Index to Estimate the Efficiency of an Ophthalmic Practice.

PubMed

Chen, Andrew; Kim, Eun Ah; Aigner, Dennis J; Afifi, Abdelmonem; Caprioli, Joseph

2015-08-01

A metric of efficiency, a function of the ratio of quality to cost per patient, will allow the health care system to better measure the impact of specific reforms and compare the effectiveness of each. To develop and evaluate an efficiency index that estimates the performance of an ophthalmologist's practice as a function of cost, number of patients receiving care, and quality of care. Retrospective review of 36 ophthalmology subspecialty practices from October 2011 to September 2012 at a university-based eye institute. The efficiency index (E) was defined as a function of adjusted number of patients (N(a)), total practice adjusted costs (C(a)), and a preliminary measure of quality (Q). Constant b limits E between 0 and 1. Constant y modifies the influence of Q on E. Relative value units and geographic cost indices determined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid for 2012 were used to calculate adjusted costs. The efficiency index is expressed as the following: E = b(N(a)/C(a))Q(y). Independent, masked auditors reviewed 20 random patient medical records for each practice and filled out 3 questionnaires to obtain a process-based quality measure. The adjusted number of patients, adjusted costs, quality, and efficiency index were calculated for 36 ophthalmology subspecialties. The median adjusted number of patients was 5516 (interquartile range, 3450-11,863), the median adjusted cost was 1.34 (interquartile range, 0.99-1.96), the median quality was 0.89 (interquartile range, 0.79-0.91), and the median value of the efficiency index was 0.26 (interquartile range, 0.08-0.42). The described efficiency index is a metric that provides a broad overview of performance for a variety of ophthalmology specialties as estimated by resources used and a preliminary measure of quality of care provided. The results of the efficiency index could be used in future investigations to determine its sensitivity to detect the impact of interventions on a practice such as training modules or practice restructuring.

Application of CCME Water Quality Index to monitor water quality: a case study of the Mackenzie River Basin, Canada.

PubMed

Lumb, Ashok; Halliwell, Doug; Sharma, Tribeni

2006-02-01

All six ecosystem initiatives evolved from many years of federal, provincial, First Nation, local government and community attention to the stresses on sensitive habitats and species, air and water quality, and the consequent threats to community livability. This paper assesses water quality aspect for the ecosystem initiatives and employs newly developed Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI) which provides a convenient mean of summarizing complex water quality data that can be easily understood by the public, water distributors, planners, managers and policy makers. The CCME WQI incorporates three elements: Scope - the number of water quality parameters (variables) not meeting water quality objectives (F(1)); Frequency - the number of times the objectives are not met (F(2)); and Amplitude. the extent to which the objectives are not met (F(3)). The index produces a number between 0 (worst) to 100 (best) to reflect the water quality. This study evaluates water quality of the Mackenzie - Great Bear sub-basin by employing two modes of objective functions (threshold values): one based on the CCME water quality guidelines and the other based on site-specific values that were determined by the statistical analysis of the historical data base. Results suggest that the water quality of the Mackenzie-Great Bear sub-basin is impacted by high turbidity and total (mostly particulate) trace metals due to high suspended sediment loads during the open water season. Comments are also provided on water quality and human health issues in the Mackenzie basin based on the findings and the usefulness of CCME water quality guidelines and site specific values.

30 CFR 1206.174 - How do I value gas production when an index-based method cannot be used?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... dispositions of like-quality gas in the same field (or, if necessary to obtain a reasonable sample, from the..., quality of gas, residue gas, or gas plant products, volume, and such other factors as may be appropriate... consideration of other information relevant in valuing like-quality gas, residue gas, or gas plant products...

Importance of background values in assessing the impact of heavy metals in river ecosystems: case study of Tisza River, Serbia.

PubMed

Štrbac, Snežana; Kašanin Grubin, Milica; Vasić, Nebojša

2017-11-30

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate how a choice of different background values may affect assessing the anthropogenic heavy metal pollution in sediments from Tisza River (Serbia). The second objective of this paper is to underline significance of using geochemical background values when establishing quality criteria for sediment. Enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (I geo ), pollution load index (PLI), and potential ecological risk index (PERI) were calculated using different background values. Three geochemical (average metal concentrations in continental crust, average metal concentrations in shale, and average metal concentrations in non-contaminated core sediment samples) and two statistical methods (delineation method and principal component analyses) were used for calculating background values. It can be concluded that obtained information of pollution status can be more dependent on the use of background values than the index/factor chosen. The best option to assess the potential river sediment contamination is to compare obtained concentrations of analyzed elements with concentrations of mineralogically and texturally comparable, uncontaminated core sediment samples. Geochemical background values should be taken into account when establishing quality criteria for soils, sediments, and waters. Due to complexity of the local lithology, it is recommended that environmental monitoring and assessment include selection of an appropriate background values to gain understanding of the geochemistry and potential source of pollution in a given environment.

Comparison of macroinvertebrate-derived stream quality metrics between snag and riffle habitats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stepenuck, K.F.; Crunkilton, R.L.; Bozek, Michael A.; Wang, L.

2008-01-01

We compared benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage structure at snag and riffle habitats in 43 Wisconsin streams across a range of watershed urbanization using a variety of stream quality metrics. Discriminant analysis indicated that dominant taxa at riffles and snags differed; Hydropsychid caddisflies (Hydropsyche betteni and Cheumatopsyche spp.) and elmid beetles (Optioservus spp. and Stenemlis spp.) typified riffles, whereas isopods (Asellus intermedius) and amphipods (Hyalella azteca and Gammarus pseudolimnaeus) predominated in snags. Analysis of covariance indicated that samples from snag and riffle habitats differed significantly in their response to the urbanization gradient for the Hilsenhoff biotic index (BI), Shannon's diversity index, and percent of filterers, shredders, and pollution intolerant Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) at each stream site (p ??? 0.10). These differences suggest that although macroinvertebrate assemblages present in either habitat type are sensitive to detecting the effects of urbanization, metrics derived from different habitats should not be intermixed when assessing stream quality through biomonitoring. This can be a limitation to resource managers who wish to compare water quality among streams where the same habitat type is not available at all stream locations, or where a specific habitat type (i.e., a riffle) is required to determine a metric value (i.e., BI). To account for differences in stream quality at sites lacking riffle habitat, snag-derived metric values can be adjusted based on those obtained from riffles that have been exposed to the same level of urbanization. Comparison of nonlinear regression equations that related stream quality metric values from the two habitat types to percent watershed urbanization indicated that snag habitats had on average 30.2 fewer percent EPT individuals, a lower diversity index value than riffles, and a BI value of 0.29 greater than riffles. ?? 2008 American Water Resources Association.

How Clean is your Local Air? Here's an app for that

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maskey, M.; Yang, E.; Christopher, S. A.; Keiser, K.; Nair, U. S.; Graves, S. J.

2011-12-01

Air quality is a vital element of our environment. Accurate and localized air quality information is critical for characterizing environmental impacts at the local and regional levels. Advances in location-aware handheld devices and air quality modeling have enabled a group of UAHuntsville scientists to develop a mobile app, LocalAQI, that informs users of current conditions and forecasts of up to twenty-four hours, of air quality indices. The air quality index is based on Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System (CMAQ). UAHuntsville scientists have used satellite remote sensing products as inputs to CMAQ, resulting in forecast guidance for particulate matter air quality. The CMAQ output is processed to compute a standardized air quality index. Currently, the air quality index is available for the eastern half of the United States. LocalAQI consists of two main views: air quality index view and map view. The air quality index view displays current air quality for the zip code of a location of interest. Air quality index value is translated into a color-coded advisory system. In addition, users are able to cycle through available hourly forecasts for a location. This location-aware app defaults to the current air quality of user's location. The map view displays color-coded air quality information for the eastern US with an ability to animate through the available forecasts. The app is developed using a cross-platform native application development tool, appcelerator; hence LocalAQI is available for iOS and Android-based phones and pads.

Can Item Analysis of MCQs Accomplish the Need of a Proper Assessment Strategy for Curriculum Improvement in Medical Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pawade, Yogesh R.; Diwase, Dipti S.

2016-01-01

Item analysis of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) is the process of collecting, summarizing and utilizing information from students' responses to evaluate the quality of test items. Difficulty Index (p-value), Discrimination Index (DI) and Distractor Efficiency (DE) are the parameters which help to evaluate the quality of MCQs used in an…

Assessment of soil biological quality index (QBS-ar) in different crop rotation systems in paddy soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadimi-Goki, Mandana; Bini, Claudio; haefele, Stephan

2013-04-01

New methods, based on soil microarthropods for soil quality evaluation have been proposed by some Authors. Soil microarthropods demonstrated to respond sensitively to land management practices and to be correlated with beneficial soil functions. QBS Index (QBS-ar) is calculated on the basis of microarthropod groups present in a soil sample. Each biological form found in the sample receives a score from 1 to 20 (eco-morphological index, EMI), according to its adaptation to soil environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of various rotation systems and sampling periods on soil biological quality index, in paddy soils. For the purpose of this study surface soil samples (0-15 cm depth) were collected from different rotation systems (rice-rice-rice, soya-rice-rice, fallow-rice and pea-soya-rice) with three replications, and four sampling times in April (after field preparation), June (after seedling), August (after tillering stage) and October (after rice harvesting). The study area is located in paddy soils of Verona area, Northern Italy. Soil microarthropods from a total of 48 samples were extracted and classified according to the Biological Quality of Soil Index (QBS-ar) method. In addition soil moisture, Cumulative Soil Respiration and pH were measured in each site. More diversity of microarthropod groups was found in June and August sampling times. T-test results between different rotations did not show significant differences while the mean difference between rotation and different sampling times is statistically different. The highest QBS-ar value was found in the fallow-rice rotation in the forth soil sampling time. Similar value was found in soya-rice-rice rotation. Result of linear regression analysis indicated that there is significant correlation between QBS-ar values and Cumulative Soil Respiration. Keywords: soil biological quality index (QBS-ar), Crop Rotation System, paddy soils, Italy

Application of the Benthic Ecosystem Quality Index 2 to benthos in Dutch transitional and coastal waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Loon, W. M. G. M.; Boon, A. R.; Gittenberger, A.; Walvoort, D. J. J.; Lavaleye, M.; Duineveld, G. C. A.; Verschoor, A. J.

2015-09-01

The Benthic Ecosystem Quality Index 2 (BEQI2) is the Dutch multi-metric index (MMI) for assessing the status and trend of benthic invertebrates in transitional and coastal waters for the Water Framework Directive (WFD). It contains the same indicators, i.e. species richness, Shannon index and AMBI, as in the multivariate m-AMBI. The latter MMI has been adopted by several European countries in the context of WFD implementation. In contrast to m-AMBI, the BEQI2 calculation procedure has been strongly simplified and consists of two steps, i.e. the separate indicator values are normalized using their long-term reference values resulting in three Ecological Quality Ratios (EQRs), which are subsequently averaged to give one BEQI2 value. Using this method only small numbers of samples need to be analysed by Dutch benthos laboratories annually, without the necessity to co-analyse a larger historical dataset. BEQI2 EQR values appeared to correlate quantitatively very well with m-AMBI EQR values. In addition, a data pooling procedure has been added to the BEQI2 tool which enables the pooling of small core samples (0.01-0.025 m2) into larger standardized data pools of 0.1 m2 in order to meet the data requirements of the AMBI indicator and to obtain comparable reference values. Furthermore, the BEQI2 tool automatically and efficiently converts species synonym names into standardized species names. The BEQI2 tool has been applied to all Dutch benthos data monitored by Rijkswaterstaat in the period of 1991-2010 in the transitional and coastal waters and salt lakes and these results are reported here for the first time. Reference values for species richness and Shannon index (99 percentile values) and AMBI reference values (1 percentile values) were estimated for all water body-ecotopes and are discussed. BEQI2 results for all these water bodies are discussed in view of natural and human pressures. The pressure sensitivity of the BEQI2 for sewage and dredging/dumping, via the state variables oxygen and suspended matter respectively, was demonstrated.

Total quality index of Agaricus bisporus mushrooms packed in modified atmosphere.

PubMed

Djekic, Ilija; Vunduk, Jovana; Tomašević, Igor; Kozarski, Maja; Petrovic, Predrag; Niksic, Miomir; Pudja, Predrag; Klaus, Anita

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to develop a total quality index and examine the effects of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the quality of Agaricus bisporus mushrooms stored for 22 days at 4 °C. Mushrooms were packaged under three MAPs: high nitrogen packaging (HNP), low carbon dioxide packaging (LCP) and low oxygen packaging (LOP). Passive MAP with air inside initially was used as the atmosphere treatment (AIR). This research revealed two phases in quality deterioration of A. bisporus mushrooms. During the first week, most of the quality parameters were not statistically different. Thereafter, odor intensities were stronger for all four types of packaging. Color difference and browning index values showed significantly lower color changes for AIR and LOP compared with HNP and LCP mushrooms. The best total quality index was calculated for LOP, followed by LCP and AIR. The findings of this study are useful with respect to examining two-component MAPs, separating the limiting factors (O 2 and CO 2 ) and evaluating quality deterioration effects and the total quality index of A. bisporus mushrooms. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Measurement of Health Care Quality in Atopic Dermatitis - Development and Application of a Set of Quality Indicators.

PubMed

Steinke, S; Beikert, F C; Langenbruch, A; Fölster-Holst, R; Ring, J; Schmitt, J; Werfel, T; Hintzen, S; Franzke, N; Augustin, M

2018-05-15

Quality indicators are essential tools for the assessment of health care, in particular for guideline-based procedures. 1) Development of a set of indicators for the evaluation of process and outcomes quality in atopic dermatitis (AD) care. 2) Application of the indicators to a cross-sectional study and creation of a global process quality index. An expert committee consisting of 10 members of the German guideline group on atopic dermatitis condensed potential quality indicators to a final set of 5 outcomes quality and 12 process quality indicators using a Delphi panel. The outcomes quality and 7 resp. 8 process quality indicators were retrospectively applied to a nationwide study on 1,678 patients with atopic dermatitis (AtopicHealth). Each individual process quality indicator score was then summed up to a global index (ranges from 0 (no quality achieved) to 100 (full quality achieved)) displaying the quality of health care. In total, the global process quality index revealed a median value of 62.5 and did not or only slightly correlate to outcome indicators as the median SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis; rp =0.08), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI; rp = 0.256), and Patient Benefit Index (PBI; rp = -0.151). Process quality of AD care is moderate to good. The health care process quality index does not substantially correlate to the health status of AD patients measured by 5 different outcomes quality indicators. Further research should include the investigation of reliability, responsiveness, and feasibility of the proposed quality indicators for AD. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

78 FR 37757 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-24

... the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District AGENCY... the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) portion of the California State... Quality Index rather than on 1-hour ozone forecasted values; (b) forecast criteria for allowing a...

Geospatial distribution modeling and determining suitability of groundwater quality for irrigation purpose using geospatial methods and water quality index (WQI) in Northern Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gidey, Amanuel

2018-06-01

Determining suitability and vulnerability of groundwater quality for irrigation use is a key alarm and first aid for careful management of groundwater resources to diminish the impacts on irrigation. This study was conducted to determine the overall suitability of groundwater quality for irrigation use and to generate their spatial distribution maps in Elala catchment, Northern Ethiopia. Thirty-nine groundwater samples were collected to analyze and map the water quality variables. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer, ultraviolet spectrophotometer, titration and calculation methods were used for laboratory groundwater quality analysis. Arc GIS, geospatial analysis tools, semivariogram model types and interpolation methods were used to generate geospatial distribution maps. Twelve and eight water quality variables were used to produce weighted overlay and irrigation water quality index models, respectively. Root-mean-square error, mean square error, absolute square error, mean error, root-mean-square standardized error, measured values versus predicted values were used for cross-validation. The overall weighted overlay model result showed that 146 km2 areas are highly suitable, 135 km2 moderately suitable and 60 km2 area unsuitable for irrigation use. The result of irrigation water quality index confirms 10.26% with no restriction, 23.08% with low restriction, 20.51% with moderate restriction, 15.38% with high restriction and 30.76% with the severe restriction for irrigation use. GIS and irrigation water quality index are better methods for irrigation water resources management to achieve a full yield irrigation production to improve food security and to sustain it for a long period, to avoid the possibility of increasing environmental problems for the future generation.

Geographic disparities in Healthy Eating Index scores (HEI-2005 and 2010) by residential property values: Findings from Seattle Obesity Study (SOS).

PubMed

Drewnowski, Adam; Aggarwal, Anju; Cook, Andrea; Stewart, Orion; Moudon, Anne Vernez

2016-02-01

Higher socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked with higher-quality diets. New GIS methods allow for geographic mapping of diet quality at a very granular level. To examine the geographic distribution of two measures of diet quality: Healthy Eating Index (HEI 2005 and HEI 2010) in relation to residential property values in Seattle-King County. The Seattle Obesity Study (SOS) collected data from a population-based sample of King County adults in 2008-09. Socio-demographic data were obtained by 20-min telephone survey. Dietary data were obtained from food frequency questionnaires (FFQs). Home addresses were geocoded to the tax parcel and residential property values were obtained from the King County tax assessor. Multivariable regression analyses using 1116 adults tested associations between SES variables and diet quality measured (HEI scores). Residential property values, education, and incomes were associated with higher HEI scores in bivariate analyses. Property values were not collinear with either education or income. In adjusted multivariable models, education and residential property were better associated with HEI, compared to than income. Mapping of HEI-2005 and HEI-2010 at the census block level illustrated the geographic distribution of diet quality across Seattle-King County. The use of residential property values, an objective measure of SES, allowed for the first visual exploration of diet quality at high spatial resolution: the census block level. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Geographic disparities in Healthy Eating Index scores (HEI-2005 and 2010) by residential property values: Findings from Seattle Obesity Study (SOS)

PubMed Central

Drewnowski, Adam; Aggarwal, Anju; Cook, Andrea; Stewart, Orion; Vernez Moudon, Anne

2016-01-01

Background Higher socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked with higher-quality diets. New GIS methods allow for geographic mapping of diet quality at a very granular level. Objective To examine the geographic distribution of two measures of diet quality: Healthy Eating Index (HEI 2005 and HEI 2010) in relation to residential property values in Seattle-King County. Methods The Seattle Obesity Study (SOS) collected data from a population-based sample of King County adults in 2008–09. Socio-demographic data were obtained by 20-min telephone survey. Dietary data were obtained from food frequency questionnaires (FFQs). Home addresses were geocoded to the tax parcel and residential property values were obtained from the King County tax assessor. Multivariable regression analyses using 1,116 adults tested associations between SES variables and diet quality measured (HEI scores). Results Residential property values, education, and incomes were associated with higher HEI scores in bivariate analyses. Property values were not collinear with either education or income. In adjusted multivariable models, education and residential property were better associated with HEI, compared to than income. Mapping of HEI-2005 and HEI-2010 at the census block level illustrated the geographic distribution of diet quality across Seattle-King County. Conclusion The use of residential property values, an objective measure of SES, allowed for the first visual exploration of diet quality at high spatial resolution: the census block level. PMID:26657348

Application of water quality index to evaluate groundwater quality (temporal and spatial variation) of an intensively exploited aquifer (Puebla valley, Mexico).

PubMed

Salcedo-Sánchez, Edith R; Garrido Hoyos, Sofía E; Esteller Alberich, Ma Vicenta; Martínez Morales, Manuel

2016-10-01

The spatial and temporal variation of water quality in the urban area of the Puebla Valley aquifer was evaluated using historical and present data obtained during this investigation. The current study assessed water quality based on the Water Quality Index developed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME-WQI), which provides a mathematical framework to evaluate the quality of water in combination with a set of conditions representing quality criteria, or limits. This index is flexible regarding the type and number of variables used by the evaluation given that the variables of interest are selected according to the characteristics and objectives of development, conservation and compliance with regulations. The CCME-WQI was calculated using several variables that assess the main use of the wells in the urban area that is public supply, according to criteria for human use and consumption established by Mexican law and international standards proposed by the World Health Organization. The assessment of the index shows a gradual deterioration in the quality of the aquifer over time, as the amount of wells with excellent quality have decreased and those with lower index values (poor quality) have increased throughout the urban area of the Puebla Valley aquifer. The parameters affecting groundwater quality are: total dissolved solids, sulfate, calcium, magnesium and total hardness.

Do body mass index and fat volume influence vocal quality, phonatory range, and aerodynamics in females?

PubMed

Barsties, Ben; Verfaillie, Rudi; Roy, Nelson; Maryn, Youri

2013-01-01

To analyze the impact of body weight and body fat volume on selected parameters of vocal quality, phonatory range, and aerodynamics in females. Based on measurements of body mass index in combination with body fat volume, 29 normophonic female subjects were classified as normal weight, underweight, and obese. Voice quality was investigated via auditory-perceptual ratings of breathiness, roughness, and overall dysphonia severity, via various acoustic measures and a multiparametric index. Phonatory range performance was examined using selected measures of the voice range profile and speech range profile. Measures of vocally relevant aerodynamics included vital capacity (i.e., VC), expected VC, phonation quotient, and maximum phonation time (i.e., MPT). Significant differences between the three weight groups were found across several measures of intensity, VC, MPT, and shimmer. As compared to the other groups, significantly higher values of maximum and minimum intensity levels, as well as sound pressure level during habitual running speech were observed for the obese group (all p-values<0.05); whereas, the underweight group had significantly lower values for VC and ratio of expected to measured VC (p-values<0.01). Furthermore, underweight subjects differed significantly as compared to normal weight subjects with lower MPT (p=0.025) and higher lowest-F0 (p=0.035). Finally the obese group showed significantly lower shimmer values than the normal weight subjects (p<0.05). Body weight and body fat volume appear to influence select objective measures of voice quality, vocal aerodynamics, and phonatory range performance.

[Aquatic Ecological Index based on freshwater (ICE(RN-MAE)) for the Rio Negro watershed, Colombia].

PubMed

Forero, Laura Cristina; Longo, Magnolia; John Jairo, Ramirez; Guillermo, Chalar

2014-04-01

Aquatic Ecological Index based on freshwater (ICE(RN-MAE)) for the Rio Negro watershed, Colombia. Available indices to assess the ecological status of rivers in Colombia are mostly based on subjective hypotheses about macroinvertebrate tolerance to pollution, which have important limitations. Here we present the application of a method to establish an index of ecological quality for lotic systems in Colombia. The index, based on macroinvertebrate abundance and physicochemical variables, was developed as an alternative to the BMWP-Col index. The method consists on determining an environmental gradient from correlations between physicochemical variables and abundance. The scores obtained in each sampling point are used in a standardized correlation for a model of weighted averages (WA). In the WA model abundances are also weighted to estimate the optimum and tolerance values of each taxon; using this information we estimated the index of ecological quality based also on macroinvertebrate (ICE(RN-MAE)) abundance in each sampling site. Subsequently, we classified all sites using the index and concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) in a cluster analysis. Using TP and ICE(RN-MAE), mean, maximum, minimum and standard deviation, we defined threshold values corresponding to three categories of ecological status: good, fair and critical.

Mapping Air Quality Index of Carbon Monoxide (CO) in Medan City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suryati, I.; Khair, H.

2017-03-01

This study aims to map and analyze air quality index of carbon monoxide (CO) in Medan City. This research used 12 (twelve) sampling points around in Medan with an hour duration each point. CO concentration was analyzed using the NDIR CO Analyzer sampling tool. The concentration CO was obtained between 1 ppm - 23 ppm, with an average concentration was 9.5 ppm. This condition is still below the national ambient air quality standard set by Government Regulation of Indonesian Republic Number 41-1999 amounted to 29 ppm. The result of CO concentration measurements was converted into air pollutant standard index, obtained the index value of 58 - 204. Surfer 10 was used to create map of air pollutant standard index for CO. The map illustrates very unhealthy area where located in the Medan Belawan district. The main factors affecting the concentration of CO are from transportation and meteorological factors.

SU-F-T-352: Development of a Knowledge Based Automatic Lung IMRT Planning Algorithm with Non-Coplanar Beams

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

Zhu, W; Wu, Q; Yuan, L

Purpose: To improve the robustness of a knowledge based automatic lung IMRT planning method and to further validate the reliability of this algorithm by utilizing for the planning of clinical cases with non-coplanar beams. Methods: A lung IMRT planning method which automatically determines both plan optimization objectives and beam configurations with non-coplanar beams has been reported previously. A beam efficiency index map is constructed to guide beam angle selection in this algorithm. This index takes into account both the dose contributions from individual beams and the combined effect of multiple beams which is represented by a beam separation score. Wemore » studied the effect of this beam separation score on plan quality and determined the optimal weight for this score.14 clinical plans were re-planned with the knowledge-based algorithm. Significant dosimetric metrics for the PTV and OARs in the automatic plans are compared with those in the clinical plans by the two-sample t-test. In addition, a composite dosimetric quality index was defined to obtain the relationship between the plan quality and the beam separation score. Results: On average, we observed more than 15% reduction on conformity index and homogeneity index for PTV and V{sub 40}, V{sub 60} for heart while an 8% and 3% increase on V{sub 5}, V{sub 20} for lungs, respectively. The variation curve of the composite index as a function of angle spread score shows that 0.6 is the best value for the weight of the beam separation score. Conclusion: Optimal value for beam angle spread score in automatic lung IMRT planning is obtained. With this value, model can result in statistically the “best” achievable plans. This method can potentially improve the quality and planning efficiency for IMRT plans with no-coplanar angles.« less

Development, application, and sensitivity analysis of a water quality index for drinking water management in small systems.

PubMed

Scheili, A; Rodriguez, Manuel J; Sadiq, R

2015-11-01

The aim of this study was to produce a drinking water assessment tool for operators of small distribution systems. A drinking water quality index (DWQI) was developed and applied to small systems based on the water quality index of the Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment. The drinking water quality index was adapted to specific needs by creating four drinking water quality scenarios. First, the temporal and spatial dimensions of drinking water quality variability were taken into account. The DWQI was designed to express global drinking water quality according to different monitoring frequencies. Daily, monthly, and seasonal assessment was also considered. With the data made available, it was possible to use the index as a spatial monitoring tool and express water quality in different points in the distribution system. Moreover, adjustments were made to prioritize the type of contaminant to monitor. For instance, monitoring contaminants with acute health effects led to a scenario based on daily measures, including easily accessible and affordable water quality parameters. On the other hand, contaminants with chronic effects, especially disinfection by-products, were considered in a seasonal monitoring scenario where disinfection by-product reference values were redefined according to their seasonal variability. A sensitivity analysis was also carried out to validate the index. Globally, the DWQI developed is adapted to the needs of small systems. In fact, expressing drinking water quality using the DWQI contributes to the identification of problematic periods and segments in the distribution system. Further work may include this index in the development of a customized decision-making tool for small-system operators and managers.

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

Yasumatsu, S; Iwase, K; Shimizu, Y

Purpose: The exposure index (EI) proposed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62494-1 is expected to be utilized as a standard dose index by every manufacturer. The IEC recommended the usage of RQA5 for the EI. However, X-ray beam qualities, particularly in clinical practices, vary depending on the examination objects and exposure conditions, including usage of anti-scatter grids. We investigated the effects of the X-ray beam qualities other than RQA5 on the EI. Methods: The Xray beam qualities of RQA3, 5, 7, and 9 in IEC 61267 Ed. 1.0 were adopted in a computed radiography system. A uniform exposure withoutmore » objects was performed to measure the exposure indicators (S values) and air kerma (K). The relational equations between the S values and K were derived for the determination of the EI values. The EI values for RQA3, 7, and 9 were compared to those for RQA5 at the fixed S values of 100, 200, 400, and 600. Finally, the half-value layers (HVLs) using four grids (ratio 6:1, 8:1, 10:1, and 12:1) for the RQA5 X-ray were compared to those with RQA3–9. Results: The EI values for RQA3, 7, and 9 were up to 35.3%, 11.8%, and 38.7% higher, respectively, than that for RQA5 at the S value of 600. The HVLs without grids and with various grids for RQA5 were 6.85 mm Al. and in the range of 6.94–7.29 mm Al. (ΔHVL: up to 0.44 mm Al.), respectively. This variation in the HVLs with grids was smaller than that observed for RQA3–9 (ΔHVL: 2.0–7.5 mm Al.). Conclusion: Although the usage of grids may not greatly affect the EI, the X-ray beam quality for the determination of the EI cannot be ignored in the clinical evaluation of the dose index.« less

77 FR 58352 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Missouri

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-20

... the state of Missouri on September 21, 2010. This revision proposes to amend the ambient air quality standards table to reflect revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), update reference methods associated with the revised NAAQS, and update the breakpoint values for the Air Quality Index. These...

Investigation of the Relationship between Work Ability and Work-related Quality of Life in Nurses.

PubMed

Abbasi, Milad; Zakerian, Abolfazl; Akbarzade, Arash; Dinarvand, Nader; Ghaljahi, Maryam; Poursadeghiyan, Mohsen; Ebrahimi, Mohammad Hossein

2017-10-01

Work ability of nurses is an index of their job satisfaction and is a crucial factor in job quality and security. This study aimed to investigate the association between work ability and quality of working life and to determine the effective demographic and background variables, among nurses. The present study was conducted among nurses, working in educational hospitals under the supervision of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2014. Work Ability Index (WAI) and Work-related Quality of Life (WRQoL) were used. The mean WAI was significantly associated with total WRQoL score and the two of its sub-items including Stress at Work, and General Well-Being ( P -value=0.001). Moreover, the results showed a significant correlation between total WRQoL and WAI Subscales including mental resources ( P -value=0.001), number of current diseases ( P- value=0.02), and work ability in relation to the job demands ( P -value=0.04). The WRQoL and WAI showed significant associations with age and job experience ( P -value=0.001). The average score of WAI and WRQoL was statistically different among various working units ( P -value=0.001). Overall, results support the association between nurses work ability and WRQoL. Monitoring the WRQoL and work ability of employees would help organizations to know their status and take measures to ameliorate the working conditions.

Calculation of weighted averages approach for the estimation of ping tolerance values

USGS Publications Warehouse

Silalom, S.; Carter, J.L.; Chantaramongkol, P.

2010-01-01

A biotic index was created and proposed as a tool to assess water quality in the Upper Mae Ping sub-watersheds. The Ping biotic index was calculated by utilizing Ping tolerance values. This paper presents the calculation of Ping tolerance values of the collected macroinvertebrates. Ping tolerance values were estimated by a weighted averages approach based on the abundance of macroinvertebrates and six chemical constituents that include conductivity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen and orthophosphate. Ping tolerance values range from 0 to 10. Macroinvertebrates assigned a 0 are very sensitive to organic pollution while macroinvertebrates assigned 10 are highly tolerant to pollution.

[A site index model for Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation in Saihanba, north China].

PubMed

Wang, Dong-zhi; Zhang, Dong-yan; Jiang, Feng-ling; Bai, Ye; Zhang, Zhi-dong; Huang, Xuan-rui

2015-11-01

It is often difficult to estimate site indices for different types of plantation by using an ordinary site index model. The objective of this paper was to establish a site index model for plantations in varied site conditions, and assess the site qualities. In this study, a nonlinear mixed site index model was constructed based on data from the second class forest resources inventory and 173 temporary sample plots. The results showed that the main limiting factors for height growth of Larix principis-rupprechtii were elevation, slope, soil thickness and soil type. A linear regression model was constructed for the main constraining site factors and dominant tree height, with the coefficient of determination being 0.912, and the baseline age of Larix principis-rupprechtii determined as 20 years. The nonlinear mixed site index model parameters for the main site types were estimated (R2 > 0.85, the error between the predicted value and the actual value was in the range of -0.43 to 0.45, with an average root mean squared error (RMSE) in the range of 0.907 to 1.148). The estimation error between the predicted value and the actual value of dominant tree height for the main site types was in the confidence interval of [-0.95, 0.95]. The site quality of the high altitude-shady-sandy loam-medium soil layer was the highest and that of low altitude-sunny-sandy loam-medium soil layer was the lowest, while the other two sites were moderate.

A novel evaluation method for building construction project based on integrated information entropy with reliability theory.

PubMed

Bai, Xiao-ping; Zhang, Xi-wei

2013-01-01

Selecting construction schemes of the building engineering project is a complex multiobjective optimization decision process, in which many indexes need to be selected to find the optimum scheme. Aiming at this problem, this paper selects cost, progress, quality, and safety as the four first-order evaluation indexes, uses the quantitative method for the cost index, uses integrated qualitative and quantitative methodologies for progress, quality, and safety indexes, and integrates engineering economics, reliability theories, and information entropy theory to present a new evaluation method for building construction project. Combined with a practical case, this paper also presents detailed computing processes and steps, including selecting all order indexes, establishing the index matrix, computing score values of all order indexes, computing the synthesis score, sorting all selected schemes, and making analysis and decision. Presented method can offer valuable references for risk computing of building construction projects.

Quality of selected coals of Hungary

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

Landis, E.R.; Rohrbacher, T.J.; Gluskoter, H.J.

2000-07-01

As part of the activities conducted under the US-Hungarian Science and Technology Fund, a total of 39 samples from five coal mines in five geologically-distinct coal areas in Hungary were selected for proximate and ultimate analyses. In addition, the heat value, forms of sulfur, free-swelling index, equilibrium moisture, Hardgrove grindability index, four-point ash fusion temperatures (both oxidizing and reducing), and apparent specific gravity were determined for each sample. Standard procedures established by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM, 1999) were used. The analytical results will be available in the International Coal Quality Data Base of the USGS. Resultsmore » of the program provide data for comparison with coal quality test data from Europe and information of value to potential investors or cooperators in the coal industry of Hungary and Central Europe.« less

Water Quality Evaluation of PET Bottled Water by Mineral Balance in the Northeast Asian Region: A Case Study of South Korea

PubMed Central

Houri, Daisuke; Koo, Chung Mo

2015-01-01

Background The past few years have seen a demand for drinking water in contemporary society with a focus on safety and taste. Mineral water is now marketed as a popular commercial product and, partly due to health concerns, the production. Methods For the study, a comparison was carried out of water samples from 9 types of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottled water sold in South Korea as well as from tap water in the cities of Seoul and Chuncheon. These were compared with samples of Japanese PET bottled water in order to determine shared commonalities and identify individual characteristics. To evaluate water quality objectively, we quantified the elements contained in the water samples. Samples were assessed not with the usual sensory evaluation but with the evaluation approach advocated by Hashimoto et al. which employs the Water Index of Taste and the Water Index of Health. The levels of water quality obtained were compared with the “Prerequisites for Tasty Water” and the “Standards for Tasty Water” devised for city water. Results The PET Bottled water varieties analyzed in this study—Seoksu, Icis, Bong Pyong, Soon Soo 100, Dong Won Saem Mul, GI JANG SOO and DIAMOND—showed the Water Index of Taste ≥ 2.0 and the Water Index of Health ≥ 5.2, which we classified as tasty/healthy water. SamDaSoo and NamiNeral can be classified as tasty water due to their values of the Water Index of Taste ≥ 2.0 and the Water Index of Health < 5.2. Conclusion The South Korean PET bottled water studied here fulfills the “Water Index of Taste,” “Water Index of Health,” “Standard for Tasty Water” and “Prerequisites for Tasty Water” that Japanese people value for city water. We can conclude that bottled water which meets water quality requirements will be considered good-tasting by a majority of people. PMID:26538797

Water Quality Evaluation of PET Bottled Water by Mineral Balance in the Northeast Asian Region: A Case Study of South Korea.

PubMed

Houri, Daisuke; Koo, Chung Mo

2015-09-01

The past few years have seen a demand for drinking water in contemporary society with a focus on safety and taste. Mineral water is now marketed as a popular commercial product and, partly due to health concerns, the production. For the study, a comparison was carried out of water samples from 9 types of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottled water sold in South Korea as well as from tap water in the cities of Seoul and Chuncheon. These were compared with samples of Japanese PET bottled water in order to determine shared commonalities and identify individual characteristics. To evaluate water quality objectively, we quantified the elements contained in the water samples. Samples were assessed not with the usual sensory evaluation but with the evaluation approach advocated by Hashimoto et al. which employs the Water Index of Taste and the Water Index of Health. The levels of water quality obtained were compared with the "Prerequisites for Tasty Water" and the "Standards for Tasty Water" devised for city water. The PET Bottled water varieties analyzed in this study-Seoksu, Icis, Bong Pyong, Soon Soo 100, Dong Won Saem Mul, GI JANG SOO and DIAMOND-showed the Water Index of Taste ≥ 2.0 and the Water Index of Health ≥ 5.2, which we classified as tasty/healthy water. SamDaSoo and NamiNeral can be classified as tasty water due to their values of the Water Index of Taste ≥ 2.0 and the Water Index of Health < 5.2. The South Korean PET bottled water studied here fulfills the "Water Index of Taste," "Water Index of Health," "Standard for Tasty Water" and "Prerequisites for Tasty Water" that Japanese people value for city water. We can conclude that bottled water which meets water quality requirements will be considered good-tasting by a majority of people.

Assessment of soil quality in different ecosystems (with soils of Podolsk and Serpukhov districts of Moscow oblast as examples)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavrilenko, E. G.; Ananyeva, N. D.; Makarov, O. A.

2013-12-01

The values of the soil-ecological index and microbiological parameters (the carbon of microbial biomass Cmic, its ratio to the total organic carbon Cmic/Corg, and basal respiration) were determined for the soddy-podzolic, soddy-gley, bog-podzolic, meadow alluvial, and gray forest soils under different land uses (forest, fallow, cropland, and urban areas) in the Podolsk and Serpukhov districts of Moscow oblast (237 and 45 sampling points, respectively). The soil sampling from the upper 10 cm (without the litter horizon) was performed in September and October. To calculate the soil-ecological index, both soil (physicochemical and agrochemical) and climatic characteristics were taken into account. Its values for fallow, cropland, and urban ecosystems averaged 70.2, 72.8, and 64.2 points ( n = 90, 17, and 24, respectively). For the soils of forest ecosystems, the average value of the soil-ecological index was lower (54.4; n = 151). At the same time, the micro-biological characteristics of the studied forest soils were generally higher than those in the soils of fallow, cropland, and urban ecosystems. In this context, to estimate the soil quality in different ecosystems on the basis of the soil-ecological index, the use of a correction coefficient for the biological properties of the soils (the Cmic content) was suggested. The ecological substantiation of this approach for assessing the quality of soils in different ecosystems is presented in the paper.

Trophic state and toxic cyanobacteria density in optimization modeling of multi-reservoir water resource systems.

PubMed

Sulis, Andrea; Buscarinu, Paola; Soru, Oriana; Sechi, Giovanni M

2014-04-22

The definition of a synthetic index for classifying the quality of water bodies is a key aspect in integrated planning and management of water resource systems. In previous works [1,2], a water system optimization modeling approach that requires a single quality index for stored water in reservoirs has been applied to a complex multi-reservoir system. Considering the same modeling field, this paper presents an improved quality index estimated both on the basis of the overall trophic state of the water body and on the basis of the density values of the most potentially toxic Cyanobacteria. The implementation of the index into the optimization model makes it possible to reproduce the conditions limiting water use due to excessive nutrient enrichment in the water body and to the health hazard linked to toxic blooms. The analysis of an extended limnological database (1996-2012) in four reservoirs of the Flumendosa-Campidano system (Sardinia, Italy) provides useful insights into the strengths and limitations of the proposed synthetic index.

[Ecological regionalization of national cotton fiber quality in China using GGE biplot analysis method].

PubMed

Xu, Nai Yin; Jin, Shi Qiao; Li, Jian

2017-01-01

The distinctive regional characteristics of cotton fiber quality in the major cotton-producing areas in China enhance the textile use efficiency of raw cotton yarn by improving fiber quality through ecological regionalization. The "environment vs. trait" GGE biplot analysis method was adopted to explore the interaction between conventional cotton sub-regions and cotton fiber quality traits based on the datasets collected from the national cotton regional trials from 2011 to 2015. The results showed that the major cotton-producing area in China were divided into four fiber quality ecological regions, namely, the "high fiber quality ecological region", the "low micronaire ecological region", the "high fiber strength and micronaire ecological region", and the "moderate fiber quality ecological region". The high fiber quality ecological region was characterized by harmonious development of cotton fiber length, strength, micronaire value and the highest spinning consistency index, and located in the conventional cotton regions in the upper and lower reaches of Yangtze River Valley. The low micronaire value ecological region composed of the northern and south Xinjiang cotton regions was characterized by low micronaire value, relatively lower fiber strength, and relatively high spinning consistency index performance. The high fiber strength and micronaire value ecological region covered the middle reaches of Yangtze River Valley, Nanxiang Basin and Huaibei Plain, and was prominently characterized by high strength and micronaire value, and moderate performance of other traits. The moderate fiber quality ecological region included North China Plain and Loess Plateau cotton growing regions in the Yellow River Valley, and was characterized by moderate or lower performances of all fiber quality traits. This study effectively applied "environment vs. trait" GGE biplot to regionalize cotton fiber quality, which provided a helpful reference for the regiona-lized cotton growing regions in terms of optimal raw fiber production for textile industry, and gave a good example for the implementation of similar ecological regionalization of other crops as well.

Appraisal of long term groundwater quality of peninsular India using water quality index and fractal dimension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rawat, Kishan Singh; Singh, Sudhir Kumar; Jacintha, T. German Amali; Nemčić-Jurec, Jasna; Tripathi, Vinod Kumar

2017-12-01

A review has been made to understand the hydrogeochemical behaviour of groundwater through statistical analysis of long term water quality data (year 2005-2013). Water Quality Index ( WQI), descriptive statistics, Hurst exponent, fractal dimension and predictability index were estimated for each water parameter. WQI results showed that majority of samples fall in moderate category during 2005-2013, but monitoring site four falls under severe category (water unfit for domestic use). Brownian time series behaviour (a true random walk nature) exists between calcium (Ca^{2+}) and electric conductivity (EC); magnesium (Mg^{2+}) with EC; sodium (Na+) with EC; sulphate (SO4^{2-}) with EC; total dissolved solids (TDS) with chloride (Cl-) during pre- (2005-2013) and post- (2006-2013) monsoon season. These parameters have a closer value of Hurst exponent ( H) with Brownian time series behaviour condition (H=0.5). The result of times series analysis of water quality data shows a persistent behaviour (a positive autocorrelation) that has played a role between Cl- and Mg^{2+}, Cl- and Ca^{2+}, TDS and Na+, TDS and SO4^{2-}, TDS and Ca^{2+} in pre- and post-monsoon time series because of the higher value of H (>1). Whereas an anti-persistent behaviour (or negative autocorrelation) was found between Cl- and EC, TDS and EC during pre- and post-monsoon due to low value of H. The work outline shows that the groundwater of few areas needs treatment before direct consumption, and it also needs to be protected from contamination.

An innovative approach for determination of air quality health index.

PubMed

Gorai, Amit Kumar; Kanchan; Upadhyay, Abhishek; Tuluri, Francis; Goyal, Pramila; Tchounwou, Paul B

2015-11-15

Fuzzy-analytical hierarchical process (F-AHP) can be extended to determine fuzzy air quality health index (FAQHI) for deducing health risk associated with local air pollution levels, and subjective parameters. The present work aims at determining FAQHI by considering five air pollutant parameters (SO2, NO2, O3, CO, and PM10) and three subjective parameters (population sensitivity, population density and location sensitivity). Each of the individual pollutants has varying impacts. Hence the combined health effects associated with the pollutants were estimated by aggregating the pollutants with different weights. Global weights for each evaluation alternatives were determined using fuzzy-AHP method. The developed model was applied to determine FAQHI in Howrah City, India from daily-observed concentrations of air pollutants over the three-year period between 2009 and 2011. The FAQHI values obtained through this method in Howrah City range from 1 to 3. Since the permissible value of FAQHI (as calculated for NAAQS) for residential areas is 1.78, higher index values are of public health concern to the exposed individuals. During the period of study, the observed FAQHI values were found to be higher than 1.78 in most of the day in the months of January to March, and October to December. However, the index values were below the recommended limit during rest of the months. In conclusion, FAQHI in Howrah city was above permissible limit in winter months and within acceptable values in summer and rainy months. Diurnal variations of FAQHI showed a similar trend during the three-year period of assessment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial variation of air quality index and urban driving factors linkages: evidence from Chinese cities.

PubMed

Pu, Haixia; Luo, Kunli; Wang, Pin; Wang, Shaobin; Kang, Shun

2017-02-01

Daily air quality index (AQI) of 161 Chinese cities obtained from the Ministry of Environmental Protection of China in 2015 is conducted. In this study, to better explore spatial distribution and regional characteristic of AQI, global and local spatial autocorrelation is utilized. Pearson's correlation is introduced to determine the influence of single urban indicator on AQI value. Meanwhile, multiple linear stepwise regression is chosen to estimate quantitatively the most influential urban indicators on AQI. The spatial autocorrelation analysis indicates that the AQI value of Chinese 161 cities shows a spatial dependency. Higher AQI is mainly located in north and northwest regions, whereas low AQI is concentrated in the south and the Qinghai-Tibet regions. The low AQI and high AQI values in China both exhibit relative immobility through seasonal variation. The influence degree of three adverse urban driving factors on AQI value is ranked from high to low: coal consumption of manufacturing > building area > coal consumption of the power industry. It is worth noting that the risk of exposed population to poor quality is greater in the northern region than in other regions. The results of the study provide a reference for the formulation of urban policy and improvement of air quality in China.

Value function in economic growth model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagno, Alexander; Tarasyev, Alexandr A.; Tarasyev, Alexander M.

2017-11-01

Properties of the value function are examined in an infinite horizon optimal control problem with an unlimited integrand index appearing in the quality functional with a discount factor. Optimal control problems of such type describe solutions in models of economic growth. Necessary and sufficient conditions are derived to ensure that the value function satisfies the infinitesimal stability properties. It is proved that value function coincides with the minimax solution of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. Description of the growth asymptotic behavior for the value function is provided for the logarithmic, power and exponential quality functionals and an example is given to illustrate construction of the value function in economic growth models.

A simulation-based suitability index of the quality and quantity of agricultural drainage water for reuse in irrigation.

PubMed

Allam, Ayman; Fleifle, Amr; Tawfik, Ahmed; Yoshimura, Chihiro; El-Saadi, Aiman

2015-12-01

The suitability of agricultural drainage water (ADW) for reuse in irrigation was indexed based on a simulation of quality and quantity. The ADW reuse index (DWRI) has two components; the first one indicates the suitability of water quality (QLT) for reuse in irrigation based on the mixing ratio of ADW to canal irrigation water without violating the standards of using mixed water in irrigation, while the second indicates the available water quantity (QNT) based on the ratio of the available ADW to the required reuse discharge to meet the irrigation requirements alongside the drain. The QLT and QNT values ranged from 0 to ≥3 and from 0 to ≥0.40, respectively. Correspondingly, five classes from excellent to poor and from high scarcity to no scarcity were proposed to classify the QLT and QNT values, respectively. This approach was then applied to the Gharbia drain in the Nile Delta, Egypt, combined with QUAL2Kw simulations in the summer and winter of 2012. The QLT values along the drain ranged from 1.11 to 2.91 and 0.68 to 1.73 for summer and winter, respectively. Correspondingly, the QLT classes ranged from good to very good and from fair to good, respectively. In regard to QNT, values ranged from 0.10 to 0.62 and from 0.10 to 0.88 for summer and winter, respectively. Correspondingly, the QNT classes ranged from medium scarcity to no scarcity for both seasons. The demonstration of DWRI in the Gharbia drain suggests that the proposed index presents a simple tool for spatially evaluating the suitability of ADW for reuse in irrigation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nutritional evaluation of caseins and whey proteins and their hydrolysates from Protamex*

PubMed Central

Sindayikengera, Séverin; Xia, Wen-shui

2006-01-01

Whey protein concentrate (WPC 80) and sodium caseinate were hydrolyzed by Protamex to 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% degree of hydrolysis (DH). WPC 80, sodium caseinate and their hydrolysates were then analyzed, compared and evaluated for their nutritional qualities. Their chemical composition, protein solubility, amino acid composition, essential amino acid index (EAA index), biological value (BV), nutritional index (NI), chemical score, enzymic protein efficiency ratio (E-PER) and in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) were determined. The results indicated that the enzymatic hydrolysis of WPC 80 and sodium caseinate by Protamex improved the solubility and IVPD of their hydrolysates. WPC 80, sodium caseinate and their hydrolysates were high-quality proteins and had a surplus of essential amino acids compared with the FAO/WHO/UNU (1985) reference standard. The nutritive value of WPC 80 and its hydrolysates was superior to that of sodium caseinate and its hydrolysates as indicated by some nutritional parameters such as the amino acid composition, chemical score, EAA index and predicted BV. However, the E-PER was lower for the WPC hydrolysates as compared to unhydrolyzed WPC 80 but sodium caseinate and its hydrolysates did not differ significantly. The nutritional qualities of WPC 80, sodium caseinate and their hydrolysates were good and make them appropriate for food formulations or as nutritional supplements. PMID:16421963

On the local operational geomagnetic index K calculation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stankov, Stan; Stegen, Koen; Wautelet, Gilles; Warnant, Rene

2010-05-01

There is an ongoing demand for services that can provide real-time assessment of the (global and local) geomagnetic activity and identified as being of importance to the exploration geophysics, radio communications and precise position/navigation practices, space weather research and modelling, etc. Such services depend largely on the reduction of solar, geomagnetic and ionospheric observations to generate activity indices, one of the most widely used being the K index. The K index is a quasi-logarithmic index characterising the 3-hourly range in transient magnetic activity relative to the regular "quiet-day" activity for a single site location. A derivative "planetary" index (Kp), the mean standardized K index from several globally distributed stations, provides a convenient measure of the global geomagnetic activity. Computer-based derivation of K/Kp indices was a major step towards higher efficiency and lower costs. Nowadays, automated data acquisition, processing and generating the index in real time is mandatory for any reliable service. However, Kp may not be accurate enough when monitoring disturbances of smaller scale, so the local K index (derived from the nearest magnetic station/s) might be considered as the better choice. Moreover, the 3-hour time scale is much larger than the shorter characteristic time of localised ionospheric phenomena that are of particular interest to us. Our experience in developing a novel nowcast system for local operational geomagnetic index K calculation (K-LOGIC) will be presented. The system is based on a fully automated computer procedure for real-time digital magnetogram data acquisition, screening the dataset and removing the outliers, establishing the solar regular (Sr) variation of the geomagnetic field, calculating the K index, and issuing an alert if storm-level activity is indicated. This is a time-controlled (rather than event-driven) system delivering as regular output (time resolution set to 1 hour) the K value, the estimated quality flag, and eventually, an alert. The regular field variation is determined from the hourly medians of the horizontal components' values obtained during the recent magnetically-quiet days. These Sr values are subtracted from the corresponding instantaneous measurement values (in the latest 3 hours) to determine the components' ranges (maximum minus minimum). Finally, the larger of the 2 horizontal components' ranges is used to determine the K value referring to the limits-of-range-classes table for the particular observatory. A very important feature of the K nowcast system is the strict control of data input and processing, allowing for an immediate assessment of the quality of output. The key concept of the implemented quality control (QC) procedure is based on the fact that a complete and sound dataset provides the ideal platform for reliable, closest-to-definite index production. In this sense, any gap or outlier in the dataset can erode the quality of the produced output. The QC matrix takes into account both, the total length of data gaps (shorter or no gaps - the better) and the time elapsed from the latest gaps/outliers (more distant in the past - the better). As a result, a QC flag is assigned to each K nowcast value. The above-described control is of crucial importance for the nowcast system operation since it helps minimising the existing possibility of missing an event or issuing a false alert. The K-LOGIC system's operability, accuracy and precision have been tested with instantaneous measurements from the recent years. A statistical comparison between nowcast and definite index values proves that the average rms error is smaller than 1 K unit. The system is now operational at the RMI Geophysical Centre in Dourbes (50.1N, 4.6E).

Investigation of the Relationship between Work Ability and Work-related Quality of Life in Nurses

PubMed Central

ABBASI, Milad; ZAKERIAN, Abolfazl; AKBARZADE, Arash; DINARVAND, Nader; GHALJAHI, Maryam; POURSADEGHIYAN, Mohsen; EBRAHIMI, Mohammad Hossein

2017-01-01

Background: Work ability of nurses is an index of their job satisfaction and is a crucial factor in job quality and security. This study aimed to investigate the association between work ability and quality of working life and to determine the effective demographic and background variables, among nurses. Methods: The present study was conducted among nurses, working in educational hospitals under the supervision of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2014. Work Ability Index (WAI) and Work-related Quality of Life (WRQoL) were used. Results: The mean WAI was significantly associated with total WRQoL score and the two of its sub-items including Stress at Work, and General Well-Being (P-value=0.001). Moreover, the results showed a significant correlation between total WRQoL and WAI Subscales including mental resources (P-value=0.001), number of current diseases (P-value=0.02), and work ability in relation to the job demands (P-value=0.04). The WRQoL and WAI showed significant associations with age and job experience (P-value=0.001). The average score of WAI and WRQoL was statistically different among various working units (P-value=0.001). Conclusion: Overall, results support the association between nurses work ability and WRQoL. Monitoring the WRQoL and work ability of employees would help organizations to know their status and take measures to ameliorate the working conditions. PMID:29308385

Dosimetric comparison between 10MV-FFF and 6MV-FFF for lung SBRT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durmus, I. F.; Atalay, E. D.

2017-02-01

Plans were prepared by using same non-coplanar fields and physical parameters in 6MV-FFF and 10MV-FFF energies for fourteen lung Stereotactic Body Radio Therapy (SBRT) patients. In two plans which have different energies, critic organ doses, PTV doses, quality of plans (Gradient Index (GI), Homogeneity Index (HI), Conformity Index (CI)) and Monitor Unit (MU) values were compared. Quality controls were performed with 2D-Array Iba MatriXX Evolution® dosimetry system for each plans. As a results, plan with 6MV-FFF energy give better results in terms of CI and GI values. In this way, when more conformal dose distributions were provided, there was a rapid dose decrease at out of target volume. Lower MU values were obtained in plans which was prepared with 10MV-FFF energy. In plan with 10MV-FFF energy lower MU values are obtained. Lower values in heart and spinal cord doses are founded and better results are obtained in Body and Ipsa-Lung V5, V10, V20 values with 6MV-FFF energies. When differences were very small in volume which were taken low dose (V5), these differences increased in volume which were taken high dose (V20). High dose rates can be reached by both two unfiltered energies and can be used in lung SBRT.

Assessment of the Impacts of Rice Cropping through a Soil Quality Index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sione, S. M.; Wilson, M. G.; Paz González, A.

2012-04-01

In Entre Ríos (Argentina), rice cultivation is carried out mainly in Vertisols. Several factors, such as the use of sodium bicarbonate waters for irrigation, the excessive tillage required, and the lack of proper planning for land use, mainly regarding the crop sequence, cause serious impacts on the soil and have an effect on sustainable agriculture. Thus, the development of methodologies to detect these impacts has become a priority. The aim of this study was to standardize soil quality indicators (SQI) and integrate them into an index to evaluate the impacts of the rice production system on soil, at the farm scale. The study was conducted in farms of the traditional rice cultivation area of Entre Ríos province, Argentina. We evaluated a minimum data set consisting of six indicators: structural stability and percolation, total organic matter content (TOM), exchangeable sodium content (ESC), electrical conductivity of saturation extract (ECe) and reaction of the soil (pH). From a database from 75 production lots, we determined the reference values, i.e. limits to ensure the maintenance of long-term productivity and the allowable thresholds for each indicator. The indicators were standardized and integrated into a soil quality index. Five ranges of soil quality were established: very low, low, moderate, high and very high, depending on the values assigned to each SQI. This index allowed differentiating the impact of different crop sequences and showed that the increased participation of rice crop in the rotation resulted in a deterioration of the soil structure due to the decrease in the TOM and to the cumulative increase in ESC caused by the sodium bicarbonate water used for irrigation. Soil management strategies should aim to increase TOM values and to reduce the input of sodium to the exchange complex. A rotation with 50% to 60% of pasture and 40 to 50% of agriculture with a participation of rice lower than 20 to 25% would allow the sustainability of the production system. The use of the so called SQI, i.e. soil quality index, for rice crop production will allow generating early warning of degradation and thus adopting recovery measures.

A new plan quality index for nasopharyngeal cancer SIB IMRT.

PubMed

Jin, X; Yi, J; Zhou, Y; Yan, H; Han, C; Xie, C

2014-02-01

A new plan quality index integrating dosimetric and radiobiological indices was proposed to facilitate the evaluation and comparison of simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans for nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) patients. Ten NPC patients treated by SIB-IMRT were enrolled in the study. Custom software was developed to read dose-volume histogram (DVH) curves from the treatment planning system (TPS). A plan filtering matrix was introduced to filter plans that fail to satisfy treatment protocol. Target plan quality indices and organ at risk (OAR) plan quality indices were calculated for qualified plans. A unique composite plan quality index (CPQI) was proposed based on the relative weight of these indices to evaluate and compare competing plans. Plan ranking results were compared with detailed statistical analysis, radiation oncology quality system (ROQS) scoring results and physician's evaluation results to verify the accuracy of this new plan quality index. The average CPQI values for plans with OAR priority of low, normal, high, and PTV only were 0.22 ± 0.08, 0.49 ± 0.077, 0.71 ± 0.062, and -0.21 ± 0.16, respectively. There were significant differences among these plan quality indices (One-way ANOVA test, p < 0.01). This was consistent with statistical analysis, ROQS results and physician's ranking results in which 90% OAR high plans were selected. Plan filtering matrix was able to speed up the plan evaluation process. The new matrix plan quality index CPQI showed good consistence with physician ranking results. It is a promising index for NPC SIB-IMRT plan evaluation. Copyright © 2013 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Integrated assessment of ecosystem quality of arid inland river basin based on RS and GIS: A case study on Shiyang River Basin, Northwest China].

PubMed

Liang, Bian Bian; Shi, Pei Ji; Wang, Wei; Tang, Xiao; Zhou, Wen Xia; Jing, Ye

2017-01-01

The Shiyang River Basin is an important ecological area of the Eastern Hexi Corridor, and is one of the most prominent areas of water conflict and ecological environment problems. An assessment of ecosystem quality in the Shiyang River Basin can provide a reference for ecological protection in arid inland basin. Based on the concept of ecosystem quality and the statistical yearbook, remotely sensed and land cover data, an evaluation index was established with consideration of three aspects of ecosystem (i.e., productivity, stability and bearing capacity). Kruskal-Wallis (Φ 2 ) test and entropy method were applied to determine the weights of evaluation index. With the assistance of RS, GIS and SPSS software, a comprehensive evaluation and change analysis of ecosystem quality and corresponding index were conducted for various ecosystem types in the Shiyang River Basin in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. Results showed that the average ecosystem quality of the Shiyang River Basin was 57.76, and presented an obvious decrease with a magnitude of 0.72 per year du-ring 2000-2015. The spatial pattern of ecosystem quality was that the upstream was better than the midstream, and the midstream was superior to the downstream. The mean values of production capacity, stability and carrying capacity of ecosystem were 67.52, 45.37, and 58.53, respectively. Production capacity and stability had increased slightly, while carrying capacity gradually decreased. Considering various ecosystem types, the highest quality was detected for forest ecosystem with average annual value of 78.12, and this ecosystem presented the lowest decreasing magnitude of 0.28 per year; for grassland, farmland and urban ecosystems, the average annual value was 62.45, 58.76 and 50.29, respectively; the quality of wetland ecosystem was the lowest, and suffered the largest decline with an average rate of 0.98 per year.

Relationship between fermentation index and other biochemical changes evaluated during the fermentation of Mexican cocoa (Theobroma cacao) beans.

PubMed

Romero-Cortes, Teresa; Salgado-Cervantes, Marco Antonio; García-Alamilla, Pedro; García-Alvarado, Miguel Angel; Rodríguez-Jimenes, Guadalupe del C; Hidalgo-Morales, Madeleine; Robles-Olvera, Víctor

2013-08-15

During traditional cocoa processing, the end of fermentation is empirically determined by the workers; consequently, a high variability on the quality of fermented cocoa beans is observed. Some physicochemical properties (such as fermentation index) have been used to measure the degree of fermentation and changes in quality, but only after the fermentation process has concluded, using dried cocoa beans. This would suggest that it is necessary to establish a relationship between the chemical changes inside the cocoa bean and the fermentation conditions during the fermentation in order to standardize the process. Cocoa beans were traditionally fermented inside wooden boxes, sampled every 24 h and analyzed to evaluate fermentation changes in complete bean, cotyledon and dried beans. The value of the fermentation index suggested as the minimal adequate (≥1) was observed at 72 h in all bean parts analyzed. At this time, values of pH, spectral absorption, total protein hydrolysis and vicilin-class globulins of fermented beans suggested that they were well fermented. Since no difference was found between the types of samples, the pH value could be used as a first indicator of the end of the fermentation and confirmed by evaluation of the fermentation index using undried samples, during the process. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Rheology behaviour of modified silicone-dammar as a natural resin coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakaria, Rosnah; Ahmad, Azizah Hanom

2015-08-01

Modified silicone-dammar (SD) was prepared by various weight percent from 5 - 45 wt% of dammar added. The n-value (viscosity index) of silicone with 5 and 10 % were turn to be 1.6 and 1.3 of viscosity index. While 15, 20, 25 and 30 wt% of dammar added gave 0.7, 0.3, 0.2 and 0.1 of viscosity index. On the other hand, 35, 40 and 45 wt% of dammar gave a fixed value of viscosity index of 0.03. This n-value shows the dispersion quality of paint mixture indicates that the modified silicone-dammar was followed the Bingham's Model. The rheology measurement of SD mixture was analysed by plotting ln shear stress vs shear rate value. Analysis of the graph showed a Bingham plastic model with regression R2 equivalent to 0.99. The linear viscoelastic behaviour of SD samples increased in parallel with increasing dammar content indicate that the suspension of dammar in silicone resin could flow steadily with time giving a pseudoplastic behaviour.

Adjusting Quality index Log Values to Represent Local and Regional Commercial Sawlog Product Values

Treesearch

Orris D. McCauley; Joseph J. Mendel; Joseph J. Mendel

1969-01-01

The primary purpose of this paper is not only to report the results of a comparative analysis as to how well the Q.I. method predicts log product values when compared to commercial sawmill log output values, but also to develop a methodology which will facilitate the comparison and provide the adjustments needed by the sawmill operator.

Evaluation of water quality and stability in the drinking water distribution network in the Azogues city, Ecuador.

PubMed

García-Ávila, Fernando; Ramos-Fernández, Lía; Pauta, Damián; Quezada, Diego

2018-06-01

This document presents the physical-chemical parameters with the objective of evaluating and analyzing the drinking water quality in the Azogues city applying the water quality index (WQI) and to research the water stability in the distribution network using corrosion indexes. Thirty samples were collected monthly for six months throughout the drinking water distribution network; turbidity, temperature, electric conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, chlorides, nitrates, sulfates and phosphates were determined; the physical-chemical parameters were measured using standard methods. The processed data revealed that the average values ​​of LSI, RSI and PSI were 0.5 (±0.34), 6.76 (±0.6), 6.50 (±0.99) respectively. The WQI calculation indicated that 100% of the samples are considered excellent quality water. According to the Langelier, Ryznar and Pukorius indexes showed that drinking water in Azogues is corrosive. The quality of drinking water according to the WQI is in a good and excellent category.

SU-E-T-60: A Plan Quality Index in IMRT QA That Is Independent of the Acceptance Criteria

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

Kim, D; Kang, S; Kim, T

2015-06-15

Purpose: In IMRT QA, plan quality evaluation is made based on pass rate under preset acceptance criteria, mostly using gamma-values. This method is convenient but, its Result highly depends on what the acceptance criteria are and suffers from the lack of sensitivity in judging how good the plan is. In this study, we introduced a simple but effective plan quality index of IMRT QA based on dose difference only to supplement such shortcomings, and investigated its validity. Methods: The proposed index is a single value which is calculated mainly based on point-by-point comparison between planned and measured dose distributions, andmore » it becomes “1” in an ideal case. A systematic evaluation was performed with one-dimensional test dose distributions. For 3 hypothetical dose profiles, various displacements (in both dose and space) were introduced, the proposed index was calculated for each case, and the behavior of obtained indices was analyzed and compared with that of gamma evaluation. In addition, the feasibility of the index was assessed with clinical IMRT/VMAT/SBRT QA cases for different sites (prostate, head & neck, liver, lung, spine, and abdomen). Results: The proposed index showed more robust correlation with the amount of induced displacement compared to the gamma evaluation method. No matter what the acceptance criteria are (e.g., whether 3%/3mm or 2%/2mm), it was possible to clearly rank every case with the proposed index while it was difficult to do with the gamma evaluation method. Conclusion: IMRT plan quality can be evaluated quantitatively by the proposed index. It is considered that the proposed index would provide useful information for better judging the level of goodness of each plan and its Result is independent of the acceptance criteria. This work was supported by the Radiation Technology R&D program (No. 2013M2A2A7043498) and the Mid-career Researcher Program (2014R1A2A1A10050270) through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT&Future Planning.« less

Cross-Sectional Associations between Multiple Lifestyle Behaviors and Health-Related Quality of Life in the 10,000 Steps Cohort

PubMed Central

Duncan, Mitch J.; Kline, Christopher E.; Vandelanotte, Corneel; Sargent, Charli; Rogers, Naomi L.; Di Milia, Lee

2014-01-01

Background The independent and combined influence of smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, diet, sitting time, and sleep duration and quality on health status is not routinely examined. This study investigates the relationships between these lifestyle behaviors, independently and in combination, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods Adult members of the 10,000 Steps project (n = 159,699) were invited to participate in an online survey in November-December 2011. Participant socio-demographics, lifestyle behaviors, and HRQOL (poor self-rated health; frequent unhealthy days) were assessed by self-report. The combined influence of poor lifestyle behaviors were examined, independently and also as part of two lifestyle behavior indices, one excluding sleep quality (Index 1) and one including sleep quality (Index 2). Adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine relationships between lifestyle behaviors and HRQOL. Results A total of 10,478 participants provided complete data for the current study. For Index 1, the Prevalence Ratio (p value) of poor self-rated health was 1.54 (p = 0.001), 2.07 (p≤0.001), 3.00 (p≤0.001), 3.61 (p≤0.001) and 3.89 (p≤0.001) for people reporting two, three, four, five and six poor lifestyle behaviors, compared to people with 0–1 poor lifestyle behaviors. For Index 2, the Prevalence Ratio (p value) of poor self-rated health was 2.26 (p = 0.007), 3.29 (p≤0.001), 4.68 (p≤0.001), 6.48 (p≤0.001), 7.91 (p≤0.001) and 8.55 (p≤0.001) for people reporting two, three, four, five, six and seven poor lifestyle behaviors, compared to people with 0–1 poor lifestyle behaviors. Associations between the combined lifestyle behavior index and frequent unhealthy days were statistically significant and similar to those observed for poor self-rated health. Conclusions Engaging in a greater number of poor lifestyle behaviors was associated with a higher prevalence of poor HRQOL. This association was exacerbated when sleep quality was included in the index. PMID:24714564

Cross-sectional associations between multiple lifestyle behaviors and health-related quality of life in the 10,000 Steps cohort.

PubMed

Duncan, Mitch J; Kline, Christopher E; Vandelanotte, Corneel; Sargent, Charli; Rogers, Naomi L; Di Milia, Lee

2014-01-01

The independent and combined influence of smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, diet, sitting time, and sleep duration and quality on health status is not routinely examined. This study investigates the relationships between these lifestyle behaviors, independently and in combination, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Adult members of the 10,000 Steps project (n = 159,699) were invited to participate in an online survey in November-December 2011. Participant socio-demographics, lifestyle behaviors, and HRQOL (poor self-rated health; frequent unhealthy days) were assessed by self-report. The combined influence of poor lifestyle behaviors were examined, independently and also as part of two lifestyle behavior indices, one excluding sleep quality (Index 1) and one including sleep quality (Index 2). Adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine relationships between lifestyle behaviors and HRQOL. A total of 10,478 participants provided complete data for the current study. For Index 1, the Prevalence Ratio (p value) of poor self-rated health was 1.54 (p = 0.001), 2.07 (p≤0.001), 3.00 (p≤0.001), 3.61 (p≤0.001) and 3.89 (p≤0.001) for people reporting two, three, four, five and six poor lifestyle behaviors, compared to people with 0-1 poor lifestyle behaviors. For Index 2, the Prevalence Ratio (p value) of poor self-rated health was 2.26 (p = 0.007), 3.29 (p≤0.001), 4.68 (p≤0.001), 6.48 (p≤0.001), 7.91 (p≤0.001) and 8.55 (p≤0.001) for people reporting two, three, four, five, six and seven poor lifestyle behaviors, compared to people with 0-1 poor lifestyle behaviors. Associations between the combined lifestyle behavior index and frequent unhealthy days were statistically significant and similar to those observed for poor self-rated health. Engaging in a greater number of poor lifestyle behaviors was associated with a higher prevalence of poor HRQOL. This association was exacerbated when sleep quality was included in the index.

Study of water quality and carbon absorbtion in West Sunter Lake using phytoplankton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusly, C. M.; Hendrawan, D.; Rinanti, A.

2018-01-01

The purposes of this research are to analyze the water quality and measure the carbon absorbtion in water of West Sunter Lake using the phytoplankton community. The sampling and analysis of water quality and phytoplankton using the APHA method. The result show that DO is 1.1-1.4 mg/L),BOD is 10.34 to 27.35 mg/L, COD is 23-130 mg/L, and phosphate is 0.38-0.57 mg/L. The range of index values were at 0,128 to 2,516 for the Diversity Index (H’), 0.003 to 0.924 for the Evenness Index (E), that is waters this medium polluted. The study indicated that the water quality and productivity of West Sunter Lake is impacted by the activities around West Sunter Lake, especially the household activities. The value of chlorophyll-a in the Reservoir was ranging from 3.2-386.9 mg/m3 or 0.89 s/d 105.52 mg C/m3 and carbon which absorbed by phytoplankton are 2×109 to 14×109 ton/year or 9×103 to 50×103 ton/m3. The amount of carbon absorbtion by phytoplankton per year proves that phytoplankton have an important role in reducing CO2 emissions.

[HYGIENIC JUSTIFICATION OF OPTIMIZATION OF THE INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF DRINKING WATER ACCORDING TO THE WATER QUALITY INDEX].

PubMed

Krasovskiy, G N; Rakhmanin, Yu; Egorova, N

2015-01-01

The present study is devoted to theoretical questions of optimization of integrated assessment of the composition and properties of drinking water with the use of the Water Quality Index (WQI) and considering in it all 4 criteria for its hygienic quality-sanitary-toxicological, microbiological, radiation and organoleptic. There is presented a sequence of the analysis of benchmark data of the laboratory study of drinking water, including the selection of priority indices, their distribution into 4 groups according to hygienic criteria, calculations the ratios of real values (C) of indices to their hygiene MPC and the final calculation of the WQI. There is emphasized the importance of classes of hazard of substances, and the need for the special attention to the substances-carcinogens in the integrated assessment of water quality. To overcome the non-equivalence of contributions to the assessment of water quality factors, measured in different units, often disparated in their effect on human health, there are used the principles of combined action at levels below the MCL:C/MPC indices of performance of the unidirectional action are summed (e.g. carcinogenic substances), from indices of the independent action there are selected the most significant ones with the highest values of C/MPC, besides that there are also used counterbalancing factors K determined accordingly to Delphi method, with a maximum values of 5 for carcinogens and the minimum value of 1 for the substances affecting the organoleptic properties ofwater. There is presented the scheme of the final calculation of the value of WQI.

Quality Indexes and Feasibility Analysis of Traditional Dried Anchovy From Buru Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krisanta Enda Savitri, Imelda; Sormin, R. B. D.; Silaban, Bernita

2017-10-01

Dried anchovy is a prominent fishery product in Buru Island Maluku. It is produce traditionally in villages Batuboi and Siahoni at Kayeli bay. Drying process was done in open air under the sun directly during two days to produce dried anchovy with a prospective marketable. This preliminary research was aimed to investigated the quality indexes and business feasibility of dried anchovy produced by processor comunity. The quality index was found by laboratory analysis of sample dried anchovy referring to Indonesian National Standard. The data for feasibility analysis was found by interview and by using quesioner list. The average Quality indexes of dried anchovy as follows: Water 14.22 grams percent; Protein 55.68 grams percent; Fat 2.29 grams percent; Ash 9.02 grams percent; Total Bacteri (TPC) 3,5 × 102-; organoleptic value 7.79; E. coli, Salmonella and Mold were unidentified. Total cost of dried anchovy production is 37,050,720 Rupiahs/year with the income was 224,000,000 Rupiahs/year. Total profit is 217,824,880 Rupiahs/year and the Revenue Cost ratio was 6.05. Dried anchovy from Buru Island has a good quality and also has a good business feasibility.

Study of pollution effect on water quality of Grogol River, DKI Jakarta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amira, S.; Astono, W.; Hendrawan, D.

2018-01-01

A study has been conducted to identify the incoming pollutants and assess the water quality in Grogol River, DKI Jakarta, Indonesia, which has a length of 13.35 km and consists of two segments. The water quality assessment is determined by pollution index method, referring to Minister of Environment Decree No. 15/2013 on The Guidelines of Water Quality Status. The samples were taken both in rainy and dry seasons at 7 sampling points. Based on the analyses of 10 key parameters and the calculation of pollution index value, it can be concluded that Grogol River is low polluted in rainy season and moderate polluted in dry season. The information obtained from this research can be used for decision making to improve the water quality of Grogol River.

An Investigation of Techniques for Detecting Data Anomalies in Earned Value Management Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

Management Studio Harte Hanks Trillium Software Trillium Software System IBM Info Sphere Foundation Tools Informatica Data Explorer Informatica ...Analyst Informatica Developer Informatica Administrator Pitney Bowes Business Insight Spectrum SAP BusinessObjects Data Quality Management DataFlux...menting quality monitoring efforts and tracking data quality improvements Informatica http://www.informatica.com/products_services/Pages/index.aspx

A new evaluation method research for fusion quality of infrared and visible images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Xingguo; Ji, Yiguo; Tao, Zhongxiang; Tian, Chunyan; Ning, Chengda

2017-03-01

In order to objectively evaluate the fusion effect of infrared and visible image, a fusion evaluation method for infrared and visible images based on energy-weighted average structure similarity and edge information retention value is proposed for drawbacks of existing evaluation methods. The evaluation index of this method is given, and the infrared and visible image fusion results under different algorithms and environments are made evaluation experiments on the basis of this index. The experimental results show that the objective evaluation index is consistent with the subjective evaluation results obtained from this method, which shows that the method is a practical and effective fusion image quality evaluation method.

Performance of the bispectral index during electrocautery.

PubMed

Chan, Matthew T V; Ho, Sin Shing; Gin, Tony

2012-01-01

The electroencephalogram contains small electrical signals that are vulnerable to contamination from high-frequency noise during electrocautery. The bispectral index (BIS) monitor incorporated hardware and software changes to eliminate artifacts, thus allowing BIS monitoring even in the presence of electrocautery. We evaluated the accuracy of BIS to measure anesthetic effect during electrocautery interference. Anesthesia was induced and maintained with target-controlled infusions of propofol (3 μg/mL) and remifentanil (4 ng/mL). After baseline BIS recordings, "simulated" electrocautery interference was induced continuously for 20 minutes. Five minutes after the start of electrocautery, propofol infusion was increased to achieve an effect site concentration of 6 μg/mL. Patients remained undisturbed during the study. BIS values and signal quality index were recorded continuously. During electrocautery, there was a significant decrease in signal quality index (mean difference: 16.9; 95% confidence intervals: 15.9-17.9; P<0.001). There was, however, no change in BIS value even after a step increase in propofol infusion from 3 to 6 μg/mL (P=0.93). In 22% of the patients there was a paradoxical increase in BIS values after doubling of propofol concentration. Following cessation of electrocautery, there was a prompt decrease in BIS (P<0.001), indicating a lack of response to the change in anesthetic depth during electrocautery. Rejecting and filtering artifacts from electrocautery interference reduced the ability of BIS to respond to a change in anesthetic depth. BIS values during electrocautery should be interpreted with caution.

Analytical Methods to Evaluate the Quality of Edible Fats and Oils: The JOCS Standard Methods for Analysis of Fats, Oils and Related Materials (2013) and Advanced Methods.

PubMed

Endo, Yasushi

2018-01-01

Edible fats and oils are among the basic components of the human diet, along with carbohydrates and proteins, and they are the source of high energy and essential fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acids. Edible fats and oils are used in for pan- and deep-frying, and in salad dressing, mayonnaise and processed foods such as chocolates and cream. The physical and chemical properties of edible fats and oils can affect the quality of oil foods and hence must be evaluated in detail. The physical characteristics of edible fats and oils include color, specific gravity, refractive index, melting point, congeal point, smoke point, flash point, fire point, and viscosity, while the chemical characteristics include acid value, saponification value, iodine value, fatty acid composition, trans isomers, triacylglycerol composition, unsaponifiable matters (sterols, tocopherols) and minor components (phospholipids, chlorophyll pigments, glycidyl fatty acid esters). Peroxide value, p-anisidine value, carbonyl value, polar compounds and polymerized triacylglycerols are indexes of the deterioration of edible fats and oils. This review describes the analytical methods to evaluate the quality of edible fats and oils, especially the Standard Methods for Analysis of Fats, Oils and Related Materials edited by Japan Oil Chemists' Society (the JOCS standard methods) and advanced methods.

Trophic State and Toxic Cyanobacteria Density in Optimization Modeling of Multi-Reservoir Water Resource Systems

PubMed Central

Sulis, Andrea; Buscarinu, Paola; Soru, Oriana; Sechi, Giovanni M.

2014-01-01

The definition of a synthetic index for classifying the quality of water bodies is a key aspect in integrated planning and management of water resource systems. In previous works [1,2], a water system optimization modeling approach that requires a single quality index for stored water in reservoirs has been applied to a complex multi-reservoir system. Considering the same modeling field, this paper presents an improved quality index estimated both on the basis of the overall trophic state of the water body and on the basis of the density values of the most potentially toxic Cyanobacteria. The implementation of the index into the optimization model makes it possible to reproduce the conditions limiting water use due to excessive nutrient enrichment in the water body and to the health hazard linked to toxic blooms. The analysis of an extended limnological database (1996–2012) in four reservoirs of the Flumendosa-Campidano system (Sardinia, Italy) provides useful insights into the strengths and limitations of the proposed synthetic index. PMID:24759172

Patient dose, gray level and exposure index with a computed radiography system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, T. R.; Yoshimura, E. M.

2014-02-01

Computed radiography (CR) is gradually replacing conventional screen-film system in Brazil. To assess image quality, manufactures provide the calculation of an exposure index through the acquisition software of the CR system. The objective of this study is to verify if the CR image can be used as an evaluator of patient absorbed dose too, through a relationship between the entrance skin dose and the exposure index or the gray level values obtained in the image. The CR system used for this study (Agfa model 30-X with NX acquisition software) calculates an exposure index called Log of the Median (lgM), related to the absorbed dose to the IP. The lgM value depends on the average gray level (called Scan Average Level (SAL)) of the segmented pixel value histogram of the whole image. A Rando male phantom was used to simulate a human body (chest and head), and was irradiated with an X-ray equipment, using usual radiologic techniques for chest exams. Thermoluminescent dosimeters (LiF, TLD100) were used to evaluate entrance skin dose and exit dose. The results showed a logarithm relation between entrance dose and SAL in the image center, regardless of the beam filtration. The exposure index varies linearly with the entrance dose, but the angular coefficient is beam quality dependent. We conclude that, with an adequate calibration, the CR system can be used to evaluate the patient absorbed dose.

The relationship between the retinal image quality and the refractive index of defects arising in IOL: numerical analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geniusz, Malwina

2017-09-01

The best treatment for cataract patients, which allows to restore clear vision is implanting an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). The image quality of the lens has a significant impact on the quality of patient's vision. After a long exposure the implant to aqueous environment some defects appear in the artificial lenses. The defects generated in the IOL have different refractive indices. For example, glistening phenomenon is based on light scattering on the oval microvacuoles filled with an aqueous humor which refractive index value is about 1.34. Calcium deposits are another example of lens defects and they can be characterized by the refractive index 1.63. In the presented studies it was calculated how the difference between the refractive indices of the defect and the refractive index of the lens material affects the quality of image. The OpticStudio Professional program (from Radiant Zemax, LLC) was used for the construction of the numerical model of the eye with IOL and to calculate the characteristics of the retinal image. Retinal image quality was described in such characteristics as Point Spread Function (PSF) and the Optical Transfer Function with amplitude and phase. The results show a strong correlation between the refractive indices difference and retinal image quality.

Influence of Fluidized Bed Quenching on the Mechanical Properties and Quality Index of T6 Tempered B319.2-Type Aluminum Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragab, Kh. A.; Samuel, A. M.; Al-Ahmari, A. M. A.; Samuel, F. H.; Doty, H. W.

2013-11-01

The current study aimed to investigate the effect of fluidized sand bed (FB) quenching on the mechanical performance of B319.2 aluminum cast alloys. Traditional water and conventional hot air (CF) quenching media were used to establish a relevant comparison with FB quenching. Quality charts were generated using two models of quality indices to support the selection of material conditions on the basis of the proposed quality indices. The use of an FB for the direct quenching-aging treatment of B319.2 casting alloys yields greater UTS and YS values compared to conventional furnace quenched alloys. The strength values of T6 tempered B319 alloys are greater when quenched in water compared with those quenched in an FB or CF. For the same aging conditions (170°C/4h), the fluidized bed quenched-aged 319 alloys show nearly the same or better strength values than those quenched in water and then aged in a CF or an FB. Based on the quality charts developed for alloys subjected to different quenching media, higher quality index values are obtained by conventional furnace quenched-aged T6-tempered B319 alloys. The modification factor has the most significant effect on the quality results of the alloys investigated, for all heat treatment cycles, as compared to other metallurgical parameters. The results of alloys subjected to multi-temperature aging cycles reveal that the optimum strength properties of B319.2 alloys, however, is obtained by applying multi-temperature aging cycles such as, for example, 240 °C/2 h followed by 170 °C/8 h, rather than T6 aging treatments. The regression models indicate that the mean quality values of B319 alloys are highly quench sensitive due to the formation of a larger percent of clusters in Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloys. These clusters act as heterogeneous nucleation sites for precipitation and enhance the aging process.

