Holistic stakeholder-oriented and case study-based risk analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Heisterkamp, Tobias

2013-04-01

Case studies of storm events in the Berlin conurbation demonstrate the chance of a holistic approach and its potential data sources. Data sets of population, but also data provided by insurance and transport companies, and operating data provided by fire brigades, are used. Various indicators for risk analysis are constructed to identify hot spots. These hot spots can be shortcomings or critical aspects in structure, communication, the warning chain, or even in the structure of potentially affected stakeholders or in the civil protection system itself. Due to increasing complexity of interactions and interdependencies in or between societies and nature, it is important to choose a holistic approach. For risk analyses like the storms in Berlin, it captures many important factors with their effects. For risk analyses, it is important to take potential users into concern: The analysis gets important due to its use later on. In addition to a theoretical background, a focus on the application should be set from the beginning on. To get usable results, it is helpful to complement the theoretical meta-level by a stakeholder-oriented level. An iterative investigation and combination of different layers for the risk analysis explores important influencing factors and allows a tailoring of results to different stakeholder groups. Layers are indicators, gained from data sets like losses from insurance data. Tailoring is important, because of different requirements e.g. by technical or medical assistance. Stakeholders' feedback in the iterative investigation also shows structural limitations for later applications, like special laws the fire brigades have to deal with. Additionally, using actors' perspectives offers the chance to convince practitioners of taking part in the analysis. Their participation is an essential component in applied science. They are important data suppliers, whose goodwill is needed to ensure good results. Based on their experience, they can also help

Circulating folate levels and colorectal adenoma: a case-control study and a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Yeong Mi; Youn, Jiyoung; Cho, Chang Ho; Kim, Sung Hi; Lee, Jung Eun

2017-10-01

The relationship between folate and colorectal neoplasia remains controversial. We examined the association between serum folate concentrations and colorectal adenomas in a case-control study of Korean adults and conducted a meta-analysis. Our case-control study included 113 pairs of case and control who underwent colonoscopy and provided blood samples. We used multivariable conditional logistic regression models to obtain the odds ratios and 95% confidence interval (CIs). For meta-analysis, we identified the relevant studies by searching the PubMed database up to February 2017, included our case-control study and combined the study-specific relative risks (RRs) using a random-effects model. In this case-control study, we included 58 men and 55 women with colorectal adenomas and sex and fasting status matched the controls. We did not find any significant association between the serum folate levels and colorectal adenomas in either men or women. For meta-analysis, a total of eleven studies were included in our analysis and classified into two groups; polyp clearance group (PC) for the studies that included participants who underwent endoscopies and had their polyps removed at baseline; and no polyp clearance group (NPC) for the studies that included participants whose histories of endoscopies were unknown or who underwent their first endoscopies. Four PC (1,311 cases and 1,672 non-cases) and eight NPC studies (3,501 cases and 11,347 non-cases) were included. The combined RRs (95% CIs) comparing the bottom with the top categories of circulating folate levels were 1.07 (0.97-1.18) for the NPC group but 1.45 (1.16-1.74) for the PC group. Low circulating folate levels were associated with new adenoma formation.

Outline of cost-benefit analysis and a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Kellizy, A.

1978-01-01

The methodology of cost-benefit analysis is reviewed and a case study involving solar cell technology is presented. Emphasis is placed on simplifying the technique in order to permit a technical person not trained in economics to undertake a cost-benefit study comparing alternative approaches to a given problem. The role of economic analysis in management decision making is discussed. In simplifying the methodology it was necessary to restrict the scope and applicability of this report. Additional considerations and constraints are outlined. Examples are worked out to demonstrate the principles. A computer program which performs the computational aspects appears in the appendix.

IVHS Institutional Issues and Case Studies, Analysis and Lessons Learned, Final Report

Science.gov (United States)

1994-04-01

This 'Analysis and Lessons Learned' report contains observations, conclusions, and recommendations based on the performance of six case studies of Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS) projects. Information to support the development of the case...

Survival analysis for customer satisfaction: A case study

Science.gov (United States)

Hadiyat, M. A.; Wahyudi, R. D.; Sari, Y.

2017-11-01

Most customer satisfaction surveys are conducted periodically to track their dynamics. One of the goals of this survey was to evaluate the service design by recognizing the trend of satisfaction score. Many researchers recommended in redesigning the service when the satisfaction scores were decreasing, so that the service life cycle could be predicted qualitatively. However, these scores were usually set in Likert scale and had quantitative properties. Thus, they should also be analyzed in quantitative model so that the predicted service life cycle would be done by applying the survival analysis. This paper discussed a starting point for customer satisfaction survival analysis with a case study in healthcare service.

Case studies of scenario analysis for adaptive management of natural resource and infrastructure systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hamilton, M.C.; Thekdi, S.A.; Jenicek, E.M.

2013-01-01

Management of natural resources and infrastructure systems for sustainability is complicated by uncertainties in the human and natural environment. Moreover, decisions are further complicated by contradictory views, values, and concerns that are rarely made explicit. Scenario analysis can play...... of emergent conditions and help to avoid regret and belated action. The purpose of this paper is to present several case studies in natural resources and infrastructure systems management where scenario analysis has been used to aide decision making under uncertainty. The case studies include several resource...... and infrastructure systems: (1) water resources (2) land-use corridors (3) energy infrastructure, and (4) coastal climate change adaptation. The case studies emphasize a participatory approach, where scenario analysis becomes a means of incorporating diverse stakeholder concerns and experience. This approach...

Candidate gene analysis of spontaneous preterm delivery: New insights from re-analysis of a case-control study using case-parent triads and control-mother dyads

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myking Solveig

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Spontaneous preterm delivery (PTD has a multifactorial etiology with evidence of a genetic contribution to its pathogenesis. A number of candidate gene case-control studies have been performed on spontaneous PTD, but the results have been inconsistent, and do not fully assess the role of how two genotypes can impact outcome. To elucidate this latter point we re-analyzed data from a previously published case-control candidate gene study, using a case-parent triad design and a hybrid design combining case-parent triads and control-mother dyads. These methods offer a robust approach to genetic association studies for PTD compared to traditional case-control designs. Methods The study participants were obtained from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa. A total of 196 case triads and 211 control dyads were selected for the analysis. A case-parent triad design as well as a hybrid design was used to analyze 1,326 SNPs from 159 candidate genes. We compared our results to those from a previous case-control study on the same samples. Haplotypes were analyzed using a sliding window of three SNPs and a pathway analysis was performed to gain biological insight into the pathophysiology of preterm delivery. Results The most consistent significant fetal gene across all analyses was COL5A2. The functionally similar COL5A1 was significant when combining fetal and maternal genotypes. PON1 was significant with analytical approaches for single locus association of fetal genes alone, but was possibly confounded by maternal effects. Focal adhesion (hsa04510, Cell Communication (hsa01430 and ECM receptor interaction (hsa04512 were the most constant significant pathways. Conclusion This study suggests a fetal association of COL5A2 and a combined fetal-maternal association of COL5A1 with spontaneous PTD. In addition, the pathway analysis implied interactions of genes affecting cell communication and extracellular matrix.

geophysical and well corellation analysis of ogo field: a case study ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HP

GEOPHYSICAL AND WELL CORELLATION ANALYSIS OF OGO FIELD: A CASE STUDY IN. NIGER DELTA BASIN ... have average porosity of 0.22, water saturation 0.43 and Hydrocarbon saturation of 0.57. ... chemical components. For the ...

Learner Analysis Framework for Globalized E-Learning: A Case Study

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Mamta Saxena

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The shift to technology-mediated modes of instructional delivery and increased global connectivity has led to a rise in globalized e-learning programs. Educational institutions face multiple challenges as they seek to design effective, engaging, and culturally competent instruction for an increasingly diverse learner population. The purpose of this study was to explore strategies for expanding learner analysis within the instructional design process to better address cultural influences on learning. A case study approach leveraged the experience of practicing instructional designers to build a framework for culturally competent learner analysis.The study discussed the related challenges and recommended strategies to improve the effectiveness of cross-cultural learner analysis. Based on the findings, a framework for conducting cross-cultural learner analysis to guide the cultural analysis of diverse learners was proposed. The study identified the most critical factors in improving cross-cultural learner analysis as the judicious use of existing research on cross-cultural theories and joint deliberation on the part of all the participants from the management to the learners. Several strategies for guiding and improving the cultural inquiry process were summarized. Barriers and solutions for the requirements are also discussed.

Rare variant association analysis in case-parents studies by allowing for missing parental genotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yumei; Xiang, Yang; Xu, Chao; Shen, Hui; Deng, Hongwen

2018-01-15

The development of next-generation sequencing technologies has facilitated the identification of rare variants. Family-based design is commonly used to effectively control for population admixture and substructure, which is more prominent for rare variants. Case-parents studies, as typical strategies in family-based design, are widely used in rare variant-disease association analysis. Current methods in case-parents studies are based on complete case-parents data; however, parental genotypes may be missing in case-parents trios, and removing these data may lead to a loss in statistical power. The present study focuses on testing for rare variant-disease association in case-parents study by allowing for missing parental genotypes. In this report, we extended the collapsing method for rare variant association analysis in case-parents studies to allow for missing parental genotypes, and investigated the performance of two methods by using the difference of genotypes between affected offspring and their corresponding "complements" in case-parent trios and TDT framework. Using simulations, we showed that, compared with the methods just only using complete case-parents data, the proposed strategy allowing for missing parental genotypes, or even adding unrelated affected individuals, can greatly improve the statistical power and meanwhile is not affected by population stratification. We conclude that adding case-parents data with missing parental genotypes to complete case-parents data set can greatly improve the power of our strategy for rare variant-disease association.

Leadership Analysis in K-12 Case Study: "Divided Loyalties"

Science.gov (United States)

Alsubaie, Merfat Ayesh

2016-01-01

This report mainly aims to provide a critical and in-depth analysis of the K-12 Case, "Divided Loyalty" by Holy and Tartar (2004). The case recounts how the manifestation of inadequate leadership skills in a school setting could affect negatively the performance of students.

Challenges in GC-MS analysis: Case studies on phenibut and ethylphenidate.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hui Zhi Shirley; Ong, Mei Ching; Lim, Jong Lee Wendy; Yap, Tiong Whei Angeline

2017-08-01

The challenges associated with drug analysis using GC-MS such as thermal degradation, cyclisation or unwanted side reactions causing potential erroneous identification have become evident in view of the high surge in new drugs available in the market. Two case studies illustrated how alternative methods or modifications to existing techniques can help to circumvent the limitations. In the first case study, phenibut which is a GABA analogue, cyclises to 4-phenyl-2-pyrrolidinone under thermal conditions. The identification of phenibut was achieved through derivatisation and identification of its TMS derivative. The second case study, thermal degradation was minimised on drugs of interest methylphenidate and ethylphenidate by reducing the injector port temperature to 200°C and maintaining the GC oven temperature at below 190°C in order to prevent thermal degradation of the drugs of interest. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diachronic Analysis of Parking Usage: The Case Study of Brescia

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Riccardo Bonotti

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The paper proposes a methodology for the investigation of the space-time relations between public services and individual mobility, by checking the space-time efficiency of the allocation of public and private parking areas. The methodology has been applied to the case study of Brescia, in northern Italy. The spatial distribution of car parking has been assessed as well as the usage variations during the day. First of all, the location and the density of parking areas within the city has been taken into account, and represented to show the spatial coverage of car parking supply. Then, the temporal issue has been considered, since the degree of use of each parking area varies within the time of the day. Therefore, the degree of use of each parking area has been mapped at three significant instant of the day (10.00 a.m.; 01.00 p.m. and 04.00 p.m.. This kind of analysis is particularly helpful to highlight the availability of parking areas during the day. The results of the analysis, even if referred to a case study, can be extended to similar situations as the methodology of the analysis has a broaden sound meaning. The aim of the paper is to illustrate a method to develop mobility policies and plans.

Emotion and self-regulation in deliberate personal change: A case study analysis

OpenAIRE

Lopes, Paulo Nuno; Coyle, Adrian; Gallie, Jack

2014-01-01

Two young adults’ experiences of deliberate personal change in the realms of study habits and social interaction were examined using a qualitative, interview-based case study approach. Both talked about an aspect of their behavior that they had changed and one that they would like to change. Thematic analysis was used to interpret their stories and reach an integrative and contextualized understanding of their individual developmental trajectories. Our analysis explored the use of motivated r...

Peer Support in Full-Service Partnerships: A Multiple Case Study Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Siantz, Elizabeth; Henwood, Benjamin; Gilmer, Todd

2017-07-01

Peer providers are integral to Full Service Partnerships (FSPs), which are team-based mental health service models. Peer providers use principles of recovery to engage clients, but FSPs can vary in their recovery orientation. Whether and how peer recovery orientation reflects the organizational environments of FSPs is unclear. This qualitative study explored peer provider attitudes towards recovery within the organizational contexts of FSPs where they are employed. Case study analysis was conducted on eight purposively sampled FSPs using qualitative interviews with peer providers and program directors. In two cases, peer recovery attitudes diverged from those of their organizational context. In these cases, peer providers were champions for recovery, and used practice-based strategies to promote client autonomy despite working in settings with lower recovery orientation. Peer providers could be uniquely positioned to promote client autonomy in settings where organizational factors limit consumer choice.

Location of gliomas in relation to mobile telephone use: a case-case and case-specular analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larjavaara, Suvi; Schüz, Joachim; Swerdlow, Anthony

2011-01-01

approaches: In a case-case analysis, tumor locations were compared with varying exposure levels; in a case-specular analysis, a hypothetical reference location was assigned for each glioma, and the distances from the actual and specular locations to the handset were compared. The study included 888 gliomas......The energy absorbed from the radio-frequency fields of mobile telephones depends strongly on distance from the source. The authors' objective in this study was to evaluate whether gliomas occur preferentially in the areas of the brain having the highest radio-frequency exposure. The authors used 2...... from 7 European countries (2000-2004), with tumor midpoints defined on a 3-dimensional grid based on radiologic images. The case-case analyses were carried out using unconditional logistic regression, whereas in the case-specular analysis, conditional logistic regression was used. In the case-case...

Case-study application of venture analysis: the integrated energy utility. Volume 3. Appendices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fein, E; Gordon, T J; King, R; Kropp, F G; Shuchman, H L; Stover, J; Hausz, W; Meyer, C

1978-11-01

The appendices for a case-study application of venture analysis for an integrated energy utility for commercialization are presented. The following are included and discussed: utility interviews; net social benefits - quantitative calculations; the financial analysis model; market penetration decision model; international district heating systems; political and regulatory environment; institutional impacts.

Meta-analysis of thirty-two case-control and two ecological radon studies of lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobrzynski, Ludwik; Fornalski, Krzysztof W; Reszczynska, Joanna

2018-03-01

A re-analysis has been carried out of thirty-two case-control and two ecological studies concerning the influence of radon, a radioactive gas, on the risk of lung cancer. Three mathematically simplest dose-response relationships (models) were tested: constant (zero health effect), linear, and parabolic (linear-quadratic). Health effect end-points reported in the analysed studies are odds ratios or relative risk ratios, related either to morbidity or mortality. In our preliminary analysis, we show that the results of dose-response fitting are qualitatively (within uncertainties, given as error bars) the same, whichever of these health effect end-points are applied. Therefore, we deemed it reasonable to aggregate all response data into the so-called Relative Health Factor and jointly analysed such mixed data, to obtain better statistical power. In the second part of our analysis, robust Bayesian and classical methods of analysis were applied to this combined dataset. In this part of our analysis, we selected different subranges of radon concentrations. In view of substantial differences between the methodology used by the authors of case-control and ecological studies, the mathematical relationships (models) were applied mainly to the thirty-two case-control studies. The degree to which the two ecological studies, analysed separately, affect the overall results when combined with the thirty-two case-control studies, has also been evaluated. In all, as a result of our meta-analysis of the combined cohort, we conclude that the analysed data concerning radon concentrations below ~1000 Bq/m3 (~20 mSv/year of effective dose to the whole body) do not support the thesis that radon may be a cause of any statistically significant increase in lung cancer incidence.

Participatory Environmental Valuation: A Comparative Analysis of Four Case Studies

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Leslie Carnoye

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The valuation of multiple ecosystem services requires the design of valuation processes able to integrate different dimensions of value and to cope with complexity. Following the “value-articulating institution” framework, we note that three core problems arise: the cognitive, normative and composition problems. Combining valuation methods, such as contingent valuation and multicriteria analysis, with participatory and deliberative techniques is increasingly promoted as a means to address those fundamental problems. However, the quality and legitimacy of the valuation process then becomes dependent on how participation is framed. We note that numerous issues need to be taken into account, such as the roles assumed by participants, the differences in contribution among participants, the level of participatory impact and the level of democratization of the decision-making process. This paper proposes a detailed qualitative analysis of four case studies, each of them having implemented a specific valuation method in a participatory process. We analyze how those cases were handled in each of the dimensions considered and offer our conclusions about the added values and remaining challenges related to participatory environmental valuation.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Financial Regulation: Case Studies and Implications

OpenAIRE

Coates, John

2015-01-01

Some members of Congress, the D.C. Circuit, and legal academia are promoting a particular, abstract form of cost-benefit analysis for financial regulation: judicially enforced quantification. How would CBA work in practice, if applied to specific, important, representative rules, and what is the alternative? Detailed case studies of six rules – (1) disclosure rules under Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404, (2) the SEC’s mutual fund governance reforms, (3) Basel III’s heightened capital requirements f...

An Investigation of Strategic Decision Making in Service Marketing through Case Study Development and Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Rosetti, Joseph L.; Maceiko, Meghan

2009-01-01

Through the collaborative efforts of an undergraduate student and a professor of marketing, this paper focuses on a case study and corresponding teaching notes developed as a final component of an independent study in service marketing. The case utilizes the hospitality industry as the template for analysis of the appropriateness of marketing…

Review of human error analysis methodologies and case study for accident management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Won Dae; Kim, Jae Whan; Lee, Yong Hee; Ha, Jae Joo

1998-03-01

In this research, we tried to establish the requirements for the development of a new human error analysis method. To achieve this goal, we performed a case study as following steps; 1. review of the existing HEA methods 2. selection of those methods which are considered to be appropriate for the analysis of operator's tasks in NPPs 3. choice of tasks for the application, selected for the case study: HRMS (Human reliability management system), PHECA (Potential Human Error Cause Analysis), CREAM (Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method). And, as the tasks for the application, 'bleed and feed operation' and 'decision-making for the reactor cavity flooding' tasks are chosen. We measured the applicability of the selected methods to the NPP tasks, and evaluated the advantages and disadvantages between each method. The three methods are turned out to be applicable for the prediction of human error. We concluded that both of CREAM and HRMS are equipped with enough applicability for the NPP tasks, however, compared two methods. CREAM is thought to be more appropriate than HRMS from the viewpoint of overall requirements. The requirements for the new HEA method obtained from the study can be summarized as follows; firstly, it should deal with cognitive error analysis, secondly, it should have adequate classification system for the NPP tasks, thirdly, the description on the error causes and error mechanisms should be explicit, fourthly, it should maintain the consistency of the result by minimizing the ambiguity in each step of analysis procedure, fifty, it should be done with acceptable human resources. (author). 25 refs., 30 tabs., 4 figs

Loss-of-benefits analysis for nuclear power plant shutdowns: methodology and illustrative case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peerenboom, J.P.; Buehring, W.A.; Guziel, K.A.

1983-11-01

A framework for loss-of-benefits analysis and a taxomony for identifying and categorizing the effects of nuclear power plant shutdowns or accidents are presented. The framework consists of three fundamental steps: (1) characterizing the shutdown; (2) identifying benefits lost as a result of the shutdown; and (3) quantifying effects. A decision analysis approach to regulatory decision making is presented that explicitly considers the loss of benefits. A case study of a hypothetical reactor shutdown illustrates one key loss of benefits: net replacement energy costs (i.e., change in production costs). Sensitivity studies investigate the responsiveness of case study results to changes in nuclear capacity factor, load growth, fuel price escalation, and discount rate. The effects of multiple reactor shutdowns on production costs are also described

Application of activity theory to analysis of human-related accidents: Method and case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Young Sik; Ham, Dong-Han; Yoon, Wan Chul

2016-01-01

This study proposes a new approach to human-related accident analysis based on activity theory. Most of the existing methods seem to be insufficient for comprehensive analysis of human activity-related contextual aspects of accidents when investigating the causes of human errors. Additionally, they identify causal factors and their interrelationships with a weak theoretical basis. We argue that activity theory offers useful concepts and insights to supplement existing methods. The proposed approach gives holistic contextual backgrounds for understanding and diagnosing human-related accidents. It also helps identify and organise causal factors in a consistent, systematic way. Two case studies in Korean nuclear power plants are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method. Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) was also applied to the case studies. The results of using HFACS were then compared with those of using the proposed method. These case studies showed that the proposed approach could produce a meaningful set of human activity-related contextual factors, which cannot easily be obtained by using existing methods. It can be especially effective when analysts think it is important to diagnose accident situations with human activity-related contextual factors derived from a theoretically sound model and to identify accident-related contextual factors systematically. - Highlights: • This study proposes a new method for analysing human-related accidents. • The method was developed based on activity theory. • The concept of activity system model and contradiction was used in the method. • Two case studies in nuclear power plants are presented. • The method is helpful to consider causal factors systematically and comprehensively.

Case-control studies in neurosurgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Nesvick, Cody L; Thompson, Clinton J; Boop, Frederick A; Klimo, Paul

2014-08-01

Observational studies, such as cohort and case-control studies, are valuable instruments in evidence-based medicine. Case-control studies, in particular, are becoming increasingly popular in the neurosurgical literature due to their low cost and relative ease of execution; however, no one has yet systematically assessed these types of studies for quality in methodology and reporting. The authors performed a literature search using PubMed/MEDLINE to identify all studies that explicitly identified themselves as "case-control" and were published in the JNS Publishing Group journals (Journal of Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, and Neurosurgical Focus) or Neurosurgery. Each paper was evaluated for 22 descriptive variables and then categorized as having either met or missed the basic definition of a case-control study. All studies that evaluated risk factors for a well-defined outcome were considered true case-control studies. The authors sought to identify key features or phrases that were or were not predictive of a true case-control study. Those papers that satisfied the definition were further evaluated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist. The search detected 67 papers that met the inclusion criteria, of which 32 (48%) represented true case-control studies. The frequency of true case-control studies has not changed with time. Use of odds ratios (ORs) and logistic regression (LR) analysis were strong positive predictors of true case-control studies (for odds ratios, OR 15.33 and 95% CI 4.52-51.97; for logistic regression analysis, OR 8.77 and 95% CI 2.69-28.56). Conversely, negative predictors included focus on a procedure/intervention (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13-0.998) and use of the word "outcome" in the Results section (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.082-0.65). After exclusion of nested case-control studies, the negative correlation between focus on a procedure

Fuzzy-Set Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Mikkelsen, Kim Sass

2017-01-01

Contemporary case studies rely on verbal arguments and set theory to build or evaluate theoretical claims. While existing procedures excel in the use of qualitative information (information about kind), they ignore quantitative information (information about degree) at central points of the analysis. Effectively, contemporary case studies rely on…

Cultivating the Under-Mined: Cross-Case Analysis as Knowledge Mobilization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samia Khan

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Despite a plethora of case studies in the social sciences, it is the authors' opinion that case studies remain relatively under-mined sources of expertise. Cross-case analysis is a research method that can mobilize knowledge from individual case studies. The authors propose that mobilization of case knowledge occurs when researchers accumulate case knowledge, compare and contrast cases, and in doing so, produce new knowledge. In this article, the authors present theories of how people can learn from sets of cases. Second, existing techniques for cross-case analysis are discussed. Third, considerations that enable researchers to engage in cross-case analysis are suggested. Finally, the authors introduce a novel online database: the Foresee (4C database. The purpose of the database is to mobilize case knowledge by helping researchers perform cross-case analysis and by creating an online research community that facilitates dialogue and the mobilization of case knowledge. The design of the 4C database is informed by theories of how people learn from case studies and cross-case analysis techniques. We present evidence from case study research that use of the 4C database helps to mobilize previously dormant case study knowledge to foster greater expertise. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0801348

On the Analysis of Case-Control Studies in Cluster-correlated Data Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Haneuse, Sebastien; Rivera-Rodriguez, Claudia

2018-01-01

In resource-limited settings, long-term evaluation of national antiretroviral treatment (ART) programs often relies on aggregated data, the analysis of which may be subject to ecological bias. As researchers and policy makers consider evaluating individual-level outcomes such as treatment adherence or mortality, the well-known case-control design is appealing in that it provides efficiency gains over random sampling. In the context that motivates this article, valid estimation and inference requires acknowledging any clustering, although, to our knowledge, no statistical methods have been published for the analysis of case-control data for which the underlying population exhibits clustering. Furthermore, in the specific context of an ongoing collaboration in Malawi, rather than performing case-control sampling across all clinics, case-control sampling within clinics has been suggested as a more practical strategy. To our knowledge, although similar outcome-dependent sampling schemes have been described in the literature, a case-control design specific to correlated data settings is new. In this article, we describe this design, discuss balanced versus unbalanced sampling techniques, and provide a general approach to analyzing case-control studies in cluster-correlated settings based on inverse probability-weighted generalized estimating equations. Inference is based on a robust sandwich estimator with correlation parameters estimated to ensure appropriate accounting of the outcome-dependent sampling scheme. We conduct comprehensive simulations, based in part on real data on a sample of N = 78,155 program registrants in Malawi between 2005 and 2007, to evaluate small-sample operating characteristics and potential trade-offs associated with standard case-control sampling or when case-control sampling is performed within clusters.

Can statistic adjustment of OR minimize the potential confounding bias for meta-analysis of case-control study? A secondary data analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Tianyi; Nie, Xiaolu; Wu, Zehao; Zhang, Ying; Feng, Guoshuang; Cai, Siyu; Lv, Yaqi; Peng, Xiaoxia

2017-12-29

Different confounder adjustment strategies were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) in case-control study, i.e. how many confounders original studies adjusted and what the variables are. This secondary data analysis is aimed to detect whether there are potential biases caused by difference of confounding factor adjustment strategies in case-control study, and whether such bias would impact the summary effect size of meta-analysis. We included all meta-analyses that focused on the association between breast cancer and passive smoking among non-smoking women, as well as each original case-control studies included in these meta-analyses. The relative deviations (RDs) of each original study were calculated to detect how magnitude the adjustment would impact the estimation of ORs, compared with crude ORs. At the same time, a scatter diagram was sketched to describe the distribution of adjusted ORs with different number of adjusted confounders. Substantial inconsistency existed in meta-analysis of case-control studies, which would influence the precision of the summary effect size. First, mixed unadjusted and adjusted ORs were used to combine individual OR in majority of meta-analysis. Second, original studies with different adjustment strategies of confounders were combined, i.e. the number of adjusted confounders and different factors being adjusted in each original study. Third, adjustment did not make the effect size of original studies trend to constringency, which suggested that model fitting might have failed to correct the systematic error caused by confounding. The heterogeneity of confounder adjustment strategies in case-control studies may lead to further bias for summary effect size in meta-analyses, especially for weak or medium associations so that the direction of causal inference would be even reversed. Therefore, further methodological researches are needed, referring to the assessment of confounder adjustment strategies, as well as how to take this kind

Fish intake and ovarian cancer risk: a meta-analysis of 15 case-control and cohort studies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pei-yue Jiang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Previous epidemiological studies have shown that fish consumption may modify the risk of ovarian cancer. However, these studies yielded controversial results. The present meta-analysis was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between fish intake and ovarian cancer risk. METHODS: A literature search was carried out using Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane Library Central database for all relevant studies up to August 2013. We pooled the relative risks (RR from individual studies using fixed-effect or random-effect model, and carried out heterogeneity and publication bias analyses. RESULTS: A total of 15 (ten case-control, and five cohort studies were included in the present meta-analysis, representing data for 889,033 female subjects and 6,087 ovarian cancer cases. We found that total fish intake was not significantly associated with the risk of ovarian cancer among cohort studies (RR = 1.04 95% CI [0.89, 1.22] as well as case-control studies (RR = 0.90, 95% CI [0.73,1.12]. There was no evidence of publication bias as suggested by Begg's test (P = 0.55 and Egger's test(P = 0.29. CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis showed that total fish consumption was not significantly associated with the risk of ovarian cancer. Further analysis on different fish species and food preparation methods should be conducted in future studies.

CFD analysis for road vehicles - case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugen Mihai NEGRUS

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This is a case study on the influence of the lower part of road vehicles on the global drag characteristics. Reducing overall drag by redesigning the lower part of the road vehicles has a potential of almost 20% in the overall drag breakdown, mainly due to the viscous effects and the fluidic interaction of the flow under the car with the typical bluff body flow pattern behind the vehicle. A special parameterization is proposed for the global shape of the sedan car, with respect to the lower part of the body, taking into account most of the specificities of the system. For such a complex interaction, CFD analysis is probably the only efficient tool in order to assess specific design parameterization of a generic car shape. Building on the credibility of such instruments is one of the major goals of this paper. Also, with respect to a target sedan car configuration, examples of successful design strategies are presented. Based on the CFD results, possible strategies to be used in order to reduce viscous drag and global drag characteristics are proposed.

Case studies: Risk-based analysis of technical specifications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, D.P.; Minton, L.A.; Gaertner, J.P.

1987-01-01

The SOCRATES computer program uses the results of a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) or a system level risk analysis to calculate changes in risk due to changes in the surveillance test interval and/or the allowed outage time stated in the technical specification. The computer program can accommodate various testing strategies (such as staggered or simultaneous testing) to allow modeling of component testing as it is carried out at a plant. The methods and computer program are an integral part of a larger decision process aimed at determining benefits from technical specification changes. These benefits can include cost savings to the utilities by reducing forced shutdowns with no adverse impacts on risk. Three summaries of case study applications are included to demonstrate the types of results that can be achieved through risk-based evaluation of technical specifications. (orig.)

The making of nursing practice law in Lebanon: a policy analysis case study.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Jardali, Fadi; Hammoud, Rawan; Younan, Lina; Nuwayhid, Helen Samaha; Abdallah, Nadine; Alameddine, Mohammad; Bou-Karroum, Lama; Salman, Lana

2014-09-05

Evidence-informed decisions can strengthen health systems, improve health, and reduce health inequities. Despite the Beijing, Montreux, and Bamako calls for action, literature shows that research evidence is underemployed in policymaking, especially in the East Mediterranean region (EMR). Selecting the draft nursing practice law as a case study, this policy analysis exercise aims at generating in-depth insights on the public policymaking process, identifying the factors that influence policymaking and assessing to what extent evidence is used in this process. This study utilized a qualitative research design using a case study approach and was conducted in two phases: data collection and analysis, and validation. In the first phase, data was collected through key informant interviews that covered 17 stakeholders. In the second phase, a panel discussion was organized to validate the findings, identify any gaps, and gain insights and feedback of the panelists. Thematic analysis was conducted and guided by the Walt & Gilson's "Policy Triangle Framework" as themes were categorized into content, actors, process, and context. Findings shed light on the complex nature of health policymaking and the unstructured approach of decision making. This study uncovered the barriers that hindered the progress of the draft nursing law and the main barriers against the use of evidence in policymaking. Findings also uncovered the risk involved in the use of international recommendations without the involvement of stakeholders and without accounting for contextual factors and implementation barriers. Findings were interpreted within the context of the Lebanese political environment and the power play between stakeholders, taking into account equity considerations. This policy analysis exercise presents findings that are helpful for policymakers and all other stakeholders and can feed into revising the draft nursing law to reach an effective alternative that is feasible in Lebanon. Our

Improving the effectiveness of FMEA analysis in automotive – a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ványi Gábor

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Many industries, for example automotive, have well defined product development process definitions and risk evaluation methods. The FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis is a first line risk analysis method in design, which has been implemented in development and production since decades. Although the first applications were focusing on mechanical and electrical design and functionalities, today, software components are implemented in many modern vehicle systems. However, standards or industry specific associations do not specify any “best practice” how to design the interactions of multiple entities in one model. This case study focuses on modelling interconnections and on the improvement of the FMEA modelling process in the automotive. Selecting and grouping software components for the analysis is discussed, but software architect design patterns are excluded from the study.

A Predictive and Follow-Up Study of Abusive and Neglectful Families by Case Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Heap, Kari Killen

1991-01-01

A case analysis, predictive study, and follow-up study of 17 abused and/or neglected children found that the prognosis for abusive and/or neglectful parents is poorer when they are scored high on immaturity than when they are scored high on emotional problems. (BRM)

ABO blood group and esophageal carcinoma risk: from a case-control study in Chinese population to meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Liu, Lei; Wang, Zhiwei; Lu, Xiaopeng; Wei, Min; Lin, Tianlong; Zhang, Yixin; Jiang, Songqi; Wang, Qiang; Cao, Ziang; Shi, Minxin

2014-10-01

The association between ABO blood group and the risk of esophageal carcinoma (EC) in previously published studies is uncertain and conflicting. The aim of the current study was to determine the correlation of ABO blood group with EC risk via a case-control study and meta-analysis. We performed a population-based case-control study of 3,595 cases and 41,788 controls in Chinese population to evaluate the association between ABO blood group and EC risk. Then, a comprehensive meta-analysis combining our original data and previously published data was conducted to clearly discern the real relationship. The strength of association was measured by odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). In our case-control study, the risk of EC in blood group B was significantly higher than that in non-B groups (A, O, and AB) (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.09-1.21). Compared with non-O groups (A, B, and AB), individuals with blood group O demonstrated a reduced risk of EC (OR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.85-0.94). The meta-analysis also indicated that blood group B was associated with significantly higher EC risk (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.10-1.31), and people with blood group O had a decreased EC risk (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.90-0.99). Neither the case-control study nor the meta-analysis produced any significant association of blood group A or AB with EC risk. Results from our case-control study and the followed meta-analysis confirmed that there was an increased risk of EC in blood group B individuals, whereas a decreased risk of EC was observed in blood group O individuals.

Neophyte experiences of football (soccer) match analysis: a multiple case study approach.

Science.gov (United States)

McKenna, Mark; Cowan, Daryl Thomas; Stevenson, David; Baker, Julien Steven

2018-03-05

Performance analysis is extensively used in sport, but its pedagogical application is little understood. Given its expanding role across football, this study explored the experiences of neophyte performance analysts. Experiences of six analysis interns, across three professional football clubs, were investigated as multiple cases of new match analysis. Each intern was interviewed after their first season, with archival data providing background information. Four themes emerged from qualitative analysis: (1) "building of relationships" was important, along with trust and role clarity; (2) "establishing an analysis system" was difficult due to tacit coach knowledge, but analysis was established; (3) the quality of the "feedback process" hinged on coaching styles, with balance of feedback and athlete engagement considered essential; (4) "establishing effect" was complex with no statistical effects reported; yet enhanced relationships, role clarity, and improved performances were reported. Other emic accounts are required to further understand occupational culture within performance analysis.

Theory Testing Using Case Studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Ann-Kristina Løkke; Dissing Sørensen, Pernille

2014-01-01

The appropriateness of case studies as a tool for theory testing is still a controversial issue, and discussions about the weaknesses of such research designs have previously taken precedence over those about its strengths. The purpose of the paper is to examine and revive the approach of theory...... testing using case studies, including the associated research goal, analysis, and generalisability. We argue that research designs for theory testing using case studies differ from theorybuilding case study research designs because different research projects serve different purposes and follow different...... research paths....

Using Case Studies to Promote Student Engagement in Primary Literature Data Analysis and Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Cook-Snyder, Denise R.

2017-01-01

Analyzing and evaluating primary literature data is a common learning objective in undergraduate neuroscience courses. However, students with more clinically focused career goals often dismiss the relevance of evaluating basic neuroscience literature. Here, we describe using case studies to promote student engagement in primary literature in a cellular and molecular neuroscience course. Two example literature-based case studies are provided: Untwisting Pretzel Syndrome, a neurodevelopment case exploring synapse formation in a pretzel syndrome patient, and The Trials of ALS, a neurodegeneration case exploring axon degeneration and repair in an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient. These cases were assigned after neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration lectures covering key concepts. Both cases begin by introducing the patient and hypothesizing symptoms and diagnoses, followed by scenes incorporating primary data to illustrate disease pathogenesis and treatments. Students complete questions embedded in these cases as homework, and class time is used to discuss their answers. Discussion emphasizes that there can be multiple “correct” answers, and the best answers are accurate and well-supported. Accordingly, students edit their answers in class, and these annotations are factored into a pass/fail grade on the case. Additional scenes and questions from the same case studies are used on the course’s take-home exams, thereby allowing students to practice primary data analysis and evaluation before a graded assignment. Student evaluations support literature-based case studies as an effective learning tool, with students identifying cases as the most valuable aspect of the course, and reporting increased confidence in understanding cellular and molecular neuroscience. PMID:29371850

Using Case Studies to Promote Student Engagement in Primary Literature Data Analysis and Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook-Snyder, Denise R

2017-01-01

Analyzing and evaluating primary literature data is a common learning objective in undergraduate neuroscience courses. However, students with more clinically focused career goals often dismiss the relevance of evaluating basic neuroscience literature. Here, we describe using case studies to promote student engagement in primary literature in a cellular and molecular neuroscience course. Two example literature-based case studies are provided: Untwisting Pretzel Syndrome, a neurodevelopment case exploring synapse formation in a pretzel syndrome patient, and The Trials of ALS, a neurodegeneration case exploring axon degeneration and repair in an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient. These cases were assigned after neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration lectures covering key concepts. Both cases begin by introducing the patient and hypothesizing symptoms and diagnoses, followed by scenes incorporating primary data to illustrate disease pathogenesis and treatments. Students complete questions embedded in these cases as homework, and class time is used to discuss their answers. Discussion emphasizes that there can be multiple "correct" answers, and the best answers are accurate and well-supported. Accordingly, students edit their answers in class, and these annotations are factored into a pass/fail grade on the case. Additional scenes and questions from the same case studies are used on the course's take-home exams, thereby allowing students to practice primary data analysis and evaluation before a graded assignment. Student evaluations support literature-based case studies as an effective learning tool, with students identifying cases as the most valuable aspect of the course, and reporting increased confidence in understanding cellular and molecular neuroscience.

An ethical analysis of a home visit case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pibernat, Artur Dalfó; Vidal, Jessica Rosell; Pibernat, Enric Dalfó; Rodríguez, Francisco Javier Pelegrina; Colomer, Gerard; Cid, Maria Feijoo

2017-12-01

This article will explore a clinical case study of a home visit carried out by the case manager nurse. In this case, we will discuss the dilemma of finding the balance between autonomy and beneficence from the perspective of principlist ethics, virtue ethics and the 'ethics of care'. The main conflict in this case study deals with all proposals are unsuitable and it is not necessary for a nurse to pay him a home visit, whereas for the healthcare system it is considered necessary. We could conclude that, during the home visit, the case manager aspires to achieve excellence, and throughout his clinical relationship with Francesc, searches for a series of virtues, respecting certain fundamental principles. In this way, the case managers ensure that Jaume's care is more humanised. The case has been anonymised and confidentiality maintained.

Formal Food-related Networks in Ireland: A Case Study Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maeve Henchion

2012-03-01

Full Text Available  Strategic networking is of crucial importance for innovation in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs as it enables these companies access external resources and overcome internal constraints. However, SMEs often lack the skills and competencies to engage in and benefit from networks. Consequently SMEs often fail in establishing strategic and efficient networks. To date, there is limited guidance available on the optimal design of such networks. Furthermore, limited guidance is available on the number of networks, and level of engagement therein, that companies should be involved with. Using case studies across a range of formal networks within the food sector in Ireland, insights into the success factors and barriers to network learning are presented, which provide a foundation for such guidelines. Three case studies were selected for analysis in Ireland. Up to ten in-depth interviews were scheduled with the network managers and key informants from the triple helix (i.e. policy, research and industry sectors within each formal network. Initially, interviewees were identified as a result of a review of secondary sources and personal knowledge of the authors. The snowball sampling technique was then employed to identify additional interviewees within each network. The findings from this study revealed that some formal networks had a strong institutional influence, including significant financial inputs, whilst others had bottom-up origins. Many networks had strong levels of interaction prior to formalisation, which provided solid trust-based foundations. Innovation and/or learning were not the expressed objectives of all networks at the outset. However, interviewees across all three networks felt that positive impacts had been achieved in these areas. Whilst being involved in a broad network can provide access to a wider range of ideas, these case studies suggest that being involved in a smaller, dense network, with high levels of IP

Qualitative Task Analysis to Enhance Sports Characterization: A Surfing Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moreira Miguel

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to develop a Matrix of Analysis for Sports Tasks (MAST, regardless of the sports activity, based on practice classification and task analysis. Being this a qualitative research our main question was: in assessing sports’ structure is it possible to make the characterization of any discipline through context and individuals’ behaviours? The sample was within a surf discipline in a competition flowing having 5 of the top 16 Portuguese surfers training together. Based on a qualitative method, studying the surf as the main activity was an interpretative study case. The MAST was applied in four phases: taxonomy; tasks and context description; task analysis; teaching and performance strategies. Its application allowed the activities’ characterization through the observation, surfer’s opinions and bibliographical support. The triangulation of the data was used as an information data treatment. The elements were classified by the challenges proposed to the practitioners and the taxonomy was constituted by the sport activities, group, modality and discipline. Surf is a discipline of surfing which is a sliding sport modality, therefore, a nature sport. In the context description, we had the wave’s components and constraints and the surfboards’ qualities. Through task analysis we obtained a taxonomy of surf manoeuvres. The structural and functional analysis allowed finding solutions for learning of surf techniques with trampoline and skateboards because these fit in sliding sports. MAST makes possible the development of strategies that benefit teaching and performance intervention

Qualitative Task Analysis to Enhance Sports Characterization: A Surfing Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Miguel; Peixoto, César

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a Matrix of Analysis for Sports Tasks (MAST), regardless of the sports activity, based on practice classification and task analysis. Being this a qualitative research our main question was: in assessing sports’ structure is it possible to make the characterization of any discipline through context and individuals’ behaviours? The sample was within a surf discipline in a competition flowing having 5 of the top 16 Portuguese surfers training together. Based on a qualitative method, studying the surf as the main activity was an interpretative study case. The MAST was applied in four phases: taxonomy; tasks and context description; task analysis; teaching and performance strategies. Its application allowed the activities’ characterization through the observation, surfer’s opinions and bibliographical support. The triangulation of the data was used as an information data treatment. The elements were classified by the challenges proposed to the practitioners and the taxonomy was constituted by the sport activities, group, modality and discipline. Surf is a discipline of surfing which is a sliding sport modality, therefore, a nature sport. In the context description, we had the wave’s components and constraints and the surfboards’ qualities. Through task analysis we obtained a taxonomy of surf manoeuvres. The structural and functional analysis allowed finding solutions for learning of surf techniques with trampoline and skateboards because these fit in sliding sports. MAST makes possible the development of strategies that benefit teaching and performance intervention. PMID:25414757

[Case-non case studies: Principles, methods, bias and interpretation].

