Specific developed phantoms and software to assess radiological equipment image quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verdu, G., E-mail: gverdu@iqn.upv.es [Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (Spain). Dept. de Ingenieria Quimica y Nuclear; Mayo, P., E-mail: p.mayo@titaniast.com [TITANIA Servicios Teconologicos, Valencia (Spain); Rodenas, F., E-mail: frodenas@mat.upv.es [Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (Spain). Dept. de Matematica Aplicada; Campayo, J.M., E-mail: j.campayo@lainsa.com [Logistica y Acondicionamientos Industriales S.A.U (LAINSA), Valencia (Spain)

2011-07-01

The use of radiographic phantoms specifically designed to evaluate the operation of the radiographic equipment lets the study of the image quality obtained by this equipment in an objective way. In digital radiographic equipment, the analysis of the image quality can be automatized because the acquisition of the image is possible in different technologies that are, computerized radiography or phosphor plate and direct radiography or detector. In this work we have shown an application to assess automatically the constancy quality image in the image chain of the radiographic equipment. This application is integrated by designed radiographic phantoms which are adapted to conventional, dental equipment and specific developed software for the automatic evaluation of the phantom image quality. The software is based on digital image processing techniques that let the automatic detection of the different phantom tests by edge detector, morphological operators, threshold histogram techniques, etc. The utility developed is enough sensitive to the radiographic equipment of operating conditions of voltage (kV) and charge (mAs). It is a friendly user programme connected with a data base of the hospital or clinic where it has been used. After the phantom image processing the user can obtain an inform with a resume of the imaging system state with accepting and constancy results. (author)

Quality assurance applied to mammographic equipments using phantoms and software for its evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mayo, Patricia, E-mail: p.mayo@titaniast.co [Titania Servicios Tecnologicos S.L., Grupo Dominguis, Apartado 46015, Valencia (Spain); Rodenas, Francisco [Departamento de Matematica Aplicada, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Apartado 46022, Valencia (Spain); Manuel Campayo, Juan [Hospital Clinico Universitario de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibanez, Apartado 46017, Valencia (Spain); Verdu, Gumersido [Departamento de Ingenieria Quimica y Nuclear, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Apartado 46022, Valencia (Spain)

2010-07-21

The image quality assessment in radiographic equipments is a very important item for a complete quality control of the radiographic image chain. The periodic evaluation of the radiographic image quality must guarantee the constancy of this quality to carry out a suitable diagnosis. Mammographic phantom images are usually used to study the quality of images obtained by determined mammographic equipment. The digital image treatment techniques allow to carry out an automatic analysis of the phantom image. In this work we apply some techniques of digital image processing to analyze in an automatic way the image quality of mammographic phantoms, namely CIRS SP01 and RACON for different varying conditions of the mammographic equipment. The CIRS SP01 phantom is usually used in analogic mammographic equipments and the RACON phantom has been specifically developed by authors to be applied to acceptance and constancy tests of the image quality in digital radiographic equipments following recommendations of international associations. The purpose of this work consists in analyzing the image quality for both phantoms by means of an automatic software utility. This analysis allows us to study the functioning of the image chain of the mammographic system in an objective way, so an abnormal functioning of the radiographic equipment might be detected.

Quality assurance applied to mammographic equipments using phantoms and software for its evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayo, Patricia; Rodenas, Francisco; Manuel Campayo, Juan; Verdu, Gumersido

2010-01-01

The image quality assessment in radiographic equipments is a very important item for a complete quality control of the radiographic image chain. The periodic evaluation of the radiographic image quality must guarantee the constancy of this quality to carry out a suitable diagnosis. Mammographic phantom images are usually used to study the quality of images obtained by determined mammographic equipment. The digital image treatment techniques allow to carry out an automatic analysis of the phantom image. In this work we apply some techniques of digital image processing to analyze in an automatic way the image quality of mammographic phantoms, namely CIRS SP01 and RACON for different varying conditions of the mammographic equipment. The CIRS SP01 phantom is usually used in analogic mammographic equipments and the RACON phantom has been specifically developed by authors to be applied to acceptance and constancy tests of the image quality in digital radiographic equipments following recommendations of international associations. The purpose of this work consists in analyzing the image quality for both phantoms by means of an automatic software utility. This analysis allows us to study the functioning of the image chain of the mammographic system in an objective way, so an abnormal functioning of the radiographic equipment might be detected.

Regulation EM-GT-7. Quality control of the radiography equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

The purpose of this document is to provide practical guidance of technical procedures for carrying out quality control in X-ray equipment. This guide is applicable to general purpose radiography equipment, although some of the procedures may be applied to other types of diagnostic imaging equipment. The tests described require the appointed instrumentation and some of these can be implemented in the radiodiagnostic given the simplicity of them and others require special equipment and can be performed by external specialized groups to these units.

Constancy check of beam quality in conventional diagnostic X-ray equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, Alessandro M.; Badin, Romulo S.; Leite, Marina S.; Caldas, Linda V.E.

2008-01-01

A tandem ionization chamber was developed for quality control programs of X-ray equipment used in conventional radiography and mammography. A methodology for the use of the tandem chamber in the constancy check of diagnostic X-ray beam qualities was established. The application at a medical X-ray imaging facility of this established methodology is presented. The use of the tandem chamber in the constancy check of diagnostic X-ray beam qualities is a useful method to control the performance of the X-ray equipment

Controlling the quality of replacement parts in nuclear station, class 1E equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pierson, R.K.; Clemons, R.W.

1984-01-01

Nuclear station owners have traditionally purchased replacement parts for Class 1E equipment from the original supplier of the equipment. By this method, part and equipment quality could be maintained. In recent years, however, this traditional source of parts has continuously declined as an increasing number of original equipment suppliers stop producing Class 1E equipment or no longer stock parts for older equipment. When replacement parts for Class 1E equipment are not obtainable from the original suppliers, equipment owners have created a variety of methods for assuring the quality of parts obtained from other sources. A standard that provides direction and guidance for maintaining the quality of Class 1E equipment when repaired with parts from alternate sources is, therefore, needed to assure the methods in use are satisfactory and to alert the equipment owners to additional acceptable methods. The standard has now been proposed. IEEE Standard P934 (June, 1983 Draft): ''Requirements for Replacement Parts for Class 1E Equipment in Nuclear Power Generating Stations'' (Ref-3) consist of an introductory section followed by sections on part selection, procurement, replacement (including inspections and tests), non-conforming conditions and records. The proposed standard also includes a non-mandatory appendix on acceptable procurement methods and a summary intended to assist the user in selecting a proper procurement method

External quality audit programmes for radiotherapy dosimetry and equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thwaites, D.I.

1997-01-01

It is widely accepted that individual radiotherapy centres should have in place a comprehensive quality assurance programme on all the necessary steps for the delivery of safe accurate treatment. As regards the performance of radiotherapy equipment and dosimetry, the most widely used process of external checking has been dosimetry intercomparison, comparing independently measured doses to locally stated doses in a variety of conditions. These have been at a number of different levels: from basic beam calibration; up to and including exercises employing anatomic or pseudo-anatomic phantoms and incorporating tests of treatment planning equipment and procedures. Some of these have been one-off exercises, whilst others are continuing, or have given rise to on-going quality audit programmes on a national (or wider) basis. A number of these have evolved, or are evolving, into audits which include external checking of the achievement of standards in performance of treatment equipment, as well as in the dosimetry in each institution involved. The principles and methodologies of the various types of external checking programmes for treatment equipment and dosimetry are reviewed, covering the experimental approaches and the tolerances applied. What is included in a given programme will, of necessity, depend on the resources available and the purpose of the exercise. Methods and tolerances must be matched to endpoint. Tolerance levels must take into account the experimental uncertainties of the measurement methods employed. Finally, external audit can only be used to complement, and in conjunction with, institutional quality assurance programmes and not as a substitute for them

38 CFR 17.155 - Minimum standards of safety and quality for automotive adaptive equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... safety and quality for automotive adaptive equipment. 17.155 Section 17.155 Pensions, Bonuses, and... Minimum standards of safety and quality for automotive adaptive equipment. (a) The Under Secretary for... officials that it meets implicit standards of safety and quality adopted by the industry or as later...

30 CFR 250.806 - Safety and pollution prevention equipment quality assurance requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Safety and pollution prevention equipment... Gas Production Safety Systems § 250.806 Safety and pollution prevention equipment quality assurance... install only certified safety and pollution prevention equipment (SPPE) in wells located on the OCS. SPPE...

Preventive maintenance prioritization index of medical equipment using quality function deployment.

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh, Neven; Sharawi, Amr A; Elwahed, Manal Abd; Petti, Alberto; Puppato, Daniele; Balestra, Gabriella

2015-05-01

Preventive maintenance is a core function of clinical engineering, and it is essential to guarantee the correct functioning of the equipment. The management and control of maintenance activities are equally important to perform maintenance. As the variety of medical equipment increases, accordingly the size of maintenance activities increases, the need for better management and control become essential. This paper aims to develop a new model for preventive maintenance priority of medical equipment using quality function deployment as a new concept in maintenance of medical equipment. We developed a three-domain framework model consisting of requirement, function, and concept. The requirement domain is the house of quality matrix. The second domain is the design matrix. Finally, the concept domain generates a prioritization index for preventive maintenance considering the weights of critical criteria. According to the final scores of those criteria, the prioritization action of medical equipment is carried out. Our model proposes five levels of priority for preventive maintenance. The model was tested on 200 pieces of medical equipment belonging to 17 different departments of two hospitals in Piedmont province, Italy. The dataset includes 70 different types of equipment. The results show a high correlation between risk-based criteria and the prioritization list.

Application of quality assurance program to safety related aging equipment or components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papaiya, N.C.

1990-01-01

This paper addresses how quality assurance programs and their criteria are applied to safety related and aging equipment or components used in commercial nuclear plant applications. The QA Programs referred to are 10CFR50 Appendix B and EPRI NP-5652. The QA programs as applicable are applied to equipment/component aging qualification, preventive maintenance, surveillance testing and procurement engineering. The intent of this paper is not the technical issues, methods and research of aging. The paper addresses QA program's application to age-related equipment or components in safety related applications. Quality Assurance Program 10CFR50 Appendix B applies to all safety related aging components or equipment related to the qualification program and associated preventive maintenance and surveillance testing programs. Quality Assurance involvement with procurement engineering for age-related commercial grade items supports EPRI NP-5652 and assures that the dedicated OGI is equal to the item purchased as a basic component to 10CFR50 Appendix B requirements

Quality Assurance in Chinese Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yuan

2010-01-01

Quality assurance has been integrated into the fabric of higher education in China, with the issue of quality in higher education--how to evaluate it and how to enhance it--now taking centre stage in Chinese higher education. In the past decade, the development of quality assurance in Chinese higher education has covered a broad spectrum of…

Hungary Higher Education Quality Assurance System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Che Ru-shan

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Higher education quality assurance system has drawn much attention since 1980s. Most countries are committed to build the higher education quality assurance system to meet international standards. Under such an international trend, Hungary also actively promotes higher education reform, and established Hungarian Accreditation Committee and in order to ensure the quality of higher education.

Quality Management in Higher Education

OpenAIRE

Svoboda, Petr

2017-01-01

The thesis deals with quality management theory as an important part of management science. The primary objective of this work is an identification, formulation and analysis of such managerial issues in quality of higher education, which either are not known, or whose resolution is not considered fully sufficient. The thesis contains a bibliography of more than 200 related scientific works and presents selected issues of quality management in higher education, such as quality perception or it...

Quality of Higher Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zou, Yihuan; Zhao, Yingsheng; Du, Xiangyun

. This transformation involves a broad scale of change at individual level, organizational level, and societal level. In this change process in higher education, staff development remains one of the key elements for university innovation and at the same time demands a systematic and holistic approach.......This paper starts with a critical approach to reflect on the current practice of quality assessment and assurance in higher education. This is followed by a proposal that in response to the global challenges for improving the quality of higher education, universities should take active actions...... of change by improving the quality of teaching and learning. From a constructivist perspective of understanding education and learning, this paper also discusses why and how universities should give more weight to learning and change the traditional role of teaching to an innovative approach of facilitation...

Quality control for dental X-rays equipment and film developers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pomares C, Martin

1998-01-01

Quality control in five dental X-ray equipments, film and film developers was done. It was for evaluating the radiologic practices in the odontologic services too. This work was made based on international standards, the results will be used for future works in quality assurance in dental radiology

Comparison between the implementation of quality criteria of radiographic image in conventional and digital mammography equipments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alcantara, M.C.; Sordi, G.M.A.A.; Caldas, L.V.E.; Furquim, T.A.C.

2008-01-01

The mammographic examination needs a strict quality control. A publication of the European Commission provides guidelines on quality criteria for the images of the breast, quantifying the quality obtained in the image. Following the recommendations of the European Commission, two kinds of mammographic equipments, at a same institution, were evaluated to compare the quality of the conventional and digital images. Besides of that, the Average Glandular Dose (AGD) and the Entrance Surface Dose (ESD) were measured by using an ionization chamber (Radcal, 6M) in the radiation beams of each equipment. The digital equipment fulfills more quality criteria than the conventional equipment, provided ESD values, AGD values and a rejection index lower than the conventional equipment. Therefore, the digital mammography can be considered more adequate than the conventional one, both for criteria analyses and for dose optimization. (author)

A survey in Portuguese X-ray fluoroscopy equipment: dose rates and image quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teixeira, Nuno G.; Cunha, Gilda R.; Coutinho, Guilherme M.; Trindade, Hugo R.; Carvoeiras, Pedro P.

2015-01-01

X-ray fluoroscopy is essential in both diagnosis and medical intervention, although it may contribute to significant radiation doses to patients that have to be optimised and justified. Therefore, it is crucial to the patient to be exposed to the lowest achievable dose without compromising the image quality. The purpose of this study was to perform an analysis of the quality control measurements, particularly dose rates, contrast and spatial resolution of Portuguese fluoroscopy equipment and also to provide a contribution to the establishment of reference levels for the equipment performance parameters. Measurements carried out between 2007 and 2013 on 143 fluoroscopy equipment distributed by 34 nationwide health units were analysed. The measurements suggest that image quality and dose rates of Portuguese equipment are congruent with other studies, and in general, they are as per the Portuguese law. However, there is still a possibility of improvements intending optimisation at a national level. (authors)

Routine quality control of high dose rate brachytherapy equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzman Calcina, Carmen S.; Almeida, Adelaide de; Rocha, Jose R. Oliveira

2001-01-01

A Quality Assurance program should be installed also for High Dose Rate brachytherapy, in the order to achieve a correct dose administration to the patient and for the safety to those involved directly with the treatment. The work presented here has the following purposes: Analyze the types of equipment tests presented by the official protocols (TG40, TG56 e ARCAL XXX), evaluate the brachytherapy routine tests of protocols from various national and international radiotherapy services and compare the latter with those presented in the official protocols. As a result, we conclude the following: TG56 presents a higher number of tests when compared to the other official protocols and most of the tests presented by the analyzed services are present in TG56. A suggestion for a basic protocol is presented, emphasizing the periodicity and tolerance level of each of the tests. (author)

Maintenance of electromechanical equipment in quality organization under operating conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mercier, J.P.

1984-01-01

The paper outlines the principles adopted by the Thermal Production Service of Electricite de France on the basis of the experience of the first years of operation of its 900 MW(e)PWR units for the purpose of improving quality organization in operating conditions in respect of the maintenance of electromechanical safety equipment. This organization is based on application of the usual principles for quality assurance, adapted in accordance with current French regulations. The paper first recalls the now traditional methods of applying the principles of quality organization in the area of equipment maintenance. It then defines particular so-called ''delicate'' activities which, in accordance with the above regulations, are subjected to additional quality organizational procedures; this applies in particular to the area of pre-maintenance preparation and studies and to the control exercised by the French safety authorities over the execution of those activities. The paper explains how the application of the regulations improves maintenance practices compared with standard quality organization. It describes how the attempt to establish a frontier between these two types of activity (current and ''delicate'') has led to the definition of a classification criterion which is technically correct and simple to use and is based on the professional skills of those performing each activity. The paper then describes in greater detail the principal rules for the performance of those tasks which come under the standard organization and those to which more stringent criteria apply. Lastly, it explains the thinking behind equipment surveillance programmes and the analysis of anomalies discovered through surveillance measures or brought to light by operating incidents, the aim of these being to benefit from the experience gained

An Equipment to Measure the Freezing Point of Soils under Higher Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dayan; Guan, Hui; Wen, Zhi; Ma, Wei

2014-05-01

Soil freezing point is the highest temperature at which ice can be presented in the system and soil can be referred to as frozen. The freezing temperature of soil is an important parameter for solving many practical problems in civil engineering, such as evaluation of soil freezing depth, prediction of soil heaving, force of soil suction, etc. However, as the freezing temperature is always affected by many factors like soil particle size, mineral composition, water content and the external pressure endured by soils, to measure soil freezing point is a rather difficult task until now, not to mention the soil suffering higher pressure. But recently, with the artificial freezing technology widely used in the excavation of deep underground space, the frozen wall thickness is a key factor to impact the security and stability of deep frozen wall. To determine the freeze wall thickness, the location of the freezing front must be determined firstly, which will deal with the determination of the soil freezing temperature. So how to measure the freezing temperature of soil suffering higher pressure is an important problem to be solved. This paper will introduce an equipment which was developed lately by State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering to measure the freezing-point of soils under higher pressure. The equipment is consisted of cooling and keeping temperature system, temperature sensor and data collection system. By cooling and keeping temperature system, not only can we make the higher pressure soil sample's temperature drop to a discretionary minus temperature, but also keep it and reduce the heat exchange of soil sample with the outside. The temperature sensor is the key part to our measurement, which is featured by high precision and high sensitivity, what is more important is that the temperature sensor can work in a higher pressure condition. Moreover, the major benefit of this equipment is that the soil specimen's loads can be loaded by any microcomputer

Establishment of quality assessment standard for mammographic equipment: evaluation of phantom and clinical images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sung Hoon; Choe, Yeon Hyeon; Chung, Soo Young

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to establish a quality standard for mammographic equipment Korea and to eventually improve mammographic quality in clinics and hospitals throughout Korea by educating technicians and clinic personnel. For the phantom test and on site assessment, we visited 37 sites and examined 43 sets of mammographic equipment. Items that were examined include phantom test, radiation dose measurement, developer assessment, etc. The phantom images were assessed visually and by optical density measurements. For the clinical image assessment, clinical images from 371 sites were examined following the new Korean standard for clinical image evaluation. The items examined include labeling, positioning, contrast, exposure, artifacts, collimation among others. Quality standard of mammographic equipment was satisfied in all equipment on site visits. Average mean glandular dose was 114.9 mRad. All phantom image test scores were over 10 points (average, 10.8 points). However, optical density measurements were below 1.2 in 9 sets of equipment (20.9%). Clinical image evaluation revealed appropriate image quality in 83.5%, while images from non-radiologist clinics were adequate in 74.6% (91/122), which was the lowest score of any group. Images were satisfactory in 59.0% (219/371) based on evaluation by specialists following the new Korean standard for clinical image evaluation. Satisfactory images had a mean score of 81.7 (1 S.D. =8.9) and unsatisfactory images had a mean score of 61.9 (1 S.D = 11). The correlation coefficient between the two observers was 0.93 (ρ < 0.01) in 49 consecutive cases. The results of the phantom tests suggest that optical density measurements should be performed as part of a new quality standard for mammographic equipment. The new clinical evaluation criteria that was used in this study can be implemented with some modifications for future mammography quality control by the Korean government

Higher prices, higher quality? Evidence from German nursing homes.

Science.gov (United States)

Herr, Annika; Hottenrott, Hanna

2016-02-01

This study investigates the relationship between prices and quality of 7400 German nursing homes. We use a cross section of public quality reports for all German nursing homes, which had been evaluated between 2010 and 2013 by external institutions. Our analysis is based on multivariate regressions in a two stage least squares framework, where we instrument prices to explain their effect on quality controlling for income, nursing home density, demographics, labour market characteristics, and infrastructure at the regional level. Descriptive analysis shows that prices and quality do not only vary across nursing homes, but also across counties and federal states and that quality and prices correlate positively. Second, the econometric analysis, which accounts for the endogenous relation between negotiated price and reported quality, shows that quality indeed positively depends on prices. In addition, more places in nursing homes per people in need are correlated with both lower prices and higher quality. Finally, unobserved factors at the federal state level capture some of the variation of reported quality across nursing homes. Our results suggest that higher prices increase quality. Furthermore, since reported quality and prices vary substantially across federal states, we conclude that the quality and prices of long-term care facilities may well be compared within federal states but not across. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

METHODOLOGY OF DETERMINATION OF QUALITY INDEX OF MAINTENANCE SERVICE SYSTEM OF POWER EQUIPMENT OF TRACTION SUBSTATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.O. Matusevych

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The purpose of this paper is development of methodology for definition of a quality system of maintenance and repair (M and P power equipment of traction substations (TS of electrified railways operating under conditions of uncertainty based on expert information. Methodology. The basic tenets of the theory of fuzzy sets and marks, linguistic and interval estimates of experts were applied to solve this problem. Results. Analysis of the existing diversity of approaches to development of modern methods of improvement of M and P allows us to conclude that the improvement in the quality of the system is achieved by solving individual problems increase the operational reliability of power equipment of traction substations in the following main interrelated areas. There are technical, economic and organizational. The basis of the quality evaluation system is initial data and expertise developed version of the document formalized quality evaluation of electrical equipment of traction substations by experts. The choice of determining the level of Quality service system based on the marks, linguistic and interval estimates of experts, which are reflected in quantitative and / or qualitative form was done. The possible options for expert data presentation and their corresponding quantitative methods of calculating the integral index of quality improvement system maintenance and P of traction substations were described. The methodology and the method of assessing the quality of system maintenance and P of TS allows quickly respond to changing operating conditions of power equipment of traction substations, and to determine the most effective strategies for maintenance of electrical and P TS under conditions of uncertainty functioning distance electricity. Originality. The method of a systematic approach to improve the quality of the system maintenance and P of power equipment of traction substation under conditions of uncertainty based on expert

The application of probability methods with a view to improving the quality of equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carnino, A.; Gachot, B.; Greppo, J.-F.; Guitton, J.

1976-01-01

After stating that reliability and availability could be considered as parameters allowing the quality of equipment to be estimated, the chief aspects of the use of probability methods in the field of quality is described. These methods are mainly applied at the design, operation and maintenance level of the equipment, as well as at the compilation stage of the corresponding data [fr

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…

Guidelines for Quality Control of Equipment Used in Diagnostic Radiology in the Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berg, L. van den; Aarts, C.N.M.; Beentjes, L.B.; Dalen, A. van; Elsakkers, P.; Julius, H.W.; Kicken, P.J.H.; Meer, F. van der; Teeuwisse, W.; Thijssen, M.A.O.; Zoetelief, J.

1998-01-01

The Dutch working group on 'Quality Criteria for Equipment Used in Diagnostic Radiology' has formulated guidelines providing technical criteria for equipment used in conventional diagnostic radiology. These guidelines are applicable to the technical parameters having a major impact on image quality and patient dose and include methods for testing. The following parameters are included: tube voltage, automatic exposure control, film processing, film-screen combination, light tightness and illumination of the dark room, half-value layer and filtration, light field, grid, focal spot size, viewing boxes and geometrical indicators. Each guideline consists of the following chapters: (1) Scope and field of application, (2) Background information, (3) Test procedure, (4) Test frequency, (5) Registration of observations, (6) Evaluation and interpretation, (7) Test report. Chapter 3 includes both the principles of the test method and a step by step description of the procedures. The principles of the test procedure provide a basis for adaptation to local circumstances. The step by step test procedure allows a quality control measurement to be performed with limited physical knowledge of the equipment. Chapter 6 includes limiting values. Draft guidelines were evaluated in practice in 20 hospitals. The final document has been accepted by the professional societies in the Netherlands and the Dutch Minister of Health as a reference set of tools to perform Quality Control of equipment used for conventional diagnostic radiology. (author)

Quality Street: Encountering Higher Education's Accountabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Leihy, Peodair; Salazar, José Miguel

2017-01-01

This article offers a new approach to quality, focusing on the dimensions that gather around it. The mismatched goals of controlling and improving higher education continue to trouble the conceptual clarity of accountability. Quality in higher education emerges as something agreed upon (to varying efficacy) through accountability measures, rather…

Rethinking Teacher Quality at the Higher Education Level: Need For ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Quality has been a controversial issue in education generally and Business Education in particular. Business Education is aimed at equipping the recipients with the relevant knowledge, skills, attitude and values that will enable them function effectively as citizens. The quality of Business Teachers is paramount to the ...

Tool for the verification of geometrical parameters and constancy of image quality in radiology equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayo, P.; Verdu Martin, G.; Rodenas Escriba, F.; Marin Peinado, B.; Camapyo Esteban Nogueira, J. M.; Diez Domingo, S.; Villaescusa Blanca, J. I.; Hernando Gonzalez, I.; Ruiz Manzano, P.; Rivas Ballarin, M. A.; Melcho Iniguez, M.; Asensio Martinez, M. I.

2013-01-01

This paper presents the application of an innovative tool developed for the detailed quality control of diagnostic equipment. We have tried to validate such a tool for verification of geometrical parameters and the evaluation of the constancy of the image quality in radiology equipment, evaluating their usefulness by various services of Radio physics and radiation protection of different hospitals. (Author)

IRRIGATION STATION EQUIPMENT FOR PREVENTING THE USE OF LOW WATER QUALITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constantin Nicolescu

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In Romania the economically efficient irrigated area is estimated at 3.5 million hectares. On national scale there is nointegrated approach for monitoring the quantity and quality of the irrigation water, using adequate equipment at thepumping station. On international scale, in many countries the pumping stations are provided with equipment formonitoring, on real time, the quality or the pumped water and for warning about critical situations (emergencies.This paper describes a technical solution consisting of equipment which monitors the following parameters of waterpumped in irrigation systems: turbidity, pH, CE at 25 o C, Na+, Cl-. The lapse of time for monitoring is of 10 to 60 min.The main components are the following: the sampling pump (submersible the monitoring board, the repression pipe ofthe analyzed water. Warnings are made about values exceeding the programmed level for each monitored parameter,about the fact that the pump and agitator do not work or about any other source of damage.The technical solution and equipment were tested at a pumping station which uses water from Danube, in most casesmixed with water originating from drainage. Results showed a reduction of the total content of soluble salts from soiland of their negative impact upon the crops, a reduction of the degree of river alluvial deposits within the irrigationsystem and reduction of the energetic consumption required for pumping.

APPROACH TO QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

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Zora Arsovski

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Quality assurance in higher education is streamed in two interconnected concepts: (1 quality management according to ISO 9000 and (2 Bologna process. In this paper both concepts are presented, with point on internal state and term plan activities for quality improvement in higher education in Serbia.

Acquired image quality in digital industrial radiographic equipments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Cristiane de Queiroz; Lopes, Ricardo Tadeu; Oliveira, Davi F.

2008-01-01

The computerized radiographic application in the industrial area is a recent event. The imaging plate is the equipment used as imaging receiver during the exposition radiographic technique, which consists of a flexible photostimulable phosphor screen, capable of storing the photons energy of the incident X and γ rays and of a reading unit which uses a laser device to stimulate a visible light. As two types of phosphor screen are manufactured, one for general use (General Plate - GP) and another one for specific using (High Resolution-HR), one of the objectives of this study was to evaluate the spatial resolution capability in both plates using the Kodak equipment. Furthermore, equipment from different makers, Kodak and General Electric Company - GE, were compared. Two phosphor screen HR were used as the main objective of this study. Imaging Quality Indicators - IQI were used to evaluate the spatial resolution of the images in accordance with ASME and DIN standard. The results show that after evaluating the GP and HR Kodak plates, the HR plate was capable of showing a larger resolution of details. However, after evaluating the performance of the HR Kodak plate and GE plate, over the same acquisition condition and with the same size of the laser focal set of 87 μm, the results show a superiority in the GE equipment used for industrial radiographic, mainly for processed images in each specific ambient of digital processing and its performance in meeting satisfactorily the ASME code and the DIN standard. (author)

Quality in Higher Education: United Arab Emirates Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Soomro, Tariq Rahim; Ahmad, Reyaz

2012-01-01

Quality in higher education is the major concern among researchers. Managing quality in higher education in a multicultural population with different approaches is not only challenging but an uphill task. This paper will focus on quality concern in higher education keeping in view, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) perspectives. A model to maintain…

GENERIC QUALITY STANDARDS VS. SPECIFIC QUALITY STANDARDS: THE CASE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laila El Abbadi

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Quality as a new requirement for the field of higher education leads institutions to seek to satisfy generic or specific quality standards imposed directly or indirectly by its customers. The aim of this study is to compare between ISO9001, as a generic quality standard, and the Code of Practice of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA, as a specific quality standard. A correlation matrix is drawn and correlation rates are calculated to show similarities and differences between them. This paper shows, first, that ISO9001 and QAA Code of Practice are compatible. Second, implementing a quality management system in accordance with ISO9001 requirements can constitute an adequate framework for the application of the QAA Code of Practice requirements. Third, to make the ISO9001 requirements closer to a specific quality standard in the field of higher education, it is recommended to complete these standards by specific requirements to the field of higher education.

Integrated reliability condition monitoring and maintenance of equipment

CERN Document Server

Osarenren, John

2015-01-01

Consider a Viable and Cost-Effective Platform for the Industries of the Future (IOF) Benefit from improved safety, performance, and product deliveries to your customers. Achieve a higher rate of equipment availability, performance, product quality, and reliability. Integrated Reliability: Condition Monitoring and Maintenance of Equipment incorporates reliable engineering and mathematical modeling to help you move toward sustainable development in reliability condition monitoring and maintenance. This text introduces a cost-effective integrated reliability growth monitor, integrated reliability degradation monitor, technological inheritance coefficient sensors, and a maintenance tool that supplies real-time information for predicting and preventing potential failures of manufacturing processes and equipment. The author highlights five key elements that are essential to any improvement program: improving overall equipment and part effectiveness, quality, and reliability; improving process performance with maint...

X ray spectra and qualities for use in diagnostic radiology and equipment calibration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Karla Cristina de

1996-12-01

The goal of this work was the standardization of radiation qualities of diagnostic X ray equipment of the Assay Laboratory of the Institute for Radiation Protection and Dosimetry (IRD) of the National Commission of Nuclear Energy, Brazil. X ray spectra were determined from pulse height distribution measured directly on the primary beam using a high pure planar Ge detector. A program was developed to convert pulse height distribution into radiation spectra in the range from 20 to 150 keV. X ray qualities based on those used by the 'Physikalish-Technish Bundesantalt' (PTB) primary laboratory were implanted in three radiological equipment of the Assay Laboratory. These qualities simulate radiation beams on patients submitted to typical radiological examinations. Besides the spectrometric system, a reference measurement system based on an ionization chamber calibrated in air kerma was used to establish parameters such as kilovoltage, first and second half-value layer, mean energy, effective energy and inherent filtration. Our data have shown that the implantation of these radiation qualities in the Assay Laboratory results on a metrological basis for calibration of dose measurement assemblies and kV-meters, like those used by IRD to evaluate the parameters of X ray equipment around the country. A catalogue of spectral data resulting from this work is a data bank that allows various applications like dose calculation using Monte Carlo simulation techniques. (author)

Quality Assurance: Strategic Choices for Higher Education in Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmut ÖZER

2011-01-01

Full Text Available As the number of students and higher education institutions in the world increases and there is a growing difficulty in financing the higher education systems, decision-makers have begun to show more interest in quality assurance. As quality assurance is given special attention in European countries, developing countries such as Turkey are interested in importing quality assurance systems. It is not possible to set quality assurance without sensitivity toward quality and without having quality as a cultural practice. The most likely encountered quality assurance approach in the world is that the higher education institution itself is responsible for its quality. In addition, external quality assurance procedures used are based on (academic peer review rather than on bureaucratic evaluations. Moreover, there is a lively debate across the world regarding the bureaucratic regulations of the quality assurance agencies and institutions that restrict the autonomy of higher education institutions. Without taking into consideration of the existing centralized structure of the higher education system in Turkey, of meeting social demands for the higher education, and of current higher education enrollment rates, the possible establishment of a quality assurance mechanism that may have sanctions on universities in Turkey is a threat to already limited autonomy of universities and is having a risk of additional bureaucratic burden. By laying out the roles and responsibilities of Turkish Council of Higher Education, the government and universities, this article discusses policies that should be adopted regarding the quality assurance.

Quality control of repair of equipment for coal preparation plants. Upravlenie kachestvom remonta oborudovaniya ugleobogatitel'nykh fabrik

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okonishnikov, A I; Neskoromnykh, V M; Surzhenko, V S; Sirichenko, R P; Pavlyuchenko, S G; Lesikov, A V

1984-01-01

The Ukrniiugleobogashchenie, Kalininsk and Sukhodol'sk coal preparation plants have developed the SUKRO system for control of repair quality of coal preparation equipment in the USSR. The system is based on a system of standards used in coal preparation plants. The following systems of standards used by the SUKRO system are analyzed: organization standards (order of repair in a coal preparation plant, repair planning, spare part systems, methods for determining equipment wear, analysis of equipment failures), standards for maintenance and repair (methods for equipment maintenance, service life of each equipment component or system, structure of preventive repair or repair, organizational models of repair operations, lubrication systems), standards for assessment of labor quality during repair operations. Use of the SUKRO system in the Sukhodol'sk coal preparation plant is evaluated. The SUKRO forms a system of standards for repair and maintenance of equipment considering operation conditions in coal preparation plants, requirements for equipment reliability and service life. (4 refs.)

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,…

Quality assessment in higher education using the SERVQUALQ model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabina Đonlagić

2015-01-01

Full Text Available 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 service to students should be taken seriously. In this paper we will address the emerging demand for quality in higher education. Higher education institutions should assess quality of their services and establish methods for improving quality. Activities of quality assurance should be integrated into the management process at higher education institutions. This paper is addressing the issue of service quality measurement in higher education institutions. The most frequently used model in this context is the SERVQUAL model. This model is measuring quality from the students' point of view, since students are considered to be one of the most important stakeholders for a higher education institution. The main objective of this research is to provide empirical evidence that the adapted SERVQAL model can be used in higher education and to identify the service quality gap based on its application at one institution of higher education (Faculty of Economics in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore, results of the gap analysis using the SERVQUAL methodology provide relevant information in which areas improvement is necessary in order to enhance service quality.

Quality of higher education: organisational or educational?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zou, Yihuan; Du, Xiangyun; Rasmussen, Palle

2012-01-01

Based on a study of Chinese university self-evaluation reports, this paper argues that higher education institutions are trying to manage the tensions between educational and organisational quality and the increasing and worldwide concerns about quality assurance. After 30 years of dramatic...... remain an important basis for external review. In an attempt to examine the institutional understanding of quality in higher education, the authors conducted a content analysis study of 53 self-evaluation reports written by a wide range of higher education institutions in China. This study concludes...... educational reform, China has established a nationwide evaluation system for assessing its higher education institutions. This comprehensive system includes a series of procedures for both internal self-evaluation and external peer reviewing, among which self-evaluation reports prepared by each institution...

Quality and safety based management of radiological and clinical equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arora, S.; Saini, P.S.

2001-01-01

TQM (Total quality management) is the 'buzz' acronym expected in almost every aspect of industrial manufacturing, product development and services solicited by the outside agencies. The correct management of the many technological resources in health institutions in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and safety is a necessity in view of the criteria on which modern medicine is based. Almost all activities -be they diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative - carried out within a modern hospital are based on widespread application of equipment and technology, the efficiency of which can directly influence the quality of service offered to the patient

Ranking Quality in Higher Education: Guiding or Misleading?

Science.gov (United States)

Bergseth, Brita; Petocz, Peter; Abrandt Dahlgren, Madeleine

2014-01-01

The study examines two different models of measuring, assessing and ranking quality in higher education. Do different systems of quality assessment lead to equivalent conclusions about the quality of education? This comparative study is based on the rankings of 24 Swedish higher education institutions. Two ranking actors have independently…

New approach to equipment quality evaluation method with distinct functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milisavljević Vladimir M.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents new approach for improving method for quality evaluation and selection of equipment (devices and machinery by applying distinct functions. Quality evaluation and selection of devices and machinery is a multi-criteria problem which involves the consideration of numerous parameters of various origins. Original selection method with distinct functions is based on technical parameters with arbitrary evaluation of each parameter importance (weighting. Improvement of this method, presented in this paper, addresses the issue of weighting of parameters by using Delphi Method. Finally, two case studies are provided, which included quality evaluation of standard boilers for heating and evaluation of load-haul-dump (LHD machines, to demonstrate applicability of this approach. Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP is used as a control method.

Quality of care and investment in property, plant, and equipment in hospitals.

OpenAIRE

Levitt, S W

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVE. This study explores the relationship between quality of care and investment in property, plant, and equipment (PPE) in hospitals. DATA SOURCES. Hospitals' investment in PPE was derived from audited financial statements for the fiscal years 1984-1989. Peer Review Organization (PRO) Generic Quality Screen (GQS) reviews and confirmed failures between April 1989 and September 1990 were obtained from the Massachusetts PRO. STUDY DESIGN. Weighted least squares regression models used PRO ...

