A framework and case studies for evaluation of enzyme ontogeny in children's health risk evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ginsberg, Gary; Vulimiri, Suryanarayana V; Lin, Yu-Sheng; Kancherla, Jayaram; Foos, Brenda; Sonawane, Babasaheb

2017-01-01

Knowledge of the ontogeny of Phase I and Phase II metabolizing enzymes may be used to inform children's vulnerability based upon likely differences in internal dose from xenobiotic exposure. This might provide a qualitative assessment of toxicokinetic (TK) variability and uncertainty pertinent to early lifestages and help scope a more quantitative physiologically based toxicokinetic (PBTK) assessment. Although much is known regarding the ontogeny of metabolizing systems, this is not commonly utilized in scoping and problem formulation stage of human health risk evaluation. A framework is proposed for introducing this information into problem formulation which combines data on enzyme ontogeny and chemical-specific TK to explore potential child/adult differences in internal dose and whether such metabolic differences may be important factors in risk evaluation. The framework is illustrated with five case study chemicals, including some which are data rich and provide proof of concept, while others are data poor. Case studies for toluene and chlorpyrifos indicate potentially important child/adult TK differences while scoping for acetaminophen suggests enzyme ontogeny is unlikely to increase early-life risks. Scoping for trichloroethylene and aromatic amines indicates numerous ways that enzyme ontogeny may affect internal dose which necessitates further evaluation. PBTK modeling is a critical and feasible next step to further evaluate child-adult differences in internal dose for a number of these chemicals.

The application of method supplier’s complex evaluation. Case study

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Ekaterina Chytilová

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The main goal of this article includes the illustration of selecting bidders evaluation with help Method of complex evaluation of suppliers (MCE. Nowadays the evaluation of suppliers has more importance is in the supply chain management. For SMEs with discontinuous custom manufacturing supplier evaluation at first stage becomes a priority to maintain and enhance the competitiveness of farm output and overall competitiveness. This article presents results of control MCE. The results of this article are results of suppliers’ evaluation conditions and eliminations of MCE application on the base of real enterprise data. MCE is oriented to small and medium-sized enterprises with discontinue manufacturing to order. Research is oriented to selecting procedure of existing suppliers at the first stage of supply chain. Nationality and geographic location haven’t importance to MCE application. Illustrative case study presents the evaluation process to the specific conditions and subsequently demonstrated viability of MCE.

Demand-driven land evaluation; with case studies in Santa Catarina-Brazil

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bacic, I.L.Z.

2003-01-01

The main objective of this thesis is to improve use and usefulness of information for rural land use decisions based on an operational demand-driven approach for land evaluation with case studies in Santa Catarina State, Brazil. To achieve this objective, the following research questions were

Case study of evaluations that go beyond clinical outcomes to assess quality improvement diabetes programmes using the Diabetes Evaluation Framework for Innovative National Evaluations (DEFINE).

Science.gov (United States)

Paquette-Warren, Jann; Harris, Stewart B; Naqshbandi Hayward, Mariam; Tompkins, Jordan W

2016-10-01

Investments in efforts to reduce the burden of diabetes on patients and health care are critical; however, more evaluation is needed to provide evidence that informs and supports future policies and programmes. The newly developed Diabetes Evaluation Framework for Innovative National Evaluations (DEFINE) incorporates the theoretical concepts needed to facilitate the capture of critical information to guide investments, policy and programmatic decision making. The aim of the study is to assess the applicability and value of DEFINE in comprehensive real-world evaluation. Using a critical and positivist approach, this intrinsic and collective case study retrospectively examines two naturalistic evaluations to demonstrate how DEFINE could be used when conducting real-world comprehensive evaluations in health care settings. The variability between the cases and the evaluation designs are described and aligned to the DEFINE goals, steps and sub-steps. The majority of the theoretical steps of DEFINE were exemplified in both cases, although limited for knowledge translation efforts. Application of DEFINE to evaluate diverse programmes that target various chronic diseases is needed to further test the inclusivity and built-in flexibility of DEFINE and its role in encouraging more comprehensive knowledge translation. This case study shows how DEFINE could be used to structure or guide comprehensive evaluations of programmes and initiatives implemented in health care settings and support scale-up of successful innovations. Future use of the framework will continue to strengthen its value in guiding programme evaluation and informing health policy to reduce the burden of diabetes and other chronic diseases. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Collaboration, communication and categorical complexity: A case study in collaboratory evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cleal, B.R.; Andersen, H.H.K.; Albrechtsen, H.

2004-01-01

This article presents findings from an empirical evaluation of a collaboratory supporting film research. Few collaboratories have been formally evaluated. The article makes a case for looking at wider work-based contexts users engage in. Focussing on key features of the prototype system, it is sh......This article presents findings from an empirical evaluation of a collaboratory supporting film research. Few collaboratories have been formally evaluated. The article makes a case for looking at wider work-based contexts users engage in. Focussing on key features of the prototype system...

Evaluating performance of local case-mix system by international comparison: a case study in Beijing, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Jian, Wei-Yan; Lu, Ming; Cui, Tao; Hu, Mu

2011-01-01

Case-mix is an important tool for health planning and management in many countries. As a major developing country, China is considering the introduction of the case-mix system in the health reform. Beijing, the capital of China, developed a local case-mix version whose performance needs to be evaluated before utilization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the case-mix system developed in Beijing by comparing it with those used in Australia and the U.S.A. A total of 1.3 million inpatient records from 154 hospitals in Beijing in 2008 were grouped respectively using three case-mix systems: (i) Beijing Diagnosis Related Groups (BJ-DRGs); (ii) US-based All Patient DRGs; and (iii) Australian Refined DRGs. Coefficient of variation (CV) and reduction in variance (RIV) were used to measure the performance of DRGs system. The BJ-DRGs produced the best CV and RIV results for expenditure. However, at the level of Major Diagnostic Category (MDC), three MDCs of BJ-DRGs gave the poorest RIVs for both expenditure and length of stay. Although the performance of BJ-DRGs was acceptable, further revision and improvement is needed. Comparisons with other mature DRGs versions can assist in identifying the improvement priorities of the local version. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evaluating interactive technology for an evolving case study on learning and satisfaction of graduate nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogt, Marjorie A; Schaffner, Barbara H

2016-07-01

Nursing education is challenged to prepare students for complex healthcare needs through the integration of teamwork and informatics. Technology has become an important teaching tool in the blended classroom to enhance group based learning experiences. Faculty evaluation of classroom technologies is imperative prior to adoption. Few studies have directly compared various technologies and their impact on student satisfaction and learning. The purpose of this study was to evaluate technology enhanced teaching methods on the learning and satisfaction of graduate students in an advanced pharmacology class using an unfolding case study. After IRB approval, students were randomly assigned to one of three groups: blogging group, wiki group or webinar group. Students completed the evolving case study using the assigned interactive technology. Student names were removed from the case studies. Faculty evaluated the case study using a rubric, while blinded to the assigned technology method used. No significant difference was found on case study grades, the range of grades on the assignment demonstrated little differences between the methods used. Students indicated an overall positive impact related to networking and collaboration on a satisfaction survey. Impact of technology methods needs to be explored in other areas of graduate nursing education. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of E-learning Platforms: a Case Study

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Cristina POP

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In the recent past, a great number of e-learning platforms have been introduced on the market showing different characteristics and services. These platforms can be evaluated using multiple criteria and methods. This paper proposes a list of selected quality criteria for describing, characterizing and selecting e-learning platform. These criteria were designed based on e-learning standards. I also propose a mathematical model to determine the probability that a student uses an e-learning platform based on the factors (criteria that determine the quality of the platform and the socio-demographic variables of the student. The case study presented is an application of the model and the input data, intermediate calculations and final results were processed using SAS (Statistical Analysis Software.

Casing Out Evaluation: Expanding Student Interest in Program Evaluation through Case Competitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Obrecht, Michael; Porteous, Nancy; Haddock, Blair

1998-01-01

Describes the authors' experiences in organizing bilingual evaluation case competitions for the National Capital Chapter of the Canadian Evaluation Society for three years. Competition structure, eligibility, judging, contestant recruiting, and preparing cases are outlined. (SLD)

Evaluating Electronic Customer Relationship Management Performance: Case Studies from Persian Automotive and Computer Industry

OpenAIRE

Safari, Narges; Safari, Fariba; Olesen, Karin; Shahmehr, Fatemeh

2016-01-01

This research paper investigates the influence of industry on electronic customer relationship management (e-CRM) performance. A case study approach with two cases was applied to evaluate the influence of e-CRM on customer behavioral and attitudinal loyalty along with customer pyramid. The cases covered two industries consisting of computer and automotive industries. For investigating customer behavioral loyalty and customer pyramid companies database were computed while for examining custome...

A comprehensive grid to evaluate case management's expected effectiveness for community-dwelling frail older people: results from a multiple, embedded case study.

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Van Durme, Thérèse; Schmitz, Olivier; Cès, Sophie; Anthierens, Sibyl; Maggi, Patrick; Delye, Sam; De Almeida Mello, Johanna; Declercq, Anja; Macq, Jean; Remmen, Roy; Aujoulat, Isabelle

2015-06-18

Case management is a type of intervention expected to improve the quality of care and therefore the quality of life of frail, community-dwelling older people while delaying institutionalisation in nursing homes. However, the heterogeneity, multidimensionality and complexity of these interventions make their evaluation by the means of classical approaches inadequate. Our objective was twofold: (i) to propose a tool allowing for the identification of the key components that explain the success of case management for this population and (ii) to propose a typology based on the results of this tool. The process started with a multiple embedded case study design in order to identify the key components of case management. Based on the results of this first step, data were collected among 22 case management interventions, in order to evaluate their expected effectiveness. Finally, multiple correspondence analyses was conducted to propose a typology of case management. The overall approach was informed by Wagner's Chronic Care Model and the theory of complexity. The study identified a total of 23 interacting key components. Based on the clustering of response patterns of the 22 case management projects included in our study, three types of case management programmes were evidenced, situated on a continuum from a more "socially-oriented" type towards a more "clinically-oriented" type of case management. The type of feedback provided to the general practitioner about both the global geriatric assessment and the result of the intervention turned out to be the most discriminant component between the types. The study design allowed to produce a tool that can be used to distinguish between different types of case management interventions and further evaluate their effect on frail older people in terms of the delaying institutionalisation, functional and cognitive status, quality of life and societal costs.

Critical Evaluation as an Aid to Improved Report Writing: A Case Study

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Walker, Mirabelle; Williams, Judith

2014-01-01

Report writing is an important employability skill for Engineers and Technologists, and this case study describes how a Technology degree module took a novel approach to developing students' report writing skills. Students learned how to use a criterion-referenced critical evaluation framework for reports and other technological documents. They…

Evaluation of Oral Performance in Outsourced Call Centres: An Exploratory Case Study

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Friginal, Eric

2013-01-01

This case study discusses the development and use of an oral performance assessment instrument intended to evaluate Filipino agents' customer service transactions with callers from the United States (US). The design and applications of the instrument were based on a longitudinal, qualitative observation of language training and customer service…

Conduct of a meta review of programme evaluations : a case study of the SEARCH Program

OpenAIRE

Dickson, Rumona; Tight, Malcolm; Saunders, Murray

2012-01-01

This thesis presents a retrospective case study that critically examines the evaluations that were undertaken as part of a continuing professional development (CPD) programme for health care professionals. The case is the SEARCH Program, an innovative CPD programme, which was designed to promote the implementation of evidence based practice (EBP) within the existing health care system in Alberta, Canada. Two approaches from the ‘using’ branch of Alkin and Chrisite’s evaluation theory tree are...

Evaluation of Pediatric Forensic Cases in Emergency Department: A Retrospective Study

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Tanzer Korkmaz

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: Our aim was to evaluate the properties of pediatric forensic cases and to discuss the precautions in order to prevent the occurrence of these forensic events. Methods: The patient files and forensic reports of pediatric (age 0-18 years forensic cases, who were referred to the emergency department in our hospital between January 01, 2009 and December 31, 2011 were retrospectively investigated. Results: A total of 421 forensic pediatric cases with a median age of 9.9±5.5 years were included in the study. Off the cases, 61% (n=257 were male and 47.3% were in 5-14 age group. The type of the events were traffic accident (50.4%, fall (18.3%, stab injuries (10.9%, intoxication (5.9%, pounding (5.0% and other incidents (9.5%. There were nine cases of suicide attempt (all of them were above 14 years of age and four cases of physical abuse (three of them were under 15 years of age. After the observation period, 79.8% of the cases were discharged from the emergency department, whilst 20.2% of cases were hospitalized in one of the clinics. Conclusion: Because most of the cases were traffic accident, this situation show us that these injuries are preventable. Prevention and intervention strategies should be developed for providing a safe environment for children.

Green and sustainable remediation (GSR) evaluation: framework, standards, and tool. A case study in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Wen-Yen; Hung, Weiteng; Vu, Chi Thanh; Chen, Wei-Ting; Lai, Jhih-Wei; Lin, Chitsan

2016-11-01

Taiwan has a large number of poorly managed contaminated sites in need of remediation. This study proposes a framework, a set of standards, and a spreadsheet-based evaluation tool for implementing green and sustainable principles into remediation projects and evaluating the projects from this perspective. We performed a case study to understand how the framework would be applied. For the case study, we used a spreadsheet-based evaluation tool (SEFA) and performed field scale cultivation tests on a site contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs). The site was divided into two lots: one treated by chemical oxidation and the other by bioremediation. We evaluated five core elements of green and sustainable remediation (GSR): energy, air, water resources, materials and wastes, and land and ecosystem. The proposed evaluation tool and field scale cultivation test were found to efficiently assess the effectiveness of the two remediation alternatives. The framework and related tools proposed herein can potentially be used to support decisions about the remediation of contaminated sites taking into account engineering management, cost effectiveness, and social reconciliation.

Report and analysis on 'PR and PP evaluation. Example sodium fast reactor full system case study'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagara, Hiroshi; Inoue, Naoko; Kawakubo, Yoko; Watahiki, Masaru

2011-01-01

The Generation IV (GEN IV) Nuclear Energy Systems International Forum (GIF) Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection Working Group (PRPP WG) was established in December 2002 in order to develop the PR and valuation methodology for GEN IV nuclear energy systems. In the final report of 'PR and PP Evaluation: Example Sodium Fast Reactor (ESFR) Full System Case Study,' issued in October 2009, the demonstration study of PR and PP evaluation with the qualitative approach are summarized using ESFR with four scenario threats. The present paper reviews and analyzes some results of the ESFR case study, and identifies the challenges and direction for the PR and PP evaluation methodology with quantitative approach. (author)

Teaching community diagnosis to medical students: evaluation of a case study approach.

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Bair, C W

1980-01-01

A unique case study approach to training medical students in community diagnosis techniques was initiated at the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo. This paper describes the five elements of this teaching method: preliminary specification of target community and data base; group problem-solving requirement; specification of desired output; defined performance objectives; and regularly scheduled time for analysis. Experience with the case study method over two years was evaluated to identify specific strengths and weaknesses. The identified strengths include use of limited educational time to introduce community health problems, development of experience in a collegial team work setting, and specific awareness of the types of data useful to the analysis of community health service problems. Negative evaluations suggested that the method was not conducive to the development of skills in three areas: ability to establish the relative importance of health problems in communities; ability to identify an appropriate health system response to a community health problem from feasible alternatives; and ability to anticipate the community impact of health program modifications or improvements. Potential explanations for these deficiencies include: need for increased didactic support in the classroom for particular skill areas; need to establish a direct field experience in community diagnosis; inappropriateness of the data base used for evaluation of particular skills; and the probability that quantitative analysis, as used in this evaluation, may not be sufficient in and of itself to measure the outcome of a community diagnosis experience.

Learning from Action Evaluation of the Use of Multimedia Case Studies in Management Information Systems Courses

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Kawulich, Barbara B.

2011-01-01

This manuscript shares lessons learned from conducting an action evaluation of the use of multimedia case studies in Management Information Systems (MIS) courses. Three undergraduate MIS classes took part in the study. The purpose for using case studies in these classes was to teach students about the role of MIS in business. An action evaluation…

Application of Learning Curves for Didactic Model Evaluation: Case Studies

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Felix Mödritscher

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The success of (online courses depends, among other factors, on the underlying didactical models which have always been evaluated with qualitative and quantitative research methods. Several new evaluation techniques have been developed and established in the last years. One of them is ‘learning curves’, which aim at measuring error rates of users when they interact with adaptive educational systems, thereby enabling the underlying models to be evaluated and improved. In this paper, we report how we have applied this new method to two case studies to show that learning curves are useful to evaluate didactical models and their implementation in educational platforms. Results show that the error rates follow a power law distribution with each additional attempt if the didactical model of an instructional unit is valid. Furthermore, the initial error rate, the slope of the curve and the goodness of fit of the curve are valid indicators for the difficulty level of a course and the quality of its didactical model. As a conclusion, the idea of applying learning curves for evaluating didactical model on the basis of usage data is considered to be valuable for supporting teachers and learning content providers in improving their online courses.

Semantics-Based Compiling: A Case Study in Type-Directed Partial Evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danvy, Olivier; Vestergaard, René

1996-01-01

in the style of denotational semantics; – the output of the generated compiler is effectively three-address code, in the fashion and efficiency of the Dragon Book; – the generated compiler processes several hundred lines of source code per second. The source language considered in this case study is imperative......, block-structured, higher-order, call-by-value, allows subtyping, and obeys stack discipline. It is bigger than what is usually reported in the literature on semantics-based compiling and partial evaluation. Our compiling technique uses the first Futamura projection, i.e., we compile programs...... by specializing a definitional interpreter with respect to the program. Specialization is carried out using type-directed partial evaluation, which is a mild version of partial evaluation akin to lambda-calculus normalization. Our definitional interpreter follows the format of denotational semantics, with a clear...

Fueling the Gig Economy: A Case Study Evaluation of Upwork.com

OpenAIRE

Daryl D. Green; Craig Walker; Abdulrahman Alabulththim; Daniel Smith; Michele Phillips

2018-01-01

With recent downsizing of talented professionals and the power of globalization to provide opportunities for more underdeveloped countries, the gig economy is a source of influence in today’s generation of professionals. Online outsourcing media have shown to be valuable resources for companies who need a specific set of skills for a limited period. This case study evaluates Upwork.com, one of the leading freelance websites in the gig economy; this article provides insights on how others shou...

Urban simulation evaluation with study case of the Singapore Management University, Singapore

Science.gov (United States)

Seanders, O.

2018-01-01

This paper reports and discusses about the urban simulation evaluation with a study case, The Singapore Managemant University (SMU), the first major university to be located in the city centre. It is located in Bras Basah District, with some controversy on the geographical establishment, the physical realization of the University in the original plan required some demolishes, urban historical building, a public park and in the end will impact the lose of some certain qualities of the urban space. From this case we can see that the urban design and cultural heritage principles could come into conflicts with the more practical concerns of space constraints and transportation efficiency. This SMU case reflect the problem of the developing countries that have to decide between conservation of buildings and green spaces and space demands. In this case, for Singapore, it marks a progress in the step of greater community involvement in the planning process.

The Integration of Socio-Economic Indicators in the CASBEE-UD Evaluation System: A Case Study

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Francesco Cappai

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The use of tools to measure the degree of sustainability of cities is the approach that receives the most attention in developed countries. However, studies of evaluation tools at the neighborhood level reveal that there are many weaknesses in the most widely-used evaluation systems (LEED-ND, BREEAM Communities, CASBEE-UD. There are ambiguities and gaps in weighting and in scoring and in most cases, there is no mechanism for local adaptability and participation. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the current situation by highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of these evaluation tools in order to integrate social and economic aspects for the improvement of the CASBEE-UD (neighborhood level evaluation tool. The selection of socio-economic aspects was made through the use of a multi criteria Analysis Hierarchical Process (AHP and a Geographic Integration System (GIS. The results of this case study indicate that most evaluation tools need to be revised because most do not include socio-economic aspects. We have demonstrated that applying the CASBEE-UD assessment tool integrated with socio-economic aspects to four boroughs in the City of Montreal can measure success by addressing the objectives of sustainable development.

Organising, Providing and Evaluating Technical Training for Early Career Researchers: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

van Besouw, Rachel M.; Rogers, Katrine S.; Powles, Christopher J.; Papadopoulos, Timos; Ku, Emery M.

2013-01-01

This paper considers the importance of providing technical training opportunities for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) worldwide through the case study of a MATLAB training programme, which was proposed, organised, managed and evaluated by a team of five ECRs at the University of Southampton. The effectiveness of the programme in terms of the…

Evaluate VTS benefits: A case study of Zhoushan Port

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Jun-Min Mou

2015-12-01

Full Text Available It has been well acknowledged that Vessel Traffic Services (VTS has played a growing important role to ensure the safety of navigation in the busy ports and waterways. However, the benefits produced by VTS are usually ignored by the public and private sectors. Besides, the previous evaluations generally exist following problems: (1 It is difficult to collect the data for the parameters in the evaluation models and/or the parameters are designed illogically; (2 Those models did not take the following factors into consideration such as reducing the frequency of coastal vessel patrolling and saving human and material resources; (3 It is difficult to clearly discriminate the benefits derived from VTS and non-VTS. In this paper, a framework is presented to calculate the benefits of VTS in China. Four key indicators (safety, traffic efficiency, environmental protection and reducing supervising cost and quantitative methods have been introduced into the framework. When calculating the benefits quantitatively, the traffic condition before the construction (expansion of the VTS has acted as a benchmark. For a case study, the project of the expansion of VTS in Zhoushan Port, East China was evaluated with 10-year data. According to the results, the largest contribution is from the benefit of environmental protection. Via Cost-benefit analysis the benefit cost ratio (B/C of the VTS is up to 5.248, which shows the benefits produced by VTS are considerable. The research could provide references for VTS benefits evaluation and investment optimizing.

Evaluating Pillar Industry's Transformation Capability: A Case Study of Two Chinese Steel-Based Cities.

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Li, Zhidong; Marinova, Dora; Guo, Xiumei; Gao, Yuan

2015-01-01

Many steel-based cities in China were established between the 1950s and 1960s. After more than half a century of development and boom, these cities are starting to decline and industrial transformation is urgently needed. This paper focuses on evaluating the transformation capability of resource-based cities building an evaluation model. Using Text Mining and the Document Explorer technique as a way of extracting text features, the 200 most frequently used words are derived from 100 publications related to steel- and other resource-based cities. The Expert Evaluation Method (EEM) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) techniques are then applied to select 53 indicators, determine their weights and establish an index system for evaluating the transformation capability of the pillar industry of China's steel-based cities. Using real data and expert reviews, the improved Fuzzy Relation Matrix (FRM) method is applied to two case studies in China, namely Panzhihua and Daye, and the evaluation model is developed using Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE). The cities' abilities to carry out industrial transformation are evaluated with concerns expressed for the case of Daye. The findings have policy implications for the potential and required industrial transformation in the two selected cities and other resource-based towns.

Web Site of King Faysal for Researches and Islamic Studies :Evaluative Case Study . 2

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Hind Badi Aly al-Badi

2007-06-01

Full Text Available This study makes evaluation to the website of King Faisal Islamic Study & Research Center (KFISRC in relation to its site, advanced design, services rendered, public users and easy-to-search including its discharged duties; content, form and scope.The study aims to evaluate the website of KFISRC published in the Internet as well as the volume of its sample users, and to determine the motivations of use.The study was conducted on the Second Semester in 1426H. / 2005G. The researcher has relied in the evaluation case study on "on-line access" in the Internet; a matter which was imposed by the nature and objectives of the study and followed by an evaluation-analysis methodology based on the measures derived from Website & Information Resources Measures in the Internet. The information were gathered using the questionnaire forms which were distributed to a random sample of 15% of the society slide subject of the study totaling 1755 of post-graduate female students; i.e. Master degree; enrolled in Library & Information, Arabic Language and History Departments of Faculty of Arts & Humanities , King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah; and post-graduate female students; i.e. Master degree; enrolled in Faculty of Da'wa & Fundamentals of Religion, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah Al-Mukarramah, including male and female staff of KFISRC. The study has reached to the number of findings, mainly as follows:The volume of the users has reached to 40.7% of the sampling. One of the reasons of the decreasing percentage in the number of the site users of KFISRC is that 32.4% did not know about the existence of the site in the Internet; whereas, 24.1% of the sampling whose most important motivation to use the site is to know whether the resources searched by them would be available in the data-bases of the KFISRC or not

Web Site of King Faysal for Researches and Islamic Studies :Evaluative Case Study . 1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hind Badi Aly al-Badi

2007-03-01

Full Text Available This study makes evaluation to the website of King Faisal Islamic Study & Research Center (KFISRC in relation to its site, advanced design, services rendered, public users and easy-to-search including its discharged duties; content, form and scope.The study aims to evaluate the website of KFISRC published in the Internet as well as the volume of its sample users, and to determine the motivations of use.The study was conducted on the Second Semester in 1426H. / 2005G. The researcher has relied in the evaluation case study on "on-line access" in the Internet; a matter which was imposed by the nature and objectives of the study and followed by an evaluation-analysis methodology based on the measures derived from Website & Information Resources Measures in the Internet. The information were gathered using the questionnaire forms which were distributed to a random sample of 15% of the society slide subject of the study totaling 1755 of post-graduate female students; i.e. Master degree; enrolled in Library & Information, Arabic Language and History Departments of Faculty of Arts & Humanities , King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah; and post-graduate female students; i.e. Master degree; enrolled in Faculty of Da'wa & Fundamentals of Religion, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah Al-Mukarramah, including male and female staff of KFISRC. The study has reached to the number of findings, mainly as follows:The volume of the users has reached to 40.7% of the sampling. One of the reasons of the decreasing percentage in the number of the site users of KFISRC is that 32.4% did not know about the existence of the site in the Internet; whereas, 24.1% of the sampling whose most important motivation to use the site is to know whether the resources searched by them would be available in the data-bases of the KFISRC or not

Critical evaluation as an aid to improved report writing: a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Mirabelle; Williams, Judith

2014-05-01

Report writing is an important employability skill for Engineers and Technologists, and this case study describes how a Technology degree module took a novel approach to developing students' report writing skills. Students learned how to use a criterion-referenced critical evaluation framework for reports and other technological documents. They were given opportunities to practise using the framework both through exemplars and through evaluating the work of their peers. They also carried out self-assessment. The authors' analysis of this novel approach shows that most students responded well to it and benefited from it. Lessons are drawn from this work for others who wish to improve their students' report writing skills.

Fueling the Gig Economy: A Case Study Evaluation of Upwork.com

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daryl D. Green

2018-02-01

Full Text Available With recent downsizing of talented professionals and the power of globalization to provide opportunities for more underdeveloped countries, the gig economy is a source of influence in today’s generation of professionals. Online outsourcing media have shown to be valuable resources for companies who need a specific set of skills for a limited period. This case study evaluates Upwork.com, one of the leading freelance websites in the gig economy; this article provides insights on how others should evaluate the power of this new economy in terms of opportunities for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers. Upwork has led the pack by providing a flexible platform for freelancers worldwide, including coders, writers, and web developers, putting businesses in touch with reasonably priced workers. The study begins by exploring the attributes of the gig economy. Data collection is achieved through qualitative analysis. The application of these conclusions could increase the survival rate of new freelancers on Upwork.com and in the gig economy. The study is significant because this research widens contemporary assumptions about strategic thinking for individuals engaged in e-commerce.

osDesign: An R Package for the Analysis, Evaluation, and Design of Two-Phase and Case-Control Studies

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Sebastien Haneuse

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The two-phase design has recently received attention in the statistical literature as an extension to the traditional case-control study for settings where a predictor of interest is rare or subject to missclassification. Despite a thorough methodological treatment and the potential for substantial efficiency gains, the two-phase design has not been widely adopted. This may be due, in part, to a lack of general-purpose, readily-available software. The osDesign package for R provides a suite of functions for analyzing data from a two-phase and/or case-control design, as well as evaluating operating characteristics, including bias, efficiency and power. The evaluation is simulation-based, permitting flexible application of the package to a broad range of scientific settings. Using lung cancer mortality data from Ohio, the package is illustrated with a detailed case-study in which two statistical goals are considered: (i the evaluation of small-sample operating characteristics for two-phase and case-control designs and (ii the planning and design of a future two-phase study.

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…

Epidemiological Evaluation of Head and Neck Sarcomas in Iran (the Study of 105 Cases Over 13 Years).

Science.gov (United States)

Alishahi, Batoul; Kargahi, Neda; Homayouni, Solmaz

2015-08-01

Head and neck sarcomas are exceedingly rare and they include 4% - 10% of all sarcomas and less than 1% of all neoplasm of head and neck. The aim of this study is to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of head and neck sarcomas of patients in Isfahan, Iran. In this retrospective study, from the 16000 patients whose files were evaluated, the total number of 105 head and neck sarcomas were collected. They were evaluated with due attention to age, gender of the patients and the most common location of the lesion. From the total number of 105 (0.6%) patients with sarcomas, 56 were men (53.33%) and 49 women (46.66%). The most common head and neck sarcomas among this population were Osteosarcoma (32 cases, 30.47%), Chondrosarcoma (14 cases, 13.33%), and Ewing sarcoma (11 cases, 10.47%).The most common soft tissue sarcoma was Rabdomiosarcoma. Mandible was the most common location for these lesions. In this study, the hard tissue sarcomas were more prevalent than soft tissue ones. Hence, special attention should be paid to the patients when being diagnosed.

Energy Sustainability Evaluation Model Based on the Matter-Element Extension Method: A Case Study of Shandong Province, China

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Siqi Li

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Energy sustainability is of vital importance to regional sustainability, because energy sustainability is closely related to both regional economic growth and social stability. The existing energy sustainability evaluation methods lack a unified system to determine the relevant influencing factors, are relatively weak in quantitative analysis, and do not fully describe the ‘paradoxical’ characteristics of energy sustainability. To solve those problems and to reasonably and objectively evaluate energy sustainability, we propose an energy sustainability evaluation model based on the matter-element extension method. We first select energy sustainability evaluation indexes based on previous research and experience. Then, a variation coefficient method is used to determine the weights of these indexes. Finally, the study establishes the classical domain, joint domain, and the matter-element relationship to evaluate energy sustainability through matter-element extension. Data from Shandong Province is used as a case study to evaluate the region’s energy sustainability. The case study shows that the proposed energy sustainability evaluation model, based on the matter-element extension method, can effectively evaluate regional energy sustainability.

Evaluation of moral case deliberation at the Dutch Health Care Inspectorate: a pilot study.

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Seekles, Wike; Widdershoven, Guy; Robben, Paul; van Dalfsen, Gonny; Molewijk, Bert

2016-05-21

Moral case deliberation (MCD) as a form of clinical ethics support is usually implemented in health care institutions and educational programs. While there is no previous research on the use of clinical ethics support on the level of health care regulation, employees of regulatory bodies are regularly confronted with moral challenges. This pilot study describes and evaluates the use of MCD at the Dutch Health Care Inspectorate (IGZ). The objective of this pilot study is to investigate: 1) the current way of dealing with moral issues at the IGZ; 2) experience with and evaluation of MCD as clinical ethics support, and 3) future preferences and (perceived) needs regarding clinical ethics support for dealing with moral questions at the IGZ. We performed an explorative pilot study. The research questions were assessed by means of: 1) interviews with MCD participants during four focus groups; and 2) interviews with six key stakeholders at the IGZ. De qualitative data is illustrated by data from questionnaires on MCD outcomes, perspective taking and MCD evaluation. Professionals do not always recognize moral issues. Employees report a need for regular and structured moral support in health care regulation. The MCD meetings are evaluated positively. The most important outcomes of MCD are feeling secure and learning from others. Additional support is needed to successfully implement MCD at the Inspectorate. We conclude that the respondents perceive moral case deliberation as a useful form of clinical ethics support for dealing with moral questions and issues in health care regulation.

Evaluating Pillar Industry’s Transformation Capability: A Case Study of Two Chinese Steel-Based Cities

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Li, Zhidong; Marinova, Dora; Guo, Xiumei; Gao, Yuan

2015-01-01

Many steel-based cities in China were established between the 1950s and 1960s. After more than half a century of development and boom, these cities are starting to decline and industrial transformation is urgently needed. This paper focuses on evaluating the transformation capability of resource-based cities building an evaluation model. Using Text Mining and the Document Explorer technique as a way of extracting text features, the 200 most frequently used words are derived from 100 publications related to steel- and other resource-based cities. The Expert Evaluation Method (EEM) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) techniques are then applied to select 53 indicators, determine their weights and establish an index system for evaluating the transformation capability of the pillar industry of China’s steel-based cities. Using real data and expert reviews, the improved Fuzzy Relation Matrix (FRM) method is applied to two case studies in China, namely Panzhihua and Daye, and the evaluation model is developed using Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE). The cities’ abilities to carry out industrial transformation are evaluated with concerns expressed for the case of Daye. The findings have policy implications for the potential and required industrial transformation in the two selected cities and other resource-based towns. PMID:26422266

A Systematic Approach for Evaluating BPM Systems: Case Studies on Open Source and Proprietary Tools

OpenAIRE

Delgado , Andrea; Calegari , Daniel; Milanese , Pablo; Falcon , Renatta; García , Esteban

2015-01-01

Part 3: Examples and Case Studies; International audience; Business Process Management Systems (BPMS) provide support for modeling, developing, deploying, executing and evaluating business processes in an organization. Selecting a BPMS is not a trivial task, not only due to the many existing alternatives, both in the open source and proprietary realms, but also because it requires a thorough evaluation of its capabilities, contextualizing them in the organizational environment in which they w...

The role of radionuclide studies in emergency cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishimura, Tsunehiko; Hayashida, Kohei; Uehara, Toshiisa

1982-01-01

Radionuclide studies have been performed popularly because of its noninvasive and simple method recently. In this study, we applied this technique for the evaluation of emergency cases in cardiovascular diseases. There were 93 cases (1.5%) out of 6163 cases, done during 1981. The subjects were 34 cases of cardiac studies (9 cases of sup(99m)Tc-PYP myocardial imaging, 12 cases of thallium myocardial imaging, 13 cases of cardioangiography), 23 cases of peripheral diseases (12 cases of peripheral angiography, 11 cases of venography), 16 cases of pulmonary imaging, 10 cases of renal studies (6 cases of renal angiography, 9 cases of renal imaging) and 5 cases of brain angiography. These studies were proven to be useful clinically for the evaluation of emergency cases and follow-up studies. In the near future, ''emergency radionuclide studies'' would be benefit for the high-risk patients noninvasively. (author)

The evolution of an evaluation: a case study using the tribal participatory research model.

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Richmond, Lucinda S; Peterson, Donna J; Betts, Sherry C

2008-10-01

This article presents a case study of how the evaluation design for a dating violence prevention and/or youth development program for American Indian youth in Arizona evolved throughout the project. Particular attention is given to how the evaluation design was guided by the tribal participatory research model. A brief rationale for the project is presented along with literature on culturally competent evaluation and research with American Indians. A description of the project and the unique communities in which it was implemented is provided. The focus of the article is the process of how the evaluation plan changed and how various factors influenced this process (e.g., feedback from community stakeholders, conversations with funder, results of process evaluation, suggestions from literature, the authors' experience working in American Indian communities). The authors conclude with lessons learned for others to consider as they develop working relationships and evaluation plans in similar communities.

Evaluation of Psychoanalytic Oriented Psychotherapy Outcome Using Rorschach and TAT: A Case Study

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Zihniye OKRAY

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Projective techniques especially Rorschach and TAT ( Thematic Apperception Test have a wide variety of assestment areas. These techniques have been used from selection of staff for a appropriate job, giving diagnosis to psychiatric patients, in child services for counseling, selection and evaluation of military personel. Apart from these uses they also have valuable contributions to the efficiency of a certain treatment programs with helping clinicans to evaluate the psychodynamic properties of a client to decide the type, duration and specific issues in the treatment programme (Deabler, 1947, Weiner, 1997, Tunaboylu-İkiz, 2001, 2002, 2010,2011, Anzieu & Chabert, 2011. In this study a case who was treated with psychodynamic oriented psychotherapy for 2 years the outcome of the threapy evaluated with Rorschach and TAT. In the first assestment before the psychothreapy began the Detail responses given by the patient was to much inorder to protect himself from the dangers coming from the real world.The content of the responses also showed the same charasteristic with using the same theme all over the full protocol.Case’s problems around his self-representaion, self, identification- differences between gender and object relations was evaluated with TAT that showed object loss was the main problematic. After 2 years with the termination of the threapy the second evaluation was done. In this second evaluation the case led himself more freely to the test material with less resistance. In the second evaluation; the case’s cognitive processes and using of words are more rich wch represents high cognitive and entellectual capacities. He is less resistant to unconscious material, sexual contents coming up in responses with more intellectual ways. With these two assestment the efficiency of psychodynamic oriented psychothreapy was proved. Although the case’s perception of the real world still contains some aspects of threads the second evaluation

[The development of evaluation capacity in primary healthcare management: a case study in Santa Catarina State, Brazil, 2008-2011].

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Nickel, Daniela Alba; Calvo, Maria Cristina Marino; Natal, Sonia; Freitas, Sérgio Fernando Torres de; Hartz, Zulmira Maria de Araújo

2014-04-01

This article analyzes evaluation capacity-building based on the case study of a State Health Secretariat participating in the Project to Strengthen the Technical Capacity of State Health Secretariats in Monitoring and Evaluating Primary Healthcare. The case study adopted a mixed design with information from documents, semi-structured interviews, and evaluation of primary care by the State Health Secretariat in 2008-2011. Process analysis was used to identify the logical events that contributed to evaluation capacity-building, with two categories: evaluation capacity-building events and events for building organizational structure. The logical chain of events was formed by negotiation and agreement on the decision-making levels for the continuity of evaluation, data collection and analysis by the State Health Secretariat, a change in key indicators, restructuring of the evaluation matrix, and communication of the results to the municipalities. The three-way analysis showed that the aim of developing evaluation capacity was achieved.

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

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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

Case-control studies in neurosurgery.

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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

A real options-based CCS investment evaluation model: Case study of China's power generation sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Lei; Fan, Ying

2011-01-01

Highlights: → This paper establishes a carbon captures and storage (CCS) investment evaluation model. → The model is based on real options theory and solved by the Least Squares Monte Carlo (LSM) method. → China is taken as a case study to evaluate the effects of regulations on CCS investment. → The findings show that the current investment risk of CCS is high, climate policy having the greatest impact on CCS development. -- Abstract: This paper establishes a carbon capture and storage (CCS) investment evaluation model based on real options theory considering uncertainties from the existing thermal power generating cost, carbon price, thermal power with CCS generating cost, and investment in CCS technology deployment. The model aims to evaluate the value of the cost saving effect and amount of CO 2 emission reduction through investing in newly-built thermal power with CCS technology to replace existing thermal power in a given period from the perspective of power generation enterprises. The model is solved by the Least Squares Monte Carlo (LSM) method. Since the model could be used as a policy analysis tool, China is taken as a case study to evaluate the effects of regulations on CCS investment through scenario analysis. The findings show that the current investment risk of CCS is high, climate policy having the greatest impact on CCS development. Thus, there is an important trade off for policy makers between reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the interests of power generation enterprises. The research presented would be useful for CCS technology evaluation and related policy-making.

Standardizing evaluation process: Necessary for achieving SDGs - A case study of India.