Science.gov (United States)

Faillie, Jean-Luc

2017-10-31

Case-non case studies belongs to the methods assessing drug safety by analyzing the disproportionality of notifications of adverse drug reactions in pharmacovigilance databases. Used for the first time in the 1980s, the last few decades have seen a significant increase in the use of this design. The principle of the case-non case study is to compare drug exposure in cases of a studied adverse reaction with that of cases of other reported adverse reactions and called "non cases". Results are presented in the form of a reporting odds ratio (ROR), the interpretation of which makes it possible to identify drug safety signals. This article describes the principle of the case-non case study, the method of calculating the ROR and its confidence interval, the different modalities of analysis and how to interpret its results with regard to the advantages and limitations of this design. Copyright © 2017 Société française de pharmacologie et de thérapeutique. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Occupational exposures to solvents and lead as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease: A collaborative re-analysis of case-control studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.B. Graves; C.M. van Duijn (Cornelia); V. Chandra; L. Fratiglioni (Laura); A. Heyman; A.F. Jorm; E. Kokmen (Emre); K. Kondo; J.A. Mortimer; W.A. Rocca; S.L. Shalat; H. Soininen; A. Hofman (Albert)

1991-01-01

textabstractA meta-analysis, involving the secondary analysis of original data from 11 case-control studies of Alzheimer's disease, is presented for occupational exposures to solvents and lead. Three studies had data on occupational exposure to solvents. Among cases, 21.3% were reported to have been

Service-oriented enterprise modelling and analysis: a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Iacob, Maria Eugenia; Jonkers, H.; Lankhorst, M.M.; Steen, M.W.A.

2007-01-01

In order to validate the concepts and techniques for service-oriented enterprise architecture modelling, developed in the ArchiMate project (Lankhorst, et al., 2005), we have conducted a number of case studies. This paper describes one of these case studies, conducted at the Dutch Tax and Customs

Design and construction strategies for reducing embodied impacts from buildings – Case study analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malmqvist, Tove; Nehasilova, Marie; Moncaster, Alice

2018-01-01

, individual building projects. This is done by a systematic analysis of the Annex 57 case study collection as well as additional scientific literature. While it should be noted that the actual EEG savings at building level illustrated in this collection of studies are only applicable to each specific case...... of national energy mixes. Stakeholders therefore have a growing interest in understanding the possibilities for reducing em- bodied impacts in buildings. In the IEA EBC project ‘Annex 57’ a broad call for case studies was launched with the aim to identify design strategies for reducing embodied energy and GHG...... emissions (EEG) from buildings. The aim of this paper is to identify and provide a collected and comprehensive overview of quantitative reduction potentials of the particular EEG reduction strategies which should be considered by the stakeholders engaged in, and with the capacity to influence the outcome of...

High Spicy Food Intake and Risk of Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Case-control Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yu-Heng; Zou, Xiao-Nong; Zheng, Tong-Zhang; Zhou, Qi; Qiu, Hui; Chen, Yuan-Li; He, Mei; Du, Jia; Lei, Hai-Ke; Zhao, Ping

2017-09-20

Studies on the association between spicy food intake and cancer risk have reported inconsistent results. We quantitatively assessed this association by conducting a meta-analysis based on evidence from case-control studies. PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched for eligible publications. Combined odds ratios (OR s) with their 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random- or fixed-effects model. The methodological quality of the included articles was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). All data were analyzed using STATA 11.0 software (version 11.0; StataCorp., College Station, TX, USA). Subgroup analyses were also performed with stratification by region, sex, number of cases, cancer subtype, source of the control group, and NOS score. A total 39 studies from 28 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis (7884 patients with cancer and 10,142 controls). Comparison of the highest versus lowest exposure category in each study revealed a significant OR of 1.76 (95% CI = 1.35-2.29) in spite of significant heterogeneity (P cases, different sources of the control group, and high-quality articles (NOS score of ≥ 7). However, no statistically significant association was observed for women, esophageal cancer, gallbladder cancer, or low-quality articles (NOS score of case-control studies suggested that a higher level of spicy food intake may be associated with an increased incidence of cancer despite significant heterogeneity. More studies are warranted to clarify our understanding of the association between high spicy food intake and the risk of cancer.

Literacy learning in secondary school science classrooms: A cross-case analysis of three qualitative studies

Science.gov (United States)

Dillon, Deborah R.; O'Brien, David G.; Moje, Elizabeth B.; Stewart, Roger A.

The purpose of this cross-case analysis is to illustrate how and why literacy was incorporated into science teaching and learning in three secondary classrooms. Research questions guiding the analysis include: (a) How were literacy events shaped by the teachers' philosophies about teaching science content and teaching students? and (b) How was literacy (reading, writing, and oral language) structured by the teachers and manifested in science lessons? The methodology of ethnography and the theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism were employed in the three studies on which the cross-case analysis was based. The researchers assumed the role of participant observers, collecting data over the period of 1 year in each of the three classrooms. Data, in the form of fieldnotes, interviews, and artifacts, were collected. In each study, data were analyzed using the constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) to determine patterns in the teachers' beliefs about learning and how these influenced their choice of literacy activities. The cross-case analysis was conducted to determine patterns across the three teachers and their classrooms. The findings from this analysis are used to compare how the teachers' philosophies of teaching science and their beliefs about how students learn influenced their use of literacy practices during lessons. Specifically, each teacher's use of literacy activities varied based on his or her beliefs about teaching science concepts. Furthermore, reading, writing, and oral language were important vehicles to learning science concepts within daily classroom activities in the three classrooms.Received: 1 April 1993; Revised: 30 August 1993;

Case Study: Testing with Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Herreid, Clyde Freeman

2015-01-01

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. This month's issue discusses using case studies to test for knowledge or lessons learned.

A finding in genetic polymorphism analysis study: A case of non-mosaic 47, XXX without manifestations.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xingyi; Ye, Zilan; Zhang, Xiaofang; Wang, Huijun; Liu, Chao

2017-07-01

Trisomy X (47, XXX) is a sex chromosome aneuploidy condition in which females have an extra X chromosome, compared to the 46, XX karyotype in typical females. There is considerable variation in the phenotype, with some individuals very mildly affected and others with more significant physical and psychological features. However, the trisomy X in this case, without any of these phenotype, is rarely reported. Here, we report a case found during DNA sample collection in a study of genetic polymorphism analysis of loci in Chinese ethnic group, of a female with neither laboratory or clinical signs of Triple X syndrome. She was born at her mother's 60years old and her father's 62years old. Advanced maternal age was found acting as a significant risk factor of Triplo-X. Moreover, her child are also born without manifestations of 47, XXX syndrome. Pedigree study demonstrated the normal karyotype of the children. A diagnosis of 47XXX was made on the basis of a chromosomal study. Therefore, laboratory investigations (including PCR amplification, more than two kinds of X-STR genotyping, G-banding karyotyping analysis and Pedigree study) are applied to rule out the possibility of Mosaicism (45, X0/47, XXX) and ascertain her 47XXX karyotype without mosaic. The objective of this study was to report a case of trisomy X, diagnostic investigation and management of the case, and to analysis the genetically possible reasons behind the case. To our knowledge, this case is a rare one, found in DNA sample collection for the estimation of gene frequency in the process of genetic polymorphism study, of non-mosaic 47, XXX without signs of physical syndrome and born healthy children. In this study, it revealed that the proportion of trisomy X would be more than official statistics and risk of systemic disabilities is lower than estimated. Moreover, we found out that sample mixture and mosaicism act as the interference factors in forensic test. Therefore, we draw the conclusion that

Study on Adaptive Parameter Determination of Cluster Analysis in Urban Management Cases

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, J. Y.; Jing, C. F.; Du, M. Y.; Fu, Y. L.; Dai, P. P.

2017-09-01

The fine management for cities is the important way to realize the smart city. The data mining which uses spatial clustering analysis for urban management cases can be used in the evaluation of urban public facilities deployment, and support the policy decisions, and also provides technical support for the fine management of the city. Aiming at the problem that DBSCAN algorithm which is based on the density-clustering can not realize parameter adaptive determination, this paper proposed the optimizing method of parameter adaptive determination based on the spatial analysis. Firstly, making analysis of the function Ripley's K for the data set to realize adaptive determination of global parameter MinPts, which means setting the maximum aggregation scale as the range of data clustering. Calculating every point object's highest frequency K value in the range of Eps which uses K-D tree and setting it as the value of clustering density to realize the adaptive determination of global parameter MinPts. Then, the R language was used to optimize the above process to accomplish the precise clustering of typical urban management cases. The experimental results based on the typical case of urban management in XiCheng district of Beijing shows that: The new DBSCAN clustering algorithm this paper presents takes full account of the data's spatial and statistical characteristic which has obvious clustering feature, and has a better applicability and high quality. The results of the study are not only helpful for the formulation of urban management policies and the allocation of urban management supervisors in XiCheng District of Beijing, but also to other cities and related fields.

STUDY ON ADAPTIVE PARAMETER DETERMINATION OF CLUSTER ANALYSIS IN URBAN MANAGEMENT CASES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Y. Fu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The fine management for cities is the important way to realize the smart city. The data mining which uses spatial clustering analysis for urban management cases can be used in the evaluation of urban public facilities deployment, and support the policy decisions, and also provides technical support for the fine management of the city. Aiming at the problem that DBSCAN algorithm which is based on the density-clustering can not realize parameter adaptive determination, this paper proposed the optimizing method of parameter adaptive determination based on the spatial analysis. Firstly, making analysis of the function Ripley's K for the data set to realize adaptive determination of global parameter MinPts, which means setting the maximum aggregation scale as the range of data clustering. Calculating every point object’s highest frequency K value in the range of Eps which uses K-D tree and setting it as the value of clustering density to realize the adaptive determination of global parameter MinPts. Then, the R language was used to optimize the above process to accomplish the precise clustering of typical urban management cases. The experimental results based on the typical case of urban management in XiCheng district of Beijing shows that: The new DBSCAN clustering algorithm this paper presents takes full account of the data’s spatial and statistical characteristic which has obvious clustering feature, and has a better applicability and high quality. The results of the study are not only helpful for the formulation of urban management policies and the allocation of urban management supervisors in XiCheng District of Beijing, but also to other cities and related fields.

NDT in failure analysis - some case studies [Paper IIIA-g

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raj, Baldev; Bhattacharya, D.K.; Lopez, E.C.; Jayakumar, T.

1986-01-01

The effective uses of several non-destructive techniques in failure analysis are discussed. The techniques considered are: dye penetrant testing, radiography, ultrasonic testing, hardness measurement and in-situ metallography. A few failure cases are discussed to highlight the usefulness of the techniques. (author)

Space-Based Space Surveillance Logistics Case Study: A Qualitative Product Support Element Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Joint applied project 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE SPACE-BASED SPACE SURVEILLANCE LOGISTICS CASE STUDY: A QUALITATIVE ...INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK v ABSTRACT This research provides a qualitative analysis of the logistics impacts, effects, and sustainment challenges...provides a qualitative product support element-by-element review for both research questions. Chapters IV and V present the findings, results

Renewable energy technology portfolio planning with scenario analysis: A case study for Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, T.-Y.; Yu, Oliver S.; Hsu, George Jyh-yih; Hsu, Fang-Ming; Sung, W.-N.

2009-01-01

This paper presents the results of a case study of applying a systematic and proven process of technology portfolio planning with the use of scenario analysis to renewable energy developments in Taiwan. The planning process starts with decision values of technology development based on a survey of society leaders. It then generates, based on expert opinions and literature search, a set of major technology alternatives, which in this study include: wind energy, photovoltaic, bio-energy, solar thermal power, ocean energy, and geothermal energy. Through a committee of technical experts with diversified professional backgrounds, the process in this study next constructs three scenarios ('Season in the Sun', 'More Desire than Energy', and 'Castle in the Air') to encompass future uncertainties in the relationships between the technology alternatives and the decision values. Finally, through a second committee of professionals, the process assesses the importance and risks of these alternative technologies and develops a general strategic plan for the renewable energy technology portfolio that is responsive and robust for the future scenarios. The most important contributions of this paper are the clear description of the systematic process of technology portfolio planning and scenario analysis, the detailed demonstration of their application through a case study on the renewable energy development in Taiwan, and the valuable results and insights gained from the application.

Strategic analysis methodology for energy systems with remote island case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krumdieck, Susan; Hamm, Andreas

2009-01-01

A strategic analysis methodology is presented for adaptive energy systems engineering to realize an optimal level of service in the context of a community's social, economic, and environmental position. The groundwork stage involves characterizing the social context, assessing available energy resources, identifying environmental issues, setting eco-resource limits, and quantifying socio-economic constraints for a given region. A spectrum of development options is then constructed according to the range of energy service levels identified for the sector under study. A spectrum of conceptual energy systems is generated and infrastructure investments and resource use are modeled. The outcome is a matrix of energy system investment possibilities for the range of energy demand levels reflecting the values, ideas, and expectations expressed by the community. These models are then used to assess technical feasibility and economic, environmental and social risk. The result is an easily understood graphical depiction of local aspirations, investment options, and risks which clearly differentiates development opportunities from non-viable concepts. The approach was applied to a case study on Rotuma, an isolated Pacific Island. The case study results show a clear development opportunity space for Rotuma where desired energy services are in balance with investment sources, resource availability, and environmental constraints.

Using Case Studies to Enrich Field Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Florio-Ruane, Susan; Clark, Christopher M.

1990-01-01

This paper discusses the use of field experience in teacher education and how it can be augmented by phenomenological case studies. It summarizes a particular case study involving three teacher education classes, noting that reflective analysis of cases can prepare students to observe in the field. (SM)

Worst-case analysis of heap allocations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Puffitsch, Wolfgang; Huber, Benedikt; Schoeberl, Martin

2010-01-01

the worst-case heap allocations of tasks. The analysis builds upon techniques that are well established for worst-case execution time analysis. The difference is that the cost function is not the execution time of instructions in clock cycles, but the allocation in bytes. In contrast to worst-case execution...... time analysis, worst-case heap allocation analysis is not processor dependent. However, the cost function depends on the object layout of the runtime system. The analysis is evaluated with several real-time benchmarks to establish the usefulness of the analysis, and to compare the memory consumption...

Analysis of Case-Control Association Studies: SNPs, Imputation and Haplotypes

KAUST Repository

Chatterjee, Nilanjan; Chen, Yi-Hau; Luo, Sheng; Carroll, Raymond J.

2009-01-01

Although prospective logistic regression is the standard method of analysis for case-control data, it has been recently noted that in genetic epidemiologic studies one can use the "retrospective" likelihood to gain major power by incorporating various population genetics model assumptions such as Hardy-Weinberg-Equilibrium (HWE), gene-gene and gene-environment independence. In this article we review these modern methods and contrast them with the more classical approaches through two types of applications (i) association tests for typed and untyped single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and (ii) estimation of haplotype effects and haplotype-environment interactions in the presence of haplotype-phase ambiguity. We provide novel insights to existing methods by construction of various score-tests and pseudo-likelihoods. In addition, we describe a novel two-stage method for analysis of untyped SNPs that can use any flexible external algorithm for genotype imputation followed by a powerful association test based on the retrospective likelihood. We illustrate applications of the methods using simulated and real data. © Institute of Mathematical Statistics, 2009.

Analysis of Case-Control Association Studies: SNPs, Imputation and Haplotypes

KAUST Repository

Chatterjee, Nilanjan

2009-11-01

Although prospective logistic regression is the standard method of analysis for case-control data, it has been recently noted that in genetic epidemiologic studies one can use the "retrospective" likelihood to gain major power by incorporating various population genetics model assumptions such as Hardy-Weinberg-Equilibrium (HWE), gene-gene and gene-environment independence. In this article we review these modern methods and contrast them with the more classical approaches through two types of applications (i) association tests for typed and untyped single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and (ii) estimation of haplotype effects and haplotype-environment interactions in the presence of haplotype-phase ambiguity. We provide novel insights to existing methods by construction of various score-tests and pseudo-likelihoods. In addition, we describe a novel two-stage method for analysis of untyped SNPs that can use any flexible external algorithm for genotype imputation followed by a powerful association test based on the retrospective likelihood. We illustrate applications of the methods using simulated and real data. © Institute of Mathematical Statistics, 2009.

Singing and Vocal Instruction in Primary Schools: An Analysis from Six Case Studies in Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Cuadrado, Albina; Rusinek, Gabriel

2016-01-01

This is an analysis of how specialist music teachers sing and teach how to sing, based on data collected from six case studies carried out in Spanish primary schools. The study aimed at understanding classroom singing practices, and in particular the provision or absence of vocal instruction in relation with teachers' singing models. The findings…

Reduced Risk of Barrett's Esophagus in Statin Users: Case-Control Study and Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Beales, Ian L P; Dearman, Leanne; Vardi, Inna; Loke, Yoon

2016-01-01

Use of statins has been associated with a reduced incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma in population-based studies. However there are few studies examining statin use and the development of Barrett's esophagus. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between statin use and the presence of Barrett's esophagus in patients having their first gastroscopy. We have performed a case-control study comparing statin use between patients with, and without, an incident diagnosis of non-dysplastic Barrett's esophagus. Male Barrett's cases (134) were compared to 268 male age-matched controls in each of two control groups (erosive gastro-esophageal reflux and dyspepsia without significant upper gastrointestinal disease). Risk factor and drug exposure were established using standardised interviews. Logistic regression was used to compare statin exposure and correct for confounding factors. We performed a meta-analysis pooling our results with three other case-control studies. Regular statin use was associated with a significantly lower incidence of Barrett's esophagus compared to the combined control groups [adjusted OR 0.62 (95 % confidence intervals 0.37-0.93)]. This effect was more marked in combined statin plus aspirin users [adjusted OR 0.43 (95 % CI 0.21-0.89)]. The inverse association between statin or statin plus aspirin use and risk of Barrett's was significantly greater with longer duration of use. Meta-analysis of pooled data (1098 Barrett's, 2085 controls) showed that statin use was significantly associated with a reduced risk of Barrett's esophagus [pooled adjusted OR 0.63 (95 % CI 0.51-0.77)]. Statin use is associated with a reduced incidence of a new diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus.

Regression analysis for secondary response variable in a case-cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Yinghao; Cai, Jianwen; Kim, Sangmi; Zhou, Haibo

2017-12-29

Case-cohort study design has been widely used for its cost-effectiveness. In any real study, there are always other important outcomes of interest beside the failure time that the original case-cohort study is based on. How to utilize the available case-cohort data to study the relationship of a secondary outcome with the primary exposure obtained through the case-cohort study is not well studied. In this article, we propose a non-parametric estimated likelihood approach for analyzing a secondary outcome in a case-cohort study. The estimation is based on maximizing a semiparametric likelihood function that is built jointly on both time-to-failure outcome and the secondary outcome. The proposed estimator is shown to be consistent, efficient, and asymptotically normal. Finite sample performance is evaluated via simulation studies. Data from the Sister Study is analyzed to illustrate our method. © 2017, The International Biometric Society.

Singularity analysis in nonlinear biomathematical models: Two case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meletlidou, E.; Leach, P.G.L.

2007-01-01

We investigate the possession of the Painleve Property for certain values of the parameters in two biological models. The first is a metapopulation model for two species (prey and predator) and the second one is a study of a sexually transmitted disease, into which 'education' is introduced. We determine the cases for which the systems possess the Painleve Property, in particular some of the cases for which the equations can be directly integrated. We draw conclusions for these cases

Modelling and Analysis of Smart Grid: A Stochastic Model Checking Case Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuksel, Ender; Zhu, Huibiao; Nielson, Hanne Riis

2012-01-01

that require novel methods and applications. In this context, an important issue is the verification of certain quantitative properties of the system. In this paper, we consider a specific Chinese Smart Grid implementation as a case study and address the verification problem for performance and energy......Cyber-physical systems integrate information and communication technology functions to the physical elements of a system for monitoring and controlling purposes. The conversion of traditional power grid into a smart grid, a fundamental example of a cyber-physical system, raises a number of issues...... consumption. We employ stochastic model checking approach and present our modelling and analysis study using PRISM model checker....

Logistics case study based research: Towards higher quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedrosa, Alex; Näslund, Dag; Jasmand, Claudia

2012-01-01

analysis of 134 case study based articles published in six leading logistics and supply chain management (SCM) journals between 1998 and 2010 is used to assess and evaluate the quality of the case study based research approach as documented in these publications. Findings – This research provides...... to address to ensure high quality of the case study based research approach in published articles. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to the analysis of published articles in six logistics and SCM journals. Further research should investigate different journals in logistics and other...

Network Resilience Analysis: Review Of Concepts And A Country-Level. Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariusz Kamola

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the rationale behind performing an analysis of Internet resilience in the sense of maintaining a connection of autonomous systems in the presence of failures or attacks — on a level of a single country. Next, the graph of a network is constructed that represents interconnections between autonomous systems. The connectivity of the graph is examined for cases of link or node failure. Resilience metrics are proposed, focusing on a single autonomous system or on overall network reliability. The process of geographic location of networking infrastructure is presented, leading to an analysis of network resilience in the case of a joint failure of neighboring autonomous systems.

Case Studies Approach in Tourism Destination Branding Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adeyinka-Ojo S.F.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A review of literature indicates that there are different types of qualitative research methods such as action research, content analysis, ethnography, grounded theory, historical analysis, phenomenology and case study. However, which approach is to be used depends on several factors such as the nature and objectives of the research. The aim of this paper is to focus on the research methodology aspects of applying case study as a research approach and its relevance in tourism destination branding research specifically on a single case study (SCS context. There are arguments that the SCS is a weak research strategy. Some of the potentials or shortcomings highlighted in the literature include the primitive nature of SCS, flexibility of sample technique, data collection method and data analysis. Others include lack of rigour, reliability, validity, credibility of findings and generalisation. This paper has adopted content analysis of the literature on tourism destination branding. Findings indicate that the quality of SCS can be verified using specific case study tactics for four design tests such as validity (construct, internal and external; and reliability using the case study protocol. Theoretical implication suggests that SCS is an empirical enquiry use to understand complex phenomena and favoured by practitioners.

VGC analyzer: a software for statistical analysis of fully crossed multiple-reader multiple-case visual grading characteristics studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baath, Magnus; Hansson, Jonny

2016-01-01

Visual grading characteristics (VGC) analysis is a non-parametric rank-invariant method for analysis of visual grading data. In VGC analysis, image quality ratings for two different conditions are compared by producing a VGC curve, similar to how the ratings for normal and abnormal cases in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis are used to create an ROC curve. The use of established ROC software for the analysis of VGC data has therefore previously been proposed. However, the ROC analysis is based on the assumption of independence between normal and abnormal cases. In VGC analysis, this independence cannot always be assumed, e.g. if the ratings are based on the same patients imaged under both conditions. A dedicated software intended for analysis of VGC studies, which takes possible dependencies between ratings into account in the statistical analysis of a VGC study, has therefore been developed. The software-VGC Analyzer-determines the area under the VGC curve and its uncertainty using non-parametric re-sampling techniques. This article gives an introduction to VGC Analyzer, describes the types of analyses that can be performed and instructs the user about the input and output data. (authors)

Human-centered modeling in human reliability analysis: some trends based on case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosneron-Dupin, F.; Reer, B.; Heslinga, G.; Straeter, O.; Gerdes, V.; Saliou, G.; Ullwer, W.

1997-01-01

As an informal working group of researchers from France, Germany and The Netherlands created in 1993, the EARTH association is investigating significant subjects in the field of human reliability analysis (HRA). Our initial review of cases from nuclear operating experience showed that decision-based unrequired actions (DUA) contribute to risk significantly on the one hand. On the other hand, our evaluation of current HRA methods showed that these methods do not cover such actions adequately. Especially, practice-oriented guidelines for their predictive identification are lacking. We assumed that a basic cause for such difficulties was that these methods actually use a limited representation of the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) paradigm. We proposed a human-centered model, which better highlights the active role of the operators and the importance of their culture, attitudes and goals. This orientation was encouraged by our review of current HRA research activities. We therefore decided to envisage progress by identifying cognitive tendencies in the context of operating and simulator experience. For this purpose, advanced approaches for retrospective event analysis were discussed. Some orientations for improvements were proposed. By analyzing cases, various cognitive tendencies were identified, together with useful information about their context. Some of them match psychological findings already published in the literature, some of them are not covered adequately by the literature that we reviewed. Finally, this exploratory study shows that contextual and case-illustrated findings about cognitive tendencies provide useful help for the predictive identification of DUA in HRA. More research should be carried out to complement our findings and elaborate more detailed and systematic guidelines for using them in HRA studies

Improving Library Management by Using Cost Analysis Tools: A Case Study for Cataloguing Processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorena Siguenza-Guzman

2014-02-01

Full Text Available TTDABC is a relatively new costing management technique, initially developed for manufacturing processes, which is gaining attention in libraries. This is because TDABC is a fast and simple method that only requires two parameters, an estimation of time required to perform an activity and the unit cost per time of supplying capacity. A few case studies have been documented with regard to TDABC in libraries; all of them being oriented to analyse specific library activities such as inter-library loan, acquisition and circulation processes. The primary focus of this paper is to describe TDABC implementation in one of the most important library processes, namely cataloguing. In particular, original and copy cataloguing are analysed through a case study to demonstrate the applicability and usefulness of TDABC to perform cost analysis of cataloguing processes.

CONFIDENCE LEVELS AND/VS. STATISTICAL HYPOTHESIS TESTING IN STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. CASE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ILEANA BRUDIU

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Estimated parameters with confidence intervals and testing statistical assumptions used in statistical analysis to obtain conclusions on research from a sample extracted from the population. Paper to the case study presented aims to highlight the importance of volume of sample taken in the study and how this reflects on the results obtained when using confidence intervals and testing for pregnant. If statistical testing hypotheses not only give an answer "yes" or "no" to some questions of statistical estimation using statistical confidence intervals provides more information than a test statistic, show high degree of uncertainty arising from small samples and findings build in the "marginally significant" or "almost significant (p very close to 0.05.

Interleukin 1 beta gene and risk of schizophrenia: detailed case-control and family-based studies and an updated meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shibuya, Masako; Watanabe, Yuichiro; Nunokawa, Ayako; Egawa, Jun; Kaneko, Naoshi; Igeta, Hirofumi; Someya, Toshiyuki

2014-01-01

Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. To assess whether the IL1B gene confers increased susceptibility to schizophrenia, we conducted case-control and family-based studies and an updated meta-analysis. We tested the association between IL1B and schizophrenia in 1229 case-control and 112 trio samples using 12 markers, including common tagging single nucleotide variations (SNVs) and a rare non-synonymous variation detected by resequencing the coding regions. We also performed a meta-analysis of rs16944 using a total of 8724 case-control and 201 trio samples from 16 independent populations. We found no significant associations between any of the 12 SNVs examined and schizophrenia in either case-control or trio samples. Moreover, our meta-analysis results showed no significant association between the common SNV, rs16944, and schizophrenia. The present study does not support a role for IL1B in schizophrenia susceptibility.

Sympathetic skin response in multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis of case-control studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Margaritella, Nicolò; Mendozzi, Laura; Garegnani, Massimo; Gilardi, Elisabetta; Nemni, Raffaello; Pugnetti, Luigi

2018-01-01

The usefulness of sympathetic skin responses (SSR) in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been advocated by several studies in the last 20 years; however, due to a great heterogeneity of findings, a comprehensive meta-analysis of case-control studies is in order to pinpoint consistencies and investigate the causes of discrepancies. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases for case-control studies comparing SSR absence frequency and latency between patients with MS and healthy controls. Thirteen eligible studies including 415 MS patients and 331 healthy controls were identified. The pooled analysis showed that SSR can be always obtained in healthy controls while 34% of patients had absent SSRs in at least one limb (95% CI 22-47%; p studies (I 2  = 90.3%). Patients' age explained 22% of the overall variability and positive correlations were found with Expanded Disability Status Scale and disease duration. The pooled mean difference of SSR latency showed a significant increase in patients on both upper (193 ms; 95% CI 120-270 ms) and lower (350 ms; 95% CI 190-510 ms) extremities. We tested the discriminatory value of SSR latency thresholds defined as the 95% confidence interval (CI) upper bound of the healthy controls, and validated the results on a new dataset. The lower limb threshold of 1.964 s produces the best results in terms of sensitivity 0.86, specificity 0.67, positive predicted value 0.75 and negative predicted value 0.80. Despite a considerable heterogeneity of findings, there is evidence that SSR is a useful tool in MS.

Atmospheric Pressure and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Rupture: Results From a Time Series Analysis and Case-Crossover Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Penning de Vries, Bas B L; Kolkert, Joé L P; Meerwaldt, Robbert; Groenwold, Rolf H H

2017-10-01

Associations between atmospheric pressure and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture risk have been reported, but empirical evidence is inconclusive and largely derived from studies that did not account for possible nonlinearity, seasonality, and confounding by temperature. Associations between atmospheric pressure and AAA rupture risk were investigated using local meteorological data and a case series of 358 patients admitted to hospital for ruptured AAA during the study period, January 2002 to December 2012. Two analyses were performed-a time series analysis and a case-crossover study. Results from the 2 analyses were similar; neither the time series analysis nor the case-crossover study showed a significant association between atmospheric pressure ( P = .627 and P = .625, respectively, for mean daily atmospheric pressure) or atmospheric pressure variation ( P = .464 and P = .816, respectively, for 24-hour change in mean daily atmospheric pressure) and AAA rupture risk. This study failed to support claims that atmospheric pressure causally affects AAA rupture risk. In interpreting our results, one should be aware that the range of atmospheric pressure observed in this study is not representative of the atmospheric pressure to which patients with AAA may be exposed, for example, during air travel or travel to high altitudes in the mountains. Making firm claims regarding these conditions in relation to AAA rupture risk is difficult at best. Furthermore, despite the fact that we used one of the largest case series to date to investigate the effect of atmospheric pressure on AAA rupture risk, it is possible that this study is simply too small to demonstrate a causal link.

Educational Potential of Case-Study Technology

OpenAIRE

Fedorinova, Zoya; Vorobeva, Victoria; Malyanova, Marina

2015-01-01

This article presents the results of phenomenological and typological analysis of case-study technology educational potential. The definition “educational potential of case-study technology” is given, the main characteristics of which are changed in communication and collaborative activity quality, appearance of educational initiatives, change of participants’ position in learning process, formation of “collective subject” in collaborative activity, increase of learning (subject) results. Dep...

The Transfer of Knowledge in Intra-Organizational Networks: A Case Study Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sroka Włodzimierz

2014-02-01

Full Text Available `Background: In today’s business environment, a company is able to maintain its competitive position if it constantly generates knowledge and disseminates this knowledge within the organization, as well as transforms it into new competences. The ability to transfer knowledge becomes one of the key factors in the improvement of a company’s competitive position. This hypothesis is applicable particularly in the case of cooperation within networks, as they are an excellent opportunity for mutual learning between partners. Objectives: The purpose of the paper is to analyse the process of knowledge transfer in intra-organizational networks. Method: Due to the specificity of the research object, the case study method has been chosen. In order to make an in-depth analysis of the case study, we selected a group of several criteria based on the theory which we believe to be fundamental to the effectiveness of knowledge management in networks, and compared them with the situation in the ArcelorMittal Group. Results: Our research show that ArcelorMittal Group has met almost all the criteria of effective knowledge management in its intra-organizational network. Some exceptions, albeit merely to an extent, are mostly the result of historical circumstances, , i.e. the process of growth through acquisitions, and the acquisition of companies at different stages of organizational development, as well as organizational culture. Conclusion: Based on theoretical assumptions, the study analysed in details the components of knowledge management applied by the corporation in question. Therefore this study might be utilised to formulate a refutable hypothesis and verify them on a larger group of companies from different sectors of the economy. The main limitations of the paper are mostly related to the inherent approach therein

Five case studies of multifamily weatherization programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kinney, L; Wilson, T.; Lewis, G. [Synertech Systems Corp. (United States); MacDonald, M. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1997-12-31

The multifamily case studies that are the subject of this report were conducted to provide a better understanding of the approach taken by program operators in weatherizing large buildings. Because of significant variations in building construction and energy systems across the country, five states were selected based on their high level of multifamily weatherization. This report summarizes findings from case studies conducted by multifamily weatherization operations in five cities. The case studies were conducted between January and November 1994. Each of the case studies involved extensive interviews with the staff of weatherization subgrantees conducting multifamily weatherization, the inspection of 4 to 12 buildings weatherized between 1991 and 1993, and the analysis of savings and costs. The case studies focused on innovative techniques which appear to work well.

A nested case-control study of influenza vaccination was a cost-effective alternative to a full cohort analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hak, E; Wei, F; Grobbee, D E; Nichol, K L

OBJECTIVE: In the absence of trial results that are applicable to the target population, nested case-control studies might be an alternative to full-cohort analysis. We compared relative and absolute estimates of associations in an influenza vaccine study using both designs. STUDY DESIGN AND

The Effect of Using Case Studies in Business Statistics

Science.gov (United States)

Pariseau, Susan E.; Kezim, Boualem

2007-01-01

The authors evaluated the effect on learning of using case studies in business statistics courses. The authors divided students into 3 groups: a control group, a group that completed 1 case study, and a group that completed 3 case studies. Results evidenced that, on average, students whom the authors required to complete a case analysis received…

Flash flood disasters analysis and evaluation: a case study of Yiyang County in China

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Haichen; Zhang, Xiaolei; Li, Qing; Qin, Tao; Lei, Xiaohui

2018-03-01

Global climate change leads to the more extreme precipitation and more flash flood disasters, which is a serious threat to the mountain inhabitants. To prevent flash flood disasters, China started flash flood disaster control planning and other projects from 2006. Among those measures, non-engineering measures are effective and economical. This paper introduced the framework of flash flood disaster analysis and evaluation in China, followed by a case study of Yiyang County.

Developing and using a balanced scorecard: a case study with SWOT analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gumbus, Andra; Lussier, Robert N

2003-01-01

Have you tried to measure your laboratory's performance lately? Do you measure and assess financial results, customer satisfaction, internal process efficiency, and learning and growth? If any of these metrics are missing from your performance measurement system, you are not using the latest management tool that is sweeping the health-care industry--the balanced scorecard (BSC). This article begins with a discussion of the BSC and why you should use it in your laboratory, followed by SWOT analysis to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) a BSC offers your laboratory. A laboratory case study is then presented to assist you in developing and using a BSC in your laboratory.

Cultural change in telecommunications companies: a case study

OpenAIRE

Anacleto, Cristiane Alves; Irion, Crishna; Paladini, Edson Pacheco

2014-01-01

This work aims to propose a model for the conduct of cultural change in the IT department of a company in the telecommunications industry. To achieve the goal proposed exploratory, technical procedures used were the case study and literature review. The techniques of data collection in the case study were: participant observation, unstructured interview and document analysis. The proposed model consists of five steps: analysis of the company's strategic planning, cultural diagnosis of the IT ...

Corporate investment decisions and economic analysis. Exercises and case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babusiaux, D.; Pierru, A.

2005-01-01

Economic analysis of industrial projects is based on methods which are often simple, sometimes complex, yet always to be applied with rigor. The aim of this book is to help readers assimilate the concepts and methods for investment decision and project evaluation. It offers a wide range of exercises, problems and case studies taken from business, which are the fruit of many years of teaching, consulting and research. Some are direct application of basics, others require a higher degree of reflection for more complex applications. Our approach borrows elements from micro economics, engineering economics and finance theory. While many examples relate to the energy sector, particularly oil and gas, the problems addressed are of broader scope and so are fully applicable to other industry sectors. This book is ideally suited to both professionals and students who seek to master capital budgeting techniques. A review of essential points is proposed at the beginning of each chapter and key methodological elements are recalled in the solutions. (authors)

An analysis of models and practices in Human Resource Management processes and the relationship between firms and outsourcers: a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Cirella, Stefano

The complexity of the networked organizations field is here investigated by proposing an analysis of models and practices on the relationship between companies and outsourcers with regards to Human Resource Management processes, illustrating an HR Outsourcing (HRO) case study. The chapter is organized in five sections. The first section provides a brief introduction to HRO. The second section presents a review of different aspects of the relationship between companies and HR service suppliers. The third section analyses an HRO case study by describingits objectives, outsourced HR activities, HRO process phases and solutions implemented. The fourth section is a brief conclusion based on a reflective analysis of the case in point.

Supply chain analysis of e-tailing versus retailing operation - a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Sameer; Tiffany, Maryellen; Vaidya, Salil

2016-07-01

The swift growth of e-commerce or e-tailing as a consumer retail channel has made it a serious competitor to traditional retail channels and is changing consumers' purchasing behaviour. The purpose of this case study, based on Target and Amazon.com, is to analyse the attributes of traditional retailing, e-tailing, and hybrid supply chain models to form conclusions about the feasibility of an idealised supply chain model for the future. An integrated and generalised modelling framework is used that incorporates Six Sigma - define, measure, analyse, improve, control methodology leveraging various tools, including process flow maps, cause and effect diagram, performance efficiency metrics, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), and Monte Carlo simulation. Based on this analysis and research, the conclusion is that the idealised supply chain of the future may evolve into a hybrid supply chain, which includes both e-tail and retail channels. The main recommendations from this study include assessing the risks of migrating to such a hybrid supply chain and to leverage the recommended actions provided in the hybrid FMEA. To facilitate more effective and mature processes, this study can guide researchers in exhaustive empirical evaluations of hybrid supply chains, gather experiences and lessons learned for practitioners.

8. Therapeutic and Educational Potential of Combining Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Art – Qualitative Analysis of a Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Růžička Michal

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Cognitive behavioural psychotherapy is, just like other psychotherapeutic systems, of an eclectic nature. Should a therapist be successful across a wide range of issues, he/she needs to be adaptable, flexible and eclectic in terms of the techniques applied. Eclectically oriented therapists use a wide range of interventions; however, they adhere to individual theoretical structures. The aim of the paper is to point out the application of a combination of artistic activities within the system of the Cognitive behavioural therapy. For this purpose the paper presents a qualitative analysis of two case studies. We formulated the following research questions. Can the methods of combining the cognitive behavioural therapy and art accelerate the course of therapy? Can the methods of combining the cognitive behavioural therapy and art be perceived by the client as effective? The phenomenon investigated in the case study is a functional analysis of a client’s case and subsequent application of therapeutic and educational techniques of the Cognitive behavioural therapy and art. In both case studies it was demonstrated that the involvement of therapeutic elements accelerated the course of therapy. The clients in the research sample assessed the therapy as beneficial.

Case studies on the feasibility of the transient analysis system STAR in German nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buettner, W.E.; Felkel, L.; Zapp, A.

1984-01-01

On the basis of distubances which actually have occurred in German nuclear power plants a case-study has been performed to evaluate the feasibility of the computer-based disturbance analysis system STAR. By means of a compact plant simulator the disturbances collected have been remodelled and anlysed, on-line, with the disturbance analysis system STAR. In the last phase of the project experiments have been performed with reactor operators to get their reaction to, and opinion on, computerbased-operator aids. (orig.) [de

Validation test case generation based on safety analysis ontology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, Chin-Feng; Wang, Wen-Shing

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Current practice in validation test case generation for nuclear system is mainly ad hoc. ► This study designs a systematic approach to generate validation test cases from a Safety Analysis Report. ► It is based on a domain-specific ontology. ► Test coverage criteria have been defined and satisfied. ► A computerized toolset has been implemented to assist the proposed approach. - Abstract: Validation tests in the current nuclear industry practice are typically performed in an ad hoc fashion. This study presents a systematic and objective method of generating validation test cases from a Safety Analysis Report (SAR). A domain-specific ontology was designed and used to mark up a SAR; relevant information was then extracted from the marked-up document for use in automatically generating validation test cases that satisfy the proposed test coverage criteria; namely, single parameter coverage, use case coverage, abnormal condition coverage, and scenario coverage. The novelty of this technique is its systematic rather than ad hoc test case generation from a SAR to achieve high test coverage.

Case Studies Approach in Tourism Destination Branding Research

OpenAIRE

Adeyinka-Ojo S.F.; Nair V.; Khoo-Lattimore C.

2014-01-01

A review of literature indicates that there are different types of qualitative research methods such as action research, content analysis, ethnography, grounded theory, historical analysis, phenomenology and case study. However, which approach is to be used depends on several factors such as the nature and objectives of the research. The aim of this paper is to focus on the research methodology aspects of applying case study as a research approach and its relevance in tourism destination bran...