Reinforcing Quality Assurance in Romanian Higher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana-Maria Dima

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Since 1993, the quality assurance system in Romania has gained considerable experience. This experience was recently recognized in 2008 by the ENQA: European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education through the admission of ARACIS as a full member of EQAR: the European Quality Assurance Register. The Board of ENQA agreed to grant ARACIS’s full membership of ENQA for five years from 2 June 2009. This article explores the benefits of membership for the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education – ARACIS, comparing to other regional and global quality assurance agencies networks. The common features and differences between ARACIS and other European agencies are questioned through the frameworks of ENQA and INQAAHE as a case study.

Quality Assurance in Higher Education: A Review of Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Tricia

2015-01-01

This paper examines the literature surrounding quality assurance in global higher education. It provides an overview of accreditation as a mechanism to ensure quality in higher education, examines models of QA, and explores the concept of quality (including definitions of quality and quality assurance). In addition, this paper provides a review of…

Survey on quality control measurements for nuclear medicine imaging equipment in Finland in 2006

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korpela, Helinae; Niemelae, Jarkko

2008-01-01

Routine quality control (QC) is an essential requirement in nuclear medicine (NM) in order to ensure optimal functioning of equipment. To harmonise the routine QC of NM imaging equipment in Finnish hospital s (planar gamma cameras, SPECT, coincidence gamma cameras, PET), the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) will publish guidelines on QC in collaboration with several hospital physicists. Recommendations will be provided on routine QC measurements and on the frequency of testing. It is also planned to provide recommendations for the acceptance criteria when assessing different performance parameters for NM imaging equipment. In order to determine what performance parameters of NM equipment are currently measured in hospitals, how frequently they are measured and what acceptance criteria are used, a survey was carried out on the QC of NM equipment in Finland during 2006. (author)

Nuclear safety: a large scale quality audit of pressurized equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faudon, Valerie

2016-01-01

This article notably refers to, quotes and comments a hearing organised by the French Public Office for the Assessment Scientific and Technological Choices (OPECST) on the issue of safety of pressurized equipment in nuclear reactors, and which gathered the main concerned actors (Areva, EDF, IRSN, ASN) to have an overview of quality controls in AREVA NP fabrication plants. Two different issues have been addressed: a technical metallurgical issue related to some boiler-making parts, and an issue related to quality assurance. These issues concern different older reactors (Fessenheim for example) as well as new ones (EPR Flamanville). The article indicates the different measures planned, envisaged or already implemented by the concerned actors in order to improve knowledge in the boiler-making industry, and to ensure a better quality

21 CFR 111.117 - What quality control operations are required for equipment, instruments, and controls?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What quality control operations are required for equipment, instruments, and controls? 111.117 Section 111.117 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION... and Process Control System: Requirements for Quality Control § 111.117 What quality control operations...

The Evaluation of the Equipment and Quality of the Public Space of Poznań

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Budner Waldemar W.

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The article defines the notion of public space and attempts to explain its forms and roles. The article realizes two cognitive goals: the evaluation of the equipment of public spaces in Poznań with the selected elements of landscape architecture and the quality of those spaces. Empirical research was conducted in the form of a survey addressed at 300 respondents. The research activities conducted in the course of work allow for the formulation of the following conclusions: the quality of life in a city depends on the condition of equipment of public space; the elements of landscape architecture make the public space of Poznań more attractive (contribute to its functionality, increase the aesthetics of urban space; the condition of the equipment of public space with landscape architecture is evaluated as good; the users of the public space in Poznań pointed out the problem of advertising pillars, advertisements and signboards, public toilets and the insufficient number of seats.

A Digital Power Quality Monitoring Equipment Designed for Digital Substation

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; Wang, Xin; Geng, Jiewen

2018-01-01

Taking into account both current status and development trend of digital substation, this paper proposed a design of a new multi-channelled digital power quality monitoring equipment with high compatibility. The overall functional structure, hardware architecture, software architecture, interface architecture and some key techniques such as IEC 61850 modelling of transient event and harmonic measurement method under the condition of non-synchronous sampling are described in this paper.

Nullifying quality: the marketasation of higher education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bendixen, Carsten; Jacobsen, Jens Christian

2017-01-01

higher education. In the long run it will hardly benefit educational programmes if institutions of higher educations fail to ‘stand for’ quality that, in the very least, can supplement the fulfilment of politically determined targets and standards. In this way the market will have not only graduates who......The increasing dominance of educational markets means that quality of higher education has the character of open signifiers of periodic occurrence, embedded institutionally as ways of consensual communication on how to go on as smoothly as possible. This promotes the growth of context dependent...... nullification processes. On the other hand, institutions have to adopt standards in education as a measure of outcome indicators for benchmarking. When quality is replaced by standards and if standards are equivalent to labour market relevance this might signal the beginning of overall external control over...

On Q: Causing Quality in Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Seymour, Daniel T.

This book presents college and university education as a quality-oriented service with students, parents, and legislators as customers demanding quality. It attempts to blend the concept of strategic management of quality in industry with the latest thinking on the administration of higher education. The first chapter discusses the importance of…

Apropos of the Quality Management in Higher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. G. Kislov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper is devoted to introduction and implementation of quality management system in the sphere of Russian higher education. The research demanded the prehistory observation of the above processes, their legal bases analysis, as well as setting the existing practices of the state control and supervision of education in compliance with the principles of TQM (Total Quality Management. Different normative acts and documents have been reviewed concerning accreditation of higher educational establishments, and determining the state policy of quality improvement of the higher school functioning. The author emphasizes that participation of different organizations - including educational ones – in certification procedures and competitions in the quality sphere is considered voluntary according to the Russian legislation. However, for getting the state accreditation educational establishments have no other way apart from setting the internal structures responsible for students training quality. The above structures in educational establishments look rather strange and alien duplicating in their best the state control and supervision system. They appear to be quite expansive for educational establishments and demanding extra time and effort from the staff. In conclusion the author points out that the state policy forcing the quality management issues reflects the interests of certain social groups, namely those who directly participate in external supervision of higher educa- tional institutions. The research findings can be applied while correcting the educational policy of the Russian Federation, and developing the concepts of regulatory legal acts in the higher educational sphere.

A special ionisation chamber for quality control of diagnostic and mammography X ray equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, A.M.; Caldas, L.V.E.

2003-01-01

A quality control program for X ray equipment used for conventional radiography and mammography requires the constancy check of the beam qualities in terms of the half-value layers. In this work, a special double-faced parallel-plate ionisation chamber was developed with inner electrodes of different materials, in a tandem system. Its application will be in quality control programs of diagnostic and mammography X ray equipment for confirmation of half-value layers previously determined by the conventional method. Moreover, the chamber also may be utilised for measurements of air kerma values (and air kerma rates) in X radiation fields used for conventional radiography and mammography. The chamber was studied in relation to the characteristics of saturation, ion collection efficiency, polarity effects, leakage current, and short-term stability. The energy dependence in response of each of the two faces of the chamber was determined over the conventional radiography and mammography X ray ranges (unattenuated beams). The different energy responses of the two faces of the chamber allowed the formation of a tandem system useful for the constancy check of beam qualities. (author)

A special ionisation chamber for quality control of diagnostic and mammography X ray equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, A M; Caldas, L V E

2003-01-01

A quality control program for X ray equipment used for conventional radiography and mammography requires the constancy check of the beam qualities in terms of the half-value layers. In this work, a special double-faced parallel-plate ionisation chamber was developed with inner electrodes of different materials, in a tandem system. Its application will be in quality control programs of diagnostic and mammography X ray equipment for confirmation of half-value layers previously determined by the conventional method. Moreover, the chamber also may be utilised for measurements of air kerma values (and air kerma rates) in X radiation fields used for conventional radiography and mammography. The chamber was studied in relation to the characteristics of saturation, ion collection efficiency, polarity effects, leakage current, and short-term stability. The energy dependence in response of each of the two faces of the chamber was determined over the conventional radiography and mammography X ray ranges (unattenuated beams). The different energy response of the two faces of the chamber allowed the formation of a tandem system useful for the constancy check of beam qualities.

From Quality Assurance to Quality Enhancement in the European Higher Education Area

Science.gov (United States)

Gvaramadze, Irakli

2008-01-01

This article focuses on recent trends in quality assurance initiatives, analyses how the European Higher Education Area promotes quality enhancement mechanisms and their implications for quality cultures in universities. It presents and discusses two approaches towards quality enhancement both at the institutional and programme level: 1. Quality…

Analysis of quality control protocol implementation of equipment in radiotherapy services

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calcina, Carmen S. Guzman; Lima, Luciana P. de; Rubo, Rodrigo A.; Ferraz, Eduardo; Almeida, Adelaide de

2000-01-01

Considering the importance of the Quality Assurance in the radiotherapy services, there was an interest to make tests' evaluation for a Quality Control for the cobalt equipment, linear accelerator and simulator as a classification and comparison. The work proposed is a suggestion that can serve as tool for medical physicists that are starting to work in the radiotherapy area and for the most experts. The discussions were made by the gathering of local tests and official protocols, resulting in a minimum protocol as a suggestion for a routine work, emphasizing the periodicity and level of tolerance of each one of the tests. (author)

Manual on quality assurance for installation and commissioning of instrumentation, control and electrical equipment in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The present Manual on Quality Assurance (QA) for Installation and Commissioning of Instrumentation, Control and Electrical (ICE) Equipment of Nuclear Power Plants contains supporting material and illustrative examples for implementing basic requirements of the quality assurance programme in procurement, receiving, installation and commissioning of this equipment. The Manual on Quality Assurance for Installation and Commissioning of ICE Equipment is designed to supplement and be consistent with the Guidebook as well as with the IAEA Code and Safety Guides on Quality Assurance. It is intended for the use of managerial staff and QA personnel of nuclear power plant owners or the organizations respectively responsible for the legal, technical, administrative and financial aspects of a nuclear power plant. The information provided in the Manual will also be useful to the inspection staff of the regulatory organization in the planning and performance of regulatory inspections at nuclear power plants

IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM ACTIVITIES OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. M. Sultalieva

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract. The aim of the article is the improvement of quality assessment system of higher education institutions in the aspect of management. The problems of quality improvement are revealed and classified. The analysis of criteria assessment sets used to define the efficiency of higher education institutions activity is carried out. The components of quality of higher education institutions activity are specified. The structural model of quality assessment system of higher education institutions activity is offered. The analysis of macro environment of a university based on the method of strategic management is carried out, i.e. PEST analysis. As a result of the research a new model of macro criteria model of quality assessment system of higher education institutions, characterizing quality management as an approach to university efficiency is offered, moreover, this system can define the level of its competitiveness in the aspect of quality management. 

Quality control for the equipment of Nuclear medicine: experience of the H.U. de la Princesa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Espana, M.L.; Gracia, A.; Prieto, C.; Lopez F, P.

1998-01-01

The quality control of the equipment used in a nuclear medicine service is a fundamental aspect in the Quality Assurance Program that in the present time is starting in our hospital. the objective of this work is to present the internal protocol used, its problematic associated with its starting, and the results obtained in the quality control as of the gamma camera as of the activimeter. In addition to the equipment own to the nuclear medicine service it has been used a Cs-137 source and puppets for several purposes. The results obtained demonstrated the stability of the controlled parameters which has led us to a restating of the established periodicities in our internal protocol, over all for some constancy tests. (Author)

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…

A Conceptual Analysis of Quality in Quality Function Deployment-Based Contexts of Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Matorera, Douglas

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to assess and evaluate how higher education institutions (HEIs) using Quality Function Deployment draw out the relevancy and potential of the model in shaping their concept of "Quality" and how that Quality can be assured in higher education institutions' (HEIs') programmes. An intensive literature review was…

Survey of mammography practice in Croatia: Equipment performance, image quality and dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faj, D.; Stimac, D.; Ivezic, Z.; Kasabasic, M.; Ivkovic, A.; Posedel, D.; Kubelka, D.; Ilakovac, V.; Brnic, Z.; Bjelac, O.C.

2008-01-01

A national audit of mammography equipment performance, image quality and dose has been conducted in Croatia. Film-processing parameters, optical density (OD), average glandular dose (AGD) to the standard breast, viewing conditions and image quality were examined using TOR(MAM) test object. Average film gradient ranged from 2.6 to 3.7, with a mean of 3.1. Tube voltage used for imaging of the standard 45 mm polymethylmethacrylate phantom ranged from 24 to 34 kV, and OD ranged from 0.75 to 1.94 with a mean of 1.26. AGD to the standard breast ranged from 0.4 to 2.3 mGy with a mean of 1.1 mGy. Besides clinical conditions, the authors have imaged the standard phantom in the referent conditions with 28 kV and OD as close as possible to 1.5. Then, AGD ranged from 0.5 to 2.6 mGy with a mean of 1.3 mGy. Image viewing conditions were generally unsatisfying with ambient light up to 500 lx and most of the viewing boxes with luminance between 1000 and 2000 cd per m 2 . TOR(MAM) scoring of images taken in clinical and referent conditions was done by local radiologists in local image viewing conditions and by the referent radiologist in good image viewing conditions. Importance of OD and image viewing conditions for diagnostic information were analysed. The survey showed that the main problem in Croatia is the lack of written quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures. Consequently, equipment performance, image quality and dose are unstable and activities to improve image quality or to reduce the dose are not evidence-based. This survey also had an educational purpose, introducing in Croatia the QC based on European Commission Guidelines. (authors)

Is quality assurance in higher education contextually relative ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

It does this by raising questions such as whether quality in higher education is the same as, for example, quality of clothing or the quality of meat in local butcheries. The article questions ... AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL.

Automated Quality Assurance of Medical Digital X-Ray Equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zelikman, Mikhail; Kruchinin, Sergey

2013-06-01

Quality assurance of the x-ray equipment includes a set of various tests among which are installation and periodic exams performed by qualified engineers as well as daily routine tests carried out by the medical staff of the Radiology Department. As a rule, the decision concerning the applicability of the x-ray equipment for using in clinical studies is made on the basis of the routine tests results. The presented method is based on the detector's output signals, Signal-to-Noise Ratio and Modulation Transfer Function evaluation in automated way using the simple test-object's digital image registered with given geometry and x-ray exposure parameters settings. Rectangular 20 mm thick aluminum plate with fixed 1 mm thick well-finished steel edge (for general x-ray radiography/fluoroscopy systems) or 2 mm thick aluminum plate with fixed 1 mm thick aluminum well-finished edge (for digital x-ray mammography systems) can be used as a test equipment. Relevant to the decision concerning the x-ray device operation status are the parameters: deviations from the reference levels of the tube voltage and mAs as well as internal detector's noise variance and detector's gain deviations. Everyday testing procedure includes the following steps. On the first step the roentgenographer places the test-object at the center of the detector's surface, makes an exposure with specified parameters setting and geometry and after this, test results are displayed on the work station monitor or console screen in automatic way. In order to provide an automated regime of the presenting algorithm, the software must be integrated with the program module intended for the x-ray device control. The use of the presented method in clinical practice provides the reliable daily monitoring of the x-ray equipment operation status prior to its utilizing for patient diagnostic process. As a rule, it will take not more than 3-5 minutes for the roentgenographer to complete the routine

Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Proposals for Consultation.

Science.gov (United States)

Higher Education Funding Council for England, Bristol.

This document sets out for consultation proposals for a revised method for quality assurance of teaching and learning in higher education. The proposals cover: (1) the objectives and principles of quality assurance; (2) an approach to quality assurance based on external audit principles; (3) the collection and publication of information; (4)…

Perceptions of Higher Education Quality at Three Universities in Vietnam

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, Huong Thi; Starkey, Louise

2016-01-01

Purpose: Vietnam is experiencing rapid expansion in the provision of higher education that requires quality assurance appropriate for the Vietnamese-centralised Confucian cultural context. This paper aims to examine the concept of quality from the perspectives of academic leaders, quality assurance members and academics at three higher education…

Is quality of higher educational institutions in Western Balkan real?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Živaljević Aleksandra

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a survey conducted in November of 2013 in 120 higher education institutions in the Western Balkans Countries, with purpose to determine which models are used for quality improvement in Western Balkans higher educational institutions, and whether critical conditions for continuous quality improvement have been met by applying those models. Data were obtained by using questionnaire which consisted of 24 questions related to 2 previously defined hypotheses. Gathered data were tested with Student's t test to determine if there is a significant difference between the groups of higher educational institutions which use different quality models, as well as between private and public higher educational institutions. Authors argue that the rules imposed by Governments do not provide sufficient incentive for meeting the critical conditions for the continuous quality improvement. Legal framework and mandatory accreditation conducted by government bodies lead higher educational institutions to fulfil the formal requirements, distancing them from the essence of quality management, i.e. from self-criticism and motivation to consistently deliver better results than the previous ones and giving them the illusion of achieving quality through compliance with formal criteria.

Quality Improvement in Virtual Higher Education: A Grounded Theory Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Mahdiuon, Rouhollah; Masoumi, Davoud; Farasatkhah, Maghsoud

2017-01-01

The article aims to explore the attributes of quality and quality improvement including the process and specific actions associated with these attributes--that contribute enhancing quality in Iranian Virtual Higher Education (VHE) institutions. A total of 16 interviews were conducted with experts and key actors in Iranian virtual higher education.…

Quality and Quality Assurance in Ethiopian Higher Education. Critical Issues and Practical Implications.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kahsay, M.

2012-01-01

This book critically examines quality and quality assurance in the Ethiopian higher education context. More specifically, the main research problem that guided the study was: ‘how and under what circumstances do the public Universities in Ethiopia assure quality of their education, and what

Quality provisioning and accountability in African higher | Maila ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Excellence in educational quality provisioning and accountability is an obligatory function for higher education. Currently certain scholars allege that poor provisioning and lack of accountability are rife in most higher education institutions. They cite varied reasons for the failures. Of note, African higher education institutions ...

The Enigma of Quality in Greek Higher Education. A mixed methods study of introducing quality management into Greek higher education.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Papadimitriou, A.; Papadimitriou, Antigoni

2011-01-01

This study investigated the adoption of quality management in Greek universities as an outcome of organizational processes. It examined a period in the first decade of the 21st century when program evaluation and quality management were heavily debated in Greece. The study recognizes that higher

Quality control of conventional diagnostic radiology equipment in Serbia and Montenegro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciraj, O.; Kosutic, D.; Markovic, S.

2003-01-01

There are more than 1500 diagnostic X-ray tubes in service in Serbia and Montenegro. Diagnostic X-ray equipment is checked on annual basis. X-ray equipment Qc protocols have been adopted from several international standards and guidelines [1,2], which have been modified according our practice and measuring equipment. According our inventory, about one half of all installed units is used for conventional X-ray diagnostics, 10% are mobile units, 2% of all in units in operation are mammographic devices an another 2% are computed tomography units. In addition there are about 600 dental X-ray units, which is 36% of all units. It is worth mentioning that almost 30 % of all installed units have single-phase generators, another 25% are tree phase (six and twelve pulse) generators and nearly 9% are high frequency units. Majority of units was installed more than 25 years ago. The Quality Control (QC) in radiography is a central part of QA programme, which deals with equipment maintenance and monitoring. QA in diagnostic radiology is a mean of maintaining standards in imaging and working towards minimizing patient and staff doses. As a part of QA programme in diagnostic radiology, the performance characteristics of 96 conventional X-ray units were measured in six months period during 2003. The diagnostic units were located in hospitals all over the country. They represent 25% of the total conventional diagnostic units of the country. About one half of measured X-ray units were new-installed. QC program has positive effect on X-ray equipment performance in a period of a few years. It is essential to perform QC tests for all installed X-ray units at least on annual basis. This would lead to production of consistent X-ray images, with minimal retake rate and hence, will contribute to decreasing of the patient dose. Patient doses are determined by multitude factors which interact in very complicated manner. It is very important to perform real patient dose measurements in

Quality Assurance for Higher Education Franchising.

Science.gov (United States)

Yorke, Mantz

1993-01-01

The practice of "franchising" higher education programs, or provision of educational programs through vendors, is examined as it occurs in the United Kingdom as a result of recent educational policy changes. A set of principles for assuring the quality of such programs is proposed. (MSE)

Renewal of radiological equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-01

In this century, medical imaging is at the heart of medical practice. Besides providing fast and accurate diagnosis, advances in radiology equipment offer new and previously non-existing options for treatment guidance with quite low morbidity, resulting in the improvement of health outcomes and quality of life for the patients. Although rapid technological development created new medical imaging modalities and methods, the same progress speed resulted in accelerated technical and functional obsolescence of the same medical imaging equipment, consequently creating a need for renewal. Older equipment has a high risk of failures and breakdowns, which might cause delays in diagnosis and treatment of the patient, and safety problems both for the patient and the medical staff. The European Society of Radiology is promoting the use of up-to-date equipment, especially in the context of the EuroSafe Imaging Campaign, as the use of up-to-date equipment will improve quality and safety in medical imaging. Every healthcare institution or authority should have a plan for medical imaging equipment upgrade or renewal. This plan should look forward a minimum of 5 years, with annual updates. Teaching points • Radiological equipment has a definite life cycle span, resulting in unavoidable breakdown and decrease or loss of image quality which renders equipment useless after a certain time period.• Equipment older than 10 years is no longer state-of-the art equipment and replacement is essential. Operating costs of older equipment will be high when compared with new equipment, and sometimes maintenance will be impossible if no spare parts are available.• Older equipment has a high risk of failure and breakdown, causing delays in diagnosis and treatment of the patient and safety problems both for the patient and the medical staff.• Every healthcare institution or authority should have a plan for medical imaging equipment upgrade or replacement. This plan should look forward a

Student Perceptions on Service Quality of Higher Education: an Empirical Study

OpenAIRE

Rahayu, Fatik; Murtanto, Murtanto; Ekasari, Ayu

2007-01-01

Educational literatures suggest that there is mounting pressure from customers of higher education to close the gap between their expectation of institutional performance and the actual performance (Widrick et al., 2002; Pariseau and Mc Daniel, 1997; Shank et al., 1995). Therefore, it is imperative that higher educations actively monitor the quality of their service. This study deals with measuring the service quality in higher education. The service quality of higher education in this resear...

Benchmarking as an Instrument for Improvement of Quality Management in Higher Education

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Narimantas Kazimieras Paliulis

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Conditioned by globalisation and constant change, higher education institutions (HEIs are forced to pursue new instruments for quality assurance in higher education. States seem to pursue this aim by attempting to create an efficiently operating system of higher education that satisfies needs of diverse societal groups. Quality dimension is the most important element of efficient and effective higher education. From the perspective of a state, assessment and monitoring of quality are instruments for the management of processes of higher education. The article substantiates these statements using the evolution of the dimension of quality in the European and Lithuanian higher education in the course of the Bologna Process. The article also presents a benchmarking method and discusses its development and application tendencies in business organisations. Also, it looks at possibilities to apply this method in higher education. The main aim of this article is to explore benchmarking as an effective instrument for the improvement of performance quality in HEIs and complement the already implemented quality management systems. Another aim is to suggest this method to national agencies for quality assurance in higher education for monitoring and analysis of qualitative changes on the systematic level. The object of the article is the improvement of performance quality in HEIs. Benchmarking is proposed for the use in higher education on the institutional level as an instrument that complements presently introduced quality management systems in Lithuanian HEIs. This way, it will contribute to the formation of the culture of quality in higher education.

QUALITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES: A LITERATURE REVIEW

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Goutam Kumar Kundu

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of existing research and present a holistic understanding of quality in higher education. This literature review builds on major sources of relevant research relating to educational quality methodologies, quality literacy and multi-dimensional concept of quality. The paper attempts to understand quality in education as a relationship amongst all the participants and resources of an educational institution. Based on the results of the literature review, the paper attempts to establish the foundation for a comprehensive understanding and analysis of quality focussing on higher education. This literature review provides a frame of reference that serves as a basis for future research regarding role of quality in education.

Emblems of Quality in Higher Education. Developing and Sustaining High-Quality Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Haworth, Jennifer Grant; Conrad, Clifton F.

This book proposes an "engagement" theory of program quality to evaluate and improve higher education programs at all degree levels. Based on interviews with 781 participants in a national study of Masters degree programs, it focuses on the interactive roles of students, faculty, and administrators in developing high-quality programs…

The role of higher education in transforming the quality of dementia care: dementia studies at the University of Bradford.

Science.gov (United States)

Downs, M; Capstick, A; Baldwin, P C; Surr, C; Bruce, E

2009-04-01

There is now widespread concern about the inadequate care and support provided to people with dementia from diagnosis to death. It is acknowledged that while there is a range of effective ways to care for and support people with dementia and their families from diagnosis to death, these have yet to become integral to practice. In England, for example, the National Dementia Strategy seeks to transform the quality of dementia care. One of the key components to transforming the quality of care is to ensure we have an informed and effective workforce. We argue here that in order to transform the quality of care we need to distinguish between the aims of training and education. Whilst there is a place for skills-based workplace training, Higher Education in dementia studies has a key role to play in the provision of specialist knowledge and skills in dementia care emphasizing as it does the development of critical thinking, reflection and action. In this paper we describe dementia studies at Bradford University available at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. We outline their aims and learning outcomes, curricula, approach to teaching, learning and assessment. We describe the nature of students who study with us, noting their fit with the Higher Education Funding Council in England's agenda for widening participation in higher education. Higher Education in dementia studies has a unique role to play in equipping practitioners and professionals with the information, skills and attitudes to realize the potential for quality of life for people with dementia and their families.

The quality movement in higher education in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchanan, H S

1995-09-01

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

Gender-heterogeneous working groups produce higher quality science.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lesley G Campbell

Full Text Available Here we present the first empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that a gender-heterogeneous problem-solving team generally produced journal articles perceived to be higher quality by peers than a team comprised of highly-performing individuals of the same gender. Although women were historically underrepresented as principal investigators of working groups, their frequency as PIs at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis is now comparable to the national frequencies in biology and they are now equally qualified, in terms of their impact on the accumulation of ecological knowledge (as measured by the h-index. While women continue to be underrepresented as working group participants, peer-reviewed publications with gender-heterogeneous authorship teams received 34% more citations than publications produced by gender-uniform authorship teams. This suggests that peers citing these publications perceive publications that also happen to have gender-heterogeneous authorship teams as higher quality than publications with gender uniform authorship teams. Promoting diversity not only promotes representation and fairness but may lead to higher quality science.

Gender-heterogeneous working groups produce higher quality science.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Lesley G; Mehtani, Siya; Dozier, Mary E; Rinehart, Janice

2013-01-01

Here we present the first empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that a gender-heterogeneous problem-solving team generally produced journal articles perceived to be higher quality by peers than a team comprised of highly-performing individuals of the same gender. Although women were historically underrepresented as principal investigators of working groups, their frequency as PIs at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis is now comparable to the national frequencies in biology and they are now equally qualified, in terms of their impact on the accumulation of ecological knowledge (as measured by the h-index). While women continue to be underrepresented as working group participants, peer-reviewed publications with gender-heterogeneous authorship teams received 34% more citations than publications produced by gender-uniform authorship teams. This suggests that peers citing these publications perceive publications that also happen to have gender-heterogeneous authorship teams as higher quality than publications with gender uniform authorship teams. Promoting diversity not only promotes representation and fairness but may lead to higher quality science.

QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEMS IN POLISH AND UKRAINIAN HIGHER EDUCATION. A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Tutko

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the progress made to develop external and internal quality assurance systems in Polish and Ukrainian higher education in the European Higher Education Area background. The focus of the paper is on the extent to which quality assurance systems in these countries are following the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area. Furthermore, internal and external quality assur-ance in the European context is presented in the article. The authors of the article also conducted a comparative analysis of quality assurance systems in Polish and Ukrainian higher education.

Evaluation of the quality parameters of mobile X-ray units equipment used for radiodiagnostic in public institutions of Sergipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Celso A.; Santos, Lucas R. dos; Silva, Fabio A.R.; Souza, Divanizia N.

2008-01-01

This project was started having as main objective to observe the diagnosis quality offered by mobile x-ray units utilized in a health care institution. In this work we are reporting the first results obtained from three equipment used by a public institution inspected on the state of Sergipe, Brazil. During the verification visits at institution the radiology technicians were questioned about specific maintenances performed on the equipment and the operating procedures used. Moreover, some beams parameters were verified as dose, dose rate, and peak voltage and exposition time. The obtained results showed a good index of reproducibility and linearity of the operation parameters, of the kerma air rate and exposition time. However, to the kVp tests were observed variations up to 20% between the nominal value used and the value measured on the X-ray units. The test results of the focal point are in accordance with the acceptable standards. The analyses of equipment and the answered questionnaire showed that have not been performed periodic maintenances in the equipment, therefore some of the equipment do not present satisfactory requirements of operating, their do not make use of luminous field nether collimator or the scale meter to checking the source to surface distance. The main factor that can explains the negative results is the absence of a continue quality program associated with the unsatisfactory maintenances. The health care institutions evaluated are introducing a permanent quality program to the X-ray devices. (author)

Making Sense of an Elusive Concept: Academics’ Perspectives of Quality in Higher Education

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Lazarus Nabaho

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: Since the 1990s studies on how stakeholders in higher education perceive quality have burgeoned. Nevertheless, the majority of studies on perception of quality in higher education focus on students and employers. The few studies on academics’ perceptions of quality in higher education treat academics as a homogeneous group and, therefore, do not point out cross-disciplinary perspectives in perceptions of quality. This article explores how academics across six disciplines perceive quality in higher education. Method: The article is anchored in the interpretivist paradigm. Data was collected from 14 purposely selected academics at Makerere University in Uganda and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The findings show that academics perceive quality in higher education as transformation, fitness for purpose, and exceptional. The findings further demonstrate that a stakeholder group or an individual stakeholder can subscribe to a notion of quality in higher education but voice divergent views on its variants. Similarly, the academic discipline, the perceived purpose of higher education, and the problems within a higher education system have an influence on stakeholders’ conception of quality in higher education. Conclusions: From the findings it can be inferred that quality in higher education defies a single definition and that stakeholders’ perceptions of quality do not take place in a vacuum. Implication for Theory and/or Practice: The multidimensional nature of quality and the contestations around it necessitate a multidimensional approach to assuring and assessing it.

Trading Quality across Borders: Colonial Discourse and International Quality Assurance Policies in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Blanco Ramírez, Gerardo

2014-01-01

Accountability and quality assurance have become central discourses in higher education policy throughout the world. However, accountability and quality assurance involve power and control. Practices and ideas about quality developed in the Global North are spreading rapidly across the Global South, leading to increased uniformity in the…

Advantages of a program of quality control in the nuclear medicine equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trujillo Z, F.E.; Argumosa, E.; Herrera R, M.R.

2007-01-01

In Nuclear Medicine more 90% of the entirety of the carried out procedures its are with diagnostic ends where it is acquired one or several images. This makes indispensable to have an appropriate operation of the dedicated equipment to produce images and also of those non former images, as the activity caliper, to assure an appropriate quality diagnoses not from the images and the correct dose administration to the patient. In this work the main calibrations that should be carried out and an example of the program of quality control of a gamma camera mark Siemens and model E.CAM are presented. Considerations that should take as for the radiological protection are exposed. Comments on the parameters that correct the required calibrations and the images taken place by an operation or inadequate calibrations are included. In conclusion, the necessity of a program that it contains as minimum the quality control of the gamma cameras and of the activity caliper, having as main advantages a good image quality diagnoses and to minimize the dose imparted the patient are exposed. (Author)

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…

Opportunity or Exploitation? Women and Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Morley, Louise

2005-01-01

Based on interviews with 18 UK women academics and managers on quality and power in higher education, this article interrogates the impact of quality assurance discourses and practices on women in higher education. Micro-level analysis of the effects of audit and the evaluative state seem to suggest that hegemonic masculinities and gendered power…

Lower- Versus Higher-Income Populations In The Alternative Quality Contract: Improved Quality And Similar Spending.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Zirui; Rose, Sherri; Chernew, Michael E; Safran, Dana Gelb

2017-01-01

As population-based payment models become increasingly common, it is crucial to understand how such payment models affect health disparities. We evaluated health care quality and spending among enrollees in areas with lower versus higher socioeconomic status in Massachusetts before and after providers entered into the Alternative Quality Contract, a two-sided population-based payment model with substantial incentives tied to quality. We compared changes in process measures, outcome measures, and spending between enrollees in areas with lower and higher socioeconomic status from 2006 to 2012 (outcome measures were measured after the intervention only). Quality improved for all enrollees in the Alternative Quality Contract after their provider organizations entered the contract. Process measures improved 1.2 percentage points per year more among enrollees in areas with lower socioeconomic status than among those in areas with higher socioeconomic status. Outcome measure improvement was no different between the subgroups; neither were changes in spending. Larger or comparable improvements in quality among enrollees in areas with lower socioeconomic status suggest a potential narrowing of disparities. Strong pay-for-performance incentives within a population-based payment model could encourage providers to focus on improving quality for more disadvantaged populations. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Quality of care and investment in property, plant, and equipment in hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Levitt, S W

1994-02-01

This study explores the relationship between quality of care and investment in property, plant, and equipment (PPE) in hospitals. Hospitals' investment in PPE was derived from audited financial statements for the fiscal years 1984-1989. Peer Review Organization (PRO) Generic Quality Screen (GQS) reviews and confirmed failures between April 1989 and September 1990 were obtained from the Massachusetts PRO. Weighted least squares regression models used PRO GQS confirmed failure rates as the dependent variable, and investment in PPE as the key explanatory variable. Investment in PPE was standardized, summed by the hospital over the six years, and divided by the hospital's average number of beds in that period. The number of PRO reviewed cases with one or more GQS confirmed failures was divided by the total number of cases reviewed to create confirmed failure rates. Investment in PPE in Massachusetts hospitals is correlated with GQS confirmed failure rates. A financial variable, investment in PPE, predicts certain dimensions of quality of care in hospitals.

Impacts of Water Quality on Residential Water Heating Equipment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Widder, Sarah H.; Baechler, Michael C.

2013-11-01

Water heating is a ubiquitous energy use in all residential housing, accounting for 17.7% of residential energy use (EIA 2012). Today, there are many efficient water heating options available for every fuel type, from electric and gas to more unconventional fuel types like propane, solar, and fuel oil. Which water heating option is the best choice for a given household will depend on a number of factors, including average daily hot water use (total gallons per day), hot water draw patterns (close together or spread out), the hot water distribution system (compact or distributed), installation constraints (such as space, electrical service, or venting accommodations) and fuel-type availability and cost. While in general more efficient water heaters are more expensive than conventional water heating technologies, the savings in energy use and, thus, utility bills can recoup the additional upfront investment and make an efficient water heater a good investment over time in most situations, although the specific payback period for a given installation will vary widely. However, the expected lifetime of a water heater in a given installation can dramatically influence the cost effectiveness and savings potential of a water heater and should be considered, along with water use characteristics, fuel availability and cost, and specific home characteristics when selecting the optimum water heating equipment for a particular installation. This report provides recommendations for selecting and maintaining water heating equipment based on local water quality characteristics.

Assessment of quality indicators in spanish higher military education

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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

Evaluation of the Nuclear Medicine facilities in Minas Gerais state: quality control program of equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubo, Tadeu Takao Almodovar; Biancardi, Rodrigo; Rocha, Adriana Marcia Guimaraes; Ferreira, Denia Romao; Silva, Franciele Aquiles Anjos; Assuncao, Jonathan Buenos Aires; Alves, Ederson Henrique; Almeida, Ana Flavia Batista; Alves, Nathalia Fernandes; Xavier, Faber Henrique Zacarias; Gontijo, Rodrigo Modesto Gadelha; Mamede, Marcelo; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

2017-01-01

With the reformulation of the CNEN-NN-3.05 standard in December 2013, Brazil's Nuclear Medicine (NMS) services have to perform a greater number of quality controls for SPECT and PET equipment. However, little is known about the reality of the quality control programs of these services regarding the application of the new standard. Thus, in this context, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the quality control program of MNSs in the state of Minas Gerais. All NMSs in the state of Minas Gerais were invited to participate in the project. Of these, 34.48% (20 facilities) agreed to participate in the project, 50.00% (29 facilities) did not respond to the invitation and 15.52%(9 facilities) declined their participation. Thus, as of November 2015, 20 SPECT and 2 PET/CT equipment were evaluated for the performance of the quality control tests recommended by the new CNEN standard. The phantoms required for the evaluation came from the Laboratory of Dosimetry and Quality Control of UFMG. Even with the deadlines set by CNEN for the implementation of the quality control program in the NMSs, more than 50% of the evaluated services did not implement the quality controls, and the absence of specific phantoms is the main reason for the failure. Among the problems found in the installations, the most critical were: collimators with no conditions of use in the clinical routine, linearity problems of the evaluated image and values of image uniformity superior to the limits of acceptance. Problems in the uniformity and linearity of the image found directly impacted the performance of other tests, such as spatial resolution, SPECT performance, among others. In a general way, the NMSs in the state of Minas Gerais evaluated with the present study are in clinical feasible conditions. (author)

Unravelling Quality Culture in Higher Education: A Realist Review

Science.gov (United States)

Bendermacher, G. W. G.; oude Egbrink, M. G. A.; Wolfhagen, I. H. A. P.; Dolmans, D. H. J. M.

2017-01-01

There is a growing belief that higher education institutions should nurture a "quality culture" in which structural/managerial and cultural/psychological elements act in synergy to continuously improve education. Notwithstanding the positive connotation of the "quality culture" concept, its exact configuration remains subject…

Survey of Equipment Quality Control in Radiotherapy Centers in Croatia: First Results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jurkovic, S.; Diklic, A.; Smilovic Radojcic, Dj.; Svabic, M.; Kasabasic, M.; Ivkovic, A.; Faj, D.