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Srivastava, Alok

2018-05-09

A set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015 are to be implemented and achieved in every country from the year 2016 to 2030. In Indian context, all these goals are very relevant and critical, as India missed the target on many components of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The author strongly feels that one of the key reasons was lack of an in-built robust system for measuring the progress and achievements of MDGs. Monitoring and Evaluation of programmes and schemes, aiming at different SDGs, in a robust and regular manner is therefore need of the hour. A National evaluation policy (NEP) would set the tone in the right direction from the very beginning for achieving SDGs. The paper taking India as a case study discusses different critical factors pertinent for having a well laid down national level policy towards standardizing evaluation. Using real examples under different components of an evaluation policy, the paper discusses and questions the credibility and acceptance of the present evaluation system in place. The paper identifies five core mantras or pre-requisites of a national evaluation guideline. The paper emphasizes the importance of an evaluation policy in India and other countries as well, to provide authentic data gathered through a well-designed evaluation process and take corrective measures well on time to achieve SDGs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HYDROGEOLOGIC CASE STUDIES

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Hydrogeology is the foundation of subsurface site characterization for evaluations of monitored natural attenuation (MNA). Three case studies are presented. Examples of the potentially detrimental effects of drilling additives on ground-water samples from monitoring wells are d...

A Qualitative Evaluation of the Use of Multimedia Case Studies in an Introductory Engineering Course at Two Southeastern Universities

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Huett, Kim C.; Kawulich, Barbara

2015-01-01

Collaborating at two universities to improve teaching and learning in undergraduate engineering, an interdisciplinary team of researchers, instructors, and evaluators planned and implemented the use of multimedia case studies with students enrolled in an introductory engineering course. This qualitative action evaluation study focuses on results…

Methodology for the case studies

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Smits, M.J.W.; Woltjer, G.B.

2017-01-01

This document is about the methodology and selection of the case studies. It is meant as a guideline for the case studies, and together with the other reports in this work package can be a source of inform ation for policy officers, interest groups and researchers evaluating or performing impact

Critical evaluation of financial supporting schemes for wind-based projects: Case study Greece

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaldellis, J.K.

2011-01-01

After a long stagnating period during the second half of the 1990s, the market of wind energy in Greece was described by remarkable but unstable growth rates that resulted in the operation of 1 GW of wind power by the end of 2009. Still though, penetration of wind energy is not the one anticipated. On the other hand, national targets regarding the Renewable Energy Sources' (RES) contribution and existence of excellent wind potential areas across Greece challenge new wind energy investments. Acknowledging the unsteady development rates of wind power in Greece, efficiency of the State support mechanisms is currently investigated. Based on an analytical evaluation model, the investigation undertaken is extended to provide a detailed cost-benefit analysis of several wind energy case studies, including mainland and island applications as well as comparison with both conventional power stations and photovoltaic plants. For this purpose, the financial support provided by the State is directly compared with benefits accruing from the operation of wind parks, considering also the avoidance of social costs deriving from thermal power stations. Based on the results obtained, the beneficial characteristics of wind energy applications for the Greek society are clearly demonstrated, especially in the case of non-interconnected island grids. - Research highlights: → Since the mid-1990s, growth of wind power capacity in Greece has been unstable. → As a result, integration of wind energy is not the one anticipated. → Considering the situation, efficiency of State support mechanisms is evaluated. → An analytical cost-benefit model is developed and applied to various case studies. → Benefits from wind energy, especially in island regions, are designated.

Evaluating correlation between serum liver enzymes and toxocariasis: a case control study

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Hosein Miladi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of toxocariasis in individuals with the normal and abnormal level of liver enzymes. Methods: In this case-control study, the serum samples were collected in the individuals referred to diagnostic laboratories of Arak in Iran. A total of 144 sera with abnormal level of liver enzymes were selected as cases and the same numbers of sera with the normal level of liver enzymes also were selected as controls. The sera were examined for anti-Toxocara IgG. Results: Twelve (4.2% sera contained anti-Toxocara antibody and all of them were in the case group. Although the mean of all liver enzymes was significantly different in the two groups (P < 0.05, statistical test showed no relationship between the level of liver enzymes and toxocariasis. Conclusions: It was concluded that the liver enzyme alteration is not the valid indicator for predicting toxocariasis. Because the kind of liver dysfunction, that is caused by the larvae of Toxocara, is unspecified, and it seems factors such as the number of larvae can play a basic role for the emergence of alterations.

Using case study within a sequential explanatory design to evaluate the impact of specialist and advanced practice roles on clinical outcomes: the SCAPE study.

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Lalor, Joan G; Casey, Dympna; Elliott, Naomi; Coyne, Imelda; Comiskey, Catherine; Higgins, Agnes; Murphy, Kathy; Devane, Declan; Begley, Cecily

2013-04-08

The role of the clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/midwife practitioner is complex not least because of the diversity in how the roles are operationalised across health settings and within multidisciplinary teams. This aim of this paper is to use The SCAPE Study: Specialist Clinical and Advanced Practitioner Evaluation in Ireland to illustrate how case study was used to strengthen a Sequential Explanatory Design. In Phase 1, clinicians identified indicators of specialist and advanced practice which were then used to guide the instrumental case study design which formed the second phase of the larger study. Phase 2 used matched case studies to evaluate the effectiveness of specialist and advanced practitioners on clinical outcomes for service users. Data were collected through observation, documentary analysis, and interviews. Observations were made of 23 Clinical Specialists or Advanced Practitioners, and 23 matched clinicians in similar matched non-postholding sites, while they delivered care. Forty-one service users, 41 clinicians, and 23 Directors of Nursing or Midwifery were interviewed, and 279 service users completed a survey based on the components of CS and AP practice identified in Phase 1. A coding framework, and the generation of cross tabulation matrices in NVivo, was used to make explicit how the outcome measures were confirmed and validated from multiple sources. This strengthened the potential to examine single cases that seemed 'different', and allowed for cases to be redefined. Phase 3 involved interviews with policy-makers to set the findings in context. Case study is a powerful research strategy to use within sequential explanatory mixed method designs, and adds completeness to the exploration of complex issues in clinical practice. The design is flexible, allowing the use of multiple data collection methods from both qualitative and quantitative paradigms. Multiple approaches to data collection are needed to evaluate the impact

Case study as a means of evaluating the impact of early years leaders: Steps, paths and routes.

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Hadfield, Mark; Jopling, Michael

2018-04-01

The paper argues that case study will need to play an increasingly important role in the evaluation of leadership development programmes as both formal and substantive theories of leadership place greater emphasis upon the role played by organizational context on leaders ability to bring about change. Prolonged engagement within a case study provides researchers with opportunities to capture the dynamics between leaders and their organisational contexts. However, adopting a case study approach is no substitute for inadequate theorization of the link between leadership approaches and leadership effects. The paper argues for the use of inclusive and expansive theoretical notions of leadership and its relationship to organisational context. The evaluation used to illustrate these arguments was based on a longitudinal multi-site case study methodology. The case studies ran over a three-year period and tracked the effect of 42 leaders on the quality of provision in some 30 early years settings. Both individual and collective theoires of leadership were used to trace leaders' steps, paths and routes to improvement. Three overlapping theoretical lenses were used to study the dynamics of these leaders interactions with a key aspect of their organisational contexts - the existing formal and informal leadership structures - and how these affected their attempts to improve the quality of provision of their settings. The analysis, and related findings, were tiered in order to provide progressively more detailed descriptions of the relationships between leaders' approaches and changes in their settings' quality of provision. Each layer of analysis operated with a causal logic that became gradually less general and linear and increasingly more 'local' and complex. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating health effects of transport interventions methodologic case study.

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Ogilvie, David; Mitchell, Richard; Mutrie, Nanette; Petticrew, Mark; Platt, Stephen

2006-08-01

There is little evidence about the effects of environmental interventions on population levels of physical activity. Major transport projects may promote or discourage physical activity in the form of walking and cycling, but researching the health effects of such "natural experiments" in transport policy or infrastructure is challenging. Case study of attempts in 2004-2005 to evaluate the effects of two major transport projects in Scotland: an urban congestion charging scheme in Edinburgh, and a new urban motorway (freeway) in Glasgow. These interventions are typical of many major transport projects. They are unique to their context. They cannot easily be separated from the other components of the wider policies within which they occur. When, where, and how they are implemented are political decisions over which researchers have no control. Baseline data collection required for longitudinal studies may need to be planned before the intervention is certain to take place. There is no simple way of defining a population or area exposed to the intervention or of defining control groups. Changes in quantitative measures of health-related behavior may be difficult to detect. Major transport projects have clear potential to influence population health, but it is difficult to define the interventions, categorize exposure, or measure outcomes in ways that are likely to be seen as credible in the field of public health intervention research. A final study design is proposed in which multiple methods and spatial levels of analysis are combined in a longitudinal quasi-experimental study.

Evaluation of suspected physical abuse in children: a 500-case study

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Marcos Picini

Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the epidemiological profile of patients with suspected physical abuse, especially regarding the occurrence of fractures, treated in a referral hospital. METHODS: The authors reviewed all reports of suspected abuse against children and adolescents (AACA in this hospital from January 2005 to December 2015. They were assessed and separated by month and year. The characteristics of the victims of physical abuse with occurrence of fractures were studied. The features of the fractures were evaluated in those patients with available radiographs. RESULTS: Of the 3125 notifications, 500 were classified as physical injuries; of these, 63 had fractures. An annual progressive increase in notifications was observed. As for age group, 50 patients (80.6% were up to three years old and 36 (58% up to one year. Most were male (60% and the likely aggressors were mother alone and both parents (27.5% each. In 30 patients with available images, fractures of long bones (femur, tibia, and humerus predominated (71%, as well as a single fracture line (74%, diaphyseal location (73%, and a transverse line (57%. There were two deaths in fracture cases (3%. CONCLUSION: All orthopedists should be alert to suspected AACA in children with trauma below the age of three, even without classic signs of abuse.

Evaluating the Impact of the U.S. National Toxicology Program: A Case Study on Hexavalent Chromium.

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Xie, Yun; Holmgren, Stephanie; Andrews, Danica M K; Wolfe, Mary S

2017-02-01

Evaluating the impact of federally funded research with a broad, methodical, and objective approach is important to ensure that public funds advance the mission of federal agencies. We aimed to develop a methodical approach that would yield a broad assessment of National Toxicology Program's (NTP's) effectiveness across multiple sectors and demonstrate the utility of the approach through a case study. A conceptual model was developed with defined activities, outputs (products), and outcomes (proximal, intermediate, distal) and applied retrospectively to NTP's research on hexavalent chromium (CrVI). Proximal outcomes were measured by counting views of and requests for NTP's products by external stakeholders. Intermediate outcomes were measured by bibliometric analysis. Distal outcomes were assessed through Web and LexisNexis searches for documents related to legislation or regulation changes. The approach identified awareness of NTP's work on CrVI by external stakeholders (proximal outcome) and citations of NTP's research in scientific publications, reports, congressional testimonies, and legal and policy documents (intermediate outcome). NTP's research was key to the nation's first-ever drinking water standard for CrVI adopted by California in 2014 (distal outcome). By applying this approach to a case study, the utility and limitations of the approach were identified, including challenges to evaluating the outcomes of a research program. This study identified a broad and objective approach for assessing NTP's effectiveness, including methodological needs for more thorough and efficient impact assessments in the future. Citation: Xie Y, Holmgren S, Andrews DMK, Wolfe MS. 2017. Evaluating the impact of the U.S. National Toxicology Program: a case study on hexavalent chromium. Environ Health Perspect 125:181-188; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP21.

Evaluating a Tacit Knowledge Sharing Initiative: A Case Study

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Gubbins, Claire; Corrigan, Siobhan; Garavan, Thomas N.; O'Connor, Christy; Leahy, Damien; Long, David; Murphy, Eamonn

2012-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to present a case study illustrating the issues involved in the tacit knowledge conversion process and to determine whether such conversion delivers value to the organisation in terms of business value and return on investment (ROI). Design/methodology/approach: A single-case multiple baseline participants experimental…

Developing and Using a Logic Model for Evaluation and Assessment of University Student Affairs Programming: A Case Study

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Cooper, Jeff

2009-01-01

This dissertation addresses theory and practice of evaluation and assessment in university student affairs, by applying logic modeling/program theory to a case study. I intend to add knowledge to ongoing dialogue among evaluation scholars and practitioners on student affairs program planning and improvement as integral considerations that serve…

Use of genomic data in risk assessment case study: II. Evaluation of the dibutyl phthalate toxicogenomic data set

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Euling, Susan Y., E-mail: euling.susan@epa.gov [National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States); White, Lori D. [National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Kim, Andrea S. [National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States); Sen, Banalata [National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Wilson, Vickie S. [National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Keshava, Channa; Keshava, Nagalakshmi [National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States); Hester, Susan [National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Ovacik, Meric A.; Ierapetritou, Marianthi G.; Androulakis, Ioannis P. [National Center for Environmental Research Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Bioinformatics Center, Environmental Bioinformatics and Computational Toxicology Center (ebCTC), Rutgers University and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ (United States); Gaido, Kevin W. [Center for Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD 20855 (United States)

2013-09-15

An evaluation of the toxicogenomic data set for dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and male reproductive developmental effects was performed as part of a larger case study to test an approach for incorporating genomic data in risk assessment. The DBP toxicogenomic data set is composed of nine in vivo studies from the published literature that exposed rats to DBP during gestation and evaluated gene expression changes in testes or Wolffian ducts of male fetuses. The exercise focused on qualitative evaluation, based on a lack of available dose–response data, of the DBP toxicogenomic data set to postulate modes and mechanisms of action for the male reproductive developmental outcomes, which occur in the lower dose range. A weight-of-evidence evaluation was performed on the eight DBP toxicogenomic studies of the rat testis at the gene and pathway levels. The results showed relatively strong evidence of DBP-induced downregulation of genes in the steroidogenesis pathway and lipid/sterol/cholesterol transport pathway as well as effects on immediate early gene/growth/differentiation, transcription, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling and apoptosis pathways in the testis. Since two established modes of action (MOAs), reduced fetal testicular testosterone production and Insl3 gene expression, explain some but not all of the testis effects observed in rats after in utero DBP exposure, other MOAs are likely to be operative. A reanalysis of one DBP microarray study identified additional pathways within cell signaling, metabolism, hormone, disease, and cell adhesion biological processes. These putative new pathways may be associated with DBP effects on the testes that are currently unexplained. This case study on DBP identified data gaps and research needs for the use of toxicogenomic data in risk assessment. Furthermore, this study demonstrated an approach for evaluating toxicogenomic data in human health risk assessment that could be applied to future chemicals

An Orchestrating Evaluation of Complex Educational Technologies: a Case Study of a CSCL System

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Luis P. Prieto

2014-06-01

Full Text Available As digital technologies permeate every aspect of our lives, the complexity of the educational settings, and of the technological support we use within them, unceasingly rises. This increased complexity, along with the need for educational practitioners to apply such technologies within multi-constraint authentic settings, has given rise to the notion of technology-enhanced learning practice as “orchestration of learning”. However, at the same time, the complexity involved in evaluating the benefits of such educational technologies has also increased, prompting questions about the way evaluators can cope with the different places, technologies, informants and issues involved in their evaluation activity. By proposing the notion of “orchestrating evaluation”, this paper tries to reconcile the often disparate “front office accounts” of research publications and the “shop floor practice” of evaluation of educational technology, through the case study of evaluating a system to help teachers in coordinating computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL scenarios. We reuse an internationally-evaluated conceptual framework of “orchestration aspects” (design, management, adaptation, pragmatism, etc. to structure the case‟s narrative, showing how the original evaluation questions and methods were modulated in the face of the multiple (authentic evaluation setting constraints.

Evaluating institutional capacity for research ethics in Africa: a case study from Botswana

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background The increase in the volume of research conducted in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC), has brought a renewed international focus on processes for ethical conduct of research. Several programs have been initiated to strengthen the capacity for research ethics in LMIC. However, most such programs focus on individual training or development of ethics review committees. The objective of this paper is to present an approach to institutional capacity assessment in research ethics and application of this approach in the form of a case study from an institution in Africa. Methods We adapted the Octagon model originally used by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency to assess an organization along eight domains in research ethics: basic values and identity; structure and organization; ability to carry out activities; relevance of activities to stated goals; capacity of staff and management; administrative, financing and accounting systems; its relations with target groups; and the national context. We used a mixed methods approach to collect empirical data at the University of Botswana from March to December 2010. Results The overall shape of the external evaluation Octagon suggests that strengths of the University of Botswana are in the areas of structure, relevance, production and identity; while the university still needs more work in the areas of systems of finance, target groups, and environment. The Octagons also show the similarities and discrepancies between the 'external' and 'internal' evaluations and provide an opportunity for exploration of these different assessments. For example, the discrepant score for 'identity' between internal and external evaluations allows for an exploration of what constitutes a strong identity for research ethics at the University of Botswana and how it can be strengthened. Conclusions There is a general lack of frameworks for evaluating research ethics capacity in LMICs. We presented an approach that

Evaluating institutional capacity for research ethics in Africa: a case study from Botswana.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyder, Adnan A; Zafar, Waleed; Ali, Joseph; Ssekubugu, Robert; Ndebele, Paul; Kass, Nancy

2013-07-30

The increase in the volume of research conducted in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC), has brought a renewed international focus on processes for ethical conduct of research. Several programs have been initiated to strengthen the capacity for research ethics in LMIC. However, most such programs focus on individual training or development of ethics review committees. The objective of this paper is to present an approach to institutional capacity assessment in research ethics and application of this approach in the form of a case study from an institution in Africa. We adapted the Octagon model originally used by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency to assess an organization along eight domains in research ethics: basic values and identity; structure and organization; ability to carry out activities; relevance of activities to stated goals; capacity of staff and management; administrative, financing and accounting systems; its relations with target groups; and the national context. We used a mixed methods approach to collect empirical data at the University of Botswana from March to December 2010. The overall shape of the external evaluation Octagon suggests that strengths of the University of Botswana are in the areas of structure, relevance, production and identity; while the university still needs more work in the areas of systems of finance, target groups, and environment. The Octagons also show the similarities and discrepancies between the 'external' and 'internal' evaluations and provide an opportunity for exploration of these different assessments. For example, the discrepant score for 'identity' between internal and external evaluations allows for an exploration of what constitutes a strong identity for research ethics at the University of Botswana and how it can be strengthened. There is a general lack of frameworks for evaluating research ethics capacity in LMICs. We presented an approach that stresses evaluation from both internal

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...

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.

The evaluation of forensic cases reported due to food poisoning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beyza Urazel

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: In this study it is aimed to examine forensic food poisoning cases and to evaluate the clinical presentation of food poisoning in people within the context of forensic medicine. Methods: In the study, 215 food poisoning cases are evaluated, which applied to the forensic medicine branch office in our city between 01.01.2007 and 31.12.2011. The forensic reports and forensic investigations of these cases are analyzed retrospectively. The cases are examined in terms of gender, age, the type of food consumed, the treatment applied and the result of the forensic report. Results: It is determined that in 83 cases (38.6% food poisoning was caused by chicken products, and in 178 cases (82.8% the poisoned people were students. In 3 cases (1.4% the poisoning was life threatening. For 75 cases (34.9% no forensic report was prepared in emergency service and among the 140 cases for which a forensic report was prepared, only 3 of the reports were prepared in a correct manner. Conclusions: It is determined that the demographic data of the cases complies with the city where the study was conducted. It is found out that in emergency services the food poisoning cases are usually misevaluated.

Performance Evaluation of Community Health Workers: Case Study in the Amazon of Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Westgard, Christopher; Naraine, Renuka; Paucar Villacorta, Diego Mauricio

2018-03-26

A shortage in human resources for health is a growing crisis that has led to an inability to provide adequate health services to impoverished populations. By "task-shifting", health systems can delegate certain activities, such as health promotion and referral, to trained community members to help fill the human resource gap. An effective community health agent program can improve maternal and child health and overall effectiveness of rural health systems. Such a program is most effective when the community health agents receive supervision and evaluation of their performance. There is a shortage of literature that provides instruction and example on how to conduct a performance evaluation in the developing world to improve maternal and child health outcomes. The current study provides a case study of a performance evaluation in the Amazon region of Peru and how the findings can be used to make program adjustments. A set of instruments to measure the performance of CHWs was adapted from the literature and then implemented in the field. The instruments were used to measure the quality of home visits by the CHWs, their knowledge of the health topics, and structural activities. Three communities with an active CHW program in Loreto, Peru were chosen to receive the evaluation. All CHWs in the communities were evaluated. The scores from the evaluation were compared internally to identify strengths and weaknesses of the program and within the population of CHWs. The evaluation was completed on 52 home visits and 27 CHWs in three communities. The CHWs were found to be most effective at creating good relationships with caregivers and delivering health messages, and least effective at interacting with the child during the home visit and using material to deliver health messages. The evaluation instruments were well suited for the CHW program that utilizes home visits to teach about child health and development.

Application case study of AP1000 automatic depressurization system (ADS) for reliability evaluation by GO-FLOW methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hashim, Muhammad, E-mail: hashimsajid@yahoo.com; Hidekazu, Yoshikawa, E-mail: yosikawa@kib.biglobe.ne.jp; Takeshi, Matsuoka, E-mail: mats@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp; Ming, Yang, E-mail: myang.heu@gmail.com

2014-10-15

Highlights: • Discussion on reasons why AP1000 equipped with ADS system comparatively to PWR. • Clarification of full and partial depressurization of reactor coolant system by ADS system. • Application case study of four stages ADS system for reliability evaluation in LBLOCA. • GO-FLOW tool is capable to evaluate dynamic reliability of passive safety systems. • Calculated ADS reliability result significantly increased dynamic reliability of PXS. - Abstract: AP1000 nuclear power plant (NPP) utilized passive means for the safety systems to ensure its safety in events of transient or severe accidents. One of the unique safety systems of AP1000 to be compared with conventional PWR is the “four stages Automatic Depressurization System (ADS)”, and ADS system originally works as an active safety system. In the present study, authors first discussed the reasons of why four stages ADS system is added in AP1000 plant to be compared with conventional PWR in the aspect of reliability. And then explained the full and partial depressurization of RCS system by four stages ADS in events of transient and loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs). Lastly, the application case study of four stages ADS system of AP1000 has been conducted in the aspect of reliability evaluation of ADS system under postulated conditions of full RCS depressurization during large break loss of a coolant accident (LBLOCA) in one of the RCS cold legs. In this case study, the reliability evaluation is made by GO-FLOW methodology to determinate the influence of ADS system in dynamic reliability of passive core cooling system (PXS) of AP1000, i.e. what will happen if ADS system fails or successfully actuate. The GO-FLOW is success-oriented reliability analysis tool and is capable to evaluating the systems reliability/unavailability alternatively to Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and Event Tree Analysis (ETA) tools. Under these specific conditions of LBLOCA, the GO-FLOW calculated reliability results indicated

Evaluation of the Start Programme: Case-Study Report

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MacLeod, Shona; Sharp, Caroline; Weaving, Harriet; Smith, Robert; Wheater, Rebecca

2014-01-01

This report presents five case studies of long-term partnerships (over three years) between arts organisations and schools. The Start programme enables arts venues and schools to work together to offer disadvantaged young people opportunities to engage in creative activities that inspire them and enhance their experience of the arts. It is…

Approaches and Obstacles to the Evaluation of Investment in Continuing Vocational Training: Discussion and Case Studies from Six Member States of the European Union. CEDEFOP Panorama. Discussion Paper/Case Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Grunewald, Uwe; Moraal, Dick; Sorensen, John Houman; Luttringer, Jean-Marie; Pasco, Nicolas; Kohler, Alexander; Barrett, Alan; O'Connell, Philip; Garibaldo, Francesco; Lorenzoni, Stefan; Mandl, Dieter

This report summarizes six case studies on different aspects of the issue of evaluating investing in continuing vocational training (CVT). Part 1 (chapters 1-2) contains "Conceptual Introduction" (Jean-Marie Luttringer), which explores practical problems in considering training expenses as an investment, and "Methodological…

Investigating Heuristic Evaluation: A Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, Kate Haley; Bendoly, Laura

When museum professionals speak of evaluating a web site, they primarily mean formative evaluation, and by that they primarily mean testing the usability of the site. In the for-profit world, usability testing is a multi-million dollar industry, while non-profits often rely on far too few dollars to do too much. Hence, heuristic evaluation is one…

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.

Case study field evaluation of a systems approach to retrofitting a residential HVAC system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, Iain S.; McWiliams, Jennifer A.; Konopacki, Steven J.

2003-09-01

This case study focusing on a residence in northern California was undertaken as a demonstration of the potential of a systems approach to HVAC retrofits. The systems approach means that other retrofits that can affect the HVAC system are also considered. For example, added building envelope insulation reduces building loads so that smaller capacity HVAC system can be used. Secondly, we wanted to examine the practical issues and interactions with contractors and code officials required to accomplish the systems approach because it represents a departure from current practice. We identified problems in the processes of communication and installation of the retrofit that led to compromises in the final energy efficiency of the HVAC system. These issues must be overcome in order for HVAC retrofits to deliver the increased performance that they promise. The experience gained in this case study was used to optimize best practices guidelines for contractors (Walker 2003) that include building diagnostics and checklists as tools to assist in ensuring the energy efficiency of ''house as a system'' HVAC retrofits. The best practices guidelines proved to be an excellent tool for evaluating the eight existing homes in this study, and we received positive feedback from many potential users who reviewed and used them. In addition, we were able to substantially improve the energy efficiency of the retrofitted case study house by adding envelope insulation, a more efficient furnace and air conditioner, an economizer and by reducing duct leakage.

Passive fire building protection system evaluation (case study: millennium ict centre)

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Vinky; Stephanie

2018-03-01

Passive fire protection system is a system that refers to the building design, both regarding of architecture and structure. This system usually consists of structural protection that protects the structure of the building and prevents the spread of fire and facilitate the evacuation process in case of fire. Millennium ICT Center is the largest electronic shopping center in Medan, Indonesia. As a public building that accommodates the crowd, this building needs a fire protection system by the standards. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate passive fire protection system of Millennium ICT Center building. The study was conducted to describe the facts of the building as well as direct observation to the research location. The collected data is then processed using the AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) method in its weighting process to obtain the reliability value of passive fire protection fire system. The results showed that there are some components of passive fire protection system in the building, but some are still unqualified. The first section in your paper

Evaluation of Architectural Spatial Quality in Patients’ Rooms in the Context of User Satisfaction in General Hospitals: A Case study in Gaziantep

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aslı SUNGUR ERGENOĞLU

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Healthcare facilities are being evaluated throughout the world determine to what extent they are meeting the needs of patients. Evidence-based research is gaining importance in Turkey as hospital designers strive to increase patients’ satisfaction. In this paper, we will examine the results of a case study conducted to evaluate the spatial quality of patients’ rooms in the context of their satisfaction. Two private general healthcare buildings in Gaziantep were examined in the case study. We chose to evaluate private hospitals because we assumed they would have better conditions than state hospitals. We also took into consideration that these healthcare institutions are in the process of accreditation. Surgeries are frequently conducted here and long-term stays are common. In order to evaluate the subject thoroughly, we used a both a questionnaire and a checklist to gather information. Problems with the spatial quality of the rooms will be identified in the discussion chapter. The examples chosen for the study have showed significant development in available services and space. Using the data obtained from the case study, we have chosen three categories of design criteria through which to evaluate these facilities. Findings will be presented under the headings of function, aesthetics and safety in the results chapter.

Evaluation of self-reported ethnicity in a case-control population: the stroke prevention in young women study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wozniak Marcella A

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Population-based association studies are used to identify common susceptibility variants for complex genetic traits. These studies are susceptible to confounding from unknown population substructure. Here we apply a model-based clustering approach to our case-control study of stroke among young women to examine if self-reported ethnicity can serve as a proxy for genetic ancestry. Findings A population-based case-control study of stroke among women aged 15-49 identified 361 cases of first ischemic stroke and 401 age-comparable control subjects. Thirty single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs throughout the genome unrelated to stroke risk and with established ancestry-based allele frequency differences were genotyped in all participants. The Structure program was used to iteratively evaluate for K = 1 to 5 potential genetic-based subpopulations. Evaluating the population as a whole, the Structure output plateaued at K = 2 clusters. 98% of self-reported Caucasians had an estimated probability ≥50% of belonging to Cluster 1, while 94% of self-reported African-Americans had an estimated probability ≥50% of belonging to Cluster 2. Stratifying the participants by self-reported ethnicity and repeating the analyses revealed the presence of two clusters among Caucasians, suggesting that potential substructure may exist. Conclusions Among our combined sample of African-American and Caucasian participants there is no large unknown subpopulation and self-reported ethnicity can serve as a proxy for genetic ancestry. Ethnicity-specific analyses indicate that population substructure may exist among the Caucasian participants indicating that further studies are warranted.

Case study of a framing effect in course evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynöe, Niels; Juth, Niklas; Helgesson, Gert

2012-01-01

When new elements are included in the medical curriculum and the total time frame remains unchanged, established disciplines have to shorten their courses. This might bring about frustration among the teachers and students concerned, which in turn might affect how other courses are perceived. Two course evaluations, one before and one after a major change in the curriculum were compared. Comments were also analysed. We found that the students' and teachers' frustration influenced the students' evaluations of a new course in the philosophy of medicine and accordingly brought about an unintended message effect referred to as a framing effect. The results of this observational study indicate that a negative framing effect might influence course-evaluations. We suggest that this study might be used as a point of departure for further empirical studies about negative framing effects.

E-Service Quality Evaluation on E-Government Website: Case Study BPJS Kesehatan Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Rasyid, A.; Alfina, I.

2017-01-01

This research intends to develop a model to evaluate the quality of e-services on e-government. The proposed model consists of seven dimensions: web design, reliability, responsiveness, privacy and security, personalization, information, and ease of use. The model is used to measure the quality of the e-registration of BPJS Kesehatan, an Indonesian government health insurance program. The validation and reliability testing show that of the seven dimensions proposed, only four that suitable for the case study. The result shows that the BPJS Kesehatan e-registration service is good in reliability and responsiveness dimensions, while from web design and ease of use dimensions the e-service still needs to be optimized.

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…

Toolkit for healthcare facility design evaluation - some case studies

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

De Jager, Peta

2007-10-01

Full Text Available themes in approach. Further study is indicated, but preliminary research shows that, whilst these toolkits can be applied to the South African context, there are compelling reasons for them to be adapted. This paper briefly outlines these three case...

Toolkit for healthcare facility design evaluation - some case studies.

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

De Jager, Peta

2007-10-01

Full Text Available themes in approach. Further study is indicated, but preliminary research shows that, whilst these toolkits can be applied to the South African context, there are compelling reasons for them to be adapted. This paper briefly outlines these three case...

HYDROGEOLOGIC CASE STUDIES (DENVER PRESENTATION)

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Hydrogeology is the foundation of subsurface site characterization for evaluations of monitored natural attenuation (MNA). Three case studies are presented. Examples of the potentially detrimental effects of drilling additives on ground-water samples from monitoring wells are d...

HYDROGEOLOGIC CASE STUDIES (CHICAGO, IL)

Science.gov (United States)

Hydrogeology is the foundation of subsurface site characterization for evaluations of monitored natural attenuation (MNA). Three case studies are presented. Examples of the potentially detrimental effects of drilling additives on ground-water samples from monitoring wells are d...

Hydrogeologic Case Studies (Seattle, WA)

Science.gov (United States)

Hydrogeology is the foundation of subsurface site characterization for evaluations of monitored natural attenuation (MNA). Three case studies are presented. Examples of the potentially detrimental effects of drilling additives on ground-water samples from monitoring wells are d...

Evaluation of a case-based urology learning program.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Kirtishri; Snow-Lisy, Devon C; Ross, Jonathan; Goldfarb, David A; Goldman, Howard; Campbell, Steven C

2013-12-01

To address the challenges that today's trainees encounter, such as information overload and reduced immersion in the field, and recognizing their preference for novel educational resources, an electronic case-based urology learning program was developed. Each case was designed to illustrate the basic principles of the disease process and the fundamentals of evaluation and management using the Socratic method, recapitulating a prototypical patient encounter. A 21-question survey was developed after review of published reports of classroom and clinical learning environment surveys. The target group was 2 pilot urology training programs (the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals-Case Medical Center). The responses were entirely anonymous. A total of 32 trainees participated (8 fellows and 24 residents), representing a 53% response rate. Most trainees (79%) were able to process cases within an average of ≤ 10 minutes. Of the trainees, 91% reported referring back to particular cases for patient care, to review for examinations, or for studying. Most trainees believed a case-based urology learning program would be a potentially important resource for clinical practice (69%) and for preparing for the in-service (63%) or board (69%) examinations. Most trainees believed the program met its goals of illustrating the basics principles of the disease process (88%), outlining the fundamentals of evaluation and management (94%), and improving the trainees' knowledge base (91%). An electronic case-based urology learning program is feasible and useful and stimulates learning at all trainee levels. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use Case Evaluation (UCE): A Method for Early Usability Evaluation in Software Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stage, Jan; Høegh, Rune Thaarup; Hornbæk, K.

2007-01-01

t is often argued that usability problems should be identified as early as possible during software development, but many usability evaluation methods do not fit well in early development activities. We propose a method for usability evaluation of use cases, a widely used representation of design...... ideas produced early in software development processes. The method proceeds by systematic inspection of use cases with reference to a set of guidelines for usable design. To validate the method, four evaluators inspected a set of use cases for a health care application....

Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies: Preparation, design, and enrollment of cases and controls.

Science.gov (United States)

Verani, Jennifer R; Baqui, Abdullah H; Broome, Claire V; Cherian, Thomas; Cohen, Cheryl; Farrar, Jennifer L; Feikin, Daniel R; Groome, Michelle J; Hajjeh, Rana A; Johnson, Hope L; Madhi, Shabir A; Mulholland, Kim; O'Brien, Katherine L; Parashar, Umesh D; Patel, Manish M; Rodrigues, Laura C; Santosham, Mathuram; Scott, J Anthony; Smith, Peter G; Sommerfelt, Halvor; Tate, Jacqueline E; Victor, J Chris; Whitney, Cynthia G; Zaidi, Anita K; Zell, Elizabeth R

2017-06-05

Case-control studies are commonly used to evaluate effectiveness of licensed vaccines after deployment in public health programs. Such studies can provide policy-relevant data on vaccine performance under 'real world' conditions, contributing to the evidence base to support and sustain introduction of new vaccines. However, case-control studies do not measure the impact of vaccine introduction on disease at a population level, and are subject to bias and confounding, which may lead to inaccurate results that can misinform policy decisions. In 2012, a group of experts met to review recent experience with case-control studies evaluating the effectiveness of several vaccines; here we summarize the recommendations of that group regarding best practices for planning, design and enrollment of cases and controls. Rigorous planning and preparation should focus on understanding the study context including healthcare-seeking and vaccination practices. Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies are best carried out soon after vaccine introduction because high coverage creates strong potential for confounding. Endpoints specific to the vaccine target are preferable to non-specific clinical syndromes since the proportion of non-specific outcomes preventable through vaccination may vary over time and place, leading to potentially confusing results. Controls should be representative of the source population from which cases arise, and are generally recruited from the community or health facilities where cases are enrolled. Matching of controls to cases for potential confounding factors is commonly used, although should be reserved for a limited number of key variables believed to be linked to both vaccination and disease. Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies can provide information useful to guide policy decisions and vaccine development, however rigorous preparation and design is essential. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Use of genomic data in risk assessment case study: I. Evaluation of the dibutyl phthalate male reproductive development toxicity data set

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makris, Susan L., E-mail: makris.susan@epa.gov [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, (Mail code 8623P), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460 (United States); Euling, Susan Y. [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, (Mail code 8623P), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460 (United States); Gray, L. Earl [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, (MD-72), Highway 54, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 (United States); Benson, Robert [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8, (Mail code 8P-W), 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, CO 80202 (United States); Foster, Paul M.D. [National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, P.O. Box 12233 (MD K2-12), Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States)

2013-09-15

A case study was conducted, using dibutyl phthalate (DBP), to explore an approach to using toxicogenomic data in risk assessment. The toxicity and toxicogenomic data sets relative to DBP-related male reproductive developmental outcomes were considered conjointly to derive information about mode and mechanism of action. In this manuscript, we describe the case study evaluation of the toxicological database for DBP, focusing on identifying the full spectrum of male reproductive developmental effects. The data were assessed to 1) evaluate low dose and low incidence findings and 2) identify male reproductive toxicity endpoints without well-established modes of action (MOAs). These efforts led to the characterization of data gaps and research needs for the toxicity and toxicogenomic studies in a risk assessment context. Further, the identification of endpoints with unexplained MOAs in the toxicity data set was useful in the subsequent evaluation of the mechanistic information that the toxicogenomic data set evaluation could provide. The extensive analysis of the toxicology data set within the MOA context provided a resource of information for DBP in attempts to hypothesize MOAs (for endpoints without a well-established MOA) and to phenotypically anchor toxicogenomic and other mechanistic data both to toxicity endpoints and to available toxicogenomic data. This case study serves as an example of the steps that can be taken to develop a toxicological data source for a risk assessment, both in general and especially for risk assessments that include toxicogenomic data.

A case study evaluation of a Critical Care Information System adoption using the socio-technical and fit approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Yusof, Maryati Mohd

2015-07-01

Clinical information systems have long been used in intensive care units but reports on their adoption and benefits are limited. This study evaluated a Critical Care Information System implementation. A case study summative evaluation was conducted, employing observation, interview, and document analysis in operating theatres and 16-bed adult intensive care units in a 400-bed Malaysian tertiary referral centre from the perspectives of users (nurses and physicians), management, and information technology staff. System implementation, factors influencing adoption, fit between these factors, and the impact of the Critical Care Information System were evaluated after eight months of operation. Positive influences on system adoption were associated with technical factors, including system ease of use, usefulness, and information relevancy; human factors, particularly user attitude; and organisational factors, namely clinical process-technology alignment and champions. Organisational factors such as planning, project management, training, technology support, turnover rate, clinical workload, and communication were barriers to system implementation and use. Recommendations to improve the current system problems were discussed. Most nursing staff positively perceived the system's reduction of documentation and data access time, giving them more time with patients. System acceptance varied among doctors. System use also had positive impacts on timesaving, data quality, and clinical workflow. Critical Care Information Systems is crucial and has great potentials in enhancing and delivering critical care. However, the case study findings showed that the system faced complex challenges and was underutilised despite its potential. The role of socio-technical factors and their fit in realizing the potential of Critical Care Information Systems requires continuous, in-depth evaluation and stakeholder understanding and acknowledgement. The comprehensive and specific evaluation

Case Study Observational Research: A Framework for Conducting Case Study Research Where Observation Data Are the Focus.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Sonya J; Pullon, Susan R H; Macdonald, Lindsay M; McKinlay, Eileen M; Gray, Ben V

2017-06-01

Case study research is a comprehensive method that incorporates multiple sources of data to provide detailed accounts of complex research phenomena in real-life contexts. However, current models of case study research do not particularly distinguish the unique contribution observation data can make. Observation methods have the potential to reach beyond other methods that rely largely or solely on self-report. This article describes the distinctive characteristics of case study observational research, a modified form of Yin's 2014 model of case study research the authors used in a study exploring interprofessional collaboration in primary care. In this approach, observation data are positioned as the central component of the research design. Case study observational research offers a promising approach for researchers in a wide range of health care settings seeking more complete understandings of complex topics, where contextual influences are of primary concern. Future research is needed to refine and evaluate the approach.

[Implementation and evaluation of a teaching plan for the auto-irrigation of colostomy: a case study].

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Idevânia Geraldina; Maruyama, Sônia Ayako Tao

2004-01-01

With a view to describing and evaluating the implementation of a teaching plan for the auto-irrigation of colostomy and reporting on the perceptions of colostomized patients related to auto-irrigation, this case study was developed at the colostomy out-patient clinic of the Júlio Müller University Hospital, Cuiabá, Brazil, from February to March 1997. The teaching plan helped the patients to learn about the irrigation technique and social rehabilitation.

