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An empirical assessment of the SERVQUAL scale

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Mahla Zargar

2015-11-01

Full Text Available During the past few years, many people have used point of sales for purchasing goods and services. Point of sales tends to provide a reliable method for making purchases in stores. Implementation of point of sales may reduce depreciation cost of automated telling machines and helps banks increase their productivities. Therefore, for bank managers, it is important to provide high quality services. This paper presents an empirical investigation to measure quality service using SERVQUAL scale. The study first extracts six factors including Trust, Responsiveness, Reliability, Empathy, Tangibles and getting insight for future development through the implementation of structural equation modeling. Next, it has implemented structural equation modeling and realizes that all components had positive impacts on customer satisfaction.

Academic Staff Quality in Higher Education: An Empirical Analysis of Portuguese Public Administration Education

Science.gov (United States)

Sarrico, Cláudia S.; Alves, André A.

2016-01-01

Higher education accreditation frameworks typically consider academic staff quality a key element. This article embarks on an empirical study of what academic staff quality means, how it is measured, and how different aspects of staff quality relate to each other. It draws on the relatively nascent Portuguese experience with study programme…

Development of a quality-assessment tool for experimental bruxism studies: reliability and validity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dawson, A.; Raphael, K.G.; Glaros, A.; Axelsson, S.; Arima, T.; Ernberg, M.; Farella, M.; Lobbezoo, F.; Manfredini, D.; Michelotti, A.; Svensson, P.; List, T.

2013-01-01

AIMS: To combine empirical evidence and expert opinion in a formal consensus method in order to develop a quality-assessment tool for experimental bruxism studies in systematic reviews. METHODS: Tool development comprised five steps: (1) preliminary decisions, (2) item generation, (3) face-validity

A Scoping Review of Empirical Research Relating to Quality and Effectiveness of Research Ethics Review.

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Stuart G Nicholls

Full Text Available To date there is no established consensus of assessment criteria for evaluating research ethics review.We conducted a scoping review of empirical research assessing ethics review processes in order to identify common elements assessed, research foci, and research gaps to aid in the development of assessment criteria. Electronic searches of Ovid Medline, PsychInfo, and the Cochrane DSR, ACP Journal Club, DARE, CCTR, CMR, HTA, and NHSEED, were conducted. After de-duplication, 4234 titles and abstracts were reviewed. Altogether 4036 articles were excluded following screening of titles, abstracts and full text. A total of 198 articles included for final data extraction.Few studies originated from outside North America and Europe. No study reported using an underlying theory or framework of quality/effectiveness to guide study design or analyses. We did not identify any studies that had involved a controlled trial--randomised or otherwise--of ethics review procedures or processes. Studies varied substantially with respect to outcomes assessed, although tended to focus on structure and timeliness of ethics review.Our findings indicate a lack of consensus on appropriate assessment criteria, exemplified by the varied study outcomes identified, but also a fragmented body of research. To date research has been largely quantitative, with little attention given to stakeholder experiences, and is largely cross sectional. A lack of longitudinal research to date precludes analyses of change or assessment of quality improvement in ethics review.

A Scoping Review of Empirical Research Relating to Quality and Effectiveness of Research Ethics Review

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholls, Stuart G.; Hayes, Tavis P.; Brehaut, Jamie C.; McDonald, Michael; Weijer, Charles; Saginur, Raphael; Fergusson, Dean

2015-01-01

Background To date there is no established consensus of assessment criteria for evaluating research ethics review. Methods We conducted a scoping review of empirical research assessing ethics review processes in order to identify common elements assessed, research foci, and research gaps to aid in the development of assessment criteria. Electronic searches of Ovid Medline, PsychInfo, and the Cochrane DSR, ACP Journal Club, DARE, CCTR, CMR, HTA, and NHSEED, were conducted. After de-duplication, 4234 titles and abstracts were reviewed. Altogether 4036 articles were excluded following screening of titles, abstracts and full text. A total of 198 articles included for final data extraction. Results Few studies originated from outside North America and Europe. No study reported using an underlying theory or framework of quality/effectiveness to guide study design or analyses. We did not identify any studies that had involved a controlled trial - randomised or otherwise – of ethics review procedures or processes. Studies varied substantially with respect to outcomes assessed, although tended to focus on structure and timeliness of ethics review. Discussion Our findings indicate a lack of consensus on appropriate assessment criteria, exemplified by the varied study outcomes identified, but also a fragmented body of research. To date research has been largely quantitative, with little attention given to stakeholder experiences, and is largely cross sectional. A lack of longitudinal research to date precludes analyses of change or assessment of quality improvement in ethics review. PMID:26225553

Framework for dementia Quality of Life assessment with Assistive Technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peterson, Carrie Beth; Prasad, Neeli R.; Prasad, Ramjee

2010-01-01

This paper proposes a theoretical framework for a Quality of Life (QOL) evaluation tool that is sensitive, flexible, computerized, and specific to assistive technology (AT) for dementia care. Using the appropriate evaluation tool serves to improve methodologies that are used for AT assessment...... to assessing QOL is that results are subjective and difficult to analyze in an objective, empirical manner. This paper accentuates that this is not a hindrance to measuring OQL, but could be emphasized and adapted to create a precise measurement tool; the consumer voice must be sought and empowered...

Does better information about hospital quality affect patients’ choice? Empirical findings from Germany

OpenAIRE

Wübker, Ansgar; Sauerland, Dirk; Wübker, Achim

2008-01-01

Background: Economic theory strongly suggests that better information about the quality of care affects patients’ choice of health service providers. However, we have little empirical evidence about the impact of information provided on provider’s choice in Germany. Problem: In Germany, we recently find publicly available information about hospital quality. For example, 50 percent of the hospitals in the Rhine-Ruhr area do now publish their quality data voluntarily in a comprehensive, underst...

Students’ Perceptions about Role of Faculty and Administrative Staff in Business Education Service Quality Assessment

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Maja Arslanagić-Kalajdžić

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on dimensions of the perceived service quality measurement for business schools. We propose an adapted SERVQUAL measure of expected and perceived quality, where employees at business schools are split into two groups: faculty and administrative staff, and assessed separately. This measure represents a tool for comparable service quality assessment at business schools. Empirical data were collected among undergraduate students in a developing economy. A total of 282 respondents were used to assess the overall fit of the proposed model and to test the differences between the expectations and the perceptions of service quality in a business school. The results support usability of the proposed adapted SERVQUAL measure. Therefore, the study contributes to the existing literature reporting the findings on service quality in an educational context.

Measuring the quality of e-banking portals: an empirical investigation

OpenAIRE

Bauer, Hans H.; Hammerschmidt, Maik; Falk, Tomas

2005-01-01

Purpose – In the internet economy, the business model of web portals has spread rapidly over the last few years. Despite this, there have been very few scholarly investigations into the services and characteristics that transform a web site into a portal as well as into the dimensions that determine the customer's evaluation of the portal's service quality. Design/ methodology/ approach – Based on an empirical study in the field of e-banking, the authors validate a measurement ...

Institutional quality and private sector participation: theory and empirical findings

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Rahel Schomaker

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Through several conduits, sound institutional quality is pivotal for economic development, as there is evidence that stable democratic institutions, rule of law and sound governance structures in the administration are highly conducive to promote growth. Therefore, a high institutional quality is not only the end point, but also the starting point of a more sustainable development. In this paper we provide some theoretical considerations as well as empirical evidence, based on several regression analyses, that the quality of institutions in a wider sense, and governance, which includes not only the level of “politics” itself, but also the administrative level, is relevant not only for the macro-level of development (i.e. the increase of the national welfare and foreign investment, but also on a micro-level: A stronger participation of private enterprises in public service provision and the introduction of public-private part¬nerships depends to a high degree on the institutional quality. This is even more relevant as the improvement of public services and of core infrastructures can be seen as crucial multipliers for future growth.

Assessment of empirical antibiotic therapy optimisation in six hospitals: an observational cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Braykov, Nikolay P; Morgan, Daniel J; Schweizer, Marin L; Uslan, Daniel Z; Kelesidis, Theodoros; Weisenberg, Scott A; Johannsson, Birgir; Young, Heather; Cantey, Joseph; Srinivasan, Arjun; Perencevich, Eli; Septimus, Edward; Laxminarayan, Ramanan

2014-12-01

Modification of empirical antimicrobials when warranted by culture results or clinical signs is recommended to control antimicrobial overuse and resistance. We aimed to assess the frequency with which patients were started on empirical antimicrobials, characteristics of the empirical regimen and the clinical characteristics of patients at the time of starting antimicrobials, patterns of changes to empirical therapy at different timepoints, and modifiable factors associated with changes to the initial empirical regimen in the first 5 days of therapy. We did a chart review of adult inpatients receiving one or more antimicrobials in six US hospitals on 4 days during 2009 and 2010. Our primary outcome was the modification of antimicrobial regimen on or before the 5th day of empirical therapy, analysed as a three-category variable. Bivariate analyses were used to establish demographic and clinical variables associated with the outcome. Variables with p values below 0·1 were included in a multivariable generalised linear latent and mixed model with multinomial logit link to adjust for clustering within hospitals and accommodate a non-binary outcome variable. Across the six study sites, 4119 (60%) of 6812 inpatients received antimicrobials. Of 1200 randomly selected patients with active antimicrobials, 730 (61%) met inclusion criteria. At the start of therapy, 220 (30%) patients were afebrile and had normal white blood cell counts. Appropriate cultures were collected from 432 (59%) patients, and 250 (58%) were negative. By the 5th day of therapy, 12·5% of empirical antimicrobials were escalated, 21·5% were narrowed or discontinued, and 66·4% were unchanged. Narrowing or discontinuation was more likely when cultures were collected at the start of therapy (adjusted OR 1·68, 95% CI 1·05-2·70) and no infection was noted on an initial radiological study (1·76, 1·11-2·79). Escalation was associated with multiple infection sites (2·54, 1·34-4·83) and a positive

Development of Management Quality Assessment Methodology in the Public Sector: Problems and Contradictions

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Olga Vladimirovna Kozhevina

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The development management quality assessment methodology in the public sector is relevant scientific and practical problem of economic research. The utilization of the results of the assessment on the basis of the authors’ methodology allows us to rate the public sector organizations, to justify decisions on the reorganization and privatization, and to monitor changes in the level of the management quality of the public sector organizations. The study determined the place of the quality of the control processes of the public sector organization in the system of “Quality of public administration — the effective operation of the public sector organization,” the contradictions associated with the assessment of management quality are revealed, the conditions for effective functioning of the public sector organizations are proved, a mechanism of comprehensive assessment and algorithm for constructing and evaluating the control models of management quality are developed, the criteria for assessing the management quality in the public sector organizations, including economic, budgetary, social and public, informational, innovation and institutional criteria are empirically grounded. By utilizing the proposed algorithm, the assessment model of quality management in the public sector organizations, including the financial, economic, social, innovation, informational and institutional indicators is developed. For each indicator of quality management, the coefficients of importance in the management quality assessment model, as well as comprehensive and partial evaluation indicators are determined on the basis of the expert evaluations. The main conclusion of the article is that management quality assessment for the public sector organizations should be based not only on the indicators achieved in the dynamics and utilized for analyzing the effectiveness of management, but also should take into account the reference levels for the values of these

A new air quality monitoring and early warning system: Air quality assessment and air pollutant concentration prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhongshan; Wang, Jian

2017-10-01

Air pollution in many countries is worsening with industrialization and urbanization, resulting in climate change and affecting people's health, thus, making the work of policymakers more difficult. It is therefore both urgent and necessary to establish amore scientific air quality monitoring and early warning system to evaluate the degree of air pollution objectively, and predict pollutant concentrations accurately. However, the integration of air quality assessment and air pollutant concentration prediction to establish an air quality system is not common. In this paper, we propose a new air quality monitoring and early warning system, including an assessment module and forecasting module. In the air quality assessment module, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is used to determine the main pollutants and evaluate the degree of air pollution more scientifically. In the air pollutant concentration prediction module, a novel hybridization model combining complementary ensemble empirical mode decomposition, a modified cuckoo search and differential evolution algorithm, and an Elman neural network, is proposed to improve the forecasting accuracy of six main air pollutant concentrations. To verify the effectiveness of this system, pollutant data for two cities in China are used. The result of the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation shows that the major air pollutants in Xi'an and Jinan are PM 10 and PM 2.5 respectively, and that the air quality of Xi'an is better than that of Jinan. The forecasting results indicate that the proposed hybrid model is remarkably superior to all benchmark models on account of its higher prediction accuracy and stability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How does auditors’ work stress affect audit quality? Empirical evidence from the Chinese stock market

OpenAIRE

Huanmin Yan; Shengwen Xie

2016-01-01

With reference to the Job Demands–Control Model, we empirically examine the effect of auditors’ work stress on audit quality using a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies and their signature auditors from 2009 to 2013. The results show that (1) there is generally no pervasive deterioration in audit quality resulting from auditors’ work stress; (2) there is a significant negative association between work stress and audit quality in the initial audits of new clients; and (3) the perception...

Major ion chemistry and quality assessment of groundwater in Haripur area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akram, W.; Tariq, J.A.; Ahmad, M.

2011-07-01

Study was conducted for investigating chemical composition of groundwater, identifying the compositional types of groundwater, delineating the processes controlling the groundwater chemistry and assessing the groundwater quality for drinking / irrigation uses. Groundwater samples collected from shallow (hand pumps, open well, motor pumps) and deep (tube wells) aquifers were analyzed for major cations (Na/sup +/,K/sup +, Ca/sup 2+/, Mg/sup 2+/) and anions (HCO/sub 3/, Cl/sup '/, SO/sub 4/). The data indicated that Ca/sub 2/ is the dominant cation in most of the samples followed by Mg/sup 2+/ whereas HCO/sub 3/ is the most abundant anion in all samples. Hydrochemistry provides a clear indication of active recharge of shallow and deep aquifers by modern meteoric water. Carbonate dissolution was found to be the prevailing process controlling the groundwater chemistry. Chemical quality was assessed for drinking purpose by comparing with WHO, Indian and national standards, and for irrigation purpose using empirical indices such as SAR and RSC. The results show that groundwater meets the norms of good quality drinking water and can be safely used for irrigation. (author)

Is There Such a Thing as School Quality Culture? In Search of Conceptual Clarity and Empirical Evidence

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Markowitsch, Jörg

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to clarify the concept of "school quality management culture" in relation to the general notion of "school organizational culture" and to review empirical studies that scrutinised the relation between organisational culture and quality management practices in education and business.…

Development of a quality-assessment tool for experimental bruxism studies: reliability and validity.

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, Andreas; Raphael, Karen G; Glaros, Alan; Axelsson, Susanna; Arima, Taro; Ernberg, Malin; Farella, Mauro; Lobbezoo, Frank; Manfredini, Daniele; Michelotti, Ambra; Svensson, Peter; List, Thomas

2013-01-01

To combine empirical evidence and expert opinion in a formal consensus method in order to develop a quality-assessment tool for experimental bruxism studies in systematic reviews. Tool development comprised five steps: (1) preliminary decisions, (2) item generation, (3) face-validity assessment, (4) reliability and discriminitive validity assessment, and (5) instrument refinement. The kappa value and phi-coefficient were calculated to assess inter-observer reliability and discriminative ability, respectively. Following preliminary decisions and a literature review, a list of 52 items to be considered for inclusion in the tool was compiled. Eleven experts were invited to join a Delphi panel and 10 accepted. Four Delphi rounds reduced the preliminary tool-Quality-Assessment Tool for Experimental Bruxism Studies (Qu-ATEBS)- to 8 items: study aim, study sample, control condition or group, study design, experimental bruxism task, statistics, interpretation of results, and conflict of interest statement. Consensus among the Delphi panelists yielded good face validity. Inter-observer reliability was acceptable (k = 0.77). Discriminative validity was excellent (phi coefficient 1.0; P reviews of experimental bruxism studies, exhibits face validity, excellent discriminative validity, and acceptable inter-observer reliability. Development of quality assessment tools for many other topics in the orofacial pain literature is needed and may follow the described procedure.

Power quality assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fathi, H.M.E.

2012-01-01

The electrical power systems are exposed to different types of power quality disturbances problems. Assessment of power quality is necessary for maintaining accurate operation of sensitive equipment's especially for nuclear installations, it also ensures that unnecessary energy losses in a power system are kept at a minimum which lead to more profits. With advanced in technology growing of industrial / commercial facilities in many region. Power quality problems have been a major concern among engineers; particularly in an industrial environment, where there are many large-scale type of equipment. Thus, it would be useful to investigate and mitigate the power quality problems. Assessment of Power quality requires the identification of any anomalous behavior on a power system, which adversely affects the normal operation of electrical or electronic equipment. The choice of monitoring equipment in a survey is also important to ascertain a solution to these power quality problems. A power quality assessment involves gathering data resources; analyzing the data (with reference to power quality standards); then, if problems exist, recommendation of mitigation techniques must be considered. The main objective of the present work is to investigate and mitigate of power quality problems in nuclear installations. Normally electrical power is supplied to the installations via two sources to keep good reliability. Each source is designed to carry the full load. The Assessment of power quality was performed at the nuclear installations for both sources at different operation conditions. The thesis begins with a discussion of power quality definitions and the results of previous studies in power quality monitoring. The assessment determines that one source of electricity was deemed to have relatively good power quality; there were several disturbances, which exceeded the thresholds. Among of them are fifth harmonic, voltage swell, overvoltage and flicker. While the second

Does restaurant performance meet customers' expectations? An assessment of restaurant service quality using a modified DINESERV approach

OpenAIRE

Marković, Suzana; Raspor, Sanja; Šegarić, Klaudio

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine restaurant service quality. The aims are to: (a) assess customers’ expectations and perceptions, (b) establish the significance of difference between perceived and expected service quality, (c) identify the number of dimensions for expectations and perceptions scales of modified DINESERV model, (d) test the reliability of the applied DINESERV model. The empirical research was conducted using primary data. The questionnaire is based on Stevens et al. (...

Mission Operations Planning with Preferences: An Empirical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Bresina, John L.; Khatib, Lina; McGann, Conor

2006-01-01

This paper presents an empirical study of some nonexhaustive approaches to optimizing preferences within the context of constraint-based, mixed-initiative planning for mission operations. This work is motivated by the experience of deploying and operating the MAPGEN (Mixed-initiative Activity Plan GENerator) system for the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. Responsiveness to the user is one of the important requirements for MAPGEN, hence, the additional computation time needed to optimize preferences must be kept within reasonabble bounds. This was the primary motivation for studying non-exhaustive optimization approaches. The specific goals of rhe empirical study are to assess the impact on solution quality of two greedy heuristics used in MAPGEN and to assess the improvement gained by applying a linear programming optimization technique to the final solution.

Examining the Psychometric Quality of Multiple-Choice Assessment Items using Mokken Scale Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wind, Stefanie A

The concept of invariant measurement is typically associated with Rasch measurement theory (Engelhard, 2013). Concerned with the appropriateness of the parametric transformation upon which the Rasch model is based, Mokken (1971) proposed a nonparametric procedure for evaluating the quality of social science measurement that is theoretically and empirically related to the Rasch model. Mokken's nonparametric procedure can be used to evaluate the quality of dichotomous and polytomous items in terms of the requirements for invariant measurement. Despite these potential benefits, the use of Mokken scaling to examine the properties of multiple-choice (MC) items in education has not yet been fully explored. A nonparametric approach to evaluating MC items is promising in that this approach facilitates the evaluation of assessments in terms of invariant measurement without imposing potentially inappropriate transformations. Using Rasch-based indices of measurement quality as a frame of reference, data from an eighth-grade physical science assessment are used to illustrate and explore Mokken-based techniques for evaluating the quality of MC items. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Welfare Quality assessment protocol for laying hens = Welfare Quality assessment protocol voor leghennen

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Niekerk, van T.G.C.M.; Gunnink, H.; Reenen, van C.G.

2012-01-01

Results of a study on the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for laying hens. It reports the development of the integration of welfare assessment as scores per criteria as well as simplification of the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol. Results are given from assessment of 122 farms.

How magnetic are Finnish hospitals measured by transformational leadership and empirical quality outcomes?

Science.gov (United States)

Kvist, Tarja; Mäntynen, Raija; Turunen, Hannele; Partanen, Pirjo; Miettinen, Merja; Wolf, Gail A; Vehviläinen-Julkunen, Katri

2013-01-01

  The overall aim of this study was to examine nurses' and patients' perceptions of the Magnet model components of transformational leadership and empirical quality outcomes in four Finnish hospitals and to determine if the evidence for transformational leadership and empirical quality outcomes is the same or different in the four hospitals.   This report presents baseline measurements for a longitudinal study of the adaptation of the Magnet model in Finnish hospitals.   Web-based surveys and mailed questionnaires were used in 2008-2009 to collect data from patients (n = 2566) about their satisfaction with care, and from nursing staff about transformational leadership (n = 1151), job satisfaction (n = 2707) and patient safety culture (n = 925) in the selected hospitals.   Awareness of the work of nursing leaders was low. Nurses reported a high level of job satisfaction. Patient safety culture varied considerably between the four hospitals. Patients believed they generally received excellent quality care.   Leadership systems are in transition at the hospitals. Patient safety culture is a complex phenomenon that may be unfamiliar to respondents. The results of the study provide a baseline description to guide the journey toward development of Magnet standards.   Finnish nursing leaders, especially nursing directors, should increase their visibility by working more closely with their staff. They should also pay attention to giving direct feedback about work generally and patient safety issues in particular. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Social Advertising Quality: Assessment Criteria

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S. B. Kalmykov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: the The purpose of the publication is development of existing criterial assessment in social advertising sphere. The next objectives are provided for its achievement: to establish research methodology, to develop the author’s version of necessary notional apparatus and conceptual generalization, to determine the elements of social advertising quality, to establish the factors of its quality, to conduct the systematization of existing criteria and measuring instruments of quality assessment, to form new criteria of social advertising quality, to apply received results for development of criterial assessment to determine the further research perspectives. Methods: the methodology of research of management of social advertising interaction with target audience, which has dynamic procedural character with use of sociological knowledge multivariate paradigmatic status, has been proposed. Results: the primary received results: the multivariate paradigmatic research basis with use of works of famous domestic and foreign scientists in sociology, qualimetry and management spheres; the definitions of social advertising, its quality, sociological quality provision system, target audience behavior model during social advertising interaction are offered; the quality factors with three groups by level of effect on consumer are established; the systematization of existing quality and its measure instruments assessment criteria by detected social advertising quality elements are conducted; the two new criteria and its management quality assessment measuring instruments in social advertising sphere are developed; the one of the common groups of production quality criteria – adaptability with considering of new management quality criteria and conducted systematization of existing social advertising creative quality assessment criteria development; the perspective of further perfection of quality criterial assessment based on social advertising

Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom (DIKW: A Semiotic Theoretical and Empirical Exploration of the Hierarchy and its Quality Dimension

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Sasa Baskarada

2013-03-01

Full Text Available What exactly is the difference between data and information? What is the difference between data quality and information quality; is there any difference between the two? And, what are knowledge and wisdom? Are there such things as knowledge quality and wisdom quality? As these primitives are the most basic axioms of information systems research, it is somewhat surprising that consensus on exact definitions seems to be lacking. This paper presents a theoretical and empirical exploration of the sometimes directly quoted, and often implied Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom (DIKW hierarchy and its quality dimension. We first review relevant literature from a range of perspectives and develop and contextualise a theoretical DIKW framework through semiotics. The literature review identifies definitional commonalities and divergences from a scholarly perspective; the theoretical discussion contextualises the terms and their relationships within a semiotic framework and proposes relevant definitions grounded in that framework. Next, rooted in Wittgenstein’s ordinary language philosophy, we analyse 20 online news articles for their uses of the terms and present the results of an online focus group discussion comprising 16 information systems experts. The empirical exploration identifies a range of definitional ambiguities from a practical perspective.

Competition and quality indicators in the health care sector: empirical evidence from the Dutch hospital sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Croes, R.R.; Krabbe-Alkemade, Y.J.F.M.; Mikkers, M.C.

2017-01-01

textabstractThere is much debate about the effect of competition in healthcare and especially the effect of competition on the quality of healthcare, although empirical evidence on this subject is mixed. The Netherlands provides an interesting case in this debate. The Dutch system could be

Patent Assessment Quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burke, Paul F.; Reitzig, Markus

2006-01-01

The increasing number of patent applications worldwide and the extension of patenting to the areas of software and business methods have triggered a debate on "patent quality". While patent quality may have various dimensions, this paper argues that consistency in the decision making on the side...... of the patent office is one important dimension, particularly in new patenting areas (emerging technologies). In order to understand whether patent offices appear capable of providing consistent assessments of a patent's technological quality in such novel industries from the beginning, we study the concordance...... of the European Patent Office's (EPO's) granting and opoposition decisions for individual patents. We use the historical example of biotech patens filed between 1978 until 1986, the early stage of the industry. Our results indicate that the EPO shows systematically different assessments of technological quality...

An Empirical Study of a Solo Performance Assessment Model

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Brian E.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test a hypothesized model of solo music performance assessment. Specifically, this study investigates the influence of technique and musical expression on perceptions of overall performance quality. The Aural Musical Performance Quality (AMPQ) measure was created to measure overall performance quality, technique,…

Information System Quality Assessment Methods

OpenAIRE

Korn, Alexandra

2014-01-01

This thesis explores challenging topic of information system quality assessment and mainly process assessment. In this work the term Information System Quality is defined as well as different approaches in a quality definition for different domains of information systems are outlined. Main methods of process assessment are overviewed and their relationships are described. Process assessment methods are divided into two categories: ISO standards and best practices. The main objective of this w...

Empirical research in medical ethics: How conceptual accounts on normative-empirical collaboration may improve research practice

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background The methodology of medical ethics during the last few decades has shifted from a predominant use of normative-philosophical analyses to an increasing involvement of empirical methods. The articles which have been published in the course of this so-called 'empirical turn' can be divided into conceptual accounts of empirical-normative collaboration and studies which use socio-empirical methods to investigate ethically relevant issues in concrete social contexts. Discussion A considered reference to normative research questions can be expected from good quality empirical research in medical ethics. However, a significant proportion of empirical studies currently published in medical ethics lacks such linkage between the empirical research and the normative analysis. In the first part of this paper, we will outline two typical shortcomings of empirical studies in medical ethics with regard to a link between normative questions and empirical data: (1) The complete lack of normative analysis, and (2) cryptonormativity and a missing account with regard to the relationship between 'is' and 'ought' statements. Subsequently, two selected concepts of empirical-normative collaboration will be presented and how these concepts may contribute to improve the linkage between normative and empirical aspects of empirical research in medical ethics will be demonstrated. Based on our analysis, as well as our own practical experience with empirical research in medical ethics, we conclude with a sketch of concrete suggestions for the conduct of empirical research in medical ethics. Summary High quality empirical research in medical ethics is in need of a considered reference to normative analysis. In this paper, we demonstrate how conceptual approaches of empirical-normative collaboration can enhance empirical research in medical ethics with regard to the link between empirical research and normative analysis. PMID:22500496

Competition and quality indicators in the health care sector : Empirical evidence from the Dutch hospital sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Croes, Ramsis; Krabbe, Yvonne; Mikkers, Misja

There is much debate about the effect of competition in healthcare and especially the effect of competition on the quality of healthcare, although empirical evidence on this subject is mixed. The Netherlands provides an interesting case in this debate. The Dutch system could be characterized as a

AN APPROACH TO THE EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT THROUGH EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ismael Sanz Labrador

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This article presents the empiral evidences of standardized evaluations and explores the aspects of such evaluations more interesting to the educational community, and investigates the effects in implementing those exams on the performance of students. Furthermore, it is analyzed the relationship between external evaluations and teaching to the test , it is seen how it affects the introduction of these evaluations in student learning and their performance in international assessments of different characteristics, and the effect it produces in schools located in disadvantaged areas.

Quality assessment of laparoscopic hysterectomy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Driessen, S.R.C.

2017-01-01

Quality assessment is surgical care is very important, though very difficult. With this thesis we attempted to overcome the limitations of currently used quality indicators and developed a dynamic, unique quality assessment tool to reflect upon individual surgical performance with case-mix

An empirical method for dynamic camouflage assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Blitch, John G.

2011-06-01

As camouflage systems become increasingly sophisticated in their potential to conceal military personnel and precious cargo, evaluation methods need to evolve as well. This paper presents an overview of one such attempt to explore alternative methods for empirical evaluation of dynamic camouflage systems which aspire to keep pace with a soldier's movement through rapidly changing environments that are typical of urban terrain. Motivating factors are covered first, followed by a description of the Blitz Camouflage Assessment (BCA) process and results from an initial proof of concept experiment conducted in November 2006. The conclusion drawn from these results, related literature and the author's personal experience suggest that operational evaluation of personal camouflage needs to be expanded beyond its foundation in signal detection theory and embrace the challenges posed by high levels of cognitive processing.

The Northeast Stream Quality Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Van Metre, Peter C.; Riva-Murray, Karen; Coles, James F.

2016-04-22

In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) is assessing stream quality in the northeastern United States. The goal of the Northeast Stream Quality Assessment (NESQA) is to assess the quality of streams in the region by characterizing multiple water-quality factors that are stressors to aquatic life and evaluating the relation between these stressors and biological communities. The focus of NESQA in 2016 will be on the effects of urbanization and agriculture on stream quality in all or parts of eight states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.Findings will provide the public and policymakers with information about the most critical factors affecting stream quality, thus providing insights about possible approaches to protect the health of streams in the region. The NESQA study will be the fourth regional study conducted as part of NAWQA and will be of similar design and scope to the first three, in the Midwest in 2013, the Southeast in 2014, and the Pacific Northwest in 2015 (http://txpub.usgs.gov/RSQA/).

Adapting the SERVQUAL scale to hospital services: an empirical investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Babakus, E; Mangold, W G

1992-02-01

Defining and measuring the quality of service has been a major challenge for health care marketers. A comprehensive service quality measurement scale (SERVQUAL) is empirically evaluated for its potential usefulness in a hospital service environment. Active participation by hospital management helped to address practical and user-related aspects of the assessment. The completed expectations and perceptions scales met various criteria for reliability and validity. Suggestions are provided for the managerial use of the scale, and a number of future research issues are identified.

Total Quality Management: Empirical, Conceptual, and Practical Issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Hackman, J. Richard; Wageman, Ruth

1995-01-01

Total quality management (TQM) has become a U.S. social movement. This commentary analyzes the writings of W. Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran, and Kaoru Ishikawa to assess TQM's coherence, distinctiveness, and likely perseverance. Rhetoric is winning over substance, unrelated interventions are being herded under the TQM banner, and research is not…

Assessment of empirical formulae for local response of concrete structures to hard projectile impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buzaud, E.; Cazaubon, Ch.; Chauvel, D.

2007-01-01

The outcome of the impact of a hard projectile on a reinforced concrete structure is affected by different parameters such as the configuration of the interaction, the projectile geometry, mass and velocity and the target geometry, reinforcement, and concrete mechanical properties. Those parameters have been investigated experimentally during the last 30 years, hence providing a basis of simplified mathematical models like empirical formulae. The aim of the authors is to assess the relative performances of classical and more recent empirical formulae. (authors)

Empirical Investigation into the Determinants of Compliance with IFRS 7 Disclosure Requirements

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Atanasko Atanasovski

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to assess the quality of disclosures related to financial instruments provided in annual financial statements of Macedonian listed companies and empirically investigate factors that have the potential to influence the quality of these disclosures in accordance with IFRS 7 requirements. Based on the postulates and the results of the empirical investigations of prior IAS compliance studies I have constructed a disclosure index for each listed company and performed regression analysis with independent variables representing some characteristics of listed companies investigated, such as their size, industry, type of auditor engaged, ownership concentration, profitability and leverage. My regression analysis results supported the conclusion that the level of compliance with IFRS 7 requirements is related to the type of auditor engaged and ownership concentration in investigated companies. The results of my research will contribute the large body of empirical studies on IFRS disclosure and compliance, providing evidence from South- East European Transitional Economy that adopted IFRS as national financial reporting framework.

The Pacific northwest stream quality assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Van Metre, Peter C.; Morace, Jennifer L.; Sheibley, Rich W.

2015-01-01

In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program is assessing stream quality in the Pacific Northwest. The goals of the Pacific Northwest Stream Quality Assessment (Pacific Northwest study) are to assess the quality of streams in the region by characterizing multiple water-quality factors that are stressors to aquatic life and to evaluate the relation between these stressors and biological communities. The effects of urbanization and agriculture on stream quality for the Puget Lowlands and Willamette Valley are the focus of this regional study. Findings will provide the public and policymakers with information regarding which human and environmental factors are the most critical in affecting stream quality and, thus, provide insights about possible approaches to protect or improve the health of streams in the region.

A three-model comparison of the relationship between quality, satisfaction and loyalty: an empirical study of the Chinese healthcare system.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Ping; Jolibert, Alain

2012-11-30

Previous research has addressed the relationship between customer satisfaction, perceived quality and customer loyalty intentions in consumer markets. In this study, we test and compare three theoretical models of the quality-satisfaction-loyalty relationship in the Chinese healthcare system. This research focuses on hospital patients as participants in the process of healthcare procurement. Empirical data were obtained from six Chinese public hospitals in Shanghai. A total of 630 questionnaires were collected in two studies. Study 1 tested the research instruments, and Study 2 tested the three models. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the scales' construct validity by testing convergent and discriminant validity. A structural equation model (SEM) specified the distinctions between each construct. A comparison of the three theoretical models was conducted via AMOS analysis. The results of the SEM demonstrate that quality and satisfaction are distinct concepts and that the first model (satisfaction mediates quality and loyalty) is the most appropriate one in the context of the Chinese healthcare environment. In this study, we test and compare three theoretical models of the quality-satisfaction-loyalty relationship in the Chinese healthcare system. Findings show that perceived quality improvement does not lead directly to customer loyalty. The strategy of using quality improvement to maintain patient loyalty depends on the level of patient satisfaction. This implies that the measurement of patient experiences should include topics of importance for patients' satisfaction with health care services.

Principles Involving Marketing Policies: An Empirical Assessment

OpenAIRE

JS Armstrong; Randall L. Schultz

2005-01-01

We examined nine marketing textbooks, published since 1927, to see if they contained useful marketing principles. Four doctoral students found 566 normative statements about pricing, product, place, or promotion in these texts. None of these stateinents were supported by empirical evidence. Four raters agreed on only twenty of these 566 statements as providing meaningful principles. Twenty marketing professors rated whether the twenty meaningful principles were correct, supported by empirical...

The Influence of Quality on E-Commerce Success: An Empirical Application of the Delone and Mclean IS Success Model

OpenAIRE

Ultan Sharkey; Murray Scott; Thomas Acton

2010-01-01

This research addresses difficulties in measuring e-commerce success by implementing the DeLone and McLean (D&M) model of IS success (1992, 2003) in an e-commerce environment. This research considers the influence of quality on e-commerce success by measuring the information quality and system quality attributes of an e-commerce system and the intention to use, user satisfaction and intention to transact from a sample of respondents. This research provides an empirical e-commerce application ...

How does auditors’ work stress affect audit quality? Empirical evidence from the Chinese stock market

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Huanmin Yan

2016-12-01

Full Text Available With reference to the Job Demands–Control Model, we empirically examine the effect of auditors’ work stress on audit quality using a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies and their signature auditors from 2009 to 2013. The results show that (1 there is generally no pervasive deterioration in audit quality resulting from auditors’ work stress; (2 there is a significant negative association between work stress and audit quality in the initial audits of new clients; and (3 the perception of work stress depends on auditors’ individual characteristics. Auditors from international audit firms and those in the role of partner respond more strongly to work stress than industry experts. Auditors tend to react more intensively when dealing with state-owned companies. We suggest that audit firms attach more importance to auditors’ work stress and rationalize their allocation of audit resources to ensure high audit quality.

Attention modeling for video quality assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

You, Junyong; Korhonen, Jari; Perkis, Andrew

2010-01-01

averaged spatiotemporal pooling. The local quality is derived from visual attention modeling and quality variations over frames. Saliency, motion, and contrast information are taken into account in modeling visual attention, which is then integrated into IQMs to calculate the local quality of a video frame...... average between the global quality and the local quality. Experimental results demonstrate that the combination of the global quality and local quality outperforms both sole global quality and local quality, as well as other quality models, in video quality assessment. In addition, the proposed video...... quality modeling algorithm can improve the performance of image quality metrics on video quality assessment compared to the normal averaged spatiotemporal pooling scheme....

Service Quality of Online Shopping Platforms: A Case-Based Empirical and Analytical Study

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Tsan-Ming Choi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Customer service is crucially important for online shopping platforms (OSPs such as eBay and Taobao. Based on the well-established service quality instruments and the scenario of the specific case on Taobao, this paper focuses on exploring the service quality of an OSP with an aim of revealing customer perceptions of the service quality associated with the provided functions and investigating their impacts on customer loyalty. By an empirical study, this paper finds that the “fulfillment and responsiveness” function is significantly related to the customer loyalty. Further analytical study is conducted to reveal that the optimal service level on the “fulfillment and responsiveness” function for the risk averse OSP uniquely exists. Moreover, the analytical results prove that (i if the customer loyalty is more positively correlated to the service level, it will lead to a larger optimal service level, and (ii the optimal service level is independent of the profit target, the source of uncertainty, and the risk preference of the OSP.

Gun Laws and Crime: An Empirical Assessment

OpenAIRE

Matti Viren

2012-01-01

This paper deals with the effect of gun laws on crime. Several empirical analyses are carried to investigate the relationship between five different crime rates and alternative law variables. The tests are based on cross-section data from US sates. Three different law variables are used in the analysis, together with a set of control variables for income, poverty, unemployment and ethnic background of the population. Empirical analysis does not lend support to the notion that crime laws would...

Empirical models of structure of personal qualities of heads: affective type of social action by M. Weber (results of applied researches

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A. A. Oseev

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to methodological foundations of research of leader’s personal qualities. In difference from the previous work, which was devoted to a research of personal qualities of heads, including civil officers, at works of Plato, Aristotle and M. Weber, where were shown empirical models of structure of personal qualities of heads: instrumental-rational and value-rational social actions. This publication presents the empirical models of structure of personal qualities of heads of affective type of M. Weber’s social action. Thanks to it, M. Weber’s concept about social action receives one more approach to verification in practice. The following directions of social researches are allocated. The first direction. When in structure of personal qualities the emotional component is a dominant (“emotional unbalance”, in comparison with intellectual, moral, strong-willed and other personal qualities (diplomacy, social experience, and so forth. Those people, whose indicators of emotional unbalance are in extreme, in maximum borders - carry to psychopaths and they are an object of clinical psychology and medicine. The second direction. When in structure of personal qualities emotional unbalance competes on equal terms (equally has bright difference, a deviation from average values to intellectual, moral and strong-willed qualities. The third direction. When in structure of personal qualities intellectual, moral and strong-willed and others personal qualities dominate over affective lines.

Visual signal quality assessment quality of experience (QOE)

CERN Document Server

Ma, Lin; Lin, Weisi; Ngan, King

2015-01-01

This book provides comprehensive coverage of the latest trends/advances in subjective and objective quality evaluation for traditional visual signals, such as 2D images and video, as well as the most recent challenges for the field of multimedia quality assessment and processing, such as mobile video and social media. Readers will learn how to ensure the highest storage/delivery/ transmission quality of visual content (including image, video, graphics, animation, etc.) from the server to the consumer, under resource constraints, such as computation, bandwidth, storage space, battery life, etc.    Provides an overview of quality assessment for traditional visual signals; Covers newly emerged visual signals such as social media, 3D image/video, mobile video, high dynamic range (HDR) images, graphics/animation, etc., which demand better quality of experience (QoE); Helps readers to develop better quality metrics and processing methods for newly emerged visual signals; Enables testing, optimizing, benchmarking...

Parental representations and dimensions of personality: empirical relations and assessment implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Pincus, A L; Ruiz, M A

1997-04-01

Research on the relations between parental representations, personality traits, and psychopathology was discussed with reference to their integration for clinical personality assessment. Empirical results linking parental representations assessed by the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior and the Five-Factor Model of personality traits in a young adult population supported the position that parental representations significantly relate to adult personality. Individuals whose parental representations were generally affiliative described themselves as less prone to emotional distress (lower neuroticism); more interpersonally oriented and experiencing of positive emotions (higher extraversion); more peaceable and trustworthy (higher agreeableness); and more dutiful, resourceful, and dependable (higher conscientiousness). Parental representations colored by autonomy granting and autonomy taking were related to higher levels of openness to experience but lower levels of conscientiousness and extraversion in self-descriptions. Assessment implications and an integrative assessment strategy were presented along with a clinical case example.