2011-01-01

parameters were resolution f 5 0, f 4 0, f 3 0, contrast to noise ratio (CNR), noise, field size and central axis deviation. Measured values were highly in tolerance. Measurements performed on simulators showed that all values were in tolerance except for the laser alignment which showed out-of-tolerance values in 8.3 % of cases. These results were expected since radiotherapy equipment for QC is still not recognized as an important issue from some hospitals management. Therefore, existence of equipment for QC is more exception than rule and written QC protocols do not exists in more than half Croatian radiotherapy departments. Quality assurance of radiotherapy machines is essential in reducing uncertainties and errors in whole radiotherapy procedure. Upgrading the QA/QC in radiotherapy departments in Croatia is an ongoing process. Large improvements can be seen especially now because lot of new, very sophisticated equipment has been acquired recently. We proposed a unique QA manual that can be used for this equipment in whole Croatia. (author)

Evaluation of mammography equipment performance, dose and image quality in five Latin American countries

Science.gov (United States)

Brandan, M.-E.; Ruiz-Trejo, C.; Caspani, C. E. M.; Fleitas, I.; de-la-Mora, R.; Miranda, A. A.; Plazas, M.-C.; Betancourt, C.-M.; Borras, C.

2001-10-01

Under the auspices of PAHO/WHO, a multicentric investigation is carried out in five Latin American countries. Its aim is to correlate quality indicators of radiology services with the accuracy of the radiological interpretation as determined by a panel of radiology experts. We present preliminary results from mammographic imaging facilities. Evaluation of the equipment performance and dose measurements in 21 mammographic units show that, on the average, 75% of the units comply with recommendations issued by various organizations. An independent evaluation of the quality of the clinical images show strong variations among the different radiological services.

Evaluation of mammography equipment performance, dose and image quality in five Latin American countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandan, M.-E.; Ruiz-Trejo, C.; Caspani, C. E. M.; Fleitas, I.; Mora, R. de la; Miranda, A. A.; Plazas, M.-C.; Betancourt, C.-M.; Borras, C.

2001-01-01

Under the auspices of PAHO/WHO, a multicentric investigation is carried out in five Latin American countries. Its aim is to correlate quality indicators of radiology services with the accuracy of the radiological interpretation as determined by a panel of radiology experts. We present preliminary results from mammographic imaging facilities. Evaluation of the equipment performance and dose measurements in 21 mammographic units show that, on the average, 75% of the units comply with recommendations issued by various organizations. An independent evaluation of the quality of the clinical images show strong variations among the different radiological services

Programme evaluation: Maintaining quality in higher education ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The evaluation of educational or social programmes is paramount for establishing success or impact in higher education. Evaluation questions about programme goals (e.g. better performance of first-year students) or about the quality of programme strategies (design and implementation) and effectiveness of delivery ...

Internal Resources to Improve the Quality of Higher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatyana V. Zak

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the situation in the Russian higher education system. The factors affecting the improvement of the quality of higher education are analyzed. The emphasis is on mass universities. The main obstacles to improving the quality of education in these institutions are the Institute of collective reputation and the high costs of the struggle for improving the quality of education.The necessity of focusing on the actuation of the internal resources to improve the quality associated with the change in the educational process: giving students the right to choose the timing exams and training period at university. The implementation of the proposed measures will reduce the opportunity costs associated with quality improvement activities. The proposed change in the organization of the learning process opens the possibility to estimate the activity of universities in terms of medium-term implementation of educational programs. The use of this indicator will not only combine the two different targets of universities, but also to minimize the costs of opportunistic behavior of teachers and management.

Is higher nursing home quality more costly?

Science.gov (United States)

Giorgio, L Di; Filippini, M; Masiero, G

2016-11-01

Widespread issues regarding quality in nursing homes call for an improved understanding of the relationship with costs. This relationship may differ in European countries, where care is mainly delivered by nonprofit providers. In accordance with the economic theory of production, we estimate a total cost function for nursing home services using data from 45 nursing homes in Switzerland between 2006 and 2010. Quality is measured by means of clinical indicators regarding process and outcome derived from the minimum data set. We consider both composite and single quality indicators. Contrary to most previous studies, we use panel data and control for omitted variables bias. This allows us to capture features specific to nursing homes that may explain differences in structural quality or cost levels. Additional analysis is provided to address simultaneity bias using an instrumental variable approach. We find evidence that poor levels of quality regarding outcome, as measured by the prevalence of severe pain and weight loss, lead to higher costs. This may have important implications for the design of payment schemes for nursing homes.

Programme Evaluation: Maintaining Quality in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Loots, A.

2008-01-01

The evaluation of educational or social programmes is paramount for establishing success or impact in higher education. Evaluation questions about programme goals (e.g. better performance of first-year students) or about the quality of programme strategies (design and implementation) and effectiveness of delivery (coordinator inputs and…

The Quality Movements in Higher Education in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Richard I.

1996-01-01

Discussion of various quality control strategies in American higher education looks at and compares Total Quality Management (TQM), outcomes assessment, Deming's 14 points, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the ISO 9000 series, restructuring, reengineering, and performance indicators. It is suggested that colleges and universities will…

Quality Assurance in Transnational Higher Education. ENQA Workshop Report 11

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Paul; Bergan, Sjur; Cassar, Daniela; Hamilton, Marlene; Soinila, Michele; Sursock, Andree; Uvalic-Trumbic, Stamenka; Williams, Peter

2010-01-01

The present report is the product of an ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) Bologna Seminar "Quality Assurance in Transnational Education: from words to action" hosted by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA, UK) in London in December, 2008. The seminar discussed the current trends in Transnational…

Service Quality in Higher Education Using an Enhanced SERVQUAL Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Kay C.; Kek, Sei W.

2004-01-01

Customer service and quality are driving forces in the business community. As higher educational institutions tussle for competitive advantage and high service quality, the evaluation of educational service quality is essential to provide motivation for and to give feedback on the effectiveness of educational plans and implementation. This…

46 CFR 180.175 - Survival craft equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Survival craft equipment. 180.175 Section 180.175... TONS) LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT AND ARRANGEMENTS Survival Craft Arrangements and Equipment § 180.175 Survival craft equipment. (a) General. Each item of survival craft equipment must be of good quality, and...

Worldviews and Quality in Higher Education: a dichotomy between productivity and social responsibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julio Bertolin

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This paper addresses and analyzes concepts that have been often used by important stakeholders to refer to challenges and to quality in higher education. The aim is to identify the conceptualizations of quality in higher education that underlie the use of different concepts such as efficiency and equity. Based on publications by important multilateral organizations, these terms are correlated with the conceptualizations of higher education and, at the political level, with two major contemporary socioeconomic models: neoliberalism and social welfare state. Finally, two ideological tendencies for the understanding of quality in higher education are presented: quality as productivity and quality as social responsibility.

Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Zimbabwe

Science.gov (United States)

Garwe, Evelyn Chiyevo

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to furnish local and global stakeholders with detailed information regarding the development and current status of quality assurance in the Zimbabwean higher education sector. The study used document analysis, observation and interviews with key informants as sources of data. This paper addresses the dearth of…

Quality Instruction as a Motivating Factor in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Sogunro, Olusegun A.

2017-01-01

The importance of quality instruction in motivating students in higher education cannot be overemphasized. Without quality instruction, students' motivation to learn recedes. Five focus groups of graduate students aided the data collection for this study. More than one-third of the 119 participating graduate students involved in this study claimed…

"Folk" Understandings of Quality in UK Higher Hospitality Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Roy

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the evolution of "folk" understandings of quality in higher hospitality education and the consequent implications of these understandings for current quality concerns in the field. Design/methodology/approach: The paper combines a historical survey of the stated topic…

Results of evaluation of quality control measurement instrument of x-ray diagnostic equipment by non-invasive method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laan, Flavio T. van der; Elbern, Alvin W.

1996-01-01

This work shows the results of the tests realized on Santa Rita Hospital (Porto Alegre), using a non invasive quality control measurement instrument, developed in this University for fast measurement of essential parameters of X-rays diagnostic equipment. In the tests we used a diagnostics Siemens X ray, model Heliofos 4E as our standard equipment. The linearity test of sensor probe and the exposure rate calibration was performed, with a Palmer Dosimeter. For the kVp and exposure time we used a RTI commercial instrument. (author)

Quality of care and investment in property, plant, and equipment in hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Levitt, S W

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVE. This study explores the relationship between quality of care and investment in property, plant, and equipment (PPE) in hospitals. DATA SOURCES. Hospitals' investment in PPE was derived from audited financial statements for the fiscal years 1984-1989. Peer Review Organization (PRO) Generic Quality Screen (GQS) reviews and confirmed failures between April 1989 and September 1990 were obtained from the Massachusetts PRO. STUDY DESIGN. Weighted least squares regression models used PRO GQS confirmed failure rates as the dependent variable, and investment in PPE as the key explanatory variable. DATA EXTRACTION. Investment in PPE was standardized, summed by the hospital over the six years, and divided by the hospital's average number of beds in that period. The number of PRO reviewed cases with one or more GQS confirmed failures was divided by the total number of cases reviewed to create confirmed failure rates. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. Investment in PPE in Massachusetts hospitals is correlated with GQS confirmed failure rates. CONCLUSIONS. A financial variable, investment in PPE, predicts certain dimensions of quality of care in hospitals. PMID:8113054

Quality Management in Higher Education: Towards a Better Understanding of an Emerging Field

Science.gov (United States)

Pratasavitskaya, Halina; Stensaker, Bjorn

2010-01-01

The article analyses how quality management is understood in higher education research. By reviewing a number of academic contributions addressing quality management issues in "Quality in Higher Education" from 1995-2008, the article identifies central concepts associated with quality management, discusses whether there are commonalities to be…

The Massification of Higher Education in the UK: Aspects of Service Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Giannakis, Mihalis; Bullivant, Nicola

2016-01-01

This article explores several aspects of service quality for the provision of higher education. Alongside the trend of the massification of higher education over the past two decades, higher education institutions are required to review quality across a range of outputs, besides teaching and learning. The study was undertaken within the…

Reforms, Leadership and Quality Management in Greek Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Papadimitriou, Antigoni

2011-01-01

This article reports on research to form an understanding of how to account whether and how quality management (QM) has been adopted in Greek higher education. Greece only recently introduced quality assurance policies. In this study, I will describe governmental reforms related to QM policies until 2010. An issue that is frequently addressed…

Guiding and Modelling Quality Improvement in Higher Education Institutions

Science.gov (United States)

Little, Daniel

2015-01-01

The article considers the process of creating quality improvement in higher education institutions from the point of view of current organisational theory and social-science modelling techniques. The author considers the higher education institution as a functioning complex of rules, norms and other organisational features and reviews the social…

Meeting the Challenge: Quality Systems in Private Higher Education in Kuwait

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Atiqi, Imad M.; Alharbi, Lafi M.

2009-01-01

In Kuwait, as in other rapidly-developing higher education systems, one major area of concern is ensuring the quality of education offered by private providers. This paper briefly reviews the history of the development of higher education in Kuwait since its inception in 1936. It considers various quality systems currently in place in other…

Project management in nuclear equipment manufacture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jiancheng

2005-01-01

The completion of the management organization shall be firstly considered in project management for a nuclear power plant. The organization of nuclear equipment quality assurance program and project management consists of 5 departments such as the nuclear power container department, the manufacture department and the quality assurance department. The general manager takes the overall responsibility for the quality of the nuclear press usr bearing equipment, and the vice general manager takes responsibility for the quality, technology and schedule related with the manufacture of the equipment, and organizes the organization department for the audit. The director of the quality assurance department takes the responsibility for the establishment and completion of the quality assurance program, with enough rights authorized by the general manager, including the right not bounded by the cost and schedule, and confirms the implementation of the program by related departments and personnel. The manufacture schedule shall be prepared to ensure the implementation feasibility, process continuity and flexibility. The schedule shall be followed and monitored for the whole process, to check and feedback the implementation. (authors)

RETRIEVAL EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

J. Steinhoff

1997-01-01

The objective and the scope of this document are to list and briefly describe the major mobile equipment necessary for waste package (WP) retrieval from the proposed subsurface nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Primary performance characteristics and some specialized design features of the equipment are explained and summarized in the individual subsections of this document. There are no quality assurance requirements or QA controls in this document. Retrieval under normal conditions is accomplished with the same fleet of equipment as is used for emplacement. Descriptions of equipment used for retrieval under normal conditions is found in Emplacement Equipment Descriptions, DI: BCAF00000-01717-5705-00002 (a document in progress). Equipment used for retrieval under abnormal conditions is addressed in this document and consists of the following: (1) Inclined Plane Hauler; (2) Bottom Lift Transporter; (3) Load Haul Dump (LHD) Loader; (4) Heavy Duty Forklift for Emplacement Drifts; (5) Covered Shuttle Car; (6) Multipurpose Vehicle; and (7) Scaler

Financial Intelligence and the Quality of Higher Education in Africa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Financial Intelligence and the Quality of Higher Education in Africa. ... Improving the quality of curriculum development in private Universities in Africa from time to time is a task that is very essential to achieving ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Implementation and translation: from European standards and guidelines for quality assurance to education quality work in higher education institutions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westerheijden, Donald F.; Kohoutek, Jan; Eggins, Heather

2014-01-01

The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG for short) have been part of the regulative infrastructure of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) since 2005 (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, 2009).

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...

46 CFR 117.175 - Survival craft equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Survival craft equipment. 117.175 Section 117.175... AND ARRANGEMENTS Survival Craft Arrangements and Equipment § 117.175 Survival craft equipment. (a) General. Each item of survival craft equipment must be of good quality, and efficient for the purpose it...

Reflection on Quality Assurance System of Higher Vocational Education under Big Data Era

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiang Xinlan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Big data has the features like Volume, Variety, Value and Velocity. Here come the new opportunities and challenges for construction of Chinese quality assurance system of higher vocational education under big data era. There are problems in current quality assurance system of higher vocational education, such as imperfect main body, non-formation of internally and externally incorporated quality assurance system, non-scientific security standard and insufficiency in security investment. The construction of higher vocational education under big data era requires a change in the idea of quality assurance system construction to realize the multiple main bodies and multiple layers development trend for educational quality assurance system, and strengthen the construction of information platform for quality assurance system.

US Accreditation in Mexico: Quality in Higher Education as Symbol, Performance and Translation

Science.gov (United States)

Blanco-Ramirez, Gerardo

2015-01-01

Quality practices in higher education involve more than mere compliance with standards and technical mandates; given the complexity of the decisions involved in quality in higher education, this concept, quality, can be analyzed as symbol and performance. This paper utilizes translation as heuristic to analyze the implementation of US…

Students' Perceptions of Higher Education Quality at Notre Dame University-Louaize in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Saad, Nada

2013-01-01

Understanding how students perceive quality of education and identifying the most important quality factors from their perspectives represent a first stage for quality improvement and customer satisfaction in higher education. The purpose of this project was to investigate how higher education students in Lebanon perceived the concept of quality…

Impact Evaluation of Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Methodology and Causal Designs

Science.gov (United States)

Leiber, Theodor; Stensaker, Bjørn; Harvey, Lee

2015-01-01

In this paper, the theoretical perspectives and general methodological elements of impact evaluation of quality assurance in higher education institutions are discussed, which should be a cornerstone of quality development in higher education and contribute to improving the knowledge about the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of quality…

The Academic Quality Handbook: Enhancing Higher Education in Universities and Further Education Colleges.

Science.gov (United States)

McGhee, Patrick

This book is intended as an introduction to the management of quality assurance and enhancement in higher education, particularly in England. The text focuses on the relationship between institutional quality assurance and the auditing authority of the British Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. The chapters of part 1, "The Quality…

Comparing Alternative Instruments to Measure Service Quality in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Brochado, Ana

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of five alternative measures of service quality in the high education sector--service quality (SERVQUAL), importance-weighted SERVQUAL, service performance (SERVPERF), importance-weighted SERVPERF, and higher education performance (HEdPERF). Design/methodology/approach: Data were…

Making Sense of an Elusive Concept: Academics' Perspectives of Quality in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Nabaho, Lazarus; Aguti, Jessica Norah; Oonyu, Joseph

2017-01-01

Objective: Since the 1990s studies on how stakeholders in higher education perceive quality have burgeoned. Nevertheless, the majority of studies on perception of quality in higher education focus on students and employers. The few studies on academics' perceptions of quality in higher education treat academics as a homogeneous group and,…

Development of Turbulence-Measuring Equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Kovasznay, Leslie S G

1954-01-01

Hot wire turbulence-measuring equipment has been developed to meet the more stringent requirements involved in the measurement of fluctuations in flow parameters at supersonic velocities. The higher mean speed necessitates the resolution of higher frequency components than at low speed, and the relatively low turbulence level present at supersonic speed makes necessary an improved noise level for the equipment. The equipment covers the frequency range from 2 to about 70,000 cycles per second. Constant-current operation is employed. Compensation for hot-wire lag is adjusted manually using square-wave testing to indicate proper setting. These and other features make the equipment adaptable to all-purpose turbulence work with improved utility and accuracy over that of older types of equipment. Sample measurements are given to demonstrate the performance.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Krause, Kerri-Lee

2012-01-01

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

Quality control in dental diagnostic radiology : anomalous in the use of radiological equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alcaraz, M.; Martinez-Beneyto, Y.; Jodar, S.; Velasco, E.; Garcia-Vera, M. C.

2004-01-01

7,176 official quality control reports on dental diagnostic radiology were studied, relating to dental clinics located in 37 Spanish provinces covering 16 different autonomous Regions. The reports were issued as a result of the entry into force of Royal Decree 2071/1995 on quality control in General Diagnostic Radiology facilities, this Royal Decree was replaced by R. D. 1976/1999. The reports were writen by the UTPR (Technical Unit of Radiological Protection) Agsigma S. A. L., a company approved by the Nuclear Safety Council, and they correspond with the official reports issued during 1996-2001. This meants that a 5-year period has been monitored in order to observe the impacts of the establlishment of this legislation on quality control in intraoral dental diagnostic radiology facilities. The results show that 72.79% of the reports checked in 2001 would comply with the European Union's official recommendation (70 kVp, 8 mA> 1.5 mm of Al and 20 cm collimator length). Significant alterations have detected in a third (30.59%) of the radiological equipment. (Author) 36 refs

Does Accelerating Access to Higher Education Lower Its Quality? The Australian Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Pitman, Tim; Koshy, Paul; Phillimore, John

2015-01-01

In the pursuit of mass higher education, fears are often expressed that the quality of higher education suffers as access is increased. This quantitative study considers three proxies of educational quality: (1) prior academic achievement of the student, (2) attrition and retention rates and (3) progression rates, to establish whether educational…

Quality control test solutions for diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and health physics with PTW equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Froescher, Olga

2007-01-01

Complete test of publication follows. In 1922 PTW-Freiburg was founded to produce and market a revolutionary new electromechanical component for measuring very small electrical charges. Today PTW is the specialist and one of the global market leaders for manufacturing and supplying high-quality products in diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy and health physics. The quality control of X-ray images is influenced by a number of parameters. To maintain a consistent performance of X-ray installations, quality checks have to be conducted regularly. PTW offers a variety of diagnostic test tools for different X-ray devices, and therefore to reduce patient exposure and costs for X-ray departments. PTW's 'Code of Practice' defines in an easy and compact way how to perform quality control measurements on different diagnostic X-ray installations. The necessary equipment for measuring main parameters as well as acceptable limits are mentioned accordingly. The 'Code of Practice' bases on actual standards.

The performance of a prototype device designed to evaluate general quality parameters of X-ray equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Murata, C. H.; Fernandes, D. C.; Lavínia, N. C.; Caldas, L. V. E.; Pires, S. R.; Medeiros, R. B.

2014-02-01

The performance of radiological equipment can be assessed using non-invasive methods and portable instruments that can analyze an X-ray beam with just one exposure. These instruments use either an ionization chamber or a state solid detector (SSD) to evaluate X-ray beam parameters. In Brazil, no such instruments are currently being manufactured; consequently, these instruments come at a higher cost to users due to importation taxes. Additionally, quality control tests are time consuming and impose a high workload on the X-ray tubes when evaluating their performance parameters. The assessment of some parameters, such as the half-value layer (HVL), requires several exposures; however, this can be reduced by using a SSD that requires only a single exposure. One such SSD uses photodiodes designed for high X-ray sensitivity without the use of scintillation crystals. This sensitivity allows one electron-hole pair to be created per 3.63 eV of incident energy, resulting in extremely high and stable quantum efficiencies. These silicon photodiodes operate by absorbing photons and generating a flow of current that is proportional to the incident power. The aim of this study was to show the response of the solid sensor PIN RD100A detector in a multifunctional X-ray analysis system that is designed to evaluate the average peak voltage (kVp), exposure time, and HVL of radiological equipment. For this purpose, a prototype board that uses four SSDs was developed to measure kVp, exposure time, and HVL using a single exposure. The reproducibility and accuracy of the results were compared to that of different X-ray beam analysis instruments. The kVp reproducibility and accuracy results were 2% and 3%, respectively; the exposure time reproducibility and accuracy results were 2% and 1%, respectively; and the HVL accuracy was ±2%. The prototype's methodology was able to calculate these parameters with appropriate reproducibility and accuracy. Therefore, the prototype can be considered

Access and quality in South African higher education: the twin ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

with the transformation agenda in South Africa. It is proposed that a comprehensive quality assurance framework with embedded commitment to access is likely to respond appropriately to national development prerogatives of higher education access. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol. 21 (3) 2007: pp. 385-399.

Investigation of Malaysian Higher Education Quality Culture and Workforce Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Hairuddin Mohd; Musah, Mohammed Borhandden

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the quality culture and workforce performance in the Malaysian higher education sector. The study also aims to test and validate the psychometric properties of the quality culture and workforce performance instruments used in the study. Design/methodology/approach: A total…

Service Quality, Students' Satisfaction and Behavioural Intentions in STEM and IC Higher Education Institutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dunja Meštrović

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Service quality, students' satisfaction and their behavioural intentions are recognised as rather important aspects in higher education institution's strategy in a competitive higher education marketplace, which enable them to attract and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM and information-communication (IC study areas. This research aimed to study the relationship between service quality, students' satisfaction and behavioural intentions of STEM and IC students of the University of Rijeka Departments. Partial least squares structural equation modelling using SmartPLS 3.0 software was performed on student survey data, confirming a direct, positive and significant relationship between higher education service quality and students' satisfaction and between students' satisfaction and their behavioural intentions. According to indirect effects analysis, perceived higher education service quality has an an indirect, positive and significant impact on students' behavioural intentions through students' satisfaction. The results indicate that higher education service quality is an imperative for higher education sector. Based on the findings of this study, useful to policy makers in the services industry in general and in higher education sector in particular, improvements can be planned all service quality dimensions as a key factor to attract, educate and retain STEM and IC students in Croatia.

The Quality of Educational Services- Institutional Case Study From the Romanian Higher Education

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Luminiţa NICOLESCU

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The present paper approaches the topic of the quality of educational services, emphasizing on higher education, as a field of services of large public interest that has high influences at individual, group and society level. The paper starts by looking at the influencing factors for the quality of higher education from the perspective of the regulations and practices at both European and national level. In this context, the internal evaluation of quality at institutional level is a new requirement for higher education institutions in Romania. Part of the evaluation process is represented by the requirement to develop informational data bases. The paper exemplifies the results that can be obtained by monitoring quality and collecting information, and concludes with a set of recommendations for managing quality at institutional level.

Basic principles of quality assurance to be used in a firm fabricating conventional and nuclear equipments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauvagnac, B.

1977-01-01

The 'Quality Organisation' system to be adopted depends on the equipment sold, the inherent structures of the enterprise and on its importance, of the habits and requirements of the main clients. Iy is stressed however that a certain number of conditions should be required from the start: the determination of the hierarchy and, in particular, that of the General Management, to set up an efficient 'Quality Organisation'; the firm determination to see that decisions are taken by the most competent people in the field concerned and to make them assume official responsibility by signing their work; the development of a system of information and continuous and planned training, whilst remaining very attentive to the risk that a too formal or too dogmatic 'Quality Organisation' might engender [fr

Establishment of an X radiation equipment quality control programme using non invasive meters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucena, Rodrigo Ferreira de

2010-01-01

The objective of this work was to study the behavior of the mainly X ray equipment calibration laboratory of IPEN, operated in the range from 25 kV to 150 kV using a PTW non invasive meter, model Diavolt TM , and an ORTEC spectrometry system, model NOMAD-PLUS 92X, for the establishment of a quality control programme. The Diavolt meter was used for measurements of air kerma, peak voltage and practical peak voltage. The measurements were made varying parameters such as electrical current, X radiation quality for radiation diagnostic, angulations of the meter and its distance in relation to the focal spot of the X ray tube. The results were compared with data found in the literature. Several spectra were generated with the spectrometer system with the purpose of determine the peak voltage in function of the nominal voltage and to characterize the radiation qualities for radiation diagnostic previously determined. The established quality control programme enables the management of the appropriate functioning of the measurement instruments (ionization chambers, voltage and current meter and spectrometer) as well as of the X radiation system. This work also has proposed a time interval to run each one of the tests. (author)

Accreditation and Quality Assurance in the Egyptian Higher Education System

Science.gov (United States)

Schomaker, Rahel

2015-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the quality of the Egyptian accreditation system. With a view on the high competition in the domestic labor market as well as with regards to the international competitiveness of Egyptian graduates and the potential role of Egyptian universities in the international market for higher education, a high quality of…

Development of manufacturing equipment and QC equipment for DUPIC fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Myung Seung; Park, J.J.; Lee, J.W.; Kim, S.S.; Yim, S.P.; Kim, J.H.; Kim, K.H.; Na, S.H.; Kim, W.K.; Shin, J.M.; Lee, D.Y.; Cho, K.H.; Lee, Y.S.; Sohn, J.S.; Kim, M.J.

1999-05-01

In this study, DUPIC powder and pellet fabrication equipment, welding system, QC equipment, and fission gas treatment are developed to fabricate DUPIC fuel at IMEF M6 hot cell. The systems are improved to be suitable for remote operation and maintenance with the manipulator at hot cell. Powder and pellet fabrication equipment have been recently developed. The systems are under performance test to check remote operation and maintenance. Welding chamber and jigs are designed and developed to remotely weld DUPIC fuel rod with manipulators at hot cell. Remote quality control equipment are being tested for analysis and inspection of DUPIC fuel characteristics at hot cell. And trapping characteristics is analyzed for cesium and ruthenium released under oxidation/reduction and sintering processes. The design criteria and process flow diagram of fission gas treatment system are prepared incorporating the experimental results. The fission gas treatment system has been successfully manufactured. (Author). 33 refs., 14 tabs., 91 figs

Quality of mammography equipment in Health Public Network; Calidad de proceso generador de imagenes mamograficas de equipos instalados en la Red Publica de Salud

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruberti Filha, E. M.; Pires, S. R.; Medeiros, R. B.

2006-07-01

In spite of the requirements of the Brazilian Regulatory Organization to ensure that quality control verifications are made in the radiological equipment, further actions should also be carried out in order to guarantee the quality of the images and of the diagnosis. This study has as its objective to analyze the failures of the image generation system using instruments to control the quality of the radiological equipment, verify the processing image conditions and, finally, classify the mammographic findings as unacceptable, suitable and acceptable. A statistical phantom was used in which the fibers and the microcalcifications were randomly positioned. The images were then read by specialists and the level of agreement was measured by the Kappa value. It was possible to check that most of the tested equipment parameters presented a good performance, although the film processing did not generate satisfactory results and caused reading difficulties. Many of the results of these reading were classified as unacceptable. Among these images, only a small percentage of them presented the fibers and microcalcifications of the sizes required by the Brazilian legislation. We concluded that it is only possible to generate good quality images if all the steps of the process are properly controlled. Therefore, it is relevant to invest in training, calibration and maintenance of the mammographic equipment. (Author)

Development of a dosimetric system for dental X-ray equipment quality control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melo, Francisco Almeida de

2002-08-01

An electronic instrument with digital readout was designed and constructed to provide fast, simple and non-invasive measurements of X-ray dental equipment parameters. This instrument is capable of evaluating the entrance dose, exposure time, tube voltage (kVp) and beam filtration. It consists of a set of five photodiodes connected each one in the photocurrent mode to the input of a designed integrating electrometer. Three of the detectors are fixed under aluminium filters with different thicknesses, one is fixed under a 0.3 mm copper filter and the other has no filtration. The readings of the three detectors under aluminium filters and of the bare detector permit the determination of the half-value layer, which is used to calculate the beam filtration. The ratio between the readings of the detector below the copper filter and the one without filtration is used to determine the tube voltage. The signal produced by the detector without filter is used to evaluate the patient entrance dose, and to active an electronic timer for measuring the real exposure time. The tests and calibration of the instrument in different voltages in the 59 - 70kVp range, showed that its response is both stable and reproducible to within 1%. The instrument response was compared to the one from a commercial non-invasive X-ray test equipment (Gammex RMI Multifunction kVp meter). The results showed that the response of the developed instrument is in good agreement with the RMI meter which is the standard equipment for such measurements. These results indicate that the dosimetric system is suitable for use in Dental Quality Assurance Programs. (author)

Placements: An Underused Vehicle for Quality Enhancement in Higher Education?

Science.gov (United States)

Kettis, Asa; Ring, Lena; Gustavsson, Maria; Wallman, Andy

2013-01-01

Placements have the potential to contribute more effectively to the quality of higher education. The aim of this article is to discuss how placements can be made more worthwhile for individual students, while also contributing to the overall quality of teaching and learning at HEIs as well as to the development of workplace cultures that are…

The pharmaceutical vial capping process: Container closure systems, capping equipment, regulatory framework, and seal quality tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathaes, Roman; Mahler, Hanns-Christian; Buettiker, Jean-Pierre; Roehl, Holger; Lam, Philippe; Brown, Helen; Luemkemann, Joerg; Adler, Michael; Huwyler, Joerg; Streubel, Alexander; Mohl, Silke

2016-02-01

Parenteral drug products are protected by appropriate primary packaging to protect against environmental factors, including potential microbial contamination during shelf life duration. The most commonly used CCS configuration for parenteral drug products is the glass vial, sealed with a rubber stopper and an aluminum crimp cap. In combination with an adequately designed and controlled aseptic fill/finish processes, a well-designed and characterized capping process is indispensable to ensure product quality and integrity and to minimize rejections during the manufacturing process. In this review, the health authority requirements and expectations related to container closure system quality and container closure integrity are summarized. The pharmaceutical vial, the rubber stopper, and the crimp cap are described. Different capping techniques are critically compared: The most common capping equipment with a rotating capping plate produces the lowest amount of particle. The strength and challenges of methods to control the capping process are discussed. The residual seal force method can characterize the capping process independent of the used capping equipment or CCS. We analyze the root causes of several cosmetic defects associated with the vial capping process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The performance of a prototype device designed to evaluate general quality parameters of X-ray equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murata, C.H.; Fernandes, D.C.; Lavínia, N.C.; Caldas, L.V.E; Pires, S.R; Medeiros, R.B.

2014-01-01

The performance of radiological equipment can be assessed using non-invasive methods and portable instruments that can analyze an X-ray beam with just one exposure. These instruments use either an ionization chamber or a state solid detector (SSD) to evaluate X-ray beam parameters. In Brazil, no such instruments are currently being manufactured; consequently, these instruments come at a higher cost to users due to importation taxes. Additionally, quality control tests are time consuming and impose a high workload on the X-ray tubes when evaluating their performance parameters. The assessment of some parameters, such as the half-value layer (HVL), requires several exposures; however, this can be reduced by using a SSD that requires only a single exposure. One such SSD uses photodiodes designed for high X-ray sensitivity without the use of scintillation crystals. This sensitivity allows one electron-hole pair to be created per 3.63 eV of incident energy, resulting in extremely high and stable quantum efficiencies. These silicon photodiodes operate by absorbing photons and generating a flow of current that is proportional to the incident power. The aim of this study was to show the response of the solid sensor PIN RD100A detector in a multifunctional X-ray analysis system that is designed to evaluate the average peak voltage (kVp), exposure time, and HVL of radiological equipment. For this purpose, a prototype board that uses four SSDs was developed to measure kVp, exposure time, and HVL using a single exposure. The reproducibility and accuracy of the results were compared to that of different X-ray beam analysis instruments. The kVp reproducibility and accuracy results were 2% and 3%, respectively; the exposure time reproducibility and accuracy results were 2% and 1%, respectively; and the HVL accuracy was ±2%. The prototype's methodology was able to calculate these parameters with appropriate reproducibility and accuracy. Therefore, the prototype can be considered

PROBLEMS OF MANAGEMENT PROCESSES OF MODERNIZATION OF DOMESTIC FARM EQUIPMENT IN A VIEW OF AVAILABLE FINANCIAL SOURCES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waldemar BOJAR

2010-10-01

Full Text Available In the paper analysis of technical equipment modernization process of selected farms in Kujawy Pomorze Province was made with questionnaire method. Not sufficient investment funds cause that farmers first of all buy worn equipment because of lower prices. They pay for cheaper machinery mostly with own funds while combines and tractors disburse partly from bank credits and/or loans and also the EU support. Introduction VAT from second hand machinery purchase after the accession markedly stops dynamism of equipment buying. In opinion o farmers advantage from second hand equipment getting are lower exploitation costs and also technological progress agreed with trends for simplification, specialization and concentration of farming. This is appeared in purchasing tractors of higher power and universal machinery of higher capacity and quality. Farmers decisions are rational because they consider both economical situation of their farms and increasing requirements of receivers of food raw materials.

46 CFR 28.130 - Survival craft equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Survival craft equipment. 28.130 Section 28.130 Shipping... INDUSTRY VESSELS Requirements for All Vessels § 28.130 Survival craft equipment. (a) General. Each item of survival craft equipment must be of good quality, effective for the purpose it is intended to serve, and...

Plant equipment integrity monitoring and diagnosing method and device therefor, plant equipment maintenance and inspection time determining method and device therefor, as well as nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Takahiko; Ando, Masashi; Osumi, Katsumi; Horiuchi, Tetsuo; Asakura, Yamato; Akamine, Kazuhiko.

1995-01-01

The present invention can accurately forecast a time for occurrence of troubles of plant equipments in contact with recycling water, to conduct its maintenance and inspection before occurrence of the troubles. Namely, change of water quality in plant equipments caused by corrosion of recycling water occurred in constitutional parts of the plant equipments is measured. The time upon occurrence of the troubles of the plant equipments to corrosion of the recycling water is forecast based on the measured value. A time till the occurrence of the change of water quality after starting the use of the plant equipments is calculated based on the measured value. The calculated time is compared with a correlation between the time of occurrence of the troubles after starting the use of the plant equipments and the time of occurrence of change of the water quality, to forecast the time of occurrence of the troubles. Preferably, electroconductivity and pH of recycling water in the inside or at the exit of the plant equipments are measured as an object for the measurement of change of water quality. (I.S.)

Methods of equipment choice in shotcreting

Science.gov (United States)

Sharapov, R. R.; Yadykina, V. V.; Stepanov, M. A.; Kitukov, B. A.

2018-03-01

Shotcrete is widely used in architecture, hydraulic engineering structures, finishing works in tunnels, arc covers and ceilings. The problem of the equipment choice in shotcreting is very important. The main issues influencing the equipment choice are quality improvement and intensification of shotcreting. Main parameters and rational limits of technological characteristic of machines used in solving different problems in shotcreting are described. It is suggested to take into account peculiarities of shotcrete mixing processes and peculiarities of applying these mixtures with compressed air kinetic energy. The described method suggests choosing a mixer with the account of energy capacity, Reynolds number and rotational frequency of the mixing drum. The suggested choice procedure of the equipment nomenclature allows decreasing exploitation costs, increasing the quality of shotcrete and shotcreting in general.

Engaging in Enhancement: Implications of Participatory Approaches in Higher Education Quality Assurance

Science.gov (United States)

Groen, Jovan F.

2017-01-01

Stemming from increased levels of participation and diversity of the student base and from growing scrutiny on the quality of university degrees, governments have begun establishing mechanisms to monitor and support quality in higher education. Faced with administrative quality assurance structures, academics often complain that little is…

About water chemistry influence on equipment reliability of NPP with RBMK-1000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berezina, I.G.; Styazhkin, P.S.; Kritskij, V.G.

2001-01-01

In the paper the experience of a quantitative valuation of coolant quality influence on a reliability of some equipment elements of NPP with RBMK-1000 is offered. The choice is made of coolant quality integral parameter. The connection between indices values of coolant quality and reliability of major elements of circulation circuit equipment (including fuel claddings) is established. The reliability improvement of equipment elements operation is supported by high water chemistry quality. (orig.)

Higher Dietary Cost Is Associated with Higher Diet Quality: A Cross-Sectional Study among Selected Malaysian Adults

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Ibnteesam Pondor

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Food price is a determining factor of food choices; however its relationship with diet quality is unclear in Malaysia. This study aimed to examine socio-economic characteristics and daily dietary cost (DDC in relation to diet quality in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Dietary intake was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ and diet quality was estimated using a Malaysian Healthy Eating Index (M-HEI. DDC in Malaysian Ringgit (RM was calculated from dietary intake and national food prices. Linear regression models were fitted to determine associations between DDC and M-HEI scores and predictors of diet quality. The mean M-HEI score of respondents was 61.31 ± 10.88 and energy adjusted DDC was RM10.71/2000 kcal (USD 2.49. The highest quintile of adjusted DDC had higher M-HEI scores for all respondents (Q1: 57.14 ± 10.07 versus Q5: 63.26 ± 11.54, p = 0.001. There were also positive associations between DDC and M-HEI scores for fruits (p < 0.001 and vegetables (p = 0.017 for all respondents. Predictors of diet quality included carbohydrate (β = 0290; p < 0.001 and fat intakes (β = −0.242; p < 0.001 and energy adjusted DDC (β = 0.196; p < 0.001. Higher dietary cost is associated with healthy eating among Malaysian adults.

