Using Verbal Protocol Data to Reflect the Quality of Problem Representation in Solving Algebra Word Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bull, Elizabeth Kay

The goal of this study was to find a way to quantify three criteria of representational quality, described by Greeno, so that it would be possible to examine statistically the relationship between representational quality and other variables related to problem solution. The sample consisted of 18 college students, 84 percent of whom had…

EPA RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS -- MODELS-3/CMAQ OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO AIR QUALITY MODELING

EPA Science Inventory

Regional and global coordinated efforts are needed to address air quality problems that are growing in complexity and scope. Models-3 CMAQ contains a community multi-scale air quality modeling system for simulating urban to regional scale pollution problems relating to troposphe...

Auditing and Evaluating Quality: Questions and Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vostrikov, A.

2004-01-01

For many Russian universities, improving the quality of education has become a central problem. Colleges and universities that have traditionally enjoyed high academic authority are not especially concerned about it; they are more concerned about the problems of financing and their own development. But for relatively young educational institutions…

Exploring the relationship between quality of life and mental health problems in children: implications for measurement and practice.

PubMed

Sharpe, Helen; Patalay, Praveetha; Fink, Elian; Vostanis, Panos; Deighton, Jessica; Wolpert, Miranda

2016-06-01

Quality of life is typically reduced in children with mental health problems. Understanding the relationship between quality of life and mental health problems and the factors that moderate this association is a pressing priority. This was a cross-sectional study involving 45,398 children aged 8-13 years from 880 schools in England. Self-reported quality of life was assessed using nine items from the KIDSCREEN-10 and mental health was assessed using the Me and My School Questionnaire. Demographic information (gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status) was also recorded. Quality of life was highest in children with no problems and lowest in children with both internalising and externalising problems. There was indication that quality of life may be reduced in children with internalising problems compared with externalising problems. Approximately 12 % children with mental health problems reported high quality of life. The link between mental health and quality of life was moderated by gender and age but not by socio-economic status or ethnicity. This study supports previous work showing mental health and quality of life are related but not synonymous. The findings have implications for measuring quality of life in child mental health settings and the need for approaches to support children with mental health problems that are at particular risk of poor quality of life.

Effect of genes, environment, and lifetime co-occurring disorders on health-related quality of life in problem and pathological gamblers.

PubMed

Scherrer, Jeffrey F; Xian, Hong; Shah, Kamini R; Volberg, Rachel; Slutske, Wendy; Eisen, Seth A

2005-06-01

Problem and pathological gambling are associated with many impairments in quality of life, including financial, family, legal, and social problems. Gambling disorders commonly co-occur with other psychiatric disorders, such as alcoholism and depression. Although these consequences and correlates have been reported, little is known about the health-related functional impairment associated with gambling. To model differences in the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among non-problem gamblers, problem gamblers, and pathological gamblers after controlling for lifetime co-occurring substance use disorders, psychiatric disorders, sociodemographics, and genetic and family environmental influences. Cohort and co-twin studies. Nationally distributed community sample. Male twin members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry: 53 pathological gamblers, 270 subclinical problem gamblers, and 1346 non-problem gamblers (controls). We obtained HRQoL data, via the 8-Item Short-Form Health Survey, from all participants. Data from a subset of twin pairs discordant for gambling behavior was used to control for genetic and family environmental effects on HRQoL and problem gambling. Main Outcome Measure Health-related quality of life. Results from adjusted logistic regression analyses suggest little difference across groups in the physical domains of the health survey; however, for each mental health domain, pathological gamblers had lower HRQoL scores than problem gamblers (P<.05), who in turn had lower scores than non-problem gamblers (P<.05). After controlling for genes and family environment, no significant differences existed between the non-problem gambling twins and their problem or pathological gambling brothers, but adjusted co-twin analyses resulted in statistically significant differences in 4 of 8 subscales. Pathological and problem gambling are associated with significant decrements in HRQoL. This association is partly explained by genetic and family environmental effects and by lifetime co-occurring substance use disorders. Implications for clinicians, health care utilization, and public health issues are discussed.

A Project to Enhance Superintendents' Knowledge and Application of Characteristics of High Quality Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pummill, Bret L.; Edson, Jerry C.; Loftin, Michelle M.; Robinson, Matthew A.

2011-01-01

This report describes a problem based learning project focusing on superintendents' knowledge of the characteristics of high quality teachers. Current research findings offer evidence teacher quality is an important school variable related to student achievement. School district leaders are faced with the problem of identifying the characteristics…

The green eyed monster in the bottle: Relationship contingent self-esteem, romantic jealousy, and alcohol-related problems.

PubMed

DiBello, Angelo M; Rodriguez, Lindsey M; Hadden, Benjamin W; Neighbors, Clayton

2015-10-01

Previous research suggests that both jealousy and relationship contingent self-esteem (RCSE) are related to alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. No work, however, has examined these two constructs together as they relate to motives for alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. The current study aims to build upon emerging literature examining different types of jealousy (i.e., emotional, cognitive, and behavioral), relationship quality (i.e., satisfaction, commitment, closeness), RCSE, and alcohol use. More specifically, the current study aimed to examine the associations between RCSE and drinking to cope and RCSE and alcohol-related problems, in the context of the different types of jealousy. Moreover, the current study aimed to assess whether the associations between RCSE, jealousy, and drinking outcomes vary as a function of relationship quality. Two hundred and seventy seven individuals (87% female) at a large southern university participated in the study. They completed measures of RCSE, relationship satisfaction, commitment, closeness, and jealousy as well as alcohol-related outcomes. Using PROCESS, moderated mediational analyses were used to evaluate different types of jealousy as mediators of the association between RCSE and drinking to cope/alcohol-related problems. Further, we aimed to examine whether relationship quality moderated the association between RCSE and jealousy in predicting alcohol-related variables. Results indicated that cognitive jealousy mediated the association between both RCSE and drinking to cope and RCSE and alcohol-related problems. Further, relationship satisfaction, commitment, and closeness were all found to moderate the association between RSCE and cognitive jealousy such that at lower, but not higher levels of satisfaction, commitment, and closeness, cognitive jealousy mediated the association between RCSE and drinking to cope and RCSE and alcohol-related problems. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey of Sleep-Related Problems in Japanese Visually Impaired Patients: Prevalence and Association with Health-Related Quality of Life.

PubMed

Tamura, Norihisa; Sasai-Sakuma, Taeko; Morita, Yuko; Okawa, Masako; Inoue, Shigeru; Inoue, Yuichi

2016-12-15

This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted (1) to estimate the prevalence of sleep-related problems, and (2) to explore factors associated with lower physical/mental quality of life (QOL), particularly addressing sleep-related problems among Japanese visually impaired people. This nationwide questionnaire-based survey was administered to visually impaired individuals through the Japan Federation of the Blind. Visually impaired individuals without light perception (LP) (n = 311), those with LP (n = 287), and age-matched and gender-matched controls (n = 615) were eligible for this study. Study questionnaires elicited demographic information, and information about visual impairment status, sleep-related problems, and health-related quality of life. Visually impaired individuals with and without LP showed higher prevalence rates of irregular sleep-wake patterns and difficulty maintaining sleep than controls (34.7% and 29.4% vs. 15.8%, 60.1% and 46.7% vs. 26.8%, respectively; p < 0.001). These sleep-related problems were observed more frequently in visually impaired individuals without LP than in those with LP. Non-restorative sleep or excessive daytime sleepiness was associated with lower mental/physical QOL in visually impaired individuals with LP and in control subjects. However, visually impaired individuals without LP showed irregular sleep-wake pattern or difficulty waking up at the desired time, which was associated with lower mental/physical QOL. Sleep-related problems were observed more frequently in visually impaired individuals than in controls. Moreover, the rates of difficulties were higher among subjects without LP. Sleep-related problems, especially circadian rhythm-related ones, can be associated with lower mental/physical QOL in visually impaired individuals without LP. © 2016 American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Sleep disturbances are associated with reduced health-related quality of life in patients with substance use disorders.

PubMed

Magnée, Ellis H B; de Weert-van Oene, Gerdien H; Wijdeveld, Toon A G M; Coenen, Anton M L; de Jong, Cor A J

2015-09-01

Sleep problems and substance use are strongly linked. Sleep problems play a role in the etiology of substance use, but also may be a result of it. After detoxification, sleep problems may worsen leading to relapse. Nowadays, most substance dependence treatment programs aim at recovery rather than total abstinence, and in that view health-related quality of life (HRQL) is a relevant construct. This article describes the association between self-perceived sleep problems and HRQL in a naturalistic population of polydrug-using inpatients. At the start of treatment, 388 polydrug-using inpatients completed questionnaires concerning their sleep quality and HRQL. Three categories were established based on reported sleep problems: patients without sleep problems (21.6%), those with clinically relevant sleep problems (34.5%), and patients with sleep disorders (43.8%). Mean grades for quality of sleep were M = 7.3 (sd 1.7), M = 6.6 (sd 1.7) and M = 5.3 (sd 1.9) for the three categories, respectively. In addition, patients in the disorder category perceived a lower HRQL than those in the other categories. In the explanation of HRQL, both sleep problems and sleep disorders added significantly to the model when controlling for baseline characteristics. Our findings stress the need for clinicians to pay attention to the quality of sleep of recovering polydrug users, since this may play an important role in the recovery process. Monitoring sleep during treatment is advocated. This study adds to the knowledge about the way HRQL and sleep are related in a naturalistic sample of substance-dependent patients. © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Coping, problem solving, depression, and health-related quality of life in patients receiving outpatient stroke rehabilitation.

PubMed

Visser, Marieke M; Heijenbrok-Kal, Majanka H; Spijker, Adriaan Van't; Oostra, Kristine M; Busschbach, Jan J; Ribbers, Gerard M

2015-08-01

To investigate whether patients with high and low depression scores after stroke use different coping strategies and problem-solving skills and whether these variables are related to psychosocial health-related quality of life (HRQOL) independent of depression. Cross-sectional study. Two rehabilitation centers. Patients participating in outpatient stroke rehabilitation (N=166; mean age, 53.06±10.19y; 53% men; median time poststroke, 7.29mo). Not applicable. Coping strategy was measured using the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations; problem-solving skills were measured using the Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised: Short Form; depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; and HRQOL was measured using the five-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire and the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale. Independent samples t tests and multivariable regression analyses, adjusted for patient characteristics, were performed. Compared with patients with low depression scores, patients with high depression scores used less positive problem orientation (P=.002) and emotion-oriented coping (P<.001) and more negative problem orientation (P<.001) and avoidance style (P<.001). Depression score was related to all domains of both general HRQOL (visual analog scale: β=-.679; P<.001; utility: β=-.009; P<.001) and stroke-specific HRQOL (physical HRQOL: β=-.020; P=.001; psychosocial HRQOL: β=-.054, P<.001; total HRQOL: β=-.037; P<.001). Positive problem orientation was independently related to psychosocial HRQOL (β=.086; P=.018) and total HRQOL (β=.058; P=.031). Patients with high depression scores use different coping strategies and problem-solving skills than do patients with low depression scores. Independent of depression, positive problem-solving skills appear to be most significantly related to better HRQOL. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychological Problems, Protective Factors and Health-Related Quality of Life in Youth Affected by Violence: The Burden of the Multiply Victimised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlack, Robert; Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike; Petermann, Franz

2013-01-01

This study investigates self-rated mental health in terms of psychological problems, protective factors and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a nationally representative sample of adolescents (n = 6813) aged 11-17 involved in violence with varying frequency. Using MANCOVA and ANCOVA, youth with single and multiple histories of violent…

42 CFR 480.101 - Scope and definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION REVIEW INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs... of the problem and follow-up. Quality review study information means all documentation related to the...

Health-related quality of life research and the capability approach of Amartya Sen.

PubMed

Verkerk, M A; Busschbach, J J; Karssing, E D

2001-01-01

Standardised health-related quality of life questionnaires play an increasing role as measures of outcome in the evaluation of health care interventions. However, problems can arise when the selected functions or dimensions of such standardised measures are not in line with the intervention that is the focus of the research. Furthermore, the subjective element of quality of life makes standardised questionnaires vulnerable to the coping mechanism, thereby decreasing their sensitivity. The capability approach of the economist and philosopher Amartya Sen offers a descriptive concept that contributes to a better understanding of these problems. This article provides an introduction to the ideas of Sen for researchers who wish to go beyond the traditional framework of measuring health-related quality of life.

Health-related quality of life of pregnant women with heartburn and regurgitation.

PubMed

Dall'alba, Valesca; Callegari-Jacques, Sidia Maria; Krahe, Cláudio; Bruch, Juliana Paula; Alves, Bruna Cherubini; Barros, Sérgio Gabriel Silva de

2015-01-01

Heartburn and regurgitation frequently occur in the third trimester of pregnancy, but their impact on quality of life has not been thoroughly investigated. To measure health-related quality of life of third-trimester pregnant women with heartburn and regurgitation. Methods Data on obstetric history, heartburn and regurgitation frequency and intensity, history of heartburn and regurgitation and health-related quality of life were collected of 82 third-trimester pregnant women. Sixty-two (76%) women had heartburn, and 58 (71%), regurgitation; 20 were asymptomatic. Mean gestational age was 33.8±3.7 weeks; 35 (43%) women had a family history of heartburn and/or regurgitation, and 57 (70%) were asymptomatic before pregnancy. The following quality of life concepts were significantly reduced: physical problems and social functioning for heartburn; physical problems and emotional functioning for regurgitation. There was agreement between heartburn in present and previous pregnancies. Heartburn and/or regurgitation affected health-related quality of life of third trimester pregnant women.

Sleep and Mental Health in Undergraduate Students with Generally Healthy Sleep Habits

PubMed Central

Milojevich, Helen M.; Lukowski, Angela F.

2016-01-01

Whereas previous research has indicated that sleep problems tend to co-occur with increased mental health issues in university students, relatively little is known about relations between sleep quality and mental health in university students with generally healthy sleep habits. Understanding relations between sleep and mental health in individuals with generally healthy sleep habits is important because (a) student sleep habits tend to worsen over time and (b) even time-limited experience of sleep problems may have significant implications for the onset of mental health problems. In the present research, 69 university students with generally healthy sleep habits completed questionnaires about sleep quality and mental health. Although participants did not report clinically concerning mental health issues as a group, global sleep quality was associated with mental health. Regression analyses revealed that nighttime sleep duration and the frequency of nighttime sleep disruptions were differentially related to total problems and clinically-relevant symptoms of psychological distress. These results indicate that understanding relations between sleep and mental health in university students with generally healthy sleep habits is important not only due to the large number of undergraduates who experience sleep problems and mental health issues over time but also due to the potential to intervene and improve mental health outcomes before they become clinically concerning. PMID:27280714

Sleep and Mental Health in Undergraduate Students with Generally Healthy Sleep Habits.

PubMed

Milojevich, Helen M; Lukowski, Angela F

2016-01-01

Whereas previous research has indicated that sleep problems tend to co-occur with increased mental health issues in university students, relatively little is known about relations between sleep quality and mental health in university students with generally healthy sleep habits. Understanding relations between sleep and mental health in individuals with generally healthy sleep habits is important because (a) student sleep habits tend to worsen over time and (b) even time-limited experience of sleep problems may have significant implications for the onset of mental health problems. In the present research, 69 university students with generally healthy sleep habits completed questionnaires about sleep quality and mental health. Although participants did not report clinically concerning mental health issues as a group, global sleep quality was associated with mental health. Regression analyses revealed that nighttime sleep duration and the frequency of nighttime sleep disruptions were differentially related to total problems and clinically-relevant symptoms of psychological distress. These results indicate that understanding relations between sleep and mental health in university students with generally healthy sleep habits is important not only due to the large number of undergraduates who experience sleep problems and mental health issues over time but also due to the potential to intervene and improve mental health outcomes before they become clinically concerning.

Coping and social problem solving correlates of asthma control and quality of life.

PubMed

McCormick, Sean P; Nezu, Christine M; Nezu, Arthur M; Sherman, Michael; Davey, Adam; Collins, Bradley N

2014-02-01

In a sample of adults with asthma receiving care and medication in an outpatient pulmonary clinic, this study tested for statistical associations between social problem-solving styles, asthma control, and asthma-related quality of life. These variables were measured cross sectionally as a first step toward more systematic application of social problem-solving frameworks in asthma self-management training. Recruitment occurred during pulmonology clinic service hours. Forty-four adults with physician-confirmed diagnosis of asthma provided data including age, gender, height, weight, race, income, and comorbid conditions. The Asthma Control Questionnaire, the Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (Short Form), and peak expiratory force measures offered multiple views of asthma health at the time of the study. Maladaptive coping (impulsive and careless problem-solving styles) based on transactional stress models of health were assessed with the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised: Short Form. Controlling for variance associated with gender, age, and income, individuals reporting higher impulsive-careless scores exhibited significantly lower scores on asthma control (β = 0.70, p = 0.001, confidence interval (CI) [0.37-1.04]) and lower asthma-related quality of life (β = 0.79, p = 0.017, CI [0.15-1.42]). These findings suggest that specific maladaptive problem-solving styles may uniquely contribute to asthma health burdens. Because problem-solving coping strategies are both measureable and teachable, behavioral interventions aimed at facilitating adaptive coping and problem solving could positively affect patient's asthma management and quality of life.

Differential susceptibility effects: the interaction of negative emotionality and sibling relationship quality on childhood internalizing problems and social skills.

PubMed

Morgan, Judith K; Shaw, Daniel S; Olino, Thomas M

2012-08-01

Whereas socialization influences in early childhood have been linked to children's emerging internalizing problems and prosocial behavior, relatively few studies have examined how NE might moderate such associations in both advantageous and maladaptive ways. Furthermore, more research is needed to evaluate the impact of sibling relationships as an influential socialization influence on these child outcomes. In the current study we examined how NE might differentially moderate the associations between quality of relationships with siblings and both internalizing problems and social skills at school entry. NE moderated the effects of positive and destructive sibling relationship quality on child internalizing problems. Specifically, for boys high on NE, more positive sibling relationship quality predicted fewer internalizing problems, but more destructive sibling conflict predicted more internalizing problems. NE also moderated the effects of destructive sibling conflict on child social skills. For boys high on NE, destructive sibling conflict predicted fewer social skills. Boys high on NE appear to show greater susceptibility to the effects of sibling socialization on child outcomes, relative to boys low on NE. The implications of these interactions are discussed with respect to differential susceptibility theory.

Differential Susceptibility Effects: The Interaction of Negative Emotionality and Sibling Relationship Quality on Childhood Internalizing Problems and Social Skills

PubMed Central

Shaw, Daniel S.; Olino, Thomas M.

2012-01-01

Whereas socialization influences in early childhood have been linked to children’s emerging internalizing problems and prosocial behavior, relatively few studies have examined how NE might moderate such associations in both advantageous and maladaptive ways. Furthermore, more research is needed to evaluate the impact of sibling relationships as an influential socialization influence on these child outcomes. In the current study we examined how NE might differentially moderate the associations between quality of relationships with siblings and both internalizing problems and social skills at school entry. NE moderated the effects of positive and destructive sibling relationship quality on child internalizing problems. Specifically, for boys high on NE, more positive sibling relationship quality predicted fewer internalizing problems, but more destructive sibling conflict predicted more internalizing problems. NE also moderated the effects of destructive sibling conflict on child social skills. For boys high on NE, destructive sibling conflict predicted fewer social skills. Boys high on NE appear to show greater susceptibility to the effects of sibling socialization on child outcomes, relative to boys low on NE. The implications of these interactions are discussed with respect to differential susceptibility theory. PMID:22366882

Differential Outcomes of Sleep Problems in Children with and Without Special Health Care Needs: Australian Population Study.

PubMed

Quach, Jon; Mensah, Fiona K; Hiscock, Harriet

2016-06-01

In a nationally representative sample of Australian children at ages 4 to 5, 6 to 7, 8 to 9, 10 to 11, and 12 to 13 years, we aim to examine the (1) prevalence of sleep problems in children with and without special health care needs (SHCN); (2) association of sleep problems with child behavior, health-related quality of life, learning and parent mental health outcomes; and (3) whether associations between sleep problems and outcomes among children with SHCN are larger in magnitude than among children without SHCN. Biennial data from 5 waves of the Growing Up in Australia Study. Child SHCN as defined by the Children Special Health Care Needs Screener and parent report of child sleep problem. Child: parent-reported health-related quality of life; parent-reported and teacher-reported behavior; nonverbal and verbal cognition and teacher-reported learning. Parent: self-report mental health. Logistic and linear regression, adjusted for family socioeconomic position. Children with SHCN were more likely to have sleep problems, odds ranging from 2.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6-2.5) at 4 to 5 years to 3.9 (95% CI, 3.0-5.2) at 8 to 9 years. Compared with children who had neither condition, those with either sleep problems or SHCN had similarly poor child and maternal outcomes. Children with both SHCN and sleep problems had the poorest outcomes at every age (all p < .001). Tests of interaction found sleep problems are more strongly associated with poorer behavior and health-related quality of life among children with SHCN than those without during the preschool and early school years. Sleep problems in children with SHCN are common and are associated with poorer child and maternal outcomes. These associations are stronger for poorer behavior and health-related quality of life among children with SHCN than those without during the preschool and early school years.

Health-related quality of life and emotional problems in children surviving brain tumor treatment: A descriptive study of 2 cohorts.

PubMed

Dessens, Arianne B; van Herwerden, Michael C; Aarsen, Femke K; Birnie, Erwin; Catsman-Berrevoets, Coriene E

2016-08-01

The survival of childhood brain tumors has improved in the past 30 years, but acquired brain injury due to damage caused by tumor invasion and side effects of different treatment modalities frequently occurs. This study focused on residual impairments, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and emotional and behavioral problems in 2 cohorts of survivors diagnosed and treated for various types of brain tumors. Survivors in the 2004 cohort visited the Erasmus Medical Centre for standardized follow-up between 2003 and 2004, and in the 2014 cohort, between 2012 and 2014. Data of neurologically impairments of all children were extracted from medical records. Parents and survivors filled out questionnaires on quality of life and emotional and behavioral problems. In both cohorts, approximately 55% of the survivors displayed neurologic impairments. In comparison with the healthy reference group, a reduced parent-reported quality of life was found on the Motor, Cognition, and Autonomy (Cohort 2004) scales. Comparison between the cohorts showed that parents in the 2004 cohort reported a higher HRQoL on the Motor and Cognitive functioning scales. In the 2014 cohort, children reported less negative emotions than healthy children. No increase in emotional or behavioral problems were reported by children in both cohorts, whereas parents reported problems in social functioning and isolation related to a delay in emotional development. Children surviving brain tumor treatment have a reduced quality of life. The authors therefore recommend regular screening of HRQoL and emotional and behavioral problems and referral to specific aftercare.

Daily Hassles, Mother-child Relationship, and Behavior Problems in Muslim Arab American Adolescents in Immigrant Families

PubMed Central

Aroian, Karen J.; Templin, Thomas N.; Hough, Edythe S.

2016-01-01

Objective This longitudinal study examines reciprocal and dynamic relations among daily hassles, the mother-child relationship, and adolescent behavior problems and whether the relations differed by socio-demographic variables. Methods Three waves of data about adolescent daily hassles, quality of the mother-child relationship, and adolescent behavior problems were collected from 454 Arab Muslim adolescents and their immigrant mothers over a three-year period. Cross-lagged structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine reciprocal relations among the study variables. Results Relations between the mother-child relationship and adolescent behavior problems were reciprocal, with a poor mother-child relationship contributing to greater behavior problems and behavior problems contributing to a decline in the quality of the mother-child relationship. Relations involving daily hassles were unidirectional: A better mother-child relationship contributed to fewer daily hassles and behavior problems contributed to more daily hassles but daily hassles did not contribute to more behavior problems. Father’s education was the only socio-demographic variable that was significant: Adolescents with more highly educated fathers had a better mother-child relationship and fewer behavioral problems. Conclusions Findings suggest that Arab American Muslim adolescents with behavior problems are differentially exposed to daily hassles but daily hassles are not the best point of intervention. Bidirectional relations between the mother-child relationship and adolescent behavior problems suggest intervening to improve the mother-child relationship and manage symptoms of adolescent behavior problems. PMID:27055003

Daily hassles, mother-child relationship, and behavior problems in Muslim Arab American adolescents in immigrant families.

PubMed

Aroian, Karen J; Templin, Thomas N; Hough, Edythe S

2016-10-01

This longitudinal study examines reciprocal and dynamic relations among daily hassles, the mother-child relationship, and adolescent behavior problems and whether the relations differed by sociodemographic variables. Three waves of data about adolescent daily hassles, quality of the mother-child relationship, and adolescent behavior problems were collected from 454 Arab Muslim adolescents and their immigrant mothers over a 3-year period. Cross-lagged structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine reciprocal relations among the study variables. Relations between the mother-child relationship and adolescent behavior problems were reciprocal, with a poor mother-child relationship contributing to greater behavior problems and behavior problems contributing to a decline in the quality of the mother-child relationship. Relations involving daily hassles were unidirectional: A better mother-child relationship contributed to fewer daily hassles and behavior problems contributed to more daily hassles but daily hassles did not contribute to more behavior problems. Father's education was the only sociodemographic variable that was significant: Adolescents with more highly educated fathers had a better mother-child relationship and fewer behavioral problems. Findings suggest that Arab American Muslim adolescents with behavior problems are differentially exposed to daily hassles but daily hassles are not the best point of intervention. Bidirectional relations between the mother-child relationship and adolescent behavior problems suggest intervening to improve the mother-child relationship and manage symptoms of adolescent behavior problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Self-reported distress in patients with ovarian cancer: is it related to disease status?

PubMed

Ploos van Amstel, Floortje K; van Ham, Maaike A P C; Peters, Esmee J; Prins, Judith B; Ottevanger, Petronella B

2015-02-01

Patients with epithelial ovarian cancer have a poor prognosis and often undergo intensive treatment. These patients are therefore at risk for experiencing distress and reduced quality of life. The aim of this study was to explore the self-reported distress severity, experienced problems, and quality of life in relation to their disease status. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2011 at a University Medical Center. Women with ovarian cancer (n = 273), both during and after treatment, were asked by mail to fill in self-report questionnaires. Distress was measured using with the Distress Thermometer (DT), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Impact of Event Scale. Problems and quality of life were assessed with the problem list of the DT, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life C-30 and OV28. The questionnaire data of 104 patients were analyzed. Screening with the DT revealed distress in 32% [mean (SD), 3.1 (2.6)]. Distress was found with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in 14% [8.6 (5.9)] and with the Impact of Event Scale in 18% of the patients [17.5 (15.5)]. No significant differences were found in distress severity and self-reported problems between patients with and without recurrence. In both groups, the problems fatigue, condition, and neuropathy were most reported. Patients with distress (DT ≥ 5) experienced significantly worse functioning, more problems, and lower quality of life than patients without distress (P < 0.01). This study showed that disease status in patients with ovarian cancer seems to have no influence on distress, quality of life, and the problems encountered. However, distressed patients experienced more problems, with physical and emotional functioning, and had lower quality of life. The problems fatigue, physical condition, and neuropathy are the most prevailing.

Examining the Relationship between Electronic Health Record Interoperability and Quality Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purcell, Bernice M.

2013-01-01

A lack of interoperability impairs data quality among health care providers' electronic health record (EHR) systems. The problem is whether the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000 principles relate to the problem of interoperability in implementation of EHR systems. The purpose of the nonexperimental quantitative research…

Science educators' perceptions of problems facing science education: A report of five surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, James Joseph; Yager, Robert E.

Five groups of science educators representing faculty at graduate institutions, graduate students, teachers, supervisors, and leadership conferees were surveyed concerning their perceptions of current problems facing science education. A total of 144 participants provided an average of 4.7 responses. The responses were tabulated using an emergent set of categories that resulted in six major groupings, i.e. conceptual, organizational, teacher; related, student-related, university, and societal. The category with the most problems identified was in the area of conceptual problems. University related problems and organizational problems were the next two most frequently mentioned categories for problems. Specific problems in all categories most often cited include the following:1confusion and uncertainty in goals and objectives;2lack of vision and leadership in schools and universities;3absence of a theoretical base for science education;4poor quality teacher education programs;5inappropriate avenues for continuing education of teachers; limited dialogue between researchers and practitioners; declining enrollments; poor quality teaching and counseling; insufficient programs in science for the wide spectrum of students; and public and parental apathy towards science.

Computation of Transonic Nozzle Sound Transmission and Rotor Problems by the Dispersion-Relation-Preserving Scheme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tam, Christopher K. W.; Aganin, Alexei

2000-01-01

The transonic nozzle transmission problem and the open rotor noise radiation problem are solved computationally. Both are multiple length scales problems. For efficient and accurate numerical simulation, the multiple-size-mesh multiple-time-step Dispersion-Relation-Preserving scheme is used to calculate the time periodic solution. To ensure an accurate solution, high quality numerical boundary conditions are also needed. For the nozzle problem, a set of nonhomogeneous, outflow boundary conditions are required. The nonhomogeneous boundary conditions not only generate the incoming sound waves but also, at the same time, allow the reflected acoustic waves and entropy waves, if present, to exit the computation domain without reflection. For the open rotor problem, there is an apparent singularity at the axis of rotation. An analytic extension approach is developed to provide a high quality axis boundary treatment.

Relations of parenting quality, interparental conflict, and overnights with mental health problems of children in divorcing families with high legal conflict.

PubMed

Sandler, Irwin N; Wheeler, Lorey A; Braver, Sanford L

2013-12-01

The current study examined the associations between child mental health problems and the quality of maternal and paternal parenting, and how these associations were moderated by three contextual factors: quality of parenting by the other parent, interparental conflict, and the number of overnights parents had with the child. Data for the current study came from a sample of divorcing families who are in high legal conflict over developing or maintaining a parenting plan following divorce. Analyses revealed that the associations between child mental health problems and positive maternal and paternal parenting were moderated by the quality of parenting provided by the other parent and by the number of overnights children spent with parents, but not by the level of interparental conflict. When parenting by the other parent and number of overnights were considered together in the same model, only number of overnights moderated the relations between parenting and child-behavior problems. The results support the proposition that the well-being of children in high-conflict divorcing families is better when they spend adequate time with at least one parent who provides high-quality parenting.

Relations of Parenting Quality, Interparental Conflict, and Overnights with Mental Health Problems of Children in Divorcing Families with High Legal Conflict

PubMed Central

Sandler, Irwin N.; Wheeler, Lorey A.; Braver, Sanford L.

2013-01-01

The current study examined the associations between child mental health problems and the quality of maternal and paternal parenting, and how these associations were moderated by three contextual factors, quality of parenting by the other parent, interparental conflict, and the number of overnights parents had with the child. Data for the current study come from a sample of divorcing families who are in high legal conflict over developing or maintaining a parenting plan following divorce. Analyses revealed that the associations between child mental health problems and positive maternal and paternal parenting were moderated by the quality of parenting provided by the other parent and by the number of overnights children spent with parents, but not by the level of interparental conflict. When both parenting by the other parent and number of overnights were considered in the same model, only number of overnights moderated the relations between parenting and child behavior problems. The results support the proposition that the well-being of children in high conflict divorcing families is better when they spend adequate time with at least one parent who provides high quality parenting. PMID:24098960

The quest for performance-related specifications for hydraulic cement concrete.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-01-01

This paper reviews some of the problems associated with quality assurance for hydraulic cement concrete and the difficulties of relating the results of quality control and acceptance testing to the performance of the concrete facility. The importance...

Information needs related to extension service and community outreach.

PubMed

Bottcher, Robert W

2003-06-01

Air quality affects everyone. Some people are affected by air quality impacts, regulations, and technological developments in several ways. Stakeholders include the medical community, ecologists, government regulators, industries, technology providers, academic professionals, concerned citizens, the news media, and elected officials. Each of these groups may perceive problems and opportunities differently, but all need access to information as it is developed. The diversity and complexity of air quality problems contribute to the challenges faced by extension and outreach professionals who must communicate with stakeholders having diverse backgrounds. Gases, particulates, biological aerosols, pathogens, and odors all require expensive and relatively complex technology to measure and control. Economic constraints affect the ability of regulators and others to measure air quality, and industry and others to control it. To address these challenges, while communicating air quality research results and concepts to stakeholders, three areas of information needs are evident. (1) A basic understanding of the fundamental concepts regarding air pollutants and their measurement and control is needed by all stakeholders; the Extension Specialist, to be effective, must help people move some distance up the learning curve. (2) Each problem or set of problems must be reasonably well defined since comprehensive solution of all problems simultaneously may not be feasible; for instance, the solution of an odor problem associated with animal production may not address atmospheric effects due to ammonia emissions. (3) The integrity of the communication process must be preserved by avoiding prejudice and protectionism; although stakeholders may seek to modify information to enhance their interests, extension and outreach professionals must be willing to present unwelcome information or admit to a lack of information. A solid grounding in fundamental concepts, careful and fair problem definition, and a resolute commitment to integrity and credibility will enable effective communication of air quality information to and among diverse stakeholders.

42 CFR 480.101 - Scope and definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) General... governing— (1) Disclosure of information collected, acquired or generated by a Utilization and Quality... of the problem and follow-up. Quality review study information means all documentation related to the...

42 CFR 480.101 - Scope and definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) General... governing— (1) Disclosure of information collected, acquired or generated by a Utilization and Quality... of the problem and follow-up. Quality review study information means all documentation related to the...

42 CFR 480.101 - Scope and definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) General... governing— (1) Disclosure of information collected, acquired or generated by a Utilization and Quality... of the problem and follow-up. Quality review study information means all documentation related to the...

Overt and subtle discrimination, subjective well-being and physical health-related quality of life in an obese sample.

PubMed

Magallares, Alejandro; Benito de Valle, Pilar; Irles, Jose Antonio; Jauregui-Lobera, Ignacio

2014-10-27

Obesity represents a serious health issue affecting millions of people in Western industrialized countries. The severity of the medical problems it causes is paralleled by the fact that obesity has become a social stigma that affects the psychological health-related quality of life of individuals with weight problems. Our study, with 111 obese patients of a Spanish hospital, focused specifically on how overt and subtle discrimination is related to subjective well-being (affect balance and life satisfaction) and physical health-related quality of life. It was shown that overt (r = -.28, p < .01 with affect balance; r = -.26, p < .01 with life satisfaction) and subtle discrimination (r = -.28, p < .01 with affect balance; r = -.27, p < .01 with life satisfaction) were negatively linked with subjective well-being, and that there was a negative correlation between overt discrimination and physical health-related quality of life (r = -.26, p < .01). Additionally, it was found that overt discrimination was a mediator variable in the relationship between physical health-related quality of life and subjective well-being using the Baron and Kenny procedure. Finally, it is discussed the relationship between discrimination, subjective well-being and physical health-related quality of life in obese people.

Kids without Family Privilege: Mobilizing Youth Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seita, John R.

2005-01-01

While many youth are disconnected from adults, the people seem clueless as to what to do about this serious problem. The quality of connections is directly related to the quality of the total interpersonal environment. This article takes a systems perspective on the problem of connecting with youth, with particular emphasis on what communities,…

Ostomy-related problems and their impact on quality of life of colorectal cancer ostomates: a systematic review.

PubMed

Vonk-Klaassen, Sylvia M; de Vocht, Hilde M; den Ouden, Marjolein E M; Eddes, Eric Hans; Schuurmans, Marieke J

2016-01-01

Many long-term ostomates are 'out-of-sight' of healthcare, and it is unknown how ostomates deal with ostomy-related problems and how these problems affect their quality of life (QOL). The aim is to examine patient-related studies describing ostomy-related problems and their impact on the perceived QOL of long-term colostomates. The electronic databases PubMed (MEDLINE), CINAHL, Cochrane Library and PsycINFO were systematically searched. All studies were included in which ostomy-specific QOL was measured using validated multidimensional instruments. Of the 6447 citations identified, 14 prevailingly descriptive cross-sectional studies were included. Three different validated multidimensional instruments for measuring QOL in ostomates were used (EORTC C30/CR38, MCOHQOLQO, Stoma QOL Questionnaire). All studies demonstrated that living with a colostomy influences the overall QOL negatively. The ostomy-related problems described included sexual problems, depressive feelings, gas, constipation, dissatisfaction with appearance, change in clothing, travel difficulties, feeling tired and worry about noises. In conclusion, all 14 studies gave an indication of the impact of ostomy-related problems on the perceived QOL and demonstrated that a colostomy influences the QOL negatively. There is a wide range of ostomy-specific QOL scores, and there seem to be higher QOL scores in the studies where the MCOHQOLQO instrument was used. The MCOHQOLQO and the Stoma QOL Questionnaire gave the most detailed information about which ostomy-related problems were experienced. This review adds knowledge about the impact of stoma-related problems on QOL of long-term ostomates, but more research has to be conducted, to detect ostomy-related problems and especially possible care needs.

Behavior problems of children in foster care: Associations with foster mothers' representations, commitment, and the quality of mother-child interaction.

PubMed

Dubois-Comtois, Karine; Bernier, Annie; Tarabulsy, George M; Cyr, Chantal; St-Laurent, Diane; Lanctôt, Anne-Sophie; St-Onge, Janie; Moss, Ellen; Béliveau, Marie-Julie

2015-10-01

This study investigated different environmental and contextual factors associated with maltreated children's adjustment in foster care. Participants included 83 children (52 boys), ages 1-7 years, and their foster caregivers. Quality of interaction with the foster caregiver was assessed from direct observation of a free-play situation; foster caregiver attachment state of mind and commitment toward the child were assessed using two interviews; disruptive behavior symptoms were reported by foster caregivers. Results showed that quality of interaction between foster caregivers and children were associated with behavior problems, such that higher-quality interactions were related to fewer externalizing and internalizing problems. Foster caregivers' state of mind and commitment were interrelated but not directly associated with behavior problems of foster children. Type of placement moderated the association between foster caregiver commitment and foster child behavior problems. Whereas greater foster caregiver commitment was associated with higher levels of adjustment for children in foster families (kin and non-kin), this was not the case in foster-to-adopt families. Finally, the associations between foster child behavior problems and history of maltreatment and placement related-risk conditions fell below significance after considering child age and quality of interaction with the foster caregiver. Findings underscore the crucial contribution of the foster caregiver-child relationship to fostering child adjustment and, thereby, have important implications for clinical services offered to this population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perceived Parent-Child Relations, Conduct Problems, and Clinical Improvement Following the Treatment of Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

PubMed

Booker, Jordan A; Ollendick, Thomas H; Dunsmore, Julie C; Greene, Ross W

2016-05-01

Our objective in this study was to examine the moderating influence of parent-child relationship quality (as viewed by the child) on associations between conduct problems and treatment responses for children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). To date, few studies have considered children's perceptions of relationship quality with parents in clinical contexts even though extant studies show the importance of this factor in children's behavioral adjustment in non-clinical settings. In this study, 123 children (ages 7 - 14 years, 61.8% male, 83.7% white) who fulfilled DSM-IV criteria for ODD received one of two psychosocial treatments: Parent Management Training or Collaborative & Proactive Solutions. In an earlier study, both treatments were found to be effective and equivalent in treatment outcomes (Ollendick et al., in press). In the current study, pre-treatment maternal reports of conduct problems and pre-treatment child reports of relations with parents were used to predict outcomes in ODD symptoms and their severity following treatment. Elevated reports of children's conduct problems were associated with attenuated reductions in both ODD symptoms and their severity. Perceived relationship quality with parents moderated the ties between conduct problems and outcomes in ODD severity but not the number of symptoms. Mother reports of elevated conduct problems predicted attenuated treatment response only when children viewed relationship quality with their parents as poorer. When children viewed the relationship as higher quality, they did not show an attenuated treatment response, regardless of reported conduct problems. The current findings underscore the importance of children's perspectives in treatment response and reductions in externalizing child behaviors.

Self-regulation and quality of life in high-functioning young adults with autism.

PubMed

Dijkhuis, Renee R; Ziermans, Tim B; Van Rijn, Sophie; Staal, Wouter G; Swaab, Hanna

2017-10-01

Autism is generally associated with poor functional outcome but little is known about predictors of quality of life, especially during early adulthood. This study was conducted to assess subjective quality of life during early adulthood in high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and its relation with self-regulating abilities. Individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder who progressed into post-secondary higher education ( N = 75) were compared to a typical peer control group ( N = 28) based on behavioral self-report questionnaires. The results indicated that individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder reported significantly lower subjective quality of life than typical controls ( p < 0.001, effect size ( d) = 1.84). In addition, individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder reported more problems with emotion processing ( p < 0.05, effect size ( d) = 0.79) and daily executive functioning ( p < 0.001, effect size ( d) = 1.29) than controls. A higher level of executive functioning problems was related to lower quality of life in the high-functioning autism spectrum disorder group, but no significant relation between level of emotion processing and subjective quality of life became apparent in the regression analysis. Our findings show that even in high-functioning young adults with autism, executive functioning, emotion processing, and subjective quality of life are low compared to typically developing peers. Furthermore, these results emphasize the importance of targeting executive functioning problems in individuals with autism to improve subjective quality of life.

Brief Report: Parent-Reported Problems Related to Communication, Behavior and Interests in Children with Autistic Disorder and Their Impact on Quality of Life.

PubMed

Øien, Roald; Eisemann, Martin R

2016-01-01

Parents of children with Autism spectrum disorders often report elevated levels of stress, depression and anxiety compared to parents of children with other developmental disorders. The present study investigated experiences of mothers of children with autistic disorder, both boys and girls. The results show that mothers report problems related to communication, behavior and interests of their child, which impact their quality of life. There were also differences between boys and girls.

Using Quality Management Systems to Improve Test Development and Standards and to Promote Good Practice: A Case Study of Testing Italian as a Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grego Bolli, Giuliana

2014-01-01

This article discusses the problem of quality in the production of language tests in the context of Italian language examinations. The concept of quality is closely related to the application of stated standards and related procedures. These standards, developed over the last thirty years, are mainly related to the concepts of the accountability…

Poor quality drugs: grand challenges in high throughput detection, countrywide sampling, and forensics in developing countries†

PubMed Central

Fernandez, Facundo M.; Hostetler, Dana; Powell, Kristen; Kaur, Harparkash; Green, Michael D.; Mildenhall, Dallas C.; Newton, Paul N.

2012-01-01

Throughout history, poor quality medicines have been a persistent problem, with periodical crises in the supply of antimicrobials, such as fake cinchona bark in the 1600s and fake quinine in the 1800s. Regrettably, this problem seems to have grown in the last decade, especially afflicting unsuspecting patients and those seeking medicines via on-line pharmacies. Here we discuss some of the challenges related to the fight against poor quality drugs, and counterfeits in particular, with an emphasis on the analytical tools available, their relative performance, and the necessary workflows needed for distinguishing between genuine, substandard, degraded and counterfeit medicines. PMID:21107455

Prevalence and impacts of poor sleep on quality of life and associated factors of good sleepers in a sample of older Chinese adults.

PubMed

Lo, Catherine M H; Lee, Paul H

2012-06-18

Sleep disturbance is a complex health problem in ageing global populations decreasing quality of life among many older people. Geographic, cultural, and ethnic differences in sleep patterns have been documented within and between Western and Asian populations. The aim of this study was to explore sleep problems among Hong Kong seniors by examining the prevalence of poor sleep quality, the relationship between sleep quality and health-related quality of life, and associated factors of good sleepers in different age groups. This cross-sectional study used convenience sampling and gathered data during face-to-face interviews. Older community-dwelling individuals (n = 301) were recruited in community centres in 2010. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 were used to measure sleep quality and health-related quality of life. The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 domain scores were compared between good and bad sleepers and between long and short sleepers using Hotelling's T-Square test. SF-36 domain scores were placed into a logistic regression model that controlled for significant demographic variables (gender, educational level, perceived health). Most (77.7%) participants were poor sleepers. Participants who had global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores <5 and slept ≥5.5 h/night had better health-related quality of life. Vitality, emotional role, physical functioning, and bodily pain domain scores were associated factors of good sleepers in different age groups. This study found a strong negative association between sleep deprivation (poor quality, short duration) and health-related quality of life. Associated factors for good sleep quality in later life differ among age groups in relation to universal age-related changes, and should be addressed by social policies and health-care programmes.

Externalizing symptoms, effortful control, and intrusive parenting: A test of bidirectional longitudinal relations during early childhood.

PubMed

Eisenberg, Nancy; Taylor, Zoe E; Widaman, Keith F; Spinrad, Tracy L

2015-11-01

At approximately 30, 42, and 54 months of age (N = 231), the relations among children's externalizing symptoms, intrusive maternal parenting, and children's effortful control (EC) were examined. Both intrusive parenting and low EC have been related to psychopathology, but children's externalizing problems and low EC might affect the quality of parenting and one another. Mothers' intrusive behavior with their children was assessed with observations, children's EC was measured with mothers' and caregivers' reports, and children's externalizing symptoms were assessed with mothers', fathers', and caregivers' reports. In a structural equation panel model, bidirectional relations between intrusive parenting and EC were found: EC at 30 and 42 months predicted low levels of intrusive parenting a year later, controlling for prior levels of parenting and vice versa. Moreover, high levels of children's externalizing problems at both 30 and 42 months negatively predicted EC a year later, controlling for prior levels of EC. Although externalizing problems positively predicted high EC over time, this appeared to be a suppression effect because these variables had a strong negative pattern in the zero-order correlations. Moreover, when controlling for the stability of intrusive parenting, EC, and externalizing (all exhibited significant stability across time) and the aforementioned cross-lagged predictive paths, EC and externalizing problems were still negatively related within the 54-month assessment. The findings are consistent with the view that children's externalizing behavior undermines their EC and contributes to intrusive mothering and that relations between intrusive parenting and EC are bidirectional across time. Thus, interventions that focus on modifying children's externalizing problems (as well as the quality of parenting) might affect the quality of parenting they receive and, hence, subsequent problems with adjustment.

Simple Solutions to Complex Problems: Moral Panic and the Fluid Shift from "Equity" to "Quality" in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mockler, Nicole

2014-01-01

Education is increasingly conceptualised by governments and policymakers in western democracies in terms of productivity and human capital, emphasising elements of individualism and competition over concerns around democracy and equity. More and more, solutions to intransigent educational problems related to equity are seen in terms of quality and…

Self-consciousness, friendship quality, and adolescent internalizing problems

PubMed Central

Bowker, Julie C.; Rubin, Kenneth H.

2013-01-01

The correlates between public and private self-consciousness and internalizing difficulties were examined during early adolescence. Friendship quality was assessed as a possible moderator of the relation between self-consciousness and maladjustment. One hundred and thirty-seven young adolescents (N = 87 girls; M age = 13.98 years) reported on their self-consciousness, internalizing problems, and the quality of their best friendship. Results indicated stronger associations between private self-consciousness and internalizing correlates than between public self-consciousness and internalizing problems, suggesting that private self-consciousness may be a stronger risk factor during adolescence. Contrary to expectations, evidence revealed that positive friendship quality may exacerbate some difficulties associated with self-consciousness. Results pertaining to friendship quality add to the growing literature on the ways in which friendships can contribute to adjustment difficulties. PMID:19998530

Cognitive problems in patients in a cardiac rehabilitation program after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

PubMed

Boyce-van der Wal, L W; Volker, W G; Vliet Vlieland, T P M; van den Heuvel, D M J; van Exel, H J; Goossens, P H

2015-08-01

Estimate prevalence of cognitive problems due to hypoxic brain injury in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors referred for cardiac rehabilitation and association with quality of life as well as autonomy and participation. Prospective cohort study. Consecutive OHCA patients. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) were administered 4 weeks after the OHCA. Cognitive problems were defined if MMSE <28, CFQ >32 or IQCODE >3.6. The Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire (IPAQ) (participation/autonomy), the SF-36 Health Survey (SF-36) (quality of life) and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) (anxiety/depression) were administered. Correlations between cognitive problems and participation/autonomy and quality of life were calculated. 63 of 77 patients were male (82%), median age 59 years (range 15-84). MMSE median 29 (interquartile range 28-30), CFQ mean 20.9 (SD 9.4) and IQCODE mean 3.1 (SD 0.2). Eighteen patients (23%) scored positive for cognitive problems. Significant correlations were found between MMSE and IPAQ: autonomy inside (r = -0.38), family role (r = -0.26), autonomy outside (r = -0.32), social relations (r = -0.38) and social functioning (r = 0.32). MMSE was related to SF-36: social functioning (r = 0.32). The CFQ was related to IPAQ: autonomy outdoors (r = 0.29) and SF-36: bodily pain (r = -0.37), vitality (r = -0.25), mental health (r = -0.35) and role emotional (r = -0.40). The IQCODE was related to IPAQ: autonomy indoors (r = 0.26) and to SF-36: vitality (r = -0.33) and social functioning (r = -0.41). Twenty-three percent of the patients referred for cardiac rehabilitation showed cognitive problems. Associations were found between cognitive problems and several aspects of participation/autonomy and perceived quality of life. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Problem and pathological gambling in a sample of casino patrons.

PubMed

Fong, Timothy W; Campos, Michael D; Brecht, Mary-Lynn; Davis, Alice; Marco, Adrienne; Pecanha, Viviane; Rosenthal, Richard J

2011-03-01

Relatively few studies have examined gambling problems among individuals in a casino setting. The current study sought to examine the prevalence of gambling problems among a sample of casino patrons and examine alcohol and tobacco use, health status, and quality of life by gambling problem status. To these ends, 176 casino patrons were recruited by going to a Southern California casino and requesting that they complete an anonymous survey. Results indicated the following lifetime rates for at-risk, problem, and pathological gambling: 29.2, 10.7, and 29.8%. Differences were found with regards to gambling behavior, and results indicated higher rates of smoking among individuals with gambling problems, but not higher rates of alcohol use. Self-rated quality of life was lower among pathological gamblers relative to non-problem gamblers, but did not differ from at-risk or problem gamblers. Although subject to some limitations, our data support the notion of higher frequency of gambling problems among casino patrons and may suggest the need for increased interventions for gambling problems on-site at casinos.

A review of research pertaining to asphalt composition and its relation to quality.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1984-01-01

This report reviews both early and recent research on asphalt quality with emphasis on compositional factors and how the findings of such research relate to present-day problems with asphalt cements and asphaltic paving mixtures. It is shown that his...

Father Involvement and Behavior Problems among Preadolescents at Risk of Maltreatment

PubMed Central

Yoon, Susan; Bellamy, Jennifer L.; Kim, Wonhee; Yoon, Dalhee

2018-01-01

Although there is a well-established connection between father involvement and children’s positive behavioral development in general, this relation has been understudied in more vulnerable and high-risk populations. The aims of this study were to examine how the quantity (i.e., the amount of shared activities) and quality (i.e., perceived quality of the father-child relationship) of father involvement are differently related to internalizing and externalizing behavior problems among preadolescents at risk of maltreatment and test if these associations are moderated by father type and child maltreatment. A secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). Generalized estimating equations analysis was performed on a sample of 499 preadolescents aged 12 years. The results indicated that higher quality of father involvement was associated with lower levels of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems whereas greater quantity of father involvement was associated with higher levels of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. The positive association between the quantity of father involvement and behavior problems was stronger in adolescents who were physically abused by their father. The association between father involvement and behavior problems did not differ by the type of father co-residing in the home. The findings suggest that policies and interventions aimed at improving the quality of fathers’ relationships and involvement with their children may be helpful in reducing behavior problems in adolescents at risk of maltreatment. PMID:29491703

Health-related quality of life in Swedish pediatric burn patients and associations with burn and family characteristics.

PubMed

Sveen, J; Sjöberg, F; Öster, C

2014-08-01

Although many children with burns recover well and have a satisfying quality of life after the burn, some children do not adjust as well. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) focuses on the impact health status has on quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess HRQoL with the American Burn Association/Shriners Hospitals for Children Burn Outcomes Questionnaire (BOQ) in a nationwide Swedish sample of children with burns 0.3-9.0 years after injury. Participants were parents (n=109) of children aged up to 18 years at the time of investigation who were treated at the Linköping or Uppsala Burn Center between 2000 and 2008. The majority of children did not have limitations in physical function and they did not seem to experience much pain. However, there were indications of psychosocial problems. Parents of preschool children reported most problems with the children's behavior and family disruption, whereas parents of children aged 5-18 years reported most problems with appearance and emotional health. There were mainly burn-related variables associated with suboptimal HRQoL in children aged 5-18 years, while family-related variables did not contribute as much. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Basic issues related to quantity and quality of health care, and quality assurance in Indonesia.

PubMed

Jacobalis, S

1989-01-01

Issues and problems related to the needs for quantity and quality in health care have been presented. The need for quantity has been quite successfully addressed in the last 20 years. Better quality of health care is very much in the minds of policy makers, providers and the informed public. Quality assessment and assurance as a programmed and on-going process in individual hospitals is systematically promoted and developed. An accreditation system for hospitals is planned for the future. This paper has not been able to contribute anything of value to the current practice of quality assurance. The industrialized world has passed the stages Indonesia is now going through. To some Australian colleagues, this presentation perhaps has revealed that one of their closest neighbours is struggling hard to improve the quality of life of its people, despite the tremendous problems and constraints with which it is confronted. Australia has always provided a helping hand in this struggle.

Development of an expert system for power quality advisement using CLIPS 6.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chandrasekaran, A.; Sarma, P. R. R.; Sundaram, Ashok

1994-01-01

Proliferation of power electronic devices has brought in its wake both deterioration in and demand for quality power supply from the utilities. The power quality problems become apparent when the user's equipment or systems maloperate or fail. Since power quality concerns arise from a wide variety of sources and the problem fixes are better achieved from the expertise of field engineers, development of an expert system for power quality advisement seems to be a very attractive and cost-effective solution for utility applications. An expert system thus developed gives an understanding of the adverse effects of power quality related problems on the system and could help in finding remedial solutions. The paper reports the design of a power quality advisement expert system being developed using CLIPS 6.0. A brief outline of the power quality concerns is first presented. A description of the knowledge base is next given and details of actual implementation include screen output from the program.

Self-regulation and quality of life in high-functioning young adults with autism

PubMed Central

Dijkhuis, Renee R; Ziermans, Tim B; Van Rijn, Sophie; Staal, Wouter G; Swaab, Hanna

2016-01-01

Background: Autism is generally associated with poor functional outcome but little is known about predictors of quality of life, especially during early adulthood. This study was conducted to assess subjective quality of life during early adulthood in high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and its relation with self-regulating abilities. Individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder who progressed into post-secondary higher education (N = 75) were compared to a typical peer control group (N = 28) based on behavioral self-report questionnaires. The results indicated that individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder reported significantly lower subjective quality of life than typical controls (p < 0.001, effect size (d) = 1.84). In addition, individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder reported more problems with emotion processing (p < 0.05, effect size (d) = 0.79) and daily executive functioning (p < 0.001, effect size (d) = 1.29) than controls. A higher level of executive functioning problems was related to lower quality of life in the high-functioning autism spectrum disorder group, but no significant relation between level of emotion processing and subjective quality of life became apparent in the regression analysis. Our findings show that even in high-functioning young adults with autism, executive functioning, emotion processing, and subjective quality of life are low compared to typically developing peers. Furthermore, these results emphasize the importance of targeting executive functioning problems in individuals with autism to improve subjective quality of life. PMID:27407040

Overlapping genetic and environmental influences among men's alcohol consumption and problems, romantic quality and social support.

PubMed

Salvatore, J E; Prom-Wormley, E; Prescott, C A; Kendler, K S

2015-08-01

Alcohol consumption and problems are associated with interpersonal difficulties. We used a twin design to assess in men the degree to which genetic or environmental influences contributed to the covariance between alcohol consumption and problems, romantic quality and social support. The sample included adult male-male twin pairs (697 monozygotic and 487 dizygotic) for whom there were interview-based data on: alcohol consumption (average monthly alcohol consumption in the past year); alcohol problems (lifetime alcohol dependence symptoms); romantic conflict and warmth; friend problems and support; and relative problems and support. Key findings were that genetic and unique environmental factors contributed to the covariance between alcohol consumption and romantic conflict; genetic factors contributed to the covariance between alcohol problems and romantic conflict; and common and unique environmental factors contributed to the covariance between alcohol problems and friend problems. Recognizing and addressing the overlapping genetic and environmental influences that alcohol consumption and problems share with romantic quality and other indicators of social support may have implications for substance use prevention and intervention efforts.

Understanding sleep problems in children with epilepsy: Associations with quality of life, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and maternal emotional symptoms.

PubMed

Ekinci, Ozalp; Isik, Uğur; Gunes, Serkan; Ekinci, Nuran

2016-08-01

This study aimed to (1) compare sleep problems between children and adolescents with epilepsy and non-epileptic controls, and (2) examine whether there is an association between sleep problems and quality of life, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and mothers' emotional symptoms. Fifty-three patients from a cohort of epilepsy (aged 7-18 years) and 28 controls with minor medical problems (aged 7-18 years) were included. Parents completed Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and Kinder Lebensqualitätsfragebogen: Children's Quality of Life Questionnaire-revised (KINDL-R) for patients and controls. Turgay DSM-IV Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale (T-DSM-IV-S) parent and teacher forms were used to assess ADHD symptoms for patients. Mothers of the patients completed Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Neurology clinic charts were reviewed for the epilepsy-related variables. Children with epilepsy had a higher CSHQ Total score than the control group. Those with a CSHQ score >56 (which indicates moderate to severe sleep problems) had lower scores on KINDL-R. Parent-rated T-DSM-IV-S Total and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity scores, STAI trait and Beck scores were found to be higher in those with a CSHQ score >56. Significant positive correlations were found between CSHQ Total score and T-DSM-IV-S, STAI trait and Beck scores. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that T-DSM-IV-S Total, Inattention and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity scores were significantly associated with a higher CSHQ Total score. None of the epilepsy-related variables were found to be related with the CSHQ Total score. Among children with epilepsy, sleep problems lead to a poor quality of life. The link between sleep problems and psychiatric symptoms must be conceptualized as a bilateral relationship. ADHD appears to be the strongest predictor of sleep problems. Copyright © 2016 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teaching mathematical word problem solving: the quality of evidence for strategy instruction priming the problem structure.

PubMed

Jitendra, Asha K; Petersen-Brown, Shawna; Lein, Amy E; Zaslofsky, Anne F; Kunkel, Amy K; Jung, Pyung-Gang; Egan, Andrea M

2015-01-01

This study examined the quality of the research base related to strategy instruction priming the underlying mathematical problem structure for students with learning disabilities and those at risk for mathematics difficulties. We evaluated the quality of methodological rigor of 18 group research studies using the criteria proposed by Gersten et al. and 10 single case design (SCD) research studies using criteria suggested by Horner et al. and the What Works Clearinghouse. Results indicated that 14 group design studies met the criteria for high-quality or acceptable research, whereas SCD studies did not meet the standards for an evidence-based practice. Based on these findings, strategy instruction priming the mathematics problem structure is considered an evidence-based practice using only group design methodological criteria. Implications for future research and for practice are discussed. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2013.

Quality assurance of weather data for agricultural system model input

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

It is well known that crop production and hydrologic variation on watersheds is weather related. Rarely, however, is meteorological data quality checks reported for agricultural systems model research. We present quality assurance procedures for agricultural system model weather data input. Problems...

Are disease severity, sleep-related problems, and anxiety associated with work functioning in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea?

PubMed

Timkova, Vladimira; Nagyova, Iveta; Reijneveld, Sijmen A; Tkacova, Ruzena; van Dijk, Jitse P; Bültmann, Ute

2018-04-17

To examine whether Obstructive Sleep Apnoea severity, sleep-related problems, and anxiety are associated with work functioning in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea patients, when controlled for age, gender and type of occupation. To investigate whether anxiety moderates the associations between sleep-related problems and work functioning. We included 105 Obstructive Sleep Apnoea patients (70% male; mean age 46.62 ± 9.79 years). All patients completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire-2.0. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea-severity, poor nighttime sleep quality, and anxiety were univariately associated with impaired work functioning. Multivariate analyzes revealed that poor perceived sleep quality was more strongly associated with work functioning than sleep efficiency and daily disturbances. Anxiety was strongly associated with impaired work functioning. After adding anxiety, the explained variance in work functioning increased from 20% to 25%. Anxiety moderated the association between low and medium levels of nighttime sleep quality problems and work functioning. Poor perceived sleep quality and anxiety were strongly associated with impaired work functioning in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea patients. These findings may help to optimize management, standard treatment, and work functioning in people with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea when confirmed in longitudinal studies. Implications for Rehabilitation Studies show an impairment of functional status, including work functioning, in obstructive sleep apnea patients. Aside from physical disorders, obstructive sleep apnea patients often experience mental problems, such as anxiety. As many people with obstructive sleep apnea are undiagnosed, our results demonstrate to employers and healthcare professionals the need to encourage patients for obstructive sleep apnea screening, especially in the situation of impaired work functioning, increased anxiety, and poor sleep quality. The associations between obstructive sleep apnea, sleep and anxiety might increase the awareness of health professionals towards optimizing diagnostic accuracy and standard treatment.

Longitudinal associations between sleep and anxiety during pregnancy, and the moderating effect of resilience, using parallel process latent growth curve models.

