematical skills were considered in relation to executive functions. Using multiple measures--including the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST), dual-task performance, Stroop task, and counting span-it was found that mathematical ability was significantly correlated with all measures of executive functioning, with the exception of dual-task performance. Furthermore, regression analyses revealed that each executive function measure predicted unique variance in mathematics ability. These results are discussed in terms of a central executive with diverse functions (Shallice & Burgess, 1996) and with recent evidence from Miyake, et al. (2000) showing the unity and diversity among executive functions. It is proposed that the particular difficulties for children of lower mathematical ability are lack of inhibition and poor working memory, which result in problems with switching and evaluation of new strategies for dealing with a particular task. The practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed, along with suggestions for task changes and longitudinal studies that would clarify theoretical and developmental issues related to executive functioning.

22 CFR 213.28 - Execution of releases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... and execute a release on behalf of the United States. In the event a mutual release is not executed... all claims and causes of action against USAID and its officials related to the transaction giving rise...

22 CFR 213.28 - Execution of releases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... and execute a release on behalf of the United States. In the event a mutual release is not executed... all claims and causes of action against USAID and its officials related to the transaction giving rise...

Manufacturing Execution Systems: Examples of Performance Indicator and Operational Robustness Tools.

PubMed

Gendre, Yannick; Waridel, Gérard; Guyon, Myrtille; Demuth, Jean-François; Guelpa, Hervé; Humbert, Thierry

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) are computerized systems used to measure production performance in terms of productivity, yield, and quality. In the first part, performance indicator and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), process robustness tools and statistical process control are described. The second part details some tools to help process robustness and control by operators by preventing deviations from target control charts. MES was developed by Syngenta together with CIMO for automation.

Water immersion decreases sympathetic skin response during color–word Stroop test

PubMed Central

Yamazaki, Yudai; Takahashi, Akari; Uetake, Yoshihito; Nakano, Saki; Iguchi, Kaho; Baba, Yasuhiro; Nara, Rio; Shimoyama, Yoshimitsu

2017-01-01

Water immersion alters the autonomic nervous system (ANS) response in humans. The effect of water immersion on executive function and ANS responses related to executive function tasks was unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether water immersion alters ANS response during executive tasks. Fourteen healthy participants performed color–word-matching Stroop tasks before and after non-immersion and water immersion intervention for 15 min in separate sessions. The Stroop task-related skin conductance response (SCR) was measured during every task. In addition, the skin conductance level (SCL) and electrocardiograph signals were measured over the course of the experimental procedure. The main findings of the present study were as follows: 1) water immersion decreased the executive task-related sympathetic nervous response, but did not affect executive function as evaluated by Stroop tasks, and 2) decreased SCL induced by water immersion was maintained for at least 15 min after water immersion. In conclusion, the present results suggest that water immersion decreases the sympathetic skin response during the color–word Stroop test without altering executive performance. PMID:28742137

Water immersion decreases sympathetic skin response during color-word Stroop test.

PubMed

Sato, Daisuke; Yamazaki, Yudai; Takahashi, Akari; Uetake, Yoshihito; Nakano, Saki; Iguchi, Kaho; Baba, Yasuhiro; Nara, Rio; Shimoyama, Yoshimitsu

2017-01-01

Water immersion alters the autonomic nervous system (ANS) response in humans. The effect of water immersion on executive function and ANS responses related to executive function tasks was unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether water immersion alters ANS response during executive tasks. Fourteen healthy participants performed color-word-matching Stroop tasks before and after non-immersion and water immersion intervention for 15 min in separate sessions. The Stroop task-related skin conductance response (SCR) was measured during every task. In addition, the skin conductance level (SCL) and electrocardiograph signals were measured over the course of the experimental procedure. The main findings of the present study were as follows: 1) water immersion decreased the executive task-related sympathetic nervous response, but did not affect executive function as evaluated by Stroop tasks, and 2) decreased SCL induced by water immersion was maintained for at least 15 min after water immersion. In conclusion, the present results suggest that water immersion decreases the sympathetic skin response during the color-word Stroop test without altering executive performance.

Epidemiology and quality assurance: applications at farm level.

PubMed

Noordhuizen, J P; Frankena, K

1999-03-29

Animal production is relevant with respect to farm income and the position of the sector in the market, but also with respect to the quality and safety of products of animal origin, related to public health. Animal production is part of a chain of food production. Therefore, producers have to take consumer expectations and demands in the domains of animal health, welfare and environment into account. A different attitude for production has to be adopted; this attitude can be visualized in good farming practice, GFP, codes. Farmers who focused on quality in its broadest sense need a system supporting them in their management and control of quality risks. Generally speaking, there are three systems for that purpose: GFP, ISO and HACCP. When the hypothesis followed relates to animal health being a feature of quality, or else welfare and environmental issues, then animal health care can be executed following quality control principles. The HACCP concept is well suited for quality control at farm level, involving risk identification and risk management. The on-farm monitoring and surveillance system of critical control points in the animal production process is the most important tool in this procedure. Principles for HACCP application as well as certification fitness of HACCP are elaborated upon. They are illustrated by using salmonellosis in meat-pig farms as objective for an HACCP approach. It is further discussed that, in addition to animal health and quality, animal welfare and environmental issues could also be covered by an HACCP-like system in an integrated manner. Ultimately, the HACCP modules could end up in an overall ISO certification.

Emotional Availability Modulates Electrophysiological Correlates of Executive Functions in Preschool Children

PubMed Central

Schneider-Hassloff, Henriette; Zwönitzer, Annabel; Künster, Anne K.; Mayer, Carmen; Ziegenhain, Ute; Kiefer, Markus

2016-01-01

Executive functions (EFs) – a set of cognitive control abilities – mediate resilience to stress and are associated with academic achievement and health throughout life. They are crucially linked to prefrontal cortex function as well as to other cortical and subcortical brain functions, which are maturing throughout childhood at different rates. Recent behavioral research suggested that children’s EFs were related to parenting quality and child attachment security, but the neural correlates of these associations are unknown. With this study we tested in 4- to 6-year-old healthy children (N = 27) how emotional availability (EA) of the mother-child-interaction was associated with behavioral and electrophysiological correlates of response inhibition (a core EF) in a Go/Nogo task, using event-related potential recordings (ERPs), and with behavioral performance in a Delay of Gratification (DoG) and a Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task (HTKS). Our data showed that the Go/Nogo task modulated children’s ERP components resembling adult electrophysiological indices of response inhibition - the N2 and P3/LPC ERPs-, but the children’s N2 and P3/LPC ERPs showed longer latencies. Higher maternal autonomy-fostering behavior and greater child responsiveness were significantly associated with smaller children’s N2 Go/Nogo effects at fronto-central and parietal sites and with greater Go/Nogo effects in the N2 time window at occipital sites, over and above children’s age and intelligence. Additionally, greater maternal sensitivity and a higher dyadic EA quality of the mother-child-interaction went along with greater occipital Go/Nogo effects in the N2 time window, but this effect clearly diminished when we controlled for children’s age and intelligence. Higher maternal autonomy-support was also positively associated with better HTKS performance, and higher dyadic EA quality went along with higher HTKS and DoG scores. However, no significant associations were found between EA variables and the behavioral response inhibition measures of the Go/Nogo task. Our results suggest that parenting qualities modulate the functionality of neural circuits involved in response inhibition, an important component of EFs. This finding, thus, indicates that parent–child interactions shape the neurocognitive development underlying EFs. PMID:27445744

Emotional Availability Modulates Electrophysiological Correlates of Executive Functions in Preschool Children.

PubMed

Schneider-Hassloff, Henriette; Zwönitzer, Annabel; Künster, Anne K; Mayer, Carmen; Ziegenhain, Ute; Kiefer, Markus

2016-01-01

Executive functions (EFs) - a set of cognitive control abilities - mediate resilience to stress and are associated with academic achievement and health throughout life. They are crucially linked to prefrontal cortex function as well as to other cortical and subcortical brain functions, which are maturing throughout childhood at different rates. Recent behavioral research suggested that children's EFs were related to parenting quality and child attachment security, but the neural correlates of these associations are unknown. With this study we tested in 4- to 6-year-old healthy children (N = 27) how emotional availability (EA) of the mother-child-interaction was associated with behavioral and electrophysiological correlates of response inhibition (a core EF) in a Go/Nogo task, using event-related potential recordings (ERPs), and with behavioral performance in a Delay of Gratification (DoG) and a Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task (HTKS). Our data showed that the Go/Nogo task modulated children's ERP components resembling adult electrophysiological indices of response inhibition - the N2 and P3/LPC ERPs-, but the children's N2 and P3/LPC ERPs showed longer latencies. Higher maternal autonomy-fostering behavior and greater child responsiveness were significantly associated with smaller children's N2 Go/Nogo effects at fronto-central and parietal sites and with greater Go/Nogo effects in the N2 time window at occipital sites, over and above children's age and intelligence. Additionally, greater maternal sensitivity and a higher dyadic EA quality of the mother-child-interaction went along with greater occipital Go/Nogo effects in the N2 time window, but this effect clearly diminished when we controlled for children's age and intelligence. Higher maternal autonomy-support was also positively associated with better HTKS performance, and higher dyadic EA quality went along with higher HTKS and DoG scores. However, no significant associations were found between EA variables and the behavioral response inhibition measures of the Go/Nogo task. Our results suggest that parenting qualities modulate the functionality of neural circuits involved in response inhibition, an important component of EFs. This finding, thus, indicates that parent-child interactions shape the neurocognitive development underlying EFs.

Quest for Quality. Proceedings of National Research Conference on Human Resource Development (College Station, Texas, April 22-24, 1993).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathis, Laura, Ed.; Mizer, Kaye, Ed.

Papers on the theme of quality in human resource development include the following: "Missing Link to Quality: An Examination of the Use of Steven Covey's '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' in State Agencies" (Adair et al.); "Executive Women in Business in the United States" (Bierema); "Extent and Nature of Employee Initiated Learning in the…

Executive Leadership and Physician Well-being: Nine Organizational Strategies to Promote Engagement and Reduce Burnout.

PubMed

Shanafelt, Tait D; Noseworthy, John H

2017-01-01

These are challenging times for health care executives. The health care field is experiencing unprecedented changes that threaten the survival of many health care organizations. To successfully navigate these challenges, health care executives need committed and productive physicians working in collaboration with organization leaders. Unfortunately, national studies suggest that at least 50% of US physicians are experiencing professional burnout, indicating that most executives face this challenge with a disillusioned physician workforce. Burnout is a syndrome characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced effectiveness. Physician burnout has been shown to influence quality of care, patient safety, physician turnover, and patient satisfaction. Although burnout is a system issue, most institutions operate under the erroneous framework that burnout and professional satisfaction are solely the responsibility of the individual physician. Engagement is the positive antithesis of burnout and is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption in work. There is a strong business case for organizations to invest in efforts to reduce physician burnout and promote engagement. Herein, we summarize 9 organizational strategies to promote physician engagement and describe how we have operationalized some of these approaches at Mayo Clinic. Our experience demonstrates that deliberate, sustained, and comprehensive efforts by the organization to reduce burnout and promote engagement can make a difference. Many effective interventions are relatively inexpensive, and small investments can have a large impact. Leadership and sustained attention from the highest level of the organization are the keys to making progress. Copyright © 2016 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Neuropsychological study of young adults with subjective memory complaints: involvement of the executive functions and other associated frontal symptoms].

PubMed

Ruiz-Sánchez de León, José M; Llanero-Luque, Marcos; Lozoya-Delgado, P; Fernández-Blázquez, Miguel A; Pedrero-Pérez, Eduardo J

2010-12-01

Subjective memory complaints are one of the reasons why young adults visit neurology services. Generally speaking, memory complaints are considered to increase with age and, in the elderly, they become associated to a number of factors (depression, other emotional problems, personality or self-perceived quality of life). Their appearance has also been related with disorders affecting meta-memory and the frontal lobes. Thus, certain attentional and executive deficits could account for the appearance of mistakes and lapses in day-to-day life that are perceived as memory disorders by the general population. A neuropsychological examination battery and the dysexecutive questionnaire (DEX-Sp) were administered to two groups of young adults, one with subjective memory complaints that were severe enough to require a visit to a neurology service (n = 50) and the other without such complaints (n = 67). RESULTS; Data showed how the individuals with subjective complaints had a lower mnemonic, attentional and executive performance than subjects who did not present any complaints. Both groups, however, are within what can be considered statistically normal values. There were also significant differences in the number of frontal symptoms self-informed by means of the questionnaire that was applied. The differences that were found in mnemonic performance can be explained by non-pathognomonic attentional and executive dysfunctions, given the absence of a neuropathological process to justify them. Furthermore, use of the DEX-Sp in collaboration with classic neuropsychological assessment is proposed. Some new hypotheses and recommendations for the management of these patients in daily clinical practice are also discussed.

Ergonomic principles of task alignment, visual display, and direction of execution of laparoscopic bowel suturing.

PubMed

Emam, T A; Hanna, G; Cuschieri, A

2002-02-01

Laparoscopic suturing is technically a demanding skill in laparoscopic surgery. Ergonomic experimental studies provide objective information on the important factors and variables that govern optimal endoscopic suturing. Our objective was to determine the optimum physical alignment, visual display, and direction of intracorporeal laparoscopic bowel suturing using infrared motion analysis and telemetric electromyography (EMG) systems. Ten surgeons participated in the study; each sutured 50-mm porcine small bowel enterotomies toward and away from the surgeon in the vertical and horizontal bowel plane with either isoplanar (image display corresponds with actual lie of the bowel) or nonisoplanar (bowel displayed horizontally but mounted vertically in the trainer and vice versa) display. The end points were the placement error score, execution time, leakage pressure, motion analysis, and telemetric EMG parameters of the surgeon's dominant upper limb. Suturing was demonstrably easier in the vertical than in the horizontal plane, resulting in a better task quality (placement error score, p < 0.0001; leakage pressure, p < 0.005) and shorter execution time (p < 0.05). Nonisoplanar display of the surgical anatomy degrades performance in terms of both task efficiency and task quality. On motion analysis, a wider angle of excursion and lower angular velocity were observed during the vertical suturing with isoplaner display. Compared to horizontal suturing, supination at the wrist was significantly greater during vertical than horizontal suturing (p < 0.05). Within each category (vertical vs horizontal suturing), the direction of suturing (toward/away from the surgeon) did not influence the extent of pronation/ supination at the wrist. In line with the degraded performance, significantly more muscle work was expended during horizontal suturing. This affected the forearm flexors (p < 0.05), arm flexors and extensors (p < 0.005 and p < 0.05, respectively), and deltoid muscles (p < 0.005) and was accompanied by significantly more fatigue in the related muscles. Small bowel enterotomies sutured toward the surgeon in both the vertical and the horizontal planes exhibited less placement error score than when sutured away from the surgeon, with no significant difference in the motion analysis and EMG parameters. Optimal laparoscopic suturing (better task quality and reduced execution time) is achieved with vertical suturing toward the surgeon with isoplanar monitor display of the operative field. The poorer task performance observed during horizontal suturing is accompanied by more muscle work and fatigue, and it is not improved by monitor display of the enterotomy in the vertical plane.

Executive and Perceptual Distraction in Visual Working Memory

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The contents of visual working memory are likely to reflect the influence of both executive control resources and information present in the environment. We investigated whether executive attention is critical in the ability to exclude unwanted stimuli by introducing concurrent potentially distracting irrelevant items to a visual working memory paradigm, and manipulating executive load using simple or more demanding secondary verbal tasks. Across 7 experiments varying in presentation format, timing, stimulus set, and distractor number, we observed clear disruptive effects of executive load and visual distraction, but relatively minimal evidence supporting an interactive relationship between these factors. These findings are in line with recent evidence using delay-based interference, and suggest that different forms of attentional selection operate relatively independently in visual working memory. PMID:28414499

Design and implementation of the GLIF3 guideline execution engine.

PubMed

Wang, Dongwen; Peleg, Mor; Tu, Samson W; Boxwala, Aziz A; Ogunyemi, Omolola; Zeng, Qing; Greenes, Robert A; Patel, Vimla L; Shortliffe, Edward H

2004-10-01

We have developed the GLIF3 Guideline Execution Engine (GLEE) as a tool for executing guidelines encoded in the GLIF3 format. In addition to serving as an interface to the GLIF3 guideline representation model to support the specified functions, GLEE provides defined interfaces to electronic medical records (EMRs) and other clinical applications to facilitate its integration with the clinical information system at a local institution. The execution model of GLEE takes the "system suggests, user controls" approach. A tracing system is used to record an individual patient's state when a guideline is applied to that patient. GLEE can also support an event-driven execution model once it is linked to the clinical event monitor in a local environment. Evaluation has shown that GLEE can be used effectively for proper execution of guidelines encoded in the GLIF3 format. When using it to execute each guideline in the evaluation, GLEE's performance duplicated that of the reference systems implementing the same guideline but taking different approaches. The execution flexibility and generality provided by GLEE, and its integration with a local environment, need to be further evaluated in clinical settings. Integration of GLEE with a specific event-monitoring and order-entry environment is the next step of our work to demonstrate its use for clinical decision support. Potential uses of GLEE also include quality assurance, guideline development, and medical education.

