The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 ifsar data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 ifsar data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

3D Elevation Program: summary for Vermont

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2015-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 ifsar data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation's natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation's natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 ifsar data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Kentucky

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 ifsar data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 ifsar data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 ifsar data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios.The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2013-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 ifsar data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios.The new 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the OMB Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

3D Elevation Program: summary for Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2015-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Alabama

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2013-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 ifsar data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The new 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

Improvement, Verification, and Refinement of Spatially Explicit Exposure Models in Risk Assessment - SEEM Demonstration

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

hazard quotient HSI Habitat Suitability Index LOAEL lowest observed adverse effect level mg/kg milligrams per kilogram NOAEL no observed adverse... effect level NPL National Priorities List PRR Patuxent Research Refuge QA quality assurance QC quality control ACRONYMS AND...mean and maximum) for each individual for the exposure period; EHQs are then compiled to arrive at a modeled population— effects curve. Figure 1

Water Quality and Hydrology of Whitefish (Bardon) Lake, Douglas County, Wisconsin, With Special Emphasis on Responses of an Oligotrophic Seepage Lake to Changes in Phosphorus Loading and Water Level

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, Dale M.; Rose, William J.; Juckem, Paul F.

2009-01-01

Whitefish Lake, which is officially named Bardon Lake, is an oligotrophic, soft-water seepage lake in northwestern Wisconsin, and classified by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as an Outstanding Resource Water. Ongoing monitoring of the lake demonstrated that its water quality began to degrade (increased phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations) around 2002 following a period of high water level. To provide a better understanding of what caused the degradation in water quality, and provide information to better understand the lake and protect it from future degradation, the U.S. Geological Survey did a detailed study from 2004 to 2008. The goals of the study were to describe the past and present water quality of the lake, quantify water and phosphorus budgets for the lake, simulate the potential effects of changes in phosphorus inputs on the lake's water quality, analyze changes in the water level in the lake since 1900, and relate the importance of changes in climate and changes in anthropogenic (human-induced) factors in the watershed to the water quality of the lake. Since 1998, total phosphorus concentrations increased from near the 0.005-milligrams per liter (mg/L) detection limit to about 0.010 mg/L in 2006, and then decreased slightly in 2007-08. During this time, chlorophyll a concentrations and Secchi depths remained relatively stable at about 1.5 micrograms per liter (ug/L) and 26 feet, respectively. Whitefish Lake is typically classified as oligotrophic. Because the productivity in Whitefish Lake is limited by phosphorus, phosphorus budgets were constructed for the lake. Because it was believed that much of its phosphorus comes from the atmosphere, phosphorus deposition was measured in this study. Phosphorus input from the atmosphere was greater than computed based on previously reported wetfall phosphorus concentrations. The concentrations and deposition rates can be used to estimate atmospheric loading in future lake studies. The average annual load of phosphorus to the lake was 232 pounds: 56 percent from precipitation, 27 percent from groundwater, and 16 percent from septic systems. During a series of dry years (low water levels) and wet years (high water levels), the inputs of water and phosphorus ranged by only 10-13 percent. Results from the Canfield and Bachmann eutrophication model and Carlson trophic-state-index equations demonstrated that the lake directly responds to changes in external phosphorus loading, with percent change in chlorophyll a being similar to the percent change in loading and the change in total phosphorus and Secchi depth being slightly smaller. Therefore, changes in phosphorus loading should affect the water quality of the lake. Specific scenarios that simulated the effects of anthropogenic (human-induced) and climatic (water level) changes demonstrated that: surface-water inflow (runoff) based on current development has little effect on pelagic water quality, changes in the inputs from septic systems and development in the watershed could have a large effect on water quality, and decreases in water and phosphorus loading during periods of low water level had little effect on water quality. Sustained high water levels, resulting from several wet years with relatively high water and phosphorus input, however, could cause a small degradation in water quality. Although high water levels may be associated with a degradation in water quality, it appears that anthropogenic changes in the watershed may be more important in affecting the future water quality of the lake. Fluctuations in water levels since 1998 are representative of what has occurred since 1900, with fluctuations of about 3 feet occurring about every 15 years. Based on total phosphorus concentrations inferred from sediment core analysis, there has been little long-term change in water quality and there has been a slight deterioration in water quality following most periods of high water levels. There

The influence of boron doping level on quality and stability of diamond film on Ti substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, J. J.; Li, Ch. M.; Gao, X. H.; Hei, L. F.; Lvun, F. X.

2012-07-01

In this study, we investigate the influence of boron doping level on film quality and stability of boron doped diamond (BDD) film deposited on titanium substrate (Ti/BDD) using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition system. The results demonstrate that high boron concentration will improve the film conductivity, whereas the diamond film quality and adhesion are deteriorated obviously. The increase of total internal stress in the film and the variation of components within the interlayer will weaken the coating adhesion. According to the analysis of electrode inactivation mechanism, high boron doping level will be harmful to the electrode stability in the view of diamond quality and adhesion deterioration. In this study, 5000 ppm B/C ratio in the reaction gas is optimized for Ti/BDD electrode preparation.

County-level cumulative environmental quality associated with cancer incidence.

PubMed

Jagai, Jyotsna S; Messer, Lynne C; Rappazzo, Kristen M; Gray, Christine L; Grabich, Shannon C; Lobdell, Danelle T

2017-08-01

Individual environmental exposures are associated with cancer development; however, environmental exposures occur simultaneously. The Environmental Quality Index (EQI) is a county-level measure of cumulative environmental exposures that occur in 5 domains. The EQI was linked to county-level annual age-adjusted cancer incidence rates from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program state cancer profiles. All-site cancer and the top 3 site-specific cancers for male and female subjects were considered. Incident rate differences (IRDs; annual rate difference per 100,000 persons) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using fixed-slope, random intercept multilevel linear regression models. Associations were assessed with domain-specific indices and analyses were stratified by rural/urban status. Comparing the highest quintile/poorest environmental quality with the lowest quintile/best environmental quality for overall EQI, all-site county-level cancer incidence rate was positively associated with poor environmental quality overall (IRD, 38.55; 95% CI, 29.57-47.53) and for male (IRD, 32.60; 95% CI, 16.28-48.91) and female (IRD, 30.34; 95% CI, 20.47-40.21) subjects, indicating a potential increase in cancer incidence with decreasing environmental quality. Rural/urban stratified models demonstrated positive associations comparing the highest with the lowest quintiles for all strata, except the thinly populated/rural stratum and in the metropolitan/urbanized stratum. Prostate and breast cancer demonstrated the strongest positive associations with poor environmental quality. We observed strong positive associations between the EQI and all-site cancer incidence rates, and associations differed by rural/urban status and environmental domain. Research focusing on single environmental exposures in cancer development may not address the broader environmental context in which cancers develop, and future research should address cumulative environmental exposures. Cancer 2017;123:2901-8. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Quality of life and uncertainty in Crohn's disease.

PubMed

Niv, Galia; Bar Josef, Simona; Ben Bassat, Ofer; Avni, Irit; Lictenstein, Lev; Niv, Yaron; Barnoy, Sivia

2017-06-01

Crohn's disease impairs patients' perception of health and has a negative impact on health-related quality of life. Although it is apparent that uncertainty is a significant factor that decreases quality of life, it has never been studied in patients with Crohn's disease. The objective of the present study was to examine the association between level of certainty, self-epistemic authority, Internet information gathering habits, and health-related quality of life. A cross-sectional study of 105 Crohn's disease patients was conducted. Data were collected using a questionnaire composed of five parts: (1) demographic and clinical information; (2) health-related quality of life; (3) level of certainty; (4) self-epistemic authority; and (5) Internet information gathering habits regarding Crohn's disease. A significant positive correlation was demonstrated between levels of certainty and health-related quality of life. Self-epistemic authority correlated positively with certainty, while information gathering via the Internet was related to decreased certainty. Multiple regression analysis for factors associated with health-related quality of life showed a positive association with the level of certainty, while negative associations were found between Internet information seeking and disease activity with the quality of life. Level of certainty proved an important variable associated with health-related quality of life in Crohn's disease patients. Improving patients' self-epistemic authority can increase certainty and, thus, improve health-related quality of life.

34 CFR 648.31 - What selection criteria does the Secretary use?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... capacity for teaching and research at the institution and at State, regional, or national levels; (3) The... faculty, including education, research interest, publications, teaching ability, and accessibility to... appropriate to demonstrate the quality of its academic program. (d) Quality of the supervised teaching...

34 CFR 648.31 - What selection criteria does the Secretary use?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... capacity for teaching and research at the institution and at State, regional, or national levels; (3) The... faculty, including education, research interest, publications, teaching ability, and accessibility to... appropriate to demonstrate the quality of its academic program. (d) Quality of the supervised teaching...

34 CFR 648.31 - What selection criteria does the Secretary use?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... capacity for teaching and research at the institution and at State, regional, or national levels; (3) The... faculty, including education, research interest, publications, teaching ability, and accessibility to... appropriate to demonstrate the quality of its academic program. (d) Quality of the supervised teaching...

34 CFR 648.31 - What selection criteria does the Secretary use?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... capacity for teaching and research at the institution and at State, regional, or national levels; (3) The... faculty, including education, research interest, publications, teaching ability, and accessibility to... appropriate to demonstrate the quality of its academic program. (d) Quality of the supervised teaching...

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Connecticut

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2015-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Mississippi

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios.The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios.The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2015-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment (NEEA; Dewberry, 2011) evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2015-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2013-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2015-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Delaware

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2015-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2015-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William

2015-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment (NEEA; Dewberry, 2011) evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the use community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment (NEEA; Dewberry, 2011) evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 ifsar data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios.The new 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: Summary for New Jersey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2013-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 (table 1) for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 ifsar data (table 1) for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios.The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2015-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios.The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for New Hampshire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2015-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2015-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios.The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

Criteria for Side-Force Control in Air-to-Ground Target Acquisition and Tracking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sammonds, Robert I.; McNeill, Walter E.; Bunnell, John W.

1982-01-01

A moving-base simulator experiment conducted at Ames Research Center demonstrated that a wings-level-turn control mode improved flying qualities for air-to-ground weapons delivery compared with those of a conventional aircraft. Evaluations of criteria for dynamic response for this system have shown that pilot ratings correlate well with equivalent time constant of the initial response and with system bandwidth. Ranges of this time constant, as well as digital-system transport delays and lateral-acceleration control authorities that encompassed level 1 through level 3 handling qualities, were determined.

Evaluating bone quality in patients with chronic kidney disease

PubMed Central

Malluche, Hartmut H.; Porter, Daniel S.; Pienkowski, David

2013-01-01

Bone of normal quality and quantity can successfully endure physiologically imposed mechanical loads. Chronic kidney disease–mineral and bone disorder (CKD–MBD) adversely affects bone quality through alterations in bone turnover and mineralization, whereas bone quantity is affected through changes in bone volume. Changes in bone quality can be associated with altered bone material, structure, or microdamage, which can result in an elevated rate of fracture in patients with CKD–MBD. Fractures cannot always be explained by reduced bone quantity and, therefore, bone quality should be assessed with a variety of techniques from the macro-organ level to the nanoscale level. In this Review, we demonstrate the importance of evaluating bone from multiple perspectives and hierarchical levels to understand CKD–MBD-related abnormalities in bone quality. Understanding the relationships between variations in material, structure, microdamage, and mechanical properties of bone in patients with CKD–MBD should aid in the development of new modalities to prevent, or treat, these abnormalities. PMID:24100399

A spectrally tunable all-graphene-based flexible field-effect light-emitting device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaomu; Tian, He; Mohammad, Mohammad Ali; Li, Cheng; Wu, Can; Yang, Yi; Ren, Tian-Ling

2015-07-01

The continuous tuning of the emission spectrum of a single light-emitting diode (LED) by an external electrical bias is of great technological significance as a crucial property in high-quality displays, yet this capability has not been demonstrated in existing LEDs. Graphene, a tunable optical platform, is a promising medium to achieve this goal. Here we demonstrate a bright spectrally tunable electroluminescence from blue (~450 nm) to red (~750 nm) at the graphene oxide/reduced-graphene oxide interface. We explain the electroluminescence results from the recombination of Poole-Frenkel emission ionized electrons at the localized energy levels arising from semi-reduced graphene oxide, and holes from the top of the π band. Tuning of the emission wavelength is achieved by gate modulation of the participating localized energy levels. Our demonstration of current-driven tunable LEDs not only represents a method for emission wavelength tuning but also may find applications in high-quality displays.

Environmental education curriculum evaluation questionnaire: A reliability and validity study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minner, Daphne Diane

The intention of this research project was to bridge the gap between social science research and application to the environmental domain through the development of a theoretically derived instrument designed to give educators a template by which to evaluate environmental education curricula. The theoretical base for instrument development was provided by several developmental theories such as Piaget's theory of cognitive development, Developmental Systems Theory, Life-span Perspective, as well as curriculum research within the area of environmental education. This theoretical base fueled the generation of a list of components which were then translated into a questionnaire with specific questions relevant to the environmental education domain. The specific research question for this project is: Can a valid assessment instrument based largely on human development and education theory be developed that reliably discriminates high, moderate, and low quality in environmental education curricula? The types of analyses conducted to answer this question were interrater reliability (percent agreement, Cohen's Kappa coefficient, Pearson's Product-Moment correlation coefficient), test-retest reliability (percent agreement, correlation), and criterion-related validity (correlation). Face validity and content validity were also assessed through thorough reviews. Overall results indicate that 29% of the questions on the questionnaire demonstrated a high level of interrater reliability and 43% of the questions demonstrated a moderate level of interrater reliability. Seventy-one percent of the questions demonstrated a high test-retest reliability and 5% a moderate level. Fifty-five percent of the questions on the questionnaire were reliable (high or moderate) both across time and raters. Only eight questions (8%) did not show either interrater or test-retest reliability. The global overall rating of high, medium, or low quality was reliable across both coders and time, indicating that the questionnaire can discriminate differences in quality of environmental education curricula. Of the 35 curricula evaluated, 6 were high quality, 14 were medium quality and 15 were low quality. The criterion-related validity of the instrument is at current time unable to be established due to the lack of comparable measures or a concretely usable set of multidisciplinary standards. Face and content validity were sufficiently demonstrated.

University Students' Giftedness Diagnosis and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narikbaeva, Lora M.

2016-01-01

This article deals with the problem of students' giftedness development. Students' test results (n = 851) for "IQ level" and "creativity level" indicators demonstrated the need to improve the quality of work in reference to students' professional giftedness development at the university. Designed complex of pedagogical…

The Effect of Reflexology on the Pain-Insomnia-Fatigue Disturbance Cluster of Breast Cancer Patients During Adjuvant Radiation Therapy.

PubMed

Tarrasch, Ricardo; Carmel-Neiderman, Narin N; Ben-Ami, Sarah; Kaufman, Bella; Pfeffer, Raphi; Ben-David, Merav; Gamus, Dorit

2018-01-01

To evaluate the effects of reflexology treatment on quality of life, sleep disturbances, and fatigue in breast cancer patients during radiation therapy. A total of 72 women with breast cancer (stages 1-3) scheduled for radiation therapy were recruited. Women were allocated upon their preference either to the group receiving reflexology treatments once a week concurrently with radiotherapy and continued for 10 weeks or to the control group (usual care). The Lee Fatigue Scale, General Sleep Disturbance Scale, and Multidimensional Quality of Life Scale Cancer were completed by each patient in both arms at the beginning of the radiation treatment, after 5 weeks, and after 10 weeks of reflexology treatment. The final analysis included 58 women. The reflexology treated group demonstrated statistically significant lower levels of fatigue after 5 weeks of radiation therapy (p < 0.001), compared to the control group. It was also detected that although the quality of life in the control group deteriorated after 5 and 10 weeks of radiation therapy (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively), it was preserved in the reflexology group, which also demonstrated a significant improvement in the quality of sleep after 10 weeks of radiation treatment (p < 0.05). Similar patterns were obtained in the assessment of the pain levels experienced by the patients. The results of the present study indicate that reflexology may have a positive effect on fatigue, quality of sleep, pain, and quality of life in breast cancer patients during radiation therapy. Reflexology prevented the decline in quality of life and significantly ameliorated the fatigue and quality of sleep of these patients. An encouraging trend was also noted in amelioration of pain levels.

Elevating Teacher Quality: Teacher Tenure Reform Applying Lessons from Other Fields

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Kevin M.

2016-01-01

The increased pressure of changing how teacher evaluations are conducted and increasing the level of teacher quality are pushing schools to reform. Due to changes in state mandates and federal laws, schools are required to demonstrate teacher effectiveness and student growth in teacher evaluations to assure students are receiving top quality…

Dynamic Evaluation of CMAQ Part II: Evaluation of relative response factor metrics for ozone attainment demonstrations

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides guidelines on the use of air quality models for projecting whether an emission reduction strategy will lead to future pollutant levels that are at or below the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The EPA's guidance doc...

Eye Movements Reveal Readers' Lexical Quality and Reading Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Jessica Nelson; Perfetti, Charles A.

2016-01-01

Two experiments demonstrate that individual differences among normal adult readers, including lexical quality, are expressed in silent reading at the word level. In the first of two studies we identified major dimensions of variability among college readers and among words using factor analysis. We then examined the effects of these dimensions of…

Viewing experience and naturalness of 3D images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seuntiëns, Pieter J.; Heynderickx, Ingrid E.; IJsselsteijn, Wijnand A.; van den Avoort, Paul M. J.; Berentsen, Jelle; Dalm, Iwan J.; Lambooij, Marc T.; Oosting, Willem

2005-11-01

The term 'image quality' is often used to measure the performance of an imaging system. Recent research showed however that image quality may not be the most appropriate term to capture the evaluative processes associated with experiencing 3D images. The added value of depth in 3D images is clearly recognized when viewers judge image quality of unimpaired 3D images against their 2D counterparts. However, when viewers are asked to rate image quality of impaired 2D and 3D images, the image quality results for both 2D and 3D images are mainly determined by the introduced artefacts, and the addition of depth in the 3D images is hardly accounted for. In this experiment we applied and tested the more general evaluative concepts of 'naturalness' and 'viewing experience'. It was hypothesized that these concepts would better reflect the added value of depth in 3D images. Four scenes were used varying in dimension (2D and 3D) and noise level (6 levels of white gaussian noise). Results showed that both viewing experience and naturalness were rated higher in 3D than in 2D when the same noise level was applied. Thus, the added value of depth is clearly demonstrated when the concepts of viewing experience and naturalness are being evaluated. The added value of 3D over 2D, expressed in noise level, was 2 dB for viewing experience and 4 dB for naturalness, indicating that naturalness appears the more sensitive evaluative concept for demonstrating the psychological impact of 3D displays.

Evaluation of High-Angle-of-Attack Handling Qualities for the X-31A Using Standard Evaluation Maneuvers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoliker, Patrick C.; Bosworth, John T.

1996-01-01

The X-31A aircraft gross-acquisition and fine-tracking handling qualities have been evaluated using standard evaluation maneuvers developed by Wright Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The emphasis of the testing is in the angle-of-attack range between 30 deg and 70 deg. Longitudinal gross-acquisition handling qualities results show borderline Level 1/Level 2 performance. Lateral gross-acquisition testing results in Level 1/Level 2 ratings below 45 deg angle of attack, degrading into Level 3 as angle of attack increases. The fine-tracking performance in both longitudinal and lateral axes also receives Level 1 ratings near 30 deg angle of attack, with the ratings tending towards Level 3 at angles of attack greater than 50 deg. These ratings do not match the expectations from the extensive close-in combat testing where the X-31A aircraft demonstrated fair to good handling qualities maneuvering for high angles of attack. This paper presents the results of the high-angle-of-attack handling qualities flight testing of the X-31A aircraft. Discussion of the preparation for the maneuvers, the pilot ratings, and selected pilot comments are included. Evaluation of the results is made in conjunction with existing Neal-Smith, bandwidth, Smith-Geddes, and military specifications.

Evaluation of High-Angle-of-Attack Handling Qualities for the X-31A Using Standard Evaluation Maneuvers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoliker, Patrick C.; Bosworth, John T.

1997-01-01

The X-31A aircraft gross-acquisition and fine-tracking handling qualities have been evaluated using standard evaluation maneuvers developed by Wright Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The emphasis of the testing is in the angle-of-attack range between 30 deg. and 70 deg. Longitudinal gross-acquisition handling qualities results show borderline Level l/Level 2 performance. Lateral gross-acquisition testing results in Level l/Level 2 ratings below 45 deg. angle of attack, degrading into Level 3 as angle of attack increases. The fine tracking performance in both longitudinal and lateral axes also receives Level 1 ratings near 30 deg. angle of attack, with the ratings tending towards Level 3 at angles of attack greater than 50 deg. These ratings do not match the expectations from the extensive close-in combat testing where the X-31A aircraft demonstrated fair to good handling qualities maneuvering for high angles of attack. This paper presents the results of the high-angle-of-attack handling qualities flight testing of the X-31A aircraft. Discussion of the preparation for the maneuvers, the pilot ratings, and selected pilot comments are included. Evaluation of the results is made in conjunction with existing Neal Smith, bandwidth, Smith-Geddes, and military specifications.

Maximizing sinter plant operating flexibility through emissions trading and air modeling

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

Schewe, G.J.; Wagner, J.A.; Heron, T.

1998-12-31

This paper provides details on the dispersion modeling analysis performed to demonstrate air quality impacts associated with an emission trading scheme for a sintering operation in Youngstown, Ohio. The emission trade was proposed to allow the sinter plant to expand its current allowable sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions while being offset with SO{sub 2} emissions from boilers at a nearby shutdown steel mill. While the emission trade itself was feasible and the emissions required for the offset were available (the boiler shutdown and their subsequent SO{sub 2} emission credits were never claimed, banked, or used elsewhere), the second criteria for determiningmore » compliance was a demonstration of minimal air quality impact. The air analysis combined the increased ambient SO{sub 2} concentrations of the relaxed sinter plant emissions with the offsetting air quality of the shutdown boilers to yield the net air quality impacts. To test this net air impact, dispersion modeling was performed treating the sinter plant SO{sub 2} emissions as positive and the shutdown boiler SO{sub 2} emissions as negative. The results of the modeling indicated that the ambient air concentrations due to the proposed emissions increase will be offset by the nearby boiler emissions to levels acceptable under EPA`s offset policy Level 2 significant impact concentrations. Therefore, the dispersion modeling demonstrated that the emission trading scheme would not result in significant air quality impacts and maximum operating flexibility was provided to the sintering facility.« less

Component-Level Tuning of Kinematic Features from Composite Therapist Impressions of Movement Quality

PubMed Central

Venkataraman, Vinay; Turaga, Pavan; Baran, Michael; Lehrer, Nicole; Du, Tingfang; Cheng, Long; Rikakis, Thanassis; Wolf, Steven L.

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose a general framework for tuning component-level kinematic features using therapists’ overall impressions of movement quality, in the context of a Home-based Adaptive Mixed Reality Rehabilitation (HAMRR) system. We propose a linear combination of non-linear kinematic features to model wrist movement, and propose an approach to learn feature thresholds and weights using high-level labels of overall movement quality provided by a therapist. The kinematic features are chosen such that they correlate with the quality of wrist movements to clinical assessment scores. Further, the proposed features are designed to be reliably extracted from an inexpensive and portable motion capture system using a single reflective marker on the wrist. Using a dataset collected from ten stroke survivors, we demonstrate that the framework can be reliably used for movement quality assessment in HAMRR systems. The system is currently being deployed for large-scale evaluations, and will represent an increasingly important application area of motion capture and activity analysis. PMID:25438331

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2014-01-01

The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation's natural and constructed features. The Michigan Statewide Authoritative Imagery and Lidar (MiSAIL) program provides statewide lidar coordination with local, State, and national groups in support of 3DEP for Michigan.

Evaluation of the visual performance of image processing pipes: information value of subjective image attributes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyman, G.; Häkkinen, J.; Koivisto, E.-M.; Leisti, T.; Lindroos, P.; Orenius, O.; Virtanen, T.; Vuori, T.

2010-01-01

Subjective image quality data for 9 image processing pipes and 8 image contents (taken with mobile phone camera, 72 natural scene test images altogether) from 14 test subjects were collected. A triplet comparison setup and a hybrid qualitative/quantitative methodology were applied. MOS data and spontaneous, subjective image quality attributes to each test image were recorded. The use of positive and negative image quality attributes by the experimental subjects suggested a significant difference between the subjective spaces of low and high image quality. The robustness of the attribute data was shown by correlating DMOS data of the test images against their corresponding, average subjective attribute vector length data. The findings demonstrate the information value of spontaneous, subjective image quality attributes in evaluating image quality at variable quality levels. We discuss the implications of these findings for the development of sensitive performance measures and methods in profiling image processing systems and their components, especially at high image quality levels.

The contextualized self: how team-member exchange leads to coworker identification and helping OCB.

PubMed

Farmer, Steven M; Van Dyne, Linn; Kamdar, Dishan

2015-03-01

This article develops the argument that team-member exchange (TMX) relationships operate at both between- and within-group levels of analysis to influence an employee's sense of identification with coworkers in the group and their helping organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) directed at coworkers. Specifically, we propose that relatively higher quality TMX relationships of an employee as compared with other members of the group influence an employee's sense of positive uniqueness, whereas higher average level of TMX quality in the group creates a greater sense of belonging. Multilevel modeling analysis of field data from 236 bank managers and their subordinates supports the hypotheses and demonstrates 3 key findings. First, team members identify more with their coworkers when they have high relative TMX quality compared with other group members and are also embedded in groups with higher average TMX. Second, identification with coworkers is positively related to helping OCB directed toward team members. Finally, identification with coworkers mediates the interactive effect of relative TMX quality and group average TMX quality on helping. When TMX group relations allow individuals to feel a valued part of the group, but still unique, they engage in higher levels of helping. Overall moderated mediation analysis demonstrates that the mediated relationship linking relative TMX quality with helping OCB via identification with coworkers is stronger when group average TMX is high, but not present when group average TMX is low. We discuss theoretical and practical implications and recommend future research on multilevel conceptualizations of TMX. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Efficiency analysis of color image filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fevralev, Dmitriy V.; Ponomarenko, Nikolay N.; Lukin, Vladimir V.; Abramov, Sergey K.; Egiazarian, Karen O.; Astola, Jaakko T.

2011-12-01

This article addresses under which conditions filtering can visibly improve the image quality. The key points are the following. First, we analyze filtering efficiency for 25 test images, from the color image database TID2008. This database allows assessing filter efficiency for images corrupted by different noise types for several levels of noise variance. Second, the limit of filtering efficiency is determined for independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) additive noise and compared to the output mean square error of state-of-the-art filters. Third, component-wise and vector denoising is studied, where the latter approach is demonstrated to be more efficient. Fourth, using of modern visual quality metrics, we determine that for which levels of i.i.d. and spatially correlated noise the noise in original images or residual noise and distortions because of filtering in output images are practically invisible. We also demonstrate that it is possible to roughly estimate whether or not the visual quality can clearly be improved by filtering.

Bringing Deleuze's Philosophy into Discourse on Values Education and Quality Teaching: An Australian Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Semetsky, Inna; Lovat, Terence

2011-01-01

The article examines the Australian national program of values education via the lens of Deleuze's philosophy. It argues that it is teachers with a genuine level of self-knowledge who can create the conditions conducive to best practice in schools. Both theoretically and empirically, quality teaching has demonstrated the power of the affective…

Do Recipients of an Association-Sponsored Quality Award Program Experience Better Quality Outcomes Compared With Other Nursing Facilities Across the United States?

PubMed

Castle, Nicholas; Olson, Doug; Shah, Urvi; Hansen, Kevin

2016-09-01

This study explores the relationship between recipients of an association-sponsored Quality Award Program and select measures of quality in U.S. nursing facilities, examined both cross-sectionally and over time. Data used came from Quality Award Program recipients over 9 years (2003-2011) and a set of quality indicators from the Online Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) database. These data were analyzed using a variety of multivariate regression techniques. Cross-sectionally, the award recipients demonstrated higher performance on most of the quality indicators, compared with both the broader field of nursing facilities and also a more stringent comparison group of facilities. Comparing quality from the 4 years before the award was received to the 4 years after the award, the majority of quality indicators demonstrated improvement in those facilities receiving an award. These results indicate that, in general, the nursing facilities that participate in and receive the Silver or Gold American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) National Quality Award perform at a higher level of quality for residents and sustain that heightened performance over a period of time.

Fitness in paradise: quality of forensic reports submitted to the Hawaii judiciary.

PubMed

Robinson, Richard; Acklin, Marvin W

2010-01-01

This paper examined quality of forensic reports submitted to the Hawaii Judiciary. Hawaii utilizes a three panel system for assessing fitness to proceed, where two psychologists and one psychiatrist submit independent reports to the Court. Utilizing a survey instrument based on previous research and nationally-derived quality standards, 150 competency to stand trial (CST) reports were examined. Reports demonstrated pervasive mediocrity with respect to quality (Mean QC=68.95, SD=15.21). One quarter (N=38) of the reports scored at or above 80% of the maximum possible score. Levels of CST agreement between evaluators and evaluators and judges were high. Report quality did not differ as a function of evaluator professional identity. Full-time employed evaluators submitted a greater number of reports above the quality criterion. For those evaluators who attended the March training, reports demonstrated significantly improved quality. Suggestions for enhancing report quality are offered with a special attention to inclusion of report elements, focus on inclusion of historical elements, and clearly described rationales supporting forensic opinions. (7664 words. Competency to stand trial, inter-rater agreement).

The use of six sigma in health care management: are we using it to its full potential?

PubMed

DelliFraine, Jami L; Wang, Zheng; McCaughey, Deirdre; Langabeer, James R; Erwin, Cathleen O

2014-01-01

Popular quality improvement tools such as Six Sigma (SS) claim to provide health care managers the opportunity to improve health care quality on the basis of sound methodology and data. However, it is unclear whether this quality improvement tool is being used correctly and improves health care quality. The authors conducted a comprehensive literature review to assess the correct use and implementation of SS and the empirical evidence demonstrating the relationship between SS and improved quality of care in health care organizations. The authors identified 310 articles on SS published in the last 15 years. However, only 55 were empirical peer-reviewed articles, 16 of which reported the correct use of SS. Only 7 of these articles included statistical analyses to test for significant changes in quality of care, and only 16 calculated defects per million opportunities or sigma level. This review demonstrates that there are significant gaps in the Six Sigma health care quality improvement literature and very weak evidence that Six Sigma is being used correctly to improve health care quality.

The use of six sigma in health care management: are we using it to its full potential?

PubMed

DelliFraine, Jami L; Wang, Zheng; McCaughey, Deirdre; Langabeer, James R; Erwin, Cathleen O

2013-01-01

Popular quality improvement tools such as Six Sigma (SS) claim to provide health care managers the opportunity to improve health care quality on the basis of sound methodology and data. However, it is unclear whether this quality improvement tool is being used correctly and improves health care quality. The authors conducted a comprehensive literature review to assess the correct use and implementation of SS and the empirical evidence demonstrating the relationship between SS and improved quality of care in health care organizations. The authors identified 310 articles on SS published in the last 15 years. However, only 55 were empirical peer-reviewed articles, 16 of which reported the correct use of SS. Only 7 of these articles included statistical analyses to test for significant changes in quality of care, and only 16 calculated defects per million opportunities or sigma level. This review demonstrates that there are significant gaps in the Six Sigma health care quality improvement literature and very weak evidence that Six Sigma is being used correctly to improve health care quality.

Changes in sleep quality and levels of psychological distress during the adaptation to university: The role of childhood adversity.

PubMed

John-Henderson, Neha A; Williams, Sarah E; Brindle, Ryan C; Ginty, Annie T

2018-05-25

Stress-related sleep disturbances are common, and poor sleep quality can negatively affect health. Previous work indicates that early-life adversity is associated with compromised sleep quality later in life, but it is unknown whether it predicts greater declines in sleep quality during stressful life transitions. We propose and test a conceptual model whereby individuals who reported experiencing greater levels of child maltreatment would experience greater psychological distress during a stressful life transition, which in turn would contribute to greater declines in sleep quality, relative to their quality of sleep before the stressful transition. Controlling for potential confounding variables (e.g., age, gender), structural equation modelling demonstrated that psychological distress experienced during a stressful transition (i.e., beginning life at university) mediated the relationship between childhood emotional neglect and changes in sleep quality. The hypothesized model demonstrated a good overall fit to the data, χ 2 (15) = 17.69, p = .279, CFI = .99, TLI = .97, SRMR = .04, RMSEA = .04 (90% CI <0.001-0.09). Emotional neglect (β = .22) was positively associated with psychological distress which in turn was positively associated with poor sleep quality (β = .31) during a stressful transition. Future research should aim to understand the specific stressors in the university environment that are most challenging to individuals who faced early-life emotional maltreatment. These findings will help inform interventions to facilitate adaptation to a new environment and improve sleep quality for these university students. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

A spectrally tunable all-graphene-based flexible field-effect light-emitting device

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiaomu; Tian, He; Mohammad, Mohammad Ali; Li, Cheng; Wu, Can; Yang, Yi; Ren, Tian-Ling

2015-01-01

The continuous tuning of the emission spectrum of a single light-emitting diode (LED) by an external electrical bias is of great technological significance as a crucial property in high-quality displays, yet this capability has not been demonstrated in existing LEDs. Graphene, a tunable optical platform, is a promising medium to achieve this goal. Here we demonstrate a bright spectrally tunable electroluminescence from blue (∼450 nm) to red (∼750 nm) at the graphene oxide/reduced-graphene oxide interface. We explain the electroluminescence results from the recombination of Poole–Frenkel emission ionized electrons at the localized energy levels arising from semi-reduced graphene oxide, and holes from the top of the π band. Tuning of the emission wavelength is achieved by gate modulation of the participating localized energy levels. Our demonstration of current-driven tunable LEDs not only represents a method for emission wavelength tuning but also may find applications in high-quality displays. PMID:26178323

Cardiovascular risk and metabolic syndrome in obese youth enrolled in a multidisciplinary medical weight management program: implications of musculoskeletal pain, cardiorespiratory fitness, and health-related quality of life.

PubMed

Briggs, Matthew S; Spees, Colleen; Bout-Tabaku, Sharon; Taylor, Christopher A; Eneli, Ihuoma; Schmitt, Laura C

2015-04-01

Obese youth demonstrate the same obesity-associated morbidities observed in obese adults, including poor cardiorespiratory fitness, poor quality of life, and reports of musculoskeletal pain. The purposes of this study were to compare the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and evaluate the odds of metabolic syndrome in obese youth based on measures of cardiorespiratory fitness, quality of life, and pain. A medical chart review of 183 obese youth in a medical weight management program was conducted. Measures of cardiovascular risk and metabolic syndrome were recorded. Groups were categorized based on Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) score, Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL)-Physical Function score, PedsQL-Psychosocial Health score, and reports of musculoskeletal pain. Statistical analysis included independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney U-test, chi-squared test, and logistic regression. Thirty-three percent of the entire sample had C-reactive protein (CRP) levels >3.0 mg/dL and 30% were categorized as having metabolic syndrome. Patients with lower PACER scores demonstrated a greater prevalence of CRP levels >3.0 mg/dL versus those with higher PACER scores (45% vs. 12%; P=0.01). There were no other differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors or metabolic syndrome when categorized by PACER, PedsQL, or pain. Those with CRP levels >3.0 mg/dL demonstrated increased odds of metabolic syndrome-[odds (95% confidence interval, CI): 4.93 (1.24-19.61); P=0.02]. Overall, results do not show differences in cardiovascular risk in obese youth when categorized by PACER, PedsQL, or reports of MSK pain. Elevated CRP may be a useful predictor of metabolic syndrome in obese youth and warrants further investigation.

Longitudinal effects of sibling relationship quality on adolescent problem behavior: a cross-ethnic comparison.

PubMed

Buist, Kirsten L; Paalman, Carmen H; Branje, Susan J T; Deković, Maja; Reitz, Ellen; Verhoeven, Marjolein; Meeus, Wim H J; Koot, Hans M; Hale, William W

2014-04-01

The aim of the present study was to examine whether adolescents of Moroccan and Dutch origin differ concerning sibling relationship quality and to examine whether the associations between quality of the sibling relationship and level and change in externalizing and internalizing problem behavior are comparable for Moroccan and Dutch adolescents. Five annual waves of questionnaire data on sibling support and conflict as well as externalizing problems, anxiety and depression were collected from 159 ethnic Moroccan adolescents (Mage = 13.3 years) and from 159 ethnic Dutch adolescents (Mage = 13.0 years). Our findings demonstrated significant mean level differences between the Moroccan and Dutch sample in sibling relationship quality, externalizing problems, and depression, with Moroccan adolescents reporting higher sibling relationship quality and less problem behavior. However, effects of sibling relationship quality on externalizing problems, anxiety, and depression were similar for the Moroccan and Dutch samples. Sibling support was not related to level of externalizing problems, nor to changes in externalizing problems, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, more sibling conflict was related to a higher starting level of and faster decreases in problem behaviors. Our results support the ethnic equivalence model, which holds that the influence of family relationships is similar for different ethnic groups. Moreover, sibling support and conflict affect both the level and the fluctuations in problem behavior over time in specific ethnic groups similarly. Implications for future studies and interventions are subsequently discussed.

A survey study comparing young adults with MS and healthy controls on self-esteem, self-efficacy, mood and quality of life.

PubMed

Messmer Uccelli, Michele; Traversa, Silvia; Ponzio, Michela

2016-09-15

Studies have shown that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) report low levels of self-efficacy and self-esteem, high levels of anxiety and depression and reduced quality of life. The study aims to assess self-esteem, self-efficacy, mood and quality of life in young adults with MS and to compare them to a healthy control group. The age range for inclusion in the study was between 18 and 35years of age for both groups. Subjects with MS were recruited through the Italian MS Society. Healthy controls were recruited through social media and from a university undergraduate program. Subjects completed an anonymous online questionnaire combining various scales. Group differences on demographic data were assessed using parametric and non-parametric tests. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to evaluate differences between the two groups on scales of self-perception, mood and quality of life, adjusting for potentially confounding factors. Eighty-nine subjects with MS and 109 HC were included in the analysis. ANCOVA failed to demonstrate statistically significant differences between groups on self-esteem (F=0.11, p=0.743), self-efficacy (F=2.22, p=0.138), mood (anxiety F=0.03, p=0.855; depression F=0.06, p=0.812) and quality of life (F=0.08, p=0.772). This study demonstrated that young adults with MS and healthy controls have similar levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy and that they do not differ significantly on measures of mood and quality of life, as previously reported. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

34 CFR 200.56 - Definition of “highly qualified teacher.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... areas of the basic elementary school curriculum; or (3) At the public middle and high school levels, demonstrate a high level of competency by— (i) Passing a rigorous State test in each academic subject in which... teacher— (1) Receives high-quality professional development that is sustained, intensive, and classroom...

34 CFR 200.56 - Definition of “highly qualified teacher.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... areas of the basic elementary school curriculum; or (3) At the public middle and high school levels, demonstrate a high level of competency by— (i) Passing a rigorous State test in each academic subject in which... teacher— (1) Receives high-quality professional development that is sustained, intensive, and classroom...

34 CFR 200.56 - Definition of “highly qualified teacher.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... areas of the basic elementary school curriculum; or (3) At the public middle and high school levels, demonstrate a high level of competency by— (i) Passing a rigorous State test in each academic subject in which... teacher— (1) Receives high-quality professional development that is sustained, intensive, and classroom...

34 CFR 200.56 - Definition of “highly qualified teacher.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... areas of the basic elementary school curriculum; or (3) At the public middle and high school levels, demonstrate a high level of competency by— (i) Passing a rigorous State test in each academic subject in which... teacher— (1) Receives high-quality professional development that is sustained, intensive, and classroom...

34 CFR 200.56 - Definition of “highly qualified teacher.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... areas of the basic elementary school curriculum; or (3) At the public middle and high school levels, demonstrate a high level of competency by— (i) Passing a rigorous State test in each academic subject in which... teacher— (1) Receives high-quality professional development that is sustained, intensive, and classroom...

Health-related quality of life and associated factors in Jordanian cancer patients: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Mosleh, Sultan M

2018-06-04

Understanding the factors associated with patients' health-related quality of life along with their social networks can help identify who may benefit from supportive programmes. This study sought to evaluate the impact of a cancer diagnosis on Jordanian cancer patients' health-related quality of life and its relationship with social support and emotional status. A descriptive design was utilized, and 226 clients were participated. Participants completed European Organization for Research and Treatment of cancer quality of life questionnaire (EORTC-version 3), the Hospice Comfort Questionnaire, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. The results revealed that participants demonstrated unsatisfactory quality of life and many complained of fatigue. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed that social support, hospitalization readmission and being a nonsmoker were significant predictors for poor global quality of life score. In addition, a high educational level, less rehospitalization and high anxiety and depression scores were significant predictors for comfort level. In conclusion, patients with cancer are at an elevated risk of impaired physical functioning and report unsatisfactory quality of life, particularly if they are anxious, depressed and lack social support. The associated factors with decreased quality of life or low comfort level could be amenable to change with appropriate interventions. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

'Have a nice day': consumerism, compassion and health care.

PubMed

Sturgeon, David

Plans to implement a quality measurement framework that will rate nurses according to the level of care and compassion they demonstrate have been proposed and discussed in a number of Department of Health documents. From September 2010 degree-level nursing students in Wales will receive regular feedback on their communication skills and whether they are exhibiting sufficient levels of compassion. This article examines the reasons why there have been such moves by both politicians and health professionals to demonstrate, in quantifiable terms, that they are able to measure something that is frequently contextual and subject to individual interpretation. It explores how these moves have been influenced by the disclosure of unacceptable standards of care by the Patients Association report and the enquiry into Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. It also discusses how the adoption of targets to evaluate care and compassion seems to reflect a market-driven and bureaucratic approach to health care that has resulted in a system in which measurability and outcome are considered the most important indicator of quality.

A pressure ulcer and fall rate quality composite index for acute care units: A measure development study.

PubMed

Boyle, Diane K; Jayawardhana, Ananda; Burman, Mary E; Dunton, Nancy E; Staggs, Vincent S; Bergquist-Beringer, Sandra; Gajewski, Byron J

2016-11-01

Composite indices are single measures that combine the strengths of two or more individual measures and provide broader, easy-to-use measures for evaluation of provider performance and comparisons across units and hospitals to support quality improvement. The study objective was to develop a unit-level inpatient composite nursing care quality performance index-the Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index. Two-phase measure development study. 5144 patient care units in 857 United States hospitals participating in the National Database of Nursing Quality Indictors ® during the year 2013. The Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index was developed in two phases. In Phase 1 the formula was generated using a utility function and generalized penalty analysis. Experts with experience in healthcare quality measurement provided the point of indicator equivalence. In Phase 2 initial validity evidence was gathered based on hypothesized relationships between the Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index and other variables using two-level (unit, hospital) hierarchical linear mixed modeling. The Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index=100-PUR-FR, where PUR is pressure ulcer rate and FR is total fall rate. Higher scores indicate better quality. Bland-Altman plots demonstrated agreement between pairs of experts and provided evidence for inter-rater reliability of the formula. The validation process demonstrated that higher registered nurse skill mix, higher percent of registered nurses with a baccalaureate in nursing or higher degree, higher percent of registered nurses with national specialty certification, and lower percent of hours supplied by agency staff were significantly associated with higher Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index scores. Higher percentages of unit patients at risk for a hospital-acquired pressure ulcer and higher unit rates of physical restraint use were not associated with higher Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index scores. The Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index is a step toward providing a more holistic perspective of unit level nursing quality than individual measures and may help nurses nursing administrators obtain a broader view of which patient care units are the higher and lower performers. Further study is needed to examine the usability of the Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A PRESSURE ULCER AND FALL RATE QUALITY COMPOSITE INDEX FOR ACUTE CARE UNITS: A MEASURE DEVELOPMENT STUDY

PubMed Central

Jayawardhana, Ananda; Burman, Mary E.; Dunton, Nancy E.; Staggs, Vincent S.; Bergquist-Beringer, Sandra; Gajewski, Byron J.

2016-01-01

Background Composite indices are single measures that combine the strengths of two or more individual measures and provide broader, easy-to-use measures for evaluation of provider performance and comparisons across units and hospitals to support quality improvement. Objective The study objective was to develop a unit-level inpatient composite nursing care quality performance index – the Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index. Design Two-phase measure development study. Settings 5,144 patient care units in 857 United States hospitals participating in the National Database of Nursing Quality Indictors® during the year 2013. Methods The Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index was developed in two phases. In Phase 1 the formula was generated using a utility function and generalized penalty analysis. Experts with experience in healthcare quality measurement provided the point of indicator equivalence. In Phase 2 initial validity evidence was gathered based on hypothesized relationships between the Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index and other variables using two-level (unit, hospital) hierarchical linear mixed modeling. Results The Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index = 100 − PUR − FR, where PUR is pressure ulcer rate and FR is total fall rate. Higher scores indicate better quality. Bland-Altman plots demonstrated agreement between pairs of experts and provided evidence for inter-rater reliability of the formula. The validation process demonstrated that higher registered nurse skill mix, higher percent of registered nurses with a baccalaureate in nursing or higher degree, higher percent of registered nurses with national specialty certification, and lower percent of hours supplied by agency staff were significantly associated with higher Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index scores. Higher percentages of unit patients at risk for a hospital-acquired pressure ulcer and higher unit rates of physical restraint use were not associated with higher Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index scores. Conclusions The Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index is a step toward providing a more holistic perspective of unit level nursing quality than individual measures and may help nurses nursing administrators obtain a broader view of which patient care units are the higher and lower performers. Further study is needed to examine the usability of the Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index. PMID:27607602

A multicomponent exercise program for institutionalized older adults.

PubMed

Justine, Maria; Hamid, Tengku Aizan

2010-10-01

This study examined the effects of a multicomponent exercise program on depression and quality of life in institutionalized older adults. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was used. Participants were recruited from a publicly funded shelter home in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan Malaysia. The experimental group consisted of 23 volunteers 60 or older who performed 60 minutes of supervised exercise three times per week for 12 weeks. The control group consisted of 20 volunteers who continued with a sedentary lifestyle. At 12 weeks, the exercise group demonstrated an improvement in quality of life by 10.74% (p > 0.05) but not depression (-1.6%, p > 0.05). The control group demonstrated a decrease in both quality of life by 11.26% (p > 0.05) and level of depression by 17.7% (p > 0.05). This study suggests a multicomponent exercise program is a feasible intervention to improve quality of life in institutionalized older adults. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.

Analysis of oxybutynin treatment for hyperhidrosis in patients aged over 40 years

PubMed Central

Wolosker, Nelson; Krutman, Mariana; Teivelis, Marcelo Passos; de Paula, Rafael Pessanha; Kauffman, Paulo; de Campos, Jose Ribas Milanez; Puech-Leão, Pedro

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: Our aim was to analyze the effectiveness of oxybutynin for hyperhidrosis treatment in patients over 40 years. Methods: Eighty-seven patients aged over 40 years were divided into two groups. One group consisted of 48 (55.2%) patients aged between 40 and 49 years, and another was composed of 39 (44.8%) patients aged over 50 years (50 to 74 years). A comparative analysis of Quality of Life and level of hyperhidrosis between the groups was carried out 6 weeks after a protocol treatment with oxybutynin. A validated clinical questionnaire was used for evaluation. Results: In the younger age group, 75% of patients referred a “partial” or “great” improvement in level of hyperhidrosis after treatment. This number was particularly impressive in patients over 50 years, in which 87.2% of the cases demonstrated similar levels of improvement. Over 77% of patients in both groups demonstrated improvement in Quality of Life. Excellent outcomes were observed in older patients, in which 87.1% of patients presented “slightly better” (41%) or “much better” (46.1%) improvement. Conclusion: Patients aged over 40 years with hyperhidrosis presented excellent results after oxybutynin treatment. These outcomes were particularly impressive in the age group over 50 years, in which most patients had significant improvement in Quality of Life and in level of hyperhidrosis. PMID:24728245

Quality and Equality: Basic Skill Requirements at the University Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guskin, Alan E.; Greenebaum, Ben

1979-01-01

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside's comprehensive collegiate skills program is described from proposal to implementation. Junior year students must demonstrate competence in: writing, reading, mathematics, research paper writing, and library skills. (MLW)

Readability, credibility and quality of patient information for hypogonadism and testosterone replacement therapy on the Internet.

PubMed

McBride, J A; Carson, C C; Coward, R M

2017-05-01

The incidence of hypogonadism and use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) are rising, while data evaluating the complexity and quality of health-care information available to patients on the Internet for hypogonadism or TRT are lacking. This study focuses on characterizing the readability, credibility and quality of patient-centered information for hypogonadism on the Internet. A Google search was performed to identify top-ranked websites offering patient-centered information on hypogonadism and TRT. Readability was quantified by reading grade level using several validated instruments. Credibility and quality were determined by several additional criteria, including authorship, references, health-care information quality certification and breadth of topic discussion. Twenty of 75 total sites identified (27%) met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were evaluated. The mean reading grade level was 13.1 (interquartile range 11.7-15.1), with all websites demonstrating reading levels significantly above recommended levels. Less than half (45%) of the sites were neither authored nor reviewed by a physician, 60% contained at least one reference and 40% were certified for displaying quality health-care information. Over half (55%) did not comprehensively discuss management of hypogonadism or mention treatment-associated risks. In conclusion, the majority of patient-centered information available on the Internet regarding hypogonadism or TRT is of poor quality and too complex for the average patient to comprehend. These results highlight a critical shortage in easily accessible, high-quality, comprehensible online patient health-care information on hypogonadism and TRT.

Optical remote sensing and correlation of office equipment functional state and stress levels via power quality disturbances inefficiencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sternberg, Oren; Bednarski, Valerie R.; Perez, Israel; Wheeland, Sara; Rockway, John D.

2016-09-01

Non-invasive optical techniques pertaining to the remote sensing of power quality disturbances (PQD) are part of an emerging technology field typically dominated by radio frequency (RF) and invasive-based techniques. Algorithms and methods to analyze and address PQD such as probabilistic neural networks and fully informed particle swarms have been explored in industry and academia. Such methods are tuned to work with RF equipment and electronics in existing power grids. As both commercial and defense assets are heavily power-dependent, understanding electrical transients and failure events using non-invasive detection techniques is crucial. In this paper we correlate power quality empirical models to the observed optical response. We also empirically demonstrate a first-order approach to map household, office and commercial equipment PQD to user functions and stress levels. We employ a physics-based image and signal processing approach, which demonstrates measured non-invasive (remote sensing) techniques to detect and map the base frequency associated with the power source to the various PQD on a calibrated source.

Fuzzy intelligent quality monitoring model for X-ray image processing.

PubMed

Khalatbari, Azadeh; Jenab, Kouroush

2009-01-01

Today's imaging diagnosis needs to adapt modern techniques of quality engineering to maintain and improve its accuracy and reliability in health care system. One of the main factors that influences diagnostic accuracy of plain film X-ray on detecting pathology is the level of film exposure. If the level of film exposure is not adequate, a normal body structure may be interpretated as pathology and vice versa. This not only influences the patient management but also has an impact on health care cost and patient's quality of life. Therefore, providing an accurate and high quality image is the first step toward an excellent patient management in any health care system. In this paper, we study these techniques and also present a fuzzy intelligent quality monitoring model, which can be used to keep variables from degrading the image quality. The variables derived from chemical activity, cleaning procedures, maintenance, and monitoring may not be sensed, measured, or calculated precisely due to uncertain situations. Therefore, the gamma-level fuzzy Bayesian model for quality monitoring of an image processing is proposed. In order to apply the Bayesian concept, the fuzzy quality characteristics are assumed as fuzzy random variables. Using the fuzzy quality characteristics, the newly developed model calculates the degradation risk for image processing. A numerical example is also presented to demonstrate the application of the model.

Fabrication of nano-scale Cu bond pads with seal design in 3D integration applications.

PubMed

Chen, K N; Tsang, C K; Wu, W W; Lee, S H; Lu, J Q

2011-04-01

A method to fabricate nano-scale Cu bond pads for improving bonding quality in 3D integration applications is reported. The effect of Cu bonding quality on inter-level via structural reliability for 3D integration applications is investigated. We developed a Cu nano-scale-height bond pad structure and fabrication process for improved bonding quality by recessing oxides using a combination of SiO2 CMP process and dilute HF wet etching. In addition, in order to achieve improved wafer-level bonding, we introduced a seal design concept that prevents corrosion and provides extra mechanical support. Demonstrations of these concepts and processes provide the feasibility of reliable nano-scale 3D integration applications.

Effects of an aquatic-based exercise program to improve cardiometabolic profile, quality of life, and physical activity levels in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Cugusi, Lucia; Cadeddu, Christian; Nocco, Silvio; Orrù, Fabio; Bandino, Stefano; Deidda, Martino; Caria, Alessandra; Bassareo, Pier Paolo; Piras, Alessandra; Cabras, Sergio; Mercuro, Giuseppe

2015-02-01

The role of structured exercise in improving cardiometabolic profile and quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (2DM) has been widely demonstrated. Little is known about the effects of an aquatic-based exercise program in patients with 2DM. To evaluate the effects of a supervised aquatic-based exercise program on cardiometabolic profile, quality of life, and physical activity levels in patients with 2DM. Observational study, community pre-post aquatic-based exercise program, primary care intervention. Eighteen men diagnosed with 2DM (52.2 ± 9.3 years). and Cardiometabolic profile, quality of life, and physical activity levels were assessed before and after 12 weeks of an aquatic-based exercise program. The results show a significant improvement of cardiometabolic assessments (maximum oxygen consumption: 24.1 versus 21.1 mL/kg/min, P < .05; blood pressure: 125.4/77 versus 130.7/82.5 mm Hg, P < .05; fasting blood glucose: 119.6 versus 132.5 mg/dL, P < .05; body mass index: 29.9 versus 31.1 kg/m², P < .005; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: 95.2 versus 104.9 mg/dL, P < .05; and diastolic function: E/E' 9.1 versus 10.1, P < .005) and an increase in quality of life and physical activity levels (Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey mental component summary: 72.3 versus 67, P < .05; Problems Area About Diabetes: 20.1 versus 33.2, P < .005) and energy expenditure in general physical activity (physical activity: 3888.7 versus 1239.5 kcal/wk, P < .05). These findings demonstrate that an aquatic-based exercise program produces benefits for the cardiovascular system and metabolic profile and appears to be safe and effective in improving quality of life and increasing physical activity levels in patients with 2DM. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating and Refining the Construct of Sexual Quality With Item Response Theory: Development of the Quality of Sex Inventory.

PubMed

Shaw, Amanda M; Rogge, Ronald D

2016-02-01

This study took a critical look at the construct of sexual quality. The 65 items of four well-validated self-report measures of sexual satisfaction (the Index of Sexual Satisfaction [ISS], Hudson, Harrison, & Crosscup, 1981; the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction [GMSEX], Lawrance & Byers, 1995; the Pinney Sexual Satisfaction Inventory [PSSI], Pinney, Gerrard, & Denney, 1987; the Young Sexual Satisfaction Scale [YSSS], Young, Denny, Luquis, & Young, 1998) and an additional 74 potential sexual quality items were given to 3060 online participants. Using Item Response Theory (IRT), we demonstrated that the ISS, YSSS, and PSSI scales provided suboptimal levels of precision in assessing sexual quality, particularly given the length of those scales. Exploratory factor analyses, IRT, differential item functioning analyses, and longitudinal responsiveness analyses were used to develop and evaluate the Quality of Sex Inventory. Results suggested that, in comparison to existing scales, the QSI (1) offers investigators and clinicians more theoretically focused scales, (2) distinguishes sexual satisfaction from sexual dissatisfaction, and (3) offers greater precision and power for detecting differences with (4) comparably high levels of responsiveness for detecting change over time despite being notably shorter than most of the existing scales. The QSI-satisfaction subscales demonstrated strong convergent validity with other measures of sexual satisfaction and excellent construct validity with anchor scales from the nomological net surrounding that construct, suggesting that they continue to assess the same theoretical construct as prior scales. Implications for research are discussed.

Brief report: how anxiously withdrawn preadolescents think about friendship.

PubMed

Fredstrom, Bridget K; Rose-Krasnor, Linda; Campbell, Kelly; Rubin, Kenneth H; Booth-Laforce, Cathryn; Burgess, Kim B

2012-04-01

Previous research suggests that anxiously withdrawn preadolescents demonstrate success in forming friendships, yet these friendships tend to be of lesser quality. Drawing on Selman's (1980) theory of interpersonal understanding, we compared levels of friendship understanding between anxiously withdrawn preadolescents and a sample of non-withdrawn age mates. Fifth graders (N = 116; 58% girls; mean age = 10.33 yrs) completed same-sex friendship and social behavior nominations, as well as a semi-structured clinical interview assessing understanding of various friendship issues in response to a hypothetical friendship dilemma. Results suggest that anxiously withdrawn preadolescents demonstrated lower levels of friendship understanding for some, but not all, friendship issues that may be related to friendship quality. The findings suggest that social cognitive assessments of friendship may be useful in understanding the friendship successes and difficulties of anxiously withdrawn preadolescents. Copyright © 2011 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hospital non-price competition under the Global Budget Payment and Prospective Payment Systems.

PubMed

Chen, Wen-Yi; Lin, Yu-Hui

2008-06-01

This paper provides theoretical analyses of two alternative hospital payment systems for controlling medical cost: the Global Budget Payment System (GBPS) and the Prospective Payment System (PPS). The former method assigns a fixed total budget for all healthcare services over a given period with hospitals being paid on a fee-for-service basis. The latter method is usually connected with a fixed payment to hospitals within a Diagnosis-Related Group. Our results demonstrate that, given the same expenditure, the GBPS would approach optimal levels of quality and efficiency as well as the level of social welfare provided by the PPS, as long as market competition is sufficiently high; our results also demonstrate that the treadmill effect, modeling an inverse relationship between price and quantity under the GBPS, would be a quality-enhancing and efficiency-improving outcome due to market competition.

Profiles of Kindergarten Classroom and Elementary School Contexts: Associations with the First-Grade Outcomes of Children Transitioning from Head Start

PubMed Central

Lee, Phyllis; Bierman, Karen L.

2018-01-01

Poor quality classroom and school contexts may impede the academic and behavioral adjustment of low-income students when they transition into kindergarten. Several studies have examined the impact of teacher-student interactions on student progress, whereas others have explored the impact of school-level adversity (e.g., student poverty, school achievement levels). Expanding on prior findings, this study used latent profile analysis to characterize kindergarten contexts in terms of both classroom teacher-student interaction quality and school-level adversity. Following 164 children longitudinally and accounting for functioning in Head Start prior to kindergarten entry, associations between kindergarten context profiles and first grade outcomes revealed that children who experienced dual-risk contexts in kindergarten (classrooms with poor quality teacher-student interactions in schools with high levels of adversity) demonstrated the greatest aggression and social difficulties in first grade. Associations between kindergarten context profiles and first grade academic outcomes were less clear. PMID:29731516

TU-FG-201-10: Quality Management of Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) Plans

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

Ji, H; Lorio, V; Cernica, G

2016-06-15

Purpose: Since 2008, over 700 patients received high dose rate (HDR) APBI treatment at Virginia Hospital Center. The complexity involved in the planning process demonstrated a broad variation between patient geometry across all applicators, in relation to anatomical regions of interest. A quality management program instituting various metrics was implemented in March 2013 with the goal of ensuring an optimal plan is achieved for each patient. Methods: For each plan, an in-house complexity index, geometric conformity index, and plan quality index were defined. These indices were obtained for all patients treated. For patients treated after the implementation, the conformity indexmore » and quality index were maximized while other dosimetric limits, such as maximum skin and rib doses, were strictly kept. Subsequently, all evaluation parameters and applicator information were placed in a database for cross-evaluation with similar complexity. Results: Both the conformity and quality indices show good correlation with the complexity index. They decrease as complexity increases for all applicators. Multi lumen type balloon applicators demonstrate a minimal advantage over single lumen applicators in increasingly complex patient geometries, as compared to SAVI applicators which showed considerably greater advantage in these circumstances. After the implementation of the in-house planning protocol, there is a direct improvement of quality for SAVI plans. Conclusion: Due to their interstitial nature, SAVI devices show a better conformity in comparison to balloon-based devices regardless of the number of lumens, especially in complex cases. The quality management program focuses on optimizing indices by utilizing prior planning knowledge based on complexity levels. The database of indices assists in decision making and has subsequently aided in balancing the experience level among planners. This approach has made APBI planning more robust for patient care, with a measurable improvement in the plan quality.« less

Identifying Factors that Influence State-Specific Hunger Rates in the U.S.: A Simple Analytic Method for Understanding a Persistent Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Mark Evan; Weber, Bruce; Bernell, Stephanie

2007-01-01

An existing measure of food insecurity with hunger in the United States may serve as an effective indicator of quality of life. State level differences in that measure can reveal important differences in quality of life across places. In this study, we advocate and demonstrate two simple methods by which analysts can explore state-specific…

Likelihood of achieving air quality targets under model uncertainties.

PubMed

Digar, Antara; Cohan, Daniel S; Cox, Dennis D; Kim, Byeong-Uk; Boylan, James W

2011-01-01

Regulatory attainment demonstrations in the United States typically apply a bright-line test to predict whether a control strategy is sufficient to attain an air quality standard. Photochemical models are the best tools available to project future pollutant levels and are a critical part of regulatory attainment demonstrations. However, because photochemical models are uncertain and future meteorology is unknowable, future pollutant levels cannot be predicted perfectly and attainment cannot be guaranteed. This paper introduces a computationally efficient methodology for estimating the likelihood that an emission control strategy will achieve an air quality objective in light of uncertainties in photochemical model input parameters (e.g., uncertain emission and reaction rates, deposition velocities, and boundary conditions). The method incorporates Monte Carlo simulations of a reduced form model representing pollutant-precursor response under parametric uncertainty to probabilistically predict the improvement in air quality due to emission control. The method is applied to recent 8-h ozone attainment modeling for Atlanta, Georgia, to assess the likelihood that additional controls would achieve fixed (well-defined) or flexible (due to meteorological variability and uncertain emission trends) targets of air pollution reduction. The results show that in certain instances ranking of the predicted effectiveness of control strategies may differ between probabilistic and deterministic analyses.

[Quality Management for Surgeons: The Knowledge of Basic Contexts and Innovative Strategies Promotes the Competitiveness of Clinical Department].

PubMed

Hellmann, Wolfgang

2017-12-01

Efficient quality management aiming to achieve high quality in patient care is crucial to the success of a surgery department. This requires the knowledge of relevant terms und contexts of quality management. Implementation remains difficult in the light of demographic change and skills shortage. If a hospital has an efficient internal quality management in place, this should be used as a supplementary instrument. Otherwise it is the (sole) task of a specialist department to ensure quality for patients, employees, and cooperative partners. This paper provides basic knowledge on quality management, risk management, and quality assurance in the context of relevant medical terms. It demonstrates new ways for implementation on the level of a surgery department, and introduces a new model of quality. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Fully Convolutional Architecture for Low-Dose CT Image Noise Reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badretale, S.; Shaker, F.; Babyn, P.; Alirezaie, J.

2017-10-01

One of the critical topics in medical low-dose Computed Tomography (CT) imaging is how best to maintain image quality. As the quality of images decreases with lowering the X-ray radiation dose, improving image quality is extremely important and challenging. We have proposed a novel approach to denoise low-dose CT images. Our algorithm learns directly from an end-to-end mapping from the low-dose Computed Tomography images for denoising the normal-dose CT images. Our method is based on a deep convolutional neural network with rectified linear units. By learning various low-level to high-level features from a low-dose image the proposed algorithm is capable of creating a high-quality denoised image. We demonstrate the superiority of our technique by comparing the results with two other state-of-the-art methods in terms of the peak signal to noise ratio, root mean square error, and a structural similarity index.

Evolutions in Metadata Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilman, J.