13C-isotopic fingerprint of Pinus pinaster Ait. and Pinus sylvestris L. wood related to the quality of standing tree mass in forests from NW Spain.

PubMed

Fernandez, Irene; González-Prieto, Serafin J; Cabaneiro, Ana

2005-01-01

Pine forest plantations of Pinus pinaster Ait. and P. sylvestris L. located in Galicia, NW Spain, were selected to study the 13C/12C-isotopic fingerprint in wood core samples in order to find possible relationships between the delta(13)C at natural abundance levels and the quality of the standing tree mass. For each pine species, 24 forests growing on acidic soils were studied: half developed over granite and half over schists. Two dominant trees from each plot, corresponding to all possible combinations of forest stands with high or low site index and with adults or young trees, were drilled at the basal part of trunks using a Pressler drill to obtain tree ring samples. The C-isotopic compositions of the litter and the soil organic matter from different soil depths were also determined and statistically significant correlations between these values and the 13C content of the wood were observed. Despite internal variations due to the influence of site index, tree age and parent material, the isotopic fingerprint of P. pinaster wood (mean value delta13C=-26.2+/-0.8 per thousand) significantly differed (P<0.001) from that of P. sylvestris (mean value delta13C=-24.6+/-0.7 per thousand). Relationships between the quality of the stand and the C-isotopic composition of the wood were observed, high quality stands having trees more 13C-depleted than low quality ones. A high correlation between wood delta13C and site index values for P. pinaster stands (r=-0.667, P<0.001) was found, this correlation being even clearer when only P. pinaster growing over schists (r=-0.833, P<0.001) are considered. Again, the correlation between the site index and the wood delta13C of young P. pinaster trees is higher when plots over granite or schists are separately considered. A similar fact occurs for adult P. sylvestris trees from schists stands, high quality specimens being 13C-depleted compared with low quality ones. On the other hand, 13C natural abundance of wood from P. sylvestris trees seems to be also strongly influenced by the underlying parent material, young trees from granite stands having a statistically higher 13C-isotopic composition (P<0.05) than young trees from schists stands. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The air quality analysis of Dalian based on the data of AQI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Ji-lin; Liu, Miao

2018-02-01

The data of AQI from 10 countries accused of automatic air quality monitoring station of Dalian from June 2015 to December 2016 were analyzed to investigate the daily mean change of air quality index, the change of the hour and the correlation analysis between AQI and PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, O3 six parameters. The 856,800 index samples showed that the air quality index of autumn and winter was obviously higher than that of summer. The maximum AQI value in autumn and winter reached 389, with an average of 82. The maximum value of AQI in summer was 130, and the average was 50. From 2015 to 2016, the excellent air quality in the summer in Dalian was 60.3%; the standard rate was 98.4%. The autumn and winter air quality accounted for 39.1% and the compliance rate was 68.5%. The mean of the AQI average daily was a wavy trend, and the changes of summer and autumn and winter were roughly the same. The regularity of AQI 24-hour showed multi-peak changes, bimodal changes and single peak changes. The air quality in Dalian is affected by the weather conditions such as wind direction, rainfall and fog, the air quality in surrounding cities, urban pollution, vehicle exhaust and excessive consumption of coal energy. Through correlation calculation, AQI, PM2.5, and PM10 were significantly correlated irrespective of season. AQI and O3 were positively correlated in summer, but negatively correlated in autumn and winter, which is the basis for the treatment of air pollution in Dalian.

Optimization of exposure index values for the antero-posterior pelvis and antero-posterior knee examination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, M. L.; Rainford, L.; Last, J.; Brennan, P. C.

2009-02-01

Introduction The American Association of Medical Physicists is currently standardizing the exposure index (EI) value. Recent studies have questioned whether the EI value offered by manufacturers is optimal. This current work establishes optimum EIs for the antero-posterior (AP) projections of a pelvis and knee on a Carestream Health (Kodak) CR system and compares these with manufacturers recommended EI values from a patient dose and image quality perspective. Methodology Human cadavers were used to produce images of clinically relevant standards. Several exposures were taken to achieve various EI values and corresponding entrance surface doses (ESD) were measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters. Image quality was assessed by 5 experienced clinicians using anatomical criteria judged against a reference image. Visualization of image specific common abnormalities was also analyzed to establish diagnostic efficacy. Results A rise in ESD for both examinations, consistent with increasing EI was shown. Anatomic image quality was deemed to be acceptable at an EI of 1560 for the AP pelvis and 1590 for the AP knee. From manufacturers recommended values, a significant reduction in ESD (p=0.02) of 38% and 33% for the pelvis and knee respectively was noted. Initial pathological analysis suggests that diagnostic efficacy at lower EI values may be projection-specific. Conclusion The data in this study emphasize the need for clinical centres to consider establishing their own EI guidelines, and not necessarily relying on manufacturers recommendations. Normal and abnormal images must be used in this process.

Mapping global vulnerability index in mining sectors: A case study Moulares-Redayef aquifer system, southwestern Tunisia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khelif, Nadia; Jmal, Ikram; Bouri, Salem

2016-09-01

Contrary to the DRASTIC model grouping together the saturated and unsaturated zones to compute a global intrinsic vulnerability index, the global vulnerability index method incorporates both hydrogeological and hydrochemical data for a comprehensive index mapping for the saturated zones. This concept depends on the behavior and the uses of the groundwater. The main aim of this study is to propose a scientific basis for sustainable land use planning and groundwater management of the Moulares-Reayef aquifer, located in Southwestern Tunisia. The overexploitation of this aquifer causes the threat of groundwater quality by various sources of pollution. The global vulnerability index was applied in the Moulares-Reayef aquifer. The results show that the most favorable zones to pollutant percolation are situated along the wadis (Tabaddit, Zallaz, Berka, …) which are drained by continuous discharges. The global vulnerability values were correlated with nitrates values for validation. It revealed a significant correlation showing that high values of nitrates occurred in highly vulnerable zones with a value of 0.69 for the Pearson coefficient. The global vulnerability evaluation shows that the aquifer is characterized by high vertical vulnerability and high susceptibility.

The Austrian UV monitoring network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blumthaler, Mario; Klotz, Barbara; Schwarzmann, Michael; Schreder, Josef

2017-02-01

The Austrian UV Monitoring network is operational since 1998 providing a large data set of erythemally weighted UV irradiance recorded with broadband UV biometer at 12 stations distributed all over Austria. In order to obtain high quality data all biometer are recalibrated once a year, the detectors are checked regularly for humidity and quality control is done routinely. The collected data are processed and then published on the website http://www.uv-index.at where the UV-Index of all measurement sites is presented in near real time together with a map of the distribution of the UV-Index over Austria. These UV-Index data together with measurements of global radiation and ozone levels from OMI are used to study long term trends for the stations of the monitoring network. Neither for all weather conditions nor for clear sky conditions is a statistically significant trend found for the UV-Index (with one exception) and for ozone. Furthermore, the radiation amplification factor (RAF) is determined experimentally from the power law correlation between UV-Index and ozone level for the site Innsbruck (577 m above sea level, 47.26°N, 11.38°E) for 19°solar elevation. A value of 0.91 ± 0.05 is found for the RAF for clear sky days with low ground albedo and a value of 1.03 ± 0.08 for days with high ground albedo (snow cover).

Multigroup Path Analysis of the Influence of Healthcare Quality, by Different Health Insurance Types.

PubMed

Hong, Yong-Rock; Holcomb, Derek; Ballard, Michael; Schwartz, Laurel

Winds of change have been blowing in the U.S. healthcare system since passage of the Affordable Care Act. Examining differences between individuals covered by different types of insurance is essential if healthcare executives are to develop new strategies in response to the emerging health insurance market. In this study, we used multigroup path analysis models to examine the moderating effects of health insurance on direct and indirect associations with general health status, satisfaction with received care, financial burden, and perceived value of the healthcare system. Data were obtained from the 2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and analyzed according to the types of insurance: private, public, and military. With the satisfactory fit of the model (χ = 2,532.644, df = 96, p < .001; normed fit index = 0.943; incremental fit index = 0.945; comparative fit index = 0.957; root mean squared error of approximation = 0.044), higher healthcare quality was positively associated with better health status, greater satisfaction, and greater perceived value of the healthcare system in the three insurance groups. In addition, although all direct paths between health service quality and financial burden were not statistically significant, indirect effects were significant in all models through health status. Being married and earning higher incomes were also found to be strong predictors of better health status and health service quality. Efforts to improve the quality of health services are needed, which could contribute to a reduction in health disparities among insurance beneficiaries and result in less healthcare spending.

Evaluation of surface water quality indices and ecological risk assessment for heavy metals in scrap yard neighbourhood.

PubMed

Ojekunle, Olusheyi Z; Ojekunle, Olurotimi V; Adeyemi, Azeem A; Taiwo, Abayomi G; Sangowusi, Opeyemi R; Taiwo, Adewale M; Adekitan, Adetoun A

2016-01-01

Pollution of surface water with heavy metals from industrial activities especially those from scrap yard has caused a major threat to human life exposing man to series of hazard, diseases, disability and consequently death. This study focuses on water quality indices of Owode-Onirin and Lafenwa scrap yard with respect to its physicochemical parameters and heavy metal concentrations by evaluating Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI), Metal Index (MI) and Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI). Fifteen water samples were selected randomly from two locations by purposive sampling methods. Five heavy metals which includes Nickel (Ni), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb) were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy and standard analytical procedure were follow to ensure accuracy. One way analysis of variance was carried out to analyse the data. The concentrations of the heavy metals were significantly different between sampling locations. However, the mean concentrations of Cd (0.0121 mg/L) were found to be above the highest permissible value of Standard Organization of Nigeria standards for drinking water (SON 2007) and WHO (Guidelines for drinking water quality: incorporating 1st and 2nd Addlenda. World Health Organization, Geneva, 2004) for drinking water. Although Pb was present in two out of the fifteen water samples with a mean value of (0.0324 mg/L) which was also above the highest permissible value. The mean concentrations of Zn (0.2149 mg/L) and Cu (0.0341 mg/L) are found to be below the highest permissible value of the mentioned guideline while no trace of Ni was found in the water samples across the two sampling locations. The mean HPI 518.55 is far above the critical value of 100, indicates that selected water samples are critically polluted with heavy metals. MI revealed low quality water with mean value 4.83, suggests that the selected water is seriously affected with the present of heavy metal. The Hakanson PERI indicated that of the five heavy metals, the risk coefficient of Zn, Pb, Cu, and Ni had light levels of contamination while the level of Cd contamination posed the most serious potential ecological risk, with an index value between 14.1 and 234. The study concluded that order of magnitude to this five heavy metals contamination is Cd > Pb > Zn > Cu > Ni.

The impact of herbal remedies on adverse effects and quality of life in HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy

PubMed Central

Bepe, Nyasha; Madanhi, Nathan; Mudzviti, Tinashe; Gavi, Samuel; Maponga, Charles Chiedza; Morse, Gene D

2012-01-01

Introduction Use of herbal remedies among HIV-infected individuals in Africa increased in the past decade, mainly due to traditional beliefs and at times inconsistent access to antiretroviral drugs. In Zimbabwe, accessibility and availability of antiretroviral drugs has increased in recent years; however, the use of herbal remedies remains high. This study was conducted to determine the impact of concomitant use of herbal remedies with antiretroviral drugs on adverse events and on quality of life. Methodology A convenient sample of HIV positive patients at Parirenyatwa group of hospitals' Family Care Clinic (Harare, Zimbabwe) was enrolled. A questionnaire was used to collect data on the adverse event experiences of the patients using herbal remedies for their HIV, as well as the types of herbal remedy used. Quality of life index was measured using an HIV/AIDS targeted quality of life (HAT-QOL) tool developed by the World Health Organization. Results Abdominal pain (odds ratio = 2.7, p-value = 0.01) and rash (odds ratio = 2.5, p-value = 0.02) had significant associations with using herbal remedies during antiretroviral therapy. Improved quality of life index was not significantly associated with herbal remedy use during antiretroviral therapy. Conclusions There is evidence to suggest that some traditional herbal remedies used in Zimbabwe may increase incidence of certain types of adverse events when used in combination with antiretroviral drugs. Use of herbal drugs in combination with antiretroviral therapy does not significantly improve quality of life index in comparison to antiretroviral drug use only. PMID:21330740

Assessment of water quality: a case study of the Seybouse River (North East of Algeria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guettaf, M.; Maoui, A.; Ihdene, Z.

2017-03-01

The assessment of water quality has been carried out to determine the concentrations of different ions present in the surface waters. The Seybouse River constitutes a dump of industrial and domestic rejections which contribute to the degradation of water quality. A total of 48 surface water samples were collected from different stations. The first objective of this study is the use of water quality index (WQI) to evaluate the state of the water in this river. The second aim is to calculate the parameters of the quality of water destined for irrigation such as sodium adsorption ratio , sodium percentage, and residual sodium carbonate. A high mineralization and high concentration of major chemical elements and nutrients indicate inevitably a high value of WQI index. The mean value of electrical conductivity is about 945.25 µs/cm in the station 2 (Bouhamdane) and exceeds 1,400 µs/cm in station 12 of Nador. The concentration of sulfates is above 250 mg/l in the stations 8 (Zimba) and 11 (Helia). A concentration of orthophosphate over 2 mg/l was observed in the station 11. The comparison of the obtained and the WHO standards indicates a before using it use in agricultural purposes.

A Spanish version of the Skin Cancer Index: a questionnaire for measuring quality of life in patients with cervicofacial nonmelanoma skin cancer.

PubMed

de Troya-Martín, M; Rivas-Ruiz, F; Blázquez-Sánchez, N; Fernández-Canedo, I; Aguilar-Bernier, M; Repiso-Jiménez, J B; Toribio-Montero, J C; Jones-Caballero, M; Rhee, J

2015-01-01

The Skin Cancer Index (SCI) is the first specific patient-reported outcome measure for patients with cervicofacial nonmelanoma skin cancer. To date, only the original English version has been published. To develop a Spanish version of the SCI that is semantically and linguistically equivalent to the original, and to evaluate its measurement properties in this different cultural environment. A cross-sectional study was conducted of the cultural adaptation and empirical validation of the questionnaire, analysing the psychometric properties of the new index at different stages. Of 440 patients recruited to the study, 431 (95%) completed the Spanish version of the SCI questionnaire, in a mean time of 6·3 min (SD 2·9). Factor analysis of the scale revealed commonality and loading values of < 0·5 for three of the 15 items. The remaining 12 items converged into two components: appearance/social aspects (seven items) and emotional aspects (five items). Both domains presented a high level of internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha values above 0·8. The convergent-discriminant validity analysis produced correlations higher than 0·3 for the mental component of the Short Form Health Survey-12v2 Health Questionnaire (correlation coefficient 0·39) and the Dermatology Quality of Life Index (correlation coefficient -0·30). In the test-retest, nine of the 12 items produced a weighted kappa value exceeding 0·4, and for the remaining three items, the absolute agreement percentage exceeded 60%. The Spanish version of the SCI quality of life scale has been satisfactorily adapted and validated for use in Spanish-speaking countries and populations. © 2014 British Association of Dermatologists.

Coal resources of New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Read, Charles Brian; Duffner, R.T.; Wood, G.H.; Zapp, A.D.

1950-01-01

A study of water quality degradation due to brine contamination was made in an area of about 1,700 sq mi in east-central Oklahoma. The study area coincides in part with the outcrop of the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer of Pennsylvanian age. Water samples collected from 180 wells completed in the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer and at 167 sites from streams draining the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer show scattered occurrences of water quality degradation by brine. Degradation of water quality by brine is indicated where: (1) chloride concentration is > or = to 400 mg/L; (2) bromide concentration is > or = 2 mg/L; (3) the ratio of sodium plus chloride to dissolved solids is > or = 0.64. Ratios of secondary importance that also indicate water quality degradation by brine in the area are: (1) a ratio of lithium to bromide < or = 0.01, when the chloride concentration is > or = 400 mg/L; (2) a sodium/chloride ratio of about 0.46; (3) a sodium/bromide ratio of about 92; and (4) a bromide/chloride ratio of about 0.0048. Values for bromide, lithium, strontium, dissolved solids, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, and sulfate concentrations were subjected to analysis of variance based on use of the index values in partition data sets. The analysis of variance showed the significance of the indexes for all constituents except sulfate. The two most reliable brine indicators are chloride and bromide. Statistically, chloride is a slightly more reliable index than bromide. The developed indexes can be used to indicate water quality degradation by brine. Accuracy is improved if both indexes are used. When geophysical logs from 133 pairs of oil and gas wells were analyzed, data from 5 pairs of wells indicated a possible rise in the interface between fresh water and salt water in the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer. Therefore , any rise of the interface is local rather than regional. The criteria developed in this study indicate that brine has degraded water quality at 63 sites on streams draining the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer, at 15 water wells completed in the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer, and at 5 oil and gas wells penetrating the Vamoosa-Ada aquifer. (Author 's abstract)

EFFECT OF OZONATED WATER ON THE ASSIMILABLE ORGANIC CARBON AND COLIFORM GROWTH RESPONSE VALUES AND ON PATHOGENIC BACTERIA SURVIVAL

EPA Science Inventory

The assimilable organic carbon (AOC) and coliform growth response (CGR) are bioassays used to determine water quality. AOC and CGR are better indexes in determining whether water can support the growth of bacteria than biological oxygen demand (BOD). The AOC value of reconditione...

Optimization of OSEM parameters in myocardial perfusion imaging reconstruction as a function of body mass index: a clinical approach*

PubMed Central

de Barros, Pietro Paolo; Metello, Luis F.; Camozzato, Tatiane Sabriela Cagol; Vieira, Domingos Manuel da Silva

2015-01-01

Objective The present study is aimed at contributing to identify the most appropriate OSEM parameters to generate myocardial perfusion imaging reconstructions with the best diagnostic quality, correlating them with patients’ body mass index. Materials and Methods The present study included 28 adult patients submitted to myocardial perfusion imaging in a public hospital. The OSEM method was utilized in the images reconstruction with six different combinations of iterations and subsets numbers. The images were analyzed by nuclear cardiology specialists taking their diagnostic value into consideration and indicating the most appropriate images in terms of diagnostic quality. Results An overall scoring analysis demonstrated that the combination of four iterations and four subsets has generated the most appropriate images in terms of diagnostic quality for all the classes of body mass index; however, the role played by the combination of six iterations and four subsets is highlighted in relation to the higher body mass index classes. Conclusion The use of optimized parameters seems to play a relevant role in the generation of images with better diagnostic quality, ensuring the diagnosis and consequential appropriate and effective treatment for the patient. PMID:26543282

Development of fuzzy air quality index using soft computing approach.

PubMed

Mandal, T; Gorai, A K; Pathak, G

2012-10-01

Proper assessment of air quality status in an atmosphere based on limited observations is an essential task for meeting the goals of environmental management. A number of classification methods are available for estimating the changing status of air quality. However, a discrepancy frequently arises from the quality criteria of air employed and vagueness or fuzziness embedded in the decision making output values. Owing to inherent imprecision, difficulties always exist in some conventional methodologies like air quality index when describing integrated air quality conditions with respect to various pollutants parameters and time of exposure. In recent years, the fuzzy logic-based methods have demonstrated to be appropriated to address uncertainty and subjectivity in environmental issues. In the present study, a methodology based on fuzzy inference systems (FIS) to assess air quality is proposed. This paper presents a comparative study to assess status of air quality using fuzzy logic technique and that of conventional technique. The findings clearly indicate that the FIS may successfully harmonize inherent discrepancies and interpret complex conditions.

Systematic review of the impact of urinary tract infections on health-related quality of life.

PubMed

Bermingham, Sarah L; Ashe, Joanna F

2012-12-01

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Values for equivalent health states can vary substantially depending on the measure used and method of valuation; this has a direct impact on the results of economic analyses. To date, the majority of existing economic evaluations that include UTI as a health state refer to an analysis in which the Index of Well Being was used to estimate the quality of life experienced by young women with UTIs. Currently, there are no validated methods or filters for systematically searching for the type of generic quality of life data required for decision analytic models. This study is the only systematic review of quality of life in people with UTI in the literature. Twelve studies were identified which report quality of life using a variety of generic methods; the results of these papers were summarized in a way that is useful for a health researcher seeking to populate a decision model, design a clinical study or assess the effect of UTI on quality of life relative to other conditions. One research group provided previously unpublished data from a large cohort study; these scores were mapped to EuroQol 5-Dimension values using published algorithms and probabilistic simulations. The aim of this review was to identify studies that have evaluated the impact of symptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI) and UTI-associated bacteraemia on quality of life, and to summarize these data in a way that is useful for a health researcher seeking to populate a cost-utility model, design a clinical study or assess the effect of UTIs on quality of life relative to other conditions. We conducted a systematic search of the literature using MEDLINE, EMBASE, the NHS Economic Evaluations database, Health Technology Assessment database, Health Economics Evaluations database, Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry and EuroQol website. Studies that reported utility values for symptomatic UTI or UTI-associated bacteraemia derived from a generic QoL measurement tool or expert opinion were included. Studies using disease-specific instruments were excluded. Twelve studies were identified that included a generic measure of health-related quality of life for patients with UTIs. These measures included: the short-form (SF)-36 and SF-12 questionnaires; the Health Utilities Index Mark 2; Quality of Well Being; the Index of Well Being, standard gamble; the Health and Activity Limitation Index; and expert opinion. The authors of studies using either of the SF questionnaires were contacted for additional data. One research group provided previously unpublished data from a large cohort study; these scores were mapped to EuroQol 5-Dimension (EQ-5D) values using published algorithms and probabilistic simulations. The present review provides health researchers with several sources from which to select utility values to populate cost-utility models. It also shows that very few studies have measured quality of life in patients with UTI using generic preference-based measures of health and none have evaluated the impact of this health state on quality of life in children. Future studies ought to consider the inclusion of commonly used preference-based measures of health, such as the EQ-5D, in all patient populations experiencing symptomatic UTI or UTI-related complications. © 2012 NATIONAL CLINICAL GUIDELINE CENTRE OF ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS.

[Evaluation of the quality of three-dimensional data acquired by using two kinds of structure light intra-oral scanner to scan the crown preparation model].

PubMed

Zhang, X Y; Li, H; Zhao, Y J; Wang, Y; Sun, Y C

2016-07-01

To quantitatively evaluate the quality and accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) data acquired by using two kinds of structure intra-oral scanner to scan the typical teeth crown preparations. Eight typical teeth crown preparations model were scanned 3 times with two kinds of structured light intra-oral scanner(A, B), as test group. A high precision model scanner were used to scan the model as true value group. The data above the cervical margin was extracted. The indexes of quality including non-manifold edges, the self-intersections, highly-creased edges, spikes, small components, small tunnels, small holes and the anount of triangles were measured with the tool of mesh doctor in Geomagic studio 2012. The scanned data of test group were aligned to the data of true value group. 3D deviations of the test group compared with true value group were measured for each scanned point, each preparation and each group. Independent-samples Mann-Whitney U test was applied to analyze 3D deviations for each scanned point of A and B group. Correlation analysis was applied to index values and 3D deviation values. The total number of spikes in A group was 96, and that in B group and true value group were 5 and 0 respectively. Trueness: A group 8.0 (8.3) μm, B group 9.5 (11.5) μm(P>0.05). Correlation analysis of the number of spikes with data precision of A group was r=0.46. In the study, the qulity of the scanner B is better than scanner A, the difference of accuracy is not statistically significant. There is correlation between quality and data precision of the data scanned with scanner A.

Critical levels as applied to ozone for North American forests

Treesearch

Robert C. Musselman

2006-01-01

The United States and Canada have used concentration-based parameters for air quality standards for ozone effects on forests in North America. The European critical levels method for air quality standards uses an exposure-based parameter, a cumulative ozone concentration index with a threshold cutoff value. The critical levels method has not been used in North America...

Using Reliability and Item Analysis to Evaluate a Teacher-Developed Test in Educational Measurement and Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quaigrain, Kennedy; Arhin, Ato Kwamina

2017-01-01

Item analysis is essential in improving items which will be used again in later tests; it can also be used to eliminate misleading items in a test. The study focused on item and test quality and explored the relationship between difficulty index (p-value) and discrimination index (DI) with distractor efficiency (DE). The study was conducted among…

Artificial neural network modeling of the water quality index using land use areas as predictors.

PubMed

Gazzaz, Nabeel M; Yusoff, Mohd Kamil; Ramli, Mohammad Firuz; Juahir, Hafizan; Aris, Ahmad Zaharin

2015-02-01

This paper describes the design of an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict the water quality index (WQI) using land use areas as predictors. Ten-year records of land use statistics and water quality data for Kinta River (Malaysia) were employed in the modeling process. The most accurate WQI predictions were obtained with the network architecture 7-23-1; the back propagation training algorithm; and a learning rate of 0.02. The WQI forecasts of this model had significant (p < 0.01), positive, very high correlation (ρs = 0.882) with the measured WQI values. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the relative importance of the land use classes to WQI predictions followed the order: mining > rubber > forest > logging > urban areas > agriculture > oil palm. These findings show that the ANNs are highly reliable means of relating water quality to land use, thus integrating land use development with river water quality management.

The StreamCat Dataset: Accumulated Attributes for NHDPlusV2 Catchments (Version 2.1) for the Conterminous United States: Base Flow Index

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This dataset represents the base flow index values within individual, local NHDPlusV2 catchments and upstream, contributing watersheds. Attributes of the landscape layer were calculated for every local NHDPlusV2 catchment and accumulated to provide watershed-level metrics. (See Supplementary Info for Glossary of Terms) The base-flow index (BFI) grid for the conterminous United States was developed to estimate (1) BFI values for ungaged streams, and (2) ground-water recharge throughout the conterminous United States (see Source_Information). Estimates of BFI values at ungaged streams and BFI-based ground-water recharge estimates are useful for interpreting relations between land use and water quality in surface and ground water. The bfi (%) was summarized by local catchment and by watershed to produce local catchment-level and watershed-level metrics as a continuous data type (see Data Structure and Attribute Information for a description).

Heartwood and sapwood in eucalyptus trees: non-conventional approach to wood quality.

PubMed

Cherelli, Sabrina G; Sartori, Maria Márcia P; Próspero, André G; Ballarin, Adriano W

2018-01-01

This study evaluated the quality of heartwood and sapwood from mature trees of three species of Eucalyptus, by means of the qualification of their proportion, determination of basic and apparent density using non-destructive attenuation of gamma radiation technique and calculation of the density uniformity index. Six trees of each species (Eucalyptus grandis - 18 years old, Eucalyptus tereticornis - 35 years old and Corymbia citriodora - 28 years old) were used in the experimental program. The heartwood and sapwood were delimited by macroscopic analysis and the calculation of areas and percentage of heartwood and sapwood were performed using digital image. The uniformity index was calculated following methodology which numerically quantifies the dispersion of punctual density values of the wood around the mean density along the radius. The percentage of the heartwood was higher than the sapwood in all species studied. The density results showed no statistical difference between heartwood and sapwood. Differently from the density results, in all species studied there was statistical differences between uniformity indexes for heartwood and sapwood regions, making justifiable the inclusion of the density uniformity index as a quality parameter for Eucalyptus wood.

Effects of the bilateral isokinetic strengthening training on functional parameters, gait, and the quality of life in patients with stroke.

PubMed

Büyükvural Şen, Sıdıka; Özbudak Demir, Sibel; Ekiz, Timur; Özgirgin, Neşe

2015-01-01

To evaluate the effects of the bilateral isokinetic strengthening training applied to knee and ankle muscles on balance, functional parameters, gait, and the quality of in stroke patients. Fifty patients (33 M, 17 F) with subacute-chronic stroke and 30 healthy subjects were included. Stroke patients were allocated into isokinetic and control groups. Conventional rehabilitation program was applied to all cases; additionally maximal concentric isokinetic strengthening training was applied to the knee-ankle muscles bilaterally to the isokinetic group 5 days a week for 3 weeks. Biodex System 3 Pro Multijoint System isokinetic dynamometer was used for isokinetic evaluation. The groups were assessed by Functional Independence Measure, Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale, Timed 10-Meter Walk Test, Six-Minute Walk Test, Stair-Climbing Test, Timed up&go Test, Berg Balance Scale, and Rivermead Mobility Index. Compared with baseline, the isokinetic PT values of the knee and ankle on both sides significantly increased in all cases. PT change values were significantly higher in the isokinetic group than the control group (P<0.025). Furthermore, the quality of life, gait, balance and mobility index values improved significantly in both groups, besides the increase levels were found significantly higher in the isokinetic group (P<0.025, P<0.05). Bilateral isokinetic strengthening training in addition to conventional rehabilitation program after stroke seems to be effective on strengthening muscles on both sides, improving functional parameters, gait, balance and life quality.

Effects of the bilateral isokinetic strengthening training on functional parameters, gait, and the quality of life in patients with stroke

PubMed Central

Büyükvural Şen, Sıdıka; Özbudak Demir, Sibel; Ekiz, Timur; Özgirgin, Neşe

2015-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effects of the bilateral isokinetic strengthening training applied to knee and ankle muscles on balance, functional parameters, gait, and the quality of in stroke patients. Methods: Fifty patients (33 M, 17 F) with subacute-chronic stroke and 30 healthy subjects were included. Stroke patients were allocated into isokinetic and control groups. Conventional rehabilitation program was applied to all cases; additionally maximal concentric isokinetic strengthening training was applied to the knee-ankle muscles bilaterally to the isokinetic group 5 days a week for 3 weeks. Biodex System 3 Pro Multijoint System isokinetic dynamometer was used for isokinetic evaluation. The groups were assessed by Functional Independence Measure, Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale, Timed 10-Meter Walk Test, Six-Minute Walk Test, Stair-Climbing Test, Timed up&go Test, Berg Balance Scale, and Rivermead Mobility Index. Results: Compared with baseline, the isokinetic PT values of the knee and ankle on both sides significantly increased in all cases. PT change values were significantly higher in the isokinetic group than the control group (P<0.025). Furthermore, the quality of life, gait, balance and mobility index values improved significantly in both groups, besides the increase levels were found significantly higher in the isokinetic group (P<0.025, P<0.05). Conclusion: Bilateral isokinetic strengthening training in addition to conventional rehabilitation program after stroke seems to be effective on strengthening muscles on both sides, improving functional parameters, gait, balance and life quality. PMID:26629238

Influence of culture, residential segregation and socioeconomic development on rural elderly health-related quality of life in Guangxi, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Tai; Shi, Wuxiang; Huang, Zhaoquan; Gao, Dong; Guo, Zhenyou; Liu, Jianying; Chongsuvivatwong, Virasakdi

2016-06-29

This study aimed to assess ethnic differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among the rural elderly, and to examine the influence of ethnic culture, residential segregation and socioeconomic development on HRQoL. A total of 6,511 rural elderly aged 60 years and older from 5,541 households in 116 villages across eight ethnic groups in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region were selected and assessed for HRQoL. The EQ-5D index values were calculated based on the Chinese Time Trade-Off values set. The EQ-5D descriptive system scores, visual analogue scale scores, and index values were described by ethnic group. The EQ-5D index was modeled against ethnic culture, residential segregation and socioeconomic development using villages as random effects. The median (IQR) of HRQoL among all the ethnic groups was 0.88 (0.80, 0.96). Pain/discomfort was the most prevalent problem, followed by anxiety/depression. After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, a significant difference in HRQoL among ethnic groups persisted, but this was not true for residential segregation. Social welfare and health policies designed to improve the health of the rural elderly should focus more on older, female, less-educated, Yao minority individuals as well as lower-income households.

Soil quality index for evaluation of reclaimed coal mine spoil.

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, S; Masto, R E; Yadav, A; George, J; Ram, L C; Shukla, S P

2016-01-15

Success in the remediation of mine spoil depends largely on the selection of appropriate tree species. The impacts of remediation on mine soil quality cannot be sufficiently assessed by individual soil properties. However, combination of soil properties into an integrated soil quality index provides a more holistic status of reclamation potentials of tree species. Remediation potentials of four tree species (Acacia auriculiformis, Cassia siamea, Dalbergia sissoo, and Leucaena leucocephala) were studied on reclaimed coal mine overburden dumps of Jharia coalfield, Dhanbad, India. Soil samples were collected under the canopies of the tree species. Comparative studies on the properties of soils in the reclaimed and the reference sites showed improvements in soil quality parameters of the reclaimed site: coarse fraction (-20.4%), bulk density (-12.8%), water holding capacity (+0.92%), pH (+25.4%), EC (+2.9%), cation exchange capacity (+46.6%), organic carbon (+91.5%), N (+60.6%), P (+113%), K (+19.9%), Ca (+49.6%), Mg (+12.2%), Na (+19.6%), S (+46.7%), total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (-71.4%), dehydrogenase activity (+197%), and microbial biomass carbon (+115%). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify key mine soil quality indicators to develop a soil quality index (SQI). Selected indicators include: coarse fraction, pH, EC, soil organic carbon, P, Ca, S, and dehydrogenase activity. The indicator values were converted into a unitless score (0-1.00) and integrated into SQI. The calculated SQI was significantly (P<0.001) correlated with tree biomass and canopy cover. Reclaimed site has 52-93% higher SQI compared to the reference site. Higher SQI values were obtained for sites reclaimed with D.sissoo (+93.1%) and C.siamea (+86.4%). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Water quality assessment in terms of water quality index (WQI): case study of the Kolong River, Assam, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bora, Minakshi; Goswami, Dulal C.

2017-10-01

The Kolong River of Nagaon district, Assam has been facing serious degradation leading to its current moribund condition due to a drastic human intervention in the form of an embankment put across it near its take-off point from the Brahmaputra River in the year 1964. The blockage of the river flow was adopted as a flood control measure to protect its riparian areas, especially the Nagaon town, from flood hazard. The river, once a blooming distributary of the mighty Brahmaputra, had high navigability and rich riparian biodiversity with a well established agriculturally productive watershed. However, the present status of Kolong River is highly wretched as a consequence of the post-dam effects thus leaving it as stagnant pools of polluted water with negligible socio-economic and ecological value. The Central Pollution Control Board, in one of its report has placed the Kolong River among 275 most polluted rivers of India. Thus, this study is conducted to analyze the seasonal water quality status of the Kolong River in terms of water quality index (WQI). The WQI scores shows very poor to unsuitable quality of water samples in almost all the seven sampling sites along the Kolong River. The water quality is found to be most deteriorated during monsoon season with an average WQI value of 122.47 as compared to pre-monsoon and post-monsoon season having average WQI value of 85.73 and 80.75, respectively. Out of the seven sampling sites, Hatimura site (S1) and Nagaon Town site (S4) are observed to be the most polluted sites.

[Active Substance Index (AKS) percentile distribution in pediatric ages].

PubMed

Henriquez-Pérez, Gladys; Rached-Paoli, Ingrid; Azuaje-Sánchez, Arelis

2009-12-01

The aim of this study was to discern the percentile distribution of the Active Substance Index (AKS) in boys and girls aged 4 to 9 years in order to obtain reference values for this indicator. This index was calculated in 3634 healthy and well-nourished children with normal stature from a poor urban community at Centro de Atención Nutricional Infantil Antímano (CANIA), within the period between January 1999 and December 2007. Children with prematurity backgrounds, pubertal growth spurts, or with chronic pathologies, whether defined or under study, were excluded. The Dugdale & Griffiths two-skinfold equation for boys and girls shorter than 150 cm and 140 cm, respectively was used to obtain the fat body mass required to estimate the AKS index. The variables were measured by standardized anthropometrics technicians, with quality control every 4 months as recommended by international standards. Descriptive statistics of the AKS index and variables used for their calculation were obtained, as well as index percentiles 3, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90, and 97. Tests applied included Kolmogorov-Smirnoff, Anova one-way, Chi Square, Tukey and bivariated correlations (p < 0.05). The AKS index behavior exhibited higher values in the boys, decreasing with age in both sexes, ranging from 1.28 to 1.04 in the boys and from 1.17 to 0.94 in the girls. Statistically significant differences were found for each age and sex. These results provide the AKS index percentile distribution values needed for nutritional assessments in pediatric ages. These values should be validated and their effectiveness should be studied.

[Seedling index of Salvia miltiorrhiza and its simulation model].

PubMed

Huang, Shu-Hua; Xu, Fu-Li; Wang, Wei-Ling; Du, Jun-Bo; Ru, Mei; Wang, Jing; Cao, Xian-Yan

2012-10-01

Through the correlation analysis on the quantitative traits and their ratios of Salvia miltiorrhiza seedlings and seedling quality, a series of representative indices reflecting the seedling quality of the plant species were determined, and the seedling index suitable to the S. miltiorrhiza seedlings was ascertained by correlation degree analysis. Meanwhile, based on the relationships between the seedling index and the air temperature, solar radiation and air humidity, a simulation model for the seedling index of S. miltiorrhiza was established. The experimental data of different test plots and planting dates were used to validate the model. The results showed that the root diameter, stem diameter, crown dry mass, root dry mass, and plant dry mass had significant positive relationships with the other traits, and could be used as the indicators of the seedling's health. The seedling index of S. miltiorrhiza could be calculated by (stem diameter/root diameter + root dry mass/crown dry mass) x plant dry mass. The stem diameter, root dry mass, crown dry mass and plant dry mass had higher correlations with the seedling index, and thus, the seedling index determined by these indicators could better reflect the seedling's quality. The coefficient of determination (R2) between the predicted and measured values based on 1:1 line was 0.95, and the root mean squared error (RMSE) was 0.15, indicating that the model established in this study could precisely reflect the quantitative relationships between the seedling index of S. miltiorrhiza and the environmental factors.

Pancreatic enzyme supplementation after gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Catarci, Marco; Berlanda, Manuele; Grassi, Giovanni Battista; Masedu, Francesco; Guadagni, Stefano

2018-05-01

Gastrectomy for gastric cancer is a significant cause of secondary exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy may influence nutritional status and quality of life after gastrectomy, but the pertinent clinical research to date remains controversial. A randomized controlled trial to test this hypothesis was carried out. After gastrectomy, 43 patients with gastric cancer were randomly assigned to a normal diet (Normal-d; n = 21) or to a pancreatic enzyme supplementation diet (PES-d; n = 22) and were followed up during a 12-month period, assessing nutritional status and quality of life through body mass index (BMI), instant nutritional assessment (INA) class status, serum pre-albumin (SPA) values, and GastroiIntestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI). BMI was not significantly influenced by the type of diet; INA class status was significantly improved in the PES-d arm, particularly during the first 3 months after gastrectomy; SPA levels increased in both arms at 6 months after gastrectomy, reaching significantly higher values in the PES-d arm at 12 months. GIQLI was not significantly influenced by the type of diet throughout the follow-up period; however, this index significantly improved in the PES-d arm between the first and third month after gastrectomy. PES-d improves nutritional status and quality of life after gastrectomy for gastric cancer, particularly within 3 months from the operation. A larger, multicenter trial is necessary to address the potential influence of several confounding variables such as disease stage and adjuvant treatments.

Assessing the gluten content in wheat as an expression of the nutrition deficit, through beta distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pîslea, Daniela; Boldea, Marius; Sala, Florin

2013-10-01

The laboratory analysis of the gluten content of wheat in relation to the doses of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium used for fertilizing the soil reveals positive correlation between the two variables. The gluten content in wheat grains is an extremely important quality index in bread manufacturing. One of the farmers' objectives is to obtain high values of this index. The quality of bread manufacturing products is very sensitive to any changes in the percentage share of this indicator. The minimum limit of gluten accepted for bread manufacturing is 26%; even a small variation, of one percentage, of gluten, over this limit, changes the quality of the wheat yield, with considerable effects on the quality of bread. Therefore, farmers are interested in using crop technologies and especially fertilization in order to obtain wheat with high gluten content. Of the nutritive macronutrients, nitrogen plays a significant role in ensuring high gluten content. The definition domain of the measurements is (0;1). This ratio is not constant, but it has a tendency towards a certain medium value, depending on the chemical fertilizers, on fertilization. It follows that the statistic distribution which evaluates the phenomenon is the beta distribution.

Pesticide toxicity index for freshwater aquatic organisms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Munn, Mark D.; Gilliom, Robert J.

2001-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program is designed to assess current water-quality conditions, changes in water quality over time, and the effects of natural and human factors on water quality for the Nation's streams and ground-water resources. For streams, one of the most difficult parts of the assessment is to link chemical conditions to effects on aquatic biota, particularly for pesticides, which tend to occur in streams as complex mixtures with strong seasonal patterns. A Pesticide Toxicity Index (PTI) was developed that combines pesticide exposure of aquatic biota (measured concentrations of pesticides in stream water) with toxicity estimates (standard endpoints from laboratory bioassays) to produce a single index value for a sample or site. The development of the PTI was limited to pesticide compounds routinely measured in NAWQA studies and to toxicity data readily available from existing databases. Qualifying toxicity data were found for one or more types of test organisms for 75 of the 83 pesticide compounds measured in NAWQA samples, but with a wide range of bioassays per compound (1 to 65). There were a total of 2,824 bioassays for the 75 compounds, including 287 48-hour EC50 values (concentration at which 50 percent of test organisms exhibit a nonlethal response) for freshwater cladocerans, 585 96-hour LC50 values (concentration lethal to 50 percent of test organisms) for freshwater benthic invertebrates, and 1,952 96-hour LC50 values for freshwater fish. The PTI for a particular sample is the sum of toxicity quotients (measured concentration divided by the median toxicity concentration from bioassays) for each detected pesticide. The PTI can be calculated for specific groups of pesticides and for specific taxonomic groups.While the PTI does not determine whether water in a sample is toxic, its values can be used to rank or compare the toxicity of samples or sites on a relative basis for use in further analysis or additional assessments. The PTI approach may be useful as a basis for comparing the potential significance of pesticides in different streams on a common basis, for evaluating relations between pesticide exposure and observed biological conditions, and for prioritizing where further studies are most needed.

The health-nutrition dimension: a methodological approach to assess the nutritional sustainability of typical agro-food products and the Mediterranean diet.

PubMed

Azzini, Elena; Maiani, Giuseppe; Turrini, Aida; Intorre, Federica; Lo Feudo, Gabriella; Capone, Roberto; Bottalico, Francesco; El Bilali, Hamid; Polito, Angela

2018-08-01

The aim of this paper is to provide a methodological approach to evaluate the nutritional sustainability of typical agro-food products, representing Mediterranean eating habits and included in the Mediterranean food pyramid. For each group of foods, suitable and easily measurable indicators were identified. Two macro-indicators were used to assess the nutritional sustainability of each product. The first macro-indicator, called 'business distinctiveness', takes into account the application of different regulations and standards regarding quality, safety and traceability as well as the origin of raw materials. The second macro-indicator, called 'nutritional quality', assesses product nutritional quality taking into account the contents of key compounds including micronutrients and bioactive phytochemicals. For each indicator a 0-10 scoring system was set up, with scores from 0 (unsustainable) to 10 (very sustainable), with 5 as a sustainability benchmark value. The benchmark value is the value from which a product can be considered sustainable. A simple formula was developed to produce a sustainability index. The proposed sustainability index could be considered a useful tool to describe both the qualitative and quantitative value of micronutrients and bioactive phytochemical present in foodstuffs. This methodological approach can also be applied beyond the Mediterranean, to food products in other world regions. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Groundwater quality assessment using geospatial and statistical tools in Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arulbalaji, P.; Gurugnanam, B.

2017-10-01

The water quality study of Salem district, Tamil Nadu has been carried out to assess the water quality for domestic and irrigation purposes. For this purpose, 59 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), major anions (HCO3 -, CO3 -, F-, Cl-, NO2 - + NO3 -, and SO4 2-), major cations (Ca2+ Mg2+, Na+, and K+), alkalinity (ALK), and hardness (HAR). To assess the water quality, the following chemical parameters were calculated based on the analytical results, such as Piper plot, water quality index (WQI), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), magnesium hazard (MH), Kelly index (KI), and residual sodium carbonate (RSC). Wilcox diagram represents that 23% of the samples are excellent to good, 40% of the samples are good to permissible, 10% of the samples are permissible to doubtful, 24% of the samples are doubtful unsuitable, and only 3% of the samples are unsuitable for irrigation. SAR values shows that 52% of the samples indicate high-to-very high and low-to-medium alkali water. KI values indicate good quality (30%) and not suitable (70%) for irrigation purposes. RSC values indicate that 89% of samples are suitable for irrigation purposes. MH reveals that 17% suitable and 83% samples are not suitable for irrigation purposes and for domestic purposes the excellent (8%), good (48%), and poor (44%). The agricultural waste, fertilizer used, soil leaching, urban runoff, livestock waste, and sewages are the sources of poor water quality. Some samples are not suitable for irrigation purposes due to high salinity, hardness, and magnesium concentration. In general, the groundwater of the Salem district was polluted by agricultural activities, anthropogenic activities, ion exchange, and weathering.

Relationship between perception with the quality of life of T2DM patients in Dok II Jayapura Hospital

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perwitasari, D. A.; Faridah, I. N.; Kulle, Y.; Yulistika, M.

2017-11-01

Diabetes mellitus disease is one of the chronic diseases which can cause a fatal risk if its management is not appropriate. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between perception and quality of life in Dok II Jayapura hospital. This study used an observational research design with cross sectional approach with prospective sampling in diabetic patients in internal disease policemen who were underwent outpatient treatment at Dok II Jayapura hospital. Research instruments used EQ-5D (European Quality-5 Dimension) and B-IPQ (Brief Illness Perception Quetionare). Data analysis used was univariate analysis by using percentage or mean value, bivariate using T-test or Mann-Whitney test, and multivariate using multiple linear regression. There were 80 T2DM patients who met the inclusion criteria. Based on patient demographic data, there were 29 people (36.6%) male patients and 51 people (63.8%) female patients, with mean age of patient (55.79±10.52) year. Perception has correlation with quality of life influenced by index value on treatment control (6.73±1.475) and emotional response (3.11±2.199) and by visual analog scale on understanding (5.99±1.587), duration (6.50±2.968), and personal controls (6.20±1.641). Based on the results obtained to improve the quality of life of T2DM patients that is on the index value on the control of treatment and emotional response and on visual analog scale on the understanding, duration and personal control should be changed so that the quality of life of patients increases. The family history, social status and type of treatment factors also affect the quality of life.

Assessment of groundwater quality at a MSW landfill site using standard and AHP based water quality index: a case study from Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Shubhrasekhar; Kumar, R Naresh

2016-06-01

Landfill leachate generated from open MSW dumpsite can cause groundwater contamination. The impact of open dumping of MSW on the groundwater of adjacent area was studied. To assess the spatial and temporal variations in groundwater quality, samples were collected around an open MSW dumping site in Ranchi city, Jharkhand, India. Groundwater samples were analysed for various physicochemical and bacteriological parameters for 1 year. Results indicated that the groundwater is getting contaminated due to vertical and horizontal migration of landfill leachate. Extent of contamination was higher in areas closer to the landfill as indicated by high alkalinity, total dissolved solids and ammonia concentration. Metals such as lead, iron, and manganese were present at concentrations of 0.097, 0.97 and 0.36 mg/L, respectively exceeding the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) 10,500 for drinking water. Enterobacteriaceae were also detected in several groundwater samples and highest coliform count of 2.1×10(4) CFU/mL was recorded from a dug well. In order to determine the overall groundwater quality, water quality index (WQI) was calculated using weighted arithmetic index method and this index was further modified by coupling with the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to get specific information. WQI values indicated that the overall groundwater quality of the region came under "poor" category while zone wise classification indicated the extent of impact of landfill leachate on groundwater.

A ranking index for quality assessment of forensic DNA profiles forensic DNA profiles

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Assessment of DNA profile quality is vital in forensic DNA analysis, both in order to determine the evidentiary value of DNA results and to compare the performance of different DNA analysis protocols. Generally the quality assessment is performed through manual examination of the DNA profiles based on empirical knowledge, or by comparing the intensities (allelic peak heights) of the capillary electrophoresis electropherograms. Results We recently developed a ranking index for unbiased and quantitative quality assessment of forensic DNA profiles, the forensic DNA profile index (FI) (Hedman et al. Improved forensic DNA analysis through the use of alternative DNA polymerases and statistical modeling of DNA profiles, Biotechniques 47 (2009) 951-958). FI uses electropherogram data to combine the intensities of the allelic peaks with the balances within and between loci, using Principal Components Analysis. Here we present the construction of FI. We explain the mathematical and statistical methodologies used and present details about the applied data reduction method. Thereby we show how to adapt the ranking index for any Short Tandem Repeat-based forensic DNA typing system through validation against a manual grading scale and calibration against a specific set of DNA profiles. Conclusions The developed tool provides unbiased quality assessment of forensic DNA profiles. It can be applied for any DNA profiling system based on Short Tandem Repeat markers. Apart from crime related DNA analysis, FI can therefore be used as a quality tool in paternal or familial testing as well as in disaster victim identification. PMID:21062433

The Analysis of the Effects of Variables Used in the Formation of PISA Scores on Job Index Values for OECD Member States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basar, Ozlem Deniz; Genc, Elif Guneren

2018-01-01

The quality of an adult's daily working life comprising the major part of his life, will also increase the quality of his social life. Having a good working life is also associated with having a job that one desires and regards it as suitable for himself. But as will be acknowledged all over the world, the quality of a job that one can have will…

Multivariate-Statistical Assessment of Heavy Metals for Agricultural Soils in Northern China

PubMed Central

Yang, Pingguo; Yang, Miao; Mao, Renzhao; Shao, Hongbo

2014-01-01

The study evaluated eight heavy metals content and soil pollution from agricultural soils in northern China. Multivariate and geostatistical analysis approaches were used to determine the anthropogenic and natural contribution of soil heavy metal concentrations. Single pollution index and integrated pollution index could be used to evaluate soil heavy metal risk. The results show that the first factor explains 27.3% of the eight soil heavy metals with strong positive loadings on Cu, Zn, and Cd, which indicates that Cu, Zn, and Cd are associated with and controlled by anthropic activities. The average value of heavy metal is lower than the second grade standard values of soil environmental quality standards in China. Single pollution index is lower than 1, and the Nemerow integrated pollution index is 0.305, which means that study area has not been polluted. The semivariograms of soil heavy metal single pollution index fitted spherical and exponential models. The variable ratio of single pollution index showed moderately spatial dependence. Heavy metal contents showed relative safety in the study area. PMID:24892058

An Ecosystem-Based Approach to Valley Oak Mitigation

Treesearch

Marcus S. Rawlings; Daniel A. Airola

1997-01-01

The Contra Costa Water District’s (CCWD’s) Los Vaqueros Reservoir Project will inundate 180 acres of valley oak habitats. Instead of using replacement ratios to identify mitigation needs, we designed an approach that would efficiently replace lost ecological values. We developed a habitat quality index model to assess the value of lost wildlife habitat and...

Patient and Societal Value Functions for the Testing Morbidities Index

PubMed Central

Swan, John Shannon; Kong, Chung Yin; Lee, Janie M.; Akinyemi, Omosalewa; Halpern, Elkan F.; Lee, Pablo; Vavinskiy, Sergey; Williams, Olubunmi; Zoltick, Emilie S.; Donelan, Karen

2013-01-01

Background We developed preference-based and summated scale scoring for the Testing Morbidities Index (TMI) classification, which addresses short-term effects on quality of life from diagnostic testing before, during and after a testing procedure. Methods The two TMI value functions utilize multiattribute value techniques; one is patient-based and the other has a societal perspective. 206 breast biopsy patients and 466 (societal) subjects informed the models. Due to a lack of standard short-term methods for this application, we utilized the visual analog scale (VAS). Waiting trade-off (WTO) tolls provided an additional option for linear transformation of the TMI. We randomized participants to one of three surveys: the first derived weights for generic testing morbidity attributes and levels of severity with the VAS; a second developed VAS values and WTO tolls for linear transformation of the TMI to a death-healthy scale; the third addressed initial validation in a specific test (breast biopsy). 188 patients and 425 community subjects participated in initial validation, comparing direct VAS and WTO values to the TMI. Alternative TMI scoring as a non-preference summated scale was included, given evidence of construct and content validity. Results The patient model can use an additive function, while the societal model is multiplicative. Direct VAS and the VAS-scaled TMI were correlated across modeling groups (r=0.45 to 0.62) and agreement was comparable to the value function validation of the Health Utilities Index 2. Mean Absolute Difference (MAD) calculations showed a range of 0.07–0.10 in patients and 0.11–0.17 in subjects. MAD for direct WTO tolls compared to the WTO-scaled TMI varied closely around one quality-adjusted life day. Conclusions The TMI shows initial promise in measuring short-term testing-related health states. PMID:23689044

Essential oil optimizes the susceptibility of Callosobruchus maculatus and enhances the nutritional qualities of stored cowpea Vigna unguiculata.

PubMed

Akami, Mazarin; Chakira, Hamada; Andongma, Awawing A; Khaeso, Kanjana; Gbaye, Olajire A; Nicolas, Njintang Y; Nukenine, E-N; Niu, Chang-Ying

2017-08-01

The intensive use of synthetic pesticides in cowpea storage has led to the development of resistance by Callosobruchus maculatus and subsequent degradation of grain quality. In an attempt to circumvent these constraints, the susceptibility of C. maculatus to 2,2-dichlorovinyldimethyl phosphate (DDVP) and Lippia adoensis essential oil (EO) was investigated and variations in the proportions of nutritional values of treated grains 150 days after storage were assessed. The survival rate was recorded after five generations. The resistance index and biochemical parameters of grains were determined. The results from this study revealed that the survival rate and resistance index significantly increased proportionally with damage in DDVP treatments ( r  = 0.889; p  = 0.018) while in EO treatments, those values remained low without significant variations ( p  = 0.0764) throughout the generations. DDVP stored grains yielded higher crude protein values, but lower carbohydrates, tannins, phenolics and minerals compared to EO. Eighteen amino acids were detected in EO treated grains and 14 in DDVP which was devoid of albumin and prolamin. Lippia adoensis EO could therefore represent a safe alternative bio-pesticide to cope with insect resistance and enhance the nutritional qualities of stored cowpea seeds.

Essential oil optimizes the susceptibility of Callosobruchus maculatus and enhances the nutritional qualities of stored cowpea Vigna unguiculata

PubMed Central

Chakira, Hamada; Andongma, Awawing A.; Khaeso, Kanjana; Gbaye, Olajire A.; Nicolas, Njintang Y.; Nukenine, E.-N.; Niu, Chang-Ying

2017-01-01

The intensive use of synthetic pesticides in cowpea storage has led to the development of resistance by Callosobruchus maculatus and subsequent degradation of grain quality. In an attempt to circumvent these constraints, the susceptibility of C. maculatus to 2,2-dichlorovinyldimethyl phosphate (DDVP) and Lippia adoensis essential oil (EO) was investigated and variations in the proportions of nutritional values of treated grains 150 days after storage were assessed. The survival rate was recorded after five generations. The resistance index and biochemical parameters of grains were determined. The results from this study revealed that the survival rate and resistance index significantly increased proportionally with damage in DDVP treatments (r = 0.889; p = 0.018) while in EO treatments, those values remained low without significant variations (p = 0.0764) throughout the generations. DDVP stored grains yielded higher crude protein values, but lower carbohydrates, tannins, phenolics and minerals compared to EO. Eighteen amino acids were detected in EO treated grains and 14 in DDVP which was devoid of albumin and prolamin. Lippia adoensis EO could therefore represent a safe alternative bio-pesticide to cope with insect resistance and enhance the nutritional qualities of stored cowpea seeds. PMID:28879012

Healthcare Access and Quality Index based on mortality from causes amenable to personal health care in 195 countries and territories, 1990-2015: a novel analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

PubMed

2017-07-15

National levels of personal health-care access and quality can be approximated by measuring mortality rates from causes that should not be fatal in the presence of effective medical care (ie, amenable mortality). Previous analyses of mortality amenable to health care only focused on high-income countries and faced several methodological challenges. In the present analysis, we use the highly standardised cause of death and risk factor estimates generated through the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) to improve and expand the quantification of personal health-care access and quality for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015. We mapped the most widely used list of causes amenable to personal health care developed by Nolte and McKee to 32 GBD causes. We accounted for variations in cause of death certification and misclassifications through the extensive data standardisation processes and redistribution algorithms developed for GBD. To isolate the effects of personal health-care access and quality, we risk-standardised cause-specific mortality rates for each geography-year by removing the joint effects of local environmental and behavioural risks, and adding back the global levels of risk exposure as estimated for GBD 2015. We employed principal component analysis to create a single, interpretable summary measure-the Healthcare Quality and Access (HAQ) Index-on a scale of 0 to 100. The HAQ Index showed strong convergence validity as compared with other health-system indicators, including health expenditure per capita (r=0·88), an index of 11 universal health coverage interventions (r=0·83), and human resources for health per 1000 (r=0·77). We used free disposal hull analysis with bootstrapping to produce a frontier based on the relationship between the HAQ Index and the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a measure of overall development consisting of income per capita, average years of education, and total fertility rates. This frontier allowed us to better quantify the maximum levels of personal health-care access and quality achieved across the development spectrum, and pinpoint geographies where gaps between observed and potential levels have narrowed or widened over time. Between 1990 and 2015, nearly all countries and territories saw their HAQ Index values improve; nonetheless, the difference between the highest and lowest observed HAQ Index was larger in 2015 than in 1990, ranging from 28·6 to 94·6. Of 195 geographies, 167 had statistically significant increases in HAQ Index levels since 1990, with South Korea, Turkey, Peru, China, and the Maldives recording among the largest gains by 2015. Performance on the HAQ Index and individual causes showed distinct patterns by region and level of development, yet substantial heterogeneities emerged for several causes, including cancers in highest-SDI countries; chronic kidney disease, diabetes, diarrhoeal diseases, and lower respiratory infections among middle-SDI countries; and measles and tetanus among lowest-SDI countries. While the global HAQ Index average rose from 40·7 (95% uncertainty interval, 39·0-42·8) in 1990 to 53·7 (52·2-55·4) in 2015, far less progress occurred in narrowing the gap between observed HAQ Index values and maximum levels achieved; at the global level, the difference between the observed and frontier HAQ Index only decreased from 21·2 in 1990 to 20·1 in 2015. If every country and territory had achieved the highest observed HAQ Index by their corresponding level of SDI, the global average would have been 73·8 in 2015. Several countries, particularly in eastern and western sub-Saharan Africa, reached HAQ Index values similar to or beyond their development levels, whereas others, namely in southern sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and south Asia, lagged behind what geographies of similar development attained between 1990 and 2015. This novel extension of the GBD Study shows the untapped potential for personal health-care access and quality improvement across the development spectrum. Amid substantive advances in personal health care at the national level, heterogeneous patterns for individual causes in given countries or territories suggest that few places have consistently achieved optimal health-care access and quality across health-system functions and therapeutic areas. This is especially evident in middle-SDI countries, many of which have recently undergone or are currently experiencing epidemiological transitions. The HAQ Index, if paired with other measures of health-system characteristics such as intervention coverage, could provide a robust avenue for tracking progress on universal health coverage and identifying local priorities for strengthening personal health-care quality and access throughout the world. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

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.

A Systematic Analysis of 2 Monoisocentric Techniques for the Treatment of Multiple Brain Metastases.

PubMed

Narayanasamy, Ganesh; Stathakis, Sotirios; Gutierrez, Alonso N; Pappas, Evangelos; Crownover, Richard; Floyd, John R; Papanikolaou, Niko

2017-10-01

In this treatment planning study, we compare the plan quality and delivery parameters for the treatment of multiple brain metastases using 2 monoisocentric techniques: the Multiple Metastases Element from Brainlab and the RapidArc volumetric-modulated arc therapy from Varian Medical Systems. Eight patients who were treated in our institution for multiple metastases (3-7 lesions) were replanned with Multiple Metastases Element using noncoplanar dynamic conformal arcs. The same patients were replanned with the RapidArc technique in Eclipse using 4 noncoplanar arcs. Both techniques were designed using a single isocenter. Plan quality metrics (conformity index, homogeneity index, gradient index, and R 50% ), monitor unit, and the planning time were recorded. Comparison of the Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc plans was performed using Shapiro-Wilk test, paired Student t test, and Wilcoxon signed rank test. A paired Wilcoxon signed rank test between Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc showed comparable plan quality metrics and dose to brain. Mean ± standard deviation values of conformity index were 1.8 ± 0.7 and 1.7 ± 0.6, homogeneity index were 1.3 ± 0.1 and 1.3 ± 0.1, gradient index were 5.0 ± 1.8 and 5.1 ± 1.9, and R 50% were 4.9 ± 1.8 and 5.0 ± 1.9 for Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc plans, respectively. Mean brain dose was 2.3 and 2.7 Gy for Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc plans, respectively. The mean value of monitor units in Multiple Metastases Element plan was 7286 ± 1065, which is significantly lower than the RapidArc monitor units of 9966 ± 1533 ( P < .05). For the planning of multiple brain lesions to be treated with stereotactic radiosurgery, Multiple Metastases Element planning software produced equivalent conformity, homogeneity, dose falloff, and brain V 12 Gy but required significantly lower monitor units, when compared to RapidArc plans.

A Systematic Analysis of 2 Monoisocentric Techniques for the Treatment of Multiple Brain Metastases

PubMed Central

Stathakis, Sotirios; Gutierrez, Alonso N.; Pappas, Evangelos; Crownover, Richard; Floyd, John R.; Papanikolaou, Niko

2016-01-01

Background: In this treatment planning study, we compare the plan quality and delivery parameters for the treatment of multiple brain metastases using 2 monoisocentric techniques: the Multiple Metastases Element from Brainlab and the RapidArc volumetric-modulated arc therapy from Varian Medical Systems. Methods: Eight patients who were treated in our institution for multiple metastases (3-7 lesions) were replanned with Multiple Metastases Element using noncoplanar dynamic conformal arcs. The same patients were replanned with the RapidArc technique in Eclipse using 4 noncoplanar arcs. Both techniques were designed using a single isocenter. Plan quality metrics (conformity index, homogeneity index, gradient index, and R50%), monitor unit, and the planning time were recorded. Comparison of the Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc plans was performed using Shapiro-Wilk test, paired Student t test, and Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results: A paired Wilcoxon signed rank test between Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc showed comparable plan quality metrics and dose to brain. Mean ± standard deviation values of conformity index were 1.8 ± 0.7 and 1.7 ± 0.6, homogeneity index were 1.3 ± 0.1 and 1.3 ± 0.1, gradient index were 5.0 ± 1.8 and 5.1 ± 1.9, and R50% were 4.9 ± 1.8 and 5.0 ± 1.9 for Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc plans, respectively. Mean brain dose was 2.3 and 2.7 Gy for Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc plans, respectively. The mean value of monitor units in Multiple Metastases Element plan was 7286 ± 1065, which is significantly lower than the RapidArc monitor units of 9966 ± 1533 (P < .05). Conclusion: For the planning of multiple brain lesions to be treated with stereotactic radiosurgery, Multiple Metastases Element planning software produced equivalent conformity, homogeneity, dose falloff, and brain V12 Gy but required significantly lower monitor units, when compared to RapidArc plans. PMID:27612917

Impact of fine particulate fluctuation and other variables on Beijing's air quality index.

PubMed

Chen, Bo; Lu, Shaowei; Li, Shaoning; Wang, Bing

2015-04-01

We analyzed fluctuation in Beijing's air quality over 328 days, based on air quality grades and air quality data from 35 atmospheric monitoring stations. Our results show the air over Beijing is subject to pollution 152 days of the year, or 46.34%. Among all pollutants, fine particulates, solid or liquid, 2.5 μm or less in size (PM2.5), appeared most frequently as the primary pollutant: 249 days, or 76% of the sample year (328 days). Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and coarse particulates (PM10) cause the least pollution, appearing only 7 and 3 days, or 2 and 1% of the sample year, respectively. In Beijing, fine particulates like PM2.5 vary seasonally: 154.54 ± 18.60 in winter > 145.22 ± 18.61 in spring > 140.16 ± 20.76 in autumn > 122.37 ± 13.42 in summer. Air quality is best in August and worst in December, while various districts in Beijing experience different air quality. To be specific, from south to north and from west to east, air quality tends to improve. Meteorological elements have a constraining effect on air pollutants, which means there is a linear correlation between the air quality index and humidity, rainfall, wind speed, and temperature. Under a typical pollution scenario, the higher the air quality index (AQI) value, the lower the wind speed and the greater the relative humidity; the lower the AQI value, the higher the wind speed and lower the relative humidity. Analysis of influencing factors reveals that the air pollution is mainly particulate matter produced by burning coal, vehicle emissions, volatile oils and gas, fast development of food services, emissions from the surrounding region, and natural dust clouds formed in arid areas to the northwest. Topography affects the distribution of meteorological conditions, in turn varying air quality over the region from one location to another. Human activities also exercise impact on urban air quality with dual functions.

Vermicomposting of food waste: assessing the stability and maturity

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The vermicompost using earthworms (Eisenia Fetida) was produced from food waste and chemical parameters (EC, pH, carbon to nitrogen contents (C/N)) and germination bioassay was examined in order to assess the stability and maturity indicators during the vermicomposting process. The seed used in the germination bioassay was cress. The ranges of EC, pH, C/N and germination index were 7.5-4.9 mS/cm, 5.6-7.53, 30.13-14.32% and 12.8-58.4%, respectively. The germination index (GI) value revealed that vermicompost rendered as moderate phytotoxic to cress seed. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between the parameters. High statistically significant correlation coefficient was calculated between the GI value and EC in the vermicompost at the 99% confidence level. The C/N value showed that the vermicompost was stable. As a result of these observations, stability test alone, was not able to ensure high vermicompost quality. Therefore, it appears that determining vermicompost quality requires a simultaneous use of maturity and stability tests. PMID:23369642

Construction of an environmental quality index for public health research

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background A more comprehensive estimate of environmental quality would improve our understanding of the relationship between environmental conditions and human health. An environmental quality index (EQI) for all counties in the U.S. was developed. Methods The EQI was developed in four parts: domain identification; data source acquisition; variable construction; and data reduction. Five environmental domains (air, water, land, built and sociodemographic) were recognized. Within each domain, data sources were identified; each was temporally (years 2000–2005) and geographically (county) restricted. Variables were constructed for each domain and assessed for missingness, collinearity, and normality. Domain-specific data reduction was accomplished using principal components analysis (PCA), resulting in domain-specific indices. Domain-specific indices were then combined into an overall EQI using PCA. In each PCA procedure, the first principal component was retained. Both domain-specific indices and overall EQI were stratified by four rural–urban continuum codes (RUCC). Higher values for each index were set to correspond to areas with poorer environmental quality. Results Concentrations of included variables differed across rural–urban strata, as did within-domain variable loadings, and domain index loadings for the EQI. In general, higher values of the air and sociodemographic indices were found in the more metropolitan areas and the most thinly populated areas have the lowest values of each of the domain indices. The less-urbanized counties (RUCC 3) demonstrated the greatest heterogeneity and range of EQI scores (−4.76, 3.57) while the thinly populated strata (RUCC 4) contained counties with the most positive scores (EQI score ranges from −5.86, 2.52). Conclusion The EQI holds promise for improving our characterization of the overall environment for public health. The EQI describes the non-residential ambient county-level conditions to which residents are exposed and domain-specific EQI loadings indicate which of the environmental domains account for the largest portion of the variability in the EQI environment. The EQI was constructed for all counties in the United States, incorporating a variety of data to provide a broad picture of environmental conditions. We undertook a reproducible approach that primarily utilized publically-available data sources. PMID:24886426

A method of groundwater quality assessment based on fuzzy network-CANFIS and geographic information system (GIS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gholami, V.; Khaleghi, M. R.; Sebghati, M.

2017-11-01

The process of water quality testing is money/time-consuming, quite important and difficult stage for routine measurements. Therefore, use of models has become commonplace in simulating water quality. In this study, the coactive neuro-fuzzy inference system (CANFIS) was used to simulate groundwater quality. Further, geographic information system (GIS) was used as the pre-processor and post-processor tool to demonstrate spatial variation of groundwater quality. All important factors were quantified and groundwater quality index (GWQI) was developed. The proposed model was trained and validated by taking a case study of Mazandaran Plain located in northern part of Iran. The factors affecting groundwater quality were the input variables for the simulation, whereas GWQI index was the output. The developed model was validated to simulate groundwater quality. Network validation was performed via comparison between the estimated and actual GWQI values. In GIS, the study area was separated to raster format in the pixel dimensions of 1 km and also by incorporation of input data layers of the Fuzzy Network-CANFIS model; the geo-referenced layers of the effective factors in groundwater quality were earned. Therefore, numeric values of each pixel with geographical coordinates were entered to the Fuzzy Network-CANFIS model and thus simulation of groundwater quality was accessed in the study area. Finally, the simulated GWQI indices using the Fuzzy Network-CANFIS model were entered into GIS, and hence groundwater quality map (raster layer) based on the results of the network simulation was earned. The study's results confirm the high efficiency of incorporation of neuro-fuzzy techniques and GIS. It is also worth noting that the general quality of the groundwater in the most studied plain is fairly low.

Pulse Doppler ultrasound as a tool for the diagnosis of chronic testicular dysfunction in stallions

PubMed Central

Ortiz-Rodriguez, Jose M.; Anel-Lopez, Luis; Martín-Muñoz, Patricia; Álvarez, Mercedes; Gaitskell-Phillips, Gemma; Anel, Luis; Rodríguez-Medina, Pedro; Peña, Fernando J.

2017-01-01

Testicular function is particularly susceptible to vascular insult, resulting in a negative impact on sperm production and quality of the ejaculate. A prompt diagnosis of testicular dysfunction enables implementation of appropriate treatment, hence improving fertility forecasts for stallions. The present research aims to: (1) assess if Doppler ultrasonography is a good tool to diagnose stallions with testicular dysfunction; (2) to study the relationship between Doppler parameters of the testicular artery and those of sperm quality assessed by flow cytometry and (3) to establish cut off values to differentiate fertile stallions from those with pathologies causing testicular dysfunction. A total of 10 stallions (n: 7 healthy stallions and n: 3 sub-fertile stallions) were used in this study. Two ejaculates per stallion were collected and preserved at 5°C in a commercial extender. The semen was evaluated at T0, T24 and T48h by flow cytometry. Integrity and viability of sperm (YoPro®-1/EthD-1), mitochondrial activity (MitoTracker® Deep Red FM) and the DNA fragmentation index (Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay) were assessed. Doppler parameters were measured at three different locations on the testicular artery (Supratesticular artery (SA); Capsular artery (CA) and Intratesticular artery (IA)). The Doppler parameters calculated were: Resistive Index (RI), Pulsatility Index (PI), Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV), End Diastolic Velocity (EDV), Time Average Maximum Velocity (TAMV), Total Arterial Blood Flow (TABF) and TABF rate. The capsular artery was the most reliable location to carry out spectral Doppler assessment, since blood flow parameters of this artery were most closely correlated with sperm quality parameters. Significant differences in all the Doppler parameters studied were observed between fertile and subfertile stallions (p ≤ 0.05). The principal components analysis assay determined that fertile stallions are characterized by high EDV, TAMV, TABF and TABF rate values (high vascular perfusion). In contrast, subfertile stallions tend to present high values of PI and RI (high vascular resistance). The ROC curves revealed that the best Doppler parameters to predict sperm quality in stallions were: Doppler velocities (PSV, EDV and TAMV), the diameter of the capsular artery and TABF parameters (tissue perfusion parameters). Cut off values were established using a Youden´s Index to identify fertile stallions from stallions with testicular dysfunction. Spectral Doppler ultrasound is a good predictive tool for sperm quality since correlations were determined among Doppler parameters and markers of sperm quality. Doppler ultrasonography could be a valuable diagnostic tool for use by clinical practitioners for the diagnosis of stallions with testicular dysfunction and could be a viable alternative to invasive procedures traditionally used for diagnosis of sub-fertility disorders. PMID:28558006

Exercise addiction risk and health in male and female amateur endurance cyclists

PubMed Central

Mayolas-Pi, Carmen; Simón-Grima, Javier; Peñarrubia-Lozano, Carlos; Munguía-Izquierdo, Diego; Moliner-Urdiales, Diego; Legaz-Arrese, Alejandro

2017-01-01

Background and aims To determine the relationship between the risk of exercise addiction (REA) and health status in amateur endurance cyclists. Methods In 859 (751 men and 108 women) cyclists and 718 inactive subjects (307 men and 411 women), we examined the REA (Exercise Addiction Inventory), training status (volume, frequency, experience, and performance), socioeconomic status, quality of life (QoL) (SF-12), quality of sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and cardiometabolic risk: body mass index, physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), physical condition (International Fitness Scale), adherence to the Mediterranean diet (Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener), alcohol and tobacco consumption. Results In total, 17% of the cyclists showed evidence of REA and 83% showed low REA. REA occurred independent of age, sex, training, and socioeconomic status (all ps > .05). Regardless of REA, the cyclists displayed a better physical QoL and a lower cardiometabolic risk than the inactive subjects (all ps < .05). The cyclists with REA displayed worse values of mental QoL, quality of sleep, and anxiety than cyclists with low REA (all ps < .05). The REA group had better values of mental QoL and anxiety and similar values of quality of sleep than the inactive subjects. The differences in mental QoL between the REA and low REA groups were significantly greater in women (p = .013). There was no Addiction × Sex interaction in the other analyzed variables. Conclusion Our results suggest that an increased prevalence of REA limits the benefits that amateur endurance cycling has on mental health and quality of sleep. PMID:28358644

Exercise addiction risk and health in male and female amateur endurance cyclists.

PubMed

Mayolas-Pi, Carmen; Simón-Grima, Javier; Peñarrubia-Lozano, Carlos; Munguía-Izquierdo, Diego; Moliner-Urdiales, Diego; Legaz-Arrese, Alejandro

2017-03-01

Background and aims To determine the relationship between the risk of exercise addiction (REA) and health status in amateur endurance cyclists. Methods In 859 (751 men and 108 women) cyclists and 718 inactive subjects (307 men and 411 women), we examined the REA (Exercise Addiction Inventory), training status (volume, frequency, experience, and performance), socioeconomic status, quality of life (QoL) (SF-12), quality of sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and cardiometabolic risk: body mass index, physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), physical condition (International Fitness Scale), adherence to the Mediterranean diet (Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener), alcohol and tobacco consumption. Results In total, 17% of the cyclists showed evidence of REA and 83% showed low REA. REA occurred independent of age, sex, training, and socioeconomic status (all ps > .05). Regardless of REA, the cyclists displayed a better physical QoL and a lower cardiometabolic risk than the inactive subjects (all ps < .05). The cyclists with REA displayed worse values of mental QoL, quality of sleep, and anxiety than cyclists with low REA (all ps < .05). The REA group had better values of mental QoL and anxiety and similar values of quality of sleep than the inactive subjects. The differences in mental QoL between the REA and low REA groups were significantly greater in women (p = .013). There was no Addiction × Sex interaction in the other analyzed variables. Conclusion Our results suggest that an increased prevalence of REA limits the benefits that amateur endurance cycling has on mental health and quality of sleep.

[Confusing the confused: thoughts on impact factor, h(irsch) index, Q value, and other cofactors that influence the researcher's happiness].

PubMed

Quindós, Guillermo

2009-06-30

The need to evaluate curricula for sponsorship for research projects or professional promotion, has led to the search for tools that allow an objective valuation. However, the total number papers published, or citations of articles of a particular author, or the impact factor of the Journal where they are published are inadequate indicators for the evaluation of the quality and productivity of researchers. The h index, proposed by Hirsch, categorises the papers according to the number of citations per article. This tool appears to lack the limitations of other bibliometric tools but is less useful for non English-speaking authors. To propose and debate the usefulness of the existing bibliometric indicators and tools for the evaluation and categorization of researchers and scientific journals. Search for papers on bibliometric tools. There are some hot spots in the debate on the national and international evaluation of researchers' productivity and quality of scientific journals. Opinions on impact factors and h index have been discussed. The positive discrimination, using the Q value, is proposed as an alternative for the evaluation of Spanish and Iberoamerican researchers. It is very important de-mystify the importance of bibliometric indicators. The impact factor is useful for evaluating journals from the same scientific area but not for the evaluation of researchers' curricula. For the comparison of curricula from two or more researchers, we must use the h index or the proposed Q value. the latter allows positive discrimination of the task for Spanish and Iberoamerican researchers.

Digital radiography: are the manufacturers' settings too high? Optimisation of the Kodak digital radiography system with aid of the computed radiography dose index.

PubMed

Peters, Sinead E; Brennan, Patrick C

2002-09-01

Manufacturers offer exposure indices as a safeguard against overexposure in computed radiography, but the basis for recommended values is unclear. This study establishes an optimum exposure index to be used as a guideline for a specific CR system to minimise radiation exposures for computed mobile chest radiography, and compares this with manufacturer guidelines and current practice. An anthropomorphic phantom was employed to establish the minimum milliamperes consistent with acceptable image quality for mobile chest radiography images. This was found to be 2 mAs. Consecutively, 10 patients were exposed with this optimised milliampere value and 10 patients were exposed with the 3.2 mAs routinely used in the department of the study. Image quality was objectively assessed using anatomical criteria. Retrospective analyses of 717 exposure indices recorded over 2 months from mobile chest examinations were performed. The optimised milliampere value provided a significant reduction of the average exposure index from 1840 to 1570 ( p<0.0001). This new "optimum" exposure index is substantially lower than manufacturer guidelines of 2000 and significantly lower than exposure indices from the retrospective study (1890). Retrospective data showed a significant increase in exposure indices if the examination was performed out of hours. The data provided by this study emphasise the need for clinicians and personnel to consider establishing their own optimum exposure indices for digital investigations rather than simply accepting manufacturers' guidelines. Such an approach, along with regular monitoring of indices, may result in a substantial reduction in patient exposure.

Impact on enzyme activity as a new quality index of wastewater.

PubMed

Balestri, Francesco; Moschini, Roberta; Cappiello, Mario; Del-Corso, Antonella; Mura, Umberto

2013-03-15

The aim of this study was to define a new indicator for the quality of wastewaters that are released into the environment. A quality index is proposed for wastewater samples in terms of the inertness of wastewater samples toward enzyme activity. This involves taking advantage of the sensitivity of enzymes to pollutants that may be present in the waste samples. The effect of wastewater samples on the rate of a number of different enzyme-catalyzed reactions was measured, and the results for all the selected enzymes were analyzed in an integrated fashion (multi-enzymatic sensor). This approach enabled us to define an overall quality index, the "Impact on Enzyme Function" (IEF-index), which is composed of three indicators: i) the Synoptic parameter, related to the average effect of the waste sample on each component of the enzymatic sensor; ii) the Peak parameter, related to the maximum effect observed among all the effects exerted by the sample on the sensor components; and, iii) the Interference parameter, related to the number of sensor components that are affected less than a fixed threshold value. A number of water based samples including public potable tap water, fluids from urban sewage systems, wastewater disposal from leather, paper and dye industries were analyzed and the IEF-index was then determined. Although the IEF-index cannot discriminate between different types of wastewater samples, it could be a useful parameter in monitoring the improvement of the quality of a specific sample. However, by analyzing an adequate number of waste samples of the same type, even from different local contexts, the profile of the impact of each component of the multi-enzymatic sensor could be typical for specific types of waste. The IEF-index is proposed as a supplementary qualification score for wastewaters, in addition to the certification of the waste's conformity to legal requirements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adaptability and stability of soybean cultivars for grain yield and seed quality.

PubMed

Silva, K B; Bruzi, A T; Zambiazzi, E V; Soares, I O; Pereira, J L A R; Carvalho, M L M

2017-05-10

This study aimed at verifying the adaptability and stability of soybean cultivars, considering the grain yield and quality of seeds, adopting univariate and multivariate approaches. The experiments were conducted in two crops, three environments, in 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 crop seasons, in the county of Inconfidentes, Lavras, and Patos de Minas, in the Minas Gerais State, Brazil. We evaluated 17 commercial soybean cultivars. For adaptability and stability evaluations, the Graphic and GGE biplot methods were employed. Previously, a selection index was estimated based on the sum of the standardized variables (Z index). The data relative to grain yield, mass of one thousand grain, uniformity test (sieve retention), and germination test were standardized (Z ij ) per cultivar. With the sum of Z ij , we obtained the selection index for the four traits evaluated together. In the Graphic method evaluation, cultivars NA 7200 RR and CD 2737 RR presented the highest values for selection index Z. By the GGE biplot method, we verified that cultivar NA 7200 RR presented greater stability in both univariate evaluations, for grain yield, and for selection index Z.

Parameter-based estimation of CT dose index and image quality using an in-house android™-based software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mubarok, S.; Lubis, L. E.; Pawiro, S. A.

2016-03-01

Compromise between radiation dose and image quality is essential in the use of CT imaging. CT dose index (CTDI) is currently the primary dosimetric formalisms in CT scan, while the low and high contrast resolutions are aspects indicating the image quality. This study was aimed to estimate CTDIvol and image quality measures through a range of exposure parameters variation. CTDI measurements were performed using PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) phantom of 16 cm diameter, while the image quality test was conducted by using catphan ® 600. CTDI measurements were carried out according to IAEA TRS 457 protocol using axial scan mode, under varied parameters of tube voltage, collimation or slice thickness, and tube current. Image quality test was conducted accordingly under the same exposure parameters with CTDI measurements. An Android™ based software was also result of this study. The software was designed to estimate the value of CTDIvol with maximum difference compared to actual CTDIvol measurement of 8.97%. Image quality can also be estimated through CNR parameter with maximum difference to actual CNR measurement of 21.65%.

The prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with depression and anxiety scores in patients admitted for cardiovascular disease: A cross-sectional designed study.

PubMed

Matsuda, Risa; Kohno, Takashi; Kohsaka, Shun; Fukuoka, Ryoma; Maekawa, Yuichiro; Sano, Motoaki; Takatsuki, Seiji; Fukuda, Keiichi

2017-02-01

Poor sleep quality contributes to the development of various cardiovascular conditions. However, its real-world prevalence among cardiovascular inpatients and association with psychological disturbance is unknown. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with depression and anxiety in cardiovascular patients, and explored whether sex and cardiovascular comorbidities modified these associations. A total of 1071 patients hospitalized for a broad spectrum of cardiovascular diseases at a single university hospital were assessed (790 men, mean age 64±14years). We assessed sleep quality during their index hospitalization period using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); poor sleep quality was defined as PSQI>5. Depression and anxiety were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The median PSQI score was 5.0 [3.0-7.0], and 461 inpatients (43%) had poor sleep quality. Multivariate regression analysis adjusting for patient background, medical risk factors, and laboratory data revealed that poor sleep quality was associated with higher HADS subscores for depression (HADS-depression; odds ratio [OR]: 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.15) and anxiety (HADS-anxiety; OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.11-1.24). Poor sleep quality was associated with markedly higher HADS-depression among women than men (p value for interaction: 0.008). The association between poor sleep quality and HADS-anxiety was more significant among patients without coronary artery diseases (p value for interaction: 0.017). Poor sleep quality was highly prevalent and associated with depression and anxiety in cardiovascular patients. These associations may be modified by sex and the presence of coronary artery diseases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Targeting Environmental Quality to Improve Population Health ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Key goals of health care reform are to stimulate innovative approaches to improve healthcare quality and clinical outcomes while holding down costs. To achieve these goals value-based payment places the needs of the patient first and encourages multi-stakeholder cooperation. Yet, the stakeholders are typically all within the healthcare system, e.g. the Accountable Care Organization or Patient-Centered Medical Home, leaving important contributors to the health of the population such as the public health and environmental health systems absent. And rarely is the quality of the environment regarded as a modifiable factor capable of imparting a health benefit. Underscoring this point, a PubMed search of the search terms “environmental quality” with “value-based payment”, “value-based healthcare” or “value-based reimbursement” returned no relevant articles, providing further evidence that the healthcare industry largely disregards the quality of the environment as a significant determinant of wellbeing and an actionable risk factor for clinical disease management and population health intervention. Yet, the quality of the environment is unequivocally related to indicators of population health including all-cause mortality. The EPA’s Environmental Quality Index (EQI) composed of five different domains (air, land use, water, built environment and social) has provided new estimates of the associations between environmental quality and health stat

SU-E-T-617: Plan Quality Estimation of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Cases for Lung Cancer

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

Koo, J; Yoon, M; Chung, W

Purpose: To estimate the planning quality of intensity-modulated radiotherapy in lung cancer cases and to provide preliminary data for the development of a planning quality assurance algorithm. Methods: 42 IMRT plans previously used in cases of solitary lung cancers were collected. Organs in or near the thoracic cavity, such as lung (ipsilateral, contralateral), heart, liver, esophagus, cord and bronchus were considered as organs at risk (OARs) in this study. The coverage index (CVI), conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI), volume, irregularity (standard deviation of center-surface distance) were used to compare PTV dose characteristics. The effective uniform dose (EUD), V10Gy, andmore » V20Gy of the OARs were used to compare OAR dose characteristics. Results: Average CVI, CI, HI values were 0.9, 0.8, 0.1, respectively. CVI and CI had narrow Gaussian distribution curves without a singular value, but one case had a relatively high (0.25) HI because of location and irregular shape (Irregularity of 18.5 when average was 12.5) of PTV. EUDs tended to decrease as OAR-PTV distance increased and OAR-PTV overlap volume decreased. Conclusion: This work indicates the potential for significant plan quality deviation of similar lung cancer cases. Considering that this study were from a single department, differences in the treatment results for a given patient would be much more pronounced if multiple departments (and therefore more planners) were involved. Therefore, further examination of QA protocols is needed to reduce deviations in radiation treatment planning.« less

An Illustration of Determining Quantitatively the Rock Mass Quality Parameters of the Hoek-Brown Failure Criterion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Li; Adoko, Amoussou Coffi; Li, Bo

2018-04-01

In tunneling, determining quantitatively the rock mass strength parameters of the Hoek-Brown (HB) failure criterion is useful since it can improve the reliability of the design of tunnel support systems. In this study, a quantitative method is proposed to determine the rock mass quality parameters of the HB failure criterion, namely the Geological Strength Index (GSI) and the disturbance factor ( D) based on the structure of drilling core and weathering condition of rock mass combined with acoustic wave test to calculate the strength of rock mass. The Rock Mass Structure Index and the Rock Mass Weathering Index are used to quantify the GSI while the longitudinal wave velocity ( V p) is employed to derive the value of D. The DK383+338 tunnel face of Yaojia tunnel of Shanghai-Kunming passenger dedicated line served as illustration of how the methodology is implemented. The values of the GSI and D are obtained using the HB criterion and then using the proposed method. The measured in situ stress is used to evaluate their accuracy. To this end, the major and minor principal stresses are calculated based on the GSI and D given by HB criterion and the proposed method. The results indicated that both methods were close to the field observation which suggests that the proposed method can be used for determining quantitatively the rock quality parameters, as well. However, these results remain valid only for rock mass quality and rock type similar to those of the DK383+338 tunnel face of Yaojia tunnel.

CUQI: cardiac ultrasound video quality index

PubMed Central

Razaak, Manzoor; Martini, Maria G.

2016-01-01

Abstract. Medical images and videos are now increasingly part of modern telecommunication applications, including telemedicinal applications, favored by advancements in video compression and communication technologies. Medical video quality evaluation is essential for modern applications since compression and transmission processes often compromise the video quality. Several state-of-the-art video quality metrics used for quality evaluation assess the perceptual quality of the video. For a medical video, assessing quality in terms of “diagnostic” value rather than “perceptual” quality is more important. We present a diagnostic-quality–oriented video quality metric for quality evaluation of cardiac ultrasound videos. Cardiac ultrasound videos are characterized by rapid repetitive cardiac motions and distinct structural information characteristics that are explored by the proposed metric. Cardiac ultrasound video quality index, the proposed metric, is a full reference metric and uses the motion and edge information of the cardiac ultrasound video to evaluate the video quality. The metric was evaluated for its performance in approximating the quality of cardiac ultrasound videos by testing its correlation with the subjective scores of medical experts. The results of our tests showed that the metric has high correlation with medical expert opinions and in several cases outperforms the state-of-the-art video quality metrics considered in our tests. PMID:27014715

Development and application of a novel crop stress and quality instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wengjiang; Sun, Gang; Wang, Jihua; Liu, Liangyun; Zheng, Wengang

2005-12-01

In this paper, a portable diagnostic instrument for crop quality analysis was designed and tested, which can measure the normalized difference vegetation index (PRI) and structure insensitive pigment index (NRI) of crop canopy in the field. The instrument have a valid survey area of 1m×1m when the height between instrument and the ground was fixed to 1.3 meter. The crop quality can be assessed based on their PRI and NRI values, so it will be very important for crop management to get these values. The instrument uses sunlight as its light source. There are six special different photoelectrical detectors within red, blue and near infrared bands, which are used for detecting incidence sunlight and reflex light from the canopy of crop. This optical instrument includes photoelectric detector module, signal process and A/D convert module, the data storing and transmission module and human-machine interface module. The detector is the core of the instrument which measures the spectrums at special bands. The microprocessor calculates the NDVI and SIPI value based on the A/D value. And the value can be displayed on the instrument's LCD, stored in the flash memory of instrument and can also be uploaded to PC through the PC's RS232 serial interface. The prototype was tested in the crop field at different view directions. It reveals the on-site and non-sampling mode of crop growth monitoring by fixed on the agricultural machine traveling in the field. Such simple instruments can diagnose the plant growth status by the acquired spectral response.

Long-term changes of patient-reported quality of life after major trauma: The importance of the time elapsed after injury.

PubMed

Fleischhacker, Evi; Trentzsch, Heiko; Kuppinger, David; Meigel, Franziska; Beyer, Felix; Hartl, Wolfgang H

2018-02-01

Numerous studies have identified various risk factors for a poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after severe trauma. The relative importance of the time elapsed after injury, however, is unknown and results of clinical studies have been conflicting. A cross-sectional study was performed in two trauma centres using data from the German TraumaRegister DGU ® , which contained prospectively collected information on the type and severity of the injury, on critical care, and on outcome. To evaluate HRQOL in patients surviving more than 500days after the injury, we used a self-rating instrument, the EQ-5D which contains a visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS), and which allows the calculation of a global outcome indicator, the EQ-D5 index value. Complex statistical models were used to evaluate independent associations between the time elapsed after injury and a poor HRQOL. Of 380 contacted patients, follow-up assessments could be obtained in 168 patients (44.2%) 3.6±1.6 (SD) years after the injury. There was a linear association between the time elapsed after the injury and the% of contacted patients not participating in the study (p=0.013). In participating subjects, average EQ-5D index value was 0.599±0.299, and average EQ-VAS rating 67.8±22.0. A very poor quality of life (EQ-5D index value<0.6, EQ-VAS rating≤50) could be found in 43.5% and 28.0% of the patients, respectively. After adjusting for multiple confounders, the number of days elapsed after injury showed a complex non-linear and independent association with a poor HRQOL (low EQ-5D index value: p=0.027; low EQ-VAS rating: p=0.008). Frequencies of a poor HRQOL reached their minimum about four to five years after the injury and increased thereafter. There is an independent, U-shaped association between the frequency of extreme values of HRQOL and the time elapsed after injury. Time patterns of HRQOL may be sensitive to increasing rates of attrition since patients with a good outcome are less likely to respond to questionnaires. Time from injury should be incorporated into all future cross sectional studies trying to identify predictors of HRQOL. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of environmental injustice in Korea using synthetic air quality index and multiple indicators of socioeconomic status: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Choi, Giehae; Heo, Seulkee; Lee, Jong-Tae

2016-01-01

Despite the existence of the universal right to a healthy environment, the right is being violated in some populations. The objective of the current study is to verify environmental discrimination associated with socioeconomic status in Korea, using synthetic air quality index and multiple indicators of socioeconomic status. The concentrations of NO₂(nitrogen dioxide), CO (carbon monoxide), SO₂(sulfur dioxide), PM10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm), and O₃(ozone) in ambient air were integrated into a synthetic air quality index. Socioeconomic status was measured at individual level (income, education, number of household members, occupation, and National Basic Livelihood status) and area level (neighborhood index). The neighborhood index was calculated in the finest administrative unit (municipality) by performing standardization and integration of municipality-level data of the following: number of families receiving National Basic Livelihood, proportion of people engaged in an elementary occupation, population density, and number of service industries. Each study participant was assigned a neighborhood index value of the municipality in which they reside. Six regression models were generated to analyze the relationship between socioeconomic status and overall air pollution. All models were adjusted with sex, age, and smoking status. Stratification was conducted by residency (urban/rural). Moran's I was calculated to identify spatial clusters, and adjusted regression analysis was conducted to account for spatial autocorrelation. Results showed that people with higher neighborhood index, people living with smaller number of family members, and people with no education lived in municipalities with better overall air quality. The association differed by residency in some cases, and consideration of spatial autocorrelation altered the association. This study gives strength to the idea that environmental discrimination exists in some socioeconomic groups in Korea, and that residency and spatial autocorrelation must be considered in order to fully understand environmental disparities. This is the first study that provides the possible evidence of the environmental injustice in Korea using air quality index. The findings suggested that air quality index was negatively correlated with several important socioeconomic status measured at either individual or area level. The main implication of this paper, therefore, is to provide another insight to environmental policy makers to consider environmental injustice problem into community intervention for resolving the public health problems by air pollution.

Physico-chemical characteristics of groundwater in and around Surat City (India).

PubMed

Raval, Viral H; Malik, G M

2010-10-01

Groundwater samples were collected from different locations of Surat city, Gujarat (India). These samples from 32 locations of Surat city were analysed for their physico-chemical characteristics involving pH, colour, odour, hardness, chloride, alkalinity, COD, sulfate, TDS, SS, iron, Cu, boron, chromium, temperature and Langelier Saturation Index. On comparing the results against drinking water quality standards laid by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and World Health Organization (WHO), it is found that most of the water samples are non-potable. Most of the samples indicated Total Alkalinity, Hardness, Chloride and TDS values much higher than the permissible level stipulated by ICMR and WHO. Even at some places Langelier Saturation Index values found higher too. The high values of these parameters may have health implications and therefore these need attention.

A Single Conjunction Risk Assessment Metric: the F-Value

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frigm, Ryan Clayton; Newman, Lauri K.

2009-01-01

The Conjunction Assessment Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center provides conjunction risk assessment for many NASA robotic missions. These risk assessments are based on several figures of merit, such as miss distance, probability of collision, and orbit determination solution quality. However, these individual metrics do not singly capture the overall risk associated with a conjunction, making it difficult for someone without this complete understanding to take action, such as an avoidance maneuver. The goal of this analysis is to introduce a single risk index metric that can easily convey the level of risk without all of the technical details. The proposed index is called the conjunction "F-value." This paper presents the concept of the F-value and the tuning of the metric for use in routine Conjunction Assessment operations.

Comparison of nutritional quality of the vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and omnivorous diet.

PubMed

Clarys, Peter; Deliens, Tom; Huybrechts, Inge; Deriemaeker, Peter; Vanaelst, Barbara; De Keyzer, Willem; Hebbelinck, Marcel; Mullie, Patrick

2014-03-24

The number of studies comparing nutritional quality of restrictive diets is limited. Data on vegan subjects are especially lacking. It was the aim of the present study to compare the quality and the contributing components of vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and omnivorous diets. Dietary intake was estimated using a cross-sectional online survey with a 52-items food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010) and the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) were calculated as indicators for diet quality. After analysis of the diet questionnaire and the FFQ, 1475 participants were classified as vegans (n = 104), vegetarians (n = 573), semi-vegetarians (n = 498), pesco-vegetarians (n = 145), and omnivores (n = 155). The most restricted diet, i.e., the vegan diet, had the lowest total energy intake, better fat intake profile, lowest protein and highest dietary fiber intake in contrast to the omnivorous diet. Calcium intake was lowest for the vegans and below national dietary recommendations. The vegan diet received the highest index values and the omnivorous the lowest for HEI-2010 and MDS. Typical aspects of a vegan diet (high fruit and vegetable intake, low sodium intake, and low intake of saturated fat) contributed substantially to the total score, independent of the indexing system used. The score for the more prudent diets (vegetarians, semi-vegetarians and pesco-vegetarians) differed as a function of the used indexing system but they were mostly better in terms of nutrient quality than the omnivores.

Comparison of Nutritional Quality of the Vegan, Vegetarian, Semi-Vegetarian, Pesco-Vegetarian and Omnivorous Diet

PubMed Central

Clarys, Peter; Deliens, Tom; Huybrechts, Inge; Deriemaeker, Peter; Vanaelst, Barbara; De Keyzer, Willem; Hebbelinck, Marcel; Mullie, Patrick

2014-01-01

The number of studies comparing nutritional quality of restrictive diets is limited. Data on vegan subjects are especially lacking. It was the aim of the present study to compare the quality and the contributing components of vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and omnivorous diets. Dietary intake was estimated using a cross-sectional online survey with a 52-items food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010) and the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) were calculated as indicators for diet quality. After analysis of the diet questionnaire and the FFQ, 1475 participants were classified as vegans (n = 104), vegetarians (n = 573), semi-vegetarians (n = 498), pesco-vegetarians (n = 145), and omnivores (n = 155). The most restricted diet, i.e., the vegan diet, had the lowest total energy intake, better fat intake profile, lowest protein and highest dietary fiber intake in contrast to the omnivorous diet. Calcium intake was lowest for the vegans and below national dietary recommendations. The vegan diet received the highest index values and the omnivorous the lowest for HEI-2010 and MDS. Typical aspects of a vegan diet (high fruit and vegetable intake, low sodium intake, and low intake of saturated fat) contributed substantially to the total score, independent of the indexing system used. The score for the more prudent diets (vegetarians, semi-vegetarians and pesco-vegetarians) differed as a function of the used indexing system but they were mostly better in terms of nutrient quality than the omnivores. PMID:24667136

Assess water scarcity integrating water quantity and quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J.; Zeng, Z.

2014-12-01

Water scarcity has become widespread all over the world. Current methods for water scarcity assessment are mainly based on water quantity and seldom consider water quality. Here, we develop an approach for assessing water scarcity considering both water quantity and quality. In this approach, a new water scarcity index is used to describe the severity of water scarcity in the form of a water scarcity meter, which may help to communicate water scarcity to a wider audience. To illustrate the approach, we analyzed the historical trend of water scarcity for Beijing city in China during 1995-2009, as well as the assessment for different river basins in China. The results show that Beijing made a huge progress in mitigating water scarcity, and that from 1999 to 2009 the blue and grey water scarcity index decreased by 59% and 62%, respectively. Despite this progress, we demonstrate that Beijing is still characterized by serious water scarcity due to both water quantity and quality. The water scarcity index remained at a high value of 3.5 with a blue and grey water scarcity index of 1.2 and 2.3 in 2009 (exceeding the thresholds of 0.4 and 1, respectively). As a result of unsustainable water use and pollution, groundwater levels continue to decline, and water quality shows a continuously deteriorating trend. To curb this trend, future water policies should further decrease water withdrawal from local sources (in particular groundwater) within Beijing, and should limit the grey water footprint below the total amount of water resources.

40 CFR Appendix G to Part 58 - Uniform Air Quality Index (AQI) and Daily Reporting

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... pollutantp Cp = the truncated concentration of pollutantp BPHi = the breakpoint that is greater than or equal to Cp BPLo = the breakpoint that is less than or equal to Cp IHi = the AQI value corresponding to...

40 CFR Appendix G to Part 58 - Uniform Air Quality Index (AQI) and Daily Reporting

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... pollutantp Cp = the truncated concentration of pollutantp BPHi = the breakpoint that is greater than or equal to Cp BPLo = the breakpoint that is less than or equal to Cp IHi = the AQI value corresponding to...

Comparison of glycemic control and variability in patients with type 2 and posttransplantation diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Werzowa, Johannes; Pacini, Giovanni; Hecking, Manfred; Fidler, Catharina; Haidinger, Michael; Brath, Helmut; Thomas, Andreas; Säemann, Marcus D; Tura, Andrea

2015-01-01

Posttransplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a common complication after renal transplantation leading to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) increased glycemic variability and poor glycemic control have been associated with cardiovascular complications. We therefore aimed at determining glycemic variability and glycemic control in subjects with PTDM in comparison to T2DM subjects. In this observational study we analyzed 10 transplanted subjects without diabetes (Control), 10 transplanted subjects with PTDM, and 8 non-transplanted T2DM subjects using Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM). Several indices of glycemic control quality and variability were computed. Many indices of both glycemic control quality and variability were different between control and PTDM subjects, with worse values in PTDM. The indices of glycemic control, such as glucose mean, GRADE and M-value, were similar in PTDM and T2DM, but some indices of glycemic variability, that is CONGA, lability index and shape index, showed a markedly higher (i.e., worse) value in T2DM than in PTDM (P value range: 0.001-0.035). Although PTDM and T2DM subjects showed similar glycemic control quality, glycemic variability was significantly higher in T2DM. These data underscore potential important pathophysiological differences between T2DM and PTDM indicating that increased glycemic variability may not be a key factor for the excess cardiovascular mortality in patients with PTDM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Proposal of a New SI Base Unit for Value. An Hedonic Estimation of the Physical Purchasing Power (PhPP) of Money.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Defilla, Steivan

2006-03-01

Hitherto, the purchasing power of money, i.e. its transaction value, has been measured in terms of inflation index numbers and consumer baskets. Consumer baskets are variable phenomena and their use as measurement units for value confuses the measuring with the measurand. We propose an invariant numeraire, or value unit, based on the market value of a Planck energy (1956 MJ). Planck units form a natural system of units independent of any civilization. The hedonic estimation of the PhPP of a currency differentiates energy by product as well as by thermodynamic quality (exergy). Following SI rules, we propose to name the value unit walras (Wal) in honour of the economist Leon Walras (1834 - 1910). One Wal can also be interpreted as the minimum cost of physiological life of a reference person during one year. The study uses official disaggregated Swiss Producer and Consumer Price Index data and estimates the PhPP of the Swiss franc in 2003.

The Study of Heavy Metals on Sediment Quality of Kuala Perlis Coastal Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubir, A. A. Ahmad; Saad, F. N. Mohd; Dahalan, F. A.

2018-03-01

The contamination of heavy metals gives bad implications to the aquatic environment. Thus, a study was conducted to assess the sediment quality by using different contamination indices such as Enrichment Factor (EF), Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo), and Pollution Load Index (PLI). Each sediment sample was collected at the surface (0-15cm) at 5 locations based on the land use activity; jetty port (A), seaside restaurant (B), roadside area (C), power plant (D) and residential area (E). All samples were undergoes acid digestion and analyzed with AAS. Four elements identified from the sediment samples which are Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn were used to calculate the respective indices. Results show that, the highest EF value of Pb which categorized as very severe enrichment was at point E. Meanwhile minor enrichment was detected at point B for Cu while Cr and Zn at point A. Based on Igeo value the sediment quality along Kuala Perlis was in the unpolluted-moderately polluted condition (class 1). As for PLI it shows that the sediment of the coastal area is unpolluted (PLI<1). Therefore, this study revealed that, the main contributor of heavy metals in this area is Pb while the sediment quality of Kuala Perlis was in minor pollution condition.

Quality and sensory acceptability of a chilled functional apple ready-dessert.

PubMed

Keenan, D F; Brunton, N P; Gormley, T R; Butler, F

2012-04-01

An apple and dairy based ready-dessert with an added prebiotic was stored and chill temperatures and number of quality attributes were monitored during chill (4 °C) storage for 30 days. All ready-desserts were thermally processed by sous vide (P (90) > 10 min). The stability of the dairy component in ready-desserts was monitored by measuring volatile free fatty acids. Changes in these components were more evident in prebiotic-enriched samples compared to controls. However, no significant differences were observed over storage in control and prebiotic-enriched ready-desserts. This was supported by sensory analysis that showed no significant changes over storage in control or prebiotic-enriched samples. Of the other quality parameters, the addition of prebiotic inclusions resulted in lower L and b values and dry matter (p < 0.05), while increasing (p < 0.05) soluble solids content compared to control samples. Fluctuations in some of the quality parameters were also observed over storage. Rheological characteristics, i.e. flow behaviour (n), consistency index (K), storage (G'), loss (G″) and complex (G*) moduli were unaffected by prebiotic inclusion. However, storage affected the rheological characteristics of ready-desserts. A decrease (p < 0.05) in flow behaviour (n) led to concomitant increases in consistency index (K) and complex modulus (G*) values in control samples.

The link between symptoms of office building occupants and in-office air pollution: the Indoor Air Pollution Index.

PubMed

Sofuoglu, S C; Moschandreas, D J

2003-12-01

The lack of an effective indoor air quality (IAQ) metric causes communication concerns among building tenants (the public), building managers (decision-makers), and IAQ investigators (engineers). The Indoor Air Pollution Index (IAPI) is developed for office buildings to bridge this communication discord. The index, simple and easily understood, employs the range of pollutant concentrations and concentrations in the subject building to estimate a unitless single number, the IAPI, between 0 (lowest pollution level and best IAQ) and ten (highest pollution level and worst IAQ). The index provides a relative measure of indoor air pollution for office buildings and ranks office indoor air pollution relative to the index distribution of the US office building population. Furthermore, the index associates well with occupant symptoms, percentage of occupants with persistent symptoms. A tree-structured method is utilized in conjunction with the arithmetic mean as the aggregation function. The hierarchical structure of the method renders not only one index value, but also several sub-index values that are critical in the study of an office air environment. The use of the IAPI for IAQ management is illustrated with an example. The decomposition of the index leads to the ranking of sampled pollutants by their relative contribution to the index and the identification of dominant pollutant(s). This information can be applied to design an effective strategy for reducing in-office air pollution.

The Nutrient Balance Concept: A New Quality Metric for Composite Meals and Diets

PubMed Central

Fern, Edward B; Watzke, Heribert; Barclay, Denis V.; Roulin, Anne; Drewnowski, Adam

2015-01-01

Background Combinations of foods that provide suitable levels of nutrients and energy are required for optimum health. Currently, however, it is difficult to define numerically what are ‘suitable levels’. Objective To develop new metrics based on energy considerations—the Nutrient Balance Concept (NBC)—for assessing overall nutrition quality when combining foods and meals. Method The NBC was developed using the USDA Food Composition Database (Release 27) and illustrated with their MyPlate 7-day sample menus for a 2000 calorie food pattern. The NBC concept is centered on three specific metrics for a given food, meal or diet—a Qualifying Index (QI), a Disqualifying Index (DI) and a Nutrient Balance (NB). The QI and DI were determined, respectively, from the content of 27 essential nutrients and 6 nutrients associated with negative health outcomes. The third metric, the Nutrient Balance (NB), was derived from the Qualifying Index (QI) and provided key information on the relative content of qualifying nutrients in the food. Because the Qualifying and Disqualifying Indices (QI and DI) were standardized to energy content, both become constants for a given food/meal/diet and a particular consumer age group, making it possible to develop algorithms for predicting nutrition quality when combining different foods. Results Combining different foods into composite meals and daily diets led to improved nutrition quality as seen by QI values closer to unity (indicating nutrient density was better equilibrated with energy density), DI values below 1.0 (denoting an acceptable level of consumption of disqualifying nutrients) and increased NB values (signifying complementarity of foods and better provision of qualifying nutrients). Conclusion The Nutrient Balance Concept (NBC) represents a new approach to nutrient profiling and the first step in the progression from the nutrient evaluation of individual foods to that of multiple foods in the context of meals and total diets. PMID:26176770

Does Value Stream Mapping affect the structure, process, and outcome quality in care facilities? A systematic review.

PubMed

Nowak, Marina; Pfaff, Holger; Karbach, Ute

2017-08-24

Quality improvement within health and social care facilities is needed and has to be evidence-based and patient-centered. Value Stream Mapping, a method of Lean management, aims to increase the patients' value and quality of care by a visualization and quantification of the care process. The aim of this research is to examine the effectiveness of Value Stream Mapping on structure, process, and outcome quality in care facilities. A systematic review is conducted. PubMed, EBSCOhost, including Business Source Complete, Academic Search Complete, PSYCInfo, PSYNDX, SocINDEX with Full Text, Web of Knowledge, and EMBASE ScienceDirect are searched in February 2016. All peer-reviewed papers evaluating Value Stream Mapping and published in English or German from January 2000 are included. For data synthesis, all study results are categorized into Donabedian's model of structure, process, and outcome quality. To assess and interpret the effectiveness of Value Stream Mapping, the frequencies of the results statistically examined are considered. Of the 903 articles retrieved, 22 studies fulfill the inclusion criteria. Of these, 11 studies are used to answer the research question. Value Stream Mapping has positive effects on the time dimension of process and outcome quality. It seems to reduce non-value-added time (e.g., waiting time) and length of stay. All study designs are before and after studies without control, and methodologically sophisticated studies are missing. For a final conclusion about Value Stream Mapping's effectiveness, more research with improved methodology is needed. Despite this lack of evidence, Value Stream Mapping has the potential to improve quality of care on the time dimension. The contextual influence has to be investigated to make conclusions about the relationship between different quality domains when applying Value Stream Mapping. However, for using this review's conclusion, the limitation of including heterogeneous and potentially biased results has to be considered.

Assessment of quality of prescribing in patients of hypertension at primary and secondary health care facilities using the Prescription Quality Index (PQI) tool.

PubMed

Suthar, Jalpa Vashishth; Patel, Varsha J

2014-01-01

To determine the quality of prescribing in hypertension in primary and secondary health care settings using the Prescription Quality Index (PQI) tool and to assess the reliability of this tool. An observational cross-sectional study was carried out for 6 months in order to assess quality of prescribing of antihypertensive drugs using Prescription Quality Index (PQI) at four primary (PHC) and two secondary (SHC) health care facilities. Patients attending these facilities for at least 3 months were included. Complete medical history and prescriptions received were noted. Total and criteria wise PQI scores were derived for each prescription. Prescriptions were categorized as poor (score of ≤31), medium (score 32-33) and high quality (score 34-43) based on PQI total score. Psychometric analysis using factor analysis was carried out to assess reliability and validity. Total 73 hypertensive patients were included. Mean age was 61.2 ± 11 years with 35 (48%) patients above 65 years of age. Total PQI score was 26 ± 11. There was a significant difference in PQI score between PHC and SHC (P < 0.05) Out of 73 prescriptions, 43 (59%) were of poor quality with PQI score <31. The value of Cronbach's α for the entire 22 criteria of PQI was 0.71 suggesting good reliability of PQI tool in our setting. Based on PQI scores, quality of prescribing in hypertensive patients was poor, somewhat better in primary as compared to secondary health care facility. PQI is reliable for measuring prescribing quality in hypertension in Indian set up.

[Quality of the diet of a population of young people of Guadalajara].

PubMed

Fernández Morales, I; Aguilar Vilas, M V; Mateos Vega, C J; Martínez Para, M C

2009-01-01

The population of Guadalajara traditionally has consumed a Mediterranean diet with the typical variations of the central zone of the peninsula, but the acquisition of erroneous habits of life they can be translated, specially in the young people, in a not healthful nourishing conducts. To evaluate the quality of the diet, by means of an index of healthy nourishment (IAS) and percentage of adhesion to the Mediterranean diet (% ADM), of a teen population (n = 467) and their relation with different physiological parameters and sociodemográficos. A nutritional study has been realized on the quality of the diet in a teen population of Guadalajara of 467 young people (12-17 years) by means of questionnaires of frequency of consumption of seven days. Likewise, there has determined the ingestion of nutrients and the index of healthy nourishment (IAS) using the program of nutrition DIAL(c). The results show that the average of the population takes a diet with an acceptable IAS (62.78), though with trend towards low qualities, with high ingestions of saturated fats (38.90 +/- 6.58 g), cholesterol (384.69 +/- 74.24 mg) and sodium (3,395.43 +/-729.57 mg). Respect to % MDA there has been obtained an average value of 42.86 +/- 15.52%. These values differ depending on the age (improves with the age), the sex (better quality of the diet consumed by the girls). Likewise, all the factors sociodemográficos and the way of life considered, they influence the quality indicators used.

High-cadence nowcast of a proxy K-type index of the local magnetic activity for improved space weather monitoring applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stankov, S.; Verhulst, T. G. W.; Sapundjiev, D.

2016-12-01

The K index is a quasi-logarithmic index characterizing the 3-hourly range in the transient geomagnetic field activity at a certain location relative to its regular "quiet-day" variation. It is a popular choice among researchers; however, the 3-hour time scale is much larger than the characteristic time of various phenomena associated with an elevated geomagnetic activity. These include disturbances in the ionosphere that are of particular interest because of their (adverse) effects on present-day radio communications and navigation practices. From this aspect, there is an on-going demand for services providing real-time assessment of the (local and global) magnetic activity and alerting the users for the purpose of taking mitigating actions. An obstacle to the real-time estimation of the K index stems from the fact that the original definition of this index postulates the use of measurements from both sides of the abovementioned 3-hour interval. We offer a method for estimating, in real time, the local magnetic activity via a K-type index (K*) which closely resembles the "classical" K index. The main difference is in the way of determining the solar regular variation of the geomagnetic field - the new, real-time approach uses data from past measurements only. Another difference is that the concept of fixed 3-hour time periods (0-3, 3-6, …, 21-24), each characterized with a single K value, is abolished; instead, in the new approach, a K* value is derived at any time using data from the most recent 3 hours. Following this approach, a novel nowcast system was developed based on a fully automated computer procedure for real-time digital magnetogram data acquisition, data screening, establishing the field's regular variation, calculating the K* index, and issuing an alert if storm-level activity is indicated. The nominal cadence is envisaged to be as high as one K* value per minute. Another important feature of this nowcast system is the strict control on the data input and processing, allowing for an immediate assessment of the quality of output. The quality control employs the fact that a complete and sound dataset provides the ideal platform for reliable, closest-to-definite index production.

The impact of socio-economic status on health related quality of life for children and adolescents with heart disease.

PubMed

Cassedy, Amy; Drotar, Dennis; Ittenbach, Richard; Hottinger, Shawna; Wray, Jo; Wernovsky, Gil; Newburger, Jane W; Mahony, Lynn; Mussatto, Kathleen; Cohen, Mitchell I; Marino, Bradley S

2013-06-18

Socioeconomic status (SES) is known to influence children's health-related quality of life. Many SES indicators assess distinct dimensions of a family's position rather than measuring the same underlying construct. Many researchers, however, see SES indicators as interchangeable. The primary aim of this study was to determine which measure of SES had the strongest impact on health-related quality of life. This is a secondary analysis of the Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory Validation Study. The SES variables were family income, Hollingshead Index (occupational prestige), and highest parent educational attainment level. Health-related quality of life was measured using the Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory. Correlations tested the relationship among the three SES indicators. Regression-based modeling was used to calculate the strength of the association between SES measures and the Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory. The correlations among the SES measures were moderately high, with the correlation between the Hollingshead Index and parental education being r = 0.62 (95% CI = 0.56-0.65). There were equally high correlations between family income and the Hollingshead (r = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.57-0.65) and a slightly lower correlation between family income and parental education (r = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.52-0.59). Family income had the highest explanatory value compared to the Hollingshead Index or parental educational attainment, while controlling for sex, race, current cardiac status, and original diagnosis, accounting for 4-5% of the variation in patient and parent Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory Total score, respectively, compared to the other SES measures. Family income as an SES measure demonstrated the greatest fidelity with respect to health-related quality of life as measured by the Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory across respondent groups and explained more of the variation compared to the Hollingshead Index or highest parental educational attainment.

The impact of socio-economic status on health related quality of life for children and adolescents with heart disease

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Socioeconomic status (SES) is known to influence children’s health-related quality of life. Many SES indicators assess distinct dimensions of a family’s position rather than measuring the same underlying construct. Many researchers, however, see SES indicators as interchangeable. The primary aim of this study was to determine which measure of SES had the strongest impact on health-related quality of life. Methods This is a secondary analysis of the Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory Validation Study. The SES variables were family income, Hollingshead Index (occupational prestige), and highest parent educational attainment level. Health-related quality of life was measured using the Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory. Correlations tested the relationship among the three SES indicators. Regression-based modeling was used to calculate the strength of the association between SES measures and the Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory. Results The correlations among the SES measures were moderately high, with the correlation between the Hollingshead Index and parental education being r = 0.62 (95% CI = 0.56-0.65). There were equally high correlations between family income and the Hollingshead (r = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.57-0.65) and a slightly lower correlation between family income and parental education (r = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.52-0.59). Family income had the highest explanatory value compared to the Hollingshead Index or parental educational attainment, while controlling for sex, race, current cardiac status, and original diagnosis, accounting for 4-5% of the variation in patient and parent Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory Total score, respectively, compared to the other SES measures. Conclusion Family income as an SES measure demonstrated the greatest fidelity with respect to health-related quality of life as measured by the Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory across respondent groups and explained more of the variation compared to the Hollingshead Index or highest parental educational attainment. PMID:23777248

Hydrogeochemistry and water quality of the Kordkandi-Duzduzan plain, NW Iran: application of multivariate statistical analysis and PoS index.

PubMed

Soltani, Shahla; Asghari Moghaddam, Asghar; Barzegar, Rahim; Kazemian, Naeimeh; Tziritis, Evangelos

2017-08-18

Kordkandi-Duzduzan plain is one of the fertile plains of East Azarbaijan Province, NW of Iran. Groundwater is an important resource for drinking and agricultural purposes due to the lack of surface water resources in the region. The main objectives of the present study are to identify the hydrogeochemical processes and the potential sources of major, minor, and trace metals and metalloids such as Cr, Mn, Cd, Fe, Al, and As by using joint hydrogeochemical techniques and multivariate statistical analysis and to evaluate groundwater quality deterioration with the use of PoS environmental index. To achieve these objectives, 23 groundwater samples were collected in September 2015. Piper diagram shows that the mixed Ca-Mg-Cl is the dominant groundwater type, and some of the samples have Ca-HCO 3 , Ca-Cl, and Na-Cl types. Multivariate statistical analyses indicate that weathering and dissolution of different rocks and minerals, e.g., silicates, gypsum, and halite, ion exchange, and agricultural activities influence the hydrogeochemistry of the study area. The cluster analysis divides the samples into two distinct clusters which are completely different in EC (and its dependent variables such as Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , SO 4 2- , and Cl - ), Cd, and Cr variables according to the ANOVA statistical test. Based on the median values, the concentrations of pH, NO 3 - , SiO 2 , and As in cluster 1 are elevated compared with those of cluster 2, while their maximum values occur in cluster 2. According to the PoS index, the dominant parameter that controls quality deterioration is As, with 60% of contribution. Samples of lowest PoS values are located in the southern and northern parts (recharge area) while samples of the highest values are located in the discharge area and the eastern part.

Effects of calcium supplements on the quality and acrylamide content of puffed shrimp chips.

PubMed

Chen, Tai-Yuan; Luo, Hsuan-Min; Hsu, Pang-Hung; Sung, Wen-Chieh

2016-01-01

The quality and acrylamide content of deep-fried and microwave-puffed shrimp chips fortified with 0.1%, 0.5%, or 1.0% calcium salts (calcium lactate, calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, or calcium acetate) were investigated. Microwave-puffed shrimp chips contained higher amounts of acrylamide (130.43 ppb) than did deep-fried shrimp chips. The greatest mitigation of acrylamide formation in overfried chips was obtained with 0.1% calcium lactate. All browning indexes of fortified shrimp chips, whether deep-fried or microwave-puffed, were reduced. L* values of microwave-puffed shrimp chips were higher than those of deep-fried shrimp chips, whereas a* and b* values and browning indexes were lower. Color differences (ΔE) between deep-fried puffed shrimp chips fortified with calcium salts and a control sample were higher than 5, and the sensory scores of shrimp chips were significantly decreased by the addition of calcium lactate. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Hirsch index and truth survival in clinical research.

PubMed

Poynard, Thierry; Thabut, Dominique; Munteanu, Mona; Ratziu, Vlad; Benhamou, Yves; Deckmyn, Olivier

2010-08-06

Factors associated with the survival of truth of clinical conclusions in the medical literature are unknown. We hypothesized that publications with a first author having a higher Hirsch' index value (h-I), which quantifies and predicts an individual's scientific research output, should have a longer half-life. 474 original articles concerning cirrhosis or hepatitis published from 1945 to 1999 were selected. The survivals of the main conclusions were updated in 2009. The truth survival was assessed by time-dependent methods (Kaplan Meier method and Cox). A conclusion was considered to be true, obsolete or false when three or more observers out of the six stated it to be so. 284 out of 474 conclusions (60%) were still considered true, 90 (19%) were considered obsolete and 100 (21%) false. The median of the h-I was=24 (range 1-85). Authors with true conclusions had significantly higher h-I (median=28) than those with obsolete (h-I=19; P=0.002) or false conclusions (h-I=19; P=0.01). The factors associated (P<0.0001) with h-I were: scientific life (h-I=33 for>30 years vs. 16 for<30 years), -methodological quality score (h-I=36 for high vs. 20 for low scores), and -positive predictive value combining power, ratio of true to not-true relationships and bias (h-I=33 for high vs. 20 for low values). In multivariate analysis, the risk ratio of h-I was 1.003 (95%CI, 0.994-1.011), and was not significant (P=0.56). In a subgroup restricted to 111 articles with a negative conclusion, we observed a significant independent prognostic value of h-I (risk ratio=1.033; 95%CI, 1.008-1.059; P=0.009). Using an extrapolation of h-I at the time of article publication there was a significant and independent prognostic value of baseline h-I (risk ratio=0.027; P=0.0001). The present study failed to clearly demonstrate that the h-index of authors was a prognostic factor for truth survival. However the h-index was associated with true conclusions, methodological quality of trials and positive predictive values.

Convergent validation of EQ-5D-5L in patients with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Alvarado-Bolaños, Alonso; Cervantes-Arriaga, Amin; Rodríguez-Violante, Mayela; Llorens-Arenas, Rodrigo; Calderón-Fajardo, Humberto; Millán-Cepeda, Roxanna; Leal-Ortega, Roberto; Estrada-Bellmann, Ingrid; Zuñiga-Ramírez, Carlos

2015-11-15

The European Quality of Life Questionnaire 5 level version (EQ-5D-5L) is a recently updated instrument to assess Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) that has not been validated extensively. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the internal consistency and convergent validation of the EQ-5D-5L in a large sample of subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD). A cross-sectional study was carried out. Consecutive Mexican subjects with PD were included. HRQoL was assessed using the EQ-5D-5L and the PDQ-8. Validity of the EQ-5D-5L was assessed determining its association with clinical ratings of disease severity, as well as correlation with PDQ-8. Additionally, performance was evaluated along predefined groups based on clinical and demographic data of known determinants of quality of life. A total of 585 patients were included for this study. A strong correlation was found between EQ-5D-5L index and PDQ-8 index (Spearman's correlation coefficient=-0.75; p<0.001). Correlation between EQ-5D-5L index and PDQ-8 index remained strong (-0.60 to -0.78; p values <0.001) through all predefined groups. EQ-5D-5L scored higher in those patients with dyskinesia, wearing off, freezing, postural instability, cognitive impairment or depressive mood (p values <0.001). The EQ-5D-5L is a valid instrument for evaluating HRQoL in PD, performing adequately irrespective of heterogeneous clinical and demographic characteristics, and showing to be sensitive to features of advanced disease and treatment complications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Establishment of Health Utility Indices for Post-Infectious Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Active Duty US Military.

PubMed

Porter, Chad K; Thura, Nadia; Schlett, Carey D; Sanders, John W; Tribble, David R; Monteville, Marshall R; Riddle, Mark S

2015-01-01

Knowledge of disease burden attributable to functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGD) in travelers is lacking, despite the high incidence of travelers' diarrhea (TD) associated with increased FGD risk. One tool for assessing the impact of disease on health-related quality of life is the health utility index (HUI), which values health states based on preferential health outcomes. Health utilities can be used as preference weights in the estimation of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Six months following travel to Egypt or Turkey, 120 US military personnel completed a survey on TD during deployment, health-related quality of life (SF-36), and the onset of functional bowel disorders (Rome II). Elements from the SF-36 were used to develop SF-6D values, which were combined with health state valuations to enable calculation of HUI scores for each subject. Mean index scores were compared across functional outcomes, specific symptoms, and demographic profiles. The presence of FGD significantly reduced index scores, with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and dyspepsia showing the greatest impact (-0.17 and -0.19, respectively) compared with those with no FGD (p < 0.05). Importantly, however, several individuals met multiple FGD outcome definitions. Additionally, a number of symptoms associated with abnormal bowel habits and abdominal pain were associated with reduced index scores regardless of outcome. FGD are associated with significant morbidity as assessed by HUIs. Given the strong link between TD and FGD as well as the large number of travelers from the developed to the developing world, additional study is needed to further understand this association and efforts aimed at primary disease prevention are warranted. Published 2015. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Corrosiveness of ground water in the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system of the New Jersey Coastal Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barringer, J.L.; Kish, G.R.; Velnich, A.J.

1993-01-01

Ground water from the unconfined part of the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system in the New Jersey Coastal Plain typically is corrosive-- that is, it is acidic, soft, and has low concentrations of alkalinity. Corrosive ground water has the potential to leach trace elements and asbestos fibers from plumbing materials used in potable- water systems, thereby causing potentially harmful concentrations of these substances in drinking water. Corrosion indices were calculated from water-quality data for 370 wells in the unconfined Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system. Values of the Langelier Saturation Index are predominantly negative, indicating that the water is undersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate, and, therefore, is potentially corrosive. Values of the Aggressive Index, a similar estimator of the corrosiveness of water, range from 3.9 (highly corrosive) to 11.9 (moderately corrosive). The median Aggressive Index value calculated for the 370 wells is 6.0, a value that indicates that the water is highly corrosive. Moderately corrosive ground water is found in some coastal areas. Isolated instances of moderately corrosive water are found in northern Ocean County, and in Burlington, Camden, and Salem Counties. In the vicinity of Ocean County corrosion-index values change little with depth, but in Atlantic, Burlington, and Salem Counties the corrosiveness of ground water generally appears to decrease with depth. Analyses of standing tap water from newly constructed homes in the Coastal Plain show concentrations of lead and other trace elements are significantly higher than those in ambient ground water. The elevated trace-element concentrations are attributed to the corrosion of plumbing materials by ground water. Results of the tap-water analyses substantiate the corrosiveness of Kirkwood-Cohansey ground water, as estimated by corrosion-index values.

Physician-owned Surgical Hospitals Outperform Other Hospitals in the Medicare Value-based Purchasing Program

PubMed Central

Ramirez, Adriana G; Tracci, Margaret C; Stukenborg, George J; Turrentine, Florence E; Kozower, Benjamin D; Jones, R Scott

2016-01-01

Background The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program measures value of care provided by participating Medicare hospitals while creating financial incentives for quality improvement and fostering increased transparency. Limited information is available comparing hospital performance across healthcare business models. Study Design 2015 hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program results were used to examine hospital performance by business model. General linear modeling assessed differences in mean total performance score, hospital case mix index, and differences after adjustment for differences in hospital case mix index. Results Of 3089 hospitals with Total Performance Scores (TPS), categories of representative healthcare business models included 104 Physician-owned Surgical Hospitals (POSH), 111 University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC), 14 US News & World Report Honor Roll (USNWR) Hospitals, 33 Kaiser Permanente, and 124 Pioneer Accountable Care Organization affiliated hospitals. Estimated mean TPS for POSH (64.4, 95% CI 61.83, 66.38) and Kaiser (60.79, 95% CI 56.56, 65.03) were significantly higher compared to all remaining hospitals while UHC members (36.8, 95% CI 34.51, 39.17) performed below the mean (p < 0.0001). Significant differences in mean hospital case mix index included POSH (mean 2.32, p<0.0001), USNWR honorees (mean 2.24, p 0.0140) and UHC members (mean =1.99, p<0.0001) while Kaiser Permanente hospitals had lower case mix value (mean =1.54, p<0.0001). Re-estimation of TPS did not change the original results after adjustment for differences in hospital case mix index. Conclusions The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program revealed superior hospital performance associated with business model. Closer inspection of high-value hospitals may guide value improvement and policy-making decisions for all Medicare Value-Based Purchasing Program Hospitals. PMID:27502368

Evaluation of microbiological air quality and of microclimate in university classrooms.

PubMed

Grisoli, Pietro; Rodolfi, Marinella; Chiara, Tiziana; Zonta, Laura Attinia; Dacarro, Cesare

2012-07-01

The proliferation of air-diffused microorganisms inside public buildings such as schools, hospitals, and universities, is often indicated as a possible health risk. In this research, we have illustrated the results of an investigation realized to determine the health of the air in some university classrooms, both from a microbiological and a microclimatic viewpoint, during the normal didactic activity of direct lessons. The results obtained have been expressed by means of contamination indices, already used in previous works. Very little contamination was recorded in the different phases of air treatment, which underlines the efficiency of the system and of the maintenance protocols. The Global Index of Microbial Contamination (GIMC per cubic meter) showed a value greater than the mean during the heating period (290), while the highest values (95th percentile 1,138.45) were recorded in the period using air conditioning. The index of mesophilic bacterial contamination, though it did not show any significant differences in the various modes of air treatment, showed a mean value (1.34) and the 95th percentile value (4.14), which was greater in the air-conditioning phase. Finally, the mean value of the amplification index underlined a decrease in the microbial contamination in comparison to the outside, while showing situations of increased microbial amplification during the period of simple ventilation (95th percentile 4.27). The 95th percentile values found for GICM in the three sampling periods, however, permitted us to identify the value of GIMC per cubic meter equal to 1,000 as a guide to provide a means of self-monitoring the quality of the air inside the classrooms. From a microclimatic viewpoint, two periods of the year manifested discomfort situations: during the heating phase (winter) and during the simple ventilation phase (spring). The results obtained indicate, therefore, a need to intervene on the environmental parameters, not being able, in this particular case, to intervene on other aspects that influence the microclimate.

PLAM - a meteorological pollution index for air quality and its applications in fog-haze forecasts in north China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Wang, J.; Gong, S.; Zhang, X.; Wang, H.; Wang, Y.; Wang, J.; Li, D.; Guo, J.

2015-03-01

Using surface meteorological observation and high resolution emission data, this paper discusses the application of PLAM/h Index (Parameter Linking Air-quality to Meteorological conditions/haze) in the prediction of large-scale low visibility and fog-haze events. Based on the two-dimensional probability density function diagnosis model for emissions, the study extends the diagnosis and prediction of the meteorological pollution index PLAM to the regional visibility fog-haze intensity. The results show that combining the influence of regular meteorological conditions and emission factors together in the PLAM/h parameterization scheme is very effective in improving the diagnostic identification ability of the fog-haze weather in North China. The correlation coefficients for four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter) between PLAM/h and visibility observation are 0.76, 0.80, 0.96 and 0.86 respectively and all their significance levels exceed 0.001, showing the ability of PLAM/h to predict the seasonal changes and differences of fog-haze weather in the North China region. The high-value correlation zones are respectively located in Jing-Jin-Ji (Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei), Bohai Bay rim and the southern Hebei-northern Henan, indicating that the PLAM/h index has relations with the distribution of frequent heavy fog-haze weather in North China and the distribution of emission high-value zone. Comparatively analyzing the heavy fog-haze events and large-scale fine weather processes in winter and summer, it is found that PLAM/h index 24 h forecast is highly correlated to the visibility observation. Therefore, PLAM/h index has better capability of doing identification, analysis and forecasting.

PLAM - a meteorological pollution index for air quality and its applications in fog-haze forecasts in North China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y. Q.; Wang, J. Z.; Gong, S. L.; Zhang, X. Y.; Wang, H.; Wang, Y. Q.; Wang, J.; Li, D.; Guo, J. P.

2016-02-01

Using surface meteorological observation and high-resolution emission data, this paper discusses the application of the PLAM/h index (Parameter Linking Air-quality to Meteorological conditions/haze) in the prediction of large-scale low visibility and fog-haze events. Based on the two-dimensional probability density function diagnosis model for emissions, the study extends the diagnosis and prediction of the meteorological pollution index PLAM to the regional visibility fog-haze intensity. The results show that combining the influence of regular meteorological conditions and emission factors together in the PLAM/h parameterization scheme is very effective in improving the diagnostic identification ability of the fog-haze weather in North China. The determination coefficients for four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) between PLAM/h and visibility observation are 0.76, 0.80, 0.96, and 0.86, respectively, and all of their significance levels exceed 0.001, showing the ability of PLAM/h to predict the seasonal changes and differences of fog-haze weather in the North China region. The high-value correlation zones are located in Jing-Jin-Ji (Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei), Bohai Bay rim, and southern Hebei-northern Henan, indicating that the PLAM/h index is related to the distribution of frequent heavy fog-haze weather in North China and the distribution of emission high-value zone. Through comparative analysis of the heavy fog-haze events and large-scale clear-weather processes in winter and summer, it is found that PLAM/h index 24 h forecast is highly correlated with the visibility observation. Therefore, the PLAM/h index has good capability in identification, analysis, and forecasting.

Pesticide toxicity index for freshwater aquatic organisms, 2nd edition

USGS Publications Warehouse

Munn, Mark D.; Gilliom, Robert J.; Moran, Patrick W.; Nowell, Lisa H.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program is designed to assess current water-quality conditions, changes in water quality over time, and the effects of natural and human factors on water quality for the Nation's streams and ground-water resources. For streams, one of the most difficult parts of the assessment is to link chemical conditions to effects on aquatic biota, particularly for pesticides, which tend to occur in streams as complex mixtures with strong seasonal patterns. A Pesticide Toxicity Index (PTI) was developed that combines pesticide exposure of aquatic biota (measured concentrations of pesticides in stream water) with acute toxicity estimates (standard endpoints from laboratory bioassays) to produce a single index value for a sample or site. The development of the PTI was limited to pesticide compounds routinely measured in NAWQA studies and to toxicity data readily available from existing databases. Qualifying toxicity data were found for one or more types of test organisms for 124 of the 185 pesticide compounds measured in NAWQA samples, but with a wide range of available bioassays per compound (1 to 232). In the databases examined, there were a total of 3,669 bioassays for the 124 compounds, including 398 48-hour EC50 values (concentration at which 50 percent of test organisms exhibit a sublethal response) for freshwater cladocerans, 699 96-hour LC50 values (concentration lethal to 50 percent of test organisms) for freshwater benthic invertebrates, and 2,572 96-hour LC50 values for freshwater fish. The PTI for a particular sample is the sum of toxicity quotients (measured concentration divided by the median toxicity concentration from bioassays) for each detected pesticide, and thus, is based on the concentration addition model of pesticide toxicity. The PTI can be calculated for specific groups of pesticides and for specific taxonomic groups. Although the PTI does not determine whether water in a sample is toxic to aquatic organisms, its values can be used to rank or compare the toxicity of samples or sites on a relative basis for use in further analysis or additional assessments. The PTI approach may be useful as a basis for comparing the potential significance of pesticides in different streams on a common basis, for evaluating relations between pesticide exposure and observed biological conditions, and for prioritizing where further studies are most needed.

Donor Indocyanine Green Clearance Test Predicts Graft Quality and Early Graft Prognosis After Liver Transplantation.

PubMed

Tang, Yunhua; Han, Ming; Chen, Maogen; Wang, Xiaoping; Ji, Fei; Zhao, Qiang; Zhang, Zhiheng; Ju, Weiqiang; Wang, Dongping; Guo, Zhiyong; He, Xiaoshun

2017-11-01

Transplantation centers have given much attention to donor availability. However, no reliable quantitative methods have been employed to accurately assess graft quality before transplantation. Here, we report that the indocyanine green (ICG) clearance test is a valuable index for liver grafts. We performed the ICG clearance test on 90 brain-dead donors within 6 h before organ procurement between March 2015 and November 2016. We also analyzed the relationship between graft liver function and early graft survival after liver transplantation (LT). Our results suggest that the ICG retention rate at 15 min (ICGR15) of donors before procurement was independently associated with 3-month graft survival after LT. The best donor ICGR15 cutoff value was 11.0%/min, and we observed a significant increase in 3-month graft failure among patients with a donor ICGR15 above this value. On the other hand, a donor ICGR15 value of ≤ 11.0%/min could be used as an early assessment index of graft quality because it provides additional information to the transplant surgeon or organ procurement organization members who must maintain or improve organ function to adapt the LT. An ICG clearance test before liver procurement might be an effective quantitative method to predict graft availability and improve early graft prognosis after LT.

In vitro starch digestion and cake quality: impact of the ratio of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber.

PubMed

Oh, Im Kyung; Bae, In Young; Lee, Hyeon Gyu

2014-02-01

The influence of the ratio of soluble dietary fiber (SDF) and insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) on the in vitro starch digestion, predicted glycemic index (pGI), and the physicochemical properties of fiber-enriched cakes were evaluated. The hydration and pasting properties were affected by the ratio of SDF and IDF. According to the increase of IDF ratio (SDF ratio reduction) in 3 g fiber-enriched cakes, slowly digestible starch (SDS) contents increased, while the rapidly digestible starch (RDS) contents decreased. The pGI values were significantly different with control in 3 g fiber-enriched cake containing more than 50% IDF contents (p<0.05). But the pGI values of 6g fiber-enriched cake samples were not significantly different by SDF and IDF ratio. With the exception of the SDF 100% cake, volume index, hardness, and color values of the fiber-enriched cakes increased according to reductions in the SDF ratio. The cakes containing 3 g of total dietary fiber (the same ratio of SDF and IDF) per serving were shown to have low pGI and acceptable quality attributes. Specially, total dietary fiber amount and IDF ratio are more effective than SDF ratio to lower the pGI value. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrative health risk assessment of air pollution in the northwest of Spain.

PubMed

García-Santiago, Xela; Gallego-Fernández, Nuria; Muniategui-Lorenzo, Soledad; Piñeiro-Iglesias, María; López-Mahía, Purificación; Franco-Uría, Amaya

2017-02-01

Levels, origins and potential risks due to different air pollutants (ozone, SO 2 and particle-borne metals) in NW Spain were investigated in eight locations affected by different emission sources. All monitored locations suffered the influence of traffic and industrial emissions, being this influence more important in urban locations. Although average values of the estimated hazard index (HI) due to particle-borne metals showed values lower than one, maximum values of this parameter exceeded this safety limit in urban locations. In general, Ni and As were identified as those metals most contributing to the HI. Furthermore, the presence of industrial emission episodes produced a significant increase in the magnitude of the HI in two of the seven urban areas. Therefore, the frequency and intensity of these episodes should be further investigated. Finally, levels of airborne and particle-borne pollutants were integrated with the aim of providing a comprehensive assessment of health risk. According to an established indexing system, air quality can be classified from good to moderate, being the southern urban locations (the most densely populated and industrialised ones) presenting the worst values. However, either the high or the low influence of acute and chronic-effect pollutants on air quality depends on the location.

A Cross-sectional Assessment of Health-related Quality of Life among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

PubMed

Garcia-Gordillo, Miguel Ángel; Collado-Mateo, Daniel; Olivares, Pedro Rufino; Adsuar, José Carmelo; Merellano-Navarro, Eugenio

2017-08-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of mortality characterized by progressive airflow obstruction and inflammation in the airways, which has an impact on health-related quality of life. The EQ-5D-5L is one of the most used preference-based, health-related quality of life questionnaire. The objective of this study was to provide normative values of EQ-5D-5L for Spanish people suffering from COPD. Data were extracted from the Spanish National Health Survey (2011/2012). Overall, 1130 people with COPD participated in this survey. The utility index of EQ-5D-5L and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score were defined by gender, region, and age. Mean (SD) EQ-5D-5L utility index and VAS score for Spanish people with COPD were 0.742 (0.309) and 60.466 (21.934) respectively. In general, men reported better health status than women. Ceiling effect of the whole sample was 30.35%. The current study provides normative values of EQ-5D-5L for Spanish people affected by COPD. Ceiling effect was high and better results were observed in men compared with women.

[Health-related quality of life in Chilean patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

PubMed

Collado-Mateo, Daniel; Adsuar, José C; Olivares, Pedro R; García-Gordillo, Miguel Ángel

2017-02-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has a relevant impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Short Form 6 dimensions (SF-6D) quality of life tool allows researchers to calculate preference-based utilities using data from SF-12 or SF-36 questionnaires. To provide normative values of SF-6D derived from SF-12 for Chilean patients with COPD. SF-6D utility index was calculated using data from the 2009/2010 Chilean National Health Survey. Sixty-nine male and 120 female patients with COPD participated in the survey. Data was stratified by gender, age, region, marital status, smoking status, monthly incomes, educational level and area. The mean (± SD) SF-6D utility index for Chilean patients with COPD was 0.65 ± 0.15. The scores for men and women were 0.68 ± 0.15 and 0.64 ± 0.15, respectively. Patients with high incomes and educational level reported higher SF-6D scores. Ceiling effect was not a limitation when SF-6D was used in these Chilean patients. The current study provides normative values of SF-6D derived from SF-12 for Chilean patients with COPD.

Assessment of the water chemical quality improvement based on human health risk indexes: Application to a drinking water treatment plant incorporating membrane technologies.

PubMed

López-Roldán, Ramón; Rubalcaba, Alicia; Martin-Alonso, Jordi; González, Susana; Martí, Vicenç; Cortina, Jose Luis

2016-01-01

A methodology has been developed in order to evaluate the potential risk of drinking water for the health of the consumers. The methodology used for the assessment considered systemic and carcinogenic effects caused by oral ingestion of water based on the reference data developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Risk Assessment Information System (RAIS) for chemical contaminants. The exposure includes a hypothetical dose received by drinking this water according to the analysed contaminants. An assessment of the chemical quality improvement of produced water in the Drinking Water Treatment Plant (DWTP) after integration of membrane technologies was performed. Series of concentration values covering up to 261 chemical parameters over 5 years (2008-2012) of raw and treated water in the Sant Joan Despí DWTP, at the lower part of the Llobregat River basin (NE Spain), were used. After the application of the methodology, the resulting global indexes were located below the thresholds except for carcinogenic risk in the output of DWTP, where the index was slightly above the threshold during 2008 and 2009 before the upgrade of the treatment works including membrane technologies was executed. The annual evolution of global indexes showed a reduction in the global values for all situations: HQ systemic index based on RAIS dropped from 0.64 to 0.42 for surface water and from 0.61 to 0.31 for drinking water; the R carcinogenic index based on RAIS was negligible for input water and varied between 4.2×10(-05) and 7.4×10(-06) for drinking water; the W systemic index based on the WHO data varied between 0.41 and 0.16 for surface water and between 0.61 and 0.31 for drinking water. A specific analysis for the indexes associated with trihalomethanes (THMs) showed the same pattern. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of the landfill water pollution index (LWPI) for groundwater quality assessment near the landfill sites.

PubMed

Talalaj, Izabela A; Biedka, Pawel

2016-12-01

The purpose of the paper is to assess the groundwater quality near the landfill sites using landfill water pollution index (LWPI). In order to investigate the scale of groundwater contamination, three landfills (E, H and S) in different stages of their operation were taken into analysis. Samples of groundwater in the vicinity of studied landfills were collected four times each year in the period from 2004 to 2014. A total of over 300 groundwater samples were analysed for pH, EC, PAH, TOC, Cr, Hg, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, as required by the UE legal acts for landfill monitoring system. The calculated values of the LWPI allowed the quantification of the overall water quality near the landfill sites. The obtained results indicated that the most negative impact on groundwater quality is observed near the old Landfill H. Improper location of piezometer at the Landfill S favoured infiltration of run-off from road pavement into the soil-water environment. Deep deposition of the groundwater level at Landfill S area reduced the landfill impact on the water quality. Conducted analyses revealed that the LWPI can be used for evaluation of water pollution near a landfill, for assessment of the variability of water pollution with time and for comparison of water quality from different piezometers, landfills or time periods. The applied WQI (Water Quality Index) can also be an important information tool for landfill policy makers and the public about the groundwater pollution threat from landfill.

Odontological light-emitting diode light-curing unit beam quality.

PubMed

de Magalhães Filho, Thales Ribeiro; Weig, Karin de Mello; Werneck, Marcelo Martins; da Costa Neto, Célio Albano; da Costa, Marysilvia Ferreira

2015-05-01

The distribution of light intensity of three light-curing units (LCUs) to cure the resin-based composite for dental fillings was analyzed, and a homogeneity index [flat-top factor (FTF)] was calculated. The index is based on the M2 index, which is used for laser beams. An optical spectrum analyzer was used with an optical fiber to produce an x-y power profile of each LCU light guide. The FTF-calculated values were 0.51 for LCU1 and 0.55 for LCU2, which was the best FTF, although it still differed greatly from the perfect FTF = 1, and 0.27 for LCU3, which was the poorest value and even lower than the Gaussian FTF = 0.5. All LCUs presented notably heterogeneous light distribution, which can lead professionals and researchers to produce samples with irregular polymerization and poor mechanical properties.

Far Ultraviolet Refractive Index of Optical Materials for Solar Blind Channel (SBC) Filters for HST Advanced Camera for Surveys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leviton, Douglas B.; Madison, Timothy J.; Petrone, Peter

1998-01-01

Refractive index measurements using the minimum deviation method have been carried out for prisms of a variety of far ultraviolet optical materials used in the manufacture of Solar Blind Channel (SBC) filters for the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Some of the materials measured are gaining popularity in a variety of high technology applications including high power excimer lasers and advanced microlithography optics operating in a wavelength region where high quality knowledge of optical material properties is sparse. Our measurements are of unusually high accuracy and precision for this wavelength region owing to advanced instrumentation in the large vacuum chamber of the Diffraction Grating Evaluation Facility (DGEF) at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Index values for CaF2, BaF2, LiF, and far ultraviolet grades of synthetic sapphire and synthetic fused silica are reported and compared with values from the literature.

Odontological light-emitting diode light-curing unit beam quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Magalhães Filho, Thales Ribeiro; Weig, Karin de Mello; Werneck, Marcelo Martins; da Costa Neto, Célio Albano; da Costa, Marysilvia Ferreira

2015-05-01

The distribution of light intensity of three light-curing units (LCUs) to cure the resin-based composite for dental fillings was analyzed, and a homogeneity index [flat-top factor (FTF)] was calculated. The index is based on the M2 index, which is used for laser beams. An optical spectrum analyzer was used with an optical fiber to produce an x-y power profile of each LCU light guide. The FTF-calculated values were 0.51 for LCU1 and 0.55 for LCU2, which was the best FTF, although it still differed greatly from the perfect FTF=1, and 0.27 for LCU3, which was the poorest value and even lower than the Gaussian FTF=0.5. All LCUs presented notably heterogeneous light distribution, which can lead professionals and researchers to produce samples with irregular polymerization and poor mechanical properties.

Coefficients of conservatism for the vascular flora of the Dakotas and adjacent grasslands

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2001-01-01

Floristic quality assessment can be used to identity natural areas, to facilitate comparisons among different sites, to provide long-term monitoring of natural area quality, and to evaluate habitat management and restoration efforts. To facilitate the use of floristic quality assessment in North Dakota, South Dakota (excluding the Black Hills), and adjacent grasslands, we developed a species list and assigned coefficients of conservatism (C values; range 0 to 10) to each plant species in the region's flora. The C values we assigned represented our collective knowledge of the patterns of occurrence of each plant species in the Dakotas and our confidence that a particular taxon is natural-area dependent. Because state boundaries usually do not follow ecological boundaries, the C values we assigned should be equally valid in nearby areas with the same vegetation types. Of the 1,584 taxa we recognized in this effort, 275 (17%) were determined to be nonnative to the region. We assigned C values of 4 or higher to 77% of our taxa, and the entire native flora had a mean C value (C) of 6.l. A floristic quality index (FQI) can be calculated to rank sites in order of their floristic quality. By applying the coefficients of conservatism supplied here and calculating C and FQI, an effective means of evaluating the quality of plant communities can be obtained. Additionally, by repeating plant surveys and calculations of C and FQI over time, temporal changes in floristic quality can be identified.

Water quality assessment of the ecologically stressed Hooghly River Estuary, India: A multivariate approach.

PubMed

Mitra, Soumita; Ghosh, Swayambhu; Satpathy, Kamala Kanta; Bhattacharya, Bhaskar Deb; Sarkar, Santosh Kumar; Mishra, Pravakar; Raja, P

2018-01-01

Spatio-temporal and seasonal variation of the water quality characteristics of the Hooghly River Estuary, India were studied considering eight stations of diverse eco-hydrological characteristics. Wide variations in turbidity, total dissolved solids and fecal coliform exceeded the permissible BIS drinking water level limit. The estuary is observed to be relatively low-oxygenated, mesotropic and phosphate limiting. Spatial heterogeneity and impact of the southwest monsoon were remarkably pronounced in the distribution of the inorganic nutrients revealing the following values (expressed in μgatml -1 ): nitrate+nitrite (2.42-37.19), phosphate (0.41-1.52) and silicate (38.5-187.75). Water Quality Index (WQI) values confirmed the prevailing 'bad' condition, detrimental for sustenance of aquatic biota. Results of Principal Component Analysis identified the major factors liable for water quality deterioration while cluster analysis categorized the stations on the basis of similar water quality status. The authors recommend adopting preventive measures for water quality improvement linked to biodiversity conservation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Road Performance Based on International Roughness Index and Falling Weight Deflectometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasanuddin; Setyawan, A.; Yulianto, B.

2018-03-01

Assessment to the performance of road pavement is deemed necessary to improve the management quality of road maintenance and rehabilitation. This research to evaluate the road base on functional and structural and recommendations handling done. Assessing the pavement performance is conducted with functional and structural evaluation. Functional evaluation of pavement is based on the value of IRI (International Roughness Index) which among others is derived from reading NAASRA for analysis and recommended road handling. Meanwhile, structural evaluation of pavement is done by analyzing deflection value based on FWD (Falling Weight Deflectometer) data resulting in SN (Structural Number) value. The analysis will result in SN eff (Structural Number Effective) and SN f (Structural Number Future) value obtained from comparing SN eff to SN f value that leads to SCI (Structural Condition Index) value. SCI value implies the possible recommendation for handling pavement. The study done to Simpang Tuan-Batas Kota Jambi road segment was based on functional analysis. The study indicated that the road segment split into 12 segments in which segment 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 were of regular maintenance, segment 2, 4, 8, 10, 12 belonged to periodic maintenance, and segment 6 was of rehabilitation. The structural analysis resulted in 8 segments consisting of segment 1 and 2 recommended for regular maintenance, segment 3, 4, 5, and 7 for functional overlay, and 6 and 8 were of structural overlay.

Comprehensive risk assessment and source identification of selected heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Hg, As) in tidal saltmarsh sediments of Shuangtai Estuary, China.

PubMed

Liu, Chang-Fa; Li, Bing; Wang, Yi-Ting; Liu, Yuan; Cai, Heng-Jiang; Wei, Hai-Feng; Wu, Jia-Wen; Li, Jin

2017-10-06

Heavy metals do not degrade and can remain in the environment for a long time. In this study, we analyzed the effects of Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Hg, and As, on environmental quality, pollutant enrichment, ecological hazard, and source identification of elements in sediments using data collected from samples taken from Shuangtai tidal wetland. The comprehensive pollution indices were used to assess environmental quality; fuzzy similarity analysis and geoaccumulation index were used to analyze pollution accumulation; correlation matrix, principal component analysis, and clustering analysis were used to analyze pollution source; environmental risk index and ecological risk index were used to assess ecological risk. The results showed that the environmental quality was either clean or almost clean. Pollutant enrichment analysis showed that the four sub-regions had similar pollution-causing metals to the background values of the soil element of the Liao River Plain, which were ranked according to their similarity. Source identification showed that all the elements were correlated. Ecological hazard analysis showed that the environmental risk index in the study area was less than zero, posing a low ecological risk. Ecological risk of the six elements was as follows: As > Cd > Hg > Cu > Pb > Zn.

Application of indices Cp and Cpk to improve quality control capability in clinical biochemistry laboratories.

PubMed

Chen, Ming-Shu; Wu, Ming-Hsun; Lin, Chih-Ming

2014-04-30

The traditional criteria for acceptability of analytic quality may not be objective in clinical laboratories. To establish quality control procedures intended to enhance Westgard multi-rules for improving the quality of clinical biochemistry tests, we applied the Cp and Cpk quality-control indices to monitor tolerance fitting and systematic variation of clinical biochemistry test results. Daily quality-control data of a large Taiwanese hospital in 2009 were analyzed. The test items were selected based on an Olympus biochemistry machine and included serum albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, cholesterol, glucose and potassium levels. Cp and Cpk values were calculated for normal and abnormal levels, respectively. The tolerance range was estimated with data from 50 laboratories using the same instruments and reagents. The results showed a monthly trend of variation for the five items under investigation. The index values of glucose were lower than those of the other items, and their values were usually <2. In contrast to the Cp value for cholesterol, Cpk of cholesterol was lower than 2, indicating a systematic error that should be further investigated. This finding suggests a degree of variation or failure to meet specifications that should be corrected. The study indicated that Cp and Cpk could be applied not only for monitoring variations in quality control, but also for revealing inter-laboratory qualitycontrol capability differences.

[Quality of dietary habits (adherence to a mediterranean diet) in pupils of compulsory secondary education].

PubMed

Diaz, A Ayechu; Travé, T Durá

2010-01-01

The Mediterranean diet is considered to be a prototype of a healthy diet. The modernization of society implies sociological and cultural changes that affect feeding preferences and habits. The aim of this paper is to determine the quality index of the dietary habits in pupils of compulsory secondary education (CSE). By distributing a 16 item questionnaire (kidmed test) to a random sample of 1,956 pupils of CSE (966 males and 990 females). The final score or kidmed index (range 0-12) indicates whether the degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet is low (0-3), medium (4-7) or high (8-12). A low kidmed index value was registered in 6.7% of the pupils of CSE, whereas medium values corresponded to 50.4% and low values to 42.9%, showing no significant statistical differences between the sexes. The kidmed index decreases progressively with age (p<0.05). At age 13 (first year of CSE), 49.5% of the pupils had an optimal score on the kidmed index, whereas at 16 (fourth year of CSE), this score reached 37.2%. There were statistical differences (p<0.05) regarding consumption of fruit, fish, nuts and dried foods, sweets and factory produced baked foodstuffs; pupils also frequently went without breakfast and ate at fast food restaurants. By the end of CSE, 62.8% of pupils showed a low-medium degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Applicable food advice for these adolescents would be to increase consumption of fruit, vegetables, nuts, pasta and rice, yogurt and cheese, pulses and fish; and to reduce consumption of factory produced baked foodstuffs and sweets and to eat less at fast food restaurants; besides insisting on the importance of daily breakfast and the use olive oil for cooking. In addition, it would be convenient to develop nutrition education programs during compulsory education.

A biological quality index for volcanic Andisols and Aridisols (Canary Islands, Spain): variations related to the ecosystem degradation.

PubMed

Armas, Cecilia María; Santana, Bayanor; Mora, Juan Luis; Notario, Jesús Santiago; Arbelo, Carmen Dolores; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Antonio

2007-05-25

The aim of this work is to identify indicators of biological activity in soils from the Canary Islands, by studying the variation of selected biological parameters related to the processes of deforestation and accelerated soil degradation affecting the Canarian natural ecosystems. Ten plots with different degrees of maturity/degradation have been selected in three typical habitats in the Canary Islands: laurel forest, pine forest and xerophytic scrub with Andisols and Aridisols as the most common soils. The studied characteristics in each case include total organic carbon, field soil respiration, mineralized carbon after laboratory incubation, microbial biomass carbon, hot water-extractable carbon and carboxymethylcellulase, beta-d-glucosidase and dehydrogenase activities. A Biological Quality Index (BQI) has been designed on the basis of a regression model using these variables, assuming that the total soil organic carbon content is quite stable in nearly mature ecosystems. Total carbon in mature ecosystems has been related to significant biological variables (hot water-extractable carbon, soil respiration and carboxymethylcellulase, beta-d-glucosidase and dehydrogenase activities), accounting for nearly 100% of the total variance by a multiple regression analysis. The index has been calculated as the ratio of the value calculated from the regression model and the actual measured value. The obtained results show that soils in nearly mature ecosystems have BQI values close to unit, whereas those in degraded ecosystems range between 0.24 and 0.97, depending on the degradation degree.

Soil Quality Index Determination Models for Restinga Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonilha, R. M.; Casagrande, J. C.; Soares, R. M.

2012-04-01

The Restinga Forest is a set of plant communities in mosaic, determined by the characteristics of their substrates as a result of depositional processes and ages. In this complex mosaic are the physiognomies of restinga forests of high-stage regeneration (high restinga) and middle stage of regeneration (low restinga), each with its plant characteristics that differentiate them. Located on the coastal plains of the Brazilian coast, suffering internal influences both the continental slopes, as well as from the sea. Its soils come from the Quaternary and are subject to constant deposition of sediments. The climate in the coastal type is tropical (Köppen). This work was conducted in four locations: (1) Anchieta Island, Ubatuba, (2) Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station, Iguape, (3) Vila das Pedrinhas, Comprida Island; and (4) Cardoso Island, Cananeia. The soil samples were collect at a depths of 0 to 5, 0-10, 0-20, 20-40 and 40 to 60cm for the chemical and physical analysis. Were studied the additive and pondering additive models to evaluate soil quality. It was concluded: a) the comparative additive model produces quantitative results and the pondering additive model quantitative results; b) as the pondering additive model, the values of Soil Quality Index (SQI) for soils under forest of restinga are low and realistic, demonstrating the small plant biomass production potential of these soils, as well as their low resilience; c) the values of SQI similar to areas with and without restinga forest give quantitative demonstration of the restinga be considered as soil phase; d) restinga forest, probably, is maintained solely by the cycling of nutrients in a closed nutrient cycling; e) for the determination of IQS for soils under restinga vegetation the use of routine chemical analysis is adequate. Keywords: Model, restinga forest, Soil Quality Index (SQI).

A novel method to construct an air quality index based on air pollution profiles.

PubMed

Thach, Thuan-Quoc; Tsang, Hilda; Cao, Peihua; Ho, Lai-Ming

2018-01-01

Air quality indices based on the maximum of sub-indices of pollutants are easy to produce and help quantify the degree of air pollution. However, they discount the additive effects of multiple pollutants and are only sensitive to changes in highest sub-index. We propose a simple and concise method to construct an air quality index that takes into account additive effects of multiple pollutants and evaluate the extent to which this index predicts health effects. We obtained concentrations of four criteria pollutants: particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10μm (PM 10 ), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and ozone (O 3 ) and daily admissions to Hong Kong hospitals for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases for all ages and those 65 years or older for years 2001-2012. We derived sub-indices of the four criteria pollutants, calculated by normalizing pollutant concentrations to their respective short-term WHO Air Quality Guidelines (WHO AQG). We aggregated the sub-indices using the root-mean-power function with an optimal power to form an overall air quality index. The optimal power was determined by minimizing the sum of over- and under-estimated days. We then assessed associations between the pollution bands of the index and cardiovascular and respiratory admissions using a time-stratified case-crossover design adjusted for ambient temperature, relative humidity and influenza epidemics. Further, we conducted case-crossover analyses using the Hong Kong air quality data with the respective standards and classification of pollution bands of the China Air Quality Index (AQI), the United Kingdom Daily AQI (DAQI), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) AQI. The mean concentrations of PM 10 and SO 2 based on maximum 3-h mean exceeded the WHO AQG by 37% and 50%, respectively. We identified the combined condition of observed high-pollution days as either at least one pollutant > 1.5×WHO AQG or at least two pollutants > 1.0×WHO AQG to characterize the typical pollution profiles over the study period, which resulted in the optimal power=3.0. The distribution of days in different pollution bands of the index was: 5.8% for "Low" (0-50), 37.6% for "Moderate" (51-100), 31.1% for "High" (101-150), 14.7% for "Very High" (151-200), and 10.8% for "Serious" (201+). For cardiovascular and respiratory admissions, there were significant associations with the pollution bands of the index for all ages and those 65 years or older. The trends of increasing pollution bands in relation to increasing excess risks of cardiovascular and respiratory admissions were significant for the proposed index, the China AQI, the UK DAQI and the USEPA AQI (P value for test for linear trend < 0.0001), suggesting a dose-response relation. We have developed a simple and concise method to construct an air quality index that accounts for multiple pollutants to quantify air quality conditions for Hong Kong. Further developments are needed in order to support the extension of the method to other settings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Composite measures of watershed health from a water quality perspective.

PubMed

Mallya, Ganeshchandra; Hantush, Mohamed; Govindaraju, Rao S

2018-05-15

Water quality data at gaging stations are typically compared with established federal, state, or local water quality standards to determine if violations (concentrations of specific constituents falling outside acceptable limits) have occurred. Based on the frequency and severity of water quality violations, risk metrics such as reliability, resilience, and vulnerability (R-R-V) are computed for assessing water quality-based watershed health. In this study, a modified methodology for computing R-R-V measures is presented, and a new composite watershed health index is proposed. Risk-based assessments for different water quality parameters are carried out using identified national sampling stations within the Upper Mississippi River Basin, the Maumee River Basin, and the Ohio River Basin. The distributional properties of risk measures with respect to water quality parameters are reported. Scaling behaviors of risk measures using stream order, specifically for the watershed health (WH) index, suggest that WH values increased with stream order for suspended sediment concentration, nitrogen, and orthophosphate in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. Spatial distribution of risk measures enable identification of locations exhibiting poor watershed health with respect to the chosen numerical standard, and the role of land use characteristics within the watershed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of using of a simplified question in assessing diet quality of adolescents.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Paulo Rogério Melo; Gonçalves-Silva, Regina Maria Veras; Ferreira, Márcia Gonçalves; Pereira, Rosangela Alves

2017-05-01

This study aims to analyze the applicability of a simplified question in assessing diet quality of adolescents in a cross-sectional school-based study carried out in a sample of high school students. Diet quality self-perception was obtained when the participant was inquired about own diet considering "excellent", "good", "fair" or "poor" responses. We evaluated meals habits and food intake through food frequency questionnaire. The revised version of the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index (BHEI-R) was estimated and we identified three dietary patterns using factor analysis. "Good" self-perceived diet quality was reported by 56% of adolescents and was associated with regular consumption of fruits and vegetables, meal profile and high healthy eating index scores. However, consumption of foods harmful to health was not perceived as characteristic that affects diet quality. The evaluated question showed sensitivity of 28% to detect good quality diets and specificity of 79% to identify low nutritional value diets. The use of a simplified question to assess dietary habits of adolescents is limited, since the consumption of high-fat, high-sugar and high-sodium food was not recognized as an indicator of low quality diet.

Genomic selection for the improvement of meat quality in beef.