CASE STUDY CRITIQUE; UPPER CLINCH CASE STUDY

Science.gov (United States)

Case study critique: Upper Clinch case study (from Research on Methods for Integrating Ecological Economics and Ecological Risk Assessment: A Trade-off Weighted Index Approach to Integrating Economics and Ecological Risk Assessment). This critique answers the questions: 1) does ...

Unsupervised text mining methods for literature analysis: a case study for Thomas Pynchon's V.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christos Iraklis Tsatsoulis

2013-08-01

Full Text Available We investigate the use of unsupervised text mining methods for the analysis of prose literature works, using Thomas Pynchon's novel 'V'. as a case study. Our results suggest that such methods may be employed to reveal meaningful information regarding the novel’s structure. We report results using a wide variety of clustering algorithms, several distinct distance functions, and different visualization techniques. The application of a simple topic model is also demonstrated. We discuss the meaningfulness of our results along with the limitations of our approach, and we suggest some possible paths for further study.

Making a case for case studies in psychotherapy training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mackrill, Thomas Edward; Iwakabe, Shigeru

2013-01-01

articulated explicitly or researched systematically in spite of its cardinal importance. An analysis of the role of case studies in psychotherapy training is presented. Reading, watching, or hearing about cases can offer novice psychotherapists access to a closed world; access to psychological theory...... in action; access to whole courses of therapy; access to different approaches; access to significant moments; access to the therapeutic relationship; access to a wide range of client types; access to working in different contexts; and the opportunity of identifying with therapists and clients. Writing...

The new on-line marketing medium: viral marketing. Analysis of the field through two case studies

OpenAIRE

Sasigain Salvador, Miren

2014-01-01

Purpose: This paper synthesizes the emerging literature on viral marketing through the analysis of two case studies and identifies and evaluates important factors that need to be considered when organizing a viral marketing campaign nowadays; the elements used the implemented strategy, the impact and results. The companies to be studied have been successful developing viral marketing strategies even they differ in size, sector and product offered. Literature Review: Definition of tradition...

Cofiring of biofuels in coal fired boilers: Results of case study analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tillman, D.A. [Ebasco Environmental, Sacramento, CA (United States); Hughes, E. [Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Gold, B.A. [TVA, Chattanooga, TN (United States)

1993-12-31

Ebasco Environmental and Reaction Engineering, under contract to EPRI, performed a case study analysis of cofiring biomass in coal-fired boilers of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The study was also sponsored by DOE. This analysis included evaluating wood fuel receiving, preparation, and combustion in pulverized coal (PC) boilers and cyclone furnaces and an assessment of converting wood into pyrolysis oil or low Btu gas for use in a new combined cycle combustion turbine (CCCT) installation. Cofiring wood in existing coal-fired boilers has the most immediate potential for increasing the utilization of biofuels in electricity generation. Cofiring biofuels with coal can potentially generate significant benefits for utilities including: (1) reducing emissions of SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x}; (2) reducing the net emissions of CO{sub 2}; (3) potentially reducing the fuel cost to the utility depending upon local conditions and considering biomass is potentially exempt from the proposed Btu tax and may get a 1.5 cent/kWh credit for energy generated by wood combustion; (4) supporting local industrial forest industry; and (5) providing a long term market for the development of a biofuel supply and delivery industry. Potential benefits are reviewed in the context of cofiring biofuel at a rate of 15% heat input to the boiler, and compares this cofiring strategy and others previously tested or developed by other utilities. Other issues discussed include: (1) wood fuel specifications as a function of firing method; (2) wood fuel receiving and preparation system requirements; (3) combustion system requirements for cofiring biofuels with coal; (4) combustion impacts of firing biofuels with coal; (5) system engineering issues; (6) the economics of cofiring biofuel with coal. The Allen, TN 330 MW(e) cyclone boiler and Kingston, TN 135 MW(e) Boiler {number_sign}1, a tangentially fired PC unit, case studies are then summarized in the paper, highlighting the cofiring opportunities.

Cases to accompany contemporary strategy analysis

OpenAIRE

R. Grant

2007-01-01

This volume represents an ongoing committment to examining the concepts and techniques of business strategy analysis in the context of real business situations. The cases have been written to accompany Contemporary Strategy Analysis textbook. Each case presents issues that illuminate the ideas, concepts, and analytical techniques contained in one or more chapters of the textbook. Most important, the cases promote deep learning by students of strategic management by requiring the application o...

Spectrum analysis of national greenhouse gas emission: a case study of Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, Meirong; Pauleit, Stephan; Xu, Chao

2016-01-01

It is essential to abstract the key information from accounting results of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because it can provide a highly generalized and clear picture of GHG emissions, which is especially helpful for the public and policy makers. To clearly display the composition of GHG emissions, the concept of spectrum analysis is introduced and defined in this paper. Next, a multilayer analysis framework for national GHG emissions was proposed, which is represented by a pyramid of three layers: total emissions (first layer), emissions decomposed by gas type or sector (second layer), and emissions decomposed by both gas type and sector (third layer). Based on the analysis results from the first to third layers, the main compositional information of national GHG emissions was gradually summarized and analyzed until a spectrum of GHG emissions was acquired. The spectrum of GHG emissions displays the compositional structure of national GHG emissions in the different layers, which is helpful in identifying priorities for emissions reduction. A case study of Germany's GHG emissions during 1990-2012 was conducted, which indicated that CO_2 and the energy sector were the biggest contributors to the total GHG emissions. Some suggestions for reducing GHG emissions are offered based on the obtained results. And the potential development of spectrum analysis for GHG emissions is also expected from aspects of both research and technology. (orig.)

Spectrum analysis of national greenhouse gas emission: a case study of Germany

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Su, Meirong [Dongguan University of Technology, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Dongguan, Guangdong Province (China); Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing (China); Technical University of Munich, Strategic Landscape Planning and Management, Freising (Germany); Pauleit, Stephan; Xu, Chao [Technical University of Munich, Strategic Landscape Planning and Management, Freising (Germany)

2016-10-15

It is essential to abstract the key information from accounting results of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because it can provide a highly generalized and clear picture of GHG emissions, which is especially helpful for the public and policy makers. To clearly display the composition of GHG emissions, the concept of spectrum analysis is introduced and defined in this paper. Next, a multilayer analysis framework for national GHG emissions was proposed, which is represented by a pyramid of three layers: total emissions (first layer), emissions decomposed by gas type or sector (second layer), and emissions decomposed by both gas type and sector (third layer). Based on the analysis results from the first to third layers, the main compositional information of national GHG emissions was gradually summarized and analyzed until a spectrum of GHG emissions was acquired. The spectrum of GHG emissions displays the compositional structure of national GHG emissions in the different layers, which is helpful in identifying priorities for emissions reduction. A case study of Germany's GHG emissions during 1990-2012 was conducted, which indicated that CO{sub 2} and the energy sector were the biggest contributors to the total GHG emissions. Some suggestions for reducing GHG emissions are offered based on the obtained results. And the potential development of spectrum analysis for GHG emissions is also expected from aspects of both research and technology. (orig.)

Synthesis across social innovation case studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard; Avelino, Flor; Dorland, Jens

2016-01-01

Part 1 is an overview and a comparative analysis of the findings from the 20 case study reports in TRANSIT about aspects of transformative social innovation (TSI). Each of the 20 reports, which the report is based on, includes an analysis of a transnational social innovation network and at least...... two local social innovation initiatives. Part 2 consists of extended abstracts of 8 papers which either focus on empirical phenomena surfacing in different TRANSIT cases (e.g. alternative economic arrangements), take a societal or methodological issue as starting point (e.g. inclusivity or research...... relations), address propositions from TRANSIT proto-theory (institutionalization dialectics, responses to crisis), build upon thematic clusters used for case selection (e.g. spaces for/of innovation, inclusive society, new economy, transformative science) or inductively develop specific sensitizing concepts...

A case study of GAMM (graphical analysis for maintenance management) in the mining industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barberá, Luis; Crespo, Adolfo; Viveros, Pablo; Stegmaier, Raúl

2014-01-01

This paper presents a case for practical application of the GAMM method, which has been developed and published by the authors (Barberá L., Crespo A. and Viveros P.) The GAMM method supports decision-making in the overall maintenance management, through the visualization and graphical analysis of data. In addition, it allows for the identification of anomalous behavior in the equipment analyzed, whether derived from its own operations, maintenance activities, improper use of equipment or even as a result of design errors in the equipment itself. As a basis for analysis, the GAMM method uses a nonparametric estimator of the reliability function using all historical data or, alternatively, part of the history, allowing it to perform an analysis even with limited available data. In the case study developed, GAMM has been used to analyze two slurry pumps in a mining plant located in Chile. Both pumps are part of the same industrial process, which is described in Section 3, and both pumps had a higher failure rate but one more than the other. GAMM identified deficiencies in each of the pumps being studied, thus improving decision-making and problem solving process related to the maintenance of the pumps. Particularly, this work initially provides a description of the GAMM method (Section 1), and, afterwards, it is depicted with special attention the approach to the problem (Section 2). In Section 3, a background of the industrial context is presented. Then, Section 4 shows step by step the application of GAMM method. Finally, results and conclusions are presented in Section 5 where the main improvements obtained are summarized

Environmental impact assessment including indirect effects--a case study using input-output analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenzen, Manfred; Murray, Shauna A.; Korte, Britta; Dey, Christopher J.

2003-01-01

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a process covered by several international standards, dictating that as many environmental aspects as possible should be identified in a project appraisal. While the ISO 14011 standard stipulates a broad-ranging study, off-site, indirect impacts are not specifically required for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The reasons for this may relate to the perceived difficulty of measuring off-site impacts, or the assumption that these are a relatively insignificant component of the total impact. In this work, we describe a method that uses input-output analysis to calculate the indirect effects of a development proposal in terms of several indicator variables. The results of our case study of a Second Sydney Airport show that the total impacts are considerably higher than the on-site impacts for the indicators land disturbance, greenhouse gas emissions, water use, emissions of NO x and SO 2 , and employment. We conclude that employing input-output analysis enhances conventional EIA, as it allows for national and international effects to be taken into account in the decision-making process

Conflicting Incentives Risk Analysis: A Case Study of the Normative Peer Review Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gaute Wangen

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an approach to conduct risk assessments of complex incentive systems, using a case study of the normative Peer Review Process (PRP. This research centers on appliances and adaptations of the Conflicting Incentives Risk Analysis (CIRA. First as an approach to Root Cause Analysis of a known incident, and then for a full assessment of the incentives in the PRP together with possible risk treatments. CIRA uses an alternative notion of risk, where risk modeling is in terms of conflicting incentives between the risk owner and the stakeholders concerning the execution of actions. Compared to traditional risk assessment approaches, CIRA provides an insight into the underlying incentives behind a risk, and not just the technical vulnerability, likelihood and consequence. The main contributions of this work are an approach to obtain insight into incentives as root causes, and an approach to detecting and analyzing risks from incentives in the normative PRP. This paper also discusses risk treatments in terms of incentives to make the PRP more robust, together with a discussion of how to approach risk analysis of incentives.

Shutdown decay heat removal analysis of a Babcock and Wilcox pressurized water reactor: Case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cramond, W.R.; Ericson, D.M. Jr.; Sanders, G.A.

1987-03-01

This is one of six case studies for USI A-45 Decay Heat Removal (DHR) Requirements. The purpose of this study is to identify any potential vulnerabilities in the DHR systems of a typical Babcock and Wilcox PWR, to suggest possible modifications to improve the DHR capability, and to assess the value and impact of the most promising alternatives to the existing DHR systems. The systems analysis considered small LOCAs and transient internal initiating events, and seismic, fire, extreme wind, internal and external flood, and lightning external events. A full-scale systems analysis was performed with detailed fault trees and event trees including support system dependencies. The system analysis results were extrapolated into release categories using applicable past PRA phenomenological results and improved containment failure mode probabilities. Public consequences were estimated using site specific CRAC2 calculations. The Value-Impact (VI) analysis of possible alternatives considered both onsite and offsite impacts arriving at several risk measures such as averted population dose out to a 50-mile radius and dollars per person rem averted. Uncertainties in the VI analysis are discussed and the issues of feed and bleed and secondary blowdown are analyzed

Dilemmas of Transfer Pricing Comparability Analysis in Manufacturing Entities. Polish-Czech Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Sulik-Górecka, Aleksandra

2018-06-01

Modern manufacturing entities often operate in capital groups, and their role is sometimes limited to the function of cost centers. From the legal point of view, however, they are separate entities obliged to apply transfer pricing regulations. Meeting the requirements of the arm's length principle can be very difficult at this time, given the relationships and conflicts of interest in the capital group. Complexity increases in capital groups operating in different countries, due to differences in tax regulations. The main purpose of the paper is to demonstrate that the need to valuate the sale of finished goods to a manufacturing entity, which is a subject to a different tax jurisdiction, may lead to a problem of compliance with the arm's length principle. In addition, the paper proposes a methodology for comparability analysis that may be used by manufacturing entities to defend conditions of setting transfer pricing. The paper presents the different functional profiles of manufacturing entities and points out the difficulties that they may encounter when preparing the comparability analysis. It has also been noted that there are differences in transfer pricing regulations in different countries, for example by analyzing Polish and Czech regulations. The lack of uniform benchmarking legislation can cause inconsistencies in the selection of comparable data, resulting in differences in transfer pricing. The paper uses the method of legal regulation review and analysis of results of published studies concerning the scope of transfer pricing and comparability analysis. The paper also adopts a case study analysis.

Cluster analysis of typhoid cases in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nazarudin Safian

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Typhoid fever is still a major public health problem globally as well as in Malaysia. This study was done to identify the spatial epidemiology of typhoid fever in the Kota Bharu District of Malaysia as a first step to developing more advanced analysis of the whole country. The main characteristic of the epidemiological pattern that interested us was whether typhoid cases occurred in clusters or whether they were evenly distributed throughout the area. We also wanted to know at what spatial distances they were clustered. All confirmed typhoid cases that were reported to the Kota Bharu District Health Department from the year 2001 to June of 2005 were taken as the samples. From the home address of the cases, the location of the house was traced and a coordinate was taken using handheld GPS devices. Spatial statistical analysis was done to determine the distribution of typhoid cases, whether clustered, random or dispersed. The spatial statistical analysis was done using CrimeStat III software to determine whether typhoid cases occur in clusters, and later on to determine at what distances it clustered. From 736 cases involved in the study there was significant clustering for cases occurring in the years 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005. There was no significant clustering in year 2004. Typhoid clustering also occurred strongly for distances up to 6 km. This study shows that typhoid cases occur in clusters, and this method could be applicable to describe spatial epidemiology for a specific area. (Med J Indones 2008; 17: 175-82Keywords: typhoid, clustering, spatial epidemiology, GIS

HIV/AIDS case management tasks and activities: the results of a functional analysis study.

Science.gov (United States)

Grube, B; Chernesky, R H

2001-01-01

Functional analysis, a variation of the time study technique, was used to examine how HIV/AIDS case managers in the tri-county region of New York State spend their time-the actual tasks and activities they choose to perform relative to the total universe of activities and tasks subsumed in the general category of case management. The picture developed was of a system operating primarily in a crisis mode, spending relatively brief amounts of time completing a range of activities and providing an extensive scope of services for or on behalf of clients. The bulk of the work was client centered, not administrative, and involved providing disease management and essential services (e.g., family and mental health). The implications of these findings are discussed, with particular attention paid to the potential influence of client profiles and worker demographics.

Revisiting the Majority Problem: Average-Case Analysis with Arbitrarily Many Colours

OpenAIRE

Kleerekoper, Anthony

2016-01-01

The majority problem is a special case of the heavy hitters problem. Given a collection of coloured balls, the task is to identify the majority colour or state that no such colour exists. Whilst the special case of two-colours has been well studied, the average-case performance for arbitrarily many colours has not. In this paper, we present heuristic analysis of the average-case performance of three deterministic algorithms that appear in the literature. We empirically validate our analysis w...

Principal variance component analysis of crop composition data: a case study on herbicide-tolerant cotton.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Jay M; Howard, Delia; Malven, Marianne; Halls, Steven C; Culler, Angela H; Harrigan, George G; Wolfinger, Russell D

2013-07-03

Compositional studies on genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops have consistently demonstrated that their respective levels of key nutrients and antinutrients are remarkably similar and that other factors such as germplasm and environment contribute more to compositional variability than transgenic breeding. We propose that graphical and statistical approaches that can provide meaningful evaluations of the relative impact of different factors to compositional variability may offer advantages over traditional frequentist testing. A case study on the novel application of principal variance component analysis (PVCA) in a compositional assessment of herbicide-tolerant GM cotton is presented. Results of the traditional analysis of variance approach confirmed the compositional equivalence of the GM and non-GM cotton. The multivariate approach of PVCA provided further information on the impact of location and germplasm on compositional variability relative to GM.

CULTURAL CHANGE IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES: A CASE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiane Alves Anacleto

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This work aims to propose a model for the conduct of cultural change in the IT department of a company in the telecommunications industry. To achieve the goal proposed exploratory, technical procedures used were the case study and literature review. The techniques of data collection in the case study were: participant observation, unstructured interview and document analysis. The proposed model consists of five steps: analysis of the company's strategic planning, cultural diagnosis of the IT department, brainstorming with the staff and managers, compared to the case studies surveyed and proposed actions for the conduct of cultural change. We conclude that a receptive environment, employees not only understand why the changes are necessary, but engage with the process and faithfully executes the steps required, favoring the strategic positioning of the company.

Societal acceptance of wind farms: Analysis of four common themes across Australian case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, N.; Ashworth, P.; Devine-Wright, P.

2013-01-01

Australia's renewable energy target (RET) seeks to provide 20 per cent of Australia's electricity generation from renewable energy sources by 2020. As wind power is relatively advanced, it was anticipated that wind power will contribute a major component of the early target. However, high levels of societal resistance to wind farms, combined with new regulatory policies, indicate the RET may not be dominated by wind power. This research involved an examination of seven case studies around wind farm deployment. Qualitative interviews were the primary data for the case studies and analysed using methods informed by grounded theory. Despite the diversity of stakeholder views, the qualitative analysis identified strong community support for wind farms but four common themes emerged that influence this societal acceptance of wind farms in Australia: trust, distributional justice, procedural justice and place attachment. Without addressing these factors through integration into policy development and engagement approaches, wind energy is unlikely to provide the early and majority of new renewable energy. Similar international experiences are incorporated in the discussion of the Australian wind industry's societal acceptance. - Highlights: ► Seven case studies of wind farms in Australia are described. ► Acceptance affects whether wind significantly contributes to the Aust. RE target. ► Four themes were identified regarding societal acceptance of Australian wind farms. ► Four themes are trust, distributional and procedural justice, and place attachment. ► International similarities to the Australian experience are provided

The cleanroom case study in the Software Engineering Laboratory: Project description and early analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Scott; Kouchakdjian, Ara; Basili, Victor; Weidow, David

1990-01-01

This case study analyzes the application of the cleanroom software development methodology to the development of production software at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. The cleanroom methodology emphasizes human discipline in program verification to produce reliable software products that are right the first time. Preliminary analysis of the cleanroom case study shows that the method can be applied successfully in the FDD environment and may increase staff productivity and product quality. Compared to typical Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) activities, there is evidence of lower failure rates, a more complete and consistent set of inline code documentation, a different distribution of phase effort activity, and a different growth profile in terms of lines of code developed. The major goals of the study were to: (1) assess the process used in the SEL cleanroom model with respect to team structure, team activities, and effort distribution; (2) analyze the products of the SEL cleanroom model and determine the impact on measures of interest, including reliability, productivity, overall life-cycle cost, and software quality; and (3) analyze the residual products in the application of the SEL cleanroom model, such as fault distribution, error characteristics, system growth, and computer usage.

Periodontal disease as a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Corbella, Stefano; Taschieri, Silvio; Francetti, Luca; De Siena, Francesca; Del Fabbro, Massimo

2012-07-01

Periodontal disease is a highly prevalent group of illnesses of microbial etiology, whose consequence is a severe breakdown of tooth-supporting structures. A link between periodontal infection and several systemic conditions, among which adverse pregnancy outcomes, has been suggested in the recent years. The aim of this review based on case-control studies was to evaluate if periodontal disease could be considered as a risk factor for preterm birth, low birth-weight and preterm low birth-weight. An electronic search (via Pubmed) was performed for case-control studies investigating the relationship between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes. From the initially retrieved 417 articles, 17 case-control studies, accounting for a total of 10,148 patients, were included in the review and in the meta-analysis. The estimated odds ratio was 1.78 (CI 95%: 1.58, 2.01) for preterm birth, 1.82 (CI 95%: 1.51, 1.20) for low birth-weight and 3.00 (CI 95%: 1.93, 4.68) for preterm low birth-weight. Despite the results of the analysis of pooled data suggested a link between periodontal diseases and adverse pregnancy outcomes, the presence of important confounders, whose effect could not be addressed, prevents a validation of the meta-analysis outcomes. Further more accurate investigations based on individual data analysis could give a better insight into the topic of the present review.

Sensitivity analysis of the use of Life Cycle Impact Assessment methods: a case study on building materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bueno, Cristiane; Hauschild, Michael Zwicky; Rossignolo, Joao Adriano

2016-01-01

The main aim of this research is to perform a sensitivity analysis of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) case study to understand if the use of different Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methods may lead to different conclusions by decision makers and stakeholders. A complete LCA was applied to non...

Decision-making on the integration of renewable energy in the mining industry: A case studies analysis, a cost analysis and a SWOT analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kateryna Zharan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The mining industry is showing increasing interest in using renewable energy (RE technologies as one of the principles of sustainable mining. This is witnessed in several pilot projects in major mining countries around the world. Positive factors which favor this interest are gaining importance and negative barrier factors seem to be less relevant. For a mine operator, the switch from fossil fuel to RE technologies is the outcome of decision making processes. So far, research about such decision making on the use of RE in mining is underdeveloped. The purpose of this paper to present a practical decision rule based on a principle of indifference between RE and fossil fuel technologies and on appropriate time management. To achieve this objective, three investigations are made: (i a case studies analysis, (ii a comparative cost analysis, and (iii a SWOT analysis.

Analysis of Clinical Cohort Data Using Nested Case-control and Case-cohort Sampling Designs. A Powerful and Economical Tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohneberg, K; Wolkewitz, M; Beyersmann, J; Palomar-Martinez, M; Olaechea-Astigarraga, P; Alvarez-Lerma, F; Schumacher, M

2015-01-01

Sampling from a large cohort in order to derive a subsample that would be sufficient for statistical analysis is a frequently used method for handling large data sets in epidemiological studies with limited resources for exposure measurement. For clinical studies however, when interest is in the influence of a potential risk factor, cohort studies are often the first choice with all individuals entering the analysis. Our aim is to close the gap between epidemiological and clinical studies with respect to design and power considerations. Schoenfeld's formula for the number of events required for a Cox' proportional hazards model is fundamental. Our objective is to compare the power of analyzing the full cohort and the power of a nested case-control and a case-cohort design. We compare formulas for power for sampling designs and cohort studies. In our data example we simultaneously apply a nested case-control design with a varying number of controls matched to each case, a case cohort design with varying subcohort size, a random subsample and a full cohort analysis. For each design we calculate the standard error for estimated regression coefficients and the mean number of distinct persons, for whom covariate information is required. The formula for the power of a nested case-control design and the power of a case-cohort design is directly connected to the power of a cohort study using the well known Schoenfeld formula. The loss in precision of parameter estimates is relatively small compared to the saving in resources. Nested case-control and case-cohort studies, but not random subsamples yield an attractive alternative for analyzing clinical studies in the situation of a low event rate. Power calculations can be conducted straightforwardly to quantify the loss of power compared to the savings in the num-ber of patients using a sampling design instead of analyzing the full cohort.

How Can Big Data Complement Expert Analysis? A Value Chain Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyungtae Kim

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In the world of big data, there is a need to investigate how data-driven approaches can support expert-based analyses during a technology planning process. To meet this goal, we examined opportunities and challenges for big data analytics in the social sciences, particularly with respect to value chain analysis. To accomplish this, we designed a value chain mapping experiment that aimed to compare the results of expert-based and data-based mappings. In the expert-based approach, we asked an industry expert to visually depict an industry value chain based on insights and collected data. We also reviewed a previously published value chain developed by a panel of industry experts during a national technology planning process. In the data-driven analysis, we used a massive number of business transaction records between companies under the assumption that the data would be useful in identifying relationships between items in a value chain. The case study results demonstrated that data-driven analysis can help researchers understand the current status of industry structures, enabling them to develop more realistic, although less flexible value chain maps. This approach is expected to provide more value when used in combination with other databases. It is important to note that significant effort is required to develop an elaborate analysis algorithm, and data preprocessing is essential for obtaining meaningful results, both of which make this approach challenging. Experts’ insights are still helpful for validating the analytic results in value chain mapping.

Digital Forensic Analysis Of Malware Infected Machine- Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amulya Podile

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Internet banking has created a convenient way for us to handle our business without leaving our home. Man-in-the-Browser is a special case of Man-in-the-middle attack targeted against customers of Internet banking. One of the capabilities of Man-in-the-Browser Trojan is modification of html referred to as html injection that allows the attacker to alter the html of a page before it is sent to the browser for interpretation. In this paper the authors discussed about forensic analysis of RAM Volatile data system logs and registry collected from bank customer computer infected with Trojan and confirmed the source of attack time-stamps and the behavior of the malware by using open source and commercial tools.

Smoothed analysis: analysis of algorithms beyond worst case

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Manthey, Bodo; Röglin, Heiko

2011-01-01

Many algorithms perform very well in practice, but have a poor worst-case performance. The reason for this discrepancy is that worst-case analysis is often a way too pessimistic measure for the performance of an algorithm. In order to provide a more realistic performance measure that can explain the

Vitamin E Intake and Risk of Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis of 7 Case-Control Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Yonggang; Yi, Shanhong; Cui, Dong; Han, Guangwei; Liu, Chengcheng

2015-07-01

Vitamin E intake may reduce the risk of renal cell carcinoma, but the results were inconsistent. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the association between dietary vitamin E intake and the risk of renal cell carcinoma. We searched PubMed to identify the relevant case-control studies up to June 2014. Reference lists of retrieved articles were also reviewed. Odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were used to estimate the association between dietary vitamin E intake and the risk of renal cell carcinoma. We identified 7 case-control studies regarding dietary vitamin E intake and risk of renal cell carcinoma, involving 5789 cases and 14866 controls. The odds ratio of renal cell carcinoma for the highest compared with the lowest dietary vitamin E intake was 0.75 (95% confidence interval: 0.59-0.91), and heterogeneity was observed across studies. The association between dietary vitamin E intake and the risk of renal cell carcinoma was not significantly differed by gender, but this association were inconsistent in the North American and European populations. Our study provided a evidence that there was a significant inverse association of dietary vitamin E intake with risk of renal cell carcinoma. However, this finding was based on the case-control studies, more well-designed cohort studies are needed. Copyright © 2015 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Single-case research design in pediatric psychology: considerations regarding data analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Lindsey L; Feinstein, Amanda; Masuda, Akihiko; Vowles, Kevin E

2014-03-01

Single-case research allows for an examination of behavior and can demonstrate the functional relation between intervention and outcome in pediatric psychology. This review highlights key assumptions, methodological and design considerations, and options for data analysis. Single-case methodology and guidelines are reviewed with an in-depth focus on visual and statistical analyses. Guidelines allow for the careful evaluation of design quality and visual analysis. A number of statistical techniques have been introduced to supplement visual analysis, but to date, there is no consensus on their recommended use in single-case research design. Single-case methodology is invaluable for advancing pediatric psychology science and practice, and guidelines have been introduced to enhance the consistency, validity, and reliability of these studies. Experts generally agree that visual inspection is the optimal method of analysis in single-case design; however, statistical approaches are becoming increasingly evaluated and used to augment data interpretation.

Analysis of tutoring in Calculus and Physics: a case study in Engineering courses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeronimo Becker Flores

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In this article, we analyzed the Calculus and Physics’ tutoring developed by a Higher Education Institution (HEI. The research consists of a qualitative approach of a type of case study. We began from the analytical reading of a theoretical basis which was relevant to the theme and then, we performed interviews with the professors responsible for the monitoring. The material was analyzed in the light of the Discursive Textual Analysis (DTA. As main results, we indicated that, in spite of the commonalities, there is no integrated work between Calculus and Physics subjects. In addition, we aimed the need of a reconciled pedagogical role among teachers, scholarship students and common ones. We also considered the need of future studies that reinforce and increase the discussions developed here.

Characterisation and comparison of case study findings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard; Dorland, Jens; Pel, Bonno

2015-01-01

This report gives an overview and a comparative analysis of the findings from the 12 first case study reports in TRANSIT about aspects of transformative social innovation (TSI). Each of the 12 reports, on which the report is based, includes an analysis of a transnational social innovation network...

Maternal age and Alzheimer's disease: a collaborative re-analysis of case-control studies. EURODEM Risk Factors Research Group

NARCIS (Netherlands)

W.A. Rocca; C.M. van Duijn (Cornelia); D.G. Clayton (David); V. Chandra; L. Fratiglioni (Laura); A.B. Graves; A. Heyman; A.F. Jorm; E. Kokmen (Emre); K. Kondo; J.A. Mortimer; S.L. Shalat; H. Soininen; A. Hofman (Albert)

1991-01-01

textabstractTo investigate the possible association between Alzheimer's disease and late maternal age at index birth, we conducted a collaborative re-analysis of existing case-control data sets. Of the 11 studies participating in the EURODEM project, four were included in the analyses regarding

Change in psychotherapy: a dialogical analysis single-case study of a patient with bulimia nervosa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandro eSalvini

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Starting from the critical review of various motivational frameworks of change that have been applied to the study of eating disorders, the present paper provides an alternative conceptualization of the change in psychotherapy presenting a single case study. We analysed six psychotherapeutic conversations with a bulimic patient and found out narratives for and against change. We read them in terms of tension between dominance and exchange in I-positions, as described by Hermans. These results indicate that the dialogical analysis of clinical discourse may be a useful method to investigate change from the beginning to the end of therapy.

SWOT analysis of program design and implementation: a case study on the reduction of maternal mortality in Afghanistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmadi, Qudratullah; Danesh, Homayoon; Makharashvili, Vasil; Mishkin, Kathryn; Mupfukura, Lovemore; Teed, Hillary; Huff-Rousselle, Maggie

2016-07-01

This case study analyzes the design and implementation of the Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) in Afghanistan by synthesizing the literature with a focus on maternal health services. The authors are a group of graduate students in the Brandeis University International Health Policy and Management Program and Sustainable International Development Program who used the experience in Afghanistan to analyze an example of successfully implementing policy; two of the authors are Afghan physicians with direct experience in implementing the BPHS. Data is drawn from a literature review, and a unique aspect of the case study is the application of the business-oriented SWOT analysis to the design and implementation of the program that successfully targeted lowering maternal mortality in Afghanistan. It provides a useful example of how SWOT analysis can be used to consider the reasons for, or likelihood of, successful or unsuccessful design and implementation of a policy or program. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Beacon communities' public health initiatives: a case study analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Massoudi, Barbara L; Marcial, Laura H; Haque, Saira; Bailey, Robert; Chester, Kelley; Cunningham, Shellery; Riley, Amanda; Soper, Paula

2014-01-01

The Beacon Communities for Public Health (BCPH) project was launched in 2011 to gain a better understanding of the range of activities currently being conducted in population- and public health by the Beacon Communities. The project highlighted the successes and challenges of these efforts with the aim of sharing this information broadly among the public health community. The Beacon Community Program, designed to showcase technology-enabled, community-based initiatives to improve outcomes, focused on: building and strengthening health information technology (IT) infrastructure and exchange capabilities; translating investments in health IT to measureable improvements in cost, quality, and population health; and, developing innovative approaches to performance measurement, technology, and care delivery. Four multimethod case studies were conducted based on a modified sociotechnical framework to learn more about public health initiative implementation and use in the Beacon Communities. Our methodological approach included using document review and semistructured key informant interviews. NACCHO Model Practice Program criteria were used to select the public health initiatives included in the case studies. Despite differences among the case studies, common barriers and facilitators were found to be present in all areas of the sociotechnical framework application including structure, people, technology, tasks, overarching considerations, and sustainability. Overall, there were many more facilitators (range = 7-14) present for each Beacon compared to barriers (range = 4-6). Four influential promising practices were identified through the work: forging strong and sustainable partnerships; ensuring a good task-technology fit and a flexible and iterative design; fostering technology acceptance; and, providing education and demonstrating value. A common weakness was the lack of a framework or model for the Beacon Communities evaluation work. Sharing a framework or approach

Beacon Communities’ Public Health Initiatives: A Case Study Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Massoudi, Barbara L.; Marcial, Laura H.; Haque, Saira; Bailey, Robert; Chester, Kelley; Cunningham, Shellery; Riley, Amanda; Soper, Paula

2014-01-01

Introduction: The Beacon Communities for Public Health (BCPH) project was launched in 2011 to gain a better understanding of the range of activities currently being conducted in population- and public health by the Beacon Communities. The project highlighted the successes and challenges of these efforts with the aim of sharing this information broadly among the public health community. Background: The Beacon Community Program, designed to showcase technology-enabled, community-based initiatives to improve outcomes, focused on: building and strengthening health information technology (IT) infrastructure and exchange capabilities; translating investments in health IT to measureable improvements in cost, quality, and population health; and, developing innovative approaches to performance measurement, technology, and care delivery. Methods: Four multimethod case studies were conducted based on a modified sociotechnical framework to learn more about public health initiative implementation and use in the Beacon Communities. Our methodological approach included using document review and semistructured key informant interviews. NACCHO Model Practice Program criteria were used to select the public health initiatives included in the case studies. Findings: Despite differences among the case studies, common barriers and facilitators were found to be present in all areas of the sociotechnical framework application including structure, people, technology, tasks, overarching considerations, and sustainability. Overall, there were many more facilitators (range = 7–14) present for each Beacon compared to barriers (range = 4–6). Discussion: Four influential promising practices were identified through the work: forging strong and sustainable partnerships; ensuring a good task-technology fit and a flexible and iterative design; fostering technology acceptance; and, providing education and demonstrating value. Conclusions: A common weakness was the lack of a framework or model for

Counterfeit analysis strategy illustrated by a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dégardin, Klara; Roggo, Yves

2016-01-01

Medicine counterfeiting is a current problem that the whole pharmaceutical field has to deal with. In 2014, counterfeits entered the legitimate supply chain in Europe. Quick and efficient action had to be taken. The aim of this paper is to explain which analytical strategy was chosen to deal with six of the cases concerned and which criteria have to be considered to provide quick and thorough information about the counterfeits. The evaluation of the packaging was performed in a first step, based on a comparison with genuine samples and evaluation of manipulation signs. Chemical methods were then used, consisting of near infrared and infrared spectroscopy, capillary zone electrophoresis and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, in order to authenticate the samples and provide the chemical composition of the confirmed counterfeits. Among the 20 samples analyzed, 17 were confirmed as counterfeits. The counterfeits were the results of the manipulation of genuine samples, and one contained totally counterfeited parts. Several manipulation signs were asserted, like the addition of glue on the boxes and the vials. Genuine stolen goods had been diluted with water, while for an isolated case, a different active ingredient had been introduced in a vial. The analytical data generated were further investigated from a forensic intelligence perspective. Links could be revealed between the analyzed counterfeits, together with some interesting information about the modus operandi of the counterfeiters. The study was performed on a limited number of cases, and therefore encourages chemical and packaging profiling of counterfeits at a bigger scale. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cellular signaling identifiability analysis: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Roper, Ryan T; Pia Saccomani, Maria; Vicini, Paolo

2010-05-21

Two primary purposes for mathematical modeling in cell biology are (1) simulation for making predictions of experimental outcomes and (2) parameter estimation for drawing inferences from experimental data about unobserved aspects of biological systems. While the former purpose has become common in the biological sciences, the latter is less common, particularly when studying cellular and subcellular phenomena such as signaling-the focus of the current study. Data are difficult to obtain at this level. Therefore, even models of only modest complexity can contain parameters for which the available data are insufficient for estimation. In the present study, we use a set of published cellular signaling models to address issues related to global parameter identifiability. That is, we address the following question: assuming known time courses for some model variables, which parameters is it theoretically impossible to estimate, even with continuous, noise-free data? Following an introduction to this problem and its relevance, we perform a full identifiability analysis on a set of cellular signaling models using DAISY (Differential Algebra for the Identifiability of SYstems). We use our analysis to bring to light important issues related to parameter identifiability in ordinary differential equation (ODE) models. We contend that this is, as of yet, an under-appreciated issue in biological modeling and, more particularly, cell biology. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Specifying design conservatism: Worst case versus probabilistic analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Miles, Ralph F., Jr.

1993-01-01

Design conservatism is the difference between specified and required performance, and is introduced when uncertainty is present. The classical approach of worst-case analysis for specifying design conservatism is presented, along with the modern approach of probabilistic analysis. The appropriate degree of design conservatism is a tradeoff between the required resources and the probability and consequences of a failure. A probabilistic analysis properly models this tradeoff, while a worst-case analysis reveals nothing about the probability of failure, and can significantly overstate the consequences of failure. Two aerospace examples will be presented that illustrate problems that can arise with a worst-case analysis.

Case-control studies on the relationship between onchocerciasis and epilepsy: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph Kaiser

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: A systematic review and meta-analysis of all available case-control studies on the relationship between onchocerciasis and epilepsy. Because age and level of onchocerciasis endemicity in the area of residence are major determinants for infection, an additional analysis was performed, restricted to studies achieving control of these confounding factors. DATA SOURCES: Medical databases, the "African Neurology Database, Institute of Neuroepidemiology and Tropical Neurology, Limoges," reference lists of relevant articles, commercial search engines, up to May 2012. METHODS: We searched for studies examining infection status with Onchocerca volvulus in persons with epilepsy (PWE and without epilepsy (PWOE providing data suitable for the calculation of pooled odds ratios (ORp and/or standardized mean differences (SMD using random-effects models. RESULTS: Eleven studies providing data of qualitative skin biopsies for diagnosis of onchocerciasis were identified. Combined analysis on the total sample of 876 PWE and 4712 PWOE resulted in an ORp of 2.49 (95% confidence interval (95%CI: 1.61-3.86, p<0.001. When this analysis was restricted to those studies achieving control for age, residence and sex (367 PWE, 624 PWOE, an ORp of 1.29 (95% CI: 0.93-1.79; p = 0.139 was found. Presence of nodules for diagnosis of onchocerciasis was analyzed in four studies (225 PWE, 189 PWOE; ORp 1.74; 95%CI: 0.94-3.20; p<0.076, including two studies of the restricted analysis (106 PWE, 106 PWOE; ORp 2.81; 95%CI: 1.57-5.00; p<0.001. One study examined quantitative microfilariae counts in patients without preceding microfilaricidal treatment and demonstrated significantly higher counts in PWE than in PWOE. INTERPRETATION: Our results strengthen the hypothesis that, in onchocerciasis foci, epilepsy and infection with O. volvulus are associated. Analysis of indicators giving information on infection intensity, namely nodule palpation and quantitative microfilaria

A Case Study for Business Integration as a Service

OpenAIRE

Chang, Victor

2013-01-01

This paper presents Business Integration as a Service (BIaaS) to allow two services to work together in the Cloud to achieve a streamline process. We illustrate this integration using two services; Return on Investment (ROI) Measurement as a Service (RMaaS) and Risk Analysis as a Service (RAaaS) in the case study at the University of Southampton. The case study demonstrates the cost-savings and the risk analysis achieved, so two services can work as a single service. Advanced techniques are u...

Recovery and the role of humility: insights from a case study analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cleary, Michelle; Walter, Garry; Hungerford, Catherine L

2014-02-01

When the individuals comprising a profession are focused more on competition rather than service to others, and when holding a significant place on the world stage is held in higher esteem than meaningful collaboration with the disempowered, is it possible to be truly consumer-centred? This article considers the notion of humility in the context of recovery and the challenges to the effective implementation of recovery-oriented services that have been identified. Insights are drawn from a case study analysis of the implementation of recovery approaches to health care into a publicly-funded mental health service located in Australia. While challenges to the operationalization of recovery are complex, we argue that the professional quality of humility provides an important means by which genuine and meaningful collaboration can be achieved among health professionals, consumers, carers, and other stakeholders.

Improving uncertainty evaluation of process models by using pedigree analysis. A case study on CO2 capture with monoethanolamine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Spek, Mijndert; Ramirez, Andrea; Faaij, André

2016-01-01

This article aims to improve uncertainty evaluation of process models by combining a quantitative uncertainty evaluation method (data validation) with a qualitative uncertainty evaluation method (pedigree analysis). The approach is tested on a case study of monoethanolamine based postcombustion CO2

Head raising analysis and case revaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ager Gondra

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper shows that Basque relative clause construction follows the Head Raising Analysis: the CP of the relative clause is a complement to the external D and the Head of the relative clause, base-generated inside the TP, moves to the specifier position of the CP. This analysis predicts that the raised DPwill show a TP-internal Case. However, this is not the case, and the DP manifests the Case associated with the main clause. In order to address these Case inconsistencies, Precariousness Condition is proposed. This condition states that a DCase valued u-feature is precarious until it is sent to Spell-Out and therefore, the value is visible for further targeting by a c-commanding Probe.  Evidence for this multiple Agree operation comes from a DP long distance extraction.

The next $120,000: a case study to illustrate analysis of alternative farm investments in fixed assets.