Using evaluation methods to guide the development of a tobacco-use prevention curriculum for youth: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bridge, P D; Gallagher, R E; Berry-Bobovski, L C

2000-01-01

Fundamental to the development of educational programs and curricula is the evaluation of processes and outcomes. Unfortunately, many otherwise well-designed programs do not incorporate stringent evaluation methods and are limited in measuring program development and effectiveness. Using an advertising lesson in a school-based tobacco-use prevention curriculum as a case study, the authors examine the role of evaluation in the development, implementation, and enhancement of the curricular lesson. A four-phase formative and summative evaluation design was developed to divide the program-evaluation continuum into a structured process that would aid in the management of the evaluation, as well as assess curricular components. Formative and summative evaluation can provide important guidance in the development, implementation, and enhancement of educational curricula. Evaluation strategies identified unexpected barriers and allowed the project team to make necessary "time-relevant" curricular adjustments during each stage of the process.

Evaluation of hybrid power system alternatives: a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenthal, Andrew L.

1999-01-01

Pursuant to executive and statutory policies, the National Park Service (NPS) has been evaluating the use of photovoltaic (PV) hybrid power systems, for many of its remote, off-grid areas. This paper reports the results of a detailed technical and economic evaluation for one such area: the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. The study evaluates the presented power systems and five alternative power generation configurations, four of which utilise PV. Projections are provided for the generator run-time and fuel use associated with each configuration as well as all initial and future costs. Included in the study are specific recommendations for energy efficiency improvements at the site. Results show that the generation systems presently in use, two full-time diesel generators, has the lowest conventional 20-year life cycle costs (LCC) of the six systems evaluated. However, when emissions costs are included (per NPS guidelines), several of the PV hybrid alternatives attain a lower LCC than the diesel-only systems. General discussion of the effects of initial versus future costs of PV hybrids as they compare with engine generator system is presented. (Author)

Using Online Case Studies to Enhance Teacher Preparation

Science.gov (United States)

Richman, Laila

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact interactive, online case studies have on learning for preservice teachers. More specifically, it evaluated whether the use of online case studies in instruction could enhance the level of knowledge the preservice teacher gained from the content material. This study utilized a nonequivalent group,…

Evaluation of service quality by using fuzzy MCDM: A case study in Iranian health-care centers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leili Afkham

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Service quality plays an important role in health care systems since hospitals are responsible for people's lives. This study presents an effective approach for evaluating and comparing service qualities of four hospitals. Service quality consists of different attributes and many of them are intangible and difficult to measure. Therefore, we propose a fuzzy method to resolve the ambiguity of the concepts, which are associated with human judgments. SERVQUAL model is used to evaluate the respondents' judgments of service quality and multi attribute decision making approach is implemented for the comparison among hospitals. The paper use analytical hierarchy process (AHP for obtaining criteria weight and TOPSIS for ranking the cases.

Capability Approach for well-being Evaluation in Regional Development Planning : Case Study in Magelang Regency. Central java, Indonesia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pramono, Retno Widodo Dwi

2016-01-01

The thesis uses Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach (1993, 2000) to devise a set of criteria to evaluate the well-being and quality of life of economic groups in a case study of Magelang, a small rural area in Central Java, Indonesia. In applying this method, the researcher examines how the spatial

A Lesson in Carefully Managing Resources: A Case Study from an Evaluation of a Music Education Program

Science.gov (United States)

Hobson, Kristin A.; Burkhardt, Jason T.

2012-01-01

Background: A music education program with a goal of enhancing cognitive development of preschool-aged children enrolled in local preschools is evaluated by The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University. The budget for the evaluation was small, and therefore presented several challenges to the evaluation team. Purpose: Through a case study…

Can legal research benefit from evaluation studies?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frans L. Leeuw

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The article describes what evaluation studies have to offer to legal research. Several cases and types of evaluations are presented, in relation to legal or semi-legal questions. Also, a short overview of the contemporary history of evaluation studies is presented. Finally, it will address the question of how to ensure that in legal research and in legal training attention is paid to theories, designs and methods of evaluation studies.

External Evaluation of Education and Teacher Work: The Brazilian Case

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Rothen, José Carlos; da Cunha Malheiros Santana, Andréia

2015-01-01

This article aims to discuss whether external evaluations are instruments to ensure increased quality of public school education. It is part of a research that investigated how evaluation results and the resulting indices were used in two schools in the state of São Paulo (Brazil). The methodology adopted was the case study, using different…

Evaluation of Outsourcing in Nursing Services: A Case Study of Kashani Hospital, Isfahan in 2011

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Ferdosi, Masoud; Farahabadi, Ehsan; Mofid, Maryam; Rejalian, Farzaneh; Haghighat, Maryam; Naghdi, Parnaz

2013-01-01

Background: Hospitals need to focus on their core activities, thus outsourcing of services may be effective in some instances. However, monitoring and supervision is a vital mechanism to preserving and enhancing the quality of outsourced services, and to identify the benefits and losses occurred. The purpose of this study is evaluation of nursing services outsourced in a general hospital from different point of views. Methods: This is a descriptive and applied study done by case study (before and after) method. Outsourcing nursing services of clinical wards (ENT and Neurosurgery) of Kashani Hospital in 2011 has been studied. We extracted data from a handmade questionnaire about internal customer’s satisfaction and semi-structured interviews with officials, and also survey of financial and administrative documents and records related to the topic. Results: The findings indicate an increased number of graduated nurses per bed to fulfill the main objective of outsourcing in this case. But achieving this objective is accompanied with remarkable increased costs per bed after outsourcing. Besides, we noticed minor changes in internal customer satisfaction rate. Conclusion: While outsourcing should bring about staff and patients’ satisfaction and increase the efficiency and effectiveness, outsourcing nursing workforce singly, leaded to a loss of efficiency. Therefore, the applied outsourcing has not met the productivity for the hospital. PMID:23678338

Evaluation of outsourcing in nursing services: a case study of kashani hospital, isfahan in 2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferdosi, Masoud; Farahabadi, Ehsan; Mofid, Maryam; Rejalian, Farzaneh; Haghighat, Maryam; Naghdi, Parnaz

2013-03-01

Hospitals need to focus on their core activities, thus outsourcing of services may be effective in some instances. However, monitoring and supervision is a vital mechanism to preserving and enhancing the quality of outsourced services, and to identify the benefits and losses occurred. The purpose of this study is evaluation of nursing services outsourced in a general hospital from different point of views. This is a descriptive and applied study done by case study (before and after) method. Outsourcing nursing services of clinical wards (ENT and Neurosurgery) of Kashani Hospital in 2011 has been studied. We extracted data from a handmade questionnaire about internal customer's satisfaction and semi-structured interviews with officials, and also survey of financial and administrative documents and records related to the topic. The findings indicate an increased number of graduated nurses per bed to fulfill the main objective of outsourcing in this case. But achieving this objective is accompanied with remarkable increased costs per bed after outsourcing. Besides, we noticed minor changes in internal customer satisfaction rate. While outsourcing should bring about staff and patients' satisfaction and increase the efficiency and effectiveness, outsourcing nursing workforce singly, leaded to a loss of efficiency. Therefore, the applied outsourcing has not met the productivity for the hospital.

Making Professional Development Flexible: A Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsyth, Rachel

2002-01-01

Presents a case study of an online course that was designed for staff professional development at Manchester Metropolitan University (United Kingdom). Discusses the flexibility of online courses; course design; activities for short online workshops; evaluation methods for course evaluation; and results of participant questionnaires. (LRW)

Customizing Process to Align with Purpose and Program: The 2003 MS PHD'S in Ocean Sciences Program Evaluative Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Williamson, V. A.; Pyrtle, A. J.

2004-12-01

How did the 2003 Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success (MS PHD'S) in Ocean Sciences Program customize evaluative methodology and instruments to align with program goals and processes? How is data captured to document cognitive and affective impact? How are words and numbers utilized to accurately illustrate programmatic outcomes? How is compliance with implicit and explicit funding regulations demonstrated? The 2003 MS PHD'S in Ocean Sciences Program case study provides insightful responses to each of these questions. MS PHD'S was developed by and for underrepresented minorities to facilitate increased and sustained participation in Earth system science. Key components of this initiative include development of a community of scholars sustained by face-to-face and virtual mentoring partnerships; establishment of networking activities between and among undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate students, scientists, faculty, professional organization representatives, and federal program officers; and provision of forums to address real world issues as identified by each constituent group. The evaluative case study of the 2003 MS PHD'S in Ocean Sciences Program consists of an analysis of four data sets. Each data set was aligned to document progress in the achievement of the following program goals: Goal 1: The MS PHD'S Ocean Sciences Program will successfully market, recruit, select, and engage underrepresented student and non-student participants with interest/ involvement in Ocean Sciences; Goal 2: The MS PHD'S Ocean Sciences Program will provide meaningful engagement for participants as determined by quantitative analysis of user-feedback; Goal 3: The MS PHD'S Ocean Sciences Program will provide meaningful engagement for participants as determined by qualitative analysis of user-feedback, and; Goal 4: The MS PHD'S Ocean Sciences Program will develop a constituent base adequate to demonstrate evidence of interest, value, need and sustainability in

Predictive validity of the Biomedical Admissions Test: an evaluation and case study.

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McManus, I C; Ferguson, Eamonn; Wakeford, Richard; Powis, David; James, David

2011-01-01

There has been an increase in the use of pre-admission selection tests for medicine. Such tests need to show good psychometric properties. Here, we use a paper by Emery and Bell [2009. The predictive validity of the Biomedical Admissions Test for pre-clinical examination performance. Med Educ 43:557-564] as a case study to evaluate and comment on the reporting of psychometric data in the field of medical student selection (and the comments apply to many papers in the field). We highlight pitfalls when reliability data are not presented, how simple zero-order associations can lead to inaccurate conclusions about the predictive validity of a test, and how biases need to be explored and reported. We show with BMAT that it is the knowledge part of the test which does all the predictive work. We show that without evidence of incremental validity it is difficult to assess the value of any selection tests for medicine.

Collaborative Assessment: Middle School Case Study

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Parkison, Paul T.

2014-01-01

Utilizing a participant observer research model, a case study of the efficacy of a collaborative assessment methodology within a middle school social studies class was conducted. A review of existing research revealed that students' perceptions of assessment, evaluation, and accountability influence their intrinsic motivation to learn. A…

Programme evaluation – Case work with families and children in Riga

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Filipova M.

2014-01-01

The aim of the study is to evaluate the quality of the case work system in providing social assistance. The research involved the unity of all the activities undertaken by a social worker when focusing on case work. Quality assessment criteria were defined for the sake of carrying out the research.

Evaluation of some water saving devices in urban areas: A case study from the Sultanate of Oman

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Hayder A. Abdel Rahman

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Water Saving Devices (WSDs sustain demands for potable water, soften impacts on supply systems and inflict a positive effect on wastewater treatment systems. This study evaluated the effect of some WSDs in Oman. A questionnaire survey and some case studies were used. The survey results revealed that the pipe line system network for water supply accounted for about 67.7%, whereas the rest mainly use tankers. Around 37.2% of the participants received consumed 25000 - 45000 liters per household per month. Case studies showed no significant difference in household water usage before and after installation of WSDs due to pre-installed aerators. Toilet bags and dual flush toilets were not effective promoting users to flush. However, WSDs were significantly effective in restaurants, mosques, hotels and government buildings. Water consumption in shopping centres and hospitals slightly decreased. Retrofitting programs that involve replacement of existing plumbing equipment and residential water audit programs are recommended.

Etiological evaluation of primary congenital hypothyroidism cases.

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Bezen, Diğdem; Dilek, Emine; Torun, Neşe; Tütüncüler, Filiz

2017-06-01

Primary congenital hypothyroidism is frequently seen endocrine disorder and one of the preventable cause of mental retardation. Aim of study was to evaluate the frequency of permanent/transient hypothyrodism, and to detect underlying reason to identfy any marker which carries potential to discriminate permanent/transient form. Forty eight cases older than 3 years of age, diagnosed as primary congenital hypothyroidism and started thyroxin therapy in newborn-period, and followed up between January 2007-June 2013 were included in the study. Thyroid hormon levels were evaluated and thyroid ultrasonography was performed in cases who are at the end of their 3 years of age, after 6 weeks of thyroxine free period. Thyroid sintigraphy was performed if serum thyroid-stimulating hormone was high (≥ 5 mIU/mL) and perchlorate discharge test was performed if uptake was normal or increased on sintigraphy. Cases with thyroid-stimulating hormone levels ≥ 5 mIU/mL were defined as permanent primary congenital hypothyroidism group and as transient primary congenital hypothyroidism group with normal thyroid hormones during 6 months. The mean age was 3.8±0.7 years. Mean diagnosis age was 16.6±6.5 days and 14 cases (29.2%) were diagnosed by screening program of Ministry of Health. There were 23 cases (14F, 9M) in permanent primary congenital hypothyroidism group and 12 (52.2%) of them were dysgenesis (8 hypoplasia, 4 ectopia), and 11 (47.8%) dyshormonogenesis. In transient primary congenital hypothyroidism group, there were 25 cases (17M, 8F). The mean thyroid-stimulating hormone levels at diagnosis were similar in two groups. The mean thyroxin dose in permanent primary congenital hypothyroidism group was significantly higher than transient group at the time of thyroxin cessation (2.1±0.7, 1.5±0.5 mg/kg/d, respectively, p=0.004). Thyroxin dose ≥1.6 mcg/kg/d was 72% sensitive and 69.6% specific for predicting permenant primary congenital hypothyroidism. Transient primary

Project management in practice : Evaluating a case project through project management theories

OpenAIRE

Uusitalo, Jenni

2013-01-01

The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate a case project and to study whether it was carried out in a correct manner; meaning that did the case project follow the project management models. In addition, part of the study was to determine what could have been improved in the management of the case project. The case project was about creating and launching a communication channel based on a social media service, on a blog platform called Tumblr, for Team Finland in Spain network. The network p...

Evaluation of salivary tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients with the chronic periodontitis: A case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yousefimanesh, Hojatollah; Maryam, Robati; Mahmoud, Jahangirnezhad; Mehri, Ghafourian Boroujerdnia; Mohsen, Taghipour

2013-11-01

Periodontitis is a chronic infectious disease that leads to inflammation of the tissues supporting the teeth, bone loss, attachment loss progressively. In chronic periodontitis for starting the host response and inflammatory reaction, the presence of the infectious agent is necessary. One of inflammatory factors is tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) that appear to be important in the destruction of periodontal tissues that were examined in this study. This study was performed in the laboratory and case-control study. The samples of study collected from 30 individuals with chronic periodontitis and 30 healthy controls that matched for age and sex, together. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected from patients and then TNF-α level were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and were compared with the control group. In this study for statistical analysis, Mann-Whitney was used. There were differences in mean salivary concentrations of TNF-α in controls and patients. The average concentration in the case group was 9.1 (pg/ml) and the control group was 8.7 (pg/ml), but there was no significant difference between case and control groups (P > 0.05). The results of this analysis showed no significant relationship between two groups TNF-α concentration. This biomarker can not seem to be a good index to evaluate or predict periodontal disease.

Evaluation of salivary tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients with the chronic periodontitis: A case-control study

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Hojatollah Yousefimanesh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Context: Periodontitis is a chronic infectious disease that leads to inflammation of the tissues supporting the teeth, bone loss, attachment loss progressively. In chronic periodontitis for starting the host response and inflammatory reaction, the presence of the infectious agent is necessary. Aims: One of inflammatory factors is tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α that appear to be important in the destruction of periodontal tissues that were examined in this study. Materials and Methods: This study was performed in the laboratory and case-control study. The samples of study collected from 30 individuals with chronic periodontitis and 30 healthy controls that matched for age and sex, together. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected from patients and then TNF-α level were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and were compared with the control group. Statistical Analysis Used: In this study for statistical analysis, Mann-Whitney was used. Results: There were differences in mean salivary concentrations of TNF-α in controls and patients. The average concentration in the case group was 9.1 (pg/ml and the control group was 8.7 (pg/ml, but there was no significant difference between case and control groups (P > 0.05. Conclusions: The results of this analysis showed no significant relationship between two groups TNF-α concentration.This biomarker can not seem to be a good index to evaluate or predict periodontal disease.

Clinical characteristics of patients with tinnitus evaluated with the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire in Japan: A case series.

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Takashi Kojima

Full Text Available The Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire was determined as a standardized questionnaire for obtaining patient case histories and for characterizing patients into subgroups at the Tinnitus Research Initiative in 2006. In this study, we developed a Japanese version of this questionnaire for evaluating the clinical characteristics of patients with tinnitus. The Japanese version of the questionnaire will be available for evaluating treatments for tinnitus and for comparing data on tinnitus in research centers.To evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with tinnitus in Japan using a newly developed Japanese version of Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire.This was a prospective study based on patient records.University hospitals, general hospitals, and clinics.We collected patient data using a Japanese translated version of the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire. In total, 584 patients who visited our institutions in Japan between August 2012 and March 2014 were included (280 males and 304 females; age 13-92 years; mean age, 60.8. We examined patients after dividing them into two groups according to the presence or absence of hyperacusis. The collected results were compared with those from the Tinnitus Research Initiative database.Compared with the TRI database, there were significantly more elderly female patients and fewer patients with trauma-associated tinnitus. There was a statistically lower ratio of patients with hyperacusis. We found that patients with tinnitus in addition to hyperacusis had greater tinnitus severity and exhibited higher rates of various complications.The Japanese version of the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire developed in this study can be a useful tool for evaluating patients with tinnitus in Japan. The results of this multicenter study reflect the characteristics of patients with tinnitus who require medical care in Japan. Our data provides a preliminary basis for an international

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...

PR and PP evaluation. ESFR full system case study final report (Tentative translation)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagara, Hiroshi; Kawakubo, Yoko; Inoue, Naoko

2014-01-01

The Generation IV (GEN IV) International Forum (GIF) Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection Working Group (PRPP WG) was established in December, 2002, as one of the crosscut groups under GIF, in order to develop a methodology for evaluating PR and PP of potential GEN IV options. The group currently consists of the experts from the U.S. national laboratories and universities, from Canada, France, Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and European Union(EU). The present report, published in Oct. 2009, was used as a supporting study for development of the evaluation methodology for proliferation resistance and physical protection of GEN IV nuclear energy systems. The present report is summarizing the case study of the PR and PP evaluation of Example Sodium Fast Reactor (ESFR), a hypothetical nuclear energy system consisting of nine main system elements, and it provides for designers the practical experience of applying the PR and PP evaluation methodology to a nuclear energy system. The development of the future nuclear fuel cycle system with sufficient PR and PP features is a crucial task in Japan, and the demonstration and explanation about its effectiveness to the domestic and international society will be required. With the usefulness the present report for such purposes, it was translated and published here as a Japanese-language edition with the concurrence of the OECD-NEA. The original report in English language can be downloaded at the OECD-NEA website. The translation was performed as closely as possible to the original, and special attention was paid to the technical term translation for consistency. Terms difficult to be translated appropriately into Japanese was written with the original English wording. Safeguards terms were translated with reference to “IAEA Safeguards Glossary 2001 Edition” (Japanese), published by the Nuclear Material Control Center Japan (NMCC). The authors are grateful to the GIF

A case study for evaluating ecological risks at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, S.; Brewer, R.; Morris, R.; VanHorn, R.

1994-01-01

A case study was conducted as a component of the development of guidance for ecological risk assessment at the Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The INEL is a large facility in southeastern Idaho, encompassing expanses of sagebrush-steppe that harbor numerous wildlife species. Nuclear research and waste disposal activities have resulted in releases of radionuclides at various sites. Due to the size and number of potentially contaminated areas, a cost-effective method was needed to evaluate ecological risks and to identify data needs for remedial investigations. Screening-level assessment approaches were developed to evaluate data collected from previous site investigations. Above-background concentrations of radionuclides and other contaminants in media were compared to risk-based criteria, which were derived from sources such as recent publications of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP). Site-specific risks to plants and wildlife were estimated for contaminants exceeding criteria. Dose rates derived using various estimation methods were compared to reference doses for wildlife obtained from IAEA, NCRP, and other publications

Method of evaluating the impact of ERP implementation critical success factors - a case study in oil and gas industries

Science.gov (United States)

Gajic, Gordana; Stankovski, Stevan; Ostojic, Gordana; Tesic, Zdravko; Miladinovic, Ljubomir

2014-01-01

The so far implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have in many cases failed to meet the requirements regarding the business process control, decrease of business costs and increase of company profit margin. Therefore, there is a real need for an evaluation of the influence of ERP on the company's performance indicators. Proposed in this article is an advanced model for the evaluation of the success of ERP implementation on organisational and operational performance indicators in oil-gas companies. The recommended method establishes a correlation between a process-based method, a scorecard model and ERP critical success factors. The method was verified and tested on two case studies in oil-gas companies using the following procedure: the model was developed, tested and implemented in a pilot gas-oil company, while the results were implemented and verified in another gas-oil company.

Laparoscopic evaluation of tubal pathology in cases of infertility

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Maherunnessa

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Infertility is a public health problem in developed and developing countries. Diagnostic laparoscopy is a generally accepted procedure to detect pelvic organ pathologies affecting fertility. This study was undertaken to find out the tubal pathology contributing to primary and secondary infertility by laparoscopic examination. The study was carried out in the department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, BIRDEM during the period of January 2001 to December 2001. The study group comprised of 100 cases of infertile patients of age between 20 to 40 years. Sixty seven percent patients had primary infertility and 33% patients had secondary infertility. Size and shape of the uterus was normal in 69% cases and bicornuate uterus was found in 2% cases. Out of total cases, 71% and 69% had normal right and left fallopian tubes respectively. Patency of right and left fallopian tube was normal in 90% and 89% cases respectively while 11% and 10% had peritubal adhesions. Laparoscopy examination is an important tool for evaluation of tubal pathology contributing to infertility and might play a major role in infertility management. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2013; 7(2: 38-40

Substituting physicians with nurse practitioners, physician assistants or nurses in nursing homes: protocol for a realist evaluation case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lovink, Marleen Hermien; Persoon, Anke; van Vught, Anneke J A H; Schoonhoven, Lisette; Koopmans, Raymond T C M; Laurant, Miranda G H

2017-06-08

In developed countries, substituting physicians with nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurses (physician substitution) occurs in nursing homes as an answer to the challenges related to the ageing population and the shortage of staff, as well as to guarantee the quality of nursing home care. However, there is great diversity in how physician substitution in nursing homes is modelled and it is unknown how it can best contribute to the quality of healthcare. This study aims to gain insight into how physician substitution is modelled and whether it contributes to perceived quality of healthcare. Second, this study aims to provide insight into the elements of physician substitution that contribute to quality of healthcare. This study will use a multiple-case study design that draws upon realist evaluation principles. The realist evaluation is based on four concepts for explaining and understanding interventions: context, mechanism, outcome and context-mechanism-outcome configuration. The following steps will be taken: (1) developing a theory, (2) conducting seven case studies, (3) analysing outcome patterns after each case and a cross-case analysis at the end and (4) revising the initial theory. The research ethics committee of the region Arnhem Nijmegen in the Netherlands concluded that this study does not fall within the scope of the Dutch Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO) (registration number 2015/1914). Before the start of the study, the Board of Directors of the nursing home organisations will be informed verbally and by letter and will also be asked for informed consent. In addition, all participants will be informed verbally and by letter and will be asked for informed consent. Findings will be disseminated by publication in a peer-reviewed journal, international and national conferences, national professional associations and policy partners in national government. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated

Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies: Data collection, analysis and reporting results.

Science.gov (United States)

Verani, Jennifer R; Baqui, Abdullah H; Broome, Claire V; Cherian, Thomas; Cohen, Cheryl; Farrar, Jennifer L; Feikin, Daniel R; Groome, Michelle J; Hajjeh, Rana A; Johnson, Hope L; Madhi, Shabir A; Mulholland, Kim; O'Brien, Katherine L; Parashar, Umesh D; Patel, Manish M; Rodrigues, Laura C; Santosham, Mathuram; Scott, J Anthony; Smith, Peter G; Sommerfelt, Halvor; Tate, Jacqueline E; Victor, J Chris; Whitney, Cynthia G; Zaidi, Anita K; Zell, Elizabeth R

2017-06-05

The case-control methodology is frequently used to evaluate vaccine effectiveness post-licensure. The results of such studies provide important insight into the level of protection afforded by vaccines in a 'real world' context, and are commonly used to guide vaccine policy decisions. However, the potential for bias and confounding are important limitations to this method, and the results of a poorly conducted or incorrectly interpreted case-control study can mislead policies. In 2012, a group of experts met to review recent experience with case-control studies evaluating vaccine effectiveness; we summarize the recommendations of that group regarding best practices for data collection, analysis, and presentation of the results of case-control vaccine effectiveness studies. Vaccination status is the primary exposure of interest, but can be challenging to assess accurately and with minimal bias. Investigators should understand factors associated with vaccination as well as the availability of documented vaccination status in the study context; case-control studies may not be a valid method for evaluating vaccine effectiveness in settings where many children lack a documented immunization history. To avoid bias, it is essential to use the same methods and effort gathering vaccination data from cases and controls. Variables that may confound the association between illness and vaccination are also important to capture as completely as possible, and where relevant, adjust for in the analysis according to the analytic plan. In presenting results from case-control vaccine effectiveness studies, investigators should describe enrollment among eligible cases and controls as well as the proportion with no documented vaccine history. Emphasis should be placed on confidence intervals, rather than point estimates, of vaccine effectiveness. Case-control studies are a useful approach for evaluating vaccine effectiveness; however careful attention must be paid to the collection

EVALUATION OF POSTOPERATIVE VISUAL OUTCOME IN TRAUMATIC CATARACT AND A STUDY OF POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS IN SUCH CASES

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Shantanu Bhattacharjee

2017-12-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Cataract formation is commonly observed as a result of blunt or penetrating ocular injury and constitutes one of major causes of acute or longstanding visual loss. The surgical technique, timing of surgery and postoperative complications have all been considered to be significant factors in determining the final visual outcome. The aim of the present study is to evaluate postoperative visual outcome in a series of patients with traumatic cataract and to assess the postoperative complications conducted at IQ City Medical College, Durgapur, West Bengal. MATERIALS AND METHODS A consecutive series of 45 patients with traumatic cataract were carefully selected from outpatient department between May 2015 and April 2017. All the patients had undergone manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (SICS with IOL implantation. Postoperative visual outcome and postoperative complications were assessed. RESULTS Corrected Visual Acuity (VA at the end of 6th week in 45 cases ranged between 6/6 and 6/60. Subjective correction with glasses ranged from -2 dioptre spherical to +1.5 dioptre spherical. 25 cases (55.5% had VA 6/6-6/9, 15 cases (33.3% had VA of 6/12 to 6/18, 4 cases (8.9% had VA between 6/24 and 6/36 and 1 case had VA 6/60. The group which had VA between 6/12 and 6/18 was due to the presence of posterior capsular opacification. CONCLUSION The present study reveals most of the traumatic cataract cases had favourable visual outcome. Considering the fact that a good number of paediatric patients were treated in this study, it assumes more significance with the favourable visual outcome that could be achieved, thus preventing deprivation amblyopia and blindness.

Ecological risk Evaluation and Green Infrastructure planning for coping with global climate change, a case study of Shanghai, China

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Pengyao; Xiao, He; Li, Xiang; Hu, Wenhao; Gu, Shoubai; Yu, Zhenrong

2018-01-01

Coping with various ecological risks caused by extreme weather events of global climate change has become an important issue in regional planning, and storm water management for sustainable development. In this paper, taking Shanghai, China as a case study, four potential ecological risks were identified including flood disaster, sea-source disaster, urban heat island effect, and land subsidence. Based on spatial database, the spatial variation of these four ecological risks was evaluated, and the planning area was divided into seven responding regions with different green infrastructure strategy. The methodology developed in this study combining ecological risk evaluation with spatial regionalization planning could contribute to coping with global climate change.

Evaluating the governance model of hardware-dependent software ecosystems - a case study of the axis ecosystem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wnuk, Krzysztof; Manikas, Konstantinos; Runeson, Per

2014-01-01

specifically, we evaluate the governance model applied by Axis, a network video and surveillance camera producer, that is the platform owner and orchestrator of the Application Development Partner (ADP) software ecosystem. We conduct an exploratory case study collecting data from observations and interviews...... and apply the governance model for prevention and improvement of the software ecosystem health proposed by Jansen and Cusumano. Our results reveal that although the governance actions do not address the majority of their governance model, the ADP ecosystem is considered a growing ecosystem providing...

Evaluation of the clinical process in a critical care information system using the Lean method: a case study

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Yusof Maryati Mohd

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There are numerous applications for Health Information Systems (HIS that support specific tasks in the clinical workflow. The Lean method has been used increasingly to optimize clinical workflows, by removing waste and shortening the delivery cycle time. There are a limited number of studies on Lean applications related to HIS. Therefore, we applied the Lean method to evaluate the clinical processes related to HIS, in order to evaluate its efficiency in removing waste and optimizing the process flow. This paper presents the evaluation findings of these clinical processes, with regards to a critical care information system (CCIS, known as IntelliVue Clinical Information Portfolio (ICIP, and recommends solutions to the problems that were identified during the study. Methods We conducted a case study under actual clinical settings, to investigate how the Lean method can be used to improve the clinical process. We used observations, interviews, and document analysis, to achieve our stated goal. We also applied two tools from the Lean methodology, namely the Value Stream Mapping and the A3 problem-solving tools. We used eVSM software to plot the Value Stream Map and A3 reports. Results We identified a number of problems related to inefficiency and waste in the clinical process, and proposed an improved process model. Conclusions The case study findings show that the Value Stream Mapping and the A3 reports can be used as tools to identify waste and integrate the process steps more efficiently. We also proposed a standardized and improved clinical process model and suggested an integrated information system that combines database and software applications to reduce waste and data redundancy.

Evaluating Students' Beliefs in Problem Solving Process: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Ozturk, Tugba; Guven, Bulent

2016-01-01

Problem solving is not simply a process that ends when an answer is found; it is a scientific process that evolves from understanding the problem to evaluating the solution. This process is affected by several factors. Among these, one of the most substantial is belief. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the beliefs of high school students…

CASE STUDY CRITIQUE; UPPER CLINCH CASE STUDY

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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 ...

Using Statistical and Probabilistic Methods to Evaluate Health Risk Assessment: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongjing Wu

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The toxic chemical and heavy metals within wastewater can cause serious adverse impacts on human health. Health risk assessment (HRA is an effective tool for supporting decision-making and corrective actions in water quality management. HRA can also help people understand the water quality and quantify the adverse effects of pollutants on human health. Due to the imprecision of data, measurement error and limited available information, uncertainty is inevitable in the HRA process. The purpose of this study is to integrate statistical and probabilistic methods to deal with censored and limited numbers of input data to improve the reliability of the non-cancer HRA of dermal contact exposure to contaminated river water by considering uncertainty. A case study in the Kelligrews River in St. John’s, Canada, was conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and capacity of the proposed approach. Five heavy metals were selected to evaluate the risk level, including arsenic, molybdenum, zinc, uranium and manganese. The results showed that the probability of the total hazard index of dermal exposure exceeding 1 is very low, and there is no obvious evidence of risk in the study area.

Evaluation of coexistence of cancer and active tuberculosis; 16 case series

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Beyhan Çakar

Full Text Available Introduction: Tuberculosis is an important risk factor for cancer. Pulmonary TB and lung cancer(LC may mimic each other especially in the aspect of the clinical and radiological features. The aim of the study was to evaluate the features and risk factors of cases with coexistence cancer and active TB. Methodology: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with coexisting TB and cancer a period from 2009 to 2014. We evaluated demographic data, the ways diagnosis of TB cases, the location of TB and cancer, TB treatment results of the cases. Results: We recorded 374 TB cases in our dyspensary at this study period. In 16 (4% of these cases, a coexistence of cancer and TB was detected. The male/female ratio was 12/4. The mean age was 62,12 ± 15,13 years. There were TST results except three cases. There were ten pulmonary TB and six extra-pulmonary TB (four peripheral lymphadenopathy TB, one abdominal TB lymphadenopathy and one salivary gland TB. Cancer types were as follows; eight lung cancer, two breast cancer, one base of tongue, one endometrium cancer, one hypopharyngeal cancer, one stomach cancer, one bladder cancer and one maxillary cancer. Diagnosis of all cases was confirmed by bacteriologic and/or histopathological examination. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common type of cancers. This rate was 9/16. All TB cases were new. There were risk factors out of two case in the cases. Five cases were died during TB treatment. Others completed TB treatment without any complication. Conclusions: In our study, the coexistence of LC and pulmonary TB was more common. The local immunity is deteriorated in cancer cases. If there is pulmonary infiltrates in lung or peripheral lymphadenopathy, we must search tuberculosis too out of metastatic lesion and other infectious diseases. We should not make delay in the diagnosis of active TB in cancer cases. Keywords: Coexistent, Cancer, Tuberculosis, Tuberculosis treatment

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 ...

Evaluating the usability of web pages: a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lautenbach, M.A.E.; Schegget, I.E. ter; Schoute, A.E.; Witteman, C.L.M.

1999-01-01

An evaluation of the Utrecht University website was carried out with 240 students. New criteria were drawn from the literature and operationalized for the study. These criteria are surveyability and findability. Web pages can be said to satisfy a usability criterion if their efficiency and

Evaluation of surveillance case definition in the diagnosis of leptospirosis, using the Microscopic Agglutination Test: a validation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dassanayake, Dinesh L B; Wimalaratna, Harith; Agampodi, Suneth B; Liyanapathirana, Veranja C; Piyarathna, Thibbotumunuwe A C L; Goonapienuwala, Bimba L

2009-04-22

Leptospirosis is endemic in both urban and rural areas of Sri Lanka and there had been many out breaks in the recent past. This study was aimed at validating the leptospirosis surveillance case definition, using the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). The study population consisted of patients with undiagnosed acute febrile illness who were admitted to the medical wards of the Teaching Hospital Kandy, from 1st July 2007 to 31st July 2008. The subjects were screened to diagnose leptospirosis according to the leptospirosis case definition. MAT was performed on blood samples taken from each patient on the 7th day of fever. Leptospirosis case definition was evaluated in regard to sensitivity, specificity and predictive values, using a MAT titre >or= 1:800 for confirming leptospirosis. A total of 123 patients were initially recruited of which 73 had clinical features compatible with the surveillance case definition. Out of the 73 only 57 had a positive MAT result (true positives) leaving 16 as false positives. Out of the 50 who didn't have clinical features compatible with the case definition 45 had a negative MAT as well (true negatives), therefore 5 were false negatives. Total number of MAT positives was 62 out of 123. According to these results the test sensitivity was 91.94%, specificity 73.77%, positive predictive value and negative predictive values were 78.08% and 90% respectively. Diagnostic accuracy of the test was 82.93%. This study confirms that the surveillance case definition has a very high sensitivity and negative predictive value with an average specificity in diagnosing leptospirosis, based on a MAT titre of >or= 1: 800.

Use of Viremia to Evaluate the Baseline Case Fatality Ratio of Ebola Virus Disease and Inform Treatment Studies: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Science.gov (United States)

Boëlle, Pierre-Yves; Magassouba, N’Faly; Bah, Elhadj Ibrahima; Koivogui, Lamine; Diallo, Boubacar; Diallo, Alpha Amadou; Keita, Sakoba; Konde, Mandy Kader; Fowler, Robert; Fall, Gamou; Cauchemez, Simon; Sall, Amadou Alpha

2015-01-01

Background The case fatality ratio (CFR) of Ebola virus disease (EVD) can vary over time and space for reasons that are not fully understood. This makes it difficult to define the baseline CFRs needed to evaluate treatments in the absence of randomized controls. Here, we investigate whether viremia in EVD patients may be used to evaluate baseline EVD CFRs. Methods and Findings We analyzed the laboratory and epidemiological records of patients with EVD confirmed by reverse transcription PCR hospitalized in the Conakry area, Guinea, between 1 March 2014 and 28 February 2015. We used viremia and other variables to model the CFR. Data for 699 EVD patients were analyzed. In the week following symptom onset, mean viremia remained stable, and the CFR increased with viremia, V, from 21% (95% CI 16%–27%) for low viremia (V Conakry and may not be generalizable to settings with different case profiles, such as with individuals who never sought care. Conclusions Viremia in EVD patients was a strong predictor of death that partly explained variations in CFR in the study population. This study provides baseline CFRs by viremia group, which allow appropriate adjustment when estimating efficacy in treatment studies. In randomized controlled trials, stratifying analysis on viremia groups could reduce sample size requirements by 25%. We hypothesize that monitoring the viremia of hospitalized patients may inform the ability of surveillance systems to detect EVD patients from the different severity strata. PMID:26625118

Piloting a programme tool to evaluate malaria case investigation and reactive case detection activities: results from 3 settings in the Asia Pacific.

Science.gov (United States)

Cotter, Chris; Sudathip, Prayuth; Herdiana, Herdiana; Cao, Yuanyuan; Liu, Yaobao; Luo, Alex; Ranasinghe, Neil; Bennett, Adam; Cao, Jun; Gosling, Roly D

2017-08-22

Case investigation and reactive case detection (RACD) activities are widely-used in low transmission settings to determine the suspected origin of infection and identify and treat malaria infections nearby to the index patient household. Case investigation and RACD activities are time and resource intensive, include methodologies that vary across eliminating settings, and have no standardized metrics or tools available to monitor and evaluate them. In response to this gap, a simple programme tool was developed for monitoring and evaluating (M&E) RACD activities and piloted by national malaria programmes. During the development phase, four modules of the RACD M&E tool were created to assess and evaluate key case investigation and RACD activities and costs. A pilot phase was then carried out by programme implementers between 2013 and 2015, during which malaria surveillance teams in three different settings (China, Indonesia, Thailand) piloted the tool over a period of 3 months each. This study describes summary results of the pilots and feasibility and impact of the tool on programmes. All three study areas implemented the RACD M&E tool modules, and pilot users reported the tool and evaluation process were helpful to identify gaps in RACD programme activities. In the 45 health facilities evaluated, 71.8% (97/135; min 35.3-max 100.0%) of the proper notification and reporting forms and 20.0% (27/135; min 0.0-max 100.0%) of standard operating procedures (SOPs) were available to support malaria elimination activities. The tool highlighted gaps in reporting key data indicators on the completeness for malaria case reporting (98.8%; min 93.3-max 100.0%), case investigations (65.6%; min 61.8-max 78.4%) and RACD activities (70.0%; min 64.7-max 100.0%). Evaluation of the SOPs showed that knowledge and practices of malaria personnel varied within and between study areas. Average monthly costs for conducting case investigation and RACD activities showed variation between study

Performance Evaluation and Analysis of Rural Drinking Water Safety Project——A Case Study in Jiangsu, China

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Du, Xiaorong

2017-04-01

Water is the basic condition for human survival and development. As China is the most populous country, rural drinking water safety problems are most conspicuous. Therefore, the Chinese government keeps increasing investment and has built a large number of rural drinking water safety projects. Scientific evaluation of project performance is of great significance to promote the sustainable operation of the project and the sustainable development of rural economy. Previous studies mainly focus on the economic benefits of the project, while ignoring the fact that the rural drinking water safety project is quasi-public goods, which has economic, social and ecological benefits. This paper establishes a comprehensive evaluation model for rural drinking water safety performance, which adapts the rules of "5E" (economy, efficiency, effectiveness, equity and environment) as the value orientation, and selects a rural drinking water safety project as object in case study at K District, which is in the north of Jiangsu Province, China. The results shows: 1) the comprehensive performance of K project is in good condition; 2) The performance of every part shows that the scores of criteria "efficiency", "environment" and "effect" are higher than the mean performance, while the "economy" is slightly lower than the mean and the "equity" is the lowest. 3) The performance of indicator layer shows that: the planned completion rate of project, the reduction rate of project cost and the penetration rate of water-use population are significantly lower than other indicators. Based on the achievements of previous studies and the characteristics of rural drinking water safety project, this study integrates the evaluation dimensions of equity and environment, which can contribute to a more comprehensive and systematic assessment of project performance and provide empirical data for performance evaluation and management of rural drinking water safety project. Key Words: Rural drinking water

Web-site evaluation tools: a case study in reproductive health information.

