Factors Influencing Assessment Quality in Higher Vocational Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baartman, Liesbeth; Gulikers, Judith; Dijkstra, Asha

2013-01-01

The development of assessments that are fit to assess professional competence in higher vocational education requires a reconsideration of assessment methods, quality criteria and (self)evaluation. This article examines the self-evaluations of nine courses of a large higher vocational education institute. Per course, 4-11 teachers and 3-10…

Quality of life, self-stigma, and hope in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Vrbova, Kristyna; Prasko, Jan; Ociskova, Marie; Kamaradova, Dana; Marackova, Marketa; Holubova, Michaela; Grambal, Ales; Slepecky, Milos; Latalova, Klara

2017-01-01

Goals The aim of this study was to explore the quality of life, self-stigma, personality traits, and hope in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Patients and methods A total of 52 outpatients participated in this cross-sectional study. The attending psychiatrist assessed each patient with Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The patients then completed Quality of Life Satisfaction and Enjoyment Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q), Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) Scale, Temperament and Character Inventory – Revised (TCI-R), Adult Dispositional Hope Scale (ADHS), Drug Attitude Inventory 10 (DAI-10), and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS)-Self-report. The psychiatrist evaluated Clinical Global Impression Severity – the objective version (objCGI-S), and the patients completed the Clinical Global Impression Severity – the subjective version (subjCGI-S). Each participant also completed Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results The quality of life was significantly higher in employed patients and individuals with higher hope, self-directedness (SD), and persistence (PS). The quality of life was lower among patients with higher number of psychiatric hospitalizations, those with higher severity of the disorder, and individuals who were taking higher doses of antipsychotics. Patients with more pronounced symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social anxiety had a lower quality of life. Finally, the quality of life was lower among individuals with higher harm avoidance (HA) and self-stigmatization (ISMI). Backward stepwise regression was applied to identify the most significant factors connected to self-stigma. The regression analysis showed that occupation, level of depression (BDI-II), attitude to using medication (DAI-10), social anxiety (LSAS), and antipsychotic index were the most relevant factors associated with lower quality of life. Conclusion Detection of the quality of life in the context of personality traits, hope, self-stigma, and demographic and clinical factors may be an important part of the assessment of the patient with schizophrenia. PMID:28260904

Quality of life, self-stigma, and hope in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Vrbova, Kristyna; Prasko, Jan; Ociskova, Marie; Kamaradova, Dana; Marackova, Marketa; Holubova, Michaela; Grambal, Ales; Slepecky, Milos; Latalova, Klara

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the quality of life, self-stigma, personality traits, and hope in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. A total of 52 outpatients participated in this cross-sectional study. The attending psychiatrist assessed each patient with Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The patients then completed Quality of Life Satisfaction and Enjoyment Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q), Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) Scale, Temperament and Character Inventory - Revised (TCI-R), Adult Dispositional Hope Scale (ADHS), Drug Attitude Inventory 10 (DAI-10), and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS)-Self-report. The psychiatrist evaluated Clinical Global Impression Severity - the objective version (objCGI-S), and the patients completed the Clinical Global Impression Severity - the subjective version (subjCGI-S). Each participant also completed Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The quality of life was significantly higher in employed patients and individuals with higher hope, self-directedness (SD), and persistence (PS). The quality of life was lower among patients with higher number of psychiatric hospitalizations, those with higher severity of the disorder, and individuals who were taking higher doses of antipsychotics. Patients with more pronounced symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social anxiety had a lower quality of life. Finally, the quality of life was lower among individuals with higher harm avoidance (HA) and self-stigmatization (ISMI). Backward stepwise regression was applied to identify the most significant factors connected to self-stigma. The regression analysis showed that occupation, level of depression (BDI-II), attitude to using medication (DAI-10), social anxiety (LSAS), and antipsychotic index were the most relevant factors associated with lower quality of life. Detection of the quality of life in the context of personality traits, hope, self-stigma, and demographic and clinical factors may be an important part of the assessment of the patient with schizophrenia.

Pressure effects on the dissipative behavior of nanocrystalline diamond microelectromechanical resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, J. T.; Holz, T.; Fernandes, A. J. S.; Costa, F. M.; Chu, V.; Conde, J. P.

2015-02-01

Diamond-based microelectromechanical resonators have the potential of enhanced performance due to the chemical inertness of the diamond structural layer and its high Young’s modulus, high wear resistance, low thermal expansion coefficient, and very high thermal conductivity. In this work, the resonance frequency and quality factor of MEMS resonators based on nanocrystalline diamond films are characterized under different air pressures. The dynamic behavior of 50-300 μm long linear bridges and double ended tuning forks, with resonance frequencies between 0.5 and 15 MHz and quality factors as high as 50 000 are described as a function of measurement pressure from high vacuum(~10 mTorr) up to atmospheric conditions. The resonance frequencies and quality factors in vacuum show good agreement with the theoretical models including anchor and thermoelastic dissipation (TED). The Young’s moduli for nanocrystalline diamond films extrapolated from experimental data are between 840-920 GPa. The critical pressure values, at which the quality factor starts decreasing due to dissipation in air, are dependent on the resonator length. Longer structures, with quality factors limited by TED and lower resonance frequencies, have low critical pressures, of the order of 1-10 Torr and go from an intrinsic dissipation, to a molecular dissipation regime and finally to a region of viscous dissipation. Shorter resonators, with higher resonance frequencies and quality factors limited by anchor losses, have higher critical pressures, some higher than atmospheric pressure, and enter directly into the viscous dissipation regime from the intrinsic region.

[Psychosocial factors of chronic hand eczema].

PubMed

Li, Li; Liu, Panpan; Li, Ji; Xie, Hongfu; Kuang, Yehong; Li, Jie; Su, Juan; Zhu, Wu

2017-02-28

To study the psychosocial factors in patient with chronic hand eczema (CHE).
 Methods: Personality traits, emotional state, and quality of life of 240 patients with CHE and 221 normal control (NC) subjects were assessed by General Questionnaire, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety (SAS), and Eczema Quality of Life Scale (EQOLS).
 Results: In comparison, EPQ scores, scores of extraversion (E) factor in patients with CHE were significantly lower than those in NC subjects (P<0.01), but scores of neuroticism (N) factor in patients with CHE were significantly higher than those in NC subjects (P<0.01), while there was no significant difference in scores of psychoticism (P) and lie (L) factors between two groups (P>0.05). Patients with CHE had significantly higher scores in SDS and SAS compared with the NC subjects (P<0.01). Patients with CHE had significantly higher scores in scale of morbid, physical, social, psychological, general quality of life, and total scores of EQOLS compared with the NC subjects (P<0.01). The level of skin lesions and the degree of itch were significantly correlated with scores in scale SDS, SAS, morbid, physical, social, psychological, general quality of life, and total scores of EQOLS compared with the NC subjects (P<0.05).
 Conclusion: Personality of patients with CHE is prone to emotional instability of introverts.Patients with CHE have a higher level of depression and anxiety, and exert a negative effect on their quality of life, which is related to severity of disease.

Pre-adoptive Factors Predicting Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Couples’ Relationship Quality Across the Transition to Adoptive Parenthood

PubMed Central

Goldberg, Abbie E.; Smith, JuliAnna Z.; Kashy, Deborah A.

2010-01-01

The current study examined pre-adoptive factors as predictors of relationship quality (love, ambivalence, and conflict) among 125 couples (44 lesbian couples, 30 gay couples, and 51 heterosexual couples) across the first year of adoptive parenthood. On average, all new parents experienced declines in their relationship quality across the first year of parenthood, regardless of sexual orientation, with women experiencing steeper declines in love. Parents who, pre-adoption, reported higher levels of depression, greater use of avoidant coping, lower levels of relationship maintenance behaviors, and less satisfaction with their adoption agencies reported lower relationship quality at the time of the adoption. The effect of avoidant coping on relationship quality varied by gender. Parents who, pre-adoption, reported higher levels of depression, greater use of confrontative coping, and higher levels of relationship maintenance behaviors reported greater declines in relationship quality. These findings have implications for professionals who work with adoptive parents both pre- and post-adoption. PMID:20545395

Academic mobility as a key factor of quality assurance in tertiary education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voroshilova, Anna A.

2015-01-01

Academic mobility of both faculty and students forms a critical element of the international dimension of higher education and is one of the most important factors of quality assurance of higher education institutions worldwide. Internationalization and globalization of Russian higher education system is having one of the major impacts on the quality management and assurance. Faculty and student mobility figures are now one of the core factors for obtaining state accreditation for Russian universities as well as an important indicator showing the university success and prestige. The aim of the paper is a closer look at the perspectives and results of the academic mobility, the factors stimulating and discouraging mobility, and the outcomes of the mobility influencing the education in Russian universities. Siberian State Aerospace University has had more than 10 years experience in organizing student mobility. Most of the problems in carrying out international activities are common for the whole Russia but still there are some peculiarities featuring technical universities situated in the centre of Russia.

Health-related quality of life of latin-american immigrants and spanish-born attended in spanish primary health care: socio-demographic and psychosocial factors.

PubMed

Salinero-Fort, Miguel Ángel; Gómez-Campelo, Paloma; Bragado-Alvárez, Carmen; Abánades-Herranz, Juan Carlos; Jiménez-García, Rodrigo; de Burgos-Lunar, Carmen

2015-01-01

This study compares the health-related quality of life of Spanish-born and Latin American-born individuals settled in Spain. Socio-demographic and psychosocial factors associated with health-related quality of life are analyzed. A cross-sectional Primary Health Care multi center-based study of Latin American-born (n = 691) and Spanish-born (n = 903) outpatients from 15 Primary Health Care Centers (Madrid, Spain). The Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to assess health-related quality of life. Socio-demographic, psychosocial, and specific migration data were also collected. Compared to Spanish-born participants, Latin American-born participants reported higher health-related quality of life in the physical functioning and vitality dimensions. Across the entire sample, Latin American-born participants, younger participants, men and those with high social support reported significantly higher levels of physical health. Men with higher social support and a higher income reported significantly higher mental health. When stratified by gender, data show that for men physical health was only positively associated with younger age. For women, in addition to age, social support and marital status were significantly related. Both men and women with higher social support and income had significantly better mental health. Finally, for immigrants, the physical and mental health components of health-related quality of life were not found to be significantly associated with any of the pre-migration factors or conditions of migration. Only the variable "exposure to political violence" was significantly associated with the mental health component (p = 0.014). The key factors to understanding HRQoL among Latin American-born immigrants settled in Spain are age, sex and social support. Therefore, strategies to maintain optimal health outcomes in these immigrant communities should include public policies on social inclusion in the host society and focus on improving social support networks in order to foster and maintain the health and HRQoL of this group.

Local environmental quality positively predicts breastfeeding in the UK’s Millennium Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Sear, Rebecca

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives: Breastfeeding is an important form of parental investment with clear health benefits. Despite this, rates remain low in the UK; understanding variation can therefore help improve interventions. Life history theory suggests that environmental quality may pattern maternal investment, including breastfeeding. We analyse a nationally representative dataset to test two predictions: (i) higher local environmental quality predicts higher likelihood of breastfeeding initiation and longer duration; (ii) higher socioeconomic status (SES) provides a buffer against the adverse influences of low local environmental quality. Methodology: We ran factor analysis on a wide range of local-level environmental variables. Two summary measures of local environmental quality were generated by this analysis—one ‘objective’ (based on an independent assessor’s neighbourhood scores) and one ‘subjective’ (based on respondent’s scores). We used mixed-effects regression techniques to test our hypotheses. Results: Higher objective, but not subjective, local environmental quality predicts higher likelihood of starting and maintaining breastfeeding over and above individual SES and area-level measures of environmental quality. Higher individual SES is protective, with women from high-income households having relatively high breastfeeding initiation rates and those with high status jobs being more likely to maintain breastfeeding, even in poor environmental conditions. Conclusions and Implications: Environmental quality is often vaguely measured; here we present a thorough investigation of environmental quality at the local level, controlling for individual- and area-level measures. Our findings support a shift in focus away from individual factors and towards altering the landscape of women’s decision making contexts when considering behaviours relevant to public health. PMID:29354262

Local environmental quality positively predicts breastfeeding in the UK's Millennium Cohort Study.

PubMed

Brown, Laura J; Sear, Rebecca

2017-01-01

Background and Objectives: Breastfeeding is an important form of parental investment with clear health benefits. Despite this, rates remain low in the UK; understanding variation can therefore help improve interventions. Life history theory suggests that environmental quality may pattern maternal investment, including breastfeeding. We analyse a nationally representative dataset to test two predictions: (i) higher local environmental quality predicts higher likelihood of breastfeeding initiation and longer duration; (ii) higher socioeconomic status (SES) provides a buffer against the adverse influences of low local environmental quality. Methodology: We ran factor analysis on a wide range of local-level environmental variables. Two summary measures of local environmental quality were generated by this analysis-one 'objective' (based on an independent assessor's neighbourhood scores) and one 'subjective' (based on respondent's scores). We used mixed-effects regression techniques to test our hypotheses. Results: Higher objective, but not subjective, local environmental quality predicts higher likelihood of starting and maintaining breastfeeding over and above individual SES and area-level measures of environmental quality. Higher individual SES is protective, with women from high-income households having relatively high breastfeeding initiation rates and those with high status jobs being more likely to maintain breastfeeding, even in poor environmental conditions. Conclusions and Implications: Environmental quality is often vaguely measured; here we present a thorough investigation of environmental quality at the local level, controlling for individual- and area-level measures. Our findings support a shift in focus away from individual factors and towards altering the landscape of women's decision making contexts when considering behaviours relevant to public health.

A cross-cultural study of organizational factors on safety: Japanese vs. Taiwanese oil refinery plants.

PubMed

Hsu, Shang Hwa; Lee, Chun-Chia; Wu, Muh-Cherng; Takano, Kenichi

2008-01-01

This study attempts to identify idiosyncrasies of organizational factors on safety and their influence mechanisms in Taiwan and Japan. Data were collected from employees of Taiwanese and Japanese oil refinery plants. Results show that organizational factors on safety differ in the two countries. Organizational characteristics in Taiwanese plants are highlighted as: higher level of management commitment to safety, harmonious interpersonal relationship, more emphasis on safety activities, higher devotion to supervision, and higher safety self-efficacy, as well as high quality of safety performance. Organizational characteristics in Japanese plants are highlighted as: higher level of employee empowerment and attitude towards continuous improvement, more emphasis on systematic safety management approach, efficient reporting system and teamwork, and high quality of safety performance. The casual relationships between organizational factors and workers' safety performance were investigated using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results indicate that the influence mechanisms of organizational factors in Taiwan and Japan are different. These findings provide insights into areas of safety improvement in emerging countries and developed countries respectively.

Factors Associated with Quality of Life among Hemodialysis Patients in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Md. Yusop, Nor Baizura; Yoke Mun, Chan; Shariff, Zalilah Mohd; Beng Huat, Choo

2013-01-01

Although hemodialysis treatment has greatly increased the life expectancy of end stage renal disease patients, low quality of life among hemodialysis patients is frequently reported. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the relationship between medical history, hemodialysis treatment and nutritional status with the mental and physical components of quality of life in hemodialysis patients. Respondents (n=90) were recruited from Hospital Kuala Lumpur and dialysis centres of the National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia. Data obtained included socio-demography, medical history, hemodialysis treatment and nutritional status. Mental and physical quality of life were measured using the Mental Composite Summary (MCS) and Physical Composite Summary (PCS) of the Short-Form Health Survey 36-items, a generic core of the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form. Two summary measures and total SF-36 was scored as 0–100, with a higher score indicating better quality of life. Approximately 26 (30%) of respondents achieved the body mass index (24 kg/m2) and more than 80% (n=77) achieved serum albumin level (>35.0 mg/dL) recommended for hemodialysis patients. The majority of respondents did not meet the energy (n=72, 80%) and protein (n=68,75%) recommendations. The total score of SF-36 was 54.1±19.2, while the score for the mental and physical components were 45.0±8.6 and 39.6±8.6, respectively. Factors associated with a higher MCS score were absence of diabetes mellitus (p=0.000) and lower serum calcium (p=0.004), while higher blood flow (p=0.000), higher serum creatinine (p=0.000) and lower protein intake (p=0.006) were associated with a higher PCS score. To improve the overall quality of life of hemodialysis patients, a multidisciplinary intervention that includes medical, dietetic and psychosocial strategies that address factors associated with mental and physical quality of life are warranted to reduce further health complications and to improve quality of life. PMID:24358336

Determinants of Quality of Life in the Acute Stage Following Stroke

PubMed Central

Jeong, Bo-Ok; Kang, Hee-Ju; Bae, Kyung-Yeol; Kim, Sung-Wan; Shin, Il-Seon; Kim, Joon-Tae; Park, Man-Seok; Cho, Ki-Hyun; Yoon, Jin-Sang

2012-01-01

Objective This study aimed to investigate the factors influence the quality of life (QOL) of survivors of an acute stroke. Methods For 422 stroke patients, assessments were made within two weeks of the index event. QOL was measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Abbreviated form (WHOQOL-BREF), which has four domains related to physical factors, psychological factors, social relationships, and environmental context. Associations of each four WHOQOL-BREF domain score with socio-demographic characteristics (age, sex, education, marital status, religion, and occupation), stroke severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale), physical disability (Barthel Index), cognitive function (Mini-Mental Status Examination: MMSE), grip strength, and psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale depression and anxiety subscale: HADS-D and HADS-A) were investigated using the linear regression models. Results Higher physical domain scores were independently associated with higher MMSE scores, stronger hand-grip strength, and lower HADS-D and HADS-A scores; higher psychological domain scores were independently associated with higher educational level, higher MMSE scores, and lower HADS-D and HADS-A scores; higher social relationships domain scores were independently associated with lower HADS-D and HADS-A scores; and higher environmental domain scores were independently associated with higher educational level, higher MMSE scores, and lower HADS-D scores. Conclusion Psychological distress and impaired cognitive function were independently associated with lower QOL in patients with acute stroke. However, stroke severity, physical disability and other socio-demographic factors were less significantly associated with QOL. These findings underscore the importance of psychological interventions for improving QOL during the acute phase following stroke. PMID:22707962

TQM Paradigm for Higher Education in the Philippines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Janette; Valenzuela, Madonna; Ayuyao, Nunilon

2018-01-01

Purpose: Critical success factors (CSFs) in total quality management (TQM) implementation are vital to the quality improvement of organizations, including higher education institutions (HEIs). The present study aims to attempt to develop a TQM paradigm contextualized to HEIs in the Philippine setting. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 309…

[Prediction of regional soil quality based on mutual information theory integrated with decision tree algorithm].

PubMed

Lin, Fen-Fang; Wang, Ke; Yang, Ning; Yan, Shi-Guang; Zheng, Xin-Yu

2012-02-01

In this paper, some main factors such as soil type, land use pattern, lithology type, topography, road, and industry type that affect soil quality were used to precisely obtain the spatial distribution characteristics of regional soil quality, mutual information theory was adopted to select the main environmental factors, and decision tree algorithm See 5.0 was applied to predict the grade of regional soil quality. The main factors affecting regional soil quality were soil type, land use, lithology type, distance to town, distance to water area, altitude, distance to road, and distance to industrial land. The prediction accuracy of the decision tree model with the variables selected by mutual information was obviously higher than that of the model with all variables, and, for the former model, whether of decision tree or of decision rule, its prediction accuracy was all higher than 80%. Based on the continuous and categorical data, the method of mutual information theory integrated with decision tree could not only reduce the number of input parameters for decision tree algorithm, but also predict and assess regional soil quality effectively.

Assessing Quality in Higher Education: New Criteria for Evaluating Students' Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zineldin, Mosad; Akdag, Hatice Camgoz; Vasicheva, Valentina

2011-01-01

The aim of this research is to present a new quality assurance model (5Qs) and to examine the major factors affecting students' perception of cumulative satisfaction. The model includes behavioural dimensions of student satisfaction. The factors included in this cumulative summation are technical, functional, infrastructure, interaction and…

Health-Related Quality of Life of Latin-American Immigrants and Spanish-Born Attended in Spanish Primary Health Care: Socio-Demographic and Psychosocial Factors

PubMed Central

Salinero-Fort, Miguel Ángel; Gómez-Campelo, Paloma; Bragado-Alvárez, Carmen; Abánades-Herranz, Juan Carlos; Jiménez-García, Rodrigo; de Burgos-Lunar, Carmen

2015-01-01

Background This study compares the health-related quality of life of Spanish-born and Latin American-born individuals settled in Spain. Socio-demographic and psychosocial factors associated with health-related quality of life are analyzed. Methods A cross-sectional Primary Health Care multi center-based study of Latin American-born (n = 691) and Spanish-born (n = 903) outpatients from 15 Primary Health Care Centers (Madrid, Spain). The Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to assess health-related quality of life. Socio-demographic, psychosocial, and specific migration data were also collected. Results Compared to Spanish-born participants, Latin American-born participants reported higher health-related quality of life in the physical functioning and vitality dimensions. Across the entire sample, Latin American-born participants, younger participants, men and those with high social support reported significantly higher levels of physical health. Men with higher social support and a higher income reported significantly higher mental health. When stratified by gender, data show that for men physical health was only positively associated with younger age. For women, in addition to age, social support and marital status were significantly related. Both men and women with higher social support and income had significantly better mental health. Finally, for immigrants, the physical and mental health components of health-related quality of life were not found to be significantly associated with any of the pre-migration factors or conditions of migration. Only the variable “exposure to political violence” was significantly associated with the mental health component (p = 0.014). Conclusions The key factors to understanding HRQoL among Latin American-born immigrants settled in Spain are age, sex and social support. Therefore, strategies to maintain optimal health outcomes in these immigrant communities should include public policies on social inclusion in the host society and focus on improving social support networks in order to foster and maintain the health and HRQoL of this group. PMID:25835714

Relationships Between Sleep Quality and Pain-Related Factors for People with Chronic Low Back Pain: Tests of Reciprocal and Time of Day Effects.

PubMed

Gerhart, James I; Burns, John W; Post, Kristina M; Smith, David A; Porter, Laura S; Burgess, Helen J; Schuster, Erik; Buvanendran, Asokumar; Fras, Anne Marie; Keefe, Francis J

2017-06-01

Poor sleep quality among people with chronic low back pain appears to be related to worse pain, affect, poor physical function, and pain catastrophizing. The causal direction between poor sleep and pain remains an open question, however, as does whether sleep quality exerts effects on low back pain differently across the course of the day. This daily diary study examined lagged temporal associations between prior night sleep quality and subsequent day pain, affect, physical function and pain catastrophizing, the reverse lagged temporal associations between prior day pain-related factors and subsequent night sleep quality, and whether the time of day during which an assessment was made moderated these temporal associations. Chronic low back pain patients (n = 105) completed structured electronic diary assessments five times per day for 14 days. Items included patient ratings of their pain, affect, physical function, and pain catastrophizing. Collapsed across all observations, poorer sleep quality was significantly related to higher pain ratings, higher negative affect, lower positive affect, poorer physical function, and higher pain catastrophizing. Lagged analyses averaged across the day revealed that poorer prior night sleep quality significantly predicted greater next day patient ratings of pain, and poorer physical function and higher pain catastrophizing. Prior poorer night sleep quality significantly predicted greater reports of pain, and poorer physical function, and higher pain catastrophizing, especially during the early part of the day. Sleep quality × time of day interactions showed that poor sleepers reported high pain, and negative mood and low function uniformly across the day, whereas good sleepers reported relatively good mornings, but showed pain, affect and function levels comparable to poor sleepers by the end of the day. Analyses of the reverse causal pathway were mostly nonsignificant. Sleep quality appears related not only to pain intensity but also to a wide range of patient mood and function factors. A good night's sleep also appears to offer only temporary respite, suggesting that comprehensive interventions for chronic low back pain not only should include attention to sleep problems but also focus on problems with pain appraisals and coping.

Relationships Between Sleep Quality and Pain-Related Factors for People with Chronic Low Back Pain: Tests of Reciprocal and Time of Day Effects

PubMed Central

Gerhart, James I.; Burns, John W.; Post, Kristina M.; Smith, David A.; Porter, Laura S.; Burgess, Helen J.; Schuster, Erik; Buvanendran, Asokumar; Fras, Anne Marie; Keefe, Francis J.

2016-01-01

Background Poor sleep quality among people with chronic low back pain appears to be related to worse pain, affect, poor physical function and pain catastrophizing. The causal direction between poor sleep and pain remains an open question, however, as does whether sleep quality exerts effects on low back pain differently across the course of the day. Purpose This daily diary study examined lagged temporal associations between prior night sleep quality and subsequent day pain, affect, physical function and pain catastrophizing, the reverse lagged temporal associations between prior day pain-related factors and subsequent night sleep quality, and whether the time of day during which an assessment was made moderated these temporal associations. Methods Chronic low back pain patients (n = 105) completed structured electronic diary assessments five times per day for 14 days. Items included patient ratings of their pain, affect, physical function and pain catastrophizing. Results Collapsed across all observations, poorer sleep quality was significantly related to higher pain ratings, higher negative affect, lower positive affect, poorer physical function and higher pain catastrophizing. Lagged analyses averaged across the day revealed that poorer prior night sleep quality significantly predicted greater next day patient ratings of pain, and poorer physical function and higher pain catastrophizing. Prior poorer night sleep quality significantly predicted greater reports of pain, and poorer physical function, and higher pain catastrophizing, especially during the early part of the day. Sleep Quality × Time of Day interactions showed that poor sleepers reported high pain, and negative mood and low function uniformly across the day, whereas good sleepers reported relatively good mornings, but showed pain, affect and function levels comparable to poor sleepers by the end of the day. Analyses of the reverse causal pathway were mostly nonsignificant. Conclusions Sleep quality appears related not only to pain intensity but also to a wide range of patient mood and function factors. A good night’s sleep also appears to offer only temporary respite, suggesting that comprehensive interventions for chronic low back pain not only should include attention to sleep problems but also focus on problems with pain appraisals and coping. PMID:27844327

Connections between voice ergonomic risk factors in classrooms and teachers' voice production.

PubMed

Rantala, Leena M; Hakala, Suvi; Holmqvist, Sofia; Sala, Eeva

2012-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate if voice ergonomic risk factors in classrooms correlated with acoustic parameters of teachers' voice production. The voice ergonomic risk factors in the fields of working culture, working postures and indoor air quality were assessed in 40 classrooms using the Voice Ergonomic Assessment in Work Environment - Handbook and Checklist. Teachers (32 females, 8 males) from the above-mentioned classrooms recorded text readings before and after a working day. Fundamental frequency, sound pressure level (SPL) and the slope of the spectrum (alpha ratio) were analyzed. The higher the number of the risk factors in the classrooms, the higher SPL the teachers used and the more strained the males' voices (increased alpha ratio) were. The SPL was already higher before the working day in the teachers with higher risk than in those with lower risk. In the working environment with many voice ergonomic risk factors, speakers increase voice loudness and use more strained voice quality (males). A practical implication of the results is that voice ergonomic assessments are needed in schools. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Human Student: The Essentiality of the Teacher-Student Connection in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torrisi-Steele, Geraldine

2018-01-01

Higher education institutions are investing significant effort into the improvement of student success, retention and satisfaction. Some effort is being expended in research seeking to understand influencing factors, but the majority of effort is directed towards improving teaching quality. Effort to improve teaching quality is characterised by…

Evaluation on Degree and Result of Bilingual Education of Business Courses in GDUFS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiang, Yong

2013-01-01

From the connotation of bilingual education in higher education in China, this paper analyzes the factors that may affect the quality and result of bilingual education, such as faculty and students' English level, teaching materials, curriculum system, classroom instruction, teaching quality control, as well as incentives and other factors. The…

Performance Indicators and Quality Review in Australian Universities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanley, Gordon; Reynolds, Pat

1995-01-01

A study examined the relationship between quantitative performance and diversity indicators and the quality rankings of Australian universities made by the Commission for Quality Assurance in Higher Education. Correlations between three performance factors (traditional research university performance, teaching performance, competitive research…

The Relationships Among Sleep Quality and Chronotype, Emotional Disturbance, and Insomnia Vulnerability in Shift Nurses.

PubMed

Lee, Ching-Yi; Chen, Hsi-Chung; Meg Tseng, Mei-Chih; Lee, Hsin-Chien; Huang, Lian-Hua

2015-09-01

Shift work is a prominent feature of most nursing jobs. Although chronotype, emotional disturbance, and insomnia vulnerability are important factors for patients with insomnia in general, their effects on shift nurses are unknown. This study explores the relationships between the sleep quality of shift nurses and the variables of chronotype, emotional disturbance, and insomnia vulnerability. A survey was conducted with 398 shift nurses in a medical center. Chronotype, emotional disturbance, insomnia vulnerability, and sleep quality were evaluated using the Smith Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Rating Scale, the Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, respectively. On the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, 70.1% of the participants scored higher than 5. Multiple regression analysis revealed that, together with night shift work (b [SE] = 1.05 [0.35], p = .003), higher levels of emotional disturbance (b [SE] = 0.30 [0.05], p < .001) and higher insomnia vulnerability (b [SE] = 0.18 [0.03], p < .001) were predictors of poor sleep quality and that chronotype was not a predictor of poor sleep quality. The multiple mediator model indicated that emotional disturbance significantly mediated an indirect effect of evening chronotype preference on poor subjective sleep quality (one subscale of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index). In addition to shift patterns, emotional disturbance and high insomnia vulnerability are factors that may be used to identify shift nurses who face a higher risk of sleep disturbance. Because evening chronotype may indirectly influence subjective sleep quality through the pathway of emotional disturbance, further research into the mechanism that underlies this pathway is warranted.

The quality of life of male spouses of women with breast cancer: hope, self-efficacy, and perceptions of guilt.

PubMed

Duggleby, Wendy; Doell, Heather; Cooper, Dan; Thomas, Roanne; Ghosh, Sunita

2014-01-01

The quality of life of male spouses of partners with breast cancer may determine the support they are able to give their wives. Little is known about the factors associated with their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the quality of life of male spouses of partners with breast cancer with the following factors: (a) demographic variables of male spouses and their partners, (b) levels of hope of male spouses and their partners, (c) self-efficacy and loss and grief of male spouses, and (d) quality of life of partners with breast cancer. Six hundred surveys were mailed to women with breast cancer (stage 1-3) and their male spouses. A total of 110 surveys were completed. With the use of generalized linear modeling, participating male spouses with higher quality of life scores: (a) were older (P = .01), (b) had higher hope scores (P = .01), (c) had lower feelings of guilt scores (P < .01) (subscale of loss and grief), (d) had higher general self-efficacy scores (P < .01), and (e) had partners with breast cancer with higher quality of life scores (P < .01). Hope, self-efficacy, feelings of guilt, age, and their partners' quality of life were significantly related to quality of life of the male spouses of women with breast cancer. The findings underscore the importance of assessing for and fostering hope and self-efficacy as well as decreasing guilt in male spouses of women with breast cancer to improve their quality of life.

Curriculum enactment patterns and associated factors from teachers' perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, Ji-Won; Kim, Ok-Kyeong

2016-12-01

As part of a larger effort to improve teacher capacity for high-quality mathematics instruction, we investigated the factors that are associated with different enactment patterns at three levels: contextual (e.g., type and quality of textbook), individual (e.g., teacher knowledge), and teachers' opportunity-to-learn (e.g., professional development experiences). Analysis of 183 teachers' self-reports on their practices revealed three notable findings. First, the factors at the three levels were all found to be significantly related to the different patterns of enacted curriculum. However, the use of quality textbooks and the alignment of teachers' views and instructional goals with curriculum goals were found to be the two factors that are most strongly associated with the enactment pattern of high-level problems and high-level teacher questions in instruction. Furthermore, teachers with the enactment pattern of increasing lower cognitive demand of problems into higher ones tended to rate their curriculum knowledge higher than teachers with the enactment pattern of using low-level problems and teacher questions in their teaching. In particular, deviation from and dissatisfaction with their assigned low-quality textbooks were found to be critical factors that are associated with the enactment pattern of increasing lower cognitive demands of problems in instruction.

Coupled and decoupled on-chip solenoid inductors with nanogranular magnetic cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Yuhan; Wang, Luo; Wang, Yicheng; Zhang, Huaiwu; Peng, Dongliang; Bai, Feiming

2017-12-01

On-chip integrated solenoid inductors with multilayered nanogranular magnetic cores have been designed and fabricated on silicon wafers. Both decoupled and coupled inductors with multilayered magnetic cores were studied. For the decoupled inductor, an inductance of 14.2 nH or an equivalent inductance area density greater than 100 nH/mm2 was obtained, which is about 14 times of that of the air-core inductor, and the quality factor is 7.5 at 130 MHz. For the coupled inductor, an even higher peak quality factor of 17 was achieved at 300 MHz, however, the inductance area density decreased to 34 nH/mm2. The reason of the enhanced peak quality factor was attributed to less spike domains on the edge of the closure-loop shaped magnetic core, and therefore higher permeability and more uniform uniaxial anisotropy.

[Effect of occupational stress and effort-reward imbalance on sleep quality of people's policeman].

PubMed

Wu, Hui; Gu, Guizhen; Yu, Shanfa

2014-04-01

To explore the effect of occupational stress and effort-reward imbalance on sleep quality of people's police. A cluster sampling survey of sleep quality and occupational stress correlated factors was conducted on 287 police from a city public security bureau by questionnaires in May, 2011; the relationship between sleep quality and occupational stress correlated factors was analyzed by one-way ANOVA and multivariate non-conditional logistic regression using effort-reward imbalance model (ERI) and demand-control-support model (DCS). And the subjects were divided into high tension group and low tension group using the 1.0 of ERI and DCS coefficients as the boundary. The sleep quality score of shift work police was higher than day work police (11.95 ± 6.54 vs 9.52 ± 6.43, t = 2.77, P < 0.05).In ERI model, the sleep quality score in high tension group was higher than low tension group (14.50 ± 6.41 vs 8.60 ± 5.53, t = -5.32, P < 0.01), and in DCS model, the sleep quality score in high tension group was also higher than low tension group (13.71 ± 6.62 vs 9.46 ± 6.04, t = -3.71, P < 0.01).For the regression analysis of ERI model as an argument, sex (OR = 3.0, 95%CI:1.16-7.73) , age for 30-39 years (OR = 3.48, 95%CI:1.32-9.16) , intrinsic effort (OR = 2.30, 95%CI:1.10-4.81) and daily hassles (OR = 2.15, 95%CI:1.06-4.33) were risk factors of low sleep quality, and reward (OR = 0.26, 95%CI:0.12-0.52) was the protective factor.For the regression analysis of DCS model as an argument , age for 30-39 years (OR = 2.55, 95%CI:1.02-6.37) , depressive symptom (OR = 2.10, 95%CI:1.14-3.89) and daily hassles (OR = 3.25, 95%CI:1.70-6.19) were risk factors of low sleep quality.While the ERI model and the DCS model were analyzed simultaneously, sex (OR = 3.03, 95%CI:1.15-7.98) , age for 30-39 years (OR = 3.71, 95%CI:1.38-9.98) and daily hassles (OR = 2.09, 95%CI:1.01-4.30) were the risk factors of low sleep quality, and reward (OR = 0.22, 95%CI:0.10-0.48) was the protective factor. Occupational stress and effort-reward imbalance affected the sleep quality to people's policeman.

Socioeconomic and sociocultural determinants of psychological distress and quality of life among patients with psoriasis in a selected multi-ethnic Malaysian population.

PubMed

Kwan, Zhenli; Bong, Yii Bonn; Tan, Leng Leng; Lim, Shu Xian; Yong, Adrian Sze Wai; Ch'ng, Chin Chwen; Tan, Maw Pin; Thevarajah, Suganthi; Ismail, Rokiah

2017-02-01

Patients with psoriasis may have increased risk of psychological comorbidities. This cross-sectional study aimed at determining associations between sociocultural and socioeconomic factors with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) scores and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores. Adult patients with psoriasis were recruited from a Dermatology outpatient clinic via convenience sampling. Interviews were conducted regarding socio-demographic factors and willing subjects were requested to complete the DASS and DLQI questionnaires. The Pearson χ 2 test, Fisher's exact test and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis to determine independent predictors of depression, anxiety, stress and severe impairment of quality of life. Unadjusted analysis revealed that depression was associated with Indian ethnicity (p = .041) and severe impairment of quality of life was associated with Indian ethnicity (p = .032), higher education (p = .013), higher income (p = .042), and employment status (p = .014). Multivariate analysis revealed that Indian ethnicity was a predictor of depression (p = .024). For stress, tertiary level of education (p = .020) was an independent risk factor while a higher monthly income was a protective factor (p = .042). The ethnic Indians and Malays were significantly more likely than the ethnic Chinese to suffer reduced quality of life (p = .001 and p = .006 respectively) and subjects with tertiary education were more likely to have severe impairment of quality of life (p = .002). Our study was unique in determining sociocultural influences on psychological complications of psoriasis in a South East Asian population. This has provided invaluable insight into factors predictive of adverse effects of psoriasis on psychological distress and quality of life in our patient population. Future studies should devise interventions to specifically target at risk groups in the development of strategies to reduce morbidity associated with psoriasis.

[Spatial distribution characteristics of China cotton fiber quality and climatic factors based on GIS].

PubMed

Xiong, Zong-Wei; Gu, Sheng-Hao; Mao, Li-Li; Wang, Xue-Jiao; Zhang, Li-Zhen; Zhou, Zhi-Guo

2012-12-01

By using geographical information system (GIS), the cotton fiber quality data from 2005 to 2011 and the daily meteorological data from 1981 to 2010 at 82 sites (counties and cities) in China major cotton production regions were collected and treated with spatial interpolation. The spatial information system of cotton fiber quality in China major cotton production regions was established based on GIS, and the spatial distribution characteristics of the cotton fiber quality and their relationships with the local climatic factors were analyzed. In the northwest region (especially Xinjiang) of China, due to the abundant sunlight, low precipitation, and low relative humidity, the cotton fiber length, micronaire, and grade ranked the first. In the Yangtze River region and Yellow River region, the specific strength of cotton fiber was higher, and in the Yangtze River region, the cotton fiber length and specific strength were higher, while the micronaire and grade were lower than those in the Yellow River region. The cotton fiber quality was closely related to the climate factors such as temperature, sunlight, rainfall, and humidity.

[Quality of life and related factors among climacteric women from south Brazil].

PubMed

de Lorenzi, Dino R S; Saciloto, Bruno; Artico, Graziela R; Fontana, Sabrina K R

2009-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life in climacteric and associated factor among women from Southeast Brazil. A cross-section study of 506 women aged between 45 and 60 years old attended at a university climacteric clinic from South Brazil from June to October 2002. Hysterectomized women, as well as hormonal therapy or hormonal contraceptive users were excluded. The quality of life was evaluated by the Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ). Statistical analysis was performed with multiple linear regression analysis. The average of the age among the studied women was 51.3 (+/- 4.5) years old. About 15.4% were premenopausal, 34.4% perimenopausal and 50.2% postmenopausal women. The quality of life showed up deteriorated among the studied women. The factors related with quality of life were: the educational level (p < 0.01), the confirmation of smoking in the last year (p < 0.01), regular physical activity (p < 0.01), the confirmation of previous co-morbidities (p < 0.01) and the menopausal status (p < 0.01). A higher educational level, as well as the confirmation of regular physical activity led to a significant increase on their life quality. Smoking and previous clinical co-morbidities were responsible for the lower scores of quality of life. The pre-menopause was associated with a higher life quality level if compared to peri and post menopause. No differences in relation to the scores of life were identified among the perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Nevertheless the menopausal status showed up associated to the quality of life, the results of the study pointed out that the climacteric is not just influenced by biological factors, but also by psychosocial and cultural factors.

A study on the sleep quality of incoming university students.

PubMed

Cheng, Shu Hui; Shih, Chi-Chen; Lee, I Hui; Hou, Yi-Wen; Chen, Kao Chin; Chen, Kow-Tong; Yang, Yen Kuang; Yang, Yi Ching

2012-05-30

This study was designed to examine the prevalence and the risk factors of poor sleep quality in 4318 incoming university students in Taiwan. The test battery comprised a self-administered structured questionnaire, including items related to personal medical history and lifestyle habits, the Measurement of Support Functions (MSF), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Chinese Internet Addiction Scale-Revision (CIAS-R), neuroticism subscale of the Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI), and the 12-item Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ-12). Of the total study population, 2360 students (54.7%) were classified into the poor sleep quality group, as defined by a PSQI score ≥6. Based on the results of multivariate logistic regression analysis, poor sleep quality was significantly associated with undergraduate students, female gender, skipping breakfast, tea drinking, a higher tendency toward internet addition, poor social support, higher neuroticism, and higher CHQ scores. Poor sleep quality is prevalent among incoming university students in Taiwan, and more work is needed on the identification of the factors influencing poor sleep, and in providing systematic education in the importance of sleep and time management skills to university students. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Associations Between Patient Perceptions of Communication, Cure, and Other Patient-Related Factors Regarding Patient-Reported Quality of Care Following Surgical Resection of Lung and Colorectal Cancer.

PubMed

Ejaz, Aslam; Kim, Yuhree; Winner, Megan; Page, Andrew; Tisnado, Diana; Dy, Sydney E Morss; Pawlik, Timothy M

2016-04-01

The objective of the current study was to analyze various patient-related factors related to patient-reported quality of overall and surgical care following surgical resection of lung or colorectal cancer. Between 2003 and 2005, 3,954 patients who underwent cancer-directed surgery for newly diagnosed lung (30.3%) or colorectal (69.7%) cancer were identified from a population- and health system-based survey of participants from multiple US regions. Factors associated with patient-perceived quality of overall and surgical care were analyzed with multivariable logistic regression models. Overall, 56.7% of patients reported excellent quality of overall care and 67.9% of patients reported excellent quality of surgical care; there was no difference by cancer type (P > 0.05). Factors associated with lower likelihood to report excellent quality of overall and surgical care included female sex, minority race, and the presence of multiple comorbidities (all odds ratio [OR] <1, all P < 0.05). Patients who had higher levels of education (overall quality: OR 1.62; surgical quality: OR 1.26), higher annual income (overall quality: OR 1.29; surgical quality: OR 1.23), and good physical function (overall quality: OR 1.35; surgical quality: OR 1.24) were all more likely to report excellent quality of overall and surgical care (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, patients who reported their physician as having excellent communication skills (overall quality: OR 6.49; surgical quality: OR 3.74) as well as patients who perceived their cancer as likely curable (overall quality: OR 1.17; surgical quality: OR 1.11) were more likely to report excellent quality of overall and surgical care (all P < 0.05). Patient-reported quality of care is associated with several factors including race, income, and educational status, as well as physician communication and patient perception of likelihood of cure. Future studies are needed to more closely examine patient-physician relationships and communication barriers, particularly among minority patients and those with lower income and educational status.

Evaluation of the Factors That Determine Quality in Higher Education: An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsinidou, Maria; Gerogiannis, Vassilis; Fitsilis, Panos

2010-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to identify the quality determinants for education services provided by higher education institutions (HEIs) in Greece and to measure their relative importance from the students' points of view. Design/methodology/approach: A multi-criteria decision-making methodology was used for assessing the relative importance…

Strategies of Raising the Quality of Higher Education and Attaining Equality of Educational Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petrovskiy, Igor V.; Agapova, Elena N.

2016-01-01

The aim of the research is to develop the policy and strategy recommendations to increase the quality of higher education in Russian Federation. The study examines the significance of equal educational opportunities and the influence of this factor on the educational systems of developing countries. Transformational processes in the domain of…

Subgroups of Dutch homeless young adults based on risk- and protective factors for quality of life: Results of a latent class analysis.

PubMed

Altena, Astrid M; Beijersbergen, Mariëlle D; Vermunt, Jeroen K; Wolf, Judith R L M

2018-04-17

It is important to gain more insight into specific subgroups of homeless young adults (HYA) to enable the development of tailored interventions that adequately meet their diverse needs and to improve their quality of life. Within a heterogeneous sample of HYA, we investigated whether subgroups are distinguishable based on risk- and protective factors for quality of life. In addition, differences between subgroups were examined regarding the socio-demographic characteristics, the use of cognitive coping strategies and quality of life. A total of 393 HYA using shelter facilities in the Netherlands were approached to participate, between December 2011 and March 2013. Structured face-to-face interviews were administered approximately 2 weeks after shelter admission by trained research assistants. A latent class analysis was conducted to empirically distinguish 251 HYA in subgroups based on common risk factors (former abuse, victimisation, psychological symptoms and substance use) and protective factors (resilience, family and social support and perceived health status). Additional analysis of variance and chi-square tests were used to compare subgroups on socio-demographic characteristics, the use of cognitive coping strategies and quality of life. The latent class analysis yielded four highly interpretable subgroups: the at-risk subgroup, the high-risk and least protected subgroup, the low-risk subgroup and the higher functioning and protected subgroup. Subgroups of HYA with lower scores in risk factors showed higher scores in protective factors, the adaptive cognitive coping strategies and quality of life. Our findings confirm the need for targeted and tailored interventions for specific subgroups of HYA. Social workers need to be attentive to the pattern of risk- and protective factors in each individual to determine which risk factors are prominent and need to be targeted and which protective factors need to be enhanced to improve the quality of life of HYA. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of a Bone-Conducted Ultrasonic Hearing Aid for the Profoundly Deaf: Evaluation of Sound Quality Using a Semantic Differential Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakagawa, Seiji; Fujiyuki, Chika; Kagomiya, Takayuki

2013-07-01

Bone-conducted ultrasound (BCU) is perceived even by the profoundly sensorineural deaf. A novel hearing aid using the perception of amplitude-modulated BCU (BCU hearing aid: BCUHA) has been developed. However, there is room for improvement particularly in terms of sound quality. BCU speech is accompanied by a strong high-pitched tone and contain some distortion. In this study, the sound quality of BCU speech with several types of amplitude modulation [double-sideband with transmitted carrier (DSB-TC), double-sideband with suppressed carrier (DSB-SC), and transposed modulations] and air-conducted (AC) speech was quantitatively evaluated using semantic differential and factor analysis. The results showed that all the types of BCU speech had higher metallic and lower esthetic factor scores than AC speech. On the other hand, transposed speech was closer than the other types of BCU speech to AC speech generally; the transposed speech showed a higher powerfulness factor score than the other types of BCU speech and a higher esthetic factor score than DSB-SC speech. These results provide useful information for further development of the BCUHA.

Smooth and flat phase-locked Kerr frequency comb generation by higher order mode suppression

PubMed Central

Huang, S.-W.; Liu, H.; Yang, J.; Yu, M.; Kwong, D.-L.; Wong, C. W.

2016-01-01

High-Q microresonator is perceived as a promising platform for optical frequency comb generation, via dissipative soliton formation. In order to achieve a higher quality factor and obtain the necessary anomalous dispersion, multi-mode waveguides were previously implemented in Si3N4 microresonators. However, coupling between different transverse mode families in multi-mode waveguides results in periodic disruption of dispersion and quality factor, and consequently causes perturbation to dissipative soliton formation and amplitude modulation to the corresponding spectrum. Careful choice of pump wavelength to avoid the mode crossing region is thus critical in conventional Si3N4 microresonators. Here, we report a novel design of Si3N4 microresonator in which single-mode operation, high quality factor, and anomalous dispersion are attained simultaneously. The novel microresonator is consisted of uniform single-mode waveguides in the semi-circle region, to eliminate bending induced mode coupling, and adiabatically tapered waveguides in the straight region, to avoid excitation of higher order modes. The intrinsic quality factor of the microresonator reaches 1.36 × 106 while the group velocity dispersion remains to be anomalous at −50 fs2/mm. With this novel microresonator, we demonstrate that broadband phase-locked Kerr frequency combs with flat and smooth spectra can be generated by pumping at any resonances in the optical C-band. PMID:27181420

Yogurt, diet quality and lifestyle factors.

PubMed

Panahi, S; Fernandez, M A; Marette, A; Tremblay, A

2017-05-01

Yogurt consumption has been associated with healthy dietary patterns and lifestyles, better diet quality and healthier metabolic profiles. Studies have shown that frequent yogurt consumers do not only have higher nutrient intakes, but also an improved diet quality, which includes higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and dairy compared with low or non-consumers indicating better compliance with dietary guidelines. Recent epidemiological and clinical evidence suggests that yogurt contributes to better metabolic health because of its effects on the control of body weight, energy homeostasis and glycemic control. Furthermore, yogurt consumers have been shown to be more physically active (⩾ 2 h/week), smoke less, have higher education and knowledge of nutrition compared with non-consumers. Thus, yogurt consumption may be considered a signature of a healthy diet through its nutritional content, impact on metabolic health including the control of energy balance, body weight and glycemia and its relationships with healthier behaviors and lifestyle factors.

Writing fluency and quality in kindergarten and first grade: The role of attention, reading, transcription, and oral language

PubMed Central

Kent, Shawn; Wanzek, Jeanne; Petscher, Yaacov; Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Kim, Young-Suk

2013-01-01

In the present study, we examined the influence of kindergarten component skills on writing outcomes, both concurrently and longitudinally to first grade. Using data from 265 students, we investigated a model of writing development including attention regulation along with students’ reading, spelling, handwriting fluency, and oral language component skills. Results from structural equation modeling demonstrated that a model including attention was better fitting than a model with only language and literacy factors. Attention, a higher-order literacy factor related to reading and spelling proficiency, and automaticity in letter-writing were uniquely and positively related to compositional fluency in kindergarten. Attention and higher-order literacy factor were predictive of both composition quality and fluency in first grade, while oral language showed unique relations with first grade writing quality. Implications for writing development and instruction are discussed. PMID:25132722

Compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, anxiety, depression and stress in registered nurses in Australia: study 1 results.

PubMed

Hegney, Desley G; Craigie, Mark; Hemsworth, David; Osseiran-Moisson, Rebecca; Aoun, Samar; Francis, Karen; Drury, Vicki

2014-05-01

To explore compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction with the potential contributing factors of anxiety, depression and stress. To date, no studies have connected the quality of work-life with other contributing and co-existing factors such as depression, anxiety and stress. A self-report exploratory cross sectional survey of 132 nurses working in a tertiary hospital. The reflective assessment risk profile model provides an excellent framework for examining the relationships between the professional quality of work factors and contributing factors within the established risk profiles. The results show a definite pattern of risk progression for the six factors examined for each risk profile. Additionally, burnout and secondary traumatic stress were significantly related to higher anxiety and depression levels. Higher anxiety levels were correlated with nurses who were younger, worked full-time and without a postgraduate qualification. Twenty percent had elevated levels of compassion fatigue: 7.6% having a very distressed profile. At-risk nurses' stress and depression scores were significantly higher than nurses with higher compassion satisfaction scores. The employed nurse workforce would benefit from a psychosocial capacity building intervention that reduces a nurse's risk profile, thus enhancing retention. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The associations of social support and other psychosocial factors with mortality and quality of life in the dialysis outcomes and practice patterns study.

PubMed

Untas, Aurélie; Thumma, Jyothi; Rascle, Nicole; Rayner, Hugh; Mapes, Donna; Lopes, Antonio A; Fukuhara, Shunichi; Akizawa, Tadao; Morgenstern, Hal; Robinson, Bruce M; Pisoni, Ronald L; Combe, Christian

2011-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the influence of social support and other psychosocial factors on mortality, adherence to medical care recommendations, and physical quality of life among hemodialysis patients. Data on 32,332 hemodialysis patients enrolled in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (1996 to 2008) in 12 countries were analyzed. Social support and other psychosocial factors related to ESRD and its treatment were measured by patient self-reports of health interference with social activities, isolation, feeling like a burden, and support from family and dialysis staff. Cox regression and logistic regression were used to examine associations of baseline social support and other psychosocial factors with all-cause mortality and with other measured outcomes at baseline, adjusting for potential confounders. Mortality was higher among patients reporting that their health interfered with social activities, were isolated, felt like a burden, and were dissatisfied with family support. Poorer family support and several psychosocial measures also were associated with lower adherence to the prescribed hemodialysis length and the recommended weight gain between sessions. Some international differences were observed. Poorer self-reported social support and other psychosocial factors were associated with poor physical quality of life. Poorer social support and other psychosocial factors are associated with higher mortality risk, lower adherence to medical care, and poorer physical quality of life in hemodialysis patients. More research is needed to assess whether interventions to improve social support and other psychosocial factors will lengthen survival and enhance quality of life.

Applying Factor Analysis Combined with Kriging and Information Entropy Theory for Mapping and Evaluating the Stability of Groundwater Quality Variation in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Shyu, Guey-Shin; Cheng, Bai-You; Chiang, Chi-Ting; Yao, Pei-Hsuan; Chang, Tsun-Kuo

2011-01-01

In Taiwan many factors, whether geological parent materials, human activities, and climate change, can affect the groundwater quality and its stability. This work combines factor analysis and kriging with information entropy theory to interpret the stability of groundwater quality variation in Taiwan between 2005 and 2007. Groundwater quality demonstrated apparent differences between the northern and southern areas of Taiwan when divided by the Wu River. Approximately 52% of the monitoring wells in southern Taiwan suffered from progressing seawater intrusion, causing unstable groundwater quality. Industrial and livestock wastewaters also polluted 59.6% of the monitoring wells, resulting in elevated EC and TOC concentrations in the groundwater. In northern Taiwan, domestic wastewaters polluted city groundwater, resulting in higher NH3-N concentration and groundwater quality instability was apparent among 10.3% of the monitoring wells. The method proposed in this study for analyzing groundwater quality inspects common stability factors, identifies potential areas influenced by common factors, and assists in elevating and reinforcing information in support of an overall groundwater management strategy. PMID:21695030

Frame Factors and a Quality Assurance Agency in an 'Embryonic' Higher Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopkin, Anthony

2004-01-01

Using the Affiliations Unit of the University of Botswana as a case study, this paper explores how the operational milieu of an External Quality Assurance Agency (EQAA) impacts on its role and function. This milieu is described and selected frame factors are identified and evaluated, including the size of the country; the role of a hegemonic…

Frame Factors and a Quality Assurance Agency in an "Embryonic" Higher Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopkin, Anthony G.

2004-01-01

Using the Affiliations Unit of the University of Botswana as a case study, this paper explores how the operational milieu of an External Quality Assurance Agency (EQAA) impacts on its role and function. This milieu is described and selected frame factors are identified and evaluated, including the size of the country; the role of a hegemonic…

Satisfaction with quality of life varies with temperament types of patients with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Ritsner, Michael; Farkas, Herman; Gibel, Anatoly

2003-10-01

We sought to explore the relationships of three temperament factors with domain-specific subjective quality of life (QOL) of patients with schizophrenia. Ninety patients with schizophrenia were evaluated using the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, the Positive and Negative Syndromes Scale, the Distress Scale for Adverse Symptoms, the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire, the Insight Self-Report Scale, and standardized questionnaires for self-reported emotional distress and stress process-related variables. Predictors of domain-specific QOL were identified using multiple regression techniques. Temperament factors explain 6% to 16% of variability in QOL domain scores among patients with schizophrenia after controlling for the remaining variables (emotional distress, social support, self-esteem, avoidance coping, age, side effects, and depression). We found that higher levels of novelty seeking are associated with better general QOL, physical health, and more positive subjective feelings, whereas higher levels of reward dependence are related to better satisfaction from social relationships. Higher levels of harm avoidance are associated with poorer satisfaction with general activities, and medication. Thus, temperament factors, as assessed by the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, substantially influence satisfaction with life quality in schizophrenia. Novelty seeking, reward dependence, and harm avoidance are associated with different domains of QOL.

Occupational Noise and Ischemic Heart Disease: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Dzhambov, Angel M; Dimitrova, Donka D

2016-01-01

Noise exposure might be a risk factor for ischemic heart disease (IHD). Unlike residential exposure, however, evidence for occupational noise is limited. Given that high-quality quantitative synthesis of existing data is highly warranted for occupational safety and policy, we aimed at conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of the risks of IHD morbidity and mortality because of occupational noise exposure. We carried out a systematic search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and on the Internet since April 2, 2015, in English, Spanish, Russian, and Bulgarian. A quality-scoring checklist was developed a priori to assess different sources of methodological bias. A qualitative data synthesis was performed. Conservative assumptions were applied when appropriate. A meta-analysis was not feasible because of unresolvable methodological discrepancies between the studies. On the basis of five studies, there was some evidence to suggest higher risk of IHD among workers exposed to objectively assessed noise >75–80 dB for <20 years (supported by one high, one moderate, and one low quality study, opposed by one high and one moderate quality study). Three moderate and two low quality studies out of six found self-rated exposure to be associated with higher risk of IHD, and only one moderate quality study found no effect. Out of four studies, a higher mortality risk was suggested by one moderate quality study relying on self-rated exposure and one of high-quality study using objective exposure. Sensitivity analyses showed that at higher exposures and in some vulnerable subgroups, such as women, the adverse effects were considerably stronger. Despite methodological discrepancies and limitations of the included studies, occupational noise appeared to be a risk factor for IHD morbidity. Results suggested higher risk for IHD mortality only among vulnerable subgroups. Workers exposed to high occupational noise should be considered at higher overall risk of IHD. PMID:27569404

Correlates of quality of life among African American and white cancer survivors.

PubMed

Matthews, Alicia K; Tejeda, Silvia; Johnson, Timothy P; Berbaum, Michael L; Manfredi, Clara

2012-01-01

African Americans continue to suffer disproportionately from cancer morbidity and mortality, with emerging evidence suggesting potential quality of life (QOL) disparities in the survivorship period. The objective of the study was to assess sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors associated with physical and mental health QOL (PHQOL and MHQOL) among African American and white cancer survivors. Patients were recruited from tumor registries. Telephone interviews were conducted with 248 African American and 244 white respondents with a history of breast, prostate, or colorectal cancers. Multivariate regression models were used to assess what factors were associated with PHQOL and MHQOL. Key racial differences in adjusted analyses included poorer MHQOL scores among African Americans compared with white survivors. Furthermore, race moderated the relationship between perceived social support and MHQOL, where higher social support levels were associated with increased MHQOL among African Americans. Other correlates of QOL impacted racial groups similarly. For example, factors associated with PHQOL scores included being unemployed, being uninsured, the presence of medical comorbidities, a longer time since diagnosis, and higher levels of cancer-related stress appraisals. Factors associated with MHQOL scores included being unemployed, higher levels of daily stress, higher levels of stress associated with the diagnosis, higher levels of education, higher levels of perceived social support, and higher levels of spirituality. Interventions aimed at increasing social support may have important implications for improving QOL outcomes among African Americans. Measuring and understanding factors associated with QOL have important implications for patient adjustment and clinical decision making.

Correlates of Quality of Life among African American and White Cancer Survivors

PubMed Central

Matthews, Alicia K.; Tejeda, Silvia; Johnson, Timothy P.; Berbaum, Michael L.; Manfredi, Clara

2013-01-01

Background African Americans continue to suffer disproportionately from cancer morbidity and mortality with emerging evidence suggesting potential quality of life (QOL) disparities in the survivorship period. Objective To assess sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors associated with physical and mental health QOL (PHQOL and MHQOL) among African American and white cancer survivors. Methods Patients were recruited from tumor registries. Telephone interviews were conducted with 248 African American and 244 white respondents with a history of breast, prostate, or colorectal cancers. Multivariate regression models were used to assess what factors were associated with PHQOL and MHQOL. Results Key racial differences in adjusted analyses included poorer MHQOL scores among African Americans compared to white survivors. Furthermore, race moderated the relationship between perceived social support and MHQOL, where higher social support levels were associated with increased MHQOL among African Americans. Other correlates of QOL impacted racial groups similarly. For example, factors associated with PHQOL scores included being unemployed, uninsured, the presence of medical comorbidities, a longer time since diagnosis and higher levels of cancer related stress appraisals. Factors associated with MHQOL scores included being unemployed, higher levels of daily stress, higher levels of stress associated with the diagnosis, higher levels of education, higher levels of perceived social support, and higher levels of spirituality. Conclusion Interventions aimed at increasing social support may have important implications for improving QOL outcomes among African Americans. Implications for Practice Measuring and understanding factors associated with QOL have important implications for patient adjustment and clinical decision-making. PMID:22495496

Nutritional Differences between Two Orangutan Habitats: Implications for Population Density.

PubMed

Vogel, Erin R; Harrison, Mark E; Zulfa, Astri; Bransford, Timothy D; Alavi, Shauhin E; Husson, Simon; Morrogh-Bernard, Helen; Santiano; Firtsman, Twentinolosa; Utami-Atmoko, Sri Suci; van Noordwijk, Maria A; Farida, Wartika Rosa

2015-01-01

Bottom-up regulatory factors have been proposed to exert a strong influence on mammalian population density. Studies relating habitat quality to population density have typically made comparisons among distant species or communities without considering variation in food quality among localities. We compared dietary nutritional quality of two Bornean orangutan populations with differing population densities in peatland habitats, Tuanan and Sabangau, separated by 63 km. We hypothesized that because Tuanan is alluvial, the plant species included in the orangutan diet would be of higher nutritional quality compared to Sabangau, resulting in higher daily caloric intake in Tuanan. We also predicted that forest productivity would be greater in Tuanan compared to Sabangau. In support of these hypotheses, the overall quality of the diet and the quality of matched dietary items were higher in Tuanan, resulting in higher daily caloric intake compared to Sabangau. These differences in dietary nutritional quality may provide insights into why orangutan population density is almost two times greater in Tuanan compared to Sabangau, in agreement with a potentially important influence of diet quality on primate population density.

Nutritional Differences between Two Orangutan Habitats: Implications for Population Density

PubMed Central

Vogel, Erin R.; Harrison, Mark E.; Zulfa, Astri; Bransford, Timothy D.; Alavi, Shauhin E.; Husson, Simon; Morrogh-Bernard, Helen; Santiano; Firtsman, Twentinolosa; Utami-Atmoko, Sri Suci; van Noordwijk, Maria A.; Farida, Wartika Rosa

2015-01-01

Bottom-up regulatory factors have been proposed to exert a strong influence on mammalian population density. Studies relating habitat quality to population density have typically made comparisons among distant species or communities without considering variation in food quality among localities. We compared dietary nutritional quality of two Bornean orangutan populations with differing population densities in peatland habitats, Tuanan and Sabangau, separated by 63 km. We hypothesized that because Tuanan is alluvial, the plant species included in the orangutan diet would be of higher nutritional quality compared to Sabangau, resulting in higher daily caloric intake in Tuanan. We also predicted that forest productivity would be greater in Tuanan compared to Sabangau. In support of these hypotheses, the overall quality of the diet and the quality of matched dietary items were higher in Tuanan, resulting in higher daily caloric intake compared to Sabangau. These differences in dietary nutritional quality may provide insights into why orangutan population density is almost two times greater in Tuanan compared to Sabangau, in agreement with a potentially important influence of diet quality on primate population density. PMID:26466370

Factors affecting use of word-of-mouth by dental patients.

PubMed

Jung, Yun-Sook; Yang, Hae-Young; Choi, Youn-Hee; Kim, Eun-Kyong; Jeong, Seong-Hwa; Cho, Min-Jeong; Nam, Soon-Hyeun; Song, Keun-Bae

2018-03-23

Word-of-mouth (WOM) refers to communication among consumers, which greatly influences the marketing strategies of dental clinics. This study aimed to explore factors that affect use of WOM by dental patients and to analyse their pathways. The participants were 520 outpatients from four private dental clinics. Data were obtained from a survey using self-reported questionnaires, which included questions regarding seven latent variables: five exogenous variables, including medical service quality (physical environment, customer service, patient relationship quality) and individual characteristic variables (opinion leader tendency, social hub tendency); and two endogenous variables (intention to recommend, WOM experience). Statistical analysis was performed using structural equation modelling. Significant associations were found in the pathways between relationship quality and intention to recommend, intention to recommend and WOM, and opinion leader tendency and WOM (P < 0.001). Higher patient relationship quality and higher intention to recommend were related to positive WOM, as was higher opinion leader tendency. Improving patient relationship quality can promote positive WOM for dental clinics. Strategies are needed to promote a positive perception of dental clinics by effectively responding to the views of patients with strong opinion leader tendencies. © 2018 FDI World Dental Federation.

Learning Approaches and Lecture Attendance of Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bates, Madeleine; Curtis, Sally; Dismore, Harriet

2018-01-01

There are arguably many factors that affect the way a student learns. A recent report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA) on student academic experience in the UK states that class size is an important factor in the quality of the student experience and that smaller class sizes provide greater…

Exploring the Buruli Ulcer Incidence across a socio-ecological landscape in Ghana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naithani, K. J.; Konzelman, C.; Tschakert, P.; Smithwick, E. A. H.

2016-12-01

The Buruli Ulcer (BU) disease is one of the most prevalent, but poorly understood mycobacterial infections in the world. Fundamental ecological aspects of the disease causing bacteria (Mycobacterium ulcerans) are not understood completely, but its emergence is attributed to unidentified thresholds in human and natural systems. We explored the network of these interactions across socio-ecological landscapes of Ghana to understand the movement of bacteria and the emergence of BU in response to climate, disturbance, social and economic factors. We chose five communities, three endemic and two control, and explored the correlations of disease incidence with climate, landscape disturbance, water quality and social factors using path analysis. Our results show that water quality is strongly linked to disease emergence with high alkalinity, PO43-, NH4+, F, Mn, S, Cd, Fe, Pb, and Se were associated with higher disease incidents and high Cu concentration was associated with low or healthy communities. Contrary to previous studies, arsenic concentration in water was not linked to higher disease incidence. Water quality was linked to climate, type of mining, and agricultural practices. Higher annual precipitation and lower air temperature were found linked to higher disease incidence across communities. Our exploratory work provides insight into how human land use, social practices, demographics, and climatic factors influence the BU disease spread.

Higher prices, higher quality? Evidence from German nursing homes.

PubMed

Herr, Annika; Hottenrott, Hanna

2016-02-01

This study investigates the relationship between prices and quality of 7400 German nursing homes. We use a cross section of public quality reports for all German nursing homes, which had been evaluated between 2010 and 2013 by external institutions. Our analysis is based on multivariate regressions in a two stage least squares framework, where we instrument prices to explain their effect on quality controlling for income, nursing home density, demographics, labour market characteristics, and infrastructure at the regional level. Descriptive analysis shows that prices and quality do not only vary across nursing homes, but also across counties and federal states and that quality and prices correlate positively. Second, the econometric analysis, which accounts for the endogenous relation between negotiated price and reported quality, shows that quality indeed positively depends on prices. In addition, more places in nursing homes per people in need are correlated with both lower prices and higher quality. Finally, unobserved factors at the federal state level capture some of the variation of reported quality across nursing homes. Our results suggest that higher prices increase quality. Furthermore, since reported quality and prices vary substantially across federal states, we conclude that the quality and prices of long-term care facilities may well be compared within federal states but not across. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Establishing the overall service quality of engineering education: fuzzy logic approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shekhar, N. Chandra; Venkatasubbaiah, K.; Kandukuria, N. R.

2012-12-01

Measuring overall service quality (OSQ) is gaining prominence in higher education due to the increased competition among engineering education institutions (EEIs) and growing awareness about value for money among the public. Determination of OSQ on certain institutional aspects is done by various agencies throughout the world. Each system uses a different set of weighted indicators to measure the overall service quality of institutions. Five service quality factors, namely professionalism, integrated education, facilities, responsiveness and empathy are considered in the study. Trapezoidal fuzzy numbers are used to determine the aggregate weights of the factors to handle the vagueness present in the linguistic values of the stakeholders' subjective opinions. Final weights of the factors are assessed by taking the distances of each factor between Fuzzy Positive Ideal Rating and Fuzzy Negative Ideal Rating. An illustrative study is presented to determine the OSQ of EEIs. The results help to focus on the factors which need immediate attention to enhance the quality of EEIs.

Occupation Choices of High School and College Students with Special Reference to Teaching and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dastidar, Ananya G.; Sikdar, Soumyen

2015-01-01

As India's higher education sector is poised to grow at a tremendous pace, one of its main challenges would be provision of quality education. Teacher quality has been identified as one of the most critical factors affecting educational quality. As such, the immense importance of attracting high-quality entrants into the teaching profession cannot…

Health-related quality of life and risk factor control: the importance of educational level in prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

PubMed

Ose, Dominik; Rochon, Justine; Campbell, Stephen M; Wensing, Michel; Freund, Tobias; van Lieshout, Jan; Längst, Gerda; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Ludt, Sabine

2014-08-01

This study aimed to describe and to analyse the importance of educational level for controlled risk factors and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This observational study was conducted in nine European countries (5632 patients in 249 practices). We compared patients with a low level of education (up to 9 years) with patients with a high level of education (>9 years), with regard to controlled cardiovascular disease risk factors and HRQoL. A multilevel approach was used for statistical analysis. Patients with a low level of education were older (P < 0.001), more often female (P < 0.001), more often single (P < 0.001) and had a higher number of other conditions (e.g. heart failure) (P < 0.001). Significant differences in terms of controlled risk factors were revealed for blood pressure (RR) ≤ 140/90 mmHg (P = 0.039) and the sum of controlled risk factors (P = 0.027). Higher age, lower education, female gender, living as single, patient group (coronary heart disease patients) and the number of other conditions were negatively associated with HRQoL. A higher sum of controlled risk factors were positively associated with higher HRQoL in the whole sample (r = 0.0086, P < 0.001) as well as in both educational-level groups (r = 0.0075, P = 0.038 in the low-level group and r = 0.0082, P = 0.001 in the high-level group). Patients with a lower educational level were more often females, singles, had a higher number of other conditions, a higher number of uncontrolled risk factors and a lower HRQoL. However, the higher the control of risk factors was, the higher the HRQoL was overall as well as in both educational-level groups. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Quality of life and related factors of nursing home residents in Singapore.

PubMed

Wang, Pei; Yap, Philip; Koh, Gerald; Chong, Jia An; Davies, Lucy Jennifer; Dalakoti, Mayank; Fong, Ngan Phoon; Tiong, Wei Wei; Luo, Nan

2016-07-28

Litter is known about the well-being of nursing home (NH) residents in Singapore. This study aimed to identify predictors of self-reported quality of life (QOL) of NH residents in Singapore. In face-to-face interviews, trained medical students assessed each consenting resident recruited from 6 local NHs using a modified Minnesota QOL questionnaire, and rating scales and questions assessing independence, cognitive function, depression, and communication. Predictors of residents' QOL in five aspects (comfort, dignity, food enjoyment, autonomy, and security) were identified using the censored least absolute deviations (CLAD) models. A total of 375 residents completed the interviews. A higher score on comfort was negatively associated with major depression while a higher score on dignity was positively associated with no difficulty in communication with staff. Higher scores in food enjoyment were negatively associated with major depression and poorer cognitive function. Higher scores in autonomy were negatively associated with major depression, greater dependence, and difficulty in communication with staff. A higher score on security were negatively associated with major depression. It appears that depression and difficulty in communication with staff are the two main modifiable risk factors of poor quality of life of local NH residents.

Quality Assurance Challenges and Opportunities Faced by Private Universities in Zimbabwe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garwe, Evelyn Chiyevo

2014-01-01

The study sought to provide an understanding of the quality assurance challenges and opportunities faced by private universities in Zimbabwe. The study analyzed the factors determining provision of quality higher education in private universities and the resultant effects of failing to achieve the minimum acceptable standards. The author employed…

Influence of Occupational Status on the Quality of Life of Chinese Adult Patients with Epilepsy

PubMed Central

Gu, Xiang-Min; Ding, Cheng-Yun; Wang, Ning; Xu, Cheng-Feng; Chen, Ze-Jie; Wang, Qin; Yao, Qin; Wang, Fu-Li

2016-01-01

Background: Epilepsy is one of the most common serious neurological disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of occupational status on the quality of life of Chinese adult patients with epilepsy. Methods: This study surveyed 819 subjects clinically diagnosed with epilepsy for more than 1 year in 11 hospitals in Beijing; 586 were employed (71.55%). All subjects completed the case report form with inquiries on demographic data, social factors, and illness. The patients’ quality of life was assessed using the quality of life in patients with epilepsy-31 items (QOLIE-31) questionnaire. Results: The QOLIE-31 score in the employed group was significantly higher than that in the unemployed group. Furthermore, the scores in all the sections (overall quality of life, energy/fatigue, emotional well-being, seizure worry, cognition, social function, and medication effects) of the employed group were higher than those of the unemployed group. Both the employed and unemployed groups achieved the highest difference in social function. The QOLIE-31 score of students was higher than those of farmers and workers. Both the students and workers scored higher in the quality of life compared with the adult peasants living with epilepsy. The students and farmers showed significant differences in QOLIE-31 score, cognition, emotional well-being, overall quality of life, energy/fatigue, and social function. In contrast, no significant difference was noted in seizure worry and medication effects across the three different kinds of occupation. Conclusion: Occupational status might affect the quality of life of Chinese adult patients with epilepsy, and social function is the most important contributing factor. PMID:27231164

Quality of nursing doctoral education in Korea: towards policy development.

PubMed

Ja Kim, Mi; Gi Park, Chang; Kim, Minju; Lee, Hyeonkyeong; Ahn, Yang-Heui; Kim, Euisook; Yun, Soon-Nyoung; Lee, Kwang-Ja

2012-07-01

This article is a report on an international study of the quality of nursing doctoral education; herein, we report findings for Korea. Specific aims were to: examine the validity and reliability of the quality of nursing doctoral education questionnaire; and identify contributing factors and domain(s) for improvement. The quality of nursing doctoral education has been a worldwide concern with the recent rapid increase in number of nursing doctoral programmes around the world, and comprehensive evaluation is needed for policy recommendations. A cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted from October 2006 to January 2007, used an online questionnaire evaluating four domains: programme, faculty, resources and evaluation. Seven deans, 48 faculty, 52 graduates and 87 students from 14 nursing schools participated. Content and construct validity, and construct reliability of the questionnaire were established. Overall, participants reported that the perceived quality of private universities/schools was significantly higher than that of public/national universities. A higher ratio of doctoral to non-doctoral students was significantly associated with higher quality. The domains of programme, faculty and resources were highly correlated. The programme was the most important domain; availability of sufficient materials and information for students most needed improvement. Overall, faculty perceived the quality of the programme, faculty and resources as more positively than did the graduates and students. This study provides useful policy guidance for nurse educators worldwide for improving doctoral programmes and faculty's role in educating students. Further study is recommended that examines contributing factors to quality doctoral education. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Temporal and spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of air quality index in Xuchang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhenghua; Tian, Zhihui

2018-01-01

In recent years, the problem of air pollution becomes more and more serious. Based on the geographic and seasonal climatic characteristics of Xuchang City, this paper studies the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of air quality index. The results show that: from the time point of view, air quality index shows seasonal difference. Air quality index is highest in winter and is lowest in summer. From the space point of view, there are differences between the north and the south to a certain extent. Changge City, Yuzhou city and central Xuchang county is higher than the southeast of Xiangcheng county and Yanling county. The spatial and temporal variation characteristics of air quality index in Xuchang are influenced by natural factors and human activities, and the economic development and population are the important factors affecting the urban air quality.

The Transformation of the Motivation Sphere as a Factor in the Formation of the Professional and Personality Qualities of Graduates of Higher Educational Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shashkova, S. N.

2010-01-01

The problems of the formation of the professional and personality qualities of graduates of higher educational institutions became especially relevant during the period in which Russia was making the transition to the new economic course of action, the system of market relations. However, the roots of these problems are to be found in the…

Quality of life after postconflict displacement in Ethiopia: comparing placement in a community setting with that in shelters.

PubMed

Araya, Mesfin; Chotai, Jayanti; Komproe, Ivan H; de Jong, Joop T V M

2011-07-01

The resilience of post-war displaced persons is not only influenced partly by the nature of premigration trauma, but also by postmigration psychosocial circumstances and living conditions. A lengthy civil war leading to Eritrea separating from Ethiopia and becoming an independent state in 1991 resulted in many displaced persons. A random sample of 749 displaced women living in the shelters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa was compared with a random sample of 110 displaced women living in the community setting of Debre Zeit, 50 km away from Addis Ababa, regarding their quality of life, mental distress, sociodemographics, living conditions, perceived social support, and coping strategies, 6 years after displacement. Subjects from Debre Zeit reported significantly higher quality of life and better living conditions. However, mental distress did not differ significantly between the groups. Also, Debre Zeit subjects contained a higher proportion born in Ethiopia, a higher proportion married, reported higher traumatic life events, employed more task-oriented coping, and perceived higher social support. Factors that accounted for the difference in quality of life between the shelters and Debre Zeit groups in three of the four quality of life domains of WHOQOL-BREF (physical health, psychological, environment), included protection from insects/rodents and other living conditions. However, to account for the difference in the fourth domain (social relationships), psychosocial factors also contributed significantly. Placement and rehabilitation in a community setting seems better than in the shelters. If this possibility is not available, measures to improve specific living conditions in the shelters are likely to lead to a considerable increase in quality of life.

Influence of Municipal Abattoir Conditions and Animal-related Factors on Avoidance-related Behaviour, Bleeding Times at Slaughter and the Quality of Lamb Meat.

PubMed

Njisane, Yonela Z; Muchenje, Voster

2013-10-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of municipal abattoir conditions and animal factors on avoidance-related behaviour (AB) of sheep at slaughter, bleeding times (BT) and mutton quality. The behaviour of 66 castrates and 19 ewes of different age categories was observed at three stages of slaughter. Higher behaviour scores indicated higher levels of AB. Time intervals between the start of blood flow and the time the flow changed from a constant stream into drips were recorded as BT. Thirty two meat samples were obtained to measure quality variables. These were colour (L*, a* and b*), pH24, temperature, cooking loss (CL) and tenderness. Correlations were determined between BT and meat quality variables. Animal behaviour at slaughter differed with breed, gender and age group. Avoidance behaviour was higher in the Dorper breed than in both the Merino breed and their crosses. It was also higher in younger (<10 months) lambs than in older sheep. Castrates were more aggressive or in panic than ewes. Castrates had longer (72.6±0.53 s) BT than the ewes (63.6±2.82 s). Ewes had higher CL (39.8±1.04%) values than castrates (35.1±0.95%). Meat from castrates was tougher (32.6±1.95 N) than the meat from ewes (24.3±1.16 N). There were no significant correlations obtained between BT and meat quality variables. It can therefore be concluded that abattoir conditions, breed, age and gender had an effect on AB at slaughter. Gender had an effect on BT and mutton quality.