PubMed

van der Zwan, Judith Esi; de Vente, Wieke; Tolvanen, Mimmi; Karlsson, Hasse; Buil, J Marieke; Koot, Hans M; Paavonen, E Juulia; Polo-Kantola, Päivi; Huizink, Anja C; Karlsson, Linnea

2017-12-01

For many women, pregnancy-related sleep disturbances and pregnancy-related anxiety change as pregnancy progresses and both are associated with lower maternal quality of life and less favorable birth outcomes. Thus, the interplay between these two problems across pregnancy is of interest. In addition, psychological resilience may explain individual differences in this association, as it may promote coping with both sleep disturbances and anxiety, and thereby reduce their mutual effects. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine whether sleep quality and sleep duration, and changes in sleep are associated with the level of and changes in anxiety during pregnancy. Furthermore, the study tested the moderating effect of resilience on these associations. At gestational weeks 14, 24, and 34, 532 pregnant women from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study in Finland filled out questionnaires on general sleep quality, sleep duration and pregnancy-related anxiety; resilience was assessed in week 14. Parallel process latent growth curve models showed that shorter initial sleep duration predicted a higher initial level of anxiety, and a higher initial anxiety level predicted a faster shortening of sleep duration. Changes in sleep duration and changes in anxiety over the course of pregnancy were not related. The predicted moderating effect of resilience was not found. The results suggested that pregnant women reporting anxiety problems should also be screened for sleeping problems, and vice versa, because women who experienced one of these pregnancy-related problems were also at risk of experiencing or developing the other problem. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hardwood log supply: a broader perspective

Treesearch

Iris Montague; Adri Andersch; Jan Wiedenbeck; Urs Buehlmann

2015-01-01

At regional and state meetings we talk with others in our business about the problems we face: log exports, log quality, log markets, logger shortages, cash flow problems, the weather. These are familiar talking points and real and persistent problems. But what is the relative importance of these problems for log procurement in different regions of...

The quality of life of adolescents with menstrual problems.

PubMed

Nur Azurah, Abdul Ghani; Sanci, Lena; Moore, Elya; Grover, Sonia

2013-04-01

To date, very few publications have examined the health related quality of life (HRQL) in the younger population with menstrual problems, despite their high prevalence in adolescent girls. We describe the health-related quality of life (HRQL) among adolescents with menstrual problems and identified factors that have an impact on it. The study was a questionnaire study (using PedsQL 4.0) of adolescents aged 13-18 referred to a tertiary gynecology center for menstrual problems between June 2009 and August 2010. One hundred eighty-four adolescents completed the questionnaires. The mean age was 15.10 ± 1.49 with the mean body mass index (BMI) of 22.83 ± 4.82 kg/m(2). The most common menstrual problems seen in the clinic were dysmenorrhea (38.6%) followed by heavy bleeding (33.6%), oligomenorrhea (19.6%), and amenorrhea (8.2%). The mean overall score was 70.40 ± 16.36 with 42.3% having a score below 1 standard deviation (SD) from the norms. Adolescents with dysmenorrhea had the poorest score in physical function, whereas those with amenorrhea had the lowest score in psychosocial function. Maternal parenting style, parental anxiety, adolescents' ill-health behavior, and BMI have been found to have impact on the girls' quality of life (QoL). Although menstrual problems are not life threatening, they can pose a significant impact on the quality of life of these patients. Identification of these impacts might lead to the recognition of potential services or education to improve this. Understanding the characteristics that predict QoL may help a clinician identify patients who are risk for poor QoL. Copyright © 2013 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. All rights reserved.

Introducing heterogeneous users and vehicles into models and algorithms for the dial-a-ride problem.

PubMed

Parragh, Sophie N

2011-08-01

Dial-a-ride problems deal with the transportation of people between pickup and delivery locations. Given the fact that people are subject to transportation, constraints related to quality of service are usually present, such as time windows and maximum user ride time limits. In many real world applications, different types of users exist. In the field of patient and disabled people transportation, up to four different transportation modes can be distinguished. In this article we consider staff seats, patient seats, stretchers and wheelchair places. Furthermore, most companies involved in the transportation of the disabled or ill dispose of different types of vehicles. We introduce both aspects into state-of-the-art formulations and branch-and-cut algorithms for the standard dial-a-ride problem. Also a recent metaheuristic method is adapted to this new problem. In addition, a further service quality related issue is analyzed: vehicle waiting time with passengers aboard. Instances with up to 40 requests are solved to optimality. High quality solutions are obtained with the heuristic method.

Infant-Mother Attachment Classification: Risk and Protection in Relation to Changing Maternal Caregiving Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Developmental Psychology, 2006

2006-01-01

The relations between early infant-mother attachment and children's social competence and behavior problems during the preschool and early school-age period were examined in more than 1,000 children under conditions of decreasing, stable, and increasing maternal parenting quality. Infants' Strange Situation attachment classifications predicted…

Insulin resistence and health-related quality of life in postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Llaneza, Placido; González, Celestino; Fernandez-Iñarrea, Jose; Alonso, Ana; Arnott, Ignacio; Ferrer-Barriendos, Javier

2009-04-01

Health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) was similar between the menopausal women with and without Insulin Resistance (IR). However, when IR women with Metabolic Syndrome were considered, a higher level of problems on the HR-QOL global score was found and the difference was mainly due to Health and Sexuality domains.

Factors related to quality of life among older adults in Bangladesh: A cross sectional survey.

PubMed

Uddin, Mohammad Abbas; Soivong, Pratum; Lasuka, Duangruedee; Juntasopeepun, Phanida

2017-12-01

This cross-sectional design study aimed to describe quality of life and examine factors related to quality of life among older adults in Bangladesh. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 280 older adults from ten villages in two southern districts. The results demonstrate that the majority of the participants reported an overall moderate score of quality of life. Moreover, participants' sleep problems, depression, religiosity, and activities of daily living were negatively correlated with quality of life whereas social support and health service availability were positively correlated with quality of life. Implementing intervention programs upon the significant related factors to improve older adults' quality of life is recommended. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Sleep-related problems in common medical conditions.

PubMed

Parish, James M

2009-02-01

Common medical problems are often associated with abnormalities of sleep. Patients with chronic medical disorders often have fewer hours of sleep and less restorative sleep compared to healthy individuals, and this poor sleep may worsen the subjective symptoms of the disorder. Individuals with lung disease often have disturbed sleep related to oxygen desaturations, coughing, or dyspnea. Both obstructive lung disease and restrictive lung diseases are associated with poor quality sleep. Awakenings from sleep are common in untreated or undertreated asthma, and cause sleep disruption. Gastroesophageal reflux is a major cause of disrupted sleep due to awakenings from heartburn, dyspepsia, acid brash, coughing, or choking. Patients with chronic renal disease commonly have sleep complaints often due to insomnia, insufficient sleep, sleep apnea, or restless legs syndrome. Complaints related to sleep are very common in patients with fibromyalgia and other causes of chronic pain. Sleep disruption increases the sensation of pain and decreases quality of life. Patients with infectious diseases, including acute viral illnesses, HIV-related disease, and Lyme disease, may have significant problems with insomnia and hypersomnolence. Women with menopause have from insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing, restless legs syndrome, or fibromyalgia. Patients with cancer or receiving cancer therapy are often bothered by insomnia or other sleep disturbances that affect quality of life and daytime energy. The objective of this article is to review frequently encountered medical conditions and examine their impact on sleep, and to review frequent sleep-related problems associated with these common medical conditions.

Water-quality assessment of the Smith River drainage basin, California and Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iwatsubo, Rick T.; Washabaugh, Donna S.

1982-01-01

A water-quality assessment of the Smith River drainage basin was made to provide a summary of the water-quality conditions including known or potential water-quality problems. Results of the study showed that the water quality of the Smith River is excellent and generally meets the water-quality objectives for the beneficial uses identified by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region. Known and potential problems related to water quality include: Sedimentation resulting from both natural erosional processes and land-use activities such as timber harvest, road construction, and mining that accelerate the erosional processes; bacterial contamination of surface and ground waters from inundated septic tanks and drainfields, and grazing activities; industrial spills which have resulted in fish kills and oil residues; high concetrations of iron in ground water; log and debris jams creating fish migration barriers; and pesticide and trace-element contamination from timber-harvest and mining activities, respectively. Future studies are needed to establish: (1) a sustained long-term monitoring program to provide a broad coverage of water-quality conditions in order to define long-term water-quality trends; and (2) interpretive studies to determine the source of known and potential water-quality problems. (USGS)

Modeling and Negotiating Service Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benbernou, Salima; Brandic, Ivona; Cappiello, Cinzia; Carro, Manuel; Comuzzi, Marco; Kertész, Attila; Kritikos, Kyriakos; Parkin, Michael; Pernici, Barbara; Plebani, Pierluigi

In this chapter the research problems of specifying and negotiating QoS and its corresponding quality documents are analyzed. For this reason, this chapter is separated into two main sections, Section 6.1 and 6.2, with each dedicated to one of the two problems, i.e., QoS specification and negotiation, respectively. Each section has a similar structure: they first introduce the problem and then, in the remaining subsections, review related work. Finally, the chapter ends with Section 6.3, which identifies research gaps and presents potential research challenges in QoS modelling, specification and negotiation.

Health-related quality of life of young women with breast cancer. Review of the literature.

PubMed

Yfantis, Aris; Intas, George; Tolia, Maria; Nikolaou, Michail; Tsoukalas, Nikolaos; Lymperi, Maria; Kyrgias, George; Zografos, George; Kontos, Michalis

2018-01-01

The purpose of the present article was to investigate the health related quality of life (QoL) of young women with breast cancer. For the purposes of this article, we reviewed the literature via the electronic databases Pubmed, Scopus and Google Scholar. Key words used were breast cancer, young women, health related quality of life, and quality of life. Young women reported fatigue, pain in the breast and hand problems with lymphedema as the most frequent physical effects of treatment. Other physical problems were the not periodic and painful menses, vaginal dryness and loss of libido. Many young women had depressive symptoms such as depressed mood, helplessness, hopelessness, sleep loss, psychomotor retardation and disorders of appetite. There were often concerns about the health monitoring and self-image, while they were anxious if they will have a baby in the future or if they can nurture the existing ones. Many problems arose in the career of young women. They faced discrimination in the labor supply and/or layoff because they were considered unable to do their job effectively. In addition, they reported isolation problems and feeling different from other women of similar age. Young women consider that their healthrelated QoL is worse compared with older women. Young women worry about their future, with particular reference to their role as mothers and especially to children-bearing. The free screening and non-exclusion of young women is particularly important for breast cancer prevention and women's well-being.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shashkova, S. N.

2010-01-01

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

Quality of life following hip fractures: results from the Norwegian hip fracture register.

PubMed

Gjertsen, Jan-Erik; Baste, Valborg; Fevang, Jonas M; Furnes, Ove; Engesæter, Lars Birger

2016-07-07

Patient-reported health-related quality of life is an important outcome measure when assessing the quality of hip fracture surgery. The frequently used EQ-5D index score has unfortunately important limitations. One alternative can be to assess the distribution of each of the five dimensions of the patients' descriptive health profile. The objective of this paper was to investigate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after hip fractures. Data from hip fracture operations from 2005 through 2012 were obtained from The Norwegian Hip Fracture Register. Patient reported HRQoL, (EQ-5D-3L) was collected from patients preoperatively and at four and twelve months postoperatively n = 10325. At each follow-up the distribution of the EQ-5D-3L and mean pain VAS was calculated. Generally, a higher proportion of patients reported problems in all 5 dimensions of the EQ-5D-3L at all follow-ups compared to preoperative. Also a high proportion of patients with no preoperative problems reported problems after surgery; At 4 and 12 months follow-ups 71 % and 58 % of the patients reported walking problems, and 65 % and 59 % of the patients reported pain respectively. Patients with femoral neck fractures and the youngest patients (age < 70 years) reported least problems both preoperatively and at all follow-ups. A hip fracture has a dramatic impact on the patients' HRQoL, and the deterioration in HRQoL sustained also one year after the fracture. Separate use of the descriptive profile of the EQ-5D is informative when assessing quality of life after hip fracture surgery.

"Quality Circles": A Strategy for Personal and Curriculum Development. Coombe Lodge Working Paper. Information Bank Number 1803.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Field, M. J.; Harrison, A. B.

Quality circles attempt to satisfy both task and personal needs through staff involvement in solving work-related problems. This paper summarizes quality circle theory, applies it to school settings, and suggests a framework for introducing the process to educational institutions. After briefly defining quality circles, the article presents two…

Demographic and clinical factors related to ostomy complications and quality of life in veterans with an ostomy.

PubMed

Pittman, Joyce; Rawl, Susan M; Schmidt, C Max; Grant, Marcia; Ko, Clifford Y; Wendel, Christopher; Krouse, Robert S

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe demographic, clinical, and quality-of-life variables related to ostomy complications (skin irritation, leakage, and difficulty adjusting to an ostomy) in a veteran population in the United States. The original study employed a descriptive crosssectional study using a mixed method design. This secondary analysis used the quantitative data collected. Two hundred thirty-nine veterans with intestinal ostomies from 3 Veteran's Administration hospitals participated in the study. Instruments used for this investigation included the City of Hope Quality of Life: Ostomy Instrument. Demographic and medical history data were collected from the survey, the Veteran's Administration health information system, and the Tumor Registry database. A self-administered survey questionnaire (mCOH-QOL-Ostomy) was mailed to each participant. The severity of skin irritation, problems with leakage, and difficulty adjusting were significantly related to demographic, clinical, and quality-of-life domains. Univariate analyses showed that age, income, employment, preoperative care (stoma site marking and education), having a partner, ostomy type, reason for ostomy, time since surgery, total quality-of-life scores and scores on all 4 domains of quality of life were related to the severity of these ostomy complications. Age was inversely related to severity of all 3 ostomy complications (skin irritation, leakage, and difficulty adjusting). Having an ileostomy, rather than a colostomy, was associated with higher severity of skin irritation. Having had the stoma site marked preoperatively was associated with less difficulty adjusting to an ostomy, and having had preoperative ostomy education was associated with less severe problems with skin irritation and leakage. Severity of each ostomy complication predicted total quality-of-life scores. Difficulty adjusting to the ostomy was related to all 4 quality-of-life domains (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual). This study found important relationships between demographic and clinical factors and ostomy complications. Skin problems, leakage, and difficulty adjusting predicted total quality of life scores and domains. Establishing relationships among ostomy complications and demographic, clinical factors, and quality of life can enhance identification of patients at risk for the development of complications and is an important first step in identifying the development of effective interventions to reduce the negative impact of complications for people with ostomies. Further study of predictors and outcomes of ostomy complications is needed to improve care.

Friendship quality in adolescents with and without an intellectual disability.

PubMed

Tipton, Leigh A; Christensen, Lisa; Blacher, Jan

2013-11-01

High friendship quality is often defined by high levels of intimacy, companionship, closeness and low levels of conflict. Quality friendships develop over time and may be influenced by both behaviour problems and social skills. Participants were 103, 13-year-old adolescents with or without intellectual disabilities in the United States. Adolescents and their mothers participated in an open-ended interview of friendship quality and completed measures of social skills and behaviour problems. This study addressed differences in friendship quality between children with and without intellectual disabilities and explored early indicators of friendship development. Adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) had friendships characterized by significantly lower levels of warmth/closeness and positive reciprocity than their typically developing peers. Likewise, adolescents with ID spent less time with friends outside of school and were less likely to have a cohesive group of friends. Social skills and behaviour problems at age 9 predicted friendship quality at age 13 above and beyond disability status, with higher levels of social skills and lower levels of behaviour problems related to higher ratings on measures of friendship quality. It appears that adolescents with intellectual disabilities have friendships that are characterized by less warmth/closeness and less positive reciprocity than the friendships of their typically developing peers. This discrepancy appears to be impacted by early social skills and behaviour problems in addition to the presence of the intellectual disability. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

7TH JAPAN - U.S. CONFERENCE ON DRINKING WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND WASTEWATER CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

Update on U.S. Drinking Water and Water Quality Research

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) Office of Research and development continues to conduct drinking water and water quality related research to address high priority environmental problems. Curr...

EPA Pushing Improved Air Quality in Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sack, Joetta L.

2002-01-01

Discusses how, in response to the growing problem of poor air quality in schools, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set new voluntary air-quality guidelines for schools. Addresses common air-related irritants; successful efforts at Guerrero Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona; preventive maintenance; and a sample of the EPA's…

Are there specific health-related factors that can accentuate the risk of suicide among men with prostate cancer?

PubMed

Lehuluante, Abraraw; Fransson, Per

2014-06-01

The aim of this study was to explore if there were some specific factors pertinent to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) that could affect self-experienced suicide ideation in men with prostate cancer (PCa). Questionnaires containing 45 items were distributed to members of the Swedish Prostate Cancer Federation in May 2012. Out of 6,400 distributed questionnaires, 3,165 members (50 %) with PCa completed the questionnaires. Those members expressed their experienced HRQoL and experienced suicide ideation using VAS-like scales as well as multiple-choice questions. Both descriptive and analytical statistical methods were employed. A regression model was used to explore the relationship between experienced health-related quality of life and experienced suicide ideation. Generally, the respondents rated their self-experienced health-related quality of life as good. About 40 % of the participants had experienced problem with incontinence, and 23 % had obstructions during miction. About 7 % of the respondents experienced suicidal ideation, at least sometime. The regression model showed statistically significant relationships between suicide ideation, on the one hand, and lower self-rated health-related quality of life (P < 0.001), physical pain (P = 0.04), pain during miction (P = 0.03), and low-rated mental / physical energy (P = 0.03), on the other. It is quite necessary to know which specific disease and treatment-related problems can trigger suicide ideations in men with prostate cancer and to try to direct treatment, care, and psychosocial resources to alleviate these problems in time.

Blue Collar Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vineyard, Jerry D.

1970-01-01

Discusses environmental problems that prevent quality living. To overcome these problems we must arm ourselves with the facts relating to environmental crisis and bring them to the attention of people with power; and press for increased environmental awareness among students. (BR)

E-Quality in the Workplace: Quality Circles or Quality of Working Life Programs in the US.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savage, Grant T.; Romano, Richard

Quality Circle (QC) and Quality of Working Life (QWL) in the United States are similar in that both stress participative decision making, preserve management's prerogative to have the final say, and are voluntary. QC and QWL programs differ, however, in that labor unions are more involved in QWLs; QCs deal only with technical problems related to…

Sleep: a marker of physical and mental health in the elderly.

PubMed

Reid, Kathryn J; Martinovich, Zoran; Finkel, Sanford; Statsinger, Judy; Golden, Robyn; Harter, Kathryne; Zee, Phyllis C

2006-10-01

The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence and recognition of common sleep-related problems and their relationship to health-related quality-of-life measures in the elderly. A total of 1,503 participants with a mean age of 75.5 (+/- 6.8, range: 62-100) years from 11 primary care sites serving primarily elderly patients were interviewed. Subjects completed a five-item sleep questionnaire and the SF-12. A Physical Component Summary (PCS-12) and Mental Component Summary (MCS-12) score was calculated. A systematic medical chart review was conducted to determine whether sleep problems were identified by the healthcare providers. A total of 68.9% of patients reported at least one sleep complaint and 40% had two or more. Participants most commonly endorsed (45%) that they had "difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or being able to sleep." The number and type of sleep problems endorsed was associated with both physical and mental health quality-of-life status. Excessive daytime sleepiness was the best predictor of poor mental and physical health-related quality of life. Even when all five sleep questions were endorsed, a sleep complaint was only reported in the chart 19.2% of the time. When elicited, sleep complaints predicted the general physical and mental health-related quality-of-life status in elderly populations with comorbid medical and mental illnesses. Yet, questions regarding sleep are not an integral component of most clinical evaluations. Given the growing evidence of a relationship between sleep and health, identification of sleep disorders could lead to improved management of common age-related chronic illnesses and quality of life of elderly patients.

Parental Problem-Solving Abilities and the Association of Sickle Cell Disease Complications with Health-related Quality of Life for School-age Children

PubMed Central

Barakat, Lamia P.; Daniel, Lauren C.; Smith, Kelsey; Robinson, M. Renée; Patterson, Chavis A.

2013-01-01

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at risk for poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The current analysis sought to explore parent problem-solving abilities/skills as a moderator between SCD complications and HRQOL to evaluate applicability to pediatric SCD. At baseline, 83 children ages 6–12 years and their primary caregiver completed measures of the child HRQOL. Primary caregivers also completed a measure of social problem-solving. A SCD complications score was computed from medical record review. Parent problem-solving abilities significantly moderated the association of SCD complications with child self-report psychosocial HRQOL (p = .006). SCD complications had a direct effect on parent proxy physical and psychosocial child HRQOL. Enhancing parent problem-solving abilities may be one approach to improve HRQOL for children with high SCD complications; however, modification of parent perceptions of HRQOL may require direct intervention to improve knowledge and skills involved in disease management. PMID:24222378

Health-related quality of life of children with newly diagnosed specific learning disability.

PubMed

Karande, Sunil; Bhosrekar, Kirankumar; Kulkarni, Madhuri; Thakker, Arpita

2009-06-01

The objective of this study was to measure health-related quality of life (HRQL) of children with newly diagnosed specific learning disability (SpLD) using the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form 50. We detected clinically significant deficits (effect size > or = -0.5) in 9 out of 12 domains: limitations in family activities, emotional impact on parents, social limitations as a result of emotional-behavioral problems, time impact on parents, general behavior, physical functioning, social limitations as a result of physical health, general health perceptions and mental health; and in both summary scores (psychosocial > physical). Multivariate analysis revealed having > or = 1 non-academic problem(s) (p < 0.0001), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (p = 0.005) or first-born status (p = 0.009) predicted a poor psychosocial summary score; and having > or =1 non-academic problem(s) (p = 0.006) or first-born status (p = 0.035) predicted a poor physical summary score. HRQL is significantly compromised in children having newly diagnosed SpLD.

Parental problem-solving abilities and the association of sickle cell disease complications with health-related quality of life for school-age children.

PubMed

Barakat, Lamia P; Daniel, Lauren C; Smith, Kelsey; Renée Robinson, M; Patterson, Chavis A

2014-03-01

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at risk for poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The current analysis sought to explore parent problem-solving abilities/skills as a moderator between SCD complications and HRQOL to evaluate applicability to pediatric SCD. At baseline, 83 children ages 6-12 years and their primary caregiver completed measures of child HRQOL. Primary caregivers also completed a measure of social problem-solving. A SCD complications score was computed from medical record review. Parent problem-solving abilities significantly moderated the association of SCD complications with child self-report psychosocial HRQOL (p = .006). SCD complications had a direct effect on parent proxy physical and psychosocial child HRQOL. Enhancing parent problem-solving abilities may be one approach to improve HRQOL for children with high SCD complications; however, modification of parent perceptions of HRQOL may require direct intervention to improve knowledge and skills involved in disease management.

Pain, Bullying Involvement, and Mental Health Problems Among Children and Adolescents With ADHD in Taiwan.

PubMed

Yeh, Yi-Chun; Huang, Mei-Feng; Wu, Yu-Yu; Hu, Huei-Fan; Yen, Cheng-Fang

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships of pain and pain-induced functional impairment with bullying involvement, as well as the relationships between pain and mental health problems among 474 children and adolescents with ADHD. The levels of pain, pain-induced functional impairment, involvement in bullying, depression, anxiety, ADHD symptoms, and sleep quality were assessed. Both victims of verbal and relational bullying and victims of physical bullying were more likely to have pain and pain-induced functional impairment than nonvictims. The perpetrators of verbal and relational bullying were more likely to have pain than the nonperpetrators. Participants with pain and pain-induced functional impairment experienced more severe depression and anxiety and worse sleep quality than did those without pain or pain-induced functional impairment. Clinical and educational professionals should consider the possibility of involvement in bullying and comorbid depression, anxiety, and poor sleep quality among ADHD children and adolescents with pain problems.

Parents’ Relationship Quality and Children’s Behavior in Stable Married and Cohabiting Families

PubMed Central

Goldberg, Julia S.; Carlson, Marcia J.

2014-01-01

Although an extensive literature has shown that family structure is linked with child well-being, less well understood is how the dynamics within families affect children, in particular the extent to which positive mother–father relationship quality is linked with children’s outcomes. In this study the authors used data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 773) to examine how couple supportiveness in stable coresident families is related to children’s externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems over ages 3 through 9. Using latent growth curve and fixed effects models, they found that parents’ greater supportiveness has a slight association with lower levels of children’s behavioral problems. Using cross-lagged structural equation models to examine the direction of the association, they also found some evidence that parents’ relationship quality and children’s behavioral problems are reciprocally related. Overall, this study suggests that more positive couple interactions are beneficial for children residing with both of their biological parents. PMID:25125703

Improving Teaching Quality and Problem Solving Ability through Contextual Teaching and Learning in Differential Equations: A Lesson Study Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khotimah, Rita Pramujiyanti; Masduki

2016-01-01

Differential equations is a branch of mathematics which is closely related to mathematical modeling that arises in real-world problems. Problem solving ability is an essential component to solve contextual problem of differential equations properly. The purposes of this study are to describe contextual teaching and learning (CTL) model in…

Stable or improved health status in the population 65 years and older in Stockholm, Sweden - an 8-year follow-up of self-reported health items.

PubMed

Modig, Karin; Virtanen, Suvi; Ahlbom, Anders; Agahi, Neda

2016-07-01

Previous studies have reached different conclusions about whether health is improving in the ageing population. More studies with narrow age groups analyzed separately for men and women will contribute to the literature. To describe trends in self-reported indicators of health and health-related quality of life between 2002 and 2010, focusing on differences between gender and age groups. A population-based survey of individuals 65+ in the Stockholm County was used. Prevalence of health problems increased with age both among men and women. Men generally reported having no health problems to a larger extent than women, but the proportions reporting severe problems were similar. The larger picture is one of stability in health-related quality of life, even if several items developed for the better, especially among women. While the proportions reporting no health/functional problems increased for many items, the proportions reporting severe problems remained unchanged among men and improved only for two items among women. CONCLUSIONS OVERALL, IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN IN MANY OF THE HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE ITEMS AS WELL AS FOR SELF-RATED HEALTH AMONG WOMEN THE PROPORTIONS REPORTING LONG-TERM ILLNESS OR PERSISTENT HEALTH PROBLEMS INCREASED, BUT FEWER SEEM TO BE LIMITED IN THEIR DAILY ACTIVITIES BY THESE PROBLEMS THE STABLE PROPORTIONS OF POOR SELF-RATED HEALTH INDICATES THAT WHILE HEALTH AND FUNCTIONING SEEM TO BE IMPROVING FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE OLDER POPULATION, SOME GROUPS MAY BE LAGGING BEHIND FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO CHANGES BOTH IN THE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS OF THE HEALTH SPECTRUM. © 2016 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Understanding mother-adolescent conflict discussions: Concurrent and across-time prediction from youths’ dispositions and parenting

PubMed Central

2008-01-01

Adolescence is often thought of as a period during which the quality of parent–child interactions can be relatively stressed and conflictual. There are individual differences in this regard, however, with only a modest percent of youths experiencing extremely conflictual relationships with their parents. Nonetheless, there is relatively little empirical research on factors in childhood or adolescence that predict individual differences in the quality of parent–adolescent interactions when dealing with potentially conflictual issues. Understanding such individual differences is critical because the quality of both parenting and the parent–adolescent relationship is predictive of a range of developmental outcomes for adolescents. The goals of the research were to examine dispositional and parenting predictors of the quality of parents’ and their adolescent children’s emotional displays (anger, positive emotion) and verbalizations (negative or positive) when dealing with conflictual issues, and if prediction over time supported continuity versus discontinuity in the factors related to such conflict. We hypothesized that adolescents’ and parents’ conflict behaviors would be predicted by both childhood and concurrent parenting and child dispositions (and related problem behaviors) and that we would find evidence of both parent- and child-driven pathways. Mothers and adolescents (N = 126, M age = 13 years) participated in a discussion of conflictual issues. A multimethod, multireporter (mother, teacher, and sometimes adolescent reports) longitudinal approach (over 4 years) was used to assess adolescents’ dispositional characteristics (control/regulation, resiliency, and negative emotionality), youths’ externalizing problems, and parenting variables (warmth, positive expressivity, discussion of emotion, positive and negative family expressivity). Higher quality conflict reactions (i.e., less negative and/or more positive) were related to both concurrent and antecedent measures of children’s dispositional characteristics and externalizing problems, with findings for control/regulation and negative emotionality being much more consistent for daughters than sons. Higher quality conflict reactions were also related to higher quality parenting in the past, positive rather than negative parent–child interactions during a contemporaneous nonconflictual task, and reported intensity of conflict in the past month. In growth curves, conflict quality was primarily predicted by the intercept (i.e., initial levels) of dispositional measures and parenting, although maintenance or less decrement in positive parenting, greater decline in child externalizing problems, and a greater increase in control/regulation over time predicted more desirable conflict reactions. In structural equation models in which an aspect of parenting and a child dispositional variable were used to predict conflict reactions, there was continuity of both type of predictors, parenting was a unique predictor of mothers’ (but not adolescents’) conflict reactions (and sometimes mediated the relations of child dispositions to conflict reactions), and child dispositions uniquely predicted adolescents’ reactions and sometimes mothers’ conflict reactions. The findings suggest that parent–adolescent conflict may be influenced by both child characteristics and quality of prior and concurrent parenting, and that in this pattern of relations, child effects are more evident than parent effects. PMID:18702792

Understanding mother-adolescent conflict discussions: concurrent and across-time prediction from youths' dispositions and parenting.

PubMed

Eisenberg, Nancy; Hofer, Claire; Spinrad, Tracy L; Gershoff, Elizabeth T; Valiente, Carlos; Losoya, Sandra H; Zhou, Qing; Cumberland, Amanda; Liew, Jeffrey; Reiser, Mark; Maxon, Elizabeth

2008-01-01

Adolescence is often thought of as a period during which the quality of parent-child interactions can be relatively stressed and conflictual. There are individual differences in this regard, however, with only a modest percent of youths experiencing extremely conflictual relationships with their parents. Nonetheless, there is relatively little empirical research on factors in childhood or adolescence that predict individual differences in the quality of parent-adolescent interactions when dealing with potentially conflictual issues. Understanding such individual differences is critical because the quality of both parenting and the parent-adolescent relationship is predictive of a range of developmental outcomes for adolescents. The goals of the research were to examine dispositional and parenting predictors of the quality of parents' and their adolescent children's emotional displays (anger, positive emotion) and verbalizations (negative or positive) when dealing with conflictual issues, and if prediction over time supported continuity versus discontinuity in the factors related to such conflict. We hypothesized that adolescents' and parents' conflict behaviors would be predicted by both childhood and concurrent parenting and child dispositions (and related problem behaviors) and that we would find evidence of both parent- and child-driven pathways. Mothers and adolescents (N5126, M age513 years) participated in a discussion of conflictual issues. A multimethod, multireporter (mother, teacher, and sometimes adolescent reports) longitudinal approach (over 4 years) was used to assess adolescents' dispositional characteristics (control/ regulation, resiliency, and negative emotionality), youths' externalizing problems, and parenting variables (warmth, positive expressivity, discussion of emotion, positive and negative family expressivity). Higher quality conflict reactions (i.e., less negative and/or more positive) were related to both concurrent and antecedent measures of children's dispositional characteristics and externalizing problems, with findings for control/regulation and negative emotionality being much more consistent for daughters than sons. Higher quality conflict reactions were also related to higher quality parenting in the past, positive rather than negative parent-child interactions during a contemporaneous nonconflictual task, and reported intensity of conflict in the past month. In growth curves, conflict quality was primarily predicted by the intercept (i.e., initial levels) of dispositional measures and parenting, although maintenance or less decrement in positive parenting, greater decline in child externalizing problems, and a greater increase in control/regulation over time predicted more desirable conflict reactions. In structural equation models in which an aspect of parenting and a child dispositional variable were used to predict conflict reactions, there was continuity of both type of predictors, parenting was a unique predictor of mothers' (but not adolescents') conflict reactions (and sometimes mediated the relations of child dispositions to conflict reactions), and child dispositions uniquely predicted adolescents' reactions and sometimes mothers' conflict reactions. The findings suggest that parent-adolescent conflict may be influenced by both child characteristics and quality of prior and concurrent parenting, and that in this pattern of relations, child effects are more evident than parent effects.

Personality traits, interpersonal problems and therapeutic alliance in early schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Johansen, Ragnhild; Melle, Ingrid; Iversen, Valentina Cabral; Hestad, Knut

2013-11-01

The quality of the therapeutic alliance is associated with engagement in- and thus important to the outcome of- treatment in schizophrenia. In non-psychotic disorders, general personality traits and individual patterns of interpersonal problems have been linked to the formation and quality of the therapeutic alliance. The role of these factors in relation to therapeutic alliance has not previously been explored in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. To investigate associations between personality traits, interpersonal problems and the quality of the therapeutic alliance in early schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Demographic and clinical characteristics including Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores were assessed in 42 patients. Personality traits and interpersonal problems were assessed with the NEO Five factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and the circumplex model of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-64C). Therapeutic alliance was measured with the Working Alliance Inventory - short form (WAI-S). Patient WAI-S scores were predicted by IIP-64C Submissive/Hostile interpersonal problems, age and PANSS excitative symptoms. Therapist WAI-S scores were predicted by NEO-FFI Agreeableness and the PANSS insight item. Core traits of personality and dimensions of interpersonal problems are associated with both patients' and therapists' perceptions of the quality of the working alliance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Relationship between Quality of Attachment and Behavior Problems in Preschool in a High-Risk Sample.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erickson, Martha Farrell; And Others

1985-01-01

Tests hypothesis that young children who were anxiously attached would be more likely than securely attached children to have behavior problems in preschool. Examines particular patterns of anxious attachment in relation to specific problem behaviors. Studies child, parental, interactional, and environmental factors that account for behavior…

Associations among everyday stress, critical life events, and sexual problems.

PubMed

Bodenmann, Guy; Ledermann, Thomas; Blattner, Denise; Galluzzo, Claudia

2006-07-01

This study addresses the question of how stress is linked to sexual problems among women and men in close relationships. Psychological symptoms, relationship quality, internal daily stress (i.e., originating within the couple such as conflicts, worry for the partner), external daily stress (i.e., stress arising outside the couple such as job stress, stressful relatives, and so forth), and critical life events were examined with regard to their association with different sexual problems. The results support the hypotheses that (1) there is an incremental effect of stress on sexual problems after controlling for psychological symptoms and relationship quality, and that (2) it is primarily internal daily stress and in some cases critical life events rather than external daily stress that are related to sexual problems, particularly hypoactive sexual desire in women and men, sexual aversion in women, vaginismus in women, and premature ejaculation in men. Our findings indicate that the treatment of these sexual problems should address relationship issues and include a focus on helping individuals improve their stress management skills within their couple relationship.

Does quantity generate quality? Testing the fundamental principle of brainstorming.

PubMed

Muñoz Adánez, Alfredo

2005-11-01

The purpose of this work is to test the chief principle of brainstorming, formulated as "quantity generates quality." The study is included within a broad program whose goal is to detect the strong and weak points of creative techniques. In a sample of 69 groups, containing between 3 and 8 members, the concurrence of two commonly accepted criteria was established as a quality rule: originality and utility or value. The results fully support the quantity-quality relation (r = .893): the more ideas produced to solve a problem, the better quality of the ideas. The importance of this finding, which supports Osborn's theory, is discussed, and the use of brainstorming is recommended to solve the many open problems faced by our society.

Outreach pharmacy service in old age homes: a Hong Kong experience.

PubMed

Lau, Wai-Man; Chan, Kit; Yung, Tsz-Ho; Lee, Anna See-Wing

2003-06-01

To explore drug-related problems in old age homes in Hong Kong through outreach pharmacy service. A standard form was used by outreach pharmacists to identify drug-related problems at old age homes. Homes were selected through random sampling, voluntary participation or adverse selection. Initial observation and assessment were performed in the first and second weeks. Appropriate advice and recommendations were given upon assessment and supplemented by a written report. Educational talks were provided to staff of the homes in addition to other drug information materials. At week 7 to 9, evaluations were carried out. Eighty-five homes were assessed and identified to have problems in the drug management system. These problems could generally be classified into physical storage (8.8%), quality of storage (19.2%), drug administration system (13.3%), documentation (16.4%), and drug knowledge of staff of homes (42.2%). Quality of drug storage was the most common problem found, followed by documentation and drug knowledge (73%, 50% and 44% of points assessed with problems, respectively). Apart from lack of drug knowledge and unawareness of potential risks by staff, minimal professional standards unmet may be fundamentally related to lack of professional input and inadequacy in legislation. Most homes demonstrated significant improvements upon simple interventions, from a majority of homes with more than 10 problems to a majority with less than 5 problems. Diverse problems in drug management are common in old age homes, which warrants attention and professional inputs. Simple interventions and education by pharmacists are shown to be effective in improving the quality of drug management and hence care to residents. While future financing of old age home service can be reviewed within the social context to provide incentives for improvement, review of regulatory policy with enforcement may be more fundamental and effective in upholding the service standard.

Person-related factors associated with work participation in employees with health problems: a systematic review.

PubMed

de Wit, Mariska; Wind, Haije; Hulshof, Carel T J; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W

2018-07-01

The objective of this systematic review was to explore and provide systematically assessed information about the association between person-related factors and work participation of people with health problems. The research question was: what is the association between selected person-related factors and work participation of workers with health problems? A systematic review was carried out in PubMed and PsycINFO to search for original papers published between January 2007 and February 2017. The risk of bias of the studies included was assessed using quality assessment tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute. The quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE framework for prognostic studies. In total, 113 studies were included, all of which addressed the association between person-related factors and work participation. The factors positively associated with work participation were positive expectations regarding recovery or return to work, optimism, self-efficacy, motivation, feelings of control, and perceived health. The factors negatively associated with work participation were fear-avoidance beliefs, perceived work-relatedness of the health problem, and catastrophizing. Different coping strategies had a negative or a positive relationship with work participation. The results of this review provide more insight into the associations between different cognitions and perceptions and work participation. The results of this study suggest that person-related factors should be considered by occupational- and insurance physicians when they diagnose, evaluate or provide treatment to employees. Further research is required to determine how these physicians could obtain and apply such information and whether its application leads to a better quality of care.

Voice, stress, work and quality of life of soccer coaches and physical trainers.

PubMed

Penteado, Regina Zanella; Silva, Noelle Bernardi da; Montebello, Maria Imaculada de Lima

2015-01-01

To assess aspects related to work, stress and quality of life related to voice in soccer coaches (C) and physical trainers (T), comparing the categories. Qualitative and quantitative studies with 13 C and 13 T of teams competing in Phase One of the highest level (Série A ) of the 2012 Campeonato Paulista (São Paulo State Soccer Championship). The questions were open ended and related to complaints, difficulties, and/or problems regarding voice use during work and to the relations between voice, work, stress, and quality of life. Stress at work was analyzed by the Job Stress Scale (JSS) questionnaire. The perception of the impact of the voice on quality of life was evaluated by the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) protocol. The answers to the questions were transcribed and submitted to content analysis, and regarding the questionnaire, descriptive data and analytical statistics were used. Content analysis showed lack of preparation for voice care; voice complaints; and intense vocal use demand under stressful work, in addition to the absence of healthy habits and social/family support. The JSS dimensions showed that the Active Work situation and the high V-RQOL scores are compatible with vocal health without complaints. There were no statistical differences between the categories. Both categories reported complaints/problems linked to professional voice use and stressful workload. However, the perception of vocal impact on the quality of life was positive, and the analysis of stress at work resulted in "good" and favorable conditions. The relationship between voice, work, stress, and quality of life in both the categories require further investigations.

Sexual functioning among early post-treatment breast cancer survivors.

PubMed

Avis, Nancy E; Johnson, Aimee; Canzona, Mollie Rose; Levine, Beverly J

2018-02-17

This study aims (1) to estimate percentages of partnered women who are sexually active over the first 2 years post-breast cancer diagnosis; (2) to identify factors related to sexual inactivity; and (3) to evaluate separately, among both sexually active and inactive survivors, the relation between sexual problems and treatment-related variables, symptoms, and psychosocial factors. Longitudinal observational study of breast cancer survivors recruited within 8 months of cancer diagnosis and followed for 18 months. The main outcome measures were (1) being sexually active/inactive in the past month and (2) sexual problems assessed with the four-item sexual problem domain of the Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Survivors (QLACS) scale. At baseline, 52.4% of women reported being sexually active in the past month. This percentage increased to 60.7% 18 months later. In multivariable repeated-measures analyses, age, past chemotherapy, depressive symptoms, and lower perceived attractiveness were related to inactivity. Sexually inactive women reported more problems on the QLACS than sexually active women. In stratified multivariable analyses, depressive symptoms were related to greater sexual problems for both sexually active and inactive women, as was vaginal dryness. Among the sexually active women, younger age at diagnosis, less illness intrusiveness, and lower perceived attractiveness were related to more problems. Research has shown that sexual functioning/sexual health are key aspects of quality of life for many cancer survivors, and are often not addressed by health care providers. Future studies should examine how such topics are handled by clinicians in their interactions with survivors.

World-class materiel flexibility: one plant's victory over materiel-related downtime.

PubMed

Samelson, Q B

1997-05-01

It is not uncommon for the materiel managers in a manufacturing company to be blamed for downtime and the consequent failure to meet production targets. To avoid downtime, materiel managers need to look at their role in solving materiel-related downtime and to address the problems that cause downtime in the same way they would address other process quality problems.

Internet gaming addiction, problematic use of the internet, and sleep problems: a systematic review.

PubMed

Lam, Lawrence T

2014-04-01

The effect of problematic use of the Internet on mental health, particularly depression among young people, has been established but without a probable model for the underlying mechanism. In this study, a model is presented to describe possible pathways for the linkage between Internet gaming addiction and depression possibly mediated by sleep problems. A systematic review was conducted to gather epidemiological evidence to support or refute the link between addictive Internet gaming, problematic Internet use, and sleep problems including insomnia and poor sleep quality. Seven studies were identified through a systematic literature search, of these three related to addictive Internet gaming and four on problematic Internet uses and sleep problems. Information was extracted and analysed systematically from each of the studies and tabulated as a summary. Results of the review suggest that additive gaming, particularly massively multiplayer online role-playing games MMORPG, might be associated with poorer quality of sleep. Results further indicated that problematic Internet use was associated with sleep problems including subjective insomnia and poor sleep quality.

A Survey and Critical Review of the Literature on Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Health Symptoms in Schools. IEQ Strategies[TM].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daisey, Joan M.; Angell, William J.

This report presents detailed results from a survey and critical review of existing published literature and reports on indoor air quality (IAQ), ventilation, and IAQ- and building-related health problems in schools, particularly California schools. The findings: (1) identify the most commonly reported building-related health symtoms involving…

Data Quality and Reliability Analysis of U.S. Marine Corps Ground Vehicle Maintenance Records

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

Corporation conducted a study on data quality issues present in U. S. Army logistics data ( Galway & Hanks, 1996). The study breaks data issues into three...categories: operational, conceptual, and organizational problems ( Galway & Hanks, 1996). Operational data problems relate to the number of missing or...codes (EIC) are left blank ( Galway & Hanks, 1996, p. 26). Missing entries are attributed to an assumed lack of significance of the EIC. The issue is

Self-reported financial burden of cancer care and its effect on physical and mental health-related quality of life among US cancer survivors.

PubMed

Kale, Hrishikesh P; Carroll, Norman V

2016-04-15

Cancer-related financial burden has been linked to cancer survivors (CS) forgoing/delaying medical care, skipping follow-up visits, and discontinuing medications. To the authors' knowledge, little is known regarding the effect of financial burden on the health-related quality of life of CS. The authors analyzed 2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. Financial burden was present if one of the following problems was reported: borrowed money/declared bankruptcy, worried about paying large medical bills, unable to cover the cost of medical care visits, or other financial sacrifices. The following outcomes were evaluated: Physical Component Score (PCS) and Mental Component Score (MCS) of the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), depressed mood, psychological distress, and worry related to cancer recurrence. The authors also assessed the effect of the number of financial problems on these outcomes. Of the 19.6 million CS analyzed, 28.7% reported financial burden. Among them, the average PCS (42.3 vs 44.9) and MCS (48.1 vs 52.1) were lower for those with financial burden versus those without. In adjusted analyses, CS with financial burden had significantly lower PCS (β = -2.45), and MCS (β = -3.05), had increased odds of depressed mood (odds ratio, 1.95), and were more likely to worry about cancer recurrence (odds ratio, 3.54). Survivors reporting ≥ 3 financial problems reported statistically significant and clinically meaningful differences (≥3 points) in the mean PCS and MCS compared with survivors without financial problems. Cancer-related financial burden was associated with lower health-related quality of life, increased risk of depressed mood, and a higher frequency of worrying about cancer recurrence among CS. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

Quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Chaukar, Devendra A; Walvekar, Rohan R; Das, Ashok K; Deshpande, Mandar S; Pai, Prathamesh S; Chaturvedi, Pankaj; Kakade, Anagha; D'Cruz, Anil K

2009-01-01

Head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors have substantial psychological distress in addition to treatment-related side effects. This study examines the long-term quality of life (QOL) of HNC survivors in a busy tertiary care center. A prospective, cross-sectional survey was conducted studying 212 HNC survivors 1 year after completion of their treatment at a tertiary cancer center. Quality of life assessments were performed using the 2 standardized health-related QOL questionnaires: The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 and The Quality of Life Questionnaire Head and Neck Cancer Module. The overall global QOL rating for the study cohort was satisfactory. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 scores showed that the domains where most patients faired poorly included financial difficulties (54%), appetite loss (36%), fatigue (33%), and cough (30%). The Quality of Life Questionnaire Head and Neck Cancer Module scale identified the domains with poor scores to be dry mouth (64%), dental problems (42%), sticky saliva (40%), cough (39%), and problems with mouth opening (32%). Patients with early-stage tumors and those treated with surgery alone had significantly better QOL scores when compared with advanced stage tumors and patients receiving either radiation alone or multimodality treatment, respectively. Quality of life questionnaires provide a medium for patients to effectively communicate with their physician in a busy tertiary care facility and provide an insight into the physical, psychological, and social problems affecting our patients which can then direct future interventions.

"It's a Difficult Matter": Historical Perspectives on the Enduring Problem of the Practicum in Teacher Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vick, Malcolm

2006-01-01

Current reviews of teacher education pay considerable attention to problems associated with the practicum, and often claim to propose major changes in order to improve the quality of new graduates. Many of the problems they address concerning the practicum and its relation to the "theoretical" component of programs are longstanding, and…

Patterns of dignity-related distress at the end of life: a cross-sectional study of patients with advanced cancer and care home residents.

PubMed

Hall, Sue; Davies, Joanna M; Gao, Wei; Higginson, Irene J

2014-10-01

To provide effective palliative care in different settings, it is important to understand and identify the sources of dignity-related distress experienced by people nearing the end of life. To describe and compare the sources of dignity-related distress reported by cancer patients and care home residents. Secondary analysis of merged data. Participants completed the Patient Dignity Inventory (assessing 25 sources of dignity-related distress) and measures of quality of life and depression. A total of 45 adult patients with advanced cancer referred to hospital-based palliative care teams in London, United Kingdom, and 60 residents living in one of 15 care homes in London. Care home residents were older and had poorer functioning. Both groups reported a wide range of dignity-related problems. Although the number or problems reported on the Patient Dignity Inventory was similar for the two groups (mean (standard deviation): 5.9 (5.5) for cancer patients and 4.1 (4.3) for care home residents, p = 0.07), there was a tendency for more cancer patients to report some existential problems. Experiencing physically distressing symptoms and functional limitations were prevalent problems for both groups. Patient Dignity Inventory problems were associated with poorer performance status and functioning for residents, with age and cognitive impairment for cancer patients and with poorer quality of life and depression for both groups. Although characteristics of the samples differed, similarities in the dignity-related problems reported by cancer patients and care home residents support research suggesting a common pathway towards death for malignant and non-malignant disease. A wider understanding of the sources of dignity-related distress would help clinicians provide more effective end-of-life care. © The Author(s) 2014.

Establishing priorities for psychological interventions in pediatric settings: A decision-tree approach using the DISABKIDS-10 Index as a screening instrument

PubMed Central

Silva, Neuza; Moreira, Helena; Canavarro, Maria Cristina; Carona, Carlos

2018-01-01

Most children and adolescents with chronic health conditions have impaired health-related quality of life and are at high risk of internalizing and externalizing problems. However, few patients present clinically significant symptoms. Using a decision-tree approach, this study aimed to identify risk profiles for psychological problems based on measures that can be easily scored and interpreted by healthcare professionals in pediatric settings. The participants were 736 children and adolescents between 8–18 years of age with asthma, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, type-1diabetes or obesity. The children and adolescents completed self-report measures of health-related quality of life (DISABKIDS-10) and psychological problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected from their parents/ physicians. Children and adolescents were classified into the normal (78.5%) or borderline/clinical range (21.5%) according to the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire cut-off values for psychological problems. The overall accuracy of the decision-tree model was 78.1% (sensitivity = 71.5%; specificity = 79.9%), with 4 profiles predicting 71.5% of borderline/clinical cases. The strongest predictor of psychological problems was a health-related quality of life standardized score below the threshold of 57.5 for patients with cerebral palsy, epilepsy or obesity and below 70.0 for patients with asthma or diabetes. Other significant predictors were low socio-economic status, single-parent household, medication intake and younger age. The model showed adequate validity (risk = .28, SE = .02) and accuracy (area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve = .84; CI = .80/.87). The identification of pediatric patients at high risk for psychological problems may contribute to a more efficient allocation of health resources, particularly with regard to their referral to specialized psychological assessment and intervention. PMID:29852026

Methodology for stereoscopic motion-picture quality assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voronov, Alexander; Vatolin, Dmitriy; Sumin, Denis; Napadovsky, Vyacheslav; Borisov, Alexey

2013-03-01

Creating and processing stereoscopic video imposes additional quality requirements related to view synchronization. In this work we propose a set of algorithms for detecting typical stereoscopic-video problems, which appear owing to imprecise setup of capture equipment or incorrect postprocessing. We developed a methodology for analyzing the quality of S3D motion pictures and for revealing their most problematic scenes. We then processed 10 modern stereo films, including Avatar, Resident Evil: Afterlife and Hugo, and analyzed changes in S3D-film quality over the years. This work presents real examples of common artifacts (color and sharpness mismatch, vertical disparity and excessive horizontal disparity) in the motion pictures we processed, as well as possible solutions for each problem. Our results enable improved quality assessment during the filming and postproduction stages.

Sleep problems and daytime tiredness in Finnish preschool-aged children-a community survey.

PubMed

Simola, P; Niskakangas, M; Liukkonen, K; Virkkula, P; Pitkäranta, A; Kirjavainen, T; Aronen, E T

2010-11-01

Sleep is important to the well-being and development of children. Specially, small children are vulnerable to the effects of inadequate sleep. However, not much is known about the frequency of all types of sleep problems and daytime tiredness in preschool-aged children. To evaluate the prevalence of a wide spectrum of sleep problems, daytime tiredness and associations between these in 3- to 6-year-old Finnish children. A population-based study where parents of 3- to 6-year-old children (n= 904) living in Helsinki filled in the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC). Of the children, 45% had at least one sleep-related problem occurring at least three times a week: 14.1% were unwilling to go to bed, 10.2% had difficulties in falling asleep, 10.2% had bruxism, 6.4% sleep talking, 2.1% sleep terrors, 8.2% had sleep-related breathing problem, 11.2% had excessive sweating while falling asleep and 12.9% excessive sweating during sleep. Age and gender were related to phenotype of the sleeping problems. In multiple regression analysis, the difficulties in initiating and maintaining sleep were most strongly associated with tiredness in the morning and during the day. Different types of sleep problems are frequent in preschool-aged children. Poor sleep quality is associated with morning and daytime tiredness. In screening for sleep problems in children, attention should be paid not only to sleep amount but also to sleep quality. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Brief Report: Parent-Reported Problems Related to Communication, Behavior and Interests in Children with Autistic Disorder and Their Impact on Quality of Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Øien, Roald; Eisemann, Martin R.

2016-01-01

Parents of children with Autism spectrum disorders often report elevated levels of stress, depression and anxiety compared to parents of children with other developmental disorders. The present study investigated experiences of mothers of children with autistic disorder, both boys and girls. The results show that mothers report problems related to…

A Brief Measure for Assessing Patient Perceptions of Cognitive Side Effects After Electroconvulsive Therapy: The Subjective Assessment of Memory Impairment.

PubMed

Kumar, Divya Rani; Han, Hank Ke; Tiller, John; Loo, Colleen K; Martin, Donel M

2016-12-01

Directly inquiring about patient experiences of memory problems after ECT may alert clinicians to the existence of treatment side effects and provide an impression of their intrusiveness. In this study, we examined use of a novel and brief patient-reported measure to assess perceptions of memory side effects and their functional consequences before and after an acute ECT treatment course. These outcomes were compared with objective cognitive and subjective quality of life measures. Data for 75 patients who were prescribed an acute course of ECT were analyzed. Subjective and objective measures were assessed before ECT (pretreatment) and at posttreatment. Patient perceptions were assessed using the Subjective Assessment of Memory Impairment, which consists of two items: The Memory Problems item, and The Impact of Cognitive Adverse Events item. Objective cognitive outcomes were assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Quality of life was assessed using the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form. Patient perceptions of their memory problems did not change across the ECT course, and their functional impact were considered less intrusive after ECT. Greater functional impact of memory impairment was related to poorer quality of life at posttreatment, but not at pretreatment. Subjectively rated cognitive functioning was not associated with objective cognitive outcomes. The Subjective Assessment of Memory Impairment is a brief tool for measuring patient-rated memory function. Overall, patients did not report any change in subjective memory problems after ECT. Although perceptions of functional memory impairment and quality of life were related after ECT, there was no association with objectively assessed cognitive outcomes.

Research needs and evaluation of air pollution problems associated with vehicular emissions : summary of final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1992-11-01

The objective of this investigation is to determine if there is currently an adequate organization of technical and scientific knowledge to accurately estimate the impact of mobile sources on urban air quality. Engineering problems related to vehicul...

Innovative Approaches to Environmental Health Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mock, Bruce H.

1974-01-01

The results of a NSF-supported student project to determine certain environmental problems in Indiana are reported. The project sought to relate the quality of the local environment to human life and concentrated on problems of air pollution, water pollution, solid waste disposal, and environmental attitudes. (LS)

Clean the Air and Breathe Easier.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guevin, John

1997-01-01

Failure to prevent indoor air quality problems or act promptly can result in increased chances for long- or short-term health problems for staff and students, reduced productivity, faster plant deterioration, and strained school-community relations. Basic pollution control measures include source management, local exhausts, ventilation, exposure…

Gender differences in associations between cancer-related problems and relationship dissolution among cancer survivors.

PubMed

Stephens, Cristina; Westmaas, J Lee; Kim, Jihye; Cannady, Rachel; Stein, Kevin

2016-10-01

Research suggests that a cancer diagnosis predicts marital dissolution more strongly for women survivors than men, but there is a paucity of research on potential processes underlying this vulnerability. The present cross-sectional study examined whether specific cancer-related problems were associated with the odds of relationship breakup following diagnosis and whether these relationships differed between male and female cancer survivors. A national cross-sectional quality of life study assessed self-reported cancer-related problems and relationship change among survivors who were either 2, 6, or 10 years post-diagnosis (n = 6099). Bivariate analyses indicated that cancer-related problems (e.g., emotional distress) were greater for divorced/separated survivors compared to those with intact relationships and were greater for women versus men. Logistic regressions indicated that for both male and female survivors, lower income, younger age, and longer time since diagnosis were associated with greater odds of divorce or separation after diagnosis (ORs > 2.14, p < .01). For women only, greater emotional distress (OR = 1.14, p < 0.01) and employment and financial problems (OR = 1.23, p < 0.0001) were associated with greater odds of post-diagnosis divorce or separation. For men only, fear of cancer recurrence was associated with greater odds of divorce or separation (OR = 1.32, p < 0.001). Female and male survivors differed in the extent to which emotional or financial/employment problems attributed to the cancer diagnosis were associated with the likelihood of reporting relationship dissolution. Although directions of causality could not be ascertained, results suggest the possibility that helping male and female cancer survivors cope with specific cancer-related problems may benefit the quality and stability of their relationships with significant others following diagnosis.

Toward a theory of farmer conservation attitudes: Dual interests and willingness to take action to protect water quality

Treesearch

Kristin Floress; Silvestre García de Jalón; Sarah P. Church; Nicholas Babin; Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad; Linda S. Prokopy

2017-01-01

Water quality in the Midwestern United States is threatened as a result of agricultural runoff. Based on self-reported data from a survey of farmers in Indiana, we aim to provide a better understanding of how awareness of water quality problems, farm-as-business attitudes, and stewardship attitudes are related to each other and willingness to improve water quality....

Project-based teaching in health informatics: a course on health care quality improvement.

PubMed

Moehr, J R; Berenji, G R; Green, C J; Kagolovsky, Y

2001-01-01

Teaching the skills and knowledge required in health informatics [1] is a challenge because the skill of applying knowledge in real life requires practice. We relate the experience with introducing a practice component to a course in "Health Care Quality Improvement". Working health care professionals were invited to bring an actual quality problem from their place of work and to work alongside students in running the problem through a quality improvement project lifecycle. Multiple technological and process oriented teaching innovations were employed including project sessions in observation rooms, video recording of these sessions, generation of demonstration examples and distance education components. Both students and their collaborators from the work place developed proficiency in applying quality improvement methods as well as in experiencing the realities of group processes, information gaps and organizational constraints. The principles used to achieve high involvement of the whole class, the employed resources and technical support are described. The resulting academic and practical achievements are discussed in relation to the alternative instructional modalities, and with respect to didactic implications for similar endeavors and beyond to other fields such as systems engineering.

Exploring the links between quality assurance and laboratory resources. An audit-based study.

PubMed

Singh, Navjeevan; Panwar, Aru; Masih, Vipin Fazal; Arora, Vinod K; Bhatia, Arati

2003-01-01

To investigate and rectify the problems related to Ziehl-Neelsen (Z-N) staining in a cytology laboratory in the context of quality assurance. An audit based quality assurance study of 1,421 patients with clinical diagnoses of tubercular lymphadenopathy who underwent fine needle aspiration cytology. Data from 8 months were audited (group 1). Laboratory practices related to selection of smears for Z-N staining were studied. A 2-step corrective measure based on results of the audit was introduced for 2 months (group 2). Results were subjected to statistical analysis using the chi 2 test. Of 1,172 patients in group 1,368 had diagnoses other than tuberculosis. Overall acid-fast bacillus (AFB) positivity was 42%. AFB positivity in 249 patients in group 2 was 89% (P < .0001). Several issues in the laboratory are linked to quality assurance. Solving everyday problems can have far-reaching benefits for the performance of laboratory personnel, resources and work flow.

Parent-Adolescent Relationship Qualities, Internal Working Models, and Styles as Predictors of Adolescents’ Observed Interactions with Friends

PubMed Central

Shomaker, Lauren B.; Furman, Wyndol

2010-01-01

This study examined how current parent-adolescent relationship qualities and adolescents’ representations of relationships with parents were related to friendship interactions in 200 adolescent-close friend dyads. Adolescents and friends were observed discussing problems during a series of structured tasks. Negative interactions with mothers were significantly related to adolescents’ greater conflict with friends, poorer focus on tasks, and poorer communication skills. Security of working models (as assessed by interview) was significantly associated with qualities of friendship interactions, whereas security of attachment styles (as assessed by questionnaire) was not. More dismissing (vs. secure) working models were associated with poorer focus on problem discussions and weaker communication skills with friends, even after accounting for gender differences and current parent-adolescent relationship qualities. We discuss possible mechanisms for the observed links between dimensions of parent-adolescent relationships and friendships. We also consider methodological and conceptual differences between working model and style measures of attachment representations. PMID:20174459

[The status quo and expectation of optometry research in China].

PubMed

Qu, Jia

2015-01-01

The eye care problems related to optometry involve a wide range, including visual problems during eye disease recovery, visual quality in surgical or non-surgical refractive corrections, and the etiological investigation of functional eye diseases like myopia. This article covers the current challenges to visual health care and the academic developments and contributions of optometry in China, including fundamental researches of myopia, refractive surgery and visual quality, and functional eye disease investigations. Some of the researches have certain impacts both domestically and overseas. Furthermore, scientific evidences to solve clinical problems and the current academic focuses that we should pay attention to are provided.

A problem-solving approach to nutrition education with Filipino mothers.

PubMed

Ticao, C J; Aboud, F E

1998-06-01

The study examined Filipino mothers' problem solving on issues related to child feeding, using a dyadic, peer-help approach. The participants were mothers of children under 6 yr of age from a village in the southern Philippines, where malnutrition among children is prevalent. Mothers were paired with a mutual friend (each nominated the other as a best friend) or a unilateral friend (only one nominated the other as a best friend) to discuss a feeding problem to which they initially gave similar solutions (agreed) and one to which they gave different solutions (disagreed). In the final step, they were asked to give privately the solutions they considered best for the problem. The number and quality of these final-step solutions were analyzed as a function of the friend relation, the level of initial agreement with their friend partner, and the source of the solution. Results indicated that the quantity and quality of solutions increased from before to after the dyadic discussion, especially among mothers paired with a mutual friend with whom they agreed. Most of their final-step solutions came from ones they themselves had generated during the discussion, not ones their friend partner had proposed. There was also evidence that high quality solutions were generated by mothers paired with a disagreeing unilateral friend. Implications for nutrition education concern the benefits of a peer-help, dyadic problem-solving approach, taking into account the role of a friend in facilitating a mother's production of new solutions to child feeding problems. The procedure may be used by health promoters who want to build capacities and self-reliance through collective problem solving.

