Applying of component system development in object methodology, case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milan Mišovič

2013-01-01

Full Text Available To create computarization target software as a component system has been a very strong requirement for the last 20 years of software developing. Finally, the architectural components are self-contained units, presenting not only partial and overall system behavior, but also cooperating with each other on the basis of their interfaces. Among others, components have allowed flexible modification of processes the behavior of which is the foundation of components behavior without changing the life of the component system. On the other hand, the component system makes it possible, at design time, to create numerous new connections between components and thus creating modified system behaviors. This all enables the company management to perform, at design time, required behavioral changes of processes in accordance with the requirements of changing production and market.The development of software which is generally referred to as SDP (Software Development Process contains two directions. The first one, called CBD (Component–Based Development, is dedicated to the development of component–based systems CBS (Component–based System, the second target is the development of software under the influence of SOA (Service–Oriented Architecture. Both directions are equipped with their different development methodologies. The subject of this paper is only the first direction and application of development of component–based systems in its object–oriented methodologies. The requirement of today is to carry out the development of component-based systems in the framework of developed object–oriented methodologies precisely in the way of a dominant style. In some of the known methodologies, however, this development is not completely transparent and is not even recognized as dominant. In some cases, it is corrected by the special meta–integration models of component system development into an object methodology.This paper presents a case study

Methodology for evaluation of railroad technology research projects

Science.gov (United States)

1981-04-01

This Project memorandum presents a methodology for evaluating railroad research projects. The methodology includes consideration of industry and societal benefits, with special attention given to technical risks, implementation considerations, and po...

Measuring hand hygiene compliance rates in different special care settings: a comparative study of methodologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thyago Pereira Magnus

2015-04-01

Conclusions: Hand hygiene compliance was reasonably high in these units, as measured by direct observation. However, a lack of correlation with results obtained by other methodologies brings into question the validity of direct observation results, and suggests that periodic audits using other methods may be needed.

Supervision of Special Education Instruction in Rural Public School Districts: A Grounded Theory

OpenAIRE

Bays, Debora Ann

2001-01-01

The grounded theory presented in this study describes how the supervision of special education instruction occurs in public elementary schools in rural settings. Grounded theory methodology (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) was employed in this study. Nine elementary schools in three rural districts in the state of Virginia participated in the study. Interview data were collected from 34 participants, including special and general education teachers, principals, and directors of special education. Obs...

Study of adolescents exposed in utero. Methodological evaluation of the Nagasaki sample

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hrubec, Zdenek, Noble, K.B.; Burrow, G N

1962-09-12

Fetal tissues have been shown to be extremely sensitive to ionizing radiation, and therefore a group of children who were exposed in utero are of special interest. When these children entered adolescence, an intensive study was undertaken to determine whether differences not otherwise apparent would be revealed during the stress of this period of rapid growth. The purpose of this report is to describe the sample used to study these adolescent children who were exposed in utero and to provide reference information. The problems of using ex post facto methods as employed in this study have been discussed in detail elsewhere. In summary, the extent to which findings of a retrospective study may be generalized to a larger population can be determined only from a careful and extensive study of the characteristics of the sample and an evaluation of the procedures used in its selection. It is generally recognized that even an extensive methodologic exploration of this kind offers no conclusive proof that a sample is useful for a specific study. In the sample, some variables which may have a considerable effect on the medical data, such as socioeconomic status, have been taken into account only superficially. There is always the possibility that some important, completely unsuspected variables may produce spurious associations. However there is an almost infinite number of such factors which might conceivably affect the data. Vast research resources could be committed to a methodologic evaluation without fulfilling the basic purpose of the study. An approach must be devised which is judged methodologically adequate but which will not tax the research resource to the detriment of the basic objectives. It is hoped that this report will satisfy the requirements of this compromise. 30 references, 36 tables.

Luigi Gatteschi's work on asymptotics of special functions and their zeros

Science.gov (United States)

Gautschi, Walter; Giordano, Carla

2008-12-01

A good portion of Gatteschi's research publications-about 65%-is devoted to asymptotics of special functions and their zeros. Most prominently among the special functions studied figure classical orthogonal polynomials, notably Jacobi polynomials and their special cases, Laguerre polynomials, and Hermite polynomials by implication. Other important classes of special functions dealt with are Bessel functions of the first and second kind, Airy functions, and confluent hypergeometric functions, both in Tricomi's and Whittaker's form. This work is reviewed here, and organized along methodological lines.

Methodological remarks on studying prehistoric Greek religion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petra Pakkanen

1999-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a methodological approach to the study of Greek religion of the period which lacks written documents, i.e. prehistory. The assumptions and interpretations of religion of that time have to be based on archaeological material. How do we define religion and cultic activity on the basis of primary archaeological material from this period, and which are the methodological tools for this difficult task? By asking questions on the nature and definition of religion and culture scholars of religion have provided us with some methodological apparatus to approach religion of the past in general, but there are models developed by archaeologists as well. Critical combination of these methodological tools leads to the best possible result. Archaeology studies the material culture of the past. History of religion studies the spiritual culture of the past. In the background the two have important theoretical and even philosophical speculations since they both deal with meanings (of things or practices and with interpretation.

Testing Methodology in the Student Learning Process

Science.gov (United States)

Gorbunova, Tatiana N.

2017-01-01

The subject of the research is to build methodologies to evaluate the student knowledge by testing. The author points to the importance of feedback about the mastering level in the learning process. Testing is considered as a tool. The object of the study is to create the test system models for defence practice problems. Special attention is paid…

The Opinions of Teachers Working at Special Education Centers on Inclusive/Integration Education

Science.gov (United States)

Dogan, Ahmet; Bengisoy, Ayse

2017-01-01

This study was conducted with the purpose of finding out the opinions of teachers working at special education centers about inclusive education. The study was conducted with teachers working at a special education center in Famagusta, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, in the academic year of 2016-2017. Qualitative methodology was used in the…

Overview of the Health and Retirement Study and Introduction to the Special Issue.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Gwenith G; Ryan, Lindsay H

2018-01-01

Twenty five years ago, the largest academic behavioral and social science project ever undertaken in the U.S. began: the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The HRS is an invaluable publicly available dataset for investigating work, aging, and retirement and informing public policy on these issues. This biennial longitudinal study began in 1992 and has studied more than 43,000 individuals and produced almost 4000 journal articles, dissertations, books, book chapters, and reports to date. The purpose of this special issue of Work, Aging and Retirement is to describe the HRS and highlight relevant research that utilizes this rich and complex dataset. First, we briefly describe the background that led to the development of the HRS. Then we summarize key aspects of the study, including its development, sampling, and methodology. Our review of the content of the survey focuses on the aspects of the study most relevant to research on worker aging and retirement. Next, we identify key strengths and important limitations of the study and provide advice to current and future HRS data users. Finally, we summarize the articles in this Special Issue (all of which use data from the HRS) and how they advance our knowledge and understanding of worker aging and retirement.

Case Study Methodology and Homelessness Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jill Pable

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the potential suitability of case study methodology for inquiry with the homeless population. It references a research study that uses case study research method to build theory. This study's topic is the lived experience of destitute individuals who reside in homeless shelters, and explores the homeless shelter built environment's potential influence on resident satisfaction and recovery. Case study methodology may be appropriate because it explores real-life contextual issues that characterize homelessness and can also accommodate the wide range of homeless person demographics that make this group difficult to study in a generalized fashion. Further, case study method accommodates the need within research in this area to understand individualized treatments as a potential solution for homelessness.

Special Issue on Using Econometrics for Assessing Economic Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juselius, Katarina

2009-01-01

Two methodological approaches to empirical economics which are labelled ‘theory first' versus ‘reality first' are introduced building the background for the discussion of the individual contributions to this special issue.......Two methodological approaches to empirical economics which are labelled ‘theory first' versus ‘reality first' are introduced building the background for the discussion of the individual contributions to this special issue....

Research on the Special Railway Intelligence Transportation Hierarchy and System Integration Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng-Jie WANG

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Following the rapid development of information technology in the field of railway transportation, the problems of establishing a digital, integrated and intelligent special railway system need to be solved immediately. This paper designs and implements the intelligent transportation information system based on the unique pattern of transportation organization, the characteristics of transportation operations and the workflow of special railway. Through the detailed analysis of system architecture and framework design, the main subsystems and the internal comprehensive integrated principle, business system from a system integration perspective of the special railway is optimized, which can be able to realize the integration of all kinds of information resources. The implementation of integration and the special railway intelligent system is a great change in terms of maximizing transportation capacity, improving efficiency and guaranteeing the safety of special railway transportation.

Media Literacy, Education & (Civic) Capability: A Transferable Methodology

Science.gov (United States)

McDougall, Julian; Berger, Richard; Fraser, Pete; Zezulkova, Marketa

2015-01-01

This article explores the relationship between a formal media educational encounter in the UK and the broad objectives for media and information literacy education circulating in mainland Europe and the US. A pilot study, developed with a special interest group of the United Kingdom Literacy Association, applied a three-part methodology for…

Study of the methodology for sensitivity calculations of fast reactors integral parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renke, C.A.C.

1981-06-01

A study of the methodology for sensitivity calculations of integral parameters of fast reactors for the adjustment of multigroup cross sections is presented. A description of several existent methods and theories is given, with special emphasis being regarded to variational perturbation theory, integrant of the sensitivity code VARI-1D used in this work. Two calculational systems are defined and a set of procedures and criteria is structured gathering the necessary conditions for the determination of the sensitivity coefficients. These coefficients are then computed by both the direct method and the variational perturbation theory. A reasonable number of sensitivity coefficients are computed and analyzed for three fast critical assemblies, covering a range of special interest of the spectrum. These coefficients are determined for severa integral parameters, for the capture and fission cross sections of the U-238 and Pu-239, covering all the energy up to 14.5 MeV. The nuclear data used were obtained the CARNAVAL II calculational system of the Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear. An optimization for sensitivity computations in a chainned sequence of procedures is made, yielding the sensitivities in the energy macrogroups as the final stage. (Author) [pt

Climate Change Risks – Methodological Framework and Case Study of Damages from Extreme Events in Cambodia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halsnæs, Kirsten; Kaspersen, Per Skougaard; Trærup, Sara Lærke Meltofte

2016-01-01

Climate change imposes some special risks on Least Developed Countries, and the chapter presents a methodological framework, which can be used to assess the impacts of key assumptions related to damage costs, risks and equity implications on current and future generations. The methodological...... framework is applied to a case study of severe storms in Cambodia based on statistical information on past storm events including information about buildings damaged and victims. Despite there is limited data available on the probability of severe storm events under climate change as well on the actual...... damage costs associated with the events in the case of Cambodia, we are using the past storm events as proxy data in a sensitivity analysis. It is here demonstrated how key assumptions on future climate change, income levels of victims, and income distribution over time, reflected in discount rates...

Estimating the potential impacts of a nuclear reactor accident: methodology and case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cartwright, J.V.; Beemiller, R.M.; Trott, E.A. Jr.; Younger, J.M.

1982-04-01

This monograph describes an industrial impact model that can be used to estimate the regional industry-specific impacts of disasters. Special attention is given to the impacts of possible nuclear reactor accidents. The monograph also presents three applications of the model. The impacts estimated in the case studies are based on (1) general information and reactor-specific data, supplied by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), (2) regional economic models derived from the Regional Input-Output Modeling System (RIMS II) developed at the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), and (3) additional methodology developed especially for taking into account the unique characteristics of a nuclear reactor accident with respect to regional industrial activity

Qualitative methodology in a psychoanalytic single case study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grünbaum, Liselotte

features and breaks in psychotherapy investigated. One aim of the study was to contribute to the development of a transparent and systematic methodology for the psychoanalytic case study by application of rigorous qualitative research methodology. To this end, inductive-deductive principles in line...

Methodological quality of diagnostic accuracy studies on non-invasive coronary CT angiography: influence of QUADAS (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies included in systematic reviews) items on sensitivity and specificity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schueler, Sabine; Walther, Stefan; Schuetz, Georg M.; Schlattmann, Peter; Dewey, Marc

2013-01-01

To evaluate the methodological quality of diagnostic accuracy studies on coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography using the QUADAS (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies included in systematic reviews) tool. Each QUADAS item was individually defined to adapt it to the special requirements of studies on coronary CT angiography. Two independent investigators analysed 118 studies using 12 QUADAS items. Meta-regression and pooled analyses were performed to identify possible effects of methodological quality items on estimates of diagnostic accuracy. The overall methodological quality of coronary CT studies was merely moderate. They fulfilled a median of 7.5 out of 12 items. Only 9 of the 118 studies fulfilled more than 75 % of possible QUADAS items. One QUADAS item (''Uninterpretable Results'') showed a significant influence (P = 0.02) on estimates of diagnostic accuracy with ''no fulfilment'' increasing specificity from 86 to 90 %. Furthermore, pooled analysis revealed that each QUADAS item that is not fulfilled has the potential to change estimates of diagnostic accuracy. The methodological quality of studies investigating the diagnostic accuracy of non-invasive coronary CT is only moderate and was found to affect the sensitivity and specificity. An improvement is highly desirable because good methodology is crucial for adequately assessing imaging technologies. (orig.)

Methodological quality of diagnostic accuracy studies on non-invasive coronary CT angiography: influence of QUADAS (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies included in systematic reviews) items on sensitivity and specificity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schueler, Sabine; Walther, Stefan; Schuetz, Georg M. [Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Charite Medical School, Department of Radiology, Berlin (Germany); Schlattmann, Peter [University Hospital of Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Department of Medical Statistics, Informatics, and Documentation, Jena (Germany); Dewey, Marc [Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Charite Medical School, Department of Radiology, Berlin (Germany); Charite, Institut fuer Radiologie, Berlin (Germany)

2013-06-15

To evaluate the methodological quality of diagnostic accuracy studies on coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography using the QUADAS (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies included in systematic reviews) tool. Each QUADAS item was individually defined to adapt it to the special requirements of studies on coronary CT angiography. Two independent investigators analysed 118 studies using 12 QUADAS items. Meta-regression and pooled analyses were performed to identify possible effects of methodological quality items on estimates of diagnostic accuracy. The overall methodological quality of coronary CT studies was merely moderate. They fulfilled a median of 7.5 out of 12 items. Only 9 of the 118 studies fulfilled more than 75 % of possible QUADAS items. One QUADAS item (''Uninterpretable Results'') showed a significant influence (P = 0.02) on estimates of diagnostic accuracy with ''no fulfilment'' increasing specificity from 86 to 90 %. Furthermore, pooled analysis revealed that each QUADAS item that is not fulfilled has the potential to change estimates of diagnostic accuracy. The methodological quality of studies investigating the diagnostic accuracy of non-invasive coronary CT is only moderate and was found to affect the sensitivity and specificity. An improvement is highly desirable because good methodology is crucial for adequately assessing imaging technologies. (orig.)

Methodology for the case studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

2017-01-01

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

Characteristics of scientific production in Special Education in Virtual Health Library (VHL: a bibliometric study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciana Pizzani

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: To characterize, through bibliometric approach, the scientific literature in this Special Education in the databases of the Virtual Health Library (VHL. The VHL is coordinated by BIREME - Specialized Center of the Pan American Health Organization whose objective is to promote the dissemination and use of scientific information in health. Method: The research methodology was performed by observing the following steps: a literature review on education special and bibliometrics, data collection from the site of BIREME about the presence of special education in the databases, organization, processing and bibliometric analysis of data collected using the software MS Excel and Vantage Point. Results: indicators produced allow signal that the predominant language of scientific production was the Portuguese and the majority of records were written individually, the themes addressed were psychology and developmental psychology. Conclusion: These bibliometric indicators characterizing the state of the art of scientific literature in Special Education at the various bases Data Bireme and also showed a field of interconnections between Health Sciences and Special Education.

Employing Case Study Methodology in Special Educational Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Rouse, Angelise M.

2016-01-01

In general, case studies are a preferred strategy when "how" or "why" questions are being posed, when the investigator has little control over events, and when the focus is on a contemporary phenomenon within some real-life context (Yin, 2009). This article will examine the advantages and disadvantages of employing case study…

Establishing a Methodology to Examine the Effects of War-Zone PTSD on the Family: The Family Foundations Study

Science.gov (United States)

Vasterling, Jennifer J.; Taft, Casey T.; Proctor, Susan P.; MacDonald, Helen Z.; Lawrence, Amy; Kalill, Kathleen; Kaiser, Anica P.; Lee, Lewina O.; King, Daniel W.; King, Lynda A.; Fairbank, John A.

2015-01-01

Military deployment may adversely affect not only returning veterans, but their families, as well. As a result, researchers have increasingly focused on identifying risk and protective factors for successful family adaptation to war-zone deployment, re-integration of the returning veteran, and the longer-term psychosocial consequences of deployment experienced by some veterans and families. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among returning veterans may pose particular challenges to military and military veteran families; however, questions remain regarding the impact of the course of veteran PTSD and other potential moderating factors on family adaptation to military deployment. The Family Foundations Study builds upon an established longitudinal cohort of Army soldiers (i.e., the Neurocognition Deployment Health Study) to help address remaining knowledge gaps. This report describes the conceptual framework and key gaps in knowledge that guided the study design, methodological challenges and special considerations in conducting military family research, and how these gaps, challenges, and special considerations are addressed by the study. PMID:26077194

A Methodological Approach to the Study of Urban Memory: Narratives about Mexico City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martha de Alba

2012-05-01

Full Text Available This article serves a dual purpose. On the one hand, I seek to understand social representations and the collective memory of a sample of older adults, resident in the metropolitan area of Mexico City. On the other hand, I wish to reflect on the methodology used to achieve that objective, placing special emphasis on the combination of two complementary techniques: Atlas.ti, a tool used to carry out a semantic analysis of the interviews, and Alceste, a program that makes it possible to observe a classification of the terms used by respondents based on a statistical analysis of co-occurrences. The article is structured in the following order. Firstly, I explain the theoretical presuppositions that sustain the study. Secondly, I look at the methodology used, the reasons why I decided to use the software in question, and the analysis strategies for the interviews. Finally, I present the results obtained, and close with a final discussion on the relevance of the general methodology of the study for analyzing urban memory. The results indicate different levels of analysis of extensive narratives about the past experience of a great city like Mexico City; from the individual level that allows Atlas.ti up to a collective level (gender differences, location or socioeconomic status that prioritizes Alceste. I discuss the limitations of these software tools to analyze experiences that have continuity in time and space, as well in the incorporation of space as a complex category of analysis. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1202276

Single Subject Research: Applications to Special Education

Science.gov (United States)

Cakiroglu, Orhan

2012-01-01

Single subject research is a scientific research methodology that is increasingly used in the field of special education. Therefore, understanding the unique characteristics of single subject research methodology is critical both for educators and practitioners. Certain characteristics make single subject research one of the most preferred…

Case Study Research Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Widdowson

2011-01-01

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

Privacy and CHI : methodologies for studying privacy issues

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Patil, S.; Romero, N.A.; Karat, J.

2006-01-01

This workshop aims to reflect on methodologies to empirically study privacy issues related to advanced technology. The goal is to address methodological concerns by drawing upon both theoretical perspectives as well as practical experiences.

Prevalence of cluster headache in the Republic of Georgia: results of a population-based study and methodological considerations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Katsarava, Z; Dzagnidze, A; Kukava, M

2009-01-01

We present a study of the general-population prevalence of cluster headache in the Republic of Georgia and discuss the advantages and challenges of different methodological approaches. In a community-based survey, specially trained medical residents visited 500 adjacent households in the capital...... with possible cluster headache, who were then personally interviewed by one of two headache-experienced neurologists. Cluster headache was confirmed in one subject. The prevalence of cluster headache was therefore estimated to be 87/100,000 (95% confidence interval

Investigating the Experiences of Special School Visual Arts Teachers

African Journals Online (AJOL)

the practical learning problems their students experience, the teachers maintained that studying ... 2009, the Hong Kong Education Bureau adopted a new ... arts is one of the elective subjects available to special ... methodology, since it is attentive to how things reveal .... educational backgrounds and their teaching careers.

Study of methodology diversification in diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suda, Kazunori; Yonekawa, Tsuyoshi; Yoshikawa, Shinji; Hasegawa, Makoto

1999-03-01

There are several research activities to enhance safety and reliability of nuclear power plant operation and maintenance. We are developing a concept of an autonomous operation system where the role of operators is replaced with artificial intelligence. The purpose of the study described in this report is to develop a operator support system in abnormal plant situations. Conventionally, diagnostic modules based on individual methodology such as expert system have been developed and verified. In this report, methodology diversification is considered to integrate diagnostic modules which performance are confirmed using information processing technique. Technical issues to be considered in diagnostic methodology diversification are; 1)reliability of input data, 2)diversification of knowledge models, algorithms and reasoning schemes, 3)mutual complement and robustness. The diagnostic module utilizing the different approaches defined along with strategy of diversification was evaluated using fast breeder plant simulator. As a result, we confirmed that any singular diagnostic module can not meet accuracy criteria for the entire set of anomaly events. In contrast with this, we confirmed that every abnormality could be precisely diagnosed by a mutual combination. In other words, legitimacy of approach selected by strategy of diversification was shown, and methodology diversification attained clear efficiency for abnormal diagnosis. It has been also confirmed that the diversified diagnostic system implemented in this study is able to maintain its accuracy even in case that encountered scale of abnormality is different from reference cases embedded in the knowledge base. (author)

Steganography: LSB Methodology

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-02

of LSB steganography in grayscale and color images . In J. Dittmann, K. Nahrstedt, and P. Wohlmacher, editors, Proceedings of the ACM, Special...Fridrich, M. Gojan and R. Du paper titled “Reliable detection of LSB steganography in grayscale and color images ”. From a general perspective Figure 2...REPORT Steganography : LSB Methodology (Progress Report) 14. ABSTRACT 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: In computer science, steganography is the science

BAT methodology applied to the construction of new CCNN; Metodologia BAT aplicada a la construccion de nuevas CCNN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vilches Rodriguez, E.; Campos Feito, O.; Gonzalez Delgado, J.

2012-07-01

The BAT methodology should be used in all phases of the project, from preliminary studies and design to decommissioning, gaining special importance in radioactive waste management and environmental impact studies. Adequate knowledge of this methodology will streamline the decision making process and to facilitate the relationship with regulators and stake holders.

Medical Speciality Thesis: Contribution to a Controversial Issue with a Research Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet Bilgin SAYDAM

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The aquisition of clinical and practical skills is the main target during the speciality training program. On the other hand, acquisition of skills in reading and interpreting scientific knowledge are also important training targets in order to develop and update clinical practice constantly. The process of thesis preparation during the speciality training provides an important opportunity to capture the skills in interpreting scientific knowledge. In Turkey, thesis writing has been obligatory for completion of speciality training for several years. Recently, there has been a discussion about the obligation for clinicians to write a thesis, especially those who are undertaking specialist training in education and research hospitals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pros and cons of thesis writing during speciality training using a questionnaire that was sent to specialists. This descriptive and analytical study was conducted as an e-questionnaire between December, 2013, and May, 2014. A likert scale consisted of 18 questions has been prepared in accordance with this study. Th e questionnaire was sent to 1536 physicians. 328 of the questionnaires have been included in the study by evaluating the responses obtained from 345 of the participants. Th e response rate was 23%. Th e Cronbach alpha coeff icient was 0.77. Out of the 328 questionnaires, 11.9 %were from Basic Medical Sciences, 57%from Internal Medical Sciences, and 30.2%from Surgical Medical Sciences. Among the respondents, the percentage of specialists, assistant professors, associate professors and professors were 20.7%, 8.2%, 13.7%, and 57.3%, respectively. Independent of specialty field and aff iliation, the respondents concluded that the conduction and thesis writing contributed to their scientific career in spite of the common problems they encountered regarding adequate time for preparation. Furthermore, they concluded that thesis writing had a positive eff ect in the

Methodology of site studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caries, J.C.; Hugon, J.; Grauby, A.

1980-01-01

This methodology consists in an essentially dynamic, estimated and follow-up analysis of the impact of discharges on all the environment compartments, whether natural or not, that play a part in the protection of man and his environment. It applies at two levels, to wit: the choice of site, or the detailed study of the site selected. Two examples of its application will be developed, namely: at the choice of site level in the case of marine sites, and of the detailed study level of the chosen site in that of a riverside site [fr

Constructive Analysis : A Study in Epistemological Methodology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahlström, Kristoffer

, and develops a framework for a kind of analysis that is more in keeping with recent psychological research on categorization. Finally, it is shown that this kind of analysis can be applied to the concept of justification in a manner that furthers the epistemological goal of providing intellectual guidance.......The present study is concerned the viability of the primary method in contemporary philosophy, i.e., conceptual analysis. Starting out by tracing the roots of this methodology to Platonic philosophy, the study questions whether such a methodology makes sense when divorced from Platonic philosophy...

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

Science.gov (United States)

Anthony, Susan; Jack, Susan

2009-06-01

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

Study on methodology: Version 1.2

OpenAIRE

Fraunhofer-Institut für Software und Systemtechnik -ISST-, Berlin; Semantic Interoperability Centre Europe -SEMIC.EU-

2009-01-01

This study presents state-of-the-art methodologies for treating the different types of semantic conflicts, i.e. detecting and resolving these conflicts or even avoiding them by reusing existing solutions.

76 FR 40379 - New Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Study Logistic Formative Research Methodology Studies...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-08

...; Comment Request; Study Logistic Formative Research Methodology Studies for the National Children's Study... Collection Title: Study Logistics Formative Research Methodology Studies for the National Children's Study... national longitudinal study of environmental influences (including physical, chemical, biological, and...

Comparative study on software development methodologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihai Liviu DESPA

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the current state of knowledge in the field of software development methodologies. It aims to set the stage for the formalization of a software development methodology dedicated to innovation orientated IT projects. The paper starts by depicting specific characteristics in software development project management. Managing software development projects involves techniques and skills that are proprietary to the IT industry. Also the software development project manager handles challenges and risks that are predominantly encountered in business and research areas that involve state of the art technology. Conventional software development stages are defined and briefly described. Development stages are the building blocks of any software development methodology so it is important to properly research this aspect. Current software development methodologies are presented. Development stages are defined for every showcased methodology. For each methodology a graphic representation is illustrated in order to better individualize its structure. Software development methodologies are compared by highlighting strengths and weaknesses from the stakeholder's point of view. Conclusions are formulated and a research direction aimed at formalizing a software development methodology dedicated to innovation orientated IT projects is enunciated.

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nerida Hyett

2014-05-01

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

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2014-01-01

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

Military Assistance for Special Events: Planning Requirements and Support Methodology

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

White, James

1999-01-01

.... These events were celebrations and usually conducted with little or no disruption. In 1972 the world of special events was forever changed by the terrorist attack on the Israeli athletes in Munich during the Summer Olympic Games...

FOUNDATIONS FOR A THEORETICALMETHODOLOGICAL CONCEPTION OF THE SPECIALIZED TRAINING OF THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Valiente Sandó

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The new requirements stated to the school today demand the specialization and professionalization of the school principal, processes where his specialized training has a decisive role. A proposal of foundations is presented for the creation of a theoretical-methodological conception of such training establishing: its singular nature, the need of its development in stages systemically related; its realization through the combination of ways of the postgraduate education, the methodological work and the scientific-pedagogical activity; and its significance as a process where two other sub processes are distinguished: the first one pedagogical, which claims for the application of special didactical-methodological criteria and recommendations, and another managerial, which execution means a group of specific implications.

USING QUALITATIVE APPROACH IN SPECIAL EDUCATION RESEARCH

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Natasa GALEVSKA

1998-04-01

Full Text Available The text deals with some methodological problems in special education research. The limits of purely positivistic, quantitative, experimental research in the area of special education lately are overcome with the use of qualitative approach. Qualitative research are flexibly designed. The data are descriptive and collected in natural setting. Characteristics of the qualitative research make them more appropriate for investigation of the phenomena in special education, considering the small numbers of available subjects, heterogeneity, ethical and moral problems, etc.

Teacher and Student Variables Affecting Special Education Evaluation and Referral

Science.gov (United States)

Woodson, Lorenzo Adrian

2017-01-01

Past research has revealed that African American/Black boys are referred for special education evaluation at disproportionately higher rates than boys of other racial/ethnic groups. This correlational study used survey methodology to examine whether student and teacher demographic variables predicted how likely a teacher would refer boy students…

Researching virtual worlds methodologies for studying emergent practices

CERN Document Server

Phillips, Louise

2013-01-01

This volume presents a wide range of methodological strategies that are designed to take into account the complex, emergent, and continually shifting character of virtual worlds. It interrogates how virtual worlds emerge as objects of study through the development and application of various methodological strategies. Virtual worlds are not considered objects that exist as entities with fixed attributes independent of our continuous engagement with them and interpretation of them. Instead, they are conceived of as complex ensembles of technology, humans, symbols, discourses, and economic structures, ensembles that emerge in ongoing practices and specific situations. A broad spectrum of perspectives and methodologies is presented: Actor-Network-Theory and post-Actor-Network-Theory, performativity theory, ethnography, discourse analysis, Sense-Making Methodology, visual ethnography, multi-sited ethnography, and Social Network Analysis.

Introduction to the special collection of papers on the San Luis Basin Sustainability Metrics Project: a methodology for evaluating regional sustainability.

Science.gov (United States)

Heberling, Matthew T; Hopton, Matthew E

2012-11-30

This paper introduces a collection of four articles describing the San Luis Basin Sustainability Metrics Project. The Project developed a methodology for evaluating regional sustainability. This introduction provides the necessary background information for the project, description of the region, overview of the methods, and summary of the results. Although there are a multitude of scientifically based sustainability metrics, many are data intensive, difficult to calculate, and fail to capture all aspects of a system. We wanted to see if we could develop an approach that decision-makers could use to understand if their system was moving toward or away from sustainability. The goal was to produce a scientifically defensible, but straightforward and inexpensive methodology to measure and monitor environmental quality within a regional system. We initiated an interdisciplinary pilot project in the San Luis Basin, south-central Colorado, to test the methodology. The objectives were: 1) determine the applicability of using existing datasets to estimate metrics of sustainability at a regional scale; 2) calculate metrics through time from 1980 to 2005; and 3) compare and contrast the results to determine if the system was moving toward or away from sustainability. The sustainability metrics, chosen to represent major components of the system, were: 1) Ecological Footprint to capture the impact and human burden on the system; 2) Green Net Regional Product to represent economic welfare; 3) Emergy to capture the quality-normalized flow of energy through the system; and 4) Fisher information to capture the overall dynamic order and to look for possible regime changes. The methodology, data, and results of each metric are presented in the remaining four papers of the special collection. Based on the results of each metric and our criteria for understanding the sustainability trends, we find that the San Luis Basin is moving away from sustainability. Although we understand

Examining Approaches to Research on Self-Regulated Learning: Conceptual and Methodological Considerations

Science.gov (United States)

Karabenick, Stuart A.; Zusho, Akane

2015-01-01

We provide a conceptual commentary on the articles in this special issue, first by describing the unique features of each study, focusing on what we consider to be their theoretical and methodological contributions, and then by highlighting significant crosscutting themes and future directions in the study of SRL. Specifically, we define SRL to be…

How Parents Were Involved in a Special School in Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Shun Wing; Lee, Tai Hoi Theodore

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on a case study of 93 parents' attitude toward their involvement at various levels of school education in a special school. It also examines the relations between parents' education backgrounds and different levels of parental involvement. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopted quantitative…

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

Science.gov (United States)

Atchan, Marjorie; Davis, Deborah; Foureur, Maralyn

2016-10-01

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

Methodological exploratory study applied to occupational epidemiology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carneiro, Janete C.G. Gaburo; Vasques, MOnica Heloisa B.; Fontinele, Ricardo S.; Sordi, Gian Maria A. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)]. E-mail: janetegc@ipen.br

2007-07-01

The utilization of epidemiologic methods and techniques has been object of practical experimentation and theoretical-methodological reflection in health planning and programming process. Occupational Epidemiology is the study of the causes and prevention of diseases and injuries from exposition and risks in the work environment. In this context, there is no intention to deplete such a complex theme but to deal with basic concepts of Occupational Epidemiology, presenting the main characteristics of the analysis methods used in epidemiology, as investigate the possible determinants of exposition (chemical, physical and biological agents). For this study, the social-demographic profile of the IPEN-CNEN/SP work force was used. The knowledge of this reference population composition is based on sex, age, educational level, marital status and different occupations, aiming to know the relation between the health aggravating factors and these variables. The methodology used refers to a non-experimental research based on a theoretical methodological practice. The work performed has an exploratory character, aiming a later survey of indicators in the health area in order to analyze possible correlations related to epidemiologic issues. (author)

Methodological exploratory study applied to occupational epidemiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carneiro, Janete C.G. Gaburo; Vasques, MOnica Heloisa B.; Fontinele, Ricardo S.; Sordi, Gian Maria A.

2007-01-01

The utilization of epidemiologic methods and techniques has been object of practical experimentation and theoretical-methodological reflection in health planning and programming process. Occupational Epidemiology is the study of the causes and prevention of diseases and injuries from exposition and risks in the work environment. In this context, there is no intention to deplete such a complex theme but to deal with basic concepts of Occupational Epidemiology, presenting the main characteristics of the analysis methods used in epidemiology, as investigate the possible determinants of exposition (chemical, physical and biological agents). For this study, the social-demographic profile of the IPEN-CNEN/SP work force was used. The knowledge of this reference population composition is based on sex, age, educational level, marital status and different occupations, aiming to know the relation between the health aggravating factors and these variables. The methodology used refers to a non-experimental research based on a theoretical methodological practice. The work performed has an exploratory character, aiming a later survey of indicators in the health area in order to analyze possible correlations related to epidemiologic issues. (author)

Special Physical Preparation of High Schoolers for Performing Parkour Exercises

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Т. М. Кравчук

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The objective is to ground and develop a methodology of special physical preparation of high schoolers for performing parkour elements, and to experimentally verify its effectiveness. Materials and methods: Kharkiv secondary school No. 84 served as the grounds for the study. The participants in the study were boys aged 15-17: 10 persons – in the reference group, and 10 persons – in the experimental group. The methods of the study: theoretical analysis and collation of scientific and methodological literature; pedagogical observation; video recording; biomechanical analysis; talks with experts; pedagogical experiment; mathematical and statistical methods of research materials processing. Results: The experimental group showed positive improvement in the balancing technique from 3.5 points before the experiment to 6.3 after the experiment (p < 0.05; a considerable increase in points in the jumping technique, including jumps onto the wall bars hand-gripping its edge, jumps into landing with a roll, and jumps over obstacle – from 2.9, 4.2 and 4.6 points respectively at the beginning of the experiment to 5.9, 6.7 and 7.8 points respectively after the experiment (p < 0.05; positive significant improvement in the wall bars running results – from 3.2 points at the beginning of the experiment to 6.7 after the experiment (p < 0.05. Conclusions: special sets of exercises have been designed to develop and improve these abilities in parkour, and the effectiveness of the designed methodology has been experimentally verified. The study has proved that, when used in physical training of high schoolers, the special sets of exercises intended to develop parkourists’ speed, strength and coordination abilities contribute to a significant increase in the level of the technique of execution of the main parkour elements.

An Introduction to the Special Volume on

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Micah Altman

2011-08-01

Full Text Available This special volume of the Journal of Statistical Software on political methodology includes 14 papers, with wide-ranging software contributions of political scientists to their own field, and more generally to statistical data analysis in the the social sciences and beyond. Special emphasis is given to software that is written in or can cooperate with the R system for statistical computing.

Methodologic assessment of radiation epidemiology studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beebe, G.W.

1983-01-01

Epidemiologic studies of the late effects of ionizing radiation have utilized the entire spectrum of situations in which man has been exposed. These studies have provided insights into the dependence of human effects upon not only dose to target tissues but also other dimensions of exposure, host characteristics, and time following exposure. Over the past three decades studies have progressed from the mere identification of effects to their measurement. Because investigators of human effects have no control over the exposure situation, validity must be sought in the consistency of findings among independent studies and with accepted biologic principles. Because exposure may be confounded with factors that are hidden from view, bias may enter into any study of human exposure. Avoidance of bias and attainment of sufficient power to detect relationships that are real are methodologic challenges. Many methodologic issues, e.g., those associated with the definition and measurement of specific end-points, or with the selection of appropriate controls, permeate epidemiologic work in all fields. Others, especially those concerned with the measurement of exposure, the patterning of events in time after exposure, and the prediction of events beyond the scope of existing observations give radiation epidemiology its distinctive character

METHODOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF STUDYING THE PROBLEM OF PERCEPTION IN FUTURE MUSIC TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

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Zhang Bo

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In the article the methodological analysis of problem of perception in future music teachers’ professional training is presented. The author of the article analyses works of outstanding scientists in philosophy, psychology, and art education. The hierarchical system of musical perception options is revealed. A methodological foundation is supported by consideration of the following modern research in specialty – a theory and methodology of musical study that gives proper appearance and circumstantiality to the presented material. Studying the vocal and choral researches in the field of forming the valued music art perception by future music teachers, an author sets an aim to present the methodological analysis of the problem of perception in future music teachers’ professional training. Realization of the system approach to updating the problem of forming the valued music art perception of future music teachers while being trained to vocal and choral work with senior pupils extends their artistic awareness; contributes to distinguishing art works, phenomena; to seeing their properties; to providing orientation in the informative content of music art works. The special attention is paid to revealing methodological principles of perception of category research in the aspect of the valued understanding images of music art works. As a result of analysing scientific sources on the issue of voice production the author of the article finds out that perception is densely related to transformation of external information, conditioning for forming images, operating category attention, memory, thinking, and emotions. The features of perception of maintaining vocal and choral studies and students’ extrapolation are analysed in the process of future professional activity with senior pupils in the aspects of perception and transformation of musical and intonation information, analysis, object perception, and interpretation in accordance with future

A dynamic systems engineering methodology research study. Phase 2: Evaluating methodologies, tools, and techniques for applicability to NASA's systems projects

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Arthur S.; Gill, Tepper L.; Maclin, Arlene P.

1989-01-01

A study of NASA's Systems Management Policy (SMP) concluded that the primary methodology being used by the Mission Operations and Data Systems Directorate and its subordinate, the Networks Division, is very effective. Still some unmet needs were identified. This study involved evaluating methodologies, tools, and techniques with the potential for resolving the previously identified deficiencies. Six preselected methodologies being used by other organizations with similar development problems were studied. The study revealed a wide range of significant differences in structure. Each system had some strengths but none will satisfy all of the needs of the Networks Division. Areas for improvement of the methodology being used by the Networks Division are listed with recommendations for specific action.

A Study on Uncertainty Quantification of Reflood Model using CIRCE Methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, Seongsu; Hong, Soonjoon; Oh, Deogyeon; Bang, Youngseok

2013-01-01

The CIRCE method is intended to quantify the uncertainties of the correlations of a code. It may replace the expert judgment generally used. In this study, an uncertainty quantification of reflood model was performed using CIRCE methodology. In this paper, the application process of CIRCE methodology and main results are briefly described. This research is expected to be useful to improve the present audit calculation methodology, KINS-REM. In this study, an uncertainty quantification of reflood model was performed using CIRCE methodology. The application of CIRCE provided the satisfactory results. This research is expected to be useful to improve the present audit calculation methodology, KINS-REM

A Design Methodology for Medical Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Bonacina, Stefano; Pozzi, Giuseppe; Pinciroli, Francesco; Marceglia, Sara

2016-01-01

Summary Background Healthcare processes, especially those belonging to the clinical domain, are acknowledged as complex and characterized by the dynamic nature of the diagnosis, the variability of the decisions made by experts driven by their experiences, the local constraints, the patient’s needs, the uncertainty of the patient’s response, and the indeterminacy of patient’s compliance to treatment. Also, the multiple actors involved in patient’s care need clear and transparent communication to ensure care coordination. Objectives In this paper, we propose a methodology to model healthcare processes in order to break out complexity and provide transparency. Methods The model is grounded on a set of requirements that make the healthcare domain unique with respect to other knowledge domains. The modeling methodology is based on three main phases: the study of the environmental context, the conceptual modeling, and the logical modeling. Results The proposed methodology was validated by applying it to the case study of the rehabilitation process of stroke patients in the specific setting of a specialized rehabilitation center. The resulting model was used to define the specifications of a software artifact for the digital administration and collection of assessment tests that was also implemented. Conclusions Despite being only an example, our case study showed the ability of process modeling to answer the actual needs in healthcare practices. Independently from the medical domain in which the modeling effort is done, the proposed methodology is useful to create high-quality models, and to detect and take into account relevant and tricky situations that can occur during process execution. PMID:27081415

A Design Methodology for Medical Processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrante, Simona; Bonacina, Stefano; Pozzi, Giuseppe; Pinciroli, Francesco; Marceglia, Sara

2016-01-01

Healthcare processes, especially those belonging to the clinical domain, are acknowledged as complex and characterized by the dynamic nature of the diagnosis, the variability of the decisions made by experts driven by their experiences, the local constraints, the patient's needs, the uncertainty of the patient's response, and the indeterminacy of patient's compliance to treatment. Also, the multiple actors involved in patient's care need clear and transparent communication to ensure care coordination. In this paper, we propose a methodology to model healthcare processes in order to break out complexity and provide transparency. The model is grounded on a set of requirements that make the healthcare domain unique with respect to other knowledge domains. The modeling methodology is based on three main phases: the study of the environmental context, the conceptual modeling, and the logical modeling. The proposed methodology was validated by applying it to the case study of the rehabilitation process of stroke patients in the specific setting of a specialized rehabilitation center. The resulting model was used to define the specifications of a software artifact for the digital administration and collection of assessment tests that was also implemented. Despite being only an example, our case study showed the ability of process modeling to answer the actual needs in healthcare practices. Independently from the medical domain in which the modeling effort is done, the proposed methodology is useful to create high-quality models, and to detect and take into account relevant and tricky situations that can occur during process execution.

Criticality accident studies and methodology implemented at the CEA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbry, Francis; Fouillaud, Patrick; Reverdy, Ludovic; Mijuin, Dominique

2003-01-01

Based on the studies and results of experimental programs performed since 1967 in the CRAC, then SILENE facilities, the CEA has devised a methodology for criticality accident studies. This methodology integrates all the main focuses of its approach, from criticality accident phenomenology to emergency planning and response, and thus includes aspects such as criticality alarm detector triggering, airborne releases, and irradiation risk assessment. (author)

Agile methodology selection criteria: IT start-up case study

Science.gov (United States)

Micic, Lj

2017-05-01

Project management in modern IT companies is often based on agile methodologies which have several advantages compared to traditional methodologies such is waterfall. Having in mind that clients sometimes change project during development it is crucial for an IT company to choose carefully which methodology is going to implement and is it going to be mostly based on one or is it going got be combination of several. There are several modern and often used methodologies but among those Scrum, Kanban and XP programming are usually the most common. Sometimes companies use mostly tools and procedures from one but quite often they use some of the combination of those methodologies. Having in mind that those methodologies are just a framework they allow companies to adapt it for their specific projects as well as for other limitations. These methodologies are in limited usage Bosnia but more and more IT companies are starting to use agile methodologies because it is practice and common not just for their clients abroad but also starting to be the only option in order to deliver quality product on time. However it is always challenging which methodology or combination of several companies should implement and how to connect it to its own project, organizational framework and HR management. This paper presents one case study based on local IT start up and delivers solution based on theoretical framework and practical limitations that case company has.