Improving quality of arterial spin labeling MR imaging at 3 Tesla with a 32-channel coil and parallel imaging.

PubMed

Ferré, Jean-Christophe; Petr, Jan; Bannier, Elise; Barillot, Christian; Gauvrit, Jean-Yves

2012-05-01

To compare 12-channel and 32-channel phased-array coils and to determine the optimal parallel imaging (PI) technique and factor for brain perfusion imaging using Pulsed Arterial Spin labeling (PASL) at 3 Tesla (T). Twenty-seven healthy volunteers underwent 10 different PASL perfusion PICORE Q2TIPS scans at 3T using 12-channel and 32-channel coils without PI and with GRAPPA or mSENSE using factor 2. PI with factor 3 and 4 were used only with the 32-channel coil. Visual quality was assessed using four parameters. Quantitative analyses were performed using temporal noise, contrast-to-noise and signal-to-noise ratios (CNR, SNR). Compared with 12-channel acquisition, the scores for 32-channel acquisition were significantly higher for overall visual quality, lower for noise and higher for SNR and CNR. With the 32-channel coil, artifact compromise achieved the best score with PI factor 2. Noise increased, SNR and CNR decreased with PI factor. However mSENSE 2 scores were not always significantly different from acquisition without PI. For PASL at 3T, the 32-channel coil at 3T provided better quality than the 12-channel coil. With the 32-channel coil, mSENSE 2 seemed to offer the best compromise for decreasing artifacts without significantly reducing SNR, CNR. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Oral health-related quality of life in patients with removable dentures.

PubMed

Pistorius, Jutta; Horn, Jan G; Pistorius, Alexander; Kraft, Joachim

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine factors that affected oral health-related quality of life (Oral Health Related Quality of Life = OHRQoL) in patients with removable dentures (RD). Quality of life was evaluated by using the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). We analysed data of 250 patients aged 63 ± 11.6 years. After excluding patients lacking relevant analysis data, 243 patients remained in the study, including 129 males and 114 females. Relevant parameters for good OHRQoL were: patient satisfaction with their RD (r = -0.317), higher age (r = 0.222), greater number of remaining teeth (r = 0.357), higher income (r = 0.175), higher frequency of dental visits (r = -0.212), tobacco abstinence (r = -0.181), and residence in a rural area (r = -0.420). Also, marital status had an impact on OHRQoL. Widowed and married patients showed the highest values and unmarried patients the lowest. Frequently mentioned problem areas considered within the survey were: the patient's fear of further tooth loss, concerns about functional aspects such as the decrease in chewing efficiency and dissatisfaction with the aesthetics of the dental prostheses. The results showed that the OHRQoL is apparently not only influenced by dental factors, but also by psychosocial and economic factors, the relevance of which would have to be shown in further studies.

Factors associated with sleep quality among operating engineers.

PubMed

Choi, Seung Hee; Terrell, Jeffrey E; Pohl, Joanne M; Redman, Richard W; Duffy, Sonia A

2013-06-01

Blue collar workers generally report high job stress and are exposed to loud noises at work and engage in many of risky health behavioral factors, all of which have been associated with poor sleep quality. However, sleep quality of blue collar workers has not been studied extensively, and no studies have focused Operating Engineers (heavy equipment operators) among whom daytime fatigue would place them at high risk for accidents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine variables associated with sleep quality among Operating Engineers. This was a cross-sectional survey design with a dependent variable of sleep quality and independent variables of personal and related health behavioral factors. A convenience sample of 498 Operating Engineers was recruited from approximately 16,000 Operating Engineers from entire State of Michigan in 2008. Linear regression was used to determine personal and related health behavior factors associated with sleep quality. Multivariate analyses showed that personal factors related to poor sleep quality were younger age, female sex, higher pain, more medical comorbidities and depressive symptoms and behavioral factors related to poor sleep quality were nicotine dependence. While sleep scores were similar to population norms, approximately 34 % (n = 143) showed interest in health services for sleep problems. While many personal factors are not changeable, interventions to improve sleep hygiene as well as interventions to treat pain, depression and smoking may improve sleep quality resulting in less absenteeism, fatal work accidents, use of sick leave, work disability, medical comorbidities, as well as subsequent mortality.

Factors Associated With Sleep Quality Among Operating Engineers

PubMed Central

Choi, Seung Hee; Terrell, Jeffrey E.; Pohl, Joanne M.; Redman, Richard W.

2016-01-01

Blue collar workers generally report high job stress and are exposed to loud noises at work and engage in many of the health behavioral factors, all of which have been associated with poor sleep quality. However, sleep quality of blue collar workers has not been studied extensively, and no studies have focused Operating Engineers (heavy equipment operators) among whom daytime fatigue would place them at high risk for accidents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine variables associated with sleep quality among Operating Engineers. This was a cross-sectional survey design with a dependent variable of sleep quality and independent variables of personal and related health behavioral factors. A convenience sample of 498 Operating Engineers was recruited from approximately 16,000 Operating Engineers from entire State of Michigan in 2008. Linear regression was used to determine personal and related health behavior factors associated with sleep quality. Multivariate analyses showed that personal factors related to poor sleep quality were younger age, female sex, higher pain, more medical comorbidities and depressive symptoms and behavioral factors related to poor sleep quality were nicotine dependence. While sleep scores were similar to population norms, approximately 34% (n=143) showed interest in health services for sleep problems. While many personal factors are not changeable, interventions to improve sleep hygiene as well as interventions to treat pain, depression and smoking may improve sleep quality resulting in less absenteeism, fatal work accidents, use of sick leave, work disability, medical comorbidities, as well as subsequent mortality. PMID:23393021

Risk factors and monitoring for water quality to determine best management practices for splash parks.

PubMed

de Man, H; Leenen, E J T M; van Knapen, F; de Roda Husman, A M

2014-09-01

Splash parks have been associated with infectious disease outbreaks as a result of exposure to poor water quality. To be able to protect public health, risk factors were identified that determine poor water quality. Samples were taken at seven splash parks where operators were willing to participate in the study. Higher concentrations of Escherichia coli were measured in water of splash parks filled with rainwater or surface water as compared with sites filled with tap water, independent of routine inspection intervals and employed disinfection. Management practices to prevent fecal contamination and guarantee maintaining good water quality at splash parks should include selection of source water of acceptable quality.

Physical Activity, Sleep, and BMI Percentile in Rural and Urban Ugandan Youth.

PubMed

Christoph, Mary J; Grigsby-Toussaint, Diana S; Baingana, Rhona; Ntambi, James M

Uganda is experiencing a dual burden of over- and undernutrition, with overweight prevalence increasing while underweight remains common. Potential weight-related factors, particularly physical activity, sleep, and rural/urban status, are not currently well understood or commonly assessed in Ugandan youth. The purpose of this study was to pilot test a survey measuring weight-related factors in rural and urban Ugandan schoolchildren. A cross-sectional survey measured sociodemographics, physical activity, sleep patterns, and dietary factors in 148 rural and urban schoolchildren aged 11-16 in central Uganda. Height and weight were objectively measured. Rural and urban youth were compared on these factors using χ 2 and t tests. Regression was used to identify correlates of higher body mass index (BMI) percentile in the full sample and nonstunted youth. Youth were on average 12.1 ± 1.1 years old; underweight (10%) was more common than overweight (1.4%). Self-reported sleep duration and subjective sleep quality did not differ by rural/urban residence. Rural children overall had higher BMI percentile and marginally higher stunting prevalence. In adjusted analyses in both the full and nonstunted samples, higher BMI percentile was related to living in a rural area, higher frequency of physical activity, and higher subjective sleep quality; it was negatively related to being active on weekends. In the full sample, higher BMI percentile was also related to female gender, whereas in nonstunted youth, higher BMI was related to age. BMI percentile was unrelated to sedentary time, performance of active chores and sports, and dietary factors. This study is one of the first to pilot test a survey assessing weight-related factors, particularly physical activity and sleep, in Ugandan schoolchildren. BMI percentile was related to several sociodemographic, sleep, and physical activity factors among primarily normal-weight school children in Uganda, providing a basis for understanding weight status in the context of the nutrition transition. Copyright © 2017 Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparison of the function, activity and participation and quality of life between down syndrome children and typically developing children.

PubMed

Jung, Hee-Kyoung; Chung, EunJung; Lee, Byoung-Hee

2017-08-01

[Purpose] To compare function, activity, participation, and quality of life of Down syndrome children and typically developing children according to age. [Subjects and Methods] A total of 16 Down syndrome children and 20 children with typical development were included as subjects for this study. International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) Child and Youth version (CY) developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a questionnaire were used to measure children's functioning, activity, and participation. To measure quality of life, KIDSCREEN 52-HRQOL questionnaire was used in this study. [Results] ICF-CY function, activity, participation, and quality of life showed statistically significant differences between Down syndrome children and typically developing children. Down syndrome children with higher functions showed higher activities and participation. Higher function, activity and participation features were correlated with better quality of life. Higher function resulted in better quality of life. [Conclusion] Function, activity, participation, quality of life, and several common factors of Down syndrome children depend on the ability of children. Function of Down syndrome children affects their activity, participation, and quality of life. Activities and participations also affect quality of life. Therefore, children's functional aspect is the foundation for quality of life.

Professional Staff Contributions to Student Retention and Success in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Jenny

2018-01-01

Student attrition remains a persistent problem within the Australian higher education sector. Contributing factors include financial, reputational and quality issues, which can pose significant risks for a university's sustainability. Institutional culture is fundamental to decisions student make about withdrawing or remaining in higher education.…

Factors Affecting Variance in Classroom Assessment Scoring System Scores: Season, Context, and Classroom Composition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buell, Martha; Han, Myae; Vukelich, Carol

2017-01-01

Early care and education programme quality is usually assessed at the classroom level. One such measure of classroom quality is the classroom assessment scoring system (CLASS). In an effort to ensure higher quality programming, the CLASS is being used to direct teacher professional development. However, there has been relatively little research on…

Analysis of factors affecting the quality of life of those suffering from Crohn's disease.

PubMed

Chrobak-Bień, Joanna; Gawor, Anna; Paplaczyk, Małgorzata; Małecka-Panas, Ewa; Gąsiorowska, Anita

2017-08-31

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease of unknown etiology. Its chronic nature, as well as symptoms of intestinal and overall significantly impedes the daily functioning of patients. Alternately occurring periods of exacerbation and remission are the cause of reduced quality of life of patients. Understanding the factors that caused the decrease in the quality of life, it allows us to understand the behavior and the situation of the patient and the ability to cope with stress caused by the disease. The aim of the study was to analyze the factors affecting the quality of life of people with Crohn's disease. The study group consisted of 50 people diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Respondents were treated at the Department of General Surgery and Colorectal Medical University of Lodz and Gastroenterological Clinic at the University Clinical Hospital No. 1 in Lodz. Quality of Life Survey was carried out by a diagnostic survey using a research tool SF-36v2 and surveys of its own design. Analysis of the results demonstrated that the quality of life of patients with Crohn's disease was reduced, especially during exacerbations. Evaluation of the quality of life of respondents in physical terms was slightly higher than in the mental aspect. Higher education subjects and the lack of need for surgical treatment significantly improves the quality of life. The occurrence of chronic disease reduces the quality of life of respondents. Elderly patients are better able to adapt to the difficult situation caused by the disease. The quality of life of women and men is at a similar level and patients in remission of the disease have a better quality of life of patients during exacerbations.

The Structure of the Managerial System of Higher Education's Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levina, Elena Y.; Kutuev, Ruslan A.; Balakhnina, Lidia V.; Tumarov, Konstantin B.; Chudnovskiy, Alexey D.; Shagiev, ?ulat V.

2016-01-01

The research urgency is caused by necessity of planning regulation of higher education development at all levels of management. The purpose of this article is to develop the structure of a control system of higher education development, the Foundation of which is understanding of the quality of higher education as factor for development of the…

The Social Patterning of Sleep in African Americans: Associations of Socioeconomic Position and Neighborhood Characteristics with Sleep in the Jackson Heart Study.

PubMed

Johnson, Dayna A; Lisabeth, Lynda; Hickson, DeMarc; Johnson-Lawrence, Vicki; Samdarshi, Tandaw; Taylor, Herman; Diez Roux, Ana V

2016-09-01

We investigated cross-sectional associations of individual-level socioeconomic position (SEP) and neighborhood characteristics (social cohesion, violence, problems, disadvantage) with sleep duration and sleep quality in 5,301 African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study. All measures were self-reported. Sleep duration was assessed as hours of sleep; sleep quality was reported as poor (1) to excellent (5). SEP was measured by categorized years of education and income. Multinomial logistic and linear regression models were fit to examine the associations of SEP and neighborhood characteristics (modeled dichotomously and tertiles) with sleep duration (short vs. normal, long vs. normal) and continuous sleep duration and quality after adjustment for demographics and risk factors. The mean sleep duration was 6.4 ± 1.5 hours, 54% had a short (≤ 6 h) sleep duration, 5% reported long (≥ 9 h) sleep duration, and 24% reported fair to poor sleep quality. Lower education was associated with greater odds of long sleep (odds ratio [OR] = 2.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.42, 3.38) and poorer sleep quality (β = -0.17, 95% CI = -0.27, -0.07) compared to higher education after adjustment for demographics and risk factors. Findings were similar for income. High neighborhood violence was associated with shorter sleep duration (-9.82 minutes, 95% CI = -16.98, -2.66) and poorer sleep quality (β = -0.11, 95% CI = -0.20, 0.00) after adjustment for demographics and risk factors. Results were similar for neighborhood problems. In secondary analyses adjusted for depressive symptoms in a subset of participants, most associations were attenuated and only associations of low SEP with higher odds of long sleep and higher neighborhood violence with poorer sleep quality remained statistically significant. Social and environmental characteristics are associated with sleep duration and quality in African Americans. Depressive symptoms may explain at least part of this association. © 2016 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Organisational quality, nurse staffing and the quality of chronic disease management in primary care: observational study using routinely collected data.

PubMed

Griffiths, Peter; Maben, Jill; Murrells, Trevor

2011-10-01

An association between quality of care and staffing levels, particularly registered nurses, has been established in acute hospitals. Recently an association between nurse staffing and quality of care for several chronic conditions has also been demonstrated for primary care in English general practice. A smaller body of literature identifies organisational factors, in particular issues of human resource management, as being a dominant factor. However the literature has tended to consider staffing and organisational factors separately. We aim to determine whether relationships between the quality of clinical care and nurse staffing in general practice are attenuated or enhanced when organisational factors associated with quality of care are considered. We further aim to determine the relative contribution and interaction between these factors. We used routinely collected data from 8409 English general practices. The data, on organisational factors and the quality of clinical care for a range of long term conditions, is gathered as part of "Quality and Outcomes Framework" pay for performance system. Regression models exploring the relationship of staffing and organisational factors with care quality were fitted using MPLUS statistical modelling software. Higher levels of nurse staffing, clinical recording, education and reflection on the results of patient surveys were significantly associated with improved clinical care for COPD, CHD, Diabetes and Hypothyroidism after controlling for organisational factors. There was some evidence of attenuation of the estimated nurse staffing effect when organisational factors were considered, but this was small. The effect of staffing interacted significantly with the effect of organisational factors. Overall however, the characteristics that emerged as the strongest predictors of quality of clinical care were not staffing levels but the organisational factors of clinical recording, education and training and use of patient experience surveys. Organisational factors contribute significantly to observed variation in the quality of care in English general practices. Levels of nurse staffing have an independent association with quality but also interact with organisational factors. The observed relationships are not necessarily causal but a causal relationship is plausible. The benefits and importance of education, training and personal development of nursing and other practice staff was clearly indicated. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The impact of organizational factors on the urinary incontinence care quality in long-term care hospitals: a longitudinal correlational study.

PubMed

Yoon, Ju Young; Lee, Ji Yun; Bowers, Barbara J; Zimmerman, David R

2012-12-01

With the rapid increase in the number of long-term care hospitals in Korea, care quality has become an important issue. Urinary incontinence is an important condition affecting many residents' quality of life. Thus, it is important that urinary incontinence be amenable to improving conditions with appropriate interventions, since a change in urinary incontinence status can reflect care quality in long-term care facilities if patient level factors are adjusted. We aim to examine the impact of organizational factors on urinary incontinence care quality defined as the improvement of urinary incontinence status or maintenance of continent status post-admission to Korean long-term care hospitals. DESIGN AND DATA: This is a longitudinal correlation study. Data came from two sources: monthly patient assessment reports using the Patient Assessment Instrument and the hospital information system from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Services. The final analysis includes 5271 elderly adults without indwelling urinary catheter or urostomy who were admitted to 534 Korean long-term care hospitals in April 2008. Multi-level logistic analysis was used to explore the organizational factors that influence urinary incontinence care quality controlling for patient level factors. With respect to the organizational factors, the findings showed that location and RN/total nursing staff ratio variables were statistically significant, controlling for risk factors at the patient level. The odds of urinary incontinence improvement from admission in urban long-term care hospitals were 1.28 times higher than rural long-term care hospitals. In addition, when a long-term care hospital increased one standard deviation (0.19) in the RN ratio, the odds of urinary incontinence status improvement or maintenance of continence status from admission increased about 1.8 times. The most significant finding was that a higher RN to patient ratio and urban location were associated with better resident outcomes of urinary incontinence among organizational factors. For a better understanding of how these significant organizational factors influence positive care outcomes and provide more practical implications, studies should examine concrete care process measures as well as structure and outcome measures based on systematic conceptual models. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality of Life and Bariatric Surgery: Cross-Sectional Study and Analysis of Factors Influencing Outcome.

PubMed

Janik, Michał Robert; Rogula, Tomasz; Bielecka, Ilona; Kwiatkowski, Andrzej; Paśnik, Krzysztof

2016-12-01

The aims of our study were to compare quality of life (QOL) in obese patients after bariatric surgery with that in controls seeking surgery and to investigate which factors are associated with QOL in the Moorehead-Ardelt Quality of Life Questionnaire II (MA II). This was a cross-sectional study. The operated group consisted of patients after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The MA II was administered by e-mail to 305 patients 12-18 months after surgery. The control groups consisted of 101 obese patients. We compared the QOL scores and considered good and very good outcomes to be satisfactory. Multiple logistic regression and correlation analysis was performed to identify factors associated with QOL. In the operated group, the total MA II score was 1.70 ± 0.76, which was higher than 0.59 ± 1.17 in the control group. The score adjusted for the type of surgery was comparable. The prevalence of satisfactory QOL outcomes was similar in both post-operative subgroups and was still higher than in the control group. We identified four factors associated with higher QOL in obese patients. Weight loss was not correlated with total score in MAII. This study demonstrates that patients after bariatric surgery have a higher score in MA II, which reflects better QOL. The scoring adjusted by type of operation is comparable. QOL among obese patients is dependent on age, gender, history of bariatric surgery, and partnered status. Body mass reduction was not associated with outcome in MAII.

The quality of life and satisfaction with life of women who are childless by choice.

PubMed

Bień, Agnieszka; Rzońca, Ewa; Iwanowicz-Palus, Grażyna; Lecyk, Urszula; Bojar, Iwona

2017-05-11

Objective. The study attempts to identify and analyze factors affecting the quality of life and satisfaction with life of women who are childless by choice. Materials and method. The research instruments used were: the WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and author's own questionnaire. Results. A better overall quality of life, perception of own health and quality of life in all the specific domains analyzed was found among childless women living in cities, college/university-educated, and with a good or very good financial standing. Conclusions. A positive correlation was found between satisfaction with life and overall quality of life, general perceived health, and all quality of life domains. Higher satisfaction with life scores in childless women are correlated with a higher quality of life scores and better perceived health.

Methodological quality of systematic reviews on influenza vaccination.

PubMed

Remschmidt, Cornelius; Wichmann, Ole; Harder, Thomas

2014-03-26

There is a growing body of evidence on the risks and benefits of influenza vaccination in various target groups. Systematic reviews are of particular importance for policy decisions. However, their methodological quality can vary considerably. To investigate the methodological quality of systematic reviews on influenza vaccination (efficacy, effectiveness, safety) and to identify influencing factors. A systematic literature search on systematic reviews on influenza vaccination was performed, using MEDLINE, EMBASE and three additional databases (1990-2013). Review characteristics were extracted and the methodological quality of the reviews was evaluated using the assessment of multiple systematic reviews (AMSTAR) tool. U-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, chi-square test, and multivariable linear regression analysis were used to assess the influence of review characteristics on AMSTAR-score. Fourty-six systematic reviews fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Average methodological quality was high (median AMSTAR-score: 8), but variability was large (AMSTAR range: 0-11). Quality did not differ significantly according to vaccination target group. Cochrane reviews had higher methodological quality than non-Cochrane reviews (p=0.001). Detailed analysis showed that this was due to better study selection and data extraction, inclusion of unpublished studies, and better reporting of study characteristics (all p<0.05). In the adjusted analysis, no other factor, including industry sponsorship or journal impact factor had an influence on AMSTAR score. Systematic reviews on influenza vaccination showed large differences regarding their methodological quality. Reviews conducted by the Cochrane collaboration were of higher quality than others. When using systematic reviews to guide the development of vaccination recommendations, the methodological quality of a review in addition to its content should be considered. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extraction of respiratory signals from the electrocardiogram and photoplethysmogram: technical and physiological determinants.

PubMed

Charlton, Peter H; Bonnici, Timothy; Tarassenko, Lionel; Alastruey, Jordi; Clifton, David A; Beale, Richard; Watkinson, Peter J

2017-05-01

Breathing rate (BR) can be estimated by extracting respiratory signals from the electrocardiogram (ECG) or photoplethysmogram (PPG). The extracted respiratory signals may be influenced by several technical and physiological factors. In this study, our aim was to determine how technical and physiological factors influence the quality of respiratory signals. Using a variety of techniques 15 respiratory signals were extracted from the ECG, and 11 from PPG signals collected from 57 healthy subjects. The quality of each respiratory signal was assessed by calculating its correlation with a reference oral-nasal pressure respiratory signal using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Relevant results informing device design and clinical application were obtained. The results informing device design were: (i) seven out of 11 respiratory signals were of higher quality when extracted from finger PPG compared to ear PPG; (ii) laboratory equipment did not provide higher quality of respiratory signals than a clinical monitor; (iii) the ECG provided higher quality respiratory signals than the PPG; (iv) during downsampling of the ECG and PPG significant reductions in quality were first observed at sampling frequencies of  <250 Hz and  <16 Hz respectively. The results informing clinical application were: (i) frequency modulation-based respiratory signals were generally of lower quality in elderly subjects compared to young subjects; (ii) the qualities of 23 out of 26 respiratory signals were reduced at elevated BRs; (iii) there were no differences associated with gender. Recommendations based on the results are provided regarding device designs for BR estimation, and clinical applications. The dataset and code used in this study are publicly available.

Quality by Design approach to spray drying processing of crystalline nanosuspensions.

PubMed

Kumar, Sumit; Gokhale, Rajeev; Burgess, Diane J

2014-04-10

Quality by Design (QbD) principles were explored to understand spray drying process for the conversion of liquid nanosuspensions into solid nano-crystalline dry powders using indomethacin as a model drug. The effects of critical process variables: inlet temperature, flow and aspiration rates on critical quality attributes (CQAs): particle size, moisture content, percent yield and crystallinity were investigated employing a full factorial design. A central cubic design was employed to generate the response surface for particle size and percent yield. Multiple linear regression analysis and ANOVA were employed to identify and estimate the effect of critical parameters, establish their relationship with CQAs, create design space and model the spray drying process. Inlet temperature was identified as the only significant factor (p value <0.05) to affect dry powder particle size. Higher inlet temperatures caused drug surface melting and hence aggregation of the dried nano-crystalline powders. Aspiration and flow rates were identified as significant factors affecting yield (p value <0.05). Higher yields were obtained at higher aspiration and lower flow rates. All formulations had less than 3% (w/w) moisture content. Formulations dried at higher inlet temperatures had lower moisture compared to those dried at lower inlet temperatures. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Rural/Urban and Socioeconomic Differentials in Quality of Antenatal Care in Ghana

PubMed Central

Afulani, Patience A.

2015-01-01

Background Approximately 800 women die of pregnancy-related complications every day. Over half of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Most maternal deaths can be prevented with high quality maternal health services. It is well established that use of maternal health services vary by place of residence and socioeconomic status (SES), but few studies have examined the determinants of quality of maternal health services in SSA. The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of antenatal care (ANC) quality in Ghana–focusing on the role of place of residence and SES (education and wealth). The analysis also examines the interactions of these variables and the mediating role of ANC timing, frequency, facility type, and provider type. Methods The data are from the Ghana Maternal Health Survey (N = 4,868). Analytic techniques include multilevel linear regression with mediation and moderation analysis. Results Urban residence and higher SES are positively associated with higher ANC quality, but the urban effect is completely explained by sociodemographic factors. Specifically, about half of the urban effect is explained by education and wealth alone, with other variables accounting for the remainder. The effects of education are conditional on wealth and are strongest for poor women. Starting ANC visits early and attending the recommended four visits as well as receiving ANC from a higher level facility and from a skilled provider are associated with higher quality ANC. These factors partially explain the SES differentials. Implications Ghanaian women experience significant disparities in quality of ANC, with poor illiterate women receiving the worst care. Targeted efforts to increase quality of ANC may significantly reduce maternal health disparities in Ghana and SSA. A particularly crucial step is to improve ANC quality in the lower level health facilities, where the most vulnerable women are more likely to seek ANC. PMID:25695737

Validating the shortened Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE-55) in a sample of children with drug-resistant epilepsy.

PubMed

Conway, Lauryn; Widjaja, Elysa; Smith, Mary Lou; Speechley, Kathy N; Ferro, Mark A

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to validate the newly developed shortened Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE-55) in a sample of children with drug-resistant epilepsy. Data came from 136 children enrolled in the Impact of Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery on Health-Related Quality of Life Study (PEPSQOL), a multicenter prospective cohort study. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the higher-order factor structure of the QOLCE-55. Convergent and divergent validity was assessed by correlating subscales of the KIDSCREEN-27 with the QOLCE-55. Measurement equivalence of the QOLCE-55 was evaluated using multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis of children with drug-resistant epilepsy from PEPSQOL versus children with new-onset epilepsy from HERQULES (Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy Study). The higher-order factor structure of the QOLCE-55 demonstrated adequate fit: Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.948; Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.946; Root Mean Square of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.060 (90% confidence interval [CI] 0.054-0.065); Weighted Root Mean Square Residuals (WRMR) = 1.247. Higher-order factor loadings were strong, ranging from λ = 0.74 to 0.81. Internal consistency reliability was excellent (α = 0.97, subscales α > 0.82). QOLCE-55 subscales demonstrated moderate to strong correlations with similar subscales of the KIDSCREEN-27 (ρ = 0.43-0.75) and weak to moderate correlations with dissimilar subscales (ρ = 0.25-0.42). The QOLCE-55 demonstrated partial measurement equivalence at the level of strict invariance - χ 2 (2,823) = 3,727.9, CFI = 0.961, TLI = 0.962, RMSEA = 0.049 (0.044, 0.053), WRMR = 1.834. The findings provide support for the factor structure of the QOLCE-55 and contribute to its robust psychometric profile as a reliable and valid measure. Researchers and health practitioners should consider the QOLCE-55 as a viable option for reducing respondent burden when assessing health-related quality of life in children with epilepsy. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International League Against Epilepsy.

Voluntarism, Tax Reform, and Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for Financial Aid to Education, New York, NY.

Voluntary initiative and voluntary support have been of fundamental importance in the establishment and development of the system of higher education in the U.S. Much of the superior quality of higher education is due to its diversity and its freedom from outside control. Voluntary financial support is one of the vital factors responsible for the…

USA Education Policy in Transnationalization of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avshenyuk, Nataliya

2018-01-01

The analysis of American experience of higher education transnationalization, as well as influence of these processes on various spheres of social development has been done. The main factor is the desire to improve the quality of higher education national system, which leads to positive competition between local and foreign universities and serves…

Students' Perceptions of the Role of Assessments at Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynam, Siobhan; Cachia, Moira

2018-01-01

The quality assessment agency higher education review noted that assessment and feedback in higher education still remains an area of concern for students. Despite this, very little research has been carried out to assess students' experience of assessments. The evidence for what factors within assessments actually contribute to student engagement…

Higher-Order Factor Analysis as a Score Validity Evaluation Tool: An Example with a Measure of Perceptions of Library Service Quality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Colleen; Thompson, Bruce

The SERVQUAL measure was developed by A. Parasuraman, L. Berry, and V. Zeithaml (1988) to measure perceptions of service quality, originally in the retailing sector. However, libraries and other educational institutions are also service providers. Librarians in particular have increasingly become interested in measuring quality of service as the…

Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement: A Case Study of the University of Bahrain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Alawi, Yaser; Al-Kaabi, Dheya; Rashdan, Suad; Al-Khaleefa, Lobna

2009-01-01

In recent years, Bahrain has taken serious actions to diversify its sources of income and solve major national problems such as unemployment. Through this process it discovered that one of the main factors for its economic problems was the quality of higher education on offer. This led to the creation of a national Quality Assurance Authority that…

Factors Influencing Team Performance in a Continuous Quality Improvement Process in the Wisconsin Technical College System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pietz, Victoria Lynn

2014-01-01

Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) programs are growing in popularity in higher education settings and a key component is the use of work groups, which require active employee involvement. The problem addressed in this research was the lack of employee engagement in the Quality Review Process (QRP), which is a statewide CQI model developed by…

The Relationships Between Spiritual Well-Being, Quality of Life, and Psychological Factors Before Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer.

PubMed

Walker, Sara J; Chen, Yiyi; Paik, Kyungjeen; Mirly, Brandy; Thomas, Charles R; Hung, Arthur Y

2017-10-01

Given shifting trends of religious identities in the USA, better understanding the impact of patients' religious identities on health-related quality of life (QOL) may help tailor the use of psychological interventions. Men with prostate cancer (N = 43) completed measures of quality of life (QOL), spiritual well-being in two domains (i.e., Faith and Meaning/Peace), psychological state, and psychological trait before undergoing radiotherapy. We hypothesized that (1) higher existential Meaning/Peace would correlate with higher QOL and psychological trait protective factors (e.g., Agreeableness) and that (2) higher existential Meaning/Peace would correlate with lower depression, anxiety, and Neuroticism (i.e., a psychological trait risk factor). We did not anticipate similar relationships between religious Faith and QOL, depression, anxiety, or psychological traits and consider related analyses to be exploratory in nature. Meaning/Peace was indeed negatively associated with depression, anxiety, and Neuroticism. Meaning/Peace was positively correlated with Physical, Social, Functional, and Emotional well-being, as well as Extraversion. Religious Faith was positively associated with Functional well-being, but not the other state, trait, or QOL domains. In sum, prostate cancer patients' sense of existential Meaning/Peace prior to radiotherapy was associated with well-being in many domains, whereas religious Faith appeared less so.

Disparities in liver transplantation: the association between donor quality and recipient race/ethnicity and sex.

PubMed

Mathur, Amit K; Schaubel, Douglas E; Zhang, Hui; Guidinger, Mary K; Merion, Robert M

2014-04-27

We aimed to examine the association between recipient race/ethnicity and sex, donor liver quality, and liver transplant graft survival. Adult non-status 1 liver recipients transplanted between March 1, 2002, and December 31, 2008, were identified using Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data. The factors of interest were recipient race/ethnicity and sex. Donor risk index (DRI) was used as a donor quality measure. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between race/ethnicity and sex in relation to the transplantation of low-quality (high DRI) or high-quality (low DRI) livers. Cox regression was used to assess the association between race/ethnicity and sex and liver graft failure risk, accounting for DRI. Hispanics were 21% more likely to receive low-quality grafts compared to whites (odds ratio [OR]=1.21, P=0.002). Women had greater odds of receiving a low-quality graft compared to men (OR=1.24, P<0.0001). Despite adjustment for donor quality, African American recipients still had higher graft failure rates compared to whites (hazard ratio [HR]=1.28, P<0.001). Hispanics (HR=0.89, P=0.023) had significantly lower graft failure rates compared to whites despite higher odds of receiving a higher DRI graft. Using an interaction model of DRI and race/ethnicity, we found that the impact of DRI on graft failure rates was significantly reduced for African Americans compared to whites (P=0.02). This study shows that while liver graft quality differed significantly by recipient race/ethnicity and sex, donor selection practices do not seem to be the dominant factor responsible for worse liver transplant outcomes for minority recipients.

Geographic factors as determinants of food security: a Western Australian food pricing and quality study.

PubMed

Pollard, Christina Mary; Landrigan, Timothy John; Ellies, Pernilla Laila; Kerr, Deborah Anne; Lester, Matthew Langdon Underwood; Goodchild, Stanley Edward

2014-01-01

Food affordability and quality can influence food choice. This research explores the impact of geographic factors on food pricing and quality in Western Australia (WA). A Healthy Food Access Basket (HFAB) was cost and a visual and descriptive quality assessment of 13 commonly consumed fresh produce items was conducted in-store on a representative sample of 144 food grocery stores. The WA retail environment in 2010 had 447 grocery stores servicing 2.9 million people: 38% of stores the two major chains (Coles® Supermarkets Australia and Woolworths ® Limited) in population dense areas, 50% were smaller independently owned stores (Independent Grocers Association®) in regional areas as well, and 12% Indigenous community stores in very remote areas. The HFAB cost 24% (p<0.0001) more in very remote areas than the major city with fruit (32%, p<0.0001), vegetables (26.1%, p<0.0005) and dairy (40%, p<0.0001) higher. Higher price did not correlate with higher quality with only 80% of very remote stores meeting all criteria for fresh produce compared with 93% in Perth. About 30% of very remote stores did not meet quality criteria for bananas, green beans, lettuce, and tomatoes. With increasing geographic isolation, most foods cost more and the quality of fresh produce was lower. Food affordability and quality may deter healthier food choice in geographically isolated communities. Improving affordability and quality of nutritious foods in remote communities may positively impact food choices, improve food security and prevent diet-sensitive chronic disease. Policy makers should consider influencing agriculture, trade, commerce, transport, freight, and modifying local food economies.

A study of quality of life and its determinants among hemodialysis patients using the KDQOL-SF instrument in one center in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

AL-Jumaih, Ahmed; Al-Onazi, Kamel; Binsalih, Salih; Hejaili, Fayez; Al-Sayyari, Abdulla

2011-09-01

We aimed to assess quality of life (QOL) among Saudi hemodialysis (HD) patients and the impact on the QOL of a certain demographic and clinical factors. The QOL was assessed using an Arabic version of Kidney Disease Quality of Life Instrument Short Form (KDQOL-SF). Mean scores were compared for individual domain scores and for the three composite summary scores, namely the mental component score (MCS), the physical component score (PCS) and kidney-disease component score (KDCS). The study included one hundred chronic HD patients from King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh. The overall mean score was 60.4. Domains with very low scores were "cognitive function", "role-emotional", "role-physical" and "work status". Domains with high scores were "patient satisfaction", "dialysis staff encouragement" and "quality of social interaction". The mean scores for "KDCS", "MCS" and "PCS" were 59.7, 54.2 and 52.7 respectively. KDC scores were higher among males and the married group. PCS scores were higher among males, patients aged < 40 years, and the higher income group. MCS scores were higher among males and the higher income groups. There was a positive correlation between "KDCS" and "MCS"(r=0.62, P=0.0001); and between "KDCS" and "PCS" (r=0.65, P=0.0001). The current study provides a detailed description of the QOL scores of a group of Saudi HD patients and the impact of certain factors on their QOL. Low scores were seen in the "work status", "cognitive function", "role-physical" and "role-emotional" while high scores were seen in "patient satisfaction", "dialysis staff encouragement" and "quality of social interaction" domains.

Quality factor concept in piezoceramic transformer performance description.

PubMed

Mezheritsky, Alex V

2006-02-01

A new general approach based on the quality factor concept to piezoceramic transformer (PT) performance description is proposed. The system's quality factor, material elastic anisotropy, and coupling factors of the input and output sections of an electrically excited and electrically loaded PT fully characterize its resonance and near-resonance behavior. The PT efficiency, transformation ratio, and input and output power were analytically analyzed and simulated as functions of the load and frequency for the simplest classical Langevin-type and Rosen-type PT designs. A new formulation of the electrical input impedance allows one to separate the power consumed by PT from the power transferred into the load. The system's PT quality factor takes into account losses in each PT "input-output-load" functional components. The loading process is changing PT input electrical impedance on the way that under loading the minimum series impedance is increasing and the maximum parallel impedance is decreasing coincidentally. The quality-factors ratio, between the states of fully loaded and nonloaded PT, is one of the best measures of PTs dynamic performance--practically, the lower the ratio is, the better PT efficiency. A simple and effective method for the loaded PT quality factor determination is proposed. As was found, a piezoceramic with low piezoelectric anisotropy is required to provide maximum PT efficiency and higher corresponding voltage gain. Limitations on the PT output voltage and power, caused by nonlinear effects in piezoceramics, were established.

Factors Affecting Quality Discourse and Knowledge Construction in an Online University Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutton, Lourdes M.

2012-01-01

Asynchronous discussion boards are an important element of online courses in higher education settings. Currently, questions persist about the quality of online interaction and discussions in which students are engaged. In addition, online instructors may not be utilizing instructional strategies that are appropriate for web-based learning…

Picker vs. stripper harvesting in the Texas High Plains: Agronomic implications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many changes have occurred during the last decade in the Texas High Plains which have resulted in increased cotton yields and improved fiber quality. The main factors associated with both higher lint yield and quality include a shift in varieties planted, with virtually no "storm-proof stripper type...

Past residence outside of the United States is associated with diet quality in adults currently residing in the United States.

PubMed

Frankenfeld, Cara L; Poudrier, Jill; Waters, Nigel; Gillevet, Patrick M

2014-01-01

To evaluate healthy dietary factors in relation to prior residence outside the United States (US) among university-affiliated individuals currently residing in the US. Current diet information was collected via a 4-day food record and residential history data were collected by in-person interview for 114 individuals. Residence outside of the US at any point during the interviewee's life was associated with higher diet quality (Healthy Eating Index-2005: 50.0 vs. 46.8) and lower added sugar intake (25.8 vs. 34.9 g/d). Concordance of residence as a child (≤12 years of age) and within the prior 5 years was more strongly associated with higher HEI-2005 score (52.7) than if childhood was outside of the US and recent within the US (47.1), compared with individuals who have only resided within the US (46.9). Results were similar when also accounting for self-reported current residence as permanent residence. Current diet quality, food groups, and nutrient intakes differed depending on where in the world region individuals resided as a child. Restricting the analyzes to a subgroup of individuals of younger age and similar education attenuated associations. Lower added sugar intake and higher overall diet quality were most consistently associated with residence outside of the US, and recent residence outside of the US may be more strongly associated than childhood residence. Some of these differences may be explained by demographic or socioeconomic factors. Future studies could evaluate explanatory factors for these observations, including detailed socioeconomic factors, exposure to diverse foods, and accessibility of processed foods. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Social relationships and quality of life moderate distress associated with delusional ideation.

PubMed

Lim, Michelle H; Gleeson, John F; Jackson, Henry J; Fernandez, Katya C

2014-01-01

In a previous study, individuals who followed a particular new religious movement (NRM) reported significantly less distress even though they reported similar levels of delusional ideation when compared with individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders. Protective factors such as social relationship quality and quality of life (QOL) were hypothesized to explain attenuated distress associated with delusional ideation. NRM individuals (n = 29), individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders (n = 25), and control individuals (n = 63) were recruited. Psychotic symptoms, delusion-proneness, and facets of social relationships quality and QOL were examined across group. Potential moderators of the relationship between group membership and distress were further examined in multiple regression models. NRM participants reported more social relationships that were of higher quality (as demonstrated by more crisis supports, unique and overlap supports, more helpful supports and more reciprocated supports) than individuals with psychotic disorders. NRM participants also reported significantly higher QOL than individuals with psychotic disorders. Furthermore, NRM participants reported more distinct and less reciprocated supports, and significantly higher psychological, environmental, and total QOL, when compared with control participants. The relationship between group membership, delusional ideation, and distress was moderated by relationship reciprocity as well as by total QOL. Findings highlight the importance of establishing healthy reciprocal social relationships and improving QOL in people diagnosed with psychotic disorders, as these factors may act as a buffer against distress associated with delusional beliefs.

Local extinction of dragonfly and damselfly populations in low- and high-quality habitat patches.

PubMed

Suhonen, Jukka; Hilli-Lukkarinen, Milla; Korkeamäki, Esa; Kuitunen, Markku; Kullas, Johanna; Penttinen, Jouni; Salmela, Jukka

2010-08-01

Understanding the risk of extinction of a single population is an important problem in both theoretical and applied ecology. Local extinction risk depends on several factors, including population size, demographic or environmental stochasticity, natural catastrophe, or the loss of genetic diversity. The probability of local extinction may also be higher in low-quality sink habitats than in high-quality source habitats. We tested this hypothesis by comparing local extinction rates of 15 species of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) between 1930-1975 and 1995-2003 in central Finland. Local extinction rates were higher in low-quality than in high-quality habitats. Nevertheless, for the three most common species there were no differences in extinction rates between low- and high-quality habitats. Our results suggest that a good understanding of habitat quality is crucial for the conservation of species in heterogeneous landscapes.

Analysis of the Current State of School-Enterprise Cooperation in Chinese Higher Vocational Education and Influencing Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haisheng, Pan; Shibin, Wang; Deyi, Long

2016-01-01

Strengthening school-enterprise development is currently a major theme in the development of higher vocational education. The results of our survey study show that school-enterprise cooperation in Chinese higher vocational education is currently characterized by disparities in the interests of different entities, low quality of cooperation, and…

Factors Favouring or Impeding Building a Stronger Higher Education System in the United Arab Emirates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashour, Sanaa; Fatima, Syeda Kauser

2016-01-01

The paper examines the inherent strengths and weaknesses of the higher education system in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Using a literature review, three elements were examined: its development and structure, quality, and research capacity. The findings reveal that the UAE's higher education sector has witnessed remarkable growth since 1997,…

Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of systolic blood pressure with quality of life and depressive mood in older adults with cardiovascular risk factors: Results from the observational DIAST-CHF study.

PubMed

Herrmann-Lingen, Christoph; Meyer, Thomas; Bosbach, Alexandra; Chavanon, Mira L; Hassoun, Lina; Edelmann, Frank; Wachter, Rolf

2018-04-27

While diagnosed arterial hypertension and antihypertensive medication usually have an adverse impact on quality of life, recent studies suggest that actual blood pressure may be positively related to better well-being. However, data in older patients with cardiovascular risk factors are lacking, for whom such an association may be of particular relevance. In 1,300 study participants with cardiovascular risk factors aged 50-85 years (51.5% men, mean age 65.7 ± 8.2 years) participating in an observational study, we performed standardized measurements of blood pressure and assessed quality of life and depressive symptoms at baseline and 1-year follow-up using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Bivariate analysis demonstrated that systolic blood pressure was associated with higher SF-36 mental component summary scores (r=0.100, p<0.001), and reduced HADS depression (r=-0.082; p=0.003). Multivariate regression models adjusting for age, sex and disease severity confirmed that higher systolic blood pressure significantly predicted both better mental quality of life (β=0.070, p=0.012) and less depressive mood (β=-0.083, p=0.003) at baseline, independently of antihypertensive medication and diagnosed hypertension. Moreover, the beneficial effects of baseline systolic blood pressure remained stable for both summary components of the SF-36 as well as HADS depression at 1-year follow up. All results remained unchanged, when limiting the analyses to the 1,072 patients with diagnosed hypertension. In older adults with cardiovascular risk factors, higher systolic blood pressure readings are independently related to better quality of life and fewer depressive symptoms in both cross-sectional and longitudinal settings, although the magnitude of the effect sizes is typically small.

The quality of life of farmers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

PubMed

Milanowska, Joanna; Mackiewicz, Barbara; Węgorowski, Paweł; Milanowski, Janusz; Milanowski, Piotr; Makara-Studzińska, Marta

2017-06-09

Introduction and objective. COPD is a medical state characterized by chronically poor airflow, and typically worsens over time. Farmers have an increased risk of COPD because of being exposed to ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, inorganic dust, and organic dust. The quality of life of the ill depends on biomedical as well as psychosocial factors, the impact of which has not been a frequent subject of studies among COPD patients. The aim of the study was to indicate the factors that have negative and positive influence on the quality of life of farmers suffering from COPD. Materials and method. The study was conducted among 84 farmers treated for COPD in the Department of Pneumology, Oncology and Allergology of the Medical University in Lublin, Poland. The differences between the farmers concerned: severity of the disease, level of education and income, frequency of smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol, kinds of support they receive from their families, and the level of depression and anxiety experienced by the patients. Results. The study revealed that most patients suffered from depressive and anxiety disorders, and the level of depression higher among the patients who smoked more. Lack of family support had significant influence on exacerbation of the patient's depressive and anxiety symptoms. Patients who had recently experienced a critical situation presented with more severe COPD symptoms, lower quality of life and a higher level of depression. Higher income of the patients had positive influence on their quality of life. Farmers addicted to alcohol suffered from a higher level of anxiety.

Unravel biophysical factors on river water quality response in Chilean Central-Southern watersheds.

PubMed

Yevenes, Mariela A; Arumí, José L; Farías, Laura

2016-05-01

Identifying the key anthropogenic (land uses) and natural (topography and climate) biophysical drivers affecting river water quality is essential for efficient management of water resources. We tested the hypothesis that water quality can be predicted by different biophysical factors. Multivariate statistics based on a geographical information system (GIS) were used to explore the influence of factors (i.e., precipitation, topography, and land uses) on water quality (i.e., nitrate (NO 3 (-)), phosphate (PO 4 (3-)), silicate (Si(OH)4), dissolved oxygen (DO), suspended solids (TSS), biological oxygen demand (DO), temperature (T), conductivity (EC), and pH) for two consecutive years in the Itata and Biobío river watersheds, Central Chile (36° 00' and 38° 30'). The results showed that (NO 3 (-)), (PO 4 (3-)), Si(OH)4, TSS, EC, and DO were higher during rainy season (austral fall, winter, and spring), whereas BOD and temperature were higher during dry season. The spatial variation of these parameters in both watersheds was related to land use, topography (e.g., soil moisture, soil hydrological group, and erodability), and precipitation. Soil hydrological group and soil moisture were the strongest explanatory predictors for PO 4 (3-) , Si(OH)4 and EC in the river, followed by land use such as agriculture for NO 3 (-) and DO and silviculture for TSS and Si(OH)4. High-resolution water leaching and runoff maps allowed us to identify agriculture areas with major probability of water leaching and higher probability of runoff in silviculture areas. Moreover, redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that land uses (agriculture and silviculture) explained in 60 % the river water quality variation. Our finding highlights the vulnerability of Chilean river waters to different biophysical drivers, rather than climate conditions alone, which is amplified by human-induced degradation.

The Demand for College Education in Postwar Japan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakata, Yoshi-fumi; Mosk, Carl

1987-01-01

The authors evaluate the extent to which economic factors underlie the expansion of Japanese college applications. Findings indicate that "marginal investors" respond to shortrun economic factors--including direct costs, household liquidity, and probability of entering a large firm--that govern higher education. Educational quality has…

Physical and sensory quality of Java Arabica green coffee beans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunarharum, W. B.; Yuwono, S. S.; Pangestu, N. B. S. W.; Nadhiroh, H.

2018-03-01

Demand on high quality coffee for consumption is continually increasing not only in the consuming countries (importers) but also in the producing countries (exporters). Coffee quality could be affected by several factors from farm to cup including the post-harvest processing methods. This research aimed to investigate the influence of different post-harvest processing methods on physical and sensory quality of Java Arabica green coffee beans. The two factors being evaluated were three different post-harvest processing methods to produce green coffee beans (natural/dry, semi-washed and fully-washed processing) under sun drying. Physical quality evaluation was based on The Indonesian National Standard (SNI 01-2907-2008) while sensory quality was evaluated by five expert judges. The result shows that less defects observed in wet processed coffee as compared to the dry processing. The mechanical drying was also proven to yield a higher quality green coffee beans and minimise losses.

Schizophrenia in Malaysian families: A study on factors associated with quality of life of primary family caregivers

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Schizophrenia is a chronic illness which brings detrimental effects in the caregivers' health. This study was aimed at highlighting the socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial factors associated with the subjective Quality of Life (QOL) of Malaysian of primary family caregivers of subjects with schizophrenia attending an urban tertiary care outpatient clinic in Malaysia. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed to study patient, caregiver and illness factors associated with the QOL among 117 individuals involved with caregiving for schizophrenia patients. The study used WHOQOL-BREF to assess caregivers' QOL and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) to assess the severity of patients' symptoms. Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) assessed the stress level due to life events. Results The mean scores of WHOQOL-BREF in physical, psychological, social and environmental domains were 66.62 (14.36), 61.32 (15.52), 62.77 (17.33), 64.02 (14.86) consecutively. From multiple regression analysis, factors found to be significantly associated with higher QOL were higher educational level among caregivers in social and environmental domains; caregivers not having medical problem/s in physical and psychological domains; later onset and longer illness duration of illness in social domains; patients not attending day care program in environmental domain; lower BPRS score in physical and environmental domains. SRRS score of caregivers was also found to have a significant negative correlation with QOL in environmental and psychological domains. Other factors were not significantly associated with QOL. Conclusion Caregivers with more social advantages such as higher educational level and physically healthier and dealing with less severe illness had significantly higher QOL in various aspects. Supporting the caregivers in some of these modifiable factors in clinical practice is important to achieve their higher level QOL. PMID:21651770

Health-related quality of life and psychological status of women with primary Sjögren's syndrome: A cross-sectional study of 304 Chinese patients.

PubMed

Liu, Zhaoxiang; Dong, Zhenhua; Liang, Xiaochun; Liu, Jinhe; Xuan, Lei; Wang, Jing; Zhang, Gaili; Hao, Weixin

2017-12-01

Patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) always suffer from dryness, pain, and fatigue caused by the involvement of multiple different systems or organs. The uncomfortable disease symptoms, the consequent disability, and the side effects of therapeutic drugs decrease the quality of life and lead to emotional problems. We investigated the health-related quality of life and psychological status of a large cohort of women patients with pSS and associated factors.A total of 304 women with pSS referred to Peking Union Medical College Hospital during 2011 and 2014 were included. The internationally recognized Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) was used to assess patients' quality of life; a higher score indicated a better quality of life. Patients' psychological status was assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and higher scores predicted more anxiety or depression.Patients with pSS had remarkably lower SF-36 scores. The Hospital Anxiety Scale (HAS) and Hospital Depression Scale (HDS) scores of the pSS patients (7 [4,10] and 6 [3,10], respectively) were significantly higher than that of patients with other internal diseases (3.37 ± 2.81 and 3.83 ± 3.14; both P < .001). Negative predictors of quality of life were: pain (physical condition, β = -0.225; P < .001); fatigue (physical condition, β = -0.298; P < .001; and mental condition, β = -0.319; P < .001). Risk factors for anxiety were: young age (β = -0.059; P = .035); pain (β = 0.025; P = .028); or fatigue (β = 0.029; P = .004). Risk factors for depression were: xeroderma (β = 0.030; P = .003); pain (β = 0.022; P = .047); or fatigue (β = 0.033; P = .001).Patients with pSS have a low quality of life with anxiety and depression. Pain and fatigue are primary factors for lower quality of life, which cause more anxiety and depression. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Regionalization of Chinese Material Medical Quality Based on Maximum Entropy Model: A case study of Atractylodes lancea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shoudong, Zhu; Huasheng, Peng; Lanping, Guo; Tongren, Xu; Yan, Zhang; Meilan, Chen; Qingxiu, Hao; Liping, Kang; Luqi, Huang

2017-02-01

Atractylodes is an East-Asiatic endemic genera that distributed in China, Japan and Russian Far Eastern. As an important resource of medicinal plant, atractylodes has long been used as herbal medicine. To example the significant features in its trueborn quality and geographical distribution, we explored the relationships between medicine quality and habitat suitability in two classifications-lower atractylodin content than the standard of Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010) and the other has higher content. We found that the atractylodin content is negatively related to the habitat suitability for atractylodes with lower atractylodin, while the atractylodin content is positively related to the habitat suitability for those with higher atractylodin. By analyzing the distribution of atractylodeswith lower atractylodin content than the standard of Pharmacopeia, we discovered that the main ecological factors that could inhibit the accumulation of atractylodin were soil type (39.7%), soil clay content (26.7%), mean temperature in December (22.3%), Cation-exchange capacity (6%), etc. And these ecological factors promoted the accumulation of atractylodin for the atractylodes with higher atractylodin. By integrating the two classifications, we finally predicted the distribution of atractylodin content in China.Our results realized the query of atractylodes quality in arbitrary coordinates, and satisfied the actually cultivation demands of “Planting area based on atractylodin quality”.

[Study of the relationship between human quality and reliability].

PubMed

Long, S; Wang, C; Wang, L i; Yuan, J; Liu, H; Jiao, X

1997-02-01

To clarify the relationship between human quality and reliability, 1925 experiments in 20 subjects were carried out to study the relationship between disposition character, digital memory, graphic memory, multi-reaction time and education level and simulated aircraft operation. Meanwhile, effects of task difficulty and enviromental factor on human reliability were also studied. The results showed that human quality can be predicted and evaluated through experimental methods. The better the human quality, the higher the human reliability.

"Assessing the methodological quality of systematic reviews in radiation oncology: A systematic review".

PubMed

Hasan, Haroon; Muhammed, Taaha; Yu, Jennifer; Taguchi, Kelsi; Samargandi, Osama A; Howard, A Fuchsia; Lo, Andrea C; Olson, Robert; Goddard, Karen

2017-10-01

The objective of our study was to evaluate the methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in Radiation Oncology. A systematic literature search was conducted for all eligible systematic reviews and meta-analyses in Radiation Oncology from 1966 to 2015. Methodological characteristics were abstracted from all works that satisfied the inclusion criteria and quality was assessed using the critical appraisal tool, AMSTAR. Regression analyses were performed to determine factors associated with a higher score of quality. Following exclusion based on a priori criteria, 410 studies (157 systematic reviews and 253 meta-analyses) satisfied the inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses were found to be of fair to good quality while systematic reviews were found to be of less than fair quality. Factors associated with higher scores of quality in the multivariable analysis were including primary studies consisting of randomized control trials, performing a meta-analysis, and applying a recommended guideline related to establishing a systematic review protocol and/or reporting. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses may introduce a high risk of bias if applied to inform decision-making based on AMSTAR. We recommend that decision-makers in Radiation Oncology scrutinize the methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses prior to assessing their utility to inform evidence-based medicine and researchers adhere to methodological standards outlined in validated guidelines when embarking on a systematic review. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Death Anxiety and Quality of Life in Iranian Caregivers of Patients With Cancer.

PubMed

Soleimani, Mohammad Ali; Lehto, Rebecca H; Negarandeh, Reza; Bahrami, Nasim; Chan, Yiong Huak

Concerns about death may alienate and negatively impact communication among family members of patients with life-threatening illness. Little is known about the relationship of death anxiety to quality of life in cancer family caregivers. The aim of this study was to examine relationships between sociodemographic and patient-related factors, social support, and religiosity with death anxiety and quality of life in Iranian cancer family caregivers. Three hundred thirty family caregivers from an urban regional cancer institute in Iran participated in a descriptive-correlational study that incorporated sociodemographic surveys and validated death anxiety (Templer Scale) and Quality of life (Family Version) instruments. Caregivers reported moderate levels of death anxiety and decrements in QOL. Quality of life was inversely associated with death anxiety (r = -0.30, P < .001). Female caregivers who were daughters had higher death anxiety, whereas male caregivers who were sons reported higher quality of life. Death anxiety is associated with lowered quality of life in Iranian family caregivers. Multiple factors may impact death anxiety and quality of life relevant to the socioreligious milieu. Addressing concerns that increase death anxiety may improve quality of life and lower stress associated with adapting to the family caregiver role. Caregiving responsibilities, added to challenges associated with personal, family, and professional life, impact multiple aspects of QOL. As nurses increasingly care for patients from diverse backgrounds, it becomes more imperative that support for family caregivers that promotes psychological adaptation and quality of life is needed.

[Influence of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics on the quality of life].

PubMed

Grbić, Gordana; Djokić, Dragoljub; Kocić, Sanja; Mitrašinović, Dejan; Rakić, Ljiljana; Prelević, Rade; Krivokapić, Žarko; Miljković, Snežana

2011-01-01

The quality of life is a multidimensional concept, which is best expressed by the subjective well-being. Evaluation of the quality of life is the basis for measuring the well-being, and the determination of factors that determine the quality of life quality is the basis for its improvement. To evaluate and assess the determinants of the perceived quality of life of group distinguishing features which characterize demographic and socioeconomic factors. This was a cross-sectional study of a representative sample of the population in Serbia aged over 20 years (9479 examinees). The quality of life was expressed by the perception of well-being (pleasure of life). Data on the examinees (demographic and socioeconomic characteristics) were collected by using a questionnaire for adults of each household. To process, analyze and present the data, we used the methods of parametric descriptive statistics (mean value, standard deviation, coefficient of variation), variance analysis and factor analysis. Although men evaluated the quality of life with a slightly higher grading, there was no statistically significant difference in the evaluation of the quality of life in relation to the examinee's gender (p > 0.005). Among the examinees there was a high statistically significant difference in grading the quality of life depending on age, level of education, marital status and type of job (p < 0.001). In relation to the number of children, there was no statistically significant difference in he grading of the quality of life (p > 0.005). The quality of life is influenced by numerous factors that characterize each person (demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of individual). Determining factors of the quality of life are numerous and diverse, and the manner and the strength of their influence are variable.

Spatial resampling of IDR frames for low bitrate video coding with HEVC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosking, Brett; Agrafiotis, Dimitris; Bull, David; Easton, Nick

2015-03-01

As the demand for higher quality and higher resolution video increases, many applications fail to meet this demand due to low bandwidth restrictions. One factor contributing to this problem is the high bitrate requirement of the intra-coded Instantaneous Decoding Refresh (IDR) frames featuring in all video coding standards. Frequent coding of IDR frames is essential for error resilience in order to prevent the occurrence of error propagation. However, as each one consumes a huge portion of the available bitrate, the quality of future coded frames is hindered by high levels of compression. This work presents a new technique, known as Spatial Resampling of IDR Frames (SRIF), and shows how it can increase the rate distortion performance by providing a higher and more consistent level of video quality at low bitrates.

Influence of watershed topographic and socio-economic attributes on the climate sensitivity of global river water quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Afed U.; Jiang, Jiping; Wang, Peng; Zheng, Yi

2017-10-01

Surface waters exhibit regionalization due to various climatic conditions and anthropogenic activities. Here we assess the impact of topographic and socio-economic factors on the climate sensitivity of surface water quality, estimated using an elasticity approach (climate elasticity of water quality (CEWQ)), and identify potential risks of instability in different regions and climatic conditions. Large global datasets were used for 12 main water quality parameters from 43 water quality monitoring stations located at large major rivers. The results demonstrated that precipitation elasticity shows higher sensitivity to topographic and socio-economic determinants as compared to temperature elasticity. In tropical climate class (A), gross domestic product (GDP) played an important role in stabilizing the CEWQ. In temperate climate class (C), GDP played the same role in stability, while the runoff coefficient, slope, and population density fuelled the risk of instability. The results implied that watersheds with lower runoff coefficient, thick population density, over fertilization and manure application face a higher risk of instability. We discuss the socio-economic and topographic factors that cause instability of CEWQ parameters and conclude with some suggestions for watershed managers to bring sustainability in freshwater bodies.

Basic Scale on Insomnia complaints and Quality of Sleep (BaSIQS): reliability, initial validity and normative scores in higher education students.

PubMed

Allen Gomes, Ana; Ruivo Marques, Daniel; Meia-Via, Ana Maria; Meia-Via, Mariana; Tavares, José; Fernandes da Silva, Carlos; Pinto de Azevedo, Maria Helena

2015-04-01

Based on successive samples totaling more than 5000 higher education students, we scrutinized the reliability, structure, initial validity and normative scores of a brief self-report seven-item scale to screen for the continuum of nighttime insomnia complaints/perceived sleep quality, used by our team for more than a decade, henceforth labeled the Basic Scale on Insomnia complaints and Quality of Sleep (BaSIQS). In study/sample 1 (n = 1654), the items were developed based on part of a larger survey on higher education sleep-wake patterns. The test-retest study was conducted in an independent small group (n = 33) with a 2-8 week gap. In study/sample 2 (n = 360), focused mainly on validity, the BaSIQS was completed together with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). In study 3, a large recent sample of students from universities all over the country (n = 2995) answered the BaSIQS items, based on which normative scores were determined, and an additional question on perceived sleep problems in order to further analyze the scale's validity. Regarding reliability, Cronbach alpha coefficients were systematically higher than 0.7, and the test-retest correlation coefficient was greater than 0.8. Structure analyses revealed consistently satisfactory two-factor and single-factor solutions. Concerning validity analyses, BaSIQS scores were significantly correlated with PSQI component scores and overall score (r = 0.652 corresponding to a large association); mean scores were significantly higher in those students classifying themselves as having sleep problems (p < 0.0001, d = 0.99 corresponding to a large effect size). In conclusion, the BaSIQS is very easy to administer, and appears to be a reliable and valid scale in higher education students. It might be a convenient short tool in research and applied settings to rapidly assess sleep quality or screen for insomnia complaints, and it may be easily used in other populations with minor adaptations.

Working conditions, self-perceived stress, anxiety, depression and quality of life: A structural equation modelling approach

PubMed Central

Rusli, Bin Nordin; Edimansyah, Bin Abdin; Naing, Lin

2008-01-01

Background The relationships between working conditions [job demand, job control and social support]; stress, anxiety, and depression; and perceived quality of life factors [physical health, psychological wellbeing, social relationships and environmental conditions] were assessed using a sample of 698 male automotive assembly workers in Malaysia. Methods The validated Malay version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) were used. A structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis was applied to test the structural relationships of the model using AMOS version 6.0, with the maximum likelihood ratio as the method of estimation. Results The results of the SEM supported the hypothesized structural model (χ2 = 22.801, df = 19, p = 0.246). The final model shows that social support (JCQ) was directly related to all 4 factors of the WHOQOL-BREF and inversely related to depression and stress (DASS). Job demand (JCQ) was directly related to stress (DASS) and inversely related to the environmental conditions (WHOQOL-BREF). Job control (JCQ) was directly related to social relationships (WHOQOL-BREF). Stress (DASS) was directly related to anxiety and depression (DASS) and inversely related to physical health, environment conditions and social relationships (WHOQOL-BREF). Anxiety (DASS) was directly related to depression (DASS) and inversely related to physical health (WHOQOL-BREF). Depression (DASS) was inversely related to the psychological wellbeing (WHOQOL-BREF). Finally, stress, anxiety and depression (DASS) mediate the relationships between job demand and social support (JCQ) to the 4 factors of WHOQOL-BREF. Conclusion These findings suggest that higher social support increases the self-reported quality of life of these workers. Higher job control increases the social relationships, whilst higher job demand increases the self-perceived stress and decreases the self-perceived quality of life related to environmental factors. The mediating role of depression, anxiety and stress on the relationship between working conditions and perceived quality of life in automotive workers should be taken into account in managing stress amongst these workers. PMID:18254966

Working conditions, self-perceived stress, anxiety, depression and quality of life: a structural equation modelling approach.

PubMed

Rusli, Bin Nordin; Edimansyah, Bin Abdin; Naing, Lin

2008-02-06

The relationships between working conditions [job demand, job control and social support]; stress, anxiety, and depression; and perceived quality of life factors [physical health, psychological wellbeing, social relationships and environmental conditions] were assessed using a sample of 698 male automotive assembly workers in Malaysia. The validated Malay version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) were used. A structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis was applied to test the structural relationships of the model using AMOS version 6.0, with the maximum likelihood ratio as the method of estimation. The results of the SEM supported the hypothesized structural model (chi2 = 22.801, df = 19, p = 0.246). The final model shows that social support (JCQ) was directly related to all 4 factors of the WHOQOL-BREF and inversely related to depression and stress (DASS). Job demand (JCQ) was directly related to stress (DASS) and inversely related to the environmental conditions (WHOQOL-BREF). Job control (JCQ) was directly related to social relationships (WHOQOL-BREF). Stress (DASS) was directly related to anxiety and depression (DASS) and inversely related to physical health, environment conditions and social relationships (WHOQOL-BREF). Anxiety (DASS) was directly related to depression (DASS) and inversely related to physical health (WHOQOL-BREF). Depression (DASS) was inversely related to the psychological wellbeing (WHOQOL-BREF). Finally, stress, anxiety and depression (DASS) mediate the relationships between job demand and social support (JCQ) to the 4 factors of WHOQOL-BREF. These findings suggest that higher social support increases the self-reported quality of life of these workers. Higher job control increases the social relationships, whilst higher job demand increases the self-perceived stress and decreases the self-perceived quality of life related to environmental factors. The mediating role of depression, anxiety and stress on the relationship between working conditions and perceived quality of life in automotive workers should be taken into account in managing stress amongst these workers.

The Application of Continuous Quality Improvement Models and Methods to Higher Education: Can We Learn from Business?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Downey, Thomas E.

Continuous quality improvement (CQI) models, which were first applied in business, are critical to making new technology-based learning paradigms and flexible learning environments a reality. The following are among the factors that have facilitated CQI's application in education: increased operating costs; increased competition from private…

A Study of Factors Affecting University Professors' Research Output: Perspectives of Taiwanese Professors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Jason Cheng-Cheng

2017-01-01

Higher education in Taiwan is facing competition and challenges from the macro environment of globalization. Taiwan's key policy direction is enhancing university quality in order to respond to these future trends. Universities' international competitiveness relies on not only faculty members' teaching quality, but also their research performance.…

Comparing Universal and Targeted Pre-Kindergarten Programs. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dotterer, Aryn M.; Burchinal, Margaret; Bryant, Donna; Early, Diane; Pianta, Robert C.

2012-01-01

This study compared universal (available to all children) and targeted (offered only to children with specific risk factors) Pre-Kindergarten programs. Results showed that two aspects of structural quality (e.g., hours per day and teacher education) were higher in universal programs, but process quality (e.g., child interactions and feedback) was…

Factors Determining e-Learning Service Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uppal, Muhammad Amaad; Ali, Samnan; Gulliver, Stephen R.

2018-01-01

e-Learning courses are fast becoming common-place, yet the success of these online courses varies considerably. Since limited research addresses the issue of e-learning quality (ELQ) of service in higher education environments, there is an increasing need to effectively assess ELQ. In this paper, we argue that to obtain a satisfactory e-learning…

Cost, Quality and Enrollment Demand at Liberal Arts Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buss, Christian; Parker, Jeffrey; Rivenburg, Jon

2004-01-01

This paper examines the effects of cost, quality and macroeconomic factors on the demand for higher education (represented by the share of admitted freshmen choosing to enroll) at a group of selective liberal arts colleges over the period from 1988 to 1998. Students are segregated by their financial-aid status with different demand equations…

The Influence of Religion on Fathers' Relationships with Their Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Valarie

2003-01-01

Explores how aspects of a father's religiousness are related to the type and quality of involvement with his children. Results indicate that religious fathers are more involved fathers and that they report higher quality relationships. Greater involvement of religious fathers is explained only in part by demographic factors and the mediating…

Stability of maternal discipline practices and the quality of mother-child interaction during toddlerhood.

PubMed

Huang, Keng-Yen; Caughy, Margaret O'Brien; Lee, Li-Ching; Miller, Therese; Genevro, Janice

2009-07-01

This study examined the stability of maternal punitive/high-power discipline (PD) and inductive/authoritative discipline (ID) over the second and third years of life and the effect of maternal discipline on quality of mother-child interactions. Data from a longitudinal sample with 179 mother-toddler dyads were analyzed, and selected factors (i.e., child sex, temperament) that might moderate the association between maternal discipline and quality of mother-child interactions were also examined. Maternal discipline, quality of mother-child interactions, and temperamental moderators were measured at 16-18 months (Time 1) and 34-37 months (Time 2). Results showed that the stability of maternal use of discipline strategies over the toddler years was moderate. Lower maternal use of PD, higher maternal use of ID, and higher preference/reliance on ID (relative to PD) were associated with higher quality of mother-child interactions. Moderation effects of child temperament were also found. High ID and PD were associated with low quality of mother-child relationships in non-temperamentally difficult children but not in temperamentally difficult children.

Mister Sandman, bring me good marks! On the relationship between sleep quality and academic achievement.

PubMed

Baert, Stijn; Omey, Eddy; Verhaest, Dieter; Vermeir, Aurélie

2015-04-01

There is growing evidence that health factors affect tertiary education success in a causal way. This study assesses the effect of sleep quality on academic achievement at university. To this end, we surveyed 804 students about their sleep quality by means of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) before the start of their first exam period in December 2013 at Ghent University. PSQI scores were merged with course marks in this exam period. Instrumenting PSQI scores by sleep quality during secondary education, we find that increasing total sleep quality with one standard deviation leads to 4.85 percentage point higher course marks. Based on this finding, we suggest that higher education providers might be incentivised to invest part of their resources for social facilities in professional support for students with sleep and other health problems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality and Correlates of Peer Relationships in Youths with Chronic Pain.

PubMed

La Buissonnière-Ariza, Valérie; Hart, Dennis; Schneider, Sophie C; McBride, Nicole M; Cepeda, Sandra L; Haney, Brandon; Tauriello, Sara; Glenn, Shannon; Ung, Danielle; Huszar, Peter; Tetreault, Lisa; Petti, Erin; Winesett, S Parrish; Storch, Eric A

2018-04-10

Youths with chronic pain may experience difficulties with peer relationships. We investigated the quality and correlates of peer relationships in a sample of 181 youths with chronic pain. A majority of youths were satisfied with their relationships with peers; however, levels were highly variable. Higher functional impairment and depression levels predicted lower peer relationship quality, controlling for demographic and other pain-related factors. In addition, peer relationship quality and pain severity predicted child depression and anxiety symptoms, whereas peer relationship quality only predicted anger symptoms. Relationship quality moderated the association between pain severity and functional impairment, suggesting that strong relationships with peers may buffer the effects of pain on functioning. Peer relationships seem particularly important for the adjustment and psychological well-being of youths with chronic pain. Particular attention should be given to functionally impaired and depressed children, who may be at higher risk of peer difficulties.

Factors associated with skipping breakfast among Inner Mongolia medical students in China.

PubMed

Sun, Juan; Yi, He; Liu, Zhiyue; Wu, Yan; Bian, Jiang; Wu, Yanyan; Eshita, Yuki; Li, Gaimei; Zhang, Qing; Yang, Ying

2013-01-17

Few studies on the breakfast consumption habits of medical students in China have been carried out. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of skipping breakfast and factors associated with skipping breakfast among medical students in Inner Mongolia of China, and to assist in the design of interventions to improve breakfast consumption habits of medical college students in this region. From December 2010 to January 2011 a cross-sectional survey was conducted among medical students in the Inner Mongolia Medical College using a self-administered questionnaire. The prevalence of skipping breakfast in relation to lifestyle habits was described and factors associated with breakfast consumption were identified using multiple logistic regression analysis. The overall prevalence of skipping breakfast was 41.7% and 23.5% for males and females, respectively. The Faculty of Medicine Information Management had the highest breakfast skipping prevalence. Logistic regression models found that the main factors associated with breakfast consumption habits among medical students were gender, class years of education, monthly expenses, faculty, appetite, sleeping quality, and the learning process; monthly expenses, sleeping quality, and the learning process showed a dose-dependent relationship. Breakfast consumption was associated with many factors, most importantly monthly expenses, sleeping quality and the learning process. The prevalence of skipping breakfast is significantly higher compared recently reported figures for medical students in western countries and other areas of China. Improvement of breakfast education should be considered for students in which higher monthly expenses, poor sleeping quality, or a laborious learning process have been identified.

Factors, Criteria, and Determinants of the Increase in the Effectiveness of University Education in Russia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gushchina, Elena

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to view the actual problems of the Russian system of higher education--lack of connection between labor market and market of educational services, decline in the quality of higher education in the country, reduction of intellectual potential of the youth, and commercialization of higher education, etc.…

Evaluation of diet quality of the elderly and associated factors.

PubMed

Pinto de Souza Fernandes, Dalila; Duarte, Maria Sônia Lopes; Pessoa, Milene Cristine; Franceschini, Sylvia do Carmo Castro; Ribeiro, Andréia Queiroz

2017-09-01

Observational studies suggest healthy dietary patterns are associated with risk reduction and better control of various chronic diseases. However, few Brazilian studies have focused on evaluating the quality of the elderly diet and its relationship with diseases. This study aimed to estimate the association between diet quality and socioeconomic factors, health and nutrition of the elderly. This is a cross-sectional population-based study whose target population were non-institutionalized elderly residents in the city of Viçosa, Brazil. Anthropometric, socioeconomic, health conditions, lifestyle and food consumption variables were obtained from a semi-structured questionnaire. The quality of the diet was assessed by the revised Healthy Eating Index classified into tertiles, considering the first tertile as "Poor diet quality," the second as 'Intermediate diet quality' and the third as "Better diet quality." To identify factors independently associated with diet quality model, the works used multinomial logistic regression. In the results of the multivariate analysis, the factors independently associated with "better diet quality" included female gender, higher education, history of one to five medical visits in the past year, history of diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and the use of polypharmacy. Our results show that most seniors need to improve the quality of their diet and those of male gender with no or little education, and those who do not seek medical services constitute the group that needs attention concerning the measures to improve the quality of their diet. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Validity and reliability of the Iranian version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL™) Generic Core Scales in children

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background This study aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of the Iranian version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL™ 4.0) Generic Core Scales in children. Methods A standard forward and backward translation procedure was used to translate the US English version of the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales for children into the Iranian language (Persian). The Iranian version of the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales was completed by 503 healthy and 22 chronically ill children aged 8-12 years and their parents. The reliability was evaluated using internal consistency. Known-groups discriminant comparisons were made, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted. Results The internal consistency, as measured by Cronbach's alpha coefficients, exceeded the minimum reliability standard of 0.70. All monotrait-multimethod correlations were higher than multitrait-multimethod correlations. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between the children self-report and parent proxy-reports showed moderate to high agreement. Exploratory factor analysis extracted six factors from the PedsQL™ 4.0 for both self and proxy reports, accounting for 47.9% and 54.8% of total variance, respectively. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis for 6-factor models for both self-report and proxy-report indicated acceptable fit for the proposed models. Regarding health status, as hypothesized from previous studies, healthy children reported significantly higher health-related quality of life than those with chronic illnesses. Conclusions The findings support the initial reliability and validity of the Iranian version of the PedsQL™ 4.0 as a generic instrument to measure health-related quality of life of children in Iran. PMID:22221765

Validity and reliability of the Iranian version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL™) Generic Core Scales in children.

PubMed

Amiri, Parisa; Eslamian, Ghazaleh; Mirmiran, Parvin; Shiva, Niloofar; Jafarabadi, Mohammad Asghari; Azizi, Fereidoun

2012-01-05

This study aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of the Iranian version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL™ 4.0) Generic Core Scales in children. A standard forward and backward translation procedure was used to translate the US English version of the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales for children into the Iranian language (Persian). The Iranian version of the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales was completed by 503 healthy and 22 chronically ill children aged 8-12 years and their parents. The reliability was evaluated using internal consistency. Known-groups discriminant comparisons were made, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted. The internal consistency, as measured by Cronbach's alpha coefficients, exceeded the minimum reliability standard of 0.70. All monotrait-multimethod correlations were higher than multitrait-multimethod correlations. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between the children self-report and parent proxy-reports showed moderate to high agreement. Exploratory factor analysis extracted six factors from the PedsQL™ 4.0 for both self and proxy reports, accounting for 47.9% and 54.8% of total variance, respectively. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis for 6-factor models for both self-report and proxy-report indicated acceptable fit for the proposed models. Regarding health status, as hypothesized from previous studies, healthy children reported significantly higher health-related quality of life than those with chronic illnesses. The findings support the initial reliability and validity of the Iranian version of the PedsQL™ 4.0 as a generic instrument to measure health-related quality of life of children in Iran.

Predictors of professional quality of life among physicians in a conflict setting: the role of risk and protective factors.

PubMed

Haber, Yeela; Palgi, Yuval; Hamama-Raz, Yaira; Shrira, Amit; Ben-Ezra, Menachem

2013-01-01

Unlike other places in the western world, Israeli physicians are prone to be exposed to victims of terror and war (soldiers and civilians alike), while in some cases the patients are close friends or relatives. Moreover, in other armed conflict situations (stemming from war or terror), there is a direct threat to the physician's life and his/her family. Among hospital personnel, there is little research concerning the factors associated with aspects of professional quality of life such as burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction. The current study compared a set of risk and protective factors associated with burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction. The sample consisted of 97 physicians who answered a wide battery of questionnaires tapping to the aforementioned factors that served as predictive variables (age, gender, marital status, PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, dissociative symptoms, life satisfaction, perceived self-efficacy, perceived family support) using multiple regressions. The study results showed that higher levels of PTSD symptoms were associated with higher levels of compassion fatigue (β = .594; t = 4.419; p <.001). A higher level of life satisfaction was associated with lower burnout (β = -.436; t = -4.293; p <.001). The same results were found also in lower level of perceived family support (β = -.203; t = -2.533; p <.05), and higher level of perceived self-efficacy was associated with higher burnout (β = .298; t = 2.702; p <.01). Finally, a higher level of life satisfaction was associated with higher compassion satisfaction (β = .493; t = 4.419; p <.001). These results may suggest that life satisfaction is a predictor associated with burnout and compassion satisfaction. These results are viewed in light of the importance of life satisfaction as a barrier against burnout and its implication for physicians and hospital policy.