Science.gov (United States)

St-Pierre, N R; Shoemaker, D; Jones, L R

2000-05-01

Dairy scientists specializing in the area of farm management are increasingly involved in analysis of farm investments in fixed assets. There have been instances where the wrong procedures were used to assess investments in fixed assets, leading to erroneous and possibly disastrous conclusions. A detailed case study of a dairy farm facing the decision of where best to invest an unexpected $120,000 windfall is used to illustrate the various facets of financial analysis. Indicators of profitability, liquidity, solvency, repayment capacity, and financial efficiency are explained and applied to the farm case to produce a detailed analysis of the current financial position of the firm. Long-range budgets of four alternate investment options and their impact on all financial indicators are presented. The four options are: 1) to pay down debt, 2) to purchase an additional 100 cows, 3) to install automatic milk yield recording in the parlor, and 4) to build new heifer facilities. All four investments are profitable. Therefore, an analysis limited to profitability indicators would conclude that any of the four options is a good investment. However, liquidity and financial efficiency issues showed that the option of purchasing 100 cows is far superior to the three others. We conclude that a complete and thorough financial analysis is required to evaluate the impact of long-run investments in fixed assets.

The milk quality and feasebility analysis of loose housing dairy cows - a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marjan Janžekovič

2006-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was technological and economical analysis of free range cow breeding. The case study analyzed two different systems of holstein-friesian dairy cows breeding. The model total costs enterprise budget was developed for evaluation of economic feasibility of loose housing dairy cows in comparison with tied cow breeding system. Computer supported calculation enabled estimation of the most important economical parameters (net return, total cost, and coefficient of economics. Results obtained show that (at observed input parameters loose housing system is economically feasible, if there is a minimum of 41 dairy cows with an average milk production of 8610 kg per cow. It was also established that cows need approximately 6 months to fully adapt to the loose housing system.

An Analysis of Earth Science Data Analytics Use Cases

Science.gov (United States)

Shie, Chung-Lin; Kempler, Steve

2014-01-01

The increase in the number and volume, and sources, of globally available Earth science data measurements and datasets have afforded Earth scientists and applications researchers unprecedented opportunities to study our Earth in ever more sophisticated ways. In fact, the NASA Earth Observing System Data Information System (EOSDIS) archives have doubled from 2007 to 2014, to 9.1 PB (Ramapriyan, 2009; and https:earthdata.nasa.govaboutsystem-- performance). In addition, other US agency, international programs, field experiments, ground stations, and citizen scientists provide a plethora of additional sources for studying Earth. Co--analyzing huge amounts of heterogeneous data to glean out unobvious information is a daunting task. Earth science data analytics (ESDA) is the process of examining large amounts of data of a variety of types to uncover hidden patterns, unknown correlations and other useful information. It can include Data Preparation, Data Reduction, and Data Analysis. Through work associated with the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Federation, a collection of Earth science data analytics use cases have been collected and analyzed for the purpose of extracting the types of Earth science data analytics employed, and requirements for data analytics tools and techniques yet to be implemented, based on use case needs. ESIP generated use case template, ESDA use cases, use case types, and preliminary use case analysis (this is a work in progress) will be presented.

The state of case study approach in mergers and acquisitions literature: A bibliometric analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K.S. Reddy

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to survey the state of case study research in mergers and acquisitions (M&A literature. Thus, it is an original attempt at presenting the current state and review of the case method in M&A research, provided no earlier study claims this. The stylized review reveals that 93 journal articles adopted the case method of which 66 (27 articles examined developed (emerging markets, and single (multiple case based studies were 44 (46 and remaining three adopted survey and interview method during survey period 1991–2015. Albeit, very few studies accomplished the purpose of case study research in business management, that is, testing extant theory and building new theory. Lastly, we recall various methodological guidelines to establish the sound research environment in the qualitative case method.

Association between Myocardial Infarction and Periodontitis: a Meta-Analysis of Case-Control Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Quan Shi

2016-11-01

Full Text Available AbstractBackground and Objective: Many clinical researches have been carried out to investigate the relationship between myocardial infarction (MI and periodontitis. Despite most of them indicated that the periodontitis may be associated with an increased risk of MI, the findings and study types of these studies have been inconsistent. The goal of this meta-analysis was to critically assess the strength of the association between MI and periodontitis in case-control studies.Methods: PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched for eligible case-control studies reporting relevant parameters that compared periodontal status between MI and control subjects. The odds ratios (ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs from each study were pooled to estimate the strength of the association between MI and periodontitis. The mean differences and 95% CIs for periodontal-related parameters were calculated to determine their overall effects.Results: Seventeen studies including a total of 3456 MI patients and 3875 non-MI control subjects were included. The pooled OR for the association between MI and periodontitis was 2.531 (95% CI: 1.927-3.324. The mean differences (95% CIs for clinical attachment loss, probing depth, bleeding on probing, plaque index, and the number of missing teeth were 1.000 (0.726-1.247, 1.209 (0.538-1.880, 0.342 (0.129-0.555, 0.383 (0.205-0.560, and 4.122 (2.012-6.232, respectively. Conclusion: With the current evidence, the results support the presence of a significant association between MI and periodontitis. Moreover, MI patients had worse periodontal and oral hygiene status and fewer teeth than did control subjects. More high-quality and well-designed studies focusing on the casual relationship between MI and periodontitis should be conducted in the future.

Sub-regional linear programming models in land use analysis: a case study of the Neguev settlement, Costa Rica.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schipper, R.A.; Stoorvogel, J.J.; Jansen, D.M.

1995-01-01

The paper deals with linear programming as a tool for land use analysis at the sub-regional level. A linear programming model of a case study area, the Neguev settlement in the Atlantic zone of Costa Rica, is presented. The matrix of the model includes five submatrices each encompassing a different

Quantitative modelling and analysis of a Chinese smart grid: a stochastic model checking case study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuksel, Ender; Nielson, Hanne Riis; Nielson, Flemming

2014-01-01

Cyber-physical systems integrate information and communication technology with the physical elements of a system, mainly for monitoring and controlling purposes. The conversion of traditional power grid into a smart grid, a fundamental example of a cyber-physical system, raises a number of issues...... that require novel methods and applications. One of the important issues in this context is the verification of certain quantitative properties of the system. In this paper, we consider a specific Chinese smart grid implementation as a case study and address the verification problem for performance and energy...... consumption.We employ stochastic model checking approach and present our modelling and analysis study using PRISM model checker....

Automated Source Code Analysis to Identify and Remove Software Security Vulnerabilities: Case Studies on Java Programs

OpenAIRE

Natarajan Meghanathan

2013-01-01

The high-level contribution of this paper is to illustrate the development of generic solution strategies to remove software security vulnerabilities that could be identified using automated tools for source code analysis on software programs (developed in Java). We use the Source Code Analyzer and Audit Workbench automated tools, developed by HP Fortify Inc., for our testing purposes. We present case studies involving a file writer program embedded with features for password validation, and ...

The application of systems thinking concepts, methods, and tools to global health practices: An analysis of case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkinson, Jessica; Goff, Morgan; Rusoja, Evan; Hanson, Carl; Swanson, Robert Chad

2018-06-01

This review of systems thinking (ST) case studies seeks to compile and analyse cases from ST literature and provide practitioners with a reference for ST in health practice. Particular attention was given to (1) reviewing the frequency and use of key ST terms, methods, and tools in the context of health, and (2) extracting and analysing longitudinal themes across cases. A systematic search of databases was conducted, and a total of 36 case studies were identified. A combination of integrative and inductive qualitative approaches to analysis was used. Most cases identified took place in high-income countries and applied ST retrospectively. The most commonly used ST terms were agent/stakeholder/actor (n = 29), interdependent/interconnected (n = 28), emergence (n = 26), and adaptability/adaptation (n = 26). Common ST methods and tools were largely underutilized. Social network analysis was the most commonly used method (n = 4), and innovation or change management history was the most frequently used tool (n = 11). Four overarching themes were identified; the importance of the interdependent and interconnected nature of a health system, characteristics of leaders in a complex adaptive system, the benefits of using ST, and barriers to implementing ST. This review revealed that while much has been written about the potential benefits of applying ST to health, it has yet to completely transition from theory to practice. There is however evidence of the practical use of an ST lens as well as specific methods and tools. With clear examples of ST applications, the global health community will be better equipped to understand and address key health challenges. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Numerical analysis of rapid drawdown: Applications in real cases

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Eduardo E. Alonso

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, rapid drawdown scenarios were analyzed by means of numerical examples as well as modeling of real cases with in situ measurements. The aim of the study was to evaluate different approaches available for calculating pore water pressure distributions during and after a drawdown. To do that, a single slope subjected to a drawdown was first analyzed under different calculation alternatives, and numerical results were discussed. Simple methods, such as undrained analysis and pure flow analysis, implicitly assuming a rigid soil skeleton, lead to significant errors in pore water pressure distributions when compared with coupled flow-deformation analysis. A similar analysis was performed for the upstream slope of the Glen Shira Dam, Scotland, and numerical results were compared with field measurements during a controlled drawdown. Field records indicate that classical undrained calculations are conservative but unrealistic. Then, a recent case of a major landslide triggered by a rapid drawdown in a reservoir was interpreted. A key aspect of the case was the correct characterization of permeability of a representative soil profile. This was achieved by combining laboratory test results and a back analysis of pore water pressure time records during a period of reservoir water level fluctuations. The results highlight the difficulty of predicting whether the pore water pressure is overestimated or underestimated when using simplified approaches, and it is concluded that predicting the pore water pressure distribution in a slope after a rapid drawdown requires a coupled flow-deformation analysis in saturated and unsaturated porous media.

Effectiveness of Using Online Discussion Forum for Case Study Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ravi Seethamraju

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Business schools are exploring new pedagogical approaches to learning in order to deal with challenges such as increased class sizes, limited funding support, and difficulties in facilitating and encouraging active participation and learning among a diverse cohort of students. This paper reports on a study of the effectiveness of a pedagogical approach that blends online discussion board and case study. Analysing quantity and quality of online postings and comparing accounting students’ performance with previous cohort, this study observes a significant improvement in student learning. Appropriate design and delivery strategies and clear assessment criteria for assessment and use have provided an effective learning vehicle for students, helped them overcome their own language related barriers, and encouraged them to participate in a nonthreatening environment. This approach further complemented the benefits of peer-to-peer learning and case study pedagogy. Reported increase in workload for students and marking load for academics and measuring the value of learning, however, are some of the challenges that need further attention by researchers.

Marketing and clinical trials: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Francis, David; Roberts, Ian; Elbourne, Diana R; Shakur, Haleema; Knight, Rosemary C; Garcia, Jo; Snowdon, Claire; Entwistle, Vikki A; McDonald, Alison M; Grant, Adrian M; Campbell, Marion K

2007-11-20

Publicly funded clinical trials require a substantial commitment of time and money. To ensure that sufficient numbers of patients are recruited it is essential that they address important questions in a rigorous manner and are managed well, adopting effective marketing strategies. Using methods of analysis drawn from management studies, this paper presents a structured assessment framework or reference model, derived from a case analysis of the MRC's CRASH trial, of 12 factors that may affect the success of the marketing and sales activities associated with clinical trials. The case study demonstrates that trials need various categories of people to buy in - hence, to be successful, trialists must embrace marketing strategies to some extent. The performance of future clinical trials could be enhanced if trialists routinely considered these factors.

Multidimensional poverty measure and analysis: a case study from Hechi City, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yanhui; Wang, Baixue

2016-01-01

Aiming at the anti-poverty outline of China and the human-environment sustainable development, we propose a multidimensional poverty measure and analysis methodology for measuring the poverty-stricken counties and their contributing factors. We build a set of multidimensional poverty indicators with Chinese characteristics, integrating A-F double cutoffs, dimensional aggregation and decomposition approach, and GIS spatial analysis to evaluate the poor's multidimensional poverty characteristics under different geographic and socioeconomic conditions. The case study from 11 counties of Hechi City shows that, firstly, each county existed at least four respects of poverty, and overall the poverty level showed the spatial pattern of surrounding higher versus middle lower. Secondly, three main poverty contributing factors were unsafe housing, family health and adults' illiteracy, while the secondary factors include fuel type and children enrollment rate, etc., generally demonstrating strong autocorrelation; in terms of poverty degree, the western of the research area shows a significant aggregation effect, whereas the central and the eastern represent significant spatial heterogeneous distribution. Thirdly, under three kinds of socioeconomic classifications, the intra-classification diversities of H, A, and MPI are greater than their inter-classification ones, while each of the three indexes has a positive correlation with both the rocky desertification degree and topographic fragmentation degree, respectively. This study could help policymakers better understand the local poverty by identifying the poor, locating them and describing their characteristics, so as to take differentiated poverty alleviation measures according to specific conditions of each county.

A Case Study Based Analysis of Performance Metrics for Green Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, B. L.; Ajami, N.; Quesnel, K.

2017-12-01

Aging infrastructure, population growth, and urbanization are demanding new approaches to management of all components of the urban water cycle, including stormwater. Traditionally, urban stormwater infrastructure was designed to capture and convey rainfall-induced runoff out of a city through a network of curbs, gutters, drains, and pipes, also known as grey infrastructure. These systems were planned with a single-purpose and designed under the assumption of hydrologic stationarity, a notion that no longer holds true in the face of a changing climate. One solution gaining momentum around the world is green infrastructure (GI). Beyond stormwater quality improvement and quantity reduction (or technical benefits), GI solutions offer many environmental, economic, and social benefits. Yet many practical barriers have prevented the widespread adoption of these systems worldwide. At the center of these challenges is the inability of stakeholders to know how to monitor, measure, and assess the multi-sector performance of GI systems. Traditional grey infrastructure projects require different monitoring strategies than natural systems; there are no overarching policies on how to best design GI monitoring and evaluation systems and measure performance. Previous studies have attempted to quantify the performance of GI, mostly using one evaluation method on a specific case study. We use a case study approach to address these knowledge gaps and develop a conceptual model of how to evaluate the performance of GI through the lens of financing. First, we examined many different case studies of successfully implemented GI around the world. Then we narrowed in on 10 exemplary case studies. For each case studies, we determined what performance method the project developer used such as LCA, TBL, Low Impact Design Assessment (LIDA) and others. Then, we determined which performance metrics were used to determine success and what data was needed to calculate those metrics. Finally, we

A cross-case analysis of technology-in-use practices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boulus, Nina; Bjørn, Pernille

2010-01-01

Purpose: To identify and characterize enabling factors that support a continuous adaptation of technology and work practices in the health care sector. Methods: Cross-case analysis of two longitudinal ethnographic studies of managing the gradual adaptation of electronic patient records, one...... in Canada and one Norway. Results: The cross-case analysis revealed that technology-in-use practices developed more rapidly in one of the cases, and one of the major driving forces was the establishment of a special committee and the associated project meetings. Based on the literature and grounded...... in the empirical observations, we complement and expand the notion of project meetings as composed of continuous reflection-on-practice activities to construct technology-in-use practices. Conclusion: We characterize reflection-on-practice activities as frequent encounters of negotiations of work practices...

Meta-analysis of the association between COX-2 polymorphisms and risk of colorectal cancer based on case-control studies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiliu Peng

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2 is an inducible enzyme converting arachidonic acid to prostaglandins and playing important roles in inflammatory diseases as well as tumor development. Previous studies investigating the association between COX-2 polymorphisms and colorectal cancer (CRC risk reported conflicting results. We performed a meta-analysis of all available studies to explore this association. METHODS: All studies published up to October 2013 on the association between COX-2 polymorphisms and CRC risk were identified by searching electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library. The association between COX-2 polymorphisms and CRC risk was assessed by odds ratios (ORs together with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs. RESULTS: Ten studies with 6,774 cases and 9,772 controls were included for -1195A>G polymorphism, 13 studies including 6,807 cases and 10,052 controls were available for -765G>C polymorphism, and 8 studies containing 5,121 cases and 7,487 controls were included for 8473T>C polymorphism. With respect to -765G>C polymorphism, we did not find a significant association with CRC risk when all eligible studies were pooled into the meta-analysis. However, in subgroup analyses by ethnicity and cancer location, with a Bonferroni corrected alpha of 0.05/2, statistical significant increased CRC risk was found in the Asian populations (dominant model CC+CG vs. GG: OR = 1.399, 95%CI: 1.113-1.760, P = 0.004 and rectum cancer patients (CC vs. GG: OR = 2.270, 95%CI: 1.295-3.980, P = 0.004; Recessive model CC vs. CG+GG: OR = 2.269, 95%CI: 1.297-3.970, P = 0.004. In subgroup analysis according to source of control, no significant association was detected. With respect to -1195A>G and 8473T>C polymorphisms, no significant association with CRC risk was demonstrated in the overall and subgroup analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis suggests that the COX-2 -765G>C polymorphism may be a risk factor for

Climate change impact and adaptation research requires integrated assessment and farming systems analysis: a case study in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reidsma, P.; Wolf, J.; Kanellopoulos, A.; Schaap, B.F.; Mandryk, M.; Verhagen, J.; Ittersum, van M.K.

2015-01-01

Rather than on crop modelling only, climate change impact assessments in agriculture need to be based on integrated assessment and farming systems analysis, and account for adaptation at different levels. With a case study for Flevoland, the Netherlands, we illustrate that (1) crop models cannot

Case study of siting technology for underground nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hibino, Satoshi; Komada, Hiroya; Honsho, Shizumitsu; Fujiwara, Yoshikazu; Motojima, Mutsumi; Nakagawa, Kameichiro; Nosaki, Takashi

1991-01-01

Underground siting method is one of new feasible siting methods for nuclear power plants. This report presents the results on case studies on underground siting. Two sites of a steeply inclined and plateau like configurations were selected. 'Tunnel type cavern; all underground siting' method was applied for the steeply inclined configuration, and 'shaft type semi-cavern; partial underground siting' method was applied for the plateau like configuration. The following designs were carried out for these two sites as case studies; (1) conceptual designs, (2) geological surveys and rock mechanics tests, (3) stability analysis during cavern excavations, (4) seismic stability analysis of caverns during earthquake, (5) reinforcement designs for caverns, (6) drainage designs. The case studies showed that these two cases were fully feasible, and comparison between two cases revealed that the 'shaft type semi-cavern; partial underground siting' method was more suitable for Japanese islands. As a first step of underground siting, therefore, the authors recommend to construct a nuclear power plant by this method. (author)

An Analysis of the bilateral relations between Qatar and Japan : Case studies on Energy, Culture and Diplomacy

OpenAIRE

Al Subaey, Maha Khalid

2017-01-01

Energy is considered as an important pillar in the establishment of international relations where it plays a heavy role in shaping the relations. In the light of this, an analysis of the Qatar-Japan relations will be studied through the case study of energy security along with the culture and diplomacy spectrum. The research aims to assess the bilateral relationship in terms of the projects and the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) trade and the further development in the energy sector. This will t...

SAM International Case Studies: DPV Analysis in Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCall, James D [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2018-03-28

Presentation demonstrates the use of the System Advisor Model (SAM) in international analyses, specifically Mexico. Two analyses are discussed with relation to SAM modelling efforts: 1) Customer impacts from changes to net metering and billing agreements and 2) Potential benefits of PV for Mexican solar customers, the Mexican Treasury, and the environment. Along with the SAM analyses, integration of the International Utility Rate Database (I-URDB) with SAM and future international SAM work are discussed. Presentation was created for the International Solar Energy Society's (ISES) webinar titled 'International use of the NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) with case studies'.

Effective communication. A Platonic case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wakker, Gerry C.; Wieling, Martijn; Kroon, Martin; Van Noord, Gertjan

As a contribution to the valedictory volume for John Nerbonne I present a case study of two thematically similar passages in Plato where I will make use of an analysis based on discourse cohesion and above all on the rhetorical and manipulative use of particles to show how a single (leading)

A Bayesian Belief Network modelling of organisational factors in risk analysis: A case study in maritime transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trucco, P.; Cagno, E.; Ruggeri, F.; Grande, O.

2008-01-01

The paper presents an innovative approach to integrate Human and Organisational Factors (HOF) into risk analysis. The approach has been developed and applied to a case study in the maritime industry, but it can also be utilised in other sectors. A Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) has been developed to model the Maritime Transport System (MTS), by taking into account its different actors (i.e., ship-owner, shipyard, port and regulator) and their mutual influences. The latter have been modelled by means of a set of dependent variables whose combinations express the relevant functions performed by each actor. The BBN model of the MTS has been used in a case study for the quantification of HOF in the risk analysis carried out at the preliminary design stage of High Speed Craft (HSC). The study has focused on a collision in open sea hazard carried out by means of an original method of integration of a Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) of technical elements with a BBN model of the influences of organisational functions and regulations, as suggested by the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) Guidelines for Formal Safety Assessment (FSA). The approach has allowed the identification of probabilistic correlations between the basic events of a collision accident and the BBN model of the operational and organisational conditions. The linkage can be exploited in different ways, especially to support identification and evaluation of risk control options also at the organisational level. Conditional probabilities for the BBN have been estimated by means of experts' judgments, collected from an international panel of different European countries. Finally, a sensitivity analysis has been carried out over the model to identify configurations of the MTS leading to a significant reduction of accident probability during the operation of the HSC

Reduced Serum Level of Interleukin-10 is Associated with Cerebral Infarction: A Case-Control and Meta-Analysis Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yifei; Yang, Haiqing; Diao, Zengyan; Li, Yi; Yan, Chuanzhu

2016-05-01

IL-10 expression limits inflammation and restricts the size of CNS damage from stroke. In this study, we examined the correlation between cerebral infarction (CI) and serum levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) using a combination of case-control study and meta-analysis of published data, with an aim of understanding the relevance of serum IL-10 levels to CI development. This study enrolled a total of 169 CI patients admitted to the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University between May 2011 and November 2014. During the same period, a group of 145 individuals were recruited at the same hospital as healthy controls after thorough physical examination. Serum IL-10 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). SPSS 19.0 (IBM, 2010, Chicago, IL, USA) and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 2.0 (CMA 2.0) software were used for data analysis. Serum levels of IL-10 (pg/mL) were significantly lower in CI patients when compared to healthy controls (15.36 ± 3.21 vs. 21.64 ± 5.17, t = 13.12, P 0.05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that, with the exception of triglyceride (TG) and uric acid (UA) levels (both P > 0.05), the other seven parameters, including fasting blood glucose (FPG), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), creatinine (Cr), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), strongly correlated with CI development (all P analysis of pooled data from nine case-control studies revealed an inverse correlation between the serum IL-10 levels and CI (SMD = 1.797, 95% CI 0.785~2.810, P = 0.001). Subgroup analysis based on country showed that low serum levels of IL-10 may be the major risk factor for CI in Croatia (SMD = 2.961, 95% CI 2.480~3.443, P analysis based on ethnicity showed that IL-10 serum levels and CI displayed negative relationship in Asians (SMD = 2.522, 95% CI 0.468~4.576, P = 0.016) but not in Caucasians (P > 0.05). Our study provided convincing evidence that the patients

Industrial process heat case studies. [PROSYS/ECONMAT code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hooker, D.W.; May, E.K.; West, R.E.

1980-05-01

Commercially available solar collectors have the potential to provide a large fraction of the energy consumed for industrial process heat (IPH). Detailed case studies of individual industrial plants are required in order to make an accurate assessment of the technical and economic feasibility of applications. This report documents the results of seven such case studies. The objectives of the case study program are to determine the near-term feasibility of solar IPH in selected industries, identify energy conservation measures, identify conditions of IPH systems that affect solar applications, test SERI's IPH analysis software (PROSYS/ECONOMAT), disseminate information to the industrial community, and provide inputs to the SERI research program. The detailed results from the case studies are presented. Although few near-term, economical solar applications were found, the conditions that would enhance the opportunities for solar IPH applications are identified.

Chronic urinary tract infection and bladder carcinoma risk: a meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Akhtar, Saeed; Al-Shammari, Ahmad; Al-Abkal, Jarrah

2018-02-05

This meta-analysis of published case-control and cohort studies sought to quantify the magnitude and direction of association between chronic UTI (defined as the infection of the urinary tract that either does not respond to treatment or keeps recurring) and risk of bladder carcinoma (BCa) (i.e., including mainly urothelial carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma). A literature search was conducted using Medline, Embase, Ovid, Web of Science, Science Direct and Cochrane Library, which was supplemented with manual search of reference lists of the identified articles. Case-control and cohort studies examining UTI as a predictor of BCa risk published through June 2016 were eligible. Using random-effects models, odds ratios (OR) or relative risks (RR) from eligible studies were combined to synthesize summary effect estimates. The included studies were assessed for methodological quality and potential publication bias. Heterogeneity by study characteristics was examined by sub-group and meta-regression analyses. Eighteen case-control and three cohort studies published between 1963 and 2016 were eligible. Random-effects models showed that UTI was significantly associated with an increased BCa risk both in case-control studies (summary OR RE  = 2.33; 95% CI 1.86, 2.92) and cohort studies (summary RR RE  = 2.88; 95% CI 1.20, 6.89). The observed relationship of UTI with an increased BCa risk was independent of the study characteristics considered. No significant publication bias was detected. Chronic UTI was significantly and independently associated with an increased BCa risk. However, due to the presence of high between-study heterogeneity and inconsistent patterns of adjusted confounding effects, more data are needed to clarify the role of chronic UTI in causation of BCa and if established, prompt and effective treatment of UTI may minimize a substantial proportion of BCa risk.

Implementation of case studies in undergraduate didactic nursing courses: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutra, Danette K

2013-07-04

The implementation of unfolding scenario-based case studies in the didactic classroom is associated with learner-centered education. The utilization of learner-centered pedagogies, such as case studies, removes the focus from the instructor and instead places it on the student. Learner-centered pedagogies are believed to improve students' levels of cognition. The purpose of this study was to examine how nurse educators are implementing the pedagogies of case studies in their undergraduate didactic courses. The goal was to examine, document, report, and, ultimately, implement the strategies. Purposeful sampling was utilized in this qualitative, multisite-designed study. For each of the four participants, three separate site visits were completed. Observations and post-observational interviews took place at each site visit. Transcribed data from interviews, observations, and course documents were imported into the computer program Nvivo8. Repetitive comparative analysis was utilized to complete the data coding process. The guiding research question of this study sought to investigate the implementation strategies of case studies in didactic nursing courses. The implementation of case studies by the participants reflected two primary patterns: Formal Implementation (FI) and Informal Implementation (II) of case studies. The FI of case studies was further divided into two subcategories: Formal Implementation of case studies used Inside the Classroom setting (FIIC) and Formal Implementation of cases studies used Outside of the Classroom (FIOC). Results of this investigation have led to an increased understanding of implementation strategies of unfolding scenario-based case studies in undergraduate nursing didactic courses. Data collected were rich in the description of specific methodologies for utilization of case studies and may serve as a resource for faculty in development of creative strategies to enhance the didactic classroom experience.

Analysis of the joint effects of radon exposure and smoking on lung cancer risk in three nested case-control studies in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leuraud, Klervi; Laurier, Dominique; Schnelzer, Maria; Grosche, Bernd; Tomasek, Ladislav

2008-01-01

Full text: Objectives: Three case-control studies nested in the French (Fr), German (Ge) and Czech (Cz) cohorts of uranium miners were conducted in the frame of a European research Project, named Alpha-Risk, on the quantification of risks associated with multiple radiation exposures. These case-control studies aimed at assessing the effect of protracted radon exposure on lung cancer risk taking into account individual tobacco consumption. Material and methods: In the three case-control studies, cases were miners of the corresponding cohort who died of lung cancer (100, 704, 672 cases for the Fr, Ge and Cz study, respectively). For each case, controls were randomly matched on birth period and attained age at the time of death of the corresponding case (500, 1398 and 1491 controls for the Fr, Ge and Cz study, respectively). Cumulated radon exposure during employment was obtained from ambient and individual measurements for the Fr and Cz studies, and from a job exposure matrix for the Ge study. Smoking habits were retrospectively determined from medical archives and questionnaires applied in face-to-face interviews, phone calls or mailings. Analysis was performed by conditional logistic regression using a linear excess relative risk (ERR) model. A multiplicative model was fitted to assess the joint effect of radon exposure and smoking on lung cancer risk. Results: Smoking status was established for 62, 421, and 672 cases and 320, 620, and 1491 controls for the Fr, Ge, and Cz study, respectively. Two categories ('ever smokers' vs. 'never smokers') were defined. The percentages of 'ever-smokers' were 90%, 95%, and 92% for the cases and 73%, 75%, and 73% for the controls, for the Fr, Ge and Cz study, respectively. Mean five-year lagged cumulated radon exposures were 115, 717 and 174 working level months (WLM) for the cases, and 71, 505 and 118 WLM for the controls, for the Fr, Ge and Cz study, respectively. The excess relative risk per WLM (ERR/WLM) was 0.98% with a 95

Marketing and clinical trials: a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Entwistle Vikki A

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Publicly funded clinical trials require a substantial commitment of time and money. To ensure that sufficient numbers of patients are recruited it is essential that they address important questions in a rigorous manner and are managed well, adopting effective marketing strategies. Methods Using methods of analysis drawn from management studies, this paper presents a structured assessment framework or reference model, derived from a case analysis of the MRC's CRASH trial, of 12 factors that may affect the success of the marketing and sales activities associated with clinical trials. Results The case study demonstrates that trials need various categories of people to buy in – hence, to be successful, trialists must embrace marketing strategies to some extent. Conclusion The performance of future clinical trials could be enhanced if trialists routinely considered these factors.

Analysis and meta-analysis of single-case designs with a standardized mean difference statistic: a primer and applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Shadish, William R; Hedges, Larry V; Pustejovsky, James E

2014-04-01

This article presents a d-statistic for single-case designs that is in the same metric as the d-statistic used in between-subjects designs such as randomized experiments and offers some reasons why such a statistic would be useful in SCD research. The d has a formal statistical development, is accompanied by appropriate power analyses, and can be estimated using user-friendly SPSS macros. We discuss both advantages and disadvantages of d compared to other approaches such as previous d-statistics, overlap statistics, and multilevel modeling. It requires at least three cases for computation and assumes normally distributed outcomes and stationarity, assumptions that are discussed in some detail. We also show how to test these assumptions. The core of the article then demonstrates in depth how to compute d for one study, including estimation of the autocorrelation and the ratio of between case variance to total variance (between case plus within case variance), how to compute power using a macro, and how to use the d to conduct a meta-analysis of studies using single-case designs in the free program R, including syntax in an appendix. This syntax includes how to read data, compute fixed and random effect average effect sizes, prepare a forest plot and a cumulative meta-analysis, estimate various influence statistics to identify studies contributing to heterogeneity and effect size, and do various kinds of publication bias analyses. This d may prove useful for both the analysis and meta-analysis of data from SCDs. Copyright © 2013 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Case analysis online: a strategic management case model for the health industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Anne; Bearden, Eithne

2004-01-01

Despite the plethora of methods and tools available to support strategic management, the challenge for health executives in the next century will relate to their ability to access and interpret data from multiple and intricate communication networks. Integrated digital networks and satellite systems will expand the scope and ease of sharing information between business divisions, and networked systems will facilitate the use of virtual case discussions across universities. While the internet is frequently used to support clinical decisions in the healthcare industry, few executives rely upon the internetfor strategic analysis. Although electronic technologies can easily synthesize data from multiple information channels, research as well as technical issues may deter their application in strategic analysis. As digital models transform access to information, online models may become increasingly relevant in designing strategic solutions. While there are various pedagogical models available to support the strategic management process, this framework was designed to enhance strategic analysis through the application of technology and electronic research. A strategic analysis framework, which incorporated internet research and case analysis in a strategic managementcourse, is described alongwith design and application issues that emerged during the case analysis process.

Demonstration of statistical approaches to identify component's ageing by operational data analysis-A case study for the ageing PSA network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodionov, Andrei; Atwood, Corwin L.; Kirchsteiger, Christian; Patrik, Milan

2008-01-01

The paper presents some results of a case study on 'Demonstration of statistical approaches to identify the component's ageing by operational data analysis', which was done in the frame of the EC JRC Ageing PSA Network. Several techniques: visual evaluation, nonparametric and parametric hypothesis tests, were proposed and applied in order to demonstrate the capacity, advantages and limitations of statistical approaches to identify the component's ageing by operational data analysis. Engineering considerations are out of the scope of the present study

Case-Cohort Studies: Design and Applicability to Hand Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Vojvodic, Miliana; Shafarenko, Mark; McCabe, Steven J

2018-04-24

Observational studies are common research strategies in hand surgery. The case-cohort design offers an efficient and resource-friendly method for risk assessment and outcomes analysis. Case-cohorts remain underrepresented in upper extremity research despite several practical and economic advantages over case-control studies. This report outlines the purpose, utility, and structure of the case-cohort design and offers a sample research question to demonstrate its value to risk estimation for adverse surgical outcomes. The application of well-designed case-cohort studies is advocated in an effort to improve the quality and quantity of observational research evidence in hand and upper extremity surgery. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An exploratory case study analysis of contemporary marketing practices

OpenAIRE

Palmer, Roger; Wilson, Hugh

2009-01-01

The Contemporary Marketing Practice (CMP) research tradition has formulated and investigated a set of different marketing practices or archetypes ranging from transactional to relationship and network approaches. We identify gaps in previous research, and report on a case study in the house-building industry, which begins to fill these gaps. Specifically, we propose some amendments to the definition and detail of the marketing practices, arguing for example that e- marketing...

Case Studies Nested in Fuzzy-Set QCA on Sufficiency: Formalizing Case Selection and Causal Inference

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Carsten Q.; Rohlfing, Ingo

2016-01-01

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is a method for cross-case analyses that works best when complemented with follow-up case studies focusing on the causal quality of the solution and its constitutive terms, the underlying causal mechanisms, and potentially omitted conditions. The anchorage of QCA in set theory demands criteria for follow-up…

Formal Analysis Of Use Case Diagrams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radosław Klimek

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Use case diagrams play an important role in modeling with UML. Careful modeling is crucialin obtaining a correct and efficient system architecture. The paper refers to the formalanalysis of the use case diagrams. A formal model of use cases is proposed and its constructionfor typical relationships between use cases is described. Two methods of formal analysis andverification are presented. The first one based on a states’ exploration represents a modelchecking approach. The second one refers to the symbolic reasoning using formal methodsof temporal logic. Simple but representative example of the use case scenario verification isdiscussed.

Case Study Research Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Widdowson

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Commenting on the lack of case studies published in modern psychotherapy publications, the author reviews the strengths of case study methodology and responds to common criticisms, before providing a summary of types of case studies including clinical, experimental and naturalistic. Suggestions are included for developing systematic case studies and brief descriptions are given of a range of research resources relating to outcome and process measures. Examples of a pragmatic case study design and a hermeneutic single-case efficacy design are given and the paper concludes with some ethical considerations and an exhortation to the TA community to engage more widely in case study research.

Hannibal Lecter: Case study of a fictional character

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Repišti Selman

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to review the case of the imaginary character, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, based on content analysis of four books ('Hannibal', 'Hannibal Rising', 'Silence of the Lambs' and 'Red Dragon', four films with the same title and two seasons of 13 episodes of the serial 'Hannibal'. In the first part, the analysis refers to the consideration of the aforementioned case, taking into account the following diagnostic classifications: DSM-IV, DSM-5 and ICD-10. Then, we offered a description of Dr. Lecter's personality through modern models of personality structure: Big Five Model, HEXACO Model, The Big Seven Model, Two-factor Model and One-factor Model. In particular, we address the interpretation of behavioral patterns of this fictional character from the perspective of classical psychodynamic theory, and through the prism of a theoretical point of Jacques Lacan. In addition, his behavior is explained by applying the postulates of cognitive-behavioral paradigm as well as evolutionary psychology. At the end of the paper are listed conclusions, created as a synthesis of previous interpretations, or an eclectic approach used in these analyses. In addition, there are featured disadvantages of this type of analysis, in the form of methodological limitations of qualitative research in one subject (case studies and problems of differential diagnosis in the case of a controversial character such as Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

Examining Implementation of Tobacco Control Policy at the District Level: A Case Study Analysis from a High Burden State in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Divya Persai

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. While extensive scientific evidence exists on the tobacco epidemic, a lack of understanding of both policies and their appropriate way of implementation continues to hinder effective tobacco control. This is especially so in the developing countries such as India. The present study aims to understand current implementation practices and the challenges faced in mainstreaming tobacco control policy and program. Methods. We chose a qualitative study design to conduct the case analysis. A total of 42 in-depth interviews were undertaken with seven district officials in six districts of Andhra Pradesh. A conceptual framework was developed by applying grounded theory for analysis. Analysis was undertaken using case analysis approach. Results and Discussion. Our study revealed that most program managers were unfamiliar with the comprehensive tobacco control policy. Respondents have an ambiguous opinion regarding integration of tobacco control program into existing health and development programs. Respondents perceive lack of resources, low prioritization of tobacco control, and lack of monitoring and evaluation of smoke-free laws as limiting factors affecting implementation of tobacco control policy. Conclusion. The findings of this study highlighted the need for a systematic, organized action plan for effective implementation of tobacco control policy and program.

Analysis of Socio-Economic Indicators on Different Bioenergy Case Studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Eijck, Janske; Faaij, André

2014-01-01

Socio-economic indicators are not fully developed and operational while this is an important aspect of sustainability. Seven case studies were analyzed within the Global-Bio-Pact project covering seven countries and five feedstock types. The 100 indicators that are identified are analyzed and

FOXO3 variants are beneficial for longevity in Southern Chinese living in the Red River Basin: A case-control study and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Liang; Hu, Caiyou; Zheng, Chenguang; Qian, Yu; Liang, Qinghua; Lv, Zeping; Huang, Zezhi; Qi, KeYan; Gong, Huan; Zhang, Zheng; Huang, Jin; Zhou, Qin; Yang, Ze

2015-04-27

Forkhead box class O (FOXO) transcription factors play a crucial role in longevity across species. Several polymorphisms in FOXO3 were previously reported to be associated with human longevity. However, only one Chinese replication study has been performed so far. To verify the role of FOXO3 in southern Chinese in the Red River Basin, a community-based case-control study was conducted, and seven polymorphisms were genotyped in 1336 participants, followed by a meta-analysis of eight case-control studies that included 5327 longevity cases and 4608 controls. In our case-control study, we found rs2802288*A and rs2802292*G were beneficial to longevity after Bonferroni correction (pallele = 0.005, OR = 1.266; pallele = 0.026, OR = 1.207). In addition, in the longevity group, carriers with rs2802288*A and rs2802292*G presented reduced HbA1c (p = 0.001), and homozygotes of rs2802292*GG presented improved HOMA-IR (p = 0.014). The meta-analysis further revealed the overall contribution of rs2802288*A and rs2802292*G to longevity. However, our stratified analysis revealed that rs2802292*G might act more strongly in Asians than Europeans, for enhancement of longevity. In conclusion, our study provides convincing evidence for a significant association between the rs2802288*A and rs2802292*G gene variants in FOXO3 and human longevity, and adds the Southern Chinese in the Red River Basin to the growing number of human replication populations.

Project management case studies

CERN Document Server

Kerzner, Harold R

2013-01-01

A new edition of the most popular book of project management case studies, expanded to include more than 100 cases plus a ""super case"" on the Iridium Project Case studies are an important part of project management education and training. This Fourth Edition of Harold Kerzner''s Project Management Case Studies features a number of new cases covering value measurement in project management. Also included is the well-received ""super case,"" which covers all aspects of project management and may be used as a capstone for a course. This new edition:Contains 100-plus case studies drawn from re

[Clinical analysis of three cases with beta-thalassemia].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, X Y; Liu, M J; Xu, L H; Xu, H G; Chen, H L; Fang, J P

2018-04-02

Objective: To study the diagnostic strategy of β-thalassemia through retrospective analysis of 3 cases of β-thalassemia. Methods: Three patients were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2014 to June 2015. The clinical manifestations, hemoglobin electrophoresis and gene detection of these patients and their parents were analyzed, diagnostic ideas and key points were discussed when beta thalassemia gene detection did not explain clinical manifestations or hemoglobin electrophoresis. Results: Case 1, boy, 5 years old, was diagnosed as compound heterozygotes of β41-42 and IVS-Ⅱ-654 with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin(HPFH) according to the clinical manifestations of mild anemia, normal size of liver and spleen, 92.8% fetal hemoglobin (HbF) and gene analysis. Case 2, girl, 3 years old, was confirmed the diagnosis of thalassemia intermedia with β41-42 heterozygote compound and ααα anti3.7 heterozygote in accordance with the manifestations of severe anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, 8.6% HbF, 4.1% hemoglobin A 2 (HbA 2 ) and gene analysis. Case 3, girl, 3 years old, with severe anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, 51.2% HbF and 3.7% HbA 2 , was diagnosed as thalassemia major with compound heterozygotes of PolyA (T→C) and β17 by DNA sequencing. Conclusion: The diagnosis of β-thalassemia should be confirmed by clinical manifestations of hemolytic anemia, hemoglobin electrophoresis, gene diagnosis and family survey.

Statistical Analysis of Microarray Data with Replicated Spots: A Case Study with Synechococcus WH8102

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. V. Thomas

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Until recently microarray experiments often involved relatively few arrays with only a single representation of each gene on each array. A complete genome microarray with multiple spots per gene (spread out spatially across the array was developed in order to compare the gene expression of a marine cyanobacterium and a knockout mutant strain in a defined artificial seawater medium. Statistical methods were developed for analysis in the special situation of this case study where there is gene replication within an array and where relatively few arrays are used, which can be the case with current array technology. Due in part to the replication within an array, it was possible to detect very small changes in the levels of expression between the wild type and mutant strains. One interesting biological outcome of this experiment is the indication of the extent to which the phosphorus regulatory system of this cyanobacterium affects the expression of multiple genes beyond those strictly involved in phosphorus acquisition.

VISUALIZATION AND ANALYSIS OF LIGHT POLLUTION: A CASE STUDY IN HONG KONG

OpenAIRE

B. Wu; H. Wong

2012-01-01

The effects of light pollution problems in metropolitan areas are investigated in this study. Areas of Hong Kong are used as the source of three typical study cases. One case represents the regional scale, a second represents the district scale, and a third represents the street scale. Two light pollution parameters, Night Sky Brightness (NSB) and Street Light Level (SLL), are the focus of the analyses. Light pollution visualization approaches in relation to the different scales incl...