Methodological Challenges in Studies Comparing Prehospital Advanced Life Support with Basic Life Support.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Timmy; Jones, Courtney M C; Shah, Manish N; Cushman, Jeremy T; Jusko, Todd A

2017-08-01

Determining the most appropriate level of care for patients in the prehospital setting during medical emergencies is essential. A large body of literature suggests that, compared with Basic Life Support (BLS) care, Advanced Life Support (ALS) care is not associated with increased patient survival or decreased mortality. The purpose of this special report is to synthesize the literature to identify common study design and analytic challenges in research studies that examine the effect of ALS, compared to BLS, on patient outcomes. The challenges discussed in this report include: (1) choice of outcome measure; (2) logistic regression modeling of common outcomes; (3) baseline differences between study groups (confounding); (4) inappropriate statistical adjustment; and (5) inclusion of patients who are no longer at risk for the outcome. These challenges may affect the results of studies, and thus, conclusions of studies regarding the effect of level of prehospital care on patient outcomes should require cautious interpretation. Specific alternatives for avoiding these challenges are presented. Li T , Jones CMC , Shah MN , Cushman JT , Jusko TA . Methodological challenges in studies comparing prehospital Advanced Life Support with Basic Life Support. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(4):444-450.

Case Study Research: Foundations and Methodological Orientations

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Helena Harrison

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Over the last forty years, case study research has undergone substantial methodological development. This evolution has resulted in a pragmatic, flexible research approach, capable of providing comprehensive in-depth understanding of a diverse range of issues across a number of disciplines. Change and progress have stemmed from parallel influences of historical transformations in approaches to research and individual researcher's preferences, perspectives, and interpretations of this design. Researchers who have contributed to the development of case study research come from diverse disciplines with different philosophical perspectives, resulting in a variety of definitions and approaches. For the researcher new to using case study, such variety can create a confusing platform for its application. In this article, we explore the evolution of case study research, discuss methodological variations, and summarize key elements with the aim of providing guidance on the available options for researchers wanting to use case study in their work. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1701195

Fire risk analysis for nuclear power plants: Methodological developments and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazarians, M.; Apostolakis, G.; Siv, N.O.

1985-01-01

A methodology to quantify the risk from fires in nuclear power plants is described. This methodology combines engineering judgment, statistical evidence, fire phenomenology, and plant system analysis. It can be divided into two major parts: (1) fire scenario identification and quantification, and (2) analysis of the impact on plant safety. This article primarily concentrates on the first part. Statistical analysis of fire occurrence data is used to establish the likelihood of ignition. The temporal behaviors of the two competing phenomena, fire propagation and fire detection and suppression, are studied and their characteristic times are compared. Severity measures are used to further specialize the frequency of the fire scenario. The methodology is applied to a switchgear room of a nuclear power plant

Critical methodologies: early childhood research studies in Norway

OpenAIRE

Rhedding-Jones, Jeanette; Bjelkerud, Agnes Westgaard; Giæver, Katrine; Røkholt, Eline Grelland; Holten, Ingeborg Caroline Sæbøe; Lafton, Tove; Moxnes, Anna Rigmor; Pope, Liv Alice

2014-01-01

This is an open access article licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License and originally published in Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology (RERM). You can access the article on publisher's website by following this link: https://journals.hioa.no/index.php/rerm This chapter exemplifies seven projects and their related research methodologies. It does so to consider how to construct critical research studies without replicating someone else’s researc...

Cluster-randomized Studies in Educational Research: Principles and Methodological Aspects

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Dreyhaupt, Jens

2017-05-01

Full Text Available An increasing number of studies are being performed in educational research to evaluate new teaching methods and approaches. These studies could be performed more efficiently and deliver more convincing results if they more strictly applied and complied with recognized standards of scientific studies. Such an approach could substantially increase the quality in particular of prospective, two-arm (intervention studies that aim to compare two different teaching methods. A key standard in such studies is randomization, which can minimize systematic bias in study findings; such bias may result if the two study arms are not structurally equivalent. If possible, educational research studies should also achieve this standard, although this is not yet generally the case. Some difficulties and concerns exist, particularly regarding organizational and methodological aspects. An important point to consider in educational research studies is that usually individuals cannot be randomized, because of the teaching situation, and instead whole groups have to be randomized (so-called “cluster randomization”. Compared with studies with individual randomization, studies with cluster randomization normally require (significantly larger sample sizes and more complex methods for calculating sample size. Furthermore, cluster-randomized studies require more complex methods for statistical analysis. The consequence of the above is that a competent expert with respective special knowledge needs to be involved in all phases of cluster-randomized studies.Studies to evaluate new teaching methods need to make greater use of randomization in order to achieve scientifically convincing results. Therefore, in this article we describe the general principles of cluster randomization and how to implement these principles, and we also outline practical aspects of using cluster randomization in prospective, two-arm comparative educational research studies.

Cluster-randomized Studies in Educational Research: Principles and Methodological Aspects.

Science.gov (United States)

Dreyhaupt, Jens; Mayer, Benjamin; Keis, Oliver; Öchsner, Wolfgang; Muche, Rainer

2017-01-01

An increasing number of studies are being performed in educational research to evaluate new teaching methods and approaches. These studies could be performed more efficiently and deliver more convincing results if they more strictly applied and complied with recognized standards of scientific studies. Such an approach could substantially increase the quality in particular of prospective, two-arm (intervention) studies that aim to compare two different teaching methods. A key standard in such studies is randomization, which can minimize systematic bias in study findings; such bias may result if the two study arms are not structurally equivalent. If possible, educational research studies should also achieve this standard, although this is not yet generally the case. Some difficulties and concerns exist, particularly regarding organizational and methodological aspects. An important point to consider in educational research studies is that usually individuals cannot be randomized, because of the teaching situation, and instead whole groups have to be randomized (so-called "cluster randomization"). Compared with studies with individual randomization, studies with cluster randomization normally require (significantly) larger sample sizes and more complex methods for calculating sample size. Furthermore, cluster-randomized studies require more complex methods for statistical analysis. The consequence of the above is that a competent expert with respective special knowledge needs to be involved in all phases of cluster-randomized studies. Studies to evaluate new teaching methods need to make greater use of randomization in order to achieve scientifically convincing results. Therefore, in this article we describe the general principles of cluster randomization and how to implement these principles, and we also outline practical aspects of using cluster randomization in prospective, two-arm comparative educational research studies.

Burnout among Special Education Administrators: A Preliminary Study

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Susan J.

2011-01-01

Research on the extent of stress and burnout among special education administrators is not as well developed as research on the extent of stress and burnout among teachers. This study utilized the Maslach Burnout Inventory to determine levels of stress and burnout among administrators of special education. Results indicated administrators of…

SPECIAL EDUCATION COURSES OF STUDY. COURSE OF STUDY, GRADES 9 THROUGH 11, FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.

Science.gov (United States)

Phoenix Union High School District, AZ.

THIS GUIDE FOR GRADES 9 TO 11 WAS DEVELOPED FROM MANY SOURCES BUT WITH MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS FROM TEACHERS WHO USE IT IN A SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM TO PARTIALLY MEET DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS. UNITS ARE IN ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, AMERICAN HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT, ECONOMICS, HOME ECONOMICS, FOOD SERVICE, AND SHOP. EACH COURSE PLAN…

A Generic Methodology for Superstructure Optimization of Different Processing Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bertran, Maria-Ona; Frauzem, Rebecca; Zhang, Lei

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose a generic computer-aided methodology for synthesis of different processing networks using superstructure optimization. The methodology can handle different network optimization problems of various application fields. It integrates databases with a common data architecture......, a generic model to represent the processing steps, and appropriate optimization tools. A special software interface has been created to automate the steps in the methodology workflow, allow the transfer of data between tools and obtain the mathematical representation of the problem as required...

Computer Assisted Instruction in Special Education Three Case Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

İbrahim DOĞAN

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to investigate the computer use of three students attending the special education center. Students have mental retardation, hearing problem and physical handicap respectively. The maximum variation sampling is used to select the type of handicap while the convenience sampling is used to select the participants. Three widely encountered handicap types in special education are chosen to select the study participants. The multiple holistic case study design is used in the study. Results of the study indicate that teachers in special education prefer to use educational games and drill and practice type of computers programs. Also it is found that over use of the animation, text and symbols cause cognitive overload on the student with mental retardation. Additionally, it is also discovered that the student with hearing problem learn words better when the computers are used in education as compared to the traditional method. Furthermore the student with physical handicap improved his fine muscle control abilities besides planned course objectives when computers are used in special education.

A study on assessment methodology of surveillance test interval and Allowed Outage Time

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Che, Moo Seong; Cheong, Chang Hyeon; Ryu, Yeong Woo; Cho, Jae Seon; Heo, Chang Wook; Kim, Do Hyeong; Kim, Joo Yeol; Kim, Yun Ik; Yang, Hei Chang [Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1997-07-15

Objectives of this study is the development of methodology by which assesses the optimization of Surveillance Test Interval(STI) and Allowed Outage Time(AOT) using PSA method that can supplement the current deterministic methods and the improvement of Korean nuclear power plants safety. In the first year of this study, the survey about the assessment methodologies, modeling and results performed by domestic and international researches are performed as the basic step before developing the assessment methodology of this study. The assessment methodology that supplement the revealed problems in many other studies is presented and the application of new methodology into the example system assures the feasibility of this method. In the second year of this study, the sensitivity analyses about the failure factors of the components are performed in the bases of the assessment methodologies of the first study, the interaction modeling of the STI and AOT is quantified. And the reliability assessment methodology about the diesel generator is reviewed and applied to the PSA code.

A study on assessment methodology of surveillance test interval and Allowed Outage Time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Che, Moo Seong; Cheong, Chang Hyeon; Ryu, Yeong Woo; Cho, Jae Seon; Heo, Chang Wook; Kim, Do Hyeong; Kim, Joo Yeol; Kim, Yun Ik; Yang, Hei Chang

1997-07-01

Objectives of this study is the development of methodology by which assesses the optimization of Surveillance Test Interval(STI) and Allowed Outage Time(AOT) using PSA method that can supplement the current deterministic methods and the improvement of Korean nuclear power plants safety. In the first year of this study, the survey about the assessment methodologies, modeling and results performed by domestic and international researches are performed as the basic step before developing the assessment methodology of this study. The assessment methodology that supplement the revealed problems in many other studies is presented and the application of new methodology into the example system assures the feasibility of this method. In the second year of this study, the sensitivity analyses about the failure factors of the components are performed in the bases of the assessment methodologies of the first study, the interaction modeling of the STI and AOT is quantified. And the reliability assessment methodology about the diesel generator is reviewed and applied to the PSA code

Do systematic reviews on pediatric topics need special methodological considerations?

OpenAIRE

Farid-Kapadia, Mufiza; Askie, Lisa; Hartling, Lisa; Contopoulos-Ioannidis, Despina; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.; Soll, Roger; Moher, David; Offringa, Martin

2017-01-01

Background Systematic reviews are key tools to enable decision making by healthcare providers and policymakers. Despite the availability of the evidence based Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA-2009 and PRISMA-P 2015) statements that were developed to improve the transparency and quality of reporting of systematic reviews, uncertainty on how to deal with pediatric-specific methodological challenges of systematic reviews impairs decision-making in child ...

Practical Issues of Conducting a Q Methodology Study: Lessons Learned From a Cross-cultural Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, Teresa Elizabeth; Maguire, Jane; Kang, Sook Jung; Cha, Chiyoung

This article advances nursing research by presenting the methodological challenges experienced in conducting a multination Q-methodology study. This article critically analyzes the relevance of the methodology for cross-cultural and nursing research and the challenges that led to specific responses by the investigators. The use of focus groups with key stakeholders supplemented the Q-analysis results. The authors discuss practical issues and shared innovative approaches and provide best-practice suggestions on the use of this flexible methodology. Q methodology has the versatility to explore complexities of contemporary nursing practice and cross-cultural health research.

A comparison of results of empirical studies of supplementary search techniques and recommendations in review methodology handbooks: a methodological review.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Chris; Booth, Andrew; Britten, Nicky; Garside, Ruth

2017-11-28

The purpose and contribution of supplementary search methods in systematic reviews is increasingly acknowledged. Numerous studies have demonstrated their potential in identifying studies or study data that would have been missed by bibliographic database searching alone. What is less certain is how supplementary search methods actually work, how they are applied, and the consequent advantages, disadvantages and resource implications of each search method. The aim of this study is to compare current practice in using supplementary search methods with methodological guidance. Four methodological handbooks in informing systematic review practice in the UK were read and audited to establish current methodological guidance. Studies evaluating the use of supplementary search methods were identified by searching five bibliographic databases. Studies were included if they (1) reported practical application of a supplementary search method (descriptive) or (2) examined the utility of a supplementary search method (analytical) or (3) identified/explored factors that impact on the utility of a supplementary method, when applied in practice. Thirty-five studies were included in this review in addition to the four methodological handbooks. Studies were published between 1989 and 2016, and dates of publication of the handbooks ranged from 1994 to 2014. Five supplementary search methods were reviewed: contacting study authors, citation chasing, handsearching, searching trial registers and web searching. There is reasonable consistency between recommended best practice (handbooks) and current practice (methodological studies) as it relates to the application of supplementary search methods. The methodological studies provide useful information on the effectiveness of the supplementary search methods, often seeking to evaluate aspects of the method to improve effectiveness or efficiency. In this way, the studies advance the understanding of the supplementary search methods. Further

Conjugate gradient based projection - A new explicit methodology for frictional contact

Science.gov (United States)

Tamma, Kumar K.; Li, Maocheng; Sha, Desong

1993-01-01

With special attention towards the applicability to parallel computation or vectorization, a new and effective explicit approach for linear complementary formulations involving a conjugate gradient based projection methodology is proposed in this study for contact problems with Coulomb friction. The overall objectives are focussed towards providing an explicit methodology of computation for the complete contact problem with friction. In this regard, the primary idea for solving the linear complementary formulations stems from an established search direction which is projected to a feasible region determined by the non-negative constraint condition; this direction is then applied to the Fletcher-Reeves conjugate gradient method resulting in a powerful explicit methodology which possesses high accuracy, excellent convergence characteristics, fast computational speed and is relatively simple to implement for contact problems involving Coulomb friction.

A large-scale study of epilepsy in Ecuador: methodological aspects.

Science.gov (United States)

Placencia, M; Suarez, J; Crespo, F; Sander, J W; Shorvon, S D; Ellison, R H; Cascante, S M

1992-01-01

The methodology is presented of a large-scale study of epilepsy carried out in a highland area in northern Ecuador, South America, covering a population of 72,121 people; The study was carried out in two phases, the first, a cross-sectional phase, consisted of a house-to-house survey of all persons in this population, screening for epileptic seizures using a specially designed questionnaire. Possible cases identified in screening were assessed in a cascade diagnostic procedure applied by general doctors and neurologists. Its objectives were: to establish a comprehensive epidemiological profile of epileptic seizures; to describe the clinical phenomenology of this condition in the community; to validate methods for diagnosis and classification of epileptic seizures by a non-specialised team; and to ascertain the community's knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding epilepsy. A sample was selected in this phase in order to study the social aspects of epilepsy in this community. The second phase, which was longitudinal, assessed the ability of non-specialist care in the treatment of epilepsy. It consisted of a prospective clinical trial of antiepileptic therapy in untreated patients using two standard anti-epileptic drugs. Patients were followed for 12 months by a multidisciplinary team consisting of a primary health worker, rural doctor, neurologist, anthropologist, and psychologist. Standardised, reproducible instruments and methods were used. This study was carried out through co-operation between the medical profession, political agencies and the pharmaceutical industry, at an international level. We consider this a model for further large-scale studies of this type.

Comparative Studies: historical, epistemological and methodological notes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Ignacio Piovani

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In this article some historical, epistemological and methodological issues related to comparative studies in the social sciences are addressed, with specific reference to the field of education. The starting point is a discussion of the meaning of comparison, its logical structure and its presence in science and in everyday life. It follows the presentation and critical appraisal of the perspectives regarding comparison as a scientific method. It is argued that, even rejecting this restrictive meaning of comparison as a method, there is some consensus on the specificity of comparative studies within the social sciences. And in relation to them, the article address in more detail those studies that can be defined as trans-contextual (cross-national and cross-cultural, with emphasis on the main methodological and technical challenges they face. The socio-historical comparative perspective, which has gained importance in recent years in the field of education, is also discussed.

Methodological Issues on Climate Change Mitigation Studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Lene; Borges, Pedro Castro; Vidal, Rene Victor Valqui

1999-01-01

This paper uses national greenhouse gas emission abatement costing studies as a case to discuss influential factors that determine their outcome and achievement. Costing studies are seen as part of an interconnected whole social process where actors (decision makers, clients, facilitators, expert...... such methodologies to case studies is seen as one way of improving the chances of understanding and handling environmental problems...

Methodological and reporting quality in laboratory studies of human eating behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Robinson, E.; Bevelander, K.E.; Field, M.; Jones, A.

2018-01-01

The methodological quality and reporting practices of laboratory studies of human eating behavior determine the validity and replicability of nutrition science. The aim of this research was to examine basic methodology and reporting practices in recent representative laboratory studies of human

Research Methodology in Montanistic Tourism with Respect to the Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schejbal Ctirad

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Research methodology in montanistic tourism involves the archival research and study of special literature, surface and underground field survey, the analysis of findings of rock fragments, mineral composition, traces of metallurgical processes, fragments of pottery, etc. A separate problem is the study and evaluation of the development of mining and post-mining landscapes, focusing on the entire supply chain of resource industries and their impact on the cultural development of the country.

Fostering Special Education Certification through Professional Development, Learning Communities and Mentorship

Science.gov (United States)

Trahan, Mitzi P.; Olivier, Dianne F.; Wadsworth, Donna E.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to present mixed methodology evaluation data regarding a professional development initiative designed to offer non-certified special education teachers specialized classroom and teacher certification support. The project was grounded in evidence-based strategies that resulted in direct implications for teacher…

A study on assessment methodology of surveillance test interval and allowed outage time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Che, Moo Seong; Cheong, Chang Hyeon; Lee, Byeong Cheol

1996-07-01

The objectives of this study is the development of methodology by which assessing the optimizes Surveillance Test Interval(STI) and Allowed Outage Time(AOT) using PSA method that can supplement the current deterministic methods and the improvement of Korea nuclear power plants safety. In the first year of this study, the survey about the assessment methodologies, modeling and results performed by domestic and international researches is performed as the basic step before developing the assessment methodology of this study. The assessment methodology that supplement the revealed problems in many other studies is presented and the application of new methodology into the example system assures the feasibility of this method

A study on assessment methodology of surveillance test interval and allowed outage time

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Che, Moo Seong; Cheong, Chang Hyeon; Lee, Byeong Cheol [Seoul Nationl Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)] (and others)

1996-07-15

The objectives of this study is the development of methodology by which assessing the optimizes Surveillance Test Interval(STI) and Allowed Outage Time(AOT) using PSA method that can supplement the current deterministic methods and the improvement of Korea nuclear power plants safety. In the first year of this study, the survey about the assessment methodologies, modeling and results performed by domestic and international researches is performed as the basic step before developing the assessment methodology of this study. The assessment methodology that supplement the revealed problems in many other studies is presented and the application of new methodology into the example system assures the feasibility of this method.

What Are the Lived Experiences of Parents Regarding Special Education Service Decisions for Their Children and Their Interactions with School Officials?

Science.gov (United States)

Doorn, Sean Travis

2017-01-01

This study utilized symbolic interaction theory and a phenomenological methodology to explore the meanings and perceptions of special education by parents whose children have special needs (i.e., disabilities) and their experiences working with school professionals. Parents who accepted Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) services and parents…

Methodological choice and the study of sensitive issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nora Ahlberg

1999-01-01

Full Text Available There has been relatively little concern with methodological issues within the study of religion. In this article the author considers the need for a continuing clarification of how diverse methodological approaches relate to the study of religion in general, and what is more, of certain aspects of the role of the researcher in particular. A main difference between the methodological approaches as referred to in this article — and illustrated by reference to minority studies -is in the closeness of the researcher to his field. One could perhaps state that while the researcher draws nearer to his field in soft approaches the theories remain further away from the empirical data (i.e. in that one creates greater vistas while the opposite is true for those that work with hard data designs, that meta-theories are almost excluded (as pure speculation due to the strict demands for operationalization, as the (effect of the researcher is to a greater extend likewise excluded from the picture. Though in both cases the choices made must naturally be made explicit as must the researcher relate to a qualified discussion between experts who have some kind of relationship to the kind of empirical material or theoretical thinking that is at issue in the particular project.

Computer Assisted Instruction in Special Education Three Case Studies

OpenAIRE

İbrahim DOĞAN; Ömür AKDEMİR

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the computer use of three students attending the special education center. Students have mental retardation, hearing problem and physical handicap respectively. The maximum variation sampling is used to select the type of handicap while the convenience sampling is used to select the participants. Three widely encountered handicap types in special education are chosen to select the study participants. The multiple holistic case study design is used i...

A Comparative Study of Administrator and Special Education Teacher Perceptions of Special Education Teacher Attrition and Retention

Science.gov (United States)

Sheldrake, Danielle Angelina

2013-01-01

This mixed methods study identifies perceived causes of and solutions to the attrition of special education teachers. Researchers have documented that special education teaching positions encounter higher attrition rates than their general education peers (Katsiyannis, Zhang, & Conroy in Olivarez & Arnold, 2006; Mitchell & Arnold,…

Special quasirandom structures for binary/ternary group IV random alloys

KAUST Repository

Chroneos, Alexander I.

2010-06-01

Simulation of defect interactions in binary/ternary group IV semiconductor alloys at the density functional theory level is difficult due to the random distribution of the constituent atoms. The special quasirandom structures approach is a computationally efficient way to describe the random nature. We systematically study the efficacy of the methodology and generate a number of special quasirandom cells for future use. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the technique, the electronic structures of E centers in Si1-xGex and Si1-x -yGexSny alloys are discussed for a range of nearest neighbor environments. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methodological and epistemological problems in the sociological study of foreign immigration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramón Llopis Goig

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to identify and to analyze the main technical and methodological difficulties faced by the sociological research on immigration carried out in Spain during the last years. More concretely, what is sought is to figure out the epistemological assumptions which support the social research practices that generate the mentioned techno-methodological problems. For that, firstly, we study some problems generated in the sociological study of immigration as a consequence of the prevalence, in the field of the practices of social research, of a neopositivist methodology, what we have called «public opinion syndrome». Secondly, we examine the difficulties derived from the necessity of considering «empirical reflexivity» methodologically. And thirdly, we present the derived difficulties of the implicit assumption of a «methodological nationalism». These analyses are supplemented with several reflections leading to the establishment of guidelines for the design and the implementation of future research

Area Studies and Special Collections: Shared Challenges, Shared Strength

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Lisa R.; Whittaker, Beth M.

2015-01-01

Special collections and area studies librarians face similar challenges in the changing academic library environment, including the need to articulate the value of these specialized collections and to mainstream processes and practices into larger discovery, teaching, learning, and research efforts. For some institutions, these similarities have…

A rational methodology for the study of foundations for marine structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mira Mc Willams, P.; Fernandez-Merodo, J. A.; Pastor Perez, M.; Monte Saez, J. L.; Martinez Santamaria, J. M.; Cuellar Mirasol, V.; Martin Baanante, M. E.; Rodriguez Sanchez-Arevalo, I; Lopez Maldonando, J. D.; Tomas Sampedro, A.

2011-01-01

A methodology for the study of marine foundations is presented. The response in displacements, stresses and pore water pressures in obtained from a finite element coupled formulation. Loads due to wave action of the foundation are obtained from a volume of fluid type fluid-structure interaction numerical model. Additionally, the methodology includes a Generalized Plasticity based constitutive model for granular materials capable of representing liquefaction fenomena of sands subjected to cyclic loading, such as those frequently appearing in the problems studied. Calibration of this model requires a series of laboratory tests detailed herein. This methodology is applied to the study of the response of a caisson breakwater foundation. (Author) 10 refs.

Special-Study Modules in a Problem-Based Learning Medical Curriculum: An Innovative Laboratory Research Practice Supporting Introduction to Research Methodology in the Undergraduate Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Guner, Gul Akdogan; Cavdar, Zahide; Yener, Nilgun; Kume, Tuncay; Egrilmez, Mehtap Yuksel; Resmi, Halil

2011-01-01

We describe the organization of wet-lab special-study modules (SSMs) in the Central Research Laboratory of Dokuz Eylul Medical School, Izmir, Turkey with the aim of discussing the scientific, laboratory, and pedagogical aspects of this educational activity. A general introduction to the planning and functioning of these SSMs is given, along with…

Specialized minimal PDFs for optimized LHC calculations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Carrazza, Stefano; Forte, Stefano; Kassabov, Zahari; Rojo, Juan

2016-01-01

We present a methodology for the construction of parton distribution functions (PDFs) designed to provide an accurate representation of PDF uncertainties for specific processes or classes of processes with a minimal number of PDF error sets: specialized minimal PDF sets, or SM-PDFs. We construct

Design methodology for the physical protection upgrade rule requirements for fixed sites. Technical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, L.J. Jr.; Allen, T.

1980-06-01

This Design Methodology document aids the licensee in understanding how the fixed site requirements of the Physical Protection Upgrade Rule affect the design of physical protection systems for fuel processing plants, fuel manufacturing plants, or other fixed site special nuclear material operations involving possession or use of formula quantities of strategic special nuclear material. The document consists of three major elements: Logic Trees, Safeguards Jobs and Component Matrices, and Effectiveness Test Questionnaires. The work is based upon a previous study conducted by Sandia Laboratories for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Innovation and Integrity in Intervention Research: Conceptual Issues, Methodology, and Knowledge Translation.

Science.gov (United States)

Malti, Tina; Beelmann, Andreas; Noam, Gil G; Sommer, Simon

2018-04-01

In this article, we introduce the special issue entitled Innovation and Integrity in Intervention Science. Its focus is on essential problems and prospects for intervention research examining two related topics, i.e., methodological issues and research integrity, and challenges in the transfer of research knowledge into practice and policy. The main aims are to identify how to advance methodology in order to improve research quality, examine scientific integrity in the field of intervention science, and discuss future steps to enhance the transfer of knowledge about evidence-based intervention principles into sustained practice, routine activities, and policy decisions. Themes of the special issue are twofold. The first includes questions about research methodology in intervention science, both in terms of research design and methods, as well as data analyses and the reporting of findings. Second, the issue tackles questions surrounding the types of knowledge translation frameworks that might be beneficial to mobilize the transfer of research-based knowledge into practice and public policies. The issue argues that innovations in methodology and thoughtful approaches to knowledge translation can enable transparency, quality, and sustainability of intervention research.

[The end-of-study dissertations in nursing schools. Pedagogic and methodologic considerations].

Science.gov (United States)

Formarier, M; Tchassou, P

1998-03-01

The writing of the study end dissertation, in the degree course of the student nurses poses pedagogical as well as methodological problems. The goal of the study end dissertation, if this latter takes the form of a research, is not a production of knowledge, but a methodological and conceptual learning. The critical analysis of 142 study end dissertations highlights a level heterogeneousness, a total lack of research problematics and unsuitable methodologies. The study end dissertation does not take the form of a research but of a reflection work, chosen by the student.

A study on assessment methodology of surveillance test interval and allowed outage time

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Chang Hyun; You, Young Woo; Cho, Jae Seon; Huh, Chang Wook; Kim, Do Hyoung; Kim, Ju Youl; Kim, Yoon Ik; Yang, Hui Chang; Park, Kang Min [Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1998-03-15

The objectives of this study is the development of methodology by which assesses the optimization of Surveillance Test Internal(STI) and Allowed Outage Time(AOT) using PSA method that can supplement the current deterministic methods and the improvement of Korean nuclear power plant safety. In this study, the survey about the assessment methodologies, modelings and results performed by domestic and international researches are performed as the basic step before developing the assessment methodology of this study. The assessment methodology that supplement the revealed problems in many other studies is presented and the application of new methodology into the example system assures the feasibility of this method. The sensitivity analyses about the failure factors of the components are performed in the bases of the and AOT is quantified. And the reliability assessment methodology about the diesel generator is reviewed and applied to the PSA code. The qualitative assessment for the STI/AOR of RPS/ESFAS assured safety the most important system in the nuclear power plant are performed.

Methodology for studying social advertising: A sociological aspect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S B Kalmykov

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The article describes the author’s dynamic processual methodology for the sociological study of social advertising that combines the multiversion paradigmatic approach, legitimization procedures, methodological principles of interconnection, multilevel analysis and the principles of sociological data formalization developed by P. Lazarsfeld. The author explains the multi-stage strategy of the methodology and the research procedures that provide new sociological knowledge about the processes of social advertising. The first stage involves analysis of the social advertising as a number of institutional, communicative, socio-cultural and socio-technological processes. The second stage consists of the development of the substantive aspects of social advertising dynamics and its dependence on the features of different socio-demographic groups. The third stage of the methodology includes a comparative analysis of the social advertising theoretical and empirical aspects and the subsequent assessment of its fundamental and applied capabilities. The author identifies two types of research practices: the first one consists of three levels of complexity - the first one is to design the social advertising categories and concepts; the second one requires a higher level of generalization; the third one supposes justification of the universal categorization and the social advertising conceptualization for different social areas as well as a comparative analysis of the theory of the social advertising impact developed by O.O. Savel’eva with the research results for the aims of the promotion of the sociology of advertising. The article concludes with the demonstration of the proposed methodology universality for different spheres of social reality.

Reporting and Methodology of Multivariable Analyses in Prognostic Observational Studies Published in 4 Anesthesiology Journals: A Methodological Descriptive Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Guglielminotti, Jean; Dechartres, Agnès; Mentré, France; Montravers, Philippe; Longrois, Dan; Laouénan, Cedric

2015-10-01

Prognostic research studies in anesthesiology aim to identify risk factors for an outcome (explanatory studies) or calculate the risk of this outcome on the basis of patients' risk factors (predictive studies). Multivariable models express the relationship between predictors and an outcome and are used in both explanatory and predictive studies. Model development demands a strict methodology and a clear reporting to assess its reliability. In this methodological descriptive review, we critically assessed the reporting and methodology of multivariable analysis used in observational prognostic studies published in anesthesiology journals. A systematic search was conducted on Medline through Web of Knowledge, PubMed, and journal websites to identify observational prognostic studies with multivariable analysis published in Anesthesiology, Anesthesia & Analgesia, British Journal of Anaesthesia, and Anaesthesia in 2010 and 2011. Data were extracted by 2 independent readers. First, studies were analyzed with respect to reporting of outcomes, design, size, methods of analysis, model performance (discrimination and calibration), model validation, clinical usefulness, and STROBE (i.e., Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) checklist. A reporting rate was calculated on the basis of 21 items of the aforementioned points. Second, they were analyzed with respect to some predefined methodological points. Eighty-six studies were included: 87.2% were explanatory and 80.2% investigated a postoperative event. The reporting was fairly good, with a median reporting rate of 79% (75% in explanatory studies and 100% in predictive studies). Six items had a reporting rate website. Limiting the number of candidate variables, including cases with missing data, and not arbitrarily categorizing continuous variables should be encouraged.

Methodological issues in studies of air pollution and reproductive health.

Science.gov (United States)

Woodruff, Tracey J; Parker, Jennifer D; Darrow, Lyndsey A; Slama, Rémy; Bell, Michelle L; Choi, Hyunok; Glinianaia, Svetlana; Hoggatt, Katherine J; Karr, Catherine J; Lobdell, Danelle T; Wilhelm, Michelle

2009-04-01

In the past decade there have been an increasing number of scientific studies describing possible effects of air pollution on perinatal health. These papers have mostly focused on commonly monitored air pollutants, primarily ozone (O(3)), particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO(2)), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), and various indices of perinatal health, including fetal growth, pregnancy duration, and infant mortality. While most published studies have found some marker of air pollution related to some types of perinatal outcomes, variability exists in the nature of the pollutants and outcomes associated. Synthesis of the findings has been difficult for various reasons, including differences in study design and analysis. A workshop was held in September 2007 to discuss methodological differences in the published studies as a basis for understanding differences in study findings and to identify priorities for future research, including novel approaches for existing data. Four broad topic areas were considered: confounding and effect modification, spatial and temporal exposure variations, vulnerable windows of exposure, and multiple pollutants. Here we present a synopsis of the methodological issues and challenges in each area and make recommendations for future study. Two key recommendations include: (1) parallel analyses of existing data sets using a standardized methodological approach to disentangle true differences in associations from methodological differences among studies; and (2) identification of animal studies to inform important mechanistic research gaps. This work is of critical public health importance because of widespread exposure and because perinatal outcomes are important markers of future child and adult health.

The problem is education not ``special education''

Science.gov (United States)

Fellner, Gene

2015-12-01

In his article, Urban special education policy and the lived experience of stigma in a high school science classroom, Chris Hale persuasively argues that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and subsequent special education policies have largely failed to serve special education students who are stigmatized by their deficit classification. Though classified students may be doubly stigmatized, research suggests that students of color who live in economically stressed communities are also subject to systemic educational policies that produce stigma; special education should be understood within the larger context of educational policy in the inner city. Though we cannot immediately dismantle the macro level structures that nurture stigma, I suggest pedagogies based on facilitating phenomenological awareness enacted through individual-collectively based methodologies to challenge the stigma that classified as well as non-classified students in the inner city often carry with them.

Modeling, methodologies and tools for molecular and nano-scale communications modeling, methodologies and tools

CERN Document Server

Nakano, Tadashi; Moore, Michael

2017-01-01

(Preliminary) The book presents the state of art in the emerging field of molecular and nanoscale communication. It gives special attention to fundamental models, and advanced methodologies and tools used in the field. It covers a wide range of applications, e.g. nanomedicine, nanorobot communication, bioremediation and environmental managements. It addresses advanced graduate students, academics and professionals working at the forefront in their fields and at the interfaces between different areas of research, such as engineering, computer science, biology and nanotechnology.

Special study on vegetative covers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-11-01

This report describes the findings of a special study on the use of vegetative covers to stabilize tailings piles for the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project. The principal rationale for using plants would be to establish a dynamic system for controlling water balance. Specifically, vegetation would be used to intercept and transpire precipitation to the atmosphere, rather than allowing water to drain into the tailings and mobilize contaminants. This would facilitate compliance with groundwater standards proposed for the UMTRA Project by the Environmental Protection Agency. The goals of the study were to evaluate the feasibility of using vegetative covers on UMTRA Project piles, define the advantages and disadvantages of vegetative covers, and develop general guidelines for their use when such use seems reasonable. The principal method for the study was to analyze and apply to the UMTRA Project the results of research programs on vegetative covers at other US Department of Energy (DOE) waste management facilities. The study also relied upon observations made of existing stabilized piles at UMTRA Project sites where natural vegetation is growing on the rock-covered surfaces. Water balance and erosion models were also used to quantify the long-term performance of vegetative covers planned for the topslopes of stabilized piles at Grand Junction and Durango, Colorado, two UMTRA Project sites where the decision was made during the course of this special study to use vegetative covers. Elements in the design and construction of the vegetative covers at these two sites are discussed in the report, with explanations of the differing features that reflect differing environmental conditions. 28 refs., 18 figs., 9 tabs

The study of evaluation methodology of the aging and degradation researches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, C. J.; Park, Z. H.; Jeong, I. S.

2001-01-01

To judge the usefulness of aging related researches like PLIM (Plant lifetime Management) and aging related degradation, et. al. in PSR(Periodic Safety Review), the evaluation methodology of the R and D have been proposed up to now are reviewed. The infometric methodology is considered to be the optimum method for the evaluation of the nuclear related researches. And finally, to increase the objectiveness and reliability of the infometric methodology in the aging and degradation researches, the indexes of safety, technology and economics are introduced. From this study, the infometric methodology has the advantage of the actual engineering evaluation in the nuclear related researches with other methodologies, but for the further research, the effective construction of DB and survey of various statistics in the technical reports and papers are needed

Globalization and Its Influence on Comparative Education Methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Chigisheva, Oksana

2015-01-01

The article is devoted to the research of the methodological changes that occur in the field of comparative education as a result of globalization. A deep analysis of the globalization phenomenon is undertaken with a special focus on the differentiation of globalization, internationalisation, regionalisation and integration. UNESCO's role in the…

A Study of IR Loss Correction Methodologies for Commercially Available Pyranometers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Long, Chuck; Andreas, Afshin; Augustine, John; Dooraghi, Mike; Habte, Aron; Hall, Emiel; Kutchenreiter, Mark; McComiskey, Allison; Reda, Ibrahim; Sengupta, Manajit

2017-03-24

This presentation provides a high-level overview of a study of IR Loss Connection Methodologies for Commercially Available Pyranometers. The IR Loss Corrections Study is investigating how various correction methodologies work for several makes and models of commercially available pyranometers in common use, both when operated in ventilators with DC fans and without ventilators, as when they are typically calibrated.

DEVELOPMENT OF COORDINATION ABILITIES OF SPECIAL MEDICAL GROUPS STUDENTS IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION PROCESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. N. Dotsenko

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To analyze the problem of motor abilities development and health of students of special medical group in the process of physical education in technical universities. Determine the major factors, characteristics, and the relationship of physical development, physical fitness and coordination abilities of female students in special medical group. Establish regularities in precise movements mastering of different coordination structure and develop model characteristics of the relationship of coordination abilities and motor characteristics of students in special medical group. To substantiate and verify efficiency of coordination abilities development method of female students with regard to their functional status in the course of physical education in higher school. Methodology. Theoretical and methodological argument, characteristic of the experimental program in physical education teaching process of students in special medical group was shown. Findings. Research is to develop the training content in special medical groups with the use of coordinating elements and exercises to enhance the motor abilities of female students. Their influence on the level of physical development, functional training, as well as regularities in mastering and movement control of different coordinating structure at the female students of special medical group was studied. The comparative characteristic of female students athletic ability in the dynamics of the educational process, differentiated into groups according to nosology was presented. The criterion of spare capacities upgrade of the motor system in controlling the movements of different coordination structure was determined. Originality. The method of coordination abilities development of female students in special medical group, that aims on the formation and correction of motor control system of different coordination structure, a sense of body position and its individual parts in space, improving

Comparative study on software development methodologies

OpenAIRE

Mihai Liviu DESPA

2014-01-01

This paper focuses on the current state of knowledge in the field of software development methodologies. It aims to set the stage for the formalization of a software development methodology dedicated to innovation orientated IT projects. The paper starts by depicting specific characteristics in software development project management. Managing software development projects involves techniques and skills that are proprietary to the IT industry. Also the software development project manager han...

The Country of Origin Effect on the Evaluation of Special Beers and the Consumers’ Purchase Intention: An Experimental Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michel Gehlen Bassani

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Objetives: analyze the country of origin effect on the perceived product quality, the price-willingness to pay and the consumer’s purchase intention.Method: experimental (experiment, with a factorial design 4 (Country of Origin: Germany, China, Brazil, and a control’s group x 1 (Product: special Pilsen beer. For data analysis, a quantitative statistical approach was performed with data processed by means a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA, applying post-hoc tests. The sample consisted of 159 respondents who were distributed in the four experimental groups.Originality/Relevance: the study approached the country of origin effect on consumer perception and its relationship with perceived quality, willingness to pay and purchase intention of special beer.Results: the results show that the country of origin effect, as an extrinsic attribute, has a significant role in the perceived quality, willingness to pay and consumers’ purchase intentions.Theoretical/Methodological Contrbutions: the development of the research allowed us to analyze, in the evaluation of a product, in this case, special beer (Pilsen type, the strength of an extrinsic factor, that is, the country of origin effect, and its influence on the perceived quality, the price-willingness to pay and the consumer’s purchase intention.

God, design, and naturalism: Implications of methodological naturalism in science for science-religion relation

OpenAIRE

Piotr Bylica; Dariusz Sagan

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to analyze the implications flowing from adopting methodological naturalism in science, with special emphasis on the relation between science and religion. Methodological naturalism, denying supernatural and teleological explanations, influences the content of scientific theories, and in practice leads to vision of science as compatible with ontological naturalism and in opposition to theism. Ontological naturalism in turn justifies the acceptance of methodological na...

Regional issue identification and assessment: study methodology. First annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-01-01

The overall assessment methodologies and models utilized for the first project under the Regional Issue Identification and Assessment (RIIA) program are described. Detailed descriptions are given of the methodologies used by lead laboratories for the quantification of the impacts of an energy scenario on one or more media (e.g., air, water, land, human and ecology), and by all laboratories to assess the regional impacts on all media. The research and assessments reflected in this document were performed by the following national laboratories: Argonne National Laboratory; Brookhaven National Laboratory; Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory; Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and Pacific Northwest Laboratory. This report contains five chapters. Chapter 1 briefly describes the overall study methodology and introduces the technical participants. Chapter 2 is a summary of the energy policy scenario selected for the RIIA I study and Chapter 3 describes how this scenario was translated into a county-level siting pattern of energy development. The fourth chapter is a detailed description of the individual methodologies used to quantify the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the scenario while Chapter 5 describes how these impacts were translated into comprehensive regional assessments for each Federal Region.

Transition care for children with special health care needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Alaina M; Brown, Rebekah F; Taylor, Julie Lounds; Epstein, Richard A; McPheeters, Melissa L

2014-11-01

Approximately 750,000 children in the United States with special health care needs will transition from pediatric to adult care annually. Fewer than half receive adequate transition care. We had conversations with key informants representing clinicians who provide transition care, pediatric and adult providers of services for individuals with special health care needs, policy experts, and researchers; searched online sources for information about currently available programs and resources; and conducted a literature search to identify research on the effectiveness of transition programs. We identified 25 studies evaluating transition care programs. Most (n = 8) were conducted in populations with diabetes, with a smaller literature (n = 5) on transplant patients. We identified an additional 12 studies on a range of conditions, with no more than 2 studies on the same condition. Common components of care included use of a transition coordinator, a special clinic for young adults in transition, and provision of educational materials. The issue of how to provide transition care for children with special health care needs warrants further attention. Research needs are wide ranging, including both substantive and methodologic concerns. Although there is widespread agreement on the need for adequate transition programs, there is no accepted way to measure transition success. It will be essential to establish consistent goals to build an adequate body of literature to affect practice. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Methodological Ludism and the Academic Study of Religion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knibbe, K.E.; Droogers, A.

2011-01-01

The usual options scholars have when dealing with religious truth claims-methodological atheism, theism and agnosticism-are criticized for being restricted to the contrast between science and religion. They represent researchers' perspectives that are not helpful in studying believers' truth claims.

Methodological ludism and the academic study of religion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knibbe, K.E.; Droogers, A.F.

2011-01-01

The usual options scholars have when dealing with religious truth claims-methodological atheism, theism and agnosticism-are criticized for being restricted to the contrast between science and religion. They represent researchers' perspectives that are not helpful in studying believers' truth claims.