Higher Education Quality in Kenya: A Critical Reflection of Key Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Odhiambo, George O.

2011-01-01

This article examines the unique challenges facing Kenya's public higher education institutions. It explores the struggle to develop quality and quality assurance mechanisms against a background of rapidly diminishing income, brain drain, political interference and the negative aspects of globalisation. The challenges have consequently led to a…

Embedding Quality Culture in Higher Education in Ghana: Quality Control and Assessment in Emerging Private Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Ntim, Stephen

2014-01-01

High quality provision has been one of the key aims of the current reforms in higher educational institutions across the globe since the beginning of the century and the millennium. Consequently this has led to the increasing demand for quality assurance (QA). This report identifies those institutional processes and structures that support the…

Dynamic monitoring equipment for earthworks and sub grades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez de Sotomayor, R.

2013-01-01

This paper take into account some dynamic auscultation equipment s that currently are available in Spain for compaction quality control on earthworks and sub grades. Closed to the equipment description, a deformation modulus calculus approximation has been developed for each of them. A standards checking has been made from national and European point of view. some important research works that have been developed in our country about dynamic monitoring equipment s for quality control in earthworks has been mentioned. In addition to this, some variables are analyzed which have an influence on deformation modulus calculi and a possibility for comparing the equipment modulus calculated with a reference laboratory test has been offered. (Author) 18 refs.

An Empirical Investigation into the Construct of Higher Education Service Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaroslav Dado

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper addresses the issue of higher education service quality measurement and stresses the need of devising psychometrically as well as diagnostically sound measurement instruments, suitable to the context being investigated. The study builds upon the SERVQUAL scale, the inventory successfully tried and tested across a broad spectrum of service industries. Notwithstanding significant resemblance with the original five dimensions of service quality, research findings indicate six-dimensional structure of the construct of higher education service quality. Study performed on a sample of Engineering Management students reveals perceptions falling short of expectations across all of the determinants of service quality. The largest negative gap between students’ perceptions and expectations has been discovered concerning the potential for future career development, whereas research findings indicate the same dimension to be the most important predictor of students’ future behavioral intentions. In an attempt to inspire further interests in this field, managerial implications and directions for future research have been discussed.

Quality Management in Higher Education: Review and Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Papanthymou, Anastasia; Darra, Maria

2017-01-01

This paper is a review which presents a summary of 52 studies from 2006 to 2016 in Quality Management (QM) within Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). The aim of this paper is to submit evidence regarding the level of QM in HEIs, particularly in developing countries, and also to enhance the research in the field of QM. The findings reveal that from…

Electrical and control equipment in nuclear power plants. Problems when replacing aging equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nordling, Anna; Haakansson, Goeran

2012-01-01

Interoperability between different technical systems is more complicated when old and new technology meet, such as between analog and digital technology. New electrical and I and C equipment is selected with consideration to simplify and improve the compatibility and interoperability. The original construction of nuclear power plants with electricity and I and C equipment had more natural interfaces. Generally experienced guidance, to the management of interoperability and interfaces, feels insufficient. Skills transfer programs are identified as a major need, as more and more important personnel are retiring and important information is lost with them. Lack of appropriate skills directly affects the ability to produce accurate and complete requirements specification. Failure modes of newer electrical and I and C equipment are perceived as more complex than the older equipment. When choosing equipment, attempts are made to minimize unnecessary features, to reduce the number of potential failure modes. There is a lack of consistent understanding of the meaning of robustness in electrical technology and I and C technology, in the nuclear plant engineering departments. The overall picture is that the robustness has worsened since the facilities were built. The Swedish nuclear power plants have an internal organizational structure with separated client and support organization. This splits the nuclear organization into two distinct parts which threaten to separate the two entities focus. Engineering departments at the Swedish nuclear power plants express a need for increased expertise in the client organization (blocks). Competence requested is for example, system knowledge to facilitate and enhance the quality of the initial analysis performed in the blocks. Suppliers receive more recently larger turnkey projects, both to minimize costs but also to minimize the interfaces and co-function problems. This, however, heightens demands for knowledge transfer between

Radiological equipment analyzed by specific developed phantoms and software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soto, M.; Campayo, J. M.; Mayo, P.; Verdu, G.; Rodenas, F.

2010-10-01

The use of radiographic phantoms specifically designed to evaluate the operation of the radiographic equipment lets the study of the image quality obtained by this equipment in an objective way. In digital radiographic equipment, the analysis of the image quality can be computerized because the acquisition of the image is possible in different technologies that are, computerized radiography or phosphor plate and direct radiography or detector. In case of film-screen equipment s this analysis could be applied digitalising the image in a professional scanner. In this work we have shown an application to assess automatically the constancy quality image in the image chain of the radiographic equipment s. This application is integrated by designed radiographic phantoms which are adapted to conventional, dental equipment s and specific developed software for the automatic evaluation of the phantom image quality. The software is based on digital image processing techniques that let the automatic detection of the different phantom tests by edge detector, morphological operators, threshold histogram techniques... etc. The utility developed is enough sensitive to the radiographic equipment of operating conditions of voltage (kV) and charge (m As). It is a friendly user programme connected with a data base of the hospital or clinic where it has been used. After the phantom image processing the user can obtain an inform with a resume of the imaging system state with accepting and constancy results. (Author)

Radiological equipment analyzed by specific developed phantoms and software

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soto, M.; Campayo, J. M. [Logistica y Acondicionamientos Industriales SAU, Sorolla Center, Local 10, Av. de las Cortes Valencianas No. 58, 46015 Valencia (Spain); Mayo, P. [TITANIA Servicios Tecnologicos SL, Sorolla Center, Local 10, Av. de las Cortes Valencianas No. 58, 46015 Valencia (Spain); Verdu, G.; Rodenas, F., E-mail: m.soto@lainsa.co [ISIRYIM Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, Valencia (Spain)

2010-10-15

The use of radiographic phantoms specifically designed to evaluate the operation of the radiographic equipment lets the study of the image quality obtained by this equipment in an objective way. In digital radiographic equipment, the analysis of the image quality can be computerized because the acquisition of the image is possible in different technologies that are, computerized radiography or phosphor plate and direct radiography or detector. In case of film-screen equipment s this analysis could be applied digitalising the image in a professional scanner. In this work we have shown an application to assess automatically the constancy quality image in the image chain of the radiographic equipment s. This application is integrated by designed radiographic phantoms which are adapted to conventional, dental equipment s and specific developed software for the automatic evaluation of the phantom image quality. The software is based on digital image processing techniques that let the automatic detection of the different phantom tests by edge detector, morphological operators, threshold histogram techniques... etc. The utility developed is enough sensitive to the radiographic equipment of operating conditions of voltage (kV) and charge (m As). It is a friendly user programme connected with a data base of the hospital or clinic where it has been used. After the phantom image processing the user can obtain an inform with a resume of the imaging system state with accepting and constancy results. (Author)

Quality assurance in transnational higher education: a case study of the tropEd network.

Science.gov (United States)

Zwanikken, Prisca A C; Peterhans, Bernadette; Dardis, Lorraine; Scherpbier, Albert

2013-03-27

Transnational or cross-border higher education has rapidly expanded since the 1980s. Together with that expansion issues on quality assurance came to the forefront. This article aims to identify key issues regarding quality assurance of transnational higher education and discusses the quality assurance of the tropEd Network for International Health in Higher Education in relation to these key issues. Literature review and review of documents. From the literature the following key issues regarding transnational quality assurance were identified and explored: comparability of quality assurance frameworks, true collaboration versus erosion of national education sovereignty, accreditation agencies and transparency. The tropEd network developed a transnational quality assurance framework for the network. The network accredits modules through a rigorous process which has been accepted by major stakeholders. This process was a participatory learning process and at the same time the process worked positive for the relations between the institutions. The development of the quality assurance framework and the process provides a potential example for others.

Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Reflection, Criticism, and Change

Science.gov (United States)

Yingqiang, Zhang; Yongjian, Su

2016-01-01

Quality assurance in modern higher education is both an accountability-oriented ideology and a technological method. It has also evolved into a increasingly rationalist and professionalized power mechanism. Its advocacy of compliance, technological mythology, and imbalance between power and responsibility are inherent disadvantages of higher…

A compliance testing program for diagnostic X-ray equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutchinson, D.E.; Cobb, B.J.; Jacob, C.S.

1999-01-01

Compliance testing is nominally that part of a quality assurance program dealing with those aspects of X-ray equipment performance that are subject to radiation control legislation. Quality assurance programs for medical X-ray equipment should be an integral part of the quality culture in health care. However while major hospitals and individual medical centers may implement such programs with some diligence, much X-ray equipment can remain unappraised unless there is a comprehensive regulatory inspection program or some form of compulsion on the equipment owner to implement a testing program. Since the late 1950s all X-ray equipment in the State of Western Australia has been inspected by authorized officers acting on behalf of the Radiological Council, the regulatory authority responsible for administration of the State's Radiation Safety Act. However, economic constraints, coupled with increasing X-ray equipment numbers and a geographically large State have significantly affected the inspection rate. Data available from inspections demonstrate that regular compliance and performance checks are essential in order to ensure proper performance and to minimize unnecessary patient and operator dose. To ensure that diagnostic X-ray equipment complies with accepted standards and performance criteria, the regulatory authority introduced a compulsory compliance testing program for all medical, dental and chiropractic diagnostic X-ray equipment effective from 1 January 1997

Quality assessment of ultrasonographic equipment using an ATS-539 multipurpose phantom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Pyo Nyun; Lim, Joo Won; Kim, Hyun Cheol; Yoon, Young Cheol; Sung, Deuk Je; Moon, Min Hoan; Kim, Jeong Sook; Kim, Jong Chan

2008-01-01

To determine the rate of congruence and to standardize assessment of US (ultrasound) phantom images with the use of an ATS-539 multipurpose phantom for US equipment currently utilized in Korea. US phantom images were scanned with a 3.0-5.0 MHz convex transducer and were digitized by use of an analogue-digital converter. Members of a committee with consent evaluated the US phantom images from 108 types of ultrasound equipment. The dead zone, vertical and horizontal measurement, axial/lateral resolution, focal zone, sensitivity, functional resolution and gray scale/dynamic range were evaluated. Congruence or incongruence of ultrasound equipment was determined based on the results of dead zone, axial/lateral resolution and gray scale/dynamic range measurements. Other factors were evaluated for the possibility as criteria with the use of the Mann-Whitney U test and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The dead zone, axial/lateral resolution and gray scale/dynamic range were 91.7%, 94.4% and 76.9%, respectively, for suitable US equipment. Considering all three factors, 78 types of ultrasound equipment were passed. The congruence rate of focal zone and functional resolution were 62.4% and 69.3% of the US equipment, respectively. Of the US equipment, 72.2% of the equipment was acceptable based on the dead zone, axial/lateral resolution, and gray scale/dynamic range measurement as determined with the use of an ATS-539 phantom. Focal zone and 8 mm-functional resolution can be useful as a standard in the assessment of a US phantom image

Criteria that ensure the quality of higher education in tourism and sport management study programme

OpenAIRE

Mikalauskas, Rimantas; Jasinskas, Edmundas; Švagždienė, Biruta

2012-01-01

The quality of higher education is predominantly determined by the work of academic staff and organization of instructional process; the criteria of higher education institution’s infrastructure are of moderate importance. Professional qualities of teaching staff that are related to communication with students during lectures are important for quality assurance; effective communication with others was found to be the most important personal quality of teaching staff. Professional qualities we...

Quality control procedures for equipment: The EORTC radiotherapy group experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garavaglia, G.; Mijnheer, B.

1997-01-01

The QA program of the Radiotherapy Co-operative Group of the EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer) has included quality control procedures for equipment from its starting date in 1982. During on-site visits carded out by a team of radiotherapists and physicists the following equipment checks and measurements were performed: mechanical and beam alignment checks of simulator and therapy units; measurements of the dose homogeneity for X-ray and electron beams; intercomparison of ionization chambers; measurements of the depth dose distribution at several depths; absorbed dose determination in specific points in water for several combinations of field sizes and accessories, for photon and electron beams. In addition calculations of treatment time and monitor units were carried out for reference cases and the relevant beam data from all machines in use were collected. In order to provide a follow-up of the on-site visits, a mailed TLD program was then established in 1986. The program has been very successful, the centers are eager to participate since it constitutes an independent check of the measurements performed by the local physicists. It also allows to detect dosimetric problems in centers not yet included in the site visit program. To date, all participating centers have been monitored by mailed TLD, several more than once. This has led to the decision of stopping the site visits unless large deviations cannot be resolved by a second TLD mailing. The Radiation Physics Department of the Goeteborg, University Hospital has been the main partner in this QA effort. Since 1993 the mailed TLD program continues in co-operation with the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif. Besides water phantom measurements on the beam axis, the IGR, in collaboration with the Radiation Physics Center in Houston, is planning a procedure to check off-axis doses by means of a TLD-loaded multi-purpose phantom. (author)

Evaluation of conventional x-ray diagnostic equipment and radiological protection systems of hospitals and clinics installed in Recife city, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Passos, Robson Silva

1999-05-01

Diagnostic radiology is the main contributor to the man-made exposure of general population. Since Quality Assurance (QA) programs ensure high quality diagnostic images with the lowest possible radiation dose to the patient, it has been recommended that all introduce QA programs for their radiological facilities. Consequently it is important to check the adequacy of equipment operating parameters in diagnostic radiography facilities, to ensure that a high quality of service is delivered. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the operating conditions of diagnostic units installed in Recife, Pernambuco. The study included 31 X-ray units from both public and private diagnostic services. The following parameters were evaluated: coincidence between the luminous and radiation fields; alignment of the radiation beam; agreement between the real and preset values of kVp and exposure time; filtration; half value lower (HVL); luminance of the view box; uniformity of the luminance; illuminance of the environment. The results showed that 20% of the equipment surveyed exhibited discrepancies between the luminous and radiation fields greater than 2% of the source to skin distance. The test of kilovoltage showed that 48% of the units do not fulfill the acceptability criteria, presenting discrepancies higher than ± 10% between the measured and preset values. The results of the accuracy of the timer indicated that 81% of the equipment surveyed present a discrepancy greater than ± 10% between the time selected in the control panel and actual exposure time.The test of the filtration shown that, in 20% of the equipment, this was inferior to 2,5 mm Al. The test of the luminance of view box shown that 96% of the equipment, shown a luminance lower of 2.000 cd/m 2 . Related to the test of the uniformity of the luminance, 81 % of the equipment shown a variation of the uniformity higher then 10%. The test of the iluminancy of the environment shown that 61 % of the equipment presented

EQuIP-ped for Success

Science.gov (United States)

Ewing, Molly

2015-01-01

The Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products (EQuIP) Rubric for science is a new tool for science educators that provides criteria by which to examine the alignment and overall quality of lessons and units with respect to the "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS"). The rubric criteria are divided into…

Scenarios of Quality Assurance of Stakeholder Relationships in Finnish Higher Education Institutions

Science.gov (United States)

Lyytinen, Anu; Kohtamäki, Vuokko; Kivistö, Jussi; Pekkola, Elias; Hölttä, Seppo

2017-01-01

Although the role and significance of the external stakeholders of higher education institutions has grown in recent years, quality assurance of stakeholder relationships remains a new phenomenon in the management practices of higher education institutions and in higher education research. Based on interviews and expert panel data, this article…

Russian Higher Education and European Standards of Quality Assurance

Science.gov (United States)

Motova, Galina; Pykko, Ritta

2012-01-01

This article considers the relevance and implementation of European approaches to quality assurance in the context of the Russian educational system. It covers the issues of transformation of the higher education system during the post-Soviet period, specific features of the state accreditation system, the impact of the European Standards and…

Rewarding quality teaching in higher education: the evading dream ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Teaching, and specifically quality teaching, has for many centuries been the defining characteristic of the academic profession. However, since the dawning of the 20th century, it seems that the very basis of the global higher education institutional reward system is the belief that working with, contributing to, and pursuing ...

Quality Education and the Marketplace: An Exploration of Neoliberalism and its Impact on Higher Education

OpenAIRE

Mandy Frake

2008-01-01

This paper is an in attempt to open discussion about the impact of globalization and theories of neoliberalism on higher education. More specifically, viewing higher education institutions as a market place, where the more a product costs, the greater supply and quality of the product should be received; the quality of education received by university students should also reflect this. Considering the conflict between teaching and research in higher education, quality of education beco...

Mediatizing Higher Education Policies: Discourses about Quality Education in the Media

Science.gov (United States)

Cabalin, Cristian

2015-01-01

This article presents a critical-political discourse analysis of the media debate over quality assurance in higher education, which occurred in Chile after the 2011 student movement. Students criticized the privatization of higher education and the multiple flaws of this sector, which included corruption scandals during the process of quality…

"INTEGRATED QUALITY MANAGEMENT" AS A SUBJECT IN HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stevan Živojinović

2007-03-01

Full Text Available The importance of introduction of "Integrated quality management" into higher education curricula arises from the need for students to grasp synergetic application of new and advanced approaches to theoretical and practical management quality and process based management in particular as well as understanding a unified concept which improves conformity and linking of all levels in management hierarchy (normative, strategic and operational toward accomplishment of successful business performance. A curriculum is proposed (as a contribution to a map of necessary knowledge to be expected from prospective quality personnel with appropriate topics in accordance with studies objective and chosen up-to-date options of management concepts and methods.

Quality assurance procedures in radiotherapy - IEC specifications for equipment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rassow, J; Klieber, E

1986-08-01

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) worked out international standards for requirements and tests of electrical, mechanical and radiation safety as well as for definition and tests of functional performance characteristics of radiotherapy equipments (medical electron accelerators, gamma beam teletherapy and afterloading equipments, simulators and accessories) and for clinical dosimeters and terminology for medical radiology. A survey is given on the actual state of standardization projects. The problems of such standards are shown for the standard for functional performance characteristics of medical electron accelerators as example.

Quality assurance procedures in radiotherapy - IEC specifications for equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rassow, J.; Klieber, E.

1986-01-01

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) worked out international standards for requirements and tests of electrical, mechanical and radiation safety as well as for definition and tests of functional performance characteristics of radiotherapy equipments (medical electron accelerators, gamma beam teletherapy and afterloading equipments, simulators and accessories) and for clinical dosimeters and terminology for medical radiology. A survey is given on the actual state of standardization projects. The problems of such standards are shown for the standard for functional performance characteristics of medical electron accelerators as example. (orig.) [de

Yellowjackets use nest-based cues to differentially exploit higher-quality resources

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Benjamin J.; Schalk, Dane R.; Jeanne, Robert L.

2010-12-01

While foraging, social insects encounter a dynamic array of food resources of varying quality and profitability. Because food acquisition influences colony growth and fitness, natural selection can be expected to favor colonies that allocate their overall foraging effort so as to maximize their intake of high-quality nutrients. Social wasps lack recruitment communication, but previous studies of vespine wasps have shown that olfactory cues influence foraging decisions. Odors associated with food brought into the nest by successful foragers prompt naive foragers to leave the nest and search for the source of those odors. Left unanswered, however, is the question of whether naive foragers take food quality into account in making their decisions about whether or not to search. In this study, two different concentrations of sucrose solutions, scented differently, were inserted directly into each of three Vespula germanica nests. At a feeder away from the nest, arriving foragers were given a choice between two 1.5 M sucrose solutions with the same scents as those in the nest. We show that wasps chose higher-quality resources in the field using information in the form of intranidal food-associated odor cues. By this simple mechanism, the colony can bias the allocation of its foraging effort toward higher-quality resources in the environment.

Student satisfaction as an element of education quality monitoring in innovative higher education institution

Science.gov (United States)

Razinkina, Elena; Pankova, Ludmila; Trostinskaya, Irina; Pozdeeva, Elena; Evseeva, Lidiya; Tanova, Anna

2018-03-01

Topicality of the research is confirmed by increasing student involvement into the educational process, when not only the academic staff and administration participate in the improvement of higher education institution's activity, but also education customers - students. This adds a new dimension to the issue of monitoring education quality and student satisfaction with higher education. This issue echoes the ideas of M. Weber about the relationship between such components as cognitive motivation, personal development and student satisfaction with higher education. Besides, it is essential to focus on the approach of R. Barnet to defining the quality of education with the emphasis on a priority of development of an educational institution as the system that meets customers' needs. Monitoring student satisfaction with education quality has become an integral part of the educational process not only in a number of European universities, which have used this monitoring for decades, but also in Russian universities, which are interested in education quality improvement. Leading universities in Russia, including Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, are implementing policies targeted at increasing student satisfaction with higher education quality. Education quality monitoring as a key element in the system of providing feedback to students contributes greatly to this process.

Quality assurance for external radiotherapy equipment in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomaru, Teizo

1993-01-01

In Japan, quality assurance (QA) for external beam teletherapy equipment is carried out according to QA protocols issued by the Japanese Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (JASTRO), which are modified from the IEC recommendations. The QA program in Japan is introduced in this paper. It is advisable to do several tests daily, including the accuracy of the optical distance indicator, alignment of the sidelight, check of 10 x 10 cm light field, and constancy of the dose monitor. Pencil marks on the wall and floor can be used to check light alignment. Dose monitor calibration and flatness/symmetry should be checked weekly. Monthly tests should include 8 items: depth dose characteristics of electron beam, radiation-light field congruence, indication of x-ray beam axis (patient entry and exit), indication of isocenter, distance indicator, and vertical movement of table. Film is used to test the flatness/symmetry, and congruence of the radiation and light field. The alignment of the intersection of the cross hair is useful to check the x-ray beam axis indication and vertical movement of table. Checks of stability of each dose monitor system and mechanical alignment should be performed every 6 months or annually. Mechanical alignment is fundamentally important for the performance of a teletherapy unit. As a constancy check of the overall system, a split-field test is recommended due to its rapid and simple execution. (author)

Patients Radiation Load Caused by Digitalised X-Ray Equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikodemova, D.; Prikazska, M.; Horvathova, M.

2001-01-01

Full text: The radiation load of population all over the world from medical examinations clearly demonstrate the importance of implementation of quality assurance and quality control programmes into the activities of radiological departments. The basic aim of quality assurance programme is to ensure that the radiation dose is kept as low as reasonably practicable consistent with adequate image quality. As many other fields, the rapid development of techniques brought change-over from the conventional analogue technique to the digital technique. In this connection conventional X-ray film is being abandoned and images are being viewed on either laser film or monitor. The main advantages of using digital equipment lay in improved image quality and diagnostic accuracy through digital image processing, reduction in patient exposure, cost reduction by reduction film usage, more efficient storage and retrieval of radiographic images through picture archiving. Several studies that have been conducted for comparison of various diagnostic examinations performed on digital and analogue X-ray equipment have shown that in barium meal examinations, there is potential for dose saving in the digital image intensifier technique. The aim of this study was to compare measured values of dose-area product for colon investigations using different X-ray equipment types, on digital and one analogue. Our material consisted of 60 randomly selected patients, 24 of them were examined with digital equipment and 36 patients with the analogue equipment. (author)

Seizing market shaping opportunities for vaccine cold chain equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

Azimi, Tara; Franzel, Lauren; Probst, Nina

2017-04-19

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, supports immunisation programmes in eligible countries to reach children with lifesaving vaccines. Dramatic improvement in the scale and performance of current cold chain systems is required to extend the reach of immunisation services - especially for children living in remote locations - to advance progress towards full vaccine coverage. Achieving these improvements will require a healthier market for cold chain equipment where the products meet user needs, are sustainably priced, and are available in sufficient quantities to meet demand. Yet evidence suggests that the cold chain market has suffered from several failures including limited demand visibility, fragmented procurement, and insufficient information exchange between manufacturers and buyers on needs and equipment performance. One of Gavi's strategic goals is to shape markets for vaccines and other immunisation products, including cold chain equipment and in 2015, Gavi created a new mechanism - the Cold Chain Equipment (CCE) Optimisation Platform - to strengthen country cold chain systems by offering financial support and incentives for higher performing CCE. The main objective of the CCE Platform is to get more equipment that is efficient, sustainable, and better performing deployed to every health facility where it is required at an affordable price. To achieve these objectives, Gavi is putting in place tested market shaping approaches and tools adapted for the CCE market: the development of market strategies or 'roadmaps'; improvement of product performance through the development of target product profiles (TPPs); strategic engagement with CCE manufacturers and countries to enhance information sharing; and tailoring procurement tactics to the CCE market. These approaches and tools will allow for increased demand and supply of higher-performing, cost-effective and quality products. By strengthening immunisation systems with improved cold chain equipment, Gavi countries can

Medical equipment in government health facilities: Missed opportunities

OpenAIRE

Pardeshi Geeta

2005-01-01

BACKGROUND: The availability and optimal utilization of medical equipment is important for improving the quality of health services. Significant investments are made for the purchase, maintenance and repair of medical equipment. Inadequate management of these equipment will result in financial losses and deprive the public of the intended benefits. This analysis is based on the conceptual framework drawn from the WHO recommended- lifecycle of medical equipment. AIMS: (1) To identify the probl...

Quality Assurance in Higher Education in 20 MENA Economies

Science.gov (United States)

El Hassan, K.

2013-01-01

The last decades have witnessed an increased concern in higher education over accountability, quality and productivity, and a struggle to meet increasingly complex challenges. This is more so in Middle East and North African (MENA) economies that witnessed a large expansion as a result of a high social demand and massification policies adopted by…

Stakeholder Perception of Service Quality in Qatar Higher Education Institutions: An Application to Qatar University

OpenAIRE

Shurair, Amal S.

2017-01-01

Managing quality of services offered by institutions of higher education is important in any country due to the inherent aim of producing quality graduates from programs offered in the university. Qatar has made substantial investments in higher education. Qatar University, being the national university of the country, the perception of stakeholders on the service quality in education becomes an important factor for developing a quality education system. Therefore, the main goal of this thesi...

Quality assurance systems of higher education - The case of european institutions: origin, evolution and trends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ángela Corengia

2014-11-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1983-4535.2014v7n3p61 The purpose of this research is to analyze the origin, evolution, performance and trends of higher education quality assurance systems in the following European countries: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom and France. It also studies the performance and impact of the organizations that join the European Quality Assurance Agencies together. The main sources of data collection were in situ semi-structured interviews to members of these agencies. It was found that in higher education institutions there is a strong trend towards the development of ‘internal quality assurance systems' in response to the public policies known as 'quality audits'. This overview about what is taking place in Europe may provide innovative instruments that could be considered for higher education quality evaluation and accreditation in Latin-American countries: quality audits, disciplinary agencies, evaluation of the quality assurance agencies, among others.

Open-Source Assisted Laboratory Automation through Graphical User Interfaces and 3D Printers: Application to Equipment Hyphenation for Higher-Order Data Generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Siano, Gabriel G; Montemurro, Milagros; Alcaráz, Mirta R; Goicoechea, Héctor C

2017-10-17

Higher-order data generation implies some automation challenges, which are mainly related to the hidden programming languages and electronic details of the equipment. When techniques and/or equipment hyphenation are the key to obtaining higher-order data, the required simultaneous control of them demands funds for new hardware, software, and licenses, in addition to very skilled operators. In this work, we present Design of Inputs-Outputs with Sikuli (DIOS), a free and open-source code program that provides a general framework for the design of automated experimental procedures without prior knowledge of programming or electronics. Basically, instruments and devices are considered as nodes in a network, and every node is associated both with physical and virtual inputs and outputs. Virtual components, such as graphical user interfaces (GUIs) of equipment, are handled by means of image recognition tools provided by Sikuli scripting language, while handling of their physical counterparts is achieved using an adapted open-source three-dimensional (3D) printer. Two previously reported experiments of our research group, related to fluorescence matrices derived from kinetics and high-performance liquid chromatography, were adapted to be carried out in a more automated fashion. Satisfactory results, in terms of analytical performance, were obtained. Similarly, advantages derived from open-source tools assistance could be appreciated, mainly in terms of lesser intervention of operators and cost savings.

Total Quality Management in Higher Education: Applying Deming's Fourteen Points.

Science.gov (United States)

Masters, Robert J.; Leiker, Linda

1992-01-01

This article presents guidelines to aid administrators of institutions of higher education in applying the 14 principles of Total Quality Management. The principles stress understanding process improvements, handling variation, fostering prediction, and using psychology to capitalize on human resources. (DB)

Reconciling Organisational Culture and External Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Naidoo, Dhaya

2013-01-01

Organisational culture and external quality assurance have both been presented as significant drivers of effectiveness, efficiency and excellence in higher education institutions. However, these assumptions have not been critically examined given the philosophical, conceptual and methodological contestations surrounding both constructs. A…

Pedagogy, Accountability, and Perceptions of Quality by Type of Higher Education in Egypt and Jordan

Science.gov (United States)

Assaad, Ragui; Badawy, Eslam; Krafft, Caroline

2016-01-01

A number of reasons have been proposed for the poor quality of higher education in the Arab world, including the poor incentive structures of public higher education institutions. The expansion of private higher education has been hailed as an important part of enhancing incentives and thus improving education quality. However, it is not clear…

WP EMPLACEMENT CONTROL AND COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raczka, N.T.

1997-01-01

The objective and scope of this document are to list and briefly describe the major control and communication equipment necessary for waste package emplacement at the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Primary performance characteristics and some specialized design features of the required equipment are explained and summarized in the individual subsections of this document. This task was evaluated in accordance with QAP-2-0 and found not to be quality affecting. Therefore, this document was prepared in accordance with NAP-MG-012. The following control and communication equipment are addressed in this document: (1) Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC's); (2) Leaky Feeder Radio Frequency Communication Equipment; (3) Slotted Microwave guide Communication Equipment; (4) Vision Systems; (5) Radio Control Equipment; and (6) Enclosure Cooling Systems

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

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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.

R/M Analysis of Electromechanical Equipments.

Science.gov (United States)

1982-05-01

modifying existing R/M prediction and demonstration techniques to account for considerations of R/M performance of E/M equipments in the C31 systems...00 a’a - CC C a a a a’ a a ~ a’ a a’ a 000 CeCa’ 0Ca’Ca’ OCOtOaC CC a’ a-, C’.a’ CC a’a’ a S -C a’ a’ -~ a~g a’a a’ C C C~ CC fla’C - acCa ’ CCOCa~. 00...any of the other systems studied. The data are also higher quality because of the command interest in this high cost system and because of the safety

Psychometric Quality of a Student Evaluation of Teaching Survey in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Oon, Pey-Tee; Spencer, Benson; Kam, Chester Chun Seng

2017-01-01

Student evaluations of teaching (SET) are used globally by higher education institutions for performance assessment of academic staff and evaluation of course quality. Higher education institutions commonly develop their own SETs to measure variables deemed relevant to them. However, "home-grown" SETs are rarely assessed…

Partners in qualified equipment supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rygg, D.E.; O'Hare, G.J.

1993-01-01

Industry initiatives have been taken to improve procurement practices and commercial dedication programs, formation of procurement engineering groups, emphasis on product quality, and increased engineering involvement in procurement and maintenance of qualified equipment. This poses new challenges for many licensees in terms of resources, product knowledge, and access to information normally held proprietary by equipment suppliers. Alternative approaches to future licensee/Westinghouse relationships which will allow licensees to adapt to the changing environment are discussed. 2 figs

Quality Education and the Marketplace: An Exploration of Neoliberalism and its Impact on Higher Education

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Mandy Frake

2010-05-01

Full Text Available This paper is an in attempt to open discussion about the impact of globalization and theories of neoliberalism on higher education. More specifically, viewing higher education institutions as a market place, where the more a product costs, the greater supply and quality of the product should be received; the quality of education received by university students should also reflect this. Considering the conflict between teaching and research in higher education, quality of education becomes questionable. This paper explores issues of neoliberalism resulting in a greater demand for the completion of research in higher education institutions. Furthermore, the imperialism of higher education leading towards the demand for more research, the teaching versus research nexus within universities, and discussion of how these theories impact international students will be examined throughout this paper

Possible radiation dose reduction by using digital X-ray equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horvathova, M.; Nikodemova, D.; Prikazska, M.

2001-01-01

The radiation load of population all over the world from medical examinations clearly demonstrates the importance of the introduction of the quality assurance and quality control programmes into the activities of radiology departments. The basic aim of quality assurance program is to ensure that the radiation dose is kept as low as reasonably practicable while still providing an adequate image quality. As many other fields, the rapid development of techniques brought change-over from the conventional analogue technique to the digital technique. In this process, the conventional X-ray film is being abandoned and images are being viewed on either laser film or monitor. The main advantages of using digital equipment lay in improved image quality and diagnostic accuracy through digital image processing, reduction in patients exposure, cost reduction by reduction of the film usage, more efficient storage and retrieval of radiographic images through picture archiving. Several studies that have been conducted for comparison of various diagnostic examinations show , that there is potential for dose saving in the digital image intensifier technique. The aim of this study was to compare measured values of dose-area product for colon investigations using different X-ray equipment types, two digital and two analogue. Our material consisted of 169 randomly selected patients, 115 of them were examined with digital equipment and 54 patients with the analogue equipment. The obtained results have confirmed the dose reduction and increase of diagnostic accuracy when using the digital equipment, with the added benefit of a good image quality. (authors)

Detection of Equipment Faults Before Beam Loss

CERN Document Server

Galambos, J.

2016-01-01

High-power hadron accelerators have strict limits on fractional beam loss. In principle, once a high-quality beam is set up in an acceptable state, beam loss should remain steady. However, in practice, there are many trips in operational machines, owing to excessive beam loss. This paper deals with monitoring equipment health to identify precursor signals that indicate an issue with equipment that will lead to unacceptable beam loss. To this end, a variety of equipment and beam signal measurements are described. In particular, several operational examples from the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) of deteriorating equipment functionality leading to beam loss are reported.

Management of radiodiagnostic equipment: Implementation of self-maintenance project of the conventional x-ray equipment of Hospital Universitario Clementino Fraga Filho - HUCFF-UFRJ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Couto, N.F. do; Azevedo, A.C.P.; Koch, H.A.

2001-01-01

The project aims the implantation of a management program, for the maintenance of the conventional X-ray equipment at HUCFF. It has been implemented through the training of the electronic technicians who work at the Hospital. Essential courses were organized such as: Basics of Radioprotection, Radiographs Techniques, and Maintenance of equipment of X-Rays. Equipment: a library with the schemes of the equipment is being assembled in collaboration with UNICAMP. In order to manage the process, a software was created using the tools of the total quality for control of the maintenance. Preliminary tests: the equipment and their working conditions were evaluated, as well as the level of the employees' satisfaction with their use. The creation of a new routine for maintenance seeks to assist the demands of the new legislation in Brazil 5, and also reduce the costs to improve the quality of the images in the Radiodiagnostic Service. (author)

Higher Dietary Cost Is Associated with Higher Diet Quality: A Cross-Sectional Study among Selected Malaysian Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Pondor, Ibnteesam; Gan, Wan Ying; Appannah, Geeta

2017-09-16

Food price is a determining factor of food choices; however its relationship with diet quality is unclear in Malaysia. This study aimed to examine socio-economic characteristics and daily dietary cost (DDC) in relation to diet quality in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Dietary intake was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and diet quality was estimated using a Malaysian Healthy Eating Index (M-HEI). DDC in Malaysian Ringgit (RM) was calculated from dietary intake and national food prices. Linear regression models were fitted to determine associations between DDC and M-HEI scores and predictors of diet quality. The mean M-HEI score of respondents was 61.31 ± 10.88 and energy adjusted DDC was RM10.71/2000 kcal (USD 2.49). The highest quintile of adjusted DDC had higher M-HEI scores for all respondents (Q1: 57.14 ± 10.07 versus Q5: 63.26 ± 11.54, p = 0.001). There were also positive associations between DDC and M-HEI scores for fruits ( p diet quality included carbohydrate (β = 0290; p healthy eating among Malaysian adults.

Materials Selection And Fabrication Practices For Food Processing Equipment Manufacturers In Uganda

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John Baptist Kirabira

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The food processing industry is one of the fast-growing sub-sectors in Uganda. The industry which is majorly composed of medium and small scale firms depends on the locally developed food processing equipment. Due to lack of effective materials selection practices employed by the equipment manufacturers the materials normally selected for most designs are not the most appropriate ones hence compromising the quality of the equipment produced. This has not only led to poor quality food products due to contamination but could also turn out health hazardous to the consumers of the food products. This study involved the assessment of the current materials selection and fabrication procedures used by the food processing equipment manufacturers with a view of devising best practices that can be used to improve the quality of the food products processed by the locally fabricated equipment. Results of the study show that designers experience biasness and desire to minimize cost compromise the materials selection procedure. In addition to failing to choose the best material for a given application most equipment manufacturers are commonly fabricating equipment with inadequate surface finish and improper weldments. This hinders the equipments ability to meet food hygiene standards.