Optimizing staffing, quality, and cost in home healthcare nursing: theory synthesis.

PubMed

Park, Claire Su-Yeon

2017-08-01

To propose a new theory pinpointing the optimal nurse staffing threshold delivering the maximum quality of care relative to attendant costs in home health care. Little knowledge exists on the theoretical foundation addressing the inter-relationship among quality of care, nurse staffing, and cost. Theory synthesis. Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, EBSCOhost Web and Web of Science (25 February - 26 April 2013; 20 January - 22 March 2015). Most of the existing theories/models lacked the detail necessary to explain the relationship among quality of care, nurse staffing and cost. Two notable exceptions are: 'Production Function for Staffing and Quality in Nursing Homes,' which describes an S-shaped trajectory between quality of care and nurse staffing and 'Thirty-day Survival Isoquant and Estimated Costs According to the Nurse Staff Mix,' which depicts a positive quadric relationship between nurse staffing and cost according to quality of care. A synthesis of these theories led to an innovative multi-dimensional econometric theory helping to determine the maximum quality of care for patients while simultaneously delivering nurse staffing in the most cost-effective way. The theory-driven threshold, navigated by Mathematical Programming based on the Duality Theorem in Mathematical Economics, will help nurse executives defend sufficient nurse staffing with scientific justification to ensure optimal patient care; help stakeholders set an evidence-based reasonable economical goal; and facilitate patient-centred decision-making in choosing the institution which delivers the best quality of care. A new theory to determine the optimum nurse staffing maximizing quality of care relative to cost was proposed. © 2017 The Author. Journal of Advanced Nursing © John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sequentially Executed Model Evaluation Framework

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

2015-10-20

Provides a message passing framework between generic input, model and output drivers, and specifies an API for developing such drivers. Also provides batch and real-time controllers which step the model and I/O through the time domain (or other discrete domain), and sample I/O drivers. This is a library framework, and does not, itself, solve any problems or execute any modeling. The SeMe framework aids in development of models which operate on sequential information, such as time-series, where evaluation is based on prior results combined with new data for this iteration. Has applications in quality monitoring, and was developed as partmore » of the CANARY-EDS software, where real-time water quality data is being analyzed for anomalies.« less

Threshold automatic selection hybrid phase unwrapping algorithm for digital holographic microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Meiling; Min, Junwei; Yao, Baoli; Yu, Xianghua; Lei, Ming; Yan, Shaohui; Yang, Yanlong; Dan, Dan

2015-01-01

Conventional quality-guided (QG) phase unwrapping algorithm is hard to be applied to digital holographic microscopy because of the long execution time. In this paper, we present a threshold automatic selection hybrid phase unwrapping algorithm that combines the existing QG algorithm and the flood-filled (FF) algorithm to solve this problem. The original wrapped phase map is divided into high- and low-quality sub-maps by selecting a threshold automatically, and then the FF and QG unwrapping algorithms are used in each level to unwrap the phase, respectively. The feasibility of the proposed method is proved by experimental results, and the execution speed is shown to be much faster than that of the original QG unwrapping algorithm.

Executive function in children with intellectual disability--the effects of sex, level and aetiology of intellectual disability.

PubMed

Memisevic, H; Sinanovic, O

2014-09-01

Executive function is very important in the children's overall development. The goal of this study was to assess the executive function in children with intellectual disability (ID) through the use of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) teacher version. An additional goal was to examine the differences in executive function in relation to child's sex, level and aetiology of ID. The sample consisted of 90 children with ID attending two special education schools in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. There were 42 children with mild ID and 48 children with moderate ID. Of those, 54 were boys and 36 were girls. Children were classified into three etiological categories: 30 children with Down syndrome, 30 children with other genetic cause or organic brain injury and 30 children with unknown aetiology of ID. Special education teachers, who knew the children for at least 6 months filled the BRIEF. Children with ID had a significant deficit in executive function as measured by the BRIEF. There were no statistically significant differences in executive function in relation to the child's sex. Level of ID had a significant effect on executive function. In relation to the aetiology of ID, the only significant difference was on the Shift scale of the BRIEF. Knowing what executive function is most impaired in children with ID will help professionals design better intervention strategies. More attention needs to be given to the assessment of executive function and its subsequent intervention in the school settings. © 2013 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Constructing Space-Time Views from Fixed Size Statistical Data: Getting the Best of both Worlds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, Melisa; Yan, Jerry C.

1997-01-01

Many performance monitoring tools are currently available to the super-computing community. The performance data gathered and analyzed by these tools fall under two categories: statistics and event traces. Statistical data is much more compact but lacks the probative power event traces offer. Event traces, on the other hand, can easily fill up the entire file system during execution such that the instrumented execution may have to be terminated half way through. In this paper, we propose an innovative methodology for performance data gathering and representation that offers a middle ground. The user can trade-off tracing overhead, trace data size vs. data quality incrementally. In other words, the user will be able to limit the amount of trace collected and, at the same time, carry out some of the analysis event traces offer using space-time views for the entire execution. Two basic ideas arc employed: the use of averages to replace recording data for each instance and formulae to represent sequences associated with communication and control flow. With the help of a few simple examples, we illustrate the use of these techniques in performance tuning and compare the quality of the traces we collected vs. event traces. We found that the trace files thus obtained are, in deed, small, bounded and predictable before program execution and that the quality of the space time views generated from these statistical data are excellent. Furthermore, experimental results showed that the formulae proposed were able to capture 100% of all the sequences associated with 11 of the 15 applications tested. The performance of the formulae can be incrementally improved by allocating more memory at run-time to learn longer sequences.

Constructing Space-Time Views from Fixed Size Statistical Data: Getting the Best of Both Worlds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, Melisa; Yan, Jerry C.; Bailey, David (Technical Monitor)

1996-01-01

Many performance monitoring tools are currently available to the super-computing community. The performance data gathered and analyzed by these tools fall under two categories: statistics and event traces. Statistical data is much more compact but lacks the probative power event traces offer. Event traces, on the other hand, can easily fill up the entire file system during execution such that the instrumented execution may have to be terminated half way through. In this paper, we propose an innovative methodology for performance data gathering and representation that offers a middle ground. The user can trade-off tracing overhead, trace data size vs. data quality incrementally. In other words, the user will be able to limit the amount of trace collected and, at the same time, carry out some of the analysis event traces offer using spacetime views for the entire execution. Two basic ideas are employed: the use of averages to replace recording data for each instance and "formulae" to represent sequences associated with communication and control flow. With the help of a few simple examples, we illustrate the use of these techniques in performance tuning and compare the quality of the traces we collected vs. event traces. We found that the trace files thus obtained are, in deed, small, bounded and predictable before program execution and that the quality of the space time views generated from these statistical data are excellent. Furthermore, experimental results showed that the formulae proposed were able to capture 100% of all the sequences associated with 11 of the 15 applications tested. The performance of the formulae can be incrementally improved by allocating more memory at run-time to learn longer sequences.

Episodic memory and executive functioning in currently depressed patients compared to healthy controls.

PubMed

Pauls, Franz; Petermann, Franz; Lepach, Anja Christina

2015-01-01

At present, little is still known about the link between depression, memory and executive functioning. This study examined whether there are memory-related impairments in depressed patients and whether the size of such deficits depends on the age group and on specific types of cognitive measures. Memory performances of 215 clinically depressed patients were compared to the data of a matched control sample. Regression analyses were performed to determine the extent to which executive dysfunctions contributed to episodic memory impairments. When compared with healthy controls, significantly lower episodic memory and executive functioning performances were found for depressed patients of all age groups. Effect sizes appeared to vary across different memory and executive functioning measures. The extent to which executive dysfunctions could explain episodic memory impairments varied depending on the type of measure examined. These findings emphasise the need to consider memory-related functioning of depressed patients in the context of therapeutic treatments.

Development of affective theory of mind across adolescence: disentangling the role of executive functions.

PubMed

Vetter, Nora C; Altgassen, Mareike; Phillips, Louise; Mahy, Caitlin E V; Kliegel, Matthias

2013-01-01

Theory of mind, the ability to understand mental states, involves inferences about others' cognitive (cognitive theory of mind) and emotional (affective theory of mind) mental states. The current study explored the role of executive functions in developing affective theory of mind across adolescence. Affective theory of mind and three subcomponents of executive functions (inhibition, updating, and shifting) were measured. Affective theory of mind was positively related to age, and all three executive functions. Specifically, inhibition explained the largest amount of variance in age-related differences in affective theory of mind.

Assessing the Link between Executive Functions and Aggressive Behaviours of Children Who Are Deaf: Impact of Early Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sipal, Rafet Firat; Bayhan, Pinar

2010-01-01

Introduction: Relation between constructing complex mental structures and language skills cause delays in development of executive functions of deaf children. When the importance of language skills in development of executive functions and frequency of aggressive behaviours of deaf children are considered, investigation of executive functions of…

A Show of Hands: Relations between Young Children's Gesturing and Executive Function

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neill, Gina; Miller, Patricia H.

2013-01-01

This study brought together 2 literatures--gesturing and executive function--in order to examine the possible role of gesture in children's executive function. Children (N = 41) aged 2½-6 years performed a sorting-shift executive function task (Dimensional Change Card Sort). Responses of interest included correct sorting, response latency,…

Understanding current steam sterilization recommendations and guidelines.

PubMed

Spry, Cynthia

2008-10-01

Processing surgical instruments in preparation for surgery is a complex multistep practice. It is impractical to culture each and every item to determine sterility; therefore, the best assurance of a sterile product is careful execution of every step in the process coupled with an ongoing quality control program. Perioperative staff nurses and managers responsible for instrument processing, whether for a single instrument or multiple sets, must be knowledgeable with regard to cleaning; packaging; cycle selection; and the use of physical, chemical, and biological monitors. Nurses also should be able to resolve issues related to loaner sets, flash sterilization, and extended cycles.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and executive functioning in emerging adults.

PubMed

Jarrett, Matthew A

2016-02-01

The current study examined attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety symptoms in relation to self-reported executive functioning deficits in emerging adults. College students (N = 421; ages 17-25; 73.1% female) completed self-reports of ADHD, anxiety, and executive functioning in a laboratory setting. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that self-reported executive functioning deficits were significantly related to all 3 symptom domains. Executive functioning deficits were most strongly related to inattention followed by hyperactivity/impulsivity and anxiety. Analyses based on clinical groups revealed that groups with ADHD and comorbid anxiety showed greater deficits on self-regulation of emotion and self-organization/problem solving than those with ADHD only or anxiety only. Groups with ADHD showed greater deficits with self-motivation and self-restraint than those with anxiety only. All clinical groups differed from a control group on executive functioning deficits. Overall, anxiety symptoms appear to be associated with college students' self-reported executive functioning deficits above and beyond relationships with ADHD symptomatology. Further, those with ADHD and anxiety appear to show increased difficulties with self-regulation of emotion and self-organization/problem solving, a domain which appears to overlap substantially with working memory. Future studies should seek to replicate our findings with a clinical population, utilize both report-based and laboratory task measures of executive functioning, and integrate both state and trait anxiety indices into study designs. Finally, future studies should seek to determine how executive functioning deficits can be best ameliorated in emerging adults with ADHD and anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Apathy, but not depression, is associated with executive dysfunction in cerebral small vessel disease

PubMed Central

Hollocks, Matthew J.; Morris, Robin G.; Markus, Hugh S.

2017-01-01

Objective To determine the prevalence of apathy and depression in cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), and the relationships between both apathy and depression with cognition. To examine whether apathy is specifically related to impairment in executive functioning and processing speed. Methods 196 patients with a clinical lacunar stroke and an anatomically corresponding lacunar infarct on MRI were compared to 300 stroke-free controls. Apathy and depression were measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale, and cognitive functioning was assessed using an SVD cognitive screening tool, the Brief Memory and Executive Test, which measures executive functioning/processing speed and memory/orientation. Path analysis and binary logistic regression were used to assess the relation between apathy, depression and cognitive impairment. Results 31 participants with SVD (15.8%) met criteria for apathy only, 23 (11.8%) for both apathy and depression, and 2 (1.0%) for depression only. In the SVD group the presence of apathy was related to global cognition, and specifically to impaired executive functioning/processing speed, but not memory/orientation. The presence of depression was not related to global cognition, impaired executive functioning/processing speed or memory/orientation. Conclusions Apathy is a common feature of SVD and is associated with impaired executive functioning/processing speed suggesting the two may share biological mechanisms. Screening for apathy should be considered in SVD, and further work is required to develop and evaluate effective apathy treatment or management in SVD. PMID:28493898

Executive function skills and academic achievement gains in prekindergarten: Contributions of learning-related behaviors.

PubMed

Nesbitt, Kimberly Turner; Farran, Dale Clark; Fuhs, Mary Wagner

2015-07-01

Although research suggests associations between children's executive function skills and their academic achievement, the specific mechanisms that may help explain these associations in early childhood are unclear. This study examined whether children's (N = 1,103; M age = 54.5 months) executive function skills at the beginning of prekindergarten (pre-K) predict their learning-related behaviors in the classroom and whether these behaviors then mediate associations between children's executive function skills and their pre-K literacy, language, and mathematic gains. Learning-related behaviors were quantified in terms of (a) higher levels of involvement in learning opportunities; (b) greater frequency of participation in activities that require sequential steps; (c) more participation in social-learning interactions; and (d) less instances of being unoccupied, disruptive, or in time out. Results indicated that children's learning-related behaviors mediated associations between executive function skills and literacy and mathematics gains through children's level of involvement, sequential learning behaviors, and disengagement from the classroom. The implications of the findings for early childhood education are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

At the Fundraising Core: Strategic Public Relations in Fundraising Practice. CASE White Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Satchwell, Carol M.

2010-01-01

This white paper reports on a study exploring the views of chief fundraising executives at private colleges and universities about the relationship between public relations and fundraising. The research focused on how fundraising executives define public relations and use public relations tactics and strategies within their institutions'…

Children's associative learning: automatic and deliberate encoding of meaningful associations.

PubMed

Guttentag, R

1995-01-01

Three experiments were conducted examining 10- and 11-year-old children's deliberate and automatic encoding of meaningful associative relationships on a paired-associate learning task. Subjects in Experiment 1 were presented pairs of related and unrelated words under deliberate memorization and item-specific incidental-learning conditions. Cued-recall performance was superior with related relative to unrelated pairs under both instructional conditions, suggesting that the encoding of an association between items occurred automatically with meaningfully related words. In Experiment 2, it was found that execution of a verbal elaboration strategy required more time with unrelated than with related pairs, suggesting greater ease of elaboration strategy execution with related materials. Experiment 3 monitored strategy use online using a think-aloud procedure. Cued-recall performance was superior with related pairs when subjects used rehearsal. In contrast, elaboration produced equivalent levels of recall with both types of items, but subjects executed the strategy successfully more often with related than with unrelated pairs. These findings are discussed in terms of the role of automatic processes and the effort demands of strategy execution in children's strategy use.

Management competencies required in ambulatory care settings.

PubMed

Brooke, P P; Hudak, R P; Finstuen, K; Trounson, J

1998-01-01

A study was conducted to identify the most important competencies physician executives in medical groups and other ambulatory settings will need to have in the next five years. The specific job skills, knowledge, and abilities (SKA) that physician executives will need to acquire these competencies were also explored. The Delphi techniques were used to analyze responses from two surveys from members of the American College of Medical Practice Executives. The most important competencies were grouped into 13 management domains, each with specific SKAs. "Managing health care resources to create quality and value" and "fundamentals of business and finance" were rated as the most important competencies. The most frequently rated SKA was the "ability to build and maintain credibility and trust."

cFE/CFS (Core Flight Executive/Core Flight System)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wildermann, Charles P.

2008-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes in detail the requirements and goals of the Core Flight Executive (cFE) and the Core Flight System (CFS). The Core Flight Software System is a mission independent, platform-independent, Flight Software (FSW) environment integrating a reusable core flight executive (cFE). The CFS goals include: 1) Reduce time to deploy high quality flight software; 2) Reduce project schedule and cost uncertainty; 3) Directly facilitate formalized software reuse; 4) Enable collaboration across organizations; 5) Simplify sustaining engineering (AKA. FSW maintenance); 6) Scale from small instruments to System of Systems; 7) Platform for advanced concepts and prototyping; and 7) Common standards and tools across the branch and NASA wide.