2016-12-01

Metadata Quality is one of the chief drivers of discovery and use of NASA EOSDIS (Earth Observing System Data and Information System) data. Issues with metadata such as lack of completeness, inconsistency, and use of legacy terms directly hinder data use. As the central metadata repository for NASA Earth Science data, the Common Metadata Repository (CMR) has a responsibility to its users to ensure the quality of CMR search results. This talk will cover how we encourage metadata authors to improve the metadata through the use of integrated rubrics of metadata quality and outreach efforts. In addition we'll demonstrate Humanizers, a technique for dealing with the symptoms of metadata issues. Humanizers allow CMR administrators to identify specific metadata issues that are fixed at runtime when the data is indexed. An example Humanizer is the aliasing of processing level "Level 1" to "1" to improve consistency across collections. The CMR currently indexes 35K collections and 300M granules.

Managing quality of teaching and learning in the ophthalmic nursing course.

PubMed

Law, M L

2000-02-01

With auditing of teaching and learning in earnest by the Quality Assurance Agency for the Higher Education Funding Council, the nature of quality in education is top on the agenda for educational stakeholders. However, the nature of quality is difficult to define and measure. This is because quality is essentially a subjective perception and can mean different things to different individuals. Therefore, attempt to quantify and measure quality is difficult and problematic but is necessary for personal, professional, bureaucratic, political and stakeholder demands for accountability, and demonstration of efficiency, effectiveness and value for money. Using a total quality management framework, the internal controls of quality in the ophthalmic nursing course and at the faculty level are considered. The wider contexts of quality control from the institutional, political and at the customer's levels are explored. This paper concludes that the various methods used to control and measure quality may provide useful information for service clarity and a basis for service development. However, such information needs to be treated with caution and interpreted in the context and environment in which this information is generated. Ultimately, the issues of quality in teaching and learning may be addressed by the teacher's commitment to be developed as a reflective practitioner.

Nuclear Medicine Technologists' Perception and Current Assessment of Quality: A Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section Survey.

PubMed

Mann, April; Farrell, Mary Beth; Williams, Jessica; Basso, Danny

2017-06-01

In 2015, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS) launched a multiyear quality initiative to help prepare the technologist workforce for an evidence-based health-care delivery system that focuses on quality. To best implement the quality strategy, the SNMMI-TS first surveyed technologists to ascertain their perception of quality and current measurement of quality indicators. Methods: An internet survey was sent to 27,989 e-mail contacts. Questions related to demographic data, perceptions of quality, quality measurement, and opinions on the minimum level of education are discussed in this article. Results: A total of 4,007 (14.3%) responses were received. When asked to list 3 words or phrases that represent quality, there were a plethora of different responses. The top 3 responses were image quality, quality control, and technologist education or competency. Surveying patient satisfaction was the most common quality measure (80.9%), followed by evaluation of image quality (78.2%). Evaluation of image quality (90.3%) and equipment functionality (89.4%) were considered the most effective measures. Technologists' differentiation between quality, quality improvement, quality control, quality assurance, and quality assessment seemed ambiguous. Respondents were confident in their ability to assess and improve quality at their workplace (91.9%) and agreed their colleagues were committed to delivering quality work. Of note, 70.7% of respondents believed that quality is directly related to the technologist's level of education. Correspondingly, respondents felt there should be a minimum level of education (99.5%) and that certification or registry should be required (74.4%). Most respondents (59.6%) felt that a Bachelor's degree should be the minimum level of education, followed by an Associate's degree (40.4%). Conclusion: To best help nuclear medicine technologists provide quality care, the SNMMI-TS queried technologists to discern perceptions of quality in nuclear medicine. The results show that technologists believe image quality and quality control are the most important determinants. Most respondents felt that quality is directly related to the level of education of the technologist acquiring the scan. However, the responses obtained also demonstrated variation in perception of what represents quality. The SNMMI-TS can use the results of the study as a benchmark of current technologists' knowledge and performance of quality measures and target educational programs to improve the quality of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

An assessment of the performance and quality control procedures of PACS workstation monitors used in Irish radiology departments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wade, Cherrie; Brennan, Patrick C.; Mc Entee, Mark F.

2005-04-01

Diagnostic efficacy in soft-copy reporting relies heavily on the quality of workstation monitors and an investigation performed in 2002 demonstrated that CRT monitors in Dublin imaging departments were not operating at optimal levels. The current work examines the performance of CRTs being used in Dublin and other parts of Ireland to establish if problems reported in the earlier work have been rectified. All hospitals performing soft-copy reporting for general radiology using CRTs were included in the work. Examination of ambient lighting, calibration of monitors and analysis of CRT performance using the SMPTE test pattern and a selection of the AAPM test images was performed. Maximum luminance, spatial uniformity of luminance, temporal luminance stability, gamma, geometry, sharpness, veiling glare and spatial resolution of each monitor was evaluated. Ambient lighting in all reporting areas was within recommended levels. All the monitors were calibrated appropriately and were performing at acceptable levels for maximum luminance and temporal stability and only one of the thirty-three investigated failed to reach the standard for spatial uniformity. In contrast a number of the CRTs investigated showed poor adherence to acceptable levels for geometrical distortions, veiling glare and spatial resolution all of which are important influencers of image quality. Gamma values also appeared to be low for a number of monitors but this interpretation is provisional and subject to the establishment of ratified guideline values. The results demonstrate that although some improvement on the previous situation is evident, greater adherence to acceptable levels is required for certain parameters.

Partnerships for Quality project: closing the gap in care of children with ADHD.

PubMed

Lannon, Carole; Dolins, Judith; Lazorick, Suzanne; Crowe, Virginia Leigh Hamilton; Butts-Dion, Sue; Schoettker, Pamela J

2007-12-01

The Partnerships for Quality project was designed to close the gap between knowledge and care for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by fostering a partnership between a major medical specialty society, a professional certifying body, a national family-based advocacy organization, and a child health improvement organization. Ten American Academy of Pediatrics chapters conducted training workshops for practicing pediatricians and their office teams. Assistance was provided in the form of feedback of data, ongoing communication via conference calls, and a listserve. Two national workshops were conducted to disseminate learnings and promote sustainability. Participation in the intervention resulted in greater involvement in quality improvement activities by practice teams and improved care outcomes. The training workshops facilitated collaboration among providers, parents, and the educational, mental health, and legal systems. The partnership structure used demonstrated what professional societies can do to support improvement at the local level and what component chapters need to do to support improvement at the practice level. The integration of quality improvement infrastructure and policy changes at the national and local levels suggest that the quality efforts are likely to be sustained, providing long-term improvement in care and outcomes for children and families.

The Characteristics of Atmospheric Phthalates in Shanghai: a Haze Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.; Wang, J.; Ren, B.; Wang, H.; Qiao, L.; Zhu, J.; Li, L.

2017-12-01

While phthalates in indoor environments are extensively studied, reports on phthalates in outdoor air, particularly their associations with haze events are rare. Phthalates, especially dimethyl phthalate, are known to react with criteria air pollutants contributing to the formation of secondary organic aerosols. This study investigated phthalates levels in outdoor air in Shanghai with a focus on their associations with different air quality conditions. The air quality during the study period was classified into three levels: non-haze, light pollution and moderate pollution based on the Air Quality Index. Phthalates levels were found to be lower in non haze (236 ng/m3) and higher in moderate pollution weather (up to 700 ng/m3). Meteorological factors of relative humidity and wind speed had an inverse relationship with phthalates levels. Airborne particulate matter had a positive correlation with phthalates levels. Hydroxyl radical initiated photo-reaction of dimethyl phthalate was observed through its inverse relationship with total atmospheric oxidant (O3 + NO2), indicating that dimethyl phthalate could be one of the precursors of secondary organic aerosol causing haze. This is the first study demonstrating the relationship of phthalates and different air quality conditions. The knowledge contributes to our understanding on the cause of haze events in China and elsewhere.

Melatonin levels in follicular fluid as markers for IVF outcomes and predicting ovarian reserve.

PubMed

Tong, Jing; Sheng, Shile; Sun, Yun; Li, Huihui; Li, Wei-Ping; Zhang, Cong; Chen, Zi-Jiang

2017-04-01

Good-quality oocytes are critical for the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF), but, to date, there is no marker of ovarian reserve available that can accurately predict oocyte quality. Melatonin exerts its antioxidant actions as a strong radical scavenger that might affect oocyte quality directly as it is the most potent antioxidant in follicular fluid. To investigate the precise role of endogenous melatonin in IVF outcomes, we recruited 61 women undergoing treatment cycles of IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedures and classified them into three groups according to their response to ovarian stimulation. Follicular fluid was collected to assess melatonin levels using a direct RIA method. We found good correlations between melatonin levels in follicular fluid with age, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and baseline follicle-stimulating hormone (bFSH), all of which have been used to predict ovarian reserve. Furthermore, as melatonin levels correlated to IVF outcomes, higher numbers of oocytes were collected from patients with higher melatonin levels and consequently the number of oocytes fertilized, zygotes cleaved, top quality embryos on D3, blastocysts obtained and embryos suitable for transplantation was higher. The blastocyst rate increased in concert with the melatonin levels across the gradient between the poor response group and the high response group. These results demonstrated that the melatonin levels in follicular fluid is associated with both the quantity and quality of oocytes and can predict IVF outcomes as well making them highly relevant biochemical markers of ovarian reserve. © 2017 Society for Reproduction and Fertility.

Analysis of follicular fluid retinoids in women undergoing in vitro fertilization: retinoic acid influences embryo quality and is reduced in women with endometriosis.

PubMed

Pauli, Samuel A; Session, Donna R; Shang, Weirong; Easley, Kirk; Wieser, Friedrich; Taylor, Robert N; Pierzchalski, Keely; Napoli, Joseph L; Kane, Maureen A; Sidell, Neil

2013-09-01

Retinol (ROL) and its biologically active metabolite, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), are essential for a number of reproductive processes. However, there is a paucity of information regarding their roles in ovarian folliculogenesis, oocyte maturation, and early embryogenesis. The objectives of this study were to quantify and compare peripheral plasma (PP) and follicular fluid (FF) retinoid levels, including ATRA in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and to investigate the relationship between retinoid levels and embryo quality. Retinoid levels were evaluated in PP and FF from 79 women undergoing IVF at the time of oocyte retrieval and corresponding embryo quality assessed on a daily basis after retrieval for 3 days until uterine transfer. Analysis compared the retinoid levels with day 3 embryo grades and between endometriosis versus control patients. Results demonstrated distinctive levels of retinoid metabolites and isomers in FF versus PP. There was a significantly larger percentage of high-quality grade I embryos derived from the largest versus smallest follicles. An increase in follicle size also correlated with a >50% increase in FF ROL and ATRA concentrations. Independent of follicle size, FF yielding grade I versus nongrade I embryos showed higher mean levels of ATRA but not ROL. In a nested case-control analysis, control participants had 50% higher mean levels of ATRA in their FF and PP than women with endometriosis. These findings strongly support the proposition that ATRA plays a fundamental role in oocyte development and quality, and that reduced ATRA synthesis may contribute to decreased fecundity of participants with endometriosis.

The Importance of Asthma and Health Programs in Improving Academic Performance

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

School air quality has a major impact on asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Airborne allergens or irritants frequently trigger asthma attacks, yet environmental assessments demonstrate that schools often harbor allergen levels at or close to the th

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

Large scale real-time PCR analysis of mRNA abundance in rainbow trout eggs in relationship with egg quality and post-ovulatory ageing.

PubMed

Aegerter, Sandrine; Jalabert, Bernard; Bobe, Julien

2005-11-01

The mRNA levels of 39 target genes were monitored in unfertilized eggs of 14 rainbow trout sampled the day of ovulation and again 5, 14, and 21 days later. For all 56 collected egg batches, an egg sample was fertilized to estimate egg quality by monitoring embryonic development. Remaining eggs were used for RNA extraction and subsequent real-time PCR analysis. A significant drop of egg quality was observed when eggs were held in the body cavity for 14 or 21 days post-ovulation (dpo). During the same period, eight transcripts (nucleoplasmin or Npm2, ferritin H, tubulin beta, JNK1, cyclin A1, cyclin A2, cathepsin Z, and IGF2) exhibited a differential abundance at one or several collection time(s). Interestingly, we observed higher levels of cyclins A1 and A2 mRNAs in eggs taken 5 days post-ovulation than in eggs taken, from the same females, at the time of ovulation. In addition, seven transcripts exhibited a differential abundance between low quality and high quality eggs. Low quality eggs were characterized by lower levels of Npm2, tubulin beta, and IGF1 transcripts. In contrast, keratins 8 and 18, cathepsin Z, and prostaglandin synthase 2 were more abundant in low quality eggs than in high quality eggs. In this study, we have demonstrated differences in mRNA levels in the rainbow trout egg that are reflective of developmental competence differences induced by post-ovulatory ageing. The putative role of these transcripts in post-ovulatory ageing-induced egg quality defects is discussed with special attention for corresponding cellular functions.

Atomically Precise Surface Engineering for Producing Imagers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nikzad, Shouleh (Inventor); Hoenk, Michael E. (Inventor); Greer, Frank (Inventor); Jones, Todd J. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

High-quality surface coatings, and techniques combining the atomic precision of molecular beam epitaxy and atomic layer deposition, to fabricate such high-quality surface coatings are provided. The coatings made in accordance with the techniques set forth by the invention are shown to be capable of forming silicon CCD detectors that demonstrate world record detector quantum efficiency (>50%) in the near and far ultraviolet (155 nm-300 nm). The surface engineering approaches used demonstrate the robustness of detector performance that is obtained by achieving atomic level precision at all steps in the coating fabrication process. As proof of concept, the characterization, materials, and exemplary devices produced are presented along with a comparison to other approaches.

Pilot Study Evaluating a Practice-Based Learning and Improvement Curriculum Focusing on the Development of System-Level Quality Improvement Skills

PubMed Central

Tomolo, Anne M; Lawrence, Renée H; Watts, Brook; Augustine, Sarah; Aron, David C; Singh, Mamta K

2011-01-01

Background We developed a practice-based learning and improvement (PBLI) curriculum to address important gaps in components of content and experiential learning activities through didactics and participation in systems-level quality improvement projects that focus on making changes in health care processes. Methods We evaluated the impact of our curriculum on resident PBLI knowledge, self-efficacy, and application skills. A quasi-experimental design assessed the impact of a curriculum (PBLI quality improvement systems compared with non-PBLI) on internal medicine residents' learning during a 4-week ambulatory block. We measured application skills, self-efficacy, and knowledge by using the Systems Quality Improvement Training and Assessment Tool. Exit evaluations assessed time invested and experiences related to the team projects and suggestions for improving the curriculum. Results The 2 groups showed differences in change scores. Relative to the comparison group, residents in the PBLI curriculum demonstrated a significant increase in the belief about their ability to implement a continuous quality improvement project (P  =  .020), comfort level in developing data collection plans (P  =  .010), and total knowledge scores (P < .001), after adjusting for prior PBLI experience. Participants in the PBLI curriculum also demonstrated significant improvement in providing a more complete aim statement for a proposed project after adjusting for prior PBLI experience (P  =  .001). Exit evaluations were completed by 96% of PBLI curriculum participants who reported high satisfaction with team performance. Conclusion Residents in our curriculum showed gains in areas fundamental for PBLI competency. The observed improvements were related to fundamental quality improvement knowledge, with limited gain in application skills. This suggests that while heading in the right direction, we need to conceptualize and structure PBLI training in a way that integrates it throughout the residency program and fosters the application of this knowledge and these skills. PMID:22379523

Pilot study evaluating a practice-based learning and improvement curriculum focusing on the development of system-level quality improvement skills.

PubMed

Tomolo, Anne M; Lawrence, Renée H; Watts, Brook; Augustine, Sarah; Aron, David C; Singh, Mamta K

2011-03-01

We developed a practice-based learning and improvement (PBLI) curriculum to address important gaps in components of content and experiential learning activities through didactics and participation in systems-level quality improvement projects that focus on making changes in health care processes. We evaluated the impact of our curriculum on resident PBLI knowledge, self-efficacy, and application skills. A quasi-experimental design assessed the impact of a curriculum (PBLI quality improvement systems compared with non-PBLI) on internal medicine residents' learning during a 4-week ambulatory block. We measured application skills, self-efficacy, and knowledge by using the Systems Quality Improvement Training and Assessment Tool. Exit evaluations assessed time invested and experiences related to the team projects and suggestions for improving the curriculum. The 2 groups showed differences in change scores. Relative to the comparison group, residents in the PBLI curriculum demonstrated a significant increase in the belief about their ability to implement a continuous quality improvement project (P  =  .020), comfort level in developing data collection plans (P  =  .010), and total knowledge scores (P < .001), after adjusting for prior PBLI experience. Participants in the PBLI curriculum also demonstrated significant improvement in providing a more complete aim statement for a proposed project after adjusting for prior PBLI experience (P  =  .001). Exit evaluations were completed by 96% of PBLI curriculum participants who reported high satisfaction with team performance. Residents in our curriculum showed gains in areas fundamental for PBLI competency. The observed improvements were related to fundamental quality improvement knowledge, with limited gain in application skills. This suggests that while heading in the right direction, we need to conceptualize and structure PBLI training in a way that integrates it throughout the residency program and fosters the application of this knowledge and these skills.

Bootstrap Signal-to-Noise Confidence Intervals: An Objective Method for Subject Exclusion and Quality Control in ERP Studies

PubMed Central

Parks, Nathan A.; Gannon, Matthew A.; Long, Stephanie M.; Young, Madeleine E.

2016-01-01

Analysis of event-related potential (ERP) data includes several steps to ensure that ERPs meet an appropriate level of signal quality. One such step, subject exclusion, rejects subject data if ERP waveforms fail to meet an appropriate level of signal quality. Subject exclusion is an important quality control step in the ERP analysis pipeline as it ensures that statistical inference is based only upon those subjects exhibiting clear evoked brain responses. This critical quality control step is most often performed simply through visual inspection of subject-level ERPs by investigators. Such an approach is qualitative, subjective, and susceptible to investigator bias, as there are no standards as to what constitutes an ERP of sufficient signal quality. Here, we describe a standardized and objective method for quantifying waveform quality in individual subjects and establishing criteria for subject exclusion. The approach uses bootstrap resampling of ERP waveforms (from a pool of all available trials) to compute a signal-to-noise ratio confidence interval (SNR-CI) for individual subject waveforms. The lower bound of this SNR-CI (SNRLB) yields an effective and objective measure of signal quality as it ensures that ERP waveforms statistically exceed a desired signal-to-noise criterion. SNRLB provides a quantifiable metric of individual subject ERP quality and eliminates the need for subjective evaluation of waveform quality by the investigator. We detail the SNR-CI methodology, establish the efficacy of employing this approach with Monte Carlo simulations, and demonstrate its utility in practice when applied to ERP datasets. PMID:26903849

Branched-chain amino acids as biomarkers in diabetes.

PubMed

Giesbertz, Pieter; Daniel, Hannelore

2016-01-01

Numerous human studies have consistently demonstrated that concentrations of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in plasma and urine are associated with insulin resistance and have the quality to predict diabetes development. However, it is not known how altered BCAA levels link to insulin action and diabetes. This review addresses some recent findings in BCAA metabolism and discusses their role as reporter molecules of insulin sensitivity and diabetes and their possible contribution to disease progression. Changes in plasma and urine levels result mainly from altered metabolism in tissues and recent studies have thus focused on organ-specific changes in BCAA handling using animal models and human tissue samples. A decreased mitochondrial oxidation has been demonstrated in peripheral tissues and that was shown to be associated with an increased inflammatory tone and changes in adipokine levels (adiponectin and leptin). These changes appear already before insulin resistance is established. Key findings demonstrating the discordance between changes in BCAA and insulin resistance are derived from studies using insulin sensitizers and from data collected in patients undergoing Roux-en-Y bypass bariatric surgery. Intermediates derived from BCAA breakdown rather than BCAA itself were recently proposed to contribute to the development of insulin resistance and studies now explore the biomarker qualities of these metabolites. Understanding the mechanisms and putative causalities in the alterations in BCAA levels as found in obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes is crucial for any intervention options but also for the use of BCAA and derivatives as biomarkers in clinical routine.

75 FR 28788 - Preferred Supplier Program (PSP)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-24

... of the Navy, Acquisition and Logistics Management (DASN (A&LM)), is soliciting comments that the...; in the areas of cost, schedule, performance, quality, and business relations would be granted... demonstrated exemplary performance, at the corporate level, in the areas of cost, schedule, performance...

38 CFR 52.120 - Quality of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being, in accordance with... of nutritional status, such as body weight and protein levels, unless the participant's clinical condition demonstrates that this is not possible; and (2) Receives a therapeutic diet when a nutritional...

38 CFR 52.120 - Quality of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being, in accordance with... of nutritional status, such as body weight and protein levels, unless the participant's clinical condition demonstrates that this is not possible; and (2) Receives a therapeutic diet when a nutritional...

38 CFR 52.120 - Quality of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being, in accordance with... of nutritional status, such as body weight and protein levels, unless the participant's clinical condition demonstrates that this is not possible; and (2) Receives a therapeutic diet when a nutritional...

Bayesian framework inspired no-reference region-of-interest quality measure for brain MRI images

PubMed Central

Osadebey, Michael; Pedersen, Marius; Arnold, Douglas; Wendel-Mitoraj, Katrina

2017-01-01

Abstract. We describe a postacquisition, attribute-based quality assessment method for brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images. It is based on the application of Bayes theory to the relationship between entropy and image quality attributes. The entropy feature image of a slice is segmented into low- and high-entropy regions. For each entropy region, there are three separate observations of contrast, standard deviation, and sharpness quality attributes. A quality index for a quality attribute is the posterior probability of an entropy region given any corresponding region in a feature image where quality attribute is observed. Prior belief in each entropy region is determined from normalized total clique potential (TCP) energy of the slice. For TCP below the predefined threshold, the prior probability for a region is determined by deviation of its percentage composition in the slice from a standard normal distribution built from 250 MRI volume data provided by Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. For TCP above the threshold, the prior is computed using a mathematical model that describes the TCP–noise level relationship in brain MRI images. Our proposed method assesses the image quality of each entropy region and the global image. Experimental results demonstrate good correlation with subjective opinions of radiologists for different types and levels of quality distortions. PMID:28630885

Telephone-quality pathological speech classification using empirical mode decomposition.

PubMed

Kaleem, M F; Ghoraani, B; Guergachi, A; Krishnan, S

2011-01-01

This paper presents a computationally simple and effective methodology based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD) for classification of telephone quality normal and pathological speech signals. EMD is used to decompose continuous normal and pathological speech signals into intrinsic mode functions, which are analyzed to extract physically meaningful and unique temporal and spectral features. Using continuous speech samples from a database of 51 normal and 161 pathological speakers, which has been modified to simulate telephone quality speech under different levels of noise, a linear classifier is used with the feature vector thus obtained to obtain a high classification accuracy, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of the methodology. The classification accuracy reported in this paper (89.7% for signal-to-noise ratio 30 dB) is a significant improvement over previously reported results for the same task, and demonstrates the utility of our methodology for cost-effective remote voice pathology assessment over telephone channels.

Does standardised structured reporting contribute to quality in diagnostic pathology? The importance of evidence-based datasets.

PubMed

Ellis, D W; Srigley, J

2016-01-01

Key quality parameters in diagnostic pathology include timeliness, accuracy, completeness, conformance with current agreed standards, consistency and clarity in communication. In this review, we argue that with worldwide developments in eHealth and big data, generally, there are two further, often overlooked, parameters if our reports are to be fit for purpose. Firstly, population-level studies have clearly demonstrated the value of providing timely structured reporting data in standardised electronic format as part of system-wide quality improvement programmes. Moreover, when combined with multiple health data sources through eHealth and data linkage, structured pathology reports become central to population-level quality monitoring, benchmarking, interventions and benefit analyses in public health management. Secondly, population-level studies, particularly for benchmarking, require a single agreed international and evidence-based standard to ensure interoperability and comparability. This has been taken for granted in tumour classification and staging for many years, yet international standardisation of cancer datasets is only now underway through the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR). In this review, we present evidence supporting the role of structured pathology reporting in quality improvement for both clinical care and population-level health management. Although this review of available evidence largely relates to structured reporting of cancer, it is clear that the same principles can be applied throughout anatomical pathology generally, as they are elsewhere in the health system.

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

Mills, G.J.; Brown, G.G.; Waterman, D.D.

The feasibility of prestressing commercial boron/epoxy and graphite/epoxy prepreg material to higher strengths and lower property dispersions is demonstrated. Its practical application as an on-line process for improving quality levels is possible with minor modifications to current experimental practice. The mechanics of the bendstressing method affects a controlled alteration in the fiber defect content to the extent that composite improvements can be achieved approaching the inherent fiber quality with dispersions in properties reduced to the 1 to 2% range. (Author, modified-PL)

[Discussion on research thinking of traditional Chinese medicine standardization system based on whole process quality control].

PubMed

Dong, Ling; Sun, Yu; Pei, Wen-Xuan; Dai, Jun-Dong; Wang, Zi-Yu; Pan, Meng; Chen, Jiang-Peng; Wang, Yun

2017-12-01

The concept of "Quality by design" indicates that good design for the whole life cycle of pharmaceutical production enables the drug to meet the expected quality requirements. Aiming at the existing problems of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry, the TCM standardization system was put forward in this paper from the national strategic level, under the guidance by the idea of quality control in international manufacturing industry and with considerations of TCM industry's own characteristics and development status. The connotation of this strategy was to establish five interrelated systems: multi-indicators system based on tri-indicators system, quality standard and specification system of TCM herbal materials and decoction pieces, quality traceability system, data monitoring system based on whole-process quality control, and whole-process quality management system of TCM, and achieve the whole process systematic and scientific study in TCM industry through "top-level design-implement in steps-system integration" workflow. This article analyzed the correlation between the quality standards of all links, established standard operating procedures of each link and whole process, and constructed a high standard overall quality management system for TCM industry chains, in order to provide a demonstration for the establishment of TCM whole-process quality control system and provide systematic reference and basis for standardization strategy in TCM industry. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

The Relationship Between Sexual Function and Quality of Sleep in Caregiving Mothers of Sons with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

PubMed Central

Nozoe, Karen T; Hachul, Helena; Hirotsu, Camila; Polesel, Daniel N; Moreira, Gustavo A; Tufik, Sergio; Andersen, Monica L

2014-01-01

Introduction The task of the caregiver, especially a caregiving mother of a son with a chronic and fatal disease, may interfere with their quality of sleep, sexuality, and some hormone levels. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the sexual function and the quality of sleep of caregiving mothers of sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Methods We evaluated 20 caregiving mothers of sons with DMD and 20 caregiving mothers of sons without any neuromuscular or chronic disease. All of them voluntarily responded to the evaluating questionnaires about their sexuality and their quality of sleep, and gave blood samples to evaluate their hormonal levels. Main Outcome Measures All mothers were evaluated using the questionnaire of Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Pittsburgh questionnaire (PSQI). The blood samples were tested to determine serum levels of testosterone, estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, progesterone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol. Results Caregiving mothers of sons with DMD had significantly lower scores in the FSFI questionnaire, suggesting a higher risk for sexual dysfunction. The PSQI demonstrated that these caregiving mothers present increased sleep latency, reduced sleep efficiency, daytime dysfunction, and poor sleep quality. Blood tests showed a rise in cortisol levels, which correlated with the compromised sexuality and quality of sleep. Conclusions This study indicates that caregiving mothers of sons with DMD show major risk for sexual dysfunction and a reduction in their quality of sleep mediated in part by the hormonal changes related to stress. Nozoe KT, Hachul H, Hirotsu C, Polesel DN, Moreira GA, Tufik S, and Andersen ML. The relationship between sexual function and quality of sleep in caregiving mothers of sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Sex Med 2014;2:133–140. PMID:25356310

Component-Level Selection and Qualification for the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Laser Altimeter Transmitter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frese, Erich A.; Chiragh, Furqan L.; Switzer, Robert; Vasilyev, Aleksey A.; Thomes, Joe; Coyle, D. Barry; Stysley, Paul R.

2018-01-01

Flight quality solid-state lasers require a unique and extensive set of testing and qualification processes, both at the system and component levels to insure the laser's promised performance. As important as the overall laser transmitter design is, the quality and performance of individual subassemblies, optics, and electro-optics dictate the final laser unit's quality. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) laser transmitters employ all the usual components typical for a diode-pumped, solid-state laser, yet must each go through their own individual process of specification, modeling, performance demonstration, inspection, and destructive testing. These qualification processes and results for the laser crystals, laser diode arrays, electro-optics, and optics, will be reviewed as well as the relevant critical issues encountered, prior to their installation in the GEDI flight laser units.

Just-in-time: maximizing its success potential.

PubMed

Johnston, S K

1990-08-01

The effective implementation and use of JIT manufacturing practices depends largely on the education, training, and commitment of all levels of management to a fundamental quality-first policy. Management must transfer and demonstrate that commitment to every level and extension of the manufacturing endeavor. As a company establishes and reaches toward that goal, the move to JIT manufacturing practices becomes rational and justifiable. Failing to establish and commit to a quality directive greatly diminishes the potential benefits of JIT. If all levels of manufacturing participate in the JIT planning, implementing, and maintenance procedure, the realization of positive change and improvement drives the process. Total participation makes the task of JIT implementation not only possible, but practical. Enhanced mutual respect for all concerned is a likely consequence, advancing the productive environment.

Online bargaining and interpersonal trust.

PubMed

Naquin, Charles E; Paulson, Gaylen D

2003-02-01

The presented study explores the effect of interacting over the Internet on interpersonal trust when bargaining online. Relative to face-to-face negotiations, online negotiations were characterized by (a) lower levels of pre-negotiation trust and (b) lower levels of post-negotiation trust. The reduced levels of pre-negotiation trust in online negotiations (i.e., before any interaction took place) demonstrate that negotiators bring different expectations to the electronic bargaining table than to face-to-face negotiations. These negative perceptions of trust were found to mediate another aspect of the relationship, namely, desired future interaction. Those who negotiated online reported less desire for future interactions with the other party. Online negotiators also were less satisfied with their outcome and less confident in the quality of their performance, despite the absence of observable differences in economic outcome quality.

(abstract) Using TOPEX/Poseidon Sea Level Observations to Test the Sensitivity of an Ocean Model to Wind Forcing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fu, Lee-Lueng; Chao, Yi

1996-01-01

It has been demonstrated that current-generation global ocean general circulation models (OGCM) are able to simulate large-scale sea level variations fairly well. In this study, a GFDL/MOM-based OGCM was used to investigate its sensitivity to different wind forcing. Simulations of global sea level using wind forcing from the ERS-1 Scatterometer and the NMC operational analysis were compared to the observations made by the TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) radar altimeter for a two-year period. The result of the study has demonstrated the sensitivity of the OGCM to the quality of wind forcing, as well as the synergistic use of two spaceborne sensors in advancing the study of wind-driven ocean dynamics.

42 CFR 483.25 - Quality of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial... body weight and protein levels, unless the resident's clinical condition demonstrates that this is not possible; and (2) Receives a therapeutic diet when there is a nutritional problem. (j) Hydration. The...

42 CFR 483.25 - Quality of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial... body weight and protein levels, unless the resident's clinical condition demonstrates that this is not possible; and (2) Receives a therapeutic diet when there is a nutritional problem. (j) Hydration. The...

42 CFR 483.25 - Quality of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial... body weight and protein levels, unless the resident's clinical condition demonstrates that this is not possible; and (2) Receives a therapeutic diet when there is a nutritional problem. (j) Hydration. The...

42 CFR 483.25 - Quality of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial... body weight and protein levels, unless the resident's clinical condition demonstrates that this is not possible; and (2) Receives a therapeutic diet when there is a nutritional problem. (j) Hydration. The...

42 CFR 483.25 - Quality of care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial... body weight and protein levels, unless the resident's clinical condition demonstrates that this is not possible; and (2) Receives a therapeutic diet when there is a nutritional problem. (j) Hydration. The...

Current State of the Evidence: Air Pollution Impacts on Human Health

EPA Science Inventory

Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated a consistent association between ambient levels of air pollution and adverse human health effects, including mortality and morbidity. Many of these studies have relied on the US Air Quality System (AQS) for exposure assessment. The AQS is a...

Using machine learning for sequence-level automated MRI protocol selection in neuroradiology.

PubMed

Brown, Andrew D; Marotta, Thomas R

2018-05-01

Incorrect imaging protocol selection can lead to important clinical findings being missed, contributing to both wasted health care resources and patient harm. We present a machine learning method for analyzing the unstructured text of clinical indications and patient demographics from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) orders to automatically protocol MRI procedures at the sequence level. We compared 3 machine learning models - support vector machine, gradient boosting machine, and random forest - to a baseline model that predicted the most common protocol for all observations in our test set. The gradient boosting machine model significantly outperformed the baseline and demonstrated the best performance of the 3 models in terms of accuracy (95%), precision (86%), recall (80%), and Hamming loss (0.0487). This demonstrates the feasibility of automating sequence selection by applying machine learning to MRI orders. Automated sequence selection has important safety, quality, and financial implications and may facilitate improvements in the quality and safety of medical imaging service delivery.

Assessing Demographic Differences in Patient-Perceived Improvement in Facial Appearance and Quality of Life Following Rhinoplasty

PubMed Central

Schwitzer, Jonathan A.; Albino, Frank P.; Mathis, Ryan K.; Scott, Amie M.; Gamble, Laurie; Baker, Stephen B.

2015-01-01

Background As rhinoplasty patient demographics evolve, surgeons must consider the impact of demographics on patient satisfaction. Objectives The objective of this study was to identify independent demographic predictors of differences in satisfaction with appearance and quality of life following rhinoplasty utilizing the FACE-Q patient-reported outcome instrument. Methods Patients presenting for rhinoplasty completed the following FACE-Q scales: Satisfaction with Facial Appearance, Satisfaction with Nose, Social Function, and Psychological Well-being. Higher FACE-Q scores indicate greater satisfaction with appearance or superior quality of life. Pre- and post-treatment scores were compared in the context of patient demographics. Results The scales were completed by 59 patients. Women demonstrated statistically significant improvements in Satisfaction with Facial Appearance and quality of life while men only experienced significant improvement in Satisfaction with Facial appearance. Caucasians demonstrated statistically significant improvement in Satisfaction with Facial Appearance and quality of life while non-Caucasians did not. Patients younger than 35 years old were more likely to experience enhanced Satisfaction with Facial Appearance and quality of life compared with patients older than 35 years old. Patients with income ≥$100,000 were more likely to experience significant increases in Satisfaction with Facial Appearance and quality of life than patients with incomes <$100,000. Conclusions In an objective study using a validated patient-reported outcome instrument, the authors were able to quantify differences in the clinically meaningful change in perception of appearance and quality of life that rhinoplasty patients gain based on demographic variables. The authors also demonstrated that these variables are potential predictors of differences in satisfaction. Level of Evidence 3 Therapeutic PMID:26063837

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

Woodford, William

This document is the final technical report from 24M Technologies on the project titled: Low Cost, Structurally Advanced Novel Electrode and Cell Manufacturing. All of the program milestones and deliverables were completed during the performance of the award. Specific accomplishments are 1) 24M demonstrated the processability and electrochemical performance of semi-solid electrodes with active volume contents increased by 10% relative to the program baseline; 2) electrode-level metrics, quality, and yield were demonstrated at an 80 cm 2 electrode footprint; 3) these electrodes were integrated into cells with consistent capacities and impedances, including cells delivered to Argonne National Laboratory for independentmore » testing; 4) those processes were scaled to a large-format (> 260 cm 2) electrode footprint and quality and yield were demonstrated; 5) a high-volume manufacturing approach for large-format electrode fabrication was demonstrated; and 6) large-format cells (> 100 Ah capacity) were prototyped with consistent capacity and impedance, including cells which were delivered to Argonne National Laboratory for independent testing.« less

An Investigation of Large Aircraft Handling Qualities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joyce, Richard D.

An analytical technique for investigating transport aircraft handling qualities is exercised in a study using models of two such vehicles, a Boeing 747 and Lockheed C-5A. Two flight conditions are employed for climb and directional tasks, and a third included for a flare task. The analysis technique is based upon a "structural model" of the human pilot developed by Hess. The associated analysis procedure has been discussed previously in the literature, but centered almost exclusively on the characteristics of high-performance fighter aircraft. The handling qualities rating level (HQRL) and pilot induced oscillation tendencies rating level (PIORL) are predicted for nominal configurations of the aircraft and for "damaged" configurations where actuator rate limits are introduced as nonlinearites. It is demonstrated that the analysis can accommodate nonlinear pilot/vehicle behavior and do so in the context of specific flight tasks, yielding estimates of handling qualities, pilot-induced oscillation tendencies and upper limits of task performance. A brief human-in-the-loop tracking study was performed to provide a limited validation of the pilot model employed.

Groundwater quality assessment plan for single-shell waste management area B-BX-BY at the Hanford Site

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

SM Narbutovskih

2000-03-31

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducted a first determination groundwater quality assessment at the Hanford Site. This work was performed for the US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, in accordance with the Federal Facility Compliance Agreement during the time period 1996--1998. The purpose of the assessment was to determine if waste from the Single-Shell Tank (SST) Waste Management Area (WMA) B-BX-BY had entered the groundwater at levels above the drinking water standards (DWS). The resulting assessment report documented evidence demonstrating that waste from the WMA has, most likely, impacted groundwater quality. Based on 40 CFR 265.93 [d] paragraph (7), themore » owner-operator must continue to make the minimum required determinations of contaminant level and of rate/extent of migrations on a quarterly basis until final facility closure. These continued determinations are required because the groundwater quality assessment was implemented prior to final closure of the facility.« less

Automated daily quality control analysis for mammography in a multi-unit imaging center.

PubMed

Sundell, Veli-Matti; Mäkelä, Teemu; Meaney, Alexander; Kaasalainen, Touko; Savolainen, Sauli

2018-01-01

Background The high requirements for mammography image quality necessitate a systematic quality assurance process. Digital imaging allows automation of the image quality analysis, which can potentially improve repeatability and objectivity compared to a visual evaluation made by the users. Purpose To develop an automatic image quality analysis software for daily mammography quality control in a multi-unit imaging center. Material and Methods An automated image quality analysis software using the discrete wavelet transform and multiresolution analysis was developed for the American College of Radiology accreditation phantom. The software was validated by analyzing 60 randomly selected phantom images from six mammography systems and 20 phantom images with different dose levels from one mammography system. The results were compared to a visual analysis made by four reviewers. Additionally, long-term image quality trends of a full-field digital mammography system and a computed radiography mammography system were investigated. Results The automated software produced feature detection levels comparable to visual analysis. The agreement was good in the case of fibers, while the software detected somewhat more microcalcifications and characteristic masses. Long-term follow-up via a quality assurance web portal demonstrated the feasibility of using the software for monitoring the performance of mammography systems in a multi-unit imaging center. Conclusion Automated image quality analysis enables monitoring the performance of digital mammography systems in an efficient, centralized manner.

Interrater reliability levels of multiple clinical examiners in the evaluation of a schizophrenic patient: quality of life, level of functioning, and neuropsychological symptomatology.

PubMed

Cicchetti, D V; Rosenheck, R; Showalter, D; Charney, D; Cramer, J

1999-05-01

Sir Ronald Fisher used a single-subject design to derive the concepts of appropriate research design, randomization, sensitivity, and tests of statistical significance. The seminal work of Broca demonstrated that valid and generalizable findings can and have emerged from studies of a single patient in neuropsychology. In order to assess the reliability and/or validity of any clinical phenomena that derive from single subject research, it becomes necessary to apply appropriate biostatistical methodology. The authors develop just such an approach and apply it successfully to the evaluation of the functioning, quality of life, and neuropsychological symptomatology of a single schizophrenic patient.

Selected highly charged ions as prospective candidates for optical clocks with quality factors larger than 1015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yan-mei; Sahoo, B. K.

2018-04-01

The Ni12 +, Cu13 +, Pd12 +, and Ag13 + highly charged ions (HCIs) are proposed for making very accurate optical clocks with the fractional uncertainties below 10-19 level. These HCIs have simple atomic energy levels, clock transitions with quality factors larger than 1015, and optical magnetic-dipole (M 1 ) transitions that can be used for laser cooling and detecting quantum jumps on the clock transitions by the shelving method. To demonstrate the projected fractional uncertainties, we estimate orders of magnitude of the Zeeman, Stark, blackbody radiation, and electric quadrupole shifts of the clock transitions by performing calculations of the relevant atomic properties in the above HCIs.

[The significance of meat quality in marketing].

PubMed

Kallweit, E

1994-07-01

Food quality in general and meat quality in particular are not only evaluated by means of objective quality traits but the entire production process is gaining more attention by the modern consumer. Due to this development quality programs were developed to define the majority of the processes in all production and marketing steps which are again linked by contracts. Not all of these items are quality relevant, but are concessions to ethic principles (animal welfare etc.). This is demonstrated by the example of Scharrel-pork production. The price differentiation at the pork market is still influenced predominantly by quantitative carcass traits. On the European market quality programs still are of minor significance. Premiums which are paid for high quality standards are more or less compensated by higher production costs and lower lean meat percentages, which must be expected in stress susceptible strains. The high efforts to establish quality programs, however, help to improve the quality level in general, and secure the market shares for local producers.

A Decadal Spatial and Temporal Analysis of PM10 in Istanbul: 1998-2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilic, D.; Baltacibasi, S.; Unal, A.; Kindap, T.

2012-04-01

This study provides valuable new insights into the key contributors to ambient air quality in Istanbul, one of the largest mega-cities in Europe. The study builds on work in Europe that links air quality with national dynamics such as economical, vehicle activity and, meteorology in the long-term. Spatial and temporal analysis was performed on PM10 levels measured at 10 air quality monitoring sta- tions (AQMSs) in Istanbul from 1998 to 2008. The analysis found that ambient air quality levels are linked with winter temperatures as well as economic activity. The mean annual PM10 levels in 2001 are among the three lowest years in the period. This decrease corresponds with daily temperature data and annual number of heating degree days which shows that 2001 was one of the warmest winters in Istanbul. Warmer temperatures led to a decrease in energy demand for heating purposes, as demonstrated by the coal sales data. Low ambient air quality levels in 2001 also correspond to a decrease in gross domestic product and electricity demand due to the national economic crisis in March 2001 which affected industrial activity and as a result industrial and energy production related emissions. The study also found that air quality levels in Istanbul are a threat to human health and the environment. Based on the annual and seasonal PM10 profiles of the stations, 5 of the 6 AQMSs in the European Side of the city had mean PM10 values above the EU limit for PM10 for over 50% of the time. According to the linear regression analysis, there is no significant increase or decrease in the annual PM10 trend in Istanbul, this may be due warm winter and economic crisis in 2001.

Brief Report: How Anxiously Withdrawn Preadolescents Think about Friendship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fredstrom, Bridget K.; Rose-Krasnor, Linda; Campbell, Kelly; Rubin, Kenneth H.; Booth-LaForce, Cathryn; Burgess, Kim B.

2012-01-01

Previous research suggests that anxiously withdrawn preadolescents demonstrate success in forming friendships, yet these friendships tend to be of lesser quality. Drawing on Selman's (1980) theory of interpersonal understanding, we compared levels of friendship understanding between anxiously withdrawn preadolescents and a sample of non-withdrawn…

Greening the Engineering and Technology Curriculum via Real Life Hands-on Projects

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This paper aims at demonstrating how greening efforts can be embedded into science and engineering courses without major curricular changes. In this regard, examples of final projects assigned in a statistical quality control, a 500-level, graduate engineering course, focusing on campus sustainabili...

Teaching Affective Qualities in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heidorn, Brent; Welch, Mindy M.

2010-01-01

Physical educators at all levels have observed learners in a school-based physical education setting as well as physical activity or sport settings outside of organized school curricula demonstrating behaviors deemed inappropriate or inconsistent with professional standards. Because sport is such a public, social, and international phenomenon,…

Recognizable or Not: Towards Image Semantic Quality Assessment for Compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Dong; Wang, Dandan; Li, Houqiang

2017-12-01

Traditionally, image compression was optimized for the pixel-wise fidelity or the perceptual quality of the compressed images given a bit-rate budget. But recently, compressed images are more and more utilized for automatic semantic analysis tasks such as recognition and retrieval. For these tasks, we argue that the optimization target of compression is no longer perceptual quality, but the utility of the compressed images in the given automatic semantic analysis task. Accordingly, we propose to evaluate the quality of the compressed images neither at pixel level nor at perceptual level, but at semantic level. In this paper, we make preliminary efforts towards image semantic quality assessment (ISQA), focusing on the task of optical character recognition (OCR) from compressed images. We propose a full-reference ISQA measure by comparing the features extracted from text regions of original and compressed images. We then propose to integrate the ISQA measure into an image compression scheme. Experimental results show that our proposed ISQA measure is much better than PSNR and SSIM in evaluating the semantic quality of compressed images; accordingly, adopting our ISQA measure to optimize compression for OCR leads to significant bit-rate saving compared to using PSNR or SSIM. Moreover, we perform subjective test about text recognition from compressed images, and observe that our ISQA measure has high consistency with subjective recognizability. Our work explores new dimensions in image quality assessment, and demonstrates promising direction to achieve higher compression ratio for specific semantic analysis tasks.

Aerosol distribution during open suctioning and long-term surveillance of air quality in a respiratory care center within a medical center.

PubMed

Chung, Fen-Fang; Lin, Hui-Ling; Liu, Hsueh-Erh; Lien, Angela Shin-Yu; Hsiao, Hsiu-Feng; Chou, Lan-Ti; Wan, Gwo-Hwa

2015-01-01

The investigation of hospital air quality has been conducted in wards, ICUs, operating theaters, and public areas. Few studies have assessed air quality in respiratory care centers (RCCs), especially in mechanically ventilated patients with open suctioning. The RCC air quality indices (temperature, relative humidity, levels of CO2, total volatile organic compounds, particulate matter [PM], bacteria, and fungi) were monitored over 1 y. The air around the patient's head was sampled during open suctioning to examine the probability of bioaerosol exposure affecting health-care workers. This investigation found that the levels of indoor air pollutants (CO2, PM, bacteria, and fungi) were below the indoor air quality standard set by the Taiwan Environmental Protection Agency. Meanwhile, the levels of total volatile organic compounds sometimes exceeded the indoor air quality standard, particularly in August. The identified bacterial genera included Micrococcus species, Corynebacterium species, and Staphylococcus species, and the predominant fungal genera included yeast, Aspergillus species, Scopulariopsis species, and Trichoderma species. Additionally, airborne PM2.5, PM1, and bacteria were clearly raised during open suctioning in mechanically ventilated patients. This phenomenon demonstrated that open suctioning may increase the bacterial exposure risk of health-care workers. RCC air quality deserves long-term monitoring and evaluation. Health-care workers must implement self-protection strategies during open suctioning to ensure their occupational health and safety in health-care settings. Copyright © 2015 by Daedalus Enterprises.

The Application of Remote Sensing Techniques to Urban Data Acquisition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horton, F. E.

1971-01-01

The application of remote sensing techniques useful in acquiring data concerning housing quality is discussed. Conclusions reached from the investigation were: (1) Use of individuals with a higher degree of training in photointerpretation should significantly increase the percentage of successful classifications. (2) Small area classification of urban housing quality can definitely be accomplished via high resolution aerial photography. Such surveys, at the levels of accuracy demonstrated, can be of major utility in quick look surveys. (3) Survey costs should be significantly reduced.

Adaptive quantization-parameter clip scheme for smooth quality in H.264/AVC.

PubMed

Hu, Sudeng; Wang, Hanli; Kwong, Sam

2012-04-01

In this paper, we investigate the issues over the smooth quality and the smooth bit rate during rate control (RC) in H.264/AVC. An adaptive quantization-parameter (Q(p)) clip scheme is proposed to optimize the quality smoothness while keeping the bit-rate fluctuation at an acceptable level. First, the frame complexity variation is studied by defining a complexity ratio between two nearby frames. Second, the range of the generated bits is analyzed to prevent the encoder buffer from overflow and underflow. Third, based on the safe range of the generated bits, an optimal Q(p) clip range is developed to reduce the quality fluctuation. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed Q(p) clip scheme can achieve excellent performance in quality smoothness and buffer regulation.

Effects of side-stick controllers on rotorcraft handling qualities for terrain flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aiken, E. W.

1985-01-01

Pertinent fixed and rotary-wing feasibility studies and handling-qualities research programs are reviewed and the effects of certain controller characteristics on handling qualities for specific rotorcraft flight tasks are summarized. The effects of the controller force-deflection relationship and the number of controlled axes that are integrated in a single controller are examined. Simulation studies were conducted which provide a significant part of the available handling qualities data. The studies demonstrate the feasibility of using a single, properly designed, limited-displacement, multiaxis controller for certain relatively routine flight tasks in a two-crew rotorcraft with nominal levels of stability and control augmentation with a high degree of reliability are incorporated, separated three or two-axis controller configurations are required for acceptable handling qualities.

Forging a novel provider and payer partnership in Wisconsin to compensate pharmacists for quality-driven pharmacy and medication therapy management services.

PubMed

Trapskin, Kari; Johnson, Curtis; Cory, Patrick; Sorum, Sarah; Decker, Chris

2009-01-01

To describe the Wisconsin Pharmacy Quality Collaborative (WPQC), a quality-based network of pharmacies and payers with the common goals of improving medication use and safety, reducing health care costs for payers and patients, and increasing professional recognition and compensation for pharmacist-provided services. Wisconsin between 2006 and 2009. Community (independent, chain, and health-system) pharmacies and private and public health care payers/purchasers with support from the McKesson Corporation. This initiative aligns incentives for pharmacies and payers through implementation of 12 quality-based pharmacy requirements as conditions of pharmacy participation in a practice-advancement pilot. Payers compensate network pharmacies that meet the quality-based requirements for two levels of pharmacy professional services (level 1, intervention-based services; level 2, comprehensive medication review and assessment services). The pilot project is designed to measure the following outcomes: medication-use quality improvements, frequency and types of services provided, drug therapy problems, patient safety, cost savings, identification of factors that facilitate pharmacist participation, and patient satisfaction. The Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin created the WPQC network, which consists of 53 pharmacies, 106 trained pharmacists, 45 student pharmacists, 6 pharmacy technicians, and 2 initial payers. A quality assurance process is followed approximately quarterly to audit the 12 network quality requirements. An evaluation of this collaboration is being conducted. This program demonstrates that collaboration among payers and pharmacists is possible and can result in the development of an incentive-aligned program that stresses quality patient care, standardized services, and professional service compensation for pharmacists. This combination of a quality-based credentialing process with a professional services reimbursement schedule is unique and has the promise to enhance the ambulatory pharmacy practice model.

Synthesizing Certified Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whalen, Michael; Schumann, Johann; Fischer, Bernd

2002-01-01

Code certification is a lightweight approach to demonstrate software quality on a formal level. Its basic idea is to require producers to provide formal proofs that their code satisfies certain quality properties. These proofs serve as certificates which can be checked independently. Since code certification uses the same underlying technology as program verification, it also requires many detailed annotations (e.g., loop invariants) to make the proofs possible. However, manually adding theses annotations to the code is time-consuming and error-prone. We address this problem by combining code certification with automatic program synthesis. We propose an approach to generate simultaneously, from a high-level specification, code and all annotations required to certify generated code. Here, we describe a certification extension of AUTOBAYES, a synthesis tool which automatically generates complex data analysis programs from compact specifications. AUTOBAYES contains sufficient high-level domain knowledge to generate detailed annotations. This allows us to use a general-purpose verification condition generator to produce a set of proof obligations in first-order logic. The obligations are then discharged using the automated theorem E-SETHEO. We demonstrate our approach by certifying operator safety for a generated iterative data classification program without manual annotation of the code.

Context-dependent colonization dynamics: Regional reward contagion drives local compression in aquatic beetles.

PubMed

Pintar, Matthew R; Resetarits, William J

2017-09-01

Habitat selection by colonizing organisms is an important factor in determining species abundance and community dynamics at multiple spatial scales. Many organisms select habitat patches based on intrinsic patch quality, but patches exist in complex landscapes linked by dispersal and colonization, forming metapopulations and metacommunities. Perceived patch quality can be influenced by neighbouring patches through spatial contagion, wherein perceived quality of one patch can extend beyond its borders and either increase or decrease the colonization of neighbouring patches and localities. These spatially explicit colonization dynamics can result in habitat compression, wherein more colonists occupy a patch or locality than in the absence of spatial context dependence. Previous work on contagion/compression focused primarily on the role of predators in driving colonization patterns. Our goal was to determine whether resource abundance can drive multi-scale colonization dynamics of aquatic beetles through the processes of contagion and compression in naturally colonized experimental pools. We established two levels (high/low quality) of within-patch resource abundances (leaf litter) using an experimental landscape of mesocosms, and assayed colonization by 35 species of aquatic beetles. Patches were arranged in localities (sets of two patches), which consisted of a combination of two patch-level resource levels in a 2 × 2 factorial design, allowing us to assay colonization at both locality and patch levels. We demonstrate that patterns of species abundance and richness of colonizing aquatic beetles are determined by patch quality and context-dependent processes at multiple spatial scales. Localities that consisted of at least one high-quality patch were colonized at equivalent rates that were higher than localities containing only low-quality patches, displaying regional reward contagion. In localities that consisted of one high- and one low-quality patch, reward contagion produced by higher leaf litter levels resulted in greater abundance of beetles in such localities, which then compressed into the highest quality patches. Our results provide further support for the critical roles of habitat selection and spatial context, particularly the quality of neighbouring habitat patches, in generating patterns of species abundances and community structure across landscapes. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2017 British Ecological Society.

Soccer Injury Movement Screen (SIMS) Composite Score Is Not Associated With Injury Among Semi-Professional Soccer Players.

PubMed

McCunn, Robert; Fünten, Karen Aus der; Whalan, Matthew; Sampson, John A; Meyer, Tim

2018-05-08

Study Design Prospective cohort. Background The association between movement quality and injury is equivocal. No soccer-specific movement assessment has been prospectively investigated in relation to injury risk. Objectives To investigate the association between a soccer-specific movement quality assessment and injury risk among semi-professional soccer players. Methods Semi-professional soccer players (n=306) from 12 clubs completed the Soccer Injury Movement Screen (SIMS) during the pre-season period. Individual training/match exposure and non-contact time loss injuries were recorded prospectively for the entirety of the 2016 season. Relative risks (RR) were calculated, and presented with 90% confidence intervals (CI), for the SIMS composite and individual sub-test scores from generalized linear models with Poisson distribution offset for exposure. Results When considering non-contact time loss lower extremity injuries (primary level of analysis), there was a most likely trivial association with the SIMS composite score. Similarly, SIMS composite score demonstrated most likely to likely trivial associations to all injury categories included in the secondary level of analysis (non-contact time loss hip/groin, thigh, knee and ankle injuries). When considering hamstring strains and ankle sprains specifically (tertiary level of analysis) the SIMS composite score, again, demonstrated very likely trivial associations. A total of 262 non-contact time loss injuries were recorded. The overall (training and match exposure combined) incidence of non-contact time loss injury was 12/1000 hours. Conclusion The SIMS composite score demonstrated no association to any of the investigated categories of soccer-related injury. The SIMS composite score should not be used to group players into 'high' or 'low' risk groups. Level of Evidence Prognosis, level 4. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, Epub 8 May 2018. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.8037.

Assessing Readability and Reliability of Online Patient Information Regarding Vestibular Schwannoma.

PubMed

Spiers, Harry; Amin, Nikul; Lakhani, Raj; Martin, Andrew J; Patel, Parag M

2017-12-01

The aim of this study is to objectively assess the quality and readability of websites related to vestibular schwannomas. Patients are increasingly seeking information on confirmed or suspected diagnoses through the Internet. Clinicians are often concerned regarding the accuracy, quality, and readability of web-based sites. Online information relating to vestibular schwannoma was searched using the three most popular search engines. The terms "acoustic neuroma" and "vestibular schwannoma" were used. The top 50 results from each site were assessed for readability using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease Score, and the Gunning-Fog Index. Quality of website information was scored using the DISCERN tool. Of 300 search results analyzed, 58 separate appropriate websites were identified. The mean readability score using Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level was 10.27 (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.84-10.70). The mean Flesch Reading Ease Score was 48.75 (95% CI 46.57-50.92). The Gunning-Fog Index was 13.40 (95% CI 12.92-13.89). These scores equate to someone finishing secondary school/first year university student. DISCERN scores were highly variable but consistently demonstrated great variability in quality of information. Online patient information on vestibular schwannoma is highly variable in quality. Although there are a wide range of different websites easily available to patients on their condition and its treatment options, the information is written at a difficult level which may exceed the understanding level of many patients as it is written at a higher than average level of expected reading ability.

Novel Primer Sets for Next Generation Sequencing-Based Analyses of Water Quality

PubMed Central

Lee, Elvina; Khurana, Maninder S.; Whiteley, Andrew S.; Monis, Paul T.; Bath, Andrew; Gordon, Cameron; Ryan, Una M.; Paparini, Andrea

2017-01-01

Next generation sequencing (NGS) has rapidly become an invaluable tool for the detection, identification and relative quantification of environmental microorganisms. Here, we demonstrate two new 16S rDNA primer sets, which are compatible with NGS approaches and are primarily for use in water quality studies. Compared to 16S rRNA gene based universal primers, in silico and experimental analyses demonstrated that the new primers showed increased specificity for the Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria phyla, allowing increased sensitivity for the detection, identification and relative quantification of toxic bloom-forming microalgae, microbial water quality bioindicators and common pathogens. Significantly, Cyanobacterial and Proteobacterial sequences accounted for ca. 95% of all sequences obtained within NGS runs (when compared to ca. 50% with standard universal NGS primers), providing higher sensitivity and greater phylogenetic resolution of key water quality microbial groups. The increased selectivity of the new primers allow the parallel sequencing of more samples through reduced sequence retrieval levels required to detect target groups, potentially reducing NGS costs by 50% but still guaranteeing optimal coverage and species discrimination. PMID:28118368

The ecological impacts of marine debris: unraveling the demonstrated evidence from what is perceived.

PubMed

Rochman, Chelsea M; Browne, Mark Anthony; Underwood, A J; van Franeker, Jan A; Thompson, Richard C; Amaral-Zettler, Linda A

2016-02-01

Anthropogenic debris contaminates marine habitats globally, leading to several perceived ecological impacts. Here, we critically and systematically review the literature regarding impacts of debris from several scientific fields to understand the weight of evidence regarding the ecological impacts of marine debris. We quantified perceived and demonstrated impacts across several levels of biological organization that make up the ecosystem and found 366 perceived threats of debris across all levels. Two hundred and ninety-six of these perceived threats were tested, 83% of which were demonstrated. The majority (82%) of demonstrated impacts were due to plastic, relative to other materials (e.g., metals, glass) and largely (89%) at suborganismal levels (e.g., molecular, cellular, tissue). The remaining impacts, demonstrated at higher levels of organization (i.e., death to individual organisms, changes in assemblages), were largely due to plastic marine debris (> 1 mm; e.g., rope, straws, and fragments). Thus, we show evidence of ecological impacts from marine debris, but conclude that the quantity and quality of research requires improvement to allow the risk of ecological impacts of marine debris to be determined with precision. Still, our systematic review suggests that sufficient evidence exists for decision makers to begin to mitigate problematic plastic debris now, to avoid risk of irreversible harm.

Canada-wide standards and innovative transboundary air quality initiatives.

PubMed

Barton, Jane

2008-01-01

Canada's approach to air quality management is one that has brought with it opportunities for the development of unique approaches to risk management. Even with Canada's relatively low levels of pollution, science has demonstrated clearly that air quality and ecosystem improvements are worthwhile. To achieve change and address air quality in Canada, Canadian governments work together since, under the constitution, they share responsibility for the environment. At the same time, because air pollution knows no boundaries, working with the governments of other nations is essential to get results. International cooperation at all levels provides opportunities with potential for real change. Cooperation within transboundary airsheds is proving a fruitful source of innovative opportunities to reduce cross-border barriers to air quality improvements. In relation to the NERAM Colloquium objective to establish principles for air quality management based on the identification of international best practice in air quality policy development and implementation, Canada has developed, both at home and with the United States, interesting air management strategies and initiatives from which certain lessons may be taken that could be useful in other countries with similar situations. In particular, the Canada-wide strategies for smog and acid rain were developed by Canadian governments, strategies that improve and protect air quality at home, while Canada-U.S. transboundary airshed projects provide examples of international initiatives to improve air quality.

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.

Efficient high-quality volume rendering of SPH data.

PubMed

Fraedrich, Roland; Auer, Stefan; Westermann, Rüdiger

2010-01-01

High quality volume rendering of SPH data requires a complex order-dependent resampling of particle quantities along the view rays. In this paper we present an efficient approach to perform this task using a novel view-space discretization of the simulation domain. Our method draws upon recent work on GPU-based particle voxelization for the efficient resampling of particles into uniform grids. We propose a new technique that leverages a perspective grid to adaptively discretize the view-volume, giving rise to a continuous level-of-detail sampling structure and reducing memory requirements compared to a uniform grid. In combination with a level-of-detail representation of the particle set, the perspective grid allows effectively reducing the amount of primitives to be processed at run-time. We demonstrate the quality and performance of our method for the rendering of fluid and gas dynamics SPH simulations consisting of many millions of particles.

Situations That Make Students Happy and Unhappy in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Göksoy, Süleyman

2017-01-01

Many research carried out so far have demonstrated that there is a direct relationship between individuals' happiness and aspects of their behaviours. That is to say, happiness has a positive relationship with life quality, job satisfaction, aggression, self-efficacy levels of individuals, vitality, optimism, altruism (self-sacrifice for the…

A procedure for estimating the frequency distribution of CO levels in the micro-region of a highway.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-01-01

This report demonstrates that the probability of violating a "not to be exceeded more than once per year", one-hour air quality standard can be bounded from above. This result represents a significant improvement over previous methods of ascertaining...

Social Indicators, Policy Analysis and Simulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, Dennis

1972-01-01

A secondary-level simulation designed to demonstrate the impact of policy, values, and technological and societal developments upon the quality of life within a hypothetical state is described. See related document ED 064 865 for availability of the actual game. By simulating the evaluation of policies in terms of social indicators, STAPOL (State…

Analysis of Follicular Fluid Retinoids in Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization

PubMed Central

Pauli, Samuel A.; Session, Donna R.; Shang, Weirong; Easley, Kirk; Wieser, Friedrich; Taylor, Robert N.; Pierzchalski, Keely; Napoli, Joseph L.; Kane, Maureen A.

2013-01-01

Retinol (ROL) and its biologically active metabolite, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), are essential for a number of reproductive processes. However, there is a paucity of information regarding their roles in ovarian folliculogenesis, oocyte maturation, and early embryogenesis. The objectives of this study were to quantify and compare peripheral plasma (PP) and follicular fluid (FF) retinoid levels, including ATRA in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and to investigate the relationship between retinoid levels and embryo quality. Retinoid levels were evaluated in PP and FF from 79 women undergoing IVF at the time of oocyte retrieval and corresponding embryo quality assessed on a daily basis after retrieval for 3 days until uterine transfer. Analysis compared the retinoid levels with day 3 embryo grades and between endometriosis versus control patients. Results demonstrated distinctive levels of retinoid metabolites and isomers in FF versus PP. There was a significantly larger percentage of high-quality grade I embryos derived from the largest versus smallest follicles. An increase in follicle size also correlated with a >50% increase in FF ROL and ATRA concentrations. Independent of follicle size, FF yielding grade I versus nongrade I embryos showed higher mean levels of ATRA but not ROL. In a nested case–control analysis, control participants had 50% higher mean levels of ATRA in their FF and PP than women with endometriosis. These findings strongly support the proposition that ATRA plays a fundamental role in oocyte development and quality, and that reduced ATRA synthesis may contribute to decreased fecundity of participants with endometriosis. PMID:23427183

Quality of patient education materials for rehabilitation after neurological surgery.