A Case Study in the Misrepresentation of Applied Behavior Analysis in Autism: The Gernsbacher Lectures

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Edward K

2009-01-01

I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabrics of their life. (Tolstoy, 1894) This article presents a case study in the misrepresentation of applied behavior analysis for autism based on Morton Ann Gernsbacher's presentation of a lecture titled “The Science of Autism: Beyond the Myths and Misconceptions.” Her misrepresentations involve the characterization of applied behavior analysis, descriptions of practice guidelines, reviews of the treatment literature, presentations of the clinical trials research, and conclusions about those trials (e.g., children's improvements are due to development, not applied behavior analysis). The article also reviews applied behavior analysis' professional endorsements and research support, and addresses issues in professional conduct. It ends by noting the deleterious effects that misrepresenting any research on autism (e.g., biological, developmental, behavioral) have on our understanding and treating it in a transdisciplinary context. PMID:22478522

What is a Leading Case in EU law? An empirical analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sadl, Urska; Panagis, Yannis

2015-01-01

Lawyers generally explain legal development by looking at explicit amendments to statutory law and modifications in judicial practice. As far as the latter are concerned, leading cases occupy a special place. This article empirically studies the process in which certain cases become leading cases....... Our analysis focuses on Les Verts, a case of considerable fame in EU law, closely scrutinising whether it contains inherent leading case material. We show how the legal relevance of a case can become “embedded” in a long process of reinterpretation by legal actors, and we demonstrate that the actual...

Innovation in emerging energy technologies: A case study analysis to inform the path forward for algal biofuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haase, Rachel; Bielicki, Jeffrey; Kuzma, Jennifer

2013-01-01

Algal biofuel is an emerging energy source that has the potential to improve upon the environmental benefits realized by conventional biofuels and contribute to the biofuels mandate set by the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). While there has been much research into producing fuel from algae, a commercial-scale facility has not yet been built. We examine two case studies of energy technology innovation in the United States, first generation biodiesel and solar photovoltaics (PV), using the technological innovation system (TIS) framework to provide lessons and inform the path forward for commercializing algal biofuel. We identify five event types that have been the most influential to these innovation processes: changing expectations, technology development, demonstration projects, policy targets, and government subsidies. Some algal biofuel demonstration projects have occurred, but despite falling under the mandates set forth in the RFS (a policy target), algal biofuels do not currently receive production subsidies. The main finding from the case study analysis is that government interventions have significantly influenced the innovation processes of first generation biodiesel and solar PV and will likely be key factors in the commercialization of algal biofuel. - Highlights: • Two energy technology case studies were analyzed with a TIS framework. • Major drivers in the innovation process were identified in each case. • Government interventions were key factors for both. • The one identified key driver algal biofuel is lacking is federal subsidies. • All components of the TIS framework deserve attention in promoting innovation

The Importance of Interfaces: A HW/SW Codesign Case Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Dan C. Raun; Madsen, Jan; Pedersen, Steen

1997-01-01

This paper presents a codesign case study in image analysis. The main objective is to stress the importance of handling HW/SW interfaces more precisely at the system level. In the presented case study, there is an intuitive and simple HW/SW interface, which is based upon the functional modules...

Lack of association between cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4 -1722T/C (rs733618 polymorphism and cancer risk: from a case-control study to a meta-analysis.

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Weifeng Tang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The association between cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4 gene -1722T/C polymorphism (rs733618 and cancer has been widely assessed, and a definitive conclusion remains elusive. We first performed a hospital based case-control study to measure this association of esophageal cancer with CTLA-4 -1722T/C polymorphism in Han Chinese population, and then carried out a meta-analysis to obtain a comprehensive evaluation for this issue. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This case-control study involved 629 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC cases and 686 age and gender well matched cancer-free controls. PCR-LDR (polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reactions method was used to identify genotypes. Meta-analysis was conducted by STATA (v12.0 software. This case-control study showed no significant difference in the genotype and allele distributions of CTLA-4 -1722T/C polymorphism between esophageal cancer cases and control subjects, in accord with the findings of the further meta-analysis in all genetic models. Evidence of large heterogeneity was observed among all eligible studies in the recessive model. Further subgroup analyses by ethnicity, cancer type and system, detected null associations in this meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: This case-control study and the further meta-analysis, failed to identify the association between CTLA-4 -1722T/C polymorphism and cancer risk.

Comparative economic analysis: Anaerobic digester case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lusk, P.D.

1991-01-01

An economic guide is developed to assess the value of anaerobic digesters used on dairy farms. Two varieties of anaerobic digesters, a conventional mixed-tank mesophilic and an innovative earthen psychrophilic, are comparatively evaluated using a cost-effectiveness index. The two case study examples are also evaluated using three other investment merit statistics: simple payback period, net present value, and internal rate of return. Life-cycle savings are estimated for both varieties, with sensitivities considered for investment risk. The conclusion is that an earthen psychrophilic digester can have a significant economic advantage over a mixed-tank mesophilic digester because of lower capital cost and reduced operation and maintenance expenses. Because of this economic advantage, additional projects are being conducted in North Carolina to increase the rate of biogas utilization. The initial step includes using biogas for milk cooling at the dairy farm where the existing psychrophilic digester is located. Further, a new project is being initiated for electricity production with thermal reclaim at a swine operation

Searching for Educational Content in the For-Profit Internet: Case Study and Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabos, Bettina

This case study investigates the commercialized nature of Internet content and the ways educators and students negotiate and talk about such content. In factoring in the economic and historical context of educational Internet content, this case study also addresses educators' evolving attitudes towards commercialism in the classroom. A survey was…

Qualitative case study research. The case of a Ph.D. research project on organising and managing new product development systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Weerd-Nederhof, Petronella C.

2001-01-01

Discusses methodological aspects of case study research and qualitative data collection and analysis. Discusses the choice of a research strategy and data collection and analysis methods according to theory as well as the arguments which lead to qualitative case research. Suggests steps in research

On the feasibility of using emergy analysis as a source of benchmarking criteria through data envelopment analysis: A case study for wind energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iribarren, Diego; Vázquez-Rowe, Ian; Rugani, Benedetto; Benetto, Enrico

2014-01-01

The definition of criteria for the benchmarking of similar entities is often a critical issue in analytical studies because of the multiplicity of criteria susceptible to be taken into account. This issue can be aggravated by the need to handle multiple data for multiple facilities. This article presents a methodological framework, named the Em + DEA method, which combines emergy analysis with Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) for the ecocentric benchmarking of multiple resembling entities (i.e., multiple decision making units or DMUs). Provided that the life-cycle inventories of these DMUs are available, an emergy analysis is performed through the computation of seven different indicators, which refer to the use of fossil, metal, mineral, nuclear, renewable energy, water and land resources. These independent emergy values are then implemented as inputs for DEA computation, thus providing operational emergy-based efficiency scores and, for the inefficient DMUs, target emergy flows (i.e., feasible emergy benchmarks that would turn inefficient DMUs into efficient). The use of the Em + DEA method is exemplified through a case study of wind energy farms. The potential use of CED (cumulative energy demand) and CExD (cumulative exergy demand) indicators as alternative benchmarking criteria to emergy is discussed. The combined use of emergy analysis with DEA is proven to be a valid methodological approach to provide benchmarks oriented towards the optimisation of the life-cycle performance of a set of multiple similar facilities, not being limited to the operational traits of the assessed units. - Highlights: • Combined emergy and DEA method to benchmark multiple resembling entities. • Life-cycle inventory, emergy analysis and DEA as key steps of the Em + DEA method. • Valid ecocentric benchmarking approach proven through a case study of wind farms. • Comparison with life-cycle energy-based benchmarking criteria (CED/CExD + DEA). • Analysts and decision and policy

Eco-efficiency analysis for intensified production of an active pharmaceutical ingredient : a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dencic, I.; Ott-Reinhardt, D.; Kralisch, D.; Noel, T.; Meuldijk, J.; Croon, de M.H.J.M.; Hessel, V.; Laribi, Y.; Perrichon, P.

2014-01-01

This article presents results on cost and performance benefit analysis of optimization and intensification activities of a pharmaceutical process. A batch process for the production of a low-volume, high value active pharmaceutical ingredient, developed at Sanofi (France), has been used as a case

Case-control studies in diabetes. Do they really use a case-control design?

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Analía; Mendoza, Lilian Cristina; Rabasa, Fernanda; Bolíbar, Ignasi; Puig, Teresa; Corcoy, Rosa

2017-07-01

Studies defined as case-control do not always use this design. We aimed to estimate the frequency of mislabelled case-control studies in published articles in the area of diabetes and to identify the predictors of incorrect labelling. We searched Medline and Web of Science for articles with "diabetes" and "case control" in title and filtered for language (English/Romance) and period (January 2010-December 2014). Inclusion criteria were: (1) statement to use a case-control design in title, (2) to be a final full-length publication and (3) to have original data in the area of diabetes. Three independent reviewers went through titles, looked for full texts and reviewed them. Discrepancies were settled with a fourth reviewer. Expert epidemiologist advice was requested in case of doubt. case-control mislabelling; addressed predictors: publication year, journal impact factor and journal subject. proportion of mislabelled CC articles and assessment of predictors by multivariate logistic regression analysis. We retrieved 362 articles, 251 of them fulfilling inclusion criteria. The proportion of mislabelled CC studies was 43.8% (confidence interval 95% 37.7-50.0%). Most mislabelled studies had a cross-sectional design (82.7%). Predictors of mislabelling were publication year, journal impact factor and journal area. A relevant subset of studies defined as case-control in the area of diabetes correspond to mislabelled cross-sectional studies. Incorrect labelling misleads readers regarding the interpretation of results and the cause-effect hypothesis. Researchers, reviewers and editors should be aware of and commit to settle this issue.

[Case and studies].

Science.gov (United States)

Schubert, András

2015-11-15

Case studies and case reports form an important and ever growing part of scientific and scholarly literature. The paper deals with the share and citation rate of these publication types on different fields of research. In general, evidence seems to support the opinion that an excessive number of such publications may negatively influence the impact factor of the journal. In the literature of scientometrics, case studies (at least the presence of the term "case study" in the titles of the papers) have a moderate share, but their citation rate is practically equal to that of other publication types.

Comparison of UHPLC and HPLC in benzodiazepines analysis of postmortem samples: a case-control study.

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Behnoush, Behnam; Sheikhazadi, Ardeshir; Bazmi, Elham; Fattahi, Akbar; Sheikhazadi, Elham; Saberi Anary, Seyed Hossein

2015-04-01

The aim of this study was to compare system efficiency and analysis duration regarding the solvent consumption and system maintenance in high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra high-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC). In a case-control study, standard solutions of 7 benzodiazepines (BZs) and 73 biological samples such as urine, tissue, stomach content, and bile that screened positive for BZs were analyzed by HPLC and UHPLC in laboratory of forensic toxicology during 2012 to 2013. HPLC analysis was performed using a Knauer by 100-5 C-18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm) and Knauer photodiode array detector (PAD). UHPLC analysis was performed using Knauer PAD detector with cooling autosampler and Eurospher II 100-3 C-18 column (100 mm × 3 mm) and also 2 pumps. The mean retention time, standard deviation, flow rate, and repeatability of analytical results were compared by using 2 methods. Routine runtimes in HPLC and UHPLC took 40 and 15 minutes, respectively. Changes in mobile phase composition of the 2 methods were not required. Flow rate and solvent consumption in UHPLC decreased. Diazepam and flurazepam were detected more frequently in biological samples. In UHPLC, small particle size and short length of column cause effective separation of BZs in a very short time. Reduced flow rate, solvent consumption, and injection volume cause more efficiency and less analysis costs. Thus, in the detection of BZs, UHPLC is an accurate, sensitive, and fast method with less cost of analysis.

A case study for cloud based high throughput analysis of NGS data using the globus genomics system

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Krithika Bhuvaneshwar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Next generation sequencing (NGS technologies produce massive amounts of data requiring a powerful computational infrastructure, high quality bioinformatics software, and skilled personnel to operate the tools. We present a case study of a practical solution to this data management and analysis challenge that simplifies terabyte scale data handling and provides advanced tools for NGS data analysis. These capabilities are implemented using the “Globus Genomics” system, which is an enhanced Galaxy workflow system made available as a service that offers users the capability to process and transfer data easily, reliably and quickly to address end-to-endNGS analysis requirements. The Globus Genomics system is built on Amazon's cloud computing infrastructure. The system takes advantage of elastic scaling of compute resources to run multiple workflows in parallel and it also helps meet the scale-out analysis needs of modern translational genomics research.

Accounting for control mislabeling in case-control biomarker studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Rantalainen, Mattias; Holmes, Chris C

2011-12-02

In biomarker discovery studies, uncertainty associated with case and control labels is often overlooked. By omitting to take into account label uncertainty, model parameters and the predictive risk can become biased, sometimes severely. The most common situation is when the control set contains an unknown number of undiagnosed, or future, cases. This has a marked impact in situations where the model needs to be well-calibrated, e.g., when the prediction performance of a biomarker panel is evaluated. Failing to account for class label uncertainty may lead to underestimation of classification performance and bias in parameter estimates. This can further impact on meta-analysis for combining evidence from multiple studies. Using a simulation study, we outline how conventional statistical models can be modified to address class label uncertainty leading to well-calibrated prediction performance estimates and reduced bias in meta-analysis. We focus on the problem of mislabeled control subjects in case-control studies, i.e., when some of the control subjects are undiagnosed cases, although the procedures we report are generic. The uncertainty in control status is a particular situation common in biomarker discovery studies in the context of genomic and molecular epidemiology, where control subjects are commonly sampled from the general population with an established expected disease incidence rate.

Matched case-control studies: a review of reported statistical methodology

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Niven DJ

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Daniel J Niven1, Luc R Berthiaume2, Gordon H Fick1, Kevin B Laupland11Department of Critical Care Medicine, Peter Lougheed Centre, Calgary, 2Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaBackground: Case-control studies are a common and efficient means of studying rare diseases or illnesses with long latency periods. Matching of cases and controls is frequently employed to control the effects of known potential confounding variables. The analysis of matched data requires specific statistical methods.Methods: The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of published, peer reviewed matched case-control studies that used statistical methods appropriate for matched data. Using a comprehensive set of search criteria we identified 37 matched case-control studies for detailed analysis.Results: Among these 37 articles, only 16 studies were analyzed with proper statistical techniques (43%. Studies that were properly analyzed were more likely to have included case patients with cancer and cardiovascular disease compared to those that did not use proper statistics (10/16 or 63%, versus 5/21 or 24%, P = 0.02. They were also more likely to have matched multiple controls for each case (14/16 or 88%, versus 13/21 or 62%, P = 0.08. In addition, studies with properly analyzed data were more likely to have been published in a journal with an impact factor listed in the top 100 according to the Journal Citation Reports index (12/16 or 69%, versus 1/21 or 5%, P ≤ 0.0001.Conclusion: The findings of this study raise concern that the majority of matched case-control studies report results that are derived from improper statistical analyses. This may lead to errors in estimating the relationship between a disease and exposure, as well as the incorrect adaptation of emerging medical literature.Keywords: case-control, matched, dependent data, statistics

Average-case analysis of numerical problems

CERN Document Server

2000-01-01

The average-case analysis of numerical problems is the counterpart of the more traditional worst-case approach. The analysis of average error and cost leads to new insight on numerical problems as well as to new algorithms. The book provides a survey of results that were mainly obtained during the last 10 years and also contains new results. The problems under consideration include approximation/optimal recovery and numerical integration of univariate and multivariate functions as well as zero-finding and global optimization. Background material, e.g. on reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces and random fields, is provided.

Methodology or method? A critical review of qualitative case study reports

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Nerida Hyett

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Despite on-going debate about credibility, and reported limitations in comparison to other approaches, case study is an increasingly popular approach among qualitative researchers. We critically analysed the methodological descriptions of published case studies. Three high-impact qualitative methods journals were searched to locate case studies published in the past 5 years; 34 were selected for analysis. Articles were categorized as health and health services (n=12, social sciences and anthropology (n=7, or methods (n=15 case studies. The articles were reviewed using an adapted version of established criteria to determine whether adequate methodological justification was present, and if study aims, methods, and reported findings were consistent with a qualitative case study approach. Findings were grouped into five themes outlining key methodological issues: case study methodology or method, case of something particular and case selection, contextually bound case study, researcher and case interactions and triangulation, and study design inconsistent with methodology reported. Improved reporting of case studies by qualitative researchers will advance the methodology for the benefit of researchers and practitioners.

Methodology or method? A critical review of qualitative case study reports

Science.gov (United States)

Hyett, Nerida; Kenny, Amanda; Dickson-Swift, Virginia

2014-01-01

Despite on-going debate about credibility, and reported limitations in comparison to other approaches, case study is an increasingly popular approach among qualitative researchers. We critically analysed the methodological descriptions of published case studies. Three high-impact qualitative methods journals were searched to locate case studies published in the past 5 years; 34 were selected for analysis. Articles were categorized as health and health services (n=12), social sciences and anthropology (n=7), or methods (n=15) case studies. The articles were reviewed using an adapted version of established criteria to determine whether adequate methodological justification was present, and if study aims, methods, and reported findings were consistent with a qualitative case study approach. Findings were grouped into five themes outlining key methodological issues: case study methodology or method, case of something particular and case selection, contextually bound case study, researcher and case interactions and triangulation, and study design inconsistent with methodology reported. Improved reporting of case studies by qualitative researchers will advance the methodology for the benefit of researchers and practitioners. PMID:24809980

Building theories from case study research: the progressive case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steenhuis, H.J.; de Bruijn, E.J.

2006-01-01

Meredith (1998) argues for more case and field research studies in the field of operations management. Based on a literature review, we discuss several existing approaches to case studies and their characteristics. These approaches include; the Grounded Theory approach which proposes no prior

First contribution of mites (Acari) to the forensic analysis of hanged corpses: a case study from Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Saloña-Bordas, Marta I; Perotti, M Alejandra

2014-11-01

This case study from North Spain, highlights the importance of the collection of mites in addition to insects, from crime scenes or corpses subjected to environmental constraints that reduce or minimise insect activity, such as hanged corpses. In addition, this analysis highlights the relevance of arthropods' collection in the field, even after the corpse has been moved away for autopsy. Four species of mites, phoretic on carrion (Silphidae) and rove (Staphylinidae) beetles, complemented and reinforced the autopsy analysis as well as the scarce information provided by insect activity. Poecilochirus carabi Canestrini & Canestrini, 1882 and Poecilochirus (Physoparasitus) davydovae Hyatt, 1980 (Mesostigmata: Parasitidae) were found in association with two Silphidae, Nicrophorus Fabricius, 1775 and Necrodes Leach, 1815, only when sampled in the autopsy room; this is suggestive of host-switching of mites and was likely due to the lack of availability of specific carriers in the field. The interpretation of the activity of Parasitidae mites both in the field and the autopsy room allows a better understanding of the timing and circumstances of decomposition. Phoretic deutonymphs of Pelzneria Scheucher 1957 (Astigmata: Histiostomatidae) were highly abundant, mostly P. crenulata Oudemans, 1909 and are reported for the first time on a Staphylinidae rove beetle, Creophilus maxillosus (L., 1758). Surprisingly, in this case study no Pelzneria were associated with the Silphidae found, which are their most common hosts, such as Necrodes littoralis (L., 1758) and Nicrophorus interruptus (Stephens, 1830). All histiostomatids were removed from the staphylinid (rove beetle) collected from the soil, at the scene of death, suggesting a recent arrival of the beetle. The occurrence of Staphylinidae beetles and their associated mites, such as Parasitidae and Pelzneria, and the information they provided would have been easily overlooked or lost if only the autopsy sampling would have been

Clinical analysis on 159 cases of mechanical ocular trauma

OpenAIRE

Zi-Yao Liu; Ya-Zhi Fan; Yu-Ping Zheng; Jian-Ming Wang

2013-01-01

AIM: To provide the basis of security guidance and decreasing the incidence through a general investigation of the mechanical ocular trauma among all the common causes, occasions where getting hurt as well as the characteristics of the high-risk group, and by further analysis and monitoring of the clinical cases and follow-up visit, study the related key factors of influencing the prognosis statistically. METHODS: The data of the 159 cases with mechanical ocular trauma were recorded.RESULTS: ...

Marketing and clinical trials: a case study

OpenAIRE

Entwistle Vikki A; Snowdon Claire; Garcia Jo; Knight Rosemary C; Shakur Haleema; Elbourne Diana R; Roberts Ian; Francis David; McDonald Alison M; Grant Adrian M; Campbell Marion K

2007-01-01

Abstract Background Publicly funded clinical trials require a substantial commitment of time and money. To ensure that sufficient numbers of patients are recruited it is essential that they address important questions in a rigorous manner and are managed well, adopting effective marketing strategies. Methods Using methods of analysis drawn from management studies, this paper presents a structured assessment framework or reference model, derived from a case analysis of the MRC's CRASH trial, o...

Combining evidence from multiple electronic health care databases: performances of one-stage and two-stage meta-analysis in matched case-control studies.

Science.gov (United States)

La Gamba, Fabiola; Corrao, Giovanni; Romio, Silvana; Sturkenboom, Miriam; Trifirò, Gianluca; Schink, Tania; de Ridder, Maria

2017-10-01

Clustering of patients in databases is usually ignored in one-stage meta-analysis of multi-database studies using matched case-control data. The aim of this study was to compare bias and efficiency of such a one-stage meta-analysis with a two-stage meta-analysis. First, we compared the approaches by generating matched case-control data under 5 simulated scenarios, built by varying: (1) the exposure-outcome association; (2) its variability among databases; (3) the confounding strength of one covariate on this association; (4) its variability; and (5) the (heterogeneous) confounding strength of two covariates. Second, we made the same comparison using empirical data from the ARITMO project, a multiple database study investigating the risk of ventricular arrhythmia following the use of medications with arrhythmogenic potential. In our study, we specifically investigated the effect of current use of promethazine. Bias increased for one-stage meta-analysis with increasing (1) between-database variance of exposure effect and (2) heterogeneous confounding generated by two covariates. The efficiency of one-stage meta-analysis was slightly lower than that of two-stage meta-analysis for the majority of investigated scenarios. Based on ARITMO data, there were no evident differences between one-stage (OR = 1.50, CI = [1.08; 2.08]) and two-stage (OR = 1.55, CI = [1.12; 2.16]) approaches. When the effect of interest is heterogeneous, a one-stage meta-analysis ignoring clustering gives biased estimates. Two-stage meta-analysis generates estimates at least as accurate and precise as one-stage meta-analysis. However, in a study using small databases and rare exposures and/or outcomes, a correct one-stage meta-analysis becomes essential. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Case-study application of venture analysis: the integrated energy utility. Volume 2. Technical report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fein, E; Gordon, T J; King, R; Kropp, F G; Shuchman, H L; Stover, J; Hausz, W; Meyer, C

1978-11-01

Application of venture analysis would, at a minimum, need to address issues involving careful definition of the product/service being considered; market needs that the product will satisfy; investment/manufacturing costs; minimum selling price needed to achieve desired ROI or other financial measure; market potential at relevant prices; potential for competitors to obsolete the product before investment is recovered; assessment of companies' resources and capabilities to supply the product. There is clearly no single method for performing every venture analysis, because the economic and structural environment associated with each industry varies widely. These and other factors produce differences in cost structure, marketing organizations, and nature of products which dictate that an appropriate method of venture analysis must be tailored to each industry. The initial chapter of the report presents some brief remarks concerning the important concepts that all venture analyses must consider and then describes in detail the method used for the venture analyzed in this report. The case study addresses IEUS for commercialization. The type of IEUS investigated supplies electricity and thermal energy; the thermal energy distributed in the form of high-temperature water, i.e., water from at least 90/sup 0/C upwards to 200/sup 0/C. (MCW)

Association between Herpesviruses and Chronic Periodontitis: A Meta-Analysis Based on Case-Control Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Ce; Li, Fei; Wong, May Chun Mei; Feng, Xi-Ping; Lu, Hai-Xia; Xu, Wei

2015-01-01

Numerous studies have investigated the associations between herpesviruses and chronic periodontitis; however, the results remain controversial. To derive a more precise estimation, a meta-analysis on all available studies was performed to identify the association between herpesviruses and chronic periodontitis. A computerized literature search was conducted in December 2014 to identify eligible case-control studies from the PUBMED and EMBASE databases according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were extracted and pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to assess the association between herpesviruses and risk of chronic periodontitis. A fixed or random effects model was determined based on a heterogeneity test. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to investigate stability and reliability. Publication bias was investigated using the Begg rank correlation test and Egger's funnel plot. Ten eligible studies were included to investigate the association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and chronic periodontitis. The results showed that EBV has a significant association with chronic periodontitis compared with periodontally healthy group (OR = 5.74, 95% CI = 2.53-13.00, Pchronic periodontitis was analyzed in 10 studies. The pooled result showed that HCMV also has a significant association with chronic periodontitis (OR = 3.59, 95% CI = 1.41-9.16, P = 0.007). Similar results were found in the sensitivity analyses. No significant publication bias was observed. Two eligible studies were included to investigate the association between herpes simplex virus (HSV) and chronic periodontitis risk. The association between HSV and chronic periodontitis was inconclusive (OR = 2.81 95% CI = 0.95-8.27, P = 0.06). Only one included study investigated the association between human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) and chronic periodontitis risk (OR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.21-4.86). The findings of this meta-analysis suggest that two members of the herpesvirus family, EBV

DIAGNOSIS OF FINANCIAL POSITION BY BALANCE SHEET ANALYSIS - CASE STUDY

OpenAIRE

Hada Teodor; Marginean Radu

2013-01-01

This study aims to elucidate and to exemplify an important technique for assessing the economic entities, namely the fundamental analysis of the balance sheet, in several significant aspects. The analysis of financial data reported in the balance sheet are, for an economic entity, the basis of a principle diagnosis by determining specific indicators of economic and financial analysis. This analysis aims to provide an insight into the companyâ€(tm)s financial position. The stated aim of this s...

Place Branding – Geographical Approach. Case Study: Waterloo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marius-Cristian Neacşu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This study represents an exploratory analysis of the evolution of the place branding concept, with an important focus on the geographical perspective. How has this notion, a newcomer into the geographers' analysis, changed over time and what role does it have in the decision making process of intervening into the way a certain place is organised or as an instrument of economic revival and territorial development? At least from the perspective of Romanian geographical literature, the originality and novelty of this study is obvious. An element of the originality of this research is the attempt of redefining the concept of place branding so that it is more meaningful from the perspective of spatial analyses. The reason for which Waterloo was chosen as a case study is multi-dimensional: the case studies so far have mainly focused on large cities (urban branding instead of place branding and this site has all the theoretical elements to create a stand-alone brand.

A blueprint-based case study analysis of nutrition services provided in a midterm care facility for the elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Paquet, Catherine; St-Arnaud-Mckenzie, Danielle; Ferland, Guylaine; Dubé, Laurette

2003-03-01

Ensuring nutritionally adequate food intake in institutions is a complex and important challenge for dietitians. To tackle this problem, we argue that dietitians need to adopt a systematic, integrative, and patient-centered approach to identify and manage more effectively organizational determinants of the quality of food intake under their control. In this study, we introduce such an approach, the blueprint-based case study, that we applied in the context of a midterm care facility for elderly patients. Data gathered through interviews and field observations were used to develop, from the perspective of key patient encounters, detailed representations of the food, nutrition, and nursing activities necessary to ensure adequate food intake. These service "blueprints" were developed to illustrate all activities that might potentially impact on the nutritional, sensory, functional, and social quality of patients' meals. They were also used as roadmaps to develop a case study analysis in which critical areas were identified and opportunities for improvement put forth, while considering services' resources and priorities. By providing a precise, objective, yet comprehensive mapping of the service operations and management, the blueprint-based case study approach represents a valuable tool to determine the optimal allocation of resources to insure nutritionally adequate food intake to patients.

Cases study of lung cancer deaths and analysis of radon levels in house-room of Mexicali, B. C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez B, G.; Reyna C, M. A.

2009-10-01

The lung cancer is a case of health of more importance as much in women as in men, with more frequency that the cancer of mamma, colon and prostate on the whole. A factor that influences in the cancer generation originating serious complications it is the exposition to radioactive substances in closed places, as house-room. In the investigation study, levels of radon concentration were measured in interiors of Mexicali homes, to study the relationship that this gas could have with the death cases by lung cancer into population. The gas radon is radioactive and it adheres easily to particles that remain suspended in air; when inhaling them small explosions take place inside the alveoli, changing the DNA of cells and lung cancer is generated. The meteorological, geographical and urban characteristics of Mexicali, favor conditions so that certain areas of the city present high indexes of suspended particles in atmosphere. One sample of gas radon inside 100 house-rooms, the analysis was made by paved and not paved colonies and for sex, to establish if the death cases by lung cancer had relationship with the genus and/or with some of two groups of colonies. The study found that the major number of deaths it was presented in colonies in which lacked the paving service and always happened with more frequency in women; and that in homes of having died by lung cancer the radon concentrations were more high that the homes where there was not death cases, with significant differences that go from 9.2% to 70%. This investigation project is presented as a cases study in the Mexicali City. (Author)

Analysis of the organization implemented by a nuclear operator for ensuring the safety of his facilities: contribution of case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeffroy, F.; Conte, D.

2006-01-01

This article is the chapter 6 of this book. It deals with the organization implemented by a nuclear operator and its suitability in warranting the safety of his facilities. An analysis approach has been defined which takes into consideration the formal aspect of the rules, structures and resources implemented by the organization, and which considers also the operational aspect through the collective activity of actors. The operation dynamics of the organisation has been approached through retrospective case studies aiming at understanding, from actors' contributions to the processing of events, how the characteristics of the organization were representing resources or constraints for the actors. This approach of organization through case studies must be put forward in the present day debate about cognitive ergonomics in sociology of organizations and in management. Several works try to put in relation the activity of 'front line' actors with the decisions and orientations taken at the strategic level. This supposes that one can combine an analysis of actors' activity integrating their point of view and and analysis of the structures and resources that are supplied to them by the organization. (J.S.)

Teaching Case: Analysis of an Electronic Voting System

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Nik; Toohey, Danny

2014-01-01

This teaching case discusses the analysis of an electronic voting system. The development of the case was motivated by research into information security and management, but as it includes procedural aspects, organizational structure and personnel, it is a suitable basis for all aspects of systems analysis, planning and design tasks. The material…

Pancreatic lipoma: An incydentaloma which can resemble cancer – analysis of 13 cases studied with CT and MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stadnik, Anna; Cieszanowski, Andrzej; Bakoń, Leopold; Grodzicka, Agnieszka; Rowiński, Olgierd

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to present computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of rare pancreatic lipomas. The analysis covered 13 patients (7 men and 6 women, aged 47–88, average: 65.6 years), with 13 pancreatic lipomas, whose cases constituted the basis for 10 contrast-enhanced CT and 5 MRI studies. Lipomas measured from 6 mm to 32 mm (average 12.8 mm) and were located in the pancreatic head (n=7), body (n=2), tail (n=3) and uncinate process (n=1). Most lesions (n=11) were homogenous, well-circumscribed. On contrast-enhanced CT scans, macroscopic fat (<−30 HU) was present in 9 lipomas. In one case (10 mm lesion) the density was −20 HU and the lesion was poorly circumscribed with septations, which altogether made it difficult to precisely characterize its contents. On MR scans fat was demonstrated in all studied cases (n=5). Lipomas are rare, small, homogenous and well-circumscribed pancreatic tumours. The most important feature, decisive for the diagnosis and distinguishing them from pancreatic carcinoma, is detection of fatty tissue on CT and MR scans. In these cases differential diagnosis includes other rare fatty tumours of the pancreas (focal fatty infiltration, teratoma, liposarcoma)

Preventive Command and Control Regulation: A Case Analysis

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Beatriz Junquera

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the current study is to evaluate new preventive command-and-control environmental regulation’s competitive effects on automobile manufacturers and their suppliers. The methodology that we have used is a case analysis, and its main aim is to study an unfamiliar situation. Therefore, we have chosen cases from each of the groups: two suppliers and one manufacturer. The new regulation obliges automobile companies to deeply modify their process technologies and their relationships with their suppliers (toughening requirements and strengthening long-term relationships and to require their workers to train in environmental matters. Complying with regulation by suppliers will be possible if product and process designs are modified. However, only organisational actions, which include workers’ training in environmental and quality matters and activities to recover value in factories, are capable to achieve it. In any case, these factories have already been affected by trade-offs between environmental and other more classic manufacturing objectives, especially quality.

Interactive verification of Markov chains: Two distributed protocol case studies

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Johannes Hölzl

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Probabilistic model checkers like PRISM only check probabilistic systems of a fixed size. To guarantee the desired properties for an arbitrary size, mathematical analysis is necessary. We show for two case studies how this can be done in the interactive proof assistant Isabelle/HOL. The first case study is a detailed description of how we verified properties of the ZeroConf protocol, a decentral address allocation protocol. The second case study shows the more involved verification of anonymity properties of the Crowds protocol, an anonymizing protocol.

Guidelines for Conducting Positivist Case Study Research in Information Systems

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Graeme Shanks

2002-11-01

Full Text Available The case study research approach is widely used in a number of different ways within the information systems community. This paper focuses on positivist, deductive case study research in information systems. It provides clear definitions of important concepts in positivist case study research and illustrates these with an example research study. A critical analysis of the conduct and outcomes of two recently published positivist case studies is reported. One is a multiple case study that validated concepts in a framework for viewpoint development in requirements definition. The other is a single case study that examined the role of social enablers in enterprise resource planning systems implementation. A number of guidelines for successfully undertaking positivist case study research are identified including developing a clear understanding of key concepts and assumptions within the positivist paradigm; providing clear and unambiguous definitions of the units and interactions when using any theory; carefully defining the boundary of the theory used in the case study; using hypotheses rather than propositions in the empirical testing of theory; using fuzzy or probabilistic propositions in recognising that reality can never be perfectly known; selecting case studies carefully, particularly single case studies; and recognising that generalisation from positivist, single case studies is inherently different from generalisation from single experiments. When properly undertaken, positivist, deductive case study research is a valuable research approach for information systems researchers, particularly when used within pluralist research programs that use a number of different research approaches from different paradigms.

Interactions between toxic chemicals and natural environmental factors--a meta-analysis and case studies.

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Laskowski, Ryszard; Bednarska, Agnieszka J; Kramarz, Paulina E; Loureiro, Susana; Scheil, Volker; Kudłek, Joanna; Holmstrup, Martin

2010-08-15

The paper addresses problems arising from effects of natural environmental factors on toxicity of pollutants to organisms. Most studies on interactions between toxicants and natural factors, including those completed in the EU project NoMiracle (Novel Methods for Integrated Risk Assessment of Cumulative Stressors in Europe) described herein, showed that effects of toxic chemicals on organisms can differ vastly depending purely on external conditions. We compiled data from 61 studies on effects of temperature, moisture and dissolved oxygen on toxicity of a range of chemicals representing pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, plant protection products of bacterial origin and trace metals. In 62.3% cases significant interactions (pnatural factors and chemicals were found, reaching 100% for the effect of dissolved oxygen on toxicity of waterborne chemicals. The meta-analysis of the 61 studies showed that the null hypothesis assuming no interactions between toxic chemicals and natural environmental factors should be rejected at p=2.7 x 10(-82) (truncated product method probability). In a few cases of more complex experimental designs, also second-order interactions were found, indicating that natural factors can modify interactions among chemicals. Such data emphasize the necessity of including information on natural factors and their variation in time and across geographic regions in ecological risk assessment. This can be done only if appropriate ecotoxicological test designs are used, in which test organisms are exposed to toxicants at a range of environmental conditions. We advocate designing such tests for the second-tier ecological risk assessment procedures. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A methodological review of qualitative case study methodology in midwifery research.

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Atchan, Marjorie; Davis, Deborah; Foureur, Maralyn

2016-10-01

To explore the use and application of case study research in midwifery. Case study research provides rich data for the analysis of complex issues and interventions in the healthcare disciplines; however, a gap in the midwifery research literature was identified. A methodological review of midwifery case study research using recognized templates, frameworks and reporting guidelines facilitated comprehensive analysis. An electronic database search using the date range January 2005-December 2014: Maternal and Infant Care, CINAHL Plus, Academic Search Complete, Web of Knowledge, SCOPUS, Medline, Health Collection (Informit), Cochrane Library Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Wiley online and ProQuest Central. Narrative evaluation was undertaken. Clearly worded questions reflected the problem and purpose. The application, strengths and limitations of case study methods were identified through a quality appraisal process. The review identified both case study research's applicability to midwifery and its low uptake, especially in clinical studies. Many papers included the necessary criteria to achieve rigour. The included measures of authenticity and methodology were varied. A high standard of authenticity was observed, suggesting authors considered these elements to be routine inclusions. Technical aspects were lacking in many papers, namely a lack of reflexivity and incomplete transparency of processes. This review raises the profile of case study research in midwifery. Midwives will be encouraged to explore if case study research is suitable for their investigation. The raised profile will demonstrate further applicability; encourage support and wider adoption in the midwifery setting. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Social Network Analysis as an Analytic Tool for Task Group Research: A Case Study of an Interdisciplinary Community of Practice

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Lockhart, Naorah C.

2017-01-01

Group counselors commonly collaborate in interdisciplinary settings in health care, substance abuse, and juvenile justice. Social network analysis is a methodology rarely used in counseling research yet has potential to examine task group dynamics in new ways. This case study explores the scholarly relationships among 36 members of an…

Use of Comparative Case Study Methodology for US Public Health Policy Analysis: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dinour, Lauren M; Kwan, Amy; Freudenberg, Nicholas

There is growing recognition that policies influence population health, highlighting the need for evidence to inform future policy development and reform. This review describes how comparative case study methodology has been applied to public health policy research and discusses the methodology's potential to contribute to this evidence. English-language, peer-reviewed articles published between 1995 and 2012 were sought from 4 databases. Articles were included if they described comparative case studies addressing US public health policy. Two researchers independently assessed the 20 articles meeting review criteria. Case-related characteristics and research design tactics utilized to minimize threats to reliability and validity, such as the use of multiple sources of evidence and a case study protocol, were extracted from each article. Although comparative case study methodology has been used to analyze a range of public health policies at all stages and levels, articles reported an average use of only 3.65 (out of 10) research design tactics. By expanding the use of accepted research design tactics, public health policy researchers can contribute to expanding the evidence needed to advance health-promoting policies.

Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Changes in the Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis of Case-Control Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Ji-Guo; Huang, Qing; Zhou, Xiao-Fang; Ding, Yi; Li, Jing; Xiang, Yi

2018-01-01

To evaluate and compare changes in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in patients with the pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXS) and healthy controls. Case-control studies were selected through an electronic search of the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, PubMed, and Embase. Results were reviewed to ensure that the included studies met prespecified inclusion/exclusion criteria, and the quality of each study was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. All included studies measured average and 4-quadrant (temporal, superior, nasal, and inferior) RNFL thickness using optical coherence tomography (OCT). For the continuous outcomes, we calculated the weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Eight case-control studies were included in this meta-analysis involving 225 eyes of PXS patients and 208 eyes of healthy controls in total. Statistical analysis revealed that the average RNFL thickness in PXS patients was significantly reduced compared to healthy controls (WMD = -6.91, 95% CI: -9.99 to -3.82, p < 0.0001). Additionally, differences in RNFL thickness in the superior quadrant (WMD = -10.68, 95% CI: -16.40 to -4.95, p = 0.0003), inferior quadrant (WMD = -8.20, 95% CI: -10.85 to -5.55, p < 0.00001), nasal quadrant (WMD = -3.05, 95% CI: -5.21 to -0.90, p = 0.005), and temporal quadrant (WMD = -6.39, 95% CI: -9.98 to -2.80, p = 0.0005) were all significant between the two groups. These results suggest that it is important to evaluate RNFL thickness and the optic nerve head through OCT in patients with PXS in order to determine early glaucomatous damage and start timely intervention prior to visual field loss. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Reliability analysis of mining equipment: A case study of a crushing plant at Jajarm Bauxite Mine in Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barabady, Javad; Kumar, Uday

2008-01-01

The performance of mining machines depends on the reliability of the equipment used, the operating environment, the maintenance efficiency, the operation process, the technical expertise of the miners, etc. As the size and complexity of mining equipments continue to increase, the implications of equipment failure become ever more critical. Therefore, reliability analysis is required to identify the bottlenecks in the system and to find the components or subsystems with low reliability for a given designed performance. It is important to select a suitable method for data collection as well as for reliability analysis. This paper presents a case study describing reliability and availability analysis of the crushing plant number 3 at Jajarm Bauxite Mine in Iran. In this study, the crushing plant number 3 is divided into six subsystems. The parameters of some probability distributions, such as Weibull, Exponential, and Lognormal distributions have been estimated by using ReliaSoft's Weibull++6 software. The results of the analysis show that the conveyer subsystem and secondary screen subsystem are critical from a reliability point of view, and the secondary crusher subsystem and conveyer subsystem are critical from an availability point of view. The study also shows that the reliability analysis is very useful for deciding maintenance intervals

Multihazard risk analysis and disaster planning for emergency services as a basis for efficient provision in the case of natural hazards - case study municipality of Au, Austria

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Maltzkait, Anika; Pfurtscheller, Clemens

2014-05-01

Multihazard risk analysis and disaster planning for emergency services as a basis for efficient provision in the case of natural hazards - case study municipality of Au, Austria A. Maltzkait (1) & C. Pfurtscheller (1) (1) Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research (IGF), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck, Austria The extreme flood events of 2002, 2005 and 2013 in Austria underlined the importance of local emergency services being able to withstand and reduce the adverse impacts of natural hazards. Although for legal reasons municipal emergency and crisis management plans exist in Austria, they mostly do not cover risk analyses of natural hazards - a sound, comparable assessment to identify and evaluate risks. Moreover, total losses and operational emergencies triggered by natural hazards have increased in recent decades. Given sparse public funds, objective budget decisions are needed to ensure the efficient provision of operating resources, like personnel, vehicles and equipment in the case of natural hazards. We present a case study of the municipality of Au, Austria, which was hardly affected during the 2005 floods. Our approach is primarily based on a qualitative risk analysis, combining existing hazard plans, GIS data, field mapping and data on operational efforts of the fire departments. The risk analysis includes a map of phenomena discussed in a workshop with local experts and a list of risks as well as a risk matrix prepared at that workshop. On the basis for the exact requirements for technical and non-technical mitigation measures for each natural hazard risk were analysed in close collaboration with members of the municipal operation control and members of the local emergency services (fire brigade, Red Cross). The measures includes warning, evacuation and, technical interventions with heavy equipment and personnel. These results are used, first, to improve the municipal emergency and crisis management plan by providing a risk map, and a

Data pre-processing for web log mining: Case study of commercial bank website usage analysis

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Jozef Kapusta

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We use data cleaning, integration, reduction and data conversion methods in the pre-processing level of data analysis. Data processing techniques improve the overall quality of the patterns mined. The paper describes using of standard pre-processing methods for preparing data of the commercial bank website in the form of the log file obtained from the web server. Data cleaning, as the simplest step of data pre-processing, is non–trivial as the analysed content is highly specific. We had to deal with the problem of frequent changes of the content and even frequent changes of the structure. Regular changes in the structure make use of the sitemap impossible. We presented approaches how to deal with this problem. We were able to create the sitemap dynamically just based on the content of the log file. In this case study, we also examined just the one part of the website over the standard analysis of an entire website, as we did not have access to all log files for the security reason. As the result, the traditional practices had to be adapted for this special case. Analysing just the small fraction of the website resulted in the short session time of regular visitors. We were not able to use recommended methods to determine the optimal value of session time. Therefore, we proposed new methods based on outliers identification for raising the accuracy of the session length in this paper.