The role of executive functions in social impairment in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Leung, Rachel C; Vogan, Vanessa M; Powell, Tamara L; Anagnostou, Evdokia; Taylor, Margot J

2016-01-01

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by socio-communicative impairments. Executive dysfunction may explain some key characteristics of ASD, both social and nonsocial hallmarks. Limited research exists exploring the relations between executive function and social impairment in ASD and few studies have used a comparison control group. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate the relations between executive functioning using the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF), social impairment as measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and overall autistic symptomology as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) in children and adolescents with and without ASD. Seventy children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD and 71 typically developing controls were included in this study. Findings showed that behavioral regulation executive processes (i.e., inhibition, shifting, and emotional control) predicted social function in all children. However, metacognitive executive processes (i.e., initiation, working memory, planning, organization, and monitoring) predicted social function only in children with ASD and not in typically developing children. Our findings suggest a distinct metacognitive executive function-social symptom link in ASD that is not present in the typical population. Understanding components of executive functioning that contribute to the autistic symptomology, particularly in the socio-communicative domain, is crucial for developing effective interventions that target key executive processes as well as underlying behavioral symptoms.

A systematic review of neuropsychological studies involving young binge drinkers.

PubMed

Carbia, Carina; López-Caneda, Eduardo; Corral, Montserrat; Cadaveira, Fernando

2018-07-01

Binge drinking (BD) is a public health concern with serious implications for brain development. This review is the first in which neuropsychological studies of healthy young BDs are synthesized following PRISMA guidelines. We conducted a literature search in PsycINFO, Web of Science, and PubMed. Articles were screened using strict inclusion criteria. Two authors independently assessed the methodological quality. Of the 27 studies included, 14 (52%) were of intermediate quality, 7 (26%) of poor quality and 6 (22%) of high quality. BD is associated with deficits in verbal memory and executive functions, principally poor inhibitory control. Tentatively, BD may be related to deficits in cognitive flexibility and monitoring of information in working memory. Further studies are needed to determine potential impairments in prospective memory and decision-making. BDs do not seem to show difficulties in planning, short-term memory, attention, processing speed or visuospatial construction. The evidence does not seem to support greater vulnerability in females. Future longitudinal studies should identify the characteristics of extreme trajectories, explore recovery deficits and design intervention programs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Innovation in transformative nursing leadership: nursing informatics competencies and roles.

PubMed

Remus, Sally; Kennedy, Margaret Ann

2012-12-01

In a recent brief to the Canadian Nurses Association's National Expert Commission on the Health of Our Nation, the Academy of Canadian Executive Nurses (ACEN) discussed leadership needs in the Canadian healthcare system, and promoted the pivotal role of nursing executives in transforming Canada's healthcare system into an integrated patient-centric system. Included among several recommendations was the need to develop innovative leadership competencies that enable nurse leaders to lead and advance transformative health system change. This paper focuses on an emerging "avant-garde executive leadership competency" recommended for today's health leaders to guide health system transformation. Specifically, this competency is articulated as "state of the art communication and technology savvy," and it implies linkages between nursing informatics competencies and transformational leadership roles for nurse executive. The authors of this paper propose that distinct nursing informatics competencies are required to augment traditional executive skills to support transformational outcomes of safe, integrated, high-quality care delivery through knowledge-driven care. International trends involving nursing informatics competencies and the evolution of new corporate informatics roles, such as chief nursing informatics officers (CNIOs), are demonstrating value and advanced transformational leadership as nursing executive roles that are informed by clinical data. Copyright © 2013 Longwoods Publishing.

Parenting Style Is Related to Executive Dysfunction After Brain Injury in Children

PubMed Central

Potter, Jennifer L.; Wade, Shari L.; Walz, Nicolay C.; Cassedy, Amy; Yeates, Keith O.; Stevens, M. Hank; Taylor, H. Gerry

2013-01-01

Objective The goal of this study was to examine how parenting style (authoritarian, authoritative, permissive) and family functioning are related to behavioral aspects of executive function following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in young children. Method Participants included 75 children with TBI and 97 children with orthopedic injuries (OI), ages 3–7 years at injury. Pre-injury parenting behavior and family functioning were assessed shortly after injury, and postinjury executive functions were assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF; Gioia & Isquith, 2004) at 6, 12, and 18 months postinjury. Mixed model analyses, using pre-injury executive functioning (assessed by the BRIEF at baseline) as a covariate, examined the relationship of parenting style and family characteristics to executive functioning in children with moderate and severe TBI compared to OI. Results Among children with moderate TBI, higher levels of authoritarian parenting were associated with greater executive difficulties at 12 and 18 months following injury. Permissive and authoritative parenting styles were not significantly associated with postinjury executive skills. Finally, fewer family resources predicted more executive deficits across all of the groups, regardless of injury type. Conclusion These findings provide additional evidence regarding the role of the social and familial environment in emerging behavior problems following childhood TBI. PMID:21928918

Mechanisms behind distracted driving behavior: The role of age and executive function in the engagement of distracted driving

PubMed Central

Pope, Caitlin Northcutt; Bell, Tyler Reed; Stavrinos, Despina

2016-01-01

Performing secondary tasks, such as texting while driving, is associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). While cognitive processes, such as executive function, are involved in driving, little is known about the relationship between executive control and willingness to engage in distracted driving. This study investigated the relationship between age, behavioral manifestations of executive function, and self-reported distracted driving behaviors. Executive difficulty (assessed with the BRIEF-A) as well as demographics (age and gender) was considered as possible predictors of engagement in distracted driving behaviors. Fifty-nine young, middle, and older adults self-reported executive difficulty and weekly engagement in distracted driving behaviors. Results revealed that while partially accounted for by age, global executive difficulty was uniquely related to engagement in distracted driving behaviors. Older age was associated with fewer weekly self-reported distracted driving behaviors while higher self-reported executive difficulty was associated with more frequent weekly engagement in distracted behavior. No significant differences were found between young and middle-aged adults on distracted driving behaviors. Findings conclude that distracted driving is a ubiquitous phenomenon evident in drivers of all ages. Possible mechanisms underlying distracted driving behavior could potentially be related to deficits in executive function. PMID:27716494

Mechanisms behind distracted driving behavior: The role of age and executive function in the engagement of distracted driving.

PubMed

Pope, Caitlin Northcutt; Bell, Tyler Reed; Stavrinos, Despina

2017-01-01

Performing secondary tasks, such as texting while driving, is associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). While cognitive processes, such as executive function, are involved in driving, little is known about the relationship between executive control and willingness to engage in distracted driving. This study investigated the relationship between age, behavioral manifestations of executive function, and self-reported distracted driving behaviors. Executive difficulty (assessed with the BRIEF-A) as well as demographics (age and gender) was considered as possible predictors of engagement in distracted driving behaviors. Fifty-nine young, middle, and older adults self-reported executive difficulty and weekly engagement in distracted driving behaviors. Results revealed that while partially accounted for by age, global executive difficulty was uniquely related to engagement in distracted driving behaviors. Older age was associated with fewer weekly self-reported distracted driving behaviors while higher self-reported executive difficulty was associated with more frequent weekly engagement in distracted behavior. No significant differences were found between young and middle-aged adults on distracted driving behaviors. Findings conclude that distracted driving is a ubiquitous phenomenon evident in drivers of all ages. Possible mechanisms underlying distracted driving behavior could potentially be related to deficits in executive function. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality control system preparation for photogrammetric and laser scanning missions of Spanish national plan of aerial orthophotogpaphy (PNOA). (Polish Title: Opracowanie systemu kontroli jakości realizacji nalotów fotogrametrycznych i skaningowych dla hiszpańskiego narodowego planu ortofotomapy lotniczej (PNOA))

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rzonca, A.

2013-12-01

The paper presents the state of the art of quality control of photogrammetric and laser scanning data captured by airborne sensors. The described subject is very important for photogrammetric and LiDAR project execution, because the data quality a prior decides about the final product quality. On the other hand, precise and effective quality control process allows to execute the missions without wide margin of safety, especially in case of the mountain areas projects. For introduction, the author presents theoretical background of the quality control, basing on his own experience, instructions and technical documentation. He describes several variants of organization solutions. Basically, there are two main approaches: quality control of the captured data and the control of discrepancies of the flight plan and its results of its execution. Both of them are able to use test of control and analysis of the data. The test is an automatic algorithm controlling the data and generating the control report. Analysis is a less complicated process, that is based on documentation, data and metadata manual check. The example of quality control system for large area project was presented. The project is being realized periodically for the territory of all Spain and named National Plan of Aerial Orthophotography (Plan Nacional de Ortofotografía Aérea, PNOA). The system of the internal control guarantees its results soon after the flight and informs the flight team of the company. It allows to correct all the errors shortly after the flight and it might stop transferring the data to another team or company, for further data processing. The described system of data quality control contains geometrical and radiometrical control of photogrammetric data and geometrical control of LiDAR data. According to all specified parameters, it checks all of them and generates the reports. They are very helpful in case of some errors or low quality data. The paper includes the author experience in the field of data quality control, presents the conclusions and suggestions of the organization and technical aspects, with a short definition of the necessary control software.

77 FR 53773 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-04

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R09-OAR-2012-0236; FRL-9711-2] Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) AGENCY... ``significant regulatory action'' subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order...

Automated water monitor system field demonstration test report. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, R. L.; Jeffers, E. L.; Perreira, J.; Poel, J. D.; Nibley, D.; Nuss, R. H.

1981-01-01

A system that performs water quality monitoring on-line and in real time much as it would be done in a spacecraft, was developed and demonstrated. The system has the capability to determine conformance to high effluent quality standards and to increase the potential for reclamation and reuse of water.

3 CFR 13647 - Executive Order 13647 of June 26, 2013. Establishing the White House Council on Native American...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Science and Technology Policy; (xxvi) the Council on Environmental Quality; (xxvii) the White House Office... life for Native Americans, and shall coordinate the United States Government's engagement with tribal... of Federal resources and create greater opportunities to help improve the quality of life for Native...

32 CFR 154.35 - Personal data provided by the subject of the investigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... appropriate investigative forms, provide fingerprints of a quality acceptable to the FBI, and execute a signed... a fingerprint card indicating that the quality of the fingerprints is not acceptable, an additional set of fingerprints will be obtained from the subject. In the event the FBI indicates that the...

32 CFR 154.35 - Personal data provided by the subject of the investigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... appropriate investigative forms, provide fingerprints of a quality acceptable to the FBI, and execute a signed... a fingerprint card indicating that the quality of the fingerprints is not acceptable, an additional set of fingerprints will be obtained from the subject. In the event the FBI indicates that the...

32 CFR 154.35 - Personal data provided by the subject of the investigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... appropriate investigative forms, provide fingerprints of a quality acceptable to the FBI, and execute a signed... a fingerprint card indicating that the quality of the fingerprints is not acceptable, an additional set of fingerprints will be obtained from the subject. In the event the FBI indicates that the...

32 CFR 154.35 - Personal data provided by the subject of the investigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... appropriate investigative forms, provide fingerprints of a quality acceptable to the FBI, and execute a signed... a fingerprint card indicating that the quality of the fingerprints is not acceptable, an additional set of fingerprints will be obtained from the subject. In the event the FBI indicates that the...

32 CFR 154.35 - Personal data provided by the subject of the investigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... appropriate investigative forms, provide fingerprints of a quality acceptable to the FBI, and execute a signed... a fingerprint card indicating that the quality of the fingerprints is not acceptable, an additional set of fingerprints will be obtained from the subject. In the event the FBI indicates that the...

Benchmarking the Quality of Education [Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scheerens, Jaap, Ed.; Hendriks, Maria, Ed.

2004-01-01

The ultimate purpose of education indicators can be described as providing a basis for monitoring the quality of education. Even though the current indicator sets have become quite comprehensive, and there are clear signs of their use in policy-debates, there are still some important aspects in which their impact on educational policy and…

Key Performance Indicators of Public Universities Based on Quality Assessment Criteria in Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sukboonyasatit, Kritsana; Thanapaisarn, Chaiwit; Manmar, Lampang

2011-01-01

The research objective was to develop public universities' key performance indicators. Qualitative research and interviews were employed with each public university's senior executive and quality assessors. The sample group was selected by the office of the public sector development commission and Thailand's public universities can be separated…

Fourteen Points: A Framework for the Analysis of Counterinsurgency,

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-07-31

1963, Strategic Hamlets I-1 J Vietnam 1966-1971 J-1 BIBLIOGRAPHY BIB-i vi THE BDM CORPORATION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this study is to provide... leader - ship are. faulty pay. and supply. systems, a brutal political regime and .mistreatment -of soldiers. by their officers. - A well-executed...their leaders and in all the other qualities necessary for success. The analyst must therefore develop a clear picture of all important aspects of the

Use of Six Sigma for eliminating missed opportunities for prevention services.

PubMed

Gittner, LisaAnn S; Husaini, Baqar A; Hull, Pamela C; Emerson, Janice S; Tropez-Sims, Suzanne; Reece, Michelle C; Zoorob, Roger; Levine, Robert S

2015-01-01

Delivery of primary care preventative services can be significantly increased utilizing Six Sigma methods. Missed preventative service opportunities were compared in the study clinic with the community clinic in the same practice. The study clinic had 100% preventative services, compared with only 16.3% in the community clinic. Preventative services can be enhanced to Six Sigma quality when the nurse executive and medical staff agree on a single standard of nursing care executed via standing orders.

[Power in the ICU: awareness and change].

PubMed

van der Hoeven, J G

2016-01-01

- Power is a charged issue but, when executed with integrity, a potent instrument to improve quality of care.- Execution of power has various manifestations, which have an important effect on several aspects of the care process including the doctor-patient relationship, primary responsible physician and the relationship with other team members.- Abuse of power is a source of conflicts and may also result in emotional exhaustion and burnout.- Various measures may stimulate the appropriate use of power.

Health care delivery systems in review.

PubMed

Dunmire, S N

1988-01-01

Plagued with insolvency, physician discontent, and employer demands, the health maintenance organization (HMO) industry is seeking solutions to their crippling ailments. As buyers are more difficult to find for troubled plans, some executives are forced to resign or face bankruptcy. Still other executives have been able to turn around their financial and physician staffing challenges. The preferred provider organization (PPO) industry remains in the background of the HMO turmoil, facing the issues of quality assurance and cost containment.

Cognitive Rehabilitation for Executive Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease: Application and Current Directions

PubMed Central

Calleo, Jessica; Burrows, Cristina; Levin, Harvey; Marsh, Laura; Lai, Eugene; York, Michele K.

2012-01-01

Cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease contributes to disability, caregiver strain, and diminished quality of life. Cognitive rehabilitation, a behavioral approach to improve cognitive skills, has potential as a treatment option to improve and maintain cognitive skills and increase quality of life for those with Parkinson's disease-related cognitive dysfunction. Four cognitive rehabilitation programs in individuals with PD are identified from the literature. Characteristics of the programs and outcomes are reviewed and critiqued. Current studies on cognitive rehabilitation in PD demonstrate feasibility and acceptability of a cognitive rehabilitation program for patients with PD, but are limited by their small sample size and data regarding generalization of effects over the long term. Because PD involves progressive heterogeneous physical, neurological, and affective difficulties, future cognitive rehabilitation programs should aim for flexibility and individualization, according to each patient's strengths and deficits. PMID:22135762

Women in the C-Suite: A Study of How Succession Planning May Best Be Utilized for Career Advancement of Medical College Executives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mack, Yvette E.

2010-01-01

This study evaluated and analyzed medical school executives' perceptions of the low level of advancement of women into the healthcare c-suite. As well, medical school executives' recommendations for increasing the number of women entering and experiencing sustained success in executive positions were assessed. Related to these observations were…

Threat facilitates subsequent executive control during anxious mood.

PubMed

Birk, Jeffrey L; Dennis, Tracy A; Shin, Lisa M; Urry, Heather L

2011-12-01

Dual competition framework (DCF) posits that low-level threat may facilitate behavioral performance by influencing executive control functions. Anxiety is thought to strengthen this effect by enhancing threat's affective significance. To test these ideas directly, we examined the effects of low-level threat and experimentally induced anxiety on one executive control function, the efficiency of response inhibition. In Study 1, briefly presented stimuli that were mildly threatening (i.e., fearful faces) relative to nonthreatening (i.e., neutral faces) led to facilitated executive control efficiency during experimentally induced anxiety. No such effect was observed during an equally arousing, experimentally induced happy mood state. In Study 2, we assessed the effects of low-level threat, experimentally induced anxiety, and individual differences in trait anxiety on executive control efficiency. Consistent with Study 1, fearful relative to neutral faces led to facilitated executive control efficiency during experimentally induced anxiety. No such effect was observed during an experimentally induced neutral mood state. Moreover, individual differences in trait anxiety did not moderate the effects of threat and anxiety on executive control efficiency. The findings are partially consistent with the predictions of DCF in that low-level threat improved executive control, at least during a state of anxiety. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

Self-reported impulsivity in Huntington's disease patients and relationship to executive dysfunction and reward responsiveness.