Physical and psychosocial work environment factors and their association with health outcomes in Danish ambulance personnel – a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Reviews of the literature on the health and work environment of ambulance personnel have indicated an increased risk of work-related health problems in this occupation. The aim of this study was to compare health status and exposure to different work environmental factors among ambulance personnel and the core work force in Denmark. In addition, to examine the association between physical and psychosocial work environment factors and different measures of health among ambulance personnel. Methods Data were taken from a nationwide sample of ambulance personnel and fire fighters (n = 1,691) and was compared to reference samples of the Danish work force. The questionnaire contained measures of physical and psychosocial work environment as well as measures of musculoskeletal pain, mental health, self-rated health and sleep quality. Results Ambulance personnel have half the prevalence of poor self-rated health compared to the core work force (5% vs. 10%). Levels of mental health were the same across the two samples whereas a substantially higher proportion of the ambulance personnel reported musculoskeletal pain (42% vs. 29%). The ambulance personnel had higher levels of emotional demands and meaningfulness of and commitment to work, and substantially lower levels of quantitative demands and influence at work. Only one out of ten aspects of physical work environment was consistently associated with higher levels of musculoskeletal pain. Emotional demands was the only psychosocial work factor that was associated with both poorer mental health and worse sleep quality. Conclusions Ambulance personnel have similar levels of mental health but substantially higher levels of musculoskeletal pain than the work force in general. They are more exposed to emotional demands and these demands are associated with higher levels of poor mental health and poor sleep quality. To improve work environment, attention should be paid to musculoskeletal problems and the presence of positive organizational support mechanisms that can prevent negative effects from the high levels of emotional demands. PMID:22824415

Socioeconomic disparities in outcomes after acute myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Bernheim, Susannah M; Spertus, John A; Reid, Kimberly J; Bradley, Elizabeth H; Desai, Rani A; Peterson, Eric D; Rathore, Saif S; Normand, Sharon-Lise T; Jones, Philip G; Rahimi, Ali; Krumholz, Harlan M

2007-02-01

Patients of low socioeconomic status (SES) have higher mortality after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Little is known about the underlying mechanisms or the relationship between SES and rehospitalization after AMI. We analyzed data from the PREMIER observational study, which included 2142 patients hospitalized with AMI from 18 US hospitals. Socioeconomic status was measured by self-reported household income and education level. Sequential multivariable modeling assessed the relationship of socioeconomic factors with 1-year all-cause mortality and all-cause rehospitalization after adjustment for demographics, clinical factors, and quality-of-care measures. Both household income and education level were associated with higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio 2.80, 95% CI 1.37-5.72, lowest to highest income group) and rehospitalization after AMI (hazard ratio 1.55, 95% CI 1.17-2.05). Patients with low SES had worse clinical status at admission and received poorer quality of care. In multivariable modeling, the relationship between household income and mortality was attenuated by adjustment for demographic and clinical factors (hazard ratio 1.19, 95% CI 0.54-2.62), with a further small decrement in the hazard ratio after adjustment for quality of care. The relationship between income and rehospitalization was only partly attenuated by demographic and clinical factors (hazard ratio 1.38, 95% CI 1.01-1.89) and was not influenced by adjustment for quality of care. Patients' baseline clinical status largely explained the relationship between SES and mortality, but not rehospitalization, among patients with AMI.

Impact of Sleep Quality on Cardiovascular Outcomes in Hemodialysis Patients: Results from the Frequent Hemodialysis Network Study

PubMed Central

Unruh, Mark; Tamura, Manjula Kurella; Larive, Brett; Rastogi, Anjay; James, Sam; Schiller, Brigitte; Gassman, Jennifer; Chan, Christopher; Lockridge, Robert; Kliger, Alan

2011-01-01

Background Poor sleep quality is a common, persistent, and important problem to patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This report examines whether sleep quality is associated with dialysis treatment factors and other modifiable clinical factors in a large group of hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods Cross-sectional analyses were conducted on baseline data collected from participants in the Frequent Hemodialysis Network trials. Sleep quality was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Problems Index II (SPI II), a 9-item measure of sleep quality with higher scores reflecting poorer sleep quality. Results The participants had an age of 51.2 ± 13.6 years, 61% were male, 38% were black, and 42% had diabetes. Higher pre-dialysis serum phosphorus (per 0.5 mg/ml) (OR 0.91; 95% CI 0.85, 0.96) and depression (OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.10, 0.25) were independently associated with decrements in sleep quality. There was also a difference in time to recovery from dialysis for the fourth versus the first SPI II quartile (5.1 h; p < 0.0001). Conclusion These findings underscore the link between sleep and daytime function and suggest that improving sleep may provide an opportunity to improve outcomes in ESRD. Whether sleep problems may be improved by reduction of serum phosphorus or treatment of depression in the HD population merits further investigation. PMID:21474924

Development and psychometric evaluation of the Decisional Engagement Scale (DES-10): A patient-reported psychosocial survey for quality cancer care.

PubMed

Hoerger, Michael; Chapman, Benjamin P; Mohile, Supriya G; Duberstein, Paul R

2016-09-01

In light of recent health care reforms, we have provided an illustrative example of new opportunities available for psychologists to develop patient-reported measures related to health care quality. Patient engagement in health care decision making has been increasingly acknowledged as a vital component of quality cancer care. We developed the 10-item Decisional Engagement Scale (DES-10), a patient-reported measure of engagement in decision making in cancer care that assesses patients' awareness of their diagnosis, sense of empowerment and involvement, and level of information seeking and planning. The National Institutes of Health's ResearchMatch recruitment tool was used to facilitate Internet-mediated data collection from 376 patients with cancer. DES-10 scores demonstrated good internal consistency reliability (α = .80), and the hypothesized unidimensional factor structure fit the data well. The reliability and factor structure were supported across subgroups based on demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics. Higher DES-10 scores were associated with better health-related quality of life (r = .31). In concurrent validity analyses controlling for age, socioeconomic status, and health-related quality of life, higher DES-10 scores were associated with higher scores on quality-of-care indices, including greater awareness of one's treatments, greater preferences for shared decision making, and clearer preferences about end-of-life care. A mini-measure, the DES-3, also performed well psychometrically. In conclusion, DES-10 and DES-3 scores showed evidence of reliability and validity, and these brief patient-reported measures can be used by researchers, clinicians, nonprofits, hospitals, insurers, and policymakers interested in evaluating and improving the quality of cancer care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Factors Determining Quality of Care in Family Planning Services in Africa: A Systematic Review of Mixed Evidence

PubMed Central

Tessema, Gizachew Assefa; Streak Gomersall, Judith; Mahmood, Mohammad Afzal; Laurence, Caroline O.

2016-01-01

Background Improving use of family planning services is key to improving maternal health in Africa, and provision of quality of care in family planning services is critical to support higher levels of contraceptive uptake. The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize the available evidence on factors determining the quality of care in family planning services in Africa. Methods Quantitative and qualitative studies undertaken in Africa, published in English, in grey and commercial literature, between 1990 and 2015 were considered. Methodological quality of included studies was assessed using standardized tools. Findings from the quantitative studies were summarized using narrative and tables. Client satisfaction was used to assess the quality of care in family planning services in the quantitative component of the review. Meta-aggregation was used to synthesize the qualitative study findings. Results From 4334 records, 11 studies (eight quantitative, three qualitative) met the review eligibility criteria. The review found that quality of care was influenced by client, provider and facility factors, and structural and process aspects of the facilities. Client’s waiting time, provider competency, provision/prescription of injectable methods, maintaining privacy and confidentiality were the most commonly identified process factors. The quality of stock inventory was the most commonly identified structural factor. The quality of care was also positively associated with privately-owned facilities. The qualitative synthesis revealed additional factors including access related factors such as ‘pre-requisites to be fulfilled by the clients and cost of services, provider workload, and providers’ behaviour. Conclusion There is limited evidence on factors determining quality of care in family planning services in Africa that shows quality of care is influenced by multiple factors. The evidence suggests that lowering access barriers and avoiding unnecessary pre-requisites for taking contraceptive methods are important to improve the quality of care in family planning services. Strategies to improve provider behavior and competency are important. Moreover, strategies that minimize client waiting time and ensure client confidentiality should be implemented to ensure quality of care in family planning services. However, no strong evidence based conclusions and recommendations may be drawn from the evidence. Future studies are needed to identify the most important factors associated with quality of care in family planning services in a wider range of African countries. PMID:27812124

Organizational Attributes Associated With Medicare ACO Quality Performance.

PubMed

Zhu, Xi; Mueller, Keith; Huang, Huang; Ullrich, Fred; Vaughn, Thomas; MacKinney, A Clinton

2018-05-08

To evaluate associations between geographic, structural, and service-provision attributes of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and the ACOs' quality performance. We conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of ACO quality performance using data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and additional sources. The sample included 322 and 385 MSSP ACOs that had successfully reported quality measures in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Results show that after adjusting for other organizational factors, rural ACOs' average quality score was comparable to that of ACOs serving other geographic categories. ACOs with hospital-system sponsorship, larger beneficiary panels, and higher posthospitalization follow-up rates achieved better quality performance. There is no significant difference in average quality performance between rural ACOs and other ACOs after adjusting for structural and service-provision factors. MSSP ACO quality performance is positively associated with hospital-system sponsorship, beneficiary panel size, and posthospitalization follow-up rate. © 2018 National Rural Health Association.

The relationship between quality of work life and location of cross-training among obstetric nurses in urban northeastern Ontario, Canada: A population-based cross sectional study.

PubMed

Nowrouzi, Behdin; Lightfoot, Nancy; Carter, Lorraine; Larivière, Michel; Rukholm, Ellen; Schinke, Robert; Belanger-Gardner, Diane

2015-01-01

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the quality of work life of registered nurses working in obstetrics at 4 hospitals in northeastern Ontario and explore demographic and occupational factors related to nurses' quality of work life (QWL). A stratified random sample of registered nurses (N = 111) selected from the 138 eligible registered nurses (80.4%) of staff in the labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum areas at the 4 hospitals participated. Logistic regression analyses were used to consider QWL in relation to the following: 1) demographic factors, and 2) stress, employment status and educational attainment. In the logistic regression model, the odds of a higher quality of work life for nurses who were cross trained (nurses who can work across all areas of obstetrical care) were estimated to be 3.82 (odds ratio = 3.82, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-14.5) times the odds of a higher quality of work life for nurses who were not cross trained. This study highlights a relationship between quality of work life and associated factors including location of cross-training among obstetrical nurses in northeastern Ontario. These findings are supported by the qualitative interviews that examine in depth their relationship to QWL. Given the limited number of employment opportunities in the rural and remote regions, it is paramount that employers and employees work closely together in creating positive environments that promote nurses' QWL. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Under which conditions can introverts achieve happiness? Mediation and moderation effects of the quality of social relationships and emotion regulation ability on happiness

PubMed Central

Cabello, Rosario

2015-01-01

Personality traits have been directly associated with happiness. One consistent finding is a strong link between extraversion and happiness: extraverts are happier than introverts. Although happy introverts exist, it is currently unclear under what conditions they can achieve happiness. The present study analyzes, generally, how the quality of social relationships and emotion regulation ability influence happiness and, specifically, how these factors can lead introverts to be happy. In the present study, 1,006 participants aged 18–80 (42% males) completed measures of extraversion, neuroticism, quality of social relationships, emotion regulation ability, and happiness. We found that extraverts had significantly higher happiness, quality of social relationships and emotion regulation ability scores than introverts. In addition, people with high quality social relationships or high emotion regulation ability were happier. Serial mediation analyses indicated that greater levels of extraversion were associated with greater happiness, with small effect size, via two indirect mechanisms: (a) higher quality of social relationships, and (b) higher quality of social relationships followed serially by higher emotion regulation ability. We also found a moderating effect due to the three-way interaction of extraversion, quality of social relationships, and emotion regulation ability: introverts were happier when they had high scores for these two variables, though the effect size was small. These results suggest that the quality of social relationships and emotion regulation ability are relevant to our understanding of complex associations between extraversion and happiness. PMID:26500814

Under which conditions can introverts achieve happiness? Mediation and moderation effects of the quality of social relationships and emotion regulation ability on happiness.

PubMed

Cabello, Rosario; Fernandez-Berrocal, Pablo

2015-01-01

Personality traits have been directly associated with happiness. One consistent finding is a strong link between extraversion and happiness: extraverts are happier than introverts. Although happy introverts exist, it is currently unclear under what conditions they can achieve happiness. The present study analyzes, generally, how the quality of social relationships and emotion regulation ability influence happiness and, specifically, how these factors can lead introverts to be happy. In the present study, 1,006 participants aged 18-80 (42% males) completed measures of extraversion, neuroticism, quality of social relationships, emotion regulation ability, and happiness. We found that extraverts had significantly higher happiness, quality of social relationships and emotion regulation ability scores than introverts. In addition, people with high quality social relationships or high emotion regulation ability were happier. Serial mediation analyses indicated that greater levels of extraversion were associated with greater happiness, with small effect size, via two indirect mechanisms: (a) higher quality of social relationships, and (b) higher quality of social relationships followed serially by higher emotion regulation ability. We also found a moderating effect due to the three-way interaction of extraversion, quality of social relationships, and emotion regulation ability: introverts were happier when they had high scores for these two variables, though the effect size was small. These results suggest that the quality of social relationships and emotion regulation ability are relevant to our understanding of complex associations between extraversion and happiness.

Factors affecting dental service quality.

PubMed

Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Raadabadi, Mehdi; Ravangard, Ramin; Baldacchino, Donia

2015-01-01

Measuring dental clinic service quality is the first and most important factor in improving care. The quality provided plays an important role in patient satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors affecting dental service quality from the patients' viewpoint. This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted in a dental clinic in Tehran between January and June 2014. A sample of 385 patients was selected from two work shifts using stratified sampling proportional to size and simple random sampling methods. The data were collected, a self-administered questionnaire designed for the purpose of the study, based on the Parasuraman and Zeithaml's model of service quality which consisted of two parts: the patients' demographic characteristics and a 30-item questionnaire to measure the five dimensions of the service quality. The collected data were analysed using SPSS 21.0 and Amos 18.0 through some descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, as well as analytical methods, including confirmatory factor. Results showed that the correlation coefficients for all dimensions were higher than 0.5. In this model, assurance (regression weight=0.99) and tangibility (regression weight=0.86) had, respectively, the highest and lowest effects on dental service quality. The Parasuraman and Zeithaml's model is suitable to measure quality in dental services. The variables related to dental services quality have been made according to the model. This is a pioneering study that uses Parasuraman and Zeithaml's model and CFA in a dental setting. This study provides useful insights and guidance for dental service quality assurance.

Understanding Employee Awareness of Health Care Quality Information: How Can Employers Benefit?

PubMed Central

Abraham, Jean; Feldman, Roger; Carlin, Caroline

2004-01-01

Objective To analyze the factors associated with employee awareness of employer-disseminated quality information on providers. Data Sources Primary data were collected in 2002 on a stratified, random sample of 1,365 employees in 16 firms that are members of the Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG) located in the Minneapolis–St. Paul region. An employer survey was also conducted to assess how employers communicated the quality information to employees. Study Design In 2001, BHCAG sponsored two programs for reporting provider quality. We specify employee awareness of the quality information to depend on factors that influence the benefits and costs of search. Factors influencing the benefits include age, sex, provider satisfaction, health status, job tenure, and Twin Cities tenure. Factors influencing search costs include employee income, education, and employer communication strategies. We estimate the model using bivariate probit analysis. Data Collection Employee data were collected by phone survey. Principal Findings Overall, the level of quality information awareness is low. However, employer communication strategies such as distributing booklets to all employees or making them available on request have a large effect on the probability of quality information awareness. Employee education and utilization of providers' services are also positively related to awareness. Conclusions This study is one of the first to investigate employee awareness of provider quality information. Given the direct implications for medical outcomes, one might anticipate higher rates of awareness regarding provider quality, relative to plan quality. However, we do not find empirical evidence to support this assertion. PMID:15533188

Employment and insurance outcomes and factors associated with employment among long-term thyroid cancer survivors: a population-based study from the PROFILES registry.

PubMed

Tamminga, S J; Bültmann, U; Husson, O; Kuijpens, J L P; Frings-Dresen, M H W; de Boer, A G E M

2016-04-01

To obtain insight into employment and insurance outcomes of thyroid cancer survivors and to examine the association between not having employment and other factors including quality of life. In this cross-sectional population-based study, long-term thyroid cancer survivors from the Netherlands participated. Clinical data were collected from the cancer registry. Information on employment, insurance, socio-demographic characteristics, long-term side effects, and quality of life was collected with questionnaires. Of the 223 cancer survivors (response rate 87 %), 71 % were employed. Of the cancer survivors who tried to obtain insurance, 6 % reported problems with obtaining health care insurance, 62 % with life insurance, and 16 % with a mortgage. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, higher age (OR 1.07, CI 1.02-1.11), higher level of fatigue (OR 1.07, CI 1.01-1.14), and lower educational level (OR 3.22, CI 1.46-7.09) were associated with not having employment. Employment was associated with higher quality of life. Many thyroid cancer survivors face problems when obtaining a life insurance, and older, fatigued, and lower educated thyroid cancer survivors may be at risk for not having employment.

Patient experience and process measures of quality of care at home health agencies: Factors associated with high performance.

PubMed

Smith, Laura M; Anderson, Wayne L; Lines, Lisa M; Pronier, Cristalle; Thornburg, Vanessa; Butler, Janelle P; Teichman, Lori; Dean-Whittaker, Debra; Goldstein, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

We examined the effects of provider characteristics on home health agency performance on patient experience of care (Home Health CAHPS) and process (OASIS) measures. Descriptive, multivariate, and factor analyses were used. While agencies score high on both domains, factor analyses showed that the underlying items represent separate constructs. Freestanding and Visiting Nurse Association agencies, higher number of home health aides per 100 episodes, and urban location were statistically significant predictors of lower performance. Lack of variation in composite measures potentially led to counterintuitive results for effects of organizational characteristics. This exploratory study showed the value of having separate quality domains.

Development of Internal System of Education Quality Assessment at a University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalimullin, Aydar M.; Khodyreva, Elena ?.; Koinova-Zoellner, Julia

2016-01-01

The urgency of the research is determined by the need to ensure the quality of higher education an essential factor of which is development of the internal assessment system for educational activities at universities. The aim of the article is validation of the model of development of the internal assessment system for educational activities at…

Subjective sleep disturbance in Chinese adults with epilepsy: Associations with affective symptoms.

PubMed

Shen, Yeru; Zhang, Mengmeng; Wang, Yu; Wang, Lanlan; Xu, Xiangjun; Xiao, Gairong; Chen, Jing; Zhang, Ting; Zhou, Nong

2017-09-01

As well as being a very common neurological disease worldwide, epilepsy significantly impairs patients' emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning. Sleep disturbances are the most frequent complaint in patients with epilepsy. The present study assesses the impact of a range of affective symptoms on subjective sleep quality and sleep disturbances in Chinese adults with epilepsy. Adults with epilepsy who visited our epilepsy clinic from July 2015 to March 2016 were enrolled in our study. Both patients and healthy controls completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE). Subjective sleep quality and sleep disturbances were examined with regard to self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, seizure-related factors, and demographic factors. The PSQI scores and ISI scores of patients were significantly higher (indicating lower quality sleep and more serious insomnia) than those of the control group. Symptoms associated with depression and anxiety were independently related to impaired subjective sleep quality and insomnia. Affective symptoms explained more of the variance in PSQI scores and ISI scores than did seizure-related or demographic variables. In addition, these variables also seemed to be less powerful contributing factors to subjective sleep quality and insomnia than affective symptoms, several seizure-related factors, such as seizure control, partial seizures and duration of epilepsy, which are also significantly associated with subjective sleep quality and insomnia. In addition, use of lamotrigine (LTG) was also associated with insomnia and use of clonazepam (CZP) and phenobarbital (PB) with daytime sleepiness in patients with epilepsy. Chinese adults with epilepsy have poorer self-reported subjective sleep quality and a higher prevalence of insomnia than the control group. Depressive- and anxiety-related symptoms independently exert an adverse effect on the subjective sleep quality and insomnia of patients. In addition, seizure control, partial seizures, and the duration of epilepsy affect the quality of sleep and insomnia in patients, but seem less powerful predictors of sleep quality and insomnia than affective symptoms. Early identification and treatment of affective symptoms is of great importance in improving the sleep quality and insomnia of patients with epilepsy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and risk factors for depression and anxiety in Chinese patients with Parkinson disease.

PubMed

Cui, Shi-Shuang; Du, Juan-Juan; Fu, Rao; Lin, Yi-Qi; Huang, Pei; He, Ya-Chao; Gao, Chao; Wang, Hua-Long; Chen, Sheng-Di

2017-11-22

Anxiety and depression are common in Parkinson disease and both are important determinants of quality of life in patients. Several risk factors are identified but few research have investigated general and Parkinson's disease (PD)-specific factors comprehensively. The aim of this work was to explore PD-specific and -non-specific risk factors for PD with depression or anxiety. A cross-sectional survey was performed in 403 patients with PD. Multivariate logistic analysis was used to investigate the prevalence and risk factors for the depression and anxiety in PD. The data of patients included demographic information, medicine history, disease duration, age at onset (AAO), family history, anti-parkinsonism drug, modified Hoehn and Yahr staging (H-Y) stage, scales of motor and non-motor symptoms and substantia nigra (SN) echogenic areas. 403 PD patients were recruited in the study. Depression and anxiety were present in 11.17% and 25.81% respectively. Marital status, tumor, higher Movement Disorder Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) II score, dyskinesia, higher Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) score and lower the Parkinson's disease sleep scale (PDSS) score were associated with depression in PD. female gender, higher rapid eye movement behavior disorder Questionnaire-Hong Kong (RBD-HK) score, higher Hamilton Deprssion Rating Scale (HAMD) score, higher the scale for outcomes in PD for autonomic symptoms (SCOPA-AUT)score and larger SN echogenic areas were associated with anxiety. Neither depression nor anxiety was related to any anti-parkinsonism drugs. The prevalence of depression and anxiety in the current PD patients was 11.17% and 25.81% respectively. Disease of tumor, currently having no partner, severer motor function, dyskinesia, poorer sleep quality and anxiety were risk factors for PD with depression. Female, depression, rapid eye movement behavior disorder (RBD), autonomic dysfunction and larger SN area were risk factors for PD with anxiety.

Adverse effects of psychosocial work factors on blood pressure: systematic review of studies on demand-control-support and effort-reward imbalance models.

PubMed

Gilbert-Ouimet, Mahée; Trudel, Xavier; Brisson, Chantal; Milot, Alain; Vézina, Michel

2014-03-01

A growing body of research has investigated the adverse effects of psychosocial work factors on blood pressure (BP) elevation. There is now a clear need for an up-to-date, critical synthesis of reliable findings on this topic. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the adverse effects of psychosocial work factors of both the demand-control-support (DCS) and effort-reward imbalance (ERI) models on BP among men and women, according to the methodological quality of the studies. To be eligible, studies had to: (i) evaluate at least one psychosocial work factor, (ii) evaluate BP or hypertension, (iii) comprise ≥100 workers, (iv) be written in English or French, and (v) be published in a peer-reviewed journal. A total of 74 studies were included. Of these, 64 examined the DCS model, and 12 looked at the ERI model, with 2 studies considering both models. Approximately half the studies observed a significant adverse effect of psychosocial work factors on BP. A more consistent effect was observed, however, among men than women. For job strain, a more consistent effect was also observed in studies of higher methodological quality, ie, studies using a prospective design and ambulatory BP measures. A more consistent adverse effect of psychosocial work factors was observed among men than women and in studies of higher methodological quality. These findings contribute to the current effort of primary prevention of cardiovascular disease by documenting the psychosocial etiology of elevated BP, a major cardiovascular risk factor.

Determinants of Quality of Interview and Impact on Risk Estimates in a Case-Control Study of Bladder Cancer

PubMed Central

Silverman, Debra T.; Malats, Núria; Tardon, Adonina; Garcia-Closas, Reina; Serra, Consol; Carrato, Alfredo; Fortuny, Joan; Rothman, Nathaniel; Dosemeci, Mustafa; Kogevinas, Manolis

2009-01-01

The authors evaluated potential determinants of the quality of the interview in a case-control study of bladder cancer and assessed the effect of the interview quality on the risk estimates. The analysis included 1,219 incident bladder cancer cases and 1,271 controls recruited in Spain in 1998–2001. Information on etiologic factors for bladder cancer was collected through personal interviews, which were scored as unsatisfactory, questionable, reliable, or high quality by the interviewers. Eight percent of the interviews were unsatisfactory or questionable. Increasing age, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer self-perceived health led to higher proportions of questionable or unreliable interviews. The odds ratio for cigarette smoking, the main risk factor for bladder cancer, was 6.18 (95% confidence interval: 4.56, 8.39) overall, 3.20 (95% confidence interval: 1.13, 9.04) among unsatisfactory or questionable interviews, 6.86 (95% confidence interval: 4.80, 9.82) among reliable interviews, and 7.70 (95% confidence interval: 3.64, 16.30) among high-quality interviews. Similar trends were observed for employment in high-risk occupations, drinking water containing elevated levels of trihalomethanes, and use of analgesics. Higher quality interviews led to stronger associations compared with risk estimation that did not take the quality of interview into account. The collection of quality of interview scores and the exclusion of unreliable interviews probably reduce misclassification of exposure in observational studies. PMID:19478234

Contextual factors associated with uptake of breast and cervical cancer screening: A systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Plourde, Natasha; Brown, Hilary K; Vigod, Simone; Cobigo, Virginie

2016-01-01

Existing research on barriers to breast and cervical cancer screening uptake has focused primarily on socio-demographic characteristics of individuals. However, contextual factors, such as service organization, as well as healthcare providers' training and practices, are more feasibly altered to increase health service use. The objective of the authors in this study was to perform a critical systematic review of the literature to identify contextual factors at the provider- and system-level that were associated with breast and cervical cancer screening uptake. Studies published from 2000 to 2013 were identified through PubMed and PsycInfo. Methodologic quality was assessed, and studies were examined for themes related to provider- and system-level factors associated with screening uptake. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings revealed a positive association between patients' receipt of provider recommendation and uptake of breast and cervical cancer screening. Uptake was also higher among patients of female providers. Facilities with flexible appointment times and reminders had higher mammography and Pap test uptake. Similarly, greater organizational commitment to quality and performance had higher breast and cervical cancer screening rates. Knowledge provided in this review could be used in future research to inform the development of public health policy and clinical programs to improve screening uptake.

Prevalence and risk factors of poor sleep quality among Inner Mongolia Medical University students: A cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Wang, Lan; Qin, Peng; Zhao, Yunshan; Duan, Shengyun; Zhang, Qing; Liu, Ying; Hu, Yueling; Sun, Juan

2016-10-30

Medical students face new challenges at the beginning of college life, such as being responsible for oneself, an unfamiliar environment, social obligations, and academic stress, all of which influence or even heavily change their sleep quality and life, leading to sleep-related problems to some degree. This study investigated the relationship between sleep quality and behavior among students at the Inner Mongolia Medical University in China. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle habits. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was also used. A total of 6044 and 6085 students completed the questionnaires in 2011 and 2013. According to the index, 27.8% (1694) of students had poor sleep quality with major risk factors being poor academic performance and interpersonal relationships in 2013. Among others, regular exercise less than three times a week, skipping breakfast, and studying in higher grades were associated with poor sleep quality. These results will help university administrators understand the risk factors of poor sleep quality among students, which can be improved through individual efforts, and provide adequate counseling and systematic education to improve their behavior and lifestyle. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving Data Quality in Mass-Gatherings Health Research.

PubMed

Guy, Andrew; Prager, Ross; Turris, Sheila; Lund, Adam

2017-06-01

Mass gatherings attract large crowds and can strain the planning and health resources of the community, city, or nation hosting an event. Mass-Gatherings Health (MGH) is an evolving niche of prehospital care rooted in emergency medicine, emergency management, public health, and disaster medicine. To explore front-line issues related to data quality in the context of mass gatherings, the authors draw on five years of management experience with an online, mass-gathering event and patient registry, as well as clinical and operational experience amassed over several decades. Here the authors propose underlying human, environmental, and logistical factors that may contribute to poor data quality at mass gatherings, and make specific recommendations for improvement through pre-event planning, on-site actions, and post-event follow-up. The advancement of MGH research will rely on addressing factors that influence data quality and developing strategies to mitigate or enhance those factors. This is an exciting time for MGH research as higher order questions are beginning to be addressed; however, quality research must start from the ground up to ensure optimal primary data capture and quality. Guy A , Prager R , Turris S , Lund A . Improving data quality in mass-gatherings health research. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(3):329-332.

The Educational Competence of College Students as a Factor of the Quality of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyz', N. A.

2012-01-01

The system of higher professional education being updated in Russia, including the federal state educational standards, calls for an orientation toward the interests of customers, providing students with greater opportunities to choose and implement their own educational trajectory, increasing the proportion of independent creative research work…

Critical Success Factors in Achieving AQIP Reaccreditation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kartsen, Peter W.

2014-01-01

After more than a decade of existence one of the most innovative and ambitious alternatives to traditional higher education reaccreditation is undergoing a process of review and change. The Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) serves as a voluntary and substitute path to accreditation for the over 1,000 institutions of higher education that…

The Globalization of Higher Education: Some Observations Regarding the Free Market and the National Interest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alderman, Geoffrey

2001-01-01

Explores how the globalization of higher education, for example through electronic delivery or franchising, has given rise to concerns, particularly about quality, but including cultural, economic, and political factors. Describes how some countries have made such efforts to regulate transnational offerings that they have created questionable…

Determinants of Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Patients in Shanghai, China.

PubMed

Yan, Bei; Yang, Li-Ming; Hao, Li-Peng; Yang, Chen; Quan, Lei; Wang, Li-Hong; Wu, Zheng; Li, Xiao-Pan; Gao, Yu-Tang; Sun, Qiao; Yuan, Jian-Min

2016-01-01

To evaluate the association of social support status, health insurance and clinical factors with the quality of life of Chinese women with breast cancer. Information on demographics, clinical characteristics, and social support status was collected from 1,160 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer in Shanghai, China. The Perceived Social Support Scale was used to assess different sources of social support for breast cancer patients. The quality of life was evaluated using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer that consisted of five domains: breast cancer-specific, emotional, functional, physical, and social & family well-being. Multivariate linear regression models were used to evaluate the associations of demographic variables, clinical characteristics, and social support status with the quality of life measures. Adequate social support from family members, friends and neighbors, and higher scores of Perceived Social Support Scale were associated with significantly improved quality of life of breast cancer patients. Higher household income, medical insurance plans with low copayment, and treatment with traditional Chinese medicine for breast cancer all were associated with higher (better) scores of quality of life measures whereas patients receiving chemotherapy had significantly lower scores of quality of life. Social support and financial aids may significantly improve the quality of life of breast cancer survivors.

Catchment process affecting drinking water quality, including the significance of rainfall events, using factor analysis and event mean concentrations.

PubMed

Cinque, Kathy; Jayasuriya, Niranjali

2010-12-01

To ensure the protection of drinking water an understanding of the catchment processes which can affect water quality is important as it enables targeted catchment management actions to be implemented. In this study factor analysis (FA) and comparing event mean concentrations (EMCs) with baseline values were techniques used to asses the relationships between water quality parameters and linking those parameters to processes within an agricultural drinking water catchment. FA found that 55% of the variance in the water quality data could be explained by the first factor, which was dominated by parameters usually associated with erosion. Inclusion of pathogenic indicators in an additional FA showed that Enterococcus and Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) were also related to the erosion factor. Analysis of the EMCs found that most parameters were significantly higher during periods of rainfall runoff. This study shows that the most dominant processes in an agricultural catchment are surface runoff and erosion. It also shows that it is these processes which mobilise pathogenic indicators and are therefore most likely to influence the transport of pathogens. Catchment management efforts need to focus on reducing the effect of these processes on water quality.

Adoption and Usage of mHealth Technology on Quality and Experience of Care Provided by Frontline Workers: Observations From Rural India.

PubMed

Kaphle, Sangya; Chaturvedi, Sharad; Chaudhuri, Indrajit; Krishnan, Ram; Lesh, Neal

2015-05-28

mHealth apps are deployed with the aim of improving access, quality, and experience of health care. It is possible that any mHealth intervention can yield differential impacts for different types of users. Mediating and determining factors, including personal and socioeconomic factors, affect technology adoption, the way health workers leverage and use the technology, and subsequently the quality and experience of care they provide. To develop a framework to assess whether mHealth platforms affect the quality and experience of care provided by frontline workers, and whether these effects on quality and experience are different depending on the level of technology adoption and individual characteristics of the health worker. Literacy, education, age, and previous mobile experience are identified as individual factors that affect technology adoption and use, as well as factors that affect the quality and experience of care directly and via the technology. Formative research was conducted with 15 community health workers (CHWs) using CommCare, an mHealth app for maternal and newborn care, in Bihar, India. CHWs were first classified on the level of CommCare adoption using data from CommCareHQ and were then shadowed on home visits to evaluate their levels of technology proficiency, and the quality and experience of care provided. Regression techniques were employed to test the relationships. Out of all the CHWs, 2 of them refused to participate in the home visits, however, we did have information on their levels of technology adoption and background characteristics, which were included in the analysis as relevant. Level of technology adoption was important for both quality and experience of care. The quality score for high users of CommCare was higher by 33.4% (P=.04), on average, compared to low users of CommCare. Those who scored higher on CommCare proficiency also provided significantly higher quality and experience of care, where an additional point in CommCare proficiency score increased the quality score by around half a point (0.541, P=.07), and experience score by around a third of a point (0.308, P=.03). Age affected CommCare user type negatively, with an increase in age increasing the likelihood of belonging to a lower category of CommCare adoption (-0.105, P=.08). Other individual characteristics did not affect adoption or the predicted values estimating the relationship between adoption and quality and experience of care, although illiteracy was able to affect the relationship negatively. mHealth technology adoption by frontline workers can positively impact the quality and experience of care they provide. Individual characteristics, especially literacy and age, can be important elements affecting technology adoption and the way users leverage the technology for their work. Our formative study provides informed hypotheses and methods for further research.

Adoption and Usage of mHealth Technology on Quality and Experience of Care Provided by Frontline Workers: Observations From Rural India

PubMed Central

Chaturvedi, Sharad; Chaudhuri, Indrajit; Krishnan, Ram; Lesh, Neal

2015-01-01

Background mHealth apps are deployed with the aim of improving access, quality, and experience of health care. It is possible that any mHealth intervention can yield differential impacts for different types of users. Mediating and determining factors, including personal and socioeconomic factors, affect technology adoption, the way health workers leverage and use the technology, and subsequently the quality and experience of care they provide. Objective To develop a framework to assess whether mHealth platforms affect the quality and experience of care provided by frontline workers, and whether these effects on quality and experience are different depending on the level of technology adoption and individual characteristics of the health worker. Literacy, education, age, and previous mobile experience are identified as individual factors that affect technology adoption and use, as well as factors that affect the quality and experience of care directly and via the technology. Methods Formative research was conducted with 15 community health workers (CHWs) using CommCare, an mHealth app for maternal and newborn care, in Bihar, India. CHWs were first classified on the level of CommCare adoption using data from CommCareHQ and were then shadowed on home visits to evaluate their levels of technology proficiency, and the quality and experience of care provided. Regression techniques were employed to test the relationships. Out of all the CHWs, 2 of them refused to participate in the home visits, however, we did have information on their levels of technology adoption and background characteristics, which were included in the analysis as relevant. Results Level of technology adoption was important for both quality and experience of care. The quality score for high users of CommCare was higher by 33.4% (P=.04), on average, compared to low users of CommCare. Those who scored higher on CommCare proficiency also provided significantly higher quality and experience of care, where an additional point in CommCare proficiency score increased the quality score by around half a point (0.541, P=.07), and experience score by around a third of a point (0.308, P=.03). Age affected CommCare user type negatively, with an increase in age increasing the likelihood of belonging to a lower category of CommCare adoption (-0.105, P=.08). Other individual characteristics did not affect adoption or the predicted values estimating the relationship between adoption and quality and experience of care, although illiteracy was able to affect the relationship negatively. Conclusions mHealth technology adoption by frontline workers can positively impact the quality and experience of care they provide. Individual characteristics, especially literacy and age, can be important elements affecting technology adoption and the way users leverage the technology for their work. Our formative study provides informed hypotheses and methods for further research. PMID:26023001

Analysis of River Water Quality and its influencing factors for the Effective Management of Water Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, G.; Sadohara, S.; Yoshida, S.; Yuichi, S.

2011-12-01

In Japan, remarkable improvements in water quality have been observed over recent years because of regulations imposed on industrial wastewater and development of sewerage system. However, pollution loads from agricultural lands are still high and coverage ratio of sewerage system is still low in small and medium cities. In present context, nonpoint source pollution such as runoff from unsewered developments, urban and agricultural runoffs could be main water quality impacting factors. Further, atmospheric nitrogen (N) is the complex nonpoint source than can seriously affect river water environment. This study was undertaken to spatially investigate the present status of river water quality of Hadano Basin located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Water quality of six rivers was investigated and its relationship with nonpoint pollution sources was analyzed. This study, with inclusion of ground water circulation and atmospheric N, can be effectively employed for water quality management of other watersheds also, both with and without influence of ground water circulation. Hence, as a research area of this study, it is significant in terms of water quality management. Total nitrogen (TN) was found consistently higher in urbanized basins indicating that atmospheric N might be influencing TN of river water. Ground water circulation influenced both water quality and quantity. In downstream basins of Muro and Kuzuha rivers, Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total phosphorus (TP) were diluted by ground water inflow. In Mizunashi River and the upstream of Kuzuha River, surface water infiltrated to the subsurface due to higher river bed permeability. Influencing factors considered in the analysis were unsewered population, agricultural land, urban area, forest and atmospheric N. COD and TP showed good correlation with unsewered population and agricultural land. While TN had good correlation with atmospheric N deposition. Multiple regression analysis between water quality pollution loads and influencing factors resulted that unsewered population had higher impact on river water quality. For TN, atmospheric N deposition was taking effect. Continuous development of sewerage system and its expansion along with the pace of urbanization could be the pragmatic option to maintain river water quality in Hadano basin. However, influence of agricultural loads and atmospheric N on water quality cannot be denied for the proper water quality management of Hadano basin. It was found that if the proportion of sewered population could be increased from 72% to 86%, corresponding loads of COD and TP could be decreased by about 41% and 45% respectively. As per the development trend of sewerage system in Hadano basin for last 10 years, unsewered population could be reduced to its half by 2014, provided that the expansion of sewerage system continues at same rate. Regarding TN, its proper control is complicated as atmospheric N is propagated to regional and sometimes to global extent. Further study on the relationship between TN and atmospheric N deposition should be conducted for the proper management of TN in the river water.

Supporting Curriculum Assessment and Development: Implications for the Faculty Role and Institutional Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Julia Christensen

2007-01-01

It has been suggested that growing interest in curriculum assessment and development in higher education is the result of a number of external and internal factors. External factors include increasing government interest in quality assurance, accessibility, and degree completion rates; growing recognition of the important role university graduates…

Parental and peer predictors of social anxiety in youth.

PubMed

Festa, Candice C; Ginsburg, Golda S

2011-06-01

The aim of the current study was to extend etiological models of social anxiety in youth by examining the relative importance of parental (i.e., parental anxiety, rejection, and overcontrol) and peer factors (i.e., social acceptance, social support, and friendship quality). Sixty-three youth (ages 7–12; 52% male) and their parents participated in the study. Using multiple informants of these factors, results generally indicated that higher levels of parental anxiety, rejection, and overcontrol were related to higher levels of social anxiety. Higher levels of social support, acceptance, and validation were associated with lower levels social anxiety. The strongest predictors of social anxiety symptoms (as rated by an independent evaluator) were parental anxiety and friendship quality (i.e., validation from a peer). The strongest predictors of child rated social anxiety symptoms were parental overcontrol and perceived social acceptance. Findings are discussed in the context of current etiological models and suggest that interventions aimed at lowering social anxiety in youth address both parental anxiety and peer relationships.

Parental and Peer Predictors of Social Anxiety in Youth

PubMed Central

Festa, Candice C.

2012-01-01

The aim of the current study was to extend etiological models of social anxiety in youth by examining the relative importance of parental (i.e., parental anxiety, rejection, and overcontrol) and peer factors (i.e., social acceptance, social support, and friendship quality). Sixty-three youth (ages 7–12; 52% male) and their parents participated in the study. Using multiple informants of these factors, results generally indicated that higher levels of parental anxiety, rejection, and overcontrol were related to higher levels of social anxiety. Higher levels of social support, acceptance, and validation were associated with lower levels social anxiety. The strongest predictors of social anxiety symptoms (as rated by an independent evaluator) were parental anxiety and friendship quality (i.e., validation from a peer). The strongest predictors of child rated social anxiety symptoms were parental overcontrol and perceived social acceptance. Findings are discussed in the context of current etiological models and suggest that interventions aimed at lowering social anxiety in youth address both parental anxiety and peer relationships. PMID:21274620

Influence of the interaction between environmental quality and T102C SNP in the HTR2A gene on fibromyalgia susceptibility.

PubMed

Mergener, Michelle; Becker, Roze Mary Ribas; dos Santos, Adriana Freitag; dos Santos, Geraldine Alves; de Andrade, Fabiana Michelsen

2011-12-01

This study aimed to investigate the genetic influence of the T102C polymorphism of the 2A serotonin receptor gene (HTR2A) and its interaction with environmental aspects, such as exposure to noise, traffic, climate, and opportunities to acquire new information, physical protection, and security, among others, as possible risk factors for developing fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Forty-one FMS patients and 49 controls were evaluated. Environmental factors were evaluated by application of the V domain of the WHOQOL-100 questionnaire. Patients were asked that their answers represented only the periods preceding the onset of symptoms. The T102C variant of the HTR2A gene was determined through PCR/RFLP. Among patients, the frequency of carriers of the 102C allele was higher than in controls (76.5% vs. 50%; P = 0.028). The scores of the V domain were lower in patients than in controls, indicating a worst perception of the environmental quality by patients (P < 0.001). The factor "lack of opportunities for acquiring new information and skills" increased the chance of developing FMS by almost 14-fold (P = 0.009). The factor "low quality of social care and health" together with the presence of the 102C allele also increased this chance by more than 90-fold (P = 0.005). However, carriers of the same allele who have high quality social care and health are not at a higher risk to develop FMS. These data suggest that these factors may predispose to FMS, especially in carriers of the 102C allele. However, studies with larger samples are required to confirm this hypothesis.

A cross-sectional study of sociodemographic factors and their influence on quality of life in medical students at Sao Paulo, Brazil

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background Various sociodemographic factors can affect the quality of life of medical students and interfere in their ability to study. A deeper understanding of these factors may facilitate improvements in learning and retention of medical students. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 405 medical students, representing 65.3% of the total student body (years 1–6), at a private medical school in São Paulo, Brazil. Among the entire study group, 177 students (43.7%) were male, and 228 (56.3%) were female. The mean age was 23.55 years (SD = 3.98 years, range: 18–40). The World Health Organization Quality of Life-Biomedical Research and Education Facility (WHOQOL-BREF) scale was used to evaluate the following sociodemographic factors: age, sex, academic year, daily traveling time, housing conditions, smoking, weight, height, participant’s and his/her parents’ education background, students who had a degree or not and religious beliefs. The reliability of the WHOQOL-BREF was evaluated using Cronbach’s analysis, and the association of sociodemographic factors with quality of life was examined using multivariate regression analysis. Main Results Quality of life was significantly higher in medical students with religious beliefs (β 0.14 for psychological domain; β 0.11 for environmental domain) when compared with that in those with no religious beliefs. BMI was negative associated with QOL in medical students (β -0.11 for physical domain; β -18.9 for the psychological domain). In both male and female students, longer daily traveling time was negative related to QOL (β -0.11 for environmental domain). Having at least one parent who was a doctor was associated with a better quality of life (β 0.17 for environmental domain). Male students presented with significantly higher mean scores for three of the four domains evaluated (β 0.20 for physical domain; β 0.25 for psychological domain; β 0.14 for social domain). Conclusion This study has provided novel insights into the effects of sociodemographic factors, physical traits, and religious beliefs on the quality of life of medical students. These findings may facilitate improvements in physical, psychological, and social support for medical students at a critical stage in their training, thereby providing tools for student better adjustment to medical school. PMID:28692676

A cross-sectional study of sociodemographic factors and their influence on quality of life in medical students at Sao Paulo, Brazil.

PubMed

Serinolli, Mario Ivo; Novaretti, Marcia Cristina Zago

2017-01-01

Various sociodemographic factors can affect the quality of life of medical students and interfere in their ability to study. A deeper understanding of these factors may facilitate improvements in learning and retention of medical students. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 405 medical students, representing 65.3% of the total student body (years 1-6), at a private medical school in São Paulo, Brazil. Among the entire study group, 177 students (43.7%) were male, and 228 (56.3%) were female. The mean age was 23.55 years (SD = 3.98 years, range: 18-40). The World Health Organization Quality of Life-Biomedical Research and Education Facility (WHOQOL-BREF) scale was used to evaluate the following sociodemographic factors: age, sex, academic year, daily traveling time, housing conditions, smoking, weight, height, participant's and his/her parents' education background, students who had a degree or not and religious beliefs. The reliability of the WHOQOL-BREF was evaluated using Cronbach's analysis, and the association of sociodemographic factors with quality of life was examined using multivariate regression analysis. Quality of life was significantly higher in medical students with religious beliefs (β 0.14 for psychological domain; β 0.11 for environmental domain) when compared with that in those with no religious beliefs. BMI was negative associated with QOL in medical students (β -0.11 for physical domain; β -18.9 for the psychological domain). In both male and female students, longer daily traveling time was negative related to QOL (β -0.11 for environmental domain). Having at least one parent who was a doctor was associated with a better quality of life (β 0.17 for environmental domain). Male students presented with significantly higher mean scores for three of the four domains evaluated (β 0.20 for physical domain; β 0.25 for psychological domain; β 0.14 for social domain). This study has provided novel insights into the effects of sociodemographic factors, physical traits, and religious beliefs on the quality of life of medical students. These findings may facilitate improvements in physical, psychological, and social support for medical students at a critical stage in their training, thereby providing tools for student better adjustment to medical school.

Service quality, patient satisfaction and loyalty in the Bangladesh healthcare sector.

PubMed

Ahmed, Selim; Tarique, Kazi Md; Arif, Ishtiaque

2017-06-12

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate service quality, patient satisfaction and loyalty in Bangladesh's healthcare sector. It identifies healthcare quality conformance, patient satisfaction and loyalty based on demographics such as gender, age and marital status. It examines the differences between public and private healthcare sectors regarding service quality, patient satisfaction and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach The authors distributed 450 self-administered questionnaires to hospital patients resulting in 204 useful responses (45.3 per cent response rate). Data were analysed based on reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, independent samples t-tests, ANOVA and discriminant analysis using SPSS version 23. Findings Findings indicate that single patients perceive tangibles, reliability, empathy and loyalty higher compared to married patients. Young patients (⩽20 years) have a higher tangibles, empathy and loyalty scores compared to other age groups. The authors observed that private hospital patients perceive healthcare service quality performance higher compared to patients in public hospitals. Research limitations/implications The authors focussed solely on the Bangladesh health sector, so the results might not be applicable to other countries. Originality/value The findings provide guidelines for enhancing service quality, patient satisfaction and loyalty in the Bangladesh healthcare sector and other countries.

Burnout, quality of life and emotional profile in general practitioners and psychiatrists.

PubMed

Vicentic, Sreten; Gasic, Miroslava Jasovic; Milovanovic, Aleksandar; Tosevski, Dusica Lecic; Nenadovic, Milutin; Damjanovic, Aleksandar; Kostic, Bojana Dunjic; Jovanovic, Aleksandar A

2013-01-01

Many studies confirm that psychological factors and burnout in physicians are interconnected. It is however not known, whether quality of life is another factor that plays a role in this connection.The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between quality of life and emotional profile with the level of burnout in physicians. 120 physicians participated in this study, i.e., sixty general practitioners (GPs) and sixty psychiatrists. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were used to measure the job stress. The Quality of Life (QOL) and the Emotions Profile Index (EPI) were used to determine quality of life and emotional profile. Data were analyzed using methods of single and multiple correlation and regression methods. The QOL was higher in psychiatrists as a direct consequence of questions about finances and friendship. Analysis by gender showed that the growth of the burnout risk level (MBI) correlated with the growth of number of women who had stress coping problems. This research suggests that quality of life and individual factors represent a very significant role in burnout among physicians. Further researches in a bigger sample are required in order to identify key factors of quality of life related to burnout reducing, as well as for improvement of supervision strategies, including more the relevance of psychological profile of physicians.

Factors Affecting Attachment in International Adoptees at 6 Months Post Adoption

PubMed Central

Weiss, Sandra

2011-01-01

This pilot study examined the effect of five child and maternal factors on the attachment security of international adoptees at six months post adoption. Results from the sample of 22 adoptive mother-infant dyads showed that age at adoption, developmental status, length and quality of preadoption care, and maternal attachment representations were not significant predictors of child attachment status. The number of preadoption placements and the child's stress level did significantly predict attachment status, accounting for approximately 40% of the variance in attachment security. Number of preadoption placements uniquely contributed 14% of that variance (p=.007) while stress level uniquely contributed 12% (p=.01). Children who had fewer preadoption placements had higher attachment security; similarly, children who had lower stress levels had higher attachment security. Results suggest that consistency of preadoption care was more important than its length or quality. Further, the relationship between stress level and attachment security raises the possibility that a lower stress level functions as a protective factor for the developing attachment with the adoptive mother. PMID:22267885

Quality assessment of urban environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ovsiannikova, T. Y.; Nikolaenko, M. N.

2015-01-01

This paper is dedicated to the research applicability of quality management problems of construction products. It is offered to expand quality management borders in construction, transferring its principles to urban systems as economic systems of higher level, which qualitative characteristics are substantially defined by quality of construction product. Buildings and structures form spatial-material basis of cities and the most important component of life sphere - urban environment. Authors justify the need for the assessment of urban environment quality as an important factor of social welfare and life quality in urban areas. The authors suggest definition of a term "urban environment". The methodology of quality assessment of urban environment is based on integrated approach which includes the system analysis of all factors and application of both quantitative methods of assessment (calculation of particular and integrated indicators) and qualitative methods (expert estimates and surveys). The authors propose the system of indicators, characterizing quality of the urban environment. This indicators fall into four classes. The authors show the methodology of their definition. The paper presents results of quality assessment of urban environment for several Siberian regions and comparative analysis of these results.

Quality of life in dialysis: A Malaysian perspective.

PubMed

Liu, Wen J; Musa, Ramli; Chew, Thian F; Lim, Christopher T S; Morad, Zaki; Bujang, Adam

2014-04-01

There is a growing interest to use quality of life as one of the dialysis outcome measurement. Based on the Malaysian National Renal Registry data on 15 participating sites, 1569 adult subjects who were alive at December 31, 2012, aged 18 years old and above were screened. Demographic and medical data of 1332 eligible subjects were collected during the administration of the short form of World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) in Malay, English, and Chinese language, respectively. The primary objective is to evaluate the quality of life among dialysis patients using WHOQOL-BREF. The secondary objective is to examine significant factors that affect quality of life score. Mean (SD) transformed quality of life scores were 56.2 (15.8), 59.8 (16.8), 58.2 (18.5), 59.5 (14.6), 61.0 (18.5) for (1) physical, (2) psychological, (3) social relations, (4) environment domains, and (5) combined overall quality of life and general health, respectively. Peritoneal dialysis group scored significantly higher than hemodialysis group in the mean combined overall quality of life and general health score (63.0 vs. 60.0, P < 0.001). Independent factors that were associated significantly with quality of life score in different domains include gender, body mass index, religion, education, marital status, occupation, income, mode of dialysis, hemoglobin, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, cerebral vascular accident and leg amputation. Subjects on peritoneal dialysis modality achieved higher combined overall quality of life and general health score than those on hemodialysis. Religion and cerebral vascular accident were significantly associated with all domains and combined overall quality of life and general health. © 2013 International Society for Hemodialysis.

Temporal water quality response in an urban river: a case study in peninsular Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

VishnuRadhan, Renjith; Zainudin, Zaki; Sreekanth, G. B.; Dhiman, Ravinder; Salleh, Mohd. Noor; Vethamony, P.

2017-05-01

Ambient water quality is a prerequisite for the health and self-purification capacity of riverine ecosystems. To understand the general water quality situation, the time series data of selected water quality parameters were analyzed in an urban river in Peninsular Malaysia. In this regard, the stations were selected from the main stem of the river as well as from the side channel. The stations located at the main stem of the river are less polluted than that in the side channel. Water Quality Index scores indicated that the side channel station is the most polluted, breaching the Class IV water quality criteria threshold during the monitoring period, followed by stations at the river mouth and the main channel. The effect of immediate anthropogenic waste input is also evident at the side channel station. The Organic Pollution Index of side channel station is (14.99) 3 times higher than at stations at river mouth (4.11) and 6 times higher than at the main channel (2.57). The two-way ANOVA showed significant difference among different stations. Further, the factor analysis on water quality parameters yielded two significant factors. They discriminated the stations into two groups. The land-use land cover classification of the study area shows that the region near the sampling sites is dominated by urban settlements (33.23 %) and this can contribute significantly to the deterioration of ambient river water quality. The present study estimated the water quality condition and response in the river and the study can be an immediate yardstick for base lining river water quality, and a basis for future water quality modeling studies in the region.

Building the Plane While It's Flying: Enhancing the Missed Opportunity for Quality Assurance and Capacity-Building in Australian Private Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Mahsood; Nair, Chenicheri Sid

2011-01-01

Higher education across the world has experienced the growth of private higher education. Based on this growth, it is apparent that the sector will continue to grow as a result of many factors such as: change in government policy that allows such providers to grow; government funding of student places in private colleges; the growth and demand for…

Some Reflections on the Expansion and Quality of Higher Education in Public Universities in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sifuna, Daniel N.

2010-01-01

This article explores the socio-economic and political factors which have contributed to the rapid expansion of education in the public universities in Kenya and how it has impacted on the quality of education in these institutions. It mainly focuses on the response to insatiable public demands for university education in the country as well as…

Students' Conception of Learning Environment and Their Approach to Learning and Its Implication on Quality Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belaineh, Matheas Shemelis

2017-01-01

Quality of education in higher institutions can be affected by different factors. It partly rests on the learning environment created by teachers and the learning approach students are employing during their learning. The main purpose of this study is to examine the learning environment at Mizan Tepi University from students' perspective and their…

Influence of catastrophizing, anxiety, and depression on in-hospital opioid consumption, pain, and quality of recovery after adult spine surgery

PubMed Central

Dunn, Lauren K.; Durieux, Marcel E.; Fernández, Lucas G.; Tsang, Siny; Smith-Straesser, Emily E.; Jhaveri, Hasan F.; Spanos, Shauna P.; Thames, Matthew R.; Spencer, Christopher D.; Lloyd, Aaron; Stuart, Russell; Ye, Fan; Bray, Jacob P.; Nemergut, Edward C.; Naik, Bhiken I.

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE Perception of perioperative pain is influenced by various psychological factors. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of catastrophizing, anxiety, and depression on in-hospital opioid consumption, pain scores, and quality of recovery in adults who underwent spine surgery. METHODS Patients undergoing spine surgery were enrolled in this study, and the preoperatively completed questionnaires included the verbal rating scale (VRS), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Quality of recovery was assessed using the 40-item Quality of Recovery questionnaire (QoR40). Opioid consumption and pain scores according to the VRS were recorded daily until discharge. RESULTS One hundred thirty-nine patients were recruited for the study, and 101 completed the QoR40 assessment postoperatively. Patients with higher catastrophizing scores were more likely to have higher maximum pain scores postoperatively (estimate: 0.03, SE: 0.01, p = 0.02), without increased opioid use (estimate: 0.44, SE: 0.27, p = 0.11). Preoperative anxiety (estimate: 1.18, SE: 0.65, p = 0.07) and depression scores (estimate: 1.06, SE: 0.71, p = 0.14) did not correlate with increased postoperative opioid use; however, patients with higher preoperative depression scores had lower quality of recovery after surgery (estimate: −1.9, SE: 0.56, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Catastrophizing, anxiety, and depression play important roles in modulating postoperative pain. Preoperative evaluation of these factors, utilizing a validated tool, helps to identify patients at risk. This might allow for earlier psychological intervention that could reduce pain severity and improve the quality of recovery. PMID:29125426

Sperm competition in humans: mate guarding behavior negatively correlates with ejaculate quality.

PubMed

Leivers, Samantha; Rhodes, Gillian; Simmons, Leigh W

2014-01-01

In species where females mate with multiple males, the sperm from these males must compete to fertilise available ova. Sexual selection from sperm competition is expected to favor opposing adaptations in males that function either in the avoidance of sperm competition (by guarding females from rival males) or in the engagement in sperm competition (by increased expenditure on the ejaculate). The extent to which males may adjust the relative use of these opposing tactics has been relatively neglected. Where males can successfully avoid sperm competition from rivals, one might expect a decrease in their expenditure on tactics for the engagement in sperm competition and vice versa. In this study, we examine the relationship between mate guarding and ejaculate quality using humans as an empirical model. We found that men who performed fewer mate guarding behaviors produced higher quality ejaculates, having a greater concentration of sperm, a higher percentage of motile sperm and sperm that swam faster and less erratically. These effects were found independent of lifestyle factors or factors related to male quality. Our findings suggest that male expenditure on mate guarding and on the ejaculate may represent alternative routes to paternity assurance in humans.

[Job satisfaction and improvement factors in primary care professionals].

PubMed

Pérez-Ciordia, I; Guillén-Grima, F; Brugos, A; Aguinaga, I

2013-09-06

The quality of services in a health system is related to the level of satisfaction of its professionals. The aim of this article is to determine job satisfaction in primary care professionals and rank those factors capable of improving it. Descriptive study carried out in Navarre in 2010. A validated questionnaire was sent by post to the population of the study: primary care doctors, pediatricians and nurses. Variables on socio-demographic data were collected and job satisfaction was self-evaluated on a scale of 1 to 10. Respondents were asked to rank 10 factors that could improve the previously mentioned satisfaction. Averages were compared and bivariate analysis was carried out using the chi-square test, studying the association between variables through the Odds Ratio (OR). The adjusted analysis was realized through unconditional logistic regression. We collected 432 questionnaires (77.5%). Average satisfaction was 6.7 (scale of 1 to 10), higher in nursing. Women showed a higher average than men (6.90:6.34). The workers at urban health centers (OR: 1.71; CI: 1.10-2.65) showed a higher risk of dissatisfaction with respect to professionals at rural centers. The training activities of the professional is the most highly valued item, followed by economic questions and questions of care pressure, with no differences found by profession. Job satisfaction is a dimension of quality management in primary care and its study enables identification of problems or opportunities for improvement with an impact on the quality of the services offered.

Influence of Production Method on the Chemical Composition, Foaming Properties, and Quality of Australian Carbonated and Sparkling White Wines.

PubMed

Culbert, Julie A; McRae, Jacqui M; Condé, Bruna C; Schmidtke, Leigh M; Nicholson, Emily L; Smith, Paul A; Howell, Kate S; Boss, Paul K; Wilkinson, Kerry L

2017-02-22

The chemical composition (protein, polysaccharide, amino acid, and fatty acid/ethyl ester content), foaming properties, and quality of 50 Australian sparkling white wines, representing the four key production methods, that is, Méthode Traditionelle (n = 20), transfer (n = 10), Charmat (n = 10), and carbonation (n = 10), were studied. Méthode Traditionelle wines were typically rated highest in quality and were higher in alcohol and protein contents, but lower in residual sugar and total phenolics, than other sparkling wines. They also exhibited higher foam volume and stability, which might be attributable to higher protein concentrations. Bottle-fermented Méthode Traditionelle and transfer wines contained greater proportions of yeast-derived mannoproteins, whereas Charmat and carbonated wines were higher in grape-derived rhamnogalacturonans; however, total polysaccharide concentrations were not significantly different between sparkling wine styles. Free amino acids were most abundant in carbonated wines, which likely reflects production via primary fermentation only and/or the inclusion of nontraditional grape varieties. Fatty acids and their esters were not correlated with foaming properties, but octanoic and decanoic acids and their ethyl esters were present in Charmat and carbonated wines at significantly higher concentrations than in bottle-fermented wines and were negatively correlated with quality ratings. Research findings provide industry with a better understanding of the compositional factors driving the style and quality of sparkling white wine.

Sleep Quality Among Low-Income Young Women in Southeast Texas Predicts Changes in Perceived Stress Through Hurricane Ike.

PubMed

Wu, Zhao Helen; Stevens, Richard G; Tennen, Howard; North, Carol S; Grady, James J; Holzer, Charles

2015-07-01

To document the time course of perceived stress among women through the period of a natural disaster, to determine the effect of sleep quality on this time course, and to identify risk factors that predict higher levels of perceived stress. Longitudinal study from 2006-2012. Community-based family planning clinics in southeast Texas. There were 296 women aged 18-31 y who experienced Hurricane Ike, September 2008. Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was administered every 2 mo from 6 mo before to 12 mo after Hurricane Ike. Sleep quality was assessed 1 mo after Hurricane Ike using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Good sleep was defined as a PSQI summary score < 5, and poor sleep as a score ≥ 5. Hurricane Ike stressors (e.g., property damage, subjective stressors) and pre-Ike lifetime major life events and emotional health (e.g., emotional dysregulation, self-control) were also assessed. Over the entire period of 18 mo (6 mo before and 12 mo after the hurricane), perceived stress was significantly higher among poor sleepers compared to good sleepers, and only good sleepers showed a significant decrease in perceived stress after Hurricane Ike. In addition, a higher level of perceived stress was positively associated with greater Ike damage among poor sleepers, whereas this correlation was not observed among good sleepers. In the final multivariate longitudinal model, Ike-related subjective stressors as well as baseline major life events and emotional dysregulation among poor sleepers predicted higher levels of perceived stress over time; among good sleepers, additional factors such as lower levels of self-control and having a history of a psychiatric disorder also predicted higher levels of perceived stress. Sleep quality after Hurricane Ike, an intense natural disaster producing substantial damage, impacted changes in perceived stress over time. Our findings suggest the possibility that providing victims of disasters with effective interventions to improve sleep quality could help to reduce their perceived stress over time. © 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Factors associated with health-related quality of life among patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator: identification of foci for nursing intervention.

PubMed

Wong, Florence Mei Fung; Sit, Janet Wing Hung; Wong, Eliza Mi Ling; Choi, Kai Chow

2014-12-01

To explore factors associated with health-related quality of life of patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Substantial evidence indicates that implantable cardioverter defibrillator is proven to increase survival rate by terminating life-threatening arrhythmia. However, this device can negatively affect health-related quality of life. Little is known about factors associated with health-related quality of life of patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators, particularly in Asian population. A transversal descriptive design was used. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 139 adult patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators from 4 January-30 April 2012 using the structured questionnaires administered by the researcher and medical record reviews. The Short Form-36 Health Survey version 2 was used to measure health-related quality of life. A total of 139 Chinese patients, including 107 (77·0%) males with a mean age of 63·0 (14·6) years, were selected. The physical component summary was relatively lower, whereas the mental component summary was relatively higher than that of the general Hong Kong Chinese population. Multivariable regression analysis revealed gender, self-care dependence, educational level, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, anxiety and depression significantly associated with physical or mental quality of life. Depression was a common factor affecting physical and mental quality of life. Self-care dependence, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, depression and anxiety could be improved. Our findings expand existing knowledge on identifying at-risk patients for having lower quality of life, thus allowing development of appropriate interventions targeting risk factors for improving health-related quality of life of patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reframing Teaching Relationships: From Student-Centred to Subject-Centred Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hobson, Julia; Morrison-Saunders, Angus

2013-01-01

At a time when the context of teaching in higher education is difficult for many number of factors such as: reduced funding, changing demographics of students and demands to teach in flexible times and spaces, there are also higher levels of quality control, transparency and accountability over teaching which are exerted by institutions. This…

Critical Thinking among Post-Graduate Diploma in Education Students in Higher Education: Reality or Fuss?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moeti, Bakadzi; Mgawi, Rabson Killion; Moalosi, Waitshega Tefo Smitta

2017-01-01

Critical thinking is recognised as an influential attribute to achieve quality learning and teaching in higher education institutions world over. This interpretive research study explored the critical thinking among PGDE students at the University of Botswana. The aim of the study was to identify factors contributing to the application of critical…

Bigfoot, Goldilocks, and Moonshots. A Report from the Frontiers of Personalized Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarrett, Josh

2013-01-01

In 2009, the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education and Public Agenda, reported that "In the view of many college and university presidents, the three main factors in higher education--cost, quality, and access--exist in what we call an iron triangle." In other words, every positive improvement comes with an equal, but…

Building Academic Quality in Distance Higher Education. A Monograph in Higher Education Evaluation and Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chacon-Duque, Fabio J.

The factors that determine course completion and achievement in college distance education were investigated using a sample of 25 courses offered through the Independent Learning Program at the Pennsylvania State University. The main objective was to develop a multivariate model to explain and predict outcomes of distance education. Additional…

Level of NICU Quality of Developmental Care and Neurobehavioral Performance in Very Preterm Infants

PubMed Central

Del Prete, Alberto; Bellù, Roberto; Tronick, Ed; Borgatti, Renato

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relation between the neurobehavior of very preterm infants and the level of NICU quality of developmental care. METHODS: The neurobehavior of 178 very preterm infants (gestational age ≤29 weeks and/or birth weight ≤1500 g) from 25 NICUs participating in a large multicenter, longitudinal study (Neonatal Adequate Care for Quality of Life, NEO-ACQUA) was examined with a standardized neurobehavioral assessment, the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS). A questionnaire, the NEO-ACQUA Quality of Care Checklist was used to evaluate the level of developmental care in each of the NICUs. A factor analyses applied to NEO-ACQUA Quality of Care Checklist produced 2 main factors: (1) the infant-centered care (ICC) index, which measures parents’ involvement in the care of their infant and other developmentally oriented care interventions, and (2) the infant pain management (IPM) index, which measures the NICU approach to and the procedures used for reducing infant pain. The relations between NNNS neurobehavioral scores and the 2 indexes were evaluated. RESULTS: Infants from NICUs with high scores on the ICC evidenced higher attention and regulation, less excitability and hypotonicity, and lower stress/abstinence NNNS scores than infants from low-care units. Infants from NICUs with high scores on the IPM evidenced higher attention and arousal, lower lethargy and nonoptimal reflexes NNNS scores than preterm infants from low-scoring NICUs. CONCLUSIONS: Very preterm infant neurobehavior was associated with higher levels of developmental care both in ICC and in IPM, suggesting that these practices support better neurobehavioral stability. PMID:22492762

Obesity and synergistic risk factors for chronic kidney disease in African American adults: the Jackson Heart Study.

PubMed

Olivo, Robert E; Davenport, Clemontina A; Diamantidis, Clarissa J; Bhavsar, Nrupen A; Tyson, Crystal C; Hall, Rasheeda; Bidulescu, Aurelian; Young, Bessie; Mwasongwe, Stanford E; Pendergast, Jane; Boulware, L Ebony; Scialla, Julia J

2017-08-30

African Americans are at high risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Obesity may increase the risk for CKD by exacerbating features of the metabolic syndrome and promoting glomerular hyperfiltration. Whether other factors also affecting these pathways may amplify or mitigate obesity-CKD associations has not been investigated. We studied interactions between obesity and these candidate factors in 2043 African Americans without baseline kidney disease enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study. We quantified obesity as body mass index (BMI), sex-normalized waist circumference and visceral adipose volume measured by abdominal computed tomography at an interim study visit. Interactions were hypothesized with (i) metabolic risk factors (dietary quality and physical activity, both quantified by concordance with American Heart Association guidelines) and (ii) factors exacerbating or mitigating hyperfiltration (dietary protein intake, APOL1 risk status and use of renin-angiotensin system blocking medications). Using multivariable regression, we evaluated associations between obesity measures and incident CKD over the follow-up period, as well as interactions with metabolic and hyperfiltration factors. Assessed after a median of 8 years (range 6-11 years), baseline BMI and waist circumference were not associated with incident CKD. Higher visceral adipose volume was independently associated with incident CKD (P   =   0.008) in a nonlinear fashion, but this effect was limited to those with lower dietary quality (P   =   0.001; P-interaction = 0.04). In additional interaction models, higher waist circumference was associated with greater risk of incident CKD among those with the low-risk APOL1 genotype (P   =   0.04) but not those with a high-risk genotype (P-interaction = 0.02). Other proposed factors did not modify obesity-CKD associations. Higher risks associated with metabolically active visceral adipose volume and interactions with dietary quality suggest that metabolic factors may be key determinants of obesity-associated CKD risk. Interactions between obesity and APOL1 genotype should be considered in studies of African Americans. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

The Relationship between Sleep Quality and Brain Amyloid Burden.

PubMed

Brown, Belinda M; Rainey-Smith, Stephanie R; Villemagne, Victor L; Weinborn, Michael; Bucks, Romola S; Sohrabi, Hamid R; Laws, Simon M; Taddei, Kevin; Macaulay, S Lance; Ames, David; Fowler, Christopher; Maruff, Paul; Masters, Colin L; Rowe, Christopher C; Martins, Ralph N

2016-05-01

To evaluate the association between self-reported sleep quality and levels of brain β-amyloid (Aβ) burden, and to determine the effect of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele on any associations found. This study is a cross-sectional analysis of 184 cognitively healthy men and women aged over 60 y. We measured sleep quality factors: specifically, sleep duration, latency (time taken to fall asleep), disturbances, efficiency, daytime dysfunction, and overall sleep quality, using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. All participants underwent Aβ positron emission tomography imaging for the quantification of brain Aβ burden and were APOE genotyped. Linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between sleep quality factors and brain Aβ burden, adjusting for age, body mass index, cardiovascular disease, and symptoms of depression, with APOE ε4 carriage entered as a moderator. Of the sleep factors, longer sleep latency was associated with higher levels of brain Aβ (B = 0.003 [standard error = 0.001], P = 0.02). APOE ε4 allele (carrier/noncarrier) did not moderate the relationship between sleep latency and brain Aβ burden. Our findings suggest a relationship between brain Aβ burden and sleep latency, independent of APOE ε4 genotype. © 2016 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Internalised HIV-stigma, loneliness, depressive symptoms and sleep quality in people living with HIV.

PubMed

Fekete, Erin M; Williams, Stacey L; Skinta, Matthew D

2018-03-01

People living with HIV (PLWH) commonly report sleep disturbances which are associated with long-term health consequences, including disease progression. PLWH also experience internalised stigma as a result of their HIV status, which can be associated with increased loneliness and depression. Little attention focuses on the impact of these factors on sleep. Therefore, we examined whether internalised HIV-stigma was indirectly related to poorer sleep quality through higher levels of loneliness and depressive symptoms. 181 PLWH from across the United States completed an online survey. Main Study Measures: Internalised HIV-stigma was assessed using the HIV-Stigma Scale, loneliness was assessed using the UCLA-Loneliness Scale-Short Form, depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Index, and Sleep Quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Internalised HIV-stigma was indirectly associated with poorer global sleep quality and daytime sleep dysfunction through both loneliness and depressive symptoms. PLWH who experience HIV-related stigma may experience greater feelings of loneliness, which are related to increased depressive symptoms and poorer sleep quality. Interventions focused on improving sleep in PLWH should focus on multiple factors that influence sleep, including psychosocial factors such as stigma, social isolation and depressive symptoms.

Higher Dietary Cost Is Associated with Higher Diet Quality: A Cross-Sectional Study among Selected Malaysian Adults

PubMed Central

Pondor, Ibnteesam

2017-01-01

Food price is a determining factor of food choices; however its relationship with diet quality is unclear in Malaysia. This study aimed to examine socio-economic characteristics and daily dietary cost (DDC) in relation to diet quality in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Dietary intake was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and diet quality was estimated using a Malaysian Healthy Eating Index (M-HEI). DDC in Malaysian Ringgit (RM) was calculated from dietary intake and national food prices. Linear regression models were fitted to determine associations between DDC and M-HEI scores and predictors of diet quality. The mean M-HEI score of respondents was 61.31 ± 10.88 and energy adjusted DDC was RM10.71/2000 kcal (USD 2.49). The highest quintile of adjusted DDC had higher M-HEI scores for all respondents (Q1: 57.14 ± 10.07 versus Q5: 63.26 ± 11.54, p = 0.001). There were also positive associations between DDC and M-HEI scores for fruits (p < 0.001) and vegetables (p = 0.017) for all respondents. Predictors of diet quality included carbohydrate (β = 0290; p < 0.001) and fat intakes (β = −0.242; p < 0.001) and energy adjusted DDC (β = 0.196; p < 0.001). Higher dietary cost is associated with healthy eating among Malaysian adults. PMID:28926947

Higher Dietary Cost Is Associated with Higher Diet Quality: A Cross-Sectional Study among Selected Malaysian Adults.

PubMed

Pondor, Ibnteesam; Gan, Wan Ying; Appannah, Geeta

2017-09-16

Food price is a determining factor of food choices; however its relationship with diet quality is unclear in Malaysia. This study aimed to examine socio-economic characteristics and daily dietary cost (DDC) in relation to diet quality in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Dietary intake was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and diet quality was estimated using a Malaysian Healthy Eating Index (M-HEI). DDC in Malaysian Ringgit (RM) was calculated from dietary intake and national food prices. Linear regression models were fitted to determine associations between DDC and M-HEI scores and predictors of diet quality. The mean M-HEI score of respondents was 61.31 ± 10.88 and energy adjusted DDC was RM10.71/2000 kcal (USD 2.49). The highest quintile of adjusted DDC had higher M-HEI scores for all respondents (Q1: 57.14 ± 10.07 versus Q5: 63.26 ± 11.54, p = 0.001). There were also positive associations between DDC and M-HEI scores for fruits ( p < 0.001) and vegetables ( p = 0.017) for all respondents. Predictors of diet quality included carbohydrate (β = 0290; p < 0.001) and fat intakes (β = -0.242; p < 0.001) and energy adjusted DDC (β = 0.196; p < 0.001). Higher dietary cost is associated with healthy eating among Malaysian adults.

Individual quality and age but not environmental or social conditions modulate costs of reproduction in a capital breeder.

PubMed

Debeffe, Lucie; Poissant, Jocelyn; McLoughlin, Philip D

2017-08-01

Costs associated with reproduction are widely known to play a role in the evolution of reproductive tactics with consequences to population and eco-evolutionary dynamics. Evaluating these costs as they pertain to species in the wild remains an important goal of evolutionary ecology. Individual heterogeneity, including differences in individual quality (i.e., among-individual differences in traits associated with survival and reproduction) or state, and variation in environmental and social conditions can modulate the costs of reproduction; however, few studies have considered effects of these factors simultaneously. Taking advantage of a detailed, long-term dataset for a population of feral horses (Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada), we address the question of how intrinsic (quality, age), environmental (winter severity, location), and social conditions (group size, composition, sex ratio, density) influence the costs of reproduction on subsequent reproduction. Individual quality was measured using a multivariate analysis on a combination of four static and dynamic traits expected to depict heterogeneity in individual performance. Female quality and age interacted with reproductive status of the previous year to determine current reproductive effort, while no effect of social or environmental covariates was found. High-quality females showed higher probabilities of giving birth and weaning their foal regardless of their reproductive status the previous year, while those of lower quality showed lower probabilities of producing foals in successive years. Middle-aged (prime) females had the highest probability of giving birth when they had not reproduced the year before, but no such relationship with age was found among females that had reproduced the previous year, indicating that prime-aged females bear higher costs of reproduction. We show that individual quality and age were key factors modulating the costs of reproduction in a capital breeder but that environmental or social conditions were not, highlighting the importance of considering multiple factors when studying costs of reproduction.

Determinants of inequalities in the quality of Brazilian diet: trends in 12-year population-based study (2003-2015).

PubMed

Mello, Aline Veroneze de; Sarti, Flávia Mori; Pereira, Jaqueline Lopes; Goldbaum, Moisés; Cesar, Chester Luiz Galvão; Alves, Maria Cecilia Goi Porto; Fisberg, Regina Mara

2018-06-07

Recent studies have explored the influence of socioeconomic inequalities on the diet quality. However, there is lack of evidence regarding the level of inequalities in dietary quality and its main contributing factors from population-based follow-up studies. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the level and the determinants of inequalities in diet quality in a representative sample of adolescents, adults and older adults resident in São Paulo, Brazil. Data from the Health Survey of São Paulo (ISA-Capital) were analyzed for 2003 (n = 2398), 2008 (n = 1662) and 2015 (n = 1742) surveys. Information on food consumption was obtained through 24-h dietary recall, and diet quality was assessed based on the Revised Brazilian Healthy Eating Index (BHEI-R). The descriptive variables were compared using 95% confidence interval. The scores of BHEI-R and its components were compared across age groups and year. The association between socioeconomic inequalities and diet quality was based on the estimation of concentration index. We observed that the BHEI-R scores gradually improved over 12-years, with older adults showing the greatest improvement. The increase in overall population score was observed for total fruits, whole fruits, whole grains, oils and sodium. The main contributor to socioeconomic inequality in diet quality in 2003 was ethnic group, and in 2008 and 2015, it was per capita household income; age was a persistent factor of inequality in the population over the years. Concentration indices indicated that lower income individuals had higher BHEI-R scores in 2003; however, there was a shift in favor of higher income individuals in 2008 and 2015. Changes in the patterns of determination of inequalities according to age, ethnic group or income during the period analyzed show the existence of ongoing process of contribution of demographic and socioeconomic factors in the diet quality of individuals in a large urban center.

Journal impact factor and methodological quality of surgical randomized controlled trials: an empirical study.