Science.gov (United States)

Aslani, Azam; Pournik, Omid; Abu-Hanna, Ameen; Eslami, Saeid

2014-01-01

Internet forms an opportunity to inform, teach, and connect professionals and patients. However, much information on Internet is incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading, and not only in the medical domain. Because of the potential for damage from misleading and inaccurate health information, many organizations and individuals have published or implemented scoring tools for evaluating the appropriateness or quality of these resources. The objective of this study is to identify and summarize scoring tools that have evaluated web-sites providing reproductive health information in order to compare them and recommend an overarching evaluation tool. We searched Ovid MEDLINE(R) (1946 to July 2013) and OVID Embase (1980 to July 2013); and included English language studies that have evaluated the quality of websites providing reproductive health information. Studies only assessing the content of websites were excluded. We identified 5 scoring tools: 1-The HON (health on the net) Code of Conduct for medical and health Web sites, 2-Silberg scores, 3-Hogne Sandvik scale, 4-Jim Kapoun's Criteria for Evaluating Web Pages, and 5-The Health Information Technology Institute (HITI) criteria. We have compared these scales and identified 14 criteria: authorship, ownership, currency, objectivity/content, transparency/source, interactivity, privacy/ethics, financial disclosure, navigability/links, complementarity, advertising policy, design, quantity, and accessibility. We integrated these criteria and introduced a new tool with 10 criteria. Website evaluation tools differ in their evaluation criteria and there is a lack of consensus about which to use; therefore, an integrated easy to use set of criteria is needed.

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...

Clinical Study on Five Cases of Carpal tunnel syndrome

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Kim Il Hwan

2001-12-01

Full Text Available Objections : The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of treating the carpal tunnel syndrome by using both the Herbal Acupuncture and herbal medicine therapy on five cases. Methods : For the Herbal Acupuncture, Jungseonguhhyl No. 1 and Hwanglyunhaedoktang were used. For the herbal medicine, Dangguihwalhyul-tang was used. The patients were treated once in every two days; the result was evaluated after ten treatments. Patients' conditions were monitored through their testimony, phalen's test, nerve conduction study and electromyography. Results : In all five cases, the patients showed improvement; in four cases, the patients no longer had most of the clinical symptoms. Based on the result of the nerve conduction study, for the four cases in which the patients no longer displayed most of the clinical symptoms, their nerve conduction rate improved; for the remaining one case, the patient's nerve conduction rate deteriorated. Conclusions : The results of this study demonstrate that combining the Herbal Acupuncture and herbal medicine therapy can have noticeable effects in treating the carpal tunnel syndrome; developing more variety of the herbal acupuncture would lead to even better treatment results.

Forensic evaluation of medical liability cases in general surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, H; Magalhães, T; Dinis-Oliveira, Rj; Taveira-Gomes, A

2014-10-01

Although medical liability (disciplinary, civil and criminal) is increasingly becoming an issue, few studies exist, particularly from the perspective of forensic science, which demonstrate the extent to which medical malpractice occurs, or when it does, the reasons for it. Our aims were to evaluate the current situation concerning medical liability in general surgery (GS) in Portugal, the reasons for claims, and the forensic evaluations and conclusions, as well as the association between these issues and the judicial outcomes. We analysed the Medico-Legal Council (CML) reports of the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Portugal related to GS during 2001-2010. The judicial outcomes of each case were requested from the Public Prosecutor Office (PPO) and the court. Alleged cases of medical liability in GS represented 11.2% of the total cases analysed by the CML. We estimated that in Portugal, 4:100,000 surgeries are subject to litigation. The majority of complaints were due to the patient's death (75.4%), with laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgeries representing 55.2% of cases. In 76.1% of the cases, the CML believed that there was no violation of legesartis and in 55.2% of cases, no causal nexus was found between the medical practice and the alleged harm. The PPO prosecuted physicians in 6.4% of the cases and resulted in one conviction. Finally, the importance of the CML reports as a relevant technical-scientific tool for judicial decision was evident because these reports significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the prosecutor's decision, whether to prosecute or not. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Monitoring and evaluation of strategic change programme implementation-Lessons from a case analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Neumann, Jan; Robson, Andrew; Sloan, Diane

2018-02-01

This study considered the monitoring and evaluation of a large-scale and domestic and global strategic change programme implementation. It considers the necessary prerequisites to overcome challenges and barriers that prevent systematic and effective monitoring and evaluation to take place alongside its operationalisation. The work involves a case study based on a major industrial company from the energy sector. The change programme makes particular reference to changes in business models, business processes, organisation structures as well as Enterprise Resource Planning infrastructure. The case study focussed on the summative evaluation of the programme post-implementation. This assessment involved 25 semi-structured interviews with employees across a range of managerial strata capturing more than 65 roles within the change programme at both local and global levels. Data relating to their perception of evaluation effectiveness and shortcomings were analysed by means of template analysis. The study identifies responsibilities for executing an evaluation alongside various methods and tools that are appropriate, thereby focussing on the "Who" (roles, responsibility for particular activities) and "How" (methods and tools) rather than "What" to monitor and evaluate. The findings are presented generically so they offer new insights and transferability for practitioners involved in managing strategic change and its associated evaluation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of blood stream infections by Candida in three tertiary hospitals in Salvador, Brazil: a case-control study

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Maria Goreth Barberino

Full Text Available Invasive infections caused by Candida spp. are an important problem in immunocompromised patients. There is scarce data on the epidemiology of blood stream candidiasis in Salvador, Brazil. This study evaluates the risk factors associated with candidemia, among patients admitted to three tertiary, private hospitals, in Salvador, Brazil. We conducted a case-control, retrospective study to compare patients with diagnosis of candidemia in three different tertiary hospitals in Salvador, Brazil. Patients were matched for nosocomial, acquired infections, according to the causal agent: cases were defined by positive blood cultures for Candida species. Controls were those patients who had a diagnosis of systemic bacterial infection, with a positive blood culture to any bacteria, within the same time period (± 30 days of case identification. The groups were compared for the main known risk factors for candidemia and for mortality rates. A hundred thirty-eight patients were identified. Among the 69 cases, only 14 were diagnosed as infected by Candida albicans. Candida species were defined in only eight cultures: C. tropicalis (4 cases, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, C. guillermondi, C. formata (1 case each. The main risk factors, identified in a univariate analysis, were: presence of a central venous catheter (CVC, use of parenteral nutrition support (PNS, previous exposure to antibiotics, and chronic renal failure (CRF. No association was detected with surgical procedures, diabetes mellitus, neutropenia or malignancies. Patients were more likely to die during the hospitalization period, but the rates of death caused by the infections were similar for cases and controls. The length of hospitalization was similar for both groups, as well as the time for a positive blood culture. Blood stream infection by Candida spp. is associated with CVC, PNS, previous use of antibiotics, and CRF. The higher mortality rate for cases probably better reflects the severity

Evaluation of changes to foot shape in females 5 years after mastectomy: a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Głowacka-Mrotek, Iwona; Sowa, Magdalena; Siedlecki, Zygmunt; Nowikiewicz, Tomasz; Hagner, Wojciech; Zegarski, Wojciech

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in foot shape of women 5 years after undergoing breast amputation. Evaluation of foot shape was performed using a non-invasive device for computer analysis of the plantar surface of the foot. Obtained results were compared between feet on the healthy breast side (F1) and on the amputated breast side (F2). 128 women aged 63.60 ± 8.83, 5-6 years after breast amputation were enrolled in this case-control study. Weight bearing on the lower extremity on the amputated breast side (F1) compared with the healthy breast side (F2) showed statistically significant differences (p shape on the healthy breast side and amputated breast side constitute a long-term negative consequence of mastectomy, and can be caused by unbalanced weight put on feet on the healthy breast side compared to the amputated breast side.

Evaluation and selection of CASE tool for SMART OTS development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, K. O; Seo, S. M.; Seo, Y. S.; Koo, I. S.; Jang, M. H.

1999-01-01

CASE(Computer-Aided Software Engineering) tool is a software that aids in software engineering activities such as requirement analysis, design, testing, configuration management, and project management. The evaluation and selection of commercial CASE tools for the specific software development project is not a easy work because the technical ability of an evaluator and the maturity of a software development organization are required. In this paper, we discuss selection strategies, characteristic survey, evaluation criteria, and the result of CASE tool selection for the development of SMART(System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor) OTS(Operator Training Simulator)

Evaluating the Impact of Open Educational Resources: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Young Mi; Carpenter, Cathy

2017-01-01

This paper presents a case study of the replacement of a textbook with free to use materials in a class on Human Factors and Ergonomics. Data on exam grades, course grades, and student opinions over a total of five semesters are reported, before and after the implementation. The results show that class performance remained similar before and…

Evaluation of the Undergraduate Physics Programme at Indira Gandhi National Open University: A Case Study

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Arundhati Mishra

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The undergraduate science programme was launched at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU in 1991-92 with an enrolment of 1,210 students. The programme was well received, and enrolments increased over the years. However, the success rates have not kept pace with enrolment.In this paper, the authors report the results of an evaluation of the undergraduate Physics programme at IGNOU. The evaluation, the first of its type for this programme, adapted the major tenets of the CIPP model. The findings are based on the responses from a randomly chosen sample of 509 learners across India. The methods employed for the study include records, document, and database analysis, surveys, and case studies.Although the University has enhanced access to higher science education, the attrition rate is high (73%, and the success rate is low. The authors recommend that the University review and reorient its strategies for providing good quality, learner-centred higher education in science subjects. The programme should address the concerns of the learners about the effectiveness of the student support systems, the difficulty level, and the learner-friendliness of study materials with the goal of achieving long-term sustainability while maintaining parity with the conventional system. The need for improving the presentation of the courses and simplifying the mathematical details is emphasised.

Nanomaterial Case Studies: Nanoscale Titanium Dioxide ...

Science.gov (United States)

This draft document presents two case studies of nanoscale titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) used (1) to remove arsenic from drinking water and (2) as an active ingredient in topical sunscreen. The draft case studies are organized around a comprehensive environmental assessment approach that combines a product life cycle framework with the risk assessment paradigm. The document does not draw conclusions about potential risks. Rather, the case studies are intended to help identify what needs to be known in order to conduct a comprehensive environmental assessment of the potential risks related to nano-TiO2. This draft document is part of a process that will inform the development of EPA’s research strategy to support nanomaterial risk assessments. The complex properties of various nanomaterials make evaluating them in the abstract or with generalizations difficult if not impossible. Thus, this document focuses on two specific uses of nano-TiO2, as a drinking water treatment and as topical sunscreen. These case studies do not represent completed or even preliminary assessments; rather, they present the structure for identifying and prioritizing research needed to support future assessments.

Stochastic efficiency: five case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Proesmans, Karel; Broeck, Christian Van den

2015-01-01

Stochastic efficiency is evaluated in five case studies: driven Brownian motion, effusion with a thermo-chemical and thermo-velocity gradient, a quantum dot and a model for information to work conversion. The salient features of stochastic efficiency, including the maximum of the large deviation function at the reversible efficiency, are reproduced. The approach to and extrapolation into the asymptotic time regime are documented. (paper)

The role of economic evaluation in the decision-making process of family physicians: design and methods of a qualitative embedded multiple-case study

Science.gov (United States)

Lessard, Chantale; Contandriopoulos, André-Pierre; Beaulieu, Marie-Dominique

2009-01-01

Background A considerable amount of resource allocation decisions take place daily at the point of the clinical encounter; especially in primary care, where 80 percent of health problems are managed. Ignoring economic evaluation evidence in individual clinical decision-making may have a broad impact on the efficiency of health services. To date, almost all studies on the use of economic evaluation in decision-making used a quantitative approach, and few investigated decision-making at the clinical level. An important question is whether economic evaluations affect clinical practice. The project is an intervention research study designed to understand the role of economic evaluation in the decision-making process of family physicians (FPs). The contributions of the project will be from the perspective of Pierre Bourdieu's sociological theory. Methods/design A qualitative research strategy is proposed. We will conduct an embedded multiple-case study design. Ten case studies will be performed. The FPs will be the unit of analysis. The sampling strategies will be directed towards theoretical generalization. The 10 selected cases will be intended to reflect a diversity of FPs. There will be two embedded units of analysis: FPs (micro-level of analysis) and field of family medicine (macro-level of analysis). The division of the determinants of practice/behaviour into two groups, corresponding to the macro-structural level and the micro-individual level, is the basis for Bourdieu's mode of analysis. The sources of data collection for the micro-level analysis will be 10 life history interviews with FPs, documents and observational evidence. The sources of data collection for the macro-level analysis will be documents and 9 open-ended, focused interviews with key informants from medical associations and academic institutions. The analytic induction approach to data analysis will be used. A list of codes will be generated based on both the original framework and new themes

The role of economic evaluation in the decision-making process of family physicians: design and methods of a qualitative embedded multiple-case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beaulieu Marie-Dominique

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A considerable amount of resource allocation decisions take place daily at the point of the clinical encounter; especially in primary care, where 80 percent of health problems are managed. Ignoring economic evaluation evidence in individual clinical decision-making may have a broad impact on the efficiency of health services. To date, almost all studies on the use of economic evaluation in decision-making used a quantitative approach, and few investigated decision-making at the clinical level. An important question is whether economic evaluations affect clinical practice. The project is an intervention research study designed to understand the role of economic evaluation in the decision-making process of family physicians (FPs. The contributions of the project will be from the perspective of Pierre Bourdieu's sociological theory. Methods/design A qualitative research strategy is proposed. We will conduct an embedded multiple-case study design. Ten case studies will be performed. The FPs will be the unit of analysis. The sampling strategies will be directed towards theoretical generalization. The 10 selected cases will be intended to reflect a diversity of FPs. There will be two embedded units of analysis: FPs (micro-level of analysis and field of family medicine (macro-level of analysis. The division of the determinants of practice/behaviour into two groups, corresponding to the macro-structural level and the micro-individual level, is the basis for Bourdieu's mode of analysis. The sources of data collection for the micro-level analysis will be 10 life history interviews with FPs, documents and observational evidence. The sources of data collection for the macro-level analysis will be documents and 9 open-ended, focused interviews with key informants from medical associations and academic institutions. The analytic induction approach to data analysis will be used. A list of codes will be generated based on both the original

HYDROGEOLOGIC CASE STUDIE(PRESENTATION FOR MNA WORKSHOP)

Science.gov (United States)

Hydrogeology is the foundation of subsurface site characterization for evaluations of monitored natural attenuation (MNA). Three case studies are presented. Examples of the potentially detrimental effects of drilling additives on ground-water samples from monitoring wells are d...

Single-case synthesis tools I: Comparing tools to evaluate SCD quality and rigor.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmerman, Kathleen N; Ledford, Jennifer R; Severini, Katherine E; Pustejovsky, James E; Barton, Erin E; Lloyd, Blair P

2018-03-03

Tools for evaluating the quality and rigor of single case research designs (SCD) are often used when conducting SCD syntheses. Preferred components include evaluations of design features related to the internal validity of SCD to obtain quality and/or rigor ratings. Three tools for evaluating the quality and rigor of SCD (Council for Exceptional Children, What Works Clearinghouse, and Single-Case Analysis and Design Framework) were compared to determine if conclusions regarding the effectiveness of antecedent sensory-based interventions for young children changed based on choice of quality evaluation tool. Evaluation of SCD quality differed across tools, suggesting selection of quality evaluation tools impacts evaluation findings. Suggestions for selecting an appropriate quality and rigor assessment tool are provided and across-tool conclusions are drawn regarding the quality and rigor of studies. Finally, authors provide guidance for using quality evaluations in conjunction with outcome analyses when conducting syntheses of interventions evaluated in the context of SCD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An evaluation of clinical, radiological and three-dimensional dental tomography findings in ectodermal dysplasia cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Doğan, Mehmet-Sinan; Callea, Michele; Yavuz, Ìzzet; Aksoy, Orhan; Clarich, Gabriella; Günay, Ayse; Günay, Ahmet; Güven, Sedat; Maglione, Michele; Akkuş, Zeki

2015-05-01

This study aimed to review the results related to head and jaw disorders in cases of ectodermal dysplasia. The evaluation of ectodermal dysplasia cases was made by clinical examination and examination of the jaw and facial areas radiologically and on cone-beam 3-dimensional dental tomography (CBCT) images. In the 36 cases evaluated in the study, typical clinical findings of pure hypohidrotic ectodermal displasia (HED) were seen, such as missing teeth, dry skin, hair and nail disorders. CBCT images were obtained from 12 of the 36 cases, aged 1.5- 45 years, and orthodontic analyses were made on these images. The clinical and radiological evaluations determined, hypodontia or oligodontia, breathing problems, sweating problems, a history of fever, sparse hair, saddle nose, skin peeling, hypopigmentation, hyperpigmentation, finger and nail deformities, conical teeth anomalies, abnormal tooth root formation, tooth resorption in the root, gingivitis, history of epilepsy, absent lachrymal canals and vision problems in the cases which included to the study. Ectodermal dysplasia cases have a particular place in dentistry and require a professional, multi-disciplinary approach in respect of the chewing function, orthognathic problems, growth, oral and dental health. It has been understood that with data obtained from modern technologies such as three-dimensional dental tomography and the treatments applied, the quality of life of these cases can be improved.

Generation and collection of restaurant waste: Characterization and evaluation at a case study in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tatàno, Fabio; Caramiello, Cristina; Paolini, Tonino; Tripolone, Luca

2017-03-01

Because restaurants (as a division of the hospitality sector) contribute to the generation of commercial and institutional waste, thus representing both a challenge and an opportunity, the objective of the present study was to deepen the knowledge of restaurant waste in terms of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of waste generation and the performance achievable by the implementation of a separate collection scheme. In this study, the generated waste was characterized and the implemented separate collection was evaluated at a relevant case study restaurant in a coastal tourist area of Central Italy (Marche Region, Adriatic Sea side). The qualitative (compositional) characterization of the generated total restaurant waste showed considerable incidences of, in decreasing order, food (28.2%), glass (22.6%), paper/cardboard (19.1%), and plastic (17.1%). The quantitative (parametric) characterization of the generated restaurant waste determined the unit generation values of total waste and individual fractions based on the traditional employee and area parameters and the peculiar meal parameter. In particular, the obtained representative values per meal were: 0.72kgmeal -1 for total waste, and ranging, for individual fractions, from 0.20 (for food) to 0.008kgmeal -1 (for textile). Based on the critical evaluation of some of the resulting unit waste generation values, possible influences of restaurant practices, conditions, or characteristics were pointed out. In particular, food waste generation per meal can likely be limited by: promoting and using local, fresh, and quality food; standardizing and limiting daily menu items; basing food recipes on consolidated cooking knowledge and experience; and limiting plate sizes. The evaluation of the monthly variation of the monitored separate collection, ranging from an higher level of 52.7% to a lower level of 41.4%, indicated the following: a reduction in the separate collection level can be expected at times of

Evaluating Sustainability and Democracy in the Development of Industrial Port Cities: Some Italian Cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raffaele Attardi

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA is a major policy evaluation tool, for institutional processes, when they need to cope with fundamental risks, give voice to non-human agents, manage commons, and address environmental justice. The interplay of SEA with planning, unravels key issues and criticalities in both urban governance and environmental democracy. How can evaluation be developed to support the process? Structured evaluation methods applied in environmental assessment are maybe not sufficient to solve complex social conflicts. We point out some key reflections with the aim of opening up the discussion, by taking the case study of the environmental assessment of pollutant activities in the main industrial port cities of Southern Italy. They represent, at the moment, the most significant social criticality in our country, related to the interplay between environmental assessment and risk for labor. The paper focuses on the case study by mentioning the evolution of some thoughts about the red stripe that links sustainability, environmental democracy, and social evaluation, and illustrates the issues of these aspects in the case study, with the aim of underlining the difficulty of environmental assessment tools as a major support for planning processes, when social conflicts arise.

WMC Database Evaluation. Case Study Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palounek, Andrea P. T [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-10-29

The WMC Database is ultimately envisioned to hold a collection of experimental data, design information, and information from computational models. This project was a first attempt at using the Database to access experimental data and extract information from it. This evaluation shows that the Database concept is sound and robust, and that the Database, once fully populated, should remain eminently usable for future researchers.

Decision-relevant evaluation of climate models: A case study of chill hours in California

Science.gov (United States)

Jagannathan, K. A.; Jones, A. D.; Kerr, A. C.

2017-12-01

The past decade has seen a proliferation of different climate datasets with over 60 climate models currently in use. Comparative evaluation and validation of models can assist practitioners chose the most appropriate models for adaptation planning. However, such assessments are usually conducted for `climate metrics' such as seasonal temperature, while sectoral decisions are often based on `decision-relevant outcome metrics' such as growing degree days or chill hours. Since climate models predict different metrics with varying skill, the goal of this research is to conduct a bottom-up evaluation of model skill for `outcome-based' metrics. Using chill hours (number of hours in winter months where temperature is lesser than 45 deg F) in Fresno, CA as a case, we assess how well different GCMs predict the historical mean and slope of chill hours, and whether and to what extent projections differ based on model selection. We then compare our results with other climate-based evaluations of the region, to identify similarities and differences. For the model skill evaluation, historically observed chill hours were compared with simulations from 27 GCMs (and multiple ensembles). Model skill scores were generated based on a statistical hypothesis test of the comparative assessment. Future projections from RCP 8.5 runs were evaluated, and a simple bias correction was also conducted. Our analysis indicates that model skill in predicting chill hour slope is dependent on its skill in predicting mean chill hours, which results from the non-linear nature of the chill metric. However, there was no clear relationship between the models that performed well for the chill hour metric and those that performed well in other temperature-based evaluations (such winter minimum temperature or diurnal temperature range). Further, contrary to conclusions from other studies, we also found that the multi-model mean or large ensemble mean results may not always be most appropriate for this

Perceptions of Faculty Evaluation in the Soft Sciences: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Jauch, Lawrence R.; Gentry, James W.

1976-01-01

Three areas (business, psychology, and sociology/anthropology) at Kansas State University were studied. Significant differences were found in the orientations and the criteria that are being used and that should be used (according to the respondents) for performance evaluation. All agreed that teaching should be an important evaluative criterion.…

A real case study on transportation scenario comparison

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsoukiás A.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a real case study dealing with the comparison of transport scenarios. The study is conducted within a larger project concerning the establishment of the maritime traffic policy in Greece. The paper presents the problem situation and an appropriate problem formulation. Moreover a detailed version of the evaluation model is presented in the paper. The model consists of a complex hierarchy of evaluation models enabling us to take into account the multiple dimensions and points of view of the actors involved in the evaluations.

Evaluation Services from Needs Assessment to Follow-up: A Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Broadbooks, Wendy J.

This paper describes the nature and scope of evaluation services provided within the training division of Arthur Andersen & Company, and highlights some of the evaluation results. The cycle of assessment began with a needs assessment study at the curriculum level. Curriculum planning was undertaken for first-year trainees in the Tax Division.…

Evaluating QR Code Case Studies Using a Mobile Learning Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Rikala, Jenni

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of Quick Response (QR) codes and mobile devices in the context of Finnish basic education. The feasibility was analyzed through a mobile learning framework, which includes the core characteristics of mobile learning. The study is part of a larger research where the aim is to develop a…

A tool for early workstation design for small and medium enterprises evaluated in five cases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hallbeck, M.S.; Bosch, T.; Rhijn, J.W.van; Krause, F.; Looze, M.P.de; Vink, P.

2010-01-01

Five case studies on production line design were described to study the effect of an early design support tool. Based on these case studies, the simple, interactive, real-time, medium-fidelity, mixed-reality methodology was not only found to be a good early design stage evaluative tool for

Evaluation of Cases Consulted to Forensic Toxicology Laboratory between 2008 and 2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ismail Ethem Goren

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose: In this study, we aimed to determine annual and seasonal distribution of cases and affecting factors of the distribution in Cukurova University Hospital, Forensic Toxicology Laboratory. Method: Five-year (up to 2012 from 2008 archives of cases consulted to our forensic toxicology laboratory was investigated and classified according to gender, situation of case, type of poisoning, seasonal distribution, findings were statistically evaluated by SPSS v20.0 software Results: After screening five-year archives using laboratory registration book, we determined that of 608 cases 49.5 % were from emergency medicine, 19.6 % from pediatric, 7.4 % from psychiatry, 4.4 % 4.4 from neurology, 2.3 % from other units of the hospital, 7.9 % from judicial authorities, 4.8 % from special requests and 6.1 % from circumjacent hospitals. 57.9 % of the cases are male and 42.1 % are female. 87.3 % of 608 cases were clinical cases, 7.9 % were forensic cases, 4.8 % special requests. 95.8 % of judicial cases were male and 85.4 % were drugs of abuse cases. 28.1 % of clinical cases were the carbon monoxide poisoning and 64.3 % of the carbon monoxide poisoning cases were female. Conclusion: When five-year data were evaluated, we determine that numbers of case are increasing every year. Males are more than in females. Forensic cases which were mostly drugs of abuse were most commonly have seen in male. When our data were investigated together with TUBIM’s data belong to 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 (Turkey Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drugs Addiction, the use of drug abuse were seen most commonly in male. Also carbon monoxide poisoning in clinical cases were evaluated and we see that Carbon monoxide intoxication in winter was more than in summer due to heating. Women who exposed to carbon monoxide were more than men to be much more at home according to men. [Cukurova Med J 2013; 38(4.000: 675-680

Blended Learning Analytics Model for Evaluation (BLAME). Et case-studie af universitetsunderviseres brug af Blackboard

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Musaeus, Peter; Bennedsen, Andreas Brændstrup; Hansen, Janne Saltoft

2015-01-01

I denne artikel vil vi præsentere en strategi til inddragelse af læringsanalytik (learning analytics) ved evaluering af universitetsunderviseres brug af et nyt LMS på Aarhus Universitet: Blackboard. Vi diskuterer en model (BLAME: Blended Learning Analytics Model of Evaluation) for, hvordan...... kategorisering af kurser og data om læringsanalytik indsamlet på Blackboard kan integreres. Endvidere belyser vi, hvilke implikationer en sådan læringsanalytik kan have for blended learning ved at analysere to forskellige uddannelses-cases/illustrationer. Dernæst diskuterer vi pædagogisk udvikling i forbindelse...

A case study evaluation of the use of video technology in concrete pavement evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

2000-01-01

This report presents the results of an evaluation of video technology as a possible solution to the problem of safely collecting objective condition data for prioritizing concrete pavement rehabilitation needs in Virginia. The study involved the eval...

Medical students¿ assessment of pediatric patients - teaching and evaluation using video cases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malon, Michelle; Cortes, Dina; Greisen, Gorm

2014-01-01

and examination for pediatric medicine.MethodsMedical students on a pediatric clerkship at the University of Copenhagen assessed eight short pediatric video cases during autumn 2011 and spring 2012. Two independent observers evaluated a subset of records in a pilot study. A blind evaluation was made...

Use of Viremia to Evaluate the Baseline Case Fatality Ratio of Ebola Virus Disease and Inform Treatment Studies: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

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Oumar Faye

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The case fatality ratio (CFR of Ebola virus disease (EVD can vary over time and space for reasons that are not fully understood. This makes it difficult to define the baseline CFRs needed to evaluate treatments in the absence of randomized controls. Here, we investigate whether viremia in EVD patients may be used to evaluate baseline EVD CFRs.We analyzed the laboratory and epidemiological records of patients with EVD confirmed by reverse transcription PCR hospitalized in the Conakry area, Guinea, between 1 March 2014 and 28 February 2015. We used viremia and other variables to model the CFR. Data for 699 EVD patients were analyzed. In the week following symptom onset, mean viremia remained stable, and the CFR increased with viremia, V, from 21% (95% CI 16%-27% for low viremia (V < 104.4 copies/ml to 53% (95% CI 44%-61% for intermediate viremia (104.4 ≤ V < 105.2 copies/ml and 81% (95% CI 75%-87% for high viremia (V ≥ 105.2 copies/ml. Compared to adults (15-44 y old [y.o.], the CFR was larger in young children (0-4 y.o. (odds ratio [OR]: 2.44; 95% CI 1.02-5.86 and older adults (≥ 45 y.o. (OR: 2.84; 95% CI 1.81-4.46 but lower in children (5-14 y.o. (OR: 0.46; 95% CI 0.24-0.86. An order of magnitude increase in mean viremia in cases after July 2014 compared to those before coincided with a 14% increase in the CFR. Our findings come from a large hospital-based study in Conakry and may not be generalizable to settings with different case profiles, such as with individuals who never sought care.Viremia in EVD patients was a strong predictor of death that partly explained variations in CFR in the study population. This study provides baseline CFRs by viremia group, which allow appropriate adjustment when estimating efficacy in treatment studies. In randomized controlled trials, stratifying analysis on viremia groups could reduce sample size requirements by 25%. We hypothesize that monitoring the viremia of hospitalized patients may inform the

Postponed variety creation: case study in consumer electronics retail

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Appelqvist, Patrik; Gubi, Ebbe

2005-01-01

Purpose – Postponement is known as a way to reduce risk and inventories while still providing high product variety and acceptable response times. The paper is a case study that uses simulation for quantifying these benefits for a consumer electronics company. Design/methodology/approach – Improve...... modular product architecture can be utilised to improve operational supply chain performance.......Purpose – Postponement is known as a way to reduce risk and inventories while still providing high product variety and acceptable response times. The paper is a case study that uses simulation for quantifying these benefits for a consumer electronics company. Design....../methodology/approach – Improvement potential is first evaluated qualitatively through interviews with dealers of the case company. Next, the benefit of postponement is evaluated quantitatively using discrete-event simulation with data from operational ERP systems. The conclusions identify conditions under which postponement...

Persistent User Bias in Case-Crossover Studies in Pharmacoepidemiology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hallas, Jesper; Pottegård, Anton; Wang, Shirley

2016-01-01

Studying the effect of chronic medication exposure by means of a case-crossover design may result in an upward-biased odds ratio. In this study, our aim was to assess the occurrence of this bias and to evaluate whether it is remedied by including a control group (the case-time-control design...... for the retinal detachment controls were similar, leading to near-null case-time-control estimates for all 3 medication classes. For wrist fracture and stroke, the odds ratios were higher for cases than for controls, and case-time-control odds ratios were consistently above unity, thus implying significant...... residual bias. In case-crossover studies of medications, contamination by persistent users confers a moderate bias upward, which is partly remedied by using a control group. The optimal strategy for dealing with this problem is currently unknown....

Predicting Protein-Protein Interactions Using BiGGER: Case Studies

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Rui M. Almeida

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The importance of understanding interactomes makes preeminent the study of protein interactions and protein complexes. Traditionally, protein interactions have been elucidated by experimental methods or, with lower impact, by simulation with protein docking algorithms. This article describes features and applications of the BiGGER docking algorithm, which stands at the interface of these two approaches. BiGGER is a user-friendly docking algorithm that was specifically designed to incorporate experimental data at different stages of the simulation, to either guide the search for correct structures or help evaluate the results, in order to combine the reliability of hard data with the convenience of simulations. Herein, the applications of BiGGER are described by illustrative applications divided in three Case Studies: (Case Study A in which no specific contact data is available; (Case Study B when different experimental data (e.g., site-directed mutagenesis, properties of the complex, NMR chemical shift perturbation mapping, electron tunneling on one of the partners is available; and (Case Study C when experimental data are available for both interacting surfaces, which are used during the search and/or evaluation stage of the docking. This algorithm has been extensively used, evidencing its usefulness in a wide range of different biological research fields.

Evaluation of Superselective Transcatheter Arterial Embolization with n-Butyl Cyanoacrylate in Treating Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Retrospective Study on Seven Cases

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Yuan Zhao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. To investigate the safety and efficacy of superselective transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE with n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA in treating lower gastrointestinal bleeding caused by angiodysplasia. Methods. A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the clinical data of the patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding caused by angiodysplasia. The patients were treated with superselective TAE with NBCA between September 2013 and March 2015. Angiography was performed after the embolization. The clinical signs including melena, anemia, and blood transfusion treatment were evaluated. The complications including abdominal pain and intestinal ischemia necrosis were recorded. The patients were followed up to evaluate the efficacy in the long run. Results. Seven cases (2 males, 5 females; age of 69.55±2.25 were evaluated in the study. The embolization was successfully performed in all cases. About 0.2–0.8 mL (mean 0.48±0.19 mL NCBA was used. Immediate angiography after the embolization operation showed that the abnormal symptoms disappeared. The patients were followed up for a range of 2–19 months and six patients did not reoccur. No serious complications, such as femoral artery puncture point anomaly, vascular injury, and intestinal necrosis perforation were observed. Conclusion. For the patients with refractory and repeated lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to angiodysplasia, superselective TAE with NBCA seem to be a safe and effective alternative therapy when endoscopy examination and treatment do not work.

Diagnosis of condensation-induced waterhammer: Case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izenson, M.G.; Rothe, P.H.; Wallis, G.B.

1988-10-01

This guidebook provides reference material and diagnostic procedures concerning condensation-induced waterhammer in nuclear power plants. Condensation-induced waterhammer is the most damaging form of waterhammer, and its diagnosis is complicated by the complex nature of the underlying phenomena. In Volume 1, the guidebook groups condensation-induced waterhammers into five event classes which have similar phenomena and levels of damage. Diagnostic guidelines focus on locating the event center where condensation and slug acceleration take place. Diagnosis is described in three stages: an initial assessment, detailed evaluation and final confirmation. Graphical scoping analyses are provided to evaluate whether an event from one of the event classes could have occurred at the event center. Examples are provided for each type of waterhammer. Special instructions are provided for walking down damaged piping and evaluating damage due to waterhammer. To illustrate the diagnostic methods and document past experience, six case studies have been compiled in Volume 2. These case studies, based on actual condensation-induced waterhammer events at nuclear plants, present detailed data and work through the event diagnosis using the tools introduced in the first volume. 20 refs., 21 figs., 6 tabs

Evaluating risk factors for endemic human Salmonella Enteritidis infections with different phage types in Ontario, Canada using multinomial logistic regression and a case-case study approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Varga Csaba

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Identifying risk factors for Salmonella Enteritidis (SE infections in Ontario will assist public health authorities to design effective control and prevention programs to reduce the burden of SE infections. Our research objective was to identify risk factors for acquiring SE infections with various phage types (PT in Ontario, Canada. We hypothesized that certain PTs (e.g., PT8 and PT13a have specific risk factors for infection. Methods Our study included endemic SE cases with various PTs whose isolates were submitted to the Public Health Laboratory-Toronto from January 20th to August 12th, 2011. Cases were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire that included questions pertaining to demographics, travel history, clinical symptoms, contact with animals, and food exposures. A multinomial logistic regression method using the Generalized Linear Latent and Mixed Model procedure and a case-case study design were used to identify risk factors for acquiring SE infections with various PTs in Ontario, Canada. In the multinomial logistic regression model, the outcome variable had three categories representing human infections caused by SE PT8, PT13a, and all other SE PTs (i.e., non-PT8/non-PT13a as a referent category to which the other two categories were compared. Results In the multivariable model, SE PT8 was positively associated with contact with dogs (OR=2.17, 95% CI 1.01-4.68 and negatively associated with pepper consumption (OR=0.35, 95% CI 0.13-0.94, after adjusting for age categories and gender, and using exposure periods and health regions as random effects to account for clustering. Conclusions Our study findings offer interesting hypotheses about the role of phage type-specific risk factors. Multinomial logistic regression analysis and the case-case study approach are novel methodologies to evaluate associations among SE infections with different PTs and various risk factors.

Independent sector treatment centres: the first independent evaluation, a Scottish case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pollock, Allyson M; Kirkwood, Graham

2009-07-01

The pound5 billion English Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) programme remains unevaluated because of a lack of published contract data and poor quality data returns. Scotland has a three-year pilot ISTC, the Scottish Regional Treatment Centre (SRTC), the contract for which is now in the public domain. This study aims to conduct an independent evaluation of the performance of the SRTC during the first year of operation. A retrospective analysis of the SRTC comparing activity as reported by hospital episode statistics returned to ISD Scotland with: volume and cost data in the SRTC contract; a 10-month audit carried out by management consultants Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC); and an internal NHS Tayside performance report. All day-case and inpatient activity at the SRTC from 1 December 2006 to 31 January 2008. Activity and cost. The annual contract was based on patient referrals to the SRTC and not actual treatments. The contract was awarded on the basis of 2624 referrals a year, total value of pound5,667,464. According to ISD data, the SRTC performed 831 procedures (32% of annual contract) in the first 13 months worth pound1,035,603 (18%). PWC's figures report 2200 referrals (84%) to the SRTC at a cost of 2,642,000 (47%) in the first 10 months. Basing the SRTC contract on payments for referrals rather than actual treatment represents a major departure from normal standards of reporting and commissioning and may have resulted in over-payment for referrals for patients who did not receive treatment of up to pound3 million in the first 10 months. The PWC report falls well below the standards one would expect of an independent evaluation and we were unable to validate PWC's analysis and the claim of value for money. If wave-one ISTCs in England perform similarly to the SRTC then as much as pound927 million may have been paid for patients who did not receive treatment. We recommend a moratorium on all ISTC contracts until the contracts have been published and

The Case of the "Tainted" Taco Shells: A Case Study on Genetically Modified Foods

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Ann T. S.

2004-01-01

This case study introduces students to the use of genetically modified foods. Students learn how genetically modified plants are made, and then they read primary literature papers to evaluate the environmental, economic, and health issues. (Contains 2 figures.)

Prenatal Diagnoses with Cordocentesis: Evaluation of 172 Cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmut Erdemoğlu

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of 172 cordosentesis cases for chromosomal analysis in high risk pregnant patients which were performed in our clinic during 2001 and 2004. Cordosentesis procedure were performed mainly for, fetal anomaly, positive triplescreening test. Fetal chromosomal anomaly ratio was 7.5%. Trisomi 21,18,13 were found in fetal anomaly group. The invasive procedure success rate was %98.8. Cordosentes is a safe and easily performed prenatal diagnosis and treatment method in modern perinatology.

Propensity score matching for selection of local areas as controls for evaluation of effects of alcohol policies in case series and quasi case-control designs.