PubMed

Johnson, Patricia L; Potts, Geoffrey F; Sanchez-Ramos, Juan; Cimino, Cynthia R

2017-09-01

Few studies have directly investigated impulsivity in Huntington's disease (HD) despite known changes in dopaminergic and frontal functioning, changes that have been associated with impulsivity in other disorders and in the normal population. This study sought to further categorize impulsivity in HD through examining differences in self-reported impulsivity between community controls and HD patients, the relationship between executive dysfunction and impulsivity, and the relationship of a reward/punishment behavioral inhibition task in relation to these self-report measures. It was expected that HD patients would report higher impulsivity and executive dysfunction and that these measures would relate to a reward/punishment behavioral inhibition task. The Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11) and Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation Scale (BIS/BAS) were completed, and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and a reward-based flanker task with punishing and rewarding conditions were administered to 22 HD patients and 14 control participants. HD patients reported higher trait impulsivity (BIS-11) and executive dysfunction (Frontal Systems Behavior Scale, FrSBE) but not increased impulsivity on the BIS/BAS relative to controls. Higher BIS-11 scores were related to increased self-reported executive dysfunction and the attention/working memory factor of the MMSE. On a reward/punishment behavioral inhibition task, BAS was uniquely related to increased accuracy on rewarding trials of the flanker task, but was not related to punishing trials in HD patients. The relationships found suggest that trait impulsivity is reported higher in HD and may not be driven by altered reward evaluation and the appetitive nature of stimuli but rather by increased executive dysfunction and lack of sensitivity to punishment. Impulsivity in HD may represent a combination of trait impulsivity, altered dopaminergic circuitry, and executive dysfunction. Understanding impulsivity in HD is important as it is related to increased risk to the patient and difficult behaviors for the caregiver, and sheds light on the disease process.

Exercise rehabilitation following intensive care unit discharge for recovery from critical illness: executive summary of a Cochrane Collaboration systematic review.

PubMed

Connolly, Bronwen; Salisbury, Lisa; O'Neill, Brenda; Geneen, Louise; Douiri, Abdel; Grocott, Michael P W; Hart, Nicholas; Walsh, Timothy S; Blackwood, Bronagh

2016-12-01

Skeletal muscle wasting and weakness are major complications of critical illness and underlie the profound physical and functional impairments experienced by survivors after discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU). Exercise-based rehabilitation has been shown to be beneficial when delivered during ICU admission. This review aimed to determine the effectiveness of exercise rehabilitation initiated after ICU discharge on primary outcomes of functional exercise capacity and health-related quality of life. We sought randomized controlled trials, quasi-randomized controlled trials, and controlled clinical trials comparing an exercise intervention commenced after ICU discharge vs. any other intervention or a control or 'usual care' programme in adult survivors of critical illness. Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Excerpta Medica Database, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases were searched up to February 2015. Dual, independent screening of results, data extraction, and quality appraisal were performed. We included six trials involving 483 patients. Overall quality of evidence for both outcomes was very low. All studies evaluated functional exercise capacity, with three reporting positive effects in favour of the intervention. Only two studies evaluated health-related quality of life and neither reported differences between intervention and control groups. Meta-analyses of data were precluded due to variation in study design, types of interventions, and selection and reporting of outcome measurements. We were unable to determine an overall effect on functional exercise capacity or health-related quality of life of interventions initiated after ICU discharge for survivors of critical illness. Findings from ongoing studies are awaited. Future studies need to address methodological aspects of study design and conduct to enhance rigour, quality, and synthesis.

77 FR 65604 - Designation of One Individual Pursuant to Executive Order 13566 of February 25, 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-29

... Prohibiting Certain Transactions Related to Libya.'' DATES: The designation by the Director of OFAC of the... issued Executive Order 13566, ``Blocking Property and Prohibiting Certain Transactions Related to Libya...

Executive functions in morality, religion, and paranormal beliefs.

PubMed

Wain, Omar; Spinella, Marcello

2007-01-01

Moral, religious, and paranormal beliefs share some degree of overlap and play important roles in guiding peoples' behavior. Although partly cultural phenomena, they also have neurobiological components based on functional neuroimaging studies and research in clinical populations. Because all three show relationships to prefrontal system functioning, the current study examined whether they related to executive functions as measured by the Executive Function Inventory in a community sample. As in previous research, religious beliefs related positively to both moral attitudes and paranormal beliefs. Moral attitudes, however, did not relate to paranormal beliefs. Paranormal beliefs related inversely to impulse control and organization, whereas small positive correlations occurred between traditional religious beliefs, impulse control, and empathy. Moral attitudes, on the other hand, showed consistent positive correlations with all executive functions measured, independent of demographic influences. These findings concordantly support that prefrontal systems play a role in morality, religion, and paranormal beliefs.

Comparison of Quality Engineering Practices in Malaysian and Indonesian Automotive Related Companies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putri, Nilda Tri; Sha'ri Mohd, Yusof; Irianto, Dradjad

2016-02-01

The main motivating factor driving this research is to find differences between the automotive related companies in Malaysia and Indonesia with regard to quality engineering (QE) implementation. A comparative study between Malaysia and Indonesia provides the opportunity to gain perspective and thorough understanding of the similarities and differences on the critical factors for successful QE practices in the context of both these countries. Face to face interviews are used to compare the QE practices in two automotive companies in Malaysia and Indonesia, respectively. The findings of study showed that both countries have clear quality objectives to achieving zero defects in processes and products and total customer satisfaction. Top and middle management in both countries were found to be directly involved in quality improvement on the shop floor to provide On-The-Job training and actively encourage team members to perform quality problem solving through the formation of quality control circles (QCC) particularly in Indonesia automotive industry. In Malaysia automotive industry, the implementation was not fully effective, but they have started to cultivate those values in the daily execution. Based on the case study results and analysis, the researcher has provided suggestions for both countries as an improvement plan for successful QE implementation. These recommendations will allow management to implement appropriate strategies for better QE implementation which hopefully can improve company's performance and ultimately the making the automotive industry in both countries to reach world class quality. It is strongly believed that the findings of this study can help Malaysia and Indonesia automotive industries in their efforts to become more effective and competitive.

Relationship between grey matter integrity and executive abilities in aging.

PubMed

Manard, Marine; Bahri, Mohamed Ali; Salmon, Eric; Collette, Fabienne

2016-07-01

This cross-sectional study was designed to investigate grey matter changes that occur in healthy aging and the relationship between grey matter characteristics and executive functioning. Thirty-six young adults (18-30 years old) and 43 seniors (60-75 years old) were included. A general executive score was derived from a large battery of neuropsychological tests assessing three major aspects of executive functioning (inhibition, updating and shifting). Age-related grey matter changes were investigated by comparing young and older adults using voxel-based morphometry and voxel-based cortical thickness methods. A widespread difference in grey matter volume was found across many brain regions, whereas cortical thinning was mainly restricted to central areas. Multivariate analyses showed age-related changes in relatively similar brain regions to the respective univariate analyses but appeared more limited. Finally, in the older adult sample, a significant relationship between global executive performance and decreased grey matter volume in anterior (i.e. frontal, insular and cingulate cortex) but also some posterior brain areas (i.e. temporal and parietal cortices) as well as subcortical structures was observed. Results of this study highlight the distribution of age-related effects on grey matter volume and show that cortical atrophy does not appear primarily in "frontal" brain regions. From a cognitive viewpoint, age-related executive functioning seems to be related to grey matter volume but not to cortical thickness. Therefore, our results also highlight the influence of methodological aspects (from preprocessing to statistical analysis) on the pattern of results, which could explain the lack of consensus in literature. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intrusions and provoked and spontaneous confabulations on memory tests in Korsakoff's syndrome.

PubMed

Rensen, Yvonne C M; Oosterman, Joukje M; Walvoort, Serge J W; Eling, Paul A T M; Kessels, Roy P C

2017-03-01

Intrusions on verbal memory tests have been used as an index for clinical confabulation. Severe memory impairments in combination with executive dysfunction have been suggested to be the underlying mechanism of confabulation, but to date, this relation is unclear. The aim of this study was (a) to examine the relation between (different types of) intrusions and confabulations in a large sample of confabulating patients with Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) and (b) to investigate whether different measures of executive functioning and memory performance are related to provoked and spontaneous confabulation. The Dutch version of the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and various executive function and memory tests were administered to a group of 51 confabulating patients with KS. Professional caregivers rated the severity of provoked and spontaneous confabulation behavior of the patients using the Nijmegen-Venray Confabulation List-20 (NVCL-20). The total number of intrusions on the CVLT was not related to either provoked or spontaneous confabulation scores. None of the CVLT intrusion scores correlated significantly with any of the confabulation scores, but we did find small-to-medium, positive correlations between unrelated intrusions and both provoked confabulations and spontaneous confabulation. Provoked confabulation behavior was associated with executive dysfunction and poorer memory performances. Spontaneous confabulation was not related to performance on measures of executive function and memory. The total number of intrusions on verbal memory tests and clinical confabulations appear to be different phenomena. Only unrelated intrusions produced on the CVLT might possibly be related to confabulations. The production of provoked, but not spontaneous, confabulation is associated with executive dysfunction and memory deficits.

Assessment of Executive Function in Patients With Substance Use Disorder: A Comparison of Inventory- and Performance-Based Assessment.

PubMed

Hagen, Egon; Erga, Aleksander H; Hagen, Katrin P; Nesvåg, Sverre M; McKay, James R; Lundervold, Astri J; Walderhaug, Espen

2016-07-01

Chronic polysubstance abuse (SUD) is associated with neurophysiological and neuroanatomical changes. Neurocognitive impairment tends to affect quality of life, occupational functioning, and the ability to benefit from therapy. Neurocognitive assessment is thus of importance, but costly and not widely available. Therefore, in a busy clinical setting, procedures that include readily available measures targeting core cognitive deficits would be beneficial. This paper investigates the utility of psychometric tests and a questionnaire-based inventory to assess "hot" and "cold" neurocognitive measures of executive functions (EF) in adults with a substance use disorder. Hot decision-making processes are associated with emotional, affective, and visceral responses, while cold executive functions are associated with rational decision-making. Subjects with polysubstance abuse (n=126) and healthy controls (n=32) were compared on hot (Iowa Gambling Task) and cold (Stroop and the Trail Making Test) measures of EF, in addition to a questionnaire assessing everyday EF related problems (BRIEF-A; Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult, self-report version). Information about the substance abuse and social adjustment were assessed by self-report. Logistic regression analyses were applied to assess independent correlates of SUD status and social adjustment. A multiple linear regression was performed to predict the number of previous treatment attempts. The psychometric test of hot EF (the Iowa Gambling Task) did not differentiate the patients with polysubstance abuse from controls, and was not associated with social adjustment. The psychometric tests of cold EF distinguished somewhat between the groups and were associated with one indicator of social adjustment. The BRIEF-A differentiated between groups on all the clinical scales and was associated with three out of five social adjustment indicators ("criminal lifestyle," "conflict with caregiver," and "stable housing."). The BRIEF-A inventory was the most sensitive measure of executive function in patients with substance use disorder, followed by measures of cold executive function. BRIEF-A should therefore be considered as an integral part of the clinical routine when assessing patients with SUD. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A secure base from which to regulate: Attachment security in toddlerhood as a predictor of executive functioning at school entry.

PubMed

Bernier, Annie; Beauchamp, Miriam H; Carlson, Stephanie M; Lalonde, Gabrielle

2015-09-01

In light of emerging evidence suggesting that the affective quality of parent-child relationships may relate to individual differences in young children's executive functioning (EF) skills, the aim of this study was to investigate the prospective associations between attachment security in toddlerhood and children's EF skills in kindergarten. Mother-child dyads (N = 105) participated in 2 toddlerhood visits in their homes, when children were 15 months and 2 years of age. Mother-child attachment security was assessed with the Attachment Q-Sort during both these visits. When children were in kindergarten (ages 5-6), they were administered a battery of EF tasks, and their teachers completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function to assess children's EF problems. The results indicated that kindergarteners who were more securely attached to their mothers in toddlerhood showed better performance on all EF tasks, and were considered by their teachers to present fewer EF problems in everyday school situations. These results held above family socioeconomic status (SES) and child age, sex, and general cognitive functioning. The fact that early attachment security uniquely predicted both teacher reports and children's objective EF task performance suggests that parent-child attachment may be a promising factor to consider in the continuing search for the social antecedents of young children's EF. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Artemis: Integrating Scientific Data on the Grid (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-07-01

Theseus execution engine [Barish and Knoblock 03] to efficiently execute the generated datalog program. The Theseus execution engine has a wide...variety of operations to query databases, web sources, and web services. Theseus also contains a wide variety of relational operations, such as...selection, union, or projection. Furthermore, Theseus optimizes the execution of an integration plan by querying several data sources in parallel and

Academic procrastination in college students: the role of self-reported executive function.

PubMed

Rabin, Laura A; Fogel, Joshua; Nutter-Upham, Katherine E

2011-03-01

Procrastination, or the intentional delay of due tasks, is a widespread phenomenon in college settings. Because procrastination can negatively impact learning, achievement, academic self-efficacy, and quality of life, research has sought to understand the factors that produce and maintain this troublesome behavior. Procrastination is increasingly viewed as involving failures in self-regulation and volition, processes commonly regarded as executive functions. The present study was the first to investigate subcomponents of self-reported executive functioning associated with academic procrastination in a demographically diverse sample of college students aged 30 years and below (n = 212). We included each of nine aspects of executive functioning in multiple regression models that also included various demographic and medical/psychiatric characteristics, estimated IQ, depression, anxiety, neuroticism, and conscientiousness. The executive function domains of initiation, plan/organize, inhibit, self-monitor, working memory, task monitor, and organization of materials were significant predictors of academic procrastination in addition to increased age and lower conscientiousness. Results enhance understanding of the neuropsychological correlates of procrastination and may lead to practical suggestions or interventions to reduce its harmful effects on students' academic performance and well-being.

The development of executive functions and early mathematics: a dynamic relationship.

PubMed

Van der Ven, Sanne H G; Kroesbergen, Evelyn H; Boom, Jan; Leseman, Paul P M

2012-03-01

The relationship between executive functions and mathematical skills has been studied extensively, but results are inconclusive, and how this relationship evolves longitudinally is largely unknown. The aim was to investigate the factor structure of executive functions in inhibition, shifting, and updating; the longitudinal development of executive functions and mathematics; and the relation between them. A total of 211 children in grade 2 (7-8 years old) from 10 schools in the Netherlands. Children were followed in grade 1 and 2 of primary education. Executive functions and mathematics were measured four times. The test battery contained multiple tasks for each executive function: Animal stroop, local global, and Simon task for inhibition; Animal Shifting, Trail Making Test in Colours, and Sorting Task for shifting; and Digit Span Backwards, Odd One Out, and Keep Track for updating. The factor structure of executive functions was assessed and relations with mathematics were investigated using growth modelling. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that inhibition and shifting could not be distinguished from each other. Updating was a separate factor, and its development was strongly related to mathematical development while inhibition and shifting did not predict mathematics in the presence of the updating factor. The strong relationship between updating and mathematics suggest that updating skills play a key role in the maths learning process. This makes updating a promising target for future intervention studies. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

Is Work-Related Rumination Associated with Deficits in Executive Functioning?

PubMed Central

Cropley, Mark; Zijlstra, Fred R. H.; Querstret, Dawn; Beck, Sarah

2016-01-01

Work-related rumination, that is, perseverative thinking about work during leisure time, has been associated with a range of negative health and wellbeing issues. The present paper examined the association between work-related rumination and cognitive processes centerd around the theoretical construct of executive functioning. Executive functioning is an umbrella term for high level cognitive processes such as planning, working memory, inhibition, mental flexibility; and it underlies how people manage and regulate their goal directed behavior. Three studies are reported. Study I, reports the results of a cross-sectional study of 240 employees, and demonstrates significant correlations between work-related rumination and three proxy measures of executive functioning: cognitive failures (0.33), cognitive flexibility (-0.24), and situational awareness at work (-0.28). Study II (n = 939), expands on the findings from study 1 and demonstrates that workers reporting medium and high work-related rumination were 2.8 and 5 times, respectively, more likely to report cognitive failures relative to low ruminators. High ruminators also demonstrated greater difficulties with ‘lapses of attention’ (OR = 4.8), ‘lack of focus of attention’ (OR = 3.4), and ‘absent mindedness’ (OR = 4.3). The final study, examined the association between work-related rumination and executive functioning using interview data from 2460 full time workers. Workers were divided into tertiles low, medium, and high. The findings showed that high work-related rumination was associated with deficits in starting (OR = 2.3) and finishing projects (OR = 2.4), fidgeting (OR = 1.9), memory (OR = 2.2), pursuing tasks in order (OR = 1.8), and feeling compelled to do things (OR = 2.0). It was argued that work-related rumination may not be related to work demands per se, but appears to be an executive functioning/control issue. Such findings are important for the design and delivery of intervention programes aimed at helping people to switch off and unwind from work. PMID:27746759

Is Work-Related Rumination Associated with Deficits in Executive Functioning?