PubMed

Pimentel, E C G; König, S

2012-10-01

Selection index theory was used to compare different selection strategies aiming at the improvement of meat quality in beef cattle. Alternative strategies were compared with a reference scenario with three basic traits in the selection index: BW at 200 d (W200) and 400 d (W400) and muscling score (MUSC). These traits resemble the combination currently used in the German national beef genetic evaluation system. Traits in the breeding goal were defined as the 3 basic traits plus marbling score (MARB), to depict a situation where an established breeding program currently selecting for growth and carcass yield intends to incorporate meat quality in its selection program. Economic weights were either the same for all 4 traits, or doubled or tripled for MARB. Two additional selection criteria for improving MARB were considered: Live animal intramuscular fat content measured by ultrasound (UIMF) as an indicator trait and a genomic breeding value (GEBV) for the target trait directly (gMARB). Results were used to estimate the required number of genotyped animals in an own calibration set for implementing genomic selection focusing on meat quality. Adding UIMF to the basic index increased the overall genetic gain per generation by 15% when the economic weight on MARB was doubled and by 44% when it was tripled. When a genomic breeding value for marbling could be estimated with an accuracy of 0.5, adding gMARB to the index provided larger genetic gain than adding UIMF. Greatest genetic gain per generation was obtained with the scenario containing GEBV for 4 traits (gW200, gW400, gMUSC, and gMARB) when the accuracies of these GEBV were ≥0.7. Adding UIMF to the index substantially improved response to selection for MARB, which switched from negative to positive when the economic weight on MARB was doubled or tripled. For all scenarios that contained gMARB in the selection index, the response to selection in MARB was positive for all relative economic weights on MARB, when the accuracy of GEBV was >0.7. Results indicated that setting up a calibration set of ∼500 genotyped animals with carcass phenotypes for MARB could suffice to obtain a larger response to selection than measuring UIMF. If the size of the calibration set is ∼2,500, adding the ultrasound trait to an index containing already the GEBV would bring little benefit, unless the relative economic weight for marbling is much larger than for the other traits.

[Analysis of the academic level and impact of ophthalmological periodicals in China].

PubMed

Xu, Xiao-quan; Mao, Wen-ming; Zheng, Jun-hai; Qu, Jia

2009-04-01

To analyse the whole level and impact of ophthalmological periodicals in China. It was studied by using bibliometrics analysis method. According to the data of CAJCCR in 2002 to 2007 and Chinese Citation Database in 2001 to 2007. The impact factor (IF), non-self-citing impact factor, total cited frequency, cited articles, immediacy index, rate of fund papers, web immediacy download rate, average value of h index were analysed and the non-self-citing rate, h(2)/n, high cited articles were calculated. In addition, the results of cited by cole databases at home and abroad. The average value of IF and cited frequency of 13 kinds of ophthalmological periodicals were 0.3940 and 657 respectively in 2001 to 2006, which were higher than that of D part of CAJCCR. The periodicals which the five indexes of IF, non-self-citing impact factor, total cited frequency, the non-self-citing rate, immediacy index, rate of fund papers, web immediacy download rate, average value of h index and h(2)/n, high cited articles were Top 5 and cited by five or more than five kinds of the cole databases at home and abroad were Chinese Journal of Ophthalmology, Chinese Journal of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Practical Chinese Journal of Ophthalmology and Chinese Journal of Optometry & Ophthalmology. Most of indexes of Chinese Journal of Ophthalmology were the first. There are big difference between the 13 kinds of ophthalmological periodicals. The qualities of some ophthalmological periodicals should be improved.

A Pilot Study to Assess a Teaching Intervention to Improve Sleep-Wake Disturbances in Parents of Children Diagnosed With Epilepsy.

PubMed

Ledet, Davonna; Aplin-Kalisz, Christina; Filter, Marilyn; Dycus, Paula

2016-02-01

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of screening and teaching interventions for sleep-wake disturbances in parents of childhood patients with epilepsy. This was a prospective, descriptive study using convenience sampling. After informed consent was obtained from eligible parents who agreed to participate, study questionnaires were administered. All parents were provided with an individualized teaching intervention. Study tools were readministered 8-12 weeks later to evaluate if the individualized teaching intervention altered or improved sleep-wake disturbances. The t value for the paired t test of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale prescore and postscore was 0.000 with a two-tailed probability value of 1.000, and the t value for the paired t test of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index prescore and postscore was 0.713 with a two-tailed probability value of .492, indicating no significant difference between pre and post Epworth Sleepiness Scale or Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores. A sleep hygiene teaching intervention for parents of children with epilepsy was not effective in this setting of an inner-city epilepsy monitoring unit in changing postintervention scores on measures of both nighttime sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. These results must be interpreted with caution secondary to the small number included in the initial phase of this study. A larger number of participants will be needed to verify these findings. If the results remain consistent with a larger number, studies evaluating variables of cause may be helpful to determine more effective interventions.

Evaluation of stream water quality in Atlanta, Georgia, and the surrounding region (USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peters, N.E.; Kandell, S.J.

1999-01-01

A water-quality index (WQI) was developed from historical data (1986-1995) for streams in the Atlanta Region and augmented with 'new' and generally more comprehensive biweekly data on four small urban streams, representing an industrial area, a developed medium-density residential area and developing and developed low-density residential areas. Parameter WQIs were derived from percentile ranks of individual water-quality parameter values for each site by normalizing the constituent ranks for values from all sites in the area for a base period, i.e. 1990-1995. WQIs were developed primarily for nutrient-related parameters due to data availability. Site WQIs, which were computed by averaging the parameter WQIs, range from 0.2 (good quality) to 0.8 (poor quality), and increased downstream of known nutrient sources. Also, annual site WQI decreases from 1986 to 1995 at most long-term monitoring sites. Annual site WQI for individual parameters correlated with annual hydrological characteristics, particularly runoff, precipitation quantity, and water yield, reflecting the effect of dilution on parameter values. The WQIs of the four small urban streams were evaluated for the core-nutrient-related parameters, parameters for specific dissolved trace metal concentrations and sediment characteristics, and a species diversity index for the macro-invertebrate taxa. The site WQI for the core-nutrient-related parameters used in the retrospective analysis was, as expected, the worst for the industrial area and the best for the low-density residential areas. However, macro-invertebrate data indicate that although the species at the medium-density residential site were diverse, the taxa at the site were for species tolerant of degraded water quality. Furthermore, although a species-diversity index indicates no substantial difference between the two low-density residential areas, the number for macro-invertebrates for the developing area was much less than that for the developed area, consistent with observations of recent sediment problems probably associated with construction in the basin. However, sediment parameters were similar for the two sites suggesting that the routine biweekly measurements may not capture the short-term increases in sediment transport associated with rainstorms. The WQI technique is limited by the number and types of parameters included in it, the general conditions of those parameters for the range of conditions in area streams, and by the effects of external factors, such as hydrology, and therefore, should be used with caution.

Environmental quality assessment using microalgae structures adjacent fish faming at Setoko Island, Batam City, Kepulaun Riau Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hariyati, Riche; Putro, Sapto

2018-05-01

Along with the increasing challenges that come with the demand for national and international fisheries’ products and the potential emergence of various environmental concerns, various efforts have been made to increase production capacity through extensification and intensification programs. This study aimed to assess the environmental quality and the level of disturbance in the floating net cage aquaculture area based on the microalgae community structure. The research was conducted from August to October 2017 at the water ecosystem used for aquaculture at Setoko Island, Batam City, Kepulauan Riau Province. Purposive random sampling was used by determining 3 sampling stations with three replicates. Data was analyzed using saprobic, Shanon-Wiener (H’) diversity, abundance and domination indices. The result showed that 13 genus microalgae (bawal fish fish farming), 9 genus (fish farming kakap) and 11 genus of microalgae (kerapu fish farming ) consisting of Chlorophyta, Chyanophyta Chrysophyta and Dinophyta were recorded. The value of H’ index at the farming area ranged from 0.73 to 1.5. Microalgae abundance was dominated by Phacus sp, Coscinodiscus sp, Climacosphenia sp and Spirogyra sp. Based on the saprobic index, the farm area has an index value of 1.92, thus it can be refferred to as the oligo/β-meso-saprobic phase, indicating light disturbance by organic enrichment.

Chemical, Rheological and Nutritional Characteristics of Sesame and Olive Oils Blended with Linseed Oil.

PubMed

Hashempour-Baltork, Fataneh; Torbati, Mohammadali; Azadmard-Damirchi, Sodeif; Peter Savage, Geoffrey

2018-03-01

Purpose: Nutritional quality and oxidation stability are two main factors in the evaluation of edible oils. Oils in their pure form do not have an ideal fatty acid composition or suitable oxidative stability during processing or storage. Methods: This study was designed to evaluate the chemical, nutritional and rheological properties of oil mixtures in three ratios of olive: sesame: linseed, 65:30:5; 60:30:10 and 55:30:15. Acidity value, peroxide value, rancimat test, fatty acid profile, nutritional indexes and rheological properties of the oil blends were determined. The nutritional quality was determined by indexes, including the atherogenic and thrombogenic indexs; the ratios of hypocholesterolemic: hypercholesterolemic; poly unsaturated fatty acid: saturated fatty acid and the ω 6 :ω 3 . Results: The results indicated that blending of other vegetable oils with linseed oil could balance ω 6 :ω 3 . Results showed that formulated oils had a good balance of oxidation stability and nutritional properties as well. Rheological data showed that these oil blends followed Newtonian behavior at 4°C and 25°C. Conclusion: According to the results, addition of linseed oil to vegetable oils containing high levels of bioactive compounds was a simple and economic practice to obtain a functional oil with good nutritional and stability properties.

Relationship between three cotton trash measurements and near infrared spectral response

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Presence of non-lint materials (trashes) in commercial cotton bales at various amounts degrades the market values and further influences the end-use qualities. In order to ensure a fair trading, USDA’s AMS has introduced the high volume instrument (HVI) measurement as an universal standard index. Tr...

Effect of Storage Temperature on Quality of Frozen Horse-mackerel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozima, Tsuneo; Ohtaka, Tateo

Quality change of frozen horse-mackerel were studied under storage temperature at -18, -23, -30 and -40°C for 12 months. Quality were measured with K value (Freshness index of muscle, degradation ratio of ATP), amount of drip (free and expressible drip), water-holdiog capacity, weight ratio of cooking loss, organoleptic test, and histological feature of muscle. K value, a mount of free drip, w eight ratio of cooking loss, histological feature of muscle, and organoleptic test in color, form and flavor were not detected any changes during frozen storage for 12 months at various temperature. However expressible drip, water-holding capacity and score of taste in organoleptic test showed some changes after 8 or 12 months at -18 and/or -23°C, it was not serious change to-loss quality as food. Frozen horse-mackerel can store under below ~ 18°C for 12 months.

Development of a phantom and a methodology for evaluation of depth kerma and kerma index for dental cone beam computed tomography.

PubMed

Batista, W O; Navarro, M V T; Maia, A F

2013-12-01

Basically, all modalities of diagnostic radiology require phantoms suitable for dosimetric evaluations. New technologies frequently arise unaccompanied of tools for dosimetric evaluations and quality control. In this study, a low-cost phantom and a consequent proposed methodology for dosimetric evaluations in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) were presented. The developed phantom has typical dimensions of the human face, was built in polymethyl methacrylate and filled with water. Three devices with different technological concepts were evaluated and a proposed index, kerma index-height product (PKIH), was defined as an option to the use of air kerma-area product. The results of this study show relatively uniform kerma profiles for scanners with field of views (FOVs) of large diameters and non-uniform for FOVs of small diameters. With regard to the values obtained for the kerma indexes, much higher values were found for the equipment FOVs with small diameter compared with the values of the two other equipment that have larger diameters. The results indicate that (1) there is a need for special phantoms for use in CBCT, (2) the use of P(KA) in the evaluation of protocols on different equipment can lead to false interpretations and (3) the new index is a suitable alternative for the use of P(KA) in CBCT.

The water quality of the Vrgorska Matica River.

PubMed

Stambuk-Giljanović, Nives

2003-04-01

The article presents the results of investigations carried out on the 42 km long Vrgorska Matica River, which flows through the 15 km long Vrgorsko polje (polje = field) which covers an area of 3000 ha, and is at 24 m a.s.l., located in Southern Croatia. It covers the years 1997-2000 after this field had been reclaimed for agricultural use. The purpose of the investigations was to evaluate the influence of the Vrgorska Matica River which is part of the catchment area of the Trebizat River, on the water quality in Modro Oko Lake and Prud Spring, which are used for water supply and are located downstream of the Vrgorska Matica River on the right bank of the Neretva River. The water quality was evaluated by using the quality index based on the following nine parameters: temperature, mineralization, corrosion coefficient, K = (Cl + SO4)/HCO3, dissolved oxygen, BOD5, total N, protein N, total phosphorus and total coliform bacteria (100 mL)-1 (MPN coli (100 mL)-1) for which concentrations C95 are calculated. After completing the nine parameters the results of C95 were recorded and transferred to the score table to obtain the q-value. The q-value used is an attempt to quantify environmental factors which would otherwise be qualitative. For each parameter the q-value was multiplied by a weighting factor based upon the relative significance of the parameter. The nine resulting scores values were then added to arrive at an overall water quality index (sigmaS95). According to this index the water can be classified into four categories. The first category, according to the Croatian Water Classification Act (Official Bulletin No. 77,1998), includes ground and surface waters used for drinking or in the food industry either in its natural state or after disinfection, and surface water used for raising high-quality species of fish, ranging from 85-100 scores; the second category includes water used in its natural state for swimming and recreation, sports or for other species of fish and the treated water used for drinking and other industrial purposes ranging between 70-85 scores. The third category includes water used in industry with no specific requests upon water quality and in agriculture ranging from 50-70 scores; the fourth category includes water used only after being treated in areas with water shortage which is less than 50 scores. According to results obtained by investigations, the water of the Vrgorska Matica River and Prud Spring falls into the second (II) category, while water from the Modro Oko Lake belongs to the first (I) category. This means that the Matica River water does not influence the water quality of the Modro Oko Lake. This lake water quality is influenced by the Rastocka Matica River from the Rastocko polje which is located upstream from the Vrgorska Matica River. This has been proved by dyeing tests.

Diet Quality and Colorectal Cancer Risk in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study

PubMed Central

Vargas, Ashley J.; Neuhouser, Marian L.; George, Stephanie M.; Thomson, Cynthia A.; Ho, Gloria Y. F.; Rohan, Thomas E.; Kato, Ikuko; Nassir, Rami; Hou, Lifang; Manson, JoAnn E.

2016-01-01

Abstract Diet quality index scores on Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010), Alternative HEI-2010, alternative Mediterranean Diet Index, and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) index have been inversely associated with all-cause and cancer-specific death. This study assessed the association between these scores and colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence as well as CRC-specific mortality in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (1993–2012), a US study of postmenopausal women. During an average of 12.4 years of follow-up, there were 938 cases of CRC and 238 CRC-specific deaths. We estimated multivariate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for relationships between quintiles of diet scores (from baseline food frequency questionnaires) and outcomes. HEI-2010 score (hazard ratios were 0.81, 0.77, and 0.73 with P values of 0.04, 0.01, and <0.01 for quintiles 3–5 vs. quintile 1, respectively) and DASH score (hazard ratios were 0.72, 0.74, and 0.78 with P values of <0.01, <0.01, and 0.03 for quintiles 3–5 vs. quintile 1, respectively), but not other diet scores, were associated with a lower risk of CRC in adjusted models. No diet scores were significantly associated with CRC-specific mortality. Closer adherence to HEI-2010 and DASH dietary recommendations was inversely associated with risk of CRC in this large cohort of postmenopausal women. PMID:27267948

Massage therapy in cortisol circadian rhythm, pain intensity, perceived stress index and quality of life of fibromyalgia syndrome patients.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Felipe Rodrigues; Visnardi Gonçalves, Laura Cristina; Borghi, Filipy; da Silva, Larissa Gabriela Rocha Ventura; Gomes, Anne Elise; Trevisan, Gustavo; Luiz de Souza, Aglécio; Grassi-Kassisse, Dora Maria; de Oliveira Crege, Danilo Roberto Xavier

2018-02-01

We investigate the effects of a massage therapy program (MTP) in cortisol concentration (CC), intensity of pain, quality of life and perceived stress index of fibromyalgia patients. Volunteers (n = 24, aged 26-55 years) were treated with MT, twice a week for three months. They answered the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ-Br), and collected saliva to evaluate CC before and after the end of each month. The MT had improvement in quality of life, according to the FIQ results, and promoted reduction in PSQ values after the second (PSQ2-0.62 ± 0.04vsPSQ0-0.71 ± 0.04) and third month (PSQ3-0.64 ± 0.04vsPSQ0-0.71 ± 0.04). The MTP also promoted reduction in pain after the third month (MQP-Br1-44.50 ± 2.15vsMQP-Br4-35.38 ± 3.71). Despite PSQ reduction, the CC were not affected by the program. This pilot suggests that this treatment improved quality of life, reduced perceived stress index and pain in these volunteers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The EVIDENT diet quality index is associated with cardiovascular risk and arterial stiffness in adults.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Martin, Carmela; Alonso-Domínguez, Rosario; Patino-Alonso, María C; Gómez-Marcos, Manuel A; Maderuelo-Fernández, José A; Martin-Cantera, Carlos; García-Ortiz, Luis; Recio-Rodríguez, José I

2017-04-08

We aimed to simplify information from food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) in a single parameter that allows for rapid identification of quality of patient diet and its relationship to cardiovascular risk and pulse wave velocity (PWV). The sample from the EVIDENT study, consisting of 1553 subjects (aged 20-80 years) with no cardiovascular disease selected by random sampling among those attending primary care clinics, was used. The EVIDENT diet index (range 0-100) was calculated based on the results of a FFQ. Evaluation of dietary habits also included adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD). Cardiovascular risk was estimated, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was measured. Mean subject age was 54.9 ± 13.8 years, and 60.3% of subjects were female. The mean value of the EVIDENT diet index was 52.1 ± 3.2 points. Subjects in the third tertile (the highest score) had the greatest adherence to MD and the highest energy intake, with greater amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. The best cut-off point of the EVIDENT diet index for predicting good adherence to the MD is 52.3 (0.71 sensitivity, 0.61 specificity). In a multiple regression analysis, after a complete adjustment, it was estimated that for each one-point increase in the EVIDENT diet index, cardiovascular risk (CVR), blood-pressure, waist circumference, and PWV decreased by 0.14, 0.43, 0.24, and 0.09 respectively (p < 0.05, all). The diet quality index developed is associated to CVR and its components, and also with arterial stiffness, as measured with PWV. This index is also a good predictor of adherence to MD.

The imperative of culture: a quantitative analysis of the impact of culture on workforce engagement, patient experience, physician engagement, value-based purchasing, and turnover.

PubMed

Owens, Katie; Eggers, Jim; Keller, Stephanie; McDonald, Audrey

2017-01-01

Current uncertainty for the future of the health care landscape is placing an increasing amount of pressure on leadership teams to be prepared to steer their organization forward in a number of potential directions. It is commonly recognized among health care leaders that culture will either enable or disable organizational success. However, very few studies empirically link culture to health care-specific performance outcomes. Nearly every health care organization in the US specifies its cultural aspirations through mission and vision statements and values. Ambitions of patient-centeredness, care for the community, workplace of choice, and world-class quality are frequently cited; yet, little definitive research exists to quantify the importance of building high-performing cultures. Our study examined the impact of cultural attributes defined by a culture index (Cronbach's alpha = 0.88) on corresponding performance with key health care measures. We mapped results of the culture index across data sets, compared results, and evaluated variations in performance among key indicators for leaders. Organizations that perform in the top quartile for our culture index statistically significantly outperformed those in the bottom quartile on all but one key performance indicator tested. The culture top quartile organizations outperformed every domain for employee engagement, physician engagement, patient experience, and overall value-based purchasing performance with statistical significance. Culture index top quartile performers also had a 3.4% lower turnover rate than the bottom quartile performers. Finally, culture index top quartile performers earned an additional 1% on value-based purchasing. Our findings demonstrate a meaningful connection between performance in the culture index and organizational performance. To best impact these key performance outcomes, health care leaders should pay attention to culture and actively steer workforce engagement in attributes that represent the culture index, such as treating patients as valued customers, having congruency between employee and organizational values, promoting employee pride, and encouraging the feeling that being a member of the organization is rewarding, in order to leverage culture as a competitive advantage.

The imperative of culture: a quantitative analysis of the impact of culture on workforce engagement, patient experience, physician engagement, value-based purchasing, and turnover

PubMed Central

Owens, Katie; Eggers, Jim; Keller, Stephanie; McDonald, Audrey

2017-01-01

Current uncertainty for the future of the health care landscape is placing an increasing amount of pressure on leadership teams to be prepared to steer their organization forward in a number of potential directions. It is commonly recognized among health care leaders that culture will either enable or disable organizational success. However, very few studies empirically link culture to health care-specific performance outcomes. Nearly every health care organization in the US specifies its cultural aspirations through mission and vision statements and values. Ambitions of patient-centeredness, care for the community, workplace of choice, and world-class quality are frequently cited; yet, little definitive research exists to quantify the importance of building high-performing cultures. Our study examined the impact of cultural attributes defined by a culture index (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.88) on corresponding performance with key health care measures. We mapped results of the culture index across data sets, compared results, and evaluated variations in performance among key indicators for leaders. Organizations that perform in the top quartile for our culture index statistically significantly outperformed those in the bottom quartile on all but one key performance indicator tested. The culture top quartile organizations outperformed every domain for employee engagement, physician engagement, patient experience, and overall value-based purchasing performance with statistical significance. Culture index top quartile performers also had a 3.4% lower turnover rate than the bottom quartile performers. Finally, culture index top quartile performers earned an additional 1% on value-based purchasing. Our findings demonstrate a meaningful connection between performance in the culture index and organizational performance. To best impact these key performance outcomes, health care leaders should pay attention to culture and actively steer workforce engagement in attributes that represent the culture index, such as treating patients as valued customers, having congruency between employee and organizational values, promoting employee pride, and encouraging the feeling that being a member of the organization is rewarding, in order to leverage culture as a competitive advantage. PMID:29355220

Fatty acids and plasmalogens of the phospholipids of the sperm membranes and their relation with the post-thaw quality of stallion spermatozoa.

PubMed

Macías García, B; González Fernández, L; Ortega Ferrusola, C; Morillo Rodríguez, A; Gallardo Bolaños, J M; Rodríguez Martinez, H; Tapia, J A; Morcuende, D; Peña, F J

2011-03-15

Fatty acids and plasmalogens were extracted from the phospholipids of the plasma membrane of stallion spermatozoa, to determine their relation with sperm quality after freezing and thawing. Sperm quality was rated using a quality index that combined the results of the analysis of sperm motility and velocity (CASA analysis), membrane status and mitochondrial membrane potential (flow cytometry) post thaw. Receiving operating system (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the value of specific lipid components of the sperm membrane herein studied as forecast of potential freezeability. From all parameters studied the ratio of percentage of C16 plasmalogens related to total phospholipids was the one with the better diagnostic value. For potentially bad freezers, the significant area under the ROC-curve was 0.74, with 75% sensitivity and 79.9% specificity for a cut off value of 26.9. Also the percentage of plasmalogens respect to total phospholipids gave good diagnostic value for bad freezers. On the other hand, the percentage of C18 fatty aldehydes related to total phospholipids of the sperm membrane properly forecasted freezeability with an area under the ROC curve of 0.70 with 70% sensitivity and 62.5% specificity for a cut off value of 0.32. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality of life, self-esteem and psychosocial factors in adolescents with acne vulgaris*

PubMed Central

Vilar, Gustavo Nunes; dos Santos, Laís Araújo; Sobral Filho, Jader Freire

2015-01-01

Background Dermatological diseases, among which acne vulgaris, have psychological impact on the affected generating feelings of guilt, shame and social isolation. Objectives To compare quality of life, self-esteem and other psychosocial variables amongst adolescents with and without acne vulgaris, and between levels of severity. Methods Cross-sectional observational study in a sample of 355 high school students from the city of João Pessoa. Data collection was performed with questionnaires and clinical-dermatological evaluation. The primary variables were the incidence of AV; quality of life, set by the Children's Dermatology Quality of Life Index and Dermatology Quality of Life Index; and self-esteem, measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. For calculation of statistical tests, we used the SPSS 20.0 software, considering p=0.05. Results The sample, with an average age of 16, showed 89.3% prevalence of acne vulgaris. The most prevalent psychosocial issue was "afraid that acne will never cease", present in 58% of affected youth. The median score of Quality of Life in Children's Dermatology Index was different amongst students with and without acne vulgaris (p=0.003), as well as the Quality of Life in Dermatology (p=0.038) scores, so that students with acne vulgaris have worse QoL. There was a correlation between the severity of acne vulgaris and worse quality of life. Self-esteem was not significantly associated with the occurrence or severity of acne vulgaris. Conclusions acne vulgaris assumes significance in view of its high prevalence and the effect on quality of life of adolescents, more severe at the more pronounced stages of disease (p<0.001). The psychosocial impact of acne vulgaris should be valued in the management of patients with this condition. PMID:26560206

The association between clinical parameters and glaucoma-specific quality of life in Chinese primary open-angle glaucoma patients.

PubMed

Lee, Jacky W Y; Chan, Catherine W S; Chan, Jonathan C H; Li, Q; Lai, Jimmy S M

2014-08-01

OBJECTIVE. To investigate the association between clinical measurements and glaucoma-specific quality of life in Chinese glaucoma patients. DESIGN. Cross-sectional study. SETTING. An academic hospital in Hong Kong. PATIENTS. A Chinese translation of the Glaucoma Quality of Life-15 questionnaire was completed by 51 consecutive patients with bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma. The binocular means of several clinical measurements were correlated with Glaucoma Quality of Life-15 findings using Pearson's correlation coefficient and linear regression. The measurements were the visual field index and pattern standard deviation from the Humphrey Field Analyzer, Snellen best-corrected visual acuity, presenting intra-ocular pressure, current intra-ocular pressure, average retinal nerve fibre layer thickness via optical coherence tomography, and the number of topical anti-glaucoma medications being used. RESULTS. In these patients, there was a significant correlation and linear relationship between a poorer Glaucoma Quality of Life-15 score and a lower visual field index (r=0.3, r(2)=0.1, P=0.01) and visual acuity (r=0.3, r(2)=0.1, P=0.03). A thinner retinal nerve fibre layer also correlated with a poorer Glaucoma Quality of Life-15 score, but did not attain statistical significance (r=0.3, P=0.07). There were no statistically significant correlations for the other clinical parameters with the Glaucoma Quality of Life-15 scores (all P values being >0.7). The three most problematic activities affecting quality of life were "adjusting to bright lights", "going from a light to a dark room or vice versa", and "seeing at night". CONCLUSION. For Chinese primary open-angle glaucoma patients, binocular visual field index and visual acuity correlated linearly with glaucoma-specific quality of life, and activities involving dark adaptation were the most problematic.

Quality of life, self-esteem and psychosocial factors in adolescents with acne vulgaris.

PubMed

Vilar, Gustavo Nunes; Santos, Laís Araújo dos; Sobral Filho, Jader Freire

2015-01-01

Dermatological diseases, among which acne vulgaris, have psychological impact on the affected generating feelings of guilt, shame and social isolation. To compare quality of life, self-esteem and other psychosocial variables amongst adolescents with and without acne vulgaris, and between levels of severity. Cross-sectional observational study in a sample of 355 high school students from the city of João Pessoa. Data collection was performed with questionnaires and clinical-dermatological evaluation. The primary variables were the incidence of AV; quality of life, set by the Children's Dermatology Quality of Life Index and Dermatology Quality of Life Index; and self-esteem, measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. For calculation of statistical tests, we used the SPSS 20.0 software, considering p=0.05. The sample, with an average age of 16, showed 89.3% prevalence of acne vulgaris. The most prevalent psychosocial issue was "afraid that acne will never cease", present in 58% of affected youth. The median score of Quality of Life in Children's Dermatology Index was different amongst students with and without acne vulgaris (p=0.003), as well as the Quality of Life in Dermatology (p=0.038) scores, so that students with acne vulgaris have worse QoL. There was a correlation between the severity of acne vulgaris and worse quality of life. Self-esteem was not significantly associated with the occurrence or severity of acne vulgaris. acne vulgaris assumes significance in view of its high prevalence and the effect on quality of life of adolescents, more severe at the more pronounced stages of disease (p<0.001). The psychosocial impact of acne vulgaris should be valued in the management of patients with this condition.

Development of innovative computer software to facilitate the setup and computation of water quality index.

PubMed

Nabizadeh, Ramin; Valadi Amin, Maryam; Alimohammadi, Mahmood; Naddafi, Kazem; Mahvi, Amir Hossein; Yousefzadeh, Samira

2013-04-26

Developing a water quality index which is used to convert the water quality dataset into a single number is the most important task of most water quality monitoring programmes. As the water quality index setup is based on different local obstacles, it is not feasible to introduce a definite water quality index to reveal the water quality level. In this study, an innovative software application, the Iranian Water Quality Index Software (IWQIS), is presented in order to facilitate calculation of a water quality index based on dynamic weight factors, which will help users to compute the water quality index in cases where some parameters are missing from the datasets. A dataset containing 735 water samples of drinking water quality in different parts of the country was used to show the performance of this software using different criteria parameters. The software proved to be an efficient tool to facilitate the setup of water quality indices based on flexible use of variables and water quality databases.

Computational Depth of Anesthesia via Multiple Vital Signs Based on Artificial Neural Networks.

PubMed

Sadrawi, Muammar; Fan, Shou-Zen; Abbod, Maysam F; Jen, Kuo-Kuang; Shieh, Jiann-Shing

2015-01-01

This study evaluated the depth of anesthesia (DoA) index using artificial neural networks (ANN) which is performed as the modeling technique. Totally 63-patient data is addressed, for both modeling and testing of 17 and 46 patients, respectively. The empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is utilized to purify between the electroencephalography (EEG) signal and the noise. The filtered EEG signal is subsequently extracted to achieve a sample entropy index by every 5-second signal. Then, it is combined with other mean values of vital signs, that is, electromyography (EMG), heart rate (HR), pulse, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and signal quality index (SQI) to evaluate the DoA index as the input. The 5 doctor scores are averaged to obtain an output index. The mean absolute error (MAE) is utilized as the performance evaluation. 10-fold cross-validation is performed in order to generalize the model. The ANN model is compared with the bispectral index (BIS). The results show that the ANN is able to produce lower MAE than BIS. For the correlation coefficient, ANN also has higher value than BIS tested on the 46-patient testing data. Sensitivity analysis and cross-validation method are applied in advance. The results state that EMG has the most effecting parameter, significantly.

Computational Depth of Anesthesia via Multiple Vital Signs Based on Artificial Neural Networks

PubMed Central

Sadrawi, Muammar; Fan, Shou-Zen; Abbod, Maysam F.; Jen, Kuo-Kuang; Shieh, Jiann-Shing

2015-01-01

This study evaluated the depth of anesthesia (DoA) index using artificial neural networks (ANN) which is performed as the modeling technique. Totally 63-patient data is addressed, for both modeling and testing of 17 and 46 patients, respectively. The empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is utilized to purify between the electroencephalography (EEG) signal and the noise. The filtered EEG signal is subsequently extracted to achieve a sample entropy index by every 5-second signal. Then, it is combined with other mean values of vital signs, that is, electromyography (EMG), heart rate (HR), pulse, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and signal quality index (SQI) to evaluate the DoA index as the input. The 5 doctor scores are averaged to obtain an output index. The mean absolute error (MAE) is utilized as the performance evaluation. 10-fold cross-validation is performed in order to generalize the model. The ANN model is compared with the bispectral index (BIS). The results show that the ANN is able to produce lower MAE than BIS. For the correlation coefficient, ANN also has higher value than BIS tested on the 46-patient testing data. Sensitivity analysis and cross-validation method are applied in advance. The results state that EMG has the most effecting parameter, significantly. PMID:26568957

Improved adjoin-list for quality-guided phase unwrapping based on red-black trees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz-Santos, William; López-García, Lourdes; Rueda-Paz, Juvenal; Redondo-Galvan, Arturo

2016-08-01

The quality-guide phase unwrapping is an important technique that is based on quality maps which guide the unwrapping process. The efficiency of this technique depends in the adjoin-list data structure implementation. There exists several proposals that improve the adjoin-list; Ming Zhao et. al. proposed an Indexed Interwoven Linked List (I2L2) that is based on dividing the quality values into intervals of equal size and inserting in a linked list those pixels with quality values within a certain interval. Ming Zhao and Qian Kemao proposed an improved I2L2 replacing each linked list in each interval by a heap data structure, which allows efficient procedures for insertion and deletion. In this paper, we propose an improved I2L2 which uses Red-Black trees (RBT) data structures for each interval. Our proposal has as main goal to avoid the unbalanced properties of the head and thus, reducing the time complexity of insertion. In order to maintain the same efficiency of the heap when deleting an element, we provide an efficient way to remove the pixel with the highest quality value in the RBT using a pointer to the rightmost element in the tree. We also provide a new partition strategy of the phase values that is based on a density criterion. Experimental results applied to phase shifting profilometry are shown for large images.

Characterizing scientific production of Italian Oral Surgery professionals through evaluation of bibliometric indices.

PubMed

Tetè, Stefano; Zizzari, Vincenzo Luca; De Carlo, Alessandro; Lorusso, Felice; Di Nicola, Marta; Piattelli, Adriano; Gherlone, Enrico; Polimeni, Antonella

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to characterize the scientific production of Italian Oral Surgery professionals by evaluating different bibliometric indices. The bibliometric evaluation was conducted on the Scopus Database upon all the Active Members joining three important Italian scientific societies in Oral Surgery (SIdCO, SIO, and SICOI). The scientific production was analysed by considering the number of total publications, number of total citations, h-index, and hc-index. Moreover, the overall sample was divided into two groups (Academics and Not Academics), according to the fact the professionals had or not a university position, and then into sub-groups according to the different career lengths. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the scientific productivity amongst groups. For all the considered parameters a lack of homogeneity between groups was reported, and significantly greater mean values were recorded for the Academics compared to the Not Academics Group. Moreover, the h-index values increased more regularly as the career length progressed than the hc-index values, even if the last seemed to be less variable. h- and hc-indices are both stable bibliometric parameters, but as the hc-index values are related not only to the number of citation but also to their age, it seems to be less influenced by the authors' career length. Bibliometric analysis of the scientific production in dentistry may facilitate the recognition of factors that may further enhance research activity and clinical performance and be useful for a comparative assessment of authors or research groups in terms of quality and quantity of the scientific production.

Heated apple juice supplemented with onion has greatly improved nutritional quality and browning index.

PubMed

Lee, Bonggi; Seo, Jeong Dae; Rhee, Jin-Kyu; Kim, Choon Young

2016-06-15

Although fruit juices are very popular, enzymatic browning occurs easily. Browning of fruit juice deteriorates nutrition value and product quality due to oxidation of polyphenol compounds. Therefore, development of natural food additives that reduce browning will be beneficial for improving quality of fruit juices. Onion has been reported to be a potent natural anti-browning agent. Here, we compared unheated and heated apple juices pre-supplemented with onion with respect to browning and nutritional quality. The unheated apple juice supplemented with onion showed reduced browning as well as increased total soluble solid, total phenol concentration, radical scavenging activities, and ferric reducing and copper chelating activities without any change in flavonoid concentration. On the other hand, heated juice supplemented with onion not only showed improved values for these parameters but also markedly increased flavonoid concentration. Thus, we conclude that application of heating and onion addition together may greatly improve quality of apple juice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diet and physical activity in people with intermediate cardiovascular risk and their relationship with the health-related quality of life: results from the MARK study.

PubMed

Sanchez-Aguadero, Natalia; Alonso-Dominguez, Rosario; Garcia-Ortiz, Luis; Agudo-Conde, Cristina; Rodriguez-Martin, Carmela; de Cabo-Laso, Angela; Sanchez-Salgado, Benigna; Ramos, Rafel; Maderuelo-Fernandez, Jose A; Gomez-Marcos, Manuel A; Recio-Rodriguez, Jose I

2016-12-07

To analyze the interplay between diet, physical activity and health-related quality of life in a Spanish randomly selected sample of individuals attended in general practitioners offices with intermediate cardiovascular risk. This study analyzed 314 subjects, aged 35-74 years (50.6% women), from the MARK study, conducted in Spain. Health related quality of life was measured by the SF-12 questionnaire. The assessment of the lifestyles included the diet quality index, the adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the leisure time physical activity practice. The highest values of health related quality of life were obtained in the area of vitality (51.05 ± 11.13), while the lowest were found in the general health (39.89 ± 8.85). In the multiple linear regression analysis, after adjustment for age, gender and other confounders, for each point of increase in the Mediterranean diet adherence score, there was an increase of 1.177 points in the mental component value (p < 0.01). Similarly, for each point of increase in the Diet Quality Index Score, there was an increase in the mental component of 0.553 (p < 0.05). Likewise, the physical activity was positively associated with the physical function and vitality (β = 0.090 and 0.087, (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05), respectively). In people with intermediate cardiovascular risk, better food habits and greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet are associated with higher scores on the mental component of quality of life. Likewise, increased physical activity is related with positive scores on the physical function.

Nutritional and food insecurity of construction workers.

PubMed

de Lima Brasil, Evi Clayton; de Araújo, Lindemberg Medeiros; de Toledo Vianna, Rodrigo Pinheiro

2016-06-27

Construction workers have intensive contact with their workplace and are possibly susceptible to Nutritional and Food Insecurity. This paper assessed the Food Security status, diet and anthropometric measures of workers in the Construction Industry living in the city of João Pessoa, PB. This cross-sectional study included 59 workers housed at construction sites. The workers were given the Brazilian Scale for Measuring Food Insecurity and Nutrition, had anthropometric measures taken and completed the Diet Quality Index, comparing their eating at the construction site and at home. Statistical analyses described the mean, standard deviation, frequency and Pearson correlations. Food Insecurity was reported by 71.2% of the workers, and 69.5% were overweight. The mean values of the Healthy Eating Index suggested that the workers' diets were in need of modification. There were statistically significant inverse associations among the Healthy Eating Index and Body Mass Index, waist circumference, percentage of total fat and cholesterol. Values obtained using the Scale showed Food Insecurity coupled with high excess weight and dietary inadequacies, revealing that these workers are at risk for health problems.

An innovative index for evaluating water quality in streams.

PubMed

Said, Ahmend; Stevens, David K; Sehlke, Gerald

2004-09-01

A water quality index expressed as a single number is developed to describe overall water quality conditions using multiple water quality variables. The index consists of water quality variables: dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, turbidity, total phosphorus, and fecal coliform. The objectives of this study were to describe the preexisting indices and to define a new water quality index that has advantages over these indices. The new index was applied to the Big Lost River Watershed in Idaho, and the results gave a quantitative picture for the water quality situation. If the new water quality index for the impaired water is less than a certain number, remediation-likely in the form of total maximum daily loads or changing the management practices-may be needed. The index can be used to assess water quality for general beneficial uses. Nevertheless, the index cannot be used in making regulatory decisions, indicate water quality for specific beneficial uses, or indicate contamination from trace metals, organic contaminants, and toxic substances.

Death, time and the theory of relativity.

PubMed

Chochinov, Harvey Max

2011-09-01

Many people believe that spending large amounts of money on end-of-life care is unjustified and even irrational. This fails to recognize that the value of time, particularly quality time, appears to increase as death draws near. Paying for treatment that merely allows patients and families to avoid confronting the inevitability of death is wrong. However, palliative care, which can bolster the quality of a patient's remaining days, provides benefits that extend to the family and beyond. How can the notion of time gaining value toward the end of life be incorporated into conventional cost-benefit analyses? A standard QALY (Quality Adjusted Life Years) is the product of quality of life and time, without adjusting for any change in the value of time. An additional variable--a Valuation Index (Palliative) (or VIP)--needs to be factored into the equation, providing a rational explanation for what otherwise might be deemed irrational spending. When one recognizes the multitude of important things that happen as people approach the very end of life, the numbers start to add up. Copyright © 2011 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The sound strength parameter G and its importance in evaluating and planning the acoustics of halls for music.

PubMed

Beranek, Leo

2011-05-01

The parameter, "Strength of Sound G" is closely related to loudness. Its magnitude is dependent, inversely, on the total sound absorption in a room. By comparison, the reverberation time (RT) is both inversely related to the total sound absorption in a hall and directly related to its cubic volume. Hence, G and RT in combination are vital in planning the acoustics of a concert hall. A newly proposed "Bass Index" is related to the loudness of the bass sound and equals the value of G at 125 Hz in decibels minus its value at mid-frequencies. Listener envelopment (LEV) is shown for most halls to be directly related to the mid-frequency value of G. The broadening of sound, i.e., apparent source width (ASW) is given by degree of source broadening (DSB) which is determined from the combined effect of early lateral reflections as measured by binaural quality index (BQI) and strength G. The optimum values and limits of these parameters are discussed.

Chroma Shift and Gamut Shape: Going Beyond Average Color Fidelity and Gamut Area

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

Royer, Michael P.; Houser, Kevin W.; David, Aurelien

Though sometimes referred to as a two-measure system for evaluating color rendition, IES TM-30-15 includes key components that go beyond the two high-level average values, Fidelity Index (IES Rf) and Gamut Index (IES Rg). This article focuses on the Color Vector Graphic and Local Chroma Shift (IES Rcs,hj), discussing the calculation methods for these evaluation tools and providing context for the interpretation of the values. We illustrate why and how the Color Vector Graphic and Local Chroma Shift values capture information about color rendition that is impossible to describe with average measures (such as CIE Ra, IES Rf, or IESmore » Rg), but that is pertinent to more completely quantifying color rendition, and to understanding human evaluations of color quality in the built environment. We also present alternatives for quantifying the Color Vector Graphic and Local Chroma Shift values, which can inform the development of future measures.« less

The relationship between grain hardness, dough mixing parameters and bread-making quality in winter wheat.

PubMed

Salmanowicz, Bolesław P; Adamski, Tadeusz; Surma, Maria; Kaczmarek, Zygmunt; Karolina, Krystkowiak; Kuczyńska, Anetta; Banaszak, Zofia; Lugowska, Bogusława; Majcher, Małgorzata; Obuchowski, Wiktor

2012-01-01

The influence of grain hardness, determined by using molecular markers and physical methods (near-infrared (NIR) technique and particle size index-PSI) on dough characteristics, which in turn were determined with the use of a farinograph and reomixer, as well as bread-making properties were studied. The material covered 24 winter wheat genotypes differing in grain hardness. The field experiment was conducted at standard and increased levels of nitrogen fertilization. Results of molecular analyses were in agreement with those obtained by the use of physical methods for soft-grained lines. Some lines classified as hard (by physical methods) appeared to have the wild-type Pina and Pinb alleles, similar to soft lines. Differences in dough and bread-making properties between lines classified as hard and soft on the basis of molecular data appeared to be of less significance than the differences between lines classified as hard and soft on the basis of physical analyses of grain texture. Values of relative grain hardness at the increased nitrogen fertilization level were significantly higher. At both fertilization levels the NIR parameter determining grain hardness was significantly positively correlated with the wet gluten and sedimentation values, with most of the rheological parameters and bread yield. Values of this parameter correlated with quality characteristics in a higher degree than values of particle size index.

SU-E-I-59: Image Quality and Dose Measurement for Partial Cone-Beam CT

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

Abouei, E; Ford, N

Purpose: To characterize performance of cone beam CT (CBCT) used in dentistry investigating quantitatively the image quality and radiation dose during dental CBCT over different settings for partial rotation of the x-ray tube. Methods: Image quality and dose measurements were done on a variable field of view (FOV) dental CBCT (Carestream 9300). X-ray parameters for clinical settings were adjustable for 2–10 mA, 60–90 kVp, and two optional voxel size values, but time was fixed for each FOV. Image quality was assessed by scanning cylindrical poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA) image quality phantom (SEDENTEXCT IQ), and then the images were analyzed using ImageJmore » to calculate image quality parameters such as noise, uniformity, and contrast to noise ratio (CNR). A protocol proposed by SEDENTEXCT, dose index 1 (DI1), was applied to dose measurements obtained using a thimble ionization chamber and cylindrical PMMA dose index phantom (SEDENTEXCT DI). Dose distributions were obtained using Gafchromic film. The phantoms were positioned in the FOV to imitate a clinical positioning. Results: The image noise was 6–12.5% which, when normalized to the difference of mean voxel value of PMMA and air, was comparable between different FOVs. Uniformity was 93.5ß 99.7% across the images. CNR was 1.7–4.2 and 6.3–14.3 for LDPE and Aluminum, respectively. Dose distributions were symmetric about the rotation angle's bisector. For large and medium FOVs at 4 mA and 80–90 kVp, DI1 values were in the range of 1.26–3.23 mGy. DI1 values were between 1.01–1.93 mGy for small FOV (5×5 cm{sup 2}) at 4–5 mA and 75–84 kVp. Conclusion: Noise decreased by increasing kVp, and the CNR increased for each FOV. When FOV size increased, image noise increased and CNR decreased. DI1 values were increased by increasing tube current (mA), tube voltage (kVp), and/or FOV. Funding for this project from NSERC Discovery grant, UBC Faculty of Dentistry Research Equipment Grant and UBC Faculty of Dentistry S. Wah Leung Endowment Fund.« less

Value Assessment Study for Air quality in Regulation Services of Ecosystems Services target on NO2 using Remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, S. W.; Ryu, J.; Choi, Y.; Jung, H. I.; Jang, R.; Lee, J.

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the value of green space that regulates the air quality in the regulatory service classification of ecosystem services. In this study, statistical data and satellite images (GOME) were used to construct data and evaluate the control functions of the whole country. In order to evaluate the value, national economic activities are evaluated and typified based on national GDP. This is because the amount of No2 emissions and the damage caused by them are different depending on the speed and characteristics of national development. After that, regression models were made using land cover, change in urban green area ratio, NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index), increase or decrease in population, increase in urban area, altitude and slope, cardiovascular due to NO2 and respiratory population. After that, the value of green space was evaluated by applying the scenario of NO2 increase or decrease for each type. The value of green space was converted into economic value by increasing or decreasing the number of affected people and the damage amount when NO2 increased. The results of this study are expected to provide a basis for conservation of forests by assessing the value of greenery to control air quality globally.

A Cross-sectional Assessment of Health-related Quality of Life among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

PubMed Central

GARCIA-GORDILLO, Miguel Ángel; COLLADO-MATEO, Daniel; OLIVARES, Pedro Rufino; ADSUAR, José Carmelo; MERELLANO-NAVARRO, Eugenio

2017-01-01

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of mortality characterized by progressive airflow obstruction and inflammation in the airways, which has an impact on health-related quality of life. The EQ-5D-5L is one of the most used preference-based, health-related quality of life questionnaire. The objective of this study was to provide normative values of EQ-5D-5L for Spanish people suffering from COPD. Methods: Data were extracted from the Spanish National Health Survey (2011/2012). Overall, 1130 people with COPD participated in this survey. The utility index of EQ-5D-5L and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score were defined by gender, region, and age. Results: Mean (SD) EQ-5D-5L utility index and VAS score for Spanish people with COPD were 0.742 (0.309) and 60.466 (21.934) respectively. In general, men reported better health status than women. Ceiling effect of the whole sample was 30.35%. Conclusion: The current study provides normative values of EQ-5D-5L for Spanish people affected by COPD. Ceiling effect was high and better results were observed in men compared with women. PMID:28894705

Design of Work Facilities for Reducing Musculoskeletal Disorders Risk in Paper Pallet Assembly Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mardi Safitri, Dian; Arfi Nabila, Zahra; Azmi, Nora

2018-03-01

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) is one of the ergonomic risks due to manual activity, non-neutral posture and repetitive motion. The purpose of this study is to measure risk and implement ergonomic interventions to reduce the risk of MSD on the paper pallet assembly work station. Measurements to work posture are done by Ovako Working Posture Analysis (OWAS) methods and Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method, while the measurement of work repetitiveness was using Strain Index (SI) method. Assembly processes operators are identified has the highest risk level. OWAS score, Strain Index, and REBA values are 4, 20.25, and 11. Ergonomic improvements are needed to reduce that level of risk. Proposed improvements will be developed using the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method applied with Axiomatic House of Quality (AHOQ) and Morphological Chart. As the result, risk level based on OWAS score & REBA score turn out from 4 & 11 to be 1 & 2. Biomechanics analysis of the operator also shows the decreasing values for L4-L5 moment, compression, joint shear, and joint moment strength.

The improvement of the quality of polluted irrigation water through a phytoremediation process in a hydroponic batch culture system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Retnaningdyah, Catur

2017-11-01

The objective of this research was to determine the effectiveness of a phytoremediation process using some local hydro macrophytes to reduce fertilizer residue in irrigation water in order to support healthy agriculture and to prevent eutrophication and algae bloom in water. A phytoremediation process was carried out in a hydroponic floating system by using transparent plastic bags of 1 m in diameter and 1 m in height that were placed in collecting ponds before they were used for agricultural activities. Paddy soils were used as substrates in this system. The irrigation water was treated with nutrient enrichment (Urea and SP-36 fertilizers). Then, the system was planted with remediation actors (Azolla sp., Ipomoea aquatica, Limnocharis flava, Marsilea crenata, polyculture of those hydro macrophytes and control). The improvement of the water quality as a result of the phytoremediation process was characterized by a decline in the concentration of some physicochemical parameters, which were measured at 7 days after incubation, as well as an increase in the plankton diversity index value. The results showed that all of the hydro macrophytes used in this research, which was grown in the hydroponic batch culture system for a period of 7 days, were able to significantly improve the irrigation water quality, which was enriched by the synthetic fertilizers Urea and SP36. This was reflected by a significant decrease in the concentration of water TSS, nitrate, BOD, COD and total phosphate and an increase in the value of water DO at 7 days after incubation. Improvement of the water quality is also reflected in the increasing plankton diversity index value as a bioindicator of water pollution indicating a change in the pollution status from moderately polluted to slightly polluted at 7 days after incubation.

Probabilistic Analysis of Earthquake-Led Water Contamination: A Case of Sichuan, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yan; Li, Lin; Benjamin Zhan, F.; Zhuang, Yanhua

2016-06-01

The objective of this paper is to evaluate seismic-led point source and non-point source water pollution, under the seismic hazard of 10 % probability of exceedance in 50 years, and with the minimum value of the water quality standard in Sichuan, China. The soil conservation service curve number method of calculating the runoff depth in the single rainfall event combined with the seismic damage index were applied to estimate the potential degree of non-point source water pollution. To estimate the potential impact of point source water pollution, a comprehensive water pollution evaluation framework is constructed using a combination of Water Quality Index and Seismic Damage Index methods. The four key findings of this paper are: (1) The water catchment that has the highest factory concentration does not have the highest risk of non-point source water contamination induced by the outbreak of potential earthquake. (2) The water catchment that has the highest numbers of cumulative water pollutants types are typically located in the south western parts of Sichuan where the main river basins in the regions flow through. (3) The most common pollutants in sample factories studied is COD and NH3-N which are found in all catchments. The least common pollutant is pathogen—found present in W1 catchment which has the best rating in the water quality index. (4) Using water quality index as a standardization parameter, parallel comparisons is made among the 16 water catchments. Only catchment W1 reaches level II water quality status which has the rating of moderately polluted in events of earthquake induced water contamination. All other areas suffer from severe water contamination with multiple pollution sources. The results from the data model are significant to urban planning commissions and businesses to strategically choose their factory locations in order to minimize potential hazardous impact during the outbreak of earthquake.

Development of innovative computer software to facilitate the setup and computation of water quality index

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Developing a water quality index which is used to convert the water quality dataset into a single number is the most important task of most water quality monitoring programmes. As the water quality index setup is based on different local obstacles, it is not feasible to introduce a definite water quality index to reveal the water quality level. Findings In this study, an innovative software application, the Iranian Water Quality Index Software (IWQIS), is presented in order to facilitate calculation of a water quality index based on dynamic weight factors, which will help users to compute the water quality index in cases where some parameters are missing from the datasets. Conclusion A dataset containing 735 water samples of drinking water quality in different parts of the country was used to show the performance of this software using different criteria parameters. The software proved to be an efficient tool to facilitate the setup of water quality indices based on flexible use of variables and water quality databases. PMID:24499556

Ecological Risk Assessment of Land Use Change in the Poyang Lake Eco-economic Zone, China

PubMed Central

Xie, Hualin; Wang, Peng; Huang, Hongsheng

2013-01-01

Land use/land cover change has been attracting increasing attention in the field of global environmental change research because of its role in the social and ecological environment. To explore the ecological risk characteristics of land use change in the Poyang Lake Eco-economic Zone of China, an eco-risk index was established in this study by the combination of a landscape disturbance index with a landscape fragmentation index. Spatial distribution and gradient difference of land use eco-risk are analyzed by using the methods of spatial autocorrelation and semivariance. Results show that ecological risk in the study area has a positive correlation, and there is a decreasing trend with the increase of grain size both in 1995 and 2005. Because the area of high eco-risk value increased from 1995 to 2005, eco-environment quality declined slightly in the study area. There are distinct spatial changes in the concentrated areas with high land use eco-risk values from 1995 to 2005. The step length of spatial separation of land use eco-risk is comparatively long—58 km in 1995 and 11 km in 2005—respectively. There are still nonstructural factors affecting the quality of the regional ecological environment at some small-scales. Our research results can provide some useful information for land eco-management, eco-environmental harnessing and restoration. In the future, some measures should be put forward in the regions with high eco-risk value, which include strengthening land use management, avoiding unreasonable types of land use and reducing the degree of fragmentation and separation. PMID:23343986

Assessing allergenicity in urban parks: A nature-based solution to reduce the impact on public health.

PubMed

Cariñanos, Paloma; Casares-Porcel, Manuel; Díaz de la Guardia, Consuelo; Aira, María Jesús; Belmonte, Jordina; Boi, Marzia; Elvira-Rendueles, Belén; De Linares, Concepción; Fernández-Rodriguez, Santiago; Maya-Manzano, José María; Pérez-Badía, Rosa; Rodriguez-de la Cruz, David; Rodríguez-Rajo, Francisco Javier; Rojo-Úbeda, Jesús; Romero-Zarco, Carlos; Sánchez-Reyes, Estefanía; Sánchez-Sánchez, José; Tormo-Molina, Rafael; Vega Maray, Ana Mª

2017-05-01

Urban parks play a key role in the provision of ecosystem services, actively participating in improving the quality of life and welfare of local residents. This paper reports on the application of an index designed to quantify the allergenicity of urban parks in a number of Spanish cities. The index, which records biological and biometric parameters for the tree species growing there, classifies parks in terms of the risk they pose for allergy sufferers, graded as null, low, moderate or high. In this initial phase, the index was applied to 26 green areas in 24 Spanish cities; green areas varied in type (urban park, historical or modern garden, boulevard, square or urban forest), size 1-100 ha), geographical location, species richness, number of trees and tree density (number of trees / ha.). The data obtained were used to calculate the percentage of allergenic species in each park, which varied between 17-67%; density ranged from 100 to 300 trees/ha. The index values recorded ranged from a minimum of .07 to a maximum of .87; a significant correlation was found between index value and both number of trees and tree density. Taking an index value of .30 as the threshold considered sufficient to trigger allergy symptoms in the sensitive population, 12 of the parks studied may be regarded as unhealthy at any time of the year. Corrective measures to mitigate the impact of pollen emissions include the implementation of nature-based solutions at various levels: planning and design, handling and management, and strengthening of urban green-infrastructure elements. The index proved to be a useful tool for environmental analysis, and complies with the principles of portability and scalability central to current and horizon scientific research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparison of indexing methods to evaluate quality of soils subjected to different erosion: the role of soil microbiological properties.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romaniuk, Romina; Lidia, Giuffre; Alejandro, Costantini; Norberto, Bartoloni; Paolo, Nannipieri

2010-05-01

Soil quality assessment is needed to evaluate the soil conditions and sustainability of soil and crop management properties, and thus requires a systematic approach to select and interpret soil properties to be used as indicators. The aim of this work was to evaluate and compare different indexing methods to assess quality of an undisturbed grassland soil (UN), a degraded pasture soil (GL) and a no tilled soil (NT) with four different A horizon depths (25, 23, 19 and 14 cm) reflecting a diverse erosion. Twenty four soil properties were measured from 0 to10 (1) and 10 to 20 cm. (2) and a minimum data set was chosen by multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) considering all measured soil properties together (A), or according to their classification in physical, chemical or microbiological (B) properties. The measured soil properties involved either inexpensive or not laborious standard protocols, to be used in routine laboratory analysis (simple soil quality index - SSQI), or a more laborious, time consuming and expensive protocols to determine microbial diversity and microbial functionality by methyl ester fatty acids (PLFA) and catabolic response profiles (CRP), respectively (complex soil quality index - CSQI). The selected properties were linearly normalized and integrated by the weight additive method to calculate SSQI A, SSQI B, CSQI A and CSQI B indices. Two microbiological soil quality indices (MSQI) were also calculated: the MSQI 1 only considered microbiological properties according to the procedure used for calculating SQI; the MSQI 2 was calculated by considering microbial carbon biomass (MCB), microbial activity (Resp) and functional diversity determined by CPR (E). The soil quality indices were SSQI A = MCB 1 + Particulate Organic Carbon (POC)1 + Mean Weight Diameter (MWD)1; SSQI B = Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K) 1 + Total Organic Carbon (TOC) 1 + MCB 1; CSQI A = MCB 1 + POC 1 + MWD 1; CSQI B = K 1+ TOC 1+ 0.3 * (MCB 1+ i/a +POC 1) + 0,05 * (E + cy/pre), where i/a and cy/pre are the iso/anteiso and cyclopropyl/precursors ratios determined by PLFA; MSQI 1 (0,3 * (MCB 1+ i/a 1 +POC 1) + 0,05 * (E 1+ cy/pre 1) ) and MSQI 2 (MCB 1+Resp 1+ E 1). All the calculated indices differentiated references plots (UN and GL), from those under no tillage (NT) system. Values were similar in NT plots with low erosion levels (NT 25 and 23) but higher than values of plots with high erosion (NT 19 and 14). Soil quality indices constructed by procedure B, (SSQI B and CSQI B) differentiated among the studied plots with the same or higher sensitivity than the other indices and allowed evaluating the impact of soil management practices and erosion on soil physical, chemical and microbiological properties. The lack of indicators representing all soil properties (physical, chemical and biological) in SQI constructed by procedure A could decrease the index sensitivity to changes in management; and the same may happen when physical, chemical and biological properties present different weights into the calculated SQI. The inclusion of CRP and PLFA data in the indices slightly increased or did not increase the index sensitivity (CSQI A and CSQI B). Generally microbiological indices (MSQI 1 and MSQI 2) were highly sensitive to soil erosion. However, we suggest that indices integrating physical, chemical and microbiological properties may give a more complete view of the soil quality than indices only based on measurement of a few microbiological properties.

First steps in developing a multimetric macroinvertebrate index for the Ohio River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Applegate, J.M.; Baumann, P.C.; Emery, E.B.; Wooten, M.S.

2007-01-01

The causes of degradation of aquatic systems are often complex and stem from a variety of human influences. Comprehensive, multimetric biological indices have been developed to quantify this degradation and its effect on aquatic communities, and measure subsequent recovery from anthropogenic stressors. Traditionally, such indices have concentrated on small-to medium-sized streams. Recently, however, the Ohio River Fish Index (ORFIn) was created to assess biotic integrity in the Ohio River. The goal of the present project was to begin developing a companion Ohio River multimetric index using benthic macroinvertebrates. Hester-Dendy multiplate samplers were used to evaluate benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in relation to a gradient of water quality disturbance, represented by varying distances downstream of industrial and municipal wastewater outfalls in the Ohio River. In August 1999 and 2000, samplers were set every 100 m downstream of outfalls (12 outfalls in 1999, 22 in 2000) for 300-1000 m, as well as at upstream reference sites. Candidate metrics (n = 55) were examined to determine which have potential to detect changes in water quality downstream of outfalls. These individual measures of community structure were plotted against distance downstream of each outfall to determine their response to water quality disturbance. Values at reference and outfall sites were also compared. Metrics that are ecologically relevant and showed a response to outfall disturbance were identified as potentially valuable in a multimetric index. Multiple box plots of index scores indicated greater response to outfall disturbance during periods of low-flow, and longitudinal river-wide trends. Evaluation of other types of anthropogenic disturbance, as well as continued analysis of the effects of chemical water quality on macroinvertebrate communities in future years will facilitate further development of a multimetric benthic macroinvertebrate index to evaluate biotic integrity in the Ohio River. Copyright ?? 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[A study on the diagnostic value of tear film objective scatter index in dry eye].

PubMed

Su, Y D; Liang, Q F; Wang, N L; Antoine, Labbè

2017-09-11

Objective: To study the sensitivity and specificity of tear film objective scatter index to the diagnosis dry eye disease (DED). Methods: A prospective case-controlled study. Fifty-three patients with DED and 32 healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects were included from July to October 2016. All subjects underwent the examinations sequentially as follows: evaluation of ocular surface disease symptoms using the Ocular Surface Disease Index, optical quality detection, lipid layer thickness, tear film breakup time and SchirmerⅠtest. With Optical Quality Analysis SystemⅡ, the values of modulation transfer function cut off, basic objective scatter index (OSI) and total OSI were measured. To eliminate the influence of other refractive media, the tear film OSI (TF-OSI) was calculated, and the difference in TF-OSI between two groups was analyzed with the independent-samples t test. Spearman's correlation analysis was used to detect the correlation of each parameter in the DED group. With the receiver operating characteristic curve and the area under the curve (AUC), the specificity and sensitivity of TF-OSI and other parameters were described to differentiate DED from normal eyes. Results: In the dry eye group, the value of modulation transfer function cut off (32.07±11.95) was significantly lower than the normal group (39.38±9.44, t=- 3.096, P= 0.003) , and the mean value and dispersion of TF-OSI (0.50±0.43, 0.52±0.81) were higher than the normal group (0.21±0.16, 0.12±0.01) ( t= 4.300, P= 0.000, t= 3.546, P= 0.001) . The mean value of TF-OSI had a positive correlation with lipid layer thickness ( r= 0.365, P= 0.007) and dispersion of TF-OSI ( r= 0.581, P= 0.000), and a negative correlation with MTF cut off ( r=- 0.368, P= 0.007). To the diagnostic value of DED, the mean value of TF-OSI had a sensitivity of 0.736, a specificity of 0.762, and the AUC was 0.764. The dispersion of TF-OSI had a sensitivity of 0.811 and a specificity of 0.810, and the AUC was 0.900. Conclusion: In the DED group, the mean value and dispersion of TF-OSI were higher than the normal group. With its advantages, the TF-OSI may be a new method for the auxiliary diagnosis of dry eye. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 668-674) .

Evaluation of selection index: application to the choice of an indirect multitrait selection index for soybean breeding.

PubMed

Bouchez, A; Goffinet, B

1990-02-01

Selection indices can be used to predict one trait from information available on several traits in order to improve the prediction accuracy. Plant or animal breeders are interested in selecting only the best individuals, and need to compare the efficiency of different trait combinations in order to choose the index ensuring the best prediction quality for individual values. As the usual tools for index evaluation do not remain unbiased in all cases, we propose a robust way of evaluation by means of an estimator of the mean-square error of prediction (EMSEP). This estimator remains valid even when parameters are not known, as usually assumed, but are estimated. EMSEP is applied to the choice of an indirect multitrait selection index at the F5 generation of a classical breeding scheme for soybeans. Best predictions for precocity are obtained by means of indices using only part of the available information.

[Impact of exposure dose reduction of radiation treatment planning CT using low tube voltage technique].

PubMed

Kouno, Takuya; Kuga, Noriyuki; Enzaki, Masahiro; Yamashita, Yuuki; Kitazato, Yumiko; Shimotabira, Haruhiko; Jinnouchi, Takashi; Kusuhara, Kazuo; Kawamura, Shinji

2015-04-01

The aim of this study was to reduce the exposed dose of radiotherapy treatment planning computed tomography (CT) by using low tube voltage technique. We used tube voltages of 80 kV, 100 kV, and 120 kV, respectively. First, we evaluated exposure dose with CT dose index (CTDI) for each voltage. Second, we compared image quality indexes such as modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) of phantom images with each voltage. Third, CT to electron density tables were measured in three voltages and monitor unit value was calculated along with clinical cases. Finally, CT surface exposed dose of chest skin was measured by thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD). In image evaluation MTF and NPS were approximately equal; CNR slightly decreased, 2.0% for 100 kV. We performed check radiation dose accuracy for each tube voltage with each model phantom. As a result, the difference of MU value was not accepted. Finally, compared with 120 kV, CTDIvol and TLD value showed markedly decreased radiation dose, 60% for 80 kV and 30% for 100 kV. Using a technique with low tube voltages, especially 100 kV, is useful in radiotherapy treatment planning to obtain 20% dose reduction without compromising 120 kV image quality.

Will heavy metals in the soils of newly submerged areas threaten the water quality of Danjiangkou Reservoir, China?

PubMed

Song, Zhixin; Shan, Baoqing; Tang, Wenzhong; Zhang, Chao

2017-10-01

Soil heavy metal contents were measured in newly submerged areas of the Danjiangkou Reservoir, China. We aimed to determine the heavy metal distribution in this area and the associated ecological risk. Most of these heavy metal contents (except Pb and Mn) suggest enrichment compared with the background values of soils from Henan Province, especially As and Cd with mean geo-accumulation index (I geo ) values of 0.84 and 0.54. The spatial analysis results indicated that the highest heavy metal contents were distributed in the arable soils above 160m elevation, whereas low heavy metal contents were observed under other land-use types above 160m elevation. According to I geo and EF values, Cd was the major heavy metal contaminant in the newly submerged area, Cr, Pb and Mn mainly originated from natural geochemical sources. In contrast, Ni, Cd, As, Cu, and Zn mainly originated from anthropogenic sources. Evaluation using the potential ecological risk (PER) method indicated that PER of individual elements were low in the studied soils, and the comprehensive PER index was at a moderate level, indicating heavy metals in the soils of newly submerged areas may not threaten the water quality of Danjiangkou Reservoir, especially in winter. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A methodology for space-time classification of groundwater quality.

PubMed

Passarella, G; Caputo, M C

2006-04-01

Safeguarding groundwater from civil, agricultural and industrial contamination is matter of great interest in water resource management. During recent years, much legislation has been produced stating the importance of groundwater as a source for drinking water supplies, underlining its vulnerability and defining the required quality standards. Thus, schematic tools, able to characterise the quality and quantity of groundwater systems, are of very great interest in any territorial planning and/or water resource management activity. This paper proposes a groundwater quality classification method which has been applied to a real aquifer, starting from several studies published by the Italian National Hydrogeologic Catastrophe Defence Group (GNDCI). The methodology is based on the concentration values of several parameters used as indexes of the natural hydro-chemical water condition and of potential man-induced modifications of groundwater quality. The resulting maps, although representative of the quality, do not include any information on its evolution in time. In this paper, this "stationary" classification method has been improved by crossing the quality classes with three indexes of temporal behaviour during recent years. It was then applied to data from monitoring campaigns, performed in spring and autumn, from 1990 to 1996, in the plain of Modena aquifer (central Italy). The results are reported in the form of space-time classification table and maps.

Changing Diet Quality in China during 2004–2011

PubMed Central

Huang, Yingying; Wang, Hui; Tian, Xu

2016-01-01

Currently, under- and over-nutrition problems co-exist in China. However, systematic studies on the diet quality of Chinese residents have been scant. This study described the trend in diet quality of Chinese residents over a recent eight-year period and investigated the relevant influential factors. The data of Chinese adults aged 20–59 years was extracted from 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2011 China Health and Nutrition Survey. The China diet quality index (DQI) was employed to assess the diet quality of Chinese adults. The dietary consumption data of each individual was collected using a 24-h dietary recall and weighed food records implemented for three consecutive days. A mixed ordinary least squares regression model was applied to analyze the factors influencing the DQI scores of Chinese residents. Results showed that the diet quality of Chinese residents increased from 2004 to 2006, followed by a decrease in 2009 and 2011. The income, urbanicity index, and southern dummy were positively associated with DQI scores, whereas the size of household and labor intensity were negative predictors of DQI scores. The DQI scores also varied over BMI values. With an increase of the average income level in the future, the diet quality of Chinese residents is estimated to further improve. Moreover, urbanization could also contribute to reaching a more balanced diet. PMID:28029128

Physician-Owned Surgical Hospitals Outperform Other Hospitals in Medicare Value-Based Purchasing Program.

PubMed

Ramirez, Adriana G; Tracci, Margaret C; Stukenborg, George J; Turrentine, Florence E; Kozower, Benjamin D; Jones, R Scott

2016-10-01

The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program measures value of care provided by participating Medicare hospitals and creates financial incentives for quality improvement and fosters increased transparency. Limited information is available comparing hospital performance across health care business models. The 2015 Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program results were used to examine hospital performance by business model. General linear modeling assessed differences in mean total performance score, hospital case mix index, and differences after adjustment for differences in hospital case mix index. Of 3,089 hospitals with total performance scores, categories of representative health care business models included 104 physician-owned surgical hospitals, 111 University HealthSystem Consortium, 14 US News & World Report Honor Roll hospitals, 33 Kaiser Permanente, and 124 Pioneer accountable care organization affiliated hospitals. Estimated mean total performance scores for physician-owned surgical hospitals (64.4; 95% CI, 61.83-66.38) and Kaiser Permanente (60.79; 95% CI, 56.56-65.03) were significantly higher compared with all remaining hospitals, and University HealthSystem Consortium members (36.8; 95% CI, 34.51-39.17) performed below the mean (p < 0.0001). Significant differences in mean hospital case mix index included physician-owned surgical hospitals (mean 2.32; p < 0.0001), US News & World Report honorees (mean 2.24; p = 0.0140), and University HealthSystem Consortium members (mean 1.99; p < 0.0001), and Kaiser Permanente hospitals had lower case mix value (mean 1.54; p < 0.0001). Re-estimation of total performance scores did not change the original results after adjustment for differences in hospital case mix index. The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program revealed superior hospital performance associated with business model. Closer inspection of high-value hospitals can guide value improvement and policy-making decisions for all Medicare Value-Based Purchasing Program Hospitals. Copyright © 2016 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feasibility Study of Using Gemstone Spectral Imaging (GSI) and Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction (ASIR) for Reducing Radiation and Iodine Contrast Dose in Abdominal CT Patients with High BMI Values.

PubMed

Zhu, Zheng; Zhao, Xin-ming; Zhao, Yan-feng; Wang, Xiao-yi; Zhou, Chun-wu

2015-01-01

To prospectively investigate the effect of using Gemstone Spectral Imaging (GSI) and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) for reducing radiation and iodine contrast dose in abdominal CT patients with high BMI values. 26 patients (weight > 65kg and BMI ≥ 22) underwent abdominal CT using GSI mode with 300mgI/kg contrast material as study group (group A). Another 21 patients (weight ≤ 65kg and BMI ≥ 22) were scanned with a conventional 120 kVp tube voltage for noise index (NI) of 11 with 450mgI/kg contrast material as control group (group B). GSI images were reconstructed at 60keV with 50%ASIR and the conventional 120kVp images were reconstructed with FBP reconstruction. The CT values, standard deviation (SD), signal-noise-ratio (SNR), contrast-noise-ratio (CNR) of 26 landmarks were quantitatively measured and image quality qualitatively assessed using statistical analysis. As for the quantitative analysis, the difference of CNR between groups A and B was all significant except for the mesenteric vein. The SNR in group A was higher than B except the mesenteric artery and splenic artery. As for the qualitative analysis, all images had diagnostic quality and the agreement for image quality assessment between the reviewers was substantial (kappa = 0.684). CT dose index (CTDI) values for non-enhanced, arterial phase and portal phase in group A were decreased by 49.04%, 40.51% and 40.54% compared with group B (P = 0.000), respectively. The total dose and the injection rate for the contrast material were reduced by 14.40% and 14.95% in A compared with B. The use of GSI and ASIR provides similar enhancement in vessels and image quality with reduced radiation dose and contrast dose, compared with the use of conventional scan protocol.

Characterizing multi-pollutant air pollution in China: Comparison of three air quality indices.

PubMed

Hu, Jianlin; Ying, Qi; Wang, Yungang; Zhang, Hongliang

2015-11-01

Multi-pollutant air pollution (i.e., several pollutants reaching very high concentrations simultaneously) frequently occurs in many regions across China. Air quality index (AQI) is used worldwide to inform the public about levels of air pollution and associated health risks. The current AQI approach used in China is based on the maximum value of individual pollutants, and does not consider the combined health effects of exposure to multiple pollutants. In this study, two novel alternative indices--aggregate air quality index (AAQI) and health-risk based air quality index (HAQI)--were calculated based on data collected in six megacities of China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shjiazhuang, Xi'an, and Wuhan) during 2013 to 2014. Both AAQI and HAQI take into account the combined health effects of various pollutants, and the HAQI considers the exposure (or concentration)-response relationships of pollutants. AAQI and HAQI were compared to AQI to examine the effectiveness of the current AQI in characterizing multi-pollutant air pollution in China. The AAQI and HAQI values are higher than the AQI on days when two or more pollutants simultaneously exceed the Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) 24-hour Grade II standards. The results of the comparison of the classification of risk categories based on the three indices indicate that the current AQI approach underestimates the severity of health risk associated with exposure to multi-pollutant air pollution. For the AQI-based risk category of 'unhealthy', 96% and 80% of the days would be 'very unhealthy' or 'hazardous' if based on AAQI and HAQI, respectively; and for the AQI-based risk category of 'very unhealthy', 67% and 75% of the days would be 'hazardous' if based on AAQI and HAQI, respectively. The results suggest that the general public, especially sensitive population groups such as children and the elderly, should take more stringent actions than those currently suggested based on the AQI approach during high air pollution events. Sensitivity studies were conducted to examine the assumptions used in the AAQI and HAQI approaches. Results show that AAQI is sensitive to the choice of pollutant irrelevant constant. HAQI is sensitive to the choice of both threshold values and pollutants included in total risk calculation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Far-ultraviolet refractive index of optical materials for solar blind channel (SBC) filters for the HST advanced camera for surveys (ACS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leviton, Douglas B.; Madison, Timothy J.; Petrone, Peter

1998-10-01

Refractive index measurements using the minimum deviation method have been carried out for prisms of a variety of far ultraviolet optical materials used in the manufacture of Solar Blind Channel (SBC) filters for the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Some of the materials measured are gaining popularity in a variety of high technology applications including high power excimer lasers and advanced microlithography optics operating in a wavelength region where high quality knowledge of optical material properties is sparse yet critical. Our measurements are of unusually high accuracy and precision for this wavelength region owing to advanced instrumentation in the large vacuum chamber of the Diffraction Grating Evaluation Facility (DGEF) at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) used to implement a minimum deviation method refractometer. Index values for CaF2, BaF2, LiF, and far ultraviolet grades of synthetic sapphire and synthetic fused silica are reported and compared with values from the literature.

Comparison of Acoustic and Stroboscopic Findings and Voice Handicap Index between Allergic Rhinitis Patients and Controls.

PubMed

Koç, Eltaf Ayça Özbal; Koç, Bülent; Erbek, Selim

2014-12-01

In our experience Allergic Rhinitis (AR) patients suffer from voice problems more than health subjects. To investigate the acoustic analysis of voice, stroscopic findings of larynx and Voice Handicap Index scores in allergic rhinitis patients compared with healthy controls. Case-control study. Thirty adult patients diagnosed with perennial allergic rhinitis were compared with 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls without allergy. All assessments were performed in the speech physiology laboratory and the testing sequence was as follows: 1. Voice Handicap Index (VHI) questionnaire, 2. Laryngovideostroboscopy, 3. Acoustic analyses. No difference was observed between the allergic rhinitis and control groups regarding mean Maximum Phonation Time (MPT) values, Fo values, and stroboscopic assessment (p>0.05). On the other hand, mean VHI score (p=0.001) and s/z ratio (p=0.011) were significantly higher in the allergic rhinitis group than in controls. Our findings suggest that the presence of allergies could have effects on laryngeal dysfunction and voice-related quality of life.

Psychometric properties of the medical outcomes study sleep scale in Spanish postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Zagalaz-Anula, Noelia; Hita-Contreras, Fidel; Martínez-Amat, Antonio; Cruz-Díaz, David; Lomas-Vega, Rafael

2017-07-01

This study aimed to analyze the reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS), and its ability to discriminate between poor and good sleepers among a Spanish population with vestibular disorders. In all, 121 women (50-76 years old) completed the Spanish version of the MOS-SS. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity (exploratory factor analysis) were analyzed. Concurrent validity was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey. To analyze the ability of the MOS-SS scores to discriminate between poor and good sleepers, a receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was performed. The Spanish version of the MOS-SS showed excellent and substantial reliability in Sleep Problems Index I (two sleep disturbance items, one somnolence item, two sleep adequacy items, and awaken short of breath or with headache) and Sleep Problems Index II (four sleep disturbance items, two somnolence items, two sleep adequacy items, and awaken short of breath or with headache), respectively, and good internal consistency with optimal Cronbach's alpha values in all domains and indexes (0.70-0.90). Factor analysis suggested a coherent four-factor structure (explained variance 70%). In concurrent validity analysis, MOS-SS indexes showed significant and strong correlation with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index total score, and moderate with the 36-item Short Form Health Survey component summaries. Several domains and the two indexes were significantly able to discriminate between poor and good sleepers (P < 0.05). Optimal cut-off points were above 20 for "sleep disturbance" domain, with above 22.22 and above 33.33 for Sleep Problems Index I and II. The Spanish version of the MOS-SS is a valid and reliable instrument, suitable to assess sleep quality in Spanish postmenopausal women, with satisfactory general psychometric properties. It discriminates well between good and poor sleepers.

Measurement of glottal cycle characteristics between children and adults: Physiological Variations

PubMed Central

Patel, Rita R.; Dubrovskiy, Denis; Döllinger, Michael

2014-01-01

Objective The aim of this study is to quantify phases of the vibratory cycle using measurements of glottal cycle quotients and glottal cycle derivatives, in typically developing pre-pubertal children and young adults with use of high speed digital imaging (HSDI). Method Vocal fold vibrations were recorded from 27 children (age range 5–9 years) and 35 adults (age range 21–45 years), with HSDI at 4000 frames per second for sustained phonation. Glottal area waveform (GAW) measures of Open Quotient (OQ), Closing Quotient (CQ), Speed Index (SI), Rate Quotient (RQ) and Asymmetry Quotient (AsyQ) were computed. Glottal cycle derivatives of Amplitude Quotient (AQ) and Maximum Area Declination Rate (MADR) were also computed. Group differences (adult females, adult males, and children) were statistically investigated for mean and standard deviation values of the glottal cycle quotients and glottal cycle derivatives. Results Children exhibited higher values of Speed Index, Asymmetry Quotient and lower MADR compared to adult males. Children exhibited the highest mean value and lowest variability in Amplitude Quotient compared to adult males and females. Adult males showed lower values of Speed Index, Asymmetry Quotient, Amplitude Quotient and higher values of MADR compared to adult females. Conclusion Glottal cycle vibratory motion in children is functionally different compared to adult males and females; suggesting the need for development of children specific norms for both normal and disordered voice qualities. PMID:24629646

Measuring performance on the Healthcare Access and Quality Index for 195 countries and territories and selected subnational locations: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.

PubMed

2018-06-02

A key component of achieving universal health coverage is ensuring that all populations have access to quality health care. Examining where gains have occurred or progress has faltered across and within countries is crucial to guiding decisions and strategies for future improvement. We used the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016) to assess personal health-care access and quality with the Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index for 195 countries and territories, as well as subnational locations in seven countries, from 1990 to 2016. Drawing from established methods and updated estimates from GBD 2016, we used 32 causes from which death should not occur in the presence of effective care to approximate personal health-care access and quality by location and over time. To better isolate potential effects of personal health-care access and quality from underlying risk factor patterns, we risk-standardised cause-specific deaths due to non-cancers by location-year, replacing the local joint exposure of environmental and behavioural risks with the global level of exposure. Supported by the expansion of cancer registry data in GBD 2016, we used mortality-to-incidence ratios for cancers instead of risk-standardised death rates to provide a stronger signal of the effects of personal health care and access on cancer survival. We transformed each cause to a scale of 0-100, with 0 as the first percentile (worst) observed between 1990 and 2016, and 100 as the 99th percentile (best); we set these thresholds at the country level, and then applied them to subnational locations. We applied a principal components analysis to construct the HAQ Index using all scaled cause values, providing an overall score of 0-100 of personal health-care access and quality by location over time. We then compared HAQ Index levels and trends by quintiles on the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary measure of overall development. As derived from the broader GBD study and other data sources, we examined relationships between national HAQ Index scores and potential correlates of performance, such as total health spending per capita. In 2016, HAQ Index performance spanned from a high of 97·1 (95% UI 95·8-98·1) in Iceland, followed by 96·6 (94·9-97·9) in Norway and 96·1 (94·5-97·3) in the Netherlands, to values as low as 18·6 (13·1-24·4) in the Central African Republic, 19·0 (14·3-23·7) in Somalia, and 23·4 (20·2-26·8) in Guinea-Bissau. The pace of progress achieved between 1990 and 2016 varied, with markedly faster improvements occurring between 2000 and 2016 for many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia, whereas several countries in Latin America and elsewhere saw progress stagnate after experiencing considerable advances in the HAQ Index between 1990 and 2000. Striking subnational disparities emerged in personal health-care access and quality, with China and India having particularly large gaps between locations with the highest and lowest scores in 2016. In China, performance ranged from 91·5 (89·1-93·6) in Beijing to 48·0 (43·4-53·2) in Tibet (a 43·5-point difference), while India saw a 30·8-point disparity, from 64·8 (59·6-68·8) in Goa to 34·0 (30·3-38·1) in Assam. Japan recorded the smallest range in subnational HAQ performance in 2016 (a 4·8-point difference), whereas differences between subnational locations with the highest and lowest HAQ Index values were more than two times as high for the USA and three times as high for England. State-level gaps in the HAQ Index in Mexico somewhat narrowed from 1990 to 2016 (from a 20·9-point to 17·0-point difference), whereas in Brazil, disparities slightly increased across states during this time (a 17·2-point to 20·4-point difference). Performance on the HAQ Index showed strong linkages to overall development, with high and high-middle SDI countries generally having higher scores and faster gains for non-communicable diseases. Nonetheless, countries across the development spectrum saw substantial gains in some key health service areas from 2000 to 2016, most notably vaccine-preventable diseases. Overall, national performance on the HAQ Index was positively associated with higher levels of total health spending per capita, as well as health systems inputs, but these relationships were quite heterogeneous, particularly among low-to-middle SDI countries. GBD 2016 provides a more detailed understanding of past success and current challenges in improving personal health-care access and quality worldwide. Despite substantial gains since 2000, many low-SDI and middle-SDI countries face considerable challenges unless heightened policy action and investments focus on advancing access to and quality of health care across key health services, especially non-communicable diseases. Stagnating or minimal improvements experienced by several low-middle to high-middle SDI countries could reflect the complexities of re-orienting both primary and secondary health-care services beyond the more limited foci of the Millennium Development Goals. Alongside initiatives to strengthen public health programmes, the pursuit of universal health coverage hinges upon improving both access and quality worldwide, and thus requires adopting a more comprehensive view-and subsequent provision-of quality health care for all populations. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Mating System and Sexual Selection in the Scorpionfly Panorpa vulgaris (Mecoptera: Panorpidae)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauer, Klaus Peter; Lubjuhn, Thomas; Sindern, Jörn; Kullmann, Harald; Kurtz, Joachim; Epplen, Conny; Epplen, Jörg Thomas

1998-05-01

has become a model insect for testing theories of sexual selection. This contribution summarizes that which has been learned in recent years and presents new data that clearly show that the mating system of P. vulgaris is not simply a resource-defense polygyny, as has previously been thought. In P. vulgaris neither the pattern in food exploitation nor the ratio of variance in the lifetime reproductive success of the two sexes is in accordance with that expected in resource defense polygynous mating systems. Lifetime mating duration is the most important proximate determinant of male fitness. Males employing alternative mating tactics obtain copulations of varying duration in relation to the following sequence: saliva secretion 1 food offering 1 no gift. The number of salivary masses which males provide to females during their lifetime is significantly correlated with the lifetime condition index. The condition index depends on the fighting prowess of males and their ability to find food items. Thus saliva secretion of Panorpa is considered a Zahavian handicap, which can serve as an honest quality indicator used by mating females. Our results confirm four main predictions of the indicator model of the theory of sexual selection: (a) the indicator signals high ecological quality of its bearer, (b) the indicator value increases with phenotypic quality, (c) the indicator value is positively correlated with the genetic quality affecting offspring fitness in a natural selection context, and (d) the quality indicator is more costly for low- than for high-quality individuals. The evolutionary consequences of the mating pattern and the sperm competition mechanism in P. vulgaris are discussed in the context the way in which sexual selection creates and maintains sperm mixing and the evolution of a promiscuous mating system.