Science.gov (United States)

de Vocht, F; Campbell, R; Brennan, A; Mooney, J; Angus, C; Hickman, M

2016-03-01

Area-level public health interventions can be difficult to evaluate using natural experiments. We describe the use of propensity score matching (PSM) to select control local authority areas (LAU) to evaluate the public health impact of alcohol policies for (1) prospective evaluation of alcohol policies using area-level data, and (2) a novel two-stage quasi case-control design. Ecological. Alcohol-related indicator data (Local Alcohol Profiles for England, PHE Health Profiles and ONS data) were linked at LAU level. Six LAUs (Blackpool, Bradford, Bristol, Ipswich, Islington, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne) as sample intervention or case areas were matched to two control LAUs each using PSM. For the quasi case-control study a second stage was added aimed at obtaining maximum contrast in outcomes based on propensity scores. Matching was evaluated based on average standardized absolute mean differences (ASAM) and variable-specific P-values after matching. The six LAUs were matched to suitable control areas (with ASAM 0.05 indicating good matching) for a prospective evaluation study that sought areas that were similar at baseline in order to assess whether a change in intervention exposure led to a change in the outcome (alcohol related harm). PSM also generated appropriate matches for a quasi case-control study--whereby the contrast in health outcomes between cases and control areas needed to be optimized in order to assess retrospectively whether differences in intervention exposure were associated with the outcome. The use of PSM for area-level alcohol policy evaluation, but also for other public health interventions, will improve the value of these evaluations by objective and quantitative selection of the most appropriate control areas. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Flow-type landslides magnitude evaluation: the case study of the Campania Region (Southern Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Santo, Antonio; De Falco, Melania; Di Crescenzo, Giuseppe

2015-04-01

In the last years studies concerning the triggering and the run-out susceptibility for different kind of landslides have become more and more precise. In the most of the cases the methodological approach involve the production of detailed thematic maps (at least 1:5000 scale) which represent a very useful tool for territorial planning, especially in urbanized areas. More recently these researches were accompanied by the growth of other studies dealing with landslide magnitude evaluation (especially in terms of volume and velocity estimate). In this paper the results of a flow-type landslides magnitude evaluation are presented. The study area is located in Southern Italy and is very wide (1,500 square kilometres) including all the Campania region. In this context flow type landslides represent the most frequent instabilities as shown by the large number of victims and the huge economic damage caused in the last few centuries. These shallow landslides involve thin cohesionless, unsaturated pyroclastic soils found over steep slopes around Somma-Vesuvio and Phlegrean district, affecting a wide area where over 100 towns are located. Since the potential volume of flow-type landslides is a measure of event magnitude we propose to estimate the potential volume at the scale of slope or basin for about 90 municipalities affecting 850 hierarchized drainage basins and 900 regular slopes. An empirical approach recently proposed in literature (De Falco et al., 2012), allows to estimate the volume of the pyroclastic cover that can be displaced along the slope. The method derives from the interpretation of numerous geological and geomorphological data gathered from a vast amount of case histories on landslides in volcanic and carbonatic contexts and it is based on determining the thickness of the pyroclastic cover and the width of the detachment and erosion-transport zone. Thickness can be evaluated with a good degree of approximation since, in these landslides, the failure

Evaluating Global Health Partnerships: A Case Study of a Gavi HPV Vaccine Application Process in Uganda

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Carol Kamya

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background Global health partnerships have grown rapidly in number and scope, yet there has been less emphasis on their evaluation. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is one such public-private partnership; in Gavi-eligible countries partnerships are dynamic networks of immunization actors who work together to support all stages and aspects of Gavi support. This paper describes a conceptual framework – the partnership framework – and analytic approach for evaluating the perceptions of partnerships’ added value as well as the results from an application to one case in Uganda. Methods We used a mixed-methods case study design embedded in the Gavi Full Country Evaluations (FCE to test the partnership framework on Uganda’s human papillomavirus (HPV vaccine application partnership. Data from document review, interviews, and social network surveys enabled the testing of the relationships between partnership framework domains (context, structure, practices, performance, and outcomes. Topic guides were based on the framework domains and network surveys identified working together relationships, professional trust, and perceptions of the effectiveness, efficiency, and legitimacy of the partnership’s role in this process. Results Data from seven in-depth interviews, 11 network surveys and document review were analyzed according to the partnership framework, confirming relationships between the framework domains. Trust was an important contributor to the perceived effectiveness of the process. The network was structured around the EPI program, who was considered the leader of this process. While the structure and composition of the network was largely viewed as supporting an effective and legitimate process, the absence of the Ministry of Education (MoE may have had downstream consequences if this study’s results had not been shared with the Ministry of Health (MoH and acted upon. The partnership was not perceived to have increased the efficiency of

Planialtimetric Evaluation of a CARTOSAT-1 Stereo Pair - Case Study: SÃO SEBASTIÃO, SP, Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Barros, R. S.; Cruz, C. B. M.; Rabaco, L. M. L.

2012-07-01

It is noticed a significant increase in the development of orbital and airborne sensors that enable the extraction of three-dimensional data. So, it's important the increment of studies about the quality of altimetric values derived from these sensors to verify if the improvements implemented in the acquisition of data may influence the results. In this context, as part of a larger project that aims to evaluate the accuracy of various sensors, this work aims to analysis the planialtimetric accuracy of DEM generated from Cartosat-1 stereo pair. The project was developed for an area near the city of São Sebastião, located in the basin of the North Coast of São Paulo state, in Brasil. The relief in this area is very steep, with a predominance of dense forest vegetation, typical of the Atlantic Forest. All points in this assessment have been established in the field, with the use of single frequency (L1) GNSS receivers, through static relative positioning. In this work it was considered the Brazilian standard specifications (PEC, in Portuguese) for classification of cartographic bases. Results may be considered very good and showed that Cartosat-1 orthoimage presents accuracy equivalent to class B for 1:10.000 scale. The DEM presents altimetric accuracy compatible with class A of the 1:25.000 scale. Results obtained are true for this specific area/study case, but may vary in case different scenes or other studies areas are considered.

Evaluation of Eight Case Studies of Facilitated Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Susan; And Others

1993-01-01

The ability of eight adults with mental retardation (and in some cases cerebral palsy) to communicate using facilitated communication was assessed by a multidisciplinary team. Not one of the subjects demonstrated an ability to communicate using the technique. (JDD)

Digitizing and Preserving Law School Recordings: A Duke Law Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

White, Hollie; Bordo, Miguel; Chen, Sean

2015-01-01

Written as a case study, this article outlines Duke Law School Information Services' video digitization, preservation, and access initiative. This article begins with a discussion of the case study environment and the cross-departmental evaluation of in-house video production and processing workflows. The in-house preservation reformatting process…

User evaluations of energy efficient buildings: the interplay of buildings and users in seven European case studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomsen, Judith; Hauge, Aashild Lappegaard; Denizou, Karine; Jerkoe, Sidsel; Waagoe, Solvaar; Berker, Thomas

2011-07-01

The buildings in our study have been operational for just a short period and most of them are still in an adjustment phase. The findings show that users in all case studies often stressed the positive aspects connected to the newness and the architectural quality of the buildings. The interviews also show that energy efficiency is often regarded as a bonus or side effect that is gladly accepted but not the main criteria for choosing a house. Nonetheless, most residents seemed to appreciate the environmental benefits over time. Several respondents were also more concerned about the environment now than before they moved into or started to work in an energy efficient building, and they also reported more environmentally friendly behaviour. In most of the case studies, concerns were expressed about thermal comfort. Informants often experienced the building as too hot in the summer and/or too cold in the winter. This perceived discomfort caused different types of personal actions, which had a potential to interfere with the concept and the calculated energy balance. In order to improve internal conditions, the users in almost every case intervened with the planned use. They found common and known ways to improving their comfort in the buildings without considering how to optimize the new system. None of the respondents had much prior knowledge of energy efficient buildings before moving in or starting to work in the case study buildings. They did not know what to expect from their new environment, and were unfamiliar with the concepts. Many of the informants complained about a lack of information on systems and insufficient training. The studies also show that the occupants desired to control at least some operational aspects. Despite intermittent difficulties with thermal comfort, the tolerance for the buildings performance appeared to be high throughout all the case studies and many respondents were proud of 'their' buildings. Energy efficient buildings are not the

User evaluations of energy efficient buildings: the interplay of buildings and users in seven European case studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomsen, Judith; Hauge, Aashild Lappegaard; Denizou, Karine; Jerkoe, Sidsel; Waagoe, Solvaar; Berker, Thomas

2011-07-01

The buildings in our study have been operational for just a short period and most of them are still in an adjustment phase. The findings show that users in all case studies often stressed the positive aspects connected to the newness and the architectural quality of the buildings. The interviews also show that energy efficiency is often regarded as a bonus or side effect that is gladly accepted but not the main criteria for choosing a house. Nonetheless, most residents seemed to appreciate the environmental benefits over time. Several respondents were also more concerned about the environment now than before they moved into or started to work in an energy efficient building, and they also reported more environmentally friendly behaviour. In most of the case studies, concerns were expressed about thermal comfort. Informants often experienced the building as too hot in the summer and/or too cold in the winter. This perceived discomfort caused different types of personal actions, which had a potential to interfere with the concept and the calculated energy balance. In order to improve internal conditions, the users in almost every case intervened with the planned use. They found common and known ways to improving their comfort in the buildings without considering how to optimize the new system. None of the respondents had much prior knowledge of energy efficient buildings before moving in or starting to work in the case study buildings. They did not know what to expect from their new environment, and were unfamiliar with the concepts. Many of the informants complained about a lack of information on systems and insufficient training. The studies also show that the occupants desired to control at least some operational aspects. Despite intermittent difficulties with thermal comfort, the tolerance for the buildings performance appeared to be high throughout all the case studies and many respondents were proud of 'their' buildings. Energy efficient buildings are

Developing Oral Case Presentation Skills: Peer and Self-Evaluations as Instructional Tools.

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Williams, Dustyn E; Surakanti, Shravani

2016-01-01

Oral case presentation is an essential skill in clinical practice that is decidedly varied and understudied in teaching curricula. We developed a curriculum to improve oral case presentation skills in medical students. As part of an internal medicine clerkship, students receive instruction in the elements of a good oral case presentation and then present a real-world case in front of a video camera. Each student self-evaluates his/her presentation and receives evaluations from his/her peers. We expect peer and self-evaluation to be meaningful tools for developing skills in oral presentation. We hope to not only improve the quality of oral case presentations by students but also to reduce the time burden on faculty.

Designing Student Feedback System within the Course Evaluation Process: Dokuz Eylül University Case Study

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Muhammet DAMAR

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The Bologna Process at National Higher Education Programs initiated a series of studies regarding the assessment and evaluation of quality in higher education. Dokuz Eylül University has taken this initiation into a primary concern to develop a methodology for the measurement of quality in undergraduate education. Besides the existing systems on this subject at Dokuz Eylül University, substantial progress was recently made by developing innovative sub-systems aiming further improvements. As one of the most important stakeholders, the feedback from students about the quality of the courses was selected as the major concern and a Student Course Feedback System was developed for this purpose. As an exemplary case study, this reveals how the Student Course Feedback System was designed, the process, the technologies used, the problems and constraints encountered, and the roadmap that can be followed by other universities. Dokuz Eylül University has interiorized this process as a corporate culture by directing instructors to make improvements in the courses with respect to the outputs of the evaluation forms, including questions about learning outcomes, instructors, and physical conditions. The integrated design of the Student Course Feedback System with the existing information systems has enabled management to implement a course evaluation system comprising the trilogy of students, instructors, and courses as a whole. The existence of such an assessment process supports the principles of continuous improvement and helps to establish the factual decision making process as an important milestone on the roadmap for a living quality assurance system.

Evaluation of cases with Fasciola hepatica infection: experience in 6 children

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Hasan Tezer

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate 6 pediatric cases diagnosed as fascioliasis. Methods: Patients diagnosed as fascioliasis are retrospectively interpreted. Results: Herein 6 pediatric cases having a mean age of (12.7±3.1 years with different complaints including fever, weakness, paleness, sweating, cough, headache, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, and abdominal distension admitting to our hospital are evaluated. Conclusions: Diagnosis of fascioliasis needs a high index of suspicion supported by stool microscopy, serology, imaging procedures, and in difficult cases even liver biopsy. Triclabendazole resistance should be kept in mind in unresponsive cases.

The use of case studies in undergraduate Business Administration

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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.

Case Study Research Methodology

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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.

Project management case studies

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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

The system evaluation for report writing skills of summary by HGA-SVM with Ontology: Medical case study in problem based learning

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Yenaeng, Sasikanchana; Saelee, Somkid; Samai, Wirachai

2018-01-01

The system evaluation for report writing skills of summary by Hybrid Genetic Algorithm-Support Vector Machines (HGA-SVM) with Ontology of Medical Case Study in Problem Based Learning (PBL) is a system was developed as a guideline of scoring for the facilitators or medical teacher. The essay answers come from medical student of medical education courses in the nervous system motion and Behavior I and II subject, a third year medical student 20 groups of 9-10 people, the Faculty of Medicine in Prince of Songkla University (PSU). The audit committee have the opinion that the ratings of individual facilitators are inadequate, this system to solve such problems. In this paper proposes a development of the system evaluation for report writing skills of summary by HGA-SVM with Ontology of medical case study in PBL which the mean scores of machine learning score and humans (facilitators) score were not different at the significantly level .05 all 3 essay parts contain problem essay part, hypothesis essay part and learning objective essay part. The result show that, the average score all 3 essay parts that were not significantly different from the rate at the level of significance .05.

Evaluation of pemphigus cases involving oral mucosa.

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Karagöz, Gizem; Bektaş-Kayhan, Kivanç; Ünür, Meral

2014-09-01

Pemphigus, defines a group of disorders in autoimmune etiology which could be life-threatening and clinical manifestations are mainly epithelial blistering affecting cutaneous and/or mucosal surfaces including oral mucosa. The aim of our study is to evaluate the clinical appearance of pemphigus with oral involvement by reported 15 pemphigus cases. This retrospective study of 15 cases of pemphigus obtained over a period of 7 years from 2006 to 2013 in Istanbul University, Dentistry Faculty, Oral Medicine and Surgery Department was designed. Age distribution of pemphigus was from 15 to 59 years with an average age of 41.3 years. Of the 15 patients, the male:female ratio was 1:2.75 (4 male, 11 female). The most common clinical various of pemphigus was pemphigus vulgaris, diagnosed in all patients. The buccal mucosa (34.3%) was the most commonly affected site followed by tongue (20%), gingiva (17.1%), palate (11.4%), lips (11.4%) and floor of mouth (5.7%). Our explanation of this conclusion, while speculative, is that socioeconomic situation related stress in males and hormonal changes like pregnancy and menostasis in females; systemic disease and using drugs; dental trauma and bruxism could be responsible for flare up in the disease.

Birth outcomes of cases with isolated atrial septal defect type II--a population-based case-control study.

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Vereczkey, Attila; Kósa, Zsolt; Csáky-Szunyogh, Melinda; Urbán, Róbert; Czeizel, Andrew E

2013-07-01

In general, epidemiological studies have evaluated cases with congenital cardiovascular abnormalities together. The aim of this study is to describe the birth outcomes of cases with isolated/single atrial septal defect type II (ASD-II, i.e. only a fossa ovalis defect) after surgical correction or lethal outcome in the light of maternal sociodemographic data. Comparison of birth outcomes and maternal characteristics of cases with ASD-II and controls without defect. The population-based Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities. Hungarian newborn infants with or without ASD-II. Medically recorded birth outcomes, maternal age and birth order were evaluated. Marital and employment status was based on maternal information. The lifestyle factors were analyzed in a subsample of mothers visited at home based on a personal interview with mothers and their close relatives, and the family consensus was accepted. Mean gestational age at delivery and birthweight, rate of preterm birth and low birthweight, maternal age, birth order, marital and employment status. The evaluation of 471 cases with ASD-II and 38,151 controls without any defects showed a female excess in cases with ASD-II, having shorter gestational age and lower mean birthweight, and thus a higher rate of preterm births and low birthweight. Intrauterine growth restriction and shorter gestational age were found in cases with ASD-II, particularly in female children. These factors may have a general developmental process in which there was not closure of the foramen ovale, thus echocardiographic screening of these babies might be of value. © 2012 The Authors Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica © 2012 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Using a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to determine product usability: A test case.

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Zhou, Ronggang; Chan, Alan H S

2017-01-01

In order to take into account the inherent uncertainties during product usability evaluation, Zhou and Chan [1] proposed a comprehensive method of usability evaluation for products by combining the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy evaluation methods for synthesizing performance data and subjective response data. This method was designed to provide an integrated framework combining the inevitable vague judgments from the multiple stages of the product evaluation process. In order to illustrate the effectiveness of the model, this study used a summative usability test case to assess the application and strength of the general fuzzy usability framework. To test the proposed fuzzy usability evaluation framework [1], a standard summative usability test was conducted to benchmark the overall usability of a specific network management software. Based on the test data, the fuzzy method was applied to incorporate both the usability scores and uncertainties involved in the multiple components of the evaluation. Then, with Monte Carlo simulation procedures, confidence intervals were used to compare the reliabilities among the fuzzy approach and two typical conventional methods combining metrics based on percentages. This case study showed that the fuzzy evaluation technique can be applied successfully for combining summative usability testing data to achieve an overall usability quality for the network software evaluated. Greater differences of confidence interval widths between the method of averaging equally percentage and weighted evaluation method, including the method of weighted percentage averages, verified the strength of the fuzzy method.

The Case Study as Research Heuristic: Lessons from the R&D Value Mapping Project.

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Bozeman, Barry; Klein, Hans K.

1999-01-01

Examines the role of prototype case studies as the foundation for later evaluation through two studies from the "R&D Value Mapping Project," a study that will involve more than 30 cases. Explores the usefulness of case studies in defining and assessing subsequent research efforts. (SLD)

Ebstein′s anomaly--an autopsy study of 28 cases.

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Madiwale C

1997-01-01

Full Text Available Twenty eight autopsy specimens of Ebstein′s anomaly were studied in order to evaluate the morphologic features of the abnormal tricuspid valve. All cases showed marked dilatation of the original tricuspid annulus, a normally positioned anterior leaflet and variable downward displacement of the posterior and septal leaflets. Sixteen cases showed a very large anterior leaflet. All three leaflets showed dysplastic features and a wide range of anatomic abnormalities in the valve and valve apparatus. A thin walled atrialised right ventricle was present in nine cases. Associated cardiac anomalies were seen in 21 cases, the commonest being an atrial septal defect (17 cases.

Peaceful Uses Bona Fides: Criteria for Evaluation and Case Studies

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Ajemian, Chris K.; Hazel, Mike; Kessler, Carol E.; Mathews, Carrie E.; Morris, Fred A.; Seward, Amy M.; Peterson, Danielle J.; Smith, Brian W.

2007-06-06

This study applies a set of indicators to assess the peaceful nature of a state’s nuclear program. Evaluation of a country’s nuclear program relative to these indicators can help the international community to take appropriate actions to ensure that the growth of the global nuclear energy industry proceeds peacefully and to minimize nuclear proliferation risks.

Participatory evaluation of community actions as a learning methodology for personal and community empowerment: case studies and empowerment processes

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Xavier Úcar Martínez

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Participatory evaluation (PE is a hybrid methodology that can be used simultaneously to investigate and act in groups and communities. It can generate new knowledge about reality, but italso allows changes in the participants and their sociocultural context. This research project, developed over three years, aims to find out whether PE processes are useful and appropriate to evaluate community actionsand to generate learning that contribute to the empowerment of people who develop them.Method: The methodological structure of the research process design Participatory Evaluation processes that are applied in three selected communities-cases, over one year. The steering groups in each caseevaluated four dimensions of Community Development Plans: context, evolution, performance and results, using different techniques and group dynamics. Throughout this process, participants identify the acquiredknowledge and this is linked to indicators of empowerment, using questionnaires, content analysis and semi-structured interviews.Results: The development PE process in the three analyzed cases confirmed that PE is a useful strategy to assess participatory community actions of a territory; to report them to the people of the community; andto make shared decisions, about initiatives in order to improve community actions. The obtained results also verify that, throughout PE, there has been learning in the participants.Conclusions: The involvement of community members in the evaluation makes it more useful, fairer and more valid, but also a fourth positive consequence of PE is empowerment. From the process and the resultsof these cases of Participatory Evaluation, we consider that community EP is social transformation.

[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.

Retrospective evaluation of childhood alopecia areata cases

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Munise Daye

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Background and design: Approximately 20% of alopecia areata (AA cases are children. There is limited information about childhood AA.We aimed to examine demographic features,treatments and diseases prognosis of child cases of AA that were followed in our clinic. Material and methods: Datas of 110 AA patients who are 16 and under 16 years old were examined retrospectively.The age,gender,disease onset age,duration of disease,types of AA and onset area,nail involvement, accompanying systemic and dermatological diseases,laboratory tests,treatments and the prognosis were evaluated in their follow-up time.Results: Female cases were 46,4%, male cases were 53,6%.The mean age was 10,35 years.The age of disease onset was 8,65 years.Primary onset areas of AA cases were scalp in 83,6%, eyebrows in 5,4%, body hair in 5,4%, eyelashes in 2,7%, eyebrows and eyelashes in 2,7%.Types of disease were AA in 73,4% cases,alopecia totalis in 19% cases, alopecia universalis in 5,4% cases,ophiaisis in 1,8% cases.Nail involvement was established in 36,3% cases. Nevus flammeus was established in 2,7% cases.Mean disease duration was 17,02 months.Accompaying dermatosis were vitiligo in 2,7% cases,atopic dermatitis in 6,3% cases. The accompaying systemic diseases were autoimmune thyroiditis in 1,8% cases and Down's Syndrome in 2,7% cases.Thyroid autoantibodies were high in 0,9% cases.We have treated 24,5% of cases with topical corticosteroid lotion, 30,9% of cases with anthralin, 0,9%of cases with 2% minoxidil lotion, 0,9% of cases with calcipotriol lotion, 1,8% of cases with topical calcineurin inhibitors, 10% of cases with intralesional corticosteroids.We have treated 15,4% of cases with systemic corticosteroids and PUVA therapy who were resistant to topical treatment.We have treated 14,5% of cases with different combinations of topical treatments.Remission was observed in 34,5% of cases.The mean remission duration was 12.2 months.Relapse was observed at a average of two

Development and Evaluation of a Multi-Institutional Case Studies-Based Course in Food Safety

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Pleitner, Aaron M.; Chapin, Travis K.; Hammons, Susan R.; Stelten, Anna Van; Nightingale, Kendra K.; Wiedmann, Martin; Johnston, Lynette M.; Oliver, Haley F.

2015-01-01

Developing novel, engaging courses in food safety is necessary to train professionals in this discipline. Courses that are interactive and case-based encourage development of critical thinking skills necessary for identifying and preventing foodborne disease outbreaks. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a case study…

Building theories from case study research: the progressive case study

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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

Case Studies in a Physiology Course on the Autonomic Nervous System: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

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Zimmermann, Martina

2010-01-01

The introduction of case studies on the autonomic nervous system in a fourth-semester physiology course unit for Pharmacy students is described in this article. This article considers how these case studies were developed and presents their content. Moreover, it reflects on their implementation and, finally, the reception of such a transformation…

Evaluation of Active Case Finding (ACF of Tuberculosis in Slums Population in North of Iran

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Reza Hoseinpoor

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Background At present of the limitation of the current case finding strategies and the global urgency to improve tuberculosis (TB case finding, a renewed interest in active case finding (ACF has risen. World Health Organization (WHO calls for research on TB screening among low-income countries because of the limitation of the passive case finding strategies. We aimed to evaluated Active Case Finding strategy for TB among the slums population in North of Iran (Gorgan city and comprise this procedure to Passive Case Finding. Materials and Methods We conducted a house-to-house survey from April 2016 to July 2016 by trained health volunteers for TB in ten urban slums of Gorgan. Individuals with TB symptoms were identified through targeted screening using a standardized questionnaire and investigated further for TB. Descriptive analyses were performed using Stata-12. Results During study period, of 22,741 individuals screened for TB, 112 (0.49% were identified as TB suspects; 95 suspects were evaluated for TB. TB was diagnosed in four individuals, representing 4.2% of those evaluated for TB as suspected cases. The incidence rate of tuberculosis was 17.5 in 100.000 people in slums population of Gorgan. Of the four detected cases, three individuals had pulmonary TB that among them two cases had new smear-positive TB. Conclusion ACF could supplement current strategies to yield additional TB cases, lead to early diagnosis and better treatment.

Neurology cases evaluated by the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine 2000-2012.

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Hesselbrock, Roger; Heaton, John

2014-05-01

Historically, neurologic conditions are a major cause for removing aviators from flying status. Early neuropsychiatry studies included psychiatric conditions along with neurologic disorders. Previously reported data specifically addressing neurologic conditions in aviators are limited. And there is little current neurology-specific data reported. A retrospective review was done on patients with diagnoses evaluated by Neurology at the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine Aeromedical Consultation Service (ACS) between 2000 and 2012 using ACS records and databases to identify cases. Patient demographics, major diagnoses with associated International Classification of Diseases (9th rev.) codes, and aeromedical disposition recommendations were abstracted into a separate database for analysis. In total, 871 cases were identified. Patients were predominantly male (91%) with average age 34 and were predominantly pilots (69%). The top neurology-related diagnoses found in our series were headaches, head injuries, and radiculopathies. Of the cases evaluated, 570 aviators (65%) were recommended by ACS to return to flying status. Waiver authorities accepted 88% of ACS recommendations. Current patterns in neurologic conditions in the selected population of cases evaluated by the ACS were presented. Of the neurologic diagnoses seen, a novel finding was the prominence of head injuries in our series not seen in previous studies. This may be due to more stringent aeromedical standards with advances in medical practice and underscores that this issue is not just about disability but affects aircrew operational readiness. Most cases of neurologic disease evaluated by the ACS were recommended for return to flying status.

Evaluating the Potential of Variable Renewable Energy for a Balanced Isolated Grid: A Japanese Case Study

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Mai Inoue

2017-01-01

Full Text Available There is a global push to develop renewable energy to further a low-carbon society. However, the nature of variable renewable energy (VRE sources such as wind power and solar photovoltaic (PV systems may create problems because electricity grids require a stable power supply to match demand. To evaluate the potential capacity of VREs that may be installed, we develop an optimized model that balances power supply and demand and also considers grid balancing by battery storage and load frequency control. The model was applied to a case study of an isolated grid on a remote Japanese island. When set to optimize the grid in terms of lowest cost, the model suggested that, compared with the base case, the capacity of wind power should be increased by a factor of 1.7 and 15.8 for situations without and with battery storage, respectively. Since it was always considered to be more expensive than wind power, no change in solar PV capacity was observed. These approaches resulted in a decrease in the total power generation cost of 2% and 24%, respectively, while total CO2 emissions fell by 3% and 52%, primarily driven by decreased used of the existing fossil-fueled thermal plant.

Participatory Evaluation and Learning: A Case Example Involving Ripple Effects Mapping of a Tourism Assessment Program

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Bhattacharyya, Rani; Templin, Elizabeth; Messer, Cynthia; Chazdon, Scott

2017-01-01

Engaging communities through research-based participatory evaluation and learning methods can be rewarding for both a community and Extension. A case study of a community tourism development program evaluation shows how participatory evaluation and learning can be mutually reinforcing activities. Many communities value the opportunity to reflect…

Auditing predictive models : a case study in crop growth

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Metselaar, K.

1999-01-01

Methods were developed to assess and quantify the predictive quality of simulation models, with the intent to contribute to evaluation of model studies by non-scientists. In a case study, two models of different complexity, LINTUL and SUCROS87, were used to predict yield of forage maize

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

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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.

Evaluating social media's capacity to develop engaged audiences in health promotion settings: use of Twitter metrics as a case study.

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Neiger, Brad L; Thackeray, Rosemary; Burton, Scott H; Giraud-Carrier, Christophe G; Fagen, Michael C

2013-03-01

Use of social media in health promotion and public health continues to grow in popularity, though most of what is reported in literature represents one-way messaging devoid of attributes associated with engagement, a core attribute, if not the central purpose, of social media. This article defines engagement, describes its value in maximizing the potential of social media in health promotion, proposes an evaluation hierarchy for social media engagement, and uses Twitter as a case study to illustrate how the hierarchy might function in practice. Partnership and participation are proposed as culminating outcomes for social media use in health promotion. As use of social media in health promotion moves toward this end, evaluation metrics that verify progress and inform subsequent strategies will become increasingly important.

A Rubric for Evaluating Student Analyses of Business Cases

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Riddle, Emma Jane; Smith, Marilyn; Frankforter, Steven A.

2016-01-01

This article presents a rubric for evaluating student performance on written case assignments that require qualitative analysis. This rubric is designed for three purposes. First, it informs students of the criteria on which their work will be evaluated. Second, it provides instructors with a reliable instrument for accurately measuring and…

Evaluation of an artificial intelligence guided inverse planning system: Clinical case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Hui; Yin Fangfang; Willett, Christopher

2007-01-01

Purpose: An artificial intelligence (AI) guided method for parameter adjustment of inverse planning was implemented on a commercial inverse treatment planning system. For evaluation purpose, four typical clinical cases were tested and the results from both plans achieved by automated and manual methods were compared. Methods and materials: The procedure of parameter adjustment mainly consists of three major loops. Each loop is in charge of modifying parameters of one category, which is carried out by a specially customized fuzzy inference system. A physician prescribed multiple constraints for a selected volume were adopted to account for the tradeoff between prescription dose to the PTV and dose-volume constraints for critical organs. The searching process for an optimal parameter combination began with the first constraint, and proceeds to the next until a plan with acceptable dose was achieved. The initial setup of the plan parameters was the same for each case and was adjusted independently by both manual and automated methods. After the parameters of one category were updated, the intensity maps of all fields were re-optimized and the plan dose was subsequently re-calculated. When final plan arrived, the dose statistics were calculated from both plans and compared. Results: For planned target volume (PTV), the dose for 95% volume is up to 10% higher in plans using the automated method than those using the manual method. For critical organs, an average decrease of the plan dose was achieved. However, the automated method cannot improve the plan dose for some critical organs due to limitations of the inference rules currently employed. For normal tissue, there was no significant difference between plan doses achieved by either automated or manual method. Conclusion: With the application of AI-guided method, the basic parameter adjustment task can be accomplished automatically and a comparable plan dose was achieved in comparison with that achieved by the manual

Evaluation of an artificial intelligence guided inverse planning system: clinical case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Hui; Yin, Fang-Fang; Willett, Christopher

2007-04-01

An artificial intelligence (AI) guided method for parameter adjustment of inverse planning was implemented on a commercial inverse treatment planning system. For evaluation purpose, four typical clinical cases were tested and the results from both plans achieved by automated and manual methods were compared. The procedure of parameter adjustment mainly consists of three major loops. Each loop is in charge of modifying parameters of one category, which is carried out by a specially customized fuzzy inference system. A physician prescribed multiple constraints for a selected volume were adopted to account for the tradeoff between prescription dose to the PTV and dose-volume constraints for critical organs. The searching process for an optimal parameter combination began with the first constraint, and proceeds to the next until a plan with acceptable dose was achieved. The initial setup of the plan parameters was the same for each case and was adjusted independently by both manual and automated methods. After the parameters of one category were updated, the intensity maps of all fields were re-optimized and the plan dose was subsequently re-calculated. When final plan arrived, the dose statistics were calculated from both plans and compared. For planned target volume (PTV), the dose for 95% volume is up to 10% higher in plans using the automated method than those using the manual method. For critical organs, an average decrease of the plan dose was achieved. However, the automated method cannot improve the plan dose for some critical organs due to limitations of the inference rules currently employed. For normal tissue, there was no significant difference between plan doses achieved by either automated or manual method. With the application of AI-guided method, the basic parameter adjustment task can be accomplished automatically and a comparable plan dose was achieved in comparison with that achieved by the manual method. Future improvements to incorporate case

Case-oriented computer-based-training in radiology: concept, implementation and evaluation

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Dugas, Martin; Trumm, Christoph; Stäbler, Axel; Pander, Ernst; Hundt, Walter; Scheidler, Jurgen; Brüning, Roland; Helmberger, Thomas; Waggershauser, Tobias; Matzko, Matthias; Reiser, Maximillian

2001-01-01

Background Providing high-quality clinical cases is important for teaching radiology. We developed, implemented and evaluated a program for a university hospital to support this task. Methods The system was built with Intranet technology and connected to the Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS). It contains cases for every user group from students to attendants and is structured according to the ACR-code (American College of Radiology) [2]. Each department member was given an individual account, could gather his teaching cases and put the completed cases into the common database. Results During 18 months 583 cases containing 4136 images involving all radiological techniques were compiled and 350 cases put into the common case repository. Workflow integration as well as individual interest influenced the personal efforts to participate but an increasing number of cases and minor modifications of the program improved user acceptance continuously. 101 students went through an evaluation which showed a high level of acceptance and a special interest in elaborate documentation. Conclusion Electronic access to reference cases for all department members anytime anywhere is feasible. Critical success factors are workflow integration, reliability, efficient retrieval strategies and incentives for case authoring. PMID:11686856

Case-oriented computer-based-training in radiology: concept, implementation and evaluation

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Helmberger Thomas

2001-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Providing high-quality clinical cases is important for teaching radiology. We developed, implemented and evaluated a program for a university hospital to support this task. Methods The system was built with Intranet technology and connected to the Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS. It contains cases for every user group from students to attendants and is structured according to the ACR-code (American College of Radiology 2. Each department member was given an individual account, could gather his teaching cases and put the completed cases into the common database. Results During 18 months 583 cases containing 4136 images involving all radiological techniques were compiled and 350 cases put into the common case repository. Workflow integration as well as individual interest influenced the personal efforts to participate but an increasing number of cases and minor modifications of the program improved user acceptance continuously. 101 students went through an evaluation which showed a high level of acceptance and a special interest in elaborate documentation. Conclusion Electronic access to reference cases for all department members anytime anywhere is feasible. Critical success factors are workflow integration, reliability, efficient retrieval strategies and incentives for case authoring.

Thermodynamic evaluation of distillation columns using exergy loss profiles: a case study on the crude oil atmospheric distillation column

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Tarighaleslami, Amir Hossein [Mahshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Chemical Engineering Faculty, Mahshar, Khouzestan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Omidkhah, Mohammad Reza [Tarbiat Modares University, Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ghannadzadeh, Ali [University of Toulouse, Department of Process and System Engineering, Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Toulouse (France); Hoseinzadeh Hesas, Roozbeh [University of Malaya, Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2012-06-15

This paper presents a case study on the crude oil atmospheric distillation column of Tabriz refinery plant to show the applicability of exergy loss profiles in thermodynamic examination of the different retrofit options. The atmospheric distillation column of Tabriz refinery has been revamped as a consequence of increase of the plant capacity to 100,000 bpd. To cover the deficit of feedstock of the revamped unit, a blend of the existing feedstock with imported crude oil is used as a feedstock. However, to investigate how the blend of these two different types of crudes as a feedstock has an influence on the operating conditions, the examination of the column is needed. Exergy as a comprehensive thermodynamic property which translates the temperature, pressure and composition change into a common unit has been chosen to evaluate the distillation column thermodynamically. Furthermore, the exergy loss profile of the base case serves as a scoping tool to pinpoint the source of inefficiencies. Then, the exergy loss profile as a screening tool has found the retrofit options which are likely to yield greatest energy saving from a list of retrofit options proposed by the industrial partner. In the presented case study, the exergy loss profile identifies the best retrofit option with 17.16% reduction in exergy losses, which finally lead to 3.6% reduction of primary fuel demand. (orig.)

A case-control study of risk factors for male infertility in Southern ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between selected potential socio-demographic and behavioural risk factors and infertility in Nigeria males. Methods: The study consisted of cases and controls. The cases were 150 males with proven male infertility, while the controls were 150 fertile males with ...

Ultrasonographic evaluation of cerebral arterial and venous haemodynamics in multiple sclerosis: a case-control study.

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Pasquale Marchione

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Although recent studies excluded an association between Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency and Multiple Sclerosis (MS, controversial results account for some cerebrovascular haemodynamic impairment suggesting a dysfunction of cerebral autoregulation mechanisms. The aim of this cross-sectional, case-control study is to evaluate cerebral arterial inflow and venous outflow by means of a non-invasive ultrasound procedure in Relapsing Remitting (RR, Primary Progressive (PP Multiple Sclerosis and age and sex-matched controls subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All subjects underwent a complete extra-intracranial arterial and venous ultrasound assessment with a color-coded duplex sonography scanner and a transcranial doppler equipment, in both supine and sitting position by means of a tilting chair. Basal arterial and venous morphology and flow velocities, postural changes in mean flow velocities (MFV of middle cerebral arteries (MCA, differences between cerebral venous outflow (CVF in clinostatism and in the seated position (ΔCVF and non-invasive cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP were evaluated. RESULTS: 85 RR-MS, 83 PP-MS and 82 healthy controls were included. ΔCVF was negative in 45/85 (52.9% RR-MS, 63/83 (75.9% PP-MS (p = 0.01 and 11/82 (13.4% controls (p<0.001, while MFVs on both MCAs in sitting position were significantly reduced in RR-MS and PP-MS patients than in control, particularly in EDSS ≥ 5 subgroup (respectively, 42/50, 84% vs. 66/131, 50.3%, p<0.01 and 48.3 ± 2 cm/s vs. 54.6 ± 3 cm/s, p = 0.01. No significant differences in CPP were observed within and between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The quantitative evaluation of cerebral blood flow (CBF and CVF and their postural dependency may be related to a dysfunction of autonomic nervous system that seems to characterize more disabled MS patients. It's not clear whether the altered postural control of arterial inflow and venous outflow is a specific MS condition or simply an

Student Engagement with Computer-Generated Feedback: A Case Study

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Zhang, Zhe

2017-01-01

In order to benefit from feedback on their writing, students need to engage effectively with it. This article reports a case study on student engagement with computer-generated feedback, known as automated writing evaluation (AWE) feedback, in an EFL context. Differing from previous studies that explored commercially available AWE programs, this…

Evaluation of community-wide interventions: The ecologic case-referent study design

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P.A. Wiegersma (Auke); A. Hofman (Albert); G.A. Zielhuis (Gerhard )

2001-01-01

textabstractIn a setting of long-standing, community-wide and generally accepted prevention activities like youth health care services in The Netherlands, evaluative research in the form of experimental studies is hardly possible. Furthermore, as most interventions will bear fruit only after several

Clinical and laboratorial study of 19 cases of mucopolysaccharidoses

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Albano Lilian M. J.

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS are a heterogeneous group of inborn errors of lysosomal glycosaminoglycan (GAG metabolism. The importance of this group of disorders among the inborn errors of metabolism led us to report 19 cases. METHOD: We performed clinical, radiological, and biochemical evaluations of the suspected patients, which allowed us to establish a definite diagnosis in 19 cases. RESULTS: Not all patients showed increased GAG levels in urine; enzyme assays should be performed in all cases with strong clinical suspicion. The diagnosis was made on average at the age of 48 months, and the 19 MPS cases, after a full clinical, radiological, and biochemical study, were classified as follows: Hurler -- MPS I (1 case; Hunter -- MPS II (2 cases; Sanfilippo -- MPS III (2 cases; Morquio -- MPS IV (4 cases; Maroteaux-Lamy -- MPS VI (9 cases; and Sly -- MPS VII (1 case. DISCUSSION: The high relative frequency of Maroteaux-Lamy disease contrasts with most reports in the literature and could express a population variability.

An Evaluation of the Intended and Implemented Curricula’s Adherence to the NCTM Standards on the Mathematics Achievement of Third Grade Students: A Case Study

OpenAIRE

Griffin, Cynthia C.; Xin, Yan Ping; Jitendra, Asha

2010-01-01

This article describes the results of a case study evaluating the influence of the intended (textbook) and implemented curricula’s (teachers’ instructional practice) adherence to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ (NCTM) Standards on student outcomes in mathematics. We collected data on 72 third-grade students from four classrooms in one elementary school. Textbook and teacher adherence to the standards were evaluated using content analysis and direct observation procedures, res...

Self-evaluation System for Low carbon Industrial Park--A Case Study of TEDA Industrial Park in Tianjin

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Wenyan, W.; Fanghua, H.; Ying, C.; Ouyang, W.; Yuan, Q.

