Atlantic salmon skin and fillet color changes effected by perimortem handling stress, rigor mortis, and ice storage.

PubMed

Erikson, U; Misimi, E

2008-03-01

The changes in skin and fillet color of anesthetized and exhausted Atlantic salmon were determined immediately after killing, during rigor mortis, and after ice storage for 7 d. Skin color (CIE L*, a*, b*, and related values) was determined by a Minolta Chroma Meter. Roche SalmoFan Lineal and Roche Color Card values were determined by a computer vision method and a sensory panel. Before color assessment, the stress levels of the 2 fish groups were characterized in terms of white muscle parameters (pH, rigor mortis, and core temperature). The results showed that perimortem handling stress initially significantly affected several color parameters of skin and fillets. Significant transient fillet color changes also occurred in the prerigor phase and during the development of rigor mortis. Our results suggested that fillet color was affected by postmortem glycolysis (pH drop, particularly in anesthetized fillets), then by onset and development of rigor mortis. The color change patterns during storage were different for the 2 groups of fish. The computer vision method was considered suitable for automated (online) quality control and grading of salmonid fillets according to color.

Stakeholder-Driven Quality Improvement: A Compelling Force for Clinical Practice Guidelines.

PubMed

Rosenfeld, Richard M; Wyer, Peter C

2018-01-01

Clinical practice guideline development should be driven by rigorous methodology, but what is less clear is where quality improvement enters the process: should it be a priority-guiding force, or should it enter only after recommendations are formulated? We argue for a stakeholder-driven approach to guideline development, with an overriding goal of quality improvement based on stakeholder perceptions of needs, uncertainties, and knowledge gaps. In contrast, the widely used topic-driven approach, which often makes recommendations based only on randomized controlled trials, is driven by epidemiologic purity and evidence rigor, with quality improvement a downstream consideration. The advantages of a stakeholder-driven versus a topic-driven approach are highlighted by comparisons of guidelines for otitis media with effusion, thyroid nodules, sepsis, and acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. These comparisons show that stakeholder-driven guidelines are more likely to address the quality improvement needs and pressing concerns of clinicians and patients, including understudied populations and patients with multiple chronic conditions. Conversely, a topic-driven approach often addresses "typical" patients, based on research that may not reflect the needs of high-risk groups excluded from studies because of ethical issues or a desire for purity of research design.

Impact of post-rigor high pressure processing on the physicochemical and microbial shelf-life of cultured red abalone (Haliotis rufescens).

PubMed

Hughes, Brianna H; Perkins, L Brian; Yang, Tom C; Skonberg, Denise I

2016-03-01

High pressure processing (HPP) of post-rigor abalone at 300MPa for 10min extended the refrigerated shelf-life to four times that of unprocessed controls. Shucked abalone meats were processed at 100 or 300MPa for 5 or 10min, and stored at 2°C for 35days. Treatments were analyzed for aerobic plate count (APC), total volatile base nitrogen (TVBN), K-value, biogenic amines, color, and texture. APC did not exceed 10(6) and TVBN levels remained below 35mg/100g for 35days for the 300MPa treatments. No biogenic amines were detected in the 300MPa treatments, but putrescine and cadaverine were detected in the control and 100MPa treatments. Color and texture were not affected by HPP or storage time. These results indicate that post-rigor processing at 300MPa for 10min can significantly increase refrigerated shelf-life of abalone without affecting chemical or physical quality characteristics important to consumers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social and behavioral interventions for improving quality of life of HIV infected people receiving antiretroviral therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Bhatta, Dharma Nand; Liabsuetrakul, Tippawan; McNeil, Edward B

2017-04-24

Improvement in quality of life is crucial for HIV infected people. Social and behavioral interventions have been implemented in different contexts to improve the quality of life among HIV infected people. This review appraises the evidence for available interventions that focused on quality of life of HIV infected people receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). We searched electronic databases for randomized controlled trials of interventions to improve the quality of life of HIV infected people receiving ART. We searched PUBMED and the Cochrane Centre Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) with the terms "social", "behavioral", "educational", "quality of life", "HIV", and "RCT". Searches were conducted for articles published from 1980 to December 16, 2015. Standardized data abstraction methods and searching steps were applied. Twenty-eight studies reported the impact of social or behavioral interventions in quality of life among HIV infected people, of which 15 were conducted in United States of America. A total of 4136 participants were enrolled. Of the 28 studies, four studies included females, two studies included males and remaining studies excluded both males and females. The overall reported methodological quality of the studies was subject to a high risk of bias and the study criteria were unclear in most studies. Twenty-one studies reported a significant intervention effect on at least one quality of life domain. Meta-analyses showed significant improvement in general health, mental health, physical function and environment domains of quality of life among intervention groups. However, the expected impact of the intervention was low to moderate because the rigorousness of the studies was low, information was limited, the sample sizes were small and other the quality of the study designs were poor. Although the available evidence suggests that existing social and behavioral interventions can improve some quality of life domains, the quality of evidence was insufficient to support the notion that these interventions can improve the overall quality of life of HIV infected people receiving ART. Well-designed and rigorous randomized controlled trials with high methodological quality are required.

Technological characteristics of pre- and post-rigor deboned beef mixtures from Holstein steers and quality attributes of cooked beef sausage.

PubMed

Sukumaran, Anuraj T; Holtcamp, Alexander J; Campbell, Yan L; Burnett, Derris; Schilling, Mark W; Dinh, Thu T N

2018-06-07

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of deboning time (pre- and post-rigor), processing steps (grinding - GB; salting - SB; batter formulation - BB), and storage time on the quality of raw beef mixtures and vacuum-packaged cooked sausage, produced using a commercial formulation with 0.25% phosphate. The pH was greater in pre-rigor GB and SB than in post-rigor GB and SB (P < .001). However, deboning time had no effect on metmyoglobin reducing activity, cooking loss, and color of raw beef mixtures. Protein solubility of pre-rigor beef mixtures (124.26 mg/kg) was greater than that of post-rigor beef (113.93 mg/kg; P = .071). TBARS were increased in BB but decreased during vacuum storage of cooked sausage (P ≤ .018). Except for chewiness and saltiness being 52.9 N-mm and 0.3 points greater in post-rigor sausage (P = .040 and 0.054, respectively), texture profile analysis and trained panelists detected no difference in texture between pre- and post-rigor sausage. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Monitoring muscle optical scattering properties during rigor mortis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, J.; Ranasinghesagara, J.; Ku, C. W.; Yao, G.

2007-09-01

Sarcomere is the fundamental functional unit in skeletal muscle for force generation. In addition, sarcomere structure is also an important factor that affects the eating quality of muscle food, the meat. The sarcomere structure is altered significantly during rigor mortis, which is the critical stage involved in transforming muscle to meat. In this paper, we investigated optical scattering changes during the rigor process in Sternomandibularis muscles. The measured optical scattering parameters were analyzed along with the simultaneously measured passive tension, pH value, and histology analysis. We found that the temporal changes of optical scattering, passive tension, pH value and fiber microstructures were closely correlated during the rigor process. These results suggested that sarcomere structure changes during rigor mortis can be monitored and characterized by optical scattering, which may find practical applications in predicting meat quality.

COMP report: CPQR technical quality control guidelines for low-dose-rate permanent seed brachytherapy.

PubMed

Beaulieu, Luc; Radford, Dee-Ann; Eduardo Villarreal-Barajas, J

2018-03-14

The Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP), in close partnership with the Canadian Partnership for Quality Radiotherapy (CPQR) has developed a series of Technical Quality Control (TQC) guidelines for radiation treatment equipment. These guidelines outline the performance objectives that equipment should meet in order to ensure an acceptable level of radiation treatment quality. The TQC guidelines have been rigorously reviewed and field tested in a variety of Canadian radiation treatment facilities. The development process enables rapid review and update to keep the guidelines current with changes in technology. This article contains detailed performance objectives and safety criteria for low-dose-rate (LDR) permanent seed brachytherapy. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

SPRUCE Advanced Molecular Techniques Provide a Rigorous Method for Characterizing Organic Matter Quality in Complex Systems: Supporting Data

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

Wilson, Rachel M; Tfaily, Malak M

These data are provided in support of the Commentary, Advanced molecular techniques provide a rigorous method for characterizing organic matter quality in complex systems, Wilson and Tfaily (2018). Measurement results demonstrate that optical characterization of peatland dissolved organic matter (DOM) may not fully capture classically identified chemical characteristics and may, therefore, not be the best measure of organic matter quality.

Accountable Talk in Reading Comprehension Instruction. CSE Technical Report 670

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Mikyung Kim; Crosson, Amy C.; Resnick, Lauren B.

2006-01-01

This study examined the relationship between the quality of classroom talk and academic rigor in reading comprehension lessons. In addition, the study aimed to characterize effective questions to support rigorous reading comprehension lessons. The data were collected as a part of the Instructional Quality Assessment (IQA) pilot. The IQA is a…

Computational strategy for the solution of large strain nonlinear problems using the Wilkins explicit finite-difference approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hofmann, R.

1980-01-01

The STEALTH code system, which solves large strain, nonlinear continuum mechanics problems, was rigorously structured in both overall design and programming standards. The design is based on the theoretical elements of analysis while the programming standards attempt to establish a parallelism between physical theory, programming structure, and documentation. These features have made it easy to maintain, modify, and transport the codes. It has also guaranteed users a high level of quality control and quality assurance.

Rigor in Agricultural Education Research Reporting: Implications for the Discipline

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuhrman, Nicholas E.; Ladewig, Howard

2008-01-01

Agricultural education has been criticized for publishing research lacking many of the rigorous qualities found in publications of other disciplines. A few agricultural education researchers have suggested strategies for improving the rigor with which agricultural education studies report on methods and findings. The purpose of this study was to…

Classroom Talk for Rigorous Reading Comprehension Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Mikyung Kim; Crosson, Amy C.; Resnick, Lauren B.

2004-01-01

This study examined the quality of classroom talk and its relation to academic rigor in reading-comprehension lessons. Additionally, the study aimed to characterize effective questions to support rigorous reading comprehension lessons. The data for this study included 21 reading-comprehension lessons in several elementary and middle schools from…

Grades of Evidence: Variability in Quality of Findings in Effectiveness Studies of Complex Field Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatterji, Madhabi

2007-01-01

This article argues with a literature review that a simplistic distinction between strong and weak evidence hinged on the use of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the federal "gold standard" for generating rigorous evidence on social programs and policies, is not tenable with evaluative studies of complex, field interventions such as…

Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Hilton, Lara; Hempel, Susanne; Ewing, Brett A; Apaydin, Eric; Xenakis, Lea; Newberry, Sydne; Colaiaco, Ben; Maher, Alicia Ruelaz; Shanman, Roberta M; Sorbero, Melony E; Maglione, Margaret A

2017-04-01

Chronic pain patients increasingly seek treatment through mindfulness meditation. This study aims to synthesize evidence on efficacy and safety of mindfulness meditation interventions for the treatment of chronic pain in adults. We conducted a systematic review on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with meta-analyses using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman method for random-effects models. Quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. Outcomes included pain, depression, quality of life, and analgesic use. Thirty-eight RCTs met inclusion criteria; seven reported on safety. We found low-quality evidence that mindfulness meditation is associated with a small decrease in pain compared with all types of controls in 30 RCTs. Statistically significant effects were also found for depression symptoms and quality of life. While mindfulness meditation improves pain and depression symptoms and quality of life, additional well-designed, rigorous, and large-scale RCTs are needed to decisively provide estimates of the efficacy of mindfulness meditation for chronic pain.

Revisiting the scientific method to improve rigor and reproducibility of immunohistochemistry in reproductive science.

PubMed

Manuel, Sharrón L; Johnson, Brian W; Frevert, Charles W; Duncan, Francesca E

2018-04-21

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a robust scientific tool whereby cellular components are visualized within a tissue, and this method has been and continues to be a mainstay for many reproductive biologists. IHC is highly informative if performed and interpreted correctly, but studies have shown that the general use and reporting of appropriate controls in IHC experiments is low. This omission of the scientific method can result in data that lacks rigor and reproducibility. In this editorial, we highlight key concepts in IHC controls and describe an opportunity for our field to partner with the Histochemical Society to adopt their IHC guidelines broadly as researchers, authors, ad hoc reviewers, editorial board members, and editors-in-chief. Such cross-professional society interactions will ensure that we produce the highest quality data as new technologies emerge that still rely upon the foundations of classic histological and immunohistochemical principles.

Structural Biology of Proteins of the Multi-enzyme Assembly Human Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Objectives and research challenges of this effort include: 1. Need to establish Human Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex protein crystals; 2. Need to test value of microgravity for improving crystal quality of Human Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex protein crystals; 3. Need to improve flight hardware in order to control and understand the effects of microgravity on crystallization of Human Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex proteins; 4. Need to integrate sets of national collaborations with the restricted and specific requirements of flight experiments; 5. Need to establish a highly controlled experiment in microgravity with a rigor not yet obtained; 6. Need to communicate both the rigor of microgravity experiments and the scientific value of results obtained from microgravity experiments to the national community; and 7. Need to advance the understanding of Human Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex structures so that scientific and commercial advance is identified for these proteins.

Collaborative Evaluation of a High School Prevention Curriculum: How Methods of Collaborative Evaluation Enhanced a Randomized Control Trial to Inform Program Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orsini, Muhsin Michael; Wyrick, David L.; Milroy, Jeffrey J.

2012-01-01

Blending high-quality and rigorous research with pure evaluation practice can often be best accomplished through thoughtful collaboration. The evaluation of a high school drug prevention program (All Stars Senior) is an example of how perceived competing purposes and methodologies can coexist to investigate formative and summative outcome…

[Establishment of Quality Control System of Nucleic Acid Detection for Ebola Virus in Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory].

PubMed

Wang, Qin; Zhang, Yong; Nie, Kai; Wang, Huanyu; Du, Haijun; Song, Jingdong; Xiao, Kang; Lei, Wenwen; Guo, Jianqiang; Wei, Hejiang; Cai, Kun; Wang, Yanhai; Wu, Jiang; Gerald, Bangura; Kamara, Idrissa Laybohr; Liang, Mifang; Wu, Guizhen; Dong, Xiaoping

2016-03-01

The quality control process throughout the Ebola virus nucleic acid detection in Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory (SLE-CHN Biosafety Lab) was described in detail, in order to comprehensively display the scientific, rigorous, accurate and efficient practice in detection of Ebola virus of first batch detection team in SLE-CHN Biosafety Lab. Firstly, the key points of laboratory quality control system was described, including the managements and organizing, quality control documents and information management, instrument, reagents and supplies, assessment, facilities design and space allocation, laboratory maintenance and biosecurity. Secondly, the application of quality control methods in the whole process of the Ebola virus detection, including before the test, during the test and after the test, was analyzed. The excellent and professional laboratory staffs, the implementation of humanized management are the cornerstone of the success; High-level biological safety protection is the premise for effective quality control and completion of Ebola virus detection tasks. And professional logistics is prerequisite for launching the laboratory diagnosis of Ebola virus. The establishment and running of SLE-CHN Biosafety Lab has landmark significance for the friendship between Sierra Leone and China, and the lab becomes the most important base for Ebola virus laboratory testing in Sierra Leone.

Engagement, Alignment, and Rigor as Vital Signs of High-Quality Instruction: A Classroom Visit Protocol for Instructional Improvement and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Early, Diane M.; Rogge, Ronald D.; Deci, Edward L.

2014-01-01

This paper investigates engagement (E), alignment (A), and rigor (R) as vital signs of high-quality teacher instruction as measured by the EAR Classroom Visit Protocol, designed by the Institute for Research and Reform in Education (IRRE). Findings indicated that both school leaders and outside raters could learn to score the protocol with…

A Draft Conceptual Framework of Relevant Theories to Inform Future Rigorous Research on Student Service-Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitley, Meredith A.

2014-01-01

While the quality and quantity of research on service-learning has increased considerably over the past 20 years, researchers as well as governmental and funding agencies have called for more rigor in service-learning research. One key variable in improving rigor is using relevant existing theories to improve the research. The purpose of this…

Can Research Design Explain Variation in Head Start Research Results? A Meta-Analysis of Cognitive and Achievement Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shager, Hilary M.; Schindler, Holly S.; Magnuson, Katherine A.; Duncan, Greg J.; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Hart, Cassandra M. D.

2013-01-01

This study explores the extent to which differences in research design explain variation in Head Start program impacts. We employ meta-analytic techniques to predict effect sizes for cognitive and achievement outcomes as a function of the type and rigor of research design, quality and type of outcome measure, activity level of control group, and…

Three-dimensional printed upper-limb prostheses lack randomised controlled trials: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Diment, Laura E; Thompson, Mark S; Bergmann, Jeroen HM

2017-01-01

Background: Three-dimensional printing provides an exciting opportunity to customise upper-limb prostheses. Objective: This review summarises the research that assesses the efficacy and effectiveness of three-dimensional printed upper-limb prostheses. Study design: Systematic review. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science and OVID were systematically searched for studies that reported human trials of three-dimensional printed upper-limb prostheses. The studies matching the language, peer-review and relevance criteria were ranked by level of evidence and critically appraised using the Downs and Black Quality Index. Results: After removing duplicates, 321 records were identified. Eight papers met the inclusion criteria. No studies used controls; five were case studies and three were small case-series studies. All studies showed promising results, but none demonstrated external validity, avoidance of bias or statistically significant improvements over conventional prostheses. The studies demonstrated proof-of-concept rather than assessing efficacy, and the devices were designed to prioritise reduction of manufacturing costs, not customisability for comfort and function. Conclusion: The potential of three-dimensional printing for individual customisation has yet to be fully realised, and the efficacy and effectiveness to be rigorously assessed. Until randomised controlled trials with follow-up are performed, the comfort, functionality, durability and long-term effects on quality of life remain unknown. Clinical relevance Initial studies suggest that three-dimensional printing shows promise for customising low-cost upper-limb prosthetics. However, the efficacy and effectiveness of these devices have yet to be rigorously assessed. Until randomised controlled trials with follow-up are performed, the comfort, functionality, durability and long-term effects on patient quality of life remain unknown. PMID:28649911

Quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of caprine muscle with high and low meat quality.

PubMed

Liu, Manshun; Wei, Yanchao; Li, Xin; Quek, Siew Young; Zhao, Jing; Zhong, Huazhen; Zhang, Dequan; Liu, Yongfeng

2018-07-01

During the conversion of muscle to meat, protein phosphorylation can regulate various biological processes that have important effects on meat quality. To investigate the phosphorylation pattern of protein on rigor mortis, goat longissimus thoracis and external intercostals were classified into two groups (high quality and low quality), and meat quality was evaluated according to meat quality attributes (Warner-Bratzler shear force, Color, pH and drip loss). A quantitative mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomic study was conducted to analyze the caprine muscle at 12h postmortem applying the TiO 2 -SIMAC-HILIC (TiSH) phosphopeptide enrichment strategy. A total of 2125 phosphopeptides were identified from 750 phosphoproteins. Among them, 96 proteins had differed in phosphorylation levels. The majority of these proteins are involved in glucose metabolism and muscle contraction. The differential phosphorylation level of proteins (PFK, MYL2 and HSP27) in two groups may be the crucial factors of regulating muscle rigor mortis. This study provides a comprehensive view for the phosphorylation status of caprine muscle at rigor mortis, it also gives a better understanding of the regulation of protein phosphorylation on various biological processes that affect the final meat quality attributes. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

[Recommendations for the control of documents and the establishment of a documentary system].

PubMed

Vinner, E

2013-06-01

The quality management system that must be implemented in a MBL to meet the requirements of the standard NF EN ISO 15189 is based, among other things, on the creation and use by staff of a documentary system approved and updated. This documentary system is constituted by external documents (standards, suppliers' documents...) and internal documents (quality manual, procedures, instructions, technical and quality recordings...). A procedure of the documentary system control must be formalized. The documentary system should be modeled in order to identify the various procedures to be drafted and the incurred risks in the case a document would be missing in this system. Each document must be indexed in a unique way and document management must be carried out rigorously. The use of document management software is a great help to manage the life cycle of documents.

Optimising UAV topographic surveys processed with structure-from-motion: Ground control quality, quantity and bundle adjustment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, Mike R.; Robson, Stuart; d'Oleire-Oltmanns, Sebastian; Niethammer, Uwe

2016-04-01

Structure-from-motion (SfM) algorithms are greatly facilitating the production of detailed topographic models based on images collected by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, SfM-based software does not generally provide the rigorous photogrammetric analysis required to fully understand survey quality. Consequently, error related to problems in control point data or the distribution of control points can remain undiscovered. Even if these errors are not large in magnitude, they can be systematic, and thus have strong implications for the use of products such as digital elevation models (DEMs) and orthophotos. Here, we develop a Monte Carlo approach to (1) improve the accuracy of products when SfM-based processing is used and (2) reduce the associated field effort by identifying suitable lower density deployments of ground control points. The method highlights over-parameterisation during camera self-calibration and provides enhanced insight into control point performance when rigorous error metrics are not available. Processing was implemented using commonly-used SfM-based software (Agisoft PhotoScan), which we augment with semi-automated and automated GCPs image measurement. We apply the Monte Carlo method to two contrasting case studies - an erosion gully survey (Taurodont, Morocco) carried out with an fixed-wing UAV, and an active landslide survey (Super-Sauze, France), acquired using a manually controlled quadcopter. The results highlight the differences in the control requirements for the two sites, and we explore the implications for future surveys. We illustrate DEM sensitivity to critical processing parameters and show how the use of appropriate parameter values increases DEM repeatability and reduces the spatial variability of error due to processing artefacts.

Effects of Pre and Post-Rigor Marinade Injection on Some Quality Parameters of Longissimus Dorsi Muscles

PubMed Central

Fadıloğlu, Eylem Ezgi; Serdaroğlu, Meltem

2018-01-01

Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of pre and post-rigor marinade injections on some quality parameters of Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles. Three marinade formulations were prepared with 2% NaCl, 2% NaCl+0.5 M lactic acid and 2% NaCl+0.5 M sodium lactate. In this study marinade uptake, pH, free water, cooking loss, drip loss and color properties were analyzed. Injection time had significant effect on marinade uptake levels of samples. Regardless of marinate formulation, marinade uptake of pre-rigor samples injected with marinade solutions were higher than post rigor samples. Injection of sodium lactate increased pH values of samples whereas lactic acid injection decreased pH. Marinade treatment and storage period had significant effect on cooking loss. At each evaluation period interaction between marinade treatment and injection time showed different effect on free water content. Storage period and marinade application had significant effect on drip loss values. Drip loss in all samples increased during the storage. During all storage days, lowest CIE L* value was found in pre-rigor samples injected with sodium lactate. Lactic acid injection caused color fade in pre-rigor and post-rigor samples. Interaction between marinade treatment and storage period was found statistically significant (p<0.05). At day 0 and 3, the lowest CIE b* values obtained pre-rigor samples injected with sodium lactate and there were no differences were found in other samples. At day 6, no significant differences were found in CIE b* values of all samples. PMID:29805282

Effects of Pre and Post-Rigor Marinade Injection on Some Quality Parameters of Longissimus Dorsi Muscles.

PubMed

Fadıloğlu, Eylem Ezgi; Serdaroğlu, Meltem

2018-04-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of pre and post-rigor marinade injections on some quality parameters of Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles. Three marinade formulations were prepared with 2% NaCl, 2% NaCl+0.5 M lactic acid and 2% NaCl+0.5 M sodium lactate. In this study marinade uptake, pH, free water, cooking loss, drip loss and color properties were analyzed. Injection time had significant effect on marinade uptake levels of samples. Regardless of marinate formulation, marinade uptake of pre-rigor samples injected with marinade solutions were higher than post rigor samples. Injection of sodium lactate increased pH values of samples whereas lactic acid injection decreased pH. Marinade treatment and storage period had significant effect on cooking loss. At each evaluation period interaction between marinade treatment and injection time showed different effect on free water content. Storage period and marinade application had significant effect on drip loss values. Drip loss in all samples increased during the storage. During all storage days, lowest CIE L* value was found in pre-rigor samples injected with sodium lactate. Lactic acid injection caused color fade in pre-rigor and post-rigor samples. Interaction between marinade treatment and storage period was found statistically significant ( p <0.05). At day 0 and 3, the lowest CIE b* values obtained pre-rigor samples injected with sodium lactate and there were no differences were found in other samples. At day 6, no significant differences were found in CIE b* values of all samples.

Fast Response Shape Memory Effect Titanium Nickel (TiNi) Foam Torque Tubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jardine, Peter

2014-01-01

Shape Change Technologies has developed a process to manufacture net-shaped TiNi foam torque tubes that demonstrate the shape memory effect. The torque tubes dramatically reduce response time by a factor of 10. This Phase II project matured the actuator technology by rigorously characterizing the process to optimize the quality of the TiNi and developing a set of metrics to provide ISO 9002 quality assurance. A laboratory virtual instrument engineering workbench (LabVIEW'TM')-based, real-time control of the torsional actuators was developed. These actuators were developed with The Boeing Company for aerospace applications.

Development and expansion of high-quality control region databases to improve forensic mtDNA evidence interpretation.

PubMed

Irwin, Jodi A; Saunier, Jessica L; Strouss, Katharine M; Sturk, Kimberly A; Diegoli, Toni M; Just, Rebecca S; Coble, Michael D; Parson, Walther; Parsons, Thomas J

2007-06-01

In an effort to increase the quantity, breadth and availability of mtDNA databases suitable for forensic comparisons, we have developed a high-throughput process to generate approximately 5000 control region sequences per year from regional US populations, global populations from which the current US population is derived and global populations currently under-represented in available forensic databases. The system utilizes robotic instrumentation for all laboratory steps from pre-extraction through sequence detection, and a rigorous eight-step, multi-laboratory data review process with entirely electronic data transfer. Over the past 3 years, nearly 10,000 control region sequences have been generated using this approach. These data are being made publicly available and should further address the need for consistent, high-quality mtDNA databases for forensic testing.

Meat quality and rigor mortis development in broiler chickens with gas-induced anoxia and postmortem electrical stimulation.

PubMed

Sams, A R; Dzuik, C S

1999-10-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the combined rigor-accelerating effects of postmortem electrical stimulation (ES) and argon-induced anoxia (Ar) of broiler chickens. One hundred broilers were processed in the following treatments: untreated controls, ES, Ar, or Ar with ES (Ar + ES). Breast fillets were harvested at 1 h postmortem for all treatments or at 1 and 6 h postmortem for the control carcasses. Fillets were sampled for pH and ratio of inosine to adenosine (R-value) and were then individually quick frozen (IQF) or aged on ice (AOI) until 24 h postmortem. Color was measured in the AOI fillets at 24 h postmortem. All fillets were then cooked and evaluated for Allo-Kramer shear value. The Ar treatment accelerated the normal pH decline, whereas the ES and AR + ES treatments yielded even lower pH values at 1 h postmortem. The Ar + ES treatment had a greater R-value than the ES treatment, which was greater than either the Ar or 1-h controls, which, in turn, were not different from each other. The ES treatment had the lowest L* value, and ES, Ar, and Ar + ES produced significantly higher a* values than the 1-h controls. For the IQF fillets, the ES and Ar + ES treatments were not different in shear value but were lower than Ar, which was lower than the 1-h controls. The same was true for the AOI fillets except that the ES and the Ar treatments were not different. These results indicated that although ES and Ar had rigor-accelerating and tenderizing effects, ES seemed to be more effective than Ar; there was little enhancement when Ar was added to the ES treatment and fillets were deboned at 1 h postmortem.

Quality control of FWC during assembly and commissioning in SST-1 Tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Hitesh; Santra, Prosenjit; Parekh, Tejas; Biswas, Prabal; Jayswal, Snehal; Chauhan, Pradeep; Paravastu, Yuvakiran; George, Siju; Semwal, Pratibha; Thankey, Prashant; Ramesh, Gattu; Prakash, Arun; Dhanani, Kalpesh; Raval, D. C.; Khan, Ziauddin; Pradhan, Subrata

2017-04-01

First Wall Components (FWC) of SST-1 tokamak, which are in the immediate vicinity of plasma, comprises of limiters, divertors, baffles, passive stabilizers designed to operate long duration (∼1000 s) discharges of elongated plasma. All FWC consist of copper alloy heat sink modules with SS cooling tubes brazed onto it, graphite tiles acting as armour material facing the plasma, and are mounted to the vacuum vessels with suitable Inconel support structures at inter-connected ring & port locations. The FWC are very recently assembled and commissioned successfully inside the vacuum vessel of SST-1 undergoing a rigorous quality control and checks at every stage of the assembly process. This paper will present the quality control aspects and checks of FWC from commencement of assembly procedure, namely material test reports, leak testing of high temperature baked components, assembled dimensional tolerances, leak testing of all welded joints, graphite tile tightening torques, electrical continuity and electrical isolation of passive stabilizers from vacuum vessel, baking and cooling hydraulic connections inside vacuum vessel.

Novel Image Quality Control Systems(Add-On). Innovative Computational Methods for Inverse Problems in Optical and SAR Imaging

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-02-28

Iterative Ultrasonic Signal and Image Deconvolution for Estimation of the Complex Medium Response, International Journal of Imaging Systems and...1767-1782, 2006. 31. Z. Mu, R. Plemmons, and P. Santago. Iterative Ultrasonic Signal and Image Deconvolution for Estimation of the Complex...rigorous mathematical and computational research on inverse problems in optical imaging of direct interest to the Army and also the intelligence agencies

Scater: pre-processing, quality control, normalization and visualization of single-cell RNA-seq data in R.

PubMed

McCarthy, Davis J; Campbell, Kieran R; Lun, Aaron T L; Wills, Quin F

2017-04-15

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is increasingly used to study gene expression at the level of individual cells. However, preparing raw sequence data for further analysis is not a straightforward process. Biases, artifacts and other sources of unwanted variation are present in the data, requiring substantial time and effort to be spent on pre-processing, quality control (QC) and normalization. We have developed the R/Bioconductor package scater to facilitate rigorous pre-processing, quality control, normalization and visualization of scRNA-seq data. The package provides a convenient, flexible workflow to process raw sequencing reads into a high-quality expression dataset ready for downstream analysis. scater provides a rich suite of plotting tools for single-cell data and a flexible data structure that is compatible with existing tools and can be used as infrastructure for future software development. The open-source code, along with installation instructions, vignettes and case studies, is available through Bioconductor at http://bioconductor.org/packages/scater . davis@ebi.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Experimental evaluation of rigor mortis. VII. Effect of ante- and post-mortem electrocution on the evolution of rigor mortis.

PubMed

Krompecher, T; Bergerioux, C

1988-01-01

The influence of electrocution on the evolution of rigor mortis was studied on rats. Our experiments showed that: (1) Electrocution hastens the onset of rigor mortis. After an electrocution of 90 s, a complete rigor develops already 1 h post-mortem (p.m.) compared to 5 h p.m. for the controls. (2) Electrocution hastens the passing of rigor mortis. After an electrocution of 90 s, the first significant decrease occurs at 3 h p.m. (8 h p.m. in the controls). (3) These modifications in rigor mortis evolution are less pronounced in the limbs not directly touched by the electric current. (4) In case of post-mortem electrocution, the changes are slightly less pronounced, the resistance is higher and the absorbed energy is lower as compared with the ante-mortem electrocution cases. The results are completed by two practical observations on human electrocution cases.

Information without Implementation: A Practical Example for Developing a Best Practice Education Control Group.

PubMed

Balderson, Benjamin H; McCurry, Susan M; Vitiello, Michael V; Shortreed, Susan M; Rybarczyk, Bruce D; Keefe, Francis J; Korff, Michael Von

2016-01-01

This article considers methodology for developing an education-only control group and proposes a simple approach to designing rigorous and well-accepted control groups. This approach is demonstrated in a large randomized trial. The Lifestyles trial (n = 367) compared three group interventions: (a) cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for osteoarthritis pain, (b) CBT for osteoarthritis pain and insomnia, and (c) education-only control (EOC). EOC emulated the interventions excluding hypothesized treatment components and controlling for nonspecific treatment effects. Results showed this approach resulted in a control group that was highly credible and acceptable to patients. This approach can be an effective and practical guide for developing high-quality control groups in trials of behavioral interventions.

Support for improved quality control but misplaced criticism of GBR science. Reply to viewpoint "The need for a formalised system of Quality Control for environmental policy-science" by P. Larcombe and P. Ridd (Marine Pollution Bulletin 126: 449-461, 2018).

PubMed

Schaffelke, Britta; Fabricius, Katharina; Kroon, Frederieke; Brodie, Jon; De'ath, Glenn; Shaw, Roger; Tarte, Diane; Warne, Michael; Thorburn, Peter

2018-04-01

This is a response to the published Viewpoint by Larcombe and Ridd (2018). We agree with Larcombe and Ridd (2018) that scientific merit goes hand in hand with rigorous quality control. However, we are responding here to several points raised by Larcombe and Ridd (2018) which in our view were misrepresented. We describe the formal and effective science review, synthesis and advice processes that are in place for science supporting decision-making in the Great Barrier Reef. We also respond in detail to critiques of selected publications that were used by Larcombe and Ridd (2018) as a case study to illustrate shortcomings in science quality control. We provide evidence that their representation of the published research and arguments to support the statement that "many (…) conclusions are demonstrably incorrect" is based on misinterpretation, selective use of data and over-simplification, and also ignores formal responses to previously published critiques. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A Randomized Study of How Physicians Interpret Research Funding Disclosures

PubMed Central

Kesselheim, Aaron S.; Robertson, Christopher T.; Myers, Jessica A.; Rose, Susannah L.; Gillet, Victoria; Ross, Kathryn M.; Glynn, Robert J.; Joffe, Steven; Avorn, Jerry

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND The effects of clinical-trial funding on the interpretation of trial results are poorly understood. We examined how such support affects physicians’ reactions to trials with a high, medium, or low level of methodologic rigor. METHODS We presented 503 board-certified internists with abstracts that we designed describing clinical trials of three hypothetical drugs. The trials had high, medium, or low methodologic rigor, and each report included one of three support disclosures: funding from a pharmaceutical company, NIH funding, or none. For both factors studied (rigor and funding), one of the three possible variations was randomly selected for inclusion in the abstracts. Follow-up questions assessed the physicians’ impressions of the trials’ rigor, their confidence in the results, and their willingness to prescribe the drugs. RESULTS The 269 respondents (53.5% response rate) perceived the level of study rigor accurately. Physicians reported that they would be less willing to prescribe drugs tested in low-rigor trials than those tested in medium-rigor trials (odds ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.46 to 0.89; P = 0.008) and would be more willing to prescribe drugs tested in high-rigor trials than those tested in medium-rigor trials (odds ratio, 3.07; 95% CI, 2.18 to 4.32; P<0.001). Disclosure of industry funding, as compared with no disclosure of funding, led physicians to downgrade the rigor of a trial (odds ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.87; P = 0.006), their confidence in the results (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51 to 0.98; P = 0.04), and their willingness to prescribe the hypothetical drugs (odds ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.94; P = 0.02). Physicians were half as willing to prescribe drugs studied in industry-funded trials as they were to prescribe drugs studied in NIH-funded trials (odds ratio, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.71; P<0.001). These effects were consistent across all levels of methodologic rigor. CONCLUSIONS Physicians discriminate among trials of varying degrees of rigor, but industry sponsorship negatively influences their perception of methodologic quality and reduces their willingness to believe and act on trial findings, independently of the trial’s quality. These effects may influence the translation of clinical research into practice. PMID:22992075

Pharmaceuticals in Australia: priorities in a teaching hospital.

PubMed

Kearney, B J

1993-01-01

In spite of rigorous government programs for control of the pricing and dissemination of pharmaceutical products in Australia, the list of new drugs continues to grow and prices to increase. To regain control over drug usage at Royal Adelaide Hospital, the Hospital Drug Committee developed a rating method that judged drugs on the basis of their cost-benefit to patients. The ratio of a total quality score to a total cost score becomes the determinant of additions to the hospital formulary. The background for the Australian approach to pharmaceuticals and the new evaluation technique at the teaching hospital are described in this report.

Direct infusion mass spectrometry metabolomics dataset: a benchmark for data processing and quality control

PubMed Central

Kirwan, Jennifer A; Weber, Ralf J M; Broadhurst, David I; Viant, Mark R

2014-01-01

Direct-infusion mass spectrometry (DIMS) metabolomics is an important approach for characterising molecular responses of organisms to disease, drugs and the environment. Increasingly large-scale metabolomics studies are being conducted, necessitating improvements in both bioanalytical and computational workflows to maintain data quality. This dataset represents a systematic evaluation of the reproducibility of a multi-batch DIMS metabolomics study of cardiac tissue extracts. It comprises of twenty biological samples (cow vs. sheep) that were analysed repeatedly, in 8 batches across 7 days, together with a concurrent set of quality control (QC) samples. Data are presented from each step of the workflow and are available in MetaboLights. The strength of the dataset is that intra- and inter-batch variation can be corrected using QC spectra and the quality of this correction assessed independently using the repeatedly-measured biological samples. Originally designed to test the efficacy of a batch-correction algorithm, it will enable others to evaluate novel data processing algorithms. Furthermore, this dataset serves as a benchmark for DIMS metabolomics, derived using best-practice workflows and rigorous quality assessment. PMID:25977770

Adding Rigor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Ronald; Blackburn, Barbara R.

2009-01-01

A school leader's most visible role is the manager of the day-to-day operations of a school. A less visible but far more important role is that of an instructional leader who works with teachers and other staff members to ensure that every student has a high-quality, rigorous academic experience. Ensuring that schools and classrooms are rigorous…

Climate Change: Providing Equitable Access to a Rigorous and Engaging Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cardichon, Jessica; Roc, Martens

2013-01-01

This report examines how implementing rigorous and engaging curriculum aligned with college- and career-ready standards fosters positive school climates in which students are motivated to succeed, achievement gaps narrow, and learning and outcomes improve. It includes federal, state, and local recommendations for increasing access to high-quality,…

Classroom Climate, Rigorous Instruction and Curriculum, and Students' Interactions in Urban Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matsumura, Lindsay Clare; Slater, Sharon Cadman; Crosson, Amy

2008-01-01

In this study we investigated the relation of rigorous instructional practices and teachers' efforts to create a respectful, collaborative learning environment to students' positive behavior toward one another and to the rate and quality of students' participation in classroom discussions. Full class period (i.e., 50-minute) observations of…

Strategies Leaders Can Use to Improve Rigor in Their Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Ronald; Blackburn, Barbara R.

2009-01-01

Concern about rigor is not new. Since the release of "A Nation At Risk" (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983) the debate about the quality of America's schools has grown exponentially. This debate calls for dramatically different schools, schools that are much more responsive to student need, and provide a rigorous…

Health Promotion in Small Business

PubMed Central

McCoy, Kira; Stinson, Kaylan; Scott, Kenneth; Tenney, Liliana; Newman, Lee S.

2015-01-01

Objective To assess the evidence regarding the adoption and efficacy of worksite health promotion programs (WHPPs) in small businesses. Methods Peer-reviewed research articles were identified from a database search. Included articles were published before July 2013, described a study that used an experimental or quasiexperimental design and either assessed adoption of WHPPs or conducted interventions in businesses with fewer than 500 employees. A review team scored the study’s rigor using the WHO-adapted GRADEprofiler “quality of evidence” criteria. Results Of the 84 retrieved articles, 19 met study inclusion criteria. Of these, only two met criteria for high rigor. Conclusions Fewer small businesses adopt WHPPs compared with large businesses. Two high-rigor studies found that employees were healthier postintervention. Higher quality research is needed to better understand why small businesses rarely adopt wellness programs and to demonstrate the value of such programs. PMID:24905421

Quality and rigor of the concept mapping methodology: a pooled study analysis.

PubMed

Rosas, Scott R; Kane, Mary

2012-05-01

The use of concept mapping in research and evaluation has expanded dramatically over the past 20 years. Researchers in academic, organizational, and community-based settings have applied concept mapping successfully without the benefit of systematic analyses across studies to identify the features of a methodologically sound study. Quantitative characteristics and estimates of quality and rigor that may guide for future studies are lacking. To address this gap, we conducted a pooled analysis of 69 concept mapping studies to describe characteristics across study phases, generate specific indicators of validity and reliability, and examine the relationship between select study characteristics and quality indicators. Individual study characteristics and estimates were pooled and quantitatively summarized, describing the distribution, variation and parameters for each. In addition, variation in the concept mapping data collection in relation to characteristics and estimates was examined. Overall, results suggest concept mapping yields strong internal representational validity and very strong sorting and rating reliability estimates. Validity and reliability were consistently high despite variation in participation and task completion percentages across data collection modes. The implications of these findings as a practical reference to assess the quality and rigor for future concept mapping studies are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optical diffraction by ordered 2D arrays of silica microspheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shcherbakov, A. A.; Shavdina, O.; Tishchenko, A. V.; Veillas, C.; Verrier, I.; Dellea, O.; Jourlin, Y.

2017-03-01

The article presents experimental and theoretical studies of angular dependent diffraction properties of 2D monolayer arrays of silica microspheres. High-quality large area defect-free monolayers of 1 μm diameter silica microspheres were deposited by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique under an accurate optical control. Measured angular dependencies of zeroth and one of the first order diffraction efficiencies produced by deposited samples were simulated by the rigorous Generalized Source Method taking into account particle size dispersion and lattice nonideality.

Food and Drug Administration regulation and evaluation of vaccines.

PubMed

Marshall, Valerie; Baylor, Norman W

2011-05-01

The vaccine-approval process in the United States is regulated by the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research of the US Food and Drug Administration. Throughout the life cycle of development, from preclinical studies to after licensure, vaccines are subject to rigorous testing and oversight. Manufacturers must adhere to good manufacturing practices and control procedures to ensure the quality of vaccines. As mandated by Title 21 of the Code of Regulations, licensed vaccines must meet stringent criteria for safety, efficacy, and potency.

Effects of yoga exercises for headaches: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

PubMed Central

Kim, Sang-Dol

2015-01-01

[Purpose] To assess the evidence for the effectiveness of yoga exercises in the management of headaches. [Subjects and Methods] A search was conducted of six electronic databases to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting the effects of yogic intervention on headaches published in any language before January 2015. Quality assessment was conducted using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. [Results] One potential trial was identified and included in this review. The quality critical appraisal indicated a moderate risk of bias. The available data could only be included as a narrative description. Headache intensity and frequency, anxiety and depression scores, and symptomatic medication use were significantly lower in the yoga group compared to the control group. [Conclusion] There is evidence from one RCT that yoga exercises may be beneficial for headaches. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of RCTs. Therefore, further rigorous methodological and high quality RCTs are required to investigate the hypothesis that yoga exercises alleviate headaches, and to confirm and further comprehend the effects of standardized yoga programs on headaches. PMID:26311986

Useful, Used, and Peer Approved: The Importance of Rigor and Accessibility in Postsecondary Research and Evaluation. WISCAPE Viewpoints

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaade, Elizabeth; McCready, Bo

2012-01-01

Traditionally, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners have perceived a tension between rigor and accessibility in quantitative research and evaluation in postsecondary education. However, this study indicates that both producers and consumers of these studies value high-quality work and clear findings that can reach multiple audiences. The…

Muscle structure, sarcomere length and influences on meat quality: A review.

PubMed

Ertbjerg, Per; Puolanne, Eero

2017-10-01

The basic contractile unit of muscle, the sarcomere, will contract as the muscle goes into rigor post-mortem. Depending on the conditions, such as the rate of pH decline, the cooling rate and the mechanical restraints on the muscles, this longitudinal shortening will result in various post-mortem sarcomere lengths as well as lateral differences in the distances between the myosin and actin filaments. This shortening is underlying the phenomena described as rigor contraction, thaw rigor, cold shortening and heat shortening. The shortening in combination with the molecular architecture of the sarcomere as defined by the myosin filaments and their S-1 and S-2 units, the interaction with the actin filaments, and the boundaries formed by the Z-disks will subsequently influence basic meat quality traits including tenderness and water-holding capacity. Biochemical reactions from proteolysis and glycogen metabolism interrelate with the sarcomere length in a complex manner. The sarcomere length is also influencing the eating quality of cooked meat and the water-holding in meat products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health promotion in small business: a systematic review of factors influencing adoption and effectiveness of worksite wellness programs.

PubMed

McCoy, Kira; Stinson, Kaylan; Scott, Kenneth; Tenney, Liliana; Newman, Lee S

2014-06-01

To assess the evidence regarding the adoption and efficacy of worksite health promotion programs (WHPPs) in small businesses. Peer-reviewed research articles were identified from a database search. Included articles were published before July 2013, described a study that used an experimental or quasiexperimental design and either assessed adoption of WHPPs or conducted interventions in businesses with fewer than 500 employees. A review team scored the study's rigor using the WHO-adapted GRADEprofiler "quality of evidence" criteria. Of the 84 retrieved articles, 19 met study inclusion criteria. Of these, only two met criteria for high rigor. Fewer small businesses adopt WHPPs compared with large businesses. Two high-rigor studies found that employees were healthier postintervention. Higher quality research is needed to better understand why small businesses rarely adopt wellness programs and to demonstrate the value of such programs.

The need for a formalised system of Quality Control for environmental policy-science.

PubMed

Larcombe, Piers; Ridd, Peter

2018-01-01

Research science used to inform public policy decisions, herein defined as "Policy-Science", is rarely subjected to rigorous checking, testing and replication. Studies of biomedical and other sciences indicate that a considerable fraction of published peer-reviewed scientific literature, perhaps half, has significant flaws. To demonstrate the potential failings of the present approaches to scientific Quality Control (QC), we describe examples of science associated with perceived threats to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. There appears a serious risk of efforts to improve the health of the GBR being directed inefficiently and/or away from the more serious threats. We suggest the need for a new organisation to undertake quality reviews and audits of important scientific results that underpin government spending decisions on the environment. Logically, such a body could also examine policy science in other key areas where governments rely heavily upon scientific results, such as education, health and criminology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outcomes in controlled and comparative studies on non-healing wounds: recommendations to improve the quality of evidence in wound management.

PubMed

Gottrup, F; Apelqvist, J; Price, P

2010-06-01

While there is a consensus that clinical practice should be evidence based, this can be difficult to achieve due to confusion about the value of the various approaches to wound management. To address this, the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) set up a Patient Outcome Group whose remit was to produce recommendations on clinical data collection in wound care. This document, produced by the group and disseminated by JWC, identifies criteria for producing rigorous outcomes in both randomised controlled trials and clinical studies, and describes how to ensure studies are consistent and reproducible.

Assessing accuracy and precision for field and laboratory data: a perspective in ecosystem restoration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stapanian, Martin A.; Lewis, Timothy E; Palmer, Craig J.; Middlebrook Amos, Molly

2016-01-01

Unlike most laboratory studies, rigorous quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures may be lacking in ecosystem restoration (“ecorestoration”) projects, despite legislative mandates in the United States. This is due, in part, to ecorestoration specialists making the false assumption that some types of data (e.g. discrete variables such as species identification and abundance classes) are not subject to evaluations of data quality. Moreover, emergent behavior manifested by complex, adapting, and nonlinear organizations responsible for monitoring the success of ecorestoration projects tend to unconsciously minimize disorder, QA/QC being an activity perceived as creating disorder. We discuss similarities and differences in assessing precision and accuracy for field and laboratory data. Although the concepts for assessing precision and accuracy of ecorestoration field data are conceptually the same as laboratory data, the manner in which these data quality attributes are assessed is different. From a sample analysis perspective, a field crew is comparable to a laboratory instrument that requires regular “recalibration,” with results obtained by experts at the same plot treated as laboratory calibration standards. Unlike laboratory standards and reference materials, the “true” value for many field variables is commonly unknown. In the laboratory, specific QA/QC samples assess error for each aspect of the measurement process, whereas field revisits assess precision and accuracy of the entire data collection process following initial calibration. Rigorous QA/QC data in an ecorestoration project are essential for evaluating the success of a project, and they provide the only objective “legacy” of the dataset for potential legal challenges and future uses.

Quality control and conduct of genome-wide association meta-analyses.

PubMed

Winkler, Thomas W; Day, Felix R; Croteau-Chonka, Damien C; Wood, Andrew R; Locke, Adam E; Mägi, Reedik; Ferreira, Teresa; Fall, Tove; Graff, Mariaelisa; Justice, Anne E; Luan, Jian'an; Gustafsson, Stefan; Randall, Joshua C; Vedantam, Sailaja; Workalemahu, Tsegaselassie; Kilpeläinen, Tuomas O; Scherag, André; Esko, Tonu; Kutalik, Zoltán; Heid, Iris M; Loos, Ruth J F

2014-05-01

Rigorous organization and quality control (QC) are necessary to facilitate successful genome-wide association meta-analyses (GWAMAs) of statistics aggregated across multiple genome-wide association studies. This protocol provides guidelines for (i) organizational aspects of GWAMAs, and for (ii) QC at the study file level, the meta-level across studies and the meta-analysis output level. Real-world examples highlight issues experienced and solutions developed by the GIANT Consortium that has conducted meta-analyses including data from 125 studies comprising more than 330,000 individuals. We provide a general protocol for conducting GWAMAs and carrying out QC to minimize errors and to guarantee maximum use of the data. We also include details for the use of a powerful and flexible software package called EasyQC. Precise timings will be greatly influenced by consortium size. For consortia of comparable size to the GIANT Consortium, this protocol takes a minimum of about 10 months to complete.

Quality control and conduct of genome-wide association meta-analyses

PubMed Central

Winkler, Thomas W; Day, Felix R; Croteau-Chonka, Damien C; Wood, Andrew R; Locke, Adam E; Mägi, Reedik; Ferreira, Teresa; Fall, Tove; Graff, Mariaelisa; Justice, Anne E; Luan, Jian'an; Gustafsson, Stefan; Randall, Joshua C; Vedantam, Sailaja; Workalemahu, Tsegaselassie; Kilpeläinen, Tuomas O; Scherag, André; Esko, Tonu; Kutalik, Zoltán; Heid, Iris M; Loos, Ruth JF

2014-01-01

Rigorous organization and quality control (QC) are necessary to facilitate successful genome-wide association meta-analyses (GWAMAs) of statistics aggregated across multiple genome-wide association studies. This protocol provides guidelines for [1] organizational aspects of GWAMAs, and for [2] QC at the study file level, the meta-level across studies, and the meta-analysis output level. Real–world examples highlight issues experienced and solutions developed by the GIANT Consortium that has conducted meta-analyses including data from 125 studies comprising more than 330,000 individuals. We provide a general protocol for conducting GWAMAs and carrying out QC to minimize errors and to guarantee maximum use of the data. We also include details for use of a powerful and flexible software package called EasyQC. For consortia of comparable size to the GIANT consortium, the present protocol takes a minimum of about 10 months to complete. PMID:24762786

Feasibility, appropriateness, meaningfulness and effectiveness of patient participation at bedside shift reporting: mixed-method research protocol.

PubMed

Malfait, Simon; Eeckloo, Kristof; Lust, Elisa; Van Biesen, Wim; Van Hecke, Ann

2017-02-01

To evaluate the feasibility, appropriateness, meaningfulness and effectiveness of bedside shift reporting in a minimum of five interventions and five control wards. Hospitals continually improve their quality of care. Next to improvements in clinical performance, more patient participation is stimulated through different methods. Methods to enhance patient participation such as bedside shift reporting lack rigorously performed research to determine their feasibility, appropriateness, meaningfulness and effectiveness. Small-scale research and a previous pilot study indicate that bedside shift reporting improves patient participation, nurse-nurse communication and nurse-patient communication. The development, implementation and evaluation of bedside shift report are based on the Medical Research Council framework for complex interventions in health care. A matched, controlled, mixed-method, longitudinal study design will be used. The Feasibility-Appropriateness-Meaningfulness-Effectiveness framework will be applied for the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of bedside shift report. A tailored intervention and implementation process for bedside shift report will be developed using diagnostic interviews, co-design and acceptability testing. The intervention will be evaluated before implementation and three times after implementation. Individual and focus group interviews will be performed. Questionnaires, observations and analysis of the medical records and administrative databases will be completed. This study was funded in October 2015. Research Ethics Committee approval was granted in March 2016. There is a pressing need for rigorous research into the effects of interventions for improving patient participation. This study addresses the significance of bedside shift report as an intervention to improve quality of care, communication and patient participation within a large-scale, matched, controlled research design. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Experimental evaluation of rigor mortis IX. The influence of the breaking (mechanical solution) on the development of rigor mortis.

PubMed

Krompecher, Thomas; Gilles, André; Brandt-Casadevall, Conception; Mangin, Patrice

2008-04-07

Objective measurements were carried out to study the possible re-establishment of rigor mortis on rats after "breaking" (mechanical solution). Our experiments showed that: *Cadaveric rigidity can re-establish after breaking. *A significant rigidity can reappear if the breaking occurs before the process is complete. *Rigidity will be considerably weaker after the breaking. *The time course of the intensity does not change in comparison to the controls: --the re-establishment begins immediately after the breaking; --maximal values are reached at the same time as in the controls; --the course of the resolution is the same as in the controls.

Liquid Scintillator Production for the NOvA Experiment

DOE PAGES

Mufson, S.; Baugh, B.; Bower, C.; ...

2015-04-15

The NOvA collaboration blended and delivered 8.8 kt (2.72M gal) of liquid scintillator as the active detector medium to its near and far detectors. The composition of this scintillator was specifically developed to satisfy NOvA's performance requirements. A rigorous set of quality control procedures was put in place to verify that the incoming components and the blended scintillator met these requirements. The scintillator was blended commercially in Hammond, IN. The scintillator was shipped to the NOvA detectors using dedicated stainless steel tanker trailers cleaned to food grade.

Statistical process control: separating signal from noise in emergency department operations.

PubMed

Pimentel, Laura; Barrueto, Fermin

2015-05-01

Statistical process control (SPC) is a visually appealing and statistically rigorous methodology very suitable to the analysis of emergency department (ED) operations. We demonstrate that the control chart is the primary tool of SPC; it is constructed by plotting data measuring the key quality indicators of operational processes in rationally ordered subgroups such as units of time. Control limits are calculated using formulas reflecting the variation in the data points from one another and from the mean. SPC allows managers to determine whether operational processes are controlled and predictable. We review why the moving range chart is most appropriate for use in the complex ED milieu, how to apply SPC to ED operations, and how to determine when performance improvement is needed. SPC is an excellent tool for operational analysis and quality improvement for these reasons: 1) control charts make large data sets intuitively coherent by integrating statistical and visual descriptions; 2) SPC provides analysis of process stability and capability rather than simple comparison with a benchmark; 3) SPC allows distinction between special cause variation (signal), indicating an unstable process requiring action, and common cause variation (noise), reflecting a stable process; and 4) SPC keeps the focus of quality improvement on process rather than individual performance. Because data have no meaning apart from their context, and every process generates information that can be used to improve it, we contend that SPC should be seriously considered for driving quality improvement in emergency medicine. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Addressing the Wicked Problem of Quality in Higher Education: Theoretical Approaches and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krause, Kerri-Lee

2012-01-01

This article explores the wicked problem of quality in higher education, arguing for a more robust theorising of the subject at national, institutional and local department level. The focus of the discussion rests on principles for theorising in more rigorous ways about the multidimensional issue of quality. Quality in higher education is proposed…

Do psychological interventions reduce depression in hemodialysis patients?: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials following PRISMA.

PubMed

Xing, Lu; Chen, Ruiqi; Diao, Yongshu; Qian, Jiahui; You, Chao; Jiang, Xiaolian

2016-08-01

Depression is highly prevalent in hemodialysis patients and results in poor patient outcomes. Although psychological interventions are being developed and used for these patients, there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of these interventions. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the effects of psychological interventions on depression treatment in hemodialysis patients. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) relevant to the depression treatment of hemodialysis patients through psychological interventions were retrieved from the following databases: Embase, Pubmed, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The reference lists of identified RCTs were also screened. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to evaluate the quality of the studies, RevMan (5.3) was used to analyze the data, and the evidence quality of the combined results was evaluated using GRADE (3.6.1). Eight RCTs were included. The combined results showed that psychological interventions significantly reduced the scores of the Beck Depression Inventory (P<0.001) and interdialysis weight gain (P<0.001). However, due to the high heterogeneity, effect size combinations of sleep quality and quality of life were not performed. Psychological interventions may reduce the degree of depression and improve fluid intake restriction adherence. More rigorously designed research is needed.

Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 6: risk of bias assessment.

PubMed

Waddington, Hugh; Aloe, Ariel M; Becker, Betsy Jane; Djimeu, Eric W; Hombrados, Jorge Garcia; Tugwell, Peter; Wells, George; Reeves, Barney

2017-09-01

Rigorous and transparent bias assessment is a core component of high-quality systematic reviews. We assess modifications to existing risk of bias approaches to incorporate rigorous quasi-experimental approaches with selection on unobservables. These are nonrandomized studies using design-based approaches to control for unobservable sources of confounding such as difference studies, instrumental variables, interrupted time series, natural experiments, and regression-discontinuity designs. We review existing risk of bias tools. Drawing on these tools, we present domains of bias and suggest directions for evaluation questions. The review suggests that existing risk of bias tools provide, to different degrees, incomplete transparent criteria to assess the validity of these designs. The paper then presents an approach to evaluating the internal validity of quasi-experiments with selection on unobservables. We conclude that tools for nonrandomized studies of interventions need to be further developed to incorporate evaluation questions for quasi-experiments with selection on unobservables. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Forty years of quality-of-life research in congenital heart disease: Temporal trends in conceptual and methodological rigor.

PubMed

Bratt, Ewa-Lena; Moons, Philip

2015-09-15

The first study on quality of life (QoL) in patients with congenital heart disease was published 40 years ago. Since then, the number of QoL articles on these patients has grown exponentially. We conducted a systematic literature review of all empirical studies on QoL in patients with congenital heart disease published since 1974, with the aim of determining the range of conceptual and methodological rigor of studies and identifying temporal trends in these parameters. PubMed, Embase, and Cinahl were searched for empirical studies addressing QoL in children, adolescents, or adults with congenital heart disease, published between January 1, 1974, and December 31, 2014. We applied 10 review criteria that were previously developed by Gill and Feinstein in 1994 and further refined by Moons et al. in 2004. Overall, 234 articles were reviewed. We found slight but non-significant temporal improvements in conceptual and methodological rigor and in use of assessment methods. This indicates a trend toward a more professional and exacting approach in QoL assessments. However, the majority of articles still had substantial conceptual and methodological deficits. Furthermore, we observed that citation of the publications of Gill and Feinstein and Moons et al. in published QoL research is associated with higher quality scores, suggesting that these articles have a positive impact on conceptual and methodological caliber. Despite 40 years of QoL research in this field, this review shows that major weaknesses in methodological rigor remain highly prevalent, which may make QoL studies inconclusive. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pilot randomised trial of a healthy eating behavioural intervention in uncontrolled asthma.

PubMed

Ma, Jun; Strub, Peg; Lv, Nan; Xiao, Lan; Camargo, Carlos A; Buist, A Sonia; Lavori, Philip W; Wilson, Sandra R; Nadeau, Kari C; Rosas, Lisa G

2016-01-01

Rigorous research on the benefit of healthy eating patterns for asthma control is lacking.We randomised 90 adults with objectively confirmed uncontrolled asthma and a low-quality diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) scores <6 out of 9) to a 6-month DASH behavioural intervention (n=46) or usual-care control (n=44). Intention-to-treat analyses used repeated-measures mixed models.Participants were middle-aged, 67% female and multiethnic. Compared with controls, intervention participants improved on DASH scores (mean change (95% CI) 0.6 (0, 1.1) versus -0.3 (-0.8, 0.2); difference 0.8 (0.2, 1.5)) and the primary outcome, Asthma Control Questionnaire scores (-0.2 (-0.5, 0) versus 0 (-0.3, 0.3); difference -0.2 (-0.5, 0.1)) at 6 months. The mean group differences in changes in Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire overall and subdomain scores consistently favoured the intervention over the control group: overall 0.4 (95% CI 0, 0.8), symptoms 0.5 (0, 0.9), environment 0.4 (-0.1, 1.0), emotions 0.4 (-0.2, 0.9) and activities 0.3 (0, 0.7). These differences were modest, but potentially clinical significant.The DASH behavioural intervention improved diet quality with promising clinical benefits for better asthma control and functional status among adults with uncontrolled asthma. A full-scale efficacy trial is warranted. Copyright ©ERS 2016.

Assuring Quality in Collaborative Provision.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bocock, Jean; Edwards, Judith

1998-01-01

This bulletin is intended to help British further education colleges clarify their rationale for entering into collaborative programs, assess prospective partners, define and implement good practice at all stages of provision, and establish rigorous quality assurance procedures. Following an introduction, Further Education Funding Council…

Overview of the Nordic Seas CARINA data and salinity measurements

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

Olsen, Are; Key, Robert; Jeansson, Emil

2009-01-01

Water column data of carbon and carbon relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from 188 previously non-publicly available cruises in the Arctic, Atlantic, and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged into a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). The data have been subject to rigorous quality control (QC) in order to ensure highest possible quality and consistency. The data for most of the parameters included were examined in order to quantify systematic biases in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Significant biases have been corrected for in the data products, i.e. the three merged files with measured, calculatedmore » and interpolated values for each of the three CARINA regions; the Arctic Mediterranean Seas (AMS), the Atlantic (ATL) and the Southern Ocean (SO).With the adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP (Key et al., 2004) and is suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation. The Arctic Mediterranean Seas include the Arctic Ocean and the Nordic Seas, and the quality control was carried out separately in these two areas. This contribution provides an overview of the CARINA data from the Nordic Seas and summaries the findings of the QC of the salinity data. One cruise had salinity data that were of questionable quality, and these have been removed from the data product. An evaluation of the consistency of the quality controlled salinity data suggests that they are consistent to at least 0.005.« less

Impact of Perceived Website Service Quality on Customer E-Loyalty on a Lodging Website

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeon, Myunghee

2009-01-01

Customer loyalty on websites, "e-loyalty", is reflected on customer behavior, regardless of online or offline business. Specifically, it is believed that customer loyalty on a website is strongly associated with website service quality. This study rigorously reviewed previously reported research in the website service quality dimensions and…

The Political Meaning of Quality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mingle, James R.

1989-01-01

Quality as a political goal for public higher education is discussed, and its fuller acceptance at the state over the federal level is noted. Federal policy is driven by values associated with access, need, and equity. State leaders are using a rhetoric of quality and excellence, incentives for high achievement, rigor, and merit. One reason the…

Using Learning Analytics to Enhance Student Learning in Online Courses Based on Quality Matters Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Florence; Ndoye, Abdou; Wilkins, Patricia

2016-01-01

Quality Matters is recognized as a rigorous set of standards that guide the designer or instructor to design quality online courses. We explore how Quality Matters standards guide the identification and analysis of learning analytics data to monitor and improve online learning. Descriptive data were collected for frequency of use, time spent, and…

Quality control of bottled and vended water in California: A review and comparison to tap water

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

Darby, J.L.; Allen, L.

1994-04-01

Current regulations and compliance for quality control of bottled and vended water in California are compared with that of the tap water industry in this research. Over 35% of the bottled water sold in the US is consumed in California where a third of the residents use such water as a primary source of drinking water. California is one of several states that regulates bottled water more rigorously than the federal government. In California, water quality standards for the two industries are comparable except that many of the organic standards for bottled water are applicable only to the source water,more » a concern due to potential organic contamination during processing. Reporting requirements, significantly less stringent for bottled water, allow considerable latitude in assessing risks and make assessment of compliance difficult. Based on available statistics, compliance for the two industries is comparable; the majority of violations posed no health risks. For both industries, small systems comprised the majority of violations whereas large systems had excellent compliance rates.« less

Developing a space network interface simulator: The NTS approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendrzak, Gary E.

1993-01-01

This paper describes the approach used to redevelop the Network Control Center (NCC) Test System (NTS), a hardware and software facility designed to make testing of the NCC Data System (NCCDS) software efficient, effective, and as rigorous as possible prior to operational use. The NTS transmits and receives network message traffic in real-time. Data transfer rates and message content are strictly controlled and are identical to that of the operational systems. NTS minimizes the need for costly and time-consuming testing with the actual external entities (e.g., the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) and the White Sands Ground Terminal). Discussed are activities associated with the development of the NTS, lessons learned throughout the project's lifecycle, and resulting productivity and quality increases.

The Impact of Massage Therapy on Function in Pain Populations-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: Part III, Surgical Pain Populations.

PubMed

Boyd, Courtney; Crawford, Cindy; Paat, Charmagne F; Price, Ashley; Xenakis, Lea; Zhang, Weimin

2016-09-01

Pain is multi-dimensional and may be better addressed through a holistic, biopsychosocial approach. Massage therapy is commonly practiced among patients seeking pain management; however, its efficacy is unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to rigorously assess the quality of the evidence for massage therapy's efficacy in treating pain, function-related, and health-related quality of life outcomes in surgical pain populations. Key databases were searched from inception through February 2014. Eligible randomized controlled trials were assessed for methodological quality using SIGN 50 Checklist. Meta-analysis was applied at the outcome level. A professionally diverse steering committee interpreted the results to develop recommendations. Twelve high quality and four low quality studies were included in the review. Results indicate massage therapy is effective for treating pain [standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.79] and anxiety (SMD = -0.57) compared to active comparators. Based on the available evidence, weak recommendations are suggested for massage therapy, compared to active comparators for reducing pain intensity/severity and anxiety in patients undergoing surgical procedures. This review also discusses massage therapy safety, challenges within this research field, how to address identified research gaps, and next steps for future research. © 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine.

Aerial photography flight quality assessment with GPS/INS and DEM data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Haitao; Zhang, Bing; Shang, Jiali; Liu, Jiangui; Li, Dong; Chen, Yanyan; Zuo, Zhengli; Chen, Zhengchao

2018-01-01

The flight altitude, ground coverage, photo overlap, and other acquisition specifications of an aerial photography flight mission directly affect the quality and accuracy of the subsequent mapping tasks. To ensure smooth post-flight data processing and fulfill the pre-defined mapping accuracy, flight quality assessments should be carried out in time. This paper presents a novel and rigorous approach for flight quality evaluation of frame cameras with GPS/INS data and DEM, using geometric calculation rather than image analysis as in the conventional methods. This new approach is based mainly on the collinearity equations, in which the accuracy of a set of flight quality indicators is derived through a rigorous error propagation model and validated with scenario data. Theoretical analysis and practical flight test of an aerial photography mission using an UltraCamXp camera showed that the calculated photo overlap is accurate enough for flight quality assessment of 5 cm ground sample distance image, using the SRTMGL3 DEM and the POSAV510 GPS/INS data. An even better overlap accuracy could be achieved for coarser-resolution aerial photography. With this new approach, the flight quality evaluation can be conducted on site right after landing, providing accurate and timely information for decision making.

Assessing Quality of Kindergarten Classrooms in Singapore: Psychometric Properties of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bull, Rebecca; Yao, Shih-Ying; Ng, Ee Lynn

2017-01-01

The early childhood sector in Singapore has witnessed vast changes in the past two decades. One of the key policy aims is to improve classroom quality. To ensure a rigorous evaluation of the quality of early childhood environments in Singapore, it is important to determine whether commonly used assessments of quality are valid indicators across…

Quality Appraisal of Single-Subject Experimental Designs: An Overview and Comparison of Different Appraisal Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wendt, Oliver; Miller, Bridget

2012-01-01

Critical appraisal of the research literature is an essential step in informing and implementing evidence-based practice. Quality appraisal tools that assess the methodological quality of experimental studies provide a means to identify the most rigorous research suitable for evidence-based decision-making. In single-subject experimental research,…

Teaching Mathematical Word Problem Solving: The Quality of Evidence for Strategy Instruction Priming the Problem Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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…

Getting Teacher Assessment Right: What Policymakers Can Learn from Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinchey, Patricia H.

2010-01-01

It is well established that teacher quality makes a difference in student learning. Since the implementation of No Child Left Behind in 2002, staffing every classroom with a high-quality teacher has been an official national priority. That goal entails an implicit requirement to assess teacher and teaching quality more rigorously than has been the…

Applying Quality Indicators to Single-Case Research Designs Used in Special Education: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moeller, Jeremy D.; Dattilo, John; Rusch, Frank

2015-01-01

This study examined how specific guidelines and heuristics have been used to identify methodological rigor associated with single-case research designs based on quality indicators developed by Horner et al. Specifically, this article describes how literature reviews have applied Horner et al.'s quality indicators and evidence-based criteria.…

Regulatory observations in bioanalytical determinations.

PubMed

Viswanathan, C T

2010-07-01

The concept of measuring analytes in biological media is a long-established area of the quantitative sciences that is employed in many sectors. While academic research and R&D units of private firms have been in the forefront of developing complex methodologies, it is the regulatory environment that has brought the focus and rigor to the quality control of the quantitative determination of drug concentration in biological samples. In this article, the author examines the regulatory findings discovered during the course of several years of auditing bioanalytical work. The outcomes of these findings underscore the importance of quality method validation to ensure the reliability of the data generated. The failure to ensure the reliability of these data can lead to potential risks in the health management of millions of people in the USA.

In Dreams Begin Responsibility: Why and How to Measure the Quality of Graduate Training in Applied Behavior Analysis.

PubMed

Critchfield, Thomas S

2015-10-01

Although no one knows just how effective graduate training may be in creating effective practitioners of applied behavior analysis, there are plenty of logical and historical reasons to think that not all practitioners are equally competent. I detail some of those reasons and explain why practitioner effectiveness may be a more pressing worry now than in the past. Because ineffective practitioners harm the profession, rigorous mechanisms are needed for evaluating graduate training programs in terms of the field effectiveness of their practitioners. Accountability of this nature, while difficult to arrange, would make applied behavior analysis nearly unique among professions, would complement existing quality control processes, and would help to protect the positive reputation and vigorous consumer demand that the profession currently enjoys.

Quality Reporting of Multivariable Regression Models in Observational Studies: Review of a Representative Sample of Articles Published in Biomedical Journals.

PubMed

Real, Jordi; Forné, Carles; Roso-Llorach, Albert; Martínez-Sánchez, Jose M

2016-05-01

Controlling for confounders is a crucial step in analytical observational studies, and multivariable models are widely used as statistical adjustment techniques. However, the validation of the assumptions of the multivariable regression models (MRMs) should be made clear in scientific reporting. The objective of this study is to review the quality of statistical reporting of the most commonly used MRMs (logistic, linear, and Cox regression) that were applied in analytical observational studies published between 2003 and 2014 by journals indexed in MEDLINE.Review of a representative sample of articles indexed in MEDLINE (n = 428) with observational design and use of MRMs (logistic, linear, and Cox regression). We assessed the quality of reporting about: model assumptions and goodness-of-fit, interactions, sensitivity analysis, crude and adjusted effect estimate, and specification of more than 1 adjusted model.The tests of underlying assumptions or goodness-of-fit of the MRMs used were described in 26.2% (95% CI: 22.0-30.3) of the articles and 18.5% (95% CI: 14.8-22.1) reported the interaction analysis. Reporting of all items assessed was higher in articles published in journals with a higher impact factor.A low percentage of articles indexed in MEDLINE that used multivariable techniques provided information demonstrating rigorous application of the model selected as an adjustment method. Given the importance of these methods to the final results and conclusions of observational studies, greater rigor is required in reporting the use of MRMs in the scientific literature.

Handling Qualities Optimization for Rotorcraft Conceptual Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, Ben; Theodore, Colin R.; Berger, Tom

2016-01-01

Over the past decade, NASA, under a succession of rotary-wing programs has been moving towards coupling multiple discipline analyses in a rigorous consistent manner to evaluate rotorcraft conceptual designs. Handling qualities is one of the component analyses to be included in a future NASA Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization framework for conceptual design of VTOL aircraft. Similarly, the future vision for the capability of the Concept Design and Assessment Technology Area (CD&A-TA) of the U.S Army Aviation Development Directorate also includes a handling qualities component. SIMPLI-FLYD is a tool jointly developed by NASA and the U.S. Army to perform modeling and analysis for the assessment of flight dynamics and control aspects of the handling qualities of rotorcraft conceptual designs. An exploration of handling qualities analysis has been carried out using SIMPLI-FLYD in illustrative scenarios of a tiltrotor in forward flight and single-main rotor helicopter at hover. Using SIMPLI-FLYD and the conceptual design tool NDARC integrated into a single process, the effects of variations of design parameters such as tail or rotor size were evaluated in the form of margins to fixed- and rotary-wing handling qualities metrics as well as the vehicle empty weight. The handling qualities design margins are shown to vary across the flight envelope due to both changing flight dynamic and control characteristics and changing handling qualities specification requirements. The current SIMPLI-FLYD capability and future developments are discussed in the context of an overall rotorcraft conceptual design process.

Development of an environmental chamber for evaluating the performance of low-cost air quality sensors under controlled conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papapostolou, Vasileios; Zhang, Hang; Feenstra, Brandon J.; Polidori, Andrea

2017-12-01

A state-of-the-art integrated chamber system has been developed for evaluating the performance of low-cost air quality sensors. The system contains two professional grade chamber enclosures. A 1.3 m3 stainless-steel outer chamber and a 0.11 m3 Teflon-coated stainless-steel inner chamber are used to create controlled aerosol and gaseous atmospheres, respectively. Both chambers are temperature and relative humidity controlled with capability to generate a wide range of environmental conditions. The system is equipped with an integrated zero-air system, an ozone and two aerosol generation systems, a dynamic dilution calibrator, certified gas cylinders, an array of Federal Reference Method (FRM), Federal Equivalent Method (FEM), and Best Available Technology (BAT) reference instruments and an automated control and sequencing software. Our experiments have demonstrated that the chamber system is capable of generating stable and reproducible aerosol and gas concentrations at low, medium, and high levels. This paper discusses the development of the chamber system along with the methods used to quantitatively evaluate sensor performance. Considering that a significant number of academic and research institutions, government agencies, public and private institutions, and individuals are becoming interested in developing and using low-cost air quality sensors, it is important to standardize the procedures used to evaluate their performance. The information discussed herein provides a roadmap for entities who are interested in characterizing air quality sensors in a rigorous, systematic and reproducible manner.

Survey of Intermediate Microeconomic Textbooks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goulet, Janet C.

1986-01-01

Surveys nine undergraduate microeconomic theory textbooks comprising a representing sample those available. Criteria used were quantity and quality of examples, mathematical rigor, and level of abstraction. (JDH)

Enhancing causal interpretations of quality improvement interventions

PubMed Central

Cable, G

2001-01-01

In an era of chronic resource scarcity it is critical that quality improvement professionals have confidence that their project activities cause measured change. A commonly used research design, the single group pre-test/post-test design, provides little insight into whether quality improvement interventions cause measured outcomes. A re-evaluation of a quality improvement programme designed to reduce the percentage of bilateral cardiac catheterisations for the period from January 1991 to October 1996 in three catheterisation laboratories in a north eastern state in the USA was performed using an interrupted time series design with switching replications. The accuracy and causal interpretability of the findings were considerably improved compared with the original evaluation design. Moreover, the re-evaluation provided tangible evidence in support of the suggestion that more rigorous designs can and should be more widely employed to improve the causal interpretability of quality improvement efforts. Evaluation designs for quality improvement projects should be constructed to provide a reasonable opportunity, given available time and resources, for causal interpretation of the results. Evaluators of quality improvement initiatives may infrequently have access to randomised designs. Nonetheless, as shown here, other very rigorous research designs are available for improving causal interpretability. Unilateral methodological surrender need not be the only alternative to randomised experiments. Key Words: causal interpretations; quality improvement; interrupted time series design; implementation fidelity PMID:11533426

Quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of porcine muscle within 24 h postmortem.

PubMed

Huang, Honggang; Larsen, Martin R; Palmisano, Giuseppe; Dai, Jie; Lametsch, René

2014-06-25

Protein phosphorylation can regulate most of the important processes in muscle, such as metabolism and contraction. The postmortem (PM) metabolism and rigor mortis have essential effects on meat quality. In order to identify and characterize the protein phosphorylation events involved in meat quality development, a quantitative mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomic study was performed to analyze the porcine muscle within 24h PM using dimethyl labeling combined with the TiSH phosphopeptide enrichment strategy. In total 305 unique proteins were identified, including 160 phosphoproteins with 784 phosphorylation sites. Among these, 184 phosphorylation sites on 93 proteins had their phosphorylation levels significantly changed. The proteins involved in glucose metabolism and muscle contraction were the two largest clusters of phosphoproteins with significantly changed phosphorylation levels in muscle within 24 h PM. The high phosphorylation level of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in early PM may be an adaptive response to slaughter stress and protect muscle cell from apoptosis, as observed in the serine 84 of HSP27. This work indicated that PM muscle proteins underwent significant changes at the phosphorylation level but were relatively stable at the total protein level, suggesting that protein phosphorylation may have important roles in meat quality development through the regulation of proteins involved in glucose metabolism and muscle contraction, thereby affecting glycolysis and rigor mortis development in PM muscle. The manuscript describes the characterization of postmortem (PM) porcine muscle within 24 h postmortem from the perspective of protein phosphorylation using advanced phosphoproteomic techniques. In the study, the authors employed the dimethyl labeling combined with the TiSH phosphopeptide enrichment and LC-MS/MS strategy. This was the first high-throughput quantitative phosphoproteomic study in PM muscle of farm animals. In the work, both the proteome and phosphoproteome were analyzed, and the large number of identified peptides, phosphopeptides and phosphorylation sites can greatly enrich the current farm animal protein database. The proteins involved in glycometabolism, muscle contraction and heat shock proteins (HSPs) showed significantly changed phosphorylation levels during PM meat development. This work indicated that PM muscle proteins underwent significant changes at phosphorylation level but were relatively stable at the total protein level, suggesting that protein phosphorylation may have important roles in meat development through the regulation of proteins involved in metabolism and muscle contraction, thereby affecting glycolysis and rigor mortis development in PM muscle. The work can promote the understanding of PM muscle metabolism and meat quality development, and be helpful for future meat quality control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Correlations among Stress Parameters, Meat and Carcass Quality Parameters in Pigs

PubMed Central

Dokmanovic, Marija; Baltic, Milan Z.; Duric, Jelena; Ivanovic, Jelena; Popovic, Ljuba; Todorovic, Milica; Markovic, Radmila; Pantic, Srdan

2015-01-01

Relationships among different stress parameters (lairage time and blood level of lactate and cortisol), meat quality parameters (initial and ultimate pH value, temperature, drip loss, sensory and instrumental colour, marbling) and carcass quality parameters (degree of rigor mortis and skin damages, hot carcass weight, carcass fat thickness, meatiness) were determined in pigs (n = 100) using Pearson correlations. After longer lairage, blood lactate (p<0.05) and degree of injuries (p<0.001) increased, meat became darker (p<0.001), while drip loss decreased (p<0.05). Higher lactate was associated with lower initial pH value (p<0.01), higher temperature (p<0.001) and skin blemishes score (p<0.05) and more developed rigor mortis (p<0.05), suggesting that lactate could be a predictor of both meat quality and the level of preslaughter stress. Cortisol affected carcass quality, so higher levels of cortisol were associated with increased hot carcass weight, carcass fat thickness on the back and at the sacrum and marbling, but also with decreased meatiness. The most important meat quality parameters (pH and temperature after 60 minutes) deteriorated when blood lactate concentration was above 12 mmol/L. PMID:25656214

Treatments of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) using nitric oxide for quality improvement: Establishing a potential method for large-scale processing of farmed fish.

PubMed

Wang, Zi-Chao; Yan, Yuzhen; Su, Ping; Zhao, Mou-Ming; Xia, Ning; Chen, De-Wei

2018-07-01

To find a succedaneum of present methods for slaughtering tilapia, we have demonstrated the influence of nitric oxide (NO) (saturated NO solution) through euthanasia before slaughter on the animal welfare and muscle color of tilapia. The results suggested that NO euthanasia significantly improved the animal welfare and muscle color. Besides, the investigation of NO postmortem treatment on the muscle color and color stability of tilapia fillets suggested that NO postmortem treatment not only improved the muscle color and color stability but also prolonged the shelf-life of tilapia fillets during the refrigerated storage. To further investigate the effect of NO euthanasia on the quality of tilapia fillets and to estimate the safety of NO treatments (NO euthanasia and NO postmortem treatment) for the application of NO treatments in industrial manufacturing of tilapia and possibly of other fish species. NO euthanasia was adopted in this study following a simulated fish processing line. HbNO and MbNO values were measured to clarify the mechanism and process of NO euthanasia. The blood parameters, muscle pH, rigor index, drip loss and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) values were measured to evaluate the quality of the fillets obtained from NO euthanized tilapia. Besides, the nitrate (NO 3 - ) levels in the muscles after the refrigerated storage were detected to estimate the food safety of both NO euthanasia and NO postmortem treatment. Fillets obtained from the tilapia euthanized by NO showed a later reduction of muscle pH, a later onset of rigor mortis postmortem and less drip loss during the refrigerated storage than control. NO euthanasia caused less TVB-N than control and prolonged the shelf life of tilapia fillets. Moreover, the NO 3 - levels in the muscles of both NO euthanasia and NO postmortem treatment after the refrigerated storage were below the maximum permitted limit. Both the NO euthanasia and NO postmortem treatment are suitable for improving the quality of tilapia fillets and reducing the food safety threats, which may be valuable for industrial manufacturing of tilapia and may be applicable for other fish species. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pilot randomised trial of a healthy eating behavioural intervention in uncontrolled asthma

PubMed Central

Ma, Jun; Strub, Peg; Lv, Nan; Xiao, Lan; Camargo, Carlos A.; Buist, A. Sonia; Lavori, Philip W.; Wilson, Sandra R.; Nadeau, Kari C.; Rosas, Lisa G.

2016-01-01

Rigorous research on the benefit of healthy eating patterns for asthma control is lacking. We randomised 90 adults with objectively confirmed uncontrolled asthma and a low-quality diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) scores <6 out of 9) to a 6-month DASH behavioural intervention (n=46) or usual-care control (n=44). Intention-to-treat analyses used repeated-measures mixed models. Participants were middle-aged, 67% female and multiethnic. Compared with controls, intervention participants improved on DASH scores (mean change (95% CI) 0.6 (0, 1.1) versus −0.3 (−0.8, 0.2); difference 0.8 (0.2, 1.5)) and the primary outcome, Asthma Control Questionnaire scores (−0.2 (−0.5, 0) versus 0 (−0.3, 0.3); difference −0.2 (−0.5, 0.1)) at 6 months. The mean group differences in changes in Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire overall and subdomain scores consistently favoured the intervention over the control group: overall 0.4 (95% CI 0, 0.8), symptoms 0.5 (0, 0.9), environment 0.4 (−0.1, 1.0), emotions 0.4 (−0.2, 0.9) and activities 0.3 (0, 0.7). These differences were modest, but potentially clinical significant. The DASH behavioural intervention improved diet quality with promising clinical benefits for better asthma control and functional status among adults with uncontrolled asthma. A full-scale efficacy trial is warranted. PMID:26493792

Parents Guide to "First Grade" Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Defense Education Activity, 2012

2012-01-01

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is committed to providing the highest quality of education to its students. One way to provide a quality education is with an effective curriculum that reflects high standards and expectations. Thus, DoDEA has developed rigorous content standards aligned with national guidelines and standards.…

Parents Guide to "Kindergarten" Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Defense Education Activity, 2012

2012-01-01

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is committed to providing the highest quality of education to its students. One way to provide a quality education is with an effective curriculum that reflects high standards and expectations. Thus, DoDEA has developed rigorous content standards aligned with national guidelines and standards.…

Parents Guide to "Prekindergarten" Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Defense Education Activity, 2012

2012-01-01

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is committed to providing the highest quality of education to its students. One way to provide a quality education is with an effective curriculum that reflects high standards and expectations. Thus, DoDEA has developed rigorous content standards aligned with national guidelines and standards.…

Parents Guide to "Second Grade" Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Defense Education Activity, 2012

2012-01-01

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is committed to providing the highest quality of education to its students. One way to provide a quality education is with an effective curriculum that reflects high standards and expectations. Thus, DoDEA has developed rigorous content standards aligned with national guidelines and standards.…

Parents Guide to "Third Grade" Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Defense Education Activity, 2012

2012-01-01

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is committed to providing the highest quality of education to its students. One way to provide a quality education is with an effective curriculum that reflects high standards and expectations. Thus, DoDEA has developed rigorous content standards aligned with national guidelines and standards.…

Parents Guide to "Fourth Grade" Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Defense Education Activity, 2012

2012-01-01

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is committed to providing the highest quality of education to its students. One way to provide a quality education is with an effective curriculum that reflects high standards and expectations. Thus, DoDEA has developed rigorous content standards aligned with national guidelines and standards.…

Parents Guide to "Sixth Grade" Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Defense Education Activity, 2012

2012-01-01

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is committed to providing the highest quality of education to its students. One way to provide a quality education is with an effective curriculum that reflects high standards and expectations. Thus, DoDEA has developed rigorous content standards aligned with national guidelines and standards.…

Parents Guide to "Fifth Grade" Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Defense Education Activity, 2012

2012-01-01

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is committed to providing the highest quality of education to its students. One way to provide a quality education is with an effective curriculum that reflects high standards and expectations. Thus, DoDEA has developed rigorous content standards aligned with national guidelines and standards.…

Predicting Observer Training Satisfaction and Certification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Courtney A.; Jones, Nathan D.; Lewis, Jennifer M.; Liu, Shuangshuang

2013-01-01

The last decade produced numerous studies that show that students learn more from high-quality teachers than they do from lower quality teachers. If instruction is to improve through the use of more rigorous teacher evaluation systems, the implementation of these systems must provide consistent and interpretable information about which aspects of…

Soil quality evaluation using Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) in Brazilian oxisols with contrasting texture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To ensure current land use strategies and management practices are economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable, tools and techniques for assessing and quantifying changes in soil quality/health (SQ) need to be developed through rigorous research and potential use by consultants, and othe...

Methods of Quality Appraisal for Studies Reviewed by Evidence Clearinghouses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Sandra Jo; Tanner-Smith, Emily

2015-01-01

This presentation will discuss quality appraisal methods for assessing research studies used in systematic reviews, research syntheses, and evidence-based practice repositories such as the What Works Clearinghouse. The different ways that the methodological rigor and risk of bias of primary studies included in syntheses is assessed means that…

The Gatekeeping Imperative in Counselor Education Admission Protocols: The Criticality of Personal Qualities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCaughan, Ann M.; Hill, Nicole R.

2015-01-01

Admission procedures in counselor education have received little focus regarding their essential function in gatekeeping. By exploring current admission trends, specifically as they relate to the identification of preferred personal qualities, implications for development of more rigorous admission gatekeeping procedures will be addressed. A call…

Massage Therapy for Pain and Function in Patients With Arthritis: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

PubMed

Nelson, Nicole L; Churilla, James R

2017-09-01

Massage therapy is gaining interest as a therapeutic approach to managing osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. To date, there have been no systematic reviews investigating the effects of massage therapy on these conditions. Systematic review was used. The primary aim of this review was to critically appraise and synthesize the current evidence regarding the effects of massage therapy as a stand-alone treatment on pain and functional outcomes among those with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Relevant randomized controlled trials were searched using the electronic databases Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and PEDro. The PEDro scale was used to assess risk of bias, and the quality of evidence was assessed with the GRADE approach. This review found seven randomized controlled trials representing 352 participants who satisfied the inclusion criteria. Risk of bias ranged from four to seven. Our results found low- to moderate-quality evidence that massage therapy is superior to nonactive therapies in reducing pain and improving certain functional outcomes. It is unclear whether massage therapy is more effective than other forms of treatment. There is a need for large, methodologically rigorous randomized controlled trials investigating the effectiveness of massage therapy as an intervention for individuals with arthritis.

Effects of high frequency electrical stunning and decapitation on early rigor development and meat quality of broiler breast meat.

PubMed

McNeal, W D; Fletcher, D L

2003-08-01

Three independent trials were conducted to determine the effects of high frequency electrical stunning followed by decapitation on broiler breast meat rigor development and meat quality. All birds were stunned and half of the birds were killed using a conventional unilateral neck cut, half were killed by decapitation, and both groups were allowed to bleed for 90 s prior to scalding and picking. New York dressed carcasses were chilled in a static ice-water bath for 90 min and held at 2 degrees C prior to deboning. Breast fillets were removed from the carcasses at 2, 4, and 24 h postmortem. From the right breast fillet, R-values and pH were determined at time of deboning. The left fillet was wrapped in plastic and held for 24 h at 2 degrees C prior to determining lightness (L*), redness (a*), yellowness (b*), cook yield, and Allo-Kramer shear. Deboning time affected raw meat pH, R-value, cook loss, and shear value but had no effect on color. The breast meat from the decapitated birds had significantly higher pH values at 2 and 24 h postmortem than the conventionally killed birds. Other than for the effect on breast meat pH, decapitation had no effect on rigor development, R-value, meat color, or meat quality as measured by cooked-meat yield and Allo-Kramer shear.

Enhancing causal interpretations of quality improvement interventions.

PubMed

Cable, G

2001-09-01

In an era of chronic resource scarcity it is critical that quality improvement professionals have confidence that their project activities cause measured change. A commonly used research design, the single group pre-test/post-test design, provides little insight into whether quality improvement interventions cause measured outcomes. A re-evaluation of a quality improvement programme designed to reduce the percentage of bilateral cardiac catheterisations for the period from January 1991 to October 1996 in three catheterisation laboratories in a north eastern state in the USA was performed using an interrupted time series design with switching replications. The accuracy and causal interpretability of the findings were considerably improved compared with the original evaluation design. Moreover, the re-evaluation provided tangible evidence in support of the suggestion that more rigorous designs can and should be more widely employed to improve the causal interpretability of quality improvement efforts. Evaluation designs for quality improvement projects should be constructed to provide a reasonable opportunity, given available time and resources, for causal interpretation of the results. Evaluators of quality improvement initiatives may infrequently have access to randomised designs. Nonetheless, as shown here, other very rigorous research designs are available for improving causal interpretability. Unilateral methodological surrender need not be the only alternative to randomised experiments.

Exposing the Science in Citizen Science: Fitness to Purpose and Intentional Design.

PubMed

Parrish, Julia K; Burgess, Hillary; Weltzin, Jake F; Fortson, Lucy; Wiggins, Andrea; Simmons, Brooke

2018-05-21

Citizen science is a growing phenomenon. With millions of people involved and billions of in-kind dollars contributed annually, this broad extent, fine grain approach to data collection should be garnering enthusiastic support in the mainstream science and higher education communities. However, many academic researchers demonstrate distinct biases against the use of citizen science as a source of rigorous information. To engage the public in scientific research, and the research community in the practice of citizen science, a mutual understanding is needed of accepted quality standards in science, and the corresponding specifics of project design and implementation when working with a broad public base. We define a science-based typology focused on the degree to which projects deliver the type(s) and quality of data/work needed to produce valid scientific outcomes directly useful in science and natural resource management. Where project intent includes direct contribution to science and the public is actively involved either virtually or hands-on, we examine the measures of quality assurance (methods to increase data quality during the design and implementation phases of a project) and quality control (post hoc methods to increase the quality of scientific outcomes). We suggest that high quality science can be produced with massive, largely one-off, participation if data collection is simple and quality control includes algorithm voting, statistical pruning and/or computational modeling. Small to mid-scale projects engaging participants in repeated, often complex, sampling can advance quality through expert-led training and well-designed materials, and through independent verification. Both approaches - simplification at scale and complexity with care - generate more robust science outcomes.

Malnutrition

MedlinePlus

... permanent, even though you survive. Poverty, natural disasters, political problems, and war can all contribute to malnutrition ... verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. ...

Melanoma

MedlinePlus

... surfaces that reflect light more, such as water, sand, concrete, and white-painted areas. Be extra careful ... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among ...

Anti-bullying interventions in schools: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Silva, Jorge Luiz da; Oliveira, Wanderlei Abadio de; Mello, Flávia Carvalho Malta de; Andrade, Luciane Sá de; Bazon, Marina Rezende; Silva, Marta Angélica Iossi

2017-07-01

This paper presents a systematic literature review addressing rigorously planned and assessed interventions intended to reduce school bullying. The search for papers was performed in four databases (Lilacs, Psycinfo, Scielo and Web of Science) and guided by the question: What are the interventions used to reduce bullying in schools? Only case-control studies specifically focusing on school bullying without a time frame were included. The methodological quality of investigations was assessed using the SIGN checklist. A total of 18 papers composed the corpus of analysis and all were considered to have high methodological quality. The interventions conducted in the revised studies were divided into four categories: multi-component or whole-school, social skills training, curricular, and computerized. The review synthesizes knowledge that can be used to contemplate practices and intervention programs in the education and health fields with a multidisciplinary nature.

Implementing Quality Criteria in Designing and Conducting a Sequential Quan [right arrow] Qual Mixed Methods Study of Student Engagement with Learning Applied Research Methods Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivankova, Nataliya V.

2014-01-01

In spite of recent methodological developments related to quality assurance in mixed methods research, practical examples of how to implement quality criteria in designing and conducting sequential QUAN [right arrow] QUAL mixed methods studies to ensure the process is systematic and rigorous remain scarce. This article discusses a three-step…

Systematic review of the application of quality improvement methodologies from the manufacturing industry to surgical healthcare.

PubMed

Nicolay, C R; Purkayastha, S; Greenhalgh, A; Benn, J; Chaturvedi, S; Phillips, N; Darzi, A

2012-03-01

The demand for the highest-quality patient care coupled with pressure on funding has led to the increasing use of quality improvement (QI) methodologies from the manufacturing industry. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and evaluate the application and effectiveness of these QI methodologies to the field of surgery. MEDLINE, the Cochrane Database, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, British Nursing Index, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, Health Business(™) Elite, the Health Management Information Consortium and PsycINFO(®) were searched according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Empirical studies were included that implemented a described QI methodology to surgical care and analysed a named outcome statistically. Some 34 of 1595 articles identified met the inclusion criteria after consensus from two independent investigators. Nine studies described continuous quality improvement (CQI), five Six Sigma, five total quality management (TQM), five plan-do-study-act (PDSA) or plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycles, five statistical process control (SPC) or statistical quality control (SQC), four Lean and one Lean Six Sigma; 20 of the studies were undertaken in the USA. The most common aims were to reduce complications or improve outcomes (11), to reduce infection (7), and to reduce theatre delays (7). There was one randomized controlled trial. QI methodologies from industry can have significant effects on improving surgical care, from reducing infection rates to increasing operating room efficiency. The evidence is generally of suboptimal quality, and rigorous randomized multicentre studies are needed to bring evidence-based management into the same league as evidence-based medicine. Copyright © 2011 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Impact of Massage Therapy on Function in Pain Populations—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: Part III, Surgical Pain Populations

PubMed Central

Boyd, Courtney; Crawford, Cindy; Paat, Charmagne F; Price, Ashley; Xenakis, Lea; Zhang, Weimin; Buckenmaier, Chester; Buckenmaier, Pamela; Cambron, Jerrilyn; Deery, Christopher; Schwartz, Jan; Werner, Ruth; Whitridge, Pete

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective Pain is multi-dimensional and may be better addressed through a holistic, biopsychosocial approach. Massage therapy is commonly practiced among patients seeking pain management; however, its efficacy is unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to rigorously assess the quality of the evidence for massage therapy’s efficacy in treating pain, function-related, and health-related quality of life outcomes in surgical pain populations. Methods Key databases were searched from inception through February 2014. Eligible randomized controlled trials were assessed for methodological quality using SIGN 50 Checklist. Meta-analysis was applied at the outcome level. A professionally diverse steering committee interpreted the results to develop recommendations. Results Twelve high quality and four low quality studies were included in the review. Results indicate massage therapy is effective for treating pain [standardized mean difference (SMD) = −0.79] and anxiety (SMD = −0.57) compared to active comparators. Conclusion Based on the available evidence, weak recommendations are suggested for massage therapy, compared to active comparators for reducing pain intensity/severity and anxiety in patients undergoing surgical procedures. This review also discusses massage therapy safety, challenges within this research field, how to address identified research gaps, and next steps for future research. PMID:27165970

Eye redness

MedlinePlus

... chronic and gradual. Corneal scratches: injuries caused by sand, dust, or overuse of contact lenses. Sometimes, a ... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among ...

Actinic keratosis

MedlinePlus

... near surfaces that reflect light, such as water, sand, concrete, and areas painted white. Sunlight is more ... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among ...

Determining the Measurement Quality of a Montessori High School Teacher Evaluation Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Setari, Anthony Philip; Bradley, Kelly D.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to conduct a psychometric validation of a course evaluation instrument, known as a student evaluation of teaching (SET), implemented in a Montessori high school. The authors demonstrate to the Montessori community how to rigorously examine the measurement and assessment quality of instruments used within Montessori…

The Compositional Effect of Rigorous Teacher Evaluation on Workforce Quality. Working Paper 168

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullen, Julie Berry; Koedel, Cory; Parsons, Eric

2016-01-01

Improving public sector workforce quality is challenging in sectors such as education where worker productivity is difficult to assess and manager incentives are muted by political and bureaucratic constraints. In this paper, we study how providing information to principals about teacher effectiveness and encouraging them to use the information in…

How to Critically Evaluate Case Studies in Social Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Eunjung; Mishna, Faye; Brennenstuhl, Sarah

2010-01-01

The purpose of this article is to develop guidelines to assist practitioners and researchers in evaluating and developing rigorous case studies. The main concern in evaluating a case study is to accurately assess its quality and ultimately to offer clients social work interventions informed by the best available evidence. To assess the quality of…

Empirical studies assessing the quality of health information for consumers on the world wide web: a systematic review.

PubMed

Eysenbach, Gunther; Powell, John; Kuss, Oliver; Sa, Eun-Ryoung

The quality of consumer health information on the World Wide Web is an important issue for medicine, but to date no systematic and comprehensive synthesis of the methods and evidence has been performed. To establish a methodological framework on how quality on the Web is evaluated in practice, to determine the heterogeneity of the results and conclusions, and to compare the methodological rigor of these studies, to determine to what extent the conclusions depend on the methodology used, and to suggest future directions for research. We searched MEDLINE and PREMEDLINE (1966 through September 2001), Science Citation Index (1997 through September 2001), Social Sciences Citation Index (1997 through September 2001), Arts and Humanities Citation Index (1997 through September 2001), LISA (1969 through July 2001), CINAHL (1982 through July 2001), PsychINFO (1988 through September 2001), EMBASE (1988 through June 2001), and SIGLE (1980 through June 2001). We also conducted hand searches, general Internet searches, and a personal bibliographic database search. We included published and unpublished empirical studies in any language in which investigators searched the Web systematically for specific health information, evaluated the quality of Web sites or pages, and reported quantitative results. We screened 7830 citations and retrieved 170 potentially eligible full articles. A total of 79 distinct studies met the inclusion criteria, evaluating 5941 health Web sites and 1329 Web pages, and reporting 408 evaluation results for 86 different quality criteria. Two reviewers independently extracted study characteristics, medical domains, search strategies used, methods and criteria of quality assessment, results (percentage of sites or pages rated as inadequate pertaining to a quality criterion), and quality and rigor of study methods and reporting. Most frequently used quality criteria used include accuracy, completeness, readability, design, disclosures, and references provided. Fifty-five studies (70%) concluded that quality is a problem on the Web, 17 (22%) remained neutral, and 7 studies (9%) came to a positive conclusion. Positive studies scored significantly lower in search (P =.02) and evaluation (P =.04) methods. Due to differences in study methods and rigor, quality criteria, study population, and topic chosen, study results and conclusions on health-related Web sites vary widely. Operational definitions of quality criteria are needed.

Meditation as an Adjunct to the Management of Multiple Sclerosis

PubMed Central

Levin, Adam B.; Hadgkiss, Emily J.; Weiland, Tracey J.; Jelinek, George A.

2014-01-01

Background. Multiple sclerosis (MS) disease course is known to be adversely affected by several factors including stress. A proposed mechanism for decreasing stress and therefore decreasing MS morbidity and improving quality of life is meditation. This review aims to critically analyse the current literature regarding meditation and MS. Methods. Four major databases were used to search for English language papers published before March 2014 with the terms MS, multiple sclerosis, meditation, and mindfulness. Results. 12 pieces of primary literature fitting the selection criteria were selected: two were randomised controlled studies, four were cohort studies, and six were surveys. The current literature varies in quality; however common positive effects of meditation include improved quality of life (QOL) and improved coping skills. Conclusion. All studies suggest possible benefit to the use of meditation as an adjunct to the management of multiple sclerosis. Additional rigorous clinical trials are required to validate the existing findings and determine if meditation has an impact on disease course over time. PMID:25105026

A randomised trial of peer review: the UK National Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Resources and Outcomes Project.

PubMed

Roberts, C M; Stone, R A; Buckingham, R J; Pursey, N A; Harrison, B D W; Lowe, D; Potter, J M

2010-06-01

Peer review has been widely employed within the NHS to facilitate health quality improvement but has not been rigorously evaluated. This article reports the largest randomised trial of peer review ever conducted in the UK. The peer review intervention was a reciprocal supportive exercise that included clinicians, hospital management, commissioners and patients which focused on the quality of the provision of four specific evidence-based aspects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease care. Follow up at 12 months demonstrated few quantitative differences in the number or quality of services offered in the two groups. Qualitative data in contrast suggested many benefits of peer review in most but not all intervention units and some control teams. Findings suggest peer review in this format is a positive experience for most participants but is ineffective in some situations. Its longer term benefits and cost effectiveness require further study. The generic findings of this study have potential implications for the application of peer review throughout the NHS.

Heart failure - discharge

MedlinePlus

... Avoid fatty foods. Stay away from fast-food restaurants. Avoid some prepared and frozen foods. Learn fast ... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among ...

Corneal transplant - discharge

MedlinePlus

... heavy lifting. Stay away from dust and blowing sand. Follow your provider's instructions for using eye drops ... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among ...

Interstitial lung disease

MedlinePlus

... for lung disease. These jobs include coal mining, sand blasting, and working on a ship. Treatment Treatment ... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among ...

Sputum fungal smear

MedlinePlus

... in the test sample. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your doctor ... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among ...

Truth in Reporting: How Data Capture Methods Obfuscate Actual Surgical Site Infection Rates within a Health Care Network System.

PubMed

Bordeianou, Liliana; Cauley, Christy E; Antonelli, Donna; Bird, Sarah; Rattner, David; Hutter, Matthew; Mahmood, Sadiqa; Schnipper, Deborah; Rubin, Marc; Bleday, Ronald; Kenney, Pardon; Berger, David

2017-01-01

Two systems measure surgical site infection rates following colorectal surgeries: the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services pay-for-performance initiatives use National Healthcare Safety Network data for hospital comparisons. This study aimed to compare database concordance. This is a multi-institution cohort study of systemwide Colorectal Surgery Collaborative. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program requires rigorous, standardized data capture techniques; National Healthcare Safety Network allows 5 data capture techniques. Standardized surgical site infection rates were compared between databases. The Cohen κ-coefficient was calculated. This study was conducted at Boston-area hospitals. National Healthcare Safety Network or National Surgical Quality Improvement Program patients undergoing colorectal surgery were included. Standardized surgical site infection rates were the primary outcomes of interest. Thirty-day surgical site infection rates of 3547 (National Surgical Quality Improvement Program) vs 5179 (National Healthcare Safety Network) colorectal procedures (2012-2014). Discrepancies appeared: National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database of hospital 1 (N = 1480 patients) routinely found surgical site infection rates of approximately 10%, routinely deemed rate "exemplary" or "as expected" (100%). National Healthcare Safety Network data from the same hospital and time period (N = 1881) revealed a similar overall surgical site infection rate (10%), but standardized rates were deemed "worse than national average" 80% of the time. Overall, hospitals using less rigorous capture methods had improved surgical site infection rates for National Healthcare Safety Network compared with standardized National Surgical Quality Improvement Program reports. The correlation coefficient between standardized infection rates was 0.03 (p = 0.88). During 25 site-time period observations, National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and National Healthcare Safety Network data matched for 52% of observations (13/25). κ = 0.10 (95% CI, -0.1366 to 0.3402; p = 0.403), indicating poor agreement. This study investigated hospitals located in the Northeastern United States only. Variation in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services-mandated National Healthcare Safety Network infection surveillance methodology leads to unreliable results, which is apparent when these results are compared with standardized data. High-quality data would improve care quality and compare outcomes among institutions.

Smartphone apps for the self-management of low back pain: A systematic review.

PubMed

Machado, Gustavo C; Pinheiro, Marina B; Lee, Hopin; Ahmed, Osman H; Hendrick, Paul; Williams, Chris; Kamper, Steven J

2016-12-01

Guidelines for low back pain (LBP) often recommend the use of self-management such as unsupervised exercise, booklets, and online education. Another potentially useful way for patients to self-manage LBP is by using smartphone applications (apps). However, to date, there has been no rigorous evaluation of LBP apps and no guidance for consumers on how to select high-quality, evidence-based apps. This chapter reviews smartphone apps for the self-management of LBP and evaluates their content quality and whether they recommend evidence-based interventions. This chapter shows that generally app developers are selecting interventions that are endorsed by guidelines, although their quality is low. There are many apps available for the self-management of LBP, but their effectiveness in improving patient outcomes has not been rigorously assessed. App developers need to work closely with healthcare professionals, researchers, and patients to ensure app content is accurate, evidence based, and engaging. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Elevating the quality of disability and rehabilitation research: mandatory use of the reporting guidelines.

PubMed

Chan, Leighton; Heinemann, Allen W; Roberts, Jason

2014-01-01

Note from the AJOT Editor-in-Chief: Since 2010, the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT) has adopted reporting standards based on the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Statement and American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines in an effort to publish transparent clinical research that can be easily evaluated for methodological and analytical rigor (APA Publications and Communications Board Working Group on Journal Article Reporting Standards, 2008; Moher, Schulz, & Altman, 2001). AJOT has now joined 28 other major rehabilitation and disability journals in a collaborative initiative to enhance clinical research reporting standards through adoption of the EQUATOR Network reporting guidelines, described below. Authors will now be required to use these guidelines in the preparation of manuscripts that will be submitted to AJOT. Reviewers will also use these guidelines to evaluate the quality and rigor of all AJOT submissions. By adopting these standards we hope to further enhance the quality and clinical applicability of articles to our readers. Copyright © 2014 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Study Quality in SLA: A Cumulative and Developmental Assessment of Designs, Analyses, Reporting Practices, and Outcomes in Quantitative L2 Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plonsky, Luke

2011-01-01

I began this study with two assumptions. Assumption 1: Study quality matters. If the means by which researchers design, carry out, and report on their studies lack in rigor or transparency, theory and practice are likely to be misguided or at least decelerated. Assumption 2 is an implication of Assumption 1: Quality should be measured rather than…

A national analytical quality assurance program: Developing guidelines and analytical tools for the forest inventory and analysis program

Treesearch

Phyllis C. Adams; Glenn A. Christensen

2012-01-01

A rigorous quality assurance (QA) process assures that the data and information provided by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program meet the highest possible standards of precision, completeness, representativeness, comparability, and accuracy. FIA relies on its analysts to check the final data quality prior to release of a State’s data to the national FIA...

Systematic Review of Knowledge Translation Strategies to Promote Research Uptake in Child Health Settings.

PubMed

Albrecht, Lauren; Archibald, Mandy; Snelgrove-Clarke, Erna; Scott, Shannon D

2016-01-01

Strategies to assist evidence-based decision-making for healthcare professionals are crucial to ensure high quality patient care and outcomes. The goal of this systematic review was to identify and synthesize the evidence on knowledge translation interventions aimed at putting explicit research evidence into child health practice. A comprehensive search of thirteen electronic databases was conducted, restricted by date (1985-2011) and language (English). Articles were included if: 1) studies were randomized controlled trials (RCT), controlled clinical trials (CCT), or controlled before-and-after (CBA) studies; 2) target population was child health professionals; 3) interventions implemented research in child health practice; and 4) outcomes were measured at the professional/process, patient, or economic level. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed methodological quality. Study data were aggregated and analyzed using evidence tables. Twenty-one studies (13 RCT, 2 CCT, 6 CBA) were included. The studies employed single (n=9) and multiple interventions (n=12). The methodological quality of the included studies was largely moderate (n=8) or weak (n=11). Of the studies with moderate to strong methodological quality ratings, three demonstrated consistent, positive effect(s) on the primary outcome(s); effective knowledge translation interventions were two single, non-educational interventions and one multiple, educational intervention. This multidisciplinary systematic review in child health setting identified effective knowledge translation strategies assessed by the most rigorous research designs. Given the overall poor quality of the research literature, specific recommendations were made to improve knowledge translation efforts in child health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Crohn disease - children - discharge

MedlinePlus

... 20th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 336. Sands BE, Seigel CA. Crohn's disease. In: Feldman M, ... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among ...

Preschool Center Care Quality Effects on Academic Achievement: An Instrumental Variables Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auger, Anamarie; Farkas, George; Burchinal, Margaret R.; Duncan, Greg J.; Vandell, Deborah Lowe

2014-01-01

Much of child care research has focused on the effects of the quality of care in early childhood settings on children's school readiness skills. Although researchers increased the statistical rigor of their approaches over the past 15 years, researchers' ability to draw causal inferences has been limited because the studies are based on…

A Journey of Surprises: Rivers Reveal Their Secrets to Idaho Students Researching Water Quality through Rigorous Scientific Inquiry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boss, Suzie

2002-01-01

Idaho secondary students learn the scientific method through outdoor environmental projects related to water quality monitoring. A program trains teachers to design project-based learning and provides extensive followup support. Five-day summer workshops immerse teachers in the types of projects they will orchestrate with their own students.…

Translating Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Measures: Are There Alternative Methodologies?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brondani, Mario; He, Sarah

2013-01-01

Translating existing sociodental indicators to another language involves a rigorous methodology, which can be costly. Free-of-charge online translator tools are available, but have not been evaluated in the context of research involving quality of life measures. To explore the value of using online translator tools to develop oral health-related…

Zhen gan xi feng decoction, a traditional chinese herbal formula, for the treatment of essential hypertension: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Xiong, Xingjiang; Yang, Xiaochen; Feng, Bo; Liu, Wei; Duan, Lian; Gao, Ao; Li, Haixia; Ma, Jizheng; Du, Xinliang; Li, Nan; Wang, Pengqian; Su, Kelei; Chu, Fuyong; Zhang, Guohao; Li, Xiaoke; Wang, Jie

2013-01-01

Objectives. To assess the clinical effectiveness and adverse effects of Zhen Gan Xi Feng Decoction (ZGXFD) for essential hypertension (EH). Methods. Five major electronic databases were searched up to August 2012 to retrieve any potential randomized controlled trials designed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of ZGXFD for EH reported in any language, with main outcome measure as blood pressure (BP). Results. Six randomized trials were included. Methodological quality of the trials was evaluated as generally low. Four trials compared prescriptions based on ZGXFD with antihypertensive drugs. Meta-analysis showed that ZGXFD was more effective in BP control and TCM syndrome and symptom differentiation (TCM-SSD) scores than antihypertensive drugs. Two trials compared the combination of modified ZGXFD plus antihypertensive drugs with antihypertensive drugs. Meta-analysis showed that there is significant beneficial effect on TCM-SSD scores. However, no significant effect on BP was found. The safety of ZGXFD is still uncertain. Conclusions. ZGXFD appears to be effective in improving blood pressure and hypertension-related symptoms for EH. However, the evidence remains weak due to poor methodological quality of the included studies. More rigorous trials are warranted to support their clinical use.

Quality-control materials in the USDA National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program (NFNAP).