Assessment and modeling of groundwater quality using WQI and GIS in Upper Egypt area.

PubMed

Rabeiy, Ragab ElSayed

2017-04-04

The continuous growth and development of population need more fresh water for drinking, irrigation, and domestic in arid countries like Egypt. Evaluation the quality of groundwater is an essential study to ensure its suitability for different purposes. In this study, 812 groundwater samples were taken within the middle area of Upper Egypt (Sohag Governorate) to assess the quality of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes. Eleven water parameters were analyzed at each groundwater sample (Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , HCO 3 - SO 4 2- , Fe 2+ , Mn 2+ , Cl - , electrical conductivity, and pH) to exploit them in water quality evaluation. A classical statistics were applied for the raw data to examine the distribution of physicochemical parameters in the investigated area. The relationship between groundwater parameters was tested using the correlation coefficient where a strong relationship was found between several water parameters such as Ca 2+ and Cl - . Water quality index (WQI) is a mathematical model used to transform many water parameters into a single indicator value which represents the water quality level. Results of WQI showed that 20% of groundwater samples are excellent, 75% are good for drinking, and 7% are very poor water while only 1% of samples are unsuitable for drinking. To test the suitability of groundwater for irrigation, three indices are used; they are sodium adsorption ration (SAR), sodium percentage (Na%), and permeability index (PI). For irrigation suitability, the study proved that most sampling sites are suitable while less than 3% are unsuitable for irrigation. The spatial distribution of the estimated values of WQI, SAR, Na%, PI, and each groundwater parameter was spatially modeled using GIS.

Nutritional adequacy according to carbohydrates and fat quality.

PubMed

Sánchez-Tainta, Ana; Zazpe, Itziar; Bes-Rastrollo, Maira; Salas-Salvadó, Jordi; Bullo, Mónica; Sorlí, José Vicente; Corella, Dolores; Covas, M Isabel; Arós, Fernando; Gutierrez-Bedmar, Mario; Fiol, Miquel; de la Corte, F García; Serra-Majem, Lluis; Pinto, Xavier; Schröeder, Helmut; Ros, Emilio; López-Sabater, M Carmen; Estruch, Ramón; Martínez-González, Miguel Angel

2016-02-01

To investigate the association between carbohydrate quality, fat quality or adherence to the Mediterranean diet and intake adequacy of 19 micronutrients in the PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea) trial, a multicenter, randomized, controlled, parallel group and primary prevention trial conducted in Spain. We assessed baseline dietary intake of 6,542 elderly subjects at high cardiovascular risk through a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a validated 14-item Mediterranean diet (Med-diet) score. We used a multidimensional carbohydrate quality index (CQI) using four criteria and a fat quality index (FQI) according to the ratio (MUFA + PUFA)/(SFA + TFA). The probability of intake adequacy was calculated comparing the intakes to DRI, and also using the probabilistic approach. Absolute and adjusted probability of having inadequate intake for either ≥6 DRI or ≥8 DRI were estimated to assess nutritional adequacy according to quintiles of each index. The lowest prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intake (≥8 DRI) was found in the highest quintile of CQI or Med-diet score, and in the lowest quintile of FQI (adjusted fold risk: 1.4, 3.4 and 10.2 respectively in comparison with the lowest quintile). P for trend <0.001 in three multivariable models. A higher CQI or Med-Diet score and a lower FQI were significantly associated with a lower fold risk of unmet EAR values. A multidimensional assessment of CQI can be a useful tool to evaluate the quality of carbohydrates. This score and a 14-item Med-diet score were positively related to overall micronutrient adequacy in elderly participants.

Comparability of fish-based ecological quality assessments for geographically distinct Iberian regions.

PubMed

Segurado, P; Caiola, N; Pont, D; Oliveira, J M; Delaigue, O; Ferreira, M T

2014-04-01

In this work we compare two Iberian and a pan-European fish-based methods to assess ecological quality in rivers: the Fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity for Portuguese Wadeable Streams (F-IBIP), the Mediterranean Index of Biotic Integrity (IBIMED) and the pan-European Fish Index (EFI+). The results presented herein were developed in the context of the 2nd phase of the Intercalibration Exercise (IC), as required by the Water Frame Directive (WFD). The IC is aimed at ensuring comparability of the quality boundaries among the different WFD assessment methods developed by the Member States for each biological quality element. Although the two national assessment methods were developed for very distinct regions of Iberia (Western and Eastern Iberian Peninsula) they share the same methodological background: both are type-specific and guild-based multimetric indices. EFI+ is a multimetric guild-based model, but it is site-specific and uses a predictive modelling approach. The three indices were computed for all sites included in the Iberian Intercalibration database to allow the direct comparison, by means of linear regressions, of the resulting three quality values per site. The quality boundary harmonization between the two Iberian methods was only possible through an indirect comparison between the two indices, using EFI+ as a common metric. The three indices were also shown to be responsive to a common set of human induced pressures. This study highlights the need to develop general assessment methods adapted to wide geographical ranges with high species turnover to help intercalibrating assessment methods tailored for geographically more restricted regions. © 2013.

SU-E-T-173: Clinical Comparison of Treatment Plans and Fallback Plans for Machine Downtime

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

Cruz, W; Cancer Therapy and Research Center, San Antonio, TX; Papanikolaou, P

2015-06-15

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical effectiveness and dosimetric quality of fallback planning in relation to machine downtime. Methods: Plans for a Varian Novalis TX were mimicked, and fallback plans using an Elekta VersaHD machine were generated using a dual arc template. Plans for thirty (n=30) patients of various treatment sites optimized and calculated using RayStation treatment planning system. For each plan, a fall back plan was created and compared to the original plan. A dosimetric evaluation was conducted using the homogeneity index, conformity index, as well as DVH analysis to determine the quality ofmore » the fallback plan on a different treatment machine. Fallback plans were optimized for 60 iterations using the imported dose constraints from the original plan DVH to give fallback plans enough opportunity to achieve the dose objectives. Results: The average conformity index and homogeneity index for the NovalisTX plans were 0.76 and 10.3, respectively, while fallback plan values were 0.73 and 11.4. (Homogeneity =1 and conformity=0 for ideal plan) The values to various organs at risk were lower in the fallback plans as compared to the imported plans across most organs at risk. Isodose difference comparisons between plans were also compared and the average dose difference across all plans was 0.12%. Conclusion: The clinical impact of fallback planning is an important aspect to effective treatment of patients. With the complexity of LINACS increasing every year, an option to continue treating during machine downtime remains an essential tool in streamlined treatment execution. Fallback planning allows the clinic to continue to run efficiently should a treatment machine become offline due to maintenance or repair without degrading the quality of the plan all while reducing strain on members of the radiation oncology team.« less

Indexing method for assessment of pollution potential of leachate from non-engineered landfill sites and its effect on ground water quality.

PubMed

Rana, Rishi; Ganguly, Rajiv; Gupta, Ashok Kumar

2017-12-26

Dumping of solid waste in a non-engineered landfill site often leads to contamination of ground water due to leachate percolation into ground water. The present paper assesses the pollution potential of leachate generated from three non-engineered landfill sites located in the Tricity region (one each in cities of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula) of Northern India and its possible effects of contamination of groundwater. Analysis of physico-chemical properties of leachate from all the three landfill sites and the surrounding groundwater samples from five different downwind distances from each of the landfill sites were collected and tested to determine the leachate pollution index (LPI) and the water quality index (WQI). The Leachate Pollution Index values of 26.1, 27 and 27.8 respectively for landfill sites of Chandigarh (CHD), Mohali (MOH) and Panchkula (PKL) cities showed that the leachate generated are contaminated. The average pH values of the leachate samples over the sampling period (9.2 for CHD, 8.97 for MOH and 8.9 for PKL) show an alkaline nature indicating that all the three landfill sites could be classified as mature to old stage. The WQI calculated over the different downwind distances from the contamination sites showed that the quality of the groundwater improved with an increase in the downwind distance. Principal component analysis (PCA) carried out established major components mainly from natural and anthropogenic sources with cumulative variance of 88% for Chandigarh, 87.1% for Mohali and 87.8% for Panchkula. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) identifies three distinct cluster types for the groundwater samples. These clusters corresponds to a relatively low pollution, moderate pollution and high pollution regions. It is suggested that all the three non-engineered landfill sites be converted to engineered landfill sites to prevent groundwater contamination and also new sites be considered for construction of these engineered landfill sites as the present dumpsites are nearing the end of their lifespan capacity.

Benthic invertebrates and quality of streambed sediments in the White River and selected tributaries in and near Indianapolis, Indiana, 1994-96

USGS Publications Warehouse

Voelker, David C.; Renn, Danny E.

2000-01-01

During this study, 369 benthic-invertebrate samples were collected at 21 sites and 33 streambed-sediment samples were collected at 14 sites to help develop and evaluate control strategies to mediate the impact of point and nonpoint sources of pollution on the White River and selected tributaries in and near Indianapolis, Indiana. Data analyses show that 124 taxa were identified and that most of the benthic invertebrates found belong to one of three taxa: the pollution-tolerant Diptera and the pollution-intolerant Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera. The Hilsenhoff Biotic Index, which was calculated from the number of arthropods and their tolerance to pollution, ranged from 4.4 (very good) to 9.4 (very poor) on the White River, and from 4.9 (good) to 9.1 (very poor) on the tributaries. The Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) Richness Index, which was calculated from the number of taxa in pollution-intolerant species, ranged from 0 to 9 for the White River and from 0 to 9 for the tributaries. A high EPT Richness Index value reflects a great diversity of pollution-intolerant invertebrates at a site and generally indicates good water quality. A comparison of data collected during the 1994 through 1996 study to data collected during a 1981 through 1987 study indicates that the proportion of pollution-tolerant taxa increased in the immediate vicinity of Indianapolis. This increase may be an indicator that the water quality in the immediate vicinity of Indianapolis has declined since the earlier study. Comparison of the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index values, however, indicates there has been no change since the previous study. In the analysis of streambed sediments, small amounts of 12 metals were detected. Of those, only lead exceeded sediment-quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life in three samples from two sites. Thirteen insecticides were detected in the streambed sediments, and of those only chlordane exceeded sediment-quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. Seventeen semivolatile organic compounds also were detected in streambed sediments at nine sites: four on the White River and five on the tributaries. Six of these compounds exceeded sedimentquality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life.

The use of fluidized sand bed as an innovative technique for heat treating aluminum based castings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragab, Khaled

The current study was carried out to arrive at a better understanding of the influences of the fluidized sand bed heat treatment on the tensile properties and quality indices of A356.2 and B319.2 casting alloys. For the purposes of validating the use of fluidized sand bed furnaces in industrial applications for heat treatment of 356 and 319 castings, the tensile properties and the quality indices of these alloys were correlated with the most common metallurgical parameters, such as strontium modification, grain refining, solutionizing time, aging parameters and quenching media. Traditional heat treatment technology, employing circulating air convection furnaces, was used to establish a relevant comparison with fluidized sand beds for the heat treatment of the alloys investigated, employing T6 continuous aging cycles or multi-temperature aging cycles. Quality charts were used to predict and/or select the best heat treatment conditions and techniques to be applied in industry in order to obtain the optimum properties required for particular engineering applications. The results revealed that the strength values achieved in T6-tempered 319 and 356 alloys are more responsive to fluidized bed (FB) heat treatment than to conventional convection furnace (CF) treatment for solution treatment times of up to 8 hours. Beyond this solution time, no noticeable difference in properties is observed with the two techniques. A significant increase in strength is observed in the FB heat-treated samples after short aging times of 0.5 and 1 hour, the trend continuing up to 5 hours. The 319 alloys show signs of overaging after 8 hours of aging using a conventional furnace, whereas with a fluidized bed, overaging occurs after 12 hours. Analysis of the tensile properties in terms of quality index charts showed that both modified and non-modified 319 and 356 alloys display the same, or better, quality, after only a 2-hr treatment in an FB compared to 10 hours when using a CF. The quality values of the 356 alloys are more responsive to the FB technique than 319 alloys through long aging times of up to 5 hours. The 319 alloys heat-treated in an FB, however, show better quality values after 0.5 hour of aging and for solution treatment times of up to 5 hours than those treated using a CF. With regard to the quality charts of 319 alloys, heat-treated samples show that increasing the aging time up to peak-strength, i.e. 8 and 12 hours in a CF and an FB, respectively, results in increasing in the alloy strength with a decrease in the quality values, for each of the solution heat treatment times used. The statistical analysis of the results reveals that modification and heating rate of the heat treatment technique have the greatest positive effects on the quality values of the 356 alloys. The use of a fluidized sand bed for the direct quenching-aging treatment of A356.2 and B319.2 casting alloys yields greater UTS and YS values compared to conventional furnace quenched alloys. The strength values of T6 tempered A356 and B319 alloys are greater when quenched in water compared to those quenched in an FB or CF. For the same aging conditions (170°C/4h), the fluidized bed quenched-aged 319 and 356 alloys show nearly the same or better strength values than those quenched in water and then aged in a CF or an FB. Based on the quality charts developed for alloys subjected to different quenching media, higher quality index values are obtained by water-quenched T6-tempered A356 alloys, and conventional furnace quenched-aged T6-tempered B319 alloys, respectively. The modification factor has the most significant effect on the quality results of the alloys investigated, for all heat treatment cycles, as compared to other metallurgical parameters. The results of alloys subjected to multi-temperature aging cycles reveal that the strength results obtained after the T6 continuous aging treatment of A356 alloys are not improved by means of multi-temperature aging cycles, indicating therefore that the optimum properties are obtained using a T6 aging treatment. The optimum strength properties of B319.2 alloys, however, is obtained by applying multi-temperature aging cycles such as, for example, 230°C/2h followed by 180°C/8h, rather than T6 aging treatment. In the case of multi-temperature aging cycles, the modification factor has the most significant role in improving the quality index values of 356 and 319 alloys. The FB heat-treated alloys have the highest strength values for all heat treatment cycles compared to CF heat-treated alloys; however, the FB has no significant effect on the quality values of 319 alloys compared to the CF. Regarding the interaction plots for multi-temperature aging cycles, the most significant factors that have a positive effect on the quality values of 356 alloys are modification and the 230°C/2h + 180°C/8h multi-temperature aging cycle. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Diet quality of preschool children aged 2 to 5 years living in the urban area of Pelotas, Brazil

PubMed Central

Leal, Katharine Konrad; Schneider, Bruna Celestino; França, Giovanny Vinicius Araújo; Gigante, Denise Petrucci; dos Santos, Iná; Assunção, Maria Cecília Formoso

2015-01-01

Abstract Objective: To assess the dietary quality of preschool children in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Methods: Dietary quality was measured according to the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), adapted to Brazil. Food consumption was obtained using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). The index score was obtained by a score, ranging from 0 to 100, distributed in 13 food groups that characterize different components of a healthy diet. The better the quality of the diet, the closer the score is to 100. Results: Dietary quality was evaluated in 556 preschoolers. The mean HEI score value was 74.4 points, indicating that diets need improvement. The mean scores were significantly higher among girls and in children from families with income between one and less than three minimum wages. Conclusions: The children showed vegetable consumption below the recommended level, while foods of the food group of oils and fats, as well as the group of sugars, candies, chocolates and snacks, were consumed in excess. It is important to reinforce guidelines to promote healthier eating habits, which may persist later in life. PMID:26122208

Bioactive compounds and quality parameters of natural cloudy lemon juices.

PubMed

Uçan, Filiz; Ağçam, Erdal; Akyildiz, Asiye

2016-03-01

In this study, bioactive compounds (phenolic and carotenoid) and some quality parameters (color, browning index and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)) of natural cloudy lemon juice, pasteurized (90 °C/15 s) and storage stability of concentrated lemon juice (-25 °C/180 days) were carried out. Fifteen phenolic compounds were determined in the lemon juice and the most abounded phenolic compounds were hesperidin, eriocitrin, chlorogenic acid and neoeriocitrin. In generally, phenolic compound concentrations of lemon juice samples increased after the pasteurization treatment. Four carotenoid compounds (β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin) were detected in natural cloudy lemon juice. Lutein and β-cryptoxanthin were the most abounded carotenoid compounds in the lemon juice. Color values of the lemon juices were not affected by processing and storage periods. HMF and browning index of the lemon juices increased with concentration and storage. According to the results, storing at -25 °C was considered as sufficient for acceptable quality limits of natural cloudy lemon juice.

Water quality assessment of Australian ports using water quality evaluation indices

PubMed Central

Jahan, Sayka

2017-01-01

Australian ports serve diverse and extensive activities, such as shipping, tourism and fisheries, which may all impact the quality of port water. In this work water quality monitoring at different ports using a range of water quality evaluation indices was applied to assess the port water quality. Seawater samples at 30 stations in the year 2016–2017 from six ports in NSW, Australia, namely Port Jackson, Botany, Kembla, Newcastle, Yamba and Eden, were investigated to determine the physicochemical and biological variables that affect the port water quality. The large datasets obtained were designed to determine the Water Quality Index, Heavy metal Evaluation Index, Contamination Index and newly developed Environmental Water Quality Index. The study revealed medium water quality index and high and medium heavy metal evaluation index at three of the study ports and high contamination index in almost all study ports. Low level dissolved oxygen and higher level of total dissolved solids, turbidity, fecal coliforms, copper, iron, lead, zinc, manganese, cadmium and cobalt are mainly responsible for the poor water qualities of the port areas. Good water quality at the background samples indicated that various port activities are the likely cause for poor water quality inside the port area. PMID:29244876

Monitoring and Assessment of Youshui River Water Quality in Youyang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xue-qin; Wen, Juan; Chen, Ping-hua; Liu, Na-na

2018-02-01

By monitoring the water quality of Youshui River from January 2016 to December 2016, according to the indicator grading and the assessment standard of water quality, the formulas for 3 types water quality indexes are established. These 3 types water quality indexes, the single indicator index Ai, single moment index Ak and the comprehensive water quality index A, were used to quantitatively evaluate the quality of single indicator, the water quality and the change of water quality with time. The results show that, both total phosphorus and fecal coliform indicators exceeded the standard, while the other 16 indicators measured up to the standard. The water quality index of Youshui River is 0.93 and the grade of water quality comprehensive assessment is level 2, which indicated that the water quality of Youshui River is good, and there is room for further improvement. To this end, several protection measures for Youshui River environmental management and pollution treatment are proposed.

Optimizing the balance between radiation dose and image quality in pediatric head CT: findings before and after intensive radiologic staff training.

PubMed

Paolicchi, Fabio; Faggioni, Lorenzo; Bastiani, Luca; Molinaro, Sabrina; Puglioli, Michele; Caramella, Davide; Bartolozzi, Carlo

2014-06-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the radiation dose and image quality of pediatric head CT examinations before and after radiologic staff training. Outpatients 1 month to 14 years old underwent 215 unenhanced head CT examinations before and after intensive training of staff radiologists and technologists in optimization of CT technique. Patients were divided into three age groups (0-4, 5-9, and 10-14 years), and CT dose index, dose-length product, tube voltage, and tube current-rotation time product values before and after training were retrieved from the hospital PACS. Gray matter conspicuity and contrast-to-noise ratio before and after training were calculated, and subjective image quality in terms of artifacts, gray-white matter differentiation, noise, visualization of posterior fossa structures, and need for repeat CT examination was visually evaluated by three neuroradiologists. The median CT dose index and dose-length product values were significantly lower after than before training in all age groups (27 mGy and 338 mGy ∙ cm vs 107 mGy and 1444 mGy ∙ cm in the 0- to 4-year-old group, 41 mGy and 483 mGy ∙ cm vs 68 mGy and 976 mGy ∙ cm in the 5- to 9-year-old group, and 51 mGy and 679 mGy ∙ cm vs 107 mGy and 1480 mGy ∙ cm in the 10- to 14-year-old group; p < 0.001). The tube voltage and tube current-time values after training were significantly lower than the levels before training (p < 0.001). Subjective posttraining image quality was not inferior to pretraining levels for any item except noise (p < 0.05), which, however, was never diagnostically unacceptable. Radiologic staff training can be effective in reducing radiation dose while preserving diagnostic image quality in pediatric head CT examinations.

Effects of transportation during the hot season, breed and electrical stimulation on histochemical and meat quality characteristics of goat longissimus muscle.

PubMed

Kadim, Isam T; Mahgoub, Osman; Al-Marzooqi, Waleed; Khalaf, Samera; Al-Sinawi, Shadia S H; Al-Amri, Issa

2010-06-01

The effects of transportation and electrical stimulation (90 V) on physiological, histochemical and meat quality characteristics of two breeds of Omani goats were assessed. Twenty 1-year-old male goats from each breed (Batina and Dhofari) were divided into two groups: 3 h transported during the hot season (42 degrees C day time temperature) and non-transported. Animals were blood-sampled before loading and prior to slaughter. Electrical stimulation was applied 20 min postmortem to 50% randomly selected carcasses of both breeds. Temperature and pH decline of the Longissimus was monitored. Ultimate pH, shear force, sarcomere length, myofibrillar fragmentation index, expressed juice, cooking loss and colour were measured from samples of Longissimus dorsi muscles. Electrical stimulation and transportation had a significant effect on most biochemical and meat quality characteristics of Longissimus dorsi. The transported goats had higher plasma cortisol (P < 0.01), adrenaline, nor-adrenaline and dopamine concentrations (P < 0.05) than non-transported goats. Electrical stimulation resulted in a significantly (P < 0.05) more rapid muscle pH fall during the first 12 h after slaughter. Muscles from electrically-stimulated carcasses had significantly (P < 0.05) longer sarcomeres, lower shear force value, a lighter colour (higher L* value), higher expressed juice and myofibrillar fragmentation index than those from non-stimulated ones. Meat from transported goats had significantly higher pH, expressed juice and shear force, but contained significantly lower sarcomere length and L* values than non-transported goats. The proportion of the myosin ATPase staining did not change as a function of stimulation, transportation or breed. These results indicated that subjecting goats to transportation for 3 h under high ambient temperatures can generate major physiological and muscle metabolism responses. Electrical stimulation improved quality characteristics of meat from both groups. This indicates that electrical stimulation may reduce detrimental effects of transportation on meat quality of Omani goats.

Soil quality and carbon sequestration in a reclaimed coal mine spoil of Jharia coalfield, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhopadhyay, Sangeeta; Masto, Reginald; Ram, Lal

2016-04-01

Revegetation of coal mine spoil helps in carbon storage and the success of remediation depend on the selection of appropriate tree species. A study was conducted at the coalmine overburden dumps of Jharia Coalfield, Dhanbad, India to evaluate the impact of revegetation on the overall soil quality and carbon sequestration. Morphological parameters (tree height, diameter at breast height, tree biomass, wood specific gravity) of the dominant tree species (Acacia auriculiformis, Cassia siamea, Dalbergia sissoo and Leucaena leucocephala) growing on the mine spoil was recorded. Mine spoil samples were collected under the canopy cover of different tree species and analyzed for soil physical, chemical, and biological parameters. In general reclaimed sites had better soil quality than the reference site. For instance, D. sissoo and C. siamea improved soil pH (+28.5%, +27.9%), EC (+15.65%, +19%), cation exchange capacity (+58.7%, +52.3%), organic carbon (+67.5%, +79.5%), N (+97.2%, +75.7%), P (+98.2%, +76.9%), K (+31.8%, +37.4%), microbial biomass carbon (+143%, +164%) and dehydrogenase activity (+228%, +262%) as compared to the unreclaimed reference coal mine site. The concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) decreased significantly in the reclaimed site than the reference spoil, C. siamea was found to be more promising for PAH degradation. The overall impact of tree species on the quality of reclaimed mine spoil cannot be assessed by individual soil parameters, as most of the parameters are interlinked and difficult to interpret. However, combination of soil properties into an integrated soil quality index provides a more meaningful assessment of reclamation potential of tree species. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify key mine soil quality indicators to develop a soil quality index (SQI). Coarse fraction, pH, EC, soil organic carbon, P, Ca, S, and dehydrogenase activity were the most critical properties controlling growth of tree species. The indicator values were converted into a unitless score (0-1.00) and integrated into mine soil quality index (SQI). Higher SQI values were obtained for sites reclaimed with Dalbergia sissoo (0.585) and Cassia siamea (0.565) compared to the reference mine spoil (0.303). The calculated index was significantly correlated (r = 0.84) with plant growth parameters. The carbon dioxide sequestration potential of the reclaimed site was 133.3 t/ha, while the total tree carbon density was highest in D. sissoo (13.93 t/ha) and C. siamea (11.35 t/ha). Based on SQI and C sequestration potential, Dalbergia sissoo and Cassia siamea was found to be more suitable for reclamation of mine spoil.

Quality of pharmacy-specific Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) assignment in pharmacy journals indexed in MEDLINE.

PubMed

Minguet, Fernando; Salgado, Teresa M; van den Boogerd, Lucienne; Fernandez-Llimos, Fernando

2015-01-01

The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is the National Library of Medicine (NLM) controlled vocabulary for indexing articles. Inaccuracies in the MeSH thesaurus have been reported for several areas including pharmacy. To assess the quality of pharmacy-specific MeSH assignment to articles indexed in pharmacy journals. The 10 journals containing the highest number of articles published in 2012 indexed under the MeSH 'Pharmacists' were identified. All articles published over a 5-year period (2008-2012) in the 10 previously selected journals were retrieved from PubMed. MeSH terms used to index these articles were extracted and pharmacy-specific MeSH terms were identified. The frequency of use of pharmacy-specific MeSH terms was calculated across journals. A total of 6989 articles were retrieved from the 10 pharmacy journals, of which 328 (4.7%) were articles not fully indexed and therefore did not contain any MeSH terms assigned. Among the 6661 articles fully indexed, the mean number of MeSH terms was 10.1 (SD = 4.0), being 1.0 (SD = 1.3) considered as Major MeSH. Both values significantly varied across journals. The mean number of pharmacy-specific MeSH terms per article was 0.9 (SD = 1.2). A total of 3490 (52.4%) of the 6661 articles were indexed in pharmacy journals without a single pharmacy-specific MeSH. Of the total 67193 MeSH terms assigned to articles, on average 10.5% (SD = 13.9) were pharmacy-specific MeSH. A statistically significant different pattern of pharmacy-specific MeSH assignment was identified across journals (Kruskal-Wallis P < 0.001). The quality of assignment of the existing pharmacy-specific MeSH terms to articles indexed in pharmacy journals can be improved to further enhance evidence gathering in pharmacy. Over half of the articles published in the top-10 journals publishing pharmacy literature were indexed without a single pharmacy-specific MeSH. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship between three cotton trash measurements: High Volume Instrumentation (HVI), Shirley Analyzer (SA), and Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Presence of non-lint materials (trashes) in commercial cotton bales at various amounts degrades the market values and further influences the end-use qualities. In order to ensure a fair trading, the USDA’s AMS has introduced the high volume instrument (HVI) measurement as a universal standard index....

Aquatic therapy improves pain, disability, quality of life, body composition and fitness in sedentary adults with chronic low back pain. A controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Baena-Beato, Pedro Ángel; Artero, Enrique G; Arroyo-Morales, Manuel; Robles-Fuentes, Alejandro; Gatto-Cardia, María Claudia; Delgado-Fernández, Manuel

2014-04-01

To determine the effects of a two-month intensive aquatic therapy programme on back pain, disability, quality of life, body composition and health-related fitness in sedentary adults with chronic low back pain. Controlled clinical trial. Community. Forty-nine sedentary patients with chronic low back pain. Patients were allocated into active group (n = 24, two months, five times/week) or waiting list, control group (n = 25) according to space on the programme. Outcomes variables were pain (visual analogue scale), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), quality of life (Quality Short-Form Health Survey 36), body composition (weight, body mass index, body fat percentage and skeletal muscle mass) and health-related fitness (sit-and-reach, handgrip strength, curl-up, Rockport 1-mile test). The active group significantly improved low back pain (-3.83 ± 0.35 mm on the visual analogue scale ), disability (-12.7 ± 1.3 points for the Oswestry Disability Index) and the standardized physical component (10.3 ± 1.4 points for the Quality Short-Form Health Survey 36) of quality-of-life domains (P < 0.001), with no significant changes on the standardized mental component (P = 0.114). In relation to body composition and fitness, the active group showed significant improvements (all P-values < 0.01). The control group presented no significant change in any parameter. A two-month intensive aquatic therapy programme of high-frequency (five times/week) decreases levels of back pain and disability, increases quality of life, and improves body composition and health-related fitness in sedentary adults with chronic low back pain.

[The value of glucose-positive coliform bacteria and potentially pathogenic bacteria as indicators of epidemiological safety of tap water].

PubMed

Zhuravlev, P V; Aleshnia, V V; Panasovets, O P; Morozova, A A; Artemova, T Z; Talaeva, Iu G; Zagaĭnova, A V; Gipp, E K

2012-01-01

Due to intensive anthropogenic pollution of water environment generally accepted indicators of epidemic security of water bodies - common bacteria and thermotolerant coliform bacteria do not always permit to obtain an objective characterization of bacterial contamination of tap water. From the point of view of authors the integral index - glucose positive coliform bacteria most adequately reflect the sanitary-hygienic and epidemiological situation of water bodies. In monitoring for bacterial quality of tap water it is advisable to determine glucose positive coliform bacteria, that will provide the relevance of estimation of the epidemiological safety of water use. According to the method developed by the authors the calculation of the index of population risk of acute intestinal infections occurrence in dependence on the quality of tap water in Azov and Tsimlyansk towns.

SU-F-T-294: The Analysis of Gamma Criteria for Delta4 Dosimetry Using Statistical Process Control

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

Cho, S; Ahn, S; Kim, J

Purpose: To evaluate the sensitivity of gamma criteria for patient-specific volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT) quality assurance of the Delta{sup 4} dosimetry program using the statistical process control(SPC) methodology. Methods: The authors selected 20 patient-specific VMAT QA cases which were undertaken MapCHECK and ArcCHECK with gamma pass rate better than 97%. The QAs data were collected Delta4 Phantom+ and Elekta Agility six megavolts without using an angle incrementer. The gamma index(GI) were calculated in 2D planes with normalizing deviation to local dose(local gamma). The sensitivity of the GI methodology using criterion of 3%/3mm, 3%/2mm and 2%/3mm was analyzed with using processmore » acceptability indices. We used local confidence(LC) level, the upper control limit(UCL) and lower control limit(LCL) of I-MR chart for process capability index(Cp) and a process acceptability index (Cpk). Results: The lower local confidence levels of 3%/3mm, 3%/2mm and 2%/3mm were 92.0%, 83.6% and 78.8% respectively. All of the calculated Cp and Cpk values that used LC level were under 1.0 in this study. The calculated LCLs of I-MR charts were 89.5%, 79.0% and 70.5% respectively. These values were higher than 1.0 which means good quality of QA. For the generally used lower limit of 90%, we acquired over 1.3 of Cp value for the gamma index of 3%/3mm and lower than 1.0 in the rest of GI. Conclusion: We applied SPC methodology to evaluate the sensitivity of gamma criteria and could see the lower control limits of VMAT QA for the Delta 4 dosimetry and could see that Delta 4 phantom+ dosimetry more affected by the position error and the I-MR chart derived values are more suitable for establishing lower limits. Acknowledgement: This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (No. 2015R1D1A1A01060463)« less

[Situation and assessment of heavy metal pollution in river and mud in one city in Henan Province].

PubMed

Xi, Jingzhuan; Li, Cuimei; Wang, Shouying; Jiang, Zhigang; Zhang, Miaomiao; Han, Guangliang

2010-11-01

To study the heavy metal contamination status in river water and mud in the suburb of a city in Henan Province. Typical sampling method is used to select a farmland irrigation river of the suburb of a city. Use the atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and measure the heavy metal cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) in the river water samples and mud samples by graphite furnace method and flame method, respectively. The results of water were compared with GB 3838-2002, Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water, and GB 5084-2005, Standards for Irrigation Water Quality. The results of mud were compared with national soil background value. The contents of Cu and Cd in the river samples do not exceed the standard, and that of Pb is 3 to 6 times higher than the standard. According to the single factor pollution index method, the single factor pollution indice of Cu, and Cd in the river are less than 0.2 and are of clean level, while that of Pb reaches 6.84, indicating the Pb pollution in river water is severe. Cu in mud is more than 4 times of the soil background value, and that of Cd is more than 69 times of the soil background value, and that of Pb is more than 2 times of the soil background value. The single item pollution index indicates, in mud, the pollution index of Pb is 2.5, medium level pollution. The pollution indice of Cu and Cd in mud are more than 3, is severe pollution, and the Cd pollution is especially heavy, and the single pollution index reaches 67.76. The comprehensive pollution indice of the river and the mud are 5.346 and 84.115, respectively, indicating that both are at heavy pollution level. The main pollution source of the river originates from Pb, and that of the mud is from Cd and it is required to take measure and control as early as possible.

A comparison of EuroQol 5-Dimension health-related utilities using Italian, UK, and US preference weights in a patient sample.

PubMed

Mozzi, Adelaide; Meregaglia, Michela; Lazzaro, Carlo; Tornatore, Valentina; Belfiglio, Maurizio; Fattore, Giovanni

2016-01-01

Weights associated with the EuroQol 5-Dimension 3-Level (EQ-5D-3L) instrument represent preferences for health states elicited from general population's samples. Weights have not been calculated for every country; however, empirical research shows that cross-country differences exist. This empirical study aims at investigating the impact of recently developed Italian weights in comparison with UK and US scores on health-related utility calculation using a sample of patients with Crohn's disease. The study is based on a survey on health-related quality of life in patients (n=552) affected by active Crohn's disease conducted in Italy from 2012 to 2013. Utilities computed through the Italian algorithm (mean: 0.76; SD: 0.20; median: 0.81) are generally higher than US (mean: 0.69; SD: 0.22; median: 0.77) and UK (mean: 0.57; SD: 0.32; median: 0.69) utilities, except for extremely severe health states where US values outweigh the Italian ones. UK preference weights generate the highest number of negative results. All the three value distributions are left-skewed due to very low scores associated with the most serious health states (ie, three or four levels equal to 3). As expected, despite the tariff set considered, more severe disease (Harvey Bradshaw Index >16) reduces the mean conditional EQ-5D-3L index (P<0.0001). Kendall's rank correlation between EQ Visual Analog Scale score and EQ-5D-3L index is positive (P<0.0001), even though patients tend to value their health-related quality of life more when responding to EQ-5D-3L questions than on EQ Visual Analog Scale. Regardless of the tariff set considered, ordinary least-square results highlight that more severe disease (Harvey Bradshaw Index >16) reduces the mean conditional EQ-5D-3L index (P<0.0001). Results reveal remarkable differences among the three national tariff sets and especially when severe health states occur, suggesting the need for country-specific preference weights when evaluating utilities, which can be problematic since they have not been calculated for every country yet.

Environmental quality of Korean coasts as determined by modified Shannon-Wiener evenness proportion.

PubMed

Yoo, Jae-Won; Lee, Yong-Woo; Ruesink, Jennifer L; Lee, Chang-Gun; Kim, Chang-Soo; Park, Mi-Ra; Yoon, Kon-Tak; Hwang, In-Seo; Maeng, Jun-Ho; Rosenberg, Rutger; Hong, Jae-Sang

2010-11-01

The coast of the Korean peninsula experiences a range of human impacts, including pollution, shipping, reclamation, and aquaculture, that have motivated numerous local studies of macrobenthic organisms. In this paper, 1,492 subtidal stations were compiled from 23 studies (areas) to evaluate environmental quality on a broader scale. A common index in biomonitoring, Shannon-Wiener evenness proportion (SEP), could not incorporate azoic or single-species samples. This shortcoming was overcome by developing an inverse function of SEP (ISEP), which was positively correlated with independent measures of water quality available for nine sites and was not biased by the size of the sampling unit. Additionally, at Shihwa Dike, where samples were collected before and after reinstating a tidal connection with the ocean, ISEP values improved over time, as expected. Thus, it is now possible to assign Korean subtidal sites to seven ISEP "grades" and to use their values and trends to guide coastal management.

Impact of land-use on groundwater quality: GIS-based study from an alluvial aquifer in the western Ganges basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Arina; Khan, Haris Hasan; Umar, Rashid

2017-12-01

In this study, groundwater quality of an alluvial aquifer in the western Ganges basin is assessed using a GIS-based groundwater quality index (GQI) concept that uses groundwater quality data from field survey and laboratory analysis. Groundwater samples were collected from 42 wells during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods of 2012 and analysed for pH, EC, TDS, Anions (Cl, SO4, NO3), and Cations (Ca, Mg, Na). To generate the index, several parameters were selected based on WHO recommendations. The spatially variable grids of each parameter were modified by normalizing with the WHO standards and finally integrated into a GQI grid. The mean GQI values for both the season suggest good groundwater quality. However, spatial variations exist and are represented by GQI map of both seasons. This spatial variability was compared with the existing land-use, prepared using high-resolution satellite imagery available in Google earth. The GQI grids were compared to the land-use map using an innovative GIS-based method. Results indicate that the spatial variability of groundwater quality in the region is not fully controlled by the land-use pattern. This probably reflects the diffuse nature of land-use classes, especially settlements and plantations.

Relationships between nutrient composition of flowers and fruit quality in orange trees grown in calcareous soil.

PubMed

Pestana, Maribela; Beja, Pedro; Correia, Pedro José; de Varennes, Amarilis; Faria, Eugénio Araújo

2005-06-01

To determine if flower nutrient composition can be used to predict fruit quality, a field experiment was conducted over three seasons (1996-1999) in a commercial orange orchard (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck cv. 'Valencia Late', budded on Troyer citrange rootstock) established on a calcareous soil in southern Portugal. Flowers were collected from 20 trees during full bloom in April and their nutrient composition determined, and fruits were harvested the following March and their quality evaluated. Patterns of covariation in flower nutrient concentrations and in fruit quality variables were evaluated by principal component analysis. Regression models relating fruit quality variables to flower nutrient composition were developed by stepwise selection procedures. The predictive power of the regression models was evaluated with an independent data set. Nutrient composition of flowers at full bloom could be used to predict the fruit quality variables fresh fruit mass and maturation index in the following year. Magnesium, Ca and Zn concentrations measured in flowers were related to fruit fresh mass estimations and N, P, Mg and Fe concentrations were related to fruit maturation index. We also established reference values for the nutrient composition of flowers based on measurements made in trees that produced large (> 76 mm in diameter) fruit.

Assessment of sleep quality and correlates in a large cohort of Colombian women around menopause.

PubMed

Monterrosa-Castro, Alvaro; Marrugo-Flórez, Martha; Romero-Pérez, Ivette; Fernández-Alonso, Ana M; Chedraui, Peter; Pérez-López, Faustino R

2013-04-01

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between self-reported sleep quality, menopausal symptom intensity, and correlates (including ethnicity) among middle-aged women. The present cross-sectional study involved 1,078 Colombian women aged 40 to 59 years who completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), and a general questionnaire exploring sociodemographic data. The median [interquartile range] age of the whole sample was 49.0 [9.0] years. Among the participants, 45.4% were postmenopausal, 57.2% had increased body mass index values, 13.9% were black, 20.7% had hypertension, 74.1% had a stable partner, and 3.8% used hormone therapy. The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 57.1% (PSQI global score ≥5). Significant correlations between PSQI global scores and MRS total and subscale scores were found. Multiple linear regression analysis found that higher PSQI scores (poorer quality of sleep) correlated with higher MRS psychological and somatic subscale scores (more severe symptoms), smoking habit, and hypertension. Menopause status and black ethnicity were excluded from the final regression model. Despite study limitations, poor sleep quality is highly prevalent in this large middle-aged Colombian female sample and is related to menopausal symptom severity, tobacco use, and presence of hypertension.

Optimal interpolation analysis of leaf area index using MODIS data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gu, Yingxin; Belair, Stephane; Mahfouf, Jean-Francois; Deblonde, Godelieve

2006-01-01

A simple data analysis technique for vegetation leaf area index (LAI) using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data is presented. The objective is to generate LAI data that is appropriate for numerical weather prediction. A series of techniques and procedures which includes data quality control, time-series data smoothing, and simple data analysis is applied. The LAI analysis is an optimal combination of the MODIS observations and derived climatology, depending on their associated errors σo and σc. The “best estimate” LAI is derived from a simple three-point smoothing technique combined with a selection of maximum LAI (after data quality control) values to ensure a higher quality. The LAI climatology is a time smoothed mean value of the “best estimate” LAI during the years of 2002–2004. The observation error is obtained by comparing the MODIS observed LAI with the “best estimate” of the LAI, and the climatological error is obtained by comparing the “best estimate” of LAI with the climatological LAI value. The LAI analysis is the result of a weighting between these two errors. Demonstration of the method described in this paper is presented for the 15-km grid of Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC)'s regional version of the numerical weather prediction model. The final LAI analyses have a relatively smooth temporal evolution, which makes them more appropriate for environmental prediction than the original MODIS LAI observation data. They are also more realistic than the LAI data currently used operationally at the MSC which is based on land-cover databases.

[Self-perception of disease in patients with chronic diseases].

PubMed

Adrián-Arrieta, L; Casas-Fernández de Tejerina, J M

2017-11-18

The aim of this study is to assess the self-perception of disease by patients with chronic diseases and determine factors related to their perception of disease. Cross-sectional descriptive study performed between September 2014 and April 2015 in nine (6 urban and 3 rural) Health Centres of Navarra, Spain. The participants were recruited by convenience sampling of 196 patients aged over 65 years with at least one chronic disease. The outcome variable was: Perception of disease evaluated through The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (9 items. Assessment of the cognitive and emotional representation of the disease. A higher total score indicates a greater threat of disease to the patient). Explanatory variables: Evaluation of the care received through the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care, Katz index, Gijon's socio-family evaluation scale and quality of life using the EQ5D questionnaire. Other variables studied were: gender, age, education, Charlson index, and number of chronic diseases. The association between the total The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire value and the rest of the variables was calculated. The self-perception of disease is more negative for a larger number of diseases (rho: 0.242; p=.001), greater patient dependence (rho: -0.193; P=.007), and a poorer self-perceived quality of life (EQ VAS rho: -0.484; P<.001. EQ5D5L Index value rho: -0.507; P<.001). The perception that chronic patients have about their disease worsens as their diseases and their dependence increase, and also worsens their quality of life. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Regular Practice of Competitive Sports Does Not Impair Sleep in Adolescents: DADOS Study.

PubMed

Beltran-Valls, María Reyes; García Artero, Enrique; Capdevila-Seder, Ana; Legaz-Arrese, Alejandro; Adelantado-Renau, Mireia; Moliner-Urdiales, Diego

2018-05-01

To analyze differences in sleep quality and duration by athletic status and sex, and to examine the association between physical activity (PA) recommendation and sleep in adolescents. A total of 267 adolescents [13.9 (0.3) y] from Deporte, ADOlescencia y Salud (DADOS) study (129 girls) were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Athletes competed regularly in organized sport events and trained ≥3 days per week, but nonathletes did not compete. PA was assessed by GENEActiv accelerometer. PA values were dichotomized into inactive (<60 min/d of moderate and vigorous PA) and active (≥60 min/d of moderate and vigorous PA). Sleep quality was evaluated with the Spanish version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index values were dichotomized into >5 (poor quality) or ≤5 (good quality). Sleep duration was objectively measured by accelerometer. Sleep quality and duration were not statistically different between athletes [median (Mdn) = 4.0, interquartile range (IQR) = 3.0-6.0 and Mdn = 8.0, IQR = 7.4-8.6 h, respectively] and nonathletes (Mdn = 5.0, IQR = 3.0-7.0 and Mdn = 7.9; IQR = 7.3-8.6 h, respectively), P > .05. Nonathlete or inactive adolescents did not show higher risk for poor sleep quality or short sleep duration than athletes [odds ratio (OR) = 1.17; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.68-2.00 and OR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.56-1.55, respectively] or active peers (OR = 1.39; 95% CI, 0.66-2.89 and OR = 1.62; 95% CI, 0.78-3.37, respectively). In our group of adolescents, competitive sport practice did not alter sleep patterns. PA recommendations for adolescents may not discriminate between good and poor sleepers.

Effect of Hartha and Najibia power plants on water quality indices of Shatt Al-Arab River, south of Iraq

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Aboodi, Ali H.; Abbas, Sarmad A.; Ibrahim, Husham T.

2018-05-01

The main object of this research is to assess the water quality of Shatt Al-Arab River and its suitability for various purposes near power plants (Hartha and Najibia) through physical and chemical analysis [temperature, pH, EC, Cl-, Na+, K+, Ca+2, Mg+2, HCO3 -, NO3 -, SO 4 -2 , Fe+, total alkalinity, total hardness, biological oxygen demand (BOD5), NH4 +, and NO2 -] using water quality index (WQI), organic pollution index (OPI), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and percentage of sodium ion (Na%) during the dry season (August, 2016) and the wet season (January, 2017). WQI of Shatt Al-Arab falls under very poor quality during summer season, while it ranges from very poor quality to unsuitable for drinking purposes during winter season. There is a clear effect of power plants on water quality. Hartha and Najibia power plants contribute to the deterioration of water quality by increasing the percentage ratio of WQI near these plants by 13.22 and 9.69%, respectively, compared to the north sites of these plants during summer season. The percentage ratios of increased WQI near Hartha and Najibia power plants compared to the north sites of these plants are 17.93 and 15.92%, respectively, during winter season. Water quality of Shatt Al-Arab falls under a high level of organic pollution during the summer and winter seasons. There is a slight effect by the power plants on the OPI. Hartha and Najibia power plants contributed to the change of the OPI by 10% compared to the north site of Hartha power plant. According to the comparison between the SAR values which represent the suitability of water for serve irrigation purposes and SAR values of Shatt Al-Arab, all sites lie in the first class (excellent). According to Na+%, the type of surface water in the studied area lies in good class during winter season and permissible class during summer season.

Exploring EKC, trends of growth patterns and air pollutants concentration level in Malaysia: A Nemerow Index Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bekhet, Hussain A.; >Tahira Yasmin,

2013-06-01

The present study examines an Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis by analyzing annual data of air pollutants concentartion and per capita GDP as economic indicator over the (1996-2010) period in Malaysia. Nemerow Index Approach (I) used to generate a measures of air pollution. The results show that ambient air quality indicators supports the EKC hypothesis which stated that pollution levels increase as a country develops, but begin to decrease as rising incomes pass beyond a turning poin. Also, the I result is justifying that most pollutants are showing value less than 1.

Satisfaction with rehabilitation in relation to self-perceived quality of life and function among patients with stroke - a 12 month follow-up.

PubMed

Hansson, Eva Ekvall; Beckman, Anders; Wihlborg, Anna; Persson, Sylvia; Troein, Margareta

2013-06-01

Stroke causes complex disability and function, and perceived quality of life has been shown to correlate with satisfaction with care as well as with life in general among stroke patients. The aim of this study was to study the relation of satisfaction with how rehabilitation was provided with self-perceived quality of life, self-perceived function and rehabilitation received, 12 months after the incidence. The subjects were assessed 12 months after the onset of stroke. The Barthel index was used to measure function, and the EuroQol-5D to measure quality of life. To measure satisfaction with how rehabilitation was provided, a questionnaire from the Swedish Stroke Register was used. Two hundred and eighty-three patients participated in the follow-up, 137 women and 146 men, aged between 42 and 95 years (mean age 75.2, SD 11.8). For the majority of patients rehabilitation was initiated at in-hospital care (directly after onset). One hundred and sixty-eight patients considered that rehabilitation was well provided for. Sixty-six regarded that the rehabilitation was only partly provided for and 35 that it was not provided for at all. High value on Barthel Index was associated with satisfaction with how rehabilitation was provided for (OR 2.81). Also, rehabilitation on three or more levels was negatively associated with satisfaction with rehabilitation provision (OR 0.24) and so was being male (OR 0.49). In this study, patients with higher values on Barthel Index were more satisfied with how rehabilitation was provided for. However, male patients and patients who received rehabilitation on three or more levels of care were less satisfied. Given the assumption that patients with more severe dysfunction after stroke are being rehabilitated on more levels, this might imply that it is not the amount of rehabilitation that gives satisfaction but the patients self-perceived function after rehabilitation. © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Quality evaluation of the edible blue-green alga Nostoc flagelliforme using a chlorophyll fluorescence parameter and several biochemical markers.

PubMed

Gao, Xiang; Yang, Yiwen; Ai, Yufeng; Luo, Hongyi; Qiu, Baosheng

2014-01-15

Nostoc flagelliforme is an edible blue-green alga with herbal and dietary values. Due to the diminishing supply of natural N. flagelliforme and the large investment on the development of its cultivation technology, it is anticipated that artificially cultured N. flagelliforme will soon sustain the market supply. Once this change occurs, the storage-associated quality problem will become the focus of attention for future trade. In this paper, we used a chlorophyll fluorescence parameter, maximum quantum efficiency of Photosystem II (Fv/Fm), and several biomarkers to evaluate the quality of several N. flagelliforme samples. It was found that longer storage times resulted in darker coloured solutions (released pigments) and decreased amounts of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and water-soluble sugars (WSS). Additionally, a higher Fv/Fm value suggests better physiological recovery and quality. In actual application, determination of Fv/Fm would be the first step for evaluating the quality of N. flagelliforme, and the biochemical indexes would serve as good secondary markers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Soil Service Index: a method for quantifying the value, vulnerability, and status of soil resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harden, J. W.; Loisel, J.; Hugelius, G.; Sulman, B. N.; Bond-Lamberty, B. P.; Abramoff, R. Z.; Malhotra, A.; Gill, A. L.

2017-12-01

Soils support ecological and human systems by providing a physical and biogeochemical basis for plant growth, ecological functions, water quality, and water storage, and by providing services and functions needed for economic development, human well-being, and conservation of natural resources. Quantitative evaluation of soil services, however, is inconsistent and poorly communicated, in part because we lack a scientific, unified basis for evaluating soils and their potential for serving our needs. We introduce an index of soil service (SSI) in which multiple services are numerically or quantitatively assessed, normalized to a unit-less scale for purposes of intercomparability, and evaluated for a given site or region. Services include organic matter and/or organic carbon storage; plant productivity; CO2 or GHG exchange with the atmosphere; water storage capacity; and nutrient storage and/or availability. The status of SSI can be evaluated by individual services or by a composite index that combines multiple services. The status can be monitored over time; and key services that are more highly valued for a given soil can be weighted accordingly in comparison to other services. As a first step, existing data for each service are captured from a literature and data review in order to establish the full range of values. A site value establishes the ranking relative to the full range. Key services are weighted according to local values. A final index is the sum of the normalized, weighted products. Metrics can be updated and adapted as new data or services are discovered or recognized. Metrics can be used to compare among sites, regions, or time periods.

[Valuation of health-related quality of life and utilities in health economics].

PubMed

Greiner, Wolfgang; Klose, Kristina

2014-01-01

Measuring health-related quality of life is an important aspect in economic evaluation of health programmes. The development of utility-based (preference-based) measures is advanced by the discipline of health economics. Different preference measures are applied for valuing health states to produce a weighted health state index. Those preference weights should be derived from a general population sample in case of resource allocation on a collective level (as in current valuation studies of the EuroQol group). Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Relationship of therapeutic outcome with quality of life on type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Abdul Azis Singkawang hospital

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perwitasari, D. A.; Urbayatun, S.; Faridah, I. N.; Masyithah, N.

2017-11-01

Diabetes is one of the diseases that required long treatment. Therapeutic outcome is one of the important factors that affect the quality of life. The purpose of this research is to know the effect of therapeutic result on quality of life in Abdul Azis Singkawang hospital. This study used Cross-sectional design. The inclusion criteria for this study was patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) outpatients over 18 years with ICD code X E.11. This study used the EQ-5D to measure patient's quality of life. We recruited 86 T2DM patients who met the inclusion criteria and were dominated by female respondents around 57%. The average value of quality of life EQ-5D was the index value 0.75±0.22 and visual analog scale 74.02±11.80. The result of the analysis showed that there was significant relationship between income and quality of life (p=0.001) and there was significant correlation between 2-hour PG and quality of life (p=0.037). The conclusion of this study was the therapeutic outcome affect the quality of life in 2-h PG, where the higher 2-h PG showed the low quality of life.

Suitability Evaluation on River Bank Filtration of the Second Songhua River, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lixue; Ye, Xueyan; Du, Xinqiang

2016-04-01

The Second Songhua River is the biggest river with the most economic value in Jilin Province, China. In recent years, with the rapid development of economy, water resources and water environment problem is getting prominent, including surface water pollution and over exploitation of groundwater resources, etc. By means of bank filtration, the Second Songhua River basin might realize the combined utilization of regional groundwater and surface water, and thus has important significance for the guarantee of water demand for industrial and agricultural production planning in the basin. The following steps were adopted to evaluate the suitability of bank filtration nearby the Scond Songhua River : Firstly, in order to focus on the most possible area, the evaluation area was divided based on the aspects of natural geographical conditions and hydraulic connection extent between river water and groundwater. Second, the main suitability indexes including water quantity, water quality, interaction intensity between surface water and groundwater, and the exploitation condition of groundwater resource, and nine sub-indexes including hydraulic conductivity, aquifer thickness, river runoff, the status of groundwater quality, the status of surface water quality, groundwater hydraulic gradient, possible influence zone width of surface water under the condition of groundwater exploitation, permeability of riverbed layer and groundwater depth were proposed to establish an evaluation index system for the suitability of river bank filtration. Thirdly, Combined with the natural geography, geology and hydrogeology conditions of the Second Songhua River basin, the ArcGIS technology is used to complete the evaluation of the various indicators. According to the weighted sum of each index, the suitability of river bank filtration in the study area is divided into five grades. The evaluation index system and evaluation method established in this article are applicable to the Second Songhua River basin, which have clear pertinence and limitation. For future generalization of the evaluation index system, the specific evaluation index and its scoring criteria should be modified appropriately based on local conditions.

Effects of control laws and relaxed static stability on vertical ride quality of flexible aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, P. A.; Swaim, R. L.; Schmidt, D. K.; Hinsdale, A. J.

1977-01-01

State variable techniques are utilized to generate the RMS vertical load factors for the B-52H and B-1 bombers at low level, mission critical, cruise conditions. A ride quality index is proposed to provide meaningful comparisons between different controls or conditions. Ride quality is shown to be relatively invariant under various popular control laws. Handling quality variations are shown to be major contributors to ride quality variations on both vehicles. Relaxed static stability is artificially implemented on the study vehicles to investigate its effects on ride quality. The B-52H ride quality is generally degraded when handling characteristics are automatically restored by a feedback control to the original values from relaxed stability conditions. The B-1 airplane shows little ride quality sensitivity to the same analysis due to the small rigid body contribution to load factors at the flight condition investigated.

Use of a silklike bedding fabric in patients with atopic dermatitis.

PubMed

Kurtz, Eleanor J; Yelverton, Christopher B; Camacho, Fabian T; Fleischer, Alan B

2008-01-01

Symptoms of atopic dermatitis are often affected by environmental irritants. Modulation of potential irritants may benefit such symptoms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a novel silklike bedding fabric for persons with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis. Participants with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis were provided a bedsheet set. Eczema Area and Severity Index and Investigator Global Assessment were the primary outcome measures. Visual Analog Scale for itch and a quality of life were also evaluated. The Wilcoxon signed rank test indicated a significant decrease in severity, with the Investigator Global Assessment score decreasing from 2.05 to 1.74 at week 8 (p = 0.03), the Eczema Area and Severity Index decreasing from 2.63 at baseline to 2.19 (p = 0.014), and the itching score decreasing from 3.97 to 3.00 (p = 0.010). An increase in the study-specific quality of life index was also observed, changing from -0.08 (no change in quality of life) to 1.23 (some improvement) (p < 0.0001). Atopic dermatitis is commonly recalcitrant to therapy and synthetic silklike bed linens may have value as another option for the treatment of this disease. This pilot study demonstrated promising results that warrant confirmation in controlled clinical studies.

Case study of microarthropod communities to assess soil quality in different managed vineyards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gagnarli, E.; Goggioli, D.; Tarchi, F.; Guidi, S.; Nannelli, R.; Vignozzi, N.; Valboa, G.; Lottero, M. R.; Corino, L.; Simoni, S.

2015-07-01

Land use influences the abundance and diversity of soil arthropods. The evaluation of the impact of different management strategies on soil quality is increasingly sought, and the determination of community structures of edaphic fauna can represent an efficient tool. In the area of Langhe (Piedmont, Italy), eight vineyards characterized for physical and chemical properties (soil texture, soil pH, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, calcium carbonate) were selected. We evaluated the effect of two types of crop management, organic and integrated pest management (IPM), on abundance and biodiversity of microarthropods living at the soil surface. Soil sampling was carried out in winter 2011 and spring 2012. All specimens were counted and determined up to the order level. The biodiversity analysis was performed using ecological indexes (taxa richness, dominance, Shannon-Wiener, Buzas and Gibson's evenness, Margalef, equitability, Berger-Parker), and the biological soil quality was assessed with the BSQ-ar index. The mesofauna abundance was affected by both the type of management and sampling time. On the whole, a higher abundance was in organic vineyards (N = 1981) than in IPM ones (N = 1062). The analysis performed by ecological indexes showed quite a high level of biodiversity in this environment, particularly in May 2012. Furthermore, the BSQ-ar values registered were similar to those obtained in preserved soils.

Chemical shift magnetic resonance imaging for distinguishing minimal-fat renal angiomyolipoma from renal cell carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Chen, Ling-Shan; Zhu, Zheng-Qiu; Wang, Zhi-Tao; Li, Jing; Liang, Li-Feng; Jin, Ji-Yang; Wang, Zhong-Qiu

2018-05-01

To determine the performance of chemical shift signal intensity index (CS-SII) values for distinguishing minimal-fat renal angiomyolipoma (mfAML) from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and to assess RCC subtype characterisation. We identified eligible studies on CS magnetic resonance imaging (CS-MRI) of focal renal lesions via PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. CS-SII values were extracted by lesion type and evaluated using linear mixed model-based meta-regression. RCC subtypes were analysed. Two-sided p value <0.05 indicated statistical significance. Methodological quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 tool. Eleven articles involving 850 patients were included. Minimal-fat AML had significantly higher CS-SII value than RCC (p < 0.05); there were no significant differences between mfAML and clear cell RCC (cc-RCC) (p = 0.112). Clear cell RCC had a significantly higher CS-SII value than papillary RCC (p-RCC) (p < 0.001) and chromophobe RCC (ch-RCC) (p = 0.045). The methodological quality was relatively high, and Begg's test data points indicated no obvious publication bias. The CS-SII value for differentiating mfAML from cc-RCC remains unproven, but is a promising method for differentiating cc-RCC from p-RCC and ch-RCC. • RCC CS-SII values are significantly lower than those of mfAML overall. • CS-SII values cannot aid differentiation between mfAML and cc-RCC. • CS-SII values might help characterise RCC subtypes.

Comparing Stream Discharge, Dissolved Organic Carbon, and Selected MODIS Indices in Freshwater Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaver, W. T.; Wollheim, W. M.

2009-12-01

In a preliminary study of the Ipswich Basin in Massachusetts, a good correlation was found to exist between the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) Enhanced Vegetation Index and stream dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Further study was warranted to determine the utility of MODIS indices in predicting temporal stream DOC. Stream discharge rates and DOC data were obtained from the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) database. Twelve NAWQA monitoring sites were selected for evaluation based on the criteria of having drainage basin sizes less than 600 km2 with relatively continuous, long-term DOC and discharge data. MODIS indices were selected based on their connections with terrestrial DOC and were obtained for each site's catchment area. These included the Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), the Daily Photosynthesis (PSN) and the Leaf Area Index (LAI). Regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between DOC, discharge and MODIS products. Data analysis revealed several important trends. Sites with strong positive correlation coefficients (r values ranging from 0.462 to 0.831) between DOC and discharge displayed weak correlations with all of the MODIS indices (r values ranging from 0 to 0.322). For sites where the DOC/discharge correlation was weak or negative, MODIS indices were moderately correlated, with r values ranging from 0.35 to 0.647, all of which were significant at less than 1 percent. Some sites that had weak positive correlations with MODIS indices displayed a lag time, that is, the MODIS index rose and fell shortly before the DOC concentration rose and fell. Shifting the MODIS data forward in time by roughly one month significantly increased the DOC/MODIS r values by about 10%. NDVI and EVI displayed the strongest correlations with temporal DOC variability (r values ranging from 0.471 to 0.647), and therefore these indices are the most promising for being incorporated into a model for remotely sensing terrestrial DOC.

Multi-station basis for Polar Cap (PC) indices: ensuring credibility and operational reliability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stauning, Peter

2018-02-01

The Polar Cap (PC) indices, PCN (North) and PCS (South) are based on polar geomagnetic observations from Qaanaaq (Thule) and Vostok, respectively, processed to measure the transpolar plasma convection that may seriously affect space weather conditions. To establish reliable space weather forecasts based on PC indices, and also to ensure credibility of their use for scientific analyses of solar wind-magnetosphere interactions, additional sources of data for the PC indices are investigated. In the search for alternative index sources, objective quality criteria are established here to be used for the selection among potential candidates. These criteria are applied to existing PC index series to establish a quality scale. In the Canadian region, the data from Resolute Bay magnetometer are shown to provide alternative PCN indices of adequate quality. In Antarctica, the data from Concordia Dome-C observatory are shown to provide basis for alternative PCS indices. In examples to document the usefulness of these alternative index sources it is shown that PCN indices in a real-time version based on magnetometer data from Resolute Bay could have given 6 h of early warning, of which the last 2 h were "red alert", up to the onset of the strong substorm event on 13 March 1989 that caused power outage in Quebec. The alternative PCS indices based on data from Dome-C have helped to disclose that presently available Vostok-based PCS index values are corrupted throughout most of 2011.

Poor Sleep Quality is Associated with Insulin Resistance in Postmenopausal Women With and Without Metabolic Syndrome.

PubMed

Kline, Christopher E; Hall, Martica H; Buysse, Daniel J; Earnest, Conrad P; Church, Timothy S

2018-05-01

Poor sleep quality has previously been shown to be related to insulin resistance in apparently healthy adults. However, it is unclear whether an association between sleep quality and insulin resistance exists among adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Participants included 347 overweight/obese postmenopausal women without type 2 diabetes (age: 57.5 ± 6.5 years; body mass index [BMI]: 31.7 ± 3.7 kg/m 2 ; 54% with MetS). Sleep quality was assessed with the six-item Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale; values were categorized into quartiles. Insulin resistance was calculated from fasting glucose and insulin with the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR) method. Analysis of covariance models were used to examine the association between sleep quality and HOMA2-IR after accounting for MetS and covariates (e.g., BMI, cardiorespiratory fitness, and energy intake). Women with the worst sleep quality had significantly higher HOMA2-IR values than women in all other quartiles (P ≤ 0.05 for each), and women with MetS had significantly higher HOMA2-IR values than women without MetS (P < 0.0001), but the relationship between sleep quality and HOMA2-IR did not differ between those with or without MetS (P = 0.26). Women with MetS in the worst quartile of sleep quality had higher HOMA2-IR values than all other women (P < 0.02). Taking >30 min to fall asleep, frequent restless sleep, and frequent daytime drowsiness were each related to higher HOMA2-IR values (each P < 0.04). Sleep quality is an important correlate of insulin resistance in postmenopausal women with and without MetS. Intervention studies are needed to determine whether improving sleep improves insulin resistance in populations at elevated cardiometabolic risk.

Evaluation of a prevention programme efficiency for patients with fixed orthodontic appliances.

PubMed

Matić, Sava; Ivanović, Mirjana; Nikolić, Predrag

2011-03-01

Orthodontic treatment enables the establishment of functional occlusion and improvement of oral health, however, it increases the risk of periodontal disease development. The aim of this paper was to examine the efficiency of the applied programme for the prevention of gingivitis in children undergoing the fixed orthodontic appliance therapy and to determine the most efficient devices and techniques for maintaining oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment. The study included 80 patients of both genders--60 patients comprised the experimental group and 20 patients comprised the control group. All of them were patients of the Clinic for Orthodontics at the School of Dentistry in Belgrade, aged between 13 and 18. The Silness-Löe Plaque Index (PI) was utilised for the assessment of oral hygiene quality and Silness-Löe Gingival Index (GI) and Mühlemann Papilla Bleeding Index (PBI) were utilised for the assessment of gingival state. Checkups were conducted as a single-blind study at the beginning and after the first, the third and the sixth month of the preventive and prophylactic programme. During the observed period, a statistically significant change in PI, GI and PBI values was noticed (p < 0.005), as well as the difference in the dynamics of value changes during the periods between the observed groups. The preventive programme, applied to children undergoing the fixed orthodontic appliance therapy, had a positive effect both on oral hygiene quality and gingival state. The values of the examined parameters of the patients from the experimental group were significantly lower in comparison with those of the patients from the control group. The most efficient combination of devices for oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment was: a Curaprox CP5460 toothbrush, CD Ortho 60 orthodontic toothbrush and Curaprox CPS 14 interdental brush.

Dietary patterns, metabolic markers and subjective sleep measures in resident physicians.

PubMed

Mota, Maria Carliana; De-Souza, Daurea Abadia; Rossato, Luana Thomazetto; Silva, Catarina Mendes; Araújo, Maria Bernadete Jeha; Tufik, Sérgio; de Mello, Marco Túlio; Crispim, Cibele Aparecida

2013-10-01

Shiftwork is common in medical training and is necessary for 24-h hospital coverage. Shiftwork poses difficulties not only because of the loss of actual sleep hours but also because it can affect other factors related to lifestyle, such as food intake, physical activity level, and, therefore, metabolic patterns. However, few studies have investigated the nutritional and metabolic profiles of medical personnel receiving training who are participating in shiftwork. The aim of the present study was to identify the possible negative effects of food intake, anthropometric variables, and metabolic and sleep patterns of resident physicians and establish the differences between genders. The study included 72 resident physicians (52 women and 20 men) who underwent the following assessments: nutritional assessment (3-day dietary recall evaluated by the Adapted Healthy Eating Index), anthropometric variables (height, weight, body mass index, and waist circumference), fasting metabolism (lipids, cortisol, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP], glucose, and insulin), physical activity level (Baecke questionnaire), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; PSQI), and sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale; ESS). We observed a high frequency of residents who were overweight or obese (65% for men and 21% for women; p = 0.004). Men displayed significantly greater body mass index (BMI) values (p = 0.002) and self-reported weight gain after the beginning of residency (p = 0.008) than women. Poor diet was observed for both genders, including the low intake of vegetables and fruits and the high intake of sweets, saturated fat, cholesterol, and caffeine. The PSQI global scores indicated significant differences between genders (5.9 vs. 7.5 for women and men, respectively; p = 0.01). Women had significantly higher mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C; p < 0.005), hs-CRP (p = 0.04), and cortisol (p = 0.009) values than men. The elevated prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia and abnormal values of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; >100 mg/dL) were observed in most individuals. Higher than recommended hs-CRP levels were observed in 66% of the examined resident physicians. Based on current recommendations, a high prevalence of low sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness was identified. These observations indicate the need to monitor health status and develop actions to reassess the workload of medical residency and the need for permission to perform extra night shifts for medical residents to avoid worsening health problems in these individuals.

Estimation of a Trophic State Index for selected inland lakes in Michigan, 1999–2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fuller, Lori M.; Jodoin, Richard S.

2016-03-11

A 15-year estimated Trophic State Index (eTSI) for Michigan inland lakes is available, and it spans seven datasets, each representing 1 to 3 years of data from 1999 to 2013. On average, 3,000 inland lake eTSI values are represented in each of the datasets by a process that relates field-measured Secchi-disk transparency (SDT) to Landsat satellite imagery to provide eTSI values for unsampled inland lakes. The correlation between eTSI values and field-measured Trophic State Index (TSI) values from SDT was strong as shown by R2 values from 0.71 to 0.83. Mean eTSI values ranged from 42.7 to 46.8 units, which when converted to estimated SDT (eSDT) ranged from 8.9 to 12.5 feet for the datasets. Most eTSI values for Michigan inland lakes are in the mesotrophic TSI class. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Level III Ecoregions were used to illustrate and compare the spatial distribution of eTSI classes for Michigan inland lakes. Lakes in the Northern Lakes and Forests, North Central Hardwood Forests, and Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains ecoregions are predominantly in the mesotrophic TSI class. The Huron/Erie Lake Plains and Eastern Corn Belt Plains ecoregions, had predominantly eutrophic class lakes and also the highest percent of hypereutrophic lakes than other ecoregions in the State. Data from multiple sampling programs—including data collected by volunteers with the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program (CLMP) through the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), and the 2007 National Lakes Assessment (NLA)—were compiled to compare the distribution of lake TSI classes between each program. The seven eTSI datasets are available for viewing and download with eSDT from the Michigan Lake Water Clarity Interactive Map Viewer at http://mi.water.usgs.gov/projects/RemoteSensing/index.html.

Heavy metals in soils along unpaved roads in south west Cameroon: Contamination levels and health risks.

PubMed

Ngole-Jeme, Veronica M

2016-04-01

Soils enriched with heavy metals from vehicular emission present a significant exposure route of heavy metals to individuals using unpaved roads. This study assessed the extent of Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn contamination of soils along unpaved roads in Cameroon, and the health risks presented by incidental ingestion and dermal contact with the soils using metal contamination factor (CF) pollution load index, hazard quotients (HQ) and chronic hazard index (CHI). CF values obtained (0.9-12.2) indicate moderate to high contamination levels. HQ values for Cr, Cd and Pb exceeded the reference doses. Moderate health hazard exists for road users in the areas with intense anthropogenic activities and high average daily traffic (ADT) volume according to CHI values (1-4) obtained. The economy and quality of life in cities with unpaved roads could be threatened by health challenges resulting from long-term exposure to heavy metal derived from high ADT volumes.

Quality indexing with computer-aided lexicography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buchan, Ronald L.

1992-01-01

Indexing with computers is a far cry from indexing with the first indexing tool, the manual card sorter. With the aid of computer-aided lexicography, both indexing and indexing tools can provide standardization, consistency, and accuracy, resulting in greater quality control than ever before. A brief survey of computer activity in indexing is presented with detailed illustrations from NASA activity. Applications from techniques mentioned, such as Retrospective Indexing (RI), can be made to many indexing systems. In addition to improving the quality of indexing with computers, the improved efficiency with which certain tasks can be done is demonstrated.

Biodiversity of benthic macroinvertebrates in Air Terjun Asahan, Asahan, Melaka, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurhafizah-Azwa, S.; Ahmad A., K.

2016-11-01

A study on benthic macroinvertebrate diversity was conducted at Air Terjun Asahan, Asahan, Melaka. Five stations were selected with distance intervals of approximately 500 metres. Three replicates of benthic macroinvertebrate and water samples were taken. Results classified Air Terjun Asahan in class II, which indicated good water quality based on WQI recommended by the Department of Environment. A total of 1 phylum, 2 classes, 6 order, 30 families, and 2183 individuals were successfully sampled and recorded. The analysis showed that the average value of Shannon Diversity Index, H' (2.19), Pielou Evenness Index, J' (0.30), and Margaleff Richness Index, DMG (3.77) described that Air Terjun Asahan was in moderate condition and the distribution of macroinvertebrates was uniform between stations. Correlation test showed that the WQI had a strong relationship with the diversity indices involved. BMWP, and FBI showed that Air Terjun Asahan was in good water quality. CCA test was conducted to show environmental factors towards benthic macroinvertebrate distribution. The presence of Leptophlebiidae, Baetidae, Heptageniidae and Chironomidae with high abundance of the families showed the potential as biological indicators of a clean ecosystem.

Factor selection for service quality evaluation: a hospital case study.

PubMed

Ameryoun, Ahmad; Najafi, Seyedvahid; Nejati-Zarnaqi, Bayram; Khalilifar, Seyed Omid; Ajam, Mahdi; Ansarimoghadam, Ahmad

2017-02-13

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a systematic approach to predict service quality dimension's influence on service quality using a novel analysis based on data envelopment and SERVQUAL. Design/methodology/approach To assess hospital service quality in Tehran, expectation and perception of those who received the services were evaluated using SERVQUAL. The hospital service quality dimensions were found by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). To compare customer expectation and perception, perceived service quality index (PSQI) was measured using a new method based on common weights. A novel sensitivity approach was used to test the service quality factor's impact on the PSQI. Findings A new service quality dimension named "trust in services" was found using EFA, which is not an original SERVQUAL factor. The approach was applied to assess the hospital's service quality. Since the PSQI value was 0.76 it showed that improvements are needed to meet customer expectations. The results showed the factor order that affect PSQI. "Trust in services" has the strongest influence on PSQI followed by "tangibles," "assurance," "empathy," and "responsiveness," respectively. Practical implications This work gives managers insight into service quality by following a systematic method; i.e., measuring perceived service quality from the customer viewpoint and service factors' impact on customer perception. Originality/value The procedure helps managers to select the required service quality dimensions which need improvement and predict their effects on customer perception.

Retrospective evaluation of exposure index (EI) values from plain radiographs reveals important considerations for quality improvement

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

Mothiram, Ursula; Brennan, Patrick C; Robinson, John

2013-12-15

Following X-ray exposure, radiographers receive immediate feedback on detector exposure in the form of the exposure index (EI). To identify whether radiographers are meeting manufacturer-recommended EI (MREI) ranges for routine chest, abdomen and pelvis X-ray examinations under a variety of conditions and to examine factors affecting the EI. Data on 5000 adult X-ray examinations including the following variables were collected: examination parameters, EI values, patient gender, date of birth, date and time of examination, grid usage and the presence of implant or prosthesis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize each data set and the Mann–Whitney U test was used tomore » determine significant differences, with P < 0.05 indicating significance for all tests. Most examinations demonstrated EI values that were outside the MREI ranges, with significantly higher median EI values recorded for female patient radiographs than those for male patients for all manufacturers, indicating higher detector exposures for all units except for Philips digital radiography (DR), where increased EI values indicate lower exposure (P = 0.01). Median EI values for out of hours radiography were also significantly higher compared with normal working hours for all technologies (P ≤ 0.02). Significantly higher median EI values were demonstrated for Philips DR chest X-rays without as compared to those with the employment of a grid (P = 0.03), while significantly lower median EI values were recorded for Carestream Health computed radiography (CR) chest X-rays when an implant or prosthesis was present (P = 0.02). Non-adherence to MREIs has been demonstrated with EI value discrepancies being dependent on patient gender, time/day of exposure, grid usage and the presence of an implant or prosthesis. Retrospective evaluation of EI databases is a valuable tool to assess the need of quality improvement in routine DR.« less

A DMAIC approach for process capability improvement an engine crankshaft manufacturing process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, G. V. S. S.; Rao, P. Srinivasa

2014-05-01

The define-measure-analyze-improve-control (DMAIC) approach is a five-strata approach, namely DMAIC. This approach is the scientific approach for reducing the deviations and improving the capability levels of the manufacturing processes. The present work elaborates on DMAIC approach applied in reducing the process variations of the stub-end-hole boring operation of the manufacture of crankshaft. This statistical process control study starts with selection of the critical-to-quality (CTQ) characteristic in the define stratum. The next stratum constitutes the collection of dimensional measurement data of the CTQ characteristic identified. This is followed by the analysis and improvement strata where the various quality control tools like Ishikawa diagram, physical mechanism analysis, failure modes effects analysis and analysis of variance are applied. Finally, the process monitoring charts are deployed at the workplace for regular monitoring and control of the concerned CTQ characteristic. By adopting DMAIC approach, standard deviation is reduced from 0.003 to 0.002. The process potential capability index ( C P) values improved from 1.29 to 2.02 and the process performance capability index ( C PK) values improved from 0.32 to 1.45, respectively.

Variation in stream diatom communities in relation to water quality and catchment variables in a boreal, urbanized region.

PubMed

Teittinen, Anette; Taka, Maija; Ruth, Olli; Soininen, Janne

2015-10-15

Intensive anthropogenic land use such as urbanization alters the hydrological cycle, water chemistry and physical habitat characteristics, thus impairing stream physicochemical and biological quality. Diatoms are widely used to assess stream water quality as they integrate water chemistry temporally and reflect the joint influence of multiple stressors on stream biota. However, knowledge of the major community patterns of diatoms in urban streams remains limited especially in boreal regions. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of water chemistry and catchment characteristics on stream diatom communities, and to test the performance of the Index of Pollution Sensitivity (IPS) as a stream water quality indicator across an urban-to-rural gradient in southern Finland. Diatom community structure and species richness were related to local-scale variables such as water temperature, aluminium concentration, and electrical conductivity, which were in turn influenced by patterns in catchment land use and land cover. Diatoms reflected the intensity of human activities as more intensive land use increased the occurrence of pollution-tolerant species. The change in community structure along the land use intensity gradient was accompanied by a distinct decline in species richness. On the contrary, the IPS index failed to indicate differences in water quality along the urban-to-rural gradient as no consistent differences in the IPS values were found. Our results highlight the joint influence of multifaceted factors that underlie diatom patterns, and show that diatom biodiversity can be used as cost-effective metric indicating urban stream conditions. However, the IPS index turned out to be an unsuitable tool for assessing water quality among these streams. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Monitoring and Evaluation of Cultivated Land Irrigation Guarantee Capability with Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, C., Sr.; Huang, J.; Li, L.; Wang, H.; Zhu, D.

2015-12-01

Abstract: Cultivated Land Quality Grade monitoring and evaluation is an important way to improve the land production capability and ensure the country food safety. Irrigation guarantee capability is one of important aspects in the cultivated land quality monitoring and evaluation. In the current cultivated land quality monitoring processing based on field survey, the irrigation rate need much human resources investment in long investigation process. This study choses Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei as study region, taking the 1 km × 1 km grid size of cultivated land unit with a winter wheat-summer maize double cropping system as study object. A new irrigation capacity evaluation index based on the ratio of the annual irrigation requirement retrieved from MODIS data and the actual quantity of irrigation was proposed. With the years of monitoring results the irrigation guarantee capability of study area was evaluated comprehensively. The change trend of the irrigation guarantee capability index (IGCI) with the agricultural drought disaster area in rural statistical yearbook of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area was generally consistent. The average of IGCI value, the probability of irrigation-guaranteed year and the weighted average which controlled by the irrigation demand index were used and compared in this paper. The experiment results indicate that the classification result from the present method was close to that from irrigation probability in the gradation on agriculture land quality in 2012, with overlap of 73% similar units. The method of monitoring and evaluation of cultivated land IGCI proposed in this paper has a potential in cultivated land quality level monitoring and evaluation in China. Key words: remote sensing, evapotranspiration, MODIS cultivated land quality, irrigation guarantee capability Authors: Chao Zhang, Jianxi Huang, Li Li, Hongshuo Wang, Dehai Zhu China Agricultural University zhangchaobj@gmail.com

Comparative evaluation of leachate pollution index of MSW landfill site of Kolkata with other metropolitan cities of India.