2013-12-01

Massive fossil fuel burning caused by industrialization development is one major reason of global climate change. After Copenhagen climate summit, the studies of low-carbon city gain attentions from many countries. On 25th Nov. 2009, the State Council executive meeting announced that by 2020 China will reduce the carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 40% to 45% compared with the level of 2005. Industrial Park as an important part of city, has developed rapidly in recent years, and turns into a key element and an alternative mechanism to achieve emission reduction target. Thus, establishing a low carbon development model for industrial park is one of the most effective ways to build sustainable low carbon cities. By adopting the self-evaluation system of low carbon industrial park, this research aims to summarize the low carbon concept in industrial park practice. According to The Guide for Low Carbon Industrial Development Zones, the quantitative evaluation system is divided into 4 separate categories with 23 different quantitative indicators. The 4 categories include: 1) energy and GHG management (weigh 60%), 2) circular economy and environmental protection (weigh 15%), 3) administration and incentive mechanisms of industrial parks (weigh 15%), and 4) planning and urban forms (weigh 10%). By going through the necessary stages and by leading continuous improvements low carbon development goals can be achieved. Tianjin TEDA industrial park is selected as one case study to conduct an assessment on TEDA low-carbon development condition. Tianjin TEDA Industrial Park is already an ecological demonstration industrial park in China, with good foundations on environmental protection, resource recycling, etc. Based on the self-evaluation system, the indicators, such as the energy using efficiency and the degree of land intensive utilization, are also analyzed and assessed. Through field survey and data collection, in accordance with the quantitative self-evaluation

Case Study: eCoaching in a Corporate Environment

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Warner, Teri L. C.

2012-01-01

This qualitative particularistic case study was an exploration and evaluation of an online, asynchronous, non-human coaching system called an "eCoaching system." Developed by the researcher, the eCoaching system combined performance coaching with the latest technologies in eLearning. The coaching was based on the appreciative inquiry approach, and…

Computerized tomographic evaluations of 37 cases of craniopharyngiomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagasawa, Shiro; Yamashita, Junkoh; Handa, Hajime; Takeuchi, Juji.

1983-01-01

Although craniopharyngiomas are well known to exhibit three basic CT characteristics: Calcification, cysts, and contrast enhancement (CE), several cases with atypical CT manifestations have been reported lately. These atypical manifestations can be classified into three groups: Unusual extensions of the tumors, high-density cysts, and marked homogeneous CE. The CT scans obtained in our recent series of 37 craniopharyngiomas were evaluated in an attempt to analyze the tumoral extensions, the cyst densities, and the CE, and were compared with those of other, rarer parasellar lesions. Cystic tumors were much more frequent than solid tumors (Table 1); 14 cases (38%) were exclusively cystic; 17 cases (46%), equally cystic and solid, and 6 cases (16%), solid. Calcifications were present in 86% of the children and 43% of the adults. Unusual extensions were noted in 7 cases (Fig. 1, 2): Anteriorly to the frontal fossa (5 cases, 14%), laterally to the temporal fossa (1 case, 3%), or posteriorly to the posterior fossa (1 case, 3%). All these tumors were either purely cystic or equally cystic and solid. Cystic portions were detected in the tumors of 31 cases (Table 2). Although the majority of the cystic portions (25 cases, 81%) were low in density, isodense cysts were observed in 6 cases (19%). Out of 23 cases exhibiting solid portions in the tumors, high-density areas (calcified masses) were detected in 3 cases and mixed-density areas in 20 cases. While these 20 cases all showed CE, marked homogeneous CE were noted in 5 cases (25%). (J.P.N.)

Evaluating the effect of organization culture on the successful execution of strategies: Case study of Payam-e-Noor university

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Babak Monzavi

2013-07-01

Full Text Available In this research, we use Hofstede method and Noble’s framework in strategy execution to evaluate the effect of organization culture on the successful implementation of strategies in a case study of Payam-e-Noor University of Iran. Data Collection is performed with the standard Hofstede survey, an evaluation tool for organization culture, and researchers’ survey tool to evaluate the effective implementation of strategies. The reliability coefficient was calculated as 0.846 using the Cronbach alpha. The target population includes 600 senior managers of Payam-e-Noor university of Iran at the time of data collection Cochran formula was used to calculate the required sample number of 120 individuals. The results show that according to the Hofstede dimensions, the dominant cultural aspects of high power distance, uncertainty avoidance, collectivism, and femininity were identified. The first two have a direct influence on effectiveness of strategies. While individualism is known to have an invert effect on effectiveness of strategies, no connection was identified between masculinity and effectiveness of strategies, and thus, this theory was not confirmed in this research.

Evaluation of community-wide interventions : the ecologic case-referent study design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiegersma, PA; Hofman, A; Zielhuis, GA

2001-01-01

In a setting of long-standing, community-wide and generally accepted prevention activities like youth health care services in The Netherlands, evaluative research in the form of experimental studies is hardly possible. Furthermore, as most interventions will bear fruit only after several years and

Development and evaluation of standardized narrative cases depicting the general surgery professionalism milestones.

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Rawlings, Arthur; Knox, Aaron D C; Park, Yoon Soo; Reddy, Shalini; Williams, Sarah R; Issa, Nabil; Jameel, Abid; Tekian, Ara

2015-08-01

Residency programs now are required to use educational milestones, which has led to the need for new methods of assessment. The literature suggests that narrative cases are a promising tool to track residents' progress. This study demonstrates the process for developing and evaluating narrative cases representing the five levels of the professionalism milestones. In 2013, the authors identified 28 behaviors in the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education general surgery professionalism milestones. They modified previously published narrative cases to fit these behaviors. To evaluate the quality of these cases, the authors developed a 28-item, five-point scale instrument, which 29 interdisciplinary faculty completed. The authors compared the faculty ratings by narrative case and specialty with the authors' initial rankings of the cases by milestone level. They used t tests and analysis of variance to compare mean scores across specialties. The authors developed 10 narrative cases, 2 for each of the 5 milestone levels. Each case contained at least 20 of the 28 behaviors identified in the milestones. Mean faculty ratings matched the milestone levels. Reliability was good (G coefficient = 0.86, phi coefficient = 0.85), indicating consistency in raters' ability to determine the proper milestone level for each case. The authors demonstrate a process for using specialty-specific milestones to develop narrative cases that map to a spectrum of professionalism behaviors. This process can be applied to other competencies and specialties to facilitate faculty awareness of resident performance descriptors and provide a frame of reference for milestones assessment.

Learning from Evaluation by Peer Team: A Case Study of a Family Counselling Organization

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Muniute-Cobb, Eivina I.; Alfred, Mary V.

2010-01-01

This qualitative study explores how employees learn from Team Primacy Concept-based employee evaluation and how they use the feedback in performing their jobs. Team Primacy Concept-based evaluation is a type of multirater evaluation. The distinctive characteristic of such evaluation is its peer feedback component during which the employee's…

A Steam Utility Network Model for the Evaluation of Heat Integration Retrofits – A Case Study of an Oil Refinery

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Sofie Marton

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a real industrial example in which the steam utility network of a refinery is modelled in order to evaluate potential Heat Integration retrofits proposed for the site. A refinery, typically, has flexibility to optimize the operating strategy for the steam system depending on the operation of the main processes. This paper presents a few examples of Heat Integration retrofit measures from a case study of a large oil refinery. In order to evaluate expected changes in fuel and electricity imports to the refinery after implementation of the proposed retrofits, a steam system model has been developed. The steam system model has been tested and validated with steady state data from three different operating scenarios and can be used to evaluate how changes to steam balances at different pressure levels would affect overall steam balances, generation of shaft power in turbines, and the consumption of fuel gas.

The contribution of case study design to supporting research on Clubhouse psychosocial rehabilitation.

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Raeburn, Toby; Schmied, Virginia; Hungerford, Catherine; Cleary, Michelle

2015-10-01

Psychosocial Clubhouses provide recovery-focused psychosocial rehabilitation to people with serious mental illness at over 300 sites in more than 30 countries worldwide. To deliver the services involved, Clubhouses employ a complex mix of theory, programs and relationships, with this complexity presenting a number of challenges to those undertaking Clubhouse research. This paper provides an overview of the usefulness of case study designs for Clubhouse researchers; and suggests ways in which the evaluation of Clubhouse models can be facilitated. The paper begins by providing a brief explanation of the Clubhouse model of psychosocial rehabilitation, and the need for ongoing evaluation of the services delivered. This explanation is followed by an introduction to case study design, with consideration given to the way in which case studies have been used in past Clubhouse research. It is posited that case study design provides a methodological framework that supports the analysis of either quantitative, qualitative or a mixture of both types of data to investigate complex phenomena in their everyday contexts, and thereby support the development of theory. As such, case study approaches to research are well suited to the Clubhouse environment. The paper concludes with recommendations for future Clubhouse researchers who choose to employ a case study design. While the quality of case study research that explores Clubhouses has been variable in the past, if applied in a diligent manner, case study design has a valuable contribution to make in future Clubhouse research.

A Framework for the Evaluation of CASE Tool Learnability in Educational Environments

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Senapathi, Mali

2005-01-01

The aim of the research is to derive a framework for the evaluation of Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tool learnability in educational environments. Drawing from the literature of Human Computer Interaction and educational research, a framework for evaluating CASE tool learnability in educational environments is derived. The two main…

Case studies on sugar production from underutilized woody biomass using sulfite chemistry

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J.Y. Zhu; M. Subhosh Chandra; Roland Gleisner; William Gilles; Johnway Gao; Gevan Marrs; Dwight Anderson; John Sessions

2015-01-01

We examined two case studies to demonstrate the advantages of sulfite chemistry for pretreating underutilized woody biomass to produce sugars through enzymatic saccharification. In the first case study, we evaluated knot rejects from a magnesium-basedsulfite mill for direct enzymatic sugar production.We found that the sulfite mill rejects are an excellent feedstock for...

An Interpretive Inquiry of the Case Law of Teacher Evaluation in the Southern Regional Education Board States: Forecasting Pressing Problems

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Kidder-Wilkerson, Kathy S.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze case law related to teacher evaluation between 1980 and 2008 in the SREB states to determine the problems associated with teacher evaluation and if these problems were documented in the literature. Content analysis of teacher dismissal cases revealed many types of teacher evaluation problems. The two most…

Co-Prevalence of Tremor with Spasmodic Dysphonia: A Case-Control Study

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White, Laura; Klein, Adam; Hapner, Edie; Delgaudio, John; Hanfelt, John; Jinnah, H. A.; Johns, Michael

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS The aim of this study was to define the co-prevalence of tremor with spasmodic dysphonia (SD). STUDY DESIGN A single institution prospective, case-control study was performed from May 2010 to July 2010. METHODS Consecutive patients with SD (cases) and other voice disorders (controls) were enrolled prospectively. Each participant underwent a voice evaluation and an evaluation for tremor. RESULTS 146 voice disorder controls and 128 patients with SD were enrolled. 26% of patients with SD had vocal tremor, 21% had non-vocal tremor. Patients with SD were 2.8 times more likely to have co-prevalent tremor than the control group (OR = 2.81; 95% CI, 1.55 to 5.08) and only 35% of patients with SD had been seen by a neurologist for the evaluation of dystonia and tremor. CONCLUSIONS Tremor is highly prevalent in patients with SD. It is important for each patient diagnosed with SD to undergo an evaluation for tremor, this is especially important in patients diagnosed with vocal tremor. Level of evidence 3b. PMID:21792965

Delivering Online Examinations: A Case Study

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John MESSING

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Delivering Online Examinations: A Case Study Jason HOWARTH John MESSING Irfan ALTAS Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga-AUSTRALIA ABSTRACT This paper represents a brief case study of delivering online examinations to a worldwide audience. These examinations are delivered in partnership with a commercial online testing company as part of the Industry Master’s degree at Charles Sturt University (CSU. The Industry Master’s degree is an academic program for students currently employed in the IT industry. Using Internet Based Testing (IBT, these students are examined in test centres throughout the world. This offers many benefits. For example, students have the freedom of sitting exams at any time during a designated interval. Computer-based testing also provides instructors with valuable feedback through test statistics and student comments. In this paper, we document CSU’s use of the IBT system, including how tests are built and delivered, and how both human and statistical feedback is used to evaluate and enhance the testing process.

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 EML Modeling Tools for Insurance Purposes: A Case Study

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Mikael Gustavsson

2010-01-01

Full Text Available As with any situation that involves economical risk refineries may share their risk with insurers. The decision process generally includes modelling to determine to which extent the process area can be damaged. On the extreme end of modelling the so-called Estimated Maximum Loss (EML scenarios are found. These scenarios predict the maximum loss a particular installation can sustain. Unfortunately no standard model for this exists. Thus the insurers reach different results due to applying different models and different assumptions. Therefore, a study has been conducted on a case in a Swedish refinery where several scenarios previously had been modelled by two different insurance brokers using two different softwares, ExTool and SLAM. This study reviews the concept of EML and analyses the used models to see which parameters are most uncertain. Also a third model, EFFECTS, was employed in an attempt to reach a conclusion with higher reliability.

Risk evaluation of impurities in topical excipients: The acetol case

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Jente Boonen

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Pharmaceutical excipients for topical use may contain impurities, which are often neglected from a toxicity qualification viewpoint. The possible impurities in the most frequently used topical excipients were evaluated in-silico for their toxicity hazard. Acetol, an impurity likely present in different topical pharmaceutical excipients such as propylene glycol and glycerol, was withheld for the evaluation of its health risk after dermal exposure.An ex-vivo in-vitro permeation study using human skin in a Franz Diffusion Cell set-up and GC as quantification methodology showed a significant skin penetration with an overall Kp value of 1.82×10−3 cm/h. Using these data, limit specifications after application of a dermal pharmaceutical product were estimated. Based on the TTC approach of Cramer class I substances, i.e. 1800 µg/(day∙person, the toxicity-qualified specification limits of acetol in topical excipients were calculated to be 90 µg/mL and 180 µg/mL for propylene glycol and glycerol, respectively.It is concluded that setting specification limits for impurities within a quality-by-design approach requires a case-by-case evaluation as demonstrated here with acetol. Keywords: Acetol, Impurity, Excipients, Transdermal penetration, Specification limits

A case study of Impetigo

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Mansouri P

1993-05-01

Full Text Available This is a report of a case study on 234 patients with impetigo who referred to Razi Dermatology Hospital from April to November, 1989. Treatment was started immediately after obtaining direct smear and performing culture and antibiotic sensitivity test. The most common organism responsible for impetigo was the coagulase-positive staphylococcus (71%. In 13.7% of the cases, the coagulase-negative staphylococcus was grown on culture media, but none of the cultures showed streptococcus as the main organism. Treatment was started with oral penicillin V, oral erythromycin, benzathine penicillin G injection, oral cephalexin, and topical fuccidin. Clinical and bacteriological evaluation after 3-7 days showed that it is preferable to use oral cephalexin instead of other protocols such as oral erythromycin, which has previously been the drug of choice for impetigo. In addition, topical fuccidin with a 75% curative rate was the first drug for treatment, with the same effect as the oral cephalexin

Using social-ecological systems theory to evaluate large-scale comanagement efforts: a case study of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region

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William Tyson

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Comanagement efforts are increasingly tasked with overseeing natural resource governance at a large scale. I examine comanagement of subsistence harvesting in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR of the western Canadian Arctic, using a social-ecological systems framework. In doing so, this study joins a growing list of research that reviews design principles commonly found in successful small-scale commons management and applies them to a large resource area. This research uses the management of beluga (Delphinapterus leucas and barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus as case studies in understanding the management framework of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, as each species is important in Inuvialuit culture and is actively managed and monitored. Comanagement bodies in the study area display many of the institutional design principles that are characteristic of successful social-ecological systems. Particularly mentionable are the presence of well-organized nested enterprises and a strong incorporation of local knowledge and monitoring. This supports the application of institutional design principles in large-scale analyses of resource management. However, due to the network of policy and management outside the ISR that influences each species, this research suggests that in cases of wide-ranging resource bases, these types of analyses may be better suited to evaluating broad management networks rather than discrete governing regions.

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.

Evaluation of TB Case Finding through Systematic Contact Investigation, Chhattisgarh, India

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Kshitij Khaparde

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Rationale. Contact investigation is an established tool for early case detection of tuberculosis (TB. In India, contact investigation is not often conducted, despite national policy, and the yield of contact investigation is not well described. Objective. To determine the yield of evaluating household contacts of sputum smear-positive TB cases in Rajnandgaon district, Chhattisgarh, India. Methods. Among 14 public health care facilities with sputum smear microscopy services, home visits were conducted to identify household contacts of all registered sputum smear-positive TB cases. We used a standardized protocol to screen for clinical symptoms suggestive of active TB with additional referral for chest radiograph and sputa collection. Results. From December 2010 to May 2011, 1,556 household contacts of 312 sputum smear-positive TB cases were identified, of which 148 (9.5% were symptomatic. Among these, 109 (73.6% were evaluated by sputum examination resulting in 11 cases (10.1% of sputum smear-positive TB and 4 cases (3.6% of smear-negative TB. Household visits contributed additional 63% TB cases compared to passive case detection alone. Conclusion. A standard procedure for conducting household contact investigation identified additional TB cases in the community and offered an opportunity to initiate isoniazid chemoprophylaxis among children.

Planning Intervention Using Dynamic Assessments: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Hasson, Natalie; Dodd, Barbara

2014-01-01

Dynamic assessments (DA) of language have been shown to be a useful addition to the battery of tests used to diagnose language impairments in children, and to evaluate their skills. The current article explores the value of the information gained from a DA in planning intervention for a child with language impairment. A single case study was used…

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...

Implementing service improvement projects within pre-registration nursing education: a multi-method case study evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Baillie, Lesley; Bromley, Barbara; Walker, Moira; Jones, Rebecca; Mhlanga, Fortune

2014-01-01

Preparing healthcare students for quality and service improvement is important internationally. A United Kingdom (UK) initiative aims to embed service improvement in pre-registration education. A UK university implemented service improvement teaching for all nursing students. In addition, the degree pathway students conducted service improvement projects as the basis for their dissertations. The study aimed to evaluate the implementation of service improvement projects within a pre-registration nursing curriculum. A multi-method case study was conducted, using student questionnaires, focus groups with students and academic staff, and observation of action learning sets. Questionnaire data were analysed using SPSS v19. Qualitative data were analysed using Ritchie and Spencer's (1994) Framework Approach. Students were very positive about service improvement. The degree students, who conducted service improvement projects in practice, felt more knowledgeable than advanced diploma students. Selecting the project focus was a key issue and students encountered some challenges in practice. Support for student service improvement projects came from action learning sets, placement staff, and academic staff. Service improvement projects had a positive effect on students' learning. An effective partnership between the university and partner healthcare organisations, and support for students in practice, is essential. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bacteriological And Clinical Evaluation Of Twelve Cases Of Post ...

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Bacteriological And Clinical Evaluation Of Twelve Cases Of Post-Surgical Sepsis Of Odontogenic Tumours At A ... East African Medical Journal ... Intervention: Adequate review of patient\\'s medical history, bacteriological investigations and

Mathematical modelling a case studies approach

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Illner, Reinhard; McCollum, Samantha; Roode, Thea van

2004-01-01

Mathematical modelling is a subject without boundaries. It is the means by which mathematics becomes useful to virtually any subject. Moreover, modelling has been and continues to be a driving force for the development of mathematics itself. This book explains the process of modelling real situations to obtain mathematical problems that can be analyzed, thus solving the original problem. The presentation is in the form of case studies, which are developed much as they would be in true applications. In many cases, an initial model is created, then modified along the way. Some cases are familiar, such as the evaluation of an annuity. Others are unique, such as the fascinating situation in which an engineer, armed only with a slide rule, had 24 hours to compute whether a valve would hold when a temporary rock plug was removed from a water tunnel. Each chapter ends with a set of exercises and some suggestions for class projects. Some projects are extensive, as with the explorations of the predator-prey model; oth...

Assessing the validity of road safety evaluation studies by analysing causal chains.

Science.gov (United States)

Elvik, Rune

2003-09-01

This paper discusses how the validity of road safety evaluation studies can be assessed by analysing causal chains. A causal chain denotes the path through which a road safety measure influences the number of accidents. Two cases are examined. One involves chemical de-icing of roads (salting). The intended causal chain of this measure is: spread of salt --> removal of snow and ice from the road surface --> improved friction --> shorter stopping distance --> fewer accidents. A Norwegian study that evaluated the effects of salting on accident rate provides information that describes this causal chain. This information indicates that the study overestimated the effect of salting on accident rate, and suggests that this estimate is influenced by confounding variables the study did not control for. The other case involves a traffic club for children. The intended causal chain in this study was: join the club --> improve knowledge --> improve behaviour --> reduce accident rate. In this case, results are rather messy, which suggests that the observed difference in accident rate between members and non-members of the traffic club is not primarily attributable to membership in the club. The two cases show that by analysing causal chains, one may uncover confounding factors that were not adequately controlled in a study. Lack of control for confounding factors remains the most serious threat to the validity of road safety evaluation studies.

A case for evaluating sensor network protocols concurrently

KAUST Repository

Gnawali, Omprakash; Guibas, Leonidas; Levis, Philip

2010-01-01

Researchers typically evaluate and compare protocols on the testbeds by running them one at a time. This methodology ignores the variation in link qualities and wireless environment across these experiments. These variations can introduce significant noise in the results. Evaluating two protocols concurrently, however, suffers from inter-protocol interactions. These interactions can perturb performance even under very light load, especially timing and timing sensitive protocols. We argue that the benefits of running protocols concurrently greatly outweigh the disadvantages. Protocols rarely run in isolation in real networks, and so considering such interactions is valuable. Although the wireless environment is still uncontrolled, concurrent evaluations make comparisons fair and more statistically sound. Through experiments on two testbeds, we make the case for evaluating and comparing low data-rate sensor network protocols by running them concurrently. Copyright 2010 ACM.

Evaluation of an interactive, case-based review session in teaching medical microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Blewett, Earl L; Kisamore, Jennifer L

2009-08-27

Oklahoma State University-Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS) has replaced its microbiology wet laboratory with a variety of tutorials including a case-based interactive session called Microbial Jeopardy!. The question remains whether the time spent by students and faculty in the interactive case-based tutorial is worthwhile? This study was designed to address this question by analyzing both student performance data and assessing students' perceptions regarding the tutorial. Both quantitative and qualitative data were used in the current study. Part One of the study involved assessing student performance using archival records of seven case-based exam questions used in the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 OSU-CHS Medical Microbiology course. Two sample t-tests for proportions were used to test for significant differences related to tutorial usage. Part Two used both quantitative and qualitative means to assess student's perceptions of the Microbial Jeopardy! session. First, a retrospective survey was administered to students who were enrolled in Medical Microbiology in 2006 or 2007. Second, responses to open-ended items from the 2008 course evaluations were reviewed for comments regarding the Microbial Jeopardy! session. Both student performance and student perception data support continued use of the tutorials. Quantitative and qualitative data converge to suggest that students like and learn from the interactive, case-based session. The case-based tutorial appears to improve student performance on case-based exam questions. Additionally, students perceived the tutorial as helpful in preparing for exam questions and reviewing the course material. The time commitment for use of the case-based tutorial appears to be justified.

Siting of Carsharing Stations Based on Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation: A Case Study of Shanghai EVCARD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenxiang Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Carsharing is one of the effective ways to relieve the problems of traffic jams, parking difficulties, and air pollution. In recent years, the numbers of carsharing services and their members have remarkably increased around the world. The project of electric carsharing in Shanghai, called EVCARD, has also developed rapidly with very large demand and supply. Aiming to determine the optimal locations of future stations of the EVCARD, this research employs a novel method combining the analytic hierarchy process (AHP and geographical information system (GIS with big data. Potential users, potential travel demand, potential travel purposes, and distance from existing stations are selected as the decision criteria. A siting decision system is established, consisting of 15 evaluation indicators which are calculated from multi-source data on mobile phones, taxi trajectory, point of interests (POI, and the EVCARD operation. The method of the AHP is used to determine the indicator weights, and the “Spatial Analyst” tool of ArcGIS is adopted to generate the indicator values for every 1 km × 1 km decision unit. Finally, synthetic scores are calculated to evaluate the candidate sites of EVCARD stations. The results of the case study verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, which can provide a more scientific and feasible method for carsharing operators to site stations, avoiding aimless and random decisions.

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.

An Approach for Integrating Toxicogenomic Data in Risk Assessment: The Dibutyl Phthalate Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

An approach for evaluating and integrating genomic data in chemical risk assessment was developed based on the lessons learned from performing a case study for the chemical dibutyl phthalate. A case study prototype approach was first developed in accordance with EPA guidance and ...

Analysis of case studies - mining, milling and discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McEwan, A.C.

2000-01-01

This analysis paper reviews case studies on mining and milling and on radioactive discharges. An outline is given of each of the case studies presented from the perspectives of the study background, the criteria followed in remediation, the decision making process, outcomes achieved, and an evaluation in relation to radiological criteria that are recommended internationally. Site remediation after mining and milling operations may be driven more by aesthetic and environmental concerns than radiological criteria, particularly in more populated areas. The cases illustrated that it is highly desirable that stakeholders, including the public, are involved in decision making at an early stage with agreement on remediation outcomes. In particular, the exposure pathways and dose assessment models employed should generally be agreed with or approved by the regulatory authority prior to remediation work. In the case of remediated properties at Grand Junction, Colorado, it appears the cleanup criteria employed were below or consistent with those applicable to practices, although the situation was one of intervention, and this raises a question as to the cost effectiveness of the cleanup. For some remediation projects there are long term ownership issues arising out of the need for extended public or state oversight of engineered structures or active water treatment facilities, but for these cases ownership issues did not arise for purely radiological reasons. (author)

[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.

Evaluating treatment outcomes and durations among cases of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis in Yemen: a prospective follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaber, Ammar Ali Saleh; Khan, Amer Hayat; Sulaiman, Syed Azhar Syed

2017-01-01

Evaluating outcomes after tuberculosis (TB) treatment can help identify the primary reasons for treatment success or failure. However, Yemen has a treatment success rate that remains below the World Health Organization's target. This study aimed to identify factors that were associated with unsuccessful treatment and prolonged treatment (>1 year). Newly diagnosed cases of smear-positive pulmonary TB were prospectively followed at two centers (Taiz and Alhodidah, Yemen) between April 2014 and March 2015. Standardized forms were used to obtain information from the patients regarding their socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment duration, and TB-related information. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors that were associated with unsuccessful treatment and prolonged treatment (>1 year). The study included data from 273 cases of newly diagnosed TB, with treatment being successful in 227 cases (83.1%) and unsuccessful in 46 cases (16.9%). Among the 46 patients with unsuccessful treatment, 29 patients (10.6%) stopped treatment, 6 patients (2.2%) transferred to another facility, 6 patients (2.2%) experienced treatment failure, and 5 patients (1.8%) died. The multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that unsuccessful treatment was associated with female sex, illiterate status, and the presence of comorbidities. Prolonged treatment durations were associated with living in a rural area, smoking, chewing khat, a cough that lasted for >3 weeks at the beginning of treatment, and bilateral cavities during radiography. These results confirm that the treatment success rate in Yemen is lower than the World Health Organization's target for smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. Targeting the risk factors that we identified may help improve treatment outcomes. Furthermore, it may not be prudent to re-treat patients using first-line TB drugs after an initial treatment failure.

[Mirizzi's syndrome. Evaluation of 3 cases].

Science.gov (United States)

Garavello, A; Manfroni, S; Bellanova, G; Antonellis, D

2004-01-01

Evaluation of three cases of Mirizzi's syndrome (MS), a rare condition of non neoplastic biliary tree obstruction. We reviewed three cases of MS, operated from July 1998 to December 2000 in our institution. All patients were preoperatively evaluated by clinical examination, Ultrasound (US) and Endoscopic retrograde colangiopancreatography (CPRE) for jaundice. Computed Tomography (TC) was also performed in two. Abdominal pain was the main symptom in two patients, jaundice in one (17 mg/dl); Courvoisier-Terrier sign, suggestive for a biliopancreatic neoplasm, was present in two patients. US was sensitive for gallbladder stones and biliary tree dilatation but not specific for MS; TC only excluded a malignancy in the biliopancreatic area but wasn't useful for diagnosis. CPRE visualized a gallbladder stone obstructing the biliary tree in two cases, but failed to show the fistula between gallbladder and hepatic duct in one. Operations were performed with an "open" approach; in two patients colecystectomy was sufficient to relieve the obstruction, in one patient the biliary fistula was closed with a gallbladder tissue flap over a T tube. Mirizzi's syndrome is a rare condition, but surgeons must be aware of it, particularly in the laparoscopic era were dissection of the Calot triangle may lead to a damage of the hepatic duct. Suspect of MS is mandatory in all cases of jaundice with non neoplastic biliary obstruction. Preoperative diagnosis of MS is not easy; US is sensitive for gallbladder stone and biliary tree dilatation, but not specific for choledochal stone compression and biliobiliary fistula. TC is useful for exclusion of pancreatic or liver neoplasms but is non specific for MS. CPRE represents the "gold" standard for MS, showing the hepatic duct compression caused by the stone impacted in gallbladder neck. CPRE is not only diagnostic but also operative; sphyncterotomy and stones extraction give a temporary relief of hyerbilirubinemia waiting for operation. When

A Case Study: To Internet or Not To Internet.

Science.gov (United States)

Carman, Jared; Boynton, Doug

1997-01-01

Interactive multimedia training can be delivered via CD-ROM, hard drive, local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), Intranet, Internet and hybrid systems. This article presents a case study of how two companies (Los Angeles Times and Allen Communication) evaluated alternative delivery systems, chose one, and implemented multimedia…

Designing and Maintaining a Communication Consulting Relationship: A Fire Officer Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Cragan, John F.

2008-01-01

This case study describes a 35-year communication consulting relationship with the Illinois Fire Chiefs' Association. This case explains the fire chiefs' educational problems, the five-step method for creating an educational curriculum for fire officers, and the five-step procedure for continuous evaluation of the curriculum. Finally, an…

Computerized tomographic evaluations of 33 consecutive cases of craniopharyngiomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagasawa, Shiro; Takeuchi, Juji; Yamashita, Junkoh; Handa, Hajime

1983-01-01

Although craniopharyngiomas are widely known to exhibit three basic CT characteristics; calcification, cyst(s) and contrast enhancement (CE), several cases with atypical CT manifestations have been reported lately. These atypical manifestations can be classified into unusual extensions of the tumors, high dense cyst and marked homogeneous CE. The CT scans obtained in our recent series of 33 craniopharyngiomas were evaluated to analyze tumoral extensions, cyst density and CE. Cystic tumors were much more frequent than solid tumors (Table 1); 13 cases (39%) were exclusively cystic, 15 cases (45%) equally cystic and solid, and 5 case (15%) solid. Calcifications were present in 80 % in children and 39% in adults. Unusual extensions were noted in 7 cases (Fig. 2,3,4); anteriorly to the frontal fossa (5 cases, 15 %), laterally to the temporal fossa (1 case, 3%) and posteriorly to the posterior fossa (1 case, 3%). All these tumors were either pure cystic or equally cystic and solid. Cystic portions were detected in the tumors of 28 cases (Table 2). Although the majority of the cystic portions (22 cases, 79%) were low density, iso-dense cysts were observed in 6 cases (21%). Out of 20 cases exhibiting solid portions in the tumors, high density areas (calcified masses) were detected in 3 cases and mixed density areas in 17 cases (Table 3). While these 17 cases showed CE, marked homogeneous CE were noted in 5 cases (29%)

A case study in pathway knowledgebase verification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shah Nigam H

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Biological databases and pathway knowledgebases are proliferating rapidly. We are developing software tools for computer-aided hypothesis design and evaluation, and we would like our tools to take advantage of the information stored in these repositories. But before we can reliably use a pathway knowledgebase as a data source, we need to proofread it to ensure that it can fully support computer-aided information integration and inference. Results We design a series of logical tests to detect potential problems we might encounter using a particular knowledgebase, the Reactome database, with a particular computer-aided hypothesis evaluation tool, HyBrow. We develop an explicit formal language from the language implicit in the Reactome data format and specify a logic to evaluate models expressed using this language. We use the formalism of finite model theory in this work. We then use this logic to formulate tests for desirable properties (such as completeness, consistency, and well-formedness for pathways stored in Reactome. We apply these tests to the publicly available Reactome releases (releases 10 through 14 and compare the results, which highlight Reactome's steady improvement in terms of decreasing inconsistencies. We also investigate and discuss Reactome's potential for supporting computer-aided inference tools. Conclusion The case study described in this work demonstrates that it is possible to use our model theory based approach to identify problems one might encounter using a knowledgebase to support hypothesis evaluation tools. The methodology we use is general and is in no way restricted to the specific knowledgebase employed in this case study. Future application of this methodology will enable us to compare pathway resources with respect to the generic properties such resources will need to possess if they are to support automated reasoning.

A case study in pathway knowledgebase verification.

Science.gov (United States)

Racunas, Stephen A; Shah, Nigam H; Fedoroff, Nina V

2006-04-08

Biological databases and pathway knowledge-bases are proliferating rapidly. We are developing software tools for computer-aided hypothesis design and evaluation, and we would like our tools to take advantage of the information stored in these repositories. But before we can reliably use a pathway knowledge-base as a data source, we need to proofread it to ensure that it can fully support computer-aided information integration and inference. We design a series of logical tests to detect potential problems we might encounter using a particular knowledge-base, the Reactome database, with a particular computer-aided hypothesis evaluation tool, HyBrow. We develop an explicit formal language from the language implicit in the Reactome data format and specify a logic to evaluate models expressed using this language. We use the formalism of finite model theory in this work. We then use this logic to formulate tests for desirable properties (such as completeness, consistency, and well-formedness) for pathways stored in Reactome. We apply these tests to the publicly available Reactome releases (releases 10 through 14) and compare the results, which highlight Reactome's steady improvement in terms of decreasing inconsistencies. We also investigate and discuss Reactome's potential for supporting computer-aided inference tools. The case study described in this work demonstrates that it is possible to use our model theory based approach to identify problems one might encounter using a knowledge-base to support hypothesis evaluation tools. The methodology we use is general and is in no way restricted to the specific knowledge-base employed in this case study. Future application of this methodology will enable us to compare pathway resources with respect to the generic properties such resources will need to possess if they are to support automated reasoning.

Role of bronchoscopy in evaluation of cases with sputum smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis, interstitial lung disease and lung malignancy: A retrospective study of 712 cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Raj; Gupta, Nitesh

2015-01-01

The introduction of flexible bronchoscope has revolutionized the field of pulmonary medicine and is a standard instrument used for diagnostic purpose. A retrospective analysis of the clinico-radiological profile, indication, biopsy procedure and complications, for patients undergoing bronchoscopy at one of the respiratory unit at a tertiary care center in India. Retrospective analysis of 712 bronchoscopies was done in regard to demographic profile, clinical and radiological presentation and diagnostic indication. The results were analyzed on basis of bronchoscopy inspection and histopathological specimen obtained from transbronchial (TBLB), endobronchial biopsy (EBLB) and cytology specimen by transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA). Furthermore, diagnostic yield of each biopsy procedure and their combination was evaluated. Of 712 patients undergoing bronchoscopy, the pathological diagnosis was achieved in 384 (53.93%). Of 384 diagnosed cases, the clinic-radio-pathological diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in 88 (22.19%), interstitial lung disease (ILDs) in 226 (58.85%), and lung cancer in 70 (18.22%) cases. Of 116 sputum smear negative tuberculosis patients, 88 (75.86%) were diagnosed to be pulmonary tuberculosis; the contribution of BAL being 71.59%. Of 226 ILDs, sarcoidosis was most common 148/226 (65.48%). Among 70 lung cancer diagnosed cases, squamous cell carcinoma was most common (54.28%). The results from current study reemphasizes on the diagnostic utility as well as safety of the bronchoscopy procedure. Copyright © 2015 Tuberculosis Association of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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…

Evaluating the TESTAR tool in an industrial case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bauersfeld, S; Vos, T.; Condori-Fernandez, O.N.; Bagnato, A; Brosse, E.; Morisio, M; Dybå, T; Torchiano, M

2014-01-01

[Context] Automated test case design and execution at the GUI level of applications is not a fact in industrial practice. Tests are still mainly designed and executed manually. In previous work we have described TESTAR, a tool which allows to set-up fully automatic testing at the GUI level of

Descriptive analysis of context evaluation instrument for technical oral presentation skills evaluation: A case study in English technical communication course

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamed, Abdullah-Adnan; Asmawi, Adelina; Hamid, Mohd Rashid Ab; Mustafa, Zainol bin

2015-02-01

This paper reports a pilot study of Context Evaluation using a self-developed questionnaire distributed among engineering undergraduates at a university under study. The study aims to validate the self-developed questionnaires used in the Context evaluation, a component in the CIPP Model. The Context evaluation assesses background information for needs, assets, problems and opportunities relevant to beneficiaries of the study in a defined environment. Through the questionnaire, background information for the assessment of needs, assets and problems related to the engineering undergraduates' perceptions on the teaching and learning of technical oral presentation skills was collected and analysed. The questionnaire was developed using 5-points Likert scale to measure the constructs under study. They were distributed to 100 respondents with 79 returned. The respondents consisted of engineering undergraduates studied at various faculties at one technical university in Malaysia. The descriptive analysis of data for each item which makes up the construct for Context evaluation is found to be high. This implied that engineering undergraduates showed high interest in teaching and learning of technical oral presentation skills, thus their needs are met. Also, they agreed that assets and facilities are conducive to their learning. In conclusion, the context evaluation involving needs and assets factors are both considerably important; their needs are met and the assets and facilities do support their technical oral presentation skills learning experience.

Project success: A methodological and evaluative case study of the early alert program interventions

Science.gov (United States)

Larkins, Randy James

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, to methodologically examine the use of three types of focus groups 1), traditional face-to face, 2), online video and audio, and 3) online text only. Second, to examine the impact of academic intervention attempts offered by university and department support services. Methodologically, the three types of focus groups were compared in terms of ease of use, comfort, richness of data and ethical considerations. Contextually, support services for a general chemistry course taken primarily by new students were examined using an evaluation method involving effort, monitoring, process, component and treatment specification types of implementation. For this research, fourteen students enrolled in the general chemistry course at Rocky Mountain University in fall term 2014 participated in one of the three types of focus groups to discuss support services for the course. Since the increase of technological advances in the late twentieth century, the use of electronic focus groups has been viewed as a viable alternative to traditional in-person meetings. However, different methods within a methodology might produce different results for both students and researchers. This study inspected differences in ease of use for participants and the researcher, comfort in terms of using technology and in discussing academic issues and support services, richness of the data, and ethical issues surrounding privacy and confidentiality. For this case study, methodological findings were that in-person groups still had relevance in this age of advanced technology. Audio-video groups were more limited than in-person groups in terms of interaction and administration, while text-only groups were easiest to transcribe, but seemed to be the most limited in terms of all other aspects of the research. Finally, ethical concerns were not considered important by members in any group; therefore, it is incumbent on the researcher to provide the best ethical

Robust optimisation of forest transportation networks: a case study ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Forest transportation costs are the major cost component for many forest product supply chains. In order to minimise these costs, many organisations have turned ... The simulation results are then evaluated for robustness by means of seven robustness performance measures. For our case study, the results show that (1) the ...

OPTIMIZED REAL-TIME CONTROL OF COMBINED SEWERAGE SYSTEMS: TWO CASE STUDIES

Science.gov (United States)

The paper presents results of two case studies of Real-Time Control (RTC) alternatives evaluations that were conducted on portions of sewerage systems near Paris, France and in Quebec City, Canada, respectively. The studies were performed at real-scale demonstration sites. RTC ...

Epidemiological evaluation of sporadic cases of Norovirus infection in comunitary and hospitalized patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Giordana Rimoldi

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Surveillace of viral gastoenteritis infections is very poor in Italy, even if starting from 2004 Norovirus became one of the most causative agent of infections in all the seasons. The aim of our study was to evaluate the isolation of Norovirus both in hospitalizes patients and communitary patients. From October 2006 to March 2008 we examined 400 samples. Our results showed only 15 sporadic cases in pediatric, HIV comunitary patients. These cases were analyzed by using an ELISA screening (Biopharm and the results were confirmed with real time PCT (Argene.