PubMed

Phillips, Katherine M; Patterson, Kristine Y; Rasor, Amy S; Exler, Jacob; Haytowitz, David B; Holden, Joanne M; Pehrsson, Pamela R

2006-03-01

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) develops and maintains the USDA National Nutrient Databank System (NDBS). Data are released from the NDBS for scientific and public use through the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR) ( http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/ndl ). In 1997 the NDL initiated the National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program (NFNAP) to update and expand its food-composition data. The program included: 1) nationwide probability-based sampling of foods; 2) central processing and archiving of food samples; 3) analysis of food components at commercial, government, and university laboratories; 4) incorporation of new analytical data into the NDBS; and 5) dissemination of these data to the scientific community. A key feature and strength of the NFNAP was a rigorous quality-control program that enabled independent verification of the accuracy and precision of analytical results. Custom-made food-control composites and/or commercially available certified reference materials were sent to the laboratories, blinded, with the samples. Data for these materials were essential to ongoing monitoring of analytical work, to identify and resolve suspected analytical problems, to ensure the accuracy and precision of results for the NFNAP food samples.

Effect of Medicinal Herbs on Primary Dysmenorrhoea- a Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Mirabi, Parvaneh; Alamolhoda, Seideh Hanieh; Esmaeilzadeh, Seddigheh; Mojab, Faraz

2014-01-01

Conventional treatment for primary dysmenorrhoea has a failure rate of 20% to 25% and may be contraindicated or not tolerated by some women. Herbal medicine may be a suitable alternative. To determine the efficacy and safety of Iranian herbal medicine for primary dysmenorrhea when compared with placebo, no treatment, and other treatment. Electronic searches of the Cochrane Menstrual Disorders and Dysmenorrhoea Group Register of controlled trials, Scopus, Google Scholar, Medline, Pubmed were performed to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The study abstraction and quality assessment of all studies were undertaken following the detailed descriptions of these categories as described in the JADAD Criteria for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. 25 RCTs involving a total of women were included in the review. The review found promising evidence in the form of RCTs for the use of herbal medicine in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea compared with pharmacological treatment. However, the results were limited by methodological flaws. Further rigorous no penetrating placebo-controlled RCTs are warranted. The review found promising evidence supporting the use of herbal medicine for primary dysmenorrhoea; however, results are limited by the poor methodological quality of the included trials. PMID:25276177

A Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Bioactive Compounds in Cardiovascular Disease: Phenolic Compounds

PubMed Central

Rangel-Huerta, Oscar D.; Pastor-Villaescusa, Belen; Aguilera, Concepcion M.; Gil, Angel

2015-01-01

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is rising and is the prime cause of death in all developed countries. Bioactive compounds (BAC) can have a role in CVD prevention and treatment. The aim of this work was to examine the scientific evidence supporting phenolic BAC efficacy in CVD prevention and treatment by a systematic review. Databases utilized were Medline, LILACS and EMBASE, and all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with prospective, parallel or crossover designs in humans in which the effects of BAC were compared with that of placebo/control were included. Vascular homeostasis, blood pressure, endothelial function, oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers were considered as primary outcomes. Cohort, ecological or case-control studies were not included. We selected 72 articles and verified their quality based on the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, establishing diverse quality levels of scientific evidence according to two features: the design and bias risk of a study. Moreover, a grade of recommendation was included, depending on evidence strength of antecedents. Evidence shows that certain polyphenols, such as flavonols can be helpful in decreasing CVD risk factors. However, further rigorous evidence is necessary to support the BAC effect on CVD prevention and treatment. PMID:26132993

Prediabetes

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

Manufacturing of microcomponents in a research institute under DIN EN ISO 9001

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maas, Dieter; Karl, Bernhard; Saile, Volker; Schulz, Joachim

2000-08-01

The Institute for Microstructure Technology at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe has implemented a rigorous quality management system and was certified according to the DIN ISO EN 9001 standard in January 2000.

R2 REGULATED FACILITIES

EPA Science Inventory

The Facility Registry System (FRS) is a centrally managed database that identifies facilities, sites or places subject to environmental regulations or of environmental interest. FRS creates high-quality, accurate, and authoritative facility identification records through rigorous...

Oxygen safety

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

Process Evaluation for Improving K12 Program Effectiveness: Case Study of a National Institutes of Health Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health Research Career Development Program.

PubMed

Raymond, Nancy C; Wyman, Jean F; Dighe, Satlaj; Harwood, Eileen M; Hang, Mikow

2018-06-01

Process evaluation is an important tool in quality improvement efforts. This article illustrates how a systematic and continuous evaluation process can be used to improve the quality of faculty career development programs by using the University of Minnesota's Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) K12 program as an exemplar. Data from a rigorous process evaluation incorporating quantitative and qualitative measurements were analyzed and reviewed by the BIRCWH program leadership on a regular basis. Examples are provided of how this evaluation model and processes were used to improve many aspects of the program, thereby improving scholar, mentor, and advisory committee members' satisfaction and scholar outcomes. A rigorous evaluation plan can increase the effectiveness and impact of a research career development plan.

Application of Crossover Design for Conducting Rigorous Extension Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jayaratne, K. S. U.; Bird, Carolyn L.; McClelland, Jacquelyn W.

2013-01-01

With the increasing demand for accountability of Extension programming, Extension professionals need to apply rigorous evaluation designs. Randomized designs are useful to eliminate selection biases of program participants and to improve the accuracy of evaluation. However, randomized control designs are not practical to apply in Extension program…

Phonon-tunnelling dissipation in mechanical resonators

PubMed Central

Cole, Garrett D.; Wilson-Rae, Ignacio; Werbach, Katharina; Vanner, Michael R.; Aspelmeyer, Markus

2011-01-01

Microscale and nanoscale mechanical resonators have recently emerged as ubiquitous devices for use in advanced technological applications, for example, in mobile communications and inertial sensors, and as novel tools for fundamental scientific endeavours. Their performance is in many cases limited by the deleterious effects of mechanical damping. In this study, we report a significant advancement towards understanding and controlling support-induced losses in generic mechanical resonators. We begin by introducing an efficient numerical solver, based on the 'phonon-tunnelling' approach, capable of predicting the design-limited damping of high-quality mechanical resonators. Further, through careful device engineering, we isolate support-induced losses and perform a rigorous experimental test of the strong geometric dependence of this loss mechanism. Our results are in excellent agreement with the theory, demonstrating the predictive power of our approach. In combination with recent progress on complementary dissipation mechanisms, our phonon-tunnelling solver represents a major step towards accurate prediction of the mechanical quality factor. PMID:21407197

Why Open-Ended Survey Questions Are Unlikely to Support Rigorous Qualitative Insights.

PubMed

LaDonna, Kori A; Taylor, Taryn; Lingard, Lorelei

2018-03-01

Health professions education researchers are increasingly relying on a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods to explore complex questions in the field. This important and necessary development, however, creates new methodological challenges that can affect both the rigor of the research process and the quality of the findings. One example is "qualitatively" analyzing free-text responses to survey or assessment instrument questions. In this Invited Commentary, the authors explain why analysis of such responses rarely meets the bar for rigorous qualitative research. While the authors do not discount the potential for free-text responses to enhance quantitative findings or to inspire new research questions, they caution that these responses rarely produce data rich enough to generate robust, stand-alone insights. The authors consider exemplars from health professions education research and propose strategies for treating free-text responses appropriately.

Developing methods for systematic reviewing in health services delivery and organization: an example from a review of access to health care for people with learning disabilities. Part 2. Evaluation of the literature--a practical guide.

PubMed

Alborz, Alison; McNally, Rosalind

2004-12-01

To develop methods to facilitate the 'systematic' review of evidence from a range of methodologies on diffuse or 'soft' topics, as exemplified by 'access to health care'. Twenty-eight bibliographic databases, research registers, organizational websites or library catalogues. Reference lists from identified studies. Contact with experts and service users. Current awareness and contents alerting services in the area of learning disabilities. Inclusion criteria were English language literature from 1980 onwards, relating to people with learning disabilities of any age and all study designs. The main criteria for assessment was relevance to Guillifords' model of access to health care which was adapted to the circumstances of people with learning disabilities. Selected studies were evaluated for scientific rigour then data was extracted and the results synthesized. Quality assessment was by an initial set of 'generic' quality indicators. This enabled further evidence selection before evaluation of findings according to specific criteria for qualitative, quantitative or mixed-method studies. Eighty-two studies were fully evaluated. Five studies were rated 'highly rigorous', 22 'rigorous', 46 'less rigorous' and nine 'poor' papers were retained as the sole evidence covering aspects of the guiding model. The majority of studies were quantitative but used only descriptive statistics. Most evidence lacked methodological detail, which often lowered final quality ratings. The application of a consistent structure to quality evaluation can facilitate data appraisal, extraction and synthesis across a range of methodologies in diffuse or 'soft' topics. Synthesis can be facilitated further by using software, such as the microsoft 'access' database, for managing information.

[Outcome of living kidney donors for transplantation].

PubMed

Lanot, Antoine; Bouvier, Nicolas; Chatelet, Valérie; Lecouf, Angélique; Tillou, Xavier; Hurault de Ligny, Bruno

2017-11-01

Nowadays, several treatments exist to treat terminal chronic renal failure. Best results for the recipients are obtained with kidney transplantation concerning mortality and quality of life. Transplantation is also the cheaper option for society. Living kidney donation raises the issue of the becoming of the donor, an absolutely healthy subject who gets to a surgical procedure. The becoming of living kidney donors has been compared with the one of controls subjects in several studies. The evaluations focused on the complications of nephrectomy in the short and long-term: kidney failure, hypertension, proteinuria, possibility of pregnancy, quality of life, and mortality. The first results did not show any risk linked to kidney donation, compared to general population. However, since 2013, kidney donors were found at higher risk for kidney failure and even for mortality, compared with controls selected like donor candidates. The risk of kidney donation is nevertheless acceptable and minimal, on the condition of rigorous selection of candidates and regular follow-up. Copyright © 2017 Société francophone de néphrologie, dialyse et transplantation. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Design of the Resistance and Endurance exercise After ChemoTherapy (REACT) study: a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of exercise interventions after chemotherapy on physical fitness and fatigue.

PubMed

Kampshoff, Caroline S; Buffart, Laurien M; Schep, Goof; van Mechelen, Willem; Brug, Johannes; Chinapaw, Mai J M

2010-11-30

Preliminary studies suggest that physical exercise interventions can improve physical fitness, fatigue and quality of life in cancer patients after completion of chemotherapy. Additional research is needed to rigorously test the effects of exercise programmes among cancer patients and to determine optimal training intensity accordingly. The present paper presents the design of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a high intensity exercise programme compared to a low-to-moderate intensity exercise programme and a waiting list control group on physical fitness and fatigue as primary outcomes. After baseline measurements, cancer patients who completed chemotherapy are randomly assigned to either a 12-week high intensity exercise programme or a low-to-moderate intensity exercise programme. Next, patients from both groups are randomly assigned to immediate training or a waiting list (i.e. waiting list control group). After 12 weeks, patients of the waiting list control group start with the exercise programme they have been allocated to.Both interventions consist of equal bouts of resistance and endurance interval exercises with the same frequency and duration, but differ in training intensity. Additionally, patients of both exercise programmes are counselled to improve compliance and achieve and maintain an active lifestyle, tailored to their individual preferences and capabilities.Measurements will be performed at baseline (t = 0), 12 weeks after randomization (t = 1), and 64 weeks after randomization (t = 2). The primary outcome measures are cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength assessed by means of objective performance indicators, and self-reported fatigue. Secondary outcome measures include health-related quality of life, self-reported physical activity, daily functioning, body composition, mood and sleep disturbances, and return to work. In addition, compliance and satisfaction with the interventions will be evaluated. Potential moderation by pre- and post-illness lifestyle, health and exercise-related attitudes, beliefs and motivation will also be assessed. Finally, the cost-effectiveness of both exercise interventions will be evaluated. This randomized controlled trial will be a rigorous test of effects of exercise programmes for cancer patients after chemotherapy, aiming to contribute to evidence-based practice in cancer rehabilitation programmes. This study is registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR2153).

Proteomic Biomarkers for Acute Interstitial Lung Disease in Gefitinib-Treated Japanese Lung Cancer Patients

PubMed Central

Kawakami, Takao; Nagasaka, Keiko; Takami, Sachiko; Wada, Kazuya; Tu, Hsiao-Kun; Otsuji, Makiko; Kyono, Yutaka; Dobashi, Tae; Komatsu, Yasuhiko; Kihara, Makoto; Akimoto, Shingo; Peers, Ian S.; South, Marie C.; Higenbottam, Tim; Fukuoka, Masahiro; Nakata, Koichiro; Ohe, Yuichiro; Kudoh, Shoji; Clausen, Ib Groth; Nishimura, Toshihide; Marko-Varga, György; Kato, Harubumi

2011-01-01

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) events have been reported in Japanese non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We investigated proteomic biomarkers for mechanistic insights and improved prediction of ILD. Blood plasma was collected from 43 gefitinib-treated NSCLC patients developing acute ILD (confirmed by blinded diagnostic review) and 123 randomly selected controls in a nested case-control study within a pharmacoepidemiological cohort study in Japan. We generated ∼7 million tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) measurements with extensive quality control and validation, producing one of the largest proteomic lung cancer datasets to date, incorporating rigorous study design, phenotype definition, and evaluation of sample processing. After alignment, scaling, and measurement batch adjustment, we identified 41 peptide peaks representing 29 proteins best predicting ILD. Multivariate peptide, protein, and pathway modeling achieved ILD prediction comparable to previously identified clinical variables; combining the two provided some improvement. The acute phase response pathway was strongly represented (17 of 29 proteins, p = 1.0×10−25), suggesting a key role with potential utility as a marker for increased risk of acute ILD events. Validation by Western blotting showed correlation for identified proteins, confirming that robust results can be generated from an MS/MS platform implementing strict quality control. PMID:21799770

[Rigor mortis -- a definite sign of death?].

PubMed

Heller, A R; Müller, M P; Frank, M D; Dressler, J

2005-04-01

In the past years an ongoing controversial debate exists in Germany, regarding quality of the coroner's inquest and declaration of death by physicians. We report the case of a 90-year old female, who was found after an unknown time following a suicide attempt with benzodiazepine. The examination of the patient showed livores (mortis?) on the left forearm and left lower leg. Moreover, rigor (mortis?) of the left arm was apparent which prevented arm flexion and extension. The hypothermic patient with insufficient respiration was intubated and mechanically ventilated. Chest compressions were not performed, because central pulses were (hardly) palpable and a sinus bradycardia 45/min (AV-block 2 degrees and sole premature ventricular complexes) was present. After placement of an intravenous line (17 G, external jugular vein) the hemodynamic situation was stabilized with intermittent boli of epinephrine and with sodium bicarbonate. With improved circulation livores and rigor disappeared. In the present case a minimal central circulation was noted, which could be stabilized, despite the presence of certain signs of death ( livores and rigor mortis). Considering the finding of an abrogated peripheral perfusion (livores), we postulate a centripetal collapse of glycogen and ATP supply in the patients left arm (rigor), which was restored after resuscitation and reperfusion. Thus, it appears that livores and rigor are not sensitive enough to exclude a vita minima, in particular in hypothermic patients with intoxications. Consequently a careful ABC-check should be performed even in the presence of apparently certain signs of death, to avoid underdiagnosing a vita minima. Additional ECG- monitoring is required to reduce the rate of false positive declarations of death. To what extent basic life support by paramedics should commence when rigor and livores are present until physician DNR order, deserves further discussion.

Ginkgo Biloba extract for angina pectoris: a systematic review.

PubMed

Sun, Tian; Wang, Xian; Xu, Hao

2015-07-01

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ginkgo Biloba extract for patients with angina pectoris according to the available evidence. Electronic databases were searched for all of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of angina pectoris treatments with Ginkgo Biloba extract, either alone or combined with routine Western medicine (RWM), and controlled by untreated, placebo, Chinese patent medicine, or RWM treatment. The RCTs were retrieved from the following electronic databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, ProQuest Health and Medical Complete, Springer, Elsevier, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP database, China Biology Medicine (CBM), Chinese Medical Citation Index (CMCI), from the earliest database records to December 2012. No language restriction was applied. Study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, and data analyses were conducted according to the Cochrane standards. RevMan 5.1.0 provided by Cochrane Collaboration The data were analysed by using. A total of 23 RCTs (involving 2,529 patients) were included and the methodological quality was evaluated as generally low. Ginkgo Biloba extract with RWM was more effective in angina relief and electrocardiogram improvement than RWM alone. Reported adverse events included epigastric discomfort, nausea, gastrointestinal reaction, and bitter taste. Ginkgo Biloba extract may have beneficial effects on patients with angina pectoris, although the low quality of existing trials makes it difficult to draw a satisfactory conclusion. More rigorous, high quality clinical trials are needed to provide conclusive evidence.

Informed consent - adults

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

Nicotine addiction and withdrawal

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

Help prevent hospital errors

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

Stop smoking support programs

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

Risks of tobacco

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

Health risks of obesity

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

Smoking and COPD

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

Low-salt diet

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

Biochemical and hemodynamic changes in normal subjects during acute and rigorous bed rest and ambulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zorbas, Yan G.; Kakurin, Vassily J.; Afonin, Victor B.; Yarullin, Vladimir L.

2002-06-01

Rigorous bed rest (RBR) induces significant biochemical and circulatory changes. However, little is known about acute rigorous bed rest (ARBR). Measuring biochemical and circulatory variables during ARBR and RBR the aim of this study was to establish the significance of ARBR effect. Studies were done during 3 days of a pre-bed rest (BR) period and during 7 days of ARBR and RBR period. Thirty normal male individuals aged, 24.1±6.3 years were chosen as subjects. They were divided equally into three groups: 10 subjects placed under active control conditions served as unrestricted ambulatory control subjects (UACS), 10 subjects submitted to an acute rigorous bed rest served as acute rigorous bed rested subjects (ARBRS) and 10 subjects submitted to a rigorous bed rest served as rigorous bed rested subjects (RBRS). The UACS were maintained under an average running distance of 9.7 km day -1. For the ARBR effect simulation, ARBRS were submitted abruptly to BR for 7 days. They did not have any prior knowledge of the exact date and time when they would be asked to confine to RBR. For the RBR effect simulation, RBRS were subjected to BR for 7 days on a predetermined date and time known to them right away from the start of the study. Plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma cortisol (PC), plasma aldosterone (PA), plasma and urinary sodium (Na) and potassium (K) levels, heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), and arterial blood pressure (ABP) increased significantly, and urinary aldosterone (UA), stroke volume (SV) and plasma volume (PV) decreased significantly ( p<0.05) in ARBRS and RBRS as compared with their pre-BR values and the values in UACS. Electrolyte, hormonal and hemodynamic responses were significantly ( p<0.05) greater and occurred significantly faster ( p<0.05) during ARBR than RBR. Parameters change insignificantly ( p>0.05) in UACS compared with pre-BR control values. It was concluded that, the more abruptly muscular activity is restricted in experimental subjects while they are very active, the greater hemodynamic and biochemical change there is and probably in individuals whose muscular activity is abruptly terminated after an accident or sudden illness.

School-based programmes for preventing smoking.

PubMed

Thomas, R

2002-01-01

Smoking rates in adolescents are rising. Helping young people to avoid starting smoking is a widely endorsed goal of public health, but there is uncertainty about how to do this. Schools provide a route for communicating with a large proportion of young people, and school-based programmes for smoking prevention have been widely developed and evaluated. To review all randomised controlled trials of behavioural interventions in schools to prevent children (aged 5 to12) and adolescents (aged 13 to18) starting smoking. We searched The Cochrane Controlled Trials and Tobacco Review group registers, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Psyclnfo, ERIC, CINAHL, Health Star, Dissertation Abstracts and studies identified in the bibliographies of articles. Individual MEDLINE searches were made for 133 authors who had undertaken randomised controlled trials in this area. Types of studies: those in which individual students, classes, schools, or school districts were randomised to the intervention or control groups and followed for at least six months. Children (aged 5 to12) or adolescents (aged 13 to18) in school settings. Types of interventions: Classroom programmes or curricula, including those with associated family and community interventions, intended to deter use of tobacco. We included programmes or curricula that provided information, those that used social influences approaches, those that taught generic social competence, and those that included interventions beyond the school into the community. We included programmes with a drug or alcohol focus if outcomes for tobacco use were reported. Types of outcome measures: Prevalence of non-smoking at follow-up among those not smoking at baseline. We did not require biochemical validation of self-reported tobacco use for study inclusion. We assessed whether identified citations were randomised controlled trials. We assessed the quality of design and execution, and abstracted outcome data. Because of the marked heterogeneity of design and outcomes, we did not perform a meta-analysis. We synthesised the data using narrative systematic review. We grouped studies by intervention method (information; social competence; social influences; combined social influences/social competence and multi-modal programmes). Within each category, we placed them into three groups according to validity using quality criteria for reported study design. Of the 76 randomised controlled trials identified, we classified 16 as category one (most valid). There were no category one studies of information giving alone. There were fifteen category one studies of social influences interventions. Of these, eight showed some positive effect of intervention on smoking prevalence, and seven failed to detect an effect on smoking prevalence. The largest and most rigorous study, the Hutchinson Smoking Prevention Project, found no long-term effect of an intensive 8-year programme on smoking behaviour. There was a lack of high quality evidence about the effectiveness of combinations of social influences and social competence approaches. There was limited evidence about the effectiveness of multi-modal approaches including community initiatives. There is no rigorous test of the effects of information giving about smoking. There are well-conducted randomised controlled trials to test the effects of social influences interventions: in half of the group of best quality studies those in the intervention group smoke less than those in the control, but many studies showed no effect of the intervention. There is a lack of high-quality evidence about the effectiveness of combinations of social influences and social competence interventions, and of multi-modal programmes that include community interventions.

The NISTmAb Reference Material 8671 lifecycle management and quality plan.

PubMed

Schiel, John E; Turner, Abigail

2018-03-01

Comprehensive analysis of monoclonal antibody therapeutics involves an ever expanding cadre of technologies. Lifecycle-appropriate application of current and emerging techniques requires rigorous testing followed by discussion between industry and regulators in a pre-competitive space, an effort that may be facilitated by a widely available test metric. Biopharmaceutical quality materials, however, are often difficult to access and/or are protected by intellectual property rights. The NISTmAb, humanized IgG1κ Reference Material 8671 (RM 8671), has been established with the intent of filling that void. The NISTmAb embodies the quality and characteristics of a typical biopharmaceutical product, is widely available to the biopharmaceutical community, and is an open innovation tool for development and dissemination of results. The NISTmAb lifecyle management plan described herein provides a hierarchical strategy for maintenance of quality over time through rigorous method qualification detailed in additional submissions in the current publication series. The NISTmAb RM 8671 is a representative monoclonal antibody material and provides a means to continually evaluate current best practices, promote innovative approaches, and inform regulatory paradigms as technology advances. Graphical abstract The NISTmAb Reference Material (RM) 8671 is intended to be an industry standard monoclonal antibody for pre-competitive harmonization of best practices and designing next generation characterization technologies for identity, quality, and stability testing.

A films based approach to intensity imbalance correction for 65nm node c:PSM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cottle, Rand; Sixt, Pierre; Lassiter, Matt; Cangemi, Marc; Martin, Patrick; Progler, Chris

2005-11-01

Intensity imbalance between the 0 and π phase features of c:PSM cause gate CD control and edge placement problems. Strategies such as undercut, selective biasing, and combinations of undercut and bias are currently used in production to mitigate these problems. However, there are drawbacks to these strategies such as space CD delta through pitch, gate CD control through defocus, design rule restrictions, and reticle manufacturability. This paper investigates the application of an innovative films-based approach to intensity balancing known as the Transparent Etch Stop Layer (TESL). TESL, in addition to providing a host of reticle quality and manufacturability benefits, also can be tuned to significantly reduce imbalance. Rigorous 3D vector simulations and experimental data compare through pitch and defocus performance of TESL and conventional c:PSM for 65nm design rules.

A Systems-Level Approach to Building Sustainable Assessment Cultures: Moderation, Quality Task Design and Dependability of Judgement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colbert, Peta; Wyatt-Smith, Claire; Klenowski, Val

2012-01-01

This article considers the conditions that are necessary at system and local levels for teacher assessment to be valid, reliable and rigorous. With sustainable assessment cultures as a goal, the article examines how education systems can support local-level efforts for quality learning and dependable teacher assessment. This is achieved through…

Supporting Excellence: A Framework for Developing, Implementing, and Sustaining a High-Quality District Curriculum. First Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council of the Great City Schools, 2017

2017-01-01

In the ongoing effort to improve instructional standards in our nation's urban public schools, the Council of the Great City Schools has released resources to help districts determine the quality and alignment of instructional materials at each grade level; to ensure that materials for English language learners are rigorous and aligned to district…

Parent-Child Positivity and Romantic Relationships in Emerging Adulthood: Congruence, Compensation, and the Role of Social Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kretschmer, Tina; Vollebergh, Wilma; Oldehinkel, Albertine J.

2017-01-01

Romantic relationship quality in adolescence and early adulthood has often been linked to earlier parent-child relationship quality but it is possible that these links are nonlinear. Moreover, the role of social skills as mediator of associations between parent-child and romantic relations has been discussed but not rigorously tested. Using data…

DESCQA: Synthetic Sky Catalog Validation Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Yao-Yuan; Uram, Thomas D.; Zhou, Rongpu; Kovacs, Eve; Ricker, Paul M.; Kalmbach, J. Bryce; Padilla, Nelson; Lanusse, François; Zu, Ying; Tenneti, Ananth; Vikraman, Vinu; DeRose, Joseph

2018-04-01

The DESCQA framework provides rigorous validation protocols for assessing the quality of high-quality simulated sky catalogs in a straightforward and comprehensive way. DESCQA enables the inspection, validation, and comparison of an inhomogeneous set of synthetic catalogs via the provision of a common interface within an automated framework. An interactive web interface is also available at portal.nersc.gov/project/lsst/descqa.

The Age-ility Project (Phase 1): Structural and functional imaging and electrophysiological data repository.

PubMed

Karayanidis, Frini; Keuken, Max C; Wong, Aaron; Rennie, Jaime L; de Hollander, Gilles; Cooper, Patrick S; Ross Fulham, W; Lenroot, Rhoshel; Parsons, Mark; Phillips, Natalie; Michie, Patricia T; Forstmann, Birte U

2016-01-01

Our understanding of the complex interplay between structural and functional organisation of brain networks is being advanced by the development of novel multi-modal analyses approaches. The Age-ility Project (Phase 1) data repository offers open access to structural MRI, diffusion MRI, and resting-state fMRI scans, as well as resting-state EEG recorded from the same community participants (n=131, 15-35 y, 66 male). Raw imaging and electrophysiological data as well as essential demographics are made available via the NITRC website. All data have been reviewed for artifacts using a rigorous quality control protocol and detailed case notes are provided. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Lean Six Sigma: a new approach to the management of patients undergoing prosthetic hip replacement surgery.

PubMed

Improta, Giovanni; Balato, Giovanni; Romano, Maria; Carpentieri, Francesco; Bifulco, Paolo; Alessandro Russo, Mario; Rosa, Donato; Triassi, Maria; Cesarelli, Mario

2015-08-01

In 2012, health care spending in Italy reached €114.5 billion, accounting for 7.2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 14.2% of total public spending. Therefore, reducing waste in health facilities could generate substantial cost savings. The objective of this study is to show that Lean Six Sigma represents an appropriate methodology for the development of a clinical pathway which allows to improve quality and to reduce costs in prosthetic hip replacement surgery. The methodology used for the development of a new clinical pathway was Lean Six Sigma. Problem solving in Lean Six Sigma is the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control) roadmap, characterized by five operational phases which make possible to reach fixed goals through a rigorous process of defining, measuring, analysing, improving and controlling business problems. The following project indicated several variables influencing the inappropriate prolongation of the length of stay for inpatient treatment and corrective actions were performed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the process of care. The average length of stay was reduced from 18.9 to 10.6 days (-44%). This article shows there is no trade-off between quality and costs: Lean Six Sigma improves quality and, at the same time, reduces costs. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Program Manager’s Guide for Program Improvement in Ongoing Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Programs. The RAND Toolkit, Volume 4

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

Hughes EFX, Boerstler H, O’Connor EJ. “Assessing the Impact of Continuous Quality Improvement/ Total Quality Management : Concept versus...facing the public and private sectors. All RAND reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity. Gery...RAND Program Manager’s Guide helps managers assess program performance, consider options for improvement, implement solutions, then assess whether the

Medication safety during your hospital stay

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

Choosing a primary care provider

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

Smoking - tips on how to quit

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

High blood pressure and diet

MedlinePlus

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How to read food labels

MedlinePlus

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LIHE Spectral Dynamics and Jaguar Data Acquisition System Measurement Assurance Results 2014.

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

Covert, Timothy T.; Willis, Michael David; Radtke, Gregg Arthur

2015-06-01

The Light Initiated High Explosive (LIHE) facility performs high rigor, high consequence impulse testing for the nuclear weapons (NW) community. To support the facility mission, LIHE's extensive data acquisition system (DAS) is comprised of several discrete components as well as a fully integrated system. Due to the high consequence and high rigor of the testing performed at LIHE, a measurement assurance plan (MAP) was developed in collaboration with NW system customers to meet their data quality needs and to provide assurance of the robustness of the LIHE DAS. While individual components of the DAS have been calibrated by the SNLmore » Primary Standards Laboratory (PSL), the integrated nature of this complex system requires verification of the complete system, from end-to-end. This measurement assurance plan (MAP) report documents the results of verification and validation procedures used to ensure that the data quality meets customer requirements.« less

Effects of life review on mental health and well-being among cancer patients: A systematic review.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoling; Xiao, Huimin; Chen, Ying

2017-09-01

Cancer patients often experience psychological distress. Life review has increasingly been used to enhance their mental health and well-being. However, no systematic review has synthesized the evidence, and its effects remain unclear. To examine and synthesize the best available evidence on the effects of life review on mental health and well-being among cancer patients. Systematic review of randomized controlled trials and clinical controlled trials. Twelve electronic databases were searched for published studies reported in English or Chinese, from inception to September 2016. Other supplementary sources, such as related websites, professional books, reference lists, and author contacts were also used for published or unpublished studies. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify eligible randomized controlled trials or clinical controlled trials about the effects of life review on cancer patients. Study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction were independently performed by two reviewers. The results were synthesized without meta-analysis in this review. Fifteen studies (899 participants) were identified; of that total, nine studies were rated as strong in quality, while six studies were of moderate quality. In addition to structured life review interviews, other elements such as memory prompts and a legacy product were integrated into life review programs. A majority of studies indicated that life review programs benefited cancer patients by reducing depression and anxiety, as well as improving their sense of hope, self-esteem and quality of life. Life review can improve mental health and well-being among cancer patients. This suggests that life review can be integrated into typical cancer treatment to enhance patients' mental health and well-being. More research with rigorous design is necessary to further explore the effects of life review. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of an educational toolkit on quality of care: a pragmatic cluster randomized trial.

PubMed

Shah, Baiju R; Bhattacharyya, Onil; Yu, Catherine H Y; Mamdani, Muhammad M; Parsons, Janet A; Straus, Sharon E; Zwarenstein, Merrick

2014-02-01

Printed educational materials for clinician education are one of the most commonly used approaches for quality improvement. The objective of this pragmatic cluster randomized trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational toolkit focusing on cardiovascular disease screening and risk reduction in people with diabetes. All 933,789 people aged ≥40 years with diagnosed diabetes in Ontario, Canada were studied using population-level administrative databases, with additional clinical outcome data collected from a random sample of 1,592 high risk patients. Family practices were randomly assigned to receive the educational toolkit in June 2009 (intervention group) or May 2010 (control group). The primary outcome in the administrative data study, death or non-fatal myocardial infarction, occurred in 11,736 (2.5%) patients in the intervention group and 11,536 (2.5%) in the control group (p = 0.77). The primary outcome in the clinical data study, use of a statin, occurred in 700 (88.1%) patients in the intervention group and 725 (90.1%) in the control group (p = 0.26). Pre-specified secondary outcomes, including other clinical events, processes of care, and measures of risk factor control, were also not improved by the intervention. A limitation is the high baseline rate of statin prescribing in this population. The educational toolkit did not improve quality of care or cardiovascular outcomes in a population with diabetes. Despite being relatively easy and inexpensive to implement, printed educational materials were not effective. The study highlights the need for a rigorous and scientifically based approach to the development, dissemination, and evaluation of quality improvement interventions. http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01411865 and NCT01026688.

The Relationship Between Professional Burnout and Quality and Safety in Healthcare: A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Salyers, Michelle P; Bonfils, Kelsey A; Luther, Lauren; Firmin, Ruth L; White, Dominique A; Adams, Erin L; Rollins, Angela L

2017-04-01

Healthcare provider burnout is considered a factor in quality of care, yet little is known about the consistency and magnitude of this relationship. This meta-analysis examined relationships between provider burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment) and the quality (perceived quality, patient satisfaction) and safety of healthcare. Publications were identified through targeted literature searches in Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses through March of 2015. Two coders extracted data to calculate effect sizes and potential moderators. We calculated Pearson's r for all independent relationships between burnout and quality measures, using a random effects model. Data were assessed for potential impact of study rigor, outliers, and publication bias. Eighty-two studies including 210,669 healthcare providers were included. Statistically significant negative relationships emerged between burnout and quality (r = -0.26, 95 % CI [-0.29, -0.23]) and safety (r = -0.23, 95 % CI [-0.28, -0.17]). In both cases, the negative relationship implied that greater burnout among healthcare providers was associated with poorer-quality healthcare and reduced safety for patients. Moderators for the quality relationship included dimension of burnout, unit of analysis, and quality data source. Moderators for the relationship between burnout and safety were safety indicator type, population, and country. Rigor of the study was not a significant moderator. This is the first study to systematically, quantitatively analyze the links between healthcare provider burnout and healthcare quality and safety across disciplines. Provider burnout shows consistent negative relationships with perceived quality (including patient satisfaction), quality indicators, and perceptions of safety. Though the effects are small to medium, the findings highlight the importance of effective burnout interventions for healthcare providers. Moderator analyses suggest contextual factors to consider for future study.

What Does it Mean to Publish Data in Earth System Science Data Journal?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlson, D.; Pfeiffenberger, H.

2015-12-01

The availability of more than 120 data sets in ESSD represents an unprecedented effort by providers, data centers and ESSD. ESSD data sets and their accompanying data descriptions undergo rigorous review. The data sets reside at any of more than 20 cooperating data centers. The ESSD publication process depends on but challenges the concepts of digital object identification and exacerbates the varied interpretations of the phrase 'data publication'. ESSD adopts the digital object identifier (doi). Key questions apply to doi's and other identifiers. How will persistent identifiers point accurately to distributed or replicated data? How should data centers and data publishers use identifier technologies to ensure authenticity and integrity? Should metadata associated with identifiers distinguish among raw, quality controlled and derived data processing levels, or indicate license or copyright status?Data centers publish data sets according to internal metadata standards but without indicators of quality control. Publication in this sense indicates availability. National data portals compile, serve and publish data products as a service to national researchers and, often, to meet national requirements. Publication in this second case indicates availability in a national context; the data themselves may still reside at separate data centers. Data journals such as ESSD or Scientific Data publish peer-reviewed, quality controlled data sets. These data sets almost always reside at a separate data center - the journal and the center maintain explicit identifier linkages. Data journals add quality to the feature of availability. A single data set processed through these layers will generate three independent doi's but the doi's will provide little information about availability or quality. Could the data world learn from the URL world to consider additions? Suffixes? Could we use our experience with processing levels or data maturity to propose and agree such extensions?

The Impact of Massage Therapy on Function in Pain Populations—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: Part II, Cancer Pain Populations

PubMed Central

Boyd, Courtney; Crawford, Cindy; Paat, Charmagne F; Price, Ashley; Xenakis, Lea; Zhang, Weimin; Buckenmaier, Chester; Buckenmaier, Pamela; Cambron, Jerrilyn; Deery, Christopher; Schwartz, Jan; Werner, Ruth; Whitridge, Pete

2016-01-01

Abstract Purpose Pain is multi-dimensional and may be better addressed through a holistic, biopsychosocial approach. Massage therapy is commonly practiced among patients seeking pain management; however, its efficacy is unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to rigorously assess the quality of massage therapy research and evidence for its efficacy in treating pain, function-related and health-related quality of life in cancer populations. Methods Key databases were searched from inception through February 2014. Eligible randomized controlled trials were assessed for methodological quality using the SIGN 50 Checklist. Meta-analysis was applied at the outcome level. A diverse steering committee interpreted the results to develop recommendations. Results Twelve high quality and four low quality studies were subsequently included in the review. Results demonstrate massage therapy is effective for treating pain compared to no treatment [standardized mean difference (SMD)  = −.20] and active (SMD = −0.55) comparators. Compared to active comparators, massage therapy was also found to be beneficial for treating fatigue (SMD = −1.06) and anxiety (SMD = −1.24). Conclusion Based on the evidence, weak recommendations are suggested for massage therapy, compared to an active comparator, for the treatment of pain, fatigue, and anxiety. No recommendations were suggested for massage therapy compared to no treatment or sham control based on the available literature to date. This review addresses massage therapy safety, research challenges, how to address identified research gaps, and necessary next steps for implementing massage therapy as a viable pain management option for cancer pain populations. PMID:27165967

The Impact of Massage Therapy on Function in Pain Populations-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: Part II, Cancer Pain Populations.

PubMed

Boyd, Courtney; Crawford, Cindy; Paat, Charmagne F; Price, Ashley; Xenakis, Lea; Zhang, Weimin

2016-08-01

Pain is multi-dimensional and may be better addressed through a holistic, biopsychosocial approach. Massage therapy is commonly practiced among patients seeking pain management; however, its efficacy is unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to rigorously assess the quality of massage therapy research and evidence for its efficacy in treating pain, function-related and health-related quality of life in cancer populations. Key databases were searched from inception through February 2014. Eligible randomized controlled trials were assessed for methodological quality using the SIGN 50 Checklist. Meta-analysis was applied at the outcome level. A diverse steering committee interpreted the results to develop recommendations. Twelve high quality and four low quality studies were subsequently included in the review. Results demonstrate massage therapy is effective for treating pain compared to no treatment [standardized mean difference (SMD)  = -.20] and active (SMD = -0.55) comparators. Compared to active comparators, massage therapy was also found to be beneficial for treating fatigue (SMD = -1.06) and anxiety (SMD = -1.24). Based on the evidence, weak recommendations are suggested for massage therapy, compared to an active comparator, for the treatment of pain, fatigue, and anxiety. No recommendations were suggested for massage therapy compared to no treatment or sham control based on the available literature to date. This review addresses massage therapy safety, research challenges, how to address identified research gaps, and necessary next steps for implementing massage therapy as a viable pain management option for cancer pain populations. © 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine.

Is the 'driving test' a robust quality indicator of colonoscopy performance?

PubMed

Kelly, Nicholas M; Moorehead, John; Tham, Tony

2010-04-16

Colorectal cancer is a major cause of death in the western world and is currently the second commonest cause of death from malignant disease in the UK. Recently a "driving test" for colonoscopists wishing to take part in the National Health Service Bowel Cancer Screening Program has been introduced, with the aim of improving quality in colonoscopy. We describe the accreditation process and have reviewed the published evidence for its use. We compared this method of assessment to what occurs in other developed countries. To the authors' knowledge no other countries have similar methods of assessment of practicing colonoscopists, and instead use critical evaluation of key quality criteria. The UK appears to have one of the most rigorous accreditation processes, although this still has flaws. The published evidence suggests that the written part of the accreditation is not a good discriminating test and it needs to be improved or abandoned. Further work is needed on the best methods of assessing polypectomy skills. Rigorous systems need to be in place for the colonoscopist who fails the assessment.

Epidemiology of insomnia in college students: relationship with mental health, quality of life, and substance use difficulties.

PubMed

Taylor, Daniel J; Bramoweth, Adam D; Grieser, Emily A; Tatum, Jolyn I; Roane, Brandy M

2013-09-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and correlates of insomnia using rigorous diagnostic criteria and a comprehensive assessment battery. In a large sample (N=1,074) of college students (mean age 20.39years), participants were asked to complete a week-long sleep diary and comprehensive questionnaire packet assessing recommended daytime functioning domains (i.e., fatigue, quality of life, depression, anxiety, stress, academic performance, substance use) during the academic year. A significant portion of this sample of college students met proposed DSM-5 criteria for chronic insomnia (9.5%). The chronic insomnia group reported significantly worse sleep, fatigue, depression, anxiety, stress, and quality of life, and greater hypnotic and stimulant use for sleep problems. There were no differences between groups on excessive daytime sleepiness, academic performance, or substance use. This was a rigorous and comprehensive assessment of the prevalence and psychosocial correlates of insomnia. Insomnia is a significant problem in college students and should be regularly assessed. More research is also needed to guide treatment in this population. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Quality in physical therapist clinical education: a systematic review.

PubMed

McCallum, Christine A; Mosher, Peter D; Jacobson, Peri J; Gallivan, Sean P; Giuffre, Suzanne M

2013-10-01

Many factors affect student learning throughout the clinical education (CE) component of professional (entry-level) physical therapist education curricula. Physical therapist education programs (PTEPs) manage CE, yet the material and human resources required to provide CE are generally overseen by community-based physical therapist practices. The purposes of this systematic review were: (1) to examine how the construct of quality is defined in CE literature and (2) to determine the methodological rigor of the available evidence on quality in physical therapist CE. This study was a systematic review of English-language journals using the American Physical Therapy Association's Open Door Portal to Evidence-Based Practice as the computer search engine. The search was categorized using terms for physical therapy and quality and for CE pedagogy and models or roles. Summary findings were characterized by 5 primary themes and 14 subthemes using a qualitative-directed content analysis. Fifty-four articles were included in the study. The primary quality themes were: CE framework, CE sites, structure of CE, assessment in CE, and CE faculty. The methodological rigor of the studies was critically appraised using a binary system based on the McMaster appraisal tools. Scores ranged from 3 to 14. Publication bias and outcome reporting bias may be inherent limitations to the results. The review found inconclusive evidence about what constitutes quality or best practice for physical therapist CE. Five key constructs of CE were identified that, when aggregated, could construe quality.

Systematic review of the quality of prognosis studies in systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Lim, Lily S H; Lee, Senq J; Feldman, Brian M; Gladman, Dafna D; Pullenayegum, Eleanor; Uleryk, Elizabeth; Silverman, Earl D

2014-10-01

Prognosis studies examine outcomes and/or seek to identify predictors or factors associated with outcomes. Many prognostic factors have been identified in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but few have been consistently found across studies. We hypothesized that this is due to a lack of rigor of study designs. This study aimed to systematically assess the methodologic quality of prognosis studies in SLE. A search of prognosis studies in SLE was performed using MEDLINE and Embase, from January 1990 to June 2011. A representative sample of 150 articles was selected using a random number generator and assessed by 2 reviewers. Each study was assessed by a risk of bias tool according to 6 domains: study participation, study attrition, measurement of prognostic factors, measurement of outcomes, measurement/adjustment for confounders, and appropriateness of statistical analysis. Information about missing data was also collected. A cohort design was used in 71% of studies. High risk of bias was found in 65% of studies for confounders, 57% for study participation, 56% for attrition, 36% for statistical analyses, 20% for prognostic factors, and 18% for outcome. Missing covariate or outcome information was present in half of the studies. Only 6 studies discussed reasons for missing data and 2 imputed missing data. Lack of rigorous study design, especially in addressing confounding, study participation and attrition, and inadequately handled missing data, has limited the quality of prognosis studies in SLE. Future prognosis studies should be designed with consideration of these factors to improve methodologic rigor. Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Bioengineered Temporomandibular Joint Disk Implants: Study Protocol for a Two-Phase Exploratory Randomized Preclinical Pilot Trial in 18 Black Merino Sheep (TEMPOJIMS)

PubMed Central

Monje, Florencio Gil; González-García, Raúl; Little, Christopher B; Mónico, Lisete; Pinho, Mário; Santos, Fábio Abade; Carrapiço, Belmira; Gonçalves, Sandra Cavaco; Morouço, Pedro; Alves, Nuno; Moura, Carla; Wang, Yadong; Jeffries, Eric; Gao, Jin; Sousa, Rita; Neto, Lia Lucas; Caldeira, Daniel; Salvado, Francisco

2017-01-01

Background Preclinical trials are essential to test efficacious options to substitute the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disk. The contemporary absence of an ideal treatment for patients with severe TMJ disorders can be related to difficulties concerning the appropriate study design to conduct preclinical trials in the TMJ field. These difficulties can be associated with the use of heterogeneous animal models, the use of the contralateral TMJ as control, the absence of rigorous randomized controlled preclinical trials with blinded outcomes assessors, and difficulties involving multidisciplinary teams. Objective This study aims to develop a new, reproducible, and effective study design for preclinical research in the TMJ domain, obtaining rigorous data related to (1) identify the impact of bilateral discectomy in black Merino sheep, (2) identify the impact of bilateral discopexy in black Merino sheep, and (3) identify the impact of three different bioengineering TMJ discs in black Merino sheep. Methods A two-phase exploratory randomized controlled preclinical trial with blinded outcomes is proposed. In the first phase, nine sheep are randomized into three different surgical bilateral procedures: bilateral discectomy, bilateral discopexy, and sham surgery. In the second phase, nine sheep are randomized to bilaterally test three different TMJ bioengineering disk implants. The primary outcome is the histological gradation of TMJ. Secondary outcomes are imaging changes, absolute masticatory time, ruminant time per cycle, ruminant kinetics, ruminant area, and sheep weight. Results Previous preclinical studies in this field have used the contralateral unoperated side as a control, different animal models ranging from mice to a canine model, with nonrandomized, nonblinded and uncontrolled study designs and limited outcomes measures. The main goal of this exploratory preclinical protocol is to set a new standard for future preclinical trials in oromaxillofacial surgery, particularly in the TMJ field, by proposing a rigorous design in black Merino sheep. The authors also intend to test the feasibility of pilot outcomes. The authors expect to increase the quality of further studies in this field and to progress in future treatment options for patients undergoing surgery for TMJ disk replacement. Conclusions The study has commenced, but it is too early to provide results or conclusions. PMID:28254733

Quality of Life and Everyday Activities in Patients with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

PubMed Central

Selmi, Carlo; Gershwin, M. Eric; Lindor, Keith D.; Worman, Howard J.; Gold, Ellen B.; Watnik, Mitchell; Utts, Jessica; Invernizzi, Pietro; Kaplan, Marshall M.; Vierling, John M.; Bowlus, Christopher L.; Silveira, Marina G.; Bossi, Ilaria

2011-01-01

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is generally a slowly progressive disease that may lead to cirrhosis and liver failure. However, patients with PBC often suffer from a variety of symptoms long before the development of cirrhosis that include issues of daily living that have an impact on their work environment and their individual quality of life. We therefore examined multiple parameters by taking advantage of the database of our cohort of 1032 patients with PBC and 1041 matched controls. The data were obtained from patients from 23 tertiary referral centers throughout the United States and from rigorously matched controls by age, sex, ethnicity, and random-digit dialing. The data showed that patients with PBC were more likely than controls to have significant articular symptoms, a reduced ability to perform household chores, and the need for help with routine activities. Patients with PBC rated their overall activity similar or superior to that of controls; however, more of them reported limitations in their ability to carry out activities at work or at home and difficulties in everyday activities. PBC cases also more frequently reported limitations in participating in certain sports or exercises and pursuing various hobbies; however, they did not report significant limitations in social activities. In a multivariable analysis, household income, a diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus, limitations in work activities, a reduction in work secondary to disability, and church attendance were independently increased in PBC cases with respect to controls. Conclusion Our data indicate that the quality of life of patients with PBC in the United States is generally well preserved. Nevertheless, patients with PBC suffer significantly more than controls from a variety of symptoms that are beyond the immediate impact of liver failure and affect their lifestyle, personal relationships, and work activities. PMID:18027862

Determinants of the Rigor of State Protection Policies for Persons With Dementia in Assisted Living.

PubMed

Nattinger, Matthew C; Kaskie, Brian

2017-01-01

Continued growth in the number of individuals with dementia residing in assisted living (AL) facilities raises concerns about their safety and protection. However, unlike federally regulated nursing facilities, AL facilities are state-regulated and there is a high degree of variation among policies designed to protect persons with dementia. Despite the important role these protection policies have in shaping the quality of life of persons with dementia residing in AL facilities, little is known about their formation. In this research, we examined the adoption of AL protection policies pertaining to staffing, the physical environment, and the use of chemical restraints. For each protection policy type, we modeled policy rigor using an innovative point-in-time approach, incorporating variables associated with state contextual, institutional, political, and external factors. We found that the rate of state AL protection policy adoptions remained steady over the study period, with staffing policies becoming less rigorous over time. Variables reflecting institutional policy making, including legislative professionalism and bureaucratic oversight, were associated with the rigor of state AL dementia protection policies. As we continue to evaluate the mechanisms contributing to the rigor of AL protection policies, it seems that organized advocacy efforts might expand their role in educating state policy makers about the importance of protecting persons with dementia residing in AL facilities and moving to advance appropriate policies.

Communicating to Policymakers: What to Do with Ambiguous Results from Three Impact Studies of the Same Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartry, Ardice

2013-01-01

This paper considers one challenge from recent emphasis on rigorous research for decision-making in education: the interpretation of non-replicated findings. Under Clinton and Bush, the federal government called for and funded highly rigorous research. The "gold-standard" for research was randomized-control trials (RCTs), which…

Taking medicines - what to ask your doctor

MedlinePlus

... A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial ...

Effects of Electrical Stimulation on Meat Quality of Lamb and Goat Meat

PubMed Central

Cetin, Omer; Bingol, Enver Baris; Colak, Hilal; Hampikyan, Hamparsun

2012-01-01

Effect of various voltage of electrical stimulation (ES) on meat quality of lamb and goat was investigated by using a total of 36 animals at 3–5 years old. Constant 50 Hz frequency and 50, 100, and 250 V, 90 sec of ES were administered to 1/2 carcasses and were examined according their textural, physicochemical, and sensorial characteristics. ES decreased the pH values of lamb and goat meat, and accelerated the rigor mortis (P < 0.05). Additionally, ES enhanced the water activity, water-holding capacity, and drip loss of both animals. Shear force varied between lamb and goat meat, and tenderness was improved depending on voltage range used (P < 0.001). ES caused difference in instrumental colour (CIE L ∗, a ∗, b ∗) values of lamb and goat meat compared with the control groups (P < 0.05) during aging period at 4°C. Sensorial characteristics were also improved with various levels of ES treatments. In conclusion, ES had positive effects on meat quality of lamb and goat, in contrast to undesirable consumer preferences. PMID:22593699

Effects of electrical stimulation on meat quality of lamb and goat meat.

PubMed

Cetin, Omer; Bingol, Enver Baris; Colak, Hilal; Hampikyan, Hamparsun

2012-01-01

Effect of various voltage of electrical stimulation (ES) on meat quality of lamb and goat was investigated by using a total of 36 animals at 3-5 years old. Constant 50 Hz frequency and 50, 100, and 250 V, 90 sec of ES were administered to 1/2 carcasses and were examined according their textural, physicochemical, and sensorial characteristics. ES decreased the pH values of lamb and goat meat, and accelerated the rigor mortis (P < 0.05). Additionally, ES enhanced the water activity, water-holding capacity, and drip loss of both animals. Shear force varied between lamb and goat meat, and tenderness was improved depending on voltage range used (P < 0.001). ES caused difference in instrumental colour (CIE L*a*b*) values of lamb and goat meat compared with the control groups (P < 0.05) during aging period at 4°C. Sensorial characteristics were also improved with various levels of ES treatments. In conclusion, ES had positive effects on meat quality of lamb and goat, in contrast to undesirable consumer preferences.

Wedding Rigorous Scientific Methodology and Ancient Herbal Wisdom to Benefit Cancer Patients: The Development of PHY906.

PubMed

Chu, Edward

2018-02-15

Our research group has extensively characterized the preclinical and clinical activities of PHY906, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, as a modulator of irinotecan-based chemotherapy for the treatment of colorectal cancer. This article reviews the critical issues of quality control and standardization of PHY906 and highlights the importance of high-quality material for the conduct of preclinical and clinical studies. Studies to investigate the potential biological mechanisms of action using a systems biology approach play a pivotal role in providing the preclinical rationale to move forward with clinical studies. For early-phase clinical studies, translational biomarkers should be incorporated to characterize the biological effects of the herbal medicine. These biomarkers include tumor mutational load, cytokine/chemokine expression, metabolomic profiling, and the presence of key herbal metabolites. Sophisticated bioinformatic approaches are critical for mining the data and identifying those biomarkers that can define the subset of patients who will benefit from PHY906 or any other herbal medicine, in terms of reduced treatment toxicity, improved quality of life, and/or enhanced clinical activity of treatment.

Carbon monoxide stunning of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) modifies rigor mortis and sensory traits as revealed by NIRS and other instruments.

PubMed

Concollato, Anna; Parisi, Giuliana; Masoero, Giorgio; Romvàri, Robert; Olsen, Rolf-Erik; Dalle Zotte, Antonella

2016-08-01

Methods of stunning used in salmon slaughter are still the subject of research. Fish quality can be influenced by pre-, ante- and post-mortem conditions, including handling before slaughter, slaughter methods and storage conditions. Carbon monoxide (CO) is known to improve colour stability in red muscle and to reduce microbial growth and lipid oxidation in live fish exposed to CO. Quality differences in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., stunned by CO or percussion, were evaluated and compared by different techniques [near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS), electronic nose (EN), electronic tongue (ET)] and sensory analysis. Thawed samples, freeze-dried preparates and NIRS devices proved to be the most efficient combinations for discriminating the treatments applied to salmon, i.e. first the stunning methods adopted, then the back-prediction of the maximum time to reach rigor mortis and finally to correlate some sensory attributes. A trained panel found significant differences between control and CO-stunned salmon: reduced tactile crumbliness, reduced odour and aroma intensities, and reduced tenderness of CO-treated fillets. CO stunning reduced radiation absorbance in spectra of thawed and freeze-dried fillets, but not fillet samples stored in ethanol, where it may have interacted with myoglobin and myosin. The good results in a rapid discrimination of thawed samples detected by NIRS suggest suitable applications in the fish industry. CO treatment could mitigate sensory perception, but consumer tests are needed to confirm our findings. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Mindful Yoga for women with metastatic breast cancer: design of a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Carson, James W; Carson, Kimberly M; Olsen, Maren K; Sanders, Linda; Porter, Laura S

2017-03-13

Women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) have average life expectancies of about 2 years, and report high levels of disease-related symptoms including pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, psychological distress, and functional impairment. There is growing recognition of the limitations of medical approaches to managing such symptoms. Yoga is a mind-body discipline that has demonstrated a positive impact on psychological and functional health in early stage breast cancer patients and survivors, but has not been rigorously studied in advanced cancer samples. This randomized controlled trial examines the feasibility and initial efficacy of a Mindful Yoga program, compared with a social support condition that controls for attention, on measures of disease-related symptoms such as pain and fatigue. The study will be completed by December 2017. Sixty-five women with MBC age ≥ 18 are being identified and randomized with a 2:1 allocation to Mindful Yoga or a support group control intervention. The 120-min intervention sessions take place weekly for 8 weeks. The study is conducted at an urban tertiary care academic medical center located in Durham, North Carolina. The primary feasibility outcome is attendance at intervention sessions. Efficacy outcomes include pain, fatigue, sleep quality, psychological distress, mindfulness and functional capacity at post-intervention, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up. In this article, we present the challenges of designing a randomized controlled trial with long-term follow-up among women with MBC. These challenges include ensuring adequate recruitment including of minorities, limiting and controlling for selection bias, tailoring of the yoga intervention to address special needs, and maximizing adherence and retention. This project will provide important information regarding yoga as an intervention for women with advanced cancer, including preliminary data on the psychological and functional effects of yoga for MBC patients. This investigation will also establish rigorous methods for future research into yoga as an intervention for this population. ClinicalTrials.gov identifer: NCT01927081 , registered August 16, 2013.