PubMed

Agarwal, Nitin; Sarris, Christina; Hansberry, David R; Lin, Matthew J; Barrese, James C; Prestigiacomo, Charles J

2013-01-01

To evaluate the quality of online patient education materials for rehabilitation following neurological surgery. Materials were obtained from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). After removing unnecessary formatting, the readability of each site was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level evaluations with Microsoft Office Word software. The average values of the Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level were 41.5 and 11.8, respectively, which are well outside the recommended reading levels for the average American. Moreover, no online section was written below a ninth grade reading level. Evaluations of several websites from the NINDS, NLM, AOTA, and AAOS demonstrated that their reading levels were higher than that of the average American. Improved readability might be beneficial for patient education. Ultimately, increased patient comprehension may correlate to positive clinical outcomes.

Ecological engineering helps maximize function in algal oil production.

PubMed

Jackrel, Sara L; Narwani, Anita; Bentlage, Bastian; Levine, Robert B; Hietala, David C; Savage, Phillip E; Oakley, Todd H; Denef, Vincent J; Cardinale, Bradley J

2018-05-18

Algal biofuels have the potential to curb emissions of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels, but current growing methods fail to produce fuels that meet the multiple standards necessary for economical industrial use. For example, algae grown as monocultures for biofuel production have not simultaneously and economically achieved high yields of the high-quality, lipid-rich biomass desired for the industrial-scale production of bio-oil. Decades of study in the field of ecology have demonstrated that simultaneous increases in multiple functions, such as the quantity and quality of biomass, can occur in natural ecosystems by increasing biological diversity. Here we show that species consortia of algae can improve the production of bio-oil, which benefits from both high biomass yield and high quality of biomass rich in fatty acids. We explain the underlying causes of increased quantity and quality of algal biomass among species consortia by showing that, relative to monocultures, species consortia can differentially regulate lipid metabolism genes while growing to higher levels of biomass, in part due to greater utilization of nutrient resources. We identify multiple genes involved in lipid biosynthesis that are frequently upregulated in bicultures, and further show that these elevated levels of gene expression are highly predictive of the elevated levels in biculture relative to monoculture of multiple quality metrics of algal biomass. These results show that interactions between species can alter the expression of lipid metabolism genes, and further demonstrate that our understanding of diversity-function relationships from natural ecosystems can be harnessed to improve production of bio-oil. Importance section: Algal biofuels are one of the more promising forms of renewable energy. In our study, we investigate whether ecological interactions between species of microalgae regulate two important factors in cultivation - the biomass of the crop produced and quality of the biomass that is produced. We find that species interactions often improved production yields, especially the fatty acid content of the algal biomass, and that differentially expressed genes involved in fatty acid metabolism are predictive of improved quality metrics of bio-oil. Other studies have found that diversity often improves productivity and stability in agricultural and natural ecosystems. Our results provide further evidence that growing multi-species crops of microalgae may improve the production of high-quality biomass for bio-oil. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Linking Dynamic Habitat Selection with Wading Bird Foraging Distributions across Resource Gradients

PubMed Central

Beerens, James M.; Noonburg, Erik G.; Gawlik, Dale E.

2015-01-01

Species distribution models (SDM) link species occurrence with a suite of environmental predictors and provide an estimate of habitat quality when the variable set captures the biological requirements of the species. SDMs are inherently more complex when they include components of a species’ ecology such as conspecific attraction and behavioral flexibility to exploit resources that vary across time and space. Wading birds are highly mobile, demonstrate flexible habitat selection, and respond quickly to changes in habitat quality; thus serving as important indicator species for wetland systems. We developed a spatio-temporal, multi-SDM framework using Great Egret (Ardea alba), White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), and Wood Stork (Mycteria Americana) distributions over a decadal gradient of environmental conditions to predict species-specific abundance across space and locations used on the landscape over time. In models of temporal dynamics, species demonstrated conditional preferences for resources based on resource levels linked to differing temporal scales. Wading bird abundance was highest when prey production from optimal periods of inundation was concentrated in shallow depths. Similar responses were observed in models predicting locations used over time, accounting for spatial autocorrelation. Species clustered in response to differing habitat conditions, indicating that social attraction can co-vary with foraging strategy, water-level changes, and habitat quality. This modeling framework can be applied to evaluate the multi-annual resource pulses occurring in real-time, climate change scenarios, or restorative hydrological regimes by tracking changing seasonal and annual distribution and abundance of high quality foraging patches. PMID:26107386

Linking dynamic habitat selection with wading bird foraging distributions across resource gradients

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beerens, James M.; Noonberg, Erik G.; Gawlik, Dale E.

2015-01-01

Species distribution models (SDM) link species occurrence with a suite of environmental predictors and provide an estimate of habitat quality when the variable set captures the biological requirements of the species. SDMs are inherently more complex when they include components of a species' ecology such as conspecific attraction and behavioral flexibility to exploit resources that vary across time and space. Wading birds are highly mobile, demonstrate flexible habitat selection, and respond quickly to changes in habitat quality; thus serving as important indicator species for wetland systems. We developed a spatio-temporal, multi-SDM framework using Great Egret (Ardea alba), White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), and Wood Stork (Mycteria Americana) distributions over a decadal gradient of environmental conditions to predict species-specific abundance across space and locations used on the landscape over time. In models of temporal dynamics, species demonstrated conditional preferences for resources based on resource levels linked to differing temporal scales. Wading bird abundance was highest when prey production from optimal periods of inundation was concentrated in shallow depths. Similar responses were observed in models predicting locations used over time, accounting for spatial autocorrelation. Species clustered in response to differing habitat conditions, indicating that social attraction can co-vary with foraging strategy, water-level changes, and habitat quality. This modeling framework can be applied to evaluate the multi-annual resource pulses occurring in real-time, climate change scenarios, or restorative hydrological regimes by tracking changing seasonal and annual distribution and abundance of high quality foraging patches.

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.

Classroom Quality at Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten and Children’s Social Skills and Behavior Problems

PubMed Central

Broekhuizen, Martine L.; Mokrova, Irina L.; Burchinal, Margaret R.; Garrett-Peters, Patricia T.

2016-01-01

Focusing on the continuity in the quality of classroom environments as children transition from preschool into elementary school, this study examined the associations between classroom quality in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten and children’s social skills and behavior problems in kindergarten and first grade. Participants included 1175 ethnically-diverse children (43% African American) living in low-wealth rural communities of the US. Results indicated that children who experienced higher levels of emotional and organizational classroom quality in both pre-kindergarten and kindergarten demonstrated better social skills and fewer behavior problems in both kindergarten and first grade comparing to children who did not experience higher classroom quality. The examination of the first grade results indicated that the emotional and organizational quality of pre-kindergarten classrooms was the strongest predictor of children’s first grade social skills and behavior problems. The study results are discussed from theoretical, practical, and policy perspectives. PMID:26949286

Image quality classification for DR screening using deep learning.

PubMed

FengLi Yu; Jing Sun; Annan Li; Jun Cheng; Cheng Wan; Jiang Liu

2017-07-01

The quality of input images significantly affects the outcome of automated diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening systems. Unlike the previous methods that only consider simple low-level features such as hand-crafted geometric and structural features, in this paper we propose a novel method for retinal image quality classification (IQC) that performs computational algorithms imitating the working of the human visual system. The proposed algorithm combines unsupervised features from saliency map and supervised features coming from convolutional neural networks (CNN), which are fed to an SVM to automatically detect high quality vs poor quality retinal fundus images. We demonstrate the superior performance of our proposed algorithm on a large retinal fundus image dataset and the method could achieve higher accuracy than other methods. Although retinal images are used in this study, the methodology is applicable to the image quality assessment and enhancement of other types of medical images.

Hospital cultural competency as a systematic organizational intervention: Key findings from the national center for healthcare leadership diversity demonstration project.

PubMed

Weech-Maldonado, Robert; Dreachslin, Janice L; Epané, Josué Patien; Gail, Judith; Gupta, Shivani; Wainio, Joyce Anne

Cultural competency or the ongoing capacity of health care systems to provide for high-quality care to diverse patient populations (National Quality Forum, 2008) has been proposed as an organizational strategy to address disparities in quality of care, patient experience, and workforce representation. But far too many health care organizations still do not treat cultural competency as a business imperative and driver of strategy. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of a systematic, multifaceted, and organizational level cultural competency initiative on hospital performance metrics at the organizational and individual levels. This demonstration project employs a pre-post control group design. Two hospital systems participated in the study. Within each system, two hospitals were selected to serve as the intervention and control hospitals. Executive leadership (C-suite) and all staff at one general medical/surgical nursing unit at the intervention hospitals experienced a systematic, planned cultural competency intervention. Assessments and interventions focused on three organizational level competencies of cultural competency (diversity leadership, strategic human resource management, and patient cultural competency) and three individual level competencies (diversity attitudes, implicit bias, and racial/ethnic identity status). In addition, we evaluated the impact of the intervention on diversity climate and workforce diversity. Overall performance improvement was greater in each of the two intervention hospitals than in the control hospital within the same health care system. Both intervention hospitals experienced improvements in the organizational level competencies of diversity leadership and strategic human resource management. Similarly, improvements were observed in the individual level competencies for diversity attitudes and implicit bias for Blacks among the intervention hospitals. Furthermore, intervention hospitals outperformed their respective control hospitals with respect to diversity climate. A focused and systematic approach to organizational change when coupled with interventions that encourage individual growth and development may be an effective approach to building culturally competent health care organizations.

Marital quality in the context of mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Garand, Linda; Dew, Mary Amanda; Urda, Bridget; Lingler, Jennifer Hagerty; Dekosky, Steven T; Reynolds, Charles F

2007-12-01

Profound behavioral changes in persons with dementia often negatively affect the quality of marital relationships. Yet, little is known about the extent to which the marital relationship may be affected when the care recipient has milder degrees of cognitive impairment. This study characterizes marital quality among 27 adults who live with a spouse with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This study demonstrates that at mild levels of cognitive impairment, specific behaviors in the affected person are distressing and may degrade the quality of the marital relationship. These results have implications for clinical practice and the delivery of health care and social services to these families. It is important to develop interventions to address the needs of these individuals and their caregivers. Results of this study suggest the need for mental health interventions designed to preserve the quality of these marital relationships.

Quality dependent fusion of intramodal and multimodal biometric experts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kittler, J.; Poh, N.; Fatukasi, O.; Messer, K.; Kryszczuk, K.; Richiardi, J.; Drygajlo, A.

2007-04-01

We address the problem of score level fusion of intramodal and multimodal experts in the context of biometric identity verification. We investigate the merits of confidence based weighting of component experts. In contrast to the conventional approach where confidence values are derived from scores, we use instead raw measures of biometric data quality to control the influence of each expert on the final fused score. We show that quality based fusion gives better performance than quality free fusion. The use of quality weighted scores as features in the definition of the fusion functions leads to further improvements. We demonstrate that the achievable performance gain is also affected by the choice of fusion architecture. The evaluation of the proposed methodology involves 6 face and one speech verification experts. It is carried out on the XM2VTS data base.

Furthering the quality agenda in Aboriginal community controlled health services: understanding the relationship between accreditation, continuous quality improvement and national key performance indicator reporting.

PubMed

Sibthorpe, Beverly; Gardner, Karen; McAullay, Daniel

2016-01-01

A rapidly expanding interest in quality in the Aboriginal-community-controlled health sector has led to widespread uptake of accreditation using more than one set of standards, a proliferation of continuous quality improvement programs and the introduction of key performance indicators. As yet, there has been no overarching logic that shows how they relate to each other, with consequent confusion within and outside the sector. We map the three approaches to the Framework for Performance Assessment in Primary Health Care, demonstrating their key differences and complementarity. There needs to be greater attention in both policy and practice to the purposes and alignment of the three approaches if they are to embed a system-wide focus that supports quality improvement at the service level.

The Importance of Quality in Ventilation-Perfusion Imaging.

PubMed

Mann, April; DiDea, Mario; Fournier, France; Tempesta, Daniel; Williams, Jessica; LaFrance, Norman

2018-06-01

As the health care environment continues to change and morph into a system focusing on increased quality and evidence-based outcomes, nuclear medicine technologists must be reminded that they play a critical role in achieving high-quality, interpretable images used to drive patient care, treatment, and best possible outcomes. A survey performed by the Quality Committee of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section demonstrated that a clear knowledge gap exists among technologists regarding their understanding of quality, how it is measured, and how it should be achieved by all practicing technologists regardless of role and education level. Understanding of these areas within health care, in conjunction with the growing emphasis on evidence-based outcomes, quality measures, and patient satisfaction, will ultimately elevate the role of nuclear medicine technologists today and into the future. The nuclear medicine role now requires technologists to demonstrate patient assessment skills, practice safety procedures with regard to staff and patients, provide patient education and instruction, and provide physicians with information to assist with the interpretation and outcome of the study. In addition, the technologist must be able to evaluate images by performing technical analysis, knowing the demonstrated anatomy and pathophysiology, and assessing overall quality. Technologists must also be able to triage and understand the disease processes being evaluated and how nuclear medicine diagnostic studies may drive care and treatment. Therefore, it is imperative that nuclear medicine technologists understand their role in the achievement of a high-quality, interpretable study by applying quality principles and understanding and using imaging techniques beyond just basic protocols for every type of disease or system being imaged. This article focuses on quality considerations related to ventilation-perfusion imaging. It provides insight on appropriate imaging techniques and protocols, true imaging variants and tracer distributions versus artifacts that may result in a lower-quality or misinterpreted study, and the use of SPECT and SPECT/CT as an alternative providing a high-quality, interpretable study with better diagnostic accuracy and fewer nondiagnostic procedures than historical planar imaging. © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

The Relationship of Engagement in Improvement Practices to Outcome Measures in Large-Scale Quality Improvement Initiatives.

PubMed

Foster, Gregory L; Kenward, Kevin; Hines, Stephen; Joshi, Maulik S

Hospital engagement networks (HENs) are part of the largest health care improvement initiative ever undertaken. This article explores whether engagement in improvement activities within a HEN affected quality measures. Data were drawn from 1174 acute care hospitals. A composite quality score was created from 10 targeted topic area measures multiplied by the number of qualifying topics. Scores improved from 5.4 (SD = 6.8) at baseline to 4.6 (5.9) at remeasurement; P < .0001. Hospitals with higher baseline scores demonstrated greater improvement ( P < .0001) than hospitals with lower baseline scores. Hospitals with larger Medicaid populations ( P = .023) and micropolitan ( P = .034) hospitals tended to have greater improvement, whereas hospitals in the West ( P = .0009) did not improve as much as hospitals in other regions. After adjusting for hospital characteristics, hospitals with improvement champions ( P = .008), a higher level of engagement with their state association ( P = .001), and more leadership involvement ( P = .005) in HEN demonstrated greater improvement.

Intra- and Inter-Individual Differences in Adolescent Depressive Mood: the Role of Relationships with Parents and Friends.

PubMed

Zhang, Shiyu; Baams, Laura; van de Bongardt, Daphne; Dubas, Judith Semon

2018-05-01

Utilizing four waves of data from 1126 secondary school Dutch adolescents (Mage = 13.95 at the first wave; 53% boys), the current study examined the interplay between parent-adolescent and friend-adolescent relationship quality (satisfaction and conflict) in relation to adolescents' depressive mood. Using multilevel analyses, the interacting effects of parent/friend relationship quality on depressive mood were tested at both the intra- and inter-individual level. Analyses at the intra-individual level investigated whether individual depressive mood fluctuated along with changes in their social relationships regardless of one's general level of depressive mood; and analyses at the inter-individual level examined whether the average differences in depressive mood between adolescents were associated with different qualities of social relationships. We interpreted the patterns of interactions between parent and friend relationships using four theoretical models: the reinforcement, toxic friends, compensation, and additive model. The results demonstrate the covariation of parent- and friend- relationship quality with adolescents' depressive mood, and highlight that parent and peer effects are not independent from each other-affirming the compensation and additive models at the intra-individual and the reinforcement and additive models at the inter-individual level. The findings highlight the robustness of the protective effects of parent and peer support and the deleterious effects of conflictual relationships for adolescent mental health. The results have implications for both the theoretical and practical design of (preventive) interventions aimed at decreasing adolescents' depressive mood.

Modeling subjective evaluation of soundscape quality in urban open spaces: An artificial neural network approach.

PubMed

Yu, Lei; Kang, Jian

2009-09-01

This research aims to explore the feasibility of using computer-based models to predict the soundscape quality evaluation of potential users in urban open spaces at the design stage. With the data from large scale field surveys in 19 urban open spaces across Europe and China, the importance of various physical, behavioral, social, demographical, and psychological factors for the soundscape evaluation has been statistically analyzed. Artificial neural network (ANN) models have then been explored at three levels. It has been shown that for both subjective sound level and acoustic comfort evaluation, a general model for all the case study sites is less feasible due to the complex physical and social environments in urban open spaces; models based on individual case study sites perform well but the application range is limited; and specific models for certain types of location/function would be reliable and practical. The performance of acoustic comfort models is considerably better than that of sound level models. Based on the ANN models, soundscape quality maps can be produced and this has been demonstrated with an example.

Low serum uric acid levels in chronic insomnia patients: A case-control study.

PubMed

Zhao, Kai; Luan, Xiaoqian; Liu, Zhihua; Zhu, Zhuoying; Chen, Huijun; Shen, Huiping; Cai, Yan; Qiu, Huihua; Wang, Qiongzhang; Gu, Yingying; Zhu, Lin; He, Jincai

2017-09-14

Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of oxidative stress in insomnia patients. Uric acid (UA) is regarded as one of the most important antioxidants that may attenuate oxidative stress. The aim of our study was to investigate whether there is an alteration of serum UA levels in chronic insomnia patients. The association between sleep quality and serum UA in chronic insomnia patients was also investigated. We recruited 300 chronic insomnia patients and 300 age- and gender-matched normal controls. The uricase-PAP method was used to measure the concentration of UA both in patient and normal control subjects. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess the sleep quality of chronic insomniac participants. As a result, significantly lower serum UA levels were observed in patients with chronic insomnia when compared with normal control subjects (279.56±65.80 vs. 299.10±61.17μmol/L, t=-3.991, p<0.001). Low serum UA levels were correlated with high PSQI scores in multiple linear regression models (β=-0.322, p<0.001). Our results suggested that low serum UA levels were associated with the presence and severity of chronic insomnia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of water stress on super-high- density 'Koroneiki' olive oil quality.

PubMed

Dag, Arnon; Naor, Amos; Ben-Gal, Alon; Harlev, Guy; Zipori, Isaac; Schneider, Doron; Birger, Reuven; Peres, Moti; Gal, Yoni; Kerem, Zohar

2015-08-15

Over the last two decades, the area of cultivated super-high-density olive orchards has increased rapidly. Water stress is an important tool in super-high-density orchards to reduce tree growth and promote suitability for overhead mechanical harvesters. Little is known regarding the effect of water stress in super-high-density orchards on oil quality parameters. In this study the effect of irrigation rate on oil quality parameters was evaluated in a six-year-old super-high-density 'Koreneiki' olive orchard for five consecutive seasons. Five water status levels, determined by irrigating in order to maintain various midday stem water potential threshold values (-1.5, -2, -2.5, -3 and -4 MPa), were applied during the oil accumulation stage. The MUFA/PUFA ratio and free fatty acid content generally decreased as a function of increasing tree water stress. In most seasons a reduction in polyphenols was found with decreasing irrigation level. Peroxide value was not affected by the water stress level. The present study demonstrates that limiting irrigation and exposure of olive trees to water stress in a super-high-density orchard lowers free fatty acid content and therefore benefits oil quality. However, the decreased MUFA/PUFA ratio and the reduction in polyphenol content that were also found under increased water stress negatively influence oil quality. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Improved power and efficiency for tapered lasers with optimized photonic crystal structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xiaolong; Qu, Hongwei; Zhao, Shaoyu; Zhou, Xuyan; Lin, Yuzhe; Zheng, Wanhua

2017-10-01

High power and high beam quality laser sources are required in numerous applications such as nonlinear frequency conversion, optical pumping of solid-state and fiber lasers, material processing and others. Tapered lasers can provide a high output power while keeping a high beam quality. However, the conventional tapered lasers suffer from a large vertical beam divergence. We have demonstrated 2-mm long tapered lasers with photonic crystal structures. A high beam quality and a narrow vertical divergence are achieved. In this paper, we optimized the photonic crystal structure and fabricated a 4-mm long tapered laser to further increase the output power and the wall-plug efficiency. Compared with our precious wafer, the optimized structure has a lower doping level to reduce the internal loss. The period of the photonic crystal structure and the thickness of the upper cladding are also reduced. The device has a 1-mm long ridge-waveguide section and a 3-mm long tapered section. The taper angle is 4°. An output power of 7.3 W is achieved with a peak wall-plug efficiency of 46% in continuous-wave mode. The threshold current is around 500 mA and the slope efficiency is 0.93 W/A. In pulsed mode, the output power is 15.6 W and the maximum wall-plug efficiency is 48.1%. The far-field divergence with full width at half maximum is 6.3° for the lateral direction at 3 A. The vertical far-field beam divergence is around 11° at different injection levels. High beam qualities are demonstrated by beam quality factor M2 of 1.52 for the lateral direction and 1.54 for the vertical direction.

Evidence for the Utility of a Photovoice Task as an Empathic Skill Acquisition Strategy among Counselors-in-Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenz, A. Stephen; Sangganjanavanich, Varunee Faii

2013-01-01

An instructional technique derived from photovoice was compared with a didactic approach for empathic skill acquisition among 38 master's-level counselors-in-training. Participants in the photovoice condition demonstrated marked improvements in quality of empathic statements compared with those receiving didactic lecture. Considerations for…

Demonstration and Validation of a Regenerated Cellulose Dialysis Membrane Diffusion Sampler for Monitoring Ground Water Quality and Remediation Progress at DoD Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-30

ITRC Interstate Technology Regulatory Council LRL Laboratory reporting level LDPE Low-density polyethylene MDL Minimum detection limit MNA...diameter of the well. Another diffusion membrane sampler design consists of a tubular-shaped bag made of flexible low-density polyethylene ( LDPE ...

Effective Communication and Creating Professional Learning Communities Is a Valuable Practice for Superintendents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilliard, Ann Toler; Newsome, Edward, Jr.

2013-01-01

As the chief executive officer, the superintendent must demonstrate high quality performance at every level in order to impact student achievement. In order to be an effective superintendent, the individual must have knowledge and skills in educational leadership and be able to articulate information clearly and precisely about the school…

The Relationship between Principal Transformational Leadership Practices and Teacher Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazzaro, Kristen Elaine

2009-01-01

A transformational leader has the ability to raise the level of human conduct and the ethical considerations of an organization. In this sense, a leader who demonstrates transformational qualities will be able to increase the commitment and capacity of the individuals who work within the organization. It appears from the literature that the…

The Impact of Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Personality Traits on Computer Literacy Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saparniene, Diana; Merkys, Gediminas; Saparnis, Gintaras

2006-01-01

Purpose: The paper deals with the study of students' computer literacy one of the purposes being demonstration the impact of the cognitive and non-cognitive personality traits (attention, verbal and non-verbal intelligence, emotional-motivational relationship with computer, learning strategies, etc.) on the quality of computer literacy.…

An Internet Protocol-Based Software System for Real-Time, Closed-Loop, Multi-Spacecraft Mission Simulation Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, Richard D.; Davis, George; Cary, Everett; Higinbotham, John; Hogie, Keith

2003-01-01

A mission simulation prototype for Distributed Space Systems has been constructed using existing developmental hardware and software testbeds at NASA s Goddard Space Flight Center. A locally distributed ensemble of testbeds, connected through the local area network, operates in real time and demonstrates the potential to assess the impact of subsystem level modifications on system level performance and, ultimately, on the quality and quantity of the end product science data.

A Computational Framework for High-Throughput Isotopic Natural Abundance Correction of Omics-Level Ultra-High Resolution FT-MS Datasets

PubMed Central

Carreer, William J.; Flight, Robert M.; Moseley, Hunter N. B.

2013-01-01

New metabolomics applications of ultra-high resolution and accuracy mass spectrometry can provide thousands of detectable isotopologues, with the number of potentially detectable isotopologues increasing exponentially with the number of stable isotopes used in newer isotope tracing methods like stable isotope-resolved metabolomics (SIRM) experiments. This huge increase in usable data requires software capable of correcting the large number of isotopologue peaks resulting from SIRM experiments in a timely manner. We describe the design of a new algorithm and software system capable of handling these high volumes of data, while including quality control methods for maintaining data quality. We validate this new algorithm against a previous single isotope correction algorithm in a two-step cross-validation. Next, we demonstrate the algorithm and correct for the effects of natural abundance for both 13C and 15N isotopes on a set of raw isotopologue intensities of UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine derived from a 13C/15N-tracing experiment. Finally, we demonstrate the algorithm on a full omics-level dataset. PMID:24404440

Predicting water filter and bottled water use in Appalachia: a community-scale case study.

PubMed

Levêque, Jonas G; Burns, Robert C

2017-06-01

A questionnaire survey was conducted in order to assess residents' perceptions of water quality for drinking and recreational purposes in a mid-sized city in northcentral West Virginia. Two logistic regression analyses were conducted in order to investigate the factors that influence bottle use and filter use. Results show that 37% of respondents primarily use bottled water and that 58% use a household filter when drinking from the tap. Respondents with lower levels of environmental concern, education levels, and lower organoleptic perceptions were most likely to perceive health risks from tap water consumption, and were most likely to use bottled water. Income, age, and organoleptic perceptions were predictors of water filter use among respondents. Clean water for recreational purposes was not found to be significant with either of these models. Our results demonstrate that bottle use and filter use are explained differently. We argue that more education and better communication about local tap water quality would decrease the use of bottled water. We demonstrate that household filters could be used as an alternative to bottled water.

Methods to detect, characterize, and remove motion artifact in resting state fMRI

PubMed Central

Power, Jonathan D; Mitra, Anish; Laumann, Timothy O; Snyder, Abraham Z; Schlaggar, Bradley L; Petersen, Steven E

2013-01-01

Head motion systematically alters correlations in resting state functional connectivity fMRI (RSFC). In this report we examine impact of motion on signal intensity and RSFC correlations. We find that motion-induced signal changes (1) are often complex and variable waveforms, (2) are often shared across nearly all brain voxels, and (3) often persist more than 10 seconds after motion ceases. These signal changes, both during and after motion, increase observed RSFC correlations in a distance-dependent manner. Motion-related signal changes are not removed by a variety of motion-based regressors, but are effectively reduced by global signal regression. We link several measures of data quality to motion, changes in signal intensity, and changes in RSFC correlations. We demonstrate that improvements in data quality measures during processing may represent cosmetic improvements rather than true correction of the data. We demonstrate a within-subject, censoring-based artifact removal strategy based on volume censoring that reduces group differences due to motion to chance levels. We note conditions under which group-level regressions do and do not correct motion-related effects. PMID:23994314

Synthesis of high quality phosphorothioate oligonucleotides as antisense drugs. Use of I-linker in the elimination of 3'-terminal phosphorothioate monoesters.

PubMed

Ravikumar, Vasulinga T; Kumar, R Krishna; Capaldi, Daniel C; Cole, Douglas L

2003-01-01

Detritylation of a 5'-O-DMT-2'-deoxyadenosine moiety attached to solid support under acidic condition leads to depurination during oligonucleotide synthesis. Deprotection followed by reversed phase HPLC purification leads to desired oligonucleotide contaminated with significant levels of 3'-terminal phosphorothiaote (3'-TPT) monoester (n-1)-mer. However, it is demonstrated that attachment of dA nucleoside through its exocyclic amino group to solid support leads to substantial reduction of 3'-TPT formation thereby improving the quality of oligonucleotide synthesized.

Accreditation of ambulatory facilities.

PubMed

Urman, Richard D; Philip, Beverly K

2014-06-01

With the continued growth of ambulatory surgical centers (ASC), the regulation of facilities has evolved to include new standards and requirements on both state and federal levels. Accreditation allows for the assessment of clinical practice, improves accountability, and better ensures quality of care. In some states, ASC may choose to voluntarily apply for accreditation from a recognized organization, but in others it is mandated. Accreditation provides external validation of safe practices, benchmarking performance against other accredited facilities, and demonstrates to patients and payers the facility's commitment to continuous quality improvement. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Role of Value-Based Care in Patients with Cirrhosis.

PubMed

Volk, Michael L

2017-02-01

Value-based care means delivering high-quality care while keeping costs at a reasonable level. Many physicians have long viewed quality care and the responsible utilization of resources to be an integral part of their professional responsibilities. As the health care system changes, however, physicians are increasingly being asked to objectively demonstrate value. In this review article, the author describes the reimbursement and regulatory shift toward value-based care, and provides specific strategies for meeting this care. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Evaluating confidence in the impact of regulatory nutrient reduction and assessing the competing impact of climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irby, I.; Friedrichs, M. A. M.

2017-12-01

Human impacts on the Chesapeake Bay through increased nutrient run-off as a result of land-use change, urbanization, and industrialization, have resulted in a degradation of water quality over the last half-century. These direct impacts, compounded with human-induced climate changes such as warming, rising sea level, and changes in precipitation, have elevated the conversation surrounding the future of the Bay's water quality. As a result, in 2010, a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) was established for the Chesapeake Bay that limited nutrient and sediment input in an effort to increase dissolved oxygen. This research utilizes a multiple model approach to evaluate confidence in the estuarine water quality modeling portion of the TMDL. One of the models is then used to assess the potential impact climate change may have on the success of currently mandated nutrient reduction levels in 2050. Results demonstrate that although the models examined differ structurally and in biogeochemical complexity, they project a similar attainment of regulatory water quality standards after nutrient reduction, while also establishing that meeting water quality standards is relatively independent of hydrologic conditions. By developing a Confidence Index, this research identifies the locations and causes of greatest uncertainty in modeled projections of water quality. Although there are specific locations and times where the models disagree, this research lends an increased degree of confidence in the appropriateness of the TMDL levels and in the general impact nutrient reductions will have on Chesapeake Bay water quality under current environmental conditions. However, when examining the potential impacts of climate change, this research shows that the combined impacts of increasing temperature, sea level, and river flow negatively affect dissolved oxygen throughout the Chesapeake Bay and impact progress towards meeting the water quality standards associated with the TMDL with increased temperature as the primary culprit. These results, having been continually shared with the regulatory TMDL modelers, will aid in the decision making for the 2017 TMDL Mid-Point Assessment.

Cauda equina syndrome: assessing the readability and quality of patient information on the Internet.

PubMed

O'Neill, Shane Ciaran; Baker, Joseph Frederick; Fitzgerald, Conall; Fleming, Christina; Rowan, Fiachra; Byrne, Damien; Synnott, Keith

2014-05-01

A readability and quality control Internet-based study using recognized quality scoring systems. To assess the readability and quality of Internet information relating to cauda equina syndrome accessed through common search engines. Access to health-related Internet information has increased dramatically during the past decade. A significant proportion of this information has been demonstrated to be set at too high a level for general comprehension. Despite this, searching for health-related information is now the third most popular online activity. A total of 125 cauda equina syndrome Web sites were analyzed from the 5 most popular Internet search engines: Google, Bing, Yahoo, Ask, and AOL. Web site authorship was classified: academic, physician, medico-legal, commercial, or discussion/social media. Readability of each Web site was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease score, the Flesch-Kincaid grade level, and the Gunning Fog Index. Quality was calculated using the DISCERN instrument and The Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark criteria. The presence of HON-code certification was also assessed. Fifty-two individual Web sites were identified and assessed. The majority of Web sites were academic or physician compiled (53.8%; 28/52); however, a significant minority of Web sites were medico-legal related (19.2%; 10/52). Just 13.5% (7/52) of Web sites were at or below the recommended sixth-grade readability level. HON-code certified Web sites achieved significantly greater DISCERN (P = 0.0006) and The Journal of the American Medical Association (P = 0.0002) scores. Internet information relating to cauda equina syndrome is of variable quality and largely set at an inappropriate readability level. Given this variability in quality, health care providers should direct patients to known sources of reliable, readable online information. Identification of reliable sources may be aided by known markers of quality such as HON-code certification.

Among nurses, how does education level impact professional values? A systematic review.

PubMed

Sibandze, B T; Scafide, K N

2018-03-01

Professional nursing values have been acknowledged globally as the foundation of daily nursing care practice. Understanding how nurses identify, comprehend and apply their professional nursing values is an important step towards improving nursing practice and patient care quality. Research has demonstrated that nurses' professional values are cultivated during prelicensure academic education. The aim of this systematic review was to determine how level of education affects professional nursing values of clinical practising nurses. A systematic search of quantitative research published through December 2015 was performed in the following five electronic databases: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Web of Science and Religion and Philosophy Collection. The search was not limited to country of origin. The studies were assessed for methodological quality using established criteria. Of 1501 articles identified through the literature search, only seven studies met the inclusion criteria with the majority being of good to high quality. Most of the studies found registered nurses pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing or higher had a greater awareness and application of professional values than nurses with lower levels of academic or non-academic education. Nurses with higher education also embraced professional values as fundamental for quality nursing care practice. Health and academic institutions should support nurses through quality continuing and higher education that reinforces professional values, thus improving the quality of patient care. The level of nurses' education appears to play an important role in developing both an awareness and an integration of professional values into practice. More research is needed to discover methods that may be used to promote nurses' professional values among nurses already practising clinically. © 2017 International Council of Nurses.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Puerto Rico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2016-02-03

Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, scientific research, national security, recreation, and many others. For the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, elevation data are critical for flood risk management, landslide mitigation, natural resources conservation, sea level rise and subsidence, coastal zone management, infrastructure and construction management, and other business uses. Today, high-density light detection and ranging (lidar) data are the primary sources for deriving elevation models and other datasets. Federal, State, Tribal, U.S. territorial, and local agencies work in partnership to (1) replace data that are older and of lower quality and (2) provide coverage where publicly accessible data do not exist. A joint goal of State and Federal partners is to acquire consistent, statewide coverage to support existing and emerging applications enabled by lidar data.The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States, Hawaii, and selected U.S. territories, and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IfSAR) data for Alaska, all with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle, provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Office of Management and Budget Circular A‒16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other three-dimensional (3D) representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

A hybrid modeling with data assimilation to evaluate human exposure level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koo, Y. S.; Cheong, H. K.; Choi, D.; Kim, A. L.; Yun, H. Y.

2015-12-01

Exposure models are designed to better represent human contact with PM (Particulate Matter) and other air pollutants such as CO, SO2, O3, and NO2. The exposure concentrations of the air pollutants to human are determined by global and regional long range transport of global and regional scales from Europe and China as well as local emissions from urban and road vehicle sources. To assess the exposure level in detail, the multiple scale influence from background to local sources should be considered. A hybrid air quality modeling methodology combing a grid-based chemical transport model with a local plume dispersion model was used to provide spatially and temporally resolved air quality concentration for human exposure levels in Korea. In the hybrid modeling approach, concentrations from a grid-based chemical transport model and a local plume dispersion model are added to provide contributions from photochemical interactions, long-range (regional) transport and local-scale dispersion. The CAMx (Comprehensive Air quality Model with Extensions was used for the background concentrations from anthropogenic and natural emissions in East Asia including Korea while the road dispersion by vehicle emission was calculated by CALPUFF model. The total exposure level of the pollutants was finally assessed by summing the background and road contributions. In the hybrid modeling, the data assimilation method based on the optimal interpolation was applied to overcome the discrepancies between the model predicted concentrations and observations. The air quality data from the air quality monitoring stations in Korea. The spatial resolution of the hybrid model was 50m for the Seoul Metropolitan Ares. This example clearly demonstrates that the exposure level could be estimated to the fine scale for the exposure assessment by using the hybrid modeling approach with data assimilation.

Can We Control Contaminant Transport In Hydrologic Networks? Application Of Control Theory Concepts To Watershed Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeghiazarian, L.; Riasi, M. S.

2016-12-01

Although controlling the level of contamination everywhere in the surface water network may not be feasible, it is vital to maintain safe water quality levels in specific areas, e.g. recreational waters. The question then is "what is the most efficient way to fully/partially control water quality in surface water networks?". This can be posed as a control problem where the goal is to efficiently drive the system to a desired state by manipulating few input variables. Such problems reduce to (1) finding the best control locations in the network to influence the state of the system; and (2) choosing the time-variant inputs at the control locations to achieve the desired state of the system with minimum effort. We demonstrate that the optimal solution to control the level of contamination in the network can be found through application of control theory concepts to transport in dendritic surface water networks.

Stormwater quality modelling in combined sewers: calibration and uncertainty analysis.

PubMed

Kanso, A; Chebbo, G; Tassin, B

2005-01-01

Estimating the level of uncertainty in urban stormwater quality models is vital for their utilization. This paper presents the results of application of a Monte Carlo Markov Chain method based on the Bayesian theory for the calibration and uncertainty analysis of a storm water quality model commonly used in available software. The tested model uses a hydrologic/hydrodynamic scheme to estimate the accumulation, the erosion and the transport of pollutants on surfaces and in sewers. It was calibrated for four different initial conditions of in-sewer deposits. Calibration results showed large variability in the model's responses in function of the initial conditions. They demonstrated that the model's predictive capacity is very low.

Utilization of LANDSAT data for water quality surveys in the Choptank River

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, J. M.; Cressy, P.; Dallam, W. C.

1975-01-01

Computer processing of LANDSAT-1 multispectral digital data demonstrated the applicability of remotely sensed data to water quality survey in the Choptank River. Water classes derived by automated analysis correlate to river nuisance levels of chlorophyll a and sediment loading as defined by the Maryland Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Corps of Engineers. Results indicate that an increase in chlorophyll a concentration corresponds, relative to MSS 5, to decreases in 4 and increases in 6 relative to the trends with increasing sediment load. It appears that for the purpose of water quality analysis, under favorable atmospheric conditions, only MSS 4, 5 and 6 are necessary.

Quality of maternity care and its determinants along the continuum in Kenya: A structural equation modeling analysis

PubMed Central

Mendez, Bomar Rojas

2017-01-01

Background Improving access to delivery services does not guarantee access to quality obstetric care and better survival, and therefore, concerns for quality of maternal and newborn care in low- and middle-income countries have been raised. Our study explored characteristics associated with the quality of initial assessment, intrapartum, and immediate postpartum and newborn care, and further assessed the relationships along the continuum of care. Methods The 2010 Service Provision Assessment data of Kenya for 627 routine deliveries of women aged 15–49 were used. Quality of care measures were assessed using recently validated quality of care measures during initial assessment, intrapartum, and postpartum periods. Data were analyzed with negative binomial regression and structural equation modeling technique. Results The negative binomial regression results identified a number of determinants of quality, such as the level of health facilities, managing authority, presence of delivery fee, central electricity supply and clinical guideline for maternal and neonatal care. Our structural equation modeling (SEM) further demonstrated that facility characteristics were important determinants of quality for initial assessment and postpartum care, while characteristics at the provider level became more important in shaping the quality of intrapartum care. Furthermore we also noted that quality of initial assessment had a positive association with quality of intrapartum care (β = 0.71, p < 0.001), which in turn was positively associated with the quality of newborn and immediate postpartum care (β = 1.29, p = 0.004). Conclusions A continued focus on quality of care along the continuum of maternity care is important not only to mothers but also their newborns. Policymakers should therefore ensure that required resources, as well as adequate supervision and emphasis on the quality of obstetric care, are available. PMID:28520771

Do Individual and Neighborhood Characteristics Influence Perceived Air Quality?

PubMed Central

Deguen, Séverine; Padilla, Manon; Kihal-Talantikite, Wahida

2017-01-01

Background: Despite improvements, air pollution still remains a major public health issue. Numerous epidemiological studies have demonstrated the adverse health effects of air pollution exposure based on modeled measures, but only a few have considered the health impact of perceived air quality. Improving our knowledge of individual perceptions is crucial to defining targeted actions and promoting appropriate intervention measures. Our objective is to investigate the relationship between subjective and objective measures of air pollution and to focus on how individual characteristics combined with the neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation index, measured at a fine spatial scale, may or may not alter this relationship. Materials and Methods: The subjective measures of air quality reported by a sample of Lyon residents were collected via an individual questionnaire. The objective measures of air pollution were modeled by the local air quality monitoring network of the Rhône-Alpes region at census block level. We used a socioeconomic deprivation index to capture the different socioeconomic dimensions at census block level. The statistical analysis was structured in two steps: (1) identification of individual determinants of the subjective measures of air quality using multiple correspondence analysis followed by hierarchical clustering; (2) identification of individual and contextual characteristics that may alter the relationship between the objective and subjective measures of air pollution. Results: Among the youngest and the middle aged population (ages 30 to 59), consistent results between level of satisfaction, perceived air quality and objective measures of air pollution were found whatever the individual characteristics of the population. It is less clear among the oldest population: globally no significant difference between the NO2 concentrations and the level of satisfaction was observed. Conclusions: We found a significant relationship between the subjective and objective measures of air pollution in many population sub-groups with different combinations of individual characteristics. The relationship is less clear among the oldest population, which confirms previous findings. Our finding highlights that age combined with low level of education and unemployment, or women or health problems as well as the neighborhood deprivation index influence the level of air quality satisfaction. PMID:29231899

Do Individual and Neighborhood Characteristics Influence Perceived Air Quality?

PubMed

Deguen, Séverine; Padilla, Manon; Padilla, Cindy; Kihal-Talantikite, Wahida

2017-12-12

Background : Despite improvements, air pollution still remains a major public health issue. Numerous epidemiological studies have demonstrated the adverse health effects of air pollution exposure based on modeled measures, but only a few have considered the health impact of perceived air quality. Improving our knowledge of individual perceptions is crucial to defining targeted actions and promoting appropriate intervention measures. Our objective is to investigate the relationship between subjective and objective measures of air pollution and to focus on how individual characteristics combined with the neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation index, measured at a fine spatial scale, may or may not alter this relationship. Materials and Methods : The subjective measures of air quality reported by a sample of Lyon residents were collected via an individual questionnaire. The objective measures of air pollution were modeled by the local air quality monitoring network of the Rhône-Alpes region at census block level. We used a socioeconomic deprivation index to capture the different socioeconomic dimensions at census block level. The statistical analysis was structured in two steps: (1) identification of individual determinants of the subjective measures of air quality using multiple correspondence analysis followed by hierarchical clustering; (2) identification of individual and contextual characteristics that may alter the relationship between the objective and subjective measures of air pollution. Results : Among the youngest and the middle aged population (ages 30 to 59), consistent results between level of satisfaction, perceived air quality and objective measures of air pollution were found whatever the individual characteristics of the population. It is less clear among the oldest population: globally no significant difference between the NO₂ concentrations and the level of satisfaction was observed. Conclusion s : We found a significant relationship between the subjective and objective measures of air pollution in many population sub-groups with different combinations of individual characteristics. The relationship is less clear among the oldest population, which confirms previous findings. Our finding highlights that age combined with low level of education and unemployment, or women or health problems as well as the neighborhood deprivation index influence the level of air quality satisfaction.

Enhancement of low light level images using color-plus-mono dual camera.

PubMed

Jung, Yong Ju

2017-05-15

In digital photography, the improvement of imaging quality in low light shooting is one of the users' needs. Unfortunately, conventional smartphone cameras that use a single, small image sensor cannot provide satisfactory quality in low light level images. A color-plus-mono dual camera that consists of two horizontally separate image sensors, which simultaneously captures both a color and mono image pair of the same scene, could be useful for improving the quality of low light level images. However, an incorrect image fusion between the color and mono image pair could also have negative effects, such as the introduction of severe visual artifacts in the fused images. This paper proposes a selective image fusion technique that applies an adaptive guided filter-based denoising and selective detail transfer to only those pixels deemed reliable with respect to binocular image fusion. We employ a dissimilarity measure and binocular just-noticeable-difference (BJND) analysis to identify unreliable pixels that are likely to cause visual artifacts during image fusion via joint color image denoising and detail transfer from the mono image. By constructing an experimental system of color-plus-mono camera, we demonstrate that the BJND-aware denoising and selective detail transfer is helpful in improving the image quality during low light shooting.

The Name-Letter-Effect in Groups: Sharing Initials with Group Members Increases the Quality of Group Work

PubMed Central

Polman, Evan; Pollmann, Monique M. H.; Poehlman, T. Andrew

2013-01-01

Although the name-letter-effect has been demonstrated reliably in choice contexts, recent research has called into question the existence of the name-letter-effect–the tendency among people to make choices that bear remarkable similarity with the letters in their own name. In this paper, we propose a connection between the name-letter-effect and interpersonal, group-level behavior that has not been previously captured in the literature. Specifically, we suggest that sharing initials with other group members promotes positive feelings toward those group members that in turn affect group outcomes. Using both field and laboratory studies, we found that sharing initials with group members cause groups to perform better by demonstrating greater performance, collective efficacy, adaptive conflict, and accuracy (on a hidden-profile task). Although many studies have investigated the effects of member similarity on various outcomes, our research demonstrates how minimal a degree of similarity among members is sufficient to influence quality of group outcomes. PMID:24236087

Individual differences in effects of child care quality: The role of child affective self-regulation and gender.

PubMed

Broekhuizen, Martine L; Aken, Marcel A G van; Dubas, Judith S; Mulder, Hanna; Leseman, Paul P M

2015-08-01

The current study investigated whether the relation between child care quality and children's socio-emotional behavior depended on children's affective self-regulation skills and gender. Participants were 545 children (Mage=27 months) from 60 center-based child care centers in the Netherlands. Multi-level analyses showed that children with low affective self-regulation skills or who were male demonstrated less teacher-rated social competence when exposed to relatively low quality child care. In addition, children with low affective self-regulation skills also showed more social competence in the case of relatively high quality child care, suggesting mechanisms of differential susceptibility. No main effects of child care quality or interactions were found for teacher- and parent-rated externalizing behavior. These findings emphasize the importance of considering children's affective self-regulation skills and gender in understanding the effects of child care quality. High quality child care can be a means to strengthen children's social development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of conventional imaging performance in a research whole-body CT system with a photon-counting detector array.

PubMed

Yu, Zhicong; Leng, Shuai; Jorgensen, Steven M; Li, Zhoubo; Gutjahr, Ralf; Chen, Baiyu; Halaweish, Ahmed F; Kappler, Steffen; Yu, Lifeng; Ritman, Erik L; McCollough, Cynthia H

2016-02-21

This study evaluated the conventional imaging performance of a research whole-body photon-counting CT system and investigated its feasibility for imaging using clinically realistic levels of x-ray photon flux. This research system was built on the platform of a 2nd generation dual-source CT system: one source coupled to an energy integrating detector (EID) and the other coupled to a photon-counting detector (PCD). Phantom studies were conducted to measure CT number accuracy and uniformity for water, CT number energy dependency for high-Z materials, spatial resolution, noise, and contrast-to-noise ratio. The results from the EID and PCD subsystems were compared. The impact of high photon flux, such as pulse pile-up, was assessed by studying the noise-to-tube-current relationship using a neonate water phantom and high x-ray photon flux. Finally, clinical feasibility of the PCD subsystem was investigated using anthropomorphic phantoms, a cadaveric head, and a whole-body cadaver, which were scanned at dose levels equivalent to or higher than those used clinically. Phantom measurements demonstrated that the PCD subsystem provided comparable image quality to the EID subsystem, except that the PCD subsystem provided slightly better longitudinal spatial resolution and about 25% improvement in contrast-to-noise ratio for iodine. The impact of high photon flux was found to be negligible for the PCD subsystem: only subtle high-flux effects were noticed for tube currents higher than 300 mA in images of the neonate water phantom. Results of the anthropomorphic phantom and cadaver scans demonstrated comparable image quality between the EID and PCD subsystems. There were no noticeable ring, streaking, or cupping/capping artifacts in the PCD images. In addition, the PCD subsystem provided spectral information. Our experiments demonstrated that the research whole-body photon-counting CT system is capable of providing clinical image quality at clinically realistic levels of x-ray photon flux.

Evaluation of conventional imaging performance in a research whole-body CT system with a photon-counting detector array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Zhicong; Leng, Shuai; Jorgensen, Steven M.; Li, Zhoubo; Gutjahr, Ralf; Chen, Baiyu; Halaweish, Ahmed F.; Kappler, Steffen; Yu, Lifeng; Ritman, Erik L.; McCollough, Cynthia H.

2016-02-01

This study evaluated the conventional imaging performance of a research whole-body photon-counting CT system and investigated its feasibility for imaging using clinically realistic levels of x-ray photon flux. This research system was built on the platform of a 2nd generation dual-source CT system: one source coupled to an energy integrating detector (EID) and the other coupled to a photon-counting detector (PCD). Phantom studies were conducted to measure CT number accuracy and uniformity for water, CT number energy dependency for high-Z materials, spatial resolution, noise, and contrast-to-noise ratio. The results from the EID and PCD subsystems were compared. The impact of high photon flux, such as pulse pile-up, was assessed by studying the noise-to-tube-current relationship using a neonate water phantom and high x-ray photon flux. Finally, clinical feasibility of the PCD subsystem was investigated using anthropomorphic phantoms, a cadaveric head, and a whole-body cadaver, which were scanned at dose levels equivalent to or higher than those used clinically. Phantom measurements demonstrated that the PCD subsystem provided comparable image quality to the EID subsystem, except that the PCD subsystem provided slightly better longitudinal spatial resolution and about 25% improvement in contrast-to-noise ratio for iodine. The impact of high photon flux was found to be negligible for the PCD subsystem: only subtle high-flux effects were noticed for tube currents higher than 300 mA in images of the neonate water phantom. Results of the anthropomorphic phantom and cadaver scans demonstrated comparable image quality between the EID and PCD subsystems. There were no noticeable ring, streaking, or cupping/capping artifacts in the PCD images. In addition, the PCD subsystem provided spectral information. Our experiments demonstrated that the research whole-body photon-counting CT system is capable of providing clinical image quality at clinically realistic levels of x-ray photon flux.

Improving protein-protein interaction prediction using evolutionary information from low-quality MSAs.

PubMed

Várnai, Csilla; Burkoff, Nikolas S; Wild, David L

2017-01-01

Evolutionary information stored in multiple sequence alignments (MSAs) has been used to identify the interaction interface of protein complexes, by measuring either co-conservation or co-mutation of amino acid residues across the interface. Recently, maximum entropy related correlated mutation measures (CMMs) such as direct information, decoupling direct from indirect interactions, have been developed to identify residue pairs interacting across the protein complex interface. These studies have focussed on carefully selected protein complexes with large, good-quality MSAs. In this work, we study protein complexes with a more typical MSA consisting of fewer than 400 sequences, using a set of 79 intramolecular protein complexes. Using a maximum entropy based CMM at the residue level, we develop an interface level CMM score to be used in re-ranking docking decoys. We demonstrate that our interface level CMM score compares favourably to the complementarity trace score, an evolutionary information-based score measuring co-conservation, when combined with the number of interface residues, a knowledge-based potential and the variability score of individual amino acid sites. We also demonstrate, that, since co-mutation and co-complementarity in the MSA contain orthogonal information, the best prediction performance using evolutionary information can be achieved by combining the co-mutation information of the CMM with co-conservation information of a complementarity trace score, predicting a near-native structure as the top prediction for 41% of the dataset. The method presented is not restricted to small MSAs, and will likely improve interface prediction also for complexes with large and good-quality MSAs.

Does Winning a Pay-for-Performance Bonus Improve Subsequent Quality Performance? Evidence from the Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration

PubMed Central

Ryan, Andrew; Sutton, Matthew; Doran, Tim

2014-01-01

Objective To test whether receiving a financial bonus for quality in the Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration (HQID) stimulated subsequent quality improvement. Data Hospital-level data on process-of-care quality from Hospital Compare for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, and pneumonia for 260 hospitals participating in the HQID from 2004 to 2006; receipt of quality bonuses in the first 3 years of HQID from the Premier Inc. website; and hospital characteristics from the 2005 American Hospital Association Annual Survey. Study Design Under the HQID, hospitals received a 1 percent bonus on Medicare payments for scoring between the 80th and 90th percentiles on a composite quality measure, and a 2 percent bonus for scoring at the 90th percentile or above. We used a regression discontinuity design to evaluate whether hospitals with quality scores just above these payment thresholds improved more in the subsequent year than hospitals with quality scores just below the thresholds. In alternative specifications, we examined samples of hospitals scoring within 3, 5, and 10 percentage point “bandwidths” of the thresholds. We used a Generalized Linear Model to estimate whether the relationship between quality and lagged quality was discontinuous at the lagged thresholds required for quality bonuses. Principal Findings There were no statistically significant associations between receipt of a bonus and subsequent quality performance, with the exception of the 2 percent bonus for AMI in 2006 using the 5 percentage point bandwidth (0.8 percentage point increase, p < .01), and the 1 percent bonus for pneumonia in 2005 using all bandwidths (3.7 percentage point increase using the 3 percentage point bandwidth, p < .05). Conclusions We found little evidence that hospitals' receipt of quality bonuses was associated with subsequent improvement in performance. This raises questions about whether winning in pay-for-performance programs, such as Hospital Value-Based Purchasing, will lead to subsequent quality improvement. PMID:23909992

Inhibitory Control Mediates the Association between Perceived Stress and Secure Relationship Quality.

PubMed

Herd, Toria; Li, Mengjiao; Maciejewski, Dominique; Lee, Jacob; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; King-Casas, Brooks; Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen

2018-01-01

Past research has demonstrated negative associations between exposure to stressors and quality of interpersonal relationships among children and adolescents. Nevertheless, underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear. Chronic stress has been shown to disrupt prefrontal functioning in the brain, including inhibitory control abilities, and evidence is accumulating that inhibitory control may play an important role in secure interpersonal relationship quality, including peer problems and social competence. In this prospective longitudinal study, we examine whether changes in inhibitory control, measured at both behavioral and neural levels, mediate the association between stress and changes in secure relationship quality with parents and peers. The sample included 167 adolescents (53% males) who were first recruited at age 13 or 14 years and assessed annually three times. Adolescents' inhibitory control was measured by their behavioral performance and brain activities, and adolescents self-reported perceived stress levels and relationship quality with mothers, fathers, and peers. Results suggest that behavioral inhibitory control mediates the association between perceived stress and adolescent's secure relationship quality with their mothers and fathers, but not their peers. In contrast, given that stress was not significantly correlated with neural inhibitory control, we did not further test the mediation path. Our results highlight the role of inhibitory control as a process through which stressful life experiences are related to impaired secure relationship quality between adolescents and their mothers and fathers.

Inhibitory Control Mediates the Association between Perceived Stress and Secure Relationship Quality

PubMed Central

Herd, Toria; Li, Mengjiao; Maciejewski, Dominique; Lee, Jacob; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; King-Casas, Brooks; Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen

2018-01-01

Past research has demonstrated negative associations between exposure to stressors and quality of interpersonal relationships among children and adolescents. Nevertheless, underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear. Chronic stress has been shown to disrupt prefrontal functioning in the brain, including inhibitory control abilities, and evidence is accumulating that inhibitory control may play an important role in secure interpersonal relationship quality, including peer problems and social competence. In this prospective longitudinal study, we examine whether changes in inhibitory control, measured at both behavioral and neural levels, mediate the association between stress and changes in secure relationship quality with parents and peers. The sample included 167 adolescents (53% males) who were first recruited at age 13 or 14 years and assessed annually three times. Adolescents’ inhibitory control was measured by their behavioral performance and brain activities, and adolescents self-reported perceived stress levels and relationship quality with mothers, fathers, and peers. Results suggest that behavioral inhibitory control mediates the association between perceived stress and adolescent’s secure relationship quality with their mothers and fathers, but not their peers. In contrast, given that stress was not significantly correlated with neural inhibitory control, we did not further test the mediation path. Our results highlight the role of inhibitory control as a process through which stressful life experiences are related to impaired secure relationship quality between adolescents and their mothers and fathers. PMID:29535664

Evidence-based dentistry: a model for clinical practice.

PubMed

Faggion, Clóvis M; Tu, Yu-Kang

2007-06-01

Making decisions in dentistry should be based on the best evidence available. The objective of this study was to demonstrate a practical procedure and model that clinicians can use to apply the results of well-conducted studies to patient care by critically appraising the evidence with checklists and letter grade scales. To demonstrate application of this model for critically appraising the quality of research evidence, a hypothetical case involving an adult male with chronic periodontitis is used as an example. To determine the best clinical approach for this patient, a four-step, evidence-based model is demonstrated, consisting of the following: definition of a research question using the PICO format, search and selection of relevant literature, critical appraisal of identified research reports using checklists, and the application of evidence. In this model, the quality of research evidence was assessed quantitatively based on different levels of quality that are assigned letter grades of A, B, and C by evaluating the studies against the QUOROM (Quality of Reporting Meta-Analyses) and CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) checklists in a tabular format. For this hypothetical periodontics case, application of the model identified the best available evidence for clinical decision making, i.e., one randomized controlled trial and one systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Both studies showed similar answers for the research question. The use of a letter grade scale allowed an objective analysis of the quality of evidence. A checklist-driven model that assesses and applies evidence to dental practice may substantially improve dentists' decision making skill.

The associations between environmental quality and preterm birth in the United States, 2000-2005: a cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Rappazzo, Kristen M; Messer, Lynne C; Jagai, Jyotsna S; Gray, Christine L; Grabich, Shannon C; Lobdell, Danelle T

2015-06-09

Many environmental factors have been independently associated with preterm birth (PTB). However, exposure is not isolated to a single environmental factor, but rather to many positive and negative factors that co-occur. The environmental quality index (EQI), a measure of cumulative environmental exposure across all US counties from 2000-2005, was used to investigate associations between ambient environment and PTB. With 2000-2005 birth data from the National Center for Health Statistics for the United States (n = 24,483,348), we estimated the association between increasing quintiles of the EQI and county-level and individual-level PTB; we also considered environmental domain-specific (air, water, land, sociodemographic and built environment) and urban-rural stratifications. Effect estimates for the relationship between environmental quality and PTB varied by domain and by urban-rural strata but were consistent across county- and individual-level analyses. The county-level prevalence difference (PD (95% confidence interval) for the non-stratified EQI comparing the highest quintile (poorest environmental quality) to the lowest quintile (best environmental quality) was -0.0166 (-0.0198, -0.0134). The air and sociodemographic domains had the strongest associations with PTB; PDs were 0.0196 (0.0162, 0.0229) and -0.0262 (-0.0300, -0.0224) for the air and sociodemographic domain indices, respectively. Within the most urban strata, the PD for the sociodemographic domain index was 0.0256 (0.0205, 0.0307). Odds ratios (OR) for the individual-level analysis were congruent with PDs. We observed both strong positive and negative associations between measures of broad environmental quality and preterm birth. Associations differed by rural-urban stratum and by the five environmental domains. Our study demonstrates the use of a large scale composite environment exposure metric with preterm birth, an important indicator of population health and shows potential for future research.

Effects of a leisure programme on quality of life and stress of individuals with ASD.

PubMed

García-Villamisar, D A; Dattilo, J

2010-07-01

Even though there is research demonstrating a positive relationship between leisure participation and the two constructs of quality of life and stress reduction, current conceptualisation of leisure as a contributor to quality of life is limited. In addition, in spite of improvements in accurate diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at increasingly earlier ages and proliferation of interventions, research associated with leisure and quality of life for people with ASD is lacking. Therefore, a study using a repeated measures design was used to measure effects of a 1-year group leisure programme intended to facilitate interaction with media, engagement in exercise, playing games and doing crafts, attending events, and participating in other recreation activities on quality of life and stress of 37 participants (22 male, 15 female), ages 17-39 (M = 31.49) years at the beginning of the programme) diagnosed with an ASD and a group of 34 adults with ASD as control group (waiting list) (19 male, 15 female), ages 24-38 (M = 30 at programme initiation) years. There was a significant decrease in overall scores of stress levels for participants over the course of the study and there was a significant increase in the four factors of quality of life that were measured (satisfaction, independence, competence and social interaction) as well as the total score for quality of life from baseline to the end of the intervention 12 months later. In contrast, the control group demonstrated no significant improvements related to stress or quality of life. Implications of these findings to leisure services and the quality of life of individuals with ASD are discussed. Findings support the contention that participation in recreation activities positively influenced the stress and quality of life of adults with ASD.

Crimes of obedience: "groupthink" at abu ghraib.

PubMed

Post, Jerrold M; Panis, Lara K

2011-01-01

Clear evidence of authorization at the highest levels belies administration statements to the effect that the torture at Abu Ghraib was an aberration and simply unauthorized actions by rogue soldiers. The administration reflected a "group mind," demonstrating many qualities of "groupthink." Whatever was necessary, including torture and violation of the Geneva accords, the system in effect authorized, because of the perceived danger to the system and the desperate requirement to get the information out of "them" by whatever means necessary, information that could save lives. The sanctioned violence demonstrated the qualities identified by Kelman and Hamilton (1989) in their study of the Mylai massacre as characteristic of sanctioned massacres: authorization, routinization, and dehumanization. It would seem that officials and participants exhibited all of these characteristics in the decision to conduct extreme interrogation on the "unlawful combatants" imprisoned at Abu Ghraib.

Multi-parameter measurements using optical fibre long period gratings for indoor air quality monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hromadka, J.; Korposh, S.; Partridge, M. C.; James, S.; Davis, F.; Crump, D.; Lee, S.-W.; Tatam, R. P.

2017-04-01

An array of three long period gratings (LPGs) fabricated in a single optical fibre and multiplexed in the wavelength domain was used to measure simultaneously temperature, relative humidity (RH) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Each LPG sensor was designed to optimize its response to a desired measurand. The LPGs were fabricated with periods such that they operated at or near the phase matching turning point. The sensors were calibrated in the laboratory and the simultaneous measurement of the key indoor air quality parameters was undertaken in laboratory and office environments. It was demonstrated successfully that the data produced by the LPG sensor array under real conditions was in a good agreement with that produced by commercially available sensors. Further, the potential application of fibre optic sensors for VOCs detection at high levels has been demonstrated.

Association between Serum Vitamin D Levels and Sleep Disturbance in Hemodialysis Patients.

PubMed

Han, Bin; Zhu, Fu-Xiang; Shi, Chao; Wu, Heng-Lan; Gu, Xiao-Hong

2017-02-14

Sleep disturbance is a frequent and serious complication of hemodialysis (HD). Low serum vitamin D levels have been associated with sleep quality in non-HD subjects. Our aim was to examine the possible association between serum vitamin D levels and the presence of sleep disturbance in HD patients. We recruited 141 HD patients at the HD center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University during 2014-2015. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were determined by the competitive protein-binding assay. Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were recorded. Meanwhile, 117 healthy control subjects were also recruited and underwent measurement of 25(OH)D. Eighty-eight patients (62.4%) had sleep disturbance (PSQI scores ≥ 5). Patients with sleep disturbance showed lower levels of 25(OH)D as compared to those without sleep disturbance (85.6 ± 37.4 vs. 39.1 ± 29.1 nmol/L, p < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, serum levels of 25(OH)D (≤48.0 nmol/L) were independently associated with sleep disturbance in HD patients (OR 9.897, 95% CI 3.356-29.187, p < 0.001) after adjustment for possible variables. Our study demonstrates that low serum levels of vitamin D are independently associated with sleep disturbance in HD patients, but the finding needs to be confirmed in future experimental and clinical studies.

Demonstration of the enrichment of medium quality gas from gob wells through interactive well operating practices. Final report, June--December, 1995

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

Blackburn, S.T.; Sanders, R.G.; Boyer, C.M. II

1995-12-01

Methane released to the atmosphere during coal mining operations is believed to contribute to global warming and represents a waste of a valuable energy resource. Commercial production of pipeline-quality gob well methane through wells drilled from the surface into the area above the gob can, if properly implemented, be the most effective means of reducing mine methane emissions. However, much of the gas produced from gob wells is vented because the quality of the gas is highly variable and is often below current natural gas pipeline specifications. Prior to the initiation of field-testing required to further understand the operational criteriamore » for upgrading gob well gas, a preliminary evaluation and assessment was performed. An assessment of the methane gas in-place and producible methane resource at the Jim Walter Resources, Inc. No. 4 and No. 5 Mines established a potential 15-year supply of 60 billion cubic feet of mien methane from gob wells, satisfying the resource criteria for the test site. To understand the effect of operating conditions on gob gas quality, gob wells producing pipeline quality (i.e., < 96% hydrocarbons) gas at this site will be operated over a wide range of suction pressures. Parameters to be determined will include absolute methane quantity and methane concentration produced through the gob wells; working face, tailgate and bleeder entry methane levels in the mine; and the effect on the economics of production of gob wells at various levels of methane quality. Following this, a field demonstration will be initiated at a mine where commercial gob gas production has not been attempted. The guidelines established during the first phase of the project will be used to design the production program. The economic feasibility of various utilization options will also be tested based upon the information gathered during the first phase. 41 refs., 41 figs., 12 tabs.« less

A One-Day Dental Faculty Workshop in Writing Multiple-Choice Questions: An Impact Evaluation.