PubMed

Motling, Sanjay; Dutta, Amit; Mukherjee, S N; Kumar, Sunil

2013-07-01

The uncontrolled tipping of mixed urban solid waste in landfill site causes serious negative impacts on the environment. The major issue in this context is the generation of leachate which possesses potential of polluting freshwater ecosystem including groundwater besides associated health hazards and depletion of soil fertility. In this context, a pseudo computation quantitative tool, known as leachate pollution index (LPI), has been developed by some researchers for scaling pollution potential of landfill site owing to emergence of leachate. This paper. deals with the assessment of leachate quality of existing landfill site of Kolkata situated at Dhapa waste dumping ground through evaluation of the LPI from experimental analysis of leachate. The leachate was collected from this site in different seasons. 18 parameters were tested with real leachate samples in the Environmental Engineering Laboratory of Civil Engineering Department of Jadavpur University Kolkata. The results exhibited a very high value of organic pollutants in the leachate with COD as 21,129 mg/L and also values of TDS, Fe2+, Cr, Zn, chloride and ammonical nitrogen. The LPI value of Kolkata landfill site at Dhapa was estimated and also compared with leachate quality data of other metropolitan cities viz. Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai as available in literatures. It is found that LPI of the Kolkata landfill site is highest compared to all other landfill sites of other metropolitan cities in India.

The impact of eating frequency and time of intake on nutrient quality and body mass index: The INTERMAP Study, a population based study

PubMed Central

Aljuraiban, Ghadeer S.; Chan, Queenie; Griep, Linda M. Oude; Brown, Ian J.; Daviglus, Martha L.; Stamler, Jeremiah; Van Horn, Linda; Elliott, Paul; Frost, Gary S.

2014-01-01

Background Epidemiologic evidence is sparse on the effect of dietary behaviors and diet quality on body mass index (BMI) that may be important drivers of the obesity epidemic. Objective This study investigated the relationships of frequency of eating and time of intake to energy density, nutrient quality and BMI using data from the INTERnational study on MAcro/micronutrients and blood Pressure (INTERMAP) including 2,696 men and women aged 40-59 from the United States and the United Kingdom. Design INTERMAP is a cross-sectional investigation with four 24-hour dietary recalls and BMI measurements conducted between 1996 and 1999. Consumption of solid foods was aggregated into eating occasion. Nutrient density is expressed using the Nutrient Rich Food (NRF 9.3) index. The ratio of evening/morning energy intake was calculated; mean values of four visits were used. Statistical analyses performed Characteristics across eating occasion categories are presented as adjusted mean with corresponding 95% confidence interval. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine associations of eating occasions, ratio of evening/morning energy intake, dietary energy density, and NRF 9.3 index with BMI. Results Compared to participants with < 4 eating occasions/24-hours, those with ≥ 6 eating occasions/24-hours had lower mean: BMI: 27.3 vs. 29.0 kg/m2; total energy intake: 2,129 vs. 2,472 kcal/24-hours; dietary energy density: 1.5 vs. 2.1 kcal/g; and higher NRF 9.3 index: 34.3 vs. 28.1. In multiple regression analyses, higher evening intake relative to morning intake was directly associated with BMI; however this did not influence the relationship between eating frequency and BMI. Conclusions Our results suggest that a larger number of small meals may be associated with improved diet quality and lower BMI. This may have implications for behavioral approaches to controlling the obesity epidemic. PMID:25620753

A comparison of low-carbohydrate vs. high-carbohydrate diets: energy restriction, nutrient quality and correlation to body mass index.

PubMed

Bowman, Shanthy A; Spence, Joseph T

2002-06-01

To evaluate free-living adults' diets that ranged from very low to high amounts of carbohydrate for their energy content, nutritional quality and correlation to Body Mass Index. Adults ages 19 years and older, who had complete dietary intake data on day-1 of the USDA's 1994 to 1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII 1994-1996), were divided into four groups--very low, low, moderate and high carbohydrate--based on the percent total energy from carbohydrate. Mean energy, nutrient, food intakes and Body Mass Index values were compared among the groups. SUDAAN software package was used for the data analysis and pair-wise mean comparisons (p < 0.05). The high-carbohydrate diet was lower in energy and energy density (number of kilocalories per gram of total amount of food consumed) than the other three diets. Macronutrient composition varied significantly among all the four groups. Nutrient density (amount of nutrient per 1,000 kilocalories of energy consumed) of vitamin A, carotene, vitamin C, folate, calcium, magnesium and iron increased and that of vitamin B12 and zinc decreased with an increase in the percent total energy from carbohydrate. The high-carbohydrate group ate more of low-fat foods, grain products and fruits. This group also had the lowest sodium intake. Adults eating a high-carbohydrate diet are more likely to have Body Mass Index values below 25. A study of diets of free-living adults in the U.S. showed that diets high in carbohydrate were both energy restrictive and nutritious and may be adopted for successful weight management.

Qualitative identification of food materials by complex refractive index mapping in the terahertz range.

PubMed

Shin, Hee Jun; Choi, Sung-Wook; Ok, Gyeongsik

2018-04-15

We investigated the feasibility of qualitative food analysis using complex refractive index mapping of food materials in the terahertz (THz) frequency range. We studied optical properties such as the refractive index and absorption coefficient of food materials, including insects as foreign substances, from 0.2 to 1.3 THz. Although some food materials had a complex composition, their refractive indices were approximated with effective medium values, and therefore, they could be discriminated on the complex refractive index map. To demonstrate food quality inspection with THz imaging, we obtained THz reflective images and time-of-flight imaging of hidden defects in a sugar and milk powder matrix by using time domain THz pulses. Our results indicate that foreign substances can be clearly classified and detected according to the optical parameters of the foods and insects by using THz pulses. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

National Coastal Condition Report IV Factsheet

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Overall condition of the Nation’s coastal waters is fair. This rating is based on five indices of ecologicalcondition: water quality index, sediment quality index, benthic index, coastal habitat index, and fish tissue contaminants index.

Water Quality Index for measuring drinking water quality in rural Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Akter, Tahera; Jhohura, Fatema Tuz; Akter, Fahmida; Chowdhury, Tridib Roy; Mistry, Sabuj Kanti; Dey, Digbijoy; Barua, Milan Kanti; Islam, Md Akramul; Rahman, Mahfuzar

2016-02-09

Public health is at risk due to chemical contaminants in drinking water which may have immediate health consequences. Drinking water sources are susceptible to pollutants depending on geological conditions and agricultural, industrial, and other man-made activities. Ensuring the safety of drinking water is, therefore, a growing problem. To assess drinking water quality, we measured multiple chemical parameters in drinking water samples from across Bangladesh with the aim of improving public health interventions. In this cross-sectional study conducted in 24 randomly selected upazilas, arsenic was measured in drinking water in the field using an arsenic testing kit and a sub-sample was validated in the laboratory. Water samples were collected to test water pH in the laboratory as well as a sub-sample of collected drinking water was tested for water pH using a portable pH meter. For laboratory testing of other chemical parameters, iron, manganese, and salinity, drinking water samples were collected from 12 out of 24 upazilas. Drinking water at sample sites was slightly alkaline (pH 7.4 ± 0.4) but within acceptable limits. Manganese concentrations varied from 0.1 to 5.5 mg/L with a median value of 0.2 mg/L. The median iron concentrations in water exceeded WHO standards (0.3 mg/L) at most of the sample sites and exceeded Bangladesh standards (1.0 mg/L) at a few sample sites. Salinity was relatively higher in coastal districts. After laboratory confirmation, arsenic concentrations were found higher in Shibchar (Madaripur) and Alfadanga (Faridpur) compared to other sample sites exceeding WHO standard (0.01 mg/L). Of the total sampling sites, 33 % had good-quality water for drinking based on the Water Quality Index (WQI). However, the majority of the households (67 %) used poor-quality drinking water. Higher values of iron, manganese, and arsenic reduced drinking water quality. Awareness raising on chemical contents in drinking water at household level is required to improve public health.

Vulnerability of Water Resources under Climate and Land Use Change: Evaluation of Present and Future Threats for Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nachtnebel, Hans-Peter; Wesemann, Johannes; Herrnegger, Mathew; Senoner, Tobias; Schulz, Karsten

2015-04-01

Climate and Land Use Change can have severe impacts on natural water resources needed for domestic, agricultural and industrial water use. In order to develop adaptation strategies, it is necessary to assess the present and future vulnerability of the water resources on the basis of water quantity, water quality and adaptive capacity indicators. Therefore a methodological framework was developed within the CC-Ware project and a detailed assessment was performed for Austria. The Water Exploitation Index (WEI) is introduced as a quantitative indicator. It is defined as the ratio between the water demand and the water availability. Water availability is assessed by a high resolution grid-based water balance model, utilizing the meteorological information from bias corrected regional climate models. The demand term can be divided into domestic, agricultural and industrial water demand and is assessed on the water supply association level. The Integrated Groundwater Pollution Load Index (GWPLI) represents an indicator for areas at risk regarding water quality, considering agricultural loads (nitrate pollution loads), potential erosion and potential risks from landfills. Except for the landfills, the information for the current situation is based on the CORINE Landcover data. Future changes were predicted utilizing the PRELUDE land use scenarios. Since vulnerability is also dependent on the adaptive capacity of a system, the Adaptive Capacity Index is introduced. The Adaptive Capacity Index thereby combines the Ecosystem Service Index (ESSI), which represents three water related ecosystem services (Water Provision, Water Quantity Regulation and Water Quality Regulation) and the regional economic capacity expressed by the gross value added. On the basis of these indices, the Overall Vulnerability of the water resources can be determined for the present and the future. For Austria the different indices were elaborated. Maps indicating areas of different levels of vulnerability were developed. A comparison with existing data (River Basin Management Plan and Groundwater Chemistry Regulation) shows a good agreement between the elaborated maps and observations for the present state. The Overall Vulnerability is very low and low for most parts of Austria, especially in the forested alpine region. Bigger cities like Vienna, Graz and Linz show medium vulnerabilities, due to the high water demand and low ecosystem services. Only in the north-eastern and south-eastern part of the country some water supply associations with high and very high overall vulnerability exist. Groundwater recharge is quite small in these regions and the water quality is limited due to intense agriculture and possible threats through landfills. The developed framework allows an evaluation of water quantity and quality vulnerabilities for large scales for the present and the future. Including ecosystem services and gross value added an overall vulnerability can be determined.

Application of Nemerow Index Method and Integrated Water Quality Index Method in Water Quality Assessment of Zhangze Reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qian; Feng, Minquan; Hao, Xiaoyan

2018-03-01

[Objective] Based on the water quality historical data from the Zhangze Reservoir from the last five years, the water quality was assessed by the integrated water quality identification index method and the Nemerow pollution index method. The results of different evaluation methods were analyzed and compared and the characteristics of each method were identified.[Methods] The suitability of the water quality assessment methods were compared and analyzed, based on these results.[Results] the water quality tended to decrease over time with 2016 being the year with the worst water quality. The sections with the worst water quality were the southern and northern sections.[Conclusion] The results produced by the traditional Nemerow index method fluctuated greatly in each section of water quality monitoring and therefore could not effectively reveal the trend of water quality at each section. The combination of qualitative and quantitative measures of the comprehensive pollution index identification method meant it could evaluate the degree of water pollution as well as determine that the river water was black and odorous. However, the evaluation results showed that the water pollution was relatively low.The results from the improved Nemerow index evaluation were better as the single indicators and evaluation results are in strong agreement; therefore the method is able to objectively reflect the water quality of each water quality monitoring section and is more suitable for the water quality evaluation of the reservoir.

[Dynamic monitoring and analysis of ecological environment in Weinan City, Northwest China based on RSEI model].

PubMed

Song, Hui Min; Xue, Liang

2016-12-01

Based on the data of remote sensing images from Landsat in 1995 and 2015, this paper used the principal component analysis (PCA) method to determine the weights of four ecological indexes (greenness, dryness, wetness and heat), and then selected a evaluation model of remote sensing based ecological index (RSEI) to monitor and analyze the ecological environment quality of Weinan City from 1995 to 2015. The results showed that the mean values of RSEI in Weinan City increased from 0.489 to 0.556 during 1995-2015, which indicated the ecological environment qua-lity had been improved. The improved area of ecological quality was mainly distributed in the central area of Weinan City and its proportion was 49.6%. While the proportion of ecological environment degradation was 15.4%, and such areas were mainly distributed in some mine areas of Hancheng City and the southern Weinan (Weinan Section in North Qinling Mountains). The quality of ecolo-gical environment was greatly influenced by the urban planning and construction in the study area. Generally, the ecological condition of Weinan City had been improved, which benefited from the attention and investment of government.

Proposal for a Breakfast Quality Index (BQI) for children and adolescents.

PubMed

Monteagudo, Celia; Palacín-Arce, Alba; Bibiloni, Maria del Mar; Pons, Antoni; Tur, Josep A; Olea-Serrano, Fatima; Mariscal-Arcas, Miguel

2013-04-01

To propose and apply an instrument to assess the breakfast quality of children and adolescents in the Mediterranean area. Randomized, cross-sectional survey of breakfast consumption using a validated semi-quantitative FFQ administered at school by trained dietitians between Tuesday and Friday. A Breakfast Quality Index (BQI) score was developed, assigning a positive value to the consumption of cereals, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, MUFA, Ca and compliance with energy recommendations, and to the absence of SFA and trans-rich fats. Data were analysed by Student's t test and ANOVA. Schools in Granada and Balearic Islands (Spain). All schoolchildren (n 4332) aged 8-17 years at randomly selected and representative schools between 2006 and 2008, stratified by age and sex. Breakfast was not consumed by 6·5 % of participants. BQI score was highest for children aged 7-9 years and decreased with age (P = 0·001). Females scored higher in all age groups. The lowest score was in males aged 14-17 years and the highest in females aged 7-9 years (P = 0·006). The proposed BQI appears useful to estimate the breakfast quality of schoolchildren and to form a basis for nutrition education.

Genetic and Environmental Influences on Sleep, Pain, and Depression Symptoms in a Community Sample of Twins.

PubMed

Gasperi, Marianna; Herbert, Matthew; Schur, Ellen; Buchwald, Dedra; Afari, Niloofar

We used quantitative genetic methods to evaluate whether sleep quality, pain, and depression symptoms share a common genetic diathesis, to estimate the genetic and environmental sources of covariance among these symptoms, and to test for possible causal relationships. A community sample of 400 twins from the University of Washington Twin Registry completed standardized self-report questionnaires. We used biometric modeling to assess genetic and environmental contribution to the association between sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, pain measured by the Brief Pain Inventory, and depression symptoms measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory. Trivariate Cholesky structural equation models were used to decompose correlations among the phenotypes. Heritability was estimated at 37% (95% confidence interval = 20%-51%) for sleep quality, 25% (9%-41%) for pain, and 39% (22%-53%) for depression. Nonshared environmental influences accounted for the remaining variance. The genetic correlation between sleep quality and pain had an rg value of .69 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.33-0.97), rg value of .56 (95% CI = 0.55-0.98) between pain and depression, and rg value of .61 (95% CI = 0.44-0.88) between depression and sleep quality. Nonshared environmental overlap was present between pain and sleep quality as well as depression and sleep quality. The link between sleep quality, pain, and depression was primarily explained by shared genetic influences. The genetic factors influencing sleep quality and pain were highly correlated even when accounting for depression. Findings support the hypothesis of a genetic link between depression and pain as well as potential causality for the association of sleep quality with pain and depression.

Digital mammography--DQE versus optimized image quality in clinical environment: an on site study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oberhofer, Nadia; Fracchetti, Alessandro; Springeth, Margareth; Moroder, Ehrenfried

2010-04-01

The intrinsic quality of the detection system of 7 different digital mammography units (5 direct radiography DR; 2 computed radiography CR), expressed by DQE, has been compared with their image quality/dose performances in clinical use. DQE measurements followed IEC 62220-1-2 using a tungsten test object for MTF determination. For image quality assessment two different methods have been applied: 1) measurement of contrast to noise ratio (CNR) according to the European guidelines and 2) contrast-detail (CD) evaluation. The latter was carried out with the phantom CDMAM ver. 3.4 and the commercial software CDMAM Analyser ver. 1.1 (both Artinis) for automated image analysis. The overall image quality index IQFinv proposed by the software has been validated. Correspondence between the two methods has been shown figuring out a linear correlation between CNR and IQFinv. All systems were optimized with respect to image quality and average glandular dose (AGD) within the constraints of automatic exposure control (AEC). For each equipment, a good image quality level was defined by means of CD analysis, and the corresponding CNR value considered as target value. The goal was to achieve for different PMMA-phantom thicknesses constant image quality, that means the CNR target value, at minimum dose. All DR systems exhibited higher DQE and significantly better image quality compared to CR systems. Generally switching, where available, to a target/filter combination with an x-ray spectrum of higher mean energy permitted dose savings at equal image quality. However, several systems did not allow to modify the AEC in order to apply optimal radiographic technique in clinical use. The best ratio image quality/dose was achieved by a unit with a-Se detector and W anode only recently available on the market.

Loss of Load Probability Calculation for West Java Power System with Nuclear Power Plant Scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azizah, I. D.; Abdullah, A. G.; Purnama, W.; Nandiyanto, A. B. D.; Shafii, M. A.

2017-03-01

Loss of Load Probability (LOLP) index showing the quality and performance of an electrical system. LOLP value is affected by load growth, the load duration curve, forced outage rate of the plant, number and capacity of generating units. This reliability index calculation begins with load forecasting to 2018 using multiple regression method. Scenario 1 with compositions of conventional plants produce the largest LOLP in 2017 amounted to 71.609 days / year. While the best reliability index generated in scenario 2 with the NPP amounted to 6.941 days / year in 2015. Improved reliability of systems using nuclear power more efficiently when compared to conventional plants because it also has advantages such as emission-free, inexpensive fuel costs, as well as high level of plant availability.

A novel, fuzzy-based air quality index (FAQI) for air quality assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sowlat, Mohammad Hossein; Gharibi, Hamed; Yunesian, Masud; Tayefeh Mahmoudi, Maryam; Lotfi, Saeedeh

2011-04-01

The ever increasing level of air pollution in most areas of the world has led to development of a variety of air quality indices for estimation of health effects of air pollution, though the indices have their own limitations such as high levels of subjectivity. Present study, therefore, aimed at developing a novel, fuzzy-based air quality index (FAQI ) to handle such limitations. The index developed by present study is based on fuzzy logic that is considered as one of the most common computational methods of artificial intelligence. In addition to criteria air pollutants (i.e. CO, SO 2, PM 10, O 3, NO 2), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and 1,3-butadiene were also taken into account in the index proposed, because of their considerable health effects. Different weighting factors were then assigned to each pollutant according to its priority. Trapezoidal membership functions were employed for classifications and the final index consisted of 72 inference rules. To assess the performance of the index, a case study was carried out employing air quality data at five different sampling stations in Tehran, Iran, from January 2008 to December 2009, results of which were then compared to the results obtained from USEPA air quality index (AQI). According to the results from present study, fuzzy-based air quality index is a comprehensive tool for classification of air quality and tends to produce accurate results. Therefore, it can be considered useful, reliable, and suitable for consideration by local authorities in air quality assessment and management schemes. Fuzzy-based air quality index (FAQI).

[Correspondence analysis between traditional commercial specifications and quantitative quality indices of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix].

PubMed

Jiang, Shun-Yuan; Sun, Hong-Bing; Sun, Hui; Ma, Yu-Ying; Chen, Hong-Yu; Zhu, Wen-Tao; Zhou, Yi

2016-03-01

This paper aims to explore a comprehensive assessment method combined traditional Chinese medicinal material specifications with quantitative quality indicators. Seventy-six samples of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix were collected on market and at producing areas. Traditional commercial specifications were described and assigned, and 10 chemical components and volatile oils were determined for each sample. Cluster analysis, Fisher discriminant analysis and correspondence analysis were used to establish the relationship between the traditional qualitative commercial specifications and quantitative chemical indices for comprehensive evaluating quality of medicinal materials, and quantitative classification of commercial grade and quality grade. A herb quality index (HQI) including traditional commercial specifications and chemical components for quantitative grade classification were established, and corresponding discriminant function were figured out for precise determination of quality grade and sub-grade of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix. The result showed that notopterol, isoimperatorin and volatile oil were the major components for determination of chemical quality, and their dividing values were specified for every grade and sub-grade of the commercial materials of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix. According to the result, essential relationship between traditional medicinal indicators, qualitative commercial specifications, and quantitative chemical composition indicators can be examined by K-mean cluster, Fisher discriminant analysis and correspondence analysis, which provide a new method for comprehensive quantitative evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine quality integrated traditional commodity specifications and quantitative modern chemical index. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Exploring in integrated quality evaluation of Chinese herbal medicines: the integrated quality index (IQI) for aconite.

PubMed

Zhang, Ding-kun; Wang, Jia-bo; Yang, Ming; Peng, Cheng; Xiao, Xiao-he

2015-07-01

Good medicinal herbs, good drugs. Good evaluation method and indices are the prerequisite of good medicinal herbs. However, there exist numerous indices for quality evaluation and control in Chinese medicinal materials. However, most of these indices are non-interrelated each other, as well as having little relationship with efficiency and safety. The results of different evaluatior methods may not be consistent, even contradictory. Considering the complex material properties of Chinese medicinal materials, single method and index is difficult to objectively and comprehensively reflect the quality. Therefore, it is essential to explore the integrated evaluation methods. In this paper, oriented by the integrated evaluation strategies for traditional Chinese medicine quality, a new method called integrated quality index (IQI) by the integration of empirical evaluation, chemical evaluation, and biological evaluation was proposed. In addition, a study case of hypertoxic herb Aconitum carmichaelii Debx. was provided to explain this method in detail. The results suggested that in the view of specifications, the average weight of Jiangyou aconite was the greatest, followed by Weishan aconite, Butuo aconite, Hanzhong aconite, and Anxian aconite; from the point of chemical components, Jiangyou aconite had the characteristic with strong efficacy and weak toxicity, next was Hanzhong aconite, Butuo aconite, Weishan aconite, and Anxian aconite; taking toxicity price as the index, Hanzhong aconite and Jiangyou aconite have the lower toxicity, while Butuo aconite, Weishan aconite, and Anxian aconite have the relatively higher one. After the normalization and integration of evaluation results, we calculated the IQI value of Jiangyou aconite, Hanzhong aconite, Butuo aconite, Weishan aconite, and Anxian aconite were 0.842 +/- 0.091, 0.597 +/- 0.047, 0.442 +/- 0.033, 0.454 +/- 0.038, 0.170 +/- 0.021, respectively. The quality of Jiangyou aconite is significantly better than the others (P < 0.05) followed by Hanzhong aconite, which is consistent with the traditional understanding of genuineness. It can be concluded that IQI achieves the integrated control and evaluation for the quality of Chinese medicinal materials, and it is an exploration for building the good medicinal herbs standards. In addition, IQI provides technical supports for the geoherbalism evaluation, selective breeding, the development of precision decoction pieces, high quality and favourable price in market circulation, and rational drug use.

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

PubMed

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

2014-06-01

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

Homogeneous and inhomogeneous material effect in gamma index evaluation of IMRT technique based on fan beam and Cone Beam CT patient images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wibowo, W. E.; Waliyyulhaq, M.; Pawiro, S. A.

2017-05-01

Patient-specific Quality Assurance (QA) technique in lung case Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is traditionally limited to homogeneous material, although the fact that the planning is carried out with inhomogeneous material present. Moreover, the chest area has many of inhomogeneous material, such as lung, soft tissue, and bone, which inhomogeneous material requires special attention to avoid inaccuracies in dose calculation in the Treatment Planning System (TPS). Recent preliminary studies shown that the role of Cone Beam CT (CBCT) can be used not only to position the patient at the time prior to irradiation but also to serve as planning modality. Our study presented the influence of a homogeneous and inhomogeneous materials using Fan Beam CT and Cone Beam CT modalities in IMRT technique on the Gamma Index (GI) value. We used a variation of the segment and Calculation Grid Resolution (CGR). The results showed the deviation of averaged GI value to be between CGR 0.2 cm and 0.4 cm with homogeneous material ranging from -0.44% to 1.46%. For inhomogeneous material, the value was range from -1.74% to 0.98%. In performing patient-specific IMRT QA techniques for lung cancer, homogeneous material can be implemented in evaluating the gamma index.

Pathways of heavy metals contamination and associated human health risk in Ajay River basin, India.

PubMed

Singh, Umesh Kumar; Kumar, Balwant

2017-05-01

The sources of heavy metals and their loads in the Ajay River were investigated based on the seasonal and spatial variations. To identify variation and pathways of heavy metals, seventy-six water samples were estimated for 2 years at nineteen sampling sites. The multifaceted data were applied to evaluate statistical relation between variables and arithmetic calculation of the indices. Fickling plot suggested that the acidic pollutants do not affect the water quality because all samples lie within the neutral pH range. Further, OC showed significant relation with Fe, Mn, Ni and Co. Compositional analysis identified weathering of rocks, mobility of soil and sediment, atmospheric deposition and numerous anthropogenic inputs as major sources of heavy metals. The mean values of heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and pollution index (PI) were found above the critical index and strong loadings respectively due to higher values of Cd, Pb and Fe. Similarly, assessment of human risk revealed that the high load of Cd, Pb and Fe in water body could harm the population. Majority of the samples showed high concentration of heavy metals as compared to regulatory standard and background values, which suggests that the water is highly contaminated through numerous geogenic and anthropogenic sources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Use of the short (5-item) version of the WHO well-being questionnaire in first year students of Semmelweis University].

PubMed

Dinyáné Szabó, Mariann; Pusztai, Gabriella

2016-10-01

Studies on well-being of students in higher education are in the centre of international research interest, because adult health as a value plays an important role in the life of future generation. The authors studied variables that affect the value of well-being (satisfaction with life, student success, satisfaction with academic infrastructure, sports and financial situation of parents) among medical and health science students starting their studies. The Hungarian version of the Word Health Organization WBI-5 (General Well-Being Index, 5-item version) were used. This questionnaire has a high internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha: 0.778). The unrotated principal component analysis of the questionnaire survey confirmed the homogeneity of the database utility (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin-index = 0.748; Bartlett test<0.0001). On the basis of stepwise linear regression (R = 0.458, R 2 = 0.21, F = 16.33, p = 0.001, VIF values around 1) showed (i) a positive relationship with explanatory variables such as faculty and sport activity, satisfaction with life scale and university infrastructure, and (ii) a negative relationship with gender and parental substance. The authors conclude that short Well-Being Index is a reliable and valid instrument to measure positive quality of life of medical students. Furthermore, the Well-Being Index can help university faculties and lecturers to deploy the student facilities and to eliminate the harm of stress situations. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(44), 1762-1768.

Detecting Long-term Trend of Water Quality Indices of Dong-gang River, Taiwan Using Quantile Regression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, D.; Shiau, J.

2013-12-01

ABSTRACT BODY: Abstract Surface water quality is an essential issue in water-supply for human uses and sustaining healthy ecosystem of rivers. However, water quality of rivers is easily influenced by anthropogenic activities such as urban development and wastewater disposal. Long-term monitoring of water quality can assess whether water quality of rivers deteriorates or not. Taiwan is a population-dense area and heavily depends on surface water for domestic, industrial, and agricultural uses. Dong-gang River is one of major resources in southern Taiwan for agricultural requirements. The water-quality data of four monitoring stations of the Dong-gang River for the period of 2000-2012 are selected for trend analysis. The parameters used to characterize water quality of rivers include biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen (DO), suspended solids (SS), and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N). These four water-quality parameters are integrated into an index called river pollution index (RPI) to indicate the pollution level of rivers. Although widely used non-parametric Mann-Kendall test and linear regression exhibit computational efficiency to identify trends of water-quality indices, limitations of such approaches include sensitive to outliers and estimations of conditional mean only. Quantile regression, capable of identifying changes over time of any percentile values, is employed in this study to detect long-term trend of water-quality indices for the Dong-gang River located in southern Taiwan. The results show that Dong-gang River 4 stations from 2000 to 2012 monthly long-term trends in water quality.To analyze s Dong-gang River long-term water quality trends and pollution characteristics. The results showed that the bridge measuring ammonia Long-dong, BOD5 measure in that station on a downward trend, DO, and SS is on the rise, River Pollution Index (RPI) on a downward trend. The results form Chau-Jhou station also ahowed simialar trends .more and more near the upstrean Hing-she station raise vivestok Sing-She stations are that ammonia on a upward trend, BOD5 no significant change in trend, DO, and SS is on the rise, river pollution index (RPI) a slight downward trend. Dong-gang River Basin , but the progress of sewer construction in slow. To reduce pollation in this river effort shoul be made regulatory reform on livestock waste control and acceleration of sewer construction. Keywords: quantile regression analysis, BOD5, RPI

Enrichment and geo-accumulation of heavy metals and risk assessment of sediments of the Kurang Nallah--feeding tributary of the Rawal Lake Reservoir, Pakistan.

PubMed

Zahra, Azmat; Hashmi, Muhammad Zaffar; Malik, Riffat Naseem; Ahmed, Zulkifl

2014-02-01

Heavy metal concentrations in sediments of the Kurang stream: a principal feeding tributary of the Rawal Lake Reservoir were investigated using enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and metal pollution index (MPI) to determine metal accumulation, distribution and its pollution status. Sediment samples were collected from twenty one sites during two year monitoring in pre- and post-monsoon seasons (2007-2008). Heavy metal toxicity risk was assessed using Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs), effect range low/effect range median values (ERL/ERM), and threshold effect level/probable effect level (TEL/PEL). Greater mean concentrations of Ni, Mn and Pb were recorded in post-monsoon season whereas metal accumulation pattern in pre-monsoon season followed the order: Zn>Mn>Ni>Cr>Co>Cd>Pb>Cu>Li. Enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation (Igeo) values showed that sediments were loaded with Cd, Zn, Ni and Mn. Comparison with uncontaminated background values showed higher concentrations of Cd, Zn and Ni than respective average shale values. Concentrations of Ni and Zn were above ERL values; however, Ni concentration exceeded the ERM values. Sediment contamination was attributed to anthropogenic and natural processes. The results can be used for effective management of fresh water hilly streams of Pakistan. © 2013.

Study on the influence on water ecosystem by a lake inflow filtration system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Sushu; Gao, Shipei; Hu, Xiaodong; Weng, Songgan; Guo, Liuchao

2018-06-01

Lakes play important roles in the economic-social sustainable development. However, due to unreasonable development and urbanization in recent years, lake water pollution and ecological degradation have occurred in China. The improvement of the lake inflow water quality is very important. A filtration system includes Gravel filtering system, Aquatic plant area and Ecological bag area was established. The test river is one of the typical lake inflow river and located in the river network in the Chang Dang lake, China. Water quality, zooplankton and phytoplankton in the inflow river were observed form July to mid-August in order to analyze the general process. The average removal rate of NH3-N (ammonia nitrogen) TN (total nitrogen) and TP (total phosphorus) is 28.33, 25.76 and 24.43 %, respectively. The Pantle-Buck method was used to evaluate the water quality and the B/T index was used to evaluate the nutrition situation. The B/T values were reduced by 20 % and the SI pollution index was reduced by 11.8 %. Therefore, a positive effect on the water's ecological restoration was achieved by the filtration system.

Diet quality of Italian yogurt consumers: an application of the probability of adequate nutrient intake score (PANDiet).

PubMed

Mistura, Lorenza; D'Addezio, Laura; Sette, Stefania; Piccinelli, Raffaela; Turrini, Aida

2016-01-01

The diet quality in yogurt consumers and non-consumers was evaluated by applying the probability of adequate nutrient intake (PANDiet) index to a sample of adults and elderly from the Italian food consumption survey INRAN SCAI 2005-06. Overall, yogurt consumers had a significantly higher mean intake of energy, calcium and percentage of energy from total sugars whereas the mean percentage of energy from total fat, saturated fatty acid and total carbohydrate were significantly (p < 0.01) lower than in non-consumers. The PANDiet index was significantly higher in yogurt consumers than in non-consumers, (60.58 ± 0.33 vs. 58.58 ± 0.19, p < 0.001). The adequacy sub-score for 17 nutrients for which usual intake should be above the reference value was significantly higher among yogurt consumers. The items of calcium, potassium and riboflavin showed the major percentage variation between consumers and non-consumers. Yogurt consumers were more likely to have adequate intakes of vitamins and minerals, and a higher quality score of the diet.

Assessment of infant formula quality and composition using Vis-NIR, MIR and Raman process analytical technologies.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao; Esquerre, Carlos; Downey, Gerard; Henihan, Lisa; O'Callaghan, Donal; O'Donnell, Colm

2018-06-01

In this study, visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR), mid-infrared (MIR) and Raman process analytical technologies were investigated for assessment of infant formula quality and compositional parameters namely preheat temperature, storage temperature, storage time, fluorescence of advanced Maillard products and soluble tryptophan (FAST) index, soluble protein, fat and surface free fat (SFF) content. PLS-DA models developed using spectral data with appropriate data pre-treatment and significant variables selected using Martens' uncertainty test had good accuracy for the discrimination of preheat temperature (92.3-100%) and storage temperature (91.7-100%). The best PLS regression models developed yielded values for the ratio of prediction error to deviation (RPD) of 3.6-6.1, 2.1-2.7, 1.7-2.9, 1.6-2.6 and 2.5-3.0 for storage time, FAST index, soluble protein, fat and SFF content prediction respectively. Vis-NIR, MIR and Raman were demonstrated to be potential PAT tools for process control and quality assurance applications in infant formula and dairy ingredient manufacture. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physicochemical characterization, fatty acid composition, and thermal analysis of Bertholletia excelsa HBK oil

PubMed Central

Pena Muniz, Marcos Antônio; Ferreira dos Santos, Marina Nídia; da Costa, Carlos Emmerson Ferreira; Morais, Luiz; Lamarão, Maria Louze Nobre; Ribeiro-Costa, Roseane Maria; Silva-Júnior, José Otávio Carréra

2015-01-01

The present study aimed at characterizing the oil extracted from Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K. almond, a native species from the Amazon region. Analytical methods used for oils and fats were employed through pharmacopoeia assays, AOCS (American Oil Chemists Society) standard methods as well as those recommended by ANVISA (National Health Surveillance Agency) such as acidity, peroxide value, saponification index, iodine value and refractive index, pH and relative density, and also thermoanalytical analyses (thermogravimetry, differential thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis) as well as chromatographic analysis (gas chromatography). The characterization assessments of B. excelsa oil showed results indicating that the oil contains polyunsaturated fatty acids in large proportion. The termoanalytical tests indicated that B.excelsa oil showed thermal stability up to 220 °C, These results showed that the oil extracted from B. excelsa has acceptable characteristics and is of good quality. PMID:25709225

Microscopic evaluation and physiochemical analysis of Dillenia indica leaf

PubMed Central

Kumar, S; Kumar, V; Prakash, Om

2011-01-01

Objective To study detail microscopic evaluation and physiochemical analysis of Dillenia indica (D. indica) leaf. Methods Fresh leaf sample and dried power of the leaf were studied macroscopically and microscopically. Preliminary phytochemical investigation of plant material was done. Other WHO recommended parameters for standardizations were also performed. Results The detail microscopy revealed the presence of anomocytic stomata, unicellular trichome, xylem fibres, calcium oxalate crystals, vascular bundles, etc. Leaf constants such as stomatal number, stomatal index, vein-islet number and veinlet termination numbers were also measured. Physiochemical parameters such as ash values, loss on drying, extractive values, percentage of foreign matters, swelling index, etc. were also determined. Preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of steroids, terpenoids, glycosides, fatty acids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds and carbohydrates. Conclusions The microscopic and physiochemical analysis of the D. indica leaf is useful in standardization for quality, purity and sample identification. PMID:23569789

Tidal Influence on Water Quality of Kapuas Kecil River Downstream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purnaini, Rizki; Sudarmadji; Purwono, Suryo

2018-02-01

The Kapuas Kecil River is strongly influenced by tidal, in the dry season the intrusion of surface water is often a problem for the WTP because it causes the change of raw water quality to be processed. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sea tides on water quality of the Kapuas Kecil River. The study was conducted in Kapuas River downstream along ± 30 km from the upper boundary to the estuary. Water sampling is carried out during the dry and rainy season, when the tidal conditions at 7 (seven) locations of the monitoring station. Descriptive analysis methods and regression-correlation statistics are used to determine the effect of tides on water quality in Kapuas River downstream. In general, the water quality of the Kapuas Kecil River has exceeded the criteria of first class water quality, ie water that can be used for drinking water. The status of water quality of the Kapuas Kecil River based on the pollution index calculation shows the condition of the river is "mild to medium pollutants". The result of multiple linear regression analysis got the value of coefficient of determination (adjusted R square) = 0,760, which in whole show that independent variable (tidal and distance) influence to dependent variable (value of TDS) equal to 76%.

In This Issue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warner, Brian D.

2018-07-01

This list gives those asteroids in this issue for which physical observations (excluding astrometric only) were made. This includes lightcurves, color index, and H-G determinations, etc. In some cases, no specific results are reported due to a lack of or poor quality data. The page number is for the first page of the paper mentioning the asteroid. EP is the "go to page" value in the electronic version.

In This Issue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warner, Brian D.

2018-04-01

This list gives those asteroids in this issue for which physical observations (excluding astrometric only) were made. This includes lightcurves, color index, and H-G determinations, etc. In some cases, no specific results are reported due to a lack of or poor quality data. The page number is for the first page of the paper mentioning the asteroid. EP is the "go to page" value in the electronic version.

Successful Aging and Frailty: Opposite Sides of the Same Coin?

PubMed

Woo, Jean; Leung, Jason; Zhang, Tiemei

2016-09-01

Operational definitions of successful aging place a strong emphasis on functional capacity, and strategies for successful aging include many factors common to frailty research. We explore the hypothesis that frailty and successful aging are two sides of the same coin and that walking speed may be an objective indicator of successful aging. Observational study of two Chinese cohorts using one to define "fast walkers" and applying this criteria to another cohort to examine associated factors. Community survey in cities in China. A total of 1929 men and women aged 25 to 89 years of age in four cities in China and 4000 men and women 65 years old in Hong Kong SAR China. The top 25th percentile of walking speed for the whole cohort of 1929 men was determined, and the cutoff value was used to define "fast walkers." This value was applied to the Hong Kong Chinese population to examine factors associated with fast walking speed. These factors include age, gender, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, medical history, quality of life, cognitive function, depressive symptoms, body mass index, body composition, and telomere length. Fast walkers had better self-rated health, lower prevalence of stroke, hypertension, cataracts, osteoporosis, and impaired cognitive function. They were more likely to be current alcohol users, more physically active, consumed more vegetables, had better physical component of health-related quality of life, and received more education. They also had lower body mass index, percentage whole body fat as well as appendicular fat, and higher appendicular muscle mass index. In multivariate analysis, the significant contributing variables were age, gender, current alcohol use, physical activity level, vegetable intake, quality of life, and appendicular fat. The area under the curve value on receiver-operating characteristic analysis was 0.77 for these seven variables. Frailty and successful aging may be considered two sides of the same entity, and fast walking speed may be used as an objective indicator of successful aging. Copyright © 2016 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Application of EQ-5D-5L questionnaire in patients suffering from urinary incontinence.

PubMed

Garcia-Gordillo, M A; Collado-Mateo, D; Olivares, P R; Adsuar, J C

2016-09-01

Urinary incontinence is associated with reduced quality of life and given the high prevalence of people with this condition, it could be useful to know the impact of having urinary incontinence on physical, psychological and social aspects. The Spanish value set of EQ-5D was used to assign single scores to the EQ-5D-5L health states. EQ-5D-5L is a health-related quality of life questionnaire, which allows assessing health status. The aim of this study was to provide normative values of EQ-5D-5L in a population sample with urinary incontinence. Cross-sectional study. A total of 965 people with urinary incontinence (297 men and 668 women) were included in this study. EQ-5D-5L index, VAS and health status are showed in the current study considering gender, age group, region, marital status, smoking status, net monthly incomes of household and educational level. Higher prevalence was observed in women (69.22%) compared with men (30.78%). Mean (SD) EQ-5D-5L utility index and VAS score were 0.58 (0.40) and 53.91 (22.16), respectively, for overall population. The 16.1% (155 people) reported perfect health status (11111). The utility equivalent to set values 55555 was not reported by anyone. This study provides normative values of EQ-5D-5L in a Spanish population sample with urinary incontinence. Copyright © 2016 AEU. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Short term effect of conventional tillage and cover crops in physical and chemical properties in two olive orchards of southern Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzmán, Gema; Giráldez, Juan Vicente; Gómez, José Alfonso

2014-05-01

Numerous studies have attempted to assess the differences in soil properties caused by different management systems in olive cropped farms. Nevertheless the influence of the most frequent management systems on the hydraulic properties of these soils has not been evaluated. Contrarily, there are very few studies that have tried to correlate these results with soil losses due to water erosion. There are complementary approaches to traditional degradation indices, as the S index based on the form of the soil retention curve (Dexter 2004a,b,c). The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the methods based on the S index to assess the physical quality of soil in olive orchards, (ii) to assess the short-term changes (2 years) in soil physical and chemical properties in two olive orchards under different managements systems, namely conventional tillage and cover crop, and (iii) to formulate strategies for assessing the quality of soil in olive orchards. For the studied soils, degradation processes (associated to conventional tillage) and the improvement of their properties (linked to cover crops) showed a fast response. Chemical changes were quickly observed. However physical changes are slower than chemical changes for both soils. Water retention curves allowed the evaluation of soil porosity based on depth in the profile and the management practices. The S index was computed for every soil using the conventional soil water retention equations fitted to the experimental data. For the olive cropped soils, higher S index values were obtained in the less degradated areas, in most of the cases. Therefore, the S index could be used as a soil quality indicator although further research should be required to study its evolution at a larger temporal scale. References: Dexter, A. R. 2004. a.- Soil physical quality. PartI. Theory, effects of soil texture, density, and organic matter, and effects on root growth. Geoderma 120 (2004) 201-214. Dexter, A. R. 2004. b.- Soil physical quality. Part II. Friability, tillage, tilth and hardsetting. Geoderma 120 (2004) 215-225. Dexter, A. R. 2004. c.- Soil physical quality. Part III: Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and general conclusions about S-theory. Geoderma 120 (2004) 227-239.

Water quality assessment of sacred glacial Lake Satopanth of Garhwal Himalaya, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Ramesh C.; Kumar, Rahul

2017-12-01

Satopanth Lake is a glacial lake, located at an altitude of 4600 m above sea level in Garhwal Himalaya of Uttarakhand state in India where an attempt was made to assess the water quality. A total of sixteen physico-chemical parameters including temperature, hardness, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, calcium, magnesium, chlorides, nitrates, sulphates and phosphates were recorded during 2014 and 2015 between June and August in ice-free period. The mean values of pH ranged from 6.85 to 7.10; water temperature fluctuated from 0.1 to 0.3 °C; dissolved oxygen varied from 5.90 to 6.0 mg.L-1; free CO2 varied from 8.40 to 8.60 mg.L-1; total dissolved solids varied from 88.0 to 89.5 mg.L-1; calcium from 7.88 to 7.95 mg.L-1; magnesium from 0.53 to 0.66 mg.L-1. All the physico-chemical values were within the prescribed WHO/BIS limit for drinking water. Water Quality Index (WQI) calculated based on these parameters also revealed the excellent quality of lake water.

Evaluation of Optical Quality: Ocular Scattering and Aberrations in Eyes Implanted with Diffractive Multifocal or Monofocal Intraocular Lenses.

PubMed

Liao, Xuan; Lin, Jia; Tian, Jing; Wen, BaiWei; Tan, QingQing; Lan, ChangJun

2018-06-01

To compare objective optical quality, ocular scattering and aberrations of eyes implanted with an aspheric monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) or an aspheric apodized diffractive multifocal IOL three months after surgery. Prospective consecutive nonrandomized comparative cohort study. A total of 80 eyes from 57 cataract patients were bilaterally or unilaterally implanted with monofocal (AcrySof IQ SN60WF) or multifocal (AcrySof IQ ReSTOR SN6AD1) IOLs. Respectively, 40 eyes of 27 patients were implanted with monofocal IOLs, and 40 eyes of 30 patients were implanted with multifocal IOLs. Ocular high-order aberration (HOA) values were obtained using Hartmann-Shack aberrometer; objective scatter index (OSI), modulation transfer function (MTF) cutoff, Strehl ratio (SR), and contrast visual acuity OV at 100%, 20%, and 9% were measured using Objective Quality Analysis System II (OQAS II). Ocular aberrations performed similar in both groups (p > 0.05). However, significantly higher values of OSI and lower values of MTF cutoff, SR and OV were found in the SN6AD1 group (p < 0.05). Both ocular scattering and wave-front aberrations play essential role in retinal image quality, which may be overestimated when only aberrations were taken into account. Combining the effect of ocular scattering with HOA will result in a more accurate assessment of the visual and optical quality.

The associations between diet quality, body mass index (BMI) and health and activity limitation index (HALEX) in the Geisinger Rural Aging Study (GRAS)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objectives To determine the associations between diet quality, body mass index (BMI), and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as assessed by the health and activity limitation index (HALex) in older adults. Design Multivariate linear regression models were used to analyze associations between Di...

The occurrence and potential ecological risk assessment of bauxite mine-impacted water and sediments in Kuantan, Pahang,Malaysia.

PubMed

Kusin, Faradiella Mohd; Rahman, Muhammad Syazwan Abd; Madzin, Zafira; Jusop, Shamshuddin; Mohamat-Yusuff, Ferdaus; Ariffin, Mariani; Z, Mohd Syakirin Md

2017-01-01

Recent bauxite mining activities in the vicinity of Kuantan, Pahang, have been associated with apparent environmental quality degradation and have raised environmental concerns among the public. This study was carried out to evaluate the overall ecological impacts on water and sediment quality from the bauxite mining activities. Water and sediment samples were collected at seven sampling locations within the bauxite mining areas between June and December 2015. The water samples were analyzed for water quality index (WQI) and distribution of major and trace element geochemistry. Sediment samples were evaluated based on geochemical indices, i.e., the enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I geo ). Potential ecological risk index was estimated to assess the degree to which sediments of the mine-impacted areas have been contaminated with heavy metals. The results showed that WQIs of some locations were classified as slightly polluted and contained metal contents exceeding the recommended guideline values. The EFs indicated minimal to moderate enrichment of metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Mn, As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Co, and Sr) in the sediments. I geo showed slightly to partially polluted sediments with respect to As at some locations. The potential ecological risk index (RI) showed that As posed the highest potential ecological risk with RI of 52.35-60.92 at two locations, while other locations indicated low risk. The findings from this study have demonstrated the impact of recent bauxite mining activities, which might be of importance to the local communities and relevant authorities to initiate immediate rehabilitation phase of the impacted area.

A real-time monitoring and assessment method for calculation of total amounts of indoor air pollutants emitted in subway stations.

PubMed

Oh, TaeSeok; Kim, MinJeong; Lim, JungJin; Kang, OnYu; Shetty, K Vidya; SankaraRao, B; Yoo, ChangKyoo; Park, Jae Hyung; Kim, Jeong Tai

2012-05-01

Subway systems are considered as main public transportation facility in developed countries. Time spent by people in indoors, such as underground spaces, subway stations, and indoor buildings, has gradually increased in the recent past. Especially, operators or old persons who stay in indoor environments more than 15 hr per day usually influenced a greater extent by indoor air pollutants. Hence, regulations on indoor air pollutants are needed to ensure good health of people. Therefore, in this study, a new cumulative calculation method for the estimation of total amounts of indoor air pollutants emitted inside the subway station is proposed by taking cumulative amounts of indoor air pollutants based on integration concept. Minimum concentration of individual air pollutants which naturally exist in indoor space is referred as base concentration of air pollutants and can be found from the data collected. After subtracting the value of base concentration from data point of each data set of indoor air pollutant, the primary quantity of emitted air pollutant is calculated. After integration is carried out with these values, adding the base concentration to the integration quantity gives the total amount of indoor air pollutant emitted. Moreover the values of new index for cumulative indoor air quality obtained for 1 day are calculated using the values of cumulative air quality index (CAI). Cumulative comprehensive indoor air quality index (CCIAI) is also proposed to compare the values of cumulative concentrations of indoor air pollutants. From the results, it is clear that the cumulative assessment approach of indoor air quality (IAQ) is useful for monitoring the values of total amounts of indoor air pollutants emitted, in case of exposure to indoor air pollutants for a long time. Also, the values of CCIAI are influenced more by the values of concentration of NO2, which is released due to the use of air conditioners and combustion of the fuel. The results obtained in this study confirm that the proposed method can be applied to monitor total amounts of indoor air pollutants emitted, inside apartments and hospitals as well. Nowadays, subway systems are considered as main public transportation facility in developed countries. Time spent by people in indoors, such as underground spaces, subway stations, and indoor buildings, has gradually increased in the recent past. Especially, operators or old persons who stay in the indoor environments more than 15 hr per day usually influenced a greater extent by indoor air pollutants. Hence, regulations on indoor air pollutants are needed to ensure good health of people. Therefore, this paper presents a new methodology for monitoring and assessing total amounts of indoor air pollutants emitted inside underground spaces and subway stations. A new methodology for the calculation of cumulative amounts of indoor air pollutants based on integration concept is proposed. The results suggest that the cumulative assessment approach of IAQ is useful for monitoring the values of total amounts of indoor air pollutants, if indoor air pollutants accumulated for a long time, especially NO2 pollutants. The results obtained here confirm that the proposed method can be applied to monitor total amounts of indoor air pollutants emitted, inside apartments and hospitals as well.

Validation of Vegetation Index Time Series from Suomi NPP Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite Using Tower Radiation Flux Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miura, T.; Kato, A.; Wang, J.; Vargas, M.; Lindquist, M.

2015-12-01

Satellite vegetation index (VI) time series data serve as an important means to monitor and characterize seasonal changes of terrestrial vegetation and their interannual variability. It is, therefore, critical to ensure quality of such VI products and one method of validating VI product quality is cross-comparison with in situ flux tower measurements. In this study, we evaluated the quality of VI time series derived from Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) spacecraft by cross-comparison with in situ radiation flux measurements at select flux tower sites over North America and Europe. VIIRS is a new polar-orbiting satellite sensor series, slated to replace National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer in the afternoon overpass and to continue the highly-calibrated data streams initiated with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer of National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Earth Observing System. The selected sites covered a wide range of biomes, including croplands, grasslands, evergreen needle forest, woody savanna, and open shrublands. The two VIIRS indices of the Top-of-Atmosphere (TOA) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the atmospherically-corrected, Top-of-Canopy (TOC) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) (daily, 375 m spatial resolution) were compared against the TOC NDVI and a two-band version of EVI (EVI2) calculated from tower radiation flux measurements, respectively. VIIRS and Tower VI time series showed comparable seasonal profiles across biomes with statistically significant correlations (> 0.60; p-value < 0.01). "Start-of-season (SOS)" phenological metric values extracted from VIIRS and Tower VI time series were also highly compatible (R2 > 0.95), with mean differences of 2.3 days and 5.0 days for the NDVI and the EVI, respectively. These results indicate that VIIRS VI time series can capture seasonal evolution of vegetated land surface as good as in situ radiometric measurements. Future studies that address biophysical or physiological interpretations of Tower VI time series derived from radiation flux measurements are desirable.

The Role of Tonsillectomy in Adults with Tonsillar Hypertrophy and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

PubMed

Smith, Matthew M; Peterson, Ed; Yaremchuk, Kathleen L

2017-08-01

Objective To determine if tonsillectomy alone is an effective treatment in improving obstructive sleep apnea in adult subjects with tonsillar hypertrophy and to evaluate the effect of tonsillectomy on patient-reported quality-of-life indices. Study Design Case series with planned data collection. Setting Academic hospital. Subjects and Methods Thirty-four subjects completed enrollment and intervention from January 2011 to January 2016. Subjects completed pre- and postoperative quality-of-life questionnaires, including the Insomnia Severity Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire-10. Surgical response to treatment was defined by a >50% decrease in the Apnea-Hypopnea Index and a decrease in the overall Apnea-Hypopnea Index to <20. Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank tests were used to test each variable to assess for a change from pre- to postintervention. Subjects were then split into 3 BMI subgroups, with results also evaluated by Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank tests. Results There was a significant difference discovered between the mean preoperative Apnea-Hypopnea Index of 31.57 and the mean postoperative value of 8.12 ( P < .001). All patient-reported outcomes improved significantly following tonsillectomy. After stratifying all outcome variables (Apnea-Hypopnea Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Insomnia Severity Index, and Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire-10) by sex, race, and tonsil size, no statistically significant difference was noted among any of these subgroups. There was a 78% surgical response to treatment. Conclusion Tonsillectomy appears to be an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea in a select population of adults with tonsillar hypertrophy.

The use of aquatic macrophytes in monitoring and in assessment of biological integrity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stewart, P.M.; Scribailo, R.W.; Simon, T.P.; Gerhardt, A.

1999-01-01

Aquatic plant species, populations, and communities should be used as indicators of the aquatic environment, allowing detection of ecosystem response to different stressors. Plant tissues bioaccumulate and concentrate toxin levels higher than what is present in the sediments; and this appears to be related to organic matter content, acidification, and buffering capacity. The majority of toxicity studies, most of these with heavy metals, have been done with several Lemna species and Vallisneria americana. Organic chemicals reviewed include pesticides and herbicides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and other industrial contaminants. The use of aquatic plant communities as bioindicators of environmental quality was evaluated for specific characteristics and indices that may assess biological integrity. Indices such as the floristic quality index (FQI) and coefficient of conservatism (C) are pioneering efforts to describe the quality of natural areas and protect native biodiversity. Our case study in the Grand Calumet Lagoons found that 'least-impacted' sites had the greatest aquatic plant species richness, highest FQI and C values, and highest relative abundance. Lastly, we introduce the concepts necessary for the development of a plant index of biotic integrity. Development of reference conditions is essential to understanding aquatic plant community structure, function, individual health, condition, and abundance. Information on guild development and tolerance definition are also integral to the development of a multi-metric index.

Rapid monitoring of the fermentation process for Korean traditional rice wine 'Makgeolli' using FT-NIR spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Dae-Yong; Cho, Byoung-Kwan

2015-11-01

The quality parameters of the Korean traditional rice wine "Makgeolli" were monitored using Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy with multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) during fermentation. Alcohol, reducing sugar, and titratable acid were the parameters assessed to determine the quality index of fermentation substrates and products. The acquired spectra were analyzed with partial least squares regression (PLSR). The best prediction model for alcohol was obtained with maximum normalization, showing a coefficient of determination (Rp2) of 0.973 and a standard error of prediction (SEP) of 0.760%. In addition, the best prediction model for reducing sugar was obtained with no data preprocessing, with a Rp2 value of 0.945 and a SEP of 1.233%. The prediction of titratable acidity was best with mean normalization, showing a Rp2 value of 0.882 and a SEP of 0.045%. These results demonstrate that FT-NIR spectroscopy can be used for rapid measurements of quality parameters during Makgeolli fermentation.

Monitoring of urban and rural basins: water quality of Mourão basin.

PubMed

Passig, F H; Lima, S B; Carvalho, K Q; Halmeman, M C R; Souza, P C; Gusmão, L K

2015-12-01

The Mourão River basin is located on the central western region of the Paraná State - Brazil, between coordinates 23º 44' - 24º 25 South latitude and 52º 12' - 52º 30' West longitude, between 270 and 820 m above sea level, and 1,648.21 km2 drainage area. Water quality was evaluated by monitoring physical, chemical and microbiological parameters. Monthly samplings were performed for a year at five sites in the basin for analysis of: pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrite, nitrate, total phosphorus, turbidity, total solids, volatile solids and fecal coliforms. The results of the evaluated parameters showed higher values than the limits set by CONAMA Resolution 357 from 2005 for Class 2 in some samples. The Water Quality Index (WQI) indicated that 72% of samples had average quality and 28% had good quality for the Mourão River basin. Higher values of WQI were observed after rainfall period with median of 75 compared to the dry period with median of 62. The source of the Mourão River is contaminated with fecal coliforms, evidencing the real need to treat sewage in rural areas.

Rested and stressed farmed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) chilled in ice or slurry and effects on quality.

PubMed

Digre, Hanne; Erikson, Ulf; Aursand, Ida G; Gallart-Jornet, Lorena; Misimi, Ekrem; Rustad, Turid

2011-01-01

The main objectives of this study were to investigate (1) whether rested harvest of farmed cod was better maintained by chilling with slurry rather than by traditional ice storage, (2) whether chilling with slurry would be a feasible chilling method to assure low core temperatures (≤0 °C) at packing of gutted fish, and (3) the effects of superchilling compared with traditional ice on selected quality parameters of cod during storage. In the experiment, seawater slurry at -2.0 ± 0.3 °C was used. Anesthetized (AQUI-S™), percussion stunned, and stressed cod chilled in slurry were compared. Cod stored on ice were used as reference group. The fish were evaluated at the day of slaughter, and after 7 and 14 d of storage according to handling stress (initial muscle pH, muscle twitches, rigor mortis), core temperatures, quality index method, microbial counts, weight changes, salt and water content, water distribution, pH, adenosine triphosphate-degradation products, K-value, water-holding capacity, fillet color, and texture. Chilling cod in slurry was more rapid than chilling in ice. Prechilling (1 d) of cod in slurry before subsequent ice storage resulted in lower quality 7 d postmortem compared with both ice and continuous slurry storage. The potential advantages of superchilling became more prominent after 14 d with lower microbiological activity, better maintenance of freshness (lower total quality index scores and lower K-values) compared with fish stored on ice. A drawback with slurry-stored fish was that cloudy eyes developed earlier, in addition to weight gain and salt uptake compared to ice-stored fish. Practical Application: Chilling is an essential operation in any fish-processing plant. This manuscript addresses different applications of slurry ice in the processing and storage of Atlantic cod. Cod quality was assessed after 7 and 14 d of iced and superchilled storage.

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

Endothelial function and sleep: associations of flow-mediated dilation with perceived sleep quality and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

PubMed

Cooper, Denise C; Ziegler, Michael G; Milic, Milos S; Ancoli-Israel, Sonia; Mills, Paul J; Loredo, José S; Von Känel, Roland; Dimsdale, Joel E

2014-02-01

Endothelial function typically precedes clinical manifestations of cardiovascular disease and provides a potential mechanism for the associations observed between cardiovascular disease and sleep quality. This study examined how subjective and objective indicators of sleep quality relate to endothelial function, as measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD). In a clinical research centre, 100 non-shift working adults (mean age: 36 years) completed FMD testing and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, along with a polysomnography assessment to obtain the following measures: slow wave sleep, percentage rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, REM sleep latency, total arousal index, total sleep time, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency and apnea-hypopnea index. Bivariate correlations and follow-up multiple regressions examined how FMD related to subjective (i.e., Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores) and objective (i.e., polysomnography-derived) indicators of sleep quality. After FMD showed bivariate correlations with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores, percentage REM sleep and REM latency, further examination with separate regression models indicated that these associations remained significant after adjustments for sex, age, race, hypertension, body mass index, apnea-hypopnea index, smoking and income (Ps < 0.05). Specifically, as FMD decreased, scores on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index increased (indicating decreased subjective sleep quality) and percentage REM sleep decreased, while REM sleep latency increased (Ps < 0.05). Poorer subjective sleep quality and adverse changes in REM sleep were associated with diminished vasodilation, which could link sleep disturbances to cardiovascular disease. © 2013 European Sleep Research Society.

Evaluation of multiple water quality indices for drinking and irrigation purposes for the Karoon river, Iran.

PubMed

Aminiyan, Milad Mirzaei; Aitkenhead-Peterson, Jacqueline; Aminiyan, Farzad Mirzaei

2018-06-16

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the water quality of the Karoon river, which is a main river in Iran country. For this purpose, hydrochemical analyses of a database that maintained by the Water Resources Authority of Khuzestan Province, Iran's Ministry of Energy, were carried out. These data were compared with the maximum permissible limit values recommended by World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization water standards for drinking and agricultural purposes, respectively. Also in this regard, multiple indices of water quality were utilized. However, not all indices gave similar rankings for water quality. According to the USSL diagram and Kelly ratio, Karoon's water quality is not suitable for irrigation purposes due to high salinity and moderate alkalinity. However, the results of the magnesium hazard analysis suggested that water quality for irrigation is acceptable. A Piper diagram illustrated that the most dominant water types during the 15 years of the study were Na-Cl and Na-SO 4 . The mineral saturation index also indicated that Na-Cl is the dominant water type. The water quality for drinking purpose was evaluated using a Schoeller diagram and water quality index (WQI). According to the computed WQI ranging from 111.9 to 194.0, the Karoon's water in the Khuzestan plain can be categorized as "poor water" for drinking purposes. Based on hydrochemical characteristics, years 2000-2007 and 2008-2014 were categorized into two clusters illustrating a decline in water quality between the two time periods.

An overall Water Quality Index (WQI) for a man-made aquatic reservoir in Mexico.

PubMed

Rubio-Arias, Hector; Contreras-Caraveo, Manuel; Quintana, Rey Manuel; Saucedo-Teran, Ruben Alfonso; Pinales-Munguia, Adan

2012-05-01

A Water Quality Index (WQI) is a useful statistical tool for simplifying, reporting and interpreting complex information obtained from any body of water. A simple number given by any WQI model explains the level of water contamination. The objective was to develop a WQI for the water of the Luis L. Leon dam located in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Monthly water samples were obtained in 2009; January 10, February 12, March 8, May 20, June 10, July 9, August 12, September 10, October 11, November 15 and December 13. Ten sampling sites were randomly selected after dividing the study area using a geographic package. In each site, two samples at the top depth of 0.20 m and 1.0 m were obtained to quantify physical-chemical parameters. The following 11 parameters were considered to calculate the WQI; pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), color, turbidity, ammonia nitrogen, fluorides, chlorides, sulfates, Total Solids (TS) and phosphorous (P). The data analysis involved two steps; a single analysis for each parameter and the WQI calculation. The resulted WQI value classified the water quality according to the following ranges: <2.3 poor water; from 2.3 to 2.8 good water; and >2.8 excellent water. The results showed that the WQI values changed from low levels (WQI < 2.3) in some points during autumn time to high levels (WQI > 2.8) most of the year and the variation was due to time of sampling generally rainy season.

Quality of life results from a phase 3 study of brentuximab vedotin consolidation following autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant for persons with Hodgkin lymphoma

PubMed Central

Ramsey, Scott D.; Nademanee, Auayporn; Masszi, Tamas; Holowiecki, Jerzy; Abidi, Muneer; Chen, Andy; Stiff, Patrick; Viviani, Simonetta; Sweetenham, John W.; Radford, John; Zhu, Yanyan; Bonthapally, Vijayveer; Thomas, Elizabeth; Richhariya, Akshara; Hunder, Naomi N.; Walewski, Jan; Moskowitz, Craig H.

2017-01-01

Summary Brentuximab vedotin (BV) significantly improved progression-free survival in a phase 3 study in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (RR-HL) post-autologous-haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT); we report the impact of BV on quality of life (QOL) from this trial. The European Quality of Life five dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire was administered at the beginning of each cycle, end of treatment, and every 3 months during follow-up; index value scores were calculated using the time trade-off (TTO) method for UK-weighted value sets. Questionnaire adherence during the trial was 87.5% (N=329). In an intent-to-treat analysis, compared with placebo, TTO scores in the BV arm did not exceed the minimally important difference (MID) of 0.08 except at month 15 (−0.084; 95% confidence interval, −0.143 to −0.025). On-treatment index scores were similar between arms and did not reach the MID at any time point; mixed-effect modelling showed that BV treatment effect was not significant (P = 0.2127). BV-associated peripheral neuropathy did not meaningfully impact QOL. Utility scores for patients who progressed declined compared with those who did not; TTO scores between these patients exceeded the MID beginning at month 15. In conclusion, QOL decreased modestly with BV consolidation treatment in patients with RR-HL at high risk of relapse after auto-HSCT. PMID:27649689

The association of sleep and late-night cell phone use among adolescents.

PubMed

Amra, Babak; Shahsavari, Ali; Shayan-Moghadam, Ramin; Mirheli, Omid; Moradi-Khaniabadi, Bita; Bazukar, Mehdi; Yadollahi-Farsani, Ashkan; Kelishadi, Roya

This study aims to assess the relationship of late-night cell phone use with sleep duration and quality in a sample of Iranian adolescents. The study population consisted of 2400 adolescents, aged 12-18 years, living in Isfahan, Iran. Age, body mass index, sleep duration, cell phone use after 9p.m., and physical activity were documented. For sleep assessment, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire was used. The participation rate was 90.4% (n=2257 adolescents). The mean (SD) age of participants was 15.44 (1.55) years; 1270 participants reported to use cell phone after 9p.m. Overall, 56.1% of girls and 38.9% of boys reported poor quality sleep, respectively. Wake-up time was 8:17 a.m. (2.33), among late-night cell phone users and 8:03a.m. (2.11) among non-users. Most (52%) late-night cell phone users had poor sleep quality. Sedentary participants had higher sleep latency than their peers. Adjusted binary and multinomial logistic regression models showed that late-night cell users were 1.39 times more likely to have a poor sleep quality than non-users (p-value<0.001). Late-night cell phone use by adolescents was associated with poorer sleep quality. Participants who were physically active had better sleep quality and quantity. As part of healthy lifestyle recommendations, avoidance of late-night cell phone use should be encouraged in adolescents. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.

[Built-up land change and its impact on ecological quality in a fast-growing economic zone: Jinjiang County, Fujian Province, China].

PubMed

Shi, Ting Ting; Xu, Han Qiu; Tang, Fei

2017-04-18

Since China's reform and opening-up, the rapid growth of China's economy has greatly accelerated the expansion of built-up land, which has affected regional ecological environment to a great extent. Taking Jinjiang County of Fujian Province, one of the fastest economic-developing counties in the coastal areas of southeastern China, as a case study area, this paper focused on analyzing the rapid built-up land expansion process of the county and its impact on county's ecological quality using remote sensing techniques. Based on two Landsat images of 1996 and 2015 of Jinjiang, the built-up land of the county was extracted using the index-based built-up index (IBI) and its change was analyzed. In the meantime, the ecological status of Jinjiang was evaluated with a recently-proposed remote sensing based ecological index (RSEI) and the relationship between the built-up land dynamics and the ecological status changes of the county was quantitatively examined. The results showed that during the period from 1996 to 2015, the area of built-up land of Jinjiang had a net increase of 68.54 km 2 , a growth of 45%, and the expansion intensity was 0.55. The expansion of the built-up lands has caused overall degradation of the county's ecological quality. The mean value of RSEI of the county had declined from 0.532 in 1996 to 0.460 in 2015, a drop of13.5%. The area proportion of high ecological-quality grades also significantly fell from 39% in 1996 to 21% in 2015. The built-up land expansion intensity was negatively correlated with the ecological quality change.

Sensitivity of the diagnostic radiological index of protection to procedural factors in fluoroscopy.

PubMed

Jones, A Kyle; Pasciak, Alexander S; Wagner, Louis K

2016-07-01

To evaluate the sensitivity of the diagnostic radiological index of protection (DRIP), used to quantify the protective value of radioprotective garments, to procedural factors in fluoroscopy in an effort to determine an appropriate set of scatter-mimicking primary beams to be used in measuring the DRIP. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to determine the shape of the scattered x-ray spectra incident on the operator in different clinical fluoroscopy scenarios, including interventional radiology and interventional cardiology (IC). Two clinical simulations studied the sensitivity of the scattered spectrum to gantry angle and patient size, while technical factors were varied according to measured automatic dose rate control (ADRC) data. Factorial simulations studied the sensitivity of the scattered spectrum to gantry angle, field of view, patient size, and beam quality for constant technical factors. Average energy (Eavg) was the figure of merit used to condense fluence in each energy bin to a single numerical index. Beam quality had the strongest influence on the scattered spectrum in fluoroscopy. Many procedural factors affect the scattered spectrum indirectly through their effect on primary beam quality through ADRC, e.g., gantry angle and patient size. Lateral C-arm rotation, common in IC, increased the energy of the scattered spectrum, regardless of the direction of rotation. The effect of patient size on scattered radiation depended on ADRC characteristics, patient size, and procedure type. The scattered spectrum striking the operator in fluoroscopy is most strongly influenced by primary beam quality, particularly kV. Use cases for protective garments should be classified by typical procedural primary beam qualities, which are governed by the ADRC according to the impacts of patient size, anatomical location, and gantry angle.

Air pollution characteristics and health risks in Henan Province, China.

PubMed

Shen, Fuzhen; Ge, Xinlei; Hu, Jianlin; Nie, Dongyang; Tian, Li; Chen, Mindong

2017-07-01

Events of severe air pollution occurred frequently in China recently, thus understanding of the air pollution characteristics and its health risks is very important. In this work, we analyzed a two-year dataset (March 2014 - February 2016) including daily concentrations of six criteria pollutants (PM 2.5 , PM 10 , CO, SO 2 , NO 2 , and O 3 ) from 18 cities in Henan province. Results reveal the serious air pollution status in Henan province, especially the northern part, and Zhengzhou is the city with the worst air quality. Annual average PM 2.5 concentrations exceed the second grade of Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standard (75μg/m 3 ) at both 2014 and 2015. PM 2.5 is typically the major pollutant, but ozone pollution can be significant during summer. Furthermore, as the commonly used air quality index (AQI) neglects the mutual health effects from multiple pollutants, we introduced the aggregate air quality index (AAQI) and health-risk based air quality index (HAQI) to evaluate the health risks. Results show that based on HAQI, the current AQI system likely significantly underestimate the health risks of air pollution, highlighting that the general public may need stricter health protection measures. The population-weighted two-year average HAQI data further demonstrates that all population in the studied cities in Henan province live with polluted air - 72% of the population is exposed to air that is unhealthy for sensitive people, while 28% of people is exposed to air that can be harmful to healthy people; and the health risks are much greater during winter than during other seasons. Future works should further improve the HAQI algorithm, and validate the links between the clinical/epidemiologic data and the HAQI values. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stakeholder involvement in establishing a milk quality sub-index in dairy cow breeding goals: a Delphi approach.

PubMed

Henchion, M; McCarthy, M; Resconi, V C; Berry, D P; McParland, S

2016-05-01

The relative weighting on traits within breeding goals are generally determined by bio-economic models or profit functions. While such methods have generally delivered profitability gains to producers, and are being expanded to consider non-market values, current approaches generally do not consider the numerous and diverse stakeholders that affect, or are affected, by such tools. Based on principles of respondent anonymity, iteration, controlled feedback and statistical aggregation of feedback, a Delphi study was undertaken to gauge stakeholder opinion of the importance of detailed milk quality traits within an overall dairy breeding goal for profit, with the aim of assessing its suitability as a complementary, participatory approach to defining breeding goals. The questionnaires used over two survey rounds asked stakeholders: (a) their opinion on incorporating an explicit sub-index for milk quality into a national breeding goal; (b) the importance they would assign to a pre-determined list of milk quality traits and (c) the (relative) weighting they would give such a milk quality sub-index. Results from the survey highlighted a good degree of consensus among stakeholders on the issues raised. Similarly, revelation of the underlying assumptions and knowledge used by stakeholders to make their judgements illustrated their ability to consider a range of perspectives when evaluating traits, and to reconsider their answers based on the responses and rationales given by others, which demonstrated social learning. Finally, while the relative importance assigned by stakeholders in the Delphi survey (4% to 10%) and the results of calculations based on selection index theory of the relative emphasis that should be placed on milk quality to halt any deterioration (16%) are broadly in line, the difference indicates the benefit of considering more than one approach to determining breeding goals. This study thus illustrates the role of the Delphi technique, as a complementary approach to traditional approaches, to defining breeding goals. This has implications for how breeding goals will be defined and in determining who should be involved in the decision-making process.

Effect of various refrigeration temperatures on quality of shell eggs.

PubMed

Shin, Daekeun; Narciso-Gaytán, Carlos; Regenstein, Joe M; Sánchez-Plata, Marcos X

2012-05-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of low storage temperatures on shell egg quality. Approximately 2100 shell eggs were collected and stored at - 1.1, 0.6, 2.2, 3.9, 5.6 and 7.2 °C for up to 4 weeks. Eighteen eggs at each storage temperature were evaluated after 0, 2, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of storage. Haugh units (HU), yolk index (YI), albumen pH (pHA), yolk pH (pHY) and angel food cake density (CD) were measured. Shell egg quality tended to be preserved better at below 2.2 °C, as high HU and YI values relative to eggs stored at 7.2 °C were determined on day 28. However, storage at - 1.1 °C tended to cause the opposite effect, especially highly declined HU values over time. Significantly different HU values of shell eggs were measured after 14 days of storage, with eggs stored at 0.6 and 2.2 °C having the highest HU values, 80.42 and 77.97 respectively. A lower temperature limit for shell egg storage could be established between 0.6 and 2.2 °C, as both temperatures showed the highest HU values, 77.88 and 77.60 respectively, after 28 days of storage. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

A novel approach in water quality assessment based on fuzzy logic.

PubMed

Gharibi, Hamed; Mahvi, Amir Hossein; Nabizadeh, Ramin; Arabalibeik, Hossein; Yunesian, Masud; Sowlat, Mohammad Hossein

2012-12-15

The present work aimed at developing a novel water quality index based on fuzzy logic, that is, a comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) approach to the development of environmental indices for routine assessment of surface water quality, particularly for human drinking purposes. Twenty parameters were included based on their critical importance for the overall water quality and their potential impact on human health. To assess the performance of the proposed index under actual conditions, a case study was conducted at Mamloo dam, Iran, employing water quality data of four sampling stations in the water basin of the dam from 2006 to 2009. Results of this study indicated that the general quality of water in all the sampling stations over all the years of the study period is fairly low (yearly averages are usually in the range of 45-55). According to the results of ANOVA test, water quality did not significantly change over time in any of the sampling stations (P > 0.05). In addition, comparison of the outputs of the fuzzy-based proposed index proposed with those of the NSF water quality index (the WQI) and Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI) showed similar results and were sensitive to changes in the level of water quality parameters. However, the index proposed by the present study produced a more stringent outputs compared to the WQI and CWQI. Results of the sensitivity analysis suggested that the index is robust against the changes in the rules. In conclusion, the proposed index seems to produce accurate and reliable results and can therefore be used as a comprehensive tool for water quality assessment, especially for the analysis of human drinking water. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of indoor environmental index: Air quality index and thermal comfort index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saad, S. M.; Shakaff, A. Y. M.; Saad, A. R. M.; Yusof, A. M.; Andrew, A. M.; Zakaria, A.; Adom, A. H.

2017-03-01

In this paper, index for indoor air quality (also known as IAQI) and thermal comfort index (TCI) have been developed. The IAQI was actually modified from previous outdoor air quality index (AQI) designed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). In order to measure the index, a real-time monitoring system to monitor indoor air quality level was developed. The proposed system consists of three parts: sensor module cloud, base station and service-oriented client. The sensor module cloud (SMC) contains collections of sensor modules that measures the air quality data and transmit the captured data to base station through wireless. Each sensor modules includes an integrated sensor array that can measure indoor air parameters like Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Ozone, Nitrogen Dioxide, Oxygen, Volatile Organic Compound and Particulate Matter. Temperature and humidity were also being measured in order to determine comfort condition in indoor environment. The result from several experiments show that the system is able to measure the air quality presented in IAQI and TCI in many indoor environment settings like air-conditioner, chemical present and cigarette smoke that may impact the air quality. It also shows that the air quality are changing dramatically, thus real-time monitoring system is essential.

Quality index tables for some eastern hardwood species

Treesearch

Joseph J. Mendel; William H. Smith; William H. Smith

1970-01-01

This paper briefly reviews the quality-index concept, presents log-quality index tables for a selected group of eastern hardwood tree species, and explains how timber operators can use Q.I. for evaluating the lumber that can be sawed from logs and trees.

Hydrologic, ecologic, and geomorphic responses of Brewery Creek to construction of a residential subdivision, Dane County, Wisconsin, 1999-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Selbig, William R.; Jopke, Peter L.; Marhshall, David W.; Sorge, Michael J.

2004-01-01

Other physical, biological, and ecological surveys including macroinvertebrates, fish, habitat, and geomorphology were done on segments of Brewery Creek affected by the study area. Macroinvertebrate sampling results (Hilsenhoff Biotic Index value, or HBI), on Brewery Creek ranged from 'very good' to 'good' water-quality with no appreciable differences during any phase of construction activity. Results for fish-community composition, however, were within the 'poor' range (Index of Biotic Integrity value, or IBI) during each year of testing. A general absence of intolerant species, with the exception of brown trout, reflects the low IBI values. Habitat values did not change significantly from preconstruction to postconstruction phases. Although installation of a double-celled culvert in Brewery Creek most likely altered the width-to-depth ratio in that reach, the overall habitat rating remained 'fair'. Fluvial geomorphology classifications including channel cross sections, bed- and bank-erosion surveys, and pebble counts did not indicate that stream geomorphic characteristics were altered by home-construction activity in the study area. Increases in fine-grained sediment at various cross sections were attributed to instream erosion processes, such as bank slumping, rather than increases in sediment delivery from the nearby construction site.

The Spatial-Temporal Characteristics of Air Pollution in China from 2001–2014

PubMed Central

Bao, Junzhe; Yang, Xiping; Zhao, Zhiyuan; Wang, Zhenkun; Yu, Chuanhua; Li, Xudong

2015-01-01

To provide some useful information about the control of air pollution in China, we studied the spatial-temporal characteristics of air pollution in China from 2001–2014. First, we drew several line charts and histograms of the Air Pollution Index (API) and Air Quality Index (AQI) of 31 capital cities and municipalities to research the distribution across different times and cities; then, we researched the spatial clustering of API and AQI; finally, we examined the shift of the gravity center of API and AQI in different years and months. The API values had a decreasing trend: the high values had a clustering trend in some northern cities, and the low values had a clustering trend in some southern cities. The AQI values were relatively low, from 15:00–17:00 during the day. The gravity center of API had a trend of moving south from 2001–2003, then fluctuated in an unordered pattern and moved north in the winter. The AQI gravity center did not have a regular shift during different months. In conclusion, the government should take action to mitigate air pollution in some typical cities, as well as air pollution during the winter. PMID:26694427

A water quality index model using stepwise regression and neural networks models for the Piabanha River basin in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villas Boas, M. D.; Olivera, F.; Azevedo, J. S.

2013-12-01

The evaluation of water quality through 'indexes' is widely used in environmental sciences. There are a number of methods available for calculating water quality indexes (WQI), usually based on site-specific parameters. In Brazil, WQI were initially used in the 1970s and were adapted from the methodology developed in association with the National Science Foundation (Brown et al, 1970). Specifically, the WQI 'IQA/SCQA', developed by the Institute of Water Management of Minas Gerais (IGAM), is estimated based on nine parameters: Temperature Range, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Fecal Coliforms, Nitrate, Phosphate, Turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen, pH and Electrical Conductivity. The goal of this study was to develop a model for calculating the IQA/SCQA, for the Piabanha River basin in the State of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), using only the parameters measurable by a Multiparameter Water Quality Sonde (MWQS) available in the study area. These parameters are: Dissolved Oxygen, pH and Electrical Conductivity. The use of this model will allow to further the water quality monitoring network in the basin, without requiring significant increases of resources. The water quality measurement with MWQS is less expensive than the laboratory analysis required for the other parameters. The water quality data used in the study were obtained by the Geological Survey of Brazil in partnership with other public institutions (i.e. universities and environmental institutes) as part of the project "Integrated Studies in Experimental and Representative Watersheds". Two models were developed to correlate the values of the three measured parameters and the IQA/SCQA values calculated based on all nine parameters. The results were evaluated according to the following validation statistics: coefficient of determination (R2), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Final Prediction Error (FPE). The first model was a linear stepwise regression between three independent variables (input) and one dependent variable (output) to establish an equation relating input to output. This model produced the following statistics: R2 = 0.85, RMSE = 6.19, AIC =0.65 and FPE = 1.93. The second model was a Feedforward Neural Network with one tan-sigmoid hidden layer (4 neurons) and one linear output layer. The neural network was trained based on a backpropagation algorithm using the input as predictors and the output as target. The following statistics were found: R2 = 0.95, RMSE = 4.86, AIC= 0.33 and FPE = 1.39. The second model produced a better fit than the first one, having a greater R2 and smaller RMSE, AIC and FPE. The best performance of the second method can be attributed to the fact that the water quality parameters often exhibit nonlinear behaviors and neural networks are capable of representing nonlinear relationship efficiently, while the regression is limited to linear relationships. References: Brown, R.M., McLelland, N.I., Deininger, R.A., Tozer, R.G.1970. A Water Quality Index-Do we dare? Water & Sewage Works, October: 339-343.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness Implementation Criteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abramova, I. G.; Abramov, D. A.

2018-01-01

This article documents the methods applied in production control technics specifically focused on commonly used parameter OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness). The indicators of extensive and intensive use of equipment are considered. Their appointment this is comparison in the same type of production within the industry and comparison of single-type and / or different types of equipment in terms of capacity. However, it is shown that there is no possibility of revealing the reasons for the machine’s operation: productive / unproductive, with disturbances. Therefore, in the article reveals the approaches to calculating the indicator characterizing the direct operation of the equipment. The Machine Load coefficient is approaching closely to the indicator of the efficiency of the use of equipment. Methods analysis is proceeded through the historically applied techniques such as “Stopwatch” and “Motion” studies. Was performed the analysis of the efficiency index of OEE equipment using the comparable indexes performance of equipment in the Russian practice. An important indicator of OEE contains three components. The meaning of each of them reflects historically applicable indicators. The value of the availability of equipment indicator is close to the value of the equipment extensibility index. The value of the indicator of the efficiency of work can be compared with the characteristic of the capacity of the equipment and the indicator of the quality level can meet the requirements for compliance with the manufacturing technology. Shown that the sum of the values of the coefficient of “Availability” of the equipment and the value of the “Factor of compaction of working hours” are one. As well as the total value of the indicator “level of quality” and the coefficient of marriage given in the result unit. The measurability of the indicators makes it possible to make a prediction about efficiency of the equipment.

The Assessment of Mangrove Sediment Quality in Mengkabong Lagoon: An Index Analysis Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Praveena, Sarva M.; Radojevic, Miroslav; Abdullah, Mohd H.