Comparison of tools for assessing the methodological quality of primary and secondary studies in health technology assessment reports in Germany

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Walter, Ulla

2010-01-01

items of internal validity but also the items of quality of reporting and external validity. No tool covers all elements or domains. Design-specific generic tools are presented, which cover most of the content criteria. Discussion: The evaluation of QAT by using content criteria is difficult, because there is no scientific consensus on the necessary elements of internal validity, and not all of the generally accepted elements are based on empirical evidence. Comparing QAT with regard to contents neglects the operationalisation of the respective parameters, for which the quality and precision are important for transparency, replicability, the correct assessment and interrater reliability. QAT, which mix items on the quality of reporting and internal validity, should be avoided. Conclusions: There are different, design-specific tools available which can be preferred for quality assessment, because of its wider coverage of substantive elements of internal validity. To minimise the subjectivity of the assessment, tools with a detailed and precise operationalisation of the individual elements should be applied. For health economic studies, tools should be developed and complemented with instructions, which define the appropriateness of the criteria. Further research is needed to identify study characteristics that influence the internal validity of studies.

Comparison of tools for assessing the methodological quality of primary and secondary studies in health technology assessment reports in Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Dreier, Maren; Borutta, Birgit; Stahmeyer, Jona; Krauth, Christian; Walter, Ulla

2010-06-14

external validity. No tool covers all elements or domains. Design-specific generic tools are presented, which cover most of the content criteria. The evaluation of QAT by using content criteria is difficult, because there is no scientific consensus on the necessary elements of internal validity, and not all of the generally accepted elements are based on empirical evidence. Comparing QAT with regard to contents neglects the operationalisation of the respective parameters, for which the quality and precision are important for transparency, replicability, the correct assessment and interrater reliability. QAT, which mix items on the quality of reporting and internal validity, should be avoided. There are different, design-specific tools available which can be preferred for quality assessment, because of its wider coverage of substantive elements of internal validity. To minimise the subjectivity of the assessment, tools with a detailed and precise operationalisation of the individual elements should be applied. For health economic studies, tools should be developed and complemented with instructions, which define the appropriateness of the criteria. Further research is needed to identify study characteristics that influence the internal validity of studies.

Higher Education Quality Assessment Model: Towards Achieving Educational Quality Standard

Science.gov (United States)

Noaman, Amin Y.; Ragab, Abdul Hamid M.; Madbouly, Ayman I.; Khedra, Ahmed M.; Fayoumi, Ayman G.

2017-01-01

This paper presents a developed higher education quality assessment model (HEQAM) that can be applied for enhancement of university services. This is because there is no universal unified quality standard model that can be used to assess the quality criteria of higher education institutes. The analytical hierarchy process is used to identify the…

Linking Supply Chain Network Complexity to Interdependence and Risk-Assessment: Scale Development and Empirical Investigation

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Samyadip Chakraborty

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Concepts like supply chain network complexity, interdependence and risk assessment have been prominently discussed directly and indirectly in management literature over past decades and plenty of frameworks and conceptual prescriptive research works have been published contributing towards building the body of knowledge. However previous studies often lacked quantification of the findings. Consequently, the need for suitable scales becomes prominent for measuring those constructs to empirically support the conceptualized relationships. This paper expands the understanding of supply chain network complexity (SCNC and also highlights its implications on interdependence (ID between the actors and risk assessment (RAS in transaction relationships. In doing so, SCNC and RAS are operationalized to understand how SCNC affects interdependence and risk assessment between the actors in the supply chain network. The contribution of this study lies in developing and validating multi-item scales for these constructs and empirically establishing the hypothesized relationships in the Indian context based on firm data collected using survey–based questionnaire. The methodology followed included structural equation modeling. The study findings indicate that SCNC had significant relationship with interdependence, which in turn significantly affected risk assessment. This study carries both academic and managerial implications and provides an empirically supported framework linking network complexity with the two key variables (ID and RAS, playing crucial roles in managerial decision making. This study contributes to the body of knowledge and aims at guiding managers in better understanding transaction relationships.

Life Quality Index – an empirical or a normative concept?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ditlevsen, Ove Dalager; Friis-Hansen, Peter

2007-01-01

the construction of the LQI one may ask whether the LQI is built on empirical evidence of social behavior that implies the modeled balance between the free time and the work time. Even if so, one may ask whether the invariance principle is a fact of social life or a normative principle of ethical social behavior......The Life Quality Index introduced by Nathwani, Lind and Pandey is a social indicator that by invariance serves the purpose of allocating a balanced and ethically reasonable part of the Gross Domestic Product of a country to life saving initiatives. In the attempts to understand the reasoning behind....... By using a dimensionless representation of the work time value production and the free time and an optimal balancing of the two against each other, it is demonstrated that there is a specific mathematical formula that connects work time and value productivity. Moreover, comparisons of the theory...

Life Quality Index – an empirical or a normative concept?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ditlevsen, Ove Dalager; Friis-Hansen, Peter

2007-01-01

The Life Quality Index introduced by Nathwani, Lind and Pandey is a social indicator that by invariance serves the purpose of allocating a balanced and ethically reasonable part of the Gross Domestic Product of a country to life saving initiatives. In the attempts to understand the reasoning behind...... the construction of the LQI one may ask whether the LQI is built on empirical evidence of social behavior that implies the modeled balance between the free time and the work time. Even if so, one may ask whether the invariance principle is a fact of social life or a normative principle of ethical social behavior....... By using a dimensionless representation of the work time value production and the free time and an optimal balancing of the two against each other, it is demonstrated that there is a specific mathematical formula that connects work time and value productivity. Moreover, comparisons of the theory...

An empirical inquiry into the objective assessment and the top management perception of the need for organisational restructuring in large Croatian enterprises

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Nikša Alfirević

2000-01-01

Full Text Available On the basis of the extensive empirical research, this paper examines the objective need for organisational restructuring in large Croatian enterprises versus the managerial perceptions of the same issue. Building upon the analysis of the economic performance of the Croatian large enterprise sector and the assessment of the organisational design quality in large Croatian enterprises, the urgency for further organisational restructuring is established. On the other hand, the major restructuring motives at the top management level are also examined, leading to the conclusion that both the perceived quality of the organisational design, as well as the perceived gap between the enterprise competitive ability and the threats from the business environment at the top management level do not support the further restructuring of the Croatian large enterprise sector.

Quality of antenatal care in Zambia: a national assessment

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Antenatal care (ANC) is one of the recommended interventions to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. Yet in most Sub-Saharan African countries, high rates of ANC coverage coexist with high maternal and neonatal mortality. This disconnect has fueled calls to focus on the quality of ANC services. However, little conceptual or empirical work exists on the measurement of ANC quality at health facilities in low-income countries. We developed a classification tool and assessed the level of ANC service provision at health facilities in Zambia on a national scale and compared this to the quality of ANC received by expectant mothers. Methods We analysed two national datasets with detailed antenatal provider and user information, the 2005 Zambia Health Facility Census and the 2007 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), to describe the level of ANC service provision at 1,299 antenatal facilities in 2005 and the quality of ANC received by 4,148 mothers between 2002 and 2007. Results We found that only 45 antenatal facilities (3%) fulfilled our developed criteria for optimum ANC service, while 47% of facilities provided adequate service, and the remaining 50% offered inadequate service. Although 94% of mothers reported at least one ANC visit with a skilled health worker and 60% attended at least four visits, only 29% of mothers received good quality ANC, and only 8% of mothers received good quality ANC and attended in the first trimester. Conclusions DHS data can be used to monitor “effective ANC coverage” which can be far below ANC coverage as estimated by current indicators. This “quality gap” indicates missed opportunities at ANC for delivering effective interventions. Evaluating the level of ANC provision at health facilities is an efficient way to detect where deficiencies are located in the system and could serve as a monitoring tool to evaluate country progress. PMID:23237601

Service Quality Assessment of Hospitals in Asian Context: An Empirical Evidence From Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Shafiq, Muhammad; Naeem, Muhammad Azhar; Munawar, Zartasha; Fatima, Iram

2017-01-01

Hospitals vary from one another in terms of their specialty, services offered, and resource availability. Their services are widely measured with scales that gauge patients' perspective. Therefore, there is a need for research to develop a scale that measures hospital service quality in Asian hospitals, regardless of their nature or ownership. To address this research need, this study adapted the SERVQUAL instrument to develop a service quality measurement scale. Data were collected from inpatients and outpatients at 9 different hospitals, and the scale was developed using structural equation modeling. The developed scale was then validated by identifying service quality gaps and ranking the areas that require managerial effort. The findings indicated that all 5 dimensions of SERVQUAL are valid in Asian countries such as Pakistan, with 13 items retained. Reliability, tangibility, responsiveness, empathy, and assurance were ranked first, second, third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, in terms of the size of the quality gap. The gaps were statistically significant, with values ≤.05; therefore, hospital administrators must focus on each of these areas. By focusing on the identified areas of improvement, health care authorities, managers, practitioners, and decision makers can bring substantial change within hospitals.

EVALUATION OF PERCEIVED QUALITY OF THE WEBSITE OF AN ONLINE BOOKSTORE: AN EMPIRICAL APPLICATION OF THE BARNES AND VIDGEN MODEL

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Ueliton da Costa Leonidio

2011-05-01

Full Text Available This paper’s objective is to evaluate the perceived quality of the Website of an online bookstore using the Barnes and Vidgen Model. Implemented over the Internet, this empirical research collected data on the perceived quality of the Website, used to sell products and online services. The questionnaire used to gather the data was answered by a convenience sample of 213 respondents. The importance of quality attributes and the dimension of perceived quality were investigated. The results indicate that the three dimensions named Reliability, Usability and Information were the most noticeable.

Improved Extreme Learning Machine and Its Application in Image Quality Assessment

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Li Mao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Extreme learning machine (ELM is a new class of single-hidden layer feedforward neural network (SLFN, which is simple in theory and fast in implementation. Zong et al. propose a weighted extreme learning machine for learning data with imbalanced class distribution, which maintains the advantages from original ELM. However, the current reported ELM and its improved version are only based on the empirical risk minimization principle, which may suffer from overfitting. To solve the overfitting troubles, in this paper, we incorporate the structural risk minimization principle into the (weighted ELM, and propose a modified (weighted extreme learning machine (M-ELM and M-WELM. Experimental results show that our proposed M-WELM outperforms the current reported extreme learning machine algorithm in image quality assessment.

Quality-Enhancing Interventions for People with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities: A Review of the Empirical Research Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Maes, Bea; Lambrechts, Greet; Hostyn, Ine; Petry, Katja

2007-01-01

Background: This study provides an overview of empirical research on the effectiveness of quality-enhancing interventions for people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD). Method: Through computerised searches of the PsycINFO and ERIC databases, and using several search criteria specifically relating to the target group and…

Competition and quality indicators in the health care sector: empirical evidence from the Dutch hospital sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Croes, R R; Krabbe-Alkemade, Y J F M; Mikkers, M C

2018-01-01

There is much debate about the effect of competition in healthcare and especially the effect of competition on the quality of healthcare, although empirical evidence on this subject is mixed. The Netherlands provides an interesting case in this debate. The Dutch system could be characterized as a system involving managed competition and mandatory healthcare insurance. Information about the quality of care provided by hospitals has been publicly available since 2008. In this paper, we evaluate the relationship between quality scores for three diagnosis groups and the market power indicators of hospitals. We estimate the impact of competition on quality in an environment of liberalized pricing. For this research, we used unique price and production data relating to three diagnosis groups (cataract, adenoid and tonsils, bladder tumor) produced by Dutch hospitals in the period 2008-2011. We also used the quality indicators relating to these diagnosis groups. We reveal a negative relationship between market share and quality score for two of the three diagnosis groups studied, meaning that hospitals in competitive markets have better quality scores than those in concentrated markets. We therefore conclude that more competition is associated with higher quality scores.

Mate choice for genetic quality when environments vary: suggestions for empirical progress.

Science.gov (United States)

Bussière, Luc F; Hunt, John; Stölting, Kai N; Jennions, Michael D; Brooks, Robert

2008-09-01

Mate choice for good-genes remains one of the most controversial evolutionary processes ever proposed. This is partly because strong directional choice should theoretically deplete the genetic variation that explains the evolution of this type of female mating preference (the so-called lek paradox). Moreover, good-genes benefits are generally assumed to be too small to outweigh opposing direct selection on females. Here, we review recent progress in the study of mate choice for genetic quality, focussing particularly on the potential for genotype by environment interactions (GEIs) to rescue additive genetic variation for quality, and thereby resolve the lek paradox. We raise five questions that we think will stimulate empirical progress in this field, and suggest directions for research in each area: (1) How is condition-dependence affected by environmental variation? (2) How important are GEIs for maintaining additive genetic variance in condition? (3) How much do GEIs reduce the signalling value of male condition? (4) How does GEI affect the multivariate version of the lek paradox? (5) Have mating biases for high-condition males evolved because of indirect benefits?

A three-model comparison of the relationship between quality, satisfaction and loyalty: an empirical study of the Chinese healthcare system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Ping

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous research has addressed the relationship between customer satisfaction, perceived quality and customer loyalty intentions in consumer markets. In this study, we test and compare three theoretical models of the quality–satisfaction–loyalty relationship in the Chinese healthcare system. Methods This research focuses on hospital patients as participants in the process of healthcare procurement. Empirical data were obtained from six Chinese public hospitals in Shanghai. A total of 630 questionnaires were collected in two studies. Study 1 tested the research instruments, and Study 2 tested the three models. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the scales’ construct validity by testing convergent and discriminant validity. A structural equation model (SEM specified the distinctions between each construct. A comparison of the three theoretical models was conducted via AMOS analysis. Results The results of the SEM demonstrate that quality and satisfaction are distinct concepts and that the first model (satisfaction mediates quality and loyalty is the most appropriate one in the context of the Chinese healthcare environment. Conclusions In this study, we test and compare three theoretical models of the quality–satisfaction–loyalty relationship in the Chinese healthcare system. Findings show that perceived quality improvement does not lead directly to customer loyalty. The strategy of using quality improvement to maintain patient loyalty depends on the level of patient satisfaction. This implies that the measurement of patient experiences should include topics of importance for patients’ satisfaction with health care services.

A three-model comparison of the relationship between quality, satisfaction and loyalty: an empirical study of the Chinese healthcare system

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Previous research has addressed the relationship between customer satisfaction, perceived quality and customer loyalty intentions in consumer markets. In this study, we test and compare three theoretical models of the quality–satisfaction–loyalty relationship in the Chinese healthcare system. Methods This research focuses on hospital patients as participants in the process of healthcare procurement. Empirical data were obtained from six Chinese public hospitals in Shanghai. A total of 630 questionnaires were collected in two studies. Study 1 tested the research instruments, and Study 2 tested the three models. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the scales’ construct validity by testing convergent and discriminant validity. A structural equation model (SEM) specified the distinctions between each construct. A comparison of the three theoretical models was conducted via AMOS analysis. Results The results of the SEM demonstrate that quality and satisfaction are distinct concepts and that the first model (satisfaction mediates quality and loyalty) is the most appropriate one in the context of the Chinese healthcare environment. Conclusions In this study, we test and compare three theoretical models of the quality–satisfaction–loyalty relationship in the Chinese healthcare system. Findings show that perceived quality improvement does not lead directly to customer loyalty. The strategy of using quality improvement to maintain patient loyalty depends on the level of patient satisfaction. This implies that the measurement of patient experiences should include topics of importance for patients’ satisfaction with health care services. PMID:23198824

Assessment of empirical potential for MOX nuclear fuels and thermomechanical properties

Science.gov (United States)

Balboa, Hector; Van Brutzel, Laurent; Chartier, Alain; Le Bouar, Yann

2017-11-01

We assess five empirical interatomic potentials in the approximation of rigid ions and pair interactions for the (U1-y,Puy)O solid solution. The assessment compares available experimental data and Fink's recommendation with simulations on: the structural, thermodynamics, and mechanical properties over the full range of plutonium composition, from pure UO2 to pure PuO2 and for temperatures ranging from 300 K to the melting point. The best results are obtained by potentials referred as Cooper and Potashnikov potentials. The first one reproduces more accurately recommendations for the thermodynamics and mechanical properties exhibiting ductile-like behaviour during crack propagation, while the second one gives brittle behaviour at low temperature.

Assessing organizational readiness for depression care quality improvement: relative commitment and implementation capability.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubenstein, Lisa V; Danz, Marjorie S; Crain, A Lauren; Glasgow, Russell E; Whitebird, Robin R; Solberg, Leif I

2014-12-02

Depression is a major cause of morbidity and cost in primary care patient populations. Successful depression improvement models, however, are complex. Based on organizational readiness theory, a practice's commitment to change and its capability to carry out the change are both important predictors of initiating improvement. We empirically explored the links between relative commitment (i.e., the intention to move forward within the following year) and implementation capability. The DIAMOND initiative administered organizational surveys to medical and quality improvement leaders from each of 83 primary care practices in Minnesota. Surveys preceded initiation of activities directed at implementation of a collaborative care model for improving depression care. To assess implementation capability, we developed composites of survey items for five types of organizational factors postulated to be collaborative care barriers and facilitators. To assess relative commitment for each practice, we averaged leader ratings on an identical survey question assessing practice priorities. We used multivariable regression analyses to assess the extent to which implementation capability predicted relative commitment. We explored whether relative commitment or implementation capability measures were associated with earlier initiation of DIAMOND improvements. All five implementation capability measures independently predicted practice leaders' relative commitment to improving depression care in the following year. These included the following: quality improvement culture and attitudes (p = 0.003), depression culture and attitudes (p commitment (p = 0.002) and prior depression quality improvement activities appeared to be associated with earlier participation in the DIAMOND initiative. The study supports the concept of organizational readiness to improve quality of care and the use of practice leader surveys to assess it. Practice leaders' relative commitment to depression care

Water Quality Assessment and Management

Science.gov (United States)

Overview of Clean Water Act (CWA) restoration framework including; water quality standards, monitoring/assessment, reporting water quality status, TMDL development, TMDL implementation (point & nonpoint source control)

ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY OF INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larisa Alexejevna Ismagilova

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We consider the topical issue of implementation of innovative technologies in the aircraft engine building industry. In this industry, products with high reliability requirements are developed and mass-produced. These products combine the latest achievements of science and technology. To make a decision on implementation of innovative technologies, a comprehensive assessment is carried out. It affects the efficiency of the innovations realization. In connection with this, the assessment of quality of innovative technologies is a key aspect in the selection of technological processes for their implementation. Problems concerning assessment of the quality of new technologies and processes of production are considered in the suggested method with respect to new positions. The developed method of assessing the quality of innovative technologies stands out for formed system of the qualimetric characteristics ensuring the effectiveness, efficiency, adaptability of innovative technologies and processes. The feature of suggested system of assessment is that it is based on principles of matching and grouping of quality indicators of innovative technologies and the characteristics of technological processes. The indicators are assessed from the standpoint of feasibility, technologies competiveness and commercial demand of products. In this paper, we discuss the example of implementing the approach of assessing the quality of the innovative technology of high-tech products such as turbine aircraft engine.

Assessment Quality in Tertiary Education: An Integrative Literature Review

OpenAIRE

Gerritsen-van Leeuwenkamp, Karin; Joosten-ten Brinke, Desirée; Kester, Liesbeth

2018-01-01

In tertiary education, inferior assessment quality is a problem that has serious consequences for students, teachers, government, and society. A lack of a clear and overarching conceptualization of assessment quality can cause difficulties in guaranteeing assessment quality in practice. Thus, the aim of this study is to conceptualize assessment quality in tertiary education by providing an overview of the assessment quality criteria, their influences, the evaluation of the assessment quality ...

Quality Assessment in the Primary care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muharrem Ak

2013-04-01

Full Text Available -Quality Assessment in the Primary care Dear Editor; I have read the article titled as “Implementation of Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS at Primary Health Centre Durvesh” with great interest. Shrivastava et all concluded that assessment mechanism for the achievement of objectives for the suggested RKS model was not successful (1. Hereby I would like to emphasize the importance of quality assessment (QA especially in the era of newly established primary care implementations in our country. Promotion of quality has been fundamental part of primary care health services. Nevertheless variations in quality of care exist even in the developed countries. Accomplishment of quality in the primary care has some barriers like administration and directorial factors, absence of evidence-based medicine practice lack of continuous medical education. Quality of health care is no doubt multifaceted model that covers all components of health structures and processes of care. Quality in the primary care set up includes patient physician relationship, immunization, maternal, adolescent, adult and geriatric health care, referral, non-communicable disease management and prescribing (2. Most countries are recently beginning the implementation of quality assessments in all walks of healthcare. Organizations like European society for quality and safety in family practice (EQuiP endeavor to accomplish quality by collaboration. There are reported developments and experiments related to the methodology, processes and outcomes of quality assessments of health care. Quality assessments will not only contribute the accomplishment of the program / project but also detect the areas where obstacles also exist. In order to speed up the adoption of QA and to circumvent the occurrence of mistakes, health policy makers and family physicians from different parts of the world should share their experiences. Consensus on quality in preventive medicine implementations can help to yield

Non-human biota dose assessment. Sensitivity analysis and knowledge quality assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, K.; Robinson, C.; Jackson, D.; La Cruz, I. de; Zinger, I.; Avila, R.

2010-10-01

This report provides a summary of a programme of work, commissioned within the BIOPROTA collaborative forum, to assess the quantitative and qualitative elements of uncertainty associated with biota dose assessment of potential impacts of long-term releases from geological disposal facilities (GDF). Quantitative and qualitative aspects of uncertainty were determined through sensitivity and knowledge quality assessments, respectively. Both assessments focused on default assessment parameters within the ERICA assessment approach. The sensitivity analysis was conducted within the EIKOS sensitivity analysis software tool and was run in both generic and test case modes. The knowledge quality assessment involved development of a questionnaire around the ERICA assessment approach, which was distributed to a range of experts in the fields of non-human biota dose assessment and radioactive waste disposal assessments. Combined, these assessments enabled critical model features and parameters that are both sensitive (i.e. have a large influence on model output) and of low knowledge quality to be identified for each of the three test cases. The output of this project is intended to provide information on those parameters that may need to be considered in more detail for prospective site-specific biota dose assessments for GDFs. Such information should help users to enhance the quality of their assessments and build greater confidence in the results. (orig.)

Poverty and Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Literature Survey and Empirical Assessment

OpenAIRE

Delfin Go; Denis Nikitin; Xiongjian Wang; Heng-fu Zou

2011-01-01

This paper surveys the literature and assesses the magnitude, persistence, and depth of poverty and inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa using empirical analysis. Our analysis explores linkages between three key facts about development in Sub-Saharan Africa: poor economic growth, poor performance in terms of public health indicators, and resilient high-income inequality. Most of the differential between growth rates in Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries can be explained by two meas...

Assessing potential effects of highway runoff on receiving-water quality at selected sites in Oregon with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM)

Science.gov (United States)

Risley, John C.; Granato, Gregory E.

2014-01-01

In 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oregon Department of Transportation began a cooperative study to demonstrate use of the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) for runoff-quality analyses in Oregon. SELDM can be used to estimate stormflows, constituent concentrations, and loads from the area upstream of a stormflow discharge site, from the site of interest and in the receiving waters downstream of the discharge. SELDM also can be used to assess the potential effectiveness of best management practices (BMP) for mitigating potential effects of runoff in receiving waters. Nominally, SELDM is a highway-runoff model, but it is well suited for analysis of runoff from other land uses as well. This report provides case studies and examples to demonstrate stochastic-runoff modeling concepts and to demonstrate application of the model. Basin characteristics from six Oregon highway study sites were used to demonstrate various applications of the model. The highway catchment and upstream basin drainage areas of these study sites ranged from 3.85 to 11.83 acres and from 0.16 to 6.56 square miles, respectively. The upstream basins of two sites are urbanized, and the remaining four sites are less than 5 percent impervious. SELDM facilitates analysis by providing precipitation, pre-storm streamflow, and other variables by region or from hydrologically similar sites. In Oregon, there can be large variations in precipitation and streamflow among nearby sites. Therefore, spatially interpolated geographic information system data layers containing storm-event precipitation and pre-storm streamflow statistics specific to Oregon were created for the study using Kriging techniques. Concentrations and loads of cadmium, chloride, chromium, copper, iron, lead, nickel, phosphorus, and zinc were simulated at the six Oregon highway study sites by using statistics from sites in other areas of the country. Water‑quality datasets measured at hydrologically similar

On the perceived dynamics of retail service quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruyter, de J.C.; Wetzels, M.G.M.

1997-01-01

This paper addresses the issue of perceived service quality from a dynamic perspective. This perspective invites respondents to reflect on individual service episodes as well as to make an overall assessment of the quality of this relationship over time. The results of an empirical test of the

Students’ perception of quality in higher education: An empirical investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zafrul Allam

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Students’ evaluation of quality in higher education is becoming increasingly important and widely accepted. Various researchers have reported that “high quality” education creates sustainability among students to accomplish their goals over a period of time. The intention of the present study was to explore students’ perceptions of quality in higher education in terms of curriculum content, learning and teaching experiences, institutional resources and outcome and assessment. A total of 91 students were randomly selected from the business and engineering colleges within Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to obtain accurate results pertaining to the motif of the research. The findings revealed that total institutional factors emerged as one of the most prominent predictors of the outcome and assessment within the two different aforementioned disciplines. This paper concludes with suggestions for further investigation.

Rapid assessment of antimicrobial resistance prevalence using a Lot Quality Assurance sampling approach.

Science.gov (United States)

van Leth, Frank; den Heijer, Casper; Beerepoot, Mariëlle; Stobberingh, Ellen; Geerlings, Suzanne; Schultsz, Constance

2017-04-01

Increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires rapid surveillance tools, such as Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS). LQAS classifies AMR as high or low based on set parameters. We compared classifications with the underlying true AMR prevalence using data on 1335 Escherichia coli isolates from surveys of community-acquired urinary tract infection in women, by assessing operating curves, sensitivity and specificity. Sensitivity and specificity of any set of LQAS parameters was above 99% and between 79 and 90%, respectively. Operating curves showed high concordance of the LQAS classification with true AMR prevalence estimates. LQAS-based AMR surveillance is a feasible approach that provides timely and locally relevant estimates, and the necessary information to formulate and evaluate guidelines for empirical treatment.

Perceived Quality of Full HD Video - Subjective Quality Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juraj Bienik

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, an interest in multimedia services has become a global trend and this trend is still rising. The video quality is a very significant part from the bundle of multimedia services, which leads to a requirement for quality assessment in the video domain. Video quality of a streamed video across IP networks is generally influenced by two factors “transmission link imperfection and efficiency of compression standards. This paper deals with subjective video quality assessment and the impact of the compression standards H.264, H.265 and VP9 on perceived video quality of these compression standards. The evaluation is done for four full HD sequences, the difference of scenes is in the content“ distinction is based on Spatial (SI and Temporal (TI Index of test sequences. Finally, experimental results follow up to 30% bitrate reducing of H.265 and VP9 compared with the reference H.264.

Assessment of water quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qureshi, I.H.

2002-01-01

Water is the most essential component of all living things and it supports the life process. Without water, it would not have been possible to sustain life on this planet. The total quantity of water on earth is estimated to be 1.4 trillion cubic meter. Of this, less than 1 % water, present in rivers and ground resources is available to meet our requirement. These resources are being contaminated with toxic substances due to ever increasing environmental pollution. To reduce this contamination, many countries have established standards for the discharge of municipal and industrial waste into water streams. We use water for various purposes and for each purpose we require water of appropriate quality. The quality of water is assessed by evaluating the physical chemical, biological and radiological characteristics of water. Water for drinking and food preparation must be free from turbidity, colour, odour and objectionable tastes, as well as from disease causing organisms and inorganic and organic substances, which may produce adverse physiological effects, Such water is referred to as potable water and is produced by treatment of raw water, involving various unit operations. The effectiveness of the treatment processes is checked by assessing the various parameters of water quality, which involves sampling and analysis of water and comparison with the National Quality Standards or WHO standards. Water which conforms to these standards is considered safe and palatable for human consumption. Periodic assessment of water is necessary, to ensure the quality of water supplied to the public. This requires proper sampling at specified locations and analysis of water, employing reliable analytical techniques. (author)

Measuring hospital service quality and its influence on patient satisfaction: An empirical study using structural equation modeling

OpenAIRE

Nasim Kazemi; Parisa Ehsani; Farshid Abdi; Mohammad Kazem Bighami

2013-01-01

This paper presents an empirical investigation to measure different dimensions of hospital service quality (HSQ) by gap analysis and patient satisfaction (PS). It also attempts to measure patients’ satisfaction with three dimensions extracted from exploratory factor analysis (EFA) by Principle component analysis method and conformity factor analysis (CFA). In addition, the study analyzes relationship between HSQ and PS in the context of Iranian hospital services, using structural equation mod...

A Nobel Prize for empirical macroeconometrics: assessing the contributions of Thomas Sargent and Christopher Sims

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boumans, M.; Sent, E.M.

2013-01-01

This paper provides an assessment of the contributions of the 2011 Nobel Prize winners, Thomas Sargent and Christopher Sims. They received the prize ‘for their empirical research on cause and effect in the macroeconomy’. The paper illustrates that Sargent entertained different interpretations of

Competition policies and environmental quality: Empirical analysis of the electricity sector in OECD countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asane-Otoo, Emmanuel

2016-01-01

Over the last decades, electricity markets across OECD countries have been subjected to profound structural changes with far-reaching implications on the economy and the environment. This paper investigates the effect of restructuring – changes in entry regulations, the degree of vertical integration and ownership structure – on GHG emissions. The findings show that competition policies – particularly reducing the degree of vertical integration and increasing privatization – correlate negatively with emission intensity. However, the environmental effect of reducing market entry barriers is generally insignificant. Integration of competition and stringent environmental policies are required to reduce GHG emissions and improve environmental quality. - Highlights: •Empirical study on competition policies and GHG emissions from the electricity sector. •Product market regulation scores for OECD countries are used to measure the extent of competition. •Evidence of a positive relationship between competition policies and environmental quality. •Integration of competition and stringent environmental policies is recommended.

The Challenges of Data Quality and Data Quality Assessment in the Big Data Era

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Cai

2015-05-01

Full Text Available High-quality data are the precondition for analyzing and using big data and for guaranteeing the value of the data. Currently, comprehensive analysis and research of quality standards and quality assessment methods for big data are lacking. First, this paper summarizes reviews of data quality research. Second, this paper analyzes the data characteristics of the big data environment, presents quality challenges faced by big data, and formulates a hierarchical data quality framework from the perspective of data users. This framework consists of big data quality dimensions, quality characteristics, and quality indexes. Finally, on the basis of this framework, this paper constructs a dynamic assessment process for data quality. This process has good expansibility and adaptability and can meet the needs of big data quality assessment. The research results enrich the theoretical scope of big data and lay a solid foundation for the future by establishing an assessment model and studying evaluation algorithms.

What 'empirical turn in bioethics'?

Science.gov (United States)

Hurst, Samia

2010-10-01

Uncertainty as to how we should articulate empirical data and normative reasoning seems to underlie most difficulties regarding the 'empirical turn' in bioethics. This article examines three different ways in which we could understand 'empirical turn'. Using real facts in normative reasoning is trivial and would not represent a 'turn'. Becoming an empirical discipline through a shift to the social and neurosciences would be a turn away from normative thinking, which we should not take. Conducting empirical research to inform normative reasoning is the usual meaning given to the term 'empirical turn'. In this sense, however, the turn is incomplete. Bioethics has imported methodological tools from empirical disciplines, but too often it has not imported the standards to which researchers in these disciplines are held. Integrating empirical and normative approaches also represents true added difficulties. Addressing these issues from the standpoint of debates on the fact-value distinction can cloud very real methodological concerns by displacing the debate to a level of abstraction where they need not be apparent. Ideally, empirical research in bioethics should meet standards for empirical and normative validity similar to those used in the source disciplines for these methods, and articulate these aspects clearly and appropriately. More modestly, criteria to ensure that none of these standards are completely left aside would improve the quality of empirical bioethics research and partly clear the air of critiques addressing its theoretical justification, when its rigour in the particularly difficult context of interdisciplinarity is what should be at stake.

An Empirical Assessment of the Impact of Requirements Uncertainty on Development Quality Performance

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Aldaijy, Ayad Y

2004-01-01

.... The main purpose of this research is to examine the impact of requirements uncertainty and task uncertainty on outcomes in software development projects, limiting the attention to process and product quality...

Blind image quality assessment based on aesthetic and statistical quality-aware features

Science.gov (United States)

Jenadeleh, Mohsen; Masaeli, Mohammad Masood; Moghaddam, Mohsen Ebrahimi

2017-07-01

The main goal of image quality assessment (IQA) methods is the emulation of human perceptual image quality judgments. Therefore, the correlation between objective scores of these methods with human perceptual scores is considered as their performance metric. Human judgment of the image quality implicitly includes many factors when assessing perceptual image qualities such as aesthetics, semantics, context, and various types of visual distortions. The main idea of this paper is to use a host of features that are commonly employed in image aesthetics assessment in order to improve blind image quality assessment (BIQA) methods accuracy. We propose an approach that enriches the features of BIQA methods by integrating a host of aesthetics image features with the features of natural image statistics derived from multiple domains. The proposed features have been used for augmenting five different state-of-the-art BIQA methods, which use statistical natural scene statistics features. Experiments were performed on seven benchmark image quality databases. The experimental results showed significant improvement of the accuracy of the methods.

Image quality assessment using deep convolutional networks

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yezhou; Ye, Xiang; Li, Yong

2017-12-01

This paper proposes a method of accurately assessing image quality without a reference image by using a deep convolutional neural network. Existing training based methods usually utilize a compact set of linear filters for learning features of images captured by different sensors to assess their quality. These methods may not be able to learn the semantic features that are intimately related with the features used in human subject assessment. Observing this drawback, this work proposes training a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) with labelled images for image quality assessment. The ReLU in the CNN allows non-linear transformations for extracting high-level image features, providing a more reliable assessment of image quality than linear filters. To enable the neural network to take images of any arbitrary size as input, the spatial pyramid pooling (SPP) is introduced connecting the top convolutional layer and the fully-connected layer. In addition, the SPP makes the CNN robust to object deformations to a certain extent. The proposed method taking an image as input carries out an end-to-end learning process, and outputs the quality of the image. It is tested on public datasets. Experimental results show that it outperforms existing methods by a large margin and can accurately assess the image quality on images taken by different sensors of varying sizes.

Empirical Models of Demand for Out-Patient Physician Services and Their Relevance to the Assessment of Patient Payment Policies: A Critical Review of the Literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Skriabikova

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews the existing empirical micro-level models of demand for out-patient physician services where the size of patient payment is included either directly as an independent variable (when a flat-rate co-payment fee or indirectly as a level of deductibles and/or co-insurance defined by the insurance coverage. The paper also discusses the relevance of these models for the assessment of patient payment policies. For this purpose, a systematic literature review is carried out. In total, 46 relevant publications were identified. These publications are classified into categories based on their general approach to demand modeling, specifications of data collection, data analysis, and main empirical findings. The analysis indicates a rising research interest in the empirical micro-level models of demand for out-patient physician services that incorporate the size of patient payment. Overall, the size of patient payments, consumer socio-economic and demographic features, and quality of services provided emerge as important determinants of demand for out-patient physician services. However, there is a great variety in the modeling approaches and inconsistencies in the findings regarding the impact of price on demand for out-patient physician services. Hitherto, the empirical research fails to offer policy-makers a clear strategy on how to develop a country-specific model of demand for out-patient physician services suitable for the assessment of patient payment policies in their countries. In particular, theoretically important factors, such as provider behavior, consumer attitudes, experience and culture, and informal patient payments, are not considered. Although we recognize that it is difficult to measure these factors and to incorporate them in the demand models, it is apparent that there is a gap in research for the construction of effective patient payment schemes.

Empirical models of demand for out-patient physician services and their relevance to the assessment of patient payment policies: a critical review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Skriabikova, Olga; Pavlova, Milena; Groot, Wim

2010-06-01

This paper reviews the existing empirical micro-level models of demand for out-patient physician services where the size of patient payment is included either directly as an independent variable (when a flat-rate co-payment fee) or indirectly as a level of deductibles and/or co-insurance defined by the insurance coverage. The paper also discusses the relevance of these models for the assessment of patient payment policies. For this purpose, a systematic literature review is carried out. In total, 46 relevant publications were identified. These publications are classified into categories based on their general approach to demand modeling, specifications of data collection, data analysis, and main empirical findings. The analysis indicates a rising research interest in the empirical micro-level models of demand for out-patient physician services that incorporate the size of patient payment. Overall, the size of patient payments, consumer socio-economic and demographic features, and quality of services provided emerge as important determinants of demand for out-patient physician services. However, there is a great variety in the modeling approaches and inconsistencies in the findings regarding the impact of price on demand for out-patient physician services. Hitherto, the empirical research fails to offer policy-makers a clear strategy on how to develop a country-specific model of demand for out-patient physician services suitable for the assessment of patient payment policies in their countries. In particular, theoretically important factors, such as provider behavior, consumer attitudes, experience and culture, and informal patient payments, are not considered. Although we recognize that it is difficult to measure these factors and to incorporate them in the demand models, it is apparent that there is a gap in research for the construction of effective patient payment schemes.

Empirical comparison of theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Opp, K.D.; Wippler, R.

1990-01-01

The book represents the first, comprehensive attempt to take an empirical approach for comparative assessment of theories in sociology. The aims, problems, and advantages of the empirical approach are discussed in detail, and the three theories selected for the purpose of this work are explained. Their comparative assessment is performed within the framework of several research projects, which among other subjects also investigate the social aspects of the protest against nuclear power plants. The theories analysed in this context are the theory of mental incongruities and that of the benefit, and their efficiency in explaining protest behaviour is compared. (orig./HSCH) [de

Towards Quality Assessment in an EFL Programme

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Holi Ibrahim Holi; Al Ajmi, Ahmed Ali Saleh

2013-01-01

Assessment is central in education and the teaching-learning process. This study attempts to explore the perspectives and views about quality assessment among teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), and to find ways of promoting quality assessment. Quantitative methodology was used to collect data. To answer the study questions, a…

Assessing biodiesel quality parameters for wastewater grown Chlorella sp.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagul, Samadhan Yuvraj; K Bharti, Randhir; Dhar, Dolly Wattal

2017-07-01

Microalgae are reported as the efficient source of renewable biodiesel which should be able to meet the global demand of transport fuels. Present study is focused on assessment of wastewater grown indigenous microalga Chlorella sp. for fuel quality parameters. This was successfully grown in secondary treated waste water diluted with tap water (25% dilution) in glass house. The microalga showed a dry weight of 0.849 g L -1 with lipid content of 27.1% on dry weight basis on 21st day of incubation. After transesterification, the yield of fatty acid methyl ester was 80.64% with major fatty acids as palmitic, linoleic, oleic and linolenic. The physical parameters predicted from empirical equations in the biodiesel showed cetane number as 56.5, iodine value of 75.5 g I 2 100 g -1 , high heating value 40.1 MJ kg -1 , flash point 135 °C, kinematic viscosity 4.05 mm 2 s -1 with density of 0.86 g cm 3 and cold filter plugging point as 0.7 °C. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR), 1 H, 13 C NMR spectrum confirmed the chemical nature of biodiesel. The results indicated that the quality of biodiesel was almost as per the criterion of ASTM standards; hence, wastewater grown Chlorella sp. can be used as a promising strain for biodiesel production.

OpenKnowledge Deliverable 3.3.: A methodology for ontology matching quality evaluation

OpenAIRE

Yatskevich, Mikalai; Giunchiglia, Fausto; McNeill, Fiona; Shvaiko, Pavel

2007-01-01

This document presents an evaluation methodology for the assessment of quality results produced by ontology matchers. In particular, it discusses: (i) several standard quality measures used in the ontology matching evaluation, (ii) a methodology of how to build semiautomatically an incomplete reference alignment allowing for the assessment of quality results produced by ontology matchers and (iii) a preliminary empirical evaluation of the OpenKnowledge ontology matching component.

The Empirical Testing of a Musical Performance Assessment Paradigm

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Brian E.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test a hypothesized model of aurally perceived performer-controlled musical factors that influence assessments of performance quality. Previous research studies on musical performance constructs, musical achievement, musical expression, and scale construction were examined to identify the factors that influence…

An Empirical Study of Critical Soft Factors for Quality Improvement in The Electrical and Electronics Firms in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Madi Abdullah

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Soft factors are important aspect that sustains the organizations in their efforts towards continuous quality improvement (QI and customer satisfaction. The conventional wisdom states that quality improvement in organizations increases profits and productivity. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to examine the influence of critical soft factors (CSF on quality improvement (QI. For that purpose, this study examine: (i the relationship between the CSF and QI and (ii to what extent the six CSF explain QI. The study used survey data from 255 electrical and electronics (E&E firms in Malaysia. The individual managers representing the each firm made the unit of analysis of the study. The finding reveals that QI was significantly influenced by the following soft factors: management commitment, customer focus, employee involvement, training & education, and reward & recognition. Supplier relationship was not a significant predictor of quality improvement. Finally, this study has empirically shown that quality improvement will increase when the organizations emphasize more on soft factors.Keywords: Critical soft factors, quality improvement, Electrical and Electronics firms

Vertical Integration of Hospitals and Physicians: Economic Theory and Empirical Evidence on Spending and Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Post, Brady; Buchmueller, Tom; Ryan, Andrew M

2017-08-01

Hospital-physician vertical integration is on the rise. While increased efficiencies may be possible, emerging research raises concerns about anticompetitive behavior, spending increases, and uncertain effects on quality. In this review, we bring together several of the key theories of vertical integration that exist in the neoclassical and institutional economics literatures and apply these theories to the hospital-physician relationship. We also conduct a literature review of the effects of vertical integration on prices, spending, and quality in the growing body of evidence ( n = 15) to evaluate which of these frameworks have the strongest empirical support. We find some support for vertical foreclosure as a framework for explaining the observed results. We suggest a conceptual model and identify directions for future research. Based on our analysis, we conclude that vertical integration poses a threat to the affordability of health services and merits special attention from policymakers and antitrust authorities.