PubMed

AlFaris, Eiad; Naeem, Naghma; Irfan, Farhana; Qureshi, Riaz; Saad, Hussain; Al Sadhan, Ra'ed; Abdulghani, Hamza Mohammad; Van der Vleuten, Cees

2015-11-01

Long training workshops on the writing of exam questions have been shown to be effective; however, the effectiveness of short workshops needs to be demonstrated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a one-day, seven-hour faculty development workshop at the College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, on the quality of multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Kirkpatrick's four-level evaluation model was used. Participants' satisfaction (Kirkpatrick's Level 1) was evaluated with a post-workshop questionnaire. A quasi-experimental, randomized separate sample, pretest-posttest design was used to assess the learning effect (Kirkpatrick's Level 2). To evaluate transfer of learning to practice (Kirkpatrick's Level 3), MCQs created by ten faculty members as a result of the training were assessed. To assess Kirkpatrick's Level 4 regarding institutional change, interviews with three key leaders of the school were conducted, coded, and analyzed. A total of 72 course directors were invited to and attended some part of the workshop; all 52 who attended the entire workshop completed the satisfaction form; and 22 of the 36 participants in the experimental group completed the posttest. The results showed that all 52 participants were highly satisfied with the workshop, and significant positive changes were found in the faculty members' knowledge and the quality of their MCQs with effect sizes of 0.7 and 0.28, respectively. At the institutional level, the interviews demonstrated positive structural changes in the school's assessment system. Overall, this one-day item-writing faculty workshop resulted in positive changes at all four of Kirkpatrick's levels; these effects suggest that even a short training session can improve a dental school's assessment of its students.

Bacteriological quality evaluation of seawater and oysters from the Jaranman-Saryangdo area, a designated shellfish growing area in Korea: Impact of inland pollution sources.

PubMed

Mok, Jong Soo; Lee, Ka Jeong; Kim, Poong Ho; Lee, Tae Seek; Lee, Hee Jung; Jung, Yeoun Joong; Kim, Ji Hoe

2016-07-15

From 2011 to 2013, we conducted a full sanitary survey of pollution sources in proximity to a designated shellfish growing area in Korea, and their impact on the sea area therein. From this area, 836 seawater samples and 93 oyster samples were examined to evaluate their bacteriological quality. There were 483 potential pollution sources in the drainage area of the Jaranman-Saryangdo area, including 38 sources discharging water. It demonstrates that while many pollution sources have been identified, no significant impact occurred within the designated shellfish growing area. Variations in fecal coliform (FC) levels in seawater were closely related to rainfall. The FC levels of seawater and oysters from the designated area met the regulation limits set by various countries. Our study indicates that the oysters produced in this area are apparently safe for raw consumption based on their bacterial quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ground-water sampling methods and quality-control data for the Red River of the North basin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, 1993-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Menheer, M.A.; Brigham, M.E.

1997-01-01

Quality-control data demonstrated that most constituents measured for this study yielded reproducible data, with low to undetectable contamination from the sampling and analytical procedures. Several constituents were occasionally or frequently detected in blank samples at levels similar to low-concentration ground-water-quality samples. For example, iron was detected in 75 percent of the blank samples, with a maximum concentration of 27 [ig/L, indicating that iron contamination may interfere with its determination at low levels in ground waters. Copper, aluminum, and dissolved organic carbon concentrations in blank samples overlap those determined in ground-waterquality samples, thereby precluding quantitative reporting of those constituents. Most pesticide data are reproducible, with minimal bias. Some pesticides had low but consistent recoveries; these data may be useful if spike and surrogate data are carefully considered. Data for some pesticides measured in this study should not be quantitatively reported or used, because they may underestimate the concentrations of those pesticides in ground waters.

Evaluating anthropogenic risk of grassland and forest habitat degradation using land-cover data

Treesearch

Kurt Riitters; James Wickham; Timothy Wade

2009-01-01

The effects of landscape context on habitat quality are receiving increased attention in conservation biology. The objective of this research is to demonstrate a landscape-level approach to mapping and evaluating the anthropogenic risks of grassland and forest habitat degradation by examining habitat context as defined by intensive anthropogenic land uses at multiple...

Quality of Doctor-Patient Communication through the Eyes of the Patient: Variation According to the Patient's Educational Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aelbrecht, Karolien; Rimondini, Michela; Bensing, Jozien; Moretti, Francesca; Willems, Sara; Mazzi, Mariangela; Fletcher, Ian; Deveugele, Myriam

2015-01-01

Good doctor-patient communication may lead to better compliance, higher patient satisfaction, and finally, better health. Although the social variance in how physicians and patients communicate is clearly demonstrated, little is known about what patients with different educational attainments actually prefer in doctor-patient communication. In…

Developing MOOCs to Narrow the College Readiness Gap: Challenges and Recommendations for a Writing Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bandi-Rao, Shoba; Devers, Christopher J.

2015-01-01

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have demonstrated the potential to deliver quality and cost effective course materials to large numbers of students. Approximately 60% of first-year students at community colleges are underprepared for college-level coursework. One reason for low graduation rates is the lack of the overall college readiness.…

Demonstrated Competency and Subject-Specific Endorsement Guidelines.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utah State Office of Education, Salt Lake City.

In 1986, the Utah State Board of Education approved a policy of subject specific certification for all secondary and most middle level teachers in the expectation they will hold an endorsement in any subject they are assigned to teach. To assure quality teaching and at the same time provide for a variety of certification options, the Board…

The Relationship of High School Students in Inclusive Settings: Emotional Health and Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Carolyn H.; Stith-Russell, Lafawndra S.

2010-01-01

Academic success has become increasingly important in determining future quality of life. Many educational programs and institutions at various levels stress the need for students to score well on standardized tests and other methods of evaluation, in order to demonstrate their knowledge of various concepts and skills. The relationship between…

Impact of sleep quality on amygdala reactivity, negative affect, and perceived stress.

PubMed

Prather, Aric A; Bogdan, Ryan; Hariri, Ahmad R

2013-05-01

Research demonstrates a negative impact of sleep disturbance on mood and affect; however, the biological mechanisms mediating these links are poorly understood. Amygdala reactivity to negative stimuli has emerged as one potential pathway. Here, we investigate the influence of self-reported sleep quality on associations between threat-related amygdala reactivity and measures of negative affect and perceived stress. Analyses on data from 299 participants (125 men, 50.5% white, mean [standard deviation] age = 19.6 [1.3] years) who completed the Duke Neurogenetics Study were conducted. Participants completed several self-report measures of negative affect and perceived stress. Threat-related (i.e., angry and fearful facial expressions) amygdala reactivity was assayed using blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging. Global sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Amygdala reactivity to fearful facial expressions predicted greater depressive symptoms and higher perceived stress in poor (β values = 0.18-1.86, p values < .05) but not good sleepers (β values = -0.13 to -0.01, p values > .05). In sex-specific analyses, men reporting poorer global sleep quality showed a significant association between amygdala reactivity and levels of depression and perceived stress (β values = 0.29-0.44, p values < .05). In contrast, no significant associations were observed in men reporting good global sleep quality or in women, irrespective of sleep quality. This study provides novel evidence that self-reported sleep quality moderates the relationships between amygdala reactivity, negative affect, and perceived stress, particularly among men.

Poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep of a collegiate student-athlete population.

PubMed

Mah, Cheri D; Kezirian, Eric J; Marcello, Brandon M; Dement, William C

2018-06-01

Poor and inadequate sleep negatively impact cognitive and physical functioning and may also affect sports performance. The study aim is to examine sleep quality, sleep duration, and daytime sleepiness in collegiate student-athletes across a wide range of sports. Questionnaire. University setting. 628 athletes across 29 varsity teams at Stanford University. Athletes completed a questionnaire inquiring about sleep quality via a modified Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), sleep duration, and daytime sleepiness via Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Sleep quality on campus and while traveling for competition was rated on a 10-point scale. Collegiate athletes were classified as poor sleepers (PSQI 5.38 ± 2.45), and 42.4% of athletes experience poor sleep quality (reporting PSQI global scores >5). Athletes reported lower sleep quality on campus than when traveling for competition (7.1 vs 7.6, P< .001). Inadequate sleep was demonstrated by 39.1% of athletes that regularly obtain <7 hours of sleep on weekdays. Fifty-one percent of athletes reported high levels of daytime sleepiness with Epworth scores ≥10. Teen student-athletes in the first and second year of college reported the highest mean levels of daytime sleepiness. Greater total sleep time was associated with daytime functioning including lower frequency of difficulty waking up for practice or class (P< .001) and lower frequency of trouble staying awake during daily activities (P< .001). Collegiate athletes frequently experience poor sleep quality, regularly obtain insufficient sleep, and commonly exhibit daytime sleepiness. Copyright © 2018 National Sleep Foundation. All rights reserved.

Quality of Life, Depression, Anxiety and Coping Strategies after Heart Transplantation

PubMed Central

Trevizan, Fulvio Bergamo; Miyazaki, Maria Cristina de Oliveira Santos; Silva, Yasmin Lima Witzel; Roque, Christiane Maia Waetman

2017-01-01

Introduction Heart transplantation is the therapeutic procedure indicated to increase the survival of patients with refractory heart failure. Improvement in overall functioning and quality of life are expected factors in the postoperative period. Objective To identify and evaluate mental disorders and symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, quality of life and coping strategies in the post-surgical situation of heart transplantation. Methods A cross-sectional, quantitative study with patients who have undergone heart transplantation. Participants answered to the Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Escala Modos de Enfrentamento de Problemas (Ways of Coping Scale) (EMEP) and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF). For data analysis, the significance level was considered P≤0.05. Results A total of 33 patients participated in the study. The BDI-II results indicated that 91% (n=30) of the patients presented a minimal level. In BAI, 94% (n=31) of the patients demonstrated minimal level of anxiety symptoms. WHOQOL-BREF showed a perception of quality of life considered good in all domains. The EMEP data have registered a problem-focused coping strategy. According to MINI, a single case of major depressive episode, current and recurrent was recorded. Conclusion Although most participants in the sample had symptoms of depression and anxiety, only one patient was identified with moderate symptoms in both domains. The most used strategy was coping focused on the problem. Patients have classified the perceptions of quality of life as 'good', pointing out satisfaction with their health. PMID:28832793

Readability and quality of wikipedia pages on neurosurgical topics.

PubMed

Modiri, Omeed; Guha, Daipayan; Alotaibi, Naif M; Ibrahim, George M; Lipsman, Nir; Fallah, Aria

2018-03-01

Wikipedia is the largest online encyclopedia with over 40 million articles, and generating 500 million visits per month. The aim of this study is to assess the readability and quality of Wikipedia pages on neurosurgical related topics. We selected the neurosurgical related Wikipedia pages based on the series of online patient information articles that are published by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). We assessed readability of Wikipedia pages using five different readability scales (Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, SMOG) Grade level, and Coleman-Liau Index). We used the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Clear Communication Index as well as the DISCERN Instrument to evaluate the quality of each Wikipedia article. We identified a total of fifty-five Wikipedia articles that corresponded with patient information articles published by the AANS. This constitutes 77.46% of the AANS topics. The mean Flesch Kincaid reading ease score for all of the Wikipedia articles we analyzed is 31.10, which indicates that a college-level education is necessary to understand them. In comparison to the readability analysis for the AANS articles, the Wikipedia articles were more difficult to read across every scale. None of the Wikipedia articles meet the CDC criterion for clear communications. Our analyses demonstrated that Wikipedia articles related to neurosurgical topics are associated with higher grade levels for reading and also below the expected levels of clear communications for patients. Collaborative efforts from the neurosurgical community are needed to enhance the readability and quality of Wikipedia pages related to neurosurgery. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating fundamentals of care: The development of a unit-level quality measurement and improvement programme.

PubMed

Parr, Jenny M; Bell, Jeanette; Koziol-McLain, Jane

2018-06-01

The project aimed to develop a unit-level quality measurement and improvement programme using evidence-based fundamentals of care. Feedback from patients, families, whānau, staff and audit data in 2014 indicated variability in the delivery of fundamental aspects of care such as monitoring, nutrition, pain management and environmental cleanliness at a New Zealand District Health Board. A general inductive approach was used to explore the fundamentals of care and design a measurement and improvement programme, the Patient and Whānau Centred Care Standards (PWCCS), focused on fundamental care. Five phases were used to explore the evidence, and design and test a measurement and improvement framework. Nine identified fundamental elements of care were used to define expected standards of care and develop and test a measurement and improvement framework. Four six-monthly peer reviews have been undertaken since June 2015. Charge Nurse Managers used results to identify quality improvements. Significant improvement was demonstrated overall, in six of the 27 units, in seven of the nine standards and three of the four measures. In all, 89% (n = 24) of units improved their overall result. The PWCCS measurement and improvement framework make visible nursing fundamentals of care in line with continuous quality improvement to increase quality of care. Delivering fundamentals of care is described by nurses as getting ?back to basics'. Patient and family feedback supports the centrality of fundamentals of care to their hospital experience. Implementing a unit-level fundamentals of care quality measurement and improvement programme clarifies expected standards of care, highlights the contribution of fundamentals of care to quality and provides a mechanism for ongoing improvements. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Uterine Artery Embolization: An Analysis of Online Patient Information Quality and Readability with Historical Comparison.

PubMed

Murray, Timothy E; Mansoor, Tayyaub; Bowden, Dermot J; O'Neill, Damien C; Lee, Michael J

2018-05-01

Investigators aimed to assess online information describing uterine artery embolization (UAE) to examine the quality and readability of websites patients are accessing. A list of applicable, commonly used searchable terms was generated, including "Uterine Artery Embolization," "Fibroid Embolization," "Uterine Fibroid Embolization," and "Uterine Artery Embolisation." Each possible term was assessed across the five most-used English language search engines to determine the most commonly used term. The most common term was then investigated across each search engine, with the first 25 pages returned by each engine included for analysis. Duplicate pages, nontext content such as video or audio, and pages behind paywalls were excluded. Pages were analyzed for quality and readability using validated tools including DISCERN score, JAMA Benchmark Criteria, HONcode Certification, Flesch Reading Ease Score, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, and Gunning-Fog Index. Secondary features such as age, rank, author, and publisher were recorded. The most common applicable term was "Uterine Artery Embolization" (492,900 results). Mean DISCERN quality of information provided by UAE websites is "fair"; however, it has declined since comparative 2012 studies. Adherence to JAMA Benchmark Criteria has reduced to 6.7%. UAE website readability remains more difficult than the World Health Organization-recommended 7-8th grade reading levels. HONcode-certified websites (35.6%) demonstrated significantly higher quality than noncertified websites. Quality of online UAE information remains "fair." Adherence to JAMA benchmark criteria is poor. Readability is above recommended 7-8th grade levels. HONcode certification was predictive of higher website quality, a useful guide to patients requesting additional information. Copyright © 2018 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Setting Quality Improvement Priorities for Women Receiving Systemic Therapy for Early-Stage Breast Cancer by Using Population-Level Administrative Data.

PubMed

Enright, Katherine A; Taback, Nathan; Powis, Melanie Lynn; Gonzalez, Alejandro; Yun, Lingsong; Sutradhar, Rinku; Trudeau, Maureen E; Booth, Christopher M; Krzyzanowska, Monika K

2017-10-01

Purpose Routine evaluation of quality measures (QMs) can drive improvement in cancer systems by highlighting gaps in care. Targeting quality improvement at QMs that demonstrate substantial variation has the potential to make the largest impact at the population level. We developed an approach that uses both variation in performance and number of patients affected by the QM to set priorities for improving the quality of systemic therapy for women with early-stage breast cancer (EBC). Patients and Methods Patients with EBC diagnosed from 2006 to 2010 in Ontario, Canada, were identified in the Ontario Cancer Registry and linked deterministically to multiple health care databases. Individual QMs within a panel of 15 QMs previously developed to assess the quality of systemic therapy across four domains (access, treatment delivery, toxicity, and safety) were ranked on interinstitutional variation in performance (using interquartile range) and the number of patients who were affected; then the two rankings were averaged for a summative priority ranking. Results We identified 28,427 patients with EBC who were treated at 84 institutions. The use of computerized physician electronic order entry for chemotherapy, emergency room visits or hospitalizations during chemotherapy, and timely receipt of chemotherapy were identified as the QMs that had the largest potential to improve quality of care at a system level within this cohort. Conclusion A simple ranking system based on interinstitutional variation in performance and patient volume can be used to identify high-priority areas for quality improvement from a population perspective. This approach is generalizable to other health care systems that use QMs to drive improvement.

Environmental Assessment for Toxecon Retrofit for Mercury and Multi-Pollutant Control, Presque Isle Power Plant, Marquette, Michigan

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

N /A

This Environmental Assessment (EA) evaluates environmental issues associated with constructing and operating an integrated emissions control system proposed by We Energies and its project partners with cost-shared funding support by DOE. The proposed project would be demonstrated at the existing 90-MW Units 7, 8, and 9 of We Energies' coal-fired Presque Isle Power Plant in Marquette, Michigan. The commercial-scale demonstrate would allow utilities to make decisions regarding the integrated emissions control system as a viable commercial option. DOE's share of the funding for the 5-year demonstration project would be about $25 million, while $25 million would also be provided bymore » We Energies and its project partners. This project was selected by DOE under the Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) for negotiation of a cooperative agreement to demonstrate the integration of technologies to reduce emissions of mercury (Hg) and particulate matter, as well as potentially control sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}), oxides of nitrogen (NO{sub x}) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) emissions. DOE's decision is whether or not to fund the project. The EA evaluates the principal environmental issues, including air quality, waste management, and traffic, that could result from construction and operation of the proposed project. The EA also considers two reasonably foreseeable scenarios that could result from the no-action alternative in which DOE would not provide cost-shared funding for the proposed project. Key findings include that potential air quality impacts resulting from the proposed project would generally be beneficial because plantwide air emissions would decrease or continue at the same level. The decrease in stack exit temperature would decrease the plume rise, which could result in increased downwind ground-level concentrations of those air pollutants experience little or no decrease in stack emissions. However, results of air dispersion modeling indicated that no major impacts would be expected relative to Prevention of Significant Deterioration increments and National Ambient Air Quality Standards.« less

Work engagement as a key driver of quality of care: a study with midwives.

PubMed

Freeney, Yseult; Fellenz, Martin R

2013-01-01

Against a backdrop of increased work intensification within maternity hospitals, the purpose of this paper is to examine the role of work engagement in the quality of care delivered to patients and in general health of the midwives delivering care, as reported by midwives and nurses. Quantitative questionnaires consisting of standardised measures were distributed to midwives in two large maternity hospitals. These questionnaires assessed levels of work engagement, supervisor and colleague support, general health and quality of care. Structural equation modelling analysis revealed a best-fit model that demonstrated work engagement to be a significant partial mediator between organisational and supervisor support and quality of care, and as a significant predictor of self-reported general health. Together, supervisor support, social support and organisational resources, mediated by work engagement, explained 38 per cent of the variance in quality of care at the unit level and 23 per cent of variance in general health among midwives (chi2(67) = 113; p < 0.01, CFI = 0.961, RMSEA = 0.06). The study is limited in that it uses self-report measures of quality of care and lacks objective indicators of patient outcomes. The cross-sectional design also does not allow for causal inferences to be drawn from the data. This study provides evidence for the links between individual levels of work engagement and both health and self-reports of unit level quality of care. The results support the importance of health services organisations and managers deploying organisational resources to foster employee work engagement. The results also highlight the significant role of the immediate nurse manager and suggest training and development for such roles is a valuable investment. These results are the first to link work engagement and performance in health care contexts and point to the value of work engagement for both unit performance and for individual employee well-being in health organisations.

Investigating the use of patient involvement and patient experience in quality improvement in Norway: rhetoric or reality?

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Patient involvement in health care decision making is part of a wider trend towards a more bottom-up approach to service planning and provision, and patient experience is increasingly conceptualized as a core dimension of health care quality. The aim of this multi-level study is two-fold: 1) to describe and analyze how governmental organizations expect acute hospitals to incorporate patient involvement and patient experiences into their quality improvement (QI) efforts and 2) to analyze how patient involvement and patient experiences are used by hospitals to try to improve the quality of care they provide. Methods This multi-level case study combines analysis of national policy documents and regulations at the macro level with semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation of key meetings and shadowing of staff at the meso and micro levels in two purposively sampled Norwegian hospitals. Fieldwork at the meso and micro levels was undertaken over a 12-month period (2011–2012). Results Governmental documents and regulations at the macro level demonstrated wide-ranging expectations for the integration of patient involvement and patient experiences in QI work in hospitals. The expectations span from systematic collection of patients’ and family members’ experiences for the purpose of improving service quality through establishing patient-oriented arenas for ongoing collaboration with staff to the support of individual involvement in decision making. However, the extent of involvement of patients and application of patient experiences in QI work was limited at both hospitals. Even though patient involvement was gaining prominence at the meso level − and to a lesser extent at the micro level − relevant tools for measuring and using patient experiences in QI work were lacking, and available measures of patient experience were not being used meaningfully or systematically. Conclusions The relative lack of expertise in Norwegian hospitals of adapting and implementing tools and methods for improving patient involvement and patient experiences at the meso and micro levels mark a need for health care policymakers and hospital leaders to learn from experiences of other industries and countries that have successfully integrated user experiences into QI work. Hospital managers need to design and implement wider strategies to help their staff members recognize and value the contribution that patient involvement and patient experiences can make to the improvement of healthcare quality. PMID:23742265

Using Multi-Core Systems for Rover Autonomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, Brad; Estlin, Tara; Bornstein, Benjamin; Springer, Paul; Anderson, Robert C.

2010-01-01

Task Objectives are: (1) Develop and demonstrate key capabilities for rover long-range science operations using multi-core computing, (a) Adapt three rover technologies to execute on SOA multi-core processor (b) Illustrate performance improvements achieved (c) Demonstrate adapted capabilities with rover hardware, (2) Targeting three high-level autonomy technologies (a) Two for onboard data analysis (b) One for onboard command sequencing/planning, (3) Technologies identified as enabling for future missions, (4)Benefits will be measured along several metrics: (a) Execution time / Power requirements (b) Number of data products processed per unit time (c) Solution quality

Improved Self-Acceptance, Quality of Life, and Stress Level from Participation in a Worksite Yoga Foundations Program: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Casey, Lori J; Van Rooy, Kimberly M; Sutherland, Stephanie J; Jenkins, Sarah M; Rosedahl, Jordan K; Wood, Nadia G; Ebbert, Jon O; Lopez-Jimenez, Francisco; Egginton, Jason S; Sim, Leslie A; Clark, Matthew M

2018-03-29

Yoga is increasing in popularity in the United States and across the globe. However, most yoga programs are provided outside the worksite; although many companies offer worksite wellness programs, at present there is limited documentation regarding the potential benefits of participating in a worksite yoga program. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to examine the potential effect of a worksite yoga program on self-acceptance, quality of life, and perceived stress. A prospective cohort pilot study that examined a structured worksite yoga program was designed and tailored to individuals new to yoga. The 8-week Yoga Foundations program was conducted at an academic medical center's worksite wellness center with 86 subjects. Outcome measures were the 36-item Self-Acceptance Scale; a six-item quality-of-life measure that assesses overall, social, mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being; and the ten-item Perceived Stress Scale. Participants demonstrated significant improvement in their overall self-acceptance ( p < 0.001), quality of life ( p < 0.001), and perceived stress ( p ≤ 0.001) levels. They also highly rated the yoga instructors and the weekly format of the program. Participation in a Yoga Foundations program was associated with improvements in self-acceptance, quality of life and stress levels in worksite wellness center members. Future studies should use randomized designs and examine other wellness domains to learn more about the potential benefits of worksite yoga programs.

Effects of environmental and water quality parameters on the functioning of copepod assemblages in tropical estuaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araujo, Adriana V.; Dias, Cristina O.; Bonecker, Sérgio L. C.

2017-07-01

We examined changes in the functioning of copepod assemblages with increasing pollution in estuaries, using sampling standardization of the salinity range to enable comparisons. Copepod assemblages were analyzed in four southeast Brazilian estuaries with different water quality levels and hydrodynamic characteristics over two years. We obtained mesozooplankton samples together with environmental and water quality parameters in the estuaries, every two months under predetermined salinities ranging from 15 to 25. The values of parameters, except species size, associated with the functioning of the copepod assemblages (biomass, productivity, and turnover rate) did not differ among estuaries. However, in the more polluted estuaries, the biomass and productivity of copepod assemblages of mesozooplankton were negatively correlated with concentration of pollution indicator parameters. Conversely, in the less polluted estuaries some degree of enrichment still seems to increase the system biomass and productivity, as these parameters were inversely related to indicators of improved water quality. The pollution level of estuaries distorted the relationship between temperature and the efficiency of converting energy to organic matter. In the less polluted estuaries, the relationship between turnover rate and temperature was over 70%, while in the most polluted estuaries, this relationship was only approximately 50%. Our results demonstrated that the functioning of assemblages in the estuaries was affected differently by increasing pollution depending on the water quality level of the system. Thus, investigating the functioning of assemblages can be a useful tool for the analysis of estuarine conditions.

Association of surgical care improvement project infection-related process measure compliance with risk-adjusted outcomes: implications for quality measurement.

PubMed

Ingraham, Angela M; Cohen, Mark E; Bilimoria, Karl Y; Dimick, Justin B; Richards, Karen E; Raval, Mehul V; Fleisher, Lee A; Hall, Bruce L; Ko, Clifford Y

2010-12-01

Facility-level process measure adherence is being publicly reported. However, the association between measure adherence and surgical outcomes is not well-established. Our objective was to determine the degree to which Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) process measures are associated with American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) risk-adjusted outcomes. This cross-sectional study included hospitals participating in the ACS NSQIP and SCIP (n = 200). ACS NSQIP outcomes (30-day overall morbidity, serious morbidity, surgical site infections [SSI], and mortality) and adherence to SCIP SSI-related process measures (from the Hospital Compare database) were collected from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2008. Hospital-level correlation coefficients between compliance with 4 process measures (ie, antibiotic administration within 1 hour before incision [SCIP-1]; appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis [SCIP-2]; antibiotic discontinuation within 24 hours after surgery [SCIP-3]; and appropriate hair removal [SCIP 6]) and 4 risk-adjusted outcomes were calculated. Regression analyses estimated the contribution of process measure adherence to risk-adjusted outcomes. Of 211 ACS NSQIP hospitals, 95% had data reported by Hospital Compare. Depending on the measure, hospital-level compliance ranged from 60% to 100%. Of the 16 correlations, 15 demonstrated nonsignificant associations with risk-adjusted outcomes. The exception was the relationship between SCIP-2 and SSI (p = 0.004). SCIP-1 demonstrated an intriguing but nonsignificant relationship with SSI (p = 0.08) and overall morbidity (p = 0.08). Although adherence to SCIP-2 was a significant predictor of risk-adjusted SSI (p < 0.0001) and overall morbidity (p < 0.0001), inclusion of compliance for SCIP-1 and SCIP-2 caused only slight improvement in model quality. Better adherence to infection-related process measures over the observed range was not significantly associated with better outcomes with one exception. Different measures of quality might be needed for surgical infection. Copyright © 2010 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Precision manufacturing for clinical-quality regenerative medicines.

PubMed

Williams, David J; Thomas, Robert J; Hourd, Paul C; Chandra, Amit; Ratcliffe, Elizabeth; Liu, Yang; Rayment, Erin A; Archer, J Richard

2012-08-28

Innovations in engineering applied to healthcare make a significant difference to people's lives. Market growth is guaranteed by demographics. Regulation and requirements for good manufacturing practice-extreme levels of repeatability and reliability-demand high-precision process and measurement solutions. Emerging technologies using living biological materials add complexity. This paper presents some results of work demonstrating the precision automated manufacture of living materials, particularly the expansion of populations of human stem cells for therapeutic use as regenerative medicines. The paper also describes quality engineering techniques for precision process design and improvement, and identifies the requirements for manufacturing technology and measurement systems evolution for such therapies.

The quality of antimalarials available in Yemen

PubMed Central

Abdo-Rabbo, Ahmed; Bassili, Amal; Atta, Hoda

2005-01-01

Background Malaria has always been a major public health problem in Yemen. Several studies in developing countries have demonstrated ineffective and poor quality drugs including antimalarials. Therefore, quality assessment of antimalarial drugs is of crucial importance. This study aimed to assess the quality of antimalarials (chloroquine and sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine) available in Yemen and to determine whether the quality of these products was related to the level of the distribution chain at which the samples were collected or related to the manufacturers. Methods Four samples from each antimalarial product were collected from each of the various levels of the distribution chain. One sample was kept with the research team. Two were tested at Sana'a and Aden Drug Quality Control Laboratories. The fourth was sent to the Centre for Quality Assurance of Medicines in Potchefstroom, South Africa, for analysis. Quality indicators measured were the content of the active ingredient and dissolution rate (for tablets only) in comparison to standard specifications for these products in the relevant pharmacopoeia. Results The results identified several problems of sub-standard products within the drug distribution chain. They included high and low failures in ingredient content for chloroquine tablets and chloroquine syrup. There was some dissolution failure for chloroquine tablets, and high sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine tablets dissolution failures. Failures with the dissolution of the pyrimethamine were found at most of the collection points. No clear relationship neither between the quality products and the level of the distribution chain, nor between locally manufactured and imported products was observed. Conclusion There are sub-standard antimalarial products circulating within the drug distribution chains in the country, which will have serious implications on the reduced therapeutic effectiveness and on the development of drug resistance. This appears to be due to non-compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice guidelines by manufacturers in the production of the antimalarials. PMID:15987508

Cranial CT with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction: improved image quality with concomitant radiation dose reduction.

PubMed

Rapalino, O; Kamalian, Shervin; Kamalian, Shahmir; Payabvash, S; Souza, L C S; Zhang, D; Mukta, J; Sahani, D V; Lev, M H; Pomerantz, S R

2012-04-01

To safeguard patient health, there is great interest in CT radiation-dose reduction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an iterative-reconstruction algorithm, ASIR, on image-quality measures in reduced-dose head CT scans for adult patients. Using a 64-section scanner, we analyzed 100 reduced-dose adult head CT scans at 6 predefined levels of ASIR blended with FBP reconstruction. These scans were compared with 50 CT scans previously obtained at a higher routine dose without ASIR reconstruction. SNR and CNR were computed from Hounsfield unit measurements of normal GM and WM of brain parenchyma. A blinded qualitative analysis was performed in 10 lower-dose CT datasets compared with higher-dose ones without ASIR. Phantom data analysis was also performed. Lower-dose scans without ASIR had significantly lower mean GM and WM SNR (P = .003) and similar GM-WM CNR values compared with higher routine-dose scans. However, at ASIR levels of 20%-40%, there was no statistically significant difference in SNR, and at ASIR levels of ≥60%, the SNR values of the reduced-dose scans were significantly higher (P < .01). CNR values were also significantly higher at ASIR levels of ≥40% (P < .01). Blinded qualitative review demonstrated significant improvements in perceived image noise, artifacts, and GM-WM differentiation at ASIR levels ≥60% (P < .01). These results demonstrate that the use of ASIR in adult head CT scans reduces image noise and increases low-contrast resolution, while allowing lower radiation doses without affecting spatial resolution.

Macro vs micro level surgical quality improvement: a regional collaborative demonstrates the case for a national NSQIP initiative.

PubMed

Tepas, Joseph J; Kerwin, Andrew J; deVilla, Jhun; Nussbaum, Michael S

2014-04-01

The Florida Surgical Care Initiative (FSCI) is a quality improvement collaborative of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) and the Florida Hospital Association. In the wake of a dramatic decrease in complications and cost documented over 15 months, we analyzed the semiannual measures reports (SAR) to determine whether this improvement was driven by specific institutions or was a global accomplishment by all participants. Reports from NSQIP were analyzed to determine rank change of participants. Odds ratio (OR) of observed-to-expected incidence of the 4 FSCI outcomes (catheter-associated urinary tract infection [CAUTI], surgical site infection [SSI], colorectal, and surgery in patients older than 65 years) were used to assess individual and group performance. Data from SAR 2 (October 2011 to April 2012) were compared with data from SAR 3 (May to July 2012). Poorly performing hospitals were tracked to determine evidence of improvement. Individual facility performance was evaluated by determining proportion of hospitals showing improved rank across all measures. Fifty-four hospitals were evaluated. SAR 2 reported 28,112 general and vascular surgical cases; SAR 3 added 10,784 more. The proportion of institutions with OR < 1 for each measure did not change significantly. Only urinary tract infection and colorectal measures demonstrated increased number of hospitals with OR < 1. Each institution that was a significant negative outlier in SAR 2 demonstrated improvement. Three of 54 hospitals demonstrated improvement across all 4 measures. Of 15 hospitals with improved performance across 3 measures, all included elderly surgery. The increase in quality achieved across this population of surgical patients was the result of a quality assessment process driven by NSQIP rather than disproportionate improvement of some raising the bar for all. The NSQIP process, applied collaboratively across a population by committed institutions, produces dramatic results. Copyright © 2014 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investigation of the chemical markers for experiential quality evaluation of crude aconite by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS.

PubMed

Zhang, Ding-Kun; Han, Xue; Li, Rui-Yu; Niu, Ming; Dong, Qin; Yang, Ming; Wang, Jia-Bo; Xiao, Xiao-He

2016-11-01

Many foods and herbs are experientially classified into different commodity grades in commercial circulation. Regarding the hypertoxic herb aconite, large samples are considered to be of better quality. However, this experiential classification lacks a scientific basis. In this study, we focused on the quality diversity among different grades and studied it using the minimum lethal dose assay and a novel ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry method. Toxicity assay result suggested grade I aconite had the lowest toxicity (p < 0.05). Using this method with partial least squares-discriminant analysis, we discovered nine chemomarkers, including neoline, songorine, fuziline, mesaconitine, talatizidine, dexyaconitine, talatisamine, hypaconitine, and fuzitine. Considering their toxicity and activity, we found the levels of toxic ingredients hypaconitine, dexyaconitine, and mesaconitine in grade I were lower than those in grade II (p < 0.01), while the levels of efficacy ingredients songorine, talatisamine, and neoline were the highest in grade I (p < 0.01). Further study demonstrated that the quality variation was associated with plant tissue development and toxic ingredient distribution law. Our results provide scientific evidence for the experiential quality evaluation of aconite, and it will be of great utility for other foods and herbs. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Attachment states of mind and the quality of young adults' sibling relationships.

PubMed

Fortuna, Keren; Roisman, Glenn I; Haydon, Katherine C; Groh, Ashley M; Holland, Ashley S

2011-09-01

This report examines young adults' states of mind regarding their early attachment experiences in relation to the observed and perceived quality of their sibling relationships. Sixty sibling pairs (18-25 years of age) were (a) administered the Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1985), (b) videotaped during a conflict resolution task, and (c) asked to describe the quality of their relationship using the Adult Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (Stocker, Lanthier, & Furman, 1997). As hypothesized, dismissing states of mind were associated with lower levels of positive and negative affect while participants attempted to resolve an area of conflict with a sibling as well as with relatively low levels of reported warmth in the relationship. In contrast-but also in line with predictions-preoccupied states of mind were associated with heightened expression of negative affect toward a brother or sister, and the siblings of highly preoccupied individuals reported more conflict in their relationships. Findings provide further support for the importance of young adults' representations of childhood attachment experiences with respect to the quality of their adult relationships. In addition, this study extends previous findings regarding the significance of dismissing versus preoccupied states of mind by demonstrating that these dimensions are differentially associated with behavioral and self-reported aspects of sibling relationship quality in early adulthood.

Adolescent mothers' relationships with their own mothers: impact on parenting outcomes.

PubMed

Sellers, Katie; Black, Maureen M; Boris, Neil W; Oberlander, Sarah E; Myers, Leann

2011-02-01

This study examined the relationship between mother-grandmother relationship quality and adolescent mothers' parenting behaviors using longitudinal multimethod, multi-informant data. Participants were 181 urban, African American adolescent mothers. Self-report data on mother-grandmother relationship conflict and depressive symptoms were collected after delivery and at 6-, 13-, and 24-month follow-up visits. Videotaped observations were used to measure mother-grandmother relationship quality at baseline. Mother-child interactions were videotaped at 6, 13, and 24 months to operationalize parenting. Mixed-model regression methods were used to investigate the relation between mother-grandmother relationships and mother-child interactions. Mother-grandmother relationship quality predicted both negative control and nurturing parenting. Mothers whose own mothers were more direct (both demanding and clear) and who reported low relationship conflict demonstrated low negative control in their parenting. Mothers who demonstrated high levels of individuation (a balance of autonomy and mutuality) and reported low relationship conflict showed high nurturing parenting. The implications of these findings for adolescent health and emotional development are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

The influence of macro- and microelements in seminal plasma on diluted boar sperm quality.

PubMed

Pipan, Maja Zakošek; Mrkun, Janko; Strajn, Breda Jakovac; Vrtač, Katarina Pavšič; Kos, Janko; Pišlar, Anja; Zrimšek, Petra

2017-02-10

Growing evidence indicates that macro- and microelements in the seminal plasma of humans and various domestic animals are of great importance due to their roles in sperm metabolism, function, survival and oxidative stress. In the present study, we therefore determined the concentrations of macro- and microelements in fresh boar seminal plasma and their relation to sperm quality parameters after 3 days of liquid storage was assessed. Twenty ejaculates from eight boars were collected, and semen volume, concentration, sperm motility, morphology, tail membrane integrity, plasma membrane permeability, mitochondrial membrane potential and DNA fragmentation were determined on the day of collection (day 0) and day 3 (72 h) of storage at 15-17 °C. Seminal plasma was separated and the concentrations of macroelements (Na, K, Ca, and Mg) and microelements (Cu, Fe, Zn and Se) were determined. After 3 days of storage Se levels correlated significantly with sperm motility, progressive motility and morphology, all of which are routinely used for semen evaluation. On day 3, Se levels also correlated with tail membrane integrity, viability and intact DNA (P < 0.05). The correlation coefficients showed that mitochondrial function was better preserved at higher levels of Zn, while higher levels of Cu decreased mitochondrial function, but led to the better preservation of DNA. It was also evident that higher levels of Fe were associated with higher proportions of live spermatozoa and of spermatozoa with normal morphology after 3 days of storage (P < 0.05), while higher levels of Ca and Mg in fresh seminal plasma were associated with lower percentages of progressive motile spermatozoa and with a decreased proportion of spermatozoa with intact DNA (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis including microelements showed that Se significantly affected sperm quality parameters, mentioned above, after 3 days of storage. Macro- and microelements were associated with boar sperm quality and may be important biomarkers of boar sperm quality after liquid storage. Our results demonstrate that the evaluation of Se in fresh boar seminal plasma can serve as an additional tool in predicting sperm quality after storage.

Quality of environmental impact statements and variability of scrutiny by reviewers

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

Peterson, Kaja, E-mail: kaja.peterson@seit.e

2010-04-15

Adequate provision of information is essential for decision making. This paper provides the results of the quality assessment of Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), documents prescribed by EIA Directive (337/85/EEC). The assessment was completed by several categories of reviewers in Estonia, which has been an EU member state since 2004. The quality assessment of EIS was based on the EC Guidance on EIS Review (2001). Firstly, the quality assessment of 50 randomly selected EIS was carried out by a single reviewer. Secondly, the individual grading among 24 independent reviewers of a single EIS was tested. Thirdly, a comparison of the resultsmore » of 15 individual and 5 group assessments of the same EIS was conducted. The results from the quality assessment of the selected EIS demonstrate a satisfactory level of information provided for decision making; 68% of the sample EIS were positively graded. However, more than half of the 50 EIS were graded as 'just satisfactory'. Comparison between the individual and group assessment of the same EIS demonstrates that the group assessment is more critical than the individual assessment. This possibly results from a wider technical expertise and balancing of subjective values and perspectives among group members. Arguably, the current practice of EIA competent authorities assessing the quality of EIS with individuals could be revised. We discuss the effect of the group assessment on expanding the narrow technical expertise and the subjectivity of a single expert.« less

Evaluation of the impact of urban pollution on the quality of skin: a multicentre study in Mexico.

PubMed

Lefebvre, M-A; Pham, D-M; Boussouira, B; Bernard, D; Camus, C; Nguyen, Q-L

2015-06-01

After pilot and preliminary studies aimed at identifying pertinent biochemical parameters, a multicenter clinical study was performed to evaluate the effect of pollution on human skin. The clinical study was performed in collaboration with the 'Centre Régional de lutte contre le cancer de Montpellier' and the 'National Institute of Public Health of Mexico' on 96 subjects in Mexico City (exposed to pollution) and 93 subjects in Cuernavaca (less exposed to pollution). Both biochemical and clinical skin parameters were studied. The study demonstrated significant quantitative and qualitative modifications of parameters related to sebum excretion in Mexico City compared to Cuernavaca one: An increased level of sebum excretion rate, a lower level of vitamin E and squalene in sebum, an increase of lactic acid and a higher erythematous index on the face of the subjects. In the stratum corneum, a significant higher level of carbonylated proteins and a lower level of IL 1α were noticed, as well as a decrease of ATP concentration with a decrease of chymotrysin like activity, without modifications of corneodesmosin content and trypsin like activity. From a clinical point of view, a higher frequency of atopic and urticarial skins, a higher frequency of red dermographism, an important seborrheic status at the forehead level and a lower level of dandruffs were noted in Mexico City population. The analysis taking into account the sex does not modify the observed results. The study demonstrated an important impact of polluted environmental conditions on skin quality, evidencing important modifications of superficial biochemical parameters. The cause/effects relationships of these modifications remain, however, to be further assessed by a complementary in vitro/in vivo approaches. © 2015 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

Profiling signaling proteins in human spermatozoa: biomarker identification for sperm quality evaluation.

PubMed

Silva, Joana Vieira; Freitas, Maria João; Correia, Bárbara Regadas; Korrodi-Gregório, Luís; Patrício, António; Pelech, Steven; Fardilha, Margarida

2015-10-01

To determine the correlation between semen basic parameters and the expression and activity of signaling proteins. In vitro studies with human spermatozoa. Academic research institute. Thirty-seven men provided semen samples for routine analysis. None. Basic semen parameters tracked included sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF), the expression levels of 75 protein kinases, and the phosphorylation/cleavage patterns of 18 signaling proteins in human spermatozoa. The results indicated that the phosphorylated levels of several proteins (Bad, GSK-3β, HSP27, JNK/SAPK, mTOR, p38 MAPK, and p53), as well as cleavage of PARP (at D214) and Caspase-3 (at D175), were significantly correlated with motility parameters. Additionally, the percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa demonstrated a significant positive correlation with the phosphorylated levels of p70 S6 kinase and, in turn, head defects and the teratozoospermia index (TZI) showed a significant negative correlation with the phosphorylated levels of Stat3. There was a significant positive correlation between SDF and the teratozoospermia index, as well as the presence of head defects. In contrast, SDF negatively correlated with the percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa and the phosphorylation of Akt and p70 S6 kinase. Subjects with varicocele demonstrated a significant negative correlation between head morphological defects and the phosphorylated levels of Akt, GSK3β, p38 MAPK, and Stat1. Additionally, 34 protein kinases were identified as expressed in their total protein levels in normozoospermic samples. This study contributed toward establishing a biomarker "fingerprint" to assess sperm quality on the basis of molecular parameters. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality of life after major trauma with multiple rib fractures.

PubMed

Marasco, Silvana; Lee, Geraldine; Summerhayes, Robyn; Fitzgerald, Mark; Bailey, Michael

2015-01-01

Rib fractures are a common injury presenting to major trauma centres and community hospitals. Aside from the acute impact of rib fracture injury, longer-term morbidity of pain, disability and deformity have been described. Despite this, the mainstay of management for the vast majority of rib fracture injuries remains supportive only with analgesia and where required respiratory support. This study aimed to document the long-term quality of life in a cohort of major trauma patients with rib fracture injury over 24 months. Retrospective review (July 2006-July 2011) of 397 major trauma patients admitted to The Alfred Hospital with rib fractures and not treated with operative rib fixation. The main outcome measures were quality of life over 24 months post injury assessed using the Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended and SF12 health assessment forms and a pain questionnaire. Assessment over 24 months of major trauma patients with multiple rib fractures demonstrated significantly lower quality of life compared with published Australian norms at all time points measured. Return to work rates were poor with only 71% of those who were working prior to their accident, returning to any work. This study demonstrates a significant reduction in quality of life for rib fracture patients requiring admission to hospital, which does not return to the level of Australian norms for at least two years. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparisons of Success and Retention in a General Chemistry Course before and after the Adoption of a Mathematics Prerequisite

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donovan, William J.; Wheland, Ethel R.

2009-01-01

This study of the relationships between mathematical ability and success and retention in a general chemistry course was conducted at an open-enrollment university whose mission is to provide a quality education to a culturally and economically diverse student body. We studied the correlation between the demonstrated level of mathematical ability…

Data package for the Low-Level Waste Disposal Development and Demonstration Program environmental impact statement: Volume 2, Appendices E-O

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

Ketelle, R.H.

1988-09-01

This volume contains 11 appendices to the main document in Volume 1. Topics in Volume 2 include hydrologic data for a proposed solid waste storage area, soil characterizations, well logs, surface water discharge data, water quality data, atmospheric precipitation and stream flow, a small mammal survey, and general ecological information. (TEM)

Criteria for internal auditing.

PubMed

Holder, W W; Clay, R J

1979-01-01

An effective, inclusive internal auditing endeavor should help assure hospital managements that (1) an adequate system of internal control exists to assure the safeguarding of assets and the reliability of data produced by the financial information system, (2) uneconomic operating practices are detected promptly so they can be remedied, and (3) program results and effectiveness levels are of sufficiently high quality to demonstrate managerial competence.

Probing hydrogen positions in hydrous compounds: information from parametric neutron powder diffraction studies.

PubMed

Ting, Valeska P; Henry, Paul F; Schmidtmann, Marc; Wilson, Chick C; Weller, Mark T

2012-05-21

We demonstrate the extent to which modern detector technology, coupled with a high flux constant wavelength neutron source, can be used to obtain high quality diffraction data from short data collections, allowing the refinement of the full structures (including hydrogen positions) of hydrous compounds from in situ neutron powder diffraction measurements. The in situ thermodiffractometry and controlled humidity studies reported here reveal that important information on the reorientations of structural water molecules with changing conditions can be easily extracted, providing insight into the effects of hydrogen bonding on bulk physical properties. Using crystalline BaCl2·2H2O as an example system, we analyse the structural changes in the compound and its dehydration intermediates with changing temperature and humidity levels to demonstrate the quality of the dynamic structural information on the hydrogen atoms and associated hydrogen bonding that can be obtained without resorting to sample deuteration.

Generation and applications of an ultrahigh-fidelity four-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state.

PubMed

Zhang, Chao; Huang, Yun-Feng; Zhang, Cheng-Jie; Wang, Jian; Liu, Bi-Heng; Li, Chuan-Feng; Guo, Guang-Can

2016-11-28

High-quality entangled photon pairs generated via spontaneous parametric down-conversion have made great contributions to the modern quantum information science and the fundamental tests of quantum mechanics. However, the quality of the entangled states decreases sharply when moving from biphoton to multiphoton experiments, mainly due to the lack of interactions between photons. Here, for the first time, we generate a four-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state with a fidelity of 98%, which is even comparable to the best fidelity of biphoton entangled states. Thus, it enables us to demonstrate an ultrahigh-fidelity entanglement swapping-the key ingredient in various quantum information tasks. Our results push the fidelity of multiphoton entanglement generation to a new level and would be useful in some demanding tasks, e.g., we successfully demonstrate the genuine multipartite nonlocality of the observed state in the nonsignaling scenario by violating a novel Hardy-like inequality, which requires very high state-fidelity.

Characterizing Dysphagia and Swallowing Intervention in the Traumatic Spinal Injury Population

PubMed Central

Valenzano, Teresa J.; Waito, Ashley A.; Steele, Catriona M.

2016-01-01

Dysphagia is reported to be a common secondary complication for individuals with traumatic spinal injuries. Different etiologies of traumatic spinal injuries may lead to different profiles of swallowing impairment. We conducted a systematic review to determine the characteristics of dysphagia after traumatic spinal injury and to describe interventions currently used to improve swallowing function in this population. A comprehensive multi-engine literature search identified 137 articles of which 5 were judged to be relevant. These underwent review for study quality, rating for level of evidence, and data extraction. The literature describing dysphagia after traumatic spinal injury was comprised predominantly of low level evidence and single case reports. Aspiration, pharyngeal residue, and decreased/absent hyolaryngeal elevation were found to be common characteristics of dysphagia in this population. The most commonly used swallowing interventions included tube feeding, compensatory swallowing strategies, and steroids/antibiotics. Improvement in swallowing function following swallowing intervention was reported in all studies, however there was no control for spontaneous recovery. The results demonstrate a need for high-quality research to profile the pathophysiology of dysphagia after traumatic spinal injury and controlled studies to demonstrate the efficacy of swallowing interventions in this population. PMID:27412004

Improved Speech Coding Based on Open-Loop Parameter Estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juang, Jer-Nan; Chen, Ya-Chin; Longman, Richard W.

2000-01-01

A nonlinear optimization algorithm for linear predictive speech coding was developed early that not only optimizes the linear model coefficients for the open loop predictor, but does the optimization including the effects of quantization of the transmitted residual. It also simultaneously optimizes the quantization levels used for each speech segment. In this paper, we present an improved method for initialization of this nonlinear algorithm, and demonstrate substantial improvements in performance. In addition, the new procedure produces monotonically improving speech quality with increasing numbers of bits used in the transmitted error residual. Examples of speech encoding and decoding are given for 8 speech segments and signal to noise levels as high as 47 dB are produced. As in typical linear predictive coding, the optimization is done on the open loop speech analysis model. Here we demonstrate that minimizing the error of the closed loop speech reconstruction, instead of the simpler open loop optimization, is likely to produce negligible improvement in speech quality. The examples suggest that the algorithm here is close to giving the best performance obtainable from a linear model, for the chosen order with the chosen number of bits for the codebook.

A Review of Dysphagia Presentation and Intervention Following Traumatic Spinal Injury: An Understudied Population.

PubMed

Valenzano, Teresa J; Waito, Ashley A; Steele, Catriona M

2016-10-01

Dysphagia is reported to be a common secondary complication for individuals with traumatic spinal injuries. Different etiologies of traumatic spinal injuries may lead to different profiles of swallowing impairment. We conducted a systematic review to determine the characteristics of dysphagia after traumatic spinal injury and to describe interventions currently used to improve swallowing function in this population. A comprehensive multiengine literature search identified 137 articles of which five were judged to be relevant. These underwent review for study quality, rating for level of evidence, and data extraction. The literature describing dysphagia after traumatic spinal injury was comprised predominantly of low-level evidence and single case reports. Aspiration, pharyngeal residue, and decreased/absent hyolaryngeal elevation were found to be common characteristics of dysphagia in this population. The most commonly used swallowing interventions included tube feeding, compensatory swallowing strategies, and steroids/antibiotics. Improvement in swallowing function following swallowing intervention was reported in all studies; however, there was no control for spontaneous recovery. The results demonstrate a need for high-quality research to profile the pathophysiology of dysphagia after traumatic spinal injury and controlled studies to demonstrate the efficacy of swallowing interventions in this population.

Deletion of the low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit allele Glu-A3a of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) significantly reduces dough strength and breadmaking quality.

PubMed

Zhen, Shoumin; Han, Caixia; Ma, Chaoying; Gu, Aiqin; Zhang, Ming; Shen, Xixi; Li, Xiaohui; Yan, Yueming

2014-12-19

Low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS), encoded by Glu-3 complex loci in hexaploid wheat, play important roles in the processing quality of wheat flour. To date, the molecular characteristics and effects on dough quality of individual Glu-3 alleles and their encoding proteins have been poorly studied. We used a Glu-A3 deletion line of the Chinese Spring (CS-n) wheat variety to conduct the first comprehensive study on the molecular characteristics and functional properties of the LMW-GS allele Glu-A3a. The Glu-A3a allele at the Glu-A3 locus in CS and its deletion in CS-n were identified and characterized by proteome and molecular marker methods. The deletion of Glu-A3a had no significant influence on plant morphological and yield traits, but significantly reduced the dough strength and breadmaking quality compared to CS. The complete sequence of the Glu-A3a allele was cloned and characterized, which was found to encode a B-subunit with longer repetitive domains and an increased number of α-helices. The Glu-A3a-encoded B-subunit showed a higher expression level and accumulation rate during grain development. These characteristics of the Glu-A3a allele could contribute to achieving superior gluten quality and demonstrate its potential application to wheat quality improvement. Furthermore, an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) marker for the Glu-A3a allele was developed and validated using different bread wheat cultivars, including near-isogenic lines (NILs) and recombinant inbred lines (RILs), which could be used as an effective molecular marker for gluten quality improvement through marker-assisted selection. This work demonstrated that the LMW-GS allele Glu-A3a encodes a specific LMW-i type B-subunit that significantly affects wheat dough strength and breadmaking quality. The Glu-A3a-encoded B-subunit has a long repetitive domain and more α-helix structures as well as a higher expression level and accumulation rate during grain development, which could facilitate the formation of wheat with a stronger dough structure and superior breadmaking quality.

Quantifying Solar Cell Cracks in Photovoltaic Modules by Electroluminescence Imaging

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

Spataru, Sergiu; Hacke, Peter; Sera, Dezso

2015-06-14

This article proposes a method for quantifying the percentage of partially and totally disconnected solar cell cracks by analyzing electroluminescence images of the photovoltaic module taken under high- and low-current forward bias. The method is based on the analysis of the module's electroluminescence intensity distribution, applied at module and cell level. These concepts are demonstrated on a crystalline silicon photovoltaic module that was subjected to several rounds of mechanical loading and humidity-freeze cycling, causing increasing levels of solar cell cracks. The proposed method can be used as a diagnostic tool to rate cell damage or quality of modules after transportation.more » Moreover, the method can be automated and used in quality control for module manufacturers, installers, or as a diagnostic tool by plant operators and diagnostic service providers.« less

Temporal and Spatial Variation of Chemical Water Quality in a Contour Canal.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, L. A.; Lunn, R. J.

2004-12-01

Chemical water quality is a highly variable aspect of any water body. Historically numerous researchers have investigated the chemical variability of rivers, streams and wetlands, artificial water bodies such as canals have been largely neglected. Canals are typically hydraulically characterised by low flows and a lack of mixing processes. This can potentially lead to significant spatial variability in water chemistry, and as a result many canals in the UK regularly fail water quality targets at specific locations. Recent changes to UK legislation, following the European Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), have resulted in canals being subject to achieving `good ecological status'. In the case of canals, what constitutes `good ecological status' is largely unknown and little expertise is available since historically canal management has not been driven by chemical and ecological quality targets. Consequently, there is an urgent need for new research to determine the main factors influencing canal water quality and their ecological status. This research presents results from a study based on a UK contour canal, the Union Canal in central Scotland. The Union Canal typically demonstrates spatially and temporally variable levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) and orthophosphate (PO4-P): simultaneously, seasonal and diel fluctuations of DO and PO4-P are pronounced at a small number of locations. During 1995, minimum levels of DO along the canal length ranged from 9mgl-1 in Edinburgh to as low as 2mgl-1 approximately 20kms away, this then rose again to 8mgl-1 after a further distance of 2km. These acutely low levels of DO are coupled with events of excessive PO4-P up to 0.235mgl-1:10 times greater than those normally found in rivers, causing localised eutrophication and extensive fish kills. To determine the cause of the `hot spots' of poor water quality found on the Union Canal, simultaneous investigations of the hydraulic regime, spatial and temporal water quality variation and the canal's biological status were carried out. Velocity metering in the canal identified extremely low flow rates ~0.15m3s-1. A tracer testing procedure for the canal's low flow conditions was designed and implemented which identified a lack of rapid dispersion processes with D~0.133m3s-1. Water quality sampling consisted of a year-long programme of high frequency temporal and spatial sampling along the canal length. Observations demonstrate significant variability, with widely differing measurements of DO as little as 5m apart. In addition, spot samples of water quality taken from individual incoming field drains showed PO4-P concentrations up to 2mgl-1, with a predominance of nutrient bound clay and silt sediments that ultimately settle on the canal bed. Due to low dispersion rates, residence times for pollutants are long and field drains, in combination with navigational activity, may well be one of the primary causes of raised nutrient levels at some locations. This research has shown that canal water quality is highly spatially and temporally variable; far in excess of the variability normally found in river systems. This is mainly determined by a lack of hydraulic mixing and the presence of small quantities of incoming runoff water of very low quality. Whilst low in volume, incoming sediment from the drains appears to strongly influence the nearby canal water quality. These results have important consequences both for future monitoring strategies of canals and management of their gradual ecological improvement.

Data quality through a web-based QA/QC system: implementation for atmospheric mercury data from the global mercury observation system.

PubMed

D'Amore, Francesco; Bencardino, Mariantonia; Cinnirella, Sergio; Sprovieri, Francesca; Pirrone, Nicola

2015-08-01

The overall goal of the on-going Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS) project is to develop a coordinated global monitoring network for mercury, including ground-based, high altitude and sea level stations. In order to ensure data reliability and comparability, a significant effort has been made to implement a centralized system, which is designed to quality assure and quality control atmospheric mercury datasets. This system, GMOS-Data Quality Management (G-DQM), uses a web-based approach with real-time adaptive monitoring procedures aimed at preventing the production of poor-quality data. G-DQM is plugged on a cyberinfrastructure and deployed as a service. Atmospheric mercury datasets, produced during the first-three years of the GMOS project, are used as the input to demonstrate the application of the G-DQM and how it identifies a number of key issues concerning data quality. The major issues influencing data quality are presented and discussed for the GMOS stations under study. Atmospheric mercury data collected at the Longobucco (Italy) station is used as a detailed case study.

Incident reporting.

PubMed

Wilson, J

Healthcare delivery is a risky business. People view the NHS in the same light as other commercial businesses such as the hotel, retail and airline industries. The White Paper 'The New NHS: Modern, Dependable' (Secretary of State for Health, 1997) places statutory responsibilities on managers and clinicians to provide a quality service and to have accountability for clinical governance and performance management. Quality and risk are two sides of the same coin, i.e. if you have good quality you have low risk, and this firmly supports the clinical effectiveness agenda. Healthcare organizations in all sectors of care delivery need to demonstrate their high levels of achievement and commitment to continuous quality improvements. Risk management is a process for identifying, assessing and evaluating risks which have adverse effects on the quality, safety and effectiveness of service delivery, and taking positive action to eliminate or reduce them. Having an open, honest and blame-free organization which is open to improving processes and systems of care is a big step towards having staff who are committed to quality and getting things right. Near-miss, incident and indicator recording and reporting are cornerstones of any quality and risk management system.

A service for the application of data quality information to NASA earth science satellite records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, E. M.; Xing, Z.; Fry, C.; Khalsa, S. J. S.; Huang, T.; Chen, G.; Chin, T. M.; Alarcon, C.

2016-12-01

A recurring demand in working with satellite-based earth science data records is the need to apply data quality information. Such quality information is often contained within the data files as an array of "flags", but can also be represented by more complex quality descriptions such as combinations of bit flags, or even other ancillary variables that can be applied as thresholds to the geophysical variable of interest. For example, with Level 2 granules from the Group for High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (GHRSST) project up to 6 independent variables could be used to screen the sea surface temperature measurements on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Quality screening of Level 3 data from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) instrument can be become even more complex, involving 161 unique bit states or conditions a user can screen for. The application of quality information is often a laborious process for the user until they understand the implications of all the flags and bit conditions, and requires iterative approaches using custom software. The Virtual Quality Screening Service, a NASA ACCESS project, is addressing these issues and concerns. The project has developed an infrastructure to expose, apply, and extract quality screening information building off known and proven NASA components for data extraction and subset-by-value, data discovery, and exposure to the user of granule-based quality information. Further sharing of results through well-defined URLs and web service specifications has also been implemented. The presentation will focus on overall description of the technologies and informatics principals employed by the project. Examples of implementations of the end-to-end web service for quality screening with GHRSST and SMAP granules will be demonstrated.

Comorbid depression and associated factors in PNES versus epilepsy: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Walsh, Sean; Levita, Liat; Reuber, Markus

2018-05-24

This systematic review aims to contrast levels, manifestations and associations of depression in patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) and those with epilepsy. ScienceDirect and Web of Science were searched for primary research reports describing quantitative studies involving separate epilepsy and PNES samples (age 16+) and using a validated measure of depression. While 34 studies were identified, most were of low quality and had small sample sizes. Studies consistently found higher levels of self-reported depression in the PNES than epilepsy groups, with a meta-analysis demonstrating a significant difference between the groups. Although patients with PNES were also more likely to have a clinical diagnosis of depression than those with epilepsy, the difference between the groups was less pronounced in studies based on such diagnoses rather than self-report. Patients with PNES were more likely to report physical symptoms of depression than those with epilepsy. Interpersonal factors explained more variation in depression levels in patients with PNES than those with epilepsy, for whom illness related factors were more influential, but in both patient groups, depression had a significant impact on health related quality of life. This systematic review demonstrates a higher prevalence of depression in patients with PNES compared to patients with epilepsy and suggests differences in the expression and possible causes of depression between these groups. Copyright © 2018 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a quantitative multi-compound method for the detection of 14 nitrogen-rich adulterants by LC-MS/MS in food materials.

PubMed

Frank, Nancy; Bessaire, Thomas; Tarres, Adrienne; Goyon, Alexandre; Delatour, Thierry

2017-11-01

The increasing number of food frauds using exogenous nitrogen-rich adulterants to artificially raise the protein content for economically motivated adulteration has demonstrated the need for a robust analytical methodology. This method should be applicable for quality control in operations covering a wide range of analyte concentrations to be able to analyse high levels as usually found in adulteration, as well as low levels due to contamination. The paper describes a LC-MS/MS method covering 14 nitrogen-rich adulterants using a simple and fast sample preparation based on dilution and clean-up by dispersive SPE. Quantification is carried out by isotopic dilution reaching LOQs of 0.05-0.20 mg/kg in a broad range of food matrices (infant formula, liquid milk, dairy ingredient, high protein meal, cereal, infant cereal, and meat/fish powder). Validation of seven commodity groups was performed according to SANCO 12571/2013, giving satisfactory results demonstrating the method's fitness for purpose at the validated range at contamination level. Method ruggedness was further assessed by transferring the developed method into another laboratory devoted to routine testing for quality control. Next to the method description, emphasis is placed on challenges and problems appearing during method development as well as validation. They are discussed in detail and solutions are provided.

Abolishment of 24-hour continuous medical call duty in quebec: a quality of life survey of general surgical residents following implementation of the new work-hour restrictions.