The Impact of Massage Therapy on Function in Pain Populations-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: Part I, Patients Experiencing Pain in the General Population.

PubMed

Crawford, Cindy; Boyd, Courtney; Paat, Charmagne F; Price, Ashley; Xenakis, Lea; Yang, EunMee; Zhang, Weimin

2016-07-01

Pain is multi-dimensional and may be better addressed through a holistic, biopsychosocial approach. Massage therapy is commonly practiced among patients seeking pain management; however, its efficacy is unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to rigorously assess the quality of massage therapy research and evidence for its efficacy in treating pain, function-related and health-related quality of life outcomes across all pain populations. Key databases were searched from inception through February 2014. Eligible randomized controlled trials were assessed for methodological quality using SIGN 50 Checklist. Meta-analysis was applied at the outcome level. A diverse steering committee interpreted the results to develop recommendations. Sixty high quality and seven low quality studies were included in the review. Results demonstrate massage therapy effectively treats pain compared to sham [standardized mean difference (SMD) = -.44], no treatment (SMD = -1.14), and active (SMD = -0.26) comparators. Compared to active comparators, massage therapy was also beneficial for treating anxiety (SMD = -0.57) and health-related quality of life (SMD = 0.14). Based on the evidence, massage therapy, compared to no treatment, should be strongly recommended as a pain management option. Massage therapy is weakly recommended for reducing pain, compared to other sham or active comparators, and improving mood and health-related quality of life, compared to other active comparators. Massage therapy safety, research challenges, how to address identified research gaps, and necessary next steps for implementing massage therapy as a viable pain management option are discussed.

The CRAC cohort model: A computerized low cost registry of interventional cardiology with daily update and long-term follow-up.

PubMed

Rangé, G; Chassaing, S; Marcollet, P; Saint-Étienne, C; Dequenne, P; Goralski, M; Bardiére, P; Beverilli, F; Godillon, L; Sabine, B; Laure, C; Gautier, S; Hakim, R; Albert, F; Angoulvant, D; Grammatico-Guillon, L

2018-05-01

To assess the reliability and low cost of a computerized interventional cardiology (IC) registry to prospectively and systematically collect high-quality data for all consecutive coronary patients referred for coronary angiogram or/and coronary angioplasty. Rigorous clinical practice assessment is a key factor to improve prognosis in IC. A prospective and permanent registry could achieve this goal but, presumably, at high cost and low level of data quality. One multicentric IC registry (CRAC registry), fully integrated to usual coronary activity report software, started in the centre Val-de-Loire (CVL) French region in 2014. Quality assessment of CRAC registry was conducted on five IC CathLab of the CVL region, from January 1st to December 31st 2014. Quality of collected data was evaluated by measuring procedure exhaustivity (comparing with data from hospital information system), data completeness (quality controls) and data consistency (by checking complete medical charts as gold standard). Cost per procedure (global registry operating cost/number of collected procedures) was also estimated. CRAC model provided a high-quality level with 98.2% procedure completeness, 99.6% data completeness and 89% data consistency. The operating cost per procedure was €14.70 ($16.51) for data collection and quality control, including ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) preadmission information and one-year follow-up after angioplasty. This integrated computerized IC registry led to the construction of an exhaustive, reliable and costless database, including all coronary patients entering in participating IC centers in the CVL region. This solution will be developed in other French regions, setting up a national IC database for coronary patients in 2020: France PCI. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The Impact of Massage Therapy on Function in Pain Populations—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: Part I, Patients Experiencing Pain in the General Population

PubMed Central

Crawford, Cindy; Boyd, Courtney; Paat, Charmagne F; Price, Ashley; Xenakis, Lea; Yang, EunMee; Zhang, Weimin; Buckenmaier, Chester; Buckenmaier, Pamela; Cambron, Jerrilyn; Deery, Christopher; Schwartz, Jan; Werner, Ruth; Whitridge, Pete

2016-01-01

Abstract Purpose Pain is multi-dimensional and may be better addressed through a holistic, biopsychosocial approach. Massage therapy is commonly practiced among patients seeking pain management; however, its efficacy is unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to rigorously assess the quality of massage therapy research and evidence for its efficacy in treating pain, function-related and health-related quality of life outcomes across all pain populations. Methods Key databases were searched from inception through February 2014. Eligible randomized controlled trials were assessed for methodological quality using SIGN 50 Checklist. Meta-analysis was applied at the outcome level. A diverse steering committee interpreted the results to develop recommendations. Results Sixty high quality and seven low quality studies were included in the review. Results demonstrate massage therapy effectively treats pain compared to sham [standardized mean difference (SMD) = −.44], no treatment (SMD = −1.14), and active (SMD = −0.26) comparators. Compared to active comparators, massage therapy was also beneficial for treating anxiety (SMD = −0.57) and health-related quality of life (SMD = 0.14). Conclusion Based on the evidence, massage therapy, compared to no treatment, should be strongly recommended as a pain management option. Massage therapy is weakly recommended for reducing pain, compared to other sham or active comparators, and improving mood and health-related quality of life, compared to other active comparators. Massage therapy safety, research challenges, how to address identified research gaps, and necessary next steps for implementing massage therapy as a viable pain management option are discussed. PMID:27165971

Use of software engineering techniques in the design of the ALEPH data acquisition system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charity, T.; McClatchey, R.; Harvey, J.

1987-08-01

The SASD methodology is being used to provide a rigorous design framework for various components of the ALEPH data acquisition system. The Entity-Relationship data model is used to describe the layout and configuration of the control and acquisition systems and detector components. State Transition Diagrams are used to specify control applications such as run control and resource management and Data Flow Diagrams assist in decomposing software tasks and defining interfaces between processes. These techniques encourage rigorous software design leading to enhanced functionality and reliability. Improved documentation and communication ensures continuity over the system life-cycle and simplifies project management.

Design and rationale of a comparative effectiveness trial evaluating transcendental meditation against established therapies for PTSD.

PubMed

Rutledge, Thomas; Nidich, Sanford; Schneider, Robert H; Mills, Paul J; Salerno, John; Heppner, Pia; Gomez, Mayra A; Gaylord-King, Carolyn; Rainforth, Maxwell

2014-09-01

Although meditation therapies such as the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique are commonly used to assist with stress and stress-related diseases, there remains a lack of rigorous clinical trial research establishing the relative efficacy of these treatments overall and for populations with psychiatric illness. This study uses a comparative effectiveness design to assess the relative benefits of TM to those obtained from a gold-standard cognitive behavioral therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a Veteran population. This paper describes the rationale and design of an in progress randomized controlled trial comparing TM to an established cognitive behavioral treatment - Prolonged Exposure (PE) - and an active control condition (health education [HE]) for PTSD. This trial will recruit 210 Veterans meeting DSM-IV criteria for PTSD, with testing conducted at 0 and 3 months for PTSD symptoms, depression, mood disturbance, quality of life, behavioral factors, and physiological/biochemical and gene expression mechanisms using validated measures. The study hypothesis is that TM will be noninferior to PE and superior to HE on changes in PTSD symptoms, using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). The described study represents a methodologically rigorous protocol evaluating the benefits of TM for PTSD. The projected results will help to establish the overall efficacy of TM for PTSD among Veterans, identify bio-behavioral mechanisms through which TM and PE may improve PTSD symptoms, and will permit conclusions regarding the relative value of TM against currently established therapies for PTSD. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Rigor mortis development in turkey breast muscle and the effect of electrical stunning.

PubMed

Alvarado, C Z; Sams, A R

2000-11-01

Rigor mortis development in turkey breast muscle and the effect of electrical stunning on this process are not well characterized. Some electrical stunning procedures have been known to inhibit postmortem (PM) biochemical reactions, thereby delaying the onset of rigor mortis in broilers. Therefore, this study was designed to characterize rigor mortis development in stunned and unstunned turkeys. A total of 154 turkey toms in two trials were conventionally processed at 20 to 22 wk of age. Turkeys were either stunned with a pulsed direct current (500 Hz, 50% duty cycle) at 35 mA (40 V) in a saline bath for 12 seconds or left unstunned as controls. At 15 min and 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h PM, pectoralis samples were collected to determine pH, R-value, L* value, sarcomere length, and shear value. In Trial 1, the samples obtained for pH, R-value, and sarcomere length were divided into surface and interior samples. There were no significant differences between the surface and interior samples among any parameters measured. Muscle pH significantly decreased over time in stunned and unstunned birds through 2 h PM. The R-values increased to 8 h PM in unstunned birds and 24 h PM in stunned birds. The L* values increased over time, with no significant differences after 1 h PM for the controls and 2 h PM for the stunned birds. Sarcomere length increased through 2 h PM in the controls and 12 h PM in the stunned fillets. Cooked meat shear values decreased through the 1 h PM deboning time in the control fillets and 2 h PM in the stunned fillets. These results suggest that stunning delayed the development of rigor mortis through 2 h PM, but had no significant effect on the measured parameters at later time points, and that deboning turkey breasts at 2 h PM or later will not significantly impair meat tenderness.

[Comparative analysis of quality labels of health websites].

PubMed

Padilla-Garrido, N; Aguado-Correa, F; Huelva-López, L; Ortega-Moreno, M

2016-01-01

The search for health related information on the Internet is a growing phenomenon, buts its main drawback is the lack of reliability of information consulted. The aim of this study was to analyse and compare existing quality labels of health websites. A cross-sectional study was performed by searching Medline, IBECS, Google, and Yahoo, in both English and Spanish, between 8 and 9 March, 2015. Different keywords were used depending on whether the search was conducted in medical databases or generic search engines. The quality labels were classified according to their origin, analysing their character, year of implementation, the existence of the accreditation process, number of categories, criteria and standards, possibility of self-assessment, number of levels of certification, certification scope, validity, analytical quality of content, fee, results of the accreditation process, application and number of websites granted the seal, and quality labels obtained by the accrediting organisation. Seven quality labels, five of Spanish origin (WMA, PAWS, WIS, SEAFORMEC and M21) and two international ones (HONcode and Health Web Site Accreditation), were analysed. There was disparity in carrying out the accreditation process, with some not detailing key aspects of the process, or providing incomplete, outdated, or even inaccurate information. The most rigorous guaranteed the level of confidence that the websites had in relation to the content of information, but none checked the quality of them. Although rigorous quality labels may become useful, the deficiencies in some of them cast doubt on their current usefulness. Copyright © 2015 SECA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

In-line height profiling metrology sensor for zero defect production control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snel, Rob; Winters, Jasper; Liebig, Thomas; Jonker, Wouter

2017-06-01

Contemporary production systems of mechanical precision parts show challenges as increased complexity, tolerances shrinking to sub-microns and yield losses that must be mastered to the extreme. More advanced automation and process control is required to accomplish this task. Often a solution based on feedforward/feedback control is chosen requiring innovative and more advanced in line metrology. This article concentrates first on the context of in line metrology for process control and then on the development of a specific in line height profiling sensor. The novel sensor technology is based on full field time domain white light interferometry which is well know from the quality lab. The novel metrology system is to be mounted close to the production equipment, as required to minimize time delay in the control loop, and is thereby fully exposed to vibrations. This sensor is innovated to perform in line with an orders of magnitude faster throughput than laboratory instruments; it's robust to withstand the rigors of workshops and has a height resolution that is in the nanometer range.

Zhen Gan Xi Feng Decoction, a Traditional Chinese Herbal Formula, for the Treatment of Essential Hypertension: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

PubMed Central

Xiong, Xingjiang; Yang, Xiaochen; Feng, Bo; Liu, Wei; Duan, Lian; Gao, Ao; Li, Haixia; Ma, Jizheng; Du, Xinliang; Li, Nan; Wang, Pengqian; Su, Kelei; Chu, Fuyong; Zhang, Guohao; Li, Xiaoke; Wang, Jie

2013-01-01

Objectives. To assess the clinical effectiveness and adverse effects of Zhen Gan Xi Feng Decoction (ZGXFD) for essential hypertension (EH). Methods. Five major electronic databases were searched up to August 2012 to retrieve any potential randomized controlled trials designed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of ZGXFD for EH reported in any language, with main outcome measure as blood pressure (BP). Results. Six randomized trials were included. Methodological quality of the trials was evaluated as generally low. Four trials compared prescriptions based on ZGXFD with antihypertensive drugs. Meta-analysis showed that ZGXFD was more effective in BP control and TCM syndrome and symptom differentiation (TCM-SSD) scores than antihypertensive drugs. Two trials compared the combination of modified ZGXFD plus antihypertensive drugs with antihypertensive drugs. Meta-analysis showed that there is significant beneficial effect on TCM-SSD scores. However, no significant effect on BP was found. The safety of ZGXFD is still uncertain. Conclusions. ZGXFD appears to be effective in improving blood pressure and hypertension-related symptoms for EH. However, the evidence remains weak due to poor methodological quality of the included studies. More rigorous trials are warranted to support their clinical use. PMID:23573163

Quality of Interhospital Transfer Communication Practices and Association With Adverse Events on an Internal Medicine Hospitalist Service.

PubMed

Borofsky, Jennifer S; Bartsch, Jason C; Howard, Alan B; Repp, Allen B

Communication practices around interhospital transfer have not been rigorously assessed in adult medicine patients. Furthermore, the clinical implications of such practices have not been reported. This case-control study was designed to assess the quality of communication between clinicians during interhospital transfer and to determine if posttransfer adverse events (PTAEs) are associated with suboptimal communication. Cases included patients transferred to a Medicine Hospitalist Service from an outside hospital who subsequently experienced a PTAE, defined as unplanned transfer to an intensive care unit or death within 24 hours of transfer. Control patients also underwent interhospital transfer but did not experience a PTAE. A blinded investigator retrospectively reviewed the recorded pretransfer phone conversations between sending and receiving clinicians for adherence to a set of 13 empiric best practice communication elements. The primary outcome was the mean communication score, on a scale of 0-13. Mean scores between PTAE (8.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.6-8.9) and control groups (7.9; 95% CI, 7.1-8.8) did not differ significantly (p = .50), although suboptimal communication on a subset of these elements was associated with increased PTAEs. Communication around interhospital transfer appears suboptimal compared with an empiric set of standard communication elements. Posttransfer adverse events were not associated with aggregate adherence to these standards.

Baduanjin Exercise for Stroke Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

PubMed Central

Wang, Chaoyi; Chen, Xiaoan; Wang, Huiru

2018-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this review was to objectively evaluate the effects of Baduanjin exercise on rehabilitative outcomes in stroke patients. Methods: Both Chinese and English electronic databases were searched for potentially relevant trials. Two review authors independently screened eligible trials against the inclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality by using the revised PEDro scale. Meta-analysis was only performed for balance function. Results: In total, there were eight randomized controlled trials selected in this systematic review. The aggregated result of four trials has shown a significant benefit in favor of Baduanjin on balance function (Hedges’ g = 2.39, 95% CI 2.14 to 2.65, p < 0.001, I2 = 61.54). Additionally, Baduanjin exercise effectively improved sensorimotor function of lower extremities and ability of daily activities as well as reduced depressive level, leading to improved quality of life. Conclusion: Baduanjin exercise as an adjunctive and safe method may be conducive to help stroke patients achieve the best possible short-term outcome and should be integrated with mainstream rehabilitation programs. More rigorous randomized controlled trials with long-term intervention periods among a large sample size of stroke patients are needed to draw a firm conclusion regarding the rehabilitative effects for this population. PMID:29584623

Haplotypic Analysis of Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium Data

PubMed Central

Browning, Brian L.; Browning, Sharon R.

2008-01-01

We applied a recently developed multilocus association testing method (localized haplotype clustering) to Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium data (14,000 cases of seven common diseases and 3,000 shared controls genotyped on the Affymetrix 500K array). After rigorous data quality filtering, we identified three disease-associated loci with strong statistical support from localized haplotype cluster tests but with only marginal significance in single marker tests. These loci are chromosomes 10p15.1 with type 1 diabetes (p = 5.1 × 10-9), 12q15 with type 2 diabetes (p = 1.9 × 10-7) and 15q26.2 with hypertension (p = 2.8 × 10-8). We also detected the association of chromosome 9p21.3 with type 2 diabetes (p = 2.8 × 10-8), although this locus did not pass our stringent genotype quality filters. The association of 10p15.1 with type 1 diabetes and 9p21.3 with type 2 diabetes have both been replicated in other studies using independent data sets. Overall, localized haplotype cluster analysis had better success detecting disease associated variants than a previous single-marker analysis of imputed HapMap SNPs. We found that stringent application of quality score thresholds to genotype data substantially reduced false-positive results arising from genotype error. In addition, we demonstrate that it is possible to simultaneously phase 16,000 individuals genotyped on genome-wide data (450K markers) using the Beagle software package. PMID:18224336

Disseminated tuberculosis

MedlinePlus

... lesions Interferon-gamma release blood test, such as the QFT-Gold test to test for prior exposure to TB ... verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online ...

Eosinophilic fasciitis

MedlinePlus

... include: CBC with differential Gamma globulins (a type of immune system protein) Erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( ESR ) MRI Muscle biopsy ... urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is ...

Anencephaly

MedlinePlus

... 591. Sarnat HB, Flores-Sarnat L. Developmental disorders of the nervous system. In: Daroff RB, Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy ... urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is ...

Opisthotonos

MedlinePlus

... The physical examination will include a complete checkup of the nervous system. Tests may include: Blood and urine tests Cerebrospinal ... urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is ...

Cardiogenic shock

MedlinePlus

... heart rhythm (bradycardia) or problem with the electrical system of the heart (heart block) Cardiogenic shock occurs when ... urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is ...

CSF analysis

MedlinePlus

... A, Sancesario GM, Esposito Z, et al. Plasmin system of Alzheimer's disease: CSF analysis. J Neural Transm (Vienna) . ... urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is ...

Multifocal atrial tachycardia

MedlinePlus

... section through the middle Heart, front view Conduction system of the heart References Olgin JE, Zipes DP. Specific ... urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is ...

The CUAHSI Water Data Center: Empowering scientists to discover, use, store, and share water data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Couch, A. L.; Hooper, R. P.; Arrigo, J. S.

2012-12-01

The proposed CUAHSI Water Data Center (WDC) will provide production-quality water data resources based upon the successful large-scale data services prototype developed by the CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System (HIS) project. The WDC, using the HIS technology, concentrates on providing time series data collected at fixed points or on moving platforms from sensors primarily (but not exclusively) in the medium of water. The WDC's missions include providing simple and effective data discovery tools useful to researchers in a variety of water-related disciplines, and providing simple and cost-effective data publication mechanisms for projects that do not desire to run their own data servers. The WDC's activities will include: 1. Rigorous curation of the water data catalog already assembled during the CUAHSI HIS project, to ensure accuracy of records and existence of declared sources. 2. Data backup and failover services for "at risk" data sources. 3. Creation and support for ubiquitously accessible data discovery and access, web-based search and smartphone applications. 4. Partnerships with researchers to extend the state of the art in water data use. 5. Partnerships with industry to create plug-and-play data publishing from sensors, and to create domain-specific tools. The WDC will serve as a knowledge resource for researchers of water-related issues, and will interface with other data centers to make their data more accessible to water researchers. The WDC will serve as a vehicle for addressing some of the grand challenges of accessing and using water data, including: a. Cross-domain data discovery: different scientific domains refer to the same kind of water data using different terminologies, making discovery of data difficult for researchers outside the data provider's domain. b. Cross-validation of data sources: much water data comes from sources lacking rigorous quality control procedures; such sources can be compared against others with rigorous quality control. The WDC enables this by making both kinds of sources available in the same search interface. c. Data provenance: the appropriateness of data for use in a specific model or analysis often depends upon the exact details of how data was gathered and processed. The WDC will aid this by curating standards for metadata that are as descriptive as practical of the collection procedures. "Plug and play" sensor interfaces will fill in metadata appropriate to each sensor without human intervention. d. Contextual search: discovering data based upon geological (e.g. aquifer) or geographic (e.g., location in a stream network) features external to metadata. e. Data-driven search: discovering data that exhibit quality factors that are not described by the metadata. The WDC will partner with researchers desiring contextual and data driven search, and make results available to all. Many major data providers (e.g. federal agencies) are not mandated to provide access to data other than those they collect. The HIS project assembled data from over 90 different sources, thus demonstrating the promise of this approach. Meeting the grand challenges listed above will greatly enhance scientists' ability to discover, interpret, access, and analyze water data from across domains and sources to test Earth system hypotheses.

Biosimilars: A new scenario in biologic therapies.

PubMed

Serra López-Matencio, José M; Morell Baladrón, Alberto; Castañeda, Santos

There is no doubt that biologic therapies provide added value for health systems. However, due to their special nature, they also raise some questions that make highly rigorous and demanding quality control and monitoring of their use indispensable. This circumstance is reinforced with the appearance on the scene of biosimilars, which, given their lower cost, are having an increasing impact on the international market. The purpose of this article is to review the major issues posed by their manufacture, distribution and control systems, as well as the most important aspects related to their safety in clinical practice. In this report, we assess the pharmacovigilance of these products, with special attention to traceability, as a key tool to enable earlier detection of adverse events. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

Treatments for somnambulism in adults: assessing the evidence.

PubMed

Harris, Melanie; Grunstein, Ronald R

2009-08-01

Somnambulism, or sleepwalking, is a parasomnia of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep where movement behaviours usually confined to wakefulness are displayed during sleep. Generally, if sleepwalking is causing distress or danger in spite of safety measures, medical or psychological treatment is indicated. Clinicians will need to assess the evidence for treatment options. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and the Ovid Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews (EBM) multifile databases were searched. No properly powered rigorous controlled trials were found for treatment of sleepwalking in adults. Seven reports described small trials with some kind of control arm, or retrospective case series which included 30 or more patients. With no high quality evidence to underpin recommendations for treatments of somnambulism, full discussion with patients is advised. Adequately powered, well-designed clinical trials are now needed, and multi-centre collaborations may be required to obtain the sample sizes required.

Polarization masks: concept and initial assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lam, Michael; Neureuther, Andrew R.

2002-07-01

Polarization from photomasks can be used as a new lever to improve lithographic performance in both binary and phase-shifting masks (PSMs). While PSMs manipulate the phase of light to control the temporal addition of electric field vectors, polarization masks manipulate the vector direction of electric field vectors to control the spatial addition of electric field components. This paper explores the theoretical possibilities of polarization masks, showing that it is possible to use bar structures within openings on the mask itself to polarize incident radiation. Rigorous electromagnetic scattering simulations using TEMPEST and imaging with SPLAT are used to give an initial assessment on the functionality of polarization masks, discussing the polarization quality and throughputs achieved with the masks. Openings between 1/8 and 1/3 of a wavelength provide both a low polarization ratio and good transmission. A final overall throughput of 33% - 40% is achievable, corresponding to a dose hit of 2.5x - 3x.

Atlantic Ocean CARINA data: overview and salinity adjustments

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

Tanhua, T.; Steinfeldt, R.; Key, Robert

2010-01-01

Water column data of carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from 188 previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic Mediterranean Seas, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged into a new database: CARINA (CARbon dioxide IN the Atlantic Ocean). The data have gone through rigorous quality control procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for the pertinent parameters in the CARINA database were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the threemore » data products: merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions, i.e. the Arctic Mediterranean Seas, the Atlantic and the Southern Ocean. These products have been corrected to be internally consistent. Ninety-eight of the cruises in the CARINA database were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean, defined here as the region south of the Greenland-Iceland-Scotland Ridge and north of about 30 S. Here we present an overview of the Atlantic Ocean synthesis of the CARINA data and the adjustments that were applied to the data product. We also report the details of the secondary QC (Quality Control) for salinity for this data set. Procedures of quality control including crossover analysis between stations and inversion analysis of all crossover data are briefly described. Adjustments to salinity measurements were applied to the data from 10 cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. Based on our analysis we estimate the internal consistency of the CARINA-ATL salinity data to be 4.1 ppm. With these adjustments the CARINA data products are consistent both internally was well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s, and is now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation.« less

Atlantic Ocean CARINA data: overview and salinity adjustments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanhua, T.; Steinfeldt, R.; Key, R. M.; Brown, P.; Gruber, N.; Wanninkhof, R.; Perez, F.; Körtzinger, A.; Velo, A.; Schuster, U.; van Heuven, S.; Bullister, J. L.; Stendardo, I.; Hoppema, M.; Olsen, A.; Kozyr, A.; Pierrot, D.; Schirnick, C.; Wallace, D. W. R.

2010-02-01

Water column data of carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from 188 previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic Mediterranean Seas, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged into a new database: CARINA (CARbon dioxide IN the Atlantic Ocean). The data have gone through rigorous quality control procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for the pertinent parameters in the CARINA database were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the three data products: merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions, i.e. the Arctic Mediterranean Seas, the Atlantic and the Southern Ocean. These products have been corrected to be internally consistent. Ninety-eight of the cruises in the CARINA database were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean, defined here as the region south of the Greenland-Iceland-Scotland Ridge and north of about 30° S. Here we present an overview of the Atlantic Ocean synthesis of the CARINA data and the adjustments that were applied to the data product. We also report the details of the secondary QC (Quality Control) for salinity for this data set. Procedures of quality control - including crossover analysis between stations and inversion analysis of all crossover data - are briefly described. Adjustments to salinity measurements were applied to the data from 10 cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. Based on our analysis we estimate the internal consistency of the CARINA-ATL salinity data to be 4.1 ppm. With these adjustments the CARINA data products are consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s, and is now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation.

The Development of a Service-Learning Program for First-Year Students Based on the Hallmarks of High Quality Service-Learning and Rigorous Program Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Bradley H.; Gahagan, James; McQuillin, Samuel; Haywood, Benjamin; Cole, Caroline Pender; Bolton, Clay; Wampler, Mary Katherine

2011-01-01

We describe six hallmarks of high quality service-learning and explain how these considerations guided the development of a Transitional Coaching Program (TCP) during the first three years of implementation. We have demonstrated that the TCP is acceptable, feasible, and sustainable. Improvements have been seen in the degree of impact on learning…

An Introduction to Student Quality Circle at College of Business Administration, Salman Bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia--An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faridi, Mohammad Rishad; Al Kahtani, Nasser Saad; Alam, Teg; Malki, Said

2014-01-01

Catch 'em young for imparting hands-on rigorous academic training. This is what has been relentlessly pursued while dealing with the undergraduate students of business management who are to be thoroughly exposed to the whole gamut of quality work life. Whether they opt for corporate career or pursue masters or choose be an entrepreneur, their…

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of community singing on mental health-related quality of life of older people: randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Coulton, Simon; Clift, Stephen; Skingley, Ann; Rodriguez, John

2015-09-01

As the population ages, older people account for a greater proportion of the health and social care budget. Whereas some research has been conducted on the use of music therapy for specific clinical populations, little rigorous research has been conducted looking at the value of community singing on the mental health-related quality of life of older people. To evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of community group singing for a population of older people in England. A pilot pragmatic individual randomised controlled trial comparing group singing with usual activities in those aged 60 years or more. A total of 258 participants were recruited across five centres in East Kent. At 6 months post-randomisation, significant differences were observed in terms of mental health-related quality of life measured using the SF12 (mean difference = 2.35; 95% CI = 0.06-4.76) in favour of group singing. In addition, the intervention was found to be marginally more cost-effective than usual activities. At 3 months, significant differences were observed for the mental health components of quality of life (mean difference = 4.77; 2.53-7.01), anxiety (mean difference = -1.78; -2.5 to -1.06) and depression (mean difference = -1.52; -2.13 to -0.92). Community group singing appears to have a significant effect on mental health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression, and it may be a useful intervention to maintain and enhance the mental health of older people. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015.

FDA 2011 process validation guidance: lifecycle compliance model.

PubMed

Campbell, Cliff

2014-01-01

This article has been written as a contribution to the industry's efforts in migrating from a document-driven to a data-driven compliance mindset. A combination of target product profile, control engineering, and general sum principle techniques is presented as the basis of a simple but scalable lifecycle compliance model in support of modernized process validation. Unit operations and significant variables occupy pole position within the model, documentation requirements being treated as a derivative or consequence of the modeling process. The quality system is repositioned as a subordinate of system quality, this being defined as the integral of related "system qualities". The article represents a structured interpretation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 2011 Guidance for Industry on Process Validation and is based on the author's educational background and his manufacturing/consulting experience in the validation field. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Guidance for Industry on Process Validation (2011) provides a wide-ranging and rigorous outline of compliant drug manufacturing requirements relative to its 20(th) century predecessor (1987). Its declared focus is patient safety, and it identifies three inter-related (and obvious) stages of the compliance lifecycle. Firstly, processes must be designed, both from a technical and quality perspective. Secondly, processes must be qualified, providing evidence that the manufacturing facility is fully "roadworthy" and fit for its intended purpose. Thirdly, processes must be verified, meaning that commercial batches must be monitored to ensure that processes remain in a state of control throughout their lifetime.

77 FR 12651 - Approval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; California; San Joaquin Valley; Attainment Plan for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-01

... standards for which EPA has issued the waiver. CARB has as long a history of enforcement of vehicle/engine... program. The history and rigor of CARB's enforcement program lends assurance to California SIP revisions...

Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volkmar, Fred R.; Lord, Catherine; Bailey, Anthony; Schultz, Robert T.; Klin, Ami

2004-01-01

The quantity and quality of research into autism and related conditions have increased dramatically in recent years. Consequently we selectively review key accomplishments and highlight directions for future research. More consistent approaches to diagnosis and more rigorous assessment methods have significantly advanced research, although the…

Atrial fibrillation or flutter

MedlinePlus

... view Posterior heart arteries Anterior heart arteries Conduction system of the heart References January CT, Wann LS, Alpert ... urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is ...

A METHODOLOGY FOR ESTIMATING UNCERTAINTY OF A DISTRIBUTED HYDROLOGIC MODEL: APPLICATION TO POCONO CREEK WATERSHED

EPA Science Inventory

Utility of distributed hydrologic and water quality models for watershed management and sustainability studies should be accompanied by rigorous model uncertainty analysis. However, the use of complex watershed models primarily follows the traditional {calibrate/validate/predict}...

Rationale and Methods for Archival Sampling and Analysis of Atmospheric Trace Chemical Contaminants On Board Mir and Recommendations for the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perry, J. L.; James, J. T.; Cole, H. E.; Limero, T. F.; Beck, S. W.

1997-01-01

Collection and analysis of spacecraft cabin air samples are necessary to assess the cabin air quality with respect to crew health. Both toxicology and engineering disciplines work together to achieve an acceptably clean cabin atmosphere. Toxicology is concerned with limiting the risk to crew health from chemical sources, setting exposure limits, and analyzing air samples to determine how well these limits are met. Engineering provides the means for minimizing the contribution of the various contaminant generating sources by providing active contamination control equipment on board spacecraft and adhering to a rigorous material selection and control program during the design and construction of the spacecraft. A review of the rationale and objectives for sampling spacecraft cabin atmospheres is provided. The presently-available sampling equipment and methods are reviewed along with the analytical chemistry methods employed to determine trace contaminant concentrations. These methods are compared and assessed with respect to actual cabin air quality monitoring needs. Recommendations are presented with respect to the basic sampling program necessary to ensure an acceptably clean spacecraft cabin atmosphere. Also, rationale and recommendations for expanding the scope of the basic monitoring program are discussed.

Application of Six Sigma methodology to a cataract surgery unit.

PubMed

Taner, Mehmet Tolga

2013-01-01

The article's aim is to focus on the application of Six Sigma to minimise intraoperative and post-operative complications rates in a Turkish public hospital cataract surgery unit. Implementing define-measure-analyse-improve and control (DMAIC) involves process mapping, fishbone diagrams and rigorous data-collection. Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), pareto diagrams, control charts and process capability analysis are applied to redress cataract surgery failure root causes. Inefficient skills of assistant surgeons and technicians, low quality of IOLs used, wrong IOL placement, unsystematic sterilisation of surgery rooms and devices, and the unprioritising network system are found to be the critical drivers of intraoperative-operative and post-operative complications. Sigma level was increased from 2.60 to 3.75 subsequent to extensive training of assistant surgeons, ophthalmologists and technicians, better quality IOLs, systematic sterilisation and air-filtering, and the implementation of a more sophisticated network system. This article shows that Six Sigma measurement and process improvement can become the impetus for cataract unit staff to rethink their process and reduce malpractices. Measuring, recording and reporting data regularly helps them to continuously monitor their overall process and deliver safer treatments. This is the first Six Sigma ophthalmology study in Turkey.

Acupuncture-Related Techniques for Psoriasis: A Systematic Review with Pairwise and Network Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials.

PubMed

Yeh, Mei-Ling; Ko, Shu-Hua; Wang, Mei-Hua; Chi, Ching-Chi; Chung, Yu-Chu

2017-12-01

There has be a large body of evidence on the pharmacological treatments for psoriasis, but whether nonpharmacological interventions are effective in managing psoriasis remains largely unclear. This systematic review conducted pairwise and network meta-analyses to determine the effects of acupuncture-related techniques on acupoint stimulation for the treatment of psoriasis and to determine the order of effectiveness of these remedies. This study searched the following databases from inception to March 15, 2016: Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EBSCO (including Academic Search Premier, American Doctoral Dissertations, and CINAHL), Airiti Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of acupuncture-related techniques on acupoint stimulation as intervention for psoriasis were independently reviewed by two researchers. A total of 13 RCTs with 1,060 participants were included. The methodological quality of included studies was not rigorous. Acupoint stimulation, compared with nonacupoint stimulation, had a significant treatment for psoriasis. However, the most common adverse events were thirst and dry mouth. Subgroup analysis was further done to confirm that the short-term treatment effect was superior to that of the long-term effect in treating psoriasis. Network meta-analysis identified acupressure or acupoint catgut embedding, compared with medication, and had a significant effect for improving psoriasis. It was noted that acupressure was the most effective treatment. Acupuncture-related techniques could be considered as an alternative or adjuvant therapy for psoriasis in short term, especially of acupressure and acupoint catgut embedding. This study recommends further well-designed, methodologically rigorous, and more head-to-head randomized trials to explore the effects of acupuncture-related techniques for treating psoriasis.

[Systematic review and Meta-analysis of Shenqi Fuzheng injection combined with first-line chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer].

PubMed

Hao, Teng-teng; Xie, Yan-ming; Liao, Xing; Wang, Jing

2015-10-01

The paper is to systematically evaluate the effect and safety of Shenqi Fuzheng injection (SFI) combined with first-line chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on Shenqi Fuzheng injection (SFI) combined with first-line chemotherapy (experiment group) and chemotherapy alone group ( control group) were electronically retrieved from Medline, EMbase, Clinical Trials, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang Data base. All trials were assessed for quality according to the Cochrane Reviewer's Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention and then Meta-analysis was performed withRevMan5. 2 Software. A total of 43 RCTs (3433 patients) were included after screening and selecting. Results of Meta-analysis showed that: Objective remission rate (ORR): ORR of experimental group was about 20% higher than that of control group [RR = 1.23, 95% CI (1.11,1.35), P < 0.0001]. Disease control rate (DCR):DCR of SFI combined with first-line chemotherapy was 11% higher than that of first-line chemotherapy alone [RR = 1.11, 95% CI (1.07, 1.16), P < 0.000 01]. Life quality evaluated by Kosovan performance status (KPS) showed that: life quality improvement rate of experimental group was about twice of that in control group [RR = 2.02, 95% CI (1.81, 2.26), P < 0.000 01]. Toxic and side reaction analysis showed that: the incidence of side reactions in experimental group was about 50% lower than that in control group [RR = 0.59, 95% CI (0.53, 0.66), P < 0.000 01]. Immune function test showed that: the function of experimental group was 3.2 (standard deviations) times greater than that of control group [MD = 3.23, 95% CI (2.86, 3.60), P < 0.000 01]. We can see that SFI combined with first-line chemotherapy for NSCLC can increase objective efficacy, improve life quality, decrease toxic and side reactionsinduced by chemotherapy, and improve the immune functions. As most of the included studies in this systematic evaluation had poor quality, the evidence to support conclusion was weak, so it was necessary to conduct more multi-center clinical trials with high quality methods and rigorous design.

Impact of Increasing Inter-pregnancy Interval on Maternal and Infant Health

PubMed Central

Wendt, Amanda; Gibbs, Cassandra M.; Peters, Stacey; Hogue, Carol J.

2015-01-01

Short inter-pregnancy intervals (IPIs) have been associated with adverse maternal and infant health outcomes in the literature. However, many studies in this area have been lacking in quality and appropriate control for confounders known to be associated with both short IPIs and poor outcomes. The objective of this systematic review was to assess this relationship using more rigorous criteria, based on GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology. We found too few higher-quality studies of the impact of IPIs (measured as the time between the birth of a previous child and conception of the next child) on maternal health to reach conclusions about maternal nutrition, morbidity or mortality. However, the evidence for infant effects justified meta-analyses. We found significant impacts of short IPIs for extreme preterm birth [<6 m adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.58 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.40, 1.78], 6–11 m aOR: 1.23 [1.03, 1.46

The role of metadata and strategies to detect and control temporal data bias in environmental monitoring of soil contamination.

PubMed

Desaules, André

2012-11-01

It is crucial for environmental monitoring to fully control temporal bias, which is the distortion of real data evolution by varying bias through time. Temporal bias cannot be fully controlled by statistics alone but requires appropriate and sufficient metadata, which should be under rigorous and continuous quality assurance and control (QA/QC) to reliably document the degree of consistency of the monitoring system. All presented strategies to detect and control temporal data bias (QA/QC, harmonisation/homogenisation/standardisation, mass balance approach, use of tracers and analogues and control of changing boundary conditions) rely on metadata. The Will Rogers phenomenon, due to subsequent reclassification, is a particular source of temporal data bias introduced to environmental monitoring here. Sources and effects of temporal data bias are illustrated by examples from the Swiss soil monitoring network. The attempt to make a comprehensive compilation and assessment of required metadata for soil contamination monitoring reveals that most metadata are still far from being reliable. This leads to the conclusion that progress in environmental monitoring means further development of the concept of environmental metadata for the sake of temporal data bias control as a prerequisite for reliable interpretations and decisions.

Chinese medicine shenfu injection for heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Wen-Ting, Song; Fa-Feng, Cheng; Li, Xu; Cheng-Ren, Lin; Jian-Xun, Liu

2012-01-01

Objective. Heart failure (HF) is a global public health problem. Early literature studies manifested that Shenfu injection (SFI) is one of the most commonly used traditional Chinese patent medicine for HF in China. This article intended to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of SFI for HF. Methods. An extensive search was performed within 6 English and Chinese electronic database up to November 2011. Ninety-nine randomized controlled trails (RCTs) were collected, irrespective of languages. Two authors extracted data and assessed the trial quality independently. RevMan 5.0.2 was used for data analysis. Results. Compared with routine treatment and/or device support, SFI combined with routine treatment and/or device support showed better effect on clinical effect rate, mortality, heart rate, NT-proBNP and 6-minute walk distance. Results in ultrasonic cardiography also showed that SFI combined with routine treatment improved heart function of HF patients. There were no significant difference in blood pressure between SFI and routine treatment groups. Adverse events were reported in thirteen trails with thirteen specific symptoms, while no serious adverse effect was reported. Conclusion. SFI appear to be effective for treating HF. However, further rigorously designed RCTs are warranted because of insufficient methodological rigor in the majority of included trials.

A systematic review of types and efficacy of online interventions for cancer patients.

PubMed

McAlpine, Heidi; Joubert, Lynette; Martin-Sanchez, Fernando; Merolli, Mark; Drummond, Katharine J

2015-03-01

This review examines the evidence-based literature surrounding the use of online resources for adult cancer patients. The focus is online resources that connect patients with their healthcare clinician and with supportive and educational resources, their efficacy and the outcome measures used to assess them. The following databases were systematically searched for relevant literature: MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Inspec and Computers and Applied Science. Included were studies conducted in an outpatient setting, and reporting a measurable, clinically relevant outcome. Fourteen studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. The efficacy of online interventions was varied, with some demonstrating positive effects on quality of life and related measures, and two demonstrating poorer outcomes for intervention participants. The majority of interventions reported mixed results. Included interventions were too heterogeneous for meta-analysis. The overall benefit of online interventions for cancer patients is unclear. Although there is a plethora of interventions reported without analysis, current interventions demonstrate mixed efficacy of limited duration when rigorously evaluated. The efficacy of on-line interventions for cancer patients is unclear. All on-line interventions should be developed using the available evidence-base and rigorously evaluated to expand our understanding of this area. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of haptotherapy for patients with cancer treated with chemotherapy at a day clinic.

PubMed

van den Berg, Machteld; Visser, Adriaan; Schoolmeesters, Alexandra; Edelman, Petra; van den Borne, Bart

2006-03-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a haptotherapeutic treatment and its effects on the perceived well-being of patients with cancer treated with chemotherapy in day care. The study had a pre-test-post-test semi-experimental design, with 31 patients in the intervention group and 26 in the control group. Patients in the control group were matched with patients in the experimental condition with respect to age, gender, type of cancer, type of chemotherapy, prognosis and the period between pre- and post-test. Standardized questionnaires were used measuring perceived well-being and satisfaction with care (haptotherapy). Indicators of well-being measured were quality of life, mood, meaning in life, general functioning, physical and psychological symptoms, sleep quality and body awareness. The intervention consisted of five haptotherapy sessions of 45 minutes each. Patients in the control condition received standard medical care. Patients were highly satisfied with the haptotherapy treatment, and especially valued the personal attention and the relaxation they experienced. The haptotherapy treatment improved both the perceived general quality of life and the perceived cognitive and social functioning of patients. No improvement was found for mood, meaning in life, general functioning, physical symptoms, sleep quality and body awareness. It may be concluded that haptotherapy positively contributes to several indicators of perceived well-being of patients with cancer during the period they receive chemotherapy. More rigorous experimental studies are necessary in this field, especially concerning randomization, number of participants and homogeneity of the sample. Haptotherapy as a type of complementary medicine is a potentially valuable and effective intervention to raise the well-being of patients with cancer undergoing invasive treatments like chemotherapy.

The effects of Tai Chi on physical and psychosocial function among persons with multiple sclerosis: A systematic review.

PubMed

Taylor, Emily; Taylor-Piliae, Ruth E

2017-04-01

Conduct a systematic review to evaluate the effects of Tai Chi on physical and psychosocial function among individuals with Multiple Sclerosis. An electronic literature search of 12 databases using controlled vocabulary function and keywords from inception through August 2016. All Tai Chi intervention studies assessing physical and psychosocial function among persons with Multiple Sclerosis were included. Study quality was scored using an established tool examining 16 study elements (range=0-32). A total of 91 articles were retrieved, with 3 additional articles identified through reviewing bibliographies of relevant articles. A total of 8 studies (randomized controlled trials, n=3; quasi-experimental, n=5) enrolled 193 participants with Multiple Sclerosis. Studies were conducted in the USA (n=3), Europe (n=3), Iran, (n=1), and India (n=1). A total of 3 studies reported using the Yang style of Tai Chi (not specified, n=5 studies). The Tai Chi intervention averaged 27 sessions over 11 weeks. Study quality scores for the randomized controlled trials had a mean score of 23 (range 19-26), while quality scores for quasi-experimental studies had a mean score of 20 (range 13-26). Overall, participants enrolled in Tai Chi had better balance, gait and flexibility, less fatigue and depression, and better quality of life after the intervention; though mixed results were reported. The results indicate that Tai Chi is likely safe and may provide physical and psychosocial benefits in individuals with Multiple Sclerosis. Further research is needed using more rigorous study designs to assess the benefits of Tai Chi for individuals with Multiple Sclerosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CARINA data synthesis project: pH data scale unification and cruise adjustments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velo, A.; Pérez, F. F.; Lin, X.; Key, R. M.; Tanhua, T.; de La Paz, M.; van Heuven, S.; Jutterström, S.; Ríos, A. F.

2009-10-01

Data on carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Artic Mediterranean Seas (AMS), Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged to a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). These data have gone through rigorous quality control (QC) procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for most of the measured parameters in the CARINA database were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the data products, i.e. three merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions; AMS, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Out of a total of 188 cruise entries in the CARINA database, 59 reported pH measured values. Here we present details of the secondary QC on pH for the CARINA database. Procedures of quality control, including crossover analysis between cruises and inversion analysis of all crossover data are briefly described. Adjustments were applied to the pH values for 21 of the cruises in the CARINA dataset. With these adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s. Based on our analysis we estimate the internal accuracy of the CARINA pH data to be 0.005 pH units. The CARINA data are now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation.

CARINA TCO2 data in the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierrot, D.; Brown, P.; van Heuven, S.; Tanhua, T.; Schuster, U.; Wanninkhof, R.; Key, R. M.

2010-01-01

Water column data of carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from 188 cruises in the Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged in a new data base: the CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic) Project. These data have gone through rigorous quality control (QC) procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. Secondary quality control, which involved objective study of data in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, was performed for the pertinent parameters in the CARINA data base. Systematic biases in the data have been corrected in the data products. The products are three merged data files with measured, adjusted and interpolated data of all cruises for each of the three CARINA regions (Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean). Ninety-eight cruises were conducted in the "Atlantic" defined as the region south of the Greenland-Iceland-Scotland Ridge and north of about 30° S. Here we report the details of the secondary QC which was done on the total dissolved inorganic carbon (TCO2) data and the adjustments that were applied to yield the final data product in the Atlantic. Procedures of quality control - including crossover analysis between stations and inversion analysis of all crossover data - are briefly described. Adjustments were applied to TCO2 measurements for 17 of the cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. With these adjustments, the CARINA data base is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the WOCE Hydrographic Program in the 1990s, and is now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, regional oceanic carbon inventories, uptake rates and model validation.

CARINA alkalinity data in the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velo, A.; Perez, F. F.; Brown, P.; Tanhua, T.; Schuster, U.; Key, R. M.

2009-08-01

Data on carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged to a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). These data have gone through rigorous quality control (QC) procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for most of the measured parameters in the CARINA data base were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the data products, i.e. three merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions; Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Out of a total of 188 cruise entries in the CARINA database, 98 were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean and of these, 75 cruises report alkalinity values. Here we present details of the secondary QC on alkalinity for the Atlantic Ocean part of CARINA. Procedures of quality control, including crossover analysis between cruises and inversion analysis of all crossover data are briefly described. Adjustments were applied to the alkalinity values for 16 of the cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. With these adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s. Based on our analysis we estimate the internal accuracy of the CARINA-ATL alkalinity data to be 3.3 μmol kg-1. The CARINA data are now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation.

CARINA: nutrient data in the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanhua, T.; Brown, P. J.; Key, R. M.

2009-11-01

Data on carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged to a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). These data have gone through rigorous quality control (QC) procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for most of the measured parameters in the CARINA data base were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the data products, i.e. three merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions; Arctic Mediterranean Seas, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Out of a total of 188 cruise entries in the CARINA database, 98 were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean and of these 84 cruises report nitrate values, 79 silicate, and 78 phosphate. Here we present details of the secondary QC for nutrients for the Atlantic Ocean part of CARINA. Procedures of quality control, including crossover analysis between cruises and inversion analysis of all crossover data are briefly described. Adjustments were applied to the nutrient values for 43 of the cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. With these adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s (Key et al., 2004). Based on our analysis we estimate the internal accuracy of the CARINA-ATL nutrient data to be: nitrate 1.5%; phosphate 2.6%; silicate 3.1%. The CARINA data are now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation.

CARINA: nutrient data in the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanhua, T.; Brown, P. J.; Key, R. M.

2009-07-01

Data on carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged to a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). These data have gone through rigorous quality control (QC) procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for most of the measured parameters in the CARINA data base were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the data products, i.e. three merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions; Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Out of a total of 188 cruise entries in the CARINA database, 98 were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean and of these 84 cruises report nitrate values, 79 silicate, and 78 phosphate. Here we present details of the secondary QC for nutrients for the Atlantic Ocean part of CARINA. Procedures of quality control, including crossover analysis between cruises and inversion analysis of all crossover data are briefly described. Adjustments were applied to the nutrient values for 43 of the cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. With these adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s (Key et al., 2004). Based on our analysis we estimate the internal accuracy of the CARINA-ATL nutrient data to be: nitrate 1.5%; phosphate 2.6%; silicate 3.1%. The CARINA data are now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation.

CARINA alkalinity data in the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velo, A.; Perez, F. F.; Brown, P.; Tanhua, T.; Schuster, U.; Key, R. M.

2009-11-01

Data on carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged to a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). These data have gone through rigorous quality control (QC) procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for most of the measured parameters in the CARINA data base were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the data products, i.e. three merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions; Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Out of a total of 188 cruise entries in the CARINA database, 98 were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean and of these, 75 cruises report alkalinity values. Here we present details of the secondary QC on alkalinity for the Atlantic Ocean part of CARINA. Procedures of quality control, including crossover analysis between cruises and inversion analysis of all crossover data are briefly described. Adjustments were applied to the alkalinity values for 16 of the cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. With these adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s. Based on our analysis we estimate the internal accuracy of the CARINA-ATL alkalinity data to be 3.3 μmol kg-1. The CARINA data are now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation.

The Effectiveness of Social Robots for Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Studies.

PubMed

Pu, Lihui; Moyle, Wendy; Jones, Cindy; Todorovic, Michael

2018-06-12

Social robots may promote the health of older adults by increasing their perceived emotional support and social interaction. This review aims to summarize the effectiveness of social robots on outcomes (psychological, physiological, quality of life, or medications) of older adults from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A mixed-method systematic review of RCTs meeting the study inclusion criteria was undertaken. Eight databases were electronically searched up to September 2017. Participants' characteristics, intervention features, and outcome data were retrieved. The mean difference and standardized mean difference with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were synthesized to pool the effect size. A total of 13 articles from 11 RCTs were identified from 2,204 articles, of which 9 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Risk of bias was relatively high in allocation concealment and blinding. Social robots appeared to have positive impacts on agitation, anxiety, and quality of life for older adults but no statistical significance was found in the meta-analysis. However, results from a narrative review indicated that social robot interactions could improve engagement, interaction, and stress indicators, as well as reduce loneliness and the use of medications for older adults. Social robots appear to have the potential to improve the well-being of older adults, but conclusions are limited due to the lack of high-quality studies. More RCTs are recommended with larger sample sizes and rigorous study designs.

Effects of -1.5°C Super-chilling on quality of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) pre-rigor Fillets: Cathepsin activity, muscle histology, texture and liquid leakage.

PubMed

Bahuaud, D; Mørkøre, T; Langsrud, Ø; Sinnes, K; Veiseth, E; Ofstad, R; Thomassen, M S

2008-11-15

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of super-chilling on the quality of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) pre-rigor fillets. The fillets were kept for 45min in a super-chilling tunnel at -25°C with an air speed in the tunnel at 2.5m/s, to reach a fillet core temperature of -1.5°C, prior to ice storage in a cold room for 4 weeks. Super-chilling seemed to form intra- and extracellular ice crystals in the upper layer of the fillets and prevent myofibre contraction. Lysosome breakages followed by release of cathepsin B and L during storage and myofibre-myofibre detachments were accelerated in the super-chilled fillets. Super-chilling resulted in higher liquid leakage and increased myofibre breakages in the fillets, while texture values of fillets measured instrumentally were not affected by super-chilling one week after treatment. Optimisation of the super-chilling technique is needed to avoid the formation of ice crystals, which may cause irreversible destruction of the myofibres, in order to obtain high quality products. Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International Seed Testing Association List of stabilized plant names, edition 6

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Seed-testing laboratories determine the quality of seed lots in national and international seed commerce. Those services most commonly requested include purity analysis, noxious-weed seed detection, and viability tests. Rigorous procedures for performing various tests on specific crops have been est...

Comparative effectiveness research methodology using secondary data: A starting user's guide.

PubMed

Sun, Maxine; Lipsitz, Stuart R

2018-04-01

The use of secondary data, such as claims or administrative data, in comparative effectiveness research has grown tremendously in recent years. We believe that the current review can help investigators relying on secondary data to (1) gain insight into both the methodologies and statistical methods, (2) better understand the necessity of a rigorous planning before initiating a comparative effectiveness investigation, and (3) optimize the quality of their investigations. Specifically, we review concepts of adjusted analyses and confounders, methods of propensity score analyses, and instrumental variable analyses, risk prediction models (logistic and time-to-event), decision-curve analysis, as well as the interpretation of the P value and hypothesis testing. Overall, we hope that the current review article can help research investigators relying on secondary data to perform comparative effectiveness research better understand the necessity of a rigorous planning before study start, and gain better insight in the choice of statistical methods so as to optimize the quality of the research study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ASTM Committee C28: International Standards for Properties and Performance of Advanced Ceramics, Three Decades of High-quality, Technically-rigorous Normalization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, Michael G.; Salem, Jonathan A.

2016-01-01

Physical and mechanical properties and performance of advanced ceramics and glasses are difficult to measure correctly without the proper techniques. For over three decades, ASTM Committee C28 on Advanced Ceramics, has developed high quality, rigorous, full-consensus standards (e.g., test methods, practices, guides, terminology) to measure properties and performance of monolithic and composite ceramics that may be applied to glasses in some cases. These standards testing particulars for many mechanical, physical, thermal, properties and performance of these materials. As a result these standards provide accurate, reliable, repeatable and complete data. Within Committee C28 users, producers, researchers, designers, academicians, etc. have written, continually updated, and validated through round-robin test programs, nearly 50 standards since the Committees founding in 1986. This paper provides a retrospective review of the 30 years of ASTM Committee C28 including a graphical pictogram listing of C28 standards along with examples of the tangible benefits of advanced ceramics standards to demonstrate their practical applications.

Methods used and lessons learnt in conducting document reviews of medical and allied health curricula - a key step in curriculum evaluation.

PubMed

Rohwer, Anke; Schoonees, Anel; Young, Taryn

2014-11-02

This paper describes the process, our experience and the lessons learnt in doing document reviews of health science curricula. Since we could not find relevant literature to guide us on how to approach these reviews, we feel that sharing our experience would benefit researchers embarking on similar projects. We followed a rigorous, transparent, pre-specified approach that included the preparation of a protocol, a pre-piloted data extraction form and coding schedule. Data were extracted, analysed and synthesised. Quality checks were included at all stages of the process. The main lessons we learnt related to time and project management, continuous quality assurance, selecting the software that meets the needs of the project, involving experts as needed and disseminating the findings to relevant stakeholders. A complete curriculum evaluation comprises, apart from a document review, interviews with students and lecturers to assess the learnt and taught curricula respectively. Rigorous methods must be used to ensure an objective assessment.

Circular instead of hierarchical: methodological principles for the evaluation of complex interventions

PubMed Central

Walach, Harald; Falkenberg, Torkel; Fønnebø, Vinjar; Lewith, George; Jonas, Wayne B

2006-01-01

Background The reasoning behind evaluating medical interventions is that a hierarchy of methods exists which successively produce improved and therefore more rigorous evidence based medicine upon which to make clinical decisions. At the foundation of this hierarchy are case studies, retrospective and prospective case series, followed by cohort studies with historical and concomitant non-randomized controls. Open-label randomized controlled studies (RCTs), and finally blinded, placebo-controlled RCTs, which offer most internal validity are considered the most reliable evidence. Rigorous RCTs remove bias. Evidence from RCTs forms the basis of meta-analyses and systematic reviews. This hierarchy, founded on a pharmacological model of therapy, is generalized to other interventions which may be complex and non-pharmacological (healing, acupuncture and surgery). Discussion The hierarchical model is valid for limited questions of efficacy, for instance for regulatory purposes and newly devised products and pharmacological preparations. It is inadequate for the evaluation of complex interventions such as physiotherapy, surgery and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This has to do with the essential tension between internal validity (rigor and the removal of bias) and external validity (generalizability). Summary Instead of an Evidence Hierarchy, we propose a Circular Model. This would imply a multiplicity of methods, using different designs, counterbalancing their individual strengths and weaknesses to arrive at pragmatic but equally rigorous evidence which would provide significant assistance in clinical and health systems innovation. Such evidence would better inform national health care technology assessment agencies and promote evidence based health reform. PMID:16796762

Experiencing health care service quality: through patients' eyes.