PubMed

Ahmed Ali, Usama; Reiber, Beata M M; Ten Hove, Joren R; van der Sluis, Pieter C; Gooszen, Hein G; Boermeester, Marja A; Besselink, Marc G

2017-11-01

The journal impact factor (IF) is often used as a surrogate marker for methodological quality. The objective of this study is to evaluate the relation between the journal IF and methodological quality of surgical randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Surgical RCTs published in PubMed in 1999 and 2009 were identified. According to IF, RCTs were divided into groups of low (<2), median (2-3) and high IF (>3), as well as into top-10 vs all other journals. Methodological quality characteristics and factors concerning funding, ethical approval and statistical significance of outcomes were extracted and compared between the IF groups. Additionally, a multivariate regression was performed. The median IF was 2.2 (IQR 2.37). The percentage of 'low-risk of bias' RCTs was 13% for top-10 journals vs 4% for other journals in 1999 (P < 0.02), and 30 vs 12% in 2009 (P < 0.02). Similar results were observed for high vs low IF groups. The presence of sample-size calculation, adequate generation of allocation and intention-to-treat analysis were independently associated with publication in higher IF journals; as were multicentre trials and multiple authors. Publication of RCTs in high IF journals is associated with moderate improvement in methodological quality compared to RCTs published in lower IF journals. RCTs with adequate sample-size calculation, generation of allocation or intention-to-treat analysis were associated with publication in a high IF journal. On the other hand, reporting a statistically significant outcome and being industry funded were not independently associated with publication in a higher IF journal.

Disability and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia

PubMed Central

Verbunt, Jeanine A; Pernot, Dia HFM; Smeets, Rob JEM

2008-01-01

Background Patients with fibromyalgia often feel disabled in the performance of daily activities. Psychological factors seem to play a pronounced disabling role in fibromyalgia. The objectives of the study are: Firstly, to investigate contributing factors for disability in fibromyalgia. Secondly, to study psychological distress in patients with fibromyalgia as compared to other nonspecific pain syndromes. And finally, to explore the impact of fibromyalgia on a patient's quality of life. Methods In this cross sectional study, explaining factors for disability were studied based on a regression analysis with gender, mental health, physical and social functioning as independent variables. For the assessment of disability in fibromyalgia the FIQ was used. The levels of psychological distress in patients with fibromyalgia, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and chronic low back pain (CLBP) were compared based on scores on the Symptom Checklist (SCL90). Quality of life of patients with fibromyalgia was compared with scores (SF36) of both patients with fibromyalgia and other health conditions as derived from the literature. Results Disability in fibromyalgia seemed best explained by a patients mental health condition (β = -0.360 p = 0.02). The level of psychological distress was higher in patients with fibromyalgia as compared to patients with CRPS or CLBP (p < 0.01). The impact of fibromyalgia on quality of life appeared to be high as compared to the impact of other health conditions. Conclusion Patients with fibromyalgia report a considerable impact on their quality of life and their perceived disability level seems influenced by their mental health condition. In comparison with patients with other pain conditions psychological distress is higher. PMID:18211701

Bullying as a risk for poor sleep quality among high school students in China.

PubMed

Zhou, Ying; Guo, Lan; Lu, Ci-yong; Deng, Jian-xiong; He, Yuan; Huang, Jing-hui; Huang, Guo-liang; Deng, Xue-qing; Gao, Xue

2015-01-01

To determine whether involvement in bullying as a bully, victim, or bully-victim was associated with a higher risk of poor sleep quality among high school students in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 23,877 high school students were surveyed in six cities in Guangdong Province. All students were asked to complete the adolescent health status questionnaire, which included the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and bullying involvement. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate sleep quality and the prevalence of school bullying. Multi-level logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between being victimized and bullying others with sleep quality. Among the 23,877 students, 6,127 (25.66%) reported having poor sleep quality, and 10.89% reported being involved in bullying behaviors. Of the respondents, 1,410 (5.91%) were pure victims of bullying, 401 (1.68%) were bullies and 784 (3.28%) were bully-victims. Frequently being involved in bullying behaviors (being bullied or bullying others) was related to increased risks of poor sleep quality compared with adolescents who were not involved in bullying behaviors. After adjusting for age, sex, and other confounding factors, the students who were being bullied (OR=2.05, 95%CI=1.81-2.32), bullied others (OR=2.30, 95%CI=1.85-2.86) or both (OR=2.58, 95%CI=2.20-3.03) were at a higher risk for poor sleep quality. Poor sleep quality among high school students is highly prevalent, and school bullying is prevalent among adolescents in China. The present results suggested that being involved in school bullying might be a risk factor for poor sleep quality among adolescents.

Bullying as a Risk for Poor Sleep Quality among High School Students in China

PubMed Central

Lu, Ci-yong; Deng, Jian-xiong; Huang, Jing-hui; Huang, Guo-liang; Deng, Xue-qing; Gao, Xue

2015-01-01

Objective To determine whether involvement in bullying as a bully, victim, or bully-victim was associated with a higher risk of poor sleep quality among high school students in China. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 23,877 high school students were surveyed in six cities in Guangdong Province. All students were asked to complete the adolescent health status questionnaire, which included the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and bullying involvement. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate sleep quality and the prevalence of school bullying. Multi-level logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between being victimized and bullying others with sleep quality. Results Among the 23,877 students, 6,127 (25.66%) reported having poor sleep quality, and 10.89% reported being involved in bullying behaviors. Of the respondents, 1,410 (5.91%) were pure victims of bullying, 401 (1.68%) were bullies and 784 (3.28%) were bully-victims. Frequently being involved in bullying behaviors (being bullied or bullying others) was related to increased risks of poor sleep quality compared with adolescents who were not involved in bullying behaviors. After adjusting for age, sex, and other confounding factors, the students who were being bullied (OR=2.05, 95%CI=1.81-2.32), bullied others (OR=2.30, 95%CI=1.85-2.86) or both (OR=2.58, 95%CI=2.20-3.03) were at a higher risk for poor sleep quality. Conclusions Poor sleep quality among high school students is highly prevalent, and school bullying is prevalent among adolescents in China. The present results suggested that being involved in school bullying might be a risk factor for poor sleep quality among adolescents. PMID:25811479

Elevated body mass index and decreased diet quality among women and risk of birth defects in their offspring.

PubMed

Carmichael, Suzan L; Yang, Wei; Gilboa, Suzanne; Ailes, Elizabeth; Correa, Adolfo; Botto, Lorenzo D; Feldkamp, Marcia L; Shaw, Gary M

2016-03-01

We examined whether risks of 32 birth defects were higher than expected in the presence of overweight or obese body mass index (BMI) and low diet quality, based on estimating individual and joint effects of these factors and calculating relative excess risk due to interaction. Analyses included mothers of 20,250 cases with birth defects and 8617 population-based controls without birth defects born from 1997 to 2009 and interviewed for the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. We used logistic regression to generate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) reflecting the combined effects of BMI and diet quality. We focused analyses on 16 birth defects (n = 11,868 cases, 8617 controls) for which initial results suggested an association with BMI or diet quality. Relative to the reference group (normal weight women with not low diet quality, i.e., >lowest quartile), AORs for low diet quality among normal weight women tended to be >1, and AORs for overweight and obese women tended to be stronger among women who had low diet quality than not low diet quality. For 9/16 birth defects, AORs for obese women who had low diet quality-the group we hypothesized to have highest risk-were higher than other stratum-specific AORs. Most relative excess risk due to interactions were positive but small (<0.5), with confidence intervals that included zero. These findings provide evidence for the hypothesis of highest birth defect risks among offspring to women who are obese and have low diet quality but insufficient evidence for an interaction of these factors in their contribution to risk. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Shop for quality or volume? Volume, quality, and outcomes of coronary artery bypass surgery.

PubMed

Auerbach, Andrew D; Hilton, Joan F; Maselli, Judith; Pekow, Penelope S; Rothberg, Michael B; Lindenauer, Peter K

2009-05-19

Care from high-volume centers or surgeons has been associated with lower mortality rates in coronary artery bypass surgery, but how volume and quality of care relate to each other is not well understood. To determine how volume and differences in quality of care influence outcomes after coronary artery bypass surgery. Observational cohort. 164 hospitals in the United States. 81,289 patients 18 years or older who had coronary artery bypass grafting from 1 October 2003 to 1 September 2005. Hospital and surgeon case volumes were estimated by using a data set. Quality measures were defined by whether patients received specific medications and by counting the number of measures missed. Hierarchical models were used to estimate effects of volume and quality on death and readmission up to 30 days. After adjustment for clinical factors, lowest surgeon volume and highest hospital volume were associated with higher mortality rates and lower readmission risk, respectively. Patients who did not receive aspirin (odds ratio, 1.89 [95% CI, 1.65 to 2.16) or beta-blockers (odds ratio, 1.29 [CI, 1.12 to 1.49]) had higher odds for death, after adjustment for clinical risk factors and case volume. Adjustment for individual quality measures did not alter associations between volume and readmission or death. However, if no quality measures were missed, mortality rates at the lowest-volume centers (adjusted mortality rate, 1.05% [CI, 0.81% to 1.29%]) and highest-volume centers (adjusted mortality rate, 0.98% [CI, 0.72% to 1.25%]) were similar. Because administrative data were used, the quality measures may not replicate measures collected through chart abstraction. Maximizing adherence to quality measures is associated with improved mortality rates, independent of hospital or surgeon volume. California HealthCare Foundation.

Global sensitivity analysis for urban water quality modelling: Terminology, convergence and comparison of different methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanrolleghem, Peter A.; Mannina, Giorgio; Cosenza, Alida; Neumann, Marc B.

2015-03-01

Sensitivity analysis represents an important step in improving the understanding and use of environmental models. Indeed, by means of global sensitivity analysis (GSA), modellers may identify both important (factor prioritisation) and non-influential (factor fixing) model factors. No general rule has yet been defined for verifying the convergence of the GSA methods. In order to fill this gap this paper presents a convergence analysis of three widely used GSA methods (SRC, Extended FAST and Morris screening) for an urban drainage stormwater quality-quantity model. After the convergence was achieved the results of each method were compared. In particular, a discussion on peculiarities, applicability, and reliability of the three methods is presented. Moreover, a graphical Venn diagram based classification scheme and a precise terminology for better identifying important, interacting and non-influential factors for each method is proposed. In terms of convergence, it was shown that sensitivity indices related to factors of the quantity model achieve convergence faster. Results for the Morris screening method deviated considerably from the other methods. Factors related to the quality model require a much higher number of simulations than the number suggested in literature for achieving convergence with this method. In fact, the results have shown that the term "screening" is improperly used as the method may exclude important factors from further analysis. Moreover, for the presented application the convergence analysis shows more stable sensitivity coefficients for the Extended-FAST method compared to SRC and Morris screening. Substantial agreement in terms of factor fixing was found between the Morris screening and Extended FAST methods. In general, the water quality related factors exhibited more important interactions than factors related to water quantity. Furthermore, in contrast to water quantity model outputs, water quality model outputs were found to be characterised by high non-linearity.

Successful Academic Achievement among Foster Children: What Did the Foster Parents Do?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skilbred, Dag Tore; Iversen, Anette Christine; Moldestad, Bente

2017-01-01

Children who spend part of their childhood in foster homes have, as a group, lower academic achievement than their peers. However, some of these children do well and succeed in higher education. Resilience is about positive development enhanced by protective factors despite adversity. Protective factors may be both positive qualities in the…

The Social Patterning of Sleep in African Americans: Associations of Socioeconomic Position and Neighborhood Characteristics with Sleep in the Jackson Heart Study

PubMed Central

Johnson, Dayna A.; Lisabeth, Lynda; Hickson, DeMarc; Johnson-Lawrence, Vicki; Samdarshi, Tandaw; Taylor, Herman; Diez Roux, Ana V.

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: We investigated cross-sectional associations of individual-level socioeconomic position (SEP) and neighborhood characteristics (social cohesion, violence, problems, disadvantage) with sleep duration and sleep quality in 5,301 African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study. Methods: All measures were self-reported. Sleep duration was assessed as hours of sleep; sleep quality was reported as poor (1) to excellent (5). SEP was measured by categorized years of education and income. Multinomial logistic and linear regression models were fit to examine the associations of SEP and neighborhood characteristics (modeled dichotomously and tertiles) with sleep duration (short vs. normal, long vs. normal) and continuous sleep duration and quality after adjustment for demographics and risk factors. Results: The mean sleep duration was 6.4 ± 1.5 hours, 54% had a short (≤ 6 h) sleep duration, 5% reported long (≥ 9 h) sleep duration, and 24% reported fair to poor sleep quality. Lower education was associated with greater odds of long sleep (odds ratio [OR] = 2.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.42, 3.38) and poorer sleep quality (β = −0.17, 95% CI = −0.27, −0.07) compared to higher education after adjustment for demographics and risk factors. Findings were similar for income. High neighborhood violence was associated with shorter sleep duration (−9.82 minutes, 95% CI = −16.98, −2.66) and poorer sleep quality (β = −0.11, 95% CI = −0.20, 0.00) after adjustment for demographics and risk factors. Results were similar for neighborhood problems. In secondary analyses adjusted for depressive symptoms in a subset of participants, most associations were attenuated and only associations of low SEP with higher odds of long sleep and higher neighborhood violence with poorer sleep quality remained statistically significant. Conclusions: Social and environmental characteristics are associated with sleep duration and quality in African Americans. Depressive symptoms may explain at least part of this association. Citation: Johnson DA, Lisabeth L, Hickson D, Johnson-Lawrence V, Samdarshi T, Taylor H, Diez Roux AV. The social patterning of sleep in African Americans: associations of socioeconomic position and neighborhood characteristics with sleep in the Jackson Heart Study. SLEEP 2016;39(9):1749–1759. PMID:27253767

Recent progress in opto-electronic oscillator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maleki, Lute

2005-01-01

The optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) is a unique device based on photonics techniques to generate highly spectrally pure microwave signals [1]. The development of the OEO was motivated by the need for high performance oscillators in the frequency range larger than 10 GHz, where conventional electronic oscillators have a number of limitations. These limitations typically stem from the product of fQ, where f is the oscillator frequency and Q is the quality factor of the resonator in the oscillator. In conventional resonators, whether electromagnetic or piezoelectric, this product is usually a constant. Thus, as the oscillator frequency is pushed higher, the quality factor degrades, resulting in degradation of the phase noise of the oscillator. An approach to mitigate the problem is to start with a very high quality signal in the 5 to 100 MHz range generated by a quartz oscillator and multiply the frequency to achieve the desired microwave signal. Here again, frequency multiplication also results in an increase of the phase noise by a factor of 2010gN, where N is the multiplication factor.

Diet quality is associated with mental health, social support, and neighborhood factors among Veterans.

PubMed

Hoerster, Katherine D; Wilson, Sarah; Nelson, Karin M; Reiber, Gayle E; Masheb, Robin M

2016-12-01

United States Veterans have a higher prevalence of overweight and related chronic conditions compared to the general population. Although diet is a primary and modifiable contributor to these conditions, little is known about factors influencing diet quality among Veterans. The goal of this study is to examine individual, social environment, and physical environment correlates of general diet quality among Veterans. Study participants (N=653) received care at an urban VA Medical Center in Seattle, WA and completed a mailed survey in 2012 and 2013. Diet quality was assessed with Starting the Conversation, an instrument that measures consumption of unhealthy snacks, fast food, desserts, sugar-sweetened beverages, and fats; fruits and vegetables; and healthy proteins. Variables significantly (p<0.05) associated with diet quality in bivariate analyses were included in a multivariate regression. In the multivariate model, higher level of depressive symptom severity (Diff=0.05; CI=0.01, 0.09; p=0.017); not having others eat healthy meals with the Veteran (Diff=-0.81; CI=-1.5, -0.1; p=0.022); and reduced availability of low-fat foods in neighborhood stores where the Veteran shops (Diff=-0.37; CI=-0.6, -0.2; p<0.001) were associated with poorer diet quality. Consistent with prior research in the general population, this study identified multiple domains associated with Veterans' diet quality, including psychological comorbidity, the social environment, and the physical environment. Findings from this study suggest that interventions aimed at mental health, social support, and neighborhood access to healthy foods are needed to improve Veteran diet quality. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Price-dependent quality: examining the effects of price on multimedia quality requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hands, David S.; Partridge, Caroline; Cheng, Kennedy; Jacobs, Richard J.

2007-02-01

Traditionally, subjective quality assessments are made in isolation of mediating factors (e.g. interest in content, price). This approach is useful for determining the pure perceptual quality of content. Recently, there has been a growing interest in understanding users' quality of experience. To move from perceptual quality assessment to quality of experience assessment, factors beyond reproduction quality must be considered. From a commercial perspective, content and price are key determinants of success. This paper investigates the relationship between price and quality. Subjects selected content that was of interest to them. Subjects were given a budget of ten pounds at the start of the test. When viewing content, subjects were free to select different levels of quality. The lowest quality was free (and subjects left the test with ten pounds). The highest quality used up the full budget (and subjects left the test with no money). A range of pricing tariffs was used in the test. During the test, subjects were allowed to prioritise quality or price. The results of the test found that subjects prioritised quality over price across all tariff levels. At the higher pricing tariffs, subjects became more price sensitive. Using data from a number of subjective tests, a utility function describing the relationship between price and quality was produced.

Experimental food supplementation reveals habitat-dependent male reproductive investment in a migratory bird

PubMed Central

Kaiser, Sara A.; Sillett, T. Scott; Risk, Benjamin B.; Webster, Michael S.

2015-01-01

Environmental factors can shape reproductive investment strategies and influence the variance in male mating success. Environmental effects on extrapair paternity have traditionally been ascribed to aspects of the social environment, such as breeding density and synchrony. However, social factors are often confounded with habitat quality and are challenging to disentangle. We used both natural variation in habitat quality and a food supplementation experiment to separate the effects of food availability—one key aspect of habitat quality—on extrapair paternity (EPP) and reproductive success in the black-throated blue warbler, Setophaga caerulescens. High natural food availability was associated with higher within-pair paternity (WPP) and fledging two broods late in the breeding season, but lower EPP. Food-supplemented males had higher WPP leading to higher reproductive success relative to controls, and when in low-quality habitat, food-supplemented males were more likely to fledge two broods but less likely to gain EPP. Our results demonstrate that food availability affects trade-offs in reproductive activities. When food constraints are reduced, males invest in WPP at the expense of EPP. These findings imply that environmental change could alter how individuals allocate their resources and affect the selective environment that drives variation in male mating success. PMID:25673677

Medical literature searches: a comparison of PubMed and Google Scholar.

PubMed

Nourbakhsh, Eva; Nugent, Rebecca; Wang, Helen; Cevik, Cihan; Nugent, Kenneth

2012-09-01

Medical literature searches provide critical information for clinicians. However, the best strategy for identifying relevant high-quality literature is unknown. We compared search results using PubMed and Google Scholar on four clinical questions and analysed these results with respect to article relevance and quality. Abstracts from the first 20 citations for each search were classified into three relevance categories. We used the weighted kappa statistic to analyse reviewer agreement and nonparametric rank tests to compare the number of citations for each article and the corresponding journals' impact factors. Reviewers ranked 67.6% of PubMed articles and 80% of Google Scholar articles as at least possibly relevant (P = 0.116) with high agreement (all kappa P-values < 0.01). Google Scholar articles had a higher median number of citations (34 vs. 1.5, P < 0.0001) and came from higher impact factor journals (5.17 vs. 3.55, P = 0.036). PubMed searches and Google Scholar searches often identify different articles. In this study, Google Scholar articles were more likely to be classified as relevant, had higher numbers of citations and were published in higher impact factor journals. The identification of frequently cited articles using Google Scholar for searches probably has value for initial literature searches. © 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group.

The effects of RN staffing hours on nursing home quality: a two-stage model.

PubMed

Lee, Hyang Yuol; Blegen, Mary A; Harrington, Charlene

2014-03-01

Based on structure-process-outcome approach, this study examined the association of registered nurse (RN) staffing hours and five quality indicators, including two process measures (catheter use and antipsychotic drug use) and three outcome measures (pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections, and weight loss). We used data on resident assessments, RN staffing, organizational characteristics, and market factors to examine the quality of 195 nursing homes operating in a rural state of United States - Colorado. Two-stage least squares regression models were performed to address the endogenous relationships between RN staffing and the outcome-related quality indicators, and ordinary least squares regression was used for the process-related ones. This analysis focused on the relationship of RN staffing to nursing home quality indicators, controlling for organizational characteristics, resources, resident casemix, and market factors with clustering to control for geographical differences. Higher RN hours were associated with fewer pressure ulcers, but RN hours were not related to the other quality indicators. The study finding shows the importance of understanding the role of 'nurse staffing' under nursing home care, as well as the significance of associated/contextual factors with nursing home quality even in a small rural state. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A path analysis study of factors influencing hospital staff perceptions of quality of care factors associated with patient satisfaction and patient experience.

PubMed

Leggat, Sandra G; Karimi, Leila; Bartram, Timothy

2017-11-16

Hospital staff are interested in information on patient satisfaction and patient experience that can help them improve quality of care. Staff perceptions of quality of care have been identified as useful proxies when patient data are not available. This study explores the organizational factors and staff attitudes that influence staff perceptions of the quality of the care they provide in relation to patient satisfaction and patient experience. Cross sectional survey completed by 258 staff of a large multi-campus, integrated metropolitan hospital in Australia. Structured equation modelling was used to analyse the data. Our data suggest that different perceived organizational factors and staff attitudes contribute to different pathways for patient satisfaction and patient experience indicators. Hospital staff in our sample were more likely to indicate they provided the care that would result in higher patient satisfaction if they felt empowered within a psychologically safe environment. Conversely their views on patient experience were related to their commitment towards their hospital. There was no relationship between the staff perceptions of patient satisfaction and the staff response to the friends and family test. This study provides empirical evidence that staff perceptions of the quality of care they provide that is seen to be related to patient satisfaction and patient experience are enacted through different pathways that reflect differing perceptions of organizational factors and workplace psychological attitudes.

The role of psychosocial and physical work-related factors on the health-related quality of life of Iranian industrial workers.

PubMed

Mokarami, Hamidreza; Stallones, Lorann; Nazifi, Morteza; Taghavi, Sayed Mohammad

2016-10-17

The role of psychosocial and physical work factors in predicting health related quality of life (HRQOL) has not been investigated among Iranian industrial workers. The present study is designed to assess these relationships among Iranian workers from steel and cosmetic factories. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 280 workers from two factories. Psychosocial and physical work factors and HRQOL were measured by the Persian translations of the following questionnaires: Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-Brief). An instrument was developed to assess socio-demographic, health, and other work-related factors. The data were analyzed using independent t-tests, Pearson product moment correlation and hierarchical multiple regression. Results revealed that the respondents generally had poor HRQOLs especially in the environmental domain. The steel factory workers who were exposed to higher levels of occupational risk factors suffered from poorer HRQOL compared to the cosmetic factory workers. The results of hierarchical regression for all participants revealed that social support, sleep quality, work schedule, smoking and exercise were significant predictors of all domains of HRQOL. To improve the worker's HRQOL, intervention programs should focus on promoting social support, sleep quality, exercise and smoking habits. Moreover, reducing hazardous work environments should be considered an important intervention to promote HRQOL.

Poor sleep quality is associated with increased arterial stiffness in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Osonoi, Yusuke; Mita, Tomoya; Osonoi, Takeshi; Saito, Miyoko; Tamasawa, Atsuko; Nakayama, Shiho; Someya, Yuki; Ishida, Hidenori; Kanazawa, Akio; Gosho, Masahiko; Fujitani, Yoshio; Watada, Hirotaka

2015-06-18

While poor sleep quality can worsen cardiovascular risk factors such as glucose and lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the relationship between sleep quality and atherosclerosis remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to examine this relationship. The study participants comprised 724 Japanese T2DM outpatients free of history of cardiovascular diseases. The relationships between sleep quality (assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)) and various clinical and laboratory parameters were investigated. The mean PSQI was 5.1 ± 3.0 (±SD). Patients were divided into three groups based on the total PSQI score; subjects with good sleep quality (n = 462), average sleep quality (n = 185), and poor sleep quality (n = 77). In the age/gender-adjusted model, patients with poor sleep quality tended to be obese, evening type and depressed. However, other lifestyles showed no significant trends. Alanine aminotransferase, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, urinary albumin excretion, and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) tended to be higher in patients with poor sleep quality. High baPWV was the only parameter that correlated with poor sleep in a model adjusted for several other lifestyle factors. Our study indicates that poor sleep quality in T2DM patients correlates with increased arterial wall stiffness, a marker of atherosclerosis and a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

Psychological well-being over time among informal caregivers caring for persons with dementia living at home.

PubMed

Lethin, Connie; Renom-Guiteras, Anna; Zwakhalen, Sandra; Soto-Martin, Maria; Saks, Kai; Zabalegui, Adelaida; Challis, David J; Nilsson, Christer; Karlsson, Staffan

2017-11-01

To investigate informal caregivers' psychological well-being and predicted increase in psychological well-being, when caring for persons with dementia (PwDs) living at home, related to caregiver, PwD and formal care (FC) factors. A cohort study at baseline and 3 months' follow-up in eight European countries. Caregivers included (n = 1223) were caring for PwDs aged ≥ 65 years at home. Data on caregivers, PwDs and FC were collected using standardized instruments. Regression analysis of factors associated with caregiver psychological well-being at baseline and 3 months later was performed. Factors associated with caregiver psychological well-being at baseline were positive experience of caregiving, low caregiver burden, high quality of life (QoL) for caregivers, male gender of PwD, high QoL of PwD, few neuropsychiatric symptoms and depressive symptoms for the PwD. At follow-up, caregivers with increased psychological well-being experienced of quality of care (QoC) higher and were more often using dementia specific service. Predicting factors for caregivers' increased psychological well-being were less caregiver burden, positive experience of caregiving, less supervision of the PwD and higher caregiver QoL, if PwD were male, had higher QoL and less neuropsychiatric symptoms. Furthermore, higher QoC predicted increased caregivers' psychological well-being. Informal caregiving for PwDs living at home is a complex task. Our study shows that caregivers' psychological well-being was associated with, among other things, less caregiver burden and higher QoL. Professionals should be aware of PwD neuropsychiatric symptoms that might affect caregivers' psychological well-being, and provide proper care and treatment for caregivers and PwDs.

Factors Associated with Teacher Delivery of a Classroom-Based Tier 2 Prevention Program.

PubMed

Sutherland, Kevin S; Conroy, Maureen A; McLeod, Bryce D; Algina, James; Kunemund, Rachel L

2018-02-01

Teachers sometimes struggle to deliver evidence-based programs designed to prevent and ameliorate chronic problem behaviors of young children with integrity. Identifying factors associated with variations in the quantity and quality of delivery is thus an important goal for the field. This study investigated factors associated with teacher treatment integrity of BEST in CLASS, a tier-2 prevention program designed for young children at risk for developing emotional/behavioral disorders. Ninety-two early childhood teachers and 231 young children at-risk for emotional/behavioral disorders participated in the study. Latent growth curve analyses indicated that both adherence and competence of delivery increased across six observed time points. Results suggest that teacher education and initial levels of classroom quality may be important factors to consider when teachers deliver tier-2 (i.e., targeted to children who are not responsive to universal or tier-1 programming) prevention programs in early childhood settings. Teachers with higher levels of education delivered the program with more adherence and competence initially. Teachers with higher initial scores on the Emotional Support subscale of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) delivered the program with more competence initially and exhibited higher growth in both adherence and competence of delivery across time. Teachers with higher initial scores on the Classroom Organization subscale of the CLASS exhibited lower growth in adherence across time. Contrary to hypotheses, teacher self-efficacy did not predict adherence, and teachers who reported higher initial levels of Student Engagement self-efficacy exhibited lower growth in competence of delivery. Results are discussed in relation to teacher delivery of evidence-based programs in early childhood classrooms.

The Full Circle: Building a Coherent Teacher Preparation System. The Report of the NASBE Study Group on Coordination and Accountability in Teacher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of State Boards of Education, Alexandria, VA.

Research shows that teacher quality may be one of the most significant factors in student achievement. This report includes five chapters that focus on: (1) "Introduction and Executive Summary"; (2) "Coordinating K-12 and Higher Education to Support High-Quality Teacher Preparation" (e.g., coordinating teacher candidate experience in K-12 and…

Socioeconomic Status and Improvements in Lifestyle, Coronary Risk Factors, and Quality of Life: The Multisite Cardiac Lifestyle Intervention Program

PubMed Central

Govil, Sarah R.; Merritt-Worden, Terri; Ornish, Dean

2009-01-01

Objectives. We sought to clarify whether patients of low socioeconomic status (SES) can make lifestyle changes and show improved outcomes in coronary heart disease (CHD), similar to patients with higher SES. Methods. We examined lifestyle, risk factors, and quality of life over 3 months, by SES and gender, in 869 predominantly White, nonsmoking CHD patients (34% female) in the insurance-sponsored Multisite Cardiac Lifestyle Intervention Program. SES was defined primarily by education. Results. At baseline, less-educated participants were more likely to be disadvantaged (e.g., past smoking, sedentary lifestyle, high fat diet, overweight, depression) than were higher-SES participants. By 3 months, participants at all SES levels reported consuming 10% or less dietary fat, exercising 3.5 hours per week or more, and practicing stress management 5.5 hours per week or more. These self-reports were substantiated by improvements in risk factors (e.g., 5-kg weight loss, and improved blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and exercise capacity; P < .001), and accompanied by improvements in well-being (e.g., depression, hostility, quality of life; P < .001). Conclusions. The observed benefits for CHD patients with low SES indicate that broadening accessibility of lifestyle programs through health insurance should be strongly encouraged. PMID:18923113

Is the quality of drinking water a risk factor for self-reported forearm fractures? Cohort of Norway.

PubMed

Dahl, C; Søgaard, A J; Tell, G S; Flaten, T P; Krogh, T; Aamodt, G

2013-02-01

Compared to pH ≥7.0 in Norwegian municipal drinking water, pH <7.0 increased the risk of forearm fractures in the population-based Cohort of Norway (CONOR; n = 127,272). The association was attenuated (p > 0.05) after adjustments for indicators of bacteria and organic matter, which may signify an association between poor drinking water and bone health. The Norwegian population has the highest rate of fractures ever reported. A large variation in fracture rate both between and within countries indicates that an environmental factor, such as the quality of drinking water, could be one of the causes of the disparities. Our aim was to investigate a possible association between pH (an important parameter for water quality) and self-reported forearm fracture and to examine whether other water quality factors could account for this association. Using Geographic Information Systems, information on the quality of drinking water was linked to CONOR (n = 127,272; mean age, 50.2 ± 15.8 years), a database comprising ten regional epidemiological health surveys from across the country in the time period 1994-2003. The highest risk of forearm fracture was found at a pH of around 6.75, with a decreasing risk toward both higher and lower pH values. The increased adjusted odds of forearm fracture in men consuming municipal drinking water with pH <7.0 compared to water with pH ≥7.0 was odds ratio (OR) = 1.19 (95 % CI, 1.14, 1.25), and the corresponding increased odds in women was OR = 1.14 (95 % CI, 1.08, 1.19). This association was attenuated (p > 0.05) after further adjustments for other water quality factors (color grade, intestinal enterococci, and Clostridium perfringens). Our findings indicate a higher risk of fracture when consuming water of an acidic pH; however, the risk does not only seem to be due to the acidity level per se, but also to other aspects of water quality associated with pH.

Shallow ground-water quality beneath cropland in the Red River of the North Basin, Minnesota and North Dakota, 1993-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cowdery, Timothy K.

1997-01-01

Land-use factors that increased nitrate and herbicide concentrations were greater tilled area, chemical application, irrigation, and cropland contiguity. Hydrogeological factors that increased these concentrations were a deeper watertable (higher oxygen concentration and less organic carbon), larger grain-size and degree of sorting of aquifer material (shorter time in the soil zone and aquifer), and fewer sulfur-containing minerals (lignite and pyrite) composing the aquifer. High rainfall, just before sampling of the Sheyenne Delta aquifer, contributed to the relatively low nitrate and pesticide concentrations in the shallow ground water of this aquifer by raising the water table higher into the soil zone, increasing ponded water (increasing biodegradation), preventing some chemical application (flooded fields), and leaching and then displacing nitrate-rich water downward, beneath new recharge. The shallow ground-water quality measured beneath cropland in these land-use study areas covers a large range. The land-use, hydrogeological, and rainfall factors controlling this quality also control shallow ground-water quality in other surficial aquifers in the Red River of the North Basin. Although not used for drinking water, 43% of the shallow ground water from the Otter Tail outwash aquifer was above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's nitrate maximum contaminant level of 10 mg/L-N, reducing its potential uses. These high nitrate concentrations do not threaten the Otter Tail outwash aquifer's surface-water bodies with eutrophication however, because significant denitrification occurs beneath riparian wetlands before ground water discharges to surface waters.

Quality of reporting of modern randomized controlled trials in medical oncology: a systematic review.

PubMed

Péron, Julien; Pond, Gregory R; Gan, Hui K; Chen, Eric X; Almufti, Roula; Maillet, Denis; You, Benoit

2012-07-03

The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines were developed in the mid-1990s for the explicit purpose of improving clinical trial reporting. However, there is little information regarding the adherence to CONSORT guidelines of recent publications of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in oncology. All phase III RCTs published between 2005 and 2009 were reviewed using an 18-point overall quality score for reporting based on the 2001 CONSORT statement. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify features associated with improved reporting quality. To provide baseline data for future evaluations of reporting quality, RCTs were also assessed according to the 2010 revised CONSORT statement. All statistical tests were two-sided. A total of 357 RCTs were reviewed. The mean 2001 overall quality score was 13.4 on a scale of 0-18, whereas the mean 2010 overall quality score was 19.3 on a scale of 0-27. The overall RCT reporting quality score improved by 0.21 points per year from 2005 to 2009. Poorly reported items included method used to generate the random allocation (adequately reported in 29% of trials), whether and how blinding was applied (41%), method of allocation concealment (51%), and participant flow (59%). High impact factor (IF, P = .003), recent publication date (P = .008), and geographic origin of RCTs (P = .003) were independent factors statistically significantly associated with higher reporting quality in a multivariable regression model. Sample size, tumor type, and positivity of trial results were not associated with higher reporting quality, whereas funding source and treatment type had a borderline statistically significant impact. The results show that numerous items remained unreported for many trials. Thus, given the potential impact of poorly reported trials, oncology journals should require even stricter adherence to the CONSORT guidelines.

Teacher Drain from China's Higher Education Institutions and Some Consequences of This Drain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shufeng, Xu; Shihua, Cui; Zhaoping, Sun; Xianlei, Zhang

2005-01-01

Teachers are where the major strength of organizational control lies in the educational process; it is mainly they who restrict the quality of education and teaching and who are the irreplaceable factor in determining how well a school is run and its overall image. Therefore, once a teacher drain from higher education institutions begins, it is…

Policy Reforms, Trojan Horses, and Imaginary Friends: The Role of External Stakeholders in Internal Quality Assurance Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosa, Maria João; Teixeira, Pedro

2014-01-01

The governance of higher education has been changing across Europe, most notably in response to the reform agenda that has been pervading many higher education systems. This wave of reforms has given enhanced visibility to external stakeholders, which has been often received with contrasting views. Some regarded it as a factor that would undermine…

Instructor Support Services: An Inevitable Critical Success Factor in Blended Learning in Higher Education in Tanzania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raphael, Christina; Mtebe, Joel S.

2016-01-01

The adoption of blended learning to widen access, reduce cost, and improve the quality of education is becoming prevalent in higher education in sub-Saharan Africa and Tanzania in particular. University of Dar es Salaam and the Open University of Tanzania offer various blended learning courses using Moodle system via regional centres scattered…

Indoor air quality in primary schools in Kecioren, Ankara.

PubMed

Babayiğit, Mustafa Alparslan; Bakir, Bilal; Tekbaş, Omer Faruk; Oğur, Recai; Kiliç, Abdullah; Ulus, Serdar

2014-01-01

To increase the awareness of environmental risk factors by determining the indoor air quality status of primary schools. Indoor air quality parameters in 172 classrooms of 31 primary schools in Kecioren, Ankara, were examined for the purpose of assessing the levels of air pollutants (CO, CO2, SO2, NO2, and formaldehyde) within primary schools. Schools near heavy traffic had a statistically significant mean average of CO and SO2 (P < 0.05). The classrooms that had more than 35 students had higher and statistically significant averages of CO2, SO2, NO2, and formaldehyde compared to classrooms that had fewer than 35 students (P < 0.05). Of all classrooms, 29% had 100 CFU/100 mL and higher concentrations of microorganisms, which were not pathogens. Indoor air quality management should continually be maintained in primary schools for the prevention and control of acute and chronic diseases, particularly considering biological and chemical pollution.

Determinants of Marital Quality in an Arranged Marriage Society

PubMed Central

Allendorf, Keera

2013-01-01

Drawing on a uniquely large number of items on marital quality, this study explores the determinants of marital quality in Chitwan Valley, Nepal. Marital quality is measured with five dimensions identified through exploratory factor analysis, including satisfaction, communication, togetherness, problems, and disagreements. Gender, education, and spouse choice emerge as the most important determinants of these dimensions of marital quality. Specifically, men, those with more schooling, and those who participated in the choice of their spouse have higher levels of marital quality. By contrast, caste, occupation, age at marriage, marital duration, and number of children have little to no association with marital quality. While gender, education, and spouse choice emerge as key determinants of marital quality in this context, the majority of variation in marital quality remains unexplained. PMID:23146598

Comparison of CIGS solar cells made with different structures and fabrication techniques

DOE PAGES

Mansfield, Lorelle M.; Garris, Rebekah L.; Counts, Kahl D.; ...

2016-11-03

Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS)-based solar cells from six fabricators were characterized and compared. The devices had differing substrates, absorber deposition processes, buffer materials, and contact materials. The effective bandgaps of devices varied from 1.05 to 1.22 eV, with the lowest optical bandgaps occurring in those with metal-precursor absorber processes. Devices with Zn(O, S) or thin CdS buffers had quantum efficiencies above 90% down to 400 nm. Most voltages were 250-300 mV below the Shockley-Queisser limit for their bandgap. Electroluminescence intensity tracked well with the respective voltage deficits. Fill factor (FF) was as high as 95% of the maximum for each device'smore » respective current and voltage, with higher FF corresponding to lower diode quality factors (~1.3). An in-depth analysis of FF losses determined that diode quality reflected in the quality factor, voltage-dependent photocurrent, and, to a lesser extent, the parasitic resistances are the limiting factors. As a result, different absorber processes and device structures led to a range of electrical and physical characteristics, yet this investigation showed that multiple fabrication pathways could lead to high-quality and high-efficiency solar cells.« less

Comparison of CIGS solar cells made with different structures and fabrication techniques

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

Mansfield, Lorelle M.; Garris, Rebekah L.; Counts, Kahl D.

Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS)-based solar cells from six fabricators were characterized and compared. The devices had differing substrates, absorber deposition processes, buffer materials, and contact materials. The effective bandgaps of devices varied from 1.05 to 1.22 eV, with the lowest optical bandgaps occurring in those with metal-precursor absorber processes. Devices with Zn(O, S) or thin CdS buffers had quantum efficiencies above 90% down to 400 nm. Most voltages were 250-300 mV below the Shockley-Queisser limit for their bandgap. Electroluminescence intensity tracked well with the respective voltage deficits. Fill factor (FF) was as high as 95% of the maximum for each device'smore » respective current and voltage, with higher FF corresponding to lower diode quality factors (~1.3). An in-depth analysis of FF losses determined that diode quality reflected in the quality factor, voltage-dependent photocurrent, and, to a lesser extent, the parasitic resistances are the limiting factors. As a result, different absorber processes and device structures led to a range of electrical and physical characteristics, yet this investigation showed that multiple fabrication pathways could lead to high-quality and high-efficiency solar cells.« less

The Relationship among Childhood Discipline, Adult Attachment, and Academic Dishonesty in College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qualls, R. Christopher; Figgars, Lafe; Gibbs, Danette

2017-01-01

Given the high prevalence rate of academic dishonesty in institutions of higher education, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to its occurrence. The characteristics of an individual's family of origin are one set of factors that have been shown to be important predictors of academic dishonesty. However, the quality of one's…

Key factors influencing the incidence of hemolysis: A critical appraisal of current evidence.

PubMed

McCaughey, Euan James; Vecellio, Elia; Lake, Rebecca; Li, Ling; Burnett, Leslie; Chesher, Douglas; Braye, Stephen; Mackay, Mark; Gay, Stephanie; Badrick, Tony; Westbrook, Johanna; Georgiou, Andrew

2017-01-01

Hemolysis is a leading cause of pre-analytical laboratory errors. The identification of contributing factors is an important step towards the development of effective practices to reduce and prevent hemolysis. We performed a review of PUBMED, Embase, Medline and CINAHL to identify articles published between January 2000 and August 2016 that identified factors influencing in vitro hemolysis rates. The 40 studies included in this review provide excellent evidence that hemolysis rates are higher in Emergency Departments (EDs), for non-antecubital draws, for specimens drawn using an intravenous catheter compared to venipuncture and for samples transported by pneumatic tube compared to by hand. There is also good evidence that hemolysis rates are higher when specimens are not collected by professional phlebotomists, larger volume specimen tubes are used, specimen tubes are filled less than halfway and tourniquet time is greater than one minute. The results of this review suggest that hospitals and clinical laboratories should consider deploying phlebotomists in EDs, drawing all blood through a venipuncture, using the antecubital region as the optimum blood collection site and transporting specimens by laboratory assistant/other personnel, or if this in not practical, ensuring that pneumatic transport systems are validated, maintained and monitored. Studies also recommend making hemolysis a hospital-wide issue and ensuring high-quality staff training and adherence to standard operating procedures to reduce hemolysis rates. Awareness of the factors that influence hemolysis rates, and adoption of strategies to mitigate these risk factors, is an important step towards creating quality practices to reduce hemolysis rates and improve the quality of patient care.

Factors related to quality of life and satisfaction with nasal appearance in patients treated for unilateral cleft lip and palate.

PubMed

Mani, Maria; Reiser, Erika; Andlin-Sobocki, Anna; Skoog, Valdemer; Holmström, Mats

2013-07-01

Objective : To identify factors related to quality of life (QoL) and satisfaction with nasal appearance among patients treated for unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). Design : Cross-sectional population study with long-term follow-up. Patients/Settings : All patients with UCLP born between 1960 and 1987, treated at Uppsala University Hospital, were invited (n  =  109); 86 (79%) participated. Mean follow-up time was 35 years. Main Outcome Measures : Quality of life was measured with Short Form-36 (SF-36) and analyzed using mental and physical cluster scores (MCS and PCS). Nasal appearance was self-assessed with the "Satisfaction With Appearance" questionnaire and by panel judgment. Multivariate regression analyses explored endogenous factors (age, gender, infancy cleft width, nasal function, nasolabial appearance) and exogenous factors (marital status, number of children, education level, operation method, number of rhinoplasties performed). Results : A larger cleft width in infancy was associated with less satisfaction with nasal appearance as adults. A lower mental health QoL was associated with less satisfaction with nasal appearance. Despite female gender being linked to less satisfaction with nasal appearance, it was associated with higher mental health QoL. Higher resistance during nasal breathing was associated with lower physical health QoL. Conclusions : Gender and infant cleft width may affect QoL and satisfaction with nasal appearance among adults. They are potential predictive factors for satisfaction with nasal appearance and QoL during adulthood. The correlation of nasal function impairment and decreased physical health QoL underlines the importance of treatment of nasal symptoms in these patients.

Physics of Limiting Phenomena in Superconducting Microwave Resonators: Vortex Dissipation, Ultimate Quench and Quality Factor Degradation Mechanisms

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

Checchin, Mattia

Superconducting niobium accelerating cavities are devices operating in radio-frequency and able to accelerate charged particles up to energy of tera-electron-volts. Such accelerating structures are though limited in terms of quality factor and accelerating gradient, that translates--in some cases--in higher capital costs of construction and operation of superconducting rf accelerators. Looking forward for a new generation of more affordable accelerators, the physical description of limiting mechanisms in superconducting microwave resonators is discussed. In particular, the physics behind the dissipation introduced by vortices in the superconductor, the ultimate quench limitations and the quality factor degradation mechanism after a quench are described inmore » detail. One of the limiting factor of the quality factor is the dissipation introduced by trapped magnetic flux vortices. The radio-frequency complex response of trapped vortices in superconductors is derived by solving the motion equation for a magnetic flux line, assuming a bi-dimensional and mean free path-dependent Lorentzian-shaped pinning potential. The resulting surface resistance shows the bell-shaped trend as a function of the mean free path, in agreement with the experimental data observed. Such bell-shaped trend of the surface resistance is described in terms of the interplay of the two limiting regimes identified as pinning and flux flow regimes, for low and large mean free path values respectively. The model predicts that the dissipation regime--pinning- or flux-flow-dominated--can be tuned either by acting on the frequency or on the electron mean free path value. The effect of different configurations of pinning sites and strength on the vortex surface resistance are also discussed. Accelerating cavities are also limited by the quench of the superconductive state, which limits the maximum accelerating gradient achievable. The accelerating field limiting factor is usually associate d to the superheating field, which is intimately correlated to the penetration of magnetic flux vortices in the material. Experimental data for N-doped cavities suggest that uniform Ginzburg-Landau parameter cavities are statistically limited by the lower critical field, in terms of accelerating gradient. By introducing a Ginzburg-Landau parameter profile at the cavity rf surface--dirty layer--the accelerating gradient of superconducting resonators can be enhanced. The description of the physics behind the accelerating gradient enhancement as a consequence of the dirty layer is carried out by solving numerically the Ginzburg-Landau equations for the layered system. The enhancement is showed to be promoted by the higher energy barrier to vortex penetration, and by the enhanced lower critical field. Another serious threat to the quality factor during the cavity operation is the extra dissipation introduced by the quench. Such quality factor degradation mechanism due to the quench, is generated by the trapping of external magnetic flux at quench spot. The purely extrinsic origin of such extra dissipation is proven by the impossibility of decrease the quality factor by quenching in a magnetic field-free environment. Also, a clear relation of the dissipation introduced by quenching to the orientation of the applied magnetic field is observed. The full recover of the quality factor by re-quenching in compensated field is possible when the trapped flux at the quench spot is modest. On the contrary, when the trapped magnetic flux is too large, the quality factor degradation may become irreversible by this technique, likely due to the outward flux migration beyond the normal zone opening during the quench.« less

Physics of limiting phenomena in superconducting microwave resonators: Vortex dissipation, ultimate quench and quality factor degradation mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Checchin, Mattia

Superconducting niobium accelerating cavities are devices operating in radiofrequency and able to accelerate charged particles up to energy of tera-electron-volts. Such accelerating structures are though limited in terms of quality factor and accelerating gradient, that translates--in some cases--in higher capital costs of construction and operation of superconducting rf accelerators. Looking forward for a new generation of more affordable accelerators, the physical description of limiting mechanisms in superconducting microwave resonators is discussed. In particular, the physics behind the dissipation introduced by vortices in the superconductor, the ultimate quench limitations and the quality factor degradation mechanism after a quench are described in detail. One of the limiting factor of the quality factor is the dissipation introduced by trapped magnetic flux vortices. The radio-frequency complex response of trapped vortices in superconductors is derived by solving the motion equation for a magnetic flux line, assuming a bi-dimensional and mean free path-dependent Lorentzian-shaped pinning potential. The resulting surface resistance shows the bell-shaped trend as a function of the mean free path, in agreement with the experimental data observed. Such bell-shaped trend of the surface resistance is described in terms of the interplay of the two limiting regimes identified as pinning and flux flow regimes, for low and large mean free path values respectively. The model predicts that the dissipation regime--pinning- or flux-flow-dominated--can be tuned either by acting on the frequency or on the electron mean free path value. The effect of different configurations of pinning sites and strength on the vortex surface resistance are also discussed. Accelerating cavities are also limited by the quench of the superconductive state, which limits the maximum accelerating gradient achievable. The accelerating field limiting factor is usually associated to the superheating field, which is intimately correlated to the penetration of magnetic flux vortices in the material. Experimental data for N-doped cavities suggest that uniform Ginzburg-Landau parameter cavities are statistically limited by the lower critical field, in terms of accelerating gradient. By introducing a Ginzburg-Landau parameter profile at the cavity rf surface--dirty layer--the accelerating gradient of superconducting resonators can be enhanced. The description of the physics behind the accelerating gradient enhancement as a consequence of the dirty layer is carried out by solving numerically the Ginzburg-Landau equations for the layered system. The enhancement is showed to be promoted by the higher energy barrier to vortex penetration, and by the enhanced lower critical field. Another serious threat to the quality factor during the cavity operation is the extra dissipation introduced by the quench. Such quality factor degradation mechanism due to the quench, is generated by the trapping of external magnetic flux at the quench spot. The purely extrinsic origin of such extra dissipation is proven by the impossibility of decrease the quality factor by quenching in a magnetic field-free environment. Also, a clear relation of the dissipation introduced by quenching to the orientation of the applied magnetic field is observed. The full recover of the quality factor by re-quenching in compensated field is possible when the trapped flux at the quench spot is modest. On the contrary, when the trapped magnetic flux is too large, the quality factor degradation may become irreversible by this technique, likely due to the outward flux migration beyond the normal zone opening during the quench.

Use of ecological momentary assessment to determine which structural factors impact perceived teaching quality of attending rounds.

PubMed

Willett, Lisa; Houston, Thomas K; Heudebert, Gustavo R; Estrada, Carlos

2012-09-01

Providing high-quality teaching to residents during attending rounds is challenging. Reasons include structural factors that affect rounds, which are beyond the attending's teaching style and control. To develop a new evaluation tool to identify the structural components of ward rounds that most affect teaching quality in an internal medicine (IM) residency program. The authors developed a 10-item Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) tool and collected daily evaluations for 18 months from IM residents rotating on inpatient services. Residents ranked the quality of teaching on rounds that day, and questions related to their service (general medicine, medical intensive care unit, and subspecialty services), patient census, absenteeism of team members, call status, and number of teaching methods used by the attending. Residents completed 488 evaluation cards over 18 months. This found no association between perceived teaching quality and training level, team absenteeism, and call status. We observed differences by service (P < .001) and patient census (P  =  .009). After adjusting for type of service, census was no longer significant. Use of a larger variety of teaching methods was associated with higher perceived teaching quality, regardless of service or census (P for trend < .001). The EMA tool successfully identified that higher patient census was associated with lower perceived teaching quality, but the results were also influenced by the type of teaching service. We found that, regardless of census or teaching service, attendings can improve their teaching by diversifying the number of methods used in daily rounds.

Health-related Quality of Life of Patients With Chronic Systolic Heart Failure in Spain: Results of the VIDA-IC Study.

PubMed

Comín-Colet, Josep; Anguita, Manuel; Formiga, Francesc; Almenar, Luis; Crespo-Leiro, María G; Manzano, Luis; Muñiz, Javier; Chaves, José; de Frutos, Trinidad; Enjuanes, Cristina

2016-03-01

Although heart failure negatively affects the health-related quality of life of Spanish patients there is little information on the clinical factors associated with this issue. Cross-sectional multicenter study of health-related quality of life. A specific questionnaire (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire) and a generic questionnaire (EuroQoL-5D) were administered to 1037 consecutive outpatients with systolic heart failure. Most patients with poor quality of life had a worse prognosis and increased severity of heart failure. Mobility was more limited and rates of pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression were higher in the study patients than in the general population and patients with other chronic conditions. The scores on both questionnaires were very highly correlated (Pearson r =0.815; P < .001). Multivariable linear regression showed that being older (standardized β=-0.2; P=.03), female (standardized β=-10.3; P < .001), having worse functional class (standardized β=-20.4; P < .001), a higher Charlson comorbidity index (standardized β=-1.2; P=.005), and recent hospitalization for heart failure (standardized β=6.28; P=.006) were independent predictors of worse health-related quality of life. Patients with heart failure have worse quality of life than the general Spanish population and patients with other chronic diseases. Female sex, being older, comorbidity, advanced symptoms, and recent hospitalization are determinant factors in health-related quality of life in these patients. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Indoor air quality of everyday use spaces dedicated to specific purposes-a review.

PubMed

Marć, Mariusz; Śmiełowska, Monika; Namieśnik, Jacek; Zabiegała, Bożena

2018-01-01

According to literature data, some of the main factors which significantly affect the quality of the indoor environment in residential households or apartments are human activities such as cooking, smoking, cleaning, and indoor exercising. The paper presents a literature overview related to air quality in everyday use spaces dedicated to specific purposes which are integral parts of residential buildings, such as kitchens, basements, and individual garages. Some aspects of air quality in large-scale car parks, as a specific type of indoor environment, are also discussed. All those areas are characterized by relatively short time use. On the other hand, high and very high concentration levels of xenobiotics can be observed, resulting in higher exposure risk. The main compounds or group of chemical compounds are presented and discussed. The main factors influencing the type and amount of chemical pollutants present in the air of such areas are indicated.

Mediators of Aggression Among Young Adult Offspring of Depressed Mothers

PubMed Central

Keenan-Miller, Danielle; Hammen, Constance; Brennan, Patricia A.

2010-01-01

The current paper explores the connection between maternal depression and offspring aggression during the transition to adulthood, expanding the scope of prior research on this topic. Both family-level factors (including parent-child relationship quality and maternal relationship quality) and youth factors (including depression history and social functioning in mid-adolescence) were tested as potential mediators in a longitudinal community sample of 710 youth at ages 15 and 20. The results suggest that maternal depression confers a risk for higher levels of aggressive behavior by offspring at age 20. Structural Equation Models suggested that the association between maternal depression and youth aggression is fully mediated by youth history of depression by mid-adolescence, even when accounting for the stability of aggression between ages 15 and 20. Parent-child relationship quality, youth social functioning, and maternal relationship quality were not unique mediators of this association. Limitations and implications are discussed. PMID:20919790

The suitability of three Galia melon cultivars and different types of cuts for the fresh-cut industry.

PubMed

Silveira, Ana C; Aguayo, Encarna; Artés, Francisco

2013-12-01

Melons (Cucumis melo L.) are widely cultivated in Mediterranean countries. For fresh-cut melon elaboration, factors such as type of cultivar and cut have a significant impact on final product quality. The quality parameters from long, medium and short shelf-life Galia melon cultivars, cut into different shapes such as slices, trapezoids and cylinders and stored up to 10 days at 5 °C, were evaluated in order to learn the suitability of these cultivars and type of cut for minimal processing. In general, long-life melon cultivar had a low respiration rate and ethylene emissions, and high tissue firmness, but low levels of glucose, fructose, vitamin C and flavor rating by consumers. However, despite having higher metabolic activity and susceptibility to microbial spoilage, the short shelf-life cultivar melon had higher firmness retention. This cultivar was characterized by its richness in glucose, fructose and vitamin C, and its sensory quality (flavor) was highly valued. In general, the medium cultivar had an intermediate behavior between long and short cultivars but without their positive attributes. As a consequence of the most intense damage, the cylindrical shape had higher metabolic activity, susceptibility to microbial spoilage and reduced appearance. In the long and medium-life cultivars studied, low flavor was the limiting factor to extend the shelf-life of fresh-cut melon while for the short-life cultivar the limiting factor was its susceptibility to bacterial growth. Cut types such as cylinders should be avoided. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Health-related quality of life in the Brazilian Amazon: a population-based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Silva, Marcus Tolentino; Caicedo Roa, Monica; Galvao, Tais Freire

2017-08-14

To analyze perceptions of health-related quality of life and associated factors in populations from the Manaus Metropolitan Region. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study from May to August 2015. Adults aged 18 years and older were selected using probabilistic three-phase cluster sampling and stratified by sex and age, based on official estimates. Quality of life data were collected using the European Quality of Life 5-Dimensions 3-Levels (EQ-5D-3L) along with socioeconomic, demographic, and health perception data. Utility scores were calculated using the Brazilian version of the EQ-5D-3L. Descriptive statistics were derived, and a multivariate Tobit regression model with correction for complex sampling was performed to identify the variables that influence utility levels. A total of 4001 participants were included. The average utility score was 0.886 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.881-0.890) with significant differences according to living area (the capital (0.882 ± 0.144) or inner cities (0.908 ± 0.122; p < 0.001)). The dimension for which the highest proportion of people reported moderate to severe problems was pain/discomfort (39%), followed by anxiety/depression (18%). Men had a higher quality of life than women (β = 0.041, p < 0.001). Not working was a factor that increased quality of life compared with being formally employed (β = 0.031, p = 0.037). The poorest people had a lower quality of life than the richest people (β = -0.118, p < 0.001). Better health perceptions increased utility scores (p < 0.001), while being separated decreased the scores (β = -0.052, p = 0.001). Health-related quality of life in the Manaus Metropolitan Region was high, as expected for the general population, and was higher among individuals who lived in the inner cities, men and those in higher social classes. Gender discrepancies and differences in quality of life between the capital and inner cities should be further investigated.

Factors associated with the use and quality of antenatal care in Nepal: a population-based study using the demographic and health survey data.

PubMed

Joshi, Chandni; Torvaldsen, Siranda; Hodgson, Ray; Hayen, Andrew

2014-03-03

Good quality antenatal care (ANC) reduces maternal and neonatal mortality and improves health outcomes, particularly in low-income countries. Quality of ANC is measured by three dimensions: number of visits, timing of initiation of care and inclusion of all recommended components of care. Although some studies report on predictors of the first two indicators, no studies on the third indicator, which measures quality of ANC received, have been conducted in Nepal. Nepal follows the World Health Organization's recommendations of initiation of ANC within the first four months of pregnancy and at least four ANC visits during the course of an uncomplicated pregnancy. This study aimed to identify factors associated with 1) attendance at four or more ANC visits and 2) receipt of good quality ANC. Data from Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2011 were analysed for 4,079 mothers. Good quality ANC was defined as that which included all seven recommended components: blood pressure measurement; urine tests for detecting bacteriuria and proteinuria; blood tests for syphilis and anaemia; and provision of iron supplementation, intestinal parasite drugs, tetanus toxoid injections and health education. Half the women had four or more ANC visits and 85% had at least one visit. Health education, iron supplementation, blood pressure measurement and tetanus toxoid were the more commonly received components of ANC. Older age, higher parity, and higher levels of education and household economic status of the women were predictors of both attendance at four or more visits and receipt of good quality ANC. Women who did not smoke, had a say in decision-making, whose husbands had higher levels of education and were involved in occupations other than agriculture were more likely to attend four or more visits. Other predictors of women's receipt of good quality ANC were receiving their ANC from a skilled provider, in a hospital, living in an urban area and being exposed to general media. Continued efforts at improving access to quality ANC in Nepal are required. In the short term, less educated women from socioeconomically disadvantaged households require targeting. Long-term improvements require a focus on improving female education.

Identification of factors affecting colostrum quality of dairy Lacaune ewes assessed with the Brix refractometer.

PubMed

Torres-Rovira, Laura; Pesantez-Pacheco, Jose-Luis; Hernandez, Fernando; Elvira-Partida, Laura; Perez-Solana, Maria-Luz; Gonzalez-Martin, Juan-Vicente; Gonzalez-Bulnes, Antonio; Astiz, Susana

2017-11-01

In this Research Communication we assessed factors affecting colostrum quality of dairy Lacaune ewes using the Brix-refractometer. Colostrum from 536 lambings from one commercial intensive dairy Lacaune farm were analysed for the following factors with potential influence in colostrum quality: (1) ewe parity (n = 84-132), (2) length of previous dry period (PDP) (n = 23-214), (3) age at first lambing (AFL) of primiparous ewes (n = 9-88), (4) lambing season (n = 192 or 344), and (5) year (2011-2013, n = 142-203). Parity significantly affected colostrum quality, with primiparous ewes showing the highest Brix refractometer values (22·6 ± 5·6%, P < 0·0001), though values were similar among multiparous ewes. PDP length also significantly affected colostrum quality: ewes with the shortest PDP showed the worst quality (16·8 ± 4·2%, P < 0·0001), with quality gradually rising with PDP length. Colostrum quality was significantly higher in 2011 (21·0 ± 5·2%) than in 2012 or 2013 (P < 0·0001); this likely reflects the several-fold greater proportion of animals with long PDP in 2011. In contrast, neither AFL nor lambing season significantly affected colostrum quality. These results suggest that parity and PDP length can substantially affect ovine colostrum quality of dairy ewes under intensive management conditions and they further show the usefulness of the Brix refractometer for providing a rough estimation of colostrum quality on-farm. However, further studies are needed to determine a validated cut-off Brix value for identifying good-quality colostra in ovine species.

Neurologic Functional and Quality of Life Outcomes after TBI: Clinic Attendees versus Non-Attendees

PubMed Central

Wilson, Laura D.; Bregman, Jana A.; Leath, Taylor C.; Humble, Stephen S.; Davidson, Mario A.; de Riesthal, Michael R.; Guillamondegui, Oscar D.

2015-01-01

Abstract This investigation describes the relationship between TBI patient demographics, quality of life outcome, and functional status outcome among clinic attendees and non-attendees. Of adult TBI survivors with intracranial hemorrhage, 63 attended our TBI clinic and 167 did not attend. All were telephone surveyed using the Extended-Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE), the Quality of Life after Brain Injury (QOLIBRI) scale, and a post-discharge therapy questionnaire. To determine risk factors for GOSE and QOLIBRI outcomes, we created multivariable regression models employing covariates of age, injury characteristics, clinic attendance, insurance status, post-discharge rehabilitation, and time from injury. Compared with those with severe TBI, higher GOSE scores were identified in individuals with both mild (odds ratio [OR]=2.0; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1–3.6) and moderate (OR=4.7; 95% CI: 1.6–14.1) TBIs. In addition, survivors with private insurance had higher GOSE scores, compared with those with public insurance (OR=2.0; 95% CI: 1.1–3.6), workers' compensation (OR=8.4; 95% CI: 2.6–26.9), and no insurance (OR=3.1; 95% CI: 1.6–6.2). Compared with those with severe TBI, QOLIBRI scores were 11.7 points (95% CI: 3.7–19.7) higher in survivors with mild TBI and 17.3 points (95% CI: 3.2–31.5) higher in survivors with moderate TBI. In addition, survivors who received post-discharge rehabilitation had higher QOLIBRI scores by 11.4 points (95% CI: 3.7–19.1) than those who did not. Survivors with private insurance had QOLIBRI scores that were 25.5 points higher (95% CI: 11.3–39.7) than those with workers' compensation and 16.8 points higher (95% CI: 7.4–26.2) than those without insurance. Because neurologic injury severity, insurance status, and receipt of rehabilitation or therapy are independent risk factors for functional and quality of life outcomes, future directions will include improving earlier access to post-TBI rehabilitation, social work services, affordable insurance, and community resources. PMID:25683481

Neurologic Functional and Quality of Life Outcomes after TBI: Clinic Attendees versus Non-Attendees.

PubMed

Patel, Mayur B; Wilson, Laura D; Bregman, Jana A; Leath, Taylor C; Humble, Stephen S; Davidson, Mario A; de Riesthal, Michael R; Guillamondegui, Oscar D

2015-07-01

This investigation describes the relationship between TBI patient demographics, quality of life outcome, and functional status outcome among clinic attendees and non-attendees. Of adult TBI survivors with intracranial hemorrhage, 63 attended our TBI clinic and 167 did not attend. All were telephone surveyed using the Extended-Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE), the Quality of Life after Brain Injury (QOLIBRI) scale, and a post-discharge therapy questionnaire. To determine risk factors for GOSE and QOLIBRI outcomes, we created multivariable regression models employing covariates of age, injury characteristics, clinic attendance, insurance status, post-discharge rehabilitation, and time from injury. Compared with those with severe TBI, higher GOSE scores were identified in individuals with both mild (odds ratio [OR]=2.0; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-3.6) and moderate (OR=4.7; 95% CI: 1.6-14.1) TBIs. In addition, survivors with private insurance had higher GOSE scores, compared with those with public insurance (OR=2.0; 95% CI: 1.1-3.6), workers' compensation (OR=8.4; 95% CI: 2.6-26.9), and no insurance (OR=3.1; 95% CI: 1.6-6.2). Compared with those with severe TBI, QOLIBRI scores were 11.7 points (95% CI: 3.7-19.7) higher in survivors with mild TBI and 17.3 points (95% CI: 3.2-31.5) higher in survivors with moderate TBI. In addition, survivors who received post-discharge rehabilitation had higher QOLIBRI scores by 11.4 points (95% CI: 3.7-19.1) than those who did not. Survivors with private insurance had QOLIBRI scores that were 25.5 points higher (95% CI: 11.3-39.7) than those with workers' compensation and 16.8 points higher (95% CI: 7.4-26.2) than those without insurance. Because neurologic injury severity, insurance status, and receipt of rehabilitation or therapy are independent risk factors for functional and quality of life outcomes, future directions will include improving earlier access to post-TBI rehabilitation, social work services, affordable insurance, and community resources.

Low-calorie- and calorie-sweetened beverages: diet quality, food intake, and purchase patterns of US household consumers.

PubMed

Piernas, Carmen; Mendez, Michelle A; Ng, Shu Wen; Gordon-Larsen, Penny; Popkin, Barry M

2014-03-01

Few studies have investigated the diet quality of consumers of low-calorie-sweetened (LCS) and calorie-sweetened (CS) beverages. The objective was to examine the dietary quality and adherence to dietary purchasing and consumption patterns of beverage consumers from 2000 to 2010. We analyzed purchases for 140,352 households from the Homescan longitudinal data set 2000-2010 and dietary intake from NHANES 2003-2010 (n = 34,393). We defined mutually exclusive consumer profiles as main exposures: LCS beverages, CS beverages, LCS & CS beverages, and non/low consumers. As main outcomes, we explored dietary quality by using total energy and macronutrients (kcal/d). We performed factor analyses and applied factor scores to derive dietary patterns as secondary outcomes. Using multivariable linear (NHANES) and random-effects (Homescan) models, we investigated the associations between beverage profiles and dietary patterns. We found "prudent" and "breakfast" patterns in Homescan and NHANES, "ready-to-eat meals/fast-food" and "prudent/snacks/LCS desserts" patterns in Homescan, and "protein/potatoes" and "CS desserts/sweeteners" patterns in NHANES. In both data sets, compared with non/low consumers, both CS- and LCS-beverage consumers had a significantly higher total energy from foods, higher energy from total and SFAs, and lower probability of adherence to prudent and breakfast patterns. In Homescan, LCS-beverage consumers had a higher probability of adherence to 2 distinct patterns: a prudent/snacks/LCS dessert pattern and a ready-to-eat meals/fast-food purchasing pattern. Our findings suggest that overall dietary quality is lower in LCS-, CS-, and LCS & CS-beverage consumers relative to non/low consumers. Our study highlights the importance of targeting foods that are linked with sweetened beverages (either LCS or CS) in intervention and policy efforts that aim to improve nutrition in the United States.

Global Assessment of the Impact of Type 2 Diabetes on Sleep through Specific Questionnaires. A Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Lecube, Albert; Sánchez, Enric; Gómez-Peralta, Fernando; Abreu, Cristina; Valls, Joan; Mestre, Olga; Romero, Odile; Martínez, María Dolores; Sampol, Gabriel; Ciudin, Andreea; Hernández, Cristina; Simó, Rafael

2016-01-01

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an independent risk factor for sleep breathing disorders. However, it is unknown whether T2D affects daily somnolence and quality of sleep independently of the impairment of polysomnographic parameters. A case-control study including 413 patients with T2D and 413 non-diabetic subjects, matched by age, gender, BMI, and waist and neck circumferences. A polysomnography was performed and daytime sleepiness was evaluated using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). In addition, 135 subjects with T2D and 45 controls matched by the same previous parameters were also evaluated through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to calculate sleep quality. Daytime sleepiness was higher in T2D than in control subjects (p = 0.003), with 23.9% of subjects presenting an excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS>10). Patients with fasting plasma glucose (FPG ≥13.1 mmol/l) were identified as the group with a higher risk associated with an ESS>10 (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.8-7.9, p = 0.0003). A stepwise regression analyses showed that the presence of T2D, baseline glucose levels and gender but not polysomnographic parameters (i.e apnea-hyoapnea index or sleeping time spent with oxigen saturation lower than 90%) independently predicted the ESS score. In addition, subjects with T2D showed higher sleep disturbances [PSQI: 7.0 (1.0-18.0) vs. 4 (0.0-12.0), p<0.001]. The presence of T2D and high levels of FPG are independent risk factors for daytime sleepiness and adversely affect sleep quality. Prospective studies addressed to demonstrate whether glycemia optimization could improve the sleep quality in T2D patients seem warranted.

Effects of land use, stream habitat, and water quality on biological communities of wadeable streams in the Illinois River Basin of Arkansas, 2011 and 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petersen, James C.; Justus, B.G.; Meredith, Bradley J.

2014-01-01

The Illinois River Basin includes an area of diverse land use in northwestern Arkansas. Land-use data collected in 2006 indicate that most of the land in the basin is agricultural. The agricultural land is used primarily for production of poultry and cattle. Eighteen sites were selected from the list of candidate sites based on drainage area, land use, presence or absence of an upstream wastewater-treatment plant, water quality, and other information gathered during the reconnaissance. An important consideration in the process was to select sites along gradients of forest to urban land use and forest to agricultural land use. Water-quality samples were collected for analysis of nutrients, and a multiparameter field meter was used to measure water temperature, specific conductance, pH, and dissolved oxygen. Streamflow was measured immediately following the water-quality sampling. Macroalgae coverage was estimated and periphyton, macroinvertebrate, and fish communities were sampled at each site. Stream habitat also was assessed. Many types of land-use, water-quality, and habitat factors affected one or more aspects of the biological communities. Several macroinvertebrate and fish metrics changed in response to changes in percent forest; sites that would be considered most disturbed, based on these metrics, are sites with the highest percentages of urban land use in their associated basins. The presence of large mats of macroalgae was one of the most noticeable biological characteristics in several streams within the Illinois River Basin. The highest macroalgae percent cover values were recorded at four sites downstream from wastewater-treatment plants. Macroalgae percent cover was strongly correlated only with bed substrate size, canopy closure, and specific conductance. Periphyton metrics were most often and most strongly correlated with riparian shading, specific conductance, substrate turbidity, percent agriculture, poultry house density, and unpaved road density; some of these factors were strongly correlated with percent forest, percent urban, or percent agriculture. Total biovolume of periphyton was not strongly correlated with any of the land use, habitat, or water-quality factors assessed in the present study. Although algal growth typically increases with higher nutrient concentrations and less shading, the standing crop of periphyton on rocks can be reduced by herbivorous macroinvertebrates and fish, which may explain why total biovolume in Ozark streams was not strongly affected by water-quality (or other habitat) factors. A macroinvertebrate index and several macroinvertebrate metrics were adversely affected by increasing urban and agricultural land use and associated environmental factors. Factors most commonly affecting the index and metrics included factors associated with water quality, stream geometry, sediment, land-use percentages, and road density. In general, the macroinvertebrate index was higher (indicative of least disturbance) at sites with greater percentages of forest in their basins, lower percentages of urban land in their basins, and lower paved road density. Upstream wastewater-treatment plants affected several metrics. For example, three of the five lowest macroinvertebrate index scores, two of the five lowest percent predator values, and two of the five highest percent gatherer-collector values were at sites downstream from wastewater-treatment plants. The Ozark Highlands fish index of biotic integrity and several fish metrics were adversely affected by increasing urban and agricultural land use and associated factors. Factors affecting these metrics included factors associated with nutrients, sediment, and shading. In general, the fish index of biotic integrity was higher at sites with higher percentages of forest in their basins, lower percentages of urban land in their basins, higher unpaved road density, and lower paved and total road density. Upstream wastewater-treatment plants seemed to affect some fish community metrics substantially but had little effect on other metrics. For example, three of the five lowest relative abundances of lithophilic spawner minus stonerollers and four of the five highest stoneroller abundances were at sites downstream from wastewater-treatment plants. Interpretations of the results of the study described in this report are limited by a number of factors. These factors individually and collectively add to uncertainty and variability in the responses to various environmental stresses. Notwithstanding the limiting factors, the biological responses of macroalgae cover and periphyton, macroinvertebrate, and fish metrics to environmental variables provide multiple lines of evidence that biological communities of these streams are affected by recent and ongoing land-use practices. For several biological metrics there appears to be a threshold of about 40 to 50 percent forest where values of these metrics change in magnitude. However, the four sites with more than 50 percent forest in their basins were the four sites sampled in late May–early June of 2012 (rather than July–August of 2011). The relative influence of season and forest percentage on the biological communities at these sites is unknown.

A Case Study of the Functional Impact of Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs Accreditation on Business Education at a Suburban Philadelphia Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beem, Charles Winthrop

2017-01-01

The topic of specialized accreditation is considered in relationship to its impact on the quality of community college business education. As higher education has entered into an era of enhanced accountability research is necessary to understand what factors may influence quality student learning and competency. This study examines the impact of…

Binary phase plates cannot improve laser beam quality.

PubMed

Siegman, A E

1993-05-01

Binary phase plates are often suggested as a means for improving the far-field brightness of beams coming from antiphased laser arrays or waveguide lasers operating in higher-order modes. Somewhat surprisingly, however, binary phase plates actually cannot improve at all the second-moment-based beam quality factor M(2) as usually defined for such beams. Even from a power-in-the-bucket viewpoint, their usefulness is debatable.

Cognitive and Motivational Factors Associated with Sedentary Behavior: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Rollo, Scott; Gaston, Anca; Prapavessis, Harry

2016-01-01

Excessive time spent in sedentary behavior (SB) is associated with numerous health risks. These associations remain even after controlling for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA) and body mass index, indicating that efforts to promote leisure time physical activity alone are insufficient. Cognitive and motivation variables represent potentially modifiable factors and have the potential of furthering our understanding of sedentary behavior. Hence, a systematic review was conducted to synthesize and critique the literature on the relationship between cognitive and motivational factors and sedentary behaviors. In April 2016, four electronic databases (Psych info, Pub Med, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science) were searched and a total of 4866 titles and abstracts were reviewed. After meeting inclusion criteria, study characteristics were extracted and the methodological quality of each study was assessed according to the Downs and Black Checklist. PRISMA guidelines for reporting of systematic reviews were followed. Twenty-five studies (16 cross-sectional, 8 longitudinal and one examining two populations and employing both a cross-sectional and prospective design) assessed 23 different cognitive and motivational factors. Seventeen studies were theory-based and 8 did not employ a theoretical model. Results showed that among SB-related cognitions, risk factors for greater sedentary time included having a more positive attitude towards SB, perceiving greater social support/norms for SB, reporting greater SB habits, having greater intentions to be sedentary, and having higher intrinsic, introjected, and external motivation towards SB. Protective factors associated with lower sedentary time included having greater feelings of self-efficacy/control over SB and greater intentions to reduce SB. Among PA-related cognitions, protective factors for lower SB included a more positive attitude towards PA, having greater social support/norms for PA, greater self-efficacy/control for PA, higher PA intentions, and higher intrinsic and identified motivation towards PA. In addition, feeling more supported and empowered in general was related with lower levels of SB. The average methodological quality score for included studies was 69% (SD = 9.15%; range 35–80%). In conclusion, a number of cognitive and motivational factors were identified that were associated with sedentarism. These findings have come from reasonably high quality studies. To further extend our understanding of the relation between cognitive and motivational factors and SB, more longitudinal, theory-driven studies examining cognitions and motivation from a sedentary perspective are required. PMID:29546206

Is infant feeding pattern associated with father's quality of life?

PubMed

Chen, Yi Chun; Chie, Wei-Chu; Chang, Pei-Jen; Chuang, Chao-Hua; Lin, Yu-Hsuan; Lin, Shio-Jean; Chen, Pau-Chung

2010-12-01

The aim of this study was to compare the health-related quality of life of fathers under different infant feeding type scenarios. The Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form was used to measure the health-related quality of life of 1,699 fathers, and the scores were used to look for associations with different infant feeding methods. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to explore the contribution of the other potential related factors on fathers' quality of life. After controlling for confounding factors, fathers whose infants were ever being breast-fed reported lower scores than fathers whose infants were bottle-fed. Except for the infant feeding pattern, having a job, higher family income, and being the major caregiver were positively related to the father's quality of life. Fathers may not benefit during breast-feeding process. Because fathers' involvement plays an important role in the success of breast-feeding, the development of interventions that enable fathers to support their breast-feeding partner is very important.

Impacts of land use and population density on seasonal surface water quality using a modified geographically weighted regression.

PubMed

Chen, Qiang; Mei, Kun; Dahlgren, Randy A; Wang, Ting; Gong, Jian; Zhang, Minghua

2016-12-01

As an important regulator of pollutants in overland flow and interflow, land use has become an essential research component for determining the relationships between surface water quality and pollution sources. This study investigated the use of ordinary least squares (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models to identify the impact of land use and population density on surface water quality in the Wen-Rui Tang River watershed of eastern China. A manual variable excluding-selecting method was explored to resolve multicollinearity issues. Standard regression coefficient analysis coupled with cluster analysis was introduced to determine which variable had the greatest influence on water quality. Results showed that: (1) Impact of land use on water quality varied with spatial and seasonal scales. Both positive and negative effects for certain land-use indicators were found in different subcatchments. (2) Urban land was the dominant factor influencing N, P and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in highly urbanized regions, but the relationship was weak as the pollutants were mainly from point sources. Agricultural land was the primary factor influencing N and P in suburban and rural areas; the relationship was strong as the pollutants were mainly from agricultural surface runoff. Subcatchments located in suburban areas were identified with urban land as the primary influencing factor during the wet season while agricultural land was identified as a more prevalent influencing factor during the dry season. (3) Adjusted R 2 values in OLS models using the manual variable excluding-selecting method averaged 14.3% higher than using stepwise multiple linear regressions. However, the corresponding GWR models had adjusted R 2 ~59.2% higher than the optimal OLS models, confirming that GWR models demonstrated better prediction accuracy. Based on our findings, water resource protection policies should consider site-specific land-use conditions within each watershed to optimize mitigation strategies for contrasting land-use characteristics and seasonal variations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Psychological factors influence the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and their effect on quality of life among firefighters in South Korea.