PubMed

Hamadani, Fadi T; Deckelbaum, Dan; Sauve, Alexandre; Khwaja, Kosar; Razek, Tarek; Fata, Paola

2013-01-01

The implementation of work hour restrictions across North America have resulted in decreased levels of self injury and medical errors for Residents. An arbitration ruling in Quebec has led to further curtailment of work hours beyond that proposed by the ACGME. This may threaten Resident quality of life and in turn decrease the educational quality of surgical residency training. We administered a quality of life questionnaire with an integrated education quality assessment tool to all General Surgery residents training at McGill 6 months after the work hour restrictions. Across several strata respondents reveal a decreased sense of educational quality and quality of life. The arbitration argued that work- hour restrictions would be necessary to improve quality of life for trainees and hence improve patient safety. Results from this study demonstrate the exact opposite in a large majority of respondents, who report a poorer quality of life and a self-reported inability on their part to provide continuous and safe patient care. Copyright © 2013 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The quality case for information technology in healthcare

PubMed Central

Bates, David W

2002-01-01

Background As described in the Institute of Medicine's Crossing the Quality Chasm report, the quality of health care in the U.S. today leaves much to be desired. Discussion One major opportunity for improving quality relates to increasing the use of information technology, or IT. Health care organizations currently invest less in IT than in any other information-intensive industry, and not surprisingly current systems are relatively primitive, compared with industries such as banking or aviation. Nonetheless, a number of organizations have demonstrated that quality can be substantially improved in a variety of ways if IT use is increased in ways that improve care. Specifically, computerization of processes that are error-prone and computerized decision support may substantially improve both efficiency and quality, as well as dramatically facilitate quality measurement. This report discusses the current levels of IT and quality in health care, how quality improvement and management are currently done, the evidence that more IT might be helpful, a vision of the future, and the barriers to getting there. Summary This report suggests that there are five key policy domains that need to be addressed: standards, incentives, security and confidentiality, professional involvement, and research, with financial incentives representing the single most important lever. PMID:12396233

Luminescence and radiation resistance of undoped NaI crystals

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

Shiran, N., E-mail: shiran@isc.kharkov.com; Boiaryntseva, I.; Gektin, A.

2014-11-15

Highlights: • The performance of NaI scintillators depends on luminescence properties. • A criterion of crystals’ purity level is radiation colorability at room temperature. • The traces of the most dangerous impurities were detected. • Crucial role in efficiency of pure NaI scintillator play the crystal perfection. - Abstract: Undoped NaI single crystal is an excellent scintillator at low temperature. However, scintillation parameters of different quality crystals vary in a wide range, significantly exceeding measurement error. Experimental data demonstrate the features of luminescence, radiation induced coloration, and afterglow dependence on the quality of nominally pure crystals. It is found thatmore » defects level that allows to elucidate artefacts introduced by traces of harmful impurities corresponds to 3 × 10{sup 15} cm{sup −3} that significantly overhead accuracy of chemical and absorption analysis. It is shown that special raw material treatment before and during the single crystal growth allows to reach NaI purity level that avoids impurities influence to the basic luminescence data.« less

The measurement of carbon dioxide levels in a city canyon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyd, Jenny; Budinov, Daniel; Robinson, Iain; Jack, James

2016-10-01

Cities today have two major environmental concerns - carbon emissions and air quality. Global carbon levels are increasing and cities require to show plans to tackle and reduce the amount of carbon which they are emitting. At present carbon emissions in urban areas are calculated rather than measured. In some cities where industrial activity is not carbon intensive, the major contributors are the burning of fuel for heating and the emissions from vehicles. Air quality levels have a direct impact on human health and cities are under increased pressure to demonstrate plans to control and reduce levels of air pollution. Of great importance is the way in which emissions, both carbon rich emissions and pollutants, disperse in a city environment. Little work has been reported on the movement of CO2 in the urban environment and the effect the structure of the environment exerts on the movement and dispersion. This paper describes an investigation into the dispersion of CO2 within an urban environment in the Old Town of the City of Edinburgh, using a hand carried low cost portable CO2 sensor.

Reserves as tools for alleviating impacts of marine disease

PubMed Central

Wenger, Amelia S.; Devlin, Michelle J.; Ceccarelli, Daniela M.; Williamson, David H.; Willis, Bette L.

2016-01-01

Marine protected areas can prevent over-exploitation, but their effect on marine diseases is less clear. We examined how marine reserves can reduce diseases affecting reef-building corals following acute and chronic disturbances. One year after a severe tropical cyclone, corals inside reserves had sevenfold lower levels of disease than those in non-reserves. Similarly, disease prevalence was threefold lower on reserve reefs following chronic exposure to terrestrial run-off from a degraded river catchment, when exposure duration was below the long-term site average. Examination of 35 predictor variables indicated that lower levels of derelict fishing line and injured corals inside reserves were correlated with lower levels of coral disease in both case studies, signifying that successful disease mitigation occurs when activities that damage reefs are restricted. Conversely, reserves were ineffective in moderating disease when sites were exposed to higher than average levels of run-off, demonstrating that reductions in water quality undermine resilience afforded by reserve protection. In addition to implementing protected areas, we highlight that disease management efforts should also target improving water quality and limiting anthropogenic activities that cause injury. PMID:26880842

Reserves as tools for alleviating impacts of marine disease.

PubMed

Lamb, Joleah B; Wenger, Amelia S; Devlin, Michelle J; Ceccarelli, Daniela M; Williamson, David H; Willis, Bette L

2016-03-05

Marine protected areas can prevent over-exploitation, but their effect on marine diseases is less clear. We examined how marine reserves can reduce diseases affecting reef-building corals following acute and chronic disturbances. One year after a severe tropical cyclone, corals inside reserves had sevenfold lower levels of disease than those in non-reserves. Similarly, disease prevalence was threefold lower on reserve reefs following chronic exposure to terrestrial run-off from a degraded river catchment, when exposure duration was below the long-term site average. Examination of 35 predictor variables indicated that lower levels of derelict fishing line and injured corals inside reserves were correlated with lower levels of coral disease in both case studies, signifying that successful disease mitigation occurs when activities that damage reefs are restricted. Conversely, reserves were ineffective in moderating disease when sites were exposed to higher than average levels of run-off, demonstrating that reductions in water quality undermine resilience afforded by reserve protection. In addition to implementing protected areas, we highlight that disease management efforts should also target improving water quality and limiting anthropogenic activities that cause injury. © 2016 The Author(s).

Trace/heavy metal pollution monitoring in estuary and coastal area of Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh and implicated impacts.

PubMed

Kibria, Golam; Hossain, Md Maruf; Mallick, Debbrota; Lau, T C; Wu, Rudolf

2016-04-15

Using artificial mussels (AMs), this study reports and compares time-integrated level of eleven trace metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, U, Zn) in Karnafuli River estuary and coastal area of the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. Through this study, "hot spots" of metal pollution were identified. The results may demonstrate that the Karnafuli Estuary, and adjacent coastal area of Chittagong, Bangladesh are highly polluted by high risk metals (cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, nickel, lead, uranium). Agricultural, domestic and industrial wastes directly discharged into the waterways have been identified as the main causes of metal pollution in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The high level of metal pollution identified may impact on local water quality, and seafood catch, livelihoods of people and public health resulting from seafood consumption. There is a need for regular monitoring to ascertain that local water quality with respect to metal levels are within acceptable levels to safeguards both environmental health and public health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ground and flight test results of a total main rotor isolation system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halwes, Dennis R.

1987-01-01

A six degree-of-freedom (DOF) isolation system using six LIVE units has been installed under an Army/NASA contract on a Bell 206LM helicopter. This system has been named the Total Rotor Isolation System, or TRIS. To determine the effectiveness of TRIS in reducing helicopter vibration, a flight verification study was conducted at Bell's Flight Research Center in Arlington, Texas. The flight test data indicate that the 4/rev vibration level at the pilot's seat were suppressed below the 0.04g level throughout the transition envelope. Flight tests indicate over 95% suppression of vibration level from the rotor hub to the pilot's seat. The TRIS installation was designed with a decoupled control system and has shown a significant improvement in aircraft flying qualities, such that it permitted the trimmed aircraft to be flown hands-off for a significant period of time, over 90 seconds. The TRIS flight test program has demonstrated a system that greatly reduces vibration levels of a current-generation helicopter, while significantly improving the flying qualities to a point where stability augmentation is no longer a requirement.

Ozone Bioindicator Gardens: an Educational Tool to Raise Awareness about Environmental Pollution and its Effects on Living Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapina, K.; Lombardozzi, D.

2014-12-01

High concentrations of ground-level ozone cause health problems in humans and a number of negative effects on plants, from reduced yield for major agricultural crops to reduced amounts of carbon stored in trees. The Denver Metro/Colorado Front Range is exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone on a regular basis in summer and the efforts to reduce the ozone levels are hampered by the presence of diverse pollution sources and complex meteorology in the region. To raise public awareness of air quality in the Colorado Front Range and to educate all age groups about ground-level ozone, two ozone bioindicator gardens were planted in Boulder in Spring 2014. The gardens contain ozone-sensitive plants that develop a characteristic ozone injury when exposed to high levels of ozone. The ozone gardens are providing the general public with a real-life demonstration of the negative effects of ozone pollution through observable plant damage. Additionally, the gardens are useful in teaching students how to collect and analyze real-world scientific data.

Operational Space-Assisted Irrigation Advisory Services: Overview Of And Lessons Learned From The Project DEMETER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osann Jochum, M. A.; Demeter Partners

2006-08-01

The project DEMETER (DEMonstration of Earth observation TEchnologies in Routine irrigation advisory services) was dedicated to assessing and demonstrating improvements introduced by Earth observation (EO) and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in farm and Irrigation Advisory Service (IAS) day-to-day operations. The DEMETER concept of near-real-time delivery of EO-based irrigation scheduling information to IAS and farmers has proven to be valid. The operationality of the space segment was demonstrated for Landsat 5-TM in the Barrax pilot zone during the 2004 and 2005 irrigation campaigns. Extra-fast image delivery and quality controlled operational processing make the EO-based crop coefficient maps available at the same speed and quality as ground-based data (point samples), while significantly extending the spatial coverage and reducing service cost. Leading-edge online analysis and visualization tools provide easy, intuitive access to the information and personalized service to users. First feedback of users at IAS and farmer level is encouraging. The paper gives an overview of the project and its main achievements.

Sleep quality evaluation, chronotype, sleepiness and anxiety of Paralympic Brazilian athletes: Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

PubMed

Silva, Andressa; Queiroz, Sandra Souza; Winckler, Ciro; Vital, Roberto; Sousa, Ronnie Andrade; Fagundes, Vander; Tufik, Sergio; de Mello, Marco Túlio

2012-02-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sleep quality, sleepiness, chronotype and the anxiety level of Brazilian Paralympics athletes before the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. Cross-sectional study. Setting Exercise and Psychobiology Studies Center (CEPE) and Universidade Federal de São Paulo, an urban city in Brazil. A total of 27 Paralympics athletes of both genders (16 men and 11 women) with an average age of 28±6 years who practised athletics (track and field events) were evaluated. Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Scale and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale to evaluate sleepiness. Chronotype was determined by the Horne and Östberg questionnaire and anxiety through the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The evaluations were performed in Brazil 10 days before the competition. The study's results demonstrate that 83.3% of the athletes that presented excessive daytime sleepiness also had poor sleep quality. The authors noted that 71.4% were classified into the morning type and 72% of the athletes who presented a medium anxiety level also presented poor sleep quality. Athletes with poor sleep quality showed significantly lower sleep efficiency (p=0.0119) and greater sleep latency (p=0.0068) than athletes with good sleep quality. Athletes who presented excessive daytime sleepiness presented lower sleep efficiency compared to non-sleepy athletes (p=0.0241). The authors conclude that the majority of athletes presented poor sleep quality before the competition. This information should be taken into consideration whenever possible when scheduling rest, training and competition times.

Headache service quality: evaluation of quality indicators in 14 specialist-care centres.

PubMed

Schramm, Sara; Uluduz, Derya; Gouveia, Raquel Gil; Jensen, Rigmor; Siva, Aksel; Uygunoglu, Ugur; Gvantsa, Giorgadze; Mania, Maka; Braschinsky, Mark; Filatova, Elena; Latysheva, Nina; Osipova, Vera; Skorobogatykh, Kirill; Azimova, Julia; Straube, Andreas; Eren, Ozan Emre; Martelletti, Paolo; De Angelis, Valerio; Negro, Andrea; Linde, Mattias; Hagen, Knut; Radojicic, Aleksandra; Zidverc-Trajkovic, Jasna; Podgorac, Ana; Paemeleire, Koen; De Pue, Annelien; Lampl, Christian; Steiner, Timothy J; Katsarava, Zaza

2016-12-01

The study was a collaboration between Lifting The Burden (LTB) and the European Headache Federation (EHF). Its aim was to evaluate the implementation of quality indicators for headache care Europe-wide in specialist headache centres (level-3 according to the EHF/LTB standard). Employing previously-developed instruments in 14 such centres, we made enquiries, in each, of health-care providers (doctors, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists) and 50 patients, and analysed the medical records of 50 other patients. Enquiries were in 9 domains: diagnostic accuracy, individualized management, referral pathways, patient's education and reassurance, convenience and comfort, patient's satisfaction, equity and efficiency of the headache care, outcome assessment and safety. Our study showed that highly experienced headache centres treated their patients in general very well. The centres were content with their work and their patients were content with their treatment. Including disability and quality-of-life evaluations in clinical assessments, and protocols regarding safety, proved problematic: better standards for these are needed. Some centres had problems with follow-up: many specialised centres operated in one-touch systems, without possibility of controlling long-term management or the success of treatments dependent on this. This first Europe-wide quality study showed that the quality indicators were workable in specialist care. They demonstrated common trends, producing evidence of what is majority practice. They also uncovered deficits that might be remedied in order to improve quality. They offer the means of setting benchmarks against which service quality may be judged. The next step is to take the evaluation process into non-specialist care (EHF/LTB levels 1 and 2).

Improving the Accuracy of Extracting Surface Water Quality Levels (SWQLs) Using Remote Sensing and Artificial Neural Network: a Case Study in the Saint John River, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sammartano, G.; Spanò, A.

2017-09-01

Delineating accurate surface water quality levels (SWQLs) always presents a great challenge to researchers. Existing methods of assessing surface water quality only provide individual concentrations of monitoring stations without providing the overall SWQLs. Therefore, the results of existing methods are usually difficult to be understood by decision-makers. Conversely, the water quality index (WQI) can simplify surface water quality assessment process to be accessible to decision-makers. However, in most cases, the WQI reflects inaccurate SWQLs due to the lack of representative water samples. It is very challenging to provide representative water samples because this process is costly and time consuming. To solve this problem, we introduce a cost-effective method which combines the Landsat-8 imagery and artificial intelligence to develop models to derive representative water samples by correlating concentrations of ground truth water samples to satellite spectral information. Our method was validated and the correlation between concentrations of ground truth water samples and predicted concentrations from the developed models reached a high level of coefficient of determination (R2) > 0.80, which is trustworthy. Afterwards, the predicted concentrations over each pixel of the study area were used as an input to the WQI developed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment to extract accurate SWQLs, for drinking purposes, in the Saint John River. The results indicated that SWQL was observed as 67 (Fair) and 59 (Marginal) for the lower and middle basins of the river, respectively. These findings demonstrate the potential of using our approach in surface water quality management.

Sound quality assessment of Diesel combustion noise using in-cylinder pressure components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payri, F.; Broatch, A.; Margot, X.; Monelletta, L.

2009-01-01

The combustion process in direct injection (DI) Diesel engines is an important source of noise, and it is thus the main reason why end-users could be reluctant to drive vehicles powered with this type of engine. This means that the great potential of Diesel engines for environment preservation—due to their lower consumption and the subsequent reduction of CO2 emissions—may be lost. Moreover, the advanced combustion concepts—e.g. the HCCI (homogeneous charge compression ignition)—developed to comply with forthcoming emissions legislation, while maintaining the efficiency of current engines, are expected to be noisier because they are characterized by a higher amount of premixed combustion. For this reason many efforts have been dedicated by car manufacturers in recent years to reduce the overall level and improve the sound quality of engine noise. Evaluation procedures are required, both for noise levels and sound quality, that may be integrated in the global engine development process in a timely and cost-effective manner. In previous published work, the authors proposed a novel method for the assessment of engine noise level. A similar procedure is applied in this paper to demonstrate the suitability of combustion indicators for the evaluation of engine noise quality. These indicators, which are representative of the peak velocity of fuel burning and the resonance in the combustion chamber, are well correlated with the combustion noise mark obtained from jury testing. Quite good accuracy in the prediction of the engine noise quality has been obtained with the definition of a two-component regression, which also permits the identification of the combustion process features related to the resulting noise quality, so that corrective actions may be proposed.

The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carswell, William J.

2016-01-01

Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of Hawaii, elevation data are critical for infrastructure and construction management, flood risk management, geologic resource assessment and hazard mitigation, natural resources conservation, coastal zone management, and other business uses. Today, high-density light detection and ranging (lidar) data are the primary sources for deriving elevation models and other datasets. Federal, State, Tribal, U.S. territorial, and local agencies work in partnership to (1) replace data that are older and of lower quality and (2) provide coverage where publicly accessible data do not exist. A joint goal of State and Federal partners is to acquire consistent, statewide coverage to support existing and emerging applications enabled by lidar data.The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States, Hawaii, and selected U.S. territories, and quality level 5 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IfSAR) data for Alaska, all with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle, provided the highest benefit/cost ratios. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Office of Management and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other three-dimensional (3D) representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

DNA Damage Reduces the Quality, but Not the Quantity of Human Papillomavirus 16 E1 and E2 DNA Replication.

PubMed

Bristol, Molly L; Wang, Xu; Smith, Nathan W; Son, Minkyeong P; Evans, Michael R; Morgan, Iain M

2016-06-22

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are causative agents in almost all cervical carcinomas. HPVs are also causative agents in head and neck cancer, the cases of which are increasing rapidly. Viral replication activates the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway; associated proteins are recruited to replication foci, and this pathway may serve to allow for viral genome amplification. Likewise, HPV genome double-strand breaks (DSBs) could be produced during replication and could lead to linearization and viral integration. Many studies have shown that viral integration into the host genome results in unregulated expression of the viral oncogenes, E6 and E7, promoting HPV-induced carcinogenesis. Previously, we have demonstrated that DNA-damaging agents, such as etoposide, or knocking down viral replication partner proteins, such as topoisomerase II β binding protein I (TopBP1), does not reduce the level of DNA replication. Here, we investigated whether these treatments alter the quality of DNA replication by HPV16 E1 and E2. We confirm that knockdown of TopBP1 or treatment with etoposide does not reduce total levels of E1/E2-mediated DNA replication; however, the quality of replication is significantly reduced. The results demonstrate that E1 and E2 continue to replicate under genomically-stressed conditions and that this replication is mutagenic. This mutagenesis would promote the formation of substrates for integration of the viral genome into that of the host, a hallmark of cervical cancer.

Validation of a computerized technique for automatically tracking and measuring the inferior vena cava in ultrasound imagery.

PubMed

Bellows, Spencer; Smith, Jordan; Mcguire, Peter; Smith, Andrew

2014-01-01

Accurate resuscitation of the critically-ill patient using intravenous fluids and blood products is a challenging, time sensitive task. Ultrasound of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is a non-invasive technique currently used to guide fluid administration, though multiple factors such as variable image quality, time, and operator skill challenge mainstream acceptance. This study represents a first attempt to develop and validate an algorithm capable of automatically tracking and measuring the IVC compared to human operators across a diverse range of image quality. Minimal tracking failures and high levels of agreement between manual and algorithm measurements were demonstrated on good quality videos. Addressing problems such as gaps in the vessel wall and intra-lumen speckle should result in improved performance in average and poor quality videos. Semi-automated measurement of the IVC for the purposes of non-invasive estimation of circulating blood volume poses challenges however is feasible.

Thin-slice vision: inference of confidence measure from perceptual video quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hameed, Abdul; Balas, Benjamin; Dai, Rui

2016-11-01

There has been considerable research on thin-slice judgments, but no study has demonstrated the predictive validity of confidence measures when assessors watch videos acquired from communication systems, in which the perceptual quality of videos could be degraded by limited bandwidth and unreliable network conditions. This paper studies the relationship between high-level thin-slice judgments of human behavior and factors that contribute to perceptual video quality. Based on a large number of subjective test results, it has been found that the confidence of a single individual present in all the videos, called speaker's confidence (SC), could be predicted by a list of features that contribute to perceptual video quality. Two prediction models, one based on artificial neural network and the other based on a decision tree, were built to predict SC. Experimental results have shown that both prediction models can result in high correlation measures.

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

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

Spickett, Jeffery, E-mail: J.Spickett@curtin.edu.au; Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia; Katscherian, Dianne

The approaches used for setting or reviewing air quality standards vary from country to country. The purpose of this research was to consider the potential to improve decision-making through integration of HIA into the processes to review and set air quality standards used in Australia. To assess the value of HIA in this policy process, its strengths and weaknesses were evaluated aligned with review of international processes for setting air quality standards. Air quality standard setting programmes elsewhere have either used HIA or have amalgamated and incorporated factors normally found within HIA frameworks. They clearly demonstrate the value of amore » formalised HIA process for setting air quality standards in Australia. The following elements should be taken into consideration when using HIA in standard setting. (a) The adequacy of a mainly technical approach in current standard setting procedures to consider social determinants of health. (b) The importance of risk assessment criteria and information within the HIA process. The assessment of risk should consider equity, the distribution of variations in air quality in different locations and the potential impacts on health. (c) The uncertainties in extrapolating evidence from one population to another or to subpopulations, especially the more vulnerable, due to differing environmental factors and population variables. (d) The significance of communication with all potential stakeholders on issues associated with the management of air quality. In Australia there is also an opportunity for HIA to be used in conjunction with the NEPM to develop local air quality standard measures. The outcomes of this research indicated that the use of HIA for air quality standard setting at the national and local levels would prove advantageous. -- Highlights: • Health Impact Assessment framework has been applied to a policy development process. • HIA process was evaluated for application in air quality standard setting. • Advantages of HIA in the air quality standard setting process are demonstrated.« less

78 FR 51730 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-21

... Evaluation of the Medicare Health Care Quality (MHCQ) Demonstration Evaluation: Focus Group and Interview... Collection: Evaluation of the Medicare Health Care Quality (MHCQ) Demonstration Evaluation: Focus Group and Interview Protocols; Use: The Medicare Health Care Quality (MHCQ) Demonstration was developed to address...

Assessment of indoor air quality exposures and impacts on respiratory outcomes in River Rouge and Dearborn, Michigan.

PubMed

Cleary, Erika; Asher, Mary; Olawoyin, Richard; Zhang, Kuangyuan

2017-11-01

Ambient air pollution is a public health issue which could potentially exacerbate pre-existing respiratory conditions and contribute to increases in asthma incidence. This study aims to address gaps in understanding how IAQ is impacted by outdoor air quality, which was done by sampling for indoor gaseous and particulate pollutants in residence and facilities near the sources of pollution. The study areas were selected due to non-attainment status with air quality standards, as well as demographic and socioeconomic status of those residing in these areas. Samples are obtained from five locations around the study areas. The sampling procedure involves active sampling methodologies for particulate matter (PM) and gases. Average volatile organic compounds (VOC) levels of 2.71 ppm were measured at a location, while the average particulate matter (PM) concentrations in three study locations were; 15,979 pt/cc, 9533 pt/cc, 5267 pt/cc respectively, which exceeded clean background environment level of 500-2000 pt/cc. All locations had average CO concentrations above 0.3 ppm, which is potentially associated with elevated asthma symptoms. Results demonstrated that facilities in the study area have increased levels of indoor air pollutants that potentially increase asthma and respiratory issues. The study concludes that particulate and gaseous pollutant levels in the study areas are a concerning human health issue. The study outcomes have significant implications for air quality exposure modeling and potential exposure mitigation strategies, which are expected to facilitate the implementation of public policies for improved human health conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality improvement: the nurse's role.

PubMed

Moran, M J; Johnson, J E

1992-06-01

Continuous quality improvement is a concept which includes: Quality assurance--the provision of services that meet an appropriate standard. Problem resolution--including all departments involved in the issue at hand. Quality improvement--a continuous process involving all levels of the organization working together across departmental lines to produce better services for health care clients. Deming (1982b) and others have espoused total system reform to achieve quality improvement--not merely altering the current system, but radically changing it. It must be assumed that those who provide services at the staff level are acting in good faith and are not willfully failing to do what is correct (Berwick, 1991). Those who perform direct services are in an excellent position to identify the need for change in service delivery processes. Based on this premise, the staff nurse--who is at the heart of the system--is the best person to assess the status of health care services and to work toward improving the processes by which these services are provided to clients in the health care setting. The nurse manager must structure the work setting to facilitate the staff nurse's ability to undertake constructive action for improving care. The use of quality circles, quality councils, or quality improvement forums to facilitate the coordination of quality improvement efforts is an effective way to achieve success. The QA coordinator assists departments in documenting that the quality improvement efforts are effective across all departments of the organization, and aggregates data to demonstrate that they meet the requirements of external regulatory agencies, insurers, and professional standards. The nurse executive provides the vision and secures the necessary resources to ensure that the organization's quality improvement efforts are successful. By inspiring and empowering the staff in their efforts to improve the process by which health care is provided, nurse managers participate in reshaping the health care environment. The professional nurse plays a vital role in the quality improvement of health care services. However, nurses cannot make these improvements in a vacuum; they must include other professionals and ancillary personnel in their efforts. Total quality commitment must include all levels of an organization's structure. Quality patient care services will be achieved as the result of positive interactions among departments working together to build a dynamic mechanism that continuously improves the processes and outcomes of health care services.

Image quality assessment metric for frame accumulated image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Jianping; Li, Gang; Wang, Shaohui; Lin, Ling

2018-01-01

The medical image quality determines the accuracy of diagnosis, and the gray-scale resolution is an important parameter to measure image quality. But current objective metrics are not very suitable for assessing medical images obtained by frame accumulation technology. Little attention was paid to the gray-scale resolution, basically based on spatial resolution and limited to the 256 level gray scale of the existing display device. Thus, this paper proposes a metric, "mean signal-to-noise ratio" (MSNR) based on signal-to-noise in order to be more reasonable to evaluate frame accumulated medical image quality. We demonstrate its potential application through a series of images under a constant illumination signal. Here, the mean image of enough images was regarded as the reference image. Several groups of images by different frame accumulation and their MSNR were calculated. The results of the experiment show that, compared with other quality assessment methods, the metric is simpler, more effective, and more suitable for assessing frame accumulated images that surpass the gray scale and precision of the original image.

Quality Implementation in Health Physics Unit, Cosenza Hospital. Accreditation Program as Quality Improvement instrument.

PubMed

Loizzo, M; Siciliano, R

2016-01-01

Achieving high levels of quality in healthcare, which could be measurable, is increasingly important at present and is dictated by the radical changes of the welfare system imposed today by the well known economic constraints. However, even in the ongoing legislation, the practices concerning the verification and review of the quality of health care has had a major impact in the galaxy of Health. On the one hand, the citizen is developing an awareness of the possibilities of choice (Empowerment) between a plurality of providers of healthcare services, on the other hand providers themselves are obliged, within the logic of a global market, to retrain their offers to respond satisfactorily to the needs of citizens. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate how the adoption of Operational Procedures, following the granting of a certificate of accreditation to the Unit of Medical Physics, has changed the approach to the work on the part of health workers, in the direction of a dynamic quality improvement.

Characterization of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction algorithm for dose reduction in CT: A pediatric oncology perspective

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

Brady, S. L.; Yee, B. S.; Kaufman, R. A.

Purpose: This study demonstrates a means of implementing an adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign ) technique for dose reduction in computed tomography (CT) while maintaining similar noise levels in the reconstructed image. The effects of image quality and noise texture were assessed at all implementation levels of ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign . Empirically derived dose reduction limits were established for ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign for imaging of the trunk for a pediatric oncology population ranging from 1 yr old through adolescence/adulthood. Methods: Image quality was assessed using metrics established by the American College of Radiology (ACR) CT accreditation program. Each image quality metricmore » was tested using the ACR CT phantom with 0%-100% ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign blended with filtered back projection (FBP) reconstructed images. Additionally, the noise power spectrum (NPS) was calculated for three common reconstruction filters of the trunk. The empirically derived limitations on ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign implementation for dose reduction were assessed using (1, 5, 10) yr old and adolescent/adult anthropomorphic phantoms. To assess dose reduction limits, the phantoms were scanned in increments of increased noise index (decrementing mA using automatic tube current modulation) balanced with ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign reconstruction to maintain noise equivalence of the 0% ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign image. Results: The ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign algorithm did not produce any unfavorable effects on image quality as assessed by ACR criteria. Conversely, low-contrast resolution was found to improve due to the reduction of noise in the reconstructed images. NPS calculations demonstrated that images with lower frequency noise had lower noise variance and coarser graininess at progressively higher percentages of ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign reconstruction; and in spite of the similar magnitudes of noise, the image reconstructed with 50% or more ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign presented a more smoothed appearance than the pre-ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign 100% FBP image. Finally, relative to non-ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign images with 100% of standard dose across the pediatric phantom age spectrum, similar noise levels were obtained in the images at a dose reduction of 48% with 40% ASIR Trade-Mark-Sign and a dose reduction of 82% with 100% ASIR Trade-Mark-Sign . Conclusions: The authors' work was conducted to identify the dose reduction limits of ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign for a pediatric oncology population using automatic tube current modulation. Improvements in noise levels from ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign reconstruction were adapted to provide lower radiation exposure (i.e., lower mA) instead of improved image quality. We have demonstrated for the image quality standards required at our institution, a maximum dose reduction of 82% can be achieved using 100% ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign ; however, to negate changes in the appearance of reconstructed images using ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign with a medium to low frequency noise preserving reconstruction filter (i.e., standard), 40% ASiR Trade-Mark-Sign was implemented in our clinic for 42%-48% dose reduction at all pediatric ages without a visually perceptible change in image quality or image noise.« less

Enhancing uniformity and overall quality of red cell concentrate with anaerobic storage

PubMed Central

Yoshida, Tatsuro; Blair, Abbejane; D'Alessandro, Angelo; Nemkov, Travis; Dioguardi, Michael; Silliman, Christopher C.; Dunham, Andrew

2017-01-01

Background Recent research focused on understanding stored red blood cell (RBC) quality has demonstrated high variability in measures of RBC function and health across units. Studies have historically linked this high variability to variations in processing, storage method, and age. More recently, a large number of studies have focused on differences in donor demographics, donor iron sufficiency, and genetic predisposition of the donor to poor storage, particularly through mechanisms of accelerated oxidative damage. A study was undertaken to evaluate a potential additional source of unit to unit variation in stored RBC: the role of variable percent oxygen saturation (%SO2) levels on blood quality parameters during storage. Materials and methods %SO2 data from 492 LR-RBC/AS-3 units used for internal and external collaborative research was included in the analysis. Whole blood units were processed into red blood cells, AS-3 added, leucocyte reduced, in compliance with American Association of Blood Banks guidelines. LR-RBC/AS-3 products were subsequently analysed for %SO2 levels within 3–24 hours of phlebotomy using a co-oximeter. Separately, to evaluate the impact of pre-storage as well as increasing levels of %SO2 during storage, a pool-and-split study was performed. Four units of LR-RBC/AS-3 were split 6 ways; “as is” (control), hyperoxygenated to more than 90%, and four levels of pre-storage %SO2. The units were periodically sampled up to 42 days and analysed for %SO2, pCO2, methaemoglobin, ATP, 2,3-BPG as well as with the metabolomics workflow. Results The measured mean %SO2 in LR-RBC/AS-3 within 24 hours of collection was 45.9±17.5% with (32.7–61.0 IQR). %SO2 in all products increased to approximately 95–100% in three weeks. Measured blood quality parameters including ATP, % haemolysis, methaemoglobin, oxidised lipids, and GSH/GSSG indicated suppressed cellular metabolism and increased red cell degradation in response to higher %SO2 levels. Discussion The surprisingly high variability in starting %SO2 levels, coupled with negative impacts of high oxygen saturation on red blood cell quality indicates that oxygen levels may be an important and under-appreciated source of unit-to-unit variability in RBC quality. PMID:28263176

Enhancing uniformity and overall quality of red cell concentrate with anaerobic storage.

PubMed

Yoshida, Tatsuro; Blair, Abbejane; D'alessandro, Angelo; Nemkov, Travis; Dioguardi, Michael; Silliman, Christopher C; Dunham, Andrew

2017-03-01

Recent research focused on understanding stored red blood cell (RBC) quality has demonstrated high variability in measures of RBC function and health across units. Studies have historically linked this high variability to variations in processing, storage method, and age. More recently, a large number of studies have focused on differences in donor demographics, donor iron sufficiency, and genetic predisposition of the donor to poor storage, particularly through mechanisms of accelerated oxidative damage. A study was undertaken to evaluate a potential additional source of unit to unit variation in stored RBC: the role of variable percent oxygen saturation (%SO 2 ) levels on blood quality parameters during storage. %SO 2 data from 492 LR-RBC/AS-3 units used for internal and external collaborative research was included in the analysis. Whole blood units were processed into red blood cells, AS-3 added, leucocyte reduced, in compliance with American Association of Blood Banks guidelines. LR-RBC/AS-3 products were subsequently analysed for %SO 2 levels within 3-24 hours of phlebotomy using a co-oximeter. Separately, to evaluate the impact of pre-storage as well as increasing levels of %SO 2 during storage, a pool-and-split study was performed. Four units of LR-RBC/AS-3 were split 6 ways; "as is" (control), hyperoxygenated to more than 90%, and four levels of pre-storage %SO 2 . The units were periodically sampled up to 42 days and analysed for %SO 2 , pCO 2 , methaemoglobin, ATP, 2,3-BPG as well as with the metabolomics workflow. The measured mean %SO 2 in LR-RBC/AS-3 within 24 hours of collection was 45.9±17.5% with (32.7-61.0 IQR). %SO 2 in all products increased to approximately 95-100% in three weeks. Measured blood quality parameters including ATP, % haemolysis, methaemoglobin, oxidised lipids, and GSH/GSSG indicated suppressed cellular metabolism and increased red cell degradation in response to higher %SO 2 levels. The surprisingly high variability in starting %SO 2 levels, coupled with negative impacts of high oxygen saturation on red blood cell quality indicates that oxygen levels may be an important and under-appreciated source of unit-to-unit variability in RBC quality.

Effect of soil in nutrient cycle assessment at dairy farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Leeuwen, Maricke; de Boer, Imke; van Dam, Jos; van Middelaar, Corina; Stoof, Cathelijne

2016-04-01

Annual farm nutrient cycle assessments give valuable insight in the nutrient cycles and nutrient losses at dairy farms. It describes nutrient use efficiencies for the entire farm and for the underlying components cattle, manure, crops and soil. In many modelling studies, soil is kept as a constant factor, while soil quality is vital for soil functioning of the ecosystem. Improving soil quality will improve the nutrient cycle, and will also have positive effect on the soil functions crop production, water cycling and greenhouse gas mitigation. Spatial variation of soil properties within a farm, however, are not included in annual nutrient cycle assessments. Therefore it is impossible to identify fields where most profit can be gained by improving farm management at field level, and it is not possible to identify and to quantify nutrient flow path ways. The aim of this study is to develop a framework to improve the annual nutrient cycle assessment at Dutch dairy farms, by including soil properties and their spatial variation within farms. Soil type and soil quality will be described by visual soil assessment of soil quality characteristics. The visual observations will be linked to the nutrient cycle assessment, using soil-hydrological model SWAP. We will demonstrate how soil quality at field level can impact on crop production, eutrophication potential and greenhouse gas potential at farm level. Also, we will show how this framework can be used by farmers to improve their farm management. This new approach is focusing on annual nutrient cycle assessment, but could also be used in life cycle assessment. It will improve understanding of soil functioning and dairy farm management.

The element of naturalness when evaluating image quality of digital photo documentation after sexual assault.

PubMed

Ernst, E J; Speck, P M; Fitzpatrick, J J

2012-01-01

Digital photography is a valuable adjunct to document physical injuries after sexual assault. In order for a digital photograph to have high image quality, there must exist a high level of naturalness. Digital photo documentation has varying degrees of naturalness; however, for a photograph to be natural, specific technical elements for the viewer must be satisfied. No tool was available to rate the naturalness of digital photo documentation of female genital injuries after sexual assault. The Photo Documentation Image Quality Scoring System (PDIQSS) tool was developed to rate technical elements for naturalness. Using this tool, experts evaluated randomly selected digital photographs of female genital injuries captured following sexual assault. Naturalness of female genital injuries following sexual assault was demonstrated when measured in all dimensions.

Can image enhancement allow radiation dose to be reduced whilst maintaining the perceived diagnostic image quality required for coronary angiography?

PubMed Central

Joshi, Anuja; Gislason-Lee, Amber J; Keeble, Claire; Sivananthan, Uduvil M

2017-01-01

Objective: The aim of this research was to quantify the reduction in radiation dose facilitated by image processing alone for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patient angiograms, without reducing the perceived image quality required to confidently make a diagnosis. Methods: Incremental amounts of image noise were added to five PCI angiograms, simulating the angiogram as having been acquired at corresponding lower dose levels (10–89% dose reduction). 16 observers with relevant experience scored the image quality of these angiograms in 3 states—with no image processing and with 2 different modern image processing algorithms applied. These algorithms are used on state-of-the-art and previous generation cardiac interventional X-ray systems. Ordinal regression allowing for random effects and the delta method were used to quantify the dose reduction possible by the processing algorithms, for equivalent image quality scores. Results: Observers rated the quality of the images processed with the state-of-the-art and previous generation image processing with a 24.9% and 15.6% dose reduction, respectively, as equivalent in quality to the unenhanced images. The dose reduction facilitated by the state-of-the-art image processing relative to previous generation processing was 10.3%. Conclusion: Results demonstrate that statistically significant dose reduction can be facilitated with no loss in perceived image quality using modern image enhancement; the most recent processing algorithm was more effective in preserving image quality at lower doses. Advances in knowledge: Image enhancement was shown to maintain perceived image quality in coronary angiography at a reduced level of radiation dose using computer software to produce synthetic images from real angiograms simulating a reduction in dose. PMID:28124572

The use of on-site visits to assess compliance and implementation of quality management at hospital level.

PubMed

Wagner, C; Groene, O; Dersarkissian, M; Thompson, C A; Klazinga, N S; Arah, O A; Suñol, R

2014-04-01

Stakeholders of hospitals often lack standardized tools to assess compliance with quality management strategies and the implementation of clinical quality activities in hospitals. Such assessment tools, if easy to use, could be helpful to hospitals, health-care purchasers and health-care inspectorates. The aim of our study was to determine the psychometric properties of two newly developed tools for measuring compliance with process-oriented quality management strategies and the extent of implementation of clinical quality strategies at the hospital level. We developed and tested two measurement instruments that could be used during on-site visits by trained external surveyors to calculate a Quality Management Compliance Index (QMCI) and a Clinical Quality Implementation Index (CQII). We used psychometric methods and the cross-sectional data to explore the factor structure, reliability and validity of each of these instruments. The sample consisted of 74 acute care hospitals selected at random from each of 7 European countries. The psychometric properties of the two indices (QMCI and CQII). Overall, the indices demonstrated favourable psychometric performance based on factor analysis, item correlations, internal consistency and hypothesis testing. Cronbach's alpha was acceptable for the scales of the QMCI (α: 0.74-0.78) and the CQII (α: 0.82-0.93). Inter-scale correlations revealed that the scales were positively correlated, but distinct. All scales added sufficient new information to each main index to be retained. This study has produced two reliable instruments that can be used during on-site visits to assess compliance with quality management strategies and implementation of quality management activities by hospitals in Europe and perhaps other jurisdictions.

The characteristics of atmospheric phthalates in Shanghai: A haze case study and human exposure assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yingjie; Wang, Jiahui; Ren, Bainian; Wang, Hongli; Qiao, Liping; Zhu, Jiping; Li, Li

2018-04-01

While phthalates in indoor environments are extensively studied, reports on phthalates in outdoor air, particularly their associations with haze weather events are rare. Phthalates, especially dimethyl phthalate, are known to react with criteria air pollutants contributing to the formation of secondary organic aerosols. This study investigated phthalates levels in the atmosphere in Shanghai with a focus on their associations with different air quality weather events. The air quality during the study period was classified into three levels: non-haze, light pollution and moderate pollution. Phthalates levels were found to be lower in non-haze weather events (236 ng/m3) and higher in moderate pollution weather events (up to 700 ng/m3). Meteorological factors of relative humidity and wind speed had an inverse relationship with phthalates levels. Particulate matter had a positive correlation with phthalates levels. Hydroxyl radical initiated photo-reaction of dimethyl phthalate was evident by its inverse relationship with total atmospheric oxidant (O3 + NO2), indicating that dimethyl phthalate could be one of the precursors of secondary organic aerosol causing haze weather events. Daily intake of phthalates through exposure to outdoor air is estimated to be relatively minor; children intake remains higher on a body weight basis. This is the first study demonstrating the relationship of phthalates and different air quality conditions in haze weather events. The knowledge contributes to our understanding on the cause of haze weather events in China and elsewhere.

A Standard Psychophysiological Preparation for Evaluating the Effects of Environmental Vibration Stress. Phase I. Development.

DTIC Science & Technology

A Standard Psychophysiological Preparation (SPP) for the evaluation of the physiological and biomechanical mechanisms responsible for performance...consumption, biomechanical parameters and performance level. The results of pilot tests (including 6-hours exposure to vibration while performing a...tracking task) verify the applicability and utility of the SPP and demonstrate that high quality, quantitative physiological and biomechanical data can

Building Trust Through Servant Leadership

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-10

to fight. Additionally , it demonstrated he valued the lives of those under his command more than his own. This presence, and his conversation with...it. Additionally , they serve by displaying the qualities of trust and valuing people. Puckett’s actions on the battlefield of Vietnam are...implement its principles. In addition , quantitative data collection from senior and organizational level leaders may be required to determine the value

Transforming the HIM department into a strategic resource.

PubMed

Odorisio, L F; Piescik, J B

1998-05-01

The transformation of a traditional (HIM) health information management department into a "virtual" HIM department can offer an IDS substantial economic advantages, improve patient satisfaction levels, enhance the quality of care, and provide greater accuracy in measuring and demonstrating healthcare outcomes. The HIM department's mission should be aligned with enterprise strategies, and the IDS should invest in technology that enables HIM to respond to enterprisewide information requirements.

What to Build for Middle-Agers to Come? Attractive and Necessary Functions of Exercise-Promotion Mobile Phone Apps: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Chien, Yu-Tai; Chen, Yu-Jen; Hsiung, Hsiao-Fang; Chen, Hsiao-Jung; Hsieh, Meng-Hua; Wu, Wen-Jie

2017-01-01

Background Physical activity is important for middle-agers to maintain health both in middle age and in old age. Although thousands of exercise-promotion mobile phone apps are available for download, current literature offers little understanding regarding which design features can enhance middle-aged adults’ quality perception toward exercise-promotion apps and which factor may influence such perception. Objectives The aims of this study were to understand (1) which design features of exercise-promotion apps can enhance quality perception of middle-agers, (2) whether their needs are matched by current functions offered in app stores, and (3) whether physical activity (PA) and mobile phone self-efficacy (MPSE) influence quality perception. Methods A total of 105 middle-agers participated and filled out three scales: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the MPSE scale, and the need for design features questionnaire. The design features were developed based on the Coventry, Aberdeen, and London—Refined (CALO-RE) taxonomy. Following the Kano quality model, the need for design features questionnaire asked participants to classify design features into five categories: attractive, one-dimensional, must-be, indifferent, and reverse. The quality categorization was conducted based on a voting approach and the categorization results were compared with the findings of a prevalence study to realize whether needs match current availability. In total, 52 multinomial logistic regression models were analyzed to evaluate the effects of PA level and MPSE on quality perception of design features. Results The Kano analysis on the total sample revealed that visual demonstration of exercise instructions is the only attractive design feature, whereas the other 51 design features were perceived with indifference. Although examining quality perception by PA level, 21 features are recommended to low level, 6 features to medium level, but none to high-level PA. In contrast, high-level MPSE is recommended with 14 design features, medium level with 6 features, whereas low-level participants are recommended with 1 feature. The analysis suggests that the implementation of demanded features could be low, as the average prevalence of demanded design features is 20% (4.3/21). Surprisingly, social comparison and social support, most implemented features in current apps, were categorized into the indifferent category. The magnitude of effect is larger for MPSE because it effects quality perception of more design features than PA. Delving into the 52 regression models revealed that high MPSE more likely induces attractive or one- dimensional categorization, suggesting the importance of technological self-efficacy on eHealth care promotion. Conclusions This study is the first to propose middle-agers’ needs in relation to mobile phone exercise-promotion. In addition to the tailor-made recommendations, suggestions are offered to app designers to enhance the performance of persuasive features. An interesting finding on change of quality perception attributed to MPSE is proposed as future research. PMID:28546140

[How to establish a good acupuncture-moxibustion standard?].

PubMed

Wu, Xiao-dong; Xiao, Hui

2014-10-01

At the beginning of a standard item, the standardized objects and involved contents should be demonstrated thoroughly, which is the precondition of establishing a good standard. After the proposal of this standard, a high-level drafting group should be built, led by top specialists who also draft the standard, which is essential to guarantee the quality of the standard. Before drafting the standard, literature regarding this standard should be searched completely, and Directives for Standardization should be learned to understand the basic requirements of establishing a standard; in the meanwhile, selections on standardized contents and quantitative boundaries of technical indices should be comprehensively and deeply studied. At the stage of consultation, focus should be paid on the scope of the consultation departments, level and personnel quality. As for standard review, it should be precise and truth-seeking. At the stage of submitting and authorization, it is necessary to have timely communication. Only by full cooperations of all parties, and by strictly following the procedure, method and rule of standard establishment, can a high-quality acupuncture-moxibustion standard be established.

Influence of environmentally relevant concentrations of vinclozolin on quality, DNA integrity, and antioxidant responses of sterlet Acipenser ruthenus spermatozoa.

PubMed

Gazo, Ievgeniia; Linhartova, Pavla; Shaliutina, Anna; Hulak, Martin

2013-04-25

The effects of vinclozolin (VIN), an anti-androgenic fungicide, on quality, oxidative stress, DNA integrity, and ATP level of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) spermatozoa were investigated in vitro. Fish spermatozoa were incubated with different concentrations of vinclozolin (0.5, 2, 10, 15, 20 and 50 μg/l) for 2 h. A dose-dependent reduction in spermatozoa motility and velocity was observed at concentrations of 2-50 μg/l. A dramatic increase in DNA fragmentation was recorded at concentrations 10 μg/l and above. After 2 h exposure at higher test concentrations (10-50 μg/l), oxidative stress was apparent, as reflected by significantly higher levels of protein and lipid oxidation and significantly greater superoxide dismutase activity. Intracellular ATP content of spermatozoa decreased with increasing concentrations of VIN. The results demonstrated that VIN can induce reactive oxygen species stress in fish spermatozoa, which could impair the sperm quality, DNA integrity, ATP content, and the antioxidant defense system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using heuristic algorithms for capacity leasing and task allocation issues in telecommunication networks under fuzzy quality of service constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huseyin Turan, Hasan; Kasap, Nihat; Savran, Huseyin

2014-03-01

Nowadays, every firm uses telecommunication networks in different amounts and ways in order to complete their daily operations. In this article, we investigate an optimisation problem that a firm faces when acquiring network capacity from a market in which there exist several network providers offering different pricing and quality of service (QoS) schemes. The QoS level guaranteed by network providers and the minimum quality level of service, which is needed for accomplishing the operations are denoted as fuzzy numbers in order to handle the non-deterministic nature of the telecommunication network environment. Interestingly, the mathematical formulation of the aforementioned problem leads to the special case of a well-known two-dimensional bin packing problem, which is famous for its computational complexity. We propose two different heuristic solution procedures that have the capability of solving the resulting nonlinear mixed integer programming model with fuzzy constraints. In conclusion, the efficiency of each algorithm is tested in several test instances to demonstrate the applicability of the methodology.

[Implementation and evaluation of an ambulatory exercise therapy based rehabilitation program for breast cancer patients].

PubMed

Schulz, K H; Szlovák, C; Schulz, H; Gold, S; Brechtel, L; Braumann, M; Koch, U

1998-01-01

Physical exercise does not only have positive effects on physical fitness but also on mental health. However, there has been little empirical study on effects of rehabilitation programmes based on physical exercise in cancer patients. We conducted a study to examine the interrelation between the participation of breast cancer patients in an exercise rehabilitation training and aspects of quality of life and physical fitness. 28 patients with not metastasized mamma carcinoma participated in a structured exercise rehabilitation program twice a week for ten weeks. Before and after the intervention the patients were asked to fill in questionnaires to assess their quality of life. At the same instants they underwent physical examination and a bicycle ergometry as well as a blood drawing. The training was aimed at changes at the social, emotional, as well as the motor physical level. Pre-post comparisons demonstrated an improvement in quality of life, such as decreased levels of depression and anxiety. Furthermore the women proved to show an obvious increase in physical fitness. Present results support an implementation of an exercise rehabilitation training for breast cancer outpatients.

Optimal glucocorticoid therapy.

PubMed

Debono, Miguel; Ross, Richard J

2011-01-01

The rhythmic regulation of human physiology and behaviour is controlled by a central endogenous clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Most tissues have peripheral clocks that oscillate in time with this central clock. How the central time keeper controls peripheral clocks is not established, however there is evidence to suggest that the cortisol rhythm is one important secondary messenger. Loss of the endogenous cortisol rhythm is associated with sleep disturbance, depression, and metabolic abnormalities. In adrenal insufficiency, current glucocorticoid replacement regimens cannot replace the normal circadian rhythm of cortisol, and patients have an increased mortality and impaired quality of life. We propose that reproducing circadian cortisol levels may improve quality of life in patients with adrenal insufficiency and we have been investigating the impact of circadian hydrocortisone replacement. Using Chronocort, a modified release preparation of hydrocortisone, we have demonstrated that it is possible to simulate the overnight rise in cortisol release and, in preliminary studies in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, control morning androgen levels. Future studies are now required to determine whether Chronocort can improve quality of life in patients with adrenal insufficiency. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Quantitative phase measurement for wafer-level optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Weijuan; Wen, Yongfu; Wang, Zhaomin; Yang, Fang; Huang, Lei; Zuo, Chao

2015-07-01

Wafer-level-optics now is widely used in smart phone camera, mobile video conferencing or in medical equipment that require tiny cameras. Extracting quantitative phase information has received increased interest in order to quantify the quality of manufactured wafer-level-optics, detect defective devices before packaging, and provide feedback for manufacturing process control, all at the wafer-level for high-throughput microfabrication. We demonstrate two phase imaging methods, digital holographic microscopy (DHM) and Transport-of-Intensity Equation (TIE) to measure the phase of the wafer-level lenses. DHM is a laser-based interferometric method based on interference of two wavefronts. It can perform a phase measurement in a single shot. While a minimum of two measurements of the spatial intensity of the optical wave in closely spaced planes perpendicular to the direction of propagation are needed to do the direct phase retrieval by solving a second-order differential equation, i.e., with a non-iterative deterministic algorithm from intensity measurements using the Transport-of-Intensity Equation (TIE). But TIE is a non-interferometric method, thus can be applied to partial-coherence light. We demonstrated the capability and disability for the two phase measurement methods for wafer-level optics inspection.

Patient-Reported Outcomes of Periacetabular Osteotomy from the Prospective ANCHOR Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Clohisy, John C.; Ackerman, Jeffrey; Baca, Geneva; Baty, Jack; Beaulé, Paul E.; Kim, Young-Jo; Millis, Michael B.; Podeszwa, David A.; Schoenecker, Perry L.; Sierra, Rafael J.; Sink, Ernest L.; Sucato, Daniel J.; Trousdale, Robert T.; Zaltz, Ira

2017-01-01

Background: Current literature describing the periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is mostly limited to retrospective case series. Larger, prospective cohort studies are needed to provide better clinical evidence regarding this procedure. The goals of the current study were to (1) report minimum 2-year patient-reported outcomes (pain, hip function, activity, overall health, and quality of life), (2) investigate preoperative clinical and disease characteristics as predictors of clinical outcomes, and (3) report the rate of early failures and reoperations in patients undergoing contemporary PAO surgery. Methods: A large, prospective, multicenter cohort of PAO procedures was established, and outcomes at a minimum of 2 years were analyzed. A total of 391 hips were included for analysis (79% of the patients were female, and the average patient age was 25.4 years). Patient-reported outcomes, conversion to total hip replacement, reoperations, and major complications were documented. Variables with a p value of ≤0.10 in the univariate linear regressions were included in the multivariate linear regression. The backward stepwise selection method was used to determine the final risk factors of clinical outcomes. Results: Clinical outcome analysis demonstrated major clinically important improvements in pain, function, quality of life, overall health, and activity level. Increasing age and a body mass index status of overweight or obese were predictive of improved results for certain outcome metrics. Male sex and mild acetabular dysplasia were predictive of lesser improvements in certain outcome measures. Three (0.8%) of the hips underwent early conversion to total hip arthroplasty, 12 (3%) required reoperation, and 26 (7%) experienced a major complication. Conclusions: This large, prospective cohort study demonstrated the clinical success of contemporary PAO surgery for the treatment of symptomatic acetabular dysplasia. Patient and disease characteristics demonstrated predictive value that should be considered in surgical decision-making. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. PMID:28060231

Mode of Communication, Perceived Level of Understanding, and Perceived Quality of Life in Youth Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

PubMed Central

Kushalnagar, P.; Topolski, T. D.; Schick, B.; Edwards, T. C.; Skalicky, A. M.; Patrick, D. L.

2011-01-01

Given the important role of parent–youth communication in adolescent well-being and quality of life, we sought to examine the relationship between specific communication variables and youth perceived quality of life in general and as a deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) individual. A convenience sample of 230 youth (mean age = 14.1, standard deviation = 2.2; 24% used sign only, 40% speech only, and 36% sign + speech) was surveyed on communication-related issues, generic and DHH-specific quality of life, and depression symptoms. Higher youth perception of their ability to understand parents’ communication was significantly correlated with perceived quality of life as well as lower reported depressive symptoms and lower perceived stigma. Youth who use speech as their single mode of communication were more likely to report greater stigma associated with being DHH than youth who used both speech and sign. These findings demonstrate the importance of youths’ perceptions of communication with their parents on generic and DHH-specific youth quality of life. PMID:21536686

Does labour market disadvantage help to explain why childhood circumstances are related to quality of life at older ages? Results from SHARE.

PubMed

Wahrendorf, Morten; Blane, David

2015-07-01

There is robust evidence that childhood circumstances are related to quality of life in older ages, but the role of possible intermediate factors is less explored. In this paper, we examine to what extent associations between deprived childhood circumstances and quality of life at older ages are due to experienced labour market disadvantage during adulthood. Analyses are based on the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), with detailed retrospective information on individual life courses collected among 10,272 retired men and women in 13 European countries (2008-2009). Our assumption is that those who have spent their childhood in deprived circumstances may also have had more labour market disadvantage with negative consequences for quality of life beyond working life. Results demonstrate that advantaged circumstances during childhood are associated with lower levels of labour market disadvantage and higher quality of life in older ages. Furthermore, results of multivariate analyses support the idea that part of the association between childhood circumstances and later quality of life is explained by labour market disadvantage during adulthood.

Impacts of urban landuse on macroinvertebrate communities in southeastern Wisconsin streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stepenuck, K.F.; Crunkilton, R.L.; Wang, L.

2002-01-01

Macroinvertebrates were used to assess the impact of urbanization on stream quality across a gradient of watershed imperviousness in 43 southeastern Wisconsin streams. The percentage of watershed connected imperviousness was chosen as the urbanization indicator to examine impact of urban land uses on macroinvertebrate communities. Most urban land uses were negatively correlated with the Shannon diversity index, percent of pollution intolerant Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera individuals, and generic richness. Nonurban land uses were positively correlated with these same metrics. The Hilsenhoff biotic index indicated that stream quality declined with increased urbanization. Functional feeding group metrics varied across a gradient of urbanization, suggesting changes in stream quality. Proportions of collectors and gatherers increased, while proportions of filterers, scrapers, and shredders decreased with increased watershed imperviousness. This study demonstrated that urbanization severely degraded stream macroinvertebrate communities, hence stream quality. Good stream quality existed where imperviousness was less than 8 percent, but less favorable assessments were inevitable where imperviousness exceeded 12 to 20 percent. Levels of imperviousness between 8 and 12 percent represented a threshold where minor increases in urbanization were associated with sharp declines in stream quality.

Financial and quality impacts of the Medicare physician group practice demonstration.

PubMed

Pope, Gregory; Kautter, John; Leung, Musetta; Trisolini, Michael; Adamache, Walter; Smith, Kevin

2014-01-01

To examine the impact of the Medicare Physician Group Practice (PGP) demonstration on expenditure, utilization, and quality outcomes. Secondary data analysis of 2001-2010 Medicare claims for 1,776,387 person years assigned to the ten participating provider organizations and 1,579,080 person years in the corresponding local comparison groups. We used a pre-post comparison group observational design consisting of four pre-demonstration years (1/01-12/04) and five demonstration years (4/05-3/10). We employed a propensity-weighted difference-in-differences regression model to estimate demonstration effects, adjusting for demographics, health status, geographic area, and secular trends. The ten demonstration sites combined saved $171 (2.0%) per assigned beneficiary person year (p<0.001) during the five-year demonstration period. Medicare paid performance bonuses to the participating PGPs that averaged $102 per person year. The net savings to the Medicare program were $69 (0.8%) per person year. Demonstration savings were achieved primarily from the inpatient setting. The demonstration improved quality of care as measured by six of seven claims-based process quality indicators. The PGP demonstration, which used a payment model similar to the Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) program, resulted in small reductions in Medicare expenditures and inpatient utilization, and improvements in process quality indicators. Judging from this demonstration experience, it is unlikely that Medicare ACOs will initially achieve large savings. Nevertheless, ACOs paid through shared savings may be an important first step toward greater efficiency and quality in the Medicare fee-for-service program.

Multimedia Messaging Service teleradiology in the provision of emergency neurosurgery services.

PubMed

Ng, Wai Hoe; Wang, Ernest; Ng, Ivan

2007-04-01

Neurosurgical emergencies constitute a significant proportion of workload of a tertiary neurosurgical service. Prompt diagnosis and emergent institution of definitive treatment are critical to reduce neurological mortality and morbidity. Diagnosis is highly dependent on accurate interpretation of scans by experienced clinicians. This expertise may not be readily available especially after office hours because many neurosurgical units are manned by middle-level neurosurgical staff with varying levels of experience in scan interpretation. Multimedia Messaging Service mobile phone technology offers a simple, cheap, quick, and effective solution to the problem of scan interpretation. An MMS takes only a few minutes to send and receive and allows senior doctors to view important images and make important clinical decisions to enhance patient management in an emergency situation. A mobile phone (with VGA camera and MMS capabilities) was provided to the neurosurgery registrar on call. The on-call mobile phone is passed on to the corresponding registrar on-call the next day. All consultants had personal mobile phones that are MMS-enabled. Relevant representative CT/MRI images can be taken directly from the mobile phone from the PACS off the computer screen. When only hard copies are available, the images can be taken off the light box. After a 12-month trial period, a questionnaire was given to all staff involved in the project to ascertain the usefulness of the MMS teleradiology service. The survey on the use of the MMS service in a tertiary neurosurgical service demonstrated that the technology significantly improved the level of confidence of the senior-level staff in emergent clinical decision making. Significantly, the MMS images were of sufficient quality and resolution to obviate the need to view the actual scans. The impact of MMS is less pronounced in the middle-level staff, but there was a trend that most of the junior staff found the service more useful. The MMS technology is demonstrated to be a useful media for the transmission of high-quality images to assist in the diagnostic process and implementation of emergent clinical therapy. It is already in widespread use and can be seamlessly and rapidly implemented in the clinical arena to improve the quality of patient care.

Enhancing the spatial coverage of a regional high-quality hydraulic conductivity dataset with estimates made from domestic water-well specific-capacity tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priebe, Elizabeth H.; Neville, C. J.; Rudolph, D. L.

2018-03-01

The spatial coverage of hydraulic conductivity ( K) values for large-scale groundwater investigations is often poor because of the high costs associated with hydraulic testing and the large areas under investigation. Domestic water wells are ubiquitous and their well logs represent an untapped resource of information that includes mandatory specific-capacity tests, from which K can be estimated. These specific-capacity tests are routinely conducted at such low pumping rates that well losses are normally insignificant. In this study, a simple and practical approach to augmenting high-quality K values with reconnaissance-level K values from water-well specific-capacity tests is assessed. The integration of lesser quality K values from specific-capacity tests with a high-quality K data set is assessed through comparisons at two different scales: study-area-wide (a 600-km2 area in Ontario, Canada) and in a single geological formation within a portion of the broader study area (200 km2). Results of the comparisons demonstrate that reconnaissance-level K estimates from specific-capacity tests approximate the ranges and distributions of the high-quality K values. Sufficient detail about the physical basis and assumptions that are invoked in the development of the approach are presented here so that it can be applied with confidence by practitioners seeking to enhance their spatial coverage of K values with specific-capacity tests.

The FAA's Approach to Quality Assurance in the Flight Safety Analysis of Launch and Reentry Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, Daniel P.; Weil, Andre

2010-09-01

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) Office of Commercial Space Transportation’s safety mission is to ensure protection of the public, property, and the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States during commercial launch and reentry activities. As part of this mission, the FAA issues licenses to the operators of launch and reentry vehicles who successfully demonstrate compliance with FAA regulations. To meet these regulations, vehicle operators submit an application that contains, among other things, flight safety analyses of their proposed missions. In the process of evaluating these submitted analyses, the FAA often conducts its own independent analyses, using input data from the submitted license application. These analyses are conducted according to approved procedures using industry developed tools. To assist in achieving the highest levels of quality in these independent analyses, the FAA has developed a quality assurance program that consists of multiple levels of review. These reviews rely on the work of multiple teams, as well as additional, independently performed work of support contractors. This paper describes the FAA’s quality assurance process for flight safety analyses. Members of the commercial space industry may find that elements of this process can be easily applied to their own analyses, improving the quality of the material they submit to the FAA in their license applications.

Changes in nursing home staffing levels, 1997 to 2007.

PubMed

Seblega, Binyam K; Zhang, Ning Jackie; Unruh, Lynn Y; Breen, Gerald-Mark; Seung Chun Paek; Wan, Thomas T H

2010-04-01

A positive relationship has been demonstrated between the quality of care delivered in nursing homes and the quality of nursing staff providing the care. The general perception, however, is that there is a decline in registered nurses' staff hours in nursing homes. The primary objective of this study is to investigate whether the levels of registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and nursing assistants (NAs) as well as skill mix has changed in nursing homes between the years 1997 and 2007. A descriptive research design was employed on data derived from Online Survey Certification and Reporting System database. After accounting for facility size and ownership, it was found that more nursing homes have increased-rather than decreased-LPN and NA hours per resident day between 1997 and 2007. On the other hand, more nursing homes have decreased-rather than increased-RN hours per resident day and skill mix during the same time period.

Current Thoughts on Fat Grafting: Using the Evidence to Determine Fact or Fiction.

PubMed

Sinno, Sammy; Wilson, Stelios; Brownstone, Nicholas; Levine, Steven M

2016-03-01

Autologous fat grafting is an increasingly popular procedure used for facial rejuvenation and body contouring. The purpose of this article is to perform an evidence-based review to determine fact from fiction for the hot topics in autologous fat grafting. A comprehensive literature search was performed. The following key words were then searched: "fat grafting," "autologous fat grafting," "autologous fat transfer," "lipotransfer," "liposculping," and "lipofilling." The authors then assessed each modality individually for the level of evidence that exists and whether the majority of evidence supports or refutes it. A review of the literature demonstrated that there is no standard test for determining fat viability or volume augmentation after grafting. Furthermore, there is no difference in cell viability seen between syringe aspiration and liposuction pump aspiration harvest techniques (Level II). The decision to wash or centrifuge the fat plays very little role in fat graft survival (Level III). There is no difference between cell viability as a function of harvest location (Level IV). Nearly all studies show no significant effect of local anesthesia on adipocyte cells (Level IV). There are excellent data that support the fact that low-shear devices maintain fat structural integrity (Level IV). There is quality evidence that supports longevity of fat grafted to the breast (Level III). Two studies support large-volume fat grafting longevity but fail to prove their results using objective measures or with sufficiently large sample sizes (Level IV). External preexpansion devices improve total graft survival rate (Level IV). There is quality evidence to support that fat should be injected soon after harvesting, as properties of fat begin to change after processing (Level IV). Microneedling (preconditioning) before fat grafting has been demonstrated to improve fat survival (Level III). Currently, the highest levels of evidence derive from human studies of clinical trials and animal studies using human fat. The evidence presented here helps to address the need for accurate and quantitative viability assays. These assays would facilitate a systematic evaluation of each procedural step during fat graft harvest, processing, and grafting to improve the overall viability and predictability of fat grafts.