PubMed

Schembri, Sharon

2015-02-01

The primary aim of the present study was to consider health care service quality from the patients' perspective, specifically through the patient's eyes. A narrative analysis was performed on 300 patient stories. This rigorous analysis of patient stories is designed to identify and describe health care service quality through patients' eyes in an authentic and accurate, experiential manner. The findings show that there are variant and complex ways that patients experience health care service quality. Patient stories offer an authentic view of the complex ways that patients experience health care service quality. Narrative analysis is a useful tool to identify and describe how patients experience health care service quality. Patients experience health care service quality in complex and varying ways.

Assessment and Monitoring of Nutrient Management in Irrigated Agriculture for Groundwater Quality Protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harter, T.; Davis, R.; Smart, D. R.; Brown, P. H.; Dzurella, K.; Bell, A.; Kourakos, G.

2017-12-01

Nutrient fluxes to groundwater have been subject to regulatory assessment and control only in a limited number of countries, including those in the European Union, where the Water Framework Directive requires member countries to manage groundwater basis toward achieving "good status", and California, where irrigated lands will be subject to permitting, stringent nutrient monitoring requirements, and development of practices that are protective of groundwater. However, research activities to rigorously assess agricultural practices for their impact on groundwater have been limited and instead focused on surface water protection. For groundwater-related assessment of agricultural practices, a wide range of modeling tools has been employed: vulnerability studies, nitrogen mass balance assessments, crop-soil-system models, and various statistical tools. These tools are predominantly used to identify high risk regions, practices, or crops. Here we present the development of a field site for rigorous in-situ evaluation of water and nutrient management practices in an irrigated agricultural setting. Integrating groundwater monitoring into agricultural practice assessment requires large research plots (on the order of 10s to 100s of hectares) and multi-year research time-frames - much larger than typical agricultural field research plots. Almonds are among the most common crops in California with intensive use of nitrogen fertilizer and were selected for their high water quality improvement potential. Availability of an orchard site with relatively vulnerable groundwater conditions (sandy soils, water table depth less than 10 m) was also important in site selection. Initial results show that shallow groundwater concentrations are commensurate with nitrogen leaching estimates obtained by considering historical, long-term field nitrogen mass balance and groundwater dynamics.

Intersubjectivity in Theoretical and Practical Online Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Janine; Hall, Barbara M.

2015-01-01

Rigorous interaction between peers has been an elusive goal in online asynchronous discussions. Intersubjectivity, the goal of peer-to-peer interaction, is a representation of a higher quality of synthesis. It is the representation of knowledge construction achieved through a synergistic progression from individual contributions to sequences of…

The Power of Thinking Big

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Celeste, Eric

2016-01-01

Communities of practice have become important tools for districts striving to improve teacher quality in a way that improves student outcomes, but scaling the benefits of these communities requires a more rigorous, intentional approach. That's why Learning Forward, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, created the Redesign PD…

23 CFR 650.305 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... in a comprehensive training course). Critical finding. A structural or safety related deficiency that... fulfilled education and experience requirements and passed rigorous exams that, under State licensure laws.... Public road. The term “public road” is defined in 23 U.S.C. 101(a)(27). Quality assurance (QA). The use...

Revealing Greenwashing: A Consumers' Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brouwer, Anne

2016-01-01

A significant problem arising in discursive green marketing practices is the growth of greenwashing; companies providing irrelevant, exaggerated or false information regarding a product's sustainable qualities. This has given rise to a number of issues yet has so far fallen short of being rigorously investigated. In this study, focus group…

Strengthening the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning via Experimentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LoSchiavo, Frank M.; Shatz, Mark A.; Poling, Devereaux A.

2008-01-01

In recent years, national policy experts have questioned the overall quality of educational research, and they have suggested that researchers strengthen their scientific methods by maximizing the use of experimental designs. To promote more rigorous methodology, we discuss several new and often-overlooked opportunities for incorporating…

A Criterion-Referenced Approach to Student Ratings of Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, J. Patrick; Doromal, Justin B.; Wei, Xiaoxin; Zhu, Shi

2017-01-01

We developed a criterion-referenced student rating of instruction (SRI) to facilitate formative assessment of teaching. It involves four dimensions of teaching quality that are grounded in current instructional design principles: Organization and structure, Assessment and feedback, Personal interactions, and Academic rigor. Using item response…

Spleen removal - slideshow

MedlinePlus

... certain circulating white blood cells, as a part of the lymph system, and as a part of the immune system. Review Date 1/31/2017 Updated by: Mary ... urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that ... follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is ...

Children's Antisocial Behavior, Mental Health, Drug Use, and Educational Performance After Parental Incarceration

PubMed Central

Murray, Joseph; Farrington, David P.; Sekol, Ivana

2012-01-01

Unprecedented numbers of children experience parental incarceration worldwide. Families and children of prisoners can experience multiple difficulties after parental incarceration, including traumatic separation, loneliness, stigma, confused explanations to children, unstable childcare arrangements, strained parenting, reduced income, and home, school, and neighborhood moves. Children of incarcerated parents often have multiple, stressful life events before parental incarceration. Theoretically, children with incarcerated parents may be at risk for a range of adverse behavioral outcomes. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize empirical evidence on associations between parental incarceration and children's later antisocial behavior, mental health problems, drug use, and educational performance. Results from 40 studies (including 7,374 children with incarcerated parents and 37,325 comparison children in 50 samples) were pooled in a meta-analysis. The most rigorous studies showed that parental incarceration is associated with higher risk for children's antisocial behavior, but not for mental health problems, drug use, or poor educational performance. Studies that controlled for parental criminality or children's antisocial behavior before parental incarceration had a pooled effect size of OR = 1.4 (p < .01), corresponding to about 10% increased risk for antisocial behavior among children with incarcerated parents, compared with peers. Effect sizes did not decrease with number of covariates controlled. However, the methodological quality of many studies was poor. More rigorous tests of the causal effects of parental incarceration are needed, using randomized designs and prospective longitudinal studies. Criminal justice reforms and national support systems might be needed to prevent harmful consequences of parental incarceration for children. PMID:22229730

Children's antisocial behavior, mental health, drug use, and educational performance after parental incarceration: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Murray, Joseph; Farrington, David P; Sekol, Ivana

2012-03-01

Unprecedented numbers of children experience parental incarceration worldwide. Families and children of prisoners can experience multiple difficulties after parental incarceration, including traumatic separation, loneliness, stigma, confused explanations to children, unstable childcare arrangements, strained parenting, reduced income, and home, school, and neighborhood moves. Children of incarcerated parents often have multiple, stressful life events before parental incarceration. Theoretically, children with incarcerated parents may be at risk for a range of adverse behavioral outcomes. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize empirical evidence on associations between parental incarceration and children's later antisocial behavior, mental health problems, drug use, and educational performance. Results from 40 studies (including 7,374 children with incarcerated parents and 37,325 comparison children in 50 samples) were pooled in a meta-analysis. The most rigorous studies showed that parental incarceration is associated with higher risk for children's antisocial behavior, but not for mental health problems, drug use, or poor educational performance. Studies that controlled for parental criminality or children's antisocial behavior before parental incarceration had a pooled effect size of OR = 1.4 (p < .01), corresponding to about 10% increased risk for antisocial behavior among children with incarcerated parents, compared with peers. Effect sizes did not decrease with number of covariates controlled. However, the methodological quality of many studies was poor. More rigorous tests of the causal effects of parental incarceration are needed, using randomized designs and prospective longitudinal studies. Criminal justice reforms and national support systems might be needed to prevent harmful consequences of parental incarceration for children.

SaFaRI: sacral nerve stimulation versus the FENIX magnetic sphincter augmentation for adult faecal incontinence: a randomised investigation.

PubMed

Williams, Annabelle E; Croft, Julie; Napp, Vicky; Corrigan, Neil; Brown, Julia M; Hulme, Claire; Brown, Steven R; Lodge, Jen; Protheroe, David; Jayne, David G

2016-02-01

Faecal incontinence is a physically, psychologically and socially disabling condition. NICE guidance (2007) recommends surgical intervention, including sacral nerve stimulation (SNS), after failed conservative therapies. The FENIX magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) device is a novel continence device consisting of a flexible band of interlinked titanium beads with magnetic cores that is placed around the anal canal to augment anal sphincter tone through passive attraction of the beads. Preliminary studies suggest the FENIX MSA is safe, but efficacy data is limited. Rigorous evaluation is required prior to widespread adoption. The SaFaRI trial is a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA)-funded UK multi-site, parallel group, randomised controlled, unblinded trial that will investigate the use of the FENIX MSA, as compared to SNS, for adult faecal incontinence resistant to conservative management. Twenty sites across the UK, experienced in the treatment of faecal incontinence, will recruit 350 patients randomised equally to receive either SNS or FENIX MSA. Participants will be followed-up at 2 weeks post-surgery and at 6, 12 and 18 months post-randomisation. The primary endpoint is success, as defined by device in use and ≥50 % improvement in the Cleveland Clinic Incontinence Score (CCIS) at 18 months post-randomisation. Secondary endpoints include complications, quality of life and cost effectiveness. SaFaRI will rigorously evaluate a new technology for faecal incontinence, the FENIX™ MSA, allowing its safe and controlled introduction into current clinical practice. These results will inform the future surgical management of adult faecal incontinence.

The effect of social franchising on access to and quality of health services in low- and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Koehlmoos, Tracey Perez; Gazi, Rukhsana; Hossain, S Shahed; Zaman, K

2009-01-21

Social franchising has developed as a possible means of improving provision of health services through engaging the non-state sector in low- and middle-income countries. To examine the evidence that social franchising has on access to and quality of health services in low- and middle-income countries. We searched the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) Group Specialised Register (up to October 2007), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library 2007, Issue 3), MEDLINE, Ovid (1950 to September Week 3 2007), EMBASE, Ovid (1980 to 2007 Week 38), CINAHL, Ovid (1982 to September Week 3 2007), EconLit, WebSPIRS (1969 to Sept 2007), LILACS, Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index (1975 to March 2008), Sociological Abstracts, CSA Illumnia (1952 September 2007), WHOLIS (1948 November 2007). Randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, controlled before and after studies and interrupted time series comparing social franchising models with other models of health service delivery, other social franchising models or absence of health services. Two review authors independently applied the criteria for inclusion and exclusion of studies to scan titles and abstracts. The same two review authors independently screened full reports of selected citations . At each stage, results were compared and discrepancies settled through discussion. No studies were found which were eligible for inclusion in this review. There is a need to develop rigorous studies to evaluate the effects of social franchising on access to and quality of health services in low- and middle-income countries. Such studies should be informed by the wider literature to identify models of social franchising that have a sound theoretical basis and empirical research addressing their reach, acceptability, feasibility, maintenance and measurability.

Current Evidence on Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback as a Complementary Anticraving Intervention.

PubMed

Alayan, Nour; Eller, Lucille; Bates, Marsha E; Carmody, Dennis P

2018-05-21

The limited success of conventional anticraving interventions encourages research into new treatment strategies. Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB), which is based on slowed breathing, was shown to improve symptom severity in various disorders. HRVB, and certain rates of controlled breathing (CB), may offer therapeutic potential as a complementary drug-free treatment option to help control substance craving. This review evaluated current evidence on the effectiveness of HRVB and CB training as a complementary anticraving intervention, based on guidelines from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. Studies that assessed a cardiorespiratory feedback or CB intervention with substance craving as an outcome were selected. Effect sizes were calculated for each study. The Scale for Assessing Scientific Quality of Investigations in Complementary and Alternative Medicine was used to evaluate the quality of each study reviewed. A total of eight articles remained for final review, including controlled studies with or without randomization, as well as noncontrolled trials. Most studies showed positive results with a variety of methodological quality levels and effect size. Current HRVB studies rated moderately on methodological rigor and showed inconsistent magnitudes of calculated effect size (0.074-0.727) across populations. The largest effect size was found in a nonclinical college population of high food cravers utilizing the most intensive HRVB training time of 240 min. Despite the limitations of this review, there is beginning evidence that HRVB and CB training can be of significant therapeutic potential. Larger clinical trials are needed with methodological improvements such as longer treatment duration, adequate control conditions, measures of adherence and compliance, longitudinal examination of craving changes, and more comprehensive methods of craving measurement.

The impact of rigorous mathematical thinking as learning method toward geometry understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nugraheni, Z.; Budiyono, B.; Slamet, I.

2018-05-01

To reach higher order thinking skill, needed to be mastered the conceptual understanding. RMT is a unique realization of the cognitive conceptual construction approach based on Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) theory by Feurstein and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. This was quasi experimental research which was comparing the experimental class that was given Rigorous Mathematical Thinking (RMT) as learning method and control class that was given Direct Learning (DL) as the conventional learning activity. This study examined whether there was different effect of two learning method toward conceptual understanding of Junior High School students. The data was analyzed by using Independent t-test and obtained a significant difference of mean value between experimental and control class on geometry conceptual understanding. Further, by semi-structure interview known that students taught by RMT had deeper conceptual understanding than students who were taught by conventional way. By these result known that Rigorous Mathematical Thinking (RMT) as learning method have positive impact toward Geometry conceptual understanding.

Tai Chi Improves Sleep Quality in Healthy Adults and Patients with Chronic Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Raman, Gowri; Zhang, Yuan; Minichiello, Vincent J; D'Ambrosio, Carolyn M.; Wang, Chenchen

2017-01-01

Background Physical activity and exercise appear to improve sleep quality. However, the quantitative effects of Tai Chi on sleep quality in the adult population have rarely been examined. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effects of Tai Chi on sleep quality in healthy adults and disease populations. Methods Medline, Cochrane Central databases, and review of references were searched through July 31, 2013. English-language studies of all designs evaluating Tai Chi’s effect on sleep outcomes in adults were examined. Data were extracted and verified by 2 reviewers. Extracted information included study setting and design, population characteristics, type and duration of interventions, outcomes, risk of bias and main results. Random effect models meta-analysis was used to assess the magnitude of treatment effect when at least 3 trials reported on the same sleep outcomes. Results Eleven studies (9 randomized and 2 non-randomized trials) totaling 994 subjects published between 2004 and 2012 were identified. All studies except one reported Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. Nine randomized trials reported that 1.5 to 3 hour each week for a duration of 6 to 24 weeks of Tai Chi significantly improved sleep quality (Effect Size, 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28 to 1.50), in community-dwelling healthy participants and in patients with chronic conditions. Improvement in health outcomes including physical performance, pain reduction, and psychological well-being occurred in the Tai Chi group compared with various controls. Limitations Studies were heterogeneous and some trials were lacking in methodological rigor. Conclusions Tai Chi significantly improved sleep quality in both healthy adults and patients with chronic health conditions, which suggests that Tai Chi may be considered as an alternative behavioral therapy in the treatment of insomnia. High-quality, well-controlled randomized trials are needed to better inform clinical decisions. PMID:28845367

Design and Implementation of the Harvard Fellowship in Patient Safety and Quality.

PubMed

Gandhi, Tejal K; Abookire, Susan A; Kachalia, Allen; Sands, Kenneth; Mort, Elizabeth; Bommarito, Grace; Gagne, Jane; Sato, Luke; Weingart, Saul N

2016-01-01

The Harvard Fellowship in Patient Safety and Quality is a 2-year physician-oriented training program with a strong operational orientation, embedding trainees in the quality departments of participating hospitals. It also integrates didactic and experiential learning and offers the option of obtaining a master's degree in public health. The program focuses on methodologically rigorous improvement and measurement, with an emphasis on the development and implementation of innovative practice. The operational orientation is intended to foster the professional development of future quality and safety leaders. The purpose of this article is to describe the design and development of the fellowship. © The Author(s) 2014.

Job Rotation Designed to Prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders and Control Risk in Manufacturing Industries: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Padula, Rosimeire Simprini; Comper, Maria Luiza Caires; Sparer, Emily H.; Dennerlein, Jack T

2017-01-01

To better understand job rotation in the manufacturing industry, we completed a systematic review asking the following questions: 1) How do job-rotation programs impact work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and related risk control for these MSDs, as well as psychosocial factors? and 2) How best should the job rotation programs be designed? We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Business Source Premier, ISI Web of Knowledge, CINAHL, PsyINFO, Scopus, and SciELO databases for articles published in peer-reviewed journals. Eligible studies were examined by two independent reviewers for relevance (population of manufacturing workers, outcomes of musculoskeletal disease, physical factors, psychosocial factors, and strategies used in job-rotation implantation) and methodological quality rating. From 10,809 potential articles, 71 were read for full text analysis. Of the 14 studies included for data extraction, two were non-randomized control trial studies, one was a case-control study, and 11 were cross-sectional comparisons. Only one, with a case-control design, was scored with good methodological quality. Currently, weak evidence exists supporting job rotation as a strategy for the prevention and control of musculoskeletal disorders. Job rotation did not appear to reduce the exposure of physical risk factors; yet, there are positive correlations between job rotation and higher job satisfaction. Worker training has been described as a crucial component of a successful job-rotation program. The studies reported a range of parameters used to implement and measure job-rotation programs. More rigorous studies are needed to better understand the full impact of job rotation on production and health. PMID:27633235

Damage behavior of Nd:glass of high-power disk amplifier medium in ICF Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Shaobo; Chen, Lin; Yuan, Xiaodong; Chen, Yuanbin; Cheng, Xiaofeng; Xie, Xudong; Wang, Wenyi; Zu, Xiaotao

2016-12-01

Large aperture Nd:glass disk is often used as the amplifier medium in the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) facilities. The typical size of Nd:glass is up to 810mm×460mm×40mm and more than 3,000 Nd:glass components are needed in the ICF facility. At present, the 3ω fused silica glass and DKDP crystal are mainly responsible for the damage of driver used for ICF. However, with the enlargement of the facility and increase of laser shot number, the laser damage of Nd:glass at 1ω waveband is still an important problem to limit the stable operation of facility and improvement of laser beam quality. In this work, the influence of Nd:glass material itself, mechanical processing, service environment, and laser beam quality on its damage behavior is investigated experimentally and theoretically. The results and conclusions can be summarized as follows: (1) It is very important to control the concentration of platinum impurity particles during melting and the sputtering effect of the cladding materials. (2) The number and length of fractural and brittle scratches should be strictly suppressed during mechanical processing of Nd:glass. (3) The B-integral of high power laser beam should be rigorously controlled. Particularly, the top shape of pulses must be well controlled when operating at high peak laser power. (4) The service environment should be well managed to make sure the cleanness of the surface of Nd:glass better than 100/A level during mounting and running. (5) The service environment and beam quality should be monitored during operation.

Measuring quality of care: considering conceptual approaches to quality indicator development and evaluation.

PubMed

Stelfox, Henry T; Straus, Sharon E

2013-12-01

In this article, we describe one approach for developing and evaluating quality indicators. We focus on describing different conceptual approaches to quality indicator development, review one approach for developing quality indicators, outline how to evaluate quality indicators once developed, and discuss quality indicator maintenance. The key steps for developing quality indicators include specifying a clear goal for the indicators; using methodologies to incorporate evidence, expertise, and patient perspectives; and considering contextual factors and logistics of implementation. The Strategic Framework Board and the National Quality Measure Clearinghouse have developed criteria for evaluating quality indicators that complement traditional psychometric evaluations. Optimal strategies for quality indicator maintenance and dissemination have not been determined, but experiences with clinical guideline maintenance may be informative. For quality indicators to effectively guide quality improvement efforts, they must be developed, evaluated, maintained, and implemented using rigorous evidence-informed practices. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The quality of the evidence base for clinical pathway effectiveness: room for improvement in the design of evaluation trials.

PubMed

Rotter, Thomas; Kinsman, Leigh; James, Erica; Machotta, Andreas; Steyerberg, Ewout W

2012-06-18

The purpose of this article is to report on the quality of the existing evidence base regarding the effectiveness of clinical pathway (CPW) research in the hospital setting. The analysis is based on a recently published Cochrane review of the effectiveness of CPWs. An integral component of the review process was a rigorous appraisal of the methodological quality of published CPW evaluations. This allowed the identification of strengths and limitations of the evidence base for CPW effectiveness. We followed the validated Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group (EPOC) criteria for randomized and non-randomized clinical pathway evaluations. In addition, we tested the hypotheses that simple pre-post studies tend to overestimate CPW effects reported. Out of the 260 primary studies meeting CPW content criteria, only 27 studies met the EPOC study design criteria, with the majority of CPW studies (more than 70 %) excluded from the review on the basis that they were simple pre-post evaluations, mostly comparing two or more annual patient cohorts. Methodologically poor study designs are often used to evaluate CPWs and this compromises the quality of the existing evidence base. Cochrane EPOC methodological criteria, including the selection of rigorous study designs along with detailed descriptions of CPW development and implementation processes, are recommended for quantitative evaluations to improve the evidence base for the use of CPWs in hospitals.

Practical semen analysis: from A to Z

PubMed Central

Brazil, Charlene

2010-01-01

Accurate semen analysis is critical for decisions about patient care, as well as for studies addressing overall changes in semen quality, contraceptive efficacy and effects of toxicant exposure. The standardization of semen analysis is very difficult for many reasons, including the use of subjective techniques with no standards for comparison, poor technician training, problems with proficiency testing and a reluctance to change techniques. The World Health Organization (WHO) Semen handbook (2010) offers a vastly improved set of standardized procedures, all at a level of detail that will preclude most misinterpretations. However, there is a limit to what can be learned from words and pictures alone. A WHO-produced DVD that offers complete demonstrations of each technique along with quality assurance standards for motility, morphology and concentration assessments would enhance the effectiveness of the manual. However, neither the manual nor a DVD will help unless there is general acknowledgement of the critical need to standardize techniques and rigorously pursue quality control to ensure that laboratories actually perform techniques 'according to WHO' instead of merely reporting that they have done so. Unless improvements are made, patient results will continue to be compromised and comparison between studies and laboratories will have limited merit. PMID:20111076

An Overview of Meta-Analyses of Danhong Injection for Unstable Angina.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoxia; Wang, Hui; Chang, Yanxu; Wang, Yuefei; Lei, Xiang; Fu, Shufei; Zhang, Junhua

2015-01-01

Objective. To systematically collect evidence and evaluate the effects of Danhong injection (DHI) for unstable angina (UA). Methods. A comprehensive search was conducted in seven electronic databases up to January 2015. The methodological and reporting quality of included studies was assessed by using AMSTAR and PRISMA. Result. Five articles were included. The conclusions suggest that DHI plus conventional medicine treatment was effective for UA pectoris treatment, could alleviate symptoms of angina and ameliorate electrocardiograms. Flaws of the original studies and systematic reviews weaken the strength of evidence. Limitations of the methodology quality include performing an incomprehensive literature search, lacking detailed characteristics, ignoring clinical heterogeneity, and not assessing publication bias and other forms of bias. The flaws of reporting systematic reviews included the following: not providing a structured summary, no standardized search strategy. For the pooled findings, researchers took statistical heterogeneity into consideration, but clinical and methodology heterogeneity were ignored. Conclusion. DHI plus conventional medicine treatment generally appears to be effective for UA treatment. However, the evidence is not hard enough due to methodological flaws in original clinical trials and systematic reviews. Furthermore, rigorous designed randomized controlled trials are also needed. The methodology and reporting quality of systematic reviews should be improved.

An Overview of Meta-Analyses of Danhong Injection for Unstable Angina

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaoxia; Chang, Yanxu; Wang, Yuefei; Lei, Xiang; Fu, Shufei; Zhang, Junhua

2015-01-01

Objective. To systematically collect evidence and evaluate the effects of Danhong injection (DHI) for unstable angina (UA). Methods. A comprehensive search was conducted in seven electronic databases up to January 2015. The methodological and reporting quality of included studies was assessed by using AMSTAR and PRISMA. Result. Five articles were included. The conclusions suggest that DHI plus conventional medicine treatment was effective for UA pectoris treatment, could alleviate symptoms of angina and ameliorate electrocardiograms. Flaws of the original studies and systematic reviews weaken the strength of evidence. Limitations of the methodology quality include performing an incomprehensive literature search, lacking detailed characteristics, ignoring clinical heterogeneity, and not assessing publication bias and other forms of bias. The flaws of reporting systematic reviews included the following: not providing a structured summary, no standardized search strategy. For the pooled findings, researchers took statistical heterogeneity into consideration, but clinical and methodology heterogeneity were ignored. Conclusion. DHI plus conventional medicine treatment generally appears to be effective for UA treatment. However, the evidence is not hard enough due to methodological flaws in original clinical trials and systematic reviews. Furthermore, rigorous designed randomized controlled trials are also needed. The methodology and reporting quality of systematic reviews should be improved. PMID:26539221

Error identification in a high-volume clinical chemistry laboratory: Five-year experience.

PubMed

Jafri, Lena; Khan, Aysha Habib; Ghani, Farooq; Shakeel, Shahid; Raheem, Ahmed; Siddiqui, Imran

2015-07-01

Quality indicators for assessing the performance of a laboratory require a systematic and continuous approach in collecting and analyzing data. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of errors utilizing the quality indicators in a clinical chemistry laboratory and to convert errors to the Sigma scale. Five-year quality indicator data of a clinical chemistry laboratory was evaluated to describe the frequency of errors. An 'error' was defined as a defect during the entire testing process from the time requisition was raised and phlebotomy was done until the result dispatch. An indicator with a Sigma value of 4 was considered good but a process for which the Sigma value was 5 (i.e. 99.977% error-free) was considered well controlled. In the five-year period, a total of 6,792,020 specimens were received in the laboratory. Among a total of 17,631,834 analyses, 15.5% were from within hospital. Total error rate was 0.45% and of all the quality indicators used in this study the average Sigma level was 5.2. Three indicators - visible hemolysis, failure of proficiency testing and delay in stat tests - were below 5 on the Sigma scale and highlight the need to rigorously monitor these processes. Using Six Sigma metrics quality in a clinical laboratory can be monitored more effectively and it can set benchmarks for improving efficiency.

Tank waste remediation system immobilized high-level waste storage project configuration management implementation plan

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

Burgard, K.G.

This Configuration Management Implementation Plan was developed to assist in the management of systems, structures, and components, to facilitate the effective control and statusing of changes to systems, structures, and components; and to ensure technical consistency between design, performance, and operational requirements. Its purpose is to describe the approach Project W-464 will take in implementing a configuration management control, to determine the rigor of control, and to identify the mechanisms for imposing that control.This Configuration Management Implementation Plan was developed to assist in the management of systems, structures, and components, to facilitate the effective control and statusing of changes tomore » systems, structures, and components; and to ensure technical consistency between design, performance, and operational requirements. Its purpose is to describe the approach Project W-464 will take in implementing a configuration management control, to determine the rigor of control, and to identify the mechanisms for imposing that control.« less

Rigor force responses of permeabilized fibres from fast and slow skeletal muscles of aged rats.

PubMed

Plant, D R; Lynch, G S

2001-09-01

1. Ageing is generally associated with a decline in skeletal muscle mass and strength and a slowing of muscle contraction, factors that impact upon the quality of life for the elderly. The mechanisms underlying this age-related muscle weakness have not been fully resolved. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the decrease in muscle force as a consequence of age could be attributed partly to a decrease in the number of cross-bridges participating during contraction. 2. Given that the rigor force is proportional to the approximate total number of interacting sites between the actin and myosin filaments, we tested the null hypothesis that the rigor force of permeabilized muscle fibres from young and old rats would not be different. 3. Permeabilized fibres from the extensor digitorum longus (fast-twitch; EDL) and soleus (predominantly slow-twitch) muscles of young (6 months of age) and old (27 months of age) male F344 rats were activated in Ca2+-buffered solutions to determine force-pCa characteristics (where pCa = -log(10)[Ca2+]) and then in solutions lacking ATP and Ca2+ to determine rigor force levels. 4. The rigor forces for EDL and soleus muscle fibres were not different between young and old rats, indicating that the approximate total number of cross-bridges that can be formed between filaments did not decline with age. We conclude that the age-related decrease in force output is more likely attributed to a decrease in the force per cross-bridge and/or decreases in the efficiency of excitation-contraction coupling.

Eddy covariance measurements of carbon dioxide, latent and sensible energy fluxes above a meadow on a mountain slope

PubMed Central

Hammerle, Albin; Haslwanter, Alois; Schmitt, Michael; Bahn, Michael; Tappeiner, Ulrike; Cernusca, Alexander; Wohlfahrt, Georg

2014-01-01

Carbon dioxide, latent and sensible energy fluxes were measured by means of the eddy covariance method above a mountain meadow situated on a steep slope in the Stubai Valley/Austria, based on the hypothesis that, due to the low canopy height, measurements can be made in the shallow equilibrium layer where the wind field exhibits characteristics akin to level terrain. In order to test the validity of this hypothesis and to identify effects of complex terrain in the turbulence measurements, data were subjected to a rigorous testing procedure using a series of quality control measures established for surface layer flows. The resulting high-quality data set comprised 36 % of the original observations, the substantial reduction being mainly due to a change in surface roughness and associated fetch limitations in the wind sector dominating during nighttime and transition periods. The validity of the high-quality data set was further assessed by two independent tests: i) a comparison with the net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange measured by means of ecosystem chambers and ii) the ability of the eddy covariance measurements to close the energy balance. The net ecosystem CO2 exchange measured by the eddy covariance method agreed reasonably with ecosystem chamber measurements. The assessment of the energy balance closure showed that there was no significant difference in the correspondence between the meadow on the slope and another one situated on flat ground at the bottom of the Stubai Valley, available energy being underestimated by 28 and 29 %, respectively. We thus conclude that, appropriate quality control provided, the eddy covariance measurements made above a mountain meadow on a steep slope are of similar quality as compared to flat terrain. PMID:24465032

75 FR 71131 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-22

... impacts. To complete this task with scientific rigor, it will be necessary to collect high quality survey... instruments, methodologies, procedures, and analytical techniques for this task. Moreover, they have been pilot tested in 11 States. The tools and techniques were submitted for review, and were approved, by...

There's Education, and Then There's Education in Medicine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Royal, Kenneth D.; Rinaldo, Jason C. B.

2016-01-01

Introduction: For some time now the field of medical education has been criticized by many of its stakeholders. Countless debates have been presented in the literature regarding the quality of medical education research, adequacy of methodological rigor, and other concerns. Methods: At present, the views expressed have largely come from physicians…

The Role of International Accreditation in Promoting Academic and Professional Preparation in School Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrell, Peter; McFarland, Max; Gonzalez, Ruth; Hass, Michael; Stiles, Deborah A.

2014-01-01

The development of rigorous and universally respected quality assurance procedures that monitor and recognize the delivery of effective and ethically responsible public services has become increasingly evident in many countries. However, within professional psychology, these developments generally are located in individual countries. With a few…

Complicating Methodological Transparency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridges-Rhoads, Sarah; Van Cleave, Jessica; Hughes, Hilary E.

2016-01-01

A historical indicator of the quality, validity, and rigor of qualitative research has been the documentation and disclosure of the behind-the-scenes work of the researcher. In this paper, we use what we call "methodological data" as a tool to complicate the possibility and desirability of such transparency. Specifically, we draw on our…

Automating Nuclear-Safety-Related SQA Procedures with Custom Applications

DOE PAGES

Freels, James D.

2016-01-01

Nuclear safety-related procedures are rigorous for good reason. Small design mistakes can quickly turn into unwanted failures. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory worked with COMSOL to define a simulation app that automates the software quality assurance (SQA) verification process and provides results in less than 24 hours.

Communicating Science: The Profile of Science Journalists in Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cassany, Roger; Cortiñas, Sergi; Elduque, Albert

2018-01-01

Science journalists are mainly responsible for publicly communicating science, which, in turn, is a major indicator of the social development of democratic societies. The transmission of quality scientific information that is rigorously researched and understandable is therefore crucial, and demand for this kind of information from both…

Acquiring data for large aquatic resource surveys: the art of ompromise among science, logistics, and reality

EPA Science Inventory

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising its strategy to obtain the information needed to answer questions pertinent to water-quality management efficiently and rigorously at national scales. One tool of this revised strategy is use of statistically based surveys ...

The Impact of Lesson Study on Teacher Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Somma, Victoria

2016-01-01

Federal mandates have increased the pressure on school officials to improve student achievement. These mandates have forced educators across the nation to analyze different types of professional development that train teachers to provide quality lessons that are rigorous in nature. These mandates have forced a shift in pedagogy where teachers work…

The Politics of Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hess, Frederick M.

2008-01-01

In recent years, the rigor and quality of educational research have drawn much attention. This increased interest has been driven by state efforts to collect student achievement data, the creation of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the explicit call for"scientifically based research" written into the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act,…

Does Test Preparation Mean Low-Quality Instruction?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blazar, David; Pollard, Cynthia

2017-01-01

Critics of test-based accountability warn that test preparation has a negative influence on teachers' instruction due to a focus on procedural skills. Others advocate that the adoption of more rigorous assessments may be a way to incentivize more ambitious test preparation instruction. Drawing on classroom observations and teacher surveys, we do…

Borrowing and Repaying Student Loans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillman, Nicholas W.

2015-01-01

This essay synthesizes the most recent and rigorous research on student loan debt. It focuses on basic questions about who borrows, how much, and whether debt affects behaviors. Answers to these questions are necessary for informing federal student loan policymaking, yet the research findings are surprisingly mixed because of poor data quality,…

Bayesian Decision Theory Guiding Educational Decision-Making: Theories, Models and Application

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pan, Yilin

2016-01-01

Given the importance of education and the growing public demand for improving education quality under tight budget constraints, there has been an emerging movement to call for research-informed decisions in educational resource allocation. Despite the abundance of rigorous studies on the effectiveness, cost, and implementation of educational…

Offering Choice of Surgical Treatment to Women with Breast Cancer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fallowfield, Lesley

1997-01-01

Few differences in quality of life results are reported between different primary surgical treatments for breast cancer. Assumptions regarding the role of informed choice in psychosocial morbidity have not been substantiated, and fewer women than expected take an active role in decision making. Rigorous research is needed. (Author/EMK)

Cancer and lymph nodes

MedlinePlus

... page, please enable JavaScript. Lymph nodes are part of the lymph system , a network of organs, nodes, ducts, and vessels that support the ... urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is ...

Read Them Now

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tour, Rachel

2008-01-01

University presses have largely abdicated the job of substantive editing to outside readers, who write reports evaluating the quality of the work and offering both major and minor editing suggestions. Editors develop a cadre of readers they know they can trust, who will be fair, rigorous, and prompt with their reports. The author particularly…

Evaluation of Aster Gdem v3 Using Icesat Laser Altimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carabajal, C. C.; Boy, J.-P.

2016-06-01

We have used a set of Ground Control Points (GCPs) derived from altimetry measurements from the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) to evaluate the quality of the 30 m posting ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) V3 elevation products produced by NASA/METI for Greenland and Antarctica. These data represent the highest quality globally distributed altimetry measurements that can be used for geodetic ground control, selected by applying rigorous editing criteria, useful at high latitudes, where other topographic control is scarce. Even if large outliers still remain in all ASTER GDEM V3 data for both, Greenland and Antarctica, they are significantly reduced when editing ASTER by number of scenes (N≥5) included in the elevation processing. For 667,354 GCPs in Greenland, differences show a mean of 13.74 m, a median of -6.37 m, with an RMSE of 109.65 m. For Antarctica, 6,976,703 GCPs show a mean of 0.41 m, with a median of -4.66 m, and a 54.85 m RMSE, displaying smaller means, similar medians, and less scatter than GDEM V2. Mean and median differences between ASTER and ICESat are lower than 10 m, and RMSEs lower than 10 m for Greenland, and 20 m for Antarctica when only 9 to 31 scenes are included.

The prevention of shin splints in sports: a systematic review of literature.

PubMed

Thacker, Stephen B; Gilchrist, Julie; Stroup, Donna F; Kimsey, C Dexter

2002-01-01

To review the published and unpublished evidence regarding risk factors associated with shin splints, assess the effectiveness of prevention strategies, and offer evidence-based recommendations to coaches, athletes, and researchers. We searched electronic data bases without language restriction, identified citations from reference sections of research papers retrieved, contacted experts in the field, and searched the Cochrane Collaboration. Of the 199 citations identified, we emphasized results of the four reports that compared methods to prevent shin splints. We assessed the methodologic quality of these reports by using a standardized instrument. The use of shock-absorbent insoles, foam heel pads, heel cord stretching, alternative footwear, as well as graduated running programs among military recruits have undergone assessment in controlled trials. There is no strong support for any of these interventions, and each of the four controlled trials is limited methodologically. Median quality scores in these four studies ranged from 29 to 47, and serious flaws in study design, control of bias, and statistical methods were identified. Our review yielded little objective evidence to support widespread use of any existing interventions to prevent shin splints. The most encouraging evidence for effective prevention of shin splints involves the use of shock-absorbing insoles. However, serious flaws in study design and implementation constrain the work in this field thus far. A rigorously implemented research program is critically needed to address this common sports medicine problem.

Rigor of cell fate decision by variable p53 pulses and roles of cooperative gene expression by p53

PubMed Central

Murakami, Yohei; Takada, Shoji

2012-01-01

Upon DNA damage, the cell fate decision between survival and apoptosis is largely regulated by p53-related networks. Recent experiments found a series of discrete p53 pulses in individual cells, which led to the hypothesis that the cell fate decision upon DNA damage is controlled by counting the number of p53 pulses. Under this hypothesis, Sun et al. (2009) modeled the Bax activation switch in the apoptosis signal transduction pathway that can rigorously “count” the number of uniform p53 pulses. Based on experimental evidence, here we use variable p53 pulses with Sun et al.’s model to investigate how the variability in p53 pulses affects the rigor of the cell fate decision by the pulse number. Our calculations showed that the experimentally anticipated variability in the pulse sizes reduces the rigor of the cell fate decision. In addition, we tested the roles of the cooperativity in PUMA expression by p53, finding that lower cooperativity is plausible for more rigorous cell fate decision. This is because the variability in the p53 pulse height is more amplified in PUMA expressions with more cooperative cases. PMID:27857606

Empirical evaluation of humpback whale telomere length estimates; quality control and factors causing variability in the singleplex and multiplex qPCR methods.

PubMed

Olsen, Morten Tange; Bérubé, Martine; Robbins, Jooke; Palsbøll, Per J

2012-09-06

Telomeres, the protective cap of chromosomes, have emerged as powerful markers of biological age and life history in model and non-model species. The qPCR method for telomere length estimation is one of the most common methods for telomere length estimation, but has received recent critique for being too error-prone and yielding unreliable results. This critique coincides with an increasing awareness of the potentials and limitations of the qPCR technique in general and the proposal of a general set of guidelines (MIQE) for standardization of experimental, analytical, and reporting steps of qPCR. In order to evaluate the utility of the qPCR method for telomere length estimation in non-model species, we carried out four different qPCR assays directed at humpback whale telomeres, and subsequently performed a rigorous quality control to evaluate the performance of each assay. Performance differed substantially among assays and only one assay was found useful for telomere length estimation in humpback whales. The most notable factors causing these inter-assay differences were primer design and choice of using singleplex or multiplex assays. Inferred amplification efficiencies differed by up to 40% depending on assay and quantification method, however this variation only affected telomere length estimates in the worst performing assays. Our results suggest that seemingly well performing qPCR assays may contain biases that will only be detected by extensive quality control. Moreover, we show that the qPCR method for telomere length estimation can be highly precise and accurate, and thus suitable for telomere measurement in non-model species, if effort is devoted to optimization at all experimental and analytical steps. We conclude by highlighting a set of quality controls which may serve for further standardization of the qPCR method for telomere length estimation, and discuss some of the factors that may cause variation in qPCR experiments.

Empirical evaluation of humpback whale telomere length estimates; quality control and factors causing variability in the singleplex and multiplex qPCR methods

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Telomeres, the protective cap of chromosomes, have emerged as powerful markers of biological age and life history in model and non-model species. The qPCR method for telomere length estimation is one of the most common methods for telomere length estimation, but has received recent critique for being too error-prone and yielding unreliable results. This critique coincides with an increasing awareness of the potentials and limitations of the qPCR technique in general and the proposal of a general set of guidelines (MIQE) for standardization of experimental, analytical, and reporting steps of qPCR. In order to evaluate the utility of the qPCR method for telomere length estimation in non-model species, we carried out four different qPCR assays directed at humpback whale telomeres, and subsequently performed a rigorous quality control to evaluate the performance of each assay. Results Performance differed substantially among assays and only one assay was found useful for telomere length estimation in humpback whales. The most notable factors causing these inter-assay differences were primer design and choice of using singleplex or multiplex assays. Inferred amplification efficiencies differed by up to 40% depending on assay and quantification method, however this variation only affected telomere length estimates in the worst performing assays. Conclusion Our results suggest that seemingly well performing qPCR assays may contain biases that will only be detected by extensive quality control. Moreover, we show that the qPCR method for telomere length estimation can be highly precise and accurate, and thus suitable for telomere measurement in non-model species, if effort is devoted to optimization at all experimental and analytical steps. We conclude by highlighting a set of quality controls which may serve for further standardization of the qPCR method for telomere length estimation, and discuss some of the factors that may cause variation in qPCR experiments. PMID:22954451

Injection-salting of pre rigor fillets of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

PubMed

Birkeland, Sveinung; Akse, Leif; Joensen, Sjurdur; Tobiassen, Torbjørn; Skåra, Torstein

2007-01-01

The effects of temperature (-1, 4, and 10 degrees C), brine concentration (12% and 25% NaCl), injection volumes, and needle densities were investigated on fillet weight gain (%), salt content (%), fillet contraction (%), and muscle gaping in pre rigor brine-injected fillets of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Increased brine concentration (12% to 25%) significantly increased the initial (< 5 min after injection) and final contraction (24 h after injection) of pre rigor fillets. Increased brine concentration significantly reduced weight gain and increased salt content but had no significant effect on muscle gaping. The temperatures tested did not significantly affect weight gain, fillet contraction, or gaping score. Significant regressions (P < 0.01) between the injection volume and weight gain (range: 2.5% to 15.5%) and salt content (range: 1.7% to 6.5%) were observed for injections of pre rigor fillets. Double injections significantly increased the weight gain and salt content compared to single injections. Initial fillet contraction measured 30 min after brine injection increased significantly (P < 0.01) with increasing brine injection volume but no significant difference in the fillet contraction was observed 12 h after brine injection (range: 7.9% to 8.9%). Brine-injected post rigor control fillets obtained higher weight gain, higher salt content, more muscle gaping, and significantly lower fillet contraction compared to the pre rigor injected fillets. Injection-salting is an applicable technology as a means to obtain satisfactory salt contents and homogenously distribute the salt into the muscle of pre rigor fillets of Atlantic salmon before further processing steps such as drying and smoking.

Effect of e-learning and repeated performance feedback on spirometry test quality in family practice: a cluster trial.

PubMed

Schermer, Tjard R; Akkermans, Reinier P; Crockett, Alan J; van Montfort, Marian; Grootens-Stekelenburg, Joke; Stout, Jim W; Pieters, Willem

2011-01-01

Spirometry has become an indispensable tool in primary care to exclude, diagnose, and monitor chronic respiratory conditions, but the quality of spirometry tests in family practices is a reason for concern. Aim of this study was to investigate whether a combination of e-learning and bimonthly performance feedback would improve spirometry test quality in family practices in the course of 1 year. Our study was a cluster trial with 19 family practices allocated to intervention or control conditions through minimization. Intervention consisted of e-learning and bimonthly feedback reports to practice nurses. Control practices received only the joint baseline workshop. Spirometry quality was assessed by independent lung function technicians. Two outcomes were defined, with the difference between rates of tests with 2 acceptable and repeatable blows being the primary outcome and the difference between rates of tests with 2 acceptable blows being the secondary outcome. We used multilevel logistic regression analysis to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for an adequate test in intervention group practices. We analyzed 1,135 tests. Rate of adequate tests was 33% in intervention and 30% in control group practices (OR = 1.3; P=.605). Adequacy of tests did not differ between groups but tended to increase with time: OR = 2.2 (P = .057) after 3 and OR = 2.0 (P = .086) in intervention group practices after 4 feedback reports. When ignoring test repeatability, these differences between the groups were slightly more pronounced: OR = 2.4 (P = .033) after 3 and OR=2.2 (P = .051) after 4 feedback reports. In the course of 1 year, we observed a small and late effect of e-learning and repeated feedback on the quality of spirometry as performed by family practice nurses. This intervention does not seem to compensate the lack of rigorous training and experience in performing spirometry tests in most practices.

School-based programmes for preventing smoking.

PubMed

Thomas, R; Perera, R

2006-07-19

Smoking rates in adolescents are rising in some countries. Helping young people to avoid starting smoking is a widely endorsed goal of public health, but there is uncertainty about how to do this. Schools provide a route for communicating with a large proportion of young people, and school-based programmes for smoking prevention have been widely developed and evaluated. To review all randomized controlled trials of behavioural interventions in schools to prevent children (aged 5 to12) and adolescents (aged 13 to18) starting smoking. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group's Specialized Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsyclNFO, ERIC, CINAHL, Health Star, Dissertation Abstracts and studies identified in the bibliographies of articles. Individual MEDLINE searches were made for 133 authors who had undertaken randomized controlled trials in this area. Types of studies: those in which individual students, classes, schools, or school districts were randomized to the intervention or control groups and followed for at least six months. Children (aged 5 to12) or adolescents (aged 13 to18) in school settings. Types of interventions: Classroom programmes or curricula, including those with associated family and community interventions, intended to deter use of tobacco. We included programmes or curricula that provided information, those that used social influences approaches, those that taught generic social competence, and those that included interventions beyond the school into the community. We included programmes with a drug or alcohol focus if outcomes for tobacco use were reported. Types of outcome measures: Prevalence of non-smoking at follow up among those not smoking at baseline. We did not require biochemical validation of self-reported tobacco use for study inclusion. We assessed whether identified citations were randomized controlled trials. We assessed the quality of design and execution, and abstracted outcome data. Because of the marked heterogeneity of design and outcomes, we computed pooled estimates only for those trials that could be analyzed together and for which statistical data were available. We predominantly synthesized the data using narrative systematic review. We grouped studies by intervention method (information; social competence; social influences; combined social influences/social competence; multi-modal programmes). Within each group, we placed them into three categories (low, medium and high risk of bias) according to validity using quality criteria for reported study design. Of the 94 randomized controlled trials identified, we classified 23 as category one (most valid). There was one category one study of information-giving and two of teaching social comeptence. There were thirteen category one studies of social influences interventions. Of these, nine found some positive effect of intervention on smoking prevalence, and four failed to detect an effect on smoking prevalence. The largest and most rigorous study, the Hutchinson Smoking Prevention Project, found no long-term effect of an intensive eight-year programme on smoking behaviour. There were three category one RCTs of combined social influences and social competence interventions: one provided significant results and one only for instruction by health educators compared to self-instruction. There was a lack of high quality evidence about the effectiveness of combinations of social influences and social competence approaches. There was one category one study providing data on social influences compared with information giving. There were four category one studies of multi-modal approaches but they provided limited evidence about the effectiveness of multi-modal approaches including community initiatives. There is one rigorous test of the effects of information-giving about smoking. There are well-conducted randomized controlled trials to test the effects of social influences interventions: in half of the group of best quality studies those in the intervention group smoke less than those in the control, but many studies failed to detect an effect of the intervention. There are only three high quality RCTs which test the effectiveness of combinations of social influences and social competence interventions, and four which test multi-modal interventions; half showed significant positive results.

Effectiveness of educational nursing home visits on quality of life, functional status and care dependency in older adults with mobility impairments: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Buss, Arne; Wolf-Ostermann, Karin; Dassen, Theo; Lahmann, Nils; Strupeit, Steve

2016-04-01

Facilitating and maintaining functional status (FS) and quality of life (QoL) and avoiding care dependency (CD) are and will increasingly become major tasks of nursing. Educational nursing home visits may have positive effects on FS and QoL in older adults. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of educational home visits on FS, QoL and CD in older adults with mobility impairments. We performed a randomized controlled trial. The study was conducted in the living environments of 123 participants with functional impairments living in Hamburg, Germany. The intervention group received an additional nursing education intervention on mobility and QoL; the control group received care as usual. Data were collected from August 2011 to December 2012 at baseline, 6 months and 12 months of follow-up. The main outcomes were FS (Barthel Index), QoL (WHOQOL-BREF) and CD (Care Dependency Scale). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and generalized linear models. In total, 113 participants (57 in the intervention and 56 in the control group) were included in the study. The intervention had no statistical significant effect on FS, QoL and CD. The intervention did not show the benefits that we assumed. Further studies on the effects of educational nursing interventions should be performed using different concepts and rigorous research methods. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Quest for quality care and patient safety: the case of Singapore

PubMed Central

Lim, M

2004-01-01



 Quality of care in Singapore has seen a paradigm shift from a traditional focus on structural approaches to a broader multidimensional concept which includes the monitoring of clinical indicators and medical errors. Strong political commitment and institutional capacities have been important factors for making the transition. What is still lacking, however, is a culture of rigorous programme evaluation, public involvement, and patient empowerment. Despite these imperfections, Singapore has made considerable strides and its experience may hold lessons for other small developing countries in the common quest for quality care and patient safety. PMID:14757804

[Should disease management be feared? (1): hospital care].

PubMed

Gaspoz, J M; Rutschmann, O

2005-11-23

The goals of disease management are: (1) an integrated health care delivery system; (2) knowledge-based care; (3) elaborate information systems; (4) continuous quality improvement. In-hospital disease management and, more specifically, critical pathways, establish standardized care plans, set goals and time actions to reach these goals. They can reduce variations in practice patterns and resource utilization without compromising quality of care. Such strategies participate to quality improvement programs in hospitals when they involve and empower all actors of a given process of care, are not imposed from outside, and use sound and rigorous development and evaluation methods.

Agreement and disagreement on health care quality concepts among academic health professionals: the Saudi case.

PubMed

Mahrous, Mohamed Saad

2014-01-01

A systematic and rigorous implementation of quality improvement processes is likely to improve the well-being of staff members and heighten their job satisfaction. Assessing professionals' perceptions of health care quality should lead to the betterment of health care services. In Saudi Arabia, no previous studies examine how university health professionals view health care quality concepts. A cross-sectional analytical study employing a self-administered questionnaire with 43 statements assessing quality perceptions of academic health care professionals was used. Despite the agreement of health professionals on numerous quality concepts addressed in this study, there was insufficient agreement on 10 core quality concepts, 3 of which were the following: "quality focuses on customers" (50%), "quality is tangible and therefore measurable" (29.3%), and "quality is data-driven" (62%). Hence, providing health professionals with relevant training likely will generate a better understanding of quality concepts and optimize their performance.

The effects of pilates on mental health outcomes: A meta-analysis of controlled trials.

PubMed

Fleming, Karl M; Herring, Matthew P

2018-04-01

This meta-analysis estimated the population effect size for Pilates effects on mental health outcomes. Articles published prior to August 2017 were located with searches of Pubmed, Medline, Cinahl, SportDiscus, Science Direct, PsychINFO, Web of Science, and Cochrane Controlled Trial Register using combinations of: Pilates, Pilates method, mental health, anxiety, and depression. Eight English-language publications that included allocation to a Pilates intervention or non-active control and a measure of anxiety and/or depressive symptoms at baseline and after the Pilates intervention were selected. Participant and intervention characteristics, anxiety and depressive symptoms and other mental health outcomes, including feelings of energy and fatigue and quality of life, were extracted. Hedges' d effect sizes were computed, study quality was assessed, and random effects models estimated sampling error and population variance. Pilates resulted in significant, large, heterogeneous reductions in depressive (Δ = 1.27, 95%CI: 0.44, 2.09; z = 3.02, p ≤ 0.003; N = 6, n = 261) and anxiety symptoms (Δ = 1.29, 95%CI: 0.24, 2.33; z = 2.40, p ≤ 0.02; N = 5, n = 231) and feelings of fatigue (Δ = 0.93, 95%CI: 0.21, 1.66; z = 2.52, p ≤ 0.012; N = 3, n = 161), and increases in feelings of energy (Δ = 1.49, 95%CI: 0.67, 2.30; z = 3.57, p < 0.001; N = 2, n = 116). Though this review included a small number of controlled trials with small sample sizes and non-active control conditions of variable quality, the available evidence reviewed here supports that Pilates improves mental health outcomes. Rigorously designed randomized controlled trials, including those that compare Pilates to other empirically-supported therapies, are needed to better understand Pilates' clinical effectiveness and plausible mechanisms of effects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Theoretically Driven Investigation of the Efficacy of an Immersive Interactive Avatar Rich Virtual Environment in Pre-deployment Nursing Knowledge and Teamwork Skills Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-01

estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data... pedagogy , and instructional quality. Measures of effectiveness data is minimal and often has not been conducted in a rigorous manner. To be clear...instructional pedagogy and instructional quality between the programs offered. Efficacy studies beyond student satisfaction scores have not been done in a

Antimüllerian hormone levels and antral follicle counts are not reduced compared with community controls in patients with rigorously defined unexplained infertility.

PubMed

Greenwood, Eleni A; Cedars, Marcelle I; Santoro, Nanette; Eisenberg, Esther; Kao, Chia-Ning; Haisenleder, Daniel J; Diamond, Michael P; Huddleston, Heather G

2017-12-01

To test the hypothesis that women with unexplained infertility demonstrate evidence of diminished ovarian reserve when compared with a population of community controls. Cross-sectional study. Multicenter university-based clinical practices. Study participants included 277 healthy, normo-ovulatory female partners with rigorously defined unexplained infertility randomly selected from a multicenter trial (Assessment of Multiple Intrauterine Gestations from Ovarian Stimulation). Controls included 226 healthy, normo-ovulatory women not seeking treatment for fertility from a community-based cohort (Ovarian Aging study). Serum antimüllerian hormone (AMH) assay at a central laboratory, FSH, fasting serum metabolic testing, transvaginal ultrasonography for antral follicle counts (AFCs), anthropometric measurements. Average AMH, AFC, and AMH/AFC were compared between infertile and control women by age. Analyses of covariance compared these outcomes while controlling for confounders, including age, race, body mass index, smoking history, and study site. In our models, AMH, AFC, and AMH/AFC ovarian reserve indices did not differ between infertile women and community-based controls, after controlling for age, race, body mass index, smoking history, and study site. Currently utilized predictors of ovarian reserve do not discriminate women with rigorously defined unexplained infertility from healthy community-based women of similar demographic characteristics. Contrary to our hypothesis, among women with FSH in the normal range (≤12 IU/L), women with unexplained infertility did not show evidence of decreased ovarian reserve as measured by AMH and AFC. Ovarian reserve markers in isolation may not serve as predictors of future fertility. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. All rights reserved.

Rigor of non-dairy galactose restriction in early childhood, measured by retrospective survey, does not associate with severity of five long-term outcomes quantified in 231 children and adults with classic galactosemia

PubMed Central

Frederick, Allison B.; Cutler, David J.; Fridovich-Keil, Judith L.