The Local Value Chain of Hunted Red Deer Meat: A Scenario Analysis Based on a Northern Italian Case Study

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Anna Gaviglio

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Although in recent decades, meat from hunted wild ungulates has shown interesting results in terms of market opportunities, the scientific literature is still lacking in economic studies concerning the estimation of the meat’s value for involved stakeholders. We present an analysis of the evolution of price in the local red deer meat supply chain. This analysis has been conducted through a survey based on in-depth interviews with the stakeholders involved in an Italian local supply chain. Findings derived from this study describe a case study, however, they also represent the potential dynamics of the value of Italian game meat, highlighting that the development of a sustainable local supply chain of this product may represent an economic resource for involved stakeholders.

Analysis Thermal Comfort Condition in Complex Residential Building, Case Study: Chiangmai, Thailand

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Juangjandee, Warangkana

2017-10-01

Due to the increasing need for complex residential buildings, it appears that people migrate into the high-density urban areas because the infrastructural facilities can be easily found in the modern metropolitan areas. Such rapid growth of urbanization creates congested residential buildings obstructing solar radiation and wind flow, whereas most urban residents spend 80-90% of their time indoor. Furthermore, the buildings were mostly built with average materials and construction detail. This causes high humidity condition for tenants that could promote mould growth. This study aims to analyse thermal comfort condition in complex residential building, Thailand for finding the passive solution to improve indoor air quality and respond to local conditions. The research methodology will be in two folds: 1) surveying on case study 2) analysis for finding the passive solution of reducing humidity indoor air The result of the survey indicated that the building need to find passive solution for solving humidity problem, that can be divided into two ways which raising ventilation and indoor temperature including increasing wind-flow ventilation and adjusting thermal temperature, for example; improving building design and stack driven ventilation. For raising indoor temperature or increasing mean radiant temperature, daylight can be passive solution for complex residential design for reducing humidity and enhance illumination indoor space simultaneous.

Budget impact analysis of pemetrexed introduction: case study from a teaching hospital perspective, Thailand.

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Chanjaruporn, Farsai; Roughead, Elizabeth E; Sooksriwong, Cha-oncin; Kaojarern, Sming

2011-09-01

Thailand does not currently require Budget Impact Analysis (BIA) assessment. The present study aimed to estimate the annual drug cost and the incremental impact on the hospital pharmaceutical budget of the introduction of pemetrexed to a Thai teaching hospital. The budget impact model was conducted in accordance with the Guidelines for preparing submissions to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC). The model variables consisted of number of patients, growth rate of lung cancer, uptake rate of pemetrexed over time, unit prices of drugs, and the length and cost of treatment. Sensitivity analysis was performed to determine changes in budgetary impact due to variation of parameters or assumptions in the model. The introduction of pemetrexed was estimated to cause considerable costs for the teaching hospital. In the base-case analysis, the incremental costs were estimated at 8,553,984 Baht in the first year increasing to 12, 118, 144 Baht, 17,820,800 Baht and 17,820,800 Baht in the following years. The 4-year net budgetary impact was 20,154,480 Baht or approximately 127,560 Baht per patient. Sensitivity analyses found that number of treatment cycles andproportion of patients assumed to be treated with pemetrexed were the two most important influencing factors in the model. New costly innovative interventions should be evaluated using the BIA model to determine whether they are affordable. The Thai government should consider requiring the BIA study as one of the requirements for drug submission to assist in the determination of listing and subsidizing decision for medicines.

Risk Factors For Ectopic Pregnancy : A Case Control Study

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Deshmukh J.S

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Research question: Which are the risk factors for ectopic pregnancy . Objective: To study the strength of association between hypothesised risk factors and ectopic pregnancy. Study design: Unmatched case- control study. Setting: Government Medical College, Hospital, Nagpur. Participants: 133 cases of ectopic pregnancy and equal number of controls (non pregnant women admitted to study hospital. Study variables : Pelvic inflammatory diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, IUD use at conception , past use of IUD, prior ectopic pregnancy, OC pills use at the time of conception, past use of OC pills, induced abortion, spontaneous abortion, infertility and pelvic and abdominal surgery. Statistical analysis: Odds ratios & their 95% CI, Pearson’s chi square test, unconditional logistic regression analysis and population attributable risk proportion. Results : Use of IUD at conception, prior ectopic pregnancy , pelvic inflammatory disease, sexually transmitted diseases, infertility, OC pills use at the time of conception, past use of IUD and induced abortion were found to be significantly associated with ectopic pregnancy. Conclusion: Identification of these risk factors for etopic pregnancy shall help in early detection and appropriate management in an individual case and it may help in devising a comprehensive preventive strategy for ectopic pregnancy

Risk Assessment and Optimization for New or Novel Processes: Combining task analysis with 4D process simulation-framework and case study.

OpenAIRE

Leva, Maria Chiara; Gerbec, Marko; Balfe, Nora; Demichela, Micaela

2015-01-01

This paper describes work undertaken as part of the TOSCA project to develop approaches in-tegrating and enhancing safety, quality and productivity. The work reported here combines two existing ap-proaches: task analysis and 4D process simulation to model tasks in a 3D environment, thus creating a 4D model. The 4D model is next used for safety analysis (e.g., HAZOP a structured Hazid study) and optimiza-tion (e.g., Pareto type). The approach is demonstrated on an industrial case study involvi...

The SLC4A7 variant rs4973768 is associated with breast cancer risk: evidence from a case-control study and a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei; Zhong, Rong; Ming, Jie; Zou, Li; Zhu, Beibei; Lu, Xuzai; Ke, Juntao; Zhang, Yu; Liu, Li; Miao, Xiaoping; Huang, Tao

2012-12-01

Recent genome-wide association study has identified a genetic variant rs4973768, located in 3'-UTR of solute carrier family 4, sodium bicarbonate cotransporter, member 7 (SLC4A7), was associated with increased risk of breast cancer (BC). However, several following replication studies cannot yield consistent results. We thus conducted a hospital-based case-control study including 485 patients and 514 controls, combined a meta-analysis including 108,632 cases and 135,818 controls to explore the relationship between this variant and BC risk. Our case-control study showed that rs4973768 was significantly associated with increased BC risk with the odds ratio (OR) of 1.29 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.04-1.60) under the allelic model. In addition, the meta-analysis also indicated that the variant slightly increased the risk of BC with the pooled OR of the per-allele effect being 1.08 (95 % CI: 1.04-1.11) although with significant heterogeneity between studies. Stratified analyses showed that ethnicity, sample size, and study design may explain part of the heterogeneity. Moreover, the bioinformatics analysis suggested that this variant may influence the transcriptional capacity of SLC4A7. In summary, our results showed that the SLC4A7 variant, rs4973768, is associated with risk of BC although the underlying biologic mechanism warrants further studies.

APPLICATION OF FAILURE MODE & EFFECT ANALYSIS (FMEA FOR CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT - MULTIPLE CASE STUDIES IN AUTOMOBILE SMES

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Jigar Doshi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA is a quality tool used to identify potential failures and related effects on processes and products, so continuous improvement in quality can be achieved by reducing them. The purpose of this research paper is to showcase the contribution of FMEA to achieve Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI by multiple case study research. The outcome research conducted by implementing FMEA; one of the Auto Core Tools (ACTs, in the automobile Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs in Gujarat, India is presented in this paper which depict various means of Continuous Quality Improvements. The case study based research was carried out in four automobile SMEs; all of them are supplied to automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM. The FMEA was implemented with the help of Cross Functional Team (CFT to identify the potential failure modes and effects, in overall effect on Continuous Quality Improvement. The outcome of FMEA at four companies' reveals the scope of improvement exists in the manufacturing process. Implementation of those improvement points shows the definite signs of continuous improvement of the quality of process and product as well. The FMEA and subsequent implementations had reduced the quality rejections around 3% to 4% in case companies.

Space engineering modeling and optimization with case studies

CERN Document Server

Pintér, János

2016-01-01

This book presents a selection of advanced case studies that cover a substantial range of issues and real-world challenges and applications in space engineering. Vital mathematical modeling, optimization methodologies and numerical solution aspects of each application case study are presented in detail, with discussions of a range of advanced model development and solution techniques and tools. Space engineering challenges are discussed in the following contexts: •Advanced Space Vehicle Design •Computation of Optimal Low Thrust Transfers •Indirect Optimization of Spacecraft Trajectories •Resource-Constrained Scheduling, •Packing Problems in Space •Design of Complex Interplanetary Trajectories •Satellite Constellation Image Acquisition •Re-entry Test Vehicle Configuration Selection •Collision Risk Assessment on Perturbed Orbits •Optimal Robust Design of Hybrid Rocket Engines •Nonlinear Regression Analysis in Space Engineering< •Regression-Based Sensitivity Analysis and Robust Design ...

Meta- and statistical analysis of single-case intervention research data: quantitative gifts and a wish list.

Science.gov (United States)

Kratochwill, Thomas R; Levin, Joel R

2014-04-01

In this commentary, we add to the spirit of the articles appearing in the special series devoted to meta- and statistical analysis of single-case intervention-design data. Following a brief discussion of historical factors leading to our initial involvement in statistical analysis of such data, we discuss: (a) the value added by including statistical-analysis recommendations in the What Works Clearinghouse Standards for single-case intervention designs; (b) the importance of visual analysis in single-case intervention research, along with the distinctive role that could be played by single-case effect-size measures; and (c) the elevated internal validity and statistical-conclusion validity afforded by the incorporation of various forms of randomization into basic single-case design structures. For the future, we envision more widespread application of quantitative analyses, as critical adjuncts to visual analysis, in both primary single-case intervention research studies and literature reviews in the behavioral, educational, and health sciences. Copyright © 2014 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fracture Penis: An Analysis of 26 Cases

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G.V.Soundra Pandyan

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to review the pattern of penile fracture occurrence, its clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and outcome at our center. A retrospective analysis of 26 patients with penile fractures treated at our hospital from January 1997 to January 2005 was carried out. We noted an incidence of 3.5 cases per year, occurring more commonly in unmarried men. Of our study group, 28 episodes of penile fractures occurred in 26 patients. Hospital presentation after trauma varied from 2 h to 21 days. Masturbation was the main initiating causative factor and penile hematoma was the most common clinical finding. Nearly 81% noticed the characteristic click prior to the fracture. Clinical diagnosis was adequate in a majority of the cases. Midshaft fractures with right-sided laterality were more frequent in this series. The tear size ranged from 0.5—2.5 cm with a mean of 1.1 cm. All cases, but one, were treated by surgical repair using absorbable sutures. Out of three cases treated conservatively, two failed to respond and had to be treated surgically. False fracture with dorsal vein tear was present in two cases. Involvement of bilateral corpora was seen in one patient. Infection was the most common early complication, while pain with deviation was the late complication. In our experience, clinical findings are adequate enough to diagnose fracture penis in a majority of cases. Surgical exploration with repair of the tear is recommended both in early and delayed presentations. There was no noticeable relationship to the time of initial presentation or with the size and site of tear to the final outcome.

Case Study on Influence Factor Trend Analysis of the Accidents and Events of Nuclear Power Plants by applying Nuclear Safety Culture Framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J. Y.; Park, Y. W.; Park, H.G.

2016-01-01

This study 1) established the standard based on frameworks of safety culture principles that show safety culture promotion goals, 2) analyzed the linkages with the frameworks that were established by analyzing each incident cause and weak point from selected 268 cases(rating over INES grade 1) among 4,088 cases (as of April 1, 2015). The 4,088 cases were selected as a result of database analysis from 702 accidents recorded in accident and rating evaluation reports that were published in the National Nuclear Safety Commission and overseas IRS (International Reporting System for operating Experience), and 3) finally conducted a trend analysis studies with these comprehensive results. From the investigations, followings were concluded. 1) In order to analyze the safety culture, analysis methodology is required. 2) Analytical methodology for building sustainable safety culture promoting a virtuous cycle system was developed 3) Among variety of process input data, 970 domestic and overseas incidents were selected as targets and 502 accidents were classified as safety culture related events by utilizing screen filter of IAEA GS-G-3.5 Appendix I and Framework (Nuclear Safety Culture Base Frame) developed by BEES, Inc. for safety culture analysis method. 4) As a result, complex safety culture influence factors for the one reason which was difficult to separate by conventional methods was able to be analyzed. 5) The cumulative data through the system was results of virtuous trend analysis rather than temporary results. Thus, it could be unique cultural factors of the domestic industry and could derive trend differences for domestic safety culture factors accordingly

Case Study on Influence Factor Trend Analysis of the Accidents and Events of Nuclear Power Plants by applying Nuclear Safety Culture Framework

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, J. Y.; Park, Y. W.; Park, H.G. [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

This study 1) established the standard based on frameworks of safety culture principles that show safety culture promotion goals, 2) analyzed the linkages with the frameworks that were established by analyzing each incident cause and weak point from selected 268 cases(rating over INES grade 1) among 4,088 cases (as of April 1, 2015). The 4,088 cases were selected as a result of database analysis from 702 accidents recorded in accident and rating evaluation reports that were published in the National Nuclear Safety Commission and overseas IRS (International Reporting System for operating Experience), and 3) finally conducted a trend analysis studies with these comprehensive results. From the investigations, followings were concluded. 1) In order to analyze the safety culture, analysis methodology is required. 2) Analytical methodology for building sustainable safety culture promoting a virtuous cycle system was developed 3) Among variety of process input data, 970 domestic and overseas incidents were selected as targets and 502 accidents were classified as safety culture related events by utilizing screen filter of IAEA GS-G-3.5 Appendix I and Framework (Nuclear Safety Culture Base Frame) developed by BEES, Inc. for safety culture analysis method. 4) As a result, complex safety culture influence factors for the one reason which was difficult to separate by conventional methods was able to be analyzed. 5) The cumulative data through the system was results of virtuous trend analysis rather than temporary results. Thus, it could be unique cultural factors of the domestic industry and could derive trend differences for domestic safety culture factors accordingly.

Monte Carlo simulation of expert judgments on human errors in chemical analysis--a case study of ICP-MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuselman, Ilya; Pennecchi, Francesca; Epstein, Malka; Fajgelj, Ales; Ellison, Stephen L R

2014-12-01

Monte Carlo simulation of expert judgments on human errors in a chemical analysis was used for determination of distributions of the error quantification scores (scores of likelihood and severity, and scores of effectiveness of a laboratory quality system in prevention of the errors). The simulation was based on modeling of an expert behavior: confident, reasonably doubting and irresolute expert judgments were taken into account by means of different probability mass functions (pmfs). As a case study, 36 scenarios of human errors which may occur in elemental analysis of geological samples by ICP-MS were examined. Characteristics of the score distributions for three pmfs of an expert behavior were compared. Variability of the scores, as standard deviation of the simulated score values from the distribution mean, was used for assessment of the score robustness. A range of the score values, calculated directly from elicited data and simulated by a Monte Carlo method for different pmfs, was also discussed from the robustness point of view. It was shown that robustness of the scores, obtained in the case study, can be assessed as satisfactory for the quality risk management and improvement of a laboratory quality system against human errors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Qualitative case study methodology in nursing research: an integrative review.

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Anthony, Susan; Jack, Susan

2009-06-01

This paper is a report of an integrative review conducted to critically analyse the contemporary use of qualitative case study methodology in nursing research. Increasing complexity in health care and increasing use of case study in nursing research support the need for current examination of this methodology. In 2007, a search for case study research (published 2005-2007) indexed in the CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Sociological Abstracts and SCOPUS databases was conducted. A sample of 42 case study research papers met the inclusion criteria. Whittemore and Knafl's integrative review method guided the analysis. Confusion exists about the name, nature and use of case study. This methodology, including terminology and concepts, is often invisible in qualitative study titles and abstracts. Case study is an exclusive methodology and an adjunct to exploring particular aspects of phenomena under investigation in larger or mixed-methods studies. A high quality of case study exists in nursing research. Judicious selection and diligent application of literature review methods promote the development of nursing science. Case study is becoming entrenched in the nursing research lexicon as a well-accepted methodology for studying phenomena in health and social care, and its growing use warrants continued appraisal to promote nursing knowledge development. Attention to all case study elements, process and publication is important in promoting authenticity, methodological quality and visibility.

Causal Relation Analysis Tool of the Case Study in the Engineer Ethics Education

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Yoshio; Morita, Keisuke; Yasui, Mitsukuni; Tanada, Ichirou; Fujiki, Hiroyuki; Aoyagi, Manabu

In engineering ethics education, the virtual experiencing of dilemmas is essential. Learning through the case study method is a particularly effective means. Many case studies are, however, difficult to deal with because they often include many complex causal relationships and social factors. It would thus be convenient if there were a tool that could analyze the factors of a case example and organize them into a hierarchical structure to get a better understanding of the whole picture. The tool that was developed applies a cause-and-effect matrix and simple graph theory. It analyzes the causal relationship between facts in a hierarchical structure and organizes complex phenomena. The effectiveness of this tool is shown by presenting an actual example.

Understanding lean & safety projects: analysis of case studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Crema

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Facing the current socio-economic contingency while guaranteeing a high level of care quality is particularly challenging in the field of healthcare. Through an integrated adoption of emerging managerial solutions, projects that allow organizations to achieve both efficiency and patient safety improvements could be implemented, thereby transposing policy directives towards a safer and more sustainable healthcare system. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the features of Lean & Safety (L&S projects. Three Health Lean Management (HLM projects that had unexpected patient safety results were selected from the same region. Differences and similarities among the cases have been highlighted and interesting points of evidence have been noted. Despite the fact that the projects were pursuing similar objectives and benefiting from comparable support, the obtained changes had direct impact on patient safety enhancement in the cases that involved the front-office processes, and an indirect impact on patient safely for the L&S project that focused on back-office activities. The implementation processes and the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT adoption of the cases are also different.

The use of case studies in undergraduate Business Administration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos J. O. Trejo-Pech

2017-08-01

Full Text Available We develop constructs to evaluate the factors influencing the degree of students’ acceptance of cases. In our proposed framework, student acceptance is affected by the case selection, intensity of faculty use, training, course type and level, level of instructor expertise, teaching atmosphere, and the faculty’s beliefs about the usefulness of the case method. Our sample includes faculty teaching quantitative or qualitative courses across several disciplines in undergraduate business administration. Responses to a survey are analyzed using factor analysis and regression. The quantitative analysis is complemented by interviews with a subset of expert faculty using a two-round modified Delphi technique. This study may be limited by the fact that it measured faculty perceptions of the degree of students’ acceptance of cases, rather than student acceptance directly. Future research might survey students or use students’ courses evaluations to validate or contradict our results.

A Human Work Interaction Design (HWID) Case Study in E-Government and Public Information Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clemmensen, Torkil

2011-01-01

This paper first outlines a revised version of the general HWID framework, with a focus on what connects empirical work analysis and interaction design, and then presents a case study of the Danish government one-for-all authentication system NemID. The case is briefly analyzed, using ethnomethod...... in studying how human work analysis and interaction design in concrete cases are related and connected.......This paper first outlines a revised version of the general HWID framework, with a focus on what connects empirical work analysis and interaction design, and then presents a case study of the Danish government one-for-all authentication system NemID. The case is briefly analyzed, using...... ethnomethodology, work domain/task analysis, and the HWID approach, and comparing the results. Compared to the traditional approaches, the HWID focus on case-specific connections between human work and interaction design, gives different and supplementary answers. The conclusion is that there are benefits...

The Effects of Macroglossia on Speech: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Mekonnen, Abebayehu Messele

2012-01-01

This article presents a case study of speech production in a 14-year-old Amharic-speaking boy. The boy had developed secondary macroglossia, related to a disturbance of growth hormones, following a history of normal speech development. Perceptual analysis combined with acoustic analysis and static palatography is used to investigate the specific…

Spatiotemporal analysis of indigenous and imported dengue fever cases in Guangdong province, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Zhongjie

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Dengue fever has been a major public health concern in China since it re-emerged in Guangdong province in 1978. This study aimed to explore spatiotemporal characteristics of dengue fever cases for both indigenous and imported cases during recent years in Guangdong province, so as to identify high-risk areas of the province and thereby help plan resource allocation for dengue interventions. Methods Notifiable cases of dengue fever were collected from all 123 counties of Guangdong province from 2005 to 2010. Descriptive temporal and spatial analysis were conducted, including plotting of seasonal distribution of cases, and creating choropleth maps of cumulative incidence by county. The space-time scan statistic was used to determine space-time clusters of dengue fever cases at the county level, and a geographical information system was used to visualize the location of the clusters. Analysis were stratified by imported and indigenous origin. Results 1658 dengue fever cases were recorded in Guangdong province during the study period, including 94 imported cases and 1564 indigenous cases. Both imported and indigenous cases occurred more frequently in autumn. The areas affected by the indigenous and imported cases presented a geographically expanding trend over the study period. The results showed that the most likely cluster of imported cases (relative risk = 7.52, p  Conclusions This study demonstrated that the geographic range of imported and indigenous dengue fever cases has expanded over recent years, and cases were significantly clustered in two heavily urbanised areas of Guangdong province. This provides the foundation for further investigation of risk factors and interventions in these high-risk areas.

A combined analysis of North American case-control studies of residential radon and lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Krewski, Daniel; Lubin, Jay H; Zielinski, Jan M; Alavanja, Michael; Catalan, Vanessa S; Field, R William; Klotz, Judith B; Létourneau, Ernest G; Lynch, Charles F; Lyon, Joseph L; Sandler, Dale P; Schoenberg, Janet B; Steck, Daniel J; Stolwijk, Jan A; Weinberg, Clarice; Wilcox, Homer B

2006-04-01

Cohort studies have consistently shown underground miners exposed to high levels of radon to be at excess risk of lung cancer, and extrapolations based on those results indicate that residential radon may be responsible for nearly 10-15% of all lung cancer deaths per year in the United States. However, case-control studies of residential radon and lung cancer have provided ambiguous evidence of radon lung cancer risks. Regardless, alpha-particle emissions from the short-lived radioactive radon decay products can damage cellular DNA. The possibility that a demonstrated lung carcinogen may be present in large numbers of homes raises a serious public health concern. Thus, a systematic analysis of pooled data from all North American residential radon studies was undertaken to provide a more direct characterization of the public health risk posed by prolonged radon exposure. To evaluate the risk associated with prolonged residential radon exposure, a combined analysis of the primary data from seven large scale case-control studies of residential radon and lung cancer risk was conducted. The combined data set included a total of 4081 cases and 5281 controls, representing the largest aggregation of data on residential radon and lung cancer conducted to date. Residential radon concentrations were determined primarily by a-track detectors placed in the living areas of homes of the study subjects in order to obtain an integrated 1-yr average radon concentration in indoor air. Conditional likelihood regression was used to estimate the excess risk of lung cancer due to residential radon exposure, with adjustment for attained age, sex, study, smoking factors, residential mobility, and completeness of radon measurements. Although the main analyses were based on the combined data set as a whole, we also considered subsets of the data considered to have more accurate radon dosimetry. This included a subset of the data involving 3662 cases and 4966 controls with a-track radon

Teacher-Student Interactions: Four Case Studies of Gender in Physical Education

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Kathryn; Nicaise, Virginia

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to better understand gender interactions between teachers and students in high school physical education. Gender interactions were explored in relation to the theory of reflective practice. Interview data were examined as four case studies using individual and cross-case inductive analysis. Two common themes emerged: (a)…

External rhinoplasty: a critical analysis of 500 cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Foda, Hossam M T

2003-06-01

The study presents a comprehensive statistical analysis of a series of 500 consecutive rhinoplasties of which 380 (76 per cent) were primary and 120 (24 per cent) were secondary cases. All cases were operated upon using the external rhinoplasty technique; simultaneous septal surgery was performed in 350 (70 per cent) of the cases. Deformities of the upper two-thirds of the nose that occurred significantly more in the secondary cases included; dorsal saddling, dorsal irregularities, valve collapse, open roof and pollybeak deformities. In the lower third of the nose; secondary cases showed significantly higher incidences of depressed tip, tip over-rotation, tip asymmetry, retracted columella, and alar notching. Suturing techniques were used significantly more in primary cases, while in secondary cases grafting techniques were used significantly more. The complications encountered intra-operatively included; septal flap tears (2.8 per cent) and alar cartilage injury (1.8 per cent), while post-operative complications included; nasal trauma (one per cent), epistaxis (two per cent), infection (2.4 per cent), prolonged oedema (17 per cent), and nasal obstruction (0.8 per cent). The overall patient satisfaction rate was 95.6 per cent and the transcolumellar scar was found to be unacceptable in only 0.8 per cent of the patients.

The use of the bootstrap in the analysis of case-control studies with missing data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Siersma, Volkert Dirk; Johansen, Christoffer

2004-01-01

nonparametric bootstrap, bootstrap confidence intervals, missing values, multiple imputation, matched case-control study......nonparametric bootstrap, bootstrap confidence intervals, missing values, multiple imputation, matched case-control study...

Predicate Argument Structure Analysis for Use Case Description Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Takeuchi, Hironori; Nakamura, Taiga; Yamaguchi, Takahira

In a large software system development project, many documents are prepared and updated frequently. In such a situation, support is needed for looking through these documents easily to identify inconsistencies and to maintain traceability. In this research, we focus on the requirements documents such as use cases and consider how to create models from the use case descriptions in unformatted text. In the model construction, we propose a few semantic constraints based on the features of the use cases and use them for a predicate argument structure analysis to assign semantic labels to actors and actions. With this approach, we show that we can assign semantic labels without enhancing any existing general lexical resources such as case frame dictionaries and design a less language-dependent model construction architecture. By using the constructed model, we consider a system for quality analysis of the use cases and automated test case generation to keep the traceability between document sets. We evaluated the reuse of the existing use cases and generated test case steps automatically with the proposed prototype system from real-world use cases in the development of a system using a packaged application. Based on the evaluation, we show how to construct models with high precision from English and Japanese use case data. Also, we could generate good test cases for about 90% of the real use cases through the manual improvement of the descriptions based on the feedback from the quality analysis system.

Space-Time Analysis of Testicular Cancer Clusters Using Residential Histories: A Case-Control Study in Denmark

Science.gov (United States)

Sloan, Chantel D.; Nordsborg, Rikke B.; Jacquez, Geoffrey M.; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole; Meliker, Jaymie R.

2015-01-01

Though the etiology is largely unknown, testicular cancer incidence has seen recent significant increases in northern Europe and throughout many Western regions. The most common cancer in males under age 40, age period cohort models have posited exposures in the in utero environment or in early childhood as possible causes of increased risk of testicular cancer. Some of these factors may be tied to geography through being associated with behavioral, cultural, sociodemographic or built environment characteristics. If so, this could result in detectable geographic clusters of cases that could lead to hypotheses regarding environmental targets for intervention. Given a latency period between exposure to an environmental carcinogen and testicular cancer diagnosis, mobility histories are beneficial for spatial cluster analyses. Nearest-neighbor based Q-statistics allow for the incorporation of changes in residency in spatial disease cluster detection. Using these methods, a space-time cluster analysis was conducted on a population-wide case-control population selected from the Danish Cancer Registry with mobility histories since 1971 extracted from the Danish Civil Registration System. Cases (N=3297) were diagnosed between 1991 and 2003, and two sets of controls (N=3297 for each set) matched on sex and date of birth were included in the study. We also examined spatial patterns in maternal residential history for those cases and controls born in 1971 or later (N= 589 case-control pairs). Several small clusters were detected when aligning individuals by year prior to diagnosis, age at diagnosis and calendar year of diagnosis. However, the largest of these clusters contained only 2 statistically significant individuals at their center, and were not replicated in SaTScan spatial-only analyses which are less susceptible to multiple testing bias. We found little evidence of local clusters in residential histories of testicular cancer cases in this Danish population. PMID

Space-time analysis of testicular cancer clusters using residential histories: a case-control study in Denmark.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chantel D Sloan

Full Text Available Though the etiology is largely unknown, testicular cancer incidence has seen recent significant increases in northern Europe and throughout many Western regions. The most common cancer in males under age 40, age period cohort models have posited exposures in the in utero environment or in early childhood as possible causes of increased risk of testicular cancer. Some of these factors may be tied to geography through being associated with behavioral, cultural, sociodemographic or built environment characteristics. If so, this could result in detectable geographic clusters of cases that could lead to hypotheses regarding environmental targets for intervention. Given a latency period between exposure to an environmental carcinogen and testicular cancer diagnosis, mobility histories are beneficial for spatial cluster analyses. Nearest-neighbor based Q-statistics allow for the incorporation of changes in residency in spatial disease cluster detection. Using these methods, a space-time cluster analysis was conducted on a population-wide case-control population selected from the Danish Cancer Registry with mobility histories since 1971 extracted from the Danish Civil Registration System. Cases (N=3297 were diagnosed between 1991 and 2003, and two sets of controls (N=3297 for each set matched on sex and date of birth were included in the study. We also examined spatial patterns in maternal residential history for those cases and controls born in 1971 or later (N= 589 case-control pairs. Several small clusters were detected when aligning individuals by year prior to diagnosis, age at diagnosis and calendar year of diagnosis. However, the largest of these clusters contained only 2 statistically significant individuals at their center, and were not replicated in SaTScan spatial-only analyses which are less susceptible to multiple testing bias. We found little evidence of local clusters in residential histories of testicular cancer cases in this Danish

Space-time analysis of testicular cancer clusters using residential histories: a case-control study in Denmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Sloan, Chantel D; Nordsborg, Rikke B; Jacquez, Geoffrey M; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole; Meliker, Jaymie R

2015-01-01

Though the etiology is largely unknown, testicular cancer incidence has seen recent significant increases in northern Europe and throughout many Western regions. The most common cancer in males under age 40, age period cohort models have posited exposures in the in utero environment or in early childhood as possible causes of increased risk of testicular cancer. Some of these factors may be tied to geography through being associated with behavioral, cultural, sociodemographic or built environment characteristics. If so, this could result in detectable geographic clusters of cases that could lead to hypotheses regarding environmental targets for intervention. Given a latency period between exposure to an environmental carcinogen and testicular cancer diagnosis, mobility histories are beneficial for spatial cluster analyses. Nearest-neighbor based Q-statistics allow for the incorporation of changes in residency in spatial disease cluster detection. Using these methods, a space-time cluster analysis was conducted on a population-wide case-control population selected from the Danish Cancer Registry with mobility histories since 1971 extracted from the Danish Civil Registration System. Cases (N=3297) were diagnosed between 1991 and 2003, and two sets of controls (N=3297 for each set) matched on sex and date of birth were included in the study. We also examined spatial patterns in maternal residential history for those cases and controls born in 1971 or later (N= 589 case-control pairs). Several small clusters were detected when aligning individuals by year prior to diagnosis, age at diagnosis and calendar year of diagnosis. However, the largest of these clusters contained only 2 statistically significant individuals at their center, and were not replicated in SaTScan spatial-only analyses which are less susceptible to multiple testing bias. We found little evidence of local clusters in residential histories of testicular cancer cases in this Danish population.

A Case Study of Human Resource Development Professionals' Decision Making in Vendor Selection for Employee Development: A Degrees-of-Freedom Analysis

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Cathcart, Stephen Michael

2016-01-01

This mixed method study examines HRD professionals' decision-making processes when making an organizational purchase of training. The study uses a case approach with a degrees of freedom analysis. The data to analyze will examine how HRD professionals in manufacturing select outside vendors human resource development programs for training,…

Average-case analysis of incremental topological ordering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ajwani, Deepak; Friedrich, Tobias

2010-01-01

Many applications like pointer analysis and incremental compilation require maintaining a topological ordering of the nodes of a directed acyclic graph (DAG) under dynamic updates. All known algorithms for this problem are either only analyzed for worst-case insertion sequences or only evaluated...... experimentally on random DAGs. We present the first average-case analysis of incremental topological ordering algorithms. We prove an expected runtime of under insertion of the edges of a complete DAG in a random order for the algorithms of Alpern et al. (1990) [4], Katriel and Bodlaender (2006) [18], and Pearce...

FOXO3 variants are beneficial for longevity in Southern Chinese living in the Red River Basin: A case-control study and meta-analysis

OpenAIRE

Sun, Liang; Hu, Caiyou; Zheng, Chenguang; Qian, Yu; Liang, Qinghua; Lv, Zeping; Huang, Zezhi; Qi, KeYan; Gong, Huan; Zhang, Zheng; Huang, Jin; Zhou, Qin; Yang, Ze

2015-01-01

Forkhead box class O (FOXO) transcription factors play a crucial role in longevity across species. Several polymorphisms in FOXO3 were previously reported to be associated with human longevity. However, only one Chinese replication study has been performed so far. To verify the role of FOXO3 in southern Chinese in the Red River Basin, a community-based case-control study was conducted, and seven polymorphisms were genotyped in 1336 participants, followed by a meta-analysis of eight case-contr...

Teaching Confirmatory Factor Analysis to Non-Statisticians: A Case Study for Estimating Composite Reliability of Psychometric Instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Gajewski, Byron J.; Jiang, Yu; Yeh, Hung-Wen; Engelman, Kimberly; Teel, Cynthia; Choi, Won S.; Greiner, K. Allen; Daley, Christine Makosky

2013-01-01

Texts and software that we are currently using for teaching multivariate analysis to non-statisticians lack in the delivery of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The purpose of this paper is to provide educators with a complement to these resources that includes CFA and its computation. We focus on how to use CFA to estimate a “composite reliability” of a psychometric instrument. This paper provides guidance for introducing, via a case-study, the non-statistician to CFA. As a complement to our instruction about the more traditional SPSS, we successfully piloted the software R for estimating CFA on nine non-statisticians. This approach can be used with healthcare graduate students taking a multivariate course, as well as modified for community stakeholders of our Center for American Indian Community Health (e.g. community advisory boards, summer interns, & research team members). The placement of CFA at the end of the class is strategic and gives us an opportunity to do some innovative teaching: (1) build ideas for understanding the case study using previous course work (such as ANOVA); (2) incorporate multi-dimensional scaling (that students already learned) into the selection of a factor structure (new concept); (3) use interactive data from the students (active learning); (4) review matrix algebra and its importance to psychometric evaluation; (5) show students how to do the calculation on their own; and (6) give students access to an actual recent research project. PMID:24772373

Bridging ImmunoGenomic Data Analysis Workflow Gaps (BIGDAWG): An integrated case-control analysis pipeline.

Science.gov (United States)

Pappas, Derek J; Marin, Wesley; Hollenbach, Jill A; Mack, Steven J

2016-03-01

Bridging ImmunoGenomic Data-Analysis Workflow Gaps (BIGDAWG) is an integrated data-analysis pipeline designed for the standardized analysis of highly-polymorphic genetic data, specifically for the HLA and KIR genetic systems. Most modern genetic analysis programs are designed for the analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms, but the highly polymorphic nature of HLA and KIR data require specialized methods of data analysis. BIGDAWG performs case-control data analyses of highly polymorphic genotype data characteristic of the HLA and KIR loci. BIGDAWG performs tests for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, calculates allele frequencies and bins low-frequency alleles for k×2 and 2×2 chi-squared tests, and calculates odds ratios, confidence intervals and p-values for each allele. When multi-locus genotype data are available, BIGDAWG estimates user-specified haplotypes and performs the same binning and statistical calculations for each haplotype. For the HLA loci, BIGDAWG performs the same analyses at the individual amino-acid level. Finally, BIGDAWG generates figures and tables for each of these comparisons. BIGDAWG obviates the error-prone reformatting needed to traffic data between multiple programs, and streamlines and standardizes the data-analysis process for case-control studies of highly polymorphic data. BIGDAWG has been implemented as the bigdawg R package and as a free web application at bigdawg.immunogenomics.org. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Disaster waste management in Italy: Analysis of recent case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabrielli, Francesco; Amato, Alessia; Balducci, Susanna; Magi Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Beolchini, Francesca

2018-01-01

The geomorphology of the Italian territory causes the incidence of many disasters like earthquakes and floods, with the consequent production of large volumes of waste. The management of such huge flows, produced in a very short time, may have a high impact on the whole emergency response. Moreover, historical data related to disaster waste management are often not easily accessible; on the other hand, the availability of data concerning previous events could support the emergency managers, that have to take a decision in a very short time. In this context, the present paper analyses four relevant recent case studies in Italy, dealing with disaster waste management after geologic and hydrologic natural events. Significant differences have been observed in the quantity and types of generated wastes, and, also, in the management approach. Such differences are mainly associated with the kind of disaster (i.e. earthquake vs. flood), to the geographical location (i.e. internal vs. coastal area), to the urbanisation level (i.e. industrial vs. urban). The study allowed the identification of both strengths and weaknesses of the applied waste management strategies, that represent "lessons to learn" for future scenarios. Even though it deals with Italian case studies, this manuscript may have a high impact also at international level, making available for the first-time emergency waste management data, that are considered an indispensable support for decision makers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Final report on case studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ljungberg, Daniel; McKelvey, Maureen; Lassen, Astrid Heidemann

2012-01-01

Case study as a research design means investigating a single or multiple instance(s) or setting(s) (i.e. a case) and its entire context to explain a phenomenon and its processes. This is achieved through detailed understanding, usually comprised of multiple sources of information. In this way, case...... studies attempt to provide as a complete an understanding of a (complex) phenomenon as possible. Within the AEGIS project, survey and case study research are complementary. They are complementary in the sense that the former can provide more generalizable evidence on a phenomenon in terms of cross......-sectional data, while the latter can provide more in-depth (qualitative) understanding on specific issues. In systematically examining the case studies, however, this report goes beyond a typical single case study. Here we provide a synthesis of 86 case studies. Multiple case studies, following similar focus...

Forecasting dengue hemorrhagic fever cases using ARIMA model: a case study in Asahan district

Science.gov (United States)

Siregar, Fazidah A.; Makmur, Tri; Saprin, S.

2018-01-01

Time series analysis had been increasingly used to forecast the number of dengue hemorrhagic fever in many studies. Since no vaccine exist and poor public health infrastructure, predicting the occurrence of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is crucial. This study was conducted to determine trend and forecasting the occurrence of DHF in Asahan district, North Sumatera Province. Monthly reported dengue cases for the years 2012-2016 were obtained from the district health offices. A time series analysis was conducted by Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) modeling to forecast the occurrence of DHF. The results demonstrated that the reported DHF cases showed a seasonal variation. The SARIMA (1,0,0)(0,1,1)12 model was the best model and adequate for the data. The SARIMA model for DHF is necessary and could applied to predict the incidence of DHF in Asahan district and assist with design public health maesures to prevent and control the diseases.

Higher blood 25(OHD level may reduce the breast cancer risk: evidence from a Chinese population based case-control study and meta-analysis of the observational studies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peizhan Chen

Full Text Available Experimental data suggest a protective effect of vitamin D on breast cancer; however, epidemiologic results remain inclusive. With a Chinese population-based case-control study and meta-analysis of the observational studies, we here systematically evaluated the association of blood 25(OHD level and breast cancer risk. With 593 breast cancer cases and 580 cancer-free controls from Shanghai, China, we found that 80% of the normal women had severe vitamin D deficiency (less than 20 ng/mL and 15.2% had mild deficiency (20 to 30 ng/mL and only 4.8% of women had sufficient vitamin D level (>30 ng/mL while the proportion was 96.1%, 3.2% and 0.7% respectively for the breast cancer patients. Compared to those with the lowest quartile of plasma 25(OHD level, women with highest quartile 25(OHD level showed a significant decreased breast cancer risk (Q4 vs.Q1: OR = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.06-0.15 and every 1 ng/ml increment of plasma 25(OHD level led to a 16% lower odds of breast cancer (OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.81-0.87; P<0.001. From the meta-analysis of the observational studies, we found that women with highest quantile of blood 25(OHD level was associated with a significantly reduced breast cancer risk compared to those with lowest quantile of blood 25(OHD level for the 11 nested case-control and retrospective studies (pooled OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.75-1.00 and 10 case-control studies (7 population based, OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.24-0.52; 3 hospital based, OR = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.02-0.33. These results suggest that vitamin D may have a chemo-preventive effect against breast cancer.