Adenotonsillectomy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Quality of Life: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Todd, Cameron A; Bareiss, Anna K; McCoul, Edward D; Rodriguez, Kimsey H

2017-11-01

Objective To determine the impact of adenotonsillectomy on the quality of life of pediatric patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and to identify gaps in the current research. Data Sources The MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched via the Ovid portal on June 18, 2016, for English-language articles. Review Methods Full-text articles were selected that studied boys and girls <18 years of age who underwent adenotonsillectomy for OSA or sleep-disordered breathing and that recorded validated, quantitative quality-of-life outcomes. Studies that lacked such measures, performed adenotonsillectomy for indications other than OSA or sleep-disordered breathing, or grouped adenotonsillectomy with other procedures were excluded. Results Of the 328 articles initially identified, 37 were included for qualitative analysis. The level of evidence was generally low. All studies involving short-term follow-up (≤6 months) showed improvement in quality-of-life scores after adenotonsillectomy as compared with preoperative values. Studies involving long-term follow-up (>6 months) showed mixed results. Modifications to and concurrent procedures with conventional adenotonsillectomy were also identified that showed quality-of-life improvements. Three studies were identified for meta-analysis that compared pre- and postoperative Obstructive Sleep Apnea-18 scores. Short- and long-term follow-up versus preoperative scores showed significant improvement ( P < .001). Short- and long-term scores showed no significant difference. Conclusion This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrate adenotonsillectomy's effectiveness in improving the quality of life of pediatric patients with OSA. This is well demonstrated in the short term and has strong indications in the long term.

42 CFR 475.104 - Requirements for demonstrating ability to perform review.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... review. 475.104 Section 475.104 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations § 475.104 Requirements for demonstrating...

Implementation of Clinical Quality Management for Rehabilitation in Malaysia.

PubMed

Engkasan, Julia Patrick; Stucki, Gerold; Ali, Sadeeq; Yusof, Yusniza Mohd; Hussain, Hafez; Latif, Lydia Abdul

2018-04-18

In February 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its historic "Rehabilitation 2030: A Call for Action". Scaling up rehabilitation in health systems requires concerted action across all 6 components of WHO's Health Systems Framework. For rehabilitation, information about functioning is essential, as it is required for effective rehabilitation at all levels of the health system. What is missing is a countrywide demonstration project involving the implementation of a clinical quality management system for the continuous improvement of rehabilitation, both at the level of clinical care for individual patients and at the level of rehabilitation service provision. Consequently, the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Malaya and University Malaya Medical Centre, together with the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital of the Ministry of Health, and the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) Rehabilitation Centre in Malacca, Malaysia, initiated a project to develop a Malaysian-wide clinical quality management system for rehabilitation (CQM-R Malaysia). The objective of this paper is to describe CQM-R Malaysia. First, a conceptual description of a CQM-R based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is set out. The methods, results and conclusions of a situation analysis conducted in January 2017 are then reported. Finally, the building blocks and implementation action plan developed for CQM-R Malaysia are presented.

Quality parameters and RAPD-PCR differentiation of commercial baker's yeast and hybrid strains.

PubMed

El-Fiky, Zaki A; Hassan, Gamal M; Emam, Ahmed M

2012-06-01

Baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a key component in bread baking. Total of 12 commercial baker's yeast and 2 hybrid strains were compared using traditional quality parameters. Total of 5 strains with high leavening power and the 2 hybrid strains were selected and evaluated for their alpha-amylase, maltase, glucoamylase enzymes, and compared using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). The results revealed that all selected yeast strains have a low level of alpha-amylase and a high level of maltase and glucoamylase enzymes. Meanwhile, the Egyptian yeast strain (EY) had the highest content of alpha-amylase and maltase enzymes followed by the hybrid YH strain. The EY and YH strains have the highest content of glucoamylase enzyme almost with the same level. The RAPD banding patterns showed a wide variation among commercial yeast and hybrid strains. The closely related Egyptian yeast strains (EY and AL) demonstrated close similarity of their genotypes. The 2 hybrid strains were clustered to Turkish and European strains in 1 group. The authors conclude that the identification of strains and hybrids using RAPD technique was useful in determining their genetic relationship. These results can be useful not only for the basic research, but also for the quality control in baking factories. © 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®

Effect of oral administration of Tribulus terrestris extract on semen quality and body fat index of infertile men.

PubMed

Salgado, R M; Marques-Silva, M H; Gonçalves, E; Mathias, A C; Aguiar, J G; Wolff, P

2017-06-01

Male fertility can be evaluated through complete semen analysis. Plants belonging to the Tribulus genus are known for their role in enhancing sex hormone levels and semen quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of T. terrestris on semen quality and physiological parameters. Sixty-five men with abnormal semen evaluation were included in this study, in which they were prescribed with oral administration of Androsten ® (250 mg of Tribulus terrestris dried extract per capsule). Body fat percentage, lean muscle mass gain, fluctuation in steroid hormone levels and all semen parameters were analysed during the period of treatment. The results demonstrated that decrease in the percentage of body fat and increase in lean mass were significant, as well as increase in dihydrotestosterone levels. Complete semen analysis evaluated at the end of treatment showed significant enhancement in sperm concentration, motility and liquefaction time. Protodioscin, the main phytochemical agent of the Tribulus genus, acts on sertoli cells, germ cell proliferation and growth of seminiferous tubules. This component is known to convert testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, which plays important roles in male attributes. Our results indicate the therapeutic use of Tribulus terrestris by men presenting altered semen parameters, and/or undergoing infertility treatment. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Communicating data quality through Web Map Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blower, Jon; Roberts, Charles; Griffiths, Guy; Lewis, Jane; Yang, Kevin

2013-04-01

The sharing and visualization of environmental data through spatial data infrastructures is becoming increasingly common. However, information about the quality of data is frequently unavailable or presented in an inconsistent fashion. ("Data quality" is a phrase with many possible meanings but here we define it as "fitness for purpose" - therefore different users have different notions of what constitutes a "high quality" dataset.) The GeoViQua project (www.geoviqua.org) is developing means for eliciting, formatting, discovering and visualizing quality information using ISO and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards. Here we describe one aspect of the innovations of the GeoViQua project. In this presentation, we shall demonstrate new developments in using Web Map Services to communicate data quality at the level of datasets, variables and individual samples. We shall outline a new draft set of conventions (known as "WMS-Q"), which describe a set of rules for using WMS to convey quality information (OGC draft Engineering Report 12-160). We shall demonstrate these conventions through new prototype software, based upon the widely-used ncWMS software, that applies these rules to enable the visualization of uncertainties in raster data such as satellite products and the results of numerical simulations. Many conceptual and practical issues have arisen from these experiments. How can source data be formatted so that a WMS implementation can detect the semantic links between variables (e.g. the links between a mean field and its variance)? The visualization of uncertainty can be a complex task - how can we provide users with the power and flexibility to choose an optimal strategy? How can we maintain compatibility (as far as possible) with existing WMS clients? We explore these questions with reference to existing standards and approaches, including UncertML, NetCDF-U and Styled Layer Descriptors.

Dose-Dependent Cannabis Use, Depressive Symptoms, and FAAH Genotype Predict Sleep Quality in Emerging Adults: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Maple, Kristin E.; McDaniel, Kymberly A.; Shollenbarger, Skyler G.; Lisdahl, Krista M.

2017-01-01

Background Cannabis has been shown to affect sleep in humans. Findings from animal studies indicate that higher endocannabinoid levels promote sleep, suggesting that chronic use of cannabis, which downregulates endocannabinoid activity, may disrupt sleep. Objectives This study sought to determine if past year cannabis use and genes that regulate endocannabinoid signaling, FAAH rs324420 and CNR1 rs2180619, predicted sleep quality. As depression has been previously associated with both cannabis and sleep, the secondary aim was to determine if depressive symptoms moderated or mediated these relationships. Methods Data were collected from 41 emerging adult (ages 18–25) cannabis users. Exclusion criteria included Axis I disorders (besides SUD) and medical and neurologic disorders. Relationships were tested using multiple regressions, controlling for demographic variables, past year substance use, and length of cannabis abstinence. Results Greater past year cannabis use and FAAH C/C genotype were associated with poorer sleep quality. CNR1 genotype did not significantly predict sleep quality. Depressive symptoms moderated the relationship between cannabis use and sleep at a non-significant trend level, such that participants with the greatest cannabis use and most depressive symptoms reported the most impaired sleep. Depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between FAAH genotype and sleep quality. Conclusions This study demonstrates a dose-dependent relationship between chronic cannabis use and reported sleep quality, independent of abstinence length. Furthermore, it provides novel evidence that depressive symptoms mediate the relationship between FAAH genotype and sleep quality in humans. These findings suggest potential targets to impact sleep disruptions in cannabis users. PMID:27074158

Attitudes and Opinions of Canadian Nephrologists Toward Continuous Quality Improvement Options.

PubMed

Iskander, Carina; McQuillan, Rory; Nesrallah, Gihad; Rabbat, Christian; Mendelssohn, David C

2017-01-01

A shift to holding individual physicians accountable for patient outcomes, rather than facilities, is intuitively attractive to policy makers and to the public. We were interested in nephrologists' attitudes to, and awareness of, quality metrics and how nephrologists would view a potential switch from the current model of facility-based quality measurement and reporting to publically available reports at the individual physician level. The study was conducted using a web-based survey instrument (Online Appendix 1). The survey was initially pilot tested on a group of 8 nephrologists from across Canada. The survey was then finalized and e-mailed to 330 nephrologists through the Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN) e-mail distribution list. The 127 respondents were 80% university based, and 33% were medical/dialysis directors. The response rate was 43%. Results demonstrate that 89% of Canadian nephrologists are engaged in efforts to improve the quality of patient care. A minority of those surveyed (29%) had training in quality improvement. They feel accountable for this and would welcome the inclusion of patient-centered metrics of care quality. Support for public reporting as an effective strategy on an individual nephrologist level was 30%. Support for public reporting of individual nephrologist performance was low. The care of nephrology patients will be best served by the continued development of a critical mass of physicians trained in patient safety and quality improvement, by focusing on patient-centered metrics of care delivery, and by validating that all proposed new methods are shown to improve patient care and outcomes.

Image processing on the image with pixel noise bits removed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuang, Keh-Shih; Wu, Christine

1992-06-01

Our previous studies used statistical methods to assess the noise level in digital images of various radiological modalities. We separated the pixel data into signal bits and noise bits and demonstrated visually that the removal of the noise bits does not affect the image quality. In this paper we apply image enhancement techniques on noise-bits-removed images and demonstrate that the removal of noise bits has no effect on the image property. The image processing techniques used are gray-level look up table transformation, Sobel edge detector, and 3-D surface display. Preliminary results show no noticeable difference between original image and noise bits removed image using look up table operation and Sobel edge enhancement. There is a slight enhancement of the slicing artifact in the 3-D surface display of the noise bits removed image.

The impacts of reactive terpene emissions from plants on air quality in Las Vegas, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papiez, Maria R.; Potosnak, Mark J.; Goliff, Wendy S.; Guenther, Alex B.; Matsunaga, Sou N.; Stockwell, William R.

A three-part study was conducted to quantify the impact of landscaped vegetation on air quality in a rapidly expanding urban area in the arid southeastern United States. The study combines in situ, plant-level measurements, a spatial emissions inventory, and a photochemical box model. Maximum plant-level basal emission rates were moderate: 18.1 μgC gdw -1 h -1 ( Washingtonia spp., palms) for isoprene and 9.56 μgC gdw -1 h -1 ( Fraxinus velutina, Arizona ash) for monoterpenes. Sesquiterpene emission rates were low for plant species selected in this study, with no measurement exceeding 0.1 μgC gdw -1 h -1. The high ambient temperatures combined with moderate plant-level emission factors resulted in landscape emission factors that were low (250-640 μgC m -2 h -1) compared to more mesic environments (e.g., the southeastern United States). The Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism (RACM) was modified to include a new reaction pathway for ocimene. Using measured concentrations of anthropogenic hydrocarbons and other reactive air pollutants (NO x, ozone), the box model employing the RACM mechanism revealed that these modest emissions could have a significant impact on air quality. For a suburban location that was downwind of the urban core (high NO x; low anthropogenic hydrocarbons), biogenic terpenes increased time-dependent ozone production rates by a factor of 50. Our study demonstrates that low-biomass density landscapes emit sufficient biogenic terpenes to have a significant impact on regional air quality.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Nursing Home Case-Mix and Quality Demonstration: a descriptive overview.

PubMed

Reilly, Karen E; Mueller, Christine; Zimmerman, David R

2007-01-01

This paper presents the first comprehensive account of a major national demonstration designed to integrate skilled nursing facilities (SNF) prospective case-mix payment and quality of care. It describes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Nursing Home Case-Mix and Quality (NHCMQ) Demonstration-the template for Medicare's SNF Prospective Payment System (PPS) implemented July 1998. The NHCMQ Demonstration provided the basis for one of the most significant changes in SNF reimbursement and quality monitoring policies to date. Prospective reimbursement policies created positive incentive for providers to admit Medicare residents under more equitable payment rates. However, controversy regarding unanticipated perverse provider incentives remains. The quality management system designed under the NHCMQDemonstration is currently used in over 17,000 nursing homes. Furthermore, under the NHCMQ Demonstration, one standardized assessment tool-the MDS-was used to assess a resident's clinical condition, to monitor quality, and to calculate provider reimbursement. Experiences from the NHCMQ Demonstration and continued evaluation of the current national PPS, along with state systems, provide a rich information source regarding prospective, case-mix reimbursement, and provider incentives.

Water quality and bed sediment quality in the Albemarle Sound, North Carolina, 2012–14

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moorman, Michelle C.; Fitzgerald, Sharon A.; Gurley, Laura N.; Rhoni-Aref, Ahmed; Loftin, Keith A.

2017-01-23

The Albemarle Sound region was selected in 2012 as one of two demonstration sites in the Nation to test and improve the design of the National Water Quality Monitoring Council’s National Monitoring Network (NMN) for U.S. Coastal Waters and Tributaries. The goal of the NMN for U.S. Coastal Waters and Tributaries is to provide information about the health of our oceans, coastal ecosystems, and inland influences on coastal waters for improved resource management. The NMN is an integrated, multidisciplinary, and multi-organizational program using multiple sources of data and information to augment current monitoring programs.This report presents and summarizes selected water-quality and bed sediment-quality data collected as part of the demonstration project conducted in two phases. The first phase was an occurrence and distribution study to assess nutrients, metals, pesticides, cyanotoxins, and phytoplankton communities in the Albemarle Sound during the summer of 2012 at 34 sites in Albemarle Sound, nearby sounds, and various tributaries. The second phase consisted of monthly sampling over a year (March 2013 through February 2014) to assess seasonality in a more limited set of constituents including nutrients, cyanotoxins, and phytoplankton communities at a subset (eight) of the sites sampled in the first phase. During the summer of 2012, few constituent concentrations exceeded published water-quality thresholds; however, elevated levels of chlorophyll a and pH were observed in the northern embayments and in Currituck Sound. Chlorophyll a, and metals (copper, iron, and zinc) were detected above a water-quality threshold. The World Health Organization provisional guideline based on cyanobacterial density for high recreational risk was exceeded in approximately 50 percent of water samples collected during the summer of 2012. Cyanobacteria capable of producing toxins were present, but only low levels of cyanotoxins below human health benchmarks were detected. Finally, 12 metals in surficial bed sediments were detected at levels above a published sediment-quality threshold. These metals included chromium, mercury, copper, lead, arsenic, nickel, and cadmium. Sites with several metal concentrations above the respective thresholds had relatively high concentrations of organic carbon or fine sediment (silt plus clay), or both and were predominantly located in the western and northwestern parts of the Albemarle Sound.Results from the second phase were generally similar to those of the first in that relatively few constituents exceeded a water-quality threshold, both pH and chlorophyll a were detected above the respective water-quality thresholds, and many of these elevated concentrations occurred in the northern embayments and in Currituck Sound. In contrast to the results from phase one, the cyanotoxin, microcystin was detected at more than 10 times the water-quality threshold during a phytoplankton bloom on the Chowan River at Mount Gould, North Carolina in August of 2013. This was the only cyanotoxin concentration measured during the entire study that exceeded a respective water-quality threshold.The information presented in this report can be used to improve understanding of water-quality conditions in the Albemarle Sound, particularly when evaluating causal and response variables that are indicators of eutrophication. In particular, this information can be used by State agencies to help develop water-quality criteria for nutrients, and to understand factors like cyanotoxins that may affect fisheries and recreation in the Albemarle Sound region.

Clinical studies of innovative medical devices: what level of evidence for hospital-based health technology assessment?

PubMed

Boudard, Aurélie; Martelli, Nicolas; Prognon, Patrice; Pineau, Judith

2013-08-01

Like health technology assessment (HTA) agencies, hospitals are faced with requests for innovative and costly medical devices. However, local decision makers are frequently confronted with a lack of high-quality clinical data when assessing the effectiveness of innovative medical devices. The aim of this study was to quantify the level of evidence available for innovative medical devices in the context of hospital-based HTA. We searched the Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library databases for articles, letters and reports relating to 32 innovative medical devices requested at our hospital between January 2008 and March 2012. All clinical studies retrieved were screened and classified according to the Sackett 5-point level-of-evidence scale. We screened and classified 217 studies: 215 clinical trials and 2 cost-effectiveness studies. Only 47 of the 215 clinical studies (22%) provided high-level clinical evidence (levels 1-2); 33 (15%) were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). More than half of the 215 studies (52.1%) included fewer than 30 patients. Only 14 of the 47 high-quality studies reported the amount of missing data. For implantable medical devices, 84 (71.8%) studies specified the follow-up period and the mean follow-up period was 18.9 months. Finally, methodological quality did not increase with the risk level of the medical device. Our findings confirm that only a few studies of innovative medical devices provide high-level clinical evidence. Nevertheless, RCT may be the 'gold standard' for drugs, but it is not always appropriate for medical devices. Changes to the European regulation of medical devices, with the requirement for a demonstration of clinical efficacy and safety before release onto the European market, have raised expectations. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Lactoferrin-derived resistance against plant pathogens in transgenic plants.

PubMed

Lakshman, Dilip K; Natarajan, Savithiry; Mandal, Sudhamoy; Mitra, Amitava

2013-12-04

Lactoferrin (LF) is a ubiquitous cationic iron-binding milk glycoprotein that contributes to nutrition and exerts a broad-spectrum primary defense against bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses in mammals. These qualities make lactoferrin protein and its antimicrobial motifs highly desirable candidates to be incorporated in plants to impart broad-based resistance against plant pathogens or to economically produce them in bulk quantities for pharmaceutical and nutritional purposes. This study introduced bovine LF (BLF) gene into tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum var. Xanthi), Arabidopsis ( A. thaliana ) and wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) via Agrobacterium -mediated plant transformation. Transgenic plants or detached leaves exhibited high levels of resistance against the damping-off causing fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani and the head blight causing fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum . LF also imparted resistance to tomato plants against a bacterial pathogen, Ralstonia solanacearum . Similarly, other researchers demonstrated expression of LF and LF-mediated high-quality resistance to several other aggressive fungal and bacterial plant pathogens in transgenic plants and against viral pathogens by foliar applications of LF or its derivatives. Taken together, these studies demonstrated the effectiveness of LF for improving crop quality and its biopharming potentials for pharmaceautical and nutritional applications.

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

Li, Ke; Chen, Guang-Hong, E-mail: gchen7@wisc.edu; Garrett, John

Purpose: Statistical model based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) methods have been introduced to clinical CT systems and are being used in some clinical diagnostic applications. The purpose of this paper is to experimentally assess the unique spatial resolution characteristics of this nonlinear reconstruction method and identify its potential impact on the detectabilities and the associated radiation dose levels for specific imaging tasks. Methods: The thoracic section of a pediatric phantom was repeatedly scanned 50 or 100 times using a 64-slice clinical CT scanner at four different dose levels [CTDI{sub vol} =4, 8, 12, 16 (mGy)]. Both filtered backprojection (FBP) and MBIRmore » (Veo{sup ®}, GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI) were used for image reconstruction and results were compared with one another. Eight test objects in the phantom with contrast levels ranging from 13 to 1710 HU were used to assess spatial resolution. The axial spatial resolution was quantified with the point spread function (PSF), while the z resolution was quantified with the slice sensitivity profile. Both were measured locally on the test objects and in the image domain. The dependence of spatial resolution on contrast and dose levels was studied. The study also features a systematic investigation of the potential trade-off between spatial resolution and locally defined noise and their joint impact on the overall image quality, which was quantified by the image domain-based channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) detectability index d′. Results: (1) The axial spatial resolution of MBIR depends on both radiation dose level and image contrast level, whereas it is supposedly independent of these two factors in FBP. The axial spatial resolution of MBIR always improved with an increasing radiation dose level and/or contrast level. (2) The axial spatial resolution of MBIR became equivalent to that of FBP at some transitional contrast level, above which MBIR demonstrated superior spatial resolution than FBP (and vice versa); the value of this transitional contrast highly depended on the dose level. (3) The PSFs of MBIR could be approximated as Gaussian functions with reasonably good accuracy. (4) Thez resolution of MBIR showed similar contrast and dose dependence. (5) Noise standard deviation assessed on the edges of objects demonstrated a trade-off with spatial resolution in MBIR. (5) When both spatial resolution and image noise were considered using the CHO analysis, MBIR led to significant improvement in the overall CT image quality for both high and low contrast detection tasks at both standard and low dose levels. Conclusions: Due to the intrinsic nonlinearity of the MBIR method, many well-known CT spatial resolution and noise properties have been modified. In particular, dose dependence and contrast dependence have been introduced to the spatial resolution of CT images by MBIR. The method has also introduced some novel noise-resolution trade-off not seen in traditional CT images. While the benefits of MBIR regarding the overall image quality, as demonstrated in this work, are significant, the optimal use of this method in clinical practice demands a thorough understanding of its unique physical characteristics.« less

Statistical model based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) in clinical CT systems. Part II. Experimental assessment of spatial resolution performance.

PubMed

Li, Ke; Garrett, John; Ge, Yongshuai; Chen, Guang-Hong

2014-07-01

Statistical model based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) methods have been introduced to clinical CT systems and are being used in some clinical diagnostic applications. The purpose of this paper is to experimentally assess the unique spatial resolution characteristics of this nonlinear reconstruction method and identify its potential impact on the detectabilities and the associated radiation dose levels for specific imaging tasks. The thoracic section of a pediatric phantom was repeatedly scanned 50 or 100 times using a 64-slice clinical CT scanner at four different dose levels [CTDIvol =4, 8, 12, 16 (mGy)]. Both filtered backprojection (FBP) and MBIR (Veo(®), GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI) were used for image reconstruction and results were compared with one another. Eight test objects in the phantom with contrast levels ranging from 13 to 1710 HU were used to assess spatial resolution. The axial spatial resolution was quantified with the point spread function (PSF), while the z resolution was quantified with the slice sensitivity profile. Both were measured locally on the test objects and in the image domain. The dependence of spatial resolution on contrast and dose levels was studied. The study also features a systematic investigation of the potential trade-off between spatial resolution and locally defined noise and their joint impact on the overall image quality, which was quantified by the image domain-based channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) detectability index d'. (1) The axial spatial resolution of MBIR depends on both radiation dose level and image contrast level, whereas it is supposedly independent of these two factors in FBP. The axial spatial resolution of MBIR always improved with an increasing radiation dose level and/or contrast level. (2) The axial spatial resolution of MBIR became equivalent to that of FBP at some transitional contrast level, above which MBIR demonstrated superior spatial resolution than FBP (and vice versa); the value of this transitional contrast highly depended on the dose level. (3) The PSFs of MBIR could be approximated as Gaussian functions with reasonably good accuracy. (4) Thez resolution of MBIR showed similar contrast and dose dependence. (5) Noise standard deviation assessed on the edges of objects demonstrated a trade-off with spatial resolution in MBIR. (5) When both spatial resolution and image noise were considered using the CHO analysis, MBIR led to significant improvement in the overall CT image quality for both high and low contrast detection tasks at both standard and low dose levels. Due to the intrinsic nonlinearity of the MBIR method, many well-known CT spatial resolution and noise properties have been modified. In particular, dose dependence and contrast dependence have been introduced to the spatial resolution of CT images by MBIR. The method has also introduced some novel noise-resolution trade-off not seen in traditional CT images. While the benefits of MBIR regarding the overall image quality, as demonstrated in this work, are significant, the optimal use of this method in clinical practice demands a thorough understanding of its unique physical characteristics.

Large Gain in Air Quality Compared to an Alternative Anthropogenic Emissions Scenario

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daskalakis, Nikos; Tsigaridis, Kostas; Myriokefalitakis, Stelios; Fanourgakis, George S.; Kanakidou, Maria

2016-01-01

During the last 30 years, significant effort has been made to improve air quality through legislation for emissions reduction. Global three-dimensional chemistrytransport simulations of atmospheric composition over the past 3 decades have been performed to estimate what the air quality levels would have been under a scenario of stagnation of anthropogenic emissions per capita as in 1980, accounting for the population increase (BA1980) or using the standard practice of neglecting it (AE1980), and how they compare to the historical changes in air quality levels. The simulations are based on assimilated meteorology to account for the yearto- year observed climate variability and on different scenarios of anthropogenic emissions of pollutants. The ACCMIP historical emissions dataset is used as the starting point. Our sensitivity simulations provide clear indications that air quality legislation and technology developments have limited the rapid increase of air pollutants. The achieved reductions in concentrations of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, black carbon, and sulfate aerosols are found to be significant when comparing to both BA1980 and AE1980 simulations that neglect any measures applied for the protection of the environment. We also show the potentially large tropospheric air quality benefit from the development of cleaner technology used by the growing global population. These 30-year hindcast sensitivity simulations demonstrate that the actual benefit in air quality due to air pollution legislation and technological advances is higher than the gain calculated by a simple comparison against a constant anthropogenic emissions simulation, as is usually done. Our results also indicate that over China and India the beneficial technological advances for the air quality may have been masked by the explosive increase in local population and the disproportional increase in energy demand partially due to the globalization of the economy.

Treatment Satisfaction, Product Perception, and Quality of Life in Plaque Psoriasis Patients Using Betamethasone Dipropionate Spray 0.05%

PubMed Central

Fowler, Joseph F.; Del Rosso, James Q.; Pakunlu, Refika I.

2017-01-01

Objective: To assess patient-reported satisfaction, efficacy, and tolerability associated with the use of betamethasone dipropionate spray 0.05% when applied twice daily in subjects with moderate plaque psoriasis. Design: This was an open-label, multicenter study involving 45 patients with moderate plaque psoriasis, with the aim of evaluating patient-reported outcomes with betamethasone dipropionate spray 0.05%. Patients treated all affected areas twice daily with betamethasone dipropionate (BD) spray 0.05% for 28 days per label instructions. Measurements: Outcome measures included the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Investigators Global Assessment (IGA), and Total Sign Score (TSS). In addition, the lesions were photographed at baseline (Day 1) and on Day 8, Day 14, and Day 29. Results: The results indicated that BD spray 0.05% treatment is associated with improved quality of life. BD spray 0.05% also led to improved IGA and TSS values and a reduction in the percentage of body surface area affected. Conclusion: In subjects with moderate plaque psoriasis, BD spray 0.05% demonstrated good levels of patient satisfaction and quality of life measures, in combination with improvements in the global assessment of disease and the level of itching experienced by subjects. PMID:29399255

Longitudinal Trajectories of Quality of Life and Depression by Housing Tenure Status.

PubMed

Szabo, Agnes; Allen, Joanne; Alpass, Fiona; Stephens, Christine

2017-03-22

A large body of research has demonstrated the positive effects of home ownership on well-being and health outcomes. However, most previous studies have been cross-sectional. The present study aimed to understand the long-term impact of housing tenure on the psychological wellbeing of older people in New Zealand. Data were collected between 2010 and 2014. The 2010 sample (aged from 50-85 years) comprised 2,843 participants (55.4% female). Latent growth curve modeling was used to investigate trajectories of change for home owners and tenants in quality of life and depression symptoms. Analyses also examined the additional impact of demographic and socio-economic variables. Over time, quality of life increased, while depression symptoms decreased, for home owners. For tenants, lower levels of quality of life and higher levels of depression symptoms remained stable. Economic living standard, urban versus rural residence, length of residence, ethnicity, age, and household composition emerged as significant covariates. The psychological benefits of home ownership highlight the importance of secure and sustainable housing. Policies should be designed to ensure access to safe housing solutions for all older people. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Frequency analysis of urban runoff quality in an urbanizing catchment of Shenzhen, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Huapeng; Tan, Xiaolong; Fu, Guangtao; Zhang, Yingying; Huang, Yuefei

2013-07-01

This paper investigates the frequency distribution of urban runoff quality indicators using a long-term continuous simulation approach and evaluates the impacts of proposed runoff control schemes on runoff quality in an urbanizing catchment in Shenzhen, China. Four different indicators are considered to provide a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts: total runoff depth, event pollutant load, Event Mean Concentration, and peak concentration during a rainfall event. The results obtained indicate that urban runoff quantity and quality in the catchment have significant variations in rainfall events and a very high rate of non-compliance with surface water quality regulations. Three runoff control schemes with the capacity to intercept an initial runoff depth of 5 mm, 10 mm, and 15 mm are evaluated, respectively, and diminishing marginal benefits are found with increasing interception levels in terms of water quality improvement. The effects of seasonal variation in rainfall events are investigated to provide a better understanding of the performance of the runoff control schemes. The pre-flood season has higher risk of poor water quality than other seasons after runoff control. This study demonstrates that frequency analysis of urban runoff quantity and quality provides a probabilistic evaluation of pollution control measures, and thus helps frame a risk-based decision making for urban runoff quality management in an urbanizing catchment.

Evaluation of image quality of digital photo documentation of female genital injuries following sexual assault.

PubMed

Ernst, E J; Speck, Patricia M; Fitzpatrick, Joyce J

2011-12-01

With the patient's consent, physical injuries sustained in a sexual assault are evaluated and treated by the sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) and documented on preprinted traumagrams and with photographs. Digital imaging is now available to the SANE for documentation of sexual assault injuries, but studies of the image quality of forensic digital imaging of female genital injuries after sexual assault were not found in the literature. The Photo Documentation Image Quality Scoring System (PDIQSS) was developed to rate the image quality of digital photo documentation of female genital injuries after sexual assault. Three expert observers performed evaluations on 30 separate images at two points in time. An image quality score, the sum of eight integral technical and anatomical attributes on the PDIQSS, was obtained for each image. Individual image quality ratings, defined by rating image quality for each of the data, were also determined. The results demonstrated a high level of image quality and agreement when measured in all dimensions. For the SANE in clinical practice, the results of this study indicate that a high degree of agreement exists between expert observers when using the PDIQSS to rate image quality of individual digital photographs of female genital injuries after sexual assault. © 2011 International Association of Forensic Nurses.

Everything Rises and Falls on Leadership: An Assessment of Undergraduate Leadership Development Programs at the University of Arkansas--Fayetteville

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, Louis Anthony

2013-01-01

Today's students are the leaders of tomorrow, and their ability to lead in the 21st century will be critical to the sustainability of life, and the nation's ability to prosper will depend on the quality of leadership demonstrated at all levels of society. Student leadership development in institutions of higher education has never been more vital…

Assessment of sediment toxicity and chemical concentrations in the San Diego Bay region, California, USA

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

Fairey, R.; Roberts, C.; Jacobi, M.

1998-08-01

Sediment quality within San Diego Bay, Mission Bay, and the Tijuana River Estuary of California was investigated as part of an ongoing statewide monitoring effort (Bay Protection and Toxic Cleanup Program). Study objectives were to determine the incidence, spatial patterns, and spatial extent of toxicity in sediments and porewater; the concentration and distribution of potentially toxic anthropogenic chemicals; and the relationships between toxicity and chemical concentrations. Rhepoxynius abronius survival bioassays, grain size, and total organic carbon analyses were performed on 350 sediment samples. Strongylocentrotus purpuratus development bioassays were performed on 164 pore-water samples. Toxicity was demonstrated throughout the San Diegomore » Bay region, with increased incidence and concordance occurring in areas of industrial and shipping activity. Trace metal and trace synthetic organic analyses were performed on 229 samples. Copper, zinc, mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and chlordane were found to exceed ERM (effects range median) or PEL (probable effects level) sediment quality guidelines and were considered the six major chemicals or chemical groups of concern. Statistical analysis of the relationships between amphipod toxicity, bulk phase sediment chemistry, and physical parameters demonstrated few significant linear relationships. Significant differences in chemical levels were found between toxic and nontoxic responses using multivariate and univariate statistics. Potential sources of anthropogenic chemicals were discussed.« less

Consumer-Resource Dynamics: Quantity, Quality, and Allocation

PubMed Central

Getz, Wayne M.; Owen-Smith, Norman

2011-01-01

Background The dominant paradigm for modeling the complexities of interacting populations and food webs is a system of coupled ordinary differential equations in which the state of each species, population, or functional trophic group is represented by an aggregated numbers-density or biomass-density variable. Here, using the metaphysiological approach to model consumer-resource interactions, we formulate a two-state paradigm that represents each population or group in a food web in terms of both its quantity and quality. Methodology and Principal Findings The formulation includes an allocation function controlling the relative proportion of extracted resources to increasing quantity versus elevating quality. Since lower quality individuals senesce more rapidly than higher quality individuals, an optimal allocation proportion exists and we derive an expression for how this proportion depends on population parameters that determine the senescence rate, the per-capita mortality rate, and the effects of these rates on the dynamics of the quality variable. We demonstrate that oscillations do not arise in our model from quantity-quality interactions alone, but require consumer-resource interactions across trophic levels that can be stabilized through judicious resource allocation strategies. Analysis and simulations provide compelling arguments for the necessity of populations to evolve quality-related dynamics in the form of maternal effects, storage or other appropriate structures. They also indicate that resource allocation switching between investments in abundance versus quality provide a powerful mechanism for promoting the stability of consumer-resource interactions in seasonally forcing environments. Conclusions/Significance Our simulations show that physiological inefficiencies associated with this switching can be favored by selection due to the diminished exposure of inefficient consumers to strong oscillations associated with the well-known paradox of enrichment. Also our results demonstrate how allocation switching can explain observed growth patterns in experimental microbial cultures and discuss how our formulation can address questions that cannot be answered using the quantity-only paradigms that currently predominate. PMID:21283752

rnaQUAST: a quality assessment tool for de novo transcriptome assemblies.

PubMed

Bushmanova, Elena; Antipov, Dmitry; Lapidus, Alla; Suvorov, Vladimir; Prjibelski, Andrey D

2016-07-15

Ability to generate large RNA-Seq datasets created a demand for both de novo and reference-based transcriptome assemblers. However, while many transcriptome assemblers are now available, there is still no unified quality assessment tool for RNA-Seq assemblies. We present rnaQUAST-a tool for evaluating RNA-Seq assembly quality and benchmarking transcriptome assemblers using reference genome and gene database. rnaQUAST calculates various metrics that demonstrate completeness and correctness levels of the assembled transcripts, and outputs them in a user-friendly report. rnaQUAST is implemented in Python and is freely available at http://bioinf.spbau.ru/en/rnaquast ap@bioinf.spbau.ru Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Topological image texture analysis for quality assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asaad, Aras T.; Rashid, Rasber Dh.; Jassim, Sabah A.

2017-05-01

Image quality is a major factor influencing pattern recognition accuracy and help detect image tampering for forensics. We are concerned with investigating topological image texture analysis techniques to assess different type of degradation. We use Local Binary Pattern (LBP) as a texture feature descriptor. For any image construct simplicial complexes for selected groups of uniform LBP bins and calculate persistent homology invariants (e.g. number of connected components). We investigated image quality discriminating characteristics of these simplicial complexes by computing these models for a large dataset of face images that are affected by the presence of shadows as a result of variation in illumination conditions. Our tests demonstrate that for specific uniform LBP patterns, the number of connected component not only distinguish between different levels of shadow effects but also help detect the infected regions as well.

Scanning electron microscope image signal-to-noise ratio monitoring for micro-nanomanipulation.

PubMed

Marturi, Naresh; Dembélé, Sounkalo; Piat, Nadine

2014-01-01

As an imaging system, scanning electron microscope (SEM) performs an important role in autonomous micro-nanomanipulation applications. When it comes to the sub micrometer range and at high scanning speeds, the images produced by the SEM are noisy and need to be evaluated or corrected beforehand. In this article, the quality of images produced by a tungsten gun SEM has been evaluated by quantifying the level of image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In order to determine the SNR, an efficient and online monitoring method is developed based on the nonlinear filtering using a single image. Using this method, the quality of images produced by a tungsten gun SEM is monitored at different experimental conditions. The derived results demonstrate the developed method's efficiency in SNR quantification and illustrate the imaging quality evolution in SEM. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An assessment of air quality impacts of fires associated with fire fighting operations.

PubMed

Leahey, D M; Hansen, M C; Schroeder, M B

1993-03-01

Fire fighters in Canada's navy must undergo regular training with fires from simulated helicopter crashes. Visible emissions from these fires often create health concerns in surrounding communities. This paper presents air quality implications of plume dispersion associated with "helicopter fires." Evaluations involved measuring plume rise, estimating emissions, dispersion modeling and ambient monitoring. Results of the evaluation provided ground-level concentration estimates of plume particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen, hydrogen fluoride, carbon monoxide, 22 metals, 15 PAH and 13 VOC. The study showed that the air quality impact of the fire fighting training is much lower than the relevant time-weighted averages established to protect workers' health. This paper will be of interest to people in environmental protection agencies because it demonstrates the effects of fire fighting operations that must frequently occur as part of training exercises.

Variational optical flow estimation for images with spectral and photometric sensor diversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bengtsson, Tomas; McKelvey, Tomas; Lindström, Konstantin

2015-03-01

Motion estimation of objects in image sequences is an essential computer vision task. To this end, optical flow methods compute pixel-level motion, with the purpose of providing low-level input to higher-level algorithms and applications. Robust flow estimation is crucial for the success of applications, which in turn depends on the quality of the captured image data. This work explores the use of sensor diversity in the image data within a framework for variational optical flow. In particular, a custom image sensor setup intended for vehicle applications is tested. Experimental results demonstrate the improved flow estimation performance when IR sensitivity or flash illumination is added to the system.

3D printing cybersecurity: detecting and preventing attacks that seek to weaken a printed object by changing fill level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Straub, Jeremy

2017-06-01

Prior work by Zeltmann, et al. has demonstrated the impact of small defects and other irregularities on the structural integrity of 3D printed objects. It posited that such defects could be introduced intentionally. The current work looks at the impact of changing the fill level on object structural integrity. It considers whether the existence of an appropriate level of fill can be determined through visible light imagery-based assessment of a 3D printed object. A technique for assessing the quality and sufficiency of quantity of 3D printed fill material is presented. It is assessed experimentally and results are presented and analyzed.

269 Refractory Chronic Urticaria Treated with Omalizumab

PubMed Central

Saenz, Martinez; Del Pozo, Ramírez; JJ, Lopez Tiro; Vera, Javier Gomez

2012-01-01

Background Chronic urticaria (CU) is a common disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of urticaria pruritic erythematous lesions, associated with angioedema1. It affects 0.1% of the population, it is estimated that approximately 15 to 25% of the population will have hives at some point in their lives.2 About 80% of UC patients are diagnosed as idiopathic chronic urticaria and that no cause is identified, 3 experiencing deterioration in their quality of life affecting your work, social relationships, schemes requiring multiple medications and doses higher than usual. This study proposes Omalizumab (anti-IgE humanized antibody) as a treatment for Refractory Chronic Urticaria (RCU) Object Demonstrate Omalizumab's effectiveness in the treatment of Refractory Chronic Urticaria. Methods A clinical study, was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the Omalizumab's treatment on RCU diagnosed patient, including male and female patients ages 12 to 50 diagnosed with RCU, with Scorad higher tan 30 points. We made a questionnaire to know about the patient's family background, skin symptoms beginning, administration of drugs such sistemic steroids, inmunosupresors, calceurine inhibitors, presence of inmunotherapy and age of start. Omalizumab was administered on doses according patient's weight and IgE levels, bimonthly or monthly according to treatment guides. Severeness level was calculated with scorad every 1 month, with IgE seric level measurement and life quality questionnaire. Results 5 patients diagnosed with RCU were included in the group of Omalizumab and 5 patients in the control group (placebo). All patients were female. A gradual decrease on the life quality score and in Score, with a significant P under 0.05 was observed on all patients treated with omalizumab compared with patient in the group with placebo. Conclusions Treatment with Omalizumab progressively decreases the severeness level on RCU, with a significant improvement on the patient's life quality.

Impact of childhood trauma on functionality and quality of life in HIV-infected women.

PubMed

Troeman, Zyrhea C E; Spies, Georgina; Cherner, Mariana; Archibald, Sarah L; Fennema-Notestine, Christine; Theilmann, Rebecca J; Spottiswoode, Bruce; Stein, Dan J; Seedat, Soraya

2011-09-30

While there are many published studies on HIV and functional limitations, there are few in the context of early abuse and its impact on functionality and Quality of Life (QoL) in HIV. The present study focused on HIV in the context of childhood trauma and its impact on functionality and Quality of Life (QoL) by evaluating 85 HIV-positive (48 with childhood trauma and 37 without) and 52 HIV-negative (21 with childhood trauma and 31 without) South African women infected with Clade C HIV. QoL was assessed using the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q), the Patient's Assessment of Own Functioning Inventory (PAOFI), the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale and the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). Furthermore, participants were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Subjects had a mean age of 30.1 years. After controlling for age, level of education and CES-D scores, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) demonstrated significant individual effects of HIV status and childhood trauma on self-reported QoL. No significant interactional effects were evident. Functional limitation was, however, negatively correlated with CD4 lymphocyte count. In assessing QoL in HIV-infected women, we were able to demonstrate the impact of childhood trauma on functional limitations in HIV.

Limits in virus filtration capability? Impact of virus quality and spike level on virus removal with xenotropic murine leukemia virus.

PubMed

Roush, David J; Myrold, Adam; Burnham, Michael S; And, Joseph V; Hughes, Joseph V

2015-01-01

Virus filtration (VF) is a key step in an overall viral clearance process since it has been demonstrated to effectively clear a wide range of mammalian viruses with a log reduction value (LRV) > 4. The potential to achieve higher LRV from virus retentive filters has historically been examined using bacteriophage surrogates, which commonly demonstrated a potential of > 9 LRV when using high titer spikes (e.g. 10(10) PFU/mL). However, as the filter loading increases, one typically experiences significant decreases in performance and LRV. The 9 LRV value is markedly higher than the current expected range of 4-5 LRV when utilizing mammalian retroviruses on virus removal filters (Miesegaes et al., Dev Biol (Basel) 2010;133:3-101). Recent values have been reported in the literature (Stuckey et al., Biotech Progr 2014;30:79-85) of LRV in excess of 6 for PPV and XMuLV although this result appears to be atypical. LRV for VF with therapeutic proteins could be limited by several factors including process limits (flux decay, load matrix), virus spike level and the analytical methods used for virus detection (i.e. the Limits of Quantitation), as well as the virus spike quality. Research was conducted using the Xenotropic-Murine Leukemia Virus (XMuLV) for its direct relevance to the most commonly cited document, the International Conference of Harmonization (ICH) Q5A (International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, Geneva, Switzerland, 1999) for viral safety evaluations. A unique aspect of this work is the independent evaluation of the impact of retrovirus quality and virus spike level on VF performance and LRV. The VF studies used XMuLV preparations purified by either ultracentrifugation (Ultra 1) or by chromatographic processes that yielded a more highly purified virus stock (Ultra 2). Two monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) with markedly different filtration characteristics and with similar levels of aggregate (<1.5%) were evaluated with the Ultra 1 and Ultra 2 virus preparations utilizing the Planova 20 N, a small virus removal filter. Impurities in the virus preparation ultimately limited filter loading as measured by determining the volumetric loading condition where 75% flux decay is observed versus initial conditions (V75). This observation occurred with both Mabs with the difference in virus purity more pronounced when very high spike levels were used (>5 vol/vol %). Significant differences were seen for the process performance over a number of lots of the less-pure Ultra 1 virus preparations. Experiments utilizing a developmental lot of the chromatographic purified XMuLV (Ultra 2 Development lot) that had elevated levels of host cell residuals (vs. the final Ultra 2 preparations) suggest that these contaminant residuals can impact virus filter fouling, even if the virus prep is essentially monodisperse. Process studies utilizing an Ultra 2 virus with substantially less host cell residuals and highly monodispersed virus particles demonstrated superior performance and an LRV in excess of 7.7 log10 . A model was constructed demonstrating the linear dependence of filtration flux versus filter loading which can be used to predict the V75 for a range of virus spike levels conditions using this highly purified virus. Fine tuning the virus spike level with this model can ultimately maximize the LRV for the virus filter step, essentially adding the LRV equivalent of another process step (i.e. protein A or CEX chromatography). © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Taking the right action in the right way: a comparison of frameworks for assessing the health and quality of life of a postsecondary student campus community.

PubMed

Racher, Frances E; Hyndman, Kathyrn; Anonson, June; Arries, Ebin; Foster, Cathy

2014-01-01

The focus of campus health research, historically, has been on population health at the individual or aggregate level with little effort to examine the health of the students at a community level with a focus on the broader determinants of health and community-level intervention. The purpose of this article is to critique three models or frameworks of campus health, articulate the World Health Organization (WHO) vision of a health-promoting university, and demonstrate the efficacy of adapting the Community Health Action model for use in university and college settings. Foundational within this proposed model is taking the right action using the right process, an inclusive participatory process. Adaptation of the model requires careful attention to student engagement in community, a healthy campus infrastructure and processes, and relationships beyond the campus. Effective student community assessment and improvement of student community health, ultimately, will serve to generate knowledge and build skills at various levels to benefit the health and quality of life of the students, their student community, the educational institution, and the broader community.

Ambiguity of Quality in Remote Sensing Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynnes, Christopher; Leptoukh, Greg

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews some of the issues in quality of remote sensing data. Data "quality" is used in several different contexts in remote sensing data, with quite different meanings. At the pixel level, quality typically refers to a quality control process exercised by the processing algorithm, not an explicit declaration of accuracy or precision. File level quality is usually a statistical summary of the pixel-level quality but is of doubtful use for scenes covering large areal extents. Quality at the dataset or product level, on the other hand, usually refers to how accurately the dataset is believed to represent the physical quantities it purports to measure. This assessment often bears but an indirect relationship at best to pixel level quality. In addition to ambiguity at different levels of granularity, ambiguity is endemic within levels. Pixel-level quality terms vary widely, as do recommendations for use of these flags. At the dataset/product level, quality for low-resolution gridded products is often extrapolated from validation campaigns using high spatial resolution swath data, a suspect practice at best. Making use of quality at all levels is complicated by the dependence on application needs. We will present examples of the various meanings of quality in remote sensing data and possible ways forward toward a more unified and usable quality framework.

A Pilot Project Demonstrating that Combat Medics Can Safely Administer Parenteral Medications in the Emergency Department.

PubMed

Schauer, Steven G; Cunningham, Cord W; Fisher, Andrew D; DeLorenzo, Robert A

2017-12-01

Introduction Select units in the military have improved combat medic training by integrating their functions into routine clinical care activities with measurable improvements in battlefield care. This level of integration is currently limited to special operations units. It is unknown if regular Army units and combat medics can emulate these successes. The goal of this project was to determine whether US Army combat medics can be integrated into routine emergency department (ED) clinical care, specifically medication administration. Project Design This was a quality assurance project that monitored training of combat medics to administer parenteral medications and to ensure patient safety. Combat medics were provided training that included direct supervision during medication administration. Once proficiency was demonstrated, combat medics would prepare the medications under direct supervision, followed by indirect supervision during administration. As part of the quality assurance and safety processes, combat medics were required to document all medication administrations, supervising provider, and unexpected adverse events. Additional quality assurance follow-up occurred via complete chart review by the project lead. Data During the project period, the combat medics administered the following medications: ketamine (n=13), morphine (n=8), ketorolac (n=7), fentanyl (n=5), ondansetron (n=4), and other (n=6). No adverse events or patient safety events were reported by the combat medics or discovered during the quality assurance process. In this limited case series, combat medics safely administered parenteral medications under indirect provider supervision. Future research is needed to further develop this training model for both the military and civilian setting. Schauer SG , Cunningham C W, Fisher AD , DeLorenzo RA . A pilot project demonstrating that combat medics can safely administer parenteral medications in the emergency department. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(6):679-681.

Developmental validation of a Nextera XT mitogenome Illumina MiSeq sequencing method for high-quality samples.

PubMed

Peck, Michelle A; Sturk-Andreaggi, Kimberly; Thomas, Jacqueline T; Oliver, Robert S; Barritt-Ross, Suzanne; Marshall, Charla

2018-05-01

Generating mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) data from reference samples in a rapid and efficient manner is critical to harnessing the greater power of discrimination of the entire mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) marker. The method of long-range target enrichment, Nextera XT library preparation, and Illumina sequencing on the MiSeq is a well-established technique for generating mitogenome data from high-quality samples. To this end, a validation was conducted for this mitogenome method processing up to 24 samples simultaneously along with analysis in the CLC Genomics Workbench and utilizing the AQME (AFDIL-QIAGEN mtDNA Expert) tool to generate forensic profiles. This validation followed the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) for forensic DNA testing laboratories and the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) validation guidelines. The evaluation of control DNA, non-probative samples, blank controls, mixtures, and nonhuman samples demonstrated the validity of this method. Specifically, the sensitivity was established at ≥25 pg of nuclear DNA input for accurate mitogenome profile generation. Unreproducible low-level variants were observed in samples with low amplicon yields. Further, variant quality was shown to be a useful metric for identifying sequencing error and crosstalk. Success of this method was demonstrated with a variety of reference sample substrates and extract types. These studies further demonstrate the advantages of using NGS techniques by highlighting the quantitative nature of heteroplasmy detection. The results presented herein from more than 175 samples processed in ten sequencing runs, show this mitogenome sequencing method and analysis strategy to be valid for the generation of reference data. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Software archeology: a case study in software quality assurance and design

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

Macdonald, John M; Lloyd, Jane A; Turner, Cameron J

2009-01-01

Ideally, quality is designed into software, just as quality is designed into hardware. However, when dealing with legacy systems, demonstrating that the software meets required quality standards may be difficult to achieve. As the need to demonstrate the quality of existing software was recognized at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), an effort was initiated to uncover and demonstrate that legacy software met the required quality standards. This effort led to the development of a reverse engineering approach referred to as software archaeology. This paper documents the software archaeology approaches used at LANL to document legacy software systems. A case studymore » for the Robotic Integrated Packaging System (RIPS) software is included.« less

CSI Index Of Customer's Satisfaction Applied In The Area Of Public Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poliaková, Adela

2015-06-01

In Western countries, the new visions are applied in quality control for an integrated public transport system. Public transport puts the customer at the centre of our decision making in achieving customer satisfaction with provided service. Sustainable surveys are kept among customers. A lot of companies are collecting huge databases containing over 30,000 voices of customers, which demonstrates the current satisfaction levels across the public transport service. Customer satisfaction with a provided service is a difficult task. In this service, the quality criteria are not clearly defined, and it is therefore difficult to define customer satisfaction. The paper introduces a possibility of CSI index application in conditions of the Slovak Republic transport area.

MTF measurement of LCDs by a linear CCD imager: I. Monochrome case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Tae-hee; Choe, O. S.; Lee, Yun Woo; Cho, Hyun-Mo; Lee, In Won

1997-11-01

We construct the modulation transfer function (MTF) measurement system of a LCD using a linear charge-coupled device (CCD) imager. The MTF used in optical system can not describe in the effect of both resolution and contrast on the image quality of display. Thus we present the new measurement method based on the transmission property of a LCD. While controlling contrast and brightness levels, the MTF is measured. From the result, we show that the method is useful for describing of the image quality. A ne measurement method and its condition are described. To demonstrate validity, the method is applied for comparison of the performance of two different LCDs.

Cooperative fuzzy games approach to setting target levels of ECs in quality function deployment.

PubMed

Yang, Zhihui; Chen, Yizeng; Yin, Yunqiang

2014-01-01

Quality function deployment (QFD) can provide a means of translating customer requirements (CRs) into engineering characteristics (ECs) for each stage of product development and production. The main objective of QFD-based product planning is to determine the target levels of ECs for a new product or service. QFD is a breakthrough tool which can effectively reduce the gap between CRs and a new product/service. Even though there are conflicts among some ECs, the objective of developing new product is to maximize the overall customer satisfaction. Therefore, there may be room for cooperation among ECs. A cooperative game framework combined with fuzzy set theory is developed to determine the target levels of the ECs in QFD. The key to develop the model is the formulation of the bargaining function. In the proposed methodology, the players are viewed as the membership functions of ECs to formulate the bargaining function. The solution for the proposed model is Pareto-optimal. An illustrated example is cited to demonstrate the application and performance of the proposed approach.

Simulation and flight test evaluation of head-up-display guidance for harrier approach transitions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorr, D. W.; Moralez, E., III; Merrick, V. K.

1994-01-01

Position and speed guidance displays for STOVL aircraft curved, decelerating approaches to hover and vertical landing have been evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing pilot workload and improving performance. The NASA V/STOL Systems Research Aircraft, a modified YAV-8B Harrier prototype, was used to evaluate the displays in flight, whereas the NASA Ames Vertical Motion Simulator was used to extend the flight test results to instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and to examine performance in various conditions of wind and turbulence. The simulation data showed close correlation with the flight test data, and both demonstrated the feasibility of the displays. With the exception of the hover task in zero visibility, which was level-3, averaged Copper-Harper handling qualities ratings given during simulation were level-2 for both the approach task and the hover task in all conditions. During flight tests in calm and clear conditions, the displays also gave rise to level-2 handling qualities ratings. Pilot opinion showed that the guidance displays would be useful in visual flight, especially at night, as well as in IMC.

First simultaneous space measurements of atmospheric pollutants in the boundary layer from IASI: a case study in the North China Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boynard, Anne; Clerbaux, Cathy; Clarisse, Lieven; Safieddine, Sarah; Pommier, Matthieu; Van Damme, Martin; Bauduin, Sophie; Oudot, Charlotte; Hadji-Lazaro, Juliette; Hurtmans, Daniel; Coheur, Pierre-François

2014-05-01

An extremely severe and persistent smog episode occurred in January 2013 over China. The levels of air pollution have been dangerously high, reaching 40 times recommended safety levels and have affected health of millions of people. China faced one of the worst periods of air quality in recent history and drew worldwide attention. This pollution episode was caused by the combination of anthropogenic emissions and stable meteorological conditions (absence of wind and temperature inversion) that trapped pollutants in the boundary layer. To characterize this episode, we used the IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) instrument onboard the MetOp-A platform. IASI observations show high concentrations of key trace gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ammonia (NH3) along with ammonium sulfate aerosol. We show that IASI is able to detect boundary layer pollution in case of large negative thermal contrast combined with high levels of pollution. Our findings demonstrate the ability of thermal infrared instrument such as IASI to monitor boundary layer pollutants, which can support air quality evaluation and management.

A quantitative study of factors influencing quality of life in rural Mexican women diagnosed with HIV.

PubMed

Holtz, Carol; Sowell, Richard; VanBrackle, Lewis; Velasquez, Gabriela; Hernandez-Alonso, Virginia

2014-01-01

This quantitative study explored the level of Quality of Life (QoL) in indigenous Mexican women and identified psychosocial factors that significantly influenced their QoL, using face-to-face interviews with 101 women accessing care in an HIV clinic in Oaxaca, Mexico. Variables included demographic characteristics, levels of depression, coping style, family functioning, HIV-related beliefs, and QoL. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze participant characteristics, and women's scores on data collection instruments. Pearson's R correlational statistics were used to determine the level of significance between study variables. Multiple regression analysis examined all variables that were significantly related to QoL. Pearson's correlational analysis of relationships between Spirituality, Educating Self about HIV, Family Functioning, Emotional Support, Physical Care, and Staying Positive demonstrated positive correlation to QoL. Stigma, depression, and avoidance coping were significantly and negatively associated with QoL. The final regression model indicated that depression and avoidance coping were the best predictor variables for QoL. Copyright © 2014 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cooperative Fuzzy Games Approach to Setting Target Levels of ECs in Quality Function Deployment

PubMed Central

Yang, Zhihui; Chen, Yizeng; Yin, Yunqiang

2014-01-01

Quality function deployment (QFD) can provide a means of translating customer requirements (CRs) into engineering characteristics (ECs) for each stage of product development and production. The main objective of QFD-based product planning is to determine the target levels of ECs for a new product or service. QFD is a breakthrough tool which can effectively reduce the gap between CRs and a new product/service. Even though there are conflicts among some ECs, the objective of developing new product is to maximize the overall customer satisfaction. Therefore, there may be room for cooperation among ECs. A cooperative game framework combined with fuzzy set theory is developed to determine the target levels of the ECs in QFD. The key to develop the model is the formulation of the bargaining function. In the proposed methodology, the players are viewed as the membership functions of ECs to formulate the bargaining function. The solution for the proposed model is Pareto-optimal. An illustrated example is cited to demonstrate the application and performance of the proposed approach. PMID:25097884

Effects of Dietary Fiber Extracted from Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) on the Physico-Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Reduced-Fat Frankfurters.

PubMed

Kim, Cheon-Jei; Kim, Hyun-Wook; Hwang, Ko-Eun; Song, Dong-Heon; Ham, Youn-Kyung; Choi, Ji-Hun; Kim, Young-Boong; Choi, Yun-Sang

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated the effects of reducing fat levels from 30% to 25, 20, and 15% by substituting pork fat with water and pumpkin fiber (2%) on the quality of frankfurters compared with control. Decreasing the fat concentration from 30% to 15% significantly increased moisture content, redness of meat batter and frankfurter, cooking loss, and water exudation, and decreased fat content, energy value, pH, and lightness of meat batter and frankfurter, hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and apparent viscosity. The addition of 2% pumpkin fiber was significantly increased moisture content, yellowness of meat batter and frankfurter, hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and apparent viscosity, whereas reduced cooking loss and emulsion stability. The treatment of reduced-fat frankfurters formulated with 20 and 25% fat levels and with pumpkin fiber had sensory properties similar to the high-fat control frankfurters. The results demonstrate that when the reduced-fat frankfurter with 2% added pumpkin fiber and water replaces fat levels can be readily made with high quality and acceptable sensory properties.

Effects of Dietary Fiber Extracted from Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) on the Physico-Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Reduced-Fat Frankfurters

PubMed Central

Kim, Cheon-Jei; Kim, Hyun-Wook; Hwang, Ko-Eun; Song, Dong-Heon; Ham, Youn-Kyung; Choi, Ji-Hun

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated the effects of reducing fat levels from 30% to 25, 20, and 15% by substituting pork fat with water and pumpkin fiber (2%) on the quality of frankfurters compared with control. Decreasing the fat concentration from 30% to 15% significantly increased moisture content, redness of meat batter and frankfurter, cooking loss, and water exudation, and decreased fat content, energy value, pH, and lightness of meat batter and frankfurter, hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and apparent viscosity. The addition of 2% pumpkin fiber was significantly increased moisture content, yellowness of meat batter and frankfurter, hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and apparent viscosity, whereas reduced cooking loss and emulsion stability. The treatment of reduced-fat frankfurters formulated with 20 and 25% fat levels and with pumpkin fiber had sensory properties similar to the high-fat control frankfurters. The results demonstrate that when the reduced-fat frankfurter with 2% added pumpkin fiber and water replaces fat levels can be readily made with high quality and acceptable sensory properties. PMID:27433101

What to Build for Middle-Agers to Come? Attractive and Necessary Functions of Exercise-Promotion Mobile Phone Apps: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Liao, Gen-Yih; Chien, Yu-Tai; Chen, Yu-Jen; Hsiung, Hsiao-Fang; Chen, Hsiao-Jung; Hsieh, Meng-Hua; Wu, Wen-Jie

2017-05-25

Physical activity is important for middle-agers to maintain health both in middle age and in old age. Although thousands of exercise-promotion mobile phone apps are available for download, current literature offers little understanding regarding which design features can enhance middle-aged adults' quality perception toward exercise-promotion apps and which factor may influence such perception. The aims of this study were to understand (1) which design features of exercise-promotion apps can enhance quality perception of middle-agers, (2) whether their needs are matched by current functions offered in app stores, and (3) whether physical activity (PA) and mobile phone self-efficacy (MPSE) influence quality perception. A total of 105 middle-agers participated and filled out three scales: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the MPSE scale, and the need for design features questionnaire. The design features were developed based on the Coventry, Aberdeen, and London-Refined (CALO-RE) taxonomy. Following the Kano quality model, the need for design features questionnaire asked participants to classify design features into five categories: attractive, one-dimensional, must-be, indifferent, and reverse. The quality categorization was conducted based on a voting approach and the categorization results were compared with the findings of a prevalence study to realize whether needs match current availability. In total, 52 multinomial logistic regression models were analyzed to evaluate the effects of PA level and MPSE on quality perception of design features. The Kano analysis on the total sample revealed that visual demonstration of exercise instructions is the only attractive design feature, whereas the other 51 design features were perceived with indifference. Although examining quality perception by PA level, 21 features are recommended to low level, 6 features to medium level, but none to high-level PA. In contrast, high-level MPSE is recommended with 14 design features, medium level with 6 features, whereas low-level participants are recommended with 1 feature. The analysis suggests that the implementation of demanded features could be low, as the average prevalence of demanded design features is 20% (4.3/21). Surprisingly, social comparison and social support, most implemented features in current apps, were categorized into the indifferent category. The magnitude of effect is larger for MPSE because it effects quality perception of more design features than PA. Delving into the 52 regression models revealed that high MPSE more likely induces attractive or one- dimensional categorization, suggesting the importance of technological self-efficacy on eHealth care promotion. This study is the first to propose middle-agers' needs in relation to mobile phone exercise-promotion. In addition to the tailor-made recommendations, suggestions are offered to app designers to enhance the performance of persuasive features. An interesting finding on change of quality perception attributed to MPSE is proposed as future research. ©Gen-Yih Liao, Yu-Tai Chien, Yu-Jen Chen, Hsiao-Fang Hsiung, Hsiao-Jung Chen, Meng-Hua Hsieh, Wen-Jie Wu. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 25.05.2017.

Importance-performance analysis as a guide for hospitals in improving their provision of services.

PubMed

Whynes, D K; Reed, G

1995-11-01

As a result of the 1990 National Health Services Act, hospitals now compete with one another to win service contracts. A high level of service quality represents an important ingredient of a successful competitive strategy, yet, in general, hospitals have little external information on which to base quality decisions. Specifically, in their efforts to win contracts from fundholding general practitioners, hospitals require information on that which these purchasers deem important with respect to quality, and on how these purchasers assess the quality of their current service performance. The problem is complicated by the fact that hospital service quality, in itself, is multi-dimensional. In other areas of economic activity, the information problem has been resolved by importance-performance analysis and this paper reports the findings of such an analysis conducted for hosptials in the Trent region. The importance and performance service quality ratings of fundholders were obtained from a questionnaire survey and used in a particular variant of importance-performance analysis, which possesses certain advantages over more conventional approaches. In addition to providing empirical data on the determinants of service quality, as perceived by the purchasers of hospital services, this paper demonstrates how such information can be successfully employed in a quality enhancement strategy.

Quality of life in adolescents and adults with CHARGE syndrome.