PubMed

Cropley, Mark; Zijlstra, Fred R H; Querstret, Dawn; Beck, Sarah

2016-01-01

Work-related rumination, that is, perseverative thinking about work during leisure time, has been associated with a range of negative health and wellbeing issues. The present paper examined the association between work-related rumination and cognitive processes centerd around the theoretical construct of executive functioning. Executive functioning is an umbrella term for high level cognitive processes such as planning, working memory, inhibition, mental flexibility; and it underlies how people manage and regulate their goal directed behavior. Three studies are reported. Study I, reports the results of a cross-sectional study of 240 employees, and demonstrates significant correlations between work-related rumination and three proxy measures of executive functioning: cognitive failures (0.33), cognitive flexibility (-0.24), and situational awareness at work (-0.28). Study II ( n = 939), expands on the findings from study 1 and demonstrates that workers reporting medium and high work-related rumination were 2.8 and 5 times, respectively, more likely to report cognitive failures relative to low ruminators. High ruminators also demonstrated greater difficulties with 'lapses of attention' (OR = 4.8), 'lack of focus of attention' (OR = 3.4), and 'absent mindedness' (OR = 4.3). The final study, examined the association between work-related rumination and executive functioning using interview data from 2460 full time workers. Workers were divided into tertiles low, medium, and high. The findings showed that high work-related rumination was associated with deficits in starting (OR = 2.3) and finishing projects (OR = 2.4), fidgeting (OR = 1.9), memory (OR = 2.2), pursuing tasks in order (OR = 1.8), and feeling compelled to do things (OR = 2.0). It was argued that work-related rumination may not be related to work demands per se , but appears to be an executive functioning/control issue. Such findings are important for the design and delivery of intervention programes aimed at helping people to switch off and unwind from work.

Executive and memory correlates of age-related differences in wayfinding performances using a virtual reality application.

PubMed

Taillade, Mathieu; Sauzéon, Hélène; Dejos, Marie; Pala, Prashant Arvind; Larrue, Florian; Wallet, Grégory; Gross, Christian; N'Kaoua, Bernard

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate in large-scale spaces wayfinding and spatial learning difficulties for older adults in relation to the executive and memory decline associated with aging. We compared virtual reality (VR)-based wayfinding and spatial memory performances between young and older adults. Wayfinding and spatial memory performances were correlated with classical measures of executive and visuo-spatial memory functions, but also with self-reported estimates of wayfinding difficulties. We obtained a significant effect of age on wayfinding performances but not on spatial memory performances. The overall correlations showed significant correlations between the wayfinding performances and the classical measures of both executive and visuo-spatial memory, but only when the age factor was not partialled out. Also, older adults underestimated their wayfinding difficulties. A significant relationship between the wayfinding performances and self-reported wayfinding difficulty estimates is found, but only when the age effect was partialled out. These results show that, even when older adults have an equivalent spatial knowledge to young adults, they had greater difficulties with the wayfinding task, supporting an executive decline view in age-related wayfinding difficulties. However, the correlation results are in favor of both the memory and executive decline views as mediators of age-related differences in wayfinding performances. This is discussed in terms of the relationships between memory and executive functioning in wayfinding task orchestration. Our results also favor the use of objective assessments of everyday navigation difficulties in virtual applications, instead of self-reported questionnaires, since older adults showed difficulties in estimating their everyday wayfinding problems.

22 CFR 42.67 - Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... fingerprinting. 42.67 Section 42.67 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Application for Immigrant Visas § 42.67 Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting. (a) Execution of visa application—(1...

22 CFR 42.67 - Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... fingerprinting. 42.67 Section 42.67 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Application for Immigrant Visas § 42.67 Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting. (a) Execution of visa application—(1...

22 CFR 42.67 - Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... fingerprinting. 42.67 Section 42.67 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Application for Immigrant Visas § 42.67 Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting. (a) Execution of visa application—(1...

22 CFR 42.67 - Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... fingerprinting. 42.67 Section 42.67 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Application for Immigrant Visas § 42.67 Execution of application, registration, and fingerprinting. (a) Execution of visa application—(1...

Executive functioning and substance use in adolescence: Neurobiological and behavioral perspectives.

PubMed

Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen; Kahn, Rachel E; Lauharatanahirun, Nina; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Bickel, Warren K; Chiu, Pearl H; King-Casas, Brooks

2017-06-01

The current review is guided by the theoretical perspective that emphasizes the regulating role of executive functioning (Carver et al., 2009) and presents studies that elucidate the ways that executive functioning (inhibition and working memory) explain individual differences in adolescent substance use independently or by regulating the reactive system (reward and punishment sensitivity). Behavioral studies indicate that main effects of executive functioning on adolescent substance use are often nonsignificant or weak in effect sizes. In contrast, emerging evidence suggests consistent and stronger regulating effects of executive functioning over reward and punishment sensitivity. Functional neuroimaging studies reveal significant associations between executive functioning task-related hemodynamic responses and substance use with strong effect sizes. There is also direct evidence from studies testing statistical interactions of the regulating effects of EF-related brain activation, and indirect evidence in studies examining functional connectivity, temporal discounting, and reinforced control. We note key future directions and ways to address limitations in existing work. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Executive Function Subcomponents and their Relations to Everyday Functioning in Healthy Older Adults

PubMed Central

McAlister, Courtney; Schmitter-Edgecombe, Maureen

2016-01-01

Everyday functioning and its executive functioning cognitive correlates (i.e., switching, inhibition, and updating) were investigated in healthy older adults (HOAs) using multiple methods of functional status. In addition to whether computerized experimental tasks would better dissociate these subcomponents than neuropsychological measures of executive functioning, we were also interested in the contributions of both experimental and neuropsychological measures of executive function subcomponents to functional abilities. Seventy HOAs (45 young-old and 25 old-old) and 70 younger adults completed executive function and neuropsychological tests. In addition to self- and informant questionnaires of functional abilities, HOAs completed two performance-based measures. An aging effect was found on all executive function measures. Old-old older adults and their informants did not report more functional difficulties but demonstrated more difficulties on performance-based measures relative to young-old participants. For the HOAs, after controlling for age and education, the neuropsychological measures of executive functioning, but not experimental measures, explained a significant amount of variance in the informant-report and both performance-based measures. Updating measures differentially predicted performance-based measures, while switching was important for questionnaire and performance-based measures. The contribution of executive functioning to functional status when measured with experimental measures specifically designed to isolate the executive subcomponent was not as strong as hypothesized. Further research examining the value of isolating executive function subcomponents in neuropsychological assessment and the prediction of functional abilities in older adults is warranted. PMID:27206842

Are executive functions related to emotional intelligence? A correlational study in schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder.

PubMed

Hurtado, M M; Triviño, M; Arnedo, M; Roldán, G; Tudela, P

2016-12-30

This research explored the relationship between executive functions (working memory and reasoning subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Trail Making and Stroop tests, fluency and planning tasks, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) and emotional intelligence measured by the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test in patients with schizophrenia or borderline personality disorder compared to a control group. As expected, both clinical groups performed worse than the control group in executive functions and emotional intelligence, although the impairment was greater in the borderline personality disorder group. Executive functions significantly correlated with social functioning. Results are discussed in relation to the brain circuits that mediate executive functions and emotional intelligence and the findings obtained with other models of social cognition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lean healthcare from a change management perspective.

PubMed

van Rossum, Lisa; Aij, Kjeld Harald; Simons, Frederique Elisabeth; van der Eng, Niels; Ten Have, Wouter Dirk

2016-05-16

Purpose - Lean healthcare is used in a growing number of hospitals to increase efficiency and quality of care. However, healthcare organizations encounter problems with the implementation of change initiatives due to an implementation gap: the gap between strategy and execution. From a change management perspective, the purpose of this paper is to increase scientific knowledge regarding factors that diminish the implementation gap and make the transition from the "toolbox lean" toward an actual transformation to lean healthcare. Design/methodology/approach - A cross-sectional study was executed in an operating theatre of a Dutch University Medical Centre. Transformational leadership was expected to ensure the required top-down commitment, whereas team leadership creates the required active, bottom-up behavior of employees. Furthermore, professional and functional silos and a hierarchical structure were expected to impede the workforce flexibility in adapting organizational elements and optimize the entire process flow. Findings - The correlation and regression analyses showed positive relations between the transformational leadership and team leadership styles and lean healthcare implementation. The results also indicated a strong relation between workforce flexibility and the implementation of lean healthcare. Originality/value - With the use of a recently developed change management model, the Change Competence Model, the authors suggest leadership and workforce flexibility to be part of an organization's change capacity as crucial success factor for a sustainable transformation to lean healthcare.

Quality Early Education for Quality Childhood. Proceedings of the International Conference of the World Organization for Early Childhood Education (3rd, Hong Kong, November 30 - December 1, 1996).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

World Organization for Early Childhood (Hong Kong).

This document contains the proceedings of a conference on early childhood education. Included are a list of the members of the executive committee of the OMEP and of the conference organizing committee, the program, the keynote addresses, abstracts, and an index of presenters. The keynote addresses were: (1) "Achieving Quality Early Care and…

Lean-Six Sigma: tools for rapid cycle cost reduction.

PubMed

Caldwell, Chip

2006-10-01

Organizational costs can be grouped as process cost, cost of quality, and cost of poor quality. Providers should train managers in the theory and application of Lean-Six Sigma, including the seven categories of waste and how to remove them. Healthcare financial executives should work with managers in eliminating waste to improve service and reduce costs.

Direct and Indirect Effects of Parenting on the Academic Functioning of Young Homeless Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herbers, Janette E.; Cutuli, J. J.; Lafavor, Theresa L.; Vrieze, Danielle; Leibel, Cari; Obradovic, Jelena; Masten, Ann S.

2011-01-01

Research Findings: Effects of parenting quality on the academic functioning of young homeless children were examined using data from 58 children ages 4 to 7 and their parents during their stay at an emergency homeless shelter. Parenting quality, child executive function, child intellectual functioning, and risk status were assessed in the shelter,…

The Path to Excellence: Quality Assurance in Higher Education. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Research Reports, No. 1. FYI Executive Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcus, Lawrence R.; And Others

There is an increasing interest by government in accountability for higher education. Efforts such as performance budgeting, performance auditing, and state review of academic programs are becoming more common. Opponents of government involvement assert that regional accreditation reviews are sufficient to maintain quality standards. However,…

Quality in the Basic Grant Delivery System: Executive Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Advanced Technology, Inc., McLean, VA.

Findings of a study of 1980-1981 award accuracy of the Basic Educational Opportunity Grants (BEOGs), or Pell Grants, are summarized. The study is the first stage of a three-stage quality control project and includes recommended corrective actions to reduce inaccuracies in the grant awards. A sample of 4,500 students were selected as representative…

41 CFR 102-74.205 - What Federal facility ridesharing policy must Executive agencies follow?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., improve air quality, and provide an economical way for Federal employees to commute to work. (b) In... is required to take steps to improve the air quality, and to reduce traffic congestion by providing for the establishment of programs that encourage Federal employees to commute to work by means other...

Revised version of quality guidelines for presurgical epilepsy evaluation and surgical epilepsy therapy issued by the Austrian, German, and Swiss working group on presurgical epilepsy diagnosis and operative epilepsy treatment.

PubMed

Rosenow, Felix; Bast, Thomas; Czech, Thomas; Feucht, Martha; Hans, Volkmar H; Helmstaedter, Christoph; Huppertz, Hans-Jürgen; Noachtar, Soheyl; Oltmanns, Frank; Polster, Tilman; Seeck, Margitta; Trinka, Eugen; Wagner, Kathrin; Strzelczyk, Adam

2016-08-01

The definition of minimal standards remains pivotal as a basis for a high standard of care and as a basis for staff allocation or reimbursement. Only limited publications are available regarding the required staffing or methodologic expertise in epilepsy centers. The executive board of the working group (WG) on presurgical epilepsy diagnosis and operative epilepsy treatment published the first guidelines in 2000 for Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. In 2014, revised guidelines were published and the WG decided to publish an unaltered English translation in this report. Because epilepsy surgery is an elective procedure, quality standards are particularly high. As detailed in the first edition of these guidelines, quality control relates to seven different domains: (1) establishing centers with a sufficient number of sufficiently and specifically trained personnel, (2) minimum technical standards and equipment, (3) continuous medical education of employees, (4) surveillance by trained personnel during video electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring (VEM), (5) systematic acquisition of clinical and outcome data, (6) the minimum number of preoperative evaluations and epilepsy surgery procedures, and (7) the cooperation of epilepsy centers. These standards required the certification of the different professions involved and minimum numbers of procedures. In the subsequent decade, quite a number of colleagues were certified by the trinational WG; therefore, the executive board of the WG decided in 2013 to make these standards obligatory. This revised version is particularly relevant given that the German procedure classification explicitly refers to the guidelines of the WG with regard to noninvasive/invasive preoperative video-EEG monitoring and invasive intraoperative diagnostics in epilepsy. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International League Against Epilepsy.

[Working memory and executive control: inhibitory processes in updating and random generation tasks].

PubMed

Macizo, Pedro; Bajo, Teresa; Soriano, Maria Felipa

2006-02-01

Working Memory (WM) span predicts subjects' performance in control executive tasks and, in addition, it has been related to the capacity to inhibit irrelevant information. In this paper we investigate the role of WM span in two executive tasks focusing our attention on inhibitory components of both tasks. High and low span participants recalled targets words rejecting irrelevant items at the same time (Experiment 1) and they generated random numbers (Experiment 2). Results showed a clear relation between WM span and performance in both tasks. In addition, analyses of intrusion errors (Experiment 1) and stereotyped responses (Experiment 2) indicated that high span individuals were able to efficiently use the inhibitory component implied in both tasks. The pattern of data provides support to the relation between WM span and control executive tasks through an inhibitory mechanism.

The influence of computer-based cognitive flexibility training on subjective cognitive well-being after stroke: A multi-center randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

Murre, Jaap M. J.; Buitenweg, Jessika I. V.; Veltman, Dick J.; Aaronson, Justine A.; Nijboer, Tanja C. W.; Kruiper-Doesborgh, Suzanne J. C.; van Bennekom, Coen A. M.; Ridderinkhof, K. Richard; Schmand, Ben

2017-01-01

Background Stroke can result in cognitive complaints that can have a large impact on quality of life long after its occurrence. A number of computer-based training programs have been developed with the aim to improve cognitive functioning. Most studies investigating their efficacy used only objective outcome measures, whereas a reduction of subjective cognitive complaints may be equally important for improving quality of life. A few studies used subjective outcome measures but were inconclusive, partly due to methodological shortcomings such as lack of proper active and passive control groups. Objective The aim of the current study was to investigate whether computer-based cognitive flexibility training can improve subjective cognitive functioning and quality of life after stroke. Methods We performed a randomized controlled double blind trial (RCT). Adults (30–80 years old) who had a stroke 3 months to 5 years ago, were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 38), an active control group (i.e., mock training; n = 35), or a waiting list control group (n = 24). The intervention and mock training consisted of 58 half-hour sessions within 12 weeks. The primary subjective outcome measures were cognitive functioning (Cognitive Failure Questionnaire), executive functioning (Dysexecutive Functioning Questionnaire), quality of life (Short Form Health Survey), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL; Lawton & Brody IADL scale), and participation in society (Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation). Secondary subjective outcome measures were recovery after stroke, depressive symptoms (Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale—depression subscale), fatigue (Checklist Individual Strength—Fatigue subscale), and subjective cognitive improvement (exit list). Finally, a proxy of the participant rated the training effects in subjective cognitive functioning, subjective executive functioning, and IADL. Results and conclusions All groups improved on the two measures of subjective cognitive functioning and subjective executive functioning, but not on the other measures. These cognitive and executive improvements remained stable 4 weeks after training completion. However, the intervention group did not improve more than the two control groups. This suggests that improvement was due to training-unspecific effects. The proxies did not report any improvements. We, therefore, conclude that the computer-based cognitive flexibility training did not improve subjective cognitive functioning or quality of life after stroke. PMID:29145410

The influence of computer-based cognitive flexibility training on subjective cognitive well-being after stroke: A multi-center randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

van de Ven, Renate M; Murre, Jaap M J; Buitenweg, Jessika I V; Veltman, Dick J; Aaronson, Justine A; Nijboer, Tanja C W; Kruiper-Doesborgh, Suzanne J C; van Bennekom, Coen A M; Ridderinkhof, K Richard; Schmand, Ben

2017-01-01

Stroke can result in cognitive complaints that can have a large impact on quality of life long after its occurrence. A number of computer-based training programs have been developed with the aim to improve cognitive functioning. Most studies investigating their efficacy used only objective outcome measures, whereas a reduction of subjective cognitive complaints may be equally important for improving quality of life. A few studies used subjective outcome measures but were inconclusive, partly due to methodological shortcomings such as lack of proper active and passive control groups. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether computer-based cognitive flexibility training can improve subjective cognitive functioning and quality of life after stroke. We performed a randomized controlled double blind trial (RCT). Adults (30-80 years old) who had a stroke 3 months to 5 years ago, were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 38), an active control group (i.e., mock training; n = 35), or a waiting list control group (n = 24). The intervention and mock training consisted of 58 half-hour sessions within 12 weeks. The primary subjective outcome measures were cognitive functioning (Cognitive Failure Questionnaire), executive functioning (Dysexecutive Functioning Questionnaire), quality of life (Short Form Health Survey), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL; Lawton & Brody IADL scale), and participation in society (Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation). Secondary subjective outcome measures were recovery after stroke, depressive symptoms (Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale-depression subscale), fatigue (Checklist Individual Strength-Fatigue subscale), and subjective cognitive improvement (exit list). Finally, a proxy of the participant rated the training effects in subjective cognitive functioning, subjective executive functioning, and IADL. All groups improved on the two measures of subjective cognitive functioning and subjective executive functioning, but not on the other measures. These cognitive and executive improvements remained stable 4 weeks after training completion. However, the intervention group did not improve more than the two control groups. This suggests that improvement was due to training-unspecific effects. The proxies did not report any improvements. We, therefore, conclude that the computer-based cognitive flexibility training did not improve subjective cognitive functioning or quality of life after stroke.