Factors that Impact Quality of E-Teaching/Learning Technologies in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Daukilas, Sigitas; Kaciniene, Irma; Vaisnoriene, Daiva; Vascila, Vytautas

2008-01-01

The article analyzes and assesses factors that have impact upon the quality of eTeaching/learning technologies in higher education; it is on their basis that the concept of eTeaching/learning quality is denied. Research data about the students' motives in choosing various teaching/learning technologies for the development of their competence are…

Quality assurance policies and practices in Scandinavian higher education systems: convergence or different paths?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kalpazidou Schmidt, Evanthia

2017-01-01

Because there is close cooperation on quality assurance in the Scandinavian countries, one would expect there to be convergence of quality assurance policies and practices in Scandinavian higher education. Few studies have analysed these quality assurance policies and practices from a comparative...... quality assurance. The debate is compelling with regard to the Swedish case in particular, with its ‘one size fits all’ approach and exclusive focus on outcomes which has been heavily criticised by the higher education institutions and has turned out to be controversial from the European viewpoint....... viewpoint. Based on empirical evidence produced in connection with studies of recent quality reforms in Scandinavia and an approach based on linking diffusion and translation theories with institutionalist perspectives focusing on path dependency, the paper contributes to the current debate on Scandinavian...

Higher Education Quality: Perception Differences among Internal and External Stakeholders

Science.gov (United States)

Abidin, Munirul

2015-01-01

Conceptually, education quality of higher education can be determined by evaluation of their stakeholders's satisfaction level. The purpose of this study is to describe how students as external stakeholder and lecturers as internal stakeholder, perceived their satisfaction of learning experience in the university. This study was conducted in…

Quality Assurance in Higher Technical Education and the Context of Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development

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Olufunmilayo T. Iyunade, Ph.D

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Recent empirical evidences on higher technical education at a national scale focused on the relevance, student’s poor perception, low enrolment and progression rates, and the growing impact of globalization on the management of higher technical and vocational education with little or no reference point to the factor of quality assurance. This paper therefore correlates quality assurance factors in higher technical education and the context of youth empowerment for sustainable development. A survey of public technical colleges was done in Ogun State. From an estimate population of 637 final year students and 28 instructors and management staff, a simple of 376 students and 17 instructors and management staff were selected using the stratify random sampling technique. A 4-point rating scale validated questionnaires tagged: ‘Higher Technical Education, Youth Empowerment and Sustainable Development Scale (HTEYESDS (r=0.79, complemented with focus Group Discussion (FGD was used for data collection. Three research questions were raised and answered. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics of Pearson correlation, multiple regression and analysis of variance at 0.05 apha level. Results showed that poor quality assurance limits the capacity of higher technical education in the empowerment of youth for sustainable development (82.6%. Quality assurance factors significantly correlated with higher technical education in the empowerment of youth for sustainable development (r=0.188; P < 0.05. It was therefore recommended that government should neither neglect nor compromise the factors of quality assurance in higher technical education as they predicts youth empowerment drive in the system.

Balanced Scorecard: A Strategy for the Quality Improvement of Islamic Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Ilyasin, Mukhamd; Zamroni

2017-01-01

The main issue in improving the quality of Islamic Higher Education is to increase the competence and professionalism of teachers and education personnel to achieve its vision and mission in the middle of the complexity of the demands of society and the changing times. so that the quality of education and governance of Islamic Religion clean and…

Quality assurance and evaluation system in japanese higher education

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Ana Mami Yamaguchi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract In this paper we aim to contribute to the debate over accountability and assessment of higher education (HE by introducing the Japanese system. We first discuss the circumstances and issues surrounding Japanese HE and then examine the historical development of the quality assurance and evaluation system. Since the 1990s, with the implementation of policies that focused on liberalization, deregulation and increased institutional autonomy, the role of the government has shifted from setting strict regulations and quality standards to organizing an evaluation system for assessing the learning outcomes and improving accountability of the HE institutions. Finally, we suggest how Japan may take hints from Brazil in organizing an evaluation system on a national level that can more efficiently support and assess HE institutions

Evaluating and Enhancing Outcomes Assessment Quality in Higher Education Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, Kenneth; Goodwin, Laura

2007-01-01

Accreditation is a mark of distinction indicating that an institution has met high standards set by the profession, and an increasingly important feature of the accreditation process in higher education is "outcomes assessment." This article presents two rubrics for evaluating the quality of an institution's outcomes assessment system. One rubric…

Quality of higher education and the labor market in developing countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boccanfuso, Dorothée; Larouche, Alexandre; Trandafir, Mircea

2015-01-01

While many studies examine the effect of primary education quality on labor market outcomes in developing countries, little is known about the effects at higher levels. We exploit the quasi-experiment provided by a large-scale education reform launched in Senegal in 2000 to investigate how quality...... improvements at the university level affect employment. Our difference-in-difference estimates suggest that young high-skilled workers experienced a nine percentage-point employment gain relative to older workers. They are also more likely to have “better” jobs (in the service industry or government......), suggesting a reduction in the mismatch between the quality of high-skill labor demanded and supplied....

Software for improving the quality of project management, a case study: international manufacture of electrical equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Preradović, D. M.; Mićić, Lj S.; Barz, C.

2017-05-01

Production conditions in today’s world require software support at every stage of production and development of new products, for quality assurance and compliance with ISO standards. In addition to ISO standards such as usual metrics of quality, companies today are focused on other optional standards, such as CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integrated) or prescribing they own standards. However, while there is intensive progress being made in the PM (project management), there is still a significant number of projects, at the global level, that are failures. These have failed to achieve their goals, within budget or timeframe. This paper focuses on checking the role of software tools through the rate of success in projects implemented in the case of internationally manufactured electrical equipment. The results of this research show the level of contribution of the project management software used to manage and develop new products to improve PM processes and PM functions, and how selection of the software tools affects the quality of PM processes and successfully completed projects.

The Effectiveness of the Higher Education Quality Assessment System: Problems and Countermeasures in China

Science.gov (United States)

Guangli, Zhou

2016-01-01

The effectiveness of the higher education quality assessment system is essentially a matter of policy evaluation. On the macro level, such a system refers to external quality assessment, which includes government evaluation, quality certification, and university rankings. Depending on the degree of government intervention, the external quality…

A Risk and Standards Based Approach to Quality Assurance in Australia's Diverse Higher Education Sector

Science.gov (United States)

Australian Government Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, 2015

2015-01-01

The Australian Government Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency's (TEQSA's) role is to assure that quality standards are being met by all registered higher education providers. This paper explains how TEQSA's risk-based approach to assuring higher education standards is applied in broad terms to a diverse sector. This explanation is…

Positive Attitude toward Healthy Eating Predicts Higher Diet Quality at All Cost Levels of Supermarkets☆

Science.gov (United States)

Aggarwal, Anju; Monsivais, Pablo; Cook, Andrea J.; Drewnowski, Adam

2014-01-01

Shopping at low-cost supermarkets has been associated with higher obesity rates. This study examined whether attitudes toward healthy eating are independently associated with diet quality among shoppers at low-cost, medium-cost, and high-cost supermarkets. Data on socioeconomic status (SES), attitudes toward healthy eating, and supermarket choice were collected using a telephone survey of a representative sample of adult residents of King County, WA. Dietary intake data were based on a food frequency questionnaire. Thirteen supermarket chains were stratified into three categories: low, medium, and high cost, based on a market basket of 100 commonly eaten foods. Diet-quality measures were energy density, mean adequacy ratio, and total servings of fruits and vegetables. The analytical sample consisted of 963 adults. Multivariable regressions with robust standard error examined relations between diet quality, supermarket type, attitudes, and SES. Shopping at higher-cost supermarkets was associated with higher-quality diets. These associations persisted after adjusting for SES, but were eliminated after taking attitudinal measures into account. Supermarket shoppers with positive attitudes toward healthy eating had equally higher-quality diets, even if they shopped at low-, medium-, or high-cost supermarkets, independent of SES and other covariates. These findings imply that shopping at low-cost supermarkets does not prevent consumers from having high-quality diets, as long as they attach importance to good nutrition. Promoting nutrition-education strategies among supermarkets, particularly those catering to low-income groups, can help to improve diet quality. PMID:23916974

Analysis of professional quality of students majored with logistics management in the higher vocational college based on AHP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dai Chengxia

2016-01-01

Full Text Available To strength training of the professional quality of students in the higher vocational college, and then explore an effective way to train the professional quality of students in the higher vocational college is a very necessary and urgent task. On this basis, this paper aims at investigating the situation of the professional quality of the students majored with the logistics management in the higher vocational college according to the requirements of the industry and enterprise, constructs a multi-dimensional space of the professional quality by the use of the AHP analysis method, and proposes the training method of the professional quality, in order to further improve the professional quality of students in the higher vocational college, and provide reference for the training of the students majored with the logistics management in the higher vocational college.

The expansion of higher education: A consideration of control, funding and quality

OpenAIRE

Bathmaker, A.-M.

2003-01-01

Since the Robbins Report of 1963, higher education in the UK has undergone major expansion, changing it from an elite to a mass system. This chapter explores the changing socio-economic context in which this transformation has taken place, and considers how the expansion of higher education has raised issues of control, quality and funding.

Changing nature of equipment and parts qualification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bucci, R.M.

1988-01-01

Ideally, the original supplier of a piece of nuclear safety-related equipment has performed a qualification program and will continue to support that equipment throughout the lifetime of the nuclear power plants in which in equipment is installed. The supplier's nuclear quality assurance program will be maintained and he will continue to offer all necessary replacement parts. These parts will be identical to the original parts, certified to the original purchase order requirements, and the parts will be offered at competitive prices. Due to the changing nature of the nuclear plant equipment market, however, one or more of those ideal features are frequently unavailable when safety-related replacement equipment or parts are required. Thus, the process of equipment and parts qualification has had to adjust in order to ensure obtaining qualified replacements when needed. This paper presents some new directions taken in the qualification of replacement equipment and parts to meet changes in the marketplace

Maintenance program guidelines for programmatic equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-11-01

The Division Directors at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory are responsible for implementing a maintenance program for research equipment (also referred to as programmatic equipment) assigned to them. The program must allow maintenance to be accomplished in a manner that promotes operational safety, environmental protection and compliance, and cost effectiveness; that preserves the intended functions of the facilities and equipment; and that supports the programmatic mission of the Laboratory. Programmatic equipment -- such as accelerators, lasers, radiation detection equipment, and glove boxes -- is dedicated specifically to research. Installed equipment, by contrast, includes the mechanical and electrical systems installed as part of basic building construction, equipment essential to the normal functioning of the facility and its intended use. Examples of installed equipment are heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems; elevators; and communications systems. The LBL Operating and Assurance Program Plan (PUB-3111, Revision 4) requires that a maintenance program be prepared for programmatic equipment and defines the basic maintenance program elements. Such a program of regular, documented maintenance is vital to the safety and quality of research activities. As a part of that support, this document offers guidance to Laboratory organizations for developing their maintenance programs. It clarifies the maintenance requirements of the Operating and Assurance Program (OAP) and presents an approach that, while not the only possibility, can be expected to produce an effective maintenance program for research equipment belonging to the Laboratory's organizations

Academic goals and learning quality in higher education students.

Science.gov (United States)

Valle, Antonio; Núñez, José C; Cabanach, Ramón G; González-Pienda, Julio A; Rodríguez, Susana; Rosário, Pedro; Muñoz-Cadavid, María A; Cerezo, Rebeca

2009-05-01

In this paper, the relations between academic goals and various indicators that define the quality of the learning process are analyzed. The purpose was to determine to what extent high, moderate, or low levels of academic goals were positively or negatively related to effort regulation, the value assigned to academic tasks, meta-cognitive self-regulation, self-efficacy, beliefs about learning control, and management of time and study environment. The investigation was carried out with a sample of 632 university students (70% female and 30% male) and mean age of 21.22 (SD=2.2).The results show that learning goals, or task orientation, are positively related to all the indictors of learning quality considered herein. Although for other kinds of goals-work-avoidance goals, performance-approach goals, and performance-avoidance goals-significant relations were not found with all the indicators, there was a similar tendency of significant results in all cases; the higher the levels of these goals, the lower the levels of the indicators of learning quality.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness Implementation Criteria

Science.gov (United States)

Abramova, I. G.; Abramov, D. A.

2018-01-01

This article documents the methods applied in production control technics specifically focused on commonly used parameter OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness). The indicators of extensive and intensive use of equipment are considered. Their appointment this is comparison in the same type of production within the industry and comparison of single-type and / or different types of equipment in terms of capacity. However, it is shown that there is no possibility of revealing the reasons for the machine’s operation: productive / unproductive, with disturbances. Therefore, in the article reveals the approaches to calculating the indicator characterizing the direct operation of the equipment. The Machine Load coefficient is approaching closely to the indicator of the efficiency of the use of equipment. Methods analysis is proceeded through the historically applied techniques such as “Stopwatch” and “Motion” studies. Was performed the analysis of the efficiency index of OEE equipment using the comparable indexes performance of equipment in the Russian practice. An important indicator of OEE contains three components. The meaning of each of them reflects historically applicable indicators. The value of the availability of equipment indicator is close to the value of the equipment extensibility index. The value of the indicator of the efficiency of work can be compared with the characteristic of the capacity of the equipment and the indicator of the quality level can meet the requirements for compliance with the manufacturing technology. Shown that the sum of the values of the coefficient of “Availability” of the equipment and the value of the “Factor of compaction of working hours” are one. As well as the total value of the indicator “level of quality” and the coefficient of marriage given in the result unit. The measurability of the indicators makes it possible to make a prediction about efficiency of the equipment.

QUALITY ASSURANCE IN RWANDAN HIGHER LEARNING EDUCATION: IS THE SYSTEM ADAPTIVE OR COMPLEX?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nathan Kanuma Taremwa

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Developing knowledge infrastructure by massive investments in education and training are taken as a benchmark in facilitating the acceleration and possible increases in skills, capacities and competences of Rwandan people has become apriority issue in the recent years. This notion is relevant to vision 2020 where human resource development and building of a knowledge based economy are fundamental pillars. In the past years, several policy reforms have taken place in education sector. However, the overarching question is if such reforms are becoming adaptive or complex and if such reforms will not compromise the quality of education in higher learning education in Rwanda? The main objective of the study was to investigate the impact of changes in Higher Learning Institutions on the quality of education in Rwanda. This research had three hypotheses, namely; there is an impact of changes in Higher Learning Institutions on quality of education in Rwanda; the current complexity in Rwandan education system is affecting the quality of education in HLIs; Tailoring education system to the regional reforms and implementation strategies is affecting the quality of education in Rwanda. This study was carried out in 10 higher learning institutions (5 public, 5 private and 2 Ministry of Education directorates (HEC and REB. Key informants were the senior management/head of institutions, experienced academic staff, and students. The parameters considered included; the learning methods, assessment styles, workloads, language of instruction, merging of public HLIs, curriculum, and the transformation of some private higher learning institutions into company forms. Main research instruments were questionnaires and interview guides. Both qualitative and quantitative research was collected. Analyses were done using SPSS and excel packages. Major findings indicate that the system is still in transition with indicative gaps. Ample time would therefore be necessary for

Non-invasive system for monitoring of the manufacturing equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Mazăre, A. G.; Belu, N.; Ionescu, L. M.; Rachieru, N.; Misztal, A.

2017-08-01

The automotive industry is one of the most important industries in the world that concerns the economy and the world culture. High demand has resulted in increasing of the pressure on the production lines. In conclusion, it is required more careful in monitoring of the production equipment not only for maintenance but also for staff safety and to increase the quality of production. In this paper, we propose a solution for non-invasive monitoring of the industrial equipment operation by measuring the current consumption on energy supply lines. Thus, it is determined the utilization schedule of the equipment and operation mode. Based on these measurements, it’s built an activity report for that equipment, available to the quality management and maintenance team. The solution consists of the current measuring equipment, with self-harvesting capabilities and radio transceiver, and an embedded system which run a server. The current measuring equipment will transmit data about consumption of each energy supply network line where is placed the industrial equipment. So, we have an internal measuring radio network. The embedded system will collect data for the equipment and put in a local data base and it will provide via an intranet application. The entire system not requires any supplementary energy supply and interventions in the factory infrastructure. It is experimented in a company from the automotive industries.

7 CFR 58.626 - Packaging equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... containers with frozen desserts shall be constructed so that all product contact surfaces shall be of... Standards for Equipment for Packaging Frozen Desserts and Cottage Cheese. Quality Specifications for Raw...

Procuring, maintaining and using equipment: the key issues in controlling exposure to patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendra, I.R.F.

1989-01-01

Not only are acceptance criteria directly related to the design of medical x-ray equipment and quality assurance exercised during its manufacture, but also its performance, safety and reliability must feature in requirements for procuring new equipment. In the UK this issue is dealt with under the Department of Health and Social Security Manufacturer Registration Scheme for Medical Equipment in its application to radiological equipment. In the UK quality of maintenance services has been considered by one of our Working Parties commissioned by the South-East Thames Regional Health Authority who are the ''Centre of Responsibility'' for diagnostic imaging equipment in the National Health Service. The report prepared from the first phase of activity of this working group describes features of a procurement specification for maintenance services and prescribes complementary duties of contractors and customers. Radiograph reject analysis has indicated human error outweighs unsatisfactory equipment performance as the reason for rejecting poor radiographs. The use in X-ray departments of the kind of manufacturing quality system used by most reputable equipment manufacturers has the potential for a dramatic reduction in exposure. (author)

Comparison of dose and image quality of a Flat-panel detector and an image intensifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazzaro, M.; Friedrich, B.Q.; Luz, R.M. da; Silva, A.M.M. da

2016-01-01

With the development of new technologies, have emerged new conversion methods of X-ray image, such as flat panel detectors. The aim of this work is the comparison of entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) and image quality between an image intensifier type of detector (A) and a flat panel (B). The ESAK was obtained by placing a ionization chamber under PMMA simulators of 10, 20 and 30 cm and the image quality was obtained by using the TOR "1"8FG simulator. The ESAK to the equipment A is higher when compared to the equipment B. The high contrast resolution is better for the equipment A for all thicknesses of simulators. The equipment A has low contrast resolution with a better viewing threshold for thicknesses of 10 and 20 cm, and a worse performance for 30 cm. It is concluded that the equipment B has ESAK smaller and despite having lower resolution, in almost all cases, have appropriate image quality for diagnosis. (author)

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…

Student Motivations, Quality and Status in Adult Higher Education (AHE) in China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Naixia; Morgan, W. John

2009-01-01

This article examines an important and yet neglected aspect of the relationship between higher education and the labour market in contemporary China. It does this through a detailed case study of student motivations, quality and status in adult higher education (AHE) in the city of Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. This is a region which has seen major…

[Development of Hospital Equipment Maintenance Information System].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Zhixin

2015-11-01

Hospital equipment maintenance information system plays an important role in improving medical treatment quality and efficiency. By requirement analysis of hospital equipment maintenance, the system function diagram is drawed. According to analysis of input and output data, tables and reports in connection with equipment maintenance process, relationships between entity and attribute is found out, and E-R diagram is drawed and relational database table is established. Software development should meet actual process requirement of maintenance and have a friendly user interface and flexible operation. The software can analyze failure cause by statistical analysis.

Remote handling equipment for CANDU retubing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawford, G.S.; Lowe, H.

1993-01-01

Numet Engineering Ltd. has designed and supplied remote handling equipment for Ontario Hydro's retubing operation of its CANDU reactors at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station. This equipment consists of ''Retubing Tool Carriers'' an'' Worktables'' which operate remotely or manually at the reactor face. Together they function to transport tooling to and from the reactor face, to position and support tooling during retubing operations, and to deliver and retrieve fuel channels and channel components. This paper presents the fundamentals of the process and discusses the equipment supplied in terms of its design, manufacturing, components and controls, to meet the functional and quality requirements of Ontario Hydro's retubing process. (author)

Eating School Lunch Is Associated with Higher Diet Quality among Elementary School Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Au, Lauren E; Rosen, Nila J; Fenton, Keenan; Hecht, Kenneth; Ritchie, Lorrene D

2016-11-01

Few studies have assessed the dietary quality of children who eat meals from home compared with school meals according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The objective of this study was to examine diet quality for elementary school students in relation to source of breakfast and lunch (whether school meal or from an outside source). An observational study was conducted of students in 43 schools in San Diego, CA, during the 2011-2012 school year. Fourth- and fifth-grade students (N=3,944) completed a diary-assisted 24-hour food recall. The Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) scores of children who ate breakfast and lunch at school were compared with the HEI-2010 scores of children who obtained their meals from home and a combination of both school and home. Analysis of variance, χ 2 test, and generalized estimating equation models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, grade, language, and school level clustering were performed. School lunch eaters had a higher mean±standard deviation overall diet quality score (HEI-2010=49.0±11.3) compared with students who ate a lunch obtained from home (46.1±12.2; P=0.02). There was no difference in overall diet quality score by breakfast groups. Students who ate school breakfast had higher total fruit (P=0.01) and whole fruit (P=0.0008) scores compared with students who only ate breakfast obtained from home. Students who ate school foods had higher scores for dairy (P=0.007 for breakfast and Pempty calories from solid fats and added sugars (P=0.01 for breakfast and P=0.007 for lunch). Eating school lunch was associated with higher overall diet quality compared with obtaining lunch from home. Future studies are needed that assess the influence of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act on children's diet quality. Copyright © 2016 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interventional suite and equipment management: cradle to grave

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strauss, Keith J. [Harvard Medical School, Radiology Physics and Engineering, Children' s Hospital Boston, Boston, MA (United States)

2006-09-15

The acquisition process for interventional equipment and the care that this equipment receives constitute a comprehensive quality improvement program. This program strives to (a) achieve the production of good image quality that meets clinical needs, (b) reduce radiation doses to the patient and personnel to their lowest possible levels, and (c) provide overall good patient care at reduced cost. Interventional imaging equipment is only as effective and efficient as its supporting facility. The acquisition process of interventional equipment and the development of its environment demand a clinical project leader who can effectively coordinate the efforts of the many professionals who must communicate and work effectively on this type of project. The clinical project leader needs to understand (a) clinical needs of the end users, (b) how to justify the cost of the project, (c) the technical needs of the imaging and all associated equipment, (d) building and construction limitations, (e) how to effectively read construction drawings, and (f) how to negotiate and contract the imaging equipment from the appropriate vendor. After the initial commissioning of the equipment, it must not be forgotten. The capabilities designed into the imaging device can be properly utilized only by well-trained operators and staff who were initially properly trained and receive ongoing training concerning the latest clinical techniques throughout the equipment's lifetime. A comprehensive, ongoing maintenance and repair program is paramount to reducing costly downtime of the imaging device. A planned periodic maintenance program can identify and eliminate problems with the imaging device before these problems negatively impact patient care. (orig.)

Interventional suite and equipment management: cradle to grave

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strauss, Keith J.

2006-01-01

The acquisition process for interventional equipment and the care that this equipment receives constitute a comprehensive quality improvement program. This program strives to (a) achieve the production of good image quality that meets clinical needs, (b) reduce radiation doses to the patient and personnel to their lowest possible levels, and (c) provide overall good patient care at reduced cost. Interventional imaging equipment is only as effective and efficient as its supporting facility. The acquisition process of interventional equipment and the development of its environment demand a clinical project leader who can effectively coordinate the efforts of the many professionals who must communicate and work effectively on this type of project. The clinical project leader needs to understand (a) clinical needs of the end users, (b) how to justify the cost of the project, (c) the technical needs of the imaging and all associated equipment, (d) building and construction limitations, (e) how to effectively read construction drawings, and (f) how to negotiate and contract the imaging equipment from the appropriate vendor. After the initial commissioning of the equipment, it must not be forgotten. The capabilities designed into the imaging device can be properly utilized only by well-trained operators and staff who were initially properly trained and receive ongoing training concerning the latest clinical techniques throughout the equipment's lifetime. A comprehensive, ongoing maintenance and repair program is paramount to reducing costly downtime of the imaging device. A planned periodic maintenance program can identify and eliminate problems with the imaging device before these problems negatively impact patient care. (orig.)

The Need for Context-Sensitive Measures of Educational Quality in Transnational Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Pyvis, David

2011-01-01

This paper argues that the current approach to educational quality formation in transnational higher education promotes educational imperialism, and that guidelines and practices should be altered to embrace context-sensitive measures of quality. The claims are sustained by findings from a study that investigated how academics understood and…

Characterization of a PET-NEMA/IEC body phantom for quality control tests of PET/CT equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Cassio M.; Vieira, Igor F.; Lima, Fernando R.A.; Sa, Lidia V. de

2011-01-01

The Brazilian Sanitary Agency from Ministry of Health requires that all PET/CT equipment must undergo minimal quality control tests using manufacturer simulators. The PET-NEMA/IEC body phantom is recommended by the IEC and NEMA to perform acceptance testing and quality control in PET/CT equipment according to specific protocols. It is essential that all simulator components (spheres and body) are properly characterized in relation to their size and internal structure volumes, since they are used to calculate the overall activity concentration and the total weight. The objective of this work was characterize a PET-NEMA/IEC body phantom for the true reconstruction in computational modeling and correct analysis of experimental results. The simulator is basically composed of three structures: the body (simulating a portion of the chest), an inner cylinder (simulating the lung tissue) and a top cover in which are coupled spheres of different sizes simulating 'hot' (tumors) and cold lesions. The spheres were evaluated in terms of volume. The same evaluations were performed with the body of the simulator and the inner cylinder, beyond of analysis of their weights (filled with water) and wall thickness. The data showed that the total weight of the simulator with all its internal structures is 12.5 kg and the volume of the 'hot' and 'cold' spheres are approximately equal to those presented by the manufacturer. The inner cylinder volume showed a significant difference between the measured and the presented in the manual. The results were used for reconstruction of the simulator in computational modeling using the code GATE. (author)

Procuring, maintaining and using equipment: the key issues in controlling exposure to patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendra, I.R.F.

1989-01-01

Radiological equipment is not purpose-built for each individual application. Thus, not only are acceptance criteria directly related to the design of equipment and the quality assurance exercised during its manufacture, but also the performance, safety and reliability of equipment must feature in the requirements for procuring new equipment. In the UK this issue is dealt with under the Department of Health and Social Security Manufacturer Registration Scheme for Medical Equipment in its application to radiological equipment. Similarly the continuing reliability of equipment in service is directly related to the quality of maintenance services. This is determined largely by the manner in which such services are procured. In the UK this issue has been considered by one of four Working Parties commissioned by the South-East Thames Regional Health Authority who are the ''Centre of Responsibility'' for diagnostic imaging equipment. The report prepared from the first phase of activity of this working group describes features of a procurement specification for maintenance services and prescribes the complementary duties of contractors and customers. The use in X-ray departments of the kind of manufacturing quality system that is used by most reputable equipment manufacturers has the potential for a dramatic reduction in exposure to patients. (author)

Positive attitude toward healthy eating predicts higher diet quality at all cost levels of supermarkets.

Science.gov (United States)

Aggarwal, Anju; Monsivais, Pablo; Cook, Andrea J; Drewnowski, Adam

2014-02-01

Shopping at low-cost supermarkets has been associated with higher obesity rates. This study examined whether attitudes toward healthy eating are independently associated with diet quality among shoppers at low-cost, medium-cost, and high-cost supermarkets. Data on socioeconomic status (SES), attitudes toward healthy eating, and supermarket choice were collected using a telephone survey of a representative sample of adult residents of King County, WA. Dietary intake data were based on a food frequency questionnaire. Thirteen supermarket chains were stratified into three categories: low, medium, and high cost, based on a market basket of 100 commonly eaten foods. Diet-quality measures were energy density, mean adequacy ratio, and total servings of fruits and vegetables. The analytical sample consisted of 963 adults. Multivariable regressions with robust standard error examined relations between diet quality, supermarket type, attitudes, and SES. Shopping at higher-cost supermarkets was associated with higher-quality diets. These associations persisted after adjusting for SES, but were eliminated after taking attitudinal measures into account. Supermarket shoppers with positive attitudes toward healthy eating had equally higher-quality diets, even if they shopped at low-, medium-, or high-cost supermarkets, independent of SES and other covariates. These findings imply that shopping at low-cost supermarkets does not prevent consumers from having high-quality diets, as long as they attach importance to good nutrition. Promoting nutrition-education strategies among supermarkets, particularly those catering to low-income groups, can help to improve diet quality. Copyright © 2014 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Country-wide quality control of equipment in Norwegian laboratories performing in vivo nuclear medicine examinations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skretting, A.; Rootwelt, K.; Berthelsen, T.

1984-01-01

The report presents the methods used and the results obtained in quality control tests performd in all Norwegian hospital laboratories performing in vivo nuclear medicine examinations. The tests included activity meters and scintillation cameras. The activity meters were tested by means of calibrated, long-lived radioactive sources. The quality of these instruments were judged to be satisfactory for moderate and high activities, non of them showing a deviation of more than 10% from the calibration value. Deviations were larger at low activities and were for some laboratories unacceptable. The scintillation cameras test included studies of flood field (homogeneity), geometrical resolution and energy resolution, as well as measurements of count rate characteristics and sensitivity. 40% of the cameras were judged to have flood field responses with satisfactory homogeneity, whereas 32% of the cameras had a satisfactory resolution ability. A liver/abdomen phantom test was carried out by the staff of the actual laboratory. This test proved that only 20% of the laboratories had a satisfactory total performance, managing to detect and describe satisfactorily 4 out of 5 simulated defects in the liver phantom. Lack of information density and insufficient number of projections was the main reason for unsatisfactory results with good cameras. It is recommended that quality control equipment as used in the described tests should be made available to Norwegian hospitals for self assessment. Regular quality assurance tests as recommended by the Norwegian Association for Radiation Physics and Norwegian Society of Nuclear Medicine should be implemented in all hospitals. Moreover, a practical training course in quality assurance should be arranged. (RF)

Three equipment concepts for the Fusion Engineering Device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spampinato, P.T.; Masson, L.S.; Watts, K.D.; Grant, N.R.; Kuban, D.P.

1982-01-01

Maintenance equipment which is needed to remotely handle fusion device components is being conceptually developed for the Fusion Engineering Design Center. This will test the assumption that these equipment needs can be satisfied by present technology. In addition, the development of equipment conceptual designs will allow for cost estimates which have a much higher degree of certainty. Accurate equipment costs will be useful for assessments which trade off gains in availability as a function of increased investments in maintenance equipment

Do public nursing home care providers deliver higher quality than private providers? Evidence from Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Winblad, Ulrika; Blomqvist, Paula; Karlsson, Andreas

2017-07-14

Swedish nursing home care has undergone a transformation, where the previous virtual public monopoly on providing such services has been replaced by a system of mixed provision. This has led to a rapidly growing share of private actors, the majority of which are large, for-profit firms. In the wake of this development, concerns have been voiced regarding the implications for care quality. In this article, we investigate the relationship between ownership and care quality in nursing homes for the elderly by comparing quality levels between public, for-profit, and non-profit nursing home care providers. We also look at a special category of for-profit providers; private equity companies. The source of data is a national survey conducted by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare in 2011 at 2710 nursing homes. Data from 14 quality indicators are analyzed, including structure and process measures such as staff levels, staff competence, resident participation, and screening for pressure ulcers, nutrition status, and risk of falling. The main statistical method employed is multiple OLS regression analysis. We differentiate in the analysis between structural and processual quality measures. The results indicate that public nursing homes have higher quality than privately operated homes with regard to two structural quality measures: staffing levels and individual accommodation. Privately operated nursing homes, on the other hand, tend to score higher on process-based quality indicators such as medication review and screening for falls and malnutrition. No significant differences were found between different ownership categories of privately operated nursing homes. Ownership does appear to be related to quality outcomes in Swedish nursing home care, but the results are mixed and inconclusive. That staffing levels, which has been regarded as a key quality indicator in previous research, are higher in publicly operated homes than private is consistent with earlier

Assessing Quality and Evaluating Performance in Higher Education: Worlds Apart or Complementary Views?

Science.gov (United States)

Sarrico, Claudia S.; Rosa, Maria J.; Teixeira, Pedro N.; Cardoso, Margarida F.

2010-01-01

This paper reflects on quality assessment and performance evaluation in higher education, namely by analysing the insufficient link between those two aspects. We start by reviewing the current state of the art regarding different processes and mechanisms of quality assessment and performance evaluation and discuss some of the major issues…

Quality Differences of Higher Education and Its Determinants in a Less-Developed Country

Science.gov (United States)

Sarmiento Espinel, Jaime Andrés; Silva Arias, Adriana Carolina; Van Gameren, Edwin

2015-01-01

Two key measures to determine the quality of higher education are the performance of students and the accreditation of a programme's quality. We analyse the difference in the distributions of the student's scores in a standardised test of economics knowledge between accredited and non-accredited undergraduate economics programmes in a…

Does higher quality early child care promote low-income children's math and reading achievement in middle childhood?

Science.gov (United States)

Dearing, Eric; McCartney, Kathleen; Taylor, Beck A

2009-01-01

Higher quality child care during infancy and early childhood (6-54 months of age) was examined as a moderator of associations between family economic status and children's (N = 1,364) math and reading achievement in middle childhood (4.5-11 years of age). Low income was less strongly predictive of underachievement for children who had been in higher quality care than for those who had not. Consistent with a cognitive advantage hypothesis, higher quality care appeared to promote achievement indirectly via early school readiness skills. Family characteristics associated with selection into child care also appeared to promote the achievement of low-income children, but the moderating effect of higher quality care per se remained evident when controlling for selection using covariates and propensity scores.

The Operation Mechanisms of External Quality Assurance Frameworks of Foreign Higher Education and Implications for Graduate Education

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Mengquan; Chang, Kai; Gong, Le

2016-01-01

The higher education quality evaluation and assurance frameworks and their operating mechanisms of countries such as the United Kingdom, France, and the United States show that higher education systems, traditional culture, and social background all impact quality assurance operating mechanisms. A model analysis of these higher education quality…

Future development of IR thermovision weather satellite equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Listratov, A. V.

1974-01-01

The self radiation of the surface being viewed is used for image synthesis in IR thermovision equipment. The installation of such equipment aboard weather satellites makes it possible to obtain cloud cover pictures of the earth's surface in a complete orbit, regardless of the illumination conditions, and also provides quantitative information on the underlying surface temperature and cloud top height. Such equipment is used successfully aboard the Soviet satellites of the Meteor system, and experimentally on the American satellites of the Nimbus series. With regard to surface resolution, the present-day IR weather satellite equipment is inferior to the television equipment. This is due primarily to the comparatively low detectivity of the IR detectors used. While IR equipment has several fundamental advantages in comparison with the conventional television equipment, the problem arises of determining the possibility for future development of weather satellite IR thermovision equipment. Criteria are examined for evaluating the quality of IR.

Establishment for Nuclear Equipment: Overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pracz, J.

2001-01-01

Full text: The activity of ZdAJ in 2000 was focused on realisation of the Government-Ordered Project - 6/15 MeV Accelerator. The realisation was accomplished in two stages: - stage I should result in deriving principal operational parameters of the accelerator - stage 2 will result in full implementation of the control system providing optimum control of the equipment and automatic maintaining of its parameters. Within the frames of the first stage, a klystron modulator panel was finished and the design documentation of the mechanical supporting structure, the arm, accelerating structure, collimator and control panel were advanced. Manufacturing of the above sub-units in the workshop has started. In the frames of the Specific Project of the State Committee for Scientific Research, the improvement of Neptun lOPC accelerator was undertaken. The read-out of the monitor dose with atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature compensation has been introduced. New filters for equalising the photon and electron beam and new wedge filters have been designed. Changes in programming have been introduced, which improve the patient's safety by eliminating possible personnel errors and increase the accuracy of radiation fields read-out. In 2000 ZdAJ progressed in development of the Quality System conforming EN-ISO 9001 Standard by including the provisions of EN 46001 Standard. The Standard EN 46001: ''Quality Systems - Medical Equipment''. Detailed requirements related to application of EN ISO 9001 is an European Quality Standard extending the provisions of EN ISO 9001 Standard over the manufacturers of medical equipment. (author)

AVM branch vibration test equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anne, J.P.

1995-01-01

An inventory of the test equipment of the AVM Branch ''Acoustic and Vibratory Mechanics Analysis Methods'' group has been undertaken. The purpose of this inventory is to enable better acquaintance with the technical characteristics of the equipment, providing an accurate definition of their functionalities, ad to inform potential users of the possibilities and equipment available in this field. The report first summarizes the various experimental surveys conduced. Then, using the AVM equipment database to draw up an exhaustive list of available equipment, it provides a full-scope picture of the vibration measurement systems (sensors, conditioners and exciters) and data processing resources commonly used on industrial sites and in laboratories. A definition is also given of a mobile test unit, called 'shelter', and a test bench used for the testing and performance rating of the experimental analysis methods developed by the group. The report concludes with a description of two fixed installations: - the calibration bench ensuring the requisite quality level for the vibration measurement systems ; - the training bench, whereby know-how acquired in the field in the field of measurement and experimental analysis processes is made available to others. (author). 27 refs., 15 figs., 2 appends

Reinterpreting Higher Education Quality in Response to Policies of Mass Education: The Australian Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Pitman, Tim

2014-01-01

This article explores the relationship between mass education, higher education quality and policy development in Australia in the period 2008-2014, during which access to higher education was significantly increased. Over this time, which included a change of national government, the discursive relationship between mass higher education and…

Pilot program of quality control in mammography and conventional equipment in the Antioquia Department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, P.; Puerta, J.A.; Morales, J.; Beltran, C.C.