Exposure to pesticides as risk factor for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and hairy cell leukemia: pooled analysis of two Swedish case-control studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hardell, Lennart; Eriksson, Mikael; Nordstrom, Marie

2002-05-01

Increased risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) following exposure to certain pesticides has previously been reported. To further elucidate the importance of phenoxyacetic acids and other pesticides in the etiology of NHL a pooled analysis was performed on two case-control studies, one on NHL and another on hairy cell leukemia (HCL), a rare subtype of NHL. The studies were population based with cases identified from cancer registry and controls from population registry. Data assessment was ascertained by questionnaires supplemented over the telephone by specially trained interviewers. The pooled analysis of NHL and HCL was based on 515 cases and 1141 controls. Increased risks in univariate analysis were found for subjects exposed to herbicides (OR 1.75, CI 95% 1.26-2.42), insecticides (OR 1.43, CI 95% 1.08-1.87), fungicides (OR 3.11, CI 95% 1.56-6.27) and impregnating agents (OR 1.48, CI 95% 1.11-1.96). Among herbicides, significant associations were found for glyphosate (OR 3.04, CI 95% 1.08-8.52) and 4-chloro-2-methyl phenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) (OR 2.62, CI 95% 1.40-4.88). For several categories of pesticides the highest risk was found for exposure during the latest decades before diagnosis. However, in multivariate analyses the only significantly increased risk was for a heterogeneous category of other herbicides than above.

Application of human error theory in case analysis of wrong procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Duthie, Elizabeth A

2010-06-01

The goal of this study was to contribute to the emerging body of literature about the role of human behaviors and cognitive processes in the commission of wrong procedures. Case analysis of 5 wrong procedures in operative and nonoperative settings using James Reason's human error theory was performed. The case analysis showed that cognitive underspecification, cognitive flips, automode processing, and skill-based errors were contributory to wrong procedures. Wrong-site procedures accounted for the preponderance of the cases. Front-line supervisory staff used corrective actions that focused on the performance of the individual without taking into account cognitive factors. System fixes using human cognition concepts have a greater chance of achieving sustainable safety outcomes than those that are based on the traditional approach of counseling, education, and disciplinary action for staff.

Water use conflicts in northern Tanzania. A case study of Rundugai ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A case study of Rundugai river catchment, Pangani basin Hzai District. ... content and structural-functional analysis techniques were used for qualitative data analysis. Five types of key stakeholders/actors involved in regulating and negotiating ...

Case Studies, Ethics, Philosophy and Liberal Learning for the Management Profession

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rendtorff, Jacob Dahl

2015-01-01

Case studies can be an important methodology for ethics and philosophy in humanistic management and liberal education as well as in the social sciences because they integrate a deeper, reflective, philosophical, and ethical understanding of the organization. A case study approach based...... on philosophy of management contributes to putting into practice the Carnegie Foundation report Rethinking Undergraduate Education: Liberal Learning for the Profession. This approach is both inductive and deductive and very different from a soft Socratic approach to case studies such as the one often used...... in business schools following the Harvard method, wherein students are supposed to get knowledge through the reading of a case prepared by the teacher or from a business textbook. The aim of the case study is to analyze a concrete case and get general knowledge through the integrated analysis of the different...

Variability in microbiological degradation experiments, analysis and case study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sommer, Helle Mølgaard

1997-01-01

and describes analysis techniques for testing the reproducibility of a given experiment. The parameter estimation method employed for the experiments in this study is based on an iterative maximum likelihood method and the test statistic is an approximated likelihood ratio test. The estimations were carried out...

The case study of biomaterials and biominerals

Science.gov (United States)

Del Hoyo Martínez, Carmen

2013-04-01

The teaching of biomaterials as case study by on-line platform , susceptible to develop both individually and in groups, got different objectives proposed by the European Higher Education System, among which include: participate actively in the teaching-learning process by students, interpreting situations, adapt processes and solutions. It also improves oral and written communication, analytical skills and synthesis and also the ability to think critically. Biomaterials have their origin in biominerals. These are solid inorganic compounds of defined structure, consisting of molecular control mechanisms that operate in biological systems. Its main functions are: structural support, a reservoir of essential elements, sensors, mechanical protection and storage of toxic elements. Following the demand of materials compatible with certain functional systems of our body, developed biomaterials. Always meet the condition of biocompatibility. Should be tolerated by the body and do not provoke rejection. This involves a comprehensive study of physiological conditions and the anatomy of the body where a biomaterial has to be implemented. The possibility of generating new materials from biominerals has a major impact in medicine and other fields could reach as geology, construction, crystallography, etc. While the study of these issues is in its infancy today, can be viewed as an impact on the art and future technology. Planning case study that students would prepare its report for discussion in subgroups. Occurs then the pooling of individual analysis, joint case discussion and adoption by the subgroup of a consensual solution to the problem. The teacher as facilitator and coordinator of the final case analysis, sharing leads to group-wide class and said the unanimous decision reached by the students and gives his opinion on the resolution of the case. REFERENCES D.P. Ausubel. Psicología Educativa. Un punto de vista cognoscitivo. Trillas. Ed. 1983. E.W. Eisner. Procesos

Lack of association between NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1 gene C609T polymorphism and lung cancer: a case-control study and a meta-analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shujie Guo

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The association between NAD(PH:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1 gene C609T polymorphism (rs1800566 and lung cancer has been widely evaluated, and a definitive answer so far is lacking. We first conducted a case-control study to assess this association in northeastern Han Chinese, and then performed a meta-analysis to further address this issue. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This case-control study involved 684 patients clinically diagnosed as lung cancer and 602 age-matched cancer-free controls from Harbin city, Heilongjiang province, China. Genotyping was conducted using the PCR-LDR (ligase detection reactions method. Meta-analysis was managed by STATA software. Data and study quality were assessed in duplicate. Our case-control association study indicated no significant difference in the genotype and allele distributions of C609T polymorphism between lung cancer patients and controls, consistent with the results of the further meta-analysis involving 7286 patients and 9167 controls under both allelic (odds ratio (OR = 0.99; 95% confidence interval (CI: 0.92-1.06; P = 0.692 and dominant (OR = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.89-1.08; P = 0.637 models. However, there was moderate evidence of between-study heterogeneity and low probability of publication bias. Further subgroup analyses by ethnicity, source of controls and sample size detected no positive associations in this meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our study in northeastern Han Chinese, along with the meta-analysis, failed to confirm the association of NQO1 gene C609T polymorphism with lung cancer risk, even across different ethnic populations.

Epidemiology of Zygomycosis: Analysis of National Data from Pathological Autopsy Cases in Japan.

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Suzuki, Yuhko; Kume, Hikaru; Togano, Tomiteru; Ohto, Hitoshi

2017-01-01

To identify recent trends in the frequency of zygomycosis in autopsy cases, we conducted epidemiological analysis every four years from 1989 to 2009 using national data reported in the "Annual of Pathological Autopsy Cases in Japan." 153,615 cases were autopsied, of which 6622 (4.3%) were found to have had mycosis. Among these, there were 243 cases (3.7%) of zygomycosis, which was the fourth most predominant causative agent of mycoses among the monopathogen mycoses. Of the complicated mycoses, zygomycosis accounted for 56 cases. A total of 299 cases with zygomycoses were observed. The frequency of zygomycosis appeared to be generally stable over the twenty-year period from 1989 to 2009, at around 4% of autopsy cases having mycosis. Younger patients tended to have severe and complicated infections that were characteristic of zygomycosis, compared with non-zygomycosis. The pulmonary and gastrointestinal (GI) systems were the most common foci in our analysis, reflecting the severity of zygomycosis in these sites. Hematological disease was the most frequent underlying disease, but there was a peak of neonatal infections in 2009, which was the first time that this was observed in our studies. These results of the epidemiological analysis of autopsy cases with mycosis demonstrate that clinicians should promptly recognize and treat zygomycosis.

Overview of FENCH-GHG analysis: A case study in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchiyama, Y.

1996-01-01

The study presents life-cycle analyses of net energy and CO 2 emissions from electricity supply systems in Japan. The full energy chains of electricity supply systems of nuclear, fossil and renewable energies are investigated. The energy chains comprise activities such as extraction, processing and transportation of fuel, power generation, dismantling of plants, and disposal of wastes. Direct and indirect CO 2 emissions from full energy chain are analyzed with a combined approach of the process analysis and the input/output table. The methodologies and database developed in this study are useful for integrated environmental analysis of electricity supply systems. (author). 6 figs, 2 tabs

Is case-chaos methodology an appropriate alternative to conventional case-control studies for investigating outbreaks?

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Edelstein, Michael; Wallensten, Anders; Kühlmann-Berenzon, Sharon

2014-08-15

Case-chaos methodology is a proposed alternative to case-control studies that simulates controls by randomly reshuffling the exposures of cases. We evaluated the method using data on outbreaks in Sweden. We identified 5 case-control studies from foodborne illness outbreaks that occurred between 2005 and 2012. Using case-chaos methodology, we calculated odds ratios 1,000 times for each exposure. We used the median as the point estimate and the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles as the confidence interval. We compared case-chaos matched odds ratios with their respective case-control odds ratios in terms of statistical significance. Using Spearman's correlation, we estimated the correlation between matched odds ratios and the proportion of cases exposed to each exposure and quantified the relationship between the 2 using a normal linear mixed model. Each case-control study identified an outbreak vehicle (odds ratios = 4.9-45). Case-chaos methodology identified the outbreak vehicle 3 out of 5 times. It identified significant associations in 22 of 113 exposures that were not associated with outcome and 5 of 18 exposures that were significantly associated with outcome. Log matched odds ratios correlated with their respective proportion of cases exposed (Spearman ρ = 0.91) and increased significantly with the proportion of cases exposed (b = 0.054). Case-chaos methodology missed the outbreak source 2 of 5 times and identified spurious associations between a number of exposures and outcome. Measures of association correlated with the proportion of cases exposed. We recommended against using case-chaos analysis during outbreak investigations. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Evaluating the offensive definition zone in football: a case study ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

New technological solutions have greatly improved match analysis systems for investigating players' performance. Nevertheless, there still remains a large gap in the collective analysis where improvements need to be made, mainly in the use of automated information gathering. Thus, the aim of this case study was to ...

Analysis of Factors Associated With Rhytidectomy Malpractice Litigation Cases.

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Kandinov, Aron; Mutchnick, Sean; Nangia, Vaibhuv; Svider, Peter F; Zuliani, Giancarlo F; Shkoukani, Mahdi A; Carron, Michael A

2017-07-01

This study investigates the financial burden of medical malpractice litigation associated with rhytidectomies, as well as factors that contribute to litigation and poor defendant outcomes, which can help guide physician practices. To comprehensively evaluate rhytidectomy malpractice litigation. Jury verdict and settlement reports related to rhytidectomy malpractice litigations were obtained using the Westlaw Next database. Use of medical malpractice in conjunction with several terms for rhytidectomy, to account for the various procedure names associated with the procedure, yielded 155 court cases. Duplicate and nonrelevant cases were removed, and 89 cases were included in the analysis and reviewed for outcomes, defendant specialty, payments, and other allegations raised in proceedings. Data were collected from November 21, 2015, to December 25, 2015. Data analysis took place from December 25, 2015, to January 20, 2016. A total of 89 cases met our inclusion criteria. Most plaintiffs were female (81 of 88 with known sex [92%]), and patient age ranged from 40 to 76 years (median age, 56 years). Fifty-three (60%) were resolved in the defendant's favor, while the remaining 36 cases (40%) were resolved with either a settlement or a plaintiff verdict payment. The mean payment was $1.4 million. A greater proportion of cases involving plastic surgeon defendants were resolved with payment compared with cases involving defendants with ear, nose, and throat specialty (15 [36%] vs 4 [24%]). The most common allegations raised in litigation were intraoperative negligence (61 [69%]), poor cosmesis or disfigurement (57 [64%]), inadequate informed consent (30 [34%]), additional procedures required (14 [16%]), postoperative negligence (12 [14%]), and facial nerve injury (10 [11%]). Six cases (7%) involved alleged negligence surrounding a "lifestyle-lift" procedure, which tightens or oversews the superficial muscular aponeurosis system layer. In this study, although most cases of

Thanatophoric dysplasia: case-based bioethical analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edgar Abarca López

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a case report of thanatophoric displasia diagnosed in the prenatal period using ultrasound standards. The course of the case pregnancy, birth process, and postnatal period is described. This report invites bioethical analysis using its principles, appealing to human dignity, diversity and otherness, particularly in the mother-child dyad and their family. An early diagnosis allows parental support as they face the course of this condition and its potentially fatal outcome.

Erosion risk analysis by GIS in environmental impact assessments: a case study--Seyhan Köprü Dam construction.

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Sahin, S; Kurum, E

2002-11-01

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a systematically constructed procedure whereby environmental impacts caused by proposed projects are examined. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are crucially efficient tools for impact assessment and their use is likely to dramatically increase in the near future. GIS have been applied to a wide range of different impact assessment projects and dams among them have been taken as the case work in this article. EIA Regulation in force in Turkey requires the analysis of steering natural processes that can be adversely affected by the proposed project, particularly in the section of the analysis of the areas with higher landscape value. At this point, the true potential value of GIS lies in its ability to analyze spatial data with accuracy. This study is an attempt to analyze by GIS the areas with higher landscape value in the impact assessment of dam constructions in the case of Seyhan-Köprü Hydroelectric Dam project proposal. A method needs to be defined before the overlapping step by GIS to analyze the areas with higher landscape value. In the case of Seyhan-Köprü Hydroelectric Dam project proposal of the present work, considering the geological conditions and the steep slopes of the area and the type of the project, the most important natural process is erosion. Therefore, the areas of higher erosion risk were considered as the Areas with Higher Landscape Value from the conservation demands points of view.

Interactive mechanism of working environments and construction behaviors with cognitive work analysis: an elevator installation case study.

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Wang, Yanqing; Chong, Heap-Yih; Liao, Pin-Chao; Ren, Hantao

2017-09-25

Unsafe behavior is a leading factor in accidents, and the working environment significantly affects behaviors. However, few studies have focused on detailed mechanisms for addressing unsafe behaviors resulting from environmental constraints. This study aims to delineate these mechanisms using cognitive work analysis (CWA) for an elevator installation case study. Elevator installation was selected for study because it involves operations at heights: falls from heights remain a major cause of construction worker mortality. This study adopts a mixed research approach based on three research methodology stages. This research deconstructs the details of the working environment, the workers' decision-making processes, the strategies chosen given environmental conditions and the conceptual model for workers' behaviors, which jointly depict environment-behavior mechanisms at length. By applying CWA to the construction industry, environmental constraints can easily be identified, and targeted engineering suggestions can be generated.

The Recurring Author: William Shakespeare, a Case Study through Content Analysis.

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Harrison, Robert L., Jr.

The "recurring author" is one whose works appear many times at different levels in instructional units found in literature textbook series. A descriptive case study discussed the treatment of a recurring author, William Shakespeare, using units in a sample of six literature textbook series. Developed to describe, to code, and to analyze…

CASE STUDIES OF USE OF DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS IN MATERIAL RESEARCH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salil Kumar Roy

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The paper describes principles of factorial and fractional factorial design of experiments. The various ways of analysing data obtained by these procedures are shown via four case studies. Yates method was followed in case 1 where the effect of anode type, carbon content of steel, temperature, and agitation on cathodic protection of steel in seawater, on current density, was studied. In case 2, a glass was formulated within 10 constituante melted, quantity water and tested for flow caracteristics, from the result the factor effect was calculated. In case 3, analysis of results is done in a very simple way. In this case, the effect of carbon content, surface condition, temperature, and agitation on the corrosion of steel in seawater was studied. In case 4, the effect of eleven constituents on acid resistance of a cast iron enamel has been studied through sixteen experimental compositions. This case gives a method to find out which of the sixteen experimental compositions is nearest to a target value.

Welding and lung cancer in a pooled analysis of case-control studies.

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Kendzia, Benjamin; Behrens, Thomas; Jöckel, Karl-Heinz; Siemiatycki, Jack; Kromhout, Hans; Vermeulen, Roel; Peters, Susan; Van Gelder, Rainer; Olsson, Ann; Brüske, Irene; Wichmann, H-Erich; Stücker, Isabelle; Guida, Florence; Tardón, Adonina; Merletti, Franco; Mirabelli, Dario; Richiardi, Lorenzo; Pohlabeln, Hermann; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Landi, Maria Teresa; Caporaso, Neil; Consonni, Dario; Zaridze, David; Szeszenia-Dabrowska, Neonila; Lissowska, Jolanta; Gustavsson, Per; Marcus, Michael; Fabianova, Eleonora; 't Mannetje, Andrea; Pearce, Neil; Tse, Lap Ah; Yu, Ignatius Tak-Sun; Rudnai, Peter; Bencko, Vladimir; Janout, Vladimir; Mates, Dana; Foretova, Lenka; Forastiere, Francesco; McLaughlin, John; Demers, Paul; Bueno-de-Mesquita, Bas; Boffetta, Paolo; Schüz, Joachim; Straif, Kurt; Pesch, Beate; Brüning, Thomas

2013-11-15

Several epidemiologic studies have indicated an increased risk of lung cancer among welders. We used the SYNERGY project database to assess welding as a risk factor for developing lung cancer. The database includes data on 15,483 male lung cancer cases and 18,388 male controls from 16 studies in Europe, Canada, China, and New Zealand conducted between 1985 and 2010. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals between regular or occasional welding and lung cancer were estimated, with adjustment for smoking, age, study center, and employment in other occupations associated with lung cancer risk. Overall, 568 cases and 427 controls had ever worked as welders and had an odds ratio of developing lung cancer of 1.44 (95% confidence interval: 1.25, 1.67) with the odds ratio increasing for longer duration of welding. In never and light smokers, the odds ratio was 1.96 (95% confidence interval: 1.37, 2.79). The odds ratios were somewhat higher for squamous and small cell lung cancers than for adenocarcinoma. Another 1,994 cases and 1,930 controls had ever worked in occupations with occasional welding. Work in any of these occupations was associated with some elevation of risk, though not as much as observed in regular welders. Our findings lend further support to the hypothesis that welding is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.

Proposal for elicitation and analysis of environmental requirements into the construction design process: a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camila Pegoraro

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Proposal: As new demands from sustainable development, environmental requirements arise as another challenge to design process management. It is already known that companies which design buildings are usually exposed to many managerial difficulties. Faced to the environmental demands, these companies require new facilities to align environmental requirements to the business goals and to include them properly in design process. This paper is based on a case study in a construction company, which was developed through interviews and document analysis. It is intended to present a procedure for the project environmental requirements elicitation, organization and analysis, which is based on the requirements engineering (ER concepts. As results it was concluded that the ER concepts are useful for the environmental requirements integration into the design process and that strategic planning should give directions for the effective environmental requirements adherence. Moreover, a procedure for environmental requirements modeling is proposed. Key-words: Design process, Requirements management, Environmental requirements, Construction

A three-dimensional soft tissue analysis of Class III malocclusion: a case-controlled cross-sectional study.

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Johal, Ama; Chaggar, Amrit; Zou, Li Fong

2018-03-01

The present study used the optical surface laser scanning technique to compare the facial features of patients aged 8-18 years presenting with Class I and Class III incisor relationship in a case-control design. Subjects with a Class III incisor relationship, aged 8-18 years, were age and gender matched with Class I control and underwent a 3-dimensional (3-D) optical surface scan of the facial soft tissues. Landmark analysis revealed Class III subjects displayed greater mean dimensions compared to the control group most notably between the ages of 8-10 and 17-18 years in both males and females, in respect of antero-posterior (P = 0.01) and vertical (P = 0.006) facial dimensions. Surface-based analysis, revealed the greatest difference in the lower facial region, followed by the mid-face, whilst the upper face remained fairly consistent. Significant detectable differences were found in the surface facial features of developing Class III subjects.

Financial Indicators of Reduced Impact Logging Performance in Brazil: Case Study Comparisons

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Thomas P. Holmes; Frederick Boltz; Douglas R. Carter

2001-01-01

Indicators of financial performance are compared for three case studies in the Brazilian Amazon. Each case study presents parameters obtained from monitoring initial harvest entries into primary forests for reduced impact logging (RIL) and conventional logging (CL) operations. Differences in cost definitions and data collection protocols complicate the analysis, and...

Thyroid lesions in patients with acromegaly - case-control study and update to the meta-analysis.

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Woliński, Kosma; Stangierski, Adam; Gurgul, Edyta; Bromińska, Barbara; Czarnywojtek, Agata; Lodyga, Martha; Ruchała, Marek

2017-01-01

Acromegaly results from oversecretion of growth hormone and subsequently insulin growth factor-1. According to some authors, the disease can cause increased prevalence of nodular goitre and thyroid cancer (TC). However, the number of studies comparing acromegalic patients with control groups is low. We aimed to assess the prevalence of thyroid lesions in patients with acromegaly in comparison to an age- and sex-matched control group and to update the meta-analysis previously performed in our department by the same authors. We searched medical documentation of patients with acromegaly treated in our department between 2003 and 2013. The prevalence of thyroid abnormalities was compared with the group of patients with hormonally inactive adrenal incidentalomas. To perform the meta-analytic part of the paper we also searched ten databases to find relevant papers. Two hundred and five patients with acromegaly and 184 patients with incidentalomas were included. Any thyroid lesions were present in 77.6% of patients with acromegaly vs. 63.0% with incidentalomas (p = 0.002), multinodular goitre - 66.8% vs. 47.8% (p = 0.0002), and TC- 5.4% vs. 2.7% (p = 0.21) respectively. For thyroid lesions the pooled odds ratio (OR) was 3.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8-5.5), and for TCs the OR was 4.5 (95% CI 1.9-10.3). According to our results thyroid lesions were significantly more common in patients with acromegaly; in case of TC the difference was not significant. The updated meta-analysis showed significantly increased prevalence of both disorders. In conclusion, systematic thyroid examination should be an important part of follow-up in case of acromegalic patients. (Endokrynol Pol 2017; 68 (1): 2-6).

Managing Returnable Containers Logistics - A Case Study Part I - Physical and Information Flow Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza A. Maleki

2011-05-01

Full Text Available This case study paper is the result of a project conducted on behalf of a company, hereon referred to as Midwest Assembly and Manufacturing or MAAN. The company's operations include component manufacturing, painting, and assembling products. The company also purchases a relatively large percentage of components and major assemblies that are needed to support final assembly operations. MAAN uses its own returnable containers to transport purchased parts from suppliers. Due to poor tracking of the containers, the company has been experiencing lost containers and occasional production disruptions at its facility well as at the supplier sites. The objective of this project was to develop a proposal to enable MAAN to more effectively track and manage its returnable containers. The research activities in support of this project included the analysis and documentation of both the physical flow and the information flow associated with the containers as well as some of the technologies that can help with automatic identification and tracking of containers. The focal point of this paper is on a macro?level approach for the analysis of container and information flow within the logistics chain. A companion paper deals with several of the automatic identification technologies that have the potential to improve the management of MAAN's returnable containers.

Epithermal neutron activation analysis for studying the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frontas'eva, M.V.; Steinnes, E.

1997-01-01

Epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA) has certain advantages over the conventional instrumental analysis (INAA) in terms of improvement in precision and lowering of detection limits, reduction of high matrix activity and fission interferences if any. The current status and the applications of ENAA to environmental samples are reviewed. Experience in the use of ENAA in the monitoring of atmospheric depositions by means of moss-biomonitors at pulsed fast reactor IBR-2 in Dubna is summarized. INAA has shown to be useful for a number of sample types of interest in environmental studies, and should find more extensive use in this area. Analysis of airborne particulate matter is a case where ENAA should be particularly useful. A similar case where ENAA has shown strong performance is in the analysis of mosses used as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition, where 45 elements were determined. In this and other cases, however, induction-coupled plasma mass spectrometry is a very strong competitor, offering data for even more elements. A comparison of ENAA and ICP-MS for moss analysis is presented, and cases where ENAA is unique are discussed

E-BANKING: A CASE STUDY OF ASKARI COMMERCIAL BANK PAKISTAN

OpenAIRE

Muhammad Shakil AHMAD; Shahid RASHID; Muhammad Tahir MASOOD; Ehtesham UL MUJEEB

2011-01-01

This paper has covered the operational issues related to e-banking as well as customer’s perception on usage of e-banking a case study of Askari Bank, Pakistan. 40 staff members and four customers are selected as sample for this study. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used to present the results. Descriptive statistics is applied to describe the demographic variables while for operational problems correlation was used. Finally cross case analysis present customers’ perception abo...

Organisational culture and learning: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Elaine

2013-11-01

To explore the impact organisational cultures have on the learning experience of student nurses and identify the influencing factors. A case study approach was used. The single case being a Defence School of Health Care Studies (DSHCS) and the multiple units of analysis: student nurses, the lecturers and Student Standing Orders. An in depth three dimensional picture was achieved using multiple data collection methods: interview, survey, observation and document analysis. The findings suggest that the DSHCS is perceived to be a sub-culture within a dominant civilian learning culture. Generally, the students and staff believed that the DSHCS is an excellent learning environment and that the defence students overall are high achievers. The common themes that appeared from the data were image, ethos, environment, discipline, support, welfare and a civilian versus military way of thinking. The learning experience of defence student nurses is very positive and enhanced by the positive learning culture of the civilian Higher Educational Institution. The factors influencing a positive learning experience that can be impacted by the overarching culture are discipline, image, ethos of adult learning, support and welfare. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Single case studies as a means for developing psychological theories.

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Skvortsov, Anatoliy; Romashchuk, Alexander

2015-12-01

The Socratic function of single case studies (SCSs) is described in its relation to the problem of scientific theory development. Contrary to the traditional point of view, the single case study is not a demonstration or verification of theoretical concepts, but a method of their generation and opportunity for analysis of their interrelations. Considering the case study from the perspective of the Socratic function brings to light important conclusions about the ecological validity of theory development. The essential features of the Socratic function are illustrated using the example of the famous Romantic Essays of Alexandr Luria. © 2015 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Salivary creatinine and urea analysis in patients with chronic kidney disease: a case control study.

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Lasisi, Taye Jemilat; Raji, Yemi Raheem; Salako, Babatunde Lawal

2016-01-16

Many metabolic changes develop in patients with chronic kidney disease which often necessitate frequent biochemical analysis of blood. Saliva analysis as an alternative to blood has many advantages. The aims of this study were to evaluate levels of salivary creatinine and urea in patients with chronic kidney disease in comparison to healthy individuals; to determine correlation between salivary creatinine/urea and blood creatinine/urea and to evaluate the diagnostic potential of saliva. A case control study, involving 50 patients with late stage chronic kidney disease and 49 healthy individuals as control. Blood and saliva samples were analyzed for urea and creatinine levels. Data are presented as median with interquartile range and compared using Independent Samples Mann Whitney U test. Correlation between plasma and salivary creatinine as well as urea was determined using Spearman's correlation test. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was done to determine the diagnostic ability of salivary creatinine and urea and cut-off values were established. Median salivary creatinine levels were 2.60 mg/dl and 0.20 mg/dl while median salivary urea levels were 92.00 mg/dl and 20.50 mg/dl in patients with chronic kidney disease and controls respectively. Salivary levels of creatinine and urea were significantly elevated in chronic kidney disease patients (p creatinine as well as urea levels. Total areas under the curve for salivary creatinine and urea were 0.97 and 0.89 respectively. Cut-off values for salivary creatinine and urea were 0.55 mg/dl and 27.50 mg/dl respectively which gave sensitivity and specificity of 94 % and 85 % for creatinine; as well as 86 % and 93 % for urea. Findings of this study suggest that analysis of salivary creatinine and urea in patients with chronic kidney disease reflects their levels in blood. Hence, salivary creatinine and urea could be used as diagnostic biomarkers of chronic kidney disease.

Successful AP Music Theory Instruction: A Case Study

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Buonviri, Nathan O.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to examine the instructional approach of a highly successful Advanced Placement Music Theory teacher. I visited the participant's class twice a week for 14 weeks, taking field notes, conducting interviews, and collecting instructional artifacts. Analysis of qualitative data revealed three main themes: classroom…

Extending "Deep Blue" Aerosol Retrieval Coverage to Cases of Absorbing Aerosols Above Clouds: Sensitivity Analysis and First Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Sayer, A. M.; Hsu, N. C.; Bettenhausen, C.; Lee, J.; Redemann, J.; Schmid, B.; Shinozuka, Y.

2016-01-01

Cases of absorbing aerosols above clouds (AACs), such as smoke or mineral dust, are omitted from most routinely processed space-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) data products, including those from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This study presents a sensitivity analysis and preliminary algorithm to retrieve above-cloud AOD and liquid cloud optical depth (COD) for AAC cases from MODIS or similar sensors, for incorporation into a future version of the "Deep Blue" AOD data product. Detailed retrieval simulations suggest that these sensors should be able to determine AAC AOD with a typical level of uncertainty approximately 25-50 percent (with lower uncertainties for more strongly absorbing aerosol types) and COD with an uncertainty approximately10-20 percent, if an appropriate aerosol optical model is known beforehand. Errors are larger, particularly if the aerosols are only weakly absorbing, if the aerosol optical properties are not known, and the appropriate model to use must also be retrieved. Actual retrieval errors are also compared to uncertainty envelopes obtained through the optimal estimation (OE) technique; OE-based uncertainties are found to be generally reasonable for COD but larger than actual retrieval errors for AOD, due in part to difficulties in quantifying the degree of spectral correlation of forward model error. The algorithm is also applied to two MODIS scenes (one smoke and one dust) for which near-coincident NASA Ames Airborne Tracking Sun photometer (AATS) data were available to use as a ground truth AOD data source, and found to be in good agreement, demonstrating the validity of the technique with real observations.

Extending "Deep Blue" aerosol retrieval coverage to cases of absorbing aerosols above clouds: Sensitivity analysis and first case studies

Science.gov (United States)

Sayer, A. M.; Hsu, N. C.; Bettenhausen, C.; Lee, J.; Redemann, J.; Schmid, B.; Shinozuka, Y.

2016-05-01

Cases of absorbing aerosols above clouds (AACs), such as smoke or mineral dust, are omitted from most routinely processed space-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) data products, including those from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This study presents a sensitivity analysis and preliminary algorithm to retrieve above-cloud AOD and liquid cloud optical depth (COD) for AAC cases from MODIS or similar sensors, for incorporation into a future version of the "Deep Blue" AOD data product. Detailed retrieval simulations suggest that these sensors should be able to determine AAC AOD with a typical level of uncertainty ˜25-50% (with lower uncertainties for more strongly absorbing aerosol types) and COD with an uncertainty ˜10-20%, if an appropriate aerosol optical model is known beforehand. Errors are larger, particularly if the aerosols are only weakly absorbing, if the aerosol optical properties are not known, and the appropriate model to use must also be retrieved. Actual retrieval errors are also compared to uncertainty envelopes obtained through the optimal estimation (OE) technique; OE-based uncertainties are found to be generally reasonable for COD but larger than actual retrieval errors for AOD, due in part to difficulties in quantifying the degree of spectral correlation of forward model error. The algorithm is also applied to two MODIS scenes (one smoke and one dust) for which near-coincident NASA Ames Airborne Tracking Sun photometer (AATS) data were available to use as a ground truth AOD data source, and found to be in good agreement, demonstrating the validity of the technique with real observations.

Analysis of the Risk Factors for Aerobic Vaginitis: A Case-Control Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Nv; Wu, Wenjuan; Fan, Aiping; Han, Cha; Wang, Chen; Wang, Yingmei; Xue, Fengxia

2015-06-09

Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a newly defined clinical entity which may interfere with women's reproductive health and have negative effects on pregnancy. This study was to identify the risk factors for AV. Participants in this case-control study included healthy women and women with AV. All participants completed a standardized questionnaire covering sociodemographic factors, sexual behaviors, personal hygiene habits and health behaviors. Uni- and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used for statistical evaluation. A total of 290 women of reproductive age were enrolled. In the multivariate analysis, unmarried status (odds ratio [OR] 2.606, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.257-5.402), use of an intrauterine device (OR 4.989, 95% CI 1.922-12.952), long-term use of antibiotics (OR 11.176, 95% CI 1.363-91.666) and frequent vaginal douching (OR 4.689, 95% CI 1.363-16.135) were independent risk factors for AV. On the contrary, consistent condom use (OR 0.546, 95% CI 0.301-0.991) and college-level education or above (OR 0.255, 95% CI 0.131-0.497) were independent protective factors. Measures that may be considered to prevent AV include enhancing education to improve women's knowledge related to reproductive health, especially unmarried women, encouraging them to consistently use condoms as a contraceptive method, to avoid long-term use of antibiotics and to stop frequent vaginal douching. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Case study applications of venture analysis: fluidized bed. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mosle, R.

1978-05-01

In order to appraise the case for government intervention in the case of atmospheric fluid-bed combustion, Energy Resources Company and Rotan Mosle have developed a methodology containing four key elements. The first is an economic and environmental characterization of the new technology; the second, a survey of its prospective users and vendors; the third, a cost-benefit analysis of its prospective social benefits; and the fourth, an analytical model of its market penetration and the effects thereon of a basket of government incentives. Three major technical obstacles exist to continued AFBC development: feeding coal and limestone reliably to the boiler, tube erosion and corrosion, and developing boiler turndown capability. The review of the economic, environmental and technical attributes of the new technology has suggested that the preliminary venture can be selected with confidence as a commercial prospect capable of detailed evaluation from both private and public perspectives. The venture choice can therefore be considered firm: it will be the equipment required for the combustion of coal in atmospheric fluid beds as applied to industrial process steam in boilers of at least 83 Kpph capacity. The most effective demonstration of the potential of AFBC in the eyes of prospective industrial users is that provided by a project conducted by the private sector with minimal government direction. Unlike the ''experimental'' style of existing mixed public-private demonstration projects, the pressure to achieve reliability in more commercial applications would serve rapidly to reveal more clearly the potential of AFBC. The marketplace can be allowed to decide its fate thereafter. Once AFBC has been successfully demonstrated, the relative merits of AFBC and coal-FGD are best left to prospective users to evaluate.

Qualitative Secondary Analysis: A Case Exemplar.

Science.gov (United States)

Tate, Judith Ann; Happ, Mary Beth

Qualitative secondary analysis (QSA) is the use of qualitative data that was collected by someone else or was collected to answer a different research question. Secondary analysis of qualitative data provides an opportunity to maximize data utility, particularly with difficult-to-reach patient populations. However, qualitative secondary analysis methods require careful consideration and explicit description to best understand, contextualize, and evaluate the research results. In this article, we describe methodologic considerations using a case exemplar to illustrate challenges specific to qualitative secondary analysis and strategies to overcome them. Copyright © 2017 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk analysis of leukaemia incidence among people living along the Techa River: a nested case-control study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ostroumova, E; Gagniere, B; Laurier, D; Gudkova, N; Krestinina, L; Verger, P; Hubert, P; Bard, D; Akleyev, A; Tirmarche, M; Kossenko, M

2006-01-01

Large quantities of radioactive materials released over time from the Mayak nuclear weapons facility caused significant internal and external exposure for people living along the banks of the Techa River (Southern Urals, Russia). We conducted a nested case-control study in the Extended Techa River Cohort to determine whether the risk of leukaemia incidence increased with protracted exposure to ionising radiation or with other non-radiation risk factors. The study included 83 cases identified over 47 years of follow-up and 415 controls matched for sex, age at diagnosis, age (within a 5 year age group), and date of initial residence in the riverside area. External and internal doses have been calculated using the Techa River Dosimetry System 1996 (TRDS96). Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios per Gray (OR/Gy) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). After excluding cases of chronic lymphoid leukaemia, the OR/Gy of total, external, and internal doses were 4.6 (95% CI: 1.7-12.3), 7.2 (95%CI: 1.7-30.0) and 5.4 (95%CI: 1.1-27.2), respectively. A history of solid tumour, either malignant or benign, before the leukaemia diagnosis was associated with a 2.5-fold increase in the leukaemia risk (95% CI: 1.1-5.9). Even though the analysis of confounders was less useful than expected because of missing data, multivariate analyses that took the exposure dose into account confirmed the association between leukaemia incidence and tumour history

Cross-dressing as a meaningful occupation: a single case study

OpenAIRE

Curtis, Morag; Morris, Karen

2015-01-01

Introduction: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experience of cross-dressing, to raise awareness of cross-dressing and investigate any possible implications for occupational therapy.\\ud \\ud Method: A single design case study utilizing an unstructured interview was used with a male cross-dresser known to the first author. Following transcription, flexible and ongoing analysis was undertaken following an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach and emergent...

Wind to Hydrogen in California: Case Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Antonia, O.; Saur, G.

2012-08-01

This analysis presents a case study in California for a large scale, standalone wind electrolysis site. This is a techno-economic analysis of the 40,000 kg/day renewable production of hydrogen and subsequent delivery by truck to a fueling station in the Los Angeles area. This quantity of hydrogen represents about 1% vehicle market penetration for a city such as Los Angeles (assuming 0.62 kg/day/vehicle and 0.69 vehicles/person) [8]. A wind site near the Mojave Desert was selected for proximity to the LA area where hydrogen refueling stations are already built.

A qualitative single case study of parallel processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Claus Haugaard

2007-01-01

Parallel process in psychotherapy and supervision is a phenomenon manifest in relationships and interactions, that originates in one setting and is reflected in another. This article presents an explorative single case study of parallel processes based on qualitative analyses of two successive...... randomly chosen psychotherapy sessions with a schizophrenic patient and the supervision session given in between. The author's analysis is verified by an independent examiner's analysis. Parallel processes are identified and described. Reflections on the dynamics of parallel processes and supervisory...

Assessing compositional variability through graphical analysis and Bayesian statistical approaches: case studies on transgenic crops.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrigan, George G; Harrison, Jay M

2012-01-01

New transgenic (GM) crops are subjected to extensive safety assessments that include compositional comparisons with conventional counterparts as a cornerstone of the process. The influence of germplasm, location, environment, and agronomic treatments on compositional variability is, however, often obscured in these pair-wise comparisons. Furthermore, classical statistical significance testing can often provide an incomplete and over-simplified summary of highly responsive variables such as crop composition. In order to more clearly describe the influence of the numerous sources of compositional variation we present an introduction to two alternative but complementary approaches to data analysis and interpretation. These include i) exploratory data analysis (EDA) with its emphasis on visualization and graphics-based approaches and ii) Bayesian statistical methodology that provides easily interpretable and meaningful evaluations of data in terms of probability distributions. The EDA case-studies include analyses of herbicide-tolerant GM soybean and insect-protected GM maize and soybean. Bayesian approaches are presented in an analysis of herbicide-tolerant GM soybean. Advantages of these approaches over classical frequentist significance testing include the more direct interpretation of results in terms of probabilities pertaining to quantities of interest and no confusion over the application of corrections for multiple comparisons. It is concluded that a standardized framework for these methodologies could provide specific advantages through enhanced clarity of presentation and interpretation in comparative assessments of crop composition.

Occupational medicine specialist referral triggers: Mixed-methods analysis of teleconsult cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Eaton, J L; Mohammad, A; Mohr, D C; Brustein, D J; Kirkhorn, S R

2017-12-30

Qualitative analyses can yield critical lessons for learning organizations in healthcare. Few studies have applied these techniques in the field of occupational and environmental medicine (OEM). To describe the characteristics of complex cases referred for OEM subspecialty evaluation and variation by referring provider's training. Using a mixed methods approach, we conducted a content analysis of clinical cases submitted to a national OEM teleconsult service. Consecutive cases entered between April 2014 and July 2015 were screened, coded and analysed. 108 cases were available for analysis. Local Veterans Health Administration (VHA) non-specialist providers entered a primary medical diagnosis in 96% of cases at the time of intake. OEM speciality physicians coded significant medical conditions based on free text comments. Coder inter-rater reliability was 84%. The most frequent medical diagnosis types associated with tertiary OEM referral by non-specialists were endocrine (19%), cardiovascular (18%) and mental health (16%). Concern for usage of controlled and/or sedating medications was cited in 1% of cases. Compared to referring non-specialists, OEM physicians were more likely to attribute case complexity to musculoskeletal (OR: 2.3, 1.68-3.14) or neurological (OR: 1.69, 1.28-2.24) conditions. Medication usage (OR: 2.2, 1.49-2.26) was more likely to be a source of clinical concern among referring providers. The findings highlight the range of triggers for OEM physician subspecialty referral in clinical practice with employee patients. The results of this study can be used to inform development of provider education, standardized clinical practice pathways, and quality review activities for occupational medicine practitioners. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society of Occupational Medicine 2017.

Capacity Building for Women in African Countries: A Case Study of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Capacity Building for Women in African Countries: A Case Study of Sierra Leone. ... In the case of women this has further inured from histories of discrimination most of which stems from socio-cultural factors and forces. Ongoing ... The paper is informed by conceptual analysis of existing literature and official documentation.

Risk factors associated with hantavirosis fatality: a regional analysis from a case-control study in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Cristina Antunes Willemann

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: In Brazil, hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS has a high lethality rate that varies by region. This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with fatal hantavirosis. Methods: This study was a case-control study that included all laboratory confirmed cases of hantavirosis. The cases were stratified by the different Brazilian regions using data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System. “Cases” were patients who progressed to death, whereas “controls” were patients who were cured. The odds ratio (OR and the adjusted OR were calculated. Results: Overall, 158 cases and 281 controls were included in this study. In the Midwest region, the cases were 60% less likely to present with flank pain, and the time between the beginning of symptoms and death was shorter than the time between the beginning of symptoms and a cure. In the Southeast region, the cases were 60% less likely to present with thrombocytopenia or reside in rural areas compared to those who progressed to a cure. Additionally, the cases sought medical assistance, notification and investigation more quickly than the controls. In the Southern region, the cases that died were 70% less likely to be male compared to the controls. Conclusions: HCPS manifests with nonspecific symptoms, and there are few published studies related to the condition, so determining a patient's therapeutic strategy is difficult. This study presents findings from different Brazilian regions and highlights the need for further investigations to improve comprehension about regional risk factors associated with hantavirosis and to reduce morbimortality.