2007-01-01

The objectives of this study are to use different types of indexes to assess the current pollution status in Mengkabong lagoon and select the best index to describe the Mengkabong sediment quality. The indexes used in this study were Enrichment Factor (EF), Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo), Pollution Load Index (PLI) and Marine Sediment Pollution…

Response of Soil Fungi Community Structure to Salt Vegetation Succession in the Yellow River Delta.

PubMed

Wang, Yan-Yun; Guo, Du-Fa

2016-10-01

High-throughput sequencing technology was used to reveal the composition and distribution of fungal community structure in the Yellow River Delta under bare land and four kinds of halophyte vegetation (saline seepweed, Angiospermae, Imperata and Apocynum venetum [A. venetum]). The results showed that the soil quality continuously improved with the succession of salt vegetation types. The soil fungi richness of mild-salt communities (Imperata and A. venetum) was relatively higher, with Shannon index values of 5.21 and 5.84, respectively. The soil fungi richness of severe-salt-tolerant communities (saline seepweed, Angiospermae) was relatively lower, with Shannon index values of 4.64 and 4.66, respectively. The UniFrac metric values ranged from 0.48 to 0.67 when the vegetation was in different succession stages. A total of 60,174 valid sequences were obtained for the five vegetation types, and they were classified into Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, Glomeromycota and Mucoromycotina. Ascomycota had the greatest advantage among plant communities of Imperata and A. venetum, as indicated by relative abundances of 2.69 and 69.97 %, respectively. Basidiomycota had the greatest advantage among mild-salt communities of saline seepweed and Angiospermae, with relative abundances of 9.43 and 6.64 %, respectively. Soil physical and chemical properties were correlated with the distribution of the fungi, and Mucor was significantly correlated with soil moisture (r = 0.985; P < 0.01). Soil quality, salt vegetation and soil fungi were influenced by each other.

Geomechanical Characterization and Stability Analysis of the Bedrock Underlying the Costa Concordia Cruise Ship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dotta, Giulia; Gigli, Giovanni; Ferrigno, Federica; Gabbani, Giuliano; Nocentini, Massimiliano; Lombardi, Luca; Agostini, Andrea; Nolesini, Teresa; Casagli, Nicola

2017-09-01

The shipwreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, which ran aground on 13 January 2012 on the northwestern coast of Giglio Island (Italy), required continuous monitoring of the position and movement of the vessel to guarantee the security of workers and rescuers operating around and within the wreck and to support shipwreck removal operations. Furthermore, understanding the geomechanical properties and stability behaviour of the coastal rock mass and rocky seabed underlying the ship was of similar importance. To assess the stability conditions of the ship, a ground-based monitoring system was installed in front of the wreck. The network included a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) device, which was used to perform remote semiautomatic geomechanical characterization of the observed rock mass. Using TLS survey techniques, three main discontinuity sets were identified in the granitic rock mass of Giglio Island. Furthermore, a multibeam bathymetric survey was used to qualitatively characterize the seabed. To integrate the processed TLS data and quantitatively describe the rock mass quality, a subsequent field survey was carried out to provide a rock mass geomechanical evaluation (from very good to moderate quality). Based on the acquired information, kinematic and stability analyses were performed to create a spatial prediction of rock failure mechanisms in the study area. The obtained kinematic hazard index values were generally low; only the plane failure index reached slightly higher values. The general stability of the rock mass was confirmed by the stability analysis, which yielded a high safety factor value (approximately 12).

Hyposalivation and xerostomia among Parkinson's disease patients and its impact on quality of life.

PubMed

Barbe, A G; Heinzler, A; Derman, Shm; Hellmich, M; Timmermann, L; Noack, M J

2017-05-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) adversely affects oral health (OH). However, the informative value of xerostomia compared to objective parameters and its impact on quality of life (QoL) are still unclear. This study aimed to explore whether xerostomia correlates with hyposalivation and to define its impact on OH-related QoL. Whole stimulated saliva (WSS) was collected from 30 patients with PD and 30 matched healthy controls. Objective parameters (community periodontal index of treatment needs, plaque/gingivitis index, mucosa situation and cheilitis angularis) and questionnaires (German Oral Health Impact Profile [OHIPG]-14, visual analogue scale [VAS], xerostomia [yes/no] and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-II) were assessed. Eighty-seven per cent of patients with PD showed hyposalivation vs 50% of controls (P = 0.001); 50% of patients with PD reported xerostomia, and none of controls (P < 0.001). The OHIPG-14 was impaired in patients with PD compared to controls (P < 0.001), PD patients with xerostomia reported mean VAS values of 4.1 (s.d.: 2.2). WSS did not correlate with VAS values. Half of the patients with PD reported xerostomia and underestimated their xerostomic status, with higher probability than healthy controls. WSS did not reflect the grade of xerostomia. Patients with PD suffered from impaired OH-related QoL. Dental teams should not overlook these oral health risks. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A fuzzy-logic based decision-making approach for identification of groundwater quality based on groundwater quality indices.

PubMed

Vadiati, M; Asghari-Moghaddam, A; Nakhaei, M; Adamowski, J; Akbarzadeh, A H

2016-12-15

Due to inherent uncertainties in measurement and analysis, groundwater quality assessment is a difficult task. Artificial intelligence techniques, specifically fuzzy inference systems, have proven useful in evaluating groundwater quality in uncertain and complex hydrogeological systems. In the present study, a Mamdani fuzzy-logic-based decision-making approach was developed to assess groundwater quality based on relevant indices. In an effort to develop a set of new hybrid fuzzy indices for groundwater quality assessment, a Mamdani fuzzy inference model was developed with widely-accepted groundwater quality indices: the Groundwater Quality Index (GQI), the Water Quality Index (WQI), and the Ground Water Quality Index (GWQI). In an effort to present generalized hybrid fuzzy indices a significant effort was made to employ well-known groundwater quality index acceptability ranges as fuzzy model output ranges rather than employing expert knowledge in the fuzzification of output parameters. The proposed approach was evaluated for its ability to assess the drinking water quality of 49 samples collected seasonally from groundwater resources in Iran's Sarab Plain during 2013-2014. Input membership functions were defined as "desirable", "acceptable" and "unacceptable" based on expert knowledge and the standard and permissible limits prescribed by the World Health Organization. Output data were categorized into multiple categories based on the GQI (5 categories), WQI (5 categories), and GWQI (3 categories). Given the potential of fuzzy models to minimize uncertainties, hybrid fuzzy-based indices produce significantly more accurate assessments of groundwater quality than traditional indices. The developed models' accuracy was assessed and a comparison of the performance indices demonstrated the Fuzzy Groundwater Quality Index model to be more accurate than both the Fuzzy Water Quality Index and Fuzzy Ground Water Quality Index models. This suggests that the new hybrid fuzzy indices developed in this research are reliable and flexible when used in groundwater quality assessment for drinking purposes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physico-chemical properties of biodiesel manufactured from waste frying oil using domestic adsorbents

PubMed Central

Ismail, Samir Abd-elmonem A; Ali, Rehab Farouk M

2015-01-01

We have evaluated the efficiency of sugar cane bagasse ash (SCBA), date palm seed carbon (DPSC), and rice husk ash (RHA) as natural adsorbents and compared them with the synthetic adsorbent Magnesol XL for improving the quality of waste frying oil (WFO) and for the impact on the physicochemical properties of the obtained biodiesel. We measured moisture content, refractive index (RI), density, acid value (AV), iodine value (IV), peroxide value (PV), and saponification value (SV), as well as fatty acid profile. Purification treatments with various levels of adsorbents caused significant (P ≤ 0.05) decreases in free fatty acids (FFAs), PVs, and IVs. The highest yields (86.45 and 87.80%) were observed for biodiesel samples produced from WFO treated with 2% Magnesol and 3% of RHA, respectively, followed by samples treated with 2 and 3% of DPSC or RHA. Pre-treatments caused a significant decrease in the content of C 18:2 linoleic acids, consistent with a significant increase in the content of monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids (MUFA) in the treated samples. The highest oxidation value (COX) (1.30) was observed for biodiesel samples produced from WFO without purification treatments. However, the lowest values (0.44–0.73) were observed for biodiesel samples produced from WFO treated with different levels of adsorbents. Our results indicate that pre-treatments with different levels of adsorbents regenerated the quality of WFO and improved the quality of the obtained biodiesel. PMID:27877789

Physico-chemical properties of biodiesel manufactured from waste frying oil using domestic adsorbents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismail, Samir Abd-elmonem A.; Ali, Rehab Farouk M.

2015-06-01

We have evaluated the efficiency of sugar cane bagasse ash (SCBA), date palm seed carbon (DPSC), and rice husk ash (RHA) as natural adsorbents and compared them with the synthetic adsorbent Magnesol XL for improving the quality of waste frying oil (WFO) and for the impact on the physicochemical properties of the obtained biodiesel. We measured moisture content, refractive index (RI), density, acid value (AV), iodine value (IV), peroxide value (PV), and saponification value (SV), as well as fatty acid profile. Purification treatments with various levels of adsorbents caused significant (P ≤ 0.05) decreases in free fatty acids (FFAs), PVs, and IVs. The highest yields (86.45 and 87.80%) were observed for biodiesel samples produced from WFO treated with 2% Magnesol and 3% of RHA, respectively, followed by samples treated with 2 and 3% of DPSC or RHA. Pre-treatments caused a significant decrease in the content of C 18:2 linoleic acids, consistent with a significant increase in the content of monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids (MUFA) in the treated samples. The highest oxidation value (COX) (1.30) was observed for biodiesel samples produced from WFO without purification treatments. However, the lowest values (0.44-0.73) were observed for biodiesel samples produced from WFO treated with different levels of adsorbents. Our results indicate that pre-treatments with different levels of adsorbents regenerated the quality of WFO and improved the quality of the obtained biodiesel.

Mosses in Ohio wetlands respond to indices of disturbance and vascular plant integrity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stapanian, Martin A.; Schumacher, William; Gara, Brian; Viau, Nick

2016-01-01

We examined the relationships between an index of wetland habitat quality and disturbance (ORAM score) and an index of vascular plant integrity (VIBI-FQ score) with moss species richness and a moss quality assessment index (MQAI) in 45 wetlands in three vegetation types in Ohio, USA. Species richness of mosses and MQAI were positively associated with ORAM and VIBI-FQ scores. VIBI-FQ score was a better predictor of both moss species richness and MQAI than was either ORAM score or vegetation type. This result was consistent with the strict microhabitat requirements for many moss species, which may be better assessed by VIBI-FQ than ORAM. Probability curves as a function of VIBI-FQ score were then generated for presence of groups of moss species having the same degree of fidelity to substrate and plant communities relative to other species in the moss flora (coefficients of conservatism, CCs). Species having an intermediate- or high degree of fidelity to substrate and plant communities (i.e., species with CC ≥ 5) had a 50% probability of presence (P50) and 90% probability of presence (P90) in wetlands with intermediate- and high VIBI-FQ scores, respectively. Although moss species richness, probability of presence of species based on CC, and MQAI may reflect wetland habitat quality, the 95% confidence intervals around P50 and P90 values may be too wide for regulatory use. Moss species richness, MQAI, and presence of groups of mosses may be more useful for evaluating moss habitat quality in wetlands than a set of “indicator species.”

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.

The Air Quality Health Index and Asthma Morbidity: A Population-Based Study

PubMed Central

Shen, Shixin; Atenafu, Eshetu G.; Guan, Jun; McLimont, Susan; Stocks, Brian; Licskai, Christopher

2012-01-01

Background: Exposure to air pollution has been linked to the exacerbation of respiratory diseases. The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), developed in Canada, is a new health risk scale for reporting air quality and advising risk reduction actions. Objective: We used the AQHI to estimate the impact of air quality on asthma morbidity, adjusting for potential confounders. Methods: Daily air pollutant measures were obtained from 14 regional monitoring stations in Ontario. Daily counts of asthma-attributed hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, and outpatient visits were obtained from a provincial registry of 1.5 million patients with asthma. Poisson regression was used to estimate health services rate ratios (RRs) as a measure of association between the AQHI or individual pollutants and health services use. We adjusted for age, sex, season, year, and region of residence. Results: The AQHI values were significantly associated with increased use of asthma health services on the same day and on the 2 following days, depending on the specific outcome assessed. A 1-unit increase in the AQHI was associated with a 5.6% increase in asthma outpatient visits (RR = 1.056; 95% CI: 1.053, 1.058) and a 2.1% increase in the rate of hospitalization (RR = 1.021; 95% CI: 1.014, 1.028) on the same day and with a 1.3% increase in the rate of ED visits (RR = 1.013; 95% CI: 1.010, 1.017) after a 2-day lag. Conclusions: The AQHI values were significantly associated with the use of asthma-related health services. Timely AQHI health risk advisories with integrated risk reduction messages may reduce morbidity associated with air pollution in patients with asthma. PMID:23060364

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: validation of the Urdu translation.

PubMed

Hashmi, Ali Madeeh; Khawaja, Imran Shuja; Butt, Zeeshan; Umair, Muhammad; Naqvi, Suhaib Haider; Jawad-Ul-Haq

2014-02-01

To translate and validate the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a standardized self-administered questionnaire for the assessment of subjective sleep quality into the Urdu language. Validation study. Mayo Hospital, Lahore, from March to April 2012. The PSQI was translated into Urdu following standard guidelines. The final Urdu version (PSQI-U) was administered to 200 healthy volunteers comprising medical students, nursing staff and doctors. Inter-item correlation was assessed by calculating Cronbach alpha. Correlation of component scores with global score was assessed by calculating Spearman correlation coefficient. Correlation between global PSQI-U scores at baseline with global scores for each PSQI-U and PSQI-E at 4-week interval was evaluated by calculating Spearman correlation coefficient. Moreover, scores on individual items of the scale at baseline were compared with respective scores after 4-week by t-test. One hundred and eighty five (185) participants completed the PSQI-U at baseline. The Cronbach alpha for PSQI-U was 0.56. Scores on individual components of the PSQI-U and composite scores were all highly correlated with each other (all p-values < 0.01). Composite scores for PSQI-U at baseline and PSQI-E at 4-week interval were also highly correlated with each other (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.74, p-value < 0.01) indicating good linguistic interchangeability. Composite scores for PSQI-U at baseline and at 4-week interval were positively correlated with each other (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.70, p < 0.01) indicating good test-retest reliability. The PSQI-U is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of sleep quality. It shows good linguistic interchangeability and test-retest reliability in comparison to the original English version when applied to individuals who speak the Urdu language. The PSQI-U can be a tool either for clinical management or research.

Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments from the Yanghe River, China

PubMed Central

Li, Jing

2014-01-01

The magnitude and ecological relevance of metal pollution from the upstream of water sources after emergency pollution events was investigated by applying a set of complementary sediment quality assessment methods: (1) geochemical assessment based on background value (the geoaccumulation index); (2) comparisons with sediment quality guidelines (SQGs); (3) an evaluation of the combined pollution according to the risk index (RI); and (4) investigation of the chemical patterns of target heavy metals (Cd, Zn, Cr, Pb, Ni). The geoaccumulation indices (Igeo) suggested that the magnitude of heavy metal pollution of the sediment of Yanghe River decreased in the order of Cd > Zn > Pb > Cr > Ni. Risk analysis also suggested that Cd and Zn concentrations were sufficiently elevated as to cause adverse biological effects in this study area. According to the RI values, 27% of total sampling sites showed considerable ecological risk for the water body, and 53% of total sampling sites showed very high ecological risk for the waterbody. Sediment-bound Cd was found to be predominantly associated with the exchangeable phase of the sediment (25%–68%), while Cr, Ni, Zn and Pb showed the strongest association with the residual fractions (60%–92%, 53%–67%, 24%–85% and 35%–67%, respectively). PMID:25464136

EPIC-Simulated and MODIS-Derived Leaf Area Index (LAI) ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Leaf Area Index (LAI) is an important parameter in assessing vegetation structure for characterizing forest canopies over large areas at broad spatial scales using satellite remote sensing data. However, satellite-derived LAI products can be limited by obstructed atmospheric conditions yielding sub-optimal values, or complete non-returns. The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Exposure Methods and Measurements and Computational Exposure Divisions are investigating the viability of supplemental modelled LAI inputs into satellite-derived data streams to support various regional and local scale air quality models for retrospective and future climate assessments. In this present study, one-year (2002) of plot level stand characteristics at four study sites located in Virginia and North Carolina are used to calibrate species-specific plant parameters in a semi-empirical biogeochemical model. The Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model was designed primarily for managed agricultural field crop ecosystems, but also includes managed woody species that span both xeric and mesic sites (e.g., mesquite, pine, oak, etc.). LAI was simulated using EPIC at a 4 km2 and 12 km2 grid coincident with the regional Community Multiscale Air Quality Model (CMAQ) grid. LAI comparisons were made between model-simulated and MODIS-derived LAI. Field/satellite-upscaled LAI was also compared to the corresponding MODIS LAI value. Preliminary results show field/satel

Determination of the Optimum Harvest Window for Apples Using the Non-Destructive Biospeckle Method.

PubMed

Skic, Anna; Szymańska-Chargot, Monika; Kruk, Beata; Chylińska, Monika; Pieczywek, Piotr Mariusz; Kurenda, Andrzej; Zdunek, Artur; Rutkowski, Krzysztof P

2016-05-10

Determination of the optimum harvest window plays a key role in the agro-food chain as the quality of fruit depends on the right harvesting time and appropriate storage conditions during the postharvest period. Usually, indices based on destructive measurements are used for this purpose, like the De Jager Index (PFW-1), FARS index and the most popular Streif Index. In this study, we proposed a biospeckle method for the evaluation of the optimum harvest window (OHW) of the "Ligol" and "Szampion" apple cultivars. The experiment involved eight different maturity stages, of which four were followed by long cold storage and shelf life to assist the determination of the optimum harvest window. The biospeckle activity was studied in relation to standard quality attributes (firmness, acidity, starch, soluble solids content, Streif Index) and physiological parameters (respiration and ethylene emission) of both apple cultivars. Changes of biospeckle activity (BA) over time showed moderate relationships with biochemical changes during apple maturation and ripening. The harvest date suggested by the Streif Index and postharvest quality indicators matched with characteristic decrease in BA. The ability of biospeckle method to characterize the biological state of apples was confirmed by significant correlations of BA with firmness, starch index, total soluble solids and Streif Index, as well as good match with changes in carbon dioxide and ethylene emission. However, it should be noted that correlations between variables changing over time are not as meaningful as independent observations. Also, it is a well-known property of the Pearson's correlation that its value is highly susceptible to outlier data. Due to its non-selective nature the BA reflected only the current biological state of the fruit and could be affected by many other factors. The investigations showed that the optimum harvest window for apples was indicated by the characteristic drop of BA during pre-harvest development. Despite this, at the current state of development the BA method cannot be used as an indicator alone. Due to rather poor results for prediction in OHW the BA measurements should be supported by other destructive methods to compensate its low selectivity.

Determination of the Optimum Harvest Window for Apples Using the Non-Destructive Biospeckle Method

PubMed Central

Skic, Anna; Szymańska-Chargot, Monika; Kruk, Beata; Chylińska, Monika; Pieczywek, Piotr Mariusz; Kurenda, Andrzej; Zdunek, Artur; Rutkowski, Krzysztof P.

2016-01-01

Determination of the optimum harvest window plays a key role in the agro-food chain as the quality of fruit depends on the right harvesting time and appropriate storage conditions during the postharvest period. Usually, indices based on destructive measurements are used for this purpose, like the De Jager Index (PFW-1), FARS index and the most popular Streif Index. In this study, we proposed a biospeckle method for the evaluation of the optimum harvest window (OHW) of the “Ligol” and “Szampion” apple cultivars. The experiment involved eight different maturity stages, of which four were followed by long cold storage and shelf life to assist the determination of the optimum harvest window. The biospeckle activity was studied in relation to standard quality attributes (firmness, acidity, starch, soluble solids content, Streif Index) and physiological parameters (respiration and ethylene emission) of both apple cultivars. Changes of biospeckle activity (BA) over time showed moderate relationships with biochemical changes during apple maturation and ripening. The harvest date suggested by the Streif Index and postharvest quality indicators matched with characteristic decrease in BA. The ability of biospeckle method to characterize the biological state of apples was confirmed by significant correlations of BA with firmness, starch index, total soluble solids and Streif Index, as well as good match with changes in carbon dioxide and ethylene emission. However, it should be noted that correlations between variables changing over time are not as meaningful as independent observations. Also, it is a well-known property of the Pearson’s correlation that its value is highly susceptible to outlier data. Due to its non-selective nature the BA reflected only the current biological state of the fruit and could be affected by many other factors. The investigations showed that the optimum harvest window for apples was indicated by the characteristic drop of BA during pre-harvest development. Despite this, at the current state of development the BA method cannot be used as an indicator alone. Due to rather poor results for prediction in OHW the BA measurements should be supported by other destructive methods to compensate its low selectivity. PMID:27171093

Adaptation of the QBR index for use in riparian forests of central Ohio

Treesearch

Stephanie R. Colwell; David M. Hix

2008-01-01

Although high quality riparian forests are an endangered ecosystem type throughout the world, there has been no ecological index to measure the habitat quality of riparian forests in Ohio. The QBR (qualitat del bosc de ribera, or riparian forest quality) index was developed to assess the quality of habitat in Mediterranean forested riparian areas, and we have modified...

Genetic diversity of bread wheat genotypes in Iran for some nutritional value and baking quality traits.

PubMed

Amiri, Reza; Sasani, Shahryar; Jalali-Honarmand, Saeid; Rasaei, Ali; Seifolahpour, Behnaz; Bahraminejad, Sohbat

2018-02-01

Genetic variation among 78 irrigated bread wheat genotypes was studied for their nutritional value and baking quality traits as well as some agronomic traits. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replicates under normal and terminal drought stress conditions in Kermanshah, Iran during 2012-2013 cropping season. The results of combined ANOVA indicated highly significant genotypic differences for all traits. All studied traits except grain yield, hectoliter weight and grain fiber content were significantly affected by genotype × environment interaction. Drought stress reduced grain yield, thousand kernel weight, gluten index, grain starch content and hectoliter weight and slightly promoted grain protein and fiber contents, falling number, total gluten and ratio of wet gluten to grain protein content. Grain yield by 31.66% and falling number by 9.20% attained the highest decrease and increase due to drought stress. There were negative and significant correlations among grain yield with grain protein and fiber contents under both conditions. Results of cluster analysis showed that newer genotypes had more grain yield and gluten index than older ones, but instead, they had the lower grain protein and fiber contents. It is thought that wheat breeders have bred cultivars with high grain yield, low protein content, and improved bread-making attributes during last seven decades. While older genotypes indicated significantly higher protein contents, and some of them had higher gluten index. We concluded from this study that it is imperative for breeders to pay more attention to improve qualitative traits coordinated to grain yield.

Yb3+-doped rod-type amplifiers with local adiabatic tapers for peak power scaling and beam quality improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yuan; Eschrich, Tina; Leich, Martin; Grimm, Stephan; Kobelke, Jens; Lorenz, Martin; Bartelt, Hartmut; Jäger, Matthias

2017-10-01

The use of short local tapers in large mode area fiber amplifiers is proposed for peak power scaling while maintaining good beam quality. To avoid modal distortions, the powder-sintering (REPUSIL) method was employed to obtain core materials with excellent refractive index homogeneity. First experiments with Yb3+-doped rod-type amplifiers delivered 2 ns pulses with peak powers of 540 kW and energies of 1.4 mJ for the untapered rod and 230 kW for the tapered rod (limited by facet damage). The beam quality improved from an M 2 value of approximately 10 to 3.5. The investigation of the taper structure indicates room for further improvement.

Cryogenic Temperature-dependent Refractive Index Measurements of N-BK7, BaLKN3, and SF15 for NOTES PDI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frey, Bradley J.; Leviton, Douglas F.; Madison, Timothy J.

2007-01-01

In order to enable high quality lens designs using N-BK7, BaLKN3, and SF15 at cryogenic temperatures, we have measured the absolute refractive index of prisms of these three materials using the Cryogenic, High-Accuracy Refraction Measuring System (CHARMS) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, as a function of both wavelength and temperature. For N-BK7, we report absolute refractive index and thermo-optic coefficient (dn/dT) at temperatures ranging from 50 to 300 K at wavelengths from 0.45 to 2.7 micrometers; for BaLKN3 we cover temperatures ranging from 40 to 300 K and wavelengths from 0.4 to 2.6 micrometers; for SF15 we cover temperatures ranging from 50 to 300 K and wavelengths from 0.45 to 2.6 micrometers. We compare our measurements with others in the literature and provide temperature-dependent Sellmeier coefficients based on our data to allow accurate interpolation of index to other wavelengths and temperatures. While we generally find good agreement (plus or minus 2 x 10(exp -4) for N-BK7, less than 1 x 10(exp -4) for the other materials) at room temperature between our measured values and those provided by the vendor, there is some variation between the datasheets provided with the prisms we measured and the catalog values published by the vendor. This underlines the importance of measuring the absolute refractive index of the material when precise knowledge of the refractive index is required.

Precision, accuracy, cross reactivity and comparability of serum indices measurement on Abbott Architect c8000, Beckman Coulter AU5800 and Roche Cobas 6000 c501 clinical chemistry analyzers.

PubMed

Nikolac Gabaj, Nora; Miler, Marijana; Vrtarić, Alen; Hemar, Marina; Filipi, Petra; Kocijančić, Marija; Šupak Smolčić, Vesna; Ćelap, Ivana; Šimundić, Ana-Maria

2018-04-25

The aim of our study was to perform verification of serum indices on three clinical chemistry platforms. This study was done on three analyzers: Abbott Architect c8000, Beckman Coulter AU5800 (BC) and Roche Cobas 6000 c501. The following analytical specifications were verified: precision (two patient samples), accuracy (sample with the highest concentration of interferent was serially diluted and measured values compared to theoretical values), comparability (120 patients samples) and cross reactivity (samples with increasing concentrations of interferent were divided in two aliquots and remaining interferents were added in each aliquot. Measurements were done before and after adding interferents). Best results for precision were obtained for the H index (0.72%-2.08%). Accuracy for the H index was acceptable for Cobas and BC, while on Architect, deviations in the high concentration range were observed (y=0.02 [0.01-0.07]+1.07 [1.06-1.08]x). All three analyzers showed acceptable results in evaluating accuracy of L index and unacceptable results for I index. The H index was comparable between BC and both, Architect (Cohen's κ [95% CI]=0.795 [0.692-0.898]) and Roche (Cohen's κ [95% CI]=0.825 [0.729-0.922]), while Roche and Architect were not comparable. The I index was not comparable between all analyzer combinations, while the L index was only comparable between Abbott and BC. Cross reactivity analysis mostly showed that serum indices measurement is affected when a combination of interferences is present. There is heterogeneity between analyzers in the hemolysis, icteria, lipemia (HIL) quality performance. Verification of serum indices in routine work is necessary to establish analytical specifications.

Developing a Water Quality Index (WQI) for an Irrigation Dam.

PubMed

De La Mora-Orozco, Celia; Flores-Lopez, Hugo; Rubio-Arias, Hector; Chavez-Duran, Alvaro; Ochoa-Rivero, Jesus

2017-04-29

Pollution levels have been increasing in water ecosystems worldwide. A water quality index (WQI) is an available tool to approximate the quality of water and facilitate the work of decision-makers by grouping and analyzing numerous parameters with a single numerical classification system. The objective of this study was to develop a WQI for a dam used for irrigation of about 5000 ha of agricultural land. The dam, La Vega, is located in Teuchitlan, Jalisco, Mexico. Seven sites were selected for water sampling and samples were collected in March, June, July, September, and December 2014 in an initial effort to develop a WQI for the dam. The WQI methodology, which was recommended by the Mexican National Water Commission (CNA), was used. The parameters employed to calculate the WQI were pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), alkalinity (Alk), total phosphorous (TP), Cl - , NO₃, SO₄, Ca, Mg, K, B, As, Cu, and Zn. No significant differences in WQI values were found among the seven sampling sites along the dam. However, seasonal differences in WQI were noted. In March and June, water quality was categorized as poor. By July and September, water quality was classified as medium to good. Quality then decreased, and by December water quality was classified as medium to poor. In conclusion, water treatment must be applied before waters from La Vega dam reservoir can be used for irrigation or other purposes. It is recommended that the water quality at La Vega dam is continually monitored for several years in order to confirm the findings of this short-term study.

Characterization of Water Quality in Unmonitored Streams in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, Northwestern Mississippi, May-June 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bryson, Jeannie R.; Coupe, Richard H.; Manning, Michael A.

2007-01-01

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality is required to develop restoration and remediation plans for water bodies not meeting their designated uses, as stated in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water Act section 303(d). The majority of streams in northwestern Mississippi are on the 303(d) list of water-quality limited waters. Agricultural effects on streams in northwestern Mississippi have reduced the number of unimpaired streams (reference streams) for water-quality comparisons. As part of an effort to develop an index to assess impairment, the U.S. Geological Survey collected water samples from 52 stream sites on the 303(d) list during May-June 2006, and analyzed the samples for nutrients and chlorophyll. The data were analyzed by trophic group as determined by total nitrogen concentrations. Seven constituents (nitrite plus nitrate, total Kjeldhal nitrogen, total phosphorus, orthophosphorus, total organic carbon, chlorophyll a, and pheophytina) and four physical property measurements (specific conductance, pH, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen) were determined to be significantly different (p < 0.05) between trophic groups. Total Kjeldhal nitrogen, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen were used as indicators of stream productivity with which to infer stream health. Streams having high total Kjeldhal nitrogen values and high turbidity values along with low dissolved oxygen concentrations were typically eutrophic abundant in nutrients), whereas streams having low total Kjeldhal nitrogen values and low turbidity values along with high dissolved oxygen concentrations were typically oligotrophic (deficient in nutrients).

Efficacy of antimicrobial pullulan-based coating to improve internal quality and shelf-life of chicken eggs during storage.

PubMed

Morsy, Mohamed K; Sharoba, Ashraf M; Khalaf, Hassan H; El-Tanahy, Hassan H; Cutter, Catherine N

2015-05-01

There has been a growing interest in the use of natural materials as a delivery mechanism for antimicrobials and coatings in foods. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of pullulan coatings to improve internal quality and shelf-life of fresh eggs during 10 wk of storage at 25 and 4 °C. Three treatments of eggs were evaluated as follows; non-coated (control; C), coated with pullulan (P), and coated with pullulan containing nisin (N). The effects of the pullulan coatings on microbiological qualities, physical properties, and freshness parameters were investigated and compared with non-coated eggs. For non-coated eggs, as storage time increased, yolk index, albumen index, and Haugh unit value decreased and weight loss increased. However, pullulan coatings (P or N) minimized weight loss (<1.5%) and preserved the albumen and yolk quality of eggs (with a final B grade) 3 wk longer than non-coated eggs at 25 °C. At 4 °C, both P- and N-coated eggs went from AA to A grade after 9 wk and maintained the grade for 10 wk (4 wk longer than that of non-coated eggs). This study is the first to demonstrate that pullulan coatings can preserve the internal quality, prolong the shelf-life, and minimize weight loss of fresh eggs. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Quality evaluation of extracted ion chromatograms and chromatographic peaks in liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry-based metabolomics data

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Extracted ion chromatogram (EIC) extraction and chromatographic peak detection are two important processing procedures in liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS)-based metabolomics data analysis. Most commonly, the LC/MS technique employs electrospray ionization as the ionization method. The EICs from LC/MS data are often noisy and contain high background signals. Furthermore, the chromatographic peak quality varies with respect to its location in the chromatogram and most peaks have zigzag shapes. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop effective metrics for quality evaluation of EICs and chromatographic peaks in LC/MS based metabolomics data analysis. Results We investigated a comprehensive set of potential quality evaluation metrics for extracted EICs and detected chromatographic peaks. Specifically, for EIC quality evaluation, we analyzed the mass chromatographic quality index (MCQ index) and propose a novel quality evaluation metric, the EIC-related global zigzag index, which is based on an EIC's first order derivatives. For chromatographic peak quality evaluation, we analyzed and compared six metrics: sharpness, Gaussian similarity, signal-to-noise ratio, peak significance level, triangle peak area similarity ratio and the local peak-related local zigzag index. Conclusions Although the MCQ index is suited for selecting and aligning analyte components, it cannot fairly evaluate EICs with high background signals or those containing only a single peak. Our proposed EIC related global zigzag index is robust enough to evaluate EIC qualities in both scenarios. Of the six peak quality evaluation metrics, the sharpness, peak significance level, and zigzag index outperform the others due to the zigzag nature of LC/MS chromatographic peaks. Furthermore, using several peak quality metrics in combination is more efficient than individual metrics in peak quality evaluation. PMID:25350128

Quality evaluation of extracted ion chromatograms and chromatographic peaks in liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry-based metabolomics data.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenchao; Zhao, Patrick X

2014-01-01

Extracted ion chromatogram (EIC) extraction and chromatographic peak detection are two important processing procedures in liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS)-based metabolomics data analysis. Most commonly, the LC/MS technique employs electrospray ionization as the ionization method. The EICs from LC/MS data are often noisy and contain high background signals. Furthermore, the chromatographic peak quality varies with respect to its location in the chromatogram and most peaks have zigzag shapes. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop effective metrics for quality evaluation of EICs and chromatographic peaks in LC/MS based metabolomics data analysis. We investigated a comprehensive set of potential quality evaluation metrics for extracted EICs and detected chromatographic peaks. Specifically, for EIC quality evaluation, we analyzed the mass chromatographic quality index (MCQ index) and propose a novel quality evaluation metric, the EIC-related global zigzag index, which is based on an EIC's first order derivatives. For chromatographic peak quality evaluation, we analyzed and compared six metrics: sharpness, Gaussian similarity, signal-to-noise ratio, peak significance level, triangle peak area similarity ratio and the local peak-related local zigzag index. Although the MCQ index is suited for selecting and aligning analyte components, it cannot fairly evaluate EICs with high background signals or those containing only a single peak. Our proposed EIC related global zigzag index is robust enough to evaluate EIC qualities in both scenarios. Of the six peak quality evaluation metrics, the sharpness, peak significance level, and zigzag index outperform the others due to the zigzag nature of LC/MS chromatographic peaks. Furthermore, using several peak quality metrics in combination is more efficient than individual metrics in peak quality evaluation.

Benthic invertebrates of fixed sites in the western Lake Michigan drainages, Wisconsin and Michigan, 1993-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lenz, Bernard N.; Rheaume, S.J.

2000-01-01

This report describes the variability in family-level benthic-invertebrate population data and the reliability of the data as a water-quality indicator for 11 fixed surface-water sites in the Western Lake Michigan Drainages study area of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Benthic-invertebrate-community measures were computed for the following: number of individuals, Hilsenhoff’s Family-Level Biotic Index, number and percent EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Tricoptera), Margalef’s Diversity Index, and mean tolerance value. Relations between these measures and environmental setting, habitat, and of chemical water quality are examined. Benthic-invertebrate communities varied greatly among fixed sites and within individual streams among multiple-reach and multiple-year sampling. The variations between multiple reaches and years were sometimes larger than those found between different fixed sites. Factors affecting benthic invertebrates included both habitat and chemical quality. Generally, fixed-site streams with the highest diversity, greatest number of benthic invertebrates, and those at which community measures indicated the best water quality also had the best habitat and chemical quality. Variations among reaches are most likely related to differences in habitat. Variations among years are most likely related to climatic changes, which create variations in flow and/or chemical quality. The variability in the data analyzed in this study shows how benthic invertebrates are affected by differences in both habitat and water quality, making them useful indicators of stream health; however, a single benthic-invertebrate sample alone cannot be relied upon to accurately describe water quality of the streams in this study. Benthic-invertebrate data contributed valuable information on the biological health of the 11 fixed sites when used as one of several data sources for assessing water quality.

Diet-quality scores and risk of hip fractures in elderly urban Chinese in Guangdong, China: a case-control study.

PubMed

Zeng, F F; Xue, W Q; Cao, W T; Wu, B H; Xie, H L; Fan, F; Zhu, H L; Chen, Y M

2014-08-01

This case-control study compared the associations of four widely used diet-quality scoring systems with the risk of hip fractures and assessed their utility in elderly Chinese. We found that individuals avoiding a low-quality diet have a lower risk of hip fractures in elderly Chinese. Few studies examined the associations of diet-quality scores on bone health, and no studies were available in Asians and compared their validity and utility in a study. We assessed the associations and utility of four widely used diet-quality scoring systems with the risk of hip fractures. A case-control study of 726 patients with hip fractures (diagnosed within 2 weeks) aged 55-80 years and 726 age- (within 3 years) and gender-matched controls was conducted in Guangdong, China (2009-2013). Dietary intake was assessed using a 79-item food frequency questionnaire with face-to-face interviews, and the Healthy Eating Index-2005 (HEI-2005, 12 items), the alternate Healthy Eating Index (aHEI, 8 items), the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I, 17 items), and the alternate Mediterranean Diet Score (aMed, 9 items) (the simplest one) were calculated. All greater values of the diet-quality scores were significantly associated with a similar decreased risk of hip fractures (all p trends <0.001). The multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidential intervals (95% CIs) comparing the extreme groups of diet-quality scores were 0.29 (0.18, 0.46) (HEI-2005), 0.20 (0.12, 0.33) (aHEI), 0.25 (0.16, 0.39) (DQI-I), and 0.28 (0.18, 0.43) (aMed) in total subjects; and the corresponding ORs ranged from 0.04 to 0.27 for men and from 0.26 to 0.44 for women (all p trends <0.05), respectively. Avoiding a low-quality diet is associated with a lower risk of hip fractures, and the aMed score is the best scoring system due to its equivalent performance and simplicity for the user.

Comparative analysis of SmartArc‐based dual arc volumetric‐modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT) versus intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

PubMed Central

Chao, Pei‐Ju; Ting, Hui‐Min; Lo, Su‐Hua; Wang, Yu‐Wen; Tuan, Chiu‐Ching; Fang, Fu‐Min

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and quantify the planning performance of SmartArc‐based volumetric‐modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT) versus fixed‐beam intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using a sequential mode treatment plan. The plan quality and performance of dual arc‐VMAT (DA‐VMAT) using the Pinnacle3 Smart‐Arc system (clinical version 9.0; Philips, Fitchburg, WI, USA) were evaluated and compared with those of seven‐field (7F)‐IMRT in 18 consecutive NPC patients. Analysis parameters included the conformity index (CI) and homogeneity index (HI) for the planning target volume (PTV), maximum and mean dose, normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for the specified organs at risk (OARs), and comprehensive quality index (CQI) for an overall evaluation in the 11 OARs. Treatment delivery time, monitor units per fraction (MU/fr), and gamma (Γ3mm,3%) evaluations were also analyzed. DA‐VMAT achieved similar target coverage and slightly better homogeneity than conventional 7F‐IMRT with a similar CI and HI. NTCP values were only significantly lower in the left parotid gland (for xerostomia) for DA‐VMAT plans. The mean value of CQI at 0.98±0.02 indicated a 2% benefit in sparing OARs by DA‐VMAT. The MU/fr used and average delivery times appeared to show improved efficiencies in DA‐VMAT. Each technique demonstrated high accuracy in dose delivery in terms of a high‐quality assurance (QA) passing rate (>98%) of the (Γ3mm,3%) criterion. The major difference between DA‐VMAT and 7F‐IMRT using a sequential mode for treating NPC cases appears to be improved efficiency, resulting in a faster delivery time and the use of fewer MU/fr. PACS number: 87.53.Tf, 87.55.x, 87.55.D, 87.55.dk PMID:22089015

3D microfluidic fabrication using a low refractive index polymer for clear microscopic observation at the fluid boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanada, Y.

2018-02-01

Microfluidic chips known as μ-TAS or LoC have become versatile tools in cell research, since functional biochips are able to streamline dynamic observations of various cells. Glass or polymers are generally used as the substrate due to their high transparency, chemical stability and cost-effectiveness. However, these materials are not well suited to the microscopic observation at the fluid boundary due to the refractive index mismatch between the medium and the biochip material. For this reason, we have developed a method of fabricating three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic chips made of a low refractive index fluoric polymer CYTOP. CYTOP has a refractive index of 1.34, a value that is almost equivalent to that of water. This optical property is very important for clear 3D microscopic observations of cell motion near the solid boundary, due to the minimal mismatch between the refractive index values of the medium and the CYTOP substrate. Therefore, CYTOP microfluidics are expected to allow the generation of clear images of unique cell migratory processes near the microfluidic sidewall. Therefore, we established the fabrication procedure involving the use of femtosecond laser direct writing, followed by wet etching and annealing, to create high-quality 3D microfluidics inside a polymer substrate. A microfluidic chip made in this manner enables us to more clearly observe areas near the fluid surface, compared to the observations possible using conventional microfluidic chips.

Multi-terminology indexing for the assignment of MeSH descriptors to medical abstracts in French.

PubMed

Pereira, Suzanne; Sakji, Saoussen; Névéol, Aurélie; Kergourlay, Ivan; Kerdelhué, Gaétan; Serrot, Elisabeth; Joubert, Michel; Darmoni, Stéfan J

2009-11-14

To facilitate information retrieval in the biomedical domain, a system for the automatic assignment of Medical Subject Headings to documents curated by an online quality-controlled health gateway was implemented. The French Multi-Terminology Indexer (F-MTI) implements a multiterminology approach using nine main medical terminologies in French and the mappings between them. This paper presents recent efforts to assess the added value of (a) integrating four new terminologies (Orphanet, ATC, drug names, MeSH supplementary concepts) into F-MTI's knowledge sources and (b) performing the automatic indexing on the titles and abstracts (vs. title only) of the online health resources. F-MTI was evaluated on a CISMeF corpus comprising 18,161 manually indexed resources. The performance of F-MTI including nine health terminologies on CISMeF resources with Title only was 27.9% precision and 19.7% recall, while the performance on CISMeF resources with Title and Abstract is 14.9 % precision (-13.0%) and 25.9% recall (+6.2%). In a few weeks, CISMeF will launch the indexing of resources based on title and abstract, using nine terminologies.

Results of Russian geomagnetic observatories in the 19th century: magnetic activity, 1841-1862

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nevanlinna, H.; Häkkinen, L.

2010-04-01

Hourly (spot readings) magnetic data (H- and D-components) were digitized from Russian yearbook tables for the years 1850-1862 from four observatories. The pdf pictures for digitization were taken by a normal digital camera. The database obtained consists of about 900 000 single data points. The time series of hourly magnetic values reveal slow secular variations (declination only) as well as transient and regular geomagnetic variations of external origin. The quality and homogeneity of the data is satisfactory. Daily Ak-indices were calculated using the index algorithm that has been earlier applied to 19th century data from Helsinki (Finland) as well as modern magnetic observatory recordings. The activity index series derived from the Russian data is consistent with earlier activity index series for 1850-1862. The digitized index data series derived in this study was extended back to 1841 by including magnetic C9 activity index data available from a Russian observatory (St. Petersburg). Magnetic data rescued here is well suitable for various reconstructions for studies of the long-term variation of the space weather in the 19th century.

Human development and South East Asian countries: Special emphasis on India.

PubMed

Sharma, Kalpa

2013-08-31

'Development' is to improve the quality of people's lives by creating an environment for them to engage in a wide range of activities, to be healthy and well nourished, to be knowledgeable and to be able to participate in the community life. The Human Development Index (HDI) is a multi-dimensional index of development as it is the combination of three development indices- health index, education index and income index. This article attempts to compare the HDI and its components between various South East Asian countries. Secondary data is used. India's position on the HDI scale is equivalent to the South East Asian average and rank 134 out of more than 190 countries. In South East Asia, India stood fifth in HDI, behind Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives and Indonesia. Country has launched several schemes and programs to improve the health indicators, to provide elementary education to every child and to alleviate poverty. India's HDI value has improved with time but still country has a long way to go in achieving an acceptable HDI. Need is to strengthen the existing schemes and programs.

Human development and South East Asian countries: Special emphasis on India

PubMed Central

Sharma, Kalpa

2013-01-01

‘Development’ is to improve the quality of people's lives by creating an environment for them to engage in a wide range of activities, to be healthy and well nourished, to be knowledgeable and to be able to participate in the community life. The Human Development Index (HDI) is a multi-dimensional index of development as it is the combination of three development indices- health index, education index and income index. This article attempts to compare the HDI and its components between various South East Asian countries. Secondary data is used. India's position on the HDI scale is equivalent to the South East Asian average and rank 134 out of more than 190 countries. In South East Asia, India stood fifth in HDI, behind Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives and Indonesia. Country has launched several schemes and programs to improve the health indicators, to provide elementary education to every child and to alleviate poverty. India's HDI value has improved with time but still country has a long way to go in achieving an acceptable HDI. Need is to strengthen the existing schemes and programs. PMID:24251281

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhenghua; Tian, Zhihui

2018-01-01

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

Development of Water Quality Index for the United States: A Sensitivity Analysis

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Water quality is quantified using several measures, available from various data sources, which can be combined to create a single index of overall water quality. It is necessary to identify appropriate variables to include in an index which could be used for health re...

Assessment of Power Quality based on Fuzzy Logic and Discrete Wavelet Transform for Nonstationary Disturbances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, Pampa; Nath, Sudipta

2010-10-01

The main aspects of power system delivery are reliability and quality. If all the customers of a power system get uninterrupted power through the year then the system is considered to be reliable. The term power quality may be referred to as maintaining near sinusoidal voltage at rated frequency at the consumers end. The power component definitions are defined according to the IEEE Standard 1459-2000 both for single phase and three phase unbalanced systems based on Fourier Transform (FFT). In the presence of nonstationary power quality (PQ) disturbances results in accurate values due to its sensitivity to the spectral leakage problem. To overcome these limitations the power quality components are calculated using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). In order to handle the uncertainties associated with electric power systems operations fuzzy logic has been incorporated in this paper. A new power quality index has been introduced here which can assess the power quality under nonstationary disturbances.

Psychometric Properties of Korean Version of the Second Victim Experience and Support Tool (K-SVEST).

PubMed

Kim, Eun-Mi; Kim, Sun-Aee; Lee, Ju-Ry; Burlison, Jonathan D; Oh, Eui Geum

2018-02-13

"Second victims" are defined as healthcare professionals whose wellness is influenced by adverse clinical events. The Second Victim Experience and Support Tool (SVEST) was used to measure the second-victim experience and quality of support resources. Although the reliability and validity of the original SVEST have been validated, those for the Korean tool have not been validated. The aim of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the SVEST. The study included 305 clinical nurses as participants. The SVEST was translated into Korean via back translation. Content validity was assessed by seven experts, and test-retest reliability was evaluated by 30 clinicians. Internal consistency and construct validity were assessed via confirmatory factor analysis. The analyses were performed using SPSS 23.0 and STATA 13.0 software. The content validity index value demonstrated validity; item- and scale-level content validity index values were both 0.95. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency reliability were satisfactory: the intraclass consistent coefficient was 0.71, and Cronbach α values ranged from 0.59 to 0.87. The CFA showed a significantly good fit for an eight-factor structure (χ = 578.21, df = 303, comparative fit index = 0.92, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.90, root mean square error of approximation = 0.05). The K-SVEST demonstrated good psychometric properties and adequate validity and reliability. The results showed that the Korean version of SVEST demonstrated the extent of second victimhood and support resources in Korean healthcare workers and could aid in the development of support programs and evaluation of their effectiveness.

Effects of chitosan combined with nisin treatment on storage quality of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea).

PubMed

Hui, Guohua; Liu, Wei; Feng, Hailin; Li, Jian; Gao, Yuanyuan

2016-07-15

Effects of chitosan combined with different concentrations of nisin on quality enhancement of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) stored at 4 °C were evaluated for 8 days. Changes in sensory score and volatile spoilage products, total viable counts (TVC), and physiochemical indexes including weight loss, colour, pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and K-value were examined. Results demonstrated that nisin-treated samples presented better quality preservation effects than chitosan alone. 1% chitosan combined with 0.6% nisin presented optimal quality enhancement effects, such as moisture loss control, volatile spoilage inhibition, TVB-N reduction, TVC growth control, and colour and sensory acceptability maintenance. Therefore, chitosan combined with nisin is promising in large yellow croaker shelf life extension. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An special epithelial staining agents: folic acid receptor-mediated diagnosis (FRD) effectively and conveniently screen patients with cervical cancer.

PubMed

Lu, Meng-Han; Hu, Ling-Yun; Du, Xin-Xin; Yang, Min; Zhang, Wei-Yi; Huang, Ke; Li, Li-An; Jiang, Shu-Fang; Li, Ya-Li

2015-01-01

High-quality screening with cytology has markedly reduced mortality from cervical cancer. However, it needs experienced pathologists to review and make the final decisions. We have developed folic acid receptor-mediated diagnosis (FRD) kits to effectively and conveniently screen patients with cervical cancer. We conduct present study aim to assess clinical significances of FRD in screening cervical cancer. A total of 169 patients were enrolled at Chinese People's liberation Army (PLA) general hospital. We compared diagnostic significances of FRD with thinprep cytology test (TCT). Meanwhile, colposcopy was also performed to confirm any lesion suspicious for cervical cancer. The sensitivity and specificity of FRD were 71.93% and 66.07% in diagnosis cervical cancer, respectively. Meanwhile, the positive predictive values (PPV), negative predictive values (NPV), Youden index were 51.90%, 82.22%, 0.38, respectively. On the other hand, the sensitivity and specificity of TCT in diagnosis cervical cancer were 73.68% and 61.61% respectively. PPV, NPV and Youden index for TCT were 49.41%, 82.14% and 0.35 respectively. Overall, FRD have high values of sensitivity, specificity and Youden index. However, this difference failed to statistical significance. FRD have comparable diagnostic significance with TCT. Therefore, FRD might serve as one effective method to screen cervical cancer. Especially for those patients living in remote regions of China, where cytology was unavailable.

An special epithelial staining agents: folic acid receptor-mediated diagnosis (FRD) effectively and conveniently screen patients with cervical cancer

PubMed Central

Lu, Meng-Han; Hu, Ling-Yun; Du, Xin-Xin; Yang, Min; Zhang, Wei-Yi; Huang, Ke; Li, Li-An; Jiang, Shu-Fang; Li, Ya-Li

2015-01-01

High-quality screening with cytology has markedly reduced mortality from cervical cancer. However, it needs experienced pathologists to review and make the final decisions. We have developed folic acid receptor-mediated diagnosis (FRD) kits to effectively and conveniently screen patients with cervical cancer. We conduct present study aim to assess clinical significances of FRD in screening cervical cancer. A total of 169 patients were enrolled at Chinese People’s liberation Army (PLA) general hospital. We compared diagnostic significances of FRD with thinprep cytology test (TCT). Meanwhile, colposcopy was also performed to confirm any lesion suspicious for cervical cancer. The sensitivity and specificity of FRD were 71.93% and 66.07% in diagnosis cervical cancer, respectively. Meanwhile, the positive predictive values (PPV), negative predictive values (NPV), Youden index were 51.90%, 82.22%, 0.38, respectively. On the other hand, the sensitivity and specificity of TCT in diagnosis cervical cancer were 73.68% and 61.61% respectively. PPV, NPV and Youden index for TCT were 49.41%, 82.14% and 0.35 respectively. Overall, FRD have high values of sensitivity, specificity and Youden index. However, this difference failed to statistical significance. FRD have comparable diagnostic significance with TCT. Therefore, FRD might serve as one effective method to screen cervical cancer. Especially for those patients living in remote regions of China, where cytology was unavailable. PMID:26221336

Real-time dissemination of air quality information using data streams and Web technologies: linking air quality to health risks in urban areas.

PubMed

Davila, Silvije; Ilić, Jadranka Pečar; Bešlić, Ivan

2015-06-01

This article presents a new, original application of modern information and communication technology to provide effective real-time dissemination of air quality information and related health risks to the general public. Our on-line subsystem for urban real-time air quality monitoring is a crucial component of a more comprehensive integrated information system, which has been developed by the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health. It relies on a StreamInsight data stream management system and service-oriented architecture to process data streamed from seven monitoring stations across Zagreb. Parameters that are monitored include gases (NO, NO2, CO, O3, H2S, SO2, benzene, NH3), particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), and meteorological data (wind speed and direction, temperature and pressure). Streamed data are processed in real-time using complex continuous queries. They first go through automated validation, then hourly air quality index is calculated for every station, and a report sent to the Croatian Environment Agency. If the parameter values exceed the corresponding regulation limits for three consecutive hours, the web service generates an alert for population groups at risk. Coupled with the Common Air Quality Index model, our web application brings air pollution information closer to the general population and raises awareness about environmental and health issues. Soon we intend to expand the service to a mobile application that is being developed.

Physicochemical and biological quality of soil in hexavalent chromium-contaminated soils as affected by chemical and microbial remediation.

PubMed

Liao, Yingping; Min, Xiaobo; Yang, Zhihui; Chai, Liyuan; Zhang, Shujuan; Wang, Yangyang

2014-01-01

Chemical and microbial methods are the main remediation technologies for chromium-contaminated soil. These technologies have progressed rapidly in recent years; however, there is still a lack of methods for evaluating the chemical and biological quality of soil after different remediation technologies have been applied. In this paper, microbial remediation with indigenous bacteria and chemical remediation with ferrous sulphate were used for the remediation of soils contaminated with Cr(VI) at two levels (80 and 1,276 mg kg(-1)) through a column leaching experiment. After microbial remediation with indigenous bacteria, the average concentration of water-soluble Cr(VI) in the soils was reduced to less than 5.0 mg kg(-1). Soil quality was evaluated based on 11 soil properties and the fuzzy comprehensive assessment method, including fuzzy mathematics and correlative analysis. The chemical fertility quality index was improved by one grade using microbial remediation with indigenous bacteria, and the biological fertility quality index increased by at least a factor of 6. Chemical remediation with ferrous sulphate, however, resulted in lower levels of available phosphorus, dehydrogenase, catalase and polyphenol oxidase. The result showed that microbial remediation with indigenous bacteria was more effective for remedying Cr(VI)-contaminated soils with high pH value than chemical remediation with ferrous sulphate. In addition, the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was proven to be a useful tool for monitoring the quality change in chromium-contaminated soils.

Uncertainty result of biotic index in analysing the water quality of Cikapundung river catchment area, Bandung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surtikanti, Hertien Koosbandiah

2017-05-01

The Biotic Index was developed in Western Countries in response to the need in water quality evaluation. This method analysis is based on the classification of aquatic macrobenthos as a bioindicator for clean and polluted water. The aim of this study is to compare the analysis of Cikapundung river using 6 different Biotic Indexes. BI Shannon-Weiner, Belgian Biological Index (BBI), Family Biotic Index (FBI), Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP), Biological Monitoring Working Party-Average Score Per Taxon (BMWP-ASPT), and A Scoring System for Macroinvertebrate in Australian River (A SIGNAL). Those analysis are compared with Physical Water Index (CPI) which is developed in Indonesia. The result shows that a decreasing water quality is detected upstream to downstream of Cikapundung River. However, based on the CPI analysis result, the BMWP-ASPT biotic index analysis is more comprehensive than other BI in explaining Cikapundung water quality.

A Comparison of EQ-5D-3L Index Scores Using Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, and UK Value Sets in Indonesian Cervical Cancer Patients.

PubMed

Endarti, Dwi; Riewpaiboon, Arthorn; Thavorncharoensap, Montarat; Praditsitthikorn, Naiyana; Hutubessy, Raymond; Kristina, Susi Ari

2018-05-01

To gain insight into the most suitable foreign value set among Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, and UK value sets for calculating the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire index score (utility) among patients with cervical cancer in Indonesia. Data from 87 patients with cervical cancer recruited from a referral hospital in Yogyakarta province, Indonesia, from an earlier study of health-related quality of life were used in this study. The differences among the utility scores derived from the four value sets were determined using the Friedman test. Performance of the psychometric properties of the four value sets versus visual analogue scale (VAS) was assessed. Intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots were used to test the agreement among the utility scores. Spearman ρ correlation coefficients were used to assess convergent validity between utility scores and patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. With respect to known-group validity, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to examine the differences in utility according to the stages of cancer. There was significant difference among utility scores derived from the four value sets, among which the Malaysian value set yielded higher utility than the other three value sets. Utility obtained from the Malaysian value set had more agreements with VAS than the other value sets versus VAS (intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plot tests results). As for the validity, the four value sets showed equivalent psychometric properties as those that resulted from convergent and known-group validity tests. In the absence of an Indonesian value set, the Malaysian value set was more preferable to be used compared with the other value sets. Further studies on the development of an Indonesian value set need to be conducted. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

In vitro starch digestibility and predicted glycemic index of microwaved and conventionally baked pound cake.

PubMed

Sánchez-Pardo, María Elena; Ortiz-Moreno, Alicia; Mora-Escobedo, Rosalva; Necoechea-Mondragón, Hugo

2007-09-01

The present study compares the effect of baking process (microwave vs conventional oven) on starch bioavailability in fresh pound cake crumbs and in crumbs from pound cake stored for 8 days. Proximal chemical analysis, resistant starch (RS), retrograded starch (RS3) and starch hydrolysis index (HI) were evaluated. The empirical formula suggested by Granfeldt was used to determine the predicted glycemic index (pGI). Pound cake, one of Mexico's major bread products, was selected for analysis because the quality defects often associated with microwave baking might be reduced with the use of high-fat, high-moisture, batted dough. Differences in product moisture, RS and RS3 were observed in fresh microwave-baked and conventionally baked pound cake. RS3 increased significantly in conventionally baked products stored for 8 days at room temperature, whereas no significantly changes in RS3 were observed in the microwaved product. HI values for freshly baked and stored microwaved product were 59 and 62%, respectively (P > 0.05), whereas the HI value for the conventionally baked product decreased significantly after 8 days of storage. A pound cake with the desired HI and GI characteristics might be obtained by adjusting the microwave baking process.

The health care and life sciences community profile for dataset descriptions

PubMed Central

Alexiev, Vladimir; Ansell, Peter; Bader, Gary; Baran, Joachim; Bolleman, Jerven T.; Callahan, Alison; Cruz-Toledo, José; Gaudet, Pascale; Gombocz, Erich A.; Gonzalez-Beltran, Alejandra N.; Groth, Paul; Haendel, Melissa; Ito, Maori; Jupp, Simon; Juty, Nick; Katayama, Toshiaki; Kobayashi, Norio; Krishnaswami, Kalpana; Laibe, Camille; Le Novère, Nicolas; Lin, Simon; Malone, James; Miller, Michael; Mungall, Christopher J.; Rietveld, Laurens; Wimalaratne, Sarala M.; Yamaguchi, Atsuko

2016-01-01

Access to consistent, high-quality metadata is critical to finding, understanding, and reusing scientific data. However, while there are many relevant vocabularies for the annotation of a dataset, none sufficiently captures all the necessary metadata. This prevents uniform indexing and querying of dataset repositories. Towards providing a practical guide for producing a high quality description of biomedical datasets, the W3C Semantic Web for Health Care and the Life Sciences Interest Group (HCLSIG) identified Resource Description Framework (RDF) vocabularies that could be used to specify common metadata elements and their value sets. The resulting guideline covers elements of description, identification, attribution, versioning, provenance, and content summarization. This guideline reuses existing vocabularies, and is intended to meet key functional requirements including indexing, discovery, exchange, query, and retrieval of datasets, thereby enabling the publication of FAIR data. The resulting metadata profile is generic and could be used by other domains with an interest in providing machine readable descriptions of versioned datasets. PMID:27602295

The extreme heat wave in Athens in July 1987 from the point of view of human biometeorology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matzarakis, Andreas; Mayer, Helmut

At the end of July 1987 a heat wave came over Greece and had as a consequence an increase in the mortality to double the normal values. Predicted mean vote ( PMV), physiologically equivalent temperature ( PET), and for comparison discomfort index ( DI) as thermal indices as well as core temperature, mean skin temperature, and skin wetness as body parameters are calculated for that period based on meteorological data of the Meteorological Institute of the National Observatory in the centre of Athens and of the suburban station New Philadelphia of the Hellenic National Weather Service. The results for the thermal indices and the body parameters indicate a very high thermal stress on people. In addition, the air quality stress index ( AQSI) has been used for characterizing air quality conditions in Athens during the heat wave. The results Combined with the thermal effects of the heat wave the stress on humans due to environmental conditions has been very injurious to health.

Effect of coloured shade-nets on plant leaf parameters and tomato fruit quality.

PubMed

Ilić, Zoran S; Milenković, Lidija; Šunić, Ljubomir; Fallik, Elazar

2015-10-01

The concept of photo-selective netting using commercial cultivation practices was studied in a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Vedetta') summer cultivation in south Serbia (under high solar radiation 910 W m(-2) , with a photosynthetic photon flux density of 1661 µmol m(-2) s(-1) ), under four different coloured shade-nets (pearl, red, blue and black) with 40% relative shading. The aim of the study was to determine how different environmental control technologies (coloured shade-nets as screen house or plastic-house integrated with coloured shade-nets) could influence plant parameters, production and quality traits in tomato fruits cultivated in south Serbia (Balkan region). The leaf area index (LAI) ranged from 4.6 to 5.8 in open field and plastic tunnels plants (control) with maximum LAI values of 7.9-8.2 in net houses with red colour nets. Shade-grown leaves generally have higher total chlorophyll and carotenoids content than do control leaves. Pericarp thickness was significantly higher tomatoes grown under pearl (7.215.82 µm), red (7099.00 µm) and blue nets (6802.29 µm) compared to other treatments and to control (6202.48 µm). The highest concentration of lycopene was detected in tomatoes grown in plastic houses integrated with red colour nets (64.9 µg g(-1) fresh weight). The plastic house and open field (control) tomato production had a taste index mean value of 1.09-1.10. This is significantly higher than the values determined for the treatments with different coloured shade-nets. These results show that red and pearl photo-selective nets create optimal growing conditions for the growth of the plant and produce fruits with thicker pericarp, the highest lycopene content, a satisfactory level of taste index and can be further implemented within protected cultivation practices. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Infiltration of plasma rich in growth factors for osteoarthritis of the knee short-term effects on function and quality of life.

PubMed

Wang-Saegusa, Ana; Cugat, Ramón; Ares, Oscar; Seijas, Roberto; Cuscó, Xavier; Garcia-Balletbó, Montserrat

2011-03-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent, chronic, degenerative condition that generates a high expense. Alternative and co-adjuvant therapies to improve the quality of life and physical function of affected patients are currently being sought. A total of 808 patients with knee pathology were treated with PRGF (plasma rich in growth factors), 312 of them with OA of the knee (Outerbridge grades I-IV) and symptoms of >3 months duration met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated to obtain a sample of 261 patients, 109 women and 152 men, with an average age of 48.39. Three intra-articular injections of autologous PRGF were administered at 2-week intervals in outpatient surgery. The process of obtaining PRGF was carried out following the Anitua Technique. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire with personal data and the following assessment instruments: VAS, SF-36, WOMAC Index and Lequesne Index before the first infiltration of PRGF and 6 months after the last infiltration. Statistically significant differences (P < 0.0001) between pre-treatment and follow-up values were found for pain, stiffness and functional capacity in the WOMAC Index; pain and total score, distance and daily life activities in the Lequesne Index; the VAS pain score; and the SF-36 physical health domain. There were no adverse effects related to PRGF infiltration. At 6 months following intra-articular infiltration of PRGF in patients with OA of the knee, improvements in function and quality of life were documented by OA-specific and general clinical assessment instruments. These favourable findings point to consider PRGF as a therapy for OA.

Spatial heterogeneity of water quality in a highly degraded tropical freshwater ecosystem.

PubMed

Zambrano, Luis; Contreras, Victoria; Mazari-Hiriart, Marisa; Zarco-Arista, Alba E

2009-02-01

Awareness of environmental heterogeneity in ecosystems is critical for management and conservation. We used the Xochimilco freshwater system to describe the relationship between heterogeneity and human activities. This tropical aquatic ecosystem south of Mexico City is comprised of a network of interconnected canals and lakes that are influenced by agricultural and urban activities. Environmental heterogeneity was characterized by spatially extensive surveys within four regions of Xochimilco during rainy and dry seasons over 2 years. These surveys revealed a heterogeneous system that was shallow (1.1 m, SD=0.4 ), warm (17 degrees C, SD=2.9), well oxygenated (5.0 mg l(-1), SD=3), turbid (45.7 NTU SD = 26.96), and extremely nutrient-rich (NO(3)-N=15.9 mg l(-1), SD=13.7; NH(4)-N=2.88 mg l(-1), SD=4.24; and PO(4)-P=8.3 mg l(-1), SD=2.4). Most of the variables were not significantly different between years, but did differ between seasons, suggesting a dynamic system within a span of a year but with a high resilience over longer periods of time. Maps were produced using interpolations to describe distributions of all variables. There was no correlation between individual variables and land use. Consequently, we searched for relationships using all variables together by generating a combined water quality index. Significant differences in the index were apparent among the four regions. Index values also differed within individual region and individual water bodies (e.g., within canals), indicating that Xochimilco has high local heterogeneity. Using this index on a map helped to relate water quality to human activities and provides a simple and clear tool for managers and policymakers.

Spatial Heterogeneity of Water Quality in a Highly Degraded Tropical Freshwater Ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zambrano, Luis; Contreras, Victoria; Mazari-Hiriart, Marisa; Zarco-Arista, Alba E.

2009-02-01

Awareness of environmental heterogeneity in ecosystems is critical for management and conservation. We used the Xochimilco freshwater system to describe the relationship between heterogeneity and human activities. This tropical aquatic ecosystem south of Mexico City is comprised of a network of interconnected canals and lakes that are influenced by agricultural and urban activities. Environmental heterogeneity was characterized by spatially extensive surveys within four regions of Xochimilco during rainy and dry seasons over 2 years. These surveys revealed a heterogeneous system that was shallow (1.1 m, SD = 0.4 ), warm (17°C, SD = 2.9), well oxygenated (5.0 mg l-1, SD = 3), turbid (45.7 NTU SD = 26.96), and extremely nutrient-rich (NO3-N = 15.9 mg l-1, SD=13.7; NH4-N = 2.88 mg l-1, SD = 4.24; and PO4-P = 8.3 mg l-1, SD = 2.4). Most of the variables were not significantly different between years, but did differ between seasons, suggesting a dynamic system within a span of a year but with a high resilience over longer periods of time. Maps were produced using interpolations to describe distributions of all variables. There was no correlation between individual variables and land use. Consequently, we searched for relationships using all variables together by generating a combined water quality index. Significant differences in the index were apparent among the four regions. Index values also differed within individual region and individual water bodies (e.g., within canals), indicating that Xochimilco has high local heterogeneity. Using this index on a map helped to relate water quality to human activities and provides a simple and clear tool for managers and policymakers.

Effects of different storage time on hatching results and some egg quality characteristics of rock partridge (A. graeca) (management and production).

PubMed

Günhan, S; Kirikçi, K

2017-06-01

In this research, partridge eggs were stored during zero to 7, 8 to 14, 15 to 21, 22 to 28, 29 to 35 and 36 to 42 d, respectively. The effect of different egg storage periods on egg protein and moisture rates, mineral contents, and some egg quality and hatching characteristics were investigated. The extension of egg storage times didn't affect the external quality features like shell weight, shell thickness, and albumen rate, but it affected the yolk weight, yolk index, albumen index, and Haugh unit (P < 0.05). Yolk weight was increased and yolk index, albumen index, and Haugh unit values were decreased with the extension of storage time. Different storage times of partridge eggs did not have important effects on the protein rates. Protein and humidity rate of the eggs were 14.21 and 67.64%, respectively. There were some elements such as S, P, Na, K, and Ca, but Al, Cd, Co, Mo, and Pb could not be found in the partridge eggs. There is no effect of the storage time on the mineral content of the egg. Storage time had negative effect on fertility and hatchability after 21 d of storage d, but no effect on hatchability of fertile eggs. As this study showed, partridge eggs are resistant to long storage times, as partridge egg proteins can resist degradation in the optimum storage times. To determine egg degradation, the study should be focused on partridge eggshell features, which are responsible for degradation. As a result of this research, partridge eggs can be stored for 21 d under optimum storage conditions without any negative hatchability results. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Dose reduction and image quality optimizations in CT of pediatric and adult patients: phantom studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, P.-H.; Lee, C.-L.; Kim, D.-H.; Lee, Y.-J.; Jeon, S.-S.; Kim, H.-J.

2014-03-01

Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) can be used to easily and rapidly perform numerous acquisitions, possibly leading to a marked increase in the radiation dose to individual patients. Technical options dedicated to automatically adjusting the acquisition parameters according to the patient's size are of specific interest in pediatric radiology. A constant tube potential reduction can be achieved for adults and children, while maintaining a constant detector energy fluence. To evaluate radiation dose, the weighted CT dose index (CTDIw) was calculated based on the CT dose index (CTDI) measured using an ion chamber, and image noise and image contrast were measured from a scanned image to evaluate image quality. The dose-weighted contrast-to-noise ratio (CNRD) was calculated from the radiation dose, image noise, and image contrast measured from a scanned image. The noise derivative (ND) is a quality index for dose efficiency. X-ray spectra with tube voltages ranging from 80 to 140 kVp were used to compute the average photon energy. Image contrast and the corresponding contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were determined for lesions of soft tissue, muscle, bone, and iodine relative to a uniform water background, as the iodine contrast increases at lower energy (i.e., k-edge of iodine is 33 keV closer to the beam energy) using mixed water-iodine contrast normalization (water 0, iodine 25, 100, 200, and 1000 HU, respectively). The proposed values correspond to high quality images and can be reduced if only high-contrast organs are assessed. The potential benefit of lowering the tube voltage is an improved CNRD, resulting in a lower radiation dose and optimization of image quality. Adjusting the tube potential in abdominal CT would be useful in current pediatric radiography, where the choice of X-ray techniques generally takes into account the size of the patient as well as the need to balance the conflicting requirements of diagnostic image quality and radiation dose optimization.

[Correlation of the DNA fragmentation index and malformation rate of optimized sperm with embryonic development and early spontaneous abortion in IVF-ET].

PubMed

Jiang, Wei-Jie; Jin, Fan; Zhou, Li-Ming

2016-06-01

To investigate the effects of the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and malformation rate (SMR) of optimized sperm on embryonic development and early spontaneous abortion in conventional in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). We selected 602 cycles of conventional IVF-ET for pure oviductal infertility that had achieved clinical pregnancies, including 505 cycles with ongoing pregnancy and 97 cycles with early spontaneous abortion. On the day of ovum retrieval, we examined the DNA integrity and morphology of the rest of the optimized sperm using the SCD and Diff-Quik methods, established the joint predictor (JP) by logistic equation, and assessed the value of DFI and SMR in predicting early spontaneous abortion using the ROC curve. The DFI, SMR, and high-quality embryo rate were (15.91±3.69)%, (82.85±10.24)%, and 46.53% (342/735) in the early spontaneous abortion group and (9.30±4.22)%, (77.32±9.19)%, and 56.43% (2263/4010) respectively in the ongoing pregnancy group, all with statistically significant differences between the two groups (P<0.05 ). Both the DFI and SMR were the risk factors of early spontaneous abortion (OR = 5.96 and 1.66; both P< 0.01). The areas under the ROC curve for DFI, SMR and JP were 0.893±0.019, 0.685±0.028, and 0.898±0.018, respectively. According to the Youden index, the optimal cut-off values of the DFI and SMR obtained for the prediction of early spontaneous abortion were approximately 15% and 80%. The DFI was correlated positively with SMR (r= 0.31, P<0.01) but the high-quality embryo rate negatively with both the DFI (r= －0.45, P<0.01) and SMR (r= －0.22, P<0.01). The DFI and SMR of optimized sperm are closely associated with embryonic development in IVF. The DFI has a certain value for predicting early spontaneous abortion with a threshold of approximately 15%, but SMR may have a lower predictive value.

Evaluation of sleep disorder and its effect on sexual dysfunction in patients with Fibromyalgia syndrome.

PubMed

Koca, Tuba Tülay; Karaca Acet, Günseli; Tanrıkut, Emrullah; Talu, Burcu

2016-12-01

Sexual problems are commonly seen in women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). The objective of this study was to reveal the relationship between the severity of symptoms, sleep disorder, and sexual dysfunction in women with FMS. A total of 140 sexually active women with FMS aged 17-67 years who presented to our physical medicine and rehabilitation outpatient clinic between January 2016 and June 2016 were enrolled in the study. The patients' age, height, body weight, body mass index (BMI), and general pain score [visual analogue scale, (VAS)] for the last 1 week were recorded. The patients were given three different sets of questionnaires: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The mean age of the patients was 40.3±8.5 years; the mean BMI was 27.1±4.4 kg/m 2 , VAS (last 1 week) was 6.9±2 cm, the mean PSQI was 24.8±10.8 (one patient with PSQI ≤5), FIQ was 65.9±19.2, and FSFI was 19.0±6.9. No significant relationship was observed between the mean PSQI and BMI values (p=0.401), whereas a significant relationship was found between the mean values of VAS, FIQ, and FSFI (p=0.03; p=0.034; p<0.001, respectively). In Pearson's correlation analysis, a positive correlation was noted between PSQI and VAS (r=0.324; p<0.001) and FIQ values (r=0.271; p=0.001). A significant relationship was found between the FIQ and VAS values (p<0.001). P less than 0.005 was considered statistically significant. Sleep disorder is regarded as the underlying cause for many signs and symptoms in FMS. Sexual dysfunction may develop in women with FMS, based on the severity of the disease and poor sleep quality. We found that sleep dysfunction was significantly related with the severity of disease, pain, and sexual disfunction. We also found a positive correlation between VAS and PSQI.

Ozone - Current Air Quality Index

MedlinePlus

GO! Local Air Quality Conditions Zip Code: State : My Current Location Current AQI Forecast AQI Loop More Maps AQI: Good (0 - 50) ... resources for Hawaii residents and visitors more announcements Air Quality Basics Air Quality Index | Ozone | Particle Pollution | Smoke ...

Nutrient intake, diet quality, and weight/adiposity parameters in breakfast patterns compared with no breakfast in adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2008.

PubMed

O'Neil, Carol E; Nicklas, Theresa A; Fulgoni, Victor L

2014-12-01

The effect of different breakfast consumption patterns on nutrient intake, diet quality, and weight/adiposity status is unknown. To compare nutrient intake, diet quality, and weight/adiposity measures of consumers assigned to different breakfast patterns with breakfast skippers. These associations were assessed in adults 19+ years (N=18,988) participating in the 2001-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Intake was determined from 1-day 24-hour dietary recall. Diet quality was quantified using the Healthy Eating Index-2005. Body mass index (calculated as kg/m(2)) and waist circumferences were determined. Twelve patterns (including No Breakfast [approximately 19% of population]), explaining 58% of the variance in energy from the breakfast meal, were examined. Covariate adjusted general linear models were used to compare nutrient intakes, Healthy Eating Index-2005 scores, and body mass index/waist circumference of consumers of different patterns with breakfast skippers. The P value was Bonferroni corrected (<0.05/12 breakfast patterns <0.0042). Consumers of the Grain/100% Fruit Juice and Presweetened Ready-to-Eat Cereal (RTEC)/Lower-Fat Milk patterns had lower daily intakes of nutrients to limit (added sugars, saturated fatty acids, solid fats, cholesterol, and sodium) than breakfast skippers. Consumers of the Grain/100% Fruit Juice; Presweetened RTEC/Lower-Fat Milk; and RTEC/Lower-Fat Milk/Whole Fruit/100% Fruit Juice patterns had higher daily intakes of all shortfall nutrients examined (dietary fiber; vitamins A, D, and C; calcium, potassium, folate, iron, and magnesium) than breakfast skippers. Consumers of the Grain/100% Fruit Juice; Grain; Presweetened RTEC/Lower-Fat Milk; RTEC/Lower-Fat Milk/Whole Fruit/100% Fruit Juice; Cooked Cereal; Lower-Fat Milk/Whole Fruit; and Whole Fruit patterns had higher Healthy Eating Index-2005 scores than breakfast skippers. Consumers of the Grain/100% Fruit Juice; Presweetened RTEC/Lower-Fat Milk; RTEC/Lower-Fat Milk/Whole Fruit/100% Fruit Juice; and Cooked Cereal patterns had lower body mass indexes and waist circumferences than breakfast skippers. Results suggest dietary and weight advantages of consuming breakfast, especially ones that include grains, cereals, lower-fat milk, and whole fruit/100% fruit juice, in contrast to the potential adverse effects of skipping breakfast. Copyright © 2014 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimization of transmission scan duration for 15O PET study with sequential dual tracer administration using N-index.

PubMed

Kudomi, Nobuyuki; Watabe, Hiroshi; Hayashi, Takuya; Oka, Hisashi; Miyake, Yoshinori; Iida, Hidehiro

2010-06-01

Cerebral blood flow (CBF), oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) and cerebral metabolic rate of O(2) (CMRO(2)) can be quantified by PET with the administration of H (2) (15) O and (15)O(2). Recently, a shortening in the duration of these measurements was achieved by the sequential administration of dual tracers of (15)O(2) and H (2) (15) O with PET acquisition and integration method (DARG method). A transmission scan is generally required for correcting photon attenuation in advance of PET scan. Although the DARG method can shorten the total study duration to around 30 min, the transmission scan duration has not been optimized and has possibility to shorten its duration. Our aim of this study was to determine the optimal duration for the transmission scan. We introduced 'N-index', which estimates the noise level on an image obtained by subtracting two statistically independent and physiologically equivalent images. The relationship between noise on functional images and duration of the transmission scan was investigated by N-index. We performed phantom studies to test whether the N-index reflects the pixel noise in a PET image. We also estimated the noise level by the N-index on CBF, OEF and CMRO(2) images from DARG method in clinical patients, and investigated an optimal true count of the transmission scan. We found tight correlation between pixel noise and N-index in the phantom study. By investigating relationship between the transmission scan duration and N-index value for the functional images by DARG method, we revealed that the transmission data with true counts of more than 40 Mcounts results in CBF, OEF, and CMRO(2) images of reasonable quantitative accuracy and quality. The present study suggests that further shortening of DARG measurement is possible by abridging the transmission scan. The N-index could be used to determine the optimal measurement condition when examining the quality of image.

Evaluation of maternal and neonatal hospital care: quality index of completeness

PubMed Central

da Silva, Ana Lúcia Andrade; Mendes, Antonio da Cruz Gouveia; Miranda, Gabriella Morais Duarte; de Sá, Domicio Aurélio; de Souza, Wayner Vieira; Lyra, Tereza Maciel

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE Develop an index to evaluate the maternal and neonatal hospital care of the Brazilian Unified Health System. METHODS This descriptive cross-sectional study of national scope was based on the structure-process-outcome framework proposed by Donabedian and on comprehensive health care. Data from the Hospital Information System and the National Registry of Health Establishments were used. The maternal and neonatal network of Brazilian Unified Health System consisted of 3,400 hospitals that performed at least 12 deliveries in 2009 or whose number of deliveries represented 10.0% or more of the total admissions in 2009. Relevance and reliability were defined as criteria for the selection of variables. Simple and composite indicators and the index of completeness were constructed and evaluated, and the distribution of maternal and neonatal hospital care was assessed in different regions of the country. RESULTS A total of 40 variables were selected, from which 27 single indicators, five composite indicators, and the index of completeness of care were built. Composite indicators were constructed by grouping simple indicators and included the following variables: hospital size, level of complexity, delivery care practice, recommended hospital practice, and epidemiological practice. The index of completeness of care grouped the five variables and classified them in ascending order, thereby yielding five levels of completeness of maternal and neonatal hospital care: very low, low, intermediate, high, and very high. The hospital network was predominantly of small size and low complexity, with inadequate child delivery care and poor development of recommended and epidemiological practices. The index showed that more than 80.0% hospitals had a low index of completeness of care and that most qualified heath care services were concentrated in the more developed regions of the country. CONCLUSIONS The index of completeness proved to be of great value for monitoring the maternal and neonatal hospital care of Brazilian Unified Health System and indicated that the quality of health care was unsatisfactory. However, its application does not replace specific evaluations. PMID:25210827

A new four-step hierarchy method for combined assessment of groundwater quality and pollution.

PubMed

Zhu, Henghua; Ren, Xiaohua; Liu, Zhizheng

2017-12-28

A new four-step hierarchy method was constructed and applied to evaluate the groundwater quality and pollution of the Dagujia River Basin. The assessment index system is divided into four types: field test indices, common inorganic chemical indices, inorganic toxicology indices, and trace organic indices. Background values of common inorganic chemical indices and inorganic toxicology indices were estimated with the cumulative-probability curve method, and the results showed that the background values of Mg 2+ (51.1 mg L -1 ), total hardness (TH) (509.4 mg L -1 ), and NO 3 - (182.4 mg L -1 ) are all higher than the corresponding grade III values of Quality Standard for Groundwater, indicating that they were poor indicators and therefore were not included in the groundwater quality assessment. The quality assessment results displayed that the field test indices were mainly classified as grade II, accounting for 60.87% of wells sampled. The indices of common inorganic chemical and inorganic toxicology were both mostly in the range of grade III, whereas the trace organic indices were predominantly classified as grade I. The variabilities and excess ratios of the indices were also calculated and evaluated. Spatial distributions showed that the groundwater with poor quality indices was mainly located in the northeast of the basin, which was well-connected with seawater intrusion. Additionally, the pollution assessment revealed that groundwater in well 44 was classified as "moderately polluted," wells 5 and 8 were "lightly polluted," and other wells were classified as "unpolluted."