Historical instrumental climate data for Australia - quality and utility for palaeoclimatic studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicholls, Neville; Collins, Dean; Trewin, Blair; Hope, Pandora

2006-10-01

The quality and availability of climate data suitable for palaeoclimatic calibration and verification for the Australian region are discussed and documented. Details of the various datasets, including problems with the data, are presented. High-quality datasets, where such problems are reduced or even eliminated, are discussed. Many climate datasets are now analysed onto grids, facilitating the preparation of regional-average time series. Work is under way to produce such high-quality, gridded datasets for a variety of hitherto unavailable climate data, including surface humidity, pan evaporation, wind, and cloud. An experiment suggests that only a relatively small number of palaeoclimatic time series could provide a useful estimate of long-term changes in Australian annual average temperature. Copyright

Air-Sense: indoor environment monitoring evaluation system based on ZigBee network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yang; Hu, Liang; Yang, Disheng; Liu, Hengchang

2017-08-01

In the modern life, people spend most of their time indoors. However, indoor environmental quality problems have always been affecting people’s social activities. In general, indoor environmental quality is also related to our indoor activities. Since most of the organic irritants and volatile gases are colorless, odorless and too tiny to be seen, because we have been unconsciously overlooked indoor environment quality. Consequently, our body suffer a great health problem. In this work, we propose Air-Sense system which utilizes the platform of ZigBee Network to collect and detect the real-time indoor environment quality. What’s more, Air-Sense system can also provide data analysis, and visualizing the results of the indoor environment to the user.

Pregnant and parenting adolescents and their younger sisters: the influence of relationship qualities for younger sister outcomes.

PubMed

East, P L; Shi, C R

1997-04-01

On the basis of social modeling theory and a sibling interaction hypothesis, it was hypothesized that specific relationship qualities between a pregnant or parenting teen and her younger sister would be associated with permissive younger sister outcomes, such as permissive childbearing attitudes and permissive sexual behavior. Results indicated that negative relationship qualities, such as rivalry, competition, and conflict, were more closely related to younger sisters engaging in problem delinquent-like behavior and sexual behavior than were positive relationship qualities, such as warmth and closeness. Additionally, a shared friendship network with the older sister was found to be associated with extensive younger sister problem behavior and sexual behavior. Three potential explanatory processes are discussed.

[Qualitative analysis of water quality deterioration and infection by Helicobacter pylori in a community with high risk of stomach cancer (Cauca, Colombia)].

PubMed

Acosta, Claudia Patricia; Benavides, John Alexander; Sierra, Carlos Hernán

2015-12-01

This study looks at aspects of the environmental health of the rural population in Timbío (Cauca, Columbia) in relation to the deterioration of water quality. The information was obtained through participatory research methods exploring the management and use of water, the sources of pollution and the perception of water quality and its relation to Helicobacter pylori infection. The results are part of the qualitative analysis of a first research phase characterizing water and sanitation problems and their relation to emerging infectious diseases as well as possible solutions, which was carried out between November 2013 and August 2014. The results of this research are discussed from an ecosystemic approach to human health, recognizing the complexity of environmental conflicts related to water resources and their impacts on the health of populations. Through the methodology used, it is possible to detect and visualize the most urgent problems as well as frequent causes of contamination of water resources so as to propose solutions within a joint agenda of multiple social actors.

[Quality of life of primary care patients in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brasil: associations with stressful life events and mental health].

PubMed

Portugal, Flávia Batista; Campos, Mônica Rodrigues; Gonçalves, Daniel Almeida; Mari, Jair de Jesus; Fortes, Sandra Lúcia Correia Lima

2016-02-01

Quality of life (QoL) is a subjective construct, which can be negatively associated with factors such as mental disorders and stressful life events (SLEs). This article seeks to identify the association between socioeconomic and demographic variables, common mental disorders, symptoms suggestive of depression and anxiety, SLEs with QoL in patients attended in Primary Care (PC). It is a transversal study, conducted with 1,466 patients attended in PC centers in the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in 2009 and 2010. Bivariate analysis was performed using the T-test and four multiple linear regressions for each QoL domain. The scores for the physical, psychological, social relations and environment domains were, respectively, 64.7; 64.2; 68.5 and 49.1. By means of multivariate analysis, associations of the physical domain were found with health problems and discrimination; of the psychological domain with discrimination; of social relations with financial/structural problems; of external causes and health problems; and of the environment with financial/structural problems, external causes and discrimination. Mental health variables, health problems and financial/structural problems were the factors negatively associated with QoL.

Coping strategies and quality of life in caregivers of dependent elderly relatives.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Pérez, Margarita; Abreu-Sánchez, Ana; Rojas-Ocaña, María Jesús; Del-Pino-Casado, Rafael

2017-04-14

Despite the importance of coping in caregiving, there are few studies on the relationship between coping and quality of life in caregivers of the frail dependent elderly. Thus, this study aims to analyze the relationship between coping strategies and quality of life dimensions in primary caregivers of dependent elderly relatives. A cross-sectional study was conducted from 86 caregivers. Predictive variables were coping strategies (problem-focused, emotion-focused, socially-supported, and dysfunctional); dependent variables were quality of life dimensions (psychological, physical, relational, and environmental); and potential confounding variables were age, gender, perceived health and burden of caregiver, and functional capacity of care receiver. Correlation coefficients were calculated and multiple linear regression analysis was performed. After controlling for potential confounders, dysfunctional coping was related to worse quality of life in the psychological dimension, while emotion-focused and socially-supported coping were related to superior psychological and environmental dimensions of quality of life. The physical and relational dimensions of quality of life were not related to coping strategies. 1) it is important to consider coping strategies in the assessment of primary caregivers of dependent elderly relatives; 2) the quality of life of caregivers is related to their coping strategies, 3) their quality of life can be worsened by avoidance-type coping, and 4) their quality of life can be improved by active emotion-focused coping and socially-supported coping.

Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program: Benefits of Improving Air Quality in the School Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Radiation and Indoor Air.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) Program to help schools prevent, identify, and resolve their IAQ problems. This publication describes the program and its advantages, explaining that through simple, low-cost measures, schools can: reduce IAQ-related health risks and…

Specific Remedy for Specific Problem: Measuring Service Quality in South African Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Jager, Johan; Gbadamosi, Gbolahan

2010-01-01

This study commences a process of developing a scale for the measurement of service quality in higher education in South Africa and also examines the relationship between the measures of service quality on the one hand and some other related variables such as intention to leave the university, trust in management of the university and the overall…

Associations between living arrangements and health-related quality of life of urban elderly people: a study from China.

PubMed

Sun, Xiaojie; Lucas, Henry; Meng, Qingyue; Zhang, Yaoguang

2011-04-01

This study aimed to compare health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for elderly men and women in three mutually exclusive living arrangements: living alone, living only with spouse, and non-empty-nesters. It also examined whether such living arrangements and other factors relating to social interaction have an independent influence on HRQOL after controlling for other variables. The data were drawn from China's 4th National Household Health Survey (NHHS) conducted in 2008. The final sample included 9,711 urban elderly people of 60 years and above. The EQ-5D inventory was used to measure health-related quality of life. The proportions of non-empty-nested men and women both changed following a 'U'-shaped curve with the increasing age. Controlling for other variables not including social interaction indicators, "living alone" was a significant predictor of reporting problems on Mobility, Pain/Discomfort and Anxiety/Depression. After introducing social interaction indicators, urban older adults 'having close contact with neighbors every week' had lower odds of problems on all five EQ-5D indicators, those 'having close contact with friends and relatives' had lower odds of problems on Mobility, Pain/Discomfort and Anxiety/Depression, and those 'taking part in social activities every week' had lower odds of problems on all dimensions but Anxiety/Depression. In addition, after introducing social interaction indicators, the odds of reported problems on the three dimensions increased obviously. This study suggests that the most vulnerable urban older adults are those who live entirely on their own. Frequent social interaction may buffer the negative effect of living alone on HRQOL of older adults. Policies that attempt to build harmonious neighborhoods, extend older adults' social network and encourage them to take part in social activities should be considered by the policy-makers in the future.

Chronic illness burden and quality of life in an aging HIV population

PubMed Central

Balderson, Benjamin H.; Grothaus, Lou; Harrison, Robert G.; McCoy, Katryna; Mahoney, Christine; Catz, Sheryl

2012-01-01

The population of persons living with HIV (PLWH) is growing older and more prone to developing other chronic health conditions. Disease progression has been shown to be related to quality of life (QoL). However, descriptions of chronic comorbid illnesses and the unique QoL challenges of older adults living with HIV are not well understood and have not been examined in multiple geographic locations. About 452 PLWH aged 50 years or older were recruited from AIDS Service Organizations in nine states. Participants completed a telephone survey that included measures of other chronic health conditions, perceived stress, depression, and health-related quality of life. As much as 94% of the sample reported a chronic health condition in addition to HIV (mode = 2). The highest reported conditions were hypertension, chronic pain, hepatitis, and arthritis. Despite relatively high rates of depression, overall QoL was moderately high for the sample. Physical functioning was most impacted by the addition of other chronic health problems. Social functioning, mental health functioning, stress, and depression were also strongly associated with chronic disease burden. Additional chronic health problems are the norm for PLWH aged 50 years and older. QoL is significantly related to the addition of chronic health problems. As increasing numbers of PLWH reach older age, this raises challenges for providing comprehensive healthcare to older PLWH with multiple chronic conditions. PMID:22894702

Relationship Quality and Alcohol-Related Social Reinforcement during Couples Interaction.

PubMed

Fairbairn, Catharine E; Testa, Maria

2016-01-01

Individuals who are unhappy in their intimate partnerships are at risk for developing alcohol problems. But little is known about the mechanisms underlying this link. One possibility is that couples with poor relationship quality gain more reinforcement from alcohol in certain contexts-a possibility that has never previously been empirically examined. In the current study, 304 individuals (152 couples) were assigned to receive alcohol (target BAC .08%) or a non-alcoholic beverage. They then engaged in a conflict-resolution interaction with their partners. Videotaped interactions were coded by trained observers. Results revealed a significant interaction between alcohol and relationship quality across multiple measures. Alcohol decreased negative behaviors, decreased negative reciprocity, and enhanced self-reported experience to a greater extent during interactions involving individuals reporting low relationship quality and had comparatively little effect among those reporting high relationship quality. Findings point to a potential mechanism underlying problem drinking among couples with poor relationship quality.

Factors Associated with Reduced Quality of Life in Polio Survivors in Korea

PubMed Central

Yang, Eun Joo; Lee, Seung Yeol; Kim, Keewon; Jung, Se Hee; Jang, Soong-Nang; Han, Soo Jeong; Kim, Wan-Ho; Lim, Jae-Young

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to assess health-related quality of life in polio survivors (PS) compared with that in the general population in Korea. Polio survivors (n = 120) from outpatient clinics at two hospitals, healthy controls (HC, n = 121) and members of the general population with activity limitations (AL, n = 121) recruited through a proportional-allocation, systematic sampling strategy from the Fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were surveyed with self-rated health-related quality of life (Euro QoL five-dimensions). The proportion of participants who reported problems in mobility, usual activity, and symptoms of anxiety/depression were higher in the PS group compared with the HC and AL groups. There was no significant difference in the self-care dimension across the groups. Polio-specific questionnaire, pain, depression, fatigue, Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) were assessed in the PS group. Those with post-poliomyelitis syndrome had greater problems in mobility, usual activity, and depression/anxiety. Polio survivors, especially those with more pain and fatigue symptoms, and those who did not have access to medical services had poorer health-related quality of life. These findings afford useful information for potential intervention improving quality of life in polio survivors. PMID:26120843

A hybrid genetic-simulated annealing algorithm for the location-inventory-routing problem considering returns under e-supply chain environment.

PubMed

Li, Yanhui; Guo, Hao; Wang, Lin; Fu, Jing

2013-01-01

Facility location, inventory control, and vehicle routes scheduling are critical and highly related problems in the design of logistics system for e-business. Meanwhile, the return ratio in Internet sales was significantly higher than in the traditional business. Many of returned merchandise have no quality defects, which can reenter sales channels just after a simple repackaging process. Focusing on the existing problem in e-commerce logistics system, we formulate a location-inventory-routing problem model with no quality defects returns. To solve this NP-hard problem, an effective hybrid genetic simulated annealing algorithm (HGSAA) is proposed. Results of numerical examples show that HGSAA outperforms GA on computing time, optimal solution, and computing stability. The proposed model is very useful to help managers make the right decisions under e-supply chain environment.

A genetic algorithm application in backcross breeding problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carnia, E.; Napitupulu, H.; Supriatna, A. K.

2018-03-01

In this paper we discuss a mathematical model of goat breeding strategy, i.e. the backcrossing breeding. The model is aimed to obtain a strategy in producing better variant of species. In this strategy, a female (doe) of a lesser quality goat, in terms of goat quality is bred with a male (buck) of an exotic goat which has a better goat quality. In this paper we will explore a problem on how to harvest the population optimally. A genetic algorithm (GA) approach will been devised to obtain the solution of the problem. We do several trials of the GA implementation which gives different set of solutions, but relatively close to each other in terms of the resulting total revenue, except a few. Further study need to be done to obtain GA solution that closer to the exact solution.

Medication-related risk factors associated with health-related quality of life among community-dwelling elderly in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Sha; Meng, Long; Qiu, Feng; Yang, Jia-Dan; Sun, Shusen

2018-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that medication adherence has an impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, other medication-related factors that may influence HRQoL have not been extensively studied, especially factors based on the Medication-Risk Questionnaire (MRQ), and such studies are mostly done in Western countries. Our objective was to explore risk factors associated with HRQoL among community-dwelling elderly with chronic diseases in mainland China, especially the medication-related risk factors regarding MRQ. The study was conducted in a community health service center through surveys to eligible patients. The main outcomes of HRQoL were assessed by the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) scale and EQ-visual analog scale (EQ-VAS). Medication-related risk factors according to MRQ associated with HRQoL were identified using a multiple linear regression. A total of 311 patients were analyzed, averaging 71.19±5.33 years, and 68.8% were female. The mean EQ-5D index was 0.72±0.09, and the mean EQ-VAS score was 71.37±11.97. The most prevalent problem was pain/discomfort, and 90.0% believed that they could take care of themselves without any problems. Sex, age, educational level, frailty, function status, and certain medication-related factors regarding MRQ were found to be significant factors impacting the HRQoL. A multivariate analysis showed that MRQ factors of polypharmacy, multimorbidity, feeling difficultly with taking medicines as prescribed, and taking medicines with narrow therapeutic index had negative impacts on the quality of life. Patient's internal characteristics and medication-related risk factors according to MRQ were associated with quality of life. The results of the MRQ is an indicator of quality of life that can identify patients who need interventions.

Impact of a family-oriented rehabilitation programme on behavioural and emotional problems in healthy siblings of chronically ill children.

PubMed

Besier, T; Hölling, H; Schlack, R; West, C; Goldbeck, L

2010-09-01

To evaluate the impact of a family-oriented inpatient rehabilitation programme on behavioural and emotional problems in healthy siblings of chronically ill children and to assess the association between these problems and quality of life. A total of 259 healthy children (4-16 years, M = 8.6 years, SD = 3.3) with a chronically ill sibling were enrolled in the study. Parents filled in the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, while the children answered a self-report quality of life instrument (LQ-KID) at the time of admission and discharge from the clinic and at a 6-month follow-up. Comparisons were performed with a matched control group from the German general population (n= 777). Significant behavioural or emotional symptoms were found in 30.5% of the healthy siblings, the relative risk of having elevated scores being 2.2 compared with the control group. Symptoms were inversely correlated with quality of life (r=-0.42). During the inpatient rehabilitation, symptoms decreased significantly to a normal level. Similarly, quality of life significantly improved, except in the dimension family relations. Family-oriented inpatient rehabilitation is a promising approach to improve the mental health of children with a chronically ill sibling.

Association between work role stressors and sleep quality.

PubMed

Iwasaki, S; Deguchi, Y; Inoue, K

2018-05-17

Work-related stressors are associated with low sleep quality. However, few studies have reported an association between role stressors and sleep quality. To elucidate the association between role stressors (including role conflict and ambiguity) and sleep quality. Cross-sectional study of daytime workers whose sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Work-related stressors, including role stressors, were assessed using the Generic Job Stress Questionnaire (GJSQ). The association between sleep quality and work-related stressors was investigated by logistic regression analysis. A total of 243 participants completed questionnaires were received (response rate 71%); 86 participants reported poor sleep quality, based on a global PSQI score ≥6. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that higher role ambiguity was associated with global PSQI scores ≥6, and that role conflict was significantly associated with sleep problems, including sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction. These results suggest that high role stress is associated with low sleep quality, and that this association should be considered an important determinant of the health of workers.

MATERNAL INTERACTION QUALITY MODERATES EFFECTS OF PRENATAL MATERNAL EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS ON GIRLS' INTERNALIZING PROBLEMS.

PubMed

Endendijk, Joyce J; De Bruijn, Anouk T C E; Van Bakel, Hedwig J A; Wijnen, Hennie A A; Pop, Victor J M; Van Baar, Anneloes L

2017-09-01

The role of mother-infant interaction quality is studied in the relation between prenatal maternal emotional symptoms and child behavioral problems. Healthy pregnant, Dutch women (N = 96, M = 31.6, SD = 3.3) were allocated to the "exposed group" (n = 46), consisting of mothers with high levels of prenatal feelings of anxiety and depression, or the "low-exposed group" (n = 50), consisting of mothers with normal levels of depressive or anxious symptoms during pregnancy. When the children (49 girls, 47 boys) were 23 to 60 months of age (M = 39.0, SD = 9.6), parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (T.M. Achenbach & L.A. Rescorla, ), and mother-child interaction quality during a home visit was rated using the Emotional Availability Scales. There were no differences in mother-child interaction quality between the prenatally exposed and low-exposed groups. Girls exposed to high prenatal emotional symptoms showed more internalizing problems, if maternal interaction quality was less optimal. No significant effects were found for boys. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Educational Environment Risks: Problems of Identification and Classification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kayumova, Leysan R.; Zakirova, Venera G.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the research problem is determined by the multidimensionality of educational environment, that is the system of business and interpersonal relationships of educational process subjects. The maintenance of these relations defines quality and nature of risks for teachers and their pupils. The article aims to identify and justify the…

Triple Value System Dynamics Modeling to Help Stakeholders Engage with Food-Energy-Water Problems

EPA Science Inventory

Triple Value (3V) Community scoping projects and Triple Value Simulation (3VS) models help decision makers and stakeholders apply systems-analysis methodology to complex problems related to food production, water quality, and energy use. 3VS models are decision support tools that...

Silicon solar cell process development, fabrication and analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yoo, H. I.; Iles, P. A.; Leung, D. C.

1981-01-01

Solar cells were fabricated from EFG ribbons dendritic webs, cast ingots by heat exchanger method, and cast ingots by ubiquitous crystallization process. Baseline and other process variations were applied to fabricate solar cells. EFG ribbons grown in a carbon-containing gas atmosphere showed significant improvement in silicon quality. Baseline solar cells from dendritic webs of various runs indicated that the quality of the webs under investigation was not as good as the conventional CZ silicon, showing an average minority carrier diffusion length of about 60 um versus 120 um of CZ wafers. Detail evaluation of large cast ingots by HEM showed ingot reproducibility problems from run to run and uniformity problems of sheet quality within an ingot. Initial evaluation of the wafers prepared from the cast polycrystalline ingots by UCP suggested that the quality of the wafers from this process is considerably lower than the conventional CZ wafers. Overall performance was relatively uniform, except for a few cells which showed shunting problems caused by inclusions.

Quality of life in adolescents and adults with CHARGE syndrome.

PubMed

Hartshorne, Nancy; Hudson, Alexandra; MacCuspie, Jillian; Kennert, Benjamin; Nacarato, Tasha; Hartshorne, Timothy; Blake, Kim

2016-08-01

Health-related Quality of Life and the Impact of Childhood Neurologic Disability Scale were collected for 53 patients with CHARGE syndrome aged 13-39 years with a mean academic level of 4th grade. The most prevalent new and ongoing issues included bone health issues, sleep apnea, retinal detachment, anxiety, and aggression. Sleep issues were significantly correlated with anxiety, self-abuse, conduct problems, and autistic-like behaviors. Problems with overall health, behavior, and balance most affected the number of social activities in the individual's life. Sensory impairment most affected relationships with friends. Two contrasting case studies are presented and demonstrate that the quality of life exists on a broad spectrum in CHARGE syndrome, just as its physical features range from mild to very severe. A multitude of factors, including those beyond the physical manifestations, such as anxiety and sleep problems, influence quality of life and are important areas for intervention. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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

PubMed

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

2017-06-01

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

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

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

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

Self-Consciousness, Friendship Quality, and Adolescent Internalizing Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowker, Julie C.; Rubin, Kenneth H.

2009-01-01

The correlates between public and private self-consciousness and internalizing difficulties were examined during early adolescence. Friendship quality was assessed as a possible moderator of the relation between self-consciousness and maladjustment. One hundred and thirty-seven young adolescents (N = 87 girls; M age = 13.98 years) reported on…

Peer Victimisation and Internalising Difficulties: The Moderating Role of Friendship Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woods, Sarah; Done, John; Kalsi, Hardeep

2009-01-01

A cross-sectional study is reported in which loneliness and emotional problems are explored in adolescent victims of direct or relational bullying, together with the potentially moderating influence of friendship quality. Adolescents (N=401, mean age 13.5) completed the School Relationships Questionnaire, to identify bullying and victimisation…

Impact of fibromyalgia on sexual function in women.

PubMed

Collado-Mateo, D; Olivares, P R; Adsuar, J C; Gusi, N

2018-03-09

The prevalence of sexual problems is very high among women with fibromyalgia. To evaluate the prevalence of sexual problems in women with FM and the potential association among physical activity, quality of life and sexual function. We aimed to contribute in the understanding of the relationships between sexual function and the symptoms of FM. The sample of this cross-sectional study was comprised by 113 women with FM and 116 age-matched women without FM. Sexual function was assessed using the 15D questionnaire. Health-related quality of life (using EQ-5D-5L and 15D questionnaires), impact of fibromyalgia and physical activity were also assessed. The prevalence of sexual problems among women with fibromyalgia was 76%, while it was 15% in healthy controls. This prevalence was even higher among those aged more than 50. Sexual function was significantly associated with quality of life, distance walked, impact of fibromyalgia and four of the symptoms: depression, anxiety, tenderness and memory problems. More than three out of four women with fibromyalgia have any kind of sexual problem. Depression, anxiety and tenderness seems to be the most relevant symptoms associated with sexual function. Physical activity may be protective and reduce the risk of having sexual problems.

Gender Differences in the Relation between Mothering Behaviors and Child-Behavior Problems among Hispanic Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caughy, Margaret O'Brien; Peredo, Tatiana Nogueira; Owen, Margaret Tresch; Mills, Britain

2016-01-01

This is a report of an examination of gender differences in behavior problems and a prediction of their changes from 2.5 to 3.5 years from mothering qualities among 209 low-income Hispanic children. Externalizing behaviors declined over this time somewhat more for girls than for boys. Fewer externalizing behavior problems at age 3.5 were…

The psychology of drinking water quality: An exploratory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syme, Geoffrey J.; Williams, Katrina D.

1993-12-01

Perceptions of drinking water quality were measured for residents at four locations in Western Australia. The total dissolved solid levels for the locations varied. Four scales of drinking water satisfaction were measured: acceptability of water quality; water quality risk judgment; perception of neighborhood water quality; and attitudes toward fluoride as an additive. Responses to each of these scales did not appear to be highly related to total dissolved solids. The relationship between attitudes toward water quality and a variety of psychological, attitudinal, experiential, and demographic variables was investigated. It was found that responses to the acceptability of water quality and water quality risk judgment scales related to perceived credibility of societal institutions and feelings of control over water quality and environmental problems. For the remaining two scales few significant correlations were found. The results support those who advocate localized information and involvement campaigns on drinking water quality issues.

Health behaviours, body weight and self-esteem among grade five students in Canada.

PubMed

Wu, Xiuyun; Kirk, Sara F L; Ohinmaa, Arto; Veugelers, Paul

2016-01-01

This study sought to identify the principal components of self-esteem and the health behavioural determinants of these components among grade five students. We analysed data from a population-based survey among 4918 grade five students, who are primarily 10 and 11 years of age, and their parents in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The survey comprised the Harvard Youth and Adolescent Questionnaire, parental reporting of students' physical activity (PA) and time spent watching television or using computer/video games. Students heights and weights were objectively measured. We applied principal component analysis (PCA) to derive the components of self-esteem, and multilevel, multivariable logistic regression to quantify associations of diet quality, PA, sedentary behaviour and body weight with these components of self-esteem. PCA identified four components for self-esteem: self-perception, externalizing problems, internalizing problems, social-perception. Influences of health behaviours and body weight on self-esteem varied across the components. Better diet quality was associated with higher self-perception and fewer externalizing problems. Less PA and more use of computer/video games were related to lower self-perception and social-perception. Excessive TV watching was associated with more internalizing problems. Students classified as obese were more likely to report low self- and social-perception, and to experience fewer externalizing problems relative to students classified as normal weight. This study demonstrates independent influences of diet quality, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and body weight on four aspects of self-esteem among children. These findings suggest that school programs and health promotion strategies that target health behaviours may benefit self-esteem in childhood, and mental health and quality of life later in life.

Global sleep quality as a moderator of alcohol consumption and consequences in college students.

PubMed

Kenney, Shannon R; LaBrie, Joseph W; Hummer, Justin F; Pham, Andy T

2012-04-01

The authors examined the relationship between global sleep quality and alcohol risk, including the extent to which global sleep quality moderated the relationship between alcohol use and drinking-related consequences. Global sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and alcohol-related consequences were assessed using the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI). The sample consisted of 261 college students (61.3% female, 58.2% Caucasian) who completed online surveys. Using a four-step hierarchical multiple regression model, global sleep quality was found to predict alcohol consequences, over and above assessed covariates (demographics and weekly drinking). Further, global sleep quality emerged as a strong moderator in the drinking-consequences relationship such that among heavier drinkers, those with poorer global sleep quality experienced significantly greater alcohol-related harm. Campus health education and alcohol interventions may be adapted to address the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, both in terms of healthful sleeping and drinking behaviors, which appear to play a strong synergistic role in alcohol-related risk. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An overview of fatigue failures at the Rocky Flats Wind System Test Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waldon, C. A.

1981-01-01

Potential small wind energy conversion (SWECS) design problems were identified to improve product quality and reliability. Mass produced components such as gearboxes, generators, bearings, etc., are generally reliable due to their widespread uniform use in other industries. The likelihood of failure increases, though, in the interfacing of these components and in SWECS components designed for a specific system use. Problems relating to the structural integrity of such components are discussed and analyzed with techniques currently used in quality assurance programs in other manufacturing industries.

Longitudinal flying qualities criteria for single-pilot instrument flight operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stengel, R. F.; Bar-Gill, A.

1983-01-01

Modern estimation and control theory, flight testing, and statistical analysis were used to deduce flying qualities criteria for General Aviation Single Pilot Instrument Flight Rule (SPIFR) operations. The principal concern is that unsatisfactory aircraft dynamic response combined with high navigation/communication workload can produce problems of safety and efficiency. To alleviate these problems. The relative importance of these factors must be determined. This objective was achieved by flying SPIFR tasks with different aircraft dynamic configurations and assessing the effects of such variations under these conditions. The experimental results yielded quantitative indicators of pilot's performance and workload, and for each of them, multivariate regression was applied to evaluate several candidate flying qualities criteria.

A comparison of the effects of exercises plus connective tissue massage to exercises alone in women with fibromyalgia syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Toprak Celenay, Seyda; Anaforoglu Kulunkoglu, Bahar; Yasa, Mustafa Ertugrul; Sahbaz Pirincci, Cansu; Un Yildirim, Necmiye; Kucuksahin, Orhan; Ugurlu, Fatma Gulcin; Akkus, Selami

2017-11-01

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of a 6-week combined exercise program with and without connective tissue massage (CTM) on pain, fatigue, sleep problem, health status, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Patients were randomly allocated into Exercise (n = 20) and Exercise + CTM (n = 20) groups. The exercise program with and without CTM was carried out 2 days a week for 6 weeks. Pain, fatigue, sleep problem with Visual Analog Scales, health status with Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and quality of life with Short Form-36 were evaluated. After the program, pain, fatigue and sleep problem reduced, health status (except of the scores of FIQ-1 and FIQ-10), physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, bodily pain, role limitations due to emotional health, vitality, and general health perceptions parameters related to quality of life improved in the Exercise group, (P < 0.05). In the Exercise + CTM group, pain, fatigue and sleep problem decreased, health status and quality of life improved (P < 0.05). Pain, fatigue, sleep problem, and role limitations due to physical health improved in the Exercise + CTM group in comparison to the Exercise group (P < 0.05). The study suggested that exercises with and without CTM might be effective for decreasing pain, fatigue and sleep problem whereas increasing health status and quality of life in patients with FMS. However, exercises with CTM might be superior in improving pain, fatigue, sleep problem, and role limitations due to physical health compared to exercise alone.

Employing quality control and feedback to the EQ-5D-5L valuation protocol to improve the quality of data collection.

PubMed

Purba, Fredrick Dermawan; Hunfeld, Joke A M; Iskandarsyah, Aulia; Fitriana, Titi Sahidah; Sadarjoen, Sawitri S; Passchier, Jan; Busschbach, Jan J V

2017-05-01

In valuing health states using generic questionnaires such as EQ-5D, there are unrevealed issues with the quality of the data collection. The aims were to describe the problems encountered during valuation and to evaluate a quality control report and subsequent retraining of interviewers in improving this valuation. Data from the first 266 respondents in an EQ-5D-5L valuation study were used. Interviewers were trained and answered questions regarding problems during these initial interviews. Thematic analysis was used, and individual feedback was provided. After completion of 98 interviews, a first quantitative quality control (QC) report was generated, followed by a 1-day retraining program. Subsequently individual feedback was also given on the basis of follow-up QCs. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess improvements based on 7 indicators of quality as identified in the first QC and the QC conducted after a further 168 interviews. Interviewers encountered problems in recruiting respondents. Solutions provided were: optimization of the time of interview, the use of broader networks and the use of different scripts to explain the project's goals to respondents. For problems in interviewing process, solutions applied were: developing the technical and personal skills of the interviewers and stimulating the respondents' thought processes. There were also technical problems related to hardware, software and internet connections. There was an improvement in all 7 indicators of quality after the second QC. Training before and during a study, and individual feedback on the basis of a quantitative QC, can increase the validity of values obtained from generic questionnaires.

The Fragrant Chemist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, P.

1973-01-01

The chemist plays an important role in perfumery. There are scientific problems involved in relating odour to structure, including analysis of essential oils, quality control, and synthetic chemistry. (DF)

Telephone Problem-Solving Treatment Improves Sleep Quality in Service Members With Combat-Related Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Results From a Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Vuletic, S; Bell, K R; Jain, S; Bush, N; Temkin, N; Fann, J R; Stanfill, K E; Dikmen, S; Brockway, J A; He, F; Ernstrom, K; Raman, R; Grant, G; Stein, M B; Gahm, G A

2016-01-01

Evaluate sleep quality, its correlates, and the effect of telephone-based problem-solving treatment (PST) in active duty postdeployment service members with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) SETTING:: Randomized clinical trial. Active duty service members with combat-related mTBI. Education-only (EO) and PST groups (N = 178 each) received printed study materials and 12 educational brochures. The PST group additionally received up to 12 PST telephone calls addressing participant-selected issues. Outcomes were evaluated postintervention (6 months) and at 12 months. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Sleep quality was manifestly poor in both groups at baseline (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index = 12.5 ± 4). Overall sleep quality was significantly different between the PST and EO groups at 6 months (P = .003) but not at 12 months. Longitudinally, PST significantly improved sleep quality at 6 months (P = .001) but not over the follow-up. Low sleep quality was associated with concussion symptoms, pain, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder at all time points (P < .0001). Sleep disorders, common in postdeployment service members with mTBI, are strongly associated with the presence of pain, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression. Telephone-based PST may be an effective therapeutic approach for reducing sleep disorders in this population. Research should focus on maintenance of treatment gains.

Surfing for back pain patients: the nature and quality of back pain information on the Internet.

PubMed

Li, L; Irvin, E; Guzmán, J; Bombardier , C

2001-03-01

A prospective, systematic review of web sites related to back pain. To assess the nature and quality of back pain-related information on the World Wide Web during a 2-year period. The Internet has become a rich source of medical information. Limited knowledge is available, however, about the quality of online resources. Although previous systematic reviews on medical-related web sites found problems in varying degrees with the credibility of information, no such review was conducted to assess the back pain-related sites. A search of web sites was conducted in November 1996 using five search engines (AltaVista, Infoseek, Lycos, Yahoo, and Magellan) and two key terms ("back pain" and "back problems"). A sample of sites was evaluated by two independent reviewers. Each site was described by the type and nature of the sponsor, target audience, and content. Overall quality was assessed in terms of evidence-based information available. Seventy-four web sites were reviewed in 1996, and nine of them (12.2%) were identified as high-quality sites. Advertising was the focus of 80.8% of the sites. Eleven sites (14.9%) were found to be discontinued 1 year later, and 20 (27.0%) were not accessible by the reviewers at the 2-year follow-up evaluation. Of the remaining 54 sites, 44.4% were produced by for-profit companies, and most sites targeted people with back pain (63.0%). Only seven out of the nine high-quality sites held their ratings at the 2-year follow-up evaluation. Most back pain-related web sites can be classified as advertising. The quality varied considerably, resulting in difficulties for patients to find useful information in this field. The increasing number of people seeking medical information on the Web creates a need for more high quality sites. Further, systematic review of web sites should be encouraged to monitor the accuracy of Internet publication.

A Hybrid Genetic-Simulated Annealing Algorithm for the Location-Inventory-Routing Problem Considering Returns under E-Supply Chain Environment

PubMed Central

Guo, Hao; Fu, Jing

2013-01-01

Facility location, inventory control, and vehicle routes scheduling are critical and highly related problems in the design of logistics system for e-business. Meanwhile, the return ratio in Internet sales was significantly higher than in the traditional business. Many of returned merchandise have no quality defects, which can reenter sales channels just after a simple repackaging process. Focusing on the existing problem in e-commerce logistics system, we formulate a location-inventory-routing problem model with no quality defects returns. To solve this NP-hard problem, an effective hybrid genetic simulated annealing algorithm (HGSAA) is proposed. Results of numerical examples show that HGSAA outperforms GA on computing time, optimal solution, and computing stability. The proposed model is very useful to help managers make the right decisions under e-supply chain environment. PMID:24489489

Curriculum enactment patterns and associated factors from teachers' perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, Ji-Won; Kim, Ok-Kyeong

2016-12-01

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

SCOUT: simultaneous time segmentation and community detection in dynamic networks

PubMed Central

Hulovatyy, Yuriy; Milenković, Tijana

2016-01-01

Many evolving complex real-world systems can be modeled via dynamic networks. An important problem in dynamic network research is community detection, which finds groups of topologically related nodes. Typically, this problem is approached by assuming either that each time point has a distinct community organization or that all time points share a single community organization. The reality likely lies between these two extremes. To find the compromise, we consider community detection in the context of the problem of segment detection, which identifies contiguous time periods with consistent network structure. Consequently, we formulate a combined problem of segment community detection (SCD), which simultaneously partitions the network into contiguous time segments with consistent community organization and finds this community organization for each segment. To solve SCD, we introduce SCOUT, an optimization framework that explicitly considers both segmentation quality and partition quality. SCOUT addresses limitations of existing methods that can be adapted to solve SCD, which consider only one of segmentation quality or partition quality. In a thorough evaluation, SCOUT outperforms the existing methods in terms of both accuracy and computational complexity. We apply SCOUT to biological network data to study human aging. PMID:27881879

Societal costs of underage drinking.

PubMed

Miller, Ted R; Levy, David T; Spicer, Rebecca S; Taylor, Dexter M

2006-07-01

Despite minimum-purchase-age laws, young people regularly drink alcohol. This study estimated the magnitude and costs of problems resulting from underage drinking by category-traffic crashes, violence, property crime, suicide, burns, drownings, fetal alcohol syndrome, high-risk sex, poisonings, psychoses, and dependency treatment-and compared those costs with associated alcohol sales. Previous studies did not break out costs of alcohol problems by age. For each category of alcohol-related problems, we estimated fatal and nonfatal cases attributable to underage alcohol use. We multiplied alcohol-attributable cases by estimated costs per case to obtain total costs for each problem. Underage drinking accounted for at least 16% of alcohol sales in 2001. It led to 3,170 deaths and 2.6 million other harmful events. The estimated $61.9 billion bill (relative SE = 18.5%) included $5.4 billion in medical costs, $14.9 billion in work loss and other resource costs, and $41.6 billion in lost quality of life. Quality-of-life costs, which accounted for 67% of total costs, required challenging indirect measurement. Alcohol-attributable violence and traffic crashes dominated the costs. Leaving aside quality of life, the societal harm of $1 per drink consumed by an underage drinker exceeded the average purchase price of $0.90 or the associated $0.10 in tax revenues. Recent attention has focused on problems resulting from youth use of illicit drugs and tobacco. In light of the associated substantial injuries, deaths, and high costs to society, youth drinking behaviors merit the same kind of serious attention.

The association of dermatologist-diagnosed and self-reported skin diseases with skin-related quality of life in Latino migrant farmworkers.

PubMed

Quandt, Sara A; Schulz, Mark R; Vallejos, Quirina M; Feldman, Steven R; Verma, Amit; Fleischer, Alan B; Rapp, Stephen R; Arcury, Thomas A

2008-03-01

Skin diseases are known to affect the quality of life (QoL), but data to support this are based on clinical samples. Few data document the skin-related QoL in the general population, and whether its association differs with self-reported or dermatologist-diagnosed skin ailments. Farmworkers are at high risk for skin diseases, and are an appropriate population in which to explore these associations. To compare the association between skin-related QoL and workers' self-reports of skin conditions or dermatologist-diagnosed skin diseases over the course of a work season. Three hundred and four Latino farmworkers were recruited from 45 randomly selected residential sites in North Carolina, USA, for longitudinal surveillance. The participants were interviewed up to five times at 3-week intervals and the reported skin problems and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) were recorded. Nine digital photographs were taken of each participant. A board-certified dermatologist rated each for the presence of specific skin diseases. An impact of skin disease on QoL was reported in 16% of interviews. In multivariate analyses with self-reported skin problems, feet or skin fungus, rash, itching, and poison ivy were predictors of QoL. Dermatologist-diagnosed inflammatory diseases and pigmentary disorders were significant predictors of QoL. The association was stronger for self-reported skin problems than for dermatologist-diagnosed conditions. In a population of farmworkers, skin problems had a clinically significant impact on QoL. Itch-related conditions and cosmetic conditions, such as acne and melasma, were important determinants of QoL. Treatment for these conditions in this population may enhance QoL.

The quality movement in higher education in the United States.

PubMed

Buchanan, H S

1995-09-01

Continuous quality improvement (CQI), often implemented as part of an integrated management system called total quality management (TQM), has been institutionalized within many manufacturing, military and service organizations in the USA as a response to declining market share, low productivity and customer complaints about poor quality. Signs and symptoms suggest that higher education has similar problems which are systematic and relate to the quality ot higher education, financing, facilities, curriculum and graduates. In the 1990S, the quality movement has begun to spread to the field of education as a means of diagnosing and treating the problems widely recognized as residing in US educational institutions, especially in colleges and universities. Many business leaders and authors believe that 'quality is the most important strategic issue facing top management in the 1990s'. This belief arises partly due to the fact that managers are beginning to understand the relationship between healthy, high quality organizations and healthy profits. This article traces the recent US quality movement from its roots in manufacturing and the military, its adoption by service institutions, and its more recent application by higher education institutions.

Preventing Behavioural and Emotional Problems in Children Who Have a Developmental Disability: A Public Health Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazzucchelli, Trevor G.; Sanders, Matthew R.

2011-01-01

Children with developmental disabilities are at substantially greater risk of developing emotional and behavioural problems compared to their typically developing peers. While the quality of parenting that children receive has a major effect on their development, empirically supported parenting programs reach relatively few parents. A recent trend…

Analysis of Arguments Constructed by First-Year Engineering Students Addressing Electromagnetic Induction Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almudi, Jose Manuel; Ceberio, Mikel

2015-01-01

This study explored the quality of arguments used by first-year engineering university students enrolled in a traditional physics course dealing with electromagnetic induction and related problem solving where they had to assess whether the electromagnetic induction phenomenon would occur. Their conclusions were analyzed for the relevance of the…

Managing Smallness: Promising Fiscal Practices for Rural School District Administrators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freitas, Deborah Inman

Based on a mail survey of over 100 rural school administrators in 34 states, this handbook outlines common problems and successful strategies in the financial management of rural, small school districts. Major problems are related to revenue and cash flow, increasing expenditures, providing quality education programs, and staffing to handle the…

Psychological problems, protective factors and health-related quality of life in youth affected by violence: the burden of the multiply victimised.

PubMed

Schlack, Robert; Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike; Petermann, Franz

2013-06-01

This study investigates self-rated mental health in terms of psychological problems, protective factors and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a nationally representative sample of adolescents (n=6813) aged 11-17 involved in violence with varying frequency. Using MANCOVA and ANCOVA, youth with single and multiple histories of violent victimisation and violence perpetration were contrasted with non-involved comparisons. The results show that even low levels of violence involvement were associated with more problems, fewer protective factors and impaired HRQOL. Multiply victimised youth - not perpetrating victims - stood out with internalising, peer and hyperactivity/inattention problems. Discriminant function analysis separated non-involved from violence-affected youth, and multiply victimised from not multiply victimised youth. Externalising behaviours, family issues, male sex and school functioning predicted group separation on the first function (proportion variance explained 80.0%), while internalising and peer issues were predictive for the second function (PVE 14.2%). Implications for prevention, intervention and research are discussed. Copyright © 2013 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SLEEP AND GAMBLING SEVERITY IN A COMMUNITY SAMPLE OF GAMBLERS

PubMed Central

Parhami, Iman; Siani, Aaron; Rosenthal, Richard J.; Lin, Stephanie; Collard, Michael; Fong, Timothy W.

2012-01-01

Although sleep has been extensively studied in substance related disorders, it has yet to be examined as thoroughly in gambling-related disorders. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between gambling severity and sleep disturbances in a sample of non-treatment seeking gamblers (N = 96) using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Mean ESS scores for recreational, problem, and pathological gamblers were 4.13, 5.81, and 8.69, respectively, with a significant difference between pathological gamblers and both problem (P = .007) and recreational gamblers (P < .001). Mean PSQI scores for recreational, problem, and pathological gamblers were 3.35, 5.30, and 5.44, respectively, with a significant difference in sleep quality between recreational and problem gamblers (P = .018), as well as recreational and pathological gamblers (P = .008). As the first study to use objective sleep measures, these findings will not only increase awareness of this relationship, but also provide a foundation on which others can investigate the benefits of screening and adjunct treatment for sleep disorders in the gambling population. PMID:22356670

Maternal stress and behavioral adaptation in methadone- or buprenorphine-exposed toddlers.

PubMed

Sarfi, Monica; Sundet, Jon Martin; Waal, Helge

2013-12-01

The current study examined the relationship between early interaction, parenting stress, maternal psychological distress symptoms, and behavior problems and health-related quality of life among children born to mothers in opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) in Norway during the period 2005-2007 (N = 36). This group was compared with a normative sample of mothers without substance abuse problems and their children (N = 36). There were significant group differences (p < .01) in perceived child problems in toddlerhood. In a regression model, mothers' self-reported psychological distress symptoms in terms of depression and anxiety symptoms significantly predicted child behavior problems (p < .01) and health-related quality of life (p < .01) rather than parenting stress. No significant, unique effect of exposure was found after controlling for other factors that could influence developmental outcomes. These findings add to the growing evidence on the importance of maternal psychological well-being for child development, and underscore the need to address opioid-maintained women's personal maladjustment and the constellation of stress experienced by mothers in recovery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fear of Falling in Women with Fibromyalgia and Its Relation with Number of Falls and Balance Performance.

PubMed

Collado-Mateo, D; Gallego-Diaz, J M; Adsuar, J C; Domínguez-Muñoz, F J; Olivares, P R; Gusi, N

2015-01-01

To evaluate fear of falling, number of falls, and balance performance in women with FM and to examine the relationship between these variables and others, such as balance performance, quality of life, age, pain, and impact of fibromyalgia. A total of 240 women participated in this cross-sectional study. Of these, 125 had fibromyalgia. Several variables were assessed: age, fear of falling from 0 to 100, number of falls, body composition, balance performance, lower limb strength, health-related quality of life, and impact of fibromyalgia. Women with fibromyalgia reported more falls and more fear of falling. Fear of falling was associated with number of falls in the last year, stiffness, perceived balance problems, impact of FM, and HRQoL whereas the number of falls was related to fear of falling, balance performance with eyes closed, pain, tenderness to touch level, anxiety, self-reported balance problems, impact of FM, and HRQoL. FM has an impact on fear of falling, balance performance, and number of falls. Perceived balance problems seem to be more closely associated with fear of falling than objective balance performance.

Effects of game-based virtual reality on health-related quality of life in chronic stroke patients: A randomized, controlled study.

PubMed

Shin, Joon-Ho; Bog Park, Si; Ho Jang, Seong

2015-08-01

In the present study, we aimed to determine whether game-based virtual reality (VR) rehabilitation, combined with occupational therapy (OT), could improve health-related quality of life, depression, and upper extremity function. We recruited 35 patients with chronic hemiparetic stroke, and these participants were randomized into groups that underwent VR rehabilitation plus conventional OT, or the same amount of conventional OT alone, for 20 sessions over 4 weeks. Compared to baseline, the VR rehabilitation plus OT group exhibited significantly improved role limitation due to emotional problems (p=0.047). Compared to baseline, both groups also exhibited significantly improved depression (p=0.017) and upper extremity function (p=0.001), although the inter-group differences were not significant. However, a significant inter-group difference was observed for role limitation due to physical problems (p=0.031). Our results indicate that game-based VR rehabilitation has specific effects on health-related quality of life, depression, and upper extremity function among patients with chronic hemiparetic stroke. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Testosterone and Child and Adolescent Adjustment: The Moderating Role of Parent-Child Relationships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Alan; Johnson, David R.; Granger, Douglas A.; Crouter, Ann C.; McHale, Susan

2003-01-01

In a sample of families with 6- to 18-year-olds, this study found that sons' and daughters' testosterone levels showed little direct connection to risk behavior or depressive symptoms. As parent-child relationship quality increased, testosterone-related adjustment problems were less evident. When relationship quality decreased, testosterone-linked…

Biodiversity, air quality and human health

Treesearch

David J. Nowak; Sarah Jovan; Christina Branquinho; Sofia Augusto; Manuel C. Ribeiro; Conor E. Kretsch

2015-01-01

Air pollution is a significant problem in cities across the world. It affects human health and well-being, ecosystem health, crops, climate, visibility and human-made materials. Health effects related to air pollution include its impact on the pulmonary, cardiac, vascular and neurological systems (Section 2). Trees affect air quality through a number of means (Section...

There's Something in the Air: Indoor Air Quality in Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Edward A.

1994-01-01

Part 1 of this article, the first in a three-part series of articles that discuss indoor air quality (IAQ) issues affecting schools, provides a general overview of IAQ and discusses the three major health problems associated with IAQ: sick building syndrome, building-related illness, and multiple chemical sensitivity. (MLF)

The Role of Classroom-Level Child Behavior Problems in Predicting Preschool Teacher Stress and Classroom Emotional Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman-Krauss, Allison Hope; Raver, C. Cybele; Morris, Pamela A.; Jones, Stephanie M.

2014-01-01

Research Findings: Despite the abundance of research suggesting that preschool classroom quality influences children's social-emotional development, the equally important and related question of how characteristics of children enrolled in a classroom influence classroom quality has rarely been addressed. The current article focuses on this…

Evaluating Online Bilingual Dictionaries: The Case of Popular Free English-Polish Dictionaries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lew, Robert; Szarowska, Agnieszka

2017-01-01

Language learners today exhibit a strong preference for free online resources. One problem with such resources is that their quality can vary dramatically. Building on related work on monolingual resources for English, we propose an evaluation framework for online bilingual dictionaries, designed to assess lexicographic quality in four major…

Parental palliative cancer: psychosocial adjustment and health-related quality of life in adolescents participating in a German family counselling service

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Parental palliative disease is a family affair, however adolescent's well-being and coping are still rarely considered. The objectives of this paper were a) to identify differences in psychosocial adjustment and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among adolescents and young adults with parents suffering from palliative cancer or cancers in other disease stages, b) to relate psychosocial adjustment and health-related quality of life to adolescent coping, and c) to explore significant mediator and predictor variables. Methods Cross-sectional data were derived from a multi-site research study of families before child-centered counselling. N=86 adolescents and young adults were included, their mean age 13.78 years (sd 2.45), 56% being female. Performed analyses included ANCOVA, multiple linear regression, and mediation analysis. Results Adolescents with parents suffering from palliative cancers reported significantly less total psychosocial problems, and better overall HRQoL. There were no significant group differences regarding coping frequency and efficacy. Our set of coping items significantly mediated the effect of parental disease stage on psychosocial problems and HRQoL. Further, parental disease status and general family functioning predicted psychosocial problems (R2adj =.390) and HRQoL (R2adj =.239) best. Conclusion The study indicates distress among adolescents throughout the entire parental disease process. Our analysis suggests that counselling services could offer supportive interventions which focus particularly on adolescent coping as well as family functioning. PMID:23110440

[Quality assessment in anesthesia].

PubMed

Kupperwasser, B

1996-01-01

Quality assessment (assurance/improvement) is the set of methods used to measure and improve the delivered care and the department's performance against pre-established criteria or standards. The four stages of the self-maintained quality assessment cycle are: problem identification, problem analysis, problem correction and evaluation of corrective actions. Quality assessment is a measurable entity for which it is necessary to define and calibrate measurement parameters (indicators) from available data gathered from the hospital anaesthesia environment. Problem identification comes from the accumulation of indicators. There are four types of quality indicators: structure, process, outcome and sentinel indicators. The latter signal a quality defect, are independent of outcomes, are easier to analyse by statistical methods and closely related to processes and main targets of quality improvement. The three types of methods to analyse the problems (indicators) are: peer review, quantitative methods and risks management techniques. Peer review is performed by qualified anaesthesiologists. To improve its validity, the review process should be explicited and conclusions based on standards of practice and literature references. The quantitative methods are statistical analyses applied to the collected data and presented in a graphic format (histogram, Pareto diagram, control charts). The risks management techniques include: a) critical incident analysis establishing an objective relationship between a 'critical' event and the associated human behaviours; b) system accident analysis, based on the fact that accidents continue to occur despite safety systems and sophisticated technologies, checks of all the process components leading to the impredictable outcome and not just the human factors; c) cause-effect diagrams facilitate the problem analysis in reducing its causes to four fundamental components (persons, regulations, equipment, process). Definition and implementation of corrective measures, based on the findings of the two previous stages, are the third step of the evaluation cycle. The Hawthorne effect is an outcome improvement, before the implementation of any corrective actions. Verification of the implemented actions is the final and mandatory step closing the evaluation cycle.

Development and evaluation of an instrument to measure health-related quality of life in Cuban breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.

PubMed

Lugo, Josefina; Nápoles, Misleidy; Pérez, Inés; Ordaz, Niurka; Luzardo, Mario; Fernández, Leticia

2014-01-01

INTRODUCTION Although modern technology has extended the survival of breast cancer patients, treatment's adverse effects impact their health-related quality of life. Currently, no instrument exists capable of identifying the range of problems affecting breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy in Cuba's socioeconomic and cultural context. OBJECTIVES Construct and validate an instrument to measure the effects of breast cancer and radiotherapy on health-related quality of life in Cuban patients. METHODS The study was conducted at the Oncology and Radiobiology Institute, Havana, Cuba, from January 2010 through December 2011. Inclusion criteria were: adult female, histological diagnosis of breast cancer, treated with ambulatory radiotherapy, and written informed consent; patients unable to communicate orally or in writing, or who had neurologic or psychiatric conditions were excluded. Development phase: focus groups guided by a list of questions were carried out with 50 women. The patients reported 61 problems affecting their health-related quality-of-life. A nominal group (six oncologists and two nurses) identified the same problems. A syntactic analysis of the information was performed to create items for study and measurement scales. Content validity was determined by a nominal group of seven experts using professional judgment. Another 20 patients were selected to evaluate face validity. Validation phase: the instrument was applied to 230 patients at three different points: before radiotherapy, at the end of radiotherapy and four weeks after radiotherapy was concluded. Reliability, construct validity, discriminant validity, predictive validity, interpretability and response burden were evaluated. RESULTS The final instrument developed had 33 items distributed in 4 domains: physical functioning, psychological functioning, social and family relationships, and physical and emotional adverse effects of disease and treatment. There were two discrete items: perceived general health and perceived health-related quality of life. Content validity and face validity were assessed as acceptable, by experts and patients respectively. Homogeneity, construct validity, and discriminant validity were satisfactory. The best results were obtained with test-retest reliability, predictive validity, and interpretability; the low rate of unanswered questions indicated that the instrument did not produce excessive patient response burden. CONCLUSION The new instrument fulfilled the requirements for measuring impact of breast cancer and of radiotherapy on health-related quality of life in these Cuban patients, validating its usefulness for inclusion in clinical trial protocols.

Older people's perceptions of the quality of oral care in short-term care units: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Andersson, Maria; Wilde-Larsson, Bodil; Carlsson, Eva; Persenius, Mona

2018-06-01

There is a lack of knowledge about oral care among older people living in short-term care (STC) units and how the quality of oral care provided by nursing staff is perceived by the older people. To (i) describe person-related conditions among older people in STC, (ii) describe and compare perceptions of the quality of oral care (including perceptions of care received and the subjective importance of such care), within and between older people who have the ability to perform oral self-care and those who are dependent on help with oral care and (iii) examine the relationship between person-related conditions and the quality of oral care. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 391 older people in STC units in Sweden based on self-reported questionnaire and clinical assessments. The older people were assessed as having normal oral health (2%), moderate oral health problems (78%) or severe oral health problems (20%). When comparing older people's perceptions of quality of oral care in terms of perceived reality and subjective importance, significant differences appeared within and between groups. Psychological well-being had a significant relationship with perception of the quality of oral care (both perceived reality and subjective importance), and gender and oral health status had a significant relationship with subjective importance. Older people's perceptions of areas for improvement regarding quality of oral care is a new and important knowledge for nursing staff in STC units. Older people want personalised information regarding oral health and oral care. Registered Nurses who take the responsibility in nursing care for older people's oral health may avoid unnecessary suffering by older people caused by oral health problems. Older people's perspective is an important component for quality work and might lead to improvements in the quality of oral care in STC. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Assessing and improving quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer.

PubMed

Singer, Susanne; Langendijk, Johannes; Yarom, Noam

2013-01-01

Health-related quality of life (QoL) indicates the patients' perception of their health. It depends not only on disease- and treatment-related factors but also on complex inter-relationships of expectations, values and norms, psychologic distress, and comparison with other patients. This article introduces methods and challenges of QoL assessment in patients with head and neck cancer, as well as ways to overcome measurement problems and ways to improve their QoL.

Quality of life in ostomy patients: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Dabirian, Aazam; Yaghmaei, Farideh; Rassouli, Maryam; Tafreshi, Mansoureh Zagheri

2010-12-21

Therapeutic procedures may not only treat disease but also affect patient quality of life. Therefore, quality of life should be measured in order to assess the impact of disease and therapeutic procedures. To identify clients' problems, it is necessary to assess several dimensions of quality of life, including physical, spiritual, economic, and social aspects. In this regard, we conducted a qualitative study to explore quality of life and its dimensions in ostomy patients referred to the Iranian Ostomy Association. Fourteen patients were interviewed about their quality of life dimensions by purposeful sampling. Data were gathered by semistructured interviews and analyzed using the content analysis method. Nine main themes emerged using this approach, including physical problems related to colostomy, impact of colostomy on psychological functioning, social and family relationships, travel, nutrition, physical activity, and sexual function, as well as religious and economic issues. The findings of the study identified a number of challenges in quality of life for patients with ostomy. The results can be used by health care providers to create a supportive environment that promotes better quality of life for their ostomy patients.

Quality of life in ostomy patients: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Dabirian, Aazam; Yaghmaei, Farideh; Rassouli, Maryam; Tafreshi, Mansoureh Zagheri

2011-01-01

Purpose Therapeutic procedures may not only treat disease but also affect patient quality of life. Therefore, quality of life should be measured in order to assess the impact of disease and therapeutic procedures. To identify clients’ problems, it is necessary to assess several dimensions of quality of life, including physical, spiritual, economic, and social aspects. In this regard, we conducted a qualitative study to explore quality of life and its dimensions in ostomy patients referred to the Iranian Ostomy Association. Methods Fourteen patients were interviewed about their quality of life dimensions by purposeful sampling. Data were gathered by semistructured interviews and analyzed using the content analysis method. Results Nine main themes emerged using this approach, including physical problems related to colostomy, impact of colostomy on psychological functioning, social and family relationships, travel, nutrition, physical activity, and sexual function, as well as religious and economic issues. Conclusion The findings of the study identified a number of challenges in quality of life for patients with ostomy. The results can be used by health care providers to create a supportive environment that promotes better quality of life for their ostomy patients. PMID:21311696

Bridging the gap between hospital and primary care: the pharmacist home visit.

PubMed

Ensing, Hendrik T; Koster, Ellen S; Stuijt, Clementine C M; van Dooren, Ad A; Bouvy, Marcel L

2015-06-01

Bridging the gap between hospital and primary care is important as transition from one healthcare setting to another increases the risk on drug-related problems and consequent readmissions. To reduce those risks, pharmacist interventions during and after hospitalization have been frequently studied, albeit with variable effects. Therefore, in this manuscript we propose a three phase approach to structurally address post-discharge drug-related problems. First, hospitals need to transfer up-todate medication information to community pharmacists. Second, the key phase of this approach consists of adequate follow-up at the patients' home. Pharmacists need to apply their clinical and communication skills to identify and analyze drug-related problems. Finally, to prevent and solve identified drug related problems a close collaboration within the primary care setting between pharmacists and general practitioners is of utmost importance. It is expected that such an approach results in improved quality of care and improved patient safety.

Health-related quality of life of patients six months poststroke living in the Western Cape, South Africa.

PubMed

Rhoda, Anthea J

2014-01-01

The majority of individuals report a decline in health-related quality of life following a stroke. Quality of life and factors predicting quality of life could differ in individuals from lower income countries. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the quality of life and factors influencing quality of life of community-dwelling stroke patients living in low-income, peri-urban areas in the Western Cape, South Africa. An observational, longitudinal study was used to collect data from a conveniently selected sample of first-ever stroke patients. The Rivermead Motor Assessment Scale and the Barthel Index were used to determine functional outcome and the EQ-5D was used to collect information relating to quality of life at two months and six months poststroke. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The total sample of 100 participants consisted of 50% men and 50% women with a mean age of 61 and a standard deviation of 10.55 years. Six-month quality of life data was analysed for 73 of the 100 participants. Of the 27 who were lost to follow-up, nine participants died, four withdrew from the study after baseline data was collected and eleven could not be followed up as they had either moved or no follow-up telephone numbers were available. A further three participants were excluded from the analysis of the EQ-5D as they were aphasic. Of these, approximately 35% had problems with mobility and self-care, whilst 42% had severe problems with everyday activities and 37.8% expressed having anxiety and depression. Quality of life at two months ( p = 0.010) and urinary incontinence ( p = 0.002) were significant predictors of quality of life at six months. Health-related quality of life was decreased in the South African stroke sample. Functional ability and urinary incontinence were the factors affecting quality of life in the sample. These factors should be considered in the rehabilitation of stroke patients in these settings.

GEE-WIS Anchored Problem Solving Using Real-Time Authentic Water Quality Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, M.; Wlodarczyk, M. S.; Branco, B.; Torgersen, T.

2002-05-01

GEE-WIS scientific problem solving consists of observing, hypothesizing, synthesis, argument building and reasoning, in the context of analysis, representation, modeling and sense-making of real-time authentic water quality data. Geoscience Environmental Education - Web-accessible Instrumented Systems, or GEE-WIS, an NSF Geoscience Education grant, has established a set of companion websites that stream real-time data from two campus retention ponds for research and use in secondary and undergraduate water quality lessons. We have targeted scientific problem solving skills because of the nature of the GEE-WIS environment, but further because they are central to state and federal efforts to establish science education curriculum standards and are at the core of performance-based testing. We have used a design experiment process to create and test two Anchored Instruction scenario problems. Customization such as that done through a design process, is acknowledged to be a fundamental component of educational research from an ecological psychology perspective. Our efforts have shared core design elements with other NSF water quality projects. Our method involves the analysis of student written scenario responses for level of scientific problem solving using a qualitative scoring rubric designed from participation in a related NSF project, SCALE (Synergy Communities: Aggregating Learning about Education). Student solutions of GEE-WIS anchor problems from Fall 2001 and Spring 2002 will be summarized. Implications are drawn for those interested in making secondary and high education geoscience more realistic and more motivating for students through the use of real-time authentic data via Internet.

A solution quality assessment method for swarm intelligence optimization algorithms.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhaojun; Wang, Gai-Ge; Zou, Kuansheng; Zhang, Jianhua

2014-01-01

Nowadays, swarm intelligence optimization has become an important optimization tool and wildly used in many fields of application. In contrast to many successful applications, the theoretical foundation is rather weak. Therefore, there are still many problems to be solved. One problem is how to quantify the performance of algorithm in finite time, that is, how to evaluate the solution quality got by algorithm for practical problems. It greatly limits the application in practical problems. A solution quality assessment method for intelligent optimization is proposed in this paper. It is an experimental analysis method based on the analysis of search space and characteristic of algorithm itself. Instead of "value performance," the "ordinal performance" is used as evaluation criteria in this method. The feasible solutions were clustered according to distance to divide solution samples into several parts. Then, solution space and "good enough" set can be decomposed based on the clustering results. Last, using relative knowledge of statistics, the evaluation result can be got. To validate the proposed method, some intelligent algorithms such as ant colony optimization (ACO), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and artificial fish swarm algorithm (AFS) were taken to solve traveling salesman problem. Computational results indicate the feasibility of proposed method.