PubMed

Jang, Seung-Ho; Ryu, Han-Seung; Choi, Suck-Chei; Lee, Sang-Yeol

2016-10-01

The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial factors related to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and their effects on quality of life (QOL) in firefighters. Data were collected from 1217 firefighters in a Korean province. We measured psychological symptoms using the scale. In order to observe the influence of the high-risk group on occupational stress, we conduct logistic multiple linear regression. The correlation between psychological factors and QOL was also analyzed and performed a hierarchical regression analysis. GERD was observed in 32.2% of subjects. Subjects with GERD showed higher depressive symptom, anxiety and occupational stress scores, and lower self-esteem and QOL scores relative to those observed in GERD - negative subject. GERD risk was higher for the following occupational stress subcategories: job demand, lack of reward, interpersonal conflict, and occupational climate. The stepwise regression analysis showed that depressive symptoms, occupational stress, self-esteem, and anxiety were the best predictors of QOL. The results suggest that psychological and medical approaches should be combined in GERD assessment.

Psychological factors influence the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and their effect on quality of life among firefighters in South Korea

PubMed Central

Jang, Seung-Ho; Ryu, Han-Seung; Choi, Suck-Chei; Lee, Sang-Yeol

2016-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial factors related to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and their effects on quality of life (QOL) in firefighters. Methods Data were collected from 1217 firefighters in a Korean province. We measured psychological symptoms using the scale. In order to observe the influence of the high-risk group on occupational stress, we conduct logistic multiple linear regression. The correlation between psychological factors and QOL was also analyzed and performed a hierarchical regression analysis. Results GERD was observed in 32.2% of subjects. Subjects with GERD showed higher depressive symptom, anxiety and occupational stress scores, and lower self-esteem and QOL scores relative to those observed in GERD – negative subject. GERD risk was higher for the following occupational stress subcategories: job demand, lack of reward, interpersonal conflict, and occupational climate. The stepwise regression analysis showed that depressive symptoms, occupational stress, self-esteem, and anxiety were the best predictors of QOL. Conclusions The results suggest that psychological and medical approaches should be combined in GERD assessment. PMID:27691373

Association of HMO penetration and other credit quality factors with tax-exempt bond yields.

PubMed

McCue, M J

1997-01-01

This paper evaluates the relationship of HMO penetration, as well as other credit quality measures of market, institutional, operational, and financial traits, to tax-exempt bond yields. The study analyzed more than 1,500 bond issues from 1990 through 1993 and corrected for simultaneous relationships between bond size and yield and selection bias. The study found lower bond yields for hospitals located in markets with no HMO penetration. Lower yields for bond issues also were found for facilities generating higher numbers of days cash on hand and greater debt service coverage. Finally, results show that hospitals with higher occupancy rates achieve a lower yield.

Contextual factors are associated with diet quality in youth with type 1 diabetes

PubMed Central

Nansel, Tonja R.; Lipsky, Leah M.; Liu, Aiyi; Laffel, Lori M.B.; Mehta, Sanjeev N.

2014-01-01

This study examined differences in diet quality by meal type, location, and time of week in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D). A sample of youth with T1D (n=252; 48% female) age 8 to 18 years (13.2±2.8) with diabetes duration ≥1 year (6.3±3.4) completed 3-day diet records. Multilevel linear regression models tested for differences in diet quality indicators by meal type, location and time of week (weekdays versus weekends). Participants showed greater energy intake and poorer diet quality on weekends relative to weekdays, with lower intake of fruit and vegetables, and higher intake of total and saturated fat. Differences in diet quality were seen across meal types, with higher nutrient density at breakfast and dinner than at lunch and snacks. Participants reported the highest whole grain and lowest fat intake at breakfast, but higher added sugar than at lunch or dinner. Dinner was characterized by the highest fruit intake, lowest added sugar, and lowest glycemic load, but also the highest sodium intake. The poorest nutrient density and highest added sugar occurred during snacks. Diet quality was poorer for meals consumed away from home than those consumed at home for breakfast, dinner, and snacks. Findings regarding lunch meal location were mixed, with higher nutrient density, lower glycemic load, and less added sugar at home lunches, and lower total fat, saturated fat, and sodium at lunches away from home. Findings indicate impacts of meal type, location and time of week on diet quality, suggesting targets for nutrition education and behavioral interventions. PMID:24651028

Perception and predictors of quality of life among HIV patients attending art clinics in northwest Ethiopia: a prospective longitudinal study.

PubMed

Wubshet, Mamo; Berhane, Yemane; Worku, Alemayehu; Kebede, Yigzaw

2014-07-01

In treating HIV as a chronic disease, monitoring changes of quality of life of patient's overtime is important for clinicians and policy makers. However, to our knowledge little research attention has been directed towards examining the longitudinal change of quality of life overtime in sub-Saharan Africa. To examine longitudinal changes in quality of life among patients initiated ART METHOD: A prospective longitudinal follow-up study was conducted from December 2009 to August 2011 to evaluate the changes in quality of life and how this relates with baseline socio-demographic and clinical characteristics among consecutive adult ART naïve patients attending ART clinic. Quality of life was measured by WHOQOL-HIV BREF. All quality of life domain scores improved significantly during 12 month follow-up in the ART program. At each follow-up visit, scores were significantly higher than baseline scores (p < 0.001). Predictors of improved quality of life were male gender, disclosure of HIV status, starting ART at higher CD4, > 200 cells/μL, and good baseline overall quality of life, whereas predictors of poor quality of life were starting ART with advanced disease stage and tuberculosis co-infection. This study demonstrated that the quality of life improved overtime for HIV-infected individuals receiving ART which is consistent with previous studies. It also provided information regarding the predictive effects of baseline socio-demographic and clinical factors on the changes in quality of life at the 12-month follow-up time. The finding of the study has implications of starting ART at a higher CD4 and early stage of the disease for better quality of life outcomes.

Factors associated with physical therapists' implementation of physical activity interventions in The Netherlands.

PubMed

Huijg, Johanna M; Dusseldorp, Elise; Gebhardt, Winifred A; Verheijden, Marieke W; van der Zouwe, Nicolette; Middelkoop, Barend J C; Duijzer, Geerke; Crone, Mathilde R

2015-04-01

Physical therapists play an important role in the promotion of physical activity (PA) and the effectiveness of PA interventions. However, little is known about the extent to which they implement PA interventions following the intervention protocol and about the factors influencing their implementation behaviors. The study objective was to investigate physical therapists' implementation fidelity regarding PA interventions, including completeness and quality of delivery, and influencing factors with a Theoretical Domains Framework-based questionnaire. The study was based on a cross-sectional design. A total of 268 physical therapists completed the Determinants of Implementation Behavior Questionnaire. Questions about completeness and quality of delivery were based on components and tasks of PA interventions as described by the Royal Dutch Society for Physical Therapy. Multilevel regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with completeness and quality of delivery. High implementation fidelity was found for the physical therapists, with higher scores for completeness of delivery than for quality of delivery. Physical therapists' knowledge, skills, beliefs about capabilities and consequences, positive emotions, behavioral regulation, and the automaticity of PA intervention delivery were the most important predictors of implementation fidelity. Together, the Theoretical Domains Framework accounted for 23% of the variance in both total completeness and total quality scores. The cross-sectional design precluded the determination of causal relationships. Also, the use of a self-report measure to assess implementation fidelity could have led to socially desirable responses, possibly resulting in more favorable ratings for completeness and quality. This study enhances the understanding of how physical therapists implement PA interventions and which factors influence their behaviors. Knowledge about these factors may assist in the development of strategies to improve physical therapists' implementation behaviors. © 2015 American Physical Therapy Association.

Cancer patient autonomy and quality of dying-a prospective nationwide survey in Taiwan.

PubMed

Cheng, Shao-Yi; Lin, Wen-Yuan; Cheng, Ya-Hui; Huang, Chien Hsiun; Chen, Ching-Yu; Hwang, Shinn-Jang; Tsai, Shih-Tzu; Chiu, Tai-Yuan

2016-02-01

Patient autonomy is an essential factor in the measurement of quality of dying. We aimed to conduct a study to investigate the factors affecting the autonomy of advanced cancer patients in Taiwan. We conducted a prospective, multicenter study and recruited 574 advanced cancer patients from four inpatient hospice wards in Taiwan; their quality of dying was measured using the validated good death scale and the audit scale. Physician-assessed autonomy and the other scales were measured in a team conference by the primary care physician and the team 1 week after the patient had passed away. The good death scale was measured twice, once at admission and then after the patient had passed away for comparison. We measured factors affecting the improvement in quality of dying of these patients initially by applying multiple linear regression analysis. Then, taking physician-assessed autonomy as a dependent variable, we identified the factors that affected this variable. The good death score at admission, clear consciousness, number of admission days beyond 7, better physical care, higher physician-assessed autonomy, better emotional support, better communication, better continuity of life, and physician-reported rate of closure were factors affecting the quality of dying. Further analysis identified age (p = 0.031), consciousness (p = 0.01), and total good death scale score at death (p < 0.001) as determinants of physician-assessed autonomy. We concluded that physician-assessed autonomy would affect a good death and was highly correlated with age, consciousness level, and quality of dying at the end for advanced cancer patients in Taiwan. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ambivalence in pregnancy intentions: The effect of quality of care and context among a cohort of women attending family planning clinics in Kenya.

PubMed

Wekesa, Eliud; Askew, Ian; Abuya, Timothy

2018-01-01

Ambivalence in pregnancy intentions is well-documented in sub-Saharan African (SSA) settings and has been associated with inconsistent use of contraception, thereby exposing women using contraception to the possibility of unintended pregnancies. A better understanding of the potential role for client counseling interventions in enabling women to achieve their pregnancy intentions is essential for aiding program efforts to reduce unintended pregnancies. To measure ambivalence in pregnancy intentions longitudinally and determine its association with the quality of care received, controlling for demographic, socio-economic and contextual factors among a cohort of family planning (FP) clients in Kenya. This paper uses data drawn from a prospective cohort study of FP clients to investigate the relationship between the quality of care received during FP service delivery and the decisiveness of their pregnancy intentions over time. The study tests the hypothesis that higher quality of care enables women to be less ambivalent about their pregnancy intentions. Binary logistic regression with random effects and multinomial logistic regression were used to assess the predictive effect of the quality of care received by a woman on the decisiveness or ambivalence of her pregnancy intentions, and on any shifts in ambivalence over time, controlling for background characteristics. The study recruited 1,957 women aged 15-49 years attending twelve family planning clinics in four counties in Central Kenya; of these, 1,053 women were observed for four rounds of data collection over a period of 24 months and form the sample for analysis. A substantial proportion (43%) of women expressed ambivalence about their intentions to become pregnant at some point during the study period, while over half (57%) remained unequivocal throughout the study. Almost one third of women (31%) shifted from being unequivocal to ambivalent and 12% shifted from ambivalence to being unequivocal. Women experiencing higher quality of care have lower odds of ever expressing ambivalence and higher odds of remaining unequivocal over time, net of other factors. Quality of care was not associated with a shift in ambivalence over time. FP programs offering higher quality of care are likely to support women to be more decisive in their pregnancy intentions. Improving the quality of care can contribute to reduced ambivalence and consequently reduced likelihood of unintended pregnancy among contraceptive users. This study provides further evidence of the benefits gained through providing high quality services. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01694862.

Equality and quality in education. A comparative study of 19 countries.

PubMed

Pfeffer, Fabian T

2015-05-01

This contribution assesses the performance of national education systems along two important dimensions: The degree to which they help individuals develop capabilities necessary for their successful social integration (educational quality) and the degree to which they confer equal opportunities for social advancement (educational equality). It advances a new conceptualization to measure quality and equality in education and then uses it to study the relationship between institutional differentiation and these outcomes. It relies on data on final educational credentials and literacy among adults that circumvent some of the under-appreciated conceptual challenges entailed in the widespread analysis of international student assessment data. The analyses reveal a positive relationship between educational quality and equality and show that education systems with a lower degree of institutional differentiation not only provide more educational equality but are also marked by higher levels of educational quality. While the latter association is partly driven by other institutional and macro-structural factors, I demonstrate that the higher levels of educational equality in less differentiated education systems do not entail an often-assumed trade-off for lower quality. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Equality and Quality in Education. A Comparative Study of 19 Countries

PubMed Central

Pfeffer, Fabian T.

2015-01-01

This contribution assesses the performance of national education systems along two important dimensions: The degree to which they help individuals develop capabilities necessary for their successful social integration (educational quality) and the degree to which they confer equal opportunities for social advancement (educational equality). It advances a new conceptualization to measure quality and equality in education and then uses it to study the relationship between institutional differentiation and these outcomes. It relies on data on final educational credentials and literacy among adults that circumvent some of the under-appreciated conceptual challenges entailed in the widespread analysis of international student assessment data. The analyses reveal a positive relationship between educational quality and equality and show that education systems with a lower degree of institutional differentiation not only provide more educational equality but are also marked by higher levels of educational quality. While the latter association is partly driven by other institutional and macro-structural factors, I demonstrate that the higher levels of educational equality in less differentiated education systems do not entail an often-assumed trade-off for lower quality. PMID:25769872

Assessment of anxiety-depression levels and perceptions of quality of life in adolescents with dysmenorrhea.

PubMed

Sahin, Nilfer; Kasap, Burcu; Kirli, Ulviye; Yeniceri, Nese; Topal, Yasar

2018-01-26

This study aimed to assess the anxiety-depression levels and the perceptions of quality of life, as well as the factors affecting these variables, in adolescents with dysmenorrhea. The participants included 60 adolescents with dysmenorrhea and 41 healthy adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18. This study used the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) for assessing the perceptions of quality of life, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) for measuring anxiety levels, and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) for measuring depression levels. It was determined that compared to healthy controls, the depression and anxiety scores were higher and the quality of life was impaired in adolescents with dysmenorrhea. In addition, it was shown that the depression and anxiety levels increased and the psychosocial health subscale scores of quality of life decreased with increasing dysmenorrhea severity. However, the likelihood of dysmenorrhea was found to be higher with increasing depression scores, while the anxiety levels had no effect on dysmenorrhea. In dysmenorrhea management, it is important to enhance awareness among pediatric clinicians and gynecologists regarding the associations between dysmenorrhea and mental problems.

Teacher Preparation: Ensuring a Quality Teacher in Every Classroom. Hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session on Examining Teacher Preparation, Focusing on Ensuring a Quality Teacher in Every Classroom (March 25, 2014). Senate Hearing 113-828

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Senate, 2016

2016-01-01

This is the seventh in a series of hearings to inform this committee's reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The focus of this hearing, teacher preparation, is profoundly important for all students, from the very youngest to adult students. Study after study shows that teacher quality is the decisive in-school factor in boosting student…

Availability, quality and price of produce in low-income neighbourhood food stores in California raise equity issues.

PubMed

Gosliner, Wendi; Brown, Daniel M; Sun, Betty C; Woodward-Lopez, Gail; Crawford, Patricia B

2018-06-01

To assess produce availability, quality and price in a large sample of food stores in low-income neighbourhoods in California. Cross-sectional statewide survey. Between 2011 and 2015, local health departments assessed store type, WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children)/SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) participation, produce availability, quality and price of selected items in stores in low-income neighbourhoods. Secondary data provided reference chain supermarket produce prices matched by county and month. t Tests and ANOVA examined differences by store type; regression models examined factors associated with price. Large grocery stores (n 231), small markets (n 621) and convenience stores (n 622) in 225 neighbourhoods. Produce in most large groceries was rated high quality (97 % of fruits, 98 % of vegetables), but not in convenience stores (25 % fruits, 14 % vegetables). Small markets and convenience stores participating in WIC and/or SNAP had better produce availability, variety and quality than non-participating stores. Produce prices across store types were, on average, higher than reference prices from matched chain supermarkets (27 % higher in large groceries, 37 % higher in small markets, 102 % higher in convenience stores). Price was significantly inversely associated with produce variety, adjusting for quality, store type, and SNAP and WIC participation. The study finds that fresh produce is more expensive in low-income neighbourhoods and that convenience stores offer more expensive, poorer-quality produce than other stores. Variety is associated with price and most limited in convenience stores, suggesting more work is needed to determine how convenience stores can provide low-income consumers with access to affordable, high-quality produce. WIC and SNAP can contribute to the solution.

Factor structure of the Child Health Questionnaire Parent Form-50 and predictors of health-related quality of life in children with epilepsy.

PubMed

Ferro, Mark A; Landgraf, Jeanne M; Speechley, Kathy N

2013-10-01

The present study investigated the higher-order summary factor structure of the Child Health Questionnaire Parent Form-50 (CHQ) in a sample of children with new-onset epilepsy. The secondary aim was to identify risk factors predicting health-related quality of life (HRQL) 24 months post-diagnosis. Data came from the Health-related Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy Study (HERQULES, N = 374), a multi-site study documenting HRQL among children with epilepsy from diagnosis through 24 months. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine goodness of fit between the original structure of the CHQ and HERQULES data. Multiple regression was used to identify risk factors at diagnosis for HRQL at 24 months. The models demonstrated good fit: baseline: CFI = 0.945; TLI = 0.941; WRMR = 1.461; RMSEA = 0.058; 24 months: CFI = 0.957; TLI = 0.954; WRMR = 1.393; RMSEA = 0.055. Factor loadings were high and no cross-loadings observed (first order: λ = 0.27-0.99, 0.24-0.98; second order: λ = 0.69-0.86, 0.54-0.92; p < 0.001 for all). Controlling for HRQL at diagnosis, predictors for better 24-month HRQL were as follows: physical health: fewer cognitive problems (p = 0.023) and parents with fewer depressive symptoms (p = 0.049); psychosocial health: older parent age (p = 0.043), fewer behavior problems (p = 0.004), and families with better functioning (p = 0.008) and fewer demands (p = 0.009). The CHQ higher-order summary factor structure was replicated in a sample of children with new-onset epilepsy, and child and family risk factors at diagnosis were found to predict HRQL 24 months post-diagnosis. These findings suggest it is possible to identify at-risk children early in the illness process and provide impetus for adopting family-centered care practices.

Process quality of decision-making in multidisciplinary cancer team meetings: a structured observational study.

PubMed

Hahlweg, Pola; Didi, Sarah; Kriston, Levente; Härter, Martin; Nestoriuc, Yvonne; Scholl, Isabelle

2017-11-17

The quality of decision-making in multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTMs) depends on the quality of information presented and the quality of team processes. Few studies have examined these factors using a standardized approach. The aim of this study was to objectively document the processes involved in decision-making in MDTMs, document the outcomes in terms of whether a treatment recommendation was given (none vs. singular vs. multiple), and to identify factors related to type of treatment recommendation. An adaptation of the observer rating scale Multidisciplinary Tumor Board Metric for the Observation of Decision-Making (MDT-MODe) was used to assess the quality of the presented information and team processes in MDTMs. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and mixed logistic regression analysis. N = 249 cases were observed in N = 29 MDTMs. While cancer-specific medical information was judged to be of high quality, psychosocial information and information regarding patient views were considered to be of low quality. In 25% of the cases no, in 64% one, and in 10% more than one treatment recommendations were given (1% missing data). Giving no treatment recommendation was associated with duration of case discussion, duration of the MDTM session, quality of case history, quality of radiological information, and specialization of the MDTM. Higher levels of medical and treatment uncertainty during discussions were found to be associated with a higher probability for more than one treatment recommendation. The quality of different aspects of information was observed to differ greatly. In general, we did not find MDTMs to be in line with the principles of patient-centered care. Recommendation outcome varied substantially between different specializations of MDTMs. The quality of certain information was associated with the recommendation outcome. Uncertainty during discussions was related to more than one recommendation being considered. Time constraints were found to play an important role. Some of those aspects seem modifiable, which offers possibilities for the reorganization of MDTMs.

Low Reporting Quality of the Meta-Analyses in Diagnostic Pathology.

PubMed

Liu, Xulei; Kinzler, Michael; Yuan, Jiangfan; He, Guozhong; Zhang, Lanjing

2017-03-01

- Little is known regarding the reporting quality of meta-analyses in diagnostic pathology. - To compare reporting quality of meta-analyses in diagnostic pathology and medicine and to examine factors associated with reporting quality of diagnostic pathology meta-analyses. - Meta-analyses were identified in 12 major diagnostic pathology journals without specifying years and 4 major medicine journals in 2006 and 2011 using PubMed. Reporting quality of meta-analyses was evaluated using the 27-item checklist of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement published in 2009. A higher PRISMA score indicates higher reporting quality. - Forty-one diagnostic pathology meta-analyses and 118 medicine meta-analyses were included. Overall, reporting quality of meta-analyses in diagnostic pathology was lower than that in medicine (median [interquartile range] = 22 [15, 25] versus 27 [23, 28], P < .001). Compared with medicine meta-analyses, diagnostic pathology meta-analyses less likely reported 23 of the 27 items (85.2%) on the PRISMA checklist, but more likely reported the data items. Higher reporting quality of diagnostic pathology meta-analyses was associated with recent publication years (later than 2009 versus 2009 or earlier, P = .002) and non-North American first authors (versus North American, P = .001), but not journal publisher's location (P = .11). Interestingly, reporting quality was not associated with adjusted citation ratio for meta-analyses in either diagnostic pathology or medicine (P = .40 and P = .09, respectively). - Meta-analyses in diagnostic pathology had lower reporting quality than those in medicine. Reporting quality of diagnostic pathology meta-analyses is linked to publication year and first author's location, but not to journal publisher's location or article's adjusted citation ratios. More research and education on meta-analysis methodology may improve the reporting quality of diagnostic pathology meta-analyses.

Organizational resilience: Sustained institutional effectiveness among smaller, private, non-profit US higher education institutions experiencing organizational decline.

PubMed

Moran, Kenneth A

2016-06-04

Recent changes in the United States (US) economy have radically disrupted revenue generation among many institutions within higher education within the US. Chief among these disruptions has been fallout associated with the financial crisis of 2008-2009, which triggered a change in the US higher education environment from a period of relative munificence to a prolonged period of scarcity. The hardest hit by this disruption have been smaller, less wealthy institutions which tend to lack the necessary reserves to financially weather the economic storm. Interestingly, a review of institutional effectiveness among these institutions revealed that while many are struggling, some institutions have found ways to not only successfully cope with the impact of declining revenue, but have been able to capitalize on the disruption and thrive. Organizational response is an important factor in successfully coping with conditions of organizational decline. The study examined the impacts of organizational response on institutional effectiveness among higher education institutions experiencing organizational decline. The study's research question asked why some US higher educational institutions are more resilient at coping with organizational decline than other institutions operating within the same segment of the higher education sector. More specifically, what role does organizational resilience have in helping smaller, private non-profit institutions cope and remain effective during organizational decline? A total of 141 US smaller, private non-profit higher educational institutions participated in the study; specifically, the study included responses from participant institutions' key administrators. 60-item survey evaluated administrator responses corresponding to organizational response and institutional effectiveness. Factor analysis was used to specify the underlying structures of rigidity response, resilience response, and institutional effectiveness. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the direct and interaction effects between organizational decline, organizational rigidity response, organizational resilience response, and institutional effectiveness, controlling for age of institution and level of endowment. The study validated previous threat-rigidity response findings that organizational decline alone does not adversely impact institutional effectiveness. The direct effect of Goal-Directed Solution Seeking and Role Dependency organizational resilience factors had a positive, significant correlation with the Student Personal Development institutional effectiveness factor. The interactive effect of Goal-Directed Solution Seeking organizational resilience factor during organizational decline had a positive, significant correlation with the Professional Development and Quality of Faculty institutional effectiveness factor. The interactive effect of Avoidance during organizational decline had a positive, significant correlation with the Faculty and Administrator Employment Satisfaction institutional effectiveness factor. The interactive effect of Diminished Innovation, Morale, and Leader Credibility rigidity response factor and Avoidance organizational resilience factor during organizational decline had a positive, significant correlation with the Professional Development and Quality of Faculty institutional effectiveness factor. Lastly, the interactive effect of Increased Scapegoating of Leaders, Interest group Activities, and Conflict rigidity response factor and Avoidance organizational resilience factor during organizational decline had a positive, significant correlation with the Faculty and Administrator Employment Satisfaction institutional effectiveness factor. Factors of organizational resilience were found to have a positive effect among smaller, private non-profit higher educational institutions associated with this study toward sustaining institutional effectiveness during organizational decline. Specifically, the organizational resilience factors of Goal-Directed Solution Seeking (i.e., mission-driven solutions) and Avoidance (i.e., skepticism toward new ideas) play a significant, collaborative role among smaller, private non-profit higher educational institutions when it comes to sustaining institutional effectiveness during organizational decline.

Factors related to quality of life for patients with type 2 diabetes with or without depressive symptoms - results from a community-based study in China.

PubMed

Liu, Yu; Maier, Manfred; Hao, Yufang; Chen, Yan; Qin, Yuelan; Huo, Ran

2013-01-01

To explore the factors related to quality of life for patients with type 2 diabetes with or without depressive symptoms in China. In patients with type 2 diabetes with or without depressive symptoms, different factors such as gender, social context or regional setting may affect their quality of life. This was a cross-sectional study. Of 791 registered patients with type 2 diabetes from four communities in Beijing, cluster sampling was used to recruit patients for participation. Self-rating depression scale was used to screen for depressive symptoms; demographic and clinical data were collected, and quality of life and social support were assessed using appropriate tools. The factors associated with quality of life were tested using multivariate linear regression. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in 667 patients with diabetes was 44·2%. Quality of life of patients with depressive symptoms was worse than that of patients without depressive symptoms, and this was associated negatively with history of diabetic complications, usage of hypoglycaemic agents or insulin and self-rating depression scale scores and positively with salary and subjective social support. The factors related to quality of life for patients with or without depressive symptoms are different. For patients with depressive symptoms, better salary and subjective social support are associated positively with their quality of life, while the presence of diabetic complications, a higher score for depressive symptoms and need for hypoglycaemic agents or insulin are negatively associated with quality of life. It is suggested that the nurse should screen depression for patients with diabetes, especially for those with diabetic complications or low social support. This should be done in the community regularly in order to find diabetic patients with depression in time. In addition, the results can provide a reference to clinical nursing care for patients with diabetes in hospitals. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Influence of spatial and temporal spot distribution on the ocular surface quality and maximum ablation depth after photoablation with a 1050 Hz excimer laser system.

PubMed

Mrochen, Michael; Schelling, Urs; Wuellner, Christian; Donitzky, Christof

2009-02-01

To investigate the effect of temporal and spatial distributions of laser spots (scan sequences) on the corneal surface quality after ablation and the maximum ablation of a given refractive correction after photoablation with a high-repetition-rate scanning-spot laser. IROC AG, Zurich, Switzerland, and WaveLight AG, Erlangen, Germany. Bovine corneas and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) plates were photoablated using a 1050 Hz excimer laser prototype for corneal laser surgery. Four temporal and spatial spot distributions (scan sequences) with different temporal overlapping factors were created for 3 myopic, 3 hyperopic, and 3 phototherapeutic keratectomy ablation profiles. Surface quality and maximum ablation depth were measured using a surface profiling system. The surface quality factor increased (rough surfaces) as the amount of temporal overlapping in the scan sequence and the amount of correction increased. The rise in surface quality factor was less for bovine corneas than for PMMA. The scan sequence might cause systematic substructures at the surface of the ablated material depending on the overlapping factor. The maximum ablation varied within the scan sequence. The temporal and spatial distribution of the laser spots (scan sequence) during a corneal laser procedure affected the surface quality and maximum ablation depth of the ablation profile. Corneal laser surgery could theoretically benefit from smaller spot sizes and higher repetition rates. The temporal and spatial spot distributions are relevant to achieving these aims.

Left-behind children in rural China experience higher levels of anxiety and poorer living conditions.

PubMed

Zhao, Xue; Chen, Jian; Chen, Ming-Chun; Lv, Xiao-Ling; Jiang, Yu-Hong; Sun, Ye-Huan

2014-06-01

The number of rural Chinese parents who leave their children with family members to work in the cities has increased dramatically over the last decade. This study compared the social anxiety of left-behind children (LBC) and children not left behind (non-LBC). We investigated 1694 LBC and 1223 non-LBC, aged seven to 17 years, in a Chinese province using a structured questionnaire that included questions about socio-demographic characteristics, social anxiety, family function, quality of life, neglect and physical abuse. LBC displayed higher social anxiety scores, more neglect, lower parental educational level, lower quality of life, lower family function and lower prevalence of physical abuse than non-LBC. Multiple linear regression models showed that higher Social Anxiety Scales for Children (SASC) scores in LBC were clearly associated with lower quality of life, poorer family function, physical abuse, being female, having more siblings and minorities. In non-LBC, they were associated with lower quality of life, poorer family function, neglect, being female and physical abuse. LBC have a relatively higher level of social anxiety and poorer living conditions than non-LBC, and there are differences in social anxiety, and its relevant factors, between the two groups. ©2014 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Aerobic stability of maize silage stored under plastic films with different oxygen permeability.

PubMed

Borreani, Giorgio; Piano, Serenella; Tabacco, Ernesto

2014-10-01

The most important factor that can influence silage quality is the degree of anaerobiosis maintained during conservation. The quality of the plastic film is a key factor, since the permeability of polyethylene to oxygen is too high for silage conservation. The aim of this work was to assess the effects of the interaction between three plastic films with different degrees of oxygen permeability and two different maize silage conservation times on fermentation, microbial quality and aerobic stability. The conservation time affected the pH, lactic and acetic acids, 1,2-propanediol and lactic/acetic acid ratio, with higher pH, lower lactic acid concentration and lactic/acetic acid ratio but higher acetic acid and 1,2-propanediol concentrations being found in silages conserved for 110 days versus silages conserved for 55 days. The plastic film affected the pH, lactic and acetic acids and lactic/acetic acid ratio. The yeast count was lower and aerobic stability higher for silage conserved under the oxygen barrier film for both conservation periods. The positive interaction between length of storage and the increased anaerobiosis of silage during conservation provided by the oxygen barrier compared with polyethylene film helped reduce the yeast count and increase the aerobic stability of maize silage, even when less acetic acid was produced during ensiling. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Health-related quality of life and satisfaction with case management in cancer survivors.

PubMed

Hsu, Ya-Hui; Chai, Hsiu-Ying; Lin, Yu-Fen; Wang, Chao-Hui; Chen, Shu-Ching

2017-12-01

To (i) investigate the characteristics of health-related quality of life and satisfaction with case management and (ii) to identify factors associated with health-related quality of life in cancer survivors. The level of health-related quality of life can reflect treatment efficacy and satisfaction with cancer care. A cross-sectional study design was adopted. Subjects from the outpatient setting of a cancer centre in northern Taiwan were recruited by consecutive sampling. A set of questionnaires were employed, including a background information form, case management service satisfaction survey (CMSS) and The European Quality of Life Scale (EQ-5D). Descriptive statistics were used to examine levels of health-related quality of life and satisfaction with case management. Pearson's correlation was used to identify relationships between treatment characteristics, satisfaction with case management and health-related quality of life. Multiple stepwise regression was used to identify factors associated with health-related quality of life. A total of 252 cancer patients were recruited. The three lowest scores for items of health-related quality of life were mobility, self-care and usual activities. Cancer survivors with higher mobility, less pain and discomfort, and lower anxiety and depression were more likely to have better health-related quality of life. Mobility, pain and discomfort, and anxiety and depression are important predictive factors of high health-related quality of life in cancer survivors. In clinical care, patients' physical mobility, pain and discomfort, and anxiety and depression are important indicators of health-related quality of life. Case managers should include self-care and symptom management into survivorship care plans to improve health-related quality of life during survival after treatment concludes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Attention capacity in European adolescents: role of different health-related factors. The HELENA study.

PubMed

Esteban-Cornejo, Irene; Cadenas-Sanchez, Cristina; Vanhelst, Jérémy; Michels, Nathalie; Lambrinou, Christina-Paulina; González-Gross, Marcela; Widhalm, Kurt; Kersting, Mathilde; de la O Puerta, Alejandro; Kafatos, Anthony; Moreno, Luis A; Ortega, Francisco B

2017-10-01

We compared the level of attention capacity between adolescents from the center and south of Europe. The study included 627 European adolescents (54% girls), aged 12.5-17.5 years, who participated in the HELENA Study. The d2 Test of Attention was administered to assess attention capacity. The main results showed that adolescents from the south of Europe had significantly higher score in attention capacity compared with adolescents from central Europe (score + 8.1; 95%CI, 2.44-13.61) after adjustment for age, sex, socioeconomic indicators, body mass index, cardiorespiratory fitness and diet quality index (p = 0.012). Adolescents from the south of Europe had higher levels of attention capacity than their counterparts from central Europe independently of sociodemographic and health-related factors. These differences should be taken into account by educational institutions when promoting new approaches for putting into the practice student's capacities. What is Known? • Attention is a crucial capacity during adolescence. • Several health-related factors (i.e., physical activity, fitness or fatness) may influence attention capacity in adolescents. What is New? • Adolescents from the south of Europe had higher levels of attention capacity than their counterparts from the center, after accounting for socioeconomic factors, fitness, fatness and quality of diet. • These differences should be taken into account by educational institutions when promoting new approaches for putting into the practice student's capacities.

Modeling quality of life in patients with rheumatic diseases: the role of pain catastrophizing, fear-avoidance beliefs, physical disability, and depression.

PubMed

Shim, Eun-Jung; Hahm, Bong-Jin; Go, Dong Jin; Lee, Kwang-Min; Noh, Hae Lim; Park, Seung-Hee; Song, Yeong Wook

2018-06-01

To examine factors in the fear-avoidance model, such as pain, pain catastrophizing, fear-avoidance beliefs, physical disability, and depression and their relationships with physical and psychological quality of life in patients with rheumatic diseases. The data were obtained from 360 patients with rheumatic diseases who completed self-report measures assessing study variables. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothesized relationships among factors specified in the fear-avoidance model predicting physical and psychological quality of life. Final models fit the data well, explaining 96% and 82% of the variance in physical and psychological quality of life, respectively. Higher pain catastrophizing was related to stronger fear-avoidance beliefs that had a direct negative association with physical disability and depression, which, in turn, negatively affected physical quality of life. Pain severity was also directly related to physical disability. Physical disability also affected physical quality of life indirectly through depression. The hypothesized relationships specified in the model were also confirmed for psychological quality of life. However, physical disability had an indirect association with psychological quality of life via depression. The current results underscore the significant role of cognitive, affective, and behavioral factors in perceived physical disability and their mediated detrimental effect on physical and psychological quality of life in patients with rheumatic diseases. Implications for rehabilitation The fear-avoidance model is applicable to the prediction of quality of life in patients with rheumatic diseases. As pain-catastrophizing and fear-avoidance beliefs are important factors linked to physical disability and depression, intervening these cognitive factors is necessary to improve physical function and depression in patients with rheumatic diseases. Considering the strong association between depression and physical and psychological quality of life, the assessment and treatment of the former should be included in the rehabilitation of patients with rheumatic diseases. Interventions targeting physical function and depression are likely to be effective in terms of improving physical and psychological quality of life in patients with rheumatic diseases.

Pork Quality Traits According to Postmortem pH and Temperature in Berkshire

PubMed Central

Kim, Tae Wan; Kim, Chul Wook; Yang, Mi Ra; No, Gun Ryoung; Kim, Il-Suk

2016-01-01

This study was performed to investigate the role of pH and temperature postmortem, and to demonstrate the importance of these factors in determining meat quality. Postmortem pH45min (pH at 45 min postmortem or initial pH) via analysis of Pearson’s correlation showed high positive correlation with pH change pHc24 (pH change from pH45min to pH24h postmortem). However, postmortem pH after 24 h (pH24h or ultimate pH) had a high negative correlation with pH change, pHc24, CIE L*, and protein content. Initial temperature postmortem (T1h ) was positively associated with a change in temperature from 45 min to 24 h postmortem (Tc24) and cooking loss, but negatively correlated with water holding capacity. Temperature at 24 h postmortem (T24h) was negatively associated with Tc24. Collectively, these results indicate that higher initial pH was associated with higher pHc24, T1h, and Tc24. However, higher initial pH was associated with a reduction in carcass weight, backfat thickness, CIE a* and b*, water holding capacity, collagen and fat content, drip loss, and cooking loss as well as decreased shear force. In contrast, CIE a* and b*, drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force in higher ultimate pH was showed by a similar pattern to higher initial pH, whereas pHc24, carcass weight, backfat thickness, water holding capacity, fat content, moisture content, protein content, T1h, T24h, and Tc24 were exhibited by completely differential patterns (p<0.05). Therefore, we suggest that initial pH, ultimate pH, and temperatures postmortem are important factors in determining the meat quality of pork. PMID:27499661

Association between the awareness of osteoporosis and the quality of care for bone health among Korean women with osteoporosis.

PubMed

Shin, Hyun-Young; Kang, Hee Cheol; Lee, Kiheon; Park, Sang Min

2014-10-04

The prevalence of osteoporosis is increasing and is a socio-economic burden worldwide. Although screening tests for osteoporosis in Korea are easily accessible, this condition remains undertreated. Evaluating post-diagnostic behavior changes may be helpful for improving the quality of care for bone health in osteoporotic patients. After reviewing the Fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2009, 1,114 women with osteoporosis aged >50 years were included in this cross-sectional study. Factors related to bone health were categorized into the following groups: (1) behavioral health (smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity); (2) measured factors (lean body mass [kg], appendicular skeletal muscle mass [kg], and serum vitamin D level [nmol/L]); and (3) nutritional factors (calcium intake, vitamin/mineral supplementation, and healthy supplementary food). Logistic regression analysis and analysis of covariance was conducted after adjusting for age, education, income, residential area, height, weight, and self-perceived health using a weighted method. Doctors diagnosed 39.5% of patients with osteoporosis, and these patients were compared with the control group. The awareness group, who had been diagnosed with osteoporosis by a doctor, had a lower proportion of smokers and higher serum vitamin D level than the control group, who had never been diagnosed with osteoporosis. No other associations were found for quality of bone health care variables. The awareness group had higher odds ratios of vitamin/mineral replacement and healthy supplementary food but no other differences were observed, indicating the patients' beliefs in bone health care do not follow the recommended clinical guidelines (e.g. higher physical activity, lower alcohol consumption). To improve the quality of care for bone health in osteoporotic patients, an initial step should be the development of post-diagnostic procedures such as patient counseling and education through a multi-team care approach.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Insomnia in a Population-Based Sample

PubMed Central

LeBlanc, Mélanie; Mérette, Chantal; Savard, Josée; Ivers, Hans; Baillargeon, Lucie; Morin, Charles M.

2009-01-01

Introduction: Despite the high prevalence of insomnia, there is little information about its incidence and risk factors. This study estimated the incidence of insomnia and examined potential risk factors in a cohort of good sleepers followed over a one-year period. Methods. Participants were 464 good sleepers who completed 3 postal evaluations over a one-year period (i.e., baseline, 6 months, and 12 months). Questionnaires assessed sleep, psychological and personality variables, stressful life events and coping skills, and health-related quality of life. Participants were categorized into 3 subgroups: (a) good sleepers (i.e., participants who remained good sleepers at the 3 assessments), (b) insomnia symptoms incident cases (i.e., developed insomnia symptoms either at 6- or 12-month follow-up), and (c) insomnia syndrome incident cases (i.e., developed an insomnia syndrome either at 6- or 12- month follow-up). Results: One-year incidence rates were 30.7% for insomnia symptoms and 7.4% for insomnia syndrome. These rates decreased to 28.8% and 3.9% for those without prior lifetime episode of insomnia. Compared to good sleepers and insomnia symptoms incident cases, insomnia syndrome incident cases presented a premorbid psychological vulnerability to insomnia, characterized by higher depressive and anxiety symptoms, lower extraversion, higher arousability, and poorer self-rated mental health at baseline. They also presented a higher level of bodily pain and a poorer general health. Five variables were associated with a new onset of an insomnia syndrome: previous episode of insomnia, positive family history of insomnia, higher arousability predisposition, poorer self-rated general health, and higher bodily pain. Conclusion: The one-year insomnia incidence rate was very high and several psychological and health factors were associated with new onset insomnia. Improved knowledge about the nature of these predisposing factors would be helpful to guide the development of effective public health prevention and intervention programs to promote better sleep quality. Citation: LeBlanc M; Mérette C; Savard J; Ivers H; Baillargeon L; Morin CM. Incidence and risk factors of insomnia in a population-based sample. SLEEP 2009;32(8):1027-1037. PMID:19725254

Environmental factors contributed to circannual rhythm of semen quality.

PubMed

Mao, Huan; Feng, Lei; Yang, Wan-Xi

2017-01-01

We investigated whether human semen parameters present circannual rhythm or not, and whether environmental factors exert on semen quality. This retrospective study used data of patients mainly from Reproductive Medicine Center and Urology and Andrology Clinic of a general hospital in China. Sperm concentration and motility were measured by computer aided sperm analysis (CASA). Sperm morphology was scored based on the strict criteria (WHO, 2010). The Kruskal-Wallis rank test was used to investigate the relationship between semen parameters and season/month. Partial correlation coefficients were used to analyze the relationship between semen parameters and environmental factors. In this study, we found that sperm concentration and total amount per ejaculate were significantly lower in summer and higher in winter. But, sperm progressive motility and motility were significantly higher in spring and summer (from March to June), lower in autumn and winter (September and October). Unexpectedly, normal sperm morphology and mixed agglutination reaction (MAR) positive rate didn't vary along with season or month. Furthermore, temperature was negatively related to sperm concentration and total amount per ejaculate. Precipitation was positively associated with progressive motility and normal sperm morphology, but negatively related to sperm head defect percentage. The length of sunlight was positively related to progressive motility. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was positively associated with semen volume and sperm total amount per ejaculate. These suggest seasonal and monthly variation underlying some semen parameters.

The globalization of accreditation in the professions.

PubMed

Lenn, M P

1996-01-01

The direct relationship between educational quality and a successful economy, the proliferation of regional and global trade agreements which encourage professional mobility, and the growing international recognition of academic degrees are contributing factors to the globalization of quality assurance in higher education, including accreditation. On every continent, attention is being paid to developing professional educational standards within an international context, assuring that ¿world class¿ professionals are produced for international as well as national practice.

Perceived service quality, perceived value, overall satisfaction and happiness of outlook for long-term care institution residents.

PubMed

Lin, Jesun; Hsiao, Chih-Tung; Glen, Robert; Pai, Jar-Yuan; Zeng, Sin-Huei

2014-06-01

To investigate the psychometric properties and relationships of perceived service quality, perceived value and overall satisfaction for residents with respect to their long-term care institutions. The five-point Likert scale questionnaire administered through facetoface interviews. Fourteen long-term care institutions located in central and southern Taiwan stratified according to services and accommodation population. One hundred and eighty long-term institutional care residents. Perceived service quality (the SERVPERF model), perceived value and overall satisfaction (models based on the literature on perceived value and satisfaction). Student's t-test on institutional location shows a significant difference between overall satisfaction for central and southern institution long-term care recipients. The correlation test revealed that the higher a resident's level of education, the higher the scores for perceived value. The factor loading results of confirmation factor analysis show acceptable levels of reliability and index-of-model fits for perceived service, perceived value and overall satisfaction. In addition, the results suggest that an additional construct, a positive attitude (happiness of outlook) towards long-term care institutions, is also an important factor in residents' overall satisfaction. The primary goal of long-term institutional care policy in Taiwan, as in other countries, is to provide residents with practical, cost-effective but high-quality care. On the basis of the results of in-depth interviews with long-term institutional care residents, this study suggests long-term care institutions arrange more family visit days to increase the accessibility and interaction of family and residents and thereby increase the happiness of outlook of the residents. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reliability and validity of the Iranian version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales in adolescents.

PubMed

Amiri, Parisa; M Ardekani, Emad; Jalali-Farahani, Sara; Hosseinpanah, Farhad; Varni, James W; Ghofranipour, Fazlollah; Montazeri, Ali; Azizi, Fereidoun

2010-12-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the Iranian version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL™ 4.0) Generic Core Scales in adolescents After linguistic validation, the Iranian version of the PedsQL™ 4.0 was completed by 848 healthy and 26 chronically ill adolescents aged 13-18 years and their parents. The internal consistency as measured by Cronbach's alpha coefficients exceeded the minimum reliability standard of .70. No floor effects were observed. Ceiling effects detected ranged from 1.5% for adolescent self-report total scale score to 42.2% for self-report social functioning. All monotrait-multimethod correlations were higher than multitrait-multimethod correlations. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between adolescent self-report and parent proxy-report showed good to excellent agreement. Exploratory factor analysis supported mainly comparable results with the original US English dialect version. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis for 5-factor models for both self-report and proxy-report indicated acceptable fit for the proposed models. Regarding gender and health status, as hypothesized from previous studies, girls reported lower health-related quality of life than boys on the total score, physical and emotional functioning, and healthy adolescents reported significantly higher health-related quality of life than those with chronic illnesses. The findings support the initial reliability and validity of the Iranian version of the PedsQL™ 4.0 as a generic instrument to measure HRQOL of adolescents in Iran.

Sociodemographic factors contribute to the depressive affect among African Americans with chronic kidney disease.

PubMed

Fischer, Michael J; Kimmel, Paul L; Greene, Tom; Gassman, Jennifer J; Wang, Xuelei; Brooks, Deborah H; Charleston, Jeanne; Dowie, Donna; Thornley-Brown, Denyse; Cooper, Lisa A; Bruce, Marino A; Kusek, John W; Norris, Keith C; Lash, James P

2010-06-01

Depression is common in end-stage renal disease and is associated with poor quality of life and higher mortality; however, little is known about depressive affect in earlier stages of chronic kidney disease. To measure this in a risk group burdened with hypertension and kidney disease, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of individuals at enrollment in the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension Cohort Study. Depressive affect was assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory II and quality of life by the Medical Outcomes Study-Short Form and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Beck Depression scores over 14 were deemed consistent with an increased depressive affect and linear regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with these scores. Among 628 subjects, 166 had scores over 14 but only 34 were prescribed antidepressants. The mean Beck Depression score of 11.0 varied with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from 10.7 (eGFR 50-60) to 16.0 (eGFR stage 5); however, there was no significant independent association between these. Unemployment, low income, and lower quality and satisfaction with life scale scores were independently and significantly associated with a higher Beck Depression score. Thus, our study shows that an increased depressive affect is highly prevalent in African Americans with chronic kidney disease, is infrequently treated with antidepressants, and is associated with poorer quality of life. Sociodemographic factors have especially strong associations with this increased depressive affect. Because this study was conducted in an African-American cohort, its findings may not be generalized to other ethnic groups.

Cyanobacteria abundance and its relationship to water quality in the Mid-Cross River floodplain, Nigeria.

PubMed

Okogwu, Okechukwu I; Ugwumba, Alex O

2009-01-01

The physicochemical variables and cyanobacteria of Mid-Cross River, Nigeria, were studied in six stations between March 2005 and August 2006 to determine the relationship between water quality and cyanobacteria abundance. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed that biological oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen, pH, water velocity, width and depth were important environmental factors that influenced cyanobacteria abundance. Trace metals, phosphate and nitrate increased significantly from values of previous studies indicating increased eutrophication of the river but were weakly correlated with cyanobacteria abundance and could be scarcely regarded as regulating factors. A higher cyanobacteria abundance was recorded during the wet season in most of the sampled stations. The dominant cyanobacteria included Microcystis aeruginosa, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Oscillatoria limnetica and Anabaena spiroides. The toxins produced by these species could degrade water quality. The factors favouring cyanobacteria abundance were identified as increased pH, width and depth. Increase in cyanobacteria abundance was associated with reduction in dissolved oxygen and increase in BOD values.

Association of journal quality indicators with methodological quality of clinical research articles.

PubMed

Lee, Kirby P; Schotland, Marieka; Bacchetti, Peter; Bero, Lisa A

2002-06-05

The ability to identify scientific journals that publish high-quality research would help clinicians, scientists, and health-policy analysts to select the most up-to-date medical literature to review. To assess whether journal characteristics of (1) peer-review status, (2) citation rate, (3) impact factor, (4) circulation, (5) manuscript acceptance rate, (6) MEDLINE indexing, and (7) Brandon/Hill Library List indexing are predictors of methodological quality of research articles, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 243 original research articles involving human subjects published in general internal medical journals. The mean (SD) quality score of the 243 articles was 1.37 (0.22). All journals reported a peer-review process and were indexed on MEDLINE. In models that controlled for article type (randomized controlled trial [RCT] or non-RCT), journal citation rate was the most statistically significant predictor (0.051 increase per doubling; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.037-0.065; P<.001). In separate analyses by article type, acceptance rate was the strongest predictor for RCT quality (-0.113 per doubling; 95% CI, -0.148 to -0.078; P<.001), while journal citation rate was the most predictive factor for non-RCT quality (0.051 per doubling; 95% CI, 0.044-0.059; P<.001). High citation rates, impact factors, and circulation rates, and low manuscript acceptance rates and indexing on Brandon/Hill Library List appear to be predictive of higher methodological quality scores for journal articles.

Quality Disparities in Child Care for At-Risk Children: Comparing Head Start and Non-Head Start Settings

PubMed Central

Hillemeier, Marianne M.; Morgan, Paul L.; Farkas, George; Maczuga, Steven A.

2012-01-01

The study objectives are to describe child care type and quality experienced by developmentally at-risk children, examine quality differences between Head Start and non-Head Start settings, and identify factors associated with receiving higher-quality child care. Data are analyzed from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey, Birth Cohort, a prospective study of a nationally representative sample of US children born in 2001. The sample consisted of 7,500 children who were assessed at 48 months of age. The outcome of interest is child care quality, measured by the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (center care) and the Family Day Care Rating Scale (family day care). Results of descriptive and multivariate regression analyses are presented. Less than one-third of poor children were in Head Start. Child care quality was higher in Head Start centers than other centers, particularly among poor children (4.75 vs. 4.28, p < 0.001), Hispanics (4.90 vs. 4.45, p < 0.001), and whites (4.89 vs. 4.51, p < 0.001). African Americans experienced the lowest quality care in both Head Start and non-Head Start centers. Quality disadvantage was associated with Head Start family care settings, especially for low birthweight children (2.04 in Head Start vs. 3.58 in non-Head Start, p < 0.001). Lower family day care quality was associated with less maternal education and African American and Hispanic ethnicity. Center-based Head Start provides higher quality child care for at-risk children, and expansion of these services will likely facilitate school readiness in these populations. Quality disadvantages in Head Start family day care settings are worrisome and warrant investigation. PMID:22392601

Quality of life in relation to physical, psychosocial and socioeconomic conditions among reindeer-herding Sami.

PubMed

Daergo, Laila; Edin-Liljegren, Anette; Sjölander, Per

2008-02-01

To analyse different aspects of health-related quality of life factors among members of reindeer-herding families. Cross-sectional study based on data from a comprehensive survey. The health-related quality of life (SF-36) factors were analysed on 99 (56 men, 43 women) adult members of reindeer-herding families. Comparisons were made between the reindeer-herding family members and a Swedish reference population. Associations between mental and physical component summary measures and a number of sociodemographic, biomedical, physical, psychosocial and socio-economic variables were analysed with multivariate regression statistics. Men scored higher than women on physical and social function and vitality. The average scores on the subscales for the reindeer-herding family members were similar to those of the Swedish reference population, except for reindeer-herding men who scored higher on physical function and lower on bodily pain. For women, the quality of life was related to age, sense of coherence, lifestyle and behavioural variables, as well as to issues such as diseases among close relatives, social networks and the economy of their business. For men, it was mainly related to musculoskeletal pain conditions, age, sense of coherence and physical and psychosocial working conditions. Men and women of the reindeer-herding families need partly different conditions to enjoy a high quality of life. From the results, it might be predicted that poor somatic and psychosocial health, increased intrusion from exploiters on the grazing land and declining profit in reindeer husbandry constitute important threats to a good quality of life among members of reindeer-herding families.

Yogurt consumption is associated with better diet quality and metabolic profile in American men and women

PubMed Central

Wang, Huifen; Livingston, Kara A.; Fox, Caroline S.; Meigs, James B.; Jacques, Paul F.

2013-01-01

The evidence-based Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends increasing the intake of fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. However, yogurt, a nutrient-dense milk product, has been understudied. This cross-sectional study examined whether yogurt consumption was associated with better diet quality and metabolic profile among adults (n = 6526) participating in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring (1998-2001) and Third Generation (2002-2005) cohorts. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary intake, and the Dietary Guidelines Adherence Index (DGAI) was used to measure overall diet quality. Standardized clinical examinations and laboratory tests were conducted. Generalized estimating equations examined the associations of yogurt consumption with diet quality and levels of metabolic factors. Approximately 64% of women (vs 41% of men) were yogurt consumers (ie, consumed >0 servings/week). Yogurt consumers had a higher DGAI score (ie, better diet quality) than nonconsumers. Adjusted for demographic and lifestyle factors and DGAI, yogurt consumers, compared with nonconsumers, had higher potassium intakes (difference, 0.12 g/d) and were 47%, 55%, 48%, 38%, and 34% less likely to have inadequate intakes (based on Dietary Reference Intake) of vitamins B2 and B12, calcium, magnesium, and zinc, respectively (all P ≤ .001). In addition, yogurt consumption was associated with lower levels of circulating triglycerides, glucose, and lower systolic blood pressure and insulin resistance (all P < .05). Yogurt is a good source of several micronutrients and may help to improve diet quality and maintain metabolic well-being as part of a healthy, energy-balanced dietary pattern. PMID:23351406

Higher cortisol is associated with poorer executive functioning in preschool children: The role of parenting stress, parent coping and quality of daycare

PubMed Central

Wagner, Shannon L.; Cepeda, Ivan; Krieger, Dena; Maggi, Stefania; D’Angiulli, Amedeo; Weinberg, Joanne; Grunau, Ruth E.

2016-01-01

Child executive functions (cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, working memory) are key to success in school. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, is known to affect cognition; however, there is limited information about how child cortisol levels, parenting factors and child care context relate to executive functions in young children. The aim of this study was to examine relationships between child cortisol, parenting stress, parent coping, and daycare quality in relation to executive functions in children aged 3–5 years. We hypothesized that (1) poorer executive functioning would be related to higher child cortisol and higher parenting stress, and (2) positive daycare quality and positive parent coping style would buffer the effects of child cortisol and parenting stress on executive functions. A total of 101 children (53 girls, 48 boys, mean age 4.24 years ±0.74) with complete data on all measures were included. Three saliva samples to measure cortisol were collected at the child’s daycare/preschool in one morning. Parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Preschool Version (BRIEF-P), Parenting Stress Index (PSI), and Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ). The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) was used to measure the quality of daycare. It was found that children with poorer executive functioning had higher levels of salivary cortisol, and their parents reported higher parenting stress. However, parent coping style and quality of daycare did not modulate these relationships. Identifying ways to promote child executive functioning is an important direction for improving school readiness. PMID:26335047

[Formula: see text]Higher cortisol is associated with poorer executive functioning in preschool children: The role of parenting stress, parent coping and quality of daycare.

PubMed

Wagner, Shannon L; Cepeda, Ivan; Krieger, Dena; Maggi, Stefania; D'Angiulli, Amedeo; Weinberg, Joanne; Grunau, Ruth E

2016-01-01

Child executive functions (cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, working memory) are key to success in school. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, is known to affect cognition; however, there is limited information about how child cortisol levels, parenting factors and child care context relate to executive functions in young children. The aim of this study was to examine relationships between child cortisol, parenting stress, parent coping, and daycare quality in relation to executive functions in children aged 3-5 years. We hypothesized that (1) poorer executive functioning would be related to higher child cortisol and higher parenting stress, and (2) positive daycare quality and positive parent coping style would buffer the effects of child cortisol and parenting stress on executive functions. A total of 101 children (53 girls, 48 boys, mean age 4.24 years ±0.74) with complete data on all measures were included. Three saliva samples to measure cortisol were collected at the child's daycare/preschool in one morning. Parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Preschool Version (BRIEF-P), Parenting Stress Index (PSI), and Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ). The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale - Revised (ECERS-R) was used to measure the quality of daycare. It was found that children with poorer executive functioning had higher levels of salivary cortisol, and their parents reported higher parenting stress. However, parent coping style and quality of daycare did not modulate these relationships. Identifying ways to promote child executive functioning is an important direction for improving school readiness.

Soil Organic Matter Quality of an Oxisol Affected by Plant Residues and Crop Sequence under No-Tillage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cora, Jose; Marcelo, Adolfo

2013-04-01

Plant residues are considered the primarily resource for soil organic matter (SOM) formation and the amounts and properties of plant litter are important controlling factors for the SOM quality. We determined the amounts, quality and decomposition rate of plant residues and the effects of summer and winter crop sequences on soil organic C (TOC) content, both particulate organic C (POC) and mineral-associated organic C (MOC) pools and humic substances in a Brazilian Rhodic Eutrudox soil under a no-tillage system. The organic C analysis in specifics pools used in this study was effective and should be adopted in tropical climates to evaluate the soil quality and the sustainability of various cropping systems. Continuous growth of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) on summer provided higher contents of soil POC and continuous growth of maize (Zea mays L.) provided higher soil humic acid and MOC contents. Summer soybean-maize rotation provided the higher plant diversity, which likely improved the soil microbial activity and the soil organic C consumption. The winter sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp), oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke) enhanced the soil MOC, a finding that is attributable to the higher N content of the crop residue. Sunn hemp and pigeon pea provided the higher soil POC content. Sunn hemp showed better performance and positive effects on the SOM quality, making it a suitable winter crop choice for tropical conditions with a warm and dry winter.

Estuarine water quality and plankton community responses in the Pensacola Bay Estuary

EPA Science Inventory

Phytoplankton serve a centrally important role in estuaries forming the base of the food web. Thus factors that affect phytoplankton production and species composition cascades to higher trophic levels, ultimately affecting secondary production. Given their sensitivity to myriad ...

The relationship between social capital and quality management systems in European hospitals: a quantitative study.

PubMed

Hammer, Antje; Arah, Onyebuchi A; Dersarkissian, Maral; Thompson, Caroline A; Mannion, Russell; Wagner, Cordula; Ommen, Oliver; Sunol, Rosa; Pfaff, Holger

2013-01-01

Strategic leadership is an important organizational capability and is essential for quality improvement in hospital settings. Furthermore, the quality of leadership depends crucially on a common set of shared values and mutual trust between hospital management board members. According to the concept of social capital, these are essential requirements for successful cooperation and coordination within groups. We assume that social capital within hospital management boards is an important factor in the development of effective organizational systems for overseeing health care quality. We hypothesized that the degree of social capital within the hospital management board is associated with the effectiveness and maturity of the quality management system in European hospitals. We used a mixed-method approach to data collection and measurement in 188 hospitals in 7 European countries. For this analysis, we used responses from hospital managers. To test our hypothesis, we conducted a multilevel linear regression analysis of the association between social capital and the quality management system score at the hospital level, controlling for hospital ownership, teaching status, number of beds, number of board members, organizational culture, and country clustering. The average social capital score within a hospital management board was 3.3 (standard deviation: 0.5; range: 1-4) and the average hospital score for the quality management index was 19.2 (standard deviation: 4.5; range: 0-27). Higher social capital was associated with higher quality management system scores (regression coefficient: 1.41; standard error: 0.64, p=0.029). The results suggest that a higher degree of social capital exists in hospitals that exhibit higher maturity in their quality management systems. Although uncontrolled confounding and reverse causation cannot be completely ruled out, our new findings, along with the results of previous research, could have important implications for the work of hospital managers and the design and evaluation of hospital quality management systems.

The Relationship between Social Capital and Quality Management Systems in European Hospitals: A Quantitative Study

PubMed Central

Hammer, Antje; Arah, Onyebuchi A.; DerSarkissian, Maral; Thompson, Caroline A.; Mannion, Russell; Wagner, Cordula; Ommen, Oliver; Sunol, Rosa; Pfaff, Holger

2013-01-01

Background Strategic leadership is an important organizational capability and is essential for quality improvement in hospital settings. Furthermore, the quality of leadership depends crucially on a common set of shared values and mutual trust between hospital management board members. According to the concept of social capital, these are essential requirements for successful cooperation and coordination within groups. Objectives We assume that social capital within hospital management boards is an important factor in the development of effective organizational systems for overseeing health care quality. We hypothesized that the degree of social capital within the hospital management board is associated with the effectiveness and maturity of the quality management system in European hospitals. Methods We used a mixed-method approach to data collection and measurement in 188 hospitals in 7 European countries. For this analysis, we used responses from hospital managers. To test our hypothesis, we conducted a multilevel linear regression analysis of the association between social capital and the quality management system score at the hospital level, controlling for hospital ownership, teaching status, number of beds, number of board members, organizational culture, and country clustering. Results The average social capital score within a hospital management board was 3.3 (standard deviation: 0.5; range: 1-4) and the average hospital score for the quality management index was 19.2 (standard deviation: 4.5; range: 0-27). Higher social capital was associated with higher quality management system scores (regression coefficient: 1.41; standard error: 0.64, p=0.029). Conclusion The results suggest that a higher degree of social capital exists in hospitals that exhibit higher maturity in their quality management systems. Although uncontrolled confounding and reverse causation cannot be completely ruled out, our new findings, along with the results of previous research, could have important implications for the work of hospital managers and the design and evaluation of hospital quality management systems. PMID:24392027

Risk Factor, Job Stress and Quality of Life in Workers With Lower Extremity Pain Who Use Video Display Terminals

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Objective To investigate the general characteristics of video display terminal (VDT) workers with lower extremity pain, to identify the risk factors of work-related lower extremity pain, and to examine the relationship between work stress and health-related quality of life. Methods A questionnaire about the general characteristics of the survey group and the musculoskeletal symptom was used. A questionnaire about job stress used the Korean Occupational Stress Scale and medical outcome study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) to assess health-related quality of life. Results There were 1,711 subjects in the lower extremity group and 2,208 subjects in the control group. Age, sex, hobbies, and feeling of loading affected lower extremity pain as determined in a crossover analysis of all variables with and without lower extremity pain. There were no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of job stress and SF-36 values of the pain and control groups. Conclusion Job stress in VDT workers was higher than average, and the quality of life decreased as the stress increased. Factors such as younger age, women, hobbies other than exercise, and feeling of loading influenced lower extremity pain of workers. Further long-term follow-up and supplementary studies are needed to identify risk factors for future lower extremity pain, taking into account ergonomic factors such as worker's posture. PMID:29560330

Risk Factor, Job Stress and Quality of Life in Workers With Lower Extremity Pain Who Use Video Display Terminals.

PubMed

Choi, Sehoon; Jang, Seong Ho; Lee, Kyu Hoon; Kim, Mi Jung; Park, Si-Bog; Han, Seung Hoon

2018-02-01

To investigate the general characteristics of video display terminal (VDT) workers with lower extremity pain, to identify the risk factors of work-related lower extremity pain, and to examine the relationship between work stress and health-related quality of life. A questionnaire about the general characteristics of the survey group and the musculoskeletal symptom was used. A questionnaire about job stress used the Korean Occupational Stress Scale and medical outcome study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) to assess health-related quality of life. There were 1,711 subjects in the lower extremity group and 2,208 subjects in the control group. Age, sex, hobbies, and feeling of loading affected lower extremity pain as determined in a crossover analysis of all variables with and without lower extremity pain. There were no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of job stress and SF-36 values of the pain and control groups. Job stress in VDT workers was higher than average, and the quality of life decreased as the stress increased. Factors such as younger age, women, hobbies other than exercise, and feeling of loading influenced lower extremity pain of workers. Further long-term follow-up and supplementary studies are needed to identify risk factors for future lower extremity pain, taking into account ergonomic factors such as worker's posture.

Gender differences in job quality and job satisfaction among doctors in rural western China.

PubMed

Miao, Yang; Li, Lingui; Bian, Ying

2017-12-28

Few studies about gender differences in job quality and job satisfaction among medical professionals have been carried out in China. So the objectives of this study were to examine whether and to what extent gender differences existed in job quality and job satisfaction of doctors in rural western China. From 2009 to 2011, a total of 1472 doctors from 103 selected county-level health care facilities in rural western China were recruited into the study. Information about the doctors' demographic characteristics, job quality, and job satisfaction was collected through a designed questionnaire. Besides examining gender differences in single dimensions of job quality and job satisfaction, principal component analysis was used to construct a composite job quality index to measure the differences in the comprehensive job quality, and exploratory factor analysis was applied to evaluate the differences in the overall job satisfaction. Chi-square test was used to calculate differences between proportions, and t-test was used to compare differences between means. Among the doctors, there were 705 males and 767 females (ratio 1:1.09). Male doctors had significantly higher monthly salaries, longer working hours, more times of night shifts per month, longer continuous working hours, and longer years of service at current facilities, and marginally significantly higher hourly wage and longer years of service in current professions. However, female doctors showed greater overall job qualities. Significant and marginally significant gender differences were only found in satisfaction with remuneration compared to workload, the chance of promotion and working environment. But female showed greater satisfaction in the overall job satisfaction and the factor including sub-aspects of working environment, remuneration compared to workload, the chance of promotion, utilization of subjective initiative, and sense of achievement. Gender differences in job quality and job satisfaction did exist among doctors in rural western China. The participating female doctors were shown to have better job quality and greater job satisfaction.

Piloting a generic cancer consumer quality index in six European countries.

PubMed

Wind, Anke; Roeling, Mark Patrick; Heerink, Jana; Sixma, Herman; Presti, Pietro; Lombardo, Claudio; van Harten, Wim

2016-09-02

Accounting for patients' perspective has become increasingly important. Based on the Consumer Quality Index method (founded on Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) a questionnaire was recently developed for Dutch cancer patients. As a next step, this study aimed to adapt and pilot this questionnaire for international comparison of cancer patients experience and satisfaction with care in six European countries. The Consumer Quality Index was translated into the local language at the participating pilot sites using cross-translation. A minimum of 100 patients per site were surveyed through convenience sampling. Data from seven pilot sites in six countries was collected through an online and paper-based survey. Internal consistency was tested by calculating Cronbach's alpha and validity by means of cognitive interviews. Demographic factors were compared as possible influencing factors. A total of 698 patients from six European countries filled the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha was good or satisfactory in 8 out of 10 categories. Patient satisfaction significantly differed between the countries. We observed no difference in patient satisfaction for age, gender, education, and tumor type, but satisfaction was significantly higher in patients with a higher level of activation. This European Cancer Consumer Quality Index(ECCQI) showed promising scores on internal consistency (reliability) and a good internal validity. The ECCQI is to our knowledge the first to measure and compare experiences and satisfaction of cancer patients on an international level, it may enable healthcare providers to improve the quality of cancer care.

Perceived Factors Influencing High School Student Participation in an Integrated Statewide Dual Credit Program: An Examination of Program Success and Student Higher Education Selection Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Touchstone, Allison J. L.

2010-01-01

Dual credit programs have become increasingly popular with 71% U.S. public high schools offering dual credit courses in 2002-2003. As this popularity has grown, so have concerns regarding academic rigor, course quality, parity with college courses, and effects on higher education. Determining actual dual credit course equivalent in higher…

Investigation and Analysis of the Status Quo of the Practical Teaching Ability of English Normal Students in the Higher Vocational College in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Zhen

2017-01-01

The teaching ability is the key factor to decide the quality of teaching. How to train and improve the teaching ability of teachers has become a widespread concern of experts and scholars in the field of education and linguistics. The research investigates the status of students' practical teaching ability in the higher vocational college,…

Hydrochemistry, water quality and land use signatures in an ephemeral tidal river: implications in water management in the southwestern coastal region of Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Kushal; Karim, Md. Rezaul; Akter, Farjana; Islam, Md. Safiqul; Ahmed, Kousik; Rahman, Masudur; Datta, Dilip Kumar; Khan, M. Shah Alam

2018-05-01

Despite its complexity and importance in managing water resources in populous deltas, especially in tidal areas, literatures on tidal rivers and their land use linkage in connection to water quality and pollution are rare. Such information is of prior need for Integrated Water Resource Management in water scarce and climate change vulnerable regions, such as the southwestern coast of Bangladesh. Using water quality indices and multivariate analysis, we present here the land use signatures of a dying tidal river due to anthropogenic perturbation. Correlation matrix, hierarchical cluster analysis, factor analysis, and bio-geo-chemical fingerprints were used to quantify the hydro-chemical and anthropogenic processes and identify factors influencing the ionic concentrations. The results show remarkable spatial and temporal variations ( p < 0.05) in water quality parameters. The lowest solute concentrations are observed at the mid reach of the stream where the agricultural and urban wastewater mix. Agricultural sites show higher concentration of DO, Na+ and K+ reflecting the effects of tidal spill-over and shrimp wastewater effluents nearby. Higher level of Salinity, EC, Cl-, HCO3 -, NO3 -, PO4 3- and TSS characterize the urban sites indicating a signature of land use dominated by direct discharge of household organic waste into the waters. The spatial variation in overall water quality suggests a periodic enhancement of quality especially for irrigation and non-drinking purposes during monsoon and post-monsoon, indicating significant influence of amount of rainfall in the basin. We recommend that, given the recent trend of increasing precipitation and ground water table decrease, such dying tidal river basins may serve as excellent surface water reservoir to supplement quality water supply to the region.

The response of water quality variation in Poyang Lake (Jiangxi, People's Republic of China) to hydrological changes using historical data and DOM fluorescence.

PubMed

Yao, Xin; Wang, Shengrui; Ni, Zhaokui; Jiao, Lixin

2015-02-01

Poyang Lake is a unique wetland system that has evolved in response to natural seasonal fluctuations in water levels. To better characterize the response of water quality to hydrological variation, historical data were analyzed in combination with dissolved organic matter (DOM) fluorescence samplings conducted in situ. Historical data showed that long-term changes in water quality are mainly controlled by the sewage inputs to Poyang Lake. Monthly changes in water quality recorded during 2008 and 2012 suggest that water level may be the most important factor for water quality during a hydrological year. DOM fluorescence samples were identified as three humic-like components (C1, C2, and C3) and a protein-like component (C4). These obvious compositional changes in DOM fluorescence were considered to be related to the hydrodynamic differences controlled by water regimen. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed higher C1 and C2 signals during a normal season than the wet season, whereas C3 was lower, and C4 was higher in the dry season than in the wet or normal seasons. From the open lake to the Yangtze River mouth, increased C3 component carried by backflows of the Yangtze River to the lake resulted in these unique variations of PCA factor 2 scores during September. These obvious compositional changes in DOM fluorescence were considered to be related to the hydrodynamic differences controlled by water regimen. DOM fluorescence could be a proxy for capturing rapid changes in water quality and thereby provide an early warning signal for the quality of water supply.

Risk factors for osteoarthritis and contributing factors to current arthritic pain in South Korean older adults.

PubMed

Lee, Kyoung Min; Chung, Chin Youb; Sung, Ki Hyuk; Lee, Seung Yeol; Won, Sung Hun; Kim, Tae Gyun; Choi, Young; Kwon, Soon Sun; Kim, Yeon Ho; Park, Moon Seok

2015-01-01

Although previous studies have focused on risk factors for osteoarthritis, there is some debate on this issue. Furthermore, associated factors with arthritic symptom (arthralgia) have not been sufficiently investigated, despite its clinical importance in the management of osteoarthritis. This study was performed to examine the risk factors for osteoarthritis and the contributing factors to current arthritic pain in older adults. The Fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys was conducted in 2009. Therein, 720 males and 1008 females aged 65 years and older were included. Comprehensive data on habitual, socioeconomic, medical, nutritional, and psychological factors were collected along with the presence of osteoarthritis and arthritic pain. After univariate analysis, binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for osteoarthritis and contributing factors to current arthritic pain. Age (p=0.005), female gender (p<0.001), higher body mass index (BMI) (p<0.001), and osteoporosis (p<0.001) were significant risk factors for osteoarthritis, while higher education level (p=0.025) was a protective factor for osteoarthritis. Higher BMI (p=0.047), lack of weekly moderate intensity activity (p<0.001), and unfavorable subjective health status (p<0.001) were significant factors contributing to current arthritic pain among subjects with osteoarthritis. Both osteoarthritis and current arthritic pain adversely affected health related quality of life. Higher BMI, lack of weekly moderate intensity activity, and unfavorable subjective health status were significant factors contributing to current arthritic pain. More attention needs to be paid to psychiatric effects on osteoarthritis and joint related pain.

Relationships between evidence-based practice, quality improvement and clinical error experience of nurses in Korean hospitals.

PubMed

Hwang, Jee-In; Park, Hyeoun-Ae

2015-07-01

This study investigated individual and work-related factors associated with nurses' perceptions of evidence-based practice (EBP) and quality improvement (QI), and the relationships between evidence-based practice, quality improvement and clinical errors. Understanding the factors affecting evidence-based practice and quality improvement activities and their relationships with clinical errors is important for designing strategies to promote evidence-based practice, quality improvement and patient safety. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 594 nurses in two Korean teaching hospitals using the evidence-based practice Questionnaire and quality improvement scale developed in this study. Four hundred and forty-three nurses (74.6%) returned the completed survey. Nurses' ages and educational levels were significantly associated with evidence-based practice scores whereas age and job position were associated with quality improvement scores. There were positive, moderate correlations between evidence-based practice and quality improvement scores. Nurses who had not made any clinical errors during the past 12 months had significantly higher quality improvement skills scores than those who had. The findings indicated the necessity of educational support regarding evidence-based practice and quality improvement for younger staff nurses who have no master degrees. Enhancing quality improvement skills may reduce clinical errors. Nurse managers should consider the characteristics of their staff when implementing educational and clinical strategies for evidence-based practice and quality improvement. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Morphological and motor characteristics of Croatian first league female football players.

PubMed

Jelaska, Petra Mandić; Katić, Ratko; Jelaska, Igor

2013-05-01

The aim of this study was to determine the structure of morphological and motor characteristics of Croatian first league female football players and their impact on the estimated quality of the players. According to the goal of the research, a sample consisted of 70 Croatian first league female football players. Participants were measured in 18 tests for assessing morphological characteristics, a set of 12 basic motor abilities tests and a set of 7 tests for assessing football-specific motor abilities. Exploratory factor analysis strategy was applied separately to all measured tests: morphological, basic motor abilities and football specific motor abilities. Factor analysis of morphological tests has shown existence of 3 significant latent dimensions that explain 64% of the total variability. Factors are defined as transverse dimensionality of the skeleton and voluminosity (35%), subcutaneous fat tissue (16%) and longitudinal dimensionality of the skeleton (13%). In the area of basic motor abilities, four factors were extracted. The first factor is responsible for the integration of agility and explosive power of legs, i.e. a factor of movement regulation (agility/lower body explosiveness) (23%), the second one defines muscle tone regulation (15%), the third one defines the frequency of leg movements (12%), while the fourth one is recognized as responsible for the manifestation of basic strength, particularly of basic core strength (19%). Two factors were isolated in the space of football-specific motor abilities: football-specific efficiency (53%) and situational football coordination (27%). Furthermore, by use of factor analysis on extracted latent dimensions (morphological, basic and football specific motor abilities) two higher order factors (explaining 87% of common variability) were extracted. They were named morphological-motor factor (54%) and football-specific motor abilities factor (33%). It is assumed that two extracted higher-order factors fully describe morphological and motor status of first league female football players. Furthermore, the linear regression results in latent space showed that the identified factors are very good predictors of female football players quality (delta = 0.959). In doing so, both specific motor abilities factors and the first factor of basic motor abilities as a factor of general motor efficiency have the greatest impact on player quality, and these factors have been identified as most important predictors of player quality in Croatian women's first league and elite female football players in general. Obtained results provide deep insight into the structure of relations between the morphological, motor and specific motor variables and also indicate the importance of such definition of specific motor abilities. Consequently, results explicitly indicate the necessity of early, continuous, and systematic development of football-specific motor abilities in female football players of high competitive level but also, adjusted, to the younger age categories.

The crucial role of the micro caregiving environment: Factors associated with attachment styles in alternative care in Chile.

PubMed

Garcia Quiroga, Manuela; Hamilton-Giachritsis, Catherine

2017-08-01

The distribution of attachment styles has been shown to differ between groups of children living with their parents and children placed in alternative care (AC), defined as residential or foster. However, this is the first study in Latin America to explore possible factors affecting the quality of attachment in children living in both residential and foster care. Two groups of children (N=57) were compared: one group living in Residential Homes (RC) and the other in Foster Care (FC) in Chile. Children's, caregivers' and structural factors (e.g., child: caregiver ratios) and their links with attachment styles were investigated. The micro caregiving environment (i.e., the specific individual child caregiver relationship), especially the caregivers' engagement, sensitivity, disciplinary control and affection, as well as some structural factors (i.e., child: caregiver ratios), were linked to attachment security in children. Specifically, better emotional caregiving and lower child-caregiver ratios were associated with higher rates of secure attachment. The association between quality of care (as measured by the HOME inventory) and attachment styles seems to be influenced by caregiver relationships (as measured by CCSERSS). Caregiver relationship factors (i.e., affection, engagement and sensitivity) directly impact the quality of the attachment children establish with them while living in AC. However, the relationships that caregivers establish with children under their care can be facilitated by good quality structural factors, particularly child-caregiver ratios. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Body Image, Personality Traits, and Quality of Life in Botulinum Toxin A and Dermal Filler Patients.

PubMed

Scharschmidt, Dagmar; Mirastschijski, Ursula; Preiss, Simone; Brähler, Elmar; Fischer, Tanja; Borkenhagen, A

2018-06-11

The demand for minimally invasive cosmetic procedures has continued to rise, especially in Germany, yet few studies have examined this patient population. The literature in Germany has repeatedly voiced the speculation that users of minimally invasive, skin-rejuvenating procedures displayed a higher tendency toward dysmorphic behavior patterns or, respectively, other abnormal personality traits. The aim of this study was to investigate body image, personality traits, quality of life, and socioeconomic parameters in users of botulinum toxin and/or facial fillers. One hundred forty-five females presented for botulinum toxin and/or soft tissue filler injections completed demographic and standardized psychometric questionnaires such as the World-Health-Organization Quality of Life-Short Form, Big Five Inventory-10, Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire before treatment. Patients undergoing injectable aesthetic treatments in an urban dermatology practice were women, middle-aged, highly educated, and mostly employed. Furthermore, participants showed higher quality of life, especially health-related quality of life, and a lower body mass index than controls. Concerning personality traits, our participants scored significantly higher on extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, and neuroticism. This study helps to better understand the psychosocial factors characterizing this patient population. Patients differ from controls by having a higher level of quality of life. No signs of body dysmorphic patterns or problematic personality traits were found. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Interactions between environmental variables determine immunity in the Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella.