Decision-oriented environmental assessment: An empirical study of its theory and methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pischke, Frederik; Cashmore, Matthew

2006-01-01

The potential advantages of a decision-oriented theory of environmental assessment have long been recognised, but it is only in recent years that this topic has received concerted attention. This research advanced contemporary debate on environmental assessment through an empirically-informed evaluation of strategic theoretical and methodological issues associated with the practical application of decision-oriented theory. This was undertaken by critically analysing the decision-oriented Environmental Impact Assessment system of the German Development Cooperation (a bilateral development assistance agency) using a modified version of a recent conceptual and methodological development, Analytical Strategic Environmental Assessment. The results indicate that some aspects of decision-oriented theory offer considerable potential for environmental assessment process management, and should be employed routinely. Yet uncertainty remains about whether certain core concepts, notably the detailed a priori description of decision processes, can be achieved in practice. The analysis also indicates that there is considerably more common ground in many contemporary debates about environmental assessment than the literature, which has tended towards polarisation suggests. The significance of this research is that it recognises and highlights the contribution of decision-oriented theory to refocusing attention on the substantive intent of this globally significant policy tool

Learning Receptive Fields and Quality Lookups for Blind Quality Assessment of Stereoscopic Images.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Feng; Lin, Weisi; Wang, Shanshan; Jiang, Gangyi; Yu, Mei; Dai, Qionghai

2016-03-01

Blind quality assessment of 3D images encounters more new challenges than its 2D counterparts. In this paper, we propose a blind quality assessment for stereoscopic images by learning the characteristics of receptive fields (RFs) from perspective of dictionary learning, and constructing quality lookups to replace human opinion scores without performance loss. The important feature of the proposed method is that we do not need a large set of samples of distorted stereoscopic images and the corresponding human opinion scores to learn a regression model. To be more specific, in the training phase, we learn local RFs (LRFs) and global RFs (GRFs) from the reference and distorted stereoscopic images, respectively, and construct their corresponding local quality lookups (LQLs) and global quality lookups (GQLs). In the testing phase, blind quality pooling can be easily achieved by searching optimal GRF and LRF indexes from the learnt LQLs and GQLs, and the quality score is obtained by combining the LRF and GRF indexes together. Experimental results on three publicly 3D image quality assessment databases demonstrate that in comparison with the existing methods, the devised algorithm achieves high consistent alignment with subjective assessment.

STANDARDIZING QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF FUSED REMOTELY SENSED IMAGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Pohl

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The multitude of available operational remote sensing satellites led to the development of many image fusion techniques to provide high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution images. The comparison of different techniques is necessary to obtain an optimized image for the different applications of remote sensing. There are two approaches in assessing image quality: 1. Quantitatively by visual interpretation and 2. Quantitatively using image quality indices. However an objective comparison is difficult due to the fact that a visual assessment is always subject and a quantitative assessment is done by different criteria. Depending on the criteria and indices the result varies. Therefore it is necessary to standardize both processes (qualitative and quantitative assessment in order to allow an objective image fusion quality evaluation. Various studies have been conducted at the University of Osnabrueck (UOS to establish a standardized process to objectively compare fused image quality. First established image fusion quality assessment protocols, i.e. Quality with No Reference (QNR and Khan's protocol, were compared on varies fusion experiments. Second the process of visual quality assessment was structured and standardized with the aim to provide an evaluation protocol. This manuscript reports on the results of the comparison and provides recommendations for future research.

Standardizing Quality Assessment of Fused Remotely Sensed Images

Science.gov (United States)

Pohl, C.; Moellmann, J.; Fries, K.

2017-09-01

The multitude of available operational remote sensing satellites led to the development of many image fusion techniques to provide high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution images. The comparison of different techniques is necessary to obtain an optimized image for the different applications of remote sensing. There are two approaches in assessing image quality: 1. Quantitatively by visual interpretation and 2. Quantitatively using image quality indices. However an objective comparison is difficult due to the fact that a visual assessment is always subject and a quantitative assessment is done by different criteria. Depending on the criteria and indices the result varies. Therefore it is necessary to standardize both processes (qualitative and quantitative assessment) in order to allow an objective image fusion quality evaluation. Various studies have been conducted at the University of Osnabrueck (UOS) to establish a standardized process to objectively compare fused image quality. First established image fusion quality assessment protocols, i.e. Quality with No Reference (QNR) and Khan's protocol, were compared on varies fusion experiments. Second the process of visual quality assessment was structured and standardized with the aim to provide an evaluation protocol. This manuscript reports on the results of the comparison and provides recommendations for future research.

Image quality assessment based on multiscale geometric analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Xinbo; Lu, Wen; Tao, Dacheng; Li, Xuelong

2009-07-01

Reduced-reference (RR) image quality assessment (IQA) has been recognized as an effective and efficient way to predict the visual quality of distorted images. The current standard is the wavelet-domain natural image statistics model (WNISM), which applies the Kullback-Leibler divergence between the marginal distributions of wavelet coefficients of the reference and distorted images to measure the image distortion. However, WNISM fails to consider the statistical correlations of wavelet coefficients in different subbands and the visual response characteristics of the mammalian cortical simple cells. In addition, wavelet transforms are optimal greedy approximations to extract singularity structures, so they fail to explicitly extract the image geometric information, e.g., lines and curves. Finally, wavelet coefficients are dense for smooth image edge contours. In this paper, to target the aforementioned problems in IQA, we develop a novel framework for IQA to mimic the human visual system (HVS) by incorporating the merits from multiscale geometric analysis (MGA), contrast sensitivity function (CSF), and the Weber's law of just noticeable difference (JND). In the proposed framework, MGA is utilized to decompose images and then extract features to mimic the multichannel structure of HVS. Additionally, MGA offers a series of transforms including wavelet, curvelet, bandelet, contourlet, wavelet-based contourlet transform (WBCT), and hybrid wavelets and directional filter banks (HWD), and different transforms capture different types of image geometric information. CSF is applied to weight coefficients obtained by MGA to simulate the appearance of images to observers by taking into account many of the nonlinearities inherent in HVS. JND is finally introduced to produce a noticeable variation in sensory experience. Thorough empirical studies are carried out upon the LIVE database against subjective mean opinion score (MOS) and demonstrate that 1) the proposed framework has

Image Quality Assessment via Quality-aware Group Sparse Coding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minglei Tong

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Image quality assessment has been attracting growing attention at an accelerated pace over the past decade, in the fields of image processing, vision and machine learning. In particular, general purpose blind image quality assessment is technically challenging and lots of state-of-the-art approaches have been developed to solve this problem, most under the supervised learning framework where the human scored samples are needed for training a regression model. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised learning approach that work without the human label. In the off-line stage, our method trains a dictionary covering different levels of image quality patch atoms across the training samples without knowing the human score, where each atom is associated with a quality score induced from the reference image; at the on-line stage, given each image patch, our method performs group sparse coding to encode the sample, such that the sample quality can be estimated from the few labeled atoms whose encoding coefficients are nonzero. Experimental results on the public dataset show the promising performance of our approach and future research direction is also discussed.

Quality assessment in higher education using the SERVQUALQ model

OpenAIRE

Đonlagić, Sabina; Fazlić, Samira

2015-01-01

Economy in Bosnia and Herzegovina is striving towards growth and increased employment and it has been proven by empirical studies worldwide that higher education contributes to socio-economic development of a country. Universities are important for generation, preservation and dissemination of knowledge in order to contribute to socio-economic benefits of a country. Higher education institutions are being pressured to improve value for their activities and providing quality higher education s...

The impact of quality on store loyalty : A contingency approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Odekerken-Schroder, G; De Wulf, K; Kasper, H; Kleijnen, M; Hoekstra, J; Commandeur, H

This study's prime interest is to assist retail managers in deciding where they are likely to get the greatest response to their expenditures on quality improvement. An empirical test involving 287 consumers reporting on a wide array of stores assesses whether the relationship between three quality

Clinical Music Study Quality Assessment Scale (MUSIQUAS)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jaschke, A.C.; Eggermont, L.H.P.; Scherder, E.J.A.; Shippton, M.; Hiomonides, I.

2013-01-01

AIMS Quality assessment of studies is essential for the understanding and application of these in systematic reviews and meta analyses, the two “gold standards” of medical sciences. Publications in scientific journals have extensively used assessment scales to address poor methodological quality,

Service Quality Measurement in Croatian Wellness Tourism: An Application of the SERVQUAL Scale

OpenAIRE

Suzana Markovic; Sanja Raspor; Jelena Komšic

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the conceptual and empirical knowledge of service quality in wellness settings. The aim is to provide a theoretical background of the main concepts of interest and to empirically assess customer expectations and perceptions, as well as to determine the overall quality of wellness services. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, based on the dimensions of the SERVQUAL scale (Parasuraman, Zeithaml & Berry, 1988). The questionna...

Institutional Consequences of Quality Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Joao Rosa, Maria; Tavares, Diana; Amaral, Alberto

2006-01-01

This paper analyses the opinions of Portuguese university rectors and academics on the quality assessment system and its consequences at the institutional level. The results obtained show that university staff (rectors and academics, with more of the former than the latter) held optimistic views of the positive consequences of quality assessment…

Demand assessment and price-elasticity estimation of quality-improved primary health care in Palestine: a contribution from the contingent valuation method.

Science.gov (United States)

Mataria, Awad; Luchini, Stéphane; Daoud, Yousef; Moatti, Jean-Paul

2007-10-01

This paper proposes a new methodology to assess demand and price-elasticity for health care, based on patients' stated willingness to pay (WTP) values for certain aspects of health care quality improvements. A conceptual analysis of how respondents consider contingent valuation (CV) questions allowed us to specify a probability density function of stated WTP values, and consequently, to model a demand function for quality-improved health care, using a parametric survival approach. The model was empirically estimated using a CV study intended to assess patients' values for improving the quality of primary health care (PHC) services in Palestine. A random sample of 499 individuals was interviewed following medical consultation in four PHC centers. Quality was assessed using a multi-attribute approach; and respondents valued seven specific quality improvements using a decomposed valuation scenario and a payment card elicitation technique. Our results suggest an inelastic demand at low user fees levels, and when the price-increase is accompanied with substantial quality-improvements. Nevertheless, demand becomes more and more elastic if user fees continue to rise. On the other hand, patients' reactions to price-increase turn out to depend on their level of income. Our results can be used to design successful health care financing strategies that include a consideration of patients' preferences and financial capacities. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Patients' perceptions of service quality dimensions: an empirical examination of health care in New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Clemes, M D; Ozanne, L K; Laurensen, W L

2001-01-01

The 1984 liberalization of the New Zealand economy has resulted in a health care sector that has become very competitive (Zwier and Clarke, 1999). The private sector is now able to supply health care services and, as a result, a greater value is being placed on patient satisfaction (Zwier and Clarke, 1999). However, despite the increasing focus on customer satisfaction, research into health care patients' perceptions of the dimensions of service quality is scarce. This can be problematic, as quality of care is an essential issue in the strategic marketing of health care services (Turner and Pol, 1995). This study takes a step towards addressing this deficiency by identifying patients' perceptions of the dimensions of service quality in health care. The findings of this study are based on the empirical analysis of a sample of 389 respondents interviewed by telephone. The findings indicate that the service quality dimensions identified in this health care specific study differ in number and dimensional structure from the widely adopted service quality dimensions first identified by Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml (1988): reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibles. The service quality dimensions identified in this study were: reliability, tangibles, assurance, empathy, food, access, outcome, admission, discharge and responsiveness. In addition, health care patients perceive the service quality dimensions relating to the core product in health care delivery (for example, outcome and reliability) as more important than the service quality dimensions relating to the peripheral product in health care delivery (for example, food, access and tangibles). Finally, the results of this study suggest that patients with different geographic, demographic, and behavioristic characteristics have different needs and wants during health care delivery and therefore perceive different service quality dimensions as important.

Groundwater quality data from the National Water-Quality Assessment Project, May 2012 through December 2013

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Terri L.; Desimone, Leslie A.; Bexfield, Laura M.; Lindsey, Bruce D.; Barlow, Jeannie R.; Kulongoski, Justin T.; Musgrove, MaryLynn; Kingsbury, James A.; Belitz, Kenneth

2016-06-20

Groundwater-quality data were collected from 748 wells as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Project of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Program from May 2012 through December 2013. The data were collected from four types of well networks: principal aquifer study networks, which assess the quality of groundwater used for public water supply; land-use study networks, which assess land-use effects on shallow groundwater quality; major aquifer study networks, which assess the quality of groundwater used for domestic supply; and enhanced trends networks, which evaluate the time scales during which groundwater quality changes. Groundwater samples were analyzed for a large number of water-quality indicators and constituents, including major ions, nutrients, trace elements, volatile organic compounds, pesticides, and radionuclides. These groundwater quality data are tabulated in this report. Quality-control samples also were collected; data from blank and replicate quality-control samples are included in this report.

Assessment Quality in Tertiary Education: An Integrative Literature Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gerritsen-van Leeuwenkamp, Karin; Joosten-ten Brinke, Desirée; Kester, Liesbeth

2018-01-01

In tertiary education, inferior assessment quality is a problem that has serious consequences for students, teachers, government, and society. A lack of a clear and overarching conceptualization of assessment quality can cause difficulties in guaranteeing assessment quality in practice. Thus, the

Assessing Assessment Quality: Criteria for Quality Assurance in Design of (Peer) Assessment for Learning--A Review of Research Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Tillema, Harm; Leenknecht, Martijn; Segers, Mien

2011-01-01

The interest in "assessment for learning" (AfL) has resulted in a search for new modes of assessment that are better aligned to students' learning how to learn. However, with the introduction of new assessment tools, also questions arose with respect to the quality of its measurement. On the one hand, the appropriateness of traditional,…

Does human resource management improve family planning service quality? Analysis from the Kenya Service Provision Assessment 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Thatte, Nandita; Choi, Yoonjoung

2015-04-01

Human resource (HR) management is a priority for health systems strengthening in developing countries, yet few studies have empirically examined associations with service quality. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between HR management and family planning (FP) service quality. Data came from the 2010 Kenya Service Provision Assessment, a nationally representative health facility assessment. In total, 912 FP consultations from 301 facilities were analysed. Four indices were created to measure quality on reproductive history taking, physical examination, sexually transmitted infections prevention and pill/injectable specific counselling. HR management variables included training in the past year, any and supportive (i.e. with feedback, technical updates and discussion) in-person supervision in the past 6 months and having a written job description. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to estimate coefficients of HR management variables on each of the four quality indices, adjusting for background characteristics of clients, provider and facilities. The level of service quality ranged from 16 to 53 out of a maximum score of 100 across the indices. Fifty-two per cent of consultations were done by providers who received supportive in-person supervision in the previous 6 months. In 23% and 38% of consultations, the provider was trained in the past year and had a written job description, respectively. Multivariate analyses indicated that having a written job description was associated with higher service quality in history taking, physical examination and the pill/injectable specific counselling. Other HR management variables were not significantly associated with service quality. Having a written job description was significantly associated with higher service quality and may be a useful tool for strengthening management practices. The details of such job descriptions and the quality of other management indicators should be

Quality Assessment in Oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albert, Jeffrey M.; Das, Prajnan

2012-01-01

The movement to improve healthcare quality has led to a need for carefully designed quality indicators that accurately reflect the quality of care. Many different measures have been proposed and continue to be developed by governmental agencies and accrediting bodies. However, given the inherent differences in the delivery of care among medical specialties, the same indicators will not be valid across all of them. Specifically, oncology is a field in which it can be difficult to develop quality indicators, because the effectiveness of an oncologic intervention is often not immediately apparent, and the multidisciplinary nature of the field necessarily involves many different specialties. Existing and emerging comparative effectiveness data are helping to guide evidence-based practice, and the increasing availability of these data provides the opportunity to identify key structure and process measures that predict for quality outcomes. The increasing emphasis on quality and efficiency will continue to compel the medical profession to identify appropriate quality measures to facilitate quality improvement efforts and to guide accreditation, credentialing, and reimbursement. Given the wide-reaching implications of quality metrics, it is essential that they be developed and implemented with scientific rigor. The aims of the present report were to review the current state of quality assessment in oncology, identify existing indicators with the best evidence to support their implementation, and propose a framework for identifying and refining measures most indicative of true quality in oncologic care.

Quality Assessment in Oncology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albert, Jeffrey M. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Das, Prajnan, E-mail: prajdas@mdanderson.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States)

2012-07-01

The movement to improve healthcare quality has led to a need for carefully designed quality indicators that accurately reflect the quality of care. Many different measures have been proposed and continue to be developed by governmental agencies and accrediting bodies. However, given the inherent differences in the delivery of care among medical specialties, the same indicators will not be valid across all of them. Specifically, oncology is a field in which it can be difficult to develop quality indicators, because the effectiveness of an oncologic intervention is often not immediately apparent, and the multidisciplinary nature of the field necessarily involves many different specialties. Existing and emerging comparative effectiveness data are helping to guide evidence-based practice, and the increasing availability of these data provides the opportunity to identify key structure and process measures that predict for quality outcomes. The increasing emphasis on quality and efficiency will continue to compel the medical profession to identify appropriate quality measures to facilitate quality improvement efforts and to guide accreditation, credentialing, and reimbursement. Given the wide-reaching implications of quality metrics, it is essential that they be developed and implemented with scientific rigor. The aims of the present report were to review the current state of quality assessment in oncology, identify existing indicators with the best evidence to support their implementation, and propose a framework for identifying and refining measures most indicative of true quality in oncologic care.

EPIDEMIOLOGI UNTUK 'QUALITY ASSESSMENT' PELAYANAN KESEHATAN GIGI MULUT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zaura Anggraeni Matram

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The need for quality assessment and assurance in health and oral health becomes an issue of major concern in Indonesia, particularly in relation to the significant decrease of available resources due to the persistence economical crisis. Financial and socioeconomical impacts have led to the need for low cost - high quality accessible oral care. Dentists are ultimately responsibel for the quality of care performed in Public Helath Center (Puskesmas especially for School and Community Dental Programmes often performed by various type of health manpower such as dental nurses and cadres (volunteers. In this paper, emphasis has been placed on two epidemiological models to assess the quality of outcomes of service as well as management control for quality assessment in School Dental Programme. Respectively epidemiological moderls were developed for assessing the effectiveness of oral health education and simple oral prophylaxis carried out the School Dental Programme (known as UKGS. With these epidemiological approaches, it is hope dentists will gain increase appreciation for qualitative assessment quality of care instead of just quantitavely meeting the target that many health administrations use it to indicate success.

No-reference visual quality assessment for image inpainting

Science.gov (United States)

Voronin, V. V.; Frantc, V. A.; Marchuk, V. I.; Sherstobitov, A. I.; Egiazarian, K.

2015-03-01

Inpainting has received a lot of attention in recent years and quality assessment is an important task to evaluate different image reconstruction approaches. In many cases inpainting methods introduce a blur in sharp transitions in image and image contours in the recovery of large areas with missing pixels and often fail to recover curvy boundary edges. Quantitative metrics of inpainting results currently do not exist and researchers use human comparisons to evaluate their methodologies and techniques. Most objective quality assessment methods rely on a reference image, which is often not available in inpainting applications. Usually researchers use subjective quality assessment by human observers. It is difficult and time consuming procedure. This paper focuses on a machine learning approach for no-reference visual quality assessment for image inpainting based on the human visual property. Our method is based on observation that Local Binary Patterns well describe local structural information of the image. We use a support vector regression learned on assessed by human images to predict perceived quality of inpainted images. We demonstrate how our predicted quality value correlates with qualitative opinion in a human observer study. Results are shown on a human-scored dataset for different inpainting methods.

Moments of sorrow and joy : an empirical assessment of the complementary value of critical incidents in understanding customer service evaluations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Odekerken-Schröder, G.; Birgelen, van M.; Lemmink, J.G.A.M.; Ruyter, de J.C.; Wetzels, M.G.M.

2000-01-01

It is commonly acknowledged that service quality can be measured by using attribute-based and incident-based measurements. Both methods are distinct in nature, but can be used complementarily. However, in the literature a simultaneous empirical investigation of the power of critical incidents in

Towards web documents quality assessment for digital humanities scholars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ceolin, D.; Noordegraaf, Julia; Aroyo, L.M.; van Son, C.M.; Nejdl, Wolfgang; Hall, Wendy; Parigi, Paolo; Staab, Steffen

2016-01-01

We present a framework for assessing the quality of Web documents, and a baseline of three quality dimensions: trustworthiness, objectivity and basic scholarly quality. Assessing Web document quality is a "deep data" problem necessitating approaches to handle both data size and complexity.

Many quality measurements, but few quality measures assessing the quality of breast cancer care in women: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Schachter, Howard M; Mamaladze, Vasil; Lewin, Gabriela; Graham, Ian D; Brouwers, Melissa; Sampson, Margaret; Morrison, Andra; Zhang, Li; O'Blenis, Peter; Garritty, Chantelle

2006-12-18

Breast cancer in women is increasingly frequent, and care is complex, onerous and expensive, all of which lend urgency to improvements in care. Quality measurement is essential to monitor effectiveness and to guide improvements in healthcare. Ten databases, including Medline, were searched electronically to identify measures assessing the quality of breast cancer care in women (diagnosis, treatment, followup, documentation of care). Eligible studies measured adherence to standards of breast cancer care in women diagnosed with, or in treatment for, any histological type of adenocarcinoma of the breast. Reference lists of studies, review articles, web sites, and files of experts were searched manually. Evidence appraisal entailed dual independent assessments of data (e.g., indicators used in quality measurement). The extent of each quality indicator's scientific validation as a measure was assessed. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) was asked to contribute quality measures under development. Sixty relevant reports identified 58 studies with 143 indicators assessing adherence to quality breast cancer care. A paucity of validated indicators (n = 12), most of which assessed quality of life, only permitted a qualitative data synthesis. Most quality indicators evaluated processes of care. While some studies revealed patterns of under-use of care, all adherence data require confirmation using validated quality measures. ASCO's current development of a set of quality measures relating to breast cancer care may hold the key to conducting definitive studies.

Objective and Subjective Assessment of Digital Pathology Image Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prarthana Shrestha

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The quality of an image produced by the Whole Slide Imaging (WSI scanners is of critical importance for using the image in clinical diagnosis. Therefore, it is very important to monitor and ensure the quality of images. Since subjective image quality assessments by pathologists are very time-consuming, expensive and difficult to reproduce, we propose a method for objective assessment based on clinically relevant and perceptual image parameters: sharpness, contrast, brightness, uniform illumination and color separation; derived from a survey of pathologists. We developed techniques to quantify the parameters based on content-dependent absolute pixel performance and to manipulate the parameters in a predefined range resulting in images with content-independent relative quality measures. The method does not require a prior reference model. A subjective assessment of the image quality is performed involving 69 pathologists and 372 images (including 12 optimal quality images and their distorted versions per parameter at 6 different levels. To address the inter-reader variability, a representative rating is determined as a one-tailed 95% confidence interval of the mean rating. The results of the subjective assessment support the validity of the proposed objective image quality assessment method to model the readers’ perception of image quality. The subjective assessment also provides thresholds for determining the acceptable level of objective quality per parameter. The images for both the subjective and objective quality assessment are based on the HercepTestTM slides scanned by the Philips Ultra Fast Scanners, developed at Philips Digital Pathology Solutions. However, the method is applicable also to other types of slides and scanners.

REMOTE SENSING IMAGE QUALITY ASSESSMENT EXPERIMENT WITH POST-PROCESSING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Jiang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This paper briefly describes the post-processing influence assessment experiment, the experiment includes three steps: the physical simulation, image processing, and image quality assessment. The physical simulation models sampled imaging system in laboratory, the imaging system parameters are tested, the digital image serving as image processing input are produced by this imaging system with the same imaging system parameters. The gathered optical sampled images with the tested imaging parameters are processed by 3 digital image processes, including calibration pre-processing, lossy compression with different compression ratio and image post-processing with different core. Image quality assessment method used is just noticeable difference (JND subject assessment based on ISO20462, through subject assessment of the gathered and processing images, the influence of different imaging parameters and post-processing to image quality can be found. The six JND subject assessment experimental data can be validated each other. Main conclusions include: image post-processing can improve image quality; image post-processing can improve image quality even with lossy compression, image quality with higher compression ratio improves less than lower ratio; with our image post-processing method, image quality is better, when camera MTF being within a small range.

An empirical comparison of key statistical attributes among potential ICU quality indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Sydney E S; Ratcliffe, Sarah J; Halpern, Scott D

2014-08-01

Good quality indicators should have face validity, relevance to patients, and be able to be measured reliably. Beyond these general requirements, good quality indicators should also have certain statistical properties, including sufficient variability to identify poor performers, relative insensitivity to severity adjustment, and the ability to capture what providers do rather than patients' characteristics. We assessed the performance of candidate indicators of ICU quality on these criteria. Indicators included ICU readmission, mortality, several length of stay outcomes, and the processes of venous-thromboembolism and stress ulcer prophylaxis provision. Retrospective cohort study. One hundred thirty-eight U.S. ICUs from 2001-2008 in the Project IMPACT database. Two hundred sixty-eight thousand eight hundred twenty-four patients discharged from U.S. ICUs. None. We assessed indicators' (1) variability across ICU-years; (2) degree of influence by patient vs. ICU and hospital characteristics using the Omega statistic; (3) sensitivity to severity adjustment by comparing the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) between models including vs. excluding patient variables, and (4) correlation between risk adjusted quality indicators using a Spearman correlation. Large ranges of among-ICU variability were noted for all quality indicators, particularly for prolonged length of stay (4.7-71.3%) and the proportion of patients discharged home (30.6-82.0%), and ICU and hospital characteristics outweighed patient characteristics for stress ulcer prophylaxis (ω, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.34-0.54), venous thromboembolism prophylaxis (ω, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.53-0.61), and ICU readmissions (ω, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.52-0.90). Mortality measures were the most sensitive to severity adjustment (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve % difference, 29.6%); process measures were the least sensitive (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve % differences

Total Quality Management of Information System for Quality Assessment of Pesantren Using Fuzzy-SERVQUAL

Science.gov (United States)

Faizah, Arbiati; Syafei, Wahyul Amien; Isnanto, R. Rizal

2018-02-01

This research proposed a model combining an approach of Total Quality Management (TQM) and Fuzzy method of Service Quality (SERVQUAL) to asses service quality. TQM implementation was as quality management orienting on customer's satisfaction by involving all stakeholders. SERVQUAL model was used to measure quality service based on five dimensions such as tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Fuzzy set theory was to accommodate subjectivity and ambiguity of quality assessment. Input data consisted of indicator data and quality assessment aspect. Input data was, then, processed to be service quality assessment questionnaires of Pesantren by using Fuzzy method to get service quality score. This process consisted of some steps as follows : inputting dimension and questionnaire data to data base system, filling questionnaire through system, then, system calculated fuzzification, defuzzification, gap of quality expected and received by service receivers, and calculating each dimension rating showing quality refinement priority. Rating of each quality dimension was, then, displayed at dashboard system to enable users to see information. From system having been built, it could be known that tangible dimension had the highest gap, -0.399, thus it needs to be prioritized and gets evaluation and refinement action soon.

Many quality measurements, but few quality measures assessing the quality of breast cancer care in women: A systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Li

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Breast cancer in women is increasingly frequent, and care is complex, onerous and expensive, all of which lend urgency to improvements in care. Quality measurement is essential to monitor effectiveness and to guide improvements in healthcare. Methods Ten databases, including Medline, were searched electronically to identify measures assessing the quality of breast cancer care in women (diagnosis, treatment, followup, documentation of care. Eligible studies measured adherence to standards of breast cancer care in women diagnosed with, or in treatment for, any histological type of adenocarcinoma of the breast. Reference lists of studies, review articles, web sites, and files of experts were searched manually. Evidence appraisal entailed dual independent assessments of data (e.g., indicators used in quality measurement. The extent of each quality indicator's scientific validation as a measure was assessed. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO was asked to contribute quality measures under development. Results Sixty relevant reports identified 58 studies with 143 indicators assessing adherence to quality breast cancer care. A paucity of validated indicators (n = 12, most of which assessed quality of life, only permitted a qualitative data synthesis. Most quality indicators evaluated processes of care. Conclusion While some studies revealed patterns of under-use of care, all adherence data require confirmation using validated quality measures. ASCO's current development of a set of quality measures relating to breast cancer care may hold the key to conducting definitive studies.

Daily Encounter Cards-Evaluating the Quality of Documented Assessments.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Warren J; Dudek, Nancy; Wood, Timothy J; Frank, Jason R

2016-10-01

Concerns over the quality of work-based assessment (WBA) completion has resulted in faculty development and rater training initiatives. Daily encounter cards (DECs) are a common form of WBA used in ambulatory care and shift work settings. A tool is needed to evaluate initiatives aimed at improving the quality of completion of this widely used form of WBA. The completed clinical evaluation report rating (CCERR) was designed to provide a measure of the quality of documented assessments on in-training evaluation reports. The purpose of this study was to provide validity evidence to support using the CCERR to assess the quality of DEC completion. Six experts in resident assessment grouped 60 DECs into 3 quality categories (high, average, and poor) based on how informative each DEC was for reporting judgments of the resident's performance. Eight supervisors (blinded to the expert groupings) scored the 10 most representative DECs in each group using the CCERR. Mean scores were compared to determine if the CCERR could discriminate based on DEC quality. Statistically significant differences in CCERR scores were observed between all quality groups ( P  evaluate DEC quality. It can serve as an outcome measure for studying interventions targeted at improving the quality of assessments documented on DECs.

lessons and challenges from software quality assessment

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DJFLEX

www.globaljournalseries.com, Email: info@globaljournalseries.com ... ASSESSMENT: THE CASE OF SPACE SYSTEMS SOFTWARE. ... KEYWORDS: Software, Software Quality ,Quality Standard, Characteristics, ... and communication, etc.

Building quality into performance and safety assessment software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wojciechowski, L.C.

2011-01-01

Quality assurance is integrated throughout the development lifecycle for performance and safety assessment software. The software used in the performance and safety assessment of a Canadian deep geological repository (DGR) follows the CSA quality assurance standard CSA-N286.7 [1], Quality Assurance of Analytical, Scientific and Design Computer Programs for Nuclear Power Plants. Quality assurance activities in this standard include tasks such as verification and inspection; however, much more is involved in producing a quality software computer program. The types of errors found with different verification methods are described. The integrated quality process ensures that defects are found and corrected as early as possible. (author)

Assessing quality in cardiac surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samer A.M. Nashef

2005-07-01

Full Text Available There is a the strong temporal, if not causal, link between the intervention and the outcome in cardiac surgery and therefore a link becomes established between operative mortality and the measurement of surgical performance. In Britain the law stipulates that data collected by any public body or using public funds must be made freely available. Tools and mechanisms we devise and develop are likely to form the models on which the quality of care is assessed in other surgical and perhaps medical specialties. Measuring professional performance should be done by the profession. To measure risk there are a number of scores as crude mortality is not enough. A very important benefit of assessing the risk of death is to use this knowledge in the determination of the indication to operate. The second benefit is in the assessment of the quality of care as risk prediction gives a standard against performance of hospitals and surgeons. Peer review and “naming and shaming” are two mechanisms to monitor quality. There are two potentially damaging outcomes from the publication of results in a league-table form: the first is the damage to the hospital; the second is to refuse to operate on high-risk patients. There is a real need for quality monitoring in medicine in general and in cardiac surgery in particular. Good quality surgical work requires robust knowledge of three crucial variables: activity, risk prediction and performance. In Europe, the three major specialist societies have agreed to establish the European Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Institute of Accreditation (ECTSIA. Performance monitoring is soon to become imperative. If we surgeons are not on board, we shall have no control on its final destination, and the consequences may be equally damaging to us and to our patients.

137Cs applicability to soil erosion assessment: theoretical and empirical model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrello, Avacir Casanova

2004-02-01

The soil erosion processes acceleration and the increase of soil erosion rates due to anthropogenic perturbation in soil-weather-vegetation equilibrium has influenced in the soil quality and environment. So, the possibility to assess the amplitude and severity of soil erosion impact on the productivity and quality of soil is important so local scale as regional and global scale. Several models have been developed to assess the soil erosion so qualitative as quantitatively. 137 Cs, an anthropogenic radionuclide, have been very used to assess the superficial soil erosion process Empirical and theoretical models were developed on the basis of 137 Cs redistribution as indicative of soil movement by erosive process These models incorporate many parameters that can influence in the soil erosion rates quantification by 137 Cs redistribution. Statistical analysis was realized on the models recommended by IAEA to determinate the influence that each parameter generates in results of the soil redistribution. It was verified that the most important parameter is the 137 Cs redistribution, indicating the necessity of a good determination in the 137 Cs inventory values with a minimum deviation associated with these values. After this, it was associated a 10% deviation in the reference value of 137 Cs inventory and the 5% in the 137 Cs inventory of the sample and was determinate the deviation in results of the soil redistribution calculated by models. The results of soil redistribution was compared to verify if there was difference between the models, but there was not difference in the results determinate by models, unless above 70% of 137 Cs loss. Analyzing three native forests and an area of the undisturbed pasture in the Londrina region, can be verified that the 137 Cs spatial variability in local scale was 15%. Comparing the 137 Cs inventory values determinate in the three native forest with the 137 Cs inventory value determinate in the area of undisturbed pasture in the

Doctors or technicians: assessing quality of medical education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tayyab Hasan

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Tayyab HasanPAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences, University Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan, BruneiAbstract: Medical education institutions usually adapt industrial quality management models that measure the quality of the process of a program but not the quality of the product. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of industrial quality management models on medical education and students, and to highlight the importance of introducing a proper educational quality management model. Industrial quality management models can measure the training component in terms of competencies, but they lack the educational component measurement. These models use performance indicators to assess their process improvement efforts. Researchers suggest that the performance indicators used in educational institutions may only measure their fiscal efficiency without measuring the quality of the educational experience of the students. In most of the institutions, where industrial models are used for quality assurance, students are considered as customers and are provided with the maximum services and facilities possible. Institutions are required to fulfill a list of recommendations from the quality control agencies in order to enhance student satisfaction and to guarantee standard services. Quality of medical education should be assessed by measuring the impact of the educational program and quality improvement procedures in terms of knowledge base development, behavioral change, and patient care. Industrial quality models may focus on academic support services and processes, but educational quality models should be introduced in parallel to focus on educational standards and products.Keywords: educational quality, medical education, quality control, quality assessment, quality management models

An assessment of groundwater quality using water quality index in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I Nanda Balan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Context : Water, the elixir of life, is a prime natural resource. Due to rapid urbanization in India, the availability and quality of groundwater have been affected. According to the Central Groundwater Board, 80% of Chennai′s groundwater has been depleted and any further exploration could lead to salt water ingression. Hence, this study was done to assess the groundwater quality in Chennai city. Aim : To assess the groundwater quality using water quality index in Chennai city. Materials and Methods: Chennai city was divided into three zones based on the legislative constituency and from these three zones three locations were randomly selected and nine groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for physiochemical properties. Results: With the exception of few parameters, most of the water quality assessment parameters showed parameters within the accepted standard values of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS. Except for pH in a single location of zone 1, none of the parameters exceeded the permissible values for water quality assessment as prescribed by the BIS. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that in general the groundwater quality status of Chennai city ranged from excellent to good and the groundwater is fit for human consumption based on all the nine parameters of water quality index and fluoride content.

Food quality assessment in parent–child dyads

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bech-Larsen, Tino; Jensen, Birger Boutrup

2011-01-01

When the buyer and the consumer of a food product are not identical, the risk of discrepancies between food quality expectations and experience is even higher than when the buyer is also the consumer. In such situations the interpersonal aspects of food quality formation become the focus...... of attention. The purpose of this article is to discuss the interpersonal aspects of food quality formation, and to explore these in the context of parents buying new types of healthier in-between meals for their children. To pursue this we introduce the concept of dyadic quality assessment and apply...... parental knowledge of their children’s quality assessments significantly affect the willingness to pay. Accordingly, interaction between parents and children should be promoted when developing, testing and marketing new and healthier food products for children....

School Responsiveness to Quality Rankings. An Empirical Analysis of Secondary Education in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koning, P.W.C.; van der Wiel, K.

2012-01-01

This paper assesses the response of Dutch secondary schools to the publication of relative quality ratings in a national newspaper (Trouw). Our research design exploits the discontinuities in the ranking formula that was used to generate five consecutive levels for the overall quality of schools. We

Balancing Attended and Global Stimuli in Perceived Video Quality Assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

You, Junyong; Korhonen, Jari; Perkis, Andrew

2011-01-01

. This paper proposes a quality model based on the late attention selection theory, assuming that the video quality is perceived via two mechanisms: global and local quality assessment. First we model several visual features influencing the visual attention in quality assessment scenarios to derive......The visual attention mechanism plays a key role in the human perception system and it has a significant impact on our assessment of perceived video quality. In spite of receiving less attention from the viewers, unattended stimuli can still contribute to the understanding of the visual content...... an attention map using appropriate fusion techniques. The global quality assessment as based on the assumption that viewers allocate their attention equally to the entire visual scene, is modeled by four carefully designed quality features. By employing these same quality features, the local quality model...

Time-varying disaster risk models: An empirical assessment of the Rietz-Barro hypothesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Irarrazabal, Alfonso; Parra-Alvarez, Juan Carlos

This paper revisits the fit of disaster risk models where a representative agent has recursive preferences and the probability of a macroeconomic disaster changes over time. We calibrate the model as in Wachter (2013) and perform two sets of tests to assess the empirical performance of the model ...... and hence to reduce the Sharpe Ratio, a lower elasticity of substitution generates a more reasonable level for the equity risk premium and for the volatility of the government bond returns without compromising the ability of the price-dividend ratio to predict excess returns....

Measuring data quality for ongoing improvement a data quality assessment framework

CERN Document Server

Sebastian-Coleman, Laura

2013-01-01

The Data Quality Assessment Framework shows you how to measure and monitor data quality, ensuring quality over time. You'll start with general concepts of measurement and work your way through a detailed framework of more than three dozen measurement types related to five objective dimensions of quality: completeness, timeliness, consistency, validity, and integrity. Ongoing measurement, rather than one time activities will help your organization reach a new level of data quality. This plain-language approach to measuring data can be understood by both business and IT and provides pra

Individual Breast Cancer risk assessment in Underserved Populations: Integrating empirical Bioethics and Health Disparities Research

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Emily E.; Hoskins, Kent

2013-01-01

Research suggests that individual breast cancer risk assessment may improve adherence to recommended screening and prevention guidelines, thereby decreasing morbidity and mortality. Further research on the use of risk assessment models in underserved minority populations is critical to informing national public health efforts to eliminate breast cancer disparities. However, implementing individual breast cancer risk assessment in underserved patient populations raises particular ethical issues that require further examination. After reviewing these issues, we will discuss how empirical bioethics research can be integrated with health disparities research to inform the translation of research findings. Our in-progress National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded study, How Do Underserved Minority Women Think About Breast Cancer?, conducted in the context of a larger study on individual breast cancer risk assessment, is presented as a model. PMID:23124498

Water quality assessment with hierarchical cluster analysis based on Mahalanobis distance.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Xiangjun; Shao, Fengjing; Wu, Shunyao; Zhang, Hanlin; Xu, Si

2017-07-01

Water quality assessment is crucial for assessment of marine eutrophication, prediction of harmful algal blooms, and environment protection. Previous studies have developed many numeric modeling methods and data driven approaches for water quality assessment. The cluster analysis, an approach widely used for grouping data, has also been employed. However, there are complex correlations between water quality variables, which play important roles in water quality assessment but have always been overlooked. In this paper, we analyze correlations between water quality variables and propose an alternative method for water quality assessment with hierarchical cluster analysis based on Mahalanobis distance. Further, we cluster water quality data collected form coastal water of Bohai Sea and North Yellow Sea of China, and apply clustering results to evaluate its water quality. To evaluate the validity, we also cluster the water quality data with cluster analysis based on Euclidean distance, which are widely adopted by previous studies. The results show that our method is more suitable for water quality assessment with many correlated water quality variables. To our knowledge, it is the first attempt to apply Mahalanobis distance for coastal water quality assessment.

Predictive no-reference assessment of video quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Torres Vega, M.; Mocanu, D.C.; Stavrou, S.; Liotta, A.

2017-01-01

Among the various means to evaluate the quality of video streams, light-weight No-Reference (NR) methods have low computation and may be executed on thin clients. Thus, these methods would be perfect candidates in cases of real-time quality assessment, automated quality control and in adaptive

Quality of assessments within reach: Review study of research and results of the quality of assessments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maassen, Nathalie Anthonia Maria; Hopster-den Otter, Dorothea; Wools, S.; Hemker, B.T.; Straetmans, G.J.J.M.; Eggen, Theodorus Johannes Hendrikus Maria

2015-01-01

Educational tests and assessments are important instruments to measure a student’s knowledge and skills. The question that is addressed in this review study is: “which aspects are currently considered as important to the quality of educational assessments?” Furthermore, it is explored how this

Real Time Face Quality Assessment for Face Log Generation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kamal, Nasrollahi; Moeslund, Thomas B.