An Evaluation Methodology for Protocol Analysis Systems

Science.gov (United States)

2007-03-01

Main Memory Requirement NS: Needham-Schroeder NSL: Needham-Schroeder-Lowe OCaml : Objective Caml POSIX: Portable Operating System...methodology is needed. A. PROTOCOL ANALYSIS FIELD As with any field, there is a specialized language used within the protocol analysis community. Figure...ProVerif requires that Objective Caml ( OCaml ) be installed on the system, OCaml version 3.09.3 was installed. C. WINDOWS CONFIGURATION OS

Tints of discourse on evaluation in training teachers of Special Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leandra Boer Possa

2012-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we discuss the effects of meaning that operate in the diagnosis and evaluationprocesses that subjectivate the teacher performance of Special Education, considering the naturalization of these practices. To discuss, we take as materiality of analysis fragments ofinternship reports produced by the academics of Special Education Course at Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. In the analysis, we use the concepts and methodological anchored in Foucault studies. We consider that there are not distinct and dialectical poles of a clinicaland diagnostic evaluation or an assessment in Special Education, because there is a tensionof forces that coexist and characterize the performance of the teacher in this field: the abnormality, the persons with disability, the identification and mediation processes of teaching and learning that enhance the arrival of the persons with disability closer to normality.

The methodological quality of systematic reviews of animal studies in dentistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Faggion, C M; Listl, S; Giannakopoulos, N N

2012-05-01

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of animal studies are important for improving estimates of the effects of treatment and for guiding future clinical studies on humans. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of animal studies in dentistry through using a validated checklist. A literature search was conducted independently and in duplicate in the PubMed and LILACS databases. References in selected systematic reviews were assessed to identify other studies not captured by the electronic searches. The methodological quality of studies was assessed independently and in duplicate by using the AMSTAR checklist; the quality was scored as low, moderate, or high. The reviewers were calibrated before the assessment and agreement between them was assessed using Cohen's Kappa statistic. Of 444 studies retrieved, 54 systematic reviews were selected after full-text assessment. Agreement between the reviewers was regarded as excellent. Only two studies were scored as high quality; 17 and 35 studies were scored as medium and low quality, respectively. There is room for improvement of the methodological quality of systematic reviews of animal studies in dentistry. Checklists, such as AMSTAR, can guide researchers in planning and executing systematic reviews and meta-analyses. For determining the need for additional investigations in animals and in order to provide good data for potential application in human, such reviews should be based on animal experiments performed according to sound methodological principles. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction to the Special Volume on "Ecology and Ecological Modeling in R"

OpenAIRE

Kneib, Thomas; Petzoldt, Thomas

2007-01-01

The third special volume in the "Foometrics in R" series of the Journal of Statistical Software collects a number of contributions describing statistical methodology and corresponding implementations related to ecology and ecological modelling. The scope of the papers ranges from theoretical ecology and ecological modelling to statistical methodology relevant for data analyses in ecological applications.

Meta-Analytical Studies in Transport Economics. Methodology and Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brons, M.R.E.

2006-05-18

Vast increases in the external costs of transport in the late twentieth century have caused national and international governmental bodies to worry about the sustainability of their transport systems. In this thesis we use meta-analysis as a research method to study various topics in transport economics that are relevant for sustainable transport policymaking. Meta-analysis is a research methodology that is based on the quantitative summarisation of a body of previously documented empirical evidence. In several fields of economic, meta-analysis has become a well-accepted research tool. Despite the appeal of the meta-analytical approach, there are methodological difficulties that need to be acknowledged. We study a specific methodological problem which is common in meta-analysis in economics, viz., within-study dependence caused by multiple sampling techniques. By means of Monte Carlo analysis we investigate the effect of such dependence on the performance of various multivariate estimators. In the applied part of the thesis we use and develop meta-analytical techniques to study the empirical variation in indicators of the price sensitivity of demand for aviation transport, the price sensitivity of demand for gasoline, the efficiency of urban public transport and the valuation of the external costs of noise from rail transport. We focus on the estimation of mean values for these indicators and on the identification of the impact of conditioning factors.

A Java-Web-Based-Learning Methodology, Case Study ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A Java-Web-Based-Learning Methodology, Case Study : Waterborne diseases. The recent advances in web technologies have opened new opportunities for computer-based-education. One can learn independently of time and place constraints, and have instantaneous access to relevant updated material at minimal cost.

Mental Health representations in workers of two specialized institutions of Lima City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Moll León

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The exploratory study aims to explore mental health representations in workers of two specialized institutions, through qualitative methodology. A total of ten members of two specialized institutions were selected, five from each, who comprise the interdisciplinary team in the area: A psychiatrist, a psychologist, a nurse, a nursing technician and a social worker. A semi-structured interview was developed to access the speech of the workers. Results show the representational world of the workers, their general conceptions about mental health, the factors that promote or interfere with it, as well as the reactions that a person that suffers mental illness generates, as well as expectations of improvement.

The Public Community College in America: Its History, Present Condition, and Future Outlook with Special Reference to Finance.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Nancy Joan

The development, current status, and future prospects of community colleges are examined in this study with special emphasis on finance and funding concerns. Introductory material outlines study objectives, methodology, and purposes; defines key terms; and emphasizes the importance of college planning. Chapter 1 presents a history of the community…

NMR-Metabolic Methodology in the Study of GM Foods

Science.gov (United States)

The 1H NMR methodology used in the study of genetically modified (GM) foodstuff is discussed. The study of transgenic lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv "Luxor") over-expressing the KNAT1 gene from Arabidopsis is presented as a novel study-case. The 1H NMR metabolic profiling was carried out. Twenty-two wat...

Studies on site characterization methodologies for high level radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Ju; Guo Yonghai; Chen Weiming

2008-01-01

This paper presents the final achievement of the project 'Studies of Site-specific Geological Environment for High Level Waste Disposal and Performance Assessment Methodology, Part Ⅰ: Studies on Site Characterization Methodologies for High Level Radioactive Waste Disposal', which is a 'Key Scientific and Technological Pre-Research Project for National Defense' during 2001-2005. The study area is Beishan area, Gansu Province, NW China--the most potential site for China's underground research laboratory and high level radioactive waste repository. The boreholes BS01, BS2, BS03 and BS04 drilled in fractured granite media in Beishan are used to conduct comprehensive studies on site characterization methodologies, including: bore hole drilling method, in situ measurement methods of hydrogeological parameters, underground water sampling technology, hydrogeochemical logging method, geo-stress measurement method, acoustic borehole televiewer measurement method, borehole radar measurement method, fault stability evaluation methods and rock joint evaluation method. The execution of the project has resulted in the establishment of an 'Integrated Methodological System for Site Characterization in Granite Site for High Level Radioactive Waste Repository' and the 8 key methodologies for site characterization: bore hole drilling method with minimum disturbance to rock mass, measurement method for hydrogeological parameters of fracture granite mass, in situ groundwater sampling methods from bore holes in fractured granite mass, fracture measurement methods by borehole televiewer and bore radar system, hydrogeochemical logging, low permeability measurement methods, geophysical methods for rock mass evaluation, modeling methods for rock joints. Those methods are comprehensive, advanced, innovative, practical, reliable and of high accuracy. The comprehensive utilization of those methods in granite mass will help to obtain systematic parameters of

Using Digital Archives in Quantitative Discourse Studies: Methodological Reflections

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Kobie Van Krieken

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This methodological essay discusses the possibilities of using digital archives in quantitative discourse studies. I illustrate these possibilities by discussing a study in which the digital archive Delpher was used to build a relatively large corpus of newspaper narratives (N=300 in order to test hypotheses about the historical development of linguistic features associated with objective and subjective reporting. The large amount of data collected in digital archives like Delpher facilitates the construction of corpora for such hypothesis-driven studies. However, the collection of newspaper articles on Delpher in fact constitutes only a small, non-random and continuously changing selection of all available data. Due to these characteristics, the use of Delpher jeopardizes two core values of quantitative empirical research: the generalizability and the replicability of findings. Although these issues cannot be easily overcome, I argue that digital archives have the potential to broaden the methodological scope of discourse studies and increase the overall significance of the field.

Study of special capacity in boxers with different styles of fight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.V. Aksutin

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose : the determination of tendency in boxer to a certain style of fight is important at all stages. Material : The special capacity in boxers with different styles of fight were studied. The special capacity and the impact force were studied by special training equipment among 23 boxers of higher qualification. The absolute and the relative strength of serial and single strikes were studied. Results : the results indicated that the absolutely impact force, the total tonnage and the relative strength of his right hand of strikes in boxers-“strongman” are more higher than in boxers with different styles. In boxers-“player” the power-hitting left-handed is more increasing for different styles. This fact indicates the presence among boxers-“player” the left-handed persons. Conclusions : the presented data are indicated about more higher of special endurance in boxers-“fastest”. This group of boxers differs from other of more higher development speed endurance

Towards methodological improvement in the Spanish studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatriz Amante García

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The European Higher Education Area (EHEA has triggered many changes in the new degrees in Spanish universities, mainly in terms of methodology and assessment. However, in order to make such changes a success it is essential to have coordination within the teaching staff as well as active methodologies in use, which enhance and encourage students’ participation in all the activities carried out in the classroom. Most of all, when dealing with formative and summative evaluation, in which students become the ones responsible for their own learning process (López-Pastor, 2009; Torre, 2008. In this second issue of JOTSE we have included several teaching innovation experiences related to the above mentioned methodological and assessment changes.

Case Study Research Methodology in Nursing Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Cope, Diane G

2015-11-01

Through data collection methods using a holistic approach that focuses on variables in a natural setting, qualitative research methods seek to understand participants' perceptions and interpretations. Common qualitative research methods include ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, and historic research. Another type of methodology that has a similar qualitative approach is case study research, which seeks to understand a phenomenon or case from multiple perspectives within a given real-world context.

A Study on Family Opinions Concerning Services Provided in Special Education Centres

Science.gov (United States)

Ugurlu, Necla Isikdogan; Kayhan, Nilay

2017-01-01

This study is to diagnose and evaluate children with different special needs medically and educationally and, as a result of those evaluations, to identify families' expectations, opinions and suggestions concerning the special education process, services and the functioning of special education institutions. The mothers of five children who…

THE METHODOLOGY OF CASES SELECTION FOR TEACHING FOREGN SPEECH TO THE STUDENTS OF NON-LIGUISTIC SPECIALITIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatyana Lozovskaya

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the advantages of case-study and its potential in forming the motivation for studying the English language for students of non-linguistic specialities, psychology students in particular. Training future psychologists foreign language communication should involve cases, published in foreign periodicals, and numerous exercises and communicative tasks according to the requirements of the case-technology which is used during their learning process. The studies enable to single out the main criteria of cases selection for the successful formation of foreign speech with the students of psychological faculty.

Decoding Computer Games: Studying “Special Operation 85”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bahareh Jalalzadeh

2009-11-01

Full Text Available As other media, computer games convey messages which have tow features: explicit and implicit. Semiologically studying computer games and comparing them with narrative structures, the present study attempts to discover the messages they convey. Therefore we have studied and decoded “Special operation 85” as a semiological text. Results show that the game’s features, as naming, interests and motivations of the engaged people, and the events narrated, all lead the producers to their goals of introducing and publicizing Iranian-Islamic cultural values. Although this feature makes “Special Opreation 85” a unique game, it fails in its attempt to produce a mythical personage in Iranian-Islamic cultural context.

Ecological impact study methodology for hydrotechnical projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manoliu, Mihai; Toculescu, Razvan

1993-01-01

Besides the expected benefits, hydrotechnical projects may entail unfavorable effects on the hydrological regime, environment, health and living conditions of the population. Rational water resource management should take into consideration both the favorable and unfavorable effects. This implies the assessment of socio-economic and environmental impacts of the changes of the hydrological regime. The paper proposes a methodology for carrying out impact studies of hydrotechnical projects. The results of the work are presented graphically on the basis of composite programing. A summary of mathematical methods involved in impact study design is also presented. (authors)

Methodology of site protection studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farges, L.

1980-01-01

Preliminary studies preceding building of a nuclear facility aim at assessing the choice of a site and establishing operating and control procedures. These studies are of two types. Studies on the impact of environment on the nuclear facility to be constructed form one type and studies on the impact of nuclear facilities on the environment form the second type. A methodology giving a framework to studies of second type is presented. These studies are undertaken to choose suitable sites for nuclear facilities. After a preliminary selection of a site based on the first estimate, a detailed site study is undertaken. The procedure for this consists of five successive phases, namely, (1) an inquiry assessing the initial state of the site, (2) an initial synthesis of accumulated information for assessing the health and safety consequences of releases, (3) laboratory and field studies simulating the movement of waste products for a quantitative assessment of effects, (4) final synthesis for laying down the release limits and radiological control methods, and (5) conclusions based on comparing the data of final synthesis to the limits prescribed by regulations. These five phases are outlined. Role of periodic reassessments after the facility is in operation for same time is explained. (M.G.B.)

Safety and reliability of pressure components with special emphasis on the contribution of component and large specimen testing to structural integrity assessment methodology. Vol. 1 and 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

The 51 papers of the 13. MPA-seminar contribute to structural integrity assessment methodology with special emphasis on the component and large specimen testing. 8 of the papers deal with fracture mechanics, 6 papers with dynamic loading, 13 papers with nondestructive testing, 2 papers with radiation embrittlement, 5 papers with pipe failure, 4 papers with components, 2 papers with thermal shock loading, 5 papers with the high temperature behaviour, 4 papers with the integrity of vessels and 3 papers with the integrity of welded joints. Especially also the fracture behaviour of steel material is verificated. All papers are separately indexed and analysed for the database. (DG) [de

76 FR 23605 - New Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Study Logistic Formative Research Methodology Studies...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-27

...; Comment Request; Study Logistic Formative Research Methodology Studies for the National Children's Study... maximize the efficiency (measured by scientific robustness, participant and infrastructure burden, and cost... assess the feasibility, acceptability, and cost of the recruitment strategy, study procedures, and...

Economic evaluation studies in nuclear medicine. A methodological review of the literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gambhir, S.S.; Schwimmer, J.

2000-01-01

The growing need for evaluation of the utility of new nuclear medicine technologies has spawned a few economic studies ranging from preliminary indications of cost savings to complete decision analysis models incorporating costs and quality of life. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the methodological quality of economic analyses of nuclear medicine procedures which targeted cost-effectiveness or cost-utility issues published in the medical literature during the years 1985-1999. A computerized literature search was used to identify original investigations from the medical literature which included an economic analysis of a nuclear medicine procedure. Each economic analysis article was evaluated by two independent reviewers for adherence to ten accepted methodological criteria. Of the 29 articles meeting the search criteria, only six (21%) conformed to all ten methodological criteria. Published economic analyses of nuclear medicine procedures usually do not meet accepted methodological standards and could be significantly improved to achieve overall better quality relative to similar analyses in the literature from other medical fields. Continued improvement in the number and quality of economic studies is critically needed for the future competitiveness of nuclear medicine studies

Methodological proposal for studying suicide as a complex phenomenon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minayo Maria Cecília de Souza

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The authors present a methodological proposal for studying suicide and suicide attempts from a combined socio-anthropological, epidemiological, and psychosocial perspective. This interdisciplinary and complex research model simultaneously examined individual, socioeconomic, historical/cultural, and population data as few studies have succeeded to date. Considering that the present study was conducted in a specific social reality, the authors created a methodological approach to comprehend the effects of a crisis in an industrial restructuring process in a mining company town in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, that was associated with unusually high suicide rates. Since it referred to a small geographic area (with only 100,000 inhabitants, the research is considered an ideal case study. The authors created different strategies to trace the local epidemiological profile, adapted a psychosocial autopsy technique to elucidate suicide cases and a psychosocial harm assessment technique to comprehend suicide attempts, and conducted a local analysis of the socio-cultural context. The methods proposed here (with advantages and limitations proved productive for elucidating the study hypothesis.

Effect of Guided Collaboration on General and Special Educators' Perceptions of Collaboration and Student Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Laine, Sandra

2013-01-01

This study investigated the effects of a guided collaboration approach during professional learning community meetings (PLC's) on the perceptions of general and special educators as well as the effect on student performance as measured by benchmark evaluation. A mixed methodology approach was used to collect data through surveys, weekly…

[Strengthening the methodology of study designs in scientific researches].

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Ze-qin

2010-06-01

Many problems in study designs have affected the validity of scientific researches seriously. We must understand the methodology of research, especially clinical epidemiology and biostatistics, and recognize the urgency in selection and implement of right study design. Thereafter we can promote the research capability and improve the overall quality of scientific researches.

Hybrid Risk Management Methodology: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacky Siu-Lun Ting

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Risk management is a decision-making process involving considerations of political, social, economic and engineering factors with relevant risk assessments relating to a potential hazard. In the last decade, a number of risk management tools are introduced and employed to manage and minimize the uncertainty and threats realization to the organizations. However, the focus of these methodologies are different; in which companies need to adopt various risk management principles to visualize a full picture of the organizational risk level. Regarding to this, this paper presents a new approach of risk management that integrates Hierarchical Holographic Modeling (HHM, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM and Business Recovery Planning (BCP for identifying and assessing risks as well as managing the consequences of realized residual risks. To illustrate the procedures of the proposed methodology, a logistic company ABC Limited is chosen to serve as a case study Through applying HHM and ERM to investigate and assess the risk, ABC Limited can be better evaluated the potential risks and then took the responsive actions (e.g. BCP to handle the risks and crisis in near future.

Progress on qualification testing methodology study of electric cables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, K.; Seguchi, T.; Okada, S.; Ito, M.; Kusama, Y.; Yagi, T.; Yoshikawa, M.

1983-01-01

Many instrumental, control and power cables are installed in nuclear power plants, and these cables contain a large amount of organic polymers as insulating and jacketing materials. They are exposed to radiation at high dose rate, steam at high temperature and chemical (or water) spray simultaneously when a LOCA occurs. Under such conditions, the polymers tend to lose their original properties. For reactor safety, the cables should be functional even if they are subjected to a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) at the end of their intended service life. In Japan, cable manufacturers qualify their cables according to the proposed test standard issued from IEEJ in 1982, but the standard still has many unsolved problems or uncertainties which have been dealt with tentatively through the manufacturer-user's agreement. The objectives of this research are to study the methodologies for qualification testing of electric wires and cables, and to provide the improved technical bases for modification of the standard. Research activities are divided into the Accident (LOCA) Testing Methodology and the Accelerated Aging Methodology

The non-linear development of the right hemispheric specialization for human face perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Lochy, Aliette; de Heering, Adélaïde; Rossion, Bruno

2017-06-24

The developmental origins of human adults' right hemispheric specialization for face perception remain unclear. On the one hand, infant studies have shown a right hemispheric advantage for face perception. On the other hand, it has been proposed that the adult right hemispheric lateralization for face perception slowly emerges during childhood due to reading acquisition, which increases left lateralized posterior responses to competing written material (e.g., visual letters and words). Since methodological approaches used in infant and children typically differ when their face capabilities are explored, resolving this issue has been difficult. Here we tested 5-year-old preschoolers varying in their level of visual letter knowledge with the same fast periodic visual stimulation (FPVS) paradigm leading to strongly right lateralized electrophysiological occipito-temporal face-selective responses in 4- to 6-month-old infants (de Heering and Rossion, 2015). Children's face-selective response was quantitatively larger and differed in scalp topography from infants', but did not differ across hemispheres. There was a small positive correlation between preschoolers' letter knowledge and a non-normalized index of right hemispheric specialization for faces. These observations show that previous discrepant results in the literature reflect a genuine nonlinear development of the neural processes underlying face perception and are not merely due to methodological differences across age groups. We discuss several factors that could contribute to the adult right hemispheric lateralization for faces, such as myelination of the corpus callosum and reading acquisition. Our findings point to the value of FPVS coupled with electroencephalography to assess specialized face perception processes throughout development with the same methodology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Progress in the development of methodology for fusion safety systems studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho, S.K.; Cambi, G.; Ciattaglia, S.; Fujii-e, Y.; Seki, Y.

1994-01-01

The development of fusion safety systems-study methodology, including the aspects of schematic classification of overall fusion safety system, qualitative assessment of fusion system for identification of critical accident scenarios, quantitative analysis of accident consequences and risk for safety design evaluation, and system-level analysis of accident consequences and risk for design optimization, by a consortium of international efforts is presented. The potential application of this methodology into reactor design studies will facilitate the systematic assessment of safety performance of reactor designs and enhance the impacts of safety considerations on the selection of design configurations

IRSN methodological guide to conducting workplace studies in compliance with French regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donadille, L.; Rehel, J. L.; Deligne, J. M.; Queinnec, F.; Aubert, B.; Bottollier-Depois, J. F.; Clairand, I.; Jourdain, J. R.; Rannou, A.

2007-01-01

Under French regulations governing radiation protection of workers, dosimetric workplace studies are mandatory. However, their practical implementation is not described. IRSN has developed a guide to help stakeholders in the radiological protection of workers conduct such studies. It proposes a general methodology applicable to most cases and 'workplace sheets', which apply this methodology to specific occupational settings. At present, two sheets are available: Conventional radiology and interventional radiology. (authors)

TEACHER EDUCATION FOR DISTANCE LEARNING BASED SPECIAL EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanzila NABEEL

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Special education is a mode of education in which specially designed instruction material and environment is required to meet the diverse requirements of children with special needs. In Pakistan, Open University (AIOU exclusively initiated a program for teacher preparation for Special Children through distance learning. This was a unique program of its kind with no precedence of defined services for Special Teachers’ Preparation. Dept of Special Education AIOU - through Distance learning system, offers study/training at graduate, masters and Ph. D. levels. Teachers are prepared in 6 specialized areas of Visual Impairment, Physical Disabilities, Hearing Impairment, Intellectual Disability, Learning Disability and Inclusive Education. The Open University has a well established regional network, outreach system providing educational counseling and guiding services to its students. University has 32 regional campuses with 86 part-time regional coordinating officers throughout the country for providing assistance to the Regional campuses. Over 900 study centers are established during the semester and are managed through the university’s regional campuses. Each student is assigned to a tutor who is a subject specialist. To maintain consistency of on and off campus observations, University faculty conducts reliability observations with adjunct Supervisors. Their professional growth impacts the quality of the teaching cadre. It was for the first time in the history of teacher training institutes of Pakistan that a teacher training program at Masters Level in the area of Special Education was offered through distance education. This paper gives the experiences, methodology and successes as outcome of the Distance- learning Special-Educator Program in Pakistan. Also highlighted is the Special Teacher Preparation Model through Distance Education System. Increased program completion rates support the fact that Open University faculty have become better

STUDYING FOREST ROOT SYSTEMS - AN OVERVIEW OF METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

Science.gov (United States)

The study of tree root systems is central to understanding forest ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycles, nutrient and water uptake, C allocation patterns by trees, soil microbial populations, adaptation of trees to stress, soil organic matter production, etc. Methodological probl...

Scenario development methodologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eng, T.; Hudson, J.; Stephansson, O.

1994-11-01

In the period 1981-1994, SKB has studied several methodologies to systematize and visualize all the features, events and processes (FEPs) that can influence a repository for radioactive waste in the future. All the work performed is based on the terminology and basic findings in the joint SKI/SKB work on scenario development presented in the SKB Technical Report 89-35. The methodologies studied are a) Event tree analysis, b) Influence diagrams and c) Rock Engineering Systems (RES) matrices. Each one of the methodologies is explained in this report as well as examples of applications. One chapter is devoted to a comparison between the two most promising methodologies, namely: Influence diagrams and the RES methodology. In conclusion a combination of parts of the Influence diagram and the RES methodology is likely to be a promising approach. 26 refs

New methodology for studying the structural ecology of occlusal caries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dige, Irene; Grønkjær, Lene; Nyvad, Bente

Microbiological studies of occlusal dental biofilms have hitherto been hampered by inaccessibility to the sampling site and demolition of the original biofilm architecture. The aim of the present study was to explore the spatial distribution of bacterial taxa in vivo at various stages of occusal...... caries, applying a new methodology involving preparation of embedded hard dental tissue slices for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and confocal microscopy. 11 extracted teeth were included in the study and classified according to their occlusal caries status (active/inactive/sound; cavitated......-bacterial origin resembling developmental protein, calculus and/or dead bacteria. Bacterial invasion with penetration into the dentinal tubules was seen only at advanced stages of the caries process with manifest cavity formation. It is concluded that the new methodology represents a valuable supplement...

[Teacher's perfomance assessment in Family Medicine specialization].

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-González, Adrián; Gómez-Clavelina, Francisco J; Hernández-Torres, Isaías; Flores-Hernández, Fernando; Sánchez-Mendiola, Melchor

2016-01-01

In Mexico there is no systematic evaluation of teachers in medical specialties. It is difficult to identify appropriate teaching practices. The lack of evaluation has limited the recognition and improvement of teaching. The objective of this study was to analyze feedback from students about teaching activities of teachers-tutors responsible for the specialization course in family medicine, and evaluate the evidence of reliability and validity of the instrument applied online. It was an observational and cross-sectional study. Seventy eight teachers of Family Medicine of medical residency were evaluated by 734 resident´s opinion. The anonymous questionnaire to assess teaching performance by resident's opinion and it is composed of 5 dimensions using a Likert scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics (t test, one-way ANOVA and factor analysis) were used. Residents stated that teaching performance is acceptable, with an average of 4.25 ± 0.93. The best valued dimension was "Methodology" with an average of 4.34 ± .92 in contrast to the "assessment" dimension with 4.16 ± 1.04. Teachers of specialization in family medicine have acceptable performance by resident's opinion. The online assessment tool meets the criteria of validity and reliability.

Selective methodology of population dynamics for optimizing a multiobjective environment of job shop production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santiago Ruiz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper develops a methodology based on population genetics to improve the performance of two or more variables in job shop production systems. The methodology applies a genetic algorithm with special features in the individual selection when they pass from generation to generation. In comparison with the FIFO method, the proposed methodology showed better results in the variables makespan, idle time and energy cost. When compared with NSGA II, the methodology did not showed relevant differences in makespan and idle time; however better performance was obtained in energy cost and, especially, in the number of required iterations to get the optimal makespan.

Learning by Translating: A Contrastive Methodology for ESP Learning and Translation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Laviosa

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Over the last few years applied linguists have explored the possibility of integrating the insights of second language acquisition theories, contrastive analysis, foreign language teaching methodologies, and translation studies with a view to enhancing current communicative models and techniques for L2 teaching and translator training (see for example Sewell and Higgins 1996; Laviosa-Braithwaite 1997; Campbell 1998; Malmkjær 1998; Laviosa 2000; Colina 2002. We intend to make a contribution to this interdisciplinary orientation by putting forward a translation-based methodology for learning ESP vocabulary and grammar through real life mediating communicative activities. With particular reference to the translation task itself, we endeavour to provide teachers of English for special purposes and translator trainers with a methodology for guiding their students in producing, to the best of their abilities, a target text which meets the quality criteria of terminological accuracy and stylistic fluency, and is also effective in terms of the communicative situation it is intended for. After outlining the rationale and main theoretical approaches underpinning our work, we will illustrate our methodology for learning ESP vocabulary and translation skills from a contrastive perspective, as in our book Learning by Translating (Laviosa and Cleverton 2003.

Studying creativity training programs: A methodological analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Valgeirsdóttir, Dagný; Onarheim, Balder

2017-01-01

Throughout decades of creativity research, a range of creativity training programs have been developed, tested, and analyzed. In 2004 Scott and colleagues published a meta‐analysis of all creativity training programs to date, and the review presented here sat out to identify and analyze studies...... published since the seminal 2004 review. Focusing on quantitative studies of creativity training programs for adults, our systematic review resulted in 22 publications. All studies were analyzed, but comparing the reported effectiveness of training across studies proved difficult due to methodological...... inconsistencies, variations in reporting of results as well as types of measures used. Thus a consensus for future studies is called for to answer the question: Which elements make one creativity training program more effective than another? This is a question of equal relevance to academia and industry...

Bentonite-amended soils special study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-10-01

This report presents the results of a two-phased special study to evaluate the viability of soil amended with a high percentage of bentonite as an infiltration barrier in the cover of Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project disposal cells. Phase I of the study was initiated in order to examine the feasibility of using bentonite-amended soils as a cover component on sideslopes and topslopes. The Phase I objectives were to test a variety of materials to determine if low hydraulic conductivities were achievable in materials exhibiting sufficient strength and to select suitable materials for further testing. Phase II objectives were to (1) optimize designs -- test materials with various percentages of bentonite added; (2) provide design recommendations; (3) address constructibility concerns; and (4) evaluate long-term performance with respect to desiccation effects on the amended materials

Television Futures: A Social Action Methodology for Studying Interpretive Communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Klaus Bruhn

1990-01-01

Presents a qualitative methodology employing workshop sessions for studying audience assessment of the mass media's service to the public. Finds that viewers are capable of a sophisticated critique of television, and raises implications both for the politics of communication and for further reception studies. (MG)

Digraph-fault tree methodology for the assessment of material control systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambert, H.E.; Lim, J.J.; Gilman, F.M.

1979-01-01

The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, under contract to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is developing a procedure to assess the effectiveness of material control and accounting systems at nuclear fuel cycle facilities. The purpose of a material control and accounting system is to prevent the theft of special nuclear material such as plutonium or highly enriched uranium. This report presents the use of a directed graph and fault tree analysis methodology in the assessment procedure. This methodology is demonstrated by assessing a simulated material control system design, the Test Bed

Proceedings of Arcom Doctoral Workshop Research Methodology

OpenAIRE

Scott, Lloyd

2018-01-01

Editorial Editorial Welcome to this special doctoral workshop on Research Methodology which forms part of what is now a well-established support mechanism for researchers in the discipline of the Built Environment and more particularly construction management. The ARCOM doctoral series, around now for some seventeen years, has addressed many of the diverse research areas that PhD researchers in the discipline have chosen to focus on in their doctoral journey. This doctoral workshop has as ...

Prevalence studies in rheumatology: the methodology of the Chiavari study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Maio

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Goals of epidemiological studies are the description of the measures of frequency of diseases, the attempt to clarify possible etiopathogenic mechanisms, and the provision of data to support health policy decisions. To increase the familiarity of rheumatologists toward epidemiology, we describe the methodology used in a prevalence study of musculoskeletal complaints performed in Chiavari, Italy. Methods: A questionnaire, originally developed by the Epidemiology Unit of the Arthitis Research Council in Manchester, UK, to investigate the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis, was used after translation and validation. 4456 subjects aged 16 years or more listed in four general practices were invited to participate in the study and to fill the ARC questionnaire. The 3294 responders reported a any past occurrence of joint swelling lasting more than four weeks and the distribution of the swollen joints on a mannequin; b any joint pain lasting more than four weeks; c current joint pain or swelling; d morning stiffness; e whether they had been previously told by a doctor they had arthritis. Results: Four steps were necessary to obtain a 74% response, i.e. direct contact, two mailings and a phone interview. The performance of the different questions was good. The prevalence of the most common conditions among patients answering positively to the questions regarding morning stiffness and symmetrical swelling of joints was as follows: osteoarthritis 2.60%, fibromyalgia 1.30%, carpal tunnel syndrome 1.14%, rheumatoid arthritis 0.31%, and psoriatic arthritis 0.10%. Conclusions: Methodological issues regarding the selection of the population and sample to study, the development of a questionnaire, and the problems in obtaining valid informations are discussed.

The significance of education and training of librarians to serve users with special needs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrijana Biba Starman

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The article presents the importance of education and training of librarians to serve users with special needs as perceived by students of library and information science (LIS and by students and graduates with special needs in the role of library users.Methodology/approach: Surveys amongst the 3rd year students of Librarianship and Information Science (bachelor’s degree at the Faculty of Arts (University of Ljubljana as well as half structured interviews with 12 students and graduates with special needs as library users have been conducted. The acquired data were then analyzed and compared.Results: The results show a high level of motivation of LIS students for working with users with special needs as well as the desire for additional education and training.Comparisons of data indicate differences in understanding users with special needs,thus confirming the need for further education and training of librarians.Research limitation: Small sample size and inability to generalize the findings.Originality/practical implications: The first study in Slovenia dealing with the significance of education and training of librarians to work with users with special needs.

Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Simulation: Future Applications in Special Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Gwendolyn B.; And Others

The report describes three advanced technologies--robotics, artificial intelligence, and computer simulation--and identifies the ways in which they might contribute to special education. A hybrid methodology was employed to identify existing technology and forecast future needs. Following this framework, each of the technologies is defined,…

Special safeguards study. Scopes of work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-06-01

The Special Safeguards Study (SSS) will be conducted by a combination of (1) contacts with other agencies, (2) NRC staff studies and analysis and (3) contracted studies in specific areas. Most of the study effort will be carried out by contractual support activities. These activities will be devoted to providing technical information, primarily qualitative because of the short term of the study, to enable the staff to determine the most cost-effective sets of measures for plutonium recycle and high-enriched uranium fuel cycle safeguards. The scope of work for these activities is given. The scope of work describes tasks that range from confirming the Commission's safeguards objective to defining specific protection systems for the following siting arrangements: dispersed sites, collocated fuel cycle plants, and mixed parks where reactors, reprocessing plants and fuel fabrication plants are collocated. (U.S.)

Study for a simplified LCA methodology adapted to bio-products. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

Agricultural resources form a renewable stock of raw materials that can be used for various purposes: food supply, production of energy (including biofuels), bio-products and bio-based construction materials. The use of agricultural resources to produce bio-products is expanding in France and throughout the world, partly due to the presumed advantages of these products towards the environment. In this context, ADEME (the French Environment and Energy Management Agency) commissioned a study for the development of a methodological framework to evaluate the environmental impacts of bio-products. This study was also in charge of the identification of areas of improvement for the 'Bilan Produit', an environmental assessment tool developed by ADEME, in order to allow a future integration of bio-products. The first step of this study consisted of a comparative review of the existing bio-products' LCA (Life Cycle Assessment). This review underlined a deep heterogeneity among the methodologies used, as well as a lack of transparency in the results displayed. In a second step of the project, all the methodological issues in the evaluation of bio-products were studied, and recommendations for the resolution of each one of them have been proposed. These critical analyses are presented in individual fact-sheets, which detail the specific issues of each question, facts from the bibliographic review, the results of the tests conducted on three bio-products, and finally the methodological recommendations to answer the question. This project showed that some methodological recommendations had to be specified depending on the objective of the LCA: eco-design, environmental labeling or comparative LCA. The work conducted also identified some necessary improvements to the Bilan Produit tool, which come under four categories: addition of the missing inventories, integration of metadata regarding the inventories, consideration for the specific end-of-life scenarios of bio-products, and

Reasons for the choice to specialize in psychiatry - a retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Szczegielniak, Anna; Skowronek, Anna; Skowronek, Rafał; Dębska, Ewa; Wydra, Katarzyna; Frey, Przemysław; Krysta, Krzysztof

2012-09-01

Providing the mental health service is one of the main tasks of every state. Its implementation obviously depends on the number of professionally active psychiatrists. The aim of the study was to analyze the motives in the choice of the specialization in psychiatry from the perspective of physicians-practitioners. An original questionnaire, containing 22 questions, was implemented. The study group was created by recruiting 132 psychiatrists participating in the International Scientific-Training Conference in Wisła, Poland in 2011. The obtained results were analyzed statistically. The majority of the respondents decided to become psychiatrists during their university studies (43.61%) and just after their studies (37.59%). Only 9.02% knew before starting university, which field of medicine to select, and 8.27% were originally practitioners in a different medical specialization. The factors having the greatest influence on making the decision were: self-esteem (58.64%), practical classes in college and the experience of special types of work with a patient (the percentage for both factors was 33.83%). Prestige (3%) and media influence (3.76%) seem to be the least important factors. 81% of respondents admitted that it was their own independent decision. In the group of those who were influenced by others, the strongest source of advice was the opinion of a partner (4.51%), while the opinion of the family and a well-known specialist in the field turned out to be much less important (the percentage for both factors was 1.5%). 94.73% participants said that they would choose the same specialization once again. Public perception of psychiatry is still not satisfactory and may have little impact on the popularity of this specialization. The form of teaching at universities is important in the selection process of the specialization. The results of our questionnaire may be a helpful tool to improve the image of psychiatry as an attractive path of professional career, and

Study of possibility using LANL PSA-methodology for accident probability RBMK researches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrin, S.V.; Yuferev, V.Y.; Zlobin, A.M.

1995-01-01

The reactor facility probabilistic safety analysis methodologies are considered which are used at U.S. LANL and RF NIKIET. The methodologies are compared in order to reveal their similarity and differences, determine possibilities of using the LANL technique for RBMK type reactor safety analysis. It is found that at the PSA-1 level the methodologies practically do not differ. At LANL the PHA, HAZOP hazards analysis methods are used for more complete specification of the accounted initial event list which can be also useful at performance of PSA for RBMK. Exchange of information regarding the methodology of detection of dependent faults and consideration of human factor impact on reactor safety is reasonable. It is accepted as useful to make a comparative study result analysis for test problems or PSA fragments using various computer programs employed at NIKIET and LANL

Contextual assessment of organisational culture - methodological development in two case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reiman, T.; Oedewald, P.

2002-01-01

Despite the acknowledged significance of organisational culture in the nuclear field, previous cultural studies have concentrated on purely safety related matters, or been only descriptive in nature. New kinds of methods, taking into account the overall objectives of the organisation, were needed to assess culture and develop its working practices appropriately. VTT developed the Contextual Assessment of Organisational Culture (CAOC) methodology during the FINNUS programme. The methodology utilises two concepts, organisational culture and core task. The core task can be defined as the core demands and content of work that the organisation has to accomplish in order to be effective. The core task concept is used in assessing the central dimensions of the organisation's culture. Organisational culture is defined as a solution the company has generated in order to fulfil the perceived demands of its core task. The CAOC-methodology was applied in two case studies, in the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland and in the maintenance unit of Loviisa NPP. The aim of the studies was not only to assess the given culture, but also to give the personnel new concepts and new tools for reflecting on their organisation, their jobs and on appropriate working practices. The CAOC-methodology contributes to the design and redesign of work in complex sociotechnical systems. It strives to enhance organisations' capability to assess their current working practices and the meanings attached to them and compare these to the actual demands of their basic mission and so change unadaptive practices. (orig.)

Toward a Sustainable Low-Carbon China: A Review of the Special Issue of “Energy Economics and Management”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ning Zhang

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Severe environmental quality deterioration, along with predatory exploitation of energy resources, are generally associated with economic growth, especially in China. Against this background, the 6th Annual Conference of Energy Economics and Management provides a platform for examining outperforming governance factors and mechanisms of energy economics and policy. Thanks to Sustainability for providing this special issue. This editorial highlights the contents and methodologies of the special issue for this conference, presenting diverse issues in energy economics and management. We also suggest guidelines for future study in energy economics and management.

Safety and economic study of special trains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loscutoff, W.V.; Hall, R.J.

1976-01-01

A comparative evaluation is being conducted of the safety and economics of special (35 mph and less) and regular trains for shipment of spent fuels. The approach, pertinent considerations, and results to date are discussed. The preliminary conclusion is that special train requirements have potential for only a small reduction in the accident likelihood, while increasing the cost

Remedial Action Assessment System: A computer-based methodology for conducting feasibility studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, M.K.; Buelt, J.L.; Stottlemyre, J.A.

1991-02-01

Because of the complexity and number of potential waste sites facing the US Department of Energy (DOE) for potential cleanup, DOE is supporting the development of a computer-based methodology to streamline the remedial investigation/feasibility study process. The Remedial Action Assessment System (RAAS), can be used for screening, linking, and evaluating established technology processes in support of conducting feasibility studies. It is also intended to do the same in support of corrective measures studies. The user interface employs menus, windows, help features, and graphical information while RAAS is in operation. Object-oriented programming is used to link unit processes into sets of compatible processes that form appropriate remedial alternatives. Once the remedial alternatives are formed, the RAAS methodology can evaluate them in terms of effectiveness, implementability, and cost. RAAS will access a user-selected risk assessment code to determine the reduction of risk after remedial action by each recommended alternative. The methodology will also help determine the implementability of the remedial alternatives at a site and access cost estimating tools to provide estimates of capital, operating, and maintenance costs. This paper presents the characteristics of two RAAS prototypes currently being developed. These include the RAAS Technology Information System, which accesses graphical, tabular and textual information about technologies, and the main RAAS methodology, which screens, links, and evaluates remedial technologies. 4 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

International conference on research methodology for roadside surveys of drinking-driving : alcohol countermeasures workshop

Science.gov (United States)

1974-09-01

The basic purpose [of the conference] was to encourage more roadside surveys by furthering the research methodology and recommendations for conducting roadside surveys developed by a special group of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Deve...

Online Public Access Catalog User Studies: A Review of Research Methodologies, March 1986-November 1989.

Science.gov (United States)

Seymour, Sharon

1991-01-01

Review of research methodologies used in studies of online public access catalog (OPAC) users finds that a variety of research methodologies--e.g., surveys, transaction log analysis, interviews--have been used with varying degrees of expertise. It is concluded that poor research methodology resulting from limited training and resources limits the…

Research in Special Education: Designs, Methods, and Applications. Second Edition

Science.gov (United States)

Rumrill, Phillip D., Jr.; Cook, Bryan G.; Wiley, Andrew L.

2011-01-01

The goal of this second edition is to provide a comprehensive overview of the philosophical, ethical, methodological, and analytical fundamentals of social science and educational research, as well as specify aspects of special education research that distinguish it from scientific inquiry in other fields of education and human services. Foremost…

Methodology for Assessing the Degree of Internationalization of Business Academic Study Programmes

OpenAIRE

Dan-Cristian Dabija; Cătălin Postelnicu; Nicolae Al. Pop

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodology for assessing the degree of internationalization of undergraduate, Master’s and doctoral business programmes with the aid of complex indicators designed to capture the vast array of characteristics displayed by these programmes and contribute to their promotion in the international academic competition. The methodology should include both general indicators applicable to any study programme and some indicators that are specifically develop...

[Methodological aspects of a study of medical service satisfaction in patients with borderline mental disorders].

Science.gov (United States)

Malygin, Ya V; Tsygankov, B D

The authors discussed a methodology of the study of medical service satisfaction and it's factors: moment of assessment, methodology of data collection, format of data, bench-marking, principles of inclusion of questions into a questionnaire, organizing and frequency of conducting studies.

Systematic reviews identify important methodological flaws in stroke rehabilitation therapy primary studies: review of reviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Santaguida, Pasqualina; Oremus, Mark; Walker, Kathryn; Wishart, Laurie R; Siegel, Karen Lohmann; Raina, Parminder

2012-04-01

A "review of reviews" was undertaken to assess methodological issues in studies evaluating nondrug rehabilitation interventions in stroke patients. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched from January 2000 to January 2008 within the stroke rehabilitation setting. Electronic searches were supplemented by reviews of reference lists and citations identified by experts. Eligible studies were systematic reviews; excluded citations were narrative reviews or reviews of reviews. Review characteristics and criteria for assessing methodological quality of primary studies within them were extracted. The search yielded 949 English-language citations. We included a final set of 38 systematic reviews. Cochrane reviews, which have a standardized methodology, were generally of higher methodological quality than non-Cochrane reviews. Most systematic reviews used standardized quality assessment criteria for primary studies, but not all were comprehensive. Reviews showed that primary studies had problems with randomization, allocation concealment, and blinding. Baseline comparability, adverse events, and co-intervention or contamination were not consistently assessed. Blinding of patients and providers was often not feasible and was not evaluated as a source of bias. The eligible systematic reviews identified important methodological flaws in the evaluated primary studies, suggesting the need for improvement of research methods and reporting. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Health Professions Officer Special Pay Study HPOSPS

Science.gov (United States)

2014-08-01

the career field and the tax: Student-Transient-Prisoner/Patient ( STP ), Special Duty, and Outside. o STP : The Army equivalent of this Air Force...patterns due to their highly marketable skills which can be transferred to another form of public service (e.g., inter-Service transfer) or are in high... STP , and developmental opportunities (primarily special duties). The inventory identifies categories indicating skill availability (“Not Fully

California GAMA Special Study: Nitrate Fate and Transport in the Salinas Valley

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moran, Jean E. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Esser, Bradley K. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Hillegonds, Darren [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Holtz, Marianne [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Roberts, Sarah K. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Singleton, Michael J. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Visser, Ate [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2011-05-13

The Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program is a comprehensive groundwater quality monitoring program managed by the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). Under the GAMA program, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory carries out special studies that address groundwater quality issues of statewide relevance. The study described here is one in a series of special studies that address the fate and transport of nitrate in basins where groundwater is the main source of water for both irrigation and public drinking water supply.