PubMed

Triggs, Alison; Knell, Robert J

2012-03-01

1. Animals raised in good environmental conditions are expected to have more resources to invest in immunity than those raised in poor conditions. Variation in immune activity and parasite resistance in response to changes in environmental temperature, population density and food quality have been shown in many invertebrate species. 2. Almost all studies to date have examined the effects of individual variables in isolation. The aim of this study was to address whether environmental factors interact to produce synergistic effects on phenoloxidase (PO) activity and haemocyte count, both indicators of immune system activity. Temperature, food quality and density were varied in a fully factorial design for a total of eight treatment combinations. 3. Strong interactions between the three environmental variables led to the magnitude and in some cases the direction of the effect of most variables changing as the other environmental factors were altered. Overall, food quality had the most important and consistent influence, larvae raised on a good-quality diet having substantially higher PO activity in every case and substantially higher haemocyte counts in all treatments except unheated/low density. 4. When food quality was good, the larvae showed 'density-dependent prophylaxis': raising their investment in immunity when population density is high. When food quality was poor and the temperature low, however, those larvae raised at high densities invested less in immunity. 5. Increased temperature is often thought to lead to increased immune reactivity in ectotherms, but we found that the effect of temperature was strongly dependent on the values of other environmental variables. PO activity increased with temperature when larvae were raised on good food or when density was high, but when food was poor and density low, a higher temperature led to reduced PO activity. A higher temperature led to higher haemocyte counts when density was high and food quality was poor, but in all other cases, the effect of increased temperature was either close to zero or somewhat negative. 6. Although PO activity and haemocyte count were weakly correlated across the whole data set, there were a number of treatments where the two measures responded in different ways to environmental change. Overall, effect sizes for PO activity were substantially higher than those for haemocyte count, indicating that the different components of the immune system vary in their sensitivity to environmental change. 7. Predictions of the effect of environmental or population change on immunity and disease dynamics based on laboratory experiments that only investigate the effects of single variable are likely to be inaccurate or even entirely wrong. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2011 British Ecological Society.

Sleep duration and sleep quality in relation to 12-year cardiovascular disease incidence: the MORGEN study.

PubMed

Hoevenaar-Blom, Marieke P; Spijkerman, Annemieke M W; Kromhout, Daan; van den Berg, Julia F; Verschuren, W M Monique

2011-11-01

We studied sleep duration and sleep quality in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence. Dutch population-based cohort study. 20,432 men and women aged 20-65 and with no history of CVD. N/A. Sleep duration and sleep quality were assessed by a self-administered questionnaire. Morbidity data, vital status, and causes of death were obtained through linkage with several national registries. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models. During 10-15 years of follow-up, 1,486 CVD and 1,148 coronary heart disease (CHD) events occurred. Short sleepers (≤ 6 h) had a 15% higher risk of total CVD (HR: 1.15; 95%CI: 1.00-1.32) and a 23% higher risk of CHD (HR: 1.23 [1.04-1.45]) compared to normal sleepers (7 h) after adjustment for all confounders. Additional adjustment for intermediate biological risk factors attenuated these relative risks to 1.11 (0.97-1.27) for total CVD and to 1.19 (1.00-1.40) for CHD. Short sleepers with poor sleep quality had a 63% higher risk of CVD (HR: 1.63 [1.21-2.19]) and a 79% higher risk of CHD incidence (HR: 1.79 [1.24-2.58]) compared to normal sleepers with good sleep quality, after adjustments for all confounders. We observed no associations between long sleep duration (≥ 9 h) and CVD or CHD incidence. Short sleepers, especially those with poor sleep quality, have an increased risk of total CVD and CHD incidence. Future investigations should not only focus on sleep duration, but should also take sleep quality into account.

Heating with Biomass in the United Kingdom: Lessons from New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitchell, E. J. S.; Coulson, G.; Butt, E. W.; Forster, P. M.; Jones, J. M.; Williams, A.

2017-03-01

In this study we review the current status of residential solid fuel (RSF) use in the UK and compare it with New Zealand, which has had severe wintertime air quality issues for many years that is directly attributable to domestic wood burning in heating stoves. Results showed that RSF contributed to more than 40 μg m-3 PM10 and 10 μg m-3 BC in some suburban locations of New Zealand in 2006, with significant air quality and climate impacts. Models predict RSF consumption in New Zealand to decrease slightly from 7 PJ to 6 PJ between 1990 and 2030, whereas consumption in the UK increases by a factor of 14. Emissions are highest from heating stoves and fireplaces, and their calculated contribution to radiative forcing in the UK increases by 23% between 2010 and 2030, with black carbon accounting for more than three quarters of the total warming effect. By 2030, the residential sector accounts for 44% of total BC emissions in the UK and far exceeds emissions from the traffic sector. Finally, a unique bottom-up emissions inventory was produced for both countries using the latest national survey and census data for the year 2013/14. Fuel- and technology-specific emissions factors were compared between multiple inventories including GAINS, the IPCC, the EMEP/EEA and the NAEI. In the UK, it was found that wood consumption in stoves was within 30% of the GAINS inventory, but consumption in fireplaces was substantially higher and fossil fuel consumption is more than twice the GAINS estimate. As a result, emissions were generally a factor of 2-3 higher for biomass and 2-6 higher for coal. In New Zealand, coal and lignite consumption in stoves is within 24% of the GAINS inventory estimate, but wood consumption is more than 7 times the GAINS estimate. As a result, emissions were generally a factor of 1-2 higher for coal and several times higher for wood. The results of this study indicate that emissions from residential heating stoves and fireplaces may be underestimated in climate models. Emissions are increasing rapidly in the UK which may result in severe wintertime air quality reductions, as seen in New Zealand, and contribute to climate warming unless controls are implemented such as the Ecodesign emissions limits.

Brief report: pulmonary auscultation in the operating room: a prospective randomized blinded trial comparing electronic and conventional stethoscopes.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Clement; Falzone, Elisabeth; Verret, Catherine; Pasquier, Pierre; Leclerc, Thomas; Donat, Nicolas; Jost, Daniel; Mérat, Stephane; Maurice, Guillaume de Saint; Lenoir, Bernard; Auroy, Yves; Tourtier, Jean-Pierre

2013-09-01

We compared the subjective quality of pulmonary auscultation between 2 acoustic stethoscopes (Holtex Ideal® and Littmann Cardiology III®) and an electronic stethoscope (Littmann 3200®) in the operating room. A prospective double-blind randomized study with an evaluation during mechanical ventilation was performed in 100 patients. After each examination, the listeners using a numeric scale (0-10) rated the quality of auscultation. Auscultation quality was compared in patients among stethoscopes with a multilevel mixed-effects linear regression with random intercept (operator effect), adjusted on significant factors in univariate analysis. A significant difference was defined as P < 0.05. One hundred comparative evaluations of pulmonary auscultation were performed. The quality of auscultation was rated 8.2 ± 1.6 for the electronic stethoscope, 7.4 ± 1.8 for the Littmann Cardiology III, and 4.6 ± 1.8 for the Holtex Ideal. Compared with Holtex Ideal, auscultation quality was significantly higher with other stethoscopes (P < 0.0001). Compared with Littmann Cardiology III, auscultation quality was significantly higher with Littmann 3200 electronic stethoscope (β = 0.9 [95% confidence interval, 0.5-1.3]). An electronic stethoscope can provide a better quality of pulmonary auscultation than acoustic stethoscopes in the operating room, yet with a magnitude of improvement marginally higher than that provided with a high performance acoustic stethoscope. Whether this can translate into a clinically relevant benefit requires further studies.

Influence of environmental factors on spectral characteristics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in Inner Mongolia Plateau, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Z. D.; Song, K. S.; Zhao, Y.; Du, J.; Ma, J. H.

2016-02-01

Spectral characteristics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were examined in conjunction with environmental factors in the waters of rivers and terminal lakes within the Hulun Buir plateau, northeast China. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorous (TP) were significantly higher in terminal lakes than rivers waters (p < 0.01). Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that non-water light absorption and anthropogenic nutrient disturbances were the likely causes of the diversity of water quality parameters. CDOM absorption in river waters was significantly lower than terminal lakes. Analysis of the ratio of absorption at 250 to 365 nm (E250 : 365), specific ultraviolet (UV) absorbance (SUVA254), and the spectral slope ratio (Sr) indicated that CDOM in river waters had higher aromaticity, molecular weight, and vascular plant contribution than in terminal lakes. Furthermore, results showed that DOC concentration, CDOM light absorption, and the proportion of autochthonous sources of CDOM in plateau waters were all higher than in other freshwater rivers reported in the literature. The strong evapoconcentration, intense ultraviolet irradiance, and landscape features of the Hulun Buir plateau may be responsible for the above phenomenon. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the environmental variables total suspended matter (TSM), TN, and electrical conductivity (EC) had a strong correlation with light absorption characteristics, followed by total dissolved solid (TDS) and chlorophyll a. In most sampling locations, CDOM was the dominant non-water light-absorbing substance. Light absorption by non-algal particles often exceeded that by phytoplankton in the plateau waters. Study of these optical-physicochemical correlations is helpful in the evaluation of the potential influence of water quality factors on non-water light absorption in cold plateau water environments. The construction of a correlation between DOC concentration and water quality factors may help contribute to regional estimates of carbon sources and fate for catchment carbon budget assessments.

Birth timing and behavioral responsiveness predict individual differences in the mother-infant relationship and infant behavior during weaning and maternal breeding

PubMed Central

Vandeleest, Jessica J.; Capitanio, John P.

2012-01-01

There is a great deal of variability in mother-infant interactions and infant behavior across the first year of life in rhesus monkeys. The current paper has two specific aims: 1) to determine if birth timing predicts variability in the mother-infant relationship and infant behavior during weaning and maternal breeding, and 2) to identify predictors of infant behavior during a period of acute challenge, maternal breeding. Forty-one mother-infant pairs were observed during weaning when infants were 4.5 months old, and 33 were followed through maternal breeding. Subjective ratings of 16 adjectives reflecting qualities of maternal attitude, mother-infant interactions, and infant attitude were factor analyzed to construct factors relating to the mother-infant relationship (Relaxed and Aggressive), and infant behavior (Positive Engagement and Distress). During weaning, late born infants were more Positively Engaged than peak born infants (ANOVA, P < 0.05); however, birth timing did not affect the mother-infant relationship factors Relaxed and Aggressive or the infant attitude factor Distress. During maternal breeding early born infants had less Relaxed relationships with their mothers than peak or late born infants, higher Positive Engagement scores than peak or late born infants, and tended to have higher Distress scores than peak born infants (Repeated-measures ANOVA, P < 0.05). In addition, Distress scores were higher during maternal breeding than during the pre- and post-breeding phases. Finally, multiple regression (P < 0.05) indicated that while infant behavioral responsiveness predicted infant Positive Engagement during the acute challenge of maternal breeding, qualities of the mother-infant relationship predicted infant Distress. These data suggest that birth timing influences the patterns of mother-infant interactions during weaning and maternal breeding. Additionally, infant behavioral responsiveness and mother-infant relationship quality impact infant social engagement and affect expression, respectively. PMID:24436198

Significant improvement in the thermal annealing process of optical resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salzenstein, Patrice; Zarubin, Mikhail

2017-05-01

Thermal annealing performed during process improves the quality of the roughness of optical resonators reducing stresses at the periphery of their surface thus allowing higher Q-factors. After a preliminary realization, the design of the oven and the electronic method were significantly improved thanks to nichrome resistant alloy wires and chopped basalt fibers for thermal isolation during the annealing process. Q-factors can then be improved.

Predictors of acceptance of offered care management intervention services in a quality improvement trial for dementia.

PubMed

Kaisey, Marwa; Mittman, Brian; Pearson, Marjorie; Connor, Karen I; Chodosh, Joshua; Vassar, Stefanie D; Nguyen, France T; Vickrey, Barbara G

2012-10-01

Care management approaches have been proven to improve outcomes for patients with dementia and their family caregivers (dyads). However, acceptance of services in these programs is incomplete, impacting effectiveness. Acceptance may be related to dyad as well as healthcare system characteristics, but knowledge about factors associated with program acceptance is lacking. This study investigates patient, caregiver, and healthcare system characteristics associated with acceptance of offered care management services. This study analyzed data from the intervention arm of a cluster randomized controlled trial of a comprehensive dementia care management intervention. There were 408 patient-caregiver dyads enrolled in the study, of which 238 dyads were randomized to the intervention. Caregiver, patient, and health system factors associated with participation in offered care management services were assessed through bivariate and multivariate regression analyses. Out of the 238 dyads, 9 were ineligible for this analysis, leaving data of 229 dyads in this sample. Of these, 185 dyads accepted offered care management services, and 44 dyads did not. Multivariate analyses showed that higher likelihood of acceptance of care management services was uniquely associated with cohabitation of caregiver and patient (p < 0.001), lesser severity of dementia (p = 0.03), and higher patient comorbidity (p = 0.03); it also varied across healthcare organization sites. Understanding factors that influence care management participation could result in increased adoption of successful programs to improve quality of care. Using these factors to revise both program design as well as program promotion may also benefit external validity of future quality improvement research trials. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Health-related quality of life of patients of Brazilian primary health care

PubMed Central

Ascef, Bruna de Oliveira; Haddad, João Paulo Amaral; Álvares, Juliana; Guerra, Augusto Afonso; Costa, Ediná Alves; Acurcio, Francisco de Assis; Guibu, Ione Aquemi; Costa, Karen Sarmento; Karnikowski, Margô Gomes de Oliveira; Soeiro, Orlando Mario; Leite, Silvana Nair; Silveira, Micheline Rosa

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To analyze the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of patients of the primary health care of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) and its associated factors. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study with data from the Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos – Serviços, 2015 (PNAUM – National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines – Services, 2015). Data were collected with a questionnaire that included the EuroQol 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) instrument. Patients from the five regions of Brazil were interviewed. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze their Health-Related Quality of Life and its associated factors. RESULTS Of the total of 8,590 patients, the most frequent dimensions were pain/discomfort (50.7%) and anxiety/depression (38.8%). About 10% of the patients reported extreme problems in these dimensions. The following factors were significantly associated with a worse quality of life: being female; having arthritis, osteoarthritis, or rheumatism; cerebrovascular accident; heart disease; depression; health self-assessment as poor or very poor; drinking alcoholic beverages once or more per month; dieting to lose weight, avoiding salt consumption, and reducing fat intake. Significant association was observed between a better quality of life and: living in the North and Southeast regions of Brazil; practicing physical activities; and having a higher educational level. No association was observed with factors related to the health services. CONCLUSIONS The Health-Related Quality of Life of patients was influenced by demographic and socioeconomic factors that were related to health conditions and lifestyle, being useful to guide specific actions for promoting health and the integral care to patients of the Brazilian Unified Health System. PMID:29160458

Work stress among nursing home care attendants in Taiwan: a questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Hsu, Hui-Chuan; Kung, Yuan-Wei; Huang, Hsiao-Chien; Ho, Pei-Yu; Lin, Ya-Ying; Chen, Wen-Shin

2007-07-01

Care attendants constitute the main workforce in nursing homes, but their heavy workload, low autonomy, and indefinite responsibility result in high levels of stress and may affect quality of care. However, few studies have focused of this problem. The aim of this study was to examine work-related stress and associated factors that affect care attendants in nursing homes and to offer suggestions for how management can alleviate these problems in care facilities. We recruited participants from nine nursing homes with 50 or more beds located in middle Taiwan; 110 care attendants completed the questionnaire. The work stress scale for the care attendants was validated and achieved good reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.93). We also conducted exploratory factor analysis. Six factors were extracted from the work stress scale: insufficient ability, stressful reactions, heavy workload, trouble in care work, poor management, and working time problems. The explained variance achieved 64.96%. Factors related to higher work stress included working in a hospital-based nursing home, having a fixed schedule, night work, feeling burden, inconvenient facility, less enthusiasm, and self-rated higher stress. Work stress for care attendants in nursing homes is related to human resource management and quality of care. We suggest potential management strategies to alleviate work stress for these workers.

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

Checchin, Mattia

Superconducting niobium accelerating cavities are devices operating in radio-frequency and able to accelerate charged particles up to energy of tera-electron-volts. Such accelerating structures are though limited in terms of quality factor and accelerating gradient, that translates--in some cases--in higher capital costs of construction and operation of superconducting rf accelerators. Looking forward for a new generation of more affordable accelerators, the physical description of limiting mechanisms in superconducting microwave resonators is discussed. In particular, the physics behind the dissipation introduced by vortices in the superconductor, the ultimate quench limitations and the quality factor degradation mechanism after a quench are described inmore » detail. One of the limiting factor of the quality factor is the dissipation introduced by trapped magnetic flux vortices. The radio-frequency complex response of trapped vortices in superconductors is derived by solving the motion equation for a magnetic flux line, assuming a bi-dimensional and mean free path-dependent Lorentzian-shaped pinning potential. The resulting surface resistance shows the bell-shaped trend as a function of the mean free path, in agreement with the experimental data observed. Such bell-shaped trend of the surface resistance is described in terms of the interplay of the two limiting regimes identified as pinning and flux flow regimes, for low and large mean free path values respectively. The model predicts that the dissipation regime--pinning- or flux-flow-dominated--can be tuned either by acting on the frequency or on the electron mean free path value. The effect of different configurations of pinning sites and strength on the vortex surface resistance are also discussed. Accelerating cavities are also limited by the quench of the superconductive state, which limits the maximum accelerating gradient achievable. The accelerating field limiting factor is usually associate d to the superheating field, which is intimately correlated to the penetration of magnetic flux vortices in the material. Experimental data for N-doped cavities suggest that uniform Ginzburg-Landau parameter cavities are statistically limited by the lower critical field, in terms of accelerating gradient. By introducing a Ginzburg-Landau parameter profile at the cavity rf surface--dirty layer--the accelerating gradient of superconducting resonators can be enhanced. The description of the physics behind the accelerating gradient enhancement as a consequence of the dirty layer is carried out by solving numerically the Ginzburg-Landau equations for the layered system. The enhancement is showed to be promoted by the higher energy barrier to vortex penetration, and by the enhanced lower critical field. Another serious threat to the quality factor during the cavity operation is the extra dissipation introduced by the quench. Such quality factor degradation mechanism due to the quench, is generated by the trapping of external magnetic flux at quench spot. The purely extrinsic origin of such extra dissipation is proven by the impossibility of decrease the quality factor by quenching in a magnetic field-free environment. Also, a clear relation of the dissipation introduced by quenching to the orientation of the applied magnetic field is observed. The full recover of the quality factor by re-quenching in compensated field is possible when the trapped flux at the quench spot is modest. On the contrary, when the trapped magnetic flux is too large, the quality factor degradation may become irreversible by this technique, likely due to the outward flux migration beyond the normal zone opening during the quench.« less

Factors associated with quality of life in elderly hospitalised patients undergoing post-acute rehabilitation: a cross-sectional analytical study in Switzerland

PubMed Central

Rubli Truchard, Eve; Rochat, Etienne; Pasquier, Jérôme; Monod, Stéfanie

2017-01-01

Objectives We investigated whether biopsychosocial and spiritual factors and satisfaction with care were associated with patients’ perceived quality of life. Design This was a cross-sectional analytical study. Setting Data were collected from inpatients at a postacute geriatric rehabilitation centre in a university hospital in Switzerland. Participants Participants aged 65 years and over were consecutively recruited from October 2014 to January 2016. Exclusion criteria included significant cognitive disorder and terminal illness. Of 227 eligible participants, complete data were collected from 167. Main outcome measures Perceived quality of life was measured using WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire—version for older people. Predictive factors were age, sex, functional status at admission, comorbidities, cognitive status, depressive symptoms, living conditions and satisfaction with care. A secondary focus was the association between spiritual needs and quality of life. Results Patients undergoing geriatric rehabilitation experienced a good quality of life. Greater quality of life was significantly associated with higher functional status (rs=0.204, p=0.011), better cognitive status (rs=0.175, p=0.029) and greater satisfaction with care (rs=0.264, p=0.003). Poorer quality of life was significantly associated with comorbidities (rs=−.226, p=0.033), greater depressive symptoms (rs=−.379, p<0.001) and unmet spiritual needs (rs=−.211, p=0.049). Multivariate linear regression indicated that depressive symptoms (β=−0.961; 95% CIs −1.449 to 0.472; p<0.001) significantly predicted quality of life. Conclusions Patient perceptions of quality of life were significantly associated with depression. More research is needed to assess whether considering quality of life could improve care plan creation. PMID:29061633

Influence of electrical and hybrid heating on bread quality during baking.

PubMed

Chhanwal, N; Ezhilarasi, P N; Indrani, D; Anandharamakrishnan, C

2015-07-01

Energy efficiency and product quality are the key factors for any food processing industry. The aim of the study was to develop energy and time efficient baking process. The hybrid heating (Infrared + Electrical) oven was designed and fabricated using two infrared lamps and electric heating coils. The developed oven can be operated in serial or combined heating modes. The standardized baking conditions were 18 min at 220°C to produce the bread from hybrid heating oven. Effect of baking with hybrid heating mode (H-1 and H-2, hybrid oven) on the quality characteristics of bread as against conventional heating mode (C-1, pilot scale oven; C-2, hybrid oven) was studied. The results showed that breads baked in hybrid heating mode (H-2) had higher moisture content (28.87%), higher volume (670 cm(3)), lower crumb firmness value (374.6 g), and overall quality score (67.0) comparable to conventional baking process (68.5). Moreover, bread baked in hybrid heating mode showed 28% reduction in baking time.

Multi-trait analysis of post-harvest storage in rocket salad (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) links sensorial, volatile and nutritional data.

PubMed

Spadafora, Natasha D; Amaro, Ana L; Pereira, Maria J; Müller, Carsten T; Pintado, Manuela; Rogers, Hilary J

2016-11-15

Rocket salad (Diplotaxis tenuifolia; wild rocket) is an important component of ready to eat salads providing a distinct peppery flavour and containing nutritionally relevant compounds. Quality deteriorates during post-harvest, in relation to time and storage temperature amongst other factors. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are easily measurable from rocket leaves and may provide useful quality indicators for e.g. changes in isothiocyanates derived from nutritionally important glucosinolates. VOC profiles discriminated storage temperatures (0, 5 and 10°C) and times (over 14days). More specifically, concentrations of aldehydes and isothiocyanates decreased with time paralleling a fall in vitamin C and a reduction in sensorial quality at the two higher temperatures. Sulphur containing compounds rise at later time-points and at higher temperatures coincident with an increase in microbial titre, mirroring a further drop in sensorial quality thus indicating their contribution to off-odours. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Impact of oral conditions on the quality of life of secondary schoolchildren in Nigeria.

PubMed

Oziegbe, Elizabeth O; Esan, Temitope A; Adesina, Bola A

2012-01-01

Oral health problems have been increasingly recognized as important factors causing a negative impact on daily performance and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of tooth extraction with no replacement, untreated fractured anterior teeth, malocclusion, dental restorations, and orthodontic braces on the quality of life in Nigerian schoolchildren. A total of 197 9- to 17-year-old schoolchildren completed the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) index/questionnaire. Students who had tooth extraction with no replacement and untreated fractured incisors had significantly higher mean OHIP scores for functional limitations, physical pain, psychological discomfort, physical, psychological, and social disabilities, and handicaps (P<.001) when compared to other groups and the control. The mean OHIP scores of students with features of malocclusion were significantly higher for functional limitations, psychological discomfort, and psychological disability compared to the control group (P<.001). Untreated dental problems had some negative impact on the quality of life on the 7 subscales of the OHIP.

Sleep quality and health service utilization in Chinese general population: a cross-sectional study in Dongguan, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Hui-Shan; Mai, Yan-Bing; Li, Wei-Da; Xi, Wen-Tao; Wang, Jin-Ming; Lei, Yi-Xiong; Wang, Pei-Xi

The aims of this study were to explore the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and health service utilization in Chinese general population, to investigate the association between PSQI and health service utilization and to identify the independent contributions of social demographic variables, health related factors and PSQI to health service utilization. In a cross-sectional community-based health survey using a multi-instrument questionnaire, 4067 subjects (≥15 years old) were studied. The Chinese version of the PSQI was used to assess sleep quality. Health service utilization was measured by recent two-week physician visit and annual hospitalization rates. Higher PSQI scores were associated with more frequent health service utilization. Higher scores in subjective sleep quality were associated with higher rate of recent two-week physician visit (adjusted OR = 1.24 per SD increase, P = 0.015). Higher scores in habitual sleep efficiency (adjusted OR = 1.24 per SD increase, P = 0.038) and sleep disturbances (adjusted OR = 2.09 per SD increase, P < 0.001) were associated with more frequent annual hospitalization. The independent influence of PSQI on the risk of recent two-week physician visit was 0.7%, and that of annual hospitalization 31.4%. Poorer sleep quality predicted more frequent health service utilization. The independent contribution of PSQI on health service utilization was smaller than social demographic variables. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The interaction between erectile dysfunction complaints and depression in men: a cross-sectional study about sleep, hormones and quality of life.

PubMed

Soterio-Pires, J H; Hirotsu, C; Kim, L J; Bittencourt, L; Tufik, S; Andersen, M L

2017-03-01

Depression (DEP) is one of the main disabling diseases and is considered a contributor factor for erectile dysfunction (ED). Both of these conditions may be associated with hormonal changes and sleep disturbances. We aimed to evaluate the interaction between ED complaints and depression symptoms on sleep parameters, hormone levels and quality of life in men. This was a cross-sectional study of 468 men aged 20-80 years. The participants were classified according to the presence of ED and/or DEP in groups of healthy individuals, ED, DEP and DEP with ED (DEP-ED). All participants completed questionnaires about sleep, clinical history and quality of life, and underwent polysomnography with blood collection the following morning. ED participants showed higher frequency of insomnia symptoms (65.5%), whereas DEP group had more complaints of difficulty in falling asleep and early morning awakening. In the polysomnography, all groups showed similar parameters. No differences were found in cortisol and total testosterone levels; however, free testosterone levels and the physiological domain of quality of life were lower in DEP-ED group. ED and DEP, as independent factors, negatively affected subjective sleep parameters. The interaction between these factors led to a low quality of life and was related to a decrease in free testosterone levels.

A tool to measure whether business management capacity in general practice impacts on the quality of chronic illness care.

PubMed

Holton, Christine H; Proudfoot, Judith G; Jayasinghe, Upali W; Grimm, Jane; Bubner, Tanya K; Winstanley, Julie; Harris, Mark F; Beilby, Justin J

2010-11-01

Our aim was to develop a tool to identify specific features of the business and financial management of practices that facilitate better quality care for chronic illness in primary care. Domains of management were identified, resulting in the development of a structured interview tool that was administered in 97 primary care practices in Australia. Interview items were screened and subjected to factor analysis, subscales identified and the overall model fit determined. The instrument's validity was assessed against another measure of quality of care. Analysis provided a four-factor solution containing 21 items, which explained 42.5% of the variance in the total scores. The factors related to administrative processes, human resources, marketing analysis and business development. All scores increased significantly with practice size. The business development subscale and total score were higher for rural practices. There was a significant correlation between the business development subscale and quality of care. The indicators of business and financial management in the final tool appear to be useful predictors of the quality of care. The instrument may help inform policy regarding the structure of general practice and implementation of a systems approach to chronic illness care. It can provide information to practices about areas for further development.

Superconducting nanowires as nonlinear inductive elements for qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ku, Jaseung; Manucharyan, Vladimir; Bezryadin, Alexey

2011-03-01

We report microwave transmission measurements of superconducting Fabry-Perot resonators, having a superconducting nanowire placed at a supercurrent antinode. As the plasma oscillation is excited, the supercurrent is forced to flow through the nanowire. The microwave transmission of the resonator-nanowire device shows a nonlinear resonance behavior, significantly dependent on the amplitude of the supercurrent oscillation. We show that such amplitude-dependent response is due to the nonlinearity of the current-phase relationship of the nanowire. The results are explained within a nonlinear oscillator model of the Duffing oscillator, in which the nanowire acts as a purely inductive element, in the limit of low temperatures and low amplitudes. The low-quality factor sample exhibits a ``crater'' at the resonance peak at higher driving power, which is due to dissipation. We observe a hysteretic bifurcation behavior of the transmission response to frequency sweep in a sample with a higher quality factor. The Duffing model is used to explain the Duffing bistability diagram. NSF DMR-1005645, DOE DO-FG02-07ER46453.

Disparities in Mental Health Quality of Life Between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White LGB Midlife and Older Adults and the Influence of Lifetime Discrimination, Social Connectedness, Socioeconomic Status, and Perceived Stress.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun-Jun; Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I

2017-10-01

We assessed factors contributing to ethnic and racial disparities in mental health quality of life (MHQOL) among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) midlife and older adults. We utilized cross-sectional survey data from a sample of non-Hispanic White and Hispanic LGB adults aged 50 and older. Structural equation modeling was used to test the indirect effect of ethnicity/race on MHQOL via explanatory factors including social connectedness, lifetime discrimination, socioeconomic status (SES), and perceived stress. Hispanics reported significantly lower levels of MHQOL, compared to non-Hispanic Whites. In the final model, the association between ethnicity/race and MHQOL was explained by higher levels of perceived stress related to lower SES, higher frequency of lifetime discrimination, and lack of social connectedness among Hispanic LGB adults. This study suggests that perceived stress related to social disadvantage and marginalization plays an important role in MHQOL disparities among Hispanic LGB midlife and older adults.

Does physician communication style impact patient report of decision quality for breast cancer treatment?

PubMed

Martinez, Kathryn A; Resnicow, Ken; Williams, Geoffrey C; Silva, Marlene; Abrahamse, Paul; Shumway, Dean A; Wallner, Lauren P; Katz, Steven J; Hawley, Sarah T

2016-12-01

Provider communication that supports patient autonomy has been associated with numerous positive patient outcomes. However, to date, no research has examined the relationship between perceived provider communication style and patient-assessed decision quality in breast cancer. Using a population-based sample of women with localized breast cancer, we assessed patient perceptions of autonomy-supportive communication from their surgeons and medical oncologists, as well as patient-reported decision quality. We used multivariable linear regression to examine the association between autonomy-supportive communication and subjective decision quality for surgery and chemotherapy decisions, controlling for sociodemographic and clinical factors, as well as patient-reported communication preference (non-directive or directive). Among the 1690 women included in the overall sample, patient-reported decision quality scores were positively associated with higher levels of perceived autonomy-supportive communication from surgeons (β=0.30; p<0.001) and medical oncologists (β=0.26; p<0.001). Patient communication style preference moderated the association between physician communication style received and perceived decision quality. Autonomy-supportive communication by physicians was associated with higher subjective decision quality among women with localized breast cancer. These results support future efforts to design interventions that enhance autonomy-supportive communication. Autonomy-supportive communication by cancer doctors can improve patients' perceived decision quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does physician communication style impact patient report of decision quality for breast cancer treatment?

PubMed Central

Resnicow, Ken; Williams, Geoffrey C.; Silva, Marlene; Abrahamse, Paul; Shumway, Dean; Wallner, Lauren; Katz, Steven; Hawley, Sarah

2016-01-01

Objective Provider communication that supports patient autonomy has been associated with numerous positive patient outcomes. However, to date, no research has examined the relationship between perceived provider communication style and patient-assessed decision quality in breast cancer. Methods Using a population-based sample of women with localized breast cancer, we assessed patient perceptions of autonomy-supportive communication from their surgeons and medical oncologists, as well as patient-reported decision quality. We used multivariable linear regression to examine the association between autonomy-supportive communication and subjective decision quality for surgery and chemotherapy decisions, controlling for sociodemographic and clinical factors, as well as patient-reported communication preference (non-directive or directive). Results Among the 1,690 women included in the overall sample, patient-reported decision quality scores were positively associated with higher levels of perceived autonomy-supportive communication from surgeons (β=0.30; p<0.001) and medical oncologists (β=0.26; p<0.001). Patient communication style preference moderated the association between physician communication style received and perceived decision quality. Conclusion Autonomy-supportive communication by physicians was associated with higher subjective decision quality among women with localized breast cancer. These results support future efforts to design interventions that enhance autonomy-supportive communication. Practice Implications Autonomy-supportive communication by cancer doctors can improve patients’ perceived decision quality. PMID:27395750

[UNHEALTHY FOOD INTAKE IS LINKED TO HIGHER PREVALENCE OF METABOLIC SYNDROME IN CHILEAN ADULT POPULATION: CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY IN 2009-2010 NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY].

PubMed

Dussaillant, Catalina; Echeverría, Guadalupe; Villarroel, Luis; Marin, Pedro Paulo; Rigotti, Attilio

2015-11-01

metabolic syndrome (MS) is a clustering of risk factors known to promote cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Environmental factors, such as unhealthy diet, play a major role in the development of this condition. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of MS and its association with food intake quality among Chilean adults. we analyzed data of 2 561 adults (≥ 18 years-old) included in the last National Health Survey (NHS 2009-2010) who had appropriate information to diagnose MS based on ATP III-NCEP guidelines. Consumption frequency of fish, whole grains, dairy, fruits and vegetables was also analyzed and associated with MS prevalence. Using a healthy diet score (HDS), we described the overall diet quality and further correlated it with MS prevalence. we found that lower whole grain intake was associated with greater MS prevalence (OR = 1.78; 95% CI: 1.088-2.919; p = 0.022). HDS showed better diet quality among women and in subjects with increasing age and higher educational level. A HDS < 3 points was associated with an increased risk of MS (OR HDS < 3 / HDS ≥ 3 = 3.69; 95% CI 1.884-7.225, p < 0.001). Chilean adult population exhibits a high prevalence of MS linked to a poor diet quality. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Professional quality of life normative benchmarks.

PubMed

De La Rosa, Gabriel M; Webb-Murphy, Jennifer A; Fesperman, Susan F; Johnston, Scott L

2018-03-01

Those responsible for the care of trauma survivors can experience both beneficial and detrimental consequences resulting from their professional demands. Research has demonstrated that among professional caregivers, compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO), and compassion fatigue (CF) are important factors contributing to professional quality of life. The current research aims to provide normative information regarding the factors contributing to professional quality of life among those who interact with survivors of trauma. The Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) Scale is a widely used measure of CS, BO, and CF. The most recent iteration of the ProQOL manual provides normative data to assist in the interpretation of scores. However, a review of the literature reporting raw scores on the ProQOL suggests that mean scores and cutoff scores for the 25th and 75th percentiles may be misleading. A review of 30 studies (total sample size of 5,612) was conducted and normative values are presented. The mean (standard deviation) level of CS, CF, and BO were 37.7 (6.5), 16.7 (5.7), and 22.8 (5.4), respectively. Values gathered from the literature review tend to align well with one another and suggest that within a given sample, CS scores tend to be higher than BO scores, and BO scores tend to be slightly higher than CF scores. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

[Analysis of dietary pattern and diabetes mellitus influencing factors identified by classification tree model in adults of Fujian].

PubMed

Yu, F L; Ye, Y; Yan, Y S

2017-05-10

Objective: To find out the dietary patterns and explore the relationship between environmental factors (especially dietary patterns) and diabetes mellitus in the adults of Fujian. Methods: Multi-stage sampling method were used to survey residents aged ≥18 years by questionnaire, physical examination and laboratory detection in 10 disease surveillance points in Fujian. Factor analysis was used to identify the dietary patterns, while logistic regression model was applied to analyze relationship between dietary patterns and diabetes mellitus, and classification tree model was adopted to identify the influencing factors for diabetes mellitus. Results: There were four dietary patterns in the population, including meat, plant, high-quality protein, and fried food and beverages patterns. The result of logistic analysis showed that plant pattern, which has higher factor loading of fresh fruit-vegetables and cereal-tubers, was a protective factor for non-diabetes mellitus. The risk of diabetes mellitus in the population at T2 and T3 levels of factor score were 0.727 (95 %CI: 0.561-0.943) times and 0.736 (95 %CI : 0.573-0.944) times higher, respectively, than those whose factor score was in lowest quartile. Thirteen influencing factors and eleven group at high-risk for diabetes mellitus were identified by classification tree model. The influencing factors were dyslipidemia, age, family history of diabetes, hypertension, physical activity, career, sex, sedentary time, abdominal adiposity, BMI, marital status, sleep time and high-quality protein pattern. Conclusion: There is a close association between dietary patterns and diabetes mellitus. It is necessary to promote healthy and reasonable diet, strengthen the monitoring and control of blood lipids, blood pressure and body weight, and have good lifestyle for the prevention and control of diabetes mellitus.

Trampoline Resonator Fabrication for Tests of Quantum Mechanics at High Mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, Matthew; Pepper, Brian; Sonin, Petro; Eerkens, Hedwig; Buters, Frank; de Man, Sven; Bouwmeester, Dirk

2014-03-01

There has been much interest recently in optomechanical devices that can reach the ground state. Two requirements for achieving ground state cooling are high optical finesse in the cavity and high mechanical quality factor. We present a set of trampoline resonator devices using high stress silicon nitride and superpolishing of mirrors with sufficient finesse (as high as 60,000) and quality factor (as high as 480,000) for ground state cooling in a dilution refrigerator. These devices have a higher mass, between 80 and 100 ng, and lower frequency, between 200 and 500 kHz, than other devices that have been cooled to the ground state, enabling tests of quantum mechanics at a larger mass scale.

Predictors of health-related quality of life among low-income midlife women.

PubMed

Ham, Ok Kyung

2011-02-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether any of the sociodemographic, biomedical, psychosocial, and medical-care factors independently predict health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among low-income women. Cross-sectional data were used to predict factors that determine HRQoL. A survey was conducted targeting a convenience sample of 200 midlife women. Blood samples were drawn from all participants, who also received a physical examination. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to test the independent effects of each factor. The study found that sociodemographic and psychosocial factors were independently associated with HRQoL. Compared to married women, widowed or divorced women had significantly lower HRQoL, whereas those with higher levels of stress perception and those not performing regular exercise had significantly lower HRQoL (p < .01). The full model accounted for 44.7% of the variance in HRQoL. The HRQoL of low-income midlife women was associated with multiple factors, with stress perception exerting the major influence.

Quality of Care for Work-associated Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

PubMed Central

Nuckols, Teryl; Conlon, Craig; Robbins, Michael; Dworsky, Michael; Lai, Julie; Roth, Carol P.; Levitan, Barbara; Seabury, Seth; Seelam, Rachana; Asch, Steven M.

2017-01-01

Objective To evaluate the quality of care provided to individuals with workers’ compensation claims related to CTS and identify patient characteristics associated with receiving better care. Methods We recruited subjects with new claims for CTS from 30 occupational clinics affiliated with Kaiser Permanente Northern California. We applied 45 process-oriented quality measures to 477 subjects’ medical records, and performed multivariate logistic regression to identify patient characteristics associated with quality. Results Overall, 81.6% of care adhered to recommended standards. Certain tasks related to assessing and managing activity were underused. Patients with classic/probable Katz diagrams, positive electrodiagnostic tests, and higher incomes received better care. However, age, gender, and race/ethnicity were not associated with quality. Conclusions Care processes for work-associated CTS frequently adhered to quality measures. Clinical factors were more strongly associated with quality than demographic and socioeconomic ones. PMID:28045797

Dream anxiety is an emotional trigger for acute myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Selvi, Yavuz; Aydin, Adem; Gumrukcuoglu, Hasan Ali; Gulec, Mustafa; Besiroglu, Lutfullah; Ozdemir, Pinar G; Kilic, Sultan

2011-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between nightmares and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) occurring during sleep, and also to evaluate the influence of several related factors. The sample comprised AMI patients who had been admitted to the coronary care unit. The patients were grouped into two categories; the asleep-AMI group consisted of 36 patients who had the onset of symptoms of AMI during sleep, and the awake-AMI group included 183 patients who had AMI while they were awake. The sleep quality and dream anxiety for the 1-month interval before AMI were assessed with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Van Dream Anxiety Scale (VDAS), respectively. Asleep-AMI patients reported significantly poorer subjective sleep quality, significantly higher global PSQI scores, and displayed significantly higher nightmare frequency, difficulty in falling asleep after a nightmare, higher autonomic hyperactivity, dream recall frequency, daytime anxiety, psychological problems, and higher global dream anxiety scores than awake-AMI patients. The present study suggests that sleep anxiety and related emotions are associated with AMI during sleep. Copyright © 2011 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of child interview tactics on prospective jurors' decisions.

PubMed

Johnson, Jonni L; Shelley, Alexandra E

2014-01-01

Although decisions in child sexual abuse (CSA) cases are influenced by many factors (e.g., child age, juror gender), case and trial characteristics (e.g., interview quality) can strongly influence legal outcomes. In the present study, 319 prospective jurors read about a CSA investigation in which the alleged victim was interviewed at a child advocacy center (CAC) or traditional police setting. The prospective jurors then provided legally relevant ratings (e.g., child credibility, interview quality, defendant guilt). Structural equation modeling techniques revealed that child credibility predicted greater confidence in guilt decisions and also mediated all associations with such decisions. Having fewer negative prior opinions and rating the interview as of better quality were associated with higher child credibility ratings. Mitigating factors (e.g., interview quality), as opposed to proxy indicators (e.g., participant gender), better predicted CSA case outcomes. Similar associations across groups (e.g., CAC interviews did not make child victims more or less credible) permit a tentative conclusion that CACs do not positively or negatively affect decisions made in hypothetical CSA cases. Ideas for future studies examining factors influencing decisions in CSA cases are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Social Support Is a Predictor of Lower Stress and Higher Quality of Life and Resilience in Brazilian Patients With Colorectal Cancer.

PubMed

Costa, Ana Lucia Siqueira; Heitkemper, Margaret M; Alencar, Gizelton Pereira; Damiani, Lucas Petri; Silva, Rodrigo Marques da; Jarrett, Monica E

The well-being of patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC) is affected by psychological effects associated with cancer treatment. However, little is known about the impact of these psychological factors in Brazilian patients with CRC. The aim of this study was to determine whether perceived stress, social support, and resilience are associated with quality of life in urban Brazilian patients receiving chemotherapy treatment for CRC. This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 144 Brazilian CRC patients in an ambulatory oncology clinic. The participants completed 5 questionnaires: Demographics, Perceived Stress Scale 14, Social Support Satisfaction Scale, Resilience Scale, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaires (C30 and CR29). Confirmatory factor analysis modeling and Cronbach's α were used to examine construct validity and internal consistency. We used the MPlus 3.0 to construct and validate the structural model. There was a moderate and positive effect of resilience on the physical, social, and emotional aspects of quality of life. Social support had a strong and positive direct effect on quality of life (ie, social, physical, social, and emotional). Social support had a negative effect on stress perception. Resilience was also negatively related to stress perception. Family support and professional social support are important factors for Brazilian CRC patients. Resilience is an important ally for patients. It is important for nurses to consider this when developing educational and psychological interventional strategies to reduce stress and ultimately improve quality of life in this population. Psychological factors that improve quality of life should be evaluated in patients undergoing treatment for cancer.

Educational attainment, perceived control and the quality of women's diets.

PubMed

Barker, Mary; Lawrence, Wendy; Crozier, Sarah; Robinson, Siân; Baird, Janis; Margetts, Barrie; Cooper, Cyrus

2009-06-01

Data from the Southampton Women's Survey have established that women of lower educational attainment have poorer quality diets than those of higher educational attainment. This relationship is strong and graded such that for every increase in level of educational qualification, there is an increase in the likelihood that a woman will have a better quality diet. It is not wholly explained by socio-economic status. Qualitative research carried out in Southampton suggests that women of lower educational attainment may have a poorer diet because they feel they lack control over the food choices they make for themselves and their families. We set out to investigate the relationship between educational attainment, perceived control and quality of diet in a sample of women from Southampton. Cross-sectional study using structured interviews in which women's diet, educational attainment and perceived control were assessed. 19 Children's Centres and baby clinics in Southampton, UK. 372 women, median age 28 years. Quality of diet assessed by prudent diet score produced from principal components analysis of 20-item food frequency questionnaire, and perceived control assessed by a validated questionnaire. Women of lower educational attainment tended to have lower prudent diet scores and lower perceived control scores than women of higher educational attainment. Having a lower prudent diet score was associated with consuming fewer vegetables and vegetable dishes, less wholemeal bread and vegetarian food, and more chips and roast potatoes, meat pies, Yorkshire puddings and pancakes, crisps and snacks, white bread and added sugar. In a regression model both lower educational attainment and lower perceived control were associated with lower prudent diet scores, independent of the effects of confounding factors. However there was an interaction effect such that lower perceived control was only related to prudent diet score in the group of women of lower educational attainment. Women of lower educational attainment perceive themselves to have less control over their lives than women of higher educational attainment, and this perceived lack of control is reflected in their diets being of poorer quality. Our findings suggest that level of perceived control over life is a more important predictor of quality of diet in women of lower educational attainment than in those of higher educational attainment. It may be that psychological and social difficulties disproportionately affect the diets of women of lower educational attainment. We are currently exploring variations in quality of diet among women of lower educational attainment in relation to a range of psychological and social factors.

Using activity-based learning approach to enhance the quality of instruction in civil engineering in Indonesian universities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priyono, Wena, Made; Rahardjo, Boedi

2017-09-01

Experts and practitioners agree that the quality of higher education in Indonesia needs to be improved significantly and continuously. The low quality of university graduates is caused by many factors, one of which is the poor quality of learning. Today's instruction process tends to place great emphasis only on delivering knowledge. To avoid the pitfalls of such instruction, e.g. passive learning, thus Civil Engineering students should be given more opportunities to interact with others and actively participate in the learning process. Based on a number of theoretical and empirical studies, one appropriate strategy to overcome the aforementioned problem is by developing and implementing activity-based learning approach.

Factors influencing quality of life of obese students in Hangzhou, China.

PubMed

Chen, Ying-Ping; Wang, Hong-Mei; Edwards, Todd C; Wang, Ting; Jiang, Xiao-Ying; Lv, Yi-Ran; Patrick, Donald L

2015-01-01

To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of overweight and obese middle or high school students and identify relevant factors influencing their QOL scores. 716 students were recruited from 6 middle or high schools in Hangzhou, China. The Chinese version of the Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Weight Module (YQOL-W) was self administered. The YQOL-W scores were compared among different BMI groups, gender, educational status, annual household income, parental education and recruitment community using t test or one-way analysis of variance. The independent association of these variables with QOL among overweight and obese students was examined using multivariable linear regression modeling. Overweight and obese students reported lower total scores, self, social and environment scores than their normal weight peers (all P<0.001). The QOL of overweight and obese middle and high school students was associated with BMI value, gender, educational status, parental education, and recruitment community. Girls had lower total scores, self, social and environment domain scores than boys (all P<0.001); high school students had lower total and three domain scores than middle school students (all P<0.05). Students whose fathers had higher education reported higher total scores, self and social scores than students with less educated fathers (all P<0.05). Students whose mothers had higher education reported higher environment scores than students with less educated mothers (P = 0.01). Students from migrant communities reported significantly lower total scores, self and social scores than those from rural communities (all P<0.05), but comparable scores with those from urban communities (P>0.05). Students from migrant communities reported comparable environment scores with those from rural and urban communities (P>0.05). Overweight and obesity have negative effects on students' quality of life. Therefore weight specific QOL could be included in weight reduction interventions as a relevant outcome.

Adverse reactions associated with first-line regimens in patient initiating antiretroviral therapy.

PubMed

Mendes, Jullye Campos; Bonolo, Palmira de Fátima; Ceccato, Maria das Graças Braga; Costa, Juliana de Oliveira; Reis, Adriano Max Moreira; Dos Santos, Henrique; Silveira, Micheline Rosa

2018-05-08

To evaluate the prevalence of adverse drug reactions (ADR) and associated factors during the use of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) in patients initiating treatment. This is a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective study conducted in three public referral services specialized in HIV/AIDS care in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Self-reported ADR and explanatory variables were obtained from face-to-face interview and from Information Systems. Associated factors with ADR were evaluated by logistic regression in SPSS software v.22. We included 399 patients, of which 85.5% reported at least one and 72.7% up to 5 ADRs after HAART initiation. Neurological reactions were the most frequent, with self-reported ADRs being distinct according to HAART regimen used. The global model showed higher chance of ADRs among females (OR = 3.52) and illicit drug users (OR = 2.28). Lower chance of ADRs was found for patients aged > 33 years (OR = 0.37), DTG/TDF/3TC users (OR = 0.41), and higher physical domain of quality of life (OR = 0.78). The model restricted to patients using the single-tablet regimen EFV/TDF/3TC showed lower ADRs among patients with CD4+ T lymphocyte count > 200 cells/mm 3 (OR = 0.23) and higher independence domain of quality of life (OR = 0.74). The model restricted to DTG/TDF/3TC and to other regimens showed lower ADRs with higher physical domain of quality of life (OR = 0.74 and OR = 0.55, respectively). The prevalence of self-reported ADRs to first-line antiretroviral regimens was high and patients using DTG/TDF/3TC had a smaller number of ADRs. In addition to HAART regimen, sociodemographic, clinical, and quality of life characteristics were associated with ADRs.

Predictors of person-centered maternity care: the role of socioeconomic status, empowerment, and facility type.

PubMed

Afulani, Patience A; Sayi, Takudzwa S; Montagu, Dominic

2018-05-11

Low use of maternal health services, as well as poor quality care, contribute to the high maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In particular, poor person-centered maternity care (PCMC), which captures user experience, contributes both directly to pregnancy outcomes and indirectly through decreased demand for services. While many studies have examined disparities in use of maternal health services, few have examined disparities in quality of care, and none to our knowledge has empirically examined disparities in PCMC in SSA. The aim of this study is to examine factors associated with PCMC, particularly the role of household wealth, personal empowerment, and type of facility. Data are from a survey conducted in western Kenya in 2016, with women aged 15 to 49 years who delivered in the 9 weeks preceding the survey (N = 877). PCMC is operationalized as a summative score based on responses to 30 items in the PCMC scale capturing dignity and respect, communication and autonomy, and supportive care. We find that net of other factors; wealthier, employed, literate, and married women report higher PCMC than poorer, unemployed, illiterate, and unmarried women respectively. Also, women who have experienced domestic violence report lower PCMC than those who have never experienced domestic violence. In addition, women who delivered in health centers and private facilities reported higher PCMC than those who delivered in public hospitals. The effect of employment and facility type is conditional on wealth, and is strongest for the poorest women. Poor women who are unemployed and poor women who deliver in higher-level facilities receive the lowest quality PCMC. The findings imply the most disadvantaged women receive the lowest quality PCMC, especially when they seek care in higher-level facilities. Interventions to reduce disparities in PCMC are essential to improve maternal outcomes among disadvantaged groups.

Does size matter in aged care facilities? A literature review of the relationship between the number of facility beds and quality.

PubMed

Baldwin, Richard; Chenoweth, Lynnette; Dela Rama, Marie; Wang, Alex Y

Theory suggests that structural factors such as aged care facility size (bed numbers) will influence service quality. There have been no recent published studies in support of this theory, and consequently, the available literature has not been useful in assisting decision makers with investment decisions on facility size. The study aimed to address that deficit by reviewing the international literature on the relationships between the size of residential aged care facilities, measured by number of beds, and service quality. A systematic review identified 30 studies that reported a relationship between facility size and quality and provided sufficient details to enable comparison. There are three groups of studies based on measurement of quality-those measuring only resident outcomes, those measuring care and resident outcomes using composite tools, and those focused on regulatory compliance. The overall findings support the posited theory to a large extent, that size is a factor in quality and smaller facilities yield the most favorable results. Studies using multiple indicators of service quality produced more consistent results in favor of smaller facilities, as did most studies of regulatory compliance. The theory that aged care facility size (bed numbers) will influence service quality was supported by 26 of the 30 studies reviewed. The review findings indicate that aged care facility size (number of beds) may be one important factor related to service quality. Smaller facilities are more likely to result in higher quality and better outcomes for residents than larger facilities. This has implications for those who make investment decisions concerning aged care facilities. The findings also raise implications for funders and policy makers to ensure that regulations and policies do not encourage the building of facilities inconsistent with these findings.

[Relations between problems on sleeping and suicidal behaviors in middle school students].

PubMed

Chen, Jing; Wan, Yuhui; Sun, Ying; Tao, Fangbiao

2014-02-01

To understand the epidemiological characteristics and possible associations between sleeping problems and suicidal behaviors among middle school students. A total of 13 817 middle school students were selected in Shenyang,Xinxiang, Chongqing and Guangzhou cities and cluster sampling method was used. Questionnaires would include information on demographics, quality of sleep, psychopathological status and suicidal behaviors. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality index (PSQI) and Adolescent Multidimensional Sub-health Questionnaire (MSQA) were used to assess the quality of sleep and psychosomatic symptoms, respectively. Rates on sleeping problems and suicidal behaviors were compared in students with specific characteristics. Effects related to sleeping problems and suicidal behaviors were analyzed, using the multivariate logistic regression model. The overall prevalence of problems related to sleeping among middle school students was 26.5%. 28.2% of the girls and 35.2% of senior students reported as having more sleeping problems. Rates on suicide related ideation, planning and attempts were 16.6%, 9.6% and 4.7% , respectively. Girls reported more suicide ideation than boys. However, no gender differences were found in suicide planning or attempted suicide. It also suggested that the incidence of the suicidal behavior among students with sleeping problems was significantly higher than students without sleeping problems. Data from Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that sleeping problems appeared as independent risk factors on suicidal behavior. Higher PSQI scores seemed coincide with the increased risk of suicidal behaviors. Students having sleeping time less than 5 hours per day showed higher risk of suicidal behaviors. Problems on sleeping seemed a strong risk factor for suicidal behaviors among middle school students. Improvement on the quality of sleep and reasonable arrangement of sleeping time could help prevent related suicidal behaviors among middle school students.

Caregiver burden and prevalence of depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances in Alzheimer's disease caregivers in China.

PubMed

Liu, Shuai; Li, Chonghui; Shi, Zhihong; Wang, Xiaodan; Zhou, Yuying; Liu, Shuling; Liu, Jing; Yu, Tao; Ji, Yong

2017-05-01

To evaluate caregiver burden and factors that influence this burden among caregivers and patients with Alzheimer's disease in China. Long-term care can reduce the quality of life for caregivers and result in both mental and physical exhaustion. However, little is known about caregiver burden and associated factors in China. The study had a quantitative cross-sectional design. A total of 309 caregivers and their patients were included in the study. The patients' cognitive, psychological and functional status and their caregivers' burden, sleep quality and mental state were evaluated. Descriptive analyses, single-factor regression and stepwise factor regression were used to determine the effects of various factors on caregiver burden. Older females and spouses still play an important role in providing family care for those with dementia. Most of the caregivers were the sole full-time caregiver and had little time for themselves. Sleepiness was a common physical problem for caregivers, and some of them had moderate to severe depression and anxiety. A lower functional status of the patient was associated with higher caregiver burden. Poorer physical status compared with before caregiving began, lower life satisfaction, and higher degrees of depression and anxiety were associated with higher caregiver burden. Depression, anxiety and sleep problems are the main challenges that are faced by family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Caregivers' functional status, lower life satisfaction, depression and anxiety influenced caregiver burden. Caregiver burden was related to the severity of the patient's dementia and the personal factors of the caregivers. To provide information about caregivers' current status while caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease and to understand caregiver burden and its related factors. Professionals who work with Alzheimer's disease should pay more attention to caregiver burden, especially those with mental and physical problems. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Factors Affecting Parent's Perception on Air Quality-From the Individual to the Community Level.

PubMed

Guo, Yulin; Liu, Fengfeng; Lu, Yuanan; Mao, Zongfu; Lu, Hanson; Wu, Yanyan; Chu, Yuanyuan; Yu, Lichen; Liu, Yisi; Ren, Meng; Li, Na; Chen, Xi; Xiang, Hao

2016-05-12

The perception of air quality significantly affects the acceptance of the public of the government's environmental policies. The aim of this research is to explore the relationship between the perception of the air quality of parents and scientific monitoring data and to analyze the factors that affect parents' perceptions. Scientific data of air quality were obtained from Wuhan's environmental condition reports. One thousand parents were investigated for their knowledge and perception of air quality. Scientific data show that the air quality of Wuhan follows an improving trend in general, while most participants believed that the air quality of Wuhan has deteriorated, which indicates a significant difference between public perception and reality. On the individual level, respondents with an age of 40 or above (40 or above: OR = 3.252; 95% CI: 1.170-9.040), a higher educational level (college and above: OR = 7.598; 95% CI: 2.244-25.732) or children with poor healthy conditions (poor: OR = 6.864; 95% CI: 2.212-21.302) have much more negative perception of air quality. On the community level, industrial facilities, vehicles and city construction have major effects on parents' perception of air quality. Our investigation provides baseline information for environmental policy researchers and makers regarding the public's perception and expectation of air quality and the benefits to the environmental policy completing and enforcing.

Quality of medication information in discharge summaries from hospitals: an audit of electronic patient records.

PubMed

Garcia, Beate Hennie; Djønne, Berit Svendsen; Skjold, Frode; Mellingen, Ellen Marie; Aag, Trine Iversen

2017-12-01

Background Low quality of medication information in discharge summaries from hospitals may jeopardize optimal therapy and put the patient at risk for medication errors and adverse drug events. Objective To audit the quality of medication information in discharge summaries and explore factors associated with the quality. Setting Helgelandssykehuset Mo i Rana, a rural hospital in central Norway. Method For each month in 2013, we randomly selected 60 discharge summaries from the Department of Medicine and Surgery (totally 720) and evaluated the medication information using eight Norwegian quality criteria. Main outcome measure Mean score per discharge summary ranging from 0 (lowest quality) to 16 (highest quality). Results Mean score per discharge summary was 7.4 (SD 2.8; range 0-14), significantly higher when evaluating medications used regularly compared to mediations used as needed (7.80 vs. 6.52; p < 0.001). Lowest score was achieved for quality criteria concerning generic names, indications for medication use, reasons why changes had been made and information about the source for information. Factors associated with increased quality scores are increasing numbers of medications and male patients. Increasing age seemed to be associated with a reduced score, while type of department was not associated with the quality. Conclusion In discharge summaries from 2013, we identified a low quality of medication information in accordance with the Norwegian quality criteria. Actions for improvement are necessary and follow-up studies to monitor quality are needed.

Student Mobility through Linked Programmes: A Malaysian Case-Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghani, Zainal

This report on student mobility in linked programs of higher education details the Malaysian experience involving such programs, their development, quality maintenance, and benefits. Chapter 1 briefly describes the educational system and development of universities in Malaysia. Chapter 2 explores the different factors that have influenced…

Factors Influencing Successful Student Outcomes between Transfer and Native Populations in a Postsecondary Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tinney, Tina Molero

2012-01-01

Institutions of higher education have experienced increased scrutiny. Legislative and policy developments rapidly impact institutional accountability and student access. While various accountability measures are available to assess institutional quality and student success, information currently collected is not sufficient for a broader…

Health and Disability: Partnerships in Health Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tracy, Jane; McDonald, Rachael

2015-01-01

Background: Despite awareness of the health inequalities experienced by people with intellectual disability, their health status remains poor. Inequalities in health outcomes are manifest in higher morbidity and rates of premature death. Contributing factors include the barriers encountered in accessing and receiving high-quality health care.…

Conducting a Withdrawal Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aldridge, Sue; Rowley, Jennifer

2001-01-01

A survey at Edge Hill College of Higher Education in Canada, designed to be part of the mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the quality of the student experience, revealed that key factors influencing withdrawal were: course not as expected, traveling difficulties, institution not as expected, domestic difficulties, and financial difficulties.…

The combination matters - distinct impact of lifestyle factors on sperm quality: a study on semen analysis of 1683 patients according to MSOME criteria

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Poor sperm quality can negatively affect embryonic development and IVF outcome. This study is aimed at investigating the influence of various lifestyle factors on semen quality according to MSOME (motile sperm organelle morphology examination) criteria. Methods 1683 male patients undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in our clinic were surveyed about their age, BMI (body mass index), ejaculation frequency, nutrition, sports, sleeping habits and social behavior. Semen samples were collected and evaluation of semen parameters according to MSOME and WHO criteria was performed. Results were grouped and statistically analyzed. Results Although single parameters had minor effects on sperm parameter, the combination of age, BMI, coffee intake, ejaculatory frequency and duration of sexual abstinence were identified as factors having a negative effect on sperm motility. Additionally, we could demonstrate that MSOME quality was reduced. The negative impact of age, BMI and coffee intake on sperm quality could be compensated if patients had a high ejaculation frequency and shorter periods of sexual abstinence. Conclusions Combinations of adverse lifestyle factors could have a detrimental impact on sperm, not only in terms of motility and sperm count but also in terms of sperm head vacuolization. This negative impact was shown to be compensated by higher ejaculation frequency and a shorter period of sexual abstinence. The compensation is most likely due to a shorter storage time in the male gonads, thus reducing the duration of sperms’ exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS). PMID:23265183

Decision Making on the Labor and Delivery Unit: An Investigation of Influencing Factors.

PubMed

Gregory, Megan E; Sonesh, Shirley C; Feitosa, Jennifer; Benishek, Lauren E; Hughes, Ashley M; Salas, Eduardo

2017-09-01

Objective The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between negative affect (NA), decision-making style, time stress, and decision quality in health care. Background Health care providers must often make swift, high-stakes decisions. Influencing factors of the decision-making process in this context have been understudied. Method Within a sample of labor and delivery nurses, physicians, and allied personnel, we used self-report measures to examine the impact of trait factors, including NA, decision-making style, and perceived time stress, on decision quality in a situational judgment test (Study 1). In Study 2, we observed the influence of state NA, state decision-making style, state time stress, and their relationship with decision quality on real clinical decisions. Results In Study 1, we found that trait NA significantly predicted avoidant decision-making style. Furthermore, those who were higher on trait time stress and trait avoidant decision-making style exhibited poorer decisions. In Study 2, we observed associations between state NA with state avoidant and analytical decision-making styles. We also observed that these decision-making styles, when considered in tandem with time stress, were influential in predicting clinical decision quality. Conclusion NA predicts some decision-making styles, and decision-making style can affect decision quality under time stress. This is particularly true for state factors. Application Individual differences, such as affect and decision-making style, should be considered during selection. Training to reduce time stress perceptions should be provided.

Pre-typhoon socioeconomic status factors predict post-typhoon psychiatric symptoms in a Vietnamese sample.

PubMed

Brown, Ruth C; Trapp, Stephen K; Berenz, Erin C; Bigdeli, Tim Bernard; Acierno, Ron; Tran, Trinh Luong; Trung, Lam Tu; Tam, Nguyen Thanh; Tuan, Tran; Buoi, La Thi; Ha, Tran Thu; Thach, Tran Duc; Amstadter, Ananda B

2013-11-01

Exposure to natural disasters has been associated with increased risk for various forms of psychopathology. Evidence indicates that socioeconomic status (SES) may be important for understanding post-disaster psychiatric distress; however, studies of SES-relevant factors in non-Western, disaster-exposed samples are lacking. The primary aim of the current study was to examine the role of pre-typhoon SES-relevant factors in relation to post-typhoon psychiatric symptoms among Vietnamese individuals exposed to Typhoon Xangsane. In 2006, Typhoon Xangsane disrupted a mental health needs assessment in Vietnam in which the Self Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20), and the Demographic and Health Surveys Wealth Index, a measure of SES created for use in low-income countries, were administered pre-typhoon. The SRQ-20 was re-administered post-typhoon. Results of a linear mixed model indicated that the covariates of older age, female sex, and higher levels of pre-typhoon psychiatric symptoms were associated with higher levels of post-typhoon psychiatric symptoms. Analysis of SES indicators revealed that owning fewer consumer goods, having lower quality of household services, and having attained less education were associated with higher levels of post-typhoon symptoms, above and beyond the covariates, whereas quality of the household build, employment status, and insurance status were not related to post-typhoon psychiatric symptoms. Even after controlling for demographic characteristics and pre-typhoon psychiatric symptoms, certain SES factors uniquely predicted post-typhoon psychiatric distress. These SES characteristics may be useful for identifying individuals in developing countries who are in need of early intervention following disaster exposure.

Perceived service quality, perceived value, overall satisfaction and happiness of outlook for long‐term care institution residents

PubMed Central

Lin, Jesun; Hsiao, Chih‐Tung; Glen, Robert; Pai, Jar‐Yuan; Zeng, Sin‐Huei

2012-01-01

Abstract Objective  To investigate the psychometric properties and relationships of perceived service quality, perceived value and overall satisfaction for residents with respect to their long‐term care institutions. Design  The five‐point Likert scale questionnaire administered through facetoface interviews. Setting  Fourteen long‐term care institutions located in central and southern Taiwan stratified according to services and accommodation population. Participants  One hundred and eighty long‐term institutional care residents. Main outcome measures  Perceived service quality (the SERVPERF model), perceived value and overall satisfaction (models based on the literature on perceived value and satisfaction). Results  Student’s t‐test on institutional location shows a significant difference between overall satisfaction for central and southern institution long‐term care recipients. The correlation test revealed that the higher a resident’s level of education, the higher the scores for perceived value. The factor loading results of confirmation factor analysis show acceptable levels of reliability and index‐of‐model fits for perceived service, perceived value and overall satisfaction. In addition, the results suggest that an additional construct, a positive attitude (happiness of outlook) towards long‐term care institutions, is also an important factor in residents’ overall satisfaction. Conclusion  The primary goal of long‐term institutional care policy in Taiwan, as in other countries, is to provide residents with practical, cost‐effective but high‐quality care. On the basis of the results of in‐depth interviews with long‐term institutional care residents, this study suggests long‐term care institutions arrange more family visit days to increase the accessibility and interaction of family and residents and thereby increase the happiness of outlook of the residents. PMID:22429448

Out Drinking the Joneses: Neighborhood Factors Moderating the Effects of Drinking on Relationship Quality over the First Four Years of Marriage.

PubMed

Crasta, Dev; Funk, Janette L; Lee, Soonhee; Rogge, Ronald D

2017-12-27

Neighborhood quality has been cross-sectionally linked to both relationship behaviors and relationship well-being. Consistent with the Vulnerability Stress-Adaptation model of relationship functioning (Karney & Bradbury, 1995), we hypothesized that associations between social behaviors (e.g., drinking) and relationship quality could be moderated by neighborhood factors. Specifically, we characterized neighborhoods along multiple dimensions using multiple methods (self-report, census) to investigate how neighborhood factors might clarify ambiguous effects of alcohol use on marital functioning. A nationally recruited sample of 303 newlywed couples completed a baseline assessment around the time of marriage and was then assessed yearly across the first 4 years of marriage (94% retention). Three level HLM slope-intercept models were used to model changes in relationship satisfaction across the first 4 years of marriage. Results suggested that, for couples living in highly disordered neighborhoods, positive shifts in overall levels of drinking within specific waves of assessment were associated with corresponding negative shifts in satisfaction whereas in neighborhoods without perceived disorder, this effect was reversed. For couples living in neighborhoods with low levels of domestic structures (high census rates of single renters without children), within-couple discrepancies favoring higher rates of husband drinking in specific waves predicted poorer relationship quality for both partners in those same waves whereas those same discrepancies predicted higher satisfaction in high domesticity neighborhoods (high census rates of married homeowners with children). The findings provide insight into the different roles of alcohol use in relationship maintenance and highlight the importance of using external context to understand intradyadic processes. © 2017 Family Process Institute.

Meeting vaccination quality measures for hepatitis A and B virus in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.

PubMed

Kramer, Jennifer R; Hachem, Christine Y; Kanwal, Fasiha; Mei, Minghua; El-Serag, Hashem B

2011-01-01

Coinfection with hepatitis A virus (HAV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has identified HAV and HBV vaccination as a priority area for quality measurement in HCV. It is unclear to what extent patients with HCV meet these recommendations. We used national data from the Department of Veterans Affairs HCV Clinical Case Registry to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of meeting the quality measure (QM) of receiving vaccination or documented immunity to HAV and HBV in patients with chronic HCV. We identified 88,456 patients who had overall vaccination rates of 21.9% and 20.7% for HBV and HAV, respectively. The QM rates were 57.0% and 45.5% for HBV and HAV, respectively. Patients who were nonwhite or who had elevated alanine aminotransferase levels, cirrhosis, or human immunodeficiency virus were more likely to meet the HBV QM. Factors related to HCV care were also determinants of meeting the HBV QM. These factors included receiving a specialist consult, genotype testing, or HCV treatment. Patients who were older, had psychosis, and had a higher comorbidity score were less likely to meet the HBV QM. With a few exceptions, similar variables were related to meeting the HAV QM. The incidence of superinfection with acute HBV and HAV was low, but it was significantly lower in patients who received vaccination than in those who did not. Quality measure rates for HAV and HBV are suboptimal for patients with chronic HCV. In addition, several patient-related factors and receiving HCV-related care are associated with a higher likelihood of meeting QMs. Copyright © 2010 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

The use of citation indicators to identify and support high-quality research in Poland.

PubMed

Pilc, Andrzej

2008-01-01

In large, mostly English-speaking countries, where the "critical mass" of scientists working in different subfields of science is achieved, the peer review system may be sufficient to assess the quality of scientific research. However, in smaller countries, outside the Anglo-American circle, it is important to introduce different systems to identify research of high quality. In Poland, a parametric system for assessing the quality of research has been introduced. It was largely based on the impact factor of scientific journals. While the use of this indicator to assess research quality is highly questionable, the implementation of the system in the Polish reality is even worse. Therefore it is important to change and improve the system currently used by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to both evaluate and, more importantly, finance science in Poland. Here, a system based on three factors, i.e. the impact factor, the institutional h-index, and the institutional number of citations, is proposed. The scientific quality of institutions in Division VI: Medical Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences were evaluated and the results were compared with the existing system. Moreover, a method to identify high-quality researchers and institutions at the national level based on the quantity of highly cited papers is shown. Additionally, an attempt to identify the highest quality Polish research on an international level is proposed. This is based on the number of individual citations, the individual h-index, the number of publications, and the priority of the discovery.

Factors Related to Healthcare Service Quality in Long-term Care Hospitals in South Korea: A Mixed-methods Study.

PubMed

Sohn, Minsung; Choi, Mankyu

2017-10-01

The environment of long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) is critical to the management of the quality of their services and to patient safety, as highlighted by international studies. However, there is a lack of evidence on this topic in South Korea. This study aimed to examine the factors affecting healthcare quality in LTCHs and to explore the effectiveness of their quality management. This study used a mixed methods approach with quantitative data collected in a national survey and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with practice-based managers. The samples included 725 nationally representative LTCHs in South Korea for the quantitative analysis and 15 administrators for the in-depth interviews. A higher installation rate of patient-safety and hygiene-related facilities and staff with longer-tenures, especially nurses, were more likely to have better healthcare quality and education for both employees and patients. The need for patient-safety- and hygiene-related facilities in LTCHs that serve older adults reflects their vulnerability to certain adverse events (e.g., infections). Consistent and skillful nursing care to improve the quality of LTCHs can be achieved by developing relevant educational programs for staff and patients, thereby strengthening the relationships between them.

Premenstrual syndrome and life quality in Turkish health science students.

PubMed

İşik, Hatice; Ergöl, Şule; Aynioğlu, Öner; Şahbaz, Ahmet; Kuzu, Ayşe; Uzun, Müge

2016-04-19

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the incidence of PMS, risk factors affecting PMS symptoms, and life quality in health science students. A total of 608 volunteer female students studying at the health campus of a state university in Turkey were included in the study. The participants were asked to fill out questionnaires on sociodemographic data, PMS symptoms, and SF-36 life quality tests. The overall frequency of PMS among participants was 84.5%. The average PMS and general health SF scores were 118.34 ± 37.3 and 20.03 ± 3.72, respectively. Students who had irregular breakfast, drank ≥2 cups of coffee/day, and consumed alcohol or fast food had higher PMS scores. Irregular menstruation and family history increased PMS scores and decreased life quality (P < 0.05). The life quality of the students significantly decreased as the severity of PMS increased (P < 0.001). Low body mass index, family history, irregular menstruation, bad eating habits such as fast food consumption and irregular breakfasts, and coffee and alcohol consumption increased PMS risk significantly. In order to improve their life quality, students should be informed about the symptoms, risk factors, and management options of PMS.

[Determinants of active aging according to quality of life and gender].

PubMed

Campos, Ana Cristina Viana; Ferreira e Ferreira, Efigenia; Vargas, Andréa Maria Duarte

2015-07-01

The scope of this study was to construct an indicator of active aging and assess its association with quality of life and possible determinants according to gender. The AGEQOL (Aging, Gender and Quality of Life) study was used to interview 2052 individuals aged 60 years and older residing in Sete Lagoas in the State of Minas Gerais. The association between active aging, quality of life and possible determinants was performed by multiple logistic regression with a 5% level of statistical significance separately for each gender. Most men were in the active aging group (58%), and 51.8% of women were in the normal aging group (p < 0.001). The quality of life in the Physical, Psychological, and total Score domains remained associated with the outcome in the final model for both genders. Among the men, the behavioral and community participation factors were positive predictors of active aging. Women with higher incomes, who did not suffer falls and engaged in community participation, had a better chance of belonging to the active aging group. The conclusion drawn is that quality of life and participation in groups are the main determinants of active aging, and the other factors associated with active aging are different for each gender.

World assumptions, posttraumatic stress and quality of life after a natural disaster: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Nygaard, Egil; Heir, Trond

2012-06-28

Changes in world assumptions are a fundamental concept within theories that explain posttraumatic stress disorder. The objective of the present study was to gain a greater understanding of how changes in world assumptions are related to quality of life and posttraumatic stress symptoms after a natural disaster. A longitudinal study of 574 Norwegian adults who survived the Southeast Asian tsunami in 2004 was undertaken. Multilevel analyses were used to identify which factors at six months post-tsunami predicted quality of life and posttraumatic stress symptoms two years post-tsunami. Good quality of life and posttraumatic stress symptoms were negatively related. However, major differences in the predictors of these outcomes were found. Females reported significantly higher quality of life and more posttraumatic stress than men. The association between level of exposure to the tsunami and quality of life seemed to be mediated by posttraumatic stress. Negative perceived changes in the assumption "the world is just" were related to adverse outcome in both quality of life and posttraumatic stress. Positive perceived changes in the assumptions "life is meaningful" and "feeling that I am a valuable human" were associated with higher levels of quality of life but not with posttraumatic stress. Quality of life and posttraumatic stress symptoms demonstrate differences in their etiology. World assumptions may be less specifically related to posttraumatic stress than has been postulated in some cognitive theories.

Sleep Disturbance in Psoriatic Disease: Prevalence and Associated Factors.

PubMed

Wong, Ian T Y; Chandran, Vinod; Li, Suzanne; Gladman, Dafna D

2017-09-01

We aimed to determine the prevalence and quality of sleep in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and those with psoriasis without PsA (PsC) followed in the same center, to identify factors associated with sleep disturbance, and to compare findings to those of healthy controls (HC). The study included 113 PsA [ClASsification for Psoriatic ARthritis (CASPAR) criteria] and 62 PsC (PsA excluded by a rheumatologist) patients and 52 HC. Clinical variables were collected using a standard protocol. The sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Other patient-reported outcomes collected included the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Dermatology Life Quality Index, EQ-5D, Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 survey, patient's global assessment, and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-fatigue) scale. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and linear regression. The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 84%, 69%, and 50% in PsA, PsC, and HC, respectively. Total PSQI score was higher in both patients with PsA and patients with PsC compared with HC (p < 0.01) and higher in patients with PsA compared to patients with PsC (p < 0.0001). EQ-5D anxiety component, EQ-5D final, and FACIT-fatigue were independently associated with worse PSQI in patients with PsC and those with PsA (p < 0.05). Actively inflamed (tender or swollen) joints are independently associated with worse PSQI in patients with PsA (p < 0.01). Patients with psoriatic disease have poor sleep quality. Poor sleep is associated with fatigue, anxiety, and lower EQ-5D. In patients with PsA, poor sleep is associated with active joint inflammation.

Family and social environmental factors associated with aggression among Chinese adolescents.