Water supply of the population as a problem of energy efficiency on the example of the Tyumen region of Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lezier, Victoria; Gusarova, Miroslava; Kopytova, Anna

2017-10-01

The purpose of this article is to draw public attention to the problems of water supply in the city of Tyumen, the capital of the oil region and one of the most important objects in Russia from the point of view of strategic water supply, located in the region with vast freshwater resources. The article outlines main water supply problems related to the quality of drinking water, its chemical composition, and risks of water contamination by industrial effluents, problems of water transport to the consumers, problems of energy efficiency. The issues raised are part of the energy efficiency not only of the Tyumen region, but also of the Sverdlovsk region, from which the waters of the drinking basin are transited, being a sewage channel for many industrial enterprises. The article touches the issues of water protection, conservation and quality of water coming from the Velizhansky water intake, as well as the possibilities of using alternative sources of drinking water. The article analyzes legal measures, and proposals for improving work with increasing the quality of drinking water, combating melt water and pollution with oil.

Emotional state and psychological flexibility in breast cancer survivors.

PubMed

González-Fernández, Sonia; Fernández-Rodríguez, Concepción; Mota-Alonso, María Jesús; García-Teijido, Paula; Pedrosa, Ignacio; Pérez-Álvarez, Marino

2017-10-01

This study analyses the premise that less time spent carrying out valuable activities and inflexible avoidance of thoughts, feelings and memories related to the oncological process may play an important role in the emotional problems of cancer survivors. Emotional state was evaluated, as was quality of life and psychological flexibility in a sample of 122 breast cancer survivors (M age  = 52.40; SD age  = 7.26). The analysis was carried out using a cross-sectional predictive study. Approximately half of those in the sample suffered from clinically significant emotional distress. The predictor variables selected explained a high percentage of the variability in emotional problems and quality of life (51.10-77.10%). Avoidance explained a high percentage of the variance in anxiety, depression and general distress. A lower degree of participation in valuable activities contributed, more specifically, to explaining variability in depression. The quantity and availability of environmental reinforcement was closely related to quality of life. A decisive contribution towards promoting emotional well-being and quality of life can be made by nursing action aimed at diminishing those avoidance strategies related to the oncological experience which may distance patients from daily activities which are gratifying and congruent with their values. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adjustment problems in the family and school contexts, attitude towards authority, and violent behavior at school in adolescence.

PubMed

Musitu Ochoa, Gonzalo; Estévez Lopez, Estefania; Emler, Nicholas P

2007-01-01

This study analyzed the role of different but interrelated variables in the family and school contexts in relation to problems of violent behavior at school during adolescence. Participants were 1,068 students aged 11 to 16 (47% male) drawn from secondary schools in the Valencian Community (Spain). Statistical analyses were carried out using structural equation modeling. The model accounted for 32% of the variance in school violence. Results showed a direct association between quality of communication with father and teacher's expectations of the student with the adolescent's involvement in violent behavior at school. Moreover, findings showed indirect paths by which adolescents' self-concept (family and school domains), acceptance by peers, and attitude toward authority, seemed to be influenced by the quality of interactions with parent and teachers, and also were closely associated with violent behavior at school. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research on adolescent psychosocial adjustment and behavioral problems at school.

Do Personality Problems Improve During Psychodynamic Supportive-Expressive Psychotherapy? Secondary Outcome Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial for Psychiatric Outpatients with Personality Disorders

PubMed Central

Vinnars, Bo; Thormählen, Barbro; Gallop, Robert; Norén, Kristina; Barber, Jacques P.

2009-01-01

Studies involving patients with personality disorders (PD) have not focused on improvement of core aspects of the PD. This paper examines changes in quality of object relations, interpersonal problems, psychological mindedness, and personality traits in a sample of 156 patients with DSM-IV PD diagnoses being randomized to either manualized or non manualized dynamic psychotherapy. Effect sizes adjusted for symptomatic change and reliable change indices were calculated. We found that both treatments were equally effective at reducing personality pathology. Only in neuroticism did the non manualized group do better during the follow-up period. The largest improvement was found in quality of object relations. For the remaining variables only small and clinically insignificant magnitudes of change were found. PMID:20161588

A Study of Effective Team Building in Relation to Organizational Culture and Organizational Climate in Universities in Delhi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banerjee, Priyanka

2014-01-01

Educational organizations are facing severe problems in terms of competition, quality degradation and deteriorating standards. There is a need to identify, define, develop strategy, initiate action and solve the problem. The present research holds significance in the rapidity of changing environment that affects our educational organizations…

Differential Susceptibility Effects: The Interaction of Negative Emotionality and Sibling Relationship Quality on Childhood Internalizing Problems and Social Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Judith K.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Olino, Thomas M.

2012-01-01

Whereas socialization influences in early childhood have been linked to children's emerging internalizing problems and prosocial behavior, relatively few studies have examined how NE might moderate such associations in both advantageous and maladaptive ways. Furthermore, more research is needed to evaluate the impact of sibling relationships as an…

Linked Lives: Adult Children's Problems and Their Parents' Psychological and Relational Well-Being

PubMed Central

Greenfield, Emily A.; Marks, Nadine F.

2006-01-01

This study examined associations between adult children's cumulative problems and their parents' psychological and relational well-being, as well as whether such associations are similar for married and single parents. Regression models were estimated using data from 1,188 parents in the 1995 National Survey of Midlife in the United States whose youngest child was at least 19 years old. Participants reporting children with more problems indicated moderately poorer levels of well-being across all outcomes examined. Single parents reporting more problems indicated less positive affect than a comparable group of married parents, but married parents reporting more problems indicated poorer parent-child relationship quality. Findings are congruent with the family life course perspective, conceptualizing parents and children as occupying mutually influential developmental trajectories. PMID:17710218

NASA flight cell and battery issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schulze, N. R.

1989-01-01

The author presents the important battery and cell problems, encompassing both test failures and accidents, which were encountered during the past year. Practical issues facing programs, which have to be considered in the development of a battery program strategy, are addressed. The problems of one program, the GRO (Gamma Ray Observatory), during the past year are focused on to illustrate the fundamental types of battery problems that occur. Problems encountered by other programs are briefly mentioned to complete the accounting. Two major categories of issues are defined, namely, whose which are quality and design related, i.e., problems having inherent manufacturing-process-related aspects with an impact on cell reliability, and these which are accident triggered or man induced, i.e., those operational issues having an impact on battery and cell reliability.

[Water and health-related problems, local perception and quality of water sources in a Toba (qom) community in the Impenetrable (Chaco, Argentina)].

PubMed

Martínez, Gustavo J; Beccaglia, Ana M; Llinares, Analía

2014-08-01

We present a transdisciplinary study centering on aspects of environmental health of the Toba (qom) communities that relate to water and health problems of the Impenetrable Chaco region. Information was obtained through the methods and tools of participatory research, household participant observation, and ethnobotanical documentation of species related to water management and use. Vernacular terms referring to the suitability and taste of the water, as well as representations, attitudes and practices related to water collection and purification were recorded. In addition, a microbiological and physicochemical analysis of the water was performed and compared with the perceptual categories. It was observed that perceptual aspects were in tension with the hygienic quality of water. We documented phreatophyte plants, indicative of the presence of water, as well as plants that store water, act as flocculants, refresh the water or improve taste. The results of this research are discussed from an ecosystem approach and its relationship to the development of proposals for intervention.

The burden of age-related macular degeneration: a value-based analysis.

PubMed

Brown, Melissa M; Brown, Gary C; Sharma, Sanjay; Stein, Joshua D; Roth, Zachary; Campanella, Joseph; Beauchamp, George R

2006-06-01

The quality-of-life loss and the financial consequences associated with age-related macular degeneration are assessed. The quality-of-life loss associated with macular degeneration is markedly underestimated by the general public, nonophthalmic physicians, and ophthalmologists who treat patients with this condition. Mild age-related macular degeneration causes a 17% decrement in the quality of life of the average patient, similar to that encountered with moderate cardiac angina or symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus syndrome. Moderate age-related macular degeneration causes a 40% decrease in the average patient's quality of life, similar to that associated with severe cardiac angina or renal dialysis. Very severe age-related macular degeneration causes a large 63% decrease in the average patient's quality of life, similar to that encountered with end-stage prostatic cancer or a catastrophic stroke that leaves a person bedridden, incontinent and requiring constant nursing care. The return on investment is high for both treatment with current age-related macular degeneration therapies and the research costs invested in the development of age-related macular degeneration treatment modalities. Age-related macular degeneration is a major public health problem that has a devastating effect upon patients and marked adverse financial consequences for the economy.

Comparison of the health-related quality of life in patients with narrow gastric tube and whole stomach reconstruction after oncologic esophagectomy: a prospective randomized study.

PubMed

Zhang, M; Wu, Q C; Li, Q; Jiang, Y J; Zhang, C; Chen, D

2013-01-01

To compare the health-related quality of life in patients with narrow gastric tube and whole stomach reconstructions after oncologic esophagectomy. In a prospective randomized single-center study from 2007 to 2008, 104 patients underwent esophagectomy for cancer. To assess health-related quality of life, the questionnaire (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 and the Oesophagus-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire 18) was administered at 3 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery. The perioperative complication rate was 26.9% in narrow gastric tube group and 48.1% in whole stomach group (P = 0.31). At the time of 3 weeks after surgery, the reflux and dyspnea scores were higher in whole stomach group than in narrow gastric tube group, which meant that the patients in whole stomach group suffered more severe problem. At the time of 6 months and 1 year after surgery, the reflux scores were lower in narrow gastric tube group than in whole stomach group, which revealed that there were less problems of reflux in the patients of narrow gastric tube group; meanwhile, the score of physical function scale in narrow gastric tube group was higher conversely, which suggested that the patients gain a better status in physical function. Nausea and vomiting is the only notable symptom that was worse in whole stomach group at the time of 2 years after surgery, which suggested that patients in whole stomach group suffered more severe nausea and vomiting. Narrow gastric tube reconstruction may be a good alternative choice for patients undergoing oncologic esophagectomy in view of better health-related quality of life after the surgery.

Burnout and Quality of Life among Healthcare Research Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enders, Felicity; West, Colin P.; Dyrbye, Liselotte; Shanafelt, Tait D.; Satele, Daniel; Sloan, Jeff

2015-01-01

Burnout is increasingly recognized as a problem in the workplace--30% to 50% of physicians experience burnout, but no assessment of burnout has been done among healthcare research faculty. A cross-sectional survey of burnout, quality of life, and related factors was sent to all doctoral-level faculty in a large department of healthcare research.…

Misdiagnosing the Teacher Quality Problem. CPRE Policy Briefs. RB-49

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ingersoll, Richard M.

2007-01-01

This issue of CPRE Policy Briefs summarizes the findings on issues related to teacher quality in the chapter by the author in the book, "The State of Education Policy Research" (Cohen, Fuhrman, Mosher, Eds., 2007). This report also draws on discussions that took place during a summer, 2006, policy briefing on teacher labor-market issues…

Professional Training of Social Workers: Development of Professionally Significant Qualities in the Future Social Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minzhanov, Nurlan A.; Ertysbaeva, Gaukhar N.; Abdakimova, Madina K.; Ishanov, Pirmagambet Z.

2016-01-01

Today, the traditional approach to professional training is obsolete. This problem has determined the need to create new didactic forms related to the organization of training in the modern education system. The purpose of this study was to analyze possible development of professionally important qualities and abilities in the future social care…

Evaluating Quality Circles in a College of Further Education. Manchester Monographs 31.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Tim

Quality circles (QCs) are small volunteer groups of workers who meet weekly with a trained leader operating to a strict code of conduct. They use techniques of brainstorming, cause and effect classification, pareto analysis, and presentation to consider work-related problems and recommend solutions to management. QCs have been tried in educational…

Anxiety and Quality of Life: Clinically Anxious Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorders Compared

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Steensel, Francisca J. A.; Bogels, Susan M.; Dirksen, Carmen D.

2012-01-01

Comorbid anxiety disorders are common in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, studies comparing children with ASD to clinically anxious children are rare. This study investigated anxiety problems and health-related quality of life in children with high-functioning ASD and comorbid anxiety disorders (referred to as the ASD…

Marital Quality, Maternal Depressed Affect, Harsh Parenting, and Child Externalising in Hong Kong Chinese Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Lei; Lansford, Jennifer E.; Schwartz, David; Farver, Joann M.

2004-01-01

The present study used a family systems approach to examine harsh parenting, maternal depressed affect, and marital quality in relation to children's externalising behaviour problems in a sample of 158 Hong Kong primary school children. At two time points, peers and teachers provided ratings of children's externalising behaviours, and mothers…

The relation between Internet and social media use and the demographic and clinical parameters, quality of life, depression, cognitive function and sleep quality in hemodialysis patients: social media and hemodialysis.

PubMed

Afsar, Baris

2013-01-01

There are very few studies in the literature investigating the Internet use in hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, no study examined the relationship between Internet and social media use and quality of life, depression, cognitive function and sleep problems in HD patients. The study is cross-sectional in design. All patients underwent history taking; physical examination; laboratory analysis and quality of life (by a short form of the Medical Outcomes Study), depression (by the Beck Depression Inventory), cognitive function (by the Standardized Mini Mental State Examination) and sleep problems (by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) evaluation. In total, 134 HD patients (male/female: 73/61, age: 53.0 ± 13.4 years) were included. Patients with mail, Facebook and Twitter accounts were younger, were less depressive, had better quality of life, had higher cognitive function and were more educated compared to patients who did not have these accounts. Patients with Internet-based research about their disease were less depressive, had better quality of life and sleep quality, had higher cognitive function and were more educated compared to patients who did not have Internet-based research. Internet and social media use was closely related with quality of life, depression, cognitive function and education in HD patients. Studies are needed on whether Internet use under the supervision of health care professionals will improve clinical outcomes, adherence, quality of life, depression and decision making in HD patients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Can work make you mentally ill? A systematic meta-review of work-related risk factors for common mental health problems.

PubMed

Harvey, Samuel B; Modini, Matthew; Joyce, Sadhbh; Milligan-Saville, Josie S; Tan, Leona; Mykletun, Arnstein; Bryant, Richard A; Christensen, Helen; Mitchell, Philip B

2017-03-01

It has been suggested that certain types of work may increase the risk of common mental disorders, but the exact nature of the relationship has been contentious. The aim of this paper is to conduct the first comprehensive systematic meta-review of the evidence linking work to the development of common mental health problems, specifically depression, anxiety and/or work-related stress and to consider how the risk factors identified may relate to each other. MEDLINE, PsychInfo, Embase, the Cochrane Collaboration and grey literature databases were systematically searched for review articles that examined work-based risk factors for common mental health problems. All included reviews were subjected to a quality appraisal. 37 review studies were identified, of which 7 were at least moderate quality. 3 broad categories of work-related factors were identified to explain how work may contribute to the development of depression and/or anxiety: imbalanced job design, occupational uncertainty and lack of value and respect in the workplace. Within these broad categories, there was moderate level evidence from multiple prospective studies that high job demands, low job control, high effort-reward imbalance, low relational justice, low procedural justice, role stress, bullying and low social support in the workplace are associated with a greater risk of developing common mental health problems. While methodological limitations continue to preclude more definitive statements on causation between work and mental disorders, there is now a range of promising targets for individual and organisational-level interventions aimed at minimising mental health problems in the workplace. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

An open system approach to process reengineering in a healthcare operational environment.

PubMed

Czuchry, A J; Yasin, M M; Norris, J

2000-01-01

The objective of this study is to examine the applicability of process reengineering in a healthcare operational environment. The intake process of a mental healthcare service delivery system is analyzed systematically to identify process-related problems. A methodology which utilizes an open system orientation coupled with process reengineering is utilized to overcome operational and patient related problems associated with the pre-reengineered intake process. The systematic redesign of the intake process resulted in performance improvements in terms of cost, quality, service and timing.

The Pennsylvania Experience with Hydraulic Fracturing for Shale Gas Development: Relatively Infrequent Water Quality Incidents with Lots of Public Attention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brantley, S. L.; Li, Z.; Yoxtheimer, D.; Vidic, R.

2015-12-01

New techniques of hydraulic fracturing - "fracking" - have changed the United States over the last 10 years into a leading producer of natural gas extraction from shale. The first such gas well in Pennsylvania was drilled and completed using high-volume hydraulic fracturing in 2004. By late 2014, more than 8500 of these gas wells had been drilled in the Marcellus Shale gas field in Pennsylvania alone. Almost 1000 public complaints about groundwater quality were logged by the PA Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) between 2008 and 2012. Only a fraction of these were attributed to unconventional gas development. The most common problem was gas migration into drinking water, but contamination incidents also included spills, seepage, or leaks of fracking fluids, brine salts, or very occasionally, radioactive species. Many problems of gas migration were from a few counties in the northeastern part of the state. However, sometimes one gas well contaminated multiple water wells. For example, one gas well was reported by the state regulator to have contaminated 18 water wells with methane near Dimock PA. It can be argued that such problems at a relatively small fraction of gas wells initiated pockets of pushback against fracking worldwide. This resistance to fracking has grown even though fracking has been in use in the U.S.A. since the 1940s. We have worked as part of an NSF-funded project (the Shale Network) to share water quality data and publish it online using the CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System. Sharing data has led to collaborative investigation of specific contamination incidents to understand how problems can occur, and to efforts to quantify the frequency of impacts. The Shale Network efforts have also highlighted the need for more transparency with water quality data in the arena related to the energy-water nexus. As more data are released, new techniques of data analysis will allow better understanding of how to tune best practices to be environmentally protective.

[Application of relative quality constant in grades evaluation of Glycyrrizae Radix et Rhizome pieces].

PubMed

Deng, Zhe; Jiao, Meng-Jiao; Zhang, Jun; Xian, Jing; Zhang, Qing; Chen, Chang; Wang, Yue-Sheng; Liu, An

2017-07-01

Quality constant evaluation is a comprehensive method for grades evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine pieces, but when it comes to Glycyrrizae Radix et Rhizome pieces, grades evaluation is diverged due to significant difference in contents of liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid and unreasonable weight of index. To solve this problem, we have established a relative quality constant method in this paper to evaluate grades of Glycyrrizae Radix et Rhizome pieces. Twenty-nine batches of different quality samples were collected and tested, and finally, 17 batches of them were chosen as researcher objects. The results revealed that the range of the relative quality constant of these samples was from 1.78 to 11.49. When Glycyrrizae Radix et Rhizome pieces are divided into three grades: the relative quality constant of first grade is greater than or equal to 9.19; the second grade is greater than or equal to 5.75 but less than 9.19; while the third grade is less than 5.75. This research indicates that relative quality constant can divide the grades of herbal pieces in a scientific, reasonable, objective and specific way and remedy the shortage of quality constant perfectly. It provides a novel mode for grading pieces of Chinese medicine that contains multi-target ingredients. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Relationship between delivery history and health-related quality of life in menopausal South Korean women: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

PubMed

Choi, Jeong In; Han, Kyung-do; Kim, Sa Jin; Kim, Min Jeong; Shin, Jae Eun; Lee, Hae Nam

2016-10-01

The study investigated the association between childbirth history and health-related quality of life (QOL) in menopausal South Korean women. Cross-sectional analysis of data from the 2010-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) for 4277 menopausal women aged over 50. We used the EuroQol index to measure health-related QOL. The relationship between delivery history and health-related QOL in menopausal South Korean women was analyzed. After adjustment for age (model 1), women who were younger at their first delivery and who had a greater number of deliveries had a significantly higher risk of problems with mobility, self-care, usual activities and pain or discomfort; the risk of anxiety or depression was not increased. After adjustment for age, BMI, smoking, use of alcohol, exercise, income, education, marital status, metabolic syndrome and stress (model 2), women who were younger at their first delivery and who had a greater number of deliveries had a significantly higher risk of problems with mobility, self-care and pain or discomfort. Age at last delivery was not significantly associated with health-related QOL in either model. South Korean women who were younger at their first delivery and who had more deliveries appear to be at increased risk of health-related QOL problems after menopause. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Numerical Boundary Conditions for Computational Aeroacoustics Benchmark Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tam, Chritsopher K. W.; Kurbatskii, Konstantin A.; Fang, Jun

1997-01-01

Category 1, Problems 1 and 2, Category 2, Problem 2, and Category 3, Problem 2 are solved computationally using the Dispersion-Relation-Preserving (DRP) scheme. All these problems are governed by the linearized Euler equations. The resolution requirements of the DRP scheme for maintaining low numerical dispersion and dissipation as well as accurate wave speeds in solving the linearized Euler equations are now well understood. As long as 8 or more mesh points per wavelength is employed in the numerical computation, high quality results are assured. For the first three categories of benchmark problems, therefore, the real challenge is to develop high quality numerical boundary conditions. For Category 1, Problems 1 and 2, it is the curved wall boundary conditions. For Category 2, Problem 2, it is the internal radiation boundary conditions inside the duct. For Category 3, Problem 2, they are the inflow and outflow boundary conditions upstream and downstream of the blade row. These are the foci of the present investigation. Special nonhomogeneous radiation boundary conditions that generate the incoming disturbances and at the same time allow the outgoing reflected or scattered acoustic disturbances to leave the computation domain without significant reflection are developed. Numerical results based on these boundary conditions are provided.

Examining the Effectiveness of Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain Management in Combat Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

third had commented on issues related to his work schedule before losing contact with the researchers. Finally, one patient was excluded due to a...M., Keller, S., & Ware, J. E. (2001). Sleep problems, health- related quality of life, work functioning and health care utilization among the...et al., 2006). Military deployment to a war zone may significantly alter health status and quality of life, elevating the risk of long -term physical

Annotating Relations in Scientific Articles (Open Access, Publisher’s Version)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-31

that are part of a relation need be anno - 4604 tated at all. Given the wide range of possible disagreements (in contrast with, for example, part of...thus it should be straight-forward to compare the quality of a system versus the quality of a human anno - tator and this is a very useful measure. 5...these procedures and planning to create additional ones to offset 4606 the problem of Specification creep, harmonizing the anno - tation to be

Health-related quality of life in Austrian elementary school children.

PubMed

Felder-Puig, Rosemarie; Baumgartner, Michaela; Topf, Reinhard; Gadner, Helmut; Formann, Anton K

2008-04-01

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is frequently used as an outcome criterion to evaluate the quality and effect of different therapies. However, little is known about the HRQL of the general population, the prevalence of specific HRQL problems and about which factors have an impact on HRQL assessments. To examine children's HRQL from their own and their parents' perspectives. The study sample consisted of children attending the third and fourth grades of elementary school in the capital of Austria, Europe. One thousand four hundred twelve children and 1185 parents completed child- and parent-versions of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventorytrade mark (PedsQLtrade mark). In addition to the PedsQL questions, children and parents were asked a number of questions with regard to sociodemographic information and specific problems that were hypothesized to be associated with the children's HRQL. Altogether, the children demonstrated a good HRQL and their PedsQL scores were similar to those of children from other developed countries. About 15% of children showed a notably low HRQL, and two-thirds of these children were from financially less privileged families. Multivariate regression analyses identified the following factors associated with the children's HRQL: the family's perceived financial situation, parents' quality of life, children's school performance, medical and/or psychologic problems (eg, dyslexia, recurrent stomachache or headaches), chronic disease, a recent life-event (eg, divorce/separation of parents), and parents' satisfaction with school. Assessing children's HRQL may be helpful to take preventive action and to identify those who are in urgent need of special services.

[Errors in wound management].

PubMed

Filipović, Marinko; Novinscak, Tomislav

2014-10-01

Chronic ulcers have adverse effects on the patient quality of life and productivity, thus posing financial burden upon the healthcare system. Chronic wound healing is a complex process resulting from the interaction of the patient general health status, wound related factors, medical personnel skill and competence, and therapy related products. In clinical practice, considerable improvement has been made in the treatment of chronic wounds, which is evident in the reduced rate of the severe forms of chronic wounds in outpatient clinics. However, in spite of all the modern approaches, efforts invested by medical personnel and agents available for wound care, numerous problems are still encountered in daily practice. Most frequently, the problems arise from inappropriate education, of young personnel in particular, absence of multidisciplinary approach, and inadequate communication among the personnel directly involved in wound treatment. To perceive them more clearly, the potential problems or complications in the management of chronic wounds can be classified into the following groups: problems mostly related to the use of wound coverage and other etiology related specificities of wound treatment; problems related to incompatibility of the agents used in wound treatment; and problems arising from failure to ensure aseptic and antiseptic performance conditions.

Work-related burnout, job satisfaction, intent to leave, and nurse-assessed quality of care among travel nurses.

PubMed

Faller, Marcia S; Gates, Michael G; Georges, Jane M; Connelly, Cynthia D

2011-02-01

This research study examines work-related burnout, job satisfaction, nurse-assessed quality of care, and intent to leave in travel nurses, a population that has not been studied previously. Travel nurses are frequently used to supplement nursing staff in acute care hospitals, especially in times of shortage--understanding their satisfaction with the job may further illuminate the problem of nurse job dissatisfaction in general. Ordinary least-squares regression analyses were used to examine the influence of nurse and workplace characteristics on work-related burnout, job satisfaction, intent to leave, and perceived quality of care. Quality of care and job satisfaction were significantly influenced by whether a hospital held Magnet designation. As the number of patients cared for increases, there was a significant increase in work-related burnout. Work-related burnout was also significantly lower for nurses working in California. The results of this study suggest that different workplace characteristics influence the perceptions of quality of care provided at a hospital facility and the degree to which a nurse is either burned out or satisfied with his/her job.

The effect of housing on the mental health of older people: the impact of lifetime housing history in Whitehall II

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background This study describes differences in trajectories of self-reported mental health in an ageing cohort, according to their housing, while controlling for confounders. Methods The General Health Questionnaire was measured on six occasions as part of Whitehall II cohort study of office-based British civil servants (1985-2009); 10,308 men and women aged 35-55 at baseline. Results Home-ownership was the predominant tenure at baseline and increased over the life-course, but the social gradient remained. In the bivariate analysis, by phase nine, renters had higher (poorer mental health) GHQ scores (55.48) than owner occupiers (51.98). Those who reported difficulty paying bills or problems with housing had higher GHQ scores at baseline (financial difficulties 57.70 vs 54.34; house problems 58.06 vs 53.99) and this relative difference increased by phase nine (financial difficulties 59.64 vs 51.67; house problems 56.68 vs 51.22). In multivariate models, the relative differences in GHQ scores by tenure increased with age, but were no longer significant after adjusting for confounders. Whereas GHQ scores for those with housing problems and financial difficulties were still significantly higher as participants grew older. Conclusion The social gradient in the effect of home ownership on mental health, which is evident at baseline, diminishes as people get older, whereas housing quality and financial problems become relatively more important in explaining older people's health. Inequalities in housing quality and ability to deal with household financial problems will become increasingly important mental health issues as the population ages. PMID:21884619

Exploring the Pareto frontier using multisexual evolutionary algorithms: an application to a flexible manufacturing problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonissone, Stefano R.; Subbu, Raj

2002-12-01

In multi-objective optimization (MOO) problems we need to optimize many possibly conflicting objectives. For instance, in manufacturing planning we might want to minimize the cost and production time while maximizing the product's quality. We propose the use of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) to solve these problems. Solutions are represented as individuals in a population and are assigned scores according to a fitness function that determines their relative quality. Strong solutions are selected for reproduction, and pass their genetic material to the next generation. Weak solutions are removed from the population. The fitness function evaluates each solution and returns a related score. In MOO problems, this fitness function is vector-valued, i.e. it returns a value for each objective. Therefore, instead of a global optimum, we try to find the Pareto-optimal or non-dominated frontier. We use multi-sexual EAs with as many genders as optimization criteria. We have created new crossover and gender assignment functions, and experimented with various parameters to determine the best setting (yielding the highest number of non-dominated solutions.) These experiments are conducted using a variety of fitness functions, and the algorithms are later evaluated on a flexible manufacturing problem with total cost and time minimization objectives.

“Putting It All Together” to Improve Resuscitation Quality

PubMed Central

Sutton, Robert M.; Nadkarni, Vinay; Abella, Benjamin S.

2013-01-01

Cardiac arrest is a major public health problem affecting thousands of individuals each year in both the before hospital and in-hospital settings. However, although the scope of the problem is large, the quality of care provided during resuscitation attempts frequently does not meet quality of care standards, despite evidence-based cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) guidelines, extensive provider training, and provider credentialing in resuscitation medicine. Although this fact may be disappointing, it should not be surprising. Resuscitation of the cardiac arrest victim is a highly complex task requiring coordination between various levels and disciplines of care providers during a stressful and relatively infrequent clinical situation. Moreover, it requires a targeted, high-quality response to improve clinical outcomes of patients. Therefore, solutions to improve care provided during resuscitation attempts must be multifaceted and targeted to the diverse number of care providers to be successful. PMID:22107978

[Software for illustrating a cost-quality balance carried out by clinical laboratory practice].

PubMed

Nishibori, Masahiro; Asayama, Hitoshi; Kimura, Satoshi; Takagi, Yasushi; Hagihara, Michio; Fujiwara, Mutsunori; Yoneyama, Akiko; Watanabe, Takashi

2010-09-01

We have no proper reference indicating the quality of clinical laboratory practice, which should clearly illustrates that better medical tests require more expenses. Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine was concerned about recent difficult medical economy and issued a committee report proposing a guideline to evaluate the good laboratory practice. According to the guideline, we developed software that illustrate a cost-quality balance carried out by clinical laboratory practice. We encountered a number of controversial problems, for example, how to measure and weight each quality-related factor, how to calculate costs of a laboratory test and how to consider characteristics of a clinical laboratory. Consequently we finished only prototype software within the given period and the budget. In this paper, software implementation of the guideline and the above-mentioned problems are summarized. Aiming to stimulate these discussions, the operative software will be put on the Society's homepage for trial

Health-Related Quality of Life of the General German Population in 2015: Results from the EQ-5D-5L.

PubMed

Huber, Manuel B; Felix, Julia; Vogelmann, Martin; Leidl, Reiner

2017-04-16

The EQ-5D-5L is a widely used generic instrument to measure health-related quality of life. This study evaluates health perception in a representative sample of the general German population from 2015. To compare results over time, a component analysis technique was used that separates changes in the description and valuation of health states. The whole sample and also subgroups, stratified by sociodemographic parameters as well as disease affliction, were analyzed. In total, 2040 questionnaires (48.4% male, mean age 47.3 year) were included. The dimension with the lowest number of reported problems was self-care (93.0% without problems), and the dimension with the highest proportion of impairment was pain/discomfort (71.2% without problems). Some 64.3% of the study population were identified as problem-free. The visual analog scale (VAS) mean for all participants was 85.1. Low education was connected with significantly lower VAS scores, but the effect was small. Depression, heart disease, and diabetes had a strong significant negative effect on reported VAS means. Results were slightly better than those in a similar 2012 survey; the most important driver was the increase in the share of the study population that reported to be problem-free. In international comparisons, health perception of the general German population is relatively high and, compared with previous German studies, fairly stable over recent years. Elderly and sick people continue to report significant reductions in perceived health states.

On the question of economic efficiency and how to assess it

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrosyan, M. O.; Kovalev, I. V.; Zelenkov, P. V.; Chuvashova, M. N.; Grishina, I. A.; Pershakova, K. K.

2016-04-01

Over the years, since the world moved to a system of market-based economic relations scientists and businessmen worldwide wonder how to ease and modernize the process of analyzing business performance. During this time, a variety of methods and tools have been developed to deal with this problem. After all, the productivity of the company is directly related to it’s competitive qualities, so the managers are interested in the quality of evaluation of their companies. The article deals with the traditional methods of evaluating the performance of enterprises and some of the tools used in order to improve its quality.

The adaption of coal quality to furnace structure

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

Zhang, Z.; Shun, X.

1996-12-31

This paper gives the research result of coal quality adaption to furnace structure. The designing of a furnace is based on the coal quality that the furnace would fire. If the coal fired in the furnace differs from the design coal, there would be a lot of problems such as flame stability, coal burn-out rate and slagging problem for the furnace during its operation. In order to know the adaptional range of coal quality for an existing furnace the authors had chosen three different furnaces and 18 kinds of coals in their research work. To understand the coal combustion characteristicsmore » they introduce different indexes to show different processes of coal combustion. These indexes include Fz index which demonstrates the coal combustion based on its utility analyzed result, flame stability index, combustion characteristic index and char burn-out index which are based on the analyzed result of thermogravimetric characteristic. As a furnace is built up and set into operation its flame stability, burn-out rate and ash deposition are definite. If a furnace`s fuel changes its structure characteristics and operation condition will change. A relation between coal quality to furnace structure is based on a lot of regressional analysis results of existing furnaces and their fuels. Based on this relation the adaption of coal quality for a furnace are defined and the kinds of coal furnace fired are optimized to its design fuel.« less

Oral health-related quality of life after prosthetic rehabilitation in patients with oral cancer: A longitudinal study with the Liverpool Oral Rehabilitation Questionnaire version 3 and Oral Health Impact Profile-14 questionnaire.

PubMed

Dholam, K P; Chouksey, G C; Dugad, J

2016-01-01

Prosthodontic rehabilitation helps to improve the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL). The Liverpool Oral Rehabilitation Questionnaire (LORQ) and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) are specific tools that measure OHRQOL. The primary objective of this study was to assess the impact of oral rehabilitation on patients' OHRQOL following treatment for cancer of oral cavity using LORQ version 3 (LORQv3) and OHIP-14 questionnaire. Secondary objectives were to identify issues specific to oral rehabilitation, patients compliance to prosthetic rehabilitation, the effect of radiation treatment on prosthetic rehabilitation, to achieve meaningful differences over a time before & after prosthetic intervention, to carryout and document specific patient-deprived problem. Seventy-five oral cancer patients were studied. Patients were asked to rate their experience of dental problems before fabrication of prosthesis and after 1 year using LORQv3 and OHIP-14. The responses were compared on Likert scale. Patients reported with extreme problems before rehabilitation. After 1 year of prosthetic rehabilitation, there was improvement noticed in all the domain of LORQv3 and OHIP-14. Complete compliance to the use of prosthetic appliances for 1 year study period was noted. In response to the question no. 40 (LORQv3), only 15 patients who belonged to the obturator group, brought to notice the problems which were not addressed in the LORQv3 questionnaire. The study showed that the oral cancer patients coped well and adapted to near normal oral status after prosthetic rehabilitation. This contributed to the improved overall health-related quality of life.

Connecting health-related quality of life and mental health in dementia caregivers from Colombia, South America.

PubMed

Perrin, Paul B; Morgan, Matthew; Aretouli, Eleni; Sutter, Megan; Snipes, Daniel J; Hoyos, Guillermo Ramirez; Buraye, Jacqueline Arabia; Arango-Lasprilla, Juan Carlos

2014-01-01

Research in Caucasian populations has begun to examine the broad associations between physical and mental health in dementia caregivers. However, the examination of this relationship in Latin America is largely absent from the literature despite the fact that the region will see a major increase in dementia cases over the next 20 years. The current study examined the associations between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and mental health in 90 dementia caregivers from Colombia, South America. A canonical correlation found that higher caregiver HRQOL was related to better mental health, as expected. Caregivers with high vitality and low role limitations due to physical problems tended to have low depression and high satisfaction with life. Follow-up multiple regressions found that caregiver role limitations due to physical problems was uniquely associated with satisfaction with life, whereas vitality, role limitations due to physical problems, and pain were uniquely associated with burden (although the pain effect was likely error due to a suppressor effect). Additionally, vitality and social functioning were uniquely negatively related to depression. Because of the extremely high overlap between these two sets of variables, dementia interventions are needed in Latin America that target both caregiver mental and physical health, as both likely operate in unison and influence each other.

Health-Related Quality of Life for Pediatric NF-1 Patients

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-01

Developmental Disorders, Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders Specific learning/cognitive problems and/or classroom difficulties √ √ √ √ Reading...preferring solitary activities; teasing Fine and/or gross motor coordination √ √ √ √ Handwriting , running, walking, clumsiness Concerns about...as poor fine and gross motor coordination; these were evidenced by clumsiness and handwriting problems, for example. A number of children and

Parent-Child Relations, Conduct Problems and Cigarette Use in Adolescence: Examining the Role of Genetic and Environmental Factors on Patterns of Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shelton, Katherine H.; Harold, Gordon T.; Fowler, Tom A.; Rice, Frances J.; Neale, Michael C.; Thapar, Anita; van den Bree, Marianne B. M.

2008-01-01

This study investigated genetic and environmental influences on the associations between mother-child relationship quality (warmth and hostility) and adolescent conduct problems and cigarette use. Participants included 601 mothers and adolescent twin pairs (aged 12-17 years). Mothers and adolescents provided separate reports of mother-to-child…

Young Adolescents' Metacognition and Domain Knowledge as Predictors of Hypothesis-Development Performance in a Computer-Supported Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hye Jeong; Pedersen, Susan

2010-01-01

Recently, the importance of ill-structured problem-solving in real-world contexts has become a focus of educational research. Particularly, the hypothesis-development process has been examined as one of the keys to developing a high-quality solution in a problem context. The authors of this study examined predictive relations between young…

Air Quality and Stationary Source Emission Control; Committee on Public Works, Senate, Ninety-Fourth Congress, First Session. [Committee Print.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC.

This report reviews the problems of sulfur oxide emissions and nitrogen oxide emissions from stationary sources. The first part of the report discusses the adverse consequences to health from combustion of sulfur-containing fossil fuels. The health problem is discussed by relating sulfur oxide levels and respirable particulate matter with…

Proposal for a unified selection to medical residency programs.

PubMed

Toffoli, Sônia Ferreira Lopes; Ferreira Filho, Olavo Franco; Andrade, Dalton Francisco de

2013-01-01

This paper proposes the unification of entrance exams to medical residency programs (MRP) in Brazil. Problems related to MRP and its interface with public health problems in Brazil are highlighted and how this proposal are able to help solving these problems. The proposal is to create a database to be applied in MRP unified exams. Some advantages of using the Item Response Theory (IRT) in this database are highlighted. The MRP entrance exams are developed and applied decentralized where each school is responsible for its examination. These exams quality are questionable. Reviews about items quality, validity and reliability of appliances are not common disclosed. Evaluation is important in every education system bringing on required changes and control of teaching and learning. The proposal of MRP entrance exams unification, besides offering high quality exams to institutions participants, could be as an extra source to rate medical school and cause improvements, provide studies with a database and allow a regional mobility. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

The fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) tool: development and general psychometric properties†

PubMed Central

Boivin, Jacky; Takefman, Janet; Braverman, Andrea

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND To develop the first international instrument to measure fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) in men and women experiencing fertility problems, to evaluate the preliminary psychometric properties of this new tool and to translate FertiQoL into multiple languages. METHOD We conducted a survey, both online and in fertility clinics in USA, Australia/New Zealand, Canada and UK. A total of 1414 people with fertility problems participated. The main outcome measure was the FertiQoL tool. RESULTS FertiQoL consists of 36 items that assess core (24 items) and treatment-related quality of life (QoL) (10 items) and overall life and physical health (2 items). Cronbach reliability statistics for the Core and Treatment FertiQoL (and subscales) were satisfactory and in the range of 0.72 and 0.92. Sensitivity analyses showed that FertiQoL detected expected relations between QoL and gender, parity and support-seeking. FertiQoL was translated into 20 languages by the same translation team with each translation verified by local bilingual fertility experts. CONCLUSIONS FertiQoL is a reliable measure of the impact of fertility problems and its treatment on QoL. Future research should establish its use in cross-cultural research and clinical work. PMID:21665875

Fear of Falling in Women with Fibromyalgia and Its Relation with Number of Falls and Balance Performance

PubMed Central

Collado-Mateo, D.; Gallego-Diaz, J. M.; Adsuar, J. C.; Domínguez-Muñoz, F. J.; Olivares, P. R.; Gusi, N.

2015-01-01

Objective. To evaluate fear of falling, number of falls, and balance performance in women with FM and to examine the relationship between these variables and others, such as balance performance, quality of life, age, pain, and impact of fibromyalgia. Methods. A total of 240 women participated in this cross-sectional study. Of these, 125 had fibromyalgia. Several variables were assessed: age, fear of falling from 0 to 100, number of falls, body composition, balance performance, lower limb strength, health-related quality of life, and impact of fibromyalgia. Results. Women with fibromyalgia reported more falls and more fear of falling. Fear of falling was associated with number of falls in the last year, stiffness, perceived balance problems, impact of FM, and HRQoL whereas the number of falls was related to fear of falling, balance performance with eyes closed, pain, tenderness to touch level, anxiety, self-reported balance problems, impact of FM, and HRQoL. Conclusion. FM has an impact on fear of falling, balance performance, and number of falls. Perceived balance problems seem to be more closely associated with fear of falling than objective balance performance. PMID:26618173

[Health-related quality of life assessment in depression after low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation].

PubMed

Dumas, R; Boyer, L; Richieri, R; Guedj, E; Auquier, P; Lançon, C

2014-02-01

Major depressive disorder remains one of the leading causes of disability in developed countries despite pharmacological and psychological treatments. Patients with major depression have poorer health-related quality of life than persons of the general population, or patients with chronic somatic illness. Improvement of health-related quality of life in depression is thus a pertinent treatment objective. Both high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and low-frequency rTMS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex have shown their effectiveness in medication-resistant depression. However, the Health-related Quality of Life questionnaire remains under-utilized to assess the effectiveness of rTMS in research or in a routine clinical setting. Our study aims to investigate in an open label trial the efficacy of low-frequency rTMS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on health-related quality of life and clinical outcomes in medication-resistant depression. In a naturalistic trial, 33 unipolar and bipolar patients with medication-resistant depression were treated with daily low-frequency rTMS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 4 weeks. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire. The SF-36 is a generic, self-administered, and worldwide-used questionnaire, consisting of 36 items describing eight health dimensions: physical functioning, social functioning, role-physical problems, role-emotional problems, mental health, vitality, bodily pain, and general health. Physical component summary and mental component summary scores were then obtained. Depression severity was assessed using the 21-item self-report Beck Depression Inventory. Anxiety severity was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The SF-36, the Beck Depression Inventory and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were assessed before and after low-frequency rTMS. The effect of rTMS treatment on the SF-36 and the clinical outcome was evaluated for significance with the Wilcoxon two-tailed signed-rank test. The reliable change index (RCI) was calculated to determine clinically significant change in the eight dimension and composite scores of the SF-36 from pre-intervention to post-intervention, at the level of individual patients. Effect size (r) was then calculated, r values from 0.1 to 0.29, 0.3 to 0.49 and from 0.5 were considered as indicating small, medium and large effect sizes, respectively. Correlations between improvement in Health-related Quality of Life and improvement in the other rating scale scores were calculated using Spearman's correlation test. There were significant improvements of 37.6% in the mental health (P=0.018), 130 % in the role-emotional problem (P=0.045), 15.5% in the physical functioning (P=0.008), 110.6% in the role-physical problem (P=0.002), 22.4% in the bodily pain (P=0.013) dimensions, 6.1% in the Physical Component Score (P=0.043), and 22,5 % in the Beck Depression Inventory (P=0.002). Eighteen patients (54%) showed clinically significant improvement in one of the two composite scores after RCI calculation. Seven out of the eight SF-36 dimension scores and the two composite scores showed effect sizes ranging from 0.12 to 0.38, indicating small to moderate effect. Significant correlations were found between improvement in the Beck Depression Inventory and improvement in the Mental Component Score, the social functioning, the mental health, the general health, the vitality and the physical functioning dimensions. Small sample size and non-controlled design. Low-frequency rTMS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improves Health-related Quality of Life in unipolar and bipolar patients with medication-resistant depression. Improvement in mental health-related quality of life is significantly correlated with improvement in depressive symptoms. However, further studies with larger samples and controlled designs are needed to clarify our findings. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Collinearity and Sample Coverage Issues in the Objective Measurement of Vocal Quality: The Case of Roughness and Breathiness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrer, Carlos A.; Haderlein, Tino; Maryn, Youri; de Bodt, Marc S.; Nöth, Elmar

2018-01-01

Purpose: The aim of the study was to address the reported inconsistencies in the relationship between objective acoustic measures and perceptual ratings of vocal quality. Method: This tutorial moves away from the more widely examined problems related to obtaining the perceptual ratings and the acoustic measures and centers in less scrutinized…

Brief Report: Influence of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality in Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wachob, David; Lorenzi, David G.

2015-01-01

Sleep-related problems are often documented in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This study examined physical activity as a variable that might influence sleep quality in children with ASD. Ten children, ages 9-16 years, were asked to wear accelerometer devices for 7 days in order to track objective measures of activity and sleep…

Quality of Diagnosis and Treatment Plans after Using the "Diagnostic Guideline for Anxiety and Challenging Behaviours" in People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Comparative Multiple Case Study Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pruijssers, Addy; van Meijel, Berno; Maaskant, Marian; Keeman, Noortje; van Achterberg, Theo

2016-01-01

Background: People with intellectual disabilities often have a multitude of concurrent problems due to the combination of cognitive impairments, psychiatric disorders (particularly anxiety) and related challenging behaviours. Diagnoses in people with intellectual disabilities are complicated. This study evaluates the quality of the diagnoses and…

The Association between Externalizing Behavior Problems, Teacher-Student Relationship Quality, and Academic Performance in Young Urban Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez Fowler, Laura T.; Banks, Tachelle I.; Anhalt, Karla; Der, Heidi Hinrichs; Kalis, Tara

2008-01-01

The present study examined the relation between teacher ratings of student social functioning and academic performance and teacher-student relationship quality. Data were collected from 230 students and 20 teachers in two high-poverty, low-performing schools in a large urban school district in the Midwest. Students were 93% African American.…

Fluvial sediment in the environment: a national challenge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larsen, Matthew C.; Gellis, Allen C.; Glysson, G. Douglas; Gray, John R.; Horowitz, Arthur J.

2010-01-01

Sediment and sediment-associated constituents can contribute substantially to water-quality impairment. In the past, sediment was viewed mainly as an engineering problem that affected reservoir storage capacity, shipping channel maintenance, and bridge scour, as well as the loss of agricultural soil. Sediment is now recognized as a major cause of aquatic system degradation in many rivers and streams as a result of light attenuation, loss of spawning substrate due to fine-grained sediment infilling, reduction in primary productivity, decreases in biotic diversity, and effects from sediment-associated chemical constituents. Recent advances in sediment measurement, assessment, source-identification, and analytical protocols provide new capabilities to quantify sediment and solid-phase chemical fluxes in aquatic systems. Developing, maintaining, and augmenting current sediment- and water-quality-monitoring networks is essential for determining the health of U.S. waterways and for evaluating the effectiveness of management actions in reducing sediment-related problems. The application of new scientific capabilities that address the adverse effects of sediment and sediment- associated constituents represents a major step in managing the Nation’s water quality. A robust Federal, national-scale eff rt, in collaboration with vested stakeholders, is needed to address these sediment-related water-quality issues across the United States.

Early Student-Teacher Relationships of Children With and Without Intellectual Disability: Contributions of Behavioral, Social, and Self-Regulatory Competence

PubMed Central

Eisenhower, Abbey S.; Baker, Bruce L.; Blacher, Jan

2011-01-01

We investigated the student-teacher relationships (STRs) of 6-year-old children with (n=58) and without (n=82) intellectual disability (ID). We also examined early (age 3) and concurrent (age 6) child behavioral, self-regulatory, and social characteristics as predictors of age 6 STR quality. Children with ID experienced significantly poorer relationships with their teachers, marked by less closeness and more conflict and dependency, compared to typically-developing children. This group difference was not accounted for entirely by IQ differences. The relation between ID status and STR quality was fully mediated by four age 6 child variables: mother- and teacher-reported behavior problems and mother- and teacher-reported social skills. The quality of children’s relationships with teachers was also predicted by child characteristics as early as age 3, including early behavior problems, self-regulation, and behavior during parent-child interactions. The relation of ID status to STR quality at age 6 was fully mediated by children’s self-regulatory abilities at age 3. Our findings demonstrate the importance of child behavioral and social characteristics in predicting relationships with teachers for children with and without ID. PMID:21490876

Evaluation of Dizziness Handicap in Adolescents and Adults with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder

PubMed Central

Prabhu, Prashanth; Jamuar, Pratyasha

2018-01-01

Introduction  Vestibular symptoms and damage to the vestibular branch of the eighth cranial nerve is reported in individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). However, the real life handicap caused by these vestibular problems in individuals with ANSD is not studied. Objective  The present study attempted to evaluate the dizziness-related handicap in adolescents and adults with ANSD. Method  The dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) was administered to 40 adolescents and adults diagnosed with ANSD. The study also attempted to determine if there is any gender effect on DHI scores and its correlation to the reported onset of hearing loss. Results  The results of the study showed that adolescents and adults with ANSD had a moderate degree of dizziness-related handicap. The dizziness affected their quality of life, causing emotional problems. There was no gender effect, and the level of the handicap was greater in the cases in which the onset of the hearing loss was reported soon after the diagnosis of ANSD. There could be a vestibular compensation that could have resulted in a reduction in symptoms in individuals in whom the onset of the hearing loss was reported later on. Conclusion  Thus, a detailed assessment of vestibular problems and their impact on quality of life is essential in adolescents and adults with ANSD. Appropriate management strategies should be considered to resolve their vestibular problems and improve their quality of life. PMID:29371893

Evaluation of Dizziness Handicap in Adolescents and Adults with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Prabhu, Prashanth; Jamuar, Pratyasha

2018-01-01

Introduction  Vestibular symptoms and damage to the vestibular branch of the eighth cranial nerve is reported in individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). However, the real life handicap caused by these vestibular problems in individuals with ANSD is not studied. Objective  The present study attempted to evaluate the dizziness-related handicap in adolescents and adults with ANSD. Method  The dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) was administered to 40 adolescents and adults diagnosed with ANSD. The study also attempted to determine if there is any gender effect on DHI scores and its correlation to the reported onset of hearing loss. Results  The results of the study showed that adolescents and adults with ANSD had a moderate degree of dizziness-related handicap. The dizziness affected their quality of life, causing emotional problems. There was no gender effect, and the level of the handicap was greater in the cases in which the onset of the hearing loss was reported soon after the diagnosis of ANSD. There could be a vestibular compensation that could have resulted in a reduction in symptoms in individuals in whom the onset of the hearing loss was reported later on. Conclusion  Thus, a detailed assessment of vestibular problems and their impact on quality of life is essential in adolescents and adults with ANSD. Appropriate management strategies should be considered to resolve their vestibular problems and improve their quality of life.

Quality of care and service trajectories for people with intellectual disabilities: defining the aspects of quality from the client's perspective.

PubMed

Barelds, Anna; van de Goor, Ien; van Heck, Guus; Schols, Jos

2010-03-01

Care and service trajectories for people with intellectual disabilities (i.e. people with mental retardations) are routes within the healthcare delivery system that consist of all the steps that people with intellectual disabilities and their families have to take in order to realise the needed care and services. This article aims to identify the quality aspects of trajectories that are considered important by people with intellectual disabilities and their parents/relatives. In addition, it examines how these aspects are related to quality determinants mentioned in the literature on integrated care and to authoritative models for quality assessment of care and service delivery. Quality aspects were collected during eight focus group discussions with people with intellectual disabilities or their parents/relatives. In addition, quality determinants of integrated care and authoritative models for quality assessment were selected by means of a thorough review of the literature. Finally, the quality aspects identified using focus groups were compared to the determinants and models found in the literature. The quality aspects presented by people with intellectual disabilities referred particularly to the immediate situation in receiving care and services, such as 'keeping appointments' and 'time and attention', whereas parents/relatives also referred to broader 'organisational issues', such as 'access to support' and 'problems with placement'. The quality aspects, however, are minimally related to the quality determinants of integrated care, probably because clients and their parents/relatives find it difficult to have an overview of the coherence between the various actions that have to be performed, when going through the trajectories. In contrast, the quality aspects seem to fit into the domains of the authoritative models for quality assessment, probably because of the minimal focus of the models on long-term aspects in care and service delivery.

Starch source influences dietary glucose generation at the mucosal alpha-glucosidase level

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The quality of starch digestion, related to the rate and extent of release of dietary glucose, is associated with glycemia-related problems such as diabetes and other metabolic syndrome conditions. Here, we found that the rate of glucose generation from starch is unexpectedly associated with mucosal...

Quality Control Methodology Of A Surface Wind Observational Database In North Eastern North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucio-Eceiza, Etor E.; Fidel González-Rouco, J.; Navarro, Jorge; Conte, Jorge; Beltrami, Hugo

2016-04-01

This work summarizes the design and application of a Quality Control (QC) procedure for an observational surface wind database located in North Eastern North America. The database consists of 526 sites (486 land stations and 40 buoys) with varying resolutions of hourly, 3 hourly and 6 hourly data, compiled from three different source institutions with uneven measurement units and changing measuring procedures, instrumentation and heights. The records span from 1953 to 2010. The QC process is composed of different phases focused either on problems related with the providing source institutions or measurement errors. The first phases deal with problems often related with data recording and management: (1) compilation stage dealing with the detection of typographical errors, decoding problems, site displacements and unification of institutional practices; (2) detection of erroneous data sequence duplications within a station or among different ones; (3) detection of errors related with physically unrealistic data measurements. The last phases are focused on instrumental errors: (4) problems related with low variability, placing particular emphasis on the detection of unrealistic low wind speed records with the help of regional references; (5) high variability related erroneous records; (6) standardization of wind speed record biases due to changing measurement heights, detection of wind speed biases on week to monthly timescales, and homogenization of wind direction records. As a result, around 1.7% of wind speed records and 0.4% of wind direction records have been deleted, making a combined total of 1.9% of removed records. Additionally, around 15.9% wind speed records and 2.4% of wind direction data have been also corrected.

Mental health, sleep quality, drinking motives, and alcohol-related consequences: a path-analytic model.

PubMed

Kenney, Shannon R; Lac, Andrew; Labrie, Joseph W; Hummer, Justin F; Pham, Andy

2013-11-01

Poor mental health, sleep problems, drinking motivations, and high-risk drinking are prevalent among college students. However, research designed to explicate the interrelationships among these health risk behaviors is lacking. This study was designed to assess the direct and indirect influences of poor mental health (a latent factor consisting of depression, anxiety, and stress) to alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences through the mediators of global sleep quality and drinking motives in a comprehensive model. Participants were 1,044 heavy-drinking college students (66.3% female) who completed online surveys. A hybrid structural equation model tested hypotheses involving relations leading from poor mental health to drinking motives and poorer global sleep quality to drinking outcomes. Results showed that poor mental health significantly predicted all four subscales of drinking motivations (social, coping, conformity, and enhancement) as well as poor sleep. Most of the drinking motives and poor sleep were found to explain alcohol use and negative alcohol consequences. Poor sleep predicted alcohol consequences, even after controlling for all other variables in the model. The hypothesized mediational pathways were examined with tests of indirect effects. This is the first study to assess concomitantly the relationships among three vital health-related domains (mental health, sleep behavior, and alcohol risk) in college students. Findings offer important implications for college personnel and interventionists interested in reducing alcohol risk by focusing on alleviating mental health problems and poor sleep quality.

Differences in sleep quality and health-related quality of life in young adults with allergies and asthma and their healthy peers.

PubMed

Molzon, Elizabeth S; Bonner, Margaret S; Hullmann, Stephanie E; Ramsey, Rachelle R; Suorsa, Kristina I; Chaney, John M; Mullins, Larry L

2013-01-01

The current study examined the relationship between sleep quality and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Participants were 501 undergraduate students with allergies (167), asthma + allergies (167), or with no history of a chronic illness (167) completed study measures from August 2011 to April 2012. The undergraduate students completed questionnaires online as part of a larger study of psychosocial adjustment of young adults. Young adults with allergies and asthma + allergies reported significantly worse sleep quality and HRQOL than healthy peers. Additionally, those with allergies and asthma + allergies had significantly more sleep disturbances and used sleeping medication significantly more often in the previous month than healthy peers. These results highlight concerns regarding quality of life and sleep problems in an often-overlooked population. Importantly, sleep difficulties can result in difficulties in daily living and impairment in academic functioning.

Relationships between parental sleep quality, fatigue, cognitions about infant sleep, and parental depression pre and post-intervention for infant behavioral sleep problems.

PubMed

Hall, Wendy A; Moynihan, Melissa; Bhagat, Radhika; Wooldridge, Joanne

2017-04-04

Maternal and paternal depression has been associated with infants' behavioral sleep problems. Behavioral sleep interventions, which alter parental cognitions about infant sleep, have improved infant sleep problems. This study reports relationships between parental depression, fatigue, sleep quality, and cognitions about infant sleep pre and post-intervention for a behavioral sleep problem. This secondary analysis of data from Canadian parents (n = 455), with healthy infants aged 6-to-8-months exposed to a behavioral sleep intervention, examined baseline data and follow-up data from 18 or 24 weeks post intervention (group teaching or printed material) exposure. Parents reported on sleep quality, fatigue, depression, and cognitions about infant sleep. Data were analyzed using Pearson's r and stepwise regression analysis. Parents' fatigue, sleep quality, sleep cognitions, and depression scores were correlated at baseline and follow-up. At baseline, sleep quality (b = .52, 95% CI .19-.85), fatigue (b = .48, 95% CI .33-.63), doubt about managing infant sleep (b = .44, 95% CI .19-.69), and anger about infant sleep (b = .69, 95% CI .44-.94) were associated with mothers' depression. At baseline, fathers' depression related to sleep quality (b = .42, 95% CI .01-.83), fatigue (b = .47, 95% CI .32-.63), and doubt about managing infant sleep (b = .50, 95% CI .24-.76). At follow-up, mothers' depression was associated with sleep quality (b = .76, 95% CI .41-1.12), fatigue (b = .25, 95% CI .14-.37), doubt about managing infant sleep (b = .44, 95% CI .16-.73), sleep anger (b = .31, 95% CI .02-.59), and setting sleep limits (b = -.22, 95% CI -.41-[-.03]). At follow-up, fathers' depression related to sleep quality (b = .84, 95% CI .46-1.22), fatigue (b = .31, 95% CI .17-.45), sleep doubt (b = .34, 95% CI .05-.62), and setting sleep limits (b = .25, 95% CI .01-.49). Mothers' and fathers' cognitions about infant sleep demonstrate complex relationships with their depression scores. While mothers' setting sleep limit scores are associated with decreased depression scores, fathers' setting limits scores are associated with increased depression scores. Parental doubts about managing infant sleep and difficulties with setting sleep limits require attention in interventions.

[A strategy of constructing the technological system for quality control of Chinese medicine based on process control and management].

PubMed

Cheng, Yi-Yu; Qian, Zhong-Zhi; Zhang, Bo-Li

2017-01-01

The current situation, bottleneck problems and severe challenges in quality control technology of Chinese Medicine (CM) are briefly described. It is presented to change the phenomenon related to the post-test as the main means and contempt for process control in drug regulation, reverse the situation of neglecting the development of process control and management technology for pharmaceutical manufacture and reconstruct the technological system for quality control of CM products. The regulation and technology system based on process control and management for controlling CM quality should be established to solve weighty realistic problems of CM industry from the root causes, including backwardness of quality control technology, weakness of quality risk control measures, poor reputation of product quality and so on. By this way, the obstacles from poor controllability of CM product quality could be broken. Concentrating on those difficult problems and weak links in the technical field of CM quality control, it is proposed to build CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls) regulation for CM products with Chinese characteristics and promote the regulation international recognition as soon as possible. The CMC technical framework, which is clinical efficacy-oriented, manufacturing manner-centered and process control-focused, was designed. To address the clinical characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the production feature of CM manufacture, it is suggested to establish quality control engineering for CM manufacturing by integrating pharmaceutical analysis, TCM chemistry, TCM pharmacology, pharmaceutical engineering, control engineering, management engineering and other disciplines. Further, a theoretical model of quality control engineering for CM manufacturing and the methodology of digital pharmaceutical engineering are proposed. A technology pathway for promoting CM standard and realizing the strategic goal of CM internationalization is elaborated. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Deadlines at work and sleep quality. Cross-sectional and longitudinal findings among Danish knowledge workers.

PubMed

Rugulies, Reiner; Martin, Marie H T; Garde, Anne Helene; Persson, Roger; Albertsen, Karen

2012-03-01

Exposure to deadlines at work is increasing in several countries and may affect health. We aimed to investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between frequency of difficult deadlines at work and sleep quality. Study participants were knowledge workers, drawn from a representative sample of Danish employees who responded to a baseline questionnaire in 2006 (n = 363) and a follow-up questionnaire in 2007 (n = 302). Frequency of difficult deadlines was measured by self-report and categorized into low, intermediate, and high. Sleep quality was measured with a Total Sleep Quality Score and two indexes (Awakening Index and Disturbed Sleep Index) derived from the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire. Analyses on the association between frequency of deadlines and sleep quality scores were conducted with multiple linear regression models, adjusted for potential confounders. In addition, we used multiple logistic regression models to analyze whether frequency of deadlines at baseline predicted caseness of sleep problems at follow-up among participants free of sleep problems at baseline. Frequent deadlines were cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with poorer sleep quality on all three sleep quality measures. Associations in the longitudinal analyses were greatly attenuated when we adjusted for baseline sleep quality. The logistic regression analyses showed that frequent deadlines at baseline were associated with elevated odds ratios for caseness of sleep problems at follow-up, however, confidence intervals were wide in these analyses. Frequent deadlines at work were associated with poorer sleep quality among Danish knowledge workers. We recommend investigating the relation between deadlines and health endpoints in large-scale epidemiologic studies. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Assessing the Quality of Problems in Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sockalingam, Nachamma; Rotgans, Jerome; Schmidt, Henk

2012-01-01

This study evaluated the construct validity and reliability of a newly devised 32-item problem quality rating scale intended to measure the quality of problems in problem-based learning. The rating scale measured the following five characteristics of problems: the extent to which the problem (1) leads to learning objectives, (2) is familiar, (3)…

[Life satisfaction and related socio-demographic factors during female midlife].