2017-01-01

One of many vexing decisions faced by parents of an infant with classic galactosemia (CG) is how carefully to restrict non-dairy galactose from their growing child’s diet. Until recently, many experts recommended vigorous lifelong dietary restriction of milk and all high-galactose dairy products as well as some non-dairy sources of galactose such as legumes and specific fruits and vegetables. Recently, experts have begun to relax their recommendations. The new recommendations, that restrict only high galactose dairy products, were made in the face of uncertainty, however, because no sufficiently powered study had been reported testing for possible association between rigor of non-dairy galactose restriction and severity of long-term outcomes in CG. Here we describe the largest study of diet and outcomes in CG reported to date, conducted using information gathered from 231 patients with CG and 71 unaffected sibling controls. We compared rigor of dietary galactose restriction, measured using a 4-point scale by a retrospective parent-response survey, with outcomes including growth, adaptive behaviors, receipt of speech therapy, receipt of special educational services, and for girls and women, a plasma marker of ovarian function (AMH). Our results confirmed the expected differences between patients and controls, but among patients showed no significant association between rigor of non-dairy galactose restriction in early childhood and any of the outcomes quantified. Indeed, some weak associations were seen suggesting that rigorous restriction of non-dairy galactose may be deleterious rather than beneficial. Despite limitations, these findings support the ongoing trend toward diet liberalization with regard to non-dairy sources of galactose for children and adults with classic galactosemia. PMID:28695375

Rigorously Assessing Whether the Data Backs the Back School

PubMed Central

Vinh, David T.; Johnson, Craig W.; Phelps, Cynthia L.

2003-01-01

A rigorous between-subjects methodology employing independent random samples and having broad clinical applicability was designed and implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of back safety and patient transfer training interventions for both hospital nurses and nursing assistants. Effects upon self-efficacy, cognitive, and affective measures are assessed for each of three back safety procedures. The design solves the problem of obtaining randomly assigned independent controls where all experimental subjects must participate in the training interventions. PMID:14728544

Spray combustion experiments and numerical predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mularz, Edward J.; Bulzan, Daniel L.; Chen, Kuo-Huey

1993-01-01

The next generation of commercial aircraft will include turbofan engines with performance significantly better than those in the current fleet. Control of particulate and gaseous emissions will also be an integral part of the engine design criteria. These performance and emission requirements present a technical challenge for the combustor: control of the fuel and air mixing and control of the local stoichiometry will have to be maintained much more rigorously than with combustors in current production. A better understanding of the flow physics of liquid fuel spray combustion is necessary. This paper describes recent experiments on spray combustion where detailed measurements of the spray characteristics were made, including local drop-size distributions and velocities. Also, an advanced combustor CFD code has been under development and predictions from this code are compared with experimental results. Studies such as these will provide information to the advanced combustor designer on fuel spray quality and mixing effectiveness. Validation of new fast, robust, and efficient CFD codes will also enable the combustor designer to use them as additional design tools for optimization of combustor concepts for the next generation of aircraft engines.

Control group design: enhancing rigor in research of mind-body therapies for depression.

PubMed

Kinser, Patricia Anne; Robins, Jo Lynne

2013-01-01

Although a growing body of research suggests that mind-body therapies may be appropriate to integrate into the treatment of depression, studies consistently lack methodological sophistication particularly in the area of control groups. In order to better understand the relationship between control group selection and methodological rigor, we provide a brief review of the literature on control group design in yoga and tai chi studies for depression, and we discuss challenges we have faced in the design of control groups for our recent clinical trials of these mind-body complementary therapies for women with depression. To address the multiple challenges of research about mind-body therapies, we suggest that researchers should consider 4 key questions: whether the study design matches the research question; whether the control group addresses performance, expectation, and detection bias; whether the control group is ethical, feasible, and attractive; and whether the control group is designed to adequately control for nonspecific intervention effects. Based on these questions, we provide specific recommendations about control group design with the goal of minimizing bias and maximizing validity in future research.

Control Group Design: Enhancing Rigor in Research of Mind-Body Therapies for Depression

PubMed Central

Kinser, Patricia Anne; Robins, Jo Lynne

2013-01-01

Although a growing body of research suggests that mind-body therapies may be appropriate to integrate into the treatment of depression, studies consistently lack methodological sophistication particularly in the area of control groups. In order to better understand the relationship between control group selection and methodological rigor, we provide a brief review of the literature on control group design in yoga and tai chi studies for depression, and we discuss challenges we have faced in the design of control groups for our recent clinical trials of these mind-body complementary therapies for women with depression. To address the multiple challenges of research about mind-body therapies, we suggest that researchers should consider 4 key questions: whether the study design matches the research question; whether the control group addresses performance, expectation, and detection bias; whether the control group is ethical, feasible, and attractive; and whether the control group is designed to adequately control for nonspecific intervention effects. Based on these questions, we provide specific recommendations about control group design with the goal of minimizing bias and maximizing validity in future research. PMID:23662111

Evaluation of physical dimension changes as nondestructive measurements for monitoring rigor mortis development in broiler muscles.

PubMed

Cavitt, L C; Sams, A R

2003-07-01

Studies were conducted to develop a non-destructive method for monitoring the rate of rigor mortis development in poultry and to evaluate the effectiveness of electrical stimulation (ES). In the first study, 36 male broilers in each of two trials were processed at 7 wk of age. After being bled, half of the birds received electrical stimulation (400 to 450 V, 400 to 450 mA, for seven pulses of 2 s on and 1 s off), and the other half were designated as controls. At 0.25 and 1.5 h postmortem (PM), carcasses were evaluated for the angles of the shoulder, elbow, and wing tip and the distance between the elbows. Breast fillets were harvested at 1.5 h PM (after chilling) from all carcasses. Fillet samples were excised and frozen for later measurement of pH and R-value, and the remainder of each fillet was held on ice until 24 h postmortem. Shear value and pH means were significantly lower, but R-value means were higher (P < 0.05) for the ES fillets compared to the controls, suggesting acceleration of rigor mortis by ES. The physical dimensions of the shoulder and elbow changed (P < 0.05) during rigor mortis development and with ES. These results indicate that physical measurements of the wings maybe useful as a nondestructive indicator of rigor development and for monitoring the effectiveness of ES. In the second study, 60 male broilers in each of two trials were processed at 7 wk of age. At 0.25, 1.5, 3.0, and 6.0 h PM, carcasses were evaluated for the distance between the elbows. At each time point, breast fillets were harvested from each carcass. Fillet samples were excised and frozen for later measurement of pH and sacromere length, whereas the remainder of each fillet was held on ice until 24 h PM. Shear value and pH means (P < 0.05) decreased, whereas sarcomere length means (P < 0.05) increased over time, indicating rigor mortis development. Elbow distance decreased (P < 0.05) with rigor development and was correlated (P < 0.01) with shear value (r = 0.2581), sarcomere length (r = -0.3079), and pH (r = 0.6303). These results suggest that elbow distance could be used in conjunction with other detection methods for optically automating measurement of rigor mortis development in broiler carcasses.

Medical-Grade Channel Access and Admission Control in 802.11e EDCA for Healthcare Applications

PubMed Central

Son, Sunghwa; Park, Kyung-Joon; Park, Eun-Chan

2016-01-01

In this paper, we deal with the problem of assuring medical-grade quality of service (QoS) for real-time medical applications in wireless healthcare systems based on IEEE 802.11e. Firstly, we show that the differentiated channel access of IEEE 802.11e cannot effectively assure medical-grade QoS because of priority inversion. To resolve this problem, we propose an efficient channel access algorithm. The proposed algorithm adjusts arbitrary inter-frame space (AIFS) in the IEEE 802.11e protocol depending on the QoS measurement of medical traffic, to provide differentiated near-absolute priority for medical traffic. In addition, based on rigorous capacity analysis, we propose an admission control scheme that can avoid performance degradation due to network overload. Via extensive simulations, we show that the proposed mechanism strictly assures the medical-grade QoS and improves the throughput of low-priority traffic by more than several times compared to the conventional IEEE 802.11e. PMID:27490666

Building capacity for sustainable research programmes for cancer in Africa.

PubMed

Adewole, Isaac; Martin, Damali N; Williams, Makeda J; Adebamowo, Clement; Bhatia, Kishor; Berling, Christine; Casper, Corey; Elshamy, Karima; Elzawawy, Ahmed; Lawlor, Rita T; Legood, Rosa; Mbulaiteye, Sam M; Odedina, Folakemi T; Olopade, Olufunmilayo I; Olopade, Christopher O; Parkin, Donald M; Rebbeck, Timothy R; Ross, Hana; Santini, Luiz A; Torode, Julie; Trimble, Edward L; Wild, Christopher P; Young, Annie M; Kerr, David J

2014-05-01

Cancer research in Africa will have a pivotal role in cancer control planning in this continent. However, environments (such as those in academic or clinical settings) with limited research infrastructure (laboratories, biorespositories, databases) coupled with inadequate funding and other resources have hampered African scientists from carrying out rigorous research. In September 2012, over 100 scientists with expertise in cancer research in Africa met in London to discuss the challenges in performing high-quality research, and to formulate the next steps for building sustainable, comprehensive and multi-disciplinary programmes relevant to Africa. This was the first meeting among five major organizations: the African Organisation for Research and Training in Africa (AORTIC), the Africa Oxford Cancer Foundation (AfrOx), and the National Cancer Institutes (NCI) of Brazil, France and the USA. This article summarizes the discussions and recommendations of this meeting, including the next steps required to create sustainable and impactful research programmes that will enable evidenced-based cancer control approaches and planning at the local, regional and national levels.

Collaborative evaluation of a high school prevention curriculum: How methods of collaborative evaluation enhanced a randomized control trial to inform program improvement.

PubMed

Orsini, Muhsin Michael; Wyrick, David L; Milroy, Jeffrey J

2012-11-01

Blending high-quality and rigorous research with pure evaluation practice can often be best accomplished through thoughtful collaboration. The evaluation of a high school drug prevention program (All Stars Senior) is an example of how perceived competing purposes and methodologies can coexist to investigate formative and summative outcome variables that can be used for program improvement. Throughout this project there were many examples of client learning from evaluator and evaluator learning from client. This article presents convincing evidence that collaborative evaluation can improve the design, implementation, and findings of the randomized control trial. Throughout this paper, we discuss many examples of good science, good evaluation, and other practical benefits of practicing collaborative evaluation. Ultimately, the authors created the term pre-formative evaluation to describe the period prior to data collection and before program implementation, when collaborative evaluation can inform program improvement. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Building capacity for sustainable research programmes for cancer in Africa

PubMed Central

Adewole, Isaac; Martin, Damali N.; Williams, Makeda J.; Adebamowo, Clement; Bhatia, Kishor; Berling, Christine; Casper, Corey; Elshamy, Karima; Elzawawy, Ahmed; Lawlor, Rita T.; Legood, Rosa; Mbulaiteye, Sam M.; Odedina, Folakemi T.; Olopade, Olufunmilayo I.; Olopade, Christopher O.; Parkin, Donald M.; Rebbeck, Timothy R.; Ross, Hana; Santini, Luiz A.; Torode, Julie; Trimble, Edward L.; Wild, Christopher P.; Young, Annie M.; Kerr, David J.

2015-01-01

Cancer research in Africa will have a pivotal role in cancer control planning in this continent. However, environments (such as those in academic or clinical settings) with limited research infrastructure (laboratories, biorespositories, databases) coupled with inadequate funding and other resources have hampered African scientists from carrying out rigorous research. In September 2012, over 100 scientists with expertise in cancer research in Africa met in London to discuss the challenges in performing high-quality research, and to formulate the next steps for building sustainable, comprehensive and multi-disciplinary programmes relevant to Africa. This was the first meeting among five major organizations: the African Organisation for Research and Training in Africa (AORTIC), the Africa Oxford Cancer Foundation (AfrOx), and the National Cancer Institutes (NCI) of Brazil, France and the USA. This article summarizes the discussions and recommendations of this meeting, including the next steps required to create sustainable and impactful research programmes that will enable evidenced-based cancer control approaches and planning at the local, regional and national levels. PMID:24614139

The influence of biological and technical factors on quantitative analysis of amyloid PET: Points to consider and recommendations for controlling variability in longitudinal data.

PubMed

Schmidt, Mark E; Chiao, Ping; Klein, Gregory; Matthews, Dawn; Thurfjell, Lennart; Cole, Patricia E; Margolin, Richard; Landau, Susan; Foster, Norman L; Mason, N Scott; De Santi, Susan; Suhy, Joyce; Koeppe, Robert A; Jagust, William

2015-09-01

In vivo imaging of amyloid burden with positron emission tomography (PET) provides a means for studying the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's and related diseases. Measurement of subtle changes in amyloid burden requires quantitative analysis of image data. Reliable quantitative analysis of amyloid PET scans acquired at multiple sites and over time requires rigorous standardization of acquisition protocols, subject management, tracer administration, image quality control, and image processing and analysis methods. We review critical points in the acquisition and analysis of amyloid PET, identify ways in which technical factors can contribute to measurement variability, and suggest methods for mitigating these sources of noise. Improved quantitative accuracy could reduce the sample size necessary to detect intervention effects when amyloid PET is used as a treatment end point and allow more reliable interpretation of change in amyloid burden and its relationship to clinical course. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bioengineering Solutions for Manufacturing Challenges in CAR T Cells

PubMed Central

Piscopo, Nicole J.; Mueller, Katherine P.; Das, Amritava; Hematti, Peiman; Murphy, William L.; Palecek, Sean P.; Capitini, Christian M.

2017-01-01

The next generation of therapeutic products to be approved for the clinic is anticipated to be cell therapies, termed “living drugs” for their capacity to dynamically and temporally respond to changes during their production ex vivo and after their administration in vivo. Genetically engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have rapidly developed into powerful tools to harness the power of immune system manipulation against cancer. Regulatory agencies are beginning to approve CAR T cell therapies due to their striking efficacy in treating some hematological malignancies. However, the engineering and manufacturing of such cells remains a challenge for widespread adoption of this technology. Bioengineering approaches including biomaterials, synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, process control and automation, and in vitro disease modeling could offer promising methods to overcome some of these challenges. Here, we describe the manufacturing process of CAR T cells, highlighting potential roles for bioengineers to partner with biologists and clinicians to advance the manufacture of these complex cellular products under rigorous regulatory and quality control. PMID:28840981

Innovative tools for quality assessment: integrated quality criteria for review of multiple study designs (ICROMS).

PubMed

Zingg, W; Castro-Sanchez, E; Secci, F V; Edwards, R; Drumright, L N; Sevdalis, N; Holmes, A H

2016-04-01

With the aim to facilitate a more comprehensive review process in public health including patient safety, we established a tool that we have termed ICROMS (Integrated quality Criteria for the Review Of Multiple Study designs), which unifies, integrates and refines current quality criteria for a large range of study designs including qualitative research. Review, pilot testing and expert consensus. The tool is the result of an iterative four phase process over two years: 1) gathering of established criteria for assessing controlled, non-controlled and qualitative study designs; 2) pilot testing of a first version in two systematic reviews on behavioural change in infection prevention and control and in antibiotic prescribing; 3) further refinement and adding of additional study designs in the context of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control funded project 'Systematic review and evidence-based guidance on organisation of hospital infection control programmes' (SIGHT); 4) scrutiny by the pan-European expert panel of the SIGHT project, which had the objective of ensuring robustness of the systematic review. ICROMS includes established quality criteria for randomised studies, controlled before-and-after studies and interrupted time series, and incorporates criteria for non-controlled before-and-after studies, cohort studies and qualitative studies. The tool consists of two parts: 1) a list of quality criteria specific for each study design, as well as criteria applicable across all study designs by using a scoring system; 2) a 'decision matrix', which specifies the robustness of the study by identifying minimum requirements according to the study type and the relevance of the study to the review question. The decision matrix directly determines inclusion or exclusion of a study in the review. ICROMS was applied to a series of systematic reviews to test its feasibility and usefulness in the appraisal of multiple study designs. The tool was applicable across a wide range of study designs and outcome measures. ICROMS is a comprehensive yet feasible appraisal of a large range of study designs to be included in systematic reviews addressing behaviour change studies in patient safety and public health. The tool is sufficiently flexible to be applied to a variety of other domains in health-related research. Beyond its application to systematic reviews, we envisage that ICROMS can have a positive effect on researchers to be more rigorous in their study design and more diligent in their reporting. Copyright © 2015 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychiatric Brain Banking: Three Perspectives on Current Trends and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Deep-Soboslay, Amy; Benes, Francine M.; Haroutunian, Vahram; Ellis, Justin K.; Kleinman, Joel E.; Hyde, Thomas M.

2011-01-01

Introduction The study of postmortem human brain tissue is central to the advancement of the neurobiological studies of psychiatric illness, particularly for the study of brain-specific isoforms and molecules. Methods The state-of-the-art methods and recommendations for maintaining a successful brain bank for psychiatric disorders are discussed, using the convergence of viewpoints from three brain collections, the National Institute of Mental Health Brain Collection (NIMH), the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (HBTRC), and the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine Brain Bank (MSSM-BB), with diverse research interests and divergent approaches to tissue acquisition. Results While the NIMH obtains donations from medical examiners for its collection, and places particular emphasis on clinical diagnosis, toxicology, and building lifespan control cohorts, the HBTRC is uniquely designed as a repository whose sole purpose is to collect large-volume, high quality brain tissue from community-based donors based on relationships across an expansive nationwide network, and places emphasis on the accessibility of its bank in disseminating tissue and related data to research groups worldwide. The MSSM-BB collection has shown that, with dedication, prospective recruitment is a successful approach to tissue donation, and places particular emphasis on rigorous clinical diagnosis through antemortem contact with donors. The MSSM-BB places great importance on stereological tissue sampling methods for neuroanatomical studies, and frozen tissue sampling approaches that enable multiple assessments (RNA, DNA, protein, enzyme activity, binding, etc.) of the same tissue block. Promising scientific approaches for elucidating the molecular and cellular pathways in brain that may contribute to schizophrenia and/or bipolar disorder, such as cell culture techniques and microarray-based gene expression and genotyping studies are briefly discussed. Conclusions Despite unique perspectives from three established brain collections, there is a consensus that (1) diverse strategies for tissue acquisition, (2) rigor in tissue and diagnostic characterization, (3) the importance of sample accessibility, and (4) continual application of innovative scientific approaches to the study of brain tissue are all integral to the success and future of psychiatric brain banking. The future of neuropsychiatric research depends upon in the availability of high quality brain specimens from large numbers of subjects, including non-psychiatric controls. PMID:20673875

Complementary medicine, self-help, and lifestyle interventions for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and the OCD spectrum: a systematic review.

PubMed

Sarris, Jerome; Camfield, David; Berk, Michael

2012-05-01

In Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) current standard pharmacotherapies may be of limited efficacy. Non-conventional interventions such as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), self-help techniques, and lifestyle interventions are commonly used by sufferers of OCD, however to date no systematic review of this specific area exists. We conducted a systematic review of studies using CAM, self-help, and lifestyle interventions for treatment of OCD and trichotillomania (TTM). PubMed, PsycINFO, China Academic Journals Full-text Database, The Cochrane Library and CINAHL were searched (up to Jan 11th 2011), for controlled clinical trials using non-conventional interventions for OCD. A quality analysis using a purpose-designed scale and an estimation of effect sizes (Cohen's d) where data was available, were also calculated. The literature search revealed 14 studies that met inclusion criteria. Methodological quality of nutraceutical studies (nutrients and herbal medicines) were rated as high (mean 8.6/10), whereas mind-body or self-help studies were poorer (mean 6.1/10). In OCD, tentative evidentiary support from methodologically weak studies was found for mindfulness meditation (d=0.63), electroacupuncture (d=1.16), and kundalini yoga (d=1.61). Better designed studies using the nutrient glycine (d=1.10), and traditional herbal medicines milk thistle (insufficient data for calculating d) and borage (d=1.67) also revealed positive results. A rigorous study showed that N-acetylcysteine (d=1.31) was effective in TTM, while self-help technique "movement decoupling" also demonstrated efficacy (d=0.94). Mixed evidence was found for myo-inositol (mean d=0.98). Controlled studies suggest that St John's wort, EPA, and meridian-tapping are ineffective in treating OCD. While several studies were positive, these were un-replicated and commonly used small samples. This precludes firm confidence in the strength of clinical effect. Preliminary evidence however is encouraging, and more rigorous research of some of the more hypothesis-based interventions in the treatment of OCD and TTM may be indicated. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

American Occupation Control Over Broadcasting in Japan, 1945-1952.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luther, Catherine A.; Boyd, Douglas A.

1997-01-01

Examines military occupation force's role in shaping Japan's contemporary broadcasting system. Notes that controls placed on Japanese broadcasters were often rigorous and uncompromising, despite Washington's initial instructions to give guidance to the Japanese without overt control. Suggests that this domination created an environment conducive…

Development of rigorous fatty acid near-infrared spectroscopy quantitation methods in support of soybean oil improvement

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The seed of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr) is a valuable source of high quality edible oil and protein. Despite dramatic breeding gains over the past 80 years, soybean seed oil continues to be oxidatively unstable. Until recently, the majority of soybean oil underwent partial chemical hydrogenation. ...

78 FR 15932 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-13

... Improvement Act of 1987, established an annual U.S. National Quality Award. The Secretary of Commerce leads... ``An organization may qualify for an award only if it permits a rigorous evaluation of the way in which... applications. The new eligibility rules therefore bring the most mature, best- qualified organizations to the...

Quality and Rigor of the Concept Mapping Methodology: A Pooled Study Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosas, Scott R.; Kane, Mary

2012-01-01

The use of concept mapping in research and evaluation has expanded dramatically over the past 20 years. Researchers in academic, organizational, and community-based settings have applied concept mapping successfully without the benefit of systematic analyses across studies to identify the features of a methodologically sound study. Quantitative…

Helping English Learners Rise to the Challenge of Complex Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walqui, Aida

2014-01-01

The idea that secondary English language learner (ELL) students can master rigorous academic content quickly and deeply goes against much accepted wisdom in the field, but Aída Walqui--the author and Director of WestEd's Teacher Professional Development Program, which houses the Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) initiative--and her…

The Anatomy of Online Offerings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoskins, Barbara J.

2014-01-01

The perceptions about online teaching and learning are frequently different from the reality. Some students say they expected the online course to be easier than the traditional face-to-face course and are surprised by the rigor, while skeptics decry the quality of online offerings since students cannot possibly learn as well online as they do in…

Improving the Quality of and Access to Federally Funded, Digital Out of School Time Tutoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burch, Patricia; Heinrich, Carolyn; Good, Annalee

2013-01-01

Because digital tutoring is rapidly expanding, more rigorous, independent evaluations of their effectiveness is critical to inform federal, state, and local policy decisions that influence their role and application of technology in educating underserved students. The in-depth observations and vignettes in this paper illustrate the challenges in…

AP Courses Get Audited for Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashford, Ellie

2007-01-01

As the college admissions process has gotten much more competitive, the number of high school students taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses has soared. At the same time, policymakers and education leaders seek to get more minorities and students not on the college track to sign up for AP and other rigorous classes. But as high schools have…

Preparing and Supporting Black Students to Enroll and Achieve in Advanced Mathematics Classes in Middle School: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobbs, Joyce Bernice

2014-01-01

The literature on minority student achievement indicates that Black students are underrepresented in advanced mathematics courses. Advanced mathematics courses offer students the opportunity to engage with challenging curricula, experience rigorous instruction, and interact with quality teachers. The middle school years are particularly…

Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Programs: Strategies for Enhancement, Improvement, and Peaceful Co-existence with Traditional Teacher Certification Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duhon-Haynes, Gwendolyn; And Others

This paper examines alternative certification programs in terms of entrance requirements, supervision and mentoring, and post-certification professional support. A good alternative program uses rigorous screening processes to ensure the selection of qualified teacher interns; provides high-quality preservice training in methodology, classroom…

"NAEYC's Key Attributes of Quality Preschool Programs" Applied to the Jordanian Kindergarten Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taleb, Tagreed Fathi Abu

2013-01-01

Jordan's education system is currently undergoing rigorous and comprehensive reform processes that focus on improving the status of educational policies and experiences for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Kindergarten education in Jordan has been dominated until recently, by the private-sector. For the past decade, the Ministry of…

New Beginnings: Using Federal Title I Funds to Support Local Pre-K Efforts. Federal Policy Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gayl, Chrisanne L.; Young, Marci; Patterson, Kathy

2009-01-01

High-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten has emerged as an important policy to improve the nation's education system. Based on strong evidence from rigorous longitudinal research and recent program evaluations, reform-minded principals, superintendents, school board members and other leaders have embraced early education as an effective strategy…

Ensuring Effective Curriculum Approval Processes: A Guide for Local Senates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, 2016

2016-01-01

Curriculum is the heart of the mission of every college. College curriculum approval processes have been established to ensure that rigorous, high quality curriculum is offered that meets the needs of students. While some concerns may exist regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of local curriculum processes, all participants in the process…

International Service Learning: Conceptual Frameworks and Research. IUPUI Series on Service Learning Research 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bringle, Robert G., Ed.; Hatcher, Julie A., Ed.; Jones, Steven G., Ed.

2010-01-01

This book focuses on conducting research on International Service Learning (ISL), which includes developing and evaluating hypotheses about ISL outcomes and measuring its impact on students, faculty, and communities. The book argues that rigorous research is essential to improving the quality of ISL's implementation and delivery, and providing the…

Systematically Identifying Relevant Research: Case Study on Child Protection Social Workers' Resilience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFadden, Paula; Taylor, Brian J.; Campbell, Anne; McQuilkin, Janice

2012-01-01

Context: The development of a consolidated knowledge base for social work requires rigorous approaches to identifying relevant research. Method: The quality of 10 databases and a web search engine were appraised by systematically searching for research articles on resilience and burnout in child protection social workers. Results: Applied Social…

Meeting the needs of an ever-demanding market.

PubMed

Rigby, Richard

2002-04-01

Balancing cost and performance in packaging is critical. This article outlines techniques to assist in this whilst delivering added value and product differentiation. The techniques include a rigorous statistical process capable of delivering cost reduction and improved quality and a computer modelling process that can save time when validating new packaging options.

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

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

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

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

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

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

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

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

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

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

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

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

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

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

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

Exploring the Use of Participatory Information to Improve Monitoring, Mapping and Assessment of Aquatic Ecosystem Services at Landascape Scales

EPA Science Inventory

Traditionally, the EPA has monitored aquatic ecosystems using statistically rigorous sample designs and intensive field efforts which provide high quality datasets. But by their nature they leave many aquatic systems unsampled, follow a top down approach, have a long lag between ...

Measuring Principal Performance: How Rigorous Are Commonly Used Principal Performance Assessment Instruments? A Quality School Leadership Issue Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Condon, Christopher; Clifford, Matthew

2010-01-01

This brief reviews the publicly available principal assessments and points superintendents and policy makers toward strong instruments to measure principal performance. Specifically, the measures included in this review are expressly intended to evaluate principal performance and have varying degrees of publicly available evidence of psychometric…

Educating Students for E-Entrepreneurship in the UK, the USA and China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millman, Cindy; Wong, Wang-chan; Li, Zhengwei; Matlay, Harry

2009-01-01

A growing body of research evaluates various aspects of entrepreneurship education (such as curriculum, delivery and assessment) and links it to outcomes in terms of both the number and quality of entrepreneurs entering an economy. There is, however, a marked paucity of empirically rigorous research appraising the impact of entrepreneurship…

International Christian Schoolteachers' Traits, Characteristics, and Qualities Valued by Third Culture Kids

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linton, Dale B.

2015-01-01

In this qualitative grounded theory study, 24 participants, referred to as "third culture kids" (or TCKs), ages 18-30 years, who had previously attended international Christian schools were interviewed to determine the dispositions they valued in their teachers. Incorporating principles of grounded theory, a series of rigorous steps were…

Improving Communication Textbooks through Rigorous Processes of Revision and Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reppert, James E.

How relevant are some textbooks when professors, even in the same department, teach similar courses in different ways? Are there methods by which textbook companies can receive realistic, substantive feedback concerning the quality of communication textbook offerings? This paper details the methods by which its author/educator became a textbook…

Cultivating Common Ground: Integrating Standards-Based Visual Arts, Math and Literacy in High-Poverty Urban Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunnington, Marisol; Kantrowitz, Andrea; Harnett, Susanne; Hill-Ries, Aline

2014-01-01

The "Framing Student Success: Connecting Rigorous Visual Arts, Math and Literacy Learning" experimental demonstration project was designed to develop and test an instructional program integrating high-quality, standards-based instruction in the visual arts, math, and literacy. Developed and implemented by arts-in-education organization…

Cameras and settings for optimal image capture from UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Mike; O'Connor, James; James, Mike R.

2017-04-01

Aerial image capture has become very common within the geosciences due to the increasing affordability of low payload (<20 kg) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for consumer markets. Their application to surveying has led to many studies being undertaken using UAV imagery captured from consumer grade cameras as primary data sources. However, image quality and the principles of image capture are seldom given rigorous discussion which can lead to experiments being difficult to accurately reproduce. In this contribution we revisit the underpinning concepts behind image capture, from which the requirements for acquiring sharp, well exposed and suitable imagery are derived. This then leads to discussion of how to optimise the platform, camera, lens and imaging settings relevant to image quality planning, presenting some worked examples as a guide. Finally, we challenge the community to make their image data open for review in order to ensure confidence in the outputs/error estimates, allow reproducibility of the results and have these comparable with future studies. We recommend providing open access imagery where possible, a range of example images, and detailed metadata to rigorously describe the image capture process.

ASTM Committee C28: International Standards for Properties and Performance of Advanced Ceramics-Three Decades of High-Quality, Technically-Rigorous Normalization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, Michael G.; Salem, Jonathan A.

2016-01-01

Physical and mechanical properties and performance of advanced ceramics and glasses are difficult to measure correctly without the proper techniques. For over three decades, ASTM Committee C28 on Advanced Ceramics, has developed high-quality, technically-rigorous, full-consensus standards (e.g., test methods, practices, guides, terminology) to measure properties and performance of monolithic and composite ceramics that may be applied to glasses in some cases. These standards contain testing particulars for many mechanical, physical, thermal, properties and performance of these materials. As a result these standards are used to generate accurate, reliable, repeatable and complete data. Within Committee C28, users, producers, researchers, designers, academicians, etc. have written, continually updated, and validated through round-robin test programs, 50 standards since the Committee's founding in 1986. This paper provides a detailed retrospective of the 30 years of ASTM Committee C28 including a graphical pictogram listing of C28 standards along with examples of the tangible benefits of standards for advanced ceramics to demonstrate their practical applications.

Quality of life in dementia: a systematically conducted narrative review of dementia-specific measurement scales.

PubMed

Bowling, Ann; Rowe, Gene; Adams, Sue; Sands, Paula; Samsi, Kritika; Crane, Maureen; Joly, Louise; Manthorpe, Jill

2015-01-01

Ascertaining the quality of life (QoL) in people with dementia is important for evaluating service outcomes and cost-effectiveness. This paper identifies QoL measures for people with dementia and assesses their properties. A systematic narrative review identified articles using dementia QoL measures. Electronic databases searched were AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, Index to Theses, IBSS, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, and Web of Science. All available years and languages (if with an English language abstract) were included. Searches yielded 6806 citations; 3043 were multiple duplicates (759 being true duplicates). Abstracts were read; 182 full papers were selected/obtained, of which 126 were included as relevant. Few measures were based on rigorous conceptual frameworks. Some referenced Lawton's model (Dementia Quality of Life [DQOL] and Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease [QOL-AD]), though these tapped part of this only; others claimed relationship to a health-related QoL concept (e.g. DEMQOL), though had less social relevance; others were based on limited domains (e.g. activity, affect) or clinical opinions (Quality of Life in Late-Stage Dementia [QUALID]). Many measures were based on proxy assessments or observations of people with dementia's QoL, rather than their own ratings. The Bath Assessment of Subjective Quality of Life in Dementia (BASQID) was developed involving people with dementia and caregivers, but excluded some of their main themes. All measures were tested on selective samples only (ranging from community to hospital clinics, or subsamples/waves of existing population surveys), in a few sites. Their general applicability remains unknown, and predictive validity remains largely untested. The lack of consensus on measuring QoL in dementia suggests a need for a broader, more rigorously tested QoL measure.

Taichi exercise for self-rated sleep quality in older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Du, Shizheng; Dong, Jianshu; Zhang, Heng; Jin, Shengji; Xu, Guihua; Liu, Zengxia; Chen, Lixia; Yin, Haiyan; Sun, Zhiling

2015-01-01

Self-reported sleep disorders are common in older adults, resulting in serious consequences. Non-pharmacological measures are important complementary interventions, among which Taichi exercise is a popular alternative. Some experiments have been performed; however, the effect of Taichi exercise in improving sleep quality in older people has yet to be validated by systematic review. Using systematic review and meta-analysis, this study aimed to examine the efficacy of Taichi exercise in promoting self-reported sleep quality in older adults. Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. 4 English databases: Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and CINAHL, and 4 Chinese databases: CBMdisc, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang database were searched through December 2013. Two reviewers independently selected eligible trials, conducted critical appraisal of the methodological quality by using the quality appraisal criteria for randomized controlled studies recommended by Cochrane Handbook. A standardized data form was used to extract information. Meta-analysis was performed. Five randomized controlled studies met inclusion criteria. All suffered from some methodological flaws. The results of this study showed that Taichi has large beneficial effect on sleep quality in older people, as indicated by decreases in the global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score [standardized mean difference=-0.87, 95% confidence intervals (95% confidence interval) (-1.25, -0.49)], as well as its sub-domains of subjective sleep quality [standardized mean difference=-0.83, 95% confidence interval (-1.08, -0.57)], sleep latency [standardized mean difference=-0.75, 95% confidence interval (-1.42, -0.07)], sleep duration [standardized mean difference=-0.55, 95% confidence interval (-0.90, -0.21)], habitual sleep efficiency [standardized mean difference=-0.49, 95% confidence interval (-0.74, -0.23)], sleep disturbance [standardized mean difference=-0.44, 95% confidence interval (-0.69, -0.19)], and daytime dysfunction [standardized mean difference=-0.34, 95% confidence interval (-0.59, -0.09)]. Daytime sleepiness improvement was also observed. Weak evidence shows that Taichi exercise has a beneficial effect in improving self-rated sleep quality for older adults, suggesting that Taichi could be an effective alternative and complementary approach to existing therapies for older people with sleep problems. More rigorous experimental studies are required. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An operations-partnered evaluation of care redesign for high-risk patients in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA): Study protocol for the PACT Intensive Management (PIM) randomized quality improvement evaluation.

PubMed

Chang, Evelyn T; Zulman, Donna M; Asch, Steven M; Stockdale, Susan E; Yoon, Jean; Ong, Michael K; Lee, Martin; Simon, Alissa; Atkins, David; Schectman, Gordon; Kirsh, Susan R; Rubenstein, Lisa V

2018-06-01

Patient-centered medical homes have made great strides providing comprehensive care for patients with chronic conditions, but may not provide sufficient support for patients at highest risk for acute care use. To address this, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) initiated a five-site demonstration project to evaluate the effectiveness of augmenting the VA's Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) medical home with PACT Intensive Management (PIM) teams for Veterans at highest risk for hospitalization. Researchers partnered with VHA leadership to design a mixed-methods prospective multi-site evaluation that met leadership's desire for a rigorous evaluation conducted as quality improvement rather than research. We conducted a randomized QI evaluation and assigned high-risk patients to participate in PIM and compared them with high-risk Veterans receiving usual care through PACT. The summative evaluation examines whether PIM: 1) decreases VHA emergency department and hospital use; 2) increases satisfaction with VHA care; 3) decreases provider burnout; and 4) generates positive returns on investment. The formative evaluation aims to support improved care for high-risk patients at demonstration sites and to inform future initiatives for high-risk patients. The evaluation was reviewed by representatives from the VHA Office of Research and Development and the Office of Research Oversight and met criteria for quality improvement. VHA aims to function as a learning organization by rapidly implementing and rigorously testing QI innovations prior to final program or policy development. We observed challenges and opportunities in designing an evaluation consistent with QI standards and operations priorities, while also maintaining scientific rigor. This trial was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on April 3, 2017: NCT03100526. Protocol v1, FY14-17. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Untapped Potential of Observational Research to Inform Clinical Decision Making: American Society of Clinical Oncology Research Statement.

PubMed

Visvanathan, Kala; Levit, Laura A; Raghavan, Derek; Hudis, Clifford A; Wong, Sandra; Dueck, Amylou; Lyman, Gary H

2017-06-01

ASCO believes that high-quality observational studies can advance evidence-based practice for cancer care and are complementary to randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Observational studies can generate hypotheses by evaluating novel exposures or biomarkers and by revealing patterns of care and relationships that might not otherwise be discovered. Researchers can then test these hypotheses in RCTs. Observational studies can also answer or inform questions that either have not been or cannot be answered by RCTs. In addition, observational studies can be used for postmarketing surveillance of new cancer treatments, particularly in vulnerable populations. The incorporation of observational research as part of clinical decision making is consistent with the position of many leading institutions. ASCO identified five overarching recommendations to enhance the role of observational research in clinical decision making: (1) improve the quality of electronic health data available for research, (2) improve interoperability and the exchange of electronic health information, (3) ensure the use of rigorous observational research methodologies, (4) promote transparent reporting of observational research studies, and (5) protect patient privacy.

Hierarchic Extensions in the Static and Dynamic Analysis of Elastic Beams. Ph.D. Thesis, 1990 Final Report, May 1990

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Robert A.

1991-01-01

Approximate solutions of static and dynamic beam problems by the p-version of the finite element method are investigated. Within a hierarchy of engineering beam idealizations, rigorous formulations of the strain and kinetic energies for straight and circular beam elements are presented. These formulations include rotating coordinate system effects and geometric nonlinearities to allow for the evaluation of vertical axis wind turbines, the motivating problem for this research. Hierarchic finite element spaces, based on extensions of the polynomial orders used to approximate the displacement variables, are constructed. The developed models are implemented into a general purpose computer program for evaluation. Quality control procedures are examined for a diverse set of sample problems. These procedures include estimating discretization errors in energy norm and natural frequencies, performing static and dynamic equilibrium checks, observing convergence for qualities of interest, and comparison with more exacting theories and experimental data. It is demonstrated that p-extensions produce exponential rates of convergence in the approximation of strain energy and natural frequencies for the class of problems investigated.

Internal medicine residency redesign: proposal of the Internal Medicine Working Group.

PubMed

Horwitz, Ralph I; Kassirer, Jerome P; Holmboe, Eric S; Humphrey, Holly J; Verghese, Abraham; Croft, Carol; Kwok, Minjung; Loscalzo, Joseph

2011-09-01

Concerned with the quality of internal medicine training, many leaders in the field assembled to assess the state of the residency, evaluate the decline in interest in the specialty, and create a framework for invigorating the discipline. Although many external factors are responsible, we also found ourselves culpable: allowing senior role models to opt out of important training activities, ignoring a progressive atrophy of bedside skills, and focusing on lock-step curricula, lectures, and compiled diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The group affirmed its commitment to a vision of internal medicine rooted in science and learned with mentors at the bedside. Key factors for new emphasis include patient-centered small group teaching, greater incorporation of clinical epidemiology and health services research, and better schedule control for trainees. Because previous proposals were weakened by lack of evidence, we propose to organize the Cooperative Educational Studies Group, a pool of training programs that will collect a common data set describing their programs, design interventions to be tested rigorously in multi-methodological approaches, and at the same time produce knowledge about high-quality practice. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Practice-Based Evidence in Community Guide Systematic Reviews.

PubMed

Vaidya, Namita; Thota, Anilkrishna B; Proia, Krista K; Jamieson, Sara; Mercer, Shawna L; Elder, Randy W; Yoon, Paula; Kaufmann, Rachel; Zaza, Stephanie

2017-03-01

To assess the relative contributions and quality of practice-based evidence (PBE) and research-based evidence (RBE) in The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide). We developed operational definitions for PBE and RBE in which the main distinguishing feature was whether allocation of participants to intervention and comparison conditions was under the control of researchers (RBE) or not (PBE). We conceptualized a continuum between RBE and PBE. We then categorized 3656 studies in 202 reviews completed since The Community Guide began in 1996. Fifty-four percent of studies were PBE and 46% RBE. Community-based and policy reviews had more PBE. Health care system and programmatic reviews had more RBE. The majority of both PBE and RBE studies were of high quality according to Community Guide scoring methods. The inclusion of substantial PBE in Community Guide reviews suggests that evidence of adequate rigor to inform practice is being produced. This should increase stakeholders' confidence that The Community Guide provides recommendations with real-world relevance. Limitations in some PBE studies suggest a need for strengthening practice-relevant designs and external validity reporting standards.

Relationship between financial speculation and food prices or price volatility: applying the principles of evidence-based medicine to current debates in Germany.

PubMed

Bozorgmehr, Kayvan; Gabrysch, Sabine; Müller, Olaf; Neuhann, Florian; Jordan, Irmgard; Knipper, Michael; Razum, Oliver

2013-10-16

There is an unresolved debate about the potential effects of financial speculation on food prices and price volatility. Germany's largest financial institution and leading global investment bank recently decided to continue investing in agricultural commodities, stating that there is little empirical evidence to support the notion that the growth of agricultural-based financial products has caused price increases or volatility. The statement is supported by a recently published literature review, which concludes that financial speculation does not have an adverse effect on the functioning of the agricultural commodities market. As public health professionals concerned with global food insecurity, we have appraised the methodological quality of the review using a validated and reliable appraisal tool. The appraisal revealed major shortcomings in the methodological quality of the review. These were particularly related to intransparencies in the search strategy and in the selection/presentation of studies and findings; the neglect of the possibility of publication bias; a lack of objective or rigorous criteria for assessing the scientific quality of included studies and for the formulation of conclusions. Based on the results of our appraisal, we conclude that it is not justified to reject the hypothesis that financial speculation might have adverse effects on food prices/price volatility. We hope to initiate reflections about scientific standards beyond the boundaries of disciplines and call for high quality, rigorous systematic reviews on the effects of financial speculation on food prices or price volatility.

Psychological and educational interventions for atopic eczema in children.

PubMed

Ersser, S J; Latter, S; Sibley, A; Satherley, P A; Welbourne, S

2007-07-18

Psychological and educational interventions have been used as an adjunct to conventional therapy for children with atopic eczema to enhance the effectiveness of topical therapy. There have been no relevant systematic reviews applicable to children. To assess the effectiveness of psychological and educational interventions in changing outcomes for children with atopic eczema. We searched the Cochrane Skin Group Specialised Register (to September 2004), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library Issue 2, 2005), MEDLINE (from 1966-2005), EMBASE (from 1980 to week 3, 2005 ), PsycINFO (from 1872 to week 1, 2005). On-line: National Research Register, Meta-register of Controlled Trials, ZETOC alerts, SIGLE (August 2005). RCTs of psychological or educational interventions, or both, used to manage children with atopic eczema. Two authors independently applied eligibility criteria, assessed trial quality and extracted data. A lack of comparable data prevented data synthesis. Five RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Some included studies required clearer reporting of trial procedures. Rigorous established outcome measures were not always used. Interventions described in all 5 RCTs were adjuncts to conventional therapy. Four focused on intervention directed towards the parents; data synthesis was not possible. Psychological interventions remain virtually unevaluated by studies of robust design; the only included study examined the effect of relaxation techniques (hypnotherapy and biofeedback) on severity. Three educational studies identified significant improvements in disease severity between intervention groups. A recent German trial evaluated long term outcomes and found significant improvements in both disease severity (3 months to 7 years, p=0.0002, 8 to 12 years, p=0.003, 13 to 18 years, p=0.0001) and parental quality of life (3 months to 7 years, p=0.0001, 8 to 12 years p=0.002), for children with atopic eczema. One study found video-based education more effective in improving severity than direct education and the control (discussion) (p<0.001). The single psychological study found relaxation techniques improved clinical severity as compared to the control at 20 weeks (t=2.13) but this was of borderline significance (p=0.042). A lack of rigorously designed trials (excluding one recent German study) provides only limited evidence of the effectiveness of educational and psychological interventions in helping to manage the condition of children with atopic eczema. Evidence from included studies and also adult studies indicates that different service delivery models (multi-professional eczema school and nurse-led clinics) require further and comparative evaluation to examine their cost-effectiveness and suitability for different health systems.

Design, rationale, and baseline characteristics of a cluster randomized controlled trial of pay for performance for hypertension treatment: study protocol

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Despite compelling evidence of the benefits of treatment and well-accepted guidelines for treatment, hypertension is controlled in less than one-half of United States citizens. Methods/design This randomized controlled trial tests whether explicit financial incentives promote the translation of guideline-recommended care for hypertension into clinical practice and improve blood pressure (BP) control in the primary care setting. Using constrained randomization, we assigned 12 Veterans Affairs hospital outpatient clinics to four study arms: physician-level incentive; group-level incentive; combination of physician and group incentives; and no incentives (control). All participants at the hospital (cluster) were assigned to the same study arm. We enrolled 83 full-time primary care physicians and 42 non-physician personnel. The intervention consisted of an educational session about guideline-recommended care for hypertension, five audit and feedback reports, and five disbursements of incentive payments. Incentive payments rewarded participants for chart-documented use of guideline-recommended antihypertensive medications, BP control, and appropriate responses to uncontrolled BP during a prior four-month performance period over the 20-month intervention. To identify potential unintended consequences of the incentives, the study team interviewed study participants, as well as non-participant primary care personnel and leadership at study sites. Chart reviews included data collection on quality measures not related to hypertension. To evaluate the persistence of the effect of the incentives, the study design includes a washout period. Discussion We briefly describe the rationale for the interventions being studied, as well as the major design choices. Rigorous research designs such as the one described here are necessary to determine whether performance-based payment arrangements such as financial incentives result in meaningful quality improvements. Trial Registration http://www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT00302718 PMID:21967830

Job rotation designed to prevent musculoskeletal disorders and control risk in manufacturing industries: A systematic review.

PubMed

Padula, Rosimeire Simprini; Comper, Maria Luiza Caires; Sparer, Emily H; Dennerlein, Jack T

2017-01-01

To better understand job rotation in the manufacturing industry, we completed a systematic review asking the following questions: 1) How do job-rotation programs impact work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and related risk control for these MSDs, as well as psychosocial factors? and 2) How best should the job rotation programs be designed? We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Business Source Premier, ISI Web of Knowledge, CINAHL, PsyINFO, Scopus, and SciELO databases for articles published in peer-reviewed journals. Eligible studies were examined by two independent reviewers for relevance (population of manufacturing workers, outcomes of musculoskeletal disorders, physical factors, psychosocial factors, and strategies used in job-rotation implantation) and methodological quality rating. From 10,809 potential articles, 71 were read for full text analysis. Of the 14 studies included for data extraction, two were non-randomized control trial studies, one was a case-control study, and 11 were cross-sectional comparisons. Only one, with a case-control design, was scored with good methodological quality. Currently, weak evidence exists supporting job rotation as a strategy for the prevention and control of musculoskeletal disorders. Job rotation did not appear to reduce the exposure of physical risk factors; yet, there are positive correlations between job rotation and higher job satisfaction. Worker training has been described as a crucial component of a successful job-rotation program. The studies reported a range of parameters used to implement and measure job-rotation programs. More rigorous studies are needed to better understand the full impact of job rotation on production and health. CRD42014013319. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design, rationale, and baseline characteristics of a cluster randomized controlled trial of pay for performance for hypertension treatment: study protocol.

PubMed

Petersen, Laura A; Urech, Tracy; Simpson, Kate; Pietz, Kenneth; Hysong, Sylvia J; Profit, Jochen; Conrad, Douglas; Dudley, R Adams; Lutschg, Meghan Z; Petzel, Robert; Woodard, Lechauncy D

2011-10-03

Despite compelling evidence of the benefits of treatment and well-accepted guidelines for treatment, hypertension is controlled in less than one-half of United States citizens. This randomized controlled trial tests whether explicit financial incentives promote the translation of guideline-recommended care for hypertension into clinical practice and improve blood pressure (BP) control in the primary care setting. Using constrained randomization, we assigned 12 Veterans Affairs hospital outpatient clinics to four study arms: physician-level incentive; group-level incentive; combination of physician and group incentives; and no incentives (control). All participants at the hospital (cluster) were assigned to the same study arm. We enrolled 83 full-time primary care physicians and 42 non-physician personnel. The intervention consisted of an educational session about guideline-recommended care for hypertension, five audit and feedback reports, and five disbursements of incentive payments. Incentive payments rewarded participants for chart-documented use of guideline-recommended antihypertensive medications, BP control, and appropriate responses to uncontrolled BP during a prior four-month performance period over the 20-month intervention. To identify potential unintended consequences of the incentives, the study team interviewed study participants, as well as non-participant primary care personnel and leadership at study sites. Chart reviews included data collection on quality measures not related to hypertension. To evaluate the persistence of the effect of the incentives, the study design includes a washout period. We briefly describe the rationale for the interventions being studied, as well as the major design choices. Rigorous research designs such as the one described here are necessary to determine whether performance-based payment arrangements such as financial incentives result in meaningful quality improvements. http://www.clinicaltrials.govNCT00302718.

Effectiveness of acupuncture for angina pectoris: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Yu, Changhe; Ji, Kangshou; Cao, Huijuan; Wang, Ying; Jin, Hwang Hye; Zhang, Zhe; Yang, Guanlin

2015-03-28

The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture for angina pectoris. Eleven electronic databases were searched until January 2013. The study included randomized controlled trials that the effectiveness of acupuncture alone was compared to anti-angina medicines (in addition to conventional treatment) and the effectiveness of a combination of acupuncture plus anti-angina medicines was compared to anti-angina medicines alone. The trial selection, data extraction, quality assessment and data analytic procedures outlined in the 2011 Cochrane Handbook were involved. The study included 25 randomized controlled trials (involving 2,058 patients) that met our inclusion criteria. The pooled results showed that the number of patients with ineffectiveness of angina relief was less in the combined acupuncture-anti-angina treatment group than in the anti-angina medicines alone group (RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.23-0.47, p < 0.00001, I2 = 0%). Similarly, compared to the anti-angina medicines alone group, fewer patients in the combined treatment group showed no ECG improvement (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.40-0.62, p < 0.00001, I2 = 0%). However, no differences were observed between acupuncture treatment alone and anti-angina medicines alone for both outcome measures. Only four trials mentioned adverse effects. One trial found no significant difference between acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and three reported no adverse events. The quality of the trials was found to be low. The findings showed very low evidence to support the use of acupuncture for improving angina symptoms and ECG of angina patients. However, the quality of the trials included in this study was low. Large and rigorously designed trials are needed to confirm the potential benefit and adverse events of acupuncture.

Effectiveness of an Energy Management Training Course on Employee Well-Being: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Das, Sai Krupa; Mason, Shawn T; Vail, Taylor A; Rogers, Gail V; Livingston, Kara A; Whelan, Jillian G; Chin, Meghan K; Blanchard, Caroline M; Turgiss, Jennifer L; Roberts, Susan B

2018-01-01

Programs focused on employee well-being have gained momentum in recent years, but few have been rigorously evaluated. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an intervention designed to enhance vitality and purpose in life by assessing changes in employee quality of life (QoL) and health-related behaviors. A worksite-based randomized controlled trial. Twelve eligible worksites (8 randomized to the intervention group [IG] and 4 to the wait-listed control group [CG]). Employees (n = 240) at the randomized worksites. A 2.5-day group-based behavioral intervention. Rand Medical Outcomes Survey (MOS) 36-item Short-Form (SF-36) vitality and QoL measures, Ryff Purpose in Life Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies questionnaire for depression, MOS sleep, body weight, physical activity, diet quality, and blood measures for glucose and lipids (which were used to calculate a cardiometabolic risk score) obtained at baseline and 6 months. General linear mixed models were used to compare least squares means or prevalence differences in outcomes between IG and CG participants. As compared to CG, IG had a significantly higher mean 6-month change on the SF-36 vitality scale ( P = .003) and scored in the highest categories for 5 of the remaining 7 SF-36 domains: general health ( P = .014), mental health ( P = .027), absence of role limitations due to physical problems ( P = .026), and social functioning ( P = .007). The IG also had greater improvements in purpose in life ( P < .001) and sleep quality (index I, P = .024; index II, P = .021). No statistically significant changes were observed for weight, diet, physical activity, or cardiometabolic risk factors. An intensive 2.5-day intervention showed improvement in employee QoL and well-being over 6 months.

Singing for children and adults with cystic fibrosis.

PubMed

Irons, Jung Yoon; Kenny, Dianna Theadora; Chang, Anne B

2010-05-12

Cystic fibrosis is a genetically inherited, life-threatening condition that affects major organs. The management of cystic fibrosis involves a multi-faceted daily treatment regimen that includes airway clearance physiotherapy, taking pancreatic enzymes and other medications. Previous studies identified that compliance with this intensive treatment especially among adolescents with cystic fibrosis is poor. Because of both the nature and consequences of the illness and the relentless demands of treatments, many individuals with cystic fibrosis are likely to have a poor quality of life. Anecdotal evidence suggests that singing may provide rigorous exercises for the whole respiratory system as well as a means for emotional expression, which may enhance quality of life. To evaluate the effects of a singing intervention in addition to usual therapy on the quality of life, morbidity, respiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function of children and adults with cystic fibrosis. We searched the Group's Cystic Fibrosis Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, major allied complementary data bases, and clinical trial registers. Hand searching for relevant conference proceedings and journals was also carried out.Date of search of Trials Register: 02 September 2009.Date of additional searches: 17 September 2009. Randomised controlled trials in which singing (as an adjunctive intervention) is compared with either a sham intervention or no singing in people with cystic fibrosis. No trials were found that met the selection criteria. No meta-analysis could be performed. As no studies that met the criteria were found, this review is unable to support or refute the benefits of singing as a therapy for people with cystic fibrosis. Future randomised controlled trials are required to evaluate singing therapy for people with cystic fibrosis.

Quality control in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) EFOMP-ESTRO-IAEA protocol (summary report).

PubMed

de Las Heras Gala, Hugo; Torresin, Alberto; Dasu, Alexandru; Rampado, Osvaldo; Delis, Harry; Hernández Girón, Irene; Theodorakou, Chrysoula; Andersson, Jonas; Holroyd, John; Nilsson, Mats; Edyvean, Sue; Gershan, Vesna; Hadid-Beurrier, Lama; Hoog, Christopher; Delpon, Gregory; Sancho Kolster, Ismael; Peterlin, Primož; Garayoa Roca, Julia; Caprile, Paola; Zervides, Costas

2017-07-01

The aim of the guideline presented in this article is to unify the test parameters for image quality evaluation and radiation output in all types of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) systems. The applications of CBCT spread over dental and interventional radiology, guided surgery and radiotherapy. The chosen tests provide the means to objectively evaluate the performance and monitor the constancy of the imaging chain. Experience from all involved associations has been collected to achieve a consensus that is rigorous and helpful for the practice. The guideline recommends to assess image quality in terms of uniformity, geometrical precision, voxel density values (or Hounsfield units where available), noise, low contrast resolution and spatial resolution measurements. These tests usually require the use of a phantom and evaluation software. Radiation output can be determined with a kerma-area product meter attached to the tube case. Alternatively, a solid state dosimeter attached to the flat panel and a simple geometric relationship can be used to calculate the dose to the isocentre. Summary tables including action levels and recommended frequencies for each test, as well as relevant references, are provided. If the radiation output or image quality deviates from expected values, or exceeds documented action levels for a given system, a more in depth system analysis (using conventional tests) and corrective maintenance work may be required. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

IEC 61267: Feasibility of type 1100 aluminium and a copper/aluminium combination for RQA beam qualities.

PubMed

Leong, David L; Rainford, Louise; Zhao, Wei; Brennan, Patrick C

2016-01-01

In the course of performance acceptance testing, benchmarking or quality control of X-ray imaging systems, it is sometimes necessary to harden the X-ray beam spectrum. IEC 61267 specifies materials and methods to accomplish beam hardening and, unfortunately, requires the use of 99.9% pure aluminium (Alloy 1190) for the RQA beam quality, which is expensive and difficult to obtain. Less expensive and more readily available filters, such as Alloy 1100 (99.0% pure) aluminium and copper/aluminium combinations, have been used clinically to produce RQA series without rigorous scientific investigation to support their use. In this paper, simulation and experimental methods are developed to determine the differences in beam quality using Alloy 1190 and Alloy 1100. Additional simulation investigated copper/aluminium combinations to produce RQA5 and outputs from this simulation are verified with laboratory tests using different filter samples. The results of the study demonstrate that although Alloy 1100 produces a harder beam spectrum compared to Alloy 1190, it is a reasonable substitute. A combination filter of 0.5 mm copper and 2 mm aluminium produced a spectrum closer to that of Alloy 1190 than Alloy 1100 with the added benefits of lower exposures and lower batch variability. Copyright © 2015 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Current situation and existing problems of acupuncture for primary hypertension].