PubMed

Hartshorne, Nancy; Hudson, Alexandra; MacCuspie, Jillian; Kennert, Benjamin; Nacarato, Tasha; Hartshorne, Timothy; Blake, Kim

2016-08-01

Health-related Quality of Life and the Impact of Childhood Neurologic Disability Scale were collected for 53 patients with CHARGE syndrome aged 13-39 years with a mean academic level of 4th grade. The most prevalent new and ongoing issues included bone health issues, sleep apnea, retinal detachment, anxiety, and aggression. Sleep issues were significantly correlated with anxiety, self-abuse, conduct problems, and autistic-like behaviors. Problems with overall health, behavior, and balance most affected the number of social activities in the individual's life. Sensory impairment most affected relationships with friends. Two contrasting case studies are presented and demonstrate that the quality of life exists on a broad spectrum in CHARGE syndrome, just as its physical features range from mild to very severe. A multitude of factors, including those beyond the physical manifestations, such as anxiety and sleep problems, influence quality of life and are important areas for intervention. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Energy-saving quality road lighting with colloidal quantum dot nanophosphors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdem, Talha; Kelestemur, Yusuf; Soran-Erdem, Zeliha; Ji, Yun; Demir, Hilmi Volkan

2014-12-01

Here the first photometric study of road-lighting white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) integrated with semiconductor colloidal quantum dots (QDs) is reported enabling higher luminance than conventional light sources, specifically in mesopic vision regimes essential to street lighting. Investigating over 100 million designs uncovers that quality road-lighting QD-WLEDs, with a color quality scale and color rendering index ≥85, enables 13-35% higher mesopic luminance than the sources commonly used in street lighting. Furthermore, these QD-WLEDs were shown to be electrically more efficient than conventional sources with power conversion efficiencies ≥16-29%. Considering this fact, an experimental proof-of-concept QD-WLED was demonstrated, which is the first account of QD based color conversion custom designed for street lighting applications. The obtained white LED achieved the targeted mesopic luminance levels in accordance with the road lighting standards of the USA and the UK. These results indicate that road-lighting QD-WLEDs are strongly promising for energy-saving quality road lighting.

Identifying bioindicators across trait-taxon space for assessing water quality in marine environments.

PubMed

Xu, Guangjian; Zhong, Xiaoxiao; Al, Mamun Abdullah; Warren, Alan; Xu, Henglong

2018-06-01

The response units of protozoan communities, based on a community-weighted mean (CWM) dataset across trait-taxon space, were investigated in order to determine their utility as bioindicators of marine water quality. From a total of 17 functional categories of seven biological traits, three functional response units (FRUs) were identified at correlation levels of >0.75. FRUs 1 and 3 generally dominated the communities in more polluted areas during warm seasons, while FRU2 appeared to prefer less polluted waters and dominated the communities in spring and winter. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the CWM values of FRUs 1 and 3 were significantly positively correlated to the concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), whereas those of FRU2 were negatively correlated to COD. Across taxon-function space, 16 species were identified as potential bioindicators of water quality. These results suggest that redundancy analysis across trait-taxon space is a useful tool for identifying indicators of environmental quality. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Filtering as a reasoning-control strategy: An experimental assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pollack, Martha E.

1994-01-01

In dynamic environments, optimal deliberation about what actions to perform is impossible. Instead, it is sometimes necessary to trade potential decision quality for decision timeliness. One approach to achieving this trade-off is to endow intelligent agents with meta-level strategies that provide them guidance about when to reason (and what to reason about) and when to act. We describe our investigations of a particular meta-level reasoning strategy, filtering, in which an agent commits to the goals it has already adopted, and then filters from consideration new options that would conflict with the successful completion of existing goals. To investigate the utility of filtering, a series of experiments was conducted using the Tileworld testbed. Previous experiments conducted by Kinny and Georgeff used an earlier version of the Tileworld to demonstrate the feasibility of filtering. Results are presented that replicate and extend those of Kinny and Georgeff and demonstrate some significant environmental influences on the value of filtering.

An overview of the CATS level 1 processing algorithms and data products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yorks, J. E.; McGill, M. J.; Palm, S. P.; Hlavka, D. L.; Selmer, P. A.; Nowottnick, E. P.; Vaughan, M. A.; Rodier, S. D.; Hart, W. D.

2016-05-01

The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) is an elastic backscatter lidar that was launched on 10 January 2015 to the International Space Station (ISS). CATS provides both space-based technology demonstrations for future Earth Science missions and operational science measurements. This paper outlines the CATS Level 1 data products and processing algorithms. Initial results and validation data demonstrate the ability to accurately detect optically thin atmospheric layers with 1064 nm nighttime backscatter as low as 5.0E-5 km-1 sr-1. This sensitivity, along with the orbital characteristics of the ISS, enables the use of CATS data for cloud and aerosol climate studies. The near-real-time downlinking and processing of CATS data are unprecedented capabilities and provide data that have applications such as forecasting of volcanic plume transport for aviation safety and aerosol vertical structure that will improve air quality health alerts globally.

Selected hydrologic data for the field demonstration of three permeable reactive barriers near Fry Canyon, Utah, 1996-2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkowske, Chris D.; Rowland, Ryan C.; Naftz, David L.

2001-01-01

Three permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) were installed near Fry Canyon, Utah, in August 1997 to demonstrate the use of PRBs to control the migration of uranium in ground water. Reactive material included (1) bone-char phosphate, (2) zero-valent iron pellets, and (3) amorphous ferric oxyhydroxide coated gravel. An extensive monitoring network was installed in and around each PRB for collection of water samples, analysis of selected water-quality parameters, and monitoring of water levels. Water temperature, specific conductance, pH, Eh (oxidation-reduction potential), and dissolved oxygen were measured continuously within three different barrier materials, and in two monitoring wells. Water temperature and water level below land surface were electronically recorded every hour with pressure transducers. Data were collected from ground-water monitoring wells installed in and around the PRBs during 1996-98 and from surface-water sites in Fry Creek.

Assessing the influence of component processing and donor characteristics on quality of red cell concentrates using quality control data.

PubMed

Jordan, A; Chen, D; Yi, Q-L; Kanias, T; Gladwin, M T; Acker, J P

2016-07-01

Quality control (QC) data collected by blood services are used to monitor production and to ensure compliance with regulatory standards. We demonstrate how analysis of quality control data can be used to highlight the sources of variability within red cell concentrates (RCCs). We merged Canadian Blood Services QC data with manufacturing and donor records for 28 227 RCC between June 2011 and October 2014. Units were categorized based on processing method, bag manufacturer, donor age and donor sex, then assessed based on product characteristics: haemolysis and haemoglobin levels, unit volume, leucocyte count and haematocrit. Buffy-coat method (top/bottom)-processed units exhibited lower haemolysis than units processed using the whole-blood filtration method (top/top). Units from female donors exhibited lower haemolysis than male donations. Processing method influenced unit volume and the ratio of additive solution to residual plasma. Stored red blood cell characteristics are influenced by prestorage processing and donor factors. Understanding the relationship between processing, donors and RCC quality will help blood services to ensure the safety of transfused products. © 2016 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

Paediatric x-ray radiation dose reduction and image quality analysis.

PubMed

Martin, L; Ruddlesden, R; Makepeace, C; Robinson, L; Mistry, T; Starritt, H

2013-09-01

Collaboration of multiple staff groups has resulted in significant reduction in the risk of radiation-induced cancer from radiographic x-ray exposure during childhood. In this study at an acute NHS hospital trust, a preliminary audit identified initial exposure factors. These were compared with European and UK guidance, leading to the introduction of new factors that were in compliance with European guidance on x-ray tube potentials. Image quality was assessed using standard anatomical criteria scoring, and visual grading characteristics analysis assessed the impact on image quality of changes in exposure factors. This analysis determined the acceptability of gradual radiation dose reduction below the European and UK guidance levels. Chest and pelvis exposures were optimised, achieving dose reduction for each age group, with 7%-55% decrease in critical organ dose. Clinicians confirmed diagnostic image quality throughout the iterative process. Analysis of images acquired with preliminary and final exposure factors indicated an average visual grading analysis result of 0.5, demonstrating equivalent image quality. The optimisation process and final radiation doses are reported for Carestream computed radiography to aid other hospitals in minimising radiation risks to children.

Public service quality improvements: a case for exemption from IRB review of public administration research.

PubMed

Jordan, Sara R

2014-01-01

Should the exemption from Institutional Review Board (IRB) evaluations currently in place for quality improvements research be extended to public administration research that addresses questions of improving the quality of public service delivery? As a means to both reduce the level of disdain held by a group of social science researchers for IRBs and to reduce the cost of review for minimal risk studies, I argue here that much of the current public administration research should also be exempted from normal processes of review by IRBs on the basis of their similarity to Quality Improvements (QI) research, a category of studies already granted exemption. This argument dovetails provisions currently in place for studies of public service and public benefit, but reframes these exemptions in the language of "quality improvements," which may be a more comfortable language for IRBs concerned to demonstrate compliance for review of all fields. To expedite this argument into the practices of IRBs, I included a checklist that researchers could use to self-identify their studies as QI, not research as such.

Rasch analysis of the carers quality of life questionnaire for parkinsonism.

PubMed

Pillas, Marios; Selai, Caroline; Schrag, Anette

2017-03-01

To assess the psychometric properties of the Carers Quality of Life Questionnaire for Parkinsonism using a Rasch modeling approach and determine the optimal cut-off score. We performed a Rasch analysis of the survey answers of 430 carers of patients with atypical parkinsonism. All of the scale items demonstrated acceptable goodness of fit to the Rasch model. The scale was unidimensional and no notable differential item functioning was detected in the items regarding age and disease type. Rating categories were functioning adequately in all scale items. The scale had high reliability (.95) and construct validity and a high degree of precision, distinguishing between 5 distinct groups of carers with different levels of quality of life. A cut-off score of 62 was found to have the optimal screening accuracy based on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale subscores. The results suggest that the Carers Quality of Life Questionnaire for Parkinsonism is a useful scale to assess carers' quality of life and allows analyses requiring interval scaling of variables. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Cone beam computed tomography in veterinary dentistry.

PubMed

Van Thielen, Bert; Siguenza, Francis; Hassan, Bassam

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in imaging dogs and cats for diagnostic dental veterinary applications. CBCT scans of heads of six dogs and two cats were made. Dental panoramic and multi-planar reformatted (MPR) para-sagittal reconstructions were created using specialized software. Image quality and visibility of anatomical landmarks were subjectively assessed by two observers. Good image quality was obtained for the MPR para-sagittal reconstructions through multiple teeth. The image quality of the panoramic reconstructions of dogs was moderate while the panoramic reconstructions of cats were poor since the images were associated with an increased noise level. Segmental panoramic reconstructions of the mouth seem to be useful for studying the dental anatomy especially in dogs. The results of this study using human dental CBCT technology demonstrate the potential of this scanning technology in veterinary medicine. Unfortunately, the moderate image quality obtained with the CBCT technique reported here seems to be inferior to the diagnostic image quality obtained from 2-dimensional dental radiographs. Further research is required to optimize scanning and reconstruction protocols for veterinary applications.

Auditing the Assignments of Top-Level Semantic Types in the UMLS Semantic Network to UMLS Concepts

PubMed Central

He, Zhe; Perl, Yehoshua; Elhanan, Gai; Chen, Yan; Geller, James; Bian, Jiang

2018-01-01

The Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) is an important terminological system. By the policy of its curators, each concept of the UMLS should be assigned the most specific Semantic Types (STs) in the UMLS Semantic Network (SN). Hence, the Semantic Types of most UMLS concepts are assigned at or near the bottom (leaves) of the UMLS Semantic Network. While most ST assignments are correct, some errors do occur. Therefore, Quality Assurance efforts of UMLS curators for ST assignments should concentrate on automatically detected sets of UMLS concepts with higher error rates than random sets. In this paper, we investigate the assignments of top-level semantic types in the UMLS semantic network to concepts, identify potential erroneous assignments, define four categories of errors, and thus provide assistance to curators of the UMLS to avoid these assignments errors. Human experts analyzed samples of concepts assigned 10 of the top-level semantic types and categorized the erroneous ST assignments into these four logical categories. Two thirds of the concepts assigned these 10 top-level semantic types are erroneous. Our results demonstrate that reviewing top-level semantic type assignments to concepts provides an effective way for UMLS quality assurance, comparing to reviewing a random selection of semantic type assignments. PMID:29375930

Auditing the Assignments of Top-Level Semantic Types in the UMLS Semantic Network to UMLS Concepts.

PubMed

He, Zhe; Perl, Yehoshua; Elhanan, Gai; Chen, Yan; Geller, James; Bian, Jiang

2017-11-01

The Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) is an important terminological system. By the policy of its curators, each concept of the UMLS should be assigned the most specific Semantic Types (STs) in the UMLS Semantic Network (SN). Hence, the Semantic Types of most UMLS concepts are assigned at or near the bottom (leaves) of the UMLS Semantic Network. While most ST assignments are correct, some errors do occur. Therefore, Quality Assurance efforts of UMLS curators for ST assignments should concentrate on automatically detected sets of UMLS concepts with higher error rates than random sets. In this paper, we investigate the assignments of top-level semantic types in the UMLS semantic network to concepts, identify potential erroneous assignments, define four categories of errors, and thus provide assistance to curators of the UMLS to avoid these assignments errors. Human experts analyzed samples of concepts assigned 10 of the top-level semantic types and categorized the erroneous ST assignments into these four logical categories. Two thirds of the concepts assigned these 10 top-level semantic types are erroneous. Our results demonstrate that reviewing top-level semantic type assignments to concepts provides an effective way for UMLS quality assurance, comparing to reviewing a random selection of semantic type assignments.

Diurnal testosterone variability is differentially associated with parenting quality in mothers and fathers.

PubMed

Endendijk, Joyce J; Hallers-Haalboom, Elizabeth T; Groeneveld, Marleen G; van Berkel, Sheila R; van der Pol, Lotte D; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J; Mesman, Judi

2016-04-01

Previous studies on the relation between testosterone (T) levels and parenting have found ample evidence for the challenge hypothesis, demonstrating that high T levels inhibit parental involvement and that becoming a parent is related to a decrease in T levels in both mothers and fathers. However, less is known about the relation between T levels and more qualitative aspects of parenting. In the current study we examined basal T levels and diurnal variability in T levels in relation to mothers' and fathers' parenting quality. Participants included 217 fathers and 124 mothers with two children (3 and 5years of age). Evening and morning salivary T samples were analyzed with radio-immunoassays to determine circulating T levels. Parental sensitivity (i.e., child-centered responsiveness) and respect for children's autonomy were observed during free play in the family home. The results showed that higher evening T levels in mothers were associated with more sensitivity to the oldest and youngest child. Diurnal T variability was more consistently associated with parenting behavior towards their children than basal T levels. For fathers, more diurnal variability in T was associated with more sensitivity and more respect for autonomy with their youngest children. For mothers, more diurnal variability in T was associated with less sensitivity to both children and less respect for the youngest child's autonomy. These findings suggest that the T system might act differently in relation to parenting behavior in males and females. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developing a caries risk registry to support caries risk assessment and management for children: A quality improvement initiative.

PubMed

Ruff, Jesley C; Herndon, Jill Boylston; Horton, Roger A; Lynch, Julie; Mathwig, Dawn C; Leonard, Audra; Aravamudhan, Krishna

2017-10-27

Health registries are commonly used in medicine to support public health activities and are increasingly used in quality improvement (QI) initiatives. Illustrations of dental registries and their QI applications are lacking. Within dentistry, caries risk assessment implementation and documentation are vital to optimal patient care. The purpose of this article is to describe the processes used to develop a caries risk assessment registry as a QI initiative to support clinical caries risk assessment, caries prevention, and disease management for children. Developmental steps reflected Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recommendations for planning QI registries and included engaging "champions," defining the project, identifying registry features, defining performance dashboard indicators, and pilot testing with participant feedback. We followed Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence guidelines. Registry eligibility is patients aged 0-17 years. QI tools include prompts to register eligible patients; decision support tools grounded in evidence-based guidelines; and performance dashboard reports delivered at the provider and aggregated levels at regular intervals. The registry was successfully piloted in two practices with documented caries risk assessment increasing from 57 percent to 92 percent and positive feedback regarding the potential to improve dental practice patient centeredness, patient engagement and education, and quality of care. The caries risk assessment registry demonstrates how dental registries may be used in QI efforts to promote joint patient and provider engagement, foster shared decision making, and systematically collect patient information to generate timely and actionable data to improve care quality and patient outcomes at the individual and population levels. © 2017 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Quality of life of surgical oncology residents and fellows across Europe.

PubMed

Mordant, Pierre; Deneuve, Sophie; Rivera, Caroline; Carrabin, Nicolas; Mieog, J Sven; Malyshev, Nikolay; Van Der Vorst, Joost R; Audisio, Riccardo A

2014-01-01

Data are currently lacking regarding the quality of life of surgical oncology (SO) trainees. We sought to assess the training conditions and quality of life of SO residents and fellows across Europe. Members of the European Society for Surgical Oncology were invited to complete a Web-based survey that included a questionnaire specifically designed for SO trainees. Demographics, timing, and incentive to choose for SO, quality of life, and symptoms of fatigue, sleepiness, depression, and burnout, as well as self-reported medical errors, were assessed using validated instruments. The survey was completed by 109 residents and 53 fellows (mean age 34.6 ± 8.2). The mean Linear Analog Scale Assessment score for quality of life was 34.8 ± 8.6 out of a possible 50. A low level of fatigue was declared by 60% of the trainees. However, 44% scored an abnormal Epworth Sleepiness score, which was mostly related to in-hospital work time and lack of educational programs. High positive screenings regarding depression (51%) and burnout (25%) were associated with resident status and lack of mentorship, respectively. Major medical errors during the last 3 months were self-reported by 20% of the trainees. In Europe, the perceived quality of life is overall acceptable among trainees in SO. However, the present study demonstrated a high level of sleepiness, depression, and burnout symptoms. Additional work is required to identify and overcome the underlying causes of these symptoms. Copyright © 2014 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stratospheric Intrusion-Influenced Ozone Air Quality Exceedences Investigated in MERRA-2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knowland, K. Emma; Ott, Lesley; Duncan, Bryan; Wargan, Krzysztof

2017-01-01

Ozone near the surface is harmful to human health and is a result of the photochemical reaction with both man-made and natural precursor pollutant sources. Therefore, in order to reduce near surface ozone concentrations, communities must reduce anthropogenic pollution sources. However, the injection of stratospheric ozone into the troposphere, known as a stratospheric intrusion, can also lead to concentrations of ground-level ozone exceeding air quality standards. Stratospheric intrusions are dynamical atmospheric features, however, these intrusions have been misrepresented in models and reanalyses until recently, as the features of a stratospheric intrusion are best identified in horizontal resolutions of approximately 50 km or smaller. NASA's Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version-2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis is a publicly-available high-resolution dataset (50 km) with assimilated ozone that characterizes stratospheric ozone on the same spatiotemporal resolution as the meteorology. We show that stratospheric intrusions that impact surface air quality are well represented in the MERRA-2 reanalysis. This is demonstrated through a case study analysis of stratospheric intrusion events which were identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to impact surface ozone air quality in spring 2012 in Colorado. The stratospheric intrusions are identified in MERRA-2 by the folding of the dynamical tropopause under the jet stream and subsequent isentropic descent of dry, O3-rich stratospheric air towards the surface where ozone air quality exceedences were observed. The MERRA-2 reanalysis can support air quality agencies for more rapid identification of the impact of stratospheric air on ground-level ozone.

Experimental demonstration of spatially coherent beam combining using optical parametric amplification.

PubMed

Kurita, Takashi; Sueda, Keiichi; Tsubakimoto, Koji; Miyanaga, Noriaki

2010-07-05

We experimentally demonstrated coherent beam combining using optical parametric amplification with a nonlinear crystal pumped by random-phased multiple-beam array of the second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser at 10-Hz repetition rate. In the proof-of-principle experiment, the phase jump between two pump beams was precisely controlled by a motorized actuator. For the demonstration of multiple-beam combining a random phase plate was used to create random-phased beamlets as a pump pulse. Far-field patterns of the pump, the signal, and the idler indicated that the spatially coherent signal beams were obtained on both cases. This approach allows scaling of the intensity of optical parametric chirped pulse amplification up to the exa-watt level while maintaining diffraction-limited beam quality.

Replicating the microbial community and water quality performance of full-scale slow sand filters in laboratory-scale filters.

PubMed

Haig, Sarah-Jane; Quince, Christopher; Davies, Robert L; Dorea, Caetano C; Collins, Gavin

2014-09-15

Previous laboratory-scale studies to characterise the functional microbial ecology of slow sand filters have suffered from methodological limitations that could compromise their relevance to full-scale systems. Therefore, to ascertain if laboratory-scale slow sand filters (L-SSFs) can replicate the microbial community and water quality production of industrially operated full-scale slow sand filters (I-SSFs), eight cylindrical L-SSFs were constructed and were used to treat water from the same source as the I-SSFs. Half of the L-SSFs sand beds were composed of sterilized sand (sterile) from the industrial filters and the other half with sand taken directly from the same industrial filter (non-sterile). All filters were operated for 10 weeks, with the microbial community and water quality parameters sampled and analysed weekly. To characterize the microbial community phyla-specific qPCR assays and 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene were used in conjunction with an array of statistical techniques. The results demonstrate that it is possible to mimic both the water quality production and the structure of the microbial community of full-scale filters in the laboratory - at all levels of taxonomic classification except OTU - thus allowing comparison of LSSF experiments with full-scale units. Further, it was found that the sand type composing the filter bed (non-sterile or sterile), the water quality produced, the age of the filters and the depth of sand samples were all significant factors in explaining observed differences in the structure of the microbial consortia. This study is the first to the authors' knowledge that demonstrates that scaled-down slow sand filters can accurately reproduce the water quality and microbial consortia of full-scale slow sand filters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geophysical insights on the GIA process provided by high-quality constraints from peripheral regions: An outlook on perspectives from North America and from the Mediterranean basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, K.; Peltier, W. R.

2017-12-01

Our understanding of the Earth-Ice-Ocean interactions that have accompanied the large glaciation-deglaciation process characteristic of the last half of the Pleistocene has benefited significantly from the development of high-quality models of the Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) process. These models provide fundamental insight on the large changes in sea level and land ice cover over this time period, as well as key constraints on the viscosity structure of the Earth's interior. Their development has benefited from the recent availability of high-quality constraints from regions of forebulge collapse. In particular, over North America, the joint use of high-quality sea level data from the U.S. East coast, together with the vast network of precise space-geodetic observations of crustal motion existing over most of the interior of the continent, has led to the latest ICE-7G_NA (VM7) model (Roy & Peltier, GJI, 2017). In this paper, exciting opportunities provided by such high-quality observations related to the GIA process will be discussed, not only in the context of the continuing effort to refine global models of this phenomenon, but also in terms of the fundamental insight they may provide on outstanding issues in high-pressure geophysics, paleoclimatology or hydrogeology. Specific examples where such high-quality observations can be used (either separately, or using a combination of independent sources) will be presented, focusing particularly on constraints from the North American continent and from the Mediterranean basin. This work will demonstrate that, given the high-quality of currently available constraints on the GIA process, considerable further geophysical insight can be obtained based upon the use of spherically-symmetric models of the viscosity structure of the planet.

Demonstration of frequency-sweep testing technique using a Bell 214-ST helicopter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tischler, Mark B.; Fletcher, Jay W.; Diekmann, Vernon L.; Williams, Robert A.; Cason, Randall W.

1987-01-01

A demonstration of frequency-sweep testing using a Bell-214ST single-rotor helicopter was completed in support of the Army's development of an updated MIL-H-8501A, and an LHX (ADS-33) handling-qualities specification. Hover and level-flight (V sub a = 0 knots and V sub a = 90 knots) tests were conducted in 3 flight hours by Army test pilots at the Army Aviation Engineering Flight Activity (AEFA) at Edwards AFB, Calif. Bandwidth and phase-delay parameters were determined from the flight-extracted frequency responses as required by the proposed specifications. Transfer function modeling and verification demonstrates the validity of the frequency-response concept for characterizing closed-loop flight dynamics of single-rotor helicopters -- even in hover. This report documents the frequency-sweep flight-testing technique and data-analysis procedures. Special emphasis is given to piloting and analysis considerations which are important for demonstrating frequency-domain specification compliance.

Analysis of ambient conditions and simulation of hydrodynamics, constituent transport, and water-quality characteristics in Lake Maumelle, Arkansas, 1991-92

USGS Publications Warehouse

Green, W. Reed

2001-01-01

Lake Maumelle is the major drinking-water source for the Little Rock metropolitan area in central Arkansas. Urban and agricultural development has increased in the Lake Maumelle Basin and information is needed related to constituent transport and waterquality response to changes in constituent loading or hydrologic regime. This report characterizes ambient conditions in Lake Maumelle and its major tributary, Maumelle River; describes the calibration and verification of a numerical model of hydrodynamics and water quality; and provides several simulations that describe constituent transport and water quality response to changes in constituent loading and hydrologic regime. Ambient hydrologic and water-quality conditions demonstrate the relatively undisturbed nature of Lake Maumelle and the Maumelle River. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were low, one to two orders of magnitude lower than estimates of national background nutrient concentrations. Phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations in Lake Maumelle demonstrate its oligotrophic/mesotrophic condition. However, concentrations of chlorophyll a appeared to increase since 1990 within the upper and middle reaches of the reservoir. A two-dimensional, laterally averaged hydrodynamic and water-quality model developed and calibrated for Lake Maumelle simulates water level, currents, heat transport and temperature distribution, conservative material transport, and the transport and transformation of 11 chemical constituents. Simulations included the movement and dispersion of spills or releases in the reservoir during stratified and unstratified conditions, release of the fish nursery pond off the southern shore of Lake Maumelle, and algal responses to changes in external loading. The model was calibrated using 1991 data and verified using 1992 data. Simulated temperature and dissolved oxygen concentrations related well when compared to measured values. Simulated nutrient and algal biomass also related reasonably well when compared to measured values. A simulated spill of conservative material at the upper end of Lake Maumelle during a major storm event took less than 102 hours to disperse the entire length of the reservoir. Simulation of a nursery pond release into a tributary to Lake Maumelle demonstrated how the released water plunges within the receiving embayment and enters the main stem of the reservoir at mid depths. Simulations of algal response to increases of nitrogen and phosphorus loads demonstrate the phosphorus limiting condition in Lake Maumelle. Results from this study will provide waterresource management with information to better understand how changes in hydrology and water quality in the basin affects water quality in the reservoir. With this information, managers will be able to more effectively manage their drinking-water source supply.

Extended depth of focus contact lenses vs. two commercial multifocals: Part 1. Optical performance evaluation via computed through-focus retinal image quality metrics.

PubMed

Bakaraju, Ravi C; Ehrmann, Klaus; Ho, Arthur

To compare the computed optical performance of prototype lenses designed using deliberate manipulation of higher-order spherical aberrations to extend depth-of-focus (EDOF) with two commercial multifocals. Emmetropic, presbyopic, schematic eyes were coupled with prototype EDOF and commercial multifocal lenses (Acuvue Oasys for presbyopia, AOP, Johnson & Johnson & Air Optix Aqua multifocal, AOMF, Alcon). For each test configuration, the through-focus retinal image quality (TFRIQ) values were computed over 21 vergences, ranging from -0.50 to 2.00D, in 0.125D steps. Analysis was performed considering eyes with three different inherent aberration profiles: five different pupils and five different lens decentration levels. Except the LOW design, the AOP lenses offered 'bifocal' like TFRIQ performance. Lens performance was relatively independent to pupil and aberrations but not centration. Contrastingly, AOMF demonstrated distance centric performance, most dominant in LOW followed by MED and HIGH designs. AOMF lenses were the most sensitive to pupil, aberrations and centration. The prototypes demonstrated a 'lift-off' in the TFRIQ performance, particularly at intermediate and near, without trading performance at distance. When compared with AOP and AOMF, EDOF lenses demonstrated reduced sensitivity to pupil, aberrations and centration. With the through focus retinal image quality as the gauge of optical performance, we demonstrated that the prototype EDOF designs were less susceptible to variations in pupil, inherent ocular aberrations and decentration, compared to the commercial designs. To ascertain whether these incremental improvements translate to a clinically palpable outcome requires investigation through human trials. Copyright © 2017 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of l-carnitine administration on fatigue, nutritional status, oxidative stress, and related quality of life in 12 advanced cancer patients undergoing anticancer therapy.

PubMed

Gramignano, Giulia; Lusso, Maria Rita; Madeddu, Clelia; Massa, Elena; Serpe, Roberto; Deiana, Laura; Lamonica, Giovanna; Dessì, Mariele; Spiga, Carla; Astara, Giorgio; Macciò, Antonio; Mantovani, Giovanni

2006-02-01

Fatigue is a multidimensional symptom that is described in terms of perceived energy, mental capacity, and psychological status: it can impair daily functioning and lead to negative effects on quality of life. It is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In recent studies, l-carnitine (LC) supplementation has been demonstrated to be able to improve fatigue symptoms in patients with cancer. In the present study we tested the efficacy and safety of LC supplementation in a population of patients who had advanced cancer and developed fatigue, high blood levels of reactive oxygen species, or both. As outcome measures we evaluated fatigue and quality of life in relation to oxidative stress, nutritional status, and laboratory variables, mainly levels of reactive oxygen species, glutathione peroxidase, and proinflammatory cytokines. From March to July 2004, 12 patients who had advanced tumors (50% at stage IV) at different sites were enrolled (male-to-female ratio 2:10, mean age 60 y, range 42-73). Patients were only slightly anemic (hemoglobin 10.9 g/dL) and hemoglobin levels did not change after treatment. LC was administered orally at 6 g/d for 4 wk. All patients underwent antineoplastic treatment during LC supplementation. Fatigue, as measured by the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form, decreased significantly, particularly for the General and Physical scales, and for quality of life in each subscale of quality of life in relation to oxidative stress. Nutritional variables (lean body mass and appetite) increased significantly after LC supplementation. Levels of reactive oxygen species decreased and glutathione peroxidase increased but not significantly. Proinflammatory cytokines did not change significantly. Improvement of symptoms with respect to fatigue and quality of life in relation to oxidative stress may be explained mainly by an increase in lean body mass, which may be considered the most important nutritional or functional parameter in assessing the cachectic state of patients. In this view, fatigue with related symptoms can well be considered an important constituent of cancer-related anorexia cachexia syndrome.

Measuring Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Quality of Care: Discharge Self-Care Functional Status Quality Measure.

PubMed

Pardasaney, Poonam K; Deutsch, Anne; Iriondo-Perez, Jeniffer; Ingber, Melvin J; McMullen, Tara

2018-06-01

To describe the calculation and psychometric properties of the discharge self-care functional status quality measure implemented in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Quality Reporting Program on October 1, 2016. Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) patients from 38 IRFs that participated in the CMS Post-Acute Care Payment Reform Demonstration were included in this cohort study. Data came from the Continuity Assessment Record and Evaluation Item Set, IRF-Patient Assessment Instrument, and Medicare claims. For each patient, we calculated an expected discharge self-care score, risk-adjusted for demographic and baseline clinical characteristics. The performance score of each IRF equaled the percentage of patient stays where the observed discharge self-care score met or exceeded the expected score. We assessed the measure's discriminatory ability across IRFs and reliability. IRFs. Medicare FFS patients aged ≥21 years (N=4769). Not applicable. Facility-level discharge self-care quality measure performance score. A total of 4769 patient stays were included; 57% of stays were in women, and 12.1% were in patients aged <65 years. Stroke was the most common diagnosis (21.8%). The mean±SD performance score was 55.1%±16.6% (range, 25.8%-100%). About 54% of IRFs had scores significantly different from the percentage of stays that met or exceeded the expected discharge self-care score in the overall demonstration sample. The quality measure showed strong reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients of .91. The discharge self-care quality measure showed strong discriminatory ability and reliability, representing an important initial step in evaluation of IRF self-care outcomes. A wide range in performance scores suggested a gap in quality of care across IRFs. Future work should include testing the measure with nationwide data from all IRFs. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Workaholism and sleep quality among Japanese employees: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Kubota, Kazumi; Shimazu, Akihito; Kawakami, Norito; Takahashi, Masaya

2014-02-01

This study focused on workaholism as a personal attitude toward work and examined its effects on sleep quality among Japanese employees from various occupations. The present study aimed to demonstrate the prospective association of workaholism (i.e., working excessively hard in a compulsive fashion) with sleep quality among Japanese employees. A Web-based prospective survey was conducted in October 2010 and May 2011 among registered monitors of a survey company. The questionnaire included workaholism, sleep quality, job characteristics, and demographics. Overall, 13,564 monitors were randomly invited to complete the first wave of the survey. The first 2,520 respondents were included in this study. The respondents who completed the first wave were invited to complete the second wave of the survey; 2,061 answered. A total of 364 respondents who changed their working conditions during the follow-up period were excluded. In addition, due to missing values, data from 14 respondents were excluded. Thus, the responses from 1,683 respondents were included in the analysis (859 males and 824 females). An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to compare adjusted sleep quality at follow-up among workaholism groups (low, middle, and high). To conduct the ANCOVA, we adjusted for demographics, sleep quality at baseline, and job characteristics. The high-workaholic group had significantly longer sleep latency at follow-up compared with the low- and middle-workaholic groups after adjusting for demographics, sleep latency at baseline, and job characteristics. In addition, the high-workaholic group demonstrated significantly higher levels of daytime dysfunction compared with the low-workaholic group. However, no significant differences were found among workaholic groups in terms of overall sleep quality, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, and use of sleep medication. Workaholism was associated with poor sleep quality at the 7-month follow-up in terms of sleep latency and daytime dysfunction.

Guaranteeing patient satisfaction.

PubMed

Levin, R P

1994-04-01

Dental practice is about people and service. As the competition for patients increases, the successful practices will be the ones that focus increasingly on communication, relationship building and customer service. Quality care will be demonstrated through focusing on the total clinical and psychological aspects of patient satisfaction--and not just on technical parameters. Any practice can convert to a high level patient relations office if the commitment is truly there. These will be the leading practices of tomorrow.

Integrated optics ring-resonator chemical sensor with polymer transduction layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ksendzov, A.; Homer, M. L.; Manfreda, A. M.

2004-01-01

An integrated optics chemical sensor based on a ring resonator with an ethyl cellulose polymer coating has been demonstrated. The measured sensitivity to isopropanol in air is 50 ppm-the level immediately useful for health-related air quality monitoring. The resonator was fabricated using SiO2 and SixNy materials. The signal readout is based on tracking the wavelength of a resonance peak. The resonator layout optimisation for sensing applications is discussed.

Multiparametric monitoring of microbial faecal pollution reveals the dominance of human contamination along the whole Danube River

PubMed Central

Kirschner, A.K.T.; Reischer, G.H.; Jakwerth, S.; Savio, D.; Ixenmaier, S.; Toth, E.; Sommer, R.; Mach, R.L.; Linke, R.; Eiler, A.; Kolarevic, S.; Farnleitner, A.H.

2017-01-01

The microbial faecal pollution of rivers has wide-ranging impacts on a variety of human activities that rely on appropriate river water quality. Thus, detailed knowledge of the extent and origin of microbial faecal pollution is crucial for watershed management activities to maintain safe water use. In this study, the microbial faecal pollution levels were monitored by standard faecal indicator bacteria (SFIB) along a 2580 km stretch of the Danube, the world's most international river, as well as the Danube's most important tributaries. To track the origin of faecal pollution, host-associated Bacteroidetes genetic faecal marker qPCR assays for different host groups were applied in concert with SFIB. The spatial resolution analysis was followed by a time resolution analysis of faecal pollution patterns over 1 year at three selected sites. In this way, a comprehensive faecal pollution map of the total length of the Danube was created, combining substantiated information on both the extent and origin of microbial faecal pollution. Within the environmental data matrix for the river, microbial faecal pollution constituted an independent component and did not cluster with any other measured environmental parameters. Generally, midstream samples representatively depicted the microbial pollution levels at the respective river sites. However, at a few, somewhat unexpected sites, high pollution levels occurred in the lateral zones of the river while the midstream zone had good water quality. Human faecal pollution was demonstrated as the primary pollution source along the whole river, while animal faecal pollution was of minor importance. This study demonstrates that the application of host-associated genetic microbial source tracking markers in concert with the traditional concept of microbial faecal pollution monitoring based on SFIB significantly enhances the knowledge of the extent and origin of microbial faecal pollution patterns in large rivers. It constitutes a powerful tool to guide target-oriented water quality management in large river basins. PMID:28806705

Using Large-Scale Roughness Elements to Control Sand and Dust Flux at the Keeler Dunes, Keeler, CA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillies, John; McCarley-Holder, Grace

2014-05-01

Controlling dust emission from areas that subsequently degrade air quality and threaten human and animal health and reduce the quality of life for people residing in proximity to such sources is necessary, but also challenging. Recent research has indicated that arrays of large roughness elements (height >0.3 m) can be used effectively to modulate sand transport and the associated dust emissions. Prediction of the rate of sand flux reduction as a function of downwind distance upon entering an array of roughness elements, and the equilibrium flux reduction in the interior of the array is possible using the known geometric properties of the roughness elements, their number, and published relationships. Air quality in the town of Keeler, CA (36 deg 29' 17.92" N, 117 deg 52' 24.62" W) is degraded by levels of particulate matter <10 µm aerodynamic diameter (PM10) during periods of elevated wind speeds due to sand transport and dust emissions in the nearby Keeler Dunes. A demonstration project was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an array of roughness elements composed of solid elements and managed vegetation to meet sand and dust flux reduction criteria. This project has two major goals: 1) to demonstrate that solid roughness elements placed on areas of the Keeler Dunes immediately arrest sand movement to specified levels (target of 85% reduction), and 2) to assess whether native plant species, planted in the sheltered area of the solid roughness elements can effectively thrive and subsequently replace the solid roughness to achieve the desired sand flux reduction control efficiency. This poster describes the results related mostly to objective one, as considerable time has to pass before sufficient data will be obtained to evaluate the success of the planted and managed vegetation to achieve a control level provided by the solid element roughness array.

Applying ethnography to the study of context in healthcare quality and safety.

PubMed

Leslie, Myles; Paradis, Elise; Gropper, Michael A; Reeves, Scott; Kitto, Simon

2014-02-01

Translating and scaling healthcare quality improvement (QI) and patient safety interventions remains a significant challenge. Context has been identified as a major factor in this. QI and patient safety research have begun to focus on context, with ethnography seen as a promising methodology for understanding the professional, organisational and cultural aspects of context. While ethnography is used to investigate the context of a variety of QI and safety interventions, the challenges inherent in effectively importing a qualitative methodology and its social science practitioners into this work have been largely unexamined. We explain ethnography as a research practice grounded in theory and dependent on observations gathered and interpreted in particular ways. We then review the approach of health services literature to evaluating this sort of qualitative research. Although the study of context is an interest shared by both social scientists and healthcare QI and safety researchers, we identify three key points at which those 'exporting' ethnography as a methodology and those 'importing' it to deal with QI and safety challenges may diverge. We describe perspectival divergences on the methodology's mission, form and scale. At the level of mission we demonstrate how ethnography has been adapted to a 'describe and feed back' role in the service of QI. At the level of form, we show how the long-term embedded observation at the heart of ethnography can be adapted only so far to accommodate QI interests if both data quality and ethical standards are to be upheld. Finally, at the level of scale, we demonstrate one ethnographic study design that balances breadth of exposure with depth of experience in its observations and so generates a particular type of scalable findings. The effective export of ethnography into QI and safety research requires discussion and negotiation between social scientific and health services research perspectives, as well as creative approaches to producing self-reflexive data that will allow clinicians to understand their own context and so improve their own processes.

Multiparametric monitoring of microbial faecal pollution reveals the dominance of human contamination along the whole Danube River.

PubMed

Kirschner, A K T; Reischer, G H; Jakwerth, S; Savio, D; Ixenmaier, S; Toth, E; Sommer, R; Mach, R L; Linke, R; Eiler, A; Kolarevic, S; Farnleitner, A H

2017-11-01

The microbial faecal pollution of rivers has wide-ranging impacts on a variety of human activities that rely on appropriate river water quality. Thus, detailed knowledge of the extent and origin of microbial faecal pollution is crucial for watershed management activities to maintain safe water use. In this study, the microbial faecal pollution levels were monitored by standard faecal indicator bacteria (SFIB) along a 2580 km stretch of the Danube, the world's most international river, as well as the Danube's most important tributaries. To track the origin of faecal pollution, host-associated Bacteroidetes genetic faecal marker qPCR assays for different host groups were applied in concert with SFIB. The spatial resolution analysis was followed by a time resolution analysis of faecal pollution patterns over 1 year at three selected sites. In this way, a comprehensive faecal pollution map of the total length of the Danube was created, combining substantiated information on both the extent and origin of microbial faecal pollution. Within the environmental data matrix for the river, microbial faecal pollution constituted an independent component and did not cluster with any other measured environmental parameters. Generally, midstream samples representatively depicted the microbial pollution levels at the respective river sites. However, at a few, somewhat unexpected sites, high pollution levels occurred in the lateral zones of the river while the midstream zone had good water quality. Human faecal pollution was demonstrated as the primary pollution source along the whole river, while animal faecal pollution was of minor importance. This study demonstrates that the application of host-associated genetic microbial source tracking markers in concert with the traditional concept of microbial faecal pollution monitoring based on SFIB significantly enhances the knowledge of the extent and origin of microbial faecal pollution patterns in large rivers. It constitutes a powerful tool to guide target-oriented water quality management in large river basins. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Effect of different new packaging materials on biscuit quality during accelerated storage.

PubMed

Romani, Santina; Tappi, Silvia; Balestra, Federica; Rodriguez Estrada, Maria Teresa; Siracusa, Valentina; Rocculi, Pietro; Dalla Rosa, Marco

2015-06-01

The effect of innovative multilayer packaging materials versus a standard one on biscuit quality was studied during accelerated storage at 25, 35, 45 °C and 50% relative humidity for 92 days. Three different packaging materials were used: metalized orientated polypropylene (OPP)/paper (control); metalized poly-lactic acid (PLA)/paper; metalized OPP with ethylene vinyl acetate pro-oxidant additive (EVA-POA)/paper. EVA-POA additive is used to make the plastic layer biodegradable. Various quality sample parameters (moisture, water activity (aw ), texture, peroxide value (PV), hexanal) were analysed during storage. Rate constants (k) and activation energies (Ea ) of hydration reactions and hexanal formation were calculated. No remarkable differences in the evolution of primary and secondary lipid oxidation were observed among differently packed biscuits during storage. All samples maintained PV levels between 4 and 14 meq O2 kg(-1) oil. The product in flexible packaging with PLA reached the highest moisture and aw levels, but they did not significantly and adversely affect the other quality characteristics. The obtained results demonstrate that the new tested packaging materials were suitable for commercial biscuit storage, having similar performance and preservation effects on the overall product quality to those of the standard one. Furthermore, these results could make a contribution to the food industry, encouraging the use of packaging materials with a negligible environmental impact as an alternative to petroleum-based ones. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Engineering high α-amylase levels in wheat grain lowers Falling Number but improves baking properties.

PubMed

Ral, Jean-Philippe; Whan, Alex; Larroque, Oscar; Leyne, Emmett; Pritchard, Jeni; Dielen, Anne-Sophie; Howitt, Crispin A; Morell, Matthew K; Newberry, Marcus

2016-01-01

Late maturity α-amylase (LMA) and preharvest sprouting (PHS) are genetic defects in wheat. They are both characterized by the expression of specific isoforms of α-amylase in particular genotypes in the grain prior to harvest. The enhanced expression of α-amylase in both LMA and PHS results in a reduction in Falling Number (FN), a test of gel viscosity, and subsequent downgrading of the grain, along with a reduced price for growers. The FN test is unable to distinguish between LMA and PHS; thus, both defects are treated similarly when grain is traded. However, in PHS-affected grains, proteases and other degradative process are activated, and this has been shown to have a negative impact on end product quality. No studies have been conducted to determine whether LMA is detrimental to end product quality. This work demonstrated that wheat in which an isoform α-amylase (TaAmy3) was overexpressed in the endosperm of developing grain to levels of up to 100-fold higher than the wild-type resulted in low FN similar to those seen in LMA- or PHS-affected grains. This increase had no detrimental effect on starch structure, flour composition and enhanced baking quality, in small-scale 10-g baking tests. In these small-scale tests, overexpression of TaAmy3 led to increased loaf volume and Maillard-related browning to levels higher than those in control flours when baking improver was added. These findings raise questions as to the validity of the assumption that (i) LMA is detrimental to end product quality and (ii) a low FN is always indicative of a reduction in quality. This work suggests the need for a better understanding of the impact of elevated expression of specific α-amylase on end product quality. © 2015 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Social media as a sensor of air quality and public response in China.

PubMed

Wang, Shiliang; Paul, Michael J; Dredze, Mark

2015-03-26

Recent studies have demonstrated the utility of social media data sources for a wide range of public health goals, including disease surveillance, mental health trends, and health perceptions and sentiment. Most such research has focused on English-language social media for the task of disease surveillance. We investigated the value of Chinese social media for monitoring air quality trends and related public perceptions and response. The goal was to determine if this data is suitable for learning actionable information about pollution levels and public response. We mined a collection of 93 million messages from Sina Weibo, China's largest microblogging service. We experimented with different filters to identify messages relevant to air quality, based on keyword matching and topic modeling. We evaluated the reliability of the data filters by comparing message volume per city to air particle pollution rates obtained from the Chinese government for 74 cities. Additionally, we performed a qualitative study of the content of pollution-related messages by coding a sample of 170 messages for relevance to air quality, and whether the message included details such as a reactive behavior or a health concern. The volume of pollution-related messages is highly correlated with particle pollution levels, with Pearson correlation values up to .718 (n=74, P<.001). Our qualitative results found that 67.1% (114/170) of messages were relevant to air quality and of those, 78.9% (90/114) were a firsthand report. Of firsthand reports, 28% (32/90) indicated a reactive behavior and 19% (17/90) expressed a health concern. Additionally, 3 messages of 170 requested that action be taken to improve quality. We have found quantitatively that message volume in Sina Weibo is indicative of true particle pollution levels, and we have found qualitatively that messages contain rich details including perceptions, behaviors, and self-reported health effects. Social media data can augment existing air pollution surveillance data, especially perception and health-related data that traditionally requires expensive surveys or interviews.

RAVEN Quality Assurance Activities

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

Cogliati, Joshua Joseph

2015-09-01

This report discusses the quality assurance activities needed to raise the Quality Level of Risk Analysis in a Virtual Environment (RAVEN) from Quality Level 3 to Quality Level 2. This report also describes the general RAVEN quality assurance activities. For improving the quality, reviews of code changes have been instituted, more parts of testing have been automated, and improved packaging has been created. For upgrading the quality level, requirements have been created and the workflow has been improved.

Does labour market disadvantage help to explain why childhood circumstances are related to quality of life at older ages? Results from SHARE

PubMed Central

Wahrendorf, Morten; Blane, David

2015-01-01

There is robust evidence that childhood circumstances are related to quality of life in older ages, but the role of possible intermediate factors is less explored. In this paper, we examine to what extent associations between deprived childhood circumstances and quality of life at older ages are due to experienced labour market disadvantage during adulthood. Analyses are based on the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), with detailed retrospective information on individual life courses collected among 10,272 retired men and women in 13 European countries (2008–2009). Our assumption is that those who have spent their childhood in deprived circumstances may also have had more labour market disadvantage with negative consequences for quality of life beyond working life. Results demonstrate that advantaged circumstances during childhood are associated with lower levels of labour market disadvantage and higher quality of life in older ages. Furthermore, results of multivariate analyses support the idea that part of the association between childhood circumstances and later quality of life is explained by labour market disadvantage during adulthood. PMID:25033373

School Placement and Perceived Quality of Life in Youth Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

PubMed Central

Schick, Brenda

2013-01-01

In the education of students who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH), there is much debate about how placement affects educational outcomes and quality of life. This study examined the relationship between quality of life and educational placement that include and do not include other DHH youth. Participants included 221 DHH youth, ages 11–18 with bilateral hearing loss. Results showed that there were few differences in quality of life related to school placement (with age, gender, depression symptoms, and hearing level as covariates). For both participation and perceived stigma, there was an interaction between school placement and parent hearing status, with no single school placement showing the best results. DHH youth with hearing parents in schools specifically for DHH students scored lower than DHH with deaf parents in some domains (Participation and Perceived Stigma). When the DHH youth were compared with the general population, those in schools that included DHH students scored lower in some aspects of quality of life, particularly Self and Relationships. This study demonstrates that DHH students may not differ much in terms of quality of life across schools placements, but that there may be differences in subsets of DHH youth. PMID:23184867

Social Support Moderates the Relationship between Sleep and Inflammation in a Population at High Risk for Developing Cardiovascular Disease

PubMed Central

Tomfohr, Lianne M.; Edwards, Kate M.; Madsen, Joshua W.; Mills, Paul J.

2015-01-01

Poor sleep and low social support have each been associated with mortality and morbidity from chronic illness and a small body of research suggests that the two interact to influence systemic inflammation, whereby good social relationships may buffer the relationship between poor sleep and increased inflammation. The current study investigated interactions between sleep and social support in the prediction of inflammation in a clinical population (prehypertensive and hypertensive individuals) at high risk for the development of cardiovascular disease. Using a standardized subjective measure of sleep quality, we found that social support moderated the association between sleep and circulating levels of both IL-6 and CRP, such that poor sleep appeared to confer a risk of increased inflammation only in those participants who also reported low social support. In women, the same relationship was observed for TNF-α. These results extend previous findings into a clinical population and also demonstrate that sleep quality and social support interact in the prediction of two previously uninvestigated clinically relevant inflammatory markers (CRP and TNF-α). High levels of perceived social support may compensate for the negative health impact of poor sleep quality and vice versa. PMID:26402487

Estimation of Handling Qualities Parameters of the Tu-144 Supersonic Transport Aircraft from Flight Test Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curry, Timothy J.; Batterson, James G. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Low order equivalent system (LOES) models for the Tu-144 supersonic transport aircraft were identified from flight test data. The mathematical models were given in terms of transfer functions with a time delay by the military standard MIL-STD-1797A, "Flying Qualities of Piloted Aircraft," and the handling qualities were predicted from the estimated transfer function coefficients. The coefficients and the time delay in the transfer functions were estimated using a nonlinear equation error formulation in the frequency domain. Flight test data from pitch, roll, and yaw frequency sweeps at various flight conditions were used for parameter estimation. Flight test results are presented in terms of the estimated parameter values, their standard errors, and output fits in the time domain. Data from doublet maneuvers at the same flight conditions were used to assess the predictive capabilities of the identified models. The identified transfer function models fit the measured data well and demonstrated good prediction capabilities. The Tu-144 was predicted to be between level 2 and 3 for all longitudinal maneuvers and level I for all lateral maneuvers. High estimates of the equivalent time delay in the transfer function model caused the poor longitudinal rating.

Moral distress in physicians and nurses: Impact on professional quality of life and turnover.

PubMed

Austin, Cindy L; Saylor, Robert; Finley, Phillip J

2017-07-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate moral distress (MD) and turnover intent as related to professional quality of life in physicians and nurses at a tertiary care hospital. Health care providers from a variety of hospital departments anonymously completed 2 validated questionnaires (Moral Distress Scale-Revised and Professional Quality of Life Scale). Compassion fatigue (as measured by secondary traumatic stress [STS] and burnout [BRN]) and compassion satisfaction are subscales which make up one's professional quality of life. Relationships between these constructs and clinicians' years in health care, critical care patient load, and professional discipline were explored. The findings (n = 329) demonstrated significant correlations between STS, BRN, and MD. Scores associated with intentions to leave or stay in a position were indicative of high verses low MD. We report highest scoring situations of MD as well as when physicians and nurses demonstrate to be most at risk for STS, BRN and MD. Both physicians and nurses identified the events contributing to the highest level of MD as being compelled to provide care that seems ineffective and working with a critical care patient load >50%. The results from this study of physicians and nurses suggest that the presence of MD significantly impacts turnover intent and professional quality of life. Therefore implementation of emotional wellness activities (e.g., empowerment, opportunity for open dialog regarding ethical dilemmas, policy making involvement) coupled with ongoing monitoring and routine assessment of these maladaptive characteristics is warranted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Importance of Performance Measurement and MCH Epidemiology Leadership to Quality Improvement Initiatives at the National, State and Local Levels

PubMed Central

Rankin, Kristin M.; Gavin, Loretta; Moran, John W.; Kroelinger, Charlan D.; Vladutiu, Catherine J.; Goodman, David A.; Sappenfield, William M.

2018-01-01

Purpose In recognition of the importance of performance measurement and MCH epidemiology leadership to quality improvement (QI) efforts, a plenary session dedicated to this topic was presented at the 2014 CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference. This paper summarizes the session and provides two applications of performance measurement to QI in MCH. Description Performance measures addressing processes of care are ubiquitous in the current health system landscape and the MCH community is increasingly applying QI processes, such as Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of systems impacting MCH populations. QI is maximally effective when well-defined performance measures are used to monitor change. Assessment MCH epidemiologists provide leadership to QI initiatives by identifying population-based outcomes that would benefit from QI, defining and implementing performance measures, assessing and improving data quality and timeliness, reporting variability in measures throughout PDSA cycles, evaluating QI initiative impact, and translating findings to stakeholders. MCH epidemiologists can also ensure that QI initiatives are aligned with MCH priorities at the local, state and federal levels. Two examples of this work, one highlighting use of a contraceptive service performance measure and another describing QI for peripartum hemorrhage prevention, demonstrate MCH epidemiologists’ contributions throughout. Challenges remain in applying QI to complex community and systems-level interventions, including those aimed at improving access to quality care. Conclusion MCH epidemiologists provide leadership to QI initiatives by ensuring they are data-informed and supportive of a common MCH agenda, thereby optimizing the potential to improve MCH outcomes. PMID:27423235

Importance of Performance Measurement and MCH Epidemiology Leadership to Quality Improvement Initiatives at the National, State and Local Levels.

PubMed

Rankin, Kristin M; Gavin, Loretta; Moran, John W; Kroelinger, Charlan D; Vladutiu, Catherine J; Goodman, David A; Sappenfield, William M

2016-11-01

Purpose In recognition of the importance of performance measurement and MCH epidemiology leadership to quality improvement (QI) efforts, a plenary session dedicated to this topic was presented at the 2014 CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference. This paper summarizes the session and provides two applications of performance measurement to QI in MCH. Description Performance measures addressing processes of care are ubiquitous in the current health system landscape and the MCH community is increasingly applying QI processes, such as Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of systems impacting MCH populations. QI is maximally effective when well-defined performance measures are used to monitor change. Assessment MCH epidemiologists provide leadership to QI initiatives by identifying population-based outcomes that would benefit from QI, defining and implementing performance measures, assessing and improving data quality and timeliness, reporting variability in measures throughout PDSA cycles, evaluating QI initiative impact, and translating findings to stakeholders. MCH epidemiologists can also ensure that QI initiatives are aligned with MCH priorities at the local, state and federal levels. Two examples of this work, one highlighting use of a contraceptive service performance measure and another describing QI for peripartum hemorrhage prevention, demonstrate MCH epidemiologists' contributions throughout. Challenges remain in applying QI to complex community and systems-level interventions, including those aimed at improving access to quality care. Conclusion MCH epidemiologists provide leadership to QI initiatives by ensuring they are data-informed and supportive of a common MCH agenda, thereby optimizing the potential to improve MCH outcomes.

OMI air-quality monitoring over the Middle East

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barkley, Michael P.; González Abad, Gonzalo; Kurosu, Thomas P.; Spurr, Robert; Torbatian, Sara; Lerot, Christophe

2017-04-01

Using Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) trace gas vertical column observations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), formaldehyde (HCHO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and glyoxal (CHOCHO), we have conducted a robust and detailed time series analysis to assess changes in local air quality for over 1000 locations (focussing on urban, oil refinery, oil port, and power plant targets) over the Middle East for 2005-2014. Apart from NO2, which is highest over urban locations, average tropospheric column levels of these trace gases are highest over oil ports and refineries. The highest average pollution levels over urban settlements are typically in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. We detect 278 statistically significant and real linear NO2 trends in total. Over urban areas NO2 increased by up to 12 % yr-1, with only two locations showing a decreasing trend. Over oil refineries, oil ports, and power plants, NO2 increased by about 2-9 % yr-1. For HCHO, 70 significant and real trends were detected, with HCHO increasing by 2-7 % yr-1 over urban settlements and power plants and by about 2-4 % yr-1 over refineries and oil ports. Very few SO2 trends were detected, which varied in direction and magnitude (23 increasing and 9 decreasing). Apart from two locations where CHOCHO is decreasing, we find that glyoxal tropospheric column levels are not changing over the Middle East. Hence, for many locations in the Middle East, OMI observes a degradation in air quality over 2005-2014. This study therefore demonstrates the capability of OMI to generate long-term air-quality monitoring at local scales over this region.

Prosthetic outcome, patient complaints, and nutritional effects on elderly patients with magnet-retained, implant-supported overdentures--a 1-year report.

PubMed

Khoo, Huan Ding; Chai, John; Chow, Tak Wah

2013-01-01

To study the changes in treatment outcomes of complete dentures and magnet-retained, implant-supported overdentures in a group of elderly patients. In this nonrandomized trial, 43 edentulous patients (14 men and 29 women) were fitted with complete dentures followed by implant-supported mandibular overdenture in a sequential model. Treatment outcomes used for analysis included objective assessment of denture quality (Woelfel's index), patient satisfaction, nutritional status, body mass index (BMI), and serum albumin level. The McNemar test was used to determine if significant differences in the Woelfel's index and nutritional status existed at different treatment phases. Repeated measures ANOVA and multiple pairwise comparison tests were used to analyze patient satisfaction. BMI status and serum albumin level at different treatment phases were analyzed with one-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc test. At the 1-year follow-up, significant improvements were recorded for the objective assessment of denture quality and patient complaints (P < .05). No subject was found to be malnourished at pretreatment and in subsequent treatment phases. BMI and serum albumin level were not significantly different at different treatment phases (P > .05) CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that in elderly patients with stable health and nutritional status, complete dentures made in a university clinic brought about overall improvement in denture quality and reduction in denture complaint score. Insertion of mandibular implant-supported overdentures further improved the mandibular denture quality and reduced the mandibular denture complaint score. In this group of patients, no improvement in BMI, serum albumin value, and nutritional status were documented.

Does the use of hernia mesh in surgical inguinal hernia repairs cause male infertility? A systematic review and descriptive analysis.

PubMed

Dong, Zhiyong; Kujawa, Stacy Ann; Wang, Cunchuan; Zhao, Hong

2018-04-23

The aim of this study was to systematically review the available clinical trials examining male infertility after inguinal hernias were repaired using mesh procedures. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Chinese Biomedical Medicine Database were investigated. The Jada score was used to evaluate the quality of the studies, "Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine-Levels of Evidence" was used to assess the level of the trials, and descriptive analysis was used to evaluate the studies. Twenty nine related trials with a total of 36,552 patients were investigated, including seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 616 patients and 10 clinical trials (1230 patients) with mesh or non-mesh repairs. The Jada score showed that there were six high quality RCTs and one low quality RCT. Levels of evidence determined from the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine further demonstrated that those six high quality RCTs also had high levels of evidence. It was found that serum testosterone, LH, and FSH levels declined in the laparoscopic group compared to the open group; however, the testicular volume only slightly increased without statistical significance. Testicular and sexual functions remained unchanged after both laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repair (TAPP) and totally extra-peritoneal repair (TEP). We also compared the different meshes used post-surgeries. VyproII/Timesh lightweight mesh had a diminished effect on sperm motility compared to Marlex heavyweight mesh after a one-year follow-up, but there was no effect after 3 years. Additionally, various open hernia repair procedures (Lichtenstein, mesh plug method, posterior pre-peritoneal mesh repair, and anterior tension-free repair) did not cause infertility. This systematic review suggests that hernia repair with mesh either in an open or a laparoscopic procedure has no significant effect on male fertility.

Quantitative Image Quality and Histogram-Based Evaluations of an Iterative Reconstruction Algorithm at Low-to-Ultralow Radiation Dose Levels: A Phantom Study in Chest CT

PubMed Central

Lee, Ki Baek

2018-01-01

Objective To describe the quantitative image quality and histogram-based evaluation of an iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithm in chest computed tomography (CT) scans at low-to-ultralow CT radiation dose levels. Materials and Methods In an adult anthropomorphic phantom, chest CT scans were performed with 128-section dual-source CT at 70, 80, 100, 120, and 140 kVp, and the reference (3.4 mGy in volume CT Dose Index [CTDIvol]), 30%-, 60%-, and 90%-reduced radiation dose levels (2.4, 1.4, and 0.3 mGy). The CT images were reconstructed by using filtered back projection (FBP) algorithms and IR algorithm with strengths 1, 3, and 5. Image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were statistically compared between different dose levels, tube voltages, and reconstruction algorithms. Moreover, histograms of subtraction images before and after standardization in x- and y-axes were visually compared. Results Compared with FBP images, IR images with strengths 1, 3, and 5 demonstrated image noise reduction up to 49.1%, SNR increase up to 100.7%, and CNR increase up to 67.3%. Noteworthy image quality degradations on IR images including a 184.9% increase in image noise, 63.0% decrease in SNR, and 51.3% decrease in CNR, and were shown between 60% and 90% reduced levels of radiation dose (p < 0.0001). Subtraction histograms between FBP and IR images showed progressively increased dispersion with increased IR strength and increased dose reduction. After standardization, the histograms appeared deviated and ragged between FBP images and IR images with strength 3 or 5, but almost normally-distributed between FBP images and IR images with strength 1. Conclusion The IR algorithm may be used to save radiation doses without substantial image quality degradation in chest CT scanning of the adult anthropomorphic phantom, down to approximately 1.4 mGy in CTDIvol (60% reduced dose). PMID:29354008

Associations Between Insulin Resistance, Free Fatty Acids, and Oocyte Quality in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome During In Vitro Fertilization

PubMed Central

Niu, Zhihong; Lin, Nan; Gu, Ruihuan; Sun, Yijuan

2014-01-01

Context: Both polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and obesity are associated with specific reproductive health complications, including lower oocyte quality and clinical pregnancy rates in assisted conception cycles, which may be a result of metabolism-induced changes in the oocyte through the microenvironment of follicular fluid. Free fatty acids (FFAs) are important biomedical indicators of abnormal lipid metabolism and have pronounced effects on cells, leading to changes in metabolism, cell growth, and differentiation Objective: Our objective was to determine the effect of FFA metabolism in plasma and follicular fluid on oocyte quality in the women with PCOS undergoing in vitro fertilization. Design and Setting: Ninety-three women undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment, including 55 with PCOS and 38 age-matched controls, were recruited. PCOS patients were divided into obese and nonobese subgroups on the basis of their body mass index. Main Outcome Measures: Embryo quality was morphologically assessed, and serum sex hormone and insulin levels were measured. FFAs in plasma and follicular fluid were measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: PCOS was found to be associated with significantly higher LH/FSH, total T, free androgen index (FAI), and lower SHBG levels, independent of obesity(P < .05). Obese women with PCOS had a significantly higher total T level, FAI, fasting insulin, insulin resistance index as determined by homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance, and lower SHBG levels than the nonobese women with PCOS (P < .05). The embryo fragmentation score was significantly positively correlated with the oleic acid concentration in all PCOS patients (r = 0.22, P = .04, for nonobese patients and r = 0.25, P = .03, for obese patients). Conclusions: Our findings clearly demonstrated that PCOS is associated with significantly higher FAI and insulin resistance levels and decreased plasma SHBG levels, independent of body mass index. Obese PCOS patients had higher palmitoleic acid and oleic acid levels in both the plasma and follicular fluid than did the control subject and nonobese PCOS patients. Our results indicated that developmental competence is associated with oleic and stearic acid concentrations, which may contribute to the poor pregnancy outcomes in patients with PCOS. PMID:24694334

Urban public health assessment and pattern analysis: comparison of four cities in different countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Meirong; Chen, Chen; Lu, Weiwei; Liu, Gengyuan; Yang, Zhifeng; Chen, Bin

2013-06-01

Urban public health is an important global issue, and receives extensive attention. It is necessary to compare urban public health status among different cities, so that each city can define its own health patterns and limiting factors. The following assessment indicators were established to evaluate urban public health status: living conditions, physical health, education and culture, environmental quality, and social security. A weighted-sum model was used in combination with these indicators to compare the urban public health status in four cities—Beijing, New York, London, and Tokyo—using data for 2000-2009. Although the urban public health level of Beijing was lower than that of the other cities, it showed the greatest increase in this level over the study period. Different patterns of urban public health were identified: London had the most balanced, steady pattern (almost all factors performed well and developed stably); New York and Tokyo showed balanced, but unsteady patterns (most factors remained high, though social security and environmental quality fluctuated); Beijing had the most unbalanced, unsteady pattern (the different factors were at different levels, and education and culture and social security fluctuated). For enhanced urban public health status, environmental quality and education and culture clearly need to be improved in Beijing. This study demonstrates that a comparison of different cities is helpful in identifying limiting factors for urban public health and providing an orientation for future urban development.