PubMed

Cuadros, José Luis; Pérez-Roncero, Gonzalo R; López-Baena, María Teresa; Cuadros-Celorrio, Angela M; Fernández-Alonso, Ana María

2014-01-01

To assess life satisfaction and related factors in middle-aged Spanish women. This was a cross-sectional study including 235 women aged 40 to 65, living in Granada (Spain), healthy companions of patients visiting the obstetrics and gynecology clinics. They completed the Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Menopause Rating Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Insomnia Severity Index and a sociodemographic questionnaire containing personal and partner data. Internal consistency of each tool was also calculated. Almost two-thirds (61.3%) of the women were postmenopausal, and 43.8% had abdominal obesity, 36.6% had insomnia, 18.7% had poor menopause-related quality of life, 31.9% performed regular exercise, and 5.1% had severe financial problems. Life satisfaction showed significant positive correlations (Spearman's test) with female and male age, and inverse correlations with menopause-related quality of life, perceived stress and insomnia. In the multiple linear regression analysis, high life satisfaction is positively correlated with having a partner who performed exercise, and inversely with having work problems, perceived stress and the suspicion of partner infidelity. These factors explained 40% of the variance of the multiple regression analysis for life satisfaction in middle-aged women. Life satisfaction is a construct related to perceived stress, work problems, and having a partner, while aspects of menopause and general health had no significant influence. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Sexual Functioning, Beliefs About Sexual Functioning and Quality of Life of Women with Infertility Problems.

PubMed

Agustus, Prathibha; Munivenkatappa, Manjula; Prasad, Padmini

2017-01-01

The study was conducted in the background of paucity of studies examining the sexual and psychosocial functioning of women with infertility. The study explored sexual functioning in women with infertility problems, their beliefs about sexuality and their quality of life. A single group exploratory design with non-probability purposive sampling was used. A total of 30 participants diagnosed with primary infertility were included in the study. The data were obtained by individual administration of the following tools: Semi-structured interview schedule, Female Sexual Functioning Inventory, Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire, World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale - BREF Version and General Health Questionnaire-12. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests. About half of the participants had sexual dysfunction. Pain-related problems were most commonly reported (50%). Factors contributing to dysfunction included inadequate knowledge about sex, sexual stimulation and sexual communication. Along with inadequate self-image, negative childhood experiences, financial difficulties and marital discord in parents influenced the perception of self. Majority of the women had dysfunctional beliefs about sexuality (56%), and greater beliefs were found to be in the domain of sexual conservatism. The overall quality of life was poor, and 56% of women experienced psychological distress. There was significant positive correlation between sexual conservatism and experience of pain and overall sexual functioning. Women with infertility bear dysfunctional beliefs and suffer from problems in sexual functioning, have low quality of life and high psychological distress.

The associations of indoor environment and psychosocial factors on the subjective evaluation of Indoor Air Quality among lower secondary school students: a multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Finell, E; Haverinen-Shaughnessy, U; Tolvanen, A; Laaksonen, S; Karvonen, S; Sund, R; Saaristo, V; Luopa, P; Ståhl, T; Putus, T; Pekkanen, J

2017-03-01

Subjective evaluation of Indoor Air Quality (subjective IAQ) reflects both building-related and psychosocial factors, but their associations have rarely been studied other than on the individual level in occupational settings and their interactions have not been assessed. Therefore, we studied whether schools' observed indoor air problems and psychosocial factors are associated with subjective IAQ and their potential interactions. The analysis was performed with a nationwide sample (N = 195 schools/26946 students) using multilevel modeling. Two datasets were merged: (i) survey data from students, including information on schools' psychosocial environment and subjective IAQ, and (ii) data from school principals, including information on observed indoor air problems. On the student level, school-related stress, poor teacher-student relationship, and whether the student did not easily receive help from school personnel, were significantly associated with poor subjective IAQ. On the school level, observed indoor air problem (standardized β = -0.43) and poor teacher-student relationship (standardized β = -0.22) were significant predictors of poor subjective IAQ. In addition, school-related stress was associated with poor subjective IAQ, but only in schools without observed indoor air problem (standardized β = -0.44). © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prevalence of poor sleep quality and its relationship with body mass index among teenagers: evidence from Taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, Duan-Rung; Truong, Khoa D; Tsai, Meng-Ju

2013-08-01

The linkage between sleep quality and weight status among teenagers has gained more attention in the recent literature and health policy but no consensus has been reached. Using both a propensity score method and multivariate linear regression for a cross-sectional sample of 2,113 teenagers, we analyzed their body mass index (BMI) in relation to sleep quality while controlling for family characteristics (household income, parent/guardian level of education, disability status, work night shift, and smoking) and individual factors (age, sex, regular exercise, smoking, employment, and feeling secure in the neighborhood). Sleep quality was assessed using 3 scales: difficulty in initiating sleep, difficulty in maintaining sleep, and non-restorative sleep, based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-defined insomnia. Considering all 3 types of poor sleep quality, 20.9% of teenagers in Taiwan experienced some form of sleep problems. After adjusting for the other variables, 2 factors independently and statistically predicted sleep problems: current smoking and working night shifts by the head of the household. Teens experiencing difficulty in initiating sleep had higher BMIs ranging from 0.86 to 1.41 units. Efforts to address childhood obesity need to take into consideration sleep problems that are highly prevalent among teenagers. © 2013, American School Health Association.

Psychosocial Correlates of Hepatitis C: Interaction and impact on quality of life

PubMed Central

Janke, E. Amy; McGraw, Sarah; Fraenkel, Liana; Garcia-Tsao, Guadalupe

2009-01-01

Despite demonstrated prevalence of psychosocial problems among hepatitis C (HCV) patients, little is known about how these problems develop, why they are sustained, and how clinical providers can effectively intervene. This study uses a qualitative approach to investigate the nature of psychosocial issues in HCV. Focus groups were conducted with HCV patients during which participants discussed significant feelings of anger, depression, and stigma associated with diagnosis. Participants noted these feelings/experiences isolated them from potential sources of social support. Results have important implications for clinical providers and suggest pathways by which HCV-related psychosocial factors interact and impact of quality of life. PMID:19122126

[Quality of professional life and musculoskeletal disorders in nurses].

PubMed

Rodarte-Cuevas, Lilia; Araujo-Espino, Roxana; Trejo-Ortiz, Perla María; González-Tovar, José

To characterize the conditions of quality of working life, the presence of muscle- skeletal disorders and the association between these variables in nursing staff of a public hospital in Zacatecas, Mexico. A cross-sectional study with descriptive-correlational scope was designed. A stratified random sampling per shift was used in 107 cases. The Questionnaire Professional Quality of Life (CVP-35) was applied as well as the Nordic Questionnaire Standardized for musculoskeletal pain and work-related risk factors questionnaire. The quality of working life gained an average of 55.62 (SD=13.57), the intrinsic motivation was the best rated component with (M=75.06, SD=18.44), contrary to managerial support that got the lowest scores with (M=43.74, SD=21.71). The presence of risk factors in the development work of musculoskeletal problems obtained a mean of 50.10 (SD=26.69). The main musculoskeletal disorders occurred in the neck region, lumbar spine and knees with 42.1% for each one. The quality of working life decreased in the presence of muscle-skeletal problems in the lumbar region with (-0.188, p≤.050), dorsal (-0.206, p≤.050), neck (-0.175, p≤.050) and knees (-0.220, p≤.010). It is necessary to improve the working conditions of nurses to reduce the presence of musculoskeletal problems and improve their quality of working life. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Problem Gambling Family Impacts: Development of the Problem Gambling Family Impact Scale.

PubMed

Dowling, N A; Suomi, A; Jackson, A C; Lavis, T

2016-09-01

Although family members of problem gamblers frequently present to treatment services, problem gambling family impacts are under-researched. The most commonly endorsed items on a new measure of gambling-related family impacts [Problem Gambling Family Impact Measure (PG-FIM: Problem Gambler version)] by 212 treatment-seeking problem gamblers included trust (62.5 %), anger (61.8 %), depression or sadness (58.7 %), anxiety (57.7 %), distress due to gambling-related absences (56.1 %), reduced quality time (52.4 %), and communication breakdowns (52.4 %). The PG-FIM (Problem Gambler version) was comprised of three factors: (1) financial impacts, (2) increased responsibility impacts, and (3) psychosocial impacts with good psychometric properties. Younger, more impulsive, non-electronic gaming machine (EGM) gamblers who had more severe gambling problems reported more financial impacts; non-EGM gamblers with poorer general health reported more increased responsibility impacts; and more impulsive non-EGM gamblers with more psychological distress and higher gambling severity reported more psychosocial impacts. The findings have implications for the development of interventions for the family members of problem gamblers.

The Pharmacological Management of Oppositional Behaviour, Conduct Problems, and Aggression in Children and Adolescents With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Conduct Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Part 1: Psychostimulants, Alpha-2 Agonists, and Atomoxetine

PubMed Central

Pringsheim, Tamara; Hirsch, Lauren; Gardner, David; Gorman, Daniel A

2015-01-01

Objective: Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have oppositional behaviour, conduct problems, and aggression. These symptoms vary in severity, and may be related to a comorbid diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder (CD). Critical evaluation of the efficacy of ADHD medications may guide the clinician regarding the usefulness of medications for these symptoms. Method: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of psychostimulants, alpha-2 agonists, and atomoxetine for oppositional behaviour, conduct problems, and aggression in youth with ADHD, ODD, and CD. The quality of evidence for medications was rated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Results: Two systematic reviews and 20 randomized controlled trials were included. There is high-quality evidence that psychostimulants have a moderate-to-large effect on oppositional behaviour, conduct problems, and aggression in youth with ADHD, with and without ODD or CD. There is very-low-quality evidence that clonidine has a small effect on oppositional behaviour and conduct problems in youth with ADHD, with and without ODD or CD. There is moderate-quality evidence that guanfacine has a small-to-moderate effect on oppositional behaviour in youth with ADHD, with and without ODD. There is high-quality evidence that atomoxetine has a small effect on oppositional behaviour in youth with ADHD, with and without ODD or CD. Conclusions: Evidence indicates that psychostimulants, alpha-2 agonists, and atomoxetine can be beneficial for disruptive and aggressive behaviours in addition to core ADHD symptoms; however, psychostimulants generally provide the most benefit. PMID:25886655

The pharmacological management of oppositional behaviour, conduct problems, and aggression in children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Part 1: psychostimulants, alpha-2 agonists, and atomoxetine.

PubMed

Pringsheim, Tamara; Hirsch, Lauren; Gardner, David; Gorman, Daniel A

2015-02-01

Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have oppositional behaviour, conduct problems, and aggression. These symptoms vary in severity, and may be related to a comorbid diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder (CD). Critical evaluation of the efficacy of ADHD medications may guide the clinician regarding the usefulness of medications for these symptoms. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of psychostimulants, alpha-2 agonists, and atomoxetine for oppositional behaviour, conduct problems, and aggression in youth with ADHD, ODD, and CD. The quality of evidence for medications was rated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Two systematic reviews and 20 randomized controlled trials were included. There is high-quality evidence that psychostimulants have a moderate-to-large effect on oppositional behaviour, conduct problems, and aggression in youth with ADHD, with and without ODD or CD. There is very-low-quality evidence that clonidine has a small effect on oppositional behaviour and conduct problems in youth with ADHD, with and without ODD or CD. There is moderate-quality evidence that guanfacine has a small-to-moderate effect on oppositional behaviour in youth with ADHD, with and without ODD. There is high-quality evidence that atomoxetine has a small effect on oppositional behaviour in youth with ADHD, with and without ODD or CD. Evidence indicates that psychostimulants, alpha-2 agonists, and atomoxetine can be beneficial for disruptive and aggressive behaviours in addition to core ADHD symptoms; however, psychostimulants generally provide the most benefit.

Environmental health and hazardous waste issues related to the U.S.-Mexico border.

PubMed Central

Carter, D E; Peña, C; Varady, R; Suk, W A

1996-01-01

Environmental health and environmental quality issues along the U.S.-Mexico border have been of concern for several years. The enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the presence of the maquiladoras (foreign-owned industries using imported raw materials) have intensified those concerns recently. Efforts to assess these issues are complicated by the fact that many of the issues affecting the border region are within federal jurisdiction, but the problems are regional and local in nature. Thus, state and local governments become involved with public concerns about real and potential problems. One major problem is that environmental health data from this region are lacking, particularly from Mexico. Some new agencies such as the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, and the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation have joined several existing agencies at the federal and state level to address environmental quality and health. Several studies have been initiated to determine air and water quality, but little is being done in the areas of hazardous waste and health assessment. Several problems are anticipated in the generation of such data, such as its format and accessibility. Data gaps and research needs are discussed. PMID:8793340

Trajectories of health-related quality of life in children with epilepsy: a cohort study.

PubMed

Ferro, Mark A; Camfield, Carol S; Levin, Simon D; Smith, Mary Lou; Wiebe, Samuel; Zou, Guangyong; Speechley, Kathy N

2013-11-01

Little is known about subgroups of children with epilepsy who may experience less favorable outcomes over time. The objectives of this study were to document trajectories of health-related quality of life (HRQL) and to identify predictors of the trajectory group in children with new-onset epilepsy. Data were obtained from the Health Related Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy Study, a prospective multisite study of children 4-12 years old with new-onset epilepsy followed for 24 months. Health-related quality of life was measured using the Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy questionnaire. Trajectories of HRQL were investigated using latent class trajectory modeling. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify child, parent, and family predictors of HRQL trajectories. A total of 374 families responded at baseline and 283 (76%) completed the study. Five HRQL trajectories were observed: low-increasing (4%), moderate-decreasing (12%), moderate-increasing (22%), high-increasing (32%), and high-stable (30%). Many children in the low-increasing, moderate-increasing, high-increasing, and high-stable had clinically meaningful improvements in HRQL: 82%, 47%, 63%, and 44%, respectively. In contrast, the majority of children in the moderate-decreasing group (56%) experienced clinically meaningful declines in their HRQL. Factors predicting trajectories were number of antiepileptic drugs prescribed, presence of comorbid behavior or cognitive problems, parent depression, and family functioning and demands. Results suggested that children with epilepsy are not homogenous but rather consist of groups with different trajectories and unique predictors of HRQL. Problems associated with child behavior and cognition were the strongest predictors identified. Given that several risk factors are modifiable, it is important to examine these as potential targets within a family-centered framework to improve HRQL of children with new-onset epilepsy. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2013 International League Against Epilepsy.

Internet addiction, sleep and health-related life quality among obese individuals: a comparison study of the growing problems in adolescent health.

PubMed

Eliacik, Kayi; Bolat, Nurullah; Koçyiğit, Cemil; Kanik, Ali; Selkie, Ellen; Yilmaz, Huseyin; Catli, Gonul; Dundar, Nihal Olgac; Dundar, Bumin Nuri

2016-12-01

The rapid rise in the global prevalence of obesity suggests that environmental factors may be responsible. The increased use of technology is associated with increased rates of obesity due to declines in physical activity and significant sedentary life style. Internet addiction is also a growing health issue associated with diminished physical activity and poor sleep quality as well as various health problems. The purpose of this study was to determine associations between Internet addiction and adolescent obesity-related problems. In this case-control study, 71 adolescents with obesity were recruited from the outpatient clinic at Tepecik Teaching Hospital and Katip Celebi University Hospital, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology in Izmir, Turkey. The control group consisted of 64 non-obese adolescents that were matched with patients in the study group by age and gender. All subjects completed socio-demographic forms, an Internet addiction scale, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Adolescents with obesity were significantly more likely to have Internet addiction (p = 0.002), lower quality of life (p < 0.001), and higher daytime sleepiness (p = 0.008). Moreover, binary regression analysis showed that Internet addiction and less physical activity were associated with increased odds of obesity. The results indicated a significant association between Internet addiction and obesity. Health practitioners should take possible Internet addiction, online activities, and physical activities into consideration in follow-up of obese adolescents. In addition to pharmacologic therapies and dietary interventions, providing behavioral therapy targeting healthy Internet use may be promising to reduce the effects of obesity in adolescence.

The "Diagnostic Guideline for Anxiety and Challenging Behaviour" for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities: Preliminary Outcomes on Internalizing Problems, Challenging Behaviours, Quality of Life and Clients' Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pruijssers, Addy; Meijel, Berno; Maaskant, Marian; Teerenstra, Steven; van Achterberg, Theo

2017-01-01

Background: People with intellectual disabilities are vulnerable to develop psychopathology (in particular anxiety) and related challenging behaviour. Method: A comparative multiple case study with an experimental and a control condition. Results: The application of the guideline showed a trend of decreases of internalizing problems (P = 0.07) and…

Ethical problems in nursing management: The views of nurse managers.

PubMed

Aitamaa, Elina; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Iltanen, Silja; Suhonen, Riitta

2016-09-01

Nurse managers have responsibilities relating to the quality of care, the welfare of the staff and running of the organization. Ethics plays significant role in these responsibilities. Ethical problems are part of daily management, but research in this area is limited. The aim of this study was to identify and describe ethical problems nurse managers encounter in their work to get more detailed and extensive view of these problems. The data consisted of nine interviews with nurse managers at different management levels in primary healthcare and specialized healthcare organizations, and it was analysed by inductive content analysis. Permission to conduct the interviews including ethical approval was given at all participating organizations according to national standards. The respondents were informed about the aim of the study, and voluntary participation, anonymous response and confidentiality were explained to them. Four main categories were found: conflicts in practical situations, lack of appreciation, disregard of problems and experienced inadequacy. Problems could also be divided to patient-related, staff-related, organization-related and other problems. The findings correspond with results from earlier studies but add knowledge of the nature and details of nurse managers' ethical problems. New information is produced related to the ethical problems with nurse managers' own courage, motivation and values. Nurse managers identified a variety of different ethical problems in their work. This information is useful in the development of ethics in nursing management. Further research about the frequency and intensity of nurse managers' ethical problems is needed as well as possible differences in different levels of management. © The Author(s) 2015.

Childhood bruxism: Related factors and impact on oral health-related quality of life.

PubMed

Antunes, Lívia Azeredo Alves; Castilho, Thuanny; Marinho, Marcello; Fraga, Renato Silva; Antunes, Leonardo Santos

2016-01-01

This study aimed to assess childhood bruxism relating associated factors and the bruxism's impact on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). A case-control study was performed with 3- to 6-year-old children obtained from public preschools in Brazil. The case and control groups had 21 and 40 children, respectively. Associations between bruxism and respiratory problems (p = 0.04, OR: 0.33, CI: 0.09 to 1.14), dental wear (p < 0.01, OR: 0.01, CI: 0.00 to 0.05), malocclusion (p < 0.01, OR: 0.06, CI: 0.01 to 0.35), and dental caries (p = 0.02, OR: 0.22, CI: 0.04 to 1.04) were observed. The OHRQoL overall mean score and subscales were relatively low independent of the evaluated group (p > 0.05). The association between presence and absence of impact with bruxism or other variables showed no statistical relationship (p > 0.05). It could be concluded that childhood bruxism is related to respiratory problems, dental wear, dental caries, and malocclusion. Despite being a topic that demands special care in dentistry, bruxism does not significantly affect the OHRQoL. © 2015 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Maternal depression and trajectories of child internalizing and externalizing problems: the roles of child decision making and working memory.

PubMed

Flouri, E; Ruddy, A; Midouhas, E

2017-04-01

Maternal depression may affect the emotional/behavioural outcomes of children with normal neurocognitive functioning less severely than it does those without. To guide prevention and intervention efforts, research must specify which aspects of a child's cognitive functioning both moderate the effect of maternal depression and are amenable to change. Working memory and decision making may be amenable to change and are so far unexplored as moderators of this effect. Our sample was 17 160 Millennium Cohort Study children. We analysed trajectories of externalizing (conduct and hyperactivity) and internalizing (emotional and peer) problems, measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at the ages 3, 5, 7 and 11 years, using growth curve models. We characterized maternal depression, also time-varying at these ages, by a high score on the K6. Working memory was measured with the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery Spatial Working Memory Task, and decision making (risk taking and quality of decision making) with the Cambridge Gambling Task, both at age 11 years. Maternal depression predicted both the level and the growth of problems. Risk taking and poor-quality decision making were related positively to externalizing and non-significantly to internalizing problems. Poor working memory was related to both problem types. Neither decision making nor working memory explained the effect of maternal depression on child internalizing/externalizing problems. Importantly, risk taking amplified the effect of maternal depression on internalizing problems, and poor working memory that on internalizing and conduct problems. Impaired decision making and working memory in children amplify the adverse effect of maternal depression on, particularly, internalizing problems.

Impact of pharmaceutical care on the quality of life of patients with Chagas disease and heart failure: randomized clinical trial

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Pharmaceutical care is the direct interaction between pharmacist and patient, in order to improve therapeutic compliance, promote adequate pharmacotherapeutic follow-up, and improve quality of life. Pharmaceutical care may be effective in reducing complications and in improving the quality of life of patients with chronic diseases, like Chagas heart disease, while bringing a positive impact on health system costs. The morbidity and mortality indexes for patients with Chagas heart disease are high, especially if this heart disease is complicated by heart failure. In this setting, we hypothesize that pharmaceutical care might be an important tool for the clinical management of these patients by improving their quality of life, as a better compliance to their treatment and the avoidance and prompt correction of drug-related problems will minimize their symptoms, improve their functional class, and decrease the number of hospital admissions. Therefore, the aim of this trial is to evaluate the contribution of pharmaceutical care to clinical treatment of patients with Chagas heart disease complicated by heart failure. Methods/design A prospective, single-center randomized clinical trial will be conducted in patients with Chagas heart disease complicated by heart failure. A total of 88 patients will be randomly assigned into two parallel groups: an intervention group will receive standard care and pharmaceutical care, and a control group will receive only standard care. Both groups will be subjected to a follow-up period of 12 months. The primary outcome of this trial is the evaluation of quality of life, measured by the 36-item short-form and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes include drug-related problems, exercise tolerance as measured by the standard six-minute-walk test, and compliance. Discussion Patients with Chagas heart disease complicated by heart failure under pharmaceutical care are expected to improve their quality of life, present with a lower incidence of drug-related problems, improve their functional capacity, and improve in their compliance to treatment. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01566617 PMID:23270509

Impact of pharmaceutical care on the quality of life of patients with Chagas disease and heart failure: randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Sperandio da Silva, Gilberto M; Chambela, Mayara C; Sousa, Andrea S; Sangenis, Luiz Henrique C; Xavier, Sergio S; Costa, Andréa R; Brasil, Pedro Emmanuel A A; Hasslocher-Moreno, Alejandro M; Saraiva, Roberto M

2012-12-27

Pharmaceutical care is the direct interaction between pharmacist and patient, in order to improve therapeutic compliance, promote adequate pharmacotherapeutic follow-up, and improve quality of life. Pharmaceutical care may be effective in reducing complications and in improving the quality of life of patients with chronic diseases, like Chagas heart disease, while bringing a positive impact on health system costs. The morbidity and mortality indexes for patients with Chagas heart disease are high, especially if this heart disease is complicated by heart failure. In this setting, we hypothesize that pharmaceutical care might be an important tool for the clinical management of these patients by improving their quality of life, as a better compliance to their treatment and the avoidance and prompt correction of drug-related problems will minimize their symptoms, improve their functional class, and decrease the number of hospital admissions. Therefore, the aim of this trial is to evaluate the contribution of pharmaceutical care to clinical treatment of patients with Chagas heart disease complicated by heart failure. A prospective, single-center randomized clinical trial will be conducted in patients with Chagas heart disease complicated by heart failure. A total of 88 patients will be randomly assigned into two parallel groups: an intervention group will receive standard care and pharmaceutical care, and a control group will receive only standard care. Both groups will be subjected to a follow-up period of 12 months. The primary outcome of this trial is the evaluation of quality of life, measured by the 36-item short-form and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes include drug-related problems, exercise tolerance as measured by the standard six-minute-walk test, and compliance. Patients with Chagas heart disease complicated by heart failure under pharmaceutical care are expected to improve their quality of life, present with a lower incidence of drug-related problems, improve their functional capacity, and improve in their compliance to treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01566617.

Dimensions of Housing Deprivation for Older People in Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nolan, Brian; Winston, Nessa

2011-01-01

Housing is an important aspect of living standards and quality of life for older persons, but the housing-related problems they may face encompass rather different circumstances, relating to the condition of the dwelling, how well equipped it is, whether housing costs represent a serious burden, and whether the neighbourhood environment is…

Curriculum Knowledge, Justice, Relations: The Schools White Paper (2010) in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winter, Christine

2014-01-01

In this article I begin by discussing the persistent problem of relations between educational inequality and the attainment gap in schools. Because benefits accruing from an education are substantial, the "gap" leads to large disparities in the quality of life many young people can expect to experience in the future. Curriculum knowledge…

Using creative problem solving (TRIZ) in improving the quality of hospital services.

PubMed

LariSemnani, Behrouz; Mohebbi Far, Rafat; Shalipoor, Elham; Mohseni, Mohammad

2014-08-14

TRIZ is an initiative and SERVQUAL is a structured methodology for quality improvement. Using these tools, inventive problem solving can be applied for quality improvement, and the highest quality can be reached using creative quality improvement methodology. The present study seeks to determine the priority of quality aspects of services provided for patients in the hospital as well as how TRIZ can help in improving the quality of those services. This Study is an applied research which used a dynamic qualitative descriptive survey method during year 2011. Statistical population includes every patient who visited in one of the University Hospitals from March 2011. There existed a big gap between patients' expectations from what seemingly is seen (the design of the hospital) and timely provision of services with their perceptions. Also, quality aspects of services were prioritized as follows: keeping the appearance of hospital (the design), accountability, assurance, credibility and having empathy. Thus, the only thing which mattered most for all staff and managers of studied hospital was the appearance of hospital as well as its staff look. This can grasp a high percentage of patients' satisfaction. By referring to contradiction matrix, the most important principles of TRIZ model were related to tangible factors including principles No. 13 (discarding and recovering), 25 (self-service), 35 (parameter changes), and 2 (taking out). Furthermore, in addition to these four principles, principle No. 24 (intermediary) was repeated most among the others. By utilizing TRIZ, hospital problems can be examined with a more open view, Go beyond The conceptual framework of the organization and responded more quickly to patients ' needs.

Early Parenting, Represented Family Relationships, and Externalizing Behavior Problems in Children Born Preterm

PubMed Central

Poehlmann, Julie; Burnson, Cynthia; Weymouth, Lindsay A.

2015-01-01

Through assessment of 173 preterm infants and their mothers at hospital discharge and at 9, 16, 24, 36, and 72 months, the study examined early parenting, attachment security, effortful control, and children’s representations of family relationships in relation to subsequent externalizing behavior problems. Less intrusive early parenting predicted more secure attachment, better effortful control skills, and fewer early behavior problems, although it did not directly relate to the structural or content characteristics of children’s represented family relationships. Children with higher effortful control scores at 24 months had more coherent family representations at 36 months. Moreover, children who exhibited less avoidance in their family representations at 36 months had fewer mother-reported externalizing behavior problems at 72 months. The study suggests that early parenting quality and avoidance in children’s represented relationships are important for the development of externalizing behavior problems in children born preterm. PMID:24580068

Early parenting, represented family relationships, and externalizing behavior problems in children born preterm.

PubMed

Poehlmann, Julie; Burnson, Cynthia; Weymouth, Lindsay A

2014-01-01

Through assessment of 173 preterm infants and their mothers at hospital discharge and at 9, 16, 24, 36, and 72 months, the study examined early parenting, attachment security, effortful control, and children's representations of family relationships in relation to subsequent externalizing behavior problems. Less intrusive early parenting predicted more secure attachment, better effortful control skills, and fewer early behavior problems, although it did not directly relate to the structural or content characteristics of children's represented family relationships. Children with higher effortful control scores at 24 months had more coherent family representations at 36 months. Moreover, children who exhibited less avoidance in their family representations at 36 months had fewer mother-reported externalizing behavior problems at 72 months. The study suggests that early parenting quality and avoidance in children's represented relationships are important for the development of externalizing behavior problems in children born preterm.

Evaluating the satisfaction of immigrant women from a rural community regarding family functioning and health-related quality of life.

PubMed

Tsai, Su-Ying; Sun, Wen-Jung

2013-01-01

Transnational marriages in Taiwan are largely mediated by marriage brokers. The present study was conducted to evaluate the satisfaction of immigrant women with their family function and health-related quality of life in a rural township in southern Taiwan. Data were collected from January 1, 2006 to November 31, 2006, and 157 immigrants agreed to participate in the study, with a 79.3% response rate. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The interviewers also collected information on the immigrants' and husbands' demographics, self-reported mental conditions, family function using a Family APGAR questionnaire (Adaptability, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve), and health-related quality of life. Marriage arranged through a marriage broker and having emotional distress were factors that were strongly associated with lower Family APGAR scores. Based on multiple regression models, higher Family APGAR scores were more positively related to vitality and mental health scales. Self-reported mental conditions, including feeling economic distress, emotional distress, loneliness, and having sleep problems, were negatively associated with most scales of the health-related quality of life. Female migrants' mental health was significantly related to their health-related quality of life. These findings suggest that migrant women must be educated regarding the importance of mental health by physicians and hygiene authorities in Taiwan.

Cognitive and affective empathy in children with conduct problems: additive and interactive effects of callous-unemotional traits and autism spectrum disorders symptoms.

PubMed

Pasalich, Dave S; Dadds, Mark R; Hawes, David J

2014-11-30

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) symptoms are characterized by problems in empathy; however, these behavioral features are rarely examined together in children with conduct problems. This study investigated additive and interactive effects of CU traits and ASD symptoms in relation to cognitive and affective empathy in a non-ASD clinic-referred sample. Participants were 134 children aged 3 to 9 years (M=5.60; 79% boys) with oppositional defiant/conduct disorder, and their parents. Clinicians, teachers, and parents reported on dimensions of child behavior, and parental reports of family dysfunction and direct observations of parental warmth/responsiveness assessed quality of family relationships. Results from multiple regression analysis showed that, over and above the effects of child conduct problem severity and quality of family relationships, both ASD symptoms and CU traits were uniquely associated with deficits in cognitive empathy. Moreover, CU traits demonstrated an independent association with affective empathy, and this relationship was moderated by ASD symptoms. That is, there was a stronger negative association between CU traits and affective empathy at higher versus lower levels of ASD symptoms. These findings suggest including both CU traits and ASD-related social impairments in models delineating the atypical development of empathy in children with conduct problems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predictive value of general movements' quality in low-risk infants for minor neurological dysfunction and behavioural problems at preschool age.

PubMed

Bennema, Anne N; Schendelaar, Pamela; Seggers, Jorien; Haadsma, Maaike L; Heineman, Maas Jan; Hadders-Algra, Mijna

2016-03-01

General movement (GM) assessment is a well-established tool to predict cerebral palsy in high-risk infants. Little is known on the predictive value of GM assessment in low-risk populations. To assess the predictive value of GM quality in early infancy for the development of the clinically relevant form of minor neurological dysfunction (complex MND) and behavioral problems at preschool age. Prospective cohort study. A total of 216 members of the prospective Groningen Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) cohort study were included in this study. ART did not affect neurodevelopmental outcome of these relatively low-risk infants born to subfertile parents. GM quality was determined at 2 weeks and 3 months. At 18 months and 4 years, the Hempel neurological examination was used to assess MND. At 4 years, parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist; this resulted in the total problem score (TPS), internalizing problem score (IPS), and externalizing problem score (EPS). Predictive values of definitely (DA) and mildly (MA) abnormal GMs were calculated. DA GMs at 2 weeks were associated with complex MND at 18 months and atypical TPS and IPS at 4 years (all p<0.05). Sensitivity and positive predictive value of DA GMs at 2 weeks were rather low (13%-60%); specificity and negative predictive value were excellent (92%-99%). DA GMs at 3 months occurred too infrequently to calculate prediction. MA GMs were not associated with outcome. GM quality as a single predictor for complex MND and behavioral problems at preschool age has limited clinical value in children at low risk for developmental disorders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Xerostomia and its impact on oral health-related quality of life].

PubMed

Herrmann, Gianna; Müller, Karolina; Behr, Michael; Hahnel, Sebastian

2017-02-01

Dry mouth is a frequently occurrence in elderly people and causes numerous clinical and social problems. To investigate the quality of life in geriatric patients living in nursing homes depending on the subjective sensation of dry mouth and associated oral parameters. A total of 62 male and female elderly patients living in 7 cooperating nursing homes were interviewed employing questionnaires with regard to their oral health-related quality of life (GOHAI) and their subjective perception of dry mouth (sXI-D). Dental status, drinking habits and current medication were documented. The mean GOHAI score was 53.6 and the mean sXI-D score was 7.9. Oral health-related quality of life was significantly influenced by the subjective sensation of dry mouth (p < 0.001), whereas no significant impact of the number of residual teeth or implants or the character of prosthetic restorations could be identified. Xerostomia was significantly influenced by the number of medications consumed (p = 0.039). Xerostomia has a significant impact on the oral health-related quality of life of elderly people living in nursing homes. Thus, dental treatment should focus on the alleviation of xerostomia to improve the oral health-related quality of life in the elderly population.

Geology, ground-water flow, and dissolved-solids concentrations in ground water along hydrogeologic sections through Wisconsin aquifers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kammerer, P.A.

1998-01-01

A cooperative project between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was begun with the objectives of describing water quality and its relation to the hydrology of Wisconsin's principal aquifers and summarizing instances of ground-water contamination and quality problems from information available in DNR files. The first objective was met by a hydrologic investigation done by the USGS, and the second, by preparation of a report by the DNR, for their internal use, that describes the State's water resources and known ground-water quality and contamination problems and makes policy recommendations for ground-water management.The USGS investigation was divided into two phases. The first phase consisted of compiling available water-quality and hydrogeologic data and collecting new data to describe general regional water-quality and hydrogeologic relations within and between Wisconsin aquifers. The second phase began concurrently with the later part of the first phase and consisted of an areal description of water quality and flow in the State's shallow aquifer system (Kammerer, 1995). The overall purpose of this investigation was to provide a regional framework that could serve as a basis for intensive local and site specific ground-water investigations by State and local government agencies.This report presents the results of the first phase of the USGS investigation. Regional hydrogeologic and water-quality relations within and between aquifers are shown along 15 hydrogeologic sections that traverse the State. Maps are used to show surficial geology of bedrock and unconsolidated deposits and horizontal direction of ground-water flow. Interpretations on the maps and hydrogeologic sections are based on data from a variety of sources and provide the basis for the areal appraisal of water quality in the State's shallow aquifer system in the second phase of the investigation.

[Patient safety: a comparison between handwritten and computerized voluntary incident reporting].

PubMed

Capucho, Helaine Carneiro; Arnas, Emilly Rasquini; Cassiani, Silvia Helena De Bortoli

2013-03-01

This study's objective was to compare two types of voluntary incident reporting methods that affect patient safety, handwritten (HR) and computerized (CR), in relation to the number of reports, type of incident reported the individual submitting the report, and quality of reports. This was a descriptive, retrospective and cross-sectional study. CR were more frequent than HR (61.2% vs. 38.6%) among the 1,089 reports analyzed and were submitted every day of the month, while HR were submitted only on weekdays. The highest number of reports referred to medication, followed by problems related to medical-hospital material and the professional who most frequently submitted reports were nurses in both cases. Overall CR presented higher quality than HR (86.1% vs. 61.7%); 36.8% of HR were illegible, a problem that was eliminated in CR. Therefore, the use of computerized incident reporting in hospitals favors qualified voluntary reports, increasing patient safety.

An overview of silicon carbide device technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neudeck, Philip G.; Matus, Lawrence G.

1992-01-01

Recent progress in the development of silicon carbide (SiC) as a semiconductor is briefly reviewed. This material shows great promise towards providing electronic devices that can operate under the high-temperature, high-radiation, and/or high-power conditions where current semiconductor technologies fail. High quality single crystal wafers have become available, and techniques for growing high quality epilayers have been refined to the point where experimental SiC devices and circuits can be developed. The prototype diodes and transistors that have been produced to date show encouraging characteristics, but by the same token they also exhibit some device-related problems that are not unlike those faced in the early days of silicon technology development. Although these problems will not prevent the implementation of some useful circuits, the performance and operating regime of SiC electronics will be limited until these device-related issues are solved.

Assessment of psychosocial problems in children with type 1 diabetes and their families: the added value of using standardised questionnaires in addition to clinical estimations of nurses and paediatricians.

PubMed

Boogerd, Emiel A; Damhuis, Anouk M A; van Alfen-van der Velden, Janiëlle A A E m; Steeghs, Marley C C H; Noordam, Cees; Verhaak, Chris M; Vermaes, Ignace P R

2015-08-01

To investigate the assessment of psychosocial problems in children with type 1 diabetes by means of clinical estimations made by nurses and paediatricians and by using standardised questionnaires. Although children with type 1 diabetes and their parents show increased risk for psychosocial problems, standardised assessment of these problems lacks in diabetes care. By comparing these different modes of assessment, using a cross-sectional design, information about the additional value of using standardised questionnaires is provided. Participants were 110 children with type 1 diabetes (aged 4-16), their parents, and healthcare professionals. Children filled out the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Diabetes Module. Parents filled out the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire parent-report and the Parenting Stress Index. Independently, nurses and paediatricians filled out a short questionnaire, which assessed their clinical estimations of the children's psychosocial problems and quality of life, and parents' levels of parenting stress. Reports of children and parents were compared to clinical estimations. Children in our sample showed more psychosocial problems and lower health-related quality of life than their healthy peers. In approximately half of the children, dichotomous estimations by healthcare professionals and dichotomised reports by patients and parents were in agreement. In 10% of the children, no psychosocial problems were present according to professionals' estimations, although patients and parents-reported psychosocial problems. In 40%, psychosocial problems were present according to professionals' estimations, although parents and patients did not report psychosocial problems. Children with type 1 diabetes show more psychosocial problems than healthy children. Professionals seem to tend towards overestimating psychosocial problems. Extending the assessment of psychosocial problems with routine screening on patient-reported outcomes, using validated questionnaires, could be of additional value in tailoring care to the needs of the individual child and parents. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Connecting Humans and Water: The Case for Coordinated Data Collection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braden, J. B.; Brown, D. G.; Jolejole-Foreman, C.; Maidment, D. R.; Marquart-Pyatt, S. T.; Schneider, D. W.

2012-12-01

"Water problems" are fundamentally human problems -- aligning water quality and quantity with human aspirations. In the U.S., however, the few ongoing efforts to repeatedly observe humans in relation to water at large scale are disjointed both with each other and with observing systems for water quality and quantity. This presentation argues for the systematic, coordinated, and on-going collection of primary data on humans, spanning beliefs, perceptions, behaviors, and institutions, alongside the water environments in which they are embedded. Such an enterprise would advance not only water science and related policy and management decisions, but also generate basic insights into human cognition, decision making, and institutional development as they relate to the science of sustainability. In support of this argument, two types of original analyses are presented. First, two case studies using existing data sets illustrate methodological issues involved in integrating natural system data with social data at large scale: one concerns the influence of water quality conditions on personal efforts to conserve water and contribute financially to environmental protection; the other explores relationships between recreation behavior and water quality. Both case studies show how methodological differences between data programs seriously undercut the potential to draw inference about human responses to water quality while also illustrating the scientific potential that could be realized from linking human and scientific surveys of the water environment. Second, the results of a survey of water scientists concerning important scientific and policy questions around humans and water provide insight into data collection priorities for a coordinated program of observation.

Improving Multi-Objective Management of Water Quality Tipping Points: Revisiting the Classical Shallow Lake Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinn, J. D.; Reed, P. M.; Keller, K.

2015-12-01

Recent multi-objective extensions of the classical shallow lake problem are useful for exploring the conceptual and computational challenges that emerge when managing irreversible water quality tipping points. Building on this work, we explore a four objective version of the lake problem where a hypothetical town derives economic benefits from polluting a nearby lake, but at the risk of irreversibly tipping the lake into a permanently polluted state. The trophic state of the lake exhibits non-linear threshold dynamics; below some critical phosphorus (P) threshold it is healthy and oligotrophic, but above this threshold it is irreversibly eutrophic. The town must decide how much P to discharge each year, a decision complicated by uncertainty in the natural P inflow to the lake. The shallow lake problem provides a conceptually rich set of dynamics, low computational demands, and a high level of mathematical difficulty. These properties maximize its value for benchmarking the relative merits and limitations of emerging decision support frameworks, such as Direct Policy Search (DPS). Here, we explore the use of DPS as a formal means of developing robust environmental pollution control rules that effectively account for deeply uncertain system states and conflicting objectives. The DPS reformulation of the shallow lake problem shows promise in formalizing pollution control triggers and signposts, while dramatically reducing the computational complexity of the multi-objective pollution control problem. More broadly, the insights from the DPS variant of the shallow lake problem formulated in this study bridge emerging work related to socio-ecological systems management, tipping points, robust decision making, and robust control.

Relations between hydrology, water quality, and taste-and-odor causing organisms and compounds in Lake Houston, Texas, April 2006-September 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beussink, Amy M.; Graham, Jennifer L.

2011-01-01

Lake Houston is a surface-water-supply reservoir and an important recreational resource for the city of Houston, Texas. Growing concerns over water quality in Lake Houston prompted a detailed assessment of water quality in the reservoir. The assessment focused on water-quality constituents that affect the aesthetic quality of drinking water. The hydrologic and water-quality conditions influencing the occurrence of taste-and-odor causing organisms and compounds in Lake Houston were assessed using discrete and continuously monitored water-quality data collected during April 2006– September 2008. The hydrology of Lake Houston is characterized by rapidly changing conditions. During inflow events, water residence time can change by orders of magnitude within a matter of hours. Likewise, the reservoir can stratify and destratify over a period of several hours, even during non-summer and at relatively short water residence times, given extended periods with warm temperatures and little wind. The rapidly changing hydrology likely influences all other aspects of water quality in Lake Houston, including the occurrence of taste-and-odor causing organisms and compounds. Water quality in Lake Houston varied with respect to season and water residence time but typically was indicative of turbid, eutrophic to hypereutrophic conditions. In general, turbidity and nutrient concentrations were largest during non-summer (October–May) and when water residence times were relatively short (less than 100 days), which reflects the influence of inflow events on water-quality conditions. Large inflow events can cause substantial changes in water-quality conditions over relatively short periods of time (hours). The taste-and-odor causing organisms cyanobacteria and actinomycetes bacteria were always present in Lake Houston. Cyanobacterial biovolume was largest during summer (June– September) and when water residence time was greater than 100 days. Annual maxima in cyanobacterial biovolume occurred during July-September of each year, when temperatures were larger than 27 degrees Celsius and water residence times were longer than 400 days. In contrast, actinomycetes bacteria were most abundant during non-summer and when water residence times were less than 100 days, reflecting the close association between these organisms and transport of suspended sediments. Geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol are the taste-and-odor causing compounds most commonly produced by cyanobacteria and actinomycetes bacteria. Geosmin was detected more frequently (62 percent of samples) than 2-methylisoborneol (29 percent of samples) in Lake Houston. Geosmin exceeded the human detection threshold (10 nanograms per liter) only once during the study period and 2-methylisoborneol exceeded the human detection threshold twice. Manganese is a naturally occurring trace element that can occasionally cause taste-andodor problems in drinking water. Manganese concentrations exceeded the human detection threshold (about 50 micrograms per liter) in about 50 percent of samples collected near the surface and 84 percent of samples collected near the bottom. The cyanotoxin microcystin was detected relatively infrequently (16 percent of samples) and at small concentrations (less than or equal to 0.2 micrograms per liter). The abundance of the taste-and-odor causing organisms cyanobacteria and actinomycetes bacteria in Lake Houston was coupled with inflow events and subsequent changes in water-quality conditions. Cyanobacterial biovolume (biomass) in Lake Houston was largest during warm periods with little inflow and relatively small turbidity values. In contrast, actinomycetes bacteria were most abundant following inflow events when turbidity was relatively large. Severe taste-and-odor problems were not observed during the study period, precluding quantification of the hydrologic and water-quality conditions associated with large concentrations of taste-and-odor causing compounds and development of predictive models. Reservoir inflow (water residence time) and turbidity, variables related to the abundance of potential taste-andodor causing organisms, are currently (2011) continuously measured in Lake Houston, and predictive models could be developed in the future when the hydrologic and water-quality conditions associated with taste-and-odor problems have been better quantified. Seasonal and water residence time influences on water-quality conditions altered relations between hydrologic and water-quality conditions and taste-and-odor causing organisms and compounds. Future data collection and development of predictive models need to account for the variability associated with season and water residence time. 

A new generation of tools for search, recovery and quality evaluation of World Wide Web medical resources.

PubMed

Aguillo, I

2000-01-01

Although the Internet is already a valuable information resource in medicine, there are important challenges to be faced before physicians and general users will have extensive access to this information. As a result of a research effort to compile a health-related Internet directory, new tools and strategies have been developed to solve key problems derived from the explosive growth of medical information on the Net and the great concern over the quality of such critical information. The current Internet search engines lack some important capabilities. We suggest using second generation tools (client-side based) able to deal with large quantities of data and to increase the usability of the records recovered. We tested the capabilities of these programs to solve health-related information problems, recognising six groups according to the kind of topics addressed: Z39.50 clients, downloaders, multisearchers, tracing agents, indexers and mappers. The evaluation of the quality of health information available on the Internet could require a large amount of human effort. A possible solution may be to use quantitative indicators based on the hypertext visibility of the Web sites. The cybermetric measures are valid for quality evaluation if they are derived from indirect peer review by experts with Web pages citing the site. The hypertext links acting as citations need to be extracted from a controlled sample of quality super-sites.

The impact of child care problems on employment: findings from a national survey of US parents.

PubMed

Montes, Guillermo; Halterman, Jill S

2011-01-01

Many parents struggle to secure high-quality, consistent child care services, and this may impact employment decisions. Our objectives were to determine the type of employment problems that parents attribute to difficulties in securing child care and to identify whether having a child with behavior problems and/or chronic illness is independently associated with child care-related employment problems in the United States. This study included parents of children aged 0 to 13 years by using household-level sampling from the nationally representative random digit dial survey Gallup panel. We included 9 measures of child care-related employment problems. Poststratification weights were applied based on census region, income, and education by using Stata's poststratification commands. A survey was conducted of 1431 households with at least 1 parent employed. Overall, 46% of households reported 1 or more child care-related employment change. Being absent from work (21%) and changing the work schedule (27%) were the most prevalent changes reported. Two-parent households were significantly less likely to report child care-related employment changes compared with single parent households. Households with a stay-at-home parent were less likely to report child care-related absenteeism but more likely to report recently quitting work compared with households without a stay-at-home parent. Having a child with behavior problems or a serious chronic health condition was associated with double to triple odds of many child care-related employment problems. Child care-related employment problems are common among families with a child with chronic illness or behavior problems. These findings support the need for pediatricians and policy makers to strive for the implementation of more parent-friendly labor conditions. Copyright © 2011 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interpersonal problems as predictors of therapeutic alliance and symptom improvement in cognitive therapy for depression

PubMed Central

Renner, Fritz; Jarrett, Robin B.; Vittengl, Jeffrey R.; Barrett, Marna S.; Clark, Lee Anna; Thase, Michael E.

2012-01-01

Background The degree to which interpersonal problems of depressed patients improve over the course of cognitive therapy (CT) and relate to the quality of the therapeutic alliance and to symptom improvement, remain unclear. Methods We analyzed data of adult outpatients (N = 523) with major depressive disorder participating in a clinical trial to determine the factor structure of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex (IIP-C) and to relate the observed factor scores to the quality of the therapeutic alliance and symptom improvement over the course of CT. Patients received 16–20 sessions protocol (50–60 minutes each) of individual CT according to the treatment manual by Beck et al. (1979). Results We found a three-factor structure (interpersonal distress, agency, and communion) of interpersonal problems. Interpersonal distress decreased (d = .90), but interpersonal style did not change substantively during CT (communion d = .03; agency d = .14). High initial agency scores related negatively to the therapeutic alliance (β = −.12), whereas high initial communion scores related positively to the therapeutic alliance (β = .15). Elevated pre-treatment interpersonal distress scores were related to both weaker therapeutic alliances (β = .13) and higher symptom levels throughout treatment (β = .10). Limitations All patients in this study had recurrent MDD and it is therefore uncertain whether the results would generalize to patients with other psychiatric disorders. Conclusions This study supports the use of the IIP-C as a comprehensive measure of patients' interpersonal style and interpersonal distress. The IIP-C measured before CT showed some predictive validity with respect to therapeutic alliance measured at the midpoint and therapy outcome. The clinical importance of these findings is discussed. PMID:22306232

Perceived quality in a dementia unit: patients' caregivers as information providers.

PubMed

López-Picazo, J J; de Dios Cánovas-García, J; Antúnez, C; Marín, J; Antequera, M M; Vivancos, L; Martínez, B; Legaz, A; Navarro, D; Leal, M

2016-10-22

Dementia units (DU) provide comprehensive and specialised care to patients with dementia. However, assessment in these units normally focuses on patient management. The aim of this study was to determine satisfaction of the caregivers of patients managed in a DU and how they rated DU care. We created a self-administered questionnaire which was completed by 236 caregivers visiting the DU in 2015. The questionnaire included 6 dimensions (accessibility, organisation, professionalism, relationship with staff, information, and facilities); data were analysed using problem rates. A total of 53.4% caregivers completed the questionnaire; most were women, patients' spouses, or first-degree relatives. The overall problem rates was 15.0% (95% CI, 13.9-16.1), with sizeable differences between dimensions: from 0.1% (95% CI, 0.0-0.4) for 'relationship with staff' and 'professionalism' to 49.3% (95% CI, 45.4-53.2) for 'information'. Waiting times over 30minutes were perceived as excessive. Information problems were not directly related to patient management. Satisfaction was scored 8.29/10 (median 8; SD 1.45); 77.3% (95% CI, 69.8-74.8) of respondents were highly satisfied. Ninety-nine percent of the caregivers stated that they would recommend the DU. This questionnaire provides interesting data on care quality as perceived by patients' caregivers. Our results have allowed us to identify problems and implement corrective actions. Our questionnaire has proved to be a useful tool for evaluating and improving care quality in DUs. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Educational level and the quality of life of heart failure patients: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Barbareschi, Giorgio; Sanderman, Robbert; Leegte, Ivonne Lesman; van Veldhuisen, Dirk J; Jaarsma, Tiny

2011-01-01

Lower education in heart failure (HF) patients is associated with high levels of anxiety, limited physical functioning, and an increased risk of hospitalization. We examined whether educational level is related to longitudinal differences in quality of life (QoL) in HF patients. This research is a substudy of the Coordinating study evaluating Outcomes of Advising and Counselling in Heart failure (COACH). QoL of 553 HF patients (mean age 69, 38% female, mean left ventricular ejection fraction 33%) was assessed during their hospitalization and at 4 follow-up measurements after discharge. In total 32% of the patients had very low, 24% low, 32% medium, and 12% high education. Patients with low educational levels reported the worst QoL. Significant differences between educational groups (P < .05) were only reported in physical functioning, social functioning, energy/fatigue, pain, and limitations in role functioning related to emotional problems. Longitudinal results show that a significantly higher proportion of high-educated patients improved in functional limitations related to emotional problems over time compared with lower-educated patients (P < .05). Patients with low educational levels reported the worst physical and functional condition. High-educated patients improved more than the other patients in functional limitations related to emotional problems over time. Low-educated patients may require different levels of intervention to improve their physical and functional condition. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The German and Japanese health care systems: an international comparison using an input-output model.

PubMed

Rump, A; Schöffski, O

2016-12-01

The German and Japanese health care systems have common roots, but have evolved differently. Whereas the German system is often considered as expensive and poorly efficient, people in Japan are viewed as healthy and health care as comparatively cheap. In this study, we compared the quality, the effectiveness and efficiency of the German and Japanese health care systems. This study includes comparative health care data analysis. The quality and effectiveness of the German and Japanese health care systems were analyzed using an input-output model including 12 countries based on health indicators published by the OECD. Besides the invested resources, a risk-related input dimension was used for risk adjustment. The efficiency of the systems was assessed by relating the average output to the health expenses per capita. Health risks seem qualitatively different in Germany and Japan, but at the aggregate level, lifestyle does not seem to be an outstanding explanatory factor for health outcome differences between both countries. For investments in health resources, Germany is in a top position, whereas in the international comparison, the outcome is rather poor. The resources invested in Japan are also high, but slightly less than in Germany, whereas on average, the outcome is better. However, in the international comparison, resources as well as results in Japan show a very high variability. Relating the average output to the health expenses per capita indicates that on the average, the health care system in Japan is more efficient than in Germany. Germany and Japan have a quality problem with their health care systems. In Germany there is a transmission failure from structural to outcome quality that might be related to coordination problems between the outpatient and inpatient sector. Japan shows an unbalanced system that may be suspected to have a quality problem as a whole. As the development of the remuneration system including quality requirements is under the direct responsibility and guidance of the Ministry of Health in Japan, the issue might however be more easily solved in Japan than in Germany. Although on average, health care seems more efficient in Japan than in Germany, taking into account health as well as long-term care expenses and uncertainties related to exchange rate adjustments, the higher efficiency of the Japanese system becomes questionable. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low-birthweight adolescents: quality of life and parent-child relations.

PubMed

Indredavik, Marit S; Vik, Torstein; Heyerdahl, Sonja; Romundstad, Pål; Brubakk, Ann-Mari

2005-09-01

To explore the effect of low birthweight on quality of life, the parent-child relationship and the parents' mental health. DESIGN/STUDY GROUPS: A population-based follow-up of 56 very-low-birthweight (or=10th centile) at 14 y of age. Child Health Questionnaire (Child Form, Parent Form), Parental Bonding Instrument rated by adolescents and parents; Symptom Checklist-90-Revised rated by mothers and fathers. There were no group differences in self-reported health or self-esteem. Parents reported more behavioural problems and lower psychosocial health for very-low-birthweight adolescents (p<0.001) compared with controls. Results did not differ significantly between small-for-gestational-age and control adolescents. The youngsters, their mothers and fathers perceived the same amount of relational warmth in all three groups. Very-low-birthweight parents reported more emotional impact than control parents, especially in the presence of psychiatric problems and cerebral palsy. There were no group differences in mothers' or fathers' mental health. The low-birthweight adolescents perceived quality of life as others did, but the parents reported functional disadvantages for the very-low-birthweight group. Birthweight did not influence the warmth in the parent-child relationship. Parents of very-low-birthweight adolescents experienced increased emotional burden, but they did not have more mental health problems than others.

The efficacy of Motivational Intervention and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Pathological Gambling.

PubMed

Garcia-Caballero, Anna; Torrens-Lluch, Marina; Ramírez-Gendrau, Isabel; Garrido, Gemma; Vallès, Vicenç; Aragay, Núria

2018-01-15

The aim of the current study is to determine the effectiveness of an individual psychological intervention based on the motivational interview and cognitive-behavioral therapy for the treatment of pathological gambling. A sample of 18 participants, diagnosed of pathological gambling and without any other associated comorbidity, were assessed, attended at the publicly-funded Gambling and Behavioral Addictions Unit (Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa). Median age was 46 years (SD = 12). All the patients achieved abstinence and completed follow-up. The Screen for Gambling Problems (NODS), Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction (Q-LES-Q), Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P), Sheehan Disability Inventory (SDI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were administered pre- and posttreatment. Results showed that patients significantly reduced the problems related to gambling behavior according to the NODS score (p < .000). Regarding impulsive behavior (UPPS-P), we found significant differences in negative urgency (p < .001), positive urgency (p < .001), (lack of) premeditation (p < .029) and (lack of) perseverance (p < .048). Some relevant aspects of quality of life as assessed by the Q-LES-Q had improved. In conclusion, the study shows that psychological intervention based on the motivational interview and cognitive-behavioral therapy not only significantly reduces gambling-related behavior problems but also leads to improvements in impulsivity and quality of life. .

Status of surface-water modeling in the U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jennings, Marshall E.; Yotsukura, Nobuhiro

1979-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey is active in the development and use of models for the analysis of various types of surface-water problems. Types of problems for which models have been, or are being developed, include categories such as the following: (1)specialized hydraulics, (2)flow routing in streams, estuaries, lakes, and reservoirs, (3) sedimentation, (4) transport of physical, chemical, and biological constituents, (5) surface exchange of heat and mass, (6) coupled stream-aquifer flow systems, (7) physical hydrology for rainfall-runoff relations, stream-system simulations, channel geometry, and water quality, (8) statistical hydrology for synthetic streamflows, floods, droughts, storage, and water quality, (9) management and operation problems, and (10) miscellaneous hydrologic problems. Following a brief review of activities prior to 1970, the current status of surface-water modeling is given as being in a developmental, verification, operational, or continued improvement phase. A list of recently published selected references, provides useful details on the characteristics of models.

Preliminary Evaluation of BIM-based Approaches for Schedule Delay Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chou, Hui-Yu; Yang, Jyh-Bin

2017-10-01

The problem of schedule delay commonly occurs in construction projects. The quality of delay analysis depends on the availability of schedule-related information and delay evidence. More information used in delay analysis usually produces more accurate and fair analytical results. How to use innovative techniques to improve the quality of schedule delay analysis results have received much attention recently. As Building Information Modeling (BIM) technique has been quickly developed, using BIM and 4D simulation techniques have been proposed and implemented. Obvious benefits have been achieved especially in identifying and solving construction consequence problems in advance of construction. This study preforms an intensive literature review to discuss the problems encountered in schedule delay analysis and the possibility of using BIM as a tool in developing a BIM-based approach for schedule delay analysis. This study believes that most of the identified problems can be dealt with by BIM technique. Research results could be a fundamental of developing new approaches for resolving schedule delay disputes.

Sexual Functioning, Beliefs About Sexual Functioning and Quality of Life of Women with Infertility Problems

PubMed Central

Agustus, Prathibha; Munivenkatappa, Manjula; Prasad, Padmini

2017-01-01

Background: The study was conducted in the background of paucity of studies examining the sexual and psychosocial functioning of women with infertility. Aims: The study explored sexual functioning in women with infertility problems, their beliefs about sexuality and their quality of life. Settings and Design: A single group exploratory design with non-probability purposive sampling was used. A total of 30 participants diagnosed with primary infertility were included in the study. Materials and Methods: The data were obtained by individual administration of the following tools: Semi-structured interview schedule, Female Sexual Functioning Inventory, Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire, World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale − BREF Version and General Health Questionnaire-12. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests. Results: About half of the participants had sexual dysfunction. Pain-related problems were most commonly reported (50%). Factors contributing to dysfunction included inadequate knowledge about sex, sexual stimulation and sexual communication. Along with inadequate self-image, negative childhood experiences, financial difficulties and marital discord in parents influenced the perception of self. Majority of the women had dysfunctional beliefs about sexuality (56%), and greater beliefs were found to be in the domain of sexual conservatism. The overall quality of life was poor, and 56% of women experienced psychological distress. There was significant positive correlation between sexual conservatism and experience of pain and overall sexual functioning. Conclusion: Women with infertility bear dysfunctional beliefs and suffer from problems in sexual functioning, have low quality of life and high psychological distress. PMID:29142451

Criteria for assessing problem solving and decision making in complex environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orasanu, Judith

1993-01-01

Training crews to cope with unanticipated problems in high-risk, high-stress environments requires models of effective problem solving and decision making. Existing decision theories use the criteria of logical consistency and mathematical optimality to evaluate decision quality. While these approaches are useful under some circumstances, the assumptions underlying these models frequently are not met in dynamic time-pressured operational environments. Also, applying formal decision models is both labor and time intensive, a luxury often lacking in operational environments. Alternate approaches and criteria are needed. Given that operational problem solving and decision making are embedded in ongoing tasks, evaluation criteria must address the relation between those activities and satisfaction of broader task goals. Effectiveness and efficiency become relevant for judging reasoning performance in operational environments. New questions must be addressed: What is the relation between the quality of decisions and overall performance by crews engaged in critical high risk tasks? Are different strategies most effective for different types of decisions? How can various decision types be characterized? A preliminary model of decision types found in air transport environments will be described along with a preliminary performance model based on an analysis of 30 flight crews. The performance analysis examined behaviors that distinguish more and less effective crews (based on performance errors). Implications for training and system design will be discussed.

Collaborative problem solving with a total quality model.

PubMed

Volden, C M; Monnig, R

1993-01-01

A collaborative problem-solving system committed to the interests of those involved complies with the teachings of the total quality management movement in health care. Deming espoused that any quality system must become an integral part of routine activities. A process that is used consistently in dealing with problems, issues, or conflicts provides a mechanism for accomplishing total quality improvement. The collaborative problem-solving process described here results in quality decision-making. This model incorporates Ishikawa's cause-and-effect (fishbone) diagram, Moore's key causes of conflict, and the steps of the University of North Dakota Conflict Resolution Center's collaborative problem solving model.