Identification and Evaluation of Cases for Excess Heat Utilisation Using GIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabian Bühler

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Excess heat is present in many sectors, and its utilization could reduce the primary energy use and emission of greenhouse gases. This work presents a geographical mapping of excess heat, in which excess heat from the industry and utility sector was distributed to specific geographical locations in Denmark. Based on this mapping, a systematic approach for identifying cases for the utilization of excess heat is proposed, considering the production of district heat and process heat, as well as power generation. The technical and economic feasibility of this approach was evaluated for six cases. Special focus was placed on the challenges for the connection of excess heat sources to heat users. To account for uncertainties in the model input, different methods were applied to determine the uncertainty of the results and the most important model parameters. The results show how the spatial mapping of excess heat sources can be used to identify their utilization potentials. The identified case studies show that it can be economically feasible to connect the heat sources to the public energy network or to use the heat to generate electricity. The uncertainty analysis suggests that the results are indicative and are particularly useful for a fast evaluation, comparison and prioritization of possible matches. The excess heat temperature and obtainable energy price were identified as the most important input parameters.

Stroke patients' utilisation of extrinsic feedback from computer-based technology in the home: a multiple case study realistic evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Jack; Mawson, Susan; Mountain, Gail; Nasr, Nasrin; Zheng, Huiru

2014-06-05

Evidence indicates that post-stroke rehabilitation improves function, independence and quality of life. A key aspect of rehabilitation is the provision of appropriate information and feedback to the learner.Advances in information and communications technology (ICT) have allowed for the development of various systems to complement stroke rehabilitation that could be used in the home setting. These systems may increase the provision of rehabilitation a stroke survivor receives and carries out, as well as providing a learning platform that facilitates long-term self-managed rehabilitation and behaviour change. This paper describes the application of an innovative evaluative methodology to explore the utilisation of feedback for post-stroke upper-limb rehabilitation in the home. Using the principles of realistic evaluation, this study aimed to test and refine intervention theories by exploring the complex interactions of contexts, mechanisms and outcomes that arise from technology deployment in the home. Methods included focus groups followed by multi-method case studies (n = 5) before, during and after the use of computer-based equipment. Data were analysed in relation to the context-mechanism-outcome hypotheses case by case. This was followed by a synthesis of the findings to answer the question, 'what works for whom and in what circumstances and respects?' Data analysis reveals that to achieve desired outcomes through the use of ICT, key elements of computer feedback, such as accuracy, measurability, rewarding feedback, adaptability, and knowledge of results feedback, are required to trigger the theory-driven mechanisms underpinning the intervention. In addition, the pre-existing context and the personal and environmental contexts, such as previous experience of service delivery, personal goals, trust in the technology, and social circumstances may also enable or constrain the underpinning theory-driven mechanisms. Findings suggest that the theory-driven mechanisms

Development, implementation and pilot evaluation of a Web-based Virtual Patient Case Simulation environment--Web-SP.

Science.gov (United States)

Zary, Nabil; Johnson, Gunilla; Boberg, Jonas; Fors, Uno G H

2006-02-21

The Web-based Simulation of Patients (Web-SP) project was initiated in order to facilitate the use of realistic and interactive virtual patients (VP) in medicine and healthcare education. Web-SP focuses on moving beyond the technology savvy teachers, when integrating simulation-based education into health sciences curricula, by making the creation and use of virtual patients easier. The project strives to provide a common generic platform for design/creation, management, evaluation and sharing of web-based virtual patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate if it was possible to develop a web-based virtual patient case simulation environment where the entire case authoring process might be handled by teachers and which would be flexible enough to be used in different healthcare disciplines. The Web-SP system was constructed to support easy authoring, management and presentation of virtual patient cases. The case authoring environment was found to facilitate for teachers to create full-fledged patient cases without the assistance of computer specialists. Web-SP was successfully implemented at several universities by taking into account key factors such as cost, access, security, scalability and flexibility. Pilot evaluations in medical, dentistry and pharmacy courses shows that students regarded Web-SP as easy to use, engaging and to be of educational value. Cases adapted for all three disciplines were judged to be of significant educational value by the course leaders. The Web-SP system seems to fulfil the aim of providing a common generic platform for creation, management and evaluation of web-based virtual patient cases. The responses regarding the authoring environment indicated that the system might be user-friendly enough to appeal to a majority of the academic staff. In terms of implementation strengths, Web-SP seems to fulfil most needs from course directors and teachers from various educational institutions and disciplines. The system is currently in

Evaluation of 6 candidate genes on chromosome 11q23 for coeliac disease susceptibility: a case control study.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Brophy, Karen

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: Recent whole genome analysis and follow-up studies have identified many new risk variants for coeliac disease (CD, gluten intolerance). The majority of newly associated regions encode candidate genes with a clear functional role in T-cell regulation. Furthermore, the newly discovered risk loci, together with the well established HLA locus, account for less than 50% of the heritability of CD, suggesting that numerous additional loci remain undiscovered. Linkage studies have identified some well-replicated risk regions, most notably chromosome 5q31 and 11q23. METHODS: We have evaluated six candidate genes in one of these regions (11q23), namely CD3E, CD3D, CD3G, IL10RA, THY1 and IL18, as risk factors for CD using a 2-phase candidate gene approach directed at chromosome 11q. 377 CD cases and 349 ethnically matched controls were used in the initial screening, followed by an extended sample of 171 additional coeliac cases and 536 additional controls. RESULTS: Promotor SNPs (-607, -137) in the IL18 gene, which has shown association with several autoimmune diseases, initially suggested association with CD (P < 0.05). Follow-up analyses of an extended sample supported the same, moderate effect (P < 0.05) for one of these. Haplotype analysis of IL18-137\\/-607 also supported this effect, primarily due to one relatively rare haplotype IL18-607C\\/-137C (P < 0.0001), which was independently associated in two case-control comparisons. This same haplotype has been noted in rheumatoid arthritis. CONCLUSION: Haplotypes of the IL18 promotor region may contribute to CD risk, consistent with this cytokine\\'s role in maintaining inflammation in active CD.

Evaluation of 6 candidate genes on chromosome 11q23 for coeliac disease susceptibility: a case control study

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Brophy, Karen

2010-05-17

Abstract Background Recent whole genome analysis and follow-up studies have identified many new risk variants for coeliac disease (CD, gluten intolerance). The majority of newly associated regions encode candidate genes with a clear functional role in T-cell regulation. Furthermore, the newly discovered risk loci, together with the well established HLA locus, account for less than 50% of the heritability of CD, suggesting that numerous additional loci remain undiscovered. Linkage studies have identified some well-replicated risk regions, most notably chromosome 5q31 and 11q23. Methods We have evaluated six candidate genes in one of these regions (11q23), namely CD3E, CD3D, CD3G, IL10RA, THY1 and IL18, as risk factors for CD using a 2-phase candidate gene approach directed at chromosome 11q. 377 CD cases and 349 ethnically matched controls were used in the initial screening, followed by an extended sample of 171 additional coeliac cases and 536 additional controls. Results Promotor SNPs (-607, -137) in the IL18 gene, which has shown association with several autoimmune diseases, initially suggested association with CD (P < 0.05). Follow-up analyses of an extended sample supported the same, moderate effect (P < 0.05) for one of these. Haplotype analysis of IL18-137\\/-607 also supported this effect, primarily due to one relatively rare haplotype IL18-607C\\/-137C (P < 0.0001), which was independently associated in two case-control comparisons. This same haplotype has been noted in rheumatoid arthritis. Conclusion Haplotypes of the IL18 promotor region may contribute to CD risk, consistent with this cytokine\\'s role in maintaining inflammation in active CD.

Evaluation of an interactive, case-based review session in teaching medical microbiology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kisamore Jennifer L

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Oklahoma State University-Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS has replaced its microbiology wet laboratory with a variety of tutorials including a case-based interactive session called Microbial Jeopardy!. The question remains whether the time spent by students and faculty in the interactive case-based tutorial is worthwhile? This study was designed to address this question by analyzing both student performance data and assessing students' perceptions regarding the tutorial. Methods Both quantitative and qualitative data were used in the current study. Part One of the study involved assessing student performance using archival records of seven case-based exam questions used in the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 OSU-CHS Medical Microbiology course. Two sample t-tests for proportions were used to test for significant differences related to tutorial usage. Part Two used both quantitative and qualitative means to assess student's perceptions of the Microbial Jeopardy! session. First, a retrospective survey was administered to students who were enrolled in Medical Microbiology in 2006 or 2007. Second, responses to open-ended items from the 2008 course evaluations were reviewed for comments regarding the Microbial Jeopardy! session. Results Both student performance and student perception data support continued use of the tutorials. Quantitative and qualitative data converge to suggest that students like and learn from the interactive, case-based session. Conclusion The case-based tutorial appears to improve student performance on case-based exam questions. Additionally, students perceived the tutorial as helpful in preparing for exam questions and reviewing the course material. The time commitment for use of the case-based tutorial appears to be justified.

Evaluation of an interactive, case-based review session in teaching medical microbiology

Science.gov (United States)

Blewett, Earl L; Kisamore, Jennifer L

2009-01-01

Background Oklahoma State University-Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS) has replaced its microbiology wet laboratory with a variety of tutorials including a case-based interactive session called Microbial Jeopardy!. The question remains whether the time spent by students and faculty in the interactive case-based tutorial is worthwhile? This study was designed to address this question by analyzing both student performance data and assessing students' perceptions regarding the tutorial. Methods Both quantitative and qualitative data were used in the current study. Part One of the study involved assessing student performance using archival records of seven case-based exam questions used in the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 OSU-CHS Medical Microbiology course. Two sample t-tests for proportions were used to test for significant differences related to tutorial usage. Part Two used both quantitative and qualitative means to assess student's perceptions of the Microbial Jeopardy! session. First, a retrospective survey was administered to students who were enrolled in Medical Microbiology in 2006 or 2007. Second, responses to open-ended items from the 2008 course evaluations were reviewed for comments regarding the Microbial Jeopardy! session. Results Both student performance and student perception data support continued use of the tutorials. Quantitative and qualitative data converge to suggest that students like and learn from the interactive, case-based session. Conclusion The case-based tutorial appears to improve student performance on case-based exam questions. Additionally, students perceived the tutorial as helpful in preparing for exam questions and reviewing the course material. The time commitment for use of the case-based tutorial appears to be justified. PMID:19712473

A mixed method to evaluate burden of malaria due to flooding and waterlogging in Mengcheng County, China: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Guoyong; Gao, Lu; Li, Xuewen; Zhou, Maigeng; Liu, Qiyong; Ren, Hongyan; Jiang, Baofa

2014-01-01

Malaria is a highly climate-sensitive vector-borne infectious disease that still represents a significant public health problem in Huaihe River Basin. However, little comprehensive information about the burden of malaria caused by flooding and waterlogging is available from this region. This study aims to quantitatively assess the impact of flooding and waterlogging on the burden of malaria in a county of Anhui Province, China. A mixed method evaluation was conducted. A case-crossover study was firstly performed to evaluate the relationship between daily number of cases of malaria and flooding and waterlogging from May to October 2007 in Mengcheng County, China. Stratified Cox models were used to examine the lagged time and hazard ratios (HRs) of the risk of flooding and waterlogging on malaria. Years lived with disability (YLDs) of malaria attributable to flooding and waterlogging were then estimated based on the WHO framework of calculating potential impact fraction in the Global Burden of Disease study. A total of 3683 malaria were notified during the study period. The strongest effect was shown with a 25-day lag for flooding and a 7-day lag for waterlogging. Multivariable analysis showed that an increased risk of malaria was significantly associated with flooding alone [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR)  = 1.467, 95% CI = 1.257, 1.713], waterlogging alone (AHR = 1.879, 95% CI = 1.696, 2.121), and flooding and waterlogging together (AHR = 2.926, 95% CI = 2.576, 3.325). YLDs per 1000 of malaria attributable to flooding alone, waterlogging alone and flooding and waterlogging together were 0.009 per day, 0.019 per day and 0.022 per day, respectively. Flooding and waterlogging can lead to higher burden of malaria in the study area. Public health action should be taken to avoid and control a potential risk of malaria epidemics after these two weather disasters.

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.

Evaluation of different ranges of LH:FSH ratios in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) - Clinical based case control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Malini, N A; Roy George, K

2018-05-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a highly prevalent endocrine and metabolic disorder among reproductive aged women, leading to infertility. One of the common clinical manifestations in PCOS is that there is a difference in the range of LH production in different case of PCOS and accordingly variability in LH:FSH ratio was observed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate different ranges of LH:FSH ratios in PCOS. In this cross sectional study, a consecutive series of 745 women (aged 28.11 ± 0.2) who were subjected to infertility treatment at specialist infertility clinics in central Travancore region were considered. About 50 healthy females (aged 27.58 ± 0.4) with regular menstrual cycles were regarded as control. The data were collected from hospital records using subject's written informed consent. PCOS patients were observed to have different ranges of LH:FSH ratios from PCOS. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An epidemiological evaluation of 1098 acute poisoning cases from Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Akkas, Meltem; Coskun, Figen; Ulu, Nadir; Sivri, Bulent

2004-08-01

This study evaluated the characteristics of orally poisoned patients admitted to our emergency department (ED) between January 1, 1998 and February 28, 2002. This study included 1098 patients. Poisoning cases annualy accounted for 0.5-1.3% of total patient admission during this period. The average age of the patients was 26y old. Poisoning was particulary common in students and housewives. Poisoning cases presented to the ED most commonly between 6 pm and 12 am (38%). More than half of study patients (52%) were admitted to the ED within 2 h of exposure. The incidence of concomitant alcohol intake with another intoxicant was 11%. The ingested drugs were 32% various antidepressants, 23% paracetamol, 20% analgesics (excluding paracetamol and salicylates), 10% antibiotics, 9% benzodiazepines, 7% salicylates and 7% cardiovascular drugs. Most patients received at least 1 of the following treatments: gastric lavage, oral activated charcoal, iv hydration, or diuresis. Thirty-two percent of patients were hospitalized beyond 24 h and 68% of were discharged within 24 h. The mortality rate of the overall cohort was < 1%. Psychiatric consultation was obtained for 55% of patients.

Training the next generation of global health advocates through experiential education: A mixed-methods case study evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Steven J; Silverberg, Sarah L

2015-10-15

This case study evaluates a global health education experience aimed at training the next generation of global health advocates. Demand and interest in global health among Canadian students is well documented, despite the difficulty in integrating meaningful experiences into curricula. Global health advocacy was taught to 19 undergraduate students at McMaster University through an experiential education course, during which they developed a national advocacy campaign on global access to medicines. A quantitative survey and an analysis of social network dynamics were conducted, along with a qualitative analysis of written work and course evaluations. Data were interpreted through a thematic synthesis approach. Themes were identified related to students' learning outcomes, experience and class dynamics. The experiential education format helped students gain authentic, real-world experience in global health advocacy and leadership. The tangible implications for their course work was a key motivating factor. While experiential education is an effective tool for some learning outcomes, it is not suitable for all. As well, group dynamics and evaluation methods affect the learning environment. Real-world global health issues, public health practice and advocacy approaches can be effectively taught through experiential education, alongside skills like communication and professionalism. Students developed a nuanced understanding of many strategies, challenges and barriers that exist in advocating for public health ideas. These experiences are potentially empowering and confidence-building despite the heavy time commitment they require. Attention should be given to how such experiences are designed, as course dynamics and grading structure significantly influence students' experience.

Use of standardized multidimensional evaluation tools and the emergence of the case manager's professional identity in France.

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Nugue, Mathilde; De Stampa, Matthieu; Couturier, Yves; Somme, Dominique

2012-01-01

In France, the national public health plan proposes a group of innovations including the initiation of case management for older adults in complex situations, particularly those with cognitive disorders. In this context, public authorities asked case managers to use a standardized multidimensional evaluation tool. The results of a qualitative study on the pertinence of such a tool relative to the emergence of this new professional field are described. Early use of an evaluation tool seems to be linked to the emergence of a new professional identity for recently recruited case managers. Factors determining the strength of this link are training tool standardization, computerization, and local structure's involvement. Our results contribute to identifying one of the ways by which professional identity can be changed to become a case manager.

Evaluation of PDA Technical Report No 33. Statistical Testing Recommendations for a Rapid Microbiological Method Case Study.

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Murphy, Thomas; Schwedock, Julie; Nguyen, Kham; Mills, Anna; Jones, David

2015-01-01

New recommendations for the validation of rapid microbiological methods have been included in the revised Technical Report 33 release from the PDA. The changes include a more comprehensive review of the statistical methods to be used to analyze data obtained during validation. This case study applies those statistical methods to accuracy, precision, ruggedness, and equivalence data obtained using a rapid microbiological methods system being evaluated for water bioburden testing. Results presented demonstrate that the statistical methods described in the PDA Technical Report 33 chapter can all be successfully applied to the rapid microbiological method data sets and gave the same interpretation for equivalence to the standard method. The rapid microbiological method was in general able to pass the requirements of PDA Technical Report 33, though the study shows that there can be occasional outlying results and that caution should be used when applying statistical methods to low average colony-forming unit values. Prior to use in a quality-controlled environment, any new method or technology has to be shown to work as designed by the manufacturer for the purpose required. For new rapid microbiological methods that detect and enumerate contaminating microorganisms, additional recommendations have been provided in the revised PDA Technical Report No. 33. The changes include a more comprehensive review of the statistical methods to be used to analyze data obtained during validation. This paper applies those statistical methods to analyze accuracy, precision, ruggedness, and equivalence data obtained using a rapid microbiological method system being validated for water bioburden testing. The case study demonstrates that the statistical methods described in the PDA Technical Report No. 33 chapter can be successfully applied to rapid microbiological method data sets and give the same comparability results for similarity or difference as the standard method. © PDA, Inc

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

A case-control study of childhood brain tumors and fathers' hobbies: a Children's Oncology Group study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosso, Andrea L; Hovinga, Mary E; Rorke-Adams, Lucy B; Spector, Logan G; Bunin, Greta R

2008-12-01

A comprehensive case-control study was conducted to evaluate parental risk factors for medulloblastoma (MB) and primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET). This analysis was conducted to evaluate associations between fathers' hobbies and risk of their children developing MB/PNET. The hobbies chosen for study were those with similar exposures as occupations associated with childhood cancers. Cases were 318 subjects under six years of age at diagnosis between 1991 and 1997 and registered with the Children's Cancer Group. An equal number of controls were selected through random digit dialing and individually matched to cases. In multivariate analyses, a significant association was seen for lawn care with pesticides [during pregnancy: odds ratio (OR) = 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0, 2.5; after birth: OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.8] and a weak association was seen for stripping paint [during pregnancy: OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 0.8, 2.6; after birth: OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 0.7, 2.6]. This study suggests that household exposures from hobbies, particularly pesticides, may increase risk of MB/PNET in children; previous research has been mostly limited to occupational exposures.

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?…

Evaluation of 6 candidate genes on chromosome 11q23 for coeliac disease susceptibility: a case control study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Close Eimear

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent whole genome analysis and follow-up studies have identified many new risk variants for coeliac disease (CD, gluten intolerance. The majority of newly associated regions encode candidate genes with a clear functional role in T-cell regulation. Furthermore, the newly discovered risk loci, together with the well established HLA locus, account for less than 50% of the heritability of CD, suggesting that numerous additional loci remain undiscovered. Linkage studies have identified some well-replicated risk regions, most notably chromosome 5q31 and 11q23. Methods We have evaluated six candidate genes in one of these regions (11q23, namely CD3E, CD3D, CD3G, IL10RA, THY1 and IL18, as risk factors for CD using a 2-phase candidate gene approach directed at chromosome 11q. 377 CD cases and 349 ethnically matched controls were used in the initial screening, followed by an extended sample of 171 additional coeliac cases and 536 additional controls. Results Promotor SNPs (-607, -137 in the IL18 gene, which has shown association with several autoimmune diseases, initially suggested association with CD (P IL18-137/-607 also supported this effect, primarily due to one relatively rare haplotype IL18-607C/-137C (P Conclusion Haplotypes of the IL18 promotor region may contribute to CD risk, consistent with this cytokine's role in maintaining inflammation in active CD.

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

Pediatric surgical diseases. A radiological surgical case study approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esposito, Ciro; Esposito, Giovanni

2009-01-01

Radiologic evaluation of an infant or child suspected of having a surgical disease can be a complex problem. With this volume, the editors have created a book focused on pediatric imaging written by pediatricians, pediatric surgeons and pediatric radiologists. This book is a collection of over 200 case reports. The concept is a case study approach: The reader is given radiologic images (plain radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography, etc.) and the clinical history of the patient. On the basis of this information, the reader is asked to identify a diagnostic and therapeutic strategy. Each case is complemented by information on the disease affecting the patient and the management of the case shown, including therapy and follow-up. This educational text is targeted at all medical professionals faced with a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic problems affecting infants and children. (orig.)

Pediatric surgical diseases. A radiological surgical case study approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esposito, Ciro [Federico II Univ. of Naples (Italy). Chair of Pediatric Surgery; Esposito, Giovanni (eds.) [Federico II Univ. of Naples (Italy). School of Medicine

2009-07-01

Radiologic evaluation of an infant or child suspected of having a surgical disease can be a complex problem. With this volume, the editors have created a book focused on pediatric imaging written by pediatricians, pediatric surgeons and pediatric radiologists. This book is a collection of over 200 case reports. The concept is a case study approach: The reader is given radiologic images (plain radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography, etc.) and the clinical history of the patient. On the basis of this information, the reader is asked to identify a diagnostic and therapeutic strategy. Each case is complemented by information on the disease affecting the patient and the management of the case shown, including therapy and follow-up. This educational text is targeted at all medical professionals faced with a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic problems affecting infants and children. (orig.)

Evaluating Satellite Products for Precipitation Estimation in Mountain Regions: A Case Study for Nepal

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Tarendra Lakhankar

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Precipitation in mountain regions is often highly variable and poorly observed, limiting abilities to manage water resource challenges. Here, we evaluate remote sensing and ground station-based gridded precipitation products over Nepal against weather station precipitation observations on a monthly timescale. We find that the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM 3B-43 precipitation product exhibits little mean bias and reasonable skill in giving precipitation over Nepal. Compared to station observations, the TRMM precipitation product showed an overall Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.49, which is similar to the skill of the gridded station-based product Asian Precipitation-Highly Resolved Observational Data Integration Towards Evaluation of Water Resources (APHRODITE. The other satellite precipitation products considered (Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP, the Climate Prediction Center Morphing technique (CMORPH, Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information Using Artificial Neural Networks-Cloud Classification System (PERSIANN-CCS were less skillful, as judged by Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, and, on average, substantially underestimated precipitation compared to station observations, despite their, in some cases, higher nominal spatial resolution compared to TRMM. None of the products fully captured the dependence of mean precipitation on elevation seen in the station observations. Overall, the TRMM product is promising for use in water resources applications.

A case study on the investigation of reasoning skills in geometry ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this study is to evaluate the reasoning skills in geometry-related subjects of six 8th Grade students. The study data were obtained at the end of the 2011-2012 spring period in a public elementary school. The study uses a case study with qualitative research techniques to investigate how students use reasoning ...

Chemical and radiation environmental risk management at the crossroads: Case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tran, N.; Burke, T.; Locke, P.

1999-01-01

Although many of the major environmental risk management decisions we face today require the simultaneous evaluation and control of both radiological and chemical risks, the separation of radiation and chemical risk management persists along legal, regulatory, programmatic, training and professional practice levels. In June 1998, a panel of 40 chemical and radiation risk experts met at an interactive workshop entitled 'Addressing the Similarities and Differences in Chemical and Radiation Environmental Risk Management,' in Annapolis, Maryland to discuss several perspectives on harmonizing chemical and radiation risk management approaches. At the conclusion of the meeting, workshop participants recommended that case studies of clean-up sites at which radioactive materials and hazardous chemical risks were addressed, be developed to help educate participants in the harmonization dialogue about their counterpart's issues, stimulate discussion and sharpen issues in a way that they can be resolved. Several key risk management issues that were highlighted from the discussion at the Annapolis meeting are being evaluated in the case studies. They include: decision criteria, costs and public/stakeholder input. This paper presents these key issues and the approach taken in the case studies. (author)

A case-control evaluation of fungiform papillae density in burning mouth syndrome.

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Naud, Jason M; Benca, Laura; Drangsholt, Mark T; LeResche, Linda; Coldwell, Susan E

2018-04-01

It has been hypothesized that high fungiform papillae density may be a risk factor for developing the taste and pain alterations characteristic of burning mouth syndrome. Evaluate whether fungiform papillae density, taste sensitivity, and mechanical pain sensitivity differ between burning mouth syndrome cases and controls. This case-control study compared cases diagnosed with primary burning mouth syndrome with pain-free controls. Participants (17 female cases and 23 female controls) rated the intensity of sucrose, sodium chloride, citric acid, and quinine applied separately to each side of the anterior tongue and sampled whole mouth. Mechanical pain sensitivity was assessed separately for each side of the tongue using weighted pins. Digital photographs of participants' tongues were used to count fungiform papillae. Burning mouth syndrome cases had increased whole mouth taste intensity. Cases also had increased sensitivity to quinine on the anterior tongue, as well as increased mechanical pain sensitivity on the anterior tongue. Fungiform papillae density did not differ significantly between cases and controls. Fungiform papillae density on the left and right sides of the tongue were correlated in controls; however, there was no left/right side correlation in cases. Cases had increased pain and taste perception on the anterior tongue. The lack of correlation between left and right fungiform papillae density in cases may be an indication of asymmetrical lingual innervation in these patients. 3b. Laryngoscope, 128:841-846, 2018. © 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Probabilistic fracture mechanics applied for lbb case study: international benchmark

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radu, V.

2015-01-01

An application of probabilistic fracture mechanics to evaluate the structural integrity for a case study chosen from experimental Mock-ups of FP7 STYLE project is described. The reliability model for probabilistic structural integrity, focused on the assessment of TWC in the pipe weld under complex loading (bending moment and residual stress) has been setup. The basic model is the model of fracture for through-wall cracked pipe under elastic-plastic conditions. The corresponding structural reliability approach is developed with the probabilities of failure associated with maximum load for crack initiation, net-section collapse but also the evaluation the instability loads. The probabilities of failure for a through-wall crack in a pipe subject to pure bending are evaluated by using crude Monte Carlo simulations. The results from the international benchmark are presented for the mentioned case in the context of ageing and lifetime management of pressure boundary/pressure circuit component. (authors)

The value of play for conflict management: a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lyn Snodgrass

2009-02-01

Full Text Available This is a case study of a conflict management intervention in two secondary schools in post-apartheid South Africa. The feature of the intervention that we examine is the use of play as an educational strategy. The literature attests that play can facilitate change by allowing learners freedom to change their behaviour and opportunities to explore their new identities. The context of the case revealed that conflicts had become deeply entrenched over time. The literature on conflict management suggests that such situations can change if approached in the right way. In the article we describe the intervention and evaluate it with the help of feedback received from participants and facilitators. In the evaluation we found that the participants were able to overcome prejudices and develop democratic approaches to conflict. The evaluation was repeated several months later, when it was found that the benefits of the workshop had been maintained, with the result that the participants were engaging in healthier relationships.

Implementing Case Studies in a Plant Pathology Course: Impact on Student Learning and Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Aman; Beckerman, Janna L.

2009-01-01

Case studies have been used in undergraduate science education as a way to develop students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. However, little empirical evidence exists on whether this teaching method is having the desired impact on students in plant pathology courses. This study evaluated the influence of the case teaching method on…

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

Synchronous uterine adenocarcinoma and leiomyosarcoma – a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamila Dudzik

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Synchronous gynecological cancers are rarely described. Those cases account for approximately up to 6% of female genital tract malignancies. The presence of synchronous endometrial adenocarcinoma and gynecological tract neoplasia is rare – the most commonly described is synchronous adenocarcinoma and endometrial ovarian cancer (accounting for 15-20% of ovarian neoplasia and 5% of endometrial cancers. Concomitant uterine carcinosarcoma and ovarian cancer, or endometrial adenocarcinoma are extremely rare. Up till now, only 3 cases of synchronous adenocarcinoma and leiomyosarcoma were described. In the present study a case of 60-year-old woman diagnosed with synchronous endometrial adenocarcinoma and leiomyosarcoma uteri is described. As the preoperative evaluation revealed endometrial adenocarcinoma G2 with intermediate-risk of lymph node metastasis and synchronous leiomyosarcoma G3, total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and systemic lymphadenectomy was performed showing no lymphatic involvement. In the postoperative evaluation the patient was qualified to adenocarcinoma low recurrence-risk group (adenocarcinoma G1 with no LVSI, FIGO IA – no further radiotherapy was required. However, as synchronous leiomyosarcoma G3 was diagnosed, we decided to refer the patient for adjuvant chemotherapy. Contemporary recommendation on the diagnosis and treatment of uterine carcinomas, especially uterine leiomyosarcomas, is also described in this paper. The presented case showed that diagnosis and treatment of women with uterine tumors should be individualized as in the same case an extremely rare cancer type can be present which, consequently, changes the treatment regimen and prognosis.

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.

Educational Game Development Approach to a particular case: the donor's evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Borro Escribano, B; del Blanco, A; Torrente, J; Borro Mate, J M; Fernandez Manjon, B

2015-01-01

Serious games are a current trend nowadays. Almost every sector has used serious games in recent years for different educational purposes. The eLearning research team of the Complutense University of Madrid main focus of research is the development of low-cost serious games. During the past 10 years, we have been working with and developing serious games, paying special attention to those related to healthcare. From all these studies, a methodology was defined-the Educational Game Development Approach (EGDA)-to design, develop, and evaluate game-like simulations or serious games in healthcare. We present the application of the EGDA to a particular case, the development of a serious game representing the donor's evaluation in an intensive care unit from the point of view of a hospital coordinator following the EGDA methodology. In this simulation, we changed the strategy of selection of teaching cases by exponentially increasing the number of teaching cases. This kind of educational content provides several benefits to students as they learn while playing; they receive immediate feedback of mistakes and correct moves and an objective assessment. These simulations allow the students to practice in a risk-free environment. Moreover, the addition of game elements increases engagement and promotes the retention of important information. A game-like simulation has been developed through the use of this methodology. This simulation represents a complex medical procedure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Evaluation and Application Plan Report for the Development of Nuclear Power Plant DCS Using CASE Tools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, B.Y.; Moon, H.J.; Yoon, M.H.; Lee, Y.K. [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea)

2000-06-01

This report contains the evaluation and application plan report for the development of nuclear power plant DCS using CASE tools. In this report, the necessity of using CASE tools is considered and a available CASE environment is suggested. And, also according to the IEEE Std 1209 Recommended Practice for Evaluation and Selection of CASE Tools, their functional and economical evaluation about available commercial CASE tools is performed and described. (author). 6 figs., 3 tabs.

SARS and hospital priority setting: a qualitative case study and evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Upshur Ross EG

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Priority setting is one of the most difficult issues facing hospitals because of funding restrictions and changing patient need. A deadly communicable disease outbreak, such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS in Toronto in 2003, amplifies the difficulties of hospital priority setting. The purpose of this study is to describe and evaluate priority setting in a hospital in response to SARS using the ethical framework 'accountability for reasonableness'. Methods This study was conducted at a large tertiary hospital in Toronto, Canada. There were two data sources: 1 over 200 key documents (e.g. emails, bulletins, and 2 35 interviews with key informants. Analysis used a modified thematic technique in three phases: open coding, axial coding, and evaluation. Results Participants described the types of priority setting decisions, the decision making process and the reasoning used. Although the hospital leadership made an effort to meet the conditions of 'accountability for reasonableness', they acknowledged that the decision making was not ideal. We described good practices and opportunities for improvement. Conclusions 'Accountability for reasonableness' is a framework that can be used to guide fair priority setting in health care organizations, such as hospitals. In the midst of a crisis such as SARS where guidance is incomplete, consequences uncertain, and information constantly changing, where hour-by-hour decisions involve life and death, fairness is more important rather than less.

SARS and hospital priority setting: a qualitative case study and evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Jennifer A H; Hyland, Sylvia; DePellegrin, Tania; Upshur, Ross E G; Bernstein, Mark; Martin, Douglas K

2004-12-19

Priority setting is one of the most difficult issues facing hospitals because of funding restrictions and changing patient need. A deadly communicable disease outbreak, such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Toronto in 2003, amplifies the difficulties of hospital priority setting. The purpose of this study is to describe and evaluate priority setting in a hospital in response to SARS using the ethical framework 'accountability for reasonableness'. This study was conducted at a large tertiary hospital in Toronto, Canada. There were two data sources: 1) over 200 key documents (e.g. emails, bulletins), and 2) 35 interviews with key informants. Analysis used a modified thematic technique in three phases: open coding, axial coding, and evaluation. Participants described the types of priority setting decisions, the decision making process and the reasoning used. Although the hospital leadership made an effort to meet the conditions of 'accountability for reasonableness', they acknowledged that the decision making was not ideal. We described good practices and opportunities for improvement. 'Accountability for reasonableness' is a framework that can be used to guide fair priority setting in health care organizations, such as hospitals. In the midst of a crisis such as SARS where guidance is incomplete, consequences uncertain, and information constantly changing, where hour-by-hour decisions involve life and death, fairness is more important rather than less.

A review of case studies evaluating economic incentives to promote occupational safety and health

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elsler, D.; Treutlein, D.; Rydlewska, I.; Frusteri, L.; Krüger, H.; Veerman, T.; Eeckelaert, L.; Roskams, N.; Broek, K. van den; Taylor, T.N.

2010-01-01

Objectives: In many European countries, external economic incentives are discussed as a policy instrument to promote occupational safety and health (OSH) in enterprises. This narrative case study review aims to support policy-makers in organizations providing such incentives by supplying information

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…

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided evaluation of the pleura and cases of pleural effusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Malay; Rameshbabu, Chittapuram Srinivasan

2017-01-01

The most efficient and cost-effective approach for the diagnosis of pleural exudates remains uncertain and is a subject of controversy. Essential factors to be considered include the respective diagnostic yields of thoracocentesis, closed pleural biopsy, and thoracoscopy. The role of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) of the esophagus as a modality for the evaluation of pleural exudates has not yet been evaluated. The applied anatomy of the pleura has been discussed. The techniques involved in the EUS imaging of different aspects of the pleura in normal cases and in cases with pleural effusion are elaborated. The practical application of this knowledge can be useful in EUS-guided sampling of the pleural wall, pleural nodules, and in cases of pleural effusion.

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....

Integrating knowledge generation with knowledge diffusion and utilization: a case study analysis of the Consortium for Applied Research and Evaluation in Mental Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Vingilis, Evelyn; Hartford, Kathleen; Schrecker, Ted; Mitchell, Beth; Lent, Barbara; Bishop, Joan

2003-01-01

Knowledge diffusion and utilization (KDU) have become a key focus in the health research community because of the limited success to date of research findings to inform health policies, programs and services. Yet, evidence indicates that successful KDU is often predicated on the early involvement of potential knowledge users in the conceptualization and conduct of the research and on the development of a "partnership culture". This study describes the integration of KDU theory with practice via a case study analysis of the Consortium for Applied Research and Evaluation in Mental Health (CAREMH). This qualitative study, using a single-case design, included a number of data sources: proposals, meeting minutes, presentations, publications, reports and curricula vitae of CAREMH members. CAREMH has adopted the following operational strategies to increase KDU capacity: 1) viewing research as a means and not as an end; 2) bringing the university and researcher to the community; 3) using participatory research methods; 4) embracing transdisciplinary research and interactions; and 5) using connectors. Examples of the iterative process between researchers and potential knowledge users in their contribution to knowledge generation, diffusion and utilization are provided. This case study supports the importance of early and ongoing involvement of relevant potential knowledge users in research to enhance its utilization potential. It also highlights the need for re-thinking research funding approaches.

Lessons Learned from PR and PP Case Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bley, D.C. [Buttonwood Consulting, Inc., 11738 English Mill Court, Oakton, VA 22124 (United States)

2009-06-15

The Generation-IV International Forum (GIF) working group on proliferation resistance and physical protection (PR and PP) has developed a methodology for evaluating the PR and PP effectiveness of Gen-IV nuclear energy systems. A number of applications studies culminating in the 2008-2009 Case Study have been helpful in developing the methodology, and in testing its ease of use and ability to provide useful information to designers and policy/decision makers. This paper examines the lessons learned from these studies. The applications studies evaluated a set of PR and PP measures for an 'Example Sodium Fast Reactor' (ESFR), a hypothetical design incorporating many features of anticipated Gen-IV energy systems. The objectives of the 2008- 2009 Case Study were to exercise the GIF PR and PP Methodology for a complete Gen-IV reactor/fuel cycle system; to demonstrate, via the comparison of different design options, that the methodology can generate meaningful results for designers and decision makers; to provide examples of PR and PP evaluations for future users; to facilitate transition to other studies; and to facilitate other ongoing collaborative efforts (e.g., INPRO) and associated efforts (e.g., GNEP). We will explain how the Case Study met these goals. PR Lessons Learned. We found that completeness in 'diversion' pathways can be ensured and that a set of diversion pathway segments can be developed along with proliferation resistance measures for each pathway. The examination of 'misuse' found that misuse, for achieving weapons-usable fissile material, is a complex process, i.e., it is not a single action on a single piece of equipment, but rather an integrated exploitation of various assets and system elements. We found that 'breakout' is a modifying strategy within the diversion and misuse threats and takes various forms that depend upon intent and aggressiveness, and ultimately the proliferation time assumed by a

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...

Determinants of Internet Addiction among Adolescents: A Case-Control Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Artemis Tsitsika

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Internet Addiction (IA is associated with adverse psychosocial development and mental disorders. The study aims were to evaluate the psychosocial profiles and psychiatric comorbidities associated with IA among adolescents. A case-control study was conducted among 129 adolescents in the outpatient setting of the Adolescent Health Unit of the Second University Department of Pediatrics in Athens, Greece. The case group consisted of 86 adolescents with IA as evaluated following psychiatric interview with two independent examiners. The control group consisted of 43 adolescents without IA, frequency matched for age and gender with case group participants. The study findings indicated that adolescents with IA were significantly more likely to have divorced parents (p = 0.012 and/or dysfunctional familial relationships (p < 0.0001. The proportion of adolescents with poor academic performance (p < 0.0001 and unexcused school absences (p = 0.004 was greater among those with IA. Moreover, approximately two-thirds of the adolescents with IA were engaged in high-risk behaviors (p < 0.0001. Finally, adolescents with IA were 3.89 times more likely to present with comorbid psychiatric conditions (CI 95%: 1.19–12.70, including depression (10.5 vs. 0%; p = 0.022. Adolescent IA is associated with deterred familial functions, poor academic performance, engagement in high-risk behaviors, and an augmented likelihood for depression.

Ultrasound evaluation of intrinsic plantar muscles and fascia in hallux valgus: A case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lobo, César Calvo; Marín, Alejandro Garrido; Sanz, David Rodríguez; López, Daniel López; López, Patricia Palomo; Morales, Carlos Romero; Corbalán, Irene Sanz

2016-11-01

A cross-sectional area (CSA) and thickness reduction of the abductor hallucis (AbH) is shown in subjects with hallux valgus (HV). To date, other soft-tissue structures have not been researched in relation with HV. The aim of this study was to compare the CSA and thickness of the intrinsic plantar muscles and fascia (PF) between feet with and without HV. Therefore, a cross-sectional and case-control study was performed using B-mode with an iU22 Philips ultrasound system and a 5 to 17-MHz transducer. The CSA and thickness were measured for the AbH, flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) and flexor hallucis brevis (FHB), and also the thickness for the anterior, middle, and posterior PF portions. A convenience sample of 40 feet, 20 with HV and 20 without HV, was recruited from a clinical and research center. A multivariate regression analysis using linear regression was performed to evaluate the ultrasound imaging measurements (α = 0.05). Consequently, statistically significant differences were observed between the groups (P plantar fascia thickness increase in favor of the HV group. On the contrary, the FDB thickness and CSA did not show statistically significant differences (P ≥ 0.05). In conclusion, the CSA and thickness of the AbH and FHB intrinsic plantar muscles are reduced, whereas the thickness of the anterior, middle, and posterior PF portions are increased, in subjects with HV compared with those without HV.