PubMed

Dou, Chunxia; Wei, Zhen; Jin, Ke; Wang, He; Wang, Xiulan; Peng, Ziwen

2015-09-01

Family and school environments are assumed to be associated with and influence aggressive behaviors. However, which specific risk factors within these environments that are associated with aggressive behavior are unclear. The goal of this study is to identify family and social environmental qualities that are related to aggression among Chinese adolescents. Survey data were obtained from 3,213 randomly selected urban high school students ages 10 through 18 in southern China. Lower parental attachment, higher family income, mother's higher education levels, father's parenting goals, rough or changeable parenting styles, unsuitable peer relationships, and inadequate social atmospheres at school serve as risk factors for aggression among Chinese adolescents. Our findings provide some implications for understanding aggression among adolescents and suggests possible interventions to help overcome potential environmental risk factors and thus to prevent aggressive behavior in school. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Low-calorie- and calorie-sweetened beverages: diet quality, food intake, and purchase patterns of US household consumers123

PubMed Central

Piernas, Carmen; Mendez, Michelle A; Ng, Shu Wen; Gordon-Larsen, Penny; Popkin, Barry M

2014-01-01

Background: Few studies have investigated the diet quality of consumers of low-calorie-sweetened (LCS) and calorie-sweetened (CS) beverages. Objective: The objective was to examine the dietary quality and adherence to dietary purchasing and consumption patterns of beverage consumers from 2000 to 2010. Design: We analyzed purchases for 140,352 households from the Homescan longitudinal data set 2000–2010 and dietary intake from NHANES 2003–2010 (n = 34,393). We defined mutually exclusive consumer profiles as main exposures: LCS beverages, CS beverages, LCS & CS beverages, and non/low consumers. As main outcomes, we explored dietary quality by using total energy and macronutrients (kcal/d). We performed factor analyses and applied factor scores to derive dietary patterns as secondary outcomes. Using multivariable linear (NHANES) and random-effects (Homescan) models, we investigated the associations between beverage profiles and dietary patterns. Results: We found “prudent” and “breakfast” patterns in Homescan and NHANES, “ready-to-eat meals/fast-food” and “prudent/snacks/LCS desserts” patterns in Homescan, and “protein/potatoes” and “CS desserts/sweeteners” patterns in NHANES. In both data sets, compared with non/low consumers, both CS- and LCS-beverage consumers had a significantly higher total energy from foods, higher energy from total and SFAs, and lower probability of adherence to prudent and breakfast patterns. In Homescan, LCS-beverage consumers had a higher probability of adherence to 2 distinct patterns: a prudent/snacks/LCS dessert pattern and a ready-to-eat meals/fast-food purchasing pattern. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that overall dietary quality is lower in LCS-, CS-, and LCS & CS–beverage consumers relative to non/low consumers. Our study highlights the importance of targeting foods that are linked with sweetened beverages (either LCS or CS) in intervention and policy efforts that aim to improve nutrition in the United States. PMID:24351878

Global Assessment of the Impact of Type 2 Diabetes on Sleep through Specific Questionnaires. A Case-Control Study

PubMed Central

Lecube, Albert; Sánchez, Enric; Gómez-Peralta, Fernando; Abreu, Cristina; Valls, Joan; Mestre, Olga; Romero, Odile; Martínez, María Dolores; Sampol, Gabriel; Ciudin, Andreea; Hernández, Cristina; Simó, Rafael

2016-01-01

Abstract Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an independent risk factor for sleep breathing disorders. However, it is unknown whether T2D affects daily somnolence and quality of sleep independently of the impairment of polysomnographic parameters. Material and Methods A case-control study including 413 patients with T2D and 413 non-diabetic subjects, matched by age, gender, BMI, and waist and neck circumferences. A polysomnography was performed and daytime sleepiness was evaluated using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). In addition, 135 subjects with T2D and 45 controls matched by the same previous parameters were also evaluated through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to calculate sleep quality. Results Daytime sleepiness was higher in T2D than in control subjects (p = 0.003), with 23.9% of subjects presenting an excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS>10). Patients with fasting plasma glucose (FPG ≥13.1 mmol/l) were identified as the group with a higher risk associated with an ESS>10 (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.8–7.9, p = 0.0003). A stepwise regression analyses showed that the presence of T2D, baseline glucose levels and gender but not polysomnographic parameters (i.e apnea-hyoapnea index or sleeping time spent with oxigen saturation lower than 90%) independently predicted the ESS score. In addition, subjects with T2D showed higher sleep disturbances [PSQI: 7.0 (1.0–18.0) vs. 4 (0.0–12.0), p<0.001]. Conclusion The presence of T2D and high levels of FPG are independent risk factors for daytime sleepiness and adversely affect sleep quality. Prospective studies addressed to demonstrate whether glycemia optimization could improve the sleep quality in T2D patients seem warranted. PMID:27315083

Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents With Learning Problems: Development and Validation of the LD/QOL15 Scale.

PubMed

Waber, Deborah P; Boiselle, Ellen C; Forbes, Peter W; Girard, Jonathan M; Sideridis, Georgios D

2018-05-01

Learning problems (LP) can have wider implications than the academic deficits per se. The goal of the present series of studies was to develop a reliable and valid quality-of-life measure targeted to children and adolescents with LP. In Study 1, using a 35-item questionnaire, we surveyed 151 parents/guardians of children referred for assessment of learning disorders. Exploratory factor analysis identified a three-factor model: Academic Performance, School Understanding, and Child/Family Psychological. These factors were validated against standardized measures of academic achievement and psychosocial functioning. The questionnaire was then reduced to 15 items-the LD/QOL15 -and administered to a community sample of 325 parents/guardians of children in Grades 1 to 8 (Study 2). The three-factor model was verified with confirmatory factor analysis. Comparison of general education ( n = 232) and LP ( n = 93) groups within the community sample documented substantial group differences ( p < .0001), with the LP group having higher mean scores. These differences were larger for older students (Grades 5-8) than younger students (Grades 1-4; p < .01). The LD/QOL15 is a brief and reliable measure that is valid to assess quality of life and, potentially, outcomes in children and adolescents with LP.

Predictors and Outcomes of Health–Related Quality of Life in Adults with CKD

PubMed Central

Lash, James P.; Xie, Dawei; Pan, Qiang; DeLuca, Jennifer; Kanthety, Radhika; Kusek, John W.; Lora, Claudia M.; Nessel, Lisa; Ricardo, Ana C.; Wright Nunes, Julie; Fischer, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Background and objectives Low health–related quality of life is associated with increased mortality in patients with ESRD. However, little is known about demographic and clinical factors associated with health–related quality of life or its effect on outcomes in adults with CKD. Design, settings, participants, & measurements Data from 3837 adult participants with mild to severe CKD enrolled in the prospective observational Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort and Hispanic Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Studies were analyzed. Health–related quality of life was assessed at baseline with the Kidney Disease Quality of Life-36 and its five subscales: mental component summary, physical component summary, burden of kidney disease (burden), effects of kidney disease (effects), and symptoms and problems of kidney disease (symptoms). Low health–related quality of life was defined as baseline score >1 SD below the mean. Using Cox proportional hazards analysis, the relationships between low health–related quality of life and the following outcomes were examined: (1) CKD progression (50% eGFR loss or incident ESRD), (2) incident cardiovascular events, and (3) all-cause death. Results Younger age, women, low education, diabetes, vascular disease, congestive heart failure, obesity, and lower eGFR were associated with low baseline health–related quality of life (P<0.05). During a median follow-up of 6.2 years, there were 1055 CKD progression events, 841 cardiovascular events, and 694 deaths. Significantly higher crude rates of CKD progression, incident cardiovascular events, and all-cause death were observed among participants with low health–related quality of life in all subscales (P<0.05). In fully adjusted models, low physical component summary, effects, and symptoms subscales were independently associated with a higher risk of incident cardiovascular events and death, whereas low mental component summary was independently associated with a higher risk of death (P<0.05). Low health–related quality of life was not associated with CKD progression. Conclusions Low health–related quality of life across several subscales was independently associated with a higher risk of incident cardiovascular events and death but not associated with CKD progression. PMID:27246012

Determinants of seafarers' fatigue: a systematic review and quality assessment.

PubMed

Dohrmann, Solveig Boeggild; Leppin, Anja

2017-01-01

Fatigue jeopardizes seafarer's health and safety. Thus, knowledge on determinants of fatigue is of great importance to facilitate its prevention. However, a systematic analysis and quality assessment of all empirical evidence specifically for fatigue are still lacking. The aim of the present article was therefore to systematically detect, analyze and assess the quality of this evidence. Systematic searches in ten databases were performed. Searches considered articles published in scholarly journals from 1980 to April 15, 2016. Nineteen out of 98 eligible studies were included in the review. The main reason for exclusion was fatigue not being the outcome variable. Most evidence was available for work time-related factors suggesting that working nights was most fatiguing, that fatigue levels were higher toward the end of watch or shift, and that the 6-h on-6-h off watch system was the most fatiguing. Specific work demands and particularly the psychosocial work environment have received little attention, but preliminary evidence suggests that stress may be an important factor. A majority of 12 studies were evaluated as potentially having a high risk of bias. Realistic countermeasures ought to be established, e.g., in terms of shared or split night shifts. As internal as well as external validity of many study findings was limited, the range of factors investigated was insufficient and few studies investigated more complex interactions between different factors, knowledge derived from studies of high methodological quality investigating different factors, including psychosocial work environments, are needed to support future preventive programs.

Differences in quality of life between Jewish and Arab patients on hemodialysis.

PubMed

Romano-Zelekha, Orly; Golan, Eliezer; Ifrah, Anneke; Weinstein, Talia; Shohat, Tamy

2017-12-01

Higher health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in dialysis patients has been associated with fewer hospitalizations and lower mortality. Since Arab patients on dialysis have better survival rates than Jewish patients, we hypothesized that they would have higher HRQOL. We also studied the impact of several risk factors on HRQOL in each population. Based on a national dialysis registry, patients from 64 hemodialysis units were recruited to participate. Patients who consented were interviewed face-to-face, using the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form (KDQOL-SF36) questionnaire. Five hundred and fifty-eight (50.6%) Jewish and 544 (49.4%) Arab patients participated in the study. For Arab patients mean crude scores for the "mental component summary" and KDQOL scores were significantly lower than for Jewish patients [31.6 (95% Cl 30.0-33.3) vs. 38.0 (95% Cl 36.1-39.9), p < 0.0001 and 55.6 (95% Cl 54.5-56.7) vs. 59.8 (95% Cl 58.6-60.9), p < 0.0001, respectively]. Much lower scores were observed for Arabs in the "emotional role" and "work status" subscales. The two populations had similar general health assessments and albumin level. For both, HRQOL was positively associated with higher educational level, higher albumin level, and dialysis connection by fistula or graft; and negatively associated with low income and diabetes. HRQOL was negatively associated with previous cerebrovascular accident among Arabs and with female gender among Jews. Differences between Jews and Arabs in subscales related to psychosocial factors suggest that cultural differences in the perceptions of sickness and health may be relevant here. Future studies should explore such possibility and focus on the large gap in the "work status" subscale.

Development and assessment of a shortened Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE-55).

PubMed

Goodwin, Shane W; Lambrinos, Anastasia I; Ferro, Mark A; Sabaz, Mark; Speechley, Kathy N

2015-06-01

To develop and validate a shortened version of the Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE). A secondary aim was to compare baseline risk factors predicting health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children newly diagnosed with epilepsy, as identified using the original and shortened version. Data came from the Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy Study (HERQULES, N = 373), a multicenter prospective cohort study. Principal component analysis reduced the number of items from the original QOLCE, and factor analysis was used to assess the factor structure of the shortened version. Convergent and divergent validity was assessed by correlating the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) with the shortened QOLCE. Multiple regression identified risk factors at diagnosis for HRQoL at 24 months. A four-factor, higher-order, 55-item solution was obtained. A total of 21 items were removed. The final model represents functioning in four dimensions of HRQoL: Cognitive, Emotional, Social, and Physical. The shortened QOLCE demonstrated acceptable fit: Bentler's Comparative Fit Index = 0.944; Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.942; root mean square approximation = 0.058 (90% CI: 0.056-0.061); weighted root mean square residuals (WRMR) = 1.582, and excellent internal consistency (α = 0.96, subscales α > 0.80). Factor loadings were good (first-order: λ = 0.66-0.93; higher-order λ = 0.66-0.85; p < 0.001 for all). The shortened QOLCE scores correlated strongly with similar subscales of the Child Health Questionnaire (ρ = 0.38-0.70) while correlating weakly with dissimilar subscales (ρ = 0.30-0.31). While controlling for HRQoL at diagnosis, predictors for better HRQoL at 24 months were the following: no cognitive problems reported (p = 0.001), better family functioning (p = 0.014), fewer family demands (p = 0.008), with an interaction between baseline HRQoL and cognitive problems (p = 0.011). Results offer initial evidence regarding reliability and validity of the proposed 55-item shortened version of the QOLCE (QOLCE-55). The QOLCE-55 produced results on risk factors consistent with those found using the original measure. Given the fewer items, QOLCE-55 may be a viable option reducing respondent burden when assessing HRQoL in children with epilepsy. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 International League Against Epilepsy.

Image quality in low-dose coronary computed tomography angiography with a new high-definition CT scanner.

PubMed

Kazakauskaite, Egle; Husmann, Lars; Stehli, Julia; Fuchs, Tobias; Fiechter, Michael; Klaeser, Bernd; Ghadri, Jelena R; Gebhard, Catherine; Gaemperli, Oliver; Kaufmann, Philipp A

2013-02-01

A new generation of high definition computed tomography (HDCT) 64-slice devices complemented by a new iterative image reconstruction algorithm-adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction, offer substantially higher resolution compared to standard definition CT (SDCT) scanners. As high resolution confers higher noise we have compared image quality and radiation dose of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) from HDCT versus SDCT. Consecutive patients (n = 93) underwent HDCT, and were compared to 93 patients who had previously undergone CCTA with SDCT matched for heart rate (HR), HR variability and body mass index (BMI). Tube voltage and current were adapted to the patient's BMI, using identical protocols in both groups. The image quality of all CCTA scans was evaluated by two independent readers in all coronary segments using a 4-point scale (1, excellent image quality; 2, blurring of the vessel wall; 3, image with artefacts but evaluative; 4, non-evaluative). Effective radiation dose was calculated from DLP multiplied by a conversion factor (0.014 mSv/mGy × cm). The mean image quality score from HDCT versus SDCT was comparable (2.02 ± 0.68 vs. 2.00 ± 0.76). Mean effective radiation dose did not significantly differ between HDCT (1.7 ± 0.6 mSv, range 1.0-3.7 mSv) and SDCT (1.9 ± 0.8 mSv, range 0.8-5.5 mSv; P = n.s.). HDCT scanners allow low-dose 64-slice CCTA scanning with higher resolution than SDCT but maintained image quality and equally low radiation dose. Whether this will translate into higher accuracy of HDCT for CAD detection remains to be evaluated.

Sleep Quality in an Adult American Indian Community Sample.

PubMed

Ehlers, Cindy L; Wills, Derek N; Lau, Philip; Gilder, David A

2017-03-15

Epidemiological studies have found that insufficient sleep (< 7 h/night) is more common among American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN). In this study we sought to identify specific demographic, clinical, and cultural factors that may be associated with reduced sleep quality in an American Indian community sample. Information on demography along with personal medical, psychiatric, and drinking history was obtained using the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA). Sleep quality was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The adult participants (n = 386, 54% women) had a mean ± standard deviation age of 31.35 ± 14.4 y. Higher degrees of AI ancestry, but not cultural identification, being older than 30 y, and having a high school diploma all were factors predictive of having a short sleep duration (< 6 h). The global score on the PSQI was significantly higher in those participants with a lifetime diagnosis of substance use disorders, anxiety disorders, and affective disorders. Alcohol use disorders and affective disorders were significant predictors of sleep latency whereas anxiety and affective disorders were correlated with waking more often in the night/early morning. Nicotine dependence was associated with having trouble breathing, and alcohol use disorders and anxiety disorders with bad dreams. Alcohol use disorders are associated with poorer quality of sleep in this population and substance use disorders were associated with different aspects of sleep than anxiety and depressive disorders. These findings add to the understanding of the interactions between sleep and substance use, anxiety, and affective disorders in an understudied and underserved population. © 2017 American Academy of Sleep Medicine

The American Professoriate: A Status Check of Factors and Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Raymond W.; Corbett, Larry J.; Magarrey, Michael

2012-01-01

Since the publication of "Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate" (Boyer, 1990) many changes have taken place in higher education in America. However, how have faculty perceptions of aspects of the professoriate such as teaching, research, publishing, administration, quality, and areas of interest, changed in the…

Faculty Compensation Systems: Impact on the Quality of Higher Education. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutton, Terry P.; Bergerson, Peter J.

Faculty compensation is a critical management tool for increasing faculty productivity, improving cost efficiency, and enhancing an institution's public image. Factors that determine faculty compensation include academic rank, faculty productivity, discipline market pay, ability to obtain external grants, seniority or length of service, service in…

Are More Able Students in Higher Education Less Easy to Satisfy?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffioen, D. M. E.; Doppenberg, J. J.; Oostdam, R. J.

2018-01-01

Student satisfaction gains an increasingly central position in the context of quality measurements. However, student satisfaction can also be stipulated as an important motivational factor for students as learners. This study combines this perspective on student satisfaction with the notion of differences in students' ability. We hypothesize that…

The impact of patient autonomy on older adults with asthma.

PubMed

Karamched, Keerthi R; Hao, Wei; Song, Peter X; Carpenter, Laurie; Steinberg, Joel; Baptist, Alan P

2018-05-03

Understanding patient preferences and desire for involvement in making medical decisions is important when managing chronic conditions. Previous studies have utilized the Autonomy Preference Index (API) in younger asthmatic patients to evaluate these preferences. To identify factors associated with autonomy, and to determine if autonomy is related to asthma outcomes among older adults. 189 older adults (>55 yr) with persistent asthma were included. Preferences for autonomy were assessed using the API, with a higher score indicating higher desire for autonomy. Scores were separated into two domains of 'information seeking' and 'decision making' preferences. The separated scores were correlated with asthma outcomes and demographic variables. To control for confounding factors, a linear regression analysis was performed. Higher 'decision making' preference scores correlated with female gender (p=0.007), higher education level (p=0.01), and lower depression scores (p=0.04). Regarding outcomes, 'decision making' scores positively correlated with asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ) scores (p=0.01). On linear regression analysis, the AQLQ score remained significantly associated with 'decision making' preference scores (p=0.03). There was no association with asthma control test scores, spirometry values, and healthcare utilization. 'Information seeking' preference scores correlated with education level (p=0.03), but there was no correlation with asthma outcomes. Older asthmatic adults with a greater desire for involvement in decision making have a higher asthma related quality of life. Future studies with the intention to increase patient autonomy may help establish a causal relationship. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Diet-Quality Scores and Prevalence of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Population Study Using Proton-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Chan, Ruth; Wong, Vincent Wai-Sun; Chu, Winnie Chiu-Wing; Wong, Grace Lai-Hung; Li, Liz Sin; Leung, Jason; Chim, Angel Mei-Ling; Yeung, David Ka-Wai; Sea, Mandy Man-Mei; Woo, Jean; Chan, Francis Ka-Leung; Chan, Henry Lik-Yuen

2015-01-01

Dietary pattern analysis is an alternative approach to examine the association between diet and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study examined the association of two diet-quality scores, namely Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) and Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) with NAFLD prevalence. Apparently healthy Chinese adults (332 male, 465 female) aged 18 years or above were recruited through a population screening between 2008 and 2010 in a cross-sectional population-based study in Hong Kong. DQI-I and MDS, as well as major food group and nutrient intakes were calculated based on dietary data from a food frequency questionnaire. NAFLD was defined as intrahepatic triglyceride content at ≥5% by proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the association between each diet-quality score or dietary component and prevalent NAFLD with adjustment for potential lifestyle, metabolic and genetic factors. A total of 220 subjects (27.6%) were diagnosed with NAFLD. DQI-I but not MDS was associated with the prevalence of NAFLD. A 10-unit decrease in DQI-I was associated with 24% increase in the likelihood of having NAFLD in the age and sex adjusted model (95% CI: 1.06–1.45, p = 0.009), and the association remained significant when the model was further adjusted for other lifestyle factors, metabolic and genetic factors [OR: 1.26 (95% CI: 1.03–1.54), p = 0.027]. Multivariate regression analyses showed an inverse association of the intake of vegetables and legumes, fruits and dried fruits, as well as vitamin C with the NAFLD prevalence (p<0.05). In conclusion, a better diet quality as characterized by a higher DQI-I and a higher consumption of vegetables, legumes and fruits was associated with a reduced likelihood of having NAFLD in Hong Kong Chinese. PMID:26418083

The distribution of outcomes research papers across clinical journals.

PubMed

Goldsack, Jennifer; McLaughlin, Chris; Bristol, Mirar N; Loeb, Alex; Bergey, Meredith; Sonnad, Seema S

2011-06-01

This study examines the distribution of health outcomes research (HOR) studies in the clinical literature by clinical areas and journal impact factor. The authors reviewed 535 journals and divided the sample into higher and lower impact journals across four clinical area. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to examine differences across four categories of outcomes research articles published, specifically the incidence of articles in higher versus lower impact journals and differences across clinical areas. All high-impact journals published more safety and quality articles than process assessment, quality of life, or cost analysis studies. The number of each type of outcomes research study published was highly variable across all clinical areas. Only arthritis and outcomes research journals showed statistically significant differences between higher versus lower impact journals. Authors may benefit from considering these differences in their clinical specialty area when deciding where to submit HOR studies.

Image Quality Assessment of High-Resolution Satellite Images with Mtf-Based Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Z.; Luo, Z.; Zhang, Y.; Guo, F.; He, L.

2018-04-01

A Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)-based fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was proposed in this paper for the purpose of evaluating high-resolution satellite image quality. To establish the factor set, two MTF features and seven radiant features were extracted from the knife-edge region of image patch, which included Nyquist, MTF0.5, entropy, peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), average difference, edge intensity, average gradient, contrast and ground spatial distance (GSD). After analyzing the statistical distribution of above features, a fuzzy evaluation threshold table and fuzzy evaluation membership functions was established. The experiments for comprehensive quality assessment of different natural and artificial objects was done with GF2 image patches. The results showed that the calibration field image has the highest quality scores. The water image has closest image quality to the calibration field, quality of building image is a little poor than water image, but much higher than farmland image. In order to test the influence of different features on quality evaluation, the experiment with different weights were tested on GF2 and SPOT7 images. The results showed that different weights correspond different evaluating effectiveness. In the case of setting up the weights of edge features and GSD, the image quality of GF2 is better than SPOT7. However, when setting MTF and PSNR as main factor, the image quality of SPOT7 is better than GF2.

Factors Affecting Parent’s Perception on Air Quality—From the Individual to the Community Level

PubMed Central

Guo, Yulin; Liu, Fengfeng; Lu, Yuanan; Mao, Zongfu; Lu, Hanson; Wu, Yanyan; Chu, Yuanyuan; Yu, Lichen; Liu, Yisi; Ren, Meng; Li, Na; Chen, Xi; Xiang, Hao

2016-01-01

The perception of air quality significantly affects the acceptance of the public of the government’s environmental policies. The aim of this research is to explore the relationship between the perception of the air quality of parents and scientific monitoring data and to analyze the factors that affect parents’ perceptions. Scientific data of air quality were obtained from Wuhan’s environmental condition reports. One thousand parents were investigated for their knowledge and perception of air quality. Scientific data show that the air quality of Wuhan follows an improving trend in general, while most participants believed that the air quality of Wuhan has deteriorated, which indicates a significant difference between public perception and reality. On the individual level, respondents with an age of 40 or above (40 or above: OR = 3.252; 95% CI: 1.170–9.040), a higher educational level (college and above: OR = 7.598; 95% CI: 2.244–25.732) or children with poor healthy conditions (poor: OR = 6.864; 95% CI: 2.212–21.302) have much more negative perception of air quality. On the community level, industrial facilities, vehicles and city construction have major effects on parents’ perception of air quality. Our investigation provides baseline information for environmental policy researchers and makers regarding the public’s perception and expectation of air quality and the benefits to the environmental policy completing and enforcing. PMID:27187432

Professionalism and professional quality of life for oncology nurses.

PubMed

Jang, Insil; Kim, Yuna; Kim, Kyunghee

2016-10-01

To identify the relationship between professionalism and professional quality of life among oncology nurses working at tertiary hospitals in Korea. Oncology nurses are combined with core competencies and qualities required in cancer patient care. Professionalism that means compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue is a main concept in problem-solving strategies as motivation. Their satisfaction is representative of professionalism and professional quality of life. However, little research has focused on professionalism and professional quality of life. A cross-sectional study with self-administered questionnaires. A total of 285 nurses from two tertiary hospitals were included. Data collection was undertaken using Korean version of professionalism scale derived from the Hall Professional Inventory Scale and professional quality of life. Data were analysed by spss 21.0 for Windows Program using t-test, anova, and multiple regression. The mean score of professionalism in oncology nurses was 77·98 ± 7·31. The mean professional quality of life score for compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress was 33·84 ± 5·62, 28·38 ± 5·36 and 28·33 ± 5·48. Compassion satisfaction was affected by factors of professionalism with an explanatory power of 49·2%. Burnout and secondary traumatic stress were affected by factors of professionalism with an explanatory power of 39·3% and 4·8%. The higher the professionalism leads to the higher the compassion satisfaction, the lower the compassion fatigue. The relationship between professionalism and professional quality of life for a health work environment requires further investigation. Our study supports the idea that enhancing professionalism can increase professional quality of life. It is necessary to develop professionalism by recognised qualifications and applied rewards in advanced nursing organisational culture. Furthermore, compassion satisfaction is increased by continuing ethical and moral education programme for clinical nurses to force professional dedication and encouraging nurses to affiliate themselves with the professional communities. Nurses are connected to professionalism affect the quality of nursing service for patients and professional quality of life for themselves. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

School Quality and the Development of Cognitive Skills between Age Four and Six

PubMed Central

Borghans, Lex; Golsteyn, Bart H. H.; Zölitz, Ulf

2015-01-01

This paper studies the extent to which young children develop their cognitive ability in high and low quality schools. We use a representative panel data set containing cognitive test scores of 4-6 year olds in Dutch schools. School quality is measured by the school’s average achievement test score at age 12. Our results indicate that children in high-quality schools develop their skills substantially faster than those in low-quality schools. The results remain robust to the inclusion of initial ability, parental background, and neighborhood controls. Moreover, using proximity to higher-achieving schools as an instrument for school choice corroborates the results. The robustness of the results points toward a causal interpretation, although it is not possible to erase all doubt about unobserved confounding factors. PMID:26182123

Treatment with acetyl-l-carnitine during in vitro maturation of buffalo oocytes improves oocyte quality and subsequent embryonic development.

PubMed

Xu, Hui-Yan; Yang, Xiao-Gan; Lu, Sheng-Sheng; Liang, Xing-Wei; Lu, Yang-Qing; Zhang, Ming; Lu, Ke-Huan

2018-06-01

Oocyte quality is one of the important factors in female fertility, in vitro maturation (IVM), and subsequent embryonic development. In the present study, we assessed whether acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) supplementation during in vitro maturation of buffalo oocytes could improve oocyte quality and subsequent embryonic development. To determine the optimal level of ALC supplementation, we matured cumulus-oocyte complexes in maturation medium supplemented with 0, 2.5, and 5 mM ALC. The oocytes with a polar body were selected for parthenogenetic activation (PA) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). We found that oocytes matured in 2.5 mM ALC had significantly higher PA blastocyst rate (P < 0.05) and blastocyst cell number than those of unsupplemented oocytes (P < 0.05) and a significantly higher IVF blastocyst rate than that of oocytes matured in 5 mM ALC (P < 0.05). In all further experiments, we supplemented the maturation medium with 2.5 mM ALC. We then tested whether ALC supplementation could improve various markers of oocytes and cumulus cells. We compared cell proliferation; concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS), intracellular ATP, estradiol, and progesterone; mitochondrial distribution; mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA); and expression levels of four genes encoding oocyte-derived factors (GDF9, BMP15) and steroid hormones (StAR, P450scc) between the supplemented and unsupplemented oocytes and cumulus cells. Cumulus cells matured with ALC supplementation were more prolific than those matured without ALC supplementation (P < 0.05). Oocytes treated with ALC had lower concentrations of intracellular ROS (P < 0.05) and a higher rate of diffuse mitochondrial distributions (P < 0.05) than those of untreated oocytes. Additionally, the mtDNA was higher in the ALC-treated oocytes (P < 0.05) and cumulus cells (P < 0.05) than that in the untreated cells. The ALC-treated maturation medium had a higher postmaturation concentration of estradiol than that of the untreated medium (P < 0.05). Finally, the gene expression levels of P450scc and GDF9 were greater in ALC-treated oocytes and cumulus cells than those in untreated cells (P < 0.05). Therefore, in buffalo, our results suggest that ALC affects mitochondrial function, regulates oocyte-derived paracrine factors, and increases the production of steroid hormones, leading to increased quality of matured oocytes and improved embryonic development in vitro. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Women's social eating environment and its associations with dietary behavior and weight management.

PubMed

Mötteli, Sonja; Siegrist, Michael; Keller, Carmen

2017-03-01

As an unhealthy social eating environment is considered a risk factor for obesity, this study aimed to examine women's regular eating networks and the extent to which diet-related variables were associated with those of their regular eating companions. In Study Part I (N = 579), an egocentric network approach was used to investigate women's perceptions of their eating networks. In Study Part II (N = 262), the participants' most important eating companions responded to a similar survey, and the corresponding answers were matched. The results showed that women shared their meals most frequently with spouses and other family members. Women who dined more often with healthy eaters reported on average a higher diet quality and a lower body mass index (BMI), which were also significant after controlling for individual factors. Study Part II expanded these results by showing that different diet-related factors such as diet quality, eating styles and BMI were correlated between women and their most important eating companions (r = 0.16-0.30, p < 0.05). Moreover, an actor-partner interdependence model revealed that a higher diet quality of the eating companions was associated with a lower BMI in women, controlled for their own eating behavior (b = -0.45, p < 0.05). This study showed similarities and interdependence between women's dietary behavior and body weight and those of their regular eating companions. This might indicate that regular eating networks have a shared understanding of what constitutes a normal diet, which might be an important factor to consider in the promotion of healthy eating. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Results of the 2013 Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology career planning survey of practicing physicians in the United States.

PubMed

Mattes, Malcolm D; Golden, Daniel W; Mohindra, Pranshu; Kharofa, Jordan

2014-08-01

The goal of this study was to develop insights about the job application process for graduating radiation oncology residents from the perspective of those involved in hiring. In May and June 2013, a nationwide electronic survey was sent to 1,671 practicing radiation oncologists in academic and private practice settings. Descriptive statistics are reported. In addition, subgroup analysis was performed. Surveys were completed by 206 physicians. Ninety-six percent were willing to hire individuals directly from residency. Participants believed that the first half of the fourth postgraduate year is the most appropriate time for residents to begin networking and the beginning of the fifth postgraduate year is the most appropriate time to begin contacting practices in pursuit of employment. Seventy percent began interviewing 4 to 9 months before the job start date, and 84% interviewed ≤6 candidates per available position. The 5 most important factors to participants when evaluating prospective candidates were (from most to least important) work ethic, personality, interview impression, experience in intensity-modulated radiation therapy, and flexibility. Factors that participants believed should be most important to candidates when evaluating practices included a collegial environment; emphasis on best patient care; quality of equipment, physics, dosimetry, and quality assurance; quality of the support staff and facility; and a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. Those in academics rated research-related factors higher than those in private practice, who rated business-related factors higher. The perspectives of practicing physicians on the job application process are documented to provide a comprehensive resource for current and future residents and employers. Copyright © 2014 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Drinking water: a risk factor for high incidence of esophageal cancer in Anyang, China.

PubMed

Cao, Wenbo; Han, Jianying; Yuan, Yi; Xu, Zhixiang; Yang, Shengli; He, Weixin

2016-06-01

Anyang is known to be a high-incidence area of esophageal cancer (EC) in China. Among a long list of risk factors, the quality of drinking water was evaluated. We have selected 3806 individuals and collected 550 drinking water samples correspondent with this not-matched case-control survey. There are 531 EC patients included based on Population Cancer Registry from 92 townships, of which 3275 controls with long-lived aged over 90 years and free from EC are used as controls in the same regions. Our result suggests that the quality of drinking water is a highly associated risk factor for EC. The residential ecological environment and the quality of water resource positively link with each other. The analysis of water samples also demonstrated that the concentrations of methyl ethylamine, morpholine, N-methylbenzylamine, nitrate and chloride in water from springs and rivers are higher than those in well and tap water (P = 0.001). Micronuclei formation tests show that well water and tap water in these regions have no mutagenicity.

Bayesian linearized amplitude-versus-frequency inversion for quality factor and its application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xinchao; Teng, Long; Li, Jingnan; Cheng, Jiubing

2018-06-01

We propose a straightforward attenuation inversion method by utilizing the amplitude-versus-frequency (AVF) characteristics of seismic data. A new linearized approximation equation of the angle and frequency dependent reflectivity in viscoelastic media is derived. We then use the presented equation to implement the Bayesian linear AVF inversion. The inversion result includes not only P-wave and S-wave velocities, and densities, but also P-wave and S-wave quality factors. Synthetic tests show that the AVF inversion surpasses the AVA inversion for quality factor estimation. However, a higher signal noise ratio (SNR) of data is necessary for the AVF inversion. To show its feasibility, we apply both the new Bayesian AVF inversion and conventional AVA inversion to a tight gas reservoir data in Sichuan Basin in China. Considering the SNR of the field data, a combination of AVF inversion for attenuation parameters and AVA inversion for elastic parameters is recommended. The result reveals that attenuation estimations could serve as a useful complement in combination with the AVA inversion results for the detection of tight gas reservoirs.

Extracting near-surface QL between 1-4 Hz from higher-order noise correlations in the Euroseistest area, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haendel, A.; Ohrnberger, M.; Krüger, F.

2016-11-01

Knowledge of the quality factor of near-surface materials is of fundamental interest in various applications. Attenuation can be very strong close to the surface and thus needs to be properly assessed. In recent years, several researchers have studied the retrieval of attenuation coefficients from the cross correlation of ambient seismic noise. Yet, the determination of exact amplitude information from noise-correlation functions is, in contrast to the extraction of traveltimes, not trivial. Most of the studies estimated attenuation coefficients on the regional scale and within the microseism band. In this paper, we investigate the possibility to derive attenuation coefficients from seismic noise at much shallower depths and higher frequencies (>1 Hz). The Euroseistest area in northern Greece offers ideal conditions to study quality factor retrieval from ambient noise for different rock types. Correlations are computed between the stations of a small scale array experiment (station spacings <2 km) that was carried out in the Euroseistest area in 2011. We employ the correlation of the coda of the correlation (C3) method instead of simple cross correlations to mitigate the effect of uneven noise source distributions on the correlation amplitude. Transient removal and temporal flattening are applied instead of 1-bit normalization in order to retain relative amplitudes. The C3 method leads to improved correlation results (higher signal-to-noise ratio and improved time symmetry) compared to simple cross correlations. The C3 functions are rotated from the ZNE to the ZRT system and we focus on Love wave arrivals on the transverse component and on Love wave quality factors QL. The analysis is performed for selected stations being either situated on soft soil or on weathered rock. Phase slowness is extracted using a slant-stack method. Attenuation parameters are inferred by inspecting the relative amplitude decay of Love waves with increasing interstation distance. We observe that the attenuation coefficient γ and QL can be reliably extracted for stations situated on soft soil whereas the derivation of attenuation parameters is more problematic for stations that are located on weathered rock. The results are in acceptable conformance with theoretical Love wave attenuation curves that were computed using 1-D shear wave velocity and quality factor profiles from the Euroseistest area.

[Obesity, fat and bones: friends or foes ?

PubMed

Biver, Emmanuel

2017-04-19

Low fat mass is associated with an increased risk of fracture because of low bone mineral density (BMD) and altered bone micro-architecture. Conversely, overweight and obese patients also have an increased risk of fracture, particularly of the humerus and ankle, despite greater BMD. Visceral abdominal fat, which is the most metabolically active, may be associated with poorer quality of bone tissue properties, as suggested in diabetes. Other factors may contribute to higher fracture risk in overweight patients, notably higher frequency of falls and lower bioavailability of vitamin D stoked in fat. Thus, fat mass and its distribution should be taken into account beyond BMD and classical clinical risk factors in the assessment of fracture risk.

Dietary Patterns and Their Socioeconomic and Behavioral Determinants in 6- to 8-Year-Old Portuguese Children.

PubMed

Rodrigues, D; Muc, M; Rodrigues, P R M; Pinto, A Mota; Padez, C

2016-01-01

Adherence to a healthier diet is declining, with children consuming more saturated fats and simple carbohydrates. Factors influencing this choice were studied using a cross-sectional study with children (6 to 8 years old) living in Coimbra. Socioeconomic and behavioral factors were obtained from the parents. Dietary patterns of 1,063 children were identified: Mediterranean (MedDiet), saturated fats (SFatDiet), and base of Portuguese diet (BPDiet). Their relationship with socioeconomic and behavioral determinants was analyzed. SES determined strongly the dietary choices with lower SES being associated with higher consumption of SFatDiet and higher SES with BPDiet. Worse diet quality was shown to coexist with other unhealthy behaviors.

Quality of care in for-profit and not-for-profit nursing homes: systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Comondore, Vikram R; Zhou, Qi; Stone, Samuel B; Busse, Jason W; Ravindran, Nikila C; Burns, Karen E; Haines, Ted; Stringer, Bernadette; Cook, Deborah J; Walter, Stephen D; Sullivan, Terrence; Berwanger, Otavio; Bhandari, Mohit; Banglawala, Sarfaraz; Lavis, John N; Petrisor, Brad; Schünemann, Holger; Walsh, Katie; Bhatnagar, Neera; Guyatt, Gordon H

2009-01-01

Objective To compare quality of care in for-profit and not-for-profit nursing homes. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies and randomised controlled trials investigating quality of care in for-profit versus not-for-profit nursing homes. Results A comprehensive search yielded 8827 citations, of which 956 were judged appropriate for full text review. Study characteristics and results of 82 articles that met inclusion criteria were summarised, and results for the four most frequently reported quality measures were pooled. Included studies reported results dating from 1965 to 2003. In 40 studies, all statistically significant comparisons (P<0.05) favoured not-for-profit facilities; in three studies, all statistically significant comparisons favoured for-profit facilities, and the remaining studies had less consistent findings. Meta-analyses suggested that not-for-profit facilities delivered higher quality care than did for-profit facilities for two of the four most frequently reported quality measures: more or higher quality staffing (ratio of effect 1.11, 95% confidence interval 1.07 to 1.14, P<0.001) and lower pressure ulcer prevalence (odds ratio 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.83 to 0.98, P=0.02). Non-significant results favouring not-for-profit homes were found for the two other most frequently used measures: physical restraint use (odds ratio 0.93, 0.82 to 1.05, P=0.25) and fewer deficiencies in governmental regulatory assessments (ratio of effect 0.90, 0.78 to 1.04, P=0.17). Conclusions This systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence suggests that, on average, not-for-profit nursing homes deliver higher quality care than do for-profit nursing homes. Many factors may, however, influence this relation in the case of individual institutions. PMID:19654184

Complex problems require complex solutions: the utility of social quality theory for addressing the Social Determinants of Health.

PubMed

Ward, Paul R; Meyer, Samantha B; Verity, Fiona; Gill, Tiffany K; Luong, Tini C N

2011-08-05

In order to improve the health of the most vulnerable groups in society, the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) called for multi-sectoral action, which requires research and policy on the multiple and inter-linking factors shaping health outcomes. Most conceptual tools available to researchers tend to focus on singular and specific social determinants of health (SDH) (e.g. social capital, empowerment, social inclusion). However, a new and innovative conceptual framework, known as social quality theory, facilitates a more complex and complete understanding of the SDH, with its focus on four domains: social cohesion, social inclusion, social empowerment and socioeconomic security, all within the same conceptual framework. This paper provides both an overview of social quality theory in addition to findings from a national survey of social quality in Australia, as a means of demonstrating the operationalisation of the theory. Data were collected using a national random postal survey of 1044 respondents in September, 2009. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted. Statistical analysis revealed that people on lower incomes (less than $45000) experience worse social quality across all of the four domains: lower socio-economic security, lower levels of membership of organisations (lower social cohesion), higher levels of discrimination and less political action (lower social inclusion) and lower social empowerment. The findings were mixed in terms of age, with people over 65 years experiencing lower socio-economic security, but having higher levels of social cohesion, experiencing lower levels of discrimination (higher social inclusion) and engaging in more political action (higher social empowerment). In terms of gender, women had higher social cohesion than men, although also experienced more discrimination (lower social inclusion). Applying social quality theory allows researchers and policy makers to measure and respond to the multiple sources of oppression and advantage experienced by certain population groups, and to monitor the effectiveness of interventions over time.

Complex problems require complex solutions: the utility of social quality theory for addressing the Social Determinants of Health

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In order to improve the health of the most vulnerable groups in society, the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) called for multi-sectoral action, which requires research and policy on the multiple and inter-linking factors shaping health outcomes. Most conceptual tools available to researchers tend to focus on singular and specific social determinants of health (SDH) (e.g. social capital, empowerment, social inclusion). However, a new and innovative conceptual framework, known as social quality theory, facilitates a more complex and complete understanding of the SDH, with its focus on four domains: social cohesion, social inclusion, social empowerment and socioeconomic security, all within the same conceptual framework. This paper provides both an overview of social quality theory in addition to findings from a national survey of social quality in Australia, as a means of demonstrating the operationalisation of the theory. Methods Data were collected using a national random postal survey of 1044 respondents in September, 2009. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results Statistical analysis revealed that people on lower incomes (less than $45000) experience worse social quality across all of the four domains: lower socio-economic security, lower levels of membership of organisations (lower social cohesion), higher levels of discrimination and less political action (lower social inclusion) and lower social empowerment. The findings were mixed in terms of age, with people over 65 years experiencing lower socio-economic security, but having higher levels of social cohesion, experiencing lower levels of discrimination (higher social inclusion) and engaging in more political action (higher social empowerment). In terms of gender, women had higher social cohesion than men, although also experienced more discrimination (lower social inclusion). Conclusions Applying social quality theory allows researchers and policy makers to measure and respond to the multiple sources of oppression and advantage experienced by certain population groups, and to monitor the effectiveness of interventions over time. PMID:21819576

Seasonality of water quality and diarrheal disease counts in urban and rural settings in south India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulinkina, Alexandra V.; Mohan, Venkat R.; Francis, Mark R.; Kattula, Deepthi; Sarkar, Rajiv; Plummer, Jeanine D.; Ward, Honorine; Kang, Gagandeep; Balraj, Vinohar; Naumova, Elena N.

2016-02-01

The study examined relationships among meteorological parameters, water quality and diarrheal disease counts in two urban and three rural sites in Tamil Nadu, India. Disease surveillance was conducted between August 2010 and March 2012; concurrently water samples from street-level taps in piped distribution systems and from household storage containers were tested for pH, nitrate, total dissolved solids, and total and fecal coliforms. Methodological advances in data collection (concurrent prospective disease surveillance and environmental monitoring) and analysis (preserving temporality within the data through time series analysis) were used to quantify independent effects of meteorological conditions and water quality on diarrheal risk. The utility of a local calendar in communicating seasonality is also presented. Piped distribution systems in the study area showed high seasonal fluctuations in water quality. Higher ambient temperature decreased and higher rainfall increased diarrheal risk with temperature being the predominant factor in urban and rainfall in rural sites. Associations with microbial contamination were inconsistent; however, disease risk in the urban sites increased with higher median household total coliform concentrations. Understanding seasonal patterns in health outcomes and their temporal links to environmental exposures may lead to improvements in prospective environmental and disease surveillance tailored to addressing public health problems.

Uremic restless legs syndrome (RLS) and sleep quality in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis: potential role of homocysteine and parathyroid hormone.

PubMed

Gade, Katrin; Blaschke, Sabine; Rodenbeck, Andrea; Becker, Andreas; Anderson-Schmidt, Heike; Cohrs, Stefan

2013-01-01

The aetiology of uremic restless legs syndrome (RLS) remains unclear. Our research investigated whether an elevated plasma concentration of the excitatory amino acid homocysteine might be associated with RLS occurrence in patients with chronic renal insufficiency on hemodialysis. Total plasma homocysteine as well as creatinine, urea, folate, parathyroid hormone, hemoglobin, iron, ferritin, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, and albumin levels were compared between 26 RLS-affected (RLSpos) and 26 non-affected (RLSneg) patients on chronic hemodialysis. We further compared subjective sleep quality between RLSpos and RLSneg patients using the Pittsburgh-Sleep-Quality-Index and investigated possible relationships between laboratory parameters and sleep quality. Taking individual albumin concentrations into account, a significant positive correlation between total plasma homocysteine and RLS occurrence was observed (r= 0.246; p=0.045). Sleep quality was significantly more reduced in RLSpos compared to RLSneg patients and RLS severity correlated positively with impairment of sleep quality. Bad sleep quality in all patients was associated with higher concentrations of parathyroid hormone. Our results suggest a possible aetiological role of homocysteine in uremic RLS. They confirm that uremic RLS is an important factor causing sleep impairment in patients on hemodialysis. Higher parathyroid hormone levels might also be associated with bad sleep quality in these patients. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

High Spending on Maternity Care in India: What Are the Factors Explaining It?

PubMed

Goli, Srinivas; Moradhvaj; Rammohan, Anu; Shruti; Pradhan, Jalandhar

2016-01-01

High maternity-related health care spending is often cited as an important barrier in utilizing quality health care during pregnancy and childbirth. This study has two objectives: (i) to measure the levels of expenditure on total maternity care in disaggregated components such as ANCs, PNCs, and Natal care expenditure; (ii) to quantify the extent of catastrophic maternity expenditure (CME) incurred by households and identify the factors responsible for it. Data from the 71st round of the National Sample Survey (2014) was used to estimate maternity expenditure and its predictors. CME was measured as a share of consumption expenditure by different cut-offs. The two-part model was used to identify the factors associated with maternity spending and CME. The findings show that household spending on maternity care (US$ 149 in constant price) is much higher than previous estimates (US$ 50 in constant price). A significant proportion of households in India (51%) are incurring CME. Along with economic and educational status, type of health care and place of residence emerged as significant factors in explaining CME. Findings from this study assume importance in the context of an emerging demand for higher maternity entitlements and government spending on public health care in India. To reduce CME, India needs to improve the availability and accessibility of better-quality public health services and increase maternity entitlements in line with maternity expenditure identified in this study.

Vocal Tract Discomfort and Risk Factors in University Teachers.

PubMed

Korn, Gustavo Polacow; Augusto de Lima Pontes, Antonio; Abranches, Denise; Augusto de Lima Pontes, Paulo

2016-07-01

To characterize the presence of and risk factors for throat pain or irritation among male and female university teachers in private institutions within the city of São Paulo. This is a cross-sectional survey. Voice self-evaluation forms prepared by the Brazilian Ministry of Labor were administered to 846 university teachers in a private institution in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The prevalence of throat pain or irritation was 50.8% and was higher in the women (62.7%) than in the men (43.5%). The prevalence of throat pain or irritation was higher among professionals ≤60 years old and among those who spent most of their time teaching compared with those who spent most of their time performing other professional activities. Other factors, such as noise and sound competition, air pollution, stress and anxiety, personal habits, and lifestyle/quality of life, were related to the presence of throat pain or irritation. University teachers demonstrated a high prevalence of throat pain or irritation. Factors such as age ≤60 years, female gender, time-consuming professional activities, noise and sound competition in the work environment, stress and anxiety, air pollution, access to water, personal habits, and lifestyle/quality of life were related to the presence of throat pain or irritation. Copyright © 2016 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The influence of primary caregivers on the sexual behavior of early adolescents.

PubMed

Rose, Allison; Koo, Helen P; Bhaskar, Brinda; Anderson, Karen; White, Gregory; Jenkins, Renee R

2005-08-01

To describe rates of sexual intercourse initiation, anticipated level of sexual activity in the next 12 months, and other risk behaviors among fifth graders and to examine parental factors associated with such behaviors. This study is based on a cross-sectional, self-administered survey conducted with a nonrandom sample of 408 fifth graders and their caregivers. Children answered questions regarding sexual intercourse initiation, anticipated sexual activity in the next 12 months, and involvement in other risk behaviors. Caregivers answered questions about parenting factors such as monitoring behaviors, parent-child relationship quality, and parent-child communication. Bivariate and multivariable analyses examined the association of these variables with the adolescents' behaviors. Almost 5% of girls and 17% of boys reported they had engaged in sexual intercourse. Only 34% of girls and 13% of boys said they did not expect to engage in any type of sexual contact in the next 12 months if they were going with someone they "liked a lot." Parental factors associated with fewer risk behaviors and expected sexual behaviors included higher levels of monitoring, fewer communication barriers, less permissive attitudes regarding adolescent sexual behavior, higher relationship quality with child, having fewer than five children in the household, higher levels of education, and being employed. Significant gender interactions were found for several variables. Adolescents are initiating sexual intercourse at extremely young ages. To delay early sexual activity and prevent adolescent pregnancy, prevention efforts must begin during the elementary school years and include those who raise and care for the adolescent.

Health-related and specific olfaction-related quality of life in patients with chronic functional anosmia or severe hyposmia.

PubMed

Neuland, Claudia; Bitter, Thomas; Marschner, Heike; Gudziol, Hilmar; Guntinas-Lichius, Orlando

2011-04-01

To measure health-related and olfaction-related quality of life (QoL) in patients with permanent, severe hyposmia or functional anosmia. A case study in a university ENT department of patients with severe olfactory dysfunction defined by Sniffin' Sticks olfactory test kit with a score for odor threshold, discrimination, and identification (TDI) < 20 and a dysfunction lasting longer than 6 months. Assessment of QoL by using the SF-36 Health Survey questionnaire and the Questionnaire for Olfactory Dysfunction (QOD). A total of 958 patients were tested for smell disturbances from 1999 to 2009. Surveys were mailed to 527 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria; 280 (53%) returned completed surveys. All SF-36 domains in severely hyposmic and anosmic patients were lower than in the German normal population. Lower SF-36 QoL was found for some domains in female patients, older patients, and hyposmic patients (P < .05 for all groups). Based on the QOD, women showed more parosmia, and anosmic patients had more olfactory-related impairment (P < .05 for both); in general, higher olfactory impairment and higher parosmia score measured by QOD correlated with lower TDI values (all P < .05). Multivariate analysis revealed, for SF-36 domains, the following independent risk factors: female sex was a risk factor for bodily pain; higher age was a risk factor for physical functioning and role, bodily pain, and general health; hyposmia was a risk factor for bodily pain and mental health; QOD QoL was a risk factor for all SF-36 scales; and QOD parosmia was a risk factor for physical role (all P < .05). QoL is severely impaired in patients with chronic severe hyposmia or anosmia. The QOD allows a more olfaction-specific assessment of QoL than the SF-36 instrument. Copyright © 2011 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

Monetary Value of Diet Is Associated with Dietary Quality and Nutrient Adequacy among Urban Adults, Differentially by Sex, Race and Poverty Status.

PubMed

Beydoun, May A; Fanelli-Kuczmarski, Marie T; Allen, Allyssa; Beydoun, Hind A; Popkin, Barry M; Evans, Michele K; Zonderman, Alan B

2015-01-01

The association between monetary value of the diet (MVD, $/day) with dietary quality was examined using a large sample of urban US adults, differentially by socio-demographic factors. This was a cross-sectional study of 2,111 participants, aged 30-64y, using data from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span Study. Dietary quality indices included Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) and Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR), (two 24-hr recalls). A national food price database was used to estimate MVD. Multiple linear/logistic regression analyses were conducted stratifying separately by sex, race and poverty status. Women had significantly higher HEI-2010 scores than men (43.35 vs 41.57 out of 100, respectively), whereas MAR scores were higher for men (76.8 vs 69.9, out of 100), reflecting energy intake gender differentials. Importantly, a $3/day higher MVD (IQR: $3.70/d (Q1) to $6.62/d (Q4)) was associated with a 4.98±0.35 higher total HEI-2010 and a 3.88±0.37 higher MAR score, after energy-adjustment and control for key confounders. For HEI-2010 and MAR, stronger associations were observed among participants above poverty and among women, whilethe MVD vs. HEI-2010 association was additionally stronger among Whites. Sex and poverty status differentials were observed for many MAR and some HEI-2010 components. Despite positive associations between measures of dietary quality and MVD, particularly above poverty and among women, approaching compliance with the Dietary Guidelines (80 or more for HEI-2010) requires a substantially higher MVD. Thus, nutrition education may further improve people's decision-making regarding food venues and dietary choices.

Monetary Value of Diet Is Associated with Dietary Quality and Nutrient Adequacy among Urban Adults, Differentially by Sex, Race and Poverty Status

PubMed Central

Beydoun, May A.; Fanelli-Kuczmarski, Marie T.; Allen, Allyssa; Beydoun, Hind A.; Popkin, Barry M.; Evans, Michele K.; Zonderman, Alan B.

2015-01-01

Objective The association between monetary value of the diet (MVD, $/day) with dietary quality was examined using a large sample of urban US adults, differentially by socio-demographic factors. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 2,111 participants, aged 30–64y, using data from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span Study. Dietary quality indices included Healthy Eating Index–2010 (HEI–2010) and Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR), (two 24-hr recalls). A national food price database was used to estimate MVD. Multiple linear/logistic regression analyses were conducted stratifying separately by sex, race and poverty status. Results Women had significantly higher HEI-2010 scores than men (43.35 vs 41.57 out of 100, respectively), whereas MAR scores were higher for men (76.8 vs 69.9, out of 100), reflecting energy intake gender differentials. Importantly, a $3/day higher MVD (IQR: $3.70/d (Q1) to $6.62/d (Q4)) was associated with a 4.98±0.35 higher total HEI-2010 and a 3.88±0.37 higher MAR score, after energy-adjustment and control for key confounders. For HEI-2010 and MAR, stronger associations were observed among participants above poverty and among women, whilethe MVD vs. HEI-2010 association was additionally stronger among Whites. Sex and poverty status differentials were observed for many MAR and some HEI-2010 components. Conclusions Despite positive associations between measures of dietary quality and MVD, particularly above poverty and among women, approaching compliance with the Dietary Guidelines (80 or more for HEI-2010) requires a substantially higher MVD. Thus, nutrition education may further improve people’s decision-making regarding food venues and dietary choices. PMID:26536243

Limited association between perceived control and health-related quality of life in patients with heart failure.

PubMed

Banerjee, Teesta; Lee, Kyoung Suk; Browning, Steven R; Hopenhayn, Claudia; Westneat, Susan; Biddle, Martha J; Arslanian-Engoren, Cynthia; Eastwood, Jo-Ann; Mudd, Gia; Moser, Debra K

2014-01-01

Perceived control has been suggested as a modifiable factor associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, the relationship between perceived control and HRQOL has not been evaluated in patients with heart failure (HF). The purpose of this study was to determine whether perceived control independently predicts HRQOL in HF patients. A total of 423 HF patients were included. Hierarchical linear regression was performed to determine the independent association of perceived control to HRQOL after controlling for covariates. Higher levels of perceived control were associated with better HRQOL in univariate analysis. However, this relationship was strongly attenuated after controlling for relevant demographic, clinical, and psychological factors; the variance in HRQOL explained by the addition of perceived control to this model was small (1.4%). We found only a weak relationship between perceived control and HRQOL when considered in the presence of demographic, clinical, and psychological factors.

[The influence of pedagogic and discipline training on the teaching quality of university professors].

PubMed

Troncoso G, Diego; Pérez V, Cristhian; Vaccarezza G, Giulietta; Aguilar A, César; Muñoz N, Nadia

2017-05-01

University teachers prioritize acquiring knowledge about their disciplines over pedagogic training. However, the latter is becoming increasingly important in the present teaching scenario. To relate pedagogic practices with pedagogic training of teachers from health care careers of public and private universities. Pedagogic practice and training activities participation questionnaires were answered by 296 teachers of undergraduate students from Chilean public and private universities. There was a direct correlation between discipline training and all pedagogic practice factors. However, pedagogic training correlated with all the factors with the exception of teacher centered learning. Teachers with a master degree had higher scores in factors related to teaching planning and process assessment. Having a doctor degree had no impact on these factors. A multiple regression analysis showed that both discipline and pedagogic training and having a master degree were associated with pedagogic practices of teachers. Both pedagogic and discipline training influence the quality of teaching provided by undergraduate teachers.

Further evidence of psychological factors underlying choice of elective cesarean delivery (ECD) by primigravidae.

PubMed

Matinnia, Nasrin; Haghighi, Mohammad; Jahangard, Leila; Ibrahim, Faisal B; Rahman, Hejar A; Ghaleiha, Ali; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Brand, Serge

2018-01-01

Requests for elective cesarean delivery (ECD) have increased in Iran. While some sociodemographic and fear-related factors have been linked with this choice, psychological factors such as self-esteem, stress, and health beliefs are under-researched. A total of 342 primigravidae (mean age = 25 years) completed questionnaires covering psychological dimensions such as self-esteem, perceived stress, marital relationship quality, perceived social support, and relevant health-related beliefs. Of the sample, 214 (62.6%) chose to undergo ECD rather than vaginal delivery (VD). This choice was associated with lower self-esteem, greater perceived stress, belief in higher susceptibility to problematic birth and barriers to an easy birth, along with lower perceived severity of ECD, fewer perceived benefits from VD, lower self-efficacy and a lower feeling of preparedness. No differences were found for marital relationship quality or perceived social support. The pattern suggests that various psychological factors such as self-esteem, self-efficacy, and perceived stress underpin the decision by primigravidae to have an ECD.

Factors influencing residents' evaluations of clinical faculty member teaching qualities and role model status.

PubMed

Arah, Onyebuchi A; Heineman, Maas J; Lombarts, Kiki M J M H

2012-04-01

  Evaluations of faculty members are widely used to identify excellent or substandard teaching performance. In order to enable such evaluations to be properly interpreted and used in faculty development, it is essential to understand the factors that influence resident doctors' (residents) evaluations of the teaching qualities of faculty members and their perceptions of faculty members as role-model specialists.   We carried out a cross-sectional survey within a longitudinal study of the System for Evaluation of Teaching Qualities (SETQ) of clinical teachers. The study sample included 889 residents and 1014 faculty members in 61 teaching programmes spanning 22 specialties in 20 hospitals in the Netherlands. Main outcome measures included residents' (i) global and (ii) specific ratings of faculty member teaching qualities, and (iii) global ratings of faculty members as role-model specialists. Statistical analysis was conducted using adjusted multivariable logistic generalised estimating equations.   In total, 690 residents (77.6%) completed 6485 evaluations of 962 faculty members, 848 (83.6%) of whom also self-evaluated. More recently certified faculty members, those who had attended a teacher training programme, and those who spent more time teaching than seeing patients or conducting research were more likely to score highly on most teaching qualities. However, faculty members who had undergone teacher training were less likely to be seen as role models (odds ratio [OR] 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59-0.88). In addition, faculty members were evaluated slightly higher by male than female residents on core teaching domains and overall teaching quality, but were less likely to be seen as role models by male residents (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.67-0.97). Lastly, faculty members had higher odds of receiving top scores in specific teaching domains from residents in the first 4 years of residency and were less likely to be considered as role models by more senior residents.   Younger faculty members who dedicated more time to teaching, had attended a teacher training programme, and were evaluated by male residents in the early years of residency were more likely to receive higher scores for teaching performance. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

Organizational Factors Associated With Perceived Quality of Patient Care in Closed Intensive Care Units.

PubMed

McIntosh, Nathalie; Oppel, Eva; Mohr, David; Meterko, Mark

2017-09-01

Improving patient care quality in intensive care units is increasingly important as intensive care unit services account for a growing proportion of hospital services. Organizational factors associated with quality of patient care in such units have been identified; however, most were examined in isolation, making it difficult to assess the relative importance of each. Furthermore, though most intensive care units now use a closed model, little research has been done in this specific context. To examine the relative importance of organizational factors associated with patient care quality in closed intensive care units. In a national exploratory, cross-sectional study focused on intensive care units at US Veterans Health Administration acute care hospitals, unit directors were surveyed about nurse and physician staffing, work resources and training, patient care coordination, rounding, and perceptions of patient care quality. Administrative records yielded data on patient volume and facility teaching status. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and regression modeling were used for data analysis. Sixty-nine completed surveys from directors of closed intensive care units were returned. Regression model results showed that better patient care coordination (β = 0.43; P = .01) and having adequate work resources (β = 0.26; P = .02) were significantly associated with higher levels of patient care quality in such units ( R 2 = 0.22). Augmenting work resources and/or focusing limited hospital resources on improving patient care coordination may be the most productive ways to improve patient care quality in closed intensive care units. ©2017 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Modifiable correlates of perceived cognitive function in breast cancer survivors up to 10 years after chemotherapy completion.

PubMed

Henneghan, Ashley; Stuifbergen, Alexa; Becker, Heather; Kesler, Shelli; King, Elisabeth

2018-04-01

Cognitive changes following breast cancer treatment are likely multifactorial and have been linked to emotional factors, biophysiological factors, and fatigue, among others. Little is known about the contributions of modifiable factors such as stress, loneliness, and sleep quality. The purpose of this study was to explore the direct and indirect effects of perceived stress, loneliness, and sleep quality on perceived cognitive function (PCF) in breast cancer survivors (BCS) after chemotherapy completion. In this observational study, BCS 6 months to 10 years post chemotherapy were recruited from the community. We measured perceived stress, loneliness, sleep quality, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and PCF. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, correlations, and mediation analyses utilizing ordinary least square regression. Ninety women who were on average 3 years post chemotherapy completion participated in the study. Moderate to largely negative correlations were found between PCF and the psychosocial and sleep variables (r values ranged from - 0.31 to - 0.70, p values < .0009). Mediation analyses revealed that stress and daytime sleepiness both directly and indirectly impact PCF and that loneliness and sleep quality only have indirect effects (through anxiety and fatigue). Our findings suggest that perceived cognitive changes following breast cancer treatment are multifactorial and that higher stress levels, loneliness, daytime sleepiness, and poorer sleep quality are linked to worse perceived cognitive functioning. Also, stress, loneliness, and sleep quality may affect cognitive functioning through a shared psychobiological pathway. Interventions targeting stress, loneliness, and sleep quality may improve perceived cognitive functioning in breast cancer survivors.

Formaldehyde substitute fixatives: effects on nucleic acid preservation.

PubMed

Moelans, Cathy B; Oostenrijk, Daphne; Moons, Michiel J; van Diest, Paul J

2011-11-01

In surgical pathology, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues are increasingly being used as a source of DNA and RNA for molecular assays in addition to histopathological evaluation. However, the commonly used formalin fixative is carcinogenic, and its crosslinking impairs DNA and RNA quality. The suitability of three new presumably less toxic, crosslinking (F-Solv) and non-crosslinking (FineFIX, RCL2) alcohol-based fixatives was tested for routine molecular pathology in comparison with neutral buffered formalin (NBF) as gold standard. Size ladder PCR, epidermal growth factor receptor sequence analysis, microsatellite instability (MSI), chromogenic (CISH), fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and qPCR were performed. The alcohol-based non-crosslinking fixatives (FineFIX and RCL2) resulted in a higher DNA yield and quality compared with crosslinking fixatives (NBF and F-Solv). Size ladder PCR resulted in a shorter amplicon size (300 bp) for both crosslinking fixatives compared with the non-crosslinking fixatives (400 bp). All four fixatives were directly applicable for MSI and epidermal growth factor receptor sequence analysis. All fixatives except F-Solv showed clear signals in CISH and FISH. RNA yield and quality were superior after non-crosslinking fixation. qPCR resulted in lower Ct values for RCL2 and FineFIX. The alcohol-based non-crosslinking fixatives performed better than crosslinking fixatives with regard to DNA and RNA yield, quality and applicability in molecular diagnostics. Given the higher yield, less starting material may be necessary, thereby increasing the applicability of biopsies for molecular studies.

Performance of the Malay Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life-18 and Associates of Quality of Life among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus from Major Ethnic Groups of Malaysia.

PubMed

Daher, Aqil M; AlMashoor, Syed Hassan A; Winn, Than

2016-01-01

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is notorious for its metabolic effect, acute and chronic complications and impact on Quality of Life (QoL). Successful intervention to improve QoL necessitates a valid and reliable measurement tool to identify areas of concern to patients with diabetes. To (1) assess the factor structure of the Malay Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life-18 (ADDQoL-18) questionnaire; (2) determine the impact of DM on QoL; and (3) identify areas of concern to patients with type 2 DM from three major ethnic groups in Malaysia. Data was obtained from a cross sectional study involving 256 patients with type 2 DM attending the diabetes clinic of the National University of Malaysia Medical Centre. The Malay version of ADDQoL-18 survey was translated from its English version according to standard guidelines and administered by a trained research assistant. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with oblimin rotation was used to determine factor structure of the data. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the factor structure. Hierarchical liner regression was used to determine factors associated with QoL. Unforced factor solution yielded two factors for the whole sample. Forced one factor solution was ascertained for the whole sample and for each ethnic group. Loadings ranged between 0.588 and 0.949. Reliability coefficients were all higher than 0.955. CFA showed that the two factor model had better fit statistics. QoL was associated with the use of insulin and desired glycaemic control, longer diabetes duration, worry about diabetes, and diabetes complications. The Malay ADDQoL-18 is a valid tool to be used among patients with diabetes from different ethnic groups in Malaysia. The use of insulin to achieve desired glycaemic control had more negative impact on QoL than the use of tablets and/or dietary changes.

Performance of the Malay Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life-18 and Associates of Quality of Life among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus from Major Ethnic Groups of Malaysia

PubMed Central

Daher, Aqil M.; AlMashoor, Syed Hassan A.; Winn, Than

2016-01-01

Introduction Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is notorious for its metabolic effect, acute and chronic complications and impact on Quality of Life (QoL). Successful intervention to improve QoL necessitates a valid and reliable measurement tool to identify areas of concern to patients with diabetes. Objectives To (1) assess the factor structure of the Malay Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life-18 (ADDQoL-18) questionnaire; (2) determine the impact of DM on QoL; and (3) identify areas of concern to patients with type 2 DM from three major ethnic groups in Malaysia. Methods Data was obtained from a cross sectional study involving 256 patients with type 2 DM attending the diabetes clinic of the National University of Malaysia Medical Centre. The Malay version of ADDQoL-18 survey was translated from its English version according to standard guidelines and administered by a trained research assistant. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with oblimin rotation was used to determine factor structure of the data. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the factor structure. Hierarchical liner regression was used to determine factors associated with QoL. Results Unforced factor solution yielded two factors for the whole sample. Forced one factor solution was ascertained for the whole sample and for each ethnic group. Loadings ranged between 0.588 and 0.949. Reliability coefficients were all higher than 0.955. CFA showed that the two factor model had better fit statistics. QoL was associated with the use of insulin and desired glycaemic control, longer diabetes duration, worry about diabetes, and diabetes complications. Conclusions The Malay ADDQoL-18 is a valid tool to be used among patients with diabetes from different ethnic groups in Malaysia. The use of insulin to achieve desired glycaemic control had more negative impact on QoL than the use of tablets and/or dietary changes. PMID:27695086

Measuring client satisfaction and the quality of family planning services: A comparative analysis of public and private health facilities in Tanzania, Kenya and Ghana

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Public and private family planning providers face different incentive structures, which may affect overall quality and ultimately the acceptability of family planning for their intended clients. This analysis seeks to quantify differences in the quality of family planning (FP) services at public and private providers in three representative sub-Saharan African countries (Tanzania, Kenya and Ghana), to assess how these quality differentials impact upon FP clients' satisfaction, and to suggest how quality improvements can improve contraceptive continuation rates. Methods Indices of technical, structural and process measures of quality are constructed from Service Provision Assessments (SPAs) conducted in Tanzania (2006), Kenya (2004) and Ghana (2002) using direct observation of facility attributes and client-provider interactions. Marginal effects from multivariate regressions controlling for client characteristics and the multi-stage cluster sample design assess the relative importance of different measures of structural and process quality at public and private facilities on client satisfaction. Results Private health facilities appear to be of higher (interpersonal) process quality than public facilities but not necessarily higher technical quality in the three countries, though these differentials are considerably larger at lower level facilities (clinics, health centers, dispensaries) than at hospitals. Family planning client satisfaction, however, appears considerably higher at private facilities - both hospitals and clinics - most likely attributable to both process and structural factors such as shorter waiting times and fewer stockouts of methods and supplies. Conclusions Because the public sector represents the major source of family planning services in developing countries, governments and Ministries of Health should continue to implement and to encourage incentives, perhaps performance-based, to improve quality at public sector health facilities, as well as to strengthen regulatory and monitoring structures to ensure quality at both public and private facilities. In the meantime, private providers appear to be fulfilling an important gap in the provision of FP services in these countries. PMID:21864335

Measuring client satisfaction and the quality of family planning services: a comparative analysis of public and private health facilities in Tanzania, Kenya and Ghana.

PubMed

Hutchinson, Paul L; Do, Mai; Agha, Sohail

2011-08-24

Public and private family planning providers face different incentive structures, which may affect overall quality and ultimately the acceptability of family planning for their intended clients. This analysis seeks to quantify differences in the quality of family planning (FP) services at public and private providers in three representative sub-Saharan African countries (Tanzania, Kenya and Ghana), to assess how these quality differentials impact upon FP clients' satisfaction, and to suggest how quality improvements can improve contraceptive continuation rates. Indices of technical, structural and process measures of quality are constructed from Service Provision Assessments (SPAs) conducted in Tanzania (2006), Kenya (2004) and Ghana (2002) using direct observation of facility attributes and client-provider interactions. Marginal effects from multivariate regressions controlling for client characteristics and the multi-stage cluster sample design assess the relative importance of different measures of structural and process quality at public and private facilities on client satisfaction. Private health facilities appear to be of higher (interpersonal) process quality than public facilities but not necessarily higher technical quality in the three countries, though these differentials are considerably larger at lower level facilities (clinics, health centers, dispensaries) than at hospitals. Family planning client satisfaction, however, appears considerably higher at private facilities - both hospitals and clinics - most likely attributable to both process and structural factors such as shorter waiting times and fewer stockouts of methods and supplies. Because the public sector represents the major source of family planning services in developing countries, governments and Ministries of Health should continue to implement and to encourage incentives, perhaps performance-based, to improve quality at public sector health facilities, as well as to strengthen regulatory and monitoring structures to ensure quality at both public and private facilities. In the meantime, private providers appear to be fulfilling an important gap in the provision of FP services in these countries.

The factors that affect the frequency of vital sign monitoring in the emergency department.

PubMed

Johnson, Kimberly D; Winkelman, Chris; Burant, Christopher J; Dolansky, Mary; Totten, Vicken

2014-01-01

Vital signs are an important component of the nursing assessment and are used as early warning signs of changes in a patient's condition; however, little research has been conducted to determine how often vital signs are monitored in the emergency department. Additionally, it has not been determined what personal, social, and environmental factors affect the frequency of vital sign monitoring. The purpose of this study was to examine what factors may influence the time between recording vital signs in the emergency department. We performed a descriptive, retrospective chart review of 202 randomly selected adult ED patients' charts from representative times to capture a variety of ED levels of occupancy in an urban, Midwestern, teaching hospital. Descriptive and hierarchical regression analyses were used. The strongest predictor of the increased time between vital signs from the personal health factors was lower patient acuity (Emergency Severity Index). This relationship remained strong even when social factors and environmental factors were included. Increased length of stay and fewer routes of medications also had significant relationships to the increased time between vital sign monitoring. These findings are clinically important because greater time between vital sign recordings can lead to errors of omission by not detecting changes in vital signs that could reveal changes in the patient's condition. The findings of this study provide direction for future research focusing on determining whether higher frequency of vital signs surveillance contributes to higher quality care and linking quality of care to missing vital signs/inadequate monitoring. Copyright © 2014 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

DIFFERENCES IN IMMUNE RESPONSE MAY EXPLAIN LOWER SURVIVAL AMONG OLDER MEN WITH PNEUMONIA

PubMed Central

Reade, Michael C.; Yende, Sachin; D’Angelo, Gina; Kong, Lan; Kellum, John A; Barnato, Amber E.; Milbrandt, Eric B.; Dooley, Christopher; Mayr, Florian B.; Weissfeld, Lisa; Angus, Derek C.

2009-01-01

Objective Lower life expectancy in men is generally attributed to higher likelihood of risky behavior and because men develop chronic conditions earlier. If sex-related differences in survival are independent of pre-infection chronic health and health behavior, it would suggest that survival differences may occur due to sex differences in quality of care and biologic response to infection and these differences may contribute to sex differences in life expectancy. We assessed if sex-related survival difference following community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is due to differences in clinical characteristics, quality of care, or immune response. Design, setting, and subjects Prospective observational cohort of 2183 subjects with CAP. Measurements and main results Mean age was 64.9 years. Compared to women, men were more likely to smoke and had more comorbidity. At emergency department presentation, men had different biomarker patterns, as evidenced by higher inflammation (tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10) and fibrinolysis (D-dimer), and lower coagulation biomarkers (antithrombin-III and Factor IX) (P<0.05). Small differences in favor of men were seen in care quality, including antibiotic timing and compliance with American Thoracic Society guidelines. Men had lower survival at 30, 90, 365 days. The higher one-year mortality was not attenuated when adjusted for differences in demographics, smoking, resuscitation, insurance, and vaccination status, comorbidity, hospital characteristics, and illness severity (unadjusted hazard ratio (HR)=1.35, p=0.003 and adjusted HR=1.29, p=0.004). HR were no longer statistically significant when additionally adjusted for differences in ED concentrations of TNF, IL-6, IL-10, D-dimer, antithrombin-III, and Factor IX (adjusted HR=1.27, p=0.17). Patterns of biomarkers observed in men were associated with worse survival over one year. Conclusions Lower survival among men following CAP was not explained by differences in chronic diseases, health behaviors, and quality of care. Patterns of inflammatory, coagulation, and fibrinolysis biomarkers among men may explain reduced short and long-term survival. PMID:19325487

Using dental care resources optimally: quality-efficiency trade-offs in a competitive private market.

PubMed

Prasad, Banuru Muralidhara; Varatharajan, D

2011-01-01

Modern lifestyle changes led to increased dental care needs in India. Consequently, there has been a sharp rise in dentist numbers. Karnataka state alone produces 2,500 dentists annually, who are engaged in the non-government sector owing to inadequate public sector opportunities. This article aims to assess Karnataka private dental clinic quality and efficiency. Dentists were interviewed using a close-ended, structured interview schedule and their clinics were assessed using a checklist adopted from guidelines for providing machinery and equipment under the National Oral Health Care Programme (NOHCP). Dental "hotel" and clinical quality were scored based on this checklist. Clinical quality was "excellent" in 12 per cent of clinics and poor in 49 per cent. Clinics with better infrastructure charged higher price (p < 0.05). Multi-chair clinics charging fixed rates were high (81 per cent). According to 59.5 per cent of dentists, competition did not improve quality while 27 per cent felt that competition increased price, not quality. About 30.9 per cent of the poor quality clinics, 41 per cent average quality clinics and 26 per cent good quality clinics were technically efficient. The multi chair clinics offered better quality at higher prices and single chair clinics provided poorer quality at lower prices. In other words, they had a sub-optimal price-quality mix. Therefore, there is a need to regulate price and quality in all clinics to arrive at an optimal price-quality mix so that clients are not overburdened financially even while receiving good quality dental care. The article advocates that resources are used optimally as a way to achieve value for money and to achieve break-even points thereby providing quality care in a competitive market. Factors that influence dental practitioner behaviour are evaluated.

Dietary intake, physical activity, and time management are associated with constipation in preschool children in Japan.

PubMed

Asakura, Keiko; Masayasu, Shizuko; Sasaki, Satoshi

2017-01-01

Constipation is a common complaint in children, which is not fatal but can affect quality of life. Several lifestyle-related risk factors for constipation have been reported, particularly dietary factors, but results have been inconsistent. Here, we examined the relationship of dietary and lifestyle factors with constipation in Japanese preschool children using data of a nationwide study. Subjects were 5,309 children aged 5 to 6 years at 380 nursery schools in 44 of 47 prefectures in Japan. Children having three or fewer bowel movements per week were considered constipated. Dietary intake data was collected using a validated brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire for Japanese preschool children, and information about general lifestyle was collected using a 4-page questionnaire designed for this study. Multivariateadjusted odds ratios for constipation were calculated by logistic regression. Higher dietary fiber intake was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of constipation (adjusted odds ratio: 0.62, p for trend: 0.005), but higher carbohydrate intake was marginally associated with a higher prevalence of constipation. Intake of potatoes, pulses, vegetables, and fruits intake decreased constipation prevalence, whereas higher rice intake was significantly and independently associated with higher prevalence of constipation. Regarding lifestyle factors, high physical activity and sufficient preparation time for breakfast and dinner for guardians were significantly associated with lower prevalence. Prevalence tended to be negatively associated with a higher educational background of the mother. Several lifestyle factors were associated with a lower prevalence of constipation among Japanese preschool children, including dietary fiber intake.

Measuring Workplace Climate in Community Clinics and Health Centers.

PubMed

Friedberg, Mark W; Rodriguez, Hector P; Martsolf, Grant R; Edelen, Maria O; Vargas Bustamante, Arturo

2016-10-01

The effectiveness of community clinics and health centers' efforts to improve the quality of care might be modified by clinics' workplace climates. Several surveys to measure workplace climate exist, but their relationships to each other and to distinguishable dimensions of workplace climate are unknown. To assess the psychometric properties of a survey instrument combining items from several existing surveys of workplace climate and to generate a shorter instrument for future use. We fielded a 106-item survey, which included items from 9 existing instruments, to all clinicians and staff members (n=781) working in 30 California community clinics and health centers, receiving 628 responses (80% response rate). We performed exploratory factor analysis of survey responses, followed by confirmatory factor analysis of 200 reserved survey responses. We generated a new, shorter survey instrument of items with strong factor loadings. Six factors, including 44 survey items, emerged from the exploratory analysis. Two factors (Clinic Workload and Teamwork) were independent from the others. The remaining 4 factors (staff relationships, quality improvement orientation, managerial readiness for change, and staff readiness for change) were highly correlated, indicating that these represented dimensions of a higher-order factor we called "Clinic Functionality." This 2-level, 6-factor model fit the data well in the exploratory and confirmatory samples. For all but 1 factor, fewer than 20 survey responses were needed to achieve clinic-level reliability >0.7. Survey instruments designed to measure workplace climate have substantial overlap. The relatively parsimonious item set we identified might help target and tailor clinics' quality improvement efforts.

Measuring Workplace Climate in Community Clinics and Health Centers

PubMed Central

Friedberg, Mark W.; Rodriguez, Hector P.; Martsolf, Grant; Edelen, Maria Orlando; Vargas-Bustamante, Arturo

2018-01-01

Background The effectiveness of community clinics and health centers’ efforts to improve the quality of care might be modified by clinics’ workplace climates. Several surveys to measure workplace climate exist, but their relationships to each other and to distinguishable dimensions of workplace climate are unknown. Objective To assess the psychometric properties of a survey instrument combining items from several existing surveys of workplace climate and to generate a shorter instrument for future use. Methods We fielded a 106-item survey, which included items from 9 existing instruments, to all clinicians and staff members (n=781) working in 30 California community clinics and health centers, receiving 628 responses (80% response rate). We performed exploratory factor analysis of survey responses, followed by confirmatory factor analysis of 200 reserved survey responses. We generated a new, shorter survey instrument of items with strong factor loadings. Results Six factors, including 44 survey items, emerged from the exploratory analysis. Two factors (Clinic Workload and Teamwork) were independent from the others. The remaining 4 factors (Staff Relationships, Quality Improvement Orientation, Managerial Readiness for Change, and Staff Readiness for Change) were highly correlated, indicating that these represented dimensions of a higher-order factor we called “Clinic Functionality.” This two-level, six-factor model fit the data well in the exploratory and confirmatory samples. For all but one factor, fewer than 20 survey responses were needed to achieve clinic-level reliability >0.7. Conclusion Survey instruments designed to measure workplace climate have substantial overlap. The relatively parsimonious item set we identified might help target and tailor clinics’ quality improvement efforts. PMID:27326549

An evaluation of image quality and accuracy of eye bank measurement of donor cornea endothelial cell density in the Specular Microscopy Ancillary Study.