Toward the Long-Term Scientific Study of Encounter Group Phenomena: I. Methodological Considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Diamond, Michael Jay; Shapiro, Jerrold Lee

This paper proposes a model for the long-term scientific study of encounter, T-, and sensitivity groups. The authors see the need for overcoming major methodological and design inadequacies of such research. They discuss major methodological flaws in group outcome research as including: (1) lack of adequate base rate or pretraining measures; (2)…

Special Operations Forces (SOF) technical analysis and evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1987-08-31

In response to Task Order 001, Los Alamos National Laboratory Contract 9-L5H-1508P-1, Betac Corporation is pleased to provide ten quick-response, short-term analytical papers in support of Low Intensity Conflict (LIC) and Special Operations (SO). The papers are study methodologies which provide background, baseline, concepts, approaches, and recommendations in the mission areas identified in the Statement of Work. Although the Statement of Work specifies only nine papers, a tenth paper has been included addressing Command Relationships, since this subject affects all other topics and is of critical importance to USCINCSOC in establishing the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Each paper addresses the feasibility of further effort in each area of interest. The ten papers address: (1) mission support systems; (2) research, development, and acquisition; (3) headquarters equipment; (4) C3I architecture; (5) intelligence dissemination; (6) intelligence collection management; (7) intelligence support to SOF targeting; (8) joint mission area analysis (JMAA); (9) joint SOF master plan; and (10) command relationships.

Methodology for lognormal modelling of malignant pleural mesothelioma survival time distributions: a study of 5580 case histories from Europe and USA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mould, Richard F [41 Ewhurst Avenue, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 0DH (United Kingdom); Lahanas, Michael [Klinikum Offenbach, Strahlenklinik, 66 Starkenburgring, 63069 Offenbach am Main (Germany); Asselain, Bernard [Institut Curie, Biostatistiques, 26 rue d' Ulm, 75231 Paris Cedex 05 (France); Brewster, David [Director, Scottish Cancer Registry, Information Services (NHS National Services Scotland) Area 155, Gyle Square, 1 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh EH12 9EB (United Kingdom); Burgers, Sjaak A [Department of Thoracic Oncology, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The (Netherlands); Damhuis, Ronald A M [Rotterdam Cancer Registry, Rochussenstraat 125, PO Box 289, 3000 AG Rotterdam, The (Netherlands); Rycke, Yann De [Institut Curie, Biostatistiques, 26 rue d' Ulm, 75231 Paris Cedex 05 (France); Gennaro, Valerio [Liguria Mesothelioma Cancer Registry, Etiology and Epidemiology Department, National Cancer Research Institute, Pad. Maragliano, Largo R Benzi, 10-16132 Genoa (Italy); Szeszenia-Dabrowska, Neonila [Department of Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, National Institute of Occupational Medicine, PO Box 199, Swietej Teresy od Dzieciatka Jezus 8, 91-348 Lodz (Poland)

2004-09-07

A truncated left-censored and right-censored lognormal model has been validated for representing pleural mesothelioma survival times in the range 5-200 weeks for data subsets grouped by age for males, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 and 80+ years and for all ages combined for females. The cases available for study were from Europe and USA and totalled 5580. This is larger than any other pleural mesothelioma cohort accrued for study. The methodology describes the computation of reference baseline probabilities, 5-200 weeks, which can be used in clinical trials to assess results of future promising treatment methods. This study is an extension of previous lognormal modelling by Mould et al (2002 Phys. Med. Biol. 47 3893-924) to predict long-term cancer survival from short-term data where the proportion cured is denoted by C and the uncured proportion, which can be represented by a lognormal, by (1 - C). Pleural mesothelioma is a special case when C = 0.

Methodology for lognormal modelling of malignant pleural mesothelioma survival time distributions: a study of 5580 case histories from Europe and USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mould, Richard F; Lahanas, Michael; Asselain, Bernard; Brewster, David; Burgers, Sjaak A; Damhuis, Ronald A M; Rycke, Yann De; Gennaro, Valerio; Szeszenia-Dabrowska, Neonila

2004-01-01

A truncated left-censored and right-censored lognormal model has been validated for representing pleural mesothelioma survival times in the range 5-200 weeks for data subsets grouped by age for males, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 and 80+ years and for all ages combined for females. The cases available for study were from Europe and USA and totalled 5580. This is larger than any other pleural mesothelioma cohort accrued for study. The methodology describes the computation of reference baseline probabilities, 5-200 weeks, which can be used in clinical trials to assess results of future promising treatment methods. This study is an extension of previous lognormal modelling by Mould et al (2002 Phys. Med. Biol. 47 3893-924) to predict long-term cancer survival from short-term data where the proportion cured is denoted by C and the uncured proportion, which can be represented by a lognormal, by (1 - C). Pleural mesothelioma is a special case when C = 0

Information literacy instruction in special libraries: the situation in the year 2010 in comparison with the year 2002

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uršula Tarfila

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of the research was to explore if information literacy instruction of Slovenian special library users has been improved since the last study in the year 2002,and if so, in which directions.Methodology/approach: Web-based survey was used to collect data from special libraries;the results were then compared with the findings of the survey carried out in 2002.Results: The results show that information literacy instruction of special library users has remained more or less unchanged. In the 2010 survey included special librarians are aware of the importance of developing information literacy but they are restricted by work overload, lack of resources and time, or are unskilled to perform this activity.As compared to the year 2002, a noticeable change has been observed only in the higher level of co-operation between special libraries and departments of their parent organizations.Research limitation: The sample size of both studies was not even, for advanced understanding of some results additional research methods should be used.Originality/practical implications: The study should stimulate special libraries to make a step forward in developing user instruction. However, information literacy is a core skill of the active working population and the driving force of innovation and competitiveness of the parent organization.

Functional components for a design strategy: Hot cell shielding in the high reliability safeguards methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borrelli, R.A., E-mail: rborrelli@uidaho.edu

2016-08-15

The high reliability safeguards (HRS) methodology has been established for the safeguardability of advanced nuclear energy systems (NESs). HRS is being developed in order to integrate safety, security, and safeguards concerns, while also optimizing these with operational goals for facilities that handle special nuclear material (SNM). Currently, a commercial pyroprocessing facility is used as an example system. One of the goals in the HRS methodology is to apply intrinsic features of the system to a design strategy. This current study investigates the thickness of the hot cell walls that could adequately shield processed materials. This is an important design consideration that carries implications regarding the formation of material balance areas, the location of key measurement points, and material flow in the facility.

Specialized languages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mousten, Birthe; Laursen, Anne Lise

2016-01-01

Across different fields of research, one feature is often overlooked: the use of language for specialized purposes (LSP) as a cross-discipline. Mastering cross-disciplinarity is the precondition for communicating detailed results within any field. Researchers in specialized languages work cross...... science fields communicate their findings. With this article, we want to create awareness of the work in this special area of language studies and of the inherent cross-disciplinarity that makes LSP special compared to common-core language. An acknowledgement of the importance of this field both in terms...... of more empirical studies and in terms of a greater application of the results would give language specialists in trade and industry a solid and updated basis for communication and language use....

Municipal solid waste composition: Sampling methodology, statistical analyses, and case study evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edjabou, Vincent Maklawe Essonanawe; Jensen, Morten Bang; Götze, Ramona

2015-01-01

Sound waste management and optimisation of resource recovery require reliable data on solid waste generation and composition. In the absence of standardised and commonly accepted waste characterisation methodologies, various approaches have been reported in literature. This limits both...... comparability and applicability of the results. In this study, a waste sampling and sorting methodology for efficient and statistically robust characterisation of solid waste was introduced. The methodology was applied to residual waste collected from 1442 households distributed among 10 individual sub......-areas in three Danish municipalities (both single and multi-family house areas). In total 17 tonnes of waste were sorted into 10-50 waste fractions, organised according to a three-level (tiered approach) facilitating,comparison of the waste data between individual sub-areas with different fractionation (waste...

An EPRI methodology for determining and monitoring simulator operating limits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eichelberg, R.; Pellechi, M.; Wolf, B.; Colley, R.

1989-01-01

Of paramount concern to nuclear utilities today is whether their plant-referenced simulator(s) comply with ANSI/ANS 3.5-1985. Of special interest is Section 4.3 of the Standard which requires, in part, that a means be provided to alert the instructor when certain parameters approach values indicative of events beyond the implemented model or known plant behavior. EPRI established Research Project 2054-2 to develop a comprehensive plan for determining, monitoring, and implementing simulator operating limits. As part of the project, a survey was conducted to identify the current/anticipated approach each of the sampled utilities was using to meet the requirements of Section 4.3. A preliminary methodology was drafted and host utilities interviewed. The interview process led to redefining the methodology. This paper covers the objectives of the EPRI project, survey responses, overview of the methodology, resource requirements and conclusions

Methodology for the Study of the Envelope Airtightness of Residential Buildings in Spain: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feijó-Muñoz Jesús

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Air leakage and its impact on the energy performance of dwellings has been broadly studied in countries with cold climates in Europe, US, and Canada. However, there is a lack of knowledge in this field in Mediterranean countries. Current Spanish building regulations establish ventilation rates based on ideal airtight envelopes, causing problems of over-ventilation and substantial energy losses. The aim of this paper is to develop a methodology that allows the characterization of the envelope of the housing stock in Spain in order to adjust ventilation rates taking into consideration air leakage. A methodology that is easily applicable to other countries that consider studying the airtightness of the envelope and its energetic behaviour improvement is proposed. A statistical sampling method has been established to determine the dwellings to be tested, considering relevant variables concerning airtightness: climate zone, year of construction, and typology. The air leakage rate is determined using a standardized building pressurization technique according to European Standard EN 13829. A representative case study has been presented as an example of the implementation of the designed methodology and results are compared to preliminary values obtained from the database.

TRIZ method application for improving the special vehicles maintenance

OpenAIRE

Petrović Saša; Lozanović-Šajić Jasmina; Knežević Tijana; Pavlović Jovan; Ivanov Goran

2014-01-01

TRIZ methodology provides an opportunity for improving the classical engineering approach based on personal knowledge and experience. This paper presents the application of TRIZ methods for improving vehicle maintenance where special equipment is installed. A specific problem is the maintenance of the periscopes with heating system. Protective glass panels with heating system are rectangular glass elements. Their purpose is to perform mechanical protection ...

FY1995 study of design methodology and environment of high-performance processor architectures; 1995 nendo koseino processor architecture sekkeiho to sekkei kankyo no kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-03-01

The aim of our project is to develop high-performance processor architectures for both general purpose and application-specific purpose. We also plan to develop basic softwares, such as compliers, and various design aid tools for those architectures. We are particularly interested in performance evaluation at architecture design phase, design optimization, automatic generation of compliers from processor designs, and architecture design methodologies combined with circuit layout. We have investigated both microprocessor architectures and design methodologies / environments for the processors. Our goal is to establish design technologies for high-performance, low-power, low-cost and highly-reliable systems in system-on-silicon era. We have proposed PPRAM architecture for high-performance system using DRAM and logic mixture technology, Softcore processor architecture for special purpose processors in embedded systems, and Power-Pro architecture for low power systems. We also developed design methodologies and design environments for the above architectures as well as a new method for design verification of microprocessors. (NEDO)

Formation of the methodological matrix of the strategic analysis of the enterprise

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.H. Vygovskaya

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the study of the methodological matrix of the strategic analysis of the enterprise. The aim of this article is to analyze the influence of methodological changes in the 20th century on the methodology of strategic analysis; critical assessment and generalization of scientific approaches to its methods. Evaluation of scientific works on analysis made it possible to identify such problems in the methodology of strategic analysis as the lack of consideration of the features of strategic analysis in the formation of its methods, which often leads to confusion of methods of financial (economic, thrifty analysis; failure to use the fact that the strategic analysis contains, besides the methods of analyzing the internal and external environment, the methods of forecast analysis aimed at forming the strategy for the development of the enterprise; identification of the concepts «image», «reception», «method» of analysis; multidirectionality and indistinctness of signs of classification of methods of strategic analysis; blind copying of foreign methods of application of techniques and methods of strategic analysis without taking into account the specifics of domestic economic conditions. The expediency of using the system approach in forming the methodological design of strategic analysis is proved, which will allow to combine the methodology as a science of methods (a broad approach to the methods of strategic analysis with methodology as a set of applied methods and methods of analysis (narrow approach to methodology. The use of the system approach allowed to distinguish three levels of the methodology of strategic analysis. The first and second levels of methodology correspond to the level of science, the third level – the practice. When developing the third level of special methods of strategic analysis, an approach is applied that differentiates them depending on the stages of strategic analysis (methods of the stage

THE FEATURES OF PROCESSES OF SKILLS (SPECIAL COMPETENCIES FORMATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. N. Pechnikov

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The present article continues a series of the authors’ publications devoted to key problems of a modern educational process organization and ensuring its efficiency. A starting point of the latest investigation stage has been a gap between the available models of formation and diagnostics of special competencies and the tasks for predicting a degree of success of development student’s skills in order to take adequate decisions on managing the process.The aim of the article is justification of a new methodological approach to formation of skills (special competencies of students.Methodology and research methods. The methods of analysis and synthesis; fundamental principles of didactics, qualimetry, the efficiency theory and the decision-making theory were used.Results and scientific novelty. The theoretical bases of evaluation procedures of pupils’ skills created during training are stated. Reference points for the choice of learning process characteristics are designated; by following those characteristics it is possible to provide better development of skills. The tasks of analysis of the studied problem, information acquisition and modeling of the “situation mechanism” of special competencies formation are considered. It is proved that for educational process management optimization it is necessary to evaluate not only its result, but also its quality process, as well its quality system that provides the organization process. The combination of factors to exert the dominating influence over educational process effectiveness are singled out: a type of the applied pedagogical influence; a type of the realized didactic system; a set of personal trainee characteristics which include levels of his/her educational motivation, learning ability, creativity and enables to model and predict training results. It is shown that each of possible combinations of the leading factors represents separate version of a solution to the

Feasibility Study of Document Delivery Services in Special Libraries in Tehran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Assiyeh Pour- Emam- Ali

2006-10-01

Full Text Available The present study investigates the feasibility of establishing document delivery services in special libraries in Tehran. Document delivery services is copyright-cleared hard copy or electronic copy supply to individuals or corporations on a non-profit or for-profit basis. A descriptive survey was conducted over 105 special libraries located within Tehran. Capabilities studied included manual and automated equipments, skilled and motivated manpower, adequate budget and etc. Investigations show that 8.42% of these libraries use web-sites for resource location. 5.43% employ bibliographies. 5.36% of users lodge their requests by phone. 2.32% of the libraries receive requests in person. 3.14% of librarians are familiar with English while 6.28% are familiar with IT. 5.27% of the libraries studied use British library Document Supply Center at Boston Spa as their primary source of Foreign Document acquisition. 5.32% of the libraries consider membership in Interlibrary Cooperative Schemes as appropriate means of meeting patrons’ information needs. Maximum request response time is 3-4 weeks. 3.28% of the requests are for books. 6.88% of the special libraries, lack staff training courses for skill acquisition in the area of document delivery. 8.29% of libraries cite lack of adequate equipment as the main document delivery obstacle. The findings demonstrate the document delivery service among special libraries in Tehran is not appropriate given the existing capabilities.

Study of Support Services for Children with Special Needs in the State of Sikkim

Science.gov (United States)

Dash, Neena

2009-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present the status of integrated education for children with special needs in the State of Sikkim, to study the various support services required for children with special needs for their successful completion of primary education, to ascertain the academic support provided to children with special needs in the…

Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications

CERN Document Server

Filipe, Joaquim; Kacprzyk, Janusz; Pina, Nuno

2014-01-01

This book includes extended and revised versions of a set of selected papers from the 2012 International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications (SIMULTECH 2012) which was sponsored by the Institute for Systems and Technologies of Information, Control and Communication (INSTICC) and held in Rome, Italy. SIMULTECH 2012 was technically co-sponsored by the Society for Modeling & Simulation International (SCS), GDR I3, Lionphant Simulation, Simulation Team and IFIP and held in cooperation with AIS Special Interest Group of Modeling and Simulation (AIS SIGMAS) and the Movimento Italiano Modellazione e Simulazione (MIMOS).

Coal resources available for development; a methodology and pilot study

Science.gov (United States)

Eggleston, Jane R.; Carter, M. Devereux; Cobb, James C.

1990-01-01

Coal accounts for a major portion of our Nation's energy supply in projections for the future. A demonstrated reserve base of more than 475 billion short tons, as the Department of Energy currently estimates, indicates that, on the basis of today's rate of consumption, the United States has enough coal to meet projected energy needs for almost 200 years. However, the traditional procedures used for estimating the demonstrated reserve base do not account for many environmental and technological restrictions placed on coal mining. A new methodology has been developed to determine the quantity of coal that might actually be available for mining under current and foreseeable conditions. This methodology is unique in its approach, because it applies restrictions to the coal resource before it is mined. Previous methodologies incorporated restrictions into the recovery factor (a percentage), which was then globally applied to the reserve (minable coal) tonnage to derive a recoverable coal tonnage. None of the previous methodologies define the restrictions and their area and amount of impact specifically. Because these restrictions and their impacts are defined in this new methodology, it is possible to achieve more accurate and specific assessments of available resources. This methodology has been tested in a cooperative project between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Kentucky Geological Survey on the Matewan 7.5-minute quadrangle in eastern Kentucky. Pertinent geologic, mining, land-use, and technological data were collected, assimilated, and plotted. The National Coal Resources Data System was used as the repository for data, and its geographic information system software was applied to these data to eliminate restricted coal and quantify that which is available for mining. This methodology does not consider recovery factors or the economic factors that would be considered by a company before mining. Results of the pilot study indicate that, of the estimated

Study results on estimation of non-specialized physical training university students in Hunan Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lihua Wang

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Highlights the results of the implementation of national standards of physical fitness assessment of students specialized universities Chinese province of Hunan. Discovered that the main negative factors that reduce the effectiveness in this area are the following: lack of unified management of the process of introducing national standards of physical fitness assessment of students; shortcomings in the quality and quantity of equipment for evaluation, the low level of mastery of the teaching staff of the methodology and insufficient use the results of monitoring the health of the students in the further education; misallocation of time for testing and evaluation in terms of physical health. Substantiates the importance of the rational organization of the assessment system, outlined the main directions of improving the effectiveness of the implementation of national standards of physical fitness of students.

Methodologies for 2011 economic reports

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Rasmus

STECF’s Expert Working Group 11-03 convened in Athens (28th March – 1st April, 2011) to discuss and seek agreement on the content, indicators, methodologies and format of the 2011 Annual Economic Reports (AER) on the EU fishing fleet, the fish processing and the aquaculture sectors. Proposals...... for improved contents and the overall structure were discussed. Templates for the national and EU overview chapters for the EU the fish processing and the aquaculture sectors were produced. Indicators for the EU fishing fleet and fish processing reports were reviewed; new indicators for the fish processing...... and the aquaculture sector reports were proposed. And topics of special interest were proposed for all three reports....

Methodology for uranium compounds characterization applied to biomedical monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ansoborlo, E.; Chalabreysse, J.; Henge-Napoli, M.H.; Pujol, E.

1991-01-01

Chronic exposure and accidental contamination to uranium compounds in the nuclear industry, led the authors to develop a methodology in order to characterize those compounds applied to biomedical monitoring. Such a methodology, based on the recommendation of the ICRP and the assessment of Annual Limit on Intake (ALI) values, involves two main steps: (1) The characterization of the industrial compound, i.e. its physico-chemical properties like density (g cm -3 ), specific area (m 2 g -1 ), x-ray spectrum (crystalline form), solid infrared spectrum (wavelength and bounds), mass spectrometry (isotopic composition), and particle size distribution including measurement of the Activity Median Aerodynamic Diameter (AMAD). They'll specially study aging and hydration state of some compounds. (2) The study of in vitro solubility in several biochemical medium like bicarbonates, Basal Medium Eagle (BME) used in cellular culture, Gamble solvent, which is a serum simulant, with oxygen bubbling, and Gamble added with superoxide anions O2 - . Those different mediums allow one to understand the dissolution mechanisms (oxidation, chelating effects...) and to give ICRP classification D, W, or Y. Those two steps are essential to assess a biomedical monitoring either in routine or accidental exposure, and to calculate the ALI. Results on UO3, UF4 and U02 in the French uranium industry are given

Specialization and Commonalization in Multi-branded Manufacturing Corporations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karlsson, Christer; Sköld, Martin

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify areas and issues for management to consider in balancing specialization and commonalization in large manufacturing corporations with multiple brands from a strategic R&D and manufacturing point of view.Design/methodology/approach Three global...... manufacturing corporations from the automotive sector are used as a strategic sample composing three sequential clinical research projects. The data come from complementary data-gathering methods combining documents and interviews and workshops with top executives, project leaders, platform managers and product...... brand, missing the specific dynamics of large manufacturing corporations with many entities, such as individual products and brands. This paper adds knowledge regarding how to balance synergies from commonalization with important objectives to preserve the specialization and distinctiveness of each...

God, design, and naturalism: Implications of methodological naturalism in science for science-religion relation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piotr Bylica

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to analyze the implications flowing from adopting methodological naturalism in science, with special emphasis on the relation between science and religion. Methodological naturalism, denying supernatural and teleological explanations, influences the content of scientific theories, and in practice leads to vision of science as compatible with ontological naturalism and in opposition to theism. Ontological naturalism in turn justifies the acceptance of methodological naturalism as the best method to know the reality. If we accept realistic interpretation of scientific theories, then methodological naturalism conflicts science with religion. Theistic evolution does not seem to be a proper way to reconcile Darwinism and methodological naturalism with theism. Many of such propositions are boiled down to deism. Although evolution can be interpreted theistically, it is not the way in which majority of modern scientists and respectable scientific institutions understand it.

A replication and methodological critique of the study "Evaluating drug trafficking on the Tor Network".

Science.gov (United States)

Munksgaard, Rasmus; Demant, Jakob; Branwen, Gwern

2016-09-01

The development of cryptomarkets has gained increasing attention from academics, including growing scientific literature on the distribution of illegal goods using cryptomarkets. Dolliver's 2015 article "Evaluating drug trafficking on the Tor Network: Silk Road 2, the Sequel" addresses this theme by evaluating drug trafficking on one of the most well-known cryptomarkets, Silk Road 2.0. The research on cryptomarkets in general-particularly in Dolliver's article-poses a number of new questions for methodologies. This commentary is structured around a replication of Dolliver's original study. The replication study is not based on Dolliver's original dataset, but on a second dataset collected applying the same methodology. We have found that the results produced by Dolliver differ greatly from our replicated study. While a margin of error is to be expected, the inconsistencies we found are too great to attribute to anything other than methodological issues. The analysis and conclusions drawn from studies using these methods are promising and insightful. However, based on the replication of Dolliver's study, we suggest that researchers using these methodologies consider and that datasets be made available for other researchers, and that methodology and dataset metrics (e.g. number of downloaded pages, error logs) are described thoroughly in the context of web-o-metrics and web crawling. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison Of Irms Delhi Methodology With Who Methodology On Immunization Coverage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Singh Padam

1996-01-01

Full Text Available Research question: What are the merits of IRMS Model over WHO Model for Coverage Evaluation Survey? Which method is superior and appropriate for coverage evolution survey of immunization in our setting? Objective: To compare IRMS Delhi methodology with WHO methodology on Immunization Coverage. Study Design: Cross-Sectional Setting: Urban and Rural both. Participants: Mothers& Children Sample Size: 300 children between 1-2 years and 300 mothers in rural areas and 75 children and 75 mothers in urban areas. Study Variables: Rural, Urban, Cast-Group, Size of the stratum, Literacy, Sex and Cost effectiveness. Outcome Variables: Coverage level of immunization. Analysis: Routine Statistical Analysis. Results: IRMS developed methodology scores better rating over WHO methodology, especially when coverage evolution is attempted in medium size villages with existence of socio-economic seggregation-which remains the main characteristic of the Indian villages.

The relationship between return on investment and quality of study methodology in workplace health promotion programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Baxter, Siyan; Sanderson, Kristy; Venn, Alison J; Blizzard, C Leigh; Palmer, Andrew J

2014-01-01

To determine the relationship between return on investment (ROI) and quality of study methodology in workplace health promotion programs. Data were obtained through a systematic literature search of National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), Health Technology Database (HTA), Cost Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) Registry, EconLit, PubMed, Embase, Wiley, and Scopus. Included were articles written in English or German reporting cost(s) and benefit(s) and single or multicomponent health promotion programs on working adults. Return-to-work and workplace injury prevention studies were excluded. Methodological quality was graded using British Medical Journal Economic Evaluation Working Party checklist. Economic outcomes were presented as ROI. ROI was calculated as ROI = (benefits - costs of program)/costs of program. Results were weighted by study size and combined using meta-analysis techniques. Sensitivity analysis was performed using two additional methodological quality checklists. The influences of quality score and important study characteristics on ROI were explored. Fifty-one studies (61 intervention arms) published between 1984 and 2012 included 261,901 participants and 122,242 controls from nine industry types across 12 countries. Methodological quality scores were highly correlated between checklists (r = .84-.93). Methodological quality improved over time. Overall weighted ROI [mean ± standard deviation (confidence interval)] was 1.38 ± 1.97 (1.38-1.39), which indicated a 138% return on investment. When accounting for methodological quality, an inverse relationship to ROI was found. High-quality studies (n = 18) had a smaller mean ROI, 0.26 ± 1.74 (.23-.30), compared to moderate (n = 16) 0.90 ± 1.25 (.90-.91) and low-quality (n = 27) 2.32 ± 2.14 (2.30-2.33) studies. Randomized control trials (RCTs) (n = 12) exhibited negative ROI, -0.22 ± 2.41(-.27 to -.16). Financial returns become

About methodology to study plant uptake of radionuclides from soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuleubaev, B.A.; Ptitskaya, L.D.

2000-01-01

This paper presents methodology for studying particular features of radionuclides uptake by plants from contaminated soil as applied to the use of the former Semipalatinsk tet site territory, which are dependent upon physical-chemical and physical-mechanical properties of soil and biological peculiarities of meadow-pasture vegetation. (author)

Project Inner Brick - Colorful Plastic Bricks in Psychotherapy - An Introduction to Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neidert László

2015-06-01

Full Text Available PIB is a research project pertaining to the psychotherapeutic potential of Lego bricks. This is based on Lego Group’s own method called Lego Seriousplay and Eric Berne's transactional analysis as a theoretical background. If we see it from the Lego’s aspect, our plan is a training like LSP. It is only alike because of the special application. We made a lot of modifications according to the original methodology. In this document we would like to present details of our research we have been working on for almost two years. The characteristics of our methodology will be illustrated, too.

77 FR 77178 - 2013 Special 301 Review: Identification of Countries Under Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-31

... special attention. Section 182 contains a special rule regarding actions of Canada affecting U.S. cultural... that affects cultural industries, is adopted or expanded after December 17, 1992, and is actionable... practices. Any comments that include quantitative loss claims should be accompanied by the methodology used...

Special geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strominger, A.

1990-01-01

A special manifold is an allowed target manifold for the vector multiplets of D=4, N=2 supergravity. These manifolds are of interest for string theory because the moduli spaces of Calabi-Yau threefolds and c=9, (2,2) conformal field theories are special. Previous work has given a local, coordinate-dependent characterization of special geometry. A global description of special geometries is given herein, and their properties are studied. A special manifold M of complex dimension n is characterized by the existence of a holomorphic Sp(2n+2,R)xGL(1,C) vector bundle over M with a nowhere-vanishing holomorphic section Ω. The Kaehler potential on M is the logarithm of the Sp(2n+2,R) invariant norm of Ω. (orig.)

Autonomy, special offers and routines: a Q methodological study of industry-driven marketing influences on young people's drinking behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Stephanie; Baker, Rachel; Shucksmith, Janet; Kaner, Eileen

2014-11-01

To identify shared patterns of views in young people relating to the influence of industry-driven alcohol marketing (price, promotion, product and place of purchase/consumption) on their reported drinking behaviour. Q methodology harnessed qualitative and quantitative data to generate distinct clusters of opinions as follows: 39 opinion statements were derived from earlier in-depth qualitative interviews with 31 young people; by-person factor analysis was carried out on 28 participants' (six previous interviewees and 22 new recruits) rank orderings of these statements (most-to-least agreement); interpretation of the factor arrays was aided by 10-15-minute debriefing interviews held immediately following each Q-sort. Northeast England Young people aged 14-17 years purposively recruited from high schools, higher education colleges, youth centres and youth offending teams. Centroid factor extraction and varimax rotation of factors generated three distinct accounts: factor one ('autonomous, sophisticated consumers') illustrated a self-defined sense of individuality and autonomy in alcohol choices; factor two ('price-driven consumers') appeared price-led, choosing to drink what was most accessible or cheapest; and factor three ('context-focused consumers') described drinking practices where products were chosen to serve specific functions such as being easy to carry while dancing. Considering young people's views on alcohol marketing, different perspectives can be identified. These include perceived imperviousness to maketing, responsiveness to price and affordability and responsiveness to marketing focusing on youth lifestyles. © 2014 The Authors. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.

The investigation of leukaemia incidence around sites of special interest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urquhart, J.

1991-01-01

The study of the incidence of leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma around sites of special interest has created many methodological and philosophical problems. Not least of these is the construction of boundaries of space and time to delineate areas of study around a point source of interest. Studies such as those of the incidence of childhood leukaemia around Dounreay have made use of arbitrarily selected fixed geographic boundaries. The Poisson maximum method proposed by Stone and Bithell provides an alternative approach in which no prior selection of geographic boundaries is required. The application of an adaptation of this method to each of the Scottish nuclear sites confirmed the results found for Dounreay by other methods. No excess incidence was observed around the Hunterston Nuclear Installation and an observed excess incidence around Chapelcross was not statistically significant. The further development of statistical techniques which do not require the arbitrary selection of boundaries will facilitate the monitoring of the incidence of disease around sites of special interest and perhaps permit it to be carried out in a less combative climate than has hitherto been the case. (author)

Site study plan for geochemical analytical requirements and methodologies: Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-12-01

This site study plan documents the analytical methodologies and procedures that will be used to analyze geochemically the rock and fluid samples collected during Site Characterization. Information relating to the quality aspects of these analyses is also provided, where available. Most of the proposed analytical procedures have been used previously on the program and are sufficiently sensitive to yield high-quality analyses. In a few cases improvements in analytical methodology (e.g., greater sensitivity, fewer interferences) are desired. Suggested improvements to these methodologies are discussed. In most cases these method-development activities have already been initiated. The primary source of rock and fluid samples for geochemical analysis during Site Characterization will be the drilling program, as described in various SRP Site Study Plans. The Salt Repository Project (SRP) Networks specify the schedule under which the program will operate. Drilling will not begin until after site ground water baseline conditions have been established. The Technical Field Services Contractor (TFSC) is responsible for conducting the field program of drilling and testing. Samples and data will be handled and reported in accordance with established SRP procedures. A quality assurance program will be utilized to assure that activities affecting quality are performed correctly and that the appropriate documentation is maintained. 28 refs., 9 figs., 14 tabs

SPECIAL AND INCLUSIVE MODELS OF EDUCATION IN MODERN AMERICAN AND BRITISH STUDIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nataliya Andriichuk

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The article deals with a comparative description of inclusive and special systems of education. On the basis of American and British studies are shown that modern scientists, voluntary organizations and parents of the disabled kids meet two problems: to prove that inclusion is necessary for children with special needs as the alternative to special education and to illustrate the real ways of inclusive education implementation into general educational process. The main goal of inclusive education is defined – to educate an absolutely full member of society by attracting all participants of education process to the general school activities. The author of the article points out that the professionals in the sphere of special education created and worked out a great amount of forms, methods and techniques of teaching which work with particular categories of children with special educational needs. This potential is useful and valuable from the point of view of inclusion which cannot succeed without the professional participation of specialists in different fields of pedagogy, psychology and rehabilitology.

Special Education and General Education--Coordinated or Separated? A Study of Curriculum Planning for Pupils with Special Educational Needs

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsen, Sven

2017-01-01

The central issue of this article is the coordination between special and general education in curriculum planning for pupils with special educational needs. The focus is on individual education plans (IEPs) in special education and work plans in general education. This is also viewed in relation to how special and general education teachers…

Landscape planning and management of spas in Serbia with special reference to the selected case studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Crnčević Tijana

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In the paper is presented the overview of the legal requirements in Serbia covering planning and as well landscape planning. It is stress that Serbia is in the process of the ratification of the European Landscape Convention (ELC and adoption of the Spatial Plan of the Republic of Serbia (SPRS where is included the obligation of the production of the study 'Characterization of the landscape in Serbia' and as well pilot projects 'Characterization of the landscape' where are separated priority areas and where are specially stressed as tourist destinations spas. Taking into consideration that important step towards development of the methodological framework for landscape planning and management in Serbia was made with the inclusion of this subject within the process of formulating of the SPRS, besides the overview of the main obligations set by this document covering landscape planning and management, as an example of the current practice, two case studies of Vrnjacka spa and Pribojska spa are presented where special attention within planning documents was given to the protection and enhancement of the landscape. Beside that, as a contribution, it is given the proposal of the preliminary typology of the landscape of Vrnjacke spa within the borders of the Master plan and Pribojska spa within the borders of the Plan of detailed regulation. Taking into consideration the scope of these plans, the landscape is defined as cultural and by more detailed analyses as urban and rural. Within these two types of landscape are separated urban area, the 'core' of the spa, peri-urban area, and within rural forest and agricultural area. One of the main conclusions of this paper is that the inclusion of the landscape within legal framework which is promoting spatial and urban planning, nature and environmental protection is very important prerequisite for adequate planning and management of the landscape in Serbia.

An Analysis of the Twenty-Nine Capabilities of the Marine Corps Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Love, John

1998-01-01

... (Special Operations Capable) (MEU (SOC) to determine their relative validity. The methodology utilizes a multiple criteria decision-making model to determine the relative validity of each MEU (SOC) capability...

A study on methodological of software development for HEP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Yuzheng; Dai Guiliang

1999-01-01

The HEP related software system is a large one. It comprises mainly detector simulation software, DAQ software and offline system. The author discusses the advantages of OO object oriented methodologies applying to such software system, and the basic strategy for the usage of OO methodologies, languages and tools in the development of the HEP related software are given

Understanding nursing practice in stroke units: a Q-methodological study.

OpenAIRE

Clarke, DJ; Holt, J

2014-01-01

Abstract Purpose: Nurses represent the largest professional group working with stroke-survivors, but there is limited evidence regarding nurses' involvement in post-stroke rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to identify and explore the perspectives of nurses and other multidisciplinary stroke team members on nurses' practice in stroke rehabilitation. Method: Q-methodological study with 63 multidisciplinary stroke unit team members and semi-structured interviews with 27 stroke unit t...

Guidance on assessing the methodological and reporting quality of toxicologically relevant studies: A scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Samuel, Gbeminiyi O; Hoffmann, Sebastian; Wright, Robert A; Lalu, Manoj Mathew; Patlewicz, Grace; Becker, Richard A; DeGeorge, George L; Fergusson, Dean; Hartung, Thomas; Lewis, R Jeffrey; Stephens, Martin L

2016-01-01

Assessments of methodological and reporting quality are critical to adequately judging the credibility of a study's conclusions and to gauging its potential reproducibility. To aid those seeking to assess the methodological or reporting quality of studies relevant to toxicology, we conducted a scoping review of the available guidance with respect to four types of studies: in vivo and in vitro, (quantitative) structure-activity relationships ([Q]SARs), physico-chemical, and human observational studies. Our aims were to identify the available guidance in this diverse literature, briefly summarize each document, and distill the common elements of these documents for each study type. In general, we found considerable guidance for in vivo and human studies, but only one paper addressed in vitro studies exclusively. The guidance for (Q)SAR studies and physico-chemical studies was scant but authoritative. There was substantial overlap across guidance documents in the proposed criteria for both methodological and reporting quality. Some guidance documents address toxicology research directly, whereas others address preclinical research generally or clinical research and therefore may not be fully applicable to the toxicology context without some translation. Another challenge is the degree to which assessments of methodological quality in toxicology should focus on risk of bias - as in clinical medicine and healthcare - or be broadened to include other quality measures, such as confirming the identity of test substances prior to exposure. Our review is intended primarily for those in toxicology and risk assessment seeking an entry point into the extensive and diverse literature on methodological and reporting quality applicable to their work. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Estilos de pensamiento y aprendizaje en estudiantes de magisterio (Thinking and learning styles among teaching and psychopedagogy students: differences according to course and speciality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Robledo Ramón

2010-08-01

Full Text Available We present a study which forms part of an innovation project under development at the University of León, Spain, for adapting different psychoeducational degrees to the guidelines of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA. To this end, we first analysed the characteristics of the students enrolled in the Faculty of Education. The characteristics of the students, such as their thinking style and learning approach, may offer insight into the success of teaching-learning in the classroom; these aspects should be understood before introducing such innovative methodologies. Thus, these psychological variables were analysed in a sample of 583 students enrolled in different teaching and psycho-educational courses and specialities prior to the development of methodological innovations within diverse subject areas. We evaluated these aspects using the Questionnaire of Evaluation of the Processes of Study and Learning and the Thinking Styles Inventory. There were statistically significant differences between the variables relating to the students’ speciality and course. These results should help to guide teachers when selecting the type of innovative methodologies to use in their classes in order to successfully adapt them to the specific characteristics of the students.

Study on GIF PR/PP evaluation methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, B. H.; Kwon, E. H.; Kim, H. D. [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-10-15

Proliferation resistance (PR) and physical protection (PP) is one of the four technology goals of generation IV nuclear energy systems (NESs). The PR component of the goal focuses on providing strong assurance that generation IV NESs are the least desirable sources for the diversion or undeclared production of nuclear materials, whereas the PP portion of the goal ensures that generation IV NESs are robust against theft and sabotage. In 2002, the road map of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) envisioned that the R and D program for PR and PP would have three areas: 1) safeguards and physical protection technology R and D for each GIF system; 2) formulation of PR and PP criteria and metrics; and 3) evaluation of the criteria and metrics. To cover these R and D items, the PR and PP Working Group (PRPPWG) was formed in late 2002 and has since developed a methodology for PR and PP evaluation. In a succession of revisions beginning in 2004, consensus was achieved amongst all participating GIF countries and related organizations (i.e., IAEA and EU), and Revision 6 of the methodology report was approved by GIF for open distribution in 2011. The paper describes in detail the methodology developed by the PRPPWG and discusses its applicability to the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) fuel cycle with pyro processing currently under development in Korea.

A study on the advanced statistical core thermal design methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Hyuk

1992-02-01

A statistical core thermal design methodology for generating the limit DNBR and the nominal DNBR is proposed and used in assessing the best-estimate thermal margin in a reactor core. Firstly, the Latin Hypercube Sampling Method instead of the conventional Experimental Design Technique is utilized as an input sampling method for a regression analysis to evaluate its sampling efficiency. Secondly and as a main topic, the Modified Latin Hypercube Sampling and the Hypothesis Test Statistics method is proposed as a substitute for the current statistical core thermal design method. This new methodology adopts 'a Modified Latin Hypercube Sampling Method' which uses the mean values of each interval of input variables instead of random values to avoid the extreme cases that arise in the tail areas of some parameters. Next, the independence between the input variables is verified through 'Correlation Coefficient Test' for statistical treatment of their uncertainties. And the distribution type of DNBR response is determined though 'Goodness of Fit Test'. Finally, the limit DNBR with one-sided 95% probability and 95% confidence level, DNBR 95/95 ' is estimated. The advantage of this methodology over the conventional statistical method using Response Surface and Monte Carlo simulation technique lies in its simplicity of the analysis procedure, while maintaining the same level of confidence in the limit DNBR result. This methodology is applied to the two cases of DNBR margin calculation. The first case is the application to the determination of the limit DNBR where the DNBR margin is determined by the difference between the nominal DNBR and the limit DNBR. The second case is the application to the determination of the nominal DNBR where the DNBR margin is determined by the difference between the lower limit value of the nominal DNBR and the CHF correlation limit being used. From this study, it is deduced that the proposed methodology gives a good agreement in the DNBR results

A new methodology to study customer electrocardiogram using RFM analysis and clustering

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Mohammad Reza Gholamian

2011-04-01

Full Text Available One of the primary issues on marketing planning is to know the customer's behavioral trends. A customer's purchasing interest may fluctuate for different reasons and it is important to find the declining or increasing trends whenever they happen. It is important to study these fluctuations to improve customer relationships. There are different methods to increase the customer's willingness such as planning good promotions, an increase on advertisement, etc. This paper proposes a new methodology to measure customer's behavioral trends called customer electrocardiogram. The proposed model of this paper uses K-means clustering method with RFM analysis to study customer's fluctuations over different time frames. We also apply the proposed electrocardiogram methodology for a real-world case study of food industry and the results are discussed in details.

Epidemiologic Studies in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: A Review of Methodology

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Onur Burak Dursun

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Childhood psychiatric disorders are estimated to influence about 9 to 21% of relevant age group and interest in this disorders are increasing all over the world. The growing need to child and adolescent mental health leads the task of establishing proposals and policies in this field to become a priority for governments. The first step of such proposals should be determination of prevalence of child and adolescent mental disorders in that country. However, several major methodological problems make it hard to provide accurate prevalence estimates from epidemiological studies. Most common problems are within the fields of sampling, case definition, case ascertainment and data analyses. Such issues increases the costs of studies and hinder to reach large sample sizes. To minimize these problems, investigators have to be careful on choosing the appropriate methodology and diagnostic tools in their studies. Although there are many interviews and questionnaires for screening and diagnosing in child and adolescent psychiatry, only a few of them are suitable for epidemiological research. In parallel with the improvement in all fields of child and adolescent mental health in our country, some of the major screening and diagnosing tools used in prevalence studies in literature have already been translated and validated in Turkish. Most important of this tools for screening purposes are Child Behavior Checklist and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and for diagnosing purposes are Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version and Development and Well-Being Assessment. The aims of this article are to review the methodological problems of epidemiologic studies in child and adolescent psychiatry and to briefly discuss suitable diagnostic tools for extended sampled epidemiologic studies in our country.