48 CFR 46.202-4 - Higher-level contract quality requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Higher-level contract... REGULATION CONTRACT MANAGEMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE Contract Quality Requirements 46.202-4 Higher-level contract quality requirements. (a) Requiring compliance with higher-level quality standards is appropriate in...

Implementing quality/productivity improvement initiatives in an engineering environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruda, R. R.

1985-01-01

Quality/Productivity Improvement (QPI) initiatives in the engineering environment at McDonnell Douglas-Houston include several different, distinct activities, each having its own application, yet all targeted toward one common goal - making continuous improvement a way of life. The chief executive and the next two levels of management demonstrate their commitment to QPI with hands-on involvement in several activities. Each is a member of a QPI Council which consists of six panels - Participative Management, Communications, Training, Performance/Productivity, Human Resources Management and Strategic Management. In addition, each manager conducts Workplace Visits and Bosstalks, to enhance communications with employees and to provide a forum for the identification of problems - both real and perceived. Quality Circles and Project Teams are well established within McConnel Douglas as useful and desirable employee involvement teams. The continued growth of voluntary membership in the circles program is strong evidence of the employee interest and management support that have developed within the organization.

Conflict Structures in Family Networks of Older Adults and Their Relationship With Health-Related Quality of Life

PubMed Central

Widmer, Eric D.; Girardin, Myriam; Ludwig, Catherine

2017-01-01

This study explores the interrelationships between health-related quality of life and conflict structures in family networks of older adults. Data were derived from a sample of 2,858 elders (aged 65 years and older) from the Vivre/Leben/Vivere study, a large survey addressing family life and health conditions of older people in Switzerland. Conflict density in family networks and the betweenness centrality of respondents in family conflict are significantly associated with health-related quality of life measures. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that conflict–health associations are mediated by the level of perceived individual stress where psychological health is concerned. Family conflict structures depend to a large extent on family composition and age. This study stresses the importance of older adults actively shaping the composition of their family contexts in ways that promote both conflict and stress avoidance. PMID:29593370

Consideration of vertical uncertainty in elevation-based sea-level rise assessments: Mobile Bay, Alabama case study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gesch, Dean B.

2013-01-01

The accuracy with which coastal topography has been mapped directly affects the reliability and usefulness of elevationbased sea-level rise vulnerability assessments. Recent research has shown that the qualities of the elevation data must be well understood to properly model potential impacts. The cumulative vertical uncertainty has contributions from elevation data error, water level data uncertainties, and vertical datum and transformation uncertainties. The concepts of minimum sealevel rise increment and minimum planning timeline, important parameters for an elevation-based sea-level rise assessment, are used in recognition of the inherent vertical uncertainty of the underlying data. These concepts were applied to conduct a sea-level rise vulnerability assessment of the Mobile Bay, Alabama, region based on high-quality lidar-derived elevation data. The results that detail the area and associated resources (land cover, population, and infrastructure) vulnerable to a 1.18-m sea-level rise by the year 2100 are reported as a range of values (at the 95% confidence level) to account for the vertical uncertainty in the base data. Examination of the tabulated statistics about land cover, population, and infrastructure in the minimum and maximum vulnerable areas shows that these resources are not uniformly distributed throughout the overall vulnerable zone. The methods demonstrated in the Mobile Bay analysis provide an example of how to consider and properly account for vertical uncertainty in elevation-based sea-level rise vulnerability assessments, and the advantages of doing so.

Combining the Power of Statistical Analyses and Community Interviews to Identify Adoption Barriers for Stormwater Best-Management Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoover, F. A.; Bowling, L. C.; Prokopy, L. S.

2015-12-01

Urban stormwater is an on-going management concern in municipalities of all sizes. In both combined or separated sewer systems, pollutants from stormwater runoff enter the natural waterway system during heavy rain events. Urban flooding during frequent and more intense storms are also a growing concern. Therefore, stormwater best-management practices (BMPs) are being implemented in efforts to reduce and manage stormwater pollution and overflow. The majority of BMP water quality studies focus on the small-scale, individual effects of the BMP, and the change in water quality directly from the runoff of these infrastructures. At the watershed scale, it is difficult to establish statistically whether or not these BMPs are making a difference in water quality, given that watershed scale monitoring is often costly and time consuming, relying on significant sources of funds, which a city may not have. Hence, there is a need to quantify the level of sampling needed to detect the water quality impact of BMPs at the watershed scale. In this study, a power analysis was performed on data from an urban watershed in Lafayette, Indiana, to determine the frequency of sampling required to detect a significant change in water quality measurements. Using the R platform, results indicate that detecting a significant change in watershed level water quality would require hundreds of weekly measurements, even when improvement is present. The second part of this study investigates whether the difficulty in demonstrating water quality change represents a barrier to adoption of stormwater BMPs. Semi-structured interviews of community residents and organizations in Chicago, IL are being used to investigate residents understanding of water quality and best management practices and identify their attitudes and perceptions towards stormwater BMPs. Second round interviews will examine how information on uncertainty in water quality improvements influences their BMP attitudes and perceptions.

Vitamin D and depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing studies with and without biological flaws.

PubMed

Spedding, Simon

2014-04-11

Efficacy of Vitamin D supplements in depression is controversial, awaiting further literature analysis. Biological flaws in primary studies is a possible reason meta-analyses of Vitamin D have failed to demonstrate efficacy. This systematic review and meta-analysis of Vitamin D and depression compared studies with and without biological flaws. The systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The literature search was undertaken through four databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Studies were critically appraised for methodological quality and biological flaws, in relation to the hypothesis and study design. Meta-analyses were performed for studies according to the presence of biological flaws. The 15 RCTs identified provide a more comprehensive evidence-base than previous systematic reviews; methodological quality of studies was generally good and methodology was diverse. A meta-analysis of all studies without flaws demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in depression with Vitamin D supplements (+0.78 CI +0.24, +1.27). Studies with biological flaws were mainly inconclusive, with the meta-analysis demonstrating a statistically significant worsening in depression by taking Vitamin D supplements (-1.1 CI -0.7, -1.5). Vitamin D supplementation (≥800 I.U. daily) was somewhat favorable in the management of depression in studies that demonstrate a change in vitamin levels, and the effect size was comparable to that of anti-depressant medication.

After The Demonstration: What States Sustained After the End of Federal Grants to Improve Children’s Health Care Quality

PubMed Central

Brach, Cindy; Anglin, Grace; Devers, Kelly J.; Burton, Rachel

2018-01-01

Introduction Under the CHIPRA Quality Demonstration Grant Program, CMS awarded $100 million through 10 grants that 18 state Medicaid agencies implemented between 2010 and 2015. The program’s legislatively-mandated purpose was to evaluate promising ideas for improving the quality of children’s health care provided through Medicaid and CHIP. As part of the program’s multifaceted evaluation, this study examined the extent to which states sustained key program activities after the demonstration ended. Methods We identified 115 potentially sustainable elements within states’ CHIPRA demonstrations and analyzed data from grantee reports and key informant interviews to assess sustainment outcomes and key influential factors. We also assessed sustainment of the projects’ intellectual capital. Results 56% of potentially sustainable elements were sustained. Sustainment varied by topic area: Elements related to quality measure reporting and practice facilitation were more likely to be sustained than others, such as parent advisors. Broad contextual factors, the state’s Medicaid environment, implementation partners’ resources, and characteristics of the demonstration itself all shaped sustainment outcomes. Discussion Assessing sustainment of key elements of states’ CHIPRA quality demonstration projects provides insight into the fates of the “promising ideas” that the grant program was designed to examine. As a result of the federal government’s investment in this grant program, many demonstration states are in a strong position to extend and spread specific strategies for improving the quality of care for children in Medicaid and CHIP. Our findings provide insights for policymakers and providers working to improve the quality of health care for low income children. PMID:29119478

After The Demonstration: What States Sustained After the End of Federal Grants to Improve Children's Health Care Quality.

PubMed

Ireys, Henry T; Brach, Cindy; Anglin, Grace; Devers, Kelly J; Burton, Rachel

2018-02-01

Introduction Under the CHIPRA Quality Demonstration Grant Program, CMS awarded $100 million through 10 grants that 18 state Medicaid agencies implemented between 2010 and 2015. The program's legislatively-mandated purpose was to evaluate promising ideas for improving the quality of children's health care provided through Medicaid and CHIP. As part of the program's multifaceted evaluation, this study examined the extent to which states sustained key program activities after the demonstration ended. Methods We identified 115 potentially sustainable elements within states' CHIPRA demonstrations and analyzed data from grantee reports and key informant interviews to assess sustainment outcomes and key influential factors. We also assessed sustainment of the projects' intellectual capital. Results 56% of potentially sustainable elements were sustained. Sustainment varied by topic area: Elements related to quality measure reporting and practice facilitation were more likely to be sustained than others, such as parent advisors. Broad contextual factors, the state's Medicaid environment, implementation partners' resources, and characteristics of the demonstration itself all shaped sustainment outcomes. Discussion Assessing sustainment of key elements of states' CHIPRA quality demonstration projects provides insight into the fates of the "promising ideas" that the grant program was designed to examine. As a result of the federal government's investment in this grant program, many demonstration states are in a strong position to extend and spread specific strategies for improving the quality of care for children in Medicaid and CHIP. Our findings provide insights for policymakers and providers working to improve the quality of health care for low income children.

A method for evaluating treatment quality using in vivo EPID dosimetry and statistical process control in radiation therapy.

PubMed

Fuangrod, Todsaporn; Greer, Peter B; Simpson, John; Zwan, Benjamin J; Middleton, Richard H

2017-03-13

Purpose Due to increasing complexity, modern radiotherapy techniques require comprehensive quality assurance (QA) programmes, that to date generally focus on the pre-treatment stage. The purpose of this paper is to provide a method for an individual patient treatment QA evaluation and identification of a "quality gap" for continuous quality improvement. Design/methodology/approach A statistical process control (SPC) was applied to evaluate treatment delivery using in vivo electronic portal imaging device (EPID) dosimetry. A moving range control chart was constructed to monitor the individual patient treatment performance based on a control limit generated from initial data of 90 intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and ten volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) patient deliveries. A process capability index was used to evaluate the continuing treatment quality based on three quality classes: treatment type-specific, treatment linac-specific, and body site-specific. Findings The determined control limits were 62.5 and 70.0 per cent of the χ pass-rate for IMRT and VMAT deliveries, respectively. In total, 14 patients were selected for a pilot study the results of which showed that about 1 per cent of all treatments contained errors relating to unexpected anatomical changes between treatment fractions. Both rectum and pelvis cancer treatments demonstrated process capability indices were less than 1, indicating the potential for quality improvement and hence may benefit from further assessment. Research limitations/implications The study relied on the application of in vivo EPID dosimetry for patients treated at the specific centre. Sampling patients for generating the control limits were limited to 100 patients. Whilst the quantitative results are specific to the clinical techniques and equipment used, the described method is generally applicable to IMRT and VMAT treatment QA. Whilst more work is required to determine the level of clinical significance, the authors have demonstrated the capability of the method for both treatment specific QA and continuing quality improvement. Practical implications The proposed method is a valuable tool for assessing the accuracy of treatment delivery whilst also improving treatment quality and patient safety. Originality/value Assessing in vivo EPID dosimetry with SPC can be used to improve the quality of radiation treatment for cancer patients.

48 CFR 246.202-4 - Higher-level contract quality requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... quality requirements. 246.202-4 Section 246.202-4 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE Contract Quality Requirements 246.202-4 Higher-level contract quality requirements. (1) Higher-level contract quality...

Quality of life and glycemic profile of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients of Indonesian: a descriptive study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amelia, R.; Lelo, A.; Lindarto, D.; Mutiara, E.

2018-03-01

The prevalence of diabetes type 2 is increasing globally. Quality of life (QOL) in diabetic patients is the primary goal of care. Today, there is an increasing awareness suggesting that patient’sQOLand treatment satisfaction were improved after good glycemic control. This study aimed to demonstrate the quality of life and the glycemic profiles of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients. This study was a descriptive study of across-sectional design. A sample of 115 out-patients attending eight public health centers in Binjai City, Indonesia. Patient’s quality of life was assessedin four domains of role limitation due to physical health, psychosocial, social and environment in a four Likert point. Two glycemic profiles which are blood sugar level and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were measured by Spectrophotometer Colorimeter + Full Automatic method and affinity Doronad + Modified HPLC technique, respectively. In the results, we confirmed that almost 80.0% of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients are in good QOL(score 81-100) in three QOL dimensions; Physical health, Social relationship and Environment health but not in Psychological health dimension. The blood sugar level and HbA1clevel are beyond the normal value, 267.5±103.2mg/dLand9.9±2.3%,respectively. The better controlled glycemic index, the better patient’s QOL.

Delineating the third age: joint models of older people's quality of life and attrition in Britain 2002-2010.

PubMed

Tampubolon, Gindo

2015-07-01

In the public mind, later life is being transformed by the emerging possibility of a flourishing third age with sustained quality of life. We draw trajectories of life quality measured using CASP-19 over eight years. We refine these trajectories by jointly modelling attrition, since older people tend to leave longitudinal studies (attrite) not at random. Growth curve models are applied to the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing waves 1 to 5. Then joint model is estimated where attrition is considered. Extensive predictors are entered including demographic attributes, social and economic status, health conditions, and behaviours. Strong non-linear age trajectory of life quality is revealed by the growth curve models where the peak is achieved in the late 60s. Then the joint model uncovers the peak somewhat later in time, and also reveals secular improvement in life quality experienced by recent cohorts. Sharp estimates for many predictors of higher levels of life quality are also found. For the first time, the trajectories of life quality in the third age are drawn and improvement across cohorts is demonstrated. The contributions are estimated for predictors amenable to intervention such as social capital. This can help in policy discussion on improving the lives of older people in the third age.

Research and action: toward good quality of life and equity in health.

PubMed

Schwartzmann, Laura

2009-04-01

A brief summary of key presentations at the 15th Annual International Society for Quality of Life conference is presented. Special highlights of this conference were its location (South America) and its aim to present current and potential contributions of the health-related quality of life (QoL) field to equity in healthcare at a clinical and population level, providing crucial inputs for decision-making in a person-centered health conception. Present and future utilization of health-related QoL measures, norms and bank items were introduced by David Cella, who also called for researchers' cooperation, stating that efforts towards a commonly shared language and metric are better than a relentless pursuit of perfection. Other central topics in the search of equity were stigma and poverty. The importance of negative attributes by others in stigma severity perception and low self-reported QoL was demonstrated by Donald Patrick, who suggested interventions for reducing stigma. Poverty impact on children's QoL and the importance of social determinants were demonstrated through a unique, longitudinal Brazilian study. Complementarily, the importance of a biological basis of oncologic symptoms, particularly cytokines, and the impact of their control on health-related QoL were addressed by Charles Cleeland. The meeting stressed the combined importance of social, psychological and biological factors in determining patient-reported outcomes.

Multi-Index Attribution of Beijing's 2013 "Airpocalypse"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callahan, C.; Diffenbaugh, N. S.; Horton, D. E.

2017-12-01

Poor air quality causes 2 to 4 million premature deaths per year globally. Individual high-impact events, like Beijing's January 2013 "airpocalypse," have drawn significant attention, as they have demonstrated that short-lived air quality events can have outsized effects on public health and economic vitality. Poor air quality events are the result of emission of pollutants and the meteorological conditions favorable to their accumulation in the near-surface environment. Accumulation occurs when pollutants are not dispersed or scavenged from the atmosphere. The most important meteorological precursors of these conditions include lack of precipitation, low wind speeds, and vertical temperature inversions. Recent reports of extreme air quality, in conjunction with projected future changes in some meteorological air quality indices, raise the question: have the meteorological conditions that shape air quality changed in frequency, intensity, or duration over the observational era? Here we assess whether anthropogenic climate change has altered meteorological conditions conducive to poor air quality. To gain a more complete picture of the effect of anthropogenic change on air quality, we use three indices that quantify poor air quality: the Pollution Potential Index (Zou et al, 2017), which measures temperature inversions and surface wind speeds, the Haze Weather Index (Cai et al, 2017), which measures temperature inversions and mid-level wind speeds, and the Air Stagnation Index (Horton et al, 2014), which measures precipitation, surface wind speeds, and mid-level wind speeds. Drawing on the attribution methods of Diffenbaugh et al (2017), we assess the contribution of observed meteorological trends to the magnitude of air quality events, the return interval of events in the observational record, historical simulated climate, and pre-industrial simulated climate, and the probability of the observed trend in historical and pre-industrial simulated climates. Particular attention is paid to Beijing's January 2013 event, but we also analyze air quality meteorology on a global scale. This work provides a framework for both further understanding the role of climate change in particular air quality events and for expanding the scope of extreme event attribution beyond its current applications.

Hierarchy of evidence referring to the central nervous system in a high-impact radiation oncology journal: a 10-year assessment. Descriptive critical appraisal study.

PubMed

Moraes, Fabio Ynoe; Bonifacio, Lorine Arias; Marta, Gustavo Nader; Hanna, Samir Abdallah; Atallah, Álvaro Nagib; Moraes, Vinícius Ynoe; Silva, João Luis Fernandes; Carvalho, Heloísa Andrade

2015-01-01

To the best of our knowledge, there has been no systematic assessment of the classification of scientific production within the scope of radiation oncology relating to central nervous system tumors. The aim of this study was to systematically assess the status of evidence relating to the central nervous system and to evaluate the geographic origins and major content of these published data. Descriptive critical appraisal study conducted at a private hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. We evaluated all of the central nervous system studies published in the journal Radiotherapy & Oncology between 2003 and 2012. The studies identified were classified according to their methodological design and level of evidence. Information regarding the geographical location of the study, the institutions and authors involved in the publication, main condition or disease investigated and time of publication was also obtained. We identified 3,004 studies published over the 10-year period. Of these, 125 (4.2%) were considered eligible, and 66% of them were case series. Systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials accounted for approximately 10% of all the published papers. We observed an increase in high-quality evidence and a decrease in low-quality published papers over this period (P = 0.036). The inter-rater reliability demonstrated significant agreement between observers in terms of the level of evidence. Increases in high-level evidence and in the total number of central nervous system papers were clearly demonstrated, although the overall number of such studies remained relatively small.

An assessment of Lot Quality Assurance Sampling to evaluate malaria outcome indicators: extending malaria indicator surveys.

PubMed

Biedron, Caitlin; Pagano, Marcello; Hedt, Bethany L; Kilian, Albert; Ratcliffe, Amy; Mabunda, Samuel; Valadez, Joseph J

2010-02-01

Large investments and increased global prioritization of malaria prevention and treatment have resulted in greater emphasis on programme monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in many countries. Many countries currently use large multistage cluster sample surveys to monitor malaria outcome indicators on a regional and national level. However, these surveys often mask local-level variability important to programme management. Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) has played a valuable role for local-level programme M&E. If incorporated into these larger surveys, it would provide a comprehensive M&E plan at little, if any, extra cost. The Mozambique Ministry of Health conducted a Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS) in June and July 2007. We applied LQAS classification rules to the 345 sampled enumeration areas to demonstrate identifying high- and low-performing areas with respect to two malaria program indicators-'household possession of any bednet' and 'household possession of any insecticide-treated bednet (ITN)'. As shown by the MIS, no province in Mozambique achieved the 70% coverage target for household possession of bednets or ITNs. By applying LQAS classification rules to the data, we identify 266 of the 345 enumeration areas as having bednet coverage severely below the 70% target. An additional 73 were identified with low ITN coverage. This article demonstrates the feasibility of integrating LQAS into multistage cluster sampling surveys and using these results to support a comprehensive national, regional and local programme M&E system. Furthermore, in the recommendations we outlined how to integrate the Large Country-LQAS design into macro-surveys while still obtaining results available through current sampling practices.

48 CFR 46.202-4 - Higher-level contract quality requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... quality requirements. 46.202-4 Section 46.202-4 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION CONTRACT MANAGEMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE Contract Quality Requirements 46.202-4 Higher-level contract quality requirements. (a) Requiring compliance with higher-level quality standards is appropriate in...

48 CFR 46.202-4 - Higher-level contract quality requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... quality requirements. 46.202-4 Section 46.202-4 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION CONTRACT MANAGEMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE Contract Quality Requirements 46.202-4 Higher-level contract quality requirements. (a) Requiring compliance with higher-level quality standards is appropriate in...

48 CFR 46.202-4 - Higher-level contract quality requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... quality requirements. 46.202-4 Section 46.202-4 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION CONTRACT MANAGEMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE Contract Quality Requirements 46.202-4 Higher-level contract quality requirements. (a) Requiring compliance with higher-level quality standards is appropriate in...

48 CFR 46.202-4 - Higher-level contract quality requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... quality requirements. 46.202-4 Section 46.202-4 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION CONTRACT MANAGEMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE Contract Quality Requirements 46.202-4 Higher-level contract quality requirements. (a) Requiring compliance with higher-level quality standards is appropriate in...

Quality of life and satisfaction with life of malaria patients in context of acceptance of the disease: quantitative studies

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Health status is one of the basic factors of a high quality of life and the problem of the acceptance of illness is important for adaptation to the limitations imposed by it. The purpose of the study was the evaluation of the quality of life, satisfaction with life and the acceptance of illness by malaria patients, as well as the discovery of a relationship between studied parameters. Methods The study was undertaken in August 2010, on 120 Nigerian patients with confirmed malaria. A method of diagnostic survey, based on standardized scales - Acceptance of Illness Scale, The Satisfaction With Life Scale and a standardized survey questionnaire World Health Organization Quality of Life/BREF - was used in this study. Descriptive statistics, variability range, 95% confidence interval, correlation analysis, Spearman’s non-parametric correlation coefficient, Mann–Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis test were applied and the, so called, test statistics was calculated, followed by the calculation of the test probability p. Results of analyses were presented in a box graph, and a graph of dispersion. Results A dominating share in the adjective scale of the AIS scale was the category of “no acceptance”, given by 71.7% of respondents. The average level of a “somatic domain” was 41.7, and of a “social domain” was 62.8. The mean satisfaction of life evaluation in the SWLS scale was 18 points. The correlation between acceptance of the disease and quality of life for the psychological domain was 0.39***, and between acceptance of the disease and satisfaction with life was 0.40***. The correlation between satisfaction with life and quality of life for the psychological domain was 0.65***, and between satisfaction with life and quality of life for the environment domain was 0.60***. The mean level of AIS for the studied population of men was 16.5, and test probability: p = 0.0014**, and for the environment domain the level was 50, and the test probability: p = 0.0073**. For quality of life in the social sphere the test probability: p = 0.0013** in relatively older individuals. Conclusion The majority of people do not accept their condition. Evaluation of the quality of life was the highest in the social domain, and the lowest in the somatic domain. There is a statistically significant correlation between the level of acceptance of illness and the quality of life and satisfaction with life. The strongest correlation is found between satisfaction with life and the evaluation of the quality of life in psychological and environmental domains. Men evaluate their quality of life in the environmental domain higher and demonstrate a higher acceptance of their disease. There is a correlation regarding a significantly higher quality of life in the social sphere in relatively older people. PMID:22616635

Limitations and applications of ICA for surface electromyogram.

PubMed

Djuwari, D; Kumar, D K; Naik, G R; Arjunan, S P; Palaniswami, M

2006-09-01

Surface electromyogram (SEMG) has numerous applications, but the presence of artefacts and noise, especially at low level of muscle activity make the recordings unreliable. Spectral and temporal overlap can make the removal of artefacts and noise, or separation of relevant signals from other bioelectric signals extremely difficult. Individual muscles may be considered as independent at the local level and this makes an argument for separating the signals using independent component analysis (ICA). In the recent past, due to the easy availability of ICA tools, numbers of researchers have attempted to use ICA for this application. This paper reports research conducted to evaluate the use of ICA for the separation of muscle activity and removal of the artefacts from SEMG. It discusses some of the conditions that could affect the reliability of the separation and evaluates issues related to the properties of the signals and number of sources. The paper also identifies the lack of suitable measure of quality of separation for bioelectric signals and it recommends and tests a more robust measure of separation. The paper also reports tests using Zibulevsky's technique of temporal plotting to identify number of independent sources in SEMG recordings. The theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate that ICA is suitable for SEMG signals. The results identify the unsuitability of ICA when the number of sources is greater than the number of recording channels. The results also demonstrate the limitations of such applications due to the inability of the system to identify the correct order and magnitude of the signals. The paper determines the suitability of the use of error measure using simulated mixing matrix and the estimated unmixing matrix as a means identifying the quality of separation of the output. The work demonstrates that even at extremely low level of muscle contraction, and with filtering using wavelets and band pass filters, it is not possible to get the data sparse enough to identify number of independent sources using Zibulevs.ky's technique.

Large-area sheet task: Advanced dendritic-web-growth development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duncan, C. S.; Seidensticker, R. G.; Mchugh, J. P.; Schruben, J.

1983-01-01

Thermally generated stresses in the growing web crystal were reduced. These stresses, which if too high cause the ribbon to degenerate, were reduced by a factor of three, resulting in the demonstrated growth of high-quality web crystals to widths of 5.4 cm. This progress was brought about chiefly by the application of thermal models to the development of low-stress growth configurations. A new temperature model was developed which can analyze the thermal effects of much more complex lid and top shield configurations than was possible with the old lumped shield model. Growth experiments which supplied input data such as actual shield temperature and melt levels were used to verify the modeling results. Desirable modifications in the melt level-sensing circuitry were made in the new experimental web growth furnace, and this furnace has been used to carry out growth experiments under steady-state conditions. New growth configurations were tested in long growth runs at Westinghouse AESD which produced wider, lower stress and higher quality web crystals than designs previously used.

A dynamic model for costing disaster mitigation policies.

PubMed

Altay, Nezih; Prasad, Sameer; Tata, Jasmine

2013-07-01

The optimal level of investment in mitigation strategies is usually difficult to ascertain in the context of disaster planning. This research develops a model to provide such direction by relying on cost of quality literature. This paper begins by introducing a static approach inspired by Joseph M. Juran's cost of quality management model (Juran, 1951) to demonstrate the non-linear trade-offs in disaster management expenditure. Next it presents a dynamic model that includes the impact of dynamic interactions of the changing level of risk, the cost of living, and the learning/investments that may alter over time. It illustrates that there is an optimal point that minimises the total cost of disaster management, and that this optimal point moves as governments learn from experience or as states get richer. It is hoped that the propositions contained herein will help policymakers to plan, evaluate, and justify voluntary disaster mitigation expenditures. © 2013 The Author(s). Journal compilation © Overseas Development Institute, 2013.

Adaptive correction procedure for TVL1 image deblurring under impulse noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Minru; Zhang, Xiongjun; Shao, Qianqian

2016-08-01

For the problem of image restoration of observed images corrupted by blur and impulse noise, the widely used TVL1 model may deviate from both the data-acquisition model and the prior model, especially for high noise levels. In order to seek a solution of high recovery quality beyond the reach of the TVL1 model, we propose an adaptive correction procedure for TVL1 image deblurring under impulse noise. Then, a proximal alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) is presented to solve the corrected TVL1 model and its convergence is also established under very mild conditions. It is verified by numerical experiments that our proposed approach outperforms the TVL1 model in terms of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values and visual quality, especially for high noise levels: it can handle salt-and-pepper noise as high as 90% and random-valued noise as high as 70%. In addition, a comparison with a state-of-the-art method, the two-phase method, demonstrates the superiority of the proposed approach.

The Role of Remotely Sensed and Relayed Data in the Delaware River Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paulson, R. W.

1971-01-01

The planned integration of the existing water quality monitoring and data processing systems in the Delaware River Basin with a data relay experiment proposed for the ERTS-1 is discussed. The experiment is designed to use ERTS-1 as a data relay link for a maximum of 20 hydrologic stations in the basin, including stream gaging, reservoir level, ground water level, and water quality monitoring stations. This experiment has the potential for reducing the time lag between data collection and dissemination to less than 12 hours. The experiment will also provide impetus to develop an operational system of real time data processing and dissemination to handle the large quantity of data that will be obtained from the stations in the basin. The results of this experiment will demonstrate the relative merits of satellite relay of data versus conventional means of data telemetry and will provide a basis for the development of operational satellite relay of hydrologic data.

Olfactory receptor antagonism between odorants

PubMed Central

Oka, Yuki; Omura, Masayo; Kataoka, Hiroshi; Touhara, Kazushige

2004-01-01

The detection of thousands of volatile odorants is mediated by several hundreds of different G protein-coupled olfactory receptors (ORs). The main strategy in encoding odorant identities is a combinatorial receptor code scheme in that different odorants are recognized by different sets of ORs. Despite increasing information on agonist–OR combinations, little is known about the antagonism of ORs in the mammalian olfactory system. Here we show that odorants inhibit odorant responses of OR(s), evidence of antagonism between odorants at the receptor level. The antagonism was demonstrated in a heterologous OR-expression system and in single olfactory neurons that expressed a given OR, and was also visualized at the level of the olfactory epithelium. Dual functions of odorants as an agonist and an antagonist to ORs indicate a new aspect in the receptor code determination for odorant mixtures that often give rise to novel perceptual qualities that are not present in each component. The current study also provides insight into strategies to modulate perceived odorant quality. PMID:14685265

The Application of TOMS Ozone, Aerosol and UV-B Data to Madagascar Air Quality Determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aikin, A.C.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data products for the area of Madagascar are presented. In addition to total ozone, aerosols and UV-B tropospheric ozone results are shown from 1979 to the present. Tropospheric ozone over Africa and Madagascar is enhanced by 10 to 15 DU in October. This maximum coincides with the time of maximum biomass area burning in Africa and Madagascar. Ozone observations were made from 1979 to 1999 using the TOMS tropospheric ozone convective cloud differential method. As a result of easterly trade winds, ozone originating on Madagascar is transported to the west over the Mozambique Channel. In El Nino years higher level westerly winds descend to transport low level ozone easterly. This results in African continental ozone being transported east of Madagascar. Long range transport of African ozone is observed during El Nino periods. The potential of TOMS and other space data for use in public education and research on Madagascar air quality is demonstrated.

Does sports participation (including level of performance and previous injury) increase risk of osteoarthritis? A systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Tran, Gui; Smith, Toby O; Grice, Adam; Kingsbury, Sarah R; McCrory, Paul; Conaghan, Philip G

2016-01-01

Background To assess the relationship between sport and osteoarthritis (OA), and specifically to determine whether previous participation, in terms of level (elite or non-elite), type of sport, intensity or previous injury, was associated with OA. Methods This systematic review was developed using PRISMA guidelines. Databases were searched (to May 2016). Narrative review and meta-analysis (with risk ratio (RR) and 95% CIs) approaches were undertaken where appropriate. Study quality was assessed using GRADE. Results 46 studies were included. Narratively, 31 studies reported an increased risk of OA, with 19 demonstrating an increased risk in elite athletes. There was an increased risk after sports exposure (irrespective of type; RR 1.37; 95% CI 1.14 to 1.64; 21 studies). It remained uncertain whether there was a difference in risk of OA between elite and non-elite athletes (RR 1.37; 95% CI 0.84 to 2.22; 17 studies). The risk was higher in soccer (RR 1.42; 95% CI 1.14 to 1.77; 15 studies) but lower in runners (RR 0.86; 95% CI 0.53 to 1.41; 12 studies). 9 studies showed an association with the intensity of sport undertaken and OA. 5 studies demonstrated a higher prevalence of OA following meniscectomies and anterior cruciate ligament tears. Overall, the evidence was of GRADE ‘very low’ quality. Conclusions There was very low-quality evidence to support an increased relationship between sports participation and OA in elite participants. It is unclear whether there is a difference in risk between elite and non-elite participants with further prospective studies needed to evaluate this. Pooled findings suggested that significant injuries were associated with OA in soccer players. PMID:27683348

A systematic review of social support interventions for caregivers of people with dementia: Are they doing what they promise?

PubMed

Dam, Alieske E H; de Vugt, Marjolein E; Klinkenberg, Inge P M; Verhey, Frans R J; van Boxtel, Martin P J

2016-03-01

Social support interventions for caregivers of persons with dementia (PwD) are important because informal carers often rely on their social networks for support. This systematic review synthesises findings from research on social support interventions, and examines their methodological quality and effectiveness on caregiver social support and well-being variables. A systematic literature search utilised five databases. Papers were selected when the primary aim of the intervention was to improve social support. Quality of papers was assessed by the Level of Evidence grade and the criteria list from the Cochrane Back Review Group. 39 papers were identified and classified into 4 social support intervention categories: befriending and peer support, family support and social network interventions, support groups, and remote interventions using the internet or telephone. Content, intensity, uptake, effectiveness and quality of interventions varied widely. In general, the level of evidence was low. Most studies measured effect on well-being variables, while few examined social support outcomes. Multi-component social support interventions were most effective. Evidence suggested, also a caregiver benefit from remote interventions. Generally, results were inconsistent; some papers demonstrated beneficial results, while others demonstrated no improvement on social support and well-being variables. Social support outcomes were more positively evaluated when qualitative outcome measures rather than quantitative measures were used. Although multi-component social support interventions may improve caregiver well-being, there is insufficient evidence to conclude whether a change in social support is the underlying mediating factor. The inclusion, validation and operationalization of caregiver social support measures deserve more attention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using operational active remote sensing devices to detect Saharan dust advections and evaluate their contribution to the PM10 levels: The EU LIFE+ "DIAPASON" project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gobbi, Gian Paolo; Wille, Holger; Sozzi, Roberto; Barnaba, Francesca; Costabile, Francesca; Angelini, Federico; Frey, Steffen; Bolignano, Andrea; Morelli, Matteo

2013-04-01

The contribution of Saharan-dust advections to both daily and annual PM average mass concentrations can be significant all over Southern Europe. The Directive 2008/50/EC allows subtraction of PM10 exceedances caused by natural contributions from the statistic used to determine air-quality levels in Europe. To this purpose, the Commission Staff Working Paper 6771/11 (EC, 2011) provides specific Guidelines on methods to quantify and subtract the contribution of these sources in the framework of the Air Quality Directive. For Saharan dust, the EC methodology is largely based on a thorough analysis performed over the Iberian Peninsula (Escudero et al, 2007), although revision of the current methodology is in progress. In line with the EC Guidelines, the DIAPASON project ("Desert-dust Impact on Air quality through model-Predictions and Advanced Sensors ObservatioNs"), funded under the EC LIFE+ program, has been formulated to provide a robust, user-oriented, and demonstrated method to assess the presence of desert dust and evaluate its contribution to PM10 levels at the monitoring sites. To this end, in addition to satellite-based data and model forecasts already included in the EC Guidelines, DIAPASON will take advantage, in both the Project implementation and demonstration phase, of innovative and affordable technologies (partly prototyped within the project itself), namely operational Polarization Lidar-Ceilometers (PLC) capable of detecting and profiling dust clouds from the ground up to 10 km altitude. The PLC prototypes have been already finalized during the initial phase of the Project. Three of them will be networked in relevant air quality monitoring stations located in the Rome metropolitan area (Italy) during the DIAPASON observational phase (one-year long field campaign) starting in March 2013. The Rome region was chosen as the DIAPASON pilot scale area since highly impacted by urban pollution and frequently affected by Saharan dust transport events. In fact, a preliminary assessment of the role of Saharan dust in this area, based on a four-year dataset (2001-2004) has shown average increases of PM10 levels of the order of 11.9 µg/m3 when Saharan dust presence is either predicted by models or observed by a depolarization lidar. Conversely, PM10 increases computed relying only on the Lidar detections (i.e., presence of dust layers actually observed) were of the order of 15.6 µg/m3. Both analyses indicate the annual average contribution of dust advections to the city PM10 mass concentrations to be of the order of 2.3 µg/m3 (Gobbi et al., 2013). These results confirm Saharan advections in the central Mediterranean as important modulators of PM10 loads and exceedances. After the demonstrative pilot scale study, the DIAPASON results will be spatially generalised to a wider area. The final DIAPASON methodology to detect/quantify the Saharan dust contribution to PM10 will be tailored for a national scale application, and easily transferable to other air-quality and meteorological agencies in Europe. In this work, preliminary results from the combined analysis of Saharan dust model predictions, PM10 data and lidar records performed within DIAPASON will be shown, with particular focus on the added-value provided by continuous polarization lidar data in integrating the present EC Methodology. - EC, Commission Staff Working Paper 6771/11 establishing guidelines for demonstration and subtraction of exceedances attributable to natural sources under the Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, European Commission, 2011. - Escudero, M., Querol, X., Pey, J., Alastuey, A., Pérez, N., Ferreira, F., Alonso, S., Rodríguez, S. and Cuevas, E., A methodology for the quantification of the net African dust load in air quality monitoring networks, Atmos. Envir., 41, 5516-5524, 2007. - Gobbi,G. P., F. Angelini, F. Barnaba, F. Costabile, J. M. Baldasano, S. Basart, R. Sozzi and A. Bolignano, Changes in Particulate Matter Physical Properties During Saharan Advections over Rome (Italy): A Four-Year Study, 2001-2004, Atmos. Chem. Phys., Discus., 2013.

Ultrafast Harmonic Coherent Compound (UHCC) imaging for high frame rate echocardiography and Shear Wave Elastography

PubMed Central

Correia, Mafalda; Provost, Jean; Chatelin, Simon; Villemain, Olivier; Tanter, Mickael; Pernot, Mathieu

2016-01-01

Transthoracic shear wave elastography of the myocardium remains very challenging due to the poor quality of transthoracic ultrafast imaging and the presence of clutter noise, jitter, phase aberration, and ultrasound reverberation. Several approaches, such as, e.g., diverging-wave coherent compounding or focused harmonic imaging have been proposed to improve the imaging quality. In this study, we introduce ultrafast harmonic coherent compounding (UHCC), in which pulse-inverted diverging-waves are emitted and coherently compounded, and show that such an approach can be used to enhance both Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) and high frame rate B-mode Imaging. UHCC SWE was first tested in phantoms containing an aberrating layer and was compared against pulse-inversion harmonic imaging and against ultrafast coherent compounding (UCC) imaging at the fundamental frequency. In-vivo feasibility of the technique was then evaluated in six healthy volunteers by measuring myocardial stiffness during diastole in transthoracic imaging. We also demonstrated that improvements in imaging quality could be achieved using UHCC B-mode imaging in healthy volunteers. The quality of transthoracic images of the heart was found to be improved with the number of pulse-inverted diverging waves with reduction of the imaging mean clutter level up to 13.8-dB when compared against UCC at the fundamental frequency. These results demonstrated that UHCC B-mode imaging is promising for imaging deep tissues exposed to aberration sources with a high frame-rate. PMID:26890730

Can high quality overcome consumer resistance to restricted provider access? Evidence from a health plan choice experiment.

PubMed

Harris, Katherine M

2002-06-01

To investigate the impact of quality information on the willingness of consumers to enroll in health plans that restrict provider access. A survey administered to respondents between the ages of 25 and 64 in the West Los Angeles area with private health insurance. An experimental approach is used to measure the effect of variation in provider network features and information about the quality of network physicians on hypothetical plan choices. Conditional logit models are used to analyze the experimental choice data. Next, choice model parameter estimates are used to simulate the impact of changes in plan features on the market shares of competing health plans and to calculate the quality level required to make consumers indifferent to changes in provider access. The presence of quality information reduced the importance of provider network features in plan choices as hypothesized. However, there were not statistically meaningful differences by type of quality measure (i.e., consumer assessed versus expert assessed). The results imply that large quality differences are required to make consumers indifferent to changes in provider access. The impact of quality on plan choices depended more on the particular measure and less on the type of measure. Quality ratings based on the proportion of survey respondents "extremely satisfied with results of care" had the greatest impact on plan choice while the proportion of network doctors "affiliated with university medical centers" had the least. Other consumer and expert assessed measures had more comparable effects. Overall the results provide empirical evidence that consumers are willing to trade high quality for restrictions on provider access. This willingness to trade implies that relatively small plans that place restrictions on provider access can successfully compete against less restrictive plans when they can demonstrate high quality. However, the results of this study suggest that in many cases, the level of quality required for consumers to accept access restrictions may be so high as to be unattainable. The results provide empirical support for the current focus of decision support efforts on consumer assessed quality measures. At the same time, however, the results suggest that consumers would also value quality measures based on expert assessments. This finding is relevant given the lack of comparative quality information based on expert judgment and research suggesting that consumers have apprehensions about their ability to meaningfully interpret performance-based quality measures.

GLIMPSE: An integrated assessment model-based tool for ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Dan Loughlin will describe the GCAM-USA integrated assessment model and how that model is being improved and integrated into the GLIMPSE decision support system. He will also demonstrate the application of the model to evaluate the emissions and health implications of hypothetical state-level renewable electricity standards. Introduce the GLIMPSE project to state and regional environmental modelers and analysts. Presented as part of the State Energy and Air Quality Group Webinar Series, which is organized by NESCAUM.

Embedded Implementation of VHR Satellite Image Segmentation

PubMed Central

Li, Chao; Balla-Arabé, Souleymane; Ginhac, Dominique; Yang, Fan

2016-01-01

Processing and analysis of Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite images provide a mass of crucial information, which can be used for urban planning, security issues or environmental monitoring. However, they are computationally expensive and, thus, time consuming, while some of the applications, such as natural disaster monitoring and prevention, require high efficiency performance. Fortunately, parallel computing techniques and embedded systems have made great progress in recent years, and a series of massively parallel image processing devices, such as digital signal processors or Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), have been made available to engineers at a very convenient price and demonstrate significant advantages in terms of running-cost, embeddability, power consumption flexibility, etc. In this work, we designed a texture region segmentation method for very high resolution satellite images by using the level set algorithm and the multi-kernel theory in a high-abstraction C environment and realize its register-transfer level implementation with the help of a new proposed high-level synthesis-based design flow. The evaluation experiments demonstrate that the proposed design can produce high quality image segmentation with a significant running-cost advantage. PMID:27240370

Multi-level diffractive optics for single laser exposure fabrication of telecom-band diamond-like 3-dimensional photonic crystals.

PubMed

Chanda, Debashis; Abolghasemi, Ladan E; Haque, Moez; Ng, Mi Li; Herman, Peter R

2008-09-29

We present a novel multi-level diffractive optical element for diffractive optic near-field lithography based fabrication of large-area diamond-like photonic crystal structure in a single laser exposure step. A multi-level single-surface phase element was laser fabricated on a thin polymer film by two-photon polymerization. A quarter-period phase shift was designed into the phase elements to generate a 3D periodic intensity distribution of double basis diamond-like structure. Finite difference time domain calculation of near-field diffraction patterns and associated isointensity surfaces are corroborated by definitive demonstration of a diamond-like woodpile structure formed inside thick photoresist. A large number of layers provided a strong stopband in the telecom band that matched predictions of numerical band calculation. SEM and spectral observations indicate good structural uniformity over large exposure area that promises 3D photonic crystal devices with high optical quality for a wide range of motif shapes and symmetries. Optical sensing is demonstrated by spectral shifts of the Gamma-Zeta stopband under liquid emersion.

Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L-1 is essential for the early apoptotic wave of germinal cells and for sperm quality control during spermatogenesis.

PubMed

Kwon, Jungkee; Mochida, Keiji; Wang, Yu-Lai; Sekiguchi, Satoshi; Sankai, Tadashi; Aoki, Shunsuke; Ogura, Atsuo; Yoshikawa, Yasuhiro; Wada, Keiji

2005-07-01

Ubiquitination is required throughout all developmental stages of mammalian spermatogenesis. Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase (UCH) L1 is thought to associate with monoubiquitin to control ubiquitin levels. Previously, we found that UCHL1-deficient testes of gad mice have reduced ubiquitin levels and are resistant to cryptorchid stress-related injury. Here, we analyzed the function of UCHL1 during the first round of spermatogenesis and during sperm maturation, both of which are known to require ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. Testicular germ cells in the immature testes of gad mice were resistant to the early apoptotic wave that occurs during the first round of spermatogenesis. TUNEL staining and cell quantitation demonstrated decreased germ cell apoptosis and increased numbers of premeiotic germ cells in gad mice between Postnatal Days 7 and 14. Expression of the apoptotic proteins TRP53, Bax, and caspase-3 was also significantly lower in the immature testes of gad mice. In adult gad mice, cauda epididymidis weight, sperm number in the epididymis, and sperm motility were reduced. Moreover, the number of defective spermatozoa was significantly increased; however, complete infertility was not detected. These data indicate that UCHL1 is required for normal spermatogenesis and sperm quality control and demonstrate the importance of UCHL1-dependent apoptosis in spermatogonial cell and sperm maturation.

Operational Results From a High Power Alternator Test Bed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birchenough, Arthur; Hervol, David

2007-01-01

The Alternator Test Unit (ATU) in the Lunar Power System Facility (LPSF) located at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio was used to simulate the operating conditions and evaluate the performance of the ATU and its interaction with various LPSF components in accordance with the current Fission Surface Power System (FSPS) requirements. The testing was carried out at the breadboard development level. These results successfully demonstrated excellent ATU power bus characteristics and rectified user load power quality during steady state and transient conditions. Information gained from this work could be used to assist the design and primary power quality considerations for a possible future FSPS. This paper describes the LPSF components and some preliminary test results.

Technology Development for Nickel X-Ray Optics Enhancement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bubarev, Mikhail; Ramsey, Brian; Engelhaupt, Darell

2008-01-01

We are developing grazing-incidence x-ray optics for high-energy astrophysics using the electroform-nickel replication process. In this process, mirror shells are fabricated by replication off super-polished cylindrical mandrels. The mirrors fabricated using this process have a demonstrated optical performance at the level of 11-12 arc seconds resolution (HPD) for 30 keV x rays. Future missions demand ever higher angular resolutions and this places stringent requirements on the quality of the mandrels, the precision of the metrology, and the mounting and alignment of the mirror shells in their housings. A progress report on recent technology developments in all these areas will be presented along with a discussion on possible post fabrication, in-situ improvement of the x-ray mirrors quality.

High Performance OLED Panel and Luminaire

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

Spindler, Jeffrey

2017-02-20

In this project, OLEDWorks developed and demonstrated the technology required to produce OLED lighting panels with high energy efficiency and excellent light quality. OLED panels developed in this program produce high quality warm white light with CRI greater than 85 and efficacy up to 80 lumens per watt (LPW). An OLED luminaire employing 24 of the high performance panels produces practical levels of illumination for general lighting, with a flux of over 2200 lumens at 60 LPW. This is a significant advance in the state of the art for OLED solid-state lighting (SSL), which is expected to be a complementarymore » light source to the more advanced LED SSL technology that is rapidly replacing all other traditional forms of lighting.« less

77 FR 65488 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; Attainment Demonstration...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-29

... national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE..., Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Reporting and... Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; Attainment Demonstration for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone...

Acupuncture improves cognitive function: A systematic review☆

PubMed Central

Leung, Mason Chin Pang; Yip, Ka Keung; Lam, Chung Tsung; Lam, Ka Shun; Lau, Wai; Yu, Wing Lam; Leung, Amethyst King Man; So, Kwok-fai

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture has been used as a treatment for cognitive impairment. OBJECTIVE: This review assesses clinical evidence for or against acupuncture as a treatment for cognitive impairment. This review also discusses the proposed mechanism(s) that could link acupuncture to improved cognitive function. METHODS: We searched the literature using PolyUone search from its inception to January 2013, with full text available and language limited to English. Levels of evidence were examined using Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine–Levels of Evidence (March, 2009). RESULTS: Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria: 3 human studies and 9 animal studies. Levels of evidence ranged from level 1b to level 5. CONCLUSION: Most animal studies demonstrated a positive effect of acupuncture on cognitive impairment. However, the results of human studies were inconsistent. Further high-quality human studies with greater statistical power are needed to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture and an optimal protocol. PMID:25206464

An analysis of high-performing science students' preparation for collegiate science courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, Karen

This mixed-method study surveyed first year high-performing science students who participated in high-level courses such as International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and honors science courses in high school to determine their perception of preparation for academic success at the collegiate level. The study used 52 students from an honors college campus and surveyed the students and their professors. The students reported that they felt better prepared for academic success at the collegiate level by taking these courses in high school (p<.001). There was a significant negative correlation between perception of preparation and student GPA with honors science courses (n=55 and Pearson's r=-0.336), while AP courses (n=47 and Pearson's r=0.0016) and IB courses (n=17 and Pearson's r=-0.2716) demonstrated no correlation between perception of preparation and GPA. Students reported various themes that helped or hindered their perception of academic success once at the collegiate level. Those themes that reportedly helped students were preparedness, different types of learning, and teacher qualities. Students reported in a post-hoc experience that more lab time, rigorous coursework, better teachers, and better study techniques helped prepare them for academic success at the collegiate level. Students further reported on qualities of teachers and teaching that helped foster their academic abilities at the collegiate level, including teacher knowledge, caring, teaching style, and expectations. Some reasons for taking high-level science courses in high school include boosting GPA, college credit, challenge, and getting into better colleges.

Can the national surgical quality improvement program provide surgeon-specific outcomes?

PubMed

Kuhnen, Angela H; Marcello, Peter W; Roberts, Patricia L; Read, Thomas E; Schoetz, David J; Rusin, Lawrence C; Hall, Jason F; Ricciardi, Rocco

2015-02-01

Efforts to improve the quality of surgical care and reduce morbidity and mortality have resulted in outcomes reporting at the service and institutional level. Surgeon-specific outcomes are not readily available. The aim of this study is to compare surgeon-specific outcomes from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and 100% capture institutional quality data. We conducted a cohort study evaluating institutional and surgeon-specific outcomes following colorectal surgery procedures at 1 institution over 5 years. All patients who underwent an operation by a colorectal surgeon at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2012 were identified. Thirty-day mortality, reoperation, urinary tract infection, deep vein thrombosis, pneumonia, superficial surgical site infection, and organ space infection were the primary outcomes measured. We compared annual and 5-year institutional and surgeon-specific adverse event rates between the data sets. In addition, we categorized individual surgeons as low-outlier, average, or high-outlier in relation to aggregate averages and determined the concordance between the data sets in identifying outliers. Concordance was designated if the 2 databases classified outlier status similarly for the same adverse event category. In the 100% capture institutional data, 6459 operative encounters were identified in comparison with 1786 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program encounters (28% sampled). Annual aggregate adverse event rates were similar between the institutional data and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. For annual surgeon-specific comparisons, concordance in identifying outliers between the 2 data sets was 51.4%, and gross discordance between outlier status was in 8.2%. Five-year surgeon-specific comparisons demonstrated 59% concordance in identifying outlier status with 8.2% gross discordance for the group. The inclusion of data from only 1 academic referral center is a limitation of this study. Each surgeon was identified as a "high outlier" in at least 1 adverse event category. Comparisons at the annual and 5-year points demonstrated poor concordance between our 100% capture institutional data and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data.

QualityML: a dictionary for quality metadata encoding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ninyerola, Miquel; Sevillano, Eva; Serral, Ivette; Pons, Xavier; Zabala, Alaitz; Bastin, Lucy; Masó, Joan

2014-05-01

The scenario of rapidly growing geodata catalogues requires tools focused on facilitate users the choice of products. Having quality fields populated in metadata allow the users to rank and then select the best fit-for-purpose products. In this direction, we have developed the QualityML (http://qualityml.geoviqua.org), a dictionary that contains hierarchically structured concepts to precisely define and relate quality levels: from quality classes to quality measurements. Generically, a quality element is the path that goes from the higher level (quality class) to the lowest levels (statistics or quality metrics). This path is used to encode quality of datasets in the corresponding metadata schemas. The benefits of having encoded quality, in the case of data producers, are related with improvements in their product discovery and better transmission of their characteristics. In the case of data users, particularly decision-makers, they would find quality and uncertainty measures to take the best decisions as well as perform dataset intercomparison. Also it allows other components (such as visualization, discovery, or comparison tools) to be quality-aware and interoperable. On one hand, the QualityML is a profile of the ISO geospatial metadata standards providing a set of rules for precisely documenting quality indicator parameters that is structured in 6 levels. On the other hand, QualityML includes semantics and vocabularies for the quality concepts. Whenever possible, if uses statistic expressions from the UncertML dictionary (http://www.uncertml.org) encoding. However it also extends UncertML to provide list of alternative metrics that are commonly used to quantify quality. A specific example, based on a temperature dataset, is shown below. The annual mean temperature map has been validated with independent in-situ measurements to obtain a global error of 0.5 ° C. Level 0: Quality class (e.g., Thematic accuracy) Level 1: Quality indicator (e.g., Quantitative attribute correctness) Level 2: Measurement field (e.g., DifferentialErrors1D) Level 3: Statistic or Metric (e.g., Half-lengthConfidenceInterval) Level 4: Units (e.g. Celsius degrees) Level 5: Value (e.g.0.5) Level 6: Specifications. Additional information on how the measurement took place, citation of the reference data, the traceability of the process and a publication describing the validation process encoded using new 19157 elements or the GeoViQua (http://www.geoviqua.org) Quality Model (PQM-UQM) extensions to the ISO models. Finally, keep in mind, that QualityML is not just suitable for encoding dataset level but also considers pixel and object level uncertainties. This is done by link the metadata quality descriptions with layers representing not just the data but the uncertainty values associated with each geospatial element.

Water quality concerns due to forest fires: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) contamination of groundwater from mountain areas.

PubMed

Mansilha, C; Carvalho, A; Guimarães, P; Espinha Marques, J

2014-01-01

Water quality alterations due to forest fires may considerably affect aquatic organisms and water resources. These impacts are cumulative as a result of pollutants mobilized from fires, chemicals used to fight fire, and postfire responses. Few studies have examined postfire transport into water resources of trace elements, including the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are organic pollutants produced during combustion and are considered carcinogenic and harmful to humans. PAH are also known to adversely affect survival, growth, and reproduction of many aquatic species. This study assessed the effects of forest wildfires on groundwater from two mountain regions located in protected areas from north and central Portugal. Two campaigns to collect water samples were performed in order to measure PAH levels. Fifteen of 16 studied PAH were found in groundwater samples collected at burned areas, most of them at concentrations significantly higher than those found in control regions, indicating aquifer contamination. The total sum of PAH in burned areas ranged from 23.1to 95.1 ng/L with a median of 62.9 ng/L, which is one- to sixfold higher than the average level measured in controls (16.2 ng/L). In addition, in control samples, the levels of light PAH with two to four rings were at higher levels than heavy PAH with five or six rings, thus showing a different profile between control and burned sites. The contribution of wildfires to groundwater contamination by PAH was demonstrated, enabling a reliable assessment of the impacts on water quality and preparation of scientifically based decision criteria for postfire forest management practices.

Imaging the Parasinus Region with a Third-Generation Dual-Source CT and the Effect of Tin Filtration on Image Quality and Radiation Dose.

PubMed

Lell, M M; May, M S; Brand, M; Eller, A; Buder, T; Hofmann, E; Uder, M; Wuest, W

2015-07-01

CT is the imaging technique of choice in the evaluation of midface trauma or inflammatory disease. We performed a systematic evaluation of scan protocols to optimize image quality and radiation exposure on third-generation dual-source CT. CT protocols with different tube voltage (70-150 kV), current (25-300 reference mAs), prefiltration, pitch value, and rotation time were systematically evaluated. All images were reconstructed with iterative reconstruction (Advanced Modeled Iterative Reconstruction, level 2). To individually compare results with otherwise identical factors, we obtained all scans on a frozen human head. Conebeam CT was performed for image quality and dose comparison with multidetector row CT. Delineation of important anatomic structures and incidental pathologic conditions in the cadaver head was evaluated. One hundred kilovolts with tin prefiltration demonstrated the best compromise between dose and image quality. The most dose-effective combination for trauma imaging was Sn100 kV/250 mAs (volume CT dose index, 2.02 mGy), and for preoperative sinus surgery planning, Sn100 kV/150 mAs (volume CT dose index, 1.22 mGy). "Sn" indicates an additional prefiltration of the x-ray beam with a tin filter to constrict the energy spectrum. Exclusion of sinonasal disease was possible with even a lower dose by using Sn100 kV/25 mAs (volume CT dose index, 0.2 mGy). High image quality at very low dose levels can be achieved by using a Sn100-kV protocol with iterative reconstruction. The effective dose is comparable with that of conventional radiography, and the high image quality at even lower radiation exposure favors multidetector row CT over conebeam CT. © 2015 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Big Data and Heath Impacts of Drinking Water Quality Violation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allaire, M.; Zheng, S.; Lall, U.

2017-12-01

Health impacts of drinking water quality violations are only understood at a coarse level in the United States. This limits identification of threats to water security in communities across the country. Substantial under-reporting is suspected due to requirements at U.S. public health institutes that water borne illnesses be confirmed by health providers. In the era of `big data', emerging information sources could offer insight into waterborne disease trends. In this study, we explore the use of fine-resolution sales data for over-the-counter medicine to estimate the health impacts of drinking water quality violations. We also demonstrate how unreported water quality issues can be detected by observing market behavior. We match a panel of supermarket sales data for the U.S. at the weekly level with geocoded violations data from 2006-2015. We estimate the change in anti-diarrheal medicine sale due to drinking water violations using a fixed effects model. We find that water quality violations have considerable effects on medicine sales. Sales nearly double due to Tier 1 violations, which pose an immediate health risk, and sales increase 15.1 percent due to violations related to microorganisms. Furthermore, our estimate of diarrheal illness cases associated with water quality violations indicates that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting system may only capture about one percent of diarrheal cases due to impaired water. Incorporating medicine sales data could offer national public health institutes a game-changing way to improve monitoring of disease outbreaks. Since many disease cases are not formally diagnosed by health providers, consumption information could provide additional information to remedy under-reporting issues and improve water security in communities across the United States.

The association between the physical environment and the well-being of older people in residential care facilities: A multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Nordin, Susanna; McKee, Kevin; Wijk, Helle; Elf, Marie

2017-12-01

To investigate the associations between the quality of the physical environment and the psychological and social well-being of older people living in residential care facilities. Many older people in care facilities have cognitive and physical frailties and are at risk of experiencing low levels of well-being. High-quality physical environments can support older people as frailty increases and promote their well-being. Although the importance of the physical environment for residents' well-being is recognized, more research is needed. A cross-sectional survey of 20 care facilities from each of which 10 residents were sampled. As the individual resident data were nested in the facilities, a multilevel analysis was conducted. Data were collected during 2013 and 2014. The care facilities were purposely sampled to ensure a high level of variation in their physical characteristics. Residents' demographic and health data were collected via medical records and interviews. Residents' well-being and perceived quality of care were assessed via questionnaires and interviews. Environmental quality was assessed with a structured observational instrument. Multilevel analysis indicated that cognitive support in the physical environment was associated with residents' social well-being, after controlling for independence and perceived care quality. However, no significant association was found between the physical environment and residents' psychological well-being. Our study demonstrates the role of the physical environment for enhancing the social well-being of frail older people. Professionals and practitioners involved in the design of care facilities have a responsibility to ensure that such facilities meet high-quality specifications. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluation of the structural, physicochemical, and biological characteristics of SB4, a biosimilar of etanercept

PubMed Central

Cho, Ick Hyun; Lee, Nayoung; Song, Dami; Jung, Seong Young; Bou-Assaf, George; Sosic, Zoran; Zhang, Wei; Lyubarskaya, Yelena

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT A biosimilar is a biological medicinal product that is comparable to a reference medicinal product in terms of quality, safety, and efficacy. SB4 was developed as a biosimilar to Enbrel® (etanercept) and was approved as Benepali®, the first biosimilar of etanercept licensed in the European Union (EU). The quality assessment of SB4 was performed in accordance with the ICH comparability guideline and the biosimilar guidelines of the European Medicines Agency and Food and Drug Administration. Extensive structural, physicochemical, and biological testing was performed with state-of-the-art technologies during a side-by-side comparison of the products. Similarity of critical quality attributes (CQAs) was evaluated on the basis of tolerance intervals established from quality data obtained from more than 60 lots of EU-sourced and US-sourced etanercept. Additional quality assessment was focused on a detailed investigation of immunogenicity-related quality attributes, including hydrophobic variants, high-molecular-weight (HMW) species, N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NGNA), and α-1,3-galactose. This comprehensive characterization study demonstrated that SB4 is highly similar to the reference product, Enbrel®, in structural, physicochemical, and biological quality attributes. In addition, the levels of potential immunogenicity-related quality attributes of SB4 such as hydrophobic variants, HMW aggregates, and α-1,3-galactose were less than those of the reference product. PMID:27246928

NASA Excellence Award for Quality and Productivity 1989 highlights. The 1989 recipient: Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Company

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The NASA Excellence Award for Productivity and Quality is the result of NASA's desire to encourage superior quality and the continuous improvement philosophy in the aerospace industry. It is awarded to NASA contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers who have demonstrated sustained excellence, customer orientation, and outstanding achievements in a total quality management (TQM) environment. The 'highlights' booklet is intended to transfer successful techniques demonstrated by the performance and quality of major NASA contractors.

Effect of Anti-Sclerostin Therapy and Osteogenesis Imperfecta on Tissue-level Properties in Growing and Adult Mice While Controlling for Tissue Age

PubMed Central

Sinder, Benjamin P.; Lloyd, William R.; Salemi, Joseph D.; Marini, Joan C.; Caird, Michelle S.; Morris, Michael D.; Kozloff, Kenneth M.

2016-01-01

Bone composition and biomechanics at the tissue-level are important contributors to whole bone strength. Sclerostin antibody (Scl-Ab) is a candidate anabolic therapy for the treatment of osteoporosis that increases bone formation, bone mass, and bone strength in animal studies, but its effect on bone quality at the tissue-level has received little attention. Pre-clinical studies of Scl-Ab have recently expanded to include diseases with altered collagen and material properties such as Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI). The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Scl-Ab on bone quality by determining bone material composition and tissue-level mechanical properties in normal wild type (WT) tissue, as well as mice with a typical OI Gly→Cys mutation (Brtl/+) in type I collagen. Rapidly growing (3-week-old) and adult (6-month-old) WT and Brtl/+ mice were treated for 5 weeks with Scl-Ab. Fluorescent guided tissue-level bone composition analysis (Raman spectroscopy) and biomechanical testing (nanoindentation) were performed at multiple tissue ages. Scl-Ab increased mineral to matrix in adult WT and Brtl/+ at tissue ages of 2–4wks. However, no treatment related changes were observed in mineral to matrix levels at mid-cortex, and elastic modulus was not altered by Scl-Ab at any tissue age. Increased mineral-to-matrix was phenotypically observed in adult Brtl/+ OI mice (at tissue ages >3wk) and rapidly growing Brtl/+ (at tissue ages > 4wk) mice compared to WT. At identical tissue ages defined by fluorescent labels adult mice had generally lower mineral to matrix ratios and a greater elastic modulus than rapidly growing mice, demonstrating that bone matrix quality can be influenced by animal age and tissue age alike. In summary, these data suggest that Scl-Ab alters the matrix chemistry of newly formed bone while not affecting the elastic modulus, induces similar changes between Brtl/+ and WT mice, and provides new insight into the interaction between tissue age and animal age on bone quality. PMID:26769006