Development, implementation and pilot evaluation of a Web-based Virtual Patient Case Simulation environment – Web-SP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boberg Jonas

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Web-based Simulation of Patients (Web-SP project was initiated in order to facilitate the use of realistic and interactive virtual patients (VP in medicine and healthcare education. Web-SP focuses on moving beyond the technology savvy teachers, when integrating simulation-based education into health sciences curricula, by making the creation and use of virtual patients easier. The project strives to provide a common generic platform for design/creation, management, evaluation and sharing of web-based virtual patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate if it was possible to develop a web-based virtual patient case simulation environment where the entire case authoring process might be handled by teachers and which would be flexible enough to be used in different healthcare disciplines. Results The Web-SP system was constructed to support easy authoring, management and presentation of virtual patient cases. The case authoring environment was found to facilitate for teachers to create full-fledged patient cases without the assistance of computer specialists. Web-SP was successfully implemented at several universities by taking into account key factors such as cost, access, security, scalability and flexibility. Pilot evaluations in medical, dentistry and pharmacy courses shows that students regarded Web-SP as easy to use, engaging and to be of educational value. Cases adapted for all three disciplines were judged to be of significant educational value by the course leaders. Conclusion The Web-SP system seems to fulfil the aim of providing a common generic platform for creation, management and evaluation of web-based virtual patient cases. The responses regarding the authoring environment indicated that the system might be user-friendly enough to appeal to a majority of the academic staff. In terms of implementation strengths, Web-SP seems to fulfil most needs from course directors and teachers from various educational

Investigating the role of Fuzzy as confirmatory tool for service quality assessment (Case study: Comparison of Fuzzy SERVQUAL and SERVQUAL in hotel service evaluation)

Science.gov (United States)

Wahyudi, R. D.

2017-11-01

The problem was because of some indicators qualitatively assessed had been discussed in engineering field. Whereas, qualitative assessment was presently used in certain occasion including in engineering field, for instance, the assessment of service satisfaction. Probably, understanding of satisfaction definition caused bias if customers had their own definition of satisfactory level of service. Therefore, the use of fuzzy logic in SERVQUAL as service satisfaction measurement tool would probably be useful. This paper aimed to investigate the role of fuzzy in SERVQUAL by comparing result measurement of SERVQUAL and fuzzy SERVQUAL for study case of hotel service evaluation. Based on data processing, initial result showed that there was no significant different between them. Thus, either implementation of fuzzy SERVQUAL in different case or study about the role of fuzzy logic in SERVQUAL would be interesting further discussed topic.

Parallel and distributed processing in two SGBDS: A case study

OpenAIRE

Francisco Javier Moreno; Nataly Castrillón Charari; Camilo Taborda Zuluaga

2017-01-01

Context: One of the strategies for managing large volumes of data is distributed and parallel computing. Among the tools that allow applying these characteristics are some Data Base Management Systems (DBMS), such as Oracle, DB2, and SQL Server. Method: In this paper we present a case study where we evaluate the performance of an SQL query in two of these DBMS. The evaluation is done through various forms of data distribution in a computer network with different degrees of parallelism. ...

ROLE OF ULTRASOUND IN EVALUATION OF BREAST DISEASES (WITH FOCUS ON BI-RADS 1-3 VS. BI-RADS 4-5: A STUDY OF 131 CASES

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Pankaj Sharma

2016-10-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Ultrasound is a radiation free, readily available imaging modality that is routinely used for evaluation of breast. The patient usually are for routine checkup to nonspecific symptoms with few showing specific signs and symptoms. In this study, an attempt has been made to understand the role of ultrasound in diagnosing benign lesions with a drawback focused on early malignant lesion. Also, the differentiation of solid and cystic lesions can reduce biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was done retrospectively evaluating 131 consecutive patients. The ultrasound study included evaluation of mainly female patients with few male cases. RESULTS Most common lesions were benign lesions. Among these benign lesions, fibroadenomas and fibrocystic disease were the commonest. However, there were no early malignant lesion seen in this study. CONCLUSION Breast ultrasound is choice of investigation in benign breast diseases. Also, such lesions can be easily followed up at primary level. However, there is a limited role in detecting early malignant lesions, which will require additional workup at a higher level especially in high-risk groups.

Sudden Death Following Exercise; a Case Series Study

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Fares Najari

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Natural and unexpected death that happens within less than one hour of first symptom occurrence is called sudden death. Cardiovascular diseases are the main known reason of sudden death and more than 75% of sudden deaths in athletes are assigned to it. Here we reported the autopsy results of all cases with sudden death following exercise that were referred to forensic center of Tehran, Iran, from 2009 to 2014. Methods: In this cross sectional study all subjects who were registered to forensic medicine center of Tehran, Iran, from 2009 to 2014, as a case of sudden death following exercise were evaluated. Demographic data and medical history as well as autopsy and toxicology findings were retrospectively gathered using profiles of the deceased. Results were reported using descriptive analysis. Results: 14 cases were registered as sudden death following exercise in forensic medicine profiles during the study period. Exploring the files of the mentioned deceased, revealed five non-compatible cases in this regard. Finally, 9 eligible cases were enrolled (88.9% male. The mean age of the deceased was 28.66 ± 10.86 years (range: 7 – 40. Toxicological tests were available for 7 cases, one of which was positive for tramadol. Sudden death following football was reported most frequently (44.4%. Only 3 (33.3% cases had herald signs such as chest pain, syncope, or loss of consciousness. 1 case (11.11% had a positive history of sudden death in relatives. Conclusion: Although most sudden death victims are asymptomatic until the event, all those who suffer from symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue and irregular heart rate during physical activities, should be screened regarding common probable causes of sudden death.

Case Study: Guidelines for Producing Videos to Accompany Flipped Cases

Science.gov (United States)

Prud'homme-Généreux, Annie; Schiller, Nancy A.; Wild, John H.; Herreid, Clyde Freeman

2017-01-01

Three years ago, the "National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science" (NCCSTS) was inspired to merge the case study and flipped classroom approaches. The resulting project aimed to create the materials required to teach a flipped course in introductory biology by assigning videos as homework and case studies in the classroom. Three…

Designing, Prototyping and Evaluating Digital Mindfulness Applications: A Case Study of Mindful Breathing for Stress Reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Bin; Hedman, Anders; Feng, Shuo; Li, Haibo; Osika, Walter

2017-06-14

During the past decade, there has been a rapid increase of interactive apps designed for health and well-being. Yet, little research has been published on developing frameworks for design and evaluation of digital mindfulness facilitating technologies. Moreover, many existing digital mindfulness applications are purely software based. There is room for further exploration and assessment of designs that make more use of physical qualities of artifacts. The study aimed to develop and test a new physical digital mindfulness prototype designed for stress reduction. In this case study, we designed, developed, and evaluated HU, a physical digital mindfulness prototype designed for stress reduction. In the first phase, we used vapor and light to support mindful breathing and invited 25 participants through snowball sampling to test HU. In the second phase, we added sonification. We deployed a package of probes such as photos, diaries, and cards to collect data from users who explored HU in their homes. Thereafter, we evaluated our installation using both self-assessed stress levels and heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) measures in a pilot study, in order to measure stress resilience effects. After the experiment, we performed a semistructured interview to reflect on HU and investigate the design of digital mindfulness apps for stress reduction. The results of the first phase showed that 22 of 25 participants (88%) claimed vapor and light could be effective ways of promoting mindful breathing. Vapor could potentially support mindful breathing better than light (especially for mindfulness beginners). In addition, a majority of the participants mentioned sound as an alternative medium. In the second phase, we found that participants thought that HU could work well for stress reduction. We compared the effect of silent HU (using light and vapor without sound) and sonified HU on 5 participants. Subjective stress levels were statistically improved with both

COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP: A Case Study of the All Blacks

OpenAIRE

Thomas Johnson; Andrew J Martin; Farah R Palmer; Geoffrey Watson; Phil Ramsey

2012-01-01

This case study evaluates the development of a formal collective leadership approach by the All Blacks (New Zealand’s national men’s rugby team) management. The All Blacks have an astonishing 75% winning record in test matches over a hundred year period. This winning ethos is part of their organizational culture, which has been developed, nurtured and sustained since the inception of the first national team in 1903 (Palenski, 2003; Tobin, 2005). In this qualitative research study, primary ...

Evaluation of surveillance of dengue fever cases in the public health centre of Putat Jaya based on attribute surveillance

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Zumaroh Zumaroh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF is a public health problem in the village of Putat Jaya which is an endemic area. Surveilans activity in DHF control program is the most important activity in controlling and monitoring disease progression. The program is expected to achieve incidence rate 55/100.000 population. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of case surveilans in health centre of putat jaya based on attribute surveillance. Attribute surveillance is an indicator that describes the characteristics of the surveillance system. This research was an evaluation research with descriptive study design. As informants were clinic staff who deal specifically with cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever and laboratory workers. The techniques of data collection by interviews and document study. The variables of this study were simplicity, flexibility, acceptability, sensitivity, positive predictive value, representativeness, timeliness, data quality and data stability. It could be seen from Incidence Rate in 2013 has reached 133/100.00 population. The activity of surveilance in the village of Putat Jaya reviewed from disease contol program management was not succeed into decrease incidence rate of DHF. Therefore, dengue control programs in health centers Putat Jaya need to do cross-sector cooperation and cross-program cooperation, strengthening the case reporting system by way increasing in the utilization of information and communication technology electromedia. Keywords: case surveillance, dengue hemorrhagic fever, evaluation, attribute surveillance, Putat Jaya

Evaluating the Patient With Diarrhea: A Case-Based Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Sweetser, Seth

2012-01-01

The evaluation of the patient with diarrhea can be complex and the treatment challenging. In this article, the definition of diarrhea and the pathophysiologic mechanisms that lead to diarrhea are reviewed. A simplified 5-step approach to the patient with diarrhea is provided and applied in a case-oriented manner applicable to everyday clinical practice. On completion of this article, you should be able to (1) define diarrhea, (2) outline various pathophysiologic mechanisms of diarrhea, and (3) describe a simplified 5-step approach to facilitate the evaluation of diarrhea. PMID:22677080

Five misunderstandings about case study research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flyvbjerg, Bent

2004-01-01

This article examines five common misunderstandings about case-study research: (1) Theoretical knowledge is more valuable than practical knowledge; (2) One cannot generalize from a single case, therefore the single case study cannot contribute to scientific development; (3) The case study is most...... useful for generating hypotheses, while other methods aremore suitable for hypotheses testing and theory building; (4) The case study contains a bias toward verification; and (5) It is often difficult to summarize specific case studies. The article explains and corrects these misunderstandings one by one...... and concludes with the Kuhnian insight that a scientific discipline without a large number of thoroughly executed case studies is a discipline without systematic production of exemplars, and that a discipline without exemplars is an ineffective one. Social science may be strengthened by the execution of more...

Reliability, resilience and vulnerability criteria for the evaluation of time-dependent health risks: A hypothetical case study of wellhead protection

Science.gov (United States)

Rodak, C. M.; Silliman, S. E.; Bolster, D.

2012-12-01

A hypothetical case study of groundwater contaminant protection was carried out using time-dependent health risk calculations. The case study focuses on a hypothetical zoning project for parcels of land around a well field in northern Indiana, where the control of cancer risk relative to a mandated cancer risk threshold is of concern in the management strategy. Within our analysis, we include both uncertainty in the subsurface transport and variability in population behavior in the calculation of time-dependent health risks. From these results we introduce risk maps, a visual representation of the probability of an unacceptable health risk as a function of population behavior and the time at which exposure to the contaminant begins. We also evaluate the time-dependent risks with three criteria from water resource literature: reliability, resilience, and vulnerability (RRV). With respect to health risk from a groundwater well, the three criteria determine: the probability that a well produces safe water (reliability), the probability that a contaminated well returns to an uncontaminated state within a specified time interval (resilience), and the overall severity in terms of health impact of the contamination at a well head (vulnerability). The results demonstrate that the distributions of RRV values for each parcel of land are linked to the time-dependent concentration profile of the contaminant at the well, and the toxicological characteristics of the contaminant. The proposed time-dependent risk calculation expands on current techniques to include a continuous exposure start time, capable of reproducing the maximum risk while providing information on the severity and duration of health risks. Overall this study suggests that, especially in light of the inherent complexity of health-groundwater systems, RRV are viable criteria for relatively simple and effective evaluation of time-dependent health risk. It is argued that the RRV approach, as applied to

Effectiveness of integrating case studies in online and face-to-face instruction of pathophysiology: a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh, Suha M; Asi, Yara M; Hamed, Kastro M

2013-06-01

Due to growing demand from students and facilitated by innovations in educational technology, institutions of higher learning are increasingly offering online courses. Subjects in the hard sciences, such as pathophysiology, have traditionally been taught in the face-to-face format, but growing demand for preclinical science courses has compelled educators to incorporate online components into their classes to promote comprehension. Learning tools such as case studies are being integrated into such courses to aid in student interaction, engagement, and critical thinking skills. Careful assessment of pedagogical techniques is essential; hence, this study aimed to evaluate and compare student perceptions of the use of case studies in face-to-face and fully online pathophysiology classes. A series of case studies was incorporated into the curriculum of a pathophysiology class for both class modes (online and face to face). At the end of the semester, students filled out a survey assessing the effectiveness of the case studies. Both groups offered positive responses about the incorporation of case studies in the curriculum of the pathophysiology class. This study supports the argument that with proper use of innovative teaching tools, such as case studies, online pathophysiology classes can foster a sense of community and interaction that is typically only seen with face-to-face classes, based on student responses. Students also indicated that regardless of class teaching modality, use of case studies facilitates student learning and comprehension as well as prepares them for their future careers in health fields.

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.

Defining principles for good practice: using case studies to inform health systems action on health inequalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Sarah; Kelly, Michael P; Morgan, Antony

2013-02-01

This paper presents work using case studies as a source of data to see if we could extrapolate from the specific to the general particularly with regard to understanding what constitutes effective practice in taking action on SDHI and as a way of enabling policy makers to make better use of knowledge within the case studies and as a way of better understanding what works, in what context and why. Case studies are important to evaluators in that they are relatively straightforward to undertake and because those involved in implementing an intervention are usually keen to profile the intervention. A checklist described in this paper will enable policy advisers and evaluators to quickly review a case study and right away see if it contains enough information to assist in the development of policy options for reducing socially determined health inequalities. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of Three Case Studies and Associated Teamwork in Stimulating Freshman Interest in an Introduction to Engineering Course

Science.gov (United States)

McIntyre, Joseph S.

2011-01-01

The effectiveness of three case studies and associated teamwork to stimulate interest of college freshman in engineering was investigated by observing students. Case studies were assigned as laboratory team exercises in an introduction to engineering course at Auburn University. Student interest in the case studies was evaluated qualitatively…

Case Study: A Picture Worth a Thousand Words? Making a Case for Video Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Pai, Aditi

2014-01-01

A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. If a mere picture is worth a thousand words, how much more are "moving pictures" or videos worth? The author poses this not merely as a rhetorical question, but because she wishes to make a case for using videos in the traditional case study method. She recommends four main approaches of…

Five misunderstandings about Case-study Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flyvbjerg, Bent

This article examines five common misunderstandings about case-study research: (1) Theoretical knowledge is more valuable than practical knowledge; (2) One cannot generalize from a single case, therefore the single case study cannot contribute to scientific development; (3) The case study is most...... useful for generating hypotheses, while other methods aremore suitable for hypotheses testing and theory building; (4) The case study contains a bias toward verification; and (5) It is often difficult to summarize specific case studies. The article explains and corrects these misunderstandings one by one...... and concludes with the Kuhnian insight that a scientific discipline without a large number of thoroughly executed case studies is a discipline without systematic production of exemplars, and that a discipline without  exemplars is an ineffective one. Social science may be strengthened by the execution of more...

Evaluation of Power Generation Efficiency of Cascade Hydropower Plants: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiahua Wei

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Effective utilization of scarce water resources has presented a significant challenge to respond to the needs created by rapid economic growth in China. In this study, the efficiency of the joint operation of the Three Gorges and Gezhouba cascade hydropower plants in terms of power generation was evaluated on the basis of a precise simulation-optimization technique. The joint operation conditions of the Three Gorges and Gezhouba hydropower plants between 2004 and 2010 were utilized in this research in order to investigate the major factors that could affect power output of the cascade complex. The results showed that the current power output of the Three Gorges and Gezhouba cascade complex had already reached around 90% of the maximum theoretical value. Compared to other influencing factors evaluated in this study, the accuracy of hydrological forecasts and flood control levels can have significant impact on the power generating efficiency, whereas the navigation has a minor influence. This research provides a solid quantitative-based methodology to assess the operation efficiency of cascade hydropower plants, and more importantly, proposes potential methods that could improve the operation efficiency of cascade hydropower plants.

Diabetes mellitus during pregnancy: a study of fifty cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Randhawa, M. S.; Moin, S.; Shoaib, F.

2003-01-01

To review and critically evaluated the incidence, epidemiology, clinical pattern, diagnosis, management, complications and outcome of diabetes mellitus during pregnancy in hospital based study. Results: Total number of women delivered were 11271. Fifty cases of diabetes mellitus during pregnancy were studied. Mostly the patients were more than 30 years of age, multiparous ladies with gestational diabetes in 80% of cases, Type-II diabetes in 16% and only in 4% Type-I diabetes was reported. Insulin was required in 40% of patients. Eight women out of 50 had spontaneous miscarriage, 5 underwent preterm delivery while 36 reached term with one intrauterine death. Total number of babies delivered alive were 41. There was one stillbirth and 3 neonatal deaths. Conclusion: Management of diabetes mellitus in pregnancy involves teamwork of obstetricians, physicians and neonatologists. (author)

A study on a systematic method for evaluating values of raised concerns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawada, T.; Morimoto, T.; Iida, N.; Nishimura, T.; Soda, Y.; Itoh, K.; Tanaka, H.

2006-01-01

The objective of this study is to develop a methodology that can externalise potential concerns and evaluate the values of the concerns raised in corporations. By implementing this methodology into corporate governance, it is expected to improve the work environment and enhance the capability for the corporate governance through supporting the internal autonomic purification. This study comprises of: case studies of past wrongdoings in corporations such as JCO and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO); identifying the viewpoints for evaluating values of raised concerns; developing a model to evaluate the values. (author)

An International Review of Eco-City Theory, Indicators, and Case Studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Nan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Williams, Christopher [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-03-01

This report is intended to answer the question: “What international experiences with ‘eco-cities’ can help the central Chinese government evaluate the performance of Chinese cities that pursue ‘lowcarbon’ urban development?” To answer this question, we reviewed the literature on eco-cities and closely related concepts, surveyed performance indicators used to evaluate sustainable urban development around the world, and compiled case studies of exceptional eco- and sustainable cities.

Ultrasound-guided biopsy of transplanted pancreas: evaluation of 20 cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcel Vieira da Nóbrega

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To report the experience with percutaneous biopsies of pancreatic grafts guided by ultrasonography. Methods: Series of cases referred from outpatient’s clinic for biopsy of pancreas transplant, between December 2006 and March 2008. Data were collected from medical electronic records for age, sex and histopathology. The indication for the procedure was obtained from medical and laboratory records. Doppler ultrasonography was performed for control and to guide biopsy in real time. Rresults: Twenty patients referred for biopsy of their transplanted pancreas over a one-year period were evaluated. In one patient, biopsy was not performed for having no safe access for ultrasound. It was used 18 gauge needles, mostly automatic-cut type. The main indications were increased blood glucose and pancreatic enzyme levels as well as reduction of urinary amylase. The sonographic aspect of the pancreatic graft was normal in 18 cases. In all 19 biopsies performed, satisfactory samples for histopathological study were obtained. There were no complications. Cconclusions: This series of cases demonstrated low sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound in diagnosis of pancreatic transplants disorders, but showed to be very useful to guide transplanted pancreas biopsies. Although no complications occurred in this experience, the risk-benefit relation should always be assessed for every patient.

Sensitivity of inferred climate model skill to evaluation decisions: a case study using CMIP5 evapotranspiration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwalm, Christopher R; Huntinzger, Deborah N; Michalak, Anna M; Fisher, Joshua B; Kimball, John S; Mueller, Brigitte; Zhang, Ke; Zhang Yongqiang

2013-01-01

Confrontation of climate models with observationally-based reference datasets is widespread and integral to model development. These comparisons yield skill metrics quantifying the mismatch between simulated and reference values and also involve analyst choices, or meta-parameters, in structuring the analysis. Here, we systematically vary five such meta-parameters (reference dataset, spatial resolution, regridding approach, land mask, and time period) in evaluating evapotranspiration (ET) from eight CMIP5 models in a factorial design that yields 68 700 intercomparisons. The results show that while model–data comparisons can provide some feedback on overall model performance, model ranks are ambiguous and inferred model skill and rank are highly sensitive to the choice of meta-parameters for all models. This suggests that model skill and rank are best represented probabilistically rather than as scalar values. For this case study, the choice of reference dataset is found to have a dominant influence on inferred model skill, even larger than the choice of model itself. This is primarily due to large differences between reference datasets, indicating that further work in developing a community-accepted standard ET reference dataset is crucial in order to decrease ambiguity in model skill. (letter)

Counterstatement to Article Entitled "A Framework for Evaluation of Marine Spatial Data Geoportals Using Case Studies"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seip Christian

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In December 2014 in volume 60 issue 4 a paper was published entitled “A Framework for Evaluation of Marine Spatial Data Geoportals Using Case Studies” by Marina Tavra, Vlado Cetl and Tea Duplancic Leder which is suspected to constitute academic misconduct. This comment reasons that the core of the paper was taken from another source and thus does not offer new and original scientific work and therefore does not add knowledge to the body of science. Furthermore it argues that apart from the plagiarism the paper shows major weaknesses and thus should have not been published even it was not plagiarized.

What's in a Name? The Incorrect Use of Case Series as a Study Design Label in Studies Involving Dogs and Cats.

Science.gov (United States)

Sargeant, J M; O'Connor, A M; Cullen, J N; Makielski, K M; Jones-Bitton, A

2017-07-01

Study design labels are used to identify relevant literature to address specific clinical and research questions and to aid in evaluating the evidentiary value of research. Evidence from the human healthcare literature indicates that the label "case series" may be used inconsistently and inappropriately. Our primary objective was to determine the proportion of studies in the canine and feline veterinary literature labeled as case series that actually corresponded to descriptive cohort studies, population-based cohort studies, or other study designs. Our secondary objective was to identify the proportion of case series in which potentially inappropriate inferential statements were made. Descriptive evaluation of published literature. One-hundred published studies (from 19 journals) labeled as case series. Studies were identified by a structured literature search, with random selection of 100 studies from the relevant citations. Two reviewers independently characterized each study, with disagreements resolved by consensus. Of the 100 studies, 16 were case series. The remaining studies were descriptive cohort studies (35), population-based cohort studies (36), or other observational or experimental study designs (13). Almost half (48.8%) of the case series or descriptive cohort studies, with no control group and no formal statistical analysis, included inferential statements about the efficacy of treatment or statistical significance of potential risk factors. Authors, peer-reviewers, and editors should carefully consider the design elements of a study to accurately identify and label the study design. Doing so will facilitate an understanding of the evidentiary value of the results. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Evaluation of bone marrow in cases of pancytopenia in a tertiary care hospital

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S Vaidya

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Background: A spectrum of primary and secondary disorders that affect the bone marrow may manifestwith pancytopenia. This study was carried out to identify the various causes of pancytopenia in patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Lalitpur, Nepal.Materials and Methods: A descriptive study of 83 cases of pancytopenia was carried out in the Department of Pathology, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur, Nepal over a two year period from August 2010 to July 2012.Results: Eighty three patients underwent bone marrow examination. Mean age of the patients was 34 years (range: 4 to 75 years. Maximum number of patients (31.33% was seen in the age group of 16 - 30 years. The commonest cause of pancytopenia was megaloblastic anemia which was seen in 34.94% (29/83 cases followed by aplastic anemia and hematological malignancies in 31.32% (26/83 and 14.46% (12/83 cases, respectively.Conclusion: This study concluded that megaloblastic anemia and aplastic anemia were the two most common causes of pancytopenia. Bone marrow aspiration is an established diagnostic modality in the evaluation of pancytopenia.Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2015 Vol. 5, 691 - 695

Evaluation as a tool for planning: a case study on rural electrification; Avaliacao como instrumento de planejamento: estudo de caso em eletrificacao rural

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pereira, Marcio Giannini; Rodrigues, Alexia de Freitas; Paz, Luciana Rocha Leal da [Centro de Pesquisas de Energia Eletrica (CEPEL), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Camacho, Cristiane Farias [Fundacao Padre Leonel Franca, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2008-07-01

The universalization of access of the electric energy is one of the goals established by the Brazilian government so as to attend the rural and urban population. The arrival of electric energy in remote and low income areas allows these populations to reach one of the basic conditions to improve the quality of life and citizenship. In order to achieve this goal efficiently, it is necessary to build tools that make possible the impact and process evaluation, searching the continuous improvement of the planning and decision making, either in the direction of the attendance of the proposed goals, or in the poverty mitigation. The knowledge originated from evaluation impact studies provides an important contribution to the improvement of social programs, and a return to society as how the public fund is being managed, promoting transparency and focus. In this context, tolls are developed so as to support the impact and process evaluation in terms of rural electrification publics policies, using a study case that includes about 23.000 questionnaires in 21 states, considering the moment before the access (ex-ante) and after (ex-post), during the years of 2000 and 2004. (author)

ERP System for Custom Tailoring: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petr Sodomka

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The Case Study deals with the implementation and use of a global ERP system in Bernhardt Fashion CZ, which is one of the leading custom garment manufacturers in the market. The study describes the way this prestigious company has utilized a global ERP product to standardize a part of its processes as well as the areas that needed to be modified or custom adjusted. The crucial part of the study comprises a detailed description of key processes and their automation requirements that are specific in the clothing industry. Moreover, the study includes a complex evaluation of achieved benefits and significant functional improvements the company has developed by using the new system.

An approach for integrating toxicogenomic data in risk assessment: The dibutyl phthalate case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Euling, Susan Y., E-mail: euling.susan@epa.gov [National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States); Thompson, Chad M. [ToxStrategies, Inc., 23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd., Suite G265, Katy, TX 77494 (United States); Chiu, Weihsueh A. [National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States); Benson, Robert [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8, Mail code 8P-W, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, CO 80202 (United States)

2013-09-15

An approach for evaluating and integrating genomic data in chemical risk assessment was developed based on the lessons learned from performing a case study for the chemical dibutyl phthalate. A case study prototype approach was first developed in accordance with EPA guidance and recommendations of the scientific community. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) was selected for the case study exercise. The scoping phase of the dibutyl phthalate case study was conducted by considering the available DBP genomic data, taken together with the entire data set, for whether they could inform various risk assessment aspects, such as toxicodynamics, toxicokinetics, and dose–response. A description of weighing the available dibutyl phthalate data set for utility in risk assessment provides an example for considering genomic data for future chemical assessments. As a result of conducting the scoping process, two questions—Do the DBP toxicogenomic data inform 1) the mechanisms or modes of action?, and 2) the interspecies differences in toxicodynamics?—were selected to focus the case study exercise. Principles of the general approach include considering the genomics data in conjunction with all other data to determine their ability to inform the various qualitative and/or quantitative aspects of risk assessment, and evaluating the relationship between the available genomic and toxicity outcome data with respect to study comparability and phenotypic anchoring. Based on experience from the DBP case study, recommendations and a general approach for integrating genomic data in chemical assessment were developed to advance the broader effort to utilize 21st century data in risk assessment. - Highlights: • Performed DBP case study for integrating genomic data in risk assessment • Present approach for considering genomic data in chemical risk assessment • Present recommendations for use of genomic data in chemical risk assessment.

Theoretical pluralism in psychoanalytic case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Willemsen, Jochem; Cornelis, Shana; Geerardyn, Filip M; Desmet, Mattias; Meganck, Reitske; Inslegers, Ruth; Cauwe, Joachim M B D

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the scientific activity of different psychoanalytic schools of thought in terms of the content and production of case studies published on ISI Web of Knowledge. Between March 2013 and November 2013, we contacted all case study authors included in the online archive of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic case studies (www.singlecasearchive.com) to inquire about their psychoanalytic orientation during their work with the patient. The response rate for this study was 45%. It appears that the two oldest psychoanalytic schools, Object-relations psychoanalysis and Ego psychology or "Classical psychoanalysis" dominate the literature of published case studies. However, most authors stated that they feel attached to two or more psychoanalytic schools of thought. This confirms that the theoretical pluralism in psychoanalysis stretches to the field of single case studies. The single case studies of each psychoanalytic school are described separately in terms of methodology, patient, therapist, or treatment features. We conclude that published case studies features are fairly similar across different psychoanalytic schools. The results of this study are not representative of all psychoanalytic schools, as some do not publish their work in ISI ranked journals.

Theoretical pluralism in psychoanalytic case studies

Science.gov (United States)

Willemsen, Jochem; Cornelis, Shana; Geerardyn, Filip M.; Desmet, Mattias; Meganck, Reitske; Inslegers, Ruth; Cauwe, Joachim M. B. D.

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the scientific activity of different psychoanalytic schools of thought in terms of the content and production of case studies published on ISI Web of Knowledge. Between March 2013 and November 2013, we contacted all case study authors included in the online archive of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic case studies (www.singlecasearchive.com) to inquire about their psychoanalytic orientation during their work with the patient. The response rate for this study was 45%. It appears that the two oldest psychoanalytic schools, Object-relations psychoanalysis and Ego psychology or “Classical psychoanalysis” dominate the literature of published case studies. However, most authors stated that they feel attached to two or more psychoanalytic schools of thought. This confirms that the theoretical pluralism in psychoanalysis stretches to the field of single case studies. The single case studies of each psychoanalytic school are described separately in terms of methodology, patient, therapist, or treatment features. We conclude that published case studies features are fairly similar across different psychoanalytic schools. The results of this study are not representative of all psychoanalytic schools, as some do not publish their work in ISI ranked journals. PMID:26483725

Performance evaluation in competence-based learning model in higher education scenarios using social network: a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherina Edith GALLARDO CÓRDOVA

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A research about performance evaluation was conducted in a graduate online course designed in the Based-Competency Model. Facebook was used as a social and interactive tool that would permit sharing information to illustrate various aspects of diverse educational contexts as well as the impacts of the implementation of improvement projects seen from the beneficiaries’ perspective. Case Study was the methodology selected. Postgraduate students got the task to work on certain improvements on learning assessment matters. The educational scenarios were located in Mexico and Colombia. 7 units of analysis were chosen among 34 possible. The findings pointed out that students worked on their contexts in alignment with the stipulated academic competencies. The use of video materials posted and shared using Facebook allowed get a deeper understanding of the way the benefits influenced in each of the educational communities. Besides, these products evidenced students’ appropriate performance. In conclusion, the use of social networks for fortifying performance assessment is highly recommended. Moreover, it is expected that these benefits also influence some of the curricular and instructional design aspects.

Evaluating cloud processes in large-scale models: Of idealized case studies, parameterization testbeds and single-column modelling on climate time-scales

Science.gov (United States)

Neggers, Roel

2016-04-01

Boundary-layer schemes have always formed an integral part of General Circulation Models (GCMs) used for numerical weather and climate prediction. The spatial and temporal scales associated with boundary-layer processes and clouds are typically much smaller than those at which GCMs are discretized, which makes their representation through parameterization a necessity. The need for generally applicable boundary-layer parameterizations has motivated many scientific studies, which in effect has created its own active research field in the atmospheric sciences. Of particular interest has been the evaluation of boundary-layer schemes at "process-level". This means that parameterized physics are studied in isolated mode from the larger-scale circulation, using prescribed forcings and excluding any upscale interaction. Although feedbacks are thus prevented, the benefit is an enhanced model transparency, which might aid an investigator in identifying model errors and understanding model behavior. The popularity and success of the process-level approach is demonstrated by the many past and ongoing model inter-comparison studies that have been organized by initiatives such as GCSS/GASS. A red line in the results of these studies is that although most schemes somehow manage to capture first-order aspects of boundary layer cloud fields, there certainly remains room for improvement in many areas. Only too often are boundary layer parameterizations still found to be at the heart of problems in large-scale models, negatively affecting forecast skills of NWP models or causing uncertainty in numerical predictions of future climate. How to break this parameterization "deadlock" remains an open problem. This presentation attempts to give an overview of the various existing methods for the process-level evaluation of boundary-layer physics in large-scale models. This includes i) idealized case studies, ii) longer-term evaluation at permanent meteorological sites (the testbed approach

Combining web-based tools for transparent evaluation of data for risk assessment: developmental effects of bisphenol A on the mammary gland as a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Molander, Linda; Hanberg, Annika; Rudén, Christina; Ågerstrand, Marlene; Beronius, Anna

2017-03-01

Different tools have been developed that facilitate systematic and transparent evaluation and handling of toxicity data in the risk assessment process. The present paper sets out to explore the combined use of two web-based tools for study evaluation and identification of reliable data relevant to health risk assessment. For this purpose, a case study was performed using in vivo toxicity studies investigating low-dose effects of bisphenol A on mammary gland development. The reliability of the mammary gland studies was evaluated using the Science in Risk Assessment and Policy (SciRAP) criteria for toxicity studies. The Health Assessment Workspace Collaborative (HAWC) was used for characterizing and visualizing the mammary gland data in terms of type of effects investigated and reported, and the distribution of these effects within the dose interval. It was then investigated whether there was any relationship between study reliability and the type of effects reported and/or their distribution in the dose interval. The combination of the SciRAP and HAWC tools allowed for transparent evaluation and visualization of the studies investigating developmental effects of BPA on the mammary gland. The use of these tools showed that there were no apparent differences in the type of effects and their distribution in the dose interval between the five studies assessed as most reliable and the whole data set. Combining the SciRAP and HAWC tools was found to be a useful approach for evaluating in vivo toxicity studies and identifying reliable and sensitive information relevant to regulatory risk assessment of chemicals. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Bioremediation case studies: Abstracts. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devine, K.

1992-03-01

The report contains abstracts of 132 case studies of bioremediation technology applied to hazardous waste clean-up. It was prepared to compile bioremediation studies in a variety of locations and treating diverse contaminants, most of which were previously undocumented. All data are based on vendor-supplied information and there was no opportunity to independently confirm its accuracy. These 132 case studies, from 10 different biotechnology companies, provide users with reference information about on-going and/or completed field applications and studies. About two-thirds of the cases were at full-scale clean-up level with the remainder at pilot or laboratory scale. In 74 percent of the cases, soil was at least one of the media treated. Soil alone accounts for 46 percent of the cases. Petroleum-related wastes account for the largest contaminant with 82 cases. Thirty-one states are represented in the case studies

The Impact of the OECD BEPS Action Plan on Finnish Multinational Companies – Case Study

OpenAIRE

Hirvinen, Jyri

2017-01-01

This research attempts to evaluate the effects that the new OECD BEPS action plan might cause to the companies, main focus being in Finnish multinational companies and in the company being researched in the case study part of the research. The author understands the limitations of the one company case study model in the research but believes that use-ful information can be gained on the effects of the OECD BEPS action plan by examining the changes that the case study company has to go through...

451 Case studies Cardiac

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Marinda

Case Studies. 29 ... A case of a 26-year-old ASA I physical status male undergoing septoplasty had an abrupt ... myocardial infarction, severe hypertensive crisis, cerebral .... or no formal management is required in an ASA I patient.8 One.

Health Literacy Demands of Patient-Reported Evaluation Tools in Orthopedics: A Mixed-Methods Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadden, Kristie; Prince, Latrina Y; Barnes, C Lowry

In response to an assessment of organizational health literacy practices at a major academic health center, this case study evaluated the health literacy demands of patient-reported outcome measures commonly used in orthopedic surgery practices to identify areas for improvement. A mixed-methods approach was used to analyze the readability and patient feedback of orthopedic patient-reported outcome materials. Qualitative results were derived from focus group notes, observations, recordings, and consensus documents. Results were combined to formulate recommendations for quality improvement. Readability results indicated that narrative portions of sample patient outcome tools were written within or below the recommended eighth-grade reading level (= 5.9). However, document literacy results were higher than the recommended reading level (= 9.8). Focus group results revealed that participants had consensus on 8 of 12 plain language best practices, including use of bullet lists and jargon or technical words in both instruments. Although the typical readability of both instruments was not exceedingly high, appropriate readability formula and assessment methods gave a more comprehensive assessment of true readability. In addition, participant feedback revealed the need to reduce jargon and improve formatting to lessen the health literacy demands on patients. As clinicians turn more toward patient-reported measures to assess health care quality, it is important to consider the health literacy demands that are inherent in the instruments they are given in our health systems.

Evaluation of total workstation CT interpretation quality: a single-screen pilot study

Science.gov (United States)

Beard, David V.; Perry, John R.; Muller, Keith E.; Misra, Ram B.; Brown, P.; Hemminger, Bradley M.; Johnston, Richard E.; Mauro, J. Matthew; Jaques, P. F.; Schiebler, M.

1991-07-01

An interpretation report, generated with an electronic viewbox, is affected by two factors: image quality, which encompasses what can be seen on the display, and computer human interaction (CHI), which accounts for the cognitive load effect of locating, moving, and manipulating images with the workstation controls. While a number of subject experiments have considered image quality, only recently has the affect of CHI on total interpretation quality been measured. This paper presents the results of a pilot study conducted to evaluate the total interpretation quality of the FilmPlane2.2 radiology workstation for patient folders containing single forty-slice CT studies. First, radiologists interpreted cases and dictated reports using FilmPlane2.2. Requisition forms were provided. Film interpretation was provided by the original clinical report and interpretation forms generated from a previous experiment. Second, an evaluator developed a list of findings for each case based on those listed in all the reports for each case and then evaluated each report for its response on each finding. Third, the reports were compared to determine how well they agreed with one another. Interpretation speed and observation data was also gathered.

A CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF CHILDHOOD BRAIN TUMORS AND FATHERS’ HOBBIES — A CHILDREN’S ONCOLOGY GROUP STUDY

Science.gov (United States)

Rosso, Andrea L.; Hovinga, Mary E.; Rorke-Adams, Lucy B.; Spector, Logan G.; Bunin, Greta R.

2009-01-01

Objective A comprehensive case-control study was conducted to evaluate parental risk factors for medulloblastoma (MB) and primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET). This analysis was conducted to evaluate associations between fathers’ hobbies and risk of their children developing MB/PNET. The hobbies chosen for study were those with similar exposures as occupations associated with childhood cancers. Methods Cases were 318 subjects under 6 years of age at diagnosis between 1991-1997 and registered with the Children’s Cancer Group. An equal number of controls were selected through random digit dialing and individually matched to cases. Results In multivariate analyses, a significant association was seen for lawn care with pesticides [during pregnancy: odds ratio (OR) = 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0, 2.5; after birth: OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.8] and a weak association was seen for stripping paint [during pregnancy: OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 0.8, 2.6; after birth: OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 0.7, 2.6]. Conclusions This study suggests that household exposures from hobbies, particularly pesticides, may increase risk of MB/PNET in children; previous research has been mostly limited to occupational exposures. PMID:18560982