2006-01-01

The Sectional Health Division of Antioquia and the National University of Colombia- Medellin Headquarters formalized an agreement for the realization of the quality control of thirty mammographs and twenty-five conventional X-ray equipment located in the one metropolitan area of Medellin, and ten municipalities of the nine regions in that the antioquen county is divided. The National University of Colombia- Headquarters Medellin possesses a program for the formation in quality control and radiological protection at master level in physics for that which endowed a radiodiagnostic laboratory for these purposes. In the Antioquia department only exists an institution, the San Vicente of Paul University Hospital that possesses a quality control program in radiodiagnostic; this hospital given its great volume of studies in radiodiagnostic has a medical physicist and of that instrumental necessary to maintain the program. The quality control programs have not been implemented in the rest of health institutions, public or private, big or small, until the moment. The project then allowed to carry out an initial evaluation of the pertinent parameters of the quality control of the facilities like its are those that refer to the state of the x-ray generator, the disposition of the installation, the dark room, the film processor and negatoscopies room; these its were carried out with base in the protocol produced in the ARCAL XLIX project in which participated six Latin American countries. The dose average in mammography, following the proposed course in the ARCAL LXXV, where its participate eleven Latin American countries was also evaluated. This study pilot serves like reference of the current state of the regional radiodiagnostic services, with base in this sampling that is representative. The obtained data gave the necessary information so that the Sectional Division of Health of Antioquia can generate tending actions to the implementation of quality guarantee programs and

Online self-assessment as a quality assurance tool in higher professional education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Prof. Rene Butter

2014-01-01

Theme: Quality Assurance in Higher Education An online tool was developed for (potential) students to assess the congruence between the characteristics of an educational program and student preferences (Butter & Van Raalten, 2010)

Trance, Transparency and Transformation: The Impact of External Quality Monitoring on Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Stensaker, Bjorn

2003-01-01

Discusses the impact of external quality monitoring (EQM) on higher education and identifies areas in which changes have taken place as a result of such external initiatives. Suggests that the lack of effects related directly to quality improvement should not be conceived as an EQM design error, but rather as a misconception of how organizational…

A Test Procedure for Determining Models of LV Equipment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cuk, Vladimir; Cobben, Joseph F.G.; Kling, Wil L.; Timens, R.B.; Leferink, Frank Bernardus Johannes

2009-01-01

An automated test technique for determining parameters of low voltage equipment is presented in the paper. The aim of this research is to obtain simple models of household, office and industrial equipment which could be used to predict power quality problems during the design of low voltage

Comprehensive framework for preventive maintenance priority of medical equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh, Neven; Balestra, Gabriella

2015-08-01

Throughout the medical equipment life cycle, preventive maintenance is considered one of the most important stages that should be managed properly. However, the need for better management and control by giving a reasonable prioritization for preventive maintenance becomes essential. The purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive framework for preventive maintenance priority of medical equipment using Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Fuzzy Logic (FL). The quality function deployment is proposed in order to identify the most important criteria that could impact preventive maintenance priority decision; meanwhile the role of the fuzzy logic is to generate a priority index of the list of equipment considering those criteria. The model validation was carried out on 140 pieces of medical equipment belonging to two hospitals. In application, we propose to classify the priority index into five classes. The results indicate that the strong correlation existence between risk-based criteria and preventive maintenance priority decision.

The Contribution of Professional Accreditation to Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

de Paor, Cathal

2016-01-01

This article examines the extent to which the professional accreditation of professional higher education programmes can complement other quality assurance endeavours being carried out. An analysis of a sample of professional accreditation reports for pharmacy education programmes in Ireland provides insight into the priorities of the regulatory…

The Role of Higher Education in National Quality Infrastructure Policy-Making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jelena Ruso

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to raise awareness of the importance of the policy makers’ knowledge and expertise about quality infrastructure (QI for the successful policy-making. This article, which addresses the role of higher education in Serbian quality infrastructure policy-making, is an analysis of QI related contents of higher education institution curriculum. The target institutions are public faculties from whose official websites the data were collected. Depending on the keywords, the analysis was performed in order to classify the faculties into three categories. After reviewing the 307 subject titles and descriptions of undergraduate courses, the results show that the concepts of QI are widely recognized as an important and popular topic. The analysis of the QI adoption and diffusion indicates that although some of the faculties might be ‘leaders’ in a particular dimension, they still do not necessarily fall into the ‘leader’ category. JEL Classification:I21, I23, H54, L15

Influence of performance improvement of AP1000 nuclear island main equipment forging on manufacturing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Zhiying

2013-01-01

In order to comply with the 60-year design life of an AP1000 nuclear power station, higher strength and ductility requirements have been made on AP1000 nuclear island SG forgings than on CPR1000 nuclear island main equipment. In addition, bigger size of AP1000 nuclear island SG forgings increases the difficulty of manufacturing them. Insufficient recognition of these changes may cause unstable quality of forgings and possible quality problems in follow-up welding procedure. On the basis of comparison and analysis of AP1000 nuclear island SG forgings and CPR1000 nuclear island forgings, this thesis suggests clear directions for the actions we need to take. (author)

Applying Total Quality Management Tools Using QFD at Higher Education Institutions in Gulf Area (Case Study: ALHOSN University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adnan Al-Bashir

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Human power’s quality plays the key role in the growth and development of societies where the quality of human powers can be enriched with the high quality education provided by the higher education institutions. The higher education institutions are hereby an important sector of any society since it defines the overall quality of human lives. This research will investigate the application of Total Quality Management (TQM tools at the higher education institutions; specifically at ALHOSN University. In this study five tools were implemented at ALHOSN University’s engineering college including: Quality Function Deployment, Affinity Diagrams, Tree Diagrams, Pareto Charts, and Fishbone Diagrams. The research will reveal that the implementation of TQM tools has a great benefit for higher education institutions where they have uncovered many area of potential improvement as well as the main causes of some of the problems the Faculty of Engineering is facing. Also, it will show that the implementation of TQM tools on higher education institution systems will enhance the performance of such institutions.

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

Science.gov (United States)

de Jager, Johan; Gbadamosi, Gbolahan

2010-01-01

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

Development of a Consensus Standard for School Equipment: NSF/NSSEA 380

Science.gov (United States)

Breitner, Ashlee

2011-01-01

For many years, the school supplies and equipment industry has investigated methods to ensure product safety and compliance across all its product categories. In early 2010, NSF International and the National School Supply and Equipment Association (NSSEA) came together to develop quality standards for products and equipment designed for use in…

Evaluation of the air quality in pig housing facilities equipped with a liquid-solid separation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavoie, J.; Beaudet, Y.; Letourneau, C.; Godbout, S.; Lemay, S.; Belzile, M.; Lachance, I.; Pouliot, F.

2006-01-01

A new regulation regarding agricultural operations in Quebec was passed in June 2002. It stated the new standards for managing phosphorous generated from animal livestock. The regulation is intended to protect the environment, more specifically, water, soil and air quality. This new regulation stipulates that agricultural producers acquire a balanced phosphorous assessment by 2010. In order to achieve this, a system is needed to separate solid and liquid pig manure on a daily basis. Producers must also comply with environmental requirements on odour elimination and atmospheric control. The proposed solid-liquid separation system would improve the indoor and outdoor air quality at pig housing facilities by reducing toxic gas and bioaerosol formation. In addition, it would contribute to stream purification. The solid-liquid separation technique was successfully tested in a pilot project at a mini pig housing facility. It was concluded that type of separation equipment system could readily used for other types of animal farming, such as cattle raising. 41 refs., 13 tabs., 12 figs

Balanced Scorecard in Higher Education Institutions: Congruence and Roles to Quality Assurance Practices

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Reda, Nigusse W.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to highlight the congruence and roles of the balanced scorecard in the quality assurance practices in higher education institutions, and second, to propose a balanced scorecard model for higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive literature review was used to…

Quality control guarantees the safety of radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aaltonen, P.

1994-01-01

While radiotherapy equipment has seen some decisive improvements in the last few decades, the technology has also become more complicated. The advanced equipment produces increasingly good treatment results, but the condition of the equipment must be controlled efficiently so as to eliminate any defects that might jeopardise patient safety. The quality assurance measures that are taken to show that certain equipment functions as required are known as quality control. The advanced equipment and stricter requirements set for the precision of radiotherapy have meant that more attention must be paid to quality control. The present radiation legislation stipulates that radiotherapy equipment must undergo regular quality control. The implementation of the quality control is supervised by the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK). Hospitals carry out quality control in accordance with a programme approved by STUK, and STUK inspectors periodically visit hospitals to check the results of quality control. (orig.)

Higher prices, higher quality? Evidence from German nursing homes

OpenAIRE

Herr, Annika; Hottenrott, Hanna

2016-01-01

Objectives: This study investigates the relationship between prices and quality of 7,400 German nursing homes controlling for income, nursing home density, demographics, labour market characteristics, and infrastructure at the regional level. Method: We use a cross section of public quality reports for all German nursing homes, which had been evaluated between 2010 and 2013 by external institutions. Our analysis is based on multivariate regressions in a two stage least squares framework, wher...

The Student as Customer: The Discourse of "Quality" in Higher Education.

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Baldwin, Gabrielle

1994-01-01

It is argued that bringing the cultures of business, industry and advertising into higher education, in the form of quality assurance systems, goes beyond a healthy challenge to be destructive of many traditional values of university culture. Imposition, and acceptance, of the language of management reflects this phenomenon. (MSE)

Do Men Produce Higher Quality Ejaculates When Primed With Thoughts of Partner Infidelity?

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Pham, Michael N; Barbaro, Nicole; Holub, Andrew M; Holden, Christopher J; Mogilski, Justin K; Lopes, Guilherme S; Nicolas, Sylis C A; Sela, Yael; Shackelford, Todd K; Zeigler-Hill, Virgil; Welling, Lisa L M

2018-01-01

Sperm competition theory can be used to generate the hypothesis that men alter the quality of their ejaculates as a function of sperm competition risk. Using a repeated measures experimental design, we investigated whether men produce a higher quality ejaculate when primed with cues to sperm competition (i.e., imagined partner infidelity) relative to a control prime. Men ( n = 45) submitted two masturbatory ejaculates-one ejaculate sample for each condition (i.e., sperm competition and control conditions). Ejaculates were assessed on 17 clinical parameters. The results did not support the hypothesis: Men did not produce higher quality ejaculates in the sperm competition condition relative to the control condition. Despite the null results of the current research, there is evidence for psychological and physiological adaptations to sperm competition in humans. We discuss methodological limitations that may have produced the null results and present methodological suggestions for research on human sperm competition.

Quality Management in the Higher Education of the Republic of Moldova as a Framework for University Performance

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Prisacaru Veronica

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This investigation is focused on two objectives: 1 explaining the relationship between quality management and performance management in higher education; 2 evaluating the existing quality management systems in the higher education institutions of the Republic of Moldova. In order to accomplish the first objective, a comparative theoretical analysis of the quality management and performance management was carried out in terms of common aspects and distinctive peculiarities. Consequently, it was reasoned that the performance management system of a higher education institution is created and functions on the basis of the quality management system by extending the area of the quality objectives to the level at which they will ensure performance or, in other terms, by moving towards excellence. In order to achieve the second objective, an opinion survey for the teaching and managerial staff from 6 universities was carried out. As a consequence of processing the obtained results, there were identified problems related to the functioning of the quality management systems. The investigation resulted in the formulation of a set of recommendations for the higher education institutions of the Republic of Moldova in order to increase the efficiency of the quality management systems functioning and thus to ensure an efficient management.

Image quality control of mammography equipment -Mammography System MX-300- of the Teachers Hospital of UNSA and dose measurement in breasts with radiographic films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quispe F, L. K.; Vega R, J.

2015-10-01

This work is part of medical imaging for the evaluation of quality. Will have an accredited breast phantom Rmi-156 that allows evaluating the image quality of mammography equipment and through a series of techniques and processes that will submit to mammography films we obtain characteristic curves, which allows to evaluate different parameters that will serve for our study. Images were acquired with different k Vp and m As of the equipment, also with different thicknesses of the breast phantom. Also we want to use the lowest possible dose for obtaining our images. In this paper we develop a simple protocol that aims to unify the conditions under which are acquired the images for later evaluation. By obtaining these characteristic curves demonstrate that the Kodak film is the most suitable for our study because it requires lower dose for obtaining our images. (Author)

Quality Assurance and the Shift Towards Private Governance in Higher Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartmann, Eva

2017-01-01

This contribution focuses on quality assurance (QA) agencies in the sphere of higher education. It develops a theoretical framework that interrelates systems theory with Gramsci's theory of hegemony with a view to situating this new control of universities in the broader context of a further...... differentiation of society and emerging heterarchical modes of governance. A closer study of the emerging European market of QA agencies highlights the European dimension of this differentiation and the role of the market in advancing a variable geometry in the context of the European Higher Education Area....

Expanded Quality Management Using Information Power (EQUIP): protocol for a quasi-experimental study to improve maternal and newborn health in Tanzania and Uganda.

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Hanson, Claudia; Waiswa, Peter; Marchant, Tanya; Marx, Michael; Manzi, Fatuma; Mbaruku, Godfrey; Rowe, Alex; Tomson, Göran; Schellenberg, Joanna; Peterson, Stefan

2014-04-02

Maternal and newborn mortality remain unacceptably high in sub-Saharan Africa. Tanzania and Uganda are committed to reduce maternal and newborn mortality, but progress has been limited and many essential interventions are unavailable in primary and referral facilities. Quality management has the potential to overcome low implementation levels by assisting teams of health workers and others finding local solutions to problems in delivering quality care and the underutilization of health services by the community. Existing evidence of the effect of quality management on health worker performance in these contexts has important limitations, and the feasibility of expanding quality management to the community level is unknown. We aim to assess quality management at the district, facility, and community levels, supported by information from high-quality, continuous surveys, and report effects of the quality management intervention on the utilization and quality of services in Tanzania and Uganda. In Uganda and Tanzania, the Expanded Quality Management Using Information Power (EQUIP) intervention is implemented in one intervention district and evaluated using a plausibility design with one non-randomly selected comparison district. The quality management approach is based on the collaborative model for improvement, in which groups of quality improvement teams test new implementation strategies (change ideas) and periodically meet to share results and identify the best strategies. The teams use locally-generated community and health facility data to monitor improvements. In addition, data from continuous health facility and household surveys are used to guide prioritization and decision making by quality improvement teams as well as for evaluation of the intervention. These data include input, process, output, coverage, implementation practice, and client satisfaction indicators in both intervention and comparison districts. Thus, intervention districts receive quality

Total Quality Management in Higher Education: Clearing the Hurdles. A Survey on Strategies for Implementing Quality Management Practices in Higher Education. A GOAL/QPC Application Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Seymour, Daniel

Based on a survey of Quality Management (QM) practitioners at 21 colleges, this study presents the 10 most difficult implementation hurdles to QM in higher education and a set of hurdle-clearing strategies. The hurdles are: (1) lack of time to implement QM; (2) perception that QM is something for janitorial and housing staffs but not applicable to…

Quality Assurance Strategies of Higher Education in Iraq and Kurdistan: A Case Study

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Kaghed, Nabeel; Dezaye, Ahmed

2009-01-01

This paper reports on two different strategies that have been implemented in Iraq to improve quality assurance in the higher education sector in Iraq. One strategy has been developed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Baghdad. It involved conducting a pilot study at the University of Babylon. This pilot included…

Specific psychological variables predict quality of diet in women of lower, but not higher, educational attainment.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, Wendy; Schlotz, Wolff; Crozier, Sarah; Skinner, Timothy C; Haslam, Cheryl; Robinson, Sian; Inskip, Hazel; Cooper, Cyrus; Barker, Mary

2011-02-01

Our previous work found that perceived control over life was a significant predictor of the quality of diet of women of lower educational attainment. In this paper, we explore the influence on quality of diet of a range of psychological and social factors identified during focus group discussions, and specify the way this differs in women of lower and higher educational attainment. We assessed educational attainment, quality of diet, and psycho-social factors in 378 women attending Sure Start Children's Centres and baby clinics in Southampton, UK. Multiple-group path analysis showed that in women of lower educational attainment, the effect of general self-efficacy on quality of diet was mediated through perceptions of control and through food involvement, but that there were also direct effects of social support for healthy eating and having positive outcome expectancies. There was no effect of self-efficacy, perceived control or outcome expectancies on the quality of diet of women of higher educational attainment, though having more social support and food involvement were associated with improved quality of diet in these women. Our analysis confirms our hypothesis that control-related factors are more important in determining dietary quality in women of lower educational attainment than in women of higher educational attainment. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN BANGLADESH: APPLICATION OF A MODIFIED SERVQUAL MODEL

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Md. Mamun-ur-Rashid

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Progressive importance, swelling investment, and mounting national and global competition necessitate evaluation of the service quality of higher education. Quantifiable indicators such as student teacher ratio, student number, women participation, establishing new departments, and increase in the number of universities are no longer enough unless the student’s stand point is considered. This research probed the service quality of higher education in a public university in southern Bangladesh utilizing modified SERVQUAL gap model. The t-test results suggest that there is a significant service gap in all the selected service dimensions such as learning, teaching, recognition, assessment system, internet and library facilities, campus life, and non-academic administration. The results also mirror that little more than half (54.1% students are satisfied with the service quality of the selected university and almost similar proportion (52.1 % of the students have future interest in studying in the same university. Regression analysis reveals that learning and recognition are two important determinants of client’s overall satisfaction with the service of selected university. Importance Performance Analysis (IPA advocates that the university should take immediate step in improving internet and library facilities, campus life, and non-academic administration. Factor analysis output confirms that slight modification of the proposed seven set model into six set factors can be employed by the management as off-the-rack service quality measurement tool.

Study and development of equipment supervision technique system and its management software for nuclear electricity production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Liying; Zou Pingguo; Zhu Chenghu; Lu Haoliang; Wu Jie

2008-01-01

The equipment supervision technique system, which standardized the behavior of supervision organizations in planning and implementing of equipment supervision, is built up based on equipment supervision technique documents, such as Quality Supervision Classifications, Special Supervision Plans and Supervision Guides. Furthermore, based on the research, the equipment supervision management information system is developed by Object Oriented Programming, which consists of supervision information, supervision technique, supervision implementation, quality statistics and analysis module. (authors)

Building Collegiate E-Loyalty: The Role of Perceived Value in the Quality-Loyalty Linkage in Online Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Kilburn, Brandon; Kilburn, Ashley; Davis, Dexter

2016-01-01

E-service quality of online higher education reflects the student's perception of quality of online exchanges across four dimensions: fulfillment, efficiency, system availability and privacy. This study links e-service quality to intentions to remain loyal as mediated by perceived value in an online higher education environment. AMOS is used to…

Governance of Higher Education--The Role of Proximity in Teaching Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Macheridis, Nikos; Paulsson, Alexander

2016-01-01

The starting point of this article is the relation between teaching quality and expectations by different governance actors in higher education. Managing a department in a public university is, to a large extent, about the coordination of governance actors, involving government authorities as well as the university and the faculty. Internally, the…

Defining the Quality of Higher Education around Ethics and Moral Values

Science.gov (United States)

Prisacariu, Anca; Shah, Mahsood

2016-01-01

The context of higher education across the world currently presents evidence of university failures. These failures are evident in areas such as governance, financial and risk management, conduct of senior leaders and quality assurance issues surrounding international education. Having this in mind, the present paper argues the need to add a new…

Benchmarks and Quality Assurance for Online Course Development in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hong

2008-01-01

As online education has entered the main stream of the U.S. higher education, quality assurance in online course development has become a critical topic in distance education. This short article summarizes the major benchmarks related to online course development, listing and comparing the benchmarks of the National Education Association (NEA),…

Assessing the Students' Evaluations of Educational Quality (SEEQ) Questionnaire in Greek Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Grammatikopoulos, Vasilis; Linardakis, M.; Gregoriadis, A.; Oikonomidis, V.

2015-01-01

The aim of the current study was to provide a valid and reliable instrument for the evaluation of the teaching effectiveness in the Greek higher education system. Other objectives of the study were (a) the examination of the dimensionality and the higher-order structure of the Greek version of Students' Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ)…

First steps in quality control equipment MRI; Primeros pasos en el control de calidad de equipos de imagen por resonancia magnetica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alonso Diaz, M.; Castaneda Arronte, M. J.; Ferreiros Vazquez, N.; Sanchez Merino, G.

2011-07-01

The present work aims to develop the initial stages of a program of quality control of nuclear magnetic resonance equipment. Not intended to conduct a comprehensive study covering all aspects of quality control, but gather the steps are followed and the most common problems they are encountering during the development of this program. It has been claimed that the work will be helpful to others facing the same task. Have been studied the compatibility of mannequins and procedures for the various teams. Ideally, such controls should be independent of the procedures and mannequins own commercial houses.

Inquiry about the uses of special equipment (CT equipment, angiography systems, mammography devices, screens)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwager, P.; Stieve, F.E.

1986-01-01

There are at least 1100 special devices in medical establishment in Bavaria which require special inspection and surveillance with regard to quality of equipment and radiation protection. In addition, there are at least 53 tomographs available for operation, and at least 120 installed X-ray screens. These devices need special approval testing and quality control services as they contribute a very significant amount of the medically indicated radiation exposure of the population. Appropriate measures are explained that can be applied in order to reduce the medical radiation exposure to an optimum. (orig.) [de

The Work-Related Quality of Life Scale for Higher Education Employees

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Julian A.; Van Laar, Darren; Easton, Simon; Kinman, Gail

2009-01-01

Previous research suggests that higher education employees experience comparatively high levels of job stress. A range of instruments, both generic and job-specific, has been used to measure stressors and strains in this occupational context. The Work-related Quality of Life (WRQoL) scale is a measure designed to capture perceptions of the working…

Obtention and application of recovery coefficients in SUV values to quality control in PET equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Cássio Miri; Sá, Lídia V. de; Santana, Priscila do Carmo; Mamede, Marcelo; Silva, Teógenes A. da

2017-01-01

The functional imaging technique Positron Emission Tomography (PET) using the radiopharmaceutical fluorodeoxyglucose ("1"8F-FDG) has been demonstrated an important role in the diagnosis and staging of cancer tumors. However, the standard uptake values (SUV) quantification of a 'lesion' or a hot spot is influenced by partial volume effects (PVE). This is particularly important for evaluating solid tumour response to therapy, where SUV quantification could indicate treatment efficiency. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of "1"8F-FDG uptake correction in two image quantification modes (SUVmaximum and SUVmedium) through recovery coefficients (RC) application. The NEMA/IEC Body Phantom simulator was used and tested for an activity ratio lesion to background of 4:1, and at different acquisition times. The images quantification was performed with OsiriX® software. The obtained RCs were applied to the phantom images. The obtained SUVmedium values corrected by RCs presented satisfactory results, demonstrating small differences (1.1% a 2.3%) in relation to previously known SUVreference values. This did not occur for corrected SUVmaximum values where differences of up to 27.0% were observed between these and SUVreference values. These results demonstrate that the PVE correction by SUVmedium can more adequate to evaluate tumor's uptake. Therefore, this parameter should be used for equipment quality control in order to evaluate the response and degree of agreement between equipment. (author)

Performance Measurement of Mining Equipments by Utilizing OEE

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Sermin Elevli

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Over the past century, open pit mines have steadily increased their production rate by using larger equipments which requireintensive capital investment. Low commodity prices have forced companies to decrease their unit cost by improving productivity. Oneway to improve productivity is to utilize equipment as effectively as possible. Therefore, the accurate estimation of equipmenteffectiveness is very important so that it can be increased. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE is a well-known measurementmethod, which combines availability, performance and quality, for the evaluation of equipment effectiveness in manufacturing industry.However, there isn’t any study in literature about how to use this metric for mining equipments such as shovel, truck, drilling machineetc. This paper will discuss the application of OEE to measure effectiveness of mining equipment. It identifies causes of time losses forshovel and truck operations and introduces procedure to record time losses. The procedure to estimate OEE of shovels and trucks hasalso been presented via numerical example.

Student Perceptions of Service Quality in a Multi-Campus Higher Education System in Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Gallifa, Josep; Batalle, Pere

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to present an in-depth case study with student perceptions of service quality, discussing the relevance of these perceptions for the important issue of quality improvement in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents institutional research carried out in a multi-campus system in Spain made up of…

Preliminary evaluation of operational parameters in fixed x-ray diagnostics equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacelar, Alexandre; Oliveira, Sandro Soletti de; Streck, Elaine E.; Furtado, Alvaro Porto Alegre; Pinto, Ana Lucia Acosta

1998-01-01

In this work they were appraised 22 fixed X-ray diagnostic equipment belonging to three great medical institutions in Porto Alegre - RS, Brazil, with the purpose of demonstrating the importance of the implementation of a Quality Warranty program, advised by a health physicist, in the performance of these equipment. For so some data of alignment and collimation of the beam, peak tube voltage, tube current, transportable charge and exposition time were collected. The results of the tests showed that in only one of the institutions all the equipment remained in operationally acceptable conditions, with relative percent errors below 10%, concerning to the analyzed parameters. This study also showed that the performance of the equipment of the three analyzed institutions is a direct reflex of the maintenance of a Quality Warranty Program, advised by a qualified professional. (author)

Commercial jet fuel quality control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strauss, K.H.

1995-05-01

The paper discusses the purpose of jet fuel quality control between the refinery and the aircraft. It describes fixed equipment, including various types of filters, and the usefulness and limitations of this equipment. Test equipment is reviewed as are various surveillance procedures. These include the Air Transport Association specification ATA 103, the FAA Advisory Circular 150/5230-4, the International Air Transport Association Guidance Material for Fuel Quality Control and Fuelling Service and the Guidelines for Quality Control at Jointly Operated Fuel Systems. Some past and current quality control problems are briefly mentioned.

Acceptability of the Conceptions of Higher Education Quality to First Year Students of the Study Field of Pedagogy

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Žibeniene, Gintaute; Savickiene, Izabela

2014-01-01

The article presents which conceptions of higher education quality are most acceptable to first-year students of the study field of pedagogy. It is significant to analyse students' opinions as more than 10 years ago the EU member states agreed that higher education institutions bear responsibility for the quality of higher education. Being members…

General Guidelines for Remote Operation and Maintenance of Pyroprocess Equipment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, S. H.; Park, B. S.; Park, H. S.; Lee, H. J.; Choi, C. W.; Lee, J. K

2007-12-15

As the pyroprocess handle the high radioactive materials, a high radioactive material handling facility required high safety, radioactive shielding, strict quality control, and the remote handling equipment of high technology. This report describes the guidelines of for pyroprocess based the design guides for radioactive material handling facility and equipment from American Nuclear Society(ANS), design guidelines for remotely maintained equipment from Oak Ridge National Laboratory(ORNL), and the experience of design for ACP equipment installed at the ACPF(Advanced Conditioning Process Facility). The General guidelines in this report are as follows. The General guidelines for remote operation and maintenance of pyroprocess equipment: Pyroprocess, Remote handling equipment for pyroprocess, General guide for remote operation and maintenance, general guidelines for the design of remotely operated and maintained equipment, Estimation and analysis for remote maintenance.

Quality Circles in Higher Education: Quality, Satisfaction, and Climate.

Science.gov (United States)

Kay, Carol; Healy, Margaret

The effect of quality circles at Iowa State University on absenteeism, performance evaluation, perceptions of the organization climate, job satisfaction, and perceived opportunities for professional and personal growth was measured in this study. The process of quality circles is designed to promote job fulfillment and organizational productivity…

Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Which Pasts to Build On, What Futures to Contemplate?

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Mala

2010-01-01

The paper is a reflection on the pasts and futures of quality assurance in higher education. It poses questions about the correlation between the geographical and political spread of quality assurance on the one hand and the resulting educational benefits on the other; about the divergences between critics and practitioners on the likely impacts…

Implementation of a quality control program of the equipment of the nuclear medicine services in Chile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Astudillo, R.; Diaz, G.; Ferreira, A.; Garcia, M.; Hermosilla, A.; Pacheco, F.; Vasquez, M.; Coca, M.

2014-08-01

Now days in Chile there are more of 43 Nuclear Medicine centers; most of them have gamma cameras in order to study physiological process in diagnostic and treatment of patients pathologies. This requires having the equipment in optimal operating condition and it is ensured with quality control programs that are based on a series of tests relating to protocols, such as TECDOC-602 y AAPM No.6. Planar test often applied in gamma cameras including: spatial resolution, spatial linearity, sensitivity and uniformity. SPECT tests consider: tomography uniformity, rotation center tomography resolution and total performance. The tests in dose calibrator are: background measurement, accuracy, precision, linearity and reproducibility. The tests above require the use of radioactive sources and specific simulators patterns or phantom based on international standards such as The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (Nema), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and The American Association of Medical Physics (AAPM). In this work we carried out several tests of quality control in a Nuclear Medicine Center of Temuco and we propose to implement the applied methodology in others similar Chilean centers. (author)

"How to Strike the Right Balance between Quality Assurance and Quality Control in the Perceptions of Individual Lecturers": A Comparison of UK and Dutch Higher Education Institutions

Science.gov (United States)

Teelken, Christine; Lomas, Laurie

2009-01-01

This paper focuses on the way lecturers observe, feel restrained by and cope with quality management systems that have been implemented in the higher education systems of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. As two sides of the same coin, quality enhancement and quality control are of increased significance in European Higher Education…

Management of radiological related equipments. Creating the equipment management database and analysis of the repair and maintenance records

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eguchi, Megumu; Taguchi, Keiichi; Oota, Takashi; Kajiwara, Hiroki; Ono, Kiyotune; Hagio, Kiyofumi; Uesugi, Ekizo; Kajishima, Tetuo; Ueda, Kenji

2002-01-01

In 1997, we established the committee of equipments maintenance and management in our department. We designed the database in order to classify and register all the radiological related equipments using Microsoft Access. The management of conditions and cost of each equipment has become easier, by keeping and recording the database in the equipments management ledger and by filing the history of repairs or maintenances occurred to modalities. We then accounted numbers, cost of repairs and downtimes from the data of the repair and maintenance records for four years, and we reexamined the causal analysis of failures and the contents of the regular maintenance for CT and MRI equipments that had shown the higher numbers of repairs. Consequently, we have found the improvement of registration method of the data and the more economical way to use of the cost of repair. (author)

Specific psychological variables predict quality of diet in women of lower, but not higher, educational attainment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lawrence, Wendy; Schlotz, Wolff; Crozier, Sarah

2011-01-01

Our previous work found that perceived control over life was a significant predictor of the quality of diet of women of lower educational attainment. In this paper, we explore the influence on quality of diet of a range of psychological and social factors identified during focus group discussions......, and specify the way this differs in women of lower and higher educational attainment. We assessed educational attainment, quality of diet, and psycho-social factors in 378 women attending Sure Start Children's Centres and baby clinics in Southampton, UK. Multiple-group path analysis showed that in women...... of self-efficacy, perceived control or outcome expectancies on the quality of diet of women of higher educational attainment, though having more social support and food involvement were associated with improved quality of diet in these women. Our analysis confirms our hypothesis that control...

Classification of methods and equipment recovery secondary waters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. V. Kalashnikov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The issues of purification of secondary waters of industrial production have an important place and are relevant in the environmental activities of all food and chemical industries. For cleaning the transporter-washing water of beet-sugar production the key role is played by the equipment of treatment plants. A wide variety of wastewater treatment equipment is classified according to various methods. Typical structures used are sedimentation tanks, hydrocyclones, separators, centrifuges. In turn, they have a different degree of purification, productivity through the incoming suspension and purified secondary water. This is equipment is divided into designs, depending on the range of particles to be removed. A general classification of methods for cleaning the transporter-washing water, as well as the corresponding equipment, is made. Based on the analysis of processes and instrumentation, the main methods of wastewater treatment are identified: mechanical, physicochemical, combined, biological and disinfection. To increase the degree of purification and reduce technical and economic costs, a combined method is widely used. The main task of the site for cleaning the transporter-washing waters of sugar beet production is to provide the enterprise with water in the required quantity and quality, with economical use of water resources, taking into account the absence of pollution of surface and groundwater by industrial wastewater. In the sugar industry is currently new types of washing equipment of foreign production are widely used, which require high quality and a large amount of purified transporter-washing water for normal operation. The proposed classification makes it possible to carry out a comparative technical and economic analysis when choosing the methods and equipment for recuperation of secondary waters. The main equipment secondary water recovery used at the beet-sugar plant is considered. The most common beet processing plant is a

Regulation No. 56/2006 Coll. of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic dated as of January 12, 2006 on details concerning requirements for quality system documentation of authorisation holder, as well as details concerning quality requirements for nuclear installations, details concerning quality requirements for classified equipment and details concerning the scope of their approval

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

This Regulation provides details of the requirements for quality system documentation holder, details of the quality requirements for nuclear installations, details concerning quality requirements for classified equipment and details of the scope of their approval. This Regulation came into force on March 1, 2006.

Measuring Teaching Quality in Higher Education: Assessing Selection Bias in Course Evaluations

Science.gov (United States)

Goos, Maarten; Salomons, Anna

2017-01-01

Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) are widely used to measure teaching quality in higher education and compare it across different courses, teachers, departments and institutions. Indeed, SETs are of increasing importance for teacher promotion decisions, student course selection, as well as for auditing practices demonstrating institutional…

The Status of Quality Assurance and Accreditation Systems within Higher Education Institutions in the Republic of Yemen

Science.gov (United States)

Anaam, Mahyoub Ali; Alhammadi, Abdullah Othman; Kwairan, Abdulwahab Awadh

2009-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the status of quality assurance and accreditation systems within higher education institutions in Yemen. The paper initially describes the stages of development and changes that have occurred in the field of quality and accreditation in Yemeni higher education. The paper shows that no formal…

Quality Teaching in a Managerial Setting: Higher Education Challenges in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Therese Demediuk

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Australian universities face increased challenges in a global higher education marketplace. They have responded to this competitive environment by introducing greater efficiency and accountability measures. One key measure is the quality of teaching and in particular, the delivery of student-centred teaching. However, the reforms have changed the working lives of academic teachers who now have greater reporting and administrative responsibilities with less sense of collegiality in the sector. In these circumstances, it is not clear that teaching staff will share the same perceptions of quality teaching as their institutions expect. This paper examines the utility of role theory and learning organization theory as part of a project which will examine the ways in which implicit knowledge can be made explicit and shared in the organization as part of academic teachers’ roles. The paper hypothesizes that when academics share their perceptions of good teaching, universities will benefit from a coherent set of quality teaching indicators which are aligned with their organizational cultures.

External Quality Assurance in Higher Education: How Can It Address Corruption and Other Malpractices?

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Michaela

2016-01-01

Corruption and malpractices in higher education are today a major concern in nearly all higher education systems worldwide. It is a multifaceted phenomenon and has become particularly visible in the academic domain. This paper represents an exploration of the possible role that quality assurance can play in addressing corruption and malpractices.…

Development of augmented reality system for servicing electromechanical equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Zhukovskiy, Y.; Koteleva, N.

2018-05-01

Electromechanical equipment is widely used. It is used in industrial enterprises, in the spheres of public services, in everyday life, etc. Maintenance servicing of electromechanical equipment is an important part of its life cycle. High-quality and timely service can extend the life of the electromechanical equipment. The creation of special systems that simplify the process of servicing electromechanical equipment is an urgent task. Such systems can shorten the time for maintenance of electrical equipment, and, therefore, reduce the cost of maintenance in general. This article presents an analysis of information on the operation of service services for maintenance and repair of electromechanical equipment, identifies the list of services, and estimates the time required to perform basic service operations. The structure of the augmented reality system is presented, the ways of interaction of the augmented reality system with the automated control systems working at the enterprise are presented.

Quality Assurance and Its Impact from Higher Education Institutions' Perspectives: Methodological Approaches, Experiences and Expectations

Science.gov (United States)

Bejan, Stelian Andrei; Janatuinen, Tero; Jurvelin, Jouni; Klöpping, Susanne; Malinen, Heikki; Minke, Bernhard; Vacareanu, Radu

2015-01-01

This paper reports on methodological approaches, experiences and expectations referring to impact analysis of quality assurance from the perspective of three higher education institutions (students, teaching staff, quality managers) from Germany, Finland and Romania. The presentations of the three sample institutions focus on discussing the core…

Investigation of possible methods for equipment self-tests in digital radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoetelief, J.; Idris, H. H. E.; Jansen, J. T. M.

2005-01-01

Quality control in digital radiology can be time-consuming. Equipment self-tests may significantly decrease staff workload. The two most essential parameters for radiology systems are image quality and patient dose. Concerning patient dose, information on the dose-area product (DAP) values generally forms the basis for assessment of patient dose. DAP-values can be measured using a transmission ionisation chamber or calculated from equipment settings. In the present study, various image quality parameters were derived using a contrast-detail (C-D) phantom. The investigation included a computer-aided assessment of C-D images, which produced various parameters, and also parameters based upon scoring by human observers. In addition, another parameter was calculated from modulation transfer function (MTF) measurements. The automatically calculated parameters showed good correlation with human readings, although the number of X-ray systems studied is still limited. We propose a combined evaluation of DAP and automatically calculated C-D or MTF parameters for equipment self-tests. (authors)

Nominal Group Technique and its Applications in Managing Quality in Higher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafikul Islam

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Quality management is an important aspect in all kinds of businesses – manufacturing or service. Idea generation plays a pivotal role in managing quality in organizations. It is thenew and innovative ideas which can help corporations to survive in the turbulent business environment. Research in group dynamics has shown that more ideas are generated by individuals working alone but in a group environment than the individuals engaged in a formal group discussion. In Nominal Group Technique (NGT, individuals work alone but in a group setting. This paper shows how NGT can be applied to generate large number of ideas to solve quality related problems specifically in Malaysian higher education setting. The paper also discusses the details of NGT working procedure andexplores the areas of its further applications.