A case study for INPRO methodology based on Indian advanced heavy water reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anantharaman, K.; Saha, D.; Sinha, R.K.

2004-01-01

Under Phase 1A of the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) a methodology (INPRO methodology) has been developed which can be used to evaluate a given energy system or a component of such a system on a national and/or global basis. The INPRO study can be used for assessing the potential of the innovative reactor in terms of economics, sustainability and environment, safety, waste management, proliferation resistance and cross cutting issues. India, a participant in INPRO program, is engaged in a case study applying INPRO methodology based on Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR). AHWR is a 300 MWe, boiling light water cooled, heavy water moderated and vertical pressure tube type reactor. Thorium utilization is very essential for Indian nuclear power program considering the indigenous resource availability. The AHWR is designed to produce most of its power from thorium, aided by a small input of plutonium-based fuel. The features of AHWR are described in the paper. The case study covers the fuel cycle, to be followed in the near future, for AHWR. The paper deals with initial observations of the case study with regard to fuel cycle issues. (authors)

Economic evaluation studies in reproductive medicine: a systematic review of methodologic quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moolenaar, Lobke M.; Vijgen, Sylvia M. C.; Hompes, Peter; van der Veen, Fulco; Mol, Ben Willem J.; Opmeer, Brent C.

2013-01-01

To evaluate the methodologic quality of economic analyses published in the field of reproductive medicine. Systematic review. Centers for reproductive care. Infertility patients. We performed a Medline search to identify economic evaluation studies in reproductive medicine. We included studies that

Methodological Flaws in Corpus-Based Studies on Malaysian ESL Textbooks

Science.gov (United States)

Zarifi, Abdolvahed; Mukundan, Jayakaran; Rezvani Kalajahi, Seyed Ali

2014-01-01

With the increasing interest among the pedagogy researchers in the use of corpus linguistics methodologies to study textbooks, there has emerged a similar enthusiasm among the materials developers to draw on empirical findings in the development of the state-of-the-art curricula and syllabi. In order for these research findings to have their…

Proposal of risk evaluation methodology for hazardous materials transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartman, Luiz Carlos

2009-01-01

The increasing concern with the level of risk associated with the transportation of hazardous materials took some international institutions to pledge efforts in the evaluation of risk in regional level. Following this trend, the objective of this work was to analyze the most recent processes of analysis of risks from road transportation of hazardous materials. In the present work 21 methodologies of analysis of risks, developed by some authors and for diverse localities have been evaluated. Two of them, in special, have been reviewed and discussed: a method recently developed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Nicolet-Monnier and Gheorghe, 1996) and the strategy delineated by the Center for Chemical Process Safety CCPS (1995), taking into consideration the estimate of the individual and social risk. Also, the models of Harwood et al. (1990) and of Ramos (1997), adapted by Hartman (2003) have been applied to the reality of the roads of the state of Sao Paulo. The extension of these methodologies was explored, in order to find its advantages and disadvantages. As a study case the present work considered the ammonia transportation throughout two routes evaluating the reality of the roads of the state of Sao Paulo, including a significant parcel of evaluation in a densely populated area, getting the results using risk, at least, one of the methodologies mentioned above. The innovation proposed by this work was the research, the development and the introduction of two variables to the model considered by Harwood et al. (1990). These variables that influence in the value of the risk are: the age of the driver of truck and the zone of impact that is function type of product, period of the day where the transport was carried and the volume that has been transported. The aim of the proposed modifications is to let the value of the risk more sensible in relation to the type of the product carried and the age of the truck driver. The main related procedural stages

School Transitions: A Qualitative Study of the Supports Provided by Washington State Special Education Administrators

Science.gov (United States)

Lewinsohn, Kari

2013-01-01

This study investigated the role of special education administrators in the transition planning process for children with disabilities ages 3-21 in selected Washington school districts. A basic qualitative study was selected to construct meaning from a described phenomenon. The study sought to identify and explain how special education…

Knowledge Management Audit - a methodology and case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Lauer

2001-11-01

Full Text Available The strategic importance of knowledge in today’s organisation has been discussed extensively and research has looked at various issues in developing knowledge management systems. Both the characterisation of knowledge and alternate models for understanding the acquisition and use of such knowledge have taken on significant prominence. This is due to the complexities associated with acquiring and representing knowledge, and the varied nature of its use in knowledge work. However, the role of the knowledge workers and the processes that guide their knowledge work as they meet the knowledge goals of an organisation have received little attention. This paper proposes a knowledge audit (an assessment of the way knowledge processes meet an organisation’s knowledge goals methodology to understand the “gaps” in the needs of a knowledge worker before one develops KM systems. The methodology also uses “process change” research to help build a socio-technical environment critical for knowledge work. The audit methodology is applied to a particular case and the implementation of the audit recommendations is discussed. Future implications of such an audit are also discussed.

Methodology for Assessing the Degree of Internationalization of Business Academic Study Programmes

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Dan-Cristian Dabija

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodology for assessing the degree of internationalization of undergraduate, Master’s and doctoral business programmes with the aid of complex indicators designed to capture the vast array of characteristics displayed by these programmes and contribute to their promotion in the international academic competition. The methodology should include both general indicators applicable to any study programme and some indicators that are specifically developed for business study programmes. No consensus exists in the internationalization literature and practice over the actual scope and the indicators to be considered in the implementation of such a study. Researchers rather propose methods for assessing and prioritizing universities and/or faculties and lay down a lot of criteria according to which rankings are developed. These rankings are mainly focused on the level of internationalization of socioeconomic and engineering study programmes. Being aware of the limits of theory and practice, the authors develop a scoring model that measures the degree of internationalization of business education curricula according to stringent criteria. The research originality lies in the attempt to describe the avenues of a new methodology for measuring and assessing realistically the economic study programmes so that these may be better positioned on the educational market and become more attractive to the future candidates. Based on a synergistic approach to indicators, the model may contribute to creating competitive advantage in relation to other programmes from the same university or from partner institutions.

Methodology for the digital calibration of analog circuits and systems with case studies

CERN Document Server

Pastre, Marc

2006-01-01

Methodology for the Digital Calibration of Analog Circuits and Systems shows how to relax the extreme design constraints in analog circuits, allowing the realization of high-precision systems even with low-performance components. A complete methodology is proposed, and three applications are detailed. To start with, an in-depth analysis of existing compensation techniques for analog circuit imperfections is carried out. The M/2+M sub-binary digital-to-analog converter is thoroughly studied, and the use of this very low-area circuit in conjunction with a successive approximations algorithm for digital compensation is described. A complete methodology based on this compensation circuit and algorithm is then proposed. The detection and correction of analog circuit imperfections is studied, and a simulation tool allowing the transparent simulation of analog circuits with automatic compensation blocks is introduced. The first application shows how the sub-binary M/2+M structure can be employed as a conventional di...

Special problems: LBB, thermal effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Chiwen

2001-01-01

This section presents the discussion of special problems in the reactor coolant system design, including LBB and thermal effects. First, the categories of fracture mechanics technology applicable to LBB is discussed. Two categories of fracture mechanics, namely: linear-elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) and elastic-plastic fracture mechanics (EPFM) are discussed specifically. Next, basic concepts of LEFM are discussed. This will be followed by a discussion of EPFM, with more specific discussion of the methodology currently acceptable to NRC, with the emphasis on the J-integral approach. This is followed by a discussion of the NRC position and recommendations and basic requirements laid out by NRC. A specific example of LBB application to WPWR piping is used to identify the key steps to be followed, in order to satisfy the recommendations and requirements of NRC. An application of LBB to the WPWR reactor coolant loop piping is provided as further illustration of the methodology. This section focuses on the thermal effects which have not been addressed earlier, and the thermal effects which have caused particular concerns on potential reactor degradations, such as pressurized thermal shocks. The organization of this section is divided into the following subsections: linear-elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM); elastic-plastic fracture mechanics (EPFM); J concepts; NRC recommendations and requirements on the application of LBB; two specific applications of LBB to WPWR piping; PWR internals degradation; thermal fatigue considerations; a case study of pressurized thermal shock

Prospective Special Education Teachers' Metaphorical Perceptions on the Concept of Special Education Teacher

Science.gov (United States)

Deniz, Levent

2016-01-01

The aim of this research is to define the perceptions of prospective special education teachers regarding special education teacher through metaphors. Phenomenology design was used in this research. The study group comprised 116 third year prospective special education teachers studying at Marmara University, Ataturk Faculty of Education, Special…

Co-location synergies : specialized versus diverse logistics concentration areas

OpenAIRE

Heuvel, van den, F.P.; Langen, de, P.W.; Donselaar, van, K.H.; Fransoo, J.C.

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of spatial concentration of logistics firms by empirically analyzing synergies through co-location and investigating whether co-location of logistics establishments in specialized logistics concentration areas results in benefits compared to co-location in diverse logistics concentration areas. Methodology: A survey among managers of 128 logistics establishments located in logistics concentration areas was used to test f...

Synthesis to Special Issue on New Studies in EROI (Energy Return on Investment

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Charles A.S. Hall

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This paper is a synthesis of a series of twenty papers on the topic of EROI, or energy return on investment. EROI is simply the energy gained from an energy-obtaining effort divided by the energy used to get that energy. For example, one barrel of oil invested into getting oil out of the ground might return fifty, thirty, ten or one barrel, depending when and where the process is taking place. It is meant to be read in conjunction with the first paper in this special issue and also a number of the papers themselves. As such I try to summarize what general trends we might conclude from these varied and often highly technical papers. About half of the papers are reports on empirical analyses of various energy sources such as Norwegian or Gulf of Mexico oil, Pennsylvania gas and so on. About a quarter of the papers are methodological: how do we go about undertaking these analyses, what problems are there, what are the proper boundaries and so on. The final quarter are in a sense philosophical: since it appears that we will be living indefinitely in a world of decreasing EROIs, what are the economic, social and psychological implications? The rest of this paper summarizes the results of these studies.

Principals' and Special Education Teachers' Perceptions of Special Education Teachers' Roles and Responsibilities

Science.gov (United States)

Mott, Japhia

2013-01-01

This explanatory mixed methods study focuses on the perceptions of principals and special education teachers about special education teachers' roles and responsibilities. An online survey was conducted with 11 principals and 41 special education teachers (Resource Specialists and Special Day Class teachers). Independent semi-structured interviews…

Auditor Tenure and Stock Price Volatility: TheModerating Role of Auditor Industry Specialization

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Mehran Jorjani

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose The present study aims to investigate the relationship between auditor tenure and stock return volatility and to study the moderating effect of auditor’s industry specialization on this relationship in the firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 95 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange during the period 2011 to 2015 was selected and two hypotheses were formulated and analyzed using multivariate regression and econometric models. Findings The results of the study indicate that with the increase of auditor tenure, the volatility of stock returns is reduced. However, the results showed that the use of auditors specializing in the client's industry does not affect the relationship between the length of auditor tenure and the volatility of stock returns. Originality/value The findings of current study not only extend the extant theoretical literature concerning the stock price volatility in developing countries including emerging capital market of Iran, but also help investors, capital market and audit profession regulators to make informed decisions.

Park Planning for Ageing Adults Using Grounded Theory Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernie Dahl

2004-06-01

Full Text Available The importance of understanding park planning issues and implementing planning strategies for ageing adults was the driving force for this study. Literature reviews have identified a variety of scholarly work from fields such as gerontology, psychology, sociology and economics, all of which provide valuable information regarding the special needs of ageing adults. Very few researchers, however, have investigated the leisure behaviours of older adults in outdoor recreation (Croskeys, Tinsley and Tinsley, 2002 and the use of grounded theory methodology has essentially been unexplored in this area. Ageing adults are projected to live more than 20 percent of their life in retirement (MRP, 1998, cited in Croskeys, Tinsley and Tinsley, 2002, allowing for an increased amount of discretionary time. This offers opportunities for ageing adults to participate in outdoor recreational activities and will undoubtedly increase their leisure time. However, with limited research in recreational needs and inclusion for older adults, it is difficult for park planners and administrators to meet the growing needs of this population. Therefore, this research is necessary in order to determine whether ageing adults are being accounted for in park and outdoor recreational planning. The objective of this study was to use grounded theory research methodology to identify and examine ageing adult needs in relation to outdoor leisure activities in a regional park setting. Ten Midwestern regional park visitors (aged 65-75 years old and four park employees were interviewed. Our research attempts to fill in the gaps between the perceptions of ageing park users and those of park planners, using a methodology that relies primarily on direct contact with park visitors.

Prevalence of Sport Specialization in High School Athletics: A 1-Year Observational Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, David R; Post, Eric G; Trigsted, Stephanie M; Hetzel, Scott; McGuine, Timothy A; Brooks, M Alison

2016-06-01

The prevalence of sport specialization in high school athletes is unknown. This information is needed to determine the scope of this issue in an active population. To determine the prevalence of sport specialization in high school athletes and to determine if specialization is influenced by classification method, year in school, sex, and school size. A secondary purpose was to determine if highly specialized athletes would be more likely to report a history of lower extremity injuries. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. High school athletes between the ages of 13 and 18 years from 2 local high schools completed both a sport specialization survey and an injury history survey. Athletes were classified into low, moderate, or high specialization groups using a recently developed 3-point system and were also classified using a self-classification method. A total of 302 athletes completed the surveys and were classified as low specialization (n = 105, 34.8%), moderate specialization (n = 87, 28.8%), or high specialization (n = 110, 36.4%). Athletes from the small school were more likely to be classified in the low specialization group (low, 43%; moderate, 32%; high, 25%) compared with those from the large school (low, 26%; moderate, 26%; high, 48%) (P single sport (n = 89, 29.5%). Athletes from the small school were more likely to classify themselves as multisport (n = 128, 86%) (P school (n = 85, 56%). There were no differences in the history of hip, knee, or ankle injuries between athletes who self-classified as single sport (hip: n = 10, 3%; knee: n = 19, 6%; ankle: n = 35, 12%) versus those who self-classified as multisport (hip: n = 45, 8%; knee: n = 23, 15%; ankle: n = 98, 33%) (P > .370). Classification method and school size influenced the prevalence of specialization in high school athletes. Highly specialized athletes were more likely to report a history of overuse knee or hip injuries. Participating in a single sport for more than 8 months per year

Physical data generation methodology for return-to-power steam line break analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zee, Sung Kyun; Lee, Chung Chan; Lee, Chang Kue [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1996-02-01

Current methodology to generate physics data for steamline break accident analysis of CE-type nuclear plant such as Yonggwang Unit 3 is valid only if the core reactivity does not reach the criticality after shutdown. Therefore, the methodology requires tremendous amount of net scram worth, specially at the end of the cycle when moderator temperature coefficient is most negative. Therefore, we need a new methodology to obtain reasonably conservation physics data, when the reactor returns to power condition. Current methodology used ROCS which include only closed channel model. But it is well known that the closed channel model estimates the core reactivity too much negative if core flow rate is low. Therefore, a conservative methodology is presented which utilizes open channel 3D HERMITE model. Current methodology uses ROCS which include only closed channel model. But it is well known that the closed channel model estimates the core reactivity too much negative if core flow rate is low. Therefore, a conservative methodology is presented which utilizes open channel 3D HERMITE model. Return-to-power reactivity credit is produced to assist the reactivity table generated by closed channel model. Other data includes hot channel axial power shape, peaking factor and maximum quality for DNBR analysis. It also includes pin census for radiological consequence analysis. 48 figs., 22 tabs., 18 refs. (Author) .new.

A review on human reinstatement studies: an overview and methodological challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Haaker, Jan; Golkar, Armita; Hermans, Dirk; Lonsdorf, Tina B

2014-09-01

In human research, studies of return of fear (ROF) phenomena, and reinstatement in particular, began only a decade ago and recently are more widely used, e.g., as outcome measures for fear/extinction memory manipulations (e.g., reconsolidation). As reinstatement research in humans is still in its infancy, providing an overview of its stability and boundary conditions and summarizing methodological challenges is timely to foster fruitful future research. As a translational endeavor, clarifying the circumstances under which (experimental) reinstatement occurs may offer a first step toward understanding relapse as a clinical phenomenon and pave the way for the development of new pharmacological or behavioral ways to prevent ROF. The current state of research does not yet allow pinpointing these circumstances in detail and we hope this review will aid the research field to advance in this direction. As an introduction, we begin with a synopsis of rodent work on reinstatement and theories that have been proposed to explain the findings. The review however mainly focuses on reinstatement in humans. We first describe details and variations of the experimental setup in reinstatement studies in humans and give a general overview of results. We continue with a compilation of possible experimental boundary conditions and end with the role of individual differences and behavioral and/or pharmacological manipulations. Furthermore, we compile important methodological and design details on the published studies in humans and end with open research questions and some important methodological and design recommendations as a guide for future research. © 2014 Haaker et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Darwin's Arguments in Favour of Natural Selection and against Special Creationism

Science.gov (United States)

Nola, Robert

2013-01-01

In many places in "The Origin of Species", Darwin compares his own theory of Natural Selection favourably with Special Creationism which comes off as a bad second best. He does this using some version of the argument form known as "Inference to the Best Explanation". The first part of this paper is methodological. It considers Whewell's notion of…

A review of costing methodologies in critical care studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Pines, Jesse M; Fager, Samuel S; Milzman, David P

2002-09-01

Clinical decision making in critical care has traditionally been based on clinical outcome measures such as mortality and morbidity. Over the past few decades, however, increasing competition in the health care marketplace has made it necessary to consider costs when making clinical and managerial decisions in critical care. Sophisticated costing methodologies have been developed to aid this decision-making process. We performed a narrative review of published costing studies in critical care during the past 6 years. A total of 282 articles were found, of which 68 met our search criteria. They involved a mean of 508 patients (range, 20-13,907). A total of 92.6% of the studies (63 of 68) used traditional cost analysis, whereas the remaining 7.4% (5 of 68) used cost-effectiveness analysis. None (0 of 68) used cost-benefit analysis or cost-utility analysis. A total of 36.7% (25 of 68) used hospital charges as a surrogate for actual costs. Of the 43 articles that actually counted costs, 37.2% (16 of 43) counted physician costs, 27.9% (12 of 43) counted facility costs, 34.9% (15 of 43) counted nursing costs, 9.3% (4 of 43) counted societal costs, and 90.7% (39 of 43) counted laboratory, equipment, and pharmacy costs. Our conclusion is that despite considerable progress in costing methodologies, critical care studies have not adequately implemented these techniques. Given the importance of financial implications in medicine, it would be prudent for critical care studies to use these more advanced techniques. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

A Data Preparation Methodology in Data Mining Applied to Mortality Population Databases.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, Joaquín; Iturbide, Emmanuel; Olivares, Víctor; Hidalgo, Miguel; Martínez, Alicia; Almanza, Nelva

2015-11-01

It is known that the data preparation phase is the most time consuming in the data mining process, using up to 50% or up to 70% of the total project time. Currently, data mining methodologies are of general purpose and one of their limitations is that they do not provide a guide about what particular task to develop in a specific domain. This paper shows a new data preparation methodology oriented to the epidemiological domain in which we have identified two sets of tasks: General Data Preparation and Specific Data Preparation. For both sets, the Cross-Industry Standard Process for Data Mining (CRISP-DM) is adopted as a guideline. The main contribution of our methodology is fourteen specialized tasks concerning such domain. To validate the proposed methodology, we developed a data mining system and the entire process was applied to real mortality databases. The results were encouraging because it was observed that the use of the methodology reduced some of the time consuming tasks and the data mining system showed findings of unknown and potentially useful patterns for the public health services in Mexico.

PIXE methodology of rare earth element analysis and its applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Xinpei

1992-01-01

The Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) methodology of rare earth element (REEs) analysis is discussed, including the significance of REE analysis, the principle of PIXE applied to REE, selection of characteristic X-ray for Lanthanide series elements, deconvolution of highly over lapped PIXE spectrum and minimum detection limit (MDL) of REEs. Some practical applications are presented. And the specialities of PIXE analysis to the high pure REE chemicals are discussed. (author)

Savant Syndrome: Case Studies, Hypotheses, and Implications for Special Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheatham, Susan Klug; And Others

1995-01-01

The concept of savant syndrome, encompassing those individuals historically known as "idiot savants," is reviewed. Case studies demonstrating special abilities in the areas of calendar calculating, musical ability, artistic talent, memorization, mathematical skills, mechanical achievement, and fine sensory discrimination are discussed,…

A quality evaluation methodology of health web-pages for non-professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Currò, Vincenzo; Buonuomo, Paola Sabrina; Onesimo, Roberta; de Rose, Paola; Vituzzi, Andrea; di Tanna, Gian Luca; D'Atri, Alessandro

2004-06-01

The proposal of an evaluation methodology for determining the quality of healthcare web sites for the dissemination of medical information to non-professionals. Three (macro) factors are considered for the quality evaluation: medical contents, accountability of the authors, and usability of the web site. Starting from two results in the literature the problem of whether or not to introduce a weighting function has been investigated. This methodology has been validated on a specialized information content, i.e., sore throats, due to the large interest such a topic enjoys with target users. The World Wide Web was accessed using a meta-search system merging several search engines. A statistical analysis was made to compare the proposed methodology with the obtained ranks of the sample web pages. The statistical analysis confirms that the variables examined (per item and sub factor) show substantially similar ranks and are capable of contributing to the evaluation of the main quality macro factors. A comparison between the aggregation functions in the proposed methodology (non-weighted averages) and the weighting functions, derived from the literature, allowed us to verify the suitability of the method. The proposed methodology suggests a simple approach which can quickly award an overall quality score for medical web sites oriented to non-professionals.

Methodology and preliminary models for analyzing nuclear safeguards decisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-11-01

This report describes a general analytical tool designed to assist the NRC in making nuclear safeguards decisions. The approach is based on decision analysis--a quantitative procedure for making decisions under uncertain conditions. The report: describes illustrative models that quantify the probability and consequences of diverted special nuclear material and the costs of safeguarding the material, demonstrates a methodology for using this information to set safeguards regulations (safeguards criteria), and summarizes insights gained in a very preliminary assessment of a hypothetical reprocessing plant

Energy retrofit of commercial buildings. Case study and applied methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aste, N.; Del Pero, C. [Department of Building Environment Science and Technology (BEST), Politecnico di Milano, Via Bonardi 3, 20133 Milan (Italy)

2013-05-15

Commercial buildings are responsible for a significant share of the energy requirements of European Union countries. Related consumptions due to heating, cooling, and lighting appear, in most cases, very high and expensive. Since the real estate is renewed with a very small percentage each year and current trends suggest reusing the old structures, strategies for improving energy efficiency and sustainability should focus not only on new buildings, but also and especially on existing ones. Architectural renovation of existing buildings could provide an opportunity to enhance their energy efficiency, by working on the improvement of envelopes and energy supply systems. It has also to be noted that the measures aimed to improve the energy performance of buildings should pay particular attention to the cost-effectiveness of the interventions. In general, there is a lack of well-established methods for retrofitting, but if a case study achieves effective results, the adopted strategies and methodologies can be successfully replicated for similar kinds of buildings. In this paper, an iterative methodology for energy retrofit of commercial buildings is presented, together with a specific application on an existing office building. The case study is particularly significant as it is placed in an urban climatic context characterized by cold winters and hot summers; consequently, HVAC energy consumption is considerable throughout the year. The analysis and simulations of energy performance before and after the intervention, along with measured data on real energy performance, demonstrate the validity of the applied approach. The specifically developed design and refurbishment methodology, presented in this work, could be also assumed as a reference in similar operations.

Enhancing cancer registry data for comparative effectiveness research (CER) project: overview and methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Vivien W; Eheman, Christie R; Johnson, Christopher J; Hernandez, Monique N; Rousseau, David; Styles, Timothy S; West, Dee W; Hsieh, Meichin; Hakenewerth, Anne M; Celaya, Maria O; Rycroft, Randi K; Wike, Jennifer M; Pearson, Melissa; Brockhouse, Judy; Mulvihill, Linda G; Zhang, Kevin B

2014-01-01

Following the Institute of Medicine's 2009 report on the national priorities for comparative effectiveness research (CER), funding for support of CER became available in 2009 through the American Recovery and Re-investment Act. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received funding to enhance the infrastructure of population-based cancer registries and to expand registry data collection to support CER. The CDC established 10 specialized registries within the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) to enhance data collection for all cancers and to address targeted CER questions, including the clinical use and prognostic value of specific biomarkers. The project also included a special focus on detailed first course of treatment for cancers of the breast, colon, and rectum, as well as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) diagnosed in 2011. This paper describes the methodology and the work conducted by the CDC and the NPCR specialized registries in collecting data for the 4 special focused cancers, including the selection of additional data variables, development of data collection tools and software modifications, institutional review board approvals, training, collection of detailed first course of treatment, and quality assurance. It also presents the characteristics of the study population and discusses the strengths and limitations of using population-based cancer registries to support CER as well as the potential future role of population-based cancer registries in assessing the quality of patient care and cancer control.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

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

Prior’s paradigm for the study of time and its methodological motivation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasle, Per Frederik Vilhelm; Øhrstrøm, Peter

2016-01-01

A. N. Prior’s writings should obviously be studied already for historical reasons. His inventions of modern temporal logic and hybrid logic are clearly important events in the history of logic. But the enduring importance of studying his works also rests on his methodological approach, which...

The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study: methodological developments and current tensions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roberts, Chris; Freeman, John; Samdal, Oddrun

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To describe the methodological development of the HBSC survey since its inception and explore methodological tensions that need to be addressed in the ongoing work on this and other large-scale cross-national surveys. METHODS: Using archival data and conversations with members...... of the network, we collaboratively analysed our joint understandings of the survey's methodology. RESULTS: We identified four tensions that are likely to be present in upcoming survey cycles: (1) maintaining quality standards against a background of rapid growth, (2) continuous improvement with limited financial...... in working through such challenges renders it likely that HBSC can provide a model of other similar studies facing these tensions....

Bentonite-amended soil special study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-12-01

This special study was conducted to assess the viability of soil with a high percentage of bentonite added as an infiltration barrier in the cover of Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project disposal cells. To achieve maximum concentration limits (MCLs) at several UMTRA Project sites, covers with a very low permeability are needed. If alternate concentration limits (ACLs) are the appropriate site groundwater compliance strategy, the US Department of Energy (DOE) is required to demonstrate, among other things, that the infiltration to the disposal cell is as low as reasonably achievable, and hence that the cover has a very low permeability. When the study discussed here was begun, the lowest permeability element available was CLAYMAX R , a manufactured liner material constructed of natural material (bentonite clay) between two geosynthetics.The strength of soil-bentonite mixes was measured to see if they could be placed on sideslopes and not pose stability problems. Also evaluated were the hydraulic conductivities of soil-bentonite mixes. If the strengths and permeabilities of soils with a high percentage of bentonite are favorable, the soils may be used as infiltration barriers in current cover designs without changing pile geometries. The scope of work for this study called for a literature review and a two-phased laboratory testing program. This report presents the results of the literature review and the first phase of the testing program

Sensor-based activity recognition using extended belief rule-based inference methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Calzada, A; Liu, J; Nugent, C D; Wang, H; Martinez, L

2014-01-01

The recently developed extended belief rule-based inference methodology (RIMER+) recognizes the need of modeling different types of information and uncertainty that usually coexist in real environments. A home setting with sensors located in different rooms and on different appliances can be considered as a particularly relevant example of such an environment, which brings a range of challenges for sensor-based activity recognition. Although RIMER+ has been designed as a generic decision model that could be applied in a wide range of situations, this paper discusses how this methodology can be adapted to recognize human activities using binary sensors within smart environments. The evaluation of RIMER+ against other state-of-the-art classifiers in terms of accuracy, efficiency and applicability was found to be significantly relevant, specially in situations of input data incompleteness, and it demonstrates the potential of this methodology and underpins the basis to develop further research on the topic.

Proposal of methodology of tsunami accident sequence analysis induced by earthquake using DQFM methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muta, Hitoshi; Muramatsu, Ken

2017-01-01

Since the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power station accident, the Japanese regulatory body has improved and upgraded the regulation of nuclear power plants, and continuous effort is required to enhance risk management in the mid- to long term. Earthquakes and tsunamis are considered as the most important risks, and the establishment of probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) methodologies for these events is a major issue of current PRA. The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) addressed the PRA methodology for tsunamis induced by earthquakes, which is one of the methodologies that should be enhanced step by step for the improvement and maturity of PRA techniques. The AESJ standard for the procedure of seismic PRA for nuclear power plants in 2015 provides the basic concept of the methodology; however, details of the application to the actual plant PRA model have not been sufficiently provided. This study proposes a detailed PRA methodology for tsunamis induced by earthquakes using the DQFM methodology, which contributes to improving the safety of nuclear power plants. Furthermore, this study also states the issues which need more research. (author)

Case study application of the IAEA safeguards assessment methodology to a mixed oxide fuel fabrication facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swartz, J.; McDaniel, T.

1981-01-01

Science Applications, Inc. has prepared a case study illustrating the application of an assessment methodology to an international system for safeguarding mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facilities. This study is the second in a series of case studies which support an effort by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and an international Consultant Group to develop a methodology for assessing the effectiveness of IAEA safeguards. 3 refs

Leininger's Ethnonursing Research Methodology and Studies of Cancer Survivors: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Farren, Arlene T

2015-09-01

The purpose of this article is to present the findings of a literature review regarding the use of Leininger's ethnonursing research methodology (ENRM) in studies addressing adult cancer survivors. It is important to learn about differences and similarities among cancer survivors' experiences so that patient-centered, culturally congruent care can be provided. A review of the literature was conducted using databases such as CINAHL and MEDLINE. Search terms included variations on ENRM and cancer survivors. The results were a small number of published studies that used the ENRM examining breast cancer survivors' perceptions and experiences. A review instrument was developed to estimate study quality based on established criteria. The studies are critiqued in relation to the theory-based methodology, evaluation criteria for qualitative research, and study findings are summarized. The author concludes that although there is a paucity of research using ENRM with adult cancer survivors, the preliminary findings of the included studies contribute to what is known about breast cancer survivors. Implications for research include recommendations to increase the use of ENRM to discover the universal and diverse experiences of care practices in adult cancer survivors and use the evidence to develop patient-centered, culturally congruent, quality care for cancer survivors. © The Author(s) 2014.

THE METHODOLOGICAL REVIEW OF THE STUDIES INVESTIGATING THE SUCCESS AND FAILURE FACTORS IN NEWPRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haluk Köksal

2013-05-01

Much has been written on the factors which can distinguish between successful and failure products. However, the methodologies in this area of research are almost as numerous as the articles which have been written. This article reviews the studies on new product success and failure factors from the methodological perspective.

A solar reserve methodology for renewable energy integration studies based on sub-hourly variability analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ibanez, Eduardo; Brinkman, Gregory; Hummon, Marissa [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lew, Debra

2012-07-01

Increasing penetration of wind and solar energy are raising concerns among electric system operators because of the variability and uncertainty associated with the power sources. Previous work focused on the quantification of reserves for systems with wind power. This paper presents a new methodology that allows the determination of necessary reserves for high penetrations of photovoltaic power and compares it to the wind-based methodology. The solar reserve methodology was applied to Phase 2 of the Western Wind and Solar Integration Study. A summary of the results is included. (orig.)

Special Education Teacher Resilience: A Phenomenological Study of Factors Associated with Retention and Resilience of Highly Resilient Special Educators

Science.gov (United States)

Downing, Brienne

2017-01-01

Special education teachers are in high demand and greatly needed to meet the needs of the growing population of students qualified for special education services under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004. The increasing attrition rates of special education teachers are a social justice issue that needs attention. The…

Scrum methodology in banking environment

OpenAIRE

Strihová, Barbora

2015-01-01

Bachelor thesis "Scrum methodology in banking environment" is focused on one of agile methodologies called Scrum and description of the methodology used in banking environment. Its main goal is to introduce the Scrum methodology and outline a real project placed in a bank focused on software development through a case study, address problems of the project, propose solutions of the addressed problems and identify anomalies of Scrum in software development constrained by the banking environmen...

Spatial distribution of specialized cardiac care units in the state of Santa Catarina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silviana Cirino

2014-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE To analyze the methodology used for assessing the spatial distribution of specialized cardiac care units. METHODS A modeling and simulation method was adopted for the practical application of cardiac care service in the state of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil, using the p-median model. As the state is divided into 21 health care regions, a methodology which suggests an arrangement of eight intermediate cardiac care units was analyzed, comparing the results obtained using data from 1996 and 2012. RESULTS Results obtained using data from 2012 indicated significant changes in the state, particularly in relation to the increased population density in the coastal regions. The current study provided a satisfactory response, indicated by the homogeneity of the results regarding the location of the intermediate cardiac care units and their respective regional administrations, thereby decreasing the average distance traveled by users to health care units, located in higher population density areas. The validity of the model was corroborated through the analysis of the allocation of the median vertices proposed in 1996 and 2012. CONCLUSIONS The current spatial distribution of specialized cardiac care units is more homogeneous and reflects the demographic changes that have occurred in the state over the last 17 years. The comparison between the two simulations and the current configuration showed the validity of the proposed model as an aid in decision making for system expansion.

Simultaneous monitoring of ice accretion and thermography of an airfoil: an IR imaging methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohseni, M; Frioult, M; Amirfazli, A

2012-01-01

A novel image analysis methodology based on infrared (IR) imaging was developed for simultaneous monitoring of ice accretion and thermography of airfoils. In this study, an IR camera was calibrated and used to measure the surface temperature of the energized airfoils, and monitor the ice accretion and growth pattern on the airfoils’ surfaces. The methodology comprises the automatic processing of a series of IR video frames with the purpose of detecting ice pattern evolution during the icing test period. A specially developed MATLAB code was used to detect the iced areas in the IR images, and simultaneously monitor surface temperature evolution of the airfoil during an icing test. Knowing the correlation between the icing pattern and surface temperature changes during an icing test is essential for energy efficient design of thermal icing mitigation systems. Processed IR images were also used to determine the ice accumulation rate on the airfoil's surface in a given icing test. The proposed methodology has been demonstrated to work successfully, since the optical images taken at the end of icing tests from the airfoils’ surfaces compared well with the processed IR images detecting the ice grown outward from the airfoils’ leading edge area. (paper)

App Studies : Platform Rules and Methodological Challenges

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gerlitz, C.; Helmond, A.; van der Vlist, F.; Weltevrede, E.; De Groote, S.; Majmundar, P.

2016-01-01

The panel engages with conceptual and methodological challenges within a specific area of ‘internet rules’, namely the space of mobile apps. Whereas the web was set out to function as a ‘generative’ and open technology facilitating the production of unanticipated services and applications, the

The Psychological Study of Video Game Players: Methodological Challenges and Practical Advice

Science.gov (United States)

King, Daniel; Delfabbro, Paul; Griffiths, Mark

2009-01-01

Video game playing has received increased academic interest over the last few decades, particularly with regard to the psychological understanding of addiction. Based on the many studies carried out by the authors, this paper summarises some of the methodological challenges which may arise when studying video game players, including obstacles…

Methodology in the handling of the waste radioactive material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emeterio H, M.

2013-10-01

The methodology in the management of radioactive waste is constituted by an administrative part and seven technical stages: transport, classification, segregation, conditioning, treatment, packages qualification and final disposition (storage). In their diverse stages the management deserves a special attention, due to the increment of the use and application of the nuclear energy and radioactive substances, for such a reason should be managed in such a way that the exposed personnel safety and the public in general is guaranteed, protecting the integrity of the environment. (Author)

METHODOLOGY OF AN ASSESSMENT OF RESULTS OF INTELLECTUAL ACTIVITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larisa I. Egorova

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The methodological bases of an assessment of the results of research, development and technological works and intangible assets are given in the article. A special attention is paid to the problems of formation of fair value of such assets for clients of financial accounting. The authors compare the methods of cost measurement of accounting entities regulated by Russian Accounting Standards (RAS and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS. Peculiarities of detection and acknowledgement of impairment of intangible assets (loss of value are considered.

Feasability study for waterway infrastructure: International overview and methodological recommendations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos Fontes Pereira, L. dos; Brandão, R.; Yamashita, Y.; Guilherme de Aragão, J.J.

2016-07-01

The context in which the waterway transportation is in Brazil makes clear the development need of specific methodologies for the sector planning. This paper aims to compare the methods of analysis of technical, economic and environmental viability, adopted in Europe, United States and Brazil, listing the best practices and possible improvements of the method adopted in Brazil. The analysis of the documents was based on comparative method, seeking the common elements from its attributes. Each document was analysed in terms of: its structure; type of impacts; required indicators on each impact analysis; reference values for classification of indicators; and the form of integrated analysis of different impacts. The study suggests the inclusion of certain changes in the methodology of calculation and in its combination of tools and parameters used in the measurement of fiscal impacts on the comparative analysis of standard models usually adopted in the United States, Europe and the World Bank. (Author)

Case Study Methodology: Flexibility, Rigour, and Ethical Considerations for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marion L. Pearson

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Individuals and teams engaging in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL in multidisciplinary higher education settings must make decisions regarding choice of research methodology and methods. These decisions are guided by the research context and the goals of the inquiry. With reference to our own recent experiences investigating pedagogical and curricular practices in a pharmacy program, we outline case study methodology as one of the many options available for SoTL inquiry. Case study methodology has the benefits of flexibility in terms of the types of research questions that can be addressed and the data collection methods that can be employed. Conducted with proper attention to the context of the case(s selected, ethical treatment of participants, and data management, case studies also have the necessary rigour to be credible and generalizable. In the matter of generalization, however, we recommend that the readers of a case study draw their own conclusions about the applicability of the findings to other settings.

Methodological issues in human studies of endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Duk-Hee; Jacobs, David R

2015-12-01

Possible harm from endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in humans is speculated based on two types of evidence; 1) increasing trends of suspected diseases in ecological studies of populations and 2) findings from traditional epidemiological studies of individuals. However, ecological findings are not regarded as direct human evidence of the relation between EDCs and disease, while the evidence among epidemiological studies of individuals is often inconsistent. Thus, a criticism is that linking EDCs and health in human is naively presumed without solid evidence. However, human studies of EDCs are methodologically complex and understanding methodological issues will help to interpret findings from existing human studies and to properly design optimal human studies. The key issues are low reliability of exposure assessment of EDCs with short half-lives, EDC mixtures, possibility of non-monotonic dose-response relationships, non-existence of an unexposed group, difficulties in measuring exposure during critical periods, and interactions with established risk factors. Furthermore, EDC mixtures may affect human health through other mechanisms than traditional endocrine disruption, for example glutathione depletion or mitochondrial dysfunction. Given this complexity, the most plausible scenario in humans is that exposure to EDC mixtures leads to increasing risk of related diseases at the ecological level, but inconsistent associations would be expected in traditional epidemiological studies. Although epidemiologists have long relied on Bradford Hill's criteria to objectively evaluate whether associations observed in epidemiology can be interpreted as causal, there are challenges to use these criteria for EDCs, particularly concerning consistency across studies and the findings of linear dose-response relationships. At the individual level, compared to EDCs with short half-lives, epidemiological studies of EDCs with long half-lives among populations with a relatively low

System study methodology development and potential utilization for fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djerassi, H.; Rouillard, J.; Leger, D.; Sarto, S.; Zappellini, G.; Gambi, G.

1989-01-01

The objective of this new methodology is to combine systemics with heuristics for engineering applications. The system method considers as a whole a set of dynamically interacting elements, organized for tasks. Heuristics tries to describe the rules to apply in scientific research. This methodology is a powerful tool for evaluating the options, compared with conventional analytical methods as a higher number of parameters can be taken into account, with a higher quality standard while comparing the possible options. The system method takes into account interacting data or random relationships by means of simulation modelling. Thus, a dynamical approach can be deduced and a sensitivity analysis can be performed for a very high number of options and basic data. This method can be limited to a specific objective such as a fusion reactor safety analysis, taking into account other major constraints such as the economical environment. The sophisticated architecture of a fusion reactor includes a large number of interacting systems. The new character of the fusion domain and the wide spectrum of the possible options strongly increase the advantages of a system study as a complete safety analysis can be defined before starting with the design. (orig.)

A Study on the Improvement of the INPRO Proliferation Resistance Assessment Methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Won Il; Chang, Hong Lae

2010-07-01

consultancy meetings, the current version of the INPRO PR methodology needs to be revised according to the results of the current study on the development of an assessment procedure and metrics to evaluate the multiplicity and robustness of proliferation barriers

A methodological approach to the materiality of clothing: Wardrobe studies

OpenAIRE

Klepp, Ingun Grimstad; Mari, Bjerck

2012-01-01

The material is not just ‘a carrier’ of different types of symbols, but an active element in the practices. Bringing this to the fore requires new research methods. This article discusses a methodological approach, we call it a wardrobe study, which allows for the analysis of the way in which clothes relate to each other on the whole or within parts of the wardrobe. More specifically, we discuss how this method can contribute to increasing the materiality of clothes studies. The theoretical p...

Evaluation of the BPMN According to the Requirements of the Enterprise Architecture Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Václav Řepa

2012-04-01

Full Text Available This article evaluates some characteristics of the Business Process Modelling Notation from the perspective of the business system modelling methodology. Firstly the enterprise architecture context of the business process management as well as the importance of standards are discussed. Then the Business System Modelling Methodology is introduced with special attention paid to the Business Process Meta-model as a basis for the evaluation of the BPMN features. Particular basic concepts from the Business Process Meta-model are mapped to the usable constructs of the BPMN and related issues are analysed. Finally the basic conclusions are made and the general context is discussed.

Study and implementation of the CADIS methodology to research reactor shielding design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Gregorio S.; Shorto, Julian M.B.; Santos, Adimir dos

2013-01-01

The Consistent Adjoint Driven Importance Sampling (CADIS) is a methodology that basically uses source biasing and a mesh-based importance map. Therefore, to make the best use of an importance map, the map must be consistent with the source biasing. To achieve this consistency, a Sn calculation could be made to improve the importance map and the computational performance. The MAVRIC (Monaco with Automated Variance Reduction using Importance Calculations) code does that and this work intends to study the code options to generate the importance map. A pool type 10 MW research reactor was designed in a simple way just to study the prompt gamma rays penetration in the concrete and therefore study the CADIS methodology applied to point detectors and mesh tallies. By keeping constant the simulation time and the CPU (Central Processing Unit) power a significant improvement was achieved in the relative errors for the point detectors and for the mesh tally. (author)

Relay chatter and operator response after a large earthquake: An improved PRA methodology with case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budnitz, R.J.; Lambert, H.E.; Hill, E.E.