Work stress among nursing home care attendants in Taiwan: a questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Hsu, Hui-Chuan; Kung, Yuan-Wei; Huang, Hsiao-Chien; Ho, Pei-Yu; Lin, Ya-Ying; Chen, Wen-Shin

2007-07-01

Care attendants constitute the main workforce in nursing homes, but their heavy workload, low autonomy, and indefinite responsibility result in high levels of stress and may affect quality of care. However, few studies have focused of this problem. The aim of this study was to examine work-related stress and associated factors that affect care attendants in nursing homes and to offer suggestions for how management can alleviate these problems in care facilities. We recruited participants from nine nursing homes with 50 or more beds located in middle Taiwan; 110 care attendants completed the questionnaire. The work stress scale for the care attendants was validated and achieved good reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.93). We also conducted exploratory factor analysis. Six factors were extracted from the work stress scale: insufficient ability, stressful reactions, heavy workload, trouble in care work, poor management, and working time problems. The explained variance achieved 64.96%. Factors related to higher work stress included working in a hospital-based nursing home, having a fixed schedule, night work, feeling burden, inconvenient facility, less enthusiasm, and self-rated higher stress. Work stress for care attendants in nursing homes is related to human resource management and quality of care. We suggest potential management strategies to alleviate work stress for these workers.

W. Edwards Deming, quality analysis, and total behavior management.

PubMed

Saunders, R R; Saunders, J L

1994-01-01

During the past 10 years, the inclusion of the word "quality" in descriptions of production methods, management approaches, educational systems, service system changes, and so forth, has grown exponentially. It appears that no new approach to any problem is likely to be given much consideration today without overt acknowledgment that some improvement in quality must be the outcome. The origins of the importance of quality are primarily rooted in the awakening recognition of the influence of W. Edwards Deming in the post-World War II restoration of Japanese industry. We provide a brief overview of Deming's approach to modernizing management methods and discuss recent criticisms from the field of organizational behavior management that his approach lacks emphasis on the role of reinforcement. We offer a different analysis of Deming's approach and relate its evolution to the contingencies of reinforcement for the behavior of consulting. We also provide an example of problem solving with Deming's approach in a social service setting familiar to many behavior analysts.

A hard day's night: a longitudinal study on the relationships among job demands and job control, sleep quality and fatigue.

PubMed

de Lange, Annet H; Kompier, Michiel A J; Taris, Toon W; Geurts, Sabine A E; Beckers, Debby G J; Houtman, Irene L D; Bongers, Paulien M

2009-09-01

This prospective four-wave study examined (i) the causal direction of the longitudinal relations among job demands, job control, sleep quality and fatigue; and (ii) the effects of stability and change in demand-control history on the development of sleep quality and fatigue. Based on results of a four-wave complete panel study among 1163 Dutch employees, we found significant effects of job demands and job control on sleep quality and fatigue across a 1-year time lag, supporting the strain hypothesis (Demand-Control model; Karasek and Theorell, Basic Books, New York, 1990). No reversed or reciprocal causal patterns were detected. Furthermore, our results revealed that cumulative exposure to a high-strain work environment (characterized by high job demands and low job control) was associated with elevated levels of sleep-related complaints. Cumulative exposure to a low-strain work environment (i.e. low job demands and high job control) was associated with the highest sleep quality and lowest level of fatigue. Our results revealed further that changes in exposure history were related to changes in reported sleep quality and fatigue across time. As expected, a transition from a non-high-strain towards a high-strain job was associated with a significant increase in sleep-related complaints; conversely, a transition towards a non-high-strain job was not related to an improvement in sleep-related problems.

Towards a Real-Time Embedded System for Water Monitoring Installed in a Robotic Sailboat

PubMed Central

da Silva Junior, Andouglas Goncalves; de Lima Sa, Sarah Thomaz; dos Santos, Davi Henrique; de Negreiros, Álvaro Pinto Ferrnandes; de Souza Silva, João Moreno Vilas Boas; Álvarez Jácobo, Justo Emílio; Garcia Gonçalves, Luiz Marcos

2016-01-01

Problems related to quality (and quantity) of water in natural resources or in artificial reservoirs are frequently arising and are at the center of attention of authorities and governments around the world. Many times the monitoring is not performed in an efficient time frame and a precise manner, whereas the adoption of fast and punctual solutions would undoubtedly improve the water quality and consequently enhance the life of people. To minimize or diminish such kinds of problems, we propose an architecture for sensors installed in a robotic platform, an autonomous sail boat, able to acquire raw data relative to water quality, to process and make them available to people that might be interested in such information. The main contributions are the sensors architecture itself, which uses low cost sensors, with practical experimentation done with a prototype. Results show data collected for points in lakes and rivers in the northeast of Brazil. This embedded system is fixed in the sailboat robot with the intention to facilitate the study of water quality for long endurance missions. This robot can help monitoring water bodies in a more consistent manner. Nonetheless the system can also be used with fixed vases or buoys in strategic points. PMID:27509506

Factors affecting oral health-related quality of life among pregnant women.

PubMed

Acharya, S; Bhat, P V; Acharya, S

2009-05-01

To assess oral health status and to describe the possible factors that could affect the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among a group of pregnant rural women in South India. A total of 259 pregnant women (mean age 26 +/- 5.5 years) who participated in the cross-sectional study were administered the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire and were clinically examined for caries and periodontal status. The highest oral impact on quality of life was reported for 'painful mouth' (mean: 1.7) and 'difficulty in eating' (mean: 1.1). On comparing the mean OHIP-14 scores against the various self-reported oral problems, it was seen that the mean OHIP-14 scores were significantly higher among those who reported various oral problems than those who did not. Those with previous history of pregnancies had more severe levels of gingivitis than those who were pregnant for the first time. Also gingival index scores, community periodontal index of treatment needs scores and previous pregnancies was associated with poorer OHRQoL scores. Increased health promotion interventions and simple educational preventive programmes on oral self-care and disease prevention during pregnancy can go a long way in improving oral health and lessening its impact on the quality of life in this important population.

A Hybrid Interval-Robust Optimization Model for Water Quality Management.

PubMed

Xu, Jieyu; Li, Yongping; Huang, Guohe

2013-05-01

In water quality management problems, uncertainties may exist in many system components and pollution-related processes ( i.e. , random nature of hydrodynamic conditions, variability in physicochemical processes, dynamic interactions between pollutant loading and receiving water bodies, and indeterminacy of available water and treated wastewater). These complexities lead to difficulties in formulating and solving the resulting nonlinear optimization problems. In this study, a hybrid interval-robust optimization (HIRO) method was developed through coupling stochastic robust optimization and interval linear programming. HIRO can effectively reflect the complex system features under uncertainty, where implications of water quality/quantity restrictions for achieving regional economic development objectives are studied. By delimiting the uncertain decision space through dimensional enlargement of the original chemical oxygen demand (COD) discharge constraints, HIRO enhances the robustness of the optimization processes and resulting solutions. This method was applied to planning of industry development in association with river-water pollution concern in New Binhai District of Tianjin, China. Results demonstrated that the proposed optimization model can effectively communicate uncertainties into the optimization process and generate a spectrum of potential inexact solutions supporting local decision makers in managing benefit-effective water quality management schemes. HIRO is helpful for analysis of policy scenarios related to different levels of economic penalties, while also providing insight into the tradeoff between system benefits and environmental requirements.

OVERVIEW OF USEPA MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN DRINKING WATER

EPA Science Inventory

The Microbial Contaminants Control Branch (MCCB) conducts research on microbiological problems related to drinking water treatment, distribution and storage, and has recently become involved in watershed and source water quality issues such as fecal indicator bacteria and fecal p...

Woodchip bioreactors effectively treat aquaculture effluent

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nutrients, in particular nitrogen and phosphorus, can create eutrophication problems in any watershed. Preventing water quality impairment requires controlling nutrients from both point-source and non-point source discharges. Woodchip bioreactors are one relatively new approach that can be utilized ...

Investigation of electromagnetic gauges for determining in-place HMA density.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-05-01

Density is an important component of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavement quality and long-term performance. Insufficient density of an : in-place HMA pavement is the most frequently cited construction-related performance problem. : This study evaluated th...

Century-scale perspective on water quality in selected river basins of the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stets, Edward G.; Kelly, Valerie J.; Broussard, Whitney P.; Smith, Thor E.; Crawford, Charles G.

2012-01-01

Nutrient pollution in the form of excess nitrogen and phosphorus inputs is a well-known cause of water-quality degradation that has affected water bodies across the Nation throughout the 20th century. The recognition of excess nutrients as pollution developed later than the recognition of other water-quality problems, such as waterborne illness, industrial pollution, and organic wastes. Nevertheless, long-term analysis of nutrient pollution is fundamental to our understanding of the current magnitude of the problem, as well the origins and the effects. This report describes the century-scale changes in water quality across a range streams in order to place current water-quality concerns in historical context and presents this history on a national scale as well as for selected river reaches. The primary focus is on nutrient pollution, but the development and societal responses to other water-quality problems also are considered. Land use and agriculture in the selected river reaches also are analyzed to consider how these factors may relate to nutrient pollution. Finally, the availability of relevant nutrient and inorganic carbon data are presented for the selected river reaches. Sources of these data included Federal agencies, State-level reports, municipal public works facilities, public health surveys, and sanitary surveys. The availability of these data extends back more than a century for most of the selected river reaches and suggests that there is a tremendous opportunity to document the development of nutrient pollution in these river reaches.

Wine and maths: mathematical solutions to wine-inspired problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cadeddu, L.; Cauli, A.

2018-04-01

We deal with an application of partial differential equations to the correct definition of a wine cellar. We present some historical details about this problem. We also discuss how to build or renew a wine cellar, creating ideal conditions for the ageing process and improving the quality of wines. Our goal is to calculate the optimal depth z0 of a wine cellar in order to attenuate the periodic temperature fluctuations. What follows is a kind of survey of wine-related and optimization problems which have been solved by means of powerful math tools.

Oral health-related quality of life in socially endangered persons in Copenhagen, Denmark.

PubMed

Øzhayat, Esben Boeskov; Østergaard, Peter; Gotfredsen, Klaus

2016-11-01

The aims of this study were to investigate and describe the Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in a socially endangered group of people and to compare the OHRQoL to other patient groups. About 294 socially endangered persons attending a volunteer clinic in Copenhagen Denmark filled in the OHIP-14 questionnaire. The group was compared in mean score and reported problems to a group of patients with tooth loss and about to have a removable dental prosthesis (RDP), a group with tooth loss about to have a fixed dental prosthesis (FDP) and a control group without tooth loss. Significantly higher OHIP-14 score was seen in the socially endangered group (15.5 (SD 12.6)) compared with the control (1.9 (SD 2.7)) and the FDP group (9.4 (SD 8.2)) but not the RDP group (13.1 (SD 10.5)). This difference was not changed after stratifying in age groups. Problems related to psychological disability, social disability, and handicap were more frequent in the social endangered group than for the other groups. The items pain, tense, diet, relax, life, and function stand out as problems in the socially endangered group compared to the other groups. The OHRQoL is highly impaired in the socially endangered persons and at least to the level of persons with great tooth loss about to have an RDP. The problems seem to be more handicapping in the socially endangered compared with other patient groups known to have high impairment.

[Enclosed environments and health].

PubMed

Maroni, M; Barbieri, F

1989-01-01

Problems related to Indoor Air Quality are subject of study since about twenty years. New architectural criteria, new building materials and increasing demands of energy saving have progressively changed residences, offices and all non-industrial indoor environments. This paper present a review of the IAQ-related issues from sources characterization, to pollutant assessment and definition of effects on human health.

Atrazine and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Epidemiologic Evidence

PubMed Central

Goodman, Michael; Mandel, Jack S; DeSesso, John M; Scialli, Anthony R

2014-01-01

Atrazine (ATR) is a commonly used agricultural herbicide that has been the subject of epidemiologic studies assessing its relation to reproductive health problems. This review evaluates both the consistency and the quality of epidemiologic evidence testing the hypothesis that ATR exposure, at usually encountered levels, is a risk factor for birth defects, small for gestational age birth weight, prematurity, miscarriages, and problems of fetal growth and development. We followed the current methodological guidelines for systematic reviews by using two independent researchers to identify, retrieve, and evaluate the relevant epidemiologic literature on the relation of ATR to various adverse outcomes of birth and pregnancy. Each eligible paper was summarized with respect to its methods and results with particular attention to study design and exposure assessment, which have been cited as the main areas of weakness in ATR research. As a quantitative meta-analysis was not feasible, the study results were categorized qualitatively as positive, null, or mixed. The literature on ATR and pregnancy-related health outcomes is growing rapidly, but the quality of the data is poor with most papers using aggregate rather than individual-level information. Without good quality data, the results are difficult to assess; however, it is worth noting that none of the outcome categories demonstrated consistent positive associations across studies. Considering the poor quality of the data and the lack of robust findings across studies, conclusions about a causal link between ATR and adverse pregnancy outcomes are not warranted. PMID:24797711

Research priorities about stoma-related quality of life from the perspective of people with a stoma: A pilot survey.

PubMed

Hubbard, Gill; Taylor, Claire; Beeken, Becca; Campbell, Anna; Gracey, Jackie; Grimmett, Chloe; Fisher, Abi; Ozakinci, Gozde; Slater, Sarah; Gorely, Trish

2017-12-01

There is a recognized need to include patients in setting research priorities. Research priorities identified by people with a stoma are rarely elicited. To improve the quality of life of people with a stoma through use of evidence-based practice based on research priorities set by patients. Online pilot survey publicized in 2016 via United Kingdom stoma charities. People ranked nine stoma-related quality of life topics in order of research priority. People 16 years of age and over who currently have or have had a stoma for treatment for any medical condition. Distributions of the priority scores for each of the nine research topics were examined. Group differences were explored using either the Mann-Whitney U-test or the Kruskal-Wallis test depending on the number of groups. In total, 225 people completed the survey. The most important research priority was pouch leak problems and stoma bag/appliance problems followed by hernia risk. There were statistically significant differences in ranking research priorities between males and females, age, underlying disease that led to a stoma, stoma type and length of time with a stoma. People with a stoma are willing to engage in and set research priorities. The results should contribute towards future research about setting the research agenda for the study of stoma-related concerns that impact quality of life. © 2017 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Latent class analysis of gambling subtypes and impulsive/compulsive associations: Time to rethink diagnostic boundaries for gambling disorder?

PubMed

Chamberlain, Samuel R; Stochl, Jan; Redden, Sarah A; Odlaug, Brian L; Grant, Jon E

2017-09-01

Gambling disorder has been associated with cognitive dysfunction and impaired quality of life. The current definition of non-pathological, problem, and pathological types of gambling is based on total symptom scores, which may overlook nuanced underlying presentations of gambling symptoms. The aims of the current study were (i) to identify subtypes of gambling in young adults, using latent class analysis, based on individual responses from the Structured Clinical Interview for Gambling Disorder (SCI-GD); and (ii) to explore relationships between these gambling subtypes, and clinical/cognitive measures. Total 582 non-treatment seeking young adults were recruited from two US cities, on the basis of gambling five or more times per year. Participants undertook clinical and neurocognitive assessment, including stop-signal, decision-making, and set-shifting tasks. Data from individual items of the Structured Clinical Interview for Gambling Disorder (SCI-GD) were entered into latent class analysis. Optimal number of classes representing gambling subtypes was identified using Bayesian Information Criterion and differences between them were explored using multivariate analysis of variance. Three subtypes of gambling were identified, termed recreational gamblers (60.2% of the sample; reference group), problem gamblers (29.2%), and pathological gamblers (10.5%). Common quality of life impairment, elevated Barratt Impulsivity scores, occurrence of mainstream mental disorders, having a first degree relative with an addiction, and impaired decision-making were evident in both problem and pathological gambling groups. The diagnostic item 'chasing losses' most discriminated recreational from problem gamblers, while endorsement of 'social, financial, or occupational losses due to gambling' most discriminated pathological gambling from both other groups. Significantly higher rates of impulse control disorders occurred in the pathological group, versus the problem group, who in turn showed significantly higher rates than the reference group. The pathological group also had higher set-shifting errors and nicotine consumption. Even problem gamblers who had a relatively low total SCI-PG scores (mean endorsement of two items) exhibited impaired quality of life, objective cognitive impairment on decision-making, and occurrence of other mental disorders that did not differ significantly from those seen in the pathological gamblers. Furthermore, problem/pathological gambling was associated with other impulse control disorders, but not increased alcohol use. Groups differed on quality of life when classified using the data-driven approach, but not when classified using DSM cut-offs. Thus, the current DSM-5 approach will fail to discriminate a significant fraction of patients with biologically plausible, functionally impairing illness, and may not be ideal in terms of diagnostic classification. Cognitive distortions related to 'chasing losses' represent a particularly important candidate treatment target for early intervention. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Allergic rhinitis-induced nasal congestion: its impact on sleep quality.

PubMed

Storms, William

2008-03-01

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an extremely common health problem affecting 20 to 40 million Americans and between 10-25% of the world's population. Patients with AR suffer from both nasal symptoms (congestion, rhinorrhea, itching, and sneezing) and ocular symptoms (itching, redness, and tearing). The negative impact on sleep quality and quantity, and consequently on various aspects of the patient's life, is an under-recognised and under-treated component of AR morbidity. Nasal congestion, which is one of the most bothersome and prevalent symptoms of AR, is thought to be the leading symptom responsible for rhinitis-related sleep problems. In addition to reducing clinical symptoms, pharmacologic therapies for AR that specifically reduce inflammatory cells and mediators - and therefore nasal congestion and other symptoms - should also improve sleep quality and overall quality of life (QOL). Intranasal corticosteroids (INS) are the current mainstay of therapy for AR. Results of a number of clinical trials demonstrate that INS effectively reduce nasal congestion and ocular symptoms, improve sleep quality, and decrease daytime somnolence. Intranasal corticosteroids have also proved to be effective in reducing symptoms of acute rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis, both of which also negatively impact on sleep quality. Intranasal corticosteroids are considered safe due to their low systemic bioavailability.

MapReduce Based Parallel Bayesian Network for Manufacturing Quality Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Mao-Kuan; Ming, Xin-Guo; Zhang, Xian-Yu; Li, Guo-Ming

2017-09-01

Increasing complexity of industrial products and manufacturing processes have challenged conventional statistics based quality management approaches in the circumstances of dynamic production. A Bayesian network and big data analytics integrated approach for manufacturing process quality analysis and control is proposed. Based on Hadoop distributed architecture and MapReduce parallel computing model, big volume and variety quality related data generated during the manufacturing process could be dealt with. Artificial intelligent algorithms, including Bayesian network learning, classification and reasoning, are embedded into the Reduce process. Relying on the ability of the Bayesian network in dealing with dynamic and uncertain problem and the parallel computing power of MapReduce, Bayesian network of impact factors on quality are built based on prior probability distribution and modified with posterior probability distribution. A case study on hull segment manufacturing precision management for ship and offshore platform building shows that computing speed accelerates almost directly proportionally to the increase of computing nodes. It is also proved that the proposed model is feasible for locating and reasoning of root causes, forecasting of manufacturing outcome, and intelligent decision for precision problem solving. The integration of bigdata analytics and BN method offers a whole new perspective in manufacturing quality control.

Oral impacts on quality of life and problem-oriented attendance among South East London adults.

PubMed

Gaewkhiew, Piyada; Bernabé, Eduardo; Gallagher, Jennifer E; Klass, Charlotte; Delgado-Angulo, Elsa K

2017-04-26

Dental care seeking behaviour is often driven by symptoms. The value of oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) measures to predict utilisation of dental services is unknown. This study aims to explore the association between OHRQoL and problem-oriented dental attendance among adults. We analysed cross-sectional data for 705 adults, aged 16 years and above, living in three boroughs of Inner South East London. Data were collected during structured interviews at home. The short form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) was used to assess the frequency of oral impacts on daily life in the last year. Problem-oriented attendance was defined based on time elapsed since last visit (last 6 months) and reason for that visit (trouble with teeth). The association between OHIP-14 (total and domain) scores and problem-oriented attendance was tested in logistic regression models adjusting for participants' sociodemographic characteristics. Problem-oriented attenders had a higher OHIP-14 total score than regular attenders (6.73 and 3.73, respectively). In regression models, there was a positive association between OHIP-14 total score and problem-oriented attendance. The odds of visiting the dentist for trouble with teeth were 1.07 greater (95% Confidence Interval: 1.04-1.10) per unit increase in the OHIP-14 total score, after adjustment for participants' sociodemographic characteristics. In subsequent analysis by OHIP-14 domains, greater scores in all domains but handicap were significantly associated with problem-oriented attendance. This study shows that oral impacts on quality of life are associated with recent problem-oriented dental attendance among London adults. Six of the seven domains in the OHIP-14 questionnaire were also associated with dental visits for trouble with teeth.

A cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based group sleep intervention improves behavior problems in at-risk adolescents by improving perceived sleep quality.

PubMed

Blake, Matthew J; Snoep, Lian; Raniti, Monika; Schwartz, Orli; Waloszek, Joanna M; Simmons, Julian G; Murray, Greg; Blake, Laura; Landau, Elizabeth R; Dahl, Ronald E; Bootzin, Richard; McMakin, Dana L; Dudgeon, Paul; Trinder, John; Allen, Nicholas B

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to test whether a cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based group sleep intervention would improve behavior problems in at-risk adolescents, and whether these improvements were specifically related to improvements in sleep. Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial conducted with 123 adolescent participants (female = 60%; mean age = 14.48, range 12.04-16.31 years) who had high levels of sleep problems and anxiety symptoms. Participants were randomized into either a sleep improvement intervention (n = 63) or an active control "study skills" intervention (n = 60). Participants completed sleep and behavior problems questionnaires, wore an actiwatch and completed a sleep diary for five school nights, both before and after the intervention. Parallel multiple mediation models showed that postintervention improvements in social problems, attention problems, and aggressive behaviors were specifically mediated by moderate improvements in self-reported sleep quality on school nights, but were not mediated by moderate improvements in actigraphy-assessed sleep onset latency or sleep diary-measured sleep efficiency on school nights. This study provides evidence, using a methodologically rigorous design, that a cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based group sleep intervention improved behavior problems in at-risk adolescent by improving perceived sleep quality on school nights. These findings suggest that sleep interventions could be directed towards adolescents with behavior problems. This study was part of The SENSE Study (Sleep and Education: learning New Skills Early). URL: ACTRN12612001177842; http://www.anzctr.org.au/TrialSearch.aspx?searchTxt=ACTRN12612001177842&isBasic=True. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Utility-based quality of life in mothers of children with behaviour problems: A population-based study.

PubMed

Le, Ha Nd; Gulenc, Alisha; Gold, Lisa; Sarkadi, Anna; Ukoumunne, Obioha C; Bayer, Jordana; Wake, Melissa; Hiscock, Harriet

2016-12-01

To examine the relationship between mothers' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and child behaviour problems at age 2 years. To investigate whether the relationship between maternal HRQoL and child behaviour problems is independent of maternal mental health. Cross-sectional survey nested within a population-level, cluster randomised trial, which aims to prevent early child behaviour problems. One hundred and sixty mothers of 2-year-old children, in nine local government areas in Victoria, Australia. HRQoL was measured using the Assessment of Quality of Life 6D and child behaviour was measured using the child behaviour checklist (CBCL/1.5-5 years). Maternal mental health was measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Data were collected at child age 2 years; demographic data were collected at child age 8 months. HRQoL was lower for mothers with children that had borderline/clinical behaviour problems compared to those with children without problems (mean difference -0.14, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.16 to -0.12, P < 0.001). The finding did not markedly change when adjusting for household income, financial security, child gender, child temperament and intervention group status at child age 8 months (mean difference -0.12, 95% CI: -0.15 to -0.09, P < 0.001), but did attenuate when additionally adjusting for concurrent maternal mental health (mean difference -0.03, 95% CI: -0.05 to -0.02, P < 0.001). Child behaviour problems were associated with lower maternal HRQoL. Child behaviour problems prevention programmes could consider this association with maternal HRQoL and be designed to improve and report both mothers' and their child's health and wellbeing. © 2016 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Treated and Untreated Remission from Problem Drinking in Late Life: Post-Remission Functioning and Health-Related Quality of Life

PubMed Central

Schutte, Kathleen K.; Brennan, Penny L.; Moos, Rudolf H.

2009-01-01

Objective To evaluate the post-remission status of older remitted problem drinkers who achieved stable remission without treatment. Method The post-remission drinking behavior, health-related functioning, life context, coping, and help-seeking of older, untreated (n = 330) and treated (n = 120) former problem drinkers who had been remitted for a minimum of six years were compared twice over the course of six-years to each other and to lifetime nonproblem drinkers (n = 232). Analyses considered the impact of severity of drinking problem history. Results Untreated remitters were more likely than treated remitters to continue to drink, exhibited fewer chronic health problems and less depressive symptomatology, and were less likely to smoke. Untreated remitters’ life contexts were somewhat more benign than those of treated ones, and they were less likely to describe a coping motive for drinking and engage in post-remission help-seeking. Although untreated remitters more closely resembled lifetime nonproblem drinkers than did treated remitters, both untreated and treated remitter groups exhibited worse health-related functioning, more financial and interpersonal stressors, and more post-remission help-seeking than did lifetime nonproblem drinkers. Conclusions Regardless of whether late-life remission was gained without or with treatment, prior drinking problems conveyed a legacy of health-related and life context deficits. PMID:18829184

Using Creative Problem Solving (TRIZ) in Improving the Quality of Hospital Services

PubMed Central

LariSemnani, Behrouz; Far, Rafat Mohebbi; Shalipoor, Elham; Mohseni, Mohammad

2015-01-01

TRIZ is an initiative and SERVQUAL is a structured methodology for quality improvement. Using these tools, inventive problem solving can be applied for quality improvement, and the highest quality can be reached using creative quality improvement methodology. The present study seeks to determine the priority of quality aspects of services provided for patients in the hospital as well as how TRIZ can help in improving the quality of those services. This Study is an applied research which used a dynamic qualitative descriptive survey method during year 2011. Statistical population includes every patient who visited in one of the University Hospitals from March 2011. There existed a big gap between patients’ expectations from what seemingly is seen (the design of the hospital) and timely provision of services with their perceptions. Also, quality aspects of services were prioritized as follows: keeping the appearance of hospital (the design), accountability, assurance, credibility and having empathy. Thus, the only thing which mattered most for all staff and managers of studied hospital was the appearance of hospital as well as its staff look. This can grasp a high percentage of patients’ satisfaction. By referring to contradiction matrix, the most important principles of TRIZ model were related to tangible factors including principles No. 13 (discarding and recovering), 25 (self-service), 35 (parameter changes), and 2 (taking out). Furthermore, in addition to these four principles, principle No. 24 (intermediary) was repeated most among the others. By utilizing TRIZ, hospital problems can be examined with a more open view, Go beyond The conceptual framework of the organization and responded more quickly to patients ’ needs. PMID:25560360

Interpersonal differentiation within depression diagnosis: relating interpersonal subgroups to symptom load and the quality of the early therapeutic alliance.

PubMed

Grosse Holtforth, Martin; Altenstein, David; Krieger, Tobias; Flückiger, Christoph; Wright, Aidan G C; Caspar, Franz

2014-01-01

We examined interpersonal problems in psychotherapy outpatients with a principal diagnosis of a depressive disorder in routine care (n=361). These patients were compared to a normative non-clinical sample and to outpatients with other principal diagnoses (n=959). Furthermore, these patients were statistically assigned to interpersonally defined subgroups that were compared regarding symptoms and the quality of the early alliance. The sample of depressive patients reported higher levels of interpersonal problems than the normative sample and the sample of outpatients without a principal diagnosis of depression. Latent Class Analysis identified eight distinct interpersonal subgroups, which differed regarding self-reported symptom load and the quality of the early alliance. However, therapists' alliance ratings did not differentiate between the groups. This interpersonal differentiation within the group of patients with a principal diagnosis of depression may add to a personalized psychotherapy based on interpersonal profiles.

Guest Editorial Image Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheatham, Patrick S.

1982-02-01

The term image quality can, unfortunately, apply to anything from a public relations firm's discussion to a comparison between corner drugstores' film processing. If we narrow the discussion to optical systems, we clarify the problem somewhat, but only slightly. We are still faced with a multitude of image quality measures all different, and all couched in different terminology. Optical designers speak of MTF values, digital processors talk about summations of before and after image differences, pattern recognition engineers allude to correlation values, and radar imagers use side-lobe response values measured in decibels. Further complexity is introduced by terms such as information content, bandwidth, Strehl ratios, and, of course, limiting resolution. The problem is to compare these different yardsticks and try to establish some concrete ideas about evaluation of a final image. We need to establish the image attributes which are the most important to perception of the image in question and then begin to apply the different system parameters to those attributes.

Swallowing Disorders in Schizophrenia.

PubMed

Kulkarni, Deepika P; Kamath, Vandan D; Stewart, Jonathan T

2017-08-01

Disorders of swallowing are poorly characterized but quite common in schizophrenia. They are a source of considerable morbidity and mortality in this population, generally as a result of either acute asphyxia from airway obstruction or more insidious aspiration and pneumonia. The death rate from acute asphyxia may be as high as one hundred times that of the general population. Most swallowing disorders in schizophrenia seem to fall into one of two categories, changes in eating and swallowing due to the illness itself and changes related to psychotropic medications. Behavioral changes related to the illness are poorly understood and often involve eating too quickly or taking inappropriately large boluses of food. Iatrogenic problems are mostly related to drug-induced extrapyramidal side effects, including drug-induced parkinsonism, dystonia, and tardive dyskinesia, but may also include xerostomia, sialorrhea, and changes related to sedation. This paper will provide an overview of common swallowing problems encountered in patients with schizophrenia, their pathophysiology, and management. While there is a scarcity of quality evidence in the literature, a thorough history and examination will generally elucidate the predominant problem or problems, often leading to effective management strategies.

The development of the 'Quality-of-life for Respiratory Illness Questionnaire (QOL-RIQ)': a disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaire for patients with mild to moderate chronic non-specific lung disease.

PubMed

Maillé, A R; Koning, C J; Zwinderman, A H; Willems, L N; Dijkman, J H; Kaptein, A A

1997-05-01

Chronic non-specific lung disease (CNSLD) encompasses asthma as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Recently in health care, there has been increasing awareness in the functional, psychological and social aspects of the health of patients; their quality of life (QOL). Quality-of-life research addressing CNSLD patients has been rather underdeveloped for a long period of time. Recently, however, the importance of QOL is being increasingly recognized, and several research groups have started to study QOL in CNSLD patients in more detail. This paper describes the construction of a disease-specific QOL instrument for patients with mild to moderately severe CNSLD. Items relating to several domains of QOL were listed, and 171 CNSLD patients in general practice were asked how much of a problem each item had been (assessed on a seven-point Likert scale). After applying an item-selection procedure, a uni-dimensional QOL questionnaire was constructed consisting of 55 items divided into seven domain subscales: breathing problems, physical problems, emotions, situations triggering or enhancing breathing problems, general activities, daily and domestic activities, and social activities, relationships and sexuality. Reliability estimates of the domain subscales of the constructed questionnaire varied from 0.68 to 0.89, and was 0.92 for the QOL for Respiratory Illness Questionnaire (QOL-RIQ) total scale. A first impression of the construct validity of the questionnaire was gained by investigation of the relationship between the QOL domain subscales and several indicators of illness severity, as well as the relative contribution of illness severity variables, background characteristics and symptoms to QOL, using regression analysis. Further research to validate the questionnaire to a greater extent (construct validity, test-retest reliability and responsiveness to change) is currently taking place.

The Integration of Marketing in Post-Secondary Vocational Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Patrick J.; And Others

Marketing can solve problems postsecondary vocational educators face related to enrollment, professional contribution, image, and program quality. Postsecondary vocational education should be aggressively marketed because of its expanding growth and mission. Postsecondary institutions are using various marketing strategies, including activities…

The Virginia Department of Transportation's statistical specification for hydraulic cement concrete.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1990-01-01

This report reviews some of the principles relating to the application of statistical concepts to be used in the quality assurance and acceptance testing of hydraulic cement concrete. The problems encountered in developing a workable system without a...

RECENT PUBLICATIONS - ISOTOPE HYDROLOGY LABORATORY (WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT BRANCH, WSWRD, NRMRL)

EPA Science Inventory

NRMRL's Water Supply and Water Resouces Division's Isotope Hydrology Laboratory (IHL) produces and publishes highly specialized technical and scientific documents relating to IHL's research. The mission of IHL is to resolve environmental hydrology problems through research and ap...

Healthcare quality improvement -- policy implications and practicalities.

PubMed

Esain, Ann Elizabeth; Williams, Sharon J; Gakhal, Sandeep; Caley, Lynne; Cooke, Matthew W

2012-01-01

This article aims to explore quality improvement (QI) at individual, group and organisational level. It also aims to identify restraining forces using formative evaluation and discuss implications for current UK policy, particularly quality, innovation, productivity and prevention. Learning events combined with work-based projects, focusing on individual and group responses are evaluated. A total of 11 multi-disciplinary groups drawn from NHS England healthcare Trusts (self-governing operational groups) were sampled. These Trusts have different geographic locations and participants were drawn from primary, secondary and commissioning arms. Mixed methods: questionnaires, observations and reflective accounts were used. The paper finds that solution versus problem identification causes confusion and influences success. Time for problem solving to achieve QI was absent. Feedback and learning structures are often not in place or inflexible. Limited focus on patient-centred services may be related to past assumptions regarding organisational design, hence assumptions and models need to be understood and challenged. The authors revise the Plan, Do, Study; Act (PDSA) model by adding an explicit problem identification step and hence avoiding solution-focused habits; demonstrating the need for more formative evaluations to inform managers and policy makers about healthcare QI processes. - Although UK-centric, the quality agenda is a USA and European theme, findings may help those embarking on this journey or those struggling with QI.

A surrogate-based metaheuristic global search method for beam angle selection in radiation treatment planning.

PubMed

Zhang, H H; Gao, S; Chen, W; Shi, L; D'Souza, W D; Meyer, R R

2013-03-21

An important element of radiation treatment planning for cancer therapy is the selection of beam angles (out of all possible coplanar and non-coplanar angles in relation to the patient) in order to maximize the delivery of radiation to the tumor site and minimize radiation damage to nearby organs-at-risk. This category of combinatorial optimization problem is particularly difficult because direct evaluation of the quality of treatment corresponding to any proposed selection of beams requires the solution of a large-scale dose optimization problem involving many thousands of variables that represent doses delivered to volume elements (voxels) in the patient. However, if the quality of angle sets can be accurately estimated without expensive computation, a large number of angle sets can be considered, increasing the likelihood of identifying a very high quality set. Using a computationally efficient surrogate beam set evaluation procedure based on single-beam data extracted from plans employing equallyspaced beams (eplans), we have developed a global search metaheuristic process based on the nested partitions framework for this combinatorial optimization problem. The surrogate scoring mechanism allows us to assess thousands of beam set samples within a clinically acceptable time frame. Tests on difficult clinical cases demonstrate that the beam sets obtained via our method are of superior quality.

Multi-criteria analysis for PM10 planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisoni, Enrico; Carnevale, Claudio; Volta, Marialuisa

To implement sound air quality policies, Regulatory Agencies require tools to evaluate outcomes and costs associated to different emission reduction strategies. These tools are even more useful when considering atmospheric PM10 concentrations due to the complex nonlinear processes that affect production and accumulation of the secondary fraction of this pollutant. The approaches presented in the literature (Integrated Assessment Modeling) are mainly cost-benefit and cost-effective analysis. In this work, the formulation of a multi-objective problem to control particulate matter is proposed. The methodology defines: (a) the control objectives (the air quality indicator and the emission reduction cost functions); (b) the decision variables (precursor emission reductions); (c) the problem constraints (maximum feasible technology reductions). The cause-effect relations between air quality indicators and decision variables are identified tuning nonlinear source-receptor models. The multi-objective problem solution provides to the decision maker a set of not-dominated scenarios representing the efficient trade-off between the air quality benefit and the internal costs (emission reduction technology costs). The methodology has been implemented for Northern Italy, often affected by high long-term exposure to PM10. The source-receptor models used in the multi-objective analysis are identified processing long-term simulations of GAMES multiphase modeling system, performed in the framework of CAFE-Citydelta project.

A surrogate-based metaheuristic global search method for beam angle selection in radiation treatment planning

PubMed Central

Zhang, H H; Gao, S; Chen, W; Shi, L; D’Souza, W D; Meyer, R R

2013-01-01

An important element of radiation treatment planning for cancer therapy is the selection of beam angles (out of all possible coplanar and non-coplanar angles in relation to the patient) in order to maximize the delivery of radiation to the tumor site and minimize radiation damage to nearby organs-at-risk. This category of combinatorial optimization problem is particularly difficult because direct evaluation of the quality of treatment corresponding to any proposed selection of beams requires the solution of a large-scale dose optimization problem involving many thousands of variables that represent doses delivered to volume elements (voxels) in the patient. However, if the quality of angle sets can be accurately estimated without expensive computation, a large number of angle sets can be considered, increasing the likelihood of identifying a very high quality set. Using a computationally efficient surrogate beam set evaluation procedure based on single-beam data extracted from plans employing equally-spaced beams (eplans), we have developed a global search metaheuristic process based on the Nested Partitions framework for this combinatorial optimization problem. The surrogate scoring mechanism allows us to assess thousands of beam set samples within a clinically acceptable time frame. Tests on difficult clinical cases demonstrate that the beam sets obtained via our method are superior quality. PMID:23459411

Evaluation of long term health-related quality of life in extensive burns: a 12-year experience in a burn center.

PubMed

Xie, Bing; Xiao, Shi-chu; Zhu, Shi-hui; Xia, Zhao-fan

2012-05-01

We sought to evaluate the long term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients survived severely extensive burn and identify their clinical predicting factors correlated with HRQOL. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 20 patients survived more than 2 years with extensive burn involving ≥70% total body surface area (TBSA) between 1997 and 2009 in a burn center in Shanghai. Short Form-36 Medical Outcomes Survey (SF-36), Brief Version of Burn Specific Health Scale (BSHS-B) and Michigan Hand Outcome Questionnaire (MHQ) were used for the present evaluation. SF-36 scores were compared with a healthy Chinese population, and linear correlation analysis was performed to screen the clinical relating factors predicting physical and mental component summary (PCS and MCS) scores from SF-36. HRQOL scores from SF-36 were significantly lower in the domains of physical functioning, role limitations due to physical problems, pain, social functioning and role limitations due to emotional problems compared with population norms. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that only return to work (RTW) predicted improved PCS. While age at injury, facial burns, skin grafting and length of hospital stay were correlated with MCS. Work, body image and heat sensitivity obtained the lowest BSHS-B scores in all 9 domains. Improvements of HRQOL could still be seen in BSHS-B scores in domains of simple abilities, hand function, work and affect even after a quite long interval between burns and testing. Hand function of extensive burn patients obtained relatively poor MHQ scores, especially in those without RTW. Patients with extensive burns have a poorer quality of life compared with that of general population. Relatively poor physical and psychological problems still exist even after a long period. Meanwhile, a trend of gradual improvements was noted. This information will aid clinicians in decision-making of comprehensive systematic regimens for long term rehabilitation and psychosocial treatment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

The impact of pediatric chronic pain on parents' health-related quality of life and family functioning: reliability and validity of the PedsQL 4.0 Family Impact Module.

PubMed

Jastrowski Mano, Kristen E; Khan, Kimberly Anderson; Ladwig, Renee J; Weisman, Steven J

2011-06-01

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Family Impact Module (FIM), a parent self-report measure of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and family functioning, among parents of youth with chronic pain. Parents (N = 458) completed the FIM (Total Impact, HRQOL, and Family Functioning scales); parents and youth (N = 332) completed measures of pain catastrophizing, pediatric quality of life, and emotional/behavioral functioning. The FIM demonstrated strong internal consistency and item-total correlations. All FIM scales were positively associated with pain catastrophizing, functional disability, and emotional/behavioral problems; and inversely related to pediatric quality of life. Mothers reported significantly worse HRQOL than fathers. Mothers and fathers did not differ on reports of Family Functioning. HRQOL and Family Functioning did not differ as a function of pain diagnosis. The FIM appears to be a suitable measure of parent self-reported HRQOL and family functioning in pediatric chronic pain.

"What I Learn Is What I Like." How Do Students in ICT Supported Problem-Based Learning Rate the Quality of the Learning Experience, and How Does It Relate to the Acquisition of Competences?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scholkmann, Antonia

2017-01-01

Although advocated in theory, research findings on the benefits of ICT integration into inquiry-based learning arrangements such as problem-based learning (PBL) are still ambiguous. One explanation might be that until now students' subjective views on learning in ICT-integrated, inquiry-based arrangements have not been considered extensively. The…

Factors associated with sleep quality among operating engineers.

PubMed

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

2013-06-01

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

Factors Associated With Sleep Quality Among Operating Engineers

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

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

Psychological outcomes and health beliefs in adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer and controls.

PubMed

Kazak, Anne E; Derosa, Branlyn Werba; Schwartz, Lisa A; Hobbie, Wendy; Carlson, Claire; Ittenbach, Richard F; Mao, Jun J; Ginsberg, Jill P

2010-04-20

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare adolescent and young adult (AYA) pediatric cancer survivors and peers without a history of serious illness on psychological distress, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), health beliefs; examine age at diagnosis and cancer treatment intensity on these outcomes; and examine relationships between number of health problems and the outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS AYA cancer survivors (n = 167) and controls (n = 170), recruited during visits to a cancer survivorship clinic and primary care, completed self-report questionnaires of distress, health problems, and health beliefs. For survivors, providers rated treatment intensity and health problems. Results There were no statistically significant differences between survivors and controls in psychological distress or HRQOL. Cancer survivors had less positive health beliefs. Survivors diagnosed as adolescents had significantly greater psychological distress and fewer positive health beliefs than those diagnosed earlier. Survivors with the highest level of treatment intensity had greater anxiety and fewer positive health beliefs than those with less intense treatments. Provider report of current health problems related to survivors' beliefs and mental HRQOL only, whereas patient report of health problems correlated significantly with most psychosocial outcomes and beliefs. CONCLUSION AYA cancer survivors did not differ from peers in psychological adjustment but did endorse less adaptive health beliefs. Survivors diagnosed during adolescence and who had more intensive cancer treatments evidenced poorer psychosocial outcomes. Beliefs about health may be identified and targeted for intervention to improve quality of life, particularly when patient perceptions of current health problems are considered.

External quality assessment of clinical laboratories in the United Kingdom

PubMed Central

Whitehead, TP; Woodford, FP

1981-01-01

A review is given of the National External Quality Assessment Schemes (NEQASs) in various pathology disciplines in the United Kingdom, with a discussion of the relative roles of the DHSS, individual laboratory scientists, and the relevant professional bodies. Principles of operation and scientific problems in the design of NEQASs in different disciplines are described and contrasted, and some comparisons with the experience in other European countries and the USA are drawn. PMID:7024326

Improving Teacher Quality and Effectiveness. Issues for the '80s. Planning Grant for the Development of an Institutional Grant Proposal to Establish an NIE Research and Development Center for Teacher Quality and Effectiveness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawley, Willis D.; And Others

This paper presents an overview of several of the problems and conditions of the teaching profession and discusses different issues related to the development and implementation of policies, programs, and practices designed to address them. The opening section examines the conditions of teaching--employment opportunities, teacher evaluation,…

Predictors of mental health and quality of life in male tortured refugees.

PubMed

Carlsson, Jessica M; Mortensen, Erik L; Kastrup, Marianne

2006-01-01

Some of the most frequently reported mental health problems in traumatized refugees are depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of this paper is to describe a group of tortured refugees referred to the Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims (RCT) and to study the importance of past trauma/torture and post-migratory factors for the present symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety and for health-related quality of life. The sample comprises 63 male tortured refugees admitted to a pre-treatment assessment at RCT. Data on personal background, trauma, present situation in Denmark, symptoms of depression, anxiety (Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25, HSCL-25, and Hamilton Depression Scale, HDS), PTSD (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, HTQ), and on health-related quality of life (WHO Quality of life-Bref, WHOQOL-Bref) were collected through self-administered questionnaires and structured and semi-structured interviews. The scores in the questionnaires measuring emotional distress were high. Previous torture and trauma, lower education, fewer social contacts, no occupation and pain were identified as significant predictors of emotional distress. Few social contacts was a significant predictor of a lower health-related quality of life. Even after many years, past torture is significantly associated with emotional distress. Post-migratory factors are also significantly associated with emotional distress and health-related quality of life, and potentially modifiable factors, such as social relations and occupation, are of special interest.

Quality of life and the related factors in spouses of veterans with chronic spinal cord injury

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The quality of life (QOL) of caregivers of individuals with chronic spinal cord injuries may be affected by several factors. Moreover, this issue is yet to be documented fully in the literature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the health related quality of life of spouses who act as primary caregivers of veterans with chronic spinal cord injuries in Iran. Methods The study consisted of 72 wives of 72 veterans who were categorized as spinal cord injured patients based on the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification. Health related quality of life was assessed by the Short Form (SF-36) Health Survey. Pearson's correlation was carried out to find any correlation between demographic variables with SF-36 dimensions. To find the effect of the factors like age, employment status, duration of care giving, education, presence or absence of knee osteoarthritis, and mechanical back pain on different domains of the SF-36 health survey, Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used. Results The mean age of the participants was 44.7 years. According to the ASIA classification 88.9% and 11.1% of the veterans were paraplegic and tetraplegic respectively. Fifty percent of them had a complete injury (ASIA A) and 85% of the spouses were exclusive care givers. All of the SF-36 scores of the spouses were significantly lower than the normal population. Pearson's correlation demonstrated a negative significant correlation between both age and duration of caring with the PF domain. The number of children had a negative correlation with RE and VT. Conclusion The burden of caregiving can impact the QOL of caregivers and cause health problems. These problems can cause limitations for caregiver spouses and it can lead to a decrease in the quality of given care. PMID:23506336

Predictors of health-related and global quality of life among young adults with difficult-to-treat epilepsy and mild intellectual disability.

PubMed

Endermann, Michael

2013-02-01

This study evaluated predictors of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and global quality of life (QOL) among young adults with difficult-to-treat epilepsy and mild intellectual disability. One hundred and forty-two persons with epilepsy and cognitive problems were routinely screened on HRQOL, global QOL, and psychological distress four weeks after admission to a time-limited residential rehabilitation unit. The PESOS scales (PE = PErformance, SO = SOciodemographic aspects, S = Subjective evaluation/estimation) on epilepsy-specific problems were administered as measures of HRQOL; a questionnaire on life satisfaction and an item on overall QOL were used as measures of global QOL. Psychological distress was captured with the Symptom Checklist 90-R. Further data were gained from medical files. Quality-of- life predictors were identified using univariate methods and stepwise regression analyses. Psychological distress was the only predictor of all HRQOL and global QOL parameters. Seizure frequency was a predictor of most HRQOL variables. Other epilepsy variables affected only some HRQOL variables but were not associated with global QOL. Health-related quality of life did not seem to be strongly impaired. Only low correlations were found between HRQOL and global QOL. The notion of psychological distress as the most influential predictor of all QOL measures is in line with most findings on QOL in epilepsy. Former observations of weak associations between HRQOL and global QOL among patients with epilepsy and mild intellectual disability are supported. Thus, interventions to reduce psychological distress, besides epilepsy treatment, seem to be of great importance to improve QOL. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association of problem behavior with sleep problems and gastroesophageal reflux symptoms.

PubMed

Sakaguchi, Katsuyoshi; Yagi, Takakazu; Maeda, Aya; Nagayama, Kunihiro; Uehara, Sawako; Saito-Sakoguchi, Yoko; Kanematsu, Kyoko; Miyawaki, Shouichi

2014-02-01

There are few large-scale epidemiologic studies examining the associations between sleep problems, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms, lifestyle and food habits and problem behaviors (PB) in adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations among these factors in Japanese adolescents. A cross-sectional survey of 1840 junior high school students was carried out using questionnaires. The subjects were classified into PB or normal behavior (NB) groups using the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC). The scores of the sleep-related factors, sleep bruxism, lifestyle and food habits, and GERD symptoms were compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors related to PB. Mean subject age was 13.3 ± 1.8 years. The PB group had significantly longer sleep latency and higher GERD symptom score (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the PB group was significantly more likely to experience absence of the mother at dinner time, skip breakfast, and have <30 min of conversation among family at dinner time. The PB group had significantly higher frequencies of sleep bruxism, difficulty falling asleep within 30 min, nightmares, feeling of low sleep quality, daytime somnolence, and daytime lack of motivation. Feelings of low sleep quality had the strongest association with PB, with an adjusted odds ratio of 12.88 (95% confidence interval: 8.99-18.46). PB in adolescents are associated with sleep problems, including sleep bruxism, as well as lifestyle and food habits and GERD symptoms. © 2013 The Authors. Pediatrics International © 2013 Japan Pediatric Society.

Predictors and Outcomes of Health–Related Quality of Life in Adults with CKD

PubMed Central

Lash, James P.; Xie, Dawei; Pan, Qiang; DeLuca, Jennifer; Kanthety, Radhika; Kusek, John W.; Lora, Claudia M.; Nessel, Lisa; Ricardo, Ana C.; Wright Nunes, Julie; Fischer, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Background and objectives Low health–related quality of life is associated with increased mortality in patients with ESRD. However, little is known about demographic and clinical factors associated with health–related quality of life or its effect on outcomes in adults with CKD. Design, settings, participants, & measurements Data from 3837 adult participants with mild to severe CKD enrolled in the prospective observational Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort and Hispanic Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Studies were analyzed. Health–related quality of life was assessed at baseline with the Kidney Disease Quality of Life-36 and its five subscales: mental component summary, physical component summary, burden of kidney disease (burden), effects of kidney disease (effects), and symptoms and problems of kidney disease (symptoms). Low health–related quality of life was defined as baseline score >1 SD below the mean. Using Cox proportional hazards analysis, the relationships between low health–related quality of life and the following outcomes were examined: (1) CKD progression (50% eGFR loss or incident ESRD), (2) incident cardiovascular events, and (3) all-cause death. Results Younger age, women, low education, diabetes, vascular disease, congestive heart failure, obesity, and lower eGFR were associated with low baseline health–related quality of life (P<0.05). During a median follow-up of 6.2 years, there were 1055 CKD progression events, 841 cardiovascular events, and 694 deaths. Significantly higher crude rates of CKD progression, incident cardiovascular events, and all-cause death were observed among participants with low health–related quality of life in all subscales (P<0.05). In fully adjusted models, low physical component summary, effects, and symptoms subscales were independently associated with a higher risk of incident cardiovascular events and death, whereas low mental component summary was independently associated with a higher risk of death (P<0.05). Low health–related quality of life was not associated with CKD progression. Conclusions Low health–related quality of life across several subscales was independently associated with a higher risk of incident cardiovascular events and death but not associated with CKD progression. PMID:27246012

Quality Inspection and Analysis of Three-Dimensional Geographic Information Model Based on Oblique Photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, S.; Yan, Q.; Xu, Y.; Bai, J.

2018-04-01

In order to promote the construction of digital geo-spatial framework in China and accelerate the construction of informatization mapping system, three-dimensional geographic information model emerged. The three-dimensional geographic information model based on oblique photogrammetry technology has higher accuracy, shorter period and lower cost than traditional methods, and can more directly reflect the elevation, position and appearance of the features. At this stage, the technology of producing three-dimensional geographic information models based on oblique photogrammetry technology is rapidly developing. The market demand and model results have been emerged in a large amount, and the related quality inspection needs are also getting larger and larger. Through the study of relevant literature, it is found that there are a lot of researches on the basic principles and technical characteristics of this technology, and relatively few studies on quality inspection and analysis. On the basis of summarizing the basic principle and technical characteristics of oblique photogrammetry technology, this paper introduces the inspection contents and inspection methods of three-dimensional geographic information model based on oblique photogrammetry technology. Combined with the actual inspection work, this paper summarizes the quality problems of three-dimensional geographic information model based on oblique photogrammetry technology, analyzes the causes of the problems and puts forward the quality control measures. It provides technical guidance for the quality inspection of three-dimensional geographic information model data products based on oblique photogrammetry technology in China and provides technical support for the vigorous development of three-dimensional geographic information model based on oblique photogrammetry technology.

Working towards healthy air in dwellings in Europe.

PubMed

Franchi, M; Carrer, P; Kotzias, D; Rameckers, E M A L; Seppänen, O; van Bronswijk, J E M H; Viegi, G; Gilder, J A; Valovirta, E

2006-07-01

Poor indoor air quality has been implicated in the increase in allergic and respiratory diseases seen in industrialized countries in recent decades. Although air pollution in the workplace is well studied, much less is known about the consequences of poor air quality in homes. In an attempt to halt or slow down the increase in allergic and respiratory diseases, the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients Associations (EFA) carried out the EU-funded project entitled 'Towards Healthy Air in Dwellings in Europe' (THADE). The aims were to: compile an overview of evidence-based data about exposure to indoor air pollution and its health effects, particularly in relation to allergies, asthma and other respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; review cost-effective measures and technology to improve indoor air quality; review legislation and guidelines on indoor air pollution; produce maps of pollutants in dwellings; and recommend an integrated strategy that defines appropriate indoor air quality policies for implementation in Europe. This paper summarizes the information about air quality in dwellings and indoor environment-related diseases collected by expert consultants within the framework of THADE and terminates with recommendations for actions aimed at improving air quality in homes. The results of this project confirmed that air pollution in dwellings is a relevant health problem. It is a complex problem that must be addressed at European and international levels, and it involves the medical profession, scientific societies, patients' organizations, lawmakers, architects and the building industry. The complete THADE report is available at http://www.efanet.org/activities/documents/THADEReport.pdf.

Configurations of Adolescents' Peer Experiences: Associations With Parent-Child Relationship Quality and Parental Problem Behavior.

PubMed

Kretschmer, Tina; Sentse, Miranda; Meeus, Wim; Verhulst, Frank C; Veenstra, René; Oldehinkel, Albertine J

2016-09-01

Adolescents' peer experiences embrace behavior, relationship quality, status, and victimization, but studies that account for multiple dimensions are rare. Using latent profile modeling and measures of peer behavior, relationship quality, peer status, and victimization assessed from 1,677 adolescents, four profiles were identified: High Quality, Low Quality, Low Quality Victimized, and Deviant Peers. Multinomial logistic regressions showed that negative parent-child relationships in preadolescence reduced the likelihood of High Quality peer relations in mid-adolescence but only partly differentiated between the other three profiles. Moderation by gender was partly found with girls showing greater sensitivity to parent-child relationship quality with respect to peer experiences. Results underline the multifaceted nature of peer experiences, and practical and theoretical implications are discussed. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Research on Adolescence © 2015 Society for Research on Adolescence.

Shoulder and neck morbidity in quality of life after surgery for head and neck cancer.

PubMed

van Wilgen, C P; Dijkstra, P U; van der Laan, B F A M; Plukker, J Th; Roodenburg, J L N

2004-10-01

Quality of life has become a major issue in determining the outcome of treatment in head and neck surgery with curative intent. The aim of our study was to determine which factors in the postoperative care, especially shoulder and neck morbidity, are related to quality of life and how these outcomes compared between patients who had undergone surgery and a control group. We analyzed physical symptoms, psychological symptoms, and social and functional well-being at least 1 year after surgery and evaluated the differences in quality of life between patients who had undergone head and neck surgery and a control group. Depression scores contributed significantly to all domains of quality of life. Reduced shoulder abduction, shoulder pain, and neck pain are related to several domains of quality of life. The patient group scored significantly worse for social functioning and limitations from physical problems but scored significantly better for bodily pain and health changes. Depression and shoulder and neck morbidity are important factors in quality of life for patients who have undergone surgery for head and neck cancer. (c) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Physical activity as a mediator of the impact of chronic conditions on quality of life in older adults.

PubMed

Sawatzky, Richard; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa; Miller, William C; Marra, Carlo A

2007-12-19

Chronic conditions could negatively affect the quality of life of older adults. This may be partially due to a relative lack of physical activity. We examined whether physical activity mediates the relationship between different chronic conditions and several health outcomes that are important to the quality of life of older adults. The data were taken from the Canadian Community Health Survey (cycle 1.1), a cross-section survey completed in 2001. Only respondents who were 65 years or older were included in our study (N = 22,432). The Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) was used to measure overall quality of life, and to measure selected health outcomes (dexterity, mobility, pain, cognition, and emotional wellbeing) that are considered to be of importance to the quality of life of older adults. Leisure-time physical activity was assessed by determining weekly energy expenditure (Kcal per week) based on the metabolic equivalents of self-reported leisure activities. Linear and logistic regression models were used to determine the mediating effect of leisure-time physical activity while controlling for demographic variables (age and sex), substance use (tobacco use and alcohol consumption), and obesity. Having a chronic condition was associated with a relative decrease in health utility scores and a relative increase in mobility limitations, dexterity problems, pain, emotional problems (i.e., decreased happiness), and cognitive limitations. These negative consequences could be partially attributed to a relative lack of physical activity in older adults with a chronic condition (14% mediation for the HUI3 score). The corresponding degree of mediation was 18% for mobility limitations, 5% for pain, and 13% for emotional wellbeing (statistically significant mediation was not observed for the other health attributes). These values varied with respect to the different chronic conditions examined in our study. Older adults with chronic conditions are less likely to engage in leisure-time physical activities of at least 1,000 Kcal per week, and this association partially accounts for some negative consequences of chronic conditions, including mobility limitations, pain, and emotional problems. These findings provide support for health promotion programs that facilitate or encourage increased leisure-time physical activity in older people with chronic conditions.

Comparison of patient evaluations of health care quality in relation to WHO measures of achievement in 12 European countries.

PubMed

Kerssens, Jan J; Groenewegen, Peter P; Sixma, Herman J; Boerma, Wienke G W; van der Eijk, Ingrid

2004-02-01

To gain insight into similarities and differences in patient evaluations of quality of primary care across 12 European countries and to correlate patient evaluations with WHO health system performance measures (for example, responsiveness) of these countries. Patient evaluations were derived from a series of Quote (QUality of care Through patients' Eyes) instruments designed to measure the quality of primary care. Various research groups provided a total sample of 5133 patients from 12 countries: Belarus, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, and Ukraine. Intraclass correlations of 10 Quote items were calculated to measure differences between countries. The world health report 2000 - Health systems: improving performance performance measures in the same countries were correlated with mean Quote scores. Intra-class correlation coefficients ranged from low to very high, which indicated little variation between countries in some respects (for example, primary care providers have a good understanding of patients' problems in all countries) and large variation in other respects (for example, with respect to prescription of medication and communication between primary care providers). Most correlations between mean Quote scores per country and WHO performance measures were positive. The highest correlation (0.86) was between the primary care provider's understanding of patients' problems and responsiveness according to WHO. Patient evaluations of the quality of primary care showed large differences across countries and related positively to WHO's performance measures of health care systems.

Disordered (Pathologic or Problem) Gambling and Axis I Psychiatric Disorders: Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions

PubMed Central

Chou, Kee-Lee; Afifi, Tracie O.

2011-01-01

The authors’ objective in this study was to examine the role of disordered gambling as a risk factor for the subsequent occurrence of specific Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Axis I psychiatric disorders after adjusting for medical conditions, health-related quality of life, and stressful life events. Community-dwelling respondents from nationally representative US samples (n = 33,231) were interviewed in 2000–2001 and 2004–2005. Past-year disordered gambling at baseline was associated with the subsequent occurrence of any Axis I psychiatric disorder, any mood disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, any substance use disorder, alcohol use disorders, and alcohol dependence disorder after adjustment for sociodemographic variables. After simultaneous adjustment for medical conditions, health-related quality of life, and recent stressful life events, disordered gambling remained significantly related to any mood disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol use disorders, and alcohol dependence. The clinical implications of these findings are that treatment providers need to screen gambling patients for mood, anxiety, and substance use problems and monitor the possible development of later comorbid conditions. PMID:21467151

The influence of COPD on health-related quality of life independent of the influence of comorbidity.

PubMed

van Manen, Jeannette G; Bindels, Patrick J E; Dekker, Friedo W; Bottema, Bernardus J A M; van der Zee, Jaring S; Ijzermans, C Joris; Schadé, Egbert

2003-12-01

The goal of this study was to determine the influence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on health-related quality of life (HRQL) independent of comorbidity. Patients with COPD in general practice, >/=40 years, were selected. To recruit controls, a random sample of persons without COPD and >/=40 years, was taken. HRQL was assessed with the SF-36 and comorbidity was determined by questionnaire. The influence of COPD on HRQL independent of comorbidity (represented by adjusted regression coefficients) was significant for physical functioning (-27.6), role functioning due to physical problems (-21.6), vitality (-14.4), and general health (-25.7), and was minor and not significant for social functioning (-5.6), mental health (-1.3), role functioning due to emotional problems (-2.7), and bodily pain (-2.5). Comorbidity contributed significantly to the HRQL of all domains (-7.6 to -27.1). COPD patients can be impaired in all domains of HRQL. However, impairments in physical functioning, vitality, and general health are related to COPD and to some extent to comorbidity, while impairments in social and emotional functioning do not seem to be related to COPD, but only to comorbidity.

Assessing the structure of non-routine decision processes in Airline Operations Control.