2009-01-01

Summarizing a long surveillance video to just a few best quality face images of each subject, a face-log, is of great importance in surveillance systems. Face quality assessment is the back-bone for face log generation and improving the quality assessment makes the face logs more reliable....... Developing a real time face quality assessment system using the most important facial features and employing it for face logs generation are the concerns of this paper. Extensive tests using four databases are carried out to validate the usability of the system....

No-Reference Video Quality Assessment by HEVC Codec Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huang, Xin; Søgaard, Jacob; Forchhammer, Søren

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a No-Reference (NR) Video Quality Assessment (VQA) method for videos subject to the distortion given by High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC). The proposed assessment can be performed either as a BitstreamBased (BB) method or as a Pixel-Based (PB). It extracts or estimates...... the transform coefficients, estimates the distortion, and assesses the video quality. The proposed scheme generates VQA features based on Intra coded frames, and then maps features using an Elastic Net to predict subjective video quality. A set of HEVC coded 4K UHD sequences are tested. Results show...... that the quality scores computed by the proposed method are highly correlated with the subjective assessment....

Daily Encounter Cards—Evaluating the Quality of Documented Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Warren J.; Dudek, Nancy; Wood, Timothy J.; Frank, Jason R.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Background  Concerns over the quality of work-based assessment (WBA) completion has resulted in faculty development and rater training initiatives. Daily encounter cards (DECs) are a common form of WBA used in ambulatory care and shift work settings. A tool is needed to evaluate initiatives aimed at improving the quality of completion of this widely used form of WBA. Objective  The completed clinical evaluation report rating (CCERR) was designed to provide a measure of the quality of documented assessments on in-training evaluation reports. The purpose of this study was to provide validity evidence to support using the CCERR to assess the quality of DEC completion. Methods  Six experts in resident assessment grouped 60 DECs into 3 quality categories (high, average, and poor) based on how informative each DEC was for reporting judgments of the resident's performance. Eight supervisors (blinded to the expert groupings) scored the 10 most representative DECs in each group using the CCERR. Mean scores were compared to determine if the CCERR could discriminate based on DEC quality. Results  Statistically significant differences in CCERR scores were observed between all quality groups (P < .001). A generalizability analysis demonstrated the majority of score variation was due to differences in DECs. The reliability with a single rater was 0.95. Conclusions  The CCERR is a reliable and valid tool to evaluate DEC quality. It can serve as an outcome measure for studying interventions targeted at improving the quality of assessments documented on DECs. PMID:27777675

Validity of portfolio assessment: which qualities determine ratings?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Driessen, E.W.; Overeem, K.; Tartwijk, J. van; Vleuten, C.P.M. van der; Muijtjens, A.M.M.

2006-01-01

The portfolio is becoming increasingly accepted as a valuable tool for learning and assessment. The validity of portfolio assessment, however, may suffer from bias due to irrelevant qualities, such as lay-out and writing style. We examined the possible effects of such qualities in a portfolio

Evaluating how variants of floristic quality assessment indicate wetland condition.

Science.gov (United States)

Kutcher, Thomas E; Forrester, Graham E

2018-03-28

Biological indicators are useful tools for the assessment of ecosystem condition. Multi-metric and multi-taxa indicators may respond to a broader range of disturbances than simpler indicators, but their complexity can make them difficult to interpret, which is critical to indicator utility for ecosystem management. Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) is an example of a biological assessment approach that has been widely tested for indicating freshwater wetland condition, but less attention has been given to clarifying the factors controlling its response. FQA quantifies the aggregate of vascular plant species tolerance to habitat degradation (conservatism), and model variants have incorporated species richness, abundance, and indigenity (native or non-native). To assess bias, we tested FQA variants in open-canopy freshwater wetlands against three independent reference measures, using practical vegetation sampling methods. FQA variants incorporating species richness did not correlate with our reference measures and were influenced by wetland size and hydrogeomorphic class. In contrast, FQA variants lacking measures of species richness responded linearly to reference measures quantifying individual and aggregate stresses, suggesting a broad response to cumulative degradation. FQA variants incorporating non-native species, and a variant additionally incorporating relative species abundance, improved performance over using only native species. We relate our empirical findings to ecological theory to clarify the functional properties and implications of the FQA variants. Our analysis indicates that (1) aggregate conservatism reliably declines with increased disturbance; (2) species richness has varying relationships with disturbance and increases with site area, confounding FQA response; and (3) non-native species signal human disturbance. We propose that incorporating species abundance can improve FQA site-level relevance with little extra sampling effort. Using our

An Empirical Research on Bank Client Credit Assessments

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Quan Chen

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Individual microcredit loans involve large quantities and small amounts and necessitate rapid approval, therefore making simple and fast application approvals rather critical. Creditors must evaluate clients’ credit status and default risk within the shortest time when determining whether to approve or decline their applications, preventing overdue responses that negatively impact bank profits and management practices, and could trigger domestic financial crises. This study investigates client credit quality criteria, focusing on the expert opinions of bank managers. The decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method is adopted to enable a comparison and analysis of the similarities and differences in how banks evaluate their clients’ character, ability, financial capability, and collateral. Based on causality and correlations among the criteria, we also identify the core problems and key improvement criteria in the evaluation system. Through survey results of professional managers from Taiwanese banks, this study uses the DEMATEL method to compare the differences in bank evaluation methods based on the four dimensions of clients’ character, ability, pockets, and collateral, as well as the corresponding 14 criteria. In order to improve the reliability and usefulness in bank client credit risk assessment, the assessment dimensions and indicators of bank client credit risk assessment are first discussed; second, the causal relationship and degree of mutual influence between different dimensions and criteria are researched and assessed; in the end, the paper discusses how to improve the function and the benefits of bank client credit risk assessment.

Application of empirical hydration distribution functions around polar atoms for assessing hydration structures of proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuoka, Daisuke; Nakasako, Masayoshi

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Empirical distribution functions of water molecules in protein hydration are made. ► The functions measure how hydrogen-bond geometry in hydration deviate from ideal. ► The functions assess experimentally identified hydration structures of protein. - Abstract: To quantitatively characterize hydrogen-bond geometry in local hydration structures of proteins, we constructed a set of empirical hydration distribution functions (EHDFs) around polar protein atoms in the main and side chains of 11 types of hydrophilic amino acids (D. Matsuoka, M. Nakasako, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 113 (2009) 11274). The functions are the ensemble average of possible hydration patterns around the polar atoms, and describe the anisotropic deviations from ideal hydrogen bond geometry. In addition, we defined probability distribution function of hydration water molecules (PDFH) over the hydrophilic surface of a protein as the sum of EHDFs of solvent accessible polar protein atoms. The functions envelop most of hydration sites identified in crystal structures of proteins (D. Matsuoka, M. Nakasako, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 114 (2010) 4652). Here we propose the application of EHDFs and PDFHs for assessing crystallographically identified hydration structures of proteins. First, hydration water molecules are classified with respect to the geometry in hydrogen bonds in referring EHDFs. Difference Fourier electron density map weighted by PDFH of protein is proposed to identify easily density peaks as candidates of hydration water molecules. A computer program implementing those ideas was developed and used for assessing hydration structures of proteins

Shelf-Life Prediction of Extra Virgin Olive Oils Using an Empirical Model Based on Standard Quality Tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Guillaume

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Extra virgin olive oil shelf-life could be defined as the length of time under normal storage conditions within which no off-flavours or defects are developed and quality parameters such as peroxide value and specific absorbance are retained within accepted limits for this commercial category. Prediction of shelf-life is a desirable goal in the food industry. Even when extra virgin olive oil shelf-life should be one of the most important quality markers for extra virgin olive oil, it is not recognised as a legal parameter in most regulations and standards around the world. The proposed empirical formula to be evaluated in the present study is based on common quality tests with known and predictable result changes over time and influenced by different aspects of extra virgin olive oil with a meaningful influence over its shelf-life. The basic quality tests considered in the formula are Rancimat® or induction time (IND; 1,2-diacylglycerols (DAGs; pyropheophytin a (PPP; and free fatty acids (FFA. This paper reports research into the actual shelf-life of commercially packaged extra virgin olive oils versus the predicted shelf-life of those oils determined by analysing the expected deterioration curves for the three basic quality tests detailed above. Based on the proposed model, shelf-life is predicted by choosing the lowest predicted shelf-life of any of those three tests.

Kinetic and empirical design criteria for constructed wetlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nix, P.G.; Gulley, J.R.

1995-01-01

A study was conducted to demonstrate the capabilities of wetlands as long-term, self-sustaining natural systems for the treatment of large quantities of waste water released from tailings ponds after mine abandonment. Constructed wetlands were built and planted with aquatic plants. The experimental design included three replicate trenches for each of two treatment systems. The objective of the research was to assess the optimum contaminant loading rates which would result in an acceptable quality of the effluent water. Using empirical data (i.e., hydrocarbon loading rates versus effluent quality), the optimal range of hydrocarbon loading was 5 to 25 gTEH/m 2/ month. Using more conservative kinetic data (i.e. microbial mineralization rates), the range of optimal treatment effectiveness was 9.6 to 13.2 gTEH/m 2/ month. The two design criteria methodologies were calculated using two independent analytical methods. The similarity in results was judged to be a confirmation of their accuracy. 20 refs., 5 figs

Assessing the physical vulnerability of check dams through an empirical damage index

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Andrea Dell'Agnese

2013-06-01

Full Text Available A comprehensive analysis of flood risk in mountain streams has to include an assessment of the vulnerability of the protection systems, in addition to an assessment of the vulnerability of the constructed environment on alluvial fans and floodplains. Structures forming the protection systems are of a dual nature, i.e. they are designed to mitigate natural process-related hazards and, on the other hand, are prone to be damaged during their lifecycle by the same processes they should mitigate. Therefore, their effectiveness declines over time. Hence, the knowledge of how effectively control structures perform is essential for risk management. A procedure was developed to assess the physical vulnerability of check dams based on empirical evidence collected in South Tyrol, Northern Italy. A damage index defined on pre- and postevent comparisons of check dam conditions was evaluated for 362 structures in 18 mountain streams along with the relevant processes and the structural characteristics affecting it. Although the available dataset did not allow conclusive functional relationships between damage index and impact variables to be established, it was possible to assess the average expected residual functionality of check dams according to structure characteristics, and event type and intensity. These results may help plan appropriate check dam maintenance.

Automated image quality assessment for chest CT scans.

Science.gov (United States)

Reeves, Anthony P; Xie, Yiting; Liu, Shuang

2018-02-01

Medical image quality needs to be maintained at standards sufficient for effective clinical reading. Automated computer analytic methods may be applied to medical images for quality assessment. For chest CT scans in a lung cancer screening context, an automated quality assessment method is presented that characterizes image noise and image intensity calibration. This is achieved by image measurements in three automatically segmented homogeneous regions of the scan: external air, trachea lumen air, and descending aorta blood. Profiles of CT scanner behavior are also computed. The method has been evaluated on both phantom and real low-dose chest CT scans and results show that repeatable noise and calibration measures may be realized by automated computer algorithms. Noise and calibration profiles show relevant differences between different scanners and protocols. Automated image quality assessment may be useful for quality control for lung cancer screening and may enable performance improvements to automated computer analysis methods. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

AHP-based spatial analysis of water quality impact assessment due to change in vehicular traffic caused by highway broadening in Sikkim Himalaya

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Polash; Ghose, Mrinal Kanti; Pradhan, Ratika

2018-05-01

Spatial analysis of water quality impact assessment of highway projects in mountainous areas remains largely unexplored. A methodology is presented here for Spatial Water Quality Impact Assessment (SWQIA) due to highway-broadening-induced vehicular traffic change in the East district of Sikkim. Pollution load of the highway runoff was estimated using an Average Annual Daily Traffic-Based Empirical model in combination with mass balance model to predict pollution in the rivers within the study area. Spatial interpolation and overlay analysis were used for impact mapping. Analytic Hierarchy Process-Based Water Quality Status Index was used to prepare a composite impact map. Model validation criteria, cross-validation criteria, and spatial explicit sensitivity analysis show that the SWQIA model is robust. The study shows that vehicular traffic is a significant contributor to water pollution in the study area. The model is catering specifically to impact analysis of the concerned project. It can be an aid for decision support system for the project stakeholders. The applicability of SWQIA model needs to be explored and validated in the context of a larger set of water quality parameters and project scenarios at a greater spatial scale.

Investigating the effects of service quality and hedonic on behavioral intentions: An empirical survey on restaurant industry

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Seyed Hossein Mansouri

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This research proposes a comprehensive model that investigates the relationships between service quality, hedonic, perceived value and behavioral intentions. The purpose of this study is to build a better understanding of the determinants of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty throughout the restaurant services by incorporating the perceptions of hedonic effect in service delivery and outlining why and how service quality is important to customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Respondents were chosen from three regular customers of Atawich chain restaurants in city of Tehran by using stratified random sampling method. A total of 390 questionnaires were used for data analysis. Structural equations modeling by using LISREL was performed to empirically test the relationships between the constructs of this study. Results show that both service quality and hedonic effect are importance predictors of customer satisfaction in Iranian society. In addition, results indicate that service quality and hedonic effect have positive and significant effects on perceived value. However, relationship between customer satisfaction and perceived value with attitudinal loyalty was not significant. Finally, it suggests that restaurant managers should improve their restaurant service offerings to satisfy customers. In addition, the results emphasize the significance of hedonic effect and positive emotions in creating perceived value and customer satisfaction.

A framework for assessing Health Economic Evaluation (HEE) quality appraisal instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Langer, Astrid

2012-08-16

Health economic evaluations support the health care decision-making process by providing information on costs and consequences of health interventions. The quality of such studies is assessed by health economic evaluation (HEE) quality appraisal instruments. At present, there is no instrument for measuring and improving the quality of such HEE quality appraisal instruments. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to establish a framework for assessing the quality of HEE quality appraisal instruments to support and improve their quality, and to apply this framework to those HEE quality appraisal instruments which have been subject to more scrutiny than others, in order to test the framework and to demonstrate the shortcomings of existing HEE quality appraisal instruments. To develop the quality assessment framework for HEE quality appraisal instruments, the experiences of using appraisal tools for clinical guidelines are used. Based on a deductive iterative process, clinical guideline appraisal instruments identified through literature search are reviewed, consolidated, and adapted to produce the final quality assessment framework for HEE quality appraisal instruments. The final quality assessment framework for HEE quality appraisal instruments consists of 36 items organized within 7 dimensions, each of which captures a specific domain of quality. Applying the quality assessment framework to four existing HEE quality appraisal instruments, it is found that these four quality appraisal instruments are of variable quality. The framework described in this study should be regarded as a starting point for appraising the quality of HEE quality appraisal instruments. This framework can be used by HEE quality appraisal instrument producers to support and improve the quality and acceptance of existing and future HEE quality appraisal instruments. By applying this framework, users of HEE quality appraisal instruments can become aware of methodological deficiencies

Arbuscular mycorrhiza in soil quality assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kling, M.; Jakobsen, I.

1998-01-01

aggregates and to the protection of plants against drought and root pathogens. Assessment of soil quality, defined as the capacity of a soil to function within ecosystem boundaries to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant health, should therefore include both......Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi constitute a living bridge for the transport of nutrients from soil to plant roots, and are considered as the group of soil microorganisms that is of most direct importance to nutrient uptake by herbaceous plants. AM fungi also contribute to the formation of soil...... quantitative and qualitative measurements of this important biological resource. Various methods for the assessment of the potential for mycorrhiza formation and function are presented. Examples are given of the application of these methods to assess the impact of pesticides on the mycorrhiza....

Assessing the empirical validity of alternative multi-attribute utility measures in the maternity context

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Morrell Jane

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Multi-attribute utility measures are preference-based health-related quality of life measures that have been developed to inform economic evaluations of health care interventions. The objective of this study was to compare the empirical validity of two multi-attribute utility measures (EQ-5D and SF-6D based on hypothetical preferences in a large maternity population in England. Methods Women who participated in a randomised controlled trial of additional postnatal support provided by trained community support workers represented the study population for this investigation. The women were asked to complete the EQ-5D descriptive system (which defines health-related quality of life in terms of five dimensions: mobility, self care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression and the SF-36 (which defines health-related quality of life, using 36 items, across eight dimensions: physical functioning, role limitations (physical, social functioning, bodily pain, general health, mental health, vitality and role limitations (emotional at six months postpartum. Their responses were converted into utility scores using the York A1 tariff set and the SF-6D utility algorithm, respectively. One-way analysis of variance was used to test the hypothetically-constructed preference rule that each set of utility scores differs significantly by self-reported health status (categorised as excellent, very good, good, fair or poor. The degree to which EQ-5D and SF-6D utility scores reflected alternative dichotomous configurations of self-reported health status and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score was tested using the relative efficiency statistic and receiver operating characteristic (ROC curves. Results The mean utility score for the EQ-5D was 0.861 (95% CI: 0.844, 0.877, whilst the mean utility score for the SF-6D was 0.809 (95% CI: 0.796, 0.822, representing a mean difference in utility score of 0.052 (95% CI: 0.040, 0

Assessment of the assessment: Evaluation of the model quality estimates in CASP10

KAUST Repository

Kryshtafovych, Andriy

2013-08-31

The article presents an assessment of the ability of the thirty-seven model quality assessment (MQA) methods participating in CASP10 to provide an a priori estimation of the quality of structural models, and of the 67 tertiary structure prediction groups to provide confidence estimates for their predicted coordinates. The assessment of MQA predictors is based on the methods used in previous CASPs, such as correlation between the predicted and observed quality of the models (both at the global and local levels), accuracy of methods in distinguishing between good and bad models as well as good and bad regions within them, and ability to identify the best models in the decoy sets. Several numerical evaluations were used in our analysis for the first time, such as comparison of global and local quality predictors with reference (baseline) predictors and a ROC analysis of the predictors\\' ability to differentiate between the well and poorly modeled regions. For the evaluation of the reliability of self-assessment of the coordinate errors, we used the correlation between the predicted and observed deviations of the coordinates and a ROC analysis of correctly identified errors in the models. A modified two-stage procedure for testing MQA methods in CASP10 whereby a small number of models spanning the whole range of model accuracy was released first followed by the release of a larger number of models of more uniform quality, allowed a more thorough analysis of abilities and inabilities of different types of methods. Clustering methods were shown to have an advantage over the single- and quasi-single- model methods on the larger datasets. At the same time, the evaluation revealed that the size of the dataset has smaller influence on the global quality assessment scores (for both clustering and nonclustering methods), than its diversity. Narrowing the quality range of the assessed models caused significant decrease in accuracy of ranking for global quality predictors but

75 FR 19641 - Empire Pipeline, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-15

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. PF10-5-000] Empire Pipeline, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Planned Tioga County Extension Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting April 7, 2010. The staff of the Federal Energy...

A high-resolution, empirical approach to climate impact assessment for regulatory analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Delgado, M.; Simcock, J. G.; Greenstone, M.; Hsiang, S. M.; Kopp, R. E.; Carleton, T.; Hultgren, A.; Jina, A.; Rising, J. A.; Nath, I.; Yuan, J.; Rode, A.; Chong, T.; Dobbels, G.; Hussain, A.; Wang, J.; Song, Y.; Mohan, S.; Larsen, K.; Houser, T.

2017-12-01

Recent breakthroughs in computing, data availability, and methodology have precipitated significant advances in the understanding of the relationship between climate and socioeconomic outcomes [1]. And while the use of estimates of the global marginal costs of greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. the SCC) are a mandatory component of regulatory policy in many jurisdictions, existing SCC-IAMs have lagged advances in impact assessment and valuation [2]. Recent work shows that incorporating high spatial and temporal resolution can significantly affect the observed relationships of economic outcomes to climate and socioeconomic factors [3] and that maintaining this granularity is critical to understanding the sensitivity of aggregate measures of valuation to inequality and risk adjustment methodologies [4]. We propose a novel framework that decomposes uncertainty in the SCC along multiple sources, including aggregate climate response parameters, the translation of global climate into local weather, the effect of weather on physical and economic systems, human and macro-economic responses, and impact valuation methodologies. This work extends Hsiang et al. (2017) [4] to directly estimate local response functions for multiple sectors in each of 24,378 global regions and to estimate impacts at this resolution daily, incorporating endogenous, empirically-estimated adaptation and costs. The goal of this work is to provide insight into the heterogeneity of climate impacts and to work with other modeling teams to enhance the empirical grounding of integrated climate impact assessment in more complex energy-environment-economics models. [1] T. Carleton and S. Hsiang (2016), DOI: 10.1126/science.aad9837. [2] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2017), DOI: 10.17226/24651. [3] Burke, M., S. Hsiang, and E. Miguel (2015), DOI: 10.1038/nature15725. [4] S. Hsiang et al. (2017), DOI: 10.1126/science.aal4369.

Quality Assessment of solid waste used for obtaining biogas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamayo Cuellar, Ernesto Antonio; Menendez Perez, Manuel German

2011-01-01

The solid residuals are in our days an important factor in the processes of recycling of materials, composting and obtaining of biogas, however, sometimes doesn't keep in mind the quality of these for their productive acting. Therefore the present work has as objective, in the peculiar case of the biogas production, to propose a method to evaluate the quality of the solid residuals used in the biogas process starting from the biodegradable organic fraction contained in these. For the investigative development of the work theoretical methods were used as the hypothetical-deductive method, the systemic one, the structural-functional one and empiric methods as the scientific observation and the mensuration. The results of their application, although discreet still, have been evidenced in the evaluation of the quality of the solid residuals in the plant of recycling -composting of the City of Holguin in the compost production. The main conclusion to which you can arrive with the carried out investigation is that the evaluation of the quality of the solid residuals is important to make studies of feasibility in the design and implementation of new projects of recycling units, composting and biogas. (author)

Empirical Evidence from Kenya

African Journals Online (AJOL)

FIRST LADY

2011-01-18

Jan 18, 2011 ... Empirical results reveal that consumption of sugar in. Kenya varies ... experiences in trade in different regions of the world. Some studies ... To assess the relationship between domestic sugar retail prices and sugar sales in ...

Surface water quality assessment using factor analysis

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2006-01-16

Jan 16, 2006 ... Surface water, groundwater quality assessment and environ- .... Urbanisation influences the water cycle through changes in flow and water ..... tion of aquatic life, CCME water quality Index 1, 0. User`s ... Water, Air Soil Pollut.

Noise Estimation and Quality Assessment of Gaussian Noise Corrupted Images

Science.gov (United States)

Kamble, V. M.; Bhurchandi, K.

2018-03-01

Evaluating the exact quantity of noise present in an image and quality of an image in the absence of reference image is a challenging task. We propose a near perfect noise estimation method and a no reference image quality assessment method for images corrupted by Gaussian noise. The proposed methods obtain initial estimate of noise standard deviation present in an image using the median of wavelet transform coefficients and then obtains a near to exact estimate using curve fitting. The proposed noise estimation method provides the estimate of noise within average error of +/-4%. For quality assessment, this noise estimate is mapped to fit the Differential Mean Opinion Score (DMOS) using a nonlinear function. The proposed methods require minimum training and yields the noise estimate and image quality score. Images from Laboratory for image and Video Processing (LIVE) database and Computational Perception and Image Quality (CSIQ) database are used for validation of the proposed quality assessment method. Experimental results show that the performance of proposed quality assessment method is at par with the existing no reference image quality assessment metric for Gaussian noise corrupted images.

Quality of life assessment of children with thalassemia

OpenAIRE

Masyitah Sri Wahyuni; Muhammad Ali; Nelly Rosdiana; Bidasari Lubis

2011-01-01

Background Thalassemia is a chronic disease that is becoming a major health problem in the world, including the Mediterranean, as well as Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. This condition clearly affects the patient's quality of life, because of the condition itself and the effects of treatment. Assessment is needed to detennine actions to be taken to improve the quality of life in thalassemic children. Objective To assess the differences in quality of life of thalassemic children comp...

Perceptions of Service Quality: An Empirical Assessment of Modified SERVQUAL Model among Domestic Airline Carriers in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ganiyu Rahim A.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Literature is replete with a large number of theories related to service quality measurement and dimensions in an airline context. To date, there is no consensus of opinion on the generic model and of the number of dimensions most appropriate to evaluate service quality in airline industry. This study investigates service quality dimensions in the Nigerian airline industry. The cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. Convenience sampling was used to select 800 respondents among departing air travellers in Lagos State. A structured questionnaire containing 28 items was developed to evaluate the perceived service quality of domestic airlines. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and one-sample t-test. The dimensionality of perceived service quality in Nigeria’s airline industry was explored using exploratory factor analysis. From the analysis carried out, it was established that the modified SERVQUAL model provided a satisfactory level of overall reliability in Nigeria’s airline context, which implies that all the items were cohesive in forming the SERVQUAL dimensions. According to the findings of this study, all service quality dimensions are positively and significantly interrelated. The perceived service quality of domestic airlines across these dimensions was found to be poor. The most dissatisfied dimensions in order of ranking were: flight pattern, reliability, facilities, assurance, responsiveness, employee, and customization. On the basis of the aforementioned findings, this study concludes that airline operators should redefine their service standards to one that is customer-focused by identifying the dimension of service quality most preferred by the passengers and continuously strive to improve service delivery. The study recommends that airline operators should recognize the changing needs and expectations of air travellers and customize their range of services

Assessment of texture stationarity using the asymptotic behavior of the empirical mean and variance.

Science.gov (United States)

Blanc, Rémy; Da Costa, Jean-Pierre; Stitou, Youssef; Baylou, Pierre; Germain, Christian

2008-09-01

Given textured images considered as realizations of 2-D stochastic processes, a framework is proposed to evaluate the stationarity of their mean and variance. Existing strategies focus on the asymptotic behavior of the empirical mean and variance (respectively EM and EV), known for some types of nondeterministic processes. In this paper, the theoretical asymptotic behaviors of the EM and EV are studied for large classes of second-order stationary ergodic processes, in the sense of the Wold decomposition scheme, including harmonic and evanescent processes. Minimal rates of convergence for the EM and the EV are derived for these processes; they are used as criteria for assessing the stationarity of textures. The experimental estimation of the rate of convergence is achieved using a nonparametric block sub-sampling method. Our framework is evaluated on synthetic processes with stationary or nonstationary mean and variance and on real textures. It is shown that anomalies in the asymptotic behavior of the empirical estimators allow detecting nonstationarities of the mean and variance of the processes in an objective way.

A balanced scorecard approach in assessing IT value in healthcare sector: an empirical examination.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ing-Long; Kuo, Yi-Zu

2012-12-01

Healthcare sector indicates human-based and knowledge-intensive property. Massive IT investments are necessary to maintain competitiveness in this sector. The justification of IT investments is the major concern of senior management. Empirical studies examining IT value have found inconclusive results with little or no improvement in productivity. Little research has been conducted in healthcare sector. The balanced scorecard (BSC) strikes a balance between financial and non-financial measure and has been applied in evaluating organization-based performance. Moreover, healthcare organizations often consider their performance goal at customer satisfaction in addition to financial performance. This research thus proposed a new hierarchical structure for the BSC with placing both finance and customer at the top, internal process at the next, and learning and growth at the bottom. Empirical examination has found the importance of the new BSC structure in assessing IT investments. Learning and growth plays the initial driver for reaching both customer and financial performance through the mediator of internal process. This can provide deep insight into effectively managing IT resources in the hospitals.

Debris flow susceptibility assessment based on an empirical approach in the central region of South Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Sinhang; Lee, Seung-Rae

2018-05-01

Many debris flow spreading analyses have been conducted during recent decades to prevent damage from debris flows. An empirical approach that has been used in various studies on debris flow spreading has advantages such as simple data acquisition and good applicability for large areas. In this study, a GIS-based empirical model that was developed at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) is used to assess the debris flow susceptibility. Study sites are classified based on the types of soil texture or geological conditions, which can indirectly consider geotechnical or rheological properties, to supplement the weaknesses of Flow-R which neglects local controlling factors. The mean travel angle for each classification is calculated from a debris flow inventory map. The debris flow susceptibility is assessed based on changes in the flow-direction algorithm, an inertial function with a 5-m DEM resolution. A simplified friction-limited model was applied to the runout distance analysis by using the appropriate travel angle for the corresponding classification with a velocity limit of 28 m/s. The most appropriate algorithm combinations that derived the highest average of efficiency and sensitivity for each classification are finally determined by applying a confusion matrix with the efficiency and the sensitivity to the results of the susceptibility assessment. The proposed schemes can be useful for debris flow susceptibility assessment in both the study area and the central region of Korea, which has similar environmental factors such as geological conditions, topography and rainfall characteristics to the study area.

Assessing Participation in Secondary Education Quality Enhancement

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessing Participation in Secondary Education Quality Enhancement: Teachers, Parents and Communities in Cross River State. ... ailing economy, low moral values and philosophy of the end justifies the means were reasons for low parents and communities involvement in secondary education-quality improvement.

A Review of Data Quality Assessment Methods for Public Health Information Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Chen

2014-05-01

Full Text Available High quality data and effective data quality assessment are required for accurately evaluating the impact of public health interventions and measuring public health outcomes. Data, data use, and data collection process, as the three dimensions of data quality, all need to be assessed for overall data quality assessment. We reviewed current data quality assessment methods. The relevant study was identified in major databases and well-known institutional websites. We found the dimension of data was most frequently assessed. Completeness, accuracy, and timeliness were the three most-used attributes among a total of 49 attributes of data quality. The major quantitative assessment methods were descriptive surveys and data audits, whereas the common qualitative assessment methods were interview and documentation review. The limitations of the reviewed studies included inattentiveness to data use and data collection process, inconsistency in the definition of attributes of data quality, failure to address data users’ concerns and a lack of systematic procedures in data quality assessment. This review study is limited by the coverage of the databases and the breadth of public health information systems. Further research could develop consistent data quality definitions and attributes. More research efforts should be given to assess the quality of data use and the quality of data collection process.

Advanced empirical estimate of information value for credit scoring models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Řezáč

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Credit scoring, it is a term for a wide spectrum of predictive models and their underlying techniques that aid financial institutions in granting credits. These methods decide who will get credit, how much credit they should get, and what further strategies will enhance the profitability of the borrowers to the lenders. Many statistical tools are avaiable for measuring quality, within the meaning of the predictive power, of credit scoring models. Because it is impossible to use a scoring model effectively without knowing how good it is, quality indexes like Gini, Kolmogorov-Smirnov statisic and Information value are used to assess quality of given credit scoring model. The paper deals primarily with the Information value, sometimes called divergency. Commonly it is computed by discretisation of data into bins using deciles. One constraint is required to be met in this case. Number of cases have to be nonzero for all bins. If this constraint is not fulfilled there are some practical procedures for preserving finite results. As an alternative method to the empirical estimates one can use the kernel smoothing theory, which allows to estimate unknown densities and consequently, using some numerical method for integration, to estimate value of the Information value. The main contribution of this paper is a proposal and description of the empirical estimate with supervised interval selection. This advanced estimate is based on requirement to have at least k, where k is a positive integer, observations of socres of both good and bad client in each considered interval. A simulation study shows that this estimate outperform both the empirical estimate using deciles and the kernel estimate. Furthermore it shows high dependency on choice of the parameter k. If we choose too small value, we get overestimated value of the Information value, and vice versa. Adjusted square root of number of bad clients seems to be a reasonable compromise.

Empirical Evidence of Stakeholder Management in Sports Clubs: The Impact of the Board of Directors

OpenAIRE

Esteve, M.; Di Lorenzo, F.; Inglés, E.; Puig, N.

2011-01-01

A major challenge for non-profit sports organizations is how to raise resources from their stakeholders. The present article empirically assesses how the management of stakeholders can affect the resources raised by non-profit sports organizations. The moderating effect of particular characteristics of the Board of Directors is also considered. Evidence is obtained by surveying a large sample of sports clubs from Catalonia, Spain. Results indicate how the quality of relations between sports c...

Perceptions of Service Quality: An Empirical Assessment of Modified SERVQUAL Model among Domestic Airline Carriers in Nigeria

OpenAIRE

Ganiyu Rahim A.

2016-01-01

Literature is replete with a large number of theories related to service quality measurement and dimensions in an airline context. To date, there is no consensus of opinion on the generic model and of the number of dimensions most appropriate to evaluate service quality in airline industry. This study investigates service quality dimensions in the Nigerian airline industry. The cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. Convenience sampling was used to select 800 respondents among de...

Quality Assessment of Compressed Video for Automatic License Plate Recognition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ukhanova, Ann; Støttrup-Andersen, Jesper; Forchhammer, Søren

2014-01-01

Definition of video quality requirements for video surveillance poses new questions in the area of quality assessment. This paper presents a quality assessment experiment for an automatic license plate recognition scenario. We explore the influence of the compression by H.264/AVC and H.265/HEVC s...... recognition in our study has a behavior similar to human recognition, allowing the use of the same mathematical models. We furthermore propose an application of one of the models for video surveillance systems......Definition of video quality requirements for video surveillance poses new questions in the area of quality assessment. This paper presents a quality assessment experiment for an automatic license plate recognition scenario. We explore the influence of the compression by H.264/AVC and H.265/HEVC...... standards on the recognition performance. We compare logarithmic and logistic functions for quality modeling. Our results show that a logistic function can better describe the dependence of recognition performance on the quality for both compression standards. We observe that automatic license plate...

E-Services quality assessment framework for collaborative networks

Science.gov (United States)

Stegaru, Georgiana; Danila, Cristian; Sacala, Ioan Stefan; Moisescu, Mihnea; Mihai Stanescu, Aurelian

2015-08-01

In a globalised networked economy, collaborative networks (CNs) are formed to take advantage of new business opportunities. Collaboration involves shared resources and capabilities, such as e-Services that can be dynamically composed to automate CN participants' business processes. Quality is essential for the success of business process automation. Current approaches mostly focus on quality of service (QoS)-based service selection and ranking algorithms, overlooking the process of service composition which requires interoperable, adaptable and secure e-Services to ensure seamless collaboration, data confidentiality and integrity. Lack of assessment of these quality attributes can result in e-Service composition failure. The quality of e-Service composition relies on the quality of each e-Service and on the quality of the composition process. Therefore, there is the need for a framework that addresses quality from both views: product and process. We propose a quality of e-Service composition (QoESC) framework for quality assessment of e-Service composition for CNs which comprises of a quality model for e-Service evaluation and guidelines for quality of e-Service composition process. We implemented a prototype considering a simplified telemedicine use case which involves a CN in e-Healthcare domain. To validate the proposed quality-driven framework, we analysed service composition reliability with and without using the proposed framework.

SU-E-I-71: Quality Assessment of Surrogate Metrics in Multi-Atlas-Based Image Segmentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, T; Ruan, D

2015-01-01

Purpose: With the ever-growing data of heterogeneous quality, relevance assessment of atlases becomes increasingly critical for multi-atlas-based image segmentation. However, there is no universally recognized best relevance metric and even a standard to compare amongst candidates remains elusive. This study, for the first time, designs a quantification to assess relevance metrics’ quality, based on a novel perspective of the metric as surrogate for inferring the inaccessible oracle geometric agreement. Methods: We first develop an inference model to relate surrogate metrics in image space to the underlying oracle relevance metric in segmentation label space, with a monotonically non-decreasing function subject to random perturbations. Subsequently, we investigate model parameters to reveal key contributing factors to surrogates’ ability in prognosticating the oracle relevance value, for the specific task of atlas selection. Finally, we design an effective contract-to-noise ratio (eCNR) to quantify surrogates’ quality based on insights from these analyses and empirical observations. Results: The inference model was specialized to a linear function with normally distributed perturbations, with surrogate metric exemplified by several widely-used image similarity metrics, i.e., MSD/NCC/(N)MI. Surrogates’ behaviors in selecting the most relevant atlases were assessed under varying eCNR, showing that surrogates with high eCNR dominated those with low eCNR in retaining the most relevant atlases. In an end-to-end validation, NCC/(N)MI with eCNR of 0.12 compared to MSD with eCNR of 0.10 resulted in statistically better segmentation with mean DSC of about 0.85 and the first and third quartiles of (0.83, 0.89), compared to MSD with mean DSC of 0.84 and the first and third quartiles of (0.81, 0.89). Conclusion: The designed eCNR is capable of characterizing surrogate metrics’ quality in prognosticating the oracle relevance value. It has been demonstrated to be

Supporting visual quality assessment with machine learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gastaldo, P.; Zunino, R.; Redi, J.

2013-01-01

Objective metrics for visual quality assessment often base their reliability on the explicit modeling of the highly non-linear behavior of human perception; as a result, they may be complex and computationally expensive. Conversely, machine learning (ML) paradigms allow to tackle the quality

the research quality plus (rq+) assessment instrument

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Thomas Schwandt

THE RESEARCH QUALITY PLUS (RQ+) ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT ... consistent way to allow for further meta-analysis about research quality over time. ... Addresses complex and integrative problems, requiring systems-based approaches ..... benefits or financial costs for participants that might not be appropriate in the ...

Assessing primary care data quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Yvonne Mei Fong; Yusof, Maryati; Sivasampu, Sheamini

2018-04-16

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess National Medical Care Survey data quality. Design/methodology/approach Data completeness and representativeness were computed for all observations while other data quality measures were assessed using a 10 per cent sample from the National Medical Care Survey database; i.e., 12,569 primary care records from 189 public and private practices were included in the analysis. Findings Data field completion ranged from 69 to 100 per cent. Error rates for data transfer from paper to web-based application varied between 0.5 and 6.1 per cent. Error rates arising from diagnosis and clinical process coding were higher than medication coding. Data fields that involved free text entry were more prone to errors than those involving selection from menus. The authors found that completeness, accuracy, coding reliability and representativeness were generally good, while data timeliness needs to be improved. Research limitations/implications Only data entered into a web-based application were examined. Data omissions and errors in the original questionnaires were not covered. Practical implications Results from this study provided informative and practicable approaches to improve primary health care data completeness and accuracy especially in developing nations where resources are limited. Originality/value Primary care data quality studies in developing nations are limited. Understanding errors and missing data enables researchers and health service administrators to prevent quality-related problems in primary care data.

42 CFR 460.136 - Internal quality assessment and performance improvement activities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Internal quality assessment and performance improvement activities. 460.136 Section 460.136 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES....136 Internal quality assessment and performance improvement activities. (a) Quality assessment and...

Quality control in public participation assessments of water quality: the OPAL Water Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, N L; Turner, S D; Goldsmith, B; Gosling, L; Davidson, T A

2016-07-22

Public participation in scientific data collection is a rapidly expanding field. In water quality surveys, the involvement of the public, usually as trained volunteers, generally includes the identification of aquatic invertebrates to a broad taxonomic level. However, quality assurance is often not addressed and remains a key concern for the acceptance of publicly-generated water quality data. The Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) Water Survey, launched in May 2010, aimed to encourage interest and participation in water science by developing a 'low-barrier-to-entry' water quality survey. During 2010, over 3000 participant-selected lakes and ponds were surveyed making this the largest public participation lake and pond survey undertaken to date in the UK. But the OPAL approach of using untrained volunteers and largely anonymous data submission exacerbates quality control concerns. A number of approaches were used in order to address data quality issues including: sensitivity analysis to determine differences due to operator, sampling effort and duration; direct comparisons of identification between participants and experienced scientists; the use of a self-assessment identification quiz; the use of multiple participant surveys to assess data variability at single sites over short periods of time; comparison of survey techniques with other measurement variables and with other metrics generally considered more accurate. These quality control approaches were then used to screen the OPAL Water Survey data to generate a more robust dataset. The OPAL Water Survey results provide a regional and national assessment of water quality as well as a first national picture of water clarity (as suspended solids concentrations). Less than 10 % of lakes and ponds surveyed were 'poor' quality while 26.8 % were in the highest water quality band. It is likely that there will always be a question mark over untrained volunteer generated data simply because quality assurance is uncertain

Developing and validating a psychometric scale for image quality assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mraity, H.; England, A.; Hogg, P.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Using AP pelvis as a catalyst, this paper explains how a psychometric scale for image quality assessment can be created using Bandura's theory for self-efficacy. Background: Establishing an accurate diagnosis is highly dependent upon the quality of the radiographic image. Image quality, as a construct (i.e. set of attributes that makes up the image quality), continues to play an essential role in the field of diagnostic radiography. The process of assessing image quality can be facilitated by using criteria, such as the European Commission (EC) guidelines for quality criteria as published in 1996. However, with the advent of new technology (Computed Radiography and Digital Radiography), some of the EC criteria may no longer be suitable for assessing the visual quality of a digital radiographic image. Moreover, a lack of validated visual image quality scales in the literature can also lead to significant variations in image quality evaluation. Creating and validating visual image quality scales, using a robust methodology, could reduce variability and improve the validity and reliability of perceptual image quality evaluations

Doctors or technicians: assessing quality of medical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, Tayyab

2010-01-01

Medical education institutions usually adapt industrial quality management models that measure the quality of the process of a program but not the quality of the product. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of industrial quality management models on medical education and students, and to highlight the importance of introducing a proper educational quality management model. Industrial quality management models can measure the training component in terms of competencies, but they lack the educational component measurement. These models use performance indicators to assess their process improvement efforts. Researchers suggest that the performance indicators used in educational institutions may only measure their fiscal efficiency without measuring the quality of the educational experience of the students. In most of the institutions, where industrial models are used for quality assurance, students are considered as customers and are provided with the maximum services and facilities possible. Institutions are required to fulfill a list of recommendations from the quality control agencies in order to enhance student satisfaction and to guarantee standard services. Quality of medical education should be assessed by measuring the impact of the educational program and quality improvement procedures in terms of knowledge base development, behavioral change, and patient care. Industrial quality models may focus on academic support services and processes, but educational quality models should be introduced in parallel to focus on educational standards and products.