Role of TNF-α -308G/A gene polymorphism in gastric cancer risk: A case control study and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Li Chuan; Gao, Ru

2017-07-01

In the Chinese population, gastric cancer (GC) is ranked as the third most common type of cancer. Although the exact etiology of GC development is unclear, several factors, including genetic and environmental, have been identified as risk factors. Variations in cytokine genes and their receptors have been related to a higher risk of GC. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (-308G>A) has been associated with a higher risk of GC and in the present study we evaluated its possible association with GC in a Chinese cohort. In addition, we performed a meta-analysis to draw a firm conclusion about the association between TNF-α gene polymorphisms and GC. We enrolled 400 Chinese GC patients and matched healthy controls hailing from similar geographical areas. The TNF-α -308G/A polymorphism was genotyped by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR). For the meta-analysis, earlier published articles were searched and eligible studies were included. Prevalence of the heterozygous mutant (GA) and minor allele (A) were significantly higher in GC cases compared to healthy controls (GA: pA) with susceptibility to GC was only found in the Caucasian population (A vs G: p=0.001; AA vs GG: p=0.01; AG vs GG: p<0.0001; AA vs AG+GG: p=0.01; AA+AG vs p=0.003). The results of the present case control study and meta-analysis showed that associations between TNF-a variants with susceptibility to GC development is population and ethnic specific.

Methodology for systematic analysis and improvement of manufacturing unit process life cycle inventory (UPLCI) CO2PE! initiative (cooperative effort on process emissions in manufacturing). Part 2: case studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kellens, Karel; Dewulf, Wim; Overcash, Michael

2012-01-01

industrial data and engineering calculations for energy use and material loss. This approach is illustrated by means of a case study of a drilling process.The in-depth approach, which leads to more accurate LCI data as well as the identification of potential for environmental improvements...... for environmental improvement based on the in-depth analysis of individual manufacturing unit processes. Two case studies illustrate the applicability of the methodology.......This report presents two case studies, one for both the screening approach and the in-depth approach, demonstrating the application of the life cycle assessment-oriented methodology for systematic inventory analysis of the machine tool use phase of manufacturing unit processes, which has been...

Cross border mobility of nurse educators: Case studies from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The purpose of the study was to raise awareness on cross border mobility of nurse educators and draw on Foucault's analysis to conceptualise the means by which cross border migration of nurse educators could be revisited. A case study design of seven nurse educators who had migrated and came back to their countries ...

Identifying sustainability issues using participatory SWOT analysis - A case study of egg production in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mollenhorst, H.; Boer, de I.J.M.

2004-01-01

The aim of this paper was to demonstrate how participatory strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis can be used to identify relevant economic, ecological and societal (EES) issues for the assessment of sustainable development. This is illustrated by the case of egg production

The Science Manager's Guide to Case Studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Branch, Kristi M.; Peffers, Melissa S.; Ruegg, Rosalie T.; Vallario, Robert W.

2001-09-24

This guide takes the science manager through the steps of planning, implementing, validating, communicating, and using case studies. It outlines the major methods of analysis, describing their relative merits and applicability while providing relevant examples and sources of additional information. Well-designed case studies can provide a combination of rich qualitative and quantitative information, offering valuable insights into the nature, outputs, and longer-term impacts of the research. An objective, systematic, and credible approach to the evaluation of U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science programs adds value to the research process and is the subject of this guide.

Rethinking a Case Study Method in Educational Research: A Comparative Analysis Method in Qualitative Research

Science.gov (United States)

Murakami, Yusuke

2013-01-01

There are two types of qualitative research that analyze a small number of cases or a single case: idiographic differentiation and nomothetic/generalization. There are few case studies of generalization. This is because theoretical inclination is weak in the field of education, and the binary framework of quantitative versus qualitative research…

Case Study: Mini-Case Studies: Small Infusions of Active Learning for Large-Lecture Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Carloye, Lisa

2017-01-01

In this article, the author introduces the usage of case studies to be an excellent method for engaging students through stories. The author notes she developed a series of mini-case studies that can be implemented, with a little advance preparation, within a 10- to 15-minute window during lecture. What makes them "mini" case studies?…

"Should I Buy the Jerry's Famous Frozen Desserts' Chain?" Case Study [and] Case Study Update: Our Advice on Jerry's Famous Frozen Desserts.

Science.gov (United States)

Finkle, Todd A.; And Others

1996-01-01

Offers a case study of a business plan in which the potential business owner examines the industry and the financial statements of the company he plans to purchase. A variety of experts give their perspectives on the situation and the authors provide a follow-up analysis. (JOW)

University-Community Engagement: Case Study of University Social Responsibility

Science.gov (United States)

Chile, Love M.; Black, Xavier M.

2015-01-01

Corporatisation of universities has drawn parallels between contemporary universities and business corporations, and extended analysis of corporate social responsibility to universities. This article reports on a case study of university-community engagement with schools and school communities through youth engagement programmes to enhance…

Analysis of factors affecting employee satisfaction: A case study from Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Rukh, Lala; Choudhary, Muhammad Abbas; Abbasi, Saddam Akber

2015-01-01

Employee job satisfaction has been a research focal point throughout the world. It is a key factor when measuring the performance of an organization and individuals. A leading engineering goods manufacturing enterprise in Pakistan, has been used in this case study. In Pakistan, very limited research has been done with respect to factors affecting job satisfaction. Some research has been done in medical institutions, banks, universities and the information technology sector but large public sector organizations in Pakistan have not been studied. A theoretical foundation for researching factors affecting job satisfaction in large organizations is outlined. The objective of this research is to analyze various demographic, financial and non-financial factors affecting the satisfaction level of employees and to study the effects across different employee groups. This study is based on quantitative data analysis. The employees of the organization under study have been divided into 10 homogeneous groups based on their departments. Information on job related factors (affecting the satisfaction level) have been collected from subsamples of each group using a self-administered questionnaire. An overall sample of 250 (out of total 1100) employees has been selected. Before conducting the survey, reliability of the questionnaire was measured using Cronbach's alpha. The normality of data was also examined using the Kolmogorov Smirnov test. Hypotheses devised to address the research questions were tested by using non-parametric Spearman correlation and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The response rate was 73.2%. Research findings indicated the significant factors that affect the satisfaction level of employees. Median group differences existed between responses based on age, work experience, salary and designation (i.e. job position/rank) of employees. Job satisfaction was also positively and significantly associated with job related factors such as pay, promotion, relation with employees

BioFleet case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

These six case studies examined the use of different biodiesel blends as fuel supply sources for businesses in British Columbia (BC). In the first case study, 6 municipalities participated in a pilot program designed to compare the performance of biodiesel and diesel fuels. Each municipality operated 2 base vehicles running on conventional diesel along with 2 similar vehicles which used biodiesel. Real time emissions tests and analyses of the vehicles using biodiesel were also conducted by 2 of the participating municipalities. All municipalities participating in the study agreed to purchase significant volumes of biodiesel. The second case study described a pilot study conducted by the City of Vancouver's equipment services branch in 2004. As a result of the study, the city now has over 530 types of equipment that use biodiesel. The third case study described a program designed by TSI Terminals in Vancouver to assess the emission reduction impact of using biodiesel at its port facility. Six different pieces of equipment were used to confirm that biodiesel could be used throughout the terminal. Test results confirmed that biodiesel blends could be used to reduce emissions. Overall emissions were reduced by 30 per cent. The fourth case study described a waste renderer that used a fleet of 36 trucks to deliver raw products to its plants. The company made the decision to use only biodiesel for its entire fleet of trucks. Since July 2005, the company has logged over 1.7 million km using biodiesel blends. The fifth case study described a salmon hatchery that switched from diesel to biodiesel in order to reduce emissions. The biodiesel blends are used to fuel the hatchery's 2 diesel generators. The hatchery has reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by an estimated 1800 tonnes annually. The sixth case study described how the Township of Langley has started using biodiesel for its entire fleet of of approximately 250 pieces of equipment. The township has not

The RTEL1 rs6010620 polymorphism and glioma risk: a meta-analysis based on 12 case-control studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Shu-Li; Geng, Ting-Ting; Feng, Tian; Chen, Cui-Ping; Jin, Tian-Bo; Chen, Chao

2014-01-01

The association between the RTEL1 rs6010620 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and glioma risk has been extensively studied. However, the results remain inconclusive. To further examine this association, we performed a meta-analysis. A computerized search of the PubMed and Embase databases for publications regarding the RTEL1 rs6010620 polymorphism and glioma cancer risk was performed. Genotype data were analyzed in a meta-analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to assess the association. Sensitivity analyses, tests of heterogeneity, cumulative meta-analyses, and assessments of bias were performed in our meta-analysis. Our meta-analysis confirmed that risk with allele A is lower than with allele G for glioma. The A allele of rs6010620 in RTEL1 decreased the risk of developing glioma in the 12 case-control studies for all genetic models: the allele model (OR=0.752, 95%CI: 0.715-0.792), the dominant model (OR=0.729, 95%CI: 0.685-0.776), the recessive model (OR=0.647, 95%CI: 0.569-0.734), the homozygote comparison (OR=0.528, 95%CI: 0.456-0.612), and the heterozygote comparison (OR=0.761, 95%CI: 0.713-0.812). In all genetic models, the association between the RTEL1 rs6010620 polymorphism and glioma risk was significant. This meta-analysis suggests that the RTEL1 rs6010620 polymorphism may be a risk factor for glioma. Further functional studies evaluating this polymorphism and glioma risk are warranted.

Computerised modelling for developmental biology : an exploration with case studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bertens, Laura M.F.

2012-01-01

Many studies in developmental biology rely on the construction and analysis of models. This research presents a broad view of modelling approaches for developmental biology, with a focus on computational methods. An overview of modelling techniques is given, followed by several case studies. Using

Complex young lives: a collective qualitative case study analysis of young fatherhood and breastfeeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayton, Jennifer; Hansen, Emily

2016-01-01

Of all births in Australia, 10 % are to young fathers aged less than 24 years. How young fathers experience any breastfeeding and how this is shaped by their social context is poorly understood. Our aim is to increase understanding of the lived experience of young fathers (aged less than 24 years) and to explore the way they speak about breastfeeding in the context of their lives and parenting. This collective case study analysis uses qualitative data from interviews and focus groups with young fathers (aged less than 24 years) and community support staff. The research was undertaken in Tasmania, Australia, March to December 2013. Young fathers in our study had complex social and emotional circumstances that meant breastfeeding was not a high priority despite them valuing the health benefits of breastfeeding for their babies. If supported by peers and their community they appear to have a more positive parenting experience. Breastfeeding although understood by the young fathers in our study as healthy and desirable is not a priority in their lives. Learning to be a parent and support their partners to breastfeed may be more effectively gained through mentoring and father-to-father localized community based support services.

Ultrasound analysis of mental artery flow in elderly patients: a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Baladi, Marina G; Tucunduva Neto, Raul R C M; Cortes, Arthur R G; Aoki, Eduardo M; Arita, Emiko S; Freitas, Claudio F

2015-01-01

Mental artery flow decreases with age and may have an aetiological role in alveolar ridge atrophy. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with alterations of mental artery flow, assessed by ultrasonography. This case-control study was conducted on elderly patients (aged above 60 years) at the beginning of dental treatment. Intraoral B-mode Doppler ultrasonography was used to assess mental artery flow. The cases were defined as patients with a weak/absent ultrasound signal, whereas the controls presented a strong ultrasound signal. Demographics and radiographic findings (low bone mineral density on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and mandibular cortical index on panoramic radiographs) were analysed as risk factors for weak/absent ultrasound signal and were calculated as adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using conditional logistic regression. In addition, the Student's t-test was used to compare the mean alveolar bone height of the analysed groups. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 30 ultrasound examinations (12 cases and 18 controls) were analysed. A weak/absent mental artery pulse strength was significantly associated with edentulism (AOR = 3.67; 95% CI = 0.86-15.63; p = 0.046). In addition, there was a significant difference in alveolar bone height between edentulous cases and controls (p = 0.036). Within the limitations of this study, the present results indicate that edentulism is associated with diminished mental artery flow, which, in turn, affects alveolar bone height.

A Case Study in Corporate Social Responsibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharon K. Kendrick

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This case study promotes analysis through a brief investigation into the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR in the operation of a multinational corporation as evidenced by Google, Inc. The study focuses on a transnational company in order to observe the impact of CSR practice on a global level. The study will present implications of CSR for corporate management, corporate employees, state regulators, shareholders, and customers in general. In addition, the study will discuss consequences of poor CSR compliance for a multinational corporation. Questions for analysis include implications of CSR, employee retention, development of corporate culture, and evaluation of advantages and disadvantages of different CSR approaches. Upon conclusion of the study, suggestions are made for future collaborative efforts in corporate social responsibility as applied to psychological, sociological, and economical motives. Recruiting and training possibilities also present partnership opportunities for best practice sharing in regards to community, civic, and service engagement.

Describing Case Study Method and Identifying the Factors that Contribute to the Successful Conduct of Case Studies

OpenAIRE

Ahmad H. Juma'h; Mustafa Cavus

2001-01-01

This article has attempted to describe case study, the limitations and critiques on case study methodology and how the proponents have responded to these. Our special focus have been on the debate on theory building from case study research, and a framework for conducting case study research as well as the factors for a successful case study research. The overall conclusion is that the case study has been inappropriately used to generate theories.

Update on the effect of exogenous hormone use on glioma risk in women: a meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Yu-Long; Wang, Xun; Lou, Jia-Cheng; Ma, Bin-Bin; Xing, Jin-Shan; Zou, Shuang; Zhang, Bo

2018-04-01

Various studies have confirmed the important roles of endogenous hormones in the development of gliomas, while the roles of exogenous hormones remain controversial. Based on case-control studies and cohort studies, a meta-analysis was exerted to explore the effect of two exogenous hormones use (HRT: hormone replacement therapy; OC: oral contraceptives) on glioma risk. 16 eligible studies, including 11 case-control studies and 5 cohort studies, containing 8055027 women, were included in our study. All included studies have reported the relative risks (RRs) or odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We use the fixed-effects model to calculate the estimated overall risk. In case-control studies, the risk of glioma was lower in women who had ever been treated with an exogenous hormone than in the control group (HRT: OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84-0.99; OC: OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.91-1.07). In research of cohort studies, similar results have been obtained (HRT: RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.83-1.08; OC: RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.66-0.84). Our study further confirmed that the use of exogenous hormones has an important impact on the risk of glioma in women. However, more prospective studies are needed to further confirm this conclusion.

A socioecological analysis of the determinants of national public health nutrition work force capacity: Australia as a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Roger

2006-01-01

This article uses a socioecological analytical approach to assess the capacity of the public health nutrition work force in Australia as a prelude to work force development strategy planning. It demonstrates how the socioecological model can be used to assess and inform the development of the infrastructure required for effective public health nutrition effort. An interpretive case study method was used involving triangular analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from multiple sources including semistructured interviews with advanced-level practitioners, literature review, a cross-sectional national work force survey, and position description audit and consensus development using a Delphi study. The findings of this analysis indicate that the Australian public health nutrition work force's capacity to effectively address priority nutrition issues is limited by determinants that can be categorized as relating to human resource infrastructure, organizational and policy environments, intelligence access and use, practice improvement and learning systems, and work force preparation. This socioecological analysis supports an intelligence-based focus for work force development effort in Australia and a conceptual framework for work force capacity assessment with potential applications in other countries.

Operating an Advertising Programmatic Buying Platform: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Carlos Gonzalvez-Cabañas

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses how new technological developments and the possibilities generated by the internet are shaping the online advertising market. More specifically it focuses on a programmatic advertising case study. The origin of the problem is how publishers resort to automated buying and selling when trying to shift unsold inventory. To carry out our case study, we will use a programmatic online advertising sales platform, which identifies the optimal way of promoting a given product. The platform executes, evaluates, manages and optimizes display advertising campaigns, all in real-time. The empirical analysis carried out in the case study reveals that the platform and its exclusion algorithms are suitable mechanisms for analysing the performance and efficiency of the various segments that might be used to promote products. Thanks to Big Data tools and artificial intelligence the platform performs automatically, providing information in a user-friendly and simple manner.

Pulmonary asbestos body counts and electron probe analysis of asbestos body cores in patients with mesothelioma: a study of 25 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roggli, V.L.; McGavran, M.H.; Subach, J.; Sybers, H.D.; Greenberg, S.D.

1982-01-01

Malignant mesotheliomas of the pleura and peritoneum are well-recognized risks of asbestos exposure. We determined the asbestos body content of the lungs from 24 cases of malignant mesothelioma (19 pleural, five peritoneal) and compared such to the content of lungs from 50 consecutive adult autopsies and four cases of overt asbestosis using a Clorox-digestion concentration technique. The cores of 90 asbestos bodies were examined by energy dispersive x-ray analysis and compared with similar data from 120 standard asbestos fibers and 20 fiberglass fibers. The malignant mesothelioma patients had asbestos body counts intermediate between those of the general population and those of patients with asbestosis, although some of the mesothelioma cases overlapped with the general population. These latter cases often lacked an identifiable occupational exposure to asbestos. EDXA studies demonstrated an amphibole core in 88 of the 90 asbestos bodies (amosite or crocidolite in 80 of 88, anthophyllite or tremolite in eight of 88), and chrysotile in two instances

FTO Genotype and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Spatial Analysis and Meta-Analysis of 62 Case-Control Studies from Different Regions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Yang

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM is a global health problem that results from the interaction of environmental factors with genetic variants. Although a number of studies have suggested that genetic polymorphisms in the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO gene are associated with T2DM risk, the results have been inconsistent. To investigate whether FTO polymorphisms associate with T2DM risk and whether this association is region-related, we performed this spatial analysis and meta-analysis. More than 60,000 T2DM patients and 90,000 controls from 62 case-control studies were included in this study. Odds ratios (ORs, 95% confidence intervals (CIs and Moran’s I statistic were used to estimate the association between FTO rs9939609, rs8050136, rs1421085, and rs17817499, and T2DM risk in different regions. rs9939609 (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.11–1.19 and rs8050136 (OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.10–1.18 conferred a predisposition to T2DM. After adjustment for body mass index (BMI, the association remained statistically significant for rs9939609 (OR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.05–1.17 and rs8050136 (OR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.03–1.12. In the subgroup analysis of rs9939609 and rs8050136, similar results were observed in East Asia, while no association was found in North America. In South Asia, an association for rs9939609 was revealed but not for rs8050136. In addition, no relationship was found with rs1421085 or rs17817499 regardless of adjustment for BMI. Moran’s I statistic showed that significant positive spatial autocorrelations existed in rs9939609 and rs8050136. Studies on rs9939609 and rs8050136 focused on East Asia and South Asia, whereas studies on rs1421085 and rs17817499 were distributed in North America and North Africa. Our data suggest that the associations between FTO rs9939609, rs8050136 and T2DM are region-related, and the two single-nucleotide polymorphisms contribute to an increased risk of T2DM. Future studies should investigate this issue in more regions.

How To Set Up Your Own Small Business. Service Company Case Study. Manufacturing Firm Case Study. Retail Store Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fallek, Max

This collection of case studies is intended for use in a course in setting up a small business. The first, a case study of the process of setting up a service company, covers analyzing the pros and cons of starting one's own business, assessing the competition and local market, and selecting a site for and financing the business. The principal…

Case Studies on Superconducting Magnets for Particle Accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferracin, P

2014-01-01

During the CERN Accelerator School 'Superconductivity for accelerators', the students were divided into 18 groups, and 6 different exercises (case studies), involving the design and analysis of superconducting magnets and RF cavities, were assigned. The problems covered a broad spectrum of topics, from properties of superconducting materials to operation conditions and general dimensions of components. The work carried out by the students turned out to be an extremely useful opportunity to review the material explained during the lectures, to become familiar with the orders of magnitude of the key parameters, and to understand and compare different design options. We provide in this paper a summary of the activities related to the case studies on superconducting magnets and present the main outcomes

Case Studies on Superconducting Magnets for Particle Accelerators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferracin, P [European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva (Switzerland)

2014-07-01

During the CERN Accelerator School 'Superconductivity for accelerators', the students were divided into 18 groups, and 6 different exercises (case studies), involving the design and analysis of superconducting magnets and RF cavities, were assigned. The problems covered a broad spectrum of topics, from properties of superconducting materials to operation conditions and general dimensions of components. The work carried out by the students turned out to be an extremely useful opportunity to review the material explained during the lectures, to become familiar with the orders of magnitude of the key parameters, and to understand and compare different design options. We provide in this paper a summary of the activities related to the case studies on superconducting magnets and present the main outcomes.

Uncertainties in Earthquake Loss Analysis: A Case Study From Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Mahdyiar, M.; Guin, J.

2005-12-01

Probabilistic earthquake hazard and loss analyses play important roles in many areas of risk management, including earthquake related public policy and insurance ratemaking. Rigorous loss estimation for portfolios of properties is difficult since there are various types of uncertainties in all aspects of modeling and analysis. It is the objective of this study to investigate the sensitivity of earthquake loss estimation to uncertainties in regional seismicity, earthquake source parameters, ground motions, and sites' spatial correlation on typical property portfolios in Southern California. Southern California is an attractive region for such a study because it has a large population concentration exposed to significant levels of seismic hazard. During the last decade, there have been several comprehensive studies of most regional faults and seismogenic sources. There have also been detailed studies on regional ground motion attenuations and regional and local site responses to ground motions. This information has been used by engineering seismologists to conduct regional seismic hazard and risk analysis on a routine basis. However, one of the more difficult tasks in such studies is the proper incorporation of uncertainties in the analysis. From the hazard side, there are uncertainties in the magnitudes, rates and mechanisms of the seismic sources and local site conditions and ground motion site amplifications. From the vulnerability side, there are considerable uncertainties in estimating the state of damage of buildings under different earthquake ground motions. From an analytical side, there are challenges in capturing the spatial correlation of ground motions and building damage, and integrating thousands of loss distribution curves with different degrees of correlation. In this paper we propose to address some of these issues by conducting loss analyses of a typical small portfolio in southern California, taking into consideration various source and ground

Environmental conflict analysis using an integrated grey clustering and entropy-weight method: A case study of a mining project in Peru.

OpenAIRE

Delgado-Villanueva, Kiko Alexi; Romero Gil, Inmaculada

2016-01-01

[EN] Environmental conflict analysis (henceforth ECA) has become a key factor for the viability of projects and welfare of affected populations. In this study, we propose an approach for ECA using an integrated grey clustering and entropy-weight method (The IGCEW method). The case study considered a mining project in northern Peru. Three stakeholder groups and seven criteria were identified. The data were gathered by conducting field interviews. The results revealed that for the groups urban ...

Countdown to 2015 country case studies: what can analysis of national health financing contribute to understanding MDG 4 and 5 progress?

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, Carlyn; Ng, Courtney; Akseer, Nadia; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A; Borghi, Josephine; Colbourn, Tim; Hernández-Peña, Patricia; Huicho, Luis; Malik, Muhammad Ashar; Martinez-Alvarez, Melisa; Munthali, Spy; Salehi, Ahmad Shah; Tadesse, Mekonnen; Yassin, Mohammed; Berman, Peter

2016-09-12

Countdown to 2015 (Countdown) supported countries to produce case studies that examine how and why progress was made toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5. Analysing how health-financing data explains improvements in RMNCH outcomes was one of the components to the case studies. This paper presents a descriptive analysis on health financing from six Countdown case studies (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Malawi, Pakistan, Peru, and Tanzania), supplemented by additional data from global databases and country reports on macroeconomic, health financing, demographic, and RMNCH outcome data as needed. It also examines the effect of other contextual factors presented in the case studies to help interpret health-financing data. Dramatic increases in health funding occurred since 2000, where the MDG agenda encouraged countries and donors to invest more resources on health. Most low-income countries relied on external support to increase health spending, with an average 20-64 % of total health spending from 2000 onwards. Middle-income countries relied more on government and household spending. RMNCH funding also increased since 2000, with an average increase of 119 % (2005-2010) for RMNH expenditures (2005-2010) and 165 % for CH expenditures (2005-2011). Progress was made, especially achieving MDG 4, even with low per capita spending; ranging from US$16 to US$44 per child under 5 years among low-income countries. Improvements in distal factors were noted during the time frame of the analysis, including rapid economic growth in Ethiopia, Peru, and Tanzania and improvements in female literacy as documented in Malawi, which are also likely to have contributed to MDG progress and achievements. Increases in health and RMNCH funding accompanied improvements in outcomes, though low-income countries are still very reliant on external financing, and out-of-pocket comprising a growing share of funds in middle-income settings. Enhancements in tracking RMNCH expenditures

Use of multi-criteria decision analysis in public bidding processes: a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Andrade Longaray

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Institutions of Higher Education in Brazil (IFES play an important role in the country’s social and scientific development. Focused mainly on teaching, research and extension activities, the IFES are backed by support foundations aimed to the management of financial, human and material resources. Characterized as public bodies, the support foundations are governed by Law no 8.666/93 in what concerns the procurement of goods and services. Therefore, the present study is aimed to develop a model to assist the managers of such foundations in the selection of suppliers to participate in bidding processes that use invitation for bids. Therefore, we conducted a case study in one of the 55 foundations that support Brazilian federal universities. The intervention tool used was the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP. Firstly, we established the hierarchy of criteria for problem-solving. Then, a paired comparison was made between criteria for the same level. Subsequently, the consistency analysis of comparison matrices was verified. Finally, the relative priorities of each criterion were obtained and the objective function of the model was constructed. The model was tested through the assessment of the performance of three potential suppliers of IT equipment, and the result was legitimized by decision makers who found the instrument a valid tool to aid in making decisions on supplier selection for the foundation.

Ergonomics, anthropometrics, and kinetic evaluation of gait: A case study

OpenAIRE

Lima, Rosa; Fontes, Liliana Magalhães Campos; Arezes, P.; Carvalho, Miguel

2015-01-01

This study aimed to develop appropriate changes in a pair of shoes in order to improve the gait of an individual selected for this case study. This analysis took into account ergonomic aspects, namely those relating to the individual’s anthropometrics. Gait analysis was done with the adapted footwear both before and after intervention.A conventional X-ray was performed, which revealed a 29-mm left lower limb shortening and possible foot adduction. The anthropometric assessment confir...

Theory testing using case studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dissing Sørensen, Pernille; Løkke Nielsen, Ann-Kristina

2006-01-01

on the strengths of theory-testing case studies. We specify research paths associated with theory testing in case studies and present a coherent argument for the logic of theoretical development and refinement using case studies. We emphasize different uses of rival explanations and their implications for research...... design. Finally, we discuss the epistemological logic, i.e., the value to larger research programmes, of such studies and, following Lakatos, conclude that the value of theory-testing case studies lies beyond naïve falsification and in their contribution to developing research programmes in a progressive......Case studies may have different research goals. One such goal is the testing of small-scale and middle-range theories. Theory testing refers to the critical examination, observation, and evaluation of the 'why' and 'how' of a specified phenomenon in a particular setting. In this paper, we focus...

Building Maintenance Management in a Malaysian University Campus: A Case Study

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Olanrewaju Abdul Lateef

2010-07-01

Full Text Available University buildings require maintenance in order to create a conducive environment that supports and stimulates learning, teaching, innovation, and research. The prime objective of maintenance is to ensure, as far as practicable, the continued peak performance of the building throughout its design life. This paper seeks to report the maintenance management system of a university institution in Malaysia. Primary data was gathered through the analysis of a case study. The objectives of the case study are to identify, describe and assess the maintenance management system used by the university. The major conclusion drawn from the case study was that although university building maintenance practices are corrective and cyclical there is a lack of a comprehensive maintenance management framework that guides the decision-making processes. The case study also revealed irregularities in the university’s maintenance management system.

Leadership change: A case study analysis of strategy and control systems development

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Alaudin Ahmadasri

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports on how a change of leadership at the CEO-level influences strategic practices and control systems development. The case study describes how the new chief executive developed and communicated his vision and strategy through control systems and structural change. The findings indicate that senior employees’ involvement in strategic plan development (through SLT mechanism in this case brought clarity and assurance to them. Meetings are important control mechanisms to structure the sharing of information and to enhance employee commitment and help decision making. It is argued leadership manifests through the interactions of leader with employees in many control practices. The findings have implications for family-owned businesses that are facing imminent change in leadership. They benefit founders/top managers that are about to change leadership of entrepreneurial firm to the next level by highlighting the importance of preparing leader’s capacity for an effective leadership role. The study also highlights some important factors which are seldom discussed in control theories.

BNSF San Bernardino case study : positive train control risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-09-01

The Federal Railroad Administration funded the BNSF San Bernardino Case Study to verify its Generalized Train Movement : Simulator (GTMS) risk assessment capabilities on a planned implementation of the I-ETMS PTC system. The analysis explicitly : sim...

Five Misunderstandings About Case-Study Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flyvbjerg, Bent

2006-01-01

This article examines five common misunderstandings about case-study research: (a) theoretical knowledge is more valuable than practical knowledge; (b) one cannot generalize from a single case, therefore, the single-case study cannot contribute to scientific development; (c) the case study is most...... useful for generating hypotheses, whereas other methods are more suitable for hypotheses testing and theory building; (d) the case study contains a bias toward verification; and (e) it is often difficult to summarize specific case studies. This article explains and corrects these misunderstandings one...

Towards a Structurational Theory of Information Systems: a substantive case analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rose, Jeremy; Hackney, R. H

2003-01-01

This paper employs the analysis of an interpretive case study within a Regional Train Operating Company (RTOC) to arrive at theoretical understandings of Information Systems (IS). Giddens’ ‘structuration theory’ is developed which offers an account of structure and agency; social practices develo...

Breakdown Cause and Effect Analysis. Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Biały, Witold; Ružbarský, Juraj

2018-06-01

Every company must ensure that the production process proceeds without interferences. Within this article, the author uses the term "interferences" in reference to unplanned stoppages caused by breakdowns. Unfortunately, usually due to machine operators' mistakes, machines break, which causes stoppages thus generating additional costs for the company. This article shows a cause and effect analysis of a breakdown in a production process. The FMEA as well as quality management tools: the Ishikawa diagram and Pareto chart were used for the analysis. Correction measures were presented which allowed for a significant reduction in the number of stoppages caused by breakdowns.

Macroprudential Insurance Regulation: A Swiss Case Study

OpenAIRE

Philippe Deprez; Mario V. Wüthrich

2016-01-01

This article provides a case study that analyzes national macroprudential insurance regulation in Switzerland. We consider an insurance market that is based on data from the Swiss private insurance industry. We stress this market with several scenarios related to financial and insurance risks, and we analyze the resulting risk capitals of the insurance companies. This stress-test analysis provides insights into the vulnerability of the Swiss private insurance sector to different risks and sho...

Russian Media Educators: Case Studies Portraits

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Alexander Fedorov

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to case studies of the media education works of some well knowns Russian media educators. The analysis of media educational work of the famous Russian media educators leads us to the conclusion that media education in Russia is developing, building on the synthesis of the aesthetic, socio-cultural, and practical concepts, with a focus on the development of media competence of the audience, mainly school and youth. The enthusiasts of media education, even devoid of substantial public support for its innovative projects, achieve significant and meaningful results.

Building energy performance analysis by an in-house developed dynamic simulation code: An investigation for different case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buonomano, Annamaria; Palombo, Adolfo

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A new dynamic simulation code for building energy performance analysis is presented. • The thermal behavior of each building element is modeled by a thermal RC network. • The physical models implemented in the code are illustrated. • The code was validated by the BESTEST standard procedure. • We investigate residential buildings, offices and stores in different climates. - Abstract: A novel dynamic simulation model for the building envelope energy performance analysis is presented in this paper. This tool helps the investigation of many new building technologies to increase the system energy efficiency and it can be carried out for scientific research purposes. In addition to the yearly heating and cooling load and energy demand, the obtained output is the dynamic temperature profile of indoor air and surfaces and the dynamic profile of the thermal fluxes through the building elements. The presented simulation model is also validated through the BESTEST standard procedure. Several new case studies are developed for assessing, through the presented code, the energy performance of three different building envelopes with several different weather conditions. In particular, dwelling and commercial buildings are analysed. Light and heavyweight envelopes as well as different glazed surfaces areas have been used for every case study. With the achieved results interesting design and operating guidelines can be obtained. Such data have been also compared vs. those calculated by TRNSYS and EnergyPlus. The detected deviation of the obtained results vs. those of such standard tools are almost always lower than 10%

CONTENT ANALYSIS OF HOTEL WEBSITES: CASE STUDY OF CROATIA

OpenAIRE

Suzana Markovic; Sanja Raspor; Tomislav Car; Jelena Komsic

2012-01-01

In the competitive hotel industry the content of hotel websites has an important role in achieving and maintaining business success and profitability. The purpose of this study is to analyze the websites of a selected group of hotels (three, four and five star) by applying content analysis by six dimensions (contact information, information about facilities, reservations and the surrounding area, as well as communication with customers and web-site functionality) and 22 characteristics. The a...

Association of Human Methionine Synthase-A2756G Transition With Prostate Cancer: A Case-Control Study and in Silico Analysis

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Arezou Ebrahimi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Methionine synthase (MTR is one of the key enzymes of folate pathway, which play a key role in the construction, repair, and methylation of DNA. In this study, an association of MTR A2756G gene transition with prostate cancer in men populations of Kashan-Iran was investigated by a case-control study and an in silico analysis. The 200 samples including 100 patients with prostate cancer, as case group and 100 healthy men, as control group included in this study. MTR-A2756G genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP technique. Some in silico tools used to evaluate the effects of A2756G transition on the structure and function of MTR. Results showed that the AG genotype (OR: 2.4014, 95% CI: 1.3216-4.3636, P=0.0040, and GG genotype (OR: 3.6324, 95% CI: 1.2629-10.4475, P=0.0167 and G allele (OR: 2.0120, 95% CI: 1.3098-3.0905, P=0.0014 were associated with prostate cancer. In silico analysis showed that polymorphisms of the enzyme protein might change properties of MTR such as relative mutability and flexibility, which leads to alteration of stability and function of the enzyme. Based on the results, an MTR-A2756G polymorphism which changes activity and stability of the methionine synthase associated with prostate cancer in men. It is a preliminary study and is presenting data for future comprehensive study for making a clinical conclusion that this gene transition is a biomarker for susceptibility to prostate cancer.

STUDY OF 200 CASES OF PLEURAL FLUID

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Ramakrishna R

2016-09-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND We have studied 200 patients of pleural fluid presenting to our tertiary care centre. Presence of cases of pleural fluid is a common presentation both in pulmonary and extrapulmonary diseases. We analysed the patients having both exudates and transudates and studied the results. MATERIALS AND METHODS We selected patients above 20 years of age and classified the patients with pleural fluid as having transudates and exudates. We studied the causes of transudates and exudates. A total of 200 patients are studied in this prospective study. Diagnosis of pleural exudates is made on the basis of Light’s criteria, chest x-ray, pleural fluid analysis, CT scan in selected patients, sputum examination, bronchoscopy and bronchial washings. Moribund and non-cooperative patients and HIV positives were excluded from the study. RESULTS Among the 200 patients, 91% have exudates. 9% have transudates by Light’s criteria. Tuberculosis is the commonest cause of effusions (64.83% followed by malignancy (13.73% and sympneumonic or parapneumonic effusions (9.89%. Pleural effusions occurred predominantly in males. Prevalence of diabetes Mellitus among cases of tuberculous pleural effusions is 13.56%. Tuberculous effusions are predominantly right-sided. CONCLUSION Predominant cases of pleural fluid are exudates. Commonest cause of pleural effusion is Tuberculosis followed by malignancy both pulmonary and extrapulmonary and sym. and parapneumonic effusions. Prevalence of Diabetes among Tuberculous pleural effusion cases is more or less same as in general population. Cough, expectoration fever, chest pain and breathlessness are the common symptoms occurring in three fourths of the patients of tuberculous pleural effusion. Most of the cases of Tuberculous effusion are above 30 years of age. In the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion, Pleural fluid ADA is very important. Pleural fluid cytology, pleural biopsy, bronchoscopy, bronchial washings and sputum

The analysis of human error as causes in the maintenance of machines: a case study in mining companies

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Kovacevic, Srdja

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the two-step method used to analyse the factors and aspects influencing human error during the maintenance of mining machines. The first step is the cause-effect analysis, supported by brainstorming, where five factors and 21 aspects are identified. During the second step, the group fuzzy analytic hierarchy process is used to rank the identified factors and aspects. A case study is done on mining companies in Serbia. The key aspects are ranked according to an analysis that included experts who assess risks in mining companies (a maintenance engineer, a technologist, an ergonomist, a psychologist, and an organisational scientist. Failure to follow technical maintenance instructions, poor organisation of the training process, inadequate diagnostic equipment, and a lack of understanding of the work process are identified as the most important causes of human error.

Randomization and Data-Analysis Items in Quality Standards for Single-Case Experimental Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Heyvaert, Mieke; Wendt, Oliver; Van den Noortgate, Wim; Onghena, Patrick

2015-01-01

Reporting standards and critical appraisal tools serve as beacons for researchers, reviewers, and research consumers. Parallel to existing guidelines for researchers to report and evaluate group-comparison studies, single-case experimental (SCE) researchers are in need of guidelines for reporting and evaluating SCE studies. A systematic search was…

Homocyst(e)ine and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review of the evidence with special emphasis on case-control studies and nested case-control studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, Earl S; Smith, S Jay; Stroup, Donna F; Steinberg, Karen K; Mueller, Patricia W; Thacker, Stephen B

2002-02-01

Elevated concentrations of homocyst(e)ine are thought to increase the risk of vascular diseases including coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. We searched MEDLINE (1966-1999), EMBASE (1974-1999), SciSearch (1974- 1999), and Dissertation Abstracts (1999) for articles and theses about homocyst(e)ine concentration and coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. We included 57 publications (3 cohort studies, 12 nested case-control studies, 42 case-control studies) that reported results on 5518 people with coronary heart disease (11,068 control subjects) and 1817 people with cerebrovascular disease (4787 control subjects) in our analysis. For coronary heart disease, the summary odds ratios (OR) for a 5-micromol/l increase in homocyst(e)ine concentration were 1.06 (95% CI : 0.99-1.13) for 2 publications of cohort studies, 1.23 (95% CI : 1.07-1.41) for 10 publications of nested case-control studies, and 1.70 (95% CI : 1.50-1.93) for 26 publications of case-control studies. For cerebrovascular disease, the summary OR for a 5-micromol/l increase in homocyst(e)ine concentration were 1.10 (95% CI : 0.94-1.28) for 2 publications of cohort studies, 1.58 (95% CI : 1.35-1.85) for 5 publications of nested case-control studies, and 2.16 (95% CI : 1.65-2.82) for 17 publications of case-control studies. Prospective studies offer weaker support than case-control studies for an association between homocyst(e)ine concentration and cardiovascular disease. Although other lines of evidence support a role for homocyst(e)ine in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, more information from prospective epidemiological studies or clinical trials is needed to clarify this role.

Transformational change in healthcare: an examination of four case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Charlesworth, Kate; Jamieson, Maggie; Davey, Rachel; Butler, Colin D

2016-04-01

Objectives Healthcare leaders around the world are calling for radical, transformational change of our health and care systems. This will be a difficult and complex task. In this article, we examine case studies in which transformational change has been achieved, and seek to learn from these experiences. Methods We used the case study method to investigate examples of transformational change in healthcare. The case studies were identified from preliminary doctoral research into the transition towards future sustainable health and social care systems. Evidence was collected from multiple sources, key features of each case study were displayed in a matrix and thematic analysis was conducted. The results are presented in narrative form. Results Four case studies were selected: two from the US, one from Australia and one from the UK. The notable features are discussed for each case study. There were many common factors: a well communicated vision, innovative redesign, extensive consultation and engagement with staff and patients, performance management, automated information management and high-quality leadership. Conclusions Although there were some notable differences between the case studies, overall the characteristics of success were similar and collectively provide a blueprint for transformational change in healthcare. What is known about the topic? Healthcare leaders around the world are calling for radical redesign of our systems in order to meet the challenges of modern society. What does this paper add? There are some remarkable examples of transformational change in healthcare. The key factors in success are similar across the case studies. What are the implications for practitioners? Collectively, these key factors can guide future attempts at transformational change in healthcare.

VISUALIZATION AND ANALYSIS OF LIGHT POLLUTION: A CASE STUDY IN HONG KONG

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B. Wu

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The effects of light pollution problems in metropolitan areas are investigated in this study. Areas of Hong Kong are used as the source of three typical study cases. One case represents the regional scale, a second represents the district scale, and a third represents the street scale. Two light pollution parameters, Night Sky Brightness (NSB and Street Light Level (SLL, are the focus of the analyses. Light pollution visualization approaches in relation to the different scales include various light pollution maps. They provide straightforward presentations of the light pollution situations in the study areas. The relationship between light pollution and several social-economic factors such as land use, household income, and types of outdoor lighting in the scale areas given, are examined. Results show that: (1 Land use may be one factor affecting light pollution in the regional scale; (2 A relatively strong correlation exists between light pollution and household income in the district scale; (3 The heaviest light pollution in the street scale is created by spotlights and also the different types of lighting from shops. The impact of the latter is in relation to the shop profile and size.