Pengukuran Overall Equipment Effectiveness (Oee) Dengan Labview 8.5 Sebagai Pengendali Maintenance

OpenAIRE

Syarief, Syafrizal

2015-01-01

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a philosophy that aims to maximize the effectiveness of the facilities used in industry, it is applied to analyze problems that occur on any equipment and machinery with a method of calculation of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) of product quality. Value is determined by OEE Availability, Performance and Yield / Quality. LabVIEW (Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench) software is dedicated to the activities of the interface and control...

Consideration of higher seismic loads at existing plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liebig, J.; Pellissetti, M.

2015-07-01

Because of advancement of methods in probabilistic seismic hazard analysis, plenty of existing plants face higher seismic loads as an obligation from the national authorities. In case of such obligations safety related structures and equipment have to be reevaluated or requalified for the increased seismic loads. The paper provides solutions for different kinds of structures and equipment inside the plant, avoiding cost intensive hardware exchange. Due to higher seismic loads different kinds of structures and equipment inside a plant have to be reevaluated. For civil structures, primary components, mechanical components, distribution lines and electrical and I&C equipment different innovative concepts will be applied to keep structures and equipment qualified for the higher seismic loads. Detailed analysis, including the modeling of non-linear phenomena, or minor structural upgrades are cost competitive, compared to cost intensive hardware exchanges. Several case studies regarding the re-evaluation and requalification of structures and equipment due to higher seismic loads are presented. It is shown how the creation of coupled finite element models and the consistent propagation of acceleration time histories through the soil, building and primary circuit lead to a significant load reduction Electrical and I&C equipment is reinforced by smart upgrades which increase the natural equipment frequencies. Therefore for all devices inside the cabinets the local acceleration will not increase and the seismic qualification will be maintained. The case studies cover both classical deterministic and probabilistic re-evaluations (fragility analysis). Furthermore, the substantial benefits of non-linear limit load evaluation, such as push-over analysis of buildings and limit load analysis of fuel assemblies, are demonstrated. (Author)

Obtention and application of recovery coefficients in SUV values to quality control in PET equipment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, Cássio Miri; Sá, Lídia V. de; Santana, Priscila do Carmo; Mamede, Marcelo; Silva, Teógenes A. da, E-mail: cassio.miri@unifesp.br, E-mail: lidia@ird.gov.br, E-mail: mamede.mm@gmail.com, E-mail: silvata@cdtn.br [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), SP (Brazil). Departmento de Diagnose por Imagem; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria (IRD/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2017-11-01

The functional imaging technique Positron Emission Tomography (PET) using the radiopharmaceutical fluorodeoxyglucose ({sup 18}F-FDG) has been demonstrated an important role in the diagnosis and staging of cancer tumors. However, the standard uptake values (SUV) quantification of a 'lesion' or a hot spot is influenced by partial volume effects (PVE). This is particularly important for evaluating solid tumour response to therapy, where SUV quantification could indicate treatment efficiency. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of {sup 18}F-FDG uptake correction in two image quantification modes (SUVmaximum and SUVmedium) through recovery coefficients (RC) application. The NEMA/IEC Body Phantom simulator was used and tested for an activity ratio lesion to background of 4:1, and at different acquisition times. The images quantification was performed with OsiriX® software. The obtained RCs were applied to the phantom images. The obtained SUVmedium values corrected by RCs presented satisfactory results, demonstrating small differences (1.1% a 2.3%) in relation to previously known SUVreference values. This did not occur for corrected SUVmaximum values where differences of up to 27.0% were observed between these and SUVreference values. These results demonstrate that the PVE correction by SUVmedium can more adequate to evaluate tumor's uptake. Therefore, this parameter should be used for equipment quality control in order to evaluate the response and degree of agreement between equipment. (author)

Quality control for the equipment of Nuclear medicine: experience of the H.U. de la Princesa; Control de calidad del equipamiento en Medicina Nuclear. Experiencia enel H.U. de la Princesa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Espana, M.L.; Gracia, A.; Prieto, C.; Lopez F, P. [Servicio de ProteccionRadiologica. Hospital Universitario de la Princesa C/ Diego de Leon 62, 28006Madrid (Spain)

1998-12-31

The quality control of the equipment used in a nuclear medicine service is a fundamental aspect in the Quality Assurance Program that in the present time is starting in our hospital. the objective of this work is to present the internal protocol used, its problematic associated with its starting, and the results obtained in the quality control as of the gamma camera as of the activimeter. In addition to the equipment own to the nuclear medicine service it has been used a Cs-137 source and puppets for several purposes. The results obtained demonstrated the stability of the controlled parameters which has led us to a restating of the established periodicities in our internal protocol, over all for some constancy tests. (Author)

Measuring Service Quality in Higher Education: Development of a Hierarchical Model (HESQUAL)

Science.gov (United States)

Teeroovengadum, Viraiyan; Kamalanabhan, T. J.; Seebaluck, Ashley Keshwar

2016-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to develop and empirically test a hierarchical model for measuring service quality in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: The first phase of the study consisted of qualitative research methods and a comprehensive literature review, which allowed the development of a conceptual model comprising 53 service quality…

The Incorporation of Quality Attributes into Online Course Design in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Lenert, Kathleen Anne; Diane P. Janes

2017-01-01

A survey was designed incorporating questions on 28 attributes (compiled through a literature review) and considered to be quality features in online academic courses in higher education. This study sought to investigate the ongoing practice of instructional designers and instructors in the United States with respect to their incorporation of…

Relationship Quality in Higher Education Marketing: The Role of Social Media Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Melissa; Fine, Monica B.; Scheuer, Cara-Lynn

2017-01-01

The landscape in consumer marketing is changing due to the rise in popularity of social media. This shift has also affected how higher education institutions build relationships with their stakeholders. This study explores how social media engagement impacts relationship quality between the university and one of its key stakeholder groups,…

Diagnostic X-ray equipment evaluation in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campos de Araujo, A.M.; Peixoto, J.E.; Reis, V.R.G.

1980-01-01

A survey of the diagnostic X-ray equipment in use in Brazil is presented. Procedures for testing radiation quality (kilovoltage and filtration), tube output, beam collimation and protection devices are described and results of tests are tabulated. (H.K.)

Quality Administration and Management in Higher Education in Nigeria: Implications for Human Resource Development

Science.gov (United States)

Akinyemi, Gbenga M.; Abiddin, Norhasni Zainal

2013-01-01

The dynamic changes in today's world have made countries of the world masters of their own destinies. In this light, it has become noted today that "the affluence or penury of nations depends largely on the quality of higher education". This is informed by the fact that higher education systems of a nation is the "machinery of…

Research on reliability measures of the main transformer and GIS equipment manufacturing process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Honglong

2014-01-01

Based on the accidents of the main transformer GIS equipment and the accidents of the high voltage switch equipment, combined with the main transformer switch equipment maintenance experience and electrical theory, the reliability measures of the main transformer GIS equipment during manufacturing stage are studied and improved. Six successful reliability measures are identified: 1) design properly and check the ability of transformer for anti short circuit; 2) choose mature and reliable main transformer HV bushing; 3) choose GIS switch operation mechanism of high quality and reliability; 4) ensure that the insulation margin through tests piece by piece on withstand voltage and partial discharge of the GIS equipment insulation; 5) take test measures such as GIS conductor, shell polishing witness process and full form lightning impulse, to find out and eliminate the defects of abnormal electric field distribution; 6) Anti VFTO design for the main transformer connected with GIS with the voltage of 500 kV should be considered, and its anti VFTO ability to meet the safe operation under VFTO requirements should be checked. This paper proposed 2 new measures: 1) the main transformer insulation material quality standard is determined not only by its high dielectric strength, but more importantly by the homogeneous dielectric electric strength. Insulating Materials with a high and also uniform dielectric strength should be chosen. 2) During the silver-coating stage of the GIS equipment conductor, QC group activities should be organized to ensure that the plating layer quality, and the current lap surface DC resistance measurements should be supervised and witnessed to ensure the quality of the conductor contact surface. These measures are verified in Fuqing project of GIS main transformer equipment manufacturing process, and their effectiveness is proven. (author)

Design guide for heat transfer equipment in water-cooled nuclear reactor systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-07-01

Information pertaining to design methods, material selection, fabrication, quality assurance, and performance tests for heat transfer equipment in water-cooled nuclear reactor systems is given in this design guide. This information is intended to assist those concerned with the design, specification, and evaluation of heat transfer equipment for nuclear service and the systems in which this equipment is required. (U.S.)

The UNIQUe Label: Supporting a Culture of Innovation and Quality in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Boonen, Annemie; Bijnens, Helena

European higher education institutions will need significant reforms, in order to guarantee their leading role in a globalized knowledge economy. These reforms can be enhanced by improving the way in which traditional universities integrate new technologies both in their educational activities and throughout their strategic and operational processes. The UNIQUe institutional accreditation scheme, analyzed and described in this chapter, intends to support this process of integrating the use of new technologies in higher education. With its specific open approach to quality in e-Learning, UNIQUe emphasizes innovation and creativity in a process that includes self-assessment and constructive dialog with peers and stakeholders involved. UNIQUe intends to use the institutional quality label as a catalyst for continuous improvement and change while setting up collaborative bench learning processes among universities for the adoption and integration of e-Learning.

Medical image compression and its application to TDIS-FILE equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsubura, Shin-ichi; Nishihara, Eitaro; Iwai, Shunsuke

1990-01-01

In order to compress medical images for filing and communication, we have developed a compression algorithm which compresses images with remarkable quality using a high-pass filtering method. Hardware for this compression algorithm was also developed and applied to TDIS (total digital imaging system)-FILE equipment. In the future, hardware based on this algorithm will be developed for various types of diagnostic equipment and PACS. This technique has the following characteristics: (1) significant reduction of artifacts; (2) acceptable quality for clinical evaluation at 15:1 to 20:1 compression ratio; and (3) high-speed processing and compact hardware. (author)

A Study of Equipment Accuracy and Test Precision in Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Kyung Rae; Kim, Ho Sung; Jung, Woon Kwan

2008-01-01

=0.96), P2 - (spine: 0.002±0.018 g/cm 2 , %CV=0.55, Femur: 0.001±0.013 g/cm 2 , %CV=0.48) in Group 3. The average error±2SD, %CV, and r value was spine : 0.006±0.024 g/cm 2 , %CV=0.86, r=0.995, Femur: 0±0.014 g/cm 2 , %CV=0.54, r=0.998 in Group 4. Both LUNAR ASP CV% and HOLOGIC Spine Phantom are included in the normal range of error of ±2% defined in ISCD. BMD measurement keeps a relatively constant value, so showing excellent repeatability. The Phantom has homogeneous characteristics, but it has limitations to reflect the clinical part including variations in patient's body weight or body fat. As a result, it is believed that quality control using Phantom will be useful to check mis-calibration of the equipment used. A value measured a patient two times with one equipment, and that of double-crossed two equipment are all included within 2SD Value in the Bland - Altman Graph compared results of Group 3 with Group 4. The r value of 0.99 or higher in Linear regression analysis(Regression Analysis) indicated high precision and correlation. Therefore, it revealed that two compatible equipment did not affect in tracking the patients. Regular testing equipment and capabilities of a tester, then appropriate calibration will have to be achieved in order to calculate confidential BMD.

A Study of Equipment Accuracy and Test Precision in Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Kyung Rae [Dept. of Radiological Technology, Gwangju Health College, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ho Sung [Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Woon Kwan [Dept. of Nuclear Energy Technology, Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2008-03-15

.94, Femur: 0.001{+-}0.019 g/cm{sup 2}, %CV=0.96), P2 - (spine: 0.002{+-}0.018 g/cm{sup 2}, %CV=0.55, Femur: 0.001{+-}0.013 g/cm{sup 2}, %CV=0.48) in Group 3. The average error{+-}2SD, %CV, and r value was spine : 0.006{+-}0.024 g/cm{sup 2}, %CV=0.86, r=0.995, Femur: 0{+-}0.014 g/cm{sup 2}, %CV=0.54, r=0.998 in Group 4. Both LUNAR ASP CV% and HOLOGIC Spine Phantom are included in the normal range of error of {+-}2% defined in ISCD. BMD measurement keeps a relatively constant value, so showing excellent repeatability. The Phantom has homogeneous characteristics, but it has limitations to reflect the clinical part including variations in patient's body weight or body fat. As a result, it is believed that quality control using Phantom will be useful to check mis-calibration of the equipment used. A value measured a patient two times with one equipment, and that of double-crossed two equipment are all included within 2SD Value in the Bland - Altman Graph compared results of Group 3 with Group 4. The r value of 0.99 or higher in Linear regression analysis(Regression Analysis) indicated high precision and correlation. Therefore, it revealed that two compatible equipment did not affect in tracking the patients. Regular testing equipment and capabilities of a tester, then appropriate calibration will have to be achieved in order to calculate confidential BMD.

Quality Procedures in the European Higher Education Area and Beyond--Visions for the Future: Third ENQA Survey. ENQA Occasional Papers 18

Science.gov (United States)

Grifoll, Josep; Hopbach, Achim; Kekalainen, Helka; Lugano, Nathalie; Rozsnyai, Christina; Shopov, Todor

2012-01-01

Higher education reforms over the last decade, resulting in the establishment of the European Higher Education Area, with new social demands and expectations, have greatly impacted quality assurance in higher education. As a follow-up activity to two previous surveys on external quality procedures, the European Association for Quality Assurance in…

Selection of equipment for equipment qualification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torr, K.G.

1989-01-01

This report describes the methodology applied in selecting equipment in the special safety systems for equipment qualification in the CANDU 600 MW nuclear generating stations at Gentilly 2 and Point Lepreau. Included is an explanation of the selection procedure adopted and the rationale behind the criteria used in identifying the equipment. The equipment items on the list have been grouped into three priority categories as a planning aid to AECB staff for a review of the qualification status of the special safety systems

Zen and the Art of Higher Education Maintenance: Bridging Classic and Romantic Notions of Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Patricia M.

Uses Robert Pirsig's ideas in "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" to explore two ways of viewing quality in higher education: the romantic and the classic. Analyzes historical and contemporary literature on quality using insights of Alfred Whitehead, Pirsig, and John Dewey, urging a vision that is honest and that incorporates…

Total Quality Management in Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherr, Lawrence A.; Lozier, G. Gredgory

1991-01-01

Total Quality Management, based on theories of W. Edward Deming and others, is a style of management using continuous process improvement characterized by mission and customer focus, a systematic approach to operations, vigorous development of human resources, long-term thinking, and a commitment to ensuring quality. The values espoused by this…

Calibration and qualification of equipment in the pharmaceutical industry: emphasis on radiopharmaceuticals production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melero, Laura T.U.H.; Silva, Katia S. da S.; Zanette, Camila; Araujo, Elaine B. de; Mengatti, Jair

2011-01-01

The calibration and qualification of equipment are listed items in RDC number 17 of 2010 which refers about the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) of medicaments and RDC number 63 of 2009 which refers about GMP of Radiopharmaceuticals. Both are essential requirements since they are involved in process control to attend the regulatory criteria and are a key part of the validation process. The aim of this work is presenting the importance of calibration and qualification, and the routine use of equipment and facilities in industrial scale production of radiopharmaceuticals in the IPEN/CNEN. The radiopharmacy of IPEN is a pharmaceutical industry that produces radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and therapy. It was the pioneer institute in production of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals in Brazil. Currently, 38 products are distributed to the nuclear medicine centers, including primary radioisotopes, labeled molecules and lyophilized reagents for labeling with technetium-99m. To fulfill the GMP requirements for quality assurance of products, several factors must be considered including infrastructure, equipment and raw materials beyond, obviously, the whole production process should be controlled until the release of the final product. Therefore, the calibration and verification of equipment, instruments and other appliances used in the production and quality control should be performed. A program of calibration, qualification and requalification of equipment used in production and quality control of radiopharmaceuticals is necessary for the validation of production processes and analytical methods, and should be established for quality assurance of produced radiopharmaceuticals. (author)

Calibration and qualification of equipment in the pharmaceutical industry: emphasis on radiopharmaceuticals production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melero, Laura T.U.H.; Silva, Katia S. da S.; Zanette, Camila; Araujo, Elaine B. de; Mengatti, Jair [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2011-07-01

The calibration and qualification of equipment are listed items in RDC number 17 of 2010 which refers about the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) of medicaments and RDC number 63 of 2009 which refers about GMP of Radiopharmaceuticals. Both are essential requirements since they are involved in process control to attend the regulatory criteria and are a key part of the validation process. The aim of this work is presenting the importance of calibration and qualification, and the routine use of equipment and facilities in industrial scale production of radiopharmaceuticals in the IPEN/CNEN. The radiopharmacy of IPEN is a pharmaceutical industry that produces radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and therapy. It was the pioneer institute in production of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals in Brazil. Currently, 38 products are distributed to the nuclear medicine centers, including primary radioisotopes, labeled molecules and lyophilized reagents for labeling with technetium-99m. To fulfill the GMP requirements for quality assurance of products, several factors must be considered including infrastructure, equipment and raw materials beyond, obviously, the whole production process should be controlled until the release of the final product. Therefore, the calibration and verification of equipment, instruments and other appliances used in the production and quality control should be performed. A program of calibration, qualification and requalification of equipment used in production and quality control of radiopharmaceuticals is necessary for the validation of production processes and analytical methods, and should be established for quality assurance of produced radiopharmaceuticals. (author)

Between Efficiency and Transformation: The Opinion of Deans on the Meaning of Quality in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Olaskoaga-Larrauri, Jon; Barrenetxea-Ayesta, Miren; Cardona-Rodríguez, Antonio; Mijangos-Del Campo, Juan José; Barandiaran-Galdós, Marta

2016-01-01

The literature on quality management at higher education institutions has for some time been working on the basis of two issues: a) the diversity of ideas as to what "quality" means, which makes it harder to apply the principles of quality management in this context; and b) the idea that this diversity is in some way a response to the…

Playing language games: higher education quality dynamics in Dutch national policies since 1985

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weenink, Kasja; Aarts, Noelle; Jacobs, Sandra

2017-01-01

Higher education quality is a vague, ambiguous, multiple, and essentially contested concept. Quality’s contested character involves endless disputes about its proper use which makes it problematic to handle in governmental policies. Wittgenstein’s notion of language games is used to understand how,

A Phenomenographic Study of Students' Conceptions of Quality in Learning in Higher Education in Rwanda

Science.gov (United States)

Mbabazi Bamwesiga, Penelope; Fejes, Andreas; Dahlgren, Lars-Owe

2013-01-01

The aim of this study is to understand the different ways that university students conceptualise quality in learning by drawing on a phenomenographic approach. A total of 20 students in higher education in Rwanda were interviewed and analysis of the interviews generated an outcome space of conceptions of quality in learning as transformation,…

24 CFR 84.34 - Equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTS AND AGREEMENTS WITH INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER... the physical inspection and those shown in the accounting records shall be investigated to determine... requirement for the equipment exists in other Federal agencies. HUD shall issue instructions to the recipient...

Pediatric interventional radiography equipment: safety considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strauss, Keith J.

2006-01-01

This paper discusses pediatric image quality and radiation dose considerations in state-of-the-art fluoroscopic imaging equipment. Although most fluoroscopes are capable of automatically providing good image quality on infants, toddlers, and small children, excessive radiation dose levels can result from design deficiencies of the imaging device or inappropriate configuration of the equipment's capabilities when imaging small body parts. Important design features and setup choices at installation and during the clinical use of the imaging device can improve image quality and reduce radiation exposure levels in pediatric patients. Pediatric radiologists and cardiologists, with the help of medical physicists, need to understand the issues involved in creating good image quality at reasonable pediatric patient doses. The control of radiographic technique factors by the generator of the imaging device must provide a large dynamic range of mAs values per exposure pulse during both fluoroscopy and image recording as a function of patient girth, which is the thickness of the patient in the posterior-anterior projection at the umbilicus (less than 10 cm to greater than 30 cm). The range of pulse widths must be limited to less than 10 ms in children to properly freeze patient motion. Variable rate pulsed fluoroscopy can be leveraged to reduce radiation dose to the patient and improve image quality. Three focal spots with nominal sizes of 0.3 mm to 1 mm are necessary on the pediatric unit. A second, lateral imaging plane might be necessary because of the child's limited tolerance of contrast medium. Spectral and spatial beam shaping can improve image quality while reducing the radiation dose. Finally, the level of entrance exposure to the image receptor of the fluoroscope as a function of operator choices, of added filter thickness, of selected pulse rate, of the selected field-of-view and of the patient girth all must be addressed at installation. (orig.)

Productivity as an Indication of Quality in Higher Education: The Views of Employed Graduates in Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Eliophotou Menon, Maria

2016-01-01

The paper investigates the views of Greek university graduates on the link between higher education and productivity in order to determine the extent to which productivity can be considered to be an indication of quality in higher education. It also investigates the perceived effect of the type and content of higher education on productivity;…

The introduction of compulsory compliance testing of medical diagnostic x-ray equipment in Western Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rafferty, M. W.; Jacob, C. S.

1995-01-01

Performance testing of medical diagnostic X-ray equipment can reveal equipment faults which, while not always clinically detectable, may contribute to reduced image quality and unnecessary radiation exposure of both patients and staff. Routine testing of such equipment is highly desirable to identify such faults and allows them to be rectified. The Radiological council of Western Australia is moving towards requiring compulsory compliance testing of all (new and existing) medical diagnostic X-ray equipment that all new mobile radiographic and new mammographic X-ray equipment be issued with a compliance test certificate as a prerequisite for registration. Workbooks which provide details of the tests required and recommended test methods have been prepared for medical radiographic (mobile and fixed), fluoroscopic and mammographic X-ray equipment. It is intended that future workbooks include details of the tests and methods for dental and computed tomography X-ray units. The workbooks are not limited to the compliance testing of items as specified in the Regulations, but include tests for other items such as film processing, darkrooms and image quality (for fluoroscopic equipment). Many of the workbook tests could be used within a regular quality assurance program for diagnostic X-ray equipment. Persons who conduct such compliance tests will need to be licensed and have all test certificates endorsed by a qualified expert. Suitable training and assessment of compliance testers will be required. Notification of such tests (including non-compliant items and corrective actions taken) will be required by the Radiological Council as a condition of equipment registration. 9 refs

Flaw detection of welded joints in NPP equipment assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kesler, N.A.; Polevik, V.A.; Orlov, N.S.

1984-01-01

State of the art and prospects of development of ultrasonic and radiography testing of welded joints for quality used in NPP equipment assembly are considered. Recommendations are given on reducing the labour content with the use of these methods. Specifications for the developed facilities intended for automation and mechanization of the described quality control methods are presented

Nurturing Quality of Higher Education through National Ranking: A Potential Empowerment Model for Developing Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Kusumastuti, Dyah; Idrus, Nirwan

2017-01-01

This paper reviews the recently introduced National Higher Education ranking system in Indonesia in order to evaluate its potential as a sustainable model to improve the quality of higher education in the country. It is a scaffold towards an established world-universities ranking system that may prove formidable for a developing country. This…

Medical equipment in government health facilities: missed opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Pardeshi, Geeta S

2005-01-01

The availability and optimal utilization of medical equipment is important for improving the quality of health services. Significant investments are made for the purchase, maintenance and repair of medical equipment. Inadequate management of these equipment will result in financial losses and deprive the public of the intended benefits. This analysis is based on the conceptual framework drawn from the WHO recommended- lifecycle of medical equipment. (1) To identify the problems in different stages of the life cycle. (2) To assess its financial implications and effect on service delivery. Analysis of secondary data from the latest Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Reports for the states in India. The study variables were category of equipment, financial implications and problems in the stages of life cycle. Calculation of proportions. A total of forty instances mentioning problems in the first phase of the life cycle of medical equipment were noted in 12 state reports. The equipment from the radiology department (15), equipment in the wards (5), laboratory (3) and operation theatres (4) were the ones most frequently implicated. In a majority of cases the financial implications amounted to twenty-five lakhs. The financial implications were in the form of extra expenditure, unfruitful expenditure or locking of funds. In 25 cases the equipment could not be put to use because of non-availability of trained staff and inadequate infrastructural support. Careful procurement, incoming inspection, successful installation and synchronization of qualified trained staff and infrastructural support will ensure timely onset of use of the equipment.

Quality surveillance for steel forgings of SA508 Gr.3 used on the main NI equipment of AP1000 nuclear island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Lizhao

2011-01-01

Being a type of steel with ideal weldability, outstanding ability of anti-neutron irradiation embitterment and good property of fracture toughness and impact toughness, the steel of ASME SA508-3 was used widely for the nuclear island equipment of PWR Nuclear Power Plant. For the 3rd generation nuclear power plant AP1000, all large forgings and some critical components of the SG, RV and PRZ adopt this steel. Through analysis on the critical technical points during manufacturing of the SA508-3 forgings, this article try to identify the key points should be paid attention during the quality surveillance for this type of forgings, and to put forward the supervision method and focus during quality surveillance activities. (author)

A World of Brands: Higher Education and the Emergence of Multinational Quality Franchises

Science.gov (United States)

Blanco Ramírez, Gerardo

2014-01-01

This article explores the concepts of "brand" and "franchise" in the development of international quality assurance. The impact of corporate language and culture on higher education is evident and has been extensively analysed. Recent attention given to branding of universities reflects the ever-growing influence of corporate…

New Equipping Strategies for Combat Support Hospitals

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Combat and Doctrine Development and COL Timothy Lamb , supported by MAJ Gary Cooper, included members of our team in visits to Sierra Army Depot and...aspect of improving materiel stew - ardship is improving the quality of data related to the procurement, maintenance, and upgrading of equipment

Quality of Higher Education: Organisational or Educational? A Content Analysis of Chinese University Self-Evaluation Reports

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Yihuan; Du, Xiangyun; Rasmussen, Palle

2012-01-01

Based on a study of Chinese university self-evaluation reports, this paper argues that higher education institutions are trying to manage the tensions between educational and organisational quality and the increasing and worldwide concerns about quality assurance. After 30 years of dramatic educational reform, China has established a nationwide…

Framing and Enhancing Distributed Leadership in the Quality Management of Online Learning Environments in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, Dale; Palmer, Stuart; Gosper, Maree; Sankey, Michael; Allan, Garry

2014-01-01

This article reports on the findings of senior leadership interviews in a nationally funded project on distributed leadership in the quality management of online learning environments (OLEs) in higher education. Questions were framed around the development of an OLE quality management framework and the situation of the characteristics of…

Quality Of Life And Prevalence Of Burnout Syndrome In Higher Education Teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria de Lourdes Campos

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Burnout Syndrome, in the twenty-first century, appears among the most common mental disorder among teachers resulting from the interaction between  individual aspects and the working environment, interpreted as a response to chronic job stress.  Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of burnout syndrome and quality of life of higher education teachers in the city of Cajazeiras, Paraíba, Brazil.  Method: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study performed with 174 teachers from institutions of higher education.  Results: The burnout syndrome was observed in only 3.4% of teachers. However, the recorded data require a closer look at the health of the teachers investigated, since a considerable part of them are in the score limit for disease development. Regarding the quality of life of teachers who presented the manifestations of the syndrome, the physical and psychological domains were shown to be the worst for most subjects.  Conclusion: There are teachers in higher education, executing their  profession, affected by burnout syndrome, suggesting a  relationship between this psychosocial phenomenon and the labor context, permeating  the three dimensions proposed by Maslach and Leiter: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and the lack of personal fulfillment.   DOI: https://doi.org/10.3823/2512

Expectation-Based Efficiency and Quality Improvements in Research Administration: Multi-Institutional Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Dhanonjoy C.; Ahmed, Abrar; Hanumandla, Shailaja

2011-01-01

Conventional wisdom may support the presumed notion that higher expectations increase efficiency and improve quality. However, this claim may only be validated when workers are equipped with appropriate tools, training, and a conducive work environment. This study implements various interventions, observes outcomes, and analyzes data collected in…

ENQA: 10 Years (2000-2010): A Decade of European Co-Operation in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Crozier, Fiona, Ed.; Costes, Nathalie, Ed.; Ranne, Paula, Ed.; Stalter, Maria, Ed.

2010-01-01

The history of ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) arises in the late 1990s when the first formal procedures for quality assurance begun to stabilize on a national level. As a result of the European Pilot Projects in the field of external quality assurance during the nineties, participants felt the need for…

Methods for tube attachment in a heat exchange equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shilin, O.V.; Vasil'ev, V.B.

1984-01-01

Two main ways of attaching tubes to tube panels in heat exchange equipment are analyzed: expanding and pulse method (by explosion, for instance). Labour-consumption and cost price for the fastening of brass, perlitic and corrosion-resistant tubes for both of the methods are presented. The extent of fitting out with equipment for tube fixing and ways of testing the joints for attachment are evaluated. Measures for improving the joint quality and introduction of the advanced technology are suggested

Development of high quality cereal drying and storage equipment, 2: Microorganism control using ultraviolet irradiation and TiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubota, K.; Hidaka, Y.

2004-01-01

Abstract In this paper, in order to obtain the condition of practical ultraviolet sterilization, we made a recirculating grain sterilization equipment using ultraviolet irradiation. We investigated the ultraviolet sterilization of microorganism that adhere to the wheat surface. And we examined the quality of those wheat. Moreover, we investigated the sterilization using titanium dioxide attracted attention as a photocatalyst and ultraviolet irradiation. As a result of sterilization experiment, sterilization time required in order to obtain the sterilization rate of 90% was 6.3 hours for bacteria and 5.6 hours for fungi under condition of 97W/square m ultraviolet irradiance. In this experiment using ultraviolet irradiation and titanium dioxide, sterilization time required to obtain the sterilization rate of 90% was 4.8 hours for bacteria and 4.5 hours for fungi. We could shorten the sterilization time. In the quality examination, it was thought that there was little influence on quality by ultraviolet irradiation in this range from the germination test and the amylograph examination. As a result of calculating ultraviolet radiant energy for 30 t of grain, it was estimated as 84 MJ

Total Quality Management Elements and Results in Higher Education Institutions: The Greek Case

Science.gov (United States)

Psomas, Evangelos; Antony, Jiju

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the main total quality management (TQM) elements adopted and the respective results achieved by higher education institutions (HEIs) in Greece. Design/methodology/approach: A research study was designed and carried out in private sector Greek HEIs. Fifteen HEIs were approached through interviews…

The Methodological Approaches to Formation of the Internal System of Quality of Education of Higher Education Institution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doronin Stepan A.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The necessity of creation of a national conception of formation of the internal system of quality assurance of higher education institutions with obligatory introduction of methodological approach in its structure is substantiated; the variant of its terminological provision with clarification of the content of concepts of «quality of education», «internal system of quality of education», «methodological approach» is proposed; positioning of the approach in the system of other standard scientific instruments (method, methodology, program, algorithm is done; arguments for the orientation of the methodology of formation of the internal system of quality assurance of higher education institutions towards the socio-cultural model of paradigm are provided; a hierarchical classification of methodological approaches with allocation of the philosophical, scientific, concrete-scientific, technological levels and the characteristics of their purpose and contents is presented.

An economically designed, integrated quality and maintenance model using an adaptive Shewhart chart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panagiotidou, Sofia; Nenes, George

2009-01-01

This paper proposes a model for the economic design of a variable-parameter (Vp) Shewhart control chart used to monitor the mean in a process, where, apart from quality shifts, failures may also occur. Quality shifts result in poorer quality outcome, higher operational cost and higher failure rate. Thus, removal of such quality shifts, besides improving the quality of the outcome and reducing the quality cost, is also a preventive maintenance (PM) action since it reduces the probability of a failure and improves the equipment reliability. The proposed model allows the determination of the scheme parameters that minimize the total expected quality and maintenance cost of the procedure. The monitoring mechanism of the process employs an adaptive Vp-Shewhart control chart. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed model, its optimal expected cost is compared against the optimum cost of a fixed-parameter (Fp) chart

The application of GIS equipment in nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji Lin; Huang Pengbo; Chang Xin'ai

2012-01-01

In this paper, the advantage and disadvantage of gas insulated switchgear (GIS) in environmental adaptability, operation safety and economic benefit are analyzed. Issues concerning the manufacture, transportation, on-site installation, operation, maintenance and extension of GIS equipment are discussed. Comparing those characteristics with air insulated switchgear (AIS), GIS is characterized by better aseismic ability, less occupied area and installation process, lower fault rate, longer maintenance period, easier for extension and higher economic benefit, SF6 gas insures the operation safety and reliability of GIS equipment, modular transport and re-assembling improves the installation flexibility. Therefore, GIS equipment may be the first choice for the primary equipment of nuclear power plant. (authors)

Electrical and control equipment in nuclear power plants. Problems when replacing aging equipment; El och kontrollutrustning i kaernkraftverk - Problematik vid utbyte av aaldrad utrustning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nordling, Anna; Haakansson, Goeran

2012-11-01

Interoperability between different technical systems is more complicated when old and new technology meet, such as between analog and digital technology. New electrical and I and C equipment is selected with consideration to simplify and improve the compatibility and interoperability. The original construction of nuclear power plants with electricity and I and C equipment had more natural interfaces. Generally experienced guidance, to the management of interoperability and interfaces, feels insufficient. Skills transfer programs are identified as a major need, as more and more important personnel are retiring and important information is lost with them. Lack of appropriate skills directly affects the ability to produce accurate and complete requirements specification. Failure modes of newer electrical and I and C equipment are perceived as more complex than the older equipment. When choosing equipment, attempts are made to minimize unnecessary features, to reduce the number of potential failure modes. There is a lack of consistent understanding of the meaning of robustness in electrical technology and I and C technology, in the nuclear plant engineering departments. The overall picture is that the robustness has worsened since the facilities were built. The Swedish nuclear power plants have an internal organizational structure with separated client and support organization. This splits the nuclear organization into two distinct parts which threaten to separate the two entities focus. Engineering departments at the Swedish nuclear power plants express a need for increased expertise in the client organization (blocks). Competence requested is for example, system knowledge to facilitate and enhance the quality of the initial analysis performed in the blocks. Suppliers receive more recently larger turnkey projects, both to minimize costs but also to minimize the interfaces and co-function problems. This, however, heightens demands for knowledge transfer between

Automatization of welding for nuclear power equipments and facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamai, Yasumasa; Matsumoto, Teruo; Koyama, Takaichi

1980-01-01

For the requirement of high reliability in the construction of nuclear power plants and the reduction of radiation exposure in the modefying works of existing plants, the automation and remote operation of welding have increased their necessity. In this paper, the present state of the automation of welding for making machines, equipments and pipings for nuclear power plants in Hitachi Ltd. is described, and the aim of developing the automation, the features of the equipments and the state of application to actual plants are introduced, centering around the automation of welding for large structures such as reactor containment vessels and the remote type automatic welding system for pipings. By these automations, the large outcomes were obtained in the improvement of welding quality required for the machines and equipments for atomic energy. Moreover, the conspicuous results were also obtained in case of the peculiar works to nuclear power plants, in which the reduction of the radiation exposure related to human bodies and the welding of high quality are demanded. The present state of the automation of welding for nuclear installations in Hitachi Ltd., the development of automatic welding equipments and the present state of application to actual plants, and the development and application of the automatic pipe working machine for reducing radiation exposure are explained. (Kako, I.)

SERVQUAL Application and Adaptation for Educational Service Quality Assessments in Russian Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Galeeva, Railya B.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to demonstrate an adaptation of the SERVQUAL survey method for measuring the quality of higher educational services in a Russian university context. We use a new analysis and a graphical technique for presentation of results. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology of this research follows the classic…

Dispensing Equipment Testing with Mid-Level Ethanol/Gasoline Test Fluid: Summary Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boyce, K.; Chapin, J. T.

2010-11-01

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) Nonpetroleum-Based Fuel Task addresses the hurdles to commercialization of biomass-derived fuels and fuel blends. One such hurdle is the unknown compatibility of new fuels with current infrastructure, such as the equipment used at service stations to dispense fuel into automobiles. The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Vehicle Technology Program and the Biomass Program have engaged in a joint project to evaluate the potential for blending ethanol into gasoline at levels higher than nominal 10 volume percent. This project was established to help DOE and NREL better understand any potentially adverse impacts caused by a lack of knowledge about the compatibility of the dispensing equipment with ethanol blends higher than what the equipment was designed to dispense. This report provides data about the impact of introducing a gasoline with a higher volumetric ethanol content into service station dispensing equipment from a safety and a performance perspective.

Reduction of occupational radiation exposure to staff - a quality management approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crouch, J.

2007-01-01

Positron Emission. Tomography (PET) imaging has expanded in Australia in recent years and is a recognised technique to diagnose cancer, neurological and heart disease. The high-energy gamma rays (51 I KeV) produced from the annihilation reaction in PET and their increased penetration compared to Tc- 99 m (HOKeV) emissions results in a higher radiation exposure to staff compared to other types of imaging such as X-Ray, CT (computer tomography) and MR1 (magnetic resonance imaging) and general nuclear medicine. The project scope was to reduce the occupational radiation exposure to staff working within the imaging section of the WA PET/Cyclotron Service by utilising a continuous quality improvement, process. According to the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) continual quality improvement is critical for healthcare in Australia (The EQUIP Guide, 2002, p. 1-1 ). The continuous quality improvement approach selected is appropriate for the organisation and the PET imaging process based on the Evaluation and Quality Improvement Program (EQUIP) which is the recognised standard for the health care industry in Australia

Photoelectric detectors used in laser based control and alignment equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chis, I.; Ciura, A.I.; Udrea, M.V.

1988-03-01

Some theoretical considerations and practical results regarding the utilization of the ROL 50 photovoltaic cell in a leveling control system and glass quality control equipment are presented. (authors)

Dynamic monitoring equipment for earthworks and sub grades; Euipos de auscultacion dinamica para obras de tierra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alvarez de Sotomayor, R.

2013-06-01

This paper take into account some dynamic auscultation equipment s that currently are available in Spain for compaction quality control on earthworks and sub grades. Closed to the equipment description, a deformation modulus calculus approximation has been developed for each of them. A standards checking has been made from national and European point of view. some important research works that have been developed in our country about dynamic monitoring equipment s for quality control in earthworks has been mentioned. In addition to this, some variables are analyzed which have an influence on deformation modulus calculi and a possibility for comparing the equipment modulus calculated with a reference laboratory test has been offered. (Author) 18 refs.

Development of ion/proton beam equipment for industrial uses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Byung Ho; Lee, J. H.; Cho, Y. S.; Joo, P. K.; Kang, S. S.; Song, W. S.; Kim, H. J.; Chang, G. H.; Bang, S. W

1999-12-01

KAERI has possessed design and fabrication technologies of various ion sources including Duoplasmatron and DuoPiGatron developed by R and D projects of the long-term nuclear technology development program. In order to industrialize ion beam equipments utilizing these ion sources, a technology transfer project for a technology transfer project for a domestic firm has been performed. Under this project, engineers of the firm have been trained through classroom lectures of ion beam principles and OJT, an ion/proton beam equipment (DEMO equipment) has been designed, assembled and commissioned jointly with the engineers. Quality of the ion sources has been quantified, and technologies for ion beam equipment construction, functional test and application research have been developed. The DEMO equipment, which consists of an ion source, power supplies, vacuum, cooling and target systems, has been fabricated and tested to secure stability and reliability for industrial uses. Various characteristic tests including high voltage insulation, beam extraction, beam current measuring, etc. have been performed. This DEMO can be utilized for ion sources development as well as ion beam process development for various industrial products. Engineers of the firm have been trained for the industrialization of ion beam equipment and joined in beam application technology development to create industrial needs of beam equipment. (author)

Unfreezing Higher Education Institutions? Understanding the Introduction of Quality Management in Teaching and Learning in Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Seyfried, Markus; Ansmann, Moritz

2018-01-01

Quality management (QM) in teaching and learning has strongly "infected" the higher education sector and spread around the world. It has almost everywhere become an integral part of higher education reforms. While existing research on QM mainly focuses on the national level from a macro-perspective, its introduction at the institutional…

2. Product quality control and assurance system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Product quality control and assurance are dealt with in relation to reliability in nuclear power engineering. The topics treated include product quality control in nuclear power engineering, product quality assurance of nuclear power plant equipment, quality assurance programs, classification of selected nuclear power equipment, and standards relating to quality control and assurance and to nuclear power engineering. Particular attention is paid to Czechoslovak and CMEA standards. (P.A.). 2 figs., 1 tab., 12 refs

Rules on the Inspection of Gamma Radiography Equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-01-01

These Rules issued by the State Institute of Radiation Hygiene (SIS) set out the obligations of licences and vendors of gamma radiography equipment for purposes of quality control. The Rules provide for a programme of periodic inspections and services by personnel approved by SIS. (NEA)

Quality Research in Higher Education Institutions in Oman: Some Views of Teacher Researchers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Ali Saleh Al Ajmi

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Academic research remains a prime source of knowledge and innovation for higher education institutions (HEIs that strive to grow, expand and develop their academic reputations and standards. Yet, research informs teaching practices, shapes social changes and it has financial outcomes for HEIs. Therefore, it is imperative to develop institutional policies and strategies for promoting and sustaining quality research in HEIs in Oman. There are a number of international frameworks and models which have been developed to measure research quality in HEIs around the world. For example, bibliometrics were used to assess research quality in HEIs in the UK because bibliometric data can provide a number of component variables. An appropriate bibliometric model may include components such as output volume, diversity of outputs, citation volume, journal impact factor and average citations per publication, etc. Moreover, other popular examples of models for assessing research quality are Multidimensional Research Assessment Matrix (MRAM used in Europe and the UK’s Research Assessment Exercise (RAE. However, neither of the above mentioned models is adopted by HEIs in Oman. Thus, the current study is an attempt to explore some institutional, international, logistic and pragmatic factors that impact academic research and publication quality, review popular international research quality assessment models and explore the possibility of applying them in the Omani context. To achieve the study objectives, 20 teacher researchers were surveyed and the findings and recommendations were presented. Keywords: Quality Research, HEIs in Oman, International Models, Factors, Teacher Researchers' Views

Implementing a Quality Management Framework in a Higher Education Organisation: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

O'Mahony, Kim; Garavan, Thomas N.

2012-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to report and analyse the lessons learned from a case study on the implementation of a quality management system within an IT Division in a higher education (HE) organisation. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a review of the relevant literatures and the use of primary sources such as document analysis,…

Higher Education Leadership Graduate Program Development

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Sydney, Jr.; Chambers, Crystal Renée; Newton, Rochelle

2016-01-01

Graduate programs in higher education administration and leadership have sought to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies for higher education leadership; that is, to prepare globally minded leaders who can navigate the internal and external demands of, and for, higher education. With the use of the Lattuca and Stark model of…

Librarian co-authors correlated with higher quality reported search strategies in general internal medicine systematic reviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Rethlefsen, Melissa L; Farrell, Ann M; Osterhaus Trzasko, Leah C; Brigham, Tara J

2015-06-01

To determine whether librarian and information specialist authorship was associated with better reported systematic review (SR) search quality. SRs from high-impact general internal medicine journals were reviewed for search quality characteristics and reporting quality by independent reviewers using three instruments, including a checklist of Institute of Medicine Recommended Standards for the Search Process and a scored modification of the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies instrument. The level of librarian and information specialist participation was significantly associated with search reproducibility from reported search strategies (Χ(2) = 23.5; P Librarian co-authored SRs had significantly higher odds of meeting 8 of 13 analyzed search standards than those with no librarian participation and six more than those with mentioned librarian participation. One-way ANOVA showed that differences in total search quality scores between all three groups were statistically significant (F2,267 = 10.1233; P librarian or information specialist co-authors are correlated with significantly higher quality reported search strategies. To minimize bias in SRs, authors and editors could encourage librarian engagement in SRs including authorship as a potential way to help improve documentation of the search strategy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review of the Research Literature on Defining and Demonstrating Quality Teaching and Impact in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Strang, Lucy; Bélanger, Julie; Manville, Catriona; Meads, Catherine

2016-01-01

In March 2016, the Higher Education Academy (HEA) commissioned RAND Europe to conduct a literature review of research published since 2012, with the aim of identifying and summarising the key trends and issues in the literature on how "quality teaching" and its impact are currently being defined and demonstrated at higher education…

Experience in the manufacture of nuclear equipment in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Challappa, S.; Murthy, G.S.K.; Mehta, S.K.; Kakodkar, A.; Natarajan, A.

1977-01-01

Department of Atomic Energy with its programme for achieving self-sufficiency was involved in engineering, manufacture, inspection, performance testing and quality surveillance of major precision and critical equipment such as reactor vessels, shields, fuelling machines, coolant channel components etc. etc. high pressure equipment for Heavy Water Plants, specialized components for Fuel Complex, major equipment for Cyclotron Project and various research projects. These had to be manufactured at various shops in the country depending upon the availability of machines. The relative importance of various important parameters associated with the manufacture of this equipment were assessed in a separate R and D programme. This has helped in re-designing in some areas to suit the manufacture under Indian conditions. Assessment of any marginal variations that take place during manufacture was also possible because of the availability of data of this kind. Critical components and equipment are tested for their performance under simulated conditions before shipments. B.A.R.C. has contributed immensely in achieving the self-sufficiency and also for designs for future plants

Material & equipment, procurement & maintenance: Impact on blood safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Emmanuel, Jean C

2010-01-01

Blood Transfusion Safety is dependent on effectively organised and managed blood services, which have adequate financial resources, skilled manpower, appropriate infrastructure and quality management systems in place. 80% of the world's population has access to 20% of the supply blood products, of which little is consistently safe. HIV highlighted the importance of blood safety. The lack of effective blood services in low human development index (LHDI), developing countries, has lead to international funding and capacity building for more than three decades. The initial strategies focused on providing HIV testing reagents to prevention transmission, however this only addresses one part of blood safety. Blood safety is not only dependent on preventing HIV transmission. In many populations there are other infectious agents, which have a higher prevalence. Ensuring the correct blood is provided to the patient depends on: well managed services with effective leadership and adequate budgets; capacity building and retention of skilled experienced staff; availability of laboratory equipment, correctly maintained; blood cold chain systems; procedures for tendering, purchasing and ensuring an unbroken supply of reagents and consumables; and quality management systems. Barriers for simplified effective tendering, procurement and contracting require urgent attention and coordination of all funding organisations to ensure an unbroken supply of reagents. Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The improvement of maintenance service for traction networks equipment on the base of process approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. V. Mironov

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The new methods development for improving the maintenance service for equipment of traction networks in order to increase its efficiency and quality. Methodology. In world practice of solving problems related to the quality of products and services is usually achieved by introducing quality management system in to the enterprises. The provisions of quality management system were used for solving the problem. The technologies of process engineering were used for describing the main stages of maintenance service. Findings. The development of high-speed movement and growth of its intensity, the use of electric rolling stock of a new generation require the introduction of new methods diagnostics of equipment technical state and improvement of the existing maintenance system and repair of power supply. Developing a model of business-processes, their optimization with using techniques of process engineering and system management is needed for the transition to the management system based on the process approach. From the standpoint of the process approach and in accordance with the requirements of the quality management system (ISO 9001-2009, the operation of the E (Department of electrification and power supply infrastructure sector is represented as a scheme of business-processes in which the guaranteed supply with electricity of railway and third-party consumers is defined as the main business-process of management. Each of the sub-process of power supply for consumers is described in details. The use methods and main stages of process approach for sample management system reorganization were investigated. The methodology and the application method of PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act closed loop to the equipment maintenance system were described. The monitoring process of traction networks maintenance using the process approach was divided into components after investigations. The technical documentation of maintenance service was investigated in

Final disposal of spent nuclear fuel-equipment for site characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almen, K.; Hansson, K.; Johansson, B.E.; Nilsson, G.; Andersson, O.; Wikberg, P.; Aahagen, H.

1983-05-01

The suitability of a certain geological formation as a repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel can be determined only after detailed investigation and analysis. The purpose of the investigations is to provide information on the geology and the hydrology and chemistry of the site concerned. The value of these data largely depends on the way in which they have been collected. The report of the findings should enable the investigating party to evaluate the function and the accuracy of the equipment with which field data have been collected for KBS 3. This report describes the geophysical equipment, the hydraulic testing equipment, the water chemistry sample extracting equipment and the core-logging equipment used. The objectives of the instrument development have been: - to obtain a high data quality. - to collect data automatically in logs and tape recorders for direct transfer to a central processing unit. - to provide back-up in order to counteract loss of data. - to make instrument more efficient. (author)

X-ray beam qualities for dental radiology purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Marcus Aurelio P. dos; Fragoso, Maria da Conceicao de F.; Lima, Ricardo de A.; Hazim, Clovis A.

2009-01-01

In order to establish characteristics or properties of equipment for diagnostic radiology, e.g. ion chambers and semiconductor detectors, calibration laboratories offer a set of well-defined radiation conditions, called X-ray qualities, which can be used for many Physics studies and medical purposes. The standardization of radiation qualities has been carried out in several fields of study, but little attention has been given to the area of dental radiology, mainly for medical and physical applications using single-phase units with half-wave rectification. For this reason, a single-phase dental unit with adjustable peak voltage and tube current, called 'variable potential X-ray equipment', was developed aiming to define X-ray beam qualities for test and calibrations purposes. X-ray spectra at 50, 60 and 70 kVp were determined by using a CdTe detector and compared with those obtained for ten commercial X-ray dental units. As a result of this study, a set of X-ray qualities for the variable potential X-ray equipment was determined. The X-ray qualities spectra were utilized as reference for determination of a new set of X-ray qualities characterized for a constant potential X-ray equipment. Thus, sets of X-ray qualities were standardized and implemented in two X-ray laboratories: one with the variable potential X-ray equipment and other with constant potential X-ray equipment. These reference X-ray beam qualities should be used for test and calibration purposes involving scientific studies and services. (author)

Changes in equipment and image quality. Impact of one year Austrian breast cancer early detection programme; Aenderungen in der Geraetelandschaft und Bildqualitaet. Auswirkungen nach einem Jahr Oesterreichischem Brustkrebsfrueherkennungsprogramm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menhart, S.; Osanna-Elliott, A.; Semturs, F.; Schloegl, C.; Wildner, S.; Zwettler, G. [AGES, Wien (Austria). Referenzzentrum fuer technische Qualitaetssicherung im Brustkrebsfrueherkennungsprogramm

2015-07-01

The nationwide Austrian Breast Cancer Early Detection Programme (''BKFP'') started in January 2014. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Ltd. was entrusted with running the reference center for technical quality control (''RefZQS'') on April 1, 2014. The quality of the radiologists' equipment is evaluated against the standards described in the EUREF-Oeprotocol, which is based on the European guidelines for quality assurance in breast cancer screening and diagnosis (EPQC V4, 2006) and has been optimized for Austrian requirements. In its first year of operation the RefZQS has controlled the entire equipment (mammography, periphery and ultrasound system) of all participating radiologists. A significant number of systems had to be adjusted to meet the EUREF-Oecriteria. Some of the systems could not be adjusted accordingly, and had to be replaced. In the wake of the start of the screening programme, several sites switched from CR to more modern DR systems, yielding a significant benefit by reduction of radiation burden. The most important data after one year of RefZQS, especially according to adjustments and replacements, are presented.

PERCEIVED SERVICE QUALITY AND STUDENTS' SATISFACTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: THE INFLUENCE OF TEACHING METHODS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugenia Pedro

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this research was to study the relationship between perceived quality (PQ and satisfaction in Higher education, and especially to identify if these variables could differ between groups of students exposed to different teaching methods. A quantitative study was conducted at a Portuguese Faculty of Health Sciences, through a survey applied to a final sample of 359 students. Data analysis was performed through a structural equation model, using, for this purpose, the PLS method. Results confirm that PQ is positively related to students' satisfaction in the Higher Education Institutions (HEI context, and that PQ and satisfaction are significantly different when students are exposed to different teaching approaches. Although there is a substantial body of evidence regarding teaching methods in HEI, to our knowledge there is no reliable prior study that explicitly approached the influence of alternative teaching methods on students' satisfaction and their perception of service quality.

RATIONAL RECOVERY MODEL OF DEPOT PROCESSING EQUIPMENT AT THE INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. I. Kapitsa

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The problem of the maximum resources recovery of rolling stock repair depot of industrial enterprise with limited resources consumption, which are used in the system is today’s topical question.The main factors that affect the repair depot operation of industrial enterprise are reviewed. The most significant factors, affecting the quality of the repair depot, are emphasized for further study, specifically - the state of the major repair equipment of a sector. There is a need to minimize the impact of the unsatisfactory state of this factor. Methodology. The formed task of major equipment rational repairing in the mathematical sense is based on the solution of a vector optimization problem. In this case the target functions are the monetary funds spending and time expenditure for repairing. Findings. The mathematical model of optimal equipment maintainability of the repair department at the industrial enterprise was developed by the authors. On the example the choice model of optimal path for equipment repairing of enterprise repair department is described. Originality. As a result of the conducted research the repairing system of major equipment of industrial enterprise sectors was improved. As the mathematical model of rational system recovery of industrial enterprise repair depot we recommend apparatus of class problems of vector optimization. Practical value. Using the proposed model of major equipment repair system of the repair depot at the industrial enterprise will improve the quality of the department by increasing the efficiency of primary resources - time and monetary funds - which are spent by the sector in order to repair its techniques.

Choice and maintenance of equipment for electron crystallography.

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, Deryck J; Vonck, Janet

2013-01-01

The choice of equipment for an electron crystallography laboratory will ultimately be determined by the available budget; nevertheless, the ideal lab will have two electron microscopes: a dedicated 300 kV cryo-EM with a field emission gun and a smaller LaB(6) machine for screening. The high-end machine should be equipped with photographic film or a very large CCD or CMOS camera for 2D crystal data collection; the screening microscope needs a mid-size CCD for rapid evaluation of crystal samples. The microscope room installations should provide adequate space and a special environment that puts no restrictions on the collection of high-resolution data. Equipment for specimen preparation includes a carbon coater, glow discharge unit, light microscope, plunge freezer, and liquid nitrogen containers and storage dewars. When photographic film is to be used, additional requirements are a film desiccator, dark room, optical diffractometer, and a film scanner. Having the electron microscopes and ancillary equipment well maintained and always in optimum condition facilitates the production of high-quality data.

Brewing Service Quality in Higher Education: Characteristics of Ingredients that Make up the Recipe

Science.gov (United States)

Yeo, Roland K.

2008-01-01

Purpose: The paper seeks to explore the influences of service quality in higher education and the perceptions associated with the implementation of a Singapore tertiary institution. It draws on the underpinnings of SERVQUAL, and discusses the dichotomy and interrelation between customer perception and expectation. Design/methodology/approach:…

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

The information system of learning quality control in higher education institutions: achievements and problems of European universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orekhova Elena

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the main trends in the development of the system of learning quality control connected with the European integration of higher education and the democratization of education. The authors analyze the state of information systems of learning quality control existing in European higher education and identify their strong and weak points. The authors show that in the learning process universities actively use innovative analytic methods as well as modern means of collecting, storing and transferring information that ensure the successful management of such a complex object as the university of the 21st century.

Does Internal Quality Management Contribute to More Control or to Improvement of Higher Education?: A Survey on Faculty's Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

Kleijnen, Jan; Dolmans, Diana; Willems, Jos; van Hout, Hans

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore faculty's perceptions of quality management activities (QMA) within their departments, attention being paid to relevant quality aspects and whether quality management contributes to control or improvement of higher education. Furthermore, it examines differences between departments and relationships…

Quality assurance standards of nuclear equipment and international cooperation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savanger, J.M.

1983-01-01

This paper analyses the quality assurance system; it briefly defines the meaning of this concept and assesses the status of quality assurance in France. The author also reviews the problems and difficulties encountered in the setting up of this system. (NEA) [fr

Quality audits of the remote-controlled automatically-driven gamma ray afterloading equipment used in brachytherapy in the Czech Republic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zackova, H.; Horakova, I.

2001-01-01

To reach safety and precise application of ionisation radiation to patients Atomic act declares, in its Article no. 7, requirements for medical exposure. There are also given -among others -the demands to i nstall the quality assurance programmes (QA) for medical actions and functions . Since 1997, when the act has been adopted, a set of five Recommendations of State Office for Nuclear Safety (SONS ) for radiotherapy has been prepared to instruct users how to prepare quality control system (i.e. system of tests required by of the regulation no.184/1997 Sb. -acceptance, status and constancy tests) for main types of sources used in radiotherapy for treatment of the patients. Among them also the Recommendation on QA in brachytherapy has been issued by SONS in 1998. National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI) has been performing the regular in situ quality audits in which the chosen parameters (which could seriously influence the dose to the patients -i.e. absorbed dose, main geometrical and radiation parameters etc ) are independently checked by the NRPI experts. System of Quality Audits on the sources used in teletherapy has been introduced in 1997 and at present time they are smoothly carried out according the SONS's demands. This work describes the process of installing of the Quality Audit system on brachytherapy. The work described here forms the only part of the activities, which have been carrying out by the department of dosimetry gamma and X-rays of NRPI to support supervisions of SONS in the field of radiation protection in radiotherapy .Quality audits in brachytherapy will extend the possibilities of NRPI. The Methods NRPI 43-01.30 prepared by NRPI could be used as documentation for all types of test which are at present time required by Czech legislation for the remote-controlled automatically-driven gamma-ray afterloading equipment used in brachytherapy. (authors)

The Long Road--How Evolving Institutional Governance Mechanisms Are Changing the Face of Quality in Portuguese Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Sarrico, Cláudia S.; Veiga, Amélia; Amaral, Alberto

2013-01-01

While a lot has been written regarding the changing management and governance arrangements in higher education, less is known about how this progression relates to quality in higher education. The purpose of this article is to describe the context of governance in Portuguese higher education institutions and how institutional governance…

[Determining biomedical equipment calibration in health care Institutions in the Risaralda Department of Colombia].

Science.gov (United States)

López-Isaza, Giovanni A; Llamosa-Rincón, Luis E

2008-01-01

Determining quality features related to tracking biomedical equipment calibration patterns and their electrical safety as implemented by Health Care Institutions in the Risaralda department. This was a descriptive study using non-probabilistic sampling and the criterion of a greater equipment inventory and service demand for Clinics, Aesthetic, Radiology and Dentistry Centres and Hospitals. Census; the instrument was applied to 32 health-care institutions distributed throughout the Risaralda departments 14 municipalities between September 2005 and January 2006. Hospitals was the category having a highest number of electro-medical equipment (56%). Pereira (the capital of Risaralda) had 81% of all electro-medical equipment. All the institutions lacked NTC-ISO-IEC-17025 accreditation regarding standards certified by the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce. None of the institutions externally contracted by the institutions being surveyed was accredited. There is a public health risk in the Risaralda department; all health-care institutions lacked NTC-ISO-IEC-17025 accreditation and external institutions (in turn being hired by them for calibrating their equipment) also lacked accreditation. Based on the information obtained from non-calibrated equipment having international patterns, there is a great danger that determining the quality of biomedical equipment calibration patterns may be erroneous. It also places health-care institutions at a competitive disadvantage when compared to other accredited institutions in Colombia or in other countries.

Mentoring Professors: A Model for Developing Quality Online Instructors and Courses in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Barczyk, Casimir; Buckenmeyer, Janet; Feldman, Lori

2010-01-01

This article presents a four-stage model for mentoring faculty in higher education to deliver high quality online instruction. It provides a timeline that shows the stages of program implementation. Known as the Distance Education Mentoring Program, its major outcomes include certified instructors, student achievement, and the attainment of a…

Strategies of Raising the Quality of Higher Education and Attaining Equality of Educational Opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

Petrovskiy, Igor V.; Agapova, Elena N.

2016-01-01

The aim of the research is to develop the policy and strategy recommendations to increase the quality of higher education in Russian Federation. The study examines the significance of equal educational opportunities and the influence of this factor on the educational systems of developing countries. Transformational processes in the domain of…

Generation of equipment response spectrum considering equipment-structure interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sang Hoon; Yoo, Kwang Hoon

2005-01-01

Floor response spectra for dynamic response of subsystem such as equipment, or piping in nuclear power plant are usually generated without considering dynamic interaction between main structure and subsystem. Since the dynamic structural response generally has the narrow-banded shapes, the resulting floor response spectra developed for various locations in the structure usually have high spectral peak amplitudes in the narrow frequency bands corresponding to the natural frequencies of the structural system. The application of such spectra for design of subsystems often leads to excessive design conservatisms, especially when the equipment frequency and structure are at resonance condition. Thus, in order to provide a rational and realistic design input for dynamic analysis and design of equipment, dynamic equipment-structure interaction (ESI) should be considered in developing equipment response spectrum which is particularly important for equipment at the resonance condition. Many analytical methods have been proposed in the past for developing equipment response spectra considering ESI. However, most of these methods have not been adapted to the practical applications because of either the complexities or the lack of rigorousness of the methods. At one hand, mass ratio among the equipment and structure was used as an important parameter to obtain equipment response spectra. Similarly, Tseng has also proposed the analytical method for developing equipment response spectra using mass ratio in the frequency domain. This method is analytically rigorous and can be easily validated. It is based on the dynamic substructuring method as applied to the dynamic soil-structure interaction (SSI) analysis, and can relatively easily be implemented for practical applications without to change the current dynamic analysis and design practice for subsystems. The equipment response spectra derived in this study are also based on Tseng's proposed method

Evaluation tests of the Instrumentation and Control equipment to use in nuclear power plants: its contribution to the improvement and quality certification of the Brazilian equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menezes, R.H.M. de; Peluso, M.A.V.

1984-01-01

This work presents the procedures used to evaluate Instrumentation Control equipment and reports the experience of integration among instrument user, manufacturer and test institution. It covers tests for equipments for conventional user and for specific application in Nuclear Power Stations. (Author) [pt

Integrating HIV care and treatment into primary healthcare: Are clinics equipped?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Talitha Crowley

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The demand for HIV care and treatment services is increasing rapidly and strategies to sustain long-term care should be employed. The decentralisation and integration of HIV care and treatment services into primary healthcare (PHC is vitally important in order to ensure optimal access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy and ongoing chronic care. Conversely, the PHC system is fraught with the current burden of disease. Setting: The study was conducted in PHC clinics in the uMgungundlovu district, Kwa-Zulu Natal.Aim: The objectives of the study were to assess whether PHC clinics were equipped to deliver integrated HIV services and to evaluate the availability of resources as well as support systems for HIV care and treatment in PHC clinics.Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive study was undertaken in 20 randomly-selected, eligible clinics in the uMgungundlovu district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. An evaluation instrument was completed through observations and review of the clinic data records. Criteria were based on the World Health Organization’s guide to indicators for antiretroviral programmes as well as South African HIV standards for PHC facilities.Results: None of the clinics were equipped adequately. Clinics with a higher patient load had poorer scores, whilst clinics providing antiretroviral therapy were better equipped in terms of human resources and infrastructure.Conclusion: HIV services are an essential part of primary healthcare and clinics need to be equipped adequately in order to render this service. It is unlikely that the over-burdened health system would be able to cope with an increased number of patients on antiretroviral therapy in the long term, whilst maintaining quality of services, without support being given to PHC clinics.

Integrating HIV care and treatment into primary healthcare: Are clinics equipped?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Talitha Crowley

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Background: The demand for HIV care and treatment services is increasing rapidly and strategies to sustain long-term care should be employed. The decentralisation and integration of HIV care and treatment services into primary healthcare (PHC is vitally important in order to ensure optimal access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy and ongoing chronic care. Conversely, the PHC system is fraught with the current burden of disease. Setting: The study was conducted in PHC clinics in the uMgungundlovu district, Kwa-Zulu Natal. Aim: The objectives of the study were to assess whether PHC clinics were equipped to deliver integrated HIV services and to evaluate the availability of resources as well as support systems for HIV care and treatment in PHC clinics. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive study was undertaken in 20 randomly-selected, eligible clinics in the uMgungundlovu district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. An evaluation instrument was completed through observations and review of the clinic data records. Criteria were based on the World Health Organization’s guide to indicators for antiretroviral programmes as well as South African HIV standards for PHC facilities. Results: None of the clinics were equipped adequately. Clinics with a higher patient load had poorer scores, whilst clinics providing antiretroviral therapy were better equipped in terms of human resources and infrastructure. Conclusion: HIV services are an essential part of primary healthcare and clinics need to be equipped adequately in order to render this service. It is unlikely that the over-burdened health system would be able to cope with an increased number of patients on antiretroviral therapy in the long term, whilst maintaining quality of services, without support being given to PHC clinics.

Achieving higher productivity of UO2 fuel at NUOFP through improved in-plant quality surveillance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meena, R.; Pramanik, D.; Sairam, S.; Rajkumar, J.V.; Rao, R.V.R.L.V.; Sinha, T.K.; Santra, N.; Rao, G.V.S.H.; Jayaraj, R.N.

2009-01-01

At Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), in the production of UO 2 fuel for PHWRs, a standard set of process parameters are monitored regularly for every lot of powder and pellet. Quality of intermediate products in the production process like UNP, ADU(dry), U 3 O 8 , UO 2+x , UO 2 granules, green pellets, sintered pellets are also regularly analysed/monitored apart from the final finished pellet and ensured to be within specified range. This range is decided by final product specifications and sometimes also based on the feed requirement in the next process in the downstream of the flow sheet. Vast experience gained over the years, behavior of various equipment under given set of conditions, feed back from the customer plants etc; have been primary criteria hither to, for defining the process conditions and chemical/physical properties of intermediate products

9 CFR 590.502 - Equipment and utensils; PCB-containing equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Sanitary Standards and accepted practices currently in effect for such equipment. (c) New or replacement equipment or machinery (including any replacement parts) brought onto the premises of any official plant... equipment and machinery, and any replacement parts for such equipment and machinery. Totally enclosed...

Re-use of Low Bandwidth Equipment for High Bit Rate Transmission Using Signal Slicing Technique

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wagner, Christoph; Spolitis, S.; Vegas Olmos, Juan José

: Massive fiber-to-the-home network deployment requires never ending equipment upgrades operating at higher bandwidth. We show effective signal slicing method, which can reuse low bandwidth opto-electronical components for optical communications at higher bit rates.......: Massive fiber-to-the-home network deployment requires never ending equipment upgrades operating at higher bandwidth. We show effective signal slicing method, which can reuse low bandwidth opto-electronical components for optical communications at higher bit rates....

Tracking reliability for space cabin-borne equipment in development by Crow model.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, J D; Jiao, S J; Sun, H L

2001-12-01

Objective. To study and track the reliability growth of manned spaceflight cabin-borne equipment in the course of its development. Method. A new technique of reliability growth estimation and prediction, which is composed of the Crow model and test data conversion (TDC) method was used. Result. The estimation and prediction value of the reliability growth conformed to its expectations. Conclusion. The method could dynamically estimate and predict the reliability of the equipment by making full use of various test information in the course of its development. It offered not only a possibility of tracking the equipment reliability growth, but also the reference for quality control in manned spaceflight cabin-borne equipment design and development process.

Higher Degree Committee Members’ Perceptions of Quality Assurance of Doctoral Education: A South African Perspective

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Shan Simmonds

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In South Africa four key policy discourses underpin doctoral education: growth, capacity, efficiency, and quality discourses. This article contributes to the discourse on quality by engaging with quality assurance from the perspective of the decision makers and implementers of macro policy (national, meso (institutional, and micro (faculty/departmental levels. We explore the perceptions that members of higher degree committees in the field of Education have of the quality assurance of doctoral education. Our data are drawn from a national survey questionnaire completed by these respondents at all public South African institutions that offer a doctorate in Education. The insights gained reside within four categories: positionality, policy, programmes, and people (stakeholders. Thereafter, we problematised the main results using academic freedom in a mode 3 knowledge production environment as a lens, which revealed thought provoking directions for future research about doctoral education.

Equipment considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

Trace or ultratrace analyses require that the HPLC equipment used, including the detector, be optimal for such determinations. HPLC detectors are discussed at length in Chapter 4; discussion here is limited to the rest of the equipment. In general, commercial equipment is adequate for trace analysis; however, as the authors approach ultratrace analysis, it becomes very important to examine the equipment thoroughly and optimize it, where possible. For this reason they will review the equipment commonly used in HPLC and discuss the optimization steps. Detectability in HPLC is influenced by two factors (1): (a) baseline noise or other interferences that lead to errors in assigning the baseline absorbance; (b) peak width. 87 refs

Reliability of nondestructive testing of metal strength properties for power equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bugaj, N.V.; Lebedev, A.A.; Sharko, A.V.

1985-01-01

Ultrasonic control which is a constituent part of a complex control system which includes specimen-free (by hardness) tests, random breaking tests and acoustic measurements is stUdied for its reliability with respect to strength properties of power-equipment metal. Quantitative and alternative criteria are developed to estimate quality of elements for power-equipment according to results of metal strength properties. Acoustic control results are presented for ultimate strength in 12Kh1MF-steel

Engineering Work Plan for the Development of Phased Startup Initiative (PSI) Phases 3 and 4 Test Equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

PITNER, A.L.

2000-01-01

A number of tools and equipment pieces are required to facilitate planned test operations during Phases 3 and 4 of the Phased Startup Initiative (PSI). These items will be used in assessing residual canister sludge quantities on cleaned fuel assemblies, sorting coarse and fine scrap fuel pieces, assessing the size distribution of scrap pieces, loading scrap into a canister, and measuring the depth of the accumulated scrap in a canister. This work plan supercedes those previously issued for development of several of these test items. These items will be considered prototype equipment until testing has confirmed their suitability for use in K West Basin. The process described in AP-EN-6-032 will be used to qualify the equipment for facility use. These items are considered non-OCRWM for PSI Phase 3 applications. The safety classification of this equipment is General Service, with Quality Level 0 (for PSI Phase 3). Quality Control inspections shall be performed to verify basic dimensions and overall configurations of fabricated components, and any special quality control verifications specified in this work plan (Section 3.1.5). These inspections shall serve to approve the test equipment for use in K West Basin (Acceptance Tag). This equipment is for information gathering only during PSI Phases 3 and 4 activities, and will be discarded at the completion of PSI. For equipment needed to support actual production throughput, development/fabrication/testing activities would be more rigorously controlled

Comparison of dose and image quality of a Flat-panel detector and an image intensifier; Comparacao da dose e qualidade da imagem de um detector Flatpanel e um intensificador de imagem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lazzaro, M.; Friedrich, B.Q.; Luz, R.M. da; Silva, A.M.M. da, E-mail: marcos.lazzaro@acad.pucrs.br [Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

2016-07-01

With the development of new technologies, have emerged new conversion methods of X-ray image, such as flat panel detectors. The aim of this work is the comparison of entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) and image quality between an image intensifier type of detector (A) and a flat panel (B). The ESAK was obtained by placing a ionization chamber under PMMA simulators of 10, 20 and 30 cm and the image quality was obtained by using the TOR {sup 18}FG simulator. The ESAK to the equipment A is higher when compared to the equipment B. The high contrast resolution is better for the equipment A for all thicknesses of simulators. The equipment A has low contrast resolution with a better viewing threshold for thicknesses of 10 and 20 cm, and a worse performance for 30 cm. It is concluded that the equipment B has ESAK smaller and despite having lower resolution, in almost all cases, have appropriate image quality for diagnosis. (author)

Quality assurance in mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fosmark, H.; Olerud, H.M.

1992-01-01

Guidelines in mammography are given, including competence of staff, performance of equipment and quality control procedures. The purpose of the guidelines is to ensure optimum diagnostic quality. 5 refs

Radiotherapy equipment for conformal radiotherapy and IMRT in the Czech Republic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horakova, I.; Irena Pavlikova, I.; Novotny, J. ml.

2005-01-01

The development of the equipment of radiotherapy departments in the Czech Republic is presented here. The data from the special questionnaire from 14 workplaces with linear accelerators with multi-leaf collimators (MLC) and electronic portal imaging device (EPID) are included. They show not only the equipment specification but also the application methods, the quality control, plans for future etc. In the Czech Republic, a great extension of modem irradiation techniques and accessories occurs at present. Together with it, it is necessary to develop quality assurance of the whole process of dose delivery to the patient. It is also necessary to assure further education and training of hospital staff. Modern radiotherapy techniques demand sufficient amount of all sources including personal sources. (authors)

Control system of digital x-ray systems by quality parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balashov, S.V.; Kovalenko, Yu.N.

2013-01-01

The paper proposed a control system of X-ray digital equipment on quality indicators. Two basic parameters were determined: image quality and patients' radiation load. A method for monitoring these indicators is proposed. The criterion of equipment suitability is to obtain control digital X-ray images of diagnostically acceptable quality at a fixed low entrance dose in the plane of the digital detector. It is shown that the control system of X-ray digital equipment based on indicators of quality is the most appropriate in situations of deficit of financial resources, since minimizing the costs for the purchase and running of control systems, does not require highly skilled technical personnel, and reduces the duration of the equipment inspection. (authors)

Medical Issues: Equipment

Science.gov (United States)

... Information Packets Equipment Pool Living With SMA Medical Issues Palliative Breathing Orthopedics Nutrition Equipment Daily Life At ... curesma.org > support & care > living with sma > medical issues > equipment Equipment Individuals with SMA often require a ...

Academics\\' perceptions of `quality in higher education\\' and quality ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

academics. The article discusses various perceptions of QHE as well as the concern for quality nationally and internationally and distils out some general QP, QA, QC and QM strategies. This research was a case study. The sample consisted of 28 academics from the Faculty of Science. Data were gathered mainly through

The research of medical equipment on-line detection system based on Android smartphone

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Junjie; Dong, Xinyu; Zhang, Hongjie; Liu, Mengjun

2017-06-01

With the unceasing enhancement of medical level, the expanding scale of medical institutions, medical equipment as an important tool for disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention, used in all levels of medical institutions. The quality and accuracy of the Medical equipment play a key role in the doctor's diagnosis and treatment effect, medical metrology as the important technical foundation is to ensure that the equipment, technology, material components are accurate and the application is safe and reliable. Medical equipment have the feature of variety, large quantity, long using cycle, expensive and multi-site, which bring great difficulty in maintenance, equipment management and verification. Therefore, how to get the medical measurement integrate deeply into the advanced internet technology, information technology and the new measuring method, for real-time monitoring of medical equipment, tracking, positioning, and query is particularly important.

QUALITY-RELATED FUNDING IN ROMANIAN HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGHOUT 2003 – 2011: A GLOBAL ASSESSMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel-Alexandru Vîiu

2015-12-01