The art of assessing quality for images and video

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deriche, M.

2011-01-01

The early years of this century have witnessed a tremendous growth in the use of digital multimedia data for di?erent communication applications. Researchers from around the world are spending substantial research efforts in developing techniques for improving the appearance of images/video. However, as we know, preserving high quality is a challenging task. Images are subject to distortions during acquisition, compression, transmission, analysis, and reconstruction. For this reason, the research area focusing on image and video quality assessment has attracted a lot of attention in recent years. In particular, compression applications and other multimedia applications need powerful techniques for evaluating quality objectively without human interference. This tutorial will cover the di?erent faces of image quality assessment. We will motivate the need for robust image quality assessment techniques, then discuss the main algorithms found in the literature with a critical perspective. We will present the di?erent metrics used for full reference, reduced reference and no reference applications. We will then discuss the difference between image and video quality assessment. In all of the above, we will take a critical approach to explain which metric can be used for which application. Finally we will discuss the different approaches to analyze the performance of image/video quality metrics, and end the tutorial with some perspectives on newly introduced metrics and their potential applications.

Assessment of Preschool Early Literacy Skills: Linking Children's Educational Needs with Empirically Supported Instructional Activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lonigan, Christopher J; Allan, Nicholas P; Lerner, Matthew D

2011-05-01

The importance of the preschool period for becoming a skilled reader is highlighted by a significant body of evidence that preschool children's development in the areas of oral language, phonological awareness, and print knowledge is predictive of how well they will learn to read once they are exposed to formal reading instruction in elementary school. Although there are now a number of empirically supported instructional activities for helping children who are at -risk of later reading difficulties acquire these early literacy skills, limitations in instructional time and opportunities in most preschool settings requires the use of valid assessment procedures to ensure that instructional resources are utilized efficiently. In this paper, we discuss the degree to which informal, diagnostic, screening, and progress-monitoring assessments of preschool early literacy skills can inform instructional decisions by considering the strengths and weaknesses of each approach to assessment.

How do customers evaluate hotel service quality? An empirical study in Tehran hotels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyedvahid Najafi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to investigate the dimensions of hotel service quality, to assess relative importance of them and to evaluate service quality of Tehran hotels in terms of guests’ perspectives. The paper examines the reliability and validity of the designed scale based on SERVQUAL model. A cross-sectional research based on SERVQUAL model conducted on nine hotels in Tehran (n=1080. Several statistical analyses such as EFA, CFA, Linear regression and t-test were applied to analyze the data. Five service quality dimensions were identified and named as “tangibles”, “problem solving”, “service supply”, “empathy” and “security”. Even though our findings confirmed five dimensional SERVQUAL constructs, some dimensions have been identified differing from SERVQUAL scale dimensions. Finding showed that the best overall service quality predictor is “tangibles” followed by “service supply”, “problem solving”, “assurance” and “empathy”.

Quality assessments for cancer centers in the European Union.

Science.gov (United States)

Wind, Anke; Rajan, Abinaya; van Harten, Wim H

2016-09-07

Cancer centers are pressured to deliver high-quality services that can be measured and improved, which has led to an increase of assessments in many countries. A critical area of quality improvement is to improve patient outcome. An overview of existing assessments can help stakeholders (e.g., healthcare professionals, managers and policy makers) improve the quality of cancer research and care and lead to patient benefits. This paper presents key aspects of assessments undertaken by European cancer centers, such as: are assessments mandatory or voluntary? Do they focus on evaluating research, care or both? And are they international or national? A survey was sent to 33 cancer centers in 28 European Union member states. Participants were asked to score the specifics for each assessment that they listed. Based on the responses from 19 cancer centers from 18 member states, we found 109 assessments. The numbers have steadily increased from 1990's till 2015. Although, a majority of assessments are on patient-care aspects (n = 45), it is unclear how many of those include assessing patient benefits. Only few assessments cover basic research. There is an increasing trend towards mixed assessments (i.e., combining research and patient-care aspects) The need for assessments in cancer centers is increasing. To improve efforts in the quality of research and patient care and to prevent new assessments that "reinvent the wheel", it is advised to start comparative research into the assessments that are likely to bring patient benefits and improve patient outcome. Do assessments provide consistent and reliable information that create added value for all key stakeholders?

Assessment of Power Quality Problems for TRIGA PUSPATI Reactor (RTP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Fazli Zakaria; Ramachandaramurthy, V.K.

2016-01-01

The electrical power systems are exposed to different types of power quality disturbances. Investigation and monitoring of power quality is necessary to maintain accurate operation of sensitive equipment especially for nuclear installations. This paper will discuss the power quality problems observed at the electrical sources of PUSPATI TRIGA Reactor (RTP). Assessment of power quality requires the identification of any anomalous behavior on a power system, which adversely affects the normal operation of electrical or electronic equipment. A power quality assessment involves gathering data resources; analyzing the data (with reference to power quality standards) then, if problems exist, recommendation of mitigation techniques must be considered. Field power quality data is collected by power quality recorder and analyzed with reference to power quality standards. Normally the electrical power is supplied to the RTP via two sources in order to keep a good reliability where each of them is designed to carry the full load. The assessment of power quality during reactor operation was performed for both electrical sources. There were several disturbances such as voltage harmonics and flicker that exceeded the thresholds. (author)

A systematic literature review of open source software quality assessment models.

Science.gov (United States)

Adewumi, Adewole; Misra, Sanjay; Omoregbe, Nicholas; Crawford, Broderick; Soto, Ricardo

2016-01-01

Many open source software (OSS) quality assessment models are proposed and available in the literature. However, there is little or no adoption of these models in practice. In order to guide the formulation of newer models so they can be acceptable by practitioners, there is need for clear discrimination of the existing models based on their specific properties. Based on this, the aim of this study is to perform a systematic literature review to investigate the properties of the existing OSS quality assessment models by classifying them with respect to their quality characteristics, the methodology they use for assessment, and their domain of application so as to guide the formulation and development of newer models. Searches in IEEE Xplore, ACM, Science Direct, Springer and Google Search is performed so as to retrieve all relevant primary studies in this regard. Journal and conference papers between the year 2003 and 2015 were considered since the first known OSS quality model emerged in 2003. A total of 19 OSS quality assessment model papers were selected. To select these models we have developed assessment criteria to evaluate the quality of the existing studies. Quality assessment models are classified into five categories based on the quality characteristics they possess namely: single-attribute, rounded category, community-only attribute, non-community attribute as well as the non-quality in use models. Our study reflects that software selection based on hierarchical structures is found to be the most popular selection method in the existing OSS quality assessment models. Furthermore, we found that majority (47%) of the existing models do not specify any domain of application. In conclusion, our study will be a valuable contribution to the community and helps the quality assessment model developers in formulating newer models and also to the practitioners (software evaluators) in selecting suitable OSS in the midst of alternatives.

Water Quality Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Loads Information (ATTAINS)

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Water Quality Assessment TMDL Tracking And Implementation System (ATTAINS) stores and tracks state water quality assessment decisions, Total Maximum Daily Loads...

Changes in Transformational Leadership and Empirical Quality Outcomes in a Finnish Hospital over a Two-Year Period: A Longitudinal Study

Science.gov (United States)

Mäntynen, Raija; Vehviläinen-Julkunen, Katri; Partanen, Pirjo; Turunen, Hannele; Miettinen, Merja; Kvist, Tarja

2014-01-01

This paper describes the changes in transformational leadership and quality outcomes that occurred between 2008 and 2011 in a Finnish university hospital that is aiming to meet the Magnet standards. Measurements were conducted in 2008-2009 and subsequently in 2010-2011 by surveying nursing staff and patients. Nursing staff were surveyed using web-based surveys to collect data on transformational leadership (n 1 = 499, n 2 = 498) and patient safety culture (n 1 = 234, n 2 = 512) and using both postal and web-based surveys to gather information on job satisfaction (n 1 = 1176, n 2 = 779). Questionnaires were used to collect data on care satisfaction from patients (n 1 = 678, n 2 = 867). Transformational leadership was measured using the 54-item TLS, job satisfaction with the 37-item KUHJSS, patient safety culture with the 42-item HSPSC, and patient satisfaction using the 42-item RHCS questionnaire. Transformational leadership, which was the weakest area, was at the same level between the two measurement occasions. Job satisfaction scores increased between 2008 and 2010, although they were generally excellent in 2008. The scores for nonpunitive responses to errors and events reported were also higher in the 2010-2011 surveys. The highest empirical outcome scores related to patient satisfaction. The project and the development initiatives undertaken since 2008 seem to have had positive effects on empirical quality outcomes. PMID:25009744

42 CFR 493.1299 - Standard: Postanalytic systems quality assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: Postanalytic systems quality assessment. 493.1299 Section 493.1299 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH....1291. (b) The postanalytic systems quality assessment must include a review of the effectiveness of...

42 CFR 493.1249 - Standard: Preanalytic systems quality assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: Preanalytic systems quality assessment. 493.1249 Section 493.1249 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH....1241 through 493.1242. (b) The preanalytic systems quality assessment must include a review of the...

Food quality assessment in parent-offspring dyads

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bech-Larsen, Tino; Jensen, Birger Boutrup

When the buyer and the consumer of a food product are not identical, the risk of discrepancies between food quality expectations and experiences is even higher. We introduce the concept of dyadic quality assessment and apply it to an exploration of parents' willingness to pay for new and healthier...

Analysis of quality raw data of second generation sequencers with Quality Assessment Software.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Rommel Tj; Carneiro, Adriana R; Baumbach, Jan; Azevedo, Vasco; Schneider, Maria Pc; Silva, Artur

2011-04-18

Second generation technologies have advantages over Sanger; however, they have resulted in new challenges for the genome construction process, especially because of the small size of the reads, despite the high degree of coverage. Independent of the program chosen for the construction process, DNA sequences are superimposed, based on identity, to extend the reads, generating contigs; mismatches indicate a lack of homology and are not included. This process improves our confidence in the sequences that are generated. We developed Quality Assessment Software, with which one can review graphs showing the distribution of quality values from the sequencing reads. This software allow us to adopt more stringent quality standards for sequence data, based on quality-graph analysis and estimated coverage after applying the quality filter, providing acceptable sequence coverage for genome construction from short reads. Quality filtering is a fundamental step in the process of constructing genomes, as it reduces the frequency of incorrect alignments that are caused by measuring errors, which can occur during the construction process due to the size of the reads, provoking misassemblies. Application of quality filters to sequence data, using the software Quality Assessment, along with graphing analyses, provided greater precision in the definition of cutoff parameters, which increased the accuracy of genome construction.

Assessing for suicidal behavior in youth using the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Meter, Anna R; Algorta, Guillermo Perez; Youngstrom, Eric A; Lechtman, Yana; Youngstrom, Jen K; Feeny, Norah C; Findling, Robert L

2018-02-01

This study investigated the clinical utility of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) for identifying youth at risk for suicide. Specifically, we investigated how well the Total Problems scores and the sum of two suicide-related items (#18 "Deliberately harms self or attempts suicide" and #91 "Talks about killing self") were able to distinguish youth with a history of suicidal behavior. Youth (N = 1117) aged 5-18 were recruited for two studies of mental illness. History of suicidal behavior was assessed by semi-structured interviews (K-SADS) with youth and caregivers. Youth, caregivers, and a primary teacher each completed the appropriate form (YSR, CBCL, and TRF, respectively) of the ASEBA. Areas under the curve (AUCs) from ROC analyses and diagnostic likelihood ratios (DLRs) were used to measure the ability of both Total Problems T scores, as well as the summed score of two suicide-related items, to identify youth with a history of suicidal behavior. The Suicide Items from the CBCL and YSR performed well (AUCs = 0.85 and 0.70, respectively). The TRF Suicide Items did not perform better than chance, AUC = 0.45. The AUCs for the Total Problems scores were poor-to-fair (0.33-0.65). The CBCL Suicide Items outperformed all other scores (ps = 0.04 to youth's risk for suicidal behavior. The low burden of this approach could facilitate wide-spread screening for suicide in an increasingly at-risk population.

Assessing the quality of healthcare provided to children.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangione-Smith, R; McGlynn, E A

1998-10-01

To present a conceptual framework for evaluating quality of care for children and adolescents, summarize the key issues related to developing measures to assess pediatric quality of care, examine some existing measures, and present evidence about their current level of performance. Assessing the quality of care for children poses many challenges not encountered when making these measurements in the adult population. Children and adolescents (from this point forward referred to collectively as children unless differentiation is necessary) differ from adults in two clinically important ways (Jameson and Wehr 1993): (1) their normal developmental trajectory is characterized by change, and (2) they have differential morbidity. These factors contribute to the limitations encountered when developing measures to assess the quality of care for children. The movement of a child through the various stages of development makes it difficult to establish what constitutes a "normal" outcome and by extension what constitutes a poor outcome. Additionally, salient developmental outcomes that result from poor quality of care may not be observed for several years. This implies that poor outcomes may be observed when the child is receiving care from a delivery system other than the one that provided the low-quality care. Attributing the suboptimal outcome to the new delivery system would be inappropriate. Differential morbidity refers to the fact that the type, prevalence, and severity of illness experienced by children is measurably different from that observed in adults. Most children experience numerous self-limited illness of mild severity. A minority of children suffer from markedly more severe diseases. Thus, condition-specific measures in children are problematic to implement for routine assessments because of the extremely low incidence and prevalence of most severe pediatric diseases (Halfon 1996). However, children with these conditions are potentially the segment of the

A comprehensive framework for data quality assessment in CER.

Science.gov (United States)

Holve, Erin; Kahn, Michael; Nahm, Meredith; Ryan, Patrick; Weiskopf, Nicole

2013-01-01

The panel addresses the urgent need to ensure that comparative effectiveness research (CER) findings derived from diverse and distributed data sources are based on credible, high-quality data; and that the methods used to assess and report data quality are consistent, comprehensive, and available to data consumers. The panel consists of representatives from four teams leveraging electronic clinical data for CER, patient centered outcomes research (PCOR), and quality improvement (QI) and seeks to change the current paradigm where data quality assessment (DQA) is performed "behind the scenes" using one-off project specific methods. The panelists will present their process of harmonizing existing models for describing and measuring clinical data quality and will describe a comprehensive integrated framework for assessing and reporting DQA findings. The collaborative project is supported by the Electronic Data Methods (EDM) Forum, a three-year grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to facilitate learning and foster collaboration across a set of CER, PCOR, and QI projects designed to build infrastructure and methods for collecting and analyzing prospective data from electronic clinical data .

Selected Aspects of Assessment/Improvement of Academic Research Quality, Also of Industrial Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jemala Marek

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In terms of publishing and commercialisation of academic research results, there may be more preferred qualitative research in the long term. But, not every research can be focused only on the quality of its outputs, but each output of the research, however, should have an adequate quality and added value. The main research question of this article may be determined as follows – How can the quality of academic research be better evaluated and thus improved, also in the area of Industrial management? It is not the intention of this article to perform statistical research in the field yet, but this study is based on empirical data and results.

AVLIS Production Plant Preliminary Quality Assurance Plan and Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

This preliminary Quality Assurance Plan and Assessment establishes the Quality Assurance requirements for the AVLIS Production Plant Project. The Quality Assurance Plan defines the management approach, organization, interfaces, and controls that will be used in order to provide adequate confidence that the AVLIS Production Plant design, procurement, construction, fabrication, installation, start-up, and operation are accomplished within established goals and objectives. The Quality Assurance Program defined in this document includes a system for assessing those elements of the project whose failure would have a significant impact on safety, environment, schedule, cost, or overall plant objectives. As elements of the project are assessed, classifications are provided to establish and assure that special actions are defined which will eliminate or reduce the probability of occurrence or control the consequences of failure. 8 figures, 18 tables

Quality Assurance--Best Practices for Assessing Online Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qi

2006-01-01

Educators have long sought to define quality in education. With the proliferation of distance education and online learning powered by the Internet, the tasks required to assess the quality of online programs become even more challenging. To assist educators and institutions in search of quality assurance methods to continuously improve their…

42 CFR 493.1289 - Standard: Analytic systems quality assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: Analytic systems quality assessment. 493.1289 Section 493.1289 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... through 493.1283. (b) The analytic systems quality assessment must include a review of the effectiveness...

Inferring causal molecular networks: empirical assessment through a community-based effort.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Steven M; Heiser, Laura M; Cokelaer, Thomas; Unger, Michael; Nesser, Nicole K; Carlin, Daniel E; Zhang, Yang; Sokolov, Artem; Paull, Evan O; Wong, Chris K; Graim, Kiley; Bivol, Adrian; Wang, Haizhou; Zhu, Fan; Afsari, Bahman; Danilova, Ludmila V; Favorov, Alexander V; Lee, Wai Shing; Taylor, Dane; Hu, Chenyue W; Long, Byron L; Noren, David P; Bisberg, Alexander J; Mills, Gordon B; Gray, Joe W; Kellen, Michael; Norman, Thea; Friend, Stephen; Qutub, Amina A; Fertig, Elana J; Guan, Yuanfang; Song, Mingzhou; Stuart, Joshua M; Spellman, Paul T; Koeppl, Heinz; Stolovitzky, Gustavo; Saez-Rodriguez, Julio; Mukherjee, Sach

2016-04-01

It remains unclear whether causal, rather than merely correlational, relationships in molecular networks can be inferred in complex biological settings. Here we describe the HPN-DREAM network inference challenge, which focused on learning causal influences in signaling networks. We used phosphoprotein data from cancer cell lines as well as in silico data from a nonlinear dynamical model. Using the phosphoprotein data, we scored more than 2,000 networks submitted by challenge participants. The networks spanned 32 biological contexts and were scored in terms of causal validity with respect to unseen interventional data. A number of approaches were effective, and incorporating known biology was generally advantageous. Additional sub-challenges considered time-course prediction and visualization. Our results suggest that learning causal relationships may be feasible in complex settings such as disease states. Furthermore, our scoring approach provides a practical way to empirically assess inferred molecular networks in a causal sense.

Quality assessment of immobilized wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rzyski, B.M.; Suarez, A.A.

1988-01-01

A final repository concept for LLW and ILW is being studied in Brazil. It is thus now possible to assess in a systematic way the requirements on the waste packages in each step of the treatment, conditioning, storage, transport, disposal and the quality control procedure needed to show the requirements are fulfilled. The methodology to perform this assessment is discussed in this paper. The results of this methodology is proposed as basis for the licencing of the disposal of different waste packages in Brazil. (author) [pt

Audiovisual quality assessment in communications applications: Current status, trends and challenges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Korhonen, Jari

2010-01-01

Audiovisual quality assessment is one of the major challenges in multimedia communications. Traditionally, algorithm-based (objective) assessment methods have focused primarily on the compression artifacts. However, compression is only one of the numerous factors influencing the perception...... addressed in practical quality metrics is the co-impact of audio and video qualities. This paper provides an overview of the current trends and challenges in objective audiovisual quality assessment, with emphasis on communication applications...

42 CFR 460.132 - Quality assessment and performance improvement plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Quality assessment and performance improvement plan... assessment and performance improvement plan. (a) Basic rule. A PACE organization must have a written quality assessment and performance improvement plan. (b) Annual review. The PACE governing body must review the plan...

SAQC: SNP Array Quality Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Ling-Hui

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP arrays containing hundreds of thousands of SNPs from the human genome have proven useful for studying important human genome questions. Data quality of SNP arrays plays a key role in the accuracy and precision of downstream data analyses. However, good indices for assessing data quality of SNP arrays have not yet been developed. Results We developed new quality indices to measure the quality of SNP arrays and/or DNA samples and investigated their statistical properties. The indices quantify a departure of estimated individual-level allele frequencies (AFs from expected frequencies via standardized distances. The proposed quality indices followed lognormal distributions in several large genomic studies that we empirically evaluated. AF reference data and quality index reference data for different SNP array platforms were established based on samples from various reference populations. Furthermore, a confidence interval method based on the underlying empirical distributions of quality indices was developed to identify poor-quality SNP arrays and/or DNA samples. Analyses of authentic biological data and simulated data show that this new method is sensitive and specific for the detection of poor-quality SNP arrays and/or DNA samples. Conclusions This study introduces new quality indices, establishes references for AFs and quality indices, and develops a detection method for poor-quality SNP arrays and/or DNA samples. We have developed a new computer program that utilizes these methods called SNP Array Quality Control (SAQC. SAQC software is written in R and R-GUI and was developed as a user-friendly tool for the visualization and evaluation of data quality of genome-wide SNP arrays. The program is available online (http://www.stat.sinica.edu.tw/hsinchou/genetics/quality/SAQC.htm.

DOGMA: domain-based transcriptome and proteome quality assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Dohmen, Elias; Kremer, Lukas P M; Bornberg-Bauer, Erich; Kemena, Carsten

2016-09-01

Genome studies have become cheaper and easier than ever before, due to the decreased costs of high-throughput sequencing and the free availability of analysis software. However, the quality of genome or transcriptome assemblies can vary a lot. Therefore, quality assessment of assemblies and annotations are crucial aspects of genome analysis pipelines. We developed DOGMA, a program for fast and easy quality assessment of transcriptome and proteome data based on conserved protein domains. DOGMA measures the completeness of a given transcriptome or proteome and provides information about domain content for further analysis. DOGMA provides a very fast way to do quality assessment within seconds. DOGMA is implemented in Python and published under GNU GPL v.3 license. The source code is available on https://ebbgit.uni-muenster.de/domainWorld/DOGMA/ CONTACTS: e.dohmen@wwu.de or c.kemena@wwu.de Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Standard setting and quality of assessment: A conceptual approach ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Quality performance standards and the effect of assessment outcomes are important in the educational milieu, as assessment remains the representative ... not be seen as a methodological process of setting pass/fail cut-off points only, but as a powerful catalyst for quality improvements in HPE by promoting excellence in ...

Strategic environmental assessment quality assurance: evaluating and improving the consistency of judgments in assessment panels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noble, Bram F.

2004-01-01

Assessment panels and expert judgment are playing increasing roles in the practice of strategic environmental assessment (SEA). Thus, the quality of an SEA decision rests considerably on the quality of the judgments of the assessment panel. However, there exists very little guidance in the SEA literature for practitioners concerning the treatment and integration of expert judgment into SEA decision-making processes. Subsequently, the performance of SEAs based on expert judgment is often less than satisfactory, and quality improvements are required in the SEA process. Based on the lessons learned from strategic- and project-level impact assessment practices, this paper outlines a number of principles concerning the use of assessment panels in SEA decision-making, and attempts to provide some guidance for SEA practitioners in this regard. Particular attention is given to the notion and value of consistency in assessment panel judgments

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES TRAINING: CRITERIA FOR INTERNAL QUALITY ASSESSMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oleg M. Spirin

2011-02-01

Full Text Available In the article the concept of information and communication technology training is specified. It is grounded an internal criteria of information and communication technologies training quality assessment based on experience of the organization, carrying out, analysis of experimental work results on quality assessment of designing, working out, efficiency of methodical system of informatics teachers base vocational training introduction in the conditions of credit-modular technology. Indicators and approaches of their assessment to define the criteria degree are resulted. Indicators of criteria "level differentiation", "individualization" and "intensification" of educational process for information and communication technologies training quality assessment are specified.

Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model

Science.gov (United States)

The Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM), released in 2002, is a guidance tool designed for use by building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality in commercial buildings.

Research on Evaluation Use: A Review of the Empirical Literature from 1986 to 2005

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Kelli; Greenseid, Lija O.; Toal, Stacie A.; King, Jean A.; Lawrenz, Frances; Volkov, Boris

2009-01-01

This paper reviews empirical research on the use of evaluation from 1986 to 2005 using Cousins and Leithwood's 1986 framework for categorizing empirical studies of evaluation use conducted since that time. The literature review located 41 empirical studies of evaluation use conducted between 1986 and 2005 that met minimum quality standards. The…

Quality of Experience Assessment of Video Quality in Social Clouds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asif Ali Laghari

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Video sharing on social clouds is popular among the users around the world. High-Definition (HD videos have big file size so the storing in cloud storage and streaming of videos with high quality from cloud to the client are a big problem for service providers. Social clouds compress the videos to save storage and stream over slow networks to provide quality of service (QoS. Compression of video decreases the quality compared to original video and parameters are changed during the online play as well as after download. Degradation of video quality due to compression decreases the quality of experience (QoE level of end users. To assess the QoE of video compression, we conducted subjective (QoE experiments by uploading, sharing, and playing videos from social clouds. Three popular social clouds, Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, were selected to upload and play videos online for users. The QoE was recorded by using questionnaire given to users to provide their experience about the video quality they perceive. Results show that Facebook and Twitter compressed HD videos more as compared to other clouds. However, Facebook gives a better quality of compressed videos compared to Twitter. Therefore, users assigned low ratings for Twitter for online video quality compared to Tumblr that provided high-quality online play of videos with less compression.

Self-Organizing Maps for Fingerprint Image Quality Assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Martin Aastrup; Tabassi, Elham; Makarov, Anton

2013-01-01

Fingerprint quality assessment is a crucial task which needs to be conducted accurately in various phases in the biometric enrolment and recognition processes. Neglecting quality measurement will adversely impact accuracy and efficiency of biometric recognition systems (e.g. verification and iden......Fingerprint quality assessment is a crucial task which needs to be conducted accurately in various phases in the biometric enrolment and recognition processes. Neglecting quality measurement will adversely impact accuracy and efficiency of biometric recognition systems (e.g. verification...... machine learning techniques. We train a self-organizing map (SOM) to cluster blocks of fingerprint images based on their spatial information content. The output of the SOM is a high-level representation of the finger image, which forms the input to a Random Forest trained to learn the relationship between...

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2011-04-01

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

Public Management Reform and Organizational Performance: An Empirical Assessment of the U.K. Labour Government's Public Service Improvement Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Richard M.; Boyne, George A.

2006-01-01

We present the first empirical assessment of the U.K. Labour government's program of public management reform. This reform program is based on rational planning, devolution and delegation, flexibility and incentives, and enhanced choice. Measures of these variables are tested against external and internal indicators of organizational performance.…

Methodological Quality Assessment of Meta-analyses in Endodontics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kattan, Sereen; Lee, Su-Min; Kohli, Meetu R; Setzer, Frank C; Karabucak, Bekir

2018-01-01

The objectives of this review were to assess the methodological quality of published meta-analyses related to endodontics using the assessment of multiple systematic reviews (AMSTAR) tool and to provide a follow-up to previously published reviews. Three electronic databases were searched for eligible studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria: Embase via Ovid, The Cochrane Library, and Scopus. The electronic search was amended by a hand search of 6 dental journals (International Endodontic Journal; Journal of Endodontics; Australian Endodontic Journal; Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology; Endodontics and Dental Traumatology; and Journal of Dental Research). The searches were conducted to include articles published after July 2009, and the deadline for inclusion of the meta-analyses was November 30, 2016. The AMSTAR assessment tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality of all included studies. A total of 36 reports of meta-analyses were included. The overall quality of the meta-analyses reports was found to be medium, with an estimated mean overall AMSTAR score of 7.25 (95% confidence interval, 6.59-7.90). The most poorly assessed areas were providing an a priori design, the assessment of the status of publication, and publication bias. In recent publications in the field of endodontics, the overall quality of the reported meta-analyses is medium according to AMSTAR. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The N-Pact Factor: Evaluating the Quality of Empirical Journals with Respect to Sample Size and Statistical Power

Science.gov (United States)

Fraley, R. Chris; Vazire, Simine

2014-01-01

The authors evaluate the quality of research reported in major journals in social-personality psychology by ranking those journals with respect to their N-pact Factors (NF)—the statistical power of the empirical studies they publish to detect typical effect sizes. Power is a particularly important attribute for evaluating research quality because, relative to studies that have low power, studies that have high power are more likely to (a) to provide accurate estimates of effects, (b) to produce literatures with low false positive rates, and (c) to lead to replicable findings. The authors show that the average sample size in social-personality research is 104 and that the power to detect the typical effect size in the field is approximately 50%. Moreover, they show that there is considerable variation among journals in sample sizes and power of the studies they publish, with some journals consistently publishing higher power studies than others. The authors hope that these rankings will be of use to authors who are choosing where to submit their best work, provide hiring and promotion committees with a superior way of quantifying journal quality, and encourage competition among journals to improve their NF rankings. PMID:25296159

A simple semi-empirical technique for apportioning the impact of roadways on air quality in an urban neighbourhood

Science.gov (United States)

Elangasinghe, M. A.; Dirks, K. N.; Singhal, N.; Costello, S. B.; Longley, I.; Salmond, J. A.

2014-02-01

Air pollution from the transport sector has a marked effect on human health, so isolating the pollutant contribution from a roadway is important in understanding its impact on the local neighbourhood. This paper proposes a novel technique based on a semi-empirical air pollution model to quantify the impact from a roadway on the air quality of a local neighbourhood using ambient records of a single air pollution monitor. We demonstrate the proposed technique using a case study, in which we quantify the contribution from a major highway with respect to the local background concentration in Auckland, New Zealand. Comparing the diurnal variation of the model-separated background contribution with real measurements from a site upwind of the highway shows that the model estimates are reliable. Amongst all of the pollutants considered, the best estimations of the background were achieved for nitrogen oxides. Although the multi-pronged approach worked well for predominantly vehicle-related pollutants, it could not be used effectively to isolate emissions of PM10 due to the complex and less predictable influence of natural sources (such as marine aerosols). The proposed approach is useful in situations where ambient records from an upwind background station are not available (as required by other techniques) and is potentially transferable to situations such as intersections and arterial roads. Applying this technique to longer time series could help to understand the changes in pollutant concentrations from the road and background sources for different emission scenarios, for different years or seasons. Modelling results also show the potential of such a hybrid semi-empirical models to contribute to our understanding of the physical parameters determining air quality and to validate emissions inventory data.

Quality Assessment of TPB-Based Questionnaires: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Oluka, Obiageli Crystal; Nie, Shaofa; Sun, Yi

2014-01-01

Objective This review is aimed at assessing the quality of questionnaires and their development process based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) change model. Methods A systematic literature search for studies with the primary aim of TPB-based questionnaire development was conducted in relevant databases between 2002 and 2012 using selected search terms. Ten of 1,034 screened abstracts met the inclusion criteria and were assessed for methodological quality using two different appraisal tools: one for the overall methodological quality of each study and the other developed for the appraisal of the questionnaire content and development process. Both appraisal tools consisted of items regarding the likelihood of bias in each study and were eventually combined to give the overall quality score for each included study. Results 8 of the 10 included studies showed low risk of bias in the overall quality assessment of each study, while 9 of the studies were of high quality based on the quality appraisal of questionnaire content and development process. Conclusion Quality appraisal of the questionnaires in the 10 reviewed studies was successfully conducted, highlighting the top problem areas (including: sample size estimation; inclusion of direct and indirect measures; and inclusion of questions on demographics) in the development of TPB-based questionnaires and the need for researchers to provide a more detailed account of their development process. PMID:24722323

Crowdsourcing based subjective quality assessment of adaptive video streaming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shahid, M.; Søgaard, Jacob; Pokhrel, J.

2014-01-01

In order to cater for user’s quality of experience (QoE) re- quirements, HTTP adaptive streaming (HAS) based solutions of video services have become popular recently. User QoE feedback can be instrumental in improving the capabilities of such services. Perceptual quality experiments that involve...... humans are considered to be the most valid method of the as- sessment of QoE. Besides lab-based subjective experiments, crowdsourcing based subjective assessment of video quality is gaining popularity as an alternative method. This paper presents insights into a study that investigates perceptual pref......- erences of various adaptive video streaming scenarios through crowdsourcing based subjective quality assessment....

Assessment of quality indicators in spanish higher military education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olmos Gómez Maria del Carmen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The quality assessment is subject to multiple interpretations of its content and purpose, and also regarding to methods and techniques used to develop it. Although purposes of assessment are varied, usually pursuit three goals: Improvement, accountability and information. Currently, the concept of quality evaluation has been replaced by the management of educational quality, as Matthew [6] point “the new culture of evaluation is no longer oriented to penalty, ranking or selection of people, as provide a reasoned and reasonable information to guide the management of educational improvement”. Military Training Centres are externally evaluated by an experts External Evaluation Unit to identify strengths and weaknesses on their self-evaluation system and focus on important aspects related to the organization of the Centre, development of work plans, teacher’s style and students learning strategies, system of evaluation and qualification and accurate recommendations to improve all that. This research focuses on the evaluation of quality indicators for the external evaluation of higher education at Military Education Centres in Spain and it is funded by a joint project between University of Granada and MADOC. The technique used for collecting and analysing information was a content description of several documents provided by these military educational authorities, arising the identification and extraction of relevant indicators on the evaluation of higher education. This analysis was primarily based on standards and indicators systems by ANECA (National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation adapted to the Military Higher Education, but also it was consider other standards by international agencies and evaluative institutions, such as University of Chile, University of Paraguay, Canarias Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation and Agency for Quality Education System University of Castilla y León. The analysis realize a usual

Assessment of quality indicators in Spanish higher military education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olmos Gómez Maria del Carmen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The quality assessment is subject to multiple interpretations of its content and purpose, and also regarding to methods and techniques used to develop it. Although purposes of assessment are varied, usually pursuit three goals: Improvement, accountability and information. Currently, the concept of quality evaluation has been replaced by the management of educational quality, as Matthew [6] point “the new culture of evaluation is no longer oriented to penalty, ranking or selection of people, as provide a reasoned and reasonable information to guide the management of educational improvement”. Military Training Centres are externally evaluated by an experts External Evaluation Unit to identify strengths and weaknesses on their self-evaluation system and focus on important aspects related to the organization of the Centre, development of work plans, teacher’s style and students learning strategies, system of evaluation and qualification and accurate recommendations to improve all that. This research focuses on the evaluation of quality indicators for the external evaluation of higher education at Military Education Centres in Spain and it is funded by a joint project between University of Granada and MADOC. The technique used for collecting and analysing information was a content description of several documents provided by these military educational authorities, arising the identification and extraction of relevant indicators on the evaluation of higher education. This analysis was primarily based on standards and indicators systems by ANECA (National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation adapted to the Military Higher Education, but also it was consider other standards by international agencies and evaluative institutions, such as University of Chile, University of Paraguay, Canarias Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation and Agency for Quality Education System University of Castilla y León. The analysis realize a usual

The Quality of Deliberation in Two Committees of the European Parliament: The Neglected Influence of the Situational Context and the Policymaking Stage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Léa Roger

2013-10-01

Full Text Available In our paper we try to answer two empirical research questions. First, we assess the deliberative quality of discussions in two committees of the EU Parliament. In order to do so, we use a slightly revised version of the DQI. Second, we identify and empirically measure those variables that systematically influence the quality of deliberation in interviews with debate actors. We argue that the quality of deliberation in EU committees is influenced by two normative values: deliberation (common good orientation and responsiveness (particular interest orientation, with the guiding value determined by the particular situation. Using a multidimensional concept of deliberation, we empirically test the impact of situational variables on specific aspects of deliberative quality. In addition, we take into account the temporal dimension of deliberation.

Protein single-model quality assessment by feature-based probability density functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Renzhi; Cheng, Jianlin

2016-04-04

Protein quality assessment (QA) has played an important role in protein structure prediction. We developed a novel single-model quality assessment method-Qprob. Qprob calculates the absolute error for each protein feature value against the true quality scores (i.e. GDT-TS scores) of protein structural models, and uses them to estimate its probability density distribution for quality assessment. Qprob has been blindly tested on the 11th Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction (CASP11) as MULTICOM-NOVEL server. The official CASP result shows that Qprob ranks as one of the top single-model QA methods. In addition, Qprob makes contributions to our protein tertiary structure predictor MULTICOM, which is officially ranked 3rd out of 143 predictors. The good performance shows that Qprob is good at assessing the quality of models of hard targets. These results demonstrate that this new probability density distribution based method is effective for protein single-model quality assessment and is useful for protein structure prediction. The webserver of Qprob is available at: http://calla.rnet.missouri.edu/qprob/. The software is now freely available in the web server of Qprob.

Empirical evaluation of the Process Overview Measure for assessing situation awareness in process plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Nathan; Jamieson, Greg A; Skraaning, Gyrd

2016-03-01

The Process Overview Measure is a query-based measure developed to assess operator situation awareness (SA) from monitoring process plants. A companion paper describes how the measure has been developed according to process plant properties and operator cognitive work. The Process Overview Measure demonstrated practicality, sensitivity, validity and reliability in two full-scope simulator experiments investigating dramatically different operational concepts. Practicality was assessed based on qualitative feedback of participants and researchers. The Process Overview Measure demonstrated sensitivity and validity by revealing significant effects of experimental manipulations that corroborated with other empirical results. The measure also demonstrated adequate inter-rater reliability and practicality for measuring SA in full-scope simulator settings based on data collected on process experts. Thus, full-scope simulator studies can employ the Process Overview Measure to reveal the impact of new control room technology and operational concepts on monitoring process plants. Practitioner Summary: The Process Overview Measure is a query-based measure that demonstrated practicality, sensitivity, validity and reliability for assessing operator situation awareness (SA) from monitoring process plants in representative settings.

Constraints and Dedication as Drivers for Relationship Commitment: An Empirical Study in a Health-Care Context

OpenAIRE

Gaby Odekerken-Schröder; Bloemer Josée

2002-01-01

The objective of this study is to empirically determine the role of constraints and dedication as drivers of relationship commitment as most of the existing work is of a conceptual nature only. We assess how and to which extent these two drivers fit into the established relationships between overall service quality, satisfaction, trust and commitment. Using LISREL, we estimate the conceptual model based on a sample of customers of health-care centers. The results indicate that both constraint...

Soil structural quality assessment for soil protection regulation

Science.gov (United States)

Johannes, Alice; Boivin, Pascal

2017-04-01

Soil quality assessment is rapidly developing worldwide, though mostly focused on the monitoring of arable land and soil fertility. Soil protection regulations assess soil quality differently, focusing on priority pollutants and threshold values. The soil physical properties are weakly considered, due to lack of consensus and experimental difficulties faced with characterization. Non-disputable, easy to perform and inexpensive methods should be available for environmental regulation to be applied, which is unfortunately not the case. As a consequence, quantitative soil physical protection regulation is not applied, and inexpensive soil physical quality indicators for arable soil management are not available. Overcoming these limitations was the objective of a research project funded by the Swiss federal office for environment (FOEN). The main results and the perspectives of application are given in this presentation. A first step of the research was to characterize soils in a good structural state (reference soils) under different land use. The structural quality was assessed with field expertise and Visual Evaluation of the Soil Structure (VESS), and the physical properties were assessed with Shrinkage analysis. The relationships between the physical properties and the soil constituents were linear and highly determined. They represent the reference properties of the corresponding soils. In a second step, the properties of physically degraded soils were analysed and compared to the reference properties. This allowed defining the most discriminant parameters departing the different structure qualities and their threshold limits. Equivalent properties corresponding to these parameters but inexpensive and easy to determine were defined and tested. More than 90% of the samples were correctly classed with this method, which meets, therefore, the requirements for practical application in regulation. Moreover, result-oriented agri-environmental schemes for soil quality

Identifying approaches for assessing methodological and reporting quality of systematic reviews

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pussegoda, Kusala; Turner, Lucy; Garritty, Chantelle

2017-01-01

there are potential gaps in research best-practice guidance materials. The aims of this study are to identify reports assessing the methodological quality (MQ) and/or reporting quality (RQ) of a cohort of SRs and to assess their number, general characteristics, and approaches to 'quality' assessment over time......BACKGROUND: The methodological quality and completeness of reporting of the systematic reviews (SRs) is fundamental to optimal implementation of evidence-based health care and the reduction of research waste. Methods exist to appraise SRs yet little is known about how they are used in SRs or where...... or reporting guidelines used as proxy to assess RQ were used in 80% (61/76) of identified reports. These included two reporting guidelines (PRISMA and QUOROM) and five quality assessment tools (AMSTAR, R-AMSTAR, OQAQ, Mulrow, Sacks) and GRADE criteria. The remaining 24% (18/76) of reports developed their own...

Exploring the Notion of Quality in Quality Higher Education Assessment in a Collaborative Future

Science.gov (United States)

Maguire, Kate; Gibbs, Paul

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article is to contribute to the debate on the notion of quality in higher education with particular focus on "objectifying through articulation" the assessment of quality by professional experts. The article gives an overview of the differentiations of quality as used in higher education. It explores a substantial…

Economic Growth and the Environment. An empirical analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Bruyn, S.M.