PubMed

Richters, Floor; Schraagen, Jan Maarten; Heerkens, Hans

2016-03-01

Unfamiliar severe disruptions challenge Airline Operations Control professionals most, as their expertise is stretched to its limits. This study has elicited the structure of Airline Operations Control professionals' decision process during unfamiliar disruptions by mapping three macrocognitive activities on the decision ladder: sensemaking, option evaluation and action planning. The relationship between this structure and decision quality was measured. A simulated task was staged, based on which think-aloud protocols were obtained. Results show that the general decision process structure resembles the structure of experts working under routine conditions, in terms of the general structure of the macrocognitive activities, and the rule-based approach used to identify options and actions. Surprisingly, high quality of decision outcomes was found to relate to the use of rule-based strategies. This implies that successful professionals are capable of dealing with unfamiliar problems by reframing them into familiar ones, rather than to engage in knowledge-based processing. Practitioner Summary: We examined the macrocognitive structure of Airline Operations Control professionals' decision process during a simulated unfamiliar disruption in relation to decision quality. Results suggest that successful professionals are capable of dealing with unfamiliar problems by reframing them into familiar ones, rather than to engage in knowledge-based processing.

Assessment of health benefits related to air quality improvement strategies in urban areas: An Impact Pathway Approach.

PubMed

Silveira, Carlos; Roebeling, Peter; Lopes, Myriam; Ferreira, Joana; Costa, Solange; Teixeira, João P; Borrego, Carlos; Miranda, Ana I

2016-12-01

Air pollution is, increasingly, a concern to our society given the threats to human health and the environment. Concerted actions to improve air quality have been taken at different levels, such as through the development of Air Quality Plans (AQPs). However, air quality impacts associated with the implementation of abatement measures included in AQPs are often neglected. In order to identify the major gaps and strengths in current knowledge, a literature review has been performed on existing methodologies to estimate air pollution-related health impacts and subsequent external costs. Based on this review, the Impact Pathway Approach was adopted and applied within the context of the MAPLIA research project to assess the health impacts and benefits (or avoided external costs) derived from improvements in air quality. Seven emission abatement scenarios, based on individual and combined abatement measures, were tested for the major activity sectors (traffic, residential and industrial combustion and production processes) of a Portuguese urban area (Grande Porto) with severe particular matter (PM10) air pollution problems. Results revealed a strong positive correlation between population density and health benefits obtained from the assessed reduction scenarios. As a consequence, potential health benefits from reduction scenarios are largest in densely populated areas with high anthropic activity and, thus, where air pollution problems are most alarming. Implementation of all measures resulted in a reduction in PM10 emissions by almost 8%, improving air quality by about 1% and contributing to a benefit of 8.8 million €/year for the entire study domain. The introduction of PM10 reduction technologies in industrial units was the most beneficial abatement measure. This study intends to contribute to policy support for decision-making on air quality management. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 1778.10 - Restrictions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... areas from submitting joint proposals for assistance under this part. Each entity applying for financial... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE..., cost, and are not directly related to correcting the potable water quantity or quality problem. (4) Pay...

DIVERSE MODELS FOR SOLVING CONTRASTING OUTFALL PROBLEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Mixing zone initial dilution and far-field models are useful for assuring that water quality criteria will be met when specific outfall discharge criteria are applied. Presented here is a selective review of mixing zone initial dilution models and relatively simple far-field tran...

Sibling Relationships among Children with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikami, Amori Yee; Pfiffner, Linda J.

2008-01-01

Objective: This study investigated the quality of sibling relationships among children with ADHD relative to those without ADHD. Additional analyses examined whether externalizing and internalizing problems comorbid with ADHD affected sibling relationships. Method: Participants were 77 children with ADHD and 14 nonproblem control children. Sibling…

Shyness, friendship quality, and adjustment during middle childhood.

PubMed

Fordham, K; Stevenson-Hinde, J

1999-07-01

Whereas many young children show initial wariness on meeting a stranger, shyness that lasts into middle childhood may be indicative of concurrent problems and subsequent disorder. Adjustment problems of an internalising nature, such as low self-esteem, loneliness, and anxiety may occur. Special significance has, however, been ascribed to preadolescent friendships as a means of validating self-worth and buffering against loneliness and anxiety. The main aim of the present study is to examine associations between shyness, perceptions of friendship quality, and indices of adjustment related to internalising problems. The study involves a sample of 8.4-10.6-year-olds (N = 50), preselected at 4.5 years to include a high proportion of shy children. Ratings of shyness to an unfamiliar adult had been made by different observers at 4.5 and 7 years, and at the present ages by another observer, mothers, and teachers. Observer-rated shyness was highly consistent over time and was significantly correlated with mothers' and teachers' ratings, although both significantly underestimated children's shyness relative to observer ratings. Compared with the younger children (mean age of 9 years), observed shyness (a composite over all three age points) increased in salience for the older children (mean age of 10 years), becoming significantly correlated with trait anxiety as well as low global self-worth. Indeed, global self-worth took on a central role for the older children, showing significant correlations not only with observed shyness and internalising problems (loneliness and anxiety), but also with perceptions of social acceptance and classmate support as well as friendship quality, with a named "best friend". Thus by 10 years of age, aspects of peer relationships may influence and be influenced by global self-worth, with a possible buffering effect on any potential detrimental effects of shyness.

Severe interpersonal violence against children in sport: Associated mental health problems and quality of life in adulthood.

PubMed

Vertommen, Tine; Kampen, Jarl; Schipper-van Veldhoven, Nicolette; Uzieblo, Kasia; Van Den Eede, Filip

2018-02-01

In a recent large-scale prevalence study of interpersonal violence (IV) against child athletes in the Netherlands and Belgium we found that 9% of adult respondents who participated in organized sports before the age of 18 had experienced severe psychological violence, 8% severe physical violence, and 6% severe sexual violence in various sport settings. While the general literature has repeatedly shown that exposure to IV during childhood is associated with mental health problems in adulthood and to a lesser extent with reduced quality of life (QOL), these relationships have not been demonstrated in (former) athletes. Thus, the current study aims to assess the association of severe childhood IV in sport and adult wellbeing. Depression, anxiety, and somatization were assessed in the same general population sample (N = 4043) using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) and QOL with the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-Brèf). The association between severe IV in sport and adult wellbeing was investigated using multiple linear regression while controlling for demographics, recent life events, and relatives' psychological problems. We found severe sexual, physical, and psychological childhood IV in sport to be associated with more adult psychological distress and reduced QOL. Polyvictimization shows the strongest correlation with poorer wellbeing and QOL. Recent life events, relatives' psychological problems, marital status, and level of education were significant covariates in the psychological symptoms and QOL assessed. We hope that these new insights prompt sport administrators to implement broad spectrum child protection measures and raise the awareness of mental health professionals about the necessity to also screen for adverse childhood experiences in the sport context. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promising Long-Term Health-Related Quality of Life After High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy Boost for Localized Prostate Cancer

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

Wahlgren, Thomas; Nilsson, Sten; Lennernaes, Bo

2007-11-01

Purpose: To explore the long-term general and disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) >5 years after combined radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer, including a high-dose-rate brachytherapy boost and hormonal deprivation therapy. Methods and Materials: Of 196 eligible patients with localized prostate cancer (Stage T1-T3a) consecutively treated with curative radiotherapy at our institution between June 1998 and August 2000, 182 (93%) completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaires QLQ-C30 and QLQ-PR25, including specific questions on fecal incontinence >5 years after treatment in September 2005. A comparison with age-matched normative data was done, as wellmore » as a longitudinal analysis using HRQOL data from a previous study. Results: The analysis included 158 nonrecurrent patients. Comparisons made with normative data showed that physical and role functioning were significantly better statistically and social functioning was significantly worse. Diarrhea and sleep disturbances were more pronounced and pain less pronounced than in a normal male population. The longitudinal analysis of disease-specific HRQOL showed that urinary urgency and erectile problems persisted 5 years after treatment, and nocturia and hormonally dependent symptoms had declined significantly, with a statistically significant difference. Fecal incontinence was recognized by 25% of patients, of whom 80% considered it a minor problem. Conclusion: More than 5 years after combined radiotherapy, irritative urinary problems and erectile dysfunction remain concerns, although severe bowel disturbance and fecal incontinence seem to be minor problems. Longitudinally, a decline mainly in hormonally dependent symptoms was seen. Minor differences in general HRQOL compared with normative data were observed, possibly including 'response shift' effects.« less

A Simple and Practical Index to Measure Dementia-Related Quality of Life.

PubMed

Arons, Alexander M M; Schölzel-Dorenbos, Carla J M; Olde Rikkert, Marcel G M; Krabbe, Paul F M

2016-01-01

Research on new treatments for dementia is gaining pace worldwide in an effort to alleviate this growing health care problem. The optimal evaluation of such interventions, however, calls for a practical and credible patient-reported outcome measure. To describe the refinement of the Dementia Quality-of-life Instrument (DQI) and present its revised version. A prototype of the DQI was adapted to cover a broader range of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and to improve consistency in the descriptions of its domains. A valuation study was then conducted to assign meaningful numbers to all DQI health states. Pairs of DQI states were presented to a sample of professionals working with people with dementia and a representative sample of the Dutch population. They had to repeatedly select the best DQI state, and their responses were statistically modeled to obtain values for each health state. In total, 207 professionals working with people with dementia and 631 members of the general population completed the paired comparison tasks. Statistically significant differences between the two samples were found for the domains of social functioning, mood, and memory. Severe problems with physical health and severe memory problems were deemed most important by the general population. In contrast, severe mood problems were considered most important by professionals working with people with dementia. The DQI is a simple and feasible measurement instrument that expresses the overall HRQOL of people suffering from dementia in a single meaningful number. Current results suggest that revisiting the discussion of using values from the general population might be warranted in the dementia context. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sleep problems in university students – an intervention

PubMed Central

Schlarb, Angelika Anita; Friedrich, Anja; Claßen, Merle

2017-01-01

Introduction Up to 60% of all college students suffer from a poor sleep quality, and 7.7% meet all criteria of an insomnia disorder. Sleep problems have a great impact on the students’ daily life, for example, the grade point average. Due to irregular daytime routines, chronotype changes, side jobs and exam periods, they need specialized treatments for improving sleep. “Studieren wie im Schlaf” (SWIS; (studying in your sleep)) is a multicomponent sleep training that combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia and Hypnotherapy for Insomnia to improve students’ sleep, insomnia symptoms and nightmares. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the acceptance, feasibility and the first effects of SWIS. Methods Twenty-seven students (mean =24.24, standard deviation =3.57) participated in a study of pre–post design. The acceptance and feasibility were measured with questionnaires. In addition, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), sleep logs and actigraphy were implemented. Further variables encompassed daytime sleepiness, sleep-related personality traits and cognitions about sleep. Results Seventy-four percent of the participants reported symptoms of an insomnia disorder, and 51.9% fulfilled all criteria of an insomnia disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fifth edition). Correspondingly, the students suffered from clinically relevant sleep problems according to the PSQI. The SWIS sleep training is a well-accepted and feasible program. Significant improvements were observed in the subjective sleep quality and sleep-related personality traits, as well as clinical improvements in objective sleep measures. Discussion Findings showed that SWIS is a feasible program for the treatment of sleep problems in college and university students due to its various effects on sleep and cognitive outcomes. Further evaluation of follow-up measurements and additional variables, that is, cognitive performance and mental health, is needed. PMID:28794633

Age-related differences in the quality of life in end-stage renal disease in patients enrolled in hemodialysis or continuous peritoneal dialysis.

PubMed

Laudański, Krzysztof; Nowak, Zbigniew; Niemczyk, Stanisław

2013-05-20

The aim of the present study was to compare the experience elderly and younger patients in terms of emotional status, disease perception, methods of coping with the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) stress, and health-related quality of life in 2 different settings of renal replacement therapy: hemodialysis (HD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis programs (CAPD). Specifically, we hypothesized that younger people will more frequently use goal-oriented strategies to cope with illness-related stress and elderly patients will use more strategies related to the control of emotion. A total of 69 HD patients, 40 CAPD patients, and 89 healthy volunteers were analyzed. The Situation and Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Profile of Mood States, the Cognitive Stress Appraisal Questionnaire, and the Nottingham Health Profile were used to assess anxiety, long-term emotional status, coping mechanisms, and health-related quality of life. Data were collected on several biochemical and demographic variables. Our study revealed that younger and elderly people on dialysis faced quite different problems. Younger people in both RRT groups had statistically higher assessment of ESRD as loss or challenge and they more frequently used distractive and emotional preoccupation coping strategies. Depression, confusion, and bewilderment dominate the emotional status of both patient populations, especially in the younger cohort. Both HD(young) and CAPD(young) patients complained more about lack of energy, mobility limitations, and sleep disturbances as compared to their elderly HD and CAPD counterparts. There are different needs and problems in younger and elderly patients on renal replacement therapy. Younger people required more ESRD-oriented support to relieve their health-related complaints to the level observed in their peers and needed extensive psychological assistance in order to cope with negative emotions related to their disease.

The interaction of fatigue, physical activity, and health-related quality of life in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

PubMed

Newland, Pamela K; Lunsford, Valerie; Flach, Alicia

2017-02-01

In addition to the underlying health problems and disability associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD), adults with each of these chronic illnesses are independently known to experience fatigue. While fatigue's influence on physical activity and health related quality of life (HRQOL) with each of these illnesses has been discussed, what is lacking is information on how fatigue impacts physical activity and health related quality of life, and ultimately self-management for adults with these conditions. Additionally, individuals may be unaware of the significance of maintaining optimal physical activity in order to maintain everyday function and self-management. Thus, the purpose of this article is to discuss the complex effect of fatigue on physical activity and HRQOL among adults with MS and CVD, and to present potential self-management strategies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improving the quality of mass produced maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simley, J.

2001-01-01

Quality is critical in cartography because key decisions are often made based on the information the map communicates. The mass production of digital cartographic information to support geographic information science has now added a new dimension to the problem of cartographic quality, as problems once limited to small volumes can now proliferate in mass production programs. These problems can also affect the economics of map production by diverting a sizeable portion of production cost to pay for rework on maps with poor quality. Such problems are common to general industry-in response, the quality engineering profession has developed a number of successful methods to overcome these problems. Two important methods are the reduction of error through statistical analysis and addressing the quality environment in which people work. Once initial and obvious quality problems have been solved, outside influences periodically appear that cause adverse variations in quality and consequently increase production costs. Such errors can be difficult to detect before the customer is affected. However, a number of statistical techniques can be employed to detect variation so that the problem is eliminated before significant damage is caused. Additionally, the environment in which the workforce operates must be conductive to quality. Managers have a powerful responsibility to create this environment. Two sets of guidelines, known as Deming's Fourteen Points and ISO-9000, provide models for this environment.

Little Evidence That Time in Child Care Causes Externalizing Problems During Early Childhood in Norway

PubMed Central

Zachrisson, Henrik Daae; Dearing, Eric; Lekhal, Ratib; Toppelberg, Claudio O.

2012-01-01

Associations between maternal reports of hours in child care and children’s externalizing problems at 18 and 36 months of age were examined in a population-based Norwegian sample (n = 75,271). Within a sociopolitical context of homogenously high-quality child care, there was little evidence that high quantity of care causes externalizing problems. Using conventional approaches to handling selection bias and listwise deletion for substantial attrition in this sample, more hours in care predicted higher problem levels, yet with small effect sizes. The finding, however, was not robust to using multiple imputation for missing values. Moreover, when sibling and individual fixed-effects models for handling selection bias were used, no relation between hours and problems was evident. PMID:23311645

A tale of two countries: comparing disability weights for gambling problems in New Zealand and Australia.

PubMed

Rawat, Vijay; Browne, Matthew; Bellringer, Maria; Greer, Nancy; Kolandai-Matchett, Komathi; Rockloff, Matthew; Langham, Erika; Hanley, Christine; Du Preez, Katie Palmer; Abbott, Max

2018-05-17

This study aimed to assess the impact of gambling problems on quality of life. Specifically, we generated disability weight estimates for gambling problems in New Zealand, and compared these results with (i) Australian figures (J Gambl Issues, 10.4309/jgi.v0i36.3978, 2017) and (ii) other health states (Lancet, 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61680-8, 2013); such as anxiety and alcohol use disorders. The 324 participants (48 experts and 276 general population members) evaluated a series of gambling harm vignettes. The participants rated the decrement to one's quality of life using Visual Analogue Scale and Time Trade-Off protocols (Br Med Bull, 10.1093/bmb/ldq033, 2010). These evaluations enabled the calculation of disability weights for three categories of gamblers (low-risk, moderate-risk, and problem gamblers). Disability weight estimates for low-risk, moderate-risk, and problem gamblers in NZ were consistently higher than the Australian weights: low (0.18 vs. 0.13), moderate (0.37 vs. 0.29), and problem (0.54 vs. 0.44). The quality of life impact for problem gambling in NZ (0.54) was comparable to that experienced in severe alcohol use disorder (0.55) (Lancet, 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61680-8, 2013). This study represents one of the first attempts to assess gambling-related harm through a public health perspective. The results of this study are informative for policy-making, resource allocation, and service planning. These estimates now allow for the population-level impact of gambling in NZ to be calculated and tracked over time, which is essential for informing harm-minimisation initiatives.

A low emission vehicle procurement approach for Washington state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCoy, G. A.; Lyons, J. K.; Ware, G.

1992-06-01

The Clean Air Washington Act of 1991 directs the Department of Ecology to establish a clean-fuel vehicle standard. The Department of General Administration shall purchase vehicles based on this standard beginning in the Fall of 1992. The following summarizes the major issues effecting vehicle emissions and their regulation, and present a methodology for procuring clean-fuel vehicles for the State of Washington. Washington State's air quality problems are much less severe than in other parts of the country such as California, the East Coast and parts of the Mid West. Ozone, which is arguably the dominant air quality problem in the US, is a recent and relatively minor issue in Washington. Carbon monoxide (CO) represents a more immediate problem in Washington, with most of the state's urban areas exceeding national CO air quality standards. Since the mid-1960's, vehicle tailpipe hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions have been reduced by 96 percent relative to precontrol vehicles. Nitrogen oxide emissions have been reduced by 76 percent. Emissions from currently available vehicles are quite low with respect to in-place exhaust emission standards. Cold-start emissions constitute about 75 percent of the total emissions measured with the Federal Test Procedure used to certify motor vehicles. There is no currently available 'inherently clean burning fuel'. In 1991, 3052 vehicles were purchased under Washington State contract. Provided that the same number are acquired in 1993, the state will need to purchase 915 vehicles which meet the definition of a 'clean-fueled vehicle'.

Illness consequences after myocardial infarction: problems with physical functioning and return to work.

PubMed

Brink, Eva; Brändström, Yvonne; Cliffordsson, Christina; Herlitz, Johan; Karlson, Björn W

2008-12-01

This paper is a report of a study to explore health problems, physical and mental functioning, and physical activity in working-age patients after myocardial infarction, in order to assess the possible effects of these factors on return to work. A diagnosis of myocardial infarction may discourage patients from continuing an active working life. Enabling myocardial infarction patients to return to work has benefits for both individuals and society. A convenience sample was recruited of 88 patients,

Quality of life, psychological characteristics, and adjustment in parents of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

PubMed

Cappe, Emilie; Bolduc, Mélanie; Rougé, Marie-Caroline; Saiag, Marie-Claude; Delorme, Richard

2017-05-01

This study investigated quality of life and adjustment mechanisms in parents of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Ninety parents of children with ADHD completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and self-assessment scales to measure their perceived stress, social support, sense of control, coping strategies and quality of life. ADHD in children negatively affected parents' quality of life, especially their psychological well-being and personal fulfillment. Family and couple relationships, as well as daily life activities, were also affected. The severity of the disorder, perceiving the situation as a threat or a loss, feeling guilty and holding on to irrational beliefs were related to emotion-focused coping strategies and to a poorer quality of life. Furthermore, hyperactivity index and stress ratings relative to perceiving the situation as a threat or a loss, and adopting emotion-focused coping strategies, predicted poorer quality of life. In contrast, perceiving the situation as challenging was related to a greater sense of control and personal fulfillment. Moreover, perceiving the situation as challenging and adopting problem-focused coping strategies predicted better quality of life. The findings highlight the negative effects of ADHD on parent psychological adjustment and underline the need to recommend training programs that improve parenting skills, parents' perceptions concerning their child's behavior disorder and parental functioning.

Association between serum bicarbonate and pH with depression, cognition and sleep quality in hemodialysis patients.

PubMed

Afsar, Baris; Elsurer, Rengin

2015-07-01

Metabolic acidosis is a common feature in chronic renal failure patients, worsening progressively as renal function declines. There are conflicting data in hemodialysis (HD) patients with regard to acidosis, alkalosis and mortality. In HD patients, cognitive impairment, depression, sleep disorders and impaired quality of life are very common. Besides, these conditions are related with increased morbidity and mortality. However, no previous study investigated the relationship between pH, venous bicarbonate and anion gap with depression, sleep problems and cognitive function in HD patients. In this study we investigated these relationships. In total, 65 HD patients were included. The demographic parameters and laboratory parameters including bicarbonate, pH and anion gap was measured for all patients. Depressive symptoms, sleep quality and cognitive function, were measured by Beck depression inventory, The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and by Mini Mental State Examination, respectively. We found that, sleep quality but not cognitive function or depression was independently related with venous pH and bicarbonate. Anion gap has no independent relationship with sleep quality, cognitive function and depression. In conclusion, metabolic acidosis and bicarbonate levels were independently related with sleep quality in HD patients. However, there was no association between metabolic acidosis and bicarbonate levels with cognitive function and depression.

Has the quality of health care for the immigrant population changed during the economic crisis in Catalonia (Spain)? Opinions of health professionals and immigrant users.

PubMed

Porthé, Victoria; Vargas, Ingrid; Ronda, Elena; Malmusi, Davide; Bosch, Lola; Vázquez, M Luisa

2017-06-02

To analyse changes in health professionals' and immigrant users' perceptions of the quality of care provided to the immigrant population during the crisis. A qualitative descriptive-interpretative and exploratory study was conducted in two areas of Catalonia. Semi-structured individual interviews were used with a theoretical sample of medical (n=24) and administrative (n=10) professionals in primary care (PC) and secondary care (SC), and immigrant users (n=20). Thematic analysis was conducted and the results were triangulated. Problems related to technical and interpersonal quality emerged from the discourse of both professionals and immigrants. These problems were attributed to cutbacks during the economic crisis. Regarding technical quality, respondents reported an increase in erroneous or non-specific diagnoses, inappropriate use of diagnostic tests and non-specific treatments, due to reduction in consultation times as a result of cuts in human resources. With regard to interpersonal quality, professionals reported less empathy, and users also reported worse communication, due to changes in professionals' working conditions and users' attitudes. Finally, a reduction in the resolution capacity of the health services emerged: professionals described unnecessary repeated PC visits and limited responses in SC, while young immigrants reported an insufficient response to their health problems. The results indicate a deterioration in perceived technical and interpersonal quality during the economic crisis, due to cutbacks mainly in human resources. These changes affect the whole population, but especially immigrants. Copyright © 2017 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Parts, Materials, and Processes Experience Summary. Volume 1; [Catalog of ALERT and Other Information on Basic Design, Reliability, Quality and Applications Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The ALERT program, a system for communicating common problems with parts, materials, and processes, is condensed and catalogued. Expanded information on selected topics is provided by relating the problem area (failure) to the cause, the investigations and findings, the suggestions for avoidance (inspections, screening tests, proper part applications), and failure analysis procedures. The basic objective of ALERT is the avoidance of the recurrence of parts, materials, and processed problems, thus improving the reliability of equipment produced for and used by the government.

Regulatory approaches for addressing dissolved oxygen concerns at hydropower facilities

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

Peterson, Mark J.; Cada, Glenn F.; Sale, Michael J.

Low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations are a common water quality problem downstream of hydropower facilities. At some facilities, structural improvements (e.g. installation of weir dams or aerating turbines) or operational changes (e.g., spilling water over the dam) can be made to improve DO levels. In other cases, structural and operational approaches are too costly for the project to implement or are likely to be of limited effectiveness. Despite improvements in overall water quality below dams in recent years, many hydropower projects are unable to meet state water quality standards for DO. Regulatory agencies in the U.S. are considering or implementingmore » dramatic changes in their approach to protecting the quality of the Nation’s waters. New policies and initiatives have emphasized flexibility, increased collaboration and shared responsibility among all parties, and market-based, economic incentives. The use of new regulatory approaches may now be a viable option for addressing the DO problem at some hydropower facilities. This report summarizes some of the regulatory-related options available to hydropower projects, including negotiation of site-specific water quality criteria, use of biological monitoring, watershed-based strategies for the management of water quality, and watershed-based trading. Key decision points center on the health of the local biological communities and whether there are contributing impacts (i.e., other sources of low DO effluents) in the watershed. If the biological communities downstream of the hydropower project are healthy, negotiation for site-specific water quality standards or biocriteria (discharge performance criteria based on characteristics of the aquatic biota) might be pursued. If there are other effluent dischargers in the watershed that contribute to low DO problems, watershed-scale strategies and effluent trading may be effective. This report examines the value of regulatory approaches by reviewing their use in other« less

[Quality of life in institutionalized elderly people of Medellín].

PubMed

Estrada, Alejandro; Cardona, Doris; Segura, Angela María; Chavarriaga, Lina Marcela; Ordóñez, Jaime; Osorio, Jorge Julián

2011-01-01

Many factors contribute to the deteriorating quality of life of elderly people living in care institutions. Some of these problems are a consequence of few contacts with relatives and friends, and being alone with a feeling of isolation. The conditions of quality of life are explored for elderly people living in care institutions. In a cross sectional study, 276 subjects were selected from 39 long term institutions located in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The sex ratio was female: male 60:40% with a mean age of 79.2 ± 8.0. Elderly subjects with cognitive problems or not living in the institution were excluded. The World Health Organization Quality of Life of Older Adults (WHOQOL-OLD) questionnaire was applied; in additional, capacity and cognitive functional scales of Pfeffer, the anxiety scale of Goldberg, and the Geriatric Depression Scale of Yesavage were administered. Mininutritional assessment scales and complementary questionnaires about demographics, health perception, social support system were also included. The information was analyzed using the Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis test, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression method. Most (71%) considered themselves autonomous for undertaking daily, habitual activities. Other statistics included the following: 45.7% with depression, 33.0% with anxiety, 28.3% with functional problems, and 54.3% at risk of malnutrition. A negative quality-of-life assessment was associated with the following factors: female, diabetes, depression, anxiety and high functional capacity. A positive quality-of-life assessment was associated with individuals who voluntarily came to the institution. Quality of life for elderly people living in care institutions can become deteriorated when they are not capable to do the usual activities necessary for daily living. Exacerbating factors included sex, symptoms of depression, anxiety, or perceived mistreatment by their families.

Climate change and temperature extremes: A review of heat- and cold-related morbidity and mortality concerns of municipalities.

PubMed

Gronlund, Carina J; Sullivan, Kyle P; Kefelegn, Yonathan; Cameron, Lorraine; O'Neill, Marie S

2018-08-01

Cold and hot weather are associated with mortality and morbidity. Although the burden of temperature-associated mortality may shift towards high temperatures in the future, cold temperatures may represent a greater current-day problem in temperate cities. Hot and cold temperature vulnerabilities may coincide across several personal and neighborhood characteristics, suggesting opportunities for increasing present and future resilience to extreme temperatures. We present a narrative literature review encompassing the epidemiology of cold- and heat-related mortality and morbidity, related physiologic and environmental mechanisms, and municipal responses to hot and cold weather, illustrated by Detroit, Michigan, USA, a financially burdened city in an economically diverse metropolitan area. The Detroit area experiences sharp increases in mortality and hospitalizations with extreme heat, while cold temperatures are associated with more gradual increases in mortality, with no clear threshold. Interventions such as heating and cooling centers may reduce but not eliminate temperature-associated health problems. Furthermore, direct hemodynamic responses to cold, sudden exertion, poor indoor air quality and respiratory epidemics likely contribute to cold-related mortality. Short- and long-term interventions to enhance energy and housing security and housing quality may reduce temperature-related health problems. Extreme temperatures can increase morbidity and mortality in municipalities like Detroit that experience both extreme heat and prolonged cold seasons amidst large socioeconomic disparities. The similarities in physiologic and built-environment vulnerabilities to both hot and cold weather suggest prioritization of strategies that address both present-day cold and near-future heat concerns. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Overcoming challenges: life with an ostomy.

PubMed

Popek, Sarah; Grant, Marcia; Gemmill, Robin; Wendel, Christopher S; Mohler, M Jane; Rawl, Susan M; Baldwin, Carol M; Ko, Clifford Y; Schmidt, C Max; Krouse, Robert S

2010-11-01

Studies have demonstrated decreased health-related quality of life in patients with stomas. Using US Department of Veterans Affairs electronic medical records, veterans with stomas were surveyed using the City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy questionnaire. Focus groups were conducted segregated by type of stoma (ileostomy vs colostomy) and quality-of-life score (high vs low). Qualitative analysis was performed on the basis of the City of Hope Quality of Life for Ostomates format of health-related quality of life (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual). The findings of the colostomy focus groups are reported. Two new domains emerged: colostomy specific and health care specific. The most common domains discussed were colostomy specific, psychological, and social. The most frequently discussed colostomy-specific theme was effective and ineffective solutions to colostomy care. Family and spousal relationships were the main theme from the psychological category. The predominant social issue was sexual relationships. Awareness of patients' social, psychological, and medical status allows surgeons to identify those likely to have problems and devote resources to those veterans. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Sleep quality and temperament among university students: differential associations with nighttime sleep duration and sleep disruptions.

PubMed

Lukowski, Angela F; Milojevich, Helen M

2015-01-01

Sleep-temperament associations have not yet been examined among university students, despite awareness of the high incidence of sleep problems in this population. The present study was conducted (a) to examine whether sleep quality was associated with temperament among university-attending young adults and (b) to determine whether particular components of sleep quality were differentially associated with temperament. University students completed questionnaires designed to assess sleep quality and temperament. Poor sleep quality was associated with increased negative affect and orienting sensitivity as well as decreased effortful control; regression analyses revealed differential associations between components of nighttime sleep quality and temperament ratings. The presented study reveals conceptual continuity in sleep-temperament relations from infancy to young adulthood and highlights important avenues for future research.

The clinical profile of employees with mental health problems working in social firms in the UK.

PubMed

Milton, Alyssa; Parsons, Nicholas; Morant, Nicola; Gilbert, Eleanor; Johnson, Sonia; Fisher, Adrian; Singh, Swaran; Cunliffe, Di; Marwaha, Steven

2015-08-01

UK social firms are under-researched but are a potentially important vocational option for people with mental health problems. To describe the clinical profile, satisfaction levels and experiences of social firms employees with mental health problems. Clinical, work and service use characteristics were collected from social firms' employees with mental health problems in England and Wales. Workplace experience and satisfaction were explored qualitatively. Predominantly, social firms' employees (N = 80) report that they have a diagnosis of depression (56%) and anxiety (41%). People with schizophrenia (20%) or bipolar disorder (5%) were a minority. Respondents had low symptom and disability levels, high quality of life and job satisfaction and experienced reductions in secondary mental health service use over time. High-workplace satisfaction was related to flexibility, manager and colleague support and workplace accommodations. The clinical profile, quality of life and job satisfaction level of employees with mental health problems suggest social firms could be a useful addition to UK vocational services for some people. Current employees mainly have common mental disorders, and social firms will need to shift their focus if they are to form a substantial pathway for the vocational recovery of people currently using community mental health teams.

A Norwegian prospective study of preterm mother–infant interactions at 6 and 18 months and the impact of maternal mental health problems, pregnancy and birth complications

PubMed Central

Misund, Aud R; Bråten, Stein; Nerdrum, Per; Pripp, Are Hugo; Diseth, Trond H

2016-01-01

Objective Pregnancy, birth and health complications, maternal mental health problems following preterm birth and their possible impact on early mother–infant interaction at 6 and 18 months corrected age (CA) were explored. Predictors of mother–infant interaction at 18 months CA were identified. Design and methods This prospective longitudinal and observational study included 33 preterm mother–infant (<33 gestational age (GA)) interactions at 6 and 18 months CA from a socioeconomic low-risk, middle-class sample. The Parent–Child Early Relational Assessment (PCERA) scale was used to assess the mother–infant interaction. Results ‘Bleeding in pregnancy’ predicted lower quality in preterm mother–infant interaction in 6 PCERA scales, while high ‘maternal trait anxiety’ predicted higher interactional quality in 2 PCERA scales and ‘family size’ predicted lower interactional quality in 1 PCERA scale at 18 months CA. Mothers with symptoms of post-traumatic stress reactions, general psychological distress and anxiety at 2 weeks postpartum (PP) showed significantly better outcome than mothers without symptoms in 6 PCERA subscales at 6 months CA and 2 PCERA subscales at 18 months CA. Conclusions Our study detected a correspondence between early pregnancy complications and lower quality of preterm mother–infant interaction, and an association between high levels of maternal mental health problems and better quality in preterm mother–infant interaction. PMID:27147380

Workplace bullying and subsequent health problems.

PubMed

Nielsen, Morten Birkeland; Magerøy, Nils; Gjerstad, Johannes; Einarsen, Ståle

2014-07-01

Cross-sectional studies demonstrate that exposure to bullying in the workplace is positively correlated with self-reported health problems. However, these studies do not provide a basis to draw conclusions on the extent to which bullying leads to increased health problems or whether health problems increase the risk of being bullied. To provide better indications of a causal relationship, knowledge from prospective studies on the association between bullying in the workplace and health outcomes is therefore summarised. We conducted a systematic literature review of original articles from central literature databases on longitudinal associations between bullying in the workplace and health. Average associations between bullying and health outcomes are calculated using meta-analysis. A consistent finding across the studies is that exposure to bullying is significantly positively related to mental health problems (OR =1.68; 95% KI 1.35-2.09) and somatic symptoms (OR = 1.77; 95% KI 1.41-2.22) over time. Mental health problems are also associated with subsequent exposure to bullying (OR = 1.74; 95% KI 1.44-2.12). Bullying is positively related to mental health problems and somatic symptoms. The association between mental health problems and subsequent bullying indicates a self-reinforcing process between mental health and bullying. The methodological quality of the studies that were conducted is relatively sound. However, based on the existing knowledge base there are no grounds for conclusions regarding an unambiguous causal relationship between bullying and health.

A Hybrid Interval–Robust Optimization Model for Water Quality Management

PubMed Central

Xu, Jieyu; Li, Yongping; Huang, Guohe

2013-01-01

Abstract In water quality management problems, uncertainties may exist in many system components and pollution-related processes (i.e., random nature of hydrodynamic conditions, variability in physicochemical processes, dynamic interactions between pollutant loading and receiving water bodies, and indeterminacy of available water and treated wastewater). These complexities lead to difficulties in formulating and solving the resulting nonlinear optimization problems. In this study, a hybrid interval–robust optimization (HIRO) method was developed through coupling stochastic robust optimization and interval linear programming. HIRO can effectively reflect the complex system features under uncertainty, where implications of water quality/quantity restrictions for achieving regional economic development objectives are studied. By delimiting the uncertain decision space through dimensional enlargement of the original chemical oxygen demand (COD) discharge constraints, HIRO enhances the robustness of the optimization processes and resulting solutions. This method was applied to planning of industry development in association with river-water pollution concern in New Binhai District of Tianjin, China. Results demonstrated that the proposed optimization model can effectively communicate uncertainties into the optimization process and generate a spectrum of potential inexact solutions supporting local decision makers in managing benefit-effective water quality management schemes. HIRO is helpful for analysis of policy scenarios related to different levels of economic penalties, while also providing insight into the tradeoff between system benefits and environmental requirements. PMID:23922495

Summary of biological investigations relating to water quality in the Western Lake Michigan Drainages, Wisconsin and Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scudder, B.C.; Rheaume, S.J.; Parsons, S.R.; Lenz, B.N.

1996-01-01

Most biological studies related to waterquality conditions in the Western Lake Michigan Drainages have focused on populations and community structure of aquatic biota. Chemical concentrations in tissues of aquatic biota have been the next most common area of research. Our review suggests a paucity of data related to the health of all types of aquatic biota, especially amphibians, invertebrates, and reptiles; toxicity studies also were relatively uncommon. Overall, organisms primarily studied have been fish and invertebrates, although birds are most frequently examined in studies of organism health. The Fox/ Wolf Subbasin has been the focus of many more studies than the other subbasins, most likely because of the greater extent and severity of known water-quality problems in the Lower Fox River/Green Bay area over the past several decades and because it is the largest subbasin. Studies in the other subbasins are needed to adequately assess the water quality of these areas.

Mold-Resistant Construction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huckabee, Christopher

2003-01-01

Asserts that one of the surest ways to prevent indoor air quality and mold issues is to use preventive construction materials, discussing typical resistance to dealing with mold problems (usually budget-related) and describing mold-resistant construction, which uses concrete masonry, brick, and stone and is intended to withstand inevitable…

Healthy Buildings?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grubb, Deborah

Health problems related to school buildings can be categorized in five major areas: sick-building syndrome; health-threatening building materials; environmental hazards such as radon gas and asbestos; lead poisoning; and poor indoor air quality due to smoke, chemicals, and other pollutants. This paper provides an overview of these areas,…

Workplace High Tech Spurs Retraining Efforts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Dwight B.

1984-01-01

Discusses who should provide training for displaced workers who need new skills. Areas examined include: (1) the need for retraining; (2) current corporate efforts; (3) agreements in the automotive industry; (4) job quality; (5) the federal government's role; and (6) federal legislation related to the problem. (JN)

MORPHOLOGICAL, MINERALOGICAL, AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THREE IRON TUBERCLES FROM AN IRON PIPE

EPA Science Inventory

Water utilities adjust water quality treatment procedures to minimize corrosion and to remain in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. Some treatment changes though can adversely affect tubercle stability and cause red water and/or other related problems. Therefo...

Sleep impairment in ecstasy/polydrug and cannabis-only users.

PubMed

Fisk, John E; Montgomery, Catharine

2009-01-01

The present study investigated aspects of sleep quality in ecstasy and cannabis users. Two-hundred and twenty seven participants (117 ecstasy/polydrug users, 53 cannabis users and 57 drug naive participants) took part. The participants completed measures of daytime sleepiness, and indicators of sleep quality. The results demonstrated that ecstasy/polydrug users viewed themselves as being more evening types and having poorer sleep quality than cannabis users and drug naive participants. They were also more likely to have missed a night's sleep. The reported differences in sleep type may reflect ecstasy-related serotonergic dysfunction resulting in problems with shifting circadian rhythms.

Monitoring of heavy metals in selected Water Supply Systems in Poland, in relation to current regulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szuster-Janiaczyk, Agnieszka; Zeuschner, Piotr; Noga, Paweł; Skrzypczak, Marta

2018-02-01

The study presents an analysis of water quality monitoring in terms of the content of heavy metals, which is conducted in three independent water supply systems in Poland. The analysis showed that the monitoring of heavy metals isn't reliable - both the quantity of tested water samples and the location of the monitoring points are the problem. The analysis of changes in water quality from raw water to tap water was possible only for one of the analysed systems and indicate a gradual deterioration of water quality, although still within acceptable limits of legal regulations.

Quality of Life Among Senior Citizens in Bhutan.

PubMed

Dorji, Nidup; Dunne, Michael P; Seib, Charrlotte; Deb, Sibnath

2017-01-01

This study explored associations between quality of life (QOL), spirituality, social integration, chronic diseases, and lifetime adversity among people aged 60 years and older in Bhutan. Adults aged 60 to 101 years (n = 337) completed face-to-face interviews. The main measure included the World Health Organization QOL questionnaire and Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire. The social relationships domain of QOL had the highest mean. Frequent back pain, memory decline, depression, mobility impairment, insomnia, and lung diseases were commonly reported and negatively related to QOL. Compared with women, men reported fewer physical and mental health problems and better QOL. Multivariate analysis revealed that cumulative health problems, psychological distress, and social connectedness contributed significantly to overall QOL. The measure of spirituality was negatively associated with QOL, which is not conclusive and suggests the need for more research especially when the influence of spiritualism is highly visible in the everyday lives of Bhutanese people. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to care for elderly people in Bhutan.

Reflective action assessment with a prospective clinical problem solving tool in the context of rehabilitation medicine: an illustrative case study.

PubMed

Kellett, David; Mpofu, Elias; Madden, Richard

2013-06-01

This study describes a case formulation approach applying a prospective ICF derived clinical tool to assess rehabilitation needs for a community dwelling stroke survivor with care from an outpatient rehabilitation medicine clinic. Case history data on the person were assessed for rehabilitation management planning using a prospective tool to interlink current with projected future functional status in everyday settings. Implicit assessment with reflective action informed decision points at each stage of the rehabilitation process. As a result of reflective action using the prospective tool, rehabilitation management led to significant changes in client participation after limitations to mobility and self care were mapped to the living conditions of the stroke survivor. The context sensitive rehabilitative plan resulted in higher subjective health-related quality of life in the stroke survivor and significant other and enhanced their capacity for participation. Reflective action informed assessment applying ICF concepts to clinical problem solving resulted in positive gains in health-related quality of life in a stroke survivor.

The quality of antimalarials available in Yemen

PubMed Central

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

2005-01-01

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

Adaptivity and smart algorithms for fluid-structure interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oden, J. Tinsley

1990-01-01

This paper reviews new approaches in CFD which have the potential for significantly increasing current capabilities of modeling complex flow phenomena and of treating difficult problems in fluid-structure interaction. These approaches are based on the notions of adaptive methods and smart algorithms, which use instantaneous measures of the quality and other features of the numerical flowfields as a basis for making changes in the structure of the computational grid and of algorithms designed to function on the grid. The application of these new techniques to several problem classes are addressed, including problems with moving boundaries, fluid-structure interaction in high-speed turbine flows, flow in domains with receding boundaries, and related problems.

Problem of quality assurance during metal constructions welding via robotic technological complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fominykh, D. S.; Rezchikov, A. F.; Kushnikov, V. A.; Ivashchenko, V. A.; Bogomolov, A. S.; Filimonyuk, L. Yu; Dolinina, O. N.; Kushnikov, O. V.; Shulga, T. E.; Tverdokhlebov, V. A.

2018-05-01

The problem of minimizing the probability for critical combinations of events that lead to a loss in welding quality via robotic process automation is examined. The problem is formulated, models and algorithms for its solution are developed. The problem is solved by minimizing the criterion characterizing the losses caused by defective products. Solving the problem may enhance the quality and accuracy of operations performed and reduce the losses caused by defective product

Stress and prevalence of hearing problems in the Swedish working population

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Current human and experimental studies are indicating an association between stress and hearing problems; however potential risk factors have not been established. Hearing problems are projected to become among the top ten disabilities according to the WHO in the near future. Therefore a better understanding of the relationships between stress and hearing is warranted. Here we describe the prevalence of two common hearing problems, i.e. hearing complaints and tinnitus, in relation to different work-and health-related stressors. Methods A total of 18,734 individuals were invited to participate in the study, out of which 9,756 (52%) enrolled. Results The results demonstrate a clear and mostly linear relationship between higher prevalence of hearing problems (tinnitus or hearing loss or both) and different stressors, e.g. occupational, poorer self-rated health, long-term illness, poorer sleep quality, and higher burnout scores. Conclusions The present study unambiguously demonstrates associations between hearing problems and various stressors that have not been previously described for the auditory system. These findings will open new avenues for future investigations. PMID:21345187

Health-Related Quality of Life and Primi-Gravid: A Comparative Study of Natural Conception and Conception by Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ARTs)

PubMed Central

Ahmadi, Seyed Ebrahim; Montazeri, Ali; Mozafari, Ramin; Azari, Afsaneh; Nateghi, Mohammad Reza; Ashrafi, Mahnaz

2014-01-01

Background Childbearing for the first time is a unique experience. Quality of life is an important indicator in health studies. This study aimed to assess the quality of life of women who were conceived by ARTs and had successful childbirth for the first time and to compare it with quality of life in women who become pregnant naturally and similarly had successful childbirth for the first time. Materials and Methods This was a cross sectional comparative study. The accessible sam- ple was recruited from patients attending an infertility clinic and two obstetric and gynecology clinics in Tehran, Iran, during March 2010 to March 2011. In all 276 patients were approached. Of these, 162 women (76 women in natural conception group and 86 women in assisted reproduction technologies group) who met the inclusion criteria were entered into the study. Quality of life was assessed using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Women completed the questionnaire at two time points: i. last trimester and ii. first month after delivery. Comparison was made between two groups using Mann-Whitney U test and paired samples t test. Results Comparing the SF-36 scores between women in natural conception group and ARTs group before childbirth, it was found that natural group had better condition on physical functioning, role limitation due to physical problems, bodily pain and social functioning, while the ARTs group reported better status on general health, vitality, role limitation due to emotional problems, and mental health. However, after childbirth, the ARTs group reported a better condition almost on all measures, except for physical functioning. Comparing differences in obtained scores between two groups before and after childbirth, the results showed that improvements in health related quality of life measures for the ARTs group were greater in all measures, expect for general health. Conclusion The findings from this study suggest that health-related quality of life was improved in women who became a mother for the first time by either method. Comparing to women who became mother by natural conception, women who received ARTs showed better quality of life from this first successful experience. PMID:25083182

River water pollution condition in upper part of Brantas River and Bengawan Solo River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roosmini, D.; Septiono, M. A.; Putri, N. E.; Shabrina, H. M.; Salami, I. R. S.; Ariesyady, H. D.

2018-01-01

Wastewater and solid waste from both domestic and industry have been known to give burden on river water quality. Most of river water quality problem in Indonesia has start in the upper part of river due to anthropogenic activities, due to inappropriate land use management including the poor wastewater infrastructure. Base on Upper Citarum River Water pollution problem, it is interesting to study the other main river in Java Island. Bengawan Solo River and Brantas River were chosen as the sample in this study. Parameters assessed in this study are as follows: TSS, TDS, pH, DO, and hexavalent chromium. The status of river water quality are assess using STORET method. Based on (five) parameters, STORET value showed that in Brantas River, Pagerluyung monitoring point had the worst quality relatively compared to other monitoring point in Brantas River with exceeding copper, lead and tin compared to the stream standard in East Java Provincial Regulation No. 2 in 2008. Brantas River was categorized as lightly polluted river based on monitoring period 2011-2015 in 5 monitoring points, namely Pendem, Sengguruh, Kademangan, Meritjan and Kertosono.

Oral health survey of the military personnel deployed to the southernmost provinces of Thailand.

PubMed

Sutthavong, Sirikarn; Ukritchon, Supak; Rangsin, Ram

2014-02-01

Dental problems are some of the major health problems of deployed miilitaly personnel. There have been no systematically reports of oral health information survey among the deployed military personnel in Thailand. The present study was to determine the oral health problems of the deployed military personnel and effects on personnel fitness. A cross-sectional study and a cluster sampling were conducted during April 2011 and March 2013. The Royal Thai Army (RTA) personnel 12 out of21 task forces in southern most provinces were invited to participate in the study. A standardized questionnaire was used. In total, 2,884 RTA deployed personnel voluntarily participated and completed the questionnaire infonnrmation. Their mean age was 27.8 +/- 9.4 years old. Fifty percent admitted that they had oral problems during the past six months and the most common ones were toothache/hypersensitivity (32.4%), and dental caries (21.5%). The majority of the participants (60.7%) reported that they experienced oral health problems less than 3 times and 2.8% reported sick leave during deployment because of oral conditions. 64.4% reported that their oral problems affected their quality of life and disturbed their duties. A relatively high prevalence oforal health problems was reported by the deployed RTA personnel. The problems affected their quality of life and assigned duties. Most ofthe problems were neglected. In order to keep the RTApersonnel fit for deployment, an effective dental health program should be developed.

Quality of life improvement after a three-year course of sublingual immunotherapy in patients with house dust mite and grass pollen induced allergic rhinitis: results from real-life.

PubMed

Novakova, Silviya Mihaylova; Staevska, Maria Toncheva; Novakova, Plamena Ivanova; Yoncheva, Manuela Dimitrova; Bratoycheva, Maria Stoykova; Musurlieva, Nina Mihaylova; Tzekov, Valeri Dimitrov; Nicolov, Dimitar Georgiev

2017-09-29

Along with its high prevalence, the burden of allergic rhinitis rests upon the serious impact on quality of life of patients. Allergic rhinitis is associated with impairments in daily activities, work and school performance, and practical problems. Patients suffer from sleep disorders and emotional problems. Тhe advantages of sublingual immunotherapy on quality of life have only recently begun to emerge. The objective of this prospective real-life study was to evaluate the effect of a three-year course of sublingual immunotherapy with house dust mite (HDM) and grass pollen extracts on quality of life in adults with allergic rhinitis. A total number of 191 adult patients [105 (54,979%) men; mean age 27.3 years (SD-6.14)] with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis and clinically relevant sensitization to house dust mites or grass pollen were prospectively evaluated in the course of management of their disease. Health-related quality of life was assessed by Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire at baseline and after three-year course of sublingual immunotherapy. The mean overall Qol score assessed at baseline and at the end of the third year of treatment decreased significantly in patients treated with HDM extract (from 2.95 to 0.76) as well as with Grass pollen extract (from 2.83 to 1.22) (р < 0.001). The improvements in treated with HDM extract were as followed: activities - 3.52 to 0.68; sleep- 2.48 to 0.31; general problems - 1.79 to 0.49; practical problems - 3.57 to 0.68; nasal symptoms - 3.91 to 0.74; eye symptoms - 2.92 to 0.39; emotions - 3.03 to 0.39. The improvements in grass pollen group were: activities - 3.68 to 1.69; sleep- 1.85 to 0.84; general problems - 1.74 to 0.97; practical problems - 3.52 to 1.37; nasal symptoms - 3.72 to 1.57; eye symptoms - 3.58 to 1.3; emotions - 2.48 to 1.19. Our study conducted in real life provided evidence that a three-year course of SLIT with HDM extract as well as with grass pollen extract significantly increased QoL in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Associations between school difficulties and health-related problems and risky behaviours in early adolescence: A cross-sectional study in middle-school adolescents in France.

PubMed

Chau, Kénora; Kabuth, Bernard; Causin-Brice, Odile; Delacour, Yves; Richoux-Picard, Catherine; Verdin, Monique; Armand, Isabelle; Chau, Nearkasen

2016-10-30

Health-related problems and risky behaviours (substance use) are frequent in adolescents, may alter their physical and mental capabilities, and may thus generate school absenteeism, low academic performance, and school dropout ideation. This study assessed their associations and the contribution of socioeconomic factors among 1559 middle-school adolescents (mean age 13.5+1.3) from north-eastern France. They completed a questionnaire including socioeconomic characteristics, health-related problems (poor physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and living environment) assessed with the World Health Organization's quality of life measure (score<25th percentile), risky behaviours, school absences during the present school year, last-trimester academic performance, and school dropout ideation. Data were analysed using logistic regression models. School absenteeism was frequent (12.6% of subjects for 8-14 days, and 6.0% for ≥15 days); 8.2% of subjects had low academic performance (average school-mark <10/20) and 3.9% school dropout ideation. All school difficulties were strongly associated with all health-related problems (gender-age-school-level-adjusted odds ratios gasOR between 1.5 and 4.2), and with risky behaviours (gasOR between 1.4 and 14). Socioeconomic factors differently contributed to these associations (contribution reaching 77%). Policy makers, schools, physicians and parents should be more aware of the problems and help adolescents to reduce health-related problems and risky behaviours and to increase resilience. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relating Psychosocial Variables in High School to Alcohol Use Trajectories During the Transition to Young Adulthood

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-05-01

of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26: 453-466. Jessor, R. 1986. Adolescent Problem Drinking: Psychosocial Aspects and Developmental Outcomes. In R...UNCLASSIFIED UNLIMITED The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School Department of Psychology RELATING PSYCHOSOCIAL VARIABLES IN HIGH...20000509 098 May 2000 UNCLASSIFIE D DTIC QUALITY INSPECTED 8 Ill ABSTRACT This study examined the relationships between psychosocial indicators

Factors That Relate to the Time to ISO 9000 Registration in Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thonhauser, Theresa

2008-01-01

The implementation of the ISO 9000 international quality management system in education has become a debated trend. Building on the literature, this study did not attempt to end the debate over ISO 9000 in education but looked at the problem with a new perspective. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that relate to the time required…

[Continuous quality improvement in anesthesia].

PubMed

Gaitini, L; Vaida, S; Madgar, S

1998-01-01

Slow continuous quality improvement (SCQI) in anesthesia is a process that allows identification of problems and their causes. Implementing measures to correct them and continuous monitoring to ensure that the problems have been eliminated are necessary. The basic assumption of CQI is that the employees of an organization are competent and working to the best of their abilities. If problems occur they are the consequences of inadequacies in the process rather that in the individual. The CQI program is a dynamic but gradual system that invokes a slower rate of response in comparison with other quality methods, like quality assurance. Spectacular results following a system change are not to be expected an the ideal is slow and continuous improvement. A SCQI program was adapted by our department in May 1994, according to the recommendations of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Problem identification was based on 65 clinical indicators, reflecting negative events related to anesthesia. Data were collected using a specially designed computer database. 4 events were identified as crossing previously established thresholds (hypertension, hypotension, hypoxia and inadequate nerve block). Statistical process control was used to establish stability of the system and whether negative events were influenced only by the common causes. The causes responsible for these negative events were identified using specific SCQI tools, such as control-charts, cause-effect diagrams and Pareto diagrams. Hypertension and inadequate nerve block were successfully managed. The implementation of corrective measures for the other events that cross the threshold is still in evolution. This program requires considerable dedication on the part of the staff, and it is hoped that it will improve our clinical performance.

[The impact of preoperative stoma siting and stoma care education on patient's quality of life].

PubMed

Gulbiniene, Jurgita; Markelis, Rytis; Tamelis, Algimantas; Saladzinskas, Zilvinas

2004-01-01

The aim of study was to assess if preoperative stoma selection and adequate patient's teaching can affect the postoperative patient's quality of life. The study was performed in two university hospitals of Lithuania: Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital and Kaunas Oncology Hospital. Patients were divided into three groups. Patients were asked to answer the questionnaire the day before the stoma creation operation and two months after the operation. Questionnaires EORTC QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQ-CR38 and 10 supplementary questions were used. The results of the study show that following the stoma operation, when compared with preoperative results, general quality of life did not change significantly in groups I and II. Patients who received adequate education and preoperative stoma siting had better emotional functioning and less gastrointestinal problems. The financial problems of the patients in group I were significantly less than in the control group. Patients who received the adequate teaching without preoperative stoma selection experience better sexual satisfaction compared with control group. Stoma related problems were less in group I and II when comparing with the control group. The quality of the patients' teaching, adequacy and comfort of stoma site and satisfaction with the medical staff were significantly better in the group I and group II when compared to control group. Moreover, these results were significantly higher in the group I than in group II. CONCLUSIONS. The teaching the patients preoperatively and postoperative proceeding helps them to gain better experience in self stoma care hence reducing the psychological, physical, emotional, social and sexual problems.

Economic evaluation of interventions for problem drinking and alcohol dependence: do within-family external effects make a difference?

PubMed

Mortimer, Duncan; Segal, Leonie

2006-01-01

To propose methods for the inclusion of within-family external effects in clinical and economic evaluations. To demonstrate the extent of bias due to the exclusion of within-family external effects when measuring the relative performance of interventions for problem drinking and alcohol dependence. The timing and magnitude of treatment effects are modified to accommodate the external health-related quality of life impact of having a problem or dependent drinker in the family home. The inclusion of within-family external effects reduces cost per QALY estimates of interventions for problem drinking and alcohol dependence thereby improving the performance of all evaluated interventions. In addition, the inclusion of within-family external effects improves the relative performance of interventions targeted at those with moderate-to-severe alcohol dependence as compared to interventions targeted at less severe alcohol problems. Failure to take account of external effects in clinical and economic evaluations results in an uneven playing field. Interventions with readily quantifiable health benefits (where social costs and benefits are predominantly comprised of private costs and benefits) are at a distinct advantage when competing for public funding against interventions with quantitatively important external effects.

Health-related quality-of-life assessments and patient-physician communication: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Detmar, Symone B; Muller, Martin J; Schornagel, Jan H; Wever, Lidwina D V; Aaronson, Neil K

2002-12-18

There has been increasing interest in the use of health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) assessments in daily clinical practice, yet few empirical studies have been conducted to evaluate the usefulness of such assessments. To evaluate the efficacy of standardized HRQL assessments in facilitating patient-physician communication and increasing physicians' awareness of their patients' HRQL-related problems. Prospective, randomized crossover trial. Outpatient clinic of a cancer hospital in the Netherlands. Ten physicians and 214 patients (76% women; mean age, 57 years) undergoing palliative chemotherapy who were invited to participate between June 1996 and June 1998. At 3 successive outpatient visits, patients completed an HRQL questionnaire (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30). The responses were computer scored and transformed into a graphic summary. Physicians and patients received a copy of the summary before the consultation. Audiotapes of the consultations were content analyzed to evaluate patient-physician communication. Physicians' awareness of their patients' health problems was assessed by comparing physicians' and patients' ratings on the Dartmouth Primary Care Cooperative Information Functional Health Assessment (COOP) and the World Organisation Project of National Colleges and Academics (WONCA) charts. The HRQL-related issues were discussed significantly more frequently in the intervention than in the control group (mean [SD] communication composite scores: 4.5 [2.3] vs 3.7 [1.9], respectively (P =.01). Physicians in the intervention group identified a greater percentage of patients with moderate-to-severe health problems in several HRQL domains than did those in the control group. All physicians and 87% of the patients believed that the intervention facilitated communication and expressed interest in its continued use. Incorporating standardized HRQL assessments in daily clinical oncology practice facilitates the discussion of HRQL issues and can heighten physicians' awareness of their patients' HRQL.

Print quality analysis for ink-saving algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz Segovia, Maria V.; Bonnier, Nicolas; Allebach, Jan P.

2012-01-01

Ink-saving strategies for CMYK printers have evolved from their earlier stages where the 'draft' print mode was the main option available to control ink usage. The savings were achieved by printing alternate dots in an image at the expense of reducing print quality considerably. Nowadays, customers are not only unwilling to compromise quality but have higher expectations regarding both visual print quality and ink reduction solutions. Therefore, the need for more intricate ink-saving solutions with lower impact on print quality is evident. Printing-related factors such as the way the printer places the dots on the paper and the ink-substrate interaction play important and complex roles in the characterization and modeling of the printing process that make the ink reduction topic a challenging problem. In our study, we are interested in benchmarking ink-saving algorithms to find the connections between different ink reduction levels of a given ink-saving method and a set of print quality attributes. This study is mostly related to CMYK printers that use dispersed dot halftoning algorithms. The results of our efforts to develop such an evaluation scheme are presented in this paper.

Long-term outcomes of war-related death of family members in Kosovar civilian war survivors.

PubMed

Morina, Nexhmedin; Reschke, Konrad; Hofmann, Stefan G

2011-04-01

Exposure to war-related experiences can comprise a broad variety of experiences and the very nature of certain war-related events has generally been neglected. To examine the long-term outcomes of war-related death of family members, the authors investigated the prevalence rates of major depressive episode (MDE), anxiety disorders, and quality of life among civilian war survivors with or without war-related death of first-degree family members 9 years after the war in Kosovo. Compared to participants without war-related death of family members, those who had experienced such loss had signficantly higher prevalence rates of MDE, posttraumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, and reported a lower quality of life 9 years after the war. These results indicate that bereaved civilian survivors of war experience significant mental health problems many years after the war.

Do problem-solving interventions improve psychosocial outcomes in vision impaired adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Holloway, Edith E; Xie, Jing; Sturrock, Bonnie A; Lamoureux, Ecosse L; Rees, Gwyneth

2015-05-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of problem-solving interventions on psychosocial outcomes in vision impaired adults. A systematic search of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), published between 1990 and 2013, that investigated the impact of problem-solving interventions on depressive symptoms, emotional distress, quality of life (QoL) and functioning was conducted. Two reviewers independently selected and appraised study quality. Data permitting, intervention effects were statistically pooled and meta-analyses were performed, otherwise summarised descriptively. Eleven studies (reporting on eight trials) met inclusion criteria. Pooled analysis showed problem-solving interventions improved vision-related functioning (standardised mean change [SMC]: 0.15; 95% CI: 0.04-0.27) and emotional distress (SMC: -0.36; 95% CI: -0.54 to -0.19). There was no evidence to support improvements in depressive symptoms (SMC: -0.27, 95% CI: -0.66 to 0.12) and insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of problem-solving interventions on QoL. The small number of well-designed studies and narrow inclusion criteria limit the conclusions drawn from this review. However, problem-solving skills may be important for nurturing daily functioning and reducing emotional distress for adults with vision impairment. Given the empirical support for the importance of effective problem-solving skills in managing chronic illness, more well-designed RCTs are needed with diverse vision impaired samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relational Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms among Stroke Survivor-Spouse Dyads

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Michael J.; Lyons, Karen S.; Powers, Laurie E.

2012-01-01

Depression following stroke is a major problem for survivors and spouses, but few studies have focused on the experiences of couples. This study investigates associations between perceived relationship quality, communication and coping patterns, interpersonal misunderstandings and expectations, and survivors' and spouses' depressive symptoms after…

Development and Evaluation of the Sleep Treatment and Education Program for Students (STEPS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Franklin C.; Buboltz, Walter C., Jr.; Soper, Barlow

2006-01-01

University students report significantly worse sleep quality than the general population. Sleep problems are related to increased health concerns, irritability, depression, fatigue, and attention and concentration difficulties, along with poor academic performance. Clinical research indicates that psychoeducational interventions are among the most…

Contagious Ideas from Health Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaffee, Ellen

2009-01-01

Financial problems plague both higher education and health care, two sectors that struggle to meet public expectations for quality services at affordable rates. Both higher education and health care also have a complex bottom line, heavy reliance on relatively autonomous professionals, and clients who share personal responsibility for achieving…

School Finance and the Conditions of Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ornstein, Allan C.