PubMed

Lass, Jonathan H; Gal, Robin L; Ruedy, Katrina J; Benetz, Beth Ann; Beck, Roy W; Baratz, Keith H; Holland, Edward J; Kalajian, Andrea; Kollman, Craig; Manning, Francis J; Mannis, Mark J; McCoy, Kristen; Montoya, Monty; Stulting, Doyle; Xing, Dongyuan

2005-03-01

The Specular Microscopy Ancillary Study was designed to examine donor corneal endothelial specular image quality, compare the central endothelial cell density determined by eye banks with the endothelial cell density determined by a central specular microscopy reading center, and evaluate donor factors that may have an impact on specular image quality and endothelial cell density accuracy. Nonrandomized comparative trial. Endothelial specular images of donor corneas assigned in the Cornea Donor Study. Certified readers assessed donor image quality (analyzable from fair to excellent vs. unanalyzable) and determined the central endothelial cell density. Independent adjudication was performed if there was a difference in the quality of grading or if the endothelial cell density varied by > or =5.0% between readers. Average reading center-determined endothelial cell density was compared with the endothelial cell density determined by each eye bank. Evaluation of image quality and accuracy of endothelial cell density. Of 688 donor endothelial images submitted by 23 eye banks, 663 (96%) were analyzable (excellent, 40 [6%]; good, 302 [44%]; fair, 321 [47%]), and 25 (4%) were unanalyzable by reading center standards. In situ retrieval and greater epithelial exposure correlated with a higher image quality grading. The eye bank-determined endothelial cell density of 434 of the 663 (65%) analyzable images were within 10% of the endothelial cell density determined by the reading center, whereas 185 (28%) were more than 10% higher and 44 (7%) were more than 10% lower. Greater variation in endothelial cell density between the eye banks and the reading center was observed with shorter time of death to preservation, presence of an epithelial defect, folds in Descemet's membrane, lower image quality, and the use of fixed-frame or center method endothelial cell density analysis. Overall, donor endothelial specular image quality and accuracy of endothelial cell density determination were good. However, the data suggest that factors that may affect image quality and contribute to variation in interpretation of the endothelial cell density should be addressed, because the donor endothelial cell density is an important parameter for assessing long-term corneal graft survival.

Estimation of gas hydrate saturation using isotropic and anisotropic models at the location selected after measurement of seismic quality factor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mundhra, A.; Sain, K.; Shankar, U.

2012-12-01

The Indian National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition (NGHP) 01 discovered gas hydrate in unconsolidated sediments at several drilling sites along the continental margins of Krishna-Godavari Basin, India. Presence of gas hydrate reduces the attenuation of travelling seismic waves which can be measured by estimation of seismic quality factor (Dasgupta and Clark, 1998). Here, we use log spectral ratio method (Sain et al, 2009) to compute quality factor at three locations, among which two have strong and one has no bottom simulating reflector (BSR), along seismic cross-line near one of the drilling site. Interval quality factor for three submarine sedimentary layers bounded by seafloor, BSR, one reflector above and another reflector below the BSR has been measured. To compute quality factor, unprocessed pre-stack seismic data has been used to avoid any influence of processing sequence. We have estimated that interval quality factor lies within 200-220 in the interval having BSR while it varies within 90-100 in other intervals. Thereby, high interval quality factor ascertains that observed BSR is due to presence of gas hydrates. We have performed rock physics modelling by using isotropic and anisotropic models, to quantitatively estimate gas hydrate saturation at one of the location where an interval has high quality factor. Abruptly high measured resistivity and high P-wave velocity in the interval, leads to towering hydrate saturation (Archie,1942 and Helegrud et al, 1999) in comparison to lower gas hydrate saturations estimated by pressure core and chlorinity measurements. Overestimation of saturation is attributed to presence of near vertical fractures that are identified from logging-while-drilling resistivity images. We have carried out anisotropic modeling (Kennedy and Herrick, 2004 and Lee,2009) by incorporating fracture volume and fracture porosity to estimate hydrate saturation and have observed that modeled gas hydrate saturations agree with the lower gas hydrate saturations obtained from pressure core and chlorinity measurements. Therefore, we find that 1) quality factor is significantly higher in the interval bearing gas hydrates and is a useful tool to discover hydrate deposits, 2) anisotropy due to presence of near vertical hydrate filled fractures translates into elevated saturation because of high measured resistivity and velocity and 3) anisotropic model greatly corrects the saturation estimates in fractured medium. References: Archie, G.E., 1942. Petroleum Transactions of AIME, 146, 54-62. Dasgupta, R., Clark, R.A., 1998. Geophysics 63, 2120-2128. Kennedy, W.D., Herrick, D.C., 2004. Petrophysics 45, 38-58. Lee, M.W., 2009. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5141, 13. Sain, K., Singh, A.K., Thakur, N.K., Khanna, R.K., 2009.Marine Geophysical Researches 30, 137-145.

Stepfamily Relationship Quality and Children's Internalizing and Externalizing Problems.

PubMed

Jensen, Todd M; Lippold, Melissa A; Mills-Koonce, Roger; Fosco, Gregory M

2017-03-07

The stepfamily literature is replete with between-group analyses by which youth residing in stepfamilies are compared to youth in other family structures across indicators of adjustment and well-being. Few longitudinal studies examine variation in stepfamily functioning to identify factors that promote the positive adjustment of stepchildren over time. Using a longitudinal sample of 191 stepchildren (56% female, mean age = 11.3 years), the current study examines the association between the relationship quality of three central stepfamily dyads (stepparent-child, parent-child, and stepcouple) and children's internalizing and externalizing problems concurrently and over time. Results from path analyses indicate that higher levels of parent-child affective quality are associated with lower levels of children's concurrent internalizing and externalizing problems at Wave 1. Higher levels of stepparent-child affective quality are associated with decreases in children's internalizing and externalizing problems at Wave 2 (6 months beyond baseline), even after controlling for children's internalizing and externalizing problems at Wave 1 and other covariates. The stepcouple relationship was not directly linked to youth outcomes. Our findings provide implications for future research and practice. © 2017 Family Process Institute.

Stress, Sleep and Depressive Symptoms in Active Duty Military Personnel.

PubMed

Chou, Han-Wei; Tzeng, Wen-Chii; Chou, Yu-Ching; Yeh, Hui-Wen; Chang, Hsin-An; Kao, Yu-Chen; Huang, San-Yuan; Yeh, Chin-Bin; Chiang, Wei-Shan; Tzeng, Nian-Sheng

2016-08-01

The military is a unique occupational group and, because of this, military personnel face different kinds of stress than civilian populations. Sleep problems are an example. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between sleep problems, depression level and coping strategies among military personnel. In this cross-sectional study, military personnel completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Jalowiec Coping Scale. An evaluation of the test scores showed that officers had better sleep quality and fewer depressive symptoms than enlisted personnel. Military personnel with higher educational levels and less physical illness also had fewer depressive symptoms. Officers and noncommissioned officers preferred problem-focused strategies. Those with higher Beck Depression Inventory and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores and those who drank alcohol frequently preferred affective-focused strategies. Our results revealed that sleep quality, physical illness and alcohol consumption were associated with the mental health of military personnel. Treating these factors may improve the mental health of military personnel and enhance effective coping strategies. Copyright © 2016 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparing private sector family planning services to government and NGO services in Ethiopia and Pakistan: how do social franchises compare across quality, equity and cost?

PubMed Central

Shah, Nirali M; Wang, Wenjuan; Bishai, David M

2011-01-01

Policy makers in developing countries need to assess how public health programmes function across both public and private sectors. We propose an evaluation framework to assist in simultaneously tracking performance on efficiency, quality and access by the poor in family planning services. We apply this framework to field data from family planning programmes in Ethiopia and Pakistan, comparing (1) independent private sector providers; (2) social franchises of private providers; (3) non-government organization (NGO) providers; and (4) government providers on these three factors. Franchised private clinics have higher quality than non-franchised private clinics in both countries. In Pakistan, the costs per client and the proportion of poorest clients showed no differences between franchised and non-franchised private clinics, whereas in Ethiopia, franchised clinics had higher costs and fewer clients from the poorest quintile. Our results highlight that there are trade-offs between access, cost and quality of care that must be balanced as competing priorities. The relative programme performance of various service arrangements on each metric will be context specific. PMID:21729919

Comparing private sector family planning services to government and NGO services in Ethiopia and Pakistan: how do social franchises compare across quality, equity and cost?

PubMed

Shah, Nirali M; Wang, Wenjuan; Bishai, David M

2011-07-01

Policy makers in developing countries need to assess how public health programmes function across both public and private sectors. We propose an evaluation framework to assist in simultaneously tracking performance on efficiency, quality and access by the poor in family planning services. We apply this framework to field data from family planning programmes in Ethiopia and Pakistan, comparing (1) independent private sector providers; (2) social franchises of private providers; (3) non-government organization (NGO) providers; and (4) government providers on these three factors. Franchised private clinics have higher quality than non-franchised private clinics in both countries. In Pakistan, the costs per client and the proportion of poorest clients showed no differences between franchised and non-franchised private clinics, whereas in Ethiopia, franchised clinics had higher costs and fewer clients from the poorest quintile. Our results highlight that there are trade-offs between access, cost and quality of care that must be balanced as competing priorities. The relative programme performance of various service arrangements on each metric will be context specific.

Factors Identified with Higher Levels of Career Satisfaction of Physicians in Andalusia, Spain

PubMed Central

Peña-Sánchez, Juan Nicolás; Lepnurm, Rein; Morales-Asencio, José Miguel; Delgado, Ana; Domagała, Alicja; Górkiewicz, Maciej

2014-01-01

The satisfaction of physicians is a worldwide issue linked with the quality of health services; their satisfaction needs to be studied from a multi-dimensional perspective, considering lower- and higher-order needs. The objectives of this study were to: i) measure the career satisfaction of physicians; ii) identify differences in the dimensions of career satisfaction; and iii) test factors that affect higher- and lower-order needs of satisfaction among physicians working in Andalusian hospitals (Spain). Forty-one percent of 299 eligible physicians participated in a study conducted in six selected hospitals. Physicians reported higher professional, inherent, and performance satisfaction than personal satisfaction. Foreign physicians reported higher levels of personal and performance satisfaction than local physicians, and those who received non-monetary incentives had higher professional and performance satisfaction. In conclusion, physicians in the selected Andalusian hospitals reported low levels of personal satisfaction. Non-monetary incentives were more relevant to influence their career satisfaction. Further investigations are recommended to study differences in the career satisfaction between foreign and local physicians. PMID:26973935

Depressive symptoms among Chinese nurses: prevalence and the associated factors.

PubMed

Gao, Yu-Qin; Pan, Bo-Chen; Sun, Wei; Wu, Hui; Wang, Jia-Na; Wang, Lie

2012-05-01

  This article is a report of exploration of depressive symptoms and the associated factors among Chinese nurses working at public city hospitals.   Hospital nurses are known to work in psychologically and physically demanding work environment, which may lead to depressive symptoms. However, little research has been done to address this problem in Chinese nurses.   A cross-sectional survey was carried out in seven randomly selected city hospitals of Liaoning Province, northeast of China in 2009. Depressive symptoms of the nurses were measured with the Chinese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Job Content Questionnaire and the effort-reward imbalance, demographic features, life style and work conditions were measured as the related factors.   A total of 1592 nurses participated in the study and the effective response rate was 79·5%. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among the nurses was 61·7% (n = 886), of whom 74·9% (n = 664) had mild depressive symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that lower job rank, higher over commitment, alcohol consumption, worse nurse-patient relationship and higher education background were positively associated with depressive symptoms, whereas supervisor support, taking regular meals, doing physical exercises, higher skill discretion and higher job satisfaction were negatively associated with depressive symptoms.   More than half of the Chinese nurses had depressive symptoms. As depressive symptoms may adversely affect quality of life and quality of care, consultation for the nurses with healthy life styles, work stress coping techniques and advice to administrator to improve social aspects of the work environment might be helpful to reduce the depressive symptoms in nurses. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Quality evaluation of Persian nutrition and diet therapy websites.

PubMed

Gholizadeh, Zahra; Papi, Ahmad; Ashrafi-Rizi, Hasan; Shahrzadi, Leila; Hasanzadeh, Akbar

2017-01-01

Nowadays websites are among the most important information sources used by most people. With the spread of websites, especially those related to health issues, the number of their visitors also increases, more than half of which are about nutritional information. Therefore, quality analysis of nutrition and diet therapy websites is of outmost importance. This study aims to evaluate the quality of Persian nutrition and diet therapy websites. The current work is a survey study and uses an applied study method. The statistical population consists of 51 Persian websites about nutrition and diet therapy and census method was used in order to study them. Data gathering was done using a checklist and with direct visit to each website. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to analyse the gathered data with the help of SPSS 21 software. Findings showed that content (66.7%), organization (82.4%), user friendly interfaces (52.9%) and total quality (70.6%) of most websites had a mediocre score while the design score for most of the websites (70.6%) was acceptable also organizational websites had better design, organization and quality compared to private websites. The three websites with the highest general quality score were the websites of "Novel Diet Therapy," "Behsite" and "Dr. BehdadiPour" (jointly) and "Dr. Kermani" respectively. Also in the dimension of content the factors of goal, relevance and credibility, in the dimension of design the factors of color, text and sound, pictures and videos, in the dimension of organization the factors of stability and indexing and in the dimension of user friendliness the factors of confidentiality, credibility and personalization had the highest scores. The results showed that the design score was higher than other scores. Also the general quality score of the websites was mediocre and was not desirable. Also websites didn't have suitable scores in every factor. Since most people search the internet for nutritional and diet therapy information, the creators of these websites should endeavor to fix the shortcomings of their websites and increase the quality of their websites in several different areas.

Quality evaluation of Persian nutrition and diet therapy websites

PubMed Central

Gholizadeh, Zahra; Papi, Ahmad; Ashrafi-rizi, Hasan; Shahrzadi, Leila; Hasanzadeh, Akbar

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Nowadays websites are among the most important information sources used by most people. With the spread of websites, especially those related to health issues, the number of their visitors also increases, more than half of which are about nutritional information. Therefore, quality analysis of nutrition and diet therapy websites is of outmost importance. This study aims to evaluate the quality of Persian nutrition and diet therapy websites. METHODS: The current work is a survey study and uses an applied study method. The statistical population consists of 51 Persian websites about nutrition and diet therapy and census method was used in order to study them. Data gathering was done using a checklist and with direct visit to each website. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to analyse the gathered data with the help of SPSS 21 software. RESULTS: Findings showed that content (66.7%), organization (82.4%), user friendly interfaces (52.9%) and total quality (70.6%) of most websites had a mediocre score while the design score for most of the websites (70.6%) was acceptable also organizational websites had better design, organization and quality compared to private websites. The three websites with the highest general quality score were the websites of “Novel Diet Therapy,” “Behsite” and “Dr. BehdadiPour” (jointly) and “Dr. Kermani” respectively. Also in the dimension of content the factors of goal, relevance and credibility, in the dimension of design the factors of color, text and sound, pictures and videos, in the dimension of organization the factors of stability and indexing and in the dimension of user friendliness the factors of confidentiality, credibility and personalization had the highest scores. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the design score was higher than other scores. Also the general quality score of the websites was mediocre and was not desirable. Also websites didn’t have suitable scores in every factor. Since most people search the internet for nutritional and diet therapy information, the creators of these websites should endeavor to fix the shortcomings of their websites and increase the quality of their websites in several different areas. PMID:28616415

Looking beyond patients: Can parents' quality of life predict asthma control in children?

PubMed

Cano-Garcinuño, Alfredo; Mora-Gandarillas, Isabel; Bercedo-Sanz, Alberto; Callén-Blecua, María Teresa; Castillo-Laita, José Antonio; Casares-Alonso, Irene; Forns-Serrallonga, Dolors; Tauler-Toro, Eulàlia; Alonso-Bernardo, Luz María; García-Merino, Águeda; Moneo-Hernández, Isabel; Cortés-Rico, Olga; Carvajal-Urueña, Ignacio; Morell-Bernabé, Juan José; Martín-Ibáñez, Itziar; Rodríguez-Fernández-Oliva, Carmen Rosa; Asensi-Monzó, María Teresa; Fernández-Carazo, Carmen; Murcia-García, José; Durán-Iglesias, Catalina; Montón-Álvarez, José Luis; Domínguez-Aurrecoechea, Begoña; Praena-Crespo, Manuel

2016-07-01

Social and family factors may influence the probability of achieving asthma control in children. Parents' quality of life has been insufficiently explored as a predictive factor linked to the probability of achieving disease control in asthmatic children. Determine whether the parents' quality of life predicts medium-term asthma control in children. Longitudinal study of children between 4 and 14 years of age, with active asthma. The parents' quality of life was evaluated using the specific IFABI-R instrument, in which scores were higher for poorer quality of life. Its association with asthma control measures in the child 16 weeks later was analyzed using multivariate methods, adjusting the effect for disease, child and family factors. The data from 452 children were analyzed (median age 9.6 years, 63.3% males). The parents' quality of life was predictive for asthma control; each point increase on the initial IFABI-R score was associated with an adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.56 (0.37-0.86) for good control of asthma on the second visit, 2.58 (1.62-4.12) for asthma exacerbation, 2.12 (1.33-3.38) for an unscheduled visit to the doctor, and 2.46 (1.18-5.13) for going to the emergency room. The highest quartile for the IFABI-R score had a sensitivity of 34.5% and a specificity of 82.2% to predict poorly controlled asthma. Parents' poorer quality of life is related to poor, medium-term asthma control in children. Assessing the parents' quality of life could aid disease management decisions. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016;51:670-677. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Heat transfer and pressure drop of condensation of hydrocarbons in tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fries, Simon; Skusa, Severin; Luke, Andrea

2018-03-01

The heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop are investigated for propane. Two different mild steel plain tubes and saturation pressures are considered for varying mass flux and vapour quality. The pressure drop is compared to the Friedel-Correlation with two different approaches to determine the friction factor. The first is calculation as proposed by Friedel and the second is through single phase pressure drop investigations. For lower vapour qualities the experimental results are in better agreement with the approach of the calculated friction factor. For higher vapour qualities the experimental friction factor is more precise. The pressure drop increases for a decreasing tube diameter and saturation pressure. The circumferential temperature profile and heat transfer coefficients are shown for a constant vapour quality at varying mass fluxes. The subcooling is highest for the bottom of the tube and lowest for the top. The average subcooling as well as the circumferential deviation decreases for rising mass fluxes. The averaged heat transfer coefficients are compared to the model proposed by Thome and Cavallini. The experimental results are in good agreement with both correlations, however the trend is better described with the correlation from Thome. The experimental heat transfer coefficients are under predicted by Thome and over predicted by Cavallini.

Active ageing and quality of life: factors associated with participation in leisure activities among institutionalized older adults, with and without dementia.

PubMed

Fernández-Mayoralas, Gloria; Rojo-Pérez, Fermina; Martínez-Martín, Pablo; Prieto-Flores, Maria-Eugenia; Rodríguez-Blázquez, Carmen; Martín-García, Salomé; Rojo-Abuín, José-Manuel; Forjaz, Maria-Joao

2015-01-01

Active ageing, considered from the perspective of participation in leisure activities, promotes life satisfaction and personal well-being. The aims of this work are to define and explain leisure activity profiles among institutionalized older adults, considering their sociodemographic characteristics and objective and subjective conditions in relation to their quality of life. Two samples of institutionalized people aged 60 and over were analysed together: 234 older adults without dementia and 525 with dementia. Sociodemographic, economic, family and social network, and health and functioning variables were selected. Cluster analysis was applied to obtain activity profiles according to the leisure activities, and ordinal regression models were performed to analyse factors associated to activity level. The sample was clustered into three groups of people: active (27%), moderately active (35%) and inactive people (38%). In the final regression model (Nagelkerke pseudo R(2) = 0.500), a higher level of activity was associated with better cognitive function (Pfeiffer scale), self-perceived health status and functional ability, as well as with a higher frequency of gathering with family and friends, and higher educational level. The decline in physical and mental health, the loss of functional capabilities and the weakening of family and social ties represent a significant barrier to active ageing in a context of institutionalization.

Radiation Safety Issues in High Altitude Commercial Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, John W.; Cucinotta, Francis A.; Shinn, Judy L.

1995-01-01

The development of a global economy makes the outlook for high speed commercial intercontinental flight feasible, and the development of various configurations operating from 20 to 30 km have been proposed. In addition to the still unresolved issues relating to current commercial operations (12-16 km), the higher dose rates associated with the higher operating altitudes makes il imperative that the uncertainties in the atmospheric radiation environment and the associated health risks be re-examined. Atmospheric radiation associated with the galactic cosmic rays forms a background level which may, under some circumstances, exceed newly recommended allowable exposure limits proposed on the basis of recent evaluations of the A -bomb survivor data (due to increased risk coefficients). These larger risk coefficients, within the context of the methodology for estimating exposure limits, are resulting in exceedingly low estimated allowable exposure limits which may impact even present day flight operations and was the reason for the CEC workshop in Luxembourg (1990). At higher operating altitudes, solar particles events can produce exposures many orders of magnitude above background levels and pose significant health risks to the most sensitive individuals (such as during pregnancy). In this case the appropriate quality factors are undefined, and some evidence exists which indicates that the quality factor for stochastic effects is a substantial underestimate.

Factors associated with failure to screen newborns for retinopathy of prematurity.

PubMed

Bain, Lisa Charo; Dudley, R Adams; Gould, Jeffrey B; Lee, Henry C

2012-11-01

To evaluate ROP screening rates in a population-based cohort; and to identify characteristics of patients that were missed. We used the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative data from 2005-2007 for a cross-sectional study. Using eligibility criteria, screening rates were calculated for each hospital. Multivariable regression was used to assess associations between patient clinical and sociodemographic factors and the odds of missing screening. Overall rates of missed ROP screening decreased from 18.6% in 2005 to 12.8% in 2007. Higher gestational age (OR = 1.25 for increase of 1 week, 95% CI, 1.21-1.29), higher birth weight (OR = 1.13; 95% CI, 1.10-1.15), and singleton birth (OR = 1.2; 95% CI, 1.07-1.34) were associated with higher probability of missing screening. Level II neonatal intensive care units and neonatal intensive care units with lower volume were more likely to miss screenings. Although ROP screening rates improved over time, larger and older infants are at risk for not receiving screening. Furthermore, large variations in screening rates exist among hospitals in California. Identification of gaps in quality of care creates an opportunity to improve ROP screening rates and prevent impaired vision in this vulnerable population. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 generic core scales.

PubMed

Hao, Yuantao; Tian, Qi; Lu, Yiyun; Chai, Yiming; Rao, Shaoqi

2010-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (PedsQL 4.0) generic core scales. The standard procedure of cross-culture adaptation was used to develop the Chinese version PedsQL4.0. We enrolled 1583 healthy children and 1335 pediatric patients (aged from 5 to 18 years) and 325 proxies. The psychometric properties of the measure were evaluated. The subscales of physical functioning, social functioning and psychosocial showed alpha coefficients above 0.7 for self-report in healthy children and the total pediatric patients, and all coefficients were higher than 0.7 for proxy report for all subscales. There were higher correlations between items and hypothesized subscales than with other subscales. Healthy children reported higher scores than pediatric patients in all subscales. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that some of the indices of goodness of fit did not reach the standard of acceptable construct validity. Moderate to high correlations were found between self-reported and proxy-reported scores. The Chinese version PedsQL4.0 has acceptable psychometric properties except the construct validity tested by confirmatory factor analysis and the internal reliability for self-report in pediatric patients with migraine or Gilles and Tourette's syndrome.

The effect of age, genotype and sex on carcass traits, meat quality and sensory attributes of geese

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to compare carcass traits, meat quality and sensory attributes in two different genotypes of geese according to age and sex. Methods The experiment was carried out on 160 birds of two genotypes of geese: the Czech Goose (CG) breed and a Eskildsen Schwer (ES) hybrid. One-d-old goslings were divided into four groups according to genotype and sex. Two dates for slaughtering (at 8 and 16 wk of age of goslings) were undertaken. Results The slaughter weight, cold carcass weight and dressing percentage were affected by all the studied factors, and significant interactions between age, genotype and sex were detected in the slaughter weight (p<0.001) and cold carcass weight (p = 0.004). The pH was not affected by any of studied factors, whereas in terms of meat colour parameters there were observed significant effects of age on L* and b* value and a significant effect of sex on a* value. The meat fat content was higher (p = 0.002) in ES. Higher score for overall acceptance of goose meat was recorded for ES at both ages compared to CG. Conclusion ES had higher dressing percentage and better sensory attributes, whereas CG exceled in the favourable nutritional value of the meat. PMID:28823138

[Impact of Emotion Regulation and Emotional Arousal on Quality of Life and Adherence of Couples after Kidney Transplantation].

PubMed

Peters, Luisa; Franke, Laura; Tkachenko, Daria; Schiffer, Mario; Zimmermann, Tanja

2018-05-01

Nonadherence to immunosuppressive medication increases the risk of graft failure. Maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (ERS) seem to be a risk factor for nonadherence, whereas for patients in relationships spousal support appears as a protective resource. Emotional arousal, objectively measured by the fundamental frequency (f 0 ) during spousal supportive communication is associated with supportive behavior. This study examined the relationship between beliefs about immunosuppressive medication, quality of life, ERS, emotions and emotional arousal, assessed during social support interactions of both spouses of N=50 couples after kidney transplantation. Maladaptive ERS of the transplant recipient were associated with lower mental quality of life of the partner, marginally higher own negative affect and lower beliefs about medication. Maladaptive ERS of the partner showed negative correlations with own mental quality of life. Regarding f 0 , gender differences were found. Higher f 0 of the male transplant recipient were associated with more maladaptive ERS of the female partner. Marginally significate correlations were found with lower own beliefs about medication. Higher f 0 of the wife of the male transplant recipient showed correlations with lower own positive affect, more negative affect of the male patient and lower beliefs about medication. Higher f 0 of female transplant recipients were associated with lower own maladaptive ERS and lower maladaptive ERS of the husband. The findings support the relevance of early interventions focusing on identifying and modifying maladaptive ERS for both the patient and partner. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Factors Associated with Hemorrhoids in Korean Adults: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

PubMed Central

Lee, Jong-Hyun; Kim, Hyo-Eun; Kang, Ji-Hun

2014-01-01

Background Although hemorrhoids are one of the most common anal diseases among Koreans, risk factors for hemorrhoids have not been well identified. Methods We analyzed the data from the 4th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) between 2007 and 2009. Study subjects were 17,228 participants of KNHANES who were aged 19 years or older. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate associations between hemorrhoids and probable risk factors. Results Overall prevalence of hemorrhoids among study subjects was 14.4%, being more prevalent among women (15.7%) than among men (13.0%). Obesity and abdominal obesity were associated with a higher risk of hemorrhoids with odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence intervals, 95% CI) of 1.13 (1.01 to 1.26) and 1.16 (1.04 to 1.30), respectively. Both self-reported depression (OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.62 to 2.08) and physician diagnosed depression (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.35 to 2.17) were associated with significantly higher risk of hemorrhoids. No regular walking (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.23) and experience of pregnancy (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.17 to 2.25) for women were also associated with higher risk of hemorrhoids. However, educational level, alcohol consumption, physical activities, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, fiber, fat intake, and energy intake were not associated with a risk of hemorrhoids. Low quality of life assessed with EuroQol-5 Dimension and EuroQol-Visual Analogue Scale was significantly associated with hemorrhoids. Conclusion This nationwide cross-sectional study of Korean adults suggests that obesity, abdominal obesity, depression, and past pregnancy may be risk factors for hemorrhoids and hemorrhoids affect quality of life negatively. PMID:25309703

Factors Affecting Health Related Quality of Life in Hospitalized Patients with Heart Failure.

PubMed

Audi, Georgia; Korologou, Aggeliki; Koutelekos, Ioannis; Vasilopoulos, Georgios; Karakostas, Kostas; Makrygianaki, Kleanthi; Polikandrioti, Maria

2017-01-01

This study identified factors affecting health related quality of life (HRQOL) in 300 hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF). Data were collected by the completion of a questionnaire which included patients' characteristics and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). Analysis of data showed that the median of the total score of MLHFQ was 46 and the median of the physical and mental state was 22 and 6, respectively. Also, participants who were householders or had "other" professions had lower score of 17 points and therefore better quality of life compared to patients who were civil/private employees ( p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, resp.). Patients not receiving anxiolytics and antidepressants had lower quality of life scores of 6 and 15.5 points, respectively, compared to patients who received ( p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, resp.). Patients with no prior hospitalization had lower score of 7 points compared to those with prior hospitalization ( p = 0.002), whereas patients not retired due to the disease had higher score of 7 points ( p = 0.034). Similar results were observed for the physical and mental state. Improvement of HF patients' quality of life should come to the forefront of clinical practice.

Newly Graduated Nurses' Competence and Individual and Organizational Factors: A Multivariate Analysis.

PubMed

Numminen, Olivia; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Isoaho, Hannu; Meretoja, Riitta

2015-09-01

To study the relationships between newly graduated nurses' (NGNs') perceptions of their professional competence, and individual and organizational work-related factors. A multivariate, quantitative, descriptive, correlation design was applied. Data collection took place in November 2012 with a national convenience sample of 318 NGNs representing all main healthcare settings in Finland. Five instruments measured NGNs' perceptions of their professional competence, occupational commitment, empowerment, practice environment, and its ethical climate, with additional questions on turnover intentions, job satisfaction, and demographics. Descriptive statistics summarized the demographic data, and inferential statistics multivariate path analysis modeling estimated the relationships between the variables. The strongest relationship was found between professional competence and empowerment, competence explaining 20% of the variance of empowerment. The explanatory power of competence regarding practice environment, ethical climate of the work unit, and occupational commitment, and competence's associations with turnover intentions, job satisfaction, and age, were statistically significant but considerably weaker. Higher competence and satisfaction with quality of care were associated with more positive perceptions of practice environment and its ethical climate as well as higher empowerment and occupational commitment. Apart from its association with empowerment, competence seems to be a rather independent factor in relation to the measured work-related factors. Further exploration would deepen the knowledge of this relationship, providing support for planning educational and developmental programs. Research on other individual and organizational factors is warranted to shed light on factors associated with professional competence in providing high-quality and safe care as well as retaining new nurses in the workforce. The study sheds light on the strength and direction of the significantly associated work-related factors. Nursing professional bodies, managers, and supervisors can use the findings in planning orientation programs and other occupational interventions for NGNs. © 2015 Sigma Theta Tau International.

What Matters Most: An Exploratory Multivariate Study of Satisfaction among First Year Hotel/Hospitality Management Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Driscoll, Finian

2012-01-01

Purpose: This study presents institutional research and aims to explore the underlying factors that contribute to hospitality management students' satisfaction and perceptions of service quality at a higher education college in Ireland. Research focusing on hospitality and leisure management education argues for greater cognisance of the relevance…

Colleges Face Tough Sell to Freshmen, Survey Finds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoover, Eric

2008-01-01

Freshmen are more concerned about academic quality and affordability than they have been in decades, according to an annual survey conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles. Sixty-three percent of students said academic reputation was a very-important factor in selecting a college, an…

When What You See Isn’t What You Get: How Viewshed Analysis is Impacted by Digital Surface Model (DSM) Resolution

EPA Science Inventory

A key factor for improving models of ecosystem benefits is the availability of high quality spatial data. High resolution LIDAR data are now commonly available and can be used to produce more accurate model outputs. However, increased resolution leads to higher computer resource...

Institutional Merit-Based Aid and Student Departure: A Longitudinal Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, Jacob P. K.; Hossler, Don; Ziskin, Mary; Berry, Matthew S.

2015-01-01

The use of merit criteria in awarding institutional aid has grown considerably and, some argue, is supplanting need as the central factor in awarding aid. Concurrently, the accountability movement in higher education has placed greater emphasis on retention and graduation as indicators of institutional success and quality. In this context, this…

A Creative Learning Ecosystem, Quality of Education and Innovative Capacity: A Perspective from Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crosling, Glenda; Nair, Mahendhiran; Vaithilingam, Santha

2015-01-01

Globally, governments recognize the importance of creativity and innovation for sustainable socioeconomic development, and many invest resources to develop learning environments that foster these capacities. This paper provides a systematic framework based on Nair's "Innovation Helix" model for studying the factors of a country's…

Superconducting nanowires as nonlinear inductive elements for qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ku, Jaseung; Manucharyan, Vladimir; Bezryadin, Alexey

2010-10-01

We report microwave transmission measurements of superconducting Fabry-Perot resonators, having a superconducting nanowire placed at a supercurrent antinode. As the plasma oscillation is excited, the supercurrent is forced to flow through the nanowire. The microwave transmission of the resonator-nanowire device shows a nonlinear resonance behavior, significantly dependent on the amplitude of the supercurrent oscillation. We show that such amplitude-dependent response is due to the nonlinearity of the current-phase relationship of the nanowire. The results are explained within a nonlinear oscillator model of the Duffing oscillator, in which the nanowire acts as a purely inductive element, in the limit of low temperatures and low amplitudes. The low-quality factor sample exhibits a “crater” at the resonance peak at higher driving power, which is due to dissipation. We observe a hysteretic bifurcation behavior of the transmission response to frequency sweep in a sample with a higher quality factor. The Duffing model is used to explain the Duffing bistability diagram. We also propose a concept of a nanowire-based qubit that relies on the current dependence of the kinetic inductance of a superconducting nanowire.

Demographics, social position, dental status and oral health-related quality of life in community-dwelling older adults.

PubMed

Rebelo, Maria Augusta Bessa; Cardoso, Evangeline Maria; Robinson, Peter G; Vettore, Mario Vianna

2016-07-01

To identify demographic, socioeconomic and dental clinical predictors of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in elderly people. Cross-sectional study involving 613 elderly people aged 65-74 years in Manaus, Brazil. Interviews and oral examinations were carried out to collect demographic characteristics (age and sex) and socioeconomic data (income and education), dental clinical measures (DMFT, need of upper and lower dentures) and OHRQoL (GOHAI questionnaire). Structural equation modelling was used to estimate direct and indirect pathways between the variables. Being older predicted lower schooling but higher income. Higher income was linked to better dental status, which was linked to better OHRQoL. There were also indirect pathways. Age and education were linked to OHRQoL, mediated by clinical dental status. Income was associated with dental clinical status via education, and income predicted OHRQoL via education and clinical measures. Our findings elucidate the complex pathways between individual, environmental factors and clinical factors that may determine OHRQoL and support the application of public health approaches to improve oral health in older people.

Influence of weight and type of planting material on fruit quality and its heterogeneity in pineapple [Ananas comosus (L.) Merrill].

PubMed

Fassinou Hotegni, V Nicodème; Lommen, Willemien J M; Agbossou, Euloge K; Struik, Paul C

2014-01-01

Cultural practices can affect the quality of pineapple fruits and its variation. The objectives of this study were to investigate (a) effects of weight class and type of planting material on fruit quality, heterogeneity in quality and proportion and yield of fruits meeting European export standards, and (b) the improvement in quality, proportion and yield of fruits meeting export standards when flowering was induced at optimum time. Experiments were conducted in Benin with cvs Sugarloaf (a Perola type) and Smooth Cayenne. In cv. Sugarloaf, experimental factors were weight class of planting material (light, mixed, heavy) and time of flowering induction (farmers', optimum) (Experiment 1). In cv. Smooth Cayenne an additional experimental factor was the type of planting material (hapas, ground suckers, a mixture of the two) (Experiment 2). Fruits from heavy planting material had higher infructescence and fruit weights, longer infructescences, shorter crowns, and smaller crown: infructescence length than fruits from light planting material. The type of planting material in Experiment 2 did not significantly affect fruit quality except crown length: fruits from hapas had shorter crowns than those from ground suckers. Crops from heavy planting material had a higher proportion and yield of fruits meeting export standards than those from other weight classes in Experiment 1 only; also the type of planting material in Experiment 2 did not affect these variates. Heterogeneity in fruit quality was usually not reduced by selecting only light or heavy planting material instead of mixing weights; incidentally the coefficient of variation was significantly reduced in fruits from heavy slips only. Heterogeneity was also not reduced by not mixing hapas and ground suckers. Flowering induction at optimum time increased the proportion and yield of fruits meeting export standards in fruits from light and mixed slip weights and in those from the mixture of heavy hapas plus ground suckers.

Influence of weight and type of planting material on fruit quality and its heterogeneity in pineapple [Ananas comosus (L.) Merrill

PubMed Central

Fassinou Hotegni, V. Nicodème; Lommen, Willemien J. M.; Agbossou, Euloge K.; Struik, Paul C.

2015-01-01

Cultural practices can affect the quality of pineapple fruits and its variation. The objectives of this study were to investigate (a) effects of weight class and type of planting material on fruit quality, heterogeneity in quality and proportion and yield of fruits meeting European export standards, and (b) the improvement in quality, proportion and yield of fruits meeting export standards when flowering was induced at optimum time. Experiments were conducted in Benin with cvs Sugarloaf (a Perola type) and Smooth Cayenne. In cv. Sugarloaf, experimental factors were weight class of planting material (light, mixed, heavy) and time of flowering induction (farmers', optimum) (Experiment 1). In cv. Smooth Cayenne an additional experimental factor was the type of planting material (hapas, ground suckers, a mixture of the two) (Experiment 2). Fruits from heavy planting material had higher infructescence and fruit weights, longer infructescences, shorter crowns, and smaller crown: infructescence length than fruits from light planting material. The type of planting material in Experiment 2 did not significantly affect fruit quality except crown length: fruits from hapas had shorter crowns than those from ground suckers. Crops from heavy planting material had a higher proportion and yield of fruits meeting export standards than those from other weight classes in Experiment 1 only; also the type of planting material in Experiment 2 did not affect these variates. Heterogeneity in fruit quality was usually not reduced by selecting only light or heavy planting material instead of mixing weights; incidentally the coefficient of variation was significantly reduced in fruits from heavy slips only. Heterogeneity was also not reduced by not mixing hapas and ground suckers. Flowering induction at optimum time increased the proportion and yield of fruits meeting export standards in fruits from light and mixed slip weights and in those from the mixture of heavy hapas plus ground suckers. PMID:25653659

Predictors of Sleep Quality Among Young Adults in Korea: Gender Differences.

PubMed

Chang, Ae Kyung; Choi, Jinyi

2016-12-01

This study was performed to identify the factors influencing gender differences in sleep quality between men and women. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a convenience sample of 300 young adults from three Korean universities. Participants were 20-40 years of age, used smartphones, and took no sleep medication. Participants completed questionnaires on sleep quality, exercise, stress, depression, and smart phone addiction. The predictors of sleep quality in men were coffee consumption, napping, depression, failure to engage in light exercise at least three times per week, being overweight, being in the potential smart phone addiction group, and being employed, which explained 30.2% of the variance. The predictors of sleep quality in women were education to college level or higher, smoking, and stress, which explained 30.5% of the variance. To improve sleep quality in this population, future intervention should contain life style modification strategies containing smartphone addiction prevention.

Prevalence and Predictors of Burnout Among Hospice and Palliative Care Clinicians in the U.S.

PubMed

Kamal, Arif H; Bull, Janet H; Wolf, Steven P; Swetz, Keith M; Shanafelt, Tait D; Ast, Katherine; Kavalieratos, Dio; Sinclair, Christian T; Abernethy, Amy P

2016-04-01

Many clinical disciplines report high rates of burnout, which lead to low quality of care. Palliative care clinicians routinely manage patients with significant suffering, aiming to improve quality of life. As a major role of palliative care clinicians involves educating patients and caregivers regarding identifying priorities and balancing stress, we wondered how clinician self-management of burnout matches against the emotionally exhaustive nature of the work. We sought to understand the prevalence and predictors of burnout using a discipline-wide survey. We asked American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine clinician members to complete an electronic survey querying demographic factors, job responsibilities, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. We performed univariate and multivariate regression analyses to identify predictors of high rates of burnout. We received 1357 responses (response rate 30%). Overall, we observed a burnout rate of 62%, with higher rates reported by nonphysician clinicians. Most burnout stemmed from emotional exhaustion, with depersonalization comprising a minor portion. Factors associated with higher rates of burnout include working in smaller organizations, working longer hours, being younger than 50 years, and working weekends. We did not observe different rates between palliative care clinicians and hospice clinicians. Higher rated self-management activities to mitigate burnout include participating in interpersonal relationships and taking vacations. Burnout is a major issue facing the palliative care clinician workforce. Strategies at the discipline-wide and individual levels are needed to sustain the delivery of responsive, available, high-quality palliative care for all patients with serious illness. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and Predictors of Burnout Among Hospice and Palliative Care Clinicians in the U.S

PubMed Central

Kamal, Arif H.; Bull, Janet H.; Wolf, Steven P.; Swetz, Keith M.; Shanafelt, Tait D.; Ast, Katherine; Kavalieratos, Dio; Sinclair, Christian T.; Abernethy, Amy P.

2016-01-01

Context Many clinical disciplines report high rates of burnout, which lead to low quality of care. Palliative care clinicians routinely manage patients with significant suffering, aiming to improve quality of life. As a major role of palliative care clinicians involves educating patients and caregivers regarding identifying priorities and balancing stress, we wondered how clinician self-management of burnout matches against the emotionally exhaustive nature of the work. Objectives We sought to understand the prevalence and predictors of burnout using a discipline-wide survey. Methods We asked American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine clinician members to complete an electronic survey querying demographic factors, job responsibilities, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. We performed univariate and multivariate regression analyses to identify predictors of high rates of burnout. Results We received 1357 responses (response rate 30%). Overall, we observed a burnout rate of 62%, with higher rates reported by nonphysician clinicians. Most burnout stemmed from emotional exhaustion, with depersonalization comprising a minor portion. Factors associated with higher rates of burnout include working in smaller organizations, working longer hours, being younger than 50 years, and working weekends. We did not observe different rates between palliative care clinicians and hospice clinicians. Higher rated self-management activities to mitigate burnout include participating in interpersonal relationships and taking vacations. Conclusions Burnout is a major issue facing the palliative care clinician workforce. Strategies at the discipline-wide and individual levels are needed to sustain the delivery of responsive, available, high-quality palliative care for all patients with serious illness. PMID:26620234

Relationship between menopause status, attitude toward menopause, and quality of life in Chinese midlife women in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Li, Sixuan; Ho, Suzanne C; Sham, Aprille

2016-01-01

This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the relationship between menopause status and attitude toward menopause, and also its relationship with quality of life (QoL) of Chinese midlife women in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Chinese women aged 40 to 59 years were recruited through computer-generated random telephone dialing. Information was obtained through telephone interviews based on a structured questionnaire. Women were classified into 3 groups: premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal. Menopause Belief Scale and Utian Quality of Life Scale (QoL) were used to measure respondents' attitude toward menopause and their QoL. Information on social, health, and lifestyle factors was also collected. The mean age of the participants was 49.4 ± 5.2 years. Respondents generally had a positive attitude toward menopause. Compared with premenopausal women, postmenopausal women were noted to have significantly higher attitude score toward menopause. No significant differences in QoL score were noted among women of the 3 menopause statuses. Stepwise regression analysis showed that women with more positive attitude toward menopause tended to have higher QoL score. Furthermore, better self-reported health status, doing physical activities, higher education level, being married, and non-smoking status were associated with better QoL. Postmenopausal women tended to have more positive attitude toward menopause. Although menopause status did not seem to be associated with QoL, attitude toward menopause, self-reported health status, as well as social and lifestyle factors were associated with QoL in Chinese midlife women.

Factors associated with quality of life in elderly hospitalised patients undergoing post-acute rehabilitation: a cross-sectional analytical study in Switzerland.

PubMed

Bornet, Marc-Antoine; Rubli Truchard, Eve; Rochat, Etienne; Pasquier, Jérôme; Monod, Stéfanie

2017-10-22

We investigated whether biopsychosocial and spiritual factors and satisfaction with care were associated with patients' perceived quality of life. This was a cross-sectional analytical study. Data were collected from inpatients at a postacute geriatric rehabilitation centre in a university hospital in Switzerland. Participants aged 65 years and over were consecutively recruited from October 2014 to January 2016. Exclusion criteria included significant cognitive disorder and terminal illness. Of 227 eligible participants, complete data were collected from 167. Perceived quality of life was measured using WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire-version for older people. Predictive factors were age, sex, functional status at admission, comorbidities, cognitive status, depressive symptoms, living conditions and satisfaction with care. A secondary focus was the association between spiritual needs and quality of life. Patients undergoing geriatric rehabilitation experienced a good quality of life. Greater quality of life was significantly associated with higher functional status (r s =0.204, p=0.011), better cognitive status (r s =0.175, p=0.029) and greater satisfaction with care (r s =0.264, p=0.003). Poorer quality of life was significantly associated with comorbidities (r s =-.226, p=0.033), greater depressive symptoms (r s =-.379, p<0.001) and unmet spiritual needs ( r s =-.211, p=0.049). Multivariate linear regression indicated that depressive symptoms (β=-0.961; 95% CIs -1.449 to 0.472; p<0.001) significantly predicted quality of life. Patient perceptions of quality of life were significantly associated with depression. More research is needed to assess whether considering quality of life could improve care plan creation. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Systematic review of sedentary behaviour and health indicators in school-aged children and youth: an update.

PubMed

Carson, Valerie; Hunter, Stephen; Kuzik, Nicholas; Gray, Casey E; Poitras, Veronica J; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Saunders, Travis J; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Okely, Anthony D; Connor Gorber, Sarah; Kho, Michelle E; Sampson, Margaret; Lee, Helena; Tremblay, Mark S

2016-06-01

This systematic review is an update examining the relationships between objectively and subjectively measured sedentary behaviour and health indicators in children and youth aged 5-17 years. EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Medline were searched in December 2014, and date limits were imposed (≥February 2010). Included studies were peer-reviewed and met the a priori-determined population (apparently healthy children and youth, mean age: 5-17 years), intervention (durations, patterns, and types of sedentary behaviours), comparator (various durations, patterns, and types of sedentary behaviours), and outcome (critical: body composition, metabolic syndrome/cardiovascular disease risk factors, behavioural conduct/pro-social behaviour, academic achievement; important: fitness, self-esteem) study criteria. Quality of evidence by outcome was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework. Due to heterogeneity, a narrative analysis was conducted. A total of 235 studies (194 unique samples) were included representing 1 657 064 unique participants from 71 different countries. Higher durations/frequencies of screen time and television (TV) viewing were associated with unfavourable body composition. Higher duration/frequency of TV viewing was also associated with higher clustered cardiometabolic risk scores. Higher durations of TV viewing and video game use were associated with unfavourable behavioural conduct/pro-social behaviour. Higher durations of reading and doing homework were associated with higher academic achievement. Higher duration of screen time was associated with lower fitness. Higher durations of screen time and computer use were associated with lower self-esteem. Evidence ranged from "very low" to "moderate" quality. Higher quality studies using reliable and valid sedentary behaviour measures should confirm this largely observational evidence.

Effects of secondary prophylaxis started in adolescent and adult haemophiliacs.

PubMed

Tagliaferri, A; Franchini, M; Coppola, A; Rivolta, G F; Santoro, C; Rossetti, G; Feola, G; Zanon, E; Dragani, A; Iannaccaro, P; Radossi, P; Mannucci, P M

2008-09-01

While primary prophylaxis is a well-established and recommended method of care delivery for children with severe haemophilia, fewer studies have documented the benefits of secondary prophylaxis started in adolescence or adulthood. To evaluate the role of secondary prophylaxis started in adolescent and adult severe haemophiliacs, a retrospective observational cohort study was conducted in 10 Italian Centres that investigated 84 haemophiliacs who had bled frequently and had thus switched from on-demand to prophylactic treatment during adolescence (n = 30) or adulthood (n = 54). The consumption of clotting factor concentrates, the orthopaedic and radiological scores, quality of life and disease-related morbidity were compared before and after starting secondary prophylaxis. Prophylaxis reduced the mean annual number of total and joint bleeds (35.8 vs. 4.2 and 32.4 vs. 3.3; P < 0.01) and of days lost from work/school (34.6 vs. 3.0, P < 0.01). A statistically significant reduction in the orthopaedic score was observed during prophylaxis in adolescents, but not in the whole cohort. Patients used more factor concentrates with corresponding higher costs on prophylaxis, but experienced a better quality of life. With respect to on-demand treatment, higher factor consumption and cost of secondary prophylaxis were balanced by marked clinical benefits and greater well-being in this cohort of adolescent/adult haemophiliacs.

The Impact of Working in a Green Certified Building on Cognitive Function and Health.

PubMed

MacNaughton, Piers; Satish, Usha; Laurent, Jose Guillermo Cedeno; Flanigan, Skye; Vallarino, Jose; Coull, Brent; Spengler, John D; Allen, Joseph G

2017-03-01

Thirty years of public health research have demonstrated that improved indoor environmental quality is associated with better health outcomes. Recent research has demonstrated an impact of the indoor environment on cognitive function. We recruited 109 participants from 10 high-performing buildings (i.e. buildings surpassing the ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2010 ventilation requirement and with low total volatile organic compound concentrations) in five U.S. cities. In each city, buildings were matched by week of assessment, tenant, type of worker and work functions. A key distinction between the matched buildings was whether they had achieved green certification. Workers were administered a cognitive function test of higher order decision-making performance twice during the same week while indoor environmental quality parameters were monitored. Workers in green certified buildings scored 26.4% (95% CI: [12.8%, 39.7%]) higher on cognitive function tests, controlling for annual earnings, job category and level of schooling, and had 30% fewer sick building symptoms than those in non-certified buildings. These outcomes may be partially explained by IEQ factors, including thermal conditions and lighting, but the findings suggest that the benefits of green certification standards go beyond measureable IEQ factors. We describe a holistic "buildingomics" approach for examining the complexity of factors in a building that influence human health.

The Impact of Working in a Green Certified Building on Cognitive Function and Health

PubMed Central

MacNaughton, Piers; Satish, Usha; Laurent, Jose Guillermo Cedeno; Flanigan, Skye; Vallarino, Jose; Coull, Brent; Spengler, John D.; Allen, Joseph G.

2017-01-01

Thirty years of public health research have demonstrated that improved indoor environmental quality is associated with better health outcomes. Recent research has demonstrated an impact of the indoor environment on cognitive function. We recruited 109 participants from 10 high-performing buildings (i.e. buildings surpassing the ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2010 ventilation requirement and with low total volatile organic compound concentrations) in five U.S. cities. In each city, buildings were matched by week of assessment, tenant, type of worker and work functions. A key distinction between the matched buildings was whether they had achieved green certification. Workers were administered a cognitive function test of higher order decision-making performance twice during the same week while indoor environmental quality parameters were monitored. Workers in green certified buildings scored 26.4% (95% CI: [12.8%, 39.7%]) higher on cognitive function tests, controlling for annual earnings, job category and level of schooling, and had 30% fewer sick building symptoms than those in non-certified buildings. These outcomes may be partially explained by IEQ factors, including thermal conditions and lighting, but the findings suggest that the benefits of green certification standards go beyond measureable IEQ factors. We describe a holistic “buildingomics” approach for examining the complexity of factors in a building that influence human health. PMID:28785124

The impact of socioeconomic status and multimorbidity on mortality: a population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Lund Jensen, Nikoline; Pedersen, Henrik Søndergaard; Vestergaard, Mogens; Mercer, Stewart W; Glümer, Charlotte; Prior, Anders

2017-01-01

Multimorbidity (MM) is more prevalent among people of lower socioeconomic status (SES), and both MM and SES are associated with higher mortality rates. However, little is known about the relationship between SES, MM, and mortality. This study investigates the association between educational level and mortality, and to what extent MM modifies this association. We followed 239,547 individuals invited to participate in the Danish National Health Survey 2010 (mean follow-up time: 3.8 years). MM was assessed by using information on drug prescriptions and diagnoses for 39 long-term conditions. Data on educational level were provided by Statistics Denmark. Date of death was obtained from the Civil Registration System. Information on lifestyle factors and quality of life was collected from the survey. The main outcomes were overall and premature mortality (death before the age of 75). Of a total of 12,480 deaths, 6,607 (9.5%) were of people with low educational level (LEL) and 1,272 (2.3%) were of people with high educational level (HEL). The mortality rate was higher among people with LEL compared with HEL in groups of people with 0-1 disease (hazard ratio: 2.26, 95% confidence interval: 2.00-2.55) and ≥4 diseases (hazard ratio: 1.14, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.24), respectively (adjusted model). The absolute number of deaths was six times higher among people with LEL than those with HEL in those with ≥4 diseases. The 1-year cumulative mortality proportions for overall death in those with ≥4 diseases was 5.59% for people with HEL versus 7.27% for people with LEL, and 1-year cumulative mortality proportions for premature death was 2.93% for people with HEL versus 4.04% for people with LEL. Adjusting for potential mediating factors such as lifestyle and quality of life eliminated the statistical association between educational level and mortality in people with MM. Our study suggests that LEL is associated with higher overall and premature mortality and that the association is affected by MM, lifestyle factors, and quality of life.

Factors Related to Healthcare Service Quality in Long-term Care Hospitals in South Korea: A Mixed-methods Study

PubMed Central

Sohn, Minsung; Choi, Mankyu

2017-01-01

Objectives The environment of long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) is critical to the management of the quality of their services and to patient safety, as highlighted by international studies. However, there is a lack of evidence on this topic in South Korea. This study aimed to examine the factors affecting healthcare quality in LTCHs and to explore the effectiveness of their quality management. Methods This study used a mixed methods approach with quantitative data collected in a national survey and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with practice-based managers. The samples included 725 nationally representative LTCHs in South Korea for the quantitative analysis and 15 administrators for the in-depth interviews. Results A higher installation rate of patient-safety and hygiene-related facilities and staff with longer-tenures, especially nurses, were more likely to have better healthcare quality and education for both employees and patients. Conclusion The need for patient-safety- and hygiene-related facilities in LTCHs that serve older adults reflects their vulnerability to certain adverse events (e.g., infections). Consistent and skillful nursing care to improve the quality of LTCHs can be achieved by developing relevant educational programs for staff and patients, thereby strengthening the relationships between them. PMID:29164045

Review of frequency of dysmenorrhea and some associated factors and evaluation of the relationship between dysmenorrhea and sleep quality in university students.

PubMed

Sahin, Sevil; Ozdemir, Kevser; Unsal, Alaattin; Arslan, Refika

2014-01-01

To determine the frequency of dysmenorrhea in university students, review some associated factors and evaluate the relationship between dysmenorrhea and sleep quality. The study group included 520 students. Survey forms prepared previously in line with the study objective were completed by the students under supervision. The severity of dysmenorrhea was rated with Visual Analogue Scale. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to evaluate the sleep quality. The χ(2) test, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for the analyses. Statistical significance level was accepted at p < 0.05. Mean age of the students was 20.23 ± 1.59 years (range 17-25). Frequency of dysmenorrhea was determined to be 69.0% (n = 359). Frequency of dysmenorrhea was higher in smokers, those with menstrual irregularity, those who use drugs for menstrual regulation and those having a family history (p < 0.05 for each). The most frequent symptoms in those having dysmenorrhea history were weakness (59.6%), fatigue (58.5%) and breast tenderness (45.4%), respectively. Sleep quality was found to be poorer in the students having a history of dysmenorrhea (p < 0.05). Dysmenorrhea is an important health problem in young women. Dysmenorrhea affects the sleep quality negatively. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Stepparents and parenting stress: the roles of gender, marital quality, and views about gender roles.

PubMed

Shapiro, Danielle

2014-03-01

Previous research suggests that stepparenting can be stressful, although the mechanisms that contribute to the experience of parenting stress in stepfamilies are less clear. This study examines gender, marital quality, and views about gendered family roles as correlates of parenting stress among 310 stepmothers, stepfathers, and biological mothers and fathers. Findings suggest that stepparents, and especially stepmothers, experience higher levels of parenting stress than biological parents. Findings also suggest that less traditional views about gendered family roles and higher dyadic adjustment are associated with lower parenting stress for stepparents, particularly in combination. Stepparents reporting both of these protective factors were indistinguishable in terms of parenting stress from biological parents. These findings indicate potential pathways to mitigate the stress associated with stepparenting. © 2014 FPI, Inc.

Observed and Perceived Disclosure and Empathy Are Associated With Better Relationship Adjustment and Quality of Life in Couples Coping With Vulvodynia.

PubMed

Rosen, Natalie O; Bois, Katy; Mayrand, Marie-Hélène; Vannier, Sarah; Bergeron, Sophie

2016-11-01

Vulvodynia is a common idiopathic vulvovaginal pain condition that adversely affects the quality of life and intimate relationships of afflicted couples. Cross-sectional interpersonal factors, including how couples with vulvodynia communicate with each other, have been linked to women's pain and couples' relationship well-being. The current study investigated the observed and perceived associations between disclosure and empathic response, and couples' relationship adjustment, as well as women's pain during intercourse, and quality of life. Fifty women (M age = 24.50, SD = 4.03) diagnosed with vulvodynia and their partners (M age = 26.10, SD = 5.70) participated in a filmed discussion of the impact of this condition on their lives. Disclosure and empathic response were assessed by a trained observer and self-reported by participants immediately following the discussion. Analyses were based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Greater observed empathic response and perceived disclosure in women were associated with their higher quality of life. When women demonstrated greater empathic response, they and their partners reported higher relationship adjustment. In addition, when partners perceived greater empathic response, women reported higher relationship adjustment. There were no significant associations between disclosure or empathic response and women's pain during intercourse. Disclosure and empathic response may help women sustain the quality of their lives, and couples maintain the quality of their overall relationship while coping with the challenges that vulvodynia poses to their intimate connection. Increasing disclosure and empathic response might be a valuable target for enhancing the efficacy of couple-based interventions for vulvodynia.

Life satisfaction and health-related quality of life in immigrants and native-born Germans: the role of immigration-related factors.

PubMed

Nesterko, Yuriy; Braehler, Elmar; Grande, Gesine; Glaesmer, Heide

2013-06-01

There is a lack of population-based studies on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and satisfaction with life (SWL) of immigrants compared to the native populations. Findings of previous research are inconclusive. Our study compares HRQoL and SWL in immigrants and native-born Germans, investigating immigration-related factors as suspected determinants of HRQoL and SWL in immigrants. In the German Socio-economic panel from 2006, HRQoL (measured with the SF-12v2) and SWL as well as immigration-related factors were assessed in 21,079 subjects (including 2,971 immigrants). Analyses of variance were applied as statistical tests in our study. Native-born Germans report a higher amount of SWL and of HRQoL on the physical health component compared to the immigrants. With effect sizes ranging from E² = 0.001 to 0.111, these findings are of minimal practical relevance. In immigrants, the physical health component of HRQoL is significantly associated with younger age at migration and with country of origin. As the effect sizes are extremely low, these findings have limited practical relevance. There are small differences in SWL and HRQoL of immigrants and native-born Germans. Some immigration-related factors are related to HRQoL, but not to SWL. As immigrants are a quite heterogeneous group, it seems useful to focus on immigration-related factors, not simply comparing immigrants and the native-born. Our findings suggest that research on the association of immigration-related factors with quality of life in immigrants seems a promising approach to better identify subgroups of immigrants with lower levels of quality of life.

Transitions of male partners of women with breast cancer: hope, guilt, and quality of life.

PubMed

Duggleby, Wendy; Thomas, Jasmine; Montford, Kelly; Thomas, Roanne; Nekolaichuk, Cheryl; Ghosh, Sunita; Cumming, Ceiwen; Tonkin, Katia

2015-03-01

To (a) describe the types of transitions experienced by male spousal caregivers of women with breast cancer and the strategies used by male spouses to deal with these transitions and (b) examine factors related to their quality of life, including demographic variables, self-efficacy, caregiver guilt, hope, the quality of life of their partner with breast cancer, and transitions. Cross-sectional, transformational, mixed-methods approach. Participants' homes. 105 dyads of male spouses and their female partners diagnosed with stages I-III breast cancer. 600 surveys were mailed to women with breast cancer and their male partners. Significant variables were entered into a multivariate model. Male caregiver quality of life. The quality of life of male spouse participants was positively influenced by hope (p < 0.01). It was negatively influenced by caregiver guilt scores (p < 0.01) and the method of dealing with their transitions by "doing what needs to be done" (p = 0.04). The male caregivers with higher quality-of-life scores reported higher hope and lower caregiver guilt scores. They reported lower quality-of-life scores if they dealt with transitions by "doing what needs to be done."
 Strategies to support male spouses of women with breast cancer should involve ways to foster hope, reduce feelings of guilt, and encourage male caregivers to engage more in supporting their spouses.

The relationship between shared decision-making and health-related quality of life among patients in Hong Kong SAR, China.

PubMed

Xu, Richard H; Cheung, Annie W L; Wong, Eliza L Y

2017-08-01

To elucidate the association between health-related quality of life and shared decision-making among patients in Hong Kong after adjustment for potential confounding variables. A telephone survey was conducted with patients attending all public specialist outpatient clinics in Hong Kong between July and December 2014. The Specialist Outpatient Patient Experience Questionnaire and EQ-5D questionnaire were used to evaluate shared decision-making and quality of life, respectively. We performed a Tobit regression analysis to examine the associations between shared decision-making and quality of life after adjustment for known social, economic and health-related factors. Twenty-six of the Hospital Authority's specialist outpatient clinics. Patients aged 18 years or older who attended one of the Hospital Authority's specialist outpatient clinics between July and November 2014. Shared decision-making and quality of life score. Overall, 13 966 patients completed the study. The group reporting partial involvement in decision-making had slightly higher EQ-5D scores than the 'not involved' group and the 'fully involved' group. EQ-5D scores were higher among subjects who were younger, male, and had a higher level of education. Respondents living alone and living in institutions scored lower on the EQ-5D than patients living with families. Important differences in the relationship between the attitudes towards shared decision-making and quality of life were identified among patients. These associations should be taken into consideration when promoting patient-centred care and improving health professional-patient communication. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Practice leadership and active support in residential services for people with intellectual disabilities: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Beadle-Brown, J; Mansell, J; Ashman, B; Ockenden, J; Iles, R; Whelton, B

2014-09-01

We hypothesised that a key factor determining the quality of active support was 'practice leadership' - provided by the first-line manager to focus staff attention and develop staff skills in providing direct support to enable people with intellectual disabilities to have a good quality of life. This exploratory study focused on what levels of practice leadership were found and its role in explaining variation in active support. Relevant aspects of management, including practice leadership, were assessed by questionnaires administered to staff in residential settings alongside observational measures of active support and resident engagement in meaningful activity. Relationships between these variables were explored using regression and post hoc group comparisons. There was wide variation, with average levels of practice leadership being low, though improving over the period studied. Practice leadership had a significant impact on active support, but was fully mediated by the effect of quality of management. When the quality of management was higher better practice leadership did produce a significant difference in active support. However, higher quality of management on its own did not produce better active support. A number of limitations are acknowledged and further research is required. Practice leadership appears to be an important factor in enabling staff to provide active support but as part of generally good management. Given the rather low levels found, attention needs to be given to the training, career development and support of practice leaders and also to how to protect their time from their many other responsibilities. © 2013 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of team sports and resistance training on physical function, quality of life, and motivation in older adults.

PubMed

Pedersen, M T; Vorup, J; Nistrup, A; Wikman, J M; Alstrøm, J M; Melcher, P S; Pfister, G U; Bangsbo, J

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of team sports and resistance training on physical function, psychological health, quality of life, and motivation in older untrained adults. Twenty-five untrained men and forty-seven untrained women aged 80 (range: 67-93) years were recruited. Fifty-one were assigned to a training group (TRG) of which twenty-five performed team training (TG) and twenty-six resistance training (RG). The remaining twenty-one were allocated to a control group (CG). TRG trained for 1 hour twice a week for 12 weeks. Compared with CG, TRG improved the number of arm curls within 30 seconds (P<.05) and 30-seconds chair stand (P<.05) during the intervention. In TRG, participation in training led to higher (P<.05) scores in the subscales psychological well-being, general quality of life, and health-related quality of life, as well as decreased anxiety and depression levels. No differences between changes in TG and RG were found over the intervention period, neither in physical function tests nor psychological questionnaires. Both TG and RG were highly motivated for training, but TG expressed a higher degree of enjoyment and intrinsic motivation mainly due to social interaction during the activity, whereas RG was more motivated by extrinsic factors like health and fitness benefits. In conclusion, both team training and resistance training improved physical function, psychological well-being, and quality of life. However, team sport training motivated the participants more by intrinsic factors than resistance training. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Investigating attachment, caregiving, and mental health: a model of maternal-fetal relationships.

PubMed

Walsh, Judi; Hepper, Erica G; Marshall, Benjamin J

2014-11-19

Maternal-fetal relationships have been associated with psychosocial outcomes for women and children, but there has been a lack of conceptual clarity about the nature of the maternal relationship with the unborn child, and inconsistent findings assessing its predictors. We proposed and tested a model whereby maternal-fetal relationship quality was predicted by factors relating to the quality of the couple relationship and psychological health. We hypothesized that the contribution of individual differences in romantic attachment shown in past research would be mediated by romantic caregiving responsiveness, as maternal-fetal relationships reflect the beginnings of the caregiving system. 258 women in pregnancy (13, 23, and 33-weeks gestation) completed online measures of attachment to partner, caregiving responsiveness to partner, mental health, and thoughts about their unborn baby. Structural equation modeling was used to test a model of maternal-fetal relationships. Maternal-fetal relationship quality was higher for women at 23-weeks than 13-weeks gestation. Women in first pregnancies had higher self-reported scores of psychological functioning and quality of maternal-fetal relationships than women in subsequent pregnancies. Structural equation models indicated that the quality of the maternal-fetal relationship was best predicted by romantic caregiving responsiveness to partner and women's own psychological health, and that the association between adult romantic attachment avoidance and maternal-fetal relationships was fully mediated by caregiving responsiveness to partner, even after controlling for other factors. These data support the hypothesis that maternal-fetal relationships better reflect the operation of the caregiving system than the care-seeking (i.e., attachment) system. Models of maternal-fetal relationships and interventions with couples should consider the role of caregiving styles of mothers to partners and the relationship between expectant parents alongside other known predictors, particularly psychological health.

Impacts of education level and employment status on health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients.

PubMed

Šabanagić-Hajrić, Selma; Alajbegović, Azra

2015-02-01

To evaluate the impacts of education level and employment status on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in multiple sclerosis patients. This study included 100 multiple sclerosis patients treated at the Department of Neurology, Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo. Inclusion criteria were the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score between 1.0 and 6.5, age between 18 and 65 years, stable disease on enrollment. Quality of life (QoL) was evaluated by the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 questionnaire (MSQoL-54). Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for comparisons. Linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate prediction value of educational level and employment status in predicting MSQOL-54 physical and mental composite scores. Full employment status had positive impact on physical health (54.85 vs. 37.90; p les than 0.001) and mental health (59.55 vs. 45.90; p les than 0.001) composite scores. Employment status retained its independent predictability for both physical (r(2)=0.105) and mental (r(2)=0.076) composite scores in linear regression analysis. Patients with college degree had slightly higher median value of physical (49.36 vs. 45.30) and mental health composite score (66.74 vs. 55.62) comparing to others, without statistically significant difference. Employment proved to be an important factor in predicting quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients. Higher education level may determine better QOL but without significant predictive value. Sustained employment and development of vocational rehabilitation programs for MS patients living in the country with high unemployment level is an important factor in improving both physical and mental health outcomes in MS patients.

Low Seismic Attenuation in Southern New England Lithosphere Implies Little Heating by the Upwelling Asthenosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamoureux, J. M.; Menke, W. H.

2017-12-01

The Northern Appalachian Anomaly (NAA) is a patch of the asthenosphere in southern New England that is unusually hot given its passive margin setting. Previous research has detected large seismic wave delays that imply a temperature of 770 deg C higher than the mantle below the adjacent craton at the same depth. A key outstanding issue is whether the NAA interacts with the lithosphere above it (e.g. by heating it up). We study this issue using Po and So waves from two magnitude >5.5 earthquakes near the Puerto Rico Trench. These waves, propagating in the cold oceanic lithosphere at near Moho speeds, deliver high frequency energy to the shallow continental lithosphere. We hypothesized that: (1) once within the continental lithosphere, Po and So experience attenuation with distance that can be quantified by a quality factor Q, and that (2) any heating of the lithosphere above the NAA would lead to a higher Q than in regions further north or south along the continental margin. Corresponding Po and So velocities would also be lower. The decay rates of Po and So are estimated using least-squares applied to RMS coda amplitudes measured from digital seismograms from stations in northeastern North America, corrected for instrument response. A roughly log-linear decrease in amplitude is observed, corresponding to P and S wave quality factors in the range of 394-1500 and 727-6847, respectively. Measurements are made for four margin-perpendicular geographical bands, with one band overlapping the NAA. We detect no effect on these amplitudes by the NAA; 95% confidence bounds overlap in every case; Furthermore, all quality factors are much higher than the 100 predicted by lab experiments for near-solidus mantle rocks. These results suggest that the NAA is not causing significant heating of the lithosphere above it. The shear velocities, however, are about 10% slower above the NAA - an effect that may be fossil, reflecting processes that occurred millions of years ago.

Diet and metabolic state are the main factors determining concentrations of perfluoroalkyl substances in female polar bears from Svalbard.

PubMed

Tartu, Sabrina; Bourgeon, Sophie; Aars, Jon; Andersen, Magnus; Lone, Karen; Jenssen, Bjørn Munro; Polder, Anuschka; Thiemann, Gregory W; Torget, Vidar; Welker, Jeffrey M; Routti, Heli

2017-10-01

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been detected in organisms worldwide, including Polar Regions. The polar bear (Ursus maritimus), the top predator of Arctic marine ecosystems, accumulates high concentrations of PFASs, which may be harmful to their health. The aim of this study was to investigate which factors (habitat quality, season, year, diet, metabolic state [i.e. feeding/fasting], breeding status and age) predict PFAS concentrations in female polar bears captured on Svalbard (Norway). We analysed two perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs: PFHxS and PFOS) and C 8 -C 13 perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) in 112 plasma samples obtained in April and September 2012-2013. Nitrogen and carbon stable isotope ratios (δ 15 N, δ 13 C) in red blood cells and plasma, and fatty acid profiles in adipose tissue were used as proxies for diet. We determined habitat quality based on movement patterns, capture position and resource selection functions, which are models that predict the probability of use of a resource unit. Plasma urea to creatinine ratios were used as proxies for metabolic state (i.e. feeding or fasting state). Results were obtained from a conditional model averaging of 42 general linear mixed models. Diet was the most important predictor of PFAS concentrations. PFAS concentrations were positively related to trophic level and marine diet input. High PFAS concentrations in females feeding on the eastern part of Svalbard, where the habitat quality was higher than on the western coast, were likely related to diet and possibly to abiotic factors. Concentrations of PFSAs and C 8 -C 10 PFCAs were higher in fasting than in feeding polar bears and PFOS was higher in females with cubs of the year than in solitary females. Our findings suggest that female polar bears that are exposed to the highest levels of PFAS are those 1) feeding on high trophic level sea ice-associated prey, 2) fasting and 3) with small cubs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Associations between depressive symptomatology, diet, and BMI among participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

PubMed Central

Flórez, Karen R.; Dubowitz, Tamara; Ghosh-Dastidar, Madhumita (Bonnie); Beckman, Robin; Collins, Rebecca

2015-01-01

Background Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been shown to increase food security, or access to adequate food; however, SNAP participation has also been associated with obesity among certain demographic groups (e.g., women, but not men and children), possibly due to poorer dietary quality. Depressive symptomatology is an understudied factor, which is associated with obesity across the lifespan. Objective This study examined the relationship between depressive symptomatology, dietary quality, and body weight among a sample of SNAP participants (N= 639). Design The analysis was cross-sectional; survey data was collected in May–December 2011 by trained data collectors. Participants/setting Adults who self-identified as the primary food shopper of the household in two predominantly low-income African-American neighborhoods characterized as “food deserts” in Pittsburgh, PA were recruited to participate in this study. Measures Dietary quality was calculated using the US Department of Agriculture Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2005. Body Mass Index (BMI) was based on objective measurements taken by the interviewer and derived from the standard formula of weight (kg) divided by height squared (m2). Current depressive symptomatology was assessed by a trained interviewer using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Statistical analyses performed Descriptive statistics (means and percentages); two multivariate OLS regression analyses predicting BMI and dietary quality from depressive symptomatology while controlling for sociodemograhic factors and food insecurity were performed. Results Depression was a strong and statistically significant predictor of both dietary quality and BMI: higher score in depressive symptomatology was associated with lower scores in dietary quality (β=−1.26, p<0.0001). A higher score in depressive symptomatology was associated with higher BMI (β=.63, p=0.0031). Conclusions These findings show that depressive symptomatology is significantly associated with weight-related outcomes and suggests that understanding the risk of depression among SNAP participants could be important to understanding the relationship among SNAP participation, diet, and weight. The association between depressive symptomology, elevated BMI and lower dietary quality among low-income, primarily African American residents living in a food desert suggests the potential for mental health interventions to have broader benefits in this population. However, the directionality of this association is unclear and improving diet and reducing weight may also improve mental health symptoms. Further longitudinal studies should assess these possibilities. PMID:25769748

Associations between depressive symptomatology, diet, and body mass index among participants in the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

PubMed

Flórez, Karen R; Dubowitz, Tamara; Ghosh-Dastidar, Madhumita Bonnie; Beckman, Robin; Collins, Rebecca L

2015-07-01

Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been shown to increase food security, or access to adequate food; however, SNAP participation has also been associated with obesity among certain demographic groups (eg, women, but not men and children), possibly due to poorer dietary quality. Depressive symptomatology is an understudied factor, which is associated with obesity across the lifespan. This study examined the relationship between depressive symptomatology, dietary quality, and body weight among a sample of SNAP participants (n=639). The analysis was cross-sectional; survey data were collected in May to December 2011 by trained data collectors. Adults who self-identified as the primary food shopper of the household in two predominantly low-income African-American neighborhoods characterized as "food deserts" in Pittsburgh, PA, were recruited to participate in this study. Dietary quality was calculated using the US Department of Agriculture's Healthy Eating Index-2005. Body mass index (BMI; calculated as kg/m(2)) was based on objective measurements taken by the interviewer. Current depressive symptomatology was assessed by a trained interviewer using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Descriptive statistics (means and percentages); two multivariate ordinary least-square regression analyses predicting BMI and dietary quality from depressive symptomatology while controlling for sociodemographic factors and food insecurity were performed. Depression was a strong and statistically significant predictor of both dietary quality and BMI; higher score in depressive symptomatology was associated with lower scores in dietary quality (β=-1.26; P<0.0001). A higher score in depressive symptomatology was associated with higher BMI (β=.63; P=0.0031). These findings show that depressive symptomatology is significantly associated with weight-related outcomes and suggests that understanding the risk of depression among SNAP participants could be important to understanding the relationships among SNAP participation, diet, and weight. The association between depressive symptomology, elevated BMI, and lower dietary quality among low-income, primarily African-American residents living in a food desert suggests the potential for mental health interventions to have broader benefits in this population. However, the directionality of this association is unclear and improving diet and reducing weight might also improve mental health symptoms. Additional longitudinal studies should assess these possibilities. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of high temperatures and drought during anthesis and grain filling period on wheat processing quality and underlying gluten structural changes.

PubMed

Mastilović, Jasna; Živančev, Dragan; Lončar, Eva; Malbaša, Radomir; Hristov, Nikola; Kevrešan, Žarko

2018-06-01

Climate changes do not only affect wheat yield, but also its quality. Information on this topic gathered so far is somewhat contradictory and insufficient. Climate changes also affect wheat indirectly through their influence on the ecosystem, including insects and fungi that affect wheat technological quality. The aim of this study was to examine trends in structural and technological changes of wheat quality under conditions typical of climate changes. With this in mind, three groups of wheat varieties with the same Glu-score were examined in three production years, characterized by different production conditions. A production season characterized by climate change conditions results in lower activity of amylolytic enzymes. What is more, it results in lower content of gluten, higher gluten index value, its decrease after 1 h to 37 °C, lower number of free SH groups and higher content of free amino groups, which result in lower alveograph W, lower farinograph WA and higher extensograph dough resistance. Variability in wheat quality produced under different climatic conditions is mainly influenced by the production conditions, including their influence on ecosystem factors. The influence of wheat cultivar genetic predisposition is much less expressed. This indicates that differences among cultivars with different Glu-score might be diminished under the influence of altered production conditions, as a consequence of climate change. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of water quality on the bacterial populations and off-flavours in recirculating aquaculture systems.

PubMed

Auffret, Marc; Yergeau, Étienne; Pilote, Alexandre; Proulx, Émilie; Proulx, Daniel; Greer, Charles W; Vandenberg, Grant; Villemur, Richard

2013-05-01

A variety of factors affecting water quality in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are associated with the occurrence of off-flavours. In this study, we report the impact of water quality on the bacterial diversity and the occurrence of the geosmin-synthesis gene (geoA) in two RAS units operated for 252 days. Unit 2 displayed a higher level of turbidity and phosphate, which affected the fresh water quality compared with unit 1. In the biofilter, nitrification is one of the major processes by which high water quality is maintained. The bacterial population observed in the unit 1 biofilter was more stable throughout the experiment, with a higher level of nitrifying bacteria compared with the unit 2 biofilter. Geosmin appeared in fish flesh after 84 days in unit 2, whereas it appeared in unit 1 after 168 days, but at a much lower level. The geoA gene was detected in both units, 28 days prior to the detection of geosmin in fish flesh. In addition, we detected sequences associated with Sorangium and Nannocystis (Myxococcales): members of these genera are known to produce geosmin. These sequences were observed at an earlier time in unit 2 and at a higher level than in unit 1. This study confirms the advantages of new molecular methods to understand the occurrence of geosmin production in RAS. © 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.