PubMed

Zhang, Lili; Wei, Pengfei; Chen, Shaozong

2018-03-12

To analyze the present situation and existing problems of acupuncture for primary hypertension (PH) based on clinical research literature in recent 20 years. The clinical research literature regarding acupuncture for PH were searched from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP data network (VIP) and Wanfang database from 1997 through 2016; a total of 218 papers met the inclusive criteria. Microsoft Excel and Apriori algorithm of SPSS Clementine software were applied to analyze the data. The main acupoints of acupuncture for PH were Taichong (LR 3), Quchi (LI 11), Zusanli (ST 36) and Hegu (LI 4), but its support degree was only 12.21%. 127 papers were randomized controlled trials, accounting for 58.26%. 158 papers had clear diagnostic criteria, accounting for 72.48%. 138 papers had clear efficacy evaluation criteria, accounting for 63.30%. Only 5.05% of the papers were classified as high-quality literature by using Jadad scale. In recent 20 years, some rules existed in acupoint selection for PH, but the support degree was low so it could not accurately guide clinical treatment. Although the clinical literature quality of acupuncture for PH was gradually increasing, the proportion of high-quality literature was low, therefore modern medical research model and foreign similar research should be followed to design a more rigorous trial protocol. As a result, the quality of clinical research is increased to provide reference for future clinical treatment.

The International Collaboration for Autism Registry Epidemiology (iCARE): multinational registry-based investigations of autism risk factors and trends.

PubMed

Schendel, Diana E; Bresnahan, Michaeline; Carter, Kim W; Francis, Richard W; Gissler, Mika; Grønborg, Therese K; Gross, Raz; Gunnes, Nina; Hornig, Mady; Hultman, Christina M; Langridge, Amanda; Lauritsen, Marlene B; Leonard, Helen; Parner, Erik T; Reichenberg, Abraham; Sandin, Sven; Sourander, Andre; Stoltenberg, Camilla; Suominen, Auli; Surén, Pål; Susser, Ezra

2013-11-01

The International Collaboration for Autism Registry Epidemiology (iCARE) is the first multinational research consortium (Australia, Denmark, Finland, Israel, Norway, Sweden, USA) to promote research in autism geographical and temporal heterogeneity, phenotype, family and life course patterns, and etiology. iCARE devised solutions to challenges in multinational collaboration concerning data access security, confidentiality and management. Data are obtained by integrating existing national or state-wide, population-based, individual-level data systems and undergo rigorous harmonization and quality control processes. Analyses are performed using database federation via a computational infrastructure with a secure, web-based, interface. iCARE provides a unique, unprecedented resource in autism research that will significantly enhance the ability to detect environmental and genetic contributions to the causes and life course of autism.

Spillover, nonlinearity, and flexible structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bass, Robert W.; Zes, Dean

1991-01-01

Many systems whose evolution in time is governed by Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) are linearized around a known equilibrium before Computer Aided Control Engineering (CACE) is considered. In this case, there are infinitely many independent vibrational modes, and it is intuitively evident on physical grounds that infinitely many actuators would be needed in order to control all modes. A more precise, general formulation of this grave difficulty (spillover problem) is due to A.V. Balakrishnan. A possible route to circumvention of this difficulty lies in leaving the PDE in its original nonlinear form, and adding the essentially finite dimensional control action prior to linearization. One possibly applicable technique is the Liapunov Schmidt rigorous reduction of singular infinite dimensional implicit function problems to finite dimensional implicit function problems. Omitting details of Banach space rigor, the formalities of this approach are given.

Early rigorous control interventions can largely reduce dengue outbreak magnitude: experience from Chaozhou, China.

PubMed

Liu, Tao; Zhu, Guanghu; He, Jianfeng; Song, Tie; Zhang, Meng; Lin, Hualiang; Xiao, Jianpeng; Zeng, Weilin; Li, Xing; Li, Zhihao; Xie, Runsheng; Zhong, Haojie; Wu, Xiaocheng; Hu, Wenbiao; Zhang, Yonghui; Ma, Wenjun

2017-08-02

Dengue fever is a severe public heath challenge in south China. A dengue outbreak was reported in Chaozhou city, China in 2015. Intensified interventions were implemented by the government to control the epidemic. However, it is still unknown the degree to which intensified control measures reduced the size of the epidemics, and when should such measures be initiated to reduce the risk of large dengue outbreaks developing? We selected Xiangqiao district as study setting because the majority of the indigenous cases (90.6%) in Chaozhou city were from this district. The numbers of daily indigenous dengue cases in 2015 were collected through the national infectious diseases and vectors surveillance system, and daily Breteau Index (BI) data were reported by local public health department. We used a compartmental dynamic SEIR (Susceptible, Exposed, Infected and Removed) model to assess the effectiveness of control interventions, and evaluate the control effect of intervention timing on dengue epidemic. A total of 1250 indigenous dengue cases was reported from Xiangqiao district. The results of SEIR modeling using BI as an indicator of actual control interventions showed a total of 1255 dengue cases, which is close to the reported number (n = 1250). The size and duration of the outbreak were highly sensitive to the intensity and timing of interventions. The more rigorous and earlier the control interventions implemented, the more effective it yielded. Even if the interventions were initiated several weeks after the onset of the dengue outbreak, the interventions were shown to greatly impact the prevalence and duration of dengue outbreak. This study suggests that early implementation of rigorous dengue interventions can effectively reduce the epidemic size and shorten the epidemic duration.

Mid-tropospheric Spectral Length-scale Analysis of Many Constituents from Aircraft, Satellite and Model Results During the 2013 SENEX Field Study.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKeen, S. A.; Angevine, W. M.; Ahmadov, R.; Frost, G. J.; Kim, S. W.; Cui, Y.; McDonald, B.; Trainer, M.; Holloway, J. S.; Ryerson, T. B.; Peischl, J.; Gambacorta, A.; Barnet, C. D.; Smith, N.; Pierce, R. B.

2016-12-01

This study presents preliminary comparisons of satellite, aircraft, and model variance spectra for meteorological, thermodynamic and gas-phase species collected during the 2013 Southeastern Nexus Air Quality Experiment (SENEX). Fourier analysis of 8 constituents collected at 1 Hz by the NOAA W-P3 aircraft in the 25 to 200 km length-scale range exhibit properties consistent with previous scale dependence studies: when spectra are averaged over several 500 mb flight legs, very linear dependence is found on log-log plots of spectral density versus inverse length-scale. Derived slopes for wind speed, temperature, H2O, CO, CO2, CH4, NOy and O3 all fall within ±30% and close to the slope of -5/3 predicted from dimensional scaling theory of isotropic turbulence. Qualitative differences are seen when a similar analysis, without quality control, is applied to a preliminary set of NUCAPS satellite retrievals over the continental U.S. during SENEX. While 500mb water vapor and column integrated water show slopes close to the -5/3 value in the 200 to 1000 km length-scale range, other quantities show significantly shallower slopes, suggesting the need for rigorous quality control. Results from WRF-Chem regional air quality model simulations at 500mb show the model is unable to account for variance on length-scales less than 6ΔX, where ΔX is the model horizontal resolution (12km). Comparisons with satellite data in the 200 to 1000km range show slopes consistent with the -5/3 power law for species such as CO, CH4 and CO2 that do not undergo reinitialization, suggesting potential for future application.

DEMONSTRATION AND EVALUATION OF STRUCTURAL BENEFIT TRANSFER AND BAYESIAN BENEFIT TRANSFER FOR VALUING WELFARE IMPACTS OF SALTWATER BEACH QUALITY CHANGES

EPA Science Inventory

The main methodological contribution lies in the demonstration and evaluation of these two BT methods, which are not in common use, in a new application (valuing beach closures). Another important contribution is the use of the NSRE data for rigorous nonmarket valuation ap...

Oral Proficiency Standards and Foreign Language Teacher Candidates: Current Findings and Future Research Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glisan, Eileen W.; Swender, Elvira; Surface, Eric A.

2013-01-01

The renewed national focus on teacher quality and effectiveness has resulted in more rigorous standards that describe the knowledge and skills required of teacher candidates across all disciplines. In the area of foreign languages, three sets of professional standards address the oral proficiency of teachers in the target languages they teach…

Academic Excellence: A Commentary and Reflections on the Inherent Value of Peer Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Thomas J.; Shambrook, Jennifer

2012-01-01

Academic peer review is widely viewed as fair, equitable, and essential to academic quality. Successfully completing the process through publication or award is widely deemed as one of the most rigorous and prestigious forms of scholarly accomplishment. Despite this sentiment the academic peer review process is not without fault. It is criticized…

Resolving Issues in Innovative Graduate Degree Programs: The Metropolitan State University Doctor of Business Administration Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delmont, Tim

2011-01-01

Applied Master's Degree and doctoral programs have been criticized widely for their lack of relevance, rigor and quality. New graduate degree programs have responded to these criticisms by implementing innovative academic policies, program curriculum, and student services. A case study of the Metropolitan State University Doctor of Business…

Changes in the Cognitive Complexity of English Instruction: The Moderating Effects of School and Classroom Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polikoff, Morgan S.; Struthers, Kathryn

2013-01-01

Background/Context: A central aim of standards-based reform is to close achievement gaps by raising academic standards for all students. Rigorous standards coupled with aligned assessments will purportedly improve student opportunity to learn through high-quality, aligned instruction. After 10 years of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the impact of…

Design, Development and Delivery of Active Learning Tools in Software Verification & Validation Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acharya, Sushil; Manohar, Priyadarshan Anant; Wu, Peter; Maxim, Bruce; Hansen, Mary

2018-01-01

Active learning tools are critical in imparting real world experiences to the students within a classroom environment. This is important because graduates are expected to develop software that meets rigorous quality standards in functional and application domains with little to no training. However, there is a well-recognized need for the…

Using Academia-Industry Partnerships to Enhance Software Verification & Validation Education via Active Learning Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acharya, Sushil; Manohar, Priyadarshan; Wu, Peter; Schilling, Walter

2017-01-01

Imparting real world experiences in a software verification and validation (SV&V) course is often a challenge due to the lack of effective active learning tools. This pedagogical requirement is important because graduates are expected to develop software that meets rigorous quality standards in functional and application domains. Realizing the…

The Doctor of Arts Degree.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koenker, Robert H.

The Doctor of Arts (D.A.) degree is a degree specifically designed to prepare and train quality college teachers. The program leading to the D.A. is a rigorous one, and takes into account not only a candidates knowledge of a particular field but also his ability to relate his knowledge to others. This report takes into consideration the factors…

Utilising Benchmarking to Inform Decision-Making at the Institutional Level: A Research-Informed Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Sara

2013-01-01

Benchmarking has traditionally been viewed as a way to compare data only; however, its utilisation as a more investigative, research-informed process to add rigor to decision-making processes at the institutional level is gaining momentum in the higher education sector. Indeed, with recent changes in the Australian quality environment from the…

Effect of Melatonin on Sleep, Behavior, and Cognition in ADHD and Chronic Sleep-Onset Insomnia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van der Heijden, Kristiaan B.; Smits, Marcel G.; Van Someren, Eus J. W.; Ridderinkhof, K. Richard; Gunning, W. Boudewijn

2007-01-01

Objective: To investigate the effect of melatonin treatment on sleep, behavior, cognition, and quality of life in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and chronic sleep onset insomnia. Method: A total of 105 medication-free children, ages 6 to 12 years, with rigorously diagnosed ADHD and chronic sleep onset insomnia…

Communicating the Value of Program-Level Accreditation for Information Systems in a College of Business

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Babb, Jeffry S.; Abdullat, Amjad

2014-01-01

Undergraduate programs in Information Systems are challenged to offer a curriculum that is both rigorous and relevant. Specialized college-level accreditation, such as AACSB, and program-level accreditation, such as ABET, offer an opportunity to signal quality in academics while also remaining relevant to local stakeholders and constituents.…

Successful Magnet High Schools. Innovations in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2008

2008-01-01

Lack of relevant course work is a top reason why high school students drop out, and studies have shown that low-income and minority students are less likely to be enrolled in college preparatory curricula than their more affluent peers. In today's world, it is critical to ensure that all students have access to a rigorous, high-quality education…

Prognostics Uncertainty Management with Application to Government and Industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Celaya, Jose; Sankararaman, Shankar; Daigle, Matthew; Saxena, Abhinav; Goebel, Kai

2014-01-01

Predictions about the future are contingent on future usage, but also on the quality of the models employed and the assessment of the current health state. These factors, amongst others, need to be considered to arrive at a prediction that is conducted through a rigorous method but where the confidence bounds are not prohibitively large.

Seen one dam, seen 'em all?: the surprising story of the Deschutes River.

Treesearch

Sally Duncan

2000-01-01

In the next few decades, hundreds of private dams will be relicensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Many of them are on or influence Forest Service lands. Relicensing requires rigorous technical assessments of the effects of dams on critical resources, including channels, aquatic habitat, water quality, and recreation. Dams differ widely in their...

Award for Distinguished Early Career Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest: Keith Humphreys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Psychologist, 2009

2009-01-01

Keith Humphreys, recipient of the Award for Distinguished Early Career Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest, is cited for creatively combining a scientist's commitment to rigor, a clinician's emphasis on high-quality mental health care, and a policy analyst's understanding of how to address and resolve social problems. His work as a…

Using Classroom Observations to Measure Teacher Effectiveness: Q&A with Rob Ramsdell. REL Mid-Atlantic Webinar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic, 2013

2013-01-01

In this webinar, Mr. Rob Ramsdell, Vice President, Cambridge Education, discussed the use of classroom observations as one measure of teacher effectiveness in a comprehensive educator support system. Mr. Ramsdell presented research-based recommendations for improving the quality and rigor of classroom observations. This Q&A addressed the…

The Philosophy and Structure of the Curriculum in University Technical Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomlinson, Mike

2014-01-01

Arguments about the content and structure of the curriculum for 14- to 18-year-old students in England continue apace, not least as a consequence of the National Curriculum review and proposed changes to qualifications. However, the majority of initiatives aimed at providing high-quality and rigorous technical pathways from age 14 onwards have…

Integrated Services: Key to Academic Success. coNCepts. Issue 1, Winter 2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, April D., Ed.

2008-01-01

In order to be competitive in today's world, it is necessary for North Carolina to have a well-educated workforce. Quality schools, including effective leadership, excellent teachers, and improved academic standards and rigor, are a significant factor in these endeavors. However, good schooling starts well before a student ever steps foot into a…

Measuring Principal Performance: How Rigorous Are Commonly Used Principal Performance Assessment Instruments? A Quality School Leadership Issue Brief. Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Condon, Christopher; Clifford, Matthew

2012-01-01

Assessing school principal performance is both necessary and challenging. During the past five years, many states have begun using validated measures in summative assessments of novice principal competency as a basis for certification decisions. Although standardized tests are used for certification purposes, other types of assessments are being…

Leveraging Learning: The Evolving Role of Federal Policy in Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knowles, Timothy; Kober, Nancy; Ludwig, Jens; Petrilli, Michael J.; Slavin, Robert; Tseng, Vivian

2013-01-01

As transformative reforms like the Common Core State Standards and educator evaluation roll out amidst a rapidly changing demographic landscape, the need for getting high-quality research on timely topics into the hands of practitioners grows all the more urgent. While rigor and relevance need not be a question of "either/or", but rather…

Developing Empirical Benchmarks of Teacher Knowledge Effect Sizes in Studies of Professional Development Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phelps, Geoffrey; Jones, Nathan; Kelcey, Ben; Liu, Shuangshuang; Kisa, Zahid

2013-01-01

Growing interest in teaching quality and accountability has focused attention on the need for rigorous studies and evaluations of professional development (PD) programs. However, the study of PD has been hampered by a lack of suitable instruments. The authors present data from the Teacher Knowledge Assessment System (TKAS), which was designed to…

The Effect of Pay-for-Performance in Nursing Homes: Evidence from State Medicaid Programs

PubMed Central

Werner, Rachel M; Konetzka, R Tamara; Polsky, Daniel

2013-01-01

Objective Pay-for-performance (P4P) is commonly used to improve health care quality in the United States and is expected to be frequently implemented under the Affordable Care Act. However, evidence supporting its use is mixed with few large-scale, rigorous evaluations of P4P. This study tests the effect of P4P on quality of care in a large-scale setting—the implementation of P4P for nursing homes by state Medicaid agencies. Data Sources/Study Setting 2001–2009 nursing home Minimum Data Set and Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting (OSCAR) datasets. Study Design Between 2001 and 2009, eight state Medicaid agencies adopted P4P programs in nursing homes. We use a difference-in-differences approach to test for changes in nursing home quality under P4P, taking advantage of the variation in timing of implementation across these eight states and using nursing homes in the 42 non-P4P states plus Washington, DC as contemporaneous controls. Principal Findings Quality improvement under P4P was inconsistent. While three clinical quality measures (the percent of residents being physically restrained, in moderate to severe pain, and developed pressure sores) improved with the implementation of P4P in states with P4P compared with states without P4P, other targeted quality measures either did not change or worsened. Of the two structural measures of quality that were tied to payment (total number of deficiencies and nurse staffing) deficiency rates worsened slightly under P4P while staffing levels did not change. Conclusions Medicaid-based P4P in nursing homes did not result in consistent improvements in nursing home quality. Expectations for improvement in nursing home care under P4P should be tempered. PMID:23398330

The effect of pay-for-performance in nursing homes: evidence from state Medicaid programs.

PubMed

Werner, Rachel M; Konetzka, R Tamara; Polsky, Daniel

2013-08-01

Pay-for-performance (P4P) is commonly used to improve health care quality in the United States and is expected to be frequently implemented under the Affordable Care Act. However, evidence supporting its use is mixed with few large-scale, rigorous evaluations of P4P. This study tests the effect of P4P on quality of care in a large-scale setting-the implementation of P4P for nursing homes by state Medicaid agencies. 2001-2009 nursing home Minimum Data Set and Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting (OSCAR) datasets. Between 2001 and 2009, eight state Medicaid agencies adopted P4P programs in nursing homes. We use a difference-in-differences approach to test for changes in nursing home quality under P4P, taking advantage of the variation in timing of implementation across these eight states and using nursing homes in the 42 non-P4P states plus Washington, DC as contemporaneous controls. Quality improvement under P4P was inconsistent. While three clinical quality measures (the percent of residents being physically restrained, in moderate to severe pain, and developed pressure sores) improved with the implementation of P4P in states with P4P compared with states without P4P, other targeted quality measures either did not change or worsened. Of the two structural measures of quality that were tied to payment (total number of deficiencies and nurse staffing) deficiency rates worsened slightly under P4P while staffing levels did not change. Medicaid-based P4P in nursing homes did not result in consistent improvements in nursing home quality. Expectations for improvement in nursing home care under P4P should be tempered. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Impact of peer delivered wellness coaching.

PubMed

Swarbrick, Margaret; Gill, Kenneth J; Pratt, Carlos W

2016-09-01

People receiving publicly funded behavioral health services for severe mental disorders have shorter lifespans and significantly impaired health-related quality of life compared to the general population. The aim of this article was to explore how peer wellness coaching (PWC), a manualized approach to pursue specific physical wellness goals, impacted goal attainment and overall health related quality of life. Deidentified archival program evaluation data were examined to explore whether peer delivered wellness coaching had an impact on 33 service recipients with regard to goal attainment and health-related quality of life. Participants were served by 1 of 12 wellness coach trainees from a transformation transfer initiative grant who had been trained in the manualized approach. Coaching participants and their coaches reported significant progress toward the attainment of individually chosen goals, 2 to 4 weeks after establishing their goals. After 8 to 10 weeks of peer delivered wellness coaching, improvements were evident in the self-report of physical health, general health, and perceived health. These improvements were sustained 90 days later. PWC is potentially a promising practice for helping people choose and pursue individual goals and facilitating positive health and wellness changes. Rigorous controlled research with larger samples is needed to evaluate the benefits of peer delivered wellness coaching. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Herbal Medicine for Hot Flushes Induced by Endocrine Therapy in Women with Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Li, Yuanqing; Zhu, Xiaoshu; Bensussan, Alan; Li, Pingping; Moylan, Eugene; Delaney, Geoff; McPherson, Luke

2016-01-01

Objective. This systematic review was conducted to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of herbal medicine (HM) as an alternative management for hot flushes induced by endocrine therapy in breast cancer patients. Methods. Key English and Chinese language databases were searched from inception to July 2015. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of HM on hot flushes induced by endocrine therapy in women with breast cancer were retrieved. We conducted data collection and analysis in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Statistical analysis was performed with the software (Review Manager 5.3). Results. 19 articles were selected from the articles retrieved, and 5 articles met the inclusion criteria for analysis. Some included individual studies showed that HM can relieve hot flushes as well as other menopausal symptoms induced by endocrine therapy among women with breast cancer and improve the quality of life. There are minor side effects related to HM which are well tolerated. Conclusion. Given the small number of included studies and relatively poor methodological quality, there is insufficient evidence to draw positive conclusions regarding the objective benefit of HM. Additional high quality studies are needed with more rigorous methodological approach to answer this question.

The new production theory for health care through clinical reengineering: a study of clinical guidelines--Part I.

PubMed

Sharp, J R

1994-12-01

Drucker writes that the emerging theory of manufacturing includes four principles and practices: statistical quality control, manufacturing accounting, modular organization, and systems approach. SQC is a rigorous, scientific method of identifying variation in the quality and productivity of a given production process, with an emphasis on improvement. The new manufacturing economics intends to integrate the production strategy with the business strategy in order to account for the biggest portions of costs that the old methods did not assess: time and automation. Production operations that are both standardized and flexible will allow the organization to keep up with changes in design, technology, and the market. The return on innovation in this environment is predicated on a modular arrangement of flexible steps in the process. Finally, the systems approach sees the entire process as being integrated in converting goods or services into economic satisfaction. There is now a major restructuring of the U.S. health care industry, and the incorporation of these four theories into health care reform would appear to be essential. This two-part article will address two problems: Will Drucker's theories relate to health care (Part I)? Will the "new manufacturing" in health care (practice guidelines) demonstrate cost, quality, and access changes that reform demands (Part II)?

A Systematic Review of Relaxation, Meditation, and Guided Imagery Strategies for Symptom Management in Heart Failure.

PubMed

Kwekkeboom, Kristine L; Bratzke, Lisa C

2016-01-01

Pain, dyspnea, fatigue, and sleep disturbance are prevalent and distressing symptoms in persons with advanced heart failure. Although many lifestyle and self-care interventions have been developed to control heart failure progression, very few studies have explored treatments exclusively for symptom palliation. Cognitive-behavioral strategies may be effective treatment for these symptoms in advanced heart failure. A systemic review was conducted to describe the effect of cognitive-behavioral strategies on pain, dyspnea, fatigue, and sleep disturbance in patients with heart failure. CINAHL, Medline, and PsychINFO were searched from inception through December 2014. Articles were selected for inclusion if they tested a cognitive-behavioral strategy using a quasi-experimental or experimental design, involved a sample of adults with heart failure, and measured pain, dyspnea, fatigue, sleep disturbance, or symptom-related quality of life. The 2 authors evaluated study quality, abstracted data elements from each study, and synthesized findings. Thirteen articles describing 9 unique studies met criteria and were included in the review. Five studies tested relaxation strategies, 3 tested meditation strategies, and 1 tested a guided imagery strategy. Of the 9 studies, 7 demonstrated some improvement in symptom outcomes. Relaxation, meditation, guided imagery, or combinations of these strategies resulted in less dyspnea and better sleep compared with attention control or usual care conditions and reduced pain, dyspnea, fatigue, and sleep disturbance within treatment groups (pretreatment to posttreatment). Symptom-related quality of life was improved with meditation compared with attention control and usual care conditions and improved pre- to post-guided imagery. Studies exploring cognitive-behavioral symptom management strategies in heart failure vary in quality and report mixed findings but indicate potential beneficial effects of relaxation, meditation, and guided imagery on heart failure-related symptoms. Future research should test cognitive-behavioral strategies in rigorously designed efficacy trials, using samples selected for their symptom experience, and measure pain, dyspnea, fatigue, and sleep disturbance outcomes with targeted symptom measures.

Quality control of antibiotics before the implementation of an STD program in Northern Myanmar.

PubMed

Prazuck, Thierry; Falconi, Isabelle; Morineau, Guy; Bricard-Pacaud, Véronique; Lecomte, Antoine; Ballereau, Francoise

2002-11-01

The ready availability of poor-quality drugs in developing countries leads to treatment failure and, consequently, excess mortality and morbidity. Moreover, the widespread availability of substandard drugs plays a key role in increasing the resistance to antimicrobial drugs.GOAL As a prerequisite to the establishment of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) control program, this study aimed to evaluate the quality of antibiotics recommended for treatment of STDs that were locally available in the capital of a province of Northern Myanmar. In addition to the hospital pharmacy, we selected at random 5 of the 41 drug sellers and 5 of the 40 general practitioners who sell antibiotics in the city of Myitkyina. Twenty-one marketing products corresponding to nine different antibiotics used for STD treatment were purchased (benzathine benzylpenicillin, benzylpenicillin, ceftriaxone, chlortetracycline, ciprofloxacin, clotrimazole, co-trimoxazole, doxycycline, and erythromycin). Drugs were sent to France, where they were analyzed according to the WHO guidelines. Drugs were considered to be standard if their dosage remained in the 10% range of the expected value. Among the 21 different specialty products, only three displayed the official "registered" label. Three drugs were expired and the expiration date was not available for six others. One product did not contain the active drug declared (chlortetracycline; Lombisin, Unicorn, China) and did not show any in vitro activity against bacteria. Seven of 21 products (33%) did not contain the stated dosage (1, more than stated dosage; 6, less than stated dosage). The highest deficit observed was 48% in two products (co-trimoxazole, Yong Fong, Myanmar; benzylpenicillin, China [city and manufacturer unknown]). The dosage was not available for five drugs. As a result, only 8 of 21 products (38%) did not contain the stated dosage of active drug. These findings suggest that public health policies based on national treatment guidelines should rigorously include the monitoring of quality control of available antimicrobial products. In the absence of such measures, specific treatment strategies are likely to fail and to generate drug resistance.

Hip-Hop to Health Jr. Randomized Effectiveness Trial: 1-Year Follow-up Results.

PubMed

Kong, Angela; Buscemi, Joanna; Stolley, Melinda R; Schiffer, Linda A; Kim, Yoonsang; Braunschweig, Carol L; Gomez-Perez, Sandra L; Blumstein, Lara B; Van Horn, Linda; Dyer, Alan R; Fitzgibbon, Marian L

2016-02-01

The preschool years provide a unique window of opportunity to intervene on obesity-related lifestyle risk factors during the formative years of a child's life. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a preschool-based obesity prevention effectiveness trial at 1-year follow-up. RCT. Primarily African American children (aged 3-5 years, N=618) attending Head Start preschool programs administered by Chicago Public Schools. Eighteen preschools were randomly assigned in 2007-2008 to receive either (1) a 14-week teacher-delivered intervention focused on healthy lifestyle behaviors or (2) a 14-week teacher-delivered general health curriculum (control group). The primary outcome, BMI, was measured at baseline, postintervention, and 1-year follow-up. Diet and screen time behaviors were also assessed at these time points. Multilevel mixed effects models were used to test for between-group differences. Data were analyzed in 2014. Significant between-group differences were observed in diet, but not in BMI z-score or screen time at 1-year follow-up. Diet differences favored the intervention arm over controls in overall diet quality (p=0.02) and in subcomponents of diet quality, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2005, and in fruit intake (servings/day, excludes juice) (p=0.02). Diet quality worsened more among controls than the intervention group at 1-year follow-up. The adaptation of Hip-Hop to Health Jr. produced modest benefits in diet quality but did not significantly impact weight gain trajectory. Not unlike other effectiveness trials, this real-world version delivered by Head Start teachers produced fewer benefits than the more rigorous efficacy trial. It is important to understand and build upon the lessons learned from these types of trials so that we can design, implement, and disseminate successful evidence-based programs more widely and effectively. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT00241878. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hip-Hop to Health Jr. Randomized Effectiveness Trial

PubMed Central

Kong, Angela; Buscemi, Joanna; Stolley, Melinda R.; Schiffer, Linda A.; Kim, Yoonsang; Braunschweig, Carol L.; Gomez-Perez, Sandra L.; Blumstein, Lara B.; Van Horn, Linda; Dyer, Alan R.; Fitzgibbon, Marian L.

2015-01-01

Introduction The preschool years provide a unique window of opportunity to intervene on obesity-related lifestyle risk factors during the formative years of a child’s life. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a preschool-based obesity prevention effectiveness trial at 1-year follow-up. Design RCT. Settings/participants Primarily African American children (aged 3–5 years, N=618) attending Head Start preschool programs administered by Chicago Public Schools. Methods Eighteen preschools were randomly assigned in 2007–2008 to receive either: (1) a 14-week teacher-delivered intervention focused on healthy lifestyle behaviors; or (2) a 14-week teacher-delivered general health curriculum (control group). Main outcome measures The primary outcome, BMI, was measured at baseline, post-intervention, and 1-year follow-up. Diet and screen time behaviors were also assessed at these time points. Multilevel mixed effects models were used to test for between-group differences. Data were analyzed in 2014. Results Significant between-group differences were observed in diet, but not in BMI z-score or screen time at 1-year follow-up. Diet differences favored the intervention arm over controls in overall diet quality (p=0.02) and in subcomponents of diet quality, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2005, and in fruit intake (servings/day, excludes juice) (p=0.02). Diet quality worsened more among controls than the intervention group at 1-year follow-up. Conclusions The adaptation of Hip-Hop to Health Jr. produced modest benefits in diet quality, but did not significantly impact weight gain trajectory. Not unlike other effectiveness trials, this real-world version delivered by Head Start teachers produced fewer benefits than the more rigorous efficacy trial. It is important to understand and build upon the lessons learned from these types of trials so that we can design, implement, and disseminate successful evidence-based programs more widely and effectively. PMID:26385162

Atlantic Ocean CARINA data: overview and salinity adjustments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanhua, T.; Steinfeldt, R.; Key, R. M.; Brown, P.; Gruber, N.; Wanninkhof, R.; Perez, F.; Körtzinger, A.; Velo, A.; Schuster, U.; van Heuven, S.; Bullister, J. L.; Stendardo, I.; Hoppema, M.; Olsen, A.; Kozyr, A.; Pierrot, D.; Schirnick, C.; Wallace, D. W. R.

2009-08-01

Water column data of carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from 188 previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged into a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). The data have gone through rigorous quality control procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for the pertinent parameters in the CARINA database were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the data products, i.e. three merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions, i.e. Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Ninety-eight of the cruises in the CARINA database were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean, defined here as the region south of the Greenland-Iceland-Scotland Ridge and north of about 30° S. Here we present an overview of the Atlantic Ocean synthesis of the CARINA data and the adjustments that were applied to the data product. We also report details of the secondary QC for salinity for this data set. Procedures of quality control - including crossover analysis between stations and inversion analysis of all crossover data - are briefly described. Adjustments to salinity measurements were applied to the data from 10 cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. Based on our analysis we estimate the internal accuracy of the CARINA-ATL salinity data to be 4.1 ppm. With these adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s (Key et al., 2004), and is now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation.

Quality assurance plan for discharge measurements using broadband acoustic Doppler current profilers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lipscomb, S.W.

1995-01-01

The recent introduction of the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) as an instrument for measuring velocities and discharge in the riverine and estuarine environment promises to revolutionize the way these data are collected by the U.S. Geological Survey. The ADCP and associated software, however, compose a complex system and should be used only by qualifies personnel. Standard procedures should be rigorously followed to ensure that the quality of data collected is commensurate with the standards set by the Water Resources Division for all its varied activities in hydrologic investigations.

A Methodological Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials of Computer-Assisted Therapies for Psychiatric Disorders: Toward Improved Standards for an Emerging Field

PubMed Central

Kiluk, Brian D.; Sugarman, Dawn E.; Nich, Charla; Gibbons, Carly J.; Martino, Steve; Rounsaville, Bruce J.; Carroll, Kathleen M.

2013-01-01

Objective Computer-assisted therapies offer a novel, cost-effective strategy for providing evidence-based therapies to a broad range of individuals with psychiatric disorders. However, the extent to which the growing body of randomized trials evaluating computer-assisted therapies meets current standards of methodological rigor for evidence-based interventions is not clear. Method A methodological analysis of randomized clinical trials of computer-assisted therapies for adult psychiatric disorders, published between January 1990 and January 2010, was conducted. Seventy-five studies that examined computer-assisted therapies for a range of axis I disorders were evaluated using a 14-item methodological quality index. Results Results indicated marked heterogeneity in study quality. No study met all 14 basic quality standards, and three met 13 criteria. Consistent weaknesses were noted in evaluation of treatment exposure and adherence, rates of follow-up assessment, and conformity to intention-to-treat principles. Studies utilizing weaker comparison conditions (e.g., wait-list controls) had poorer methodological quality scores and were more likely to report effects favoring the computer-assisted condition. Conclusions While several well-conducted studies have indicated promising results for computer-assisted therapies, this emerging field has not yet achieved a level of methodological quality equivalent to those required for other evidence-based behavioral therapies or pharmacotherapies. Adoption of more consistent standards for methodological quality in this field, with greater attention to potential adverse events, is needed before computer-assisted therapies are widely disseminated or marketed as evidence based. PMID:21536689

Methods for the guideline-based development of quality indicators--a systematic review

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Quality indicators (QIs) are used in many healthcare settings to measure, compare, and improve quality of care. For the efficient development of high-quality QIs, rigorous, approved, and evidence-based development methods are needed. Clinical practice guidelines are a suitable source to derive QIs from, but no gold standard for guideline-based QI development exists. This review aims to identify, describe, and compare methodological approaches to guideline-based QI development. Methods We systematically searched medical literature databases (Medline, EMBASE, and CINAHL) and grey literature. Two researchers selected publications reporting methodological approaches to guideline-based QI development. In order to describe and compare methodological approaches used in these publications, we extracted detailed information on common steps of guideline-based QI development (topic selection, guideline selection, extraction of recommendations, QI selection, practice test, and implementation) to predesigned extraction tables. Results From 8,697 hits in the database search and several grey literature documents, we selected 48 relevant references. The studies were of heterogeneous type and quality. We found no randomized controlled trial or other studies comparing the ability of different methodological approaches to guideline-based development to generate high-quality QIs. The relevant publications featured a wide variety of methodological approaches to guideline-based QI development, especially regarding guideline selection and extraction of recommendations. Only a few studies reported patient involvement. Conclusions Further research is needed to determine which elements of the methodological approaches identified, described, and compared in this review are best suited to constitute a gold standard for guideline-based QI development. For this research, we provide a comprehensive groundwork. PMID:22436067

A comparative study of quality and safety of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) fillets during cold storage, as affected by different thawing methods of pre‐rigor frozen headed and gutted fish

PubMed Central

Jónsson, Ásbjörn; Backi, Christoph Josef; Lunestad, Bjørn Tore; Karlsdóttir, Magnea G

2017-01-01

Abstract BACKGROUND The catch of marine whitefish is typically seasonal, whereas the land‐based processing industry has a need for all‐year stable supply of raw materials. This challenge can be met by applying fish frozen at sea. When using frozen fish, the methods employed for thawing may influence the safety and quality of the final product. This study aimed to investigate the applicability of novel thawing strategies in order to provide an all‐year supply of high‐quality and safe cod products. RESULTS Comparative investigations of quality and safety factors after thawing in water, with and without air circulation, and contact thawing were performed. The parameters included water‐holding capacity, thawing loss, drip loss, cooking yield, sensory evaluation and microbiological analyses (including total volatile bases nitrogen). Water thawing with air circulation provided faster thawing than water thawing without air circulation and contact thawing. For all three methods, the quality of the thawed fish was acceptable and the shelf life of the fillets during chilled storage was between 10 and 14 days post‐filleting. CONCLUSION The results show that controlled freezing of cod, followed by appropriate thawing, may provide the processing industry with an all‐year delivery of raw materials, without compromising quality and safety of the final product. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. PMID:28862323

Reporting quality of music intervention research in healthcare: A systematic review.

PubMed

Robb, Sheri L; Hanson-Abromeit, Deanna; May, Lindsey; Hernandez-Ruiz, Eugenia; Allison, Megan; Beloat, Alyssa; Daugherty, Sarah; Kurtz, Rebecca; Ott, Alyssa; Oyedele, Oladele Oladimeji; Polasik, Shelbi; Rager, Allison; Rifkin, Jamie; Wolf, Emily

2018-06-01

Concomitant with the growth of music intervention research, are concerns about inadequate intervention reporting and inconsistent terminology, which limits validity, replicability, and clinical application of findings. Examine reporting quality of music intervention research, in chronic and acute medical settings, using the Checklist for Reporting Music-based Interventions. In addition, describe patient populations and primary outcomes, intervention content and corresponding interventionist qualifications, and terminology. Searching MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, HealthSTAR, and PsycINFO we identified articles meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria for a five-year period (2010-2015) and extracted relevant data. Coded material included reporting quality across seven areas (theory, content, delivery schedule, interventionist qualifications, treatment fidelity, setting, unit of delivery), author/journal information, patient population/outcomes, and terminology. Of 860 articles, 187 met review criteria (128 experimental; 59 quasi-experimental), with 121 publishing journals, and authors from 31 countries. Overall reporting quality was poor with <50% providing information for four of the seven checklist components (theory, interventionist qualifications, treatment fidelity, setting). Intervention content reporting was also poor with <50% providing information about the music used, decibel levels/volume controls, or materials. Credentialed music therapists and registered nurses delivered most interventions, with clear differences in content and delivery. Terminology was varied and inconsistent. Problems with reporting quality impedes meaningful interpretation and cross-study comparisons. Inconsistent and misapplied terminology also create barriers to interprofessional communication and translation of findings to patient care. Improved reporting quality and creation of shared language will advance scientific rigor and clinical relevance of music intervention research. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The effect of financial incentives on the quality of health care provided by primary care physicians.

PubMed

Scott, Anthony; Sivey, Peter; Ait Ouakrim, Driss; Willenberg, Lisa; Naccarella, Lucio; Furler, John; Young, Doris

2011-09-07

The use of blended payment schemes in primary care, including the use of financial incentives to directly reward 'performance' and 'quality' is increasing in a number of countries. There are many examples in the US, and the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QoF) for general practitioners (GPs) in the UK is an example of a major system-wide reform. Despite the popularity of these schemes, there is currently little rigorous evidence of their success in improving the quality of primary health care, or of whether such an approach is cost-effective relative to other ways to improve the quality of care. The aim of this review is to examine the effect of changes in the method and level of payment on the quality of care provided by primary care physicians (PCPs) and to identify:i) the different types of financial incentives that have improved quality;ii) the characteristics of patient populations for whom quality of care has been improved by financial incentives; andiii) the characteristics of PCPs who have responded to financial incentives. We searched the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, HealthSTAR, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsychLIT, and ECONLIT. Searches of Internet-based economics and health economics working paper collections were also conducted. Finally, studies were identified through the reference lists of retrieved articles, websites of key organisations, and from direct contact with key authors in the field. Articles were included if they were published from 2000 to August 2009. Randomised controlled trials (RCT), controlled before and after studies (CBA), and interrupted time series analyses (ITS) evaluating the impact of different financial interventions on the quality of care delivered by primary healthcare physicians (PCPs). Quality of care was defined as patient reported outcome measures, clinical behaviours, and intermediate clinical and physiological measures. Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed study quality, in consultation with two other review authors where there was disagreement. For each included study, we reported the estimated effect sizes and confidence intervals. Seven studies were included in this review. Three of the studies evaluated single-threshold target payments, one examined a fixed fee per patient achieving a specified outcome, one study evaluated payments based on the relative ranking of medical groups' performance (tournament-based pay), one study examined a mix of tournament-based pay and threshold payments, and one study evaluated changing from a blended payments scheme to salaried payment. Three cluster RCTs examined smoking cessation; one CBA examined patients' assessment of the quality of care; one CBA examined cervical screening, mammography screening, and HbA1c; one ITS focused on four outcomes in diabetes; and one controlled ITS (a difference-in-difference design) examined cervical screening, mammography screening, HbA1c, childhood immunisation, chlamydia screening, and appropriate asthma medication. Six of the seven studies showed positive but modest effects on quality of care for some primary outcome measures, but not all. One study found no effect on quality of care. Poor study design led to substantial risk of bias in most studies. In particular, none of the studies addressed issues of selection bias as a result of the ability of primary care physicians to select into or out of the incentive scheme or health plan. The use of financial incentives to reward PCPs for improving the quality of primary healthcare services is growing. However, there is insufficient evidence to support or not support the use of financial incentives to improve the quality of primary health care. Implementation should proceed with caution and incentive schemes should be more carefully designed before implementation. In addition to basing incentive design more on theory, there is a large literature discussing experiences with these schemes that can be used to draw out a number of lessons that can be learned and that could be used to influence or modify the design of incentive schemes. More rigorous study designs need to be used to account for the selection of physicians into incentive schemes. The use of instrumental variable techniques should be considered to assist with the identification of treatment effects in the presence of selection bias and other sources of unobserved heterogeneity. In randomised trials, care must be taken in using the correct unit of analysis and more attention should be paid to blinding. Studies should also examine the potential unintended consequences of incentive schemes by having a stronger theoretical basis, including a broader range of outcomes, and conducting more extensive subgroup analysis. Studies should more consistently describe i) the type of payment scheme at baseline or in the control group, ii) how payments to medical groups were used and distributed within the groups, and iii) the size of the new payments as a percentage of total revenue. Further research comparing the relative costs and effects of financial incentives with other behaviour change interventions is also required.

The impact of social services interventions in developing countries: a review of the evidence of impact on clinical outcomes in people living with HIV.

PubMed

Bateganya, Moses H; Dong, Maxia; Oguntomilade, John; Suraratdecha, Chutima

2015-04-15

Social service interventions have been implemented in many countries to help people living with HIV (PLHIV) and household members cope with economic burden as a result of reduced earning or increased spending on health care. However, the evidence for specific interventions-economic strengthening and legal services-on key health outcomes has not been appraised. We searched electronic databases from January 1995 to May 2014 and reviewed relevant literature from resource-limited settings on the impact of social service interventions on mortality, morbidity, retention in HIV care, quality of life, and ongoing HIV transmission and their cost-effectiveness. Of 1685 citations, 8 articles reported the health impact of economic strengthening interventions among PLHIV in resource-limited settings. None reported on legal services. Six of the 8 studies were conducted in sub-Saharan Africa: 1 reported on all 5 outcomes and 2 reported on 4 and 2 outcomes, respectively. The remaining 5 reported on 1 outcome each. Seven studies reported on quality of life. Although all studies reported some association between economic strengthening interventions and HIV care outcomes, the quality of evidence was rated fair or poor because studies were of low research rigor (observational or qualitative), had small sample size, or had other limitations. The expected impact of economic strengthening interventions was rated as high for quality of life but uncertain for all the other outcomes. Implementation of economic strengthening interventions is expected to have a high impact on the quality of life for PLHIV but uncertain impact on mortality, morbidity, retention in care, and HIV transmission. More rigorous research is needed to explore the impact of more targeted intervention components on health outcomes.

Quality Assessment of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Respiratory Diseases in China: A Systematic Appraisal.

PubMed

Jiang, Mei; Liao, Li-Yue; Liu, Xiao-Qing; He, Wei-Qun; Guan, Wei-Jie; Chen, Hao; Li, Yi-Min

2015-09-01

There has been a significant increase in the publication of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for respiratory diseases in China. However, little is known about the quality and potential impacts of these CPGs. Our objective was to critically evaluate the quality of Chinese CPGs for respiratory diseases that were published in peer-reviewed medical journals. A systematic search of scientific literature published between 1979 and 2013 was undertaken to identify and select CPGs that were related to respiratory diseases. Four Chinese databases (the Chinese Biomedical Literature database [CBM], the China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], the VIP database, and the WANFANG database) were used. The quality of eligible guidelines was assessed independently by four reviewers using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument. The overall agreement among reviewers was evaluated using an intraclass correlation coefficient. A total of 109 guidelines published in 27 medical journals from 1979 to 2013 were evaluated. The overall agreement among reviewers was considered good (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.838; 95% CI, 0.812-0.862). The scores of the six AGREE domains were low: 57.3% for scope and purpose (range, 4.2%-80.5%), 23.8% for stakeholder involvement (range, 2.8%-54.2%), 7.7% for rigor of development (range, 0%-27.1%), 59.8% for clarity and presentation (range, 22.2%-80.6%), 10.9% for applicability (range, 0%-22.9%), and 0.6% for editorial independence (range, 0%-16.7%). Scores for all guidelines were below 60%, and only three guidelines (2.8%) were recommended for clinical practice with modifications. The quality of the guidelines was low, and stakeholder involvement, rigor of development, applicability, and editorial independence should be considered in the future development of CPGs for respiratory diseases in China.

Mechanical properties of frog skeletal muscles in iodoacetic acid rigor.

PubMed Central

Mulvany, M J

1975-01-01

1. Methods have been developed for describing the length: tension characteristics of frog skeletal muscles which go into rigor at 4 degrees C following iodoacetic acid poisoning either in the presence of Ca2+ (Ca-rigor) or its absence (Ca-free-rigor). 2. Such rigor muscles showed less resistance to slow stretch (slow rigor resistance) that to fast stretch (fast rigor resistance). The slow and fast rigor resistances of Ca-free-rigor muscles were much lower than those of Ca-rigor muscles. 3. The slow rigor resistance of Ca-rigor muscles was proportional to the amount of overlap between the contractile filaments present when the muscles were put into rigor. 4. Withdrawing Ca2+ from Ca-rigor muscles (induced-Ca-free rigor) reduced their slow and fast rigor resistances. Readdition of Ca2+ (but not Mg2+, Mn2+ or Sr2+) reversed the effect. 5. The slow and fast rigor resistances of Ca-rigor muscles (but not of Ca-free-rigor muscles) decreased with time. 6.The sarcomere structure of Ca-rigor and induced-Ca-free rigor muscles stretched by 0.2lo was destroyed in proportion to the amount of stretch, but the lengths of the remaining intact sarcomeres were essentially unchanged. This suggests that there had been a successive yielding of the weakeast sarcomeres. 7. The difference between the slow and fast rigor resistance and the effect of calcium on these resistances are discussed in relation to possible variations in the strength of crossbridges between the thick and thin filaments. Images Plate 1 Plate 2 PMID:1082023

Changing patterns in water toxicity associated with current use pesticides in three California agriculture regions.

PubMed

Anderson, Brian S; Phillips, Bryn M; Voorhees, Jennifer P; Deng, Xin; Geraci, Jeff; Worcester, Karen; Tjeerdema, Ron S

2018-03-01

Regulation of agriculture irrigation water discharges in California, USA, is assessed and controlled by its 9 Regional Water Quality Control Boards under the jurisdiction of the California State Water Resources Control Board. Each Regional Water Board has developed programs to control pesticides in runoff as part of the waste discharge requirements implemented through each region's Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program. The present study assessed how pesticide use patterns differ in the Imperial (Imperial County) and the Salinas and Santa Maria (Monterey County) valleys, which host 3 of California's prime agriculture areas. Surface-water toxicity associated with current use pesticides was monitored at several sites in these areas in 2014 and 2015, and results were linked to changes in pesticide use patterns in these areas. Pesticide use patterns appeared to coincide with differences in the way agriculture programs were implemented by the 2 respective Regional Water Quality Control Boards, and these programs differed in the 2 Water Board Regions. Different pesticide use patterns affected the occurrence of pesticides in agriculture runoff, and this influenced toxicity test results. Greater detection frequency and higher concentrations of the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos were detected in agriculture runoff in Imperial County compared to Monterey County, likely due to more rigorous monitoring requirements for growers using this pesticide in Monterey County. Monterey County agriculture runoff contained toxic concentrations of pyrethroid and neonicotinoid pesticides, which impacted amphipods (Hyalella azteca) and midge larvae (Chironomus dilutus) in toxicity tests. Study results illustrate how monitoring strategies need to evolve as regulatory actions affect change in pesticide use and demonstrate the importance of using toxicity test indicator species appropriate for the suite of contaminants in runoff in order to accurately assess environmental risk. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:270-281. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Standardized Test Results: KEEP and Control Students. 1975-1976, Technical Report #69.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antill, Ellen; Speidel, Gisela E.

This report presents the results of various standardized measures administered to Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP) students and control students in the school year 1975-1976. In contrast to previous comparisons, KEEP employed more rigorous procedures for the selection of the control students and for the conditions of test administration.…

Extensibility of the myofilaments in vertebrate skeletal muscle as revealed by stretching rigor muscle fibers

PubMed Central

1983-01-01

The extensibility of the myofilaments in vertebrate skeletal muscle was studied by stretching glycerinated rabbit psoas muscle fibers in rigor state and examining the resulting extension of sarcomere structures under an electron microscope. Although stretches applied to rigor fibers produced a successive yielding of the weakest sarcomeres, the length of the remaining intact sarcomeres in many myofibrils was fairly uniform, being definitely longer than the sarcomeres in the control, nonstretched part of rigor fibers. The stretch-induced increase in sarcomere length was found to be taken up by the extension of the H zone and the I band, whereas the amount of overlap between the thick and thin filaments did not change appreciably with stretches of 10-20%. The thick filament extension in the H zone was localized in the bare regions, whereas the thin filament extension in the I band appeared to take place uniformly along the filament length. No marked increase in the Z-line width was observed even with stretches of 20-30%. These results clearly demonstrate the extensibility of the thick and thin filaments. The possible contribution of the myofilament compliance to the series elastic component (SEC) in vertebrate skeletal muscle fibers is discussed on the basis of the electron microscopic data and the force-extension curve of the SEC in rigor fibers. PMID:6682885

Human-rated Safety Certification of a High Voltage Robonaut Lithium-ion Battery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeevarajan, Judith; Yayathi, S.; Johnson, M.; Waligora, T.; Verdeyen, W.

2013-01-01

NASA's rigorous certification process is being followed for the R2 high voltage battery program for use of R2 on International Space Station (ISS). Rigorous development testing at appropriate levels to credible off-nominal conditions and review of test data led to design improvements for safety at the virtual cell, cartridge and battery levels. Tests were carried out at all levels to confirm that both hardware and software controls work. Stringent flight acceptance testing of the flight battery will be completed before launch for mission use on ISS.

Building Bridges to a Brighter Tomorrow: A Systematic Evidence Review of Interventions That Prepare Adolescents for Adulthood.

PubMed

Burrus, Barri B; Krieger, Kathleen; Rutledge, Regina; Rabre, Alexander; Axelson, Sarah; Miller, Audra; White, LeBretia; Jackson, Christine

2018-02-01

Data suggest that adverse social determinants during adolescence can set in motion a lifetime of poor social and health outcomes. Vulnerable youths are at particularly high risk in this regard. To identify and assess the current evidence base for adolescent-focused interventions designed to influence adulthood preparation that could affect longer-term social determinants. Using a systematic review methodology, we conducted an initial assessment of intervention evaluations targeting 6 adulthood preparation subject (APS) areas to assess the quality and character of the evidence base. The review is specific to evaluated interventions that address at least 1 of the 6 APS areas: healthy relationships, adolescent development, financial literacy, parent-child communication, educational and career success, and healthy life skills. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) published in English in an independent, peer-reviewed journal; (2) conducted in developed, English-speaking countries; (3) implemented an intervention that addressed at least 1 of the 6 APS areas, delivered in an in-person setting; (4) included youths at the 5th- through 12th-grade levels or aged 10 to 18 years at some point during intervention implementation; (5) included an evaluation component with a comparison group and baseline and follow-up measures; (6) included behavioral measures as outcomes; and (7) reported statistical significance levels for the behavioral outcome measures. We developed an abstraction form to capture details from each article, including key details of the intervention, such as services, implementer characteristics, and timing; adulthood preparation foci; evaluation design, methods, and key behavioral measures; and results, including key statistically significant results for behavior-based outcome measures. We assessed study quality by using several key factors, including randomization, baseline equivalence of treatment and control groups, attrition, and confounding factors. We characterized the quality of evidence as high, moderate, or low on the basis of the described design and execution of the research. Our assessment included only information stated explicitly in the manuscript. A total of 36 independent intervention evaluations met the criteria for inclusion. Of these, 27 (75%) included significant findings for behavioral outcomes related to adulthood preparation. Quality was mixed across studies. Of the 36 studies reviewed, 27 used a randomized controlled design (15 group randomization, 12 individual randomization), whereas the others used observational pre-post designs. Ten studies used mixed-methods approaches. Most (n = 32) studies used self-report questionnaires at baseline with a follow-up questionnaire, and 14 studies included multiple follow-up points. Of the studies reviewed, 7 studies received a high-quality rating, indicating no significant issues identified within our quality criteria. We rated 23 studies as moderate quality, indicating methodological challenges within 1 of the quality criteria categories. The most common reasons studies were down-rated were poor baseline equivalency across treatment groups (or no discussion of baseline equivalency) and high levels of attrition. Finally, 6 studies received a low-quality rating because of methodological challenges across multiple quality domains. The studies broadly represented the APS areas. We identified no systematic differences in study quality across the APS areas. Although some of the intervention results indicate behavioral changes that may be linked to adulthood preparation skills, many of the extant findings are derived from moderate- or poor-quality studies. Additional work is needed to build the evidence base by using methodologically rigorous implementation and evaluation designs and execution. Public Health Implications. Interventions designed to help adolescents better prepare for adulthood may have the potential to affect their longer-term social determinants of health and well-being. More theory-driven approaches and rigorously evaluated interventions could strengthen the evidence base and improve the effectiveness of these adulthood preparation interventions.