1994-01-01

Problems relating to school environment and building concerns eat up school budgets and negatively influence the overall fiscal condition of school districts. The article examines three issues impacting on school finance for the 1990s: environmental hazards (asbestos, radon, lead, electromagnetic fields, and air quality), school infrastructure…

Carpet in Schools: Myth and Reality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, T. C.; Richardson, Michael D.; Jording, Cathy

2001-01-01

Carpet can serve as a type of finish over concrete, improves the acoustical environment, and helps build a more conducive, personalized learning environment. Problems associated with carpeting are related to raw materials, texture, cleaning materials, cost factors, moisture, and alleged contribution to poor indoor air quality. Recommendations are…

SWMM 5 - A Case Study of Model Re-Development

EPA Science Inventory

By the turn of the 21st century the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) already had a 30-year history of extensive use throughout the world for analyzing complex hydrologic, hydraulic, and water quality problems related to urban draina...

Groundwater: A Community Action Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Susan, Ed.; And Others

Designed to be a guide for community action, this booklet examines issues and trends related to groundwater contamination. Basic concepts about groundwater and information about problems affecting it are covered under the categories of (1) what is groundwater? (2) availability and depletion; (3) quality and contamination; (4) public health…

Residuals Management and Water Pollution Control Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Public Affairs.

This pamphlet addresses the problems associated with residuals and water quality especially as it relates to the National Water Pollution Control Program. The types of residuals and appropriate management systems are discussed. Additionally, one section is devoted to the role of citizen participation in developing management programs. (CS)

Libraries and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gee, E. Gordon; Breivik, Patricia Senn

Quality education in an information society must include skills related to the accessing and evaluating of pertinent information for problem solving. Moving beyond the practice of using reserve material, lectures, and textbooks predominant in most college teaching today would be a step towards producing independent learners more likely to use the…

[Pharmacotherapy in nursing homes].

PubMed

Kersten, Hege; Ruths, Sabine; Wyller, Torgeir Bruun

2009-09-10

There is a high risk of drug-related problems in nursing homes due to polypharmacy, multi-morbidity and age-related changes. We describe the drug use and compare the pharmacotherapy in two nursing homes with different staffing of physicians. We included 48 long-term patients from two nursing homes in Oslo; i.e. nursing home A (24 patients) and nursing home B (24 patients). A pharmacist recorded information on patients' drug use, identified and classified drug-related problems, and classified the drugs used according to their anticholinergic burden. Two physicians (with experience in geriatrics and nursing home medicine) assessed the clinical importance of the drug-related problems independently from each other. The physicians were blinded with respect to which nursing home the patients came from. Patients in nursing home A used a median (interquartile range [IQR]) of 7.0 (5.3-11.0) drugs, and those in nursing home B used 9.5 (8.0-12.8); the median difference was 2.0, 95% CI 1.0-4.0, p = 0.006). Patients also had lower anticholinergic drug scores in nursing home A (1.0 [0.0-2.0]) than in nursing home B (2.0 [2.0-3.8]); median difference 1.0, 95% CI 0.0-2.0, p = 0.009). Patients in home A also had lower numbers of drug-related problems (3.0 [2.0-4.0]) than those in home B (5.5 [3.3-8.0]); median difference 1.0, 85% CI 0.0-3.0, p = 0.007. No significant differences were found between the nursing homes with regard to patients' age, co-morbidity, kidney function, or dementia state, but nursing home A had a better staffing of physicians. The number of drugs used as well as the quality indicators varied considerably between the nursing homes assessed. Differences in physician staffing might be one reasonable explanation. Our study highlights the importance of systematic multidisciplinary medication reviews for quality improvement in nursing homes.

Emotional and behavioural problems in Swedish 7- to 9-year olds with asthma.

PubMed

Reichenberg, K; Broberg, A G

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study is to compare emotional and behavioural problems between preadolescent children with asthma and healthy children, and to explore if disease factors relate to problem scores. This was a cross-sectional study of 59 children, 34 boys and 25 girls, aged 7-9 years with mild (n = 11), moderate (n = 38) or severe (n = 10) asthma. A normative sample of 306 children in the same age range, 150 boys and 156 girls, was used as a comparison group. Parents assessed emotional and behavioural problems using the Child Behaviour Checklist. Peak expiratory flow rate and urinary eosinophil protein X were used as measures of lung function and inflammation. Children were interviewed about activity restriction and symptoms during the last week using the Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. Parents scored day, night and exercise-induced symptoms during the same week. On average, children with asthma were attributed more problems than healthy children of the same age and comparable family socio-economic status. Effect sizes were 0.80 (95% confidence interval 0.52-1.09) for total problems, 0.89 (0.60-1.18) for internalizing problems and 0.67 (0.38-0.95) for externalizing problems. The relative risk for children with asthma exceeding the 95% cut-offpoint for total problems was 4.2 (2.1-8.3) compared to healthy children. Children with parent-reported exercise-induced asthma symptoms were attributed more total problems than asthmatic children without such symptoms. Parent-reported day symptoms and child report of symptoms and restricted activities related with problem scores to a lesser degree. Objective measures of lung function and inflammation were not related to problem scores. Concurrent eczema increased problem scores. It is concluded that asthma in preadolescent children is associated with emotional and behavioural problems. Special attention should be paid to children reported to have exercise-induced symptoms.

A study on family communication pattern and parenting styles with quality of life in adolescent.

PubMed

Sanavi, Fariba Shahhraki; Baghbanian, Abdolvahab; Shovey, Mehdi Faraji; Ansari-Moghaddam, Alireza

2013-11-01

To investigate the relationship between parenting styles and family communication patterns with adolescent's quality of life. The cross-sectional study was carried out on 439 randomly selected adolescents in the city of Zahedan, Iran, from January to July 2011.The subjects were asked to complete the KIDSCREEN-52 health-related quality of life questionnaire, while their parents were asked to complete the Diana Brinder's Test to show their parenting styles. SPSS 15 was used to analyse data. Most parents had 'authoritative' parenting style (n = 380; 86.6%). Pluralistic (n = 170; 38.7%) and consensual (n = 152; 34.6%) patterns were the most frequent styles of communication in families. Data suggested a significant relationship between parenting style and some dimensions of quality of life, including physical well-being, psychological well-being, social support and peers, and autonomy (p < 0.05). There was also a significant relationship between family communication patterns and parent relation and home life (p < 0.001) as well as autonomy (p < 0.006). Families play a critical role in increasing adolescents' health-related quality-of-life. Effort should be made to address problems facing parents while raising their children.

Indoor air quality: A psychosocial perspective

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

Boxer, P.A.

1990-05-01

The incidence of indoor air quality problems has increased dramatically over the past decade. Investigation of these problems has yielded a definitive cause in only one third of the cases. Psychosocial factors may play a key role in the development and propagation of symptoms attributed to poor indoor air quality. Guidelines for managing indoor air quality problems from the organizational perspective are based upon psychosocial principles and elements of risk perception.

Sustainable aggregate production planning in the chemical process industry - A benchmark problem and dataset.

PubMed

Brandenburg, Marcus; Hahn, Gerd J

2018-06-01

Process industries typically involve complex manufacturing operations and thus require adequate decision support for aggregate production planning (APP). The need for powerful and efficient approaches to solve complex APP problems persists. Problem-specific solution approaches are advantageous compared to standardized approaches that are designed to provide basic decision support for a broad range of planning problems but inadequate to optimize under consideration of specific settings. This in turn calls for methods to compare different approaches regarding their computational performance and solution quality. In this paper, we present a benchmarking problem for APP in the chemical process industry. The presented problem focuses on (i) sustainable operations planning involving multiple alternative production modes/routings with specific production-related carbon emission and the social dimension of varying operating rates and (ii) integrated campaign planning with production mix/volume on the operational level. The mutual trade-offs between economic, environmental and social factors can be considered as externalized factors (production-related carbon emission and overtime working hours) as well as internalized ones (resulting costs). We provide data for all problem parameters in addition to a detailed verbal problem statement. We refer to Hahn and Brandenburg [1] for a first numerical analysis based on and for future research perspectives arising from this benchmarking problem.

Influencing physician prescribing.

PubMed

Segal, R; Wang, F

1999-10-01

The drug use process suffers from problems related to quality and cost that have not responded well to administrative or educational interventions. In many cases, attempts to improve the quality of physician prescribing have been clumsy, often based on intuition. This article begins by describing the drug use process and the role of prescribing in that process. In the following section, we describe what is known about how physicians make drug choice decisions. The paper concludes with suggestions, based on evidence, about the design of strategies for influencing prescribing.

Technical aspects of CT imaging of the spine.

PubMed

Tins, Bernhard

2010-11-01

This review article discusses technical aspects of computed tomography (CT) imaging of the spine. Patient positioning, and its influence on image quality and movement artefact, is discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on the choice of scan parameters and their relation to image quality and radiation burden to the patient. Strategies to reduce radiation burden and artefact from metal implants are outlined. Data acquisition, processing, image display and steps to reduce artefact are reviewed. CT imaging of the spine is put into context with other imaging modalities for specific clinical indications or problems. This review aims to review underlying principles for image acquisition and to provide a rough guide for clinical problems without being prescriptive. Individual practice will always vary and reflect differences in local experience, technical provisions and clinical requirements.

The Effect of Sleep Problems on Suicidal Risk among Young Adults in the Presence of Depressive Symptoms and Cognitive Processes.

PubMed

Weis, Dafna; Rothenberg, Lee; Moshe, Lital; Brent, David A; Hamdan, Sami

2015-01-01

We aimed to investigate the effect of sleep problems, depression, and cognitive processes on suicidal risk among 460 young adults. They completed self-report questionnaires assessing suicidal behavior, sleep quality, depressive symptoms, emotion regulation, rumination, and impulsivity. Suicidal participants exhibited higher rates of depressive symptoms, sleep problems, expressive suppression, rumination, and impulsivity. A confirmatory factor analysis model revealed pathways to suicidal risk that showed no direct pathways between sleep problems and suicidal risk. Instead, sleep was related to suicidal risk via depression and rumination, which in turn increased suicidal risk. These results suggest that addressing sleep problems will be useful in either the treatment or prevention of depressive and rumination symptoms and reduction in suicidal risk.

Poor Sleep and Its Relation to Impulsivity in Patients with Antisocial or Borderline Personality Disorders.

PubMed

Van Veen, M M; Karsten, J; Lancel, M

2017-01-01

Studies investigating sleep and personality disorders consistently demonstrate a relation between personality disorders characterized by behavioral disinhibition and/or emotional dysregulation (traditionally termed cluster B personality disorders) and poor sleep. This finding is in line with previous studies associating insomnia with impulsive behavior, since this is a core characteristic of both antisocial and borderline personality disorder. The current study investigates a group (n = 112) of forensic psychiatric inpatients with antisocial or borderline personality disorder or traits thereof. Subjective sleep characteristics and impulsivity were assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Sleep Diagnosis List, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, respectively. More than half of the patients (53.6%) report poor sleep quality and 22.3% appears to suffer from severe chronic insomnia. Both poor sleep quality and chronic insomnia are significantly associated with self-reported impulsivity, in particular with attentional impulsiveness. This association was not significantly influenced by comorbid disorders. Actively treating sleep problems in these patients may not only improve sleep quality, mental health, and physical well-being, but may also have impact on impulsivity-related health risks by increasing self-control.

Prevalence of mood and sleep problems in chronic skin diseases: a pilot study.

PubMed

Mostaghimi, Ladan

2008-05-01

The relationship between chronic skin problems and mood and sleep disorders merits more attention. Mood and sleep problems add to comorbidity of chronic skin diseases and affect patient compliance with dermatologic treatment. A pilot study was conducted to determine the prevalence of mood and sleep problems in participants with chronic skin diseases in outpatient dermatology clinics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, using 4 self-assessment questionnaires. Study participants included willing adults with any skin problem of at least 6 months' duration. The participants were asked to complete the questionnaires, which included Current Life Functioning, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and Beck Anxiety Inventory. In summary, 15 of 16 participants had poor sleep quality. Six participants had poor sleep quality without any mood problems (depression or anxiety). Mood problems worsened the quality of sleep and functioning. Nine of 16 participants (56.25%) reported mood problems (depression or anxiety). The results show a high prevalence of depression and anxiety and a very high prevalence of poor sleep quality. Considering the negative effect of comorbid psychiatric and sleep problems on treatment and prognosis of chronic skin diseases, this study demonstrates the need for further evaluation and eventual screening of all patients with chronic skin diseases for mood and sleep problems.

Development of the Teen Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Instrument.

PubMed

Wright, Wanda G; Spiro, Avron; Jones, Judith A; Rich, Sharron E; Garcia, Raul I

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to develop the Teen Oral Health-Related Quality of Life instrument (TOQOL) and demonstrate its validity and reliability in a diverse sample of 13-18-year-old adolescents. A total of 363 adolescents aged 13-18 years participated in this cross sectional study. Oral screening examinations were conducted to collect oral health status data. Adolescents completed the TOQOL and a generic measure of health-related quality of life, the PedsQL. The psychometric properties of the TOQOL were evaluated in terms of face, content, convergent, concurrent and discriminant validity in addition to internal reliability. The 16-item TOQOL covers five domains: Physical functioning, Role functioning, Social functioning, Oral problems, and Emotional functioning. The total scale and subscales showed satisfactory reliability with Cronbach alpha ranging from 0.75 to 0.92. TOQOL scores showed significant associations with perceived oral health status and the PedsQL (convergent validity) and discriminated well between adolescents with caries and adolescents who were caries free (discriminate validity). The TOQOL is a valid and reliable oral health-related quality of life measurement that can be recommended for self-report in adolescents aged 13-18 years. © 2016 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Relational quality, illness interference, and partner support in Ménière's disease.

PubMed

Pyykkö, Ilmari; Manchaiah, Vinaya; Zou, Jing; Levo, Hilla; Kentala, Erna

2018-01-01

The current study aimed to better understand how patients and their significant others (SOs) cope with Menière's disease (MD). The study used a cross-sectional design and the data were collected using questionnaires. Seventy-five dyads in which one person had MD. SOs of patients with MD not only experienced activity and participation restrictions but also had positive experiences. In relational quality, the SOs reported uncertainty of their future, limited visits in noisy places, limited activities as walking, watching TV, and participating in social life. The illness interference correlated with the patients' complaints, and most significant was the problem of imbalance. The quality of life was significantly reduced in patients with MD, and the illness interference in terms of quality of life was correlated with the SOs in items related to mood and anxiety. The stress related conditions of the SOs were correlated with two positive items (e.g. alleviating the stress factor). The SOs could also identify one positive item (i.e., improved relationship). Perceptions of MD as interfering in couples' lives influence dyadic coping in unique ways. The current study identified that dyadic coping has both positive aspects and limitations as a consequence of their partner's MD.

Transcriptomics of mRNA and egg quality in farmed fish: Some recent developments and future directions.

PubMed

Sullivan, Craig V; Chapman, Robert W; Reading, Benjamin J; Anderson, Paul E

2015-09-15

Maternal mRNA transcripts deposited in growing oocytes regulate early development and are under intensive investigation as determinants of egg quality. The research has evolved from single gene studies to microarray and now RNA-Seq analyses in which mRNA expression by virtually every gene can be assessed and related to gamete quality. Such studies have mainly focused on genes changing two- to several-fold in expression between biological states, and have identified scores of candidate genes and a few gene networks whose functioning is related to successful development. However, ever-increasing yields of information from high throughput methods for detecting transcript abundance have far outpaced progress in methods for analyzing the massive quantities of gene expression data, and especially for meaningful relation of whole transcriptome profiles to gamete quality. We have developed a new approach to this problem employing artificial neural networks and supervised machine learning with other novel bioinformatics procedures to discover a previously unknown level of ovarian transcriptome function at which minute changes in expression of a few hundred genes is highly predictive of egg quality. In this paper, we briefly review the progress in transcriptomics of fish egg quality and discuss some future directions for this field of study. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reconsidering the “acculturation gap” narrative through an analysis of parent–adolescent acculturation differences in Mexican American families

PubMed Central

Nieri, Tanya; Grindal, Matthew; Adams, Michele A.; Cookston, Jeffrey T.; Fabricius, William V.; Parke, Ross D.; Saenz, Delia S.

2014-01-01

Using a sample of 193 Mexican American adolescents (M age at Wave 1 = 14) and three waves of data over two years, this study longitudinally examined the effects of parent-youth acculturation differences, relative to no differences, on parent-adolescent relationship quality and youth problem behavior. We examined parent-youth differences in overall acculturation, Mexican acculturation, and American acculturation. We differentiated between cases in which the adolescent was more acculturated than the parent and cases in which the parent was more acculturated than the adolescent. Adolescents were more commonly similar to their parents than different. Where differences existed, adolescents were not uniformly more American than their parents, no type of difference was associated with parent-adolescent relationship quality, and no type of difference in overall acculturation was associated with youth problem behavior. One type of difference by dimension (adolescent had less Mexican acculturation than mother) was associated with less risk of problem behavior. PMID:27695153

Mental disorders and quality of life in COPD patients and their spouses.

PubMed

Kühl, Kerstin; Schürmann, Wolfgang; Rief, Winfried

2008-01-01

In the current study, the prevalence of the most common psychological disorders in COPD patients and their spouses was assessed cross-sectionally. The influence of COPD patients' and their spouses' psychopathology on patient health-related quality of life was also examined. The following measurements were employed: Forced expiratory volume in 1 second expressed in percentage predicted (FEV1%), Shuttle-Walking-Test (SWT), International Diagnostic Checklists for ICD-10 (IDCL), questionnaires on generic and disease-specific health-related quality of life (St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), European Quality of Life Questionnaire (EuroQol), a modified version of a Disability-Index (CDI)), and a screening questionnaire for a broad range of psychological problems and symptoms of psychopathology (Symptom-Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R)). One hundred and forty-three stable COPD outpatients with a severity grade between 2 and 4 (according to the GOLD criteria) as well as 105 spouses took part in the study. The prevalence of anxiety and depression diagnoses was increased both in COPD patients and their spouses. In contrast, substance-related disorders were explicitly more frequent in COPD patients. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that depression (SCL-90-R), walking distance (SWT), somatization (SCL-90-R), male gender, FEV1%, and heart disease were independent predictors of COPD patients' health-related quality of life. After including anxiousness of the spouses in the regression, medical variables (FEV1% and heart disease) no longer explained disability, thus highlighting the relevance of spouses' well-being. The results underline the importance of depression and anxiousness for health-related quality of life in COPD patients and their spouses. Of special interest is the fact that the relation between emotional distress and quality of life is interactive within a couple.

Indoor Environment in Residential Prefabricated Buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraus, Michal; Juhásová Šenitková, Ingrid

2017-10-01

The contribution presents results of the experimental measurement of indoor air quality in residential prefabricated buildings. People spend about 90% of their life in the indoor environment of buildings. Hygrothermal parameters and indoor air quality are the essential component that define the quality of the indoor environment. The results of case study characterize the quality of the indoor environment of the ordinary occupants in housing unit of residential prefabricated building. A current problem of revitalized prefabricated buildings is inadequate air exchange and related thereto to poor indoor air quality. The experimental measurements were carried out just before and at the beginning of the heating season (from 1st October to 30th November 2016). Heating season was launched in the middle of experimental measurement. The wireless indoor sensor Elgato Eve Room was used for measurements. The obtained values of indoor air temperature [°C], relative humidity [%] and indoor air quality [ppm] are describe and analysis in this study. The results of the study indicate that the values of temperature and indoor air quality meet optimal levels during the experiment with nuances. The mean air temperature in the indoor environment is 22.43 °C. The temperature of the indoor environment is held at the optimum level (18-24 °C) for 94.50% time of the experimental measurements. In addition, the indoor air quality in the context of the content of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has been excellent for almost 91% time of the total experiment. However, the values of relative humidity were less than the optimum value nearly 40% of the total observed time. The mean 10-minutes values of relative humidity during the heating season is about 10% lower than the mean 10-minutes relative humidity before the heating season.

Evidence-based medicine: is translating evidence into practice a solution to the cost-quality challenges facing medicine?

PubMed

Larson, E B

1999-09-01

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) and practice guidelines have been embraced by increasing numbers of scholars, administrators, and medical journalists as an intellectually attractive solution to the dilemma of improving health care quality while reducing costs. However, certain factors have thus far limited the role that EBM might play in resolving cost-quality trade-offs. Beyond the quality of the guideline and the evidence base itself, critical factors for success include local clinician involvement, a unified or closed medical staff, protocols that minimize use of clinical judgment and that call for involvement of so-called physician extenders (such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants), and financial incentive. TROUBLESOME ISSUES RELATED TO COST-QUALITY TRADE-OFFS: Rationing presents many dilemmas, but for physicians one critical problem is determining what is the physician's responsibility. Is the physician to be the patient's advocate, or should the physician be the advocate of all patients (the patients' advocate)? How do we get physicians out of potentially conflicted roles? EBM guidelines are needed to help minimize the number of instances physicians are asked to ration care at the bedside. If the public can decide to share and limit resources--presumably based on shared priorities--physicians would have a basis to act as advocates for all patients. Although EBM alone is not a simple solution to the problems of increasing costs and public expectations, it can be an important source of input and information in relating the value of service and medical technology to public priorities.

Adolescents' emotional engagement in friends' problems and joys: Associations of empathetic distress and empathetic joy with friendship quality, depression, and anxiety.

PubMed

Smith, Rhiannon L

2015-12-01

Although empathetic distress (i.e., taking on a friend's emotional distress as one's own) has been examined as a "cost of caring" especially common among girls, relations with adjustment remain untested. The current study tested associations of empathetic distress with friendship quality, depression, and anxiety. Adolescents (N = 300, ages 12-18) reported on their perceived experience of empathetic distress following a conversation with a friend about problems. The study also considered youths' emotional engagement in friends' positive life events, referred to as empathetic joy. Results indicated that girls reported greater empathetic distress and empathetic joy compared with boys. Findings also suggest that although empathetic distress may have positive implications for youths' friendship adjustment, this may come at the expense of emotional well-being. In contrast, empathetic joy was associated with greater positive friendship quality and fewer internalizing symptoms. Copyright © 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social and ecological aspects of the water resources management of the transboundary rivers of Central Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Normatov, P.

2014-09-01

The Zeravshan River is a transboundary river whose water is mainly used for irrigation of agricultural lands of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Sufficiently rich hydropower resources in upstream of the Zeravshan River characterize the Republic of Tajikistan. Continuous monitoring of water resources condition is necessary for planning the development of this area taking into account hydropower production and irrigation needs. Water quality of Zeravshan River is currently one of the main problems in the relationship between the Republics of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and it frequently triggers conflict situations between the two countries. In most cases, the problem of water quality of the Zeravshan River is related to river pollution by wastewater of the Anzob Mountain-concentrating Industrial Complex (AMCC) in Tajikistan. In this paper results of research of chemical and bacteriological composition of the Zeravshan River waters are presented. The minimum impact of AMCC on quality of water of the river was experimentally established.

The potential of crowdsourcing to improve patient-centered care.

PubMed

Weiner, Michael

2014-01-01

Crowdsourcing (CS) is the outsourcing of a problem or task to a crowd. Although patient-centered care (PCC) may aim to be tailored to an individual's needs, the uses of CS for generating ideas, identifying values, solving problems, facilitating research, and educating an audience represent powerful roles that can shape both allocation of shared resources and delivery of personalized care and treatment. CS can often be conducted quickly and at relatively low cost. Pitfalls include bias, risks of research ethics, inadequate quality of data, inadequate metrics, and observer-expectancy effect. Health professionals and consumers in the US should increase their attention to CS for the benefit of PCC. Patients' participation in CS to shape health policy and decisions is one way to pursue PCC itself and may help to improve clinical outcomes through a better understanding of patients' perspectives. CS should especially be used to traverse the quality-cost curve, or decrease costs while preserving or improving quality of care.

The Impact of Skin Problems on the Quality of Life in Patients Treated with Anticancer Agents: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Lee, Jaewon; Lim, Jin; Park, Jong Seo; Kim, Miso; Kim, Tae-Yong; Kim, Tae Min; Lee, Kyung-Hun; Keam, Bhumsuk; Han, Sae-Won; Mun, Je-Ho; Cho, Kwang Hyun; Jo, Seong Jin

2017-12-14

Patients treated with anticancer agents often experience a variety of treatment-related skin problems, which can impair their quality of life. In this cross-sectional study, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and clinical information were evaluated in patients under active anticancer treatment using a questionnaire survey and their medical records review. Of 375 evaluated subjects with anticancer therapy, 136 (36.27%) and 114 (30.40%) were treated for breast cancer and colorectal cancer, respectively. We found that women, breast cancer, targeted agent use, and longer duration of anticancer therapy were associated with higher dermatology-specific QoL distraction. In addition, itching, dry skin, easy bruising, pigmentation, papulopustules on face, periungual inflammation, nail changes, palmoplantar lesions were associated with significantly higher DLQI scores. Periungual inflammation and palmoplantar lesions scored the highest DLQI. We believe our findings can be helpful to clinicians in counseling and managing the patients undergoing anticancer therapy.

Power Quality Improvement by Unified Power Quality Conditioner Based on CSC Topology Using Synchronous Reference Frame Theory

PubMed Central

Dharmalingam, Rajasekaran; Dash, Subhransu Sekhar; Senthilnathan, Karthikrajan; Mayilvaganan, Arun Bhaskar; Chinnamuthu, Subramani

2014-01-01

This paper deals with the performance of unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) based on current source converter (CSC) topology. UPQC is used to mitigate the power quality problems like harmonics and sag. The shunt and series active filter performs the simultaneous elimination of current and voltage problems. The power fed is linked through common DC link and maintains constant real power exchange. The DC link is connected through the reactor. The real power supply is given by the photovoltaic system for the compensation of power quality problems. The reference current and voltage generation for shunt and series converter is based on phase locked loop and synchronous reference frame theory. The proposed UPQC-CSC design has superior performance for mitigating the power quality problems. PMID:25013854

Power quality improvement by unified power quality conditioner based on CSC topology using synchronous reference frame theory.

PubMed

Dharmalingam, Rajasekaran; Dash, Subhransu Sekhar; Senthilnathan, Karthikrajan; Mayilvaganan, Arun Bhaskar; Chinnamuthu, Subramani

2014-01-01

This paper deals with the performance of unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) based on current source converter (CSC) topology. UPQC is used to mitigate the power quality problems like harmonics and sag. The shunt and series active filter performs the simultaneous elimination of current and voltage problems. The power fed is linked through common DC link and maintains constant real power exchange. The DC link is connected through the reactor. The real power supply is given by the photovoltaic system for the compensation of power quality problems. The reference current and voltage generation for shunt and series converter is based on phase locked loop and synchronous reference frame theory. The proposed UPQC-CSC design has superior performance for mitigating the power quality problems.

The economic impact of poor sample quality in clinical chemistry laboratories: results from a global survey.

PubMed

Erdal, Erik P; Mitra, Debanjali; Khangulov, Victor S; Church, Stephen; Plokhoy, Elizabeth

2017-03-01

Background Despite advances in clinical chemistry testing, poor blood sample quality continues to impact laboratory operations and the quality of results. While previous studies have identified the preanalytical causes of lower sample quality, few studies have examined the economic impact of poor sample quality on the laboratory. Specifically, the costs associated with workarounds related to fibrin and gel contaminants remain largely unexplored. Methods A quantitative survey of clinical chemistry laboratory stakeholders across 10 international regions, including countries in North America, Europe and Oceania, was conducted to examine current blood sample testing practices, sample quality issues and practices to remediate poor sample quality. Survey data were used to estimate costs incurred by laboratories to mitigate sample quality issues. Results Responses from 164 participants were included in the analysis, which was focused on three specific issues: fibrin strands, fibrin masses and gel globules. Fibrin strands were the most commonly reported issue, with an overall incidence rate of ∼3%. Further, 65% of respondents indicated that these issues contribute to analyzer probe clogging, and the majority of laboratories had visual inspection and manual remediation practices in place to address fibrin- and gel-related quality problems (55% and 70%, respectively). Probe maintenance/replacement, visual inspection and manual remediation were estimated to carry significant costs for the laboratories surveyed. Annual cost associated with lower sample quality and remediation related to fibrin and/or gel globules for an average US laboratory was estimated to be $100,247. Conclusions Measures to improve blood sample quality present an important step towards improved laboratory operations.

Office Automation and Quality of Work Life: The Effects of Transition Variables on Employee Perceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matherly, Donna

1983-01-01

The author presents survey findings on problems involved in the implementation of new technology. The results of questionnaires returned by 286 administrative systems operants are presented concerning interpersonal relations, career advancement, job security, personal comfort, job design, and job satisfaction. (CT)

Professionalism and Partnership: Panaceas for Teacher Education in Scotland?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Aileen; Doherty, Robert

2012-01-01

A critical reading of the Donaldson Report on teacher education in Scotland reveals what might be termed a "panacea approach" to addressing perceived current problems in relation to the quality of teacher education. In particular, the essence of the Donaldson Report is that teachers need to embrace "twenty-first century…

An Evaluation of Early Reading First (ERF) Preschool Enrichment on Language and Literacy Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Jorge E.; Goetz, Ernest T.; Hall, Robert J.; Payne, Tara; Taylor, Aaron B.; Kim, Minjung; McCormick, Anita S.

2011-01-01

Early Reading First (ERF) was created to address problems related to language and development among economically disadvantaged and language-minority preschool children through quality classroom processes, professional development, and instruction. More than any previous initiative, ERF specifies what early literacy instruction should look like in…

Leadership and Pedagogy: Rethinking Leadership in Professional Schools of Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, J. Dan; And Others

1989-01-01

Analyzes cultural dimensions of Calvin College's Bridenthal Internship in Teaching program for improving the quality of public school teachers; explores how problems encountered by interns as classroom teachers relate to cultural dimensions of the program's industrial leadership orientation and style of leadership modeled by mentor John Wright.…

DRGs and Family Care for the Elderly: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, Lucy Rose; Eustis, Nancy N.

1988-01-01

Conducted interviews with family caregivers, patients, and staff of hospital before and after implementation of Diagnostic Related Groupings (DRGs). After DRGs, family and patients were more likely to express concern about problems in hospital admissions, discharge, and quality of care. Families increasingly served as mediators, supervisors, and…

Relationship Satisfaction, Parenting Stress, and Depression in Mothers of Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weitlauf, Amy S.; Vehorn, Alison C.; Taylor, Julie L.; Warren, Zachary E.

2014-01-01

Mothers of children with autism report higher levels of depression than mothers of children with other developmental disabilities. We explored the relations between child characteristics of diagnostic severity and problem behaviors, parenting stress, relationship quality, and depressive symptoms in 70 mothers of young children with autism. We…

Advisory on Relocatable and Renovated Classrooms. IAQ Info Sheet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Health Services, Berkeley.

Many California school districts, in complying with the Class Size Reduction Program, will obtain relocatable classrooms directly from manufacturers who are under no specific guidelines or codes relative to indoor air quality (IAQ). This document, designed to aid school facility managers in minimizing potential IAQ problems, summarizes the indoor…

Proposal for Implementation of Office of Educational Radio Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petrizzi, David M.; Wright, A. J.

Auburn University's radio station is being faced with providing quality public radio programing with inadequate resources, including money, personnel, and university support. This proposal is directed to the university community and discusses the university radio station's problems at three levels. At the federal level, concerns relate to…

Urbanization and Environmental Quality. Resource Papers for College Geography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lakshmanan, T. R.; And Others

The resource paper examines urban problems related to the environment. It is suitable for use in undergraduate or graduate courses in urban geography, economic development and environment, urban environment, and environmental policy analysis. The paper is organized in five chapters. The introduction traces the concern with environmental quality…

Access to University Education in Nigeria: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agboola, B. M.; Ofoegbu, F. I.

2010-01-01

Demand for university education has increased due to the recent innovations of universal, free and compulsory education at the basic and senior secondary education level. Education has been expanding very rapidly at all levels in Nigeria. However, there are serious problems related to quality, equity, unavailable human and material resources and…

Why Does Military Combat Experience Adversely Affect Marital Relations?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gimbel, Cynthia; Booth, Alan

1994-01-01

Describes investigation of ways in which combat decreases marital quality and stability. Results support three models: (1) factors propelling men into combat also make them poor marriage material; (2) combat causes problems that increase marital adversity; and (3) combat intensifies premilitary stress and antisocial behavior which then negatively…

Suggestions for better data presentation in papers: an experience from a comprehensive study on national and sub-national trends of overweight and obesity.

PubMed

Djalalinia, Shirin; Kelishadi, Roya; Qorbani, Mostafa; Peykari, Niloofar; Kasaeian, Amir; Saeedi Moghaddam, Sahar; Gohari, Kimiya; Larijani, Bagher; Farzadfar, Farshad

2014-12-01

The importance of data quality whether in collection, analysis or presenting stage is a tangible and undeniable scientific fact and the main objects of researches implementation. This paper aims at explaining the main problems of the Iranian scientific papers for providing better data in the field of national and sub-national prevalence, incidence estimates and trends of obesity and overweight. To assess and evaluate papers, we systematically followed an approved standard protocol. Retrieval of studies was performed through Thomson Reuters Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus, as well as Iranian databases including Irandoc, Scientific Information Database (SID), and IranMedex. Using GBD (Global Burden of Diseases) validated quality assessment forms to assess the quality and availability of data in papers, we considered the following four main domains: a) Quality of studies, b) Quality report of the results, c) Responsiveness of corresponding authors, and d) Diversity in study settings. We retrieved 3,253 records; of these 1,875 were from international and 1378 from national databases. After refining steps, 129 (3.97%) papers remained related to our study domain. More than 51% of relevant papers were excluded because of poor quality of studies. The number of reported total population and points of data were 22,972 and 29 for boys, and 38,985 and 47 for girls, respectively. For all measures, missing values and diversities in studies' setting limited our ability to compare and analyze the results. Moreover, we had some serious problems in contacting the corresponding authors for complementary information necessary (Receptiveness: 17.9%). As the present paper focused on the main problems of Iranian scientific papers and proposed suggestions, the results will have implications for better policy making.

Age- and sex-related emotional and behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorders: comparison with control children.

PubMed

Horiuchi, Fumie; Oka, Yasunori; Uno, Hiroyuki; Kawabe, Kentaro; Okada, Fumi; Saito, Isao; Tanigawa, Takeshi; Ueno, Shu-ichi

2014-07-01

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often present with emotional and behavioral problems, which could change the clinical course, especially during childhood, and affect future quality of life. The aim of this study was to clarify the age- and sex-related differences of these problems in ASD. The study subjects were 173 patients with ASD (age: 4-16 years) and 173 age- and sex-matched community children (control group). The parent version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used for comparison of the emotional and behavioral problems between the two groups. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores were significantly higher in children with ASD than controls at all ages. The score of total difficulties was significantly higher in girls with ASD than in boys, while the score in male controls was significantly higher than in female controls. Age-related differences in emotional and behavioral problems were observed both in children with ASD and controls, but the characteristics were different: in children with ASD, emotional symptoms and peer problems in both sexes and conduct problems in girls increased significantly with age, while none of the problems in the controls changed with age except for a decrease in the score of hyperactivity/inattention developmentally in both sexes. Prosocial behaviors of children with ASD and controls showed small changes with age. Emotional and behavioral problems are common in children with ASD and showed age- and sex-related differences. Our study emphasizes the importance of recognizing those differences among children with ASD for early intervention. © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Quality of ground water in Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yee, Johnson J.; Souza, William R.

1987-01-01

The major aquifers in Idaho are categorized under two rock types, sedimentary and volcanic, and are grouped into six hydrologic basins. Areas with adequate, minimally adequate, or deficient data available for groundwater-quality evaluations are described. Wide variations in chemical concentrations in the water occur within individual aquifers, as well as among the aquifers. The existing data base is not sufficient to describe fully the ground-water quality throughout the State; however, it does indicate that the water is generally suitable for most uses. In some aquifers, concentrations of fluoride, cadmium, and iron in the water exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's drinking-water standards. Dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate may cause problems in some local areas. Water-quality data are sparse in many areas, and only general statements can be made regarding the areal distribution of chemical constituents. Few data are available to describe temporal variations of water quality in the aquifers. Primary concerns related to special problem areas in Idaho include (1) protection of water quality in the Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, (2) potential degradation of water quality in the Boise-Nampa area, (3) effects of widespread use of drain wells overlying the eastern Snake River Plain basalt aquifer, and (4) disposal of low-level radioactive wastes at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Shortcomings in the ground-water-quality data base are categorized as (1) multiaquifer sample inadequacy, (2) constituent coverage limitations, (3) baseline-data deficiencies, and (4) data-base nonuniformity.

The Effects of Boys & Girls Clubs on Alcohol and Other Drug Use and Related Problems in Public Housing. Final Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schinke, Steven P.; And Others

This comparative study evaluates the effects of Boys and Girls Clubs and related SMART Moves drug prevention programs on children and adolescents living in public housing and on the quality of life in public housing. The study involves 15 public housing developments in a representative sample of American cities and focuses on alcohol and other…

Dysphagia, Speech, Voice, and Trismus following Radiotherapy and/or Chemotherapy in Patients with Head and Neck Carcinoma: Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Koetsenruijter, K. W. J.; Swan, K.; Bogaardt, H.

2016-01-01

Introduction. Patients with head and neck cancer suffer from various impairments due to the primary illness, as well as secondary consequences of the oncological treatment. This systematic review describes the effects of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy on the functions of the upper aerodigestive tract in patients with head and neck cancer. Methods. A systematic literature search was performed by two independent reviewers using the electronic databases PubMed and Embase. All dates up to May 2016 were included. Results. Of the 947 abstracts, sixty articles met the inclusion criteria and described one or more aspects of the sequelae of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Forty studies described swallowing-related problems, 24 described voice-related problems, seven described trismus, and 25 studies described general quality of life. Only 14 articles reported that speech pathologists conducted the interventions, of which only six articles described in detail what the interventions involved. Conclusion. In general, voice quality improved following intervention, whereas quality of life, dysphagia, and oral intake deteriorated during and after treatment. However, as a consequence of the diversity in treatment protocols and patient characteristics, the conclusions of most studies cannot be easily generalised. Further research on the effects of oncological interventions on the upper aerodigestive tract is needed. PMID:27722170

[New international initiatives to create systems of effective risk prediction and food safety].

PubMed

Efimochkinal, N R; Bagryantseva, E C; Dupouy, E C; Khotimchenko, S A; Permyakov, E V; Sheveleva, S A; Arnautov, O V

2016-01-01

Ensuring food safety is one of the most important problems that is directly related to health protection of the population. The problem is particularly relevant on aglobalscale because ofincreasingnumberoffood-borne diseases andimportance of the health consequence early detection. In accordance with the position of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, food safety concept also includes quality. In this case, creation of the national, supranational and international early warning systems related to the food safety, designed with the purpose to prevent or minimize risks on different stages of the food value chain in various countries, regions and climate zones specific to national nutrition and lifestyle in different groups of population, gains particular importance. The article describes the principles and working examples of international, supranational and national food safety early warning systems. Great importance is given to the hazards of microbial origin - emergent pathogens. Example of the rapid reaction to the appearance of cases, related to the melanin presence in infant formula, are presented. Analysis of the current food safety and quality control system in Russian Federation shows that main improvements are mostly related to the development of the efficient monitoring, diagnostics and rapid alert procedures forfood safety on interregional and international levels that will allow to estimate real contamination of food with the most dangerous pathogens, chemical and biological contaminants, and the development of the electronic database and scientifically proved algorithms for food safety and quality management for targeted prevention activities against existing and emerging microbiological and other etiology risks, and public health protection.

The Quality of Medication Use in Older Adults: Methods of a Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Roth, Mary T.; Moore, Charity G.; Ivey, Jena L.; Esserman, Denise A.; Campbell, William H.; Weinberger, Morris

2009-01-01

Background The quality of medication use in older adults is a recurring problem of substantial concern. Efforts to both measure and improve the quality of medication use often define quality too narrowly and fall short of addressing the complexity of an older adult's medication regimen. Objective In an effort to more comprehensively define the quality of medication use in older adults, we conducted a prospective cohort study to: 1) describe the quality of medication use in community-residing older adults at baseline, examining differences between Whites and African Americans; 2) examine the effect of race on medication-related problems[mtr1], and 3) assess the change in quality medication use between Whites and African Americans over time. This paper presents the research design and methods of this longitudinal study. Methods We interviewed 100 White and 100 African-American community-residing older adults three times over one year (baseline, 6, and 12 months). We oversampled African Americans so that we could estimate racial differences in the quality of medication use. We collected information on the quality of medication use, relying on a clinical pharmacist's assessment of quality and the Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders (ACOVE) quality indicators. We also collected data on demographic characteristics, health literacy, functional status, and participant-reported drug therapy concerns. Results Two hundred older adults were enrolled into the study and completed a baseline visit. Of the 200, 92% completed the 6-month visit (n=183) and 88% completed the 12-month visit (n=176). We present baseline demographic characteristics for the 200 older adults enrolled in the study. Conclusion This longitudinal study is an initial step toward developing more comprehensive, patient-centered measures and interventions to improve the quality of medication use in older adults. PMID:19028378

Increasing podiatry referrals for patients with inflammatory arthritis at a tertiary hospital in Singapore: A quality improvement project.

PubMed

Carter, K; Cheung, P P; Rome, K; Santosa, A; Lahiri, M

2017-06-01

Foot disease is highly prevalent in people with inflammatory arthritis and is often under-recognized. Podiatry intervention can significantly reduce foot pain and disability, with timely access being the key factor. The aim of this study was to plan and implement a quality improvement project to identify the barriers to, and improve, uptake of podiatry services among patients with inflammatory arthritis-related foot problems seen at a tertiary hospital in Singapore. A 6-month quality improvement program was conducted by a team of key stakeholders using quality improvement tools to identify, implement and test several interventions designed to improve uptake of podiatry services. The number of patients referred for podiatry assessment was recorded on a weekly basis by an experienced podiatrist. The criterion for appropriate referral to podiatry was those patients with current or previous foot problems such as foot pain, swelling and deformity. Interventions included education initiatives, revised workflow, development of national guidelines for inflammatory arthritis, local podiatry guidelines for the management of foot and ankle problems, routine use of outcome measures, and introduction of a fully integrated rheumatology-podiatry service with reduced cost package. Referral rates increased from 8% to 11%, and were sustained beyond the study period. Complete incorporation of podiatry into the rheumatology consultation as part of the multidisciplinary team package further increased referrals to achieve the target of full uptake of the podiatry service. Through a structured quality improvement program, referrals to podiatry increased and improved the uptake and acceptance of rheumatology-podiatry services. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Norwegian prospective study of preterm mother-infant interactions at 6 and 18 months and the impact of maternal mental health problems, pregnancy and birth complications.

PubMed

Misund, Aud R; Bråten, Stein; Nerdrum, Per; Pripp, Are Hugo; Diseth, Trond H

2016-05-04

Pregnancy, birth and health complications, maternal mental health problems following preterm birth and their possible impact on early mother-infant interaction at 6 and 18 months corrected age (CA) were explored. Predictors of mother-infant interaction at 18 months CA were identified. This prospective longitudinal and observational study included 33 preterm mother-infant (<33 gestational age (GA)) interactions at 6 and 18 months CA from a socioeconomic low-risk, middle-class sample. The Parent-Child Early Relational Assessment (PCERA) scale was used to assess the mother-infant interaction. 'Bleeding in pregnancy' predicted lower quality in preterm mother-infant interaction in 6 PCERA scales, while high 'maternal trait anxiety' predicted higher interactional quality in 2 PCERA scales and 'family size' predicted lower interactional quality in 1 PCERA scale at 18 months CA. Mothers with symptoms of post-traumatic stress reactions, general psychological distress and anxiety at 2 weeks postpartum (PP) showed significantly better outcome than mothers without symptoms in 6 PCERA subscales at 6 months CA and 2 PCERA subscales at 18 months CA. Our study detected a correspondence between early pregnancy complications and lower quality of preterm mother-infant interaction, and an association between high levels of maternal mental health problems and better quality in preterm mother-infant interaction. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Obtaining greater value from health care: the roles of the U.S. government.

PubMed

Schoenbaum, Stephen C; Audet, Anne-Marie J; Davis, Karen

2003-01-01

The problems of quality and cost in the U.S. health care system are unlikely to be solved without strong leadership from the federal government, which can mobilize action to set national priorities for quality; develop and promulgate standards for care; and stimulate implementation of performance measures and standards for providers. All of these functions would best be carried out by a new federal agency. Furthermore, the federal government should design payment policies based on the performance standards, invest in needed information technology, and invest in research related to improving care and in training professionals to support nationwide quality improvement.

[Construction of NIRS-based total quality control system for compound Ejiao oral liquid and relative thinking].

PubMed

Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Lu; Tian, Shou-Sheng; Zhou, Xiang-Shan; Li, Wen-Long; Qu, Hai-Bin

2016-10-01

In this paper, near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-based total quality control system of compound Ejiao oral liquid is introduced briefly, including the quality control of raw traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) materials, monitoring and control of the extract and the alkaline precipitation technics, and also the inspection of finished products in both open bottle and non-opening modes. By analyzing and summing up the significance and difficulties, several important problems in the practical applications of NIRS technology are proposed, which will provide references for the similar studies of other TCM products. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Has NICE got it right? An international perspective considering the case of Technology Appraisal No. 98 by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

PubMed

Schlander, Michael

2008-04-01

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has been widely recognised as setting an international standard for high-quality health technology assessments (HTAs) including economic evaluation. A previous critical analysis of NICE Technology Appraisal No. 98 (TA98), evaluating methylphenidate, dexamphetamine and atomoxetine for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, revealed a number of issues, which must cast doubt on the robustness of the NICE approach when addressing a complex clinical decision problem. The exploration of potential underlying problems will be followed by a discussion of lessons for international healthcare policy-makers, and is intended to be an invitation to further debate and inquiry, not a presentation of definitive conclusions. Pertaining to the technology assessment report, potential problems were identified relating to an unnecessarily narrow scope, data search and selection strategy, the distinction between efficacy and effectiveness, data synthesis across studies and clinical effect measures, and limitations of the economic model. The appraisal process moderated the asserted 'clear conclusions' of the assessment but could not compensate for some of its gaps. It is suggested that key issues contributing to these problems may have included a separation of clinical and economic perspectives, a highly standardised reference case analysis that was followed schematically, the absence of an effective system for quality assurance of technology assessments, and transparency deficits of the economic evaluation. Further considerations for international policy-makers looking at NICE as a potential role model for HTAs are discussed, such as institutional context, the objectives of collectively financed healthcare and related value judgments, the reliance on QALYs as a universal and comprehensive measure of health benefits, the appropriate perspective for analysis, and process-related implications.

Birth order rank as a moderator of the relation between behavior problems among children with an autism spectrum disorder and their siblings.

PubMed

Tomeny, Theodore S; Barry, Tammy D; Bader, Stephanie H

2014-02-01

Variability within the literature investigating typically-developing siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder suggests that the quality of sibling outcomes may depend on specific factors. For this study, 42 parents of a child with an autism spectrum disorder and a typically- developing sibling provided data via online questionnaires. Birth order rank of the child with an autism spectrum disorder significantly moderated the relation between externalizing behaviors in children with an autism spectrum disorder and externalizing behaviors in their typically-developing siblings. Children with an autism spectrum disorder and higher levels of behavior problems had typically-developing siblings with higher levels of behavior problems only when the child with an autism spectrum disorder was older. These results provide a hint of clarification about the complex nature of sibling relations, but a great deal more research is needed to further examine outcomes of typically-developing siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder.

Working Toward a Healthy Planet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maynard, Nancy G.

2003-01-01

Using information from NASA s Earth Science Public Health Applications Program, Dr. Maynard will address how remote sensing data and associated technologies can be used toward a better understanding of the links among human health, the environment and weather/climate - and, how this increased understanding plus improved information sharing can empower local health and environmental decision-makers to better predict climate-related health problems, take preventive measures, and improve response actions. Remotely-sensed data and observations are providing powerful new tools for addressing climate and environment-related human health problems through increased capabilities for monitoring and surveillance of parameters useful to such problems as infectious and vector-borne diseases, air and water quality, harmful algal blooms, UV radiation, contaminant and pathogen transport in air and water, and thermal stress. NASA s multi-disciplinary scientific team is demonstrating how satellites from their unique vantage point in space can serve as sentinels for weather, climate, and health problems through studies on asthma, malaria, Rift Valley Fever, Asian and African dust, and West Nile Virus

Stress and puberty-related hormone reactivity, negative emotionality, and parent--adolescent relationships.

PubMed

Marceau, Kristine; Dorn, Lorah D; Susman, Elizabeth J

2012-08-01

Hormone reactivity to stressors and hormones that rapidly change at puberty are hypothesized to influence moods, which may in turn affect parent-child relationship quality. The present study investigated whether reactivity of testosterone, DHEA, and cortisol in a clinic setting (venipuncture paradigm) predicted negative emotionality and family problems at Time 1 (0 months), Time 2 (6 months), and Time 3 (12 months) in a sample of 56 boys (M = 12.72, SD = 1.32 years) and 52 girls (M = 11.99, SD = 1.55 years). Reactivity of each hormone, negative emotionality, and family problems were measured at each of three laboratory visits. Testosterone reactivity at the first assessment predicted family problems one year later. DHEA stress reactivity was related to concurrent negative emotionality at six and 12 months. Cortisol reactivity did not predict negative emotionality or family problems. Reactivity of different hormones that change at puberty may play an important role in adolescent moods and family processes during puberty. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do nurses who work in a fair organization sleep and perform better and why? Testing potential psychosocial mediators of organizational justice.

PubMed

Hietapakka, Laura; Elovainio, Marko; Heponiemi, Tarja; Presseau, Justin; Eccles, Martin; Aalto, Anna-Mari; Pekkarinen, Laura; Kuokkanen, Liisa; Sinervo, Timo

2013-10-01

We examined whether organizational justice is associated with sleep quality and performance in a population-based sample of 1,729 Finnish registered nurses working full time. In addition, we tested psychological mechanisms mediating the potential association. The results of multivariate linear regression analyses showed higher organizational justice to be associated with fewer sleeping problems (β values range from -.20 to -.11) and higher self-reported performance (β values range from .05 to .35). Furthermore, psychological distress (related to the psychological stress model) and job involvement (related to the psychosocial resource model) mediated the association between organizational justice and sleep. Sleeping problems partly mediated the association between organizational justice and performance. Psychological distress explained 51% to 83% and job involvement explained 10% to 15% of the total effects of justice variables on sleeping problems. The findings provide support for the psychological stress model and offer practical implications for reducing nurses' sleeping problems.

Quality of life of patients who undergo breast reconstruction after mastectomy: effects of personality characteristics.

PubMed

Bellino, Silvio; Fenocchio, Marina; Zizza, Monica; Rocca, Giuseppe; Bogetti, Paolo; Bogetto, Filippo

2011-01-01

Reconstruction after mastectomy has become an integral part of breast cancer treatment. The effects of psychological factors on quality of life after reconstruction have been poorly investigated. The authors examined clinical and personality characteristics related to quality of life in patients receiving reconstructive surgery. All patients received immediate reconstruction and were evaluated in the week before tissue expander implantation (T0) with a semistructured interview for demographic and clinical characteristics, the Temperament and Character Inventory, the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems, the Short Form Health Survey, the Severity Item of the Clinical Global Impression, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. Assessment with the Short Form was repeated 3 months after expander placement (T1). Statistics were calculated with univariate regression and analysis of variance. Significant variables were included in a multiple regression analysis to identify factors related to the change T1-T0 of the mean of the Short Form-transformed scores. Results were significant when p was less than or equal to 0.05. Fifty-seven women were enrolled. Results of multiple regression analysis showed that the Temperament and Character Inventory personality dimension harm avoidance and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems domain vindictive/self-centered were significantly and independently related to the change in Short Form mean score. Personality dimensions and patterns of interpersonal functioning produce significant effects on patients' quality of life during breast reconstruction. Patients with high harm avoidance are apprehensive and doubtful. Restoration of body image could help them to reduce social anxiety and insecurity. Vindictive/self-centered patients are resentful and aggressive. Breast reconstruction could symbolize the conclusion of a reparative process and fulfill the desire of revenge on cancer.

Symptoms and health-related quality of life in patients with advanced cancer - A population-based study in Greenland.

PubMed

Augustussen, Mikaela; Sjøgren, Per; Timm, Helle; Hounsgaard, Lise; Pedersen, Michael Lynge

2017-06-01

The aims were to describe symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Greenlandic patients with advanced cancer and to assess the applicability and internal consistency of the Greenlandic version of the EORTC-QLQ-C30 core version 3.0. A Greenlandic version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 v.3.0 was developed. The translation process included independent forward translation, reconciliation and independent back translation by native Greenlandic-speaking translators who were fluent in English. After pilot testing, a population-based cross-sectional study of patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative treatment was conducted. Internal consistency was examined by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficients for five function scales and three symptom scales. Of the 58 patients who participated in the study, 47% had reduced social functioning, 36% had reduced physical and role functioning and 19% had reduced emotional and cognitive functioning. Furthermore, 48% reported fatigue, and 33% reported financial problems. The Greenlandic version of the EORTC had good applicability in the assessment of symptoms and quality of life. Acceptable Cronbach's alpha coefficients (above 0.70) were observed for the physical, role and social functioning scales, the fatigue scale and the global health status scale. Patients with undergoing palliative treatment in Greenland for advanced cancer reported high levels of social and financial problems and reduced physical functioning. This indicates a potential for improving palliative care service and increasing the focus on symptom management. The Greenlandic version of the EORTC-QLQ-C30 represents an applicable and reliable tool to describe symptoms and health-related quality of life among Greenlandic patients with advanced cancer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Depressive symptoms, smoking, drinking, and quality of life among head and neck cancer patients.

PubMed

Duffy, Sonia A; Ronis, David L; Valenstein, Marcia; Fowler, Karen E; Lambert, Michael T; Bishop, Carol; Terrell, Jeffrey E

2007-01-01

The authors examined the relationship between depressive symptoms, smoking, problem drinking, and quality of life among 973 head and neck cancer patients who were surveyed and had their charts audited. Forty-six percent screened positive for depressive symptoms, 30% smoked, and 16% screened positive for problem drinking. Controlling for clinical and demographic variables, linear-regression analyses showed that depressive symptoms had a strong negative association with all 12 quality-of-life scales; smoking had a negative association on all but one of the quality-of-life scales; and problem drinking was not associated with any of the quality-of-life scales. Interventions targeting depression, smoking, and problem drinking need to be integrated into oncology clinics.

Confronting Decision Cliffs: Diagnostic Assessment of Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms' Performance for Addressing Uncertain Environmental Thresholds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, V. L.; Singh, R.; Reed, P. M.; Keller, K.

2014-12-01

As water resources problems typically involve several stakeholders with conflicting objectives, multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) are now key tools for understanding management tradeoffs. Given the growing complexity of water planning problems, it is important to establish if an algorithm can consistently perform well on a given class of problems. This knowledge allows the decision analyst to focus on eliciting and evaluating appropriate problem formulations. This study proposes a multi-objective adaptation of the classic environmental economics "Lake Problem" as a computationally simple but mathematically challenging MOEA benchmarking problem. The lake problem abstracts a fictional town on a lake which hopes to maximize its economic benefit without degrading the lake's water quality to a eutrophic (polluted) state through excessive phosphorus loading. The problem poses the challenge of maintaining economic activity while confronting the uncertainty of potentially crossing a nonlinear and potentially irreversible pollution threshold beyond which the lake is eutrophic. Objectives for optimization are maximizing economic benefit from lake pollution, maximizing water quality, maximizing the reliability of remaining below the environmental threshold, and minimizing the probability that the town will have to drastically change pollution policies in any given year. The multi-objective formulation incorporates uncertainty with a stochastic phosphorus inflow abstracting non-point source pollution. We performed comprehensive diagnostics using 6 algorithms: Borg, MOEAD, eMOEA, eNSGAII, GDE3, and NSGAII to ascertain their controllability, reliability, efficiency, and effectiveness. The lake problem abstracts elements of many current water resources and climate related management applications where there is the potential for crossing irreversible, nonlinear thresholds. We show that many modern MOEAs can fail on this test problem, indicating its suitability as a useful and nontrivial benchmarking problem.

Predictors of Trajectories of Epilepsy-Specific Quality of Life among Children Newly Diagnosed with Epilepsy

PubMed Central

Ramsey, Rachelle R.; Loiselle, Kristin; Rausch, Joseph R.; Harrison, Jordan; Modi, Avani C.

2016-01-01

Objective To identify two year trajectories of epilepsy-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among children newly diagnosed with epilepsy and to evaluate the predictive value of a comprehensive set of medical, psychosocial, and family factors. Methods Ninety-four children with epilepsy (8.14 ± 2.37 years of age and 63% male) and their caregivers participated in this study. Caregivers completed the Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE) and measures of psychological and family functioning at one month post-diagnosis. The QOLCE was also given at eight additional time points during the subsequent two years as a part of a large observational study in children with epilepsy. Adherence data was collected via MEMS TrackCaps and medical information was collected through chart review. Results Unique trajectories were identified for the overall QOLCE scale, as well as the subscales. Most trajectory models for the QOLCE subscales contained at least one at-risk trajectory for children, indicating that there is a subgroup of children experiencing poor long-term HRQOL. Health-related quality of life trajectories remained predominantly stable during the two year period following treatment initiation. Number of AEDs, Internalizing Problems, and Externalizing Problems emerged as the most consistent predictors across the HRQOL domains. Significance Medical and psychosocial interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral strategies, should target modifiable factors (e.g., internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, number of AEDs trialed) shortly after diagnosis to improve HRQOL for children with epilepsy over the course of their disease. PMID:26974247

Sleep quality, clinical and psychological manifestations in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Moraleda, Virginia; Prados, Germán; Martínez, María P; Sánchez, Ana I; Sabio, José M; Miró, Elena

2017-10-01

Sleep problems are a common complaint in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. We analyzed sleep quality with subjective and objective measures in a sample with SLE and its possible relationships with the main manifestations of the disease. Twenty-one women with SLE and 20 healthy women participated in the study. All participants were evaluated with actigraphy for a week and they completed self-report instruments of sleep quality, quality of life, fatigue, anxiety, depression and perceived stress. Comparison analyses between the two groups were done using Chi-square and Student's t-tests. The association between sleep quality and the remaining variables was explored using Pearson correlation coefficients. SLE patients had higher fragmentation index in the actigraphic analysis and a perception of poorer sleep quality, more fatigue, anxiety and depression than the control group. Bivariate analyses showed that the perception of more sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction was associated with a lower health-related quality of life, more fatigue, emotional discomfort and more perceived stress. Also, the fragmentation index in the actigraphy was significantly related to the perception of poorer quality of sleep. SLE women had a poorer sleep quality (objective and subjective). These alterations could play a modulatory role in clinical and psychological manifestations of the disease and affect the quality of life in this population. More research is needed to clarify these relations and to determine the potential benefits of interventions directed to improve sleep in the clinical managing of the patients with SLE. © 2017 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Systematic overview of economic evaluations of health-related rehabilitation.

PubMed

Howard-Wilsher, Stephanie; Irvine, Lisa; Fan, Hong; Shakespeare, Tom; Suhrcke, Marc; Horton, Simon; Poland, Fiona; Hooper, Lee; Song, Fujian

2016-01-01

Health related rehabilitation is instrumental in improving functioning and promoting participation by people with disabilities. To make clinical and policy decisions about health-related rehabilitation, resource allocation and cost issues need to be considered. To provide an overview of systematic reviews (SRs) on economic evaluations of health-related rehabilitation. We searched multiple databases to identify relevant SRs of economic evaluations of health-related rehabilitation. Review quality was assessed by AMSTAR checklist. We included 64 SRs, most of which included economic evaluations alongside randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The review quality was low to moderate (AMSTAR score 5-8) in 35, and high (score 9-11) in 29 of the included SRs. The included SRs addressed various health conditions, including spinal or other pain conditions (n = 14), age-related problems (11), stroke (7), musculoskeletal disorders (6), heart diseases (4), pulmonary (3), mental health problems (3), and injury (3). Physiotherapy was the most commonly evaluated rehabilitation intervention in the included SRs (n = 24). Other commonly evaluated interventions included multidisciplinary programmes (14); behavioral, educational or psychological interventions (11); home-based interventions (11); complementary therapy (6); self-management (6); and occupational therapy (4). Although the available evidence is often described as limited, inconsistent or inconclusive, some rehabilitation interventions were cost-effective or showed cost-saving in a variety of disability conditions. Available evidence comes predominantly from high income countries, therefore economic evaluations of health-related rehabilitation are urgently required in less resourced settings. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Water Resources Research Grant Program Project Descriptions: Fiscal Year 1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lew, Melvin; McCoy, Beverly M.

1989-01-01

This report contains information on the 38 new projects funded by the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources Research Grant Program in fiscal year 1988 and on 11 projects completed during the year. For the new projects, the report gives the grant number, project title, performing organization, principal investigator(s), project duration, and a project description that includes: (1) identification of water-related problems and problem-solution approach, (2) contribution to problem solution, (3) objectives, and (4) approach. The 38 projects include 14 in the area of ground-water quality problems, 10 in the science and technology of water-quality management, 4 in climate variability and the hydrologic cycle, 7 in institutional change in water-resources management, and 3 in miscellaneous water-resources management problems. For the 11 completed projects, the report gives the grant number, project title, performing organization, principal investigator(s), starting date, date of receipt of final report, and an abstract of the final report. Each project description provides the information needed to obtain a copy of the final report. The report also contains tables showing (1) proposals received according to area of research interest, (2) grant awards and funding according to area of research interest, (3) proposals received according to type of submitting organization, and (4) awards and funding according to type of organization.