1987-08-01

The purpose of this project has been to develop and demonstrate improvements in the PRA methodology used for analyzing earthquake-induced accidents at nuclear power reactors. Specifically, the project addresses methodological weaknesses in the PRA systems analysis used for studying post-earthquake relay chatter and for quantifying human response under high stress. An improved PRA methodology for relay-chatter analysis is developed, and its use is demonstrated through analysis of the Zion-1 and LaSalle-2 reactors as case studies. This demonstration analysis is intended to show that the methodology can be applied in actual cases, and the numerical values of core-damage frequency are not realistic. The analysis relies on SSMRP-based methodologies and data bases. For both Zion-1 and LaSalle-2, assuming that loss of offsite power (LOSP) occurs after a large earthquake and that there are no operator recovery actions, the analysis finds very many combinations (Boolean minimal cut sets) involving chatter of three or four relays and/or pressure switch contacts. The analysis finds that the number of min-cut-set combinations is so large that there is a very high likelihood (of the order of unity) that at least one combination will occur after earthquake-caused LOSP. This conclusion depends in detail on the fragility curves and response assumptions used for chatter. Core-damage frequencies are calculated, but they are probably pessimistic because assuming zero credit for operator recovery is pessimistic. The project has also developed an improved PRA methodology for quantifying operator error under high-stress conditions such as after a large earthquake. Single-operator and multiple-operator error rates are developed, and a case study involving an 8-step procedure (establishing feed-and-bleed in a PWR after an earthquake-initiated accident) is used to demonstrate the methodology

Intelligent transportation systems for planned special events : a cross-cutting study

Science.gov (United States)

2008-11-01

This cross-cutting study examines how six agencies in five states used and continue to use ITS to reduce congestion generated by planned special events, thereby reducing crashes, increasing travel time reliability, and reducing driver frustration.

METHODOLOGY OF TECHNIQUE PREPARATION FOR LOW VISION JAVELIN THROWERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milan Matić

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Javelin throwing discipline for disabled people has been expanding couple of years back. In addition, world’s records have been improving year after year. The esential part in preparation of low vision javelin throwers is mastering the technique elements, crucial for acquiring better results. Method of theoretical analysis, decriptive and comparative methods of survey were applied. Relevant knowledge in the area of low vision javelin throwers was analyzed and systematized, and then interpretated theoretically and applied on the top javelin thrower, which served as a base for the inovative apporoach in methodology and praxis with disabled people. Due to visual impairment, the coordination and balance are challenged. This limitation practically makes the difference in methodology, explained in this article. Apart from the goals focused on improving the condition and results on competitions, more specialized goals should be considered, e.g. improving of orientation, balance and socialization process for the people who have low vision. Special approach used in the technique preparation brought the significant improvement in techique of our famous Paralympian Grlica Miloš. In addition to the technique improvement he acquired better results on the big competitions and a few worldwide valuable prizes were won. The area of ’sport for disabled people’ is not enough present in the praxis of sport’s workers. More articles and scientific surveys on this topic are needed for further work and results improvement with these kind of sportsmen.

Application of low-cost methodologies for mobile phone app development.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Melvyn; Cheow, Enquan; Ho, Cyrus Sh; Ng, Beng Yeong; Ho, Roger; Cheok, Christopher Cheng Soon

2014-12-09

The usage of mobile phones and mobile phone apps in the recent decade has indeed become more prevalent. Previous research has highlighted a method of using just the Internet browser and a text editor to create an app, but this does not eliminate the challenges faced by clinicians. More recently, two methodologies of app development have been shared, but there has not been any disclosures pertaining to the costs involved. In addition, limitations such as the distribution and dissemination of the apps have not been addressed. The aims of this research article are to: (1) highlight a low-cost methodology that clinicians without technical knowledge could use to develop educational apps; (2) clarify the respective costs involved in the process of development; (3) illustrate how limitations pertaining to dissemination could be addressed; and (4) to report initial utilization data of the apps and to share initial users' self-rated perception of the apps. In this study, we will present two techniques of how to create a mobile app using two of the well-established online mobile app building websites. The costs of development are specified and the methodology of dissemination of the apps will be shared. The application of the low-cost methodologies in the creation of the "Mastering Psychiatry" app for undergraduates and "Déjà vu" app for postgraduates will be discussed. A questionnaire survey has been administered to undergraduate students collating their perceptions towards the app. For the Mastering Psychiatry app, a cumulative total of 722 users have used the mobile app since inception, based on our analytics. For the Déjà vu app, there has been a cumulative total of 154 downloads since inception. The utilization data demonstrated the receptiveness towards these apps, and this is reinforced by the positive perceptions undergraduate students (n=185) had towards the low-cost self-developed apps. This is one of the few studies that have demonstrated the low

Methodologies Developed for EcoCity Related Projects: New Borg El Arab, an Egyptian Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Antuña-Rozado

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of the methodologies described here is to propose measures and procedures for developing concepts and technological solutions, which are adapted to the local conditions, to build sustainable communities in developing countries and emerging economies. These methodologies are linked to the EcoCity framework outlined by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. for sustainable community and neighbourhood regeneration and development. The framework is the result of a long experience in numerous EcoCity related projects, mainly Nordic and European in scope, which has been reformulated in recent years to respond to the local needs in the previously mentioned countries. There is also a particular emphasis on close collaboration with local partners and major stakeholders. In order to illustrate how these methodologies can support EcoCity concept development and implementation, results from a case study in Egypt will be discussed. The referred case study relates to the transformation of New Borg El Arab (NBC, near Alexandria, into an EcoCity. The viability of the idea was explored making use of different methodologies (Roadmap, Feasibility Study, and Residents Energy Survey and Building Consumption Assessment and considering the Residential, Commercial/Public Facilities, Industrial, Services/Utilities, and Transport sectors.

Economic evaluation of health promotion interventions for older people: do applied economic studies meet the methodological challenges?

Science.gov (United States)

Huter, Kai; Dubas-Jakóbczyk, Katarzyna; Kocot, Ewa; Kissimova-Skarbek, Katarzyna; Rothgang, Heinz

2018-01-01

In the light of demographic developments health promotion interventions for older people are gaining importance. In addition to methodological challenges arising from the economic evaluation of health promotion interventions in general, there are specific methodological problems for the particular target group of older people. There are especially four main methodological challenges that are discussed in the literature. They concern measurement and valuation of informal caregiving, accounting for productivity costs, effects of unrelated cost in added life years and the inclusion of 'beyond-health' benefits. This paper focuses on the question whether and to what extent specific methodological requirements are actually met in applied health economic evaluations. Following a systematic review of pertinent health economic evaluations, the included studies are analysed on the basis of four assessment criteria that are derived from methodological debates on the economic evaluation of health promotion interventions in general and economic evaluations targeting older people in particular. Of the 37 studies included in the systematic review, only very few include cost and outcome categories discussed as being of specific relevance to the assessment of health promotion interventions for older people. The few studies that consider these aspects use very heterogeneous methods, thus there is no common methodological standard. There is a strong need for the development of guidelines to achieve better comparability and to include cost categories and outcomes that are relevant for older people. Disregarding these methodological obstacles could implicitly lead to discrimination against the elderly in terms of health promotion and disease prevention and, hence, an age-based rationing of public health care.

Methodological quality of meta-analyses on treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cross-sectional study using the AMSTAR (Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews) tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Robin S T; Wu, Xinyin; Yuan, Jinqiu; Liu, Siya; Lai, Xin; Wong, Samuel Y S; Chung, Vincent C H

2015-01-08

Meta-analysis (MA) of randomised trials is considered to be one of the best approaches for summarising high-quality evidence on the efficacy and safety of treatments. However, methodological flaws in MAs can reduce the validity of conclusions, subsequently impairing the quality of decision making. To assess the methodological quality of MAs on COPD treatments. A cross-sectional study on MAs of COPD trials. MAs published during 2000-2013 were sampled from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effect. Methodological quality was assessed using the validated AMSTAR (Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews) tool. Seventy-nine MAs were sampled. Only 18% considered the scientific quality of primary studies when formulating conclusions and 49% used appropriate meta-analytic methods to combine findings. The problems were particularly acute among MAs on pharmacological treatments. In 48% of MAs the authors did not report conflict of interest. Fifty-eight percent reported harmful effects of treatment. Publication bias was not assessed in 65% of MAs, and only 10% had searched non-English databases. The methodological quality of the included MAs was disappointing. Consideration of scientific quality when formulating conclusions should be made explicit. Future MAs should improve on reporting conflict of interest and harm, assessment of publication bias, prevention of language bias and use of appropriate meta-analytic methods.

The Methodology of Magpies

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Susan

2014-01-01

Arts/Humanities researchers frequently do not explain methodology overtly; instead, they "perform" it through their use of language, textual and historic cross-reference, and theory. Here, methodologies from literary studies are shown to add to Higher Education (HE) an exegetical and critically pluralist approach. This includes…

Delirium diagnosis methodology used in research: a survey-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Neufeld, Karin J; Nelliot, Archana; Inouye, Sharon K; Ely, E Wesley; Bienvenu, O Joseph; Lee, Hochang Benjamin; Needham, Dale M

2014-12-01

To describe methodology used to diagnose delirium in research studies evaluating delirium detection tools. The authors used a survey to address reference rater methodology for delirium diagnosis, including rater characteristics, sources of patient information, and diagnostic process, completed via web or telephone interview according to respondent preference. Participants were authors of 39 studies included in three recent systematic reviews of delirium detection instruments in hospitalized patients. Authors from 85% (N = 33) of the 39 eligible studies responded to the survey. The median number of raters per study was 2.5 (interquartile range: 2-3); 79% were physicians. The raters' median duration of clinical experience with delirium diagnosis was 7 years (interquartile range: 4-10), with 5% having no prior clinical experience. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated in 70% of studies. Cognitive tests and delirium detection tools were used in the delirium reference rating process in 61% (N = 21) and 45% (N = 15) of studies, respectively, with 33% (N = 11) using both and 27% (N = 9) using neither. When patients were too drowsy or declined to participate in delirium evaluation, 70% of studies (N = 23) used all available information for delirium diagnosis, whereas 15% excluded such patients. Significant variability exists in reference standard methods for delirium diagnosis in published research. Increasing standardization by documenting inter-rater reliability, using standardized cognitive and delirium detection tools, incorporating diagnostic expert consensus panels, and using all available information in patients declining or unable to participate with formal testing may help advance delirium research by increasing consistency of case detection and improving generalizability of research results. Copyright © 2014 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radionuclide measurements, via different methodologies, as tool for geophysical studies on Mt. Etna

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morelli, D., E-mail: daniela.morelli@ct.infn.it [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universita di Catania, via S. Sofia, 64 I-95123 Catania (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare- Sezione di Catania, via S. Sofia, 64 I-95123 Catania (Italy); Imme, G. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universita di Catania, via S. Sofia, 64 I-95123 Catania (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare- Sezione di Catania, via S. Sofia, 64 I-95123 Catania (Italy); Altamore, I.; Cammisa, S. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universita di Catania, via S. Sofia, 64 I-95123 Catania (Italy); Giammanco, S. [Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Catania, Piazza Roma, 2, I-95123 Catania (Italy); La Delfa, S. [Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche, Universita di Catania, Corso Italia,57 I-95127 Catania (Italy); Mangano, G. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universita di Catania, via S. Sofia, 64 I-95123 Catania (Italy); Neri, M. [Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Catania, Piazza Roma, 2, I-95123 Catania (Italy); Patane, G. [Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche, Universita di Catania, Corso Italia,57 I-95127 Catania (Italy)

2011-10-01

Natural radioactivity measurements represent an interesting tool to study geodynamical events or soil geophysical characteristics. In this direction we carried out, in the last years, several radionuclide monitoring both in the volcanic and tectonic areas of the oriental Sicily. In particular we report in-soil Radon investigations, in a tectonic area, including both laboratory and in-site measurements, applying three different methodologies, based on both active and passive detection systems. The active detection devices consisted of solid-state silicon detectors equipped in portable systems for short-time measurements and for long-time monitoring. The passive technique consisted of solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD), CR-39 type, and allowed integrated measurements. The performances of the three methodologies were compared according to different kinds of monitoring. In general the results obtained with the three methodologies seem in agreement with each other and reflect the tectonic settings of the investigated area.

Radionuclide measurements, via different methodologies, as tool for geophysical studies on Mt. Etna

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morelli, D.; Imme, G.; Altamore, I.; Cammisa, S.; Giammanco, S.; La Delfa, S.; Mangano, G.; Neri, M.; Patane, G.

2011-01-01

Natural radioactivity measurements represent an interesting tool to study geodynamical events or soil geophysical characteristics. In this direction we carried out, in the last years, several radionuclide monitoring both in the volcanic and tectonic areas of the oriental Sicily. In particular we report in-soil Radon investigations, in a tectonic area, including both laboratory and in-site measurements, applying three different methodologies, based on both active and passive detection systems. The active detection devices consisted of solid-state silicon detectors equipped in portable systems for short-time measurements and for long-time monitoring. The passive technique consisted of solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD), CR-39 type, and allowed integrated measurements. The performances of the three methodologies were compared according to different kinds of monitoring. In general the results obtained with the three methodologies seem in agreement with each other and reflect the tectonic settings of the investigated area.

THE STUDY OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: METHODOLOGY FOR QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

To Thu Trang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the concept: methodof evaluation organizational culture, qualitative and quantitative assessment methodology and lists the basic methodologyfor assessing organizational culture. Fullydescribe professor Denison’s methodology for assessing organizational culture.

Development of assessment methodology for plant configuration control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Chang Hyun; You, Young Woo; Kim, Yoon Ik; Yang, Hui Chang; Huh, Byeong Gill; Lee, Dong Won; Ahn, Gwan Won [Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2001-03-15

The purpose of this study IS the development of effective and overall assessment methodology which reflects the characteristics of plants for the surveillance, maintenance, repair and operation of nuclear power plants. In this study, recent researches are surveyed and concept definition, procedures, current PSA methodologies, implementation of various models are evaluated. Through this survey, systematic assessment methodology is suggested. Configuration control assessment methodology suggested in this study for the purpose of the development of configuration control methodology reflecting the characteristics of Korean NPPs, can be utilized as the supplement of current PSA methodologies.

Methodology and preliminary models for analyzing nuclear-safeguards decisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Judd, B.R.; Weissenberger, S.

1978-11-01

This report describes a general analytical tool designed with Lawrence Livermore Laboratory to assist the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in making nuclear safeguards decisions. The approach is based on decision analysis - a quantitative procedure for making decisions under uncertain conditions. The report: describes illustrative models that quantify the probability and consequences of diverted special nuclear material and the costs of safeguarding the material; demonstrates a methodology for using this information to set safeguards regulations (safeguards criteria); and summarizes insights gained in a very preliminary assessment of a hypothetical reprocessing plant

Description of common methodology used in all case studies, following the ILCD methodology guide and the ISO standards for LCA (ISO 14040 and 14044)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sonesson, Ulf; Anton, Assumpcio; Ohlau, Katrin

2011-01-01

This document describes common methodological issues for the case studies within LC-IMPACT. There will be five case studies in three areas performed within the project. The case studies are: Tomatoes, Margarine, Fish, Paper and printing and finally car manufacture and operation. In each case stud...

Indoor radon measurements and methodologies in Latin American countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canoba, A.; Lopez, F.O.; Arnaud, M.I.; Oliveira, A.A.; Neman, R.S.; Hadler, J.C.; Iunes, P.J.; Paulo, S.R.; Osorio, A.M.; Aparecido, R.; Rodriguez, C.; Moreno, V.; Vasquez, R.; Espinosa, G.; Golzarri, J.I.; Martinez, T.; Navarrete, M.; Cabrera, I.; Segovia, N.; Pena, P.; Tamez, E.; Pereyra, P.; Lopez-Herrera, M.E.; Sajo-Bohus, L.

2001-01-01

According to the current international guidelines concerning environmental problems, it is necessary to evaluate and to know the indoor radon levels, specially since most of the natural radiation dose to man comes from radon gas and its progeny. Several countries have established National Institutions and National Programs for the study of radon and its connection with lung cancer risk and public health. The aim of this work is to present the indoor radon measurements and the detection methods used for different regions of Latin America (LA) in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. This study shows that the passive radon devices based on alpha particle nuclear track methodology (NTM) is one of the more generalized methods in LA for long term indoor radon measurements, CR-39, LR-115 and Makrofol being the more commonly used detector materials. The participating institutions and the radon level measurements in the different countries are presented in this contribution

Methodology for substantiation of the fast reactor fuel element serviceability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsykanov, V.A.; Maershin, A.A.

1988-01-01

Methodological aspects of fast reactor fuel element serviceability substantiation are presented. The choice of the experimental program and strategies of its realization to solve the problem set in short time, taking into account available experimental means, are substantiated. Factors determining fuel element serviceability depending on parameters and operational conditions are considered. The methodological approach recommending separate studing of the factors, which points to the possibility of data acquisition, required for the development of calculational models and substantiation of fuel element serviceability in pilot and experimental reactors, is described. It is shown that the special-purpose data are more useful for the substantiation of fuel element serviceability and analytical method development than unsubstantial and expensive complex tests of fuel elements and fuel assemblies, which should be conducted only at final stages for the improvement of the structure on the whole

Methodology to assess the radiological sensitivity of soils: Application to Spanish soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trueba Alonso, C.

2005-01-01

A methodology, based on standard physical and chemical soil properties, has been developed to estimate the radiological sensitivity of soils to a 137 C s and 90 S r contamination. In this framework, the soil radiological sensitivity is defined as the soil capability to mobilise or to retain these radionuclides. The purpose of this methodology is to assess, in terms of radiological sensitivity indexes, the behaviour of 137 C s and 90 S r in soils and their fluxes to man, considering two exposure pathways, the external irradiation exposure and the internal exposure from ingestion. The methodology is applied to the great variety of soil types found in Spain, where the soil profile is the reference unit for the assessment. The results for these soil types show, that their basic soil properties are the key to categorise the radiological sensitivity according to the risks considered. The final categorisation allows to identify soils specially sensible and improves the radiological impact assessment predictions. (Author)

Performance improvement using methodology: case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Harmelink, Stacy

2008-01-01

The department of radiology at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center in Sioux City, IA implemented meaningful workflow changes for reducing patient wait times and, at the same time, improved customer and employee satisfaction scores. Lean methodology and the 7 Deadly Wastes, along with small group interaction, was used to evaluate and change the process of a patient waiting for an exam in the radiology department. The most important key to the success of a performance improvement project is the involvement of staff.

Merging Regular and Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs: The Integrated Special Education-English Project (ISEP).

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Darcy E.

1991-01-01

Describes the Integrated Special Education-English Project (ISEP) which facilitated the gradual integration of special education and English teacher preparation programs. A description of the ISEP model and a case study are included. The case study indicated student teachers who participated in the ISEP improved special education and English…

Methodological guidelines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halsnaes, K.; Callaway, J.M.; Meyer, H.J.

1999-04-01

The guideline document establishes a general overview of the main components of climate change mitigation assessment. This includes an outline of key economic concepts, scenario structure, common assumptions, modelling tools and country study assumptions. The guidelines are supported by Handbook Reports that contain more detailed specifications of calculation standards, input assumptions and available tools. The major objectives of the project have been provided a methodology, an implementing framework and a reporting system which countries can follow in meeting their future reporting obligations under the FCCC and for GEF enabling activities. The project builds upon the methodology development and application in the UNEP National Abatement Coasting Studies (UNEP, 1994a). The various elements provide countries with a road map for conducting climate change mitigation studies and submitting national reports as required by the FCCC. (au) 121 refs.

Methodological guidelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halsnaes, K.; Callaway, J.M.; Meyer, H.J.

1999-01-01

The guideline document establishes a general overview of the main components of climate change mitigation assessment. This includes an outline of key economic concepts, scenario structure, common assumptions, modelling tools and country study assumptions. The guidelines are supported by Handbook Reports that contain more detailed specifications of calculation standards, input assumptions and available tools. The major objectives of the project have been provided a methodology, an implementing framework and a reporting system which countries can follow in meeting their future reporting obligations under the FCCC and for GEF enabling activities. The project builds upon the methodology development and application in the UNEP National Abatement Coasting Studies (UNEP, 1994a). The various elements provide countries with a road map for conducting climate change mitigation studies and submitting national reports as required by the FCCC. (au) 121 refs

Introduction to the Special Issue on Climate Ethics: Uncertainty, Values and Policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Roeser, Sabine

2017-10-01

Climate change is a pressing phenomenon with huge potential ethical, legal and social policy implications. Climate change gives rise to intricate moral and policy issues as it involves contested science, uncertainty and risk. In order to come to scientifically and morally justified, as well as feasible, policies, targeting climate change requires an interdisciplinary approach. This special issue will identify the main challenges that climate change poses from social, economic, methodological and ethical perspectives by focusing on the complex interrelations between uncertainty, values and policy in this context. This special issue brings together scholars from economics, social sciences and philosophy in order to address these challenges.

NMR-Metabolic Methodology in the Study of GM Foods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irene D’Amico

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The 1H-NMR methodology used in the study of genetically modified (GM foods is discussed. Transgenic lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv "Luxor" over-expressing the Arabidopsis KNAT1 gene is presented as a case study. Twenty-two water-soluble metabolites (amino acids, organic acids, sugars present in leaves of conventional and GM lettuce were monitored by NMR and quantified at two developmental stages. The NMR spectra did not reveal any difference in metabolite composition between the GM lettuce and the wild type counterpart. Statistical analyses of metabolite variables highlighted metabolism variation as a function of leaf development as well as the transgene. A main effect of the transgene was in altering sugar metabolism.

A study on the proliferation resistance evaluation methodology for nuclear energy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Min Su

2007-02-01

The framework of proliferation resistance evaluation methodology, based on attribute analysis and scenario analysis, for nuclear energy system is suggested in order to allow for the comprehensive assessment of proliferation resistance by addressing the intrinsic and extrinsic features of nuclear energy system. Proliferation resistance is viewed within the context of the success tree model of proliferator's diversion attempt and expressed by the value of top event probability of the success tree model. This study focused on the method that the value of top event is estimated. The methodology uses two different methods to quantify the likelihood of basic events constituting the top event. The likelihood of basic event success affected by intrinsic feature of nuclear energy system was assessed by using multi-attribute utility theory and likelihood of basic event related to the diversion detection measures was assessed by direct expert elicitation. The value of top event was calculated based on the intersection of probabilities of basic event success. Feasibility of the methodology was explored by applying it to selected reference nuclear energy systems. System-Integrated Modular Advanced Reactor (SMART) system and Light Water Reactor (LWR) were chosen as reference systems and the value proliferation resistance of SMART and LWR were evaluated. Characteristics of inherent features and hypothesized safeguards measures of both systems were identified and used as input data to evaluate proliferation resistance. The results and conclusions are applicable only within the context of subjectivity of this methodology

California GAMA Special Study: Analysis of Carbamazepine, Oxcarbazepine and Metabolites as Wastewater Tracers in Water Resource Studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Owens, J. E. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Vu, A. K. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Esser, B. K. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2010-08-20

The Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program is a comprehensive groundwater quality monitoring program managed by the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The GAMA Special Studies project provides analyses and interpretation of constituents of concern that allow assessment of current groundwater conditions. In addition, the Special Studies project develops analyses that will enhance the monitoring and assessment effort by focusing on specific constituents of concern and water quality parameters, such as disinfection byproducts (DBP), wastewater indicators, and redox conditions, as it relates to irrigation and groundwater management. This study developed a robust analytical method for the quantitation of CBZ, OXC, CBZ-E, CBZ-DiOH, and CBZ-10-OH in wastewater treatement plant (WWTP) effluent and in groundwater in the parts per trillion range.

Multilingual Researchers Internationalizing Monolingual English-Only Education through Post-Monolingual Research Methodologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Singh

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The argument advanced in this Special Issue of Education Sciences favors democratizing knowledge production and dissemination across the humanities and social sciences through the mainstreaming of multilingual researchers capabilities for theorizing using their full linguistic repertoire. An important contribution of the papers in this Special Issue is the promise that post-monolingual research methodology holds for collaborative projects among multilingual and monolingual researchers that tap into intercultural divergences across languages. Together these papers give warrant to multilingual researchers, including Higher Degree Researchers develop their capabilities for theorizing using their full linguistic repertoire, an educational innovation that could be of immense benefit to scholars working predominantly monolingual universities. Through their thought provoking papers presented in this Special Issue, these researchers invites those working in the education sciences to seriously consider the potential benefits of multiplying the intellectual resources used for theorizing that is possible through activating, mobilizing and deploying researchers’ multilingual resources in knowledge production and dissemination.

Low-dose radiation epidemiological studies: an assessment of methodological problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modan, B.

1991-01-01

The present report attempts to assess the problems inherent in the analysis of low dose radiation studies, with emphasis on possible sources of methodological errors in the published data, and the consequent relevance to risk estimates. The published data examined concerned populations exposed to nuclear sources such as fallout, weapons' test or in the vicinity of nuclear reactors, occupational exposure, intra-uterine diagnostic X-rays, scattered radiation following X-ray therapy and background irradiation. (UK)

Six methodological steps to build medical data warehouses for research.

Science.gov (United States)

Szirbik, N B; Pelletier, C; Chaussalet, T

2006-09-01

We propose a simple methodology for heterogeneous data collection and central repository-style database design in healthcare. Our method can be used with or without other software development frameworks, and we argue that its application can save a relevant amount of implementation effort. Also, we believe that the method can be used in other fields of research, especially those that have a strong interdisciplinary nature. The idea emerged during a healthcare research project, which consisted among others in grouping information from heterogeneous and distributed information sources. We developed this methodology by the lessons learned when we had to build a data repository, containing information about elderly patients flows in the UK's long-term care system (LTC). We explain thoroughly those aspects that influenced the methodology building. The methodology is defined by six steps, which can be aligned with various iterative development frameworks. We describe here the alignment of our methodology with the RUP (rational unified process) framework. The methodology emphasizes current trends, as early identification of critical requirements, data modelling, close and timely interaction with users and stakeholders, ontology building, quality management, and exception handling. Of a special interest is the ontological engineering aspect, which had the effects with the highest impact after the project. That is, it helped stakeholders to perform better collaborative negotiations that brought better solutions for the overall system investigated. An insight into the problems faced by others helps to lead the negotiators to win-win situations. We consider that this should be the social result of any project that collects data for better decision making that leads finally to enhanced global outcomes.

Beam standardization and dosimetric methodology in computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maia, Ana Figueiredo

2005-01-01

Special ionization chambers, named pencil ionization chambers, are used in dosimetric procedures in computed tomography beams (CT). In this work, an extensive study about pencil ionization chambers was performed, as a contribution to the accuracy of the dosimetric procedures in CT beams. The international scientific community has recently been discussing the need of the establishment of a specific calibration procedure for CT ionization chambers, once these chambers present special characteristics that differentiate them from other ionization chambers used in diagnostic radiology beams. In this work, an adequate calibration procedure for pencil ionization chambers was established at the Calibration Laboratory, of the Institute de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares, in accordance with the most recent international recommendations. Two calibration methodologies were tested and analyzed by comparative studies. Moreover, a new extended length parallel plate ionization chamber, with a transversal section very similar to pencil ionization chambers, was developed. The operational characteristics of this chamber were determined and the results obtained showed that its behaviour is adequate as a reference system in CT standard beams. Two other studies were performed during this work, both using CT ionization chambers. The first study was about the performance of a pencil ionization chamber in standard radiation beams of several types and energies, and the results showed that this chamber presents satisfactory behaviour in other radiation qualities as of diagnostic radiology, mammography and radiotherapy. In the second study, a tandem system for verification of hal'-value layer variations in CT equipment, using a pencil ionization chamber, was developed. Because of the X rays tube rotation, the determination of half-value layers in computed tomography equipment is not an easy task, and it is usually not performed within quality control programs. (author)

ORGANIZATION OF FUTURE ENGINEERS' PROJECT-BASED LEARNING WHEN STUDYING THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY

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Halyna V. Lutsenko

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The peculiarities of modern world experience of implementation of project-based learning in engineering education have been considered. The potential role and place of projects in learning activity have been analyzed. The methodology of organization of project-based activity of engineering students when studying the project management methodology and computer systems of project management has been proposed. The requirements to documentation and actual results of students' projects have been described in detail. The requirements to computer-aided systems of project management developed by using Microsoft Project in the scope of diary scheduling and resources planning have been formulated.

Radioisotope methodology course radioprotection aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergoc, R.M.; Caro, R.A.; Menossi, C.A.

1996-01-01

The advancement knowledge in molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, medicine and pharmacology, which has taken place during the last 50 years, after World War II finalization, is really outstanding. It can be safely said that this fact is principally due to the application of radioisotope techniques. The research on metabolisms, biodistribution of pharmaceuticals, pharmacodynamics, etc., is mostly carried out by means of techniques employing radioactive materials. Radioisotopes and radiation are frequently used in medicine both as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. The radioimmunoanalysis is today a routine method in endocrinology and in general clinical medicine. The receptor determination and characterization is a steadily growing methodology used in clinical biochemistry, pharmacology and medicine. The use of radiopharmaceuticals and radiation of different origins, for therapeutic purposes, should not be overlooked. For these reasons, the importance to teach radioisotope methodology is steadily growing. This is principally the case for specialization at the post-graduate level but at the pre graduate curriculum it is worthwhile to give some elementary theoretical and practical notions on this subject. These observations are justified by a more than 30 years teaching experience at both levels at the School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry of the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1960 we began to teach Physics III, an obligatory pregraduate course for biochemistry students, in which some elementary notions of radioactivity and measurement techniques were given. Successive modifications of the biochemistry pregraduate curriculum incorporated radiochemistry as an elective subject and since 1978, radioisotope methodology, as obligatory subject for biochemistry students. This subject is given at the radioisotope laboratory during the first semester of each year and its objective is to provide theoretical and practical knowledge to the biochemistry students, even

The Archaeoastronomy of Tomnaverie Recumbent Stone Circle: A Comparison of Methodologies

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Liz Henty

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The way we view the past is constantly modified by new evidence and methodological advances. Archaeological data is gleaned from the ground and archaeoastronomical evidence considers the use of the sky in relation to the archaeological record. Since the beginning of the 20th  century the two disciplines of archaeology and archaeoastronomy have flirted with one another but there has never been a satisfactory marriage. This paper looks at the Recumbent Stone Circles (RSCs of north-east Scotland to examine the methodologies, and compare the results, of both disciplines. The RSCs are a distinctive type of stone circle characterised by a large recumbent stone which is flanked on either side by a tall pillar. This recumbent arrangement is almost invariably located in the south-west of the circle. RSCs are generally located near the summits of low hills and enjoy clear horizon views. Over the years they have been the subject of extensive research. This research will be reviewed and Tomnaverie RSC will be singled out as a special case study to examine whether there still needs to be a divide between the disciplines.

Improvement of laboratory turnaround time using lean methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Shradha; Kapil, Sahil; Sharma, Monica

2018-05-14

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the implementation of lean methodology to reduce the turnaround time (TAT) of a clinical laboratory in a super speciality hospital. Delays in report delivery lead to delayed diagnosis increased waiting time and decreased customer satisfaction. The reduction in TAT will lead to increased patient satisfaction, quality of care, employee satisfaction and ultimately the hospital's revenue. Design/methodology/approach The generic causes resulting in increasing TAT of clinical laboratories were identified using lean tools and techniques such as value stream mapping (VSM), Gemba, Pareto Analysis and Root Cause Analysis. VSM was used as a tool to analyze the current state of the process and further VSM was used to design the future state with suggestions for process improvements. Findings This study identified 12 major non-value added factors for the hematology laboratory and 5 major non-value added factors for the biochemistry lab which were acting as bottlenecks resulting in limiting throughput. A four-month research study by the authors together with hospital quality department and laboratory staff members led to reduction of the average TAT from 180 to 95minutes in the hematology lab and from 268 to 208 minutes in the biochemistry lab. Practical implications Very few improvement initiatives in Indian healthcare are based on industrial engineering tools and techniques, which might be due to a lack of interaction between healthcare and engineering. The study provides a positive outcome in terms of improving the efficiency of services in hospitals and identifies a scope for lean in the Indian healthcare sector. Social implications Applying lean in the Indian healthcare sector gives its own potential solution to the problem caused, due to a wide gap between lean accessibility and lean implementation. Lean helped in changing the mindset of an organization toward providing the highest quality of services with faster delivery at

Influence of Mentoring Programs on Special Educators' Intent to Stay in Special Education

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Clarissa Simmons

2011-01-01

The lack of certified special education teachers and high rates of attrition have led to a shortage of special educators. Mentoring programs have been developed to improve retention of beginning educators. This study examined if a mentoring program is effective for special educators. The participants were first- and second-year elementary, middle,…

Methodological approaches to assessing of country’s financial capacity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.Yu. Polchanov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This research is devoted to the theoretical basis of country’s financial capacity assessment, its specificities and algorithm. The aim of the investigation is the generalization of methodological approaches to evaluating country’s financial capacity. The author determines that the assessment involves preparatory, analytical, and final stages. The special attention is paid to the information based on the analysis, demands on it, impact of changes in methodology, dynamics of macroeconomic indicators. The establishment of the united analytical center for assessment of financial capacity of the state for post-conflict recovery is proposed. The results of the critical review of the publications in this field have helped to improve the classification of country’s financial capacity assessment methods by providing some new attributes such as the focus of the evaluation and type of intelligence. The problem of using unlicensed software to assess the financial capacity of the state and the associated risk have not been left without attention.

Methodology briefing students in the safety on physical education in the gym

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. N. Mukhamediarov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose : to determine the effective components of the methodology of coaching students on safety on physical education in the gym. Material : in the experiment involved 90 students aged 17-18 years. Results : the method of forming responsible attitude to the basics of safety during physical training in the gym. Developed special funds: lectures, seminars, analysis of articles, diagnostic interviews, questionnaires, analysis of log data of attendance, log injuries. The criteria of formation responsible attitude to physical training. The results of the implementation methodology. Conclusions : proposed method recommend to instruct students on safety. Use the means of forming a responsible attitude to safety during physical training in the gym that will help reduce injuries and improve quality of the physical training at the university.

Development of a field measurement methodology for studying the thermal indoor environment in hybrid GEOTABS buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kazanci, Ongun Berk; Khovalyg, Dolaana; Olesen, Bjarne W.

2018-01-01

buildings. The three demonstration buildings were an office building in Luxembourg, an elderly care home in Belgium, and an elementary school in Czech Republic. All of these buildings are equipped with hybrid GEOTABS systems; however, they vary in size and function, which requires a unique measurement...... methodology for studying them. These buildings already have advanced Building Management Systems (BMS); however, a more detailed measurement plan was needed for the purposes of the project to document the current performance of these systems regarding thermal indoor environment and energy performance......, and to be able to document the improvements after the implementation of the MPC. This study provides the details of the developed field measurement methodology for each of these buildings to study the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in details. The developed measurement methodology can be applied to other...

Radiological safety methodology in radioactive tracer applications for hydrodynamics and environmental studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suarez, R.; Badano, A.; Dellepere, A.; Artucio, G.; Bertolotti, A.

1995-01-01

The use of radioactive tracer techniques as control sewage disposal contamination in Montevideo Estuarine and Carrasco beach has been studied for the Nuclear Technology National Direction. Hydrodynamic models simulation has been introduced as work methodology. As well as radiological safety and radioactive material applications in the environmental studies has been evaluated mainly in the conclusions and recommendations in this report. maps

Methodological and hermeneutic reduction - a study of Finnish multiple-birth families.

Science.gov (United States)

Heinonen, Kristiina

2015-07-01

To describe reduction as a method in methodological and hermeneutic reduction and the hermeneutic circle using van Manen's principles, with the empirical example of the lifeworlds of multiple-birth families in Finland. Reduction involves several levels that can be distinguished for their methodological usefulness. Researchers can use reduction in different ways and dimensions for their methodological needs. Open interviews with public health nurses, family care workers and parents of twins. The systematic literature and knowledge review shows there were no articles on multiple-birth families that used van Manen's method. This paper presents reduction as a method that uses the hermeneutic circle. The lifeworlds of multiple-birth families consist of three core themes: 'A state of constant vigilance'; 'Ensuring that they can continue to cope'; and 'Opportunities to share with other people'. Reduction allows us to perform deep phenomenological-hermeneutic research and understand people's lifeworlds. It helps to keep research stages separate but also enables a consolidated view. Social care and healthcare professionals have to hear parents' voices better to comprehensively understand their situation; they also need further tools and training to be able to empower parents of twins. The many variations in adapting reduction mean its use can be very complex and confusing. This paper adds to the discussion of phenomenology, hermeneutic study and reduction.

A Critique of Methodological Dualism in Education

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jeong A.; Yoo, Jae-Bong

2018-01-01

This paper aims to critically examine the paradigm of methodological dualism and explore whether methodologies in social science currently are appropriate for educational research. There are two primary methodologies for studying education: quantitative and qualitative methods. This is what we mean by "methodological dualism". Is…

A comparison of methodological guides for creating microregional strategies of Central European rural areas. Case study: Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jakub Trojan

2012-05-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the complementarity of methodological guides dealing with microregional development in Central Europe. As an example, the Czech Republic framework has been selected. This study compares seven common methodologies written in Czech, which the author has divided into three groups, namely manual-like methodologies, semi-scientific texts and hybrid texts dealing with other complementary aspects. The result is a comparison of methodologies, their usage and implications for the practices of regional development. The paper also includes a brief analysis of sustainable development elements incorporated into the methodological texts. The final part outlines links to the four-capital model of regional development.

THE FORMATION OF SPECIALLY-TECHNOLOGICALCOMPETENCIES OF A TEACHER IN THE UNIVERSITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamara Shastun

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The paper summarizes the experience of formation of specially-technological competences of a teacher in the University. The analysis shows that there is a contradiction between the permanent increase in educational potential of modern ICT, the increased requirements to the technological competence of Informatics teachers and insufficient development of theoretical and methodological principles of their formation at the University. To eliminate the specified contradictions the author proves that the main approach to the study of professional competences of a teacher in a University is the understanding of the essence of competence as the ability and willingness of implementing its core functions in the mastery of information technologies and learning Informatics for school students.

Methodological peculiarities of the Braun-Blanquet method used for marine bottom vegetation classification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AFANASYEV Dmitry F.

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The features of the Brown Blanquet method application for the classification of the Black and Azov Seas bottom phytocenoses are discussed. Special attention is given to following methodological questions: term of observations, necessary for associations revealing, size of relevance area, the features of geobotanic al underwater exploration technology, description of the bottom communities with epiphytes and the peculiarities of bottom vegetation syntaxonomic analysis.

Integrating the older/special needs adoptive child into the family.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Pamela; Thigpen, Sally; Yates, Amy Moeller

2006-04-01

This qualitative, grounded theory study investigated 11 families who reported having successfully integrated into their family unit at least one older/special needs adoptee. The theory that emerged through the constant comparative methodology consisted of two categories (Decision to Adopt and Adjustment) and a core category (Developing a Sense of Family). The two categories and core category comprised a process that was informed by the Family Narrative Paradigm and culminated in the successful integration of the child or children into the existing family unit. Parental perceptions that appeared to facilitate this process included: (a) finding strengths in the children overlooked by previous caregivers, (b) viewing behavior in context, (c) reframing negative behavior, and (d) attributing improvement in behavior to parenting efforts.

Recruiting a special sample with sparse resources: lessons from a study of Gulf War veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, Laura C; Ritchie, Janis B; Javors, Jennifer M; Golomb, Beatrice A

2013-01-01

Recruitment is the most common failure point for clinical studies, with recruitment failure adversely affecting science, dollar costs, human capital, and the ethical risk-benefit trade-off to study participants. Added problems attend recruitment of special and/or challenging candidate populations, particularly in settings of sparse recruitment resources. Obstacles to study recruitment and participation of ill Gulf War veterans (GWVs) include health barriers, work and family obligations, mistrust of the medical/scientific community, and challenges to identifying/reaching potential participants. We sought to identify and implement a minimal-cost multipronged recruitment approach for a small single-site (recruitment settings and larger multisite studies. Categories of recruitment approach included directed as well as general media, collaborations with support groups/interest groups, local free advertising resources (Craigslist and Backpage), physician outreach, Internet-based approaches, and referrals from study participants and screenees. We describe the subcategories and yield of each approach within each approach. Each approach contributed candidates to the final recruitment tally, with the largest fractional contribution by directed media (52%). Among the remainder, no other individual approach was clearly dominant (largest contribution: 13%). Special population subsamples present special challenges; all approaches cited may not be useful in all settings and subpopulations. A multipronged suite of minimal-cost approaches led to successful recruitment to target for this single-site clinical trial for a special population with significant recruitment challenges. It additionally yielded a nation-wide corpus of several hundred individuals interested in participation in future studies of GWVs. While certain approaches produced disproportionate yield, it was not possible to predict these a priori. We suggest that this model, which incorporates a suite of approaches, and

HISTORIOGRAPHY GENERAL, REGIONAL AND SPECIAL STUDIES OF JUDICIAL REFORM IN RUSSIA 1864

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergei Evgenievich Strakhov

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In today's world, a crucial role is played by the judiciary. In the period lasting judicial reform, it is important to explore this institution not only at the present stage, but also to trace the history of its development, including - through analysis and synthesis of existing studies of the judiciary and judicial reforms.The purpose of this study - to explore the historiography of general, special and regional studies of judicial reform of1864 inRussia, to classify research on history and on the subject of the study.Scientific, theoretical and practical significance of the work lies in the fact that the study of this topic will summarize the significant weight of the studies of the judicial reform of 1864 and classified by facilitating orientation interested in individuals in the study subjects.The author uses historical, comparative, hermeneutical, mathematical methods, as well as general methods of scientific research.The author analyzes the historiography of general, special and regional studies of the judicial reform of1864 inRussia, introducing a classification of such studies in chronological order (pre-revolutionary, Soviet and modern stages and subject matter (common - affecting all aspects of judicial reform, special - dedicated to a particular aspect (legal agencies, prosecutors, legal, etc. and regional - dedicated to judicial reform, or some aspects of it in some regions of Russia.The results of this study are scientific and practical value, because they can be useful for teaching students - in industry disciplines "judiciary", "advocacy", "notary public", "public prosecutor's supervision" and general theoretical "History of State and Law," "History of the fatherland" ; in science - by picking up information about the historiography of the judicial reform, and in practice - said work can serve as a guide to research judicial reform, which may be useful to practitioners of judicial and investigative bodies, as well as - prosecutors

A numerical methodology for the Painlevé equations

KAUST Repository

Fornberg, Bengt

2011-07-01

The six Painlevé transcendents PI-PVI have both applications and analytic properties that make them stand out from most other classes of special functions. Although they have been the subject of extensive theoretical investigations for about a century, they still have a reputation for being numerically challenging. In particular, their extensive pole fields in the complex plane have often been perceived as \\'numerical mine fields\\'. In the present work, we note that the Painlevé property in fact provides the opportunity for very fast and accurate numerical solutions throughout such fields. When combining a Taylor/Padé-based ODE initial value solver for the pole fields with a boundary value solver for smooth regions, numerical solutions become available across the full complex plane. We focus here on the numerical methodology, and illustrate it for the PI equation. In later studies, we will concentrate on mathematical aspects of both the PI and the higher Painlevé transcendents. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.