Application driven interface generation for EASIE. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kao, Ya-Chen

1992-01-01

The Environment for Application Software Integration and Execution (EASIE) provides a user interface and a set of utility programs which support the rapid integration and execution of analysis programs about a central relational database. EASIE provides users with two basic modes of execution. One of them is a menu-driven execution mode, called Application-Driven Execution (ADE), which provides sufficient guidance to review data, select a menu action item, and execute an application program. The other mode of execution, called Complete Control Execution (CCE), provides an extended executive interface which allows in-depth control of the design process. Currently, the EASIE system is based on alphanumeric techniques only. It is the purpose of this project to extend the flexibility of the EASIE system in the ADE mode by implementing it in a window system. Secondly, a set of utilities will be developed to assist the experienced engineer in the generation of an ADE application.

Montessori Preschool Elevates and Equalizes Child Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Lillard, Angeline S; Heise, Megan J; Richey, Eve M; Tong, Xin; Hart, Alyssa; Bray, Paige M

2017-01-01

Quality preschool programs that develop the whole child through age-appropriate socioemotional and cognitive skill-building hold promise for significantly improving child outcomes. However, preschool programs tend to either be teacher-led and didactic, or else to lack academic content. One preschool model that involves both child-directed, freely chosen activity and academic content is Montessori. Here we report a longitudinal study that took advantage of randomized lottery-based admission to two public Montessori magnet schools in a high-poverty American city. The final sample included 141 children, 70 in Montessori and 71 in other schools, most of whom were tested 4 times over 3 years, from the first semester to the end of preschool (ages 3-6), on a variety of cognitive and socio-emotional measures. Montessori preschool elevated children's outcomes in several ways. Although not different at the first test point, over time the Montessori children fared better on measures of academic achievement, social understanding, and mastery orientation, and they also reported relatively more liking of scholastic tasks. They also scored higher on executive function when they were 4. In addition to elevating overall performance on these measures, Montessori preschool also equalized outcomes among subgroups that typically have unequal outcomes. First, the difference in academic achievement between lower income Montessori and higher income conventionally schooled children was smaller at each time point, and was not (statistically speaking) significantly different at the end of the study. Second, defying the typical finding that executive function predicts academic achievement, in Montessori classrooms children with lower executive function scored as well on academic achievement as those with higher executive function. This suggests that Montessori preschool has potential to elevate and equalize important outcomes, and a larger study of public Montessori preschools is warranted.

The relationship between transformational leadership and social capital in hospitals--a survey of medical directors of all German hospitals.

PubMed

Hammer, Antje; Ommen, Oliver; Röttger, Julia; Pfaff, Holger

2012-01-01

The German hospital market has been undergoing major changes in recent years. Success in this new market is determined by a multitude of factors. One is the quality of the social relationships between staff and the presence of shared values and rules. This factor can be considered an organization's "social capital." This study investigates the relationship between social capital and leadership style in German hospitals using a written survey of medical directors. In 2008, a cross-sectional representative study was conducted with 1224 medical directors from every hospital in Germany with at least 1 internal medicine unit and 1 surgery unit. Among the scales included in the standardized questionnaire were scales used to assess the medical directors' evaluation of social capital and transformational leadership in the hospital. We used a multiple linear regression model to examine the relationship between social capital and internal coordination. We controlled for hospital ownership, teaching status, and number of beds. In total, we received questionnaires from 551 medical directors, resulting in a response rate of 45.2%. The participating hospitals had an average of 345 beds. The sample included public (41.3%), not-for-profit (46.9%), and for-profit (11.7%) hospitals. The data, which exclusively represent the perceptions of the medical directors, indicate a significant correlation between a transformational leadership style of the executive management and the social capital as perceived by medical directors. A transformational leadership style of the executive management accounted for 36% of variance of the perceived social capital. The perceived social capital in German hospitals is closely related to the leadership style of the executive management. A transformational leadership style of the executive management appears to successfully strengthen the hospital's social capital.

Montessori Preschool Elevates and Equalizes Child Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Lillard, Angeline S.; Heise, Megan J.; Richey, Eve M.; Tong, Xin; Hart, Alyssa; Bray, Paige M.

2017-01-01

Quality preschool programs that develop the whole child through age-appropriate socioemotional and cognitive skill-building hold promise for significantly improving child outcomes. However, preschool programs tend to either be teacher-led and didactic, or else to lack academic content. One preschool model that involves both child-directed, freely chosen activity and academic content is Montessori. Here we report a longitudinal study that took advantage of randomized lottery-based admission to two public Montessori magnet schools in a high-poverty American city. The final sample included 141 children, 70 in Montessori and 71 in other schools, most of whom were tested 4 times over 3 years, from the first semester to the end of preschool (ages 3–6), on a variety of cognitive and socio-emotional measures. Montessori preschool elevated children’s outcomes in several ways. Although not different at the first test point, over time the Montessori children fared better on measures of academic achievement, social understanding, and mastery orientation, and they also reported relatively more liking of scholastic tasks. They also scored higher on executive function when they were 4. In addition to elevating overall performance on these measures, Montessori preschool also equalized outcomes among subgroups that typically have unequal outcomes. First, the difference in academic achievement between lower income Montessori and higher income conventionally schooled children was smaller at each time point, and was not (statistically speaking) significantly different at the end of the study. Second, defying the typical finding that executive function predicts academic achievement, in Montessori classrooms children with lower executive function scored as well on academic achievement as those with higher executive function. This suggests that Montessori preschool has potential to elevate and equalize important outcomes, and a larger study of public Montessori preschools is warranted. PMID:29163248

Early Childhood Predictors of Post-Kindergarten Executive Function: Behavior, Parent Report, and Psychophysiology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuevas, Kimberly; Hubble, Morgan; Bell, Martha Ann

2012-01-01

Research Findings: This study examined whether children's executive functions before kindergarten would predict variance in executive functions after kindergarten. We obtained behavioral (working memory task performance), parent-reported (temperament-based inhibitory control), and psychophysiological (working memory-related changes in heart rate…

Life History Theory and Social Deviance: The Mediating Role of Executive Function

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wenner, C. J.; Bianchi, J.; Figueredo, A. J.; Rushton, J. Philippe; Jacobs, W. J.

2013-01-01

The present work examined predicted relations among Life History strategies, Executive Functions, socially antagonistic attitudes, socially antagonistic behaviors, and general intelligence. Life History (LH) theory predicts that Executive Functions and socially antagonistic attitudes and behaviors underpin an interrelated and coherent set of…

Deconstructing racial differences: the effects of quality of education and cerebrovascular risk factors.

PubMed

Carvalho, Janessa O; Tommet, Doug; Crane, Paul K; Thomas, Michael L; Claxton, Amy; Habeck, Christian; Manly, Jennifer J; Romero, Heather R

2015-07-01

To evaluate the effects of vascular conditions and education quality on cognition over time in White and African American (AA) older adults. We investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal racial differences in executive functioning (EF) and memory composites among Whites (n = 461) and AAs (n = 118) enrolled in a cohort study. We examined whether cerebrovascular risk factors and Shipley Vocabulary scores (a proxy for education quality) accounted for racial differences. On average, AAs had lower quality of education and more cerebrovascular risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. AAs had lower mean EF and memory at baseline, but there were no group differences in rates of decline. Cross-sectional racial differences in EF and memory persisted after controlling for vascular disease, but disappeared when controlling for Shipley Vocabulary. Quality of education appears to be more important than cerebrovascular risk factors in explaining cross-sectional differences in memory and EF performance between White and AA older adults. Further investigation is needed regarding the relative contribution of education quality and cerebrovascular risk factors to cognitive decline among ethnically/racially diverse older adults. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Executive dysfunction predicts social cognition impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Watermeyer, Tamlyn J; Brown, Richard G; Sidle, Katie C L; Oliver, David J; Allen, Christopher; Karlsson, Joanna; Ellis, Catherine M; Shaw, Christopher E; Al-Chalabi, Ammar; Goldstein, Laura H

2015-07-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder of the motor system with recognised extra-motor and cognitive involvement. This cross-sectional study examined ALS patients' performance on measures requiring social inference, and determined the relationship between such changes and variations in mood, behaviour, personality, empathy and executive function. Fifty-five ALS patients and 49 healthy controls were compared on tasks measuring social cognition and executive function. ALS patients also completed measures examining mood, behaviour and personality. Regression analyses explored the contribution of executive function, mood, behaviour and personality to social cognition scores within the ALS sample. A between-group MANOVA revealed that, the ALS group was impaired relative to controls on two composite scores for social cognition and executive function. Patients also performed worse on individual tests of executive function measuring cognitive flexibility, response inhibition and concept formation, and on individual aspects of social cognition assessing the attribution of emotional and mental states. Regression analyses indicated that ALS-related executive dysfunction was the main predictor of social cognition performance, above and beyond demographic variables, behaviour, mood and personality. On at least some aspects of social cognition, impaired performance in ALS appears to be secondary to executive dysfunction. The profile of cognitive impairment in ALS supports a cognitive continuum between ALS and frontotemporal dementia.

Threat interferes with response inhibition.

PubMed

Hartikainen, Kaisa M; Siiskonen, Anna R; Ogawa, Keith H

2012-05-09

A potential threat, such as a spider, captures attention and engages executive functions to adjust ongoing behavior and avoid danger. We and many others have reported slowed responses to neutral targets in the context of emotional distractors. This behavioral slowing has been explained in the framework of attentional competition for limited resources with emotional stimuli prioritized. Alternatively, slowed performance could reflect the activation of avoidance/freezing-type motor behaviors associated with threat. Although the interaction of attention and emotion has been widely studied, little is known on the interaction between emotion and executive functions. We studied how threat-related stimuli (spiders) interact with executive performance and whether the interaction profile fits with a resource competition model or avoidance/freezing-type motor behaviors. Twenty-one young healthy individuals performed a Go-NoGo visual discrimination reaction time (RT) task engaging several executive functions with threat-related and emotionally neutral distractors. The threat-related distractors had no effect on the RT or the error rate in the Go trials. The NoGo error rate, reflecting failure in response inhibition, increased significantly because of threat-related distractors in contrast to neutral distractors, P less than 0.05. Thus, threat-related distractors temporarily impaired response inhibition. Threat-related distractors associated with increased commission errors and no effect on RT does not suggest engagement of avoidance/freezing-type motor behaviors. The results fit in the framework of the resource competition model. A potential threat calls for evaluation of affective significance as well as inhibition of undue emotional reactivity. We suggest that these functions tax executive resources and may render other executive functions, such as response inhibition, temporarily compromised when the demands for resources exceed availability.

17 CFR 200.16 - Executive Assistant to the Chairman.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., executive direction, and authority for staff studies and reports bearing on the Commission's administration of the laws and its relations with the public, industry, and the Congress. The Executive Assistant is... Commission, members of the staff, and/or representatives of the public on matters arising with regard to...

29 CFR 452.20 - Nature of executive functions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Nature of executive functions. 452.20 Section 452.20 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor OFFICE OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR LABOR-MANAGEMENT... DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1959 Coverage of Election Provisions § 452.20 Nature of executive functions. (a) The...

Executive Function and Early Reading Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foy, Judith G.; Mann, Virginia A.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine how executive function skills in verbal and nonverbal auditory tasks are related to early reading skills in beginning readers. Kindergarteners (N = 41, aged 5 years) completed verbal (phonemes) and nonverbal (environmental sounds) Continuous Performance tasks yielding measures of executive function (misses,…

Developmental Changes in Executive Functioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Kerry; Bull, Rebecca; Ho, Ringo M. H.

2013-01-01

Although early studies of executive functioning in children supported Miyake et al.'s (2000) three-factor model, more recent findings supported a variety of undifferentiated or two-factor structures. Using a cohort-sequential design, this study examined whether there were age-related differences in the structure of executive functioning among…

29 CFR 452.20 - Nature of executive functions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Nature of executive functions. 452.20 Section 452.20 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor OFFICE OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR LABOR-MANAGEMENT... DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1959 Coverage of Election Provisions § 452.20 Nature of executive functions. (a) The...

29 CFR 452.20 - Nature of executive functions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Nature of executive functions. 452.20 Section 452.20 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor OFFICE OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR LABOR-MANAGEMENT... DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1959 Coverage of Election Provisions § 452.20 Nature of executive functions. (a) The...

29 CFR 452.20 - Nature of executive functions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Nature of executive functions. 452.20 Section 452.20 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor OFFICE OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR LABOR-MANAGEMENT... DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1959 Coverage of Election Provisions § 452.20 Nature of executive functions. (a) The...

29 CFR 452.20 - Nature of executive functions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Nature of executive functions. 452.20 Section 452.20 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor OFFICE OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR LABOR-MANAGEMENT... DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1959 Coverage of Election Provisions § 452.20 Nature of executive functions. (a) The...

Concurrent and Short-term Prospective Relations among Neurocognitive Functioning, Coping, and Depressive Symptoms in Youth

PubMed Central

Evans, Lindsay D.; Kouros, Chrystyna D.; Samanez-Larkin, Silvia; Garber, Judy

2016-01-01

Objective The present short-term longitudinal study examined the concurrent and prospective relations among executive functioning (i.e., working memory and cognitive flexibility), coping (primary and secondary control coping), and depressive symptoms in children. Method Participants were 192 children between 9 and 15 years old (mean age = 12.36 years, SD = 1.77) recruited from the community. Youth were individually administered neuropsychological measures of executive functioning and intelligence, and completed self-report measures of executive dysfunction, coping, and depressive symptoms in small groups; the latter two measures were completed again four months later (Time 2). Linear regression analyses were used to examine direct associations among executive functions, coping, and depressive symptoms, and a bootstrapping procedure was used to test indirect effects of executive functioning on depressive symptoms through coping. Results Significant prospective relations were found between working memory measured at Time 1 (T1) and both primary and secondary control coping measured at Time 2 (T2), controlling for T1 coping. T1 cognitive flexibility significantly predicted T2 secondary control coping, controlling for T1 coping. Working memory deficits significantly predicted increases in depressive symptoms four months later, controlling for T1 depressive symptoms. Bootstrap analyses revealed that primary and secondary control coping each partially mediated the relation between working memory and depressive symptoms; secondary control coping partially mediated the relation between cognitive flexibility and depressive symptoms. Conclusion Coping may be one pathway through which deficits in executive functioning contribute to children's symptoms of depression. PMID:25651455

Executive Functions Do Not Mediate Prospective Relations between Indices of Physical Activity and Academic Performance: The Active Smarter Kids (ASK) Study.