1999-12-21

A number of economists have claimed that economic growth benefits environmental quality as it raises political support and financial means for environmental policy measures. Since the early 1990s this view has increasingly been supported by empirical evidence that has challenged the traditional belief held by environmentalists that economic growth degrades the environment. This study investigates the relationship between economic growth and environmental quality and elaborates the question whether economic growth can be combined with a reduced demand for natural resources. Various hypotheses on this relationship are described and empirically tested for a number of indicators of environmental pressure. The outcome of the tests advocates the use of alternative models for estimation that alter conclusions about the relationship between economic growth and the environment and give insight into the driving forces of emission reduction in developed economies. refs.

Metal Distribution in Urban Agricultural Soils in the Inland Empire, California

Science.gov (United States)

Marin, C. C. E.

2015-12-01

Urban environments exhibit unique biogeochemistry due to the presence of a myriad of anthropogenic sources of contaminants. One potential route through which humans have been exposed to metal contaminants is the ingestion of food produced on urban soils. The Inland Empire is a metropolitan located in semi-arid region of Southern California with greater than 4 million residents, where the growing population is demonstrating an increase in citizen participation in contributing to expanding local food systems. In response to the demand for locally grown produce, the Inland Empire is undergoing rapid land use change, where large tracts of land on the periphery of cities, including Riverside, are being converted or set aside for urban agriculture, though the quality of the soil for food production is unknown. At the same time, smaller gardens and farms are growing in number within the more densely populated areas. Assessing the quality of urban soil currently used for food production in this region can aid in projecting how land use change will affect the quality of crops produced as urban agriculture continues to expand in arid regions. Soil samples were taken from a variety of land use types, including areas currently producing crops and areas set aside for future large scale food production. Samples were collected at the surface (0-2 cm) and below till depth (20-22 cm). These soils were analyzed for total carbon including organic and inorganic carbon fractions, total nitrogen, bulk metal and trace metal concentrations (including As, Mn, Cr, Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu). To approximate the mobility of the trace elements under various conditions, extraction tests were also performed, including EPA Pb bioavailability analysis. Finally, we utilize statistical tools and spatial analysis to illustrate the relationship between previous land use, current land use, and soil quality for urban crop production.

Managing postgraduate research service quality: Developing and assessing a conceptual model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shawn Ramroop

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This paper reports on the conceptual development and empirical evaluation of a postgraduate (PG research service quality management model, through conducting an electronic survey among a cohort of master’s and doctorate graduates at one of the top three research universities in South Africa, using specifically developed and validated research instruments.By fitting the data from a sample of 117 graduates to a conceptual model using structural equation modelling, it became evident that the PG research students’ perception of the Organisational Climate for Research (OCR is associated with their perception of the PG Research Service Quality (PGSQUAL, the PG Service Experience (SERVEXP and their perception of their Role (RC. However, no association was found between the students’ perception of the research climate (OCR and their satisfaction (SERVSAT with the research service; the service experience (SERVEXP and postgraduate research service quality (PGSQUAL; service satisfaction (SERVSAT and postgraduate service quality (PGSQUAL.  The aforementioned findings imply that higher education institutions need to create a research climate which is supportive of service quality, and better manage the research climate, so that the PG students are clear about their role, which will eventually translate to a better PG service experience and improved perception of PG service quality.

Development of Instruments to Assess Shame and Guilt in Adolescents: Empirical Differences Between the Constructs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorena Maria Laskoski

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Shame and guilt are terms easily mixed in everyday life and often used as synonyms. Although they are words of similar use, they represent theoretically different moral emotions. The aims of this study were to develop and validate instruments to assess shame and guilt and to test the empirical independence of the constructs. Five hundred and eighty high school students from three Brazilian states participated in this study, 55% of them female, with an average age of 16.0 years. The participants answered a questionnaire containing socio demographic questions and scales designed for this study in order to assess shame and guilt. The scales developed gave appropriate evidence of validity and reliability. A single factor was extracted to assess shame and two factors to assess guilt (recognition of mistake and regret. The constructs revealed to be correlated, but independent. It is considered that there is sufficient evidence to affirm that shame and guilt are emotions with distinctive peculiarities and can be measured using the instruments developed in this research.

Use of Principal Components Analysis and Kriging to Predict Groundwater-Sourced Rural Drinking Water Quality in Saskatchewan.

Science.gov (United States)

McLeod, Lianne; Bharadwaj, Lalita; Epp, Tasha; Waldner, Cheryl L

2017-09-15

Groundwater drinking water supply surveillance data were accessed to summarize water quality delivered as public and private water supplies in southern Saskatchewan as part of an exposure assessment for epidemiologic analyses of associations between water quality and type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Arsenic in drinking water has been linked to a variety of chronic diseases and previous studies have identified multiple wells with arsenic above the drinking water standard of 0.01 mg/L; therefore, arsenic concentrations were of specific interest. Principal components analysis was applied to obtain principal component (PC) scores to summarize mixtures of correlated parameters identified as health standards and those identified as aesthetic objectives in the Saskatchewan Drinking Water Quality Standards and Objective. Ordinary, universal, and empirical Bayesian kriging were used to interpolate arsenic concentrations and PC scores in southern Saskatchewan, and the results were compared. Empirical Bayesian kriging performed best across all analyses, based on having the greatest number of variables for which the root mean square error was lowest. While all of the kriging methods appeared to underestimate high values of arsenic and PC scores, empirical Bayesian kriging was chosen to summarize large scale geographic trends in groundwater-sourced drinking water quality and assess exposure to mixtures of trace metals and ions.

An empirical assessment of service quality in the context of travel agencies in the Republic of Macedonia

OpenAIRE

Anita Ciunova-Shuleska; Nikolina Palamidovska; Marija Grishin

2013-01-01

This paper investigates the service quality of travel agencies in the Republic of Macedonia from a customer perspective. Its authors applied a modified version of the SERVQUAL instrument for measuring service quality. The results of the performed paired sample t-testing indicated significant differences between expectations and perceptions, with two exceptions. A positive correlation was identified between expectation means and perception means as well as between perception means and gap scor...

Air quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

This chapter of the 'Assessment of the state of the environment in Lebanon' describes the air quality and identifies the most important air quality issues. Baseline information about the factors affecting dispersion and the climate of Lebanon presents as well and overall estimation of total emissions in Lebanon. Emissions from vehicles, electricity and power plants generation are described. Industrial emitters of air pollutants are described for each kind of industry i.e.cement plants, Selaata fertilizer factory, sugar-beet factory, refineries and for those derived from the use of leaded fuel . Impact of economic and human activities on air quality in Lebanon (especially in Beirut and Tripoli) are quantified by quantities of CO 2 , SO 2 , NO x , total suspended particulates(TSP), deposition and their environmental effects on health. In abscence of emissions monitoring, data available are expressed in terms of fuel use, output and appropriate empirical factors, national output and workfores sizes. Finally key issues and some potential mitigation /management approaches are presented

Empirical model for estimating the surface roughness of machined ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Michael Horsfall

one of the most critical quality measure in mechanical products. In the ... Keywords: cutting speed, centre lathe, empirical model, surface roughness, Mean absolute percentage deviation ... The factors considered were work piece properties.

Adult orthodontics: a quality assessment of Internet information.

Science.gov (United States)

McMorrow, Siobhán Mary; Millett, Declan T

2016-09-01

This study evaluated the quality, reliability and readability of information on the Internet on adult orthodontics. A quality assessment of adult orthodontic websites. Postgraduate Orthodontic Unit, Cork University Dental School and Hospital, Cork, Ireland. An Internet search using three search engines (Google, Yahoo and Bing) was conducted using the terms ('adult orthodontics' and 'adult braces'). The first 50 websites from each engine and under each search term were screened and exclusion criteria applied. Included websites were then assessed for quality using four methods: the HON seal, JAMA benchmarks, the DISCERN instrument and the LIDA tool. Readability of included websites was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES). Only 13 websites met the inclusion criteria. Most were of US origin (n = 8; 61%). The authors of the websites were dentists (n = 5; 39%), professional organizations (n = 2; 15%), past patients (n = 2; 15%) and unspecified (n = 4; 31%). Only 1 website displayed the HON seal and three websites contained all JAMA benchmarks. The mean overall score for DISCERN was 3.9/5 and the mean total LIDA score was 115/144. The average FRES score was 63.1/100. The number of informative websites on adult orthodontics is low and these are of moderate quality. More accurate, high-quality Internet resources are required on adult orthodontics. Recommendations are made as to how this may be achieved.

Groundwater-quality data from the National Water-Quality Assessment Project, January through December 2014 and select quality-control data from May 2012 through December 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Terri L.; Bexfield, Laura M.; Musgrove, MaryLynn; Lindsey, Bruce D.; Stackelberg, Paul E.; Barlow, Jeannie R.; Desimone, Leslie A.; Kulongoski, Justin T.; Kingsbury, James A.; Ayotte, Joseph D.; Fleming, Brandon J.; Belitz, Kenneth

2017-10-05

Groundwater-quality data were collected from 559 wells as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Project of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Program from January through December 2014. The data were collected from four types of well networks: principal aquifer study networks, which are used to assess the quality of groundwater used for public water supply; land-use study networks, which are used to assess land-use effects on shallow groundwater quality; major aquifer study networks, which are used to assess the quality of groundwater used for domestic supply; and enhanced trends networks, which are used to evaluate the time scales during which groundwater quality changes. Groundwater samples were analyzed for a large number of water-quality indicators and constituents, including major ions, nutrients, trace elements, volatile organic compounds, pesticides, radionuclides, and some constituents of special interest (arsenic speciation, chromium [VI] and perchlorate). These groundwater-quality data, along with data from quality-control samples, are tabulated in this report and in an associated data release.

Monitoring and Assessment of Youshui River Water Quality in Youyang

Science.gov (United States)

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

2018-02-01

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

No-Reference Video Quality Assessment using Codec Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søgaard, Jacob; Forchhammer, Søren; Korhonen, Jari

2015-01-01

types of videos, estimating the level of quantization used in the I-frames, and exploiting this information to assess the video quality. In order to do this for H.264/AVC, the distribution of the DCT-coefficients after intra-prediction and deblocking are modeled. To obtain VQA features for H.264/AVC, we......A no-reference video quality assessment (VQA) method is presented for videos distorted by H.264/AVC and MPEG-2. The assessment is performed without access to the bit-stream. Instead we analyze and estimate coefficients based on decoded pixels. The approach involves distinguishing between the two...... propose a novel estimation method of the quantization in H.264/AVC videos without bitstream access, which can also be used for Peak Signalto-Noise Ratio (PSNR) estimation. The results from the MPEG-2 and H.264/AVC analysis are mapped to a perceptual measure of video quality by Support Vector Regression...

Evaluation of Empirical and Machine Learning Algorithms for Estimation of Coastal Water Quality Parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majid Nazeer

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Coastal waters are one of the most vulnerable resources that require effective monitoring programs. One of the key factors for effective coastal monitoring is the use of remote sensing technologies that significantly capture the spatiotemporal variability of coastal waters. Optical properties of coastal waters are strongly linked to components, such as colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM, chlorophyll-a (Chl-a, and suspended solids (SS concentrations, which are essential for the survival of a coastal ecosystem and usually independent of each other. Thus, developing effective remote sensing models to estimate these important water components based on optical properties of coastal waters is mandatory for a successful coastal monitoring program. This study attempted to evaluate the performance of empirical predictive models (EPM and neural networks (NN-based algorithms to estimate Chl-a and SS concentrations, in the coastal area of Hong Kong. Remotely-sensed data over a 13-year period was used to develop regional and local models to estimate Chl-a and SS over the entire Hong Kong waters and for each water class within the study area, respectively. The accuracy of regional models derived from EPM and NN in estimating Chl-a and SS was 83%, 93%, 78%, and 97%, respectively, whereas the accuracy of local models in estimating Chl-a and SS ranged from 60–94% and 81–94%, respectively. Both the regional and local NN models exhibited a higher performance than those models derived from empirical analysis. Thus, this study suggests using machine learning methods (i.e., NN for the more accurate and efficient routine monitoring of coastal water quality parameters (i.e., Chl-a and SS concentrations over the complex coastal area of Hong Kong and other similar coastal environments.

Empirically based assessment and taxonomy of psychopathology for ages 1½-90+ years: Developmental, multi-informant, and multicultural findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Achenbach, Thomas M; Ivanova, Masha Y; Rescorla, Leslie A

2017-11-01

Originating in the 1960s, the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) comprises a family of instruments for assessing problems and strengths for ages 1½-90+ years. To provide an overview of the ASEBA, related research, and future directions for empirically based assessment and taxonomy. Standardized, multi-informant ratings of transdiagnostic dimensions of behavioral, emotional, social, and thought problems are hierarchically scored on narrow-spectrum syndrome scales, broad-spectrum internalizing and externalizing scales, and a total problems (general psychopathology) scale. DSM-oriented and strengths scales are also scored. The instruments and scales have been iteratively developed from assessments of clinical and population samples of hundreds of thousands of individuals. Items, instruments, scales, and norms are tailored to different kinds of informants for ages 1½-5, 6-18, 18-59, and 60-90+ years. To take account of differences between informants' ratings, parallel instruments are completed by parents, teachers, youths, adult probands, and adult collaterals. Syndromes and Internalizing/Externalizing scales derived from factor analyses of each instrument capture variations in patterns of problems that reflect different informants' perspectives. Confirmatory factor analyses have supported the syndrome structures in dozens of societies. Software displays scale scores in relation to user-selected multicultural norms for the age and gender of the person being assessed, according to ratings by each type of informant. Multicultural norms are derived from population samples in 57 societies on every inhabited continent. Ongoing and future research includes multicultural assessment of elders; advancing transdiagnostic progress and outcomes assessment; and testing higher order structures of psychopathology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality Management Plan for the Environmental Assessment and Innovation Division

Science.gov (United States)

Quality management plan (QMP) which identifies the mission, roles, responsibilities of personnel with regard to quality assurance and quality management for the environmental assessment and innovation division.

Criteria for assessment of bridge aesthetic and visual quality

Science.gov (United States)

Rozentale, I.; Paeglitis, A.

2017-10-01

The bridge designers should find an ideal balance between structure, economy, buildability, aesthetics, durability and harmony with industrial or natural landscape. During the last years, the society has adopted documents providing procedures for evaluation of the impact of the structural appearance on surrounding landscape. The European Landscape Convention defines the landscape as an area perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors. The Convention indicates the methods for clear and objective assessment of the landscape’s visual qualities. The esthetical qualities of bridge structures, appearance and attraction should satisfy not only the technicians - engineers and architects, but mostly the surrounding population. Each of these groups has a different perception of esthetical qualities of structure. Many authors have used different methods and criteria for assessment of bridge aesthetics. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the bridge aesthetic and visual quality assessment methods and criteria.

Assessment of physicochemical qualities, heavy metal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ogbe

2012-08-23

Aug 23, 2012 ... dominance of metals in the water followed the sequence: Al > Zn > Cu > Fe > Mn > Cd > Pb > Hg > As. ... ted and treated waters poses a considerable health risk ..... quently used to assess the general hygienic quality of water ...

[Ecological environmental quality assessment of Hangzhou urban area based on RS and GIS].

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Pengwei; Zhao, Duo

2006-06-01

In allusion to the shortage of traditional ecological environmental quality assessment, this paper studied the spatial distribution of assessing factors at a mid-small scale, and the conversion of integer character to girding assessing cells. The main assessing factors including natural environmental condition, environmental quality, natural landscape and urbanization pressure, which were classified into four types with about eleven assessing factors, were selected from RS images and GIS-spatial analyzing environmental quality vector graph. Based on GIS, a comprehensive assessment model for the ecological environmental quality in Hangzhou urban area was established. In comparison with observed urban heat island effects, the assessment results were in good agreement with the ecological environmental quality in the urban area of Hangzhou.

SQuAVisiT : A Software Quality Assessment and Visualisation Toolset

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roubtsov, Serguei; Telea, Alexandru; Holten, Danny

2007-01-01

Software quality assessment of large COBOL industrial legacy systems, both for maintenance or migration purposes, mounts a serious challenge. We present the Software Quality Assessment and Visualisation Toolset (SQuAVisiT), which assists users in performing the above task. First, it allows a fully

SQuAVisiT: a software quality assessment and visualisation toolset

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roubtsov, S.; Telea, A.C.; Holten, D.H.R.

2007-01-01

Software quality assessment of large COBOL industrial legacy systems, both for maintenance or migration purposes, mounts a serious challenge. We present the software quality assessment and visualisation toolset (SQuAVisiT), which assists users in performing the above task. First, it allows a fully

ROBUSTNESS AND PREDICTION ACCURACY OF MACHINE LEARNING FOR OBJECTIVE VISUAL QUALITY ASSESSMENT

OpenAIRE

Hines, Andrew; Kendrick, Paul; Barri, Adriaan; Narwaria, Manish; Redi, Judith A.

2014-01-01

Machine Learning (ML) is a powerful tool to support the development of objective visual quality assessment metrics, serving as a substitute model for the perceptual mechanisms acting in visual quality appreciation. Nevertheless, the reliability of ML-based techniques within objective quality assessment metrics is often questioned. In this study, the robustness of ML in supporting objective quality assessment is investigated, specifically when the feature set adopted for prediction is suboptim...

Factors Influencing Assessment Quality in Higher Vocational Education

Science.gov (United States)

Baartman, Liesbeth; Gulikers, Judith; Dijkstra, Asha

2013-01-01

The development of assessments that are fit to assess professional competence in higher vocational education requires a reconsideration of assessment methods, quality criteria and (self)evaluation. This article examines the self-evaluations of nine courses of a large higher vocational education institute. Per course, 4-11 teachers and 3-10…

Assessing noninstitutionalized asthma and COPD patients' priorities and perceptions of quality of health care: the development of the QUOTE-CNSLD instrument.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Campen, C. van; Sixma, H.J.; Kerssens, J.J.; Peters, L.

1997-01-01

Patient judgments on the quality of health care services have become increasingly important. This research describes the development and empirical testing of an instrument that measures quality of health care services from the perspective of noninstitutionalized patients. The instrument was

Design and methods of the Southeast Stream Quality Assessment (SESQA), 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Journey, Celeste A.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Bell, Amanda H.; Button, Daniel T.; Garrett, Jessica D.; Nakagaki, Naomi; Qi, Sharon L.; Bradley, Paul M.

2015-07-15

During 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) assessed stream quality across the Piedmont and southern Appalachian Mountain regions of the southeastern United States. This Southeast Stream Quality Assessment (SESQA) simultaneously characterized watershed and stream-reach water-quality stressors along with instream biological conditions, in order to better understand regional stressor-effects relations. The goal of SESQA is to provide communities and policymakers with information about those human and environmental factors that have the greatest impact on stream quality across the region. The SESQA design focused on hydrologic alteration and urbanization because of their importance as ecological stressors of particular concern to Southeast region resource managers.

Assessment of patient empowerment - a systematic review of measures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barr, P.J.; Scholl, I.; Bravo, P.; Faber, M.J.; Elwyn, G.; Mcallister, M.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Patient empowerment has gained considerable importance but uncertainty remains about the best way to define and measure it. The validity of empirical findings depends on the quality of measures used. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of studies assessing psychometric

Retinal image quality assessment based on image clarity and content

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel-Hamid, Lamiaa; El-Rafei, Ahmed; El-Ramly, Salwa; Michelson, Georg; Hornegger, Joachim

2016-09-01

Retinal image quality assessment (RIQA) is an essential step in automated screening systems to avoid misdiagnosis caused by processing poor quality retinal images. A no-reference transform-based RIQA algorithm is introduced that assesses images based on five clarity and content quality issues: sharpness, illumination, homogeneity, field definition, and content. Transform-based RIQA algorithms have the advantage of considering retinal structures while being computationally inexpensive. Wavelet-based features are proposed to evaluate the sharpness and overall illumination of the images. A retinal saturation channel is designed and used along with wavelet-based features for homogeneity assessment. The presented sharpness and illumination features are utilized to assure adequate field definition, whereas color information is used to exclude nonretinal images. Several publicly available datasets of varying quality grades are utilized to evaluate the feature sets resulting in area under the receiver operating characteristic curve above 0.99 for each of the individual feature sets. The overall quality is assessed by a classifier that uses the collective features as an input vector. The classification results show superior performance of the algorithm in comparison to other methods from literature. Moreover, the algorithm addresses efficiently and comprehensively various quality issues and is suitable for automatic screening systems.

The relationship between intellectual capital quality and corporate performance: An empirical study of Russian and European companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shakina Elena

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to develop cost-effectiveness tools for the analysis of company’s intellectual resources, in terms of resource-based and value-based approaches. Our study focuses on the evaluation of intellectual capital methods to discover the drivers of company growth. We suppose that the potential effectiveness of intellectual capital resources varies according to different institutional factors. Several statistical methods will be used for the empirical issues in this research, including common cross-sectional and panel data analysis, and the instrumental variables method. The database collected for this purpose will consist of financial and economic indicators underlying the intellectual capital evaluation, such as strategic performance indicators (EVA© and FGV©. The dataset includes companies from different countries and industries according to the Knowledge Economy Index of the World Bank. The industries presented in the dataset are selected according to the predominance of several intellectual capital elements. The database includes financial services, wholesale and retail trade, machinery and equipment manufacture, the chemical industry, and transport and communications. As a result of the empirical research, we expect to answer the following questions: • Is there a close relationship between intellectual capital quality and company performance? • What are the external and internal factors affecting this relationship? (country, industry, company size, market dynamics, etc.

Quality-of-life assessment in advanced cancer.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Donnelly, S

2000-07-01

In the past 5 years, quality-of-life (QOL) assessment measures such as the McGill, McMaster, Global Visual Analogue Scale, Assessment of QOL at the End of Life, Life Evaluation Questionnaire, and Hospice QOL Index have been devised specifically for patients with advanced cancer. The developers of these instruments have tried to respond to the changing needs of this specific population, taking into account characteristics including poor performance status, difficulty with longitudinal study, rapidly deteriorating physical condition, and change in relevant issues. Emphasis has been placed on patient report, ease and speed of completion, and the existential domain or meaning of life. Novel techniques in QOL measurement have also been adapted for palliative care, such as judgment analysis in the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life. It is generally agreed that a single tool will not cover all QOL assessment needs.

Air Quality Assessment Using Interpolation Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Awkash Kumar

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Air pollution is increasing rapidly in almost all cities around the world due to increase in population. Mumbai city in India is one of the mega cities where air quality is deteriorating at a very rapid rate. Air quality monitoring stations have been installed in the city to regulate air pollution control strategies to reduce the air pollution level. In this paper, air quality assessment has been carried out over the sample region using interpolation techniques. The technique Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW of Geographical Information System (GIS has been used to perform interpolation with the help of concentration data on air quality at three locations of Mumbai for the year 2008. The classification was done for the spatial and temporal variation in air quality levels for Mumbai region. The seasonal and annual variations of air quality levels for SO2, NOx and SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter have been focused in this study. Results show that SPM concentration always exceeded the permissible limit of National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Also, seasonal trends of pollutant SPM was low in monsoon due rain fall. The finding of this study will help to formulate control strategies for rational management of air pollution and can be used for many other regions.

Empirical model for estimating the surface roughness of machined ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Empirical model for estimating the surface roughness of machined ... as well as surface finish is one of the most critical quality measure in mechanical products. ... various cutting speed have been developed using regression analysis software.

A Quality Approach to Writing Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, Joanne; Ryley, Helen

1992-01-01

A Colorado elementary school began its Total Quality Management work about a year ago after several staff members participated in an IBM Leadership Training Program addressing applications of Deming's theories. The school's new writing assessment has increased collegiality and cross-grade collaboration. (MLH)

Assessment of sleep quality in bipolar euthymic patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Keskin, Necla; Tamam, Lut; Ozpoyraz, Nurgul

2018-01-01

Sleep quality is affected in bipolar disorder even in euthymic episodes. The aim of this study was to assess sleep quality in bipolar euthymic patients, determine related clinical characteristics and evaluate its effects on functionality. A total of 122 outpatients were included. Scales were used to confirm that patients were euthymic. Mini Mental Test was performed to exclude patients with a diagnosis of dementia. A data form for socio-demographic features and clinical characteristics of bipolar disorder have been completed. SCID-I and SCID II were used. The general features of sleep were investigated by General Sleep Questionnaire. All patients completed Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Bipolar Disorder Functioning Questionnaire. 56.5% of our sample had poor sleep quality. Patients with poor sleep had a longer time to fall asleep and more frequent waking after sleep onset. Caffeine use and smoking, history of suicide attempts, seasonality, comorbidity of lifetime anxiety, somatoform and impulse control disorders, using antidepressant medication and administration of electroconvulsive therapy were significantly higher; emotional and intellectual functioning, household relations, taking initiative, self-sufficiency and total functionality were lower in bipolar patients with poor sleep quality (p<0.05). The strongest predictor of sleep quality problem was seasonality, recording an odds ratio of 3.91. Sleep quality is closely related with clinical features of bipolar disorder. Sleep quality is affected negatively in euthymic episodes of bipolar disorder and poor sleep quality cause loss in functionality. Assessment of sleep disturbances routinely in psychiatric interviews and dealing with sleep problems regardless mood episodes may improve sleep quality, thereby functionality and quality of life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ljubljana quality selection (LQS) - innovative case of restaurant assessment system

OpenAIRE

Maja Uran Maravić; Daniela Gračan; Zrinka Zadel

2014-01-01

The purpose – The purpose of this paper is to briefly present the most well-known restaurant assessment systems where restaurant are assessed by experts. The aim is to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each system. Design –The special focus is to give answers on questions: how are the restaurants assessed by experts, which are the elements and standards of assessment and whether they are consistent with the quality dimensions as advocated in the theory of service quality. Methodology ...

Synthesized view comparison method for no-reference 3D image quality assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Fangzhou; Lin, Chaoyi; Gu, Xiaodong; Ma, Xiaojun

2018-04-01

We develop a no-reference image quality assessment metric to evaluate the quality of synthesized view rendered from the Multi-view Video plus Depth (MVD) format. Our metric is named Synthesized View Comparison (SVC), which is designed for real-time quality monitoring at the receiver side in a 3D-TV system. The metric utilizes the virtual views in the middle which are warped from left and right views by Depth-image-based rendering algorithm (DIBR), and compares the difference between the virtual views rendered from different cameras by Structural SIMilarity (SSIM), a popular 2D full-reference image quality assessment metric. The experimental results indicate that our no-reference quality assessment metric for the synthesized images has competitive prediction performance compared with some classic full-reference image quality assessment metrics.

Educational Quality, Outcomes Assessment, and Policy Change: The Virginia Example

Science.gov (United States)

Culver, Steve

2010-01-01

The higher education system in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States provides a case model for how discussions regarding educational quality and assessment of that quality have affected institutions' policy decisions and implementation. Using Levin's (1998) policy analysis framework, this essay explores how assessment of student…

Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model Forms

Science.gov (United States)

The Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM) is a guidance tool designed for use by building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality in commercial buildings.

Empirical Assessment on Financial Regulations and Banking Sector Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igbinosa S.

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study examines financial regulation and banking sector performance in Nigeria. Specifically, the study determines the impact of reforms on banking sector performance and also assesses the nexus between capital adequacy and banking sector performance. Time series data for the period 1993 to 2014 was used. As an analytical tool, the study uses unit root test to determine the stationary state of the variables. We also employed the Johansson co-integration and error correction model (ECM statistical techniques to establish both short-run and long-run dynamic relationships between the endogenous and exogenous variables. The empirical findings indicate that financial regulation significantly impacts the banking sector performance while financial regulation has both short-run and long-run dynamic relationships with the banking sector performance in Nigeria. It was found that the four-period lag of capital adequacy negatively affects banking sector performance and is not statistically significant. The paper suggests that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN should continually make public the impacts that the various financial regulations and reforms have on the performance of Nigerian banks. Majority of the policies on financial regulation by the apex bank (CBN need to be long-run which can enable confidence of stakeholders, shareholders and the general public in the Nigerian banking industry when critically evaluated.

Assessment of the Quality Management Models in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Basar, Gulsun; Altinay, Zehra; Dagli, Gokmen; Altinay, Fahriye

2016-01-01

This study involves the assessment of the quality management models in Higher Education by explaining the importance of quality in higher education and by examining the higher education quality assurance system practices in other countries. The qualitative study was carried out with the members of the Higher Education Planning, Evaluation,…

The Emergence of Quality Assessment in Brazilian Basic Education

Science.gov (United States)

Kauko, Jaakko; Centeno, Vera Gorodski; Candido, Helena; Shiroma, Eneida; Klutas, Anni

2016-01-01

The focus in this article is on Brazilian education policy, specifically quality assurance and evaluation. The starting point is that quality, measured by means of large-scale assessments, is one of the key discursive justifications for educational change. The article addresses the questions of how quality evaluation became a significant feature…

Website Service Quality in Ireland: An Empirical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Connolly, Regina

Despite the fact that service quality is a critical determinant of website success, studies show that consumers frequently view the service quality delivered through websites as unsatisfactory. This paper outlines a study that investigated the dimensions of website service excellence valued by Irish customers of a small-to-medium enterprise specialising in gifts. The E-S-QUAL measurement instrument was applied to the customers who purchase products online from this retailer, in order to determine their purchasing patterns and the dimensions of e-service quality that they value. The results of this study indicate the effectiveness of the instrument in determining gaps in e-service quality. The findings will be of benefit both to practitioners and researchers seeking to improve their understanding of the factors that contribute towards the creation and maintenance of consumer satisfaction in Irish online transactions.

Survey on Password Quality and Confidentiality

OpenAIRE

Šolić, Krešimir; Očevčić, Hrvoje; Blažević, Damir

2015-01-01

In this paper are presented results of empirical survey on password quality self-assessment and several privacy issues regarding password manipulation among information systems' users. Data was collected by questioning 627 e-mail users that were adults, Croatian national and were using e-mail system on regular basis. Comparisons among different kind of users were done regarding age, gender, technical background knowledge, university degree and experience in usage. Results of statistical analy...

Lack of grading agreement among international hemostasis external quality assessment programs

OpenAIRE

Olson, John D.; Jennings, Ian; Meijer, Piet; Bon, Chantal; Bonar, Roslyn; Favaloro, Emmanuel J.; Higgins, Russell A.; Keeney, Michael; Mammen, Joy; Marlar, Richard A.; Meley, Roland; Nair, Sukesh C.; Nichols, William L.; Raby, Anne; Reverter, Joan C.

2018-01-01

Laboratory quality programs rely on internal quality control and external quality assessment (EQA). EQA programs provide unknown specimens for the laboratory to test. The laboratory's result is compared with other (peer) laboratories performing the same test. EQA programs assign target values using a variety of methods statistical tools and performance assessment of ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ is made. EQA provider members of the international organization, external quality assurance in thrombosis and h...

Validation of an organizational communication climate assessment toolkit.

Science.gov (United States)

Wynia, Matthew K; Johnson, Megan; McCoy, Thomas P; Griffin, Leah Passmore; Osborn, Chandra Y

2010-01-01

Effective communication is critical to providing quality health care and can be affected by a number of modifiable organizational factors. The authors performed a prospective multisite validation study of an organizational communication climate assessment tool in 13 geographically and ethnically diverse health care organizations. Communication climate was measured across 9 discrete domains. Patient and staff surveys with matched items in each domain were developed using a national consensus process, which then underwent psychometric field testing and assessment of domain coherence. The authors found meaningful within-site and between-site performance score variability in all domains. In multivariable models, most communication domains were significant predictors of patient-reported quality of care and trust. The authors conclude that these assessment tools provide a valid empirical assessment of organizational communication climate in 9 domains. Assessment results may be useful to track organizational performance, to benchmark, and to inform tailored quality improvement interventions.

The assessment of quality of products using selected quality instruments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edyta Kardas

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The quality parameters of products should be controlled at every stage of the production process, since it allows detection of any problems even in the initial stages of production processes and removes their causes during manufacturing. Final control of products is intended to capture non-conforming products that did not go to the customers. The results of such controls should constantly be analysed. Such analysis can help to detect the most common problems, determine some dependences or identify the causes of such situations. A lot of different instruments that can support improvement of processes can be used for this kind of analysis. The paper presents the possibility of using some tools which can be utilized to support the analysis and assessment of quality of products at different stages of the production process. The quality analysis of exemplary products using selected quality methods and tolls is carried out. Metal sleeve, that is part of electronic control subassembly of anti-blocking system of ABS, which was the research component being studied.

Agency Theory and Franchising: Some Empirical Results

OpenAIRE

Francine Lafontaine

1992-01-01

This article provides an empirical assessment of various agency-theoretic explanations for franchising, including risk sharing, one-sided moral hazard, and two-sided moral hazard. The empirical models use proxies for factors such as risk, moral hazard, and franchisors' need for capital to explain both franchisors' decisions about the terms of their contracts (royalty rates and up-front franchise fees) and the extent to which they use franchising. In this article, I exploit several new sources...

Quality and the academic library reviewing, assessing and enhancing service provision

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

Quality and the Academic Library: Reviewing, Assessing and Enhancing Service Provision provides an in-depth review and analysis of quality management and service quality in academic libraries. All aspects of quality are considered in the book, including quality assessment, quality review, and quality enhancement. An overview of quality management and service quality concepts, principles, and methods leads to a detailed consideration of how they have been applied in universities and their libraries. A case study approach is used with different perspectives provided from the different stakeholders involved in the quality processes. All contributors adopt a critical reflection approach, reflecting on the implications, impact, and significance of the activities undertaken and the conclusions that can be drawn for future developments. The book concludes with an overall reflection on quality management and service quality in academic libraries with a final analysis of priorities for the future.

1995 mask industry quality assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, Chris; Strott, Al

1995-12-01

The third annual mask industry assessment will again survey various industry companies for key performance measurements in the areas of quality and delivery. This year's assessment is enhanced to include the area of safety and further breakdown of the data into 5-inch vs. 6- inch. The data compiled includes shipments, customer return rate, customer return reason, performance to schedule, plate survival yield, and throughput time (TPT) from 1988 through Q2, 1995. Contributor identities remain protected by utilizing Arthur Andersen & Company to ensure participant confidentiality. Participation in the past included representation of over 75% of the total merchant and captive mask volume in the United States. This year's assessment is expected to result in expanded participation by again inviting all mask suppliers domestically to participate as well as an impact from inviting international suppliers to participate.

A systematic review of quality assessment methods for smartphone health apps.

Science.gov (United States)

BinDhim, Nasser F; Hawkey, Alexandra; Trevena, Lyndal

2015-02-01

There are large numbers of health-related applications (apps) available in various app stores for many smartphone devices. Consequently, increasing numbers of articles are attempting to evaluate the content and the quality of health-related smartphone apps for specific health conditions. The aim of this article is to describe and summarize the methodologies used to determine the quality of health-related apps targeting health consumers and to propose a set of criteria for evaluating the quality of smartphone health-related apps. In 2013, literature searches were performed using Medline and CINAHL, and we included all articles that had the aim of assessing the quality of health-related smartphone apps. The assessment method used in these studies was summarized and scored using a set of quality criteria developed for this study. From 606 articles generated by the search, only 10 met the inclusion criteria. Based on our quality criteria, the mean score was 5.05 out of 8 (range, 2-7). Eighty percent of the studies did not identify the app store country in which the apps were found. Forty percent of the studies did not clearly mention whether they only had assessed the app description or had downloaded the app content for evaluation. Sixty percent of the studies did not provide a list of the apps they had evaluated. Overall, we identified six evaluation methodologies used to assess the quality of health-related apps described in RESULTS. This article provides a summary of currently used methods for assessing the quality of smartphone health-related apps and proposes a set of criteria to enable future studies to consistently review health-related app quality in a standardized manner.

Current hybrid-electric powertrain architectures: Applying empirical design data to life cycle assessment and whole-life cost analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutchinson, Tim; Burgess, Stuart; Herrmann, Guido

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Design data for 44 hybrid cars available in the US has been gathered and analysed. • An empirical life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions is performed. • Empirical whole-life cost modelling is used to evaluate powertrain architectures. • The value to be seen in each architecture is highly dependent on its application. • Mild, HSD and Plug-in HSD powertrains are the most likely architectures to dominate. - Abstract: The recent introduction of hybrid-electric powertrain technology has disrupted the automotive industry, causing significant powertrain design divergence. As this radical powertrain innovation matures, will hybrid vehicles dominate the future automotive market and does this represent a positive shift in the environmental impact of the industry? The answer to this question is sought within this paper. It seeks to take advantage of the position that the industry has reached, replacing previous theoretical studies with the first extensive empirical models of life cycle emissions and whole-life costing. A comprehensive snapshot of today’s hybrid market is presented, with detailed descriptions of the various hybrid powertrain architectures. Design data has been gathered for 44 hybrid passenger cars currently available in the US. The empirical data is used to explore the relative life cycle greenhouse gas emissions and whole-life costing of different hybrid powertrain architectures. Potential dominant designs are identified and their emissions are shown to be reduced. However, both the emissions and economic competitiveness of different hybrid powertrains are shown to vary significantly depending on how the vehicle is used

No-Reference Video Quality Assessment using MPEG Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søgaard, Jacob; Forchhammer, Søren; Korhonen, Jari

2013-01-01

We present a method for No-Reference (NR) Video Quality Assessment (VQA) for decoded video without access to the bitstream. This is achieved by extracting and pooling features from a NR image quality assessment method used frame by frame. We also present methods to identify the video coding...... and estimate the video coding parameters for MPEG-2 and H.264/AVC which can be used to improve the VQA. The analysis differs from most other video coding analysis methods since it is without access to the bitstream. The results show that our proposed method is competitive with other recent NR VQA methods...

Groundwater Quality Assessment Based on Improved Water Quality Index in Pengyang County, Ningxia, Northwest China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Pei-Yue

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is to assess the groundwater quality in Pengyang County based on an improved water quality index. An information entropy method was introduced to assign weight to each parameter. For calculating WQI and assess the groundwater quality, total 74 groundwater samples were collected and all these samples subjected to comprehensive physicochemical analysis. Each of the groundwater samples was analyzed for 26 parameters and for computing WQI 14 parameters were chosen including chloride, sulphate, pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD, total dissolved solid (TDS, total hardness (TH, nitrate, ammonia nitrogen, fluoride, total iron (Tfe, arsenic, iodine, aluminum, nitrite, metasilicic acid and free carbon dioxide. At last a zoning map of different water quality was drawn. Information entropy weight makes WQI perfect and makes the assessment results more reasonable. The WQI for 74 samples ranges from 12.40 to 205.24 and over 90% of the samples are below 100. The excellent quality water area covers nearly 90% of the whole region. The high value of WQI has been found to be closely related with the high values of TDS, fluoride, sulphate, nitrite and TH. In the medium quality water area and poor quality water area, groundwater needs some degree of pretreated before consumption. From the groundwater conservation view of point, the groundwater still need protection and long term monitoring in case of future rapid industrial development. At the same time, preventive actions on the agricultural non point pollution sources in the plain area are also need to be in consideration.

Using Data Mining for Wine Quality Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Cortez, Paulo; Teixeira, Juliana; Cerdeira, António; Almeida, Fernando; Matos, Telmo; Reis, José

Certification and quality assessment are crucial issues within the wine industry. Currently, wine quality is mostly assessed by physicochemical (e.g alcohol levels) and sensory (e.g. human expert evaluation) tests. In this paper, we propose a data mining approach to predict wine preferences that is based on easily available analytical tests at the certification step. A large dataset is considered with white vinho verde samples from the Minho region of Portugal. Wine quality is modeled under a regression approach, which preserves the order of the grades. Explanatory knowledge is given in terms of a sensitivity analysis, which measures the response changes when a given input variable is varied through its domain. Three regression techniques were applied, under a computationally efficient procedure that performs simultaneous variable and model selection and that is guided by the sensitivity analysis. The support vector machine achieved promising results, outperforming the multiple regression and neural network methods. Such model is useful for understanding how physicochemical tests affect the sensory preferences. Moreover, it can support the wine expert evaluations and ultimately improve the production.

Web Service for Positional Quality Assessment: the Wps Tier

Science.gov (United States)

Xavier, E. M. A.; Ariza-López, F. J.; Ureña-Cámara, M. A.

2015-08-01

In the field of spatial data every day we have more and more information available, but we still have little or very little information about the quality of spatial data. We consider that the automation of the spatial data quality assessment is a true need for the geomatic sector, and that automation is possible by means of web processing services (WPS), and the application of specific assessment procedures. In this paper we propose and develop a WPS tier centered on the automation of the positional quality assessment. An experiment using the NSSDA positional accuracy method is presented. The experiment involves the uploading by the client of two datasets (reference and evaluation data). The processing is to determine homologous pairs of points (by distance) and calculate the value of positional accuracy under the NSSDA standard. The process generates a small report that is sent to the client. From our experiment, we reached some conclusions on the advantages and disadvantages of WPSs when applied to the automation of spatial data accuracy assessments.