Effects of Storage Temperatures on the Quality of Frozen Sardine, Mackerel, and Saury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozima, Tsuneo; Ohataka, Tateo

The three Japanese coastal fish species, sardine (Sardinops melanosticta), mackerel (Scomber japonicus) and saury (Cololabis saira) was frozen under commercial condition and stored at -18, -23, -30 and -40°C for 12 months. During frozen storage the quality was measured by determining the K value (freshness index), peroxide value (POV) of fat, a mount of free drip, water-holding capacity of muscle, weight ratio of cooking loss, histological feature of frozen and thawed muscle, and organoleptic test at regular intervals (each 2 months). Storage life of frozen sardine was 6 months at -18°C and 12 months at below -23°C. On frozen mackerel it was 6 months at -18°C. 8 months at -23°C and 12 months at below -30°C. On saury it was 6 months at 18°C and 12 months at below -23°C.

Three-dimensional desirability spaces for quality-by-design-based HPLC development.

PubMed

Mokhtar, Hatem I; Abdel-Salam, Randa A; Hadad, Ghada M

2015-04-01

In this study, three-dimensional desirability spaces were introduced as a graphical representation method of design space. This was illustrated in the context of application of quality-by-design concepts on development of a stability indicating gradient reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of vinpocetine and α-tocopheryl acetate in a capsule dosage form. A mechanistic retention model to optimize gradient time, initial organic solvent concentration and ternary solvent ratio was constructed for each compound from six experimental runs. Then, desirability function of each optimized criterion and subsequently the global desirability function were calculated throughout the knowledge space. The three-dimensional desirability spaces were plotted as zones exceeding a threshold value of desirability index in space defined by the three optimized method parameters. Probabilistic mapping of desirability index aided selection of design space within the potential desirability subspaces. Three-dimensional desirability spaces offered better visualization and potential design spaces for the method as a function of three method parameters with ability to assign priorities to this critical quality as compared with the corresponding resolution spaces. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effect of Pleurotus eryngii Mushroom β-Glucan on Quality Characteristics of Common Wheat Pasta.

PubMed

Kim, SunHee; Lee, Jo-Won; Heo, Yena; Moon, BoKyung

2016-04-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of β-glucan-rich fractions (BGRFs) from Pleurotus eryngii mushroom powder on the quality, textural properties, and sensory evaluation of common wheat pasta. Pasta was prepared from semolina flour and common wheat flour by replacing common wheat flour at 2%, 4%, and 6% with BGRFs. Semolina flour showed significantly higher viscosities than common wheat flour samples. However, all viscosities, except the breakdown viscosity, were reduced with increasing percentages of BGRFs. Replacement of the common wheat flour with BGRFs resulted in a reddish brown colored pasta with a lower L* value and a higher a* value. The common wheat pastas containing up to 4% BGRFs were not significantly different from semolina pasta with regard to cooking loss. Addition of up to 2% BGRFs had no significant impact on swelling index and water absorption. The addition of BGRFs in common wheat flour had a positive effect on the quality of common wheat pasta and resulted in hardness values similar to those of semolina pasta. In a sensory evaluation, cooked pasta with 2% BGRFs had the highest overall acceptability score. In summary, the results showed that common wheat flour containing 4% BGRFs could be used to produce pasta with an improved quality and texture properties similar to semolina pasta. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Weakly modulated silicon-dioxide-cladding gratings for silicon waveguide Fabry-Pérot cavities.

PubMed

Grote, Richard R; Driscoll, Jeffrey B; Biris, Claudiu G; Panoiu, Nicolae C; Osgood, Richard M

2011-12-19

We show by theory and experiment that silicon-dioxide-cladding gratings for Fabry-Pérot cavities on silicon-on-insulator channel ("wire") waveguides provide a low-refractive-index perturbation, which is required for several important integrated photonics components. The underlying refractive index perturbation of these gratings is significantly weaker than that of analogous silicon gratings, leading to finer control of the coupling coefficient κ. Our Fabry-Pérot cavities are designed using the transfer-matrix method (TMM) in conjunction with the finite element method (FEM) for calculating the effective index of each waveguide section. Device parameters such as coupling coefficient, κ, Bragg mirror stop band, Bragg mirror reflectivity, and quality factor Q are examined via TMM modeling. Devices are fabricated with representative values of distributed Bragg reflector lengths, cavity lengths, and propagation losses. The measured transmission spectra show excellent agreement with the FEM/TMM calculations.

Assessing decision quality in patient-centred care requires a preference-sensitive measure

PubMed Central

Kaltoft, Mette; Cunich, Michelle; Salkeld, Glenn; Dowie, Jack

2014-01-01

A theory-based instrument for measuring the quality of decisions made using any form of decision technology, including both decision-aided and unaided clinical consultations is required to enable person- and patient-centred care and to respond positively to individual heterogeneity in the value aspects of decision making. Current instruments using the term ‘decision quality’ have adopted a decision- and thus condition-specific approach. We argue that patient-centred care requires decision quality to be regarded as both preference-sensitive across multiple relevant criteria and generic across all conditions and decisions. MyDecisionQuality is grounded in prescriptive multi criteria decision analysis and employs a simple expected value algorithm to calculate a score for the quality of a decision that combines, in the clinical case, the patient’s individual preferences for eight quality criteria (expressed as importance weights) and their ratings of the decision just taken on each of these criteria (expressed as performance rates). It thus provides an index of decision quality that encompasses both these aspects. It also provides patients with help in prioritizing quality criteria for future decision making by calculating, for each criterion, the Incremental Value of Perfect Rating, that is, the increase in their decision quality score that would result if their performance rating on the criterion had been 100%, weightings unchanged. MyDecisionQuality, which is a web-based generic and preference-sensitive instrument, can constitute a key patient-reported measure of the quality of the decision-making process. It can provide the basis for future decision improvement, especially when the clinician (or other stakeholders) completes the equivalent instrument and the extent and nature of concordance and discordance can be established. Apart from its role in decision preparation and evaluation, it can also provide real time and relevant documentation for the patient’s record. PMID:24335587

Performance of the American Urological Association Symptom Index with and without an additional urge incontinence item.

PubMed

Barry, Michael J; Avins, Andrew L; Meleth, Sreelatha

2011-09-01

To examine the value of adding an urge incontinence question to the American Urological Association Symptom Index (AUASI) among men in the Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Urological Symptoms (CAMUS) trial. The CAMUS study was a randomized trial of Saw palmetto fruit extract versus placebo among men aged ≥45 years with an AUASI score of ≥8 and ≤24. The baseline measurements included the AUASI, a question about urge incontinence (UI), the International Prostate Symptom Score quality of life question, and the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Impact Index. We correlated the items and scales and examined whether adding the UI question resulted in better prediction of disease-specific health status. The mean age of the 369 men in the CAMUS trial was 61 years, and mean baseline AUASI score was 14.6. UI was reported infrequently; about 82% of the respondents answered the question "not at all" or "<1 time in 5." UI correlated significantly with all other AUASI items, except for weak stream; the strongest correlation was to urgency (R=0.51, P<.0001). The correlation between the AUASI score and the AUASI+UI score was 0.98 (P<.0001). In a logistic regression analysis predicting the International Prostate Symptom Score quality of life score, adding UI to the AUASI slightly increased the discriminating ability (c statistic increased from 0.77 to 0.78, P<.0001). Similarly, in a linear regression analysis predicting the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Impact Index score, adding UI to the AUASI slightly increased the predictive ability (R2 statistic increased from 0.22 to 0.26, P<.0001). According to our analysis in the CAMUS trial population, the value of adding a UI question to the AUASI in terms of predicting bother seemed small at best. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development and Validation of an Index to Measure the Quality of Facility-Based Labor and Delivery Care Processes in Sub-Saharan Africa

PubMed Central

Tripathi, Vandana; Stanton, Cynthia; Strobino, Donna; Bartlett, Linda

2015-01-01

Background High quality care is crucial in ensuring that women and newborns receive interventions that may prevent and treat birth-related complications. As facility deliveries increase in developing countries, there are concerns about service quality. Observation is the gold standard for clinical quality assessment, but existing observation-based measures of obstetric quality of care are lengthy and difficult to administer. There is a lack of consensus on quality indicators for routine intrapartum and immediate postpartum care, including essential newborn care. This study identified key dimensions of the quality of the process of intrapartum and immediate postpartum care (QoPIIPC) in facility deliveries and developed a quality assessment measure representing these dimensions. Methods and Findings Global maternal and neonatal care experts identified key dimensions of QoPIIPC through a modified Delphi process. Experts also rated indicators of these dimensions from a comprehensive delivery observation checklist used in quality surveys in sub-Saharan African countries. Potential QoPIIPC indices were developed from combinations of highly-rated indicators. Face, content, and criterion validation of these indices was conducted using data from observations of 1,145 deliveries in Kenya, Madagascar, and Tanzania (including Zanzibar). A best-performing index was selected, composed of 20 indicators of intrapartum/immediate postpartum care, including essential newborn care. This index represented most dimensions of QoPIIPC and effectively discriminated between poorly and well-performed deliveries. Conclusions As facility deliveries increase and the global community pays greater attention to the role of care quality in achieving further maternal and newborn mortality reduction, the QoPIIPC index may be a valuable measure. This index complements and addresses gaps in currently used quality assessment tools. Further evaluation of index usability and reliability is needed. The availability of a streamlined, comprehensive, and validated index may enable ongoing and efficient observation-based assessment of care quality during labor and delivery in sub-Saharan Africa, facilitating targeted quality improvement. PMID:26107655

Influence of fermented faba bean flour on the nutritional, technological and sensory quality of fortified pasta.

PubMed

Rizzello, Carlo G; Verni, Michela; Koivula, Hanna; Montemurro, Marco; Seppa, Laila; Kemell, Marianna; Katina, Kati; Coda, Rossana; Gobbetti, Marco

2017-02-22

Faba bean has gained increasing attention from the food industry and the consumers mainly due to the quality of its protein fraction. Fermentation has been recently recognized as the most efficient tool for improving its nutritional and organoleptic properties. In this study, faba bean flour fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum DPPMAB24W was used to fortify semolina pasta. Pasta samples including different percentages of fermented faba bean flour were produced at the pilot-plant level and characterized using an integrated approach for chemical, nutritional, technological, and sensory features. At a substitution level of 30%, pasta had a more homogeneous texture and lower cooking loss compared to 50% addition. The impact of faba bean flour addition on pasta technological functionality, particularly of the protein fraction, was also assessed by scanning electron microscopy and textural profile analysis. Compared to traditional (semolina) pasta and pasta containing unfermented faba bean flour, the nutritional profile (in vitro protein digestibility and nutritional indexes - chemical score (CS), sequence of limiting essential amino acids, Essential Amino Acid Index (EAAI), Biological Value (BV), Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER), and Nutritional Index (NI)) and the resistant starch content of pasta containing 30% fermented faba bean flour markedly improved, while the starch hydrolysis rate decreased, without negatively affecting technological and sensory features. The use of fermentation technology appears to be a promising tool to enhance the quality of pasta and to promote the use of faba bean flour.

Assessment of the effectiveness of onsite exsitu remediation by enhanced natural attenuation in the Niger Delta region, Nigeria.

PubMed

Okparanma, Reuben N; Azuazu, Ikeabiama; Ayotamuno, Josiah M

2017-12-15

This study was conducted to quantify and rank the effectiveness of onsite exsitu remediation by enhanced natural attenuation using soil quality index. The investigation was conducted at three oil spill sites in the Niger Delta (5.317°N, 6.467°E), Nigeria with a predominance of Oxisols. Baseline assessment and a two-step post-remediation monitoring of the sites were conducted. Target contaminants including total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results of the baseline assessment showed that TPH concentrations across the study sites averaged between 5113 and 7640 mg/kg at 0- to 1-m depth, which was higher than the local regulatory value of 5000 mg/kg. The soil quality index across the sites ranged between 68 and 45, suggesting medium to high potential ecological health risks with medium to high priority for remediation. BTEX concentrations followed a similar trend. However, after remediation TPH degraded rapidly initially and then slowly but asymptotically during the post-remediation monitoring period. Then, soil quality index across the study sites ranged between 100 and 58, indicating very low to medium potential ecological health risks. This demonstrates the effectiveness of onsite exsitu remediation by enhanced natural attenuation as a remediation strategy for petroleum-contaminated soils, which holds great promise for the Niger Delta province. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurement of utility.

PubMed

Thavorncharoensap, Montarat

2014-05-01

The Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) is the most widely recommended health outcome measure for use in economic evaluations. The QALY gives a value to the effect of a given health intervention in terms of both quantity and quality. QALYs are calculated by multiplying the duration of time spent in a given health state, in years, by the quality of life weighted, known as utility. Utility can range from 0 (the worst health state-the equivalent of death) to 1 (the best health state-full health). This paper provides an overview of the various methods that can be used to measure utility and outlines the recommended protocol for measuring utility, as described in the Guidelines for Health Technology Assessment in Thailand (second edition). The recommendations are as follows: Wherever possible, primary data collection using EQ-5D-3L in patients using Thai value sets generated from the general public should be used. Where the EQ-5D-3L is considered inappropriate, other methods such as Standard gamble (SG), Time-trade-off (TTO), Visual analogue scale (VAS), Health Utilities Index (HUI), SF-6D, or Quality of well being (QWB) can be used. However, justification and full details on the chosen instrument should always be provided.

Using relative survival measures for cross-sectional and longitudinal benchmarks of countries, states, and districts: the BenchRelSurv- and BenchRelSurvPlot-macros

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The objective of screening programs is to discover life threatening diseases in as many patients as early as possible and to increase the chance of survival. To be able to compare aspects of health care quality, methods are needed for benchmarking that allow comparisons on various health care levels (regional, national, and international). Objectives Applications and extensions of algorithms can be used to link the information on disease phases with relative survival rates and to consolidate them in composite measures. The application of the developed SAS-macros will give results for benchmarking of health care quality. Data examples for breast cancer care are given. Methods A reference scale (expected, E) must be defined at a time point at which all benchmark objects (observed, O) are measured. All indices are defined as O/E, whereby the extended standardized screening-index (eSSI), the standardized case-mix-index (SCI), the work-up-index (SWI), and the treatment-index (STI) address different health care aspects. The composite measures called overall-performance evaluation (OPE) and relative overall performance indices (ROPI) link the individual indices differently for cross-sectional or longitudinal analyses. Results Algorithms allow a time point and a time interval associated comparison of the benchmark objects in the indices eSSI, SCI, SWI, STI, OPE, and ROPI. Comparisons between countries, states and districts are possible. Exemplarily comparisons between two countries are made. The success of early detection and screening programs as well as clinical health care quality for breast cancer can be demonstrated while the population’s background mortality is concerned. Conclusions If external quality assurance programs and benchmark objects are based on population-based and corresponding demographic data, information of disease phase and relative survival rates can be combined to indices which offer approaches for comparative analyses between benchmark objects. Conclusions on screening programs and health care quality are possible. The macros can be transferred to other diseases if a disease-specific phase scale of prognostic value (e.g. stage) exists. PMID:23316692

Quality of life results from a phase 3 study of brentuximab vedotin consolidation following autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant for persons with Hodgkin lymphoma.

PubMed

Ramsey, Scott D; Nademanee, Auayporn; Masszi, Tamas; Holowiecki, Jerzy; Abidi, Muneer; Chen, Andy; Stiff, Patrick; Viviani, Simonetta; Sweetenham, John W; Radford, John; Zhu, Yanyan; Bonthapally, Vijayveer; Thomas, Elizabeth; Richhariya, Akshara; Hunder, Naomi N; Walewski, Jan; Moskowitz, Craig H

2016-12-01

Brentuximab vedotin (BV) significantly improved progression-free survival in a phase 3 study in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (RR-HL) post-autologous-haematopoietic stem cell transplant (auto-HSCT); we report the impact of BV on quality of life (QOL) from this trial. The European Quality of Life five dimensions questionnaire was administered at the beginning of each cycle, end of treatment, and every 3 months during follow-up; index value scores were calculated using the time trade-off (TTO) method for UK-weighted value sets. Questionnaire adherence during the trial was 87·5% (N = 329). In an intent-to-treat analysis, compared with placebo, TTO scores in the BV arm did not exceed the minimally important difference (MID) of 0·08 except at month 15 (-0·084; 95% confidence interval, -0·143 to -0·025). On-treatment index scores were similar between arms and did not reach the MID at any time point; mixed-effect modelling showed that BV treatment effect was not significant (P = 0·2127). BV-associated peripheral neuropathy did not meaningfully impact QOL. Utility scores for patients who progressed declined compared with those who did not; TTO scores between these patients exceeded the MID beginning at month 15. In conclusion, QOL decreased modestly with BV consolidation treatment in patients with RR-HL at high risk of relapse after auto-HSCT. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Internalized stigma in psoriasis: A multicenter study.

PubMed

Alpsoy, Erkan; Polat, Mualla; FettahlıoGlu-Karaman, Bilge; Karadag, Ayse Serap; Kartal-Durmazlar, Pelin; YalCın, Basak; Emre, Selma; Didar-Balcı, Didem; Bilgic-Temel, Asli; Arca, Ercan; Koca, Rafet; Gunduz, Kamer; Borlu, Murat; Ergun, Tulin; Dogruk-Kacar, Seval; Cordan-Yazici, Ayca; Dursun, Pınar; BilgiC, Ozlem; Gunes-Bilgili, Serap; Sendur, Neslihan; Baysal, Ozge; Halil-Yavuz, Ibrahim; Yagcioglu, Gizem; Yilmaz, Ertan; Kavuzlu, Ufuk; Senol, Yesim

2017-08-01

Internalized stigma is the adoption of negative attitudes and stereotypes of the society regarding a person's illness. It causes decreased self-esteem and life-satisfaction, increased depression and suicidality, and difficulty in coping with the illness. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the internalized stigma state of psoriatic patients and to identify the factors influencing internalized stigma. The secondary aim was to identify the correlation of internalized stigma with quality of life and perceived health status. This multicentre, cross-sectional study comprised 1485 patients. There was a significant positive correlation between mean values of Psoriasis Internalized Stigma Scale (PISS) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, Body Surface Area, Dermatological Life Quality Index and General Health Questionnaire-12 (P < 0.001 in all). Lower percieved health score (P = 0.001), early onset psoriasis (P = 0.016), family history of psoriasis (P = 0.0034), being illiterate (P < 0.001) and lower income level (P < 0.001) were determinants of high PISS scores. Mean PISS values were higher in erythrodermic and generalized pustular psoriasis. Involvement of scalp, face, hand, genitalia and finger nails as well as arthropathic and inverse psoriasis were also related to significantly higher PISS scores (P = 0.001). Our findings imply that psoriatic patients experience high levels of internalized stigma which are associated with psoriasis severity, involvement of visible body parts, genital area, folds or joints, poorer quality of life, negative perceptions of general health and psychological illnesses. Therefore, internalized stigma may be one of the major factors responsible from psychosocial burden of the disease. © 2017 Japanese Dermatological Association.

Development of a water quality index (WQI) for the Loktak Lake in India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das Kangabam, Rajiv; Bhoominathan, Sarojini Devi; Kanagaraj, Suganthi; Govindaraju, Munisamy

2017-10-01

The present work was carried out to assess a water quality index (WQI) of the Loktak Lake, an important wetland which has been under pressure due to the increasing anthropogenic activities. Physicochemical parameters like temperature (Tem), potential hydrogen (pH), electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity (T), dissolved oxygen (DO), total hardness (TH), calcium (Ca), chloride (Cl), fluoride (F), sulphate ({SO}4^{2-}), magnesium (Mg), phosphate ({PO}4^{3-}), sodium (Na), potassium (K), nitrite (NO2), nitrate (NO3), total dissolved solids (TDS), total carbon (TC), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were analyzed using standard procedures. The values obtained were compared with the guidelines for drinking purpose suggested by the World Health Organization and Bureau of Indian Standard. The result shows the higher concentration of nitrite in all the location which is beyond the permissible limit. Eleven parameters were selected to derive the WQI for the estimation of water potential for five sampling sites. A relative weight was assigned to each parameter range from 1.46 to 4.09 based on its importance. The WQI values range from 64 to 77 indicating that the Loktak Lake water is not fit for drinking, including both human and animals, even though the people living inside the Lake are using it for drinking purposes. The implementation of WQI is necessary for proper management of the Loktak Lake and it will be a very helpful tool for the public and decision makers to evaluate the water quality of the Loktak Lake for sustainable management.

An Overall Water Quality Index (WQI) for a Man-Made Aquatic Reservoir in Mexico

PubMed Central

Rubio-Arias, Hector; Contreras-Caraveo, Manuel; Quintana, Rey Manuel; Saucedo-Teran, Ruben Alfonso; Pinales-Munguia, Adan

2012-01-01

A Water Quality Index (WQI) is a useful statistical tool for simplifying, reporting and interpreting complex information obtained from any body of water. A simple number given by any WQI model explains the level of water contamination. The objective was to develop a WQI for the water of the Luis L. Leon dam located in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Monthly water samples were obtained in 2009; January 10, February 12, March 8, May 20, June 10, July 9, August 12, September 10, October 11, November 15 and December 13. Ten sampling sites were randomly selected after dividing the study area using a geographic package. In each site, two samples at the top depth of 0.20 m and 1.0 m were obtained to quantify physical-chemical parameters. The following 11 parameters were considered to calculate the WQI; pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), color, turbidity, ammonia nitrogen, fluorides, chlorides, sulfates, Total Solids (TS) and phosphorous (P). The data analysis involved two steps; a single analysis for each parameter and the WQI calculation. The resulted WQI value classified the water quality according to the following ranges: <2.3 poor water; from 2.3 to 2.8 good water; and >2.8 excellent water. The results showed that the WQI values changed from low levels (WQI < 2.3) in some points during autumn time to high levels (WQI > 2.8) most of the year and the variation was due to time of sampling generally rainy season. PMID:22754466

[Research on the Content Characteristics and Pollution Evaluation of Heavy Metals in Filtered Water and Suspended Particles from Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia Sections of the Yellow River in Wet Season Using HR-ICP-MS].

PubMed

Ma, Xiao-ling; Liu, Jing-jun; Deng, Feng-yu; Zuo, Hang; Huang, Fang; Zhang, Li-yang; Liu, Ying

2015-10-01

The content characteristics, pollution evaluation and source identification of 6 heavy Metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, As, Cu and Zn) in filtered water and 9 heavy Metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, V, Co, Zn and Mn) in suspended particles from 10 sampling sites such as Zhaojunfuqiao (S1) and Baotoufuqiao (S2), etc. from Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia sections of the Yellow River in 2012 Wet Season were studied to understand the condition of the heavy metal pollution in Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia Sections of the Yellow River by using high resolution inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS). Multivariate geochemical approaches and statistical analysis were also exploited for assessing the level of heavy metals in filtered water and suspended particles from studied area. The results showed that in filtering water, only the concentrations of Cr exceeded the standard value of Environmental Quality Standard for Surface Water (GB3838-2002) and were the highest (74.8-94.7 μg x L(-1)) among all elements in 10 sampling sites; Single factor pollution index (I(i)) results suggested that the water quality in all sampling sites were contaminated by both Cr and total nitrogen (TN), with the exception of TN in Baotoufuqiao (S2); Integrated Nemerow pollution index (I) indicated that the I values in all sampling sites were between 1-2 (light pollution), which implied that the water quality in Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia sections, especially downstream sections (S1-S6) of the Yellow River wasn't an ideal source for drinking and using in aquaculture any more. In suspended particles, concentrations of heavy metals were relatively higher than their soil background values in 10 sampling sites, except Ni in S10 (34.7 μg x L(-1)). Index of geo-accumulation (I(geo)) indicated that the I(geo) values of Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, V, Co, Zn and Mn in all sampling sites were less than 1 (unpolluted or unpolluted-moderately polluted), respectively, while I(geo)Cd were the highest in 10 sampling sites among all heavy metals and with the moderately to strong contamination in Zhaojunfuqiao (S1), Baotoufuqiao (S2), Wuhai (S5) and Dongdagouruhuanghekou (S8). The results of this paper would help to supply reliable experimental data for researching of distribution, migration and effective protection of heavy metals in study area.

[A socio-economic profile of exposed populations to petroleum exploration residues].

PubMed

Corrêa, Gyselle Guimarães; Malhão, Thainá Alves; Asmus, Carmen Ildes Rodrigues Fróes; Coeli, Cláudia Medina

2011-09-01

Environmental Macro-Area Five (EMA-5) is located in Rio de Janeiro. Their municipalities are suffering the consequences of rapid urbanization, especially after the discovery of large reserves of petroleum and natural gas (PNG) in the Campos Basin. To describe the socio-economic profile of the region and compare their indicators in space and time. This is an ecological study, which made comparisons between the 11 municipalities of EMA-5. It is based on the behavior of the indicators before and after the increase in royalties and special participatioms (RPE) and the division of the production areas of PNG (main production area - MPA - and the border zone of MPA, BZMPA). The period of analysis of the indicators ranged from 1991 to 2005. Higher values of gross domestic product per capita were found in the municipalities of MPA, especially Macaé. The same occurred in the RPE per capita, especially Rio das Ostras (higher value) and Nova Friburgo (lower value). In 2004, more than 50% of total revenues of municipalities were dependent on the funds derived from royalties. In 2000, Nova Friburgo had the best Human Development Index. The highest value of the Quality Index of Municipalities Potential for Development was found in Macaé. The major indexes of Social Exclusion was found in Macaé, Nova Friburgo and Rio das Ostras. It was found, in the municipalities of MPA, economic growth with great exclusive reliance on royalties. It should invest in alternative economic activities for which there is no damage to the population with the completion of these resources.

Reliability and validity of the Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire in Turkish.

PubMed

Ulusoy, Hatice; Güler, Güngör; Yıldırım, Gülay; Demir, Ecem

2018-02-01

Developing professional values among nursing students is important because values are a significant predictor of the quality care that will be provided, the clients' recognition, and consequently the nurses' job satisfaction. The literature analysis showed that there is only one validated tool available in Turkish that examines both the personal and the professional values of nursing students. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire in Turkish. This study was a Turkish linguistic and cultural adaptation of a research tool. Participants and research context: The sample of this study consisted of 627 undergraduate nursing students from different geographical areas of Turkey. Two questionnaires were used for data collection: a socio-demographic form and the Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire. For the Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire, construct validity was examined using factor analyses. Ethical considerations: The study was approved by the Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine Research Ethics Board. Students were informed that participation in the study was entirely voluntary and anonymous. Item content validity index ranged from 0.66 to 1.0, and the total content validity index was 0.94. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling was 0.870, and Bartlett's test of sphericity was statistically significant (x 2 = 3108.714, p < 0.001). Construct validity was examined using factor analyses and the six factors were identified. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the internal consistency reliability and the value of 0.834 was obtained. Our analyses showed that the Turkish version of Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire has high validity and reliability.

Effect of scan quality on diagnostic accuracy of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in glaucoma.

PubMed

Rao, Harsha L; Addepalli, Uday K; Yadav, Ravi K; Senthil, Sirisha; Choudhari, Nikhil S; Garudadri, Chandra S

2014-03-01

To evaluate the effect of scan quality on the diagnostic accuracies of optic nerve head (ONH), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and ganglion cell complex (GCC) parameters of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) in glaucoma. Cross-sectional study. Two hundred fifty-two eyes of 183 control subjects (mean deviation [MD]: -1.84 dB) and 207 eyes of 159 glaucoma patients (MD: -7.31 dB) underwent ONH, RNFL, and GCC scanning with SD OCT. Scan quality of SD OCT images was based on signal strength index (SSI) values. Influence of SSI on diagnostic accuracy of SD OCT was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) regression. Diagnostic accuracies of all SD OCT parameters were better when the SSI values were higher. This effect was statistically significant (P < .05) for ONH and RNFL but not for GCC parameters. In mild glaucoma (MD of -5 dB), area under ROC curve (AUC) for rim area, average RNFL thickness, and average GCC thickness parameters improved from 0.651, 0.678, and 0.726, respectively, at an SSI value of 30 to 0.873, 0.962, and 0.886, respectively, at an SSI of 70. AUCs of the same parameters in advanced glaucoma (MD of -15 dB) improved from 0.747, 0.890, and 0.873, respectively, at an SSI value of 30 to 0.922, 0.994, and 0.959, respectively, at an SSI of 70. Diagnostic accuracies of SD OCT parameters in glaucoma were significantly influenced by the scan quality even when the SSI values were within the manufacturer-recommended limits. These results should be considered while interpreting the SD OCT scans for glaucoma. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A rating scale is a proper method to evaluate changes in quality of life due to dry eye symptoms.

PubMed

Xue, Wenwen; Xu, Xian; Zou, Haidong

2018-02-07

To determine which utility value assessment method is more suitable to evaluate changes in the quality of life due to dry eye symptoms. Dry eye outpatients with a presenting visual acuity of 20/25 or better in the worse-seeing eye were recruited. Presenting distance visual acuity, tear film break-up time, Schirmer I test and fluorescein were assessed. The severity of dry eye symptoms was assessed using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), and utility values were measured using the time trade-off (TTO), standard gamble (SG1 and SG2) and rating scale (RS) methods. Different utility values were compared with each other. The most appropriate utility value method to evaluate quality-of-life changes solely due to dry eye symptoms is determined by calculating the correlation between the OSDI score and different utility values. A total of 104 patients were enrolled. The three sections of OSDI in the order of high to low scores were as follows: "environmental trigger," "eye discomfort" and "visual function." The utility scores measured with TTO, SG1, SG2 and RS were 0.95 ± 0.11, 0.96 ± 0.10, 0.99 ± 0.07 and 0.89 ± 0.10, respectively. The utility scores evaluated by the TTO, SG1, SG2 and RS methods were significantly different from each other (p < 0.05). Only the utility scores measured with RS were significantly correlated with the composite OSDI score, "environmental trigger" and "eye discomfort" section scores (p < 0.05). RS is more sensitive than TTO and SG for the evaluation of altered quality of life due to dry eye symptoms.

A new method to evaluate image quality of CBCT images quantitatively without observers

PubMed Central

Shimizu, Mayumi; Okamura, Kazutoshi; Yoshida, Shoko; Weerawanich, Warangkana; Tokumori, Kenji; Jasa, Gainer R; Yoshiura, Kazunori

2017-01-01

Objectives: To develop an observer-free method for quantitatively evaluating the image quality of CBCT images by applying just-noticeable difference (JND). Methods: We used two test objects: (1) a Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) plate phantom attached to a dry human mandible; and (2) a block phantom consisting of a Teflon step phantom and an aluminium step phantom. These phantoms had holes with different depths. They were immersed in water and scanned with a CB MercuRay (Hitachi Medical Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) at tube voltages of 120 kV, 100 kV, 80 kV and 60 kV. Superimposed images of the phantoms with holes were used for evaluation. The number of detectable holes was used as an index of image quality. In detecting holes quantitatively, the threshold grey value (ΔG), which differentiated holes from the background, was calculated using a specific threshold (the JND), and we extracted the holes with grey values above ΔG. The indices obtained by this quantitative method (the extracted hole values) were compared with the observer evaluations (the observed hole values). In addition, the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the shallowest detectable holes and the deepest undetectable holes were measured to evaluate the contribution of CNR to detectability. Results: The results of this evaluation method corresponded almost exactly with the evaluations made by observers. The extracted hole values reflected the influence of different tube voltages. All extracted holes had an area with a CNR of ≥1.5. Conclusions: This quantitative method of evaluating CBCT image quality may be more useful and less time-consuming than evaluation by observation. PMID:28045343

Assessment of groundwater quality and evaluation of scaling and corrosiveness potential of drinking water samples in villages of Chabahr city, Sistan and Baluchistan province in Iran.

PubMed

Abbasnia, Abbas; Alimohammadi, Mahmood; Mahvi, Amir Hossein; Nabizadeh, Ramin; Yousefi, Mahmood; Mohammadi, Ali Akbar; Pasalari, Hassan; Mirzabeigi, Majid

2018-02-01

The aims of this study were to assess and analysis of drinking water quality of Chabahar villages in Sistan and Baluchistan province by water quality index (WQI) and to investigate the water stability in subjected area. The results illustrated that the average values of LSI, RSI, PSI, LS, and AI was 0.5 (±0.34), 6.76 (±0.6), 6.50 (±0.99), 2.71 (±1.59), and 12.63 (±0.34), respectively. The calculation of WQI for groundwater samples indicated that 25% of the samples could be considered as excellent water, 50% of the samples were classified as good water category and 25% of the samples showed poor water category.

Psychometric testing of the Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer scale in an Iranian sample of family caregivers to newly diagnosed breast cancer women.

PubMed

Khanjari, Sedigheh; Oskouie, Fatemeh; Langius-Eklöf, Ann

2012-02-01

To translate and test the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer scale. Research across many countries has determined quality of life of cancer patients, but few attempts have been made to measure the quality of life of family caregivers of patients with breast cancer. The Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer scale was developed for this purpose, but until now, it has not been translated into or tested in the Persian language. Methodological research design. After standard translation, the 35-item Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer scale was administered to 166 Iranian family caregivers of patients with breast cancer. A confirmatory factor analysis was carried out using LISREL to test the scale's construct validity. Further, the internal consistency and convergent validity of the instrument were tested. For convergent validity, four instruments were used in the study: sense of coherence scale, spirituality perspective scale, health index and brief religious coping scale. The confirmatory factor analysis resulted in the same four-factor structure as the original, though, with somewhat different item loadings. The Persian version of the Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer scales had satisfactory internal consistency (0·72-0·90). Tests of convergent validity showed that all hypotheses were confirmed. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis additionally confirmed the convergent validity between the total Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer score and sense of coherence (β = 0·34), negative religious coping (β = -0·21), education (β = 0·24) and the more severe stage of breast cancer (β = 0·23), in total explaining 41% of the variance. The Persian version of the Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer scale could be a reliable and valid measure in Iranian family caregivers of patients with breast cancer. The Persian version of the Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer scale is simple to administer and will help nurses to identify the nursing needs of family caregivers. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Quality planning in Construction Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Othman, I.; Shafiq, Nasir; Nuruddin, M. F.

2017-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate deeper on the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of quality planning, identifying the common problems encountered in quality planning, practices and ways for improvements in quality planning for construction projects. This paper involves data collected from construction company representatives across Malaysia that are obtained through semi-structured interviews as well as questionnaire distributions. Results shows that design of experiments (average index: 4.61), inspection (average index: 4.45) and quality audit as well as other methods (average index: 4.26) rank first, second and third most important factors respectively.

An index to measure depreciation in air quality in some coal mining areas of Korba industrial belt of Chhattisgarh, India.

PubMed

Singh, Gurdeep

2006-11-01

The comparison with National Ambient Air Quality Standards does not always depict a true picture of the Air Quality Status of a study area. As an alternative an index that measures depreciation in Air Quality on more realistic terms has been proposed and applied to the ambient air monitoring data collected from some areas of Korba Coalfields in India. Results have been discussed in detail to illustrate the application of the proposed index and utility in bringing out more realistic air quality assessment.

The psycho-social impact of malocclusions and treatment expectations of adolescent orthodontic patients.

PubMed

Twigge, Eugene; Roberts, Rachel M; Jamieson, Lisa; Dreyer, Craig W; Sampson, Wayne J

2016-12-01

To evaluate the short- and long-term orthodontic treatment (OT) expectations, malocclusion severity, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) status of adolescent patients using qualitative and quantitative methodology. Adolescents (n = 105; 42 males and 63 females) aged between 12 and 17 years participated in this interview and questionnaire-based study. The Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ) and the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) scale evaluated OHRQoL status. Study casts were analysed using the Dental Aesthetics Index (DAI) and the Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON). Mann-Whitney test and Spearman's correlations tested various univariate variables. With similar index-determined OT need (DAI, P = 0.371 and ICON, P = 0.932) females tended to have worse OHRQoL status (PIDAQ scores, P-values ranged from 0.006 to 0.0001 and scores for the OIDP question related to smiling, laughing, and showing teeth without embarrassment, P-value = 0.015). Occlusal index scores did not have statistically significant associations with the OHRQoL scales. Better dental appearance was expected by 85 per cent of the adolescents in the short-term and by 51 per cent in the long-term after OT. The associated psycho-social expectations were: 1. improved dental self-confidence, 2. positive psychological impact/improved self-worth, and 3. positive social impact. Female adolescent patients tended to experience worse psycho-social impacts related to their malocclusions compared with males with similar index-determined OT need. Index-determined OT need scores did not correlate with the OHRQoL scales. Adolescent patients expected OT to improve their dental appearance and QoL aspects. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Orthodontic Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Aquatic insect community of lake, Phulbari anua in Cachar, Assam.

PubMed

Gupta, Susmita; Narzary, Rupali

2013-05-01

An investigation on the water quality and aquatic insect community of an oxbow lake (Phulbari anua) of south Assam, North-East India was carried out during February to April, 2010. Aquatic insect community of the oxbow lake was represented by 9 species belonging to 9 families and 4 orders during the study period. Order Ephemeroptera and Hemiptera were found to be dominant. Record of 5 species and 5 families from the order Hemiptera showed that this is the largest order in terms of aquatic insect diversity of the lake. Computation of dominance status of different species of aquatic insects of the lake based on Engelmann's Scale revealed that Anisops lundbladiana and Cloeon sp. were eudominant in the system. The Shannon- Weiner's Diversity Index (H') and Shannon evenness values (J') were found to range from 0.3-0.69 and 0.53 -0.97, respectively indicating perturbation of the system. Again in terms of physico-chemical properties of water the lake is in a satisfactory condition where all the parameters are well within the range of IS 10500. The DO values were found to range from 6.8 to 14.8 mgl(-1). Free CO2 fluctuated from 1 to 4.98 mgl(-1) and nitrate in water ranged from 0.4 to 2.1 mgl(-1). Margalef's water quality index values of most of the samplings also indicated clean water condition of the lake. Correlation coefficient analyses of the environmental variables, aquatic insect diversity and density of the lake revealed that aquatic insect diversity of the lake is mainly governed by dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and free carbon dioxide.

Developing a Water Quality Index (WQI) for an Irrigation Dam

PubMed Central

De La Mora-Orozco, Celia; Flores-Lopez, Hugo; Rubio-Arias, Hector; Chavez-Duran, Alvaro; Ochoa-Rivero, Jesus

2017-01-01

Pollution levels have been increasing in water ecosystems worldwide. A water quality index (WQI) is an available tool to approximate the quality of water and facilitate the work of decision-makers by grouping and analyzing numerous parameters with a single numerical classification system. The objective of this study was to develop a WQI for a dam used for irrigation of about 5000 ha of agricultural land. The dam, La Vega, is located in Teuchitlan, Jalisco, Mexico. Seven sites were selected for water sampling and samples were collected in March, June, July, September, and December 2014 in an initial effort to develop a WQI for the dam. The WQI methodology, which was recommended by the Mexican National Water Commission (CNA), was used. The parameters employed to calculate the WQI were pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), alkalinity (Alk), total phosphorous (TP), Cl−, NO3, SO4, Ca, Mg, K, B, As, Cu, and Zn. No significant differences in WQI values were found among the seven sampling sites along the dam. However, seasonal differences in WQI were noted. In March and June, water quality was categorized as poor. By July and September, water quality was classified as medium to good. Quality then decreased, and by December water quality was classified as medium to poor. In conclusion, water treatment must be applied before waters from La Vega dam reservoir can be used for irrigation or other purposes. It is recommended that the water quality at La Vega dam is continually monitored for several years in order to confirm the findings of this short-term study. PMID:28468230

Impact of hand eczema severity on quality of life

PubMed Central

Charan, Ujwala Priya; Peter, C. V. Dincy; Pulimood, Susanne A.

2013-01-01

Background: Hand eczema is a common disease seen in dermatological practice comprising of a spectrum ranging from mild disease to a severe distressing and chronic course with a negative impact on the quality of life. Aim: To assess the impact of hand eczema severity on quality of life. Materials and Methods: Patients with hand eczema were enrolled in a prospective study. Disease severity was assessed by hand eczema severity index (HECSI) score and quality of life by dermatology life quality index (DLQI) questionnaire. Results: Forty-six patients participated of which 22 (47.8%) were males and 24 (52.2%) females. The commonest age group affected among men and women was 50-59 years (31.8%) and 40-49 years (41.7%) respectively. History of atopy was found in 23.9% and 63% had persistent disease. In 28 (60.9%), the trigger was washing soaps and detergents of which 21 (87.5%) were housewives. Of those employed, 27.7% reported loss of work days. The mean HECSI score was 14.46 (S.D = 20.98) and mean DLQI score was 9.54 (S.D = 5.62). Gender, age, occupation and duration of disease did not significantly affect the quality of life or disease severity. Increased episodes of eczema (>4 episodes/year) showed a statistically significant correlation with DLQI (P value = 0.021). There was no significant correlation between HECSI score and DLQI in this study. Conclusion: Majority of the patients with hand eczema had a significant impairment of their quality of life. The impairment of quality of life in this study was mainly dependent on increased frequency of the eruptions and not on hand eczema severity. PMID:23741665

Body Image, Self-esteem, and Quality of Life in Patients with Psoriasis.

PubMed

Nazik, Hulya; Nazik, Selcuk; Gul, Feride C

2017-01-01

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin that may affect the visible areas of body. Hence, the quality of life, self-esteem, and body image can be affected in psoriasis patients. We aimed in the present study to assess the effects of psoriasis on the quality of life, self-esteem, and body image. The study included 92 patients with psoriasis, along with 98 control participants. The sociodemographic characteristics of the patients were assessed, their Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) scores were calculated to determine the clinical severity of the psoriasis, and the values were recorded. In addition, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Body Image Scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale results were evaluated. When the control and psoriasis groups were evaluated regarding the DLQI, self-esteem, and body image, quality of life was found to be more negatively affected in the psoriasis group than the controls, which was statistically significant ( P < 0.001), and self-esteem ( P < 0.001) and body image ( P < 0.001) were found to be significantly lower. Educational status significantly affected self-esteem ( P < 0.001) and body image ( P = 0.021), however, quality of life was not significantly affected by this parameter ( P = 0.345). PASI was positively correlated with the quality of life ( r = 0.703) and self-esteem ( r = 0.448), however, it was negatively correlated with the body image ( r = -0.423). Psoriasis may negatively affect quality of life, self-esteem, and body image, and may also cause psychosocial problems. An assessment of new approaches on this issue may contribute to developments in the treatment of and rehabilitation from this disease.

Application and partial validation of a habitat model for moose in the Lake Superior region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, A.W.; Terrell, J.W.; Mangus, W.L.; Lindquist, E.L.

1991-01-01

A modified version of the dormant-season portion of a Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) model developed for assessing moose (Alces alces) habitat in the Lake Superior Region was incorporated in a Geographic Information System (GIS) for 490 km2 of Minnesota's Superior National Forest. Moose locations (n=235) were plotted during aerial surveys conducted in December 1988 and January 1990-1991. Dormant-season forage and cover quality for 1,000-m, 500-m, and 200-m radii plots around random points and moose locations were compared using U.S. Forest Service stand examination data. Cover quality indices were lower than forage quality indices within all plots. The median value for the average cover quality index was greater (P=0.003) within 200-m plots around cow moose locations than for plots around random points for the most severe winter of the study. The proportion of highest-quality winter cover, such as mixed stands dominated by mid-age class white spruce (Picea glauca) and balsam fir (Abies balsanea), was greater within 500-m and 200-m plots around cow moose than within similar plots around random points during the two most severe winters. These results indicate that suboptimum ratings of winter habitat quality used in the GIS for dormant-season forage >100 m from cover, as suggested in the original HSI model, are reasonable. Integrating the habitat model with forest stand data using a GIS permitted analysis of moose habitat within a relatively large geographic area. Simulation of habitat quality indicated a potential shortage of late-winter cover in the study area. The effects of forest management actions on moose habitat quality can be simulated without collecting additional data.

Effects of moist- and dry-heat cooking on the meat quality, microstructure and sensory characteristics of native chicken meat.

PubMed

Chumngoen, Wanwisa; Chen, Chih-Feng; Tan, Fa-Jui

2018-01-01

This study investigates the effects of moist- (water-cooking; WC) and dry-heat (oven-cooking; OC) on the quality, microstructure and sensory characteristics of native chicken breast meat. The results revealed that OC meat had a significantly higher cooking time, cooking loss, and shear force values and lower L* values. Protein solubility decreased after cooking in both cooking methods; however, no statistical difference was observed between WC and OC meats, whereas collagen solubility and myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI) increased after cooking and WC meat exhibited higher collagen solubility and MFI (P < 0.05). The fiber diameter and sarcomere length decreased substantially after cooking, and fibril shrinkage was noticeable in OC meat (P < 0.05). Descriptive sensory analysis revealed that WC meat exhibited a significantly higher moisture release and lower initial hardness, chewdown hardness and residual loose particles. A darker color and enhanced chickeny flavor were observed for OC meat. Based on the unique sensory and physicochemical characteristics in demand, producers should employ appropriate cooking methods to optimize native chicken meat quality. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Food Insecurity, Poor Diet Quality, and Suboptimal Intakes of Folate and Iron Are Independently Associated with Perceived Mental Health in Canadian Adults

PubMed Central

Davison, Karen M.; Gondara, Lovedeep; Kaplan, Bonnie J.

2017-01-01

Background: To address nutrition-related population mental health data gaps, we examined relationships among food insecurity, diet quality, and perceived mental health. Methods: Stratified and logistic regression analyses of respondents aged 19–70 years from the Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 2.2 were conducted (n = 15,546). Measures included the Household Food Security Survey Module, diet quality (i.e., comparisons to the Dietary Reference Intakes, Healthy Eating Index), perceived mental health (poor versus good), sociodemographics, and smoking. Results: In this sample, 6.9% were food insecure and 4.5% reported poor mental health. Stratified analysis of food security and mental health status by age/gender found associations for poor diet quality, protein, fat, fibre, and several micronutrients (p-values < 0.05); those who were food insecure tended to have higher suboptimal intakes (p-values < 0.05). After adjustment for covariates, associations in relation to mental health emerged for food insecurity (OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.45–1.71), poor diet quality (1.61, 95% CI 1.34–1.81), and suboptimal intakes of folate (OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.17–1.90) and iron (OR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.23–1.88). Conclusions: Population approaches that improve food security and intakes of high quality diets may protect people from poor mental health. PMID:28335418

Food Insecurity, Poor Diet Quality, and Suboptimal Intakes of Folate and Iron Are Independently Associated with Perceived Mental Health in Canadian Adults.

PubMed

Davison, Karen M; Gondara, Lovedeep; Kaplan, Bonnie J

2017-03-14

To address nutrition-related population mental health data gaps, we examined relationships among food insecurity, diet quality, and perceived mental health. Stratified and logistic regression analyses of respondents aged 19-70 years from the Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 2.2 were conducted ( n = 15,546). Measures included the Household Food Security Survey Module, diet quality (i.e., comparisons to the Dietary Reference Intakes , Healthy Eating Index), perceived mental health (poor versus good), sociodemographics, and smoking. In this sample, 6.9% were food insecure and 4.5% reported poor mental health. Stratified analysis of food security and mental health status by age/gender found associations for poor diet quality, protein, fat, fibre, and several micronutrients ( p -values < 0.05); those who were food insecure tended to have higher suboptimal intakes ( p -values < 0.05). After adjustment for covariates, associations in relation to mental health emerged for food insecurity (OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.45-1.71), poor diet quality (1.61, 95% CI 1.34-1.81), and suboptimal intakes of folate (OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.17-1.90) and iron (OR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.23-1.88). Population approaches that improve food security and intakes of high quality diets may protect people from poor mental health.

A study of the influence of regional environmental expenditure on air quality in China: the effectiveness of environmental policy.

PubMed

He, Lingyun; Wu, Meng; Wang, Deqing; Zhong, Zhangqi

2018-03-01

Based on the panel data model, data on environmental expenditures, the air quality index, economic aggregates, industrial structures, etc., of seven seriously polluted cities in China, from the period 2007-2015, were collected, and this paper estimates the general relationship between environmental expenditures and the air quality index. Besides, the impact of the fuel tax policy on air quality as well as on the relationship between environmental expenditure and the air quality index is tested using the method of regression discontinuity. We find that there is a long-term equilibrium relationship between environmental expenditure and air quality index as well as a 0.0507% positive effect of the former on the latter. Second, for Beijing, Taiyuan, Chongqing, and Lanzhou, a 1% increase in environmental expenditure leads to 0.0773, 0.0125, 0.0965, and 0.0912% decreases in the air quality index, respectively; however, for Shijiazhuang, Ji'nan, and Urumqi, effect of environmental expenditure on air quality is insignificant. Third, both economic growth and optimization of the industrial structure can lead to an improvement of air quality. Fourth, since the implementation of the fuel tax policy in 2009, the air quality of the sample cities has improved, and the pulling effect of environmental expenditure on the air quality index has decreased from 0.0507 to 0.0048%. Our findings cannot only clarify the effect of environmental expenditures on air quality but can also objectively judge the effectiveness of environmental policies of China to a certain extent. It may benefit Chinese government to effectively govern air pollution with fiscal tools in conjunction with economic and environmental characteristics.

Development of a Dietary Index to Assess Overall Diet Quality for Chinese School-Aged Children: The Chinese Children Dietary Index.

PubMed

Cheng, Guo; Duan, Ruonan; Kranz, Sibylle; Libuda, Lars; Zhang, Lishi

2016-04-01

A composite measure of diet quality is preferable to an index of nutrients, food groups, or health-promoting behaviors in dietary assessment. However, to date, such a tool for Chinese children is lacking. Based on the current Chinese Dietary Guidelines and Dietary Reference Intakes, a dietary index for Chinese school-aged children, the Chinese Children Dietary Index was developed to assess overall diet quality among children in South China. Dietary data were recorded using 24-hour recalls among 1,719 children aged 7 to 15 years between March and June 2013. Inactivity data and sociodemographic information were also collected. The Chinese Children Dietary Index included 16 components, which incorporated nutrients, foods/food groups, and health-promoting behaviors. The range of possible Chinese Children Dietary Index scores was 0 to 160, with a higher score indicating better diet quality. Pearson/Spearman correlation was used to assess relative validity using correlations between total Chinese Children Dietary Index score and age, body mass index (BMI; calculated as kg/m(2)), inactivity, whole-grain intake, frequency of fried-foods intake, nutrient adequacy ratios for energy intake and 12 nutrients not included in the Chinese Children Dietary Index, and the mean adequacy ratio. Finally, a stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to indicate the factors correlated with Chinese Children Dietary Index. Mean Chinese Children Dietary Index score of this sample was 88.1 points (range=34.2 to 137.8), the Chinese Children Dietary Index score of girls was higher than that of boys and decreased with higher age. Children with higher Chinese Children Dietary Index had lower body mass index and spent less time being inactive. Positive associations were observed between Chinese Children Dietary Index and the majority of nutrient adequacy ratios and the mean adequacy ratio. Age, paternal educational level, and family size were correlated with Chinese Children Dietary Index. The Chinese Children Dietary Index successfully differentiated diets and, therefore, it can be used to rank-order overall diet quality among Chinese children. As the results showed, diet quality among Chinese children needs to be improved, especially in adolescents. Copyright © 2016 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality and nutritional properties of pasta products enriched with immature wheat grain.

PubMed

Casiraghi, Maria Cristina; Pagani, Maria Ambrogina; Erba, Daniela; Marti, Alessandra; Cecchini, Cristina; D'Egidio, Maria Grazia

2013-08-01

In this study, nutritional and sensory properties of pasta enriched with 30% immature wheat grain (IWG), a natural source of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), are evaluated. Colour and cooking quality, nutritional value and glycaemic index (GI) of pasta were assessed in comparison with commercially enriched inulin and 100% wholewheat pastas. IWG integration induced deep changes in colour, without negatively affecting the cooking quality of pasta, and promoted nutritional quality by increasing the fibre content; IWG pasta presented a remarkable leaching of FOS in cooking water, thus providing only 1 g of FOS per serving. IWG pastas showed a GI of 67 (dried) and 79 (fresh), not significantly different from commercial pasta products. IWG can be considered an interesting ingredient to obtain functional products 'naturally enriched' in FOS and fibre. Results about FOS leaching suggest that, in dealing with functional effects, the actual prebiotic content should be carefully considered on food 'as eaten'.

Analysis of water quality on several waters affected by contamination in West Sumbawa Regency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewi, N. N.; Satyantini, W. H.; Sahidu, A. M.; Sari, L. A.; Mukti, A. T.

2018-04-01

This study reports the result of water quality in several waters in West Sumbawa Regency. The load of waste input from anthropogenic activity becomes an indication of the decrease of water quality in West Sumbawa Regency Waters. The existence of illegal mining activities around the water has the potential to cause water pollution. Sample of water were collected on April 2017 in four location such as Sejorong 1, Sejorong 2, Tongo, and Taliwang. Sample were analyzed as insitu and exsitu parameters. The result of this research showed that Sejorong 2 have the highest value of pollution index but generally four site on West Sumbawa Regency Waters were categorized lightly contaminated. Concentration of heavy metal cadmium at four locations exceed the water quality standard for fisheries and drinking water. However, the trophic classification using TSI and TRIX of all location was oligothropic water.

Evaluation of biological stability and corrosion potential in drinking water distribution systems: a case study.

PubMed

Chien, C C; Kao, C M; Chen, C W; Dong, C D; Chien, H Y

2009-06-01

The appearance of assimilable organic carbon (AOC), microbial regrowth, disinfection by-products (DBPs), and pipe corrosion in drinking water distribution systems are among those major safe drinking water issues in many countries. The water distribution system of Cheng-Ching Lake Water Treatment Plant (CCLWTP) was selected in this study to evaluate the: (1) fate and transport of AOC, DBPs [e.g., trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs)], and other organic carbon indicators in the selected distribution system, (2) correlations between AOC (or DBPs) and major water quality parameters [e.g. dissolved oxygen (DO), free residual chlorine, and bacteria, and (3) causes and significance of corrosion problems of the water pipes in this system. In this study, seasonal water samples were collected from 13 representative locations in the distribution system for analyses of AOC, DBPs, and other water quality indicators. Results indicate that residual free chlorine concentrations in the distribution system met the drinking water standards (0.2 to 1 mg l(-1)) established by Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (TEPA). Results show that AOC measurements correlated positively with total organic carbon (TOC) and UV-254 (an organic indicator) values in this system. Moreover, AOC concentrations at some locations were higher than the 50 microg acetate-C l(-1) standard established by Taiwan Water Company. This indicates that the microbial regrowth might be a potential water quality problem in this system. Higher DO measurements (>5.7 mg l(-1)) might cause the aerobic biodegradation of THMs and HAAs in the system, and thus, low THMs (<0.035 mg l(-1)) and HAAs (<0.019 mg l(-1)) concentrations were observed at all sampling locations. Results from the observed negative Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) values, higher Ryznar Stability Index (RSI) values, and high Fe3+ concentrations at some pipe-end locations indicate that highly oxidative and corrosive conditions occurred. This reveals that pipe replacement should be considered at these locations. These findings would be helpful in managing the water distribution system for maintaining a safe drinking water quality.

A New Malaysian Quality of Life Index Based on Fuzzy Sets and Hierarchical Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazim, M. Abdullah; Abu Osman, M. Tap

2009-01-01

The Malaysian Quality of Life Index (MQLI) released by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), has led authors to search for alternative method of expressing this index. One of the limitations in MQLI computations is the failure to recognise unequal weights for each accounted component. This paper offers a new way of expressing the quality of life index…

EPA's Environmental Quality Index Supports Public Health

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Environmental Quality Index (EQI) pulls data from five domains: air, water, land, built, and sociodemographic environments to provide a county-by-county snapshot of overall environmental quality across the entire U.S.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2014-01-01

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

Radiologic atlas of rheumatic diseases

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

Dihlmann, W.

1986-01-01

This book is an ''atlas of rheumatic joint disease'' selected from 20 years of personal experience by the author. The author sets a goal of demonstrating the value of soft-tissue imaging in the diagnosis of early joint disease. This goal is achieved with high quality reproductions, many of which are presented in duplicate to illustrate bone and soft-tissue changes. The contents include an introductory overview of the ''Mosaic of Arthritis'' followed by sections on adult rheumatoid arthritis, seronegative spondyloarthropathies, classic collagen disease, enthesiopathies, and lastly a section on gout and psuedogout. The subject index is specific and indexes figures withmore » boldface type. Each section is introduced by a brief outline or overview of the radiographic spectrum of the joint disorder to be illustrated.« less

Converting laserdisc video to digital video: a demonstration project using brain animations.

PubMed

Jao, C S; Hier, D B; Brint, S U

1995-01-01

Interactive laserdiscs are of limited value in large group learning situations due to the expense of establishing multiple workstations. The authors implemented an alternative to laserdisc video by using indexed digital video combined with an expert system. High-quality video was captured from a laserdisc player and combined with waveform audio into an audio-video-interleave (AVI) file format in the Microsoft Video-for-Windows environment (Microsoft Corp., Seattle, WA). With the use of an expert system, a knowledge-based computer program provided random access to these indexed AVI files. The program can be played on any multimedia computer without the need for laserdiscs. This system offers a high level of interactive video without the overhead and cost of a laserdisc player.

CTTITEM: SAS macro and SPSS syntax for classical item analysis.

PubMed

Lei, Pui-Wa; Wu, Qiong

2007-08-01

This article describes the functions of a SAS macro and an SPSS syntax that produce common statistics for conventional item analysis including Cronbach's alpha, item difficulty index (p-value or item mean), and item discrimination indices (D-index, point biserial and biserial correlations for dichotomous items and item-total correlation for polytomous items). These programs represent an improvement over the existing SAS and SPSS item analysis routines in terms of completeness and user-friendliness. To promote routine evaluations of item qualities in instrument development of any scale, the programs are available at no charge for interested users. The program codes along with a brief user's manual that contains instructions and examples are downloadable from suen.ed.psu.edu/-pwlei/plei.htm.

Cultural significance of medicinal plant families and species among Quechua farmers in Apillapampa, Bolivia.

PubMed

Thomas, Evert; Vandebroek, Ina; Sanca, Sabino; Van Damme, Patrick

2009-02-25

Medicinal plant use was investigated in Apillapampa, a community of subsistence farmers located in the semi-arid Bolivian Andes. The main objectives were to identify the culturally most significant medicinal plant families and species in Apillapampa. A total of 341 medicinal plant species was inventoried during guided fieldtrips and transect sampling. Data on medicinal uses were obtained from fifteen local Quechua participants, eight of them being traditional healers. Contingency table and binomial analyses of medicinal plants used versus the total number of inventoried species per family showed that Solanaceae is significantly overused in traditional medicine, whereas Poaceae is underused. Also plants with a shrubby habitat are significantly overrepresented in the medicinal plant inventory, which most likely relates to their year-round availability to people as compared to most annual plants that disappear in the dry season. Our ranking of medicinal species according to cultural importance is based upon the Quality Use Agreement Value (QUAV) index we developed. This index takes into account (1) the average number of medicinal uses reported for each plant species by participants; (2) the perceived quality of those medicinal uses; and (3) participant consensus. According to the results, the QUAV index provides an easily derived and valid appraisal of a medicinal plant's cultural significance.

Analysis of Leaf Area Index and Fraction of PAR Absorbed by Vegetation Products from the Terra MODIS Sensor: 2000-2005

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, Wenze; Huang, Dong; Tan, Bin; Stroeve, Julienne C.; Shabanov, Nikolay V.; Knyazikhin, Yuri; Nemani, Ramakrishna R.; Myneni, Ranga B.

2006-01-01

The analysis of two years of Collection 3 and five years of Collection 4 Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) data sets is presented in this article with the goal of understanding product quality with respect to version (Collection 3 versus 4), algorithm (main versus backup), snow (snow-free versus snow on the ground), and cloud (cloud-free versus cloudy) conditions. Retrievals from the main radiative transfer algorithm increased from 55% in Collection 3 to 67% in Collection 4 due to algorithm refinements and improved inputs. Anomalously high LAI/FPAR values observed in Collection 3 product in some vegetation types were corrected in Collection 4. The problem of reflectance saturation and too few main algorithm retrievals in broadleaf forests persisted in Collection 4. The spurious seasonality in needleleaf LAI/FPAR fields was traced to fewer reliable input data and retrievals during the boreal winter period. About 97% of the snow covered pixels were processed by the backup Normalized Difference Vegetation Index-based algorithm. Similarly, a majority of retrievals under cloudy conditions were obtained from the backup algorithm. For these reasons, the users are advised to consult the quality flags accompanying the LAI and FPAR product.

WATER QUALITY AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH GASTROINTESTINAL CONDITIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Water quality is quantified using several measures, available from various data sources. These can be combined to create a single index of overall water quality which can be used for health research. We developed a water quality index for all United States counties and assessed a...

Comparative study on the water quality status of Andra reservoir and Denkada anicut constructed on Champavati River, Vizianagaram, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, G. V. S. R. Pavan; Krishna, K. Rama

2017-06-01

The author's present study was carried out for a period of 3 years from 2010 to 2013 to itemize the various physico-chemical parameters, irrigation water quality parameters and heavy metals in Champavathi River waters at Andra reservoir and Denkada anicut. Water samples were collected from the chosen sampling stations of the two reservoirs for every 4 months and analyzed as per APHA standard methods. The results obtained were compared with IS 10500 standards and found to be well within the prescribed values. Though the obtained values were well within the prescribed standard values, it was found that the water quality index, concentration of certain parameters such as calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium of the waters of Andra reservoir are higher than that of the Denkada anicut, and the concentration of nitrite was found to be higher in the water sample analyzed from Denkada anicut. Except silicon, all the other metals were found to be below the detection limits in the two reservoir waters. The reasons for the same were probed by the authors in the presented study. From the analysis reports, it was found that the water analyzed from the two reservoirs was fit for irrigation, agriculture, industrial and domestic purposes.

A critical note on the IAGA-endorsed Polar Cap (PC) indices: excessive excursions in the real-time index values

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stauning, Peter

2018-04-01

The Polar Cap (PC) indices were approved by the International Association for Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) in 2013 and made available at the web portal http://pcindex.org holding prompt (real-time) as well as archival index values. The present note provides the first reported examination of the validity of the IAGA-endorsed method to generate real-time PC index values. It is demonstrated that features of the derivation procedure defined by Janzhura and Troshichev (2011) may cause considerable excursions in the real-time PC index values compared to the final index values. In examples based on occasional downloads of index values, the differences between real-time and final values of PC indices were found to exceed 3 mV m-1, which is a magnitude level that may indicate (or hide) strong magnetic storm activity.

New model for colour kinetics of plum under infrared vacuum condition and microwave drying.

PubMed

Chayjan, Reza Amiri; Alaei, Behnam

2016-01-01

Quality of dried foods is affected by the drying method and physiochemical changes in tissue. The drying method affects properties such as colour. The colour of processed food is one of the most important quality indices and plays a determinant role in consumer acceptability of food materials and the processing method. The colour of food materials can be used as an indirect factor to determine changes in quality, since it is simpler and faster than chemical methods. The study focused on the kinetics of colour changes of plum slices, under infrared vacuum and microwave conditions. Drying the samples was implemented at the absolute pressures of 20 and 60 kPa, drying temperatures of 50 and 60°C and microwave power of 90, 270, 450 and 630 W. Colour changes were quantified by the tri-stimulus L* (whiteness/darkness), a* (redness/greenness) and b* (yellowness/blueness) model, which is an international standard for color measurement developed by the Commission Internationale d'Eclairage (CIE). These values were also used to calculate total colour change (∆E), chroma, hue angle, and browning index (BI). A new model was used for mathematical modelling of colour change kinetics. The drying process changed the colour parameters of L*, a*, and b*, causing a colour shift toward the darker region. The values of L* and hue angle decreased, whereas the values of a*, b*, ∆E, chroma and browning index increased during exposure to infrared vacuum conditions and microwave drying. Comparing the results obtained using the new model with two conventional models of zero-order and first-order kinetics indicated that the new model presented more compatibility with the data of colour kinetics for all colour parameters and drying conditions. All kinetic changes in colour parameters can be explained by the new model presented in this study. The hybrid drying system included infrared vacuum conditions and microwave power for initial slow drying of plum slices and provided the desired results for colour change.

New approach to probability estimate of femoral neck fracture by fall (Slovak regression model).

PubMed

Wendlova, J

2009-01-01

3,216 Slovak women with primary or secondary osteoporosis or osteopenia, aged 20-89 years, were examined with the bone densitometer DXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, GE, Prodigy - Primo), x = 58.9, 95% C.I. (58.42; 59.38). The values of the following variables for each patient were measured: FSI (femur strength index), T-score total hip left, alpha angle - left, theta angle - left, HAL (hip axis length) left, BMI (body mass index) was calculated from the height and weight of the patients. Regression model determined the following order of independent variables according to the intensity of their influence upon the occurrence of values of dependent FSI variable: 1. BMI, 2. theta angle, 3. T-score total hip, 4. alpha angle, 5. HAL. The regression model equation, calculated from the variables monitored in the study, enables a doctor in praxis to determine the probability magnitude (absolute risk) for the occurrence of pathological value of FSI (FSI < 1) in the femoral neck area, i. e., allows for probability estimate of a femoral neck fracture by fall for Slovak women. 1. The Slovak regression model differs from regression models, published until now, in chosen independent variables and a dependent variable, belonging to biomechanical variables, characterising the bone quality. 2. The Slovak regression model excludes the inaccuracies of other models, which are not able to define precisely the current and past clinical condition of tested patients (e.g., to define the length and dose of exposure to risk factors). 3. The Slovak regression model opens the way to a new method of estimating the probability (absolute risk) or the odds for a femoral neck fracture by fall, based upon the bone quality determination. 4. It is assumed that the development will proceed by improving the methods enabling to measure the bone quality, determining the probability of fracture by fall (Tab. 6, Fig. 3, Ref. 22). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.

Looking at prescription quality in Ayurveda: Developing, validating and pilot testing a prescription quality index for Ayurveda.

PubMed

Rastogi, Sanjeev

2017-11-06

Prescription quality can be a direct predictor of the net outcome of a health care delivery effort. Quality of prescription may be considered as a cumulative matrix of multiple components of a prescription on the basis of their relative importance. Prescription quality index is a recognized tool in clinical medicine for multiple purposes including the prediction of health care intervention outcome. Considering the importance of prescription quality among every system of medicine, an attempt was made to design a prescription quality index for Ayurveda. The Prescription Quality Index for Ayurveda was designed through item selection following a thorough literature search and was validated through multiple peer group discussions. Final draft of index containing 38 individual items carrying different scores as per their importance in the prescription was subjected to a pilot test upon 1576 indoor prescriptions generated in 2015 at State Ayurvedic College Hospital, Lucknow. The study revealed large information gaps in the components of the prescription where it was supposed to be noted by the prescribers. These gaps in the Ayurvedic prescriptions were most significant in the areas pertaining to Ayurvedic fundamentals of clinical examination, disease diagnosis and Ayurvedic drug intake methods. Prescription Quality Index for Ayurveda was found useful in underlining the gaps between the ideal and generated prescriptions. This can be utilized as a useful tool to evaluate the quality of Ayurvedic prescriptions by seeing their adherence to the standard prescription template. Copyright © 2017 Transdisciplinary University, Bangalore and World Ayurveda Foundation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[The role of playful interactions in the development of the early mother-child relationship--factors of risk and protection].

PubMed

Eigner, Bernadett

2015-01-01

The early mother-child relationship is taking shape and evolving during the series of their everyday interactions. The main aim of the research that focus on the risks at the beginning, and the future mother infant interactions are factors that have influence on the quality of the early mother-child relationship, and the exploration of the jeopardy and vulnerability of the early relationship disorders. I examined fifty mothers who have their first child. I researched the motherly, child- and interactional factors in the days right after the birth and then when the kids were one month old, and again at the age of four and a half month. I assessed the parental stress by the longer version of the PSI (Parenting Stress Index), and the mother anxiety with the help of the STAI-Y (State and feature anxiety value Index), and the features of the depression were tested by the EPDS scale, the Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale. PBQ, the Postpartum Bonding Questionnare--reveals the quality of the motherly emotions and behaviour focusing on the kid. The observation of interactions when the child was four and a half month old happened while a 'face-to-face' free play, and the analyses of that were assessed by an own code system. We found correlations between input risk factors and features of motherly interactional styles. The indexes of the after birth depression (depression right after the birth), and the anxiety also showed correlation to the indexes of the attachment of the mother to her child and the parental stress. The correlations among the playfulness, the risk kotodefactors and the quality of the interactions are obvious, that we found. The interactional style of the mother and the interactional strategies of the baby showed correlated patterns too as we examined those. We found that pre-history of pregnancy and perinatal events have predictive value on the relationship of the four and a half month old baby and his/her mother. These can add important facts to the prevention and early-prevention of the early mother-child interactions, and other factors in cognition of the potential strengths and weaknesses in order to prevent the future negative outputs (attachment, cognitive and social-emotional development, emotional and behavioural disorders).

Winter wheat quality monitoring and forecasting system based on remote sensing and environmental factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haiyang, Yu; Yanmei, Liu; Guijun, Yang; Xiaodong, Yang; Dong, Ren; Chenwei, Nie

2014-03-01

To achieve dynamic winter wheat quality monitoring and forecasting in larger scale regions, the objective of this study was to design and develop a winter wheat quality monitoring and forecasting system by using a remote sensing index and environmental factors. The winter wheat quality trend was forecasted before the harvest and quality was monitored after the harvest, respectively. The traditional quality-vegetation index from remote sensing monitoring and forecasting models were improved. Combining with latitude information, the vegetation index was used to estimate agronomy parameters which were related with winter wheat quality in the early stages for forecasting the quality trend. A combination of rainfall in May, temperature in May, illumination at later May, the soil available nitrogen content and other environmental factors established the quality monitoring model. Compared with a simple quality-vegetation index, the remote sensing monitoring and forecasting model used in this system get greatly improved accuracy. Winter wheat quality was monitored and forecasted based on the above models, and this system was completed based on WebGIS technology. Finally, in 2010 the operation process of winter wheat quality monitoring system was presented in Beijing, the monitoring and forecasting results was outputted as thematic maps.

Valuing shifts in the distribution of visibility in national parks and wilderness areas in the United States.

PubMed

Boyle, Kevin J; Paterson, Robert; Carson, Richard; Leggett, Christopher; Kanninen, Barbara; Molenar, John; Neumann, James

2016-05-15

Environmental regulations often have the objective of eliminating the lower tail of an index of environmental quality. That part of the distribution of environmental quality moves somewhere above a threshold and where in the original distribution it moves is a function of the control strategy chosen. This paper provides an approach for estimating the economic benefits of different distributional changes as the worst environmental conditions are removed. The proposed approach is illustrated by examining shifts in visibility at Class I visibility areas (National Parks and wilderness areas) that would occur with implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Regional Haze Program. In this application we show that people value shifts in the distribution of visibility and place a higher value on the removal of a low visibility day than on the addition of a high visibility day. We found that respondents would pay about $120 per year in the Southeast U.S. and about $80 per year in the Southwest U.S. for improvement programs that remove the 20% worst visibility days. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subcritical Butane Extraction of Wheat Germ Oil and Its Deacidification by Molecular Distillation.

PubMed

Li, Jinwei; Sun, Dewei; Qian, Lige; Liu, Yuanfa

2016-12-07

Extraction and deacidification are important stages for wheat germ oil (WGO) production. Crude WGO was extracted using subcritical butane extraction (SBE) and compared with traditional solvent extraction (SE) and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SCE) based on the yield, chemical index and fatty acid profile. Furthermore, the effects of the molecular distillation temperature on the quality of WGO were also investigated in this study. Results indicated that WGO extracted by SBE has a higher yield of 9.10% and better quality; at the same time, its fatty acid composition has no significant difference compared with that of SE and SCE. The molecular distillation experiment showed that the acid value, peroxide value and p -anisidine value of WGO were reduced with the increase of the evaporation temperatures, and the contents of the active constituents of tocopherol, polyphenols and phytosterols are simultaneously decreased. Generally, the distillation temperature of 150 °C is an appropriate condition for WGO deacidification with the higher deacidification efficiency of 77.78% and the higher retention rate of active constituents.

Oxidative stability, chemical composition and organoleptic properties of seinat (Cucumis melo var. tibish) seed oil blends with peanut oil from China.

PubMed

Siddeeg, Azhari; Xia, Wenshui

2015-12-01

Seinat seed oil was blended with peanut oil for the enhancement of stability and chemical characteristics of the blend. The physicochemical properties (relative density, refractive index, free fatty acids, saponification value, iodine value and peroxide value) of seinat seed and peanut oil blends in ratios 95:5, 85:15, 30:70 and 50:50 proportions were evaluated, as well as oxidative stability index, deferential scanning calorimetric (DSC) characteristics and tocopherols content. Results of oil blend showed that there was no negative effect by the addition of seinat seed oil to peanut oil and also had decreased percentages of all saturated fatty acids except stearic acid, conversely, increased the levels of unsaturated fatty acids. As for the sensory evaluation, the panelist results showed that seinat seed oil blends had no significant differences (p < 0.05) in all attributes except the purity. The results indicated that the blending of seinat seed oil with peanut oil had also increased the stability and tocopherols content. As Sudan is the first producer of seinat oil, blending of seinat seed oil with traditional oil like quality, and may decrease the consumption of other expensive edible oils.

Image quality and radiation reduction of 320-row area detector CT coronary angiography with optimal tube voltage selection and an automatic exposure control system: comparison with body mass index-adapted protocol.

PubMed

Lim, Jiyeon; Park, Eun-Ah; Lee, Whal; Shim, Hackjoon; Chung, Jin Wook

2015-06-01

To assess the image quality and radiation exposure of 320-row area detector computed tomography (320-ADCT) coronary angiography with optimal tube voltage selection with the guidance of an automatic exposure control system in comparison with a body mass index (BMI)-adapted protocol. Twenty-two patients (study group) underwent 320-ADCT coronary angiography using an automatic exposure control system with the target standard deviation value of 33 as the image quality index and the lowest possible tube voltage. For comparison, a sex- and BMI-matched group (control group, n = 22) using a BMI-adapted protocol was established. Images of both groups were reconstructed by an iterative reconstruction algorithm. For objective evaluation of the image quality, image noise, vessel density, signal to noise ratio (SNR), and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) were measured. Two blinded readers then subjectively graded the image quality using a four-point scale (1: nondiagnostic to 4: excellent). Radiation exposure was also measured. Although the study group tended to show higher image noise (14.1 ± 3.6 vs. 9.3 ± 2.2 HU, P = 0.111) and higher vessel density (665.5 ± 161 vs. 498 ± 143 HU, P = 0.430) than the control group, the differences were not significant. There was no significant difference between the two groups for SNR (52.5 ± 19.2 vs. 60.6 ± 21.8, P = 0.729), CNR (57.0 ± 19.8 vs. 67.8 ± 23.3, P = 0.531), or subjective image quality scores (3.47 ± 0.55 vs. 3.59 ± 0.56, P = 0.960). However, radiation exposure was significantly reduced by 42 % in the study group (1.9 ± 0.8 vs. 3.6 ± 0.4 mSv, P = 0.003). Optimal tube voltage selection with the guidance of an automatic exposure control system in 320-ADCT coronary angiography allows substantial radiation reduction without significant impairment of image quality, compared to the results obtained using a BMI-based protocol.

Carbon dioxide emission and bio-capacity indexing for transportation activities: A methodological development in determining the sustainability of vehicular transportation systems.

PubMed

Labib, S M; Neema, Meher Nigar; Rahaman, Zahidur; Patwary, Shahadath Hossain; Shakil, Shahadat Hossain

2018-06-09

CO 2 emissions from urban traffic are a major concern in an era of increasing ecological disequilibrium. Adding to the problem net CO 2 emissions in urban settings are worsened due to the decline of bio-productive areas in many cities. This decline exacerbates the lack of capacity to sequestrate CO 2 at the micro and meso-scales resulting in increased temperatures and decreased air quality within city boundaries. Various transportation and environmental strategies have been implemented to address traffic related CO 2 emissions, however current literature identifies difficulties in pinpointing these critical areas of maximal net emissions in urban transport networks. This study attempts to close this gap in the literature by creating a new lay-person friendly index that combines CO 2 emissions from vehicles and the bio-capacity of specific traffic zones to identify these areas at the meso-scale within four ranges of values with the lowest index values representing the highest net CO 2 levels. The study used traffic volume, fuel types, and vehicular travel distance to estimate CO 2 emissions at major links in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital city's transportation network. Additionally, using remote-sensing tools, adjacent bio-productive areas were identified and their bio-capacity for CO 2 sequestration estimated. The bio-productive areas were correlated with each traffic zone under study resulting in an Emission Bio-Capacity index (EBI) value estimate for each traffic node. Among the ten studied nodes in Dhaka City, nine had very low EBI values, correlating to very high CO 2 emissions and low bio-capacity. As a result, the study considered these areas unsustainable as traffic nodes going forward. Key reasons for unsustainability included increasing use of motorized traffic, absence of optimized signal systems, inadequate public transit options, disincentives for fuel free transport (FFT), and a decline in bio-productive areas. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic parameters of egg quality traits in long-term pedigree recorded Japanese quail.

PubMed

Sari, M; Tilki, M; Saatci, M

2016-08-01

This study was conducted to determine the genetic parameters of internal and external quality traits of Japanese quail eggs. Two statistical models were used in the calculation of genetic parameters and variance components. While 286 eggs were used based on model 1, 1,524 eggs were used based on model 2. Genetic parameters of the first eggs were calculated with direct genetic effect included in the analysis as random factors by using model 1. Model 2 was used for all eggs (5 to 6 eggs from each hen for six rearing groups). As different from model 1, their permanent environmental effects were also included in the model 2. Heritability of egg weight, egg length, egg width, shape index, shell weight, shell thickness, and shell ratio among the external quality traits of the eggs was respectively found to be 0.44, 0.53, 0.51, 0.70, 0.19, 0.16, and 0.05, respectively, according to model 1. These values were found to be 0.46, 0.40, 0.74, 0.48, 0.60, 0.28, and 0.21, respectively, according to model 2. Yolk weight, yolk diameter, yolk height, yolk index, yolk ratio, albumen weight, albumen height, albumen ratio, and Haugh unit values among the internal quality traits of the egg were found to be 0.22, 0.32, 0.02, 0.16, 0.19, 0.34, 0.19, 0.17, and 0.17, respectively, according to model 1. These internal quality traits were found to be 0.27, 0.18, 0.38, 0.06, 0.20, 0.41, 0.15, 0.15, and 0.12, respectively, according to model 2. Consequently, in this study, strong genetic correlations were detected between albumen height and Haugh unit, and also between albumen height and albumen weight. Additionally, a high and positive correlation was observed between some yolk traits (yolk weight and diameter) and albumen traits (weight and height). All these genetic correlations can be used to improve egg quality with a selection according to albumen weight. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Sleep, Muscle Mass and Muscle Function in Older People.

PubMed

Buchmann, Nikolaus; Spira, Dominik; Norman, Kristina; Demuth, Ilja; Eckardt, Rahel; Steinhagen-Thiessen, Elisabeth

2016-04-15

Loss of muscle mass, particularly in old age, can restrict mobility and physical function. Sleep is thought to play a key role in the maintenance of muscle mass; sleep disturbances have a prevalence of 6-30% in Germany. In this study, based on data from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II), we analyze the relationship between sleep efficiency and quality on the one hand, and muscle mass and muscle function on the other. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 1196 subjects (52.5% women; 68 ± 4 years). Sleep behavior was assessed with questions from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; appendicular lean mass (ALM) with dual x-ray absorp - tiometry; and muscle function with a measure of grip strength and with questionnaires about physical activity and impairment of physical activities. Low muscle mass was determined from the ALM corrected by the body-mass index (BMI), i.e., from the ratio ALM/BMI. 19.1% of the women and 13.4% of the men reported poor sleep quality. Men whose ALM/BMI ratio was below the cutoff value for low muscle mass more frequently reported very poor sleep efficiency (9.1% , versus 4.8% in women; p<0.002). The adjusted odds ratio for low muscle mass was 2.8 for men with poor sleep quality (95% confidence interval: [1.1; 6.7]) and 4.3 for men with poor sleep efficiency [1.2; 15.1]. In women, there was no statistically significant association between sleep quality and efficiency on the one hand and ALM/BMI values below cutoff on the other, but poor sleep quality was found to be associated with reduced grip strength (16.25 kg ± 2.33 kg versus 15.67 kg ± 2.38 kg; p = 0.009) and low appendicular lean mass (ALM: 16.25 kg ± 2.33 kg versus 15.67 kg ± 2.38 kg; p = 0.016). These findings support the hypothesis of a link between sleep and muscle mass. The dependence of muscle mass on sleep behavior needs to be investigated in longitudinal studies.

Assessment of phytoplankton and environmental variables for water quality and trophic state classification in the Gemlik Gulf, Marmara Sea (Turkey).

PubMed

Balci, Muharrem; Balkis, Neslihan

2017-02-15

Phytoplankton assemblages related to environmental factors and ecological status of the Gemlik Gulf were investigated between June 2010 and May 2011. A total 155 phytoplankton species were detected and 6 taxa (Amphisolenia laticincta, Archaeperidinium minutum, Cochlodinium sp., Gynogonadinium aequatoriale, Heterocapsa rotundata and Metaphalacroma sp.) were new records for the Turkish Seas. The lowest and highest total phytoplankton abundance among the sampling units (depths) was recorded in April 2011 (7.4×10 3 cellsL -1 ) and July 2010 (251.8×10 3 cellsL -1 ). Local small patches of visible red tide events were detected especially in the gulf, although a phytoplankton bloom was not observed. The water column was well stratified in the early autumn and well mixed in the early spring according to stratification index values. Surface nutrient concentrations increased especially at stations located inside of the gulf. The limiting effect of silicate was observed in early, mid-summer and early winter periods while the nitrogen was the limiting nutrient in the gulf during the whole sampling period. In the Gulf, low water quality-high mesotrophic and bad water quality-eutrophic status, high quality and low trophic level were generally detected according to Chl a, dissolved oxygen and trophic index. However, indices developed to determine the trophic level and water quality of the Mediterranean Sea can give unexpected results about the current environmental quality status when it is applied to the Marmara Sea which has limited photic zone by the halocline-pycnocline and thermocline. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.