PubMed

Aadland, Katrine N; Ommundsen, Yngvar; Aadland, Eivind; Brønnick, Kolbjørn S; Lervåg, Arne; Resaland, Geir K; Moe, Vegard F

2017-01-01

Changes in cognitive function induced by physical activity have been proposed as a mechanism for the link between physical activity and academic performance. The aim of this study was to investigate if executive function mediated the prospective relations between indices of physical activity and academic performance in a sample of 10-year-old Norwegian children. The study included 1,129 children participating in the Active Smarter Kids (ASK) trial, followed over 7 months. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with a latent variable of executive function (measuring inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) was used in the analyses. Predictors were objectively measured physical activity, time spent sedentary, aerobic fitness, and motor skills. Outcomes were performance on national tests of numeracy, reading, and English (as a second language). Generally, indices of physical activity did not predict executive function and academic performance. A modest mediation effect of executive function was observed for the relation between motor skills and academic performance. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov registry, trial registration number: NCT02132494.

Executive Functions Do Not Mediate Prospective Relations between Indices of Physical Activity and Academic Performance: The Active Smarter Kids (ASK) Study

PubMed Central

Aadland, Katrine N.; Ommundsen, Yngvar; Aadland, Eivind; Brønnick, Kolbjørn S.; Lervåg, Arne; Resaland, Geir K.; Moe, Vegard F.

2017-01-01

Changes in cognitive function induced by physical activity have been proposed as a mechanism for the link between physical activity and academic performance. The aim of this study was to investigate if executive function mediated the prospective relations between indices of physical activity and academic performance in a sample of 10-year-old Norwegian children. The study included 1,129 children participating in the Active Smarter Kids (ASK) trial, followed over 7 months. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with a latent variable of executive function (measuring inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) was used in the analyses. Predictors were objectively measured physical activity, time spent sedentary, aerobic fitness, and motor skills. Outcomes were performance on national tests of numeracy, reading, and English (as a second language). Generally, indices of physical activity did not predict executive function and academic performance. A modest mediation effect of executive function was observed for the relation between motor skills and academic performance. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov registry, trial registration number: NCT02132494. PMID:28706500

Social Skills and Executive Function Among Youth With Sickle Cell Disease: A Preliminary Investigation

PubMed Central

Wolfe, Kelly; Lebensburger, Jeffrey; Nieman, Jilian; Barnes, Margaux; Nolan, William; King, Allison; Madan-Swain, Avi

2014-01-01

Objectives To explore the relationship between executive function (EF) and social skills in youth with sickle cell disease (SCD). Methods 20 youth with SCD completed objective tests of EF (Tasks of Executive Control; Animal Sorting subtest from the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment-Second Edition), an IQ screener, and paper-and-pencil measures of social skills (Social Skills Improvement System [SSIS]). Primary caregivers completed paper-and-pencil measures of EF (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function) and social skills (SSIS). Results EF scores from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function related to parent- and child-reported social skills such that EF deficits correlated with poorer overall and domain-specific social skills. Similarly, EF scores from the Animal Sorting test related to child-reported social skills. Worse parent-reported EF predicted worse parent-reported social skills above the variance accounted for by IQ. Conclusions EF is related to social skills and may be necessary for successful social interaction among youth with SCD. These results provide rationale and guidance for future larger-scale investigations of EF and social skills among children with SCD. PMID:24431467

Combined Engineering Education Based on Regional Needs Aiming for Design Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hama, Katsumi; Yaegashi, Kosuke; Kobayashi, Junya

The importance of design education that cultivates integrated competences has been suggested in higher educational institutions in fields of engineering in relation to quality assurance of engineering education. However, it is also pointed out to lay stress on cooperative education in collaboration with the community because there is a limit to correspond to the design education only by a group of educational institutions. This paper reports the outline of the practical engineering education, which is executing in the project learning of Hakodate National College of Technology, based on regional needs and the result of the activity as a model of education program for fusion and combination.

The key to health services in Turkey: new perspectives on leadership and hospital management.

PubMed

Sahin, Alper A

2014-01-01

Health services are one of the most important criteria for making a country function. Turkey has mobilized all of its resources to provide high-quality, easily accessible and patient-friendly services for its population. To achieve this aim, the Turkish health care system has been undergoing a significant transformation through its Health Transformation Programme begun in 2005. The reforms focus on the introduction of a general health insurance system, changing hospital health services, improvements in hospital management and transformational leadership skills. Firstly, all state-run hospitals in the country were merged under the same umbrella, giving millions of people covered by the national security agency access to all of these hospitals. Secondly, all drugs and medical equipment used by patients were made free of charge. Thanks to these developments, hospitals were modernized, and this modernization process in the health sector is still continuing swiftly. On the other hand, for Turkish hospitals to survive, they need to modernize further and become closer to European models, and produce new leaders with new paradigms. In this new and changing health system, hospital leaders and executive officers should be visionaries and strategists advising when to change direction. Following this doctrine, most Turkish hospitals are now run by two top executives: the hospital manager and the chief executive officer who is in charge of business functions. These executives should clearly be the leaders of high-quality, health care organizations.

Mitigation of stress: new treatment alternatives.

PubMed

Subhani, Ahmad Rauf; Kamel, Nidal; Mohamad Saad, Mohamad Naufal; Nandagopal, Nanda; Kang, Kenneth; Malik, Aamir Saeed

2018-02-01

Complaints of stress are common in modern life. Psychological stress is a major cause of lifestyle-related issues, contributing to poor quality of life. Chronic stress impedes brain function, causing impairment of many executive functions, including working memory, decision making and attentional control. The current study sought to describe newly developed stress mitigation techniques, and their influence on autonomic and endocrine functions. The literature search revealed that the most frequently studied technique for stress mitigation was biofeedback (BFB). However, evidence suggests that neurofeedback (NFB) and noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) could potentially provide appropriate approaches. We found that recent studies of BFB methods have typically used measures of heart rate variability, respiration and skin conductance. In contrast, studies of NFB methods have typically utilized neurocomputation techniques employing electroencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging and near infrared spectroscopy. NIBS studies have typically utilized transcranial direct current stimulation methods. Mitigation of stress is a challenging but important research target for improving quality of life.

[Innovative thinking in nursing practice].

PubMed

Lin, Chia-Ling; Wang, Ya-Ni; Tsai, Hsiu-Min

2013-04-01

The nursing profession is patient-centered and responsible to meet the disparate health needs of a wide range of client "groups". Ensuring continued innovation and change to further improve care quality in an evolving health care system is an important issue. A focus on resolving minor points rather than on achieving major change may be the best approach to realizing continuous innovation in nursing. The advantages include not only promoting nursing quality and decreasing costs and manpower, but also giving satisfaction and self-fulfillment to the innovator. Successful innovation is affected by environmental structural support as well as the characteristics of the innovation and innovator. A successful innovator is sensitive to each opportunity, but is not a risk creator. This article describes innovator characteristics and innovation execution, and investigates the content and process of nursing innovation from various points of view in order to create new ideas and values related to the traditional nursing role.

Development of framework for sustainable Lean implementation: an ISM approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jadhav, Jagdish Rajaram; Mantha, S. S.; Rane, Santosh B.

2014-07-01

The survival of any organization depends upon its competitive edge. Even though Lean is one of the most powerful quality improvement methodologies, nearly two-thirds of the Lean implementations results in failures and less than one-fifth of those implemented have sustained results. One of the most significant tasks of top management is to identify, understand and deploy the significant Lean practices like quality circle, Kanban, Just-in-time purchasing, etc. The term `bundle' is used to make groups of inter-related and internally consistent Lean practices. Eight significant Lean practice bundles have been identified based on literature reviewed and opinion of the experts. The order of execution of Lean practice bundles is very important. Lean practitioners must be able to understand the interrelationship between these practice bundles. The objective of this paper is to develop framework for sustainable Lean implementation using interpretive structural modelling approach.

Central executive involvement in children's spatial memory.

PubMed

Ang, Su Yin; Lee, Kerry

2008-11-01

Previous research with adults found that spatial short-term and working memory tasks impose similar demands on executive resources. We administered spatial short-term and working memory tasks to 8- and 11-year-olds in three separate experiments. In Experiments 1 and 2 an executive suppression task (random number generation) was found to impair performances on a short-term memory task (Corsi blocks), a working memory task (letter rotation), and a spatial visualisation task (paper folding). In Experiment 3 an articulatory suppression task only impaired performance on the working memory task. These results suggest that short-term and working memory performances are dependent on executive resources. The degree to which the short-term memory task was dependent on executive resources was expected to be related to the amount of experience children have had with such tasks. Yet we found no significant age-related suppression effects. This was attributed to differences in employment of cognitive strategies by the older children.

Executive and motivational inhibition: associations with self-report measures related to inhibition.

PubMed

Shuster, Jill; Toplak, Maggie E

2009-06-01

Inhibition involves the withholding or suppressing of attention or responses to irrelevant or distracting stimuli. We examined the relationship between five experimental tasks of inhibition, represented by two measures of executive, intentional control inhibition and three measures of motivational inhibition characterized by bottom-up interruption of affective and reward/punishment sensitive mechanisms. Associations between these experimental tasks with three self-report measures related to inhibition were also examined. Correlational analyses indicated a small but significant association between the measures in the executive domain (stop task and Stroop task), but a lack of associations between the measures in the motivational domain (emotional Stroop task, a card playing task involving rewards and punishments, and a gambling task). Both measures of executive and motivational inhibition entered as significant predictors on the self-report measures related to inhibition in simultaneous regression analyses, but not consistently in the expected direction. The results suggest that inhibition is not a unitary construct, and demonstrate an association between experimental measures of inhibition and self-report measures related to inhibition.

How Do Executive Functions Fit with the Cattell-Horn-Carroll Model? Some Evidence from a Joint Factor Analysis of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System and the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Floyd, Randy G.; Bergeron, Renee; Hamilton, Gloria; Parra, Gilbert R.

2010-01-01

This study investigated the relations among executive functions and cognitive abilities through a joint exploratory factor analysis and joint confirmatory factor analysis of 25 test scores from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System and the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities. Participants were 100 children and adolescents…

The making of the modern airport executive: Causal connections among key attributes in career development, compromise, and satisfaction in airport management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byers, David Alan

The purpose of this study was to identify specific career development attributes of contemporary senior-level airport executives and to evaluate the relationship of these attributes to the level of satisfaction airport executives have in their career choice. Attribute sets that were examined included early aviation interests, health factors, psychological factors, demographic factors, formal education, and other aviation-related experiences. A hypothesized causal model that expressed direct and indirect effects among these attributes relative to airport executives' career satisfaction was tested using sample data collected from 708 airport executives from general aviation and commercial service airport throughout the United States. Applying a multiple regression analysis strategy to the model, the overall results revealed that 16% of the variability in airport executives' career satisfaction scores was due to the collective influence of the six research attribute sets, this was significant. The results of the path analysis also indicated that four attribute sets (early aviation interests, health factors, formal education, and other aviation-related experiences) had respective direct significant effects on participants' career satisfaction. Early aviation interests, health factors, and demographic factors had additional indirect effects on career satisfaction; all were mediated by formal education attitude. These results were inconsistent with the hypothesized path model and a revised model was developed to reflect the sample data. The findings suggest that airport executives, as a group, are satisfied with their career choice. Early aviation interests appear to play an important role for influencing the career field selection phase of career development. The study also suggests health factors, formal education, and other aviation-related experiences such as flight training or military experience influence the compromise phase of career development. Each of these four factors had significant effects on career satisfaction. In addition to its applicability to airport executives, the study provides a generalized path model for investigating factors influencing the career development, compromise, and satisfaction process in other vocations.

Linking Executive Function and Peer Problems from Early Childhood Through Middle Adolescence.

PubMed

Holmes, Christopher J; Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen; Deater-Deckard, Kirby

2016-01-01

Peer interactions and executive function play central roles in the development of healthy children, as peer problems have been indicative of lower cognitive competencies such as self-regulatory behavior and poor executive function has been indicative of problem behaviors and social dysfunction. However, few studies have focused on the relation between peer interactions and executive function and the underlying mechanisms that may create this link. Using a national sample (n = 1164, 48.6% female) from the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD), we analyzed executive function and peer problems (including victimization and rejection) across three waves within each domain (executive function or peer problems), beginning in early childhood and ending in middle adolescence. Executive function was measured as a multi-method, multi-informant composite including reports from parents on the Children's Behavior Questionnaire and Child Behavior Checklist and child's performance on behavioral tasks including the Continuous Performance Task, Woodcock-Johnson, Tower of Hanoi, Operation Span Task, Stroop, and Tower of London. Peer problems were measured as a multi-informant composite including self, teacher, and afterschool caregiver reports on multiple peer-relationship scales. Using a cross-lagged design, our Structural Equation Modeling findings suggested that experiencing peer problems contributed to lower executive function later in childhood and better executive function reduced the likelihood of experiencing peer problems later in childhood and middle adolescence, although these relations weakened as a child moves into adolescence. The results highlight that peer relationships are involved in the development of strengths and deficits in executive function and vice versa.

Linking Executive Function and Peer Problems from Early Childhood through Middle Adolescence

PubMed Central

Holmes, Christopher J.; Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen; Deater-Deckard, Kirby

2015-01-01

Peer interactions and executive function play central roles in the development of healthy children, as peer problems have been indicative of lower cognitive competencies such as self-regulatory behavior and poor executive function has been indicative of problem behaviors and social dysfunction. However, few studies have focused on the relation between peer interactions and executive function and the underlying mechanisms that may create this link. Using a national sample (n = 1,164, 48.6% female) from the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD), we analyzed executive function and peer problems (including victimization and rejection) across three waves within each domain (executive function or peer problems), beginning in early childhood and ending in middle adolescence. Executive function was measured as a multi-method, multi-informant composite including reports from parents on the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire and Child Behavior Checklist and child’s performance on behavioral tasks including the Continuous Performance Task, Woodcock-Johnson, Tower of Hanoi, Operation Span Task, Stroop, and Tower of London. Peer problems were measured as a multi-informant composite including self, teacher, and after school caregiver reports on multiple peer-relationship scales. Using a cross-lagged design, our Structural Equation Modeling findings suggested that experiencing peer problems contributed to lower executive function later in childhood and better executive function reduced the likelihood of experiencing peer problems later in childhood and middle adolescence, although these relations weakened as a child moves into adolescence. The results highlight that peer relationships are involved in the development of strengths and deficits in executive function and vice versa. PMID:26096194

Developing and executing quality improvement projects (concept, methods, and evaluation).

PubMed

Likosky, Donald S

2014-03-01

Continuous quality improvement, quality assurance, cycles of change--these words of often used to express the process of using data to inform and improve clinical care. Although many of us have been exposed to theories and practice of experimental work (e.g., randomized trial), few of us have been similarly exposed to the science underlying quality improvement. Through the lens of a single-center quality improvement study, this article exposes the reader to methodology for conducting such studies. The reader will gain an understanding of these methods required to embark on such a study.

Aging and strategic retrieval in a cued-recall test: the role of executive functions and fluid intelligence.

PubMed

Taconnat, Laurence; Clarys, David; Vanneste, Sandrine; Bouazzaoui, Badiâa; Isingrini, Michel

2007-06-01

Cued-recall in episodic memory was investigated in relation to low and high cognitive support at retrieval, executive function level and fluid intelligence level in 81 healthy adults divided first into two age groups (young and elderly adults). The first analyses showed that age-related differences were greater when a low cognitive support was provided to recall the words. An individual index of loss of performance when the number of cues was decreased was then calculated. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the executive functions measure (perseverative errors on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) was a better candidate than the fluid intelligence measure (Cattell's culture fair test) to account for the age-related variance of the size of performance loss. These findings suggest that age differences in implementing strategic retrieval may be mainly due to a decline in executive functions.

Defense Acquisition Reform: Background, Analysis, and Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-23

individuals in line management .... the key to effective execution of any contract is not the quality of the contract, it is the quality of the...yielded only limited results due in large part to poor workforce management . Most reports have concluded that the key to good acquisitions is having a...Supply Chain Management ......................................................................... 21 Figures Figure 1. Contract Obligations, by

The Promise of Pre-K. Expanding Quality Preschool in Cincinnati. Education/Childcare. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Michael

2016-01-01

Quality preschool improves children's educational outcomes into the elementary grades, and good programs with wraparound childcare anchor family financial stability by enabling parents to work. Yet, too few Cincinnati children have access to a good preschool or any preschool at all. A levy on this November's ballot seeks to change that by adding a…

Quality Improvement and Evaluation in Child and Family Services: Managing into the Next Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pecora, Peter J., Ed.; Seelig, William R., Ed.; Zirps, Fotena A., Ed.; Davis, Sally M., Ed.