Quality Assessment of Medical Apps that Target Medication-Related Problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Loy, John Shiguang; Ali, Eskinder Eshetu; Yap, Kevin Yi-Lwern

2016-10-01

The advent of smartphones has enabled a plethora of medical apps for disease management. As of 2012, there are 40,000 health care-related mobile apps available in the market. Since most of these medical apps do not go through any stringent quality assessment, there is a risk of consumers being misinformed or misled by unreliable information. In this regard, apps that target medication-related problems (MRPs) are not an exception. There is little information on what constitutes quality in apps that target MRPs and how good the existing apps are. To develop a quality assessment tool for evaluating apps that target MRPs and assess the quality of such apps available in the major mobile app stores (iTunes and Google Play). The top 100 free and paid apps in the medical categories of iTunes and Google Play stores (total of 400 apps) were screened for inclusion in the final analysis. English language apps that targeted MRPs were downloaded on test devices to evaluate their quality. Apps intended for clinicians, patients, or both were eligible for evaluation. The quality assessment tool consisted of 4 sections (appropriateness, reliability, usability, privacy), which determined the overall quality of the apps. Apps that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were classified based on the presence of any 1 or more of the 5 features considered important for apps targeting MRPs (monitoring, interaction checker, dose calculator, medication information, medication record). Descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney tests were used for analysis. Final analysis was based on 59 apps that fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. Apps with interaction checker (66.9%) and monitoring features (54.8%) had the highest and lowest overall qualities. Paid apps generally scored higher for usability than free apps (P = 0.006) but lower for privacy (P = 0.003). Half of the interaction checker apps were unable to detect interactions with herbal medications. Blood pressure and heart rate monitoring apps

Assessment report for Hanford analytical services quality assurance plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, L.H.

1994-11-01

This report documents the assessment results of DOE/RL-94-55, Hanford Analytical Services Quality Assurance Plan. The assessment was conducted using the Requirement and Self-Assessment Database (RSAD), which contains mandatory and nonmandatory DOE Order statements for the relevant DOE orders

An empirical assessment of the focal species hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindenmayer, D B; Lane, P W; Westgate, M J; Crane, M; Michael, D; Okada, S; Barton, P S

2014-12-01

Biodiversity surrogates and indicators are commonly used in conservation management. The focal species approach (FSA) is one method for identifying biodiversity surrogates, and it is underpinned by the hypothesis that management aimed at a particular focal species will confer protection on co-occurring species. This concept has been the subject of much debate, in part because the validity of the FSA has not been subject to detailed empirical assessment of the extent to which a given focal species actually co-occurs with other species in an assemblage. To address this knowledge gap, we used large-scale, long-term data sets of temperate woodland birds to select focal species associated with threatening processes such as habitat isolation and loss of key vegetation attributes. We quantified co-occurrence patterns among focal species, species in the wider bird assemblage, and species of conservation concern. Some, but not all, focal species were associated with high levels of species richness. One of our selected focal species was negatively associated with the occurrence of other species (i.e., it was an antisurrogate)-a previously undescribed property of nominated focal species. Furthermore, combinations of focal species were not associated with substantially elevated levels of bird species richness, relative to levels associated with individual species. Our results suggest that although there is some merit to the underpinning concept of the FSA, there is also a need to ensure that actions are sufficiently flexible because management tightly focused on a given focal species may not benefit some other species, including species of conservation concern, such of which might not occur in species-rich assemblages. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Environmetric data interpretation to assess surface water quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simeonova, P.; Papazova, P.; Lovchinov, V.

2013-01-01

Two multivariate statistical methods (Cluster analysis /CA/ and Principal components analysis /PCA/) were applied for model assessment of the water quality of Maritsa River and Tundja River on Bulgarian territory. The study used long-term monitoring data from many sampling sites characterized by various surface water quality indicators. The application of CA to the indicators results in formation of clusters showing the impact of biological, anthropogenic and eutrophication sources. For further assessment of the monitoring data, PCA was implemented, which identified, again, latent factors confirming, in principle, the clustering output. Their identification coincide correctly to the location of real pollution sources along the rivers catchments. The linkage of the sampling sites along the river flow by CA identified several special patterns separated by specific tracers levels. The apportionment models of the pollution determined the contribution of each one of identified pollution factors to the total concentration of each one of the water quality parameters. Thus, a better risk management of the surface water quality is achieved both on local and national level

Assessment of quality of life of parents of children with osteogenesis imperfecta.

Science.gov (United States)

Szczepaniak-Kubat, Anna; Kurnatowska, Olga; Jakubowska-Pietkiewicz, Elzbieta; Chlebna-Sokół, Danuta

2012-01-01

The aim of the work was an objective assessment of the quality of life of parents of children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and of its determinant factors. The survey answers of 25 parents were analyzed and contained demographic parameters, socioeconomic status information, quality of life of responses and type of support they have been receiving. In order to assess the effects of this children's disease on the quality of life of the parents, families were divided into two groups depending on the OI severity: group M--mild (type I and IV OI), group S--severe (type III OI). The objective of the work was carried out based on the WHOQOL-BREF quality of life questionnaire and measures of family status: education degree based on the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), a subjective assessment of the family's wealth (Perceived Family Wealth, PFW), and the family's financial resources (Family Affluence Scale, FAS). 56% of respondents assessed their global quality of life (Quality of Life, QL) as good, whereas 8% answered poor. Perception of general health status was similar. Life domains assessed in the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire received the following mean values on a scale from 4 to 20 points: physical--12.2 +/- 1.2, psychological--15.04 +/- 2.2, environmental--13.32 +/- 2, social relationships--14.28 +/- 1.5. In the severe OI group, the environmental domain was assessed as worse than in the mild OI group and this assessment was statistically significant, despite the fact that the group of families with severe cases of OI received more support from the appropriate institutions. Indicators of socioeconomic status did not affect the respondents' assessment of their global quality of life. In the tested group of families, the child's disease did not affect either the global quality of life assessment or health of the respondents or their quality of life in terms of physical and mental status and social relationships. The parents of children with

An empirical assessment of service quality in the context of travel agencies in the Republic of Macedonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anita Ciunova-Shuleska

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the service quality of travel agencies in the Republic of Macedonia from a customer perspective. Its authors applied a modified version of the SERVQUAL instrument for measuring service quality. The results of the performed paired sample t-testing indicated significant differences between expectations and perceptions, with two exceptions. A positive correlation was identified between expectation means and perception means as well as between perception means and gap score means, with a negative correlation identified between expectation means and gap means. Furthermore, factor analysis of the gap score means was performed, revealing the existence of 3 dimensions: customer orientation, reliability and tangibles. Data analysis showed negative gaps between expectations and perception on all three dimensions. Finally, by using the ANOVA test, significant differences among the gap scores of the three different classes of travel agencies (with “A”, “B” and “C” licenses were determined, both in total and with regard to the identified dimensions. There are a number of areas of the travel agencies’ service quality where enhancements are needed in order to satisfy the customers more fully.

Water quality assessment and meta model development in Melen watershed - Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Erturk, Ali; Gurel, Melike; Ekdal, Alpaslan; Tavsan, Cigdem; Ugurluoglu, Aysegul; Seker, Dursun Zafer; Tanik, Aysegul; Ozturk, Izzet

2010-07-01

Istanbul, being one of the highly populated metropolitan areas of the world, has been facing water scarcity since the past decade. Water transfer from Melen Watershed was considered as the most feasible option to supply water to Istanbul due to its high water potential and relatively less degraded water quality. This study consists of two parts. In the first part, water quality data covering 26 parameters from 5 monitoring stations were analyzed and assessed due to the requirements of the "Quality Required of Surface Water Intended for the Abstraction of Drinking Water" regulation. In the second part, a one-dimensional stream water quality model with simple water quality kinetics was developed. It formed a basic design for more advanced water quality models for the watershed. The reason for assessing the water quality data and developing a model was to provide information for decision making on preliminary actions to prevent any further deterioration of existing water quality. According to the water quality assessment at the water abstraction point, Melen River has relatively poor water quality with regard to NH(4)(+), BOD(5), faecal streptococcus, manganese and phenol parameters, and is unsuitable for drinking water abstraction in terms of COD, PO(4)(3-), total coliform, total suspended solids, mercury and total chromium parameters. The results derived from the model were found to be consistent with the water quality assessment. It also showed that relatively high inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations along the streams are related to diffuse nutrient loads that should be managed together with municipal and industrial wastewaters. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of scar quality after cleft lip closure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frans, Franceline A.; van Zuijlen, Paul P. M.; Griot, J. P. W. Don; van der Horst, Chantal M. A. M.

2012-01-01

To assess scar quality after cleft lip repair. The linear scars of patients with cleft lip with or without cleft palate were evaluated in a prospective study using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale. Linear regression was performed to identify which scar characteristics were important

The Relationship between Cost Leadership Strategy, Total Quality Management Applications and Financial Performance

OpenAIRE

Ali KURT; Cemal ZEHİR

2016-01-01

Firms need to implement some competition strategies and total quality management applications to overcome the fierce competition among others. The purpose of this study is to show the relationship between cost leadership strategy, total quality management applications and firms’ financial performance with literature review and empirical analysis. 449 questionnaires were conducted to the managers of 142 big firms. The data gathered was assessed with AMOS. As a result, the relationship between ...

42 CFR 486.348 - Condition: Quality assessment and performance improvement (QAPI).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Coverage: Organ Procurement Organizations Organ Procurement Organization Process Performance Measures § 486.348 Condition: Quality assessment and performance improvement (QAPI). The OPO must develop, implement... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Condition: Quality assessment and performance...

Water Quality Assessment of Streams and Wetlands in a Fast Growing East African City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niels De Troyer

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The combination of rapid urbanization, industrialization, population growth, and low environmental awareness poses a major threat to worldwide valuable freshwater resources, which provide important ecosystem services to humans. There is an urgent need to monitor and assess these resources, as this information is indispensable for sustainable decision-making and management. In this context, we analyzed the chemical and ecological water quality of the riverine environment of a fast growing city in Southwest Ethiopia for which we proposed possible remediation options that were evaluated with an empirical model. The chemical and ecological water quality was assessed at 53 sampling locations using the oxygen Prati index and the ETHbios, which is a biotic index based on macroinvertebrates. In addition, a microbiological analysis was performed to estimate the degree of fecal contamination. Finally, we analyzed the relationship between the oxygen content and the organic pollution to simulate the effect of organics removal from waste streams on the chemical water quality. Our results showed that the average values for dissolved oxygen (4.2 mg DO·L−1 and nutrients (0.9 mg oPO43−·L−1 and 12.8 mg TAN·L−1 exceeded international standards. Moreover, high turbidity levels revealed that land erosion is a severe problem in the region. Along the rivers, a significant increase in oxygen consumption and in nutrient concentrations was observed, indicating organic pollution originating from different diffuse and point sources of pollution. The lack of proper sanitation also led to exceedingly high abundances of fecal coliforms in the surface water (>320 MPN·mL−1. However, fecal contamination was strongly reduced (>92% after the polluted river water passed Boye wetland, indicating the purification potential of natural wetlands and the importance of conserving and protecting those ecosystems. The simulation results of the model showed that water quality

Objective video quality assessment method for freeze distortion based on freeze aggregation

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Keishiro; Okamoto, Jun; Kurita, Takaaki

2006-01-01

With the development of the broadband network, video communications such as videophone, video distribution, and IPTV services are beginning to become common. In order to provide these services appropriately, we must manage them based on subjective video quality, in addition to designing a network system based on it. Currently, subjective quality assessment is the main method used to quantify video quality. However, it is time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, we need an objective quality assessment technology that can estimate video quality from video characteristics effectively. Video degradation can be categorized into two types: spatial and temporal. Objective quality assessment methods for spatial degradation have been studied extensively, but methods for temporal degradation have hardly been examined even though it occurs frequently due to network degradation and has a large impact on subjective quality. In this paper, we propose an objective quality assessment method for temporal degradation. Our approach is to aggregate multiple freeze distortions into an equivalent freeze distortion and then derive the objective video quality from the equivalent freeze distortion. Specifically, our method considers the total length of all freeze distortions in a video sequence as the length of the equivalent single freeze distortion. In addition, we propose a method using the perceptual characteristics of short freeze distortions. We verified that our method can estimate the objective video quality well within the deviation of subjective video quality.

Methodology for stereoscopic motion-picture quality assessment

Science.gov (United States)

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

2013-03-01

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

The ethical health lawyer: an empirical assessment of moral decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Joshua E; Moore, Ilene N; Barry, Bruce; Clayton, Ellen Wright; Carrico, Amanda R

2009-01-01

Writing in 1999, legal ethics scholar Brad Wendel noted that "[v]ery little empirical work has been done on the moral decision making of lawyers." Indeed, since the mid-1990s, few empirical studies have attempted to explore how attorneys deliberate about ethical dilemmas they encounter in their practice. Moreover, while past research has explored some of the ethical issues confronting lawyers practicing in certain specific areas of practice, no published data exists probing the moral mind of health care lawyers. As signaled by the creation of a regular column "devoted to ethical issues arising in the practice of health law" in the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, the time to address the empirical gap in the professional ethics literature is now. Accordingly, this article presents data collected from 120 health care lawyers. Presenting this population with a number of hypothetical scenarios relating to how they would respond when confronting an ethical dilemma without an obvious solution or when facing a situation in which their personal values were in tension with their professional obligations, this article represents a first step toward better understanding how lawyers who practice in health care settings understand and resolve the moral discomfort they encounter in their professional lives.

No Reference Video-Quality-Assessment Model for Monitoring Video Quality of IPTV Services

Science.gov (United States)

Yamagishi, Kazuhisa; Okamoto, Jun; Hayashi, Takanori; Takahashi, Akira

Service providers should monitor the quality of experience of a communication service in real time to confirm its status. To do this, we previously proposed a packet-layer model that can be used for monitoring the average video quality of typical Internet protocol television content using parameters derived from transmitted packet headers. However, it is difficult to monitor the video quality per user using the average video quality because video quality depends on the video content. To accurately monitor the video quality per user, a model that can be used for estimating the video quality per video content rather than the average video quality should be developed. Therefore, to take into account the impact of video content on video quality, we propose a model that calculates the difference in video quality between the video quality of the estimation-target video and the average video quality estimated using a packet-layer model. We first conducted extensive subjective quality assessments for different codecs and video sequences. We then model their characteristics based on parameters related to compression and packet loss. Finally, we verify the performance of the proposed model by applying it to unknown data sets different from the training data sets used for developing the model.

Voice and Speech Quality Perception Assessment and Evaluation

CERN Document Server

Jekosch, Ute

2005-01-01

Foundations of Voice and Speech Quality Perception starts out with the fundamental question of: "How do listeners perceive voice and speech quality and how can these processes be modeled?" Any quantitative answers require measurements. This is natural for physical quantities but harder to imagine for perceptual measurands. This book approaches the problem by actually identifying major perceptual dimensions of voice and speech quality perception, defining units wherever possible and offering paradigms to position these dimensions into a structural skeleton of perceptual speech and voice quality. The emphasis is placed on voice and speech quality assessment of systems in artificial scenarios. Many scientific fields are involved. This book bridges the gap between two quite diverse fields, engineering and humanities, and establishes the new research area of Voice and Speech Quality Perception.

Quality assurance of pre-operative assessment--a review of quality assurance activities related to pre-operative assessment in nine hospitals in The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klazinga, N. S.; Helsloot, R.

1989-01-01

Pre-operative assessment of patients for surgery is one of the most prevalent topics for quality assurance by peer-review in Dutch hospitals. This article describes the experiences with pre-operative assessment in nine hospitals. It is discussed why preoperative assessment is performed, what tests

Robustness and prediction accuracy of machine learning for objective visual quality assessment

OpenAIRE

HINES, ANDREW

2014-01-01

PUBLISHED Lisbon, Portugal Machine Learning (ML) is a powerful tool to support the development of objective visual quality assessment metrics, serving as a substitute model for the perceptual mechanisms acting in visual quality appreciation. Nevertheless, the reli- ability of ML-based techniques within objective quality as- sessment metrics is often questioned. In this study, the ro- bustness of ML in supporting objective quality assessment is investigated, specific...

An empirical research on evaluating banks' credit assessment of corporate customers.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Sang-Bing; Li, Guodong; Wu, Chia-Huei; Zheng, Yuxiang; Wang, Jiangtao

2016-01-01

Under the rapid change of the global financial environment, the risk control of the credit granting is viewed as the foremost task to each bank. With the impact one by one from financial crisis and European debt crisis, the steady bank business is also facing the severe challenge. Banks approve the credits for their customers and then make money from the interest. Credit granting is not only the primary job but also the main source of income. The quality of credit granting concerns not just the reclaims of creditor's rights; it also affects the successful running of banks. To enhance the reliability and usefulness of bank credit risk assessment, we first will delve in the facets and indexes in the bank credit risk assessment. Then, we will examine the different dimensions of cause-effect relationships and correlations in the assessment process. Finally, the study focuses on how to raise the functions and benefits of the bank credit risk assessment. In those five credit risk evaluation dimensions, A "optional capability" and D "competitiveness" are of high relation and high prominence among those dimensions, influencing other items obviously. By actively focusing on these two dimensions and improving their credit risk assessment ability will solve the foremost problems and also solve other facets of credit risk assessment problems at the same time.

Assessment of visual landscape quality using IKONOS imagery.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozkan, Ulas Yunus

2014-07-01

The assessment of visual landscape quality is of importance to the management of urban woodlands. Satellite remote sensing may be used for this purpose as a substitute for traditional survey techniques that are both labour-intensive and time-consuming. This study examines the association between the quality of the perceived visual landscape in urban woodlands and texture measures extracted from IKONOS satellite data, which features 4-m spatial resolution and four spectral bands. The study was conducted in the woodlands of Istanbul (the most important element of urban mosaic) lying along both shores of the Bosporus Strait. The visual quality assessment applied in this study is based on the perceptual approach and was performed via a survey of expressed preferences. For this purpose, representative photographs of real scenery were used to elicit observers' preferences. A slide show comprising 33 images was presented to a group of 153 volunteers (all undergraduate students), and they were asked to rate the visual quality of each on a 10-point scale (1 for very low visual quality, 10 for very high). Average visual quality scores were calculated for landscape. Texture measures were acquired using the two methods: pixel-based and object-based. Pixel-based texture measures were extracted from the first principle component (PC1) image. Object-based texture measures were extracted by using the original four bands. The association between image texture measures and perceived visual landscape quality was tested via Pearson's correlation coefficient. The analysis found a strong linear association between image texture measures and visual quality. The highest correlation coefficient was calculated between standard deviation of gray levels (SDGL) (one of the pixel-based texture measures) and visual quality (r = 0.82, P landscapes can be estimated by using texture measures extracted from satellite data in combination with appropriate modelling techniques.

Methodical approaches to assessment of quality of the bank loan portfolio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tysyachna Yunna S.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The goal of the article lies in the study of basic methodical approaches to assessment of the quality of the bank loan portfolio, identification of specific features of their practical application and justification of selection of the most appropriate for the modern economic conditions. The article considers three main groups of methods of assessment of the quality of the bank loan portfolio: expert evaluation methods and statistical and analytical methods. It goes without saying that in order to obtain an objective assessment of quality of the bank loan portfolio it is necessary to apply a complex approach, however, due to some advantages and shortcomings of the studied methods, the author marks expediency of building an integral indicator, taxonomic in particular, in order to obtain a complex, objective and efficient assessment of the bank loan portfolio. Prospects of further studies in this direction are assessment of the quality of the loan portfolio of the first group banks by the size of their assets through building integral taxonomic indicators and identification, on this basis, of factors that influence the quality of the loan portfolio with the aim of improvement of the mechanism of management of the bank lending activity.

Drinking Water Quality Assessment in Tetova Region

OpenAIRE

B. H. Durmishi; M. Ismaili; A. Shabani; Sh. Abduli

2012-01-01

Problem statement: The quality of drinking water is a crucial factor for human health. The objective of this study was the assessment of physical, chemical and bacteriological quality of the drinking water in the city of Tetova and several surrounding villages in the Republic of Macedonia for the period May 2007-2008. The sampling and analysis are conducted in accordance with State Regulation No. 57/2004, which is in compliance with EU and WHO standards. A total of 415 samples were taken for ...

Ensuring the quality of occupational safety risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto, Abel; Ribeiro, Rita A; Nunes, Isabel L

2013-03-01

In work environments, the main aim of occupational safety risk assessment (OSRA) is to improve the safety level of an installation or site by either preventing accidents and injuries or minimizing their consequences. To this end, it is of paramount importance to identify all sources of hazards and assess their potential to cause problems in the respective context. If the OSRA process is inadequate and/or not applied effectively, it results in an ineffective safety prevention program and inefficient use of resources. An appropriate OSRA is an essential component of the occupational safety risk management process in industries. In this article, we performed a survey to elicit the relative importance for identified OSRA tasks to enable an in-depth evaluation of the quality of risk assessments related to occupational safety aspects on industrial sites. The survey involved defining a questionnaire with the most important elements (tasks) for OSRA quality assessment, which was then presented to safety experts in the mining, electrical power production, transportation, and petrochemical industries. With this work, we expect to contribute to the main question of OSRA in industries: "What constitutes a good occupational safety risk assessment?" The results obtained from the questionnaire showed that experts agree with the proposed OSRA process decomposition in steps and tasks (taxonomy) and also with the importance of assigning weights to obtain knowledge about OSRA task relevance. The knowledge gained will enable us, in the near future, to build a framework to evaluate OSRA quality for industrial sites. © 2012 Society for Risk Analysis.

Health-related quality of life assessments in osteoarthritis during NSAID treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

de Bock, G H; Hermans, J; van Marwijk, H W; Kaptein, A A; Mulder, J D

1996-08-01

There is some evidence that nabumetone (1000 mg once daily) in comparison with piroxicam (20 mg once daily) in patients with OA in general practice is associated with a lower incidence and less severe occurrence of stomach pain but with more withdrawals due to lack of efficacy. The aim of this analysis was to investigate whether these differences are reflected in health-related quality of life assessments. Patients (n = 198) included in this study were selected in general practice according to a protocol. The patients were randomized and treated for a period of six weeks. Clinical assessments were performed by the general practitioner (CP) during treatment. The Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), the Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and a pain questionnaire were filled out by the patients before and after treatment. As measured with the SIP, the ADL and the pain questionnaire, there were no significant differences between nabumetone and piroxicam. The correlations between (changes in) patient assessments and (changes in) clinical assessments were low. The differences between the two drugs regarding withdrawals and adverse events were not reflected by patient health-related quality of life assessments. There was a low correlation between patient health-related quality of life assessment and clinical assessments. To get a complete picture of the efficacy and safety of a drug, patient health-related quality of life assessments should be a part of a clinical trial.

Merging expert and empirical data for rare event frequency estimation: Pool homogenisation for empirical Bayes models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quigley, John; Hardman, Gavin; Bedford, Tim; Walls, Lesley

2011-01-01

Empirical Bayes provides one approach to estimating the frequency of rare events as a weighted average of the frequencies of an event and a pool of events. The pool will draw upon, for example, events with similar precursors. The higher the degree of homogeneity of the pool, then the Empirical Bayes estimator will be more accurate. We propose and evaluate a new method using homogenisation factors under the assumption that events are generated from a Homogeneous Poisson Process. The homogenisation factors are scaling constants, which can be elicited through structured expert judgement and used to align the frequencies of different events, hence homogenising the pool. The estimation error relative to the homogeneity of the pool is examined theoretically indicating that reduced error is associated with larger pool homogeneity. The effects of misspecified expert assessments of the homogenisation factors are examined theoretically and through simulation experiments. Our results show that the proposed Empirical Bayes method using homogenisation factors is robust under different degrees of misspecification.

STUDY OF POND WATER QUALITY BY THE ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND WATER QUALITY INDEX

OpenAIRE

Vinod Jena; Satish Dixit; Ravi ShrivastavaSapana Gupta; Sapana Gupta

2013-01-01

Water quality index (WQI) is a dimensionless number that combines multiple water quality factors into a single number by normalizing values to subjective rating curves. Conventionally it has been used for evaluating the quality of water for water resources suchas rivers, streams and lakes, etc. The present work is aimed at assessing the Water Quality Index (W.Q.I) ofpond water and the impact of human activities on it. Physicochemical parameters were monitored for the calculation of W.Q.I for ...

Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction: An Assessment and Future Directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernon, Peter; Nitecki, Danuta A.; Altman, Ellen

1999-01-01

Reviews the literature of library and information science to examine issues related to service quality and customer satisfaction in academic libraries. Discusses assessment, the application of a business model to higher education, a multiple constituency approach, decision areas regarding service quality, resistance to service quality, and future…

Integrating Product Water Quality Effects In Holistic Assessments Of Water Systems

OpenAIRE

Rygaard, Martin

2011-01-01

While integrated assessments of sustainability of water systems are largely focused on quantity issues, chemical use, and energy consumption, effects of the supplied water quality are often overlooked. Drinking water quality affects corrosion rates, human health, applicability of water and aesthetics. Even small changes in the chemical composition of water may accumulate large impacts on city scale. Here, a method for integrated assessment of water quality is presented. Based on dose-response...

Development of an empirical typology of African American family functioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandara, Jelani; Murray, Carolyn B

2002-09-01

This study empirically identified types of African American families. Adolescents (N = 111) were assessed on family functioning. With cluster analytic methods, 3 types of families were identified. The cohesive-authoritative type was above average on parental education and income, averaged about 2 children, exhibited a high quality of family functioning and high self-esteem in adolescents. The conflictive-authoritarian type had average parental education and income, an average of 2.7 children, exhibited controlling and rigid discipline, and placed a high emphasis on achievement. The defensive-neglectful type was predominately headed by single mothers with below average education and income and averaged about 3 children. Such families displayed chaotic family processes, and adolescents tended to suffer from low self-esteem. The typology exhibited good reliability. The implications of the typology are discussed.

School Indoor Air Quality Assessment and Program Implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Prill, R.; Blake, D.; Hales, D.

This paper describes the effectiveness of a three-step indoor air quality (IAQ) program implemented by 156 schools in the states of Washington and Idaho during the 2000-2001 school year. An experienced IAQ/building science specialist conducted walk-through assessments at each school. These assessments documented deficiencies and served as an…

Three-level quality assessment of a dental hospital using EFQM.

Science.gov (United States)

Vakani, Farhan; Fatmi, Zafar; Naqvi, Kashif

2011-01-01

This article aims to measure quality by applying the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) excellence model at three different participation levels, in a Karachi teaching university dental hospital. The case study assessed the eight EFQM model excellence concepts as benchmarks for providing quality services: results orientation; customer focus; leadership and constancy of purpose; management by processes and facts; people development and involvement; continuous learning, innovation and improvement; partnership development; and corporate social responsibility. This study was conducted at Hamdard University Dental Hospital (HUDH), located in Karachi - part of the largest privately-owned university in Pakistan. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with internal stakeholders at three levels (management, faculty and student). Continuous learning, innovation and improvement; partnership development; and corporate social responsibility were satisfactorily represented. The EFQM assessment was limited to a single university dental hospital, hence findings cannot be generalized. The article highlights that it is envisaged that this exercise will bring about a positive change in attitude and will stimulate institute staff to kick start the self assessment process and implement measures leading to better quality practices, thus establishing a continuous quality improvement cycle.

Review of quality assessment tools for family planning programmes in low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Sprockett, Andrea

2017-03-01

Measuring and tracking the quality of healthcare is a critical part of improving service delivery, clinic efficiency and health outcomes. However, no standardized or widely accepted tool exists to assess the quality of clinic-based family planning services in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this literature review was to identify widely used public domain quality assessment tools with existing or potential application in clinic-based family planning programmes. Using PubMed, PopLine, Google Scholar and Google, key terms such as ‘quality assessment tool’, ‘quality assessment method’, ‘quality measurement’, ‘LMIC’, ‘developing country’, ‘family planning’ and ‘reproductive health’ were searched for articles, identifying 20 relevant tools. Tools were assessed to determine the type of quality components assessed, divided into structure and process components, level of application (national or facility), health service domain that can be assessed by the tool, cost and current use of the tool. Tools were also assessed for shortcomings based on application in a low- and middle-income clinic-based family planning programme, including personnel required, re-assessment frequency, assessment of structure, process and outcome quality, comparability of data over time and across facilities and ability to benchmark clinic results to a national benchmark. No tools met all criteria, indicating a critical gap in quality assessment for low- and middle-income family planning programmes. To achieve Universal Health Coverage, agreed on in the Sustainable Development Goals and to improve system-wide healthcare quality, we must develop and widely adopt a standardized quality assessment tool.

Water Quality Assessment of Ayeyarwady River in Myanmar

Science.gov (United States)

Thatoe Nwe Win, Thanda; Bogaard, Thom; van de Giesen, Nick

2015-04-01

Myanmar's socio-economic activities, urbanisation, industrial operations and agricultural production have increased rapidly in recent years. With the increase of socio-economic development and climate change impacts, there is an increasing threat on quantity and quality of water resources. In Myanmar, some of the drinking water coverage still comes from unimproved sources including rivers. The Ayeyarwady River is the main river in Myanmar draining most of the country's area. The use of chemical fertilizer in the agriculture, the mining activities in the catchment area, wastewater effluents from the industries and communities and other development activities generate pollutants of different nature. Therefore water quality monitoring is of utmost importance. In Myanmar, there are many government organizations linked to water quality management. Each water organization monitors water quality for their own purposes. The monitoring is haphazard, short term and based on individual interest and the available equipment. The monitoring is not properly coordinated and a quality assurance programme is not incorporated in most of the work. As a result, comprehensive data on the water quality of rivers in Myanmar is not available. To provide basic information, action is needed at all management levels. The need for comprehensive and accurate assessments of trends in water quality has been recognized. For such an assessment, reliable monitoring data are essential. The objective of our work is to set-up a multi-objective surface water quality monitoring programme. The need for a scientifically designed network to monitor the Ayeyarwady river water quality is obvious as only limited and scattered data on water quality is available. However, the set-up should also take into account the current socio-economic situation and should be flexible to adjust after first years of monitoring. Additionally, a state-of-the-art baseline river water quality sampling program is required which

Quality-of-life and spirituality.

Science.gov (United States)

Panzini, Raquel Gehrke; Mosqueiro, Bruno Paz; Zimpel, Rogério R; Bandeira, Denise Ruschel; Rocha, Neusa S; Fleck, Marcelo P

2017-06-01

Spirituality has been identified as an important dimension of quality-of-life. The objective of this study was to review the literature on quality-of-life and spirituality, their association, and assessment tools. A search was conducted of the keyterms 'quality-of-life' and 'spirituality' in abstract or title in the databases PsycINFO and PubMed/Medline between 1979-2005, complemented by a new search at PUBMED from 2006-2016. Quality-of-life is a new concept, which encompasses and transcends the concept of health, being composed of multiple domains: physical, psychological, environmental, among others. The missing measure in health has been defined as the individual's perception of their position in life in the context of culture and value system in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. There is consistent evidence of an association between quality-of-life and religiosity/spirituality (R/S), through studies with reasonable methodological rigour, using several variables to assess R/S (e.g. religious affiliation, religious coping, and prayer/spirituality). There are also several valid and reliable instruments to evaluate quality-of-life and spirituality. Further studies are needed, however, especially in Brazil. Such studies will provide empirical data to be used in planning health interventions based on spirituality, seeking a better quality-of-life. In the last 10 years, research is consistently growing about quality-of-life and spirituality in many countries, and also in many areas of health research.

Quality Management, Job-related Contentment and Performance: an empirical analysis of British workplaces

OpenAIRE

de Menezes, L. M.; Wood, S.

2015-01-01

Purpose - This article investigates whether a quality management philosophy underlies the joint use of operations and human resource management practices, and the relationships with job-related contentment and performance.\\ud \\ud Design/ methodology/approach - Data from an economy-wide survey is used to test hypotheses via latent variable analyses (latent trait and latent class models) and structural equation models. The sensitivity of each path is then assessed using regression models.\\ud \\u...

Reliability of medical audit in quality assessment of medical care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camacho Luiz Antonio Bastos

1996-01-01

Full Text Available Medical audit of hospital records has been a major component of quality of care assessment, although physician judgment is known to have low reliability. We estimated interrater agreement of quality assessment in a sample of patients with cardiac conditions admitted to an American teaching hospital. Physician-reviewers used structured review methods designed to improve quality assessment based on judgment. Chance-corrected agreement for the items considered more relevant to process and outcome of care ranged from low to moderate (0.2 to 0.6, depending on the review item and the principal diagnoses and procedures the patients underwent. Results from several studies seem to converge on this point. Comparisons among different settings should be made with caution, given the sensitivity of agreement measurements to prevalence rates. Reliability of review methods in their current stage could be improved by combining the assessment of two or more reviewers, and by emphasizing outcome-oriented events.

[Systematic economic assessment and quality evaluation for traditional Chinese medicines].

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiao; Guo, Li-ping; Shang, Hong-cai; Ren, Ming; Lei, Xiang

2015-05-01

To learn about the economic studies on traditional Chinese medicines in domestic literatures, in order to analyze the current economic assessment of traditional Chinese medicines and explore the existing problems. Efforts were made to search CNKI, VIP, Wanfang database and CBM by computer and include all literatures about economic assessment of traditional Chinese medicines published on professional domestic journals in the systematic assessment and quality evaluation. Finally, 50 articles were included in the study, and the systematic assessment and quality evaluation were made for them in terms of titles, year, authors' identity, expense source, disease type, study perspective, study design type, study target, study target source, time limit, cost calculation, effect indicator, analytical technique and sensitivity analysis. The finally quality score was 0.74, which is very low. The results of the study showed insufficient studies on economics of traditional Chinese medicines, short study duration and simple evaluation methods, which will be solved through unremitting efforts in the future.

The Socratic Method: Empirical Assessment of a Psychology Capstone Course

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Lawrence R.; Stephenson, Paul L.; Bellamy, Katy

2016-01-01

Although students make some epistemological progress during college, most graduate without developing meaning-making strategies that reflect an understanding that knowledge is socially constructed. Using a pre-test-post-test design and a within-subjects 2 × 2 mixed-design ANOVA, this study reports on empirical findings which support the Socratic…

Self-assessment procedure using fuzzy sets

Science.gov (United States)

Mimi, Fotini

2000-10-01

Self-Assessment processes, initiated by a company itself and carried out by its own people, are considered to be the starting point for a regular strategic or operative planning process to ensure a continuous quality improvement. Their importance has increased by the growing relevance and acceptance of international quality awards such as the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the European Quality Award and the Deming Prize. Especially award winners use the instrument of a systematic and regular Self-Assessment and not only because they have to verify their quality and business results for at least three years. The Total Quality Model of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), used for the European Quality Award, is the basis for Self-Assessment in Europe. This paper presents a self-assessment supporting method based on a methodology of fuzzy control systems providing an effective means of converting the linguistic approximation into an automatic control strategy. In particular, the elements of the Quality Model mentioned above are interpreted as linguistic variables. The LR-type of a fuzzy interval is used for their representation. The input data has a qualitative character based on empirical investigation and expert knowledge and therefore the base- variables are ordinal scaled. The aggregation process takes place on the basis of a hierarchical structure. Finally, in order to render the use of the method more practical a software system on PC basis is developed and implemented.

Criteria for Assessing Quality in Academic Research: The Views of Biomedical Scientists, Clinical Scientists and Social Scientists

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Mathieu; Laberge, Suzanne; McGuire, Wendy

2012-01-01

This study empirically addresses the claim made by Gibbons et al ("The new production of knowledge: The dynamics of science and research in contemporary societies." Sage, Thousand Oaks, 1994) that a novel form of quality control (associated with Mode 2 knowledge production) is supplementing the "traditional" peer-review process…

Assessment of the quality of educational portals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. G. Bolbakov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article describes the results of theoretical and experimental studies on the evaluation of the quality of educational information placed on information and educational portals. The methodology allows you to compare not only portals, but also the results of training on exam scores and test scores. The methodological basis of the assessment is the cognitive approach and the negentropic approach. The article gives a comparison of entropy and negentropy. On the basis of comparison, the authors propose a negentropic approach to assessing the quality of educational resources obtained as a result of information retrieval. The search results are evaluated by cognitive and perpetual scores. Estimates are introduced into the entropy formula and converted to the formula of negentropy. The negentropic approach serves as the basis for calculating the statistical amount of information obtained as a result of information retrieval. The cognitive approach serves as a basis for assessing the qualitative characteristics of educational information, such as: visibility, perceptibility, interpretability. Open information portalsare the source of educational resources. The article shows that modern information portals are often clogged with unreliable or unnecessary information, which makes it difficult to find relevant educational information. In contrast to the widespread methods for one relevanceassess of the information retrieval, this article differentiates the notion of the relevance of the information retrieval. The article introduces three qualitatively different notions of relevance: formal, semantic and perpetual – relevance. The article introduces new additional characteristics of the quality of information search, the coefficient of cognition and the coefficient of perpetuation. These coefficients are introduced into the formula for estimating entropy and obtain the cognitive-entropy formula. As a result, a new method for assessing the content of

Assessing product image quality for online shopping

Science.gov (United States)

Goswami, Anjan; Chung, Sung H.; Chittar, Naren; Islam, Atiq

2012-01-01

Assessing product-image quality is important in the context of online shopping. A high quality image that conveys more information about a product can boost the buyer's confidence and can get more attention. However, the notion of image quality for product-images is not the same as that in other domains. The perception of quality of product-images depends not only on various photographic quality features but also on various high level features such as clarity of the foreground or goodness of the background etc. In this paper, we define a notion of product-image quality based on various such features. We conduct a crowd-sourced experiment to collect user judgments on thousands of eBay's images. We formulate a multi-class classification problem for modeling image quality by classifying images into good, fair and poor quality based on the guided perceptual notions from the judges. We also conduct experiments with regression using average crowd-sourced human judgments as target. We compute a pseudo-regression score with expected average of predicted classes and also compute a score from the regression technique. We design many experiments with various sampling and voting schemes with crowd-sourced data and construct various experimental image quality models. Most of our models have reasonable accuracies (greater or equal to 70%) on test data set. We observe that our computed image quality score has a high (0.66) rank correlation with average votes from the crowd sourced human judgments.

Assessing service quality satisfying the expectations of library customers

CERN Document Server

Hernon, Peter; Dugan, Robert

2015-01-01

Academic and public libraries are continuing to transform as the information landscape changes, expanding their missions into new service roles that call for improved organizational performance and accountability. Since Assessing Service Quality premiered in 1998, receiving the prestigious Highsmith Library Literature Award, scores of library managers and administrators have trusted its guidance for applying a customer-centered approach to service quality and performance evaluation. This extensively revised and updated edition explores even further the ways technology influences both the experiences of library customers and the ways libraries themselves can assess those experiences.

Towards a Quality Assessment Method for Learning Preference Profiles in Negotiation

Science.gov (United States)

Hindriks, Koen V.; Tykhonov, Dmytro

In automated negotiation, information gained about an opponent's preference profile by means of learning techniques may significantly improve an agent's negotiation performance. It therefore is useful to gain a better understanding of how various negotiation factors influence the quality of learning. The quality of learning techniques in negotiation are typically assessed indirectly by means of comparing the utility levels of agreed outcomes and other more global negotiation parameters. An evaluation of learning based on such general criteria, however, does not provide any insight into the influence of various aspects of negotiation on the quality of the learned model itself. The quality may depend on such aspects as the domain of negotiation, the structure of the preference profiles, the negotiation strategies used by the parties, and others. To gain a better understanding of the performance of proposed learning techniques in the context of negotiation and to be able to assess the potential to improve the performance of such techniques a more systematic assessment method is needed. In this paper we propose such a systematic method to analyse the quality of the information gained about opponent preferences by learning in single-instance negotiations. The method includes measures to assess the quality of a learned preference profile and proposes an experimental setup to analyse the influence of various negotiation aspects on the quality of learning. We apply the method to a Bayesian learning approach for learning an opponent's preference profile and discuss our findings.

Measuring the Quality of the Assessment Process: Dealing with Grading Inconsistency

Science.gov (United States)

Wosik, Dawid

2014-01-01

This paper examines an assessment process within the context of quality, accountability and institutional effectiveness in academia. Considered as one of the most important elements in higher education, the assessment process plays a significant role in contributing to holistic quality as well as the performance of an academic institution. As a…

Overview of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

Science.gov (United States)

Leahy, P.P.; Thompson, T.H.

1994-01-01

The Nation's water resources are the basis for life and our economic vitality. These resources support a complex web of human activities and fishery and wildlife needs that depend upon clean water. Demands for good-quality water for drinking, recreation, farming, and industry are rising, and as a result, the American public is concerned about the condition and sustainability of our water resources. The American public is asking: Is it safe to swim in and drink water from our rivers or lakes? Can we eat the fish that come from them? Is our ground water polluted? Is water quality degrading with time, and if so, why? Has all the money we've spent to clean up our waters, done any good? The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program was designed to provide information that will help answer these questions. NAWQA is designed to assess historical, current, and future water-quality conditions in representative river basins and aquifers nationwide. One of the primary objectives of the program is to describe relations between natural factors, human activities, and water-quality conditions and to define those factors that most affect water quality in different parts of the Nation. The linkage of water quality to environmental processes is of fundamental importance to water-resource managers, planners, and policy makers. It provides a strong and unbiased basis for better decisionmaking by those responsible for making decisions that affect our water resources, including the United States Congress, Federal, State, and local agencies, environmental groups, and industry. Information from the NAWQA Program also will be useful for guiding research, monitoring, and regulatory activities in cost effective ways.