Building Bridges to a Brighter Tomorrow: A Systematic Evidence Review of Interventions That Prepare Adolescents for Adulthood

PubMed Central

Krieger, Kathleen; Rutledge, Regina; Rabre, Alexander; Axelson, Sarah; Miller, Audra; White, LeBretia; Jackson, Christine

2018-01-01

Background. Data suggest that adverse social determinants during adolescence can set in motion a lifetime of poor social and health outcomes. Vulnerable youths are at particularly high risk in this regard. Objectives. To identify and assess the current evidence base for adolescent-focused interventions designed to influence adulthood preparation that could affect longer-term social determinants. Search Methods. Using a systematic review methodology, we conducted an initial assessment of intervention evaluations targeting 6 adulthood preparation subject (APS) areas to assess the quality and character of the evidence base. The review is specific to evaluated interventions that address at least 1 of the 6 APS areas: healthy relationships, adolescent development, financial literacy, parent–child communication, educational and career success, and healthy life skills. Selection Criteria. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) published in English in an independent, peer-reviewed journal; (2) conducted in developed, English-speaking countries; (3) implemented an intervention that addressed at least 1 of the 6 APS areas, delivered in an in-person setting; (4) included youths at the 5th- through 12th-grade levels or aged 10 to 18 years at some point during intervention implementation; (5) included an evaluation component with a comparison group and baseline and follow-up measures; (6) included behavioral measures as outcomes; and (7) reported statistical significance levels for the behavioral outcome measures. Data Collection and Analysis. We developed an abstraction form to capture details from each article, including key details of the intervention, such as services, implementer characteristics, and timing; adulthood preparation foci; evaluation design, methods, and key behavioral measures; and results, including key statistically significant results for behavior-based outcome measures. We assessed study quality by using several key factors, including randomization, baseline equivalence of treatment and control groups, attrition, and confounding factors. We characterized the quality of evidence as high, moderate, or low on the basis of the described design and execution of the research. Our assessment included only information stated explicitly in the manuscript. Main Results. A total of 36 independent intervention evaluations met the criteria for inclusion. Of these, 27 (75%) included significant findings for behavioral outcomes related to adulthood preparation. Quality was mixed across studies. Of the 36 studies reviewed, 27 used a randomized controlled design (15 group randomization, 12 individual randomization), whereas the others used observational pre–post designs. Ten studies used mixed-methods approaches. Most (n = 32) studies used self-report questionnaires at baseline with a follow-up questionnaire, and 14 studies included multiple follow-up points. Of the studies reviewed, 7 studies received a high-quality rating, indicating no significant issues identified within our quality criteria. We rated 23 studies as moderate quality, indicating methodological challenges within 1 of the quality criteria categories. The most common reasons studies were down-rated were poor baseline equivalency across treatment groups (or no discussion of baseline equivalency) and high levels of attrition. Finally, 6 studies received a low-quality rating because of methodological challenges across multiple quality domains. The studies broadly represented the APS areas. We identified no systematic differences in study quality across the APS areas. Author’s Conclusions. Although some of the intervention results indicate behavioral changes that may be linked to adulthood preparation skills, many of the extant findings are derived from moderate- or poor-quality studies. Additional work is needed to build the evidence base by using methodologically rigorous implementation and evaluation designs and execution. Public Health Implications. Interventions designed to help adolescents better prepare for adulthood may have the potential to affect their longer-term social determinants of health and well-being. More theory-driven approaches and rigorously evaluated interventions could strengthen the evidence base and improve the effectiveness of these adulthood preparation interventions. PMID:29443561

Extinction coefficients and purity of single-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Zhao, B; Itkis, M E; Niyogi, S; Hu, H; Perea, D E; Haddon, R C

2004-11-01

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) hold great promise for advanced applications in aerospace, electronics and medicine, yet these industries require materials with rigorous quality control. There are currently no accepted standards for quality assurance or quality control among the commercial suppliers of SWNTs. We briefly discuss the applicability of various techniques to measure SWNT purity and review, in detail, the advantages of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for the quantitative assessment of the bulk carbonaceous purity of SWNTs. We review the use of solution phase NIR spectroscopy for the analysis and characterization of a variety of carbon materials, emphasizing SWNTs produced by the electric arc (EA), laser oven (LO) and HiPco (HC) methods. We consider the applicability of Beer's law to carbon materials dispersed in dimethylformamide (DMF) and the effective extinction coefficients that are obtained from such dispersions. Analysis of the areal absorptivities of the second interband transition of semiconducting EA-produced SWNTs for a number of samples of differing purities has lead to an absolute molar extinction coefficient for the carbonaceous impurities in EA-produced SWNT samples. We conclude that NIR spectroscopy is the clear method of choice for the assessment of the bulk carbonaceous purity of EA-produced SWNTs, and we suggest that an absolute determination of the purity of SWNTs is within reach. Continued work in this area is expected to lead to a universal method for the assessment of the absolute bulk purity of SWNTs from all sources--such a development will be of great importance for nanotube science and for future customers for this product.

Using Small-Scale Randomized Controlled Trials to Evaluate the Efficacy of New Curricular Materials

PubMed Central

Bass, Kristin M.; Stark, Louisa A.

2014-01-01

How can researchers in K–12 contexts stay true to the principles of rigorous evaluation designs within the constraints of classroom settings and limited funding? This paper explores this question by presenting a small-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to test the efficacy of curricular supplemental materials on epigenetics. The researchers asked whether the curricular materials improved students’ understanding of the content more than an alternative set of activities. The field test was conducted in a diverse public high school setting with 145 students who were randomly assigned to a treatment or comparison condition. Findings indicate that students in the treatment condition scored significantly higher on the posttest than did students in the comparison group (effect size: Cohen's d = 0.40). The paper discusses the strengths and limitations of the RCT, the contextual factors that influenced its enactment, and recommendations for others wishing to conduct small-scale rigorous evaluations in educational settings. Our intention is for this paper to serve as a case study for university science faculty members who wish to employ scientifically rigorous evaluations in K–12 settings while limiting the scope and budget of their work. PMID:25452482

Upgrading geometry conceptual understanding and strategic competence through implementing rigorous mathematical thinking (RMT)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nugraheni, Z.; Budiyono, B.; Slamet, I.

2018-03-01

To reach higher order thinking skill, needed to be mastered the conceptual understanding and strategic competence as they are two basic parts of high order thinking skill (HOTS). RMT is a unique realization of the cognitive conceptual construction approach based on Feurstein with his theory of Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. This was quasi-experimental research which compared the experimental class that was given Rigorous Mathematical Thinking (RMT) as learning method and the control class that was given Direct Learning (DL) as the conventional learning activity. This study examined whether there was different effect of two learning model toward conceptual understanding and strategic competence of Junior High School Students. The data was analyzed by using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and obtained a significant difference between experimental and control class when considered jointly on the mathematics conceptual understanding and strategic competence (shown by Wilk’s Λ = 0.84). Further, by independent t-test is known that there was significant difference between two classes both on mathematical conceptual understanding and strategic competence. By this result is known that Rigorous Mathematical Thinking (RMT) had positive impact toward Mathematics conceptual understanding and strategic competence.

Tools for observational gait analysis in patients with stroke: a systematic review.

PubMed

Ferrarello, Francesco; Bianchi, Valeria Anna Maria; Baccini, Marco; Rubbieri, Gaia; Mossello, Enrico; Cavallini, Maria Chiara; Marchionni, Niccolò; Di Bari, Mauro

2013-12-01

Stroke severely affects walking ability, and assessment of gait kinematics is important in defining diagnosis, planning treatment, and evaluating interventions in stroke rehabilitation. Although observational gait analysis is the most common approach to evaluate gait kinematics, tools useful for this purpose have received little attention in the scientific literature and have not been thoroughly reviewed. The aims of this systematic review were to identify tools proposed to conduct observational gait analysis in adults with a stroke, to summarize evidence concerning their quality, and to assess their implementation in rehabilitation research and clinical practice. An extensive search was performed of original articles reporting on visual/observational tools developed to investigate gait kinematics in adults with a stroke. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data, assessed quality of the included studies, and scored the metric properties and clinical utility of each tool. Rigor in reporting metric properties and dissemination of the tools also was evaluated. Five tools were identified, not all of which had been tested adequately for their metric properties. Evaluation of content validity was partially satisfactory. Reliability was poorly investigated in all but one tool. Concurrent validity and sensitivity to change were shown for 3 and 2 tools, respectively. Overall, adequate levels of quality were rarely reached. The dissemination of the tools was poor. Based on critical appraisal, the Gait Assessment and Intervention Tool shows a good level of quality, and its use in stroke rehabilitation is recommended. Rigorous studies are needed for the other tools in order to establish their usefulness.

Practice Guideline Recommendations on Perioperative Fasting: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Lambert, Eva; Carey, Sharon

2016-11-01

Traditionally, perioperative fasting consisted of being nil by mouth (NBM) from midnight before surgery and fasting postoperatively until recovery of bowel function. These outdated practices persist despite emerging evidence revealing that excessive fasting results in negative outcomes and delayed recovery. Various evidence-based, multimodal, enhanced recovery protocols incorporating minimized perioperative fasting have arisen to improve patient outcomes and streamline recovery, but implementation remains limited. This article aims to review current fasting guidelines, assess their quality, summarize relevant recommendations, and identify gaps in evidence. A systematic literature search of Medline and CINAHL and a manual search of relevant websites identified guidelines containing suitable grading systems and fasting recommendations. Guideline quality was assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) tool. Grading systems were standardized to the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition format and recommendations summarized based on grading and guideline quality. Nineteen guidelines were included. Rigor of development scores ranged from 29%-95%, with only 8 guidelines explicitly declaring the use of systematic methodology. Applicability scores were lowest, averaging 32%. Ten recommendation types were extracted and summarized. Strong and consistent evidence exists for the minimization of perioperative fasting, for a 2-hour preoperative fast after clear fluids, and for early recommencement of oral food and fluid intake postoperatively. This article presents several high-level recommendations ready for immediate implementation, while poorly graded and inconsistent recommendations reveal key areas for future research. Meanwhile, guideline quality requires improvement, especially regarding rigor of development and applicability, through systematic methodology, reporting transparency, and implementation strategies. © 2015 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

The dialysis outcomes quality initiative: history, impact, and prospects.

PubMed

Eknoyan, G; Levin, N W; Steinberg, E P

2000-04-01

Rigorously developed clinical practice guidelines have the potential to improve patient outcomes. It is toward that end that the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) launched in March 1995 the Dialysis Outcome Quality Initiative (DOQI), an ambitious effort to develop evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the care of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Independent, interdisciplinary work groups conducted a structured review of the content and methodologic rigor of all the published literature pertinent to four selected topics: hemodialysis adequacy, peritoneal dialysis adequacy, vascular access, and anemia. Following expert, organizational, and public review, the guidelines were issued in September and October 1997. An implementation plan that called for widespread dissemination of the guidelines and facilitation of adoption of them has resulted in their broad acceptance and Integration into quality improvement efforts. Additional guidelines on nutrition have recently been completed, while others on bone disease, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia are in various stages of planning or development. A major determinant of poor outcome of maintenance dialysis patients is the debilitated state of many individuals with ESRD at the time that they commence dialysis therapy. The recognition of this problem has stimulated an interest in extending the guidelines to management of patients with less severe renal insufficiency, well before they need renal replacement therapy; and to the early detection of renal insufficiency by a proteinuria and albuminuria risk assessment, detection, and elimination (PARADE) program. What started as an initiative to improve the quality of care of dialysis patients has evolved into a considerably expanded effort to making lives better for all individuals with any level of renal insufficiency.

Clinical efficacy and effectiveness of 3D printing: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Diment, Laura E; Thompson, Mark S; Bergmann, Jeroen H M

2017-01-01

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and effectiveness of using 3D printing to develop medical devices across all medical fields. Design Systematic review compliant with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Data sources PubMed, Web of Science, OVID, IEEE Xplore and Google Scholar. Methods A double-blinded review method was used to select all abstracts up to January 2017 that reported on clinical trials of a three-dimensional (3D)-printed medical device. The studies were ranked according to their level of evidence, divided into medical fields based on the International Classification of Diseases chapter divisions and categorised into whether they were used for preoperative planning, aiding surgery or therapy. The Downs and Black Quality Index critical appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of reporting, external validity, risk of bias, risk of confounding and power of each study. Results Of the 3084 abstracts screened, 350 studies met the inclusion criteria. Oral and maxillofacial surgery contained 58.3% of studies, and 23.7% covered the musculoskeletal system. Only 21 studies were randomised controlled trials (RCTs), and all fitted within these two fields. The majority of RCTs were 3D-printed anatomical models for preoperative planning and guides for aiding surgery. The main benefits of these devices were decreased surgical operation times and increased surgical accuracy. Conclusions All medical fields that assessed 3D-printed devices concluded that they were clinically effective. The fields that most rigorously assessed 3D-printed devices were oral and maxillofacial surgery and the musculoskeletal system, both of which concluded that the 3D-printed devices outperformed their conventional comparators. However, the efficacy and effectiveness of 3D-printed devices remain undetermined for the majority of medical fields. 3D-printed devices can play an important role in healthcare, but more rigorous and long-term assessments are needed to determine if 3D-printed devices are clinically relevant before they become part of standard clinical practice. PMID:29273650

The Challenge of Timely, Responsive and Rigorous Ethics Review of Disaster Research: Views of Research Ethics Committee Members.

PubMed

Hunt, Matthew; Tansey, Catherine M; Anderson, James; Boulanger, Renaud F; Eckenwiler, Lisa; Pringle, John; Schwartz, Lisa

2016-01-01

Research conducted following natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods or hurricanes is crucial for improving relief interventions. Such research, however, poses ethical, methodological and logistical challenges for researchers. Oversight of disaster research also poses challenges for research ethics committees (RECs), in part due to the rapid turnaround needed to initiate research after a disaster. Currently, there is limited knowledge available about how RECs respond to and appraise disaster research. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the experiences of REC members who had reviewed disaster research conducted in low- or middle-income countries. We used interpretive description methodology and conducted in-depth interviews with 15 respondents. Respondents were chairs, members, advisors, or coordinators from 13 RECs, including RECs affiliated with universities, governments, international organizations, a for-profit REC, and an ad hoc committee established during a disaster. Interviews were analyzed inductively using constant comparative techniques. Through this process, three elements were identified as characterizing effective and high-quality review: timeliness, responsiveness and rigorousness. To ensure timeliness, many RECs rely on adaptations of review procedures for urgent protocols. Respondents emphasized that responsive review requires awareness of and sensitivity to the particularities of disaster settings and disaster research. Rigorous review was linked with providing careful assessment of ethical considerations related to the research, as well as ensuring independence of the review process. Both the frequency of disasters and the conduct of disaster research are on the rise. Ensuring effective and high quality review of disaster research is crucial, yet challenges, including time pressures for urgent protocols, exist for achieving this goal. Adapting standard REC procedures may be necessary. However, steps should be taken to ensure that ethics review of disaster research remains diligent and thorough.

The Challenge of Timely, Responsive and Rigorous Ethics Review of Disaster Research: Views of Research Ethics Committee Members

PubMed Central

Hunt, Matthew; Tansey, Catherine M.

2016-01-01

Background Research conducted following natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods or hurricanes is crucial for improving relief interventions. Such research, however, poses ethical, methodological and logistical challenges for researchers. Oversight of disaster research also poses challenges for research ethics committees (RECs), in part due to the rapid turnaround needed to initiate research after a disaster. Currently, there is limited knowledge available about how RECs respond to and appraise disaster research. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the experiences of REC members who had reviewed disaster research conducted in low- or middle-income countries. Methods We used interpretive description methodology and conducted in-depth interviews with 15 respondents. Respondents were chairs, members, advisors, or coordinators from 13 RECs, including RECs affiliated with universities, governments, international organizations, a for-profit REC, and an ad hoc committee established during a disaster. Interviews were analyzed inductively using constant comparative techniques. Results Through this process, three elements were identified as characterizing effective and high-quality review: timeliness, responsiveness and rigorousness. To ensure timeliness, many RECs rely on adaptations of review procedures for urgent protocols. Respondents emphasized that responsive review requires awareness of and sensitivity to the particularities of disaster settings and disaster research. Rigorous review was linked with providing careful assessment of ethical considerations related to the research, as well as ensuring independence of the review process. Conclusion Both the frequency of disasters and the conduct of disaster research are on the rise. Ensuring effective and high quality review of disaster research is crucial, yet challenges, including time pressures for urgent protocols, exist for achieving this goal. Adapting standard REC procedures may be necessary. However, steps should be taken to ensure that ethics review of disaster research remains diligent and thorough. PMID:27327165

Toward the Development of a Program Quality Framework for Career and Technical Education Programs: A Researcher-Practitioner Collaborative Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brodersen, R. Marc; Yanoski, David; Hyslop, Alisha; Imperatore, Catherine

2016-01-01

Career and technical education (CTE) programs of study are subject to rigorous state and federal accountability systems that provide information on key student outcomes. However, while these outcome measures can form a basis for identifying high- and low-performing programs, they are insufficient for answering underlying questions about how or why…

Evaluation of Delaware Stars for Early Success: Year 1 Report. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwartz, Heather L.; Karoly, Lynn A.; Le, Vi-Nhuan; Tamargo, Jennifer; Setodji, Claude Messan

2014-01-01

Delaware was in the first group of states to receive a federal grant in 2012 to improve early care and education services and increase the number of infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children in high-quality programs. One component of the state's grant is a rigorous validation process for Delaware Stars for Early Success, a voluntary quality…

An Exploration of the Characteristics of Public Relations in Regards to Face-to-Face versus Distance Learning in Two Private Liberal Arts Higher Education Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winslow, Cessna Catherine Smith

2014-01-01

This study explored perceptions of Public Relations (PR) among graduate higher education publics regarding distance learning as contrasted with face-to-face learning contexts. The research questions assessed student, faculty and administrator perceptions of characteristics of PR: trust, communication, quality, respect and rigor. Participants…

Evaluation of Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) Professional Development. Final Report. NCEE 2012-4005

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bos, Johannes M.; Sanchez, Raquel C.; Tseng, Fannie; Rayyes, Nada; Ortiz, Lorena; Sinicrope, Castle

2012-01-01

To add to the evidence base on effective strategies for teaching English language learner students, the 2006-2011 REL West at WestEd conducted a rigorous study, using an intent-to-treat model, of the impact on middle grades student achievement of offering teachers the opportunity to participate in a teacher professional development program. The…

Principals in the Pipeline: Districts Construct a Framework to Develop School Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendels, Pamela

2012-01-01

A diverse school district hugging the eastern border of Washington, D.C., Prince George's County, has introduced rigorous hiring methods and other practices to boost the quality of leadership in its 198 schools. In so doing, the district has also earned a spot among the pioneers in efforts nationally to ensure that public schools are led by the…

Intratheater Airlift Functional Needs Analysis (FNA)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

information on reprint and linking permissions, please see RAND Permissions. Skip all front matter: Jump to Page 16 The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit...facing the public and private sectors. All RAND mono- graphs undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and...personnel. xii Intratheater Airlift Functional Needs Analysis all operating environments. The FNA assesses the ability of current assets to

Simulating Alternative Approaches to Addressing Fiscal Resource Tensions and Quality in U.S. Public Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roebber, Paul J.; Meadows, G. Richard

2012-01-01

Severe fiscal tensions threaten U.S. public higher education. Many policy solutions have been suggested, but it is difficult to subject these qualitative ideas to rigorous empirical evaluation. In this work, we employ an agent-based model of a representative state-funded public university system (including a flagship campus, an urban campus, and…

Validation of a 30-year-old process for the manufacture of L-asparaginase from Erwinia chrysanthemi.

PubMed

Gervais, David; Allison, Nigel; Jennings, Alan; Jones, Shane; Marks, Trevor

2013-04-01

A 30-year-old manufacturing process for the biologic product L-asparaginase from the plant pathogen Erwinia chrysanthemi was rigorously qualified and validated, with a high level of agreement between validation data and the 6-year process database. L-Asparaginase exists in its native state as a tetrameric protein and is used as a chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment regimen for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL). The manufacturing process involves fermentation of the production organism, extraction and purification of the L-asparaginase to make drug substance (DS), and finally formulation and lyophilisation to generate drug product (DP). The extensive manufacturing experience with the product was used to establish ranges for all process parameters and product quality attributes. The product and in-process intermediates were rigorously characterised, and new assays, such as size-exclusion and reversed-phase UPLC, were developed, validated, and used to analyse several pre-validation batches. Finally, three prospective process validation batches were manufactured and product quality data generated using both the existing and the new analytical methods. These data demonstrated the process to be robust, highly reproducible and consistent, and the validation was successful, contributing to the granting of an FDA product license in November, 2011.

Developing inter-professional learning: tactics, teamwork and talk.

PubMed

Begley, Cecily M

2009-04-01

Teamwork and collaboration between all health professionals results in high quality clinical care, and increased job satisfaction for staff. Encouraging inter-professional learning (IPL) may be advantageous in developing more effective teams. There is little rigorous research in this area, but many small uncontrolled studies do demonstrate positive results. IPL involves structured learning opportunities that enhance problem-solving abilities and conflict resolution. It should be clearly differentiated from shared teaching (or multidisciplinary/multiprofessional learning), where common content is taught to many professions without any intention to develop interaction. To counteract the sometimes negative attitudes in both students and staff, educators need to commence IPL early in the programme, base it in both theoretical and clinical placements and ensure that it is valued and assessed. Difficulties with timetabling and accommodation need to be solved prior to commencement. A facilitator should be employed, and a team of committed lecturers developed, with an emphasis on teamwork and the discouragement of individualism. Opportunities for student interaction and ways of improving group dynamics within non-threatening learning environments should to be sought, and instances of conflict embraced and resolved. Future IPL programmes should be rigorously evaluated and may demonstrate enhanced inter-professional relationships and improved quality of patient/client care.

Systematic review on randomized controlled trials of coronary heart disease complicated with depression treated with Chinese herbal medicines.

PubMed

Wang, An-Lu; Chen, Zhuo; Luo, Jing; Shang, Qing-Hua; Xu, Hao

2016-01-01

This systemic review evaluated the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) complicated with depression. All databases were retrieved till September 30, 2014. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing CHMs with placebo or conventional Western medicine were retrieved. Data extraction, analyses and quality assessment were performed according to the Cochrane standards. RevMan 5.3 was used to synthesize the results. Thirteen RCTs enrolling 1,095 patients were included. Subgroup analysis was used to assess data. In reducing the degree of depression, CHMs showed no statistic difference in the 4th week [mean difference (MD)=-1.06; 95% confidence interval (CI)-2.38 to 0.26; n=501; I(2)=73%], but it was associated with a statistically significant difference in the 8th week (MD=-1.00; 95% CI-1.64 to-0.36; n=436; I(2)=48%). Meanwhile, the combination therapy (CHMs together with antidepressants) showed significant statistic differences both in the 4th week (MD=-1.99; 95% CI-3.80 to-0.18; n=90) and in the 8th week (MD=-5.61; 95% CI-6.26 to-4.97; n=242; I(2)=87%). In CHD-related clinical evaluation, 3 trials reported the intervention group was superior to the control group. Four trials showed adverse events in the intervention group was less than that in the control group. CHMs showed potentially benefits on patients with CHD complicated with depression. Moreover, the effect of CHMs may be similar to or better than antidepressant in certain fields but with less side effects. However, because of small sample size and potential bias of most trials, this result should be interpreted with caution. More rigorous trials with larger sample size and higher quality are warranted to give high quality of evidence to support the use of CHMs for CHD complicated with depression.

Closed loop statistical performance analysis of N-K knock controllers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peyton Jones, James C.; Shayestehmanesh, Saeed; Frey, Jesse

2017-09-01

The closed loop performance of engine knock controllers cannot be rigorously assessed from single experiments or simulations because knock behaves as a random process and therefore the response belongs to a random distribution also. In this work a new method is proposed for computing the distributions and expected values of the closed loop response, both in steady state and in response to disturbances. The method takes as its input the control law, and the knock propensity characteristic of the engine which is mapped from open loop steady state tests. The method is applicable to the 'n-k' class of knock controllers in which the control action is a function only of the number of cycles n since the last control move, and the number k of knock events that have occurred in this time. A Cumulative Summation (CumSum) based controller falls within this category, and the method is used to investigate the performance of the controller in a deeper and more rigorous way than has previously been possible. The results are validated using onerous Monte Carlo simulations, which confirm both the validity of the method and its high computational efficiency.

Thresholds of Toxicological Concern for cosmetics-related substances: New database, thresholds, and enrichment of chemical space.

PubMed

Yang, Chihae; Barlow, Susan M; Muldoon Jacobs, Kristi L; Vitcheva, Vessela; Boobis, Alan R; Felter, Susan P; Arvidson, Kirk B; Keller, Detlef; Cronin, Mark T D; Enoch, Steven; Worth, Andrew; Hollnagel, Heli M

2017-11-01

A new dataset of cosmetics-related chemicals for the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) approach has been compiled, comprising 552 chemicals with 219, 40, and 293 chemicals in Cramer Classes I, II, and III, respectively. Data were integrated and curated to create a database of No-/Lowest-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level (NOAEL/LOAEL) values, from which the final COSMOS TTC dataset was developed. Criteria for study inclusion and NOAEL decisions were defined, and rigorous quality control was performed for study details and assignment of Cramer classes. From the final COSMOS TTC dataset, human exposure thresholds of 42 and 7.9 μg/kg-bw/day were derived for Cramer Classes I and III, respectively. The size of Cramer Class II was insufficient for derivation of a TTC value. The COSMOS TTC dataset was then federated with the dataset of Munro and colleagues, previously published in 1996, after updating the latter using the quality control processes for this project. This federated dataset expands the chemical space and provides more robust thresholds. The 966 substances in the federated database comprise 245, 49 and 672 chemicals in Cramer Classes I, II and III, respectively. The corresponding TTC values of 46, 6.2 and 2.3 μg/kg-bw/day are broadly similar to those of the original Munro dataset. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

High and low neurobehavior disinhibition clusters within locales: implications for community efforts to prevent substance use disorder.

PubMed

Ridenour, Ty A; Reynolds, Maureen; Ahlqvist, Ola; Zhai, Zu Wei; Kirisci, Levent; Vanyukov, Michael M; Tarter, Ralph E

2013-05-01

Knowledge of where substance use and other such behavioral problems frequently occur has aided policing, public health, and urban planning strategies to reduce such behaviors. Identifying locales characterized by high childhood neurobehavioral disinhibition (ND), a strong predictor of substance use and consequent disorder (SUD), may likewise improve prevention efforts. The distribution of ND in 10-12-year olds was mapped to metropolitan Pittsburgh, PA, and tested for clustering within locales. The 738 participating families represented the population in terms of economic status, race, and population distribution. ND was measured using indicators of executive cognitive function, emotion regulation, and behavior control. Innovative geospatial analyzes statistically tested clustering of ND within locales while accounting for geographic barriers (large rivers, major highways), parental SUD severity, and neighborhood quality. Clustering of youth with high and low ND occurred in specific locales. Accounting for geographic barriers better delineated where high ND is concentrated, areas which also tended to be characterized by greater parental SUD severity and poorer neighborhood quality. Offering programs that have been demonstrated to improve inhibitory control in locales where youth have high ND on average may reduce youth risk for SUD and other problem behaviors. As demonstrated by the present results, geospatial analysis of youth risk factors, frequently used in community coalition strategies, may be improved with greater statistical and measurement rigor.

When Spreadsheets Become Software - Quality Control Challenges and Approaches - 13360

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

Fountain, Stefanie A.; Chen, Emmie G.; Beech, John F.

2013-07-01

As part of a preliminary waste acceptance criteria (PWAC) development, several commercial models were employed, including the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance model (HELP) [1], the Disposal Unit Source Term - Multiple Species model (DUSTMS) [2], and the Analytical Transient One, Two, and Three-Dimensional model (AT123D) [3]. The results of these models were post-processed in MS Excel spreadsheets to convert the model results to alternate units, compare the groundwater concentrations to the groundwater concentration thresholds, and then to adjust the waste contaminant masses (based on average concentration over the waste volume) as needed in an attempt to achieve groundwater concentrationsmore » at the limiting point of assessment that would meet the compliance concentrations while maximizing the potential use of the landfill (i.e., maximizing the volume of projected waste being generated that could be placed in the landfill). During the course of the PWAC calculation development, one of the Microsoft (MS) Excel spreadsheets used to post-process the results of the commercial model packages grew to include more than 575,000 formulas across 18 worksheets. This spreadsheet was used to assess six base scenarios as well as nine uncertainty/sensitivity scenarios. The complexity of the spreadsheet resulted in the need for a rigorous quality control (QC) procedure to verify data entry and confirm the accuracy of formulas. (authors)« less

Linking trading ratio with TMDL (total maximum daily load) allocation matrix and uncertainty analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, H X

2008-01-01

An innovative approach for total maximum daily load (TMDL) allocation and implementation is the watershed-based pollutant trading. Given the inherent scientific uncertainty for the tradeoffs between point and nonpoint sources, setting of trading ratios can be a contentious issue and was already listed as an obstacle by several pollutant trading programs. One of the fundamental reasons that a trading ratio is often set higher (e.g. greater than 2) is to allow for uncertainty in the level of control needed to attain water quality standards, and to provide a buffer in case traded reductions are less effective than expected. However, most of the available studies did not provide an approach to explicitly address the determination of trading ratio. Uncertainty analysis has rarely been linked to determination of trading ratio.This paper presents a practical methodology in estimating "equivalent trading ratio (ETR)" and links uncertainty analysis with trading ratio determination from TMDL allocation process. Determination of ETR can provide a preliminary evaluation of "tradeoffs" between various combination of point and nonpoint source control strategies on ambient water quality improvement. A greater portion of NPS load reduction in overall TMDL load reduction generally correlates with greater uncertainty and thus requires greater trading ratio. The rigorous quantification of trading ratio will enhance the scientific basis and thus public perception for more informed decision in overall watershed-based pollutant trading program. (c) IWA Publishing 2008.

Methodological quality and scientific impact of quantitative nursing education research over 18 months.

PubMed

Yucha, Carolyn B; Schneider, Barbara St Pierre; Smyer, Tish; Kowalski, Susan; Stowers, Eva

2011-01-01

The methodological quality of nursing education research has not been rigorously studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the methodological quality and scientific impact of nursing education research reports. The methodological quality of 133 quantitative nursing education research articles published between July 2006 and December 2007 was evaluated using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI).The mean (+/- SD) MERSQI score was 9.8 +/- 2.2. It correlated (p < .05) with several scientific impact indicators: citation counts from Scopus (r = .223), Google Scholar (r = .224), and journal impact factor (r = .216); it was not associated with Web of Science citation count, funding, or h Index. The similarities between this study's MERSQI ratings for nursing literature and those reported for the medical literature, coupled with the association with citation counts, suggest that the MERSQI is an appropriate instrument to evaluate the quality of nursing education research.

National Ignition Facility quality assurance program plan revision 2

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

Wolfe, C R

1998-06-01

NIF Project activities will be conducted in a manner consistent with the guidance and direction of the DOE Order on Quality Assurance (414.1), the LLNL QA Program, and the Laser Directorate QA Plan. Quality assurance criteria will be applied in a graded manner to achieve a balance between the rigor of application of QA measures and the scale, cost, and complexity of the work involved. Accountability for quality is everyone's, extending from the Project Manager through established lines of authority to all Project personnel, who are responsible for the requisite quality of their own work. The NLF QA Program willmore » be implemented by personnel conducting their activities to meet requirements and expectations, according to established plans and procedures that reflect the way business is to be conducted on the Project.« less

Jianpi Bushen, a Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy, Combined with Chemotherapy for Gastric Cancer Treatment: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

PubMed Central

Chen, Yunbo; Zhang, Guijuan; Chen, Xiaoping; Jiang, Xuefeng; Yuan, Naijun; Wang, Yurong; Hao, Xiaoqian

2018-01-01

Objective. To investigate the effects of Jianpi Bushen (JPBS), a traditional Chinese medicine that is used to invigorate the spleen and tonify the kidney, combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of gastric cancer. Methods. Literature retrieval was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, CNKI, Wanfang Data Information Site, and VIP from inception to October 2017. Randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effects of JPBS combined with chemotherapy were identified. The primary reported outcomes were KPS (Karnofsky Performance Status), clinical curative efficiency, immune function, blood system, and nonhematologic system. Review Manager 5.3 (RevMan 5.3) was used for data analysis, and the quality of the studies was also appraised. Results. A total of 26 studies were included with 3098 individuals. The results of the meta-analysis indicated that treatment of gastric cancer with the combination of JPBS and chemotherapy resulted in better outcomes compared to chemotherapy alone. Conclusion. Evidence from the meta-analysis suggested that JPBS combined with chemotherapy has a positive effect on gastric cancer treatment. However, additional rigorously designed and large sample randomized controlled trials are required to confirm the efficacy and safety of this treatment. PMID:29675052

Developmental engineering: a new paradigm for the design and manufacturing of cell-based products. Part I: from three-dimensional cell growth to biomimetics of in vivo development.

PubMed

Lenas, Petros; Moos, Malcolm; Luyten, Frank P

2009-12-01

Recent advances in developmental biology, systems biology, and network science are converging to poise the heretofore largely empirical field of tissue engineering on the brink of a metamorphosis into a rigorous discipline based on universally accepted engineering principles of quality by design. Failure of more simplistic approaches to the manufacture of cell-based therapies has led to increasing appreciation of the need to imitate, at least to some degree, natural mechanisms that control cell fate and differentiation. The identification of many of these mechanisms, which in general are based on cell signaling pathways, is an important step in this direction. Some well-accepted empirical concepts of developmental biology, such as path-dependence, robustness, modularity, and semiautonomy of intermediate tissue forms, that appear sequentially during tissue development are starting to be incorporated in process design.

What's Measured Is Not Necessarily What Matters: A Cautionary Story from Public Health

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Robert

2016-01-01

A systematic review of the introduction and use of outcome-based performance management systems for public health organizations found differences between their use as a management system (which requires rigorous definition and measurement to allow comparison across organizational units) versus for improvement (which may require more flexibility). What is included in performance measurement/management systems is influenced by ease of measurement, data quality, ability of organization to control outcomes, ability to measure success in terms of doing things (rather than preventing things) and what is already happening. To the extent that most providers wish to do a good job, the availability of good data to enable benchmarking and improvement is an important step forward. However, to the extent that the health of a population is dependent on multiple factors, many beyond the mandate of the health system, too extensive a reliance on performance measurement may risk unintended consequences of marginalizing critical activities. PMID:28032824

Using Data to Effectively Manage a National Screening Program

PubMed Central

Yancy, Brandie; Royalty, Janet E.; Marroulis, Steve; Mattingly, Cindy; Benard, Vicki B.; DeGroff, Amy

2015-01-01

The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is implemented through cooperative agreements with state health departments, US territories, and tribal health organizations (grantees). Grantees typically contract with clinicians and other providers to deliver breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services. As required by the CDC, grantees report biannually a subset of patient and clinical level program data known as the Minimum Data Elements. Rigorous processes are in place to ensure the completeness and quality of program data collection. In this article, the authors describe the NBCCEDP data-collection processes and data management system and discusses how data are used for 1) program monitoring and improvement, 2) evaluation and research, and 3) policy development and analysis. They also provide 2 examples of how grantees use data to improve their performance. PMID:25099900

Evaluating the Flipped Classroom: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wozny, Nathan; Balser, Cary; Ives, Drew

2018-01-01

Despite recent interest in flipped classrooms, rigorous research evaluating their effectiveness is sparse. In this study, the authors implement a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of a flipped classroom technique relative to a traditional lecture in an introductory undergraduate econometrics course. Random assignment enables the…

Teacher Effectiveness and Causal Inference in Observational Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Roderick A.

2013-01-01

An important target of education policy is to improve overall teacher effectiveness using evidence-based policies. Randomized control trials (RCTs), which randomly assign study participants or groups of participants to treatment and control conditions, are not always practical or possible and observational studies using rigorous quasi-experimental…

Retrospective Analysis of a Classical Biological Control Programme

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

1. Classical biological control has been a key technology in the management of invasive arthropod pests globally for over 120 years, yet rigorous quantitative evaluations of programme success or failure are rare. Here, I used life table and matrix model analyses, and life table response experiments ...

76 FR 51056 - Notice of Random Assignment Study To Evaluate the YouthBuild Program; Request for Comment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-17

... assigned to the control group can re-apply to the YouthBuild program. The Department is soliciting comments... ``utilize appropriate methodology and research designs, including the use of control groups chosen by.... Accordingly, ETA is conducting a multisite control group evaluation to provide rigorous estimates [[Page 51058...

Implementing principles of the integrated control concept 50 years later – current challenges in IPM for arthropod pests

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pest management theory and concepts developed fifty years ago as part of the integrated control concept remain at the foundation of IPM today. Implementation of integrated control and subsequently IPM has always been faced with the challenge of carrying out their principles in a rigorous, disciplin...

Deriving criteria to select arthropod species for laboratory tests to assess the ecological risks from cultivating arthropod-resistant genetically engineered crops.

PubMed

Romeis, Jörg; Raybould, Alan; Bigler, Franz; Candolfi, Marco P; Hellmich, Richard L; Huesing, Joseph E; Shelton, Anthony M

2013-01-01

Arthropods form a major part of the biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Many species are valued because they provide ecosystem services, including biological control, pollination and decomposition, or because they are of conservation interest. Some arthropods reduce crop yield and quality, and conventional chemical pesticides, biological control agents and genetically engineered (GE) crops are used to control them. A common concern addressed in the ecological risk assessment (ERA) that precedes regulatory approval of these pest control methods is their potential to adversely affect valued non-target arthropods (NTAs). A key concept of ERA is early-tier testing using worst-case exposure conditions in the laboratory and surrogate test species that are most likely to reveal an adverse effect. If no adverse effects are observed in those species at high exposures, confidence of negligible ecological risk from the use of the pest control method is increased. From experience with chemical pesticides and biological control agents, an approach is proposed for selecting test species for early-tier ERA of GE arthropod-resistant crops. Surrogate species should be selected that most closely meet three criteria: (i) Potential sensitivity: species should be the most likely to be sensitive to the arthropod-active compound based on the known spectrum of activity of the active ingredient, its mode of action, and the phylogenetic relatedness of the test and target species; (ii) species should be representative of valued taxa or functional groups that are most likely to be exposed to the arthropod-active compound in the field; and (iii) Availability and reliability: suitable life-stages of the test species must be obtainable in sufficient quantity and quality, and validated test protocols must be available that allow consistent detection of adverse effects on ecologically relevant parameters. Our proposed approach ensures that the most suitable species are selected for testing and that the resulting data provide the most rigorous test of the risk hypothesis of no adverse effect in order to increase the quality and efficiency of ERAs for cultivation of GE crops. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical guidelines in the European Union: mapping the regulatory basis, development, quality control, implementation and evaluation across member states.

PubMed

Legido-Quigley, Helena; Panteli, Dimitra; Brusamento, Serena; Knai, Cécile; Saliba, Vanessa; Turk, Eva; Solé, Meritxell; Augustin, Uta; Car, Josip; McKee, Martin; Busse, Reinhard

2012-10-01

Clinical guidelines are advocated to improve the quality of care, especially for chronic diseases. However, the regulatory basis of clinical guidelines, their development, quality control, implementation and use as well as evaluation within countries across the European Union is not systematically known. Using information collected from key informants in each country by means of a structured questionnaire, this mapping exercise illustrates the varied status of guideline production in European Union countries. Most European Union countries have an established national, regional or local clinical guideline programme, and a substantial proportion have developed guidelines on the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Several countries have mechanisms in place to ensure the quality of scientific evidence used for the development of guidelines is high and that the process is consistent and transparent. Others are only now taking an interest in guideline development and are taking the first steps towards establishing ways of implementing them. The majority of countries have no legal basis for the development of guidelines and those that have well established systems mostly implement them on a voluntary basis. The process of guideline development varies in its degrees of decentralisation across countries with many different types of organisations taking on this responsibility. There is general acceptance of the value of the instrument developed by the AGREE collaboration for evaluating the methodological robustness of guidelines. However, the extent to which guidelines are implemented in Europe is unknown, as there is no systematic data collection and, in most countries, no structure to enable it. There are few examples of formal evaluations of the development, quality, implementation and use of guidelines. Our findings call for renewed efforts to respond to the severe lack of standardized guideline terminology and accessibility as well as rigorous studies to evaluate the relationship between different ways to develop guidelines and their methodological quality, between their quality and the actual implementation and usage, and finally between implementation and health outcomes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Additive Manufacturing/Diagnostics via the High Frequency Induction Heating of Metal Powders: The Determination of the Power Transfer Factor for Fine Metallic Spheres

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

Rios, Orlando; Radhakrishnan, Balasubramaniam; Caravias, George

2015-03-11

Grid Logic Inc. is developing a method for sintering and melting fine metallic powders for additive manufacturing using spatially-compact, high-frequency magnetic fields called Micro-Induction Sintering (MIS). One of the challenges in advancing MIS technology for additive manufacturing is in understanding the power transfer to the particles in a powder bed. This knowledge is important to achieving efficient power transfer, control, and selective particle heating during the MIS process needed for commercialization of the technology. The project s work provided a rigorous physics-based model for induction heating of fine spherical particles as a function of frequency and particle size. This simulationmore » improved upon Grid Logic s earlier models and provides guidance that will make the MIS technology more effective. The project model will be incorporated into Grid Logic s power control circuit of the MIS 3D printer product and its diagnostics technology to optimize the sintering process for part quality and energy efficiency.« less

Enhancement of carer skills and patient function in the non-pharmacological management of frontotemporal dementia (FTD): A call for randomised controlled studies

PubMed Central

O'Connor, Claire M.; Clemson, Lindy; da Silva, Thaís Bento Lima; Piguet, Olivier; Hodges, John R.; Mioshi, Eneida

2013-01-01

FTD is a unique condition which manifests with a range of behavioural symptoms, marked dysfunction in activities of daily living (ADL) and increased levels of carer burden as compared to carers of other dementias. No efficacious pharmacological interventions to treat FTD currently exist, and research on pharmacological symptom management is variable. The few studies on non-pharmacological interventions in FTD focus on either the carer or the patients' symptoms, and lack methodological rigour. This paper reviews and discusses current studies utilising non-pharmacological approaches, exposing the clear need for more rigorous methodologies to be applied in this field. Finally, a successful randomised controlled trial helped reduce behaviours of concern in dementia, and through implementing participation in tailored activities, the FTD-specific Tailored Activities Program (TAP) is presented. Crucially, this protocol has scope to target both the person with FTD and their carer. This paper highlights that studies in this area would help to elucidate the potential for using activities to reduce characteristic behaviours in FTD, improving quality of life and the caregiving experience in FTD. PMID:29213832

Multiplex-PCR As a Rapid and Sensitive Method for Identification of Meat Species in Halal-Meat Products.

PubMed

Alikord, Mahsa; Keramat, Javad; Kadivar, Mahdi; Momtaz, Hassan; Eshtiaghi, Mohammad N; Homayouni-Rad, Aziz

2017-01-01

Species identification and authentication in meat products are important subjects for ensuring the health of consumers. The multiplex-PCR amplification and species- specific primer set were used for the identification of horse, donkey, pig and other ruminants in raw and processed meat products. Oligonucleotid primers were designed and patented for amplification of species-specific mitochondrial DNA sequences of each species and samples were prepared from binary meat mixtures. The results showed that meat species were accurately determined in all combinations by multiplex-PCR, and the sensitivity of this method was 0.001 ng, rendering this technique open to and suitable for use in industrial meat products. It is concluded that more fraud is seen in lower percentage industrial meat products than in higher percentage ones. There was also more fraud found in processed products than in raw ones. This rapid and useful test is recommended for quality control firms for applying more rigorous controls over industrial meat products, for the benefit of target consumers. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Priorities for Evaluating Palliative Care Outcomes in Intensive Care Units.

PubMed

Bakitas, Marie; Dionne-Odom, J Nicholas; Kamal, Arif; Maguire, Jennifer M

2015-09-01

Defining the quality of intensive care unit (ICU) care when patients are dying is challenging. Palliative care has been recommended to improve outcomes of dying ICU patients; however, traditional ICU quality indicators do not always align with palliative care. Evidence suggests that some aspects of ICU care improve when palliative care is integrated; however, consensus is lacking concerning the outcomes that should be measured. Overcoming challenges to measuring palliative care will require consensus development and rigorous research on the best way to evaluate ICU palliative care services. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Health-related interventions among night shift workers: a critical review of the literature.

PubMed

Neil-Sztramko, Sarah E; Pahwa, Manisha; Demers, Paul A; Gotay, Carolyn C

2014-11-01

Associations between shift work and chronic disease have been observed, but relatively little is known about how to mitigate these adverse health effects. This critical review aimed to (i) synthesize interventions that have been implemented among shift workers to reduce the chronic health effects of shift work and (ii) provide an overall evaluation of study quality. MeSH terms and keywords were created and used to conduct a rigorous search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, and EMBASE for studies published on or before 13 August 2012. Study quality was assessed using a checklist adapted from Downs & Black. Of the 5053 articles retrieved, 44 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Over 2354 male and female rotating and permanent night shift workers were included, mostly from the manufacturing, healthcare, and public safety industries. Studies were grouped into four intervention types: (i) shift schedule; (ii) controlled light exposure; (iii) behavioral; and, (iv) pharmacological. Results generally support the benefits of fast-forward rotating shifts; simultaneous use of timed bright light and light-blocking glasses; and physical activity, healthy diet, and health promotion. Mixed results were observed for hypnotics. Study quality varied and numerous deficiencies were identified. Except for hypnotics, several types of interventions reviewed had positive overall effects on chronic disease outcomes. There was substantial heterogeneity among studies with respect to study sample, interventions, and outcomes. There is a need for further high-quality, workplace-based prevention research conducted among shift workers.

Evaluating an integrated approach to clinical quality improvement: clinical guidelines, quality measurement, and supportive system design.

PubMed

Cretin, S; Farley, D O; Dolter, K J; Nicholas, W

2001-08-01

Implementing clinical practice guidelines to change patient outcomes presents a challenge. Studies of single interventions focused on changing provider behavior demonstrate modest effects, suggesting that effective guideline implementation requires a multifaceted approach. Traditional biomedical research designs are not well suited to evaluating systems interventions. RAND and the Army Medical Department collaborated to develop and evaluate a system for implementing guidelines and documenting their effects on patient care. The evaluation design blended quality improvement, case study, and epidemiologic methods. A formative evaluation of implementation process and an outcome evaluation of patient impact were combined. Guidelines were implemented in 3 successive demonstrations targeting low back pain, asthma, and diabetes. This paper reports on the first wave of 4 facilities implementing a low back pain guideline. Organizational climate and culture, motivation, leadership commitment, and resources were assessed. Selected indicators of processes and outcomes of care were compared before, during, and after guideline implementation at the demonstration facilities and at comparison facilities. Logistic regression analysis was used to test for guideline effects on patient care. Process evaluation documented varied approaches to quality improvement across sites. Outcome evaluation revealed a significant downward trend in the percentage of acute low back pain patients referred to physical therapy or chiropractic care (10.7% to 7.2%) at demonstration sites and no such trend at control sites. Preliminary results suggest the power of this design to stimulate improvements in guideline implementation while retaining the power to evaluate rigorously effects on patient care.

Control Engineering, System Theory and Mathematics: The Teacher's Challenge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zenger, K.

2007-01-01

The principles, difficulties and challenges in control education are discussed and compared to the similar problems in the teaching of mathematics and systems science in general. The difficulties of today's students to appreciate the classical teaching of engineering disciplines, which are based on rigorous and scientifically sound grounds, are…

Validity of the air traffic control specialist nonradar screen as a predictor of performance in radar based ATC training.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-04-01

Between January 1986 and March 1992, the Federal Aviation Administration's 42-day Nonradar Screen was used to identify Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS) candidates with the highest potential to succeed in the rigorous ATCS field training program....

Challenges and Innovations in a Community-Based Participatory Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodkind, Jessica R.; Amer, Suha; Christian, Charlisa; Hess, Julia Meredith; Bybee, Deborah; Isakson, Brian L.; Baca, Brandon; Ndayisenga, Martin; Greene, R. Neil; Shantzek, Cece

2017-01-01

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are a long-standing and important design for conducting rigorous tests of the effectiveness of health interventions. However, many questions have been raised about the external validity of RCTs, their utility in explicating mechanisms of intervention and participants' intervention experiences, and their…

The ORNL Indoor Air Quality Study: Re-cap, Context, and Assessment on Radon

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

Tonn, Bruce Edward; Rose, Erin M.; Ternes, Mark P.

As part of the retrospective evaluation of the U.S. Department of Energy s low-income Weatherization Assistance Program that was led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), an assessment of the impacts of weatherization on indoor air quality (IAQ) was conducted. This assessment included nearly 500 treatment and control homes across the country. Homes were monitored for carbon monoxide, radon, formaldehyde, temperature and humidity pre- and post-weatherization. This report focuses on the topic of radon and addresses issues not thoroughly discussed in the original IAQ report. The size, scope and rigor of the radon component of the IAQ study are comparedmore » to previous studies that assessed the impacts of weatherization on indoor radon levels. It is found that the ORNL study is by far the most extensive study conducted to date, though the ORNL results are consistent with the findings of the other studies. However, the study does have limitations related to its reliance on short-term measurements of radon and inability to attribute changes in radon levels in homes post-weatherization to specific weatherization measures individually or in combination.« less

Towards evidence-based medicine in specific grass pollen immunotherapy.

PubMed

Calderon, M; Mösges, R; Hellmich, M; Demoly, P

2010-04-01

When initiating grass pollen immunotherapy for seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, specialist physicians in many European countries must choose between modalities of differing pharmaceutical and regulatory status. We applied an evidence-based medicine (EBM) approach to commercially available subcutaneous and sublingual Gramineae grass pollen immunotherapies (SCIT and SLIT) by evaluating study design, populations, pollen seasons, treatment doses and durations, efficacy, quality of life, safety and compliance. After searching MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Library up until January 2009, we identified 33 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (including seven paediatric trials) with a total of 440 specific immunotherapy (SIT)-treated subjects in seven trials (0 paediatric) for SCIT with natural pollen extracts, 168 in three trials (0 paediatric) for SCIT with allergoids, 906 in 16 trials (five paediatric) for natural extract SLIT drops, 41 in two trials (one paediatric) for allergoid SLIT tablets and 1605 in five trials (two paediatric) for natural extract SLIT tablets. Trial design and quality varied significantly within and between SIT modalities. The multinational, rigorous trials of natural extract SLIT tablets correspond to a high level of evidence in adult and paediatric populations. The limited amount of published data on allergoids prevented us from judging the level of evidence for this modality.

A Systematic Review of Herbal Medicine for Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

PubMed Central

Noh, Hyeonseok

2018-01-01

Background Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common adverse effect in cancer patients. The aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of herbal medicine in preventing and treating CIPN. Methods Randomised controlled trials were included in this review. Extracting and assessing the data independently, two authors searched 13 databases. Results Twenty-eight trials involving 2174 patients met the inclusion criteria. Although there were some exceptions, the methodological quality was typically low. Seventeen trials reported the incidence rate of CIPN assessed by various tools and 14 showed a significant difference regarding the decrease of the incidence rate between the two groups. For clinical improvement, 12 trials reported it using various tools and 10 showed a significant difference between two groups. Two cases of adverse events occurred in one trial; the other nine trials reported no adverse events. Conclusions We found that herbal medicines in combination with and/or without other therapies potentially have preventive or therapeutic effects on CIPN. However, conclusions cannot be drawn because of the generally low quality of the methodology, the clinical heterogeneity, and the small sample size for each single herbal medicine. Trials that are more rigorous and report sufficient methodological data are needed. PMID:29636782

Automated visual inspection for polished stone manufacture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Melvyn L.; Smith, Lyndon N.

2003-05-01

Increased globalisation of the ornamental stone market has lead to increased competition and more rigorous product quality requirements. As such, there are strong motivators to introduce new, more effective, inspection technologies that will help enable stone processors to reduce costs, improve quality and improve productivity. Natural stone surfaces may contain a mixture of complex two-dimensional (2D) patterns and three-dimensional (3D) features. The challenge in terms of automated inspection is to develop systems able to reliably identify 3D topographic defects, either naturally occurring or resulting from polishing, in the presence of concomitant complex 2D stochastic colour patterns. The resulting real-time analysis of the defects may be used in adaptive process control, in order to avoid the wasteful production of defective product. An innovative approach, using structured light and based upon an adaptation of the photometric stereo method, has been pioneered and developed at UWE to isolate and characterize mixed 2D and 3D surface features. The method is able to undertake tasks considered beyond the capabilities of existing surface inspection techniques. The approach has been successfully applied to real stone samples, and a selection of experimental results is presented.

Delivering culturally appropriate residential rehabilitation for urban Indigenous Australians: a review of the challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Taylor, Kate; Thompson, Sandra; Davis, Robyn

2010-07-01

To review the challenges facing Indigenous and mainstream services in delivering residential rehabilitation services to Indigenous Australians, and explore opportunities to enhance outcomes. A literature review was conducted using keyword searches of databases, on-line journals, articles, national papers, conference proceedings and reports from different organisations, with snowball follow-up of relevant citations. Each article was assessed for quality using recognised criteria. Despite debate about the effectiveness of mainstream residential alcohol rehabilitation treatment, most Indigenous Australians with harmful alcohol consumption who seek help have a strong preference for residential treatment. While there is a significant gap in the cultural appropriateness of mainstream services for Indigenous clients, Indigenous-controlled residential organisations also face issues in service delivery. Limitations and inherent difficulties in rigorous evaluation processes further plague both areas of service provision. With inadequate evidence surrounding what constitutes 'best practice' for Indigenous clients in residential settings, more research is needed to investigate, evaluate and contribute to the further development of culturally appropriate models of best practice. In urban settings, a key area for innovation involves improving the capacity and quality of service delivery through effective inter-agency partnerships between Indigenous and mainstream service providers.

[Blood transfusion audit methodology: the auditors, reference systems and audit guidelines].

PubMed

Chevrolle, F; Hadzlik, E; Arnold, J; Hergon, E

2000-12-01

The audit has become an essential aspect of the blood transfusion sector, and is a management tool that should be used judiciously. The main types of audit that can be envisaged in blood transfusion are the following: operational audit concerning a predetermined activity; systems quality audit; competence audit, combining the operational audit on a specific activity with quality management, e.g., laboratory accreditation; audit of the environmental management system; and social audit involving the organization of an activity and the management of human resources. However, the main type of audit considered in this article is the conformity audit, which in this context does not refer to internal control but to conformity with an internal guideline issued by the French National Blood Service. All audits are carried out on the basis of a predescribed method (contained in ISO 10 011). The audit is a system of investigation, evaluation and measurement, and also a means of continuous assessment and therefore improvement. The audit is based on set guidelines, but in fact consists of determining the difference between the directions given and what has actually been done. Auditing requires operational rigor and integrity, and has now become a profession in its own right.

Promoting children's learning and development in conflict-affected countries: Testing change process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

PubMed

Aber, J Lawrence; Tubbs, Carly; Torrente, Catalina; Halpin, Peter F; Johnston, Brian; Starkey, Leighann; Shivshanker, Anjuli; Annan, Jeannie; Seidman, Edward; Wolf, Sharon

2017-02-01

Improving children's learning and development in conflict-affected countries is critically important for breaking the intergenerational transmission of violence and poverty. Yet there is currently a stunning lack of rigorous evidence as to whether and how programs to improve learning and development in conflict-affected countries actually work to bolster children's academic learning and socioemotional development. This study tests a theory of change derived from the fields of developmental psychopathology and social ecology about how a school-based universal socioemotional learning program, the International Rescue Committee's Learning to Read in a Healing Classroom (LRHC), impacts children's learning and development. The study was implemented in three conflict-affected provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and employed a cluster-randomized waitlist control design to estimate impact. Using multilevel structural equation modeling techniques, we found support for the central pathways in the LRHC theory of change. Specifically, we found that LRHC differentially impacted dimensions of the quality of the school and classroom environment at the end of the first year of the intervention, and that in turn these dimensions of quality were differentially associated with child academic and socioemotional outcomes. Future implications and directions are discussed.

Voices of Strong Democracy: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Communication Studies. AAHE's Series on Service-Learning in the Disciplines.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Droge, David, Ed.; Murphy, Bren Ortega, Ed.

This volume is part of a series of 18 monographs on service learning and the academic disciplines. These essays demonstrate some "best practices" for service-learning, providing rigorous learning experiences for students and high-quality service to the community. A Preface by James L. Applegate and Sherwyn P. Morreale, "Service-Learning in…

All Adjuncts Are Not Created Equal: An Exploratory Study of Teaching and Professional Needs of Online Adjuncts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bedford, Laurie; Miller, Heather

2013-01-01

Online education programs continue to rely on a significant contingent of adjunct faculty to meet the instructional needs of the students. Discourse relating to this situation primarily focuses on the extent to which adjuncts are able to ensure the rigor and quality of instruction as well as the ability of the organization to attract, retain, and…

New Rules, New Roles: Preparing All Young People for a Changing World. A Report on Career Exploration and Preparation for Young People.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conescu, Rachel; Lewis, Anne; Mackinnon, Ann; Weissberg, Alan

This publication describes the following six programs designed to improve education and employment preparation for adolescents and funded by the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds: (1) High Schools that Work, a national initiative that assists more than 1,000 high schools in 22 states as they upgrade their rigor and improve their quality of…

Promoting International Energy Security. Volume 2: Turkey and the Caspian

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

RAND reports un- dergo rigorous peer review to ensure that they meet high standards for research quality and objectivity. Promoting International...Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008 did not directly target energy infrastructure, most export routes for oil and natural gas from Azerbai- jan to...particular focus on the three countries with appreciable energy export potential: Azerbai- jan , Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. It also provides an