Based on the work of the National Council on Research in Child Welfare (NCRCW), this handbook is designed to help social service agency executives cope with changing times for child welfare agencies, strengthen traditional services to meet today's needs, and analyze and plan for the future. The manual aims to demystify quality improvement theory…

YoungStar in Wisconsin: Analysis of Data as of July 2014. Executive Summary: Key Findings and Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, 2014

2014-01-01

YoungStar is a five-star quality rating system for child care providers based on education, learning environment, business methods, and practices around child health and well-being. Through this rating system, the state is addressing several key issues in Wisconsin's child care system. The rating system will: (1) Improve the overall quality of…

Co-Production of Quality in the Applied Education Research Scheme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozga, Jenny

2007-01-01

This contribution looks at the ways in which research quality is defined and addressed in the Applied Education Research Scheme (AERS), particularly within the network on Schools and Social Capital, which is one of the four areas of work within the overall AERS scheme. AERS is a five-year programme, funded jointly by the Scottish Executive and the…

Managing Quality Improvement of eLearning in a Large, Campus-Based University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Robert A.; Jarkey, Nerida; Mahony, Mary Jane; Peat, Mary; Sheely, Stephen

2007-01-01

Purpose: This paper seeks to discuss the characteristics that shape a model to manage eLearning in a large, predominantly campus-based university. It focuses on how such a model can provide a sustainable approach to supporting eLearning for more than 40,000 students while still managing basic quality assurance for the University executive and the…

Influence of circadian rhythms on the temporal features of motor imagery for older adult inpatients.

PubMed

Rulleau, Thomas; Mauvieux, Benoit; Toussaint, Lucette

2015-07-01

To examine the circadian modulation on motor imagery quality for older adult inpatients to determine the best time of day to use motor imagery in rehabilitation activities. Time series posttest only. Inpatient rehabilitation center. Participants included older adult inpatients (N=34) who were hospitalized for diverse geriatric or neurogeriatric reasons. They were able to sit without assistance, manipulate objects, and walk 10m in <30 seconds without technical help or with a walking stick. None. The executed and imagined durations of writing and walking movements were recorded 7 times a day (9:15 am-4:45 pm), at times compatible with the hours of rehabilitation activities. Motor imagery quality was evaluated by computing the isochrony index (ie, absolute difference between the average duration of executed and imagined actions) for each trial and each inpatient. The cosinor method was used to analyze the time series for circadian rhythmicity. Imagined movements duration and isochrony index exhibited circadian modulations, whereas no such rhythmic changes appeared for executed movements. Motor imagery quality was better late in the morning, at approximately 10:18 am and 12:10 pm for writing and walking, respectively. Cognitive and sensorimotor aspects of motor behaviors differed among the older adults. The temporal features of motor imagery showed a clear circadian variation. From a practical perspective, this study offers information on an effective schedule for motor imagery in rehabilitation activities with older adult inpatients. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Directed Incremental Symbolic Execution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Person, Suzette; Yang, Guowei; Rungta, Neha; Khurshid, Sarfraz

2011-01-01

The last few years have seen a resurgence of interest in the use of symbolic execution -- a program analysis technique developed more than three decades ago to analyze program execution paths. Scaling symbolic execution and other path-sensitive analysis techniques to large systems remains challenging despite recent algorithmic and technological advances. An alternative to solving the problem of scalability is to reduce the scope of the analysis. One approach that is widely studied in the context of regression analysis is to analyze the differences between two related program versions. While such an approach is intuitive in theory, finding efficient and precise ways to identify program differences, and characterize their effects on how the program executes has proved challenging in practice. In this paper, we present Directed Incremental Symbolic Execution (DiSE), a novel technique for detecting and characterizing the effects of program changes. The novelty of DiSE is to combine the efficiencies of static analysis techniques to compute program difference information with the precision of symbolic execution to explore program execution paths and generate path conditions affected by the differences. DiSE is a complementary technique to other reduction or bounding techniques developed to improve symbolic execution. Furthermore, DiSE does not require analysis results to be carried forward as the software evolves -- only the source code for two related program versions is required. A case-study of our implementation of DiSE illustrates its effectiveness at detecting and characterizing the effects of program changes.

Creating a context for excellence and innovation: comparing chief nurse executive leadership practices in magnet and non-magnet hospitals.

PubMed

Porter-O'grady, Tim

2009-01-01

Chief nurse executives create a context for leadership, innovation, and practice in hospitals. It is valuable to get a sense of nurse executives' perceptions regarding their leadership practices and how they value them. Furthermore, it is of interest to see if there is significant differentiation in these perceptions between chief nurse executives in Magnet hospitals and those in non-Magnet hospitals. This article discusses a study of the leadership practices of these 2 groups of nurse executive's leadership practices and reports the results. Concluding is a brief discussion regarding impact and importance of the nurse executive related to excellence and innovation.

The strategic use of outcome information.

PubMed

Thompson, D I; Sirio, C; Holt, P

2000-10-01

Most health care executives see outcome measurement as a technical or tactical matter rather than as a strategic tool. Accordingly, provider investment in outcome measurement and management is relatively small. Nevertheless, outcome information can be key to achieving an organization's strategic objectives. Advances in risk adjustment and improvements in technology for data collection and analysis have made outcome measurement a practical tool for individual hospital use. Strategically integrated outcome measurement efforts can give providers a competitive advantage over organizations that only use outcomes tactically. One of the best examples of an acute care provider that has used outcome information for strategic advantage is Intermountain Health Care (IHC; Salt Lake City). In 1997 IHC made clinical quality and outcomes the primary focus of its five-year strategic plan. To support the new strategy IHC's board of trustees approved the development of an outcome information system that generated data along clinical processes of care and the creation of a new management structure to use these data to hold professionals accountable and to set and achieve clinical improvement goals. From 1996 to 1999, IHC's share of the commercial health care market in Utah increased from roughly 50% to about 62% of the market, with the result that it has stopped actively marketing its services. Health care executives will not willingly invest in outcomes until they believe that they have business value. Therefore, making the business case for outcomes can help improve the quality of health care and the lives of individuals.

Computerized Cognitive Rehabilitation of Attention and Executive Function in Acquired Brain Injury: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Bogdanova, Yelena; Yee, Megan K; Ho, Vivian T; Cicerone, Keith D

Comprehensive review of the use of computerized treatment as a rehabilitation tool for attention and executive function in adults (aged 18 years or older) who suffered an acquired brain injury. Systematic review of empirical research. Two reviewers independently assessed articles using the methodological quality criteria of Cicerone et al. Data extracted included sample size, diagnosis, intervention information, treatment schedule, assessment methods, and outcome measures. A literature review (PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid, Cochrane, PsychINFO, CINAHL) generated a total of 4931 publications. Twenty-eight studies using computerized cognitive interventions targeting attention and executive functions were included in this review. In 23 studies, significant improvements in attention and executive function subsequent to training were reported; in the remaining 5, promising trends were observed. Preliminary evidence suggests improvements in cognitive function following computerized rehabilitation for acquired brain injury populations including traumatic brain injury and stroke. Further studies are needed to address methodological issues (eg, small sample size, inadequate control groups) and to inform development of guidelines and standardized protocols.

International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis Executive Summary.

PubMed

Orlandi, Richard R; Kingdom, Todd T; Hwang, Peter H

2016-02-01

The body of knowledge regarding rhinosinusitis (RS) continues to expand, with rapid growth in number of publications yet substantial variability in the quality of those presentations. In an effort to both consolidate and critically appraise this information, rhinologic experts from around the world have produced the International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR:RS). This executive summary consolidates the findings of the ICAR:RS document. ICAR:RS presents over 140 topics in the forms of evidence-based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs) and evidence-based reviews (EBR). The structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. This summary compiles the EBRRs regarding medical and surgical management of acute RS (ARS) and chronic RS with and without nasal polyps (CRSwNP and CRSsNP). This ICAR:RS Executive Summary provides a compilation of the evidence-based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS. © 2016 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Relation of executive functioning to pragmatic outcome following severe traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Douglas, Jacinta M

2010-04-01

This study was designed to explore the behavioral nature of pragmatic impairment following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to evaluate the contribution of executive skills to the experience of pragmatic difficulties after TBI. Participants were grouped into 43 TBI dyads (TBI adults and close relatives) and 43 control dyads. All TBI participants had sustained severe injury (mean posttraumatic amnesia duration = 45.19 days, SD = 39.15) due to a moving vehicle-related trauma. A minimum of 2 years had elapsed since injury (M = 5.36 years, SD = 3.61). The La Trobe Communication Questionnaire (LCQ; Douglas, O'Flaherty, & Snow, 2000) was administered to all participants. Measures of executive function included the following: the FAS verbal fluency task (Spreen & Benton, 1969), the Speed and Capacity of Language Processing test (Baddeley, Emslie, & Nimmo-Smith, 1992), and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task (Rey, 1964). Perceptions of TBI participants and their relatives were significantly correlated (r = .63, p < .001) and significantly different from those of controls, F(1, 84) = 37.2, p < .001. Pragmatic difficulties represented violations in 3 domains of Grice's (1975) Cooperative Principle (Quantity, Relation, and Manner), and executive function measures predicted 37% (32% adjusted) of the variability in LCQ scores. The study demonstrates evidence of a significant association between executive impairment and the pragmatic communication difficulties experienced by individuals with TBI.

Effects of Work-Related Stress on Work Ability Index among Iranian Workers.

PubMed

Gharibi, Vahid; Mokarami, Hamidreza; Taban, Abrahim; Yazdani Aval, Mohsen; Samimi, Kazem; Salesi, Mahmood

2016-03-01

Work Ability Index (WAI) is a well-known and valid self-report tool that has been widely used in various studies to identify and avoid early retirement and work-related disability. Nevertheless, very few studies have been carried out to evaluate work ability in Iran. We aimed to investigate the WAI and the effect of work-related stress on it among Iranian workers. A cross-sectional, descriptive and analytic study was carried out among 449 workers from five working sectors in three big cities of Iran. Work ability and work-related stress were measured using the Persian version of WAI and the Persian version of Health and Safety Executive Stress Indicator Tool. More than a third of the workers surveyed (34.70%) did not have an appropriate level of work ability (WAI < 37). There was a significant correlation between subscales of work-related stress and the mean score of WAI. Furthermore, the variables of body mass index, sleep quality, exercise activity, job tenure, and three subscales of work-related stress including demands, supervisor support, and role were significant predictors of WAI. According to the results of this study, the interventional programs must be focused on improving supervisors support, eliminating ambiguity and conflicts in the role of workers in their job and organization, reducing job demands, improving sleep quality, and increasing exercise activity.

An Exploration of the Perception of Dance and Its Relation to Biomechanical Motion: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis.

PubMed

Chang, Michael; Halaki, Mark; Adams, Roger; Cobley, Stephen; Lee, Kwee-Yum; O'Dwyer, Nicholas

2016-01-01

In dance, the goals of actions are not always clearly defined. Investigations into the perceived quality of dance actions and their relation to biomechanical motion should give insight into the performance of dance actions and their goals. The purpose of this review was to explore and document current literature concerning dance perception and its relation to the biomechanics of motion. Seven studies were included in the review. The study results showed systematic differences between expert, non-expert, and novice dancers in biomechanical and perceptual measures, both of which also varied according to the actions expressed in dance. Biomechanical and perceptual variables were found to be correlated in all the studies in the review. Significant relations were observed between kinematic variables such as amplitude, speed, and variability of movement, and perceptual measures of beauty and performance quality. However, in general, there were no clear trends in these relations. Instead, the evidence suggests that perceptual ratings of dance may be specific to both the task (the skill of the particular action) and the context (the music and staging). The results also suggest that the human perceptual system is sensitive to skillful movements and neuromuscular coordination. Since the value perceived by audiences appears to be related to dance action goals and the coordination of dance elements, practitioners could place a priority on development and execution of those factors.

38 CFR 1.220 - On-site activities by pharmaceutical company representatives at VA medical facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... are met and the promotion is specifically permitted by the VISN Pharmacist Executive, or Chief of... promotion is specifically permitted by the VISN Pharmacist Executive, or Chief of Pharmacy Services, or...-related supplies must be forwarded to the VISN Pharmacist Executive or VISN Formulary Committee. All...

38 CFR 1.220 - On-site activities by pharmaceutical company representatives at VA medical facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... are met and the promotion is specifically permitted by the VISN Pharmacist Executive, or Chief of... promotion is specifically permitted by the VISN Pharmacist Executive, or Chief of Pharmacy Services, or...-related supplies must be forwarded to the VISN Pharmacist Executive or VISN Formulary Committee. All...

38 CFR 1.220 - On-site activities by pharmaceutical company representatives at VA medical facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... are met and the promotion is specifically permitted by the VISN Pharmacist Executive, or Chief of... promotion is specifically permitted by the VISN Pharmacist Executive, or Chief of Pharmacy Services, or...-related supplies must be forwarded to the VISN Pharmacist Executive or VISN Formulary Committee. All...

Using an Adoption Design to Separate Genetic, Prenatal, and Temperament Influences on Toddler Executive Function

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leve, Leslie D.; DeGarmo, David S.; Bridgett, David J.; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Harold, Gordon T.; Natsuaki, Misaki N.; Reiss, David

2013-01-01

Poor executive functioning has been implicated in children's concurrent and future behavioral difficulties, making work aimed at understanding processes related to the development of early executive function (EF) critical for models of developmental psychopathology. Deficits in EF have been associated with adverse prenatal experiences, genetic…

The Relationship between Media Multitasking and Executive Function in Early Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baumgartner, Susanne E.; Weeda, Wouter D.; van der Heijden, Lisa L.; Huizinga, Mariëtte

2014-01-01

The increasing prevalence of media multitasking among adolescents is concerning because it may be negatively related to goal-directed behavior. This study investigated the relationship between media multitasking and executive function in 523 early adolescents (aged 11-15; 48% girls). The three central components of executive functions (i.e.,…

Executive Function Skills and Academic Achievement Gains in Prekindergarten: Contributions of Learning-Related Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nesbitt, Kimberly Turner; Farran, Dale Clark; Fuhs, Mary Wagner

2015-01-01

Although research suggests associations between children's executive function skills and their academic achievement, the specific mechanisms that may help explain these associations in early childhood are unclear. This study examined whether children's (N = 1,103; M age = 54.5 months) executive function skills at the beginning of prekindergarten…

Family Environment and Parent-Child Relationships as Related to Executive Functioning in Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroeder, Valarie M.; Kelley, Michelle L.

2010-01-01

The present study examines the associations between family environment, parenting practices and executive functions in normally developing children. One hundred parents of children between the ages of 5 and 12 completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions from the Family Environment Scale and the Parent-Child Relationship…

How Socioeconomic Status, Executive Functioning and Verbal Interactions Contribute to Early Academic Achievement in Chinese Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Kevin K. H.; Liu, Hongyun; McBride, Catherine; Wong, Anita M. -Y.; Lo, Jason C. M.

2017-01-01

The present study investigated the relative importance of executive functioning, parent-child verbal interactions, phonological awareness and visual skills on reading and mathematics for Chinese children from low-versus middle-socio economic status (SES) backgrounds. A total of 199 kindergarten children were assessed on executive functioning,…

24 CFR 58.5 - Related Federal laws and authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...). (2) Executive Order 11593, Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment, May 13, 1971 (36... section 3 (16 U.S.C. 469a-1). (b) Floodplain management and wetland protection. (1) Executive Order 11988...) Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands, May 24, 1977 (42 FR 26961), 3 CFR, 1977 Comp., p. 121...

24 CFR 58.5 - Related Federal laws and authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...). (2) Executive Order 11593, Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment, May 13, 1971 (36... section 3 (16 U.S.C. 469a-1). (b) Floodplain management and wetland protection. (1) Executive Order 11988...) Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands, May 24, 1977 (42 FR 26961), 3 CFR, 1977 Comp., p. 121...

3 CFR 13595 - Executive Order 13595 of December 19, 2011. Instituting a National Action Plan on Women, Peace...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... institutionalize a gender-responsive approach to its diplomatic, development, and defense-related work in conflict... Executive Departments and Agencies. (a) Executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall maintain a..., interpretation, and enforcement of Federal law. (b) The Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the...

Implementation intentions for physical activity behavior in older adult women: an examination of executive function as a moderator of treatment effects.

PubMed

Hall, Peter A; Zehr, Christopher; Paulitzki, Jeffrey; Rhodes, Ryan

2014-08-01

Implementation intentions are effective for enhancing physical activity, but it is unknown how well these effects extend to older adults and/or are modified by cognitive variables. Our objective is to examine (1) the efficacy of an implementation intentions intervention for physical activity in older adult women and (2) to examine the moderating effects of executive function. Participants (N = 75, M age = 73.72) completed measures of executive function and were randomly assigned to weekly implementation intentions for physical activity (experimental condition), implementation intentions for an unrelated behavior (control condition), or no treatment. Baseline activity was measured by accelerometer and self-report; follow-up activity was measured by weekly self-report. Findings indicated a significant treatment effect for the experimental condition and a treatment by executive function interaction. Specifically, participants with relatively stronger executive function benefited most from the experimental intervention. Implementation intentions are effective for enhancing physical activity among older adult women, and the effects may be especially pronounced for those with relatively stronger executive function.