Empirical data and moral theory. A plea for integrated empirical ethics.

Science.gov (United States)

Molewijk, Bert; Stiggelbout, Anne M; Otten, Wilma; Dupuis, Heleen M; Kievit, Job

2004-01-01

Ethicists differ considerably in their reasons for using empirical data. This paper presents a brief overview of four traditional approaches to the use of empirical data: "the prescriptive applied ethicists," "the theorists," "the critical applied ethicists," and "the particularists." The main aim of this paper is to introduce a fifth approach of more recent date (i.e. "integrated empirical ethics") and to offer some methodological directives for research in integrated empirical ethics. All five approaches are presented in a table for heuristic purposes. The table consists of eight columns: "view on distinction descriptive-prescriptive sciences," "location of moral authority," "central goal(s)," "types of normativity," "use of empirical data," "method," "interaction empirical data and moral theory," and "cooperation with descriptive sciences." Ethicists can use the table in order to identify their own approach. Reflection on these issues prior to starting research in empirical ethics should lead to harmonization of the different scientific disciplines and effective planning of the final research design. Integrated empirical ethics (IEE) refers to studies in which ethicists and descriptive scientists cooperate together continuously and intensively. Both disciplines try to integrate moral theory and empirical data in order to reach a normative conclusion with respect to a specific social practice. IEE is not wholly prescriptive or wholly descriptive since IEE assumes an interdepence between facts and values and between the empirical and the normative. The paper ends with three suggestions for consideration on some of the future challenges of integrated empirical ethics.

An innovative road marking quality assessment mechanism using computer vision

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuo-Liang Lin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Aesthetic quality acceptance for road marking works has been relied on subjective visual examination. Due to a lack of quantitative operation procedures, acceptance outcome can be biased and results in great quality variation. To improve aesthetic quality acceptance procedure of road marking, we develop an innovative road marking quality assessment mechanism, utilizing machine vision technologies. Using edge smoothness as a quantitative aesthetic indicator, the proposed prototype system first receives digital images of finished road marking surface and has the images processed and analyzed to capture the geometric characteristics of the marking. The geometric characteristics are then evaluated to determine the quality level of the finished work. System is demonstrated through two real cases to show how it works. In the end, a test comparing the assessment results between the proposed system and expert inspection is conducted to enhance the accountability of the proposed mechanism.

Patients' quality assessment of ambulatory obstetric and gynaecological services.

Science.gov (United States)

Bojar, I; Wdowiak, L; Ostrowski, T

2005-01-01

The quality could be assessed from two perspectives: internal and external. From the internal perspective the quality means being consistent with particular conditions and standards. The external perspective is based on relative assessment of the product made by a client who is also aware of other competitors' offer. Despite the professional assessment which is focused on providing health services according to medical and managerial correctness, patient's assessment is also relevant. Measuring patient's satisfaction is additional method of health services quality assessment. The aim of the study was to estimate patients' opinion on quality of ambulatory obstetric and gynaecological services. The study was conducted in 11 obstetric and gynaecological out-patient clinics of Lublin in September and October 2003. The study tool was an author's questionnaire. Patients were asked to assess such areas as registration before visit, their relationship with nurses and gynaecologists and other aspects of services provision like intimacy assurance and respecting Patient's Rights. The collected data was statistically analysed. 635 patients took part in the study. The biggest groups in the studied population were women at the age of 20-30 years, married, living in cities and secondary educated. It was found that around half of the population is satisfied and 2.2% of them are unsatisfied with the fact that they have chosen particular out-patient clinic. More than 70% of women had positive opinion of following aspects influencing general opinion about service quality: politness of reception desk staff, opening hours, the length of time before a patient is seen by the specialist, intimacy assurance and respect for Patient's Rights in the practice. 80% of patients were satisfied with the relationship with nurses and 3.3% were unsatisfied with it. Eight patients out of ten were satisfied with gynaecological care, less than 2% were unsatisfied. The studied women had also high opinion

Quality-assessment expectations and quality-assessment reality in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

dissonance between stated and actual quality criteria among a group of lecturers in a particular. 1 For a discussion of quality in .... 6 The feasibility study undertaken by the SU Language Centre and its impact on interpreting at SU will be discussed in detail in a ..... Communication & Cognition 38(1-2): 27-46. Kopczynski, A.

Assessing Educational Processes Using Total-Quality-Management Measurement Tools.

Science.gov (United States)

Macchia, Peter, Jr.

1993-01-01

Discussion of the use of Total Quality Management (TQM) assessment tools in educational settings highlights and gives examples of fishbone diagrams, or cause and effect charts; Pareto diagrams; control charts; histograms and check sheets; scatter diagrams; and flowcharts. Variation and quality are discussed in terms of continuous process…

Goals of Peer Assessment and Their Associated Quality Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Gielen, Sarah; Dochy, Filip; Onghena, Patrick; Struyven, Katrien; Smeets, Stijn

2011-01-01

The output of peer assessment in higher education has been investigated increasingly in recent decades. However, this output is evaluated against a variety of quality criteria, resulting in a cluttered picture. This article analyses the different conceptualisations of quality that appear in the literature. Discussions about the most appropriate…

Quality of health care and the need for assessment | Bosse | East ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... of health care workers, a strong determinant of care process quality, might be improved by strengthening internal factors in health facilities. For conclusive validation, further studies using the tool must be conducted with larger numbers of institutions. Keywords: Quality of health care, Quality assessment, Quality assurance, ...

Evaluating the Quality of Competency Assessment in Pharmacy: A Framework for Workplace Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shailly Shah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Demonstration of achieved competencies is critical in the pharmacy workplace. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of the competency assessment program for pharmacy residents at an academic medical center. The competency assessment program (CAP survey is a validated, 48-item instrument that evaluates the quality of an assessment program based on 12 criteria, each measured by four questions on a scale of 0 to 100. The CAP was completed by residents (n = 23 and preceptors (n = 28 from the pharmacy residency program between 2010 and 2013. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, and non-parametric tests. Educational Consequences was the only quality criteria falling below the standard for “good quality.” Participants that completed residency training elsewhere rated the Comparability (0.04 and Meaningfulness (0.01 of the assessment program higher than those that completed residency at the academic medical center. There were no significant differences between resident and preceptor scores. Overall, the quality of the assessment program was rated highly by residents and preceptors. The process described here provides a useful framework for understanding the quality of workplace learning assessments in pharmacy practice.

The Depression Inventory Development Workgroup: A Collaborative, Empirically Driven Initiative to Develop a New Assessment Tool for Major Depressive Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaccarino, Anthony L; Evans, Kenneth R; Kalali, Amir H; Kennedy, Sidney H; Engelhardt, Nina; Frey, Benicio N; Greist, John H; Kobak, Kenneth A; Lam, Raymond W; MacQueen, Glenda; Milev, Roumen; Placenza, Franca M; Ravindran, Arun V; Sheehan, David V; Sills, Terrence; Williams, Janet B W

2016-01-01

The Depression Inventory Development project is an initiative of the International Society for CNS Drug Development whose goal is to develop a comprehensive and psychometrically sound measurement tool to be utilized as a primary endpoint in clinical trials for major depressive disorder. Using an iterative process between field testing and psychometric analysis and drawing upon expertise of international researchers in depression, the Depression Inventory Development team has established an empirically driven and collaborative protocol for the creation of items to assess symptoms in major depressive disorder. Depression-relevant symptom clusters were identified based on expert clinical and patient input. In addition, as an aid for symptom identification and item construction, the psychometric properties of existing clinical scales (assessing depression and related indications) were evaluated using blinded datasets from pharmaceutical antidepressant drug trials. A series of field tests in patients with major depressive disorder provided the team with data to inform the iterative process of scale development. We report here an overview of the Depression Inventory Development initiative, including results of the third iteration of items assessing symptoms related to anhedonia, cognition, fatigue, general malaise, motivation, anxiety, negative thinking, pain and appetite. The strategies adopted from the Depression Inventory Development program, as an empirically driven and collaborative process for scale development, have provided the foundation to develop and validate measurement tools in other therapeutic areas as well.

Lake Chini Water Quality Assessment Using Multivariate Approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, A.K.; Shuhaimi, Othman M.; Lim, E.C.; Aziz, Z.A.

2013-01-01

An analysis was undertaken using the multivariate approach to determine the important water quality for shallow lake water quality assessment. Fourteen water quality parameters which includes biological, physical and chemical components were collected monthly over twelve month period. The data were analysed using factor analysis which involves identification of factor correlation, factor extraction and factor permutations. The first process involved the clustering of high correlation parameters into its respective factor and the removal of parameters that have more than one factor. Agglomerative hierarchy (HACA) and discriminant analysis (DA) were also used to exhibit the important factors that has significant influence on lake water quality. The analysis showed that Lake Chini water quality was determined by more than one factor. The results indicated that the biological and chemical (nutrients) components have significant influence in determining the lake water quality. The biological parameters namely BOD5, COD, chlorophyll a and chemical (nitrate and orthophosphate) are important parameters in Lake Chini. All analysis demonstrated the importance of biological and chemical water quality components in the determination of Lake Chini water quality. (author)

Assessment of semi-empirical potentials for the U-Si system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baskes, Michael I. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Andersson, Anders David [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-02-03

Accident tolerant fuels (ATF) are being developed in response to the Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan. One of the options being pursued is U-Si fuels, such as the U₃Si₂ and U₃Si₅ compounds, which benefit from high thermal conductivity (metallic) compared to the UO2 fuel (semi-conductor) used in current Light Water Reactors (LWRs). The U-Si fuels also have higher fissile density. In order to perform meaningful engineering scale nuclear fuel performance simulations, the material properties of the fuel, including the response to irradiation environments, must be known. Unfortunately, the data available for U-Si fuels are rather limited, in particular for the temperature range where LWRs would operate. The ATF HIP is using multi-scale modeling and simulations to address this knowledge gap. Even though Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations can provide useful answers to a subset of problems, they are computationally too costly for many others, including properties governing microstructure evolution and irradiation effects. For the latter, semi-empirical potentials are typically used. Unfortunately, there is currently no potential for the U-Si system. In this brief report we present initial results from the development of a U-Si semi-empirical potential based on the Modified Embedded Atom Method (MEAM). The potential should reproduce relevant parts of the U-Si phase diagram as well as defect properties important in irradiation environments. This work also serves as an assessment of the general challenges associated with the U-Si system, which will be valuable for the efforts to develop a U-Si Tersoff potential undertaken by Idaho National Laboratory (also part of the ATF HIP). Going forward the main potential development activity will reside at INL and the work presented here is meant to provide input data and guidelines for that activity. The main focus of our work is on the U₃Si₂ and U3Si₅

[Certification assessment and quality and risk management].

Science.gov (United States)

Papin-Morardet, Maud

2018-03-01

Organised by the French National Health Authority (HAS), certification is an external assessment process which is obligatory for all public and private health facilities, whatever their size or activity. The aim is to independently evaluate the quality of the health care provision of hospitals and clinics in France. This article looks at the investigation methods and the procedure used during the certification assessment of Henri Mondor University Hospitals in 2016. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Quality Assessment of Domesticated Animal Genome Assemblies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seemann, Stefan E; Anthon, Christian; Palasca, Oana

2015-01-01

affected by the lack of genomic sequence. Herein, we quantify the quality of the genome assemblies of 20 domesticated animals and related species by assessing a range of measurable parameters, and we show that there is a positive correlation between the fraction of mappable reads from RNAseq data...... domesticated animal genomes still need to be sequenced deeper in order to produce high-quality assemblies. In the meanwhile, ironically, the extent to which RNAseq and other next-generation data is produced frequently far exceeds that of the genomic sequence. Furthermore, basic comparative analysis is often...

Multidimensional Assessment of Spirituality/Religion in Patients with HIV: Conceptual Framework and Empirical Refinement

Science.gov (United States)

Kudel, Ian; Cotton, Sian; Leonard, Anthony C.; Tsevat, Joel; Ritchey, P. Neal

2011-01-01

A decade ago, an expert panel developed a framework for measuring spirituality/religion in health research (Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality), but empirical testing of this framework has been limited. The purpose of this study was to determine whether responses to items across multiple measures assessing spirituality/religion by 450 patients with HIV replicate this model. We hypothesized a six-factor model underlying a collective of 56 items, but results of confirmatory factor analyses suggested eight dimensions: Meaning/Peace, Tangible Connection to the Divine, Positive Religious Coping, Love/Appreciation, Negative Religious Coping, Positive Congregational Support, Negative Congregational Support, and Cultural Practices. This study corroborates parts of the factor structure underlying the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality and some recent refinements of the original framework. PMID:21136166

Management assessments of Quality Assurance Program implementation effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snyder, D.A.

1984-01-01

This paper describes a method currently being used by UNC Nuclear Industries, Richland, Washington, to help assure the effectiveness of Quality Assurance (QA) Program implementation. Assessments are conducted annually by management in each department, and the results summarized to the president and his staff. The purpose of these assessments is to review the adequacy of the department's implementing procedures, training/instruction on implementing procedures, and procedure implementation effectiveness. The primary purpose is to assess effectiveness and take improvement action where the need is indicated. The QA organization provides only general guidance in conducting the assessments

DAF: differential ACE filtering image quality assessment by automatic color equalization

Science.gov (United States)

Ouni, S.; Chambah, M.; Saint-Jean, C.; Rizzi, A.

2008-01-01

Ideally, a quality assessment system would perceive and measure image or video impairments just like a human being. But in reality, objective quality metrics do not necessarily correlate well with perceived quality [1]. Plus, some measures assume that there exists a reference in the form of an "original" to compare to, which prevents their usage in digital restoration field, where often there is no reference to compare to. That is why subjective evaluation is the most used and most efficient approach up to now. But subjective assessment is expensive, time consuming and does not respond, hence, to the economic requirements [2,3]. Thus, reliable automatic methods for visual quality assessment are needed in the field of digital film restoration. The ACE method, for Automatic Color Equalization [4,6], is an algorithm for digital images unsupervised enhancement. It is based on a new computational approach that tries to model the perceptual response of our vision system merging the Gray World and White Patch equalization mechanisms in a global and local way. Like our vision system ACE is able to adapt to widely varying lighting conditions, and to extract visual information from the environment efficaciously. Moreover ACE can be run in an unsupervised manner. Hence it is very useful as a digital film restoration tool since no a priori information is available. In this paper we deepen the investigation of using the ACE algorithm as a basis for a reference free image quality evaluation. This new metric called DAF for Differential ACE Filtering [7] is an objective quality measure that can be used in several image restoration and image quality assessment systems. In this paper, we compare on different image databases, the results obtained with DAF and with some subjective image quality assessments (Mean Opinion Score MOS as measure of perceived image quality). We study also the correlation between objective measure and MOS. In our experiments, we have used for the first image

Guidelines for using empirical studies in software engineering education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabian Fagerholm

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Software engineering education is under constant pressure to provide students with industry-relevant knowledge and skills. Educators must address issues beyond exercises and theories that can be directly rehearsed in small settings. Industry training has similar requirements of relevance as companies seek to keep their workforce up to date with technological advances. Real-life software development often deals with large, software-intensive systems and is influenced by the complex effects of teamwork and distributed software development, which are hard to demonstrate in an educational environment. A way to experience such effects and to increase the relevance of software engineering education is to apply empirical studies in teaching. In this paper, we show how different types of empirical studies can be used for educational purposes in software engineering. We give examples illustrating how to utilize empirical studies, discuss challenges, and derive an initial guideline that supports teachers to include empirical studies in software engineering courses. Furthermore, we give examples that show how empirical studies contribute to high-quality learning outcomes, to student motivation, and to the awareness of the advantages of applying software engineering principles. Having awareness, experience, and understanding of the actions required, students are more likely to apply such principles under real-life constraints in their working life.

Objective Audio Quality Assessment Based on Spectro-Temporal Modulation Analysis

OpenAIRE

Guo, Ziyuan

2011-01-01

Objective audio quality assessment is an interdisciplinary research area that incorporates audiology and machine learning. Although much work has been made on the machine learning aspect, the audiology aspect also deserves investigation. This thesis proposes a non-intrusive audio quality assessment algorithm, which is based on an auditory model that simulates human auditory system. The auditory model is based on spectro-temporal modulation analysis of spectrogram, which has been proven to be ...

Quality assessment of groundwater from shallow aquifers in Hong ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Quality assessment of groundwater from shallow aquifers in Hong area, Adamawa state, northeastern Nigeria. ... The high content of fluoride and iron in the groundwater may have contributed to the high EC and TDS especially during the rainy season when the rate of leaching and infiltration is high. Keywords: Quality ...

Empirically derived dietary patterns and health-related quality of life in the SUN project.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruano, Cristina; Henriquez, Patricia; Martínez-González, Miguel Ángel; Bes-Rastrollo, Maira; Ruiz-Canela, Miguel; Sánchez-Villegas, Almudena

2013-01-01

The analysis of dietary patterns has become a valuable tool to examine diet-disease relationships but little is known about their effects on quality of life. Our aim was to ascertain the association between major dietary patterns and mental and physical quality of life after 4 years of follow-up. This analysis included 11,128 participants from the "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" (SUN) cohort. Dietary habits were assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Factor analysis was used to derive dietary patterns. Quality of life was measured with the validated Spanish version of the SF-36 Health Survey. Two major dietary patterns were identified, the 'Western' dietary pattern (rich in red meats, processed pastries and fast-food) and the "Mediterranean" dietary pattern (high in fruits, vegetables and olive oil). After controlling for confounders, the Western dietary pattern was associated with quality of life in all domains. The magnitude of these differences between the subjects in the highest (quintile 5) and the lowest quintile of adherence to the Western pattern ranged from -0.8 (for mental health) to -3.5 (for vitality). On the contrary, the Mediterranean dietary pattern was associated with better quality of life domains: differences ranged from +1.3 (for physical functioning) to +3.4 (for vitality) when comparing extreme quintiles of adherence. Additional sensitivity analyses did not change the reported differences. Whereas baseline adherence to a Western dietary pattern was inversely associated with self-perceived quality of life after 4 years of follow-up, baseline adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern was directly associated with better scores in quality of life four years later in the SUN Project.

Empirically derived dietary patterns and health-related quality of life in the SUN project.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Ruano

Full Text Available The analysis of dietary patterns has become a valuable tool to examine diet-disease relationships but little is known about their effects on quality of life. Our aim was to ascertain the association between major dietary patterns and mental and physical quality of life after 4 years of follow-up.This analysis included 11,128 participants from the "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" (SUN cohort. Dietary habits were assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Factor analysis was used to derive dietary patterns. Quality of life was measured with the validated Spanish version of the SF-36 Health Survey.Two major dietary patterns were identified, the 'Western' dietary pattern (rich in red meats, processed pastries and fast-food and the "Mediterranean" dietary pattern (high in fruits, vegetables and olive oil. After controlling for confounders, the Western dietary pattern was associated with quality of life in all domains. The magnitude of these differences between the subjects in the highest (quintile 5 and the lowest quintile of adherence to the Western pattern ranged from -0.8 (for mental health to -3.5 (for vitality. On the contrary, the Mediterranean dietary pattern was associated with better quality of life domains: differences ranged from +1.3 (for physical functioning to +3.4 (for vitality when comparing extreme quintiles of adherence. Additional sensitivity analyses did not change the reported differences.Whereas baseline adherence to a Western dietary pattern was inversely associated with self-perceived quality of life after 4 years of follow-up, baseline adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern was directly associated with better scores in quality of life four years later in the SUN Project.

Comparing farmer and measured assessments of soil quality in Tanzania: Do they align?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allison C. Kelly

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Background: There is a wide gap between actual and potential yields for many crops in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA. Experts identify poor soil quality as a primary constraint to increased agricultural productivity. Therefore, increasing agricultural productivity by improving soil quality is seen as a viable strategy to enhance food security. Yet adoption rates of programs focused on improving soil quality have generally been lower than expected [1], [2]. Results: We explore a seldom considered factor that may limit farmers’ demand for improved soil quality, namely, whether the farmers’ self-assessment of their soil quality match the assessments of soil scientists. In this paper, using data from the Tanzania National Panel Survey (TZNPS, part of the Living Standards Measurement Study – Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA, we compare farmers’ own assessments of soil quality with scientific measurements of soil quality from the Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD. The study found a considerable “mismatch” and most notably, that 11.5 percent of survey households that reported having “good” soil quality are measured by scientific standards to have severely limited nutrient availability. Conclusion: Mismatches between scientific measurements and farmer assessments of soil quality may highlight a potential barrier for programs seeking to encourage farmers to adopt soil quality improvement activities.

Understanding the Service Quality Perception Gaps between Judicial Servants and Judiciary Users

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Murillo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Judiciary service user expectations are usually not the same as ideas harbored in the minds of civil servants delivering such services. This discrepancy matches the definition of the service delivery GAP 1, as identified and assessed by SERVQUAL (Service Quality, a tool that for almost three decades has been employed worldwide in measuring service quality in many different industries and countries, in both private and public organizations. Through participant observation, semi-structured interviews and empirical data collected by SERVQUAL, this paper focuses on assessing this service delivery GAP 1 for the Second Court of Appeal within Costa Rica’s Judicial Branch.

The biological basis for environmental quality assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karpov, V.I.; Kudritsky, Y.K.; Georgievsky, A.B.

1991-01-01

A systematic approach is required to environmental quality assessments with regard to the Baltic regions in order to address the problem of pollution abatement. The proposed systematization of adaptive states stems from the general theory of adaptation. The various types of adaption are described. (AB)

Quality assessment of pacemaker implantations in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, M; Arnsbo, P; Asklund, Mogens

2002-01-01

AIMS: Quality assessment of therapeutic procedures is essential to insure a cost-effective health care system. Pacemaker implantation is a common procedure with more than 500,000 implantations world-wide per year, but the general complication rate is not well described. We studied procedure relat...

Assessment and mitigation of power quality problems for PUSPATI TRIGA Reactor (RTP)

Science.gov (United States)

Zakaria, Mohd Fazli; Ramachandaramurthy, Vigna K.

2017-01-01

An electrical power systems are exposed to different types of power quality disturbances. Investigation and monitoring of power quality are necessary to maintain accurate operation of sensitive equipment especially for nuclear installations. This paper will discuss the power quality problems observed at the electrical sources of PUSPATI TRIGA Reactor (RTP). Assessment of power quality requires the identification of any anomalous behavior on a power system, which adversely affects the normal operation of electrical or electronic equipment. A power quality assessment involves gathering data resources; analyzing the data (with reference to power quality standards) then, if problems exist, recommendation of mitigation techniques must be considered. Field power quality data is collected by power quality recorder and analyzed with reference to power quality standards. Normally the electrical power is supplied to the RTP via two sources in order to keep a good reliability where each of them is designed to carry the full load. The assessment of power quality during reactor operation was performed for both electrical sources. There were several disturbances such as voltage harmonics and flicker that exceeded the thresholds. To reduce these disturbances, mitigation techniques have been proposed, such as to install passive harmonic filters to reduce harmonic distortion, dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) to reduce voltage disturbances and isolate all sensitive and critical loads.

Quality assurance in diagnostic radiology - assessing the fluoroscopic image quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabakov, S.

1995-01-01

The X-ray fluoroscopic image has a considerably lower resolution than the radiographic one. This requires a careful quality control aiming at optimal use of the fluoroscopic equipment. The basic procedures for image quality assessment of Image Intensifier/TV image are described. Test objects from Leeds University (UK) are used as prototypes. The results from examining 50 various fluoroscopic devices are shown. Their limiting spatial resolution varies between 0.8 lp/mm (at maximum II field size) and 2.24 lp/mm (at minimum field size). The mean value of the limiting spatial resolution for a 23 cm Image Intensifier is about 1.24 lp/mm. The mean limits of variation of the contrast/detail diagram for various fluoroscopic equipment are graphically expressed. 14 refs., 1 fig. (author)

APOLLO: a quality assessment service for single and multiple protein models.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zheng; Eickholt, Jesse; Cheng, Jianlin

2011-06-15

We built a web server named APOLLO, which can evaluate the absolute global and local qualities of a single protein model using machine learning methods or the global and local qualities of a pool of models using a pair-wise comparison approach. Based on our evaluations on 107 CASP9 (Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction) targets, the predicted quality scores generated from our machine learning and pair-wise methods have an average per-target correlation of 0.671 and 0.917, respectively, with the true model quality scores. Based on our test on 92 CASP9 targets, our predicted absolute local qualities have an average difference of 2.60 Å with the actual distances to native structure. http://sysbio.rnet.missouri.edu/apollo/. Single and pair-wise global quality assessment software is also available at the site.

Quality control in the histopathology laboratory: An overview with stress on the need for a structured national external quality assessment scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iyengar Jayaram

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The concept of quality control in histopathology is relatively young and less well understood. Like in other disciplines of laboratory medicine, the concept of quality and its control is applicable to pre analytical, analytical and post analytical activities. Assessment of both precision and accuracy performances is possible by appropriate internal and external quality control and assessment schemes. This article is a review of all processes that achieve quality reporting in histopathology. There is a special focus on external quality assessment - a scheme that lacks organization on a national level in our country. Statistical data derived from a small scale external quality assurance program is also analyzed along with recommendations to organize an effective national scheme with the participation of authorized zonal centers.

Coupling hydrodynamic modeling and empirical measures of bed mobility to assess the risk of redd scour on a large regulated river

Science.gov (United States)

Christine L. May; Bonnie S. Pryor; Thomas E. Lisle; Margaret M. Lang

2009-01-01

n order to assess the risk of scour and fill of spawning redds during floods, an understanding of the relations among river discharge, bed mobility, and scour and fill depths in areas of the streambed heavily utilized by spawning salmon is needed. Our approach coupled numerical flow modeling and empirical data from the Trinity River, California, to quantify spatially...

Supervisor-trainee continuity and the quality of work-based assessments.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Warren J; Dudek, Nancy L; Wood, Timothy J; Frank, Jason R

2017-12-01

Work-based assessments (WBAs) represent an increasingly important means of reporting expert judgements of trainee competence in clinical practice. However, the quality of WBAs completed by clinical supervisors is of concern. The episodic and fragmented interaction that often occurs between supervisors and trainees has been proposed as a barrier to the completion of high-quality WBAs. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effect of supervisor-trainee continuity on the quality of assessments documented on daily encounter cards (DECs), a common form of WBA. The relationship between trainee performance and DEC quality was also examined. Daily encounter cards representing three differing degrees of supervisor-trainee continuity (low, intermediate, high) were scored by two raters using the Completed Clinical Evaluation Report Rating (CCERR), a previously published nine-item quantitative measure of DEC quality. An analysis of variance (anova) was performed to compare mean CCERR scores among the three groups. Linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between resident performance and DEC quality. Differences in mean CCERR scores were observed between the three continuity groups (p = 0.02); however, the magnitude of the absolute differences was small (partial eta-squared = 0.03) and not educationally meaningful. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant inverse relationship between resident performance and CCERR score (p < 0.001, r 2  = 0.18). This inverse relationship was observed in both groups representing on-service residents (p = 0.001, r 2  = 0.25; p = 0.04, r 2  = 0.19), but not in the Off-service group (p = 0.62, r 2  = 0.05). Supervisor-trainee continuity did not have an educationally meaningful influence on the quality of assessments documented on DECs. However, resident performance was found to affect assessor behaviours in the On-service group, whereas DEC quality remained poor regardless

Quality Assurance of Assessment and Moderation Discourses Involving Sessional Staff

Science.gov (United States)

Grainger, Peter; Adie, Lenore; Weir, Katie

2016-01-01

Quality assurance is a major agenda in tertiary education. The casualisation of academic work, especially in teaching, is also a quality assurance issue. Casual or sessional staff members teach and assess more than 50% of all university courses in Australia, and yet the research in relation to the role sessional staff play in quality assurance of…

Empirical assessment of energy-price policies: the case for cross-price elasticities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frondel, M.

2004-01-01

Evaluations of energy-price policies are necessarily based on measures of the substitution of energy and non-energy inputs. Facing a variety of substitution elasticities, the central question arises which measure would be appropriate. Apparently, for a long time, this question has not been at issue: Allen's elasticities of substitution (AES) have been the most-used measures in applied production analysis. This paper's main contribution is an instructive survey of the origin of substitution measures and of the trinity of empirical substitution elasticities-AES, cross-price elasticities, and the Morishima elasticities of substitution (MES)-with particular emphasis on their interpretations and the perspectives that will be captured by these measures. This survey clarifies why classical cross-price elasticities are to be preferred for many practical purposes. Berndt and Wood's (Rev. Econom. Stat. 57(1975) 259) frequently applied data set of US manufacturing is used to illustrate why assessments of energy-price policies would be better based on cross-price elasticities like the energy-price elasticity of capital, rather than on AES or MES. (author)

Empirical assessment of energy-price policies: the case for cross-price elasticities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frondel, Manuel

2004-01-01

Evaluations of energy-price policies are necessarily based on measures of the substitution of energy and non-energy inputs. Facing a variety of substitution elasticities, the central question arises which measure would be appropriate. Apparently, for a long time, this question has not been at issue: Allen's elasticities of substitution (AES) have been the most-used measures in applied production analysis. This paper's main contribution is an instructive survey of the origin of substitution measures and of the trinity of empirical substitution elasticities - AES, cross-price elasticities, and the Morishima elasticities of substitution (MES) - with particular emphasis on their interpretations and the perspectives that will be captured by these measures. This survey clarifies why classical cross-price elasticities are to be preferred for many practical purposes. Berndt and Wood's (Rev. Econom. Stat. 57 (1975) 259) frequently applied data set of US manufacturing is used to illustrate why assessments of energy-price policies would be better based on cross-price elasticities like the energy-price elasticity of capital, rather than on AES or MES

Agreement in Quality of Life Assessment between Adolescents with Intellectual Disability and Their Parents

Science.gov (United States)

Golubovic, Spela; Skrbic, Renata

2013-01-01

Intellectual disability affects different aspects of functioning and quality of life, as well as the ability to independently assess the quality of life itself. The paper examines the agreement in the quality of life assessments made by adolescents with intellectual disability and their parents compared with assessments made by adolescents without…

Assessing the impact of care farms on quality of life and offending

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elsey, Helen; Farragher, Tracey; Tubeuf, Sandy; Bragg, Rachel; Elings, Marjolein; Brennan, Cathy; Gold, Rochelle; Shickle, Darren; Wickramasekera, Nyantara; Richardson, Zoe; Cade, Janet; Murray, Jenni

2018-01-01

Objectives To assess the feasibility of conducting a cost-effectiveness study of using care farms (CFS) to improve quality of life and reduce reoffending among offenders undertaking community orders (COs). To pilot questionnaires to assess quality of life, connection to nature, lifestyle behaviours,

Lessons and challenges from software quality assessment: The ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Lessons and challenges from software quality assessment: The case of space systems software. ... esoteric software technologies and paradigms such as object oriented development, etc. ... EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT

An empirical examination of the factor structure of compassion.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Jenny; Cavanagh, Kate; Baer, Ruth; Strauss, Clara

2017-01-01

Compassion has long been regarded as a core part of our humanity by contemplative traditions, and in recent years, it has received growing research interest. Following a recent review of existing conceptualisations, compassion has been defined as consisting of the following five elements: 1) recognising suffering, 2) understanding the universality of suffering in human experience, 3) feeling moved by the person suffering and emotionally connecting with their distress, 4) tolerating uncomfortable feelings aroused (e.g., fear, distress) so that we remain open to and accepting of the person suffering, and 5) acting or being motivated to act to alleviate suffering. As a prerequisite to developing a high quality compassion measure and furthering research in this field, the current study empirically investigated the factor structure of the five-element definition using a combination of existing and newly generated self-report items. This study consisted of three stages: a systematic consultation with experts to review items from existing self-report measures of compassion and generate additional items (Stage 1), exploratory factor analysis of items gathered from Stage 1 to identify the underlying structure of compassion (Stage 2), and confirmatory factor analysis to validate the identified factor structure (Stage 3). Findings showed preliminary empirical support for a five-factor structure of compassion consistent with the five-element definition. However, findings indicated that the 'tolerating' factor may be problematic and not a core aspect of compassion. This possibility requires further empirical testing. Limitations with items from included measures lead us to recommend against using these items collectively to assess compassion. Instead, we call for the development of a new self-report measure of compassion, using the five-element definition to guide item generation. We recommend including newly generated 'tolerating' items in the initial item pool, to determine

Air quality assessment in Salim Slam Tunnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Fadel, M.; Hashisho, Z.; Saikaly, P.

1999-01-01

Full text.Vehicle emissions constitute a serious occupational environmental hazard particularly in confined spaces such as tunnels and underground parking garages. these emissions at elevated concentrations, can cause adverse health effects, which range from nausea and eye irritation to mutagenicity, carcinogenicity and even death. This paper presents an environmental air quality assessment in a tunnel located in a highly congested urban area. For this purpose, air samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of primary air pollutants, priority metals, and volatile organic carbons. Air quality modeling was conducted to simulate variations of pollutant concentrations in the tunnel under worst case scenarios including traffic congestion and no air ventilation. Field measurements and mathematical simulation results were used to develop a strategy for proper air quality management in tunnels

Quality Assessment of Family Planning Services in Ife/Ijesa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Context: Medical audit in healthcare has a goal to monitor and upgrade the standard of health care in a setting. Whether a client will accept, use effectively and continue to practice contraception depends on the quality of services rendered. Objective: To assess the quality of our family planning services as perceived by our ...

Selection in reported epidemiological risks: an empirical assessment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fotini K Kavvoura

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Epidemiological studies may be subject to selective reporting, but empirical evidence thereof is limited. We empirically evaluated the extent of selection of significant results and large effect sizes in a large sample of recent articles.We evaluated 389 articles of epidemiological studies that reported, in their respective abstracts, at least one relative risk for a continuous risk factor in contrasts based on median, tertile, quartile, or quintile categorizations. We examined the proportion and correlates of reporting statistically significant and nonsignificant results in the abstract and whether the magnitude of the relative risks presented (coined to be consistently > or =1.00 differs depending on the type of contrast used for the risk factor. In 342 articles (87.9%, > or =1 statistically significant relative risk was reported in the abstract, while only 169 articles (43.4% reported > or =1 statistically nonsignificant relative risk in the abstract. Reporting of statistically significant results was more common with structured abstracts, and was less common in US-based studies and in cancer outcomes. Among 50 randomly selected articles in which the full text was examined, a median of nine (interquartile range 5-16 statistically significant and six (interquartile range 3-16 statistically nonsignificant relative risks were presented (p = 0.25. Paradoxically, the smallest presented relative risks were based on the contrasts of extreme quintiles; on average, the relative risk magnitude was 1.41-, 1.42-, and 1.36-fold larger in contrasts of extreme quartiles, extreme tertiles, and above-versus-below median values, respectively (p < 0.001.Published epidemiological investigations almost universally highlight significant associations between risk factors and outcomes. For continuous risk factors, investigators selectively present contrasts between more extreme groups, when relative risks are inherently lower.

Empirical psychology, common sense, and Kant's empirical markers for moral responsibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Frierson, Patrick

2008-12-01

This paper explains the empirical markers by which Kant thinks that one can identify moral responsibility. After explaining the problem of discerning such markers within a Kantian framework I briefly explain Kant's empirical psychology. I then argue that Kant's empirical markers for moral responsibility--linked to higher faculties of cognition--are not sufficient conditions for moral responsibility, primarily because they are empirical characteristics subject to natural laws. Next. I argue that these markers are not necessary conditions of moral responsibility. Given Kant's transcendental idealism, even an entity that lacks these markers could be free and morally responsible, although as a matter of fact Kant thinks that none are. Given that they are neither necessary nor sufficient conditions, I discuss the status of Kant's claim that higher faculties are empirical markers of moral responsibility. Drawing on connections between Kant's ethical theory and 'common rational cognition' (4:393), I suggest that Kant's theory of empirical markers can be traced to ordinary common sense beliefs about responsibility. This suggestion helps explain both why empirical markers are important and what the limits of empirical psychology are within Kant's account of moral responsibility.

Models and Methods of Aggregating Linguistic Information in Multi-criteria Hierarchical Quality Assessment Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Azarnova, T. V.; Titova, I. A.; Barkalov, S. A.

2018-03-01

The article presents an algorithm for obtaining an integral assessment of the quality of an organization from the perspective of customers, based on the method of aggregating linguistic information on a multilevel hierarchical system of quality assessment. The algorithm is of a constructive nature, it provides not only the possibility of obtaining an integral evaluation, but also the development of a quality improvement strategy based on the method of linguistic decomposition, which forms the minimum set of areas of work with clients whose quality change will allow obtaining the required level of integrated quality assessment.

Assessment of eco-environmental quality of Western Taiwan Straits Economic Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, He; Shi, Longyu

2016-05-01

Regional eco-environmental quality is the key and foundation to the sustainable socio-economic development of a region. Eco-environmental quality assessment can reveal the capacity of sustainable socio-economic development in a region and the degree of coordination between social production and the living environment. As part of a new development strategy for Fujian Province, the Western Taiwan Straits Economic Zone (hereafter referred to as the Economic Zone) provides an important guarantee for the development of China's southeastern coastal area. Based on ecological and remote sensing data on the Economic Zone obtained in 2000, 2005, and 2010, this study investigated county-level administrative regions with a comprehensive index of eco-environmental indicators. An objective weighting method was used to determine the importance of each indicator. This led to the development of an indicator system to assess the eco-environmental quality of the economic zone. ArcGIS software was used to assess the eco-environmental quality of the economic zone based on each indicator. The eco-environmental quality index (EQI) of the county-level administrative regions was calculated. The overall eco-environmental quality of the Economic Zone during the period studied is described and analyzed. The results show that the overall eco-environmental quality of the Economic Zone is satisfactory, but significant intraregional differences still exist. The key to improving the overall eco-environmental quality of this area is to restore vegetation and preserve biodiversity.

Assessment of the quality of life in cities. Environmental conditions and mobility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonja Forward

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The main objective of the paper is to provide knowledge about the practice of life quality assessment by different disciplines in connection with different types of public measures in the area of town planning and design, transportation and mobility. In this way we want to improve the understanding of responsible politicians and experts about assessment of quality of life. It is an introductory paper to a research about analysis of how mobility policies affect quality of life. The main product will be advice for improved assessment processes. The developed instruments will be tested in a pilot study.

42 CFR 494.110 - Condition: Quality assessment and performance improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... facility must maintain and demonstrate evidence of its quality improvement and performance improvement... RENAL DISEASE FACILITIES Patient Care § 494.110 Condition: Quality assessment and performance improvement. The dialysis facility must develop, implement, maintain, and evaluate an effective, data-driven...

Firm performance and employment in the EU emissions trading scheme: An empirical assessment for Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anger, Niels; Oberndorfer, Ulrich

2008-01-01

This paper empirically investigates the role of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) for firm performance and employment in Germany. We provide an overview of relative allowance allocation within the EU ETS as well as an econometric analysis for a large sample of German firms covered by the scheme in order to assess the impacts of EU emissions regulation on both firm revenues and employment. The dataset indicates that the EU ETS was in an overall long position in 2005, although allowance allocation was very heterogeneous across member states. Our econometric analysis suggests that, within the first phase of the EU ETS, relative allowance allocation did not have a significant impact on firm performance and employment of regulated German firms

Objective assessment of image quality and dose reduction in CT iterative reconstruction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vaishnav, J. Y., E-mail: jay.vaishnav@fda.hhs.gov; Jung, W. C. [Diagnostic X-Ray Systems Branch, Office of In Vitro Diagnostic Devices and Radiological Health, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, United States Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993 (United States); Popescu, L. M.; Zeng, R.; Myers, K. J. [Division of Imaging and Applied Mathematics, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, United States Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993 (United States)

2014-07-15

Purpose: Iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithms have the potential to reduce radiation dose in CT diagnostic imaging. As these algorithms become available on the market, a standardizable method of quantifying the dose reduction that a particular IR method can achieve would be valuable. Such a method would assist manufacturers in making promotional claims about dose reduction, buyers in comparing different devices, physicists in independently validating the claims, and the United States Food and Drug Administration in regulating the labeling of CT devices. However, the nonlinear nature of commercially available IR algorithms poses challenges to objectively assessing image quality, a necessary step in establishing the amount of dose reduction that a given IR algorithm can achieve without compromising that image quality. This review paper seeks to consolidate information relevant to objectively assessing the quality of CT IR images, and thereby measuring the level of dose reduction that a given IR algorithm can achieve. Methods: The authors discuss task-based methods for assessing the quality of CT IR images and evaluating dose reduction. Results: The authors explain and review recent literature on signal detection and localization tasks in CT IR image quality assessment, the design of an appropriate phantom for these tasks, possible choices of observers (including human and model observers), and methods of evaluating observer performance. Conclusions: Standardizing the measurement of dose reduction is a problem of broad interest to the CT community and to public health. A necessary step in the process is the objective assessment of CT image quality, for which various task-based methods may be suitable. This paper attempts to consolidate recent literature that is relevant to the development and implementation of task-based methods for the assessment of CT IR image quality.