Identifying emerging trends for implementing learning technology in special education: a state-of-the-art review of selected articles published in 2008-2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Gi-Zen; Wu, No-Wei; Chen, Yi-Wen

2013-10-01

As electronic learning (e-learning) becomes increasingly popular in education worldwide, learning technology (LT) has been applied in various learning environments and activities to promote meaningful, efficient, and effective learning. LT has also been adopted by researchers and teacher-practitioners in the field of special education, but as yet little review-based research has been published. This review research thus carefully examined the trends of LT implementations in special education, providing a comprehensive analysis of 26 studies published in indexed journals in the past five years (2008-2012). Two research questions were addressed: (a) What are the major research aims, methodologies, and outcomes in these studies of implementing LT in the field of special education? and (b) What types of LT are mainly used with special education students, and for what kinds of students? Major findings include that examining the learning effectiveness of LT using was the most common research purpose (75%); researchers primarily relied on experimental studies (46%, 12 studies), followed by interviews and questionnaires (19%, 5 studies). Moreover, the most common use of LT was computer-assisted technology (such as web-based mentoring, educational computer games, laptop computers) in special education; studies investigating the use of LT with mentally disabled students were more than those with physically disabled ones. It is expected that the findings of this work and their implications will serve as valuable references with regard to the use of LT with special education students. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Mixed Methods Survey Research Study of Novice Special Education Teachers: Investigation of Reading Preparedness

Science.gov (United States)

Stratton, Mary P.

2017-01-01

Novice special education teachers have become an integral part of the public and private school systems throughout Pennsylvania. This mixed-methods research study explored the expertise and preparedness of current novice special education teachers. A combination of an electronic survey questionnaire and phone and face-to-face interviews were…

Education Empowerment Model for the Disabled Learners: A Case Study at Cicendo School for Special Education

Science.gov (United States)

Kamil, Mustofa; Shantini, Yanti; Sardin

2015-01-01

This paper originates from a study conducted to examine the challenges faced by the Schools for Special Education (SLB) in their effort to empower people living with disabilities. The study aimed: 1) to describe the stages involved in the education for empowerment of the disabled groups through schools for special education, 2) to present an…

System-Level Design Methodologies for Networked Multiprocessor Systems-on-Chip

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Virk, Kashif Munir

2008-01-01

is the first such attempt in the published literature. The second part of the thesis deals with the issues related to the development of system-level design methodologies for networked multiprocessor systems-on-chip at various levels of design abstraction with special focus on the modeling and design...... at the system-level. The multiprocessor modeling framework is then extended to include models of networked multiprocessor systems-on-chip which is then employed to model wireless sensor networks both at the sensor node level as well as the wireless network level. In the third and the final part, the thesis...... to the transaction-level model. The thesis, as a whole makes contributions by describing a design methodology for networked multiprocessor embedded systems at three layers of abstraction from system-level through transaction-level to the cycle accurate level as well as demonstrating it practically by implementing...

Local and regional low carbon scenarios methodology, challenges and opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

In its first part, this report discusses the emergence of local climate and energy policy in Europe, the implementation of nationally imposed but regionally anchored energy scenarios (i.e. in France, the Climate Air Energy Regional Schemes or SRCAE). Then it addresses the methodological and political aspects of local and regional low emission scenarios: methodologies and typologies of energy scenarios, ways to define an appropriate emission reduction and energy consumption objective, ways to deal with emission or carbon gaps, ways to make local emission inventories, ways to gather local data, ways to deal with special emission sources, ways to assess and develop local energy efficiency and renewable energy potentials, ways to take energy sufficiency into account, and the evolution from energy autonomy to 100% renewable energy territories. The last part addresses the issues of stake holder and citizen participation in the definition of long term strategies

Is Early Experience Destiny? Review of Research on Long-Term Outcomes following International Adoption with Special Reference to the British Chinese Adoption Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Margaret; Rushton, Alan; Simmonds, John

2016-01-01

The pathway from adverse early experience to adulthood for internationally adopted children is complex in identifying key influences, impacts, and outcomes. This review arose from the authors' involvement in the British Chinese Adoption Study, a recent outcomes study that explored the links between early orphanage care, adoptive experiences, and midadulthood. It differs from previous reviews in focusing on a greater length of time since adoption. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included to allow for examination of a fuller range of adult-related outcomes rather than mental health scores alone. The sampling, methods, and results of reviewed articles are summarised and a critical commentary is provided. Despite methodological differences and identified strengths and weaknesses, conclusions are drawn on the basis of the evidence available. Special attention is paid to the interpretation of negative outcomes. Findings identify areas that should be explored further in order to gain a fuller understanding of midlife outcomes of people who experienced a poor start in life followed by international adoption. Such studies help in refining lifespan developmental theories.

Safety studies on Korean fusion DEMO plant using integrated safety assessment methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Kyemin; Kang, Myoung-suk; Heo, Gyunyoung; Kim, Hyoung-chan

2014-01-01

Highlights: •The purpose of this paper is to suggest methodology that can investigate safety issues and provides a case study for Korean fusion DEMO plant. •The concepts of integrated safety assessment methodology (ISAM) that can be applied in addressing regulatory requirements and recognizing safety issues for K-DEMO were emphasized. •Phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) was proposed. It can recognize vulnerabilities of systems and identify the gaps in technical areas requiring additional researches. •This work is expected to contribute on the conceptual design of safety features for K-DEMO to design engineers and the guidance for regulatory requirements to licensers. -- Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to suggest methodology that can investigate safety issues and provides a case study for Korean fusion DEMO plant (K-DEMO) as a part of R and D program through the National Fusion Research Institute of Korea. Even though nuclear regulation and licensing framework is well setup due to the operating and design experience of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) since 1970s, the regulatory authority of South Korea has concerns on the challenge of facing new nuclear facilities including K-DEMO due to the differences in systems, materials, and inherent safety feature from conventional PWRs. Even though the follow-up of the ITER license process facilitates to deal with significant safety issues of fusion facilities, a licensee as well as a licenser should identify the gaps between ITER and DEMO in terms of safety issues. First we reviewed the methods of conducting safety analysis for unprecedented nuclear facilities such as Generation IV reactors, particularly very high temperature reactor (VHTR), which is called as integrated safety assessment methodology (ISAM). Second, the analysis for the conceptual design of K-DEMO on the basis of ISAM was conducted. The ISAM consists of five analytical tools to develop the safety requirements from licensee

Safety studies on Korean fusion DEMO plant using integrated safety assessment methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Kyemin; Kang, Myoung-suk [Kyung Hee University, Youngin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-701 (Korea, Republic of); Heo, Gyunyoung, E-mail: gheo@khu.ac.kr [Kyung Hee University, Youngin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyoung-chan [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon-si 305-333 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

Highlights: •The purpose of this paper is to suggest methodology that can investigate safety issues and provides a case study for Korean fusion DEMO plant. •The concepts of integrated safety assessment methodology (ISAM) that can be applied in addressing regulatory requirements and recognizing safety issues for K-DEMO were emphasized. •Phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) was proposed. It can recognize vulnerabilities of systems and identify the gaps in technical areas requiring additional researches. •This work is expected to contribute on the conceptual design of safety features for K-DEMO to design engineers and the guidance for regulatory requirements to licensers. -- Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to suggest methodology that can investigate safety issues and provides a case study for Korean fusion DEMO plant (K-DEMO) as a part of R and D program through the National Fusion Research Institute of Korea. Even though nuclear regulation and licensing framework is well setup due to the operating and design experience of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) since 1970s, the regulatory authority of South Korea has concerns on the challenge of facing new nuclear facilities including K-DEMO due to the differences in systems, materials, and inherent safety feature from conventional PWRs. Even though the follow-up of the ITER license process facilitates to deal with significant safety issues of fusion facilities, a licensee as well as a licenser should identify the gaps between ITER and DEMO in terms of safety issues. First we reviewed the methods of conducting safety analysis for unprecedented nuclear facilities such as Generation IV reactors, particularly very high temperature reactor (VHTR), which is called as integrated safety assessment methodology (ISAM). Second, the analysis for the conceptual design of K-DEMO on the basis of ISAM was conducted. The ISAM consists of five analytical tools to develop the safety requirements from licensee

Pathophysiology of primary burning mouth syndrome with special focus on taste dysfunction: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolkka-Palomaa, M; Jääskeläinen, S K; Laine, M A; Teerijoki-Oksa, T; Sandell, M; Forssell, H

2015-11-01

Primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic oral condition characterized by burning pain often accompanied with taste dysfunction and xerostomia. The most compelling evidence concerning BMS pathophysiology comes from studies on the somatosensory system using neurophysiologic or psychophysical methods such as blink reflex, thermal quantitative sensory testing, as well as functional brain imaging. They have provided convincing evidence for neuropathic involvement at several levels of the somatosensory system in BMS pain pathophysiology. The number of taste function studies trying to substantiate the subjective taste disturbances or studies on salivary factors in BMS is much more limited, and most of them suffer from definitional and methodological problems. This review aims to critically evaluate the existing literature on the pathophysiology of BMS, paying special attention to the correctness of case selection and the methodology used in published studies, and to summarize the current state of knowledge. Based on the recognition of several gaps in the current understanding of the pathophysiology of BMS especially as regards taste and pain system interactions, the review ends with future scenarios for research in this area. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Research methodology used in studies of child disaster mental health interventions for posttraumatic stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfefferbaum, Betty; Newman, Elana; Nelson, Summer D; Liles, Brandi D; Tett, Robert P; Varma, Vandana; Nitiéma, Pascal

2014-01-01

In the last decade, the development of community-based and clinical interventions to assist children and adolescents after a disaster has become an international priority. Clinicians and researchers have begun to scientifically evaluate these interventions despite challenging conditions. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the research methodology used in studies of child disaster mental health interventions for posttraumatic stress. This scientifically rigorous analysis used standards for methodological rigor of psychosocial treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to examine 29 intervention studies. This analysis revealed that further refinement of methodology is needed to determine if certain intervention approaches are superior to other approaches and if they provide benefit beyond natural recovery. Most studies (93.1%) clearly described the interventions being tested or used manuals to guide application and most (89.7%) used standardized instruments to measure outcomes, and many used random assignment (69.0%) and provided assessor training (65.5%). Fewer studies used blinded assessment (44.8%) or measured treatment adherence (48.3%), and sample size in most studies (82.8%) was not adequate to detect small effects generally expected when comparing two active interventions. Moreover, it is unclear what constitutes meaningful change in relation to treatment especially for the numerous interventions administered to children in the general population. Overall, the results are inconclusive about which children, what settings, and what approaches are most likely to be beneficial. © 2014.

7 CFR 3402.6 - Overview of the special international study and/or thesis/dissertation research travel allowance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... thesis/dissertation research travel allowance. 3402.6 Section 3402.6 Agriculture Regulations of the... GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3402.6 Overview of the special international study and/or thesis... special international study or thesis/dissertation research travel allowance, the Project Director must...

Structural mapping from MSS-LANDSAT imagery: A proposed methodology for international geological correlation studies

Science.gov (United States)

Dejesusparada, N. (Principal Investigator); Crepani, E.; Martini, P. R.

1980-01-01

A methodology is proposed for international geological correlation studies based on LANDSAT-MSS imagery, Bullard's model of continental fit and compatible structural trends between Northeast Brazil and the West African counterpart. Six extensive lineaments in the Brazilian study area are mapped and discussed according to their regional behavior and in relation to the adjacent continental margin. Among the first conclusions, correlations were found between the Sobral Pedro II Lineament and the megafaults that surround the West African craton; and the Pernambuco Lineament with the Ngaurandere Linemanet in Cameroon. Ongoing research to complete the methodological stages includes the mapping of the West African structural framework, reconstruction of the pre-drift puzzle, and an analysis of the counterpart correlations.

A five-year study of residents of a special hostel for people with dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lefroy, R B; Hobbs, M S; Hyndman, J

1992-03-01

In order to consider whether admission to a special hostel was a desirable policy in view of the likelihood of subsequent transfer to a nursing home, this study compared the time spent by residents in a special hostel with the period in a nursing home after they were transferred out of the hostel. We also estimated the number of nursing home places necessary for residents who were transferred and studied the reasons for transfer. The setting was a special hostel in Perth, Western Australia, for 36 people with moderate or severe dementia. The periods spent in the hostel or a nursing home were calculated for all residents admitted between 1985 and 1990. Forty-two of the 84 residents admitted during the study period were transferred to nursing homes. About two thirds of the total time in the two institutions was spent in the hostel. The two principal reasons necessitating transfer to a nursing home were advancing dementia and the addition of a physical impairment. Because a major proportion of the care of selected people with dementia (who can no longer remain at home) can be undertaken in a special hostel, this facility should be included with standard hostel and nursing home in arrangements for institutional care. Between 20 and 25 nursing home places are necessary for residents transferred from a hostel of this size.

Safety class methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donner, E.B.; Low, J.M.; Lux, C.R.

1992-01-01

DOE Order 6430.1A, General Design Criteria (GDC), requires that DOE facilities be evaluated with respect to ''safety class items.'' Although the GDC defines safety class items, it does not provide a methodology for selecting safety class items. The methodology described in this paper was developed to assure that Safety Class Items at the Savannah River Site (SRS) are selected in a consistent and technically defensible manner. Safety class items are those in the highest of four categories determined to be of special importance to nuclear safety and, merit appropriately higher-quality design, fabrication, and industrial test standards and codes. The identification of safety class items is approached using a cascading strategy that begins at the 'safety function' level (i.e., a cooling function, ventilation function, etc.) and proceeds down to the system, component, or structure level. Thus, the items that are required to support a safety function are SCls. The basic steps in this procedure apply to the determination of SCls for both new project activities, and for operating facilities. The GDC lists six characteristics of SCls to be considered as a starting point for safety item classification. They are as follows: 1. Those items whose failure would produce exposure consequences that would exceed the guidelines in Section 1300-1.4, ''Guidance on Limiting Exposure of the Public,'' at the site boundary or nearest point of public access 2. Those items required to maintain operating parameters within the safety limits specified in the Operational Safety Requirements during normal operations and anticipated operational occurrences. 3. Those items required for nuclear criticality safety. 4. Those items required to monitor the release of radioactive material to the environment during and after a Design Basis Accident. Those items required to achieve, and maintain the facility in a safe shutdown condition 6. Those items that control Safety Class Item listed above

Pedagogical Studies in Teacher Education: Reintroducing methodology as the core of pedagogical studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marianne Vinje

2016-04-01

profession. The findings show an inconsistent use of concepts in pedagogical studies and varying concepts describing didactic categories of classroom activities and prac­tices, if they are present. The role of pedagogy in teacher education has varied, from being the main subject to a subject of reflection, and from a base for knowledge and tools to a base for reflection and formation. This article suggests that pedagogical studies must primarily include basic concepts concerning central activities or practices of the teaching profession as a way to reintroduce methodology and bring teacher education closer to the profession. With classroom activities as the foundation and framework, combined with the science of education, a pedagogy of teacher education can constitute itself. This approach also brings pedagogical studies back to the curricula covering the 1837–1939 period with teaching as their core content, and teaching methodology and didactics as the real pedagogy of teacher education.Keywords: student teachers, pedagogical studies, methodology, national curricula, reflection, pedagogy of teacher education

Methodologies to study human intestinal absorption. A review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Versantvoort CHM; Rompelberg CJM; Sips AJAM; LBM

2000-01-01

Concepts in risk assessment practice are expressed in terms of external exposure, while internal exposure determines whether toxic effects will occur. Often only a fraction of the ingested compound is absorbed external exposure, resulting in a lower internal exposure. The methodologies most commonly

The Life Story Method in research about self-perception of people with special educational needs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosana Glat

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The present text discusses self-perception of people who are stigmatized due to intellectual (mental, sensorial and /or physical handicapped; global developmental disturbance or high abilities. For this aim, it analyses a group of researches (Master dissertations and PhD thesis in the field of Special Education in Graduate programs in Education and Psychology of Brazilian universities. All these studies had as theoretical-methodological reference the Life History Method, which utilizes as main data collection instrument the open interview, without a pre-determined guide. The data analyzed pointed out the validity of the Life History method for researches in Special Education and other areas of the so-called Applied Social and Human Sciences, since, among other aspects, it allows a descriptive-analytical global view of the situation or group under investigation. This methodology shows not only de needs and expectations of these groups of subjects, but, maybe even more important, the way in which the services and professionals that are in their disposition are being (or not effective. Life History research, therefore, besides the analysis of the daily experience, has, in itself, a propositional impact since the subject when narrating his life experiences, also reflects upon it, and points out his needs and strategies in order to adapt or overcome the restrictions imposed by his stigmatized condition.

Methodology and integrated studies for the strategic regional uranium prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade Tolentino, J. de.

1984-01-01

An integrated methodology alternative to the traditional one used for uranium prospecting is presented. For this purpose a detailed revision of some methods for finding uranium was made. Then a geological unit located in Minas Gerais, Brazil, was chosen due to its geographical proximity to the Lagoa Real deposit in the Brazilian Bahia State. The methodology applied to this unit gave a preliminary indications of areas to be prospected in detail. 36 refs, 44 figs, 20 tabs

Methodology for full comparative assessment of direct gross glycerin combustion in a flame tube furnace

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maturana, Aymer Yeferson; Pagliuso, Josmar D. [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. Sao Carlos School of Engineering. University of Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil)], e-mails: aymermat@sc.usp.br, josmar@sc.usp.br

2010-07-01

This study is to develop a methodology to identify and evaluate the emissions and heat transfer associated to combustion of gross glycerin a by-product of the Brazilian biodiesel manufacture process as alternative energy source. It aims to increase the present knowledge on the matter and to contribute to the improvement of the economic and environmental perspective of biodiesel industry. This methodology was considered to be used for assessment of gross glycerin combustion from three different types of biodiesel (bovine tallow, palm and soy). The procedures for evaluation and quantification of emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides, total hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and acrolein were analyzed, described and standardized. Experimental techniques for mutagenic and toxic effects assessment of gases similarly were analyzed and standardized, as well as the calorific power, the associate heat transfer and fundamentals operational parameters. The methodology was developed, using a full-instrumented flame tube furnace, continuous gas analyzers, a chromatograph, automatic data acquisition systems and other auxiliary equipment. The mutagenic and toxic effects of the study was based on Tradescantia clone KU-20, using chambers of intoxication and biological analytical techniques previously developed and others were specially adapted. The benchmark for the initial set up was based on the performance evaluation of the previous equipment tested with diesel considering its behavior during direct combustion. Finally, the following factors were defined for the combustion of crude glycerin, configurations of equipment types, operational parameters such as air fuel ratio adiabatic temperature and other necessary aspect for successful application of the methodology. The developed and integrated methodology was made available to the concern industry, environmental authorities and researchers as procedures to access the viability of gross glycerin or similar fuels as

Canonical duality theory unified methodology for multidisciplinary study

CERN Document Server

Latorre, Vittorio; Ruan, Ning

2017-01-01

This book on canonical duality theory provides a comprehensive review of its philosophical origin, physics foundation, and mathematical statements in both finite- and infinite-dimensional spaces. A ground-breaking methodological theory, canonical duality theory can be used for modeling complex systems within a unified framework and for solving a large class of challenging problems in multidisciplinary fields in engineering, mathematics, and the sciences. This volume places a particular emphasis on canonical duality theory’s role in bridging the gap between non-convex analysis/mechanics and global optimization.  With 18 total chapters written by experts in their fields, this volume provides a nonconventional theory for unified understanding of the fundamental difficulties in large deformation mechanics, bifurcation/chaos in nonlinear science, and the NP-hard problems in global optimization. Additionally, readers will find a unified methodology and powerful algorithms for solving challenging problems in comp...

Application of Agent Methodology in Healthcare Information Systems

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Reem Abdalla

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a case study to describe the features and the phases of the two agent methodologies. The Gaia methodology for agent oriented analysis and design, Tropos is a detailed agent oriented software engineering methodology to explore each methodology's ability to present solutions for small problems. Also we provide an attempt to discover whether the methodology is in fact understandable and usable. In addition we were collecting and taking notes of the advantages and weaknesses of these methodologies during the study analysis for each methodology and the relationships among their models. The Guardian Angle: Patient-Centered Health Information System (GA: PCHIS is the personal system to help track, manage, and interpret the subject's health history, and give advice to both patient and provider is used as the case study throughout the paper.

World Tax Index: New Methodology for OECD Countries, 2000-2010

OpenAIRE

Zuzana Machova; Igor Kotlan

2013-01-01

This paper follows our previous article, Kotlán and Machová (2012a), which presented an indicator of the tax burden that can be used as an alternative to the tax quota, or for implicit tax rates in macroeconomic analyses. This alternative is an overall multi-criteria index called the WTI – the World Tax Index. The aim of this paper is to present the new World Tax Index 2013 and its methodology, which allowed us to compute it for all 34 OECD countries for the 2000–2012 period, with special ref...

Wind turbine power coefficient estimation by soft computing methodologies: Comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shamshirband, Shahaboddin; Petković, Dalibor; Saboohi, Hadi; Anuar, Nor Badrul; Inayat, Irum; Akib, Shatirah; Ćojbašić, Žarko; Nikolić, Vlastimir; Mat Kiah, Miss Laiha; Gani, Abdullah

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Variable speed operation of wind turbine to increase power generation. • Changeability and fluctuation of wind has to be accounted. • To build an effective prediction model of wind turbine power coefficient. • The impact of the variation in the blade pitch angle and tip speed ratio. • Support vector regression methodology application as predictive methodology. - Abstract: Wind energy has become a large contender of traditional fossil fuel energy, particularly with the successful operation of multi-megawatt sized wind turbines. However, reasonable wind speed is not adequately sustainable everywhere to build an economical wind farm. In wind energy conversion systems, one of the operational problems is the changeability and fluctuation of wind. In most cases, wind speed can vacillate rapidly. Hence, quality of produced energy becomes an important problem in wind energy conversion plants. Several control techniques have been applied to improve the quality of power generated from wind turbines. In this study, the polynomial and radial basis function (RBF) are applied as the kernel function of support vector regression (SVR) to estimate optimal power coefficient value of the wind turbines. Instead of minimizing the observed training error, SVR p oly and SVR r bf attempt to minimize the generalization error bound so as to achieve generalized performance. The experimental results show that an improvement in predictive accuracy and capability of generalization can be achieved by the SVR approach in compare to other soft computing methodologies

Specialization Patterns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schultz, Ulrik Pagh; Lawall, Julia Laetitia; Consel, Charles

2000-01-01

Design patterns offer many advantages for software development, but can introduce inefficiency into the final program. Program specialization can eliminate such overheads, but is most effective when targeted by the user to specific bottlenecks. Consequently, we propose that these concepts...... are complementary. Program specialization can optimize programs written using design patterns, and design patterns provide information about the program structure that can guide specialization. Concretely, we propose specialization patterns, which describe how to apply program specialization to optimize uses...... of design patterns. In this paper, we analyze the specialization opportunities provided by specific uses of design patterns. Based on the analysis of each design pattern, we define the associated specialization pattern. These specialization opportunities can be declared using the specialization classes...

Birth weight and special educational needs: results of a population-based study in Berlin.

Science.gov (United States)

Bettge, Susanne; Oberwöhrmann, Sylke; Brockstedt, Matthias; Bührer, Christoph

2014-05-09

Preterm infants are at higher risk for developmental problems. The aim of this study is to quantify the relation between birth weight and special educational needs. We analyzed data from the pre-school examinations of 134 313 children in Berlin aged 5 to 6 who were examined between 2007 and 2011. Special educational needs were diagnosed in 8058 children (6.0%), 4943 (61%) of whom had weighed 3000 g or more at birth. The percentage of children with special educational needs rose steadily with decreasing birth weight (2250-2499 g, 9.2%; 1250-1499 g, 21.1%; less than 750 g, 35.6%). Logistic regression analysis yielded odds ratios and 99% confidence intervals for special educational needs that ranged from 1.32 [1.17-1.47] for birth weight 2750-2999 g to 12.83 [7.48-22.03] for birth weight less than 750 g. Further risk factors were male sex (1.88 [1.75-2.03]), low social status (5.96 [5.21-6.82]), an immigrant background associated with poor German language skills in the family (1.63 [1.43-1.86]), and being raised by a single parent (1.21 [1.12-1.31]). On the other hand, nursery school and/or kindergarten enrollment for at least two years before entering school (0.82 [0.73-0.91]) and an immigrant background with good German skills in the family (0.39 [0.34-0.45]) were associated with lower rates of special educational needs. The risk of special educational needs increases already with moderately decreased birth weight. The most important factor other than birth weight is the family's social status. Although children of very low birth weight have a much higher rate of special educational needs than other children, they still make up only a small percentage of all children with special educational needs.

Unification of the methodology of competitiveness evaluation

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Ivanova Marina

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study is the comparison of the modern methods of competitiveness evaluation and testing the results in practice at a production plant in order to unify the methodology. Analysis of the publications shows that the existing diversity in methods of the competitiveness evaluation complicates the choice of a method and interpretation of the results, which confirms the need to classify and unify the methods available today. The authors suggest that the standardized method of competitiveness evaluation should combine matrix and graphical methods. In our study, we have shown that SWOT-analysis should be carried out in two stages: firstly, it is necessary to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the company, taking into account the following factors: marketing, production, economic and financial situation, technology, the administration and personnel; secondly, it is essential to assess the opportunities and threats with the allowance for the political, legal, and economic situation, the impact of market as well as social, cultural and natural environmental factors. The proposed methodology of competitiveness evaluation has been tested at the industrial enterprise "Olvita ltd", which is dynamically developing and successfully operates on the food market of Ukraine; it specializes in processing, logistics and distribution of fresh and frozen vegetables, fruits and berries, as well as ready-to cook meat products. The results have shown that the competitiveness evaluation remains a pressing issue that requires simple and fairly demonstrative methods, one of which is a method that combines both graphical and matrix approaches. The advantage of the proposed method is its sufficiently high visualizations and record of personal approaches in evaluating the scores for strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities and threats. In the future, the authors are planning to examine and systemize the indicators used in the competitiveness

Redevelopment of the Arctic Area of Russia as an Objective of Systems Research and Special-Purpose Program Management Methodological Issues

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Vladimir Nikolayevich Leksin

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The paper substantiates the methodological foundations of implementation of the rules and regulations of the development of the Arctic region of Russia, which relies on the hypothesis interpreting such development as the biggest integrated megaproject in the history of Russia. The substantiation involves both the project-oriented approach to identify the subject-matter of the research and the systems approach to assess the key opportunities of providing the integrative structure of the megaproject in the conditions of drastic differences between the areal components of the Arctic region, and to study the internal and external factors’ impact on the character, drivers and pace of the region redevelopment. The set of consistent methodological positions concerning their policy implementation by responsible governmental agencies in the foreseeable future of the Arctic is developed. The most important position involves the identification of the objective of the public administration of the Arctic region development as a systemically organized entity of multiple coordinated actions of the federal, regional and municipal authorities, corporations and civil society institutions integrated by the unique policy target and economic, social and infrastructure links. Implementation of the public administration requires the principles of systems approach, the reasonable trade-off between centralization, decentralization and continuity of governance focused exclusively on the Arctic issues. At the same time, the integration of the projects of the region’s areal components development to insure the common targets of the Arctic’s megaproject accompanied by the reconsideration of the earlier developed programs turns into a genuinely new methodological issue. In the article, recommendations to provide such integration are introduced.

Methodology for Analysing Energy Demand in Biogas Production Plants—A Comparative Study of Two Biogas Plants

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Emma Lindkvist

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Biogas production through anaerobic digestion may play an important role in a circular economy because of the opportunity to produce a renewable fuel from organic waste. However, the production of biogas may require energy in the form of heat and electricity. Therefore, resource-effective biogas production must consider both biological and energy performance. For the individual biogas plant to improve its energy performance, a robust methodology to analyse and evaluate the energy demand on a detailed level is needed. Moreover, to compare the energy performance of different biogas plants, a methodology with a consistent terminology, system boundary and procedure is vital. The aim of this study was to develop a methodology for analysing the energy demand in biogas plants on a detailed level. In the methodology, the energy carriers are allocated to: (1 sub-processes (e.g., pretreatment, anaerobic digestion, gas cleaning, (2 unit processes (e.g., heating, mixing, pumping, lighting and (3 a combination of these. For a thorough energy analysis, a combination of allocations is recommended. The methodology was validated by applying it to two different biogas plants. The results show that the methodology is applicable to biogas plants with different configurations of their production system.

Theoretical and methodological reasoning of correction technologies of the physical conditions of students of music speciality

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Petro Marynchuk

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The article emphasizes the lack of development of the methodological basis for the physical education of students of Music Arts. Professionally dependent indicators of physical condition were taken into account. The article also outlines the main theoretical and methodological provisions that underlie the development of technology for correction of the physical condition of students of music arts. They are in particular actualization of life-giving motivation of students to increase the level of physical condition, regular physical exercises, the need for the development of professionally important physical qualities, ensuring the differentiation of physical activity, taking into account the level of physical state and physical conditions of students of Music Arts. The structure of the technology of correction of the physical condition of students of Music Arts is considered. The technology contains the purpose, tasks, principles, stages of implementation, the program with the use of physical culture, performance criteria. The main stages of the technology implementation – preparatory, main, final – are analyzed. The means of motor activity of innovative direction are described for use in the practice of higher educational institutions, which take into account the features of the student staff, their mode of educational activity.

Kids, Adolescents, and Young Adults Cancer Study-A Methodological Approach in Cancer Epidemiology Research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Link, N. L.; Maurer, E.; Largent, J.; Kent, E.; Sender, E.; Culver, H. A.; Morris, R. A.; Sender, E.

2009-01-01

Advances have been made in treatment and outcomes for pediatric cancer. However adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer have not experienced similar relative improvements. We undertook a study to develop the methodology necessary for epidemiologic cancer research in these age groups. Our goal was to create the Kids, Adolescents, and Young Adults Cancer (KAYAC) project to create a resource to address research questions relevant to this population. We used a combination of clinic and population-based ascertainment to enroll 111 cases aged 0-39 for this methodology development study. The largest groups of cancer types enrolled include: breast cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and melanoma. The overall participation rate is 69.8% and varies by age and tumor type. The study included patients, mothers, and fathers. The methods used to establish this resource are described, and the values of the resource in studies of childhood and young adult cancer are outlined.

Which Methodology Works Better? English Language Teachers' Awareness of the Innovative Language Learning Methodologies

Science.gov (United States)

Kurt, Mustafa

2015-01-01

The present study investigated whether English language teachers were aware of the innovative language learning methodologies in language learning, how they made use of these methodologies and the learners' reactions to them. The descriptive survey method was employed to disclose the frequencies and percentages of 175 English language teachers'…

3rd International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications

CERN Document Server

Koziel, Slawomir; Kacprzyk, Janusz; Leifsson, Leifur; Ören, Tuncer

2015-01-01

This book includes extended and revised versions of a set of selected papers from the 3rd International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications (SIMULTECH 2013) which was co-organized by the Reykjavik University (RU) and sponsored by the Institute for Systems and Technologies of Information, Control and Communication (INSTICC). SIMULTECH 2013 was held in cooperation with the ACM SIGSIM - Special Interest Group (SIG) on SImulation and Modeling (SIM), Movimento Italiano Modellazione e Simulazione (MIMOS) and AIS Special Interest Group on Modeling and Simulation (AIS SIGMAS) and technically co-sponsored by the Society for Modeling & Simulation International (SCS), Liophant Simulation, Simulation Team and International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP). This proceedings brings together researchers, engineers, applied mathematicians and practitioners working in the advances and applications in the field of system simulation.

Knowledge, attitudes, and smoking behaviours among physicians specializing in public health: a multicentre study.

Science.gov (United States)

La Torre, Giuseppe; Saulle, Rosella; Unim, Brigid; Angelillo, Italo Francesco; Baldo, Vincenzo; Bergomi, Margherita; Cacciari, Paolo; Castaldi, Silvana; Del Corno, Giuseppe; Di Stanislao, Francesco; Panà, Augusto; Gregorio, Pasquale; Grillo, Orazio Claudio; Grossi, Paolo; La Rosa, Francesco; Nante, Nicola; Pavia, Maria; Pelissero, Gabriele; Quarto, Michele; Ricciardi, Walter; Romano, Gabriele; Schioppa, Francesco Saverio; Fallico, Roberto; Siliquini, Roberta; Triassi, Maria; Vitale, Francesco; Boccia, Antonio

2014-01-01

Healthcare professionals have an important role to play both as advisers-influencing smoking cessation-and as role models. However, many of them continue to smoke. The aims of this study were to examine smoking prevalence, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours among four cohorts physicians specializing in public health, according to the Global Health Profession Students Survey (GHPSS) approach. A multicentre cross-sectional study was carried out in 24 Italian schools of public health. The survey was conducted between January and April 2012 and it was carried out a census of students in the selected schools for each years of course (from first to fourth year of attendance), therefore among four cohorts of physicians specializing in Public Health (for a total of n. 459 medical doctors). The GHPSS questionnaires were self-administered via a special website which is created ad hoc for the survey. Logistic regression model was used to identify possible associations with tobacco smoking status. Hosmer-Lemeshow test was performed. The level of significance was P ≤ 0.05. A total of 388 answered the questionnaire on the website (85%), of which 81 (20.9%) declared to be smokers, 309 (79.6%) considered health professionals as behavioural models for patients, and 375 (96.6%) affirmed that health professionals have a role in giving advice or information about smoking cessation. Although 388 (89.7%) heard about smoking related issues during undergraduate courses, only 17% received specific smoking cessation training during specialization. The present study highlights the importance of focusing attention on smoking cessation training, given the high prevalence of smokers among physicians specializing in public health, their key role both as advisers and behavioural models, and the limited tobacco training offered in public health schools.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Smoking Behaviours among Physicians Specializing in Public Health: A Multicentre Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe La Torre

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Healthcare professionals have an important role to play both as advisers—influencing smoking cessation—and as role models. However, many of them continue to smoke. The aims of this study were to examine smoking prevalence, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours among four cohorts physicians specializing in public health, according to the Global Health Profession Students Survey (GHPSS approach. Materials and Methods. A multicentre cross-sectional study was carried out in 24 Italian schools of public health. The survey was conducted between January and April 2012 and it was carried out a census of students in the selected schools for each years of course (from first to fourth year of attendance, therefore among four cohorts of physicians specializing in Public Health (for a total of n. 459 medical doctors. The GHPSS questionnaires were self-administered via a special website which is created ad hoc for the survey. Logistic regression model was used to identify possible associations with tobacco smoking status. Hosmer-Lemeshow test was performed. The level of significance was P≤0.05. Results. A total of 388 answered the questionnaire on the website (85%, of which 81 (20.9% declared to be smokers, 309 (79.6% considered health professionals as behavioural models for patients, and 375 (96.6% affirmed that health professionals have a role in giving advice or information about smoking cessation. Although 388 (89.7% heard about smoking related issues during undergraduate courses, only 17% received specific smoking cessation training during specialization. Conclusions. The present study highlights the importance of focusing attention on smoking cessation training, given the high prevalence of smokers among physicians specializing in public health, their key role both as advisers and behavioural models, and the limited tobacco training offered in public health schools.

Special polynomials associated with some hierarchies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kudryashov, Nikolai A.

2008-01-01

Special polynomials associated with rational solutions of a hierarchy of equations of Painleve type are introduced. The hierarchy arises by similarity reduction from the Fordy-Gibbons hierarchy of partial differential equations. Some relations for these special polynomials are given. Differential-difference hierarchies for finding special polynomials are presented. These formulae allow us to obtain special polynomials associated with the hierarchy studied. It is shown that rational solutions of members of the Schwarz-Sawada-Kotera, the Schwarz-Kaup-Kupershmidt, the Fordy-Gibbons, the Sawada-Kotera and the Kaup-Kupershmidt hierarchies can be expressed through special polynomials of the hierarchy studied

A Methodology for Optimization in Multistage Industrial Processes: A Pilot Study

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Piotr Jarosz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper introduces a methodology for optimization in multistage industrial processes with multiple quality criteria. Two ways of formulation of optimization problem and four different approaches to solve the problem are considered. Proposed methodologies were tested first on a virtual process described by benchmark functions and next were applied in optimization of multistage lead refining process.

The relationship between hospital specialization and hospital efficiency: do different measures of specialization lead to different results?

Science.gov (United States)

Lindlbauer, Ivonne; Schreyögg, Jonas

2014-12-01

This study investigated the relationship between hospital specialization and technical efficiency using different measures of specialization, including two novel approaches based on patient volumes rather than patient proportions. It was motivated by the observation that most studies to date have quantified hospital specialization using information about hospital patients grouped into different categories based on their diagnosis, and in doing so have used proportions-thus indirectly assuming that these categories are dependent on one other. In order to account for the diversification of organizations and the idea that hospitals can be specialized in terms of professional expertise or technical equipment within a given diagnosis category, we developed our two specialization measures based on patient volume in each category. Using a one-step stochastic frontier approach on randomly selected data from the annual reports of 1,239 acute care German hospitals for the years 2000 through 2010, we estimated the relationship of inefficiency to exogenous variables, such as specialization. The results show that specialization as quantified by our novel measures has effects on efficiency that are the opposite of those obtained using earlier measures of specialization. These results underscore the importance of always providing an exact definition of specialization when studying its effects. Additionally, a Monte Carlo simulation based on three scenarios is provided to facilitate the choice of a specialization measure for further analysis.

The role of structural characteristics in video-game play motivation: a Q-methodology study.

Science.gov (United States)

Westwood, Dave; Griffiths, Mark D

2010-10-01

Until recently, there has been very little naturalistic study of what gaming experiences are like, and how gaming fits into people's lives. Using a recently developed structural characteristic taxonomy of video games, this study examined the psycho-structural elements of computer games that motivate gamers to play them. Using Q-Sort methodology, 40 gamers participated in an online Q-sort task. Results identified six distinct types of gamers based on the factors generated: (a) story-driven solo gamers; (b) social gamers; (c) solo limited gamers; (d) hardcore online gamers; (e) solo control/identity gamers; and (f ) casual gamers. These gaming types are discussed, and a brief evaluation of similar and unique elements of the different types of gamer is also offered. The current study shows Q-methodology to be a relevant and applicable method in the psychological research of gaming.

The Online Specialization Problem

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Ed Hong

2006-01-01

Full Text Available We study the online specialization problem, where items arrive in an online fashion for processing by one of n different methods. Each method has two costs: a processing cost (paid once for each item processed, and a set-up cost (paid only once, on the method's first use. There are n possible types of items; an item's type determines the set of methods available to process it. Each method has a different degree of specialization. Highly specialized methods can process few item types while generic methods may process all item types. This is a generalization of ski-rental and closely related to the capital investment problem of Y. Azar, Y. Bartal, E. Feuerstein, A. Fiat, S. Leonardi, and A. Rosen. On capital investment. In Algorithmica, 25(1:22-36, 1999. We primarily study the case where method i+1 is always more specialized than method i and the set-up cost for a more specialized method is always higher than that of a less specialized method. We describe an algorithm with competitive ratio O(log(n, and also show an Ω(log(n lower bound on the competitive ratio for this problem; this shows our ratio is tight up to constant factors.

Psychosocial Studies of Migration and Community: Introduction to the Special Issue

OpenAIRE

Douglas D. Perkins; Neal A. Palmer; Manuel García-Ramírez

2011-01-01

Introducing the special issue on psychosocial studies of migration and community, we briefly reflect on the global increase in, and issues related to, both international and domestic migration, particularly from rural areas of less developed countries, which has fueled rapid urbanization and intercultural tensions in both post-industrial and developing countries. Topics covered in the issue are summarized, including an Italian study of the emotional impact of discrimination against immigrant ...

Medical experiments on persons with special needs, a comparative study of Islamic jurisprudence vs. Arab laws: UAE law as case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammad, Hamza Abed Al-Karim

2014-01-01

This article is a comparative study of medical experiments on persons with special needs in Islamic jurisprudence and Arab laws; United Arab Emirates (UAE) law as case study. The current study adopts a comparative analytical and descriptive approach. The conclusion of this study points out that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Special Needs, ratified by a number of Arab States, including the United Arab Emirates, approves conducting medical experiments on persons with special needs, subject to their free consent. As a result of ratifying this Convention, a number of special laws were enacted to be enforced in the United Arab Emirates. On the other hand, this issue is controversial from an Islamic jurisprudence point of view. One group of jurisprudents permits conducting these experimentations if they are designed to treat the person involved, and prohibits such experimentations for scientific advancement. Other jurisprudents permit conducting medical experimentations on persons with special needs, whether the purpose of such experimentations is treatment of the disabled or achieving scientific advancement. The opinion of this group is consistent with the International Convention and the Arab laws in this respect. However, neither the Convention nor the Arab laws regulate this matter by specific and comprehensive conditions, as addressed by some contemporary scholars. It is recommended that the Convention and the Arab laws adopt these conditions. Additionally, the Convention does not state whether the experimentations may be conducted for the interest of the person with disability or for the purpose of scientific advancement. The text of the Convention is unclear and therefore requires further illumination.

Development of a Tailored Methodology and Forensic Toolkit for Industrial Control Systems Incident Response

Science.gov (United States)

2014-06-01

for industrial control systems ,” in Proceedings of the VDE Kongress, 2004. [15] K. Stouffer et al., “Special publication 800-82: Guide to industrial...TAILORED METHODOLOGY AND FORENSIC TOOLKIT FOR INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS INCIDENT RESPONSE by Nicholas B. Carr June 2014 Thesis Co...CONTROL SYSTEMS INCIDENT RESPONSE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Nicholas B. Carr 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Naval

On Instructional Utility, Statistical Methodology, and the Added Value of ECD: Lessons Learned from the Special Issue

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Brian; Nugent, Rebecca; Rupp, Andre A.

2012-01-01

This special issue of "JEDM" was dedicated to bridging work done in the disciplines of "educational and psychological assessment" and "educational data mining" (EDM) via the assessment design and implementation framework of "evidence-centered design" (ECD). It consisted of a series of five papers: one…

77 FR 70451 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Methodological Studies for the Population Assessment of...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-26

... are no capital, operating or maintenance costs. Table 1--Estimated Annual Reporting Burden Summary... Collection: Title: Methodological Studies for Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. Type... concurrent basis]. Affected Public: Individuals. Type of Respondents: Youth (ages 12-17) and Adults (ages 18...

The methodological quality of economic evaluation studies in obstetrics and gynecology: a systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vijgen, Sylvia M. C.; Opmeer, Brent C.; Mol, Ben Willem J.

2013-01-01

We evaluated the methodological quality of economic evaluation studies in the field of obstetrics and gynecology published in the last decade. A MEDLINE search was performed to find economic evaluation studies in obstetrics and gynecology from the years 1997 through 2009. We included full economic

Studying human-automation interactions: methodological lessons learned from the human-centred automation experiments 1997-2001

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massaiu, Salvatore; Skjerve, Ann Britt Miberg; Skraaning, Gyrd Jr.; Strand, Stine; Waeroe, Irene

2004-04-01

This report documents the methodological lessons learned from the Human Centred Automation (HCA) programme both in terms of psychometric evaluation of the measurement techniques developed for human-automation interaction study, and in terms of the application of advanced statistical methods for analysis of experiments. The psychometric evaluation is based on data from the four experiments performed within the HCA programme. The result is a single-source reference text of measurement instruments for the study of human-automation interaction, part of which were specifically developed by the programme. The application of advanced statistical techniques is exemplified by additional analyses performed on the IPSN-HCA experiment of 1998. Special importance is given to the statistical technique Structural Equation Modeling, for the possibility it offers to advance, and empirically test, comprehensive explanations about human-automation interactions. The additional analyses of the IPSN-HCA experiment investigated how the operators formed judgments about their own performance. The issue is of substantive interest for human automation interaction research because the operators' over- or underestimation of their own performance could be seen as a symptom of human-machine mismatch, and a potential latent failure. These analyses concluded that it is the interplay between (1) the level of automation and several factors that determines the operators' bias in performance self-estimation: (2) the nature of the task, (3) the level of scenario complexity, and (4) the level of trust in the automatic system. A structural model that expresses the interplay of all these factors was empirically evaluated and was found able to provide a concise and elegant explanation of the intricate pattern of relationships between the identified factors. (Author)

Special care with special child-oral health status of differently abled children attending special schools in Delhi: A cross-sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monika Prasad

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Oral health is an essential component of overall health. Oral health maintenance is more complex for the physically challenged children; the essential problem is lack of cooperation and coordination because of their physical or mental inability. Thus, physically challenged children are considered as a high-risk group for having dental problems. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess dental caries experience, oral hygiene status, periodontal status, and prevalence of malocclusion among differently abled children attending special schools in Delhi. Materials and Methods: A total of 1060 (610 males and 450 females, differently abled children were included in the study. The children were grouped into visually impaired, hearing and speech impaired, and orthopedic physically challenged only. Clinical examination was recorded using Dentition Status and Treatment Need Index and periodontal status recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2013 and examination for malocclusion was made according to the Dental Aesthetic Index as described by the WHO Oral Health Survey 1997. The Simplified Oral Hygiene Index introduced by John C Greene and Jack R Vermillion in 1964 was used to assess the oral hygiene status. Results: Out of 1060 physically challenged children, 56.4% (598 had dental caries with the mean index or decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT being 1.10 (standard deviation ±1.26. It was observed that prevalence of dental caries was high in visually impaired group (63.2% and least in hearing and speech impaired group (51.7%. The overall oral hygiene status recorded was good in 58.5%, fair in 40.8%, and poor in 0.7% of the study population. Conclusion: The cumulative neglect of oral health was seen among the physically challenged children. Children with visual impairment had much more poorer oral health when compared to the hearing and speech impairment and orthopedically physically challenged group. An improved accessibility

Report on BAAL "Language in Africa" SIG Meetings Reading in African Languages: Developing Literacies and Reading Methodologies

Science.gov (United States)

Wildsmith-Cromarty, Rosemary

2015-01-01

This report describes ongoing research on reading in African languages. It draws mainly on contributions from two British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) "Language in Africa" (LiA) Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings: the LiA SIG strand at BAAL 2013 and the seminar on "Reading Methodologies in African Languages"…

US/UK Sensor-To-Shooter Multinational C4 Interoperability Study Force-On-Force Effectiveness Methodology

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Bailey, Timothy J

2000-01-01

.... This methodology has been successfully applied to Army, joint, and multinational studies. The latest of these studies, the US/UK Sensor-To-Shooter Multinational C4 Interoperability Study Force-On-Force Analysis, was an effort to measure the value...

Materials selection as an interdisciplinary technical activity: basic methodology and case studies

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M. Ferrante

2000-04-01

Full Text Available The technical activity known as Materials Selection is reviewed in its concepts and methodologies. Objectives and strategies are briefly presented and two important features are introduced and discussed; (i Merit Indices: a combination of materials properties, which maximises the objectives chosen by the designer and (ii Materials Properties Maps: a bi-dimensional space whose coordinates are pairs of properties in which materials can be plotted and compared directly in terms of their merit indices. A general strategy for the deduction of these indices is explained and a formal methodology to establish a ranking of candidate materials when multiple constraints intervene is presented. Finally, two case studies are discussed in depth, one related to materials substitution in the context of mechanical design and a less conventional case linking material selection to physical comfort in the home furniture industry.

Design and methodology of the NorthStar Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schou, Morten; Gustafsson, Finn; Videbaek, Lars

2008-01-01

Randomized clinical trials have shown that newly discharged and symptomatic patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) benefit from follow-up in a specialized heart failure clinic (HFC). Clinical stable and educated patients are usually discharged from the HFC when on optimal therapy. It is unknown...

Synthesis of methodology development and case studies

OpenAIRE

Roetter, R.P.; Keulen, van, H.; Laar, van, H.H.

2000-01-01

The .Systems Research Network for Ecoregional Land Use Planning in Support of Natural Resource Management in Tropical Asia (SysNet). was financed under the Ecoregional Fund, administered by the International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR). The objective of the project was to develop and evaluate methodologies and tools for land use analysis, and apply them at the subnational scale to support agricultural and environmental policy formulation. In the framework of this projec...

Methodological considerations in observational comparative effectiveness research for implantable medical devices: an epidemiologic perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Jalbert, Jessica J; Ritchey, Mary Elizabeth; Mi, Xiaojuan; Chen, Chih-Ying; Hammill, Bradley G; Curtis, Lesley H; Setoguchi, Soko

2014-11-01

Medical devices play a vital role in diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases and are an integral part of the health-care system. Many devices, including implantable medical devices, enter the market through a regulatory pathway that was not designed to assure safety and effectiveness. Several recent studies and high-profile device recalls have demonstrated the need for well-designed, valid postmarketing studies of medical devices. Medical device epidemiology is a relatively new field compared with pharmacoepidemiology, which for decades has been developed to assess the safety and effectiveness of medications. Many methodological considerations in pharmacoepidemiology apply to medical device epidemiology. Fundamental differences in mechanisms of action and use and in how exposure data are captured mean that comparative effectiveness studies of medical devices often necessitate additional and different considerations. In this paper, we discuss some of the most salient issues encountered in conducting comparative effectiveness research on implantable devices. We discuss special methodological considerations regarding the use of data sources, exposure and outcome definitions, timing of exposure, and sources of bias. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Introduction to the Special Issue on Climate Ethics: Uncertainty, Values and Policy

OpenAIRE

Roeser, S.

2017-01-01

Climate change is a pressing phenomenon with huge potential ethical, legal and social policy implications. Climate change gives rise to intricate moral and policy issues as it involves contested science, uncertainty and risk. In order to come to scientifically and morally justified, as well as feasible, policies, targeting climate change requires an interdisciplinary approach. This special issue will identify the main challenges that climate change poses from social, economic, methodological ...

Methodology for forecasting in the Swedish–Norwegian market for el-certificates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolfgang, Ove; Jaehnert, Stefan; Mo, Birger

2015-01-01

In this paper we describe a novel methodology for forecasting in the Swedish–Norwegian el-certificate market, which is a variant of a tradable green certificate scheme. For the forecasting, the el-certificate market is integrated in the electricity-market model EMPS, which has weekly to hourly time-step length, whereas the planning horizon can be several years. Strategies for the certificate inventory are calculated by stochastic dynamic programming, whereas penalty-rates for non-compliance during the annual settlement of certificates are determined endogenously. In the paper the methodology is described, and we show the performance of the model under different cases that can occur in the el-certificate market. The general results correspond to theoretical findings in previous studies for tradable green certificate markets, in particular that price-scenarios spread out in such a way that the unconditional expected value of certificates is relatively stable throughout the planning period. In addition the presented methodologies allows to assess the actual dynamics of the certificate price due to climatic uncertainty. Finally, special cases are indentified where the certificate price becomes excessively high respectively zero, due the design-specific dynamics of the penalty rate. - Highlights: • A method for forecasting in the Swedish–Norwegian el-certificate market is proposed. • The developed model integrates the el-certificate and the power market. • Banking of certificates and the endogenously calculated penalty rate are included. • The certificate value is calculated using Stochastic-Dynamic-Programming. • Price dynamics due to climatic weather uncertainties are assessed and illustrated

Methodology for Analysing Controllability and Observability of Bladed Disc Coupled Vibrations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Rene Hardam; Santos, Ilmar

2004-01-01

to place sensors and actuators so that all vibration levels can be monitored and controlled. Due to the special dynamic characteristics of rotating coupled bladed discs, where disc lateral motion is coupled to blade flexible motion, such analyses become quite complicated. The dynamics is described...... by a time-variant mathematical model, which presents parametric vibration modes and centrifugal stiffening effects resulting in increasing blade natural frequencies. In this framework the objective and contribution of this paper is to present a methodology for analysing the modal controllability...

Kids'Cam: An Objective Methodology to Study the World in Which Children Live.

Science.gov (United States)

Signal, Louise N; Smith, Moira B; Barr, Michelle; Stanley, James; Chambers, Tim J; Zhou, Jiang; Duane, Aaron; Jenkin, Gabrielle L S; Pearson, Amber L; Gurrin, Cathal; Smeaton, Alan F; Hoek, Janet; Ni Mhurchu, Cliona

2017-09-01

This paper reports on a new methodology to objectively study the world in which children live. The primary research study (Kids'Cam Food Marketing) illustrates the method; numerous ancillary studies include exploration of children's exposure to alcohol, smoking, "blue" space and gambling, and their use of "green" space, transport, and sun protection. One hundred sixty-eight randomly selected children (aged 11-13 years) recruited from 16 randomly selected schools in Wellington, New Zealand used wearable cameras and GPS units for 4 days, recording imagery every 7 seconds and longitude/latitude locations every 5 seconds. Data were collected from July 2014 to June 2015. Analysis commenced in 2015 and is ongoing. Bespoke software was used to manually code images for variables of interest including setting, marketing media, and product category to produce variables for statistical analysis. GPS data were extracted and cleaned in ArcGIS, version 10.3 for exposure spatial analysis. Approximately 1.4 million images and 2.2 million GPS coordinates were generated (most were usable) from many settings including the difficult to measure aspects of exposures in the home, at school, and during leisure time. The method is ethical, legal, and acceptable to children and the wider community. This methodology enabled objective analysis of the world in which children live. The main arm examined the frequency and nature of children's exposure to food and beverage marketing and provided data on difficult to measure settings. The methodology will likely generate robust evidence facilitating more effective policymaking to address numerous public health concerns. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Study to improve recriticality evaluation methodology after severe accident (Joint research)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kugo, Teruhiko; Ishikawa, Makoto; Nagaya, Yasunobu; Yokoyama, Kenji; Fukaya, Yuji; Maruyama, Hiromi; Kondo, Takao; Minato, Hirokazu; Tsuchiya, Akiyuki; Ishii, Yoshihiko; Fujimura, Koji

2014-03-01

The present report summarizes the results of a 2-year cooperative study between JAEA and Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy in order to contribute to the settlement of the Fukushima-Daiich nuclear power plants which suffered from the severe accident on March 2011. In the Fukushima-Daiich plants, it is considered that the nuclear fuel in the core was melted down by the loss of ultimate heat sink by the station black out after the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake. The position and/or the mass of the melted fuel have not been known yet. Therefore, the possibility of recriticality events and the severity of the postulated recriticality are uncertain. In the present study, the possible scenarios to reach the recriticality events in Fukushima-Daiich were investigated first. Then, the analytical methodology to evaluate the time-dependent recriticality events has been developed by modelling the reactivity insertion rate and the possible feedback according to the recriticality scenarios identified in the first step. The methodology developed here has been equipped as a transient simulation tool, PORCAS, which is operated on a multi-purpose platform for reactor analysis, MARBLE. Finally, the radiation exposure rates by the postulated recriticality events in Fukushima-Daiich were approximately evaluated to estimate the impact to the public environment. (author)

Comparative study between NCRP-49 and NCRP-147 methodologies for shielding calculus to fluoroscopy rooms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferreira, Christiano Eduardo Martins

2011-01-01

The walls of a fluoroscopy room must be shielded to prevent unnecessary exposures to technicians and public individuals. Thus this dissertation aims to describe the methodologies contained in two documents which are references for the calculation of shielding those rooms. They are the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements Report No. 49 (NCRP Report No. 49) and No. 147 (NCRP Report No. 147), the latter being more recent publication. And based on such description was made a comparative study between the two methodologies, using for this, as a benchmark, spreadsheets computer program developed by Wolfram Mathematica 6. With that we could reach the final thickness of the barriers to a Standard Plan for a fluoroscopy room (provided by Siemens) and noted that the NCRP-49 presents a methodology with results more conservative. (author)

Methodological principles to study formation and development of floristic law in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

А. К. Соколова

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The paper investigates the problems associated with the determination of methods to study establishment of floristic law in Ukraine. It makes an investigation into the types of methods, establishes their interrelation and functional value. In addition, it analyzes the system of methodological reasons for development of ecological and floristic law and gives additional reasons.

Screening radon risks: A methodology for policymakers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eisinger, D.S.; Simmons, R.A.; Lammering, M.; Sotiros, R.

1991-01-01

This paper provides an easy-to-use screening methodology to estimate potential excess lifetime lung cancer risk resulting from indoor radon exposure. The methodology was developed under U.S. EPA Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation sponsorship of the agency's Integrated Environmental Management Projects (IEMP) and State/Regional Comparative Risk Projects. These projects help policymakers understand and use scientific data to develop environmental problem-solving strategies. This research presents the risk assessment methodology, discusses its basis, and identifies appropriate applications. The paper also identifies assumptions built into the methodology and qualitatively addresses methodological uncertainties, the direction in which these uncertainties could bias analyses, and their relative importance. The methodology draws from several sources, including risk assessment formulations developed by the U.S. EPA's Office of Radiation Programs, the EPA's Integrated Environmental Management Project (Denver), the International Commission on Radiological Protection, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. When constructed as a spreadsheet program, the methodology easily facilitates analyses and sensitivity studies (the paper includes several sensitivity study options). The methodology will be most helpful to those who need to make decisions concerning radon testing, public education, and exposure prevention and mitigation programs.26 references

Program specialization

CERN Document Server

Marlet, Renaud

2013-01-01

This book presents the principles and techniques of program specialization - a general method to make programs faster (and possibly smaller) when some inputs can be known in advance. As an illustration, it describes the architecture of Tempo, an offline program specializer for C that can also specialize code at runtime, and provides figures for concrete applications in various domains. Technical details address issues related to program analysis precision, value reification, incomplete program specialization, strategies to exploit specialized program, incremental specialization, and data speci

Internet ethnography: a review of methodological considerations for studying online illness blogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Keim-Malpass, Jessica; Steeves, Richard H; Kennedy, Christine

2014-12-01

In recent history, the Internet has emerged as a wealth of archived, ongoing, interactive, and socially mediated data. Conducting Internet ethnography is a fairly new methodological approach, however, it has been previously described as a valid form of inquiry. Illness blogs, in particular, have great implications for nurse researchers, as they are able to study the experience of illness in a naturalistic and longitudinal manner, often with greater detail than data relying solely on participant recall. Participants are able to produce online illness blogs as a way to share their own illness narratives and connect with others going through similar processes. The purpose of this paper is to discuss methodological considerations in studying online illness blogs through Internet ethnography. This article provides an overview of Internet ethnography as an emerging qualitative method and an introduction to research using illness blogs. Through use of this method in an exemplar study of young women with cancer, key decision points are highlighted along with the study team's field experiences. Issues pertaining to method applicability, active vs. passive involvement as a researcher, ethical considerations, what constitutes data, sampling approach, procedural and analytic decisions, and thoughts regarding reflexivity and voice of the research participants' are addressed. Strengths and limitations of the study of online illness blogs through Internet ethnography in nursing science are also discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors That Drive Youth Specialization.

Science.gov (United States)

Padaki, Ajay S; Popkin, Charles A; Hodgins, Justin L; Kovacevic, David; Lynch, Thomas Sean; Ahmad, Christopher S

Specialization in young athletes has been linked to overuse injuries, burnout, and decreased satisfaction. Despite continued opposition from the medical community, epidemiological studies suggest the frequency is increasing. Extrinsic pressures in addition to individual aspirations drive this national trend in sports specialization. Descriptive epidemiology study. Level 3. A novel instrument assessing the driving factors behind youth specialization was generated by an interdisciplinary team of medical professionals. Surveys were administered to patients and athletes in the department's sports medicine clinic. The survey was completed by 235 athletes between 7 and 18 years of age, with a mean age of 13.8 ± 3.0 years. Athletes specialized at a mean age of 8.1 years, and 31% of athletes played a single sport while 58% played multiple sports but had a preferred sport. More than 70% of athletes had collegiate or professional ambitions, and 60% played their primary sport for 9 or more months per year, with players who had an injury history more likely to play year-round ( P specialized athletes reporting this significantly more often ( P = 0.04). Half of the athletes reported that sports interfered with their academic performance, with older players stating this more frequently ( P specializing in a single sport before starting high school. While intrinsic drive may identify healthy aspirations, extrinsic influences are prevalent in specialized athletes. Extrinsic factors contributing to youth specialization were identified and compounded the deleterious sequelae of youth athlete specialization.

Experimental study of a methodology for Fission-track Dating without neutron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadler, J.C.; Iunes, P.J.; Tello, C.A.; Chemale, F.; Kawashita, K.; Curvo, E.A.C.; Santos, F.G.S.; Gasparini, T.E.; Moreira, P.A.F.P.; Guedes, S.

2009-01-01

To carry out the dating by the Fission Track Method (FTM) the international community that works with this method employs methodologies in which the mineral to be dated must be irradiated with neutrons. Such irradiation, performed in a nuclear reactor, demand a relatively long waiting time so that the activity of the sample attain a proper level for handling. The present work aims to establish a methodology that makes possible the dating by FTM using a mass spectrometer instead of a nuclear reactor. This methodology was applied to apatite samples from Durango, Mexico.

Methodological study of volcanic glass dating by fission track method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araya, A.M.O.

1987-01-01

After a description of the method and from the analysis of the age equation we show the methodology used in the plotting of the correction curve and the results of the study of correction curves and corrected ages. From a study of the size correction method we see that the reactor irradiation effect on the curve is negligible and that the correction curve is independent of the thermal treatment but, it depends on chemical treatment and sample. Comparing the corrected ages obtained from both correction method and the ages given by other authors we can conclude that they are in agreement and concerning the plateau method, both isothermal and isochronic plateau give the same results. (author) [pt

A New Urban Agenda: Introduction to the Special Issue on “Sustainable Urban Development”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steffen Lehmann

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Since the start of the 21st century, humanity has been a predominantly urban species. This Special Issue is about the future of cities and how urbanization will develop when based on principles of sustainability. It explores the underlying dimensions of the transformation of existing cities and the design of low carbon green precincts and their urban systems. The view of the papers presented in this Special Issue is holistic and takes questions of social sustainability into account. This editorial highlights the contents and methodologies of 13 selected papers, while presenting diverse issues in strategies, concepts and policies for sustainable urban development.

Development of assessment methodology for plant configuration control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheong, Chang Hyeon; Yu, Yeong Woo; Cho, Jae Seon; Kim, Ju Yeol; Kim, Yun Ik; Yang, Hui Chang; Park, Gang Min; Hur, Byeong Gil [Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1999-03-15

The purpose of this study is the development of effective and overall assessment methodology which reflects the characteristics of plants for the surveillance, maintenance, repair and operation of Nuclear Power Plant. The development of this methodology can contribute to enhance safety. In the first year of this study, recent researches are surveyed and concept definition, procedures, current PSA methodologies, implementation of various models are evaluated. Through this survey, systematic assessment methodology is suggested.

Enacting the Role of Special Needs Educator--Six Swedish Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Klang, Nina; Gustafson, Katarina; Möllås, Gunvie; Nilholm, Claes; Göransson, Kerstin

2017-01-01

With the increasing focus on inclusion, special needs educators (SNEs) are now expected to share responsibility for pupils with teacher colleagues and to lead school development, but it is a challenge to enact this role in schools. The aim of the study was to explore how professional roles of Swedish SNEs are enacted in local school contexts. From…

A Q-methodological study of smoking identities.

Science.gov (United States)

Farrimond, Hannah; Joffe, Helene; Stenner, Paul

2010-10-01

In contrast to the psychological literature on adolescent smoking, little research has investigated the social identities of adult smokers. This study aimed to identify shared 'smoking identities' amongst a sample of 64 British smokers from different socio-economic groups using Q-methodology. Participants were asked to sort 70 items concerning smoking and smokers according to their agreement/disagreement with them. The 64 Q-sorts were then subjected to a by-person factor analysis yielding six factors, with the first four interpretable factors being presented here. Each factor is understood to represent a distinct 'identity position'. The first two, the 'addicted' smoker, and the 'in control' smoker, oriented around a biomedical model of smoking as an addictive health risk. The final two, the 'no big deal' smoker and the 'proud' smoker reflected alternative understandings and values. The identity positions also differed in the extent to which smoking was considered a core part of self-identity. Unpacking the 'smoking identities' of current smokers offers the opportunity to devise targeted health promotion.

An Empirical Review of Research Methodologies and Methods in Creativity Studies (2003-2012)

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Haiying

2014-01-01

Based on the data collected from 5 prestigious creativity journals, research methodologies and methods of 612 empirical studies on creativity, published between 2003 and 2012, were reviewed and compared to those in gifted education. Major findings included: (a) Creativity research was predominantly quantitative and psychometrics and experiment…

Studies of national research performance: A case of ‘methodological nationalism’ and ‘zombie science’?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Mads P.; Schneider, Jesper Wiborg

2017-01-01

The analytical point of departure in this paper is the ongoing debate, initiated by Ulrich Beck, on methodological nationalism within the social sciences. Based on a comprehensive study of research collaboration and mobility of researchers this paper discusses possible traces of methodological...... with researchers in other countries. The national research institutions are increasingly transnationalised due to the growing mobility of researchers. Based on an examination of all the papers registered in the Thompson Reuter’s Web of Science database we follow the development in research collaboration...

Study of a scintillation detector of special shape

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Empl, A.

1989-07-01

Object of this thesis is the study of a rotated scintillator segment especially regarding its light yield. For this both an experiment with the prototype of a segment was performed and also software was produced which simulates the photon transport through light guides and scintillators. The latter allows to obtain without experiment first estimations of the optical properties for variations of the 'verticil' segment. In the central chapter 3 the experimental arrangement and the performance of the experiment are described. Subsequently the measurement results are presented. Previously however chapter 2 is dedicated to the simulation of the photon transport (program structure, simulation results) and the special geometry of the 'verticil'. (orig./HSI) [de

A study on safety analysis methodology in spent fuel dry storage facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Che, M. S.; Ryu, J. H.; Kang, K. M.; Cho, N. C.; Kim, M. S. [Hanyang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2004-02-15

Collection and review of the domestic and foreign technology related to spent fuel dry storage facility. Analysis of a reference system. Establishment of a framework for criticality safety analysis. Review of accident analysis methodology. Establishment of accident scenarios. Establishment of scenario analysis methodology.

National study on carless and special needs populations mobilizing your community for emergency evacuation.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-01

The National Study on Carless and Special Needs Evacuation Planning was a multi-year study funded by the Federal Transit Administration : to research how state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), transit ...

Methodology applied to develop the DHIE: applied methodology

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Herselman, Marlien

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This section will address the methodology that was applied to develop the South African Digital Health Innovation Ecosystem (DHIE). Each chapter under Section B represents a specific phase in the methodology....

Evaluation of the methodology for dose calculation in microdosimetry with electrons sources using the MCNP5 Code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cintra, Felipe Belonsi de

2010-01-01

This study made a comparison between some of the major transport codes that employ the Monte Carlo stochastic approach in dosimetric calculations in nuclear medicine. We analyzed in detail the various physical and numerical models used by MCNP5 code in relation with codes like EGS and Penelope. The identification of its potential and limitations for solving microdosimetry problems were highlighted. The condensed history methodology used by MCNP resulted in lower values for energy deposition calculation. This showed a known feature of the condensed stories: its underestimates both the number of collisions along the trajectory of the electron and the number of secondary particles created. The use of transport codes like MCNP and Penelope for micrometer scales received special attention in this work. Class I and class II codes were studied and their main resources were exploited in order to transport electrons, which have particular importance in dosimetry. It is expected that the evaluation of available methodologies mentioned here contribute to a better understanding of the behavior of these codes, especially for this class of problems, common in microdosimetry. (author)

Comparison of methodologic quality and study/report characteristics between quantitative clinical nursing and nursing education research articles.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Barbara St Pierre; Nicholas, Jennifer; Kurrus, Jeffrey E

2013-01-01

To compare the methodologic quality and study/report characteristics between quantitative clinical nursing and nursing education research articles. The methodologic quality of quantitative nursing education research needs to advance to a higher level. Clinical research can provide guidance for nursing education to reach this level. One hundred quantitative clinical research articles from-high impact journals published in 2007 and 37 education research articles from high impact journals published in 2006 to 2007 were chosen for analysis. Clinical articles had significantly higher quality scores than education articles in three domains: number of institutions studied, type of data, and outcomes. The findings indicate three ways in which nursing education researchers can strengthen the methodologic quality of their quantitative research. With this approach, greater funding may be secured for advancing the science of nursing education.

Differentiated practice and specialization in community nursing: a descriptive study in the Netherlands.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, P.G.M.; Kerkstra, A.; Huijer Abu-Saad, H.; Zee, J. van der

1997-01-01

Nursing roles are described with respect to two principles on the basis of an inventory study carried out in the Netherlands: differentiated practice and specialization. A total of 58 agencies for community nursing participated in this study (response = 84%). In each of these agencies an expert was

A Bayesian methodology for scaling radiation studies from animals to man

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DuMouchel, W.; Gror, P.G.B.

1989-01-01

This paper describes a Bayesian methodology for integrating studies in experimental animals and humans to obtain a risk estimate for a radionuclide for which no data or very limited human data are available. The method is quite general and is not limited to radiation studies. In fact, it was first developed for chemical toxicants. The methodology is illustrated using studies with rats, beagles, and humans exposed to isotopes of Ra and Pu. The goal is a quantitative risk estimate for bone cancer in humans exposed to internally deposited Pu. The choice of bone cancer as an end point and of Pu as the source of exposure was made partially because of its inherent interest but also because of issues of data availability and suitability. We performed Poisson regression analyses on 13 of 15 data sets. These analyses form the basis for the unifying method of interpreting the entire ensemble of studies. Each of the studies is summarized by the estimated dose-response slope and its estimated standard error. These summary statistics are combined with other available biological and physical information about species differences, physical and metabolic characteristics of isotopes, disease mechanisms, and the like. This information enters the analysis in the form of prior assumptions about the parameters of the Bayesian model combining the studies. The posterior distribution for the bone cancer rate in man from the Bayesian analysis of the 13 studies is updated with the limited data on Pu in humans. This update gives the final probability density for the bone cancer rate in humans exposed to internally deposited Pu. This density has a median of about three cancers per 100 Gy and has a 95% probability interval from 0.8 to 11 bone cancers per 100 Gy

SOME METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF TRAINING IT PROFESSIONALS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svitlana Leshchuk

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The important task of higher educational establishments is preparation of competitive professional, man that easily feels in market conditions and informative society. Next to possessing of informatively-communication technologies necessary abilities to study in a group, skills of prosecution of general projects. The aim of the article is to show possibility of organization of educational activity of students with maintenance and form works that is required by modern industry of information technologies. An author is describe separate steps preparations of future specialists, that is required by a IT-sphere; specialists that own a modern tool are understood by modern approaches in programming; able to work in a command above a general project and to arrive at a result. The basic ideas of the object-oriented programming are considered, methodology of management projects for the flexible Scrum and possibilities of the use of control system by versions software development, as a powerful instrument that gives an opportunity simultaneously, swimmingly to each other, to conduct the prosecution of group projects. Description comes true on the basis of realization of the special course for specialists on the informatics of specialities «Applied mathematics», «Informatics» of physics-mathematics faculty (Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatyuk National Pedagogical University. The table of contents of material is extended also by an acquaintance with the architectural template of MVC and generalization of abilities of work with a programmatic tool, by a necessity for creation of web-projects. The practical achievement of educational activity of students is development of social web-project with the aim of increase of level of culture of society and benevolent atmosphere of city.

Creativity in phenomenological methodology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dreyer, Pia; Martinsen, Bente; Norlyk, Annelise

2014-01-01

on the methodologies of van Manen, Dahlberg, Lindseth & Norberg, the aim of this paper is to argue that the increased focus on creativity and arts in research methodology is valuable to gain a deeper insight into lived experiences. We illustrate this point through examples from empirical nursing studies, and discuss......Nursing research is often concerned with lived experiences in human life using phenomenological and hermeneutic approaches. These empirical studies may use different creative expressions and art-forms to describe and enhance an embodied and personalised understanding of lived experiences. Drawing...... may support a respectful renewal of phenomenological research traditions in nursing research....

The study of the value of applying the special functions of DSA during uterine artery embolization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Ting; Zhao Zhenhua; Lv Weigong

2007-01-01

Objective: To study the value of applying the special functions of DSA during uterine artery embolization. Methods: 122 cases were performed uterine artery embolization, including 67 cases with traditional operation and 55 cases with applying the special functions of DSA: rotary DSA angiography, the best work position and road map technology. We recorded the correlative operative indices to compare and analyse the mean exposure time, the mean operative time, the mean dosage of contrast medium, the probability of vasospasm and injury of blood vessel during operation. Results: The mean exposure time, mean operative time and the mean dosage of contrast medium were reduced with the special functions of DSA during uterine artery embolization. There is significant difference between traditional operation and the operation applying the special functions of DSA (P<0.01). Conclusion: Applying the special functions of DSA during uterine artery embolization can reduce the operative time, operative risk and economic burden. (authors)

The Effect of Badges on the Engagement of Students with Special Educational Needs: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Sitra, Ourania; Katsigiannakis, Vangelis; Karagiannidis, Charalampos; Mavropoulou, Sofia

2017-01-01

This paper addresses the perceived benefits from gamification in the context of special education. It presents the findings of a study evaluating the effects of a specific gamification element (badges) on the engagement of five students with special learning needs, through online courses developed on the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS).…

Quantitative aspects of transuranic and other radionuclide field studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilbert, R.O.

1982-01-01

The purpose of this project is to identify, develop, and communicate statistical methodology for environmental actinide studies. Significant accomplishments for FY 1981 included continued publication of TRAN-STAT (a periodical specializing in the statistical aspects of environmental contaminant studies), continued work on our computer simulation study for evaluating ratios, and review of statistical methodology applicable to environmental radionuclides. Related work for the DOE Division Office of Operational Safety included writing the statistical portion of a decommissioning and decontamination guide, expanding our expertise in Kriging and other spatial pattern statistical methodology applicable to the evaluation of potential environmental hazards, continuing statistical support for the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG), and providing statistical assistance to PNL's environmental radiological monitoring effort

A Descriptive Case Study of Appreciative Inquiry as an Approach to Strategic Planning for Special Education in a Public School

Science.gov (United States)

Ruhlman, Paul L., Jr.

2014-01-01

This study's purpose was to describe appreciative inquiry (AI) as an approach to strategic planning for special education in a public school. The study investigated four research questions. How do plans for special education emerge as participants engage in the four phases of AI during strategic planning for the future of special education in a…

[Qualitative research methodology in health care].

Science.gov (United States)

Bedregal, Paula; Besoain, Carolina; Reinoso, Alejandro; Zubarew, Tamara

2017-03-01

Health care research requires different methodological approaches such as qualitative and quantitative analyzes to understand the phenomena under study. Qualitative research is usually the least considered. Central elements of the qualitative method are that the object of study is constituted by perceptions, emotions and beliefs, non-random sampling by purpose, circular process of knowledge construction, and methodological rigor throughout the research process, from quality design to the consistency of results. The objective of this work is to contribute to the methodological knowledge about qualitative research in health services, based on the implementation of the study, “The transition process from pediatric to adult services: perspectives from adolescents with chronic diseases, caregivers and health professionals”. The information gathered through the qualitative methodology facilitated the understanding of critical points, barriers and facilitators of the transition process of adolescents with chronic diseases, considering the perspective of users and the health team. This study allowed the design of a transition services model from pediatric to adult health services based on the needs of adolescents with chronic diseases, their caregivers and the health team.

Integration and Implementation Sciences: Building a New Specialization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriele Bammer

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Developing a new specialization - Integration and Implementation Sciences - may be an effective way to draw together and significantly strengthen the theory and methods necessary to tackle complex societal issues and problems. This paper presents an argument for such a specialization, beginning with a brief review of calls for new research approaches that combine disciplines and interact more closely with policy and practice. It posits that the core elements of Integration and Implementation Sciences already exist, but that the field is currently characterized by fragmentation and marginalization. The paper then outlines three sets of characteristics that will delineate Integration and Implementation Sciences. First is that the specialization will aim to find better ways to deal with the defining elements of many current societal issues and problems: namely complexity, uncertainty, change, and imperfection. Second is that there will be three theoretical and methodological pillars for doing this: 1 systems thinking and complexity science, 2 participatory methods, and 3 knowledge management, exchange, and implementation. Third, operationally, Integration and Implementation Sciences will be grounded in practical application, and generally involve large-scale collaboration. The paper concludes by examining where Integration and Implementation Sciences would sit in universities, and outlines a program for further development of the field. An appendix provides examples of Integration and Implementation Sciences in action.

Methodology for the Integration of Safety in the Optimization of the Advanced Reactors Design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grinblat, P.; Schlamp, M.; Brasnarof, D.; Gimenez, M.

2003-01-01

In this work a new methodology has been developed and implemented for taking into account the safety levels of the reactor in a design optimization process, by using Design Maps.They represent a new technique for comparing critical variables in case an accidental sequenced happened, with limit values set by the design criteria.So a good balance is achieved, without allowing the economic performance search to cause a too risky reactor, and guaranteeing the competitiveness of it in spite of the safety costs.Up to the moment, there is no design tool able to accomplish this task in an integrated way.A computational tool based on this methodology has been implemented.These tool specially programmed routines allow carrying out the mentioned tasks

On-line diagnosis and recovery of adversary attack using logic flowgraph methodology simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guarro, S.B.

1986-01-01

The Logic Flowgraph Methodology (LFM) allows the construction of special graph models for simulation of complex processes of causality, including feedback loops and sequential effects. Among the most notable features of LFM is the formal inclusion in its models of causality conditioning by logic switches imbedded in the modeled process, such as faults or modes of operation. The LFM model of a process is a graph structure that captures, in one synthetic representation, the relevant success and fault space characterization of that process. LFM is very similar to an artificial intelligence expert system shell. To illustrate the utilization of LFM, an application to the assessment and on-line monitoring of a material control facility is presented. The LFM models are used to model adversary action and control response, and to generate mini-diagnostic and recovery trees in real time, as well as reliability tress for off-line evaluation. Although the case study presented is for an imaginary facility, most of the conceptual elements that would be present in a real application have been retained in order to highlight the features and capabilities of the methodology

Special protective concretes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouniol, P.

2001-01-01

Concrete is the most convenient material when large-scale radiation protection is needed. Thus, special concretes for nuclear purposes are used in various facilities like reactors, reprocessing centers, storage sites, accelerators, hospitals with nuclear medicine equipment, food ionization centers etc.. The recent advances made in civil engineering for the improvement of concrete durability and compactness are for a large part transposable to protection concretes. This article presents the basic knowledge about protection concretes with the associated typological and technological aspects. A large part is devoted to the intrinsic properties of concretes and to their behaviour in irradiation and temperature conditions: 1 - definition and field of application of special protective concretes; 2 - evolution of concepts and technologies (durability of structures, techniques of formulation, new additives, market evolution); 3 - design of protective structures (preliminary study, radiation characteristics, thermal constraints, damping and dimensioning, mechanical criteria); 4 - formulation of special concretes (general principles, granulates, hydraulic binders, pulverulent additives, water/cement ratio, reference composition of some special concretes); 5 - properties of special concretes (damping and thermo-mechanical properties); 6 - induced-irradiation and temperature phenomena (activation, radiolysis, mineralogical transformations, drying, shrinking, creep, corrosion of reinforcement). (J.S.)

Using MFM methodology to generate and define major accident scenarios for quantitative risk assessment studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hua, Xinsheng; Wu, Zongzhi; Lind, Morten

2017-01-01

to calculate likelihood of each MAS. Combining the likelihood of each scenario with a qualitative risk matrix, each major accident scenario is thereby ranked for consideration for detailed consequence analysis. The methodology is successfully highlighted using part of BMA-process for production of hydrogen......Generating and defining Major Accident Scenarios (MAS) are commonly agreed as the key step for quantitative risk assessment (QRA). The aim of the study is to explore the feasibility of using Multilevel Flow Modeling (MFM) methodology to formulating MAS. Traditionally this is usually done based...

Methodological aspects of the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study

Science.gov (United States)

Victora, Cesar Gomes; Araújo, Cora Luiza Pavin; Menezes, Ana Maria Batista; Hallal, Pedro Curi; Vieira, Maria de Fátima; Neutzling, Marilda Borges; Gonçalves, Helen; Valle, Neiva Cristina; Lima, Rosangela Costa; Anselmi, Luciana; Behague, Dominique; Gigante, Denise Petrucci; Barros, Fernando Celso

2010-01-01

This paper describes the main methodological aspects of a cohort study, with emphasis on its recent phases, which may be relevant to investigators planning to carry out similar studies. In 1993, a population based study was launched in Pelotas, Southern Brazil. All 5,249 newborns delivered in the city’s hospitals were enrolled, and sub-samples were visited at the ages of one, three and six months and of one and four years. In 2004-5 it was possible to trace 87.5% of the cohort at the age of 10-12 years. Sub-studies are addressing issues related to oral health, psychological development and mental health, body composition, and ethnography. Birth cohort studies are essential for investigating the early determinants of adult disease and nutritional status, yet few such studies are available from low and middle-income countries where these determinants may differ from those documented in more developed settings. PMID:16410981

Attitudes of teachers education centers to special education inclusion

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M.ª del Carmen PEGALAJAR PALOMINO

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This research aims to analyze the attitudes and perceptions towards inclusive education teacher that practices in special education centers in Andalusia. The paper has used a descriptive methodology, a total of 428 participating teachers and using data collection a semi structured questionnaire developed ad hoc. The results show how teachers of special education centers in Andalusia consider inclusive education as a pillar in education, while defining the mode of schooling in special education institutions as an educational response to students aimed at improving their quality of life and achieve greater personal independence and function in daily life activities. They also consider that the students enrolled in these schools has higher educational needs in the field of health, cognitive and social. It stands out even the existence of statistically significant differences in attitudes and perceptions of teachers as they have developed or no practical training related to the field of inclusive education during their initial training, being more favorable in the case of those without such training. Thus, we want to know the perceptions of these teachers on inclusive education to establish proposals for improvement in teacher education that lead to the development of a process of quality teaching and learning for pupils with severe and permanent disabilities.

Self-Study as an Emergent Methodology in Career and Technical Education, Adult Education and Technology: An Invitation to Inquiry

Science.gov (United States)

Hawley, Todd S.; Hostetler, Andrew L.

2017-01-01

In this manuscript, the authors explore self-study as an emerging research methodology with the potential to open up spaces of inquiry for researchers, graduate students, and teachers in a broad array of fields. They argue that the fields of career and technical education (CTE), adult education and technology can leverage self-study methodology in…

Methodological basis for formation of uniterruptible education content for future specialists of atomic-nuclear complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burtebayev, N.; Burtebayeva, J.T.; Basharuly, R.; Altynsarin, Y.

2009-01-01

Full text: For science-reliable determination of the content of uninterruptible education system, as a rule, the following levels of theoretical-methodological approach are used in complex: 1) science-wide methodological level based on the dialectical laws of knowledge theory; 2) science-wide methodological level based on the principles and the provisions of system analysis; 3) particular science methodological level based on the laws and the principles of any specific science [1]. Such holistic approach covering all levels of science methodology is required for determination of the content of uninterruptible education for future specialists of nuclear profile. Indeed, considering the problem related to the content of uninterruptible education from the point of the first science-wide methodological level we shall follow primary the requirements of dialectical 'Law of common, special and single unity', where firstly the universal values in science, culture and technology forming the united invariant of education content of the world education space is positioned as the 'common' component of uninterruptible education content; secondly, the theoretical-practical achievements gained in the countries of any region (for example Eurasian space) are positioned as the 'special' component of the content for the training of the specialists of nuclear profile; thirdly, the content elements determined in accordance with socio-economic order of the specific society introducing the national interests of the specific country (for example, Republic of Kazakhstan) are positioned as the 'single' component of the education content for the future specialists of atomic-nuclear complex. Inseparable unity of the above mentioned components of the education content which have been determined in accordance with the laws, principles and provisions of all three levels of science-methodological approach assures the high level competence and the functional mobility of nuclear profile specialist

Emerging Methodologies in Pediatric Palliative Care Research: Six Case Studies

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Katherine E. Nelson

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Given the broad focus of pediatric palliative care (PPC on the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of children with potentially life-limiting illnesses and their families, PPC research requires creative methodological approaches. This manuscript, written by experienced PPC researchers, describes issues encountered in our own areas of research and the novel methods we have identified to target them. Specifically, we discuss potential approaches to: assessing symptoms among nonverbal children, evaluating medical interventions, identifying and treating problems related to polypharmacy, addressing missing data in longitudinal studies, evaluating longer-term efficacy of PPC interventions, and monitoring for inequities in PPC service delivery.

Emerging Methodologies in Pediatric Palliative Care Research: Six Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Katherine E.; Gerhardt, Cynthia A.; Rosenberg, Abby R.; Widger, Kimberley; Faerber, Jennifer A.; Feudtner, Chris

2018-01-01

Given the broad focus of pediatric palliative care (PPC) on the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of children with potentially life-limiting illnesses and their families, PPC research requires creative methodological approaches. This manuscript, written by experienced PPC researchers, describes issues encountered in our own areas of research and the novel methods we have identified to target them. Specifically, we discuss potential approaches to: assessing symptoms among nonverbal children, evaluating medical interventions, identifying and treating problems related to polypharmacy, addressing missing data in longitudinal studies, evaluating longer-term efficacy of PPC interventions, and monitoring for inequities in PPC service delivery. PMID:29495384

The use of online methodologies in studying paraphilias - A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Mark D

2012-12-01

Aims The paper outlines the advantages, disadvantages, and other implications of using the Internet to collect data from those people displaying sexually paraphilic behavior. Method Using empirical and clinical studies published in the paraphilia literature, the main issues concerning online paraphilic data collection are reviewed and discussed. Results The specific online data collection methods examined included the collection of paraphilic data via (i) online questionnaires, (ii) online forums, (iii) online interviews, and (iv) online participant observation. Conclusions It is concluded that there are many useful and practical advantages of using online research methodologies to examine sexually paraphilic behavior.

Studying Information Needs as Question-Negotiations in an Educational Context: A Methodological Comment

Science.gov (United States)

Lundh, Anna

2010-01-01

Introduction: The concept of information needs is significant within the field of Information Needs Seeking and Use. "How" information needs can be studied empirically is however something that has been called into question. The main aim of this paper is to explore the methodological consequences of discursively oriented theories when…

Linguistic explanation and domain specialization: a case study in bound variable anaphora.

Science.gov (United States)

Adger, David; Svenonius, Peter

2015-01-01

The core question behind this Frontiers research topic is whether explaining linguistic phenomena requires appeal to properties of human cognition that are specialized to language. We argue here that investigating this issue requires taking linguistic research results seriously, and evaluating these for domain-specificity. We present a particular empirical phenomenon, bound variable interpretations of pronouns dependent on a quantifier phrase, and argue for a particular theory of this empirical domain that is couched at a level of theoretical depth which allows its principles to be evaluated for domain-specialization. We argue that the relevant principles are specialized when they apply in the domain of language, even if analogs of them are plausibly at work elsewhere in cognition or the natural world more generally. So certain principles may be specialized to language, though not, ultimately, unique to it. Such specialization is underpinned by ultimately biological factors, hence part of UG.

Formalizing the ISDF